Before the Friendship Games: Twilight Sparkle

by CapNTilfy

Rating: mature
Tags: Dean Cadance, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Slice of Life, Sour Sweet, Shadowbolts (EqG), Lemon Zest, Drama, Equestria Girls, Sex
Length: 35999

Twilight Sparkle may be a bit of a loner, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want a friend... Book Six of The Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

Twilight Sparkle. Genius. Top of the class. Wunderkind. Bored. Lonely. She wants to make friends, but how can she when she spends most of her time either cooped up in a lab or stuck in a book?

Book Six of The Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

Rated M for Masturbation or other forms of self-pleasure, which will be marked with (M) on relevant chapters.

Just like Sugarcoat's story, the masturbation scenes contain nothing important to the overall story, so they can be skipped worry-free!

Twilight Sparkle is eighteen years old.

Part of "Not Just Any Old Continuity", which includes
Not Just Any Old Trilogy
The Anon-A-Miss Saga
TimberTwi Tales

Check out all of my stories here!

Published 2018-11-09 00:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-01-18 02:26:58 UTC

Dawn of a New Day

Author's Note

Eight days until the Friendship Games.

Dawn of a New Day

Twilight Sparkle's alarm clock went off, and she slowly opened her eyes, stretching and yawning. She got out of bed, bleary-eyed. She shut off her clock then walked into her bathroom to take a shower. She smiled as she heard the water running. Showers always helped to clear her mind.

Twilight stepped in and sighed contently as she felt the hot water fall down her back. Showers were always liberating for her, and they felt like a sanctuary to her. A brief sanctuary, but a sanctuary nonetheless! She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She smiled as she began washing herself. Her thoughts drifted over the course of her cleaning, from her family to her time at Crystal Prep Academy.

Crystal Prep Academy had been a boon for Twilight, since even the AP classes she went to at her old school weren't stimulating enough for her. Sadly, as the old adage goes, "History repeats itself." She frowned slightly. Crystal Prep was a great place for knowledge, she had no doubt about that. But lately, she had felt that her school was losing its luster. She had been everywhere in the school, aced all of her tests. She even knew pretty much everything about the school.

Twilight shook her head rapidly. So much for clearing my mind, she thought with a frown. She got out of the shower and put on her uniform. She smiled warmly as she faintly heard scratching coming from the other side of her bedroom door. She walked over and opened it up, and her pet dog Spike ran inside, wagging his tail like there's no tomorrow.

Twilight got onto the floor and was assaulted with puppy kisses. She laughed as Spike's tongue tickled her face. "Hey there," she said as she scratched him behind one of his ears. Spike responded by closing is eyes and thumping his hind left leg on the floor. Twilight giggled again, then scratched him under his chin. Spike shook his head rapidly, then yawned. He left her room and ran downstairs. She smiled, then followed Spike.

Once Twilight reached the bottom of the stairwell, she turned and noticed her parents sitting. "Good morning, Twilight," her mother said. Her father, Night Light, had his head stuck in the newspaper.

"Hey, Mom," Twilight said, then gave her dad a kiss on the cheek.

Night Light lowered the newspaper and smiled. "Morning, sweetie. Ready for another day at school," he asked.

Twilight's smile faded. "I guess."

"You guess?"

Twilight took out her phone and checked the time. Good, she thought. I have some time to talk. She sighed, then told her parents her concerns about Crystal Prep.

"Sounds to me like you're in a bit of a rut," Night Light said as he put the newspaper on the coffee table. "Maybe you should try something new."

"That's just it, Dad," Twilight said. "I feel like I've done everything I can do there."

"Are you sure about that," Twilight Velvet asked.

Twilight looked away from her parents and sighed. "I don't know," she said as she folded her arms. "But you're right, Dad," she said as she looked back at her parents. "I should try something new...I just wish I knew what that should be."

Twilight Velvet got off of her chair and walked over to her daughter. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, honey," she said as she hugged her. "You're the brightest girl I know."

Twilight smiled again and returned the hug. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

Night Light got up off of his chair. "We're here for you, Twilight. If you ever want to talk, we'll always be here to listen," he said as he joined in on the hug.

"I know," Twilight said, then broke the hug with her parents and looked at her phone to see the time. She let out a yelp. "Oh no," she cried out. "I have to go, I don't want to miss the bus!" She ran out of the living room, waving goodbye to her parents, then shut the door.

Twilight ran to the bus stop and made it in the nick of time. She sat down next to a two-toned blonde student with pink skin. The student glanced at Twilight, causing her to smile awkwardly. The student rolled her eyes, then turned her head to stare out her window.

Twilight sighed. Well, that interaction could have gone better, she thought. Her eyes widened as an idea formed. She now knew what she had to do. She needed a friend! Someone to share joys and sorrows with besides her family. She loved her family to death, but even she knew that they alone wouldn't be enough to feel whole. With that in mind, she smiled and began to think about the many ways she could find, then befriend, one of her fellow students.

Twilight knew it was going to be a challenge, because friendship was a rare commodity at Crystal Prep. The only students there that were in a positive relationship were Jet Set and Upper Crust, but they were a bit haughty. She decided not to go to them for advice on friendship.

The bus stopped, and Twilight looked out the window to see that they had all arrived at Crystal Prep. Well, she thought, time for yet another day at a place I feel that I hardly belong to anymore. She disembarked and walked straight to the entrance. At least I can share some grief with Dean Cadence. She's a good listener. Once she entered, all she heard was the idle chatter of her fellow students. She kept her eyes peeled for potential friends.

Twilight scanned the crowds of students intently, scrutinizing those closest to her. Several of them gave her funny looks. Eventually, she sagged in defeat and turned around, bumping into someone. "Oh," Twilight exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't see y-" she gasped when she saw the face of the man she collided with.

The man's skin was pale, and his turquoise eyes seemed to pierce through her. His black hair and goatee were as well maintained as his suit. Twilight had seen a picture of him in the staff directory, but never in her life did ever think she'd run into..."S-Superintendent Neighsay!"

Another Day at Crystal Prep

"Miss Twilight Sparkle," Superintendent Neighsay said.

Twilight blanched. "Y-You k-know m-my name," she stuttered, pulling at her hair. And she thought Principal Cinch was intimidating! She stood back up with effort.

"Indeed I do," Neighsay said. "I make a point of it to learn the names of the top students in my district."

"I-I see," Twilight said, still pulling at her hair. Superintendent Neighsay scrutinized her as she began to feel sweat form on her forehead.

"I understand that I can come off as...unnerving in appearance, but I assure you, Twilight Sparkle." Neighsay said as he gently put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You have no reason to fear me." Twilight simply nodded as Superintendent let go of her shoulder, then walked away.

As Twilight watched the superintendent leave her sight, she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She put a hand to her chest and sighed. That was intense, she thought as she leaned against a locker. The warning bell for first period rang, and she walked over to her class.

Twilight left her first class, scratching her head. I could have figured out those equations on my own, she thought. She sighed and felt a twinge of sadness.

"Is something on your mind, Twilight," asked a voice she'd recognize anywhere.

Twilight smiled and turned around. "Hi, Dean Cadance," she said cheerily.

Dean Cadance returned the smile. "Good morning, Twilight," she said. "Are you okay," she asked.

"I guess," Twilight said as she gripped her left arm with her right hand.

Dean Cadance walked up to her with a warm smile. "Is there something you're not telling me," she asked. Twilight sighed, then told Cadance about her meeting with the superintendent. "I see," Cadance said. "Superintendent Neighsay can be a little...disconcerting, but he has everyone's best interests at heart."

"If you say so," Twilight said with a tone of uncertainty. The warning bell for second period rang. "See you later, Dean Cadance," she said as she hurried to her next class.

Second period ended for Twilight, and she sighed. Maybe I should have brought Spike with me, she thought. He always keeps my spirits up. She took out her phone and stared at its wallpaper, which was a picture of her beloved pet dog. Her spirits brightened slightly. It may not be the same as having him with me, but it helps. Feeling better, she pocketed her phone and went to her third period class.

Twilight left her third period class with a bit of a smile. I think I saw an attractive-looking boy giving me bedroom eyes, she thought excitedly. Now if I just tuck that image into my mind for later tonight, I should be good. Unless something better comes along later on. Her smile widened. The more fantasies, the better!

Twilight left her fourth period class, pulling on her hair. Too many fantasies, she thought in a panic as she felt her panties dampen. She took a deep breath, sighed, then closed her eyes. Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron... she continued as she walked down the hall. ...Tungsten, Rhenium... she smiled, fully calm. Works every time, she thought. Now if only that worked in socially awkward situations. She shrugged, then walked to her class.

Twilight left her fifth period class, her head stuck in a book. Well, at least the textbooks are accurate, she thought. I've lost count over how many errors I've found in several textbooks. She smiled. It's actually kind of fun, seeing things other people don't. She bumped into a middle-aged woman with a pink complexion and two-toned yellow hair. The teacher's icy blue eyes looked at her with concern.

"Goodness," said the teacher. "You should watch where you're going, Twilight. You could get yourself or someone else hurt!"

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Mrs. Shade," she said. "I'll try to keep a better eye out next time."

Mrs. Shade nodded. "See that you do," she said, then went about her business.

"Teacher's pet," someone said as they passed Twilight, who blinked and looked around.

Twilight sighed. "Why is nearly every student around her contemptuous," she asked aloud. Aren't schools supposed to be safe havens, she asked herself. All of the negativity here doesn't seem conducive to that end. She set the thought aside and made her way to the cafeteria.

With lunch in her hands, Twilight began to seek out a table to sit at. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dean Cadance. She began to walk over to talk to her, only to notice she was already engaged in a conversation with another student. The student's ears were almost always covered by her headphones, and her long, green hair swayed along with her head. The student's pink face wore an expression of sadness, but her amber eyes lit up as the conversation ended. Dean Cadance got up off her seat, and Twilight panicked.

I don't want to get caught eavesdropping, Twilight thought. She swiftly walked over to a nearby table and sat down with her food. She looked around for the Dean. When she couldn't be found, Twilight sighed with relief, then began to eat in peace. As she ate, she looked around the cafeteria. Most of her fellow students had kept to themselves, while she thought she heard a shouting match in the distance. Dean Cadance stepped in to intervene and the conflict had been resolved.

"Hey," a masculine voice said, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts.

Twilight blinked, then realized the voice belonged the student that gave her the look from earlier. Her eyes widened, and she simply stared at him. His short purple hair, his pink skin, his icy blue eyes. Almost immediately, every fantasy she had tucked away resurfaced in her mind all at once. She grit her teeth and held onto her seat like she was on a terrifying roller coaster. Her breathing became frantic and she felt heat rise to her face. "I-I'm sorry," she said in a tone as level as she could muster. "But could you e-excuse me for a m-moment," she asked. The student nodded with a smile. "Th-Thank you," she said gratefully, then grabbed her backpack and ran off.

Twilight tried to avoid masturbation in public places if she could help it, but there were times when the urge far outweighed the locale. Besides, the extra adrenaline only boosts the climax for her. She should stop thinking about masturbation until she found the right spot, she could barely take it for much longer! Fortunately, she knew the entirety of Crystal Prep Academy like the back of her hand. She knew there were rooms that students and even staff hardly ever went to. She also knew where those rooms were, and she was thankful for it!

Twilight smiled widely as she found the room she was looking for, then checked both sides of the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. Satisfied, she slowly closed the door.

Fantasy (M)

Twilight took off her skirt and sat down on the hard floor of the room, then lowered her panties until they were under her kneecaps. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As much as she loved masturbating, she didn't just plunge her fingers inside herself unless the need was far too great. For her, it was all about the buildup. She began her fantasizing.

Twilight and the student had been going out for several months, and only just recently fell in love. The student stared into her eyes, his own half-lidded. "Twilight," he said softly. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long." He moved toward her, until his face was mere inches away from hers. "Are you absolutely sure about this," he asked.

Twilight nodded as she felt heat rise to her face. "Yes," she said with conviction. "I am." She felt her heart beat rapidly as the student smiled warmly. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too, Twilight," the student said, then kissed her passionately. Twilight inhaled sharply, then sighed contently as she tasted his tongue and saliva. She ran a hand through his hair as she moaned softly. He broke the kiss, then began to peck a trial of kisses up and down her neck, then followed up with several short wet kisses. Twilight began panting under his care until he swiftly took off her shirt.

The student again pecked a trail of kisses up Twilight's neck, then nibbled on her ear, causing her to gasp. "Twilight," he said breathily. "I love you so much. You mean everything to me." He started sucking on her neck and slowly snaked his hands to her breasts. She moaned softly as she threw her head back, eyes still closed. Her breathing became heavy as she felt her rack being groped and massaged. She ran a hand through the student's hair as he let go of her boobs, then unhooked her bra. He then positioned himself in front of her, and began to kiss her tits with a passion. Twilight spasmed and yelped, then moaned again.

The student stopped, and before Twilight could ask why, he removed his shirt. His torso was well-toned, and the sight of it only heightened her arousal. He shot forward and pulled her close, giving her several wet kisses before a long and deep one. Twilight sighed happily as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. The student lowered his hands down her back slowly, relishing every moment of the foreplay. He stopped on her ass, then gave it a firm squeeze. Twilight let out a low moan.

"I...I don't think I can wait much longer," Twilight said with a tone of neediness. The student nipped her neck, which caused her to gasp. He took off her skirt, then unzipped his pants. Twilight stared at the bulge concealed in his underwear, and she wiped off a bit of drool from her mouth. She untied her bun and let her hair fall freely. The student smiled with a hint of lust as he removed his underwear, revealing a fully erect ten-inch cock. Twilight felt her panties dampen almost instantly, then took them off. The two stared at each other, scrutinizing each other's bodies.

The student kissed Twilight deeply and passionately as he ran a hand through her hair, then broke the kiss and positioned his member with her pussy. "Are you ready," he asked.

Twilight smiled. "More than ready." The student slowly filled her with all ten inches of his manhood, and she arched her back with a long moan. He began thrusting in and out as she moaned in bliss. He pulled her close and breathed on her neck, causing her to shudder in the midst of their lovemaking.

"I'm going to fill you all the way, Twilight," the student said seductively. "I want to show you how much I need you. How much I want you. How much I love you." Twilight let loose another moan as he sensually licked her neck while still pounding her. He ran a hand through her hair as he moaned into her ear, causing her juices to flood out of her womanhood. Hold it in, Twilight, hold it in, she commanded herself. She didn't want to cum too soon, she wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could!

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled as the student continued fucking her. She didn't feel the wave just yet, not to say that she wasn't being pleasured. She let out a moan and tightened her grip on him as he sucked on her neck again. He was hardly giving her a break, and she was loving every second of it. "Please don't stop," she begged breathily.

"Not a chance," the student said, then pulled her into a fierce and fiery kiss. Twilight moaned loudly into the kiss as she finally began to feel an orgasm build. She tried with an effort to hold back the wave of pleasure growing inside her. She was succeeding, but that changed when the student detached from her, then positioned himself behind her. He lifted her up and lined up his member to her soaking womanhood, then slammed her down. She screamed, but managed to hold back her climax. Just barely. She panted as the student groped her rack and began thrusting anew.

"Oh, god...oh, god..." Twilight moaned out as the pressure coiling from within herself grew stronger and stronger. This was going to be a pretty intense orgasm! Her moans grew louder and shorter as the student sucked on her neck. She fought and fought to hold back her incoming climax until it became too much for her to handle. She shut her eyes tightly and nearly screamed as she reached the top, when the student came inside her.

Twilight could not hold back. She let out a long, drawn-out moan as her orgasm struck like thunder. Her love juices shot out of her pussy as she jerked and spasmed in the thrall of her climax. "F-F-Fuck," she moaned out huskily as afterglow began to hit her. She cooed and sighed in relief, then checked the clock on her phone. She nearly snapped out of her high when she saw the time. "I-I n-need to get m-moving," she exclaimed as best she could.

The Day Goes By

Twilight cleaned up after herself, then left the room. She sighed in relief, then panicked when the warning bell for sixth period rang. She yelped, then ran as fast as she could to reach her class.

Sixth period ended, and Twilight walked out with a sigh. "I already knew all of that," she said as she hung her head in disappointment. This is one of the most prestigious schools in the district, she thought in frustration. Crystal Prep's supposed to keep my mind fresh, not fill it with the same mush day after day! She looked around the halls at the other students. How can these people be satisfied here? I don't understand it... She frowned, then walked to her seventh period class.

As Twilight made her way to her next class, she continued to look at all the other students she passed. They each gave her and each other looks of contempt. How on earth has Crystal Prep been able to function for so long when the hostility here is palpable on a regular basis, she thought. She started to hug herself. For a place that contains so many people, it's easy to feel lonely here... She reached her classroom, then went in.

Seventh period ended, and Twilight frowned. I really should have brought Spike with me, she thought. I could
really use some companionship right about now. She again found herself watching all of the students as they went about their day. I doubt I'll find any among my fellow students. As she began walking, she noticed Jet Set and Upper Crust were holding hands. She smiled warmly. Maybe there's hope for Crystal Prep yet if someone can find a relationship here. It's too bad that those two seem to be the only ones around here. She began to wonder if there were any other couples around, but she decided against searching for them. She didn't want to pry into other peoples' lives.

Suddenly, Twilight bumped into someone. She yelped, then fell on the floor. She groaned in slight pain, then looked up at the student. The student's hair was multiple shades of blue, and she noticed little droplets of sweat on her light peach skin, mainly on her forehead. Her orange-yellow eyes were wide with surprise.

"Oh, crap! Are you okay," The student asked as she extended her hand to help Twilight up. Twilight got up, then nodded and smiled as best she could. "Good," said the student. "Gotta be careful around here, it's like everybody gets in everybody else's way here." She gave Twilight a gentle slap on the back. "Laters!"

Twilight continued making her way to her next class, then she took out her phone and stared at the picture of Spike she had set as her wallpaper. She smiled. Don't worry, I'll be home soon. She pocketed her phone and stretched, then yelped when she was embraced by a random student. "Wh-Wha?!" The student walked behind her and pulled off a piece of paper that was apparently affixed to her back. The student gave the piece of paper, which read "HUG MEH." Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned to thank the student, but nobody was there. Well, that just happened, she thought, then kept her guard up until she reached her next class.

Twilight left her eighth period class and looked both ways in the hallway. Oh, great, she thought. Now I'm getting paranoid! She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand as she grunted in frustration. "All the students in this school are crazy," she muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. It's fine, she thought to herself. It'll all be fine. I just have to survive one more class, then that'll be that.

Twilight took out her phone and smiled at the picture of Spike she had set as her wallpaper. Don't worry. I'll be home soon enough.

"The fuck did you just say to me," a student shouted, causing Twilight to jump. She turned around to see two young men staring each other down. Twilight began pulling on her hair almost instinctively as the other student spoke.

"I said 'your mom is the town bicycle, and I got her off last night,'" the other student exclaimed with a smug grin. He took out his phone and pulled up a video. As the video played, Twilight heard the very same student and a clearly older woman kissing and moaning in pleasure. She felt heat rise to her face as she stopped pulling on her hair. Her hands immediately went to her mouth in shock. The woman screamed, twitched, and spasmed as the video ended. The other student pocketed his phone as the hallway fell silent. All onlookers were just as dumbstruck as Twilight was! The other student broke the silence. "That must mean I'm your daddy now."

The student slowly began to tremble with absolute fury. "You," the student said quietly as his face turned red. "You motherfucking asshole!" The student bellowed, then charged towards the other student as all onlookers backed up and began to record the battle.

"'Motherfucking' is right, son," said the other student as the fight began.

Twilight had seen more than enough, and she fled to her next and final class.

Twilight left her final class and growled. She couldn't get that video out of her head! Not because it turned her on, which it really didn't, but because someone had the sheer audacity to not only have sex with someone's mother, but to use that as leverage against a fellow student! It was simply untenable! How could someone do that to another person?! She was morally outraged, and she would not stand for it! She ran to Dean Cadance's office as fast as she could.

Once she reached Cadance's office, Twilight knocked on her door. "Come in," the Dean said. Twilight opened the door, then stomped to her desk. "Twilight," Dean Cadance said in surprise and concern. "You look absolutely livid! What's wrong?" Twilight told her everything that she saw. She started off calmly, then her voice raised in volume until she was nearly shouting. As she began to wrap up, her anger became sadness and tears started to fall.

"Why," Twilight asked, then sniffled. "Why would somebody do something so...so reprehensible?!" Dean Cadance walked over to Twilight and hugged her.

"It's okay, Twilight," Cadance said. "I dealt with that matter personally."

Twilight sniffled again, then returned Cadance's hug. "How could he," she asked.

Cadance frowned a little. "It isn't my place to say," she said. "But don't worry, Twilight. I have a feeling that someday, things are going to change around here."

Feeling reassured just by being in Cadance's presence, Twilight smiled. "I hope so," she said.

"Do you feel better now?"

Twilight nodded.

"Good," Cadance said. "You should hurry if you want to catch your bus." Twilight yelped, then ran out of Cadance's office, but not before thanking her. Cadance nodded as Twilight left for home.

Thursday Evening

Twilight returned home from school and sighed. "It's good to be home," she said. She smiled when she heard little claws tapping on the tiled floor, meaning Spike was coming to greet her. He ran up to her, tail wagging furiously. He barked several times in excitement and Twilight knelt down to pet him. Spike immediately launched at her face and assaulted her with puppy kisses, causing her to giggle as she was tickled. She scratched him behind the ear, then got up.

"Twily," a voice called out. Shining Armor came into the foyer and gave Twilight a hug. She returned the hug with a smile. "How was school today," he asked.

Twilight sighed as she broke the hug. "Would you mind if I waited to tell you, Mom and Dad during dinner?"

Shining smiled warmly. "Not at all, sis," he said. "Speaking of which, dinner should be ready soon."

"Great," Twilight said with a smile. She went upstairs to her room, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door and closed it. If one were to get close enough to her bedroom door, one could hear sighs that gradually turned into soft moans. Several minutes later, a barely audible squeak came from Twilight's room.

Twilight sighed in contentment, then cleaned up after herself and changed into regular clothes. Feels nice to finally be out of that stuffy uniform, she thought. She stretched, then yawned. She checked the clock on her phone. Too soon for a nap. She walked up to her bedroom door and opened it, removing the "Do Not Disturb" sign from her doorknob.

Twilight walked downstairs and into the kitchen where dinner was waiting. She smiled and greeted her parents, then sat down at the table. "So," Shining Armor said. "How was your day at Crystal Prep?"

"Well..." Twilight told her family everything that happened that day, even the encounter between the two students and the lewd video. Once she finished, she turned to Shining Armor. "Were things ever that bad when you were a student?"

Shining cupped his chin in thought. "Not as bad as things seem right now."

"Was Cinch Principal when you were a student?"

"Yes."

Twilight thought for a moment. "How long has Cinch been Principal at Crystal Prep, anyway?"

"Not sure. Dean Cadence might know, though. You should ask her."

Twilight smiled. "Will do." She enjoyed the rest of her dinner, then cleaned up with her family.

After dinner, Twilight went to her lab and sighed. I wish I could have taken some of school's equipment with me, she thought. I can't measure the fluctuations from here without the proper equipment. She rested her head on her hands for a moment, then checked her phone's clock.

Twilight's eyes widened briefly. She didn't realize it was that late in the day! She cupped her chin, thinking of something to do before turning in for the night. She could do some wet chemistry, but cleaning it up might take too long. She could look up videos of scientific lectures, but she'd seen pretty much all of them by now.

Twilight sighed heavily. Boredom at Crystal Prep was one thing, but being bored at home was another! She grunted in frustration, then banged her head on the desk she sat at.

It was at that moment that Twilight Sparkle came to a sad epiphany: she was lonely. She didn't just want a friend. She needed a friend. All the years that she had been studying and accruing knowledge meant nothing to her if she didn't have a peer to share it with.

Twilight felt a lump in her throat as further thoughts followed. Had she been wasting time in her endless pursuit of knowledge, when she could have been socializing and making friends? Is the Everton Independent Study Program worth the isolation? She banged a fist on her desk.

No, Twilight thought. This isn't something worth crying over! I still have plenty of opportunities to make friends! She clenched her teeth and fist in determination. If I can recite the complete Periodic Table of Elements on command, then I can damn well make a friend!

Feeling re-energized, Twilight shot over to her computer and searched 'how to make a friend'. She watched videos, read articles online, and bookmarked a few websites for future use.

"Ahh," Twilight said with a smile. "Nothing like a little research to keep the brain active."

As confident as Twilight felt, she still had a hint of doubt. Research is one thing, but actually practicing what one researches is another thing entirely! She shook her head rapidly. This is no time for worry! Finding and making a friend could very well lead to a pivotal moment in her life!

Twilight's mind was made up. She vowed that starting tomorrow, she would no longer be friendless! As to how she would go about doing it...she'd figure it out tomorrow morning. She took out her phone and checked the time.

"Yikes," Twilight said in surprise. Had that much time really passed? She pocketed her phone and made a beeline for her bedroom, saying goodnight to her brother and parents as she went up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door, then grabbed and placed her "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob.

Twilight smiled as she changed into her pajamas. For the first time in recent memory, she was looking forward to go to Crystal Prep! Suddenly tomorrow had endless possibilities! She was so excited that she had to calm herself down by listening to classical music!

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. Now that she felt relaxed, she took off her glasses, then crawled into bed. She felt herself slowly fall asleep...then her eyes shot open. Who would she make friends with? Nearly everybody there has given her a nasty look at least once! She paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes with a sigh. Worry about it tomorrow, Twilight, she thought to herself. Worry about it tomorrow. It was then that she finally allowed herself to fall asleep, eagerly awaiting the next day.

Author's Note

I know I skipped a masturbation scene here, but that's because the last time I showed nearly every sexual act that happened in a story it took nearly three freaking months to complete!

Don't worry though, I won't skip all of them. I promise. :raritywink:

Canine Companionship

Realization dawned on Twilight as she left her third period class. She slapped her forehead and groaned. "I didn't ask her for her phone number!" She sighed as she slouched a little in disappointment, then shook her head. "Well, it's not like I'll never see her again," she said, then went on to her next class.

Twilight left her fourth period class and peeked inside her backpack. "Hey," she said to Spike. "You need to go outside?" Spike wagged his tail and barked. "I guess I should take that as a yes." She swiftly zipped her backpack up, then walked outside as she kept her eye on the time. Spike did his business, then returned to Twilight. "I hope nobody saw that," she whispered to herself, then went back inside in time for the fifth period's warning bell.

Fifth period ended, and Twilight went to the cafeteria. She grabbed a tray full of food, then went straight to her personal lab. Now, she thought, let's see how much of this is okay for Spike to eat. She analyzed the food, then smiled. "Perfect," she said, then gave him an appropriate portion. He barked gratefully, then licked Twilight. She giggled. "You're welcome," she said with a smile. She gently placed him back in her backpack, then zipped it up. The warning bell for sixth period ended, and she went on her way.

Sixth period ended, and Twilight ran to a secluded hallway. She let Spike out of her backpack and watched him run around. I almost feel bad leaving him cooped up in such a confined space, she thought. Maybe I should do a study on the amount of oxygen inside my backpack.

"Twilight," someone said from behind Twilight. She let out a yelp, then turned around to see Dean Cadance. "I know your parents and I agreed to let you bring your dog to Crystal Prep," she continued. "But we only agreed under the condition that you only let him out when you're either outside or in your personal lab."

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Dean Cadance. I just didn't want Spike to suffocate, and he's so energetic sometimes."

Cadance folded her arms. "Be that as it may, what do you think would have happened if I was Principal Cinch? What would she have done?"

Twilight sighed. "She'd make sure that I'd never bring him here again," she said, slouching in a defeated posture.

"Now, now, Twilight," Cadance said reassuringly as she put her arms on Twilight's shoulders. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just don't want you to get caught. Spike helps you get through the day sometimes, I understand that." Twilight nodded. "Be more careful where you let him out," she said as Spike approached her. "Isn't that right," she cooed, scratching the dog behind the ear. He thumped his left hind quarter on the floor in appreciation until she stopped, then shook his head rapidly. The warning bell for seventh period rang. "Well, we should both get going," Dean Cadance said.

"Yes," Twilight said. "Yes we should." She ran up to Cadance and gave her a hug, which was warmly returned. The hug was broken quickly, and Twilight put Spike back in her backpack, then the two went their separate ways.

Seventh period had ended, and Twilight hurried outside. Not a whole lot of time to work with, but I won't let that stop me! She let Spike out of her backpack, and grabbed a stick. "Get it," she shouted as she threw it as far as she could. Spike ran after it eagerly as his green ears flopped with each bound he made. Twilight smiled warmly as he returned to her with stick in mouth. She continued to go back and forth until she faintly heard the warning bell for eighth period. She beckoned Spike into the backpack, then went back inside.

Eighth period was over, and Twilight went to her lab. She took Spike out to give him some air as she checked her measuring instruments. She cupped her chin and squinted her eyes as she scrutinized the data her machines presented her with. That tears it, she thought. I'm going to spend as much of my weekend as possible to see Canterlot High! She smiled widely as she thought of the possibilities. Who knows what she'd find? A cure for cancer? A new renewable energy source? Whatever the strange energy was, she knew the high school was its epicenter.

Unable to help herself, Twilight squealed with glee, which caused Spike to howl. She blanched, then ran over to pet Spike to calm him down. She laughed nervously, then opened the door a little to see if anybody had heard the noise. Once she realized she and Spike were safe, she wiped some sweat off of her brow. "Okay," she said to her dog. "Maybe we both got a little too excited, hmm?" Spike ran up to Twilight and licked her, causing her to giggle. "Okay, okay," she said between laughs. "Let's calm down, all right? I don't want us getting caught." Spike sat, then yawned. "Good boy," she said with a warm smile. The warning bell for the final period rang. "Let's finish the day, shall we?" She put Spike back into her backpack, then went to her final class.

Twilight left her final class, then went into the hallway. She opened her backpack slightly to see Spike panting excitedly. She reached in and pet him. "It's time to go home," she said sweetly. Spike tilted his head slightly, then licked her hand several times as his tail wagged. Thank god he didn't bark, she thought. I'm socially awkward enough as it is! I don't want students giving me funny looks because I have a dog in my backpack. She took her hand out and zipped her backpack shut as she made her way to her bus. At least the school day's over now. I'll have plenty of time to do whatever throughout the evening.

Twilight boarded her bus, then leaned into the back of her seat with a sigh. She was exhausted after the day she had. Maybe she'd take a shower before going to bed to ensure a good night's sleep. She felt herself begin to doze off, then realized she was at her stop. In a panic, she ran out of the bus. Now in the clear, she let Spike out of her backpack. The two walked over to the front door, and Twilight entered.

Game On!

Twilight's dinner with her family went swimmingly as she excitedly told them all about her new friendship with Lemon Zest. Her parents hadn't seen her smile like that for so long in quite a while! After dinner, she helped her family clean up.

Now that Twilight had finished cleaning, she went upstairs to her room to play a video game. She didn't often do this, but today was special. She logged in.

Twi_Sparkly73 has logged on.

Team 1
Dashin8r
SunShimPwny
FarmGurlAJ
Fashionista_4_life
Flutterbutter
P0nk4_P0

vs.

Team 2
Zest_iz_Best
Gr8npwrfl
Sweets_CMC
Scoots_CMC
Bloom_CMC
Twi_Sparkly73

Twilight quirked an eyebrow upon noticing that three of her teammates had similar names. She let a smile come on her face. They must be part of a team, she thought excitedly. I think there's a good chance for victory! Unfortunately, this match didn't have headsets enabled. Twilight frowned. Okay, so teamwork might be a little challenging then. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Doesn't mean there's no chance of winning! As she waited for the match to begin, she got a good look at the opposing team and herself.

Dashin8r's armor was a light cyan with rainbow stripes. Her selected idle animation suggested confidence, maybe even cockiness.

SunShimPwny's armor was red and yellow, and her helmet had a horn accessory adorned. Her idle animation was cool, calm and relaxed. Twilight made a mental note to keep an eye on that one.

FarmGurlAJ's armor was orange and yellow, with a few tiny white dots on each cheek of her helmet. He stance, too, was relaxed.

Besides being white and purple, Fashionista_4_life's armor had diamonds glittering all over her character skin! It was almost too bright and shiny to take seriously. Her stance was...was she posing? Twilight decided to ignore that and moved on to the next player.

Flutterbutter's armor was light yellow with pink accents. Her animation suggested timidity, but Twilight dismissed that as a head game.

P0nk4_P0's armor was pink all around, and she couldn't stop skipping. Wait, that was an animation now? Twilight must've missed an update or something.

Twilight's armor was purple and rose, just like her hair, with little white specks all over it to look like the night sky. Her animation was simply her cupping her chin in thought.

The match began, and Twilight went up to Scoots, Sweets, and Bloom. Zest immediately charged in full tilt, and Gr8npwrful simply hid, waiting for the right moment to strike. "Ho boy," Twilight said as she put a hand to her forehead. "This is going to be a lot more challenging than I thought."

Twilight stifled a laugh as she saw Fashionista walk onto the playing field. Her opponent made a pose, which was confusing. Did she want to-oh crap, she was just a distraction, wasn't she? Twilight turned around to see SunShim, aiming at her point blank. She died immediately.

Upon seeing this unfold, the CMCs scattered in different directions. Sweets was suddenly blocked by Fashionista, Bloom soon found herself cornered by FarmGurlAJ, and Scoots nearly ran into Dashin8r. The three died almost instantly.

Twilight respawned right next to Zest, who looked at her, then ran off, firing willy-nilly. Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed as she hid in a barrel. She heard a rifle cock behind her, and despite her better judgement she looked up to see Ponk4. She was again shot point blank.

Twilight sighed heavily as she respawned next to Great. "This is getting us nowhe-" she was cut off as Great was sniped by Flutter. "Oh crap." Twilight ran off, then into a respawning Zest. The two were almost immediately dispatched. The CMCs were grouped up together, keeping an eye on all of their surroundings.

Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at the timer. It had been only three minutes?! She took a quick drink of water from a glass she had nearby, then wiped her mouth off. Who were these people? She wasn't a pro gamer by any standard, but never had she ever been so overwhelmed in such a short amount of time!

Twilight shook her head back and forth rapidly. This was no time for self-doubt! There were still twelve minutes left in the match. Perhaps they could all pull it together and she was killed again. She grunted in frustration, then decided to get serious. She kept her eyes peeled and ears open intently. She heard something snap behind her, and she turned and fired. Her jaw dropped as she saw Great fall to the ground. Twilight yelped, then apologized for the friendly fire despite the fact that she couldn't be heard.

Several moments later, Great respawned, then sought out Twilight. Once she found her, Great used the fist-shaking taunt. "I said I was sorry, what more could you want from me," Twilight muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes. Clearly frustration was starting to get the better of her. She didn't like being angry, so she resolved to keep her cool throughout the rest of the match as best she could.

There was just one minute left in the match, and Twilight was infuriated. Fourteen minutes had passed. Fourteen fucking minutes and not a single kill from her team. The score was so lopsided she could hardly bring herself to look at the screen! She disabled the scoreboard in order to concentrate better.

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. Surely her team could at least score one kill. Right? Right?! Twilight took another deep breath, then exhaled again. It's just a game, Twilight Sparkle, she thought to herself. It's just a game. She shouldn't give up hope. Even if there was a chance that-

GAME OVER - RAINBOOMS WIN

Suddenly, it hit Twilight. She just wasted the last two minutes of the match deep in her thoughts. She felt anger and frustration well up inside her, and she slowly walked to her bed. She laid down with her head on her pillow, and screamed like a banshee until she began to cough. She got up, then drank some more water.

"Well, that just happened," Twilight muttered. She checked the time and sighed. Just enough for a shower. Her eyes widened momentarily. Ooh, a shower! She smiled. I still have some stress left over... She ran into the bathroom without another moment's hesitation.

Shower Time (M)

Twilight closed the door to her bathroom with a smile. She could already feel her nether regions tingling! She started to run the water, then turned on the shower fan. She waited patiently until the water became hot enough to create steam. She took off her glasses, closed her eyes, then entered. She faced the wall, letting hot water cascade down her back. She untied her scrunchie, causing her hair to fall.

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. There was no need to fantasize, no need to rush. She had more than an ample amount of time to pleasure herself. She focused on the sound of the water falling on the bathtub, then crouched and sat down, her body facing the shower head. She crawled forward until she lined her pussy up with the water.

Twilight hissed through her teeth, then let out a soft moan as the water landed around her entrance. She kept her breathing even, focusing on the stimulation. Taking her hands and cupping them together, she filled them with hot water, then splashed it on her vagina. She yelped and twitched with a shudder. Oh, this was going to feel good!

Twilight began to tease her folds, letting out sigh after sigh as she kept her eyes closed. She wriggled her hips and gasped, then let out another sigh. She intended to savor this to maximize her pleasure. Slowly, she brought her fingers near her entrance, then rubbed her clit with her other hand. She let out a moan, nearly arching her back.

Licking her lips in anticipation, Twilight took her time inserting her fingers into her love canal. She shuddered again and smiled as she began thrusting in and out. She let out a fake moan to get herself going, and felt her arousal heighten. Her fingers moistened as she breathed in rhythm with her thrusts.

With her free hand, Twilight cupped and played with one of her breasts, letting out another fake moan. She felt the flow of her natural juices increase as the hot water continued to splash on her pussy. I think I'm missing something, she thought. Normally I'd feel an oncoming climax by now. Maybe trying something a little different would do the trick.

Twilight flicked her clit, then let out a real moan. Okay, that's something. What else can I do? She slowed down her thrusting, causing another moan. She hummed, then an idea came to her. Perhaps she could trick her body into climaxing with words. It just might work.

"Oh god," Twilight whispered, then let out another fake moan. "I...I-I'm...I'm gonna..." she thrust her fingers in and out a little faster and quickened her breathing. "Shit..." she began panting, then she finally began to feel the pressure she had desired as she let out a real moan. Encouraged by this development, she continued. "Hnnnng...I-I'm gonna..." The pressure began to swell as she panted for real. She fought against the feeling, both testing her endurance and attempting to intensify her impending climax. This was far from her first time testing herself. She likened this sort of masturbation to preparing for long nights of intense fucking with the love of her life, whoever that may end up being.

Twilight was in her own little world now, both fighting with and against her basest desire. It was exhilarating. She let out another moan as she continued to hold the pressure back. Fight it, Twilight, fight it! She wanted to scream in an effort to continue keeping it at bay, but that would lead to two other possible outcomes. One; it could have the opposite effect and she'd cum before she wanted to. Two; it could attract unwanted attention. She'd be mortified if her parents caught her doing this, no matter how natural of an act it was.

Twilight's eyes widened as she realized her orgasm was beginning to fade, then let out another moan as she quickened her thrusting momentarily. She gasped as she felt it rise up faster than expected, then stopped. She panted, trying to catch her breath, then grit her teeth in frustration. She stood back up, then turned the faucet to make the water even hotter. Almost too hot for her to handle. Almost.

Twilight positioned herself in the same place as before, then let out a loud moan as she felt the heat strike her nether regions. She clamped her mouth shut in surprise, then calmed herself. Focus, Twilight...Focus! She began thrusting her fingers anew, and found herself gasping. She allowed herself a smile as the pressure returned. She let out a couple of moans as the pressure began to intensify, then returned to her battle against it. She grit her teeth as she suddenly realized it was a war of attrition.

The orgasm coiling from within Twilight was becoming immense, and she let out one last moan before she lost the well-fought battle. She thrashed and spasmed as a climax of near epic proportions hit her, like a surge of electricity crackling through her body. Wave after wave of her arousal shot out, getting distances that would impress her had she not been enraptured with bliss. She twitched and moaned again, then sighed in fulfillment. "T-That was amazing," she said to nobody in particular as afterglow hit her. She stayed still for a few moments, then jerked to attention once she realized that the water was starting to cool down.

Twilight sluggishly got up. "That was so worth it," she said, then picked up a washcloth and began washing as the water continued to cool down.

Day After Day

Twilight got out of the shower, feeling refreshed and relaxed. She smiled, then stretched, yawned and cracked her neck. She grabbed her "Do Not Disturb" sign and hung it on the doorknob. She walked over to her bed, then crawled into it with a sigh of contentment. She fell asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Twilight woke up slowly as the morning's sunshine spread its warmth on her face. She shielded her eyes, blocking the light's direct contact. She got up out of her bed and went into the bathroom, then put her glasses on. So glad it's Saturday, she thought. I can go over to Canterlot High, and nobody but me will be there! I hope...

Twilight got dressed, then heard little sniffs and paws scratching at her door. She giggled, then walked over and opened it. Spike ran inside nearly full tilt, his tail wagging as he panted excitedly. She bent down to pet him and was yet again caught off guard by a series of puppy kisses. She giggled again, then gently pushed him away. Spike sat for a moment, yawned, then followed her.

Twilight ran down the stairs, then greeted her parents and brother with hugs. She grabbed her breakfast, then sat down next to her mother at the table. Her dad and brother sat on the opposite side.

"So," Night Light said as he looked away from the newspaper he was holding. "Any plans for today?"

Twilight nodded. "It's a nice enough day for some field research," she said.

Night Light raised an eyebrow. "'Field research'?"

"Just studying the flora of the neighborhood."

"Didn't you already do that last week, Twily," Shining Armor asked.

"Yes, I did," Twilight admitted. "But I think it's important to collect data on a regular basis." Night Light simply shrugged, then went back to reading the paper.

"Don't stay out too long, honey," Velvet said, putting a hand on Twilight's shoulder.

Twilight smiled warmly. "I understand your concern, mom," she said as she rested her head on her hands. "But I can take care of myself just fine. It's not like I'm going to any bad parts of the neighborhood."

"I guess not," Velvet said.

"But if it makes you feel better, I'll check in with a text every now and then." Twilight reassured her mother.

Velvet smiled. "I'd like that, Twilight."

Twilight smiled, then went back to eating her breakfast. She didn't like lying to her family like that, but she felt that it would be worth the trouble she might get into if it meant discovering something truly groundbreaking. She finished her breakfast, then grabbed her backpack from the closet next to the front door. She then ran into her lab and grabbed some measuring equipment, stuffed them into her backpack then ran off.

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled with a smile. Truth or not, I really should take a look at the plant life to see if the unusual energy from Canterlot High has affected them. She checked her map app on her phone to get a feel for the distance between her house and the school. She had a feeling she'd be doing a lot of back and forth between the two in the coming days ahead.

Twilight blanched when she saw that it would be a three mile hike. She wasn't used to walking that far, and getting a taxi each way would end up costing far too much! It couldn't be helped. Sometimes pains had to be taken in the name of scientific progress! She sighed, then began to walk to Canterlot High. At least the weather was nice. The birds were chirping, cicadas were buzzing...

"Twilight!" A vaguely familiar voice called out. Twilight turned her attention to the voice's owner and found Lemon Zest.

Twilight smiled with a wave. "Hi, Lemon."

"What brings you out here?" Lemon asked as she walked towards Twilight.

"Oh, just scientific research, investigating a school, detecting abnormal activities." said Twilight. Ack! Why did I say that?! Lemon blinked. She laughed awkwardly as she pulled at her hair. "Kidding!"

Lemon laughed and pat Twilight on the back. "I didn't take you for a jokester, Twilight!"

Twilight shrugged with her smile remaining awkward. "What can I say? I guess I'm just a natural!" she said as she again laughed nervously.

Their conversation was interrupted by an all too familiar voice. "Aww, look at you two!" Lemon and Twilight both turned their heads. Twilight tensed up. There, standing in front of them, was Sour Sweet.

Author's Note

Six days until the Friendship Games.

What Friends Are For

"Don't think you can worm your way out of this one, Zest! There's no school staff to stop us," Sour said with a snarl.

"What are you even doing here, Sour?" Lemon said as she took out with her phone and began texting.

"Well, this is the neighborhood I live in!" Sour said sweetly. "What's your excuse?!" she yelled.

"I was jogging. Twilight here just happened to be in the area." Lemon said as she gestured towards Twilight, who waved shyly.

"Well good for the both of you!" said Sour, slowly walking toward them.

Twilight started backing away slowly. Oh god, oh, god...

"Oh, don't worry, Twilight! I won't hurt you..." Sour said sweetly. "It's her I'm after!" she gestured to Lemon. "We have a score to settle, after all!"

Twilight continued to back away slowly, fearful of getting caught in the crossfire.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sour." said Lemon.

Sour laughed. "Then what was yesterday's fight all about?"

Lemon's expression hardened. "You told Principal Cinch about my confession! You crossed the line and I was pissed! Of course I'd want to kick your ass! I lost my temper!" Just like I am now... she thought. Lemon had finished fiddling with her phone. "Twilight!" she said.

"Eek!" Twilight yelped upon hearing her name.

Lemon tossed her phone at her new friend. "Catch!" she said.

Twilight was momentarily stunned, but then surprised herself by catching the phone. She gave Lemon a look of confusion. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

Her temper at its limit, Lemon shouted "Just read the fucking note and do it! I'm losing control here!"

Twilight jumped, startled at her new friend's sudden outburst. She looked at the phone.

Call either my mom or dad. NOW.

Twilight nodded, grateful to get away from the conflict. She ran off to a safe spot, then got into Lemon's contacts. She tapped "Dad".

Calling: Dad

"Pickuppickuppickuppickup!"

There was a click, then a voice. "Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

Twilight exhaled in relief. "Oh, thank god!"

"Wait. Who is this," Lemon's father asked.

Twilight rapidly shook her head, snapping herself back to attention. "That's not important right now," she said. "Lemon and Sour Sweet are fighting at the corner of Zacherle and Faust!"

"What?! Okay, sit tight. My wife and I are on our way!"

Twilight again sighed in relief, then decided to see how Lemon was faring.

"Hey, I'm sure someone would end up sticking up for that person even if they didn't stick up for themselves!" said Lemon as she dove under Sour and grabbed legs, forcing her to topple to the ground. "CPA may be a hellhole, but I still have faith in humanity!"

Sour laughed. "Listen to you, you sound like a cliche superhero!"

"Said the cliche alpha bitch!" Lemon said.

Sour rolled her eyes. "Does anyone ever wonder why the alpha bitch is the way she is? Doesn't she deserve sympathy?"

Twilight felt a tap on her shoulder and held back a scream. She turned around and put her hand to her chest as she panted. Standing in front of her was a man with shaggy lime green hair. His amber eyes gave her a reassuring look as his light-crimson arm settled on her shoulder. "A...are you...?" The man nodded, then ran toward Lemon she assaulted Sour with several punches. A woman ran past Twilight whom she assumed was her mother.

Lemon's father grabbed her by the hands, and she screamed. She suddenly stopped, then looked at her hands, then up at her father. She buried her head in his chest. Now that Twilight knew Lemon was okay, she looked for Sour Sweet only to find that she had left.

Lemon Zest was seemingly inconsolable as her father walked with her to the car. The woman accompanying them stopped in front of Twilight and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she said. "You did the right thing."

Twilight smiled. "I just did what Lemon told me to do."

"Come home with us," the woman said.

"Well I'm not just going to leave her like that," Twilight said, then followed her to the car.

While Twilight waited for Lemon, she sent her parents and brother texts detailing all that had just happened and repeatedly assured them that she was fine. Moments later, Lemon walked into her view.

"Hey." said Twilight, sympathy on her face. "Are...are you okay?" she asked.

Lemon Zest sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see that, but..." she ran over to Twilight and gave her a big hug. "Thank you." she whispered.

Twilight returned the hug. "Hey, what are friends for?"

Lemon sniffled. "You have no idea how much hearing that from you means to me, Twilight Sparkle." her voice cracked, and she started crying again.

After Lemon stopped crying, she looked Twilight straight in the eye. "Feeling better now?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. Thank you." said Lemon as she wiped a tear away.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught the attention of both girls.

"Oh!" said Lemon. "Sorry about that. You can come in, parentals!"

"Parentals?" Twilight snickered.

"It's what I like to call my Mom and Dad." said Lemon.

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. "Obviously. I've just never heard anyone refer to their parents as 'parentals'."

Lemon's parents entered the living room.

"Well, you can refer to them as Citrus Splash," she gestured to her father. "and Florid Abundance." she gestured to her mother. "Parentals, this is Twilight Sparkle." she gestured to Twilight.

Twilight smiled shyly and waved. "Hi." she said.

"Nice to meet you, Twilight!" said Citrus, extending his hand. Twilight accepted and shook it.

"Lemon told us we might meet you some day, we just didn't think it would wind up being the day after she said so!" Florid laughed and hugged Twilight.

"Do your parents know you're here?" asked Citrus.

"They do, and they're just as ecstatic about my friendship with Lemon as you are. I normally keep to myself at Crystal Prep, but Lemon and I just kept on bumping into each other and pretty much decided, 'sure, why not?'" said Twilight, feeling more comfortable.

Lemon smiled. "Hey, can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

"No thanks." said Twilight.

"Well, we'll leave you two to hang out." said Florid, as she and Citrus left.

Once Lemon's parents left the living room, Twilight looked at Lemon. "So..."

Lemon sighed. "I'm assuming you want to know about my history with Sour Sweet."

"Not if you're uncomfortable talking about it." said Twilight.

"No, it's okay." said Lemon. "You trusted me with Spike. I can trust you with this...even though pretty much all of Crystal Prep knows anyhow." she took a deep breath and sighed. "When I was in my Sophomore year, I discovered I was bisexual."

Twilight nodded in understanding.

"I...had a crush on Sour Sweet. But I suppose you gathered that from my rage earlier today."

"Yeah, I did." said Twilight.

"Well...you know she does that back-and-forth thing from being nice one minute to totally bitchy the next?"

"...Oh." said Twilight, remembering the last few words of Lemon's rant to Sour Sweet.

"Yeah." said Lemon, quietly. "I'm still pretty sore about it. I mean, I could have taken rejection. I would have healed eventually...but that. That was something else."

"I can only imagine." said Twilight. "The heartache and pain."

Lemon laughed bitterly. "That was one of the things that Sour and I yelled about during our fight at CPA yesterday." she sighed. "But enough about me. What about you? I know you mostly keep to yourself, but surely you've found someone attractive, hmm?"

Twilight blushed. "No, I haven't. Like you and I have established, I pretty much keep to myself outside of my parents, my brother, and...his crush."

"Huh. Well good for your brother!" said Lemon. "Do you think you'll ever find the right person?" she asked Twilight.

"My parents keep telling me that I will one day, but I think they're just saying that because they're my parents." said Twilight, rolling her eyes and smiling. "I'm sure they told that to my brother, Shining Armor, but then he found Cadence..."

"Wait a minute." Lemon's eyes shot open in surprise. "'Cadence' as in Dean Cadence?!" Twilight nodded. "Wow. Does she know?"

"I have no idea." shrugged Twilight. "I don't think I've even seen her outside of school before either. It's almost like she lives there."

"So hey, I noticed you play video games." said Lemon.

"Wait, how did you kno-" it was Twilight's turn to shoot her eyes open. "Zest_iz_best..." she laughed. "How did I not notice that until now?"

Lemon shrugged. "That was a tough match..."

Twilight smiled. "It was, but to be fair, I don't play video games all that often."

"That's kind of a shame. They're a blast!" said Lemon. "But, to each their own."

"Indeed." said Twilight, smiling. Her phone buzzed. "Oh! That's my...'parentals'." Twilight said, stifling a laugh. "They're almost here to pick me up."

Lemon smiled. "Want me to see you to the door, Twilight?"

Twilight smiled. "Sure."

They both walked outside, enjoying the fresh air. After a while, a car came to pick Twilight up.

"I promise I'll introduce you to my family someday." said Twilight.

"Sure it won't be tomorrow?" Lemon quipped.

Twilight giggled.

Lemon hugged Twilight. "Again...thank you."

Twilight hugged back. "Again...what are friends for?"

They broke the hug, smiled and waved their goodbyes.

Time Flies

"For the last time, mom," Twilight said, crossing her arms in frustration. "I'm fine! I stayed as far away from the fight as I had to."

"You didn't tell us she was violent, hon," Velvet said with concern.

Twilight put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "You don't know the whole story. Here's what I know..." She proceeded to tell her family of Lemon Zest's history with Sour Sweet as they reached home.

Once home, the family exited the car. "That still doesn't excuse the fighting," Velvet said as she headed towards the door to the house. Twilight smiled as she heard whimpers and scratches from the other side.

Night Light closed the garage door, then winked at Twilight, signaling the OK to open the house door. "Let 'er rip!"

Twilight smiled, then turned the knob and opened the door. Spike came running out, barking excitedly. He ran around the garage as Twilight and her parents greeted and pet him. Once he had his fill of attention, he scratched his ear, shook, then yawned and went back inside.

"I know it doesn't," Twilight said, continuing the conversation from earlier. "But you know how people can get irrational when emotions are involved."

Velvet closed the door behind her. "My point still stands," she said.

Suddenly, Twilight grunted in frustration and slapped the palm of her hand to forehead. "I forgot to ask Lemon for her phone number!" She sighed.

"Twilight, sweetie, you know you'll see her again on Monday." Velvet said as she took her shoes off.

"Oh yeah," Twilight blushed in embarrassment, then flopped onto a nearby chair. So much for getting a look into the energy readings this morning, she thought as she closed her eyes. Oh well, maybe later. She got up off the chair, then walked upstairs. "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me," she called out as she neared the top.

Once she was in her room, Twilight grabbed her science textbook and put it on her desk. "Might as well do something productive," she thought aloud. She took out a number two pencil, then several sheets of loose leaf paper. She cracked her knuckles, then her neck. "All right. Let's do this!"

After a while, Twilight completed all of work from the textbook. "Great!" She clapped her hands together. "Now, where do I go from here?" She cupped her chin in thought, then looked at her clock. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, I must've been really immersed!" She got up from her desk, then stretched. She cracked open a window for ambiance and fresh air, then sat back down. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Twilight! Lunch," Velvet called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Twilight ran down the stairs and ate lunch, then promptly ran back up once she finished. "I needed that break." She smiled, then grabbed a book from her bookshelf and sat down on her bean bag chair. She sighed contently as she slowly sank in. The sounds of birds chirping and cars passing by in the distance came from her window. Few things were more relaxing than reading a good book in a comfy space.

After some time, Twilight had an idea. It was far too nice out to just read inside. Maybe she could take Spike for a walk. She walked downstairs, then found him. She smiled widely. She called his name, gaining his attention. "Wanna go for a walk?" Spike immediately began barking as his tail wagged with a vengeance. Twilight giggled, then watched her step as her pet ran circles around her while yapping. She grabbed a scooper, then found his leash. "Stay," she said, and Spike waited patiently until the leash was attached. "I'm taking Spike for a walk," she called out.

"Have fun," She heard her dad say. And with that, Twilight left.

Twilight returned with Spike after a while, and she took him off his leash. He gave her several grateful puppy licks, then scampered off. Twilight smiled warmly as she watched him run off. What to do now, she thought. She checked the clock on her phone. Well, I won't have enough time to go to and from Canterlot High now. She shrugged and rolled her eyes. Just as well, I suppose. I don't think I could handle a six mile trek. Her eyes widened as a realization came to her. "Of course," she exclaimed. She ran upstairs and went into her room.

Twilight ran to her two computer monitors, then went online to look at satellite pictures of the route her phone had shown her earlier that day. She scratched her head, then began meticulously mapping out an optimal route. With a couple of fail-safes, just to be certain. She factored in cost-effectiveness, too, because she just wasn't cut out for long walks or strenuous physical activity. She was a polymath, not an athlete!

"Twilight, dinner," Velvet called out.

Twilight ran downstairs and ate dinner with her family. She helped them clean up, then went back to her mapping.

A couple of hours later, Twilight yawned and stretched, then looked outside. It was now dark out. She internally debated over whether or not to get coffee, because while she didn't have school tomorrow, she knew it was important to keep a regular sleep schedule. Not that she didn't indulge herself in late-night studying or other pursuits of knowledge from time to time. She checked the time, then thought for a moment. Wait. How long had she been at this, anyway? Had she been so engrossed in her activities that the whole day simply passed her by? She sighed. At least she didn't waste her time doing anything frivolous.

After several more minutes, Twilight wrapped up her internal debate. She decided it would be better for her to go to bed now so she'd be well rested for the next day. If she managed to wake up early, all the better! She'd have more time to plan out her route.

Twilight went downstairs and said goodnight to her family. She walked over to Spike and brought him up to her room, then grabbed her "Do Not Disturb" sign and put it on her doorknob. She changed into her pajamas, gently pet Spike on the head, then turned her light off and fell asleep.

Change

Author's Note

Five days until the Friendship Games.

Change

Twilight woke up, and a realization hit her. Yesterday she had spent most the day in her room. Reading and studying. Again! She put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. She dragged her hands down her face. Okay, she thought. I can't keep wasting time like this. If I don't make connections now, what would that mean for my future? She walked into her bathroom and began to run the water. Nothing says I can't be successful and have friends!

Twilight went into the shower as the hot water cascaded down her back. She sighed contently, then returned to her thoughts. After all, I've read studies saying that friendship has several health benefits. Why wouldn't anyone want that? She grabbed a washcloth and body soap, then lathered. I wonder how many friends would be too many? Is there even such thing as too many friends? She shrugged inwardly as she began to wash herself off.

Once Twilight finished washing, she rinsed, then grabbed a nearby shampoo bottle. I wouldn't want too many friends. What would that even be like? She lathered up her hair, then scrubbed and rinsed. She got out of the shower, then dried off. What if I had so many friends that I wouldn't have enough time for any of them? She began to get dressed as her concern turned to worry. If I don't have enough time for any of them, they might think I'm blowing them off! Now fully clothed, she left her room and started pulling on her hair. If they think I'm blowing they off, they wouldn't want to be my friends anymore!

A familiar voice snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. "Twily," Shining said. "Are you okay?"

Twilight ran down the stairs in a full-on panic and proceeded to tell him all of her concerns, flailing her arms as she finished, then descended into a fit of hyperventilation.

"Whoa, Twilight," Shining said, then hugged her. "Calm down, sis. Breathe," he said softly. Twilight slowed her breathing until she sighed. "Feel better?"

Twilight smiled. "Much better."

"Listen, Twily. I know that how no matter how many friends you'll end up with, you'll find a way to schedule time with all of them." Shining smiled. "You're good at that sort of thing."

Twilight's smile widened and she tightened the hug. "Thanks for the words of confidence."

"No prob," Shining said with a grin as he broke the hug. Twilight practically skipped into the kitchen for breakfast.

After Twilight finished her breakfast, she left the kitchen. Okay, so I have Lemon as a friend, but what about other students? She cupped her chin in thought. I can't just go up to any random person and ask to be their friend. She rolled her eyes. I'm awkward enough as it is. She sighed. Maybe going out for a walk will clear my head a little.

Twilight made her way to the front door. "I'm going out for a walk," she called out, then left. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Fresh air," she said, satisfied. She smiled as she walked several blocks until a familiar voice startled her.

"No!"

Twilight yelped, then hid. She looked from her cover to see Indigo Zap, looking as though she was in a state of inner turmoil. Indigo stopped in front of a streetlight and leaned on it, folding her arms and closing her eyes. Feeling that there was no immediate danger, she cautiously approached her fellow student. "Um...are you okay?"

Indigo opened her eyes and saw Twilight. She blinked in surprise. "Twilight...huh. Never thought I'd see you outside of school. You come off as more of a...shut-in." Twilight frowned. "No offense." Indigo said, raising her arms in defense.

It might be a good idea to open up to her, Twilight thought, then sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"Wait. What?" Indigo said, surprised.

"That I'm a shut-in." Twilight said, looking away from Indigo. "I spend most of my time alone or reading a book indoors." She looked back at Indigo with a sad smile. "I may be a shut-in, but that doesn't mean I don't want to connect with people from time to time."

Indigo blinked and frowned. "Are you okay?"

Twilight sighed. "Honestly? I'm not sure. As much as I love my lab and my studies, I'm starting to feel out of place at Crystal Prep. I may get the highest scores on tests on a very consistent basis, but that's one of the reasons I feel that way. It's like I've learned everything I need to know already, and I'm not sure how to take that."

Indigo was at a loss for words for a few moments, then finally spoke up. "Twilight...I don't know what to say."

Twilight looked at Indigo and smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I just needed to get it off of my chest." She put her hand on Indigo's shoulder. "Thanks for listening."

Indigo smiled and put her hand on Twilight's. "Hey, no worries. Tell ya what. If you need me for anything. Anything at all, call or text me. Here's my number."

Twilight added Indigo to her list of contacts in her phone. "Thanks, Indigo. You're friendlier than most people make you out to be." She said.

Indigo grinned. "Only when I want to be, Twilight...only when I want to be."

Twilight blinked, then shrugged. "Well, I have to get going. Thanks again!" She walked off with a smile. That went off even better than I thought it would! Feeling motivated, she ran back home. She could hardly remember the last time she was excited over something that didn't involve knowledge! This felt exhilarating! She nearly ran into another person while she was stuck in her reverie. Okay, she thought. Home first, borderline euphoria second. She blushed with a sheepish smile. "Sorry," she called back to the person, then immediately looked forward. Nearly bumping into one person was enough.

Twilight swiftly opened the door to her house, then closed it and ran to the living room where her parents and brother sat. She got in front of all of them with a big grin.

"Uhh...Twily," Shining Armor said. "Are...are you okay?"

"Better than okay, B.B.B.F.F.," Twilight exclaimed. "I feel like I need a change of pace. I'd like to get out of this house and do something unusual!"

Out and About

Author's Note

Whew! Barely made it, but here's the one chapter I promised. I'll be back home early tomorrow. :twilightsmile:

Out and About

Twilight's family exchanged glances of surprise. "'Something unusual'," Velvet asked with a raised eyebrow.

Twilight nodded excitedly, smiling widely. "Yes," she said. "Any ideas?"

Silence filled the living room until Shining Armor spoke up. "Are you sure you're okay, Twily?"

"Yes," Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. Really, I am." She then told her family everything that just happened, providing context for her excitement.

"Oh," Shining said. "That makes sense...I guess." He scratched his head, still feeling confused.

"Well," Velvet said. "Where would you like to go? The library? A museum?"

Twilight sighed heavily. "No," She said flatly. "C'mon, guys," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I said 'something unusual'! Like the mall, or a forest preserve! I can't stay cooped up indoors all the time!"

"Well all right then," Night Light said as he got up off of his chair. "Would you like to go to the mall?"

Twilight thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure!"

"Let's get going, then!" Night Light headed for the garage as Shining and Velvet glanced at each other, then shrugged and followed with Twilight just behind them.

Twilight beamed as she got out of the car, hardly able to contain her excitement. She looked both ways just to be safe, then made a beeline to the entrance.

Upon entering, Twilight was nearly overwhelmed with all the noise and crowds of people. She stepped back and crossed her arms in front of her face, as though she was trying to walk through a storm. She grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes, determined to push herself. She stamped a foot on the ground, and felt an exhilarating rush of confidence and adrenaline. She smiled widely, then began to walk forward.

Shining, Velvet and Night Light watched Twilight continue forward, proud of her sudden change. The three walked in together.

Twilight suppressed an urge to twirl in the middle of the store. She was ecstatic, but she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of countless people.

Twilight's parents and brother caught up with her. "So," Shining said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Where to?"

Twilight blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You wanted to come here," Night Light said as he pointed at Twilight. "So you're in charge. Where would you like to go?"

Twilight cupped her chin in thought for a moment, trying not to stress. "Hmm..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She glanced at the time. "Not quite time for lunch..." She sighed, then furrowed her brow momentarily. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Why don't we all just go out on our own, then meet in the food court at lunch?" Twilight's family murmured in agreement.

"All right then," Twilight said, clapping her hands together. "See you all later!" She waved goodbye and headed straight to the mall proper.

Twilight grinned widely as she reached the main part of the mall. Tons of people walking around! She was almost overwhelmed again, then grit her teeth and pressed on.

Twilight looked around at all the people passing her by. She waved at several people with an awkward smile, and hid her gaze from others. Especially a few boys that were so attractive she couldn't help but blush and commit their appearances to memory. For...research! Wait, why was she lying to herself? She smiled and rolled her eyes. She was definitely going to masturbate later. She sported a wide grin in anticipation, then fought to keep her sexual urges in check.

There was a time and place for everything, and this wasn't the time and most certainly not the place! Not that that's ever stopped Twilight Sparkle. She smiled, then took a deep breath. She exhaled and closed her eyes. Upon opening her eyes, she was relieved to find that she succeeded in her efforts.

Twilight checked her phone and was surprised to see how much time had passed. Had she really been so engrossed in an atypical environment that she lost track? Wouldn't be the first time that's happened. She shrugged, then made her way to the food court, texting her family on the way.

Twilight and her family met up in the food court, then grabbed their lunches and met again at a table. "So," Shining Armor said. "See any good looking boys," he asked with a smile. Twilight blushed furiously as Night Light and Velvet gave him funny looks. "What," he asked sheepishly. "Isn't that one of the reasons girls go to the mall?"

Night Light and Velvet rolled their eyes, then began eating as Twilight remained silent, staring at her food. "Twilly," Shining said, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer the question."

Twilight smiled warmly as she grabbed a fork and began to eat. "It's okay, B.B.B.F.F.. I know you meant well." She paused for a moment to take a bite, then grinned. "Any luck with Dean Cadence?"

Shining Armor nearly choked on his lunch, then took a deep breath. He gave Twilight a dirty look. "What," His sister asked in mock innocence. "I meant well."

Twilight Velvet stifled a giggle as she took another bite as Night Light smiled.

After lunch, everyone got back into the car. "All right," Velvet said as she finished buckling. "Where to now?"

"It's a nice day out," Twilight said. "Why don't we go to the park?"

"Sure, why not," Shining said.

"Works for me," Night Light said.

Twilight smiled as they made their way.

Once she arrived and disembarked, Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled, smiling widely. No research today, just plain and simple fresh air...and maybe some people watching as well.

Twilight closed her eyes, listening to the birds, the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind. She opened her eyes to see a multitude of people, some of whom she noticed were holding hands as a couple. She smiled warmly. She couldn't see herself in a relationship. At least, not now. She didn't think she was ready for that just yet.

Despite that thought, however, Twilight often found herself having romantic fantasies. She smiled again, then began to feel arousal rear its head slowly. She grit her teeth and concentrated, forcing herself to calm down. She really should be more careful with that. She hadn't yet been caught masturbating in a public place, and she didn't want to take that chance unless the need was far too great.

Setting those thoughts to the side, Twilight walked around, admiring the pond and all the geese that swam in it. She turned around to see several teenagers hanging out in the playground. They were talking and laughing, and she smiled warmly. Maybe someday she'd have a group of amazing friends to hang out with. At least she had Lemon Zest and, to a certain degree, Indigo Zap, but why did that not seem like enough to her?

Twilight grunted in frustration. She thought she was done freaking out over that issue! She folded her arms and closed her eyes in concentration, putting that issue to the side next to her arousing thoughts.

Twilight clenched her teeth and managed to keep herself calm. Between her freakout from this morning and all the attractive boys she saw, she might just need to..."de-stress" when she returned home. She shook her head rapidly. At this rate, she began to wonder how much longer she'd last!

Twilight reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone to check the time. Her jaw dropped. How many times was she going to let her thought process cause time to seemingly pass at an accelerated rate?! She sighed, then texted her family.

Okay, I think I'm ready to head home. - Twilight Sparkle

Sounds good to me. - Shining Armor

We'll meet you in the car. - Mom

Don't take too long getting back. - Dad

Don't worry, I won't! - Twilight Sparkle

Twilight began her journey back to the car, then passed by several teenagers. One in particular smiled and winked at her. They passed her by as some of them laughed in surprise, but she heard nothing as her brain practically exploded. The thoughts and desires she had fought so hard against came back to the forefront with a vengeance. She began to panic, and started to run as fast as she could.

Twilight resisted the urge to tell her dad to start the car as she feared doing so would arouse suspicion. Oh, that was a poor choice of words... She shook her head and tried her hardest to focus on getting home without losing her mind!

Twilight found the car and ran in. "Let's go," she said in as calm a tone as she could manage. She took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"You okay, Twily," Shining asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I was just reaching my capacity for interaction with other people, that's all," she said with a smile. If Shining Armor was suspicious, he gave no outward indication. Twilight took another deep breath, then exhaled once more as her war of attrition against her desires and arousal waged from within.

Each minute that passed in the car felt like an eternity to poor Twilight as she began sweating. She could feel her inner thighs dampen slightly as her home was within sight.

Once they got in the garage, Twilight rocketed to her room and got a noise cancelling device and a special tool from a hidden compartment in her desk. She ran up to the laundry room and placed her noise cancelling device on the floor, then activated it.

Twilight closed the door, but not before placing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door's knob. Now that she was alone, she sighed. She had told her parents that listening to the washing machine and dryer had a soothing effect on her, and that much was true. But the whole truth was that the only reason she ever went into the laundry room was to, as she put it to herself, "de-stress".

Twilight grabbed her special tool and smiled. "Give me everything you've got... I feel like I need it," she said to it as she turned it and stared at its name, which was emblazoned on it.

The De-Stressor

De-Stressing (M)

Twilight smiled as she gazed upon the De-Stressor. There were many things that she had created that she was proud of, but she considered the De-Stressor to be one of her finest! At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a cylindrical object the size of a roll of quarters. In truth, however, it was more than that. So, so much more. She suddenly noticed that she was actually drooling in anticipation! She shook her head, then took a deep breath and placed the De-Stressor atop the washing machine, then stripped herself. She grinned again, then whispered. "Activate!"

The De-Stressor shook momentarily, then opened. A multitude of thin metallic tendrils slowly snaked out, with the first few opening to reveal a suction cup to act as an anchor. It firmly planted itself, making a small popping noise. Several more coiled together, making restraints to keep her legs anchored and stable. The rest twisted and turned until they made the shape of a dildo.

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Twilight giddily leaped on top of the washing machine. She positioned herself above the De-Stressor, then slowly impaled herself. She let out a low moan as she felt herself getting filled. The restraints took hold of her ankles and held them down. She sighed contently, then leaned over, pushing the start button on the washing machine.

The washing machine started up, and water began to pour in. Twilight felt the De-Stressor's inner temperature rise from room temperature to body heat levels, making it feel a little realistic. It vibrated slightly, causing her breath to catch. She began to bounce on it, letting out the occasional moan or sigh until the washing machine was completely full with water.

The water within began to churn, and the De-Stressor's vibrating intensified as it started to slowly thrust up and down. "Oh god," Twilight moaned out. She began massaging her tits as she closed her eyes in bliss. She could already feel some of her stress begin to melt away as minutes passed, then she felt a pressure begin to coil within. She shut her eyes tightly and started panting and moaning as it became stronger and stronger, until finally, it released. Twilight cried out as her first orgasm struck, and she squirmed as pleasure shot through her entire body while the restraints kept her from falling off. She sighed and moaned as afterglow kicked in, smiling.

Twilight braced herself as the washing machine and the De-Stressor continued to do their work. She rubbed her clit as she bounced up and down with a loud moan. Her creation sped up its thrusting momentarily, nearly bringing her to the edge, stopping just short. She frowned, then covered her mouth and screamed as the De-Stressor vibrated wildly, hitting her G-spot. She climaxed again and went cross-eyed as she jerked and spasmed, riding out the storm of pleasure.

Twilight took a deep breath, then sighed. She shook her head rapidly in an effort to keep afterglow at bay. She wasn't done quite yet! The best part was coming! So to speak. She heard the water drain from the washing machine and grinned widely as the spin cycle started. She gyrated her hips and the De-Stressor responded in kind, causing her to grit her teeth and moan loudly. "Shiiiiit," she muttered dreamily as she felt another orgasm build up. She panted, then squeaked as she came hard all over the washing machine. She jerked and moaned as she rode through the pleasure, then sighed happily as she wiped sweat off of her brow.

"D...Deactivate," Twilight said as she tried to catch her breath. She slowly climbed off of the washing machine with a soft moan as the De-Stressor slid out of her entrance and went back to its original form. She cleaned up after herself, then leaned against the wall with her eyes closed.

Several minutes later, Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. She looked at the dryer and internally debated if she should re-activate the De-Stressor...

...for all of five seconds.

Twilight grinned eagerly. She truly felt better, but it just wouldn't feel right only running the washing machine. "Activate," she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. She climbed up on top of the dryer, and filled herself again with a happy sigh as her ankles were pinned down. Some may think her crazy, even more may think her horny. They'd both be right, Twilight thought with pride as a lustful grin slowly formed on her face. And I wouldn't want it any other way. She leaned over to press the button to turn the dryer on, and braced herself as best as she possibly could.

A couple more orgasms and a dryer cycle later, Twilight deactivated the De-Stressor and nearly fell off the dryer. She couldn't remember the last time her vagina felt so sore, but it was all worth it! As she cleaned up after herself again, she started to wonder if this was something that people needed. Maybe she could patent the De-Stressor and mankind could benefit greatly from it! She shook her head. No. She might make one for Lemon Zest and any other friends she'd make down the line, but she'd have to make them swear secrecy. She wasn't sure she wanted to be known as someone who revolutionized sex toys. That'd be as ridiculous as making a dildo out of beans!

Twilight blinked. Okay, that had to have been the afterglow talking. That was the dumbest thing she'd ever thought! She set that thought into the furthest reaches of her mind, never to be spoken of to anyone. Where was she? Oh, right. No. She wanted to be known as someone who changed the world through science! She slowly began to put her clothes back on with a smile, then put on gloves and grabbed the De-Stressor. She fished a bag out of one of her pockets, then put it in. "You're going to need one hell of a wash after everything I put you through," she said with a smile, then left the laundry room.

Sunday Evening

Twilight pocketed the bag containing the De-Stressor as soon as she exited the laundry room. She sighed in contentment and smiled as she unwittingly passed her mother.

"Feeling better," Velvet asked, causing Twilight to jump and yelp. "Oh, I'm sorry hon! I didn't mean to scare you," she said in an apologetic tone as she put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Twilight put her hand to her chest and sighed. "It's okay, mom," she said with a smile. "You just surprised me, that's all. I am feeling better, though."

Velvet took her hand off of Twilight. "Good to know," she said with a smile. "You looked like you needed it."

"Yeah," Twilight said. "I did." More than you could imagine, Mom. More than you could imagine. She smiled inwardly. "Say, is dinner being made?" All those climaxes built up an appetite!

"It'll be ready in a few moments," Night Light called out from the kitchen as the scent of meatloaf and vegetables wafted through Twilight's nostrils. She sighed contently, then stretched.

"Need help setting the table?"

"That'd be great, sweetie," Velvet said as she walked past Twilight.

By the time Twilight finished setting the table, dinner was ready.

Once dinner had been finished and Twilight helped clean up, she went into the living room. Spike followed her as he dashed out from under the dining room table, then grabbed a toy from his mouth and ran to her. Twilight giggled and reached for the toy, but Spike backed up playfully, his eyes practically twinkling with excitement. "All right, you," she said as she grabbed the toy, then began a tug of war with him as he growled. Spike's tail wagged as he shook his head to and fro in an effort to get Twilight to relinquish his toy. The battle lasted for all of about a minute, then Twilight tossed Spike's toy, causing him to run after it. Moments later, Spike returned and another round of tug-o-war began.

Twilight pretended to give up the fight by letting go, then grabbing it a split second later, successfully taking it from Spike. Spike panted excitedly, then ran around and barked loudly as though he was becoming impatient. She threw the toy, restarting the cycle. This went on for several more minutes until she got bored and pet Spike on the head.

Twilight stood up and stretched, then yawned. She checked the time on her phone. There was still a little time left, and one yawn did not mean she had to go to bed immediately. She continued to stare at her phone and thought about Indigo. If Twilight texted her, what would she say? She seemed friendly enough, but that last remark of hers played through her head. "Only when I want to be, Twilight...Only when I want to be."

Twilight began to feel nervous. What if Indigo wasn't feeling friendly and she decided to text? What if she got mad and decided to not be friends? Or worse, what if she started to actively hate her?! She began hyperventilating, then felt something rub against her leg. She looked down to see Spike looking back up at her. Calming down, she picked him up and received several puppy kisses. She giggled, then pet him on the head. "Thanks, Spike. I really needed that." She snuggled him, then gently lowered him down to the floor and watched him scamper off. She smiled warmly and wondered where she'd be without the little guy, then shuddered. She'd rather not think about that.

Now that her worries were over, Twilight's eyes widened. I haven't cleaned the De-Stressor yet! I completely forgot! She high-tailed it to her laboratory, where she felt sure that she'd have the privacy she needed. She took the bag out of her pocket, then put a new pair of gloves on. She opened the bag, then took out the De-Stressor and discarded the bag. She walked over to her special cleaning machine, which was as white as it was sterile.

Twilight's cleaning machine was another prized creation of hers, as it was not only very effective but just as efficient! She had sensors installed so the machine would know how much was inside it and how many cleaners it needed to use. Being environmentally safe was a benefit as well. She beamed as she opened it, put the De-Stressor in, then took off her gloves and started it. The machine hummed and whirred as she yawned again. Maybe she did need to go to bed a little early tonight, but first things first! She had to wait until her De-Stressor was completely cleaned.

It was then that Twilight realized she had nothing to do at the moment. Sure, she could probably do wet chemistry, but at the rate she was yawning, that would probably be a bad idea. She folded her arms and tapped her foot as she struggled to come up with a decent time-passing idea. Maybe she could clean her lab. She looked around and noticed that for once, it was relatively spotless as opposed to its normal state. Rarely was there not a single piece of paper with data on it on her work desk, or blueprints for a future idea. She sighed. The one time she had her lab clean.

Twilight made a sputtering noise and began pacing the lab while she continued to wait on her cleaning machine. Minutes began to feel longer. She began to feel antsy, not having anything to do! She took out her phone and played a game on it until the machine went off. Finally! She walked up to the machine and opened it as steam billowed out. Twilight waved her arms, dissipating the steam, then took the De-Stressor. She flinched momentarily, as it was still hot from the cleaning process. She immediately pocketed it, then closed the cleaning machine and headed back inside her house.

Once inside, Twilight checked her phone, then smiled. Perfect timing. She was actually starting to get tired. She said her goodnights to her family, then went upstairs. She grabbed her "Do Not Disturb" sign and put it on her doorknob, then closed the door and put on her pajamas. She sighed contently as she got into bed, then slowly fell asleep.

Staying Out of the Tryouts

Author's Note

Four days until the Friendship Games.

Staying Out of the Tryouts

Twilight woke up with a smile, then nearly panicked. The De-Stressor! She forgot to put it back in the hidden compartment! She stumbled out of bed, then grabbed her jeans from last night. She heaved a sigh of relief as she felt it in the pocket. She took it out, then put it back where it belonged. Well, at least I'm awake now.

Twilight went into the bathroom and put her glasses on, then smiled at herself in the mirror. Time to greet the day with optimism, she thought excitedly as she anticipated meeting Lemon Zest again. She changed into her uniform and opened the door, causing Spike to rush in. "Good morning," she cooed as she gently pet him on the head. The dog barked, then left her room.

Twilight ran downstairs in an effort to reach the bus stop earlier than normal. "Have a good day at school," Night Light called out.

"That's the plan," Twilight said as she reached the door. "Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Twilight closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She walked towards the bus stop as she felt a gentle breeze, sighing in contentment in its warmth. Once she reached her destination, she leaned against a tree, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of nature around her. The rustling of the leaves in the trees, the chirping of the birds, the motor of the bus...she opened her eyes in mild confusion, then smiled. She walked into the bus and sat down.

Twilight arrived at Crystal Prep and noticed several flyers for the Friendship Games tryouts as she walked the halls. I don't understand why everybody's so excited, she thought. It's just another silly competition. She shrugged, then noticed Lemon Zest toss a piece of paper into a garbage can.

"At least I'm not the paranoid type," Lemon said, then put the palm of her hand to her forehead. "Dammit, now I am getting paranoid."

"Are you okay, Lemon," Twilight asked.

"Holy shit!" yelped Lemon, caught off-guard. Catching her breath, she turned around to see Twilight looking at her with concern. She calmed down quickly. "Oh, man. I'm sorry if I worried you, Twilight."

"You're sorry? I swear I made you jump three feet!" said Twilight.

They shared a laugh.

"But really, Lemon...what's wrong?" asked Twilight.

Lemon sighed. "Sour Sweet left a note on my locker saying our whole feud or whatever ends today. 'On a field of her choosing'. It's making me watch my back...and my everything else for that matter..."

"I don't know how much of a help I can be, but if there's anything I can do don't hesitate to tell me. Okay?" said Twilight.

"Oh!" Lemon said suddenly, causing Twilight to yelp.

"Gah!"

They both stared at each other for a moment, then laughed again.

"Sorry about that." said Lemon, blushing from embarrassment. "I've been meaning to exchange phone numbers with you the last couple of times so we could keep in touch. You know, texting." she smiled.

Twilight smiled back. "Sounds good to me."

They exchanged phone numbers.

"Sweet!" said Lemon. "Now if either of us has a problem, we can have each others back anywhere! Thanks a ton, dude!" she hugged Twilight.

"Dude?" said Twilight, confused.

"I call people dude when I get really excited over something." explained Lemon.

"I...guess that makes sense." said Twilight as she returned the hug.

The school bell rang. "Oh, crap!" said Lemon. "We'd better get going. See you around!" they both broke the hug and ran to their respective classes.

Twilight left her first period class with a smile, glad that she finally had Lemon in her contacts. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she ran into someone. She heard a sigh. "You really need to watch where you're going, Twilight. Hallway traffic is always a bitch around here."

Twilight got up off the floor and laughed sheepishly. "You know me, Sugarcoat...always off in my own little world," she said with an awkward smile.

Sugarcoat sighed again as she put the palm of her hand to her head. "Just watch where you're going, okay? That's the last time I'm warning yo-" She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then narrowed as she grinned. "Twilight Sparkle," she said slyly, "I didn't know you had it in you!"

Twilight blinked in confusion as she began to nervously pull on her hair. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Who've you been fucking," Sugarcoat asked.

Twilight's face immediately turned a light shade of red as she continued to pull at her hair. "W-W-W-What?!" She almost shouted. "I'm not even in a relationship!"

"That never stopped me," Sugarcoat said, then came to a realization. "Ooohhh. I get it."

Twilight's face slowly went back to its normal color. "Y-You do?"

Sugarcoat nodded. "You just masturbate often, don't you?" Twilight's face went even redder than before and she ran off as fast as she could.

H-How did she know?! Was all Twilight could think as she frantically ran off to her second period class.

Twilight left her second period class, still dumbfounded over Sugarcoat's words. How? Just...how?! She shook her head rapidly. No. Stop, she admonished herself. You've nearly driven yourself insane with worry one time too many recently! She took a deep breath, then sighed. Much better, she thought, then made a beeline for her next class.

Third period was over, and Twilight wandered the halls. She kept her eyes in front of herself, making sure not to bump into anyone. That was another thing she'd had quite enough of lately. More people should watch where they're going. Not that she was in any position to say anything about it. A student who was engrossed in his phone passed her by, and she noticed another student heading in the same direction. She called out to the students. "Watch where you're both-" The two students collided, and Twilight sighed. She put the palm of her hand to her face and shook her head, then went on to her next class.

Twilight left her fourth period pass and watched a throng of students make their way to the tryouts. Her phone buzzed, gaining her attention. She moved to the side to avoid get hit and checked her phone.

Twilight...you won't believe what just happened. - Lemon Zest

Twilight raised an eyebrow, curious.

Oh? - Twilight Sparkle

Twilight received several more texts, and her jaw nearly dropped. She sent a response.

Wow...I'm at a loss for words. I had no idea she was going through so much. - Twilight Sparkle

You and me both, Twilight. You and me both. - Lemon Zest

Twilight smiled and pocketed her phone as she went the opposite direction of those interested in the tryouts. I don't think I'll ever understand Crystal Prep's herd mentality. She shrugged, then went to her fifth period class.

The rest of the day remained uneventful for Twilight, and as lunch and each remaining period passed, she began to feel bored. Everyone she knew was at the tryouts for the remainder of the day. Did she make a mistake in not going? Is it her fault that she felt listless and alone? She shook her head rapidly. It's not like she wasn't going to see Lemon again, and this sort of thinking would get her nowhere. Enough with the negative thoughts already! She had never been happier to leave Crystal Prep behind as she boarded the bus.

Twilight found her seat, then sat down, tuning out the idle chatter of other students as she reached home. Upon disembarking, she took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Home never looked so good," she said as she felt relief. She walked up to the door, then went inside.

Rematch!

Author's Note

Lately I feel like I've been writing pointless scenes that don't really move the story forward or connect to other stories, and that's why I skipped the rest of the day at Crystal Prep. It's also why I skipped ahead to after dinner.

Tell me what you guys think.

Rematch!

After dinner, Twilight went upstairs and into her room. She checked the time on her phone. I suppose one game couldn't hurt, she thought as she turned on her console. She stared up at the ceiling of her room while she waited for her game to load with a sigh. Once the game started, she immediately joined a team battle. Her eyes lit up as she took notice of her teammates.

Team 1
Twi_Sparkly73
Zest_iz_Best
Sour_5w337
Sweets_CMC
Scoots_CMC
Bloom_CMC

She smiled, glad that Lemon was fighting by her side. And from the looks of things, Sour Sweet was as well! She recognized the other three players from the last match. Hopefully they learned from their previous battle. Twilight took a look at the opposing team, and her face fell.

Team 2
Dashin8r
Fashionista_4_Life
FarmGurlAJ
SunShimPwny
Flutterbutter
P0nk4_P0

"Oh, dear," Twilight said as memories of the one-sided battle flowed through her. She took a deep breath, then exhaled as the loading screen appeared. She ran into her bathroom to grab a glass of water. She didn't want to miss a single moment if she could help it! Suddenly, the match began and Twilight poured all her focus into the game.

Twilight quickly joined up with Lemon and Sour, and the three CMC followed suit. Okay, good start so far... Then suddenly, Sour's golden and rose-armored form was sniped. Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just had to jinx it," she muttered to herself. The CMC trio looked at each other, then split up. "No!" Twilight's eyes widened. "Never split up," she said as she felt frustration rise. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Welp. I think we're doomed." She shook her head. "What am I saying? The match barely starte-" Before she knew it, she was sniped as she saw the remainder of the Rainbooms on her death screen, chasing after Lemon and hunting down the CMC.

Twilight put the palm of her hand to her head. Why was she getting so worked up over a video game? She knew that winning wasn't everything, so what was her deal? She shook her head rapidly. Getting lost in her thoughts mid-match already cost her once, she wouldn't let that happen again! She grit her teeth as she respawned next to the CMC.

Sour appeared behind Twilight and made a rallying gesture, boosting all of their stats. Twilight blinked in surprise. They could buff?! She didn't play this game often, but surely she would have noticed by now. She made a mental note to check the patch note history once the match ended. Maybe now they had a better chance at winning...

Twi_Sparkly73 has been gunned down by P0nka_P0.

"Dammit," Twilight shouted in aggravation. She tried taking another deep breath, but to no avail. Maybe she should just cut her losses and opt out. Wait. What was she thinking?! She couldn't just abandon Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, or the three CMCs! What kind of friend...no. What kind of person would she be if she just up and left? She clenched her teeth. She had to see this through, no matter how terrible the situation became!

Twilight rolled up her sleeves. Wow, she was really getting into this! She actually rolled up her sleeves! She shook her head yet again, then got straight down to business. She kept her eyes peeled and ears open, listening closely for any noises. She ran into the bushes in an effort to conceal herself as she searched for their sniper. She kept turning around every couple of seconds, making sure-

Twi_Sparkly73 has been gunned down by Flutterbutter

Twilight pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. The roofs. Why didn't she think of that sooner? As soon as she respawned, she ran into one of the buildings, taking care to avoid any traps along her way upstairs. Once she reached the roof, she looked around. It would be highly unlikely that the sniper would be on the first roof she searched, but Twilight felt it better to be safe than sorry. Letting her guard down momentarily, she risked a quick glance at the time remaining for the match. About fifteen minutes. She nodded in satisfaction. That would be plenty of time to search the other buildings.

Twilight risked another glance, this time at the lower-left corner of her screen to check on kills.

Sour_5w337 has been gunned down by SunShimPwny
Zest_iz_Best has been gunned down by Fashionista_4_Life
Sweets_CMC has been gunned down by FarmGurlAJ
Scoots_CMC has been gunned down by Dashin8r
Bloom_CMC has been gunned down by P0nk4_P0

Twilight frowned, then resumed her search for Flutterbutter in earnest. I know I should probably go back down there and help them, she thought as she finished checking her current roof. But maybe if I get their sniper it'll do at least a little bit of good. I hope.

Several minutes, deaths, and traps later, Twilight groaned in frustration. She'd been through almost all of the buildings, and still no sign of that damned sniper! Time was running out, and if she didn't find Flutterbutter soon she'd scream into the pillow again! She had just enough time to check one more building. She began to sweat. She was racing against the clock, and while she was no stranger to such, she couldn't help but feel the pressure!

Throwing caution to the wind, Twilight sprinted up the stairs. She grit her teeth as she neared the roof, then almost squealed in excitement when she saw someone in light yellow armor with pink accents. There she was! Showing no hesitation, she opened fire.

Flutterbutter has been gunned down by Twi_Sparkly73.

Unable to control her glee, Twilight ran to her bed and screamed into her pillow until her giddiness subsided. She hurried back to the game.

GAME OVER - RAINBOOMS WIN

As the statistics of the game went on the screen, Twilight felt pride swell within. She was the only player on her team to get a kill! Satisfied, she turned off the console and her television and changed into her pajamas. She brushed her teeth, then went to bed and fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.

Elsewhere, in a wide-open apartment, six girls chatted among themselves.

"What was that," demanded a raspy-voiced girl with rainbow hair as she gestured towards the results screen. "Why'd you let her kill you?!"

"Because," a soft-spoken pale yellow girl said. "She worked so hard to find me! It wouldn't have been polite to just shoot her after all that effort."

A Day with Zest

Author's Note

Three days until the Friendship Games.

A Day with Zest

Twilight woke up, still pleased with her small victory from the previous night. Smiling, she got into her uniform and brushed her teeth. She opened the door and Spike ran in, yapping with his tail wagging. She smiled as she pet him, then leaned down for several sloppy loving puppy licks. Giggling, Twilight gently pushed Spike away and got back up to her full height. "That's enough of that," she said with a smile, then went downstairs.

Twilight passed the living room, where her parents were sitting. "See you guys later!"

"Have a good day at school, sweetie," Velvet called out.

"See you later," Night Light said.

Twilight smiled as she left home, then made her way to the bus stop and boarded once it arrived.

Twilight got off the bus and stared at Crystal Prep. Well, here we go. Another day. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She walked inside with a smile, and walked the halls.

"Whoa!" A familiar voice snapped Twilight out of her thoughts.

"Sorry about that, Lemon. I was engrossed in my own little world." Twilight laughed sheepishly. She looked at Lemon, who seemed concerned about something. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Lemon put the palm of her hand on her forehead. "Twilight...remind me to never play poker. With anyone."

Twilight blinked.

"Nevermind." said Lemon.

"So what's on your mind then?" asked Twilight.

Lemon sighed heavily. "I had a dream that Sour attacked me. I thought hugging her would be a good idea...but she ended up melting into a puddle of blood." Twilight's eyes widened. "I know, right," Lemon said as she looked away. "Anyway, I woke up screaming bloody murder and I kinda bawled my eyes out afterwards."

"Wow." said Twilight. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'd react the same way too!" she said.

"Yeah, but have you ever had someone else's blood on your hands? And not just figuratively?" asked Lemon.

"No...I can't say that I have. And no offense, but I plan to keep it that way." said Twilight.

Lemon smiled. "None taken." she thought for a moment. "Hey, you're one of the smarter students around here..."

Twilight blushed at the compliment.

"You wouldn't happen to know any way of getting the nightmares to stop, do you? I'd rather try to avoid them in the future if I can help it." said Lemon.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't." Twilight frowned. "I haven't quite studied dreams as often as I study scientific subjects." She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "So much to study, so little time..."

"Isn't there such a thing as sleep science?" asked Lemon.

"No, I think that's a brand name for memory foam mattresses." said Twilight.

Lemon made a sputtering noise. "Wait." she said, giving Twilight a confused look. "How do you know that?"

"I stumbled upon that when I used a search engine and typed up 'sleep science'. Honestly, it's kind of ridiculous that in the pursuit of knowledge I often get directed to commercial websites."

Lemon simply stared at Twilight.

Twilight laughed from embarrassment. "I kind of got off track there...sorry I couldn't be of more help." said Twilight.

"Don't worry, Twilight." Lemon smiled. "Your willingness to help is help in and of itself."

Twilight smiled. "Well then, glad I could help!" she said as the bell for the first period of the day rang. "Oops! Time for class! See you later, Lemon!"

Lemon waved. "Later, Twilight!" And the two went to their first period classes.

Twilight left her first period class, when she heard her name from down the hall.

"Hey, Twilight!" Lemon said.

"Hey, Lemon." Twilight said as she walked towards her.

"I've been wondering...why do you seem to want to check out Canterlot High when you don't even want to compete in the Friendship Games?" asked Lemon.

"Well...it's kind of scientific and sorta complicated." said Twilight.

Lemon raised an eyebrow. "Okay, try me."

"Okay, but you asked for it." warned Twilight. "From what I've gathered, the grounds of Canterlot High have been the focal point of several fluctuations in the measuring devices that I have in my laboratory. Now I don't quite know what it is that's being measured. It's a kind of energy that I've never seen before. The implications are staggering to say the least!" she finished excitedly.

Lemon laughed. "Maybe it's magic."

Twilight scoffed. "That's preposterous."

Lemon shrugged. "Meh." Her eyes widened. "Hey, do you think there's any truth to the rumors?"

Twilight looked confused. "Rumors?"

Lemon nodded. "About the strange rainbow that just appeared in the sky at night then shot downwards, creating...for lack of a better phrase...a reverse tornado rainbow vortex!"

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes.

"The other rumor," Lemon continued. "Is that during the climax of Canterlot High's musical showcase it was taken over by special effects that were so realistic, it was like there were real sea creatures in the sky!"

Twilight scoffed again. "Sounds like nothing more than hearsay and conjecture to me. If something like that did, in fact, happen, where's the evidence? Why didn't people use their phones to record these phenomena?"

Lemon raised a finger, then dropped it. "Huh. I suppose you have a good point."

"Precisely!" said Twilight, pleased with herself. "Magic." she snickered. "Come on, Lemon. You're smarter than that."

"If magic doesn't exist, then how am I friends with Sour Sweet now?" asked Lemon.

Twilight laughed. "You're not seriously suggesting that friendship is magic?"

Lemon shrugged. "How else can you explain two people at each others throats for days, then bawling over closure the next?"

Twilight smiled. "Willing to change, psychological rehablitation, endorphins..."

Lemon smiled and rolled her eyes. "Damn, Twilight. You're taking the fun out of this conversation."

They both laughed.

"But that makes me want to ask another question." said Lemon. "Before me, why did you think friendship was unnecessary?"

"I think I told you this already, but I already have a family that loves and supports me. Before I met you I just thought of it as a burden that would hold me back from my studies." said Twilight.

"But you and I are friends, and we still get the same grades." said Lemon.

"Hmm. I suppose that's true."

"Precisely!" said Lemon.

They both laughed again.

"Well, I should get going. This was a most enlightening discussion, Miss Zest." Twilight extended her hand.

"Indeed it was, Miss Sparkle." Lemon said, shaking Twilight's hand.

They both laughed as they went their separate ways.

Lunch rolled around, and Twilight walked over to a lunch table where she saw Lemon Zest. She smiled. "Hi, Lemon!" She noticed another familiar person, and froze up momentarily. "Uh...hi...Sour."

"Hey, Twilight!" said Lemon. "How's it going?"

Twilight stayed silent, pulling at her hair.

"Oh, Twilight. You don't need to worry. I don't bite." said Sour Sweet. "Unless you give me a reason to!"

"Eek!" Twilight flinched.

"Go easy on her, Sour, she's a friend too." said Lemon.

"If you say so." said Sour.

"So...um..." Twilight said nervously.

Lemon smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Twilight. "It's okay. There's no reason for her to be hostile towards you."

Twilight calmed visibly, but still seemed nervous. Lemon glanced at Sour. Sour simply shrugged, causing Lemon to roll her eyes.

Sour then sighed. "Okay. I won't be hostile towards you." Sour said. "At least not for today!" She blinked. "Dammit, Sour Side!"

Twilight simply stared at Sour. "Are you...okay?" she asked.

Sour sighed again. "I'm...bipolar."

I'd better choose my words carefully. This sounds like a sensitive subject for her... thought Twilight.

Sour smiled at Twilight. "It's okay. You're not walking on eggshells here, it's no secret."

Twilight let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding. "That's a relief. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's a sensitive subject for you."

Sour shrugged. "Eh, I'm used to it."

"Before we go any further..." said Lemon, becoming visibly tense.

Sour looked at Lemon. "Is something wrong?"

Lemon took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sour. I told Twilight everything."

Sour's expression became blank. "You told her...everything." she repeated. "What do you mean by 'everything'?"

"I mean everything. Even..." Lemon could feel tears coming, fearing the aftermath of her next few words.

Sour slowly got up from her seat. "Even...even what?"

"Even what happened at the session with Radiant Hope." Lemon said. "I'm sorry I haven't told you everything, but I was just so excited about what happened that I didn't think of how it would affect you and our new friendship."

"You told...Twilight." Sour said, her tone surprisingly neutral.

Twilight looked at Sour, then at Lemon. Oh dear. She began pulling her hair slowly.

Were it not for the other students eating and speaking in the cafeteria, the silence between Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest would have been deafening. They both stood motionless, looking at each other for what seemed like ages. Sour, still trying to process what she'd heard and Lemon, afraid for one of her two only friendships.

"You told Twilight. That I had no friends. That I was lonely." Sour said as she finally broke the silence. "That I have no family."

"Sour..." said Lemon.

"You told Twilight about my self-loathing...that I cried out my tears while fighting with you." continued Sour.

"Sour, I-" Lemon said, sniffling.

"You told Twilight fucking Sparkle that I tried to kill myself?!" said Sour, shedding tears of her own. "Lemon Zest...I told you those things in front of Radiant Hope because I trusted you. That it would just be between the three of us. You, me, and Radiant Hope."

"Sour Sweet...I'm sorry." said Lemon, who immediately put her hands to her mouth.

"You're...sorry." said Sour. "Given what happened between you, me, and Radiant Hope..." she said, narrowing her eyes. "That was a very, very poor choice of words.", Sour Sweet's voice cracked. "As you said that session; 'That's not going to cut it, and you fucking know that.'"

Twilight stopped pulling her hair and simply stayed still, afraid that any sudden movement would incur Sour Sweet's wrath.

"I trusted you, Lemon. I told you my deepest and darkest secrets that day, and you told someone else. I don't care if she's your friend, you should have at least asked me first." said Sour, now shaking.

"Sour..." said Lemon, her voice quavering.

"No." said Sour. "Not another word. I...I need some time alone right now." Sour said and walked away, leaving her tray of food half-eaten. She stopped after a few steps. "Oh, and Twilight?"

Twilight tensed up as she felt the chill of fear spread throughout her body. "Y-y-y-y-yes, Sour?" she stammered.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this. If you do and I find out..." she turned around and walked back to Twilight, mere inches away from her face. Her eyes were still teary and puffy. "I will bite. And I will bite hard, Twilight Sparkle. Do we have an understanding?"

Twilight shrank, trembling with fear. "Y...y...."

"That's all I needed to hear." said Sour as she walked away with what little composure she had remaining.

"Sour..." said Lemon, reaching out a hand.

"DON'T." said Sour, her voice quavering. "Don't make this any harder than it already is for the both of us." she walked away from Lemon Zest and Twilight Sparkle.

"Lemon..." said Twilight. "Are...are you okay?" Before she knew it, Lemon shot towards her and hugged her tightly, sobbing into her chest.

Once Lemon calmed down, she gave Twilight a pleading look. "Twilight," she said quietly. "You'll still be my friend, right?"

Surprised by Lemon's question, Twilight's eyes widened momentarily. "Lemon Zest," she said softly. "Of course I will. Why would you even ask me that?" She smiled warmly.

Lemon sighed. "I'm just feeling vulnerable right now."

"I understand," Twilight said as she tightened the hug.

"Thank you," Lemon said.

The warning bell for sixth period rang.

"Are you going to be okay," Twilight asked.

Lemon sighed again. "I don't know, Twilight. I just don't know."

"Well if there's anything I can do, anything, just let me know."

"Thanks, Twi." Lemon broke the hug and the two went their separate ways.

Sixth period ended, and Twilight sent Lemon a text.

Hey.

Just checking in.

How are you holding up?

Still miserable as fuck. - Lemon

Hey now.

I'm sure Sour Sweet will come around.

Can we please not talk about her right now? - Lemon

Sorry.

It's okay. - Lemon

You're trying to cheer me up, I get it. - Lemon

I appreciate it, I really do. - Lemon

But right now, I need some time to myself. - Lemon

Twilight blinked. Lemon was sad about losing her friend, and she needed a friend, but just wanted to be alone for the time being. Surely she understood the irony of the situation. Regardless, Twilight wanted to support her.

I understand.

Keep in touch though, okay?

Will do. - Lemon

The warning bell for seventh period went off, and Twilight hurried to her next class.

Seventh period ended, and Twilight left her class and checked her phone. She sighed. No new messages. She wanted to send Lemon a text badly, but Twilight understood that she wanted some space. She had to keep herself in check. For her friend. Not wasting any more time, she made a beeline to her next class.

Eighth period ended, and Twilight began racking her brains as she tried to think of something. Anything. She looked around the halls and in all of the classrooms, hoping that inspiration would rear its head. Her eyes widened in realization. The library! Of course! Inspiration abounds in there! Smiling widely, she hurried into the library.

Once in the library, she went straight to the computers and did searches on inspirational books. As she began her search, an idea began to form in the back of her mind. She dismissed it almost immediately, because the mere thought of such an act went against everything she stood for. She wouldn't do it. And yet, the idea returned. She tried shrugging it away, but the idea stayed.

The warning bell for the final period rang, and Twilight ran out of the library.

Twilight left her final class of the day with grim resolve. She would do anything to make Lemon Zest happy. Anything. She made up her mind. Later tonight, she would do something reckless. Something wrong. Something so vile that it made her shiver. Tonight...

...she was going to hack into the school's servers and look at students' permanent records.

Anything for a Friend

Later that day, after dinner, Twilight Sparkle stared at her computer. She was paralyzed. She simply sat there, gritting her teeth. It had been ten minutes since she sat down, why hadn't she started? She sighed heavily, knowing all too well the reason why.

It was just so wrong.

Twilight forced herself off of her chair, and began to pace her room. She knew who she was doing this for and why, but she couldn't bring herself to do it! Maybe it was because she was alone. When she was with Lemon, she understood that things are better when you're with someone...Spike! Of course!

Twilight ran downstairs and found Spike. "Her there," she said softly. "I'm going to need you tonight." Then she leaned in, just in case someone was within earshot. "For emotional support," she whispered, then gently picked him up. As she carried him up the stairs, it occurred to her that this was more than likely going to be a long night. Reaching the top of the stairs, she set Spike down. "Stay here," she said, then went back downstairs. Within minutes, she returned with a metal canister full of coffee. "All right," she said to Spike as she opened the door. "Let's go." She put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on her doorknob and closed it.

Now inside her room, Twilight set the canister of coffee away from the keyboard, but not so far that it would be out of reach. She then picked Spike up and set him in her lap. "Okay," she said. "First things first." She opened her internet browser and went to the Crystal Prep Academy website. Surely they'd have the roster for the Friendship Games team..."Aha!"

Friendship Games Participants

Indigo Zap
Jet Set
Lemon Zest
Neon Lights
Royal Pin
Sour Sweet
Sugarcoat
Sunny Flare
Suri Polomare
Trender
Upper Crust

Twilight kept her browser open for reference, then minimized it. She began to guide her cursor over to her hacking program, then stopped. She was paralyzed again. She took her hand off of the mouse, then closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then envisioned Lemon Zest. She remembered everything they had been through. The laughter, the tears...then she remembered the conviction she felt after school ended. She wanted to do this. She had to do this. For Lemon. For her friend! Twilight looked down at Spike and pet him gently. Her eyes narrowed, and she found the will she had been searching for.

"No turning back now," Twilight muttered under her breath as she grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. With a grunt of exertion, she forced herself to open the hacking program, and began her grim task. She was almost immediately struck with guilt, but she pushed on. Her fingers danced and raced across the keyboard as she focused on making her friend happy.

Several minutes passed, and Twilight was in. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She knew her...targets. She felt terrible using the term, but she pushed on. She navigated the database swiftly, then found the permanent records. She gulped, then referred to the team roster. She wasn't looking for their grades or anything, just some knowledge that Lemon could use against them if things got tough.

Indigo Zap was first alphabetically. Guilt struck Twilight again, but she pushed past it as she accessed Indigo's file. She skimmed through until she found the psychological notes.

Indigo Zap

Psychological Notes
Indigo Zap has Asperger's Syndrome, but doesn't feel comfortable telling others about it. She likes to keep people guessing her intentions. Prone to moments of disruption in and out of class.

Twilight clenched her teeth, then moved on.

Jet Set

Psychological Notes
While generally standoffish, Jet Set will do absolutely anything for his girlfriend, Upper Crust. Once suspended for beating a student unconscious when said student accosted Upper Crust. Supported her during a recent pregnancy scare.

Twilight hissed through her teeth, then pressed forward as she skipped Lemon's file.

Neon Lights

Psychological Notes
Once had an emotionally manipulative girlfriend. Neon Lights is currently dating Sugarcoat, but recently suffered a falling out with her.

Twilight looked down at Spike, who was still in her lap. He tilted his head slightly at her, calming her slightly. She reached for her coffee and took a sip, then continued.

Royal Pin

Psychological Notes
Royal Pin is homosexual, but suffers anxiety whenever anyone but his friends or family talk about it with him. He strives to be a decent man, which is commendable.

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. She began to feel dread creep up on her as she opened the next file.

Sour Sweet

Psychological Notes
Sour Sweet is Bipolar. She has what she refers to as a "Sour Side", which manifested itself as a defense mechanism to cope with her abusive parents.

Twilight gasped and put her hands to her mouth. With considerable effort, she continued.

Sugarcoat

Psychological Notes
Sugarcoat is, for lack of a better term, a nympho. There are very few boys in Crystal Prep that she has not slept with. Recently began dating Neon Lights, but suffered a falling out.

Twilight took another sip of her coffee as she felt a lump in her throat.

Sunny Flare

Psychological Notes
Sunny Flare suffered a miscarriage in her Sophomore year. Recently lost her boyfriend, Rutherford, to a drunk driver. Healing process expected to be long.

"Oh, god," Twilight whispered. She struggled to keep her emotions in check as she continued forward.

Suri Polomare

Psychological Notes
Suri has a tendency to lash out when she feels like she can't control the situation she's in. May have anger issues. Suggest medication if behavior escalates.

Twilight felt a stray tear fall from one of her eyes, unable to imagine how much hardships these people have had to endure. She pressed on.

Trender

Psychological Notes
Trender is a borderline narcissist. He shows little compassion or empathy towards others and will do anything for approval. Hoping for a breakthrough soon.

Twilight sniffled, then held onto Spike as she opened the last file.

Upper Crust

Psychological Notes
Upper Crust is dating Jet Set. Her recent pregnancy scare with her boyfriend has given her a fear of intimacy, and she feels useless in the relationship because of it.

Finished, Twilight broke as she hugged Spike. Never in her life would she ever do something so heinous again, even if it benefited a friend! All of that information was meant to be confidential, and she was going to give that to her friend as a weapon she could wield in defense. She had never felt so bad about anything in all her life!

Once Twilight had no more tears left in her, she gently pet Spike, who gave her a couple of puppy licks. She smiled warmly. "Thanks for being there for me." She looked up at her computer screen, then sighed. She exited out of the permanent records, then blinked. Something seemed a little off. There was a dead pixel in the upper-right corner of the hacking program's window. That wasn't there before. She moved her cursor over it, and the dead pixel was overlapped.

Twilight furrowed her brow and cupped her chin. Curiosity overtook her guilt at the moment, and she clicked on it. The screen went black for a moment, then a new window popped up.

PASSWORD

Twilight raised an eyebrow. What was this? She went back into her hacking program and turned on the password cracking function. This would take a while, so she got up and stretched as Spike leaped off of her lap. She smiled. She had yet to come across something that could repel her hacking skills. She cracked her neck and noticed Spike in front of her door. She smiled. "Thanks again," she said softly, then let him out. She yawned, then took a sip of coffee. She heard a beeping noise coming from her computer, then she looked at the monitor.

PASSWORD
AMORE

Twilight blinked. Amore? Before she could think further, the window disappeared, and a new folder appeared.

S.M.I.L.E.

Letting curiosity get the better of her, Twilight clicked the folder. For the first time in years, she didn't sleep that night.

Hell of a Morning

Author's Note

Two days until the Friendship Games.

Hell of a Morning

Twilight watched the sun come up as she changed into her uniform. She had long since finished the canister of coffee she had on her desk. But after everything she learned overnight, drinking the coffee was unnecessary. The knowledge she attained changed everything for her. Not just the confidential information she read from the permanent records, but the fact that there was an entire organization dedicated to the downfall of Principal Cinch! She didn't know which was more baffling...the fact that her freaking parents and brother were a part of it, or the fact that Dean Cadance herself was the founder and the one in charge! She may never look at anything the same way again...

Twilight walked out of her room, faintly aware of a puppy scratching at her leg to get her attention. She smiled warmly and gently pet Spike, then got back up immediately. She took a deep breath, steeled herself, then exhaled as she walked downstairs.

"Good morning, Twilight," Night Light called out as his daughter reached the bottom of the stairs.

Twilight froze in her tracks and glanced at her father. "Hi," she said, trying to keep her voice level.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," Twilight said quicker than she meant to. "I'll talk later, okay?" She ran out of the house, leaving her father very, very confused. She ran all the way to the bus stop, then boarded the bus and collapsed onto her seat.

Twilight left her bus, then walked to the entrance of Crystal Prep Academy with a sigh. She wobbled a little as she opened the door, her fatigue finally getting to her. She turned around and nearly bumped into Lemon Zest.

"Whoa...are you okay?" asked Lemon.

"Yeah...I'm fine..." said Twilight, nearly dozing off. Lemon quickly grabbed her and kept her from falling onto the floor.

"Come on...let's get you some coffee or something..." said Lemon as she guided her to the cafeteria.

After a few minutes and some caffeine in her system, Twilight perked up. "Sorry about that. I was up all night."

"Up all night doing what?" asked Lemon.

"Well..." said Twilight, slowly pulling at her hair.

Lemon raised an eyebrow. "Twilight...what were you doing?"

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay...before I tell you anything...we need to be in a secluded location."

"Okay." said Lemon. As they walked the halls, she looked back at Twilight. "Is there anything you can tell me now?"

"I don't want to take any chances, Lemon Zest. Let's just wait until we reach a quiet place." said Twilight.

Once the pair reached a private area, Twilight leaned in closely to Lemon. "Okay...you know how I've been trying to cheer you up since yesterday?"

Lemon nodded.

"I realized it wasn't working, so last night I took...drastic measures." said Twilight.

"Drastic...measures?" asked Lemon. "What are you talking about?"

Twilight took a deep breath and sighed. "God, I feel so dirty." She began shaking as a fresh wave of guilt struck her.

"Twilight?" said Lemon. "Are you okay?"

"I...I don't know." Twilight sniffled. "I feel like what I'm about to do is the most vile, repugnant thing imaginable. But I want to see you happy. I don't like seeing you when you're sad."

"Twilight..." said Lemon.

"Hey...friends try to keep each other happy no matter what, right?" said Twilight. "Even...even at their own expense. Their own sacrifices." her voice cracked. "I...I..." she broke, and started crying into Lemon's chest.

Lemon hugged Twilight tightly and stroked her hair in an effort to calm her friend down.

After a few minutes, Twilight calmed down. She looked up at Lemon, her eyes red and puffy. She shuddered.

"Twilight, if it makes you this uncomfortable then I don't mind you not doing it." said Lemon.

Twilight gave her a sad smile. "Lemon. If I didn't want to go through with this, I wouldn't have bothered doing what I did in the first place."

Lemon smiled. "Okay. What did you do?"

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled, shuddering again. "I overheard you telling Sour about your encounter with Sunny Flare. That got me thinking."

Lemon nodded.

"I know you're not normally the violent type unless you lose your temper...but I assume you've heard the phrase 'Knowledge is power.'?" asked Twilight.

"I do, but I don't see where you're going with this." said Lemon.

"Well, last night I did some...'digging'." said Twilight.

"'Digging'?" repeated Lemon.

"Yes." Twilight nodded. "I looked into the pasts of all of your teammates for the Friendship Games. Sour Sweet, Royal Pin, Suri Polomare...all of them."

Lemon raised an eyebrow.

"I wanted to give you an edge in case they harassed you. They know things about you, but you don't know anything about them." said Twilight.

Lemon's eyes shot open as she finally realized what Twilight had done. "My god...you know their deepest, darkest secrets now, don't you?!"

Twilight nodded. "This knowledge might come in handy, but I feel terrible about what I did."

"Twilight...you don't have to-" said Lemon

"I'm going to fucking tell you, Lemon Zest! I've gone too damn far for nothing, do you hear me?!" shouted Twilight, tears in her eyes.

Lemon backed up, shocked by Twilight's words. "Okay...I understand."

Twilight slowly held onto one of Lemon's hands. "I'm going to need this." she said. "I feel so terrible, divulging people's secrets like this, but if it helps you defend yourself, I'll do it. No matter how painful it may be."

The process, Lemon found, was startlingly akin to labor. Twilight had to control her breathing, hyperventilating to reveal the secrets she knew. Each time a secret was told, Twilight would wail in anguish while tightly squeezing Lemon's hand as both of them shed tears, fully aware of the pain they were causing each other. Twilight, because knew she was worrying her friend and the guilt she felt for snooping on the private lives of people she barely knew. Lemon, because of the emotional and mental suffering Twilight had went through and was still going through, all for her own sake.

After the last secret was revealed, Lemon was in shock. "Twilight...are you sure of all of those things?"

Twilight was still in tears. "Yes..." she said. "I had to double and even triple check...but yes. There's no doubt about any of them." She didn't like lying to Lemon, but she didn't want her to even come close to the truth of what she really did.

"Twilight...I don't know what to say..." said Lemon.

"Lemon...before we leave this room, I want to make something abundantly clear." said Twilight.

"Yes?" said Lemon.

"This will be between you and me, and we will both carry this to our graves if we can help it." said Twilight, giving Lemon a serious expression.

"I agree." Lemon said. "I can't believe you went to all that trouble just for me..."

"Hey." said Twilight, her voice quavering. "What are friends for?" she said as she hugged Lemon.

Lemon returned the hug and the two resumed crying until the warning bell for the first period rang.

First period for Twilight ended, and she felt on edge. It was becoming harder and harder for her to not to blurt out everything she knew. Keep it together, Twilight Sparkle! Keep it together! She repeated that to herself as a mantra until she was snapped out of as she heard Lemon speak.

"Last warning, Flare." Lemon said angrily. "I don't want to have to do this."

"What's with you and last names?" asked Sunny. "Besides, you know nothing about me."

Lemon allowed herself a smile. "Interesting choice of words, Sunny Flare. How about this last name, then...Rutherford."

Sunny Flare blanched. "Uh...what was that?"

"I. Said. Rutherford."

"How...how do you..." Sunny said, shock evident in her tone.

"Like I'd tell you." said Lemon. "And if I know about Rutherford, then I'm sure you've gathered that I also know about your-"

"Don't say it!" said Sunny, tears forming in her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be the nice one..."

"Are you familiar with the phrase 'Even Buddha will get upset if he's hit in the face three times?'" said Lemon. "Well, I've been hit in the face too many goddamn times! It's time I started pushing back. I've been putting up with Crystal Prep Academy's bullshit for far too long. All the competitiveness, the backstabbing... I have had enough!"

"Wait...are you...?" Sunny looked at Lemon in confusion.

"Here's what you're going to do, Sunny Flare." said Lemon.

"You...you're blackmailing me?!" Sunny said as her mouth went agape.

"After all the shit I've been through, I'd like some sort of...'compensation' for all the grief you and the other girls have caused me." said Lemon.

"What makes you think they'll listen to you?" Sunny said defiantly, putting her hands on her hips.

"I know all the deepest, darkest secrets of our fellow Shadowbolts." Lemon said.

Sunny Flare's eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."

"Are you willing to take that chance?" said Lemon. "I'm starting to think it really would kill everyone here to be nice to each other."

"Okay." Sunny sighed. "What is it you want?"

"That's more like it." said Lemon. "What I want...Sunny Flare...is for you and the other Shadowbolts to treat each other nicely. I'm not asking or forcing you all to be friends, I'm not so sweet and naive as to believe that's possible. At the very least, try to be civil with one another."

Sunny blinked. "That's all you want?"

Lemon's expression hardened. "What, you were expecting a sexual favor? As you just said to me; 'Don't flatter yourself'. Now go spread the word..." Lemon narrowed her eyes. "And get the fuck out of my sight." she hissed.

Twilight watched Sunny nod and run off. Once she left Lemon's eyesight, Lemon nearly collapsed onto the floor. Twilight simply stood there, speechless, until the second period warning bell rang.

After second period, Twilight could only stare at the floor as she walked out of her classroom. She needed to tell someone about what she did! She noticed Lemon off in the distance and ran over to her, then hugged her tightly.

"Twilight?" said Lemon.

"Oh, god, Lemon...I feel so terrible!" Twilight said. "It feels like the guilt is eating me alive!" she started crying.

Lemon hugged her. "Hey now...I'm here for you."

"Lemon...I don't know if I can live with myself for what I've done." Twilight said. "I saw the whole thing with you and Sunny Flare. The look on her face...and when you nearly collapsed on the floor..." Twilight sobbed.

Lemon stroked Twilight's hair to calm her down. "I'm here for you, Twilight. We can get through this together, you hear me? Just you and me..."

"That's just it..." said Twilight. "I don't know if I can keep it between us for much longer. This knowledge is the equivalent of the Telltale Heart to me, and I'm very close to just ripping off the floorboards just so I can feel at peace with myself!"

Lemon thought for a moment. "Okay. I think I know someone we can tell with little fear of consequences, but you'll have to wait and trust me. Meet during lunch period. Just hang in there until then, okay?"

Twilight simply nodded, then the warning bell for third period rang. She ran off to her next class.

As the day went by, Twilight struggled to keep herself in check until lunch came. She ran into the cafeteria and found Lemon.

"How are you holding up?" Lemon asked Twilight.

"I think I could snap any minute..."

"Then we don't have any time to lose. Follow me!" she took Twilight's hand and ran to Radiant Hope's office.

Lemon and Twilight reached Radiant Hope's office, the latter on the verge of bursting into tears. Twilight would have taken stock of her surroundings, but was far too stressed to care.

Hope stood up from her desk, concern on her face. "What on earth ha-" Before she could get another syllable out, Twilight Sparkle ran to her and started bawling into her chest. Lemon stood in the doorway, heaving a sigh of relief. Hope gave Lemon a look of concern.

"Promise me what we're about to tell you won't leave this office." Lemon said as she shut Hope's door.

Hope blinked, then said. "In all honesty, it depends on the severity of the situation, Lemon Zest."

Lemon frowned. "Crap. Why did I know you'd say something like that?"

"Because it's part of my job." said Hope.

"Yeah...I should have known." said Lemon.

Twilight had finally calmed down and took a seat next to Lemon.

Hope sat back down at her desk. "So..." she said, looking intently at the pair. "What happened?"

Lemon and Twilight looked at each other, with tense expressions. They nodded to each other, and told Hope all that had transpired, starting from Lemon's falling out with Sour Sweet to the present moment. As they told her their tale, Hope had to give them a box of tissues. Many tears were shed between the two friends, and there had to be a few breaks in telling the story so either one of them could regain their composure. Once they finished, Radiant Hope simply stared at them with an unreadable expression. Twilight and Lemon were visibly tensed up, afraid of the consequences.

"I'm going to be frank with the both of you..." Hope said.

Lemon sighed. "Yeah, that's what we're afraid of."

"We deserve the worst punishment possible..." whimpered Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle. While what you did for Lemon was admirable, touching even...you know better than snooping around peoples' private lives." said Hope.

"I...I know." said Twilight, tears still in her eyes. "Can't you tell how bad I feel about it?"

"Lemon Zest. The fact that you harassed a fellow student over something that was meant to be confidential is shocking to me. I understand you've been having a rough time here at Crystal Prep lately, but what you did was uncalled for, to say the least." said Hope.

Lemon lowered her head. "I know. But surely you've been pushed to a point where you wanted to push back, right?"

"That doesn't justify what you did." said Hope.

Lemon sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"Wait." said Twilight. "You're a guidance counselor. I thought your job wasn't to judge students."

"I may be a guidance counselor, Twilight Sparkle...but I'm also a staff member." Hope said, her eyes narrowed.

Twilight gulped.

Hope took a deep breath and exhaled. "Both of you. Go to detention."

Twilight blanched. "D-D-D-Detention?!"

Lemon blinked. "That's awfully lenient for what we just did."

Twilight was in a panic. "I-I-I've never been to detention. I have a spotless record!"

Hope sighed. "You should have thought of that before you went digging around. Now go, before I change my mind and give you a harsher punishment!"

Twilight and Lemon left her office, walking slowly and closing the office door.

"Lemon..." Twilight said softly. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"We're going to detention," Twilight nearly shouted, then buried her head in her hands. "What are my parents going to say?!"

"Twilight," Lemon said as she put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted to thank you. For what you did." She smiled. "I know it wasn't easy, and I really appreciate it, even though we both got in trouble."

Twilight smiled, then the pair stopped in front of a door. Her smile faded and she gradually began to hyperventilate.

"Twilight," Lemon shouted. Twilight recoiled. "It's going to be okay," Lemon said softly. "I'll be in the room with you. Does that help?"

Twilight remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"All right," Lemon said. "Then let's get this over with." She opened the door, and she and Twilight walked in.

Personal Hell

Twilight and Lemon entered the detention room. "Oh, what fresh hell is this," Twilight said in disbelief as she looked around. Twenty-five desks were arranged in the center of the room in a five by five square. The walls were painted a pale yellow, each one sparsely decorated with a poster or a calendar of the current month in school activities.

In the front of the room was a desk where a burnt sienna-skinned man sat. His bright cyan eyes noticed Twilight and Lemon, and he cracked his neck, causing his wavy blue hair to move to and fro. He wore a staff uniform, and had a pink and white striped scarf filled with several groups of three spears, which Twilight believed to be his Power Symbol. The chalkboard behind him read "Mr. Spearhead".

"Wait," Lemon said, quirking a brow in confusion. "I thought you were an art teacher."

"Nothing says I can't be both," Mr. Spearhead said gruffly, then opened up a drawer from the desk and held out his hand. Twilight blinked in confusion.

Lemon leaned over to Twilight as she sighed and took off her headphones. "Give him your phone, Twi. We can't use any electronics while we're in here." She took her phone out of her pocket and gave it to Mr. Spearhead.

Twilight frowned, then fished her phone out of her pocket and handed it over. Mr. Spearhead took both items, then placed them in the drawer. "All right. Now go sit," he said, gesturing to the desks. Lemon made a sputtering noise as she walked and sat down. Twilight stood still for a moment, then complied. She didn't want to get yelled at on top of everything else if she could help it!

Twilight gulped, then asked the one question she both did and didn't want the answer to. "H-How long are we supposed to stay in here?"

Mr. Spearhead looked at the clock above the chalkboard, then back at Twilight. "Two hours," he said as he folded his arms.

Twilight nearly fell off of her chair. "T-Two hours?!"

"I can make it three if you want to have another outburst."

Twilight sunk into her seat and put her head in her hands. Why should she be so surprised? She knew she was going to get into trouble for what she did! She just wanted to curl up into a ball and become one with the cosmos... Resisting the urge to bang her head on her desk, she turned to look at Lemon, the whole reason why she did what she did.

Lemon glanced at Twilight and noticed a great deal of worry on her friend's face. In an effort to cheer her up, Lemon gave a genuine smile and a thumbs-up. Twilight took notice. Lemon then mouthed the words "Hang in there. I believe in you!".

Twilight sighed and put her head in her hands again. She appreciated Lemon's confidence in her, she just wished she actually had some herself. If only there was some way to communicate with her without getting Mr. Spearhead's attention... She shook her head rapidly. No. She was already in enough trouble as it is, and she didn't even want to think about what her parents would say or do if or when they found out!

Lemon watched Twilight with a frown. As much as she wanted to support her friend, she had to keep to herself if she wanted to avoid more trouble. The two of them would just have to tough it out. She sighed, imagining how pissed off her parentals would be. Staying in this windowless room was the easy part. She would have laughed at that if it didn't have the potential to extend her stay. She just wanted to lay her head on her desk and sleep, but she knew that doing so would likely make Mr. Spearhead think that she was napping. She sighed again, unable to think of anything to do to pass the time. Tough it out, indeed...

An undetermined amount of time had passed, and Twilight had avoided looking at the clock on the wall like the plague. She felt that even the slightest glance would bring her one step closer to the madness she felt encroaching upon her sanity. She had already mentally recited the Periodic Table of Elements several times over, and when she got bored of that she went over the digits in Pi. She began to get bored of that as well, and the temptation of looking had grown stronger by the minute. Maybe Lemon was faring better. Hoping that in doing so would set her at ease, Twilight looked at her friend.

Lemon was bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, boooooooorrrrrreeeeeeeed. She had already glanced at the clock several times over, each time trying her hardest not to groan out of frustration. She started wondering what her fellow teammates were up to. Indigo was probably being annoying, Sunny was probably still being a bitch, Sugarcoat was probably being blunt with someone, and Sour was likely still bitter and miserable. Maybe even more so, since Lemon had Sunny spread the word of her intent to make everyone play nice until after the Friendship Games. They're all going to be so pissed... Out of the corner of her eye, Lemon noticed Twilight looking at her. Lemon tilted her head.

Twilight tugged at her hair, then pointed at the clock while averting her gaze from it.

Lemon raised an eyebrow in confusion, then glanced at the clock. Her eyes widened and it took her a great deal of willpower to not jump up and down in excitement. Keeping herself in check as best she could, she gave Twilight a huge grin and another thumbs up.

Twilight blinked, then finally summoned the courage to look at the cursed clock. She almost immediately put her hands to her mouth and made a barely audible squeak. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and waited as patiently as she could, until finally...

"All right," Mr. Spearhead said. "Time's up."

Lemon and Twilight eagerly got out of their seats and reclaimed their belongings, then left the detention room.

Author's Note

I'm reiterating this here since it's been a while, but I like to think of Cutie Marks in the human world as Power Symbols. Even though the CMC were referred to by name once.

Hell to Pay

Velvet, Night Light and Shining Armor stared at Twilight, their mouths agape. Silence filled the living room for what felt like an eternity until Twilight sighed heavily, slumping her shoulders. She took a deep breath, then told her family what she did last night, why she did it, and how she stumbled onto the secret agency's files.

Silence prevailed again once Twilight finished. After several more moments Night Light spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "Go to your room while your mother and I discuss your punishment." He looked to Shining Armor. "Why don't you go outside and play fetch with Spike or something? We'll call you back in after we're done with Twilight." Shining nodded, then went outside with Spike while Twilight slowly walked up to her room, dreading the consequences of her actions.

Once inside her room, Twilight flopped onto her bed and stared up at her ceiling. She almost felt like crying! She buried her head in her hands, then heard her phone buzz. She grabbed it, read her message and sent a few back and forth texts with her friend.

Hey. Did you tell your parents? - Lemon Zest

Of course I did... - Twilight Sparkle

Did you?

Yeah. It didn't take long for me to crack. - Sent by Lemon Zest

I love my parents too much to lie to them like that.

Same here. - Twilight Sparkle

How bad do you think your punishment will be? - Lemon Zest

I'll probably lose access to my lab for two weeks, and that's just me being optimistic! - Twilight Sparkle

The same'll probably go for my headphones...but hey. If you imagine how much worse the consequences could be had we lied about it, then this won't seem all that bad. - Lemon Zest

I suppose you're right, but that knowledge is little consolation for me. - Twilight Sparkle

Judgment time...hang in there! - Lemon Zest

You too. - Twilight Sparkle

Twilight heard her name being called, and she slowly descended the stairs as she fought against the dread in the pit of her stomach. By the time she reached the living room, she had begun to sweat. Velvet and Night Light sat next to each other, their arms folded. Velvet broke the silence as she sat down, facing her parents. "Twilight Sparkle," she said in a tone that contained both anger and disappointment. "Your father and I understand that you had good intentions, but there were so many other things you could have done instead of...hacking! You're supposed to know better than that!"

Twilight flinched and grit her teeth at her mother's harsh tone.

"And to top it all off, you found out about Crystal Prep's best-kept secret!"

"I'm so sorry," Twilight shouted. "I promise I won't tell anybody!" She sniffled. "I knew it was a secret as soon as I saw the list of people involved, but I just couldn't stop looking until I finished!" She broke as the guilt and shame returned anew, covering her head with her hands.

Night Light walked up to Twilight and consoled her as she cried. Several minutes passed until she calmed down. "Twilight," Night Light said. "How do we know you won't tell anyone? You almost immediately caved when you spoke to us!"

"Maybe I can go to my lab," Twilight said. "I can-"

"No, Twilight," Night Light said, cutting her off. "This little stunt you pulled cost you one month's access."

Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "O-One m-m-month?! But how will I-"

"You'll live. As for you keeping S.M.I.L.E. a secret, we'll figure something out." Night Light walked to the sliding glass door, then called Shining Armor back in. Spike ran inside ahead of him and greeted Twilight with several puppy kisses on her bare feet.

Twilight smiled warmly, then picked Spike up and hugged him. She received a few more puppy kisses, causing her to giggle. "Thanks," she said softly. "I needed that." She gently set Spike down. "So," She said, "Where do we go from here?"

"How about dinner," Shining Armor asked.

"Works for me," Night Light said, then went into the kitchen.

Twilight's dinner with her family felt long and awkward as her recent knowledge made her look at them in a different light. Dinner consisted mainly of small talk, as though her punishment didn't even happen. She didn't know whether to be grateful or worried for a while, then decided on the former. She'd had more than her fair share of the latter as of late, and she didn't want any more of it if she could help it!

Once dinner was over, Twilight cleaned up with her family then went straight upstairs. She got into bed and noticed she had a message.

So. How bad was it? - Lemon Zest.

A month. I'm banned from my lab for a freaking month! - Twilight Sparkle

Ouch. - Lemon Zest

What about you? - Twilight Sparkle

I think you'd have a hard time believing me. - Lemon Zest

Only one way to find out. - Twilight Sparkle

Fair point. - Lemon Zest

Grounded for a month, no computer for a week, no headphones until the Friendship Games, then I go a week without them afterwards. - Lemon Zest

You're right. I am having a hard time believing you. - Twilight Sparkle

Why are they still letting you go to the Friendship Games?

I was just told that they're 'too important to miss for even one of the top eleven to miss'. - Lemon Zest

But that doesn't make any sense... - Twilight Sparkle

I know, right? - Lemon Zest

Maybe we could look into it together tomorrow.

I'm sorry, Lemon...but I already have plans for tomorrow. Remember when I told you about the strange energies from Canterlot High? - Twilight Sparkle

Yeah. What about them? - Lemon Zest

I'm going to investigate them tomorrow so I can get into the Everton Independent Study Program. - Twilight Sparkle

Though at this point I'm having doubts about that too, Twilight thought to herself.

Ooh, that's ambitious of you! - Sent by Lemon Zest

I know, right? - Sent by Twilight Sparkle

It's getting kind of late. I'm going to turn in. Will I see you tomorrow? - Lemon Zest

Hard to say, honestly. Guess we'll know by then. Goodnight, Lemon. - Twilight Sparkle

Night, Twilight. - Lemon Zest

Twilight closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

Twilight Velvet, Shining Armor and Night Light all sat down. "So," Shining said. "How are we going to handle this?"

"Only one way to handle it, son," Night Light said, then sent a text.

Cadance, my daughter knows about S.M.I.L.E. Will send you details. - Night Light

Understood. - Cadance

Thursday Morning

Author's Note

The Friendship Games are tomorrow...

Thursday Morning

Twilight woke up with a heavy sigh. Today marked the first day of a whole month without her lab. She slowly arose from her bed and went into her bathroom. Once there, she put on her glasses and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, and her expression was something between a frown and a scowl. Something told her this was going to be a long, long month. The only thing that could possibly cheer her up (besides her lab) would be Spike.

After she finished brushing her teeth, Twilight got into her school uniform, then grabbed her backpack and went downstairs. She began walking downstairs, when she saw Velvet, her mother, waiting for her at the bottom. Apprehension began to take hold of her as she descended the staircase. "H-Hey, mom," she said. Velvet remained silent for a moment, then opened her arms. Twilight smiled warmly and embraced her mother.

"I thought you might need one of these after everything you've been through lately," Velvet said softly as she ran a hand through Twilight's hair.

Twilight sighed happily and tightened the hug. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered. She closed her eyes and enjoyed her mother's warm embrace, feeling some of the stress she accumulated melt away. Reluctantly, she broke the hug. "I really did need that," she said with a smile.

Velvet smiled back. "You're welcome, sweetie. Try not to get into trouble today, okay?"

"I'll do better than try," Twilight said. "I won't!"

"That's my girl," Velvet said.

Twilight smiled again, then called out for Spike. A moment later, the purple puppy scampered in, panting excitedly as he ran around the foyer. Twilight looked at Velvet. "Would it be okay if I took him with me?"

"Of course, hon. Just be sure to-"

"'Keep him out of the public eye'," Twilight finished as she put Spike in her backpack. "I know, mom," she said reassuringly. "You tell me that every time." She walked towards the door. "See you after school!"

Velvet smiled. "Have a good day!"

"Will do!"

Twilight left and walked over to the bus stop. Maybe being without the lab isn't such a bad thing. She'd just need something to distract her for a month or something. She snickered at the thought. What could possibly keep her occupied for that long? She spent hours at a time in her lab, all cooped up... Nobody to keep her company but Spike... A smile started to form on her face. Aside from her quest to investigate Canterlot High, she could stand to have more friends as a distraction. Not that she'd see them as such, she just needed to keep her mind off of her lab for a while.

Twilight reached the bus stop, then quickly looked into her bag to check on Spike. Her purple dog looked back up at her, his head tilted slightly. Twilight smiled and gently pet him on the head, then zipped the bag back up, leaving just enough of it open for him to breathe. The bus arrived, and Twilight boarded.

Twilight sat down by herself and stretched. She was grateful to have had a good night's sleep. If she had another, she'd be back on track! She stared out the window as the bus left her stop and continued on its way to Crystal Prep. She thought about what she might find at Canterlot High, then giggled as she remembered her conversation with Lemon. "Magic", she thought with a smile as she rolled her eyes. She held nothing against those who truly believed in magic, but the very idea was ludicrous! Magic was nothing more than a fantasy. A plot device for fiction!

Twilight began speculating what the energies could possibly be. And why, of all places, were they emanating at a high school? She may not have access to her lab at home for a while, but at least she had a mini-lab back at Crystal Prep. She had some energy measuring equipment there, so she should be fine. She cupped her chin as she continued thinking until the bus reached her school. She grabbed her backpack and walked off the bus.

Twilight walked up to, then entered Crystal Prep. All the students murmured among themselves, speaking almost exclusively about the Friendship Games. Oh, right. That's tomorrow. She'd only come along so she could investigate, she could quite frankly care less about some bragging rights competition. She'd just have to be discreet. She can blend in with the crowds and not be noticed by her fellow students.

Twilight blinked, surprised. It was sad, but unfortunately true. She was always praised by her teachers and other staff members, but aside from Lemon and maybe Indigo she'd been either largely ignored or the subject of contempt among her peers. She sighed heavily. This was a hole she dug for herself, and she was now on her Junior year! It may be far too late for most of her fellow students, but maybe she could win over a freshman or two.

Twilight stopped in the middle of a hallway and put a hand to her face. Who was she kidding? She'd been an outcast ever since she set foot in here! Maybe it was time to move on to something else. There's a wide, wide world out there and she knew she couldn't grow as a person if she stayed here! Maybe the Everton Independent Study Program was what she needed... Maybe. Then again, she'd be all by herself. No chances to make friends. She grabbed her head and growled in frustration. This internal conflict was one of the last things she needed right now!

Twilight felt someone tap her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. She yelped, then turned around. As she saw who stood before her, she thought that perhaps her internal conflict would be preferable to what she was about to experience...

"Hello, Twilight," Dean Cadance said with her arms folded. "I'd like to speak to you for a few moments."

Secrets

The trip to Dean Cadance's office felt long and awkward for Twilight as they traversed the halls. What was going to happen to her?! She thought she knew the Dean until recently, and she didn't know what to expect from her anymore. Were there any other secrets she was hiding from the school? Her thoughts were interrupted as Cadance stopped in front of her office. She opened the door and walked in, leaving Twilight in the doorway.

Cadance stopped just short of her desk and turned to see Twilight pulling on her hair. She gave her a reassuring smile, then walked over to her. "Twilight," she said softly. "Come on in. I promise I won't hurt you."

Twilight slowly inched away from the door, then shut it. "H-How do I know whether or not you're t-telling the t-truth," she stuttered. Cadance drew closer, then slowly embraced her. Twilight tensed up momentarily, then exhaled. "I-I'm so sorry," she said as she reluctantly returned the hug. "I suppose my parents told you everything."

Dean Cadance broke the hug. "Yes. They did." She walked over to her desk, then gestured to a seat. Twilight sat down and looked her straight in the eyes. "I understand why you did what you did, Twilight, but you should have known better than that."

Twilight looked away in shame. "I know," she said quietly, then turned her head back to meet Cadance's gaze. "But you still haven't answered my question," she said, trying to keep her voice level.

"Twilight," Cadance said in surprise. "Why would you ask me that, even after all this time?"

"Oh, I don't know," Twilight said in a sarcastic tone, letting out some anger she'd been holding back since she found about S.M.I.L.E.. "Maybe it's the secret organization you never told me about", she said. "Or maybe it's because you had my parents and my brother lie to me!" She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "What did Principal Cinch ever do to you, anyway," she asked, folding her arms.

Cadance remained silent for a moment. "'What did she do to me?'..." Her normally calm demeanor slowly gave way to a scowl. "What did she do to me," she repeated angrily, then slammed her hands on her desk, causing Twilight to yelp and shrink in her chair. The Dean's eyes widened, then she put her hand to her head and gave a heavy sigh as she closed her eyes. "I...I'm sorry you had to see that, Twilight," she said calmly.

Twilight remained frozen in her chair, eyes wide with shock and mouth open. Dean Cadance sighed again, then opened a hidden compartment in her large desk. She produced a large and heavy book with three stripes. One gold, one rose and one violet. "Twilight," Cadance said, snapping the student back to reality. "To prove that you can trust me, I'm willing to show you the contents of this book."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow.

"Nobody but myself and my closest friends know what's contained in here. Very few S.M.I.L.E. agents even know about this book, let alone what's inside." Cadance got up from her seat, then walked over to Twilight with the book in hand. "I only have one condition."

"And that is?" Twilight shifted uneasily in her chair.

Cadance leaned into Twilight and whispered in her ear. "That what you read in here stays between you and me."

Twilight shivered, then took the book. She looked at Cadance with uncertainty.

"You'll understand when you look."

Hesitantly, Twilight opened the large book and noticed a newspaper article. She read it, then looked up at Cadance. "I don't get it," she said. "What does this have to do with-"

"Turn the page," Cadance said as she slowly walked back to her desk.

Twilight did as she was told, then audibly gasped. She put her hand to her mouth as she experienced a chill down her spine. "Y-You're..."

"Yes, Twilight. I am," Cadance said as a tear rolled down her eye.

"Oh my god," Twilight whispered. "It makes a lot of sense, but I still don't understand."

"Keep on looking."

Twilight turned the page again, and read everything. She finished, then stared up in horror at Cadance. "I... how..."

"I don't want to talk about that," Cadance said, looking away. "It enrages me every time I read it."

"A-And she just..."

"Do you understand now, Twilight," Cadance asked.

"I do...but I don't condone how you're going about it."

Cadance barked a mirthless laugh. "You wouldn't be the first to say so."

"How could you keep something like this from your agents," Twilight said, gesturing to the book. "If they find out about why you're really doing this, they might quit altogether!"

"I plan on telling them after the Friendship Games," Cadance said. "For better or for worse."

"Good," Twilight said, surprising herself.

"So I assume you're not interested in joining S.M.I.L.E.?"

Twilight shook her head. "That's correct."

"That's a shame, really," Cadance said. "We could have used someone with your intellect."

Twilight got up off of her chair and gave the book back to Cadance. "I'm flattered, but I'm just not cut out for the cloak and dagger lifestyle."

Cadance nodded. "Understood."

"But don't worry," Twilight said as she put a hand on Cadance's shoulder. "Your secrets will be safe with me." Cadance got up and hugged her.

"Twilight," Cadance said. "You don't have to hide your pain." Twilight's eyes widened. "I can tell you've been under a lot of stress lately," she whispered. "I can tell when someone's holding back tears... Because I've been there more times than I'd care to admit." She heard Twilight sniffle. "So just let it all out here. It'll just be between the two of us."

Twilight slowly tightened the hug, then broke. Everything from her hacking into the school's database, up to now, was being poured out of her. She'd feel terrible for a few minutes, but the release was more than needed. The warning bell for first period went off, but Twilight remained where she was for several minutes even after she stopped crying.

"You should probably go, Twilight. Wouldn't want you to be late to the first class of the day." Cadance smiled.

"Yeah. I should," Twilight said, then left.

An Eventful Rest of the Day

After second period, Twilight began to feel that she had wasted enough time. She needed to at least to do some preliminary examinations before tomorrow. She didn't like the thought of skipping a class, but the possibility of a new scientific discovery overrode it! She walked up to her locker and put on her hoodie, then made her way to her personal mini-lab. Once inside, she set her bag down on the floor and unzipped it. Spike hopped out as his tail wagged excitedly. "All right," she said to her dog as she grabbed a purple box-shaped recording device. "Stay here. I'll be back."

Twilight sighed heavily as she returned. She would have gotten more data if she hadn't been seen by that red and gold haired student. It was strange, though. The consistency of that one particular side of the school's statue had been viscous, rather than solid. She'd have to get another look into that tomorrow. At least she took a picture of it so she'd have something to reference. Even the energy she was measuring was unlike any she'd ever seen before! She walked into her private room and was greeted by Spike as she pinned the photo on her cork board.

Twilight then began to dismantle her recording device. Now that she had a little data on the mysterious energy, she could make another device to contain whatever it was so she could study it further. Spike laid down next to her chair as she began her work. Time seemed to fly by until the warning bell for fourth period went off. Fine by her, she had just finished anyway. She walked over to Spike and pet him. "See you later," she said with a smile, then went out the door.

Fourth period was over, and Twilight sighed, feeling loneliness creep up on her. Bumping into several students on the back to her private room, she could practically feel the scorn and contempt from each of her passers-by. She sighed again, then entered her room.

Spike eagerly greeted Twilight as she sat down, then sat on her lap. Twilight smiled warmly, then opened a drawer and took the device she made from earlier out. She gazed at it, wondering about the possibilities. She could quite possibly get into the Everton Independent Study Program, but was that really what she wanted anymore? Now that she had a friend in Lemon, she wasn't as certain. She heard a knock on her door, bringing her out of her thoughts. She quickly hid Spike just in case. "Come in!" The door opened to admit Dean Cadance.

"Hello, Twilight," Cadance said softly. "Principal Cinch would like to see you."

Twilight blanched. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't hesitate to see the Principal, but after everything she learned recently... "S-She does?"

Cadance put a calm and reassuring hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said with a smile, then leaned in and whispered. "If she really knew what was going on, she'd come over herself."

Twilight calmed considerably. "That's a relief."

"By the way, you should probably change your shirt."

Twilight blinked. "Why?"

"Principal Cinch is highly allergic to dogs."

"Ah. I understand."

"Oh, and Twilight?"

"Yes," Twilight asked.

Cadance smiled warmly. "Good luck up there."

Twilight paused momentarily, then nodded with a smile.

Twilight exited Principal Cinch's office in disbelief. How could she abuse her power like that? If she acts like that all the time, it's no wonder why Cadance loathes her so much... aside from what she read in the book. She shuddered again and tried to think of something else as she neared the cafeteria. Once inside, she noticed a very familiar girl with long green hair. "Lemon?" Lemon turned around quickly and almost tackle-hugged Twilight, causing her to yelp.

Lemon blushed and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry... today's been pretty damn uneventful." Twilight blinked. "So...what about you? Find what you were looking for?" Twilight sighed heavily. Lemon gave her friend a look of concern. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Twilight sighed again. "You want the short version or the long version?"

Lemon thought for a moment. "...Short version. Judging by the look on your face and the tone of your voice, the long version would probably take the rest of lunch period."

"Well, you wouldn't be too far off." Twilight said with a mirthless laugh.

"So what's bothering you?" asked Lemon. Twilight remained silent for a moment, then told Lemon what happened between herself and the Principal. Lemon's eyes widened as a horrible thought occurred to her. "Oh my God...I'm no better than Principal Cinch..."

Upon hearing those words, Twilight snapped out of her funk and grabbed Lemon by her collar, looking her straight in the eyes. "Now you listen to me, Lemon Zest. You are nothing like Principal Cinch. You and I just had a fall from grace. But you know what? The best part of falling is that you can get back up again..." Twilight began shedding tears. "Because when you do get back up, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world!" Twilight said as her voice quavered.

"I hate to interrupt the moment you two are having, but you guys need to come with me." said a newcomer. Lemon and Twilight, both still with tears in their eyes, turned to find the source of the voice. "Principal Cinch wants you two to meet the rest of the team." said Sour Sweet.

"Sour..." said Lemon.

"Let me cut you off right now, Lemon. One." She raised her pointer finger. "We'll talk after team introductions. "Two." she said as she raised her middle finger, making a peace sign. "It'll be just you and me. It's always been just between you and me." Lemon nodded in understanding. Sour pointed to Twilight. "I don't want her getting any more involved than she already has." She looked at Twilight. "Understand?"

Twilight blinked, then nodded.

"Good." said Sour. "Now that we've reached an agreement, let's get this over with."

Lemon and Twilight left the room, the latter visibly shaken. Lemon checked her surroundings to see if anyone was within hearing distance. Satisfied, she leaned over to Twilight and whispered into her ear. "Don't worry, Twilight Sparkle. I'll protect you. I promise."

Twilight started to tear up. "Oh god, Lemon Zest... I'm so scared right now..." she said, her volume barely at a whisper. She sniffled. "I don't think I've ever been this frightened in my life!" she buried her head into Lemon's chest and cried.

"It's okay, Twilight. I've got your back." said Lemon, using a soothing tone as she stroked her friend's hair to calm her down. "Why don't you sit next to me on the bus to Canterlot High tomorrow? I'll keep you safe, so you don't have to worry."

"You can't...guarantee that!" Twilight said between sobs. "They're going to find out that I did the digging, then the rest of my time here will be a living hell!"

"Twilight." said Lemon. "All of the right people know what you did. You, me, our parents, Radiant Hope and Dean Cadence."

"But what if Principal Cinch knows?!" said Twilight.

Lemon smiled. "If Principal Cinch knew about all this, she would have used that knowledge as leverage for whatever agenda she has. Besides, Dean Cadence and Hope wouldn't tell her anyway. I get the feeling that while she may be their boss, neither of them trust her."

Twilight wiped a tear from her eye, having finally calmed down. "I suppose you have a point there." she said as she smiled.

"There you go, then." said Lemon.

"I know I said 'get a room' to you two," said Sour, "but I was only kidding. Keep this up, and the school will start to think you two are an item."

"Twilight's a dear friend to me, Sour Sweet." Lemon said as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah!" said Twilight, feeling empowered by Lemon's words. "Besides, I'm straight."

Sour rolled her eyes. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. Speaking of dear friends..." she took Lemon by the hand. "You and I still need to have a little chat." Sour said as she walked away with Lemon.

Some time later, Twilight began to get anxious waiting for Sour and Lemon to return from their talk in the hallway. She looked at her phone to check the time. I hope they wrap it up soon, lunch period's almost over! she thought. A barely audible noise brought her back to reality. She looked around to find where the noise came from. She heard it again and followed the direction it came from. As the sound got louder, Twilight recognized it as someone crying. She moved faster towards the source, feeling worried. She ran down the hall and around the corner to find Lemon slouched against a locker, head in her hands.

"Lemon?" asked Twilight. She only had a split-second to react before Lemon threw her arms around Twilight and started sobbing uncontrollably. Twilight was startled at first, then regained her composure quickly. "Hey...it's going to be okay. I'm here for you." she said soothingly as she gently stroked Lemon's hair. "Just let it all out, Lemon. I won't let go until you're finished." Lemon hugged Twilight harder upon hearing those words.

The warning bell for next period went off only seconds after Twilight finished her sentence. She stood in place, patiently waiting for Lemon to calm down. A few minutes passed, then Lemon stopped sobbing and was merely sniffling. She looked at Twilight, her eyes red and puffy from all of the tears she shed. "Feeling better?" said Twilight with a kind smile.

Lemon sighed deeply. "I don't know." she said.

"What happened back there?" asked Twilight.

Lemon took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sour Sweet knows you did the digging."

Twilight's eyes widened. "What?!"

"She overheard you telling me everything, but promised me she wouldn't tell anyone."

"Do you think you can trust her?"

Lemon sighed. "I don't know, but there's not much I can do about that."

Twilight frowned. "That doesn't seem to be anything worth crying over, though."

"I was so shocked that I was rendered speechless, then Sour snapped me out of it by..." Lemon looked away. "By telling me she loved me. Neither of us knew I was going to react the way I did, but here we are."

Twilight made a hissing noise through her teeth. "Wow. That's...I don't even know what to say to all that."

Lemon made a sputtering noise. "I know she didn't mean for it to hurt me like that...I swear, it's like the only way to finally get over her is to develop a crush on someone else..." she sighed. "If only it were that easy. It feels like nobody has anything else to offer here."

Twilight gave Lemon a wistful look. "I know all too well what that feels like."

Lemon blinked in surprise. "You do?"

Twilight nodded. "I feel like I've learned everything I need to know here. When I was sent to Principal Cinch's office yesterday, I kept on asking myself 'what more is out there?' until I reached the top floor."

"Is that why you want to enroll into the Everton Independent Research Program?" asked Lemon.

"Honestly, I'm not so sure anymore." Twilight sighed. "I feel like I should move on to something greater. I just don't know what, though."

"But you're here for another year after this one." said Lemon.

"Ugh. Don't remind me." Twilight paused for a moment. "No offense to you or Crystal Prep."

Lemon snickered. "None taken, even if I'm only speaking for myself."

The bell for the next period rang.

"Oh crap, we're late!" said Lemon, staring to panic.

Twilight put her hand on Lemon's shoulder. "Yes. Yes we are. But you know what?"

Lemon looked at Twilight. "What?"

Twilight smiled. "We have a damn good reason for it." she said as she gave Lemon a big hug.

Lemon returned the hug, then broke it after a couple of seconds.

"Now let's get to class." said Twilight. "I don't want us to be any more late than we already are!"

Later that day, Twilight returned home. "Heya, Twily," Shining Armor said as she walked through the door.

"Hi," Twilight said flatly.

Shining frowned. "Rough day?"

"Something like that," Twilight said with a sigh. "If you don't mind, I'd like everyone to hear about it."

Shining smiled warmly. "Of course."

Once dinner started, everyone sat down at the table. "So," Night Light said. "Shining said you had a rough day?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. "That's putting it mildly, Dad..." She proceeded to tell her family everything that happened that day, except for her sneaking off to Canterlot High and the book Dean Cadance showed her.

"Okay," Shining said angrily. "I know I wanted you to participate in the Friendship Games, but not against your will!"

"Is there any way you can get me out of this," Twilight asked her family with a hint of desperation.

"I wish we could, honey, but there's nothing we can do. If we knew this was going to happen, we would have done something sooner," Velvet said.

Twilight sighed heavily. "It's just been one thing after another," she said, her voice dripping with frustration. "And I'm getting sick and fucking tired of it!" She emphasized her curse with a fist to the table. "Something has to change..." she put her head in her hands and sighed again.

"Maybe something will," Shining said as he walked over to Twilight. "This may not be such a bad thing."

Twilight lifted her head up. "How so," she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe being a part of the Games might help you discover just what it is you might be missing in your life. It's something new, something unusual. Who knows what could come from it?"

I was going to go regardless, that statue won't investigate itself! Twilight decided to humor her brother. "Yeah," she said with a genuine smile. I guess you're right."

"That's the spirit," Shining said as he pat Twilight on the back. "Now how about some dinner?"

After dinner, Twilight went upstairs for the night. As she reached the top, she felt her phone buzz. She went into her room, grabbed the "Do Not Disturb" sign and hung it on her doorknob. Closing her door, she checked her texts.

Hey, how's things without the lab? - Lemon Zest

Twilight smiled, then started a text conversation with Lemon.

I'm holding up okay, thanks for asking. - Twilight Sparkle

Yeah, no prob. Are you excited for the Friendship Games? - Lemon Zest

Yes and no. - Twilight Sparkle

Yes and no? - Lemon Zest

Yes, because I want to check out all the strange energy readings. - Twilight Sparkle

No, because I didn't want to participate in the games in first place. Remember?

I forgot. Been pretty hectic lately. - Sent by Lemon Zest

Tell me about it. I just want the Games to done and over with at this point. - Twilight Sparkle

You and me both, Twilight. You and me both. - Lemon Zest

Exhausted from the day's events, Twilight got into her pajamas and fell asleep almost instantly.

For Science!

Twilight woke up slowly, and realization hit her. The Friendship Games were today. She made a sputtering noise, nearly dreading the competition. One of the few times in life that I really, REALLY wish I invented a time machine. She walked over to her bathroom and put on her glasses, then her uniform. "All right," she said to herself. "Here goes nothing... but it better be something." She opened the door and was greeted by Spike. She picked him up and received several puppy licks. "You're coming with me," she said. "I could use the support." She picked him up and put him in her backpack.

Twilight left her room, then walked downstairs where her family was waiting. "Taking Spike with you," Velvet asked.

"Yes," Twilight said. "I get the feeling that I'm going to need him."

"Do your best out there, Twily," Shining said as he gave his sister a hug.

"Don't worry, I will," Twilight assured him as she returned it. But most of my focus will be on the strange energies. Oh, the scientific possibilities! She broke the hug with a smile.

"That's my girl," Night Light said with a grin. "Go get 'em!"

Twilight nodded. "That's the plan!" She walked outside and shut the door, then headed to the bus stop. Risking a quick peek, she opened her backpack. "It's just you and me now, Spike," she whispered. "I won't leave your side." Spike panted and wagged his tail as she gently pet his head. She sighed contently. She was starting to feel a little bit better! She zipped up her backpack, then reached the bus stop. She cracked her neck and her knuckles, then took a deep breath and exhaled as the bus arrived.

Twilight got off of the bus and jumped when she heard a loud shriek. She looked around, terrified, then saw a staff member run into one of the larger bushes on campus. Now that and adult was there, she felt she didn't have to worry as much, then continued forward.

Twilight walked the halls as throngs of students spoke about nothing but the Friendship Games. She decided to tune out all the conversations and headed straight to her private room. Once there, she let Spike out and began packing for the Games. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed she had left a sweatshirt next to her microscope. "How long has that been there," she thought aloud. "I must be getting really engrossed if I missed something that obvious." She grabbed it, then started to pack it when she felt it being tugged. She turned her gaze to see Spike pulling on it. "Spike," she exclaimed as she began to tug against him. "I don't like this situation any more than you do. Besides, going to Canterlot High was already part of the plan." She sighed. "I just wasn't given much of a choice in the matter of competing," she said with a hint of bitterness. "I might not be able to get as much data as I wanted, but some is better than nothing, right?" Spike barked, letting go of the sweatshirt. "This is definitely going into the laundry when I get home."

Twilight checked her phone for the time. It looked like the buses wouldn't leave for another couple of hours. Maybe getting some fresh air would benefit her. She walked through the halls until she reached the outdoors. Smiling, she took a breath of fresh air, then yelped when she heard the sound of airhorns. Frightened and confused, she scanned the area until she saw someone in a gorilla costume, throwing what looked like... sardines? The person's target was apparently Sunny Flare, who screamed and ran as she was pelted with fish. Twilight blinked, utterly perplexed at the scene before her. Her glasses slid down her nose slightly, snapping her out of her daze. She pushed them back up and walked back inside, trying to pretend that what she just saw did not, in fact, happen.

Soon afterwards, Twilight reached the buses. They almost looked ominous, but she just chalked it up to her worrying. This was it. There was no turning back.

"Dean Cadence?" said Twilight, cutting in line. "I'm not really sure where to go."

Cadence turned around, holding up a finger. "One second, Twilight." she said, then walked away.

"You could try the end of the line." Sour Sweet said just loudly enough for Twilight to barely hear, causing Sunny to smile slightly despite herself.

Twilight turned around and adjusted her glasses. "What did you say?"

"Just that someone as smart as you should definitely go first." Sour said in a tone that oozed sarcasm.

Twilight raised her arms defensively. "I...I didn't mean to. I was just asking."

Dean Cadence returned. "This is the right bus, Twilight. Go ahead," she gestured towards the bus.

"But...I didn't mean to cut in front." Twilight said in an apologetic tone.

Sour folded her arms. "Well it's too late now!" she muttered under her breath.

Twilight frowned. The Friendship Games could not end soon enough for her! She took a deep breath, then exhaled. Just remember the real reason you're doing this, Twilight Sparkle, she thought to herself as she boarded the bus. You're doing this...for science!

End of Book Six of The Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

Twilight Sparkle and the Quest for Friendship

Author's Note

One week until the Friendship Games.

Twilight Sparkle and the Quest for Friendship

Twilight woke up, excited at the prospect of friendship. She changed into her uniform and opened her bedroom door, removing the "Do Not Disturb" sign. She was immediately greeted by Spike, who barked and ran around in circles until she leaned over and pet him. "Good morning," she said sweetly. She almost immediately fell victim to a series of furious puppy licks. She laughed as she got tickled, then gently pushed him aside. "Okay, okay," she exclaimed.

Twilight stood up and thought for a moment. "I wonder..." she trailed off, then looked at her backpack, then Spike. She smiled. "Hey, Spike," she said. "How'd you like to come along with me to Crystal Prep?" Spike wagged his tail and barked excitedly. "Excellent!" Twilight clapped her hands together, then put him in her bag. "Off we go!" She hurried downstairs, said her goodbyes to her parents, then boarded her bus.

Twilight disembarked from the bus and rubbed her hands together. All right, she thought. Time to connect with someone! She entered Crystal Prep and looked around intently until she ran into someone. She fell to the floor with a yelp, then looked up.

The student standing in front of her was a pink-skinned female. Her amber eyes looked into Twilight's in mild surprise. "I'm so sorry," Twilight apologized. "I didn't see you!" The student sighed, then bent over as strands of her long green hair covered her back, extending her hand.

Twilight gratefully took the student's hand and stood up. She smiled, waved, then walked away. She seemed nice enough. The warning bell for first period rang, and Twilight booked it to her class.

Twilight left her first period class and noticed several students huddled together, talking about a fight. Wait. Another fight? What has this establishment come to?! She listened in to get more information.

"Bloody noses..."

"Can't believe her headphones stayed on the whole time!"

Twilight blinked. Headphones? She shook her head. Surely that nice student couldn't have-

"Green strands of hair on the floor..."

Twilight's eyes widened. No. She'd need more concrete evidence before jumping to such a conclusion! She started to walk to her next class, then stopped as she heard a phone play a video of two girls screaming at each other. Aha, she thought. The conclusive evidence I need! She walked up to the source of the noise, then gasped when she saw the very same student that helped her up engage in a heated battle with another student.

Twilight sighed heavily. Of course she'd be like all the other students, she thought in defeat. Why'd I think she'd end up being any different?

Second period ended, and as Twilight passed by other students she constantly heard two names: Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest. Those must be the two girls who fought, she thought. She was abruptly brought back to reality when she bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, then looked up to see the helpful student from earlier.

"Twilight," the student said excitedly. Twilight yelped and pulled at her hair. The student looked at her with concern. "Are...you okay? I'm sorry if I startled you."

Twilight giggled awkwardly. "Don't be sorry. This is just a nervous habit of mine." she said as she slowly stopped.

"I...see..." said the student. "No need to apologize. I just kinda wanted to ask you..." the student trailed off, clearly struggling to think of something to say. A moment later, the student blurted "TwilightI'dliketobeyourfriend!" Twilight blinked. The student took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry, I've been having a rough day. You're one of the few decent people around here, staff included. I just...need someone to talk to besides an adult. The only "friends" I have around here treat me like crap, and in case the news didn't reach you I tried to beat the hell out of one of them." she buried her face in her hands.

Twilight winced. "Yeah, I heard about that. For such a big school, word travels fast."

The student sighed. "This place can be a real hellhole sometimes. There are days I even wonder why I'm here. But then I always fall back into the whole 'school spirit' BS that seems to consume everybody. Everybody but you. Why is that?"

Twilight smiled awkwardly. "Well, I mostly keep to myself around here. I'm not much of a 'school spirit' person myself."

The student laughed bitterly. "If only it were that easy for me. I can't go a day without running into either Sugarcoat, Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, or...Sour Sweet." she said the last name through gritted teeth. "They always push me around and today was just one of those 'breaking point' moments, you know?"

So this is Lemon Zest, Twilight thought as she smiled awkwardly. "Not really." She paused for a moment, thinking to herself, then frowned. "But you have a family, right?"

Lemon Zest's eyes lit up. "I do. My parents are the most wonderful, loving and understanding people in the world. It's kind of why I want friends. To have more people who care about me."

Twilight looked at Lemon with confusion. "But if you have a family like that, then why do you need friends? Aren't they kind of the same thing?"

Lemon sighed. "Because I don't want to feel lonely all the time. Aren't you ever lonely?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not really. My family is just as loving and supportive as you make yours out to be. That and I have my dog, Spike." Did I really just say that? Yes, I'm lonely! Spike yapped upon hearing his name.

"What was that?" Lemon asked.

"Nothing!" said Twilight, beads of sweat trailing down her face.

Noticing her anxiety, Lemon gave Twilight her most sincere smile. "You can trust me, Twilight. I just said I wanted to be your friend. I promise you whatever's in that bag will be between you and me."

Twilight looked at Lemon, unsure for a moment. She then leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "It has to be in an empty place."

Lemon raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Okay, Twilight. Lead the way." She followed Twilight down a few halls. Eventually, the two reached an empty hallway. Twilight looked to the left, then to the right just to be sure it was only the two of them.

"Okay, what I'm about to show you is known only to me and Dean Cadence." said Twilight, still showing uncertainty on her face. Lemon smiled. Twilight set her backpack on the floor. Her backpack twitched. Lemon Zest jumped, startled by the sudden movement.

"Umm...Twilight..." Lemon started.

Twilight giggled. "It's okay. He doesn't bite." Lemon raised an eyebrow as Twilight unzipped her backpack slowly, and out jumped Spike. He was panted excitedly and wagged his tail.

Lemon smiled. "Aww, he's adorable!" Realization dawned on her. "So this is Spike..." Twilight smiled and nodded. At the mention of his name, Spike ran up to Lemon and tilted his head while wagging his tail. "Hey there little guy," she said as she bent down to pet him. Spike sniffed her hand, then licked it. Lemon Zest laughed. "After the morning I've had, this feels like heaven!" she said as she scratched Spike behind the ears. "Who's a good boy?" she cooed. "Who's a good boy?" Spike thumped one of his feet appreciatively. Lemon and Twilight laughed. The warning bell for the third period sounded. "Uh-oh! Gotta go!" she ran over to Twilight and gave her a hug. "Thank you...Twilight."

Twilight stepped back, surprised, but returned the hug. "You're welcome, Lemon." She smiled as she broke the hug. "See you later!" she waved goodbye.

Lemon smiled as she waved to Twilight. "You better believe it!"

As she watched Lemon Zest head to her class, Twilight smiled. "Well. That was easier than I thought it'd be." She pet Spike. "I knew bringing you here was a good idea!" She put him back in her backpack and cheerfully walked to her next class.

The Truth Will Out

"Twilight?" asked Lemon as the two left the detention room.

Twilight turned to Lemon with a sad look in her eyes. "Yes?" she said faintly.

"Are you...going to be okay now?"

Twilight sighed. "Well, I'm not as guilt-ridden about it as I was initially now that I've served my sentence..."

"Geez, Twilight. It was detention, not prison." said Lemon.

"The whole of today felt like a prison to me. A personal hell." Twilight said flatly as she put a hand to her face. "But at least I have a majority of the guilt out of my system."

"'A majority'?" repeated Lemon.

Twilight nodded slowly. "I pried open numerous floorboards, but I still don't have the heart...if you understand my metaphor."

Lemon smiled sadly. "Yeah...I get it. The guilt's going to stay with you for a while, Twilight. I still feel bad about pummeling Sour Sweet...and I wonder how she's doing right now. I've seen glimpses of her in the hallway, but she still refuses to make contact with me. Not to mention that I think the rest of the Shadowbolts are either pissed at me, afraid of me, or both." She sighed. "We're both going to have to live with this, Twilight. I know it's not easy."

Twilight frowned. "It was driving me absolutely insane, Lemon Zest. I had to tell a figure of authority or I fear I would have gone off the deep end."

"Are you going to tell your parents?" asked Lemon.

"Honestly?" said Twilight. "I don't know. I've always been a good student, and I'm proud of that...please forgive the word...reputation."

Lemon shuddered. "Gah. Thanks to Principal Cinch, I fucking hate that word."

"Sorry." said Twilight.

"No need to apologize." said Lemon.

"Maybe Radiant Hope has already called our parents and told them..." said Twilight, worry slowly showing on her face.

"Tell you what..." said Lemon. "Just act like nothing happened today, but if you can't avoid it, tell the truth."

"I don't know...I don't really like the thought of lying to my parents. I mean, I will admit that I've lied by omission, and one would say that's lying...plain and simple." said Twilight.

Lemon shrugged. "Well I won't pressure you. This whole day has put a lot on your plate,"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Tell me about it." she deadpanned.

Lemon winced. "Sorry. Did I hit a sore spot?"

Twilight smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Lemon.

"Hey." said Twilight. "If I'm struggling, I'll connect with you. That sound good?"

Lemon smiled. "Yes. Yes it does."

"Then I'll see you around." said Twilight.

The two went their separate ways.

Twilight returned home, on edge. As soon as she walked in, she ran upstairs to her room and ran the water in her shower. She stripped herself, then walked into the shower as she took a deep breath, then exhaled. She needed some time to think and relax after the last hellish twelve hours. Things were only going to get worse when she'd inevitably tell her parents. She wasn't going to kid herself. It was only a matter of time and she knew it.

Twilight sighed as she grabbed a washcloth and put soap on it. As she lathered, she wondered why she was only sent to detention as punishment. Shouldn't hacking into a school server merit a more severe consequence? She could have just as easily been suspended, or even worse...expelled! She shuddered at the mere thought! Maybe should check in with Lemon after dinner. Who knows? Perhaps Lemon would contact her beforehand.

Twilight closed her eyes and hummed as she began washing herself off. She needed to calm down. She just had to focus on the moment. It was just her and the serene noise and feeling of nice, hot water rolling down her back. She knew deep down in her heart of hearts that the calm she felt was temporary, but she'll take what she can get!

Twilight rinsed herself off and sighed contently. This was so relaxing, she just wished she could shower like this forever! Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, good or bad. She took a shampoo bottle, squeezed a dollop on her hand and started lathering up. She yawned as she began scrubbing her hair. If she didn't sleep well tonight, she didn't know what she'd do! Suddenly, her eyes widened. She was so caught up in all the recent madness that she hadn't made any progress in her quest to research the strange energies coming from Canterlot High! She slapped the palm of her hand to her forehead and dragged it down her face. No matter what the punishment may be, I have to investigate!

Twilight finished, then shut off the water. She left her bathroom and slowly get dressed in her pajamas. She was going to turn in early tonight, no matter what would happen when she left her room. She closed her eyes, and took another deep breath, then exhaled. She cracked her knuckles and opened her eyes. All right, Twilight. Let's get this over with.

Twilight left her room, closing the door behind her. As she walked down the stairs, she began to feel a chill down her spine. Why was she so scared? She was only going to tell them that she hacked into the... Oh. Right. Get a grip, Twilight Sparkle! She shook her head rapidly, then walked into the living room.

Twilight Velvet and Night Light sat in two green chairs several feet away from the television as Shining Armor played with Spike by the fireplace. The blue walls of living room were covered with family portraits and several bookshelves filled with books. Sunlight shone from the sliding glass window that led to the backyard. Twilight walked onto the carpet, and Spike shot towards her, licking her bare feet. She unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh from her puppy's tickling licks.

"Hey, Twily," Shining said. "Why are you in your pajamas? It's not even dinner time yet."

Twilight began to sweat as fear gripped her. "I-I'm going to bed early tonight. I didn't sleep at all last night."

"You didn't sleep," Velvet asked. "Why?"

Twilight gulped. "I was...doing something for a friend."

"Oh? And what were you doing that kept you up all night?"

Twilight grit her teeth. "I...I..."

Twilight's family looked at her expectantly, and the pressure became too great.

"I can't take it anymore," Twilight shouted. "I know about S.M.I.L.E.!"