Lightning's Version of Equestria Girls (#6)

Chapters

Chapter 1: First Day at School
Chapter 2: Enter Princess Twilight and Spike
Chapter 3: The Fall Formal
Chapter 4: Pinkie Pie and Applejack
Chapter 5: Night at the Mansion
Chapter 6: A Friendship Reunited

Chapter 1: First Day at School

E.Q.U.E.S.T.R.I.A Spies: Lightning's Version of Equestria Girls (6#)

Chapter 1: First Day at School.

"Lightning! Come on! Or you're going to be late for your first day at school!" Nimbus called.

~The sun shined down into a large bedroom. It shined mostly on the double bed where Lightning was sleeping, her eyes suddenly raised up and she began to groan at the morning sun.~

"Oh. Today's Wednesday. My first day at another new school…" She also groaned.

~The phone next to the bed suddenly began vibrating. Lightning rotated on her stomach and hunched over the bed to reach it and turn it off. She checked the time, then eventually got up. As she got up and prepared to get ready, she turned to the fourth wall and smiled.~

"Uh, hey, I'm Lightning Star. And well, I'm a teenage spy. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, not when you still have teenage responsibilities to go through, plus saving the world. It's hard. It's also very hard to keep your secret safe. This is why I'm transferring to another school. Someone found out the secret. But don't worry, they won't say anything, firstly because my dad took care of it. Only he knows that I'm a spy, because, well, he is too, so is my grandfather, and my great grandfather. It's a family thing. But actually, someone else does actually know I'm a spy, and that's my best friend, Karly Crystal. I made her a spy too, she's now my partner, but dont tell my dad. I am extremely gutted though because I will hardly see her, I begged my dad not to make me move, but he said it was for the best. He also said that I could make new friends. But, I don't want to, I was happy back at our old home. Ok fine, we live in this awesome massive mansion, but sometimes it just doesn't feel right for me."

"Lightning! Hurry up!" Nimbus called again.

"I-I'm coming!" Lightning turned back to the fourth wall. "I'll talk later..."

~Lightning rushed down and downstairs, almost tripping and sliding down them in the process. She raced to the bathroom, quickly brushed her teeth, then went down to the kitchen where her father, Nimbus, was making breakfast.~

"I'm here."

Nimbus turned to his daughter and sighed happily. "Look at you. All dressed up nicely and ready to go to a new high school."

"You mean going to a new high school against my will..."

"Oh come on, don't be like that, sweetie."

"I just hate it that you couldn't just erase that kid's memory and let me stay at that school. I could have carried on with my studies and friends there! Why, dad? Just why?"

"I'm sorry, Lightning, but it's what we have to do. You're secret as an agent was at risk. Any villain could find out who you are and where you live. Besides, I actually did erase his memory. He talked too much."

"Oh, What? ARGHHHH!" Lightning buried her face in her hands angrily.

Nimbus put her arms on her. "Shh, shh, honey. I'm sorry, ok? But, maybe this school will be better."

"How?"

"I just know it will."

"You always say that."

"Because I'm right."

"If I don't enjoy my first day, you're signing papers for me to go back to my old school."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to do that."

"Why?"

"Because...after I drop you off today, I have to go on a mission. And the agency says I'll be gone for 3 months…"

"Oh. Well, then I can just have 3 months off of school!"

Nimbus frowned unimpressively. "...Not gonna happen. Why are you dreading so much about this? School is school, and all the kids there are going to be regular."

"Yeah, that's also kinda a small problem. Why can't I have any friends that are also spies, and are dangerous, and unique?! Sure Karly is ordinary, but she made things exciting at least." Lightning asked.

"You have Sparky."

"He's family though, I meant people that are not my family. "

"I can't help you there. But, you never know what's in store at this new school."

"Yes, I do, because they are all the same. They're groups. The nerds, the jocks, the preps, the bullies, and the weirdos. All of them I'm not. What if I'm doomed to remain an outcast and get bullied and beat up for it?"

"Well, once they find out, your dad and uncles are the richest, strongest people in the world, they wouldn't dare!"

"Surrrrre...What is the name of the school I'm going to anyways? You haven't told me yet."

"Oh right...well, it's the most suggested school in the district! You're going to Canterlot High School."

Lightning raised a brow. "Canterlot High School?"

"Yes. People say that it has well behaved students and has the best education possible. I guarantee after 3 months, you'll love it there."

"We'll see. And if I come across any bullies that hurt me, I'll hurt them so they wouldn't dare."

"Well, I don't want you to get into trouble, okay? Uncle Sunny will be checking on you once a week, so don't go crazy. I know you already don't but, just to be sure."

~Lightning didn't reply to that. She had a mouthful of bacon. After breakfast was finished and the plates were spiffy, Nimbus darted to Lightning.~

"So, just to recap. I'll be going after I drop you off, then by tomorrow you'll be on your own and you'll have to take the bus or train to school yourself, okay?"

"Okay, dad."

"Alright, get your backpack and let's go!"

~Lightning did as her dad just said and hopped outside and into the passenger seat of the car. Nimbus got in the driver's seat afterwards and they began moving out. They were driving for about 15 minutes, but for Lightning, it seemed like forever, she doesn't normally get anxiety, but for once, she was. She unplugged one of her headphones from her ear and turned to her dad.~

"Dad, how much longer are we going to be?"

"About 2 minutes, sweetie. There. You can see the school now." He answered, not taking his eyes off the road.

~Lightning looked in the same direction as her dad and spotted the school. Her eyes widened when she saw how big it was. It was like a castle.~

"That's it?"

"Yep."

~Nimbus pulled over and stopped on the road in front of the school and the statue. Lightning took a good look at the statue and was fond of it at first, but didn't think too much of it afterwards.~

"Hmm. It actually does look cool."

"See? I'd thought you'd like it."

"The outside, dad. I like the outside, it's just the inside, I'm terrified."

"Don't judge a book by its cover. You're gonna love it! I swear!"

~Lightning sighed before opening the door. She got out of the car and shut the door. She took one good look at the school again and feared she just felt sweat down her face. Nimbus rolled down the window and yelled out to her.~

"Ok, have a great first day at school, sweetie!"

"Okay. Bye dad."

"See you in 3 months!"

~The window rolled back up and Nimbus drove off in style. Lightning watched him leave before taking her first steps to the school, all nervous-like.~

"Okay, okay, Lightning...just play it cool. Beee yourself. Be-"

"Ouch! Thorns!" A voice suddenly yelped from the bushes.

"Who's there?" Lightning demanded, glaring sharply.

~Lightning got into a fighting pose and prepared for the person spying on her in the bushes. Was it an evil spy? A criminal of any kind? A bully? Nope. It was neither of those things. A girl shot out of the bush with her eyes closed and arms raised high in defeat. She expected to be beaten but instead all she heard was a gasp. Lightning lowered her fists and the girl slowly cocked open one eye, then gasped too.~

"Oh my gosh...Karly?!" Lightning exclaimed.

"Lightning!" Karly smiled.

"Karly!"

~Both girls jumped and embraced each other.~

"Oh my gosh, it's really you! I missed you, girl!"

"I missed you too! And...I'm really sorry! It's my fault that Benji found out about your...secret." Karly rubbed her neck, ashamed.

"It's okay. I wouldn't say it's your fault. It was just bad timing." Lightning shrugged, attempting to make her feel better.

"I guess so…"

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm transferring here!"

"Wait, What?! Really?" Lightning cried in amazement.

"Yeah! I didn't want to lose you, so I chatted with my parents and they said that I could come here. They also said that the bullying problem was getting out of hand, so hopefully, it was for the best." Karly explained.

"I agree. We are never going to see Duko or Palhio or Sapphire ever again!"

"Yaya! Well, We aren't going to see Jace, Mirus , Arianna or Fierra that much either."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"Yeah. But, I'm sure they will be ok, they have each other, while you don't have anyone."

"That's true. Well, we won't be alone soon. Come on. Let's see where we have to go, and try to make friends."

"Right. But, can you do the talking? I'm still scared." Karly blushed, cowering behind Lightning.

"Of course." Lightning replied, patting Karly's hand.

~Lightning took Karly's hand and made sure she stayed behind her as they began to walk to the front doors of their new school. Lightning made it to the door and reached for the handle. But then, suddenly her hand came to an abrupt stop. Karly tugged on Lightning's jacket and spun her around to show what she was staring at. The statue...was glowing! It was glowing bright pink and it looks like it was glowing brighter and brighter any second. Karly ducked for cover as Lightning went to investigate it. But she didn't reach it quick enough. The portal stopped glowing pink, and instead glowed white, then, in a flash, a teenage girl and a small dog flew out of it. They hit the ground with a sharp bump.~

"What the heck?" Both Lightning and Karly exclaim.

Chapter 2: Enter Princess Twilight and Spike

Chapter 2: Enter Princess Twilight and Spike.

~The girl blinked from where she lay on the floor all tangled up with her dog. Lightning and Karly peered at them through both their big blue eyes that flickered in the portal light. The girl was very unique to them. She had long dark blue hair, but the couple of strands of her fringe was magenta and purple. Her skin was lavender, and her clothes were pretty smart looking. Buttoned up blouse, purple skirt with a sparkly star logo on it and boots, same as the skirt. Her dog companion was small and down right adorable to Karly. His fur was purple mostly and his hair and floppy ears were green. He wore a spiky collar and had round lime green eyes.~

"Are you okay?" Karly asked timidly.

"Uh, Twilight?" said a light woofy sort of voice.

Lightning couldn't believe her ears. "WHAT THE-"

"That dog spoke!" Karly cried in amazement.

"Yeah? It did."

The purple girl groaned. "Huh? Spike? You're not supposed to...Spike? Are you a...dog?!"

~Spike began to examine himself by walking in a small circle and wagging his tail.~

"I...think so? But, I have no idea what you are!"

~Everyone turned and stared at the girl as she lifted up her hands. Her eyes were still a little fuzzy from going through the portal but when she looked at her hands, her vision cleared up, and when she saw them, she screamed. Tremendously.~

"Welp, there go my ears…" Lightning frowned, clapping them with her hands.

~The girls looked at her hand again. Then, she looked at her fingers and began flexing them around. She waved her hand rapidly as she freaked out. She looked at her feet as well, before hyperventilating.~

"Okay, okay, uh, hey calm down! Please!" Lightning assured.

"Ye-yeah! Twilight! You have to get it together!" Spike added.

The girl, who was apparently called Twilight, took a deep breath in. "What...does the rest of me look like?!" She asked.

"Um, Like you! Only not you!" Her dog Spike responded. "Your muzzle is really small!"

"My Muzzle?!" She felt her nose. "I-I-"

Spike put his paws to her mouth. "Are you gonna scream again?"

~Twilight shook her head. Lightning and Karly stared dumbly at her and Spike, before slowly stepping aside to whisper to each other.~

"We have a problem." Karly started.

"Ya think? We haven't even stepped one foot in the school yet!" Lightning shouted. She then breathed. "Okay, I don't know what is happening right now, but I think she needs help."

"Definitely. Like, serious help." Karly nodded. "I mean, she's acting like she has never seen a hand before, or fingers, or any part of the human body."

~Lightning glanced at her BFF strangely before walking forward to greet Twilight again. Karly grasped on Lightning's arm and stood behind her at all times.~

"Um. Hello. I'm Star. Lightning Star." Lightning answered brightly. "And this is Karly. Crystal. Karly Crystal."

"This is really creepy…" Karly whispered.

"Don't worry, Karly. I'll handle this." Lightning turned back to Twilight. "Are you feeling alright? 'Cause firstly, you arrived through that portal suddenly, Secondly, you're feeling your own hands and fingers like you have never seen them before, and lastly, you are walking like a dog? Horse? Whatever four-legged creature comes to mind?"

~Twilight looks down and sees that she was kneeling down on all fours on the floor, fists clenched and Spike on her back. To her, it seemed fine, but she saw in Lightning and Karly's faces that it was wrong. So wrong.~

"Yeah, I don't think that's how the new you is supposed to walk…" Spike said.

"Here, let me help."

~Lightning bent down and gave Twilight her hands. She looked at them, confused, but then put her hands on them. She slowly unclenched them and stood up like Lightning. She wobbled a little but Lightning dove under her arm, and held her up.~

"Ok, steady now, steady."

"Wow. She doesn't even know how to walk like a human." Karly stated, putting her finger on her chin.

"Okay, now, uh, why did you come out of that portal?" Lightning asked again.

"We were chasing somepony." Twilight answered.

"Pony?" Karly questioned.

Spike bounded over to her. "We're from an alternate world called Equestria."

"And there, I'm a pony, and He's a dragon!" Twilight explained.

"Dragon?!" Karly exclaimed, trembling.

"Well, now I've heard everything." Lightning blinked.

"You didn't happen to see a girl with red and yellow hair come by, did you?" Twilight asked.

"No? We just got here."

"We're new to the school." Karly sighed.

"School?"

"Yeah. This large building in front of us."

"Oh. It's not a castle?"

"Nope. I mean, it does kinda look like a castle, I'll give you that. Wait a minute, why were you chasing this red, yellow haired girl anyway?"

"She stole my crown…!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Crown? You're a queen or princess as well as a pony?!"

"Yes. Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Lightning blinked. "Ok, NOW, I've heard everything."

"Stole your crown?" Karly gasped. "Yeesh, Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know. But, 1 thing I do know is that stealing crowns is a big old No. Well, stealing anything is a no, but you get what I mean. You're gonna need help getting this crown back, aren't you? Well, you got it.

"Really?" Twilight marvelled.

"Really?" Karly questioned.

"Yeah. Helping people is my thing. As well as beating thieves. I seriously do not tolerate such behaviour. So, let us help you, your majesty."

Twilight had a think about it. "Hmm...I guess we could use it. It could speed up the process. After all, I do not want to be like this for longer than I have to." She groaned.

"Well, look on the bright side, Twilight, you don't have those pesky wings to worry about anymore." Spike smiled.

~Twilight glared sharply at Spike, while Lightning was left dumbfounded.~

"Okay, I'm not even gonna ask about that. I've heard enough."

"Ok, w-well, Let's just go and find this crown and help them get back as soon as possible." Karly shrugged. "If that's what they want."

"I agree. Can we search the school then?" Twilight asked.

"Sure."

~Lightning helped Twilight walk on two legs and guided her to the front doors. Karly and Spike followed. Once they made it up the stairs, Twilight got used to standing on twos. Lightning smiled and motioned her to go on and open the door. She looked at it and flipped her hair strangely, then she slammed her face straight into it. Everyone was shocked and confused and Lightning held back a snicker 'cause it was sorta funny.~

"Uh, what was that?" Karly asked.

"Huh?" Twilight looked at the door weirdly and struggled. She then gasped. "My magic...It isn't working."

"Magic?" Lightning questioned. "Ok-Nope. Not going to ask anything else anymore!"

"Makes sense. You don't exactly have your horn." Spike pointed.

"What?!"

~Twilight tugged her hair and flopped down in a panic. Lightning silently assured her again.~

"We really need to find you a mirror." Spike muttered as he opened the door.

~The four companions stood in, mesmerised by the layout of the school. Lightning and Karly wandered around the front hallways while Twilight and Spike looked at the shelves full of awards. The princess stared at them, bemusingly.~

"What do ya think, Spike? Other artifacts she's stolen from Equestria?"

"Nope, they are awards. Achievements of the school. Wow. They are good. 1st place in a lot of sports. Just like my dad said." Lightning said.

Princess Twilight suddenly looked at her reflection in the glass and gasped. "What am I?" She asked herself.

Karly started to get a little worried for the princess. "Hey, Lightning...I feel like we should teach this 'Twilight' everything she needs to know about school and being a teenager." She whispered. "She doesn't have a slightest of clues!"

"I agree, Karly. If she's going to be looking around this world, she might as well." Lightning concurred.

~A loud school bell suddenly rang. It made Karly jump and yelp, while it made Lightning and Twilight shift up in confusion. Before they could say something though, a flurry of students came through in all directions. Twilight was able to grab Spike before he was trampled, but she now had nowhere to get out. The crowd shoved against her as they passed, then someone hit in the face and decked her to the ground. Karly jostled her way through the crowd softly to get to Lightning, however, she could not catch a glimpse of Twilight, she had disappeared completely. Twilight crawled her way through under the pairs of legs of the students, and did her best to avoid being hit again. She reached one of the hallways and tugged on her leg as it got stuck in the crowd. It suddenly jolted out and she stumbled into the leg of a boy looking in his locker just up ahead. He jumped and slammed his locker door when he felt her make contact with his leg. He looked down at her with his cobalt blue eyes. He had slick blue hair, and a handsome yellow-skinned face.~

"Whoa! You okay?" He asked, reaching down to help her to her feet.

~Twilight gazed at his hand then took it slowly. She got back up then nodded silently at him. He nodded back and slipped into the crowd behind her. She watched him leave.~

"Yeah, This is definitely not a castle." Spike stated.

"Twilight?" Lightning and Karly suddenly budged out of the crowd. Oh, there you are. You alright?" Lightning sighed, skipping over to her.

"I'm fine." She answered, swiping the dust off her skirt.

"That was something, wasn't it?" Karly said, glancing back at the crowd of students.

"Yeah, where did they even come from?" Lightning quired. "It was just like, Bell, Ring, Scatter! Anyways, What do you wanna do first around here?"

"We need to look around."

"Alright then. Let's go then. And, umm,...while we look around, we need to teach you a few things…"

~Lightning put her arm around Twilight and began to walk her forwards. Karly and Spike followed.~

~Song: This Strange World- (Equestria Girls)

Twilight: I've never seen a place,

That's quite like this.

Everything is turned around,

This crazy world is upside down.

Getting on my feet,

It's the hand that I was dealt,

But I don't have much time with them,

Got to learn all that I can.

~Lightning pointed at some things she saw students do and explained to the princess what it is. She even explained what some body parts were, like ears, hands and feet. Twilight became intrigued every step along the way. They peeked into a classroom and saw a teacher doodling on a chalk board.~

Twilight: They don't use any magic or fly with any wings,

I don't get these funny clothes, skinny legs or tiny nose.

Everything's confusing when it seems so new,

But I look a little closer and it starts to feel familiar too.

~A bunch of young students passed Twilight and company in the hallway and she glanced at them in confusion, looking like she had seen them before. Both she and Spike exchanged a bemusing look to each other.~

Twilight: What a strange new world…

~Later, Twilight was by herself, wandering in the halls so peculiarly. She looked through a door and walked through it into a room with stalls and sinks below a large mirror. She looked at herself in wonder before seeing a guy walkout of the stalls. He freaked when he saw her and she did the same.~

Twilight: I'm trying to make heads or tails of this strange new world…

~From outside, Lightning and Karly were looking around for their new pony friend. Suddenly, they heard a scream and a door slam. They saw Twilight burst out the door of the mens' bathroom. Karly pulled an uneasy face while Lightning facepalmed.~

Twilight: Sorting through the small details of this strange new world...

What a strange new world...

~End of song~

Chapter 3: The Fall Formal

"Yes, that was the mens room, Twilight. You just stumbled into the mens' room." Lightning sighed.

"Hey, at least she now knows not to go in there again." Karly said.

"I guess…" Lightning was about to show Twilight something else, but stopped when she heard a soft, sweet little voice around the corner.

"Oh, I'm really sorry. I-I just found it, and-and I thought I should give it to her. I didn't know you had dropped it…"

~Lightning, Karly, Twilight and Spike were curious about that voice, especially Twilight. So the four poked their heads around the corner to see what was happening. A girl with buttermilk yellow skin, light rose pink hair and teal coloured eyes was leaning in the opposite corner ever so shyly. However, she wasn't alone. Cornering her in the tight spot was a girl with blazing, fiery red hair with streaks of gold, it kinda reminded Lightning of bacon. The girls couldn't see the rest of her though, not even her eyes. All they could see was trouble.~

The girl with the red hair spoke in a cruel voice. "Well, I did, and I was about to get it before you swooped in and ruined everything! You shouldn't pick up things that don't belong to you!"

The shy girl moved her forelock out of her face. "It...doesn't really belong to you, either." She then hushed.

The fiery girl slammed her hands between each side of the girl and on the lockers. "Excuse Me?!" She glared.

"N-n-n-nothing…" The other girl stuttered screadly.

~She slid down nervously until she was on the floor, the mean girl towered over her. Lightning and Twilight exchange a glaring look to one another then nod while Karly silently gasped and Spike began to growl, showing his sharp canines.~

"That's what I thought. It's as good as mine, and you know it!" The red haired girl pulled a mean smile. "You really are pathetic. It's no wonder your best friends are all stray animals."

~Lightning and Twilight stamped out of the corner and sauntered over to the scene.~

"How dare you speak to her that way!" Twilight hissed.

The bully turned around. "What did you say?" She asked, showing her evil but beautiful cyan eyes.

"She said, 'How dare you speak to her that way!'" Lightning jabbed. She suddenly put on a noticeable frown. "Hmm, you know, could you actually do me a quick favour. Do you see that fire extinguisher over there?" She pointed across the corridor at a glass case set in the wall, it contained a fire extinguisher.

"I don't have time for fire extinguishers. And I certainly don't have time for new people here." She then grinned, and flicked under Twilight's chin. "I assume you must be new here. But just so you know, I can speak to anyone any way I want…"

~With that, she walked off, continuing to smirk and glance backwards at the pony princess and the two agents. She also glared at a guy staring at her as she passed. He flinched and slammed the locker door he was hiding in shut. Karly helped the shy girl off the ground as she looked on with surprise.~

"I can't believe you did that!" She exclaimed.

"We couldn't just stand there." Twilight replied.

"Well, it's just that, nobody ever stands up to Sunset Shimmer."

"Sunset Shimmer!?"

~The four glanced back to see Sunset Shimmer just go around the corner. Glaring with hate, Lightning raised a brow, while Twilight and Karly just stood there, mesmerised.~

Karly gasped. "Oh! Wait, red and yellow hair! Is that-"

"Must be." Lightning shook her head. "The thief…" She then said under her breath.

"You've heard of her?" The shy girl asked.

"Sort of." Twilight answered.

"I don't think I've seen you around before. Did you just transfer from Canterlot High from another school?"

"Umm- Yes! All 3 of us came from the same school!" Lightning smiled as she flung her arms around Karly and Twilight each.

"Yep! Sure did! My name's Twilight." Twilight greeted, clenching her fists in front of her and moving them like she was galloping.

Lightning pushed them back down to her sides. "Yeah, nobody does that when greeting one another…" She whispered to her.

"I'm Karly Crystal…" Karly introduced. "...and this is Lightning,"

"Star. Lightning Star." Lightning added. "What's yours?"

"I'm...Fluttershy." The girl whispered.

"Sorry...What was that?" Twilight asked, cupping her ear.

"It's Fluttershy!" She repeated, a little more quieter but higher at the same time.

"It sounds like you're saying Fluttershy, but, how can that…?"

~Twilight exchanged Spike a look. However, when Fluttershy eyed him, she lit up.~

"Oh my goodness!" She dove under the girls and knelt down to Spike. "Who's this sweet little guy?"

"That's Spike. My, uh...dog." Twilight said.

Fluttershy put her hands on his cheeks. "Oh, he's so cute!" She reached in her backpack and pulled out a dog biscuit. "Go on, eat up, little pup!" She willed.

~The dragon/dog hesitated. But bravely and cautiously, he took a small bite of the biscuit. His eyes lit up. He took the whole biscuit and gobbled it up in one go.~

"Oh, wouldn't you just give anything to know what they're really thinking?" Fluttershy adored.

"He usually just tells me." Twilight shrugged.

"W-what do you mean?"

~As Fluttershy turned to look at Twilight, Spike signalled her shakily not to say the truth. Lightning noticed the signal, and motioned her to lay low, as well as Karly. When Fluttershy turned back, Spike barked like a dog and smiled at her, covering up his true self.~

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Twilight chuckled. "Never mind." She suddenly changed her manner. "Sunset Shimmer said you picked something up. Something that belonged to her. It wasn't a crown, was it?"

"How did you know?"

"Uh, lucky guess! Do you still have it?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Mmm-mm." She mumbled.

"But, you know what happened to it, right?" asked Lightning.

She nodded. "Mmm-hmm." Then began to explain what happened. "This morning, I was passing out flyers for the animal shelter like I do every Wednesday."

Fluttershy began to flashback on her day. It started with her standing by the portal. A shy smile was on her face and she was timidly holding a stack of flyers. She pulled it out and showed it off to the crowd passing by.~

"Canterlot's animal shelter needs more volunteers. Won't you help an animal that can't help itself?"

~Not one person stopped to even take a look. They all just stuck to the crowds and went off. Seeing how no one was interested, Fluttershy began to feel sad. Emotion burst and, with tears beginning to form, she dropped the stack of flyers, flopped to the ground, buried her face in her legs and began to cry. The flyers swept the ground and surrounded the poor girl, she continued to sob but not long after the portal began to glow, however Fluttershy didn't notice. Suddenly, something hard clouted the back of her head and she stopped crying.~

"Ow!"

Fluttershy rubbed her injured head. Her eyes were watery and blurry, but she looked down and made out a golden crown with a sparkling magenta star at the front. She picked it up and gazed at it confusingly.~

"I have no idea how it got there." said Fluttershy, finishing her story. "But I didn't want anything to happen to it, so I decided to give it to Principal Celestia."

Twilight raised a brow. "Principal Celestia? She's the ruler here?"

Fluttershy pulled a puzzled look. "You...could say that? Technically, I guess she and Vice Principal Luna do make the rules."

"Where is she now?" Lightning asked.

"Probably in her office-"

~Before she could finish, at once, Lightning and Twilight took off to the right. And Spike took off from the left, leaving Karly and Fluttershy to exchange a discontented look. The pony princess and secret agent hurried a few steps ahead until realising they don't have a clue on where to go. Lightning felt herself blush when she skidded across the floor to stop. They embarrassingly shuffled back to Karly and Fluttershy, and awaited for more information.~

"Yeah, uh, We don't-we don't know where that is." Lightning tsked, holding back a nervous chuckle.

"Third door on your left." Fluttershy answered with a smile.

"Thank you!" Twilight grinned, as she took off with Lightning again. Karly and Spike joined.

"Oh! Wait…!" Fluttershy called out.

The four peeked around the corner they turned. "Yeah?" Lightning prompted.

"You're not really supposed to have pets on the school grounds."

~Everyone looked at Spike, who gave a doggy smile back at them.~

"Might wanna tuck them into your backpack. That's what I do."

~Movement suddenly occurred inside the backpack Fluttershy had on her back. It opened automatically, and with a cry of curiosity, a bunch of small animals hopped out. A bird, a cat, a rabbit, all. Karly was amazed by the many animals Fluttershy carried around with her, and was impressed how she has not been caught smuggling them in yet. Lightning, however, couldn't imagine the smell coming from the backpack after carrying so many animals in there at once. She let out a silent gag.~

"They just get so lonely when I'm at school all day." Fluttershy sighed as she cuddled with her furry friends and a bird perched itself on the top of her head.

"Oh. Ok. Thank you!" Twilight called.

The school bell rang. "Oh no! I'm late for class!"

~With one swoop, Fluttershy scooped all of her animal friends back into her backpack. She waved goodbye and hurried off around the corner.~

~After a couple of twists and turns, Twilight and company believed they found the office they were looking for, thanks to Fluttershy's directions. Upon reaching the door of the principal's office, Twilight prepared herself. She straightened out her skirt and made sure her hair was in perfect shape. Karly coaxed Spike to hide inside Twilight's backpack during the talk with the principal and motioned him to not make a sound. She tucked the pup neatly inside the bag, before zipping it up, but not to the fullest, just so Spike could still breathe and not feel cramped. Once everyone was ready, Lightning knocked on the door.~

"Come in." a voice said from inside.

~Gently, she swung the door open. Lightning and Karly entered normally, however, when Twilight strode in, she had her head lowered, like she was entering a throne room of a royal palace. Thankfully, the principal didn't see it because she had an open folder covering her face. Lightning quickly and softly hit Twilight's arm and she gracefully stood up straight.~

"How may I help you?" The principal asked, not taking her eyes out of the folder.

Lightning darted her head at the principal to Twilight and she stepped forward. "Umm, uhh...Whew."

~Twilight couldn't express any words. She propped her bag and Spike down beside the desk before continuing to fiddle around, thinking about what to say. Finally, the principal looked up from the folder and showed her face. She had a variety of mint green, rose pink, and ice blue hair, as well as dark magenta eyes. Her skin was blush and she wore a smart-looking yellow office blouse with a sun brooch on the side of the collar. She waited for Twilight to say something, but she was just staring. Lightning and Karly could feel the embarrassment rising. Finally, Lightning couldn't keep up the silence, so she stepped forward and was about to speak, until suddenly Twilight shook her head rapidly and eventually said something.~

"My name's Twilight Sparkle- I-I'm new here, and...Well, I understand that Fluttershy found a crown this morning and gave it to you."

The principal nodded. "Yes. I've had Vice Principal Luna put it somewhere for safe keeping. No idea how it ended up on the front lawn." She tucked the folder she was reading away in a nearby drawer. "Were you interested in running for princess of the Fall Formal this year?"

"Uh, no. Not exactly. The truth is...Well, the truth is I...You see...the crown is actually…" Twilight stuttered mercifully.

"Hang on a minute. What is the Princess of the Fall Formal?" Lightning asked.

"It's Canterlot High's big fall dance." Celestia answered.

"Ah. So, It's like Prom Night."

"And like the Grand Galloping Gala!" exclaimed Twilight.

"The Grand Galloping Gala?" Everyone gave the princess a puzzled look.

"Oh, uh, it was a big deal at my old...school." Twilight said, as she noticed Spike peeking out from her bag. She pushes him back in before the principal sees.

"Ah. Gotcha." Lightning winked.

"And was there a princess?" asked Principal Celestia.

"Yes, but she wasn't exactly a student."

~Karly peered at one of the walls and saw an abundance of pictures of Sunset Shimmer, the one responsible for the theft of Twilight's crown. Each picture showed her in a dress and crown. She assumed they were old pictures of the Fall Formal throughout the years. From the first year to the current one. She could see her getting eviler and eviler as the years went by. She shuddered. So did Lightning and Twilight when they looked.

"Here at Canterlot High, the students select one of their peers to represent them. She receives her crown at the Fall Formal." The principal explained.

Lightning pouted. "Right. Oh! Another thing, Principal. Um, I should probably introduce myself too. I'm Lightning Star, and this is Karly Crystal." She pointed at Karly quickly and she waved. "This is not about the Fall Formal thing, but, I wanted to make sure my form for being here got through, my dad sent it last minute. His name is Nimbus Star."

"And my dad is Crystal Mines." Karly spoke up. "I might as well see if my form went in too."

"Yes. I have them both right here, and I take it you received your timetables too."

"Yep!"

"Then you're good to go."

"Ok, thanks."

"However, I don't recall seeing a form from you, Twilight Sparkle. How come?"

Twilight began to sweat. "Um, well…"

"BECAUSE!-" Lightning interrupted loudly. "Her...her grandmother...sent her here without a form, and- well, she is quite old and doesn't understand technology yet, she lost her glasses so she couldn't write it manually, so she just sent her here with us, but she has enlisted here, and has the same periods as me."

"Great excuse…" whispered Karly smugly.

"Alright then." Celestia said calmly.

~The girls breathed a sigh of relief. They went out the door, feeling relaxed, all except for Twilight. She began to have a thought suddenly.~

"Hmm." She turned to the principal. "You asked me if I was interested in running for princess. Can anyone run?"

"Yes. You just need to let the head of the Fall Formal planning committee know you would like to be on the ballot. Was there anything else?"

"Umm, nope! That was it!"

"Well, if you do need anything else, my door is always open." Celestia suddenly slammed the door and made the girls jump.

"Annnnnd she just slams it right behind us. Logic." Lightning sassed.

~Walking back down the hallway, everyone was deep in thought. Spike suddenly poked his head out of the bag and turned to Twilight, he heard the entire conversation with the principal so he knew what was going on.~

"Twilight, why didn't ya just tell her the crown was yours and ask for it back?" he asked.

"Yes, I was just about to ask the same question." Karly raised a brow.

"Oh, I was going to," Twilight replied. "But imagine if one of you showed up in Equestria saying you came from a place filled with tall, fleshy, two-legged creatures with these? We'd think you are crazy!"

Lightning looked traumatised. "I...suppose? I mean, both Karly and I are still freaked out that you come from a world of ponies, and dragons, and whatever else you have. So, if everyone knew, it could cause a worldwide panic!"

"Or worse!" Karly added before whispering something in Lightning's ear.

She nodded. "Yeah. We don't want that. So, let's not tell anybody about this. Maybe, if we're lucky, if anyone finds out, they will think it's a hilarious joke. And if they don't, I have my dad's memory eraser. And don't worry about us. We can keep the secret. Karly is already keeping mine, so what's one more?"

"Exactly, you can trust us, Twilight."

"We promise."

Twilight looked at the round before smiling. "Alright. Thank you."

"Of course." Lightning nodded. "Anyways-haha. Let's get back to the matter of hand here. What's the plan?"

"Well, if we're gonna get my crown back, I'll have to become Princess of the Canterlot High Fall Formal! So that's what we're going to do!" She raised her arms up high and grinned.

"And how exactly do we plan on doing that?" Spike asked.

"I have no idea!"

Lightning sighed. "...Fantastic. We'll just have to sort it out along the way." The school bell suddenly rang. And everyone knew what was coming. "TAKE COVER!" Lightning shouted.

~The four threw their arms over their heads and hit the deck as multiple students came from all directions again and caused a crowd.~

Chapter 4: Pinkie Pie and Applejack

~The school bell rang and the clock chimed 12 'o clock. Lunchtime. All the students gathered in the cafeteria, got in line, obtained lunch, sat down in their groups and began to chatter. And since the chatter was so loud, when Lightning opened the door roughly, it hardly made a slamming sound on the wall. She, Karly, Twilight and Spike, who was still hidden inside Twilight's rucksack, walked in and explored the café. Twilight looked about carefully among the crowds of people until she spotted somebody familiar in the row of students. Fluttershy. She pointed her out to Lightning and in response, she gave a wink and a nudge. Lightning approached Fluttershy, put her arm around her all friendly-like and smiled before acting chummy.~

"Heeeyyy...Umm...Shy, wasn't it? It was Something Shy. I can't remember, do you mind if I call you Shy- hope so, because I just did, anyway- "

Twilight stepped in. "I know we've just met, but we were wondering if you might be able to help us with something." she said.

"Oh. Of course." Fluttershy replied as she picked up a bowl of fruit salad.

Twilight went ahead and picked up a bowl too. Then, with massive confidence, she announced to her: "I've decided to run for Princess of the Fall Formal and- "

~Fluttershy gasped at the news. But, the gasp didn't sound very happy. Instead, it sounded very surprised, and scared. In fact, she was so surprised she dropped the salad she was holding onto Twilight. Juice spilled all over the blouse.~

"Oh gosh!" Fluttershy gasped again. "Sorry, it's just that...oh, running for Fall Formal Princess is a really bad idea." She said as she grabbed a stack of napkins and cleaned the juice off.

"Why?" asked Twilight.

"Sunset Shimmer wants to be Fall Formal Princess. And when she wants something, she gets it."

~They continued to walk down the line. They met at the end where the lunch lady was handing out apples. She had apple-green skin, calm red eyes and an old little smile. She placed an apple onto Fluttershy's tray, then to Twilight's. Lightning and Karly, however, didn't receive an apple. This was because they didn't grab any lunch from the line, they already packed some. Once the girls got given the apples, they begin strolling down between the tables.~

"She'll make life awful for anyone who stands in her way," Fluttershy continued. "Just ask the girl who ran against her for Princess of the Spring Fling."

"I have to try!" Twilight said.

"Oh, I don't think you understand," said Fluttershy. "You'd have to convince everyone here to vote for you instead of her." She began listing the groups. "The athletes, the fashionistas, the dramas, the eco kids, the techies, the rockers…"

"Why is everypony-" Lightning nudged the princess before she finished her sentence. "Uh, everybody separated this way?" she corrected herself.

"Maybe it was different at your old school, but, at CHS everyone sticks to their own kind." answered Fluttershy, sitting down at one of the open tables.

"Yikes…" Lightning mumbled as she and Karly exchanged looks. "My dad never said anything about this."

"Yeah, mine neither. That wasn't in the description." Karly took a seat next to Fluttershy, and Lightning and Twilight took the chairs on the opposite sides.

"Well, 1 thing they do have in common, is that they know Sunset Shimmer is gonna rule this school until we graduate." Fluttershy continued, stirring the fruit around in the bowl.

"Not if we can help it!" Twilight protested.

"Yeah, this Sunset Shimmer is going down!" Lightning added, roughly jabbing the table with her finger.

"Just like Devil when he decided to rob the sweet shop full of marshmallows." Karly smiled smugly.

"Oh yeah. He went down like a submarine…"

~Lightning also pulled a hilarious smug but then noticed the group staring at her weirdly, with the exception of Karly who silently motioned her to stop.~

"Nothing." Lightning mumbled.

~Her eyes fluttered as she bit down into a sandwich. Princess Twilight stopped paying attention also and focused on having lunch. Without using the use of hands, she jolted down and snatched the apple from her tray with her teeth then lifted it up to eat. As she was munching on it, everyone's eyes turned weird again, they silently blinked at Twilight's unnatural actions. Lightning, once again, had to nudge the princess' arm, quietly tell her to stop and act like a human. Soon enough, she thought she would bruise her arm from all the punches she was giving her. Twilight opened her eyes. She looked at the apple in her mouth then gently removed it with her hand.~

"So, uh," She nervously giggled. "Where would we find the head of the party planning committee?"

~After lunchtime was over, Twilight and her companions explored more around the school until they stopped at a pair of double doors. Without wasting time, Lightning flew them wide open and the gang walked inside. The room appeared to be large and wide with alot of space. Lightning let out a yell and it echoed straight back. They noticed the markings of different sports fields on the ground and the basketball hoops set in the wall. Lightning and Karly figured it was the gym. It looked almost exactly like the one at their old school. The only difference was that it had a large stage beside one of the walls. The gym was loaded with colourful party decorations. Tables were neatly lined up against the opposite wall and were filled with plastic cups and a large empty bowl, the ceiling had streamers hanging down and balloons floating, and in the centre was a glistening disco ball. Some streamers even fell down and landed on the ball or littered on the ground underneath their feet. The gang looked around with wonder.~

"Fluttershy said she'd probably be in here." Twilight stated.

"Okay. Where exactly in here?" asked Lightning.

"I have no idea."

"Incomiiiiiing!" somebody suddenly cried.

~The four looked up in alarm and saw a rain of colourful confetti fly down straight towards them.~

"Ahh! Streamers! Get down!" cried Lightning.

~Without a second to lose, the three girls and Spike hit the deck. They put their arms over their heads as the streamers came whizzing past. The girls were lucky that it was only paper and was completely harmless. After the rain had stopped, the girls picked themselves up from the ground and brushed any paper that got on them.~

"Ugh, where in the world did that come from?" Lightning inquired.

"Probably from her."

~Karly pointed in the direction of a pink-skinned girl throwing confetti in the air. She gazed at it as it flew back down to the floor with her bright smiling blue eyes. Then, looking down at her skirt, she picked one of the balloons from her balloon logo and, somehow, pulled it straight off. It transformed into a real balloon in the blink of an eye. The girl began to blow it up when she felt someone tap her shoulder.~

"Hi. My name's Twilight Sparkle and..." She stopped talking when she saw the girl's face. "Pinkie Pie?" She gasped.

~The pink girl froze, the balloon she was holding onto deflated once she let go of it. In an instant, she appeared behind Twilight, seized her by her collar and spun her around. She stumbled a little to the ground. Lightning leapt back instinctively.~

"Um, I'm sorry? Who?" She then asked.

"Twilight, do you know this girl?" Karly asked.

"Are you psychic?!" Pinkie Pie gasped.

The princess stuttered. "Uh, no. I don't think so. Unless of course that's something you can do here."

"Eh. Not usually." she answered brightly.

"Usually!?" Lightning exclaimed.

~Pinkie dropped Twilight suddenly and, skipping ahead of them, collected another balloon out of nowhere. Karly helped the princess to her feet as she ruffled Spike's head.~

"Fluttershy said this is where we'd find the head of the Fall Formal planning committee." She then explained.

At this, Pinkie's eyes narrowed. "Fluttershy, huh?" She swiftly knotted the balloon up. "Don't let the whole 'shy' thing fool you. She can be a real meanie."

Lightning blinked confusingly. "Wait, what?"

"She didn't seem like the mean type when we spoke to her." Karly said, also confused.

"Yeah, frankly, she seemed like the complete opposite. Sweet, kind, nurturing."

"How are you two not friends?" Twilight asked.

Ignoring the question, Pinkie Pie smiled. "Waited a bit to get your name on the ballot, huh? Dance is day after tomorrow."

"We're brand new here."

"Yeah. Just transferred from Pixel High. I'm Lightning Star, this is Karly Crystal and Twilight Sparkle." Lightning quickly introduced.

Pinkie smiled in excitement. "Oooh!" She looked deeply into Twilight's face. "I thought you didn't look familiar. Though, now that I'm really looking at you...Do you have a twin sister that lives in the city, has a pet dog named Spike that looks just like that one?"

~She pointed down at Spike, who was playfully yanking a deflated balloon between his teeth. Lightning and Karly were lost for words. Twilight, however, simply shrugged and assumed everything Pinkie Pie just said was true, even if she was nervous.~

"Uh, maybe?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Thought so. Anyhoo," She pulled out a clipboard and pen from her puffy pink hair. "Just need to fill this out and you are officially up for the coveted Princess of the Fall Formal crown."

~Pinkie Pie held out the pen and waited for somebody to take it. Princess Twilight stared at it for a short moment, then took it by the mouth. Lightning prepared to strike her arm by drawing back her hand, and tell her silently to not write with her mouth. Sullenly, she took the pen by the hand and scribbled down her name. Lightning, Karly and Pinkie watched her slowly. Once she was done, Pinkie took a read at it. She was completely flabbergasted at the hand writing her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.~

"Wow! You have really bad handwriting. It's like you've never held a pen before." She said.

Twilight began to chuckle nervously. "Is it?"

"Whaaat?" Lightning smiled. "Nooo! It looks...fine."

They all suddenly hear the door open. "Somebody order a dozen cases of fizzy apple cider?" A shadowy figure asked as they stepped in.

Pinkie raised both her hands excitedly. "Oh! Oh! Me, me- me- me, yeah, ha-ha, me!"

~The shadow emerged and in clear view, the girls could see who the figure was. A teen girl with light mandarin skin and white freckles on her cheeks. She was taller than the rest, wearing a white blouse, the top and collar was a dark forest green however, its sleeves were partly folded up; a denim skirt buckled with a brown belt and boots. Her blond hair fell behind her back, tied with a red hairband and lastly, she had a cowboy hat sitting on top of her head. After she placed a basket of fizzy cider bottles down, she slowly removed her hat and wiped her forehead, beads of sweat formed down. Princess Twilight's eyebrows raised and her mouth dropped in shock.~

"Can you brin' in the rest?" she asked in a southern voice.

"Eeyup."

~A slightly older boy came into the gym next. He was carrying stacks of more baskets, all with cider bottles inside. The cowgirl took the basket at the top of the stack and was about to place it down on a table when she noticed Twilight staring.~

"Hey, I know you." She said.

"You do?" asked Twilight.

"You do?!" stammered Lightning.

"Sure. You're the new girls who gave Sunset Shimmer the what for today." She replied, opening up a bottle of cider and beginning to gulp it down.

"Twilight Sparkle here is gonna run against Sunset Shimmer for Princess of the Fall Formal." Pinkie explained.

The cowgirl's pupils shrunk. She spat out the cider and turned to Twilight. "I'd think twice about that." She pointed. "Oh, sure, she'll probably approach ya all friendly like."

~Pulling Pinkie down from floating in midair, she grabbed the two balloons she was blowing up and began to draw on them with a black marker. The first balloon, she drew Sunset Shimmer's face, on the other she drew Twilight Sparkle's. She began imitating Sunset Shimmer's voice mockingly while playing with the balloon like a puppet.~

“I SUre aM lOOkiN’ fOrWArD tO soMe FriENdly cOmPeTITion.” She then imitated Twilight’s voice, holding up the second balloon. “ThAt’s So gOOd tO HeAr. But then, here comes the backstabbin’.”

~Turning the Sunset balloon around, she revealed a needle taped to the balloon and plunged it into the Twilight balloon. It popped on contact. The remains drifted downward to the floor. Karly trembled with fright while Lightning shuddered a little.~

"About the only girl in this school ya can trust less than Sunset Shimmer is Rainbow Dash." The cowgirl went on.

"Rainbow Dash?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Who's that?" Lightning wanted to know.

"She's the captain of, like, every team here at Canterlot High." Pinkie Pie answered, bouncing on a large balloon like it was a hopper.

"She's also the captain o' sayin' she's gonna do somethin' for ya, and then turnin' around and not even botherin' to show up." The cowgirl then frowned, glowering beneath her brows.

Twilight put her hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for the advice, Applejack. But this is something I really need to do."

"Her future depends on it!" Lightning exclaimed proudly. "I think…" She then muttered.

"Huh, Suit yourself." Applejack harrumphed. She suddenly raised a brow. "Hey, how'd ya know my name is Applejack?"

"Um, I uh…" She started to laugh nervously. "Didn't you say?"

"Nnnope." The large boy answered shortly.

"Well, uh, it was sure nice meeting you both! I guess we'll see you around!"

"Uh-huh! Take care now!"

~Lightning mumbled something indistinct and awkwardly shook Applejack's hand before grabbing Karly and Spike and running out the door. After they were gone, Pinkie slid beside the confused country girl.~

"That one's tryin' to hide a secret, but I am totally on her." She leaned into Applejack's ear. "She's psychic!"

"Uh-huh. If you say so…" Applejack nodded.

~They heard the door open again. Applejack and Pinkie look across and see the worst possible thing, Sunset Shimmer. She had two young boys behind her who posed as her lackeys. Their names were Snips and Snails. The three entered the gym, and Sunset Shimmer looked about in disappointment.~

"This. Looks. Terrible!" She exclaimed. "There should be more streamers near the stage and fewer balloons!" She pricked two balloons with her finger and they both popped.

"Yeah! Streamers!" Snips said, ripping one apart.

"And fewer balloons!" Snails said, trying to pop a balloon, but failed.

"Fizzy apple cider?" Sunset stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Ugh! This is my coronation, not a hoedown."

Applejack glowered. "Well now, it ain't necessarily gonna be your coronation this time around!"

Sunset came to her face to face. "Oh, is that so?" She turned the cowboy hat around and brought it down to her face. "You country folk really aren't that bright. Must be why other students say such awful things about you."

~The hood of the hat flipped open and revealed Applejack's face, red with rage. She let out an angry growl as she began to steam.~

"Obviously it's gonna be my coronation. I'm running opposed." Sunset grinned.

"Not this time!" Pinkie smiled, holding up the clipboard. "The new girl just signed up!"

Sunset stopped smiling. "What?!" She snactehd the clipboard.

"I know. Her handwriting is really bad."

~At that moment, Sunset felt anger. She looked up from the clipboard with hatred in her eyes for the person's name on that board that wasn't her own.~

"Where is this Twilight Sparkle…?" Her eyes narrowed. She suddenly looked up at Pinkie and Applejack and laughed unconvincingly. "I'm looking forward to the competition!"

~Pinkie and Applejack exchanged looks, unbeknownst to them of what gonna to happen next and what Sunset Shimmer was thinking.~

Chapter 5: Night at the Mansion

Chapter 5: Night at the Mansion.

~Princess Twilight wandered through the hallways. She continued looking around at all the people and all the sorts of bizarre things they did while Lightning and Karly just followed silently. All three never spoke a single word as they journeyed. Twilight was just in thought and awed admiration. Turning the corner, the three girls and Spike passed into a dim hallway, lighted by a single light overhead. It flickered intensely and one of the lockers living below it creaked open, like it was adding suspense.~

"Can't believe I didn't recognise you earlier." a voice said smoothly.

~Twilight felt herself shiver. Her thoughts disappeared under Sunset's penetrating gaze and made her feel weak and clueless. Her two companions felt the same. All their hidden thoughts and feelings seemed exposed to her menacing presence, and there was nowhere to go. Sunset Shimmer approached them as they turned around.~

"Shoulda known Princess Celestia would send her prised pupil here after my crown," Sunset continued, her voice now firm. "And her little dog too." She gazed at Spike.

Lightning was put off by the impudence of Sunset Shimmer. "Alright, Wicked Witch of the West, lay off."

"For your information, it's my crown!" interjected Twilight.

"Whatever. This is just a minor setback for me." Sunset went on, circling around them. "You don't know the first thing about this place, and I already rule it."

"Well. Lucky she met us, huh, Karly?" Lightning scoffed, nudging a scared Karly roughly with her elbow. She gazed at her but said nothing.

"If that's so, why do you even need my crown?" quired Twilight. "You went to an awful lot of trouble to switch it with the one that belongs here."

Sunset stopped and turned. "Pop quiz: What happens when you bring an Element of Harmony into an alternate world?" The pony princess remained silent. She did not know nor have an answer. "You don't know? Seriously?" Sunset let out a laugh. "And you're supposed to be Princess Celestia's star student?"

"Well, do you know? Huh? Even though I, myself, have no idea what any of that means." Lightning muttered.

"Then again, what were the chances she'd find somepony as bright as me to take under her wing after I decided to leave Equestria? Bit embarrassing that you were the best she could do." Sunset continued.

~At that moment, Spike leapt out from Twilight's pack at Sunset and snarled. The fiery girl leaned back instinctively and was scared. But not for long. With a smirk, she scratched under his chin, uttering a threat as she did so.~

"Oh, and I'd keep an eye on your mutt. Hate for him to be...taken away from you."

"Is that a threat?" growled the dog.

Sunset smiled evilly. "Oh, of course not," Spike barked angrily but she hushed him up by putting her finger to his mouth. "But I'd cut down on the chatter if I were you," she went on. "Don't want everyone to know you two don't belong here, now would you?"

"You wouldn't dare…" Lightning whispered, clenching her fists, feeling anger rising.

"Oh, I would. As for you two, I don't know where you came from but you better stay out of my way, unless you want to deal with me and help this 'pony'."

"You don't frighten us, Sunset Shimmer," said Karly in a steady voice, though she felt herself trembling. "You may rule this place with an iron fist but that doesn't mean you will be expected to win this time round. People fear you and they probably want that to change."

At this, Sunset's oily smile faded. She leered at the shy secret agent with a gleaming eye. "If that's how you wanna be." She took a glance back at Twilight, who had her lip taut. "You wanna be a princess here? Please. You don't know the first thing about fitting in."

~And with that, she left. Sunset gave a backwards smirk, and the single light from the ceiling flickered crazily before it blew out, leaving the group of heroes in the darkness of the corner.~

~After about a few minutes of walking, Sunset came across Snips and Snails wrapped in party streamers. They hobbled over to her like colourful mummies. She furiously untangled them, then leaned down close.~

"I want you to follow her," she whispered. "Bring me something I can use just like I did with that last girl who thought she could challenge me."

"You got it, Sunset Shimmer!" said Snips as he and Snails saluted.

Sunset turned around. "When the crown and its power are mine, Twilight Sparkle will be sorry she ever set hoof into this world." She uttered to herself. "Not that she would've been much safer if she'd stayed in Equestria."

Snips and Snails snickered from behind her. "Yeah, In Equestria…" said Snips.

"What are you still doing here?!" She sneered. "Go!"

~The two boys collided into each other head on in shock. Then with a quick stutter, they went off at once.~

~Princess Twilight Sparkle slowly approached a vending machine. Licking her lips, she stared at the contents inside and wanted some. She pulled and pushed to try to pry it open, but it wouldn't budge. So, without thinking of another simpler way, she got down on her hands, turned around and raised up her leg, ready to buck with all her might. Lightning cocked her head to one side and groaned. She was getting tired of preventing Twilight from doing her horse-like antics and slapping her arm all the time. But before anyone could do anything, they saw a blue-skinned, purple-eyed girl walking up to the machine.~

"Excuse me," she said, scooting by them. When she approached the machine, she began waving her fingers mysteriously. "The Great and Powerful Trixie!...Need some peanut butter crackers."

~She pulled a coin from her pocket and slotted it into the machine. It creaked and dispensed out one of the contents.~

"Voilà!"

~The girl took her snack and held it up proudly. Lightning and Karly watched her leave, then looked back at the pony princess. She blinked down at the machine. Then they began heading down the hallways again.~

Princess Twilight sighed. "Sunset Shimmer is right," she said solemnly. "I don't know the first thing about this place."

"Hey now, Twilight," Lightning spoke up, putting her hand on the princess' shoulder. "She's just trying to make you feel weak. Like she has the upper hand. But even if she's right, she's wrong. If that makes sense."

"Looks like we're going to have to teach you more things about how to be a teenager and a person in general." Karly said at last.

Twilight nodded slowly. "Yes, if I'm gonna really fit in and win votes, we need to do some research." she said.

"Research?" quired Spike.

Lightning shrugged her shoulders. "This place is a school, so I gotta believe it must have a…"

"Library!"

~Princess Twilight opened her arms wide as she came across a pair of open double glass doors. The room inside was a dome that was made into a library, whose walls sparkled with old-fashioned books. Lightning blinked and squinted in the light, then looked up in amazement at the soaring dome. It must have been at least ten metres high and so glistening, because of the bright blue diamond windows that made up the dome. She could barely make out the far end. The booked walls flickered like coals in a fire. The air was musky and smelt of strange leather. Twilight had found her heaven.~

Karly smiled. "Alright!"

"Let's see what we can find then!" Lightning exclaimed.

~With that, they scrambled through the door and explored. The next moment they should have kept an eye out. For behind the doors, Snips and Snails peeked out after they left. Snips leaned around to his companion.~

"Got your phone?" he whispered.

Snails held out a small mobile. "Got yours?" he replied.

~Snips shot him a mischievous grin and revealed his phone as well, set on the camera setting. The two snickered evilly to one another as they looked in the library. Very cautiously, the boys entered the room, keeping out of the girls' sight. Snips edged himself along with his back to a computer counter, while Snails slithered his body across the floor like a snail. The girls slumped down on the round desk in the middle of the room next to a computer, and Twilight began to search it by smashing the buttons on the keyboard.~

"So, I just push the letters here, and then the words and moving pictures come up here?" She quired, lifting up the whole computer.

"Yes." Lightning nodded, setting the computer back down.

"That's right." The librarian said.

"Maybe this place does have magic." the pony princess said. "Why didn't you girls say?"

"Because that's not magic? It's called technology." Karly answered.

Lightning let out a scoff. "Hmm, I would have at least thought ponies would adapt technology." she muttered.

~Suddenly, out of nowhere, loud music boomed in the room. Lightning thought Twilight must've accidentally touched something that sent her to the wrong place and went to help. That's when she realised it wasn't coming from their computer. Across from where they were sitting, three young girls stood up and began bobbing their heads and dancing to the music. Next to them was a speaker that was loudly blasting the music out.~

"When you're a younger…"

The librarian turned it off. "Uh, girls, What are you doing?"

"We're just seeing how many hits our new music video has gotten." answered one of the girls, she was white-skinned with pink and purple frilly hair.

They turned the music up again and continued dancing. "So the three of us will fight the fight…"

The librarian clamped her ears and shook her head. "No, just..." She turned the speaker off again. "No! The school computers are for research purposes only."

"It's just as well, y'all," said another girl of the trio, a yellow-skinned girl with red hair and a magenta bow, "Some of the comments about our song were really awful." She began scrolling down the comments section. "'Epic Fail…' 'Funniest thing I've ever seen'?!"

The frilly girl's eyes lit up. "Funniest thing they've ever seen, huh?" she smirked. All three came up with a thought and raced off.

Princess Twilight was conflicted. "Uh, I don't know that that's what you should take from…" She never finished her sentence, they were already gone.

"Too late. They've left." sighed Karly.

"Okay then, whatever, let's just focus on the task at hand, princess." Lightning said.

~Twilight nodded. She looked at the computer and keyboard on the table and began fidgeting with them. She was confused and several times bashed the keys with her knuckles aggressively. Unbeknownst to her and the others, they were being watched and recorded by Snips and Snails. Hiding behind a table and two chairs, they kept sniggering to one another as they recorded. While Lightning took over scanning the computer, Princess Twilight, Spike and Karly began looking through the book on the shelves. The princess stacked them up and began carrying them steadily over to the desk. However, when she was just at the halfway point, she lost her footing and fell over. She let out a yelp, and the stack of books fell on top of her, creating quite the ruckus.~

"Shh!" hushed the librarian.

~Twilight got up quickly and smiled nervously at her apologies. Karly came to check on the princess, then looked down at the mess below their feet. She tried to hold back an annoyed sigh. She bent down to pick up the books, but as she did, she noticed Twilight picking them up with her mouth. Karly felt embarrassed and was about to call out on her, but she felt too shy to say anything. Lightning didn't notice. Spike told her instead. He pointed at the book, then at Twilight's hands. The pony princess spat out the book, then picked it back up again with her hands this time while checking to see that no one was looking at her. Snips and Snails snickered harder behind the bookshelves as they continued to record. Later on, Princess Twilight came across the library's photocopier. Curious to what it does, she flipped open the lid and took a look. The silver glass shone from inside. It looked ever so fascinating to the princess. As she leaned forwards to get a better look, her hand touched the green button that triggered the copier to print. The flash blinded Twilight and because she was so startled by the sudden light, she leapt back clumsily and into a pile of books. Karly and Spike were also startled and they quickly rushed to help the princess to her feet. Snips and Snails onlookered the whole matter and high-fived vigorously as the recording continued.~

~Slow minutes dragged by. But for the girls, it felt like hours. Karly was almost asleep on her feet. She was sick and tired of looking through books and researching human anatomy over and over again. In fact, by now she didn't know what was what and they were more than a blur before her eyes. Yet, they still kept searching. Lightning was also becoming a little weary of her surroundings. Only the light of the computer was keeping her awake. Not to mention her growling stomach, she was hungrier than she thought. It was becoming unbearable. She shut her eyes, finally to rest, then immediately opened them up again to the starling sound of the voice on the P.A system.~

"The library will be closing in five minutes."

It echoed through Lightning's brain. She sighed. "Okay, thank you!"

~Still feeling weary, she stood up and began to pack her things. Meanwhile, Princess Twilight yawned as she closed another book. She began to feel tired now and had no energy to continue on researching. She let out another yawn then gasped.~

"I hadn't even thought about where we're gonna sleep tonight," she said.

Lightning looked her directly in the eye. "Oh. Well, that's no problem. You can come and stay in my mansion. I have plenty of room." she answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! My dad's gone for 3 months, I have the whole place to myself. So, you won't be a burden or anything."

"And I'm coming too?" barked Spike.

"Of course. Karly as well. It'll be like a little sleepover." Lightning laughed.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Karly exclaimed. "Good thing, too. My parents are constantly texting me about when I'm coming back home. I'll just let them know I'm sleeping at yours." She pulled out her phone and began to text.

"Alright." said Lightning. "Let's head off then. And get some take out along the way. My stomach is growling like a lion."

~Silently, the three companions left the building. They took the train to Lightning's mansion, and soon enough they walked the rest of the way there. The sun began to set as they walked, and they were bathed in a sickly orange glow and everything from it. The air felt fresh and not so cold as they thought. Neither Twilight nor Spike had been amazed anymore at the sights now that they were outside the Canterlot High School. However, they did ponder what, or even who, made the sun set in this world and they gazed at the pale light. It was only short-lived however since the sun fell behind a large building, that being Lightning's mansion. They raised their heads to look at it properly. It was a great suburban mansion with three floors and large windows on every wall. The companions saw the inside of them very clearly. To Twilight's amazement, one of the rooms she saw from the inside looked like the Golden Oak Library from back home in Ponyville.~

"This is it?" Spike asked.

Lightning laughed and patted his head. "Sure is. Casa de la Star."

"It's huge! Almost like a castle!" Spike wagged his tail but nobody could see it.

"But, it's not a castle! It's a mansion!"

"Y-Y-Yes. C-Can we go inside now?" Karly chattered through her teeth. "I-I-It's starting to get cold out here!"

"Uh-huh."

~Taking out the key from her pocket, Lightning unlocked the door. Spike leapt out of Twilight's bag and hurried on in first. He was ecstatic to explore. He stared in amazement inside. There were so many things he had never seen before in Equestria. He raced off again excitedly but Lightning Star wanted him not to scout too far, the mansion was huge and anybody who hadn't been inside before could easily get lost. Lightning even said herself it took her years to memorise where everything was, she even drew a map and had a GPS on her phone to say which room was which. After he was done, Spike reunited with the girls and helped them get snacks and sleeping bags out of a nearby closet. The girls still felt weary after all their research in the library, but they pulled through to sort out everything they needed. Excitement overcame their exhaustion, they guessed and they knew it'll be worth it to sleep comfortably. Lightning gave Twilight an old pair of pyjamas she had in her size and after they all got changed, they slumped down in Lightning's room. Lightning sat on her double bed while Karly and Twilight laid below her on the sleeping bags they were given.~

The young spy crashed her head on her pillow. "Ah! That's better!"

"Hmm-hmm. I feel so warm now. This is just what I needed after this wacky day." Karly admitted.

"It's perfect." Twilight added.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Lightning asked, peeking her head over the bed frame.

"I wanna know how the research went." answered Spike.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about all that," Lightning gasped. "Hmm...Actually, I'm not sure much progress was made."

"Actually, there have been some." Twilight responded. She pulled out an old blue book from her backpack. "I found this book on the shelves. It's called a yearbook. It seems to be something they use to keep a record of things that have happened at the school."

~As she spoke, she began reading and flipping through the pages. Lightning and Karly exchanged looks then crowded around the princess to also read the book. Suddenly, the princess stopped at a page and she pointed at a picture of various girls and called out to them.~

"Look. That's Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and I'm gonna bet the girl on the far right is Rarity."

Spike leapt up and snatched the book. "There's a Rarity here?!" he gasped happily, wagging his tail. "Uh, I mean, interesting photo." he then laughed, returning the book.

"So, you know who these girls are?" asked Lightning. "But...how?"

"There are versions of them in our world," Twilight explained, "I'm not too sure how, but it seems as if everypony here has a counterpart in Equestria."

"Really?" Lightning said, eyes widening. "Does that mean that there might be pony versions of us?!"

"I've never seen you before in Equestria, but maybe."

"Oh, That's awesome! I wonder what kind of pony I'll be. Pegasus, Unicorn or Regular. Wow, I'm getting all giddy thinking about it!"

"It's interesting because they look like they're friends," Twilight continued.

"They do look like our friends, but I thought we'd figured that out already." said Spike.

"No, I mean...they look like they're friends with each other. But it doesn't seem like they're friends now." The pony princess replied, her eyes lowered sadly.

"Not so much." The dragon dog agreed.

"Are they supposed to be friends then? Hmm...They do seem like a fun group to hang out with." Lightning said, with a smile.

Karly looked at the picture in long thought. "Why do I have a feeling that Sunset Shimmer might have something to do with this?" she queried.

Lightning raised her brow and shrugged. "Don't know."

"I wouldn't put it past her," Spike the dog said, bounding into Karly's sleeping bag. "But she wanted Twilight's crown 'cause she's planning on doing something even worse! If you're gonna stop her, you have to focus on making friends here. Can't worry about why these girls aren't friends anymore." He let out a yawn and began to doze off. "Even if they...do remind you of your Ponyville friends."

"Indeed. You little fur ball." Karly cooed, kissing him on the head.

"You're right, Spike." Twilight sighed as she snuggled into bed. "Eye on the prize."

"Right. So let's wake up bright and early tomorrow and put everything into action!" Lightning nodded.

~She turned off the nearby night light and, without saying another word, lay down, and instantly fell fast asleep. Princess Twilight gazed up at the night sky and the twinkling stars before doing the same. What a day it had been for her and Spike, she thought. And she wondered what more was there to come.~

Chapter 6: A Friendship Reunited

~Twilight Sparkle woke with the first rays of the sun filtering through the windows. She sniffed the morning air and looked around. To her surprise and consternation, Lightning, Karly and her dog were nowhere to be seen. She scrambled out of her sleeping bag, got changed into her clothes, fresh and clean after Lightning washed them last night, and went through the door as fast as her legs could carry her. Glancing each way, she started looking through every door, hoping and praying that everyone was all right. What if something happened while they were all asleep? Was Sunset Shimmer responsible? She reached the kitchen to find the girls and Spike casually making breakfast. She breathed a sigh of relief. All the stress that's happened over the past hours must have gotten the better of her, she guessed. She shook it off and took a seat next to the island of the kitchen.~

"Morning, Princess," said Lightning.

"Morning," she droned in response.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"What? Oh, uh, Yes. I just...felt a little headache when getting out of bed. That's all."

"Hmm. I get those sometimes. But they clear up after an hour or so, so they're nothing to worry that much about."

"I know."

The room fell into a silence after a while and for the longest time, they just ate. "So, umm...how's the bacon, Spike?" Karly asked, looking down at the dog munching on a few bacon bits in a bowl.

"Delicious!" he muffled. "Lightning made them just right!"

"What can I say? I watch a lot of cooking videos." she chuckled.

"Goodness me, Spike, you're got grease all over your snout." laughed Karly. "You must really like it!"

Twilight began to chuckle as well. "He can be messy with food sometimes."

Lightning smiled. "Hmm…" She looked at her watch. "Oh gosh, school starts in twenty minutes! We better get a move on!"

~Lightning whirled around to the sink and chucked all the pons and pans she used to cook their breakfast inside. She would clean them up when she returns home, she said to herself. Karly gently collected all the school equipment they needed for the day and stuffed them into each of their backpacks. Then, without wasting any more time, they raced out the door. All except Spike who continued to woof down all the bacon in his bowl.~

"Come on, Spike!" called Twilight.

~The dragon/dog quickly scooped up the last pieces of bacon in his jaw and hurried on outside before the girls left without him.~

~They reached the school gates to find the whole place in commotion. It being their second time, they wondered if this was how it always was, unlike the first day, for students were running this way and that, shouting, chatting and calling. It all suddenly quietened down when the principal's voice echoed around the field from the speakers on the walls.~

"Good morning students, and happy Thursday. Just a reminder to pick up your ballots for the Princess of the Fall Formal today. They are due at the time the dance starts tomorrow night, so don't forget to turn them in and make your voice heard."

~The three companions walked across the grass of the front lawn. Lightning looked at Twilight with bright confidence and she looked on with attentiveness at the papers she had in her hands. The princess put her hand to her forehead and thought for a moment.~

"Okay, so, you know what you're going to say?" Lightning asked, breaking her concentration.

Twilight snapped out of her little trance. "Oh! Of course," She nodded. "Fluttershy said I'd need to win over all those different groups if I wanna become Princess of the Fall Formal. So, I've compiled a list of talking points." She held up the few sheets of paper and presented them to Lightning.

Spike began laughing. "You made a list? That's so unlike you!"

"Well, no one asked you, dragon-puppy!" Lightning butted in. She sounded harsh, but really she was light-hearted.

~And Princess Twilight didn't say a word. She threw her backpack off her bag, presented it to her number one assistant, and pointed inside it. Spike immediately regretted his words and laughed nervously as he stepped inside.~

"Uh...please, continue." he gestured.

Twilight obliged. "I'll start introducing myself. Sprinkle in some things I've learned about this world into the conversation, show them how I fit in here."

"Sounds good." Lightning smiled.

"And we will be here along the way." added Karly.

"Thanks," Twilight smiled. She took a deep breath. "Okay, girls. Time to make a good first impression on my fellow students." She opened the front door and looked in the hallway. "The whole world sorta depends on it."

~Twilight broke into a large smile then began to walk through the hallways as casually as she could. Lightning and Karly stood aside and, after holding the door for some students and receiving their thank you's, they accompanied Princess Twilight into the hallway. The students who were standing around stopped chatting and they turned their eyes to the girls. Then, they all began to pull smug grins.~

"Hey, look." one of them muttered.

~With that, the entire hallway began snickering, and as they began to chatter again, Twilight's smile disappeared. As they continued to walk along, the students' snickering and muttering grew louder, it was clear to the girls now that something was off. And it was about them. Twilight looked over her shoulder to her friends.~

"Why is everybody looking at me funny?" she whispered.

Lightning shrugged her shoulders, she was just as confused as Twilight. "I-I don't know. Did we do something…?"

~She never finished her sentence. A slender arm seized Princess Twilight and she was pulled into a nearby, empty classroom.~

"Whoa!" she yelped in surprise.

~Twilight flew into the room with a sharp bump, almost hitting her head on the nearby teachers' desk. Thankfully, she clutched onto the edge firmly with both hands. She whirled around to face her attacker. Before they could shut the door to which they pulled the princess through, Lightning and Karly quickly leapt inside. They took a stance between them and the pony princess.~

"Hey! What gives?" Lightning demanded.

"Ye-Yeah, what're you…? Why did you…?"

~Twilight stopped when she saw who it was. A light white-skinned girl, with twirly purple hair. She wore golden bracelet cuffs on her wrists, and a simple light blue and purple blouse and skirt with diamonds on the side. As well as a diamond clip in her hair.~

"Rarity?" The princess said her name.

Lightning lowered her fists. "Oh. That's Rarity?"

~Spike peeked out from inside the bag to see what the commotion was. Rarity approached the three girls and dropped a duffle bag right next to them. She didn't say a word as she pulled out a measuring tape and began to measure the girls' size, heads and shoes. She stopped to have a think, then got an idea. She raced to her duffle bag. After a quick rummage around, she pulled out a few outfits then spoke in a classy, refined voice.~

"Perfect!"

~Without any warning, Rarity threw the outfits over the girls' heads and dressed them up into something that made them look completely different. Lightning looked at her reflection in the window. She was pretty impressed. This disguise would fool her own father, she thought. Whoever this Rarity girl is must be a real fashionista. Karly and Twilight looked at themselves, then at each other before turning to Rarity again. They were really confused and wanted an explanation as to why she was dressing them up in these uncomfortable outfits.~

"Oh, yes, this is good. No one will recognise you!" Rarity said proudly.

Twilight raised her brow. "Why wouldn't we wanna be…"

"And we'll need a disguise for your dog," the fashionista interrupted, as she eyed Spike peeking out from the backpack. "Which is too bad. He really is so adorable!"

~She touched the dragon/dog's nose then began to tickle him under his chin with both hands. Spike's pupils began to form in the shape of love hearts as she tickled him, and he felt his heart beat crazily. He leaned forwards and wagged his tail but by the time he did, Rarity stopped and kept on talking. He fell out of the bag and to the floor.~

"You know, with a little work, I think I could make him look like a rabbit instead."

"A rabbit?" Twilight questioned.

~The door from behind her suddenly opened, and Applejack stepped in. She immediately saw that the disguised girls were Twilight, Lightning and Karly, so she smiled at them.~

"There you guys are."

"So much for the disguises." Rarity frowned.

"I've been lookin' all over for ya!" Applejack continued.

"You have?" quired Lightning.

Fluttershy appeared by the door and nodded. "Me too."

"Me three!" Pinkie Pie added cheerfully, dropping down from the ceiling. She examined the girls' 'disguises'. "I like your new look!"

"I do have an eye for these sorts of things. Not that you seem to care." Rarity suddenly said bitterly.

"What?!"

The pony princess pouted. "Why do you think she doesn't care?"

~Princess Twilight, Lightning and Karly turned to the rest of the girls but they all gave them one of those 'don't-even-go-there,' looks while shaking their heads. Pinkie Pie was fuming, Fluttershy had her hands over her mouth, and Applejack clenched her jaw while drawing her hands back and forth across her neck.~

"Never mind," said Lightning, removing the glasses from her eyes. "But why were you all looking for us? What's going on?"

"Oh, they haven't seen it yet." shivered Fluttershy.

"Seen what?" asked Twilight.

Lightning folded her arms. "Alright, What did Karly do?"

"Me?!" the shy spy cried, "Nothing!"

~Karly blushed and turned away angrily, but Lightning Star smiled and put her arm on her shoulder. She knows that she was just joshing. They became serious again when Pinkie Pie pulled out a laptop and opened it up in front of Princess Twilight. All the girls gathered around.~

"Ooh, it's really not that bad!" Pinkie laughed nervously.

~She clicked on the laptop and started up a video on the screen. They began to watch it altogether. Firstly, they heard Sunset Shimmer's voice, which was already not a good thing for them to hear.~

"Twilight Sparkle wants to be your Fall Formal Princess," she began. The video showed footage of Princess Twilight in the library, smashing the buttons on the computer keyboard. "But what does it say about our school if we give someone like this…" It then cuts to Twilight picking up a book with her mouth, "such an important honour?" Finally, the footage showed Twilight being startled by the photocopier.

~All of the footage looked so much worse on the camera than it did in reality. The princess and the two spies couldn't believe what they were seeing. Unable to watch anymore, Lightning closed the laptop, and Twilight began to babble uncontrollably.~

"Wha...I…"

"Ah, I take that back," Pinkie sighed, "It's pretty bad!"

"But this all happened yesterday! At the library!" exclaimed the princess.

"Yeah," said Lightning. "Did they secretly record us? How did I not see it? I have a hawk's eye and I'm a- " she froze as she almost revealed her secret. "Very good listener." she breathed, then continued, "They must've been like ninjas for me to not see or hear."

"Has...everyone in the school seen this?" Karly asked. "Is that why they are all looking at us that way?"

~The four didn't answer her. They just mumbled awkwardly and looked the other way. Twilight's hair turned frazzled after shock, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Lightning was doing her best to assure her.~

"What are we gonna do?" she asked incredulously. "No one's gonna vote for me after seeing this!"

"Not that it'll make any difference, but I'll still vote for you." Fluttershy smiled sweetly. All Twilight did in response was slam her head on the desk. "You were so nice to stand up for me when Sunset Shimmer was picking on me yesterday." the shy girl then added.

"That's nice an' all, Fluttershy, but yeah, it's not gonna make a difference." Lightning sighed. "The voting will be like five to infinity. Which is not a good score for us. We've got to somehow find a way to turn this whole thing around." she began pacing up and down the room.

"If you still wanna run, maybe there's something I can do to help!" Pinkie Pie offered.

~The princess lifted her head. She was about to consider the offer, until Fluttershy leaned in.~

"Word of advice, don't accept her help. She doesn't take anything seriously." she whispered.

"Oh! What do you have to be so awful to me?" scoffed Pinkie, stamping her foot.

Rarity scoffed, spat and stuttered. "Don't play innocent, Pinkie Pie," she said, accusingly pointing her finger at her. "You are no better than she is!" She turned her finger to Fluttershy.

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Pinkie shrieked.

"I am happy to offer my assistance as well, to someone who would appreciate what I had to offer!"

~That did it. Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie felt a flicker of anger flash across their faces and they began to squabble with each other. Twilight and Lightning exchanged an anxious look. They didn't know what to do now or how to stop their new friends from fighting. Spike didn't want to hear it so he hopped back into Twilight's bag and zipped it up to muffle the shouting. Karly wanted to do the same. She clamped her hands over her ears and crouched behind a nearby desk, she wished that they would stop. Suddenly, Applejack yelled, and they all ceased.~

"Listen to y'all carryin' on! Get over it an' move on!"

"You mean like how you've gotten over what happened with Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked, bitterly.

Applejack told her tale. "She said she'd get the softball team to make an appearance at my bake sale. I tell everybody they're comin', and then not one of 'em shows up! She made a liar outta me! That's different!" she finished angrily.

"Is not!" the girls chorused.

"Is too!" Applejack retaliated.

~And with that, the squabbling started up again, this time Applejack joined in. What happened to these girls over the past few years, everyone thought. Lightning understood now what Twilight meant by when she said about these girls being friends before, and their pony counterparts in Equestria. But now, they hate each other, and they argue all the time. The spies wondered why. Did something happen in the past? It all began to come together.~

At last, Lightning couldn't take it anymore. "ENOUGH!" she shouted. The girls ceased arguing and turned to her. "Please! Jesus Christ, not a moment of joy and peace around here!"

Karly peeked out from behind the desk. "I think we need to show you girls something. Spike, the yearbook, if you please."

~Spike unzipped the bag and revealed the yearbook. Karly took it gingerly. She placed it down on the desk in front of Princess Twilight and, flipping through the pages, she found the picture of the young Mane 5.~

"You were friends once." she said.

Applejack sighed. "Hmm. The Freshman Fair. Y'all remember?" The girls began muttering calmly while smiling, getting the feeling of nostalgia back.

"But something happened..." Karly continued.

"And we think that 'something' is Sunset Shimmer." Lightning said firmly, finishing her best friend's sentence.

"Well, it's a nice theory, darlings, but Sunset Shimmer had nothing to do with it." Rarity sighed, placing an arm on Lightning's shoulder.

"She's right," Fluttershy said, "Sunset Shimmer isn't the one who ruined my silent auction for the animal shelter by bringing fireworks and noise makers." she let out a scoff. "It was supposed to be a serious event, and Pinkie Pie ruined it!"

"What are you talking about?" Pinkie frowned, pulling out her phone. "I got a text from you saying that you didn't want a silent auction, you wanted a big party!"

"I never sent you a text!" Fluttershy replied, sounding confused.

"You didn't?"

"You don't think she's the one who's been sending me those emails, do you?" Rarity quired. "Everytime I volunteer to help with the decorations at a school function, I get an email from Pinkie Pie saying she has plenty of volunteers. And then I find out she's done everything herself!"

"I never sent you any emails!" Pinkie replied. She looked at Twilight, Lightning and Karly, confused.

"Maybe she's the reason Rainbow Dash didn't show up for my bake sale!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Didn't you ever ask Rainbow Dash why she didn't show up?" asked Twilight.

The cowgirl removed her hat solemnly. "Heh. I guess I kinda stopped talkin' to her at all after that."

The princess smiled and put the hat back on her head. "Maybe now would be a good time to start."

~A row of footballs were lined up in a row across the field. Rainbow Dash kicked one of them and it bounced into a goal. She watched it with brim intensity, while the other girls came and watched from the seating area. Except Applejack. She cleared her throat before approaching Rainbow Dash slowly. She lightly tapped her shoulder and began to talk to her. The other girls were too far away to hear what they are saying, but they could read their lips and expressions.~

"They're actually talking," said Rarity first. "That's a good sign!"

~Lightning nodded then motioned everyone to keep silent. Rainbow Dash and Applejack's conversation lasted for another few minutes, then it ended with the two girls hugging. That made everyone's anxious faces contort into big smiles.~

"Hugs! Ooo, hugs are always good!" Pinkie Pie squeaked.

Applejack led Rainbow Dash over to where they were sitting and began to explain what happened. "Somebody, and I think we can all guess who, told Rainbow Dash that my bake sale had been moved to a different day. Dash showed up with all the softball team, and thought I was cancelled out on her!"

"So that's it?" Lightning scoffed. "What a jerk…"

~She got up from her seat and, first, shook Rainbow's hand before introducing her to Karly, Twilight and herself. Rainbow returned the favour and proudly presented herself too. Her hair contained coloured streaks of all the colours of the rainbow, and she wore a thin blue shirt over a white vest with a cloud and three colouured bolts logo on the front. Rainbow also wore a skirt in a magenta and white striped pattern, half-black leggings, wristbands and knee-high matching blue boots. She held a football underneath as her arm as she spoke to Twilight.~

"So you're looking to dethrone Sunset Shimmer and become Princess of the Fall Formal, huh?"

"You bet." Lightning said, giving her a wink and clicking her fingers.

"Well, Twilight here is, not us. We are just here for support." prompted Karly.

"Well, I gotta say, I'd really love to see that happen." Rainbow Dash murmured. "I'll totally help you out! All you gotta do: is beat me in a game of one-on-one."

"What?" Twilight gasped.

"What?!" Both Lightning and Karly repeated.

"First to five goals wins!" Rainbow said, and she sent a backwards kick on the football she had under her arm and shot it into the goal at lightning speed. "One zip!"

~As Twilight gave a puzzled look, Lightning and Karly exchanged a worried glance. They both had the same thought in their heads: the girl is a pony and a princess! She wouldn't know anything about football or how to play! But, with a heavy sigh and chattered teeth, they watched as Princess Twilight stepped onto the field with shaking legs and started the game. Rainbow Dash came running at Twilight as fast as her legs could go with the football, and dribbled with it beside her feet like a pro. Twilight had no chance. Suddenly, with a swift spin, Rainbow shot the football towards the goal arena at massive speed. Twilight chickened out. She ducked her head into her hands and dropped to her knees as the ball came flying above her and into the goal. Rainbow pounded at the air when she scored, and Twilight got up in a nervous panic. She turned to the ball behind her, then to her friends in the seating arena as they frowned. Pinkie Pie marked two to zero on the scoreboard she had in her hands, and the game continued. The ball was dropped beside Twilight's feet, but before she could make her move, Rainbow drew it back with her foot, kicked it above her head and straight into the netting of the goal once again. She threw her hands in the air and cheered while Pinkie marked the board three to zero. Karly quickly jolted away and lifted her shoulders up to her head in displeasure, like she had felt the pain as well.~

"Ooooh…" she groaned.

"Come on, Twilight!" Lightning encouraged.

~The princess smiled at her friends' encouragement, but she didn't have high hopes. As round four began, she started with the ball and began to run with it under her feet towards the opposing goal. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. But when it seemed like Twilight was going to be able to score at least one goal, the football disappeared right in front of her very eyes. She stopped in her tracks when she felt that it was gone, and turned to see Rainbow dribbling with it and running towards Twilight's goal. The princess would not be fast enough to stop her, so she just stood in shock and let Rainbow score her fourth goal. Pinkie marked the board four to zero. As the fifth and final round began, Rainbow started to get a little cocky. Instead of running, she was showing off her agile moves and playing with the football by kicking it up and down again on one knee. Twilight was circling her, in an attempt to try and snag the ball. Suddenly, it happened. Rainbow kicked the football and it missed her and hit Twilight in the head. It was a soft ball, so it didn't hurt, much to everyone's relief, but as the ball fell, it landed in front of Twilight's feet. This was it. This was her chance. Even if it was only one goal, it was still an accomplishment. So, the second she recovered, Twilight began to run with the ball. As fast as her legs could carry her to the goal. The girls and Spike rose from their seats expectantly and smiled.~

"Yes, Yes, Yes!" Lightning shouted.

~Their hopes began to rise. But, when they believed that Twilight had it, the worst possible thing happened- The princess slipped and when she went for the final kick, the ball rolled too far away from her foot, so she missed and fell onto her back sharply.~

"No!" Both Lightning and Karly screamed, with Lightning being more louder.

~Rainbow waited for the ball to stop rolling. Then, with all the muscles she had in her legs, she kicked. The shot flew into the sky wildly and the ball arced itself into Princess Twilight's net, scoring the fifth and final point to Rainbow Dash and putting Princess Twilight to shame. Pinkie Pie marked the score five to zero to Rainbow Dash. As the rainbow-haired girl cheered and jumped in the air, Princess Twilight laid on the ground, painting heavily from the exercise she had endured. She did not want to get up.~

"That's the game!" Rainbow exclaimed as she approached Twilight and stared down at her sweating purple face.

~The other girls joined her and they crowded around the broken princess anxiously.~

"I...really thought you were gonna pull it off there in the end! Ha...ha..." Rarity laughed nervously as the other girls gave her a disapproving scowl.

Twilight was still panting on the ground, but as Lightning was about to kneel down and help her to her feet, Rainbow Dash stepped in instead. "So, what's the plan?" she asked the princess. "How can I help you be princess instead of Sunset Shimmer?"

Lightning and Karly were completely surprised. "Huh?" They both chroused.

"But...I...lost!" Princess Twilight exclaimed, still trying to catch her breath.

"Of course you lost, I'm awesome!" replied Rainbow. "But I'm not gonna help just anybody try and beat Sunset Shimmer. The Fall Formal Princess should be someone with heart and determination. You've proved that you've got 'em both!"

~Suddenly, the athletic girl stretched out her arms and flung them around the princess. In return, Twilight looked at Rainbow with her sparkling purple eyes and hugged her right back as everyone cheered around them. Unknownst to them, that they were being watched and recorded. Sunset Shimmer and her boys, Snips and Snails, were hiding behind the seating area. They snickered at the phones in their hands and showed them to Sunset. She smiled a menacing grin as she began to hatch her next plot to expose the princess.~