by G. M. Berrow
“Yes, it’s me, but—I didn’t do this!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Photographs don’t lie, Twilight,” Luna said. “But as the chief disciplinarian at this school, I have learned that students do. Especially when they get caught red-handed.” Luna shook her head, disappointed. “I think it should be fairly obvious that the school cannot let someone who would do something like this compete for the Fall Formal crown.”
Twilight slumped down in her chair.
She was starting to think she’d underestimated her rival. This was exactly what Sunset Shimmer wanted. It was the second time in the span of two days that she’d undercut Twilight’s campaign for princess. What was a girl to do now? She had to get the crown and leave through the portal tonight.
Suddenly, the door burst open. It was Flash Sentry!
“Vice Principal Luna, I found these in a trash can in the library. Thought you should see them.” He shot Sunset Shimmer a dirty look and handed a set of photos over to Luna. The expression on her face changed instantly.
“What are they?” snarled Sunset. She craned her neck to get a look.
“They are proof that someone was trying to frame Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna. She held up a photo of Twilight kicking a soccer ball. It was identical to the one of her kicking over the table. “Someone must have combined these photos of her playing soccer with pictures of the gym.”
Sunset feigned shock. “Oh, really? That’s terrible!”
Vice Principal Luna stood. “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, Flash.” She nodded at Twilight. “In light of this new evidence, you may of course continue your bid to be crowned the princess of the Fall Formal.”
“But she—!” Sunset whined.
“Thank you! You have no idea how important this to me.” Twilight jumped up and threw her arms around Flash. He stumbled backward, laughing. Sunset Shimmer flipped her hair and stormed out of the office.
Flash Sentry shrugged. “I wouldn’t be much of a Canterlot Wondercolt if I didn’t try to prove your innocence, would I?” Twilight let go of him, flustered. What had gotten into her? She told herself it was just the excitement of him rescuing her. Yes—that was it.
“I have to go get ready for the dance!” Twilight announced, smiling. She made her way to the door. She realized she didn’t have anything to wear and—
“Oh, actually… I’m afraid enough damage has been done to the gym that we will have to postpone the dance until tomorrow night,” Luna said, interrupting Twilight’s excited thoughts. She opened the office door. “If you’ll excuse me—”
“So, uh, Twilight, I was wondering…” Flash looked down at the floor. “If you aren’t already going with somebody, want to go to the Fall Formal with me tomorrow night?”
Twilight suddenly felt very nervous. “That would be—” Wait—what?! Flash had just asked her to the dance… but for tomorrow night. By then, the portal would be closed! By then, she would be stuck here in this realm for thirty moons. By then, everypony back in Equestria would be in danger without the Elements of Harmony to protect them!
“No, no, no!” Twilight shook her head and dashed to the door, leaving Flash Sentry standing alone. “That’ll be too late!” Twilight shouted as she ran out into the hall.
It was bad enough that the dance was rescheduled, but to add insult to injury, Twilight had just totally ditched Flash. He had no idea what he’d done to offend her so badly.
One no would have been enough.
The Truth About Equestria
Twilight wasn’t sure why she was standing in the Carousel Boutique wearing a completely ridiculous blue frock that Rarity had chosen. She didn’t feel much like trying on dresses right now. Not since everything was a mess. She still had no crown, and the portal was closing tonight.
A soft knock sounded on her dressing room door. “Everything okay in there?” Rarity singsonged.
“Yes,” Twilight lied. Spike looked up at her, trying to communicate through his puppy-dog eyes so he wouldn’t give himself away by talking. He was just as worried as she was.
“If I don’t get my crown tonight, I won’t be able to go back for another thirty moons!” she whispered. “What are we going to do?”
Spike looked around to make sure it was safe to talk. “We tell them the truth. They’ll help us figure something out!”
“But what if they won’t?” Twilight bit her lip like she’d seen the girl version of Rarity do a few times. She was getting better at copying the mannerisms of these creatures. “What if they find out just how different I really am…?”
“Twilight, these girls rallied around you because they saw what was in your heart.” Spike jumped up on the dressing room stool. “They aren’t going to feel any different about you when they find out you’re a pony princess in Equestria.”
As she faced herself in the mirror, Twilight realized that Spike was completely right. These girls had become her friends. Telling them the truth was worth a shot—it might be the only way she would see her other friends ever again!
Twilight leaned down and patted Spike on the head. She was glad he’d managed to sneak through the portal behind her after all. He seemed to be glad, too. If they got stuck for another thirty moons, however, that might change.
“Here goes nothing, Spike,” Twilight said as she pushed open her dressing room door.
“You okay, Twilight?” Applejack instantly noticed the look on Twilight’s face. Like she was keeping something in.
“Well, the Fall Formal isn’t happening tonight because of Sunset Shimmer, right?” Twilight paced around her friends, working up the courage to explain.
“Well, yeah, but it’s still gonna be awesome when it happens tomorrow night!” Rainbow Dash said. She was riffling through a rack of sequined dresses and having no luck choosing one.
This was going to be hard. Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m sure it would be—but the Fall Formal has to happen tonight. You see—”
Pinkie Pie held a satiny fuchsia frock up to her body and looked at herself in the mirror. She turned to Twilight, wide-eyed. “Because you’re from an alternate world and you’re a pony princess there and the crown actually has a magical element embedded in it that helps power up other magical elements and without it they don’t work anymore and you need them to help protect your magical world and if you don’t get the crown tonight you’ll be stuck in this world and won’t be able to get back for like a really long time?”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. The rest of the girls looked at Pinkie as though she’d gone insane.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that isn’t the reason,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.
Spike stood up on two legs. “No, she’s pretty much spot-on,” he said.
Rarity gasped at Spike. “He can talk?!” She looked around in horror, as if the dresses might stand up and walk out of the room, too.
Spike winked at her. “Oh yeah. And back where I come from, I’m not even a dog. I am a ferocious fire-breathing dragon!”
“Oh my gosh!” Fluttershy skipped over. She knelt down and began to inspect him like a science experiment. “This is soooo amazing. Tell me, what are you thinking right now?”
Twilight didn’t notice any of it. She just stood there, completely shocked at Pinkie Pie’s accurate guess. “How did you know all that?”
Pinkie smiled and shrugged. “Just a hunch!”
“Wait a minute.” Applejack walked over to Twilight. The novelty of a talking dog had worn off for a second. “Let me get this straight. You’re a pony?”
“You’re a princess?” Rarity asked, totally in awe.
“You’re from another world?” said Fluttershy, mouth agape.
Twilight could easily solve this right now by telling them it had all been a joke. Then they wouldn’t be looking at her like that. Like she had two heads. But Spike had already spoken and then she wouldn’t have any chance of getting the crown.
“Yes, I am,” Twilight announced, ready for the backlash.
“That…” said Rainbow Dash, breaking into a smile. “Is… awesome!”
It turned out Spike was right after all. Her new friends didn’t care what she was—girl, girl wearing pony ears, or actual pony. They just liked her. And that was even more awesome.
A Chance for the Dance
There wasn’t much time to fix it, but the girls had all gathered at the gym to assess the damage caused by Sunset Shimmer, Snips, and Snails. Maybe, if they all worked together, they would be able to get the dance back up and running for tonight. Twilight hoped so, at least. The gym looked pretty awful.
Rarity picked through a pile of ripped streamers. “I simply can’t believe they did all this.”
Pinkie had been upset at first, but now she was bouncing around with excitement. She saw the situation as an opportunity to have fun decorating all over again. And this time it would be with her friends! “Now, if only I had some sort of party cannon that could decorate everything super fast.…” She plucked the remains of her balloon arch off of the shiny floor and tossed it into a trash bag. “I think we can fix this up by tonight, no problem!”
“Let’s do it, y’all!” cheered Applejack, extending her hand.
“Absolutely,” Rarity joined in.
“Rock on!” shouted Rainbow as she placed her hand on top of Rarity’s.
“Yes-indeedily!” chirped Pinkie.
“Yaaaaay,” Fluttershy attempted to yell, but it came out very soft.
Twilight grinned and put her hand on top. “Go, Equestria Girls!”
“Woo-hoo!” shouted a few random voices. The girls all turned around to see a big group of students, all wearing Wondercolts gear. They stood waiting at the double doors carrying bags of new decorations, bunches of balloons, and multiple ladders. But the most amazing part was that they were kids from every group at school—the athletes, the fashionistas, the techies, the dramas, and the eco kids!
“We came to see if you guys wanted any help,” said Chance-A-Lot, adjusting his pony ears. Everybody behind him nodded along. “If we’re gonna have the dance tonight, we thought you might need it!” A few hoots and hollers escaped from the group.
Twilight smiled. “That’d be great!” She couldn’t believe it!
“Yippeeeee!” shouted Pinkie Pie. It had been ages since she’d had so many helpers. Everyone spread out across the gym and got to work cleaning up the mess. It looked like the student body of Canterlot High was finally ready to band together again—to help one another out and make friends with kids from other groups. Seeing everyone together almost made Twilight happier than the prospect of getting her crown back. Almost.
It was incredible what everyone could accomplish when they worked together. In just a few short hours, the gym went from an ultimate disaster to a gorgeous magical land. Pinkie had done a fantastic job directing the efforts, and now it looked even better than it had the first time!
Curly ribbons of blue, pink, and purple hung from the ceiling. Streamers were draped from every corner of the gym toward the center, creating an effect that made it seem more like a grand ballroom than a basketball court. And, of course, shiny balloons were tied to the back of every chair and to every table. Principal Celestia declared the Fall Formal was back on for that night!
“I still can’t believe we pulled it off,” said Fluttershy. She did a little twirl to try out the dance floor.
“I can.” Rainbow Dash looked satisfied. She shrugged. “We’re awesome.”
“Enough chatter, girls!” Rarity said, looking at the clock on the wall. “We need to get ready. And we need to look fabulous!”
Right now, everyone was looking a little bit rough from all the heavy labor. But if there was one thing Rarity was talented at—it was making her friends look amazing. A trip to the Carousal Boutique was just the thing they all needed. Twilight had to look like a princess, after all.
The Canterlot High School Coronation
Twilight beamed as she climbed out of the stretch limo. It was finally time for the Fall Formal—time to win back her crown. She was extremely proud of how her friends had all come together to make sure the dance still happened. Plus, Rarity had chosen excellent gowns that highlighted each of the girls’ best features. It almost felt like the night she went to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot. Only this time, Twilight was wearing a stunning, sparkly pink dress and walking on two legs instead.
“I feel only slightly less tough in this dress,” joked Rainbow Dash as she climbed out of the limo. The look was less sporty than she was used to, but she looked really pretty. The dress matched her hair perfectly. The snug bodice had a stripe of each rainbow color, and a ruffled red skirt flared out from the bottom.
Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack all followed next. Each of their dresses reflected their personalities perfectly—right down to Pinkie’s over-the-top poufy party frock with a giant bow around the waist. “PARTYYYY!” Pinkie squealed, jumping up and down with glee.
“Hurry on up, Rarity!” Applejack said, smoothing down her blue denim frock. It had a row of red apples along the hem. It was understated and a little more casual—just like the girl wearing it. “We need to get on inside so Twilight can get ’er crown!”
“I’m coming, darlings. I just had to touch up my lip gloss!” Rarity stepped out of the limo with a flourish. Her short blue party dress was all ruffles and sequins. She wore tall white boots adorned with shimmery jewels. “Now, how do I look?”
“You look beautiful, Rarity,” Twilight said. She helped Spike out of the limo. He was even wearing a little doggy tuxedo for the occasion. He kept trying to get Rarity to notice, but she was too busy looking at her hair in the reflection of the car window.
The girls linked arms and walked across the front lawn toward the school, passing right by the Wondercolt statue. Twilight noticed that the moon was directly over it, shining down on the portal. It was almost perfectly in line. She suspected that by the time tonight was over, it wouldn’t be anymore.
“Twilight!” Flash Sentry called out as he hopped out of a red sports car. Rarity and Applejack raised their eyebrows at each other. He looked mighty excited to see Twilight. Even though she’d denied any sort of crush, they were starting to wonder.
He jogged up to meet them. “Twilight… I know you said no about going to the Fall Formal with me but… uh… maybe you’d reconsider and at least have one dance?”
“I didn’t say no!” Twilight replied. “I mean, I did, but I didn’t mean ‘no’ to you… I was… what I mean is…” She wasn’t making any sense! Finally, she blurted out, “Yes, I’d love to dance with you.”
Flash grinned. The girls all giggled and began to whisper to one another.
“Let’s go inside,” said Twilight, blushing.
Inside the Canterlot gym, the dance was already in full swing. The disco ball spun around, creating a million tiny lights across every balloon, streamer, and smiling student. It really is magical here, thought Twilight as she entered the room.
Up on the stage, the DJ was spinning a remix of an old favorite, “Raise This Barn.” She had blue hair and wore reflective sunglasses even though it was dark in the room, but it looked super cool. And over in the corner, Granny Smith was serving cups of fresh fizzy apple cider.
“Eeeeee! Come on!” Pinkie shrieked, skipping over to the dance floor. She jumped so much that her tiny blue top hat almost fell off. “I can’t wait to get my groovy-woovy groove on!” The Equestria Girls laughed and followed Pinkie out onto the dance floor to do the same.
When the DJ’s set was over, Flash Sentry and his band took to the stage. They fired up the room, starting to play a cover of a pop song that the whole gym knew the words to. Everyone who had been previously standing around on the sides of the gym rushed to the dance floor.
“Thanks, Canterlot High!” Flash Sentry said into the microphone. “We’re Flash Drive! Come see us play at the Sweet Shoppe next weekend.” Then he winked at Twilight from the stage, and they broke out into
another upbeat song. Twilight hoped no one had seen, especially her rival. The last thing she needed right now was a fight over a boy!
Twilight scanned the crowded room. “Anybody seen Sunset Shimmer?”
“Maybe she’s too embarrassed to show,” Rainbow shouted as she pumped her fist in the air to the music. “She’s gotta know you won by a landslide!”
“Yeah, maybe.” Twilight bit her lip. She wished she could feel as confident about winning as Rainbow always seemed to be. Because this time—winning really would matter.
The students all watched with bated breath as Principal Celestia walked up onto the stage. It was finally time to announce the princess of the Fall Formal! So much was riding on the next few moments. Twilight felt her hands start to dampen, which was a new sensation. It must have been nerves.
Principal Celestia smiled at the sea of dressed-up students. She looked beautiful this evening as well—she wore an elegant purple dress that complemented her pastel hair. Vice Principal Luna had opted for a midnight-blue gown that accented her darker features. She stood nearby, holding a wooden box. The crown was definitely in there. So close, thought Twilight.
“First off, I want to say how wonderful everything looks tonight. You all did a magnificent job pulling things together after the unfortunate events of earlier today.” A few mumbles broke through the crowd. Not everyone at school knew that Twilight had been accused of trashing the gym, but rumors about the incident and people trying to guess who had done such a thing had been flying around all afternoon. Celestia cleared her throat. “And now, without further ado, I’d like to announce the winner of this year’s Fall Formal crown.”
Fluttershy patted Twilight on the back reassuringly. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in anticipation. Twilight just tried to keep breathing.