Tang Ri Shan

My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Project Tantabus

(This is a sequel to Equestria Girls- Seeing Double)

Ch 8

Twilight Sparkle held her breath and tried to avoid flinching as she met Principle Celestia's gaze. She could feel her double stiffen next to her.

For a few moments, there was no sound, no motion. Twilight felt her heartbeat quicken.

Then Principle Celestia suddenly smiled. "Ah, you must be the prospective students that were arriving today" She said.

Twilight almost went limp with relief. Celestia didn't recognize her. "Yes ma'am, that's us" Twilight replied in her 'Crystal' voice.

"But I was under impression I was supposed to met you by the front doors, not in here" Principle Celestia raised an eyebrow, making Twilight's heart skip a beat. Had she celebrated too soon?

"Um...well..."

"Well, yes that was the plan" Rarity came to Twilight's rescue. "But when we saw the throngs of students heading this way, we simply had to find out what was going on" She purred in her Amethyst voice.

Twilight shot Rarity a grateful smile as Principle Celestia's look softened. "I see, so what did you girls think of the pep rally?"

---

Sunset passed under the stage curtain to find the gym mostly deserted. A few students were lingering on the bleachers, or lounging in chairs talking with their friends.

Scanning the gym, Sunset spotted Principle Celestia near the far wall, talking with a group of girls she didn't recognize.

As she began walking through the crowd of chairs towards Principle Celestia a discussion from a passing group got her attention.

"Who is Principle Celestia talking to?" One girl asked.

"A group of potential new students was what I heard" Another girl replied, adjusting her glasses.

New Students? Sunset wondered as they passed by. I don't remember hearing anything about new students arriving today!

"New students visiting on the same day as the Equestrian Games?" A tall willowy girl exclaimed , tossing her long hair behind her. "What is Principle Celestia thinking? They're not gonna want to come to Cantelrot High after seeing how poorly we do in the games!"

As the girls moved away Sunset watched them go, feeling her heart sink. Part of her agreed with them, bringing in potential new students at the same time as an inter-school competition like this seemed like a bad move.

"Oooh, new students, how exciting!" Sunset ground her teeth as Sunspot's voice whispered mockingly in her head. "I wonder what they'll say when they find out about you!"

"Shut up" Sunset growled.

"Excuse me?" Sunset jumped as a new voice spoke from her left. Two boys were staring at her from one of the bleachers, one with yellow hair and the other with black hair. "What did you say?" The yellow-haired boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-nothing, sorry" Sunset quickly apologized, hoping she didn't look as embarrassed as she felt. "I was...just talking to myself" She gave a nervous chuckle as the boys stared at her for a second, then both stood up and moved away.

"See? No one wants you." Sunspot words echoed in her head. "Look at how they shy away from you"

"That was your doing" Sunset replied firmly. "And if you think I'm gonna let you control my life like this, you're wrong"

"We'll see" Sunspot hissed as Sunset began walking again.

As Sunset strode towards the assembled group, she began to hear Celestia's voice and the voices of the girls over the rest of the background noise.

"It...was...so...AMAZING!" One of the girls squealed practically leaping into the air as she spoke.

Another of the girls, with dark yellow skin and red hair with black streaks, shrugged like it was no big deal. "It was alright" She mumbled as she worked on her nails. Sunset felt a frown come over her face. She and the other Rainbooms had worked really hard on that performance! And despite that 'magical moment' at the end, she felt proud of how they had done.

The yellow-skinned girl was suddenly elbowed rather rudely by the white-haired girl next to her. "What Scarlet Fire here means..." She said in a high-pitched voice "Is that it was a great demonstration of school spirit"

"I'll say it was!" The pink haired girl below them squealed. "I don't think I've ever felt so inspired in all my life!" Sunset chuckled at the girl's dramatic comments. That sounds just like something Rarity would say! She thought.

The other girls nodded and agreed, except for the girl with the red-and-black hair, who just sighed and kept doing her nails. Sunset felt her smile fade slightly as she approached the group. A strange feeling began to come over her as she looked at that one particular girl. The way she was dressed, the way she sat, the way she moved, it reminded Sunset of...herself!

Sunset paused as recollections from her 'past life' flashed before her eyes, of ponies and people she had deliberately hurt. She frowned, the last thing that Canterlot High needed was another diva-like bully roaming its halls. I'll have to keep an eye on her, she said to herself.

"I really liked the song that the band played" One of the girls spoke up, snapping Sunset out of her thoughts.

A black-haired girl in the back, wearing a Stetson hat that looked just like Applejack's, nodded. "Them girls were really somthin'" She said in a country accent.

"Oh yes, they were truly amazing" A girl in green said quietly, curling her fingers through her hair.

"Well, I'm sure the Rainbooms will be very happy to hear that" Principle Celestia said as Sunset approached the group. "They take their performances very seriously."

"But not too seriously" Sunset teased, causing everyone to look up. "We want to enjoy ourselves after all"

"Ah, Sunset" Celestia smiled. "Perfect timing. That was a very energetic performance you and the Rainbooms gave"

"Thanks Principle Celestia. "Sunset smiled at her. "Vice Principle Luna said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes I did" Principle Celestia turned towards the girls on the bleachers. "Sunset, these are all potential transfer students visiting the school today. I had promised to give them a tour of the school before the start of the Equestrian Games, but unfortunately, Vice Principle Luna and I are running behind schedule. We still have a lot to do before the students from Crystal Prep arrive, so I was hoping you might be willing to lead the tour instead"

"Oh, well..." Sunset paused. She had been hoping to use the time before the games to try to figure out why she and her friends kept ponying up, but she also didn't want to disappoint Principle Celestia in front of potential new students. As she thought, her eyes darted over to the girls and she saw them all gazing at her eagerly, except for Scarlet Fire, who was still looking at her nails. She glanced up at Sunset, smiled, and muttered something Sunset couldn't hear.

Suddenly, it seemed like a light flashed behind Sunset's eyes, and instead of seeing eight new girls, she saw her seven friends sitting in front of her, smiling at her. Sunset immediately felt herself relax. "Sure, I'd be happy to" She said finally.

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Sunset" Sunset felt Celestia's hand rest on her shoulder and for a moment, she felt a warm shimmering feeling flood through her body, like she was drinking in the Sun's rays. Suddenly, a beam of sunlight shone through the window and lit up the two of them.

Sunset's eyes widened, despite the brightness of the light. She recognized this feeling! It was the same kind of feeling she used to feel back when she was Princess Celestia's student. Being near the Princess of the Sun had sometimes caused Sunset to feel the same warm, calming sensation.

"Knock it off" Principle Celestia muttered, glaring into the beam, which quickly disappeared.

Sunset's blinked in surprise. She knew that as Princess of the Sun, Princess Celestia could control all aspects of the celestial body, including the power to call down sunbeams at will. Sunset had seen this more than once.

But that's impossible! She thought as Principle Celestia took her hand off and the feeling went away. This is Principle Celestia, not Princess Celestia...isn't it? Sunset suddenly felt doubtful. Their adventures during the Halloween Dance had proved that Equestrian and human counterparts were visibly identical twins. If, for some reason, Princess Celestia did decide to come here, then she would no doubt look like...

Sunset gulped with sudden nervousness as 'Principle Celestia' turned to the girls on the bleachers. But what would Princess Celestia be doing here? She wondered. Then she answered herself She must be here to spy on me! Princess Twilight must have told her about what had happened at the fall formal and she's come to see if I've really changed!

"Well well!" Sunspot's voice gave a dark chuckle. "It looks like even the princesses of Equestria don't trust you. Can't say I blame them, considering what you tried to do"

Sunset tried her best to ignore her demon's voice as Principle Celestia started speaking.

"Girls, this is Sunset Shimmer, one of our best students. She will lead you on a tour of our school while the rest of us prepare for the upcoming games. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask her" With a nod to Sunset, Celestia turned and strode away, leaving Sunset alone with the group in the now almost empty gymnasium.

Sunset watched her go, her mind still going over the concept of Princess Celestia being here. Forcing the idea to the back of her head, Sunset turned to find all the new girls gazing at her with eager expressions.

"So, um...Hi everyone". Sunset was suddenly at a loss for what to say. "Welcome to Canterlot High. I'm Sunset Shimmer, as you heard"

"Hi Sunset, I'm Crystal." The girl in pink-and-purple smiled at her. Turning, she introduced the other girls. "These are Cirrus Cloud, Scarlet Flame, Grey Light, Timberwood, Wildflower, Amethyst, and Cotton Candy" Each of the girls nodded or waved when introduced.

"Nice to meet all of you" Sunset smiled at them. "So, where are you all from?"

There was silence following this, then Crystal spoke again. "Oh um...we're from all around" She said.

Sunset must have looked as confused as she felt because Cirrus Cloud spoke up. "What Crystal means is that we're from different towns, but we're all a part of the same academic advancement program."

"Ahem. I think you forgot me" Everyone glanced at the pink-haired girl sitting close by. "I'm in the program too"

"You are?" Scarlet Flame glanced up from her nails. When everyone looked at her, she quickly added. "I mean...I've never seen you at any sessions"

"Oh, I just started the program a few days ago" Sunrise calmly answered. "I must be in a different group than yours. Most of my group are in Manehattan, but I begged to be allowed to come here instead." She glanced down at the floor as she spoke, and the tiniest flush of red appeared on her cheek.

"Really?" Sunset's eyes widened.

"Really." Sunrise said, turning to look at her. "I've been hearing a lot of good things about Canterlot High, especially about its students" It may have been Sunset's imagination, but she thought she saw a flash of pride in the pink-haired girl's eyes. "I just had to come see if the rumors were true or not, and so far I haven't been disappointed"

"Oh...well...that's really good of you to say, miss..." Sunset paused, trying to remember the girls' name.

The girl chuckled. "I'm Sunrise"

"Sunrise" Amethyst nodded. "A surprisingly fitting name"

"Thank you" Sunrise giggled at the compliment.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sunrise" Sunset held out her hand. As the girl took it, there was a snapping sound and both girls were suddenly outlined in light. Sunrise gave an 'eep' of surprise and jerked her hand back.

The light faded. "What was that?" Sunrise demanded.

"What was what?" Sunset replied, a little too quickly.

"That glow"

"Wh-what glow? Sunset smiled, trying to hide her growing unease.

Sunrise frowned. "Are you going to tell me you didn't notice that both our hands were glowing just now?"

Sunset slowly shook her head, trying to stay calm. "I didn't notice anything" She turned to the girls on the bleachers, who were gazing curiously at them. "Did you girls notice anything?"

"Nope!" Crystal said the instant Sunset stopped talking. "We didn't notice anything, did we?" Crystal's voice was surprisingly firm as she glanced around at the other girls, who all shook their heads.

"Maybe it was just light reflecting off the disco ball" Sunset gave what she hoped was a logical sounding explanation. "You saw what happened during the rally" She smiled at Sunrise, who was staring at the handing ornament, looking thoughtful.

"Hmmm, I guess you're right" The girl finally said, shrugging her shoulders.

Sunset nodded, feeling very relieved. "Ok, so on that note, would you like to follow me?" Sunset motioned for the girls to follow her and they all stood up.

---

"This is working out great!" 'Twilight' whispered to Twilight as they followed Sunset out of the gym. "Sunset doesn't recognize us at all!"

"I know" Twilight giggled. "I can't wait to see her face, and the faces of the other girls when she finds out who we really are!"

"Yeah, but we didn't count on having a stranger in our group" 'Sunset' added from next to them. The girl's eyes flickered to Sunrise, who was now happily chatting with Sunset as they walked. "Well have to be careful not to say anything in front of her"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want her to find out we're not really from that 'academic program' you mentioned" Twilight whispered.

"It is a little strange how quickly Sunrise bought into that story" 'Sunset' noted. "Especially since there is no academic placement program"

"That we know of" 'Twilight' corrected her. "But there are independent educational programs, like the one that Everton offers, remember?"

"True" 'Sunset' admitted. "But...but we still should be careful around Sunrise. I don't trust her just yet, and considering what we've been learning about Equestrian magic, the fewer who know, the better"

"Agreed" The two Twilight's nodded.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow Dash scoffed from in front, though she did so in a whisper. "You three worry too much. What's the worst that can happen?"

'Twilight' and 'Sunset' exchanged a glance. "Believe me, a little information in the wrong hands can lead to a lot of trouble later on." 'Sunset' finally replied, and both girls looked uneasy.

"What kind of trouble?" Fluttershy asked, looking worried.

"Nothing that we need to worry about for now" Twilight assured them.

"Twilight's right" Pinkie whispered. "The only thing we need to worry about is how amazing we want Sunset's birthday party to be"

"Speakin' of, exactly how long are ya planning to keep this here charade going, Twilight?" Applejack asked and the other girls all perked up.

"Well..." Twilight thought for a second. "I suppose the only person that needs to be kept in the dark is Sunset herself, but I'd like to tell all the Rainbooms at once, let's just wait and see what happens"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Sunset's not gonna know what hit her" She whispered.

"Providing we can keep the secret" Twilight said to them all. "And that means we have to play it cool, and stay in character"

"Right" All the girls nodded.

"What are you girls doing back there?" Sunrise's voice made the girls look up. She and Sunset were standing a few feet ahead of them, looking back.

"Everything okay?" Sunset asked, looking confused.

Twilight bit her lip. She hadn't realized that they had stopped. Her mind whirred as she struggled to come up with an explanation.

"Uh yeah, we're fine." 'Sunset' came to their rescue, sneering in her 'Scarlet Fire' voice. "We, like, stopped because you both stopped. Can we get going now?" She droned. Twilight heard Pinkie and Rarity chuckle behind her, but she saw Sunset narrow her eyes at her disguised twin and for a second a frown crossed Sunset's face.

Twilight blinked and the frown disappeared. "Sure, right this way" Sunset turned to lead the girls down the hall. But her voice didn't seem as...happy as before, like she was on edge. For the first time since she came up with this plan, Twilight felt doubt creep into her mind. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

---

Meanwhile...

"That's a bad idea" Starlight Glimmer jumped as a harsh voice broke her concentration. She turned to see Sugarcoat gazing at her with narrowed eyes.

"What is?" She asked.

"Monkeying with the scanners" Sugarcoat nodded at the device in Starlight's hands. They were almost to Canterlot High, and Starlight had spent most of the bus ride trying to figure out how these 'scanners' they had gotten from Dean Sombra were supposed to work. "Dean Sombra's not gonna be happy if you break it"

"He said they would be easy to figure out" Starlight said, turning it over in her hands. "But they seem a lot more complicated" And they were. From what Starlight could tell, there was a lot of circuitry in these devices that she felt did not belong there.

"As long as they do their job, I don't really see the point of fiddling with them" Sugarcoat spoke from the seat next to her. "Besides, your muttering is interrupting my nap"

Starlight turned to scowl at her partner, and as she did the bus hit a bump, causing Starlight's scanner to fly out of her hands and bounce down the aisle towards the front of the bus.

"I rest my case" Sugarcoat sounded satisfied as Starlight got out of her seat and headed after her scanner. As she moved, so did the bus, causing the device to roll further and further down the aisle. Twice she thought she had trapped it, only for it to roll away from her at the slightest shudder. By the time she finally managed to grab it, she was all the way at the front of the bus.

"Hello?" Starlight froze as she recognized Dean Sombra's voice right above her. "What is it?" He growled. Starlight peaked over the back of the chair. Dean Sombra was speaking into his cell phone. Next to him, Prinicple Cinch was looking over a sheet of what looked like notes.

Probably her speech notes for the opening ceremony, Starlight thought and turned to leave.

"Yes, we're almost at Canterlot High now. Any problems at Twilight's lab?" Starlight froze at Dean Sombra's next words.

Twilight? What does Dean Sombra want with her? Starlight felt a flush of envy. Maybe Twilight was the one who made these things! She scowled down at the device clutched in her hands. This was supposed to be her moment. How dare Dean Sombra get Twilight Sparkle's help behind her back!

"What do you mean she's disappeared?" Dean Sombra leaned forward in his seat. Starlight's anger quickly faded, replaced with confusion. Starlight saw Principle Cinch look up from her notes. "What about Sunset?"

"Problem?" Principle Cinch asked.

Dean Sombra motioned for her to be quiet. He gave a sudden hiss of anger. "How could both of them have gotten past you?" He snapped quietly. "I thought you had the lab surrounded."

Now Starlight was really confused. Was Dean Sombra talking with the police? Were Twilight and Sunset in some kind of trouble with the law?

"Tell me you have the source secured, at least" Dean Sombra spoke into his phone.

The response on the phone must not have been what Dean Sombra wanted to hear, because he gripped the phone so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Incredible. We gave you one job and you can't even..." Dean Sombra stopped talking as more muttering came from his phone. "Uh huh...I see...well, at least you're not a complete idiot" He snarled.

There was an angry crackle from Dean Sombra's phone. "Hey you're the one that said it would be a piece of cake and you just choked on it. That's not my problem." More angry noise. "Then keep putting pressure on the girls until they do talk. One of them has to know where Twilight and Sunset went."

A chill went through Starlight's body. That sure didn't sound like words one would say to a policeman.

"No, don't even think about draining them now" Dean Sombra spoke into his phone The angry noise seemed to go up an octave. "Yes I know that the project leader demands results but those results need to be concrete, you know that" Dean Sombra snarled. "And we can't get concrete results if our specimens are damaged, can we?"

Specimens? Now starlight was sure Dean Sombra wasn't talking to the police, but then who was he talking to?

By this point, Principle Cinch had neatly folded away her notes and was gazing at Dean Sombra with an expectant look on her face.

Dean Sombra noticed the look "Look, I can't discuss it with you right now. Just hold those girls until I can get there, okay? And let Time Turner know that I may be bringing more 'guests'." Sombra chuckled. "I have to go. Squeeze them, but don't you dare hurt them, or their tight lips will be the least of your problems" He said before hanging up.

"Problem?" Principle Cinch asked again.

Dean Sombra sighed with annoyance. "They raided the lab, but Twilight and Sunset managed to escape him and they took the mystical energy source with them. Tirek managed to apprehend their four test subjects, but they won't tell him anything"

Mystical energy? Starlight's eyes widened.

"Give it time" Principle Cinch said, turning back to her notes. "Tight lips eventually always talk"

"Yes but Tirek's not the most patient of people" Dean Sombra argued. "And he's easily angered. If he loses his cool and hurts one of them..."

"He won't." Cinch soothed him. "He's not that stupid"

Starlight gulped as Dean Sombra leaned back in his seat, his head draped over the edge, danging a few inches above Starlight's.

"Besides, we may not need those four girls if Starlight's research pays off" Principle Cinch added. "Once we've determined where the source is at CHS, we'll be one step closer to our goal."

"Yes, this may still be a good day for the project after all" Dean Sombra said, his eyes still closed.

After a few more minutes, Starlight couldn't hear anything else and realized the Dean must have fallen asleep. As quietly as she could, she eased out of the row and moved back down the aisle to her seat at the back, her mind replaying Dean Sombra's words. Using girls as test subjects? Mystical energy? Just what had Sunset and Twilight been working on? And why would Dean Sombra want their research lab to be 'raided'?

It almost sounds like Dean Sombra hired someone to kidnap them, Starlight thought to herself as she sat down. She quickly shook her head. That was impossible! Twilight and Sunset were Crystal Prep Alumni. Cinch and Sombra had nothing but respect for them.

But still, Starlight couldn't get what she had overheard out of her head. She had never exactly trusted either Principle Cinch or Dean Sombra, and it sounded now like they were both up to something, but what?

The more Starlight thought about it, the more she had a feeling that she didn't want to find out.

---

Meanwhile...

"And finally, this is our music room" Sunset said as she pushed open the door to the music room. Inside, she found the other Rainbooms already waiting.

"Hey Sunset! About time you got here!" Rainbow Dash called. "I texted you a whole five minutes ago!"

"Sorry girls, but school obligations come before band obligations right now" Sunset countered.

"Oh wow, look! The Rainbooms are here!" Cotton Candy exclaimed, hopping up and down, pointing at Sunset's friends.

The Rainbooms looked confused. "Y'all've heard of us?" Applejack asked.

"Of course they've heard of us" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Hello, we're awesome!"

Sunset saw Timberwood and Gray Light grin at each other. "Well, yeah, ya are" Timberwood spoke. "But technically the only reason we know about ya is because y'all played at the pep rally "

"Oh" Rarity blinked in surprise. "You saw that?"

"We sure did" Crystal said in a surprisingly smug voice. "And we also saw you playing along with them, Sunset" Sunset felt the girl give her a friendly jab.

"Yeah, it must be a real honor to be lead guitar in your own band" Sunrise spoke, with a hint of longing in her voice.

Sunset felt herself blush. "Thanks, but it's our band. And besides, Rainbow Dash is lead guitar, I'm just backup. " She said.

"Oh come on! Don't be so modest" Timberwood scoffed. "Ah'm sure yer talent with the guitar is a real asset to yer baaand!" As she was speaking, the girl suddenly lost her balance and would up leaning on Sunset's shoulder. "Thank ya kindly" She said as Amethyst and Gray Light giggled.

"Oh most definitely!" Pinkie Pie spoke out, twirling her drumsticks in her hands. "Sunset's the real heart of our band"

"Indeed" Rarity added, playing a chord on her key-tar, "Why if it wasn't for Sunset, out band would have broken apart a long time ago" Her smile faded slightly as she recalled their battle with the sirens.

Sunset saw that Crystal was also frowning, but before she could ask, Scarlet Flame cut in. "Really? Like, what happened? Did you, like, have a fight or something?" The girl asked.

The Rainbooms exchanged a look, none of them were smiling now. "It's kind of a long story" Rainbow Dash finally said. "And we'd rather not talk about it"

Scarlet Flame opened her mouth, but Crystal cut her off. "It's fine, we understand" The two girls exchanged an annoyed look, making Sunset raise an eyebrow.

"Well, whatever happened in the past certainly didn't affect your performance today." Amethyst quickly spoke up. "It was fantastique!" She smiled widely, an action mirrored by most of the visiting students.

"Yeah, I really liked how you were able to motivate your fellow classmates" Wildflower spoke up as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Oooh! Ooooh! Can you play something for us now? Play something for us!" Cotton Candy squealed, literally bounding up and down on her feet.

"Play something?" Sunset repeated. "As in, right now?" Her heart suddenly fluttered. Every time they had played something as a group, they had ponied up. They had been able to pass if off until now, but Sunset was certain that ponying up in front of these visitors would be impossible to explain.

"Yeah!"

"Yes"

"Sure!"

"Why not?" The other girls all chimed in. Even Scarlet, who looked up from her nails and gave an encouraging smile. Next to her, Crystal leaned in and whispered into Cirrus's ear. Both girls grinned

"Um...well..." Sunset squirmed under the eager gaze of the other girls and heard Sunspot laugh in her head.

"You won't do it" Her demon self taunted. "If you play, you'll pony up, and then they'll all know what a freak you really are!"

"I don't really think that's such a good idea, there are some kinks we still need to work out, right?" She said, glancing at her band mates desperately, hoping that at least one of them would get the hint . To her surprise, none of them looked worried.

"We do have some time before the students from Crystal Prep arrive" Rarity said, "I think we can treat these visitors to a brief performance"

"Ah agree!" Applejack nodded.

"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash grinned

"Let's do it!" Pinkie Pie cheered

Fluttershy didn't say anything, she just nodded.

Everyone looked at Sunset. "Well, are you in, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You're gonna get busted! You're gonna get busted!" Sunset grit her teeth as Sunspot's chanting in her mind. She saw Scarlet and Cirrus exchange a glance.

"Well...I guess we can play one song" Sunset relented, and everyone cheered. "What would you like to hear?"

"It doesn't matter. I just wish that you would play something...from your heart" Cirrus said slowly, two of her fingers running down the length of a small chain that fed down to something beneath her shirt. Next to her, Scarlet's smile widened.

At that moment, Sunspot's presence suddenly seemed to fade away. Sunset could still feel her inner demon there, but it was like she could no longer hear her. Her fear began to leave her as a sudden burst of determination flowed through her. Sunset plucked a power cord from one of the amps and fed it into her guitar.

"Well, since everyone seems to insist" She said, turning to the other Rainbooms, "How about we play 'My Past is Not Today'?"

"Isn't that the one that you and Fluttershy have been working on for the past week?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, it is" Sunset nodded, turning to look at Fluttershy, who nodded.

"We just finished the lyrics yesterday. They're really moving" She said.

"Awesome! It's all you, Sunset" Rainbow Dash stepped aside as Sunset moved to the front of the band.

"Thanks, Pinkie, can you give me something steady?" Sunset asked.

Pinkie nodded and began playing a beat on her drum set.

"Rarity, I need something with feeling" Sunset instructed

Rarity closed her eyes for a moment, nodding her in time with the beat, then she smiled and began playing on her key-tar.

One-by-one the rest of the Rainbooms began adding to the music that was beginning to ring through the room. Sunset waited until everyone else was playing, then began strumming her guitar. After a few minutes, she opened her mouth, and began to sing:

"Power...was all I desired

But all that grew inside of me, was a darkness I acquired"

When I began to fall,

And I lost the path ahead" Sunset winced slightly as memories of the Fall Formal seemed to flash before her eyes.

Sunset glanced at the other Rainbooms as she sang "That's when your friendship found me,

And it lifted me instead" Boosted by the smiles from her friends, Sunset closed her eyes and launched herself into the chorus.

"Like the phoenix burning bright, in the sky!

I'll show there's another side of me, you can't deny!

I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say!

That my past does not define me! 'Cause my past is not today!"

Sunset peaked her eyes open and saw that the new girls were all gazing at her with expressions of awe and wonder. Boosted by this, she continued.

"Ambition...is what I believed,

Would be the only way...to set me free! Sunset heard her inner demon yell something, but she couldn't make out what it was, ans frankly she felt so good that she didn't care.

But when it disappeared, and I found myself alone,

That's when you came and guided me, and it felt like I was home

"Like the phoenix burning bright, in the sky!

I'll show there's another side of me, you can't deny! With her eyes closed, Sunset didn't notice that streaks of amber-colored energy were beginning to spark around her body.

I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say!

That my past does not define me! 'Cause my past is not today!"

"Uh, Sunset?" Confused by Rainbow Dash's question, Sunset looked up...and then looked down!

Sunset was levitating off the ground, surrounded by a halo of orange light. Large amber-colored wings had sprouted from her back matching the horn that projected from her forehead. Her hair had braided itself into a fiery tail that fell down past her knees. Her body was haloed in an amber-colored aura that lit up the entire room.

Dreading what she was about to see, Sunset looked towards the visitors, and saw that each of them was sporting a look of wide-eyed amazement. A few of them had their hands clasped over their mouths.

---

At that moment...

At that moment, the buses from Crystal Prep were just pulling up to Canterlot High.

"So this is Canterlot High" Starlight Glimmer muttered as she gazed out the window at the school.

"Doesn't look like much to me" Sugarcoat said.

Starlight had to agree, she didn't see anything special about it. The plain buildings, the neat lawn, the rearing horse statue in front of the doors, no doubt an image of the Wondercolts, the CHS mascot.

"What the...?"Sugarcoat suddenly exclaimed. At that instant, Starlight felt the device in her hands vibrate. Looking down, she saw that it had lit up and part of it was glowing, the part that faced the school. She turned the device, and the light spun so that it was pointing towards the school.

"Well, at least we know these things work" Sugarcoat said. Her device was glowing as well.

"And it looks like my hunch was right about CHS" Starlight grinned.

"Don't you mean, Twilight and Sunset's hunch?" Sugarcoat jabbed.

Starlight scowled as the white-haired girl turned away, then glanced back towards Canterlot High, and suddenly noticed that one of the windows facing her was a different color than the rest. She held up the scanner, focusing on that window and the scanner's light got brighter. "Hmmmmm" She said to herself

---

Meanwhile...

"Uhhh, heh heh heh" Sunset chuckled nervously as she floated back down to the band room floor. The amber light faded as she landed, but her wings, horn, tail, and ears remained.

"What...in...the...world...just happened?" Sunrise spoke first.

"Um, yes, well, I assure you there is a perfectly logical explanation for what you just witnessed" Rarity answered. She smiled at the Rainbooms, but her body language was anything but relaxed.

"Which we'll come up with any second now" Rainbow Dash laughed nervously.

"Don't bother" Scarlet snapped, looking smug. "It's, like, totally obvious what just happened here"

"It is?" Sunset asked nervously.

"Here it comes!" Sunspot's voice suddenly returned, adding to fog of panic already clouding the girl's mind. "Now we'll see what they really think of you!"

"Well duh, of course it is!" Cirrus snorted, rolling her eyes. Then her face took on an excited look and she squealed "Wickedly awesome special effects!"

Sunset stared for a moment, then she laughed with relief. "Right, Special effects, that's exactly what it is. You totally got me!" She looked over at the other Rainbooms, silently urging them to play along.

"Oh right!"

"Uh huh!"

"Guilty as charged!" The Rainbooms quickly picked up the hint.

Sunset turned back to the girls, only to see almost all of them looking at Crystal, who was nodding at them.

Wildflower noticed Sunset's gaze and cleared her throat. "Wow Sunset, those wings look so real!" She said loudly, causing the other girls to quickly look back up.

"Indeed" Amethyst took a hesitant step forward, gazing at the glowing appendages. "And just look at the coloring. Just like a phoenix! I imagine they're part of the song you just performed?" The girl looked into Sunset's eyes. Sunset didn't see a trace of fear or hate in them at all, just genuine curiosity.

"Um...yes. They're props" Sunset said quickly. "You know how phoenixes can burst into flames when they die and are reborn from the ashes?" Amethyst nodded. "Well, I was thinking of mirroring that transformation during my song. And since I can't burst into flames..." Sunset winced as memories of her nightmare "This seemed like the next best concept"

"But..." Timberwood spoke up. "Phoenixes don't have horns" She pointed to her forehead.

Sunset's eyes flickered to the horn that had sprouted from her forehead. "I'm uh, still working on the concept" She tried to explain.

Before any of the girls could answer, there was a sudden knock at the door and Principal Celestia came in. "Ah good, I was hoping I might find all of you...here" The principal froze as she noticed Sunset's new appearance.

Uh oh! Sunset's pulse quickened as Principal Celestia visibly gasped. Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand to her mouth as she looked Sunset up and down.

Sunset felt her heart sink as she watched Principal Celestia's eyes dart to the visitors and widen even more.

"Sunset, what...what is all this? The principal finally stammered.

"Uh, they're just props" Rainbow Dash quickly answered. "For the new song Sunset's working on"

"Props?" Celestia repeated.

"Precisely" Rarity quickly took over. "It's supposed to symbolize Sunset's rebirth from her old self into a shining new person."

"Much like how a phoenix dies and is reborn again" Applejack added.

Celestia blinked. "Oh, I see" She smiled and gave a nervous laugh. "Silly me, I thought they were real for a second."

"That's just what we were saying" Cotton Candy spoke up.

"Yes, they do look very realistic, don't they?" Celestia's voice betrayed her unease and her smile was way too wide to be real. She made subtle motions with her hand, indicating Sunset should get rid of the wings.

Sunset's heart sank as she simply shrugged her shoulders in reply. Principle Celestia bit her lip, her eyes darted to the visitors and back again. Sunset's head drooped.

Principal Celestia seemed to recover herself. "Anyway, I apologize for interrupting the tour, but the students from Crystal Prep have just arrived, and the opening ceremony will begin shortly. Sunset, Vice Principal Luna wants to see you in the main foyer right away, without the props."

Sunset nodded, smiling apologetically up at Celestia. But inside her, she could feel tension rising. She had been charged with keeping magic away from the visiting students, and she wasn't off to a very good start. It was sheer luck that she had been able to pass off what had just happened as an act for the Rainbooms. Sunset was worried that the next time someone ponied up, it would not be so easy to explain away.

"Meanwhile, I need to..." Celestia paused when she she heard a loud buzzing sound coming from Scarlet's pocket.

The girl pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen. Sunset saw her raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me, I've, like, gotta take this" The girl turned on her heel and quickly strolled from the room.

"Anyway, I'm gong to need to..." Principal Celestia was again cut off by a cell phone, this time from Cirrus.

"Sorry, sorry" Cirrus squealed as she pulled out her phone. She glanced at the screen and her eyes widened. "I'll be right back!

Celestia watched the girl dash out of the room and turned to the girls. "Anyone else?" She asked sarcastically.

No one answered her.

"Good, anyway Sunrise, I need you to come with me. Your parents just called my office, they want to talk to you." Celestia turned to the pink-haired girl.

"Oh" Sunrise looked surprised, but then she suddenly smiled "Okay then" She walked over to Principal Celestia.

"I trust the rest of you can show our guests where they need to go?" Celestia turned to the Rainbooms, who nodded. "Good, then I will see you all at the opening ceremony" Celestia escorted the pink-haired girl out.

No sooner had the two left then there was a flash of light and Sunset's wings, horn, ears, and tail disappeared, returning her to normal.

"Cool, how did you do that?" Cotton Candy squealed.

Sunset glanced at the other Rainbooms, but was met with blank, uneasy stares. "Uh, that's a...trade secret" She said quickly.

"Awww" The girl pouted, and was consoled by a reassuring pat from Wildflower.

"Well, I'd better go see what Principle Luna wants from me." Sunset, unstrapped her guitar and carefully placed it on a guitar stand. "I'll see the rest of you later." She left the room. As she walked down the hall, she grew more and more worried.

"You dodged a bullet back there, Sunset" Sunset winced as sunspot's voice filled her head. "Think you'll be able to do it again?"

"Of course I will." Sunset muttered under her breath. "Vice Principal Luna charged me to keep magic away from our guests and there is no way I am letting her down."

"Oh yes" Sunspot sneered. As Sunset passed a classroom door, she thought she could see her demon self leering at her in the glass window. "I'm sure that ponying up in front of the prospective new students was exactly what she wanted you to do" The demon's voice dripped with cruel sarcasm. "Just face it Sunset, you can't figure this out. You failed in Equestira, and you'll fail here too"

Sunset said nothing, she just grit her teeth and clenched her fists as she walked. As much as she hated to admit it, Sunspot was right. Back in Equestria, when she had still been Celestia's student, Sunset had spent a lot of time researching ancient magic that hadn't been used for centuries. She had hoped to find a way to convert it for every-day use, but she had come up empty. That was the beginning of the long and dark road that had eventually lead her here.

But things were no better here. Sunset's magic research was going nowhere. None of her theories seemed to hold up, in fact the magic here seemed to delight in doing the exact opposite of what she wanted. It was so frustrating! And after the way Principal Celestia had reacted to seeing her 'ponied up' in front of the visiting students, Sunset became more determined than ever to fix this mess.

If that even was Principal Celestia, Sunset thought back to how the woman's gaze had focused on Sunset's horn first, before spreading to her wings, the exact opposite of what the others had done. This, combined with what she had felt after the rally, made Sunset think that maybe it was actually Princess Celestia, masquerading as their principal. And if that was the case, she had yet another reason to figure this out, a chance to finally impress her mentor.

Almost without thinking, Sunset reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out the magical journal. She flipped through the pages and sighed. Still no reply from Princess Twilight. Come on, Twilight. Don't leave me hanging like this. I need you...now more than ever. She thought sadly as she placed the book back into her bag. As she walked she didn't notice her shadow trailing along behind her, sporting a wicked-looking smile.

---

And Cut!

GGRRHHH! Summer classes can be so frustrating. If it wasn't for them, I would have had this chapter published a week ago! But it's up now!

Like I said before, This story will follow the plot-line of the Friendship Games movie with some added twists, mostly from the Legend of the Everfree film.

One thing I wanted to highlight in particular this chapter was the tension and stress that Sunset has to face. She has to figure out how to keep magic under control, she has a demon whispering into her ear (rather annoyingly, I might add!) and now she's developed this theory that Principal Celestia may in fact be Princess Celestia spying on her (Remember I said we would probably see more of the solar princess later on?) Seems like that would drive anyone to the breaking point!

So we've had one near miss so far. Think that they'll be so lucky next time? We'll see.

I confess I'm a little disappointed that no one's commented for a while. Of course, maybe you were all waiting for this chapter to come out. Well, now that it has, feel free to comment (or complain, it doesn't matter to me)

Until next time!