The Mobains, girls, and heroes were all walking down the hall talking about what just happened.

"All I did was hand Twilight a bunny. Then I ponied up," Fluttershy said.

"I just don't understand," Sonic said, "Rarity's magic came out when she made the outfits, Pinkie's when she fixed the party…"

"And now Fluttershy," Sunset said.

"But then Twilight's pendant just pulled the magic right out of her," Tails said, "She couldn't even stand up."

"Like Pinkie at the party," Manic said.

"Or Rarity right before we met Twilight," Silver agreed.

"So… what? You think she's stealing magic?" Spider asked.

"I don't know," Applejack said.

"She doesn't really seem like the magic-stealing type if you ask me," Knuckles said.

"Yeah, but she had something to do with closing the portal," Sunset said.

"You're right about that," Shadow said, "If her pendant can pull magic away, maybe it stole the portal too."

"How is that possible?" Breeze asked.

"I don't know," Sunset said, "And the pony, or person, or princess who could help me figure this out is completely unreachable now."

"Yeah," Sonic said, "I really feel like we could use her help by now, but she's probably dealing with problems of her own."

"Which is too bad!" Pinkie said as she began popping randomly out of different places, such as from inside a locker or a vent in the ceiling, "Because Twilight knows everything about magic and portals and magical portals and portable magics!"

They all came outside the side door to the playing field. "For now, let's just focus on beating the Shadowbolts," Rainbow said, "And as long as this event puts me in a playing field, I don't think we've got anything to worry about."

"Oh, it puts you on a playing field all right," Applejack said pointing at the field.

When everyone else looked, they all gasped in shocked. The field had a lot of stuff. The two bleachers each had a sigh with their team, behind them was a place for the judgments of the schools, in the middle was an obstacle course with targets for archery, around was a little flat dirt race track for speed skating, and around that was a bunch of dirt hills and ramps for motocross motorcycles.

"Ho… ly… cow," Manic said.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is overkill?" Sunset asked.

"Oh, believe me," Specter said, "You're not the only one."

"Uh-huh," Sonic said.

Strike looked over the place, "Hmm, I guess they really wanted to make this event extreme."

Applejack asked Rarity, "I don't suppose you made motocross outfits."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Rarity said, before she smiled and randomly pulled out two different motocross outfits, "Of course I did!"

"Huh, just like the Rarity on our world," Ant said, "Always prepared for anything."

In the middle, Cinch was giving the pairs for Indigo, Sugarcoat, Lemon, Sunny, Sour, and Twilight.

"You will race in pairs," Cinch said, "Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap will handle the motocross."

"Yes!" Indigo said in excitement.

"Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare have requested the short track," Cinch said.

Lemon and Sunny gave each other a high-five. Then Cinch said, "Since archery is a standard requirement at our school, any of you should be able to do it. Twilight and Sour Sweet will start us off."

"Well, that's just marvelous!" Sour said, until she growled, "If you want to lose before we even start."

"Given that Twilight won the last event single-handedly, I have every confidence that she will be able to pull her weight here," Cinch said, "Won't you?"

Twilight nervously nodded. Cinch then noticed Strike was standing by the judgments area with the others. She held her hand out to him and waved it back and fourth, telling him to come over.

Strike sighed as he said to his friends, "Give me a minute. Cinch needs a word with me."

Strike walked over to Cinch and the CP girls. "What do you need, Principle Cinch?"

"There's just something I wanted to ask you, Strike," Cinch said, "Have you been noticing some strange things going on here at CHS lately?"

"Not that I know of, why?" Strike asked.

"The CHS students moving on this event are the girls who have been nice to Twilight," Cinch said, "Do you think that something's up with them?"

"Why would there be?" Strike said, "They're just friends. I've been visiting them a bit. I don't know anything that they're doing wrong."

"Well, if you happen to know something, just let me know," Cinch said.

Strike just rolled his eyes, "Listen, I'm not one of your students, and I'm not doing anything for you."

Strike walked away from Cinch and the girls with frustration on his face. When he came back to his friends, he was calm again.

"Yo, bro, you okay?" Breeze asked.

"I'm fine," Strike said, "I just don't like it when Cinch tries to use me. It's annoying."

"I used to feel the same way before," Shadow said.

Later, when it was time for the second event, the students of CHS and CP have sat in the bleachers cheering for their teams. Applejack and Fluttershy were going against Twilight and Sour in archery, Rarity and Pinkie against Lemon and Sunny, and Sunset and Rainbow against Indigo and Sugarcoat. The Mobains and heroes were in a quiet space watching and being aware for trouble. Specter left to do something.

Cadance announced through a microphone, "Welcome, everyone, to the Friendship Games' Tri-Cross Relay!"

Everyone cheered in excitement. Cadance continued, "In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in archery, speed skating, and finally motocross. So if the competitors are ready…"

Cadance blew a horn and it made a loud start blast. Archery was the start of the Tri-Cross Relay. Fluttershy and Sour were up first. They began to run up over the obstacles as Twilight and Applejack got in position for their turns.

"Each competitor must hit a bulls-eye before their teammates can start the next leg of the relay," Cadance said.

Sour grabbed a quiver full of arrows. She then got a hold of a rope as she swung over a pit of mud, and as she landed on the platform, she grabbed her bow and did a front roll. She instantly had three arrows in her hand and fired them all at once. They all hit her target, and one of them hit the exact perfect point.

Now that was Twilight's time to move up. She began to run for it. Fluttershy was trying to pull her string, but without her Chaos Emerald, all she had was her kindness, so she tried to be careful. When she tried a first shot, she barely pulled it.

As Twilight went and jumped over a haystack, her foot tripped right on it, and she landed hard on her face. Ow. Sour growled in annoyance. Then she saw Fluttershy trying a little harder and looking away, and this time it was closer to her target, but it hit the ground.

"You can do it, Fluttershy," Tails thought, "I believe in you."

Twilight jumped and grabbed the rope and swung over the mud, but she didn't quite reach it, and her foot was able to touch the platform and keep her from falling in. Sour growled more. Fluttershy thought about where the target would be. Then she turned her head away, closed her eyes, held her breath, and let go of the arrow. And it hit a bulls-eye.

Fluttershy gave a thumbs-up to Applejack telling her it was her turn. Applejack went and jumped over the obstacles. Her and Twilight's targets were spinning in circles so this could be tricky.

Applejack fired her first arrow, and it didn't landed right the bulls-eye, but it hit the target. Fluttershy gave a clap for her. Twilight tried her first shot, and she just missed the target. Sour growled at her again.

Applejack took a deep breath and focused on her timing at the target. She pulled the string back, and then released it. It hit the bulls-eye. Rarity and Pinkie began speed skating while Lemon and Sunny were still stuck.

"And Canterlot is off to an early lead," Cadance said.

Twilight kept trying to hit her target, but they were both too far away and too late. Rarity and Pinkie did a lap, and Sour was angry, "Well, that's just fantastic!"

"I'm sure glad I don't go to Crystal Prep," Fluttershy said.

"You said it," Applejack agreed.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!" Pinkie screamed in fun as she and Rarity did a second lap.

"If CPA can't hit another bulls-eye soon, they'll be out of this race," Candace announced.

Twilight was starting to get in tears as she grabbed another arrow and began to pull it back. She really felt she couldn't do it.

"You're really bad at this," Sugarcoat called out.

"Ugh!" Applejack groaned, "I can't take anymore!"

Applejack got off her platform and went to Twilight.

"What is she doing?" Tails asked.

"You'll see," Knuckles said, "Trust me."

Applejack went to help Twilight, "You have stop aiming at the target."

"Oh, that makes perfect sense," Sour said, "Don't aim at the target. Thanks so much."

Applejack just ignored her. "You have to stop aiming at where the target is, and aim at where the target's gonna be."

"Yeah, definitely get advice from the person YOU'RE COMPETEING AGAINST!" Sour yelled.

"Do you wanna hit the bulls-eye or not?" Applejack asked.

Twilight wiped her tears and nodded. "Then trust me," Applejack said, "Take a deep breath…"

Twilight inhaled and exhaled deeply and concentrated on Applejack's voice, "And let the arrow go… right… now!"

Twilight released the arrow, and then… it hit the bulls-eye. Now Lemon and Sunny were able to move and try to catch up to Rarity and Pinkie.

Spike came to Twilight, "Yeah! That's my girl."

Twilight smiled and cuddled Spike. Then she hugged Applejack, and Applejack smiled.

"See? I was telling you the truth?" Applejack said.

Applejack then began to glow bright orange and pony up. She gained her ears and tail. Knuckles smiled, "Atta girl, Applejack."

Strike suddenly realized what was about to happen, "Oh, no."

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

Strike pointed at what he meant and the others looked. Twilight's pendant turned on and began to pull Applejack's magic out of her.

"What… are… you… doing?" Applejack groaned.

"I don't know!" Twilight said.

Right as Twilight slammed the pendant shut, she fell over onto the ground, and the pendant was out of her hand. It rolled onto the speed skating track, and it opened. It began to spread out the power it had inside it and open portals. Twilight gasped.

Then all of a sudden, a hand grabbed Strike's shoulder and pulled him right away. "What the-? Strike, where'd you go?" Sonic asked.

Strike was suddenly on the ground right next to Twilight, and everyone gasped when they saw him.

"Strike, get away!" Twilight said.

"We need to close the pendant, Twilight!" Strike said.

Sunset suddenly called out to Strike, "STRIKE, WATCH OUT!"

Strike looked and saw a fireball shooting right at him. He quickly rolled out of the way and saw who threw it, Red Reaper.

Reaper created a fire axe and walked towards Strike and growled, "It's round 2, Strike. And this time… NO MERCY!"