That was the end of the first day, and the sun was beginning to set.

Soon, everyone was gathered in the gymnasium for the huge dinner feat prepared by Celesto’s faithful chef, Cookie Dough, and the cafeteria at school as well.

Roast Beef, Turkey, Chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, even pizza’s soups and fries, and big dessert table for afterwards.

Once again, the students from the respective schools did not wish to sit with one another and interact and just sat on opposite ends of the gym away from the other, at their own tables. Even when they got up to get more food, when two students from opposing sides met up, they would look away from one another. Sapphire noted how much everyone seemed to really hate one another, and she didn’t like it a bit. She's the Princess of Friendship so she was going to spread friendship at these games. Sapphire went over to the table with Indigo and the other Crystal Prep girls were sitting and she heard them grumbling to each other.

“I can’t believe those guys…!” Indigo grumbled “…They totally stomped all over us.”

“Please don’t grumble at us.” said Sour, and then she sneered “It was your idea to set all that up, and they beat us anyway.”

“Maybe if you had done better in the Archery event.” snapped Sugar

“Hello, Starla Shine’s a master archer!” protested Lemon.

“Um… hello.” Sapphire cut in. The girls stared at her with fierceness, but it didn’t frighten her, being that she had three monsters as friends, “What do you want?!” Sugar snapped.

“I was wondering if I could sit with you, girls.” Sapphire said with a small smile. Before the girls could respond, “Sapphire!” Rainbow came and yanked her away. “Eep.”

“Sapphire, we told you, you can’t interact with them.”

“Why not?”

“Because if they find out about your talents you could be in danger.”

Sapphire sighed sadly and went to the table with Rainbow and her friends were sitting. She could only look back at the Crystal Prep girls sadly.

Shining Armor sat at one of the staff tables with his wife, aunts and uncle. “Poor Sapphire, she’s really trying to make friends." Celestia couldn’t help but sigh and groan “Some Friendship Games this is turning out to be. I hope this doesn’t lead to a war of schools.”

“I hope not too.” agreed Cadance “It’s already hard enough with this rivalry, but if things got any worse…”

Her uncle cut in and assured her “Don’t worry, that will not happen, I’ll make sure of it. I built and run these schools to try and help others, not to cause riffs. Perhaps once the two schools realize how similar they are, things can start to get better.”

“That will be easier said than done.” said Luna.

“Now sister, Sapphire didn’t get the title Princess of Friendship for nothing. I believe she has a better chance of getting our school to get along than anyone else.” Celestia added. Snowflake came over and nuzzled Luna and she smiled. “At least Emerald isn’t like them.”

“Yeah, Sapphire has really changed him.” Celestia said. “I hope what happened to Emerald can happen with Crystal Prep.”

Before the students went to bed, Sapphire snuck out of the school and she was in the back. She just sat down at looked at the moon shining in the sky. “... Sapphire?” Sapphire turned and saw her friends. "What are you doing out here?” Sunset asked.

“Just thinking.” Sapphire replied.

“About what?” Buddy asked.

“Crystal Prep.”

“Still wanna try and make friends with them, huh?” Artie guessed.

Sapphire nodded.

“Why are so you determined to make them a friend?

Their attitudes are bad to the end.” Rhymey asked.

Sapphire sighed, “It’s something Lucy told me once… when I was little.”

“What did she say?” Sunset asked.

Sapphire stood up as music played in the background and she sang the song Lucy sang to her.

When the song was over, her friends stared at her in awe, “So that’s why you wanted to make friends with them. We’re all one.” Rainbow realized.

Sapphire nodded. “If I can get Emerald, Marla, Bronc and Keto to change, I can get all of Crystal Prep to change.” Rainbow and the others admired her determination and hope. What they didn’t notice was Celesto, Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor peeking from behind the doorway and they smiled proudly at Sapphire.

In addition, many pairs of eyes were staring at Sapphire from a distance.

---

Most of the Canterlot Students who lived in the general area just went home and would return the next morning for the games to continue, while the remaining students along with all the Crystal Prep students would be spending the night in the gym.

Celesto had special cots he had ordered, all complete with pillows sheets, covers, the works. He wanted nothing but comfort for his students.

Despite the many number of students staying, the gym was more than big enough for all, especially seeing as the girls and guys were divided by their own respective sides.

Some of the students even packed their own pajamas, while others would just sleep in their regular clothes. All their shoes and extra things were kept in the respective locker rooms.

“Gee, it sure feels weird staying in the school like this.” said Dyno.

“Si, and on the weekend too.” added Myte.

“Well, at least we won’t have to worry about being late in the morning.” said Buddy Rose.

Rhymey and Artie looked across at the girls’ side, and spotted their girlfriends getting ready for bed.

Fluttershy was brushing her long hair, and then she spotted a note on her pillow which read.

She looked over at Rhymey and whispered “Thank you.”

He could read her lips and smiled at her.

Sunset was climbing into her cot. Then her eyes met with Artie’s and she smiled at him.

He blushed softly, and he blew her another kiss, and she returned his.

The lights suddenly flickered, and everyone turned to face Celesto, “Alright everyone. Get a good night now. Wake up call is at seven sharp, breakfast will be served at 7:30. Then wash, dressed, and be ready for the academic decathlon by nine.

All right… lights out. No talking.”

He turned out the lights and left, but left the gym doors unlocked in case the kids had to use the washrooms, and the emergency lights were on but very faint so people could see and find their way around.

All the students were out like candles after a long day. Some of them snored softly, but no one complained, especially those who brought earplugs.

No one noticed the door opening and one figure walking into the gym room. It spotted Sapphire and levitated her out of the room without anyone noticing, not even Snowflake. The figure and it’s friends left the school and disappeared into the night.

---

The next morning, all the students awoke at the sound of the school bell. Some of the kids practically fell out of their cots in fear of the sudden sounds.

Vice Principal Luna spoke over the P.A “Good morning students, please be advised that breakfast will be served at 7:30 A.M. Please clear the gym immediately.”

Many of the students groaned but began to file out. Snowflake suddenly started roaring in distress. “Snowflake, what’s wrong?” Sunset asked

Snowflake pointed to the spot where Sapphire was supposed to be. “Sapphire’s Gone?!” Pinkie cried.

Everyone gasped. “What happened?!” Luna asked as she and other adults came into the room. “Sapphire’s gone?!” Sunset cried.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” Celesto asked.

“Gone as in something or someone took her in the middle of the night.” Rainbow growled. “And I bet I know who.”

“Don’t look at us, Rainbow.” Sugar snarled. "We didn't touch that girl of yours."

“We would never get rid of the competition.” Indigo added. Rainbow growled. Celestia said the games would be put on hold until further notice“Let’s check the security cameras.” Cadence suggested and were viewing the footage from the cameras from the computer in Celestia’s office.

“Ummm Stop!…” Artie said.

The footage showed a figure walking into the gym without opening the door, levitating Sapphire, sleeping bag and all and out of the gym room. “Rewind.” Fluttershy said. Celestia rewind the footage and everyone saw that the figure had six yellow rings on it’s body but it’s body must have been black as night cause that’s all they could see. “Great… very helpful.” Rainbow grumbled.

“This doesn’t make any sense, what could have opened the door without using their hands and levitate Sapphire out of the room.” Sunset asked.

“All we know is that it’s black and has yellow rings.” Celesto said. Snowflake came in the room holding a red device in her mouth. “What do you have there, Snowflake?” Sunset took the device and it showed exactly what the cameras showed,

“Umbreon?! Like the pokemon Umbreon? No way!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Yes way and it made off with our Sapphire.” Buddy said. “We’ve gotta find her.”

“How, Umbreon took her during the night. She could be off the island by now.” Sunset stated. Snowflake warbled, worried about her buddy. “Don’t worry Snowflake, we’ll find her.” Celestia reassured.

Snowflake warbled and then looked at the window and gave a sudden roar. “What?” Sunset and everyone else looked and saw another pokemon. This one was pink with a long tail and red eyes. It stared at them and then leaped off the window sill. “Hey wait!” Rainbow rushed out the office followed by everyone else and out of the school. The pokemon leaped majestically into the forest near Canterlot High. “Woah, it’s fast.” Sunset said. The pokemon suddenly stopped in a clearing that others did too. Everyone gasped seeing about four more pokemon

The first pokemon was a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon covered with pale cream-colored fur with pink feet, ears, and tail. It has light blue eyes, long ears with blue interiors and thicker fur, a tiny nose, and two stray tufts of fur on top of its head. There are two bows on its body: one at the base of its left ear and one on its neck. Each bow is pale cream with a pink center and trails a pair of ribbon-like feelers. The feelers are pale cream with light blue tips. Before the tip of each feeler is a pink and then a dark blue stripe. It has slender legs with small, three-toed paws and a fluffy, slightly curved tail.

The second pokemon was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon with light orange skin. It has large, grayish-green eyes and a round snout with small nostrils. A pair of long, thin antennae sprout from the top of its head with a small horn set between them. Its striated underbelly is cream-colored and extends from its neck to the tip of its long, tapering tail. It has thick arms and legs ending in three claws each. The leg joints are well defined, while its arms have a smooth, rounded appearance. Its wings are small relative to its body with teal wing membranes.

The third pokemon was a quadruped, canine Pokémon. It is primarily light brown with a darker brown muzzle, paws, and ear tips. It has large blue eyes, button ears, a short muzzle with a triangular pink nose, and a short tuft of fur on each cheek. Around its neck is a ruff of grayish-white fur stubbed with dark brown pebbles. The dark brown markings on its paws extend to a thin point on each wrist and ankle. It has a grayish-white tail that curls tightly over its back and is covered in fluffy fur.

The fourth pokemon was a short, chubby rodent Pokémon. It is covered in yellow fur with two horizontal brown stripes on its back. It has a small mouth, long, pointed ears with black tips, and brown eyes. Each cheek is a red circle that contains a pouch for electricity storage. It has short forearms with five fingers on each paw, and its feet each have three toes. At the base of its lightning bolt-shaped tail is a patch of brown fur.

The one bipedal pokemon growled at the gang. “Dragonite, it’s okay. They’re my friends.” Sapphire said, coming to their side. Dragonite looked at Sapphire, who nodded at them. The pokemon calmed down and backed off. “Sapphire, thank goodness you’re alright. We were so worried.” Fluttershy said.

“What happened and where did all these pokemon come from?” Rainbow asked.

“Umbreon took me in the middle of the night so I could reconnect with my old friends.” Sapphire explained.

“Old friends?” Luna echoed.

“Yeah, all these pokemon belong to Lucy.” Sapphire said.

“WHAT?!” Everyone exclaimed.

“They all belonged to her?!” Rainbow exclaimed.

Sapphire nodded. “They helped her look after me when I was younger.”

“So what are they doing here now?” Luna asked.

“Umbreon, Umbre.”Umbreon said.

“Umbreon said they wanted to come and stay with me.” Sapphire said. “And I already said yes.”

“Well with this settled let’s get back to the school.” Celesto suggested. Everyone agreed and they all walked back to the school.

---

Soon, all the students were all showered, dressed and eating breakfast in the gym, and Celestia made the announcement “Don’t forget, today begins the academic decathlon." The Starfleet gang sat at their private table. "What's a decathlon?" Sapphire asked.

"It's just small series of events, Sapphire nothing too hard." Rainbow reassured. Sapphire nodded and Pikachu leaped onto her lap. "Pikachu."

Sapphire smiled and rubbed the cheeky little pokemon. "I can't believe all of them belong to Lucy as well. I thought she only had Hydreigon" Sunset said.

"Well, she said she would give them to me when I was old enough to have pokemon of my own." Sapphire explained.

"Well you definitely are old enough now." Buddy teased. Sapphire smiled. Soon, breakfast had ended, and it was time to begin the Academic Decathlon.

There were many types of contests in the decathlon including Baking, chemistry, woodshop, even a spelling bee.

The Crystal Prep students spared no effort in desperation to catch-up, and catch up they did thanks to the double point values.

By the end of the events it was a tie between the Wondercolts and the Shadowbolts.

Now it was down to the final ordeal, in an extreme battle of mathematics…

They each sang their own solo part in the song.

In the end, Sunset’s calculations were incorrect and Crystal Prep was declared the victor. As it now stood, Canterlot High and Crystal Prep were tied perfectly.

“This has been an exciting decathlon.” Celestia announced “I think Crystal Prep just may take us at Canterlot by surprise, but there’s only one way to know for sure, and that’s a sudden death.”

All the students gasped like in horror movie.

“After lunch, we will decide the best students from each side to represent in the final faceoff.”

With that settled things were really getting tense for all the students. Now, the students were all having lunch in the gym. The Crystal Prep students, pleased with the latest turnaround in the scores from the decathlon, were ruder than ever; blowing raspberries, and making nasty faces to the Canterlot students, many of them wanted to retaliate by starting a food fight…

…and they did!

The kids went totally crazy. Food flew in all directions, splatting on the floors and tables, but mostly on all the students. The adults and the Starfleet gang walked in at that moment and were appalled. “Oh no.” Sunset groaned.

Before the adults could do anything, Sapphire turned to them. “Let us handle this. Pikachu?”

Pikachu stood ready. “Use Discharge!” Pikachu cried out as electricity went flying and shocked all the students and made a large explosion. When the smoke cleared, all the students were on the floor, groaning, twitching and sparking with electricity. Sunset and the others, including the adults, sweat dropped. “I think you overdid it.” Rainbow said with a straight face.

"Not the most civil way to stop a fight but effective." Luna agreed.

“I only care about results.” Sapphire grinned. The student got up with a groan and growled at each other. The Dragonaite leapt between them and growled at them. “What is going on here!” Celesto bellowed in anger.

“They started it.” The Canterlot and Crystal Prep students said in unison pointing at the other side.

Then Lucario and Sapphire's other pokemon came out. "Ampahros, Ampha." it exclaimed.

“Ampharos says that your fighting is senseless and pathetic.” Sapphire translated. “Can’t you teenagers get along?”

“We don’t like them.” Indigo hissed.

“And we don’t like you!” a Canterlot student snarled.

Sapphire growled, “Everyone STOP IT!” She bellowed at the top of her lungs, making a shockwave that shut everyone up. She then broke into song along with her pokemon.

When the song was finished, the students from either side looked at each other with remorse and regret. "So... can you all please try to get along with each other?" Sapphire asked everyone only to be met by silence. Sapphire stared at the two slides of students waiting for answer as to if they would agree to get along with each other. Her friends and the adults waited for the answer as well. Then all the students looked at each other with remorse and regret.

As for the Friendship Games, they were all called off. Since everyone had had quite enough excitement for one weekend. Plus, Indigo finally confessed that she and her friends had cheated during the games, resulting in disqualification. So Canterlot High was awarded victory be default.

Indigo, her friends, and all the CPA students promised never to act the way they had again. “We’ll just train to get better, and maybe next year we’ll win fair and square.” Indigo said.

Her friends agreed and shook hands politely with everyone before hopping on their busses to head home.

Next Chapter: Episode 10: Sapphire and a Secret Admirer Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 29 Minutes