Game Plan
Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were standing behind a podium at the front of the gymnasium. All the Canterlot High students were in the bleachers, including the Equestria Girls.
Principal Celestia cleared her throat and spoke into the microphone: “As I’m sure you know, tomorrow Canterlot High will be hosting our fellow students from Crystal Prep Academy.”
Kids groaned, booed, and sighed. Nobody looked very excited.
“We join together,” continued the principal, “in the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship, and fidelity to compete in the Friendship Games.”
One or two kids clapped halfheartedly.
Principal Celestia ignored her audience’s lack of enthusiasm and forced herself to smile. “Now, since the Games only happen every four years, I’m sure you’re all curious about what goes on.…”
“You mean other than us losing?” Flash Sentry shouted from the stands.
The principal glared at Flash. “That is exactly why I’ve asked Rainbow Dash to come up and give us all a little… context.”
Rainbow Dash hopped down from the bleachers and strode to the podium. “Thanks, Principal Celestia,” she said. “I know a lot of you might think there’s no way we can beat a fancy school like Crystal Prep at anything.”
“Unless it’s losing to Crystal Prep!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “We’re really good at that.”
Rainbow Dash ignored her. “I know that Canterlot High has never won the Friendship Games even once.”
Rarity sighed, whispering to Sunset Shimmer, “Oh dear, I hope this speech isn’t meant to be motivational.”
Rainbow Dash ignored the mutterings from the crowd. She knew how to unite a team, she knew how to focus them on winning, and she was determined to do it. “Crystal Prep’s students are super athletic, super smart, and super motivated, but there’s one thing they aren’t. They aren’t… Wondercolts!”
Someone struck a drum. A trumpet blared. The school band marched into the gym, playing a rousing fight song. Rainbow Dash’s eyes sparkled. She began to sing into the microphone, and all across the gymnasium, students joined in. Her determination and enthusiasm were infectious.
“There’s other schools, but none can
Make those claims.
Our friendships here at Canterlot
Won’t ever stop.
That’s why it’ll be a snap to win
These games.”
DJ Pon-3 pulled a small mixer out of her backpack and plugged it into a cable at her feet. The music blasted through the loudspeakers. Kids were clapping and cheering.
Up at the podium, Rainbow Dash was leading the crowd, singing and dancing.
“We’ll always be Wondercolts!
From now until the end!
It’s a wonder you don’t know that.
It’s no wonder that we’re friends.
It’s no wonder!”
The kids in the band headed into the stands, handing out Wondercolt ears and tails for everyone to wear. The Equestria Girls were lifting their knees and tossing their hair, prancing and dancing in time to the music.
Rainbow Dash was grinning.
“We’re not the school we were
Before—we’re different now.
There’s magic in the ties we’ve
Made that bind.
We’re a Canterlot united, and we’ll
Never bow.
Together we can overcome all
Obstacles we find.”
The walls shook with the roar of everyone singing. The floor shook as the kids danced in the bleachers. They weren’t losers—they were the Wondercolts, and Wondercolts knew how to have fun and how to win.
“We’ll always be Wondercolts!
From now until the end!
It’s a wonder you don’t know that.
It’s no wonder that we’re friends.
It’s no wonder!”
Rainbow Dash held the microphone to her lips and began rapping, “And if some school thinks that they can beat us, they’ll just learn you can’t defeat us!”
Pony ears poked up through Rainbow Dash’s multicolored hair. Her pony tail began to swish and wave. Wings sprouted on her back, and she flew up over the crowd. “When we walk these halls, we are royalty. Hearts filled with pride and loyalty!”
Kids pumped their fists in the air. They cheered. They smiled. They were ready because they were the Wondercolts.
Fluttershy was thrilled. “That was amazing. Even I feel like we can win.”
“I feel like my school pride is at an all-time high,” agreed Rarity.
Applejack was thinking about something, however. “Is anybody else wondering how Dash ponied up without playing her guitar?”
“I know, right?” Rainbow Dash had rejoined her friends and couldn’t believe it, either. “It’s probably because I’m so awesome.”
“Maybe,” answered Sunset Shimmer, who was trying to put it all together. “I mean, you are awesome, but there’s gotta be more to it than that, don’t you think? It just seems so random.”
“It would be nice if you could get a handle on it.” Vice Principal Luna had joined them, and she didn’t look pleased. At all. “We’d like to keep magic as far away from the Friendship Games as possible. We don’t want to be accused of cheating.”
“We don’t need magic to defeat those hoity-toity Crystal Preppers!” exclaimed Rarity.
“Totally!”
“Yeah!”
Kids all around them chimed in, agreeing.
“Still, the Friendship Games are serious business,” the vice principal reminded them. “We don’t want any surprises, especially the kind that could cause us to forfeit. Sunset Shimmer, you came here from a world of magic. Perhaps you can get to the bottom of our magical development.”
Sunset Shimmer was both startled and pleased. “I’ll do my best.”
“Sounds good,” said Vice Principal Luna.
As soon as she was gone, Rainbow Dash turned to her friends. “Okay, anybody have any guesses what the events are going to be?”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened. “Pie eating? Cake eating? Pie-cake eating?”
“They won’t even let us see what they’re doing to the field. You’d think they’d at least tell the competitors what they’re competing in,” said Applejack.
“It could be anything,” Fluttershy realized.
“Anything?” Rarity was alarmed. “How will I ever pick the right outfit?”
Sunset Shimmer was distracted by something, something she couldn’t figure out, and as one of the smartest kids at Canterlot High, she could usually figure out everything. “I really want to help,” she said to the other girls. “But I think I better go focus on why Rainbow Dash ponied up. See ya later!”
The girls stared at her as she exited the gymnasium by herself.
Pinkie Pie was the first to speak. “Seems like she’s got everything under control. Nothing to worry about.”
But Sunset Shimmer didn’t share her confidence. In the library, she took out her magic journal and dashed off another letter to Twilight Sparkle.
Hey, Twilight, she wrote. Haven’t heard back from you yet. I guess you must be pretty busy with your role as princess, but I could really use your advice right now. You see, I have been given the job of keeping magic under control here at CHS, even though I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around it, and now, after seeing Rainbow Dash pony up the way she did, it makes me think our magic might be changing. Everyone is looking to me to figure things out and I really don’t want to let them down, but I am not sure I have enough experience with friendship magic to solve this.…
She put down her pen and sighed. Hopefully, she would hear back from Twilight Sparkle before the Friendship Games started. Why wasn’t she answering her?