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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Twilight Sparkle Gets Serious to Win the Friendship Games
“Spike, I’ve got no choice.” Twilight’s eyes peered over her Canterlot High research board filled with newspaper clippings and hastily scrawled half-equations.
“There’s nothing here for me anymore.” Various books and notebooks were stuffed inside her backpack. Her magic pendant sat on her paper-infested table, open and empty.
“I have to get beyond these walls. I have to win that scholarship.” Twilight clenched her fists. Her eyes burned. “I need to win these friendship games!”
Under her, Spike yawned.
“Let the games begin!”
The Wondercolts and Shadowbolts stood ready in a line facing each other, all adorned with pristine lab coats and goggles. First of the academic decathlon was chemistry.
Twilight heard stomping. “We’re gonna take you—”
“No singing!” Her voice caused the nearby Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers to shake. The students from both schools looked at her, their mouths ajar. “Get back to work!”
The lab next to her promptly exploded.
Twilight didn’t mind the burning in the adjacent oven near her space. She kept her concentration as sawdust sailed up the vents and birdhouses collapsed. She ignored the murderous stares coming from all students as her chalk kissed the board, smothering numerical sweet nothings on its overworked timber.
“Correct!” Cinch said, examining her answer.
Twilight threw her chalk against the chalkboard and let out a furiously joyful yell as classmates both clapped and groaned from their seats.
“Seeing that Twilight single-handedly won—” Cinch started.
“We better not lose because the rest of you are slacking off!” Twilight yelled.
Twilight fidgeted as she and Sour Sweet took their place at the archery area.
One shot. Two. Three. All misses.
Next to her, Sour Sweet reeled.
Another. No hit.
Tears started to form behind her eyes.
“No! I won’t fail!” Her mind recalled basic archery training. She straightened her posture, raised her elbows. She let it fly…
And it hit! Sour Sweet harrumphed, but said nothing.
They still lost.
They were tied.
Twilight looked at the newly prepared capture the flag field. From a distance, an orange-haired female gave her what seemed to be a melancholy stare.
“This is it, Twilight.” Cinch placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her. “The tiebreaker. I realize that you’ve always bee—”
“I said no singing!” Twilight yelled, causing Cinch to jump back, her glasses almost falling off her face. Cinch stood frozen. “I’ll win these games. And you better keep your word!”
Twilight marched to the field, the Shadowbolts following her like a pyramidal geese flock.
They just needed to capture the flag. If we win this, we win the games.
Overhead, the speakers announced. “If both teams are ready…”
“No, Rainbow, no. Don’t say it,” a timid Wondercolt said nearby.
“Someone’s gotta tell her!” When Twilight looked up, a girl with prismatic-colored hair stomped toward her, scowling. “You’re a big meanie, Twilight! You’re nothing like our Twilight! Is winning all that matters to you?
Twilight grimaced, but she felt her eyes fiercely burning. “I need to win and get out of Crystal Prep. Canterlot High is in my way.”
“But you don’t have to be so…mean about it! Besides, look! No one on your team even likes you!”
“So?” Lemon Zest said.
“No one here likes anyone, anyways.” Sugar Coat crossed her arms.
Twilight ignored them. The orange-haired girl she saw earlier joined the hotheaded Wondercolt.
“Twilight, what happened to what these games were supposed to be all about? We’re supposed to be celebrating the coming together of two schools. We’re supposed to be celebrating friendship.”
What was she going on about? No. It didn’t matter. The flag. She had to focus.
“More like fiendship,” Lemon Zest whispered to someone.
“Friendship!” Rainbow repeated.
“Come on, Twilight,” the other girl said, softly smiling.
“The last event of the friendship games begins…”
“Let’s call a truce.” She raised her hand toward Twilight.
Twilight’s eyes looked toward the hand, then the girl, then once more at the hand.
“Let’s be friends. What do you say?”
“…Now!”
Twilight’s eyes darkened.
Around her, the students of Canterlot High were crumpled amongst the field, their faces deathly and downcast. Twilight grabbed the flag and the medals from the podium and slammed them on the floor in front of her classmates. They lurched back in fear.
“There! You happy! We won. Again! And you!”
Twilight trudged toward Cinch and poked her shoulder.
“Now approve my damn application already! Because you don’t want to know what will happen if you don’t!”
Cinch gulped.
“There’s nothing here for me anymore.” Various books and notebooks were stuffed inside her backpack. Her magic pendant sat on her paper-infested table, open and empty.
“I have to get beyond these walls. I have to win that scholarship.” Twilight clenched her fists. Her eyes burned. “I need to win these friendship games!”
Under her, Spike yawned.
“Let the games begin!”
The Wondercolts and Shadowbolts stood ready in a line facing each other, all adorned with pristine lab coats and goggles. First of the academic decathlon was chemistry.
Twilight heard stomping. “We’re gonna take you—”
“No singing!” Her voice caused the nearby Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers to shake. The students from both schools looked at her, their mouths ajar. “Get back to work!”
The lab next to her promptly exploded.
Twilight didn’t mind the burning in the adjacent oven near her space. She kept her concentration as sawdust sailed up the vents and birdhouses collapsed. She ignored the murderous stares coming from all students as her chalk kissed the board, smothering numerical sweet nothings on its overworked timber.
“Correct!” Cinch said, examining her answer.
Twilight threw her chalk against the chalkboard and let out a furiously joyful yell as classmates both clapped and groaned from their seats.
“Seeing that Twilight single-handedly won—” Cinch started.
“We better not lose because the rest of you are slacking off!” Twilight yelled.
Twilight fidgeted as she and Sour Sweet took their place at the archery area.
One shot. Two. Three. All misses.
Next to her, Sour Sweet reeled.
Another. No hit.
Tears started to form behind her eyes.
“No! I won’t fail!” Her mind recalled basic archery training. She straightened her posture, raised her elbows. She let it fly…
And it hit! Sour Sweet harrumphed, but said nothing.
They still lost.
They were tied.
Twilight looked at the newly prepared capture the flag field. From a distance, an orange-haired female gave her what seemed to be a melancholy stare.
“This is it, Twilight.” Cinch placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her. “The tiebreaker. I realize that you’ve always bee—”
“I said no singing!” Twilight yelled, causing Cinch to jump back, her glasses almost falling off her face. Cinch stood frozen. “I’ll win these games. And you better keep your word!”
Twilight marched to the field, the Shadowbolts following her like a pyramidal geese flock.
They just needed to capture the flag. If we win this, we win the games.
Overhead, the speakers announced. “If both teams are ready…”
“No, Rainbow, no. Don’t say it,” a timid Wondercolt said nearby.
“Someone’s gotta tell her!” When Twilight looked up, a girl with prismatic-colored hair stomped toward her, scowling. “You’re a big meanie, Twilight! You’re nothing like our Twilight! Is winning all that matters to you?
Twilight grimaced, but she felt her eyes fiercely burning. “I need to win and get out of Crystal Prep. Canterlot High is in my way.”
“But you don’t have to be so…mean about it! Besides, look! No one on your team even likes you!”
“So?” Lemon Zest said.
“No one here likes anyone, anyways.” Sugar Coat crossed her arms.
Twilight ignored them. The orange-haired girl she saw earlier joined the hotheaded Wondercolt.
“Twilight, what happened to what these games were supposed to be all about? We’re supposed to be celebrating the coming together of two schools. We’re supposed to be celebrating friendship.”
What was she going on about? No. It didn’t matter. The flag. She had to focus.
“More like fiendship,” Lemon Zest whispered to someone.
“Friendship!” Rainbow repeated.
“Come on, Twilight,” the other girl said, softly smiling.
“The last event of the friendship games begins…”
“Let’s call a truce.” She raised her hand toward Twilight.
Twilight’s eyes looked toward the hand, then the girl, then once more at the hand.
“Let’s be friends. What do you say?”
“…Now!”
Twilight’s eyes darkened.
Around her, the students of Canterlot High were crumpled amongst the field, their faces deathly and downcast. Twilight grabbed the flag and the medals from the podium and slammed them on the floor in front of her classmates. They lurched back in fear.
“There! You happy! We won. Again! And you!”
Twilight trudged toward Cinch and poked her shoulder.
“Now approve my damn application already! Because you don’t want to know what will happen if you don’t!”
Cinch gulped.