Parallel Equestria Girls - Chapter 5

Twilight has been practicing how to be a pony for a while with the rest of the Mane 6. Right now she is learning how to walk and gallop with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. This... had some problems, but I believe she has the hang of it now. She misses a step and trips down every now and then, but it could be worse.

"Nice!" Applejack speaks up. "You're doin' a lot better than the last ten times."

"I'm sorry, Applejack, but after walking on two legs for all my life, it just feels weird to suddenly walk like a baby," Twilight speaks up. "I wonder if my pony counterpart is having as much trouble as I am right now."

"Well, right back at ya, Twilight!" Pinkie speaks up. "After walking on four legs all our lives, anypony would feel weird if they suddenly had to walk on their hind legs!"

"Probably not everyone…" Twilight added under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Pinkie. Nothing at all." Twilight then stared fixatedly at Pinkie.

"What's with the looks, Twilight?"

"Oh, sorry… it's just I'm reminded a lot of another Pinkie. Probably the one from my world. We met when I was in preschool back in Manhattan. We quickly became best friends. But their family moved away… I haven't seen her since."

"Well, it makes me happy that we've been friends for so long! We've only met our Twilight for about a year, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah! And a lot has happened since then: we beat Nightmare Moon, we beat and reformed Discord, we stopped Queen Chrysalis' plans-twice-and we saved the Crystal Empire and defeated King Sombra." Twilight let her jaw drop to the floor, her eyes as big as dinner plates. "I know! I wouldn't have believed it either!"

After picking her jaw back up and snapping it into place, Twilight was able to blurt out: "Seems like you ponies had your hooves full…"

"That's putting it mildly."

"Hate to interrupt," Applejack speaks up, "but don't ya think we should get back to work? We still need to work on Twilight's flying and her magic. And that's gonna be a lot harder than this!"

"I guess you're right, Applejack. Now then, Twilight, one more time!"

---

It's lunch time in Canterlot High. All the students are busy in the cafeteria, having a well enjoyed meal. Fluttershy and Twilight grab their trays.

"I know we just met," Twilight tells Fluttershy as she tries to grab her food, "but I was wondering if you'd like to help me with something."

"Of course!" Fluttershy responds as she picks up a salad.

"I've decided to run for Princess of the Fall Formal."

Twilight's statement was so sudden that Fluttershy dropped her salad in shock. Right on Twilight.

Fluttershy quickly picks up a group of napkins and quickly cleans up Twilight's clothes. "Sorry, sorry! It's just that… running for Fall Formal Princess is a really bad idea!"

"Why?"

"Sunset Shimmer wants to be Fall Formal Princess. And when she wants something, she gets it! Everyone who has ever run against her had something terrible happen to them, so Sunset kept winning by default!"

As the two are looking for a table, Fluttershy continues. "Everyone keeps falling for her nice, sweet and caring demeanor, but it's really just an act! She's really mean, selfish and cruel! Plus, she has a lot of connections to very high people, so one way or another she will get what she wants!"

"I at least have to try!" Twilight tried to convince herself more than Fluttershy.

"I don't think you understand. You'd have to convince everyone here to vote for you instead of her."

As Fluttershy explains the different groups in the school, something has been going on in Twilight's mind.

"Why is everypony-" Spike slaps Twilight to get her to say the right word "-everybody separated this way?"

"Maybe it was different at your old school," Fluttershy explains as the two sit down, "but here, everyone sticks to their own kind. One thing they do have in common, though, is that they know Sunset Shimmer is going to rule this school until she graduates. Which with any luck will be this year."

"She won't win this year. Not if I can help it!" Twilight boldly claims as she takes a bite out of her apple. Without using her hands.

Getting a weird look from Fluttershy, Twilight quickly adjusts herself. "So… where can I find the head of the party planning committee?"

---

No classes are being made in the gym in these few days, and with good reason, what with the Fall Formal coming up.

The front doors are opened by Twilight, examining the room as if she was looking for something-or someone.

Suddenly she hears a voice. "Incoming!"

Twilight looks up and sees streamers falling down towards her. After she ducked from the incoming party decorations and had them covered over her body, she looks up to see where that came from. She sees a girl with pink hair blowing a balloon. Twilight walks towards her and starts to talk to her.

"Hi… my name's Twilight Sparkle and-" Once she turns around Twilight realizes who she is. "Pinkie Pie?"

Once she heard her name, Pinkie quickly grabs Twilight.

"How did you know? Are you psychic?"

"I don't think so. Unless that's something you can do here…"

"Not usually," Pinkie says as she lets go of Twilight and drops her to the floor.

As Twilight gets up, she continues. "Fluttershy said this is where I'd find the head of the Fall Formal planning committee…"

Upon hearing Fluttershy's name, Pinkie's tone suddenly changed to a more angry-sounding one. "Fluttershy, huh…? Don't let the whole shy thing fool you! She can be a real meanie!"

"You two aren't friends?"

"You're kind of late to sign up. The dance is the day after tomorrow."

"I'm kind of new here. I've just recently moved here from Everfree High in Manhattan."

"I thought you didn't look familiar. And trust me, I know everyone here." Pinkie then stared fixatedly at Twilight. "Actually… now that I'm taking a real good look at you… I have this nagging feeling I know you… have we met? Like, when we were really young? Like, in preschool or something?"

"Can't... really tell you, actually. My memory's a bit fuzzy…"

"Oh well." As Pinkie pulls out a notebook and pen from her hair, she continues. "Just need you to sign here and you'll be in the running for Fall Formal Princess!"

Twilight stares at Pinkie, who stares back. Twilight's first instinct was to grab the pen with her mouth and sign it that way, since that was how she had always done it when she didn't use magic. She did do that… but after seeing Pinkie, she quickly caught herself and grabbed the pen with her hand and started writing. Horribly. Seriously, my sister could write better than that.

Pinkie took a look at the sheet. "Wow! You have really bad handwriting! It's like you never held a pen before!"

Twilight was able to give out a sarcastic laugh. "Is it?"

Suddenly someone else entered the room. Twilight couldn't quite see who it was.

"Somebody order a dozen cases of Fizzy Apple Cider?" Twilight couldn't shake the feeling she recognizes this voice.

"Oh, oh! Me, me, me!"

As the light shun on the girl, she took off her hat and shook off the sweat from her face. Just then, Twilight realized who it was. Only one pony she knew wore a hat like that.

"Can you bring in the rest?" asked Applejack.

"Eeyup," another boy entered the room carrying three cases of what Applejack was carrying. Twilight could assume that it was Big Macintosh.

As Applejack grabs a case, she looks at Twilight. "Hey, I know you!"

This caught Twilight by surprise. "You do?"

"Sure do!" Applejack responds as she grabs a bottle of juice from the case and opens it up. "You're the new girl who gave Sunset Shimmer the what for today!"

"Twilight Sparkle here is going to run against Sunset Shimmer for Princess of the Fall Formal!"

Pinkie's statement was so sudden and surprising that Applejack quickly spit out the juice she was drinking.

"You sure you wanna do that? I'd think twice about it," Applejack tells Twilight. "Not sure if she'll probably approach y'all friendly like. She's gonna be all like 'I sure am looking forward for some friendly competition' and when you have her trust, then comes the backstabbin'. About the only girl you can trust less than Sunset Shimmer is Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash? But she seems so nice!"

"She may seem nice, but if you ask her to do somethin' for ya, she's simply gonna turn her back around and not even show up to help."

"Thanks for the advice, Applejack. But this is something I really need to do."

"Suit yourself." Applejack then realized something. "Hey… how'd you know my name was Applejack?"

"Oh… um…" Think of something, Twilight, quick! "Didn't you say?"

"Eenope," came from Big Mac.

Better think of an excuse to get outta there, Twilight! Now!

"Well, it was nice meeting you both! I'm sure I'll be seeing you around!" To avoid any further embarrassment, Twilight leaves the room.

Once she was gone, Pinkie speaks up. "She's trying to hide a secret, but I'm on to her!" She then whispers to Applejack "She's psychic!"

"If you say so…" Best not question her, thought Applejack.

Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer enters the room, followed by two other boys.

"This looks terrible!" she says, looking at the room. "There should be more streamers near the stage and fewer balloons!" she adds, popping a balloon. She then went to where the drinks were and picked one up. "Fizzy Apple Cider? Ugh! This is my coronation, not a hoe-down!"

Applejack had enough. I believe it's high time she tells Sunset.

"Well, now, it ain't necessarily gonna be your coronation this time around!"

"Is that so? You country folk really aren't that bright. Must be why the other students say such horrible things about you. Obviously it's gonna be my coronation. I'm running unopposed!"

"Not this time!" says Pinkie as she takes out the sign-up sheet. "The new girl just signed up!"

"What?!" Pinkie then handed Sunset the sheet. With one cold look at it, Sunset looks confused. "What kind of penmanship is that? I mean, what? Did she write with her teeth?"

"I know!" says Pinkie. "It's funny, really. At first she grabbed the pen with her mouth, like she was about to write with her teeth, but then she took the pen in her hand and wrote that. I mean, it's like she doesn't even know how to use her own hands! How she ever got anywhere back in her old school with handwriting like that I'll never know! Anyways, her name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Twilight Sparkle?" Understanding dawned on Sunset. She gives an eerily-looking smile like she knows something the others don't. "Where is this Twilight Sparkle?" She realizes the others are giving her odd looks. "I'm looking forward to meeting the competition!"

Applejack and Pinkie simply look at each other, confused.

This was what I was tellin' Twilight, thought Applejack. Any minute now she's gonna start backstabbin' her.

---

Twilight is walking through the hallways, watching the other students. She already did what she wanted to do for now, so now what?

She turns a corner for a dead end with a flickering light. Nothing there, don't worry, Twilight.

"Lost?" Or is there? Twilight turns around to see Sunset Shimmer. "Don't worry, it is quite common for the new student to get lost while trying to find their way..." With a snicker, she continues. "But you're not a common new student, now are you?"

Twilight slowly starts to back away like she is worried. Sunset continues.

"The fact that you would actually have the guts to stand up to a popular student... the fact that a new student would run for something so soon when she's a complete stranger to her new peers... the fact that you knew so many students' names before they even introduced themselves to you... the fact that you keep holding things with your mouth... the fact that you don't even know how to use your own hands…"

With a smile, she finishes. "Then I finally figured it out: you're not from another school. You're from another world. The one run by the talking ponies. Am I right... Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"How... how do you know all this?" Twilight was able to ask.

"Simple: over a month ago I was magically contacted by my pony self from your world. She told me all about her world, and all about you: just a simple little nerd who got lucky, made a bunch of friends, and was then crowned a princess for no reason at all." Pause. "You make me sick, Sparkle. I had to make tons of sacrifices, call in several favors, and had to put up with all these worthless student activities just to be voted a princess year after year after year here! And you didn't even have to earn your title as a princess!"

Spike suddenly pops out and tries to defend Twilight. "Hey, that's not true!"

Sunset notices Spike and starts to pet him. "This cute little doggy must be your baby dragon, Twilight."

"Don't you dare touch him! What do you want, anyway?"

"I'm sure by now you already know that for the last three years I've been crowned Fall Formal Princess. Sadly though, since this is my Senior Year here, it will be my last chance to ever be crowned a princess before I finally graduate. Then I'll never gain the respect and admiration that comes with being a princess again." Pause. "But this year will be different. The other me has already let me in on her big master plan and sent me your magic crown. I would have actually been there to get it myself, but the photography club wanted to do some last minute photo ops, and to keep my public image I was obligated to do it and wound up too late to get the crown. But it was just a minor setback for me, because now the magic crown is the prize for the Fall Formal Princess. Once I win, I will still get the crown and then our master plan will commence. I will gain the power to be a highly respected princess forever and no one will ever be able to stop me."

"That's what you think," says Twilight. "I'm going to win my crown back and stop both of you before you even have the chance to complete your plans!"

"Really? You're seriously going to do that?" After a evil laughter session, Sunset continues. "I highly doubt that. I am the most respected student in this entire school, and you don't even know the first thing about this place or how to fit in."

Suddenly Sunset uses her shoulder to slam Twilight against the lockers. Sunset then puts her hands up into the locker doors to keep Twilight from moving. It's obvious she wants her to listen to this.

"So let me get to the point here, pony. You may have been a fancy pants princess back in your world, but you're in my world now. Here I'm the alpha dog and you don't even belong here. So unless you want your trip here to be the absolute worst time of your pathetic little life, you'll stay out of my way. Got it?"

Pulling herself away from the lockers, Sunset looks around, as if looking for witnesses.

"Well it's a honour to having you as my running mate," she innocently says. As she walks away, she says "Good luck..." with a snicker she adds "...like that'll do you any good." When Sunset leaves the area the light on the ceiling flickers into darkness.

---

As Sunset walks around the hallways after verbally assaulting Twilight, she sees the two boys she was with before, covered in streamers. She quickly pulls them off of them.

"I want you to follow Twilight," she asks. "Bring me something I can use."

"You got it, Sunset Shimmer!"

"When the magic crown and the power of the Nibiru are both mine," Sunset says to herself, "Twilight Sparkle will be sorry she ever messed with the likes of Sunset Shimmer, in this or any other dimension!"