Chapter 10

Moving forward from the skeet shooting, Canterlot High's final two alumni - Sunset Shimmer and Rarity - skated onto the track to start the race. As for Crystal Prep's alumni - Shining Armor and Lunar Nights - they had to speed through the rest of the skeet shooting. They had already fallen behind, but now it was imperative that they catch up.

Shining Armor successfully shot the next three discs down, as did Lunar, over the course of the next ten minutes. Unfortunately for them and for Crystal Prep, they were already behind Canterlot High by five laps out of ten. For them to make a comeback now, a drastic catastrophe would have to happen for Canterlot High.

As soon as Lunar Nights shot down the last disc for Crystal Prep, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat bolted out of the starting gate and tried speeding their way back into the competition. Sunset Shimmer noticed the speed Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat were approaching them and moved out of the way so they could pass by. Nothing went noticed as the two Crystal Prep alumni whizzed past by the two Canterlot High alumni.

As both schools crossed the line to begin the next lap, Canterlot High School had a monumentous 6 lap to 1 lap lead over Crystal Prep, although Crystal Prep was whizzing by and speeding through the lap as if it were nothing to them at all. Within a couple of minutes, Crystal Prep had completed their second lap and were closing the gap between them and Canterlot High.

Before long, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat were closing in on Sunset Shimmer and Rarity once again. The lap total now was 7 to 2, in favor of Canterlot High. Canterlot High School only needed to complete three more laps to take the win in the second round of the Friendship Games and win the entire games all together. As Indigo Zap rushed next to Sunset Shimmer on her left side, Sugarcoat rolled up against Sunset Shimmer on her right side and, together, made the motion as if they were trying to bump Sunset Shimmer, although no contact was made.

Sunset Shimmer, however, jerked slightly to the left, away from Sugarcoat's attempted bump. She then lost her balance and nearly fell over on top of Indigo Zap, who managed to skate away at the last second to avoid collision. Sunset Shimmer fell over on the ground and banged her knee up badly against the concrete. As Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat rolled away, rapidly closing the gap, Rarity turned around and rolled back to Sunset Shimmer. She reached out to her to see if she was okay, but Sunset Shimmer didn't respond. She held her leg tightly, trying to ease the pain away, but to no avail.

"Can you stand, dear?" Rarity asked, kneeling down on one knee and next to Sunset Shimmer.

"No!" cried Sunset Shimmer in response. The pain was starting to become unbearable.

Rarity turned to find Principal Celestia in an attempt to call her over. In the meantime, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat continued skating around, now on their fourth lap to Canterlot's seventh. They were closing the gap faster now that Sunset Shimmer had been injured. Principal Cinch saw what the girls did and hid a smile away from Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. She also saw how Rarity was trying to call Principal Celestia and alerted her.

"Principal Celestia," Principal Cinch called, "I do believe that your student is trying to call you over to her."

Principal Celestia looked over and saw Rarity calling her. She got up from her chair as quickly as possible and started making her way towards Rarity. As she drew closer to them, she began noticing that Sunset Shimmer was on the ground, agonizing in pain, while Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap rolled passed the two stopped alumni again. Principal Celestia stopped next to Sunset Shimmer and helped her out.

"What happened, Sunset?" She asked.

Sunset Shimmer looked towards Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap as they passed by again. She pointed to Sugarcoat, and explained to Principal Celestia how she was pushed down as they passed by the first time.

"A bit of unsportsmanlike conduct, Principal Celestia," Rarity said.

With a stern face, Principal Celestia looked back towards Principal Cinch and then back at Sunset Shimmer and Rarity again. She spoke softly to them, telling them that she'll talk to Principal Cinch as soon as she gets back to her seat. She reached out to Sunset Shimmer and began helping her onto her feet, but Sunset Shimmer couldn't put any weight on her knee. Principal Celestia called for Vice Principal Luna to come over as well and help out with Sunset Shimmer.

As Vice Prinicpal Luna approached Sunset Shimmer and Principal Celestia, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat coasted passed the finish line. The race had ended with Crystal Prep winning the event and round, albeit under unsportsmanlike conditions. As for Sunset Shimmer, she was helped onto a stretcher and was taken away from an ambulance that Rarity had called in. Sunset Shimmer was still groveling in pain as she was taken away in the ambulance. Her friends wanted to come along and support her as she dealt with the pain, but just before she left, Sunset Shimmer stopped them and told them to win the games for her and for Canterlot High.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come along, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm sure," Sunset Shimmer replied through her pain, "just beat Crystal Prep for me."

"We will, dear," Rarity answered.

Sunset Shimmer smiled as the doors to the back of the ambulance were shut. Her friends all watched the ambulance roll away towards the hospital until it was finally out of sight. Principal Celestia came back to everyone and alerted them that someone had to take Sunset Shimmer's spot on the team of six and, since Pinkie Pie was the seventh best on the team, she decided that it would be her.

"But what about the race?" Rarity asked.

"I asked Principal Cinch and as we watched the race over again, while making the gestures, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat never physically touched Sunset Shimmer." Principal Celestia sighed. "They didn't technically push Sunset Shimmer down, although I believe you girls more than I believe Principal Cinch."

"So now what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We have to play the final event: The Pennant Hunt." Principal Celestia answered.

"But it's not fair!" protested Rainbow Dash. "They should have been disqualified! Were it the students, that's how it would have ended!"

"Calm down, Rainbow Dash," Principal Celestia called, "I know how you feel and I would want them to disqualify themselves as well, but since no contact was made, there's nothing I can do."

Rainbow Dash tried fighting back verbally, but was shut up by Applejack covering her mouth. She shot a mean look at Applejack and expected an explanation.

"Calm down, Dash," Applejack said.

"Mnd why sould I?" Rainbow Dash asked through her covered mouth.

"Because if we win this last event," continued Applejack, "then we can win it for Sunset."

The group of rattled friends all exchanged looks between each other. They weren't convinced yet that they should keep playing in the games. Flutterhsy looked down in particular and muttered something to herself.

"Sunset would want us to play for her."

Fluttershy tried her best to raise her voice, but was scared of what the others would think of it. Although she tried covering her own voice, it was loud enough for others to hear it and discussion between them began. If Sunset Shimmer were here, she would want them to keep playing, even if she weren't injured. After much discussion, Fluttershy's words had sparked a fire between everyone. They determined that if they were to continue playing the games, it would be for Sunset Shimmer.

"Come on, ladies," Rarity smirked, putting her hand in the center of the circle they had all formed, "let's do this for Sunset Shimmer!"

"For Sunset!" Rainbow Dash called, putting her hand in the center with Rarity.

"For Sunset!" Applejack added, following Rainbow Dash and putting her hand in the center.

"For Sunset!" Pinkie Pie beamed, adding her hand to the center.

"For Sunset!" Twilight repeated, following everyone's notion.

"For Sunset!" Fluttershy concluded, putting her hand in the center.

"We can do this, ladies," Rarity continued, "we will emerge victorious for the sake of Sunset Shimmer."

"Yeah!"

"Come on, everybody," Rainbow Dash smiled, "let's win this together!"

"Yeah!"

The group of six friends all followed one another as they approached Prinicpal Celestia once again. Principal Celestia saw the determination each of them had and knew that they would continue to play in the games. She smiled and began to lead them to the school courtyard in preparations for the final event. In the meantime, Principal Cinch was hiding Canterlot High School's pennant somewhere in the school while Vice Principal Luna was hiding Crystal Prep's pennant somewhere else in the school.

Lined up on opposite sides, Canterlot High School and Crystal Prep Academy were both eager to start the last event of the Friendship Games. They waited for Principal Cinch to come back outside so that the event could start.

Between themselves, Canterlot High School's alumni all started preparing a plan to conduct while looking for the pennant. Since the school itself was large and diffferent slightly from when they last attended the school - well, most of them, that is. The team split the school into six sections: First floor east, First floor center, First floor west, Second floow east, Second floor center, and Second floor west. They were going to stay in contact via their phones and would alert the others if they found the pennant.

As for Crystal Prep and their alumni, they developed a plan in which they would stick together and search all sections of the school together. They thought that six set of eyes looking around the school for a pennant instead of one set would be more productive that way. They opted to start searching for their pennant on the second floor of the school and work their way down.

At long last, Principal Cinch finally arrived back outside and stepped next to Vice Principal Luna. Principal Celestia saw this and began addressing the crowd, eagerly awaiting to see who would be crowned as the winner of the Friendship Games.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Principal Celestia began, "the final event of the Friendship Games is finally upon us all: The Pennant Hunt!" Principal Celestia paused for a moment of cheers between the two schools before picking back up. "Somewhere on campus, there is a pennant from both schools that is hidden somewhere. The contestants must find their respective pennant and bring it back to the courtyard in order to be named the winner of the round and of the Friendship Games! Note, however, that if you find the other school's pennant, you must leave it alone and move onward. If anyone moves a pennant that is not from their school, their school will be disqualified. If both teams are ready, let the final event begin...now!"

Lowering her hand, Principal Celestia started the final event of the Friendship Games and as both teams rushed inside the school to find their pennant, things were now more heated than when they were in round 2.