***Friday***

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"I talked with some of the students," Olivia says. "They apologized for how they treated me. I think I'd actually like it here now."

"And after you blew up at Principal Cinch, she's probably more than happy to get rid of you."

"I'll go talk with Dean Cadance." She walks over to Cadance and Twilight. Good thing CHS keeps a few sets of crutches on-hand.

I will be adored
This you can't ignore

Wait... I can actually sing now? Guess it's a side effect of that magic exposure.

I walk back to the Rainbooms, who are standing at what's left of the statue.

"Still nothing from the princess?" I ask Sunset.

She looks through her book. "Not yet, but I think I may have figured out how magic works in this world. We pony up when we're showing the truest part of ourselves. I was so busy waiting for someone else to give me the answers that I gave up looking for them myself. I'm sure that more magical problems will pop up in this world, but like Applejack said, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. We can't expect her to always be around to help us."

"But maybe I can be?"

Our world's Twilight is accompanied by Principal Celestia and Olivia.

"It seems we have a new Wondercolt here at Canterlot High!" Celestia says.

"I'm not sure how much help I could be, but I'd like to try, if you would all give me a chance."

"And a returning Wondercolt!"

"I'm kinda glad I was roped into all this. I wouldn't have seen how much CHS has changed if Principal Bi- Cinch didn't have it out for me."

"Making the best of a bad situation." Everything worked out for both of us in the end.

"I'm sure I can count on all of you to help them feel at home," Celestia says.

Sunset puts an arm around Twilight. "You sure can!"

The Friendship Games are over.

I said I'd ask her after the games.

"Hey, Sunset? Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Might make it less stressful.

"Um... Okay..." We start walking away from the group.

I probably shouldn't jump right to asking her.

"Today's been one hell of a day."

"Heh. You can say that again."

"I know it didn't go how any of us expected, but I'm actually glad it went this way." Well, aside from me freaking out over a misunderstanding. "Plus, I reconnected with Olivia."

"I guess you're getting back together with her..."

I get why she'd think that, but... "Olivia and I are friends again, but we're not going back to dating."

"You're not?"

"I was glad to see her again, but I wasn't attracted to her like I used to be. We've probably been apart for too long."

"Really?" She sounds happy to hear that. "Uh... I mean... That's too bad."

Okay, I think I'm ready.

"Sunset Shimmer..."

Just say it...

"Would you like to get something to eat with me tomorrow night?"

Please say yes, please say yes...

"You're... asking me out?"

...

She smiles. "I would love to go out with you."

Yes!

"So where are we going?"

...

"Um..." I knew I forgot something... Quick, think of a place... "How about Cherry's Diner at 7:00?"

"Sounds great. I'm looking forward to it."

"So am I."

Yes! I'm going out with Sunset Shimmer!

***Saturday***

The Rainbooms, Twilight, Olivia, and I are having a picnic next to what's left of the statue.

Until Olivia can see her doctor, she can't wear her prosthetic. She has to stay on crutches or in her wheelchair, and she hates the latter.

"So how have the past seven months been for you?" Olivia asks me.

"Bad and good, but mostly bad. For the first six months, things didn't get better. If anything, it got worse. After you left, Gilda turned her attention to me."

"She didn't!"

"Yeah... That was the worst. Every Thursday, she'd shove me into the locker doors just for the fun of it. She did it so hard once, I almost dislocated my shoulder. I guess she got bored of it, because starting in January, she only did it once a month. She stopped completely last month."

"Didn't you tell the principal?"

"Didn't you tell the principal?"

"Good point."

"Anyway, last month, three girls who call themselves the Dazzlings showed up and sang a song about changing the annual musical showcase to a musical competition."

"The Dazzlings were at CHS?"

"Yeah. You know them?"

"They're the lead singers in the Crystal Prep Choir. Sonata was in my History class. She's a bit of an airhead."

Sounds like their human counterparts. "I could see that. Anyway, they used their singing to turn the student body against each other and convince the principals to change the event to a battle. I wasn't affected by their song, so they told me they could help get revenge on the school for the months of torment."

"That doesn't sound like them. Or you."

"If someone came to you and said they could help you get back at Sunset Shimmer, wouldn't you join them too?"

"I guess... But why would they care about something like that?"

"They didn't. They used me."

"Used you?"

"I wasn't under their spell, but they were able to feed off my hatred for the school by putting their hands on my shoulders."

"'Under their spell'? 'Feed off your hatred'? You're not saying the Dazzlings have magic, are you?"

"I am. Well, the Dazzlings from Equestria do."

"That doesn't..." She sighs. "You've lost me."

A sound comes from the portal, and Twilight emerges from it.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner!" she says. "I didn't get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop and honestly, it was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me!"

Pony Twilight stares at human Twilight in surprise, and human Twilight nervously waves.

Time and space isn't about to fall apart, is it?

"Make that... the second strangest..."

I mean, she did mention time travel...

A/N: For an alternate version of this story, check my profile (alternate version is rated T).