Both Sunset and Spike were highly, and rightly suspicious of their host as they led the two down the tunnels. They eventually ended up in a large multi-floored room. "Like it. Be it ever so humble, right? Lot of construction was done down here before I could really call it home."

"How did you manage that?" Sunset inquired.

"One of the benefits of having a siren on your side, I suppose." She guided them over to the far left side of the room where a single couch sat. In front of it were at least two dozen monitor screens

"This can't be happening," Indigo said in a panic as she frantically looked around the room she and Fluttershy had found themselves in. "Got to find Twilight and get out of here." She peered into a nearby metal bin. "Twilight?"

"Um, I don't think she'd be in there." The other girl said softly, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

"I'm stress searching, sue me!"

"Ahem," the two stopped as they heard the voice over the intercom. "If I could have your attention." The host's voice could be heard by each group. "You'll notice you are in a hallway with but one direction to go; forward. Down each of these paths will be a challenge that you must complete if you are ever to see your friend, Twilight again."

"We're not here to play games, you freak." Dash shouted. She was answered by a loud thudding sound as Sunset and Spike watched the hooded figure slam their hands against the counsel.

"You'll play or else...someone in the room with me will be hurt very, very badly."

Sunny grabbed Dash by the arm in frustration. "Will you stop making things worse already?"

"Now for the rules. #1. Everyone must participate. You don't play you don't see Twilight. #2. None of you CHS girls are allowed to use your abilities. That means no ponying up and no geodes. Now that those ground rules are set down, time to play." The communication shuts off as the girls head down the long halls to their goals.

As Indigo and Fluttershy were on their way, the latter decided to spark conversation. "So um, what do you think the challenge will be?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Indigo answered as they traveled on. She looked at Fluttershy who was clearly a bit jittery about the whole matter. "Relax, you don't need to be so jumpy. We got this."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," She chuckled for a moment. "Actually, you remind me a lot of Twilight back in the day."

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment before finally speaking her mind. "If it's okay, how exactly did you two get to know each other?"

Indigo was quiet for a moment before she answered. "That was back in my freshmen year at Crystal Prep. I was just starting out in my classes and this one little nerd was always miles ahead of everybody. Never said anything to anybody, never had any friends."

"Twilight?" the pink haired girl inquired as she received a confirming nod.

"One day, I help her out when these girls are picking on her outside of school grounds. Try that stuff in or around the place and Principal Cinch will have you out of there so fast your head will spin. Anyway after I chase them off I ask her if she's alright and she runs off like I'm the grim reaper or something. After that she hid herself every time we crossed paths."

"So what happened after that?"

"Not much. That was about the time my dad got this sweet motorcycle. I loved that thing, but he used to tell me all the time never to touch it or he'd have my head. One day when he was at work I found the keys and took it out for a spin. Had the time of my life on that thing. That was until I decided to pull a daredevil stunt. Tried to jump the railroad tracks as a train was on the way."

"My goodness."

"Yeah, landed on my head. Got a nice souvenir from it, though." She tapped her head lightly. "Metal plate. I was out for three weeks before I finally woke up. When I did, my dad chewed me out. He said I was lucky to be alive and even more lucky to have a friend who came to visit me everyday. I wasn't friends with Lemon yet so I had no idea who he was talking about. When he told me it was the purple haired girl with the glasses, I didn't believe it. When I got out of the hospital I knew I'd be behind in class and they expect you to still catch up."

"Twilight didn't let that happen though. She helped me out with my homework and even tutored me on what I'd missed. I try to hang out with her after that but she was, well she was her. Drifted off like the man with no name. After what happened at the Friendship Games I felt really bad and I wanted to make it up to her, to show that I appreciated all she did for me."

Fluttershy was completely silent for a time before her mouth opened, tears running down her face. "That is... just so...beautiful!" she cried, latching on to Indigo.

"Okay...that's enough," The blue haired girl did her best to pry her off. "there are cameras watching."

"Sorry." Fluttershy released her right after as they kept walking. "Maybe you should hold onto this. She said we aren't allowed to use them and I don't want to accidentally get us in trouble." She handed Indigo the stone around her neck and the girl tucked it into her jacket pocket. Before they realized it, they had arrived at their destination, a large circular room with two closed doors on the opposite side and what looked like a coral pen on the left.

"Alright ladies," the voice announced. "The game is very simple. All you have to do is corral my little friend in door number one into the pen and that will open door number two."

"Piece of cake." Indigo declared confidently.

"I guess it shouldn't be too hard to move the little piggy or sheep inside." A slightly less nervous Fluttershy said as they waited for the door to open.

"Yeah, sheep," The intercom sounded as a chuckle followed. The door opened immediately revealing a large black bull that came charging out in a rage. The animal made a beeline for the two teens as Indigo quickly tackled Fluttershy out of the way in the nick of time. Jumping to their feet, the blue haired girl led the way as the bull turned and came after them again.

"How are we supposed to do this?" Indigo pushed Fluttershy away from her as the tip of the bulls horn snagged the back of her jacket. It tossed its head and hurled her a dozen feet into the air and across the room as she slammed against the ground. The animal turned toward her and prepared to charge her again as she curled into a ball.

"Over here!" Fluttershy shouted as loudly as she could, waving her hands and throwing pebbles that got the bull's attention. It quickly changed course and made a path toward her as she attempted to evade the charge.

"Flutter...shy." Indigo strained to get to her feet as a sharp pain ran up her left side. "Get away!" She held her left hand out toward the rampaging beast as a blue streak of lightning shot from her palm in front of him. The ground broke up and tripped the bull up as his hooves came from under him as the animal tumbled across the floor, which left Fluttershy enough time to get away. "What the heck? This gives me an idea. Over here you roid using billy goat!"

The angered bull charged toward the Crystal Prep girl who positioned herself just in front of the pen. "Fluttershy, I need you to be ready. We only get one chance."

"Um...okay."

The bull grew closer and closer to her as Indigo finally made the call and held out her hand again. "Come on. Whatever I did, please let me do it again." To her surprise a blast of ice unleashed itself as she saw a glow come from her pocket. The ice coated the ground in front of her as the bull hit it and, losing its balance, hit the ground and slide forward. Indigo barely dove to the side as it tumbled into the pen and Fluttershy rushed in to seal it inside.

"We did it! Woo!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, much to Indigo's surprise.

"Yeah, but how did I do that?" Indigo pulled out the necklace as it still glowed.

"It must be the geode. I guess it gives everyone different powers when they wear it."

"So I'm like an elemental or something? Awesome."

"No," the voice shouted over the intercom. "You cheated! I said no geode stones to help you win. Kiss Twilight goodbye."

Before Indigo could shout in reply, Fluttershy stepped up. "Um, excuse me, but you specifically said the Canterlot High girls couldn't use the stones to solve the puzzles. You never said the Crystal Prep girls couldn't."

Sunset, seated next to the mystery figure, smiled widely as Spike did the same. "It's true. You didn't say they couldn't and that means any of the CPA girls can too. No changing the rules now."

"Doesn't matter," the hooded figure replied. "The others will never figure it out on their own."

In the challenge room, Indigo and Fluttershy waited for a response to their completion. A few moments later the other door to the room opened, signaling them to proceed. "Now let's go save Twili...aah!" Indigo doubled over in pain from the animal attack.

"Oh you poor thing. Let me help you." Fluttershy rushed over to give assistance.

"Thanks, but I'll mana..." Indigo found herself cut off as Fluttershy lifted her up and carried her in her arms before heading through the door. "Wow, I take back what I said about you being delicate."

Meanwhile

Down one of the other tunnels, Sugarcoat and Rarity were in the middle of their challenge. Rarity and Sugarcoat worked in the middle of a small room on a box with a three number combination lock on it. The two were knelt down close to the ground, the low ceiling of the small space descending upon them every second. The only thing preventing it from coming down much faster was the dozen or so clones Sugarcoat had created via Rarity's geode. "5-4-2, 5-4-3, 5-4-4," Rarity ran off the numbers as each failed and she went on to the next."

"You really should hurry," The purple haired girl looked up as one of the clones addressed the two. "This geode ability may be useful but please hurry."

"We're not doing this for our health." another said as they were physically straining to hold up the ceiling.

"They're right. Your process of elimination is too slow." Sugarcoat moved Rarity away and took over and silently went to work on the combination. "Let's see if we..."

Rarity began to panic as the clones began to give way from the pressure. "Darling, not to pressure you but could you kindly...HURRY!" The white haired girl rolled her eyes and focused on the task at hand and soon after, the box unlocked and she handed the key to Rarity. She promptly slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open as the two scrambled out and Sugarcoat squeezed the stone in her hand that dissolved the clones as the ceiling slammed against the floor.

"That certainly was close." Rarity stood up and dusted herself off.

Sugarcoat tossed the geode back to her as she walked passed her and down the hall. "Wouldn't have been if you would have let me handle the combination in the first place."

"There's no need to be rude."

"Rude is your friend assaulting one of mine in her own home. Rude is constantly accusing my friends and I of ill intent when we are trying to make things up to Twilight."

"Well, given your behavior at the Friendship Games I'd hardly consider you friends."

Rarity's comment was the seeming final straw as Sugarcoat turned around, her usual half lidded eyes wide open. "I am her friend! You think I enjoy being brutally honest? I don't, but it's the only way I know how to protect the people I care about!"

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

Sugarcoat calmed down and sighed as she continued. "In elementary school I had a friend, Moondancer. Moondancer always wanted to be friends with the popular girls and one day they invited her to sit with them. She was so happy about the whole thing, it was all she could talk about. About a week after I hear them say that they only hung out with her as a joke."

"Shameful, but what does that..." Rarity attempted to ask only for Sugarcoat to continue.

"I wanted to tell her but I thought if I did it would crush her. So I kept quiet. If she was happy, what harm could it do, right? At the school dance we had they pulled a prank on her in front of everyone. I tried to apologize to her for not telling her earlier. She wouldn't even look at me. Not long after she transferred out of the school and I never saw her again. From then on I told myself I would always be honest, no matter how harsh it may seem. It was going to be for the best."

Sugarcoat continued as Rarity looked on with vested interest. "Then I met Twilight our first year in CPA and I knew someone like her would get chewed up and spit out by these girls. Of course I convinced her that she'd never be friends with anyone; She'd only embarrass herself. Her time would be better spent focusing on her studies." She paused as she looked over to Rarity, a single tear running down her cheek. "I care about Twilight, enough to where I was willing to play the bad guy if it would keep me from doing to her what I did to Moondancer."

"Darling, I had no idea. I can see you have a good heart, but Sugarcoat, if Twilight wanted to make friends you can't stop her even if some out there don't have the most noble of intentions."

"I know that now. You girls, you all showed her something that I couldn't, treated her in a way that's become foreign to me after so long. And I have to admit that despite all that I said, I was a bit jealous as well." Sugarcoat was surprised as Rarity offered her a hand, which she accepted.

"It's alright, and though I can't speak for everyone, I am truly sorry for contributing to all this mess. What's important now is that we find Twilight and make all of this right."

"Thank you, Rarity. Twilight's lucky to have made friends like you girls."

"She's lucky to have a friend like you to look after her as well." Rarity stopped and smirked. "And next time you want to see how she's doing, you don't have to do it hiding behind a bush."

Sugarcoat's eyes widened slightly. "You noticed?"

"Well, your hair doesn't exactly scream 'summer tone'."

Elsewhere

"Stupid, friendship. Makes me puke in my mouth." the hooded figure said as they, Sunset and Spike watched yet another duo pass their test.

"Why are you doing all this?" Sunset asked as the figure stood up.

"Why, Sunset? Oh you of all people should know why." The fiery haired girl sot her a confused look as she continued. "Power. It used to be something we both had in common. I mean after all..." she pulled her hood back, revealing a teenage girl that was Shimmer's mirror image. Or rather she would have been if not for a few alarming differences. Her face was marred by several crimson burn like marks, one such covered over the area around her left eye. The eyes were the same color as the girl who sat with her but the sclera was completely black and her teeth resembled more of a predatory animal than a human. In addition, Sunset noticed that her hands were similarly marked as her face and more resembled claws. "we are of a kind, you and I."

Sunset almost jumped out of the chair as she recoiled from the sight. "I know, I know, I'm scary." She stood up as a single, large bat-like wing ripped through the hooded shirt. "I think it's time I explained myself."