The sun rose over the campus of Canterlot High. The academy was wide awake as the first day of the Friendship Games was here. Among those awake was Sunny, the girl rising out of bed with her usual bedhair. She got to work on combing it before tying it up in her signature braid and looked herself in the mirror. She noticed her red jacket hanging in her mirror, so she grabbed it and put it on. The girl also noticed a small picture sticking out of her mirror and grabbed it. The photo was of the girl and her friends during a field trip last semester when they were all busily apple-picking. She couldn't help but smile and noticed Mario as the previous night's conversation played in her mind. She was still baffled that the boy rejected her offer to become the new leader as he either didn't want to or… maybe he had that much trust in her to lead. Roll certainly did, but Mario… she couldn't tell. Either way, as the captain of her team, she had a duty to uphold, and that was to lead her team to victory. And today was the first step.

The school buzzed with anticipation as students from both sides gathered for the first event of the Friendship Games. Sunny, guided by Vice-Principal Luna, made her way to the building. As she arrived, she spotted her friends, including Mario, who was unusually early. The sight of her team, ready and eager, filled her with pride and determination.

"You good?" asked Hitch to his childhood friend.

"Yeah, I'm good," responded the girl.

The girl's gaze shifted to Flurry, and her crew was on the other side of the stage. Flurry, the leader of the Crystal Prep team, was engaged in a conversation with her group. When she noticed Sunny looking at her, she turned and smiled, her group mirroring her expressions. However, Zipp's growl hinted at the underlying tension between the two teams. The atmosphere was charged with competition as they awaited the event's start.

"Welcome, everyone. And welcome to the first day of the Friendship Games!" said Dean Cadance as she spoke into the microphone podium. "Now, over the next few days, we will see both schools duke it out in the name of friendship and competition. And after the opening team exhibition event, there's no doubt this year's Friendship Games, besides being the 30th, will be the biggest of all time."

The crowd of students all clapped as they applauded Cadance's statement.

"Now then… let's begin the Friendship Games. And we'll begin with a team Spelling bee!"

The two teams then walked out and sat at a table facing each other. They each had a small bell in front of them to ring, along with a microphone. Sombra, Celestia, and Luna sat behind Cadance as they began to watch the first event unfold.

"Alright, now the rules are simple. I will give a word, and whoever spells it first gets a point for their team. Now, then… this first round will be for the entire table. So feel free to chime in." said Cadance as she pulled out some notecards.

The teens looked at the woman as she cleared her throat and spoke into the mic.

"Spell… Imagination."

A bell was heard as Athena chimed in.

"Imagination. I.M.A.G.I. N.A.T.I.O.N. Imagination."

"Correct!" said Cadance as Crystal Prep's scoreboard on their table lit up with points.

"Next word. Spell… Diaphanous."

"Diaphonous. D.I.A.P.H.A.N.O.U.S. Diaphanous." said Roll.

"Correct!" smiled Cadance at her niece.

"Alright, Roll!" said Zipp and the others at their friend for getting them some points.

"Spell… Assimilate."

This one was a bit second longer before a chime was heard.

"Assimilate. A.S.S.I.M.I.L.A.T.E. Assimilate." said Flurry.

"Very good," smiled Cadance at her daughter, who returned the gesture.

The spelling bee went on as the first round soon ended and the second round started. The second round consisted of individual rounds. Crystal Prep managed to get the lead as they got more correctly spelled words when asked. Soon, there was one final round as both teams selected one individual to represent them for one final word. Zipp was chosen but it was moreso volunteered herself after seeing Flurry nominated herself. The heiress's grudge against the girl was still there as she looked to embarrass Flurry in front of her classmates, friends, and mother. Flurry merely held a smug expression, looking at Zipp.

"Alright. Last word. Spell… Incomprehensiblities."

A moment passed after the initial word left Cadance's lips as both girls processed it. Soon, a bell was heard.

"Incomprenhensiblities. I.N.C.O.M.P.R.E.N.H.E.S.I.B.L.I.T.I.E.S. Incomprenhesiblities." said the heiress.

A buzzer sound went off as an X appeared on CHS's table. Zipp gasped, unable to believe it, and the girl gasped.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Storm. But that is incorrect," said Cadance.

"Incomprehensiblities. I.N.C.O.M.P.R.E.H.E.N.S.I.B.L.I.T.I.E.S. Incomprehensiblities. It means impossible or incredibly difficult to comprehend." Flurry said as she looked at Zipp, saying the definition to get under her skin. It worked as Zipp growled and bawled her fist.

"Correct. And Ms. Heart scores the final point, putting Crystal Prep in an early lead!" said Cadance as Flurry's friends cheered for their captain's performance.

The girl bowed as her student section cheered and applauded her stellar performance. She glanced over at Sombra as the man held his winning smile. Celestia made an unhappy face as Sombra got up and glanced over her, adjusting the sleeves of his collar as he just walked off smugly. The woman was about to blow a gasket at her former lover and his smug, cocky attitude for winning. Zipp slumped in her chair as her sister leaned over to pat her back.

"It's okay, Zipp. We'll get them next time," assured Sunny.

The heiress grumbled as she hated that Flurry had upset her again, giving her opponent's team more confidence.

The next event for Day One was one of tradition—an Academic Decathlon. This huge event scored each participant on every known subject, from Chemistry to Home EC to Grammer to even Workshop. Whatever subject was taught at either school was fair game, even Duel Monsters. Each team was given a list of subjects to participate in for this event. Some events were team-based, others relied on a single pair to represent their team, and others were solo. Both captains were given two minutes to assign which teammates would tackle the solo and team events.

The first major academic event was Chemistry, where both teams were at their workstations. Their task was to follow the instructions and use the formula on the board to create the perfect reaction. The whistle was blown as all fourteen students got to work. All fourteen successfully worked out the formula to its final result and produced a vial of the finished product. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance judged them and wrote down their scores; the two teams looked at each other as a series of montages played out.

All competitors duked it out at each event. Izzy took on Phin at the workshop because the pair had some personal beef. For one hour, they were tasked with designing whatever they wanted. Both artists got to work as Phin was hard at work, coming up with the blueprints of her design. As for Izzy, she put on her goggles and stuck her tongue out while trying to assemble something grand. The two girls were hard at work as sweat rolled down their faces. Time soon ended as both presented their final creations; Izzy managed to create a Ferris wheel with moveable parts, while Phin presented an amusement park with a working roller coaster.

The three women were impressed by both girls' creations as they evaluated each design aspect to assign points. In the end, Phin scored higher than Izzy since part of the evaluation was to present a rough sketch of their initial design to show where the improvements were made and any redesigns along the way. Since the girl mainly put together her creation as she went along, she didn't have much to show except a colorful picture of a Ferris Wheel. Phin made a detailed blueprint that wowed the judges. And so Phin won the event for her team as Izzy sulked in her defeat.

"Cheer up, Izzy! You did good!" Sunny said as they all came to support their friend. Izzy tried to crack a smile until she looked at Phin, praised her, and patted her on the back for a job well done. The girl caught the Archiet's attention as she lifted her goggles up.

"I told you, hippie! Your junk can't compare to me and my designs!" said the Crystal Prep girl as she left with her group.

Izzy felt a bit more down as Phin's words cut deep.

At the cooking event, Luna assigned the two teams one hour to prep a full-course meal containing an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Hitch and Sunny were selected for their team because the girl wanted her best friend for this event as they took on JD and Athena. Hitch was nervous, but Sunny assured her friend they were fine. The girl handled most of the cooking while Hitch took care of the prepping; with the girl's experience of cooking with her father, she created a culinary cuisine of her favorite treats. The pair made some amazing choices as all three judges agreed and gave the win to both childhood friends. Hitch looked for a high-five, but Sunny hugged him instead, and he just slapped his own hand to serve as hers.

At the musical event, Roll teared it up on the violin as she moved about fiercely, with the lights and sounds moving to her movements. The girl rocked out with just a simple instrument she chose, and everyone was impressed. Mario and Flurry smiled at seeing her get so into it. Roll finished with a jumping split and dramatically held her bow out to the side before lifting her head. A roar erupted as she smirked, winning that event for her team.

The events continued to fly by as the fourteen showcased their specialties, scoring decisive wins for their teams in certain categories as the scores began to add up. Ultimately, CHS managed to catch up to where they were only a few points behind. And soon, it was time for the second half of the event. A relay race was to be held to serve as the finale for Day 1. The relay consisted of an obstacle course, a swim, and, at the end, a run. Both teams were given one hour to decide their lineup and practice on the respective replica of the course to prepare for the actual thing. And so, both teams got to work.

"Alright, everyone. We've managed to keep up with Crystal Prep. Sure, we're behind on some points. But if we win this, we can take the lead at the last moment." said Sunny.

"So, what's the plan, leader?" asked Roll.

"Assigning who's gonna do the relay."

"I'm pretty sure it's obvious," said Zipp, as she wanted nothing more than to do the run at the end.

"Oh, I call swimming!" said Izzy as she itching to hit the water.

"I trust you all have a plan."

The group turned as Celestia appeared before her team with her arms behind her back.

"Principal Celestia."

"At ease, Sunny. I'm simply here to say congrats on keeping up with Crystal Prep. It's not easy, believe me. But you all managed to do so. And for that, I'm proud. Now… all that remains is to win the relay and give CHS the edge going into the next events."

"We'll do our best, ma'am," said Pipp.

"Remember. Win as a team. Not as selfish individuals who only want personal glory but as heroes who act for the greater good. Only then will they be worthy of victory." said Celestia as she left her team with some words of wisdom before walking off.

"Talk about inspiring," said Hitch at their principal's message.

"Come on, let's figure this out!" said Zipp.

As the group left, Mario felt a hand on his shoulder as he turned around. To his surprise, it was none other than Cadance as the woman smiled at her nephew.

"Hey, Aunty," said the boy as Cadance pulled him in for a hug.

Sunny and her friends went to the training course as Flurry and her crew were shown. The Crystal Prep squad had just finished their allotted time session to practice and were packing up. Flurry saw her cousin and smirked before approaching them.

"Hello, prima."

"Hey."

"Don't worry. We're not here for trouble… unless that pendeja over there wants to start some," said Flurry, pointing at Zipp, who scowled at the girl's smug attitude.

"No, she's not!" said Roll, glaring at Zipp to control her hotheadedness.

"Then we're just about to leave. We already have our game plan intact. Axiom, Athena, and me. I will personally take part in this relay."

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Roll.

"Because, even with us telling you, we'll still win. Just like in Wargames," said the girl smugly. "See you later, prima. I'm sure you'll do your best, even though we will win." smiled Flurry as her friends appeared behind her, and they all left as a group.

Sunny and the others watched their opponents leave as Zipp kept her glance at the girl. Knowing full well, this was her chance to embarrass her.

"Okay, let's get started," suggested Roll.

"If it's alright with you all, I think I'll back out of this one. Instead, I'll cheer you all on from the sidelines," said Pipp, not wanting to ruin her makeup or hair from all the movement the relay was going to involve.

"Typically," said Zipp, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, well, that leaves us five," said Roll.

"Roll's right. So, as we know, the first part of the relay is the obstacle course. After that, it's the swimming. And the last part of the race is running." stated Sunny.

"Well, I've got dibs on the running since I'm the fastest," said Zipp, already calling her shot.

"Yeah, well, I think it's best if everybody has a fair chance," said Sunny as she got a raised eyebrow from Zipp. "What I mean is, why don't we all try out each event, and whoever excels the best is the one we'll choose to do that part of the race."

"That sounds like a plan, Sunny. Then, all we have to do is pick the best lineup and win."

"And beat your cousin and rub it in her face!" said Zipp, as that was the main thing on her mind.

"So, how do we do that exactly?" asked Izzy.

"Um… well."

"I got this," said Roll as she came to Sunny's aid.

The girl grabbed a stick and began to write on the ground. She began to put the names of all five of them at the top, and on the side was each event's name before adding a couple more lines to make a chart. The others all gathered around the girl to see what she had made.

"There we go. Now, we have everyone's name at the top and the three events on the side. Next, we time each person's trial and record it. Whichever gives us the fastest time will help us determine our best lineup."

"Way to go, Roll!" said Zipp as she slapped her hand on her friend's shoulder for coming up with a smart idea on the fly.

"I knew you were smart, but wow!" said Hitch, amazed by the girl's thinking and intelligence to record their data.

"Yeah, I get that from my mother," smiled Roll.

"There's nothing like a table to show a lot of info," said Sunny, with sparkles in her eyes, imagining all that data they were about to record. "Alright, so Izzy, Hitch, and Zipp, you three go first."

"Who's gonna record our times?" asked the boy.

"Don't worry, I will!" said Pipp as she pulled out her phone and set a stopwatch for each of her friends.

"Alright, let's do this then. And focus on the time, sis! No livestreaming or taking pictures!"

"What do you take me for?" scoffed Pipp as she felt personally attacked by her sister for thinking she'd livestream instead of record their time with her phone out.

"Alright, you three, take your places!" said Sunny as the trio got to the starting line and got into a running position. "On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Sunny brought her hand down as all three took off, and Pipp started the time for each one. The trio came to the first set of obstacles, and they had to jump over long hurdles before turning the corner and weaving about some pillars. They then jumped over some more hay barrels before coming to a rope swing and grabbed it to swing across and land. They then entered the last part of the relay, which consisted of a device with constantly moving planks. The teens had to jump over them while still moving forward. Hitch was the first to finish as he crossed the finish line, with Pipp stopping the time for him and showing it to Roll.

"35 seconds."

Zipp finished next as Pipp recorded it and showed it to Roll.

"37."

Izzy was last, as she came in at 41.

"Alright, not bad. Especially, you Hitch. You had the fastest time." said Roll.

"I… did? Huh, what do you know," said the boy, impressed he managed to outdo Zipp.

"Alright, you two. You're turn," said Zipp as Roll and Sunny had to do their turns.

Both got into position as they were given the signal and took off. They did their best at maneuvering the obstacles before crossing the finish line, as Pipp recorded their time and put it into the chart. Sunny came in at 38 seconds, while Roll came in at 40.

The crew then moved to the next part of the relay as they approached the swimming pool. After changing into their swimwear, all five took to the water as Pipp recorded their data. In the end, Izzy came in at 30 seconds, Hitch at 35, Roll at 34, and Sunny and Zipp came in at 32. From there, the group tackled the last part of the relay as they had to run along a track and climb a set of winding stairs to the top, where they would have to touch their principal's hand to finish. The five tried out as Roll and Sunny went first, clocking in at 45 and 46, respectively. Hitch, Zipp, and Izzy then took their turn as they began to run. The trio were spread out and running up the winding spiral stairs with the heiress leading the pack. However, Izzy didn't pay attention to her footing, so she tripped and fell to the ground.

"Ow!" said the girl when she crashed. She tried to stand up but immediately crumbled to her hands and knees. The teen was in pain as Zipp had just finished her run.

"42 seconds, Zipp. You won it," said Roll.

"I told you I was the fastest," the girl bragged as she looked forward to humiliating Flurry and her crew.

Hitch came in at second as he clocked in at 46.

"Hey, where's Izzy?" asked Sunny.

The girl was shown wobbling while dragging her hurt foot alongside as if on cue. The group gasped as Sunny ran toward her friend.

"Izzy, what happened?" asked Sunny as she put her arm over her shoulder and guided the girl to sit on a rock.

"Ow. I think I hurt my ankle while running," said the girl as she put her hands on her foot.

"Oh, no!" said Roll.

"This is not good. This is not good at all!" Pipp started to panic.

A light shined as Izzy's ankle was shown. A nurse touched Izzy's ankle, which caused the girl to react and wince in pain just a bit.

"Do you feel it's broken?" asked Nurse Redheart as she inspected the girl's foot.

"No, but it hurts. I think I might have twisted it just a bit."

"Well, you have," said the nurse as she wrote that down on her clipboard. "Can you stand?"

"Um, I don't think so. But I'll try," said Izzy as she slowly got off the bed and put her weight on it before falling back in pain.

"Take it easy, Ms. Moonbow," said Nurse Redheart.

Outside, the girl's friends were nervous and anxious about Izzy's health. Sunny was pacing back and forth, concerned for her friend. The girl felt it was her fault that Izzy got hurt and feared she might have suffered an injury.

"Sunny, it's gonna be okay," said Roll, knowing how nervous she was.

The door to the nurse's office opened, and out came Redheart, who addressed the kids.

"So, Mario. How are you and Roll enjoying it here?" asked Cadance as she sat at a table with cookies and milk.

"It's fine, Aunty," said the boy as he took a bite of a cookie.

The woman wanted to see her niece and nephew and talk with them since she last saw them. Safe to say, she could see a difference in him since the last time as it made the dean smile.

"So what? Did Dad tell you to check up on me? Or was it Mom?"

"What? I can't see my favorite nephew whenever I want."

"I'm your only nephew."

"That's why you're my favorite," said Cadance with a smile. "But I did want to speak with you personally. How are you holding up? Being in CHS, hmm."

"It's okay. I've gotten used to it."

"I can tell. Flurry tells me that you and Roll have made quite an impression since you enrolled. You nearly got expelled last semester."

"Eh," was all Mario said.

"She also tells me you two have found a certain group of individuals."

"What else did she say?" asked the boy.

"Oh, nothing… except… you have some interests with two girls."

"I knew it," groaned Mario as he hated talking about his love life with his aunt, given her special talent regarding love.

"To think…"

"No, no, no, no, no. Don't even start, Aunty!" said Mario, knowing how his aunt played this game. "I know how this goes with you, so I'm simply going to back out before it begins."

Cadance smiled at seeing her nephew's reaction, which only confirmed her beliefs. She was about to use her other tactics to get him to spill the details when Mario's phone went off. The boy looked at it as the dean noticed his expression.

"Something wrong?"

"It's Roll. She said Izzy's been hurt."

"Oh, dear. Well, don't let me stop you. Go check on your friend." said Cadance, as that was more important, and they could catch up later.

Mario nodded as he looked to find his sister. He got up and turned to leave when he came face to face with Flurry.

"Hello, primo."

"Prima."

"Leaving so soon?"

"Roll needs me. Something about one of our friends being hurt."

"Oh, dear. Well, don't keep her waiting."

"Right," said the boy as he turned to his aunt. "See ya, Aunty."

Mario left as Flurry smiled before taking his seat and looking at her mother.

"You were right, sweetie. Your cousins had found a special group of friends," smiled Cadance.

"Yeah… they have. I'm glad for them," smiled the girl.

It didn't take long for Mario to find his teammates as they were back at the training course with Izzy, now having a set of bandages around her ankle.

"Where were you, lover boy?" asked Zipp.

"Well, excuse me, rich girl. But I was with my aunt!" said Mario as he stared down the heiress. "Anyways, what's the issue here?"

"Izzy kind of tweaked her ankle. It's not anything serious; she just needs to rest," explained Roll.

"I'm sorry, everyone," said Izzy as she felt she let her team down.

"Hey, it's alright, Izzy. Accidents happen," said Sunny.

"Well, if Izzy is out, we still need to pick a team. And the way I see it, it's gotta be me, Hitch and Roll. So let's practice."

"Hold on, Zipp. As much as we'd like to do that. We can't."

"Why not?" said the heiress to Sunny.

"Because we haven't timed Mario."

"I'm good. If you all want to do it, then by all means."

"See. Now, let's go. We're running out of time."

"But you never know. Maybe Mario might give us better times and, therefore, a better lineup," said Sunny, as she felt it was imperative that they at least recorded Mario's time to see if they had a better chance.

"Come on, big bro. It's not gonna take long."

Mario looked at his sister as she put on an innocent smile. Eventually, the boy sighed.

"Alright, fine. I'll do it."

"Then let's hurry up!" said the heiress, as they had little time to resolve this issue.

Everyone stood off to the side as Roll's brother was at the starting line, ready to begin the obstacle course.

"Just so we're clear. I'm still doing the running part," said Zipp.

"That's not the point, Zipp. What if Mario happens to be faster than you at running? Then wouldn't it make sense that he does that part to give us a better chance at winning?" Sunny said.

"Alright, when you put it that way, fine," groaned the girl.

"Ready… set… go!" shouted Roll.

Mario took off as he approached the first set of hurdles and leaped over them with ease and maneuverability. He turned the corner and began to zigzag around the pillars before jumping to grab the rope and swing to the other side; he did a barrel roll upon landing to keep up his momentum and go into running. He came to the whirling planks, jumped over them, and got past them to reach the finish line. Pipp stopped the stopwatch as she allowed Roll to see her brother's time and recorded it. The girl's brother changed into his swimwear as he got into position. The signal was given as he dove into the pool and began to swim forward. He reached the end and touched the edge as Roll recorded his time. Mario then began the last leg of the relay as he raced up the swirling stairs and soon reached the top as his time was recorded.

"So… how'd I do?" asked Mario as he bent over to put his hands on his knees. The run had taken quite a bit out of him.

"I'll have the times in a sec," said the boy's sister.

"Just remember, the run is mine!" said Zipp, who was adamant about that part because of Flurry.

"Okay, here's what we got," said Roll as she showed the chart to the others.

Hitch

Sunny

Zipp

Roll

Mario

Obstacle Course

35 seconds

38 seconds

37 seconds

40 seconds

36 seconds

Swim

35 seconds

34 seconds

32 seconds

34 seconds

34 seconds

Run

46 seconds

46 seconds

42 seconds

45 seconds

43 seconds

"Hitch still has the fastest time at 35 seconds for the obstacle course."

"What about the run?" asked Zipp as she wanted to know that specific part.

"Hitch and Sunny come in at 46 seconds, me at 45, my brother at 43, and Zipp at 42."

"I told you I'm the fastest one. Watch me zip to the finish line and rub it in your cousin's face!" said the heiress, already imagining the look on the Crystal Prep girl.

"Except… you were also the fastest swimmer. See," said Roll as she pointed at Zipp's number with a stick.

"So? That just means I'm good at many things," said the heiress.

"That's not what Roll is trying to say, Zipp. Based on the chart, you, Hitch, and Mario are the obvious three to compete. But that said, it might be better if you swim and Mario runs to give us a better chance," Sunny stated.

"What? But I have the best time in the run. And that's the one that I want!" said the girl.

The others all looked at the chart Roll made as they saw the numbers.

"You know. Maybe it might be good to try different lineups," suggested Hitch.

"Maybe we should just go practice because we don't have much time left before it begins!" yelled the girl as she got in the boy's face.

"Okay, let's just calm down and take a deep breath," Sunny said, getting in between her friends, not wanting an argument to ensue. "Maybe we should just forget what we want to do and look at the times."

"According to the table, Zipp won the swim by two seconds. But she only beat Mario by one second in the run."

"So?"

"So. You're a fast runner, but you're a really fast swimmer. If the numbers line up, our best chance at winning is if you swim," said Roll.

"No way!" said Zipp, as she was against that suggestion, "And it won't matter if I swim if he's slow!"

"It's only by one second, rich girl. Alright, no need to get your head up your own ass!" barked Mario as he and Zipp stared each other down.

"It's still one, lover boy!" responded the girl.

"Alright, time out! Come on, guys. Remember what's important here. It's not about individuals. It's about all of us working together as a team." Sunny said, reminding her friends of the purpose of the Friendship Games.

"You're right, Sunny. In more ways than one," responded Roll.

"I… did?" asked the girl.

"What do you mean?" said Pipp.

"What I mean is, in the end, what matters is the team's total time."

"I get it. Different lineups give us different totals," Sunny said as she understood Roll's point.

"Exactly. So, we find the lineup that gives the fastest total time," said Roll as she began to get to work. "Okay, so here's what I got if Hitch does the obstacle course, Mario swims, and Zipp runs. We get 35 + 34 + 42 for a total of 111 seconds."

"So what's the total time if Zipp swims and Mario runs?" asked Izzy.

"35, 32, 43. And that adds up to… 110 seconds."

"Uh, I might be wrong, but isn't 110 seconds faster than 111 seconds?"

"You're right, Izzy. So… our best chance at winning is if Zipp swims," said Roll.

"No way! I run, or I don't do anything!" said Zipp, who needed this to get even with Flurry. The heiress walked off before anybody could say something.

Zipp was currency doing a lap at the track and field as she needed to get out her anger. The girl was rounding the bend as she approached the finish line and came to a screeching halt. She panted heavily as there was still some anger inside. She kicked the ground and picked up some dirt.

"They just don't understand. This is my chance to get even with that bitch, Flurry. I want nothing more than to wipe her smug smile off her pretty face and put her in her place. But the only way that happens is if I do it myself. I just want to do what I want to do. Why is that so wrong?!" shouted Zipp as her voice echoed.

The heiress sighed before falling to her knees as she hugged them. Zipp struggled with what her friends suggested as it was tough to accept. This was her chance to seize her moment, and it was being taken away from her. It just didn't sit right with her. At that moment, the girl remembered what Celestia had said.

The winners must win as a team. Not as selfish individuals who only want personal glory but as heroes who act for the greater good. Only then will they be worthy of victory.

The heiress looked up at the sky as she hated hearing her principal's words of wisdom. She sighed as she knew what to do.

"Zipp?"

The girl turned as she saw her sister approaching her.

"Hey, Pipp," responded the heiress as she stood up.

"Zipp… we…"

"Save it. I know what I have to do. We're all in this together." said Zipp to her sister as it got her to smile. She then noticed Mario as he went with the stylish to find the heiress.

The boy stood back, letting Pipp talk to her sister first to avoid inciting her. The two siblings then approached the boy as Zipp looked at Mario.

"So…"

"We're cool, lover boy," said Zipp as she raised her fist.

Mario smiled as he raised his fist and bumped it against the girl's. Pipp smiled at seeing her older sibling and crush and not letting this small issue get in the team's way.

"You run, and I'll swim," said the heiress to her friend.

"And hey… I'll make sure I beat my cousin on your behalf," said Mario, as Zipp could live with that compromise.

The teens then returned as they began to practice the course. Soon, it was time for the actual thing. On the soccer field, both schools had gathered and filled both sides of bleaches as they made noise. Both teams were on the field below, and the three representing their side were in position. At the start, Hitch was stretching with Roll and Sunny by his side. Izzy was sitting on the bench as Pipp checked on her. As for Crystal Prep, Axiom was selected as he had Shirai and Roxanne hyping him up and ensuring he was hydrated.

At the end were the four adults on top of the flight of stairs. Sombra and Celestia, who sat in comfy chairs as the runners, would need to tag their hands to win. Luna stood before the two as she approached a podium.

"Welcome students to the final event of the first day of the Friendship Games. We gather in the spirit of team competition. To watch two rivals put themselves to the test. As it stands, Crystal Prep leads by a small margin. However, CHS can take the lead should they win this event. In addition to winning, the relay will be scored on each part of the course and any time delays." said the vice principal.

"Now then… if the competitors are ready…"

"Good luck, Hitch!" said Roll as she and Sunny walked to the bench to cheer their friend.

"Smoke'em, Axiom!" said Shirai as she and Roxanne left.

"It'll be easy," said the boy as he glanced at Hitch.

The boy gulped as he was a bit intimidated by the Crystal Prep teen. The two boys got into running starting positions as they looked up. Luna raised her hand as she held a starting flag.

"Let the race… begin!" shouted the Vice-Principal as she waved her flag.

Axiom and Hitch took off as they raced down the track. They came to the first set of hurdles as Hitch managed to get an early lead and hopped over them.

"Come on, Hitch!" shouted Sunny from the bench.

"Axiom, pick up the pace!" said Roxanne.

As the pair turned the corner and headed to the second obstacle, Axiom caught up with Hitch as he got to the pillars first and began to zigzag around them. The Crystal Prep boy took his lead with Hitch hot on his tail as they approached the rotating poles. Axiom timed them perfectly as he only had to jump three times and get past it quickly, while Hitch had to jump over them four times, slowing him down by a margin. Axiom then approached Athena as she and Zipp were by the swimming pool in their swimwear; the boy tagged the girl's hand, and she dove into the water and took off, leaving Zipp to wait for Hitch to tag her to start her leg of the race.

"Come on, Hitch!" Zipp shouted, encouraging her friend to pick up the pace.

The boy put his hand out, tagged the heiress's palm as she dove, and took off as fast as she could.

"Go, Zipp!" shouted Pipp and the others as they cheered the heiress on.

Despite the late start, Zipp managed to catch up to Athena as the pair approached the end of the pool, where the last competitors were waiting, neck and neck. Mario and Flurry stood side by side as they saw their teammates approaching them, knowing they would have to book it once tagged.

"Well, well… it looks like your friend decided she didn't stand a chance against me," said Flurry with crossed arms. "I don't blame her for running away. So, primo? Do you still want to go through with this? You know you can't beat me."

"I'll take my chances," said Mario, knowing how fast his cousin was.

The two cousins got ready and stuck their hands out as Athena smacked Flurry's, with Zipp tagging Mario a millisecond later. The two turned and took off.

"It's up to you, Mario!" said Zipp as the boy trailed behind his cousin.

The two cousins were sprinting as fast as they could and were equally fast, even in speed. They came to the swirling staircases, keeping their momentum and not losing any speed despite the many stairs they had to climb. The end was in sight, as Mario and Flurry could see the top of the stairs. The girl turned to look at her cousin as he did the same, both having defiant looks.

"You can't beat me, Mario! I've always been faster!" said Flurry to her cousin.

"Not… today!" said the boy as he pushed himself and his body.

The pair came to the top of the stairs as they jumped the last flight and landed before taking off. They saw their respective principals in sight as they stuck their hands up. The boy and girl began to sprint as fast and as hard as they could, with Mario letting out a scream and putting his hand out. Time slowed as, flash by flash, Flurry, and Mario got closer and closer. The last standstill shot was Mario's hand being just an inch farther than Flurry's as he grabbed Celestia's hand, and Flurry grabbed Sombra's just a millisecond later.

Time resumed as both teens bent over, breathless, with their hands still connecting to their principals. The attention was then turned to the screen as the camera showed the race's last moments and zoomed in on Mario tagging his principal's hand first.

"CHS finished the relay first!" said Luna as Sunny, the others, and the entire CHS student cheered.

Mario looked about as Celestia lifted from her chair and let her inner competitive spirit emerge. She held Mario's hand and used her other hand to point at the boy, letting him get some attention. She looked at Sombra and pointed at him for losing the relay. Still holding Flurry's hand, Sombra didn't say or do anything but give a straight face. The man snapped his fingers as the screen showed the scores of the two teams before the relay was factored in. Silence fell over the crowd as the final score was tallied. CHS' logo came up as it had a total score of 250 points, while CPA's logo appeared and had a total of 255 points.

"Ladies and gentlemen. The winners of the first event… Crystal Prep Academy!" said Luna.

The Crystal Prep students roared in victory. Despite losing the relay, they acclimated more points than their opponents and claimed a decisive victory.

"No…" said Sunny as she couldn't believe it.

"So close…" said Hitch as they had now lost two events to their competition.

Sombra smiled at seeing Crystal Prep named the winner. He looked at Flurry, who smiled as he was more than proud of her. He then turned to look at Celestia as she took in the fact they lost, and meant another loss to him.

"I told you, primo. You can't beat me," said Flurry as she, Cadance, and Sombra began to leave.

Sombra halted to look at Celestia as his smug smile grew. Celestia gritted her teeth as she hated they now suffering back-to-back losses. Mario watched his cousin and Sombra leave as he turned to look at Celestia, who had her head down with her hair, hiding her face.

"Sorry."

The boy apologized for losing as he was quickly pulled into a hug by his principal. Mario didn't expect his principal to hug him as she held him tightly as if he were her own son.

"It's okay. You did your best—you and everyone else," said Celestia to her student." I should be the one to say sorry. I let you all down. I failed you all… as a teacher and as your principal." The woman was willing to take the blame for her team's loss.

Flurry met up with her crew as they congratulated their captain on their win. The group then began to follow Sombra and Cadance as they passed by Sunny and the others. The girl stopped and looked at her cousin and her friends, holding a smug smile.

"Didn't I tell you, prima? We were gonna win. You and everybody else didn't believe me. You should know by now I don't make false promises, " said Flurry as her cousins' friends all looked defiantly at her. "I'll tell you all again. You're looking at the final boss, the head of the table! And you all don't stand a chance against us. And that's not a prediction… that's... a spoiler!"

The girl and her friends all left with smug smiles. Roll sighed, hated to agree with her cousin's claim, given that they embarrassed them not only in Wargames but also in winning the Friendship Games' first event. Sunny's doubt increased as it started to look bleak about whether or not they could come back at this stage.

Author's Note: And so the first event has come and gone for both schools. And yet again, Crystal Prep manages to win. Not only did they win the exhibition opening event, but with this victory, CHS has now suffered back to back losses. Which doesn't bode well for Celestia and her confidence in her team. Especially, Sunny as the pressure is now on to win or else they won't last long. And as for Zipp, it was tough for her to pass up the opportunity to get even with Flurry, but for the sake of the team, she was willing to listen to reason. However, Flurry still proclaims herself as the final boss, which at this point, is starting to look like a reality.