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It was a lively New Year’s Eve Party. Festivity filled the room; loud music playing, excited chatter, people dancing and singing along to their favorite songs. Flash Sentry wandered through the crowd. He didn’t know anyone else at the party and was too shy to start up conversation with the other partygoers. Besides, the music was too loud to hear anyone. Flash stood awkwardly off to the side. Just being at the party was overwhelming. Twilight Sparkle walked around the room. All she wanted to do was find a quiet place to read. If only she wasn’t at such a distracting party. Eventually she found an empty armchair near the stage. It was as good a place as any. Twilight sat down, readjusted her glasses and resumed where she had left off in her Daring Do novel. An enthusiastic pink-haired girl took to the stage grabbing the microphone. “Hey everyone! I’m your host, Pinkie Pie! Who here is ready for some KARAOKE?” The crowd cheered. Scanning the room, Pinkie Pie’s face lit up. She ran off, grabbing Flash by the wrist and bringing him onstage. He looked around, utterly confused. Before he could ask what was going on, she had run off again. Meanwhile, Twilight was immersed in the story she was reading. So much that she was almost able to tune out her surroundings. Someone tapped on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Pinkie standing right in front of her. Twilight let out a surprised yelp as Pinkie practically lifted her out of her chair and carried her onstage. What was happening? Spotlight shone directly on them. The microphone stands were being adjusted to their heights. There was a screen above the stage. It felt like everyone at the party was staring at them. Twilight quickly pieced things together. “What’s going on?” Flash asked. “Wait? What? No! No way, I don’t sing!” Twilight muttered. “You guys might thank me for this some day!” Pinkie said as she exited the stage. Twilight and Flash glanced at each other. The music started, it was a familiar pop song. The lyrics showed up on the screen. Flash reluctantly sang the first line. “Living in my own world, didn’t understand, that anything can happen when you take a chance.” He turned around and was ready to get off the stage. Twilight tensed up, but then took a deep breath. “I never believed in what I couldn’t see, I never opened my heart to all the possibilities.” Flash turned his head. She had a lovely voice! But also she was clearly nervous. No way he could just leave her to sing the song alone. Flash walked back to the microphone. “This could be the start of something new, it feels so right to be here with you!” As the two of them sang in harmony, they both began to think that maybe Pinkie Pie was right - maybe karaoke wasn’t such a bad idea after all. “Now who would’ve ever thought that we’d both be here tonight?” “And the world looks so much brighter with you by my side!” The crowd began to cheer and dance. Twilight readjusted her posture. She was starting to feel more comfortable. Soon enough she and Flash were happily singing and dancing to the music. “And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart, the start of something new, the start of something new!” The crowd applauded as their song ended. Pinkie Pie got back up on stage and clapped. However Twilight and Flash still had their eyes on each other, as if they didn’t even notice the audience. “My name’s Flash Sentry.” “Twilight Sparkle.” After they left the stage, they went to go get some hot chocolate. Twilight and Flash found a semi-quiet table outside where they could sit down and chat. “Seriously, Twilight! You have an amazing voice! You’re a singer, right?” Twilight blushed. “I sing when I’m by myself. This was the first time I’ve ever sung in front of an audience.” “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that given the way you sang tonight!” “The only one who’s ever heard me sing before was my dog, Spike. And I don’t think that counts.” Flash laughed and took another sip of his hot chocolate. Twilight leaned forward “And what about you, Flash? You have a fantastic singing voice!” “I used to sing…and play guitar, but I haven’t had much time to do either of those things recently.” “Maybe that could be your New Year’s resolution.” Twilight realized it was almost midnight. Many of the partygoers began counting down the seconds to the New Year. They joined in. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!” There was a clear view of the fireworks display from the nearby window. Twilight pulled out her cellphone. After snapping a few pictures of the fireworks, she turned to Flash. “New year, new friend, I think this calls for a selfie!” “You’re totally right!” Twilight walked over to Flash and the two smiled for the camera. Then Flash took a selfie with his cellphone as well. “I have to go find my parents and my brother and wish them a happy new year,” said Twilight. “Me too, I mean, I have to go find MY parents and wish them a happy new year.” “It was nice to meet you, Flash!” “It was nice to meet you too!” Flash waved goodbye. This New Year’s Eve party turned out to be pretty great after all!
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Winter vacation soon came to an end and it was back to Canterlot High. Though the vacation was fun, Flash was actually okay with going back to school. He was looking forward to seeing his Wondercolt friends again. Standing near the stairs were Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Happy New Year!” Flash said. “Yeah, it’s a happy Wondercolts New Year!” Rainbow Dash replied. “We’re totally gonna win the Canterlot vs. Everton game!” Applejack nodded. They chatted excitedly about the upcoming basketball season as they made their way to the school. Twilight Sparkle looked up at the building. Not only was it a new year, but it was also her first day at a new high school. It was exciting, however she was a little nervous. Taking a deep breath, she started her way up the stairs. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were tossing a basketball back and forth while Flash recounted how his winter vacation went. Students gradually came into homeroom. Out of the corner of his eye, Flash saw a girl in a fuchsia jacket. He turned to get a better look. Indigo hair, with pink and purple streaks, tied back into a ponytail. Could it be? “Hi Flash!” Adagio Dazzle interrupted his train of thought. He waved to Adagio as she walked to her seat. Following her were Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze. The bell rang and Miss Cheerilee stepped forward. “I hope you all had a splendid winter break! We have a sign up sheets for upcoming school activities in the lobby, including auditions for the spring musical!” Adagio, Sonata and Aria whispered to each other excitedly. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. She slouched and rolled her basketball on her desk. “Rainbow Dash, we’ve talked about this. Why do you carry a basketball with you to class?” Rainbow stored the basketball under her desk as Miss Cheerilee continued speaking. “We also have the sign ups for the academic decathlon. Sunset Shimmer can answer any questions you may have about that.” Flash took out his cellphone and pulled up the selfie he had taken with Twilight Sparkle. Same tricolored hair, rectangular glasses, and large purple eyes: it was her! Twilight noticed the blue haired boy looking at her. Glancing at her phone, then up at him, she couldn’t believe it. Was Flash Sentry really in the same class as her? “Cellphones are not to be used during class, Adagio Dazzle! Same goes for you two!” She collected Adagio, Sonata and Aria’s cellphones and shook her head. “You too, Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry! The five of you will be seeing me in detention.” “Hold on! You can’t give Flash detention today, we have basketball practice!” Rainbow interjected. “I will be seeing you in detention too, Rainbow Dash!” “Great going, Rainbow Dash!” “And you too, Sunset Shimmer! Now, anyone else have anything to say?” Silence filled the room. Finally, the bell rang diffusing the awkward situation. Everyone was eager to leave. “Hey, Twilight!” a familiar voice called out. Twilight turned around. “Flash! I don’t believe it!” “Me neither! What? How?” “Things weren’t going so well at my old school, so I transferred to CHS. I can’t believe you go here! I looked for you at the ski resort, but I couldn’t find you.” “We had to leave fairly early after the New Year’s party.” Flash whispered “Why are you whispering?” “Oh, I told my friends about the skiing trip, except for the part about the karaoke party.” Flash put his hands in his pockets. “I mean, it was cool, but my friends don’t know I can sing, and I’m not sure I want to suddenly, randomly bring it up. You know?” “Yeah, I guess I understand.” “So anyways, welcome to Canterlot High! We’ve got a lot of cool things here.” Flash pointed to the sign up sheet for the spring musical. “Including stuff like musical theatre!” “Oh, I won’t be signing up for anything just yet. I want to adjust to being at this new school first. Though if you audition, I might go see the show.” “Oh, no, I wouldn’t, that’s impossible!” “What’s impossible, Flash?” Adagio smirked. As always, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze were right by her side. Sonata bounced over to Twilight and shook her hand. “Oh hey! You’re the new girl! My name’s Sonata Dusk!” “I’m Twilight Sparkle.” “SO nice to meet you, Twilight!” She continued shaking Twilight’s hand until Aria made her stop. “How sweet of you to show Twilight Sparkle around the school,” Adagio said as she took a glittery purple pen out of her purse. Adagio autographed the sign up sheet and handed the pen to Aria. She wrote out her name in large cursive letters. Then Sonata added her signature to the little bit of space still left. “Oh sorry, did you want to sign up?” Aria asked. Flash and Twilight shook their heads. Adagio smiled. “We’ve been in all of the school’s productions. Musical theatre is our passion!” Sonata threw her arms around Twilight and Flash. “And we’d love to have you guys in the cast too!” “Oh yes, there are plenty of supporting roles,” Aria said. Twilight began fidgeting with her hair. “Oh, no, that’s okay! I’m not looking to sign up.” “Yeah, we were just…uh… looking at the bulletin boards!” said Flash. “Lots going on at this school, isn’t there? Gotta head to class, okay bye!” “Yeah, that’s right! I should probably head to class too!” As they ran off in opposite directions, Adagio checked the sign up sheet. So far it was only herself, Sonata and Aria. “Do you think they’ll change their minds?” Sonata asked. Aria crossed her arms. “Doesn’t matter to me, just as long as we get the lead roles.” “We always get the lead roles! Besides, they don’t seem like the musical theatre type at all,” Adagio said confidently.
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Twilight was in disbelief; how could she have gotten detention on her first day of being at a new school? Not to mention she got it during homeroom! A girl wearing a leather jacket noticed Twilight’s concern. “Hey, are you alright?” Twilight nodded. A rainbow haired girl swooped in. “It was totally not fair of Miss Cheerilee to give you detention! I mean, come on, it’s your first day here! And I can’t believe I’ve got to miss basketball practice for this.” They introduced themselves and continued talking until Miss Cheerilee showed up. During detention everyone worked on props and sets for the upcoming musical. Sunset and Rainbow began painting a forest backdrop while Twilight patched up a few holes in some old, worn-out costumes. “So, Twilight how are you enjoying Canterlot High? I mean besides the part about being in detention,” Sunset asked. “It’s been pretty good so far.” “If you’d like, I could show you around the school sometime.” Twilight looked up from her sewing. “That would be great! Thank you!” “Hey, Sunset! Did you find any more of that light green paint?” Rainbow asked. “Yes, I’ll be right there!” Sunset turned to Twilight. “Well, I’ll see you then!” Bucket of light green paint in hand, Sunset returned to the set she and Rainbow were painting. Sonata walked by carrying a huge container of craft glitter, asking everyone in the room if they needed any. Seated in the front row, Miss Cheerilee observed all the projects. The sets, props and costumes were coming along nicely. Rarity entered the room carrying a sketchbook. “Hello, Miss Cheerilee, I brought my portfolio to show the costume designs I had in mind for the show! I already made sure it’s in our budget.” Miss Cheerilee flipped through the sketchbook, taking a good look at all the different fashion designs. “These designs are lovely! Will you be able to make them by tech week?” Rarity’s face lit up. “Absolutely! I will work hard to make these the most dazzling costumes you’ve ever seen!” “Fantastic! Let me know if you need any help.” Rarity collected her sketchbook and headed out of the auditorium. As soon as she was out the door, she ran into Applejack. “Rarity, have you seen Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash?” “Ah yes, they are both in the auditorium!” “Okay, thanks, Rarity!” Flash was completely focused on the banner he was decorating. It was coming along great! Maybe he’d even be able to finish it before the end of detention. Just then, Applejack stormed into the auditorium. “Miss Cheerilee, we have basketball practice and we need Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry!” That caught Flash’s attention. Rainbow Dash dropped her paintbrush on the ground and ran over to Applejack. A huge splatter of light green paint was left on the stage. Sunset rolled her eyes and went to clean it up. “Applejack, detention is not over yet. I’ll send them over once it’s done!” said Miss Cheerilee. “The coach told me to get them now!” She hesitated. “Alright, Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry, you may go ahead to your basketball practice!” Once Flash and Rainbow got their cellphones back, they followed Applejack out of the auditorium. Basketball practice hadn’t officially started yet. There was still time to get into their uniforms. The team met up in the gym to hear Rainbow give a pep talk and lead the Wondercolts chant. “WHAT TEAM?” “WONDERCOLTS!” “WONDERCOLTS, GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!” The sound of dribbling echoed in the gym. Flash tried to focus on playing basketball, but he just couldn’t stop thinking about Twilight Sparkle and how singing with her reminded him of how much he used to like singing. Flash was getting so lost in his own thoughts - he needed to focus on the game. Applejack threw the ball to Flash. He caught it. He moved in closer to the basket and took the shot. It bounced off the backboard and fell to the ground. Applejack went over to Flash at the end of practice. “Hey Flash, you seemed a little distracted out there. Is something on your mind?” Flash shook his head. “I’m fine… I guess I feel just a little out of practice after winter vacation.” “That’s okay, we all have our off days.” Applejack reassured him “But next time, you’ve got to get your head in the game!” Rainbow Dash said “GO WONDERCOLTS!”
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“Hey, Twilight!” Sunset waved. Twilight waved back. Today was the day Sunset promised to give her tour of the school. Sunset showed her around and recounted her own experiences attending Canterlot High. “So, where’d you go to school before?” “Crystal Prep.” “Really? That’s quite the prestigious school!” “I enjoyed the classes there, but I think CHS will be a nice change of pace.” “Oh yeah, I’ve heard Crystal Prep gets pretty competitive! That’s why they always beat us at the Friendship Games.” “Yeah, they really put a lot of pressure on us to win.” “For something called the Friendship Games, there really is a lot of rivalry, huh?” “Luckily for me, I haven’t run into any rivalry here! Everyone’s been so nice. I’ve made friends with you, Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry!” “You’re friends with Flash Sentry too? We used to be in a band together!” “Wait, really?” “Yeah! I taught him how to play guitar, he sang a lot of our songs!” Twilight thought about it for a second. “Flash Sentry did briefly mention that to me. But it sounds like he doesn’t sing or play guitar anymore.” Sunset shook her head. “Between school and our extracurricular activities, we haven’t had enough time to keep being in a band.” They roamed the halls. The walls were plastered in various posters, including the musical audition sheet. “Oh, that reminds me! I’m in charge of the upcoming academic decathlon! Would you be interested in signing up?” Sunset asked “That’d be great! Thanks for the offer!” “Well, I’ve got to head out. Nice talking to you!” “You too! Thanks for showing me around!” Twilight checked her surroundings. No one else seemed to be around. Setting her backpack on the ground, she pulled out a pen. Twilight approached the musical theatre sign up sheet. Miss Cheerilee sat at a table in the front of the auditorium with a notebook in hand. It was quiet for the time being, the only sounds coming from Fluttershy tuning the piano. Gradually, the students entered. Chatter filled the air as everyone prepared for the auditions. Adagio, Sonata and Aria strolled into the room and took a seat. Auditions began shortly. First up was Photo Finish, she was off to a good start but she began straining her voice too much. Next was Sandalwood. Though he sang well, he couldn’t quite remember the lyrics. Octavia attempted to do an opera rendition of the song. However, it ended up being way out of her vocal range. Trixie certainly had the stage presence required to be in theatre. Not only did she sing, she also played guitar and did magic tricks. Lyra and Bon Bon performed the song as a duet, complete with a strange, interpretive dance. “Very…interesting take.” Miss Cheerilee said. Flash Sentry was walking past the auditorium when he noticed Twilight Sparkle peering through the entrance. “Hey Twilight! What are you doing?” “Watching the auditions. You see, I signed up earlier, but now I’m not so sure.” “You want to be in the musical?” Twilight twirled her hair. “Maybe? Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been here watching all the other auditions from a distance. But I just don’t know if I can bring myself to go in there.” “Next, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze!” Miss Cheerilee called put After a few vocal warm-ups, the trio took to center stage. Fluttershy began playing the music. Their rendition of the song was a three-part harmony with Adagio on lead vocals. “It’s hard to believe that I couldn’t see, you were always there beside me!” Twilight and Flash watched in awe. It was the best audition yet! They harmonized so beautifully, not to mention they came up with their own choreography! “I’ve never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you! So lonely before I finally found, what I’ve been looking for!” During the instrumental they did a bit of tap dance. At the end of the number the three struck a pose. The audience applauded. “I told you not to do jazz squares, Sonata!” Aria whispered. “Why not? Everyone loves jazz squares!” The trio took their bows and headed offstage. Miss Cheerilee scanned the auditorium. “Anyone else?” Flash turned to Twilight. “Now’s your chance!” “Oh no, there’s no way I can top that performance!” Miss Cheerilee asked again. “Anyone? Anyone? No? Done.” “I’d like to audition, Miss Cheerilee!” Twilight shouted. “I’m sorry, you’re too late, Twilight Sparkle!” Flash watched from the back of the auditorium. How was she considered too late? It wasn’t fair! Twilight was visibly disheartened. He couldn’t stand it. Flash stepped forward. “I’ll sing with her!” Twilight and Miss Cheerilee turned around, surprised. “Flash Sentry? Aren’t you supposed to be off practicing sports?” “No, not right now. Right now I’m here to audition alongside Twilight Sparkle.” “Well, you have come too late for the auditions. Free period is over.” “Please, give her a chance! Twilight has an amazing voice!” “Perhaps for the next musical.” The two sadly watched as Miss Cheerilee left. Just then a small yelp came from the stage. It was Fluttershy! She had tripped over something. All of her sheet music was now splayed across the stage. Flash and Twilight ran to her, both reaching out a hand to help her up. Together they helped pick up all the sheet music. Flash read the sheet in his hand. “So you wrote that song everyone sang for the auditions?” “Uh huh, I’m much too shy to act onstage. So I stick to songwriting and playing music.” “So what instruments do you play?” “Tambourine and piano.” “Do you guys want to hear the whole song?” Twilight nodded. Gathering around the piano, Fluttershy began to play. Flash couldn’t help but to sing along. “It’s hard to believe, that I couldn’t see you were always there beside me.” Twilight joined in. “Thought I was alone with no one to hold, but you were always right beside me.” Once again, Flash and Twilight were singing together. Just the two of them and Fluttershy’s accompaniment - it felt right. Fluttershy loved the way they sang her original song. She wasn’t the only one who appreciated it. “Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, you have a callback!” Miss Cheerilee projected from the back of the auditorium. “Fluttershy, teach them the duet from act 2.”
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“CALLBACKS?” Adagio shouted so loud all of Canterlot High could hear. “Who else got a callback?” Sonata asked, trying to get a better look at the Callbacks sheet “Was it Lyra and Bon Bon?” Aria moved Adagio out of the way. “No, get this! It says Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry!” Adagio panicked. “It can’t be! Those two didn’t even audition!” “Didn’t you say they didn’t seem like the musical theatre type?” Aria asked. “That’s the thing! They don’t, this must be a mistake! Come on girls, we’re going to get to the bottom of this!” As soon as Flash Sentry entered the school he was met with a million questions, particularly from Rainbow Dash. “Flash, what is going on? Theatre? You’ve never shown interest in theatre before? A musical? Do you even sing? This won’t interfere with basketball will it?” Applejack stepped between them. “Calm down, Rainbow. No need to be so confrontational.” “Thanks, Applejack. I’ll explain everything at lunch.” Flash said, anxiously running his hand through his hair. Adagio, Sonata and Aria wandered the halls. Suddenly, Adagio heard a faint sound of someone singing. Following the sound, they found it was coming from a mostly empty classroom. The three gathered near the door as Adagio peered into the classroom. Inside, Twilight Sparkle was pacing back and forth. With a script in her hand, she was singing along. “That’s really her singing!” said Aria. Sonata swayed to the tune. “She really has a pretty singing voice!” “No, no, no! This is bad! Her singing’s good!” Adagio said. Sonata was confused. “So do you think her singing’s bad or do you think it’s good?” “Her singing is GOOD and that is BAD for us because now we have actual competition for the lead roles!” Adagio scowled. “We can find a way to deal with this, can’t we?” Aria asked. A menacing grin crept up on Adagio’s face “You’re right, what’s so wrong with a little competition?” Lunchtime began as usual. However, something felt off. As Twilight and Sunset searched for a table, they noticed Adagio, Sonata and Aria. Why did they look like they were up to something? Wandering down the aisles of cafeteria tables, Adagio began to sing. “No, no, no, no, stick to the stuff you know!” “To the stuff you know!” Aria and Sonata echoed. Adagio briefly glared at Twilight. “It is better by far to keep things as they are don’t mess with the flow, no, no!” Aria and Sonata lifted Adagio onto a table. “STICK TO THE STATUS QUO!” The song continued, practically becoming a full-blown musical number. Everyone was talking about this seemingly spontaneous occurrence. They all knew it was about the callbacks. The cafeteria became more noisy than usual. Flash Sentry sighed as he took a seat next to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. It was impossible to keep a low profile. Twilight and Sunset nervously rushed through the chaotic cafeteria. “Mind if me and Sunset sit with you guys?” Applejack offered them the two seats next to her. “Thank you, Applejack. Today sure has been hectic!” Fluttershy spotted them and went to their table. “I’m so sorry, if I hadn’t encouraged you to sing along to my song, none of this would have happened!” “No, it’s not your fault, Fluttershy!” Flash reassured her. All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie came up behind Fluttershy. “Yeah, it’s not Fluttershy’s fault! I’m the one to blame! I was the one who made them sing karaoke!” “Pinkie Pie, it’s not your fault!” said Twilight. “Also, I had no idea you went to this school too?” Rainbow Dash looked puzzled. “Wait, can someone catch me up? What’s this about Flash and Twilight and karaoke? Does this have something to do with all the musical audition stuff?” Flash and Twilight took the time to explain everything, starting with Flash previously being part of a band, to the New Year’s party, all the way until the auditions. Applejack turned to Flash. “So you did that for Twilight?” Flash nodded. “I really wanted them to give Twilight a chance, she really is such a great singer. And I admit, after singing karaoke with her I was reminded of how much I used to love singing.” “I didn’t know that,” said Rainbow. Flash sighed, “Don’t get me wrong, I still love basketball! It’s just, you know.”All around the table, everyone seemed to understand. “There’s more to you than just basketball.” Said Applejack. “The same can be said of all of us on the team! I love basketball, but I also love baking.” “I get what you mean. During my time at Crystal Prep, everyone focused on my STEM abilities so much that I couldn’t find time to pursue the arts,” Twilight said. Sunset nodded, “We’re all multifaceted people! There’s no shame in that.” “Yeah, let them know that we don’t need to stick to the status quo!” Pinkie Pie said with a confident expression. For the short time that Twilight Sparkle had spent at Canterlot High, she felt like she’d already found such supportive friends. It put her at ease to know that at least this group had her back!
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Twilight lugged her heavy backpack from classroom to classroom. There was no good, quiet place for her to study! Everywhere she went there were people staring at her, or talking about her behind her back. Suddenly, Twilight saw Flash. “Hey Flash! Guess who spent her whole morning so far looking for a quiet place to study for tomorrow’s algebra test?”“I have to study for that too, and I think I might know a place.”Flash led Twilight up a flight of stairs she’d never seen before. The doorway led to the rooftop. There were so many beautiful plants and colorful flowers. It was such a gorgeous, sunny day too! Twilight marveled at the sight.“No way! Is this your secret hideout or something?” “It’s a project that was started last year by Wallflower Blush. She runs the gardening club!”“You’re friends with a lot of people at this school, huh?”Flash shrugged “I try!”Twilight took a closer look at a pot of peonies. “I’ll have to come back here next semester when I’m studying botany!”“You know, Twilight? I really admire how you’re so passionate about so many different things. It’s kind of inspiring.”“You think so?”“Yeah, you’re so free to be yourself and you encourage others to be true to themselves as well. I really like that about you.”“I like you too, Flash. You’re so nice to everyone. And you’ve really helped me feel more welcome at this new school!”Flash smiled at Twilight. They stood quietly for a moment.“So…do you still want to do the callbacks?” Twilight asked.“Totally! I mean… if you still want to.”“I do REALLY want to do the callbacks, even if I am a little anxious.”“Yeah, who could’ve anticipated that Adagio’s group would have done…um- ” Flash struggled to find the words. “-that? They were just trying to catch us off guard.”“I certainly didn’t see it coming, I hope they don’t try to interfere with the callbacks in any way!”“I’m sure it will be fine. We can’t lose hope!”“You’re right, I won’t lose hope! We WILL do our best at those callbacks!”“That’s the spirit!”Twilight sat down and pulled an algebra textbook out of her backpack.“Don’t forget why we came up here!”“Oh right!”“You didn’t think all your inspirational-talking could get us out of studying algebra, did you?” Twilight teased.“Oh, no, no I wasn’t! I didn’t mean to distract you! I mean I-”Twilight laughed, Flash couldn’t help but to laugh too.
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Music filled the mostly empty room. Fluttershy’s accompaniment blended beautifully with Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry’s voices. After having rehearsed Fluttershy’s new song a few times, it was sure to be ready by the callbacks! Pinkie Pie burst into the music room. “You guys sound AMAZING!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash were close behind her. “Wow, Flash. I’ve never heard you sing before!” said Applejack. “You guys are AWESOME!” Rainbow added. Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry were completely caught off guard. Both of them were blushing. “Thank you!” Twilight fidgeted with her ponytail. “That means so much to me!” “I’m glad you guys appreciate it!” said Flash. There was a knock on the door: it was Sunset Shimmer. “There you are! I wondered where you went! You guys aren’t discouraged from the other day?” Flash shook his head. “No, not at all! Well, okay, I may be a bit nervous.” “Well, that scene Adagio Dazzle’s clique caused yesterday wasn’t fair at all!” Everyone turned to see Rarity standing in the doorway. She walked into the room, setting down a bedazzled blue backpack. “So sorry for listening in on your conversation, but really! I simply cannot believe that they would try to humiliate you with a passive-aggressive musical number during lunchtime!” Twilight laughed. “That really sounds ridiculous when you put it that way!” “And I have an equally ridiculous idea! One that will give them a taste of their own medicine!” Rarity said. Everyone went silent for a moment, glancing at each other in confusion and concern. Flash sighed. “Well, we’re already in the middle of a weird situation. What’s your idea, Rarity?” The group met up at lunch. Each of them grabbed some blue and yellow pony ear headbands and tails from Rarity’s backpack. Twilight and Flash went outside the cafeteria as the rest of them headed to separate tables. Once Adagio, Sonata and Aria were seated, Pinkie Pie put on her pony ears and began clapping and stomping. This prompted the rest of the group to do the same. Some upbeat music began. The group began clapping while skipping through the aisles. Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry entered the cafeteria and started to sing. “Hey, hey everybody! We’ve got something to say! We may seem as different as the night is from day!” This caught a lot of attention. Adagio and Aria glared at them, ignoring that Sonata was clapping along to the music. “But you look a little deeper, and you will see, that I’m just like you and you’re just like me!” The group danced across the cafeteria as Twilight and Flash sang their song. It was a catchy tune. Soon enough, other students began clapping along. The girls lifted Flash and Twilight onto one of the tables. “I’m gonna be myself, no matter what I do!” “And if we’re different yeah, I want you to be true to you!” Pony ear headbands and matching tails were tossed to the crowd. “Jump up, make a sound! Stomp your hooves, turn around, start now, make a change, gonna come around!” Their musical number filled the cafeteria with charisma. Just about everyone was dancing along and wearing Wondercolts garb! Adagio was angry. “Seriously? A cafeteria musical number? That was OUR idea!” Aria scowled. “Look at those tacky matching sweaters! And the ridiculous ears and tails too.” Sonata quickly took off her pony ear headband and hid it behind her back. After lunch ended, Adagio, Sonata and Aria headed to Miss Cheerilee’s classroom. “Miss Cheerilee, I have a question regarding the callbacks.” The friends walked through the hallways together, still in their matching Wondercolts sweaters, pony ears and tails. Laughter echoed through the halls. This musical number brought such a sense of togetherness. “Okay, that was awesome!” Rainbow Dash said. “They totally weren’t expecting THAT!” “And doesn’t everyone look simply FABULOUS?” Rarity gestured to her pony ears. Twilight nodded. “It was a great idea, Rarity!” Flash turned to Rarity. “So you made all these headbands and pony tails? They’re amazing!” “Thank you, Flash! They were quite popular during freshman year. It was an honor to revive them in such a big way!” “You should try selling some at the big game, I’m sure the spectators would love them!” said Flash. “Sure thing! I’ve still got quite a lot left.” Rarity replied. “That’d be awesome! It’s gonna be a spectacular game: Canterlot vs. Everton!” Flash said. Twilight giggled. “Canterlot vs. Everton, sounds exactly like when I was trying to decide which school to go to.” “Hey, speaking of which,” Sunset interjected, “the academic decathlon is next week!” “I almost forgot! Unfortunately, it’s during the same time as your game.” Twilight said. “No problem!” said Rainbow Dash. “There’ll be more basketball games!” The group watched as Adagio, Sonata and Aria walked by. Adagio had a smug expression, Sonata was giggling and Aria stared them down. “What she smiling about?” Applejack asked. Pinkie Pie hurtled towards the group with a poster in her hands. “Maybe it’s about THIS?” Everyone gathered around Pinkie Pie. A look of concern came across everyone’s faces as they read the poster. “Callbacks have been rescheduled,” said Twilight. “to the same day as the decathlon!” “Which is also the same day as the Canterlot vs. Everton game!” Flash cried.
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Today was the day. A basketball game, an academic decathlon and callbacks would soon be happening at the same time. There was only one more class left before then. “Hey Twi, are you doing okay?” Flash asked. Twilight shook her head. “I’m so worried. What if I can’t get out of the decathlon early enough? What if we don’t make it on stage on time? Or what if I forget the song lyrics?” Tears began to well up in Twilight’s eyes. Flash reached out to her, she hugged him.“I believe in you! I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” “I’ve been stressed about this all day.” “Not gonna lie, I’ve been stressed too. We’ll do our best, we’ll find a way, and we have amazing friends who’ve been so supportive and helpful.” “Thank you, Flash! I needed to hear that.” Just then, Sunset rushed over to them. The two let go of each other. Twilight quickly dried her tears. “Good news! I’ve got a plan!” said Sunset. “If we time this out just right, we’ll be able to get you to callbacks without having to skip the decathlon and basketball game! I’ll explain everything on the way to class!” The class felt like it lasted forever. Normally, Twilight was the type who was 100% invested in the lesson being taught. Today she couldn’t keep her thoughts from wandering. Flash was getting impatient as well. Constantly checking the clock, time moved so slowly. The bell finally rang. It was time! “See ya at the callbacks!” Flash said to Twilight before heading to the gym. Twilight met up with the rest of her decathlon team. Two groups of students went to opposite sides of the classroom, eagerly waiting for the event to start. “Welcome to the 10th annual academic decathlon. Canterlot Wondercolts vs. Everton Timberwolves!” Twilight Sparkle was the first Wondercolt up. Though the equation on the board was complex, she’d solved it quickly and pressed the timer. The judge deemed Twilight’s answer to be correct! The Wondercolts cheered as they earned their first point. Twilight shook her opponent’s hand before returning to her seat. Next to her, Sunset Shimmer began typing her laptop. She looked over and winked at Twilight. Meanwhile, the lights flickered on the basketball court. The scoreboard completely went out. All the spectators muttered in confusion. “It appears we are experiencing technical difficulties. The referee has signaled time out.” Flash Sentry looked up at the malfunctioning scoreboard. “That must be Sunset’s signal!” he whispered to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow motioned to the open door. “You got this, Wondercolt!” Flash Sentry threw on his dark blue Wondercolts varsity jacket and ran out the door. The announcer sounded over the intercom. “Please make an orderly exit from the gym as we figure out what has happened!” Sunset looked satisfied with her work. Just then, a beaker on the front desk began to bubble and overflow. Everyone was told to evacuate the room immediately. Adagio, Sonata and Aria had just changed into their costumes. The look consisted of sparkly matching dresses: Adagio’s in dark purple, Aria’s in mint green and Sonata’s in magenta. Now headed backstage, they did a bunch of warm-ups. Not one of them showed any sign of stage fright. They confidently made their way to the stage where Adagio started the song. “I believe in dreaming, shooting for the stars!” Sonata and Aria sang the next verse together. “Baby to be number one, you’ve got to raise the bar!” Adagio took to center stage. “A Kickin’ and a scratchin’, grindin’ out my best!” “Anything it takes to climb the ladder of success!” Aria and Sonata gestured to a glittery gold ladder downstage. Twilight and Sunset led the decathlon team toward the auditorium. On the way there they met up with the basketball team. Both teams were eager to catch the callbacks! Adagio began to climb the ladder. “We’ll keep moving up and we just won’t stop!” “Just won’t stop!” Aria and Sonata climbed the other side. “Til we reach the top! BOP TO THE TOP!” The trio posed on the glitzy ladder and the audience applauded. “And next we have Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry!” Miss Cheerilee said. The two teams finally reached the auditorium. Pinkie Pie stood outside the doors. “Me and Rarity have saved many, many seats for all of you!” Pinkie Pie said. Adagio exited the stage as Sonata and Aria carried the ladder. It looked a little heavy, so Fluttershy helped them move it. The stage was ready for the next performance. Miss Cheerilee scanned the room. “Twilight Sparkle? Flash Sentry?” “Right here!” Twilight burst through the doors, still wearing her lab coat Flash ran in after her. “We’re ready! We can sing!” “What did I tell you about getting here on time? I called your name twice and you are too late.” “Miss Cheerilee, please!” Twilight made her way to the stage. Suddenly, the decathlon and basketball teams began to fill the seats. Adagio and Aria came back on stage to see what the fuss was about. “We’d be happy to perform again for all these new audience members!” Adagio said. Miss Cheerilee looked around. “I don’t know what’s happening, but you are too late for callbacks! And besides, our pianist already left.” “Um… Miss Cheerilee, I’m right here,” Fluttershy mumbled from backstage. “That’s showbiz!” Aria laughed. Flash was determined “We’ll sing it a cappella!” “NO!” Fluttershy projected as she moved closer. “I’m still here! And I WILL play piano for Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle’s callback audition! Miss Cheerilee, please give them a chance! They’ve worked so hard to be here tonight!” Everyone onstage stared Fluttershy in disbelief. Only now did she realize she had walked all the way to center stage. Quickly, she retreated behind her piano. Miss Cheerilee turned back to Twilight and Flash. “Well, with such a confident endorsement from Fluttershy, I shall reconsider my stance on letting you two audition! Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, places!” Everyone left the stage, leaving only Twilight and Flash. Microphones in hand, the music started and the spotlight shined brightly. Twilight looked out to the audience. People were still coming in and finding their seats. There were so many of them. And they were all there to watch her and Flash. She began to tense up. Gripping the microphone, Twilight gave a blank stare at the audience. No words came out. “I can’t do it, Flash! Not with everyone watching me. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” Flash took Twilight’s hand. “Think of the first time we sang with each other. And all the times we’ve rehearsed. It’s just like that.” Flash let go of Twilight’s hand and signaled to Fluttershy to start the song over. This time, he sang the first verse. “We’re soaring, flying, there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach!” “If we’re trying, so we’re breaking free.” Flash held Twilight’s hand again. “You know the world can see us, in a way that’s different than who we are!” “Creating space between us, ‘til we’re separate hearts!” The two drifted apart. “But your faith, it gives me strength, strength to believe.” Now that they were singing together, Twilight began to regain her confidence. Just like during karaoke, just like their first audition, just like all the times they had practiced this song. “WE’RE BREAKING FREE!” “WE’RE SOARING!” “FLYING!” The crowd began to bop and clap along to the music. Even Adagio and Aria seemed impressed. “There’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach!” “If we’re trying, yeah, we’re breaking free!” Flash and Twilight danced across the entire stage. The performance no longer felt daunting. Singing such an inspiring song together with Flash, for a crowd of their friends, never before had Twilight felt so comfortable on the stage! “Now’s the time, so we’re breaking free! You know the world can see us, in a way that’s different than who we are!” The crowd cheered and gave a standing ovation. They smiled and looked out to the audience. It felt unreal! Flash gave Twilight a kiss on the cheek. She couldn’t be happier; this was their best performance yet!
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As soon as Flash Sentry entered the school, Twilight Sparkle very enthusiastically greeted him. “Great news, Flash! You’re not going to believe it!” “Did they put up the cast list?” Twilight nodded. She took Flash’s hand and brought him to the bulletin board. All their friends were gathered around. Getting a better view, he read the cast list and his face lit up. “No way! Is this for real?” “You read that right!” Twilight exclaimed. Flash and Twilight hugged each other. The girls giggled. They let go, awkwardly blushing but still grinning from ear to ear. “Congratulations! We knew you two could do it!” said Sunset. “And Flash, I’m glad you’ve returned to music.” “Thank you, I’m so happy to be revisiting it too!” Flash said. Rainbow Dash gave Flash a pat on the back. “And the best part, is that we made sure your theatre rehearsals don’t overlap with any basketball practices!” “I’m going to preorder my tickets as soon as I possibly can!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “It will be quite a delight to design spectacular costumes for such spectacular lead actors!” said Rarity “Can’t wait to work with you guys!” Fluttershy said. “I can’t wait either!” Miss Cheerilee chimed in. “Looking forward to seeing you play two of our three main characters!” A high-pitched squeal came from down the hall. Sonata was uncontrollably bouncing up and down. She ran over, lifting Twilight up in a tight hug. After putting her down, she did the same with Flash. “I’m SO excited! I can’t wait to work on this show with you! I’m used to playing a main character, but now you two get to be main characters too! SO proud of you!” Sonata and Pinkie began talking back and forth about how excited they were for the show. It was amusing watching them try to one-up each other. Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze were significantly less enthusiastic than Sonata. Quietly, they stared at Twilight and Flash. Twilight broke the silence. “So… here to check the cast list?” “No, Sonata already told us,” Aria said. Twilight nervously twirled her hair. “You guys got some pretty great roles too! I mean… maybe they weren’t what you were expecting but…you’ll do a great job!” Adagio sighed, “We just wanted to say we’re sorry. Sorry we were so discouraging.” “Yeah, you guys aren’t half bad for newbies,” said Aria. Twilight and Flash exchanged looks. Noticing their confusion, Adagio nudged Aria. “What I meant is that everyone has to start somewhere!” “We should have been helping you, and instead we were using our position as experienced actresses to keep you guys out of theatre,” Adagio added. “So from here on out, we’d like to help you improve your singing and acting skills!” “Really?” Twilight asked excitedly. Aria nodded. “We’ve learned a lot from our many years in theatre - it’d be great to teach those skills to someone else!” “What do you two think?” Adagio asked. It took a moment for Aria and Adagio’s words to sink in. Did they really want to help? They sounded so genuine. Twilight and Flash looked at each other surprised. “Thank you so much, I’d be honored to learn from you!” Twilight said. Flash smiled. “We’re all in this together!”