Friendship Games: The Untold Story (Chapter 17)

Flash Sentry and Pinkie Pie were in a vacant classroom, getting ready to meditate. Flash was just mounting the desk chair, getting ready to climb onto the back and balance there in his usual “tree” pose. Pinkie stood nearby. She, too was in a “tree” pose, but she was standing on the vacant teacher’s desk.

“Now, Flash,” she said. “Before we begin, there is a very important topic I would like to discuss with you.”

“Okay,” Flash replied. Whatever it was, it probably had something to do with whatever it was that Twilight had come here to stop. If he was being asked about something like that, he would be more than happy to give the answer if it meant he could be of any help.

“Well, as I was meditating earlier today, the universe told me that your first ever solo meditation was interrupted,” Pinkie explained. “Would you please explain to me what that was all about?”

Flash felt disappointed. Not only did this have nothing to do with the forces of evil, but now he would have to reveal something pretty embarrassing. With great difficulty, he answered, “I… um… I was interrupted by the Hunch.”

“Uh-huh,” Pinkie nodded. “And what did the Hunch make you do exactly?”

“Well, I'm not sure what it was supposed to make me do,” Flash replied, “but when I was walking to the front door shortly after, I, er, kind of bumped into Twilight.” An embarrassed blush formed on his cheeks as he spoke. If Pinkie noticed this, she didn’t say.

“Interesting,” Pinkie commented. “And what exactly did you say to her this time around?”

Flash hesitated. He didn’t want to share the full extent of the pain he’d felt with Pinkie. He didn’t want her to view him as some sort of weakling, or she might stop tutoring him. But, still, he could tell that it was in his best interest to answer the question, so he said, “Well, I learned that she apparently wears glasses now, and she said that she was going to stick around for the Friendship Games.”

“That makes sense,” Pinkie said. “I had a hunch that she would bump into you before she met up with me and the other Rainbooms. Plus, I totally saw you go up and shake her hand, not to mention the way you looked at her during the chemistry and home ec rounds.” Flash blushed deeper, lowering his head a little in shame. “Well, that’s all I needed to know.” Pinkie chirped. “You may begin when ready.”

Flash took a few deep breaths, trying to force the emotions that colored his face back down into his heart. Then, after his face had returned to its natural shade of pale, he very carefully climbed onto the back of the desk chair. He felt a little wobbly up there in a way he never seemed to get used to, but he managed to stay on. Slowly, carefully, he lifted his foot up and rested it against the opposite thigh. Then, as he clasped his hands together in front of his chest, he relaxed, allowing reality to dissolve around him.

The Limbo Between Worlds never ceased to amaze Flash. Though he kept his wonder suppressed to avoid being distracted by it, he couldn’t help but internally marvel at the fact that this level of peace and calm was even possible, that he could allow himself to glimpse at all the various stars and galaxies that there were in existence just by breathing. Whenever he could stop to appreciate it, it was enough to remind a young man like him just how small he really was – and he was okay with it.

Flash had only been breathing a few minutes, however, when something cut into the calmness. The singing from the last couple of rounds was back, only this time it sounded like the voices of all the Shadowbolts. Just as the Wondercolt voices before them had sung of victory, so did they. Just as the first set of voices had sung of determination, so did they. And it all seemed to be part of the same song.

Talk a little too much
For a school that never wins
Maybe you should just stop
Before you even begin
We are Crystal Prep High
And we have a reputation
Every little moment
Is about our education

Put your ear to the ground
Listen to that sound
You’re a house of cards
And it’s about to fall down
(Fall down)
About to fall down
(Fall down)
Hit the ground

You’ve got nothing on us
Na-na-na-na-na-na
Let’s go, Shadowbolts!
You’ve got nothing on us
Na-na-na-na-na-na
Let’s go, Shadowbolts!

Flash tried to concentrate, but the singing was getting a little annoying. The last three times he’d meditated, it had cut into his concentration and, as his friend Sandalwood likely would have put it, harshed the flow. Flash’s irritation caused the Limbo Between Worlds to shimmer and shift around him. Finally, it vanished, and he fell off the back of the chair like he usually did after meditation.

“Whoa!” Pinkie gasped, as she was, on some level, aware of what had happened. “Pull yourself together, Flash. You were teetering and tottering like… uh… a teeter-totter.”

Flash sighed, allowing Pinkie to help him stand back up. “Sorry, Pinkie. It’s just… I had trouble because this irritating singing cut in, and-”

“Waaaaiit a minute,” Pinkie stopped him, eyeing him skeptically. “Did you say… singing?”

“Yes,” Flash answered. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s kind of been bugging me all throughout the Friendship Games, and-”

“The Phantom Montage,” Pinkie breathed. Before he had a chance to ask what that was, she suddenly leaned so close to him that he had to lean backwards in order to preserve even a smidge of his personal space. “When else did you here this singing?” she demanded harshly.

Flash didn’t like it when Pinkie got like this, so he explained, “Well, I heard it once in the chemistry round and once in the home ec round. The first time, it just sounded like a bunch of random voices to me, but then the second time it sound like the Wondercolts – including me, now that I think of it – and just now it sounded like the Shadowbolts.”

Pinkie looked so stunned he thought that her jaw might literally drop to the floor. Instead, she began pacing the room madly, loudly muttering, “No. No. Th-this isn’t possible. At least, I thought it wasn’t possible. After all, he’s only been my pupil for about 10 months and counting. He shouldn’t be hearing the Montage yet! No one does at that stage!”

“Uh, Pinkie?” he dared to ask. “What are you talking about?”

Pinkie stopped in her tracks, looking as though she had only just realized what she was doing. With an enraged yet thoughtful glare, she whirled around to face Flash and said, “Flash B. Sentry, you should know that whenever something BIG is going on in the multiverse, those of us who have taught ourselves to connect with it are alerted. There are various signs depending on how serious the damage is and how it relates to us and our world, but when all of space and time suddenly burst into song, you know something big is coming your way.” She leaned in closer, her nose almost touching Flash’s and emphasized, “If you know what’s good for you, Sentry, you will. Not. Get. Involved. You’re just a beginner. You’re not ready to handle prime-time business such as this just yet.”

Flash was crushed. All throughout their time as teacher and student, Pinkie had been nothing but supportive of Flash. Oh, sure, she could be a little tough with her training, but only because she often had to in order to help him along his chosen path. It was clear as day that she wanted him to succeed. And yet, here she was, telling him he wasn’t ready for whatever she felt was gonna happen. “But…” he muttered, frantically grasping for an excuse to be included, “Twilight…”

“-will be a-okay, as usual,” Pinkie firmly cut him off. “Oh, and you know those two girls that you like spending so much time with?”

Flash frowned, confused. “Lyra and Sweetie?” he asked. They had been hanging out a lot before the Friendship Games, each helping the others train as hard as they could. He suspected that that was why Sweetie Drops had been so tough on him during home ec.

“No, no, the other two!” she snapped, startling Flash.

Flash took a couple of seconds to process her demand before realizing, “Oh, Level and Azalea. Yeah, they’re good friends.”

“Right,” Pinkie growled. “Stay as far away from them as possible.”

“What?” Flash snapped “Why?”

“It’s part of the principle of them being self-inserts,” she replied unhelpfully. “Whatever big, bad thing is going to happen at Canterlot High before the Games are up, I guarantee you that their presence here will only make it worse.” Flash opened his mouth to object, but Pinkie quickly pressed her finger to his lips and added, “And don’t tell me that it’s not like me to ask this of anyone. I don’t wanna hear it! If you want to hang out with those two troublemakers again after the Games, I won’t try to stop you, but for your own safety, I’m gonna have to ask you to avoid them for the rest of the day.”

Just as Flash thought that he might drown in his nervous drops of sweat, the intercom overhead activated and Dean Cadence announced, “Attention, students. Would all qualifying Friendship Games competitors please make their way to the art classroom? You have five minutes until the next round begins.”

Pinkie sent him one final glare and snarled, “Avoid. Them.” She walked backwards out of the classroom, leaving Flash all alone in the room. He was scared and a little confused. He still wasn’t sure why Pinkie hated Level and Azalea so much, but if she wanted him to stay away from them from the rest of the day – to avoid two of his best friends in the world until the Games were over – then he saw no reason to believe she was wrong. After all, Pinkie Pie’s logic, however bizarre it seemed, never failed in its accuracy.