//------------------------------//
// Memory Part III: Heart and Soul 
// Story: Ashes to Inferno 
// by Sun Aura 
//------------------------------//

It hurt. Everything hurt. Sure, nothing was physically wrong, even the rough landing was barely enough to register. Yet she still felt like crying, like screaming until her voice gave out.

It was not physical pain, but emotional. Something that hurt so much that it became an ache across her body. It was why Sunset Shimmer had run, even with no idea where she was going. Because it hurt too much.

“Sunset!” someone screamed. Several someones.

Momentarily snapping to attention, Sunset looked up. Everything stopped as she scrambled back through the carnations.

“Sunset are you okay?” the closest one asked.

“N-no,” Sunset managed. “How do-How do you know my name? Who are you? What- What are you?”

Why did these creatures look so scared, so sad? The girls, or at least she assumed they were feminine from their appearances, all gave various gasps and choked cries. Some glared at the green one, but others stayed focused on her.

“What in the hell did you do?!” the orange one demanded, stomping over to the green one.

“I-I’m sorry,” the green one squeaked out. “I was trying to fix it!”

“You call this fixing it!” the rainbow-maned one retorted, gesturing at Sunset.

“It was all I could do!” she protested. “I can’t put your memory back, so I… I figured the next best thing would be letting you start over. Without good or bad. I didn’t think-”

“No, you didn’t!” the purple one snapped. “Now, how about we refrain from doing anything more drastic and you hand over that crystal?”

“What crystal?” she asked.

“Wallflower,” the white one said, a bit more calm yet easily reigning in her anger. “We did look into this stuff. You have some sort of crystal or gem, and that’s what’s letting you do this. The memories are in that. If you give it to us, we can fix it.”

The green one, Wallflower, nodded. Muttering more apologies, she reached into her shirt and pulled out a pendant. With trembling hands, she took it from her neck and held it out.

“Thank you, now-” the white one stopped. “Pinkie! What are you-!”

The pink one, Pinkie apparently, had reached her first and taken the pendant. Sunset didn’t understand why it was important. It was just a crystal, a clear Quartz in a sort of oval shape. And yet, the way Pinkie looked at it… something in the girl broke.

“It’s… It’s not here,” Pinkie said.

“What do you mean it’s not there?” The purple one asked.

“Nothing’s here!” she cried. “No Memories, no Spells, nothing! It’s just a rock!”

“I-I told you I couldn’t fix it,” Wallflower said. “I already thought it might’ve been like your necklaces. But it... there wasn’t anything.”

“You’d better find a way to fix this!” the rainbow-maned girl growled.

Wallflower looked abou to run, but the rainbow-maned girl was faster. She grabbed the front of her shirt, keeping her there while a fiery rage emanated from her.

Sunset tried to move, but her legs didn’t want to work right. Even so, she did what she could and reached for her Magic. A barrier appeared between them, knocking the girls apart.

“Don’t hurt her!” Sunset shouted, standing between Wallflower and the rainbow-maned girl.

The rainbow-maned girl only stared at her, with that same sadness everyone else had when they looked at her. Another girl stepped forward, this one yellow with a pink mane. Sunset strengthened the barrier, and the girl moved slower, her hands up in a universal ‘I mean no harm’ gesture.

There was something about her eyes, almost a glow to them. Something soft and comforting, yet somehow firm. It made Sunset want to believe her, but experience told her how deceiving kind smiles could be. She kept the barrier as the girl knelt down to her eye level.

“It’s okay,” the yellow girl said in a quiet voice. “Rainbow wasn’t going to hurt her. She’s just upset.”

“I can understand that,” Sunset said. “But we can work it out, right?”

“We’re trying,” Rainbow sighed. “But if she won’t cooperate-”

“Rainbow, hush,” the orange one said. “Wallflower’s cooperating as best she can. Yes, it’s her fault. But she’s trying to fix it. And, I hate to say it, but it ain’t her fault it all disappeared. She knows less about Magic than we do.”

“I can help with that,” Sunset said.

“Sunset, do you know what’s going on?” the purple one asked.

“Well, no, not really,” she admitted, letting the barrier drop. “But it’s Magic, right? Okay, sure, this is a weird place, but my barrier spell still worked so your Magic’s probably similar. I’m very talented with Magic and figuring out how to work with it. After all, not anyone can be the Princess’s student. Could have been her Student. Guess I’m not anymore. I-I’ll have to get used to that.”

“Get used to that?” the white one parroted.

“It’s… a long story,” she said, her ears laying back. “I don’t really want to talk about it just yet. Or at all. It still hurts too much. Let’s-let’s just talk about your problem, okay? See if I can help?”

“Sunset…” the orange one said, her voice much more hesitant. “When… How old are you?”

“Okay, I get it,” she pouted. “Yes, I’m thirteen, still technically a kid. But everything I said is true! I’ve mastered more spells than half the graduates from CSFGU! I can totally… why isn’t that reassuring?”

They were all staring at her, even more terrified than before. No, it was more than a sadness, almost despair. She could swear that she could feel it. Yet, just as she was about to ask why, she heard a familiar ringing.

While she’d noticed the transformation, she hadn’t realized she was wearing an odd saddle bag. Lighting her horn, she noticed something else strange. The Magic Aura digging  through the bag was orange, not her usual turquoise. As it wasn’t the strangest thing she’d seen in the last few minutes, she looked to the journal instead.

It had gone quiet now, since she’d picked it up. It looked the same, the brown cover with her Cutie Mark. Yet, somehow, it looked different. Newer. Not that three and a half years wasn’t ‘new’ for a book, but she’d used it a lot. The cover wasn’t as worn, and there wasn’t the circle of dried tea, or the mysterious stain that had appeared last Nightmare Night.

Still, it was her journal. And she hesitated to open it. The only Pony who could be writing was the Princess, who she really didn’t want to hear from. Her message would be one of two things; either a final goodbye, or begging her to come back. Sunset wasn’t quite sure which option she dreaded more.

Swallowing her fear, Sunset let her curiosity take over and open the book. Yet, there wasn’t a message from the Princess. She didn’t even read the message, all she could focus on was the script.

Sunset’s own script was recognizable, but she didn’t remember writing those words. And there were more messages, in various scripts. There had to be at least seven Ponies writing to her, but she didn’t recognize any as she flipped through the pages. None of them were the Princess. 

“What’s going on?” Sunset gave a panicked whisper as she tried to read the words. “I don’t-! What is-? How-?”

It didn’t make sense. This wasn’t the journal the Princess gave her. That couldn’t be her script. It felt as though the world was spinning out of control, and all she could do was get caught in the whirlwind.

Then, there was a hand on her shoulder. It almost seemed to balance her, in a way. Keep her form fully going wild. Tearing her eyes away from the pages, she found that Pinkie had managed to come up and kneel beside her.

“Sunset…” Pinkie said, her voice barely a whisper. “Please. If the memories aren’t in the cyrstal, you have to have them somewhere, right? I- I just want you back. I want all of this back. Please remember me?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Sunset choked out.

She was hugging her now, silent tears that Sunset still didn’t quite understand. Yet, she still felt it. She wanted to calm her, to tell her it’s all okay, to make her smile again. But she didn’t know how. A shiver of Magic went through her as Pinkie began to sing.

“We’ve come so far together,” Pinkie sang between sobs. “Got memories to-to treasure. I look at you, st-stories come back to life. And if I need re-if I need reminding, I know-I know…”

“I know where I can find you,” Sunset found herself singing along. “In these pages, you’ll last forever.”

Pinkie had straightened up, staring at her with something almost like hope. Did she always have those ears? She could’ve sworn they were different a moment ago.

“Did you remember?” Pinkie asked.

“N-no?” Sunset said.

“Then how’d you finish the song?” the orange one asked.

“I-I don’t know,” she shook her head. “I could feel it? It’s like the words weren’t in my mind, not the way memories are. More like… like a voice echoing in my heart. Okay, that doesn’t make sense, but it’s the best I can explain it.”

“I think I get it,” the yellow one said. “It’s like in the song.”

“And the sound that we hear in our hearts, makes a crescendo,” Rainbow sang.

“And the light  that ignites in the dark, it makes us all glow,” Sunset joined her.

Now that was odd. As Sunset felt another surge of Magic, Rainbow seemed to transform a bit. Her ears went from the small ones of the other girls, to Pony ears like hers, like how Pinkie’s were. However, she also gained a pair of wings. Like a Pegasus.

“We need to figure this out,” the purple one said. “Sunset, do you trust us?”

“I... “ Sunset tried to find an answer. “I’m not sure. Everything I know, everything I remember, tells me not to. That it’s too soon to trust anyone after…”

“After the Princess,” the white one finished for her. “But what does your heart tell you?”

“It’s different,” she mused. “I can’t explain it. I don’t even know half of your names, but every other part of me is screaming out, wanting to trust you. When you sang, I could feel it resonate in me, as if your Magic was a part of mine, and the words and notes came from there."

Someone else was hugging her now. Wallflower, crying even though Sunset still didn’t completely understand why. In an attempt to be comforting, she tried to pet Wallflower’s mane, but she didn’t quite know how to work her hands.

“I’m sorry,” Wallflower whispered. “I didn’t want this. I was scared, and alone, and I didn’t understand why. I still don’t know why. But I do understand that you don’t deserve to be alone either. It doesn’t make up for what I did, even when I tried to fix it.”

“It’s okay,” Sunset assured.

“It’s not,” she said. “But trust them. If anyone can help, they can.”

“I will,” she tried to smile. “Hurt or not, you all care about me far more than- well, you care.”

“We do,” Pinkie said. “And we have two more friends on the way to help.”

Sunset began to ask what she meant, then noticed the journal. Had Pinkie somehow taken it when she was panicking? Or did she drop it earlier?

She tried not to snatch it away from her, but Sunset did light her horn and take the journal back. Looking over what Pinkie had written, she noticed the script again. Pinkie’s script was one of those in the book, lines on random pages inter spaced with the rest. Yet, somehow, the other messages didn’t feel exactly like her.

The recent messages, one including someone named ‘Twilight’ who wrote the most, didn’t give much context for today. Sunset had already put together most of the information for herself, that her memories had been affected. Yet, she didn’t know how long it had been.

Pinkie’s message said that everything after Sunset went through the portal is gone, that she ‘thought’ she was thirteen again. How old was she now? Had it been just a few months? A year? Did she feel bigger because of the Portal’s transformation, or because she’d gotten older?

Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted by a sound. Looking up, she found two new members joining the group. Oddly familiar members.

“Twilight, please,” the one said, leaning against her companion. “I’m not quite used to this!”

“Sorry, Rarity,” Twilight said, a bit sheepishly. “Kinda forgot you haven’t been here.”

The new pair looked remarkably similar to the white and purple ones. This purple one, ‘Twilight’, was a little taller than the other, a little more toned, and didn’t wear glasses. However, the only difference between the white ones were outfit and the fact that one had her mane tied back.

“Are we going to use the nicknames again?” the original white one asked.

“Come on, you like being called ‘Ivory’!” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, as much as I like being ‘Sci-Twi’,” the original purple one said. “Honestly, your ‘Twilight’ and ‘Sparkle’ nicknames sound better.”

“Yeah, but it kinda stuck,” Rainbow shrugged, putting her arm around her.

“Girls,” the yellow one said. “Can we get back on track?”

“Right,” Twilight nodded. “Sunset, are you okay?”

“Kind of?” Sunset said. “Still kind of processing everything. Well, not everything. I’m pretty sure I’m delaying a breakdown or existential crisis, since I’ve apparently already gone through that. Hopefully you can do whatever with the memories so I can just skip that.”

Twilight only stared at her with some form of exasperated confusion. It seemed like an expression she was used to. 

“Actually,” Rarity smiled. “I’m the one here to fix it. Er, how do I use Magic in this world?”

“They did it by singing,” Sunset said, pointing to the rest of the group.

“It’s a little easier if you’re Equestria-born,” Twilight said. “Try to reach for you Magic like usual, though it’s harder to find.”

“I’d almost rather sing,” Rarity said.

Even so, she reached for her Magic. It took a moment, but she was soon illuminated by light as a Unicorn horn and much more Pony-like ears appeared.

“That’s better,” Rarity smiled. “I never thought I would miss having my ears, of all things!”

“Trust me, I know,” Twilight sighed.

“Although,” she mused, looking over her shoulder. “It is quite strange to not have a tail either. While I'm sure not having a tail would cut down the time and money I spend styling it, I can't imagine-"

“Rarity, focus,” the orange one said.

“Oh, right, sorry Applejack,” she said. “So, you said the crystal was not working?”

“Not just not working,” Ivory said. “Pinkie says the crystal doesn’t have any Magic in it.”

“It doesn’t,” Pinkie shook her head. “There’s nothing.”

“And you’re sure it’s the only one?” Twilight asked.

“It is,” Wallflower said.

The two both jumped at her voice. Almost as if neither had noticed Wallflower was there. She seemed used to it, and just gave a sheepish wave.

“Sorry,” Wallflower said, a bit quieter. “For all of this, really. But I only wear the one necklace. Maybe I have another in my jewelry box back home, but I don’t think it’d work if I wasn’t wearing it. But Pinkie’s right, there’s no Magic in the crystal.”

“Please don’t be mad at her,” Sunset asked, using her own Magic to find the dropped necklace.

“Can’t promise that,” Twilight said. “It’s hard not to be. However, I can promise I won’t do anything to her.”

“Trust me, she won’t,” Rarity deadpanned, poking at the crystal with her Magic. “She’s far more likely to forgive you and make you another friend. She’s forgiven worse.”

“Worse than erasing memories?” Wallflower asked.

“Far worse,” Twilight shrugged. “You’re probably in the top ten, but there’s a large gap between you and the rest of the ten. I mean, you didn’t do anything that could’ve destroyed the world!”

“Well,” Sunset mused. “I guess I missed a lot when I jumped dimensions.”

“Twilight, I think y’all have a problem,” Applejack said.

“Yes, because you never forgave someone who almost destroyed the world,” Sci-Twi deadpanned.

“Point taken,” she sighed. “We all have a problem.”

“Hopefully I can solve some of your problems,” Rarity said. “There’s good news and bad news. The latter being that Pinkie was right. Your memories are not in this crystal.”

“Then what’s the good news?” Rainbow demanded.

“That they never were,” she said. “This crystal only has residual Magic from myself and Sunset, due to the Levitation spell.”

“You can tell that?” Sci-Twi asked.

“Every Magic Signature is different,” Sunset answered. “If you know the spell, you can test to see how many ponies held something in their Magic recently, and even what spells were used on it in the last few days.”

“She’s right,” Twilight frowned, looking at Rarity. “But that’s not a spell most Unicorns would know. When and where did you learn that?”

“Give me some credit,” Rarity smiled, tapping Twilight on the nose. “I might tease you about your tendency to ramble, but I do listen when you explain a spell.”

“But if that crystal isn’t it,” the yellow one said, “Where did the memories go? Were you wrong about the spell?”

“I was correct,” she said. “And I do know where your memories are, but it might sound strange. Or feel strange. Wallflower, could you hold still for a moment?”

Her horn lit, and Sunset saw a flicker of violet blue out of the corner of her eye. As Sunset turned her head, she noticed the sudden coldness on her shoulders. Wallflower had begun to fall back, but was now suspended in Rarity’s Magic.

Before anyone could shout or protest, there was a light. No, a projection. It was like a scene playing out, yet no sound accompanied it. Despite the situation, the scene itself was  something so mundane that it was almost odd.

A girl that Sunset assumed was herself, and three guys she couldn’t remember just goofing off at a campsite of some sort. So normal, compared to everything she could remember.

The projection flickered out, as did the rest of Rarity’s Magic. Wallflower scrambled back, checking herself over in a panic. Despite finding nothing wrong, she still kept away.

“Sorry dear,” Rarity said. “I did say it might feel strange.”

“What did you do?” Wallflower whispered.

“I thought you said there wasn’t another crystal,” Rainbow frowned.

“Rainbow, chill,” Twilight commanded.

“There isn’t another crystal,” Rarity explained. “Because Wallflower herself is the crystal. Or, more accurately, she is a Crystal Pony. Their Magic includes mimicking the abilities of an enchanted crystal or gem.”

“Wait,” Sunset held up her hands. “What is a Crystal Pony?”

“A very long story,” Pinkie interrupted. “But you can fix it now, right?”

She had barely nodded before Pinkie began bouncing with excitement. The moment where Sunset was sure she was imagining things was when Pinkie’s hair seemed to fluff up and become curly. Even for a Unicorn from another Dimension, that was strange to see.

“What are you waiting for?” Pinkie asked. “Light her up, ladies!”

“Is it going to feel weird again?” Wallflower asked.

“A little,” Rarity admitted. “But I promise it won’t hurt, and that I’ll be as quick as possible.”

Reluctantly, Wallflower nodded. Violet blue Magic enveloped her again, though no projections appeared. Sparks of Magic burst forth in too many colors to count, each flying off in it’s own direction.

Sunset had expected something bigger. Remembering the phrase ‘my memories flooded back to me’, she wondered if she would get to watch the moments as they flew by. Instead, it was more like a switch. The moment the Magic melted into her, she remembered everything.

As the glow faded out, Rarity stumbled a little. Twilight caught her, but within the next second Sunset was beside her, her own horn lit and checking her over.

“I thought you said that spell was low-powered,” Sunset said.

“It is,” Rarity said, waving off her concern. “But returning memories to the correct places was a bit much, all things considering. Glad you're back."

After that, Sunset was nearly mobbed with group hugs. It was hard to hear exactly what everyone said, as the all spoke at once. But she could guess from the joyful tears.

However, there was one girl not celebrating. Wallflower stood back, watching the display of affection. Despite keeping her expression unreadable, it didn’t take a lot to guess.

“Girls,” Sunset said, getting their attention. “We can celebrate in a bit. But before that, can I talk to Wallflower? As in, alone?”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked.

Despite everyone else’s warriness, she assured them that she’d be fine. She suggested showing Rarity around a bit, since this was her first visit. Pinkie immediately took her up on the offer, and herded the group out.

Sunset felt a pang of guilt as she saw Wallflower kneeling beside one of the flowerbeds. It was the one she’d fallen in, and trampled when she had forgotten where she was. Petals were crushed and stems snapped in the disturbed soil, and she was trying to clean it up and save what she could.

Sunset stepped next to her, lighting her horn again. Orange Magic held the flowers, and as they watched, stems mended themselves as petals reattached. Those that couldn’t be fixed were replaced, Magic bringing forth new pink carnations that bloomed in moments.

“Sorry,” Sunset said, letting her Magic cut out. “You probably wanted to do that yourself, but I figured I should fix it, since I messed it up.”

“How did you-?” Wallflower stopped and sighed. “Right. Magic. Must be great to live in a world where anyone can just summon flowers.”

“Not anyone,” she corrected. "We might have Magic, but some of us are born with more raw power or ability. Instant flowers are a bit tricky, so usually only higher-level Unicorns learn that. Not to mention it’s not the most productive. It would take more energy to grow a bouquet than I could gain back by eating said bouquet.”

“You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?” she wondered.

“Nah, it’s fine,” she laughed. “Er, well, I wasn’t kidding earlier, when I forgot the past six years. I am one of the most powerful Unicorns to have lived, and I used to be student to a sort-of-goddess.”

Wallflower stayed quiet, curling up and hugging her knees to her chest. There was no protest as Sunset sat next to her. The girl looked like she wanted to disappear. Using the silence to find a place to start, Sunset decided on the beginning.

“I meant it when I said that I know what it’s like to be alone,” Sunset said. “Imagine you moved to a new town, with no one you know. Not even family members. Just you, and a chance to start your life over.

“Except, there’s a catch,” she continued. “You can’t tell anyone about your life. Even if you make a friend, or find a new family. Even if it’s a romantic partner, you have to hide it from them. No matter how honest you are, they never know the real you.”

There was no response from Wallflower, other than curling up tighter.

“For stars’ sake, I’m a Unicorn!” Sunset laughed. “This time last year, if I had said that, no one would believe me. Now we have Magic popping up at random.”

“Have…” Wallflower whispered. “Have you really been here six years?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, other times it feels a lot longer.”

“I never realized that,” she admitted. “Any of that. How long you were here, or that you couldn’t tell anyone, or-”

“Not your fault,” she shrugged. “Before the formal, everyone thought I was Human, just like them. After that, most people thought I was the Demon. Because no one can imagine the girl who did that was once a kid. By the time people saw the good side of me again, they were so used to the fact that I’m a Unicorn that they didn’t think past it.”

“Still, I should’ve,” she sighed. “But it was more than six years, wasn’t it? You had to have had a reason for coming here. What kind of thirteen year old runs away into another Dimension?”

When Sunset didn’t answer right away, she looked away and hung her head lower. It’s not that she didn’t want to tell her. But it was difficult to explain without going sitting there for a good half-hour.

“A very alone thirteen year old,” Sunset answered. “I had wanted one specific Pony to care about me, but she didn’t. At least not in a way that she showed to me. I got into a cycle of trying to prove I was worth something, and the rage of wondering why I wasn’t enough. Eventually we fought, and I ran through the Portal.”

“So, in a way, you’ve been alone for more than six years,” Wallflower swallowed. “Then you finally found people who care about you, and I tried to take that away. Out of what? Jealousy?”

“Could be worse,” she shrugged. “You could’ve turned into a Demon that nearly destroyed the world.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Wallflower groaned and buried her face in her hands. She leaned back, flopping into the grass while Sunset tried to find a better way to put that.

“What I mean,” Sunset began, “is that I’ve been somewhere similar. I’m still mad, of course. You did something terrible. But I understand why. As mad as I am, I’m not going to hate you for that. And neither will the others.”

“Do you really think that?” Wallflower asked, voice muffled by the hands on her face.

“They forgave me,” she said. “And while I was pretty bad, Twilight was right about forgiving worse. But the thing about it, is that she only forgives those who want to be better. You’ve already showed plenty of remorse. And, well, I do have an answer for your earlier question, but it might not be one you like.”

Wallflower moved her hands so that Sunset could see her expression. She’d raised an eyebrow, and tilted her head as much as one could on the ground.

“You asked why I had friends,” Sunset said. “I did horrible things, but you were always nice to everyone. Yet I had friends, and even before Magic came into play few people remembered you.”

“I get it a bit more now,” Wallflower said. “It’s not all black and white. You did terrible things, but you’re not a terrible person. Pony. Whatever.”

“That too,” she nodded. “But it’s also because it’s more than just being nice. It’s part of it, but it’s not about just that. Friendship is caring about someone, being there for them. Learning all you can about them and their life, and letting them know you just as much. And you can’t do that with just Kindness, as it takes time and energy dedicated to that person. Loving them.”

“But not romantically?” she guessed.

“Sometimes,” she said. “Those two forms of Love have a decent amount of crossover.”

“Forms of love?” she asked, sitting up again.

“Right, Humans,” she smiled and rolled her eyes. “Where I come from, there are five forms of Love, and most of them have some crossover. There’s Romantic Love, of course, but Friendship is another type.

“Then, there’s Love of Family,” she continued. “What one feels for their parents, children, siblings, and so on. And also Self-Love. Not narcissism, but valuing oneself, having confidence in who you are, without compensation from what others think.”

“And the fifth?” Wallflower asked.

“Selfless Love,” Sunset said. “Loving others without any familiarity, and for the potential relationship they might bring. Pinkie is a good example. She cares about everyone she meets, and opens the door for them to be something more in the future.”

“That sounds ridiculously complicated,” she shook her head.

“In some ways it is,” she said. “Self-Love and Selfless Love are the hardest for most. But the thing about Love, in all its forms, is that you don’t have to understand it. You feel it. You just have to go forward and try.”

Sunset stood up, brushing grass and dirt off her skirt. When Wallflower didn’t follow, she held out her hand. She only got a confused blink in response.

“Come on,” Sunset smiled. “As I said, you need to reach out to make friends. Maybe this wasn’t the best way to do it, but you have a group that’s willing to be there. Or help you find others, if you want.”

Hesitantly, Wallflower took her hand and pulled herself up. The pair wandered off a little, looking for the others as Sunset assured her that it would be okay. She tried to keep her mind off it, normalize everything, ask her if she liked the beach.

They found the girls back at the Portal. Rarity looked a bit better, though Sunset knew that they both should eat something after the Magic they used. The whole group looked better, actually. As if this were just a normal day. Then again, it kind of is for them.

“Glad to see you’re all good now,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, we’re getting there,” Sunset replied. “So, I was talking to Wallflower about joining us at the beach. If you two want to join…”

“As much as I’d love to,” Rarity said. “I have made other plans. Though I also need Wallflower for said plans so-”

“What?” Wallflower asked, hesitantly stepping back.

“Your flair for the dramatic is getting a bit too ominous,” Applejack sighed.

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean anything bad!” Fluttershy quickly assured.

“Strange to see it from this side,” Ivory mused.

Rarity blinked for a moment, but gave a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes as she realized. Twilight and Sunset tried not to laugh, though it didn’t quite work. Not to mention that none of it reassured Wallflower.

“To clarify,” Rarity said, taking the conversation back. “I wish to make sure that spell won’t cause any more accidental trouble.”

“It won’t!” Wallflower said, a little panicked. “I-I’ve pretty much gotten down how to not use it!”

“And I believe you,” she said. “However, the best way to make sure you don’t, is to make sure you have the spell down.”

“Wouldn’t learning the spell make her more dangerous?” Sci-Twi asked.

“Actually the opposite,” Twilight said. “Not only does practice yield more control, but she was using an unfinished spell, which causes strange effects. But once you know the full version, it’s pretty hard to mess it up, even on purpose.”

“Unfinished?” Wallflower asked.

“The finished version only copies Memory,” Rarity said. “It shouldn’t take it away. Besides, we need to do something about the Backlash Effect, and I highly suggest a spa day!”

“Okay, wait,” Rainbow said. “I feel like I’m going to regret asking, but what backlash and how does a spa day fix it?”

“Magical Backlash,” Twilight said. “One of two dangers to spellcasting, the other being Burnout, using too much energy. Backlash happens when someone casts a spell, but they do it incorrectly or are interrupted, then it causes the energy to recoil on the caster. Most symptoms are pain and-”

“Twi, you’re scaring them,” Sunset sighed. “Backlash isn’t that bad. Okay, it hurts. But it’s relative to how much Magic you used, and even the worst of my misfires only caused a large headache. Burnout is hard to do accidentally. You push past your limits out of stubbornness or a need, but rest and food help get you back on your hooves quicker.”

“You ever notice how you default to Pony Language when Twilight’s here?” Pinkie asked.

“You say that like you wouldn’t,” she pouted.

“As I was saying,” Twilight interrupted. “While the best cure for Backlash is to eat something and then sleep off the headache, most spas in Equestria have treatments that target the Magical pain in the same way the target muscle pains.”

“Which is why I suggested it,” Rarity said. “So, would you like to go?”

“Well, I, er…” Wallflower stammered, her eyes flicking to Sunset.

“You’ll be fine,” Sunset assured.

“Okay, I guess,” she nodded.

“Great!” Rarity grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. “In that case, no time like the present! Sorry to leave so soon, but I’ll try to come back at some point!”

“Huh? Wait!” sh exclaimed. “I didn’t realize-!”

There was a squeak of fear as both slipped through the Portal. Most laughed, as the one Rarity still here made a comment about the lack of nicknames. Sunset gave an exasperated smile before turning to Twilight.

“You’re going to make sure she doesn’t go wild, right?” Sunset asked. “Or should I pop over and ask Spike to keep an eye on you two?”

“I can take care of this on my own,” Twilight said.

“Sure,” she nodded. “You’re telling me you’re not the mare who forgot to write back for two days because of a date?”

“That was one time!” she protested.

“Must’ve been some date,” Applejack teased, elbowing a snickering Rainbow.

“Very exciting, right?” Pinkie grinned a bit too wide.

“Yep,” Twilight smirked. “Going through a two thousand year old castle full of traps.”

“That actually sounds fun,” Sci-Twi said.

“Your idea of romance,” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean,” Twilight said. “But I’ll make sure she doesn’t keep Wallflower too long. She’ll be back before night. Although, I should probably head over and remind her that there should be an adjustment period.”

With that, she gave her goodbyes and stepped through the Portal as well. Now down to the original seven, they headed back to the car.

“So,” Applejack began. “Am I driving to the beach again? Or do we want to go somewhere else for the picture?”

“Yeah, kinda forgot about that,” Pinkie said. “Feels like that was, like, a week ago.”

“Perhaps we should move locations?” Rarity said.

“We’ll see,” Sunset mused. “I actually have a few more ideas for the yearbook now. Actually, Pinkie? Think you can organize everyone at the school into one picture on Monday? I think a school-wide one would be nice.”





“I have a yearbook delivery for Best Gardner!”

It had been a few days, but Wallflower was still a little jumpy. She did look better though, brighter somehow. Maybe it was because she’d got the gardening club back, or just that, while difficult, she was following Sunset’s advice about going out and interacting more. Not to mention that since she wasn’t going through Backlash, she wasn’t as cold and had switched to a Tshirt instead of a sweater.

“Hi,” Wallflower greeted, catching her breath.

“Sorry for the scare,” Sunset laughed, handing a book to her.

“It’s fine,” she said. “And thanks for the yearbook.”

“I figured you’d like to see a few pages,” she said.

Opening the book, Wallflower flipped to the club pages. The Gardening Club had barely gotten their picture in on time, no thanks to Magical Shenanigans, but the did make it. Various gardeners all surrounded her, all smiling.

“Thanks,” Wallflower grinned. “Can’t believe I almost screwed it up.”

“We all have that, occasionally,” Sunset nodded. “How’d that go, by the way? Explaining to the others how they forgot the entire club?”

“It’s…” she looked over at the group and gave some of a grimace. “I’m not sure how to explain it. So far they brushed it off as normal forgetfulness. I know I should explain it all, but where do I start?”

“Not sure,” she shrugged. “The beginning’s always good, but you can step back a little to figure out how. And you don’t have to tell them the entire story just yet.”

“Wasn’t ‘Honesty’ part of your lesson?” she asked.

“I didn’t say lie,” she nodded. “I still think you should tell them that you got some Magic that accidentally made them forget. But you don’t need to tell them how much they forgot past that, or how far you went with it. Not until you’re ready for that.”

“That makes more sense,” she said.

“Besides,” she smiled. “For now, you should flip a few more pages.”

Tilting her head, Wallflower’s gaze went back to the yearbook. Pages turned until she got to one section, at the very end of the Superlatives. The left was labeled ‘Best Friends’, and had a chunk of text surrounded by images of pink carnations. The right looked blank.

“It folds out,” Sunset explained.

Wallflower nodded, adjusting the book so she could hold it with one hand. Her other unfolded the page, and Sunset had to laugh at her shocked expression.

The folded out page was a large group picture, the one Sunset had taken on Monday of the entire student body and a handful of staff members. It was far less formal than most, everyone sitting with who they liked, and smiles a bit less forced than most in the yearbook. Sunset easily picked out herself near the front, holding her journal in front of her chest.

“Why?” Wallflower asked. “You seven won ‘Best Friends’. Why put everyone-”

“Read the text,” Sunset said, tapping the page.

She turned back to the book, and slowly a smile came to her face. Sunset already knew what it said. She’d written it after all.


Yearbooks are supposed to capture a moment in time. Every picture in this book is from this year, and how we want to remember it. Clubs, classes, and events of all kinds will be memorialized in images and text that we can look back on years later. 



However, Friendship cannot be captured in a moment. It transcends Time, Space, and Dimensions. Though we have those we love now, all of us began as strangers. We don’t know what will happen in the future, or who we will love when it comes, but we can always remember the past. We must never forget one another. 



The title of ‘Best Friends’ belongs to all of us. Friends, Family, Romantic partners, ourselves, and all of the strangers who have the potential to become more than we ever thought possible.


“That’s beautiful,” Wallflower said.

“Thanks,” Sunset smiled. “But while I could’ve gone without the amnesia, it wouldn’t be in there without you.”

“Yeah,” she agreed a bit sheepishly. “I do like the carnations though.”

“I figured you’d get that,” she laughed. “What better decoration than a flower that can mean ‘I’ll never forget you’?"