//------------------------------//
// After the Festival 
// Story: Re-Memory for Centuries 
// by Draxonos135 
//------------------------------//

The Starswirl Music Festival was quite a doozy for the group of Sunset and her friends. Great music, churros, the return of the Dazzlings, churros, a magical artifact forcing the festival to repeat the same day over and over again, and if it wasn't obvious, churros were quite a big thing as well.

However, what happened at the festival, stayed in the festival, and Sunset's group were taking a moment to relax at the school's cafeteria, where Sunset had finished explaining what happened to her friends.

"So, what ye're tryin' t say happened, Sugarcube, is that one of ta bands used a magical artifact t' repeat ta day until they got ta perfect performance?" Applejack asked, making sure she didn't miss or misinterpret any detail. "An' dat's ta reason ya seemed happy when Pinkie Pie didn't "ruin" ta festival?"

"Yeah, and since I was in close proximity when it activated, I got to keep my memories from each loop," Sunset answered with a nod. "I completely forgot to tell this to you, because I was more focused on finding out what was causing the day to reset."

"Well, that just makes me feel guilty," Rainbow Dash said. "And here we were thinking you were acting weirder than usual for no reason."

"And that you were upset at me for no reason," Pinkie Pie lowered her head and frowned. "I'm sorry that I soured your experience several times, Sunset."

"It's okay, Pinkie," Sunset said, brushing Pinkie's hair affectionately. "You didn't know about the loop, so you couldn't have known any better."

And then Sunset began brushing Pinkie's hair for a bit too long. "Hey, is your hair softer than usual?"

As Pinkie giggled, Fluttershy stood up and gathered her bearings, which quickly caught the attention of her friends.

"Where are you going, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked.

"I'm heading to the Gardening Club," Fluttershy answered, paying little attention to Rarity as she put on her backpack. "I've been a part of that club since last month, remember?"

"Oh right, you joined that club in order to help that Wallflower girl cheer up, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "How's that been working out for you two?"

"It's been good; Wallflower's been smiling more often, and I've found her to be a pretty reliable confidant and just someone I can talk to in general," Fluttershy answered with a shrug. "And Rarity, before you ask, no, she hasn't sported the hairstyle you gave her for a while now."

"It's okay, I'm glad she isn't sporting it: I really jumped the gun when I gave it to her," Rarity answered, flipping her hair to the right. "That's a hairstyle more fitting for formal events."

"Um, what are you talking about?" Sunset asked.

"We didn't tell ya?" Applejack inquired. "Fluttershy 'ere walked up t' ta Gardening Club's doors, talked a bit with it's cap'n, and eventually joined to help save it from bein' dissolved."

"Oh really? That's good to know," Sunset got an idea and snapped her fingers. "In fact, now that I remember it, I befriended Wallflower in order to stop her from continuing her memory stealing spree, so, it's only fair that I check up on her once in a while, right?"

"If you're gonna go see this Wallflower girl, can I come with you?!" Pinkie Pie chirped as she bounced up and down. "Any friend of Fluttershy and Sunset is my friend, and she also happens to be a friend I haven't met yet, so it's twice as exciting!"

"You can come Pinkie," Sunset threw a worried look at Fluttershy. "I mean, if Fluttershy thinks it's a good idea."

"Sure, you can come, but please try to be as subdued and calm as possible, okay?" Fluttershy requested. "Wallflower is quiet and reserved, so your energy could potentially scare her."

"Oh, I see, got it!" Pinkie stopped bouncing. "Alright then, I'll be as still as possible!"

Pinkie went on to get on the tip of her feet, before she went down, then back to the tip, then back down, rinse and repeat.

"Didn't you say you were going to be as still as possible?" Sunset asked, folding her arms with an amused smile.

"This is as still as I can get!"





Sunset and Pinkie stood nearby as Fluttershy knocked the door three times, the third time soon followed by Wallflower opening the door. 

"Hi, Wallflower," Fluttershy greeted, earning a smile from the girl as she took off her backpack. "I know it's redundant since you went to the festival as well, but I wanted to give you some souvenirs the girls and I brought with us."

"What a coincidence," Wallflower reached for her back, and took out her own backpack. "I brought some souvenirs for you too!"

The girls laughed in unison before Fluttershy asked, "Say, I brought some friends, could they come inside?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

The girls went inside, and as Wallflower closed the door, Sunset and Pinkie took a look at the clubroom: it was filled with all kinds of flowers and plants, covering the walls and part of the floor, while the ceiling had a couple of lightscreens attached, giving the plants the light they needed to survive.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Pinkie chirped. "It feels as if we were in the middle of a jungle! Or a lawn that's been left without proper maintenance for a long time!"

"Well, thanks, it took some effort to get it to look like this," Wallflower responded, a slight hint of pride in her tone. "Not as much as a normal person would, but still some effort."

"And I'd say it definitely paid off," Sunset said, giving a nod of approval. "Congratulations, Wallflower."

But Wallflower didn't respond; instead she walked to the table in the middle of the room, sitting at the opposite side of Fluttershy. This sudden ignorance of her presence prompted Sunset to raise an eyebrow and approach Wallflower, reaching her side just as she sat down.

This, of course, was quickly noticed by a bothered Wallflower. "Uh, hi, can I help you?"

Sunset frowned. "Wallflower, don't you recognize me?"

Wallflower paused. "Do I know you?"

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie exchanged concerned looks as Sunset put her hands on her hips and looked sternly at Wallflower. "It's me, Sunset Shimmer! You know, the girl who didn't know you existed before, which got you so mad that you used a memory stone for revenge!"

"Geez, it's one thing to be egotistical, but it's another thing to have an active imagination and waste it on a convoluted story," Wallflower replied sternly. "Listen, if we've met before, then I'm sorry, but I don't remember it."

Sunset flinched, her shock being changed for sadness soon after. "You... really don't remember me?"

Wallflower silently shook her head. 

"I..." Sunset lowered her head. "I see..."

With that said, Sunset walked out of the Gardening Club, followed by a concerned Pinkie Pie, leaving a flabbergasted Fluttershy and saddened Wallflower behind.

"Wallflower, were you being honest?" Fluttershy asked. "Do you really not remember Sunset?"

Wallflower once again silently shook her head, this time showing notable regret as she looked away, and Fluttershy frowned with concern.

Outside the clubroom, Sunset leaned against the wall, looking sad at the ceiling while Pinkie tried to get her attention, and failing that, cheer her up.

"C-Cheer up, Sunset! Maybe Wallflower was still suffering from the rush of the festival! You're a very unforgettable person! I-I'm sure that Wallflower meant something entirely different with what she said!"

Sunset, however, barely paid attention to Pinkie's comment. Instead, she was more focused on one thing, which she revealed once she lowered her head:

"Wallflower... has forgotten about me."