//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 - Movie Day and Garden of Smiles 
// Story: Spring Surprises 
// by TheGJ90 
//------------------------------//

The morning was rather uneventful compared to yesterday. Sunset and Rainbow did the typical morning tasks and before they knew it, they were enjoying warm plates of blueberry pancakes with glasses of milk for breakfast in the kitchen, courtesy of Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof. Much to Rainbow's surprise, her mother and father had chosen to not rant and rave about their daughter's numerous awesome achievements that morning. No, they had elected to bring up far less embarrassing topics for a change, such as the weather, work-related affairs, and the like. Of course, they were quick to show the girls genuine affection and goodwill, as they were wont to do with Rainbow Dash and her friends. But, other than that, there was no gushing from them. They just ate their food at the kitchen table alongside the girls while looking as calm as the breeze in the air outside.

No boasting over her latest triumph in sports.

No praising her for breaking multiple track running records (through non-magical means).

No gushing over her being the best at raising a school's spirit.

Not even a compliment aimed at her passing grades.

After spending years listening to her parents go on and on about how awesome she was, this peaceful reprieve was what Rainbow had hoped for. She made it a point to enjoy it in silence as she went after her pancakes.

After a minute, the peace became deafening.

She had badly wanted this, and yet, now that she had gotten it at last, by the time she was halfway through her pancakes, the peace did not sit well with her. Her intuition, her heart, was silently telling her that something was wrong and she knew better than to ignore its advice. With a sigh, she placed her fork and knife on the table and looked over at her parents. They were talking with Sunset about some news report concerning... robbers? She didn't pay much attention to that conversation until that moment, so she missed out on most of the details. She did catch her friend mention something about it when she looked up though;

"I don't know why anyone would steal from someone's grave-."

Rainbow loudly cleared her throat, which stopped the conversation entirely. Windy, Bow, and Sunset looked over at her, which prompted her to ask with far more care than she would normally put into her questions;

"You three notice anything... odd about today?"

Windy thought for a moment before responding with a head shake;

"Nope. Everything seems fine to me."

"You sure, Mom? Cause you and Dad seem..."

It took Rainbow two to three seconds to think of the right words;

"Quieter than usual."

Both parents gave their daughter a look of parental love that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Bow was the first to respond with a laugh;

"I know, this is usually the time of day when we start going on and on about how awesomely awesome you are, Rainbow!"

Their daughter tried very hard to suppress her embarrassment, but Windy's comment would not make holding back the looming blush on her cyan face any easier;

"While, yes, you are awesome and you deserve all of the praise..."

The urge to groan grew stronger in Rainbow;

"We figured you could use a little peace and quiet this morning."

Her embarrassment gave way to confusion in an instant.

"Thanks... I guess!", was Rainbow's response as her mind spun its gears faster than she could run, trying to figure out why they would break from the norm now. Five seconds later, a thought occurred to her that prompted her to ask all three of the people who sat at the kitchen table with her;

"Wait a minute... did Sunset tell you about what happened yesterday?" 

Sunset gave her a sheepish grin before answering apologetically;

"Sorry, RD. But, I figured it would be wise to warn them sooner rather than later."

She wanted to get frustrated with Sunset for not asking her first before telling her parents, but she understood why she did it so quickly, so Rainbow decided to let it be as she listened to her mother;

"Rainbow, we're proud of you for being there for your friends when Gilda came calling."

Bow shook his head in disappointment before adding;

"That girl used to be as awesome as you, dear. Now...:

He sighed audibly;

"What a shame."

Rainbow Dash groaned out of annoyance before noting in agreement;

"I know, right?! To think, we used to be childhood friends!"

She gave Sunset one of her trademark confident grins;

"Well, at least I've got friends in my life who will be there by my side."

That got her a warm smile from Sunset as well as a playful remark;

"Did you take a bit from one of our songs?"

Rainbow belted out a raspy laugh that only she could deliver;

"Hey, that doesn't stop it from being true!"

Sunset joined in on the laughter before Windy decided to gush a little, which got them to stop and listen;

"I can't blame you, 'Shine Like Rainbows' is such an beautiful song!"

"Thank you, ma'am.", was Sunset's humble reply. Rainbow Dash's reply, however, could not be more different;

"Yeah, that song doesn't need a guitar solo to rock the house, it's that awesome!", she exclaimed before performing some enthusiastic air guitar with the biggest teeth-baring smile on her face to hammer home her point. Sunset rolled her eyes over her friend's antics, but she couldn't help but let a sweet smirk appear on her face as she watched the spectacle unfold. Leave it to Rainbow Dash to throw all sense of humility into the nearest trash can.





With bellies full of food, Rainbow ran off to meet up with the girls to discuss Operation: Sunhouse, leaving Sunset to make a trip of her own. In accordance with the agreement made between her and her friends, Sunset was not allowed to be anywhere near her house until the renovation was completed. This did not, however, keep her from paying Sweet Apple Acres a visit, which was a good thing for her: she wouldn't dare to miss the last CMC Spring Screening before the end of the break! Since her motorcycle was in the shop, she had to ask Windy and Bow to take her to Applejack's home, which they happily did, even though this meant them taking a slight detour from their usual work commute. As she relaxed on her seat in the back of the family mini-van, she held small notebook in her left hand and wrote on it with her pencil in her right hand;

Things to Do Today:

1. Enjoy the CMC Spring Screening (movie theme: adventure).
2. Check in with Wallflower in the school garden.
3. Help her face the girls when they visit the garden later today (she's got this!).
4. Make sure I've got no school work to do before the break ends.
5. Investigate Gilda (where are the other Griffons???).
6. Check magical journal for a response to yesterday's message.

By the time she had written down the sixth task, the mini-van had pulled up onto the Sweet Apple Acres' driveway. With a quick wave goodbye, Sunset exited the vehicle and entered the house, which had the unique distinction of doubling as a barn in both function and appearance. She was welcomed by the pleasant smell of home cooked meals that only Granny Smith could create and, sure enough, she found the old Apple matriarch cooking up some grub in the kitchen. If Sunset hadn't already eaten breakfast, she would have been tempted to chow down on some delicious Apple family cuisine. But, her stomach was not inclined to let her have another bite for a while. Instead, she gave her a fond greeting;

"Good morning, Granny Smith!"

Luckily, she had caught Granny at a moment when she could put her cooking on hold for a bit. So, she had put her food and tools down, walked over to Sunset, and with a fond smile, wrapped her thick arms around her in a bear hug that nearly made the young lady yelp. After releasing her from her vice grip, she replied happily;

"A fine good mornin' to ya' too, missy!"

She then looked over at the kitchen window, which revealed a portion of the vast acres of farmland that her family proudly owned, and asked;

"Ah reckon, you're here to see the youngins' today?"

"Yes, ma'am!", Sunset responded with a smile. She took a big whiff of the food and asked with building anticipation in her voice;

"Do I smell apple fritters?"

Granny Smith fired a hearty laugh in her direction;

"Darn tootin'! An Applejack favorite, let me tells ya'!"

She couldn't help but fondly think back to a time when a certain blonde baby kept devouring all of the fritters she could get her tiny hands on as she went on;

"Now, Ah know how much Apple Bloom and her friends love the stuff, so Ah figured Ah'd sweeten up their little shindig with some good ol' fashioned Apple food."

Despite her filled stomach, Sunset's mouth began to salivate a little at the thought of having that delicious treat. Remembering her reason for coming here, she wiped her mouth and ran through the house to get the backdoor that led to the farmland beyond. The tempting allure of Apple food could wait. Of course, she made sure to thank Granny Smith before leaving, much to the old lady's appreciation.

Sunset ran towards the farmland, which was practically covered with crops that were taller than she was. She knew the way like the back of her hand (or hoof, if she was in Equestria). Given that she had gone to that clubhouse so many times before, how could she not?

"Across the farmland...", she thought to herself as she reached the edge of a nearby forest of apple trees.

"Through the forest..."

Slowing down her pace to a controlled jog, she navigated her way through the forest carefully enough to avoid tripping on a root or getting smacked by a branch. Before long, she found and went through the other side to see a familiar sight as she stopped for a moment to enjoy the view;

"The clubhouse awaits."





Standing proudly in a large clearing that was surrounded by the forest was none other than the official clubhouse of the Canterlot Movie Club: a large wooden treehouse built with strong quality wood and careful Apple hands. It was fully equipped with a ramp to the entrance that, before Sunset's arrival, was raised by two ropes bound to pulleys that were positioned at either side of the door with two sets of levers built for controlling each pulley. A walkway was built around the clubhouse itself that was protected by sturdy railing. Dangling over this railing a few feet from the right side of the ramp was a long string that was connected to a silver tin can that hung about one-to-two feet off the ground. Knowing exactly what to do, Sunset walked over to the can, grabbed with her right hand, placed it just below her mouth, and talked into it as if it were a microphone;

"CMCs, I'm here!"

She could hear the girls' excited giggles echo from her can as she waited for a response. It took three seconds for Scootaloo to say from their end;

"Finish this phrase to get inside: When you've hit rock bottom..."

"Don't be afraid to climb back up.", Sunset finished with a knowing smirk. She always did look forward to whenever they would use that phrase as a password. Without any further ado, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked through the door and over to each pulley. They each grabbed a lever and, with happiness covering their smiling faces, Sweetie ordered her friend;

"Pull the lever, Scoots!"

In perfect unison, they pulled their levers. From Sunset's vantage point on the ground, she could hear the not-so-subtle sounds of a wooden compartment opening up and the splushing sound of a pie hitting the back of someone's head with reasonable force. With well-acted annoyance, Sweetie Belle declared;

"Wrong lever..."

Both girls fell into a fit of giggles for a bit before calming down. Sunset tried to contain her laughter as she thought to herself;

"I'm so glad they added that lever!"

Feeling content with their performance, the two girls pulled the correct levers, thus causing the ramp to lower at a steady pace, allowing Sunset access to the clubhouse itself. As she walked up the ramp, she saw that the back of Scootaloo's head was covered in blueberry pie and whipped cream, with the girl herself striking an enthusiastic "ta-da" pose. Sunset could not contain herself anymore. Her laughter was uncontrollable and filled with honest fun-loving mirth. It took her a whole minute to recover. After that, she looked at each of the girls with love, who showed her the same exact feeling with their beaming smiles, and allowed them to escort her into the building proper.

As Scootaloo ran for the nearest towel to clean herself up, Sunset looked around the room.

"Nothing much has changed, I see.", she remarked with a smile.

The walls were lined with all manner of movie posters, photos of the CMCs' friends and families, and pictures taken during previous movie outings. One major exception, besides the windows on both sides, was one spot on the wall to Sunset's right, between the framed picture of herself to its left and the framed group photo of the Rainbooms to its right. This spot was covered with a tall red banner that depicted the club's logo: a flying yellow pony donning a cape in front of a blue shield. Placed at nearly every corner of the room were authentic movie standees: the kind normally used to advertise newly released and upcoming films in actual theaters. These standees were in good condition: a clear sign that the CMCs had been careful with them. At the far end of the room was a large flat screen monitor that hung high on the wall. On the large desk below it stood an old CRT television of reasonable quality: an old piece of tech that stood in stark contrast to the modern device above. Positioned to its right were a DVD player and a VCR device that Apple Bloom was futzing around with. Both devices were stacked on top of each other. To the TV's left stood a large thick steel safe with a combination lock. Standing proudly a few feet in front of the desk was the wooden podium reserved specifically for the club leader and any speakers that were needed, the leader's gavel and sound block resting on top. Lining each side of the ceiling, on the spot where the wall met the ceiling, were little ponies hand-crafted out of paper with love in every folding, with each pony given the same color as a club member's hair in a repeating pattern. Sunset looked up at the pattern of colored ponies and said to herself with a warm smile and a whisper only she could hear;

"All these years and I'm still proud of them..."

She looked down at each of the CMCs. Apple Bloom finished what she was doing and turned around to face her with one of her recognizable giant grins. She then declared happily while rushing over to give her a big hug;

"You're early, sugarcube!"

The other girls joined in, forming a group hug that Sunset graciously accepted. She felt like her heart could just melt over how sweet her young friends could be, and she was very glad that none of her clothes got pie on them. After they broke  up the hug, Sunset replied with a wink;

"I was too excited to wait, your screenings are always fun!"

Apple Bloom belted out a hearty laugh that any other Apple present would be proud of;

"Can't argue with that! Now, we just need..."

She looked around the room and recognized what was missing. With a quick gasp, she motioned to Sweetie Belle;

"Sweetie, we need them seats in 'ere, pronto!"

She ran off in a dash to complete her task, leaving Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with Sunset. Scoots looked like she could burst with excitement as she promptly yelled;

"This movie we're gonna watch is SO AWESOME! I hope we get a good turnout this time!"

"Heh, you girls usually do.", Sunset noted happily as the girls watched Sweetie Belle carry the seats into the room one seat at a time. Scootaloo decided to help her out like a good friend and as they worked together, Apple Bloom gave Sunset a smile of pure adoration before telling her joyfully;

"Ah can't thank ya' enough for helping us out with that dern bird yesterday."

"It was my pleasure.", noted a beaming Sunset.

With a sigh that seemed to take the wind out of her happy sails, Apple Bloom then added with a more serious tone;

"After the screenin's done, the club's gonna have a special meetin'. Ya' know the one."

The older lady understood exactly what she meant by this. With a breath, she replied with a nod;

"I may have some time to take part in that meeting before I have to visit the school garden."

"Thank ya' kindly, Sunset.", responded Apple Bloom, who looked quite appreciative of her friend's willingness to take part in this important occasion.

It was long before all of the seats were placed in the clubhouse, prompted the whole group to organize them to form a proper seating arrangement. As they did this, another voice could be heard giving the club a polite greeting from the club's tin can, which was connected to spot on the wall to the left of the door that reached Apple Bloom's size. This prompted the club leader to stop her current task to investigate by grabbing the can and asking;

"Who am Ah speakin' to?"

The response came from a feminine voice that had an air of sophistication to it combined with a slight chuckle;

"The one who shall never, in her life, drop the bass."

Hearing this caused every CMC in the room to grow giant-sized smiles as they rushed over to the door. They all tried to open it at the same time, but their hands got in each other's way out of sheer excitement. With sheepish giggles, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo backed off, allowing Apple Bloom to open the door, so that they could all rush outside. With mighty laughs, they all cried out in unison;

"TAVI! P0N3!"

Sure enough, string virtuoso Octavia Melody and turn-table star DJ-P0N3 were standing at the foot of the ramp while rocking their traditional garbs, which served to perfectly emphasize the stark differences between the former's professional grace and the latter's fun-loving demeanor. While CHS's resident DJ did not appear to have brought her trusty turn-table along (she kept it stashed away nearby for later use), Octavia was deftly carrying her cello in its bag on her back. They each bore bright smiles as Octavia greeted the overjoyed CMCs in an excited yet polite manner;

"Good morning, my friends! A fine day for a film, is it not?"

They were escorted into the clubhouse by the CMCs, with Sunset waiting for them inside. She shook Octavia's hand and gave her a friendly nod, to which she replied with one of her own as well as a warm smile. She gave DJ-PON3, however, a greeting that she knew the life of every party she played in would appreciate; a showing of the devil horns, to which she responded in kind with a confident smirk. Once they were inside, the CMCs pounced on them with loving hugs that made the cello player laugh as she declared while hugging them back;

"Haha, it is so great to see you three again!"

P0N3 gave each of them an emphatic thumbs up. Sunset, at that point, knew this was going to be a great day as the new arrivals got situated.






Rarity's House: around that same time


"Oh man, since when do we miss a CMC moving screening, anyway?", complained a deeply annoyed Rainbow Dash, who kept her arms crossed while lounging on the couch in Rarity's living room. Sci-Twi, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all sat with Rarity around the living room table, while Applejack leaned on the wall to its left. Rainbow could not help but carry on;

"I mean, we're gonna miss 'Daring Do and the Statue of Peace' for crying out loud!"

Applejack rolled her eyes at her friend before explaining while slightly annoyed at her behavior;

"First of all, ya'll seen that flick a week ago!"

She took a swig of her coffee before continued;

"Second of all, we got a bigger issue to wrangle than a screenin', and the CMCs already understand why we ain't there this time."

"Ugh, I know! We gotta fix up Sunset's wreck of a house!", Rainbow Dash admitted with the most audible groan she could manage. She then sat back up like a bolt of lightning and pointed at Applejack with a frustrated glare;

"Now, don't think I won't help make that house look and feel as awesome as our friend! I'm just wishing we didn't have to put Daring Do aside to do it!"

Rarity, after sipping on some tea, chimed in with her usual brand of politeness and grace that helped to hide her growing indignation over her friend's uncouth behavior;

"Let me put it to you this way, Rainbow Dash darling; Sunset Shimmer has had to make more than one sacrifice for the sake of her friends. Some..."

She gripped the handle on her teacup with slightly more force than what was required before finishing while easing her hand's grip;

"Larger than others..."

Every Rainboom present felt an old regret rise to the surface, which got even Rainbow Dash to stop complaining. Her frustration and petulance evaporated, she declared seriously;

"I got you, Rarity. Don't you girls worry, I..."

She looked off to the side to hide her growing shame;

"I won't leave you hanging... I won't leave her hanging either."

Out of sheer instinct, the other girls gave her a group hug, which helped to clear out the storm of guilt that was growing within them. With their minds put at ease by their friendship, the other girls followed Rarity to the living room table and took their seats. With everyone ready, Applejack declared;

"Alright, Miss Twi: lay it on us."

Not skipping a beat, Sci-Twi pulled out a large roll of blue paper and rolled out onto the table to reveal an intricate layout of a house before explaining calmly;

"I have drawn up a detailed blueprint of Sunset's house, based on the info that could be acquired via empirical real life and online sources."

Sure enough, all of the key elements of the house were shown, including the rooms and other aspects of the property. Two such aspects were pointed out by Sci-Twi;

"Sunset's research was on point: this was indeed owned by religious people prior to its selling. Note the references to  items pertaining to their religion that are written near spots where such items were meant to be located. There are even some crude images of them drawn on said spots."

The other girls took a closer look at what she had pointed out, with Applejack noting with a raised eyebrow;

"Eeyup, Ah see them crosses and holy books. Land's sake, they were gonna frame those things on the walls!"

Rarity then chimed in;

"Clearly, they had a deep adherence to their beliefs. I am not one to judge people over such things of course."

"Neither am I.", Sci-Twi mentioned while adjusting her glasses before adding;

"I am student of science, history, magic, mathematics, and so forth, but not of religion."

Rainbow made a point of her own while enjoying a soda that she had grabbed from the kitchen with her super-speed while no one was looking;

"Yeah, but those things are long gone now. I'll bet those folks took them with them when they ran off from that Murder Chest."

Fluttershy cowered at the mere mention of that dreadful object while Applejack asked Sci-Twi;

"Were ya' able to learn somethin' about that twisted thing?"

She shook her head and told the group in frustration;

"Not yet, my new device has two more bugs that need fixing before I can start my research in safe earnest. Emphasis placed on safe, for I want to live."

"Please be careful!", whispered a frightened Fluttershy, to which Sci-Twi responded with a comforting smile;

"I will be, so you don't have to worry."

Her words soothed the animal lover's fears enough for her to refocus on the blueprint. Sci-Twi then went back to her original explanation;

"While the religious items and aforementioned Murder Box are certainly out of the house, it would behoove us to double-check to make sure that there aren't any more surprises, magical or otherwise, hidden within the property."

The other girls nodded their heads in agreement as she went on;

"There is also this empty lot here, behind the house."

She pointed at exactly that while adding;

"I looked over the publicly accessible legal records and I can confirm that this lot is a part of the property. This gives us space enough to make an addition or two, if we can manage."

Applejack smirked at the thought before exclaiming;

"Ah'm already thinkin' of some mighty useful additions to Sunset's home! Maybe we can build her a den on that there lot? Ya' know, for her streamin' stuff?"

Fluttershy's eyes sparkled upon hearing Applejack's idea and said with gentle glee;

"Oh my, it would so wonderful for Sunset to be able to walk out into the sun for a bit before starting up a Shimmer Code stream. The birds chirping all around her..."

She sighed contently while imagining her friend being greeted by singing birds as she walked over to her den.

Rarity chuckled in a most polite manner before noting;

"While I do appreciate a walk through the outdoors every now and then..."

She got a glare and a smirk from Applejack that screamed "Ah beg your pardon?", which she noticed on corner of her eye. With a huff and raised chin, she told her;

"Why, yes I do, Applejack, but to finish my point.."

She took a breath and looked back at her friends before doing so;

"How would Sunset deal with walking to her den during, let's say, a thunderstorm or a blizzard?"

Applejack, with a laugh, looked more closely at the lot shown on the blueprint before answering confidently;

"There should be enough space in the lot for us to build up a sizable den as well as a protected path to and from it and still have room for somethin' else."

It was then that Sci-Twi got an idea that made her both excited and nervous in equal measure;

"There is one other thing we can add to the lot, but to do it right, we'll need to fill a specific prerequisite. One that we could potentially work on later today, if you catch my meaning."

Pinkie Pie jumped into conversation with her uniquely high level of energy after stuffing her face with a cupcake that she had pulled out of her incredibly large hair;

"Oh, what could that be?! A cake-baking station?! Don't worry, I've got thousands of recipes!"

Rarity, however, had made a guess as to what Sci-Twi had meant. So, she promptly told the party planner;

"No, darling, she is not referring to the idea of building a space for making your extensive varieties of cakes."

As Pinkie pouted, Rarity explained;

"She is actually referring, if I am not mistaken, to that thing that we are set to deal with later today. You all are familiar with it, I'm sure."

Just like that, everyone else's nerves shot upwards, more so for some than others.

"Ah know what ya' mean, Rares...", Apple stated with her stetson tilted low to hide her face and her arms crossed, her voice as serious as it could get;

"Make no mistake, Ah'm gonna go through with it, and not just for Sunset's sake."

"Agreed darling,", said Rarity with an affirmative nod before adding;

"We all made that Pinkie Promise together and made no illusions as to what, and who, it covers."

"It's not that I don't want to make friends with her...", Rainbow Dash explained nervously. She crossed her arms again before exclaiming out of annoyance;

"I mean, this is Wallflower we're talking about! Every time we tried to reach out to her just to talk after that garden party, she stayed away from us! Out of the seven of us, she'd only talk with Sunset!"

"Can't say Ah blame her none.", Applejack said with a sigh;

"Yeah, she cleaned up her act, goin' by Sunset's own words, and Ah'm mighty proud of her for that. But, she's got some  hurtin' inside that ain't going away quickly."

She clenched her fists tightly before finishing;

"Especially when she's the one who did the hurtin'."

Rarity sighed as well. She looked at each of her friends, who's faces ranged from attentive to, in the case of Pinkie Pie, unreadable, before explaining thusly;

"Quite right, darling. This brings me to my next point, dears: Wallflower had hurt us as well. If we are to recover fully, we must see beyond our pain enough to give her a real chance to face us, to get to know us whilst we get to know her. This way, we are helping each other heal."

Sci-Twi took this moment to clarify her idea;

"To be perfectly clear: I won't ask her to help us with this project right away. I want to make sure she is perfectly comfortable with being around us before I even entertain the notion of asking her. We ought to be considerate of her feelings, after all."

With her smile returned and her hands relaxed, Applejack raised her stetson before saying agreement;

"Ain't no good thing to make a person feel like she's bein' used just for someone else's work. We'll be patient with Wallflower for her sake, the lot can wait for that."

They all nodded in agreement. Pinkie Pie, however made an excellent point with a rare grimace and an even rarer shudder;

"But that's just it: will she even be able to face us... and can we face her?"






 The hallway just outside of CHS's Garden: mid-afternoon


The Rainbooms were all standing in a row, with Sunset leading the pack. Thanks to Principal Celestia, they were able to get a spare key into the school, so that they could make it to this meet-up at all. She stood at the door that led to the Garden and thus, to Wallflower. If all went well, this would be the first time that any of the girls, other than Sunset, had made contact with her in person ever since the garden party.

Ever since the Memory Stone Incident.


"Remember me!"


Those two words were at the forefront of the minds of every Rainboom present as they stood silently, powerful guilt weighing heavily on the hearts of six of them. Sunset looked at the door for a brief moment before turning to check in on the other girls. They all gave her warm, supportive smiles that showed no sign of deception or hesitation. Her fears eased and with a familiar warmth in her being egging her on, she turned back to the door and knocked on it three times. They all waited in silence for ten seconds before the sound of the door's lock being undone could be heard. The door was pushed open, but only Sunset could see Wallflower standing in the opening, looking more nervous than even Fluttershy herself!

"Good... Good afternoon, Sunset.", she told her with a smile that was somehow both real and forced at the same time. Easily recognizing her discomfort, Sunset reached out to her with an opened right hand and the most welcoming smile she could muster. Slowly, Wallflower reached over with a shaky right arm to let her hand to be taken into her friend's, a sight that the other girls saw. None of them spoke up about this, not even Rainbow Dash, although she did have to be coaxed into silence by a quick gentle jab from Applejack's right fist onto her back before she could mouth off. Hand in hand, Sunset and Wallflower looked each other in the eye, which was enough to slowly ease the latter into a state of calm, her once shaky arm relaxing after about a minute. The two girls then walked into the garden, with Sunset giving her friends a quick wink before closing the door behind her. They could barely make out the conversation between them that followed;

"So... they're waiting for me... out there?", asked Wallflower with uncertainty in every word she spoke.

"That's right, Wally.", answered a happy Sunset before she noted confidently;

"Did you think they would decline the invitation?"

"Even though it came from me?", the nervous gardener asked. Sunset, her confidence refusing to leave her being, answered sweetly;

"They accepted it because it came from you."

She added some softness to her voice;

"Come on, they want to move forward from that day just as much as you and I do."

As the discussion between two friends continued on, the other Rainbooms made quiet comments of their own that neither Sunset nor Wallflower could hear;

"She ain't wrong about that part.", noted Applejack with a smirk. Rarity chimed in with dignity, her chin held by her right hand;

"Yes, but will dear Wallflower find the courage to welcome us into her personal sanctuary under a non-party pretense?"

"Would it help her if I made it into a party?", asked Pinkie Pie with increasing excitement in her voice as she bounced in place.

"I think a surprise party will make her even less interested in talking to us, Pinks.", Rainbow Dash noted, which stopped Pinkie's bouncing as she lowered her head in childlike dismay.

"Her behavior here is... most familiar." Sci-Twi remarked in a solemn fashion as she remembered her own past behavior with a frown.

"Quiet for a moment...", Fluttershy softly requested. As they went silent, they could hear the conversation again;

"Look, I appreciate them doing this for me, I really do!", Wallflower exclaimed before going back to her soft uncertain voice;

"I want to talk with them too, but... I'm afraid of... sabotaging my efforts and theirs'..."

"Her self-awareness is without question.", noted an impressed Rarity. Fluttershy, however, told her with a tiny hint of annoyance in her eyes;

"Shush..."

Thankfully, this exchanged occurred during a pause in Sunset's talk with Wallflower, which ended with the former telling the latter honestly;

"There's only one way to know for sure if that's going to happen or not..."

After ten seconds of silence on both sides of the wall, Wallflower answered with a bit of surety;

"Okay, let them in."

It took the six Rainbooms all of their self-control to not verbally celebrate this moment as Sunset walked through the door and motioned to them to come into the garden. With smiles all around, they filed in one by one.

The garden, once forgotten about by all but Wallflower, the Principal, and Vice-Principal, had been filled with more plants of numerous varieties than before ever since the party that made its existence known to every Wondercolt. This was due to the combined efforts of Wallflower and the other members of her formerly one-person club: Roseluck and Derpy, who had become her dear friends alongside Sunset. In fact, as the group of girls walked over to the center of the Garden, they could see Roseluck tending to a bush to their left that was littered with flowers that had yet to bloom. Looking over to their right, they caught Derpy happily pushing a wheel-barrel filled with fertilized soil throughout the garden, hunting for empty patches of land that needed it. Rarity was the first to comment on the natural beauty around them;

"Oh, how splendid! This garden has only grown, no, bloomed in our absence!", she gushed while performing a twirl out of sheer dramatically expressed joy. Pinkie Pie bounced over to each flower bush with enough speed to leave a pink blur in her wake as she exclaimed with glee;

"These plants would make any party super-duper fun just by being there!"

Applejack gave Wallflower a tip of her hat as she walked towards her before telling her with a truthful chuckle;

"Ya'll and your two pals really made this place shine, sugarcube."

Sci-Twi walked up to the increasingly nervous gardener and told her excitedly;

"I have so many questions for you concerning botany."

She took a breath to calm herself before adding in an attempt to comfort her;

"There is no rush, of course. Those questions can wait for you."

Feeling relieved at Sci-Twi's consideration, but no less nervous, Wallflower tried to give herself some space away from the group, only for Rainbow Dash to rush up to her with her super-speed, causing the poor girl to almost jump in response. The athlete gave her left shoulder a playful gentle jab with her right fist before telling her with a smirk;

"Plants may not be my thing, but you make them look awesome!"

It was quite clear to anyone with eyes that Wallflower did NOT know what to do with all this praise being thrown at her by the girls she had arguably hurt the most. Thankfully, two of those girls had the good sense to recognize her impending panic. Before Sunset could step in to do something about it, however, Fluttershy walked up to her first. She gave her the most soothing look she could come up with while extending her right hand over to her and saying softly;

"It's okay, I understand how you feel."

Wallflower looked right back at her with wide eyes;

"You-you do?!", she asked, her panic audible in her voice. Sensing the situation just from hearing her friend's voice, Roseluck stopped what she was doing to check in on Wallflower, but was stopped by Sunset, who held her back with her right hand while watching the scene unfold. Fluttershy's angelic smile did not leave her face for even a moment as she nodded at the green-haired girl. At this point, Derpy had arrived just in time to see what was going and put the wheel-barrel down to try to help her friend, but Applejack was able to stop her with a quick "shush". With hesitation and everyone else watching, Wallflower took Fluttershy's hand, which led to her being gently wrapped in the sweet girl's arms. The feeling of this embrace held back the panic, but it was her voice, almost as quiet as a whisper, that drove it away;

"There there... you are safe..."

Her mind started to relax along with her body. Her breathing became steady and slow as she sank deeper into the hug. But then, she hesitated as fear gripped her. Fear of being tricked into getting hurt. She looked over at each of her three friends for support. Roseluck gave her a nod and a smile. Derpy, ever the sweetheart, gave her one of her big innocent grins. Sunset, thoughtful as ever, walked up to Wallflower, placed her hand on her right shoulder, and looked at her with a warm smile of her own. Being seen was a feeling the formerly invisible girl was not used to experiencing. But, she felt it at that moment, and goodness, did it feel wonderful! With a tiny smile that one had to look real close to see, she hugged Fluttershy back, shut her eyes, and surrendered completely to her embrace. For a good two minutes, to Wallflower, all was well as her mind focused on Sunset, the girl who forgave and accepted her, and the two friends who she was glad she welcomed into her life as well. The other girls watched in support and happiness, not wanting to ruin this moment in any way. Even Rainbow Dash was thoughtful enough to not say a word, for she knew better than to upset Fluttershy. The hug was released, much to Wallflower's disappointment, but she did have gardening to do and a long-overdue conversation to deal with. This time, however, she was feeling ready to get it all done right as she opened her eyes and gave Fluttershy a grateful look;

"I needed that moment, thank you.", she told her with relief in her voice.

Happy to see the matter resolved, Sunset clearly announced to the other Rainbooms with a sheepish grin while looking at each of them;

"I believe you girls may have overdid it a bit!".

The other Rainbooms suddenly looked most apologetic over their antics. Satisfied, she looked over at Wallflower while keeping her grin intact and told her apologetically;

"Sorry, Wally! I really should have seen that coming before they walked in!"

Her friend, however, waved off the apology. With the kind of beautiful smile that she only showed to her, she told her;

"It's okay. They were being nice to me."

With a giggle, she added with a hint of fond nostalgia;

"They remind me of how sweet my garden buddies have been to me."

That got her a double-hug from Derpy and Roseluck from both of her sides, much to the joy of everyone else watching. With that, she declared with the tiniest sign of confidence, her nervousness nowhere near as strong as it was before;

"Since you are all here, we might as well talk things out in my office."

She escorted the group through the garden, with Rarity commenting out of curiosity;

"Interesting! I did not know she even had an office. I wonder what it looks like?"





"Well then... you ask a simple question...", Rarity whispered in shock over the sight before her and the other girls. This "office" was, in fact a wooden shed reconstructed to have enough space to house a wooden desk that someone had clearly hand-crafted, a grey chair with matching cushioning, stacked documents and seed bags placed on the desk alongside a garden gnome bobble-head, and shelves on the left and right walls filled with more seed bags as well as all manner of garden tools and resources. Hung high on the wall behind the desk was a dark green banner that depicted the Garden Club's logo: a two steel shovels filled with dirt with their handles crossing each other and a yellow sun rising from behind them. The dirt in each shovel had seedlings poking out to complete the image. The floor, if one could call it that, was actually well-kept grass with dirt underneath and absolutely no carpeting or tiles. This office was as rugged as one could get, short of switching out the chair for one that Applejack would lovingly make herself. Speaking of the farmer, she marveled at the craftsmanship of the shed while giving Rarity a gentle pat on her right shoulder as she passed by to silently help her in her struggle against reacting in a way that was the worst kind of dramatic;

"Ah gotta say, Wallflower, you've got 'ere a beauty of an office."

She gave the wall a good few knocks with the knuckles on her right fist;

"Made with strong wood at that, Ah reckon."

She extended her inspection to the desk, which she found to be just as interesting to her expert eyes;

"Whoever made this 'ere desk knew what they were doin'!', she exclaimed in wonder. Wallflower felt a little bashful over her beloved office being shown such respect as the rest of the girls walked inside. Rarity joined them last, after managing to compose herself enough to stomach the look of the place for everyone else's sake. The other girls had their own comments on the place;

"Wowie! This office looks way more fun than regular ones!", exclaimed an ecstatic Pinkie Pie as she thought of all of the ways she could decorate it with her Party Cannon.

"Yeah, this place doesn't look boring!", Rainbow Dash remarked with a grin as she looked for ways to make it look more awesome.

"I love that you left the ground as is.", Fluttershy said with joy in her eyes;

"It really helps a girl feel more in tune with nature."

Sci-Twi's comment was more focused on practically;

"I enjoy the look of this office, but I can imagine keeping the grass in check can be troublesome."

Wallflower snorted a little at that last remark before responding to it;

"Not as troublesome as you think, Twilight."

Rarity finally found the stomach to give her honest opinion on the office;

"Well... Wallflower darling. I admit to have been... taken aback by this office's... uniqueness."

After stopping for a moment to really think on her response, she finished by giving the gardener a genuinely generous smile;

"However, after recovering, I can plainly see its beauty and overall appeal."

Sunset, who had already been to this office more than once, patted Wallflower on her back to get her attention. Once they looked at each other, she told her with a smirk;

"I think we should have that talk now, don't you think?"

With a grimace, Wallflower called out to everyone;

"Gather around my desk, it's time we..."

She sighed and spoke in resignation;

"Settle things..."





Wallflower took her seat on the chair behind the desk as everyone else gathered around it. Once they all found comfy positions, with Rainbow Dash being told to not sit on the desk by Rarity and Applejack, Sunset started things off calmly;

"Okay, who wants to start first?"

Wallflower raised her hand before anyone else could, which gave her the chance to speak with nervousness in her voice;

"B-before we go any further, there is something that we all need to be on the same p-page on. I believe you had dealt with this before with Sunset."

Before she could speak further, Applejack chimed in with a look of utter seriousness on her face;

"Ah got me a feelin' Ah know what's comin' up. If Ah may?"

Sensing what the farmer had in mind, she nodded her head, which prompted Applejack to look at each of the other girls while explaining;

"Okay folks, Ah'm gonna have ya'll respond to some things. Know that respondin' honestly would help us all a ton. Understand?"

The girls standing around the desk agreed to this request. Without any further ado, Applejack asked them;

"If any of ya'll are angry over what Wallflower did to our memories, raise your hands."

All seven Rainbooms raised their hands, while Derpy and Roseluck kept their hands down. Wallflower was happy that her two garden buddies were not angry, but that happiness was tempered by the seven hands she saw around her. Without skipping a beat, Applejack asked;

"If any of ya'll hate what Wallflower did to our memories, raise your hands or keep 'em up if they're already raised."

Only three hands were raised: Applejack's, Rainbow Dash's, and Rarity's. Wallflower understood why those three felt that way, even though knowing that they did hurt her inside. She was sorely tempted to look away from the proceedings, to run away right then and there. But, looking at Derpy and Roseluck gave her strength enough to keep her feet and face her past with courage. Applejack saw the conflict on her face and gave her a honest smile, which added more encouragement to her heart, before turning to face the others and asking one more question;

"If any of ya'll hate Wallflower... raise your hands or keep 'em up if they're already raised."

Each girl's hand fell down like they were dominoes, which was a pleasant surprise to Wallflower, for she had expected the whole band to hate her guts. Sunset not hating her was understandable. She was, after all, Sunset Shimmer, the most forgiving soul in CHS! Fluttershy made sense too, given her reputation for being a kind person (the wonderful hug she had given her earlier being an example of this). Derpy and Roseluck were a given at this point, but a lot of them were perplexing to her. The girls looked around with smiles on their faces, pleased that hatred was not causing any problems this time. But there was one girl who was not smiling, let alone looking at anyone. The sadness on her face was palpable and utterly painful to behold. The others looked at this girl with shock and concern in their eyes, the Rainbooms especially. Wallflower was not as shocked, but she was no less concerned. Rarity outright gasped at the sight. Almost everyone had lowered their hands, except one. The one person that, other than Fluttershy, no Rainboom in that office expected to harbor even a sliver of hatred for anyone:

Pinkie Pie.





"D-Darling..."

"Pinks..."

"None of us are judging you, Pinkie."

"We'll hear what ya' gotta say, sugarcube."

"Oh, you poor dear!"

"We are with you, Pinkie."

Each of the Rainbooms showered their beloved pink friend with gestures of goodwill and support, and why wouldn't they? Gone was the poofiness and redish pink that made her hair so unique from anyone else's! Gone was the almost endless sea of joy in her eyes that made children everywhere laugh no matter what their moods were! Gone was her smile, one of the most beloved aspects of her character! The hatred she felt that day, the same hatred she had felt ever since the Memory Stone Incident, had reverted her appearance and mannerisms to that of Pinkamena Diane Pie: the girl she used to be before laughter took up permanent residence in her heart. The courage Wallflower had gained was erased to the point that she could not look at the other girls, especially Pinkamena. She turned right around to hide her shame, which prompted Derpy and Roseluck to try to comfort her. Even while on the verge of tears, she could hear Pinkamena address her with a plea devoid of happiness and filled with sorrow;

"Please, Wallflower! Face me... as I'm trying to face myself."

With positive encouragement from her two friends, she slowly obliged. The expression Pinkamena had given her was something akin to anger: barely controlled, menacing anger. The other girls watched in stunned silence as their once cheerful friend explained with a low growl;

"Where do you think the phrase "Light 'em up, ladies!" came from? I'll tell you..."

She leaned right up to Wallflower's face, close enough to make feel more uncomfortable than she did a moment ago, and finished with a hiss;

"Hatred... honest to goodness hatred for the girl who messed with our minds so badly, that we nearly drove away the bestest friend we could ever ask for."

Pinkamena straightened up her back before asking Wallflower, who was several steps away from crying;

"Do you want to know what the worst part is?"

She didn't want to know, but she knew she had to. Pinkamena did not wait for a response;

"The worst part is that the joy I felt over seeing your plants... that was real."

She clenched her fists;

"The happiness I felt over your office... that was real."

She cracked her neck;

"The cheer I feel whenever I think of the idea of us becoming friends one day... that is real!"

She gritted her teeth;

"And yet... I STILL FEEL HATRED!"

She slammed her right fist onto the desk with enough force to nearly make a crack in it, the resounding thunderous collision between pink flesh and wood startling everyone else in the room. In spite of herself, Wallflower held her ground, driven by her friends' support to see this through. Pinkamena moved her fist off of the desk to let it rest on her side, took a deep breath to recollect herself, and continued with a sigh, her anger reduced to disappointment;

"I'm reminded of what my Granny Pie would always tell me... Sometimes, happy emotions can hide the ugly ones, even if they are all real. She always said that you gotta face the ugly ones, so that they don't sneak up on you and take away your smile forever and ever."

She raised her opened hands up to her face and looked at them with deep regret in her eyes;

"I... I wasn't looking when I should have been."

She closed her eyes while letting her hands rest on her sides again before declaring with genuine sorrow;

"I don't want this for me... for you... or for anyone."

She opened her eyes and looked right at Wallflower's, tears streaming down her face as she told her the honest truth;

"I don't want to hate you, Wallflower Blush. I don't want to you hate you either."

The gardener's own tears were held firmly in place by a newfound sense of shock. Her eyes went wide as she continued to give Pinkamena her undivided attention. For a brief moment, she saw a spark in the party planner's eyes as she went on with her confession;

"As the most experienced party planner in Canterlot City, I notice things people don't see right away. You, for example, always look so sad and hurt whenever you think no one is watching. But I do..."

She tried to sniff her tears back before adding a statement that tugged at Wallflower's heartstrings in a positive way;

"I see you."

She could not bare to interrupt Pinkamena, not even for that;

"I saw many of the times when you cried to yourself and only yourself, the times when you whispered to yourself how much you hated yourself. That made me so sad and I just wanted to help you smile. I still want to help you smile..."

Her hair had regained a bit of its saturation, her voice was slowly rising in pitch as it lost it's growl;

"As much as I'm angry at you... as much as I hate you... I want to work through these terrible no-good very bad feelings for the both of us."

Bits of her hair were starting to get poofy again;

"Not only that, but I want to help you work through your hatred too."

The frown on her face was wiggling about, as if trying desperately to become something else. The other girls, who watched in silent support, noticed this. Sunset especially, who felt anticipation grow within her as Pinkamena tried to finish;

"So that, we can both..."

Her breathing became short and quick, as if she was about to hyperventilate. 

"We can both..."

Every other Rainboom present was thinking the exact same thing;

"Say it, Pinkie, say it!"

Her hair was going wild at this point: gaining and losing saturation while bouncing between poofiness and droopiness in rapid fire succession. Her upper-body rocked back and forth in a quick pace and the irises in her eyes shrunk down to the size of pebbles as she made one final effort with all of her heart;

"We... can... both..."

It was that moment, that the hatred inside her heart was washed away... by a tsunami of a feeling so great, so powerful, so unrelenting, that it made her take a mighty breath and;

"SMILE!"

She exclaimed with all of the joy, all of the happiness, all of the cheer that she could pull out from her pink heart while leaping into the air with more gusto in her bounce than ever before. She managed to avoid bonking her head on the ceiling, shocking everyone else right out of their building misery with her explosion of positivity. Her hair was as pink as a Valentine's Day ribbon and poofy like cotton candy in the circus. Her eyes were shedding happy tears that were badges of honor in her bright and bubbly mind. When she landed on her feet and turned to face her friends, who looked just as relieved as they felt, she opened her eyes, revealing within them life and joy that could not be darkened again. But, there was one last thing to show, and she showed it to Wallflower first: her smile. Oh goodness, her smile was not simply beaming, but radiating with a special kind of happiness that infected the plant expert. She had just gone through a wild emotional ride, and yet she felt that feeling flow into her being from the face of the happy-go-lucky girl that stood before her. At first, her dark emotions stood ready to hold it back. But they were not dealing with the average happiness that could come from a typical human. This incredible feeling of joy could only come from one Human being out of over eight billion...

Pinkie Pie!

The tidal wave of happiness swept through the darkness in Wallflower's aching heart. It didn't destroy that darkness, for it had too much time to take root and strengthen itself to be annihilated so easily, even by Pinkie. Ah, but the party planner, true to form, had accounted for this, for as she watched her future friend struggle with the happiness swelling up within her, she started to softly cheer her on;

"It's okay to smile and laugh, when you know your happiness is real."

Wallflower's mouth wiggled uncontrollably, her body shook, spun, and rocked every-which-way, not at all knowing what to do with itself. She held on to her sides for dear life, utterly confused and more than a little terrified at what was transpiring, in spite of the internally encroaching joy. It was a wonder she could keep her balance! Terribly concerned, the other girls tried to run over to her to help her keep steady, but Pinkie yelled out while raising her right palm to the ceiling;

"No!"

She then lowered it while turning it into a fist that she held up to her chest. Shutting her eyes while looking absolutely serious, she explained simply and with a dramatic flare that Rarity would make a mental note to compliment her on later;

"She has to feel this!"

The other Rainbooms knew Pinkie too well to argue against her wisdom when it came to all things concerning smiles, so they kept their distance. Derpy and Roseluck were a bit more hesitant, but knowing of her history, they too relented. Wallflower's body slowly started to calm down enough for her to straighten herself, but she still held her sides tightly. She looked at Pinkie with tears in her eyes that came from... fear? joy? It was hard for anyone to tell at that point. Pinkie asked her calmly, her smile refusing to leave as she pressed her hands on the desk and looked her square in the eyes;

"Take a moment to ask yourself: Are you feeling happy?"

Wallflower felt no pain, which was a good sign, but not enough for her. She looked over at Sunset with a pleading expression, silently asking for guidance. Knowing what was up, she told her sweetly;

"Remember what I taught you, Wally. Take a deep breath."

She raised her right hand to guide her friend through the process;

"Exhale slowly..."

She did as instructed, which eased her physical and spiritual tension to prepare her for Sunset's last instruction;

"Shut your eyes and be with your feelings."

She closed her eyes and allowed the feeling of immense happiness to wash over her. With another breath, she told Pinkie with a frown on her face;

"Yes, I do."

Somehow, due to some unknown law of physics, Pinkie's smile grew wider upon hearing her words. She then asked her further;

"Well then, why don't you smile?"

With an exasperated sigh and eyes still shut, Wallflower explained sorrowfully as happiness remained within her, her breath remaining steady;

"It's because I don't deserve to be happy."

The dark emotions inside her threatened to make a comeback, but not before answering to Pinkie;

"Well, as my super-duper awesome friend Rarity would put it..."

She then did her best impression of the fashionista, complete with her dignified mannerisms;

"Such nonsense, darling!"

That comment really got Wallflower's attention as the party planner switched back to Pinkie Mode;

"Everyone deserves to be happy! In fact, everyone deserves to have a reason to be happy!"

She held her chin with her pink right hand before asking;

"So then, why are you happy?"

It took two seconds for Wallflower to realize the answer, a revelation that drove her darkness further back into some far away corner in her heart. She calmly explained, her mouth wiggling once again between sentences;

"I'm happy because you're giving me a chance..."

The wiggling intensified;

"You're all giving me a chance, even though I had hurt you girls so terribly that I made the happiest girl around feel hatred..."

Her mouth was about ready to curl upwards;

"If a girl like me is worthy of a second chance..."

Wallflower opened her eyes, wiped her tears with her shirt sleeve, and looked at everyone around her with a beautiful smile as genuine as her words;

"Then maybe I'm worthy of happiness too."

The group hug that resulted from that declaration of truth could light up even the darkest room in the world with all of the smiles it carried.

Jumping into the office with all of the bluster of an egotist was none other than Trixie, who attempted to proudly announce her grand entrance while rocking her trusty magician's garb;

"It is I: The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie! I have come to assist you, friend Wallflower, with..."

She stopped herself upon noticing the gigantic group hug that paid her boasting absolutely no mind. Utterly perplexed, she asked the group;

"What did Trixie miss?"

Sunset responded by running up to Trixie, grabbing her by her right hand, and pulling her into the group hug while telling her happily;

"Just roll with it, pal!"

Trixie was about to complain at first, but as she felt the warmth of the hugs all around her, she sighed contently before admitting with a soft smile;

"Trixie approves of this... though do ask Trixie first next time."