//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 - Journal Talk and Club Business 
// Story: Spring Surprises 
// by TheGJ90 
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 Later that day, in Rainbow Dash's bedroom


Sunset was sitting on her sleeping bag in a lotus position whilst her magical journal, the one from Princess Twilight to be precise, rested on her lap. Normally, Rainbow Dash's bedroom was uniquely messy, since its owner needed to be repeatedly encouraged by multiple people to clean it up. Once Sunset had moved in for the week, however, it wasn't long before the room became far more organized and tidy, thanks in large part to its newest tenant. She had just finished checking on her Spring Break homework, only to find that it was all finished and ready to be turned in once school started back up. Thus, she felt it best to enjoy the peace and quiet that was a result of Rainbow having to make a trip to the grocery store with her mother, which meant her father had to tend to the house in their absence. With homework a non-issue and Sunset's chores having already been finished, she got herself some time to chill in silence while processing the day's events;

"Wallflower and the girls are off to a great start!", she thought to herself with pride while staring at the room's cyan wall. With a smirk, she added internally;

"As I expected from my friends, of course. But, that talk was just the beginning for them. For all of us. Now then..."

She moved her thoughts over to a mystery she was hoping to make progress on that day;

"What's going on with Gilda's Griffons? I mean, she bragged about being their leader, which is nothing new, really."

She groaned a little before continuing her train of thought;

"But then, why weren't they with her when she was talking with us? Last I recall, they were a pretty tight bunch. For that matter, where are they these days?"

Sunset remembered well, from Rainbow Dash, who Gilda's running mates were. Their identities she made sure to take into account in her mind;

"Let's see, the other Griffons from before Gilda's disappearance were... Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, and Rolling Thunder. Going by Rainbow's story, she had cut them out of her life after her falling out with Gilda, so she probably doesn't know what they've been up to. Now that I think about it, it's possible they may have vanished around the same time their boss did."

Taking note of this detail reminded the former bad girl of an old memory. One that, even years later, still stung her heart something fierce. With tightly clenched fists that rested under her journal and growing agitation, she declared inside her increasingly wound up mind;

"Oh, if I was there with my friends that day..."

Before her emotions could escalate further, however, she closed her eyes, willed that train of thought to stop in its tracks, and took a deep breath in before exhaling audibly to ease her feelings. With that, she calmly told herself off without being demeaning:

"No. Don't get riled up over what-ifs, Sunset."

She took another deep breath in;

"Let the past be what it is..."

She exhaled again whilst her hands relaxed along with the rest of her body;

"Not today."

Feeling much more grounded, Sunset opened her eyes and went right to work on thinking more clearly, her emotions having stabilized. All of this prompted her to let out a mirthless chuckle and decide in her head;

"It wouldn't surprise me if Gilda's lying about leading a gang these days, given the lies she spews about RD and-."

Right before she could finish her thought, she felt a strong vibration occur on her lap in a repeated fashion, which made her feel more than a little joy as she exclaimed with a beaming smile that could melt steel beams with its radiation of glee;

"Goodness, Twilight responded sooner than I thought she would! Spike must be working overtime."

Sunset quickly opened up the journal to flip over to the page that she had previously bookmarked with her pen. Directly below the last message she had written, she could see a new message had just appeared, which was written in that detailed and articulate fashion that she expected from any of her two Twilight Sparkles. Thrilled to hear from her very first friend, she read the message aloud while thanking Equestria's Celestia and Luna that Rainbow Dash was not listening in.





Dear Sunset Shimmer,

First of all, a happy belated Hearth's Warming to you too! Or should I say, Merry Christmas? Oh, I'm so glad you told me about that Human holiday! It shares so many wonderful similarities with Hearth's Warming and yet both holidays have their own unique qualities that help them stand apart from each other. It's beautiful and fascinating, really!

Now then, thanks to my Spike's efforts, I was able to take care of my duties for today early, so I've got some time to talk to you! I am so sorry for taking so long to respond! I'll make it up to you, I promise. Anyway, I'm glad the Winter season has been good to you and our CHS friends. I do agree that the quiet moments between emergencies in general can be quite the blessing. I swear, for my Pony friends and me, it feels like we have to resolve a problem at least once a week! Well, that's what my Pinkie Pie says, and I have this suspicion that she's not far off the mark.

Then again, it could just be Pinkie being her wonderful Pinkie self, so I'm not thinking too hard about it. Well, I'm trying not to at least.

Regarding what you said about how your world's seasons work, allow me an inquiry:

How in Celestia's name do you Humans prepare for seasonal change without being able to control the weather?!

I suppose I am quite accustomed to the weather in Equestria being heavily regulated through magical means, but I can hardly imagine what it's like for you to have to adapt to, for example, unexpected thunderstorms or blizzards. I'm glad that your weather can at least be predicted by your Meteorologists and you have the four seasons to prepare for as well. But, to live without any way to stop a tornado or some other dangerous weather pattern... I just shuddered a little at the thought!

While I understand your concern, let me assure you that my Rainbow Dash handles Equestria's weather responsibly (post-Tank Hibernation Incident, anyway). So, if she were to visit your world, you needn't worry about her doing something foalish with rain clouds, for example. It is your Rainbow Dash that we ought to be concerned about, provided that she... wait... I should get back to this part later in the message. Let me tackle the other subjects first so that they are not missed.





That last part made Sunset quite curious. What was it about her Rainbow Dash that made the Princess so nervous? Putting that aside for now, she continued reading.





Starlight is doing fine, actually! I sent your message to her and she sends her love to you and our friends right back! She also has a message for Juniper Audition, but she would like to send it to her in person one of these days. Which brings me to that secret project I had hinted at in the past.

Starlight, my Pony friends, and I have recently founded Equestria's first School of Friendship!





Sunset did a double-take and read that last sentence again to make sure she was reading it right before exclaiming out of sheer shock;

"A School of Friendship?!"

After taking a breath of two to recollect herself, she commented with awe in her voice and happiness and pride dancing together in her heart;

"That mare's hustle is legendary! I'm sure she and her friends will do a great job with running the school."

She then had a thought that made her laugh a little before she voiced it with a smirk;

"I have a feeling she took a little bit of inspiration from Canterlot High."

While mentally thanking her Celestia and Luna for CHS's now retired open-door policy, she went back to reading the message.





Right now, we currently have our hooves full with managing the first semester! I am proud to say that I have learned my first lesson as Headmare: Not everything has to be done by the book.

Yes, that does sound bizarre coming from me of all Ponies! But, even I can stand to give those I work with some wiggle room to help out in their own meaningful ways.

Now, my duties as the Princess of Friendship haven't given me too much hassle, but dear Luna, they've been keeping me busy! Combine that with my additional duties as Headmare and...

It just hit home for me... how much I miss you all... Dear Luna, I haven't seen any of you ever since that fiasco with the Storm King's magic and it's been even longer since I last visited the Human world!

When I visit again, and you can bet good Equestrian Bits that I will, the first thing I will do is hug you, the Rainbooms, and your Twilight's Spike with all of my heart! Consider that a royal decree.





Sunset was tempted to hug the journal by the old familiar warmth that erupted throughout her being over the heartfelt decree she had just read. In spite of her numerous duties, Twilight was thinking of and missing her and the girls. She was so looking forward to seeing the Princess again! Ah, but there was still more of her message to read.





Now then, let's get back to that part about your Rainbow Dash. Have you and the other Rainbooms experimented with your Geode Magic yet? I ask this because of a fact that's both simple and alarming: Both of our Rainbow Dashes can fly. Specifically speaking, your Rainbow Dash can fly. With Pegasus wings via Pegasus magic.

If it turns out that your Rainbow Dash can also control the weather like a Pegasus Pony upon transforming...

Another question: On a scale of 1-10, how capable is your Rainbow Dash of being responsible?





Fear gripped Sunset as she thought to herself with wide eyes;

"RD has been handling her super-speed well enough, with mistakes made along the way. But, if that girl can control the weather and she finds out without supervision or guidance..."

She then imagined something of what could happen, which is precisely what she might expect from a power-mad Rainbow Dash;

"I, Rainbow Dash, The World's Most Awesome Weather Controller, will now destroy these uncool rain clouds!"

"No, Rainbow! Farmers need them rain clouds, Ah tells ya'!"

"The Summer shall last FOREVERRRRR!!!"

Sunset internally asked the universe to watch over and protect farms everywhere as she read on while making a mental note to have a very important talk with Sci-Twi later.





I have one more topic to bring up while I still have time: how are your CMCs doing these days? If they're anything like my Crusaders, they're bound to be getting into all sorts trouble with absolute gusto! I never really got to talk with your CMCs, did I? That's an error I'll happily correct when I visit.

Respond as soon as you can!

Your faithful friend,

Princess Twilight Sparkle





By the time Sunset finished reading, it was quite clear to her that the Princess's message spanned multiple pages. She expected this of course, for when a Twilight Sparkle started talking up a storm through any medium, it was hard to get her to stop! With a warm smile, Sunset flipped over to next blank page and wrote back to her beloved friend.





Thanks for writing back, Twi! You actually responded sooner that I thought you would. My thanks to your Spike for helping you out, I hope he's enjoying a well-earned nap. Don't worry about our Rainbow Dash, the girls and I will keep her from doing something reckless with magic. Watch, it turns she just wants to do something harmless with Pegasus magic, like sleep on a cloud instead of doing homework.

As for our weather, the Humans have all sorts of safety precautions, resources, procedures, and other important tools for handling severe weather. Our Meterologists, for example, are usually the ones who warn us of terrible storms well in advance, so we can prepare for when they hit. They even have some seriously impressive weather radar tech that they use to predict the weather as it develops. Of course, nature loves to surprise us from time to time around here, and not every surprise is pleasant. But, we do find ways to recover from even the most damaging of storms. Simply put, Twi: we can push through the weather.





Holding back a chuckle over her joke at the end, Sunset waited about five seconds before getting a response that made her heart soar a little;





Let it rai-ai-ai-ai-ain! Such a great song, by the way.





After allowing a laugh to escape her lips for a moment, she told her distant friend;





Now, you've got that song stuck in my head!

Anyway, I should tell you about our CMCs. They're doing good right now, but yesterday... not so much. I won't beat around the bush, Princess:

Our Gilda's back and she's meaner than ever.





A two second pause and Twilight responded with worry in every word.





Oh dear Luna, did she hurt them again?!





With a sigh of relief, Sunset replied.





Not with her fists, thankfully. She was terrible to them, but even she knows better than to throw hands with the kids when we're around...





She went on to explain to Twilight what had happened when Gilda showed up while answering any questions her royal friend had come up with. Once she was finished, it took all of five seconds for the Princess to respond with sweetness in every word she had written.





I'm proud of all of you for handling that bully as well as you did. As for the CMCs specifically:

Their past does not define them and you know why. Nothing they could do would ever make them deserving of Gilda's wrath.





If the mirror portal was in that room, Sunset would have jumped through it to hug Twilight within the time-span of a few seconds. But, since that portal was far from jumping distance at the time, she instead opted to express her gratitude through writing.





Thanks, Twi. I'll make sure the girls get that message. To be clear: the CMCs are in a better emotional state now, thanks to us helping them out a bit. I'll tell you more about that later, but I will say right now that they just did a movie screening earlier today. I was one of the folks they invited, actually.





The former bad girl had a feeling about the response her friend was going to give. Sure enough, her feelings served her well.





Ah yes! You mentioned something about Humans having movies in a previous message. I know we Equestrian folks have our own fair share of mediums through which we share our stories. So, I'm quite interested to learn how these Human movies work. For research purposes of course!





Sunset thought was a little too easy. But, then again, Princess Twilight Sparkle always did enjoy learning about new things. With a chuckle laced with building excitement over getting to teach her friend something for a change, she told her thusly.





I'll give you the CMC's movie screening as an example then. You see...






Earlier that day, at the Canterlot Movie Club's Clubhouse


It wasn't long before Sunset found herself helping Sweetie Belle with getting the seats positioned in the clubhouse while Scootaloo prepared the projector screen that was being made to stand a little ways in front of the seats, with the club desk and all its items behind it. The seats were being organized to sit in three lines of seven, with three extra seats situated behind the main group. Twenty-one seats plus three: the standard setup for a movie club screening's audience. Of course, there was enough space left in front of the closed clubhouse door for folks coming in to have a clear path between the door and the seats. Being carefully placed on the cushions of each seat by Apple Bloom as they were positioned were recreations of Daring Do's trusty safari hat (all lovingly handmade by Rarity). Once the seats, save for three, were properly adorned, the excited Apple sister ran over to the empty space at the doorway and had several extra hats placed with care on a table that was located at the lower-right corner of the clubhouse to the right of the door. She then did a quick spin on her right heel to look upon the work her friends and her had done with beaming pride: the show was just about ready to begin!

Octavia Melody and DJ-P0N3 were going in and out of the clubhouse as they helped with providing the snacks and refreshments, not to mention the cello and turn-table required for the traditional mid-movie intermission. Luckily, there was space enough for their tools of creative performance at an area to the left of the seats that was sectioned out specifically for them. Once they had finished setting up the instruments, the two musical maestros placed the assorted snacks and drinks on the table to the right of their cello and turn-table. Among the culinary options available on the table were a heaping serving of freshly prepared apple fritters, several large buckets of popcorn (both buttered and regular varieties) with a bunch of smaller buckets placed around them, and assorted sodas. By then, it was clear to anyone inside that the clubhouse was getting a bit cramped and the invited audience hadn't showed up yet! Once Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had finished double-checking that their tasks were done, they ran over to Apple Bloom to stand at both of her sides, happily admiring their handiwork alongside her. The three seats that weren't given hats were the ones at the front, but this was done for a good reason: these were the CMCs' seats, who were already wearing their hats, along with authentic replicas of Daring Do's outfit! Clearly, the girls had come prepared. Apple Bloom proudly declared as the trio waited for the guests to arrive;

"Look at what our hard work has gotten us, ya'll! Ah reckon, this here screenin' will be the best one yet!"

Scootaloo could not agree with her more, for she fist pumped the air and exclaimed out of pure excitement;

"Yeah! This screening is already cool enough with any movie. But, with a Daring Do movie, I know it's gonna be one-hundred and twenty percent awesome!"

Sweetie Belle bounced with glee as she happily gushed, her voice cracking in a uniquely adorable fashion;

"I know, right?! Daring Do is soooo brave! She protects ancient artifacts from thieves and vandals while helping people whenever and wherever she can!"

While neck-deep in their shared joy over all things Daring Do, not one of them noticed a certain bacon-haired lady sneaking around to position herself behind Apple Bloom. Scootaloo, true to form, kept on singing her beloved movie/storybook hero's praises with unrelenting earnest while performing karate moves for added effect;

"She's so awesome, she stared down an ancient army of skeletons lead by the undead Dread Pirate Manebeard, told them all to 'bring it', and then kicked their bony butts with her trusty rope, a sword, and her wits! All so that the Great Jewel of the Eighth Sea could not be abused by their villainous hands!"

Not one founding club member recognized that a sophisticated young woman with well-kept black hair crept up behind Scootaloo as she finished punching and kicking the air, waiting for that special moment to strike. Apple Bloom was quick to throw Daring Do some praise of her own while switching her gaze between her friends;

"She's so faithful, she once braved the many dangerous traps left for her by that lowdown snake-in-the-grass Dr. Caballeron to take from him the Scepter of Somnambula, so that she could give it back to the village it belonged to just as she promised she would! Oh, that slimy Dr. Caballeron even tried to buy the Scepter from her with several bushels-worth of gold, silver, and gems!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belled performed two well-acted faux-gasps, which was Apple Bloom's cue to crank up the dramatic ham and cheese as a certain non-speaking DJ with striking blue hair and large noise-cancelling headphones stealthily moved up behind Sweetie Belle;

"But, would she let herself fall to the allure of greed?! Would she become a liar?!"

All three CMCs yelled out in shared jubilation, their combined voices a veritable cacophony of youthful joy;

"NEVEERRRRRR!!!"

Scootaloo asked her friends with a knowing smirk and sheer confidence after they almost instantly recovered from their yelling;

"And why is that, movie club?"

They all gave the same answer in joyful, loud, and proud unison;

"BECAUSE DARING DO NEVER BREAKS HER WORD!!!"

The three girls had a good laugh after that, which gave Apple Bloom time to recover a bit before declaring with that dopey smile of hers that should have been trademarked by Granny Smith on her behalf;

"That woman's got the heart of an Apple, Ah tells ya'."

It was that moment that the Canterlot Movie Club was attacked! Fiercely pounced upon from behind by a trio of laughing teenagers, who proceeded to hug and tickle them without hesitation or regret. The CMCs tried to resist the urge to laugh, but it was all for not. One by one, they were forced to surrender themselves to the giggles. Of course, once they found an opening, they tickled their aggressors in retaliation while yelling out with gusto and joy mixed together in a glorious blend of youthful merriment;

"MOVIE CLUB TICKLE ATTACK!"

The six girls laughed and joked as they continued their play-fight for another minute or two before stopping to take a breath while sitting on the wood floor. After that, they all got back up, with Octavia noting while smiling at her three young friends in a dignified manner with a voice that had a dash of Trottingham posh to it that only served to add to her dignity;

"I do enjoy the occasional bout of child-like fun. It gives the little girl in me some much needed playtime."

DJ-P0N3 aimed a confident grin at the CMCs while pounding her left palm with her right fist in silent anticipation. Octavia, ever the translator for her beloved silent DJ, explained with a head shake and a frown;

"Of course, dearest P0N3 here enjoys keeping her pranking skills sharp, which incidentally includes being stealthy."

That got a chuckle from Sunset, who looked over at the CMCs, who were grinning from ear-to-ear, and told them;

"Now, you better be ready to greet the guests when they show up!"

The trio gave her a simultaneous salute that was both serious and sweet before running over to stand to the left of the clubhouse door, right where the tin can walkie-talkie was hanging on the wall via the string it was attached to. Octavia and DJ-P0N3 walked over to their seats, which were on the second row, and sat down to relax while they waited. Sunset, however, saw fit to stand with the CMCs. The four girls stood in a row along the wall, with Apple Bloom in front and well within reach of the walkie-talkie, Scootaloo behind her, Sweetie Belle further back, and Sunset bringing up the rear. Almost a minute had passed before a male voice that gave off excitement with a hint of dorkiness echoed from the walkie-talkie;

"We're here, ladies!"

The girls knew there was only one lovable dork who had that voice! With joy in her heart, Apple Bloom rushed over to grab the door's knob and pulled it open while staying behind it as it moved. This allowed Flash Sentry to enter the clubhouse, who was quite happy to see everyone there;

"Told you I'd be here in a flash!", he declared with absolutely no regret over having delivered such a poor quality pun, even as everyone else in the building groaned over it (with P0N3 groaning internally). Sunset expressed exactly what the other girls were thinking as she gave Flash a welcoming grin;

"Never change, Flash."

Fearing a second bad pun would come from the young man's mouth, Sweetie Belle told him with quick politeness while motioning him to the seats and trying very hard to hide her annoyance;

"Please take your seat and hat, thank you."

With a quick nod to the four girls, he did as instructed, which kept him from overhearing Scootaloo whisper to Sweetie Belle with a annoyed glare aimed right at his back;

"I propose that we add a 'no bad puns' rule to the Movie Club Rules, Sweetie."

The young singer was not having that, however, for she declared in a whisper of her own while giving her friend a gentle yet serious glare;

"Slippery slope, Scoots..."

The daredevil pouted with a grunt as Apple Bloom closed the door. Of course, that door was closed for another minute before a new voice could be heard from the walkie-talkie. This one was feminine and had a distinctly thick Germane accent;

"We have come for ze adventure!"

Not skipping a beat, Apple Bloom opened the door, allowing Photo Finish and her Photography Club entourage to enter the clubhouse in a line, with the goggles-rocking lady herself taking the lead. Photo Finish's fellow club members were carrying their photo-taking equipment, which they placed in the space to the left of the door when they got the chance. Seeing these girls made the CMCs quite happy as they hugged them within a second of their equipment being put down, a sweet gesture that was returned in kind. After the hugs were delivered, the young movie buffs gave to the group of photographers a heartfelt greeting in their best attempt at Germane;

"Good afternoon!" 

Hearing such a earnest attempt at speaking her mother's tongue made Photo titter respectfully for a moment before noting in the same language with her noticeably thick accent and a smile whilst she looked down at each of the three girls;

"Good afternoon, CMCs."

She switched back to her best English while slightly adjusting her large goggles;

"Ze greeting is most appreciated."

She then turned her attention over to a beaming Sunset and politely greeted her as well, her smile not leaving her face;

"Sunset Shimmer, it is a pleasure, as always."

With that, she motioned to her club members with her right hand to follow her to the seats, which they did so. As that batch of Wondercolts took their seats, yet another student walked up to the door before Apple Bloom could close it again. This one was a remarkably tall pale young man who's upper-body was built like a mountain of mass! Even his white chin was outrageously buff by normal Human standards. It was quite clear that he skipped leg day on more than one occasion though, given how average his lower-body's muscles looked compared to the mass above. A person with a build as incredibly muscular as his would find it quite difficult to go through a doorway fit for the height and width of the average Human. This was exactly the case for Bulk Biceps, who had to lower his head to avoid hitting the top of the doorway, aim his body sideways to account for his wide chest, and suck his gut in just to get inside! The CMCs and Sunset were quick to help him, of course, which he appreciated greatly. Once he was fully inside the clubhouse, Bulk Bicep gave the latter a thumbs up and picked up all three club members to wrap them up into one of his famous Bulky Hugs while declaring excitedly to them and Sunset;

"Who's up for some adventure movie fun!?"

The beauty of the Bulky Hug was that it was uniquely strong, yet it was also gentle enough to not break any bone in a person's body. Apple Bloom, in particular, was quite relieved that this was still a thing as she joined her friends in embracing the hug with a content sigh. After a few moments, Bulk carefully put the CMCs back onto the ground and released them from his friendly grip. Their famous/infamous enthusiasm rising to the surface at break-neck speeds, they loudly responded to their gigantic friend at the same time;

"You better believe we are!"

With one of her sideways smirks on point, Sunset added;

"I second that notion!"

With a combined breath, all five of them shouted out to the stars above in the same way that Bulk would normally express his own excitement;

"YEEEAAAAHHH!"

After giving each CMC a fist bump and a hug to Sunset, Bulk Biceps went to find his seat. More guests soon arrived in the clubhouse, including the likes of Micro Chip, the rest of the 'Flash Drives' band, Maud Pie (with Boulder), Limestone Pie, and Big Machintosh (who got a big hug from Apple Bloom for showing up). The arrival of one guest in particular made the CMCs especially happy from the moment she walked through the door. She had poofy red hair, white skin, wore purple glasses with large rims, and carried on her back a red backpack that displayed the image of two candy canes positioned in the shape of a heart on the front. Right when this lady had placed her backpack on the floor, the CMCs pounced her with a group hug while yelling out in jubilation;

"TWIST!"

Twist hugged them back with a big dopey grin on her face, happy as can be to be welcomed so lovingly by her friends. Once the hugs had finished, she asked Scootaloo with a noticeable and adorable lisp in her voice;

"So, on a scale of 1-to-10, how awesome is this movie?"

Scootaloo did not hesitate for even a moment;

"Eleven!", she exclaimed with an excited bounce.

With a giggle, Twist unzipped her backpack and opened it up, revealing to the CMCs a whole bounty of sugary sweets inside while explaining;

"I had these baked yesterday for the screening. I was so excited, I couldn't help myself!"

Sunset walked over to the backpack to inspect the contents herself, with the trio of kids practically salivating at the sight. The bounty consisted of chocolate bars, chocolate-chip cookies, donuts of various flavors, and peppermint candy canes. It took her all of two seconds to give Twist a supportive gaze before telling her;

"Pinkie would love these, Twist."

The candy baker looked up at Sunset and told her nervously while scratching the back of her neck with her right hand;

"Oh, Sunset, you're just saying that!"

Apple Bloom stepped in to ease the redhead's nerves with her usual gusto;

"Sunset means it and so do we, sugarcube!"

She turned her attention over to Sweetie Belle and told her excitedly with a dopey grin of her own;

"Get this delicious loot to that there snack table, on the double!"

Sweetie did exactly that while flashing a warm smile at Twist, who made it a point to join the growing audience sitting at the seats. It was a good thing there was still some room left on the table! Other students soon entered the clubhouse, including Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Sandalwood, Tree Hugger, and several others. Once everyone had grabbed some snacks, taken their seats, and put on their complimentary hats, it was clear that, much to the CMCs' joy, today's screening was a full house! Some of the guests had a sneaking suspicion as to what the movie was going to be from the moment they saw their hats, while others were utterly oblivious to the decorative hint that was on their heads. Apple Bloom led her fellow club members, Sunset included, to the front of the audience, where they all then stopped to stand in a line in front of the projector screen while facing the guests, with the projector itself having already been set up and positioned behind the seats. The guests turned quiet soon after seeing this, which prompted the young Apple to proudly declare;

"Welcome ya'll to the Canterlot Movie Club Spring Break Movie Screenin'!"

The audience cheered in anticipation of the show to come. Some students, like Octavia, opted to give the girls a polite round of applause that was reigned in by propriety. Others, like Flash and Lyra, dropped all sense of propriety out the window by whistling and/or belting out a hearty "WHOOOO!" as the rest of the crowd cheered. Once everyone calmed down, Sweetie Belle chimed in with happiness in every squeak in her voice;

"As you all know, the theme for today's film is 'Adventure'! Given past events, I believe we all have some experience with adventures!"

That last comment got everyone in the room to laugh a bit, with Flash thinking to himself while giving off a genuine smile;

"Eh, I've been more of a happy witness, honestly."

Scootaloo saw the opportunity once the laughter died down and took it with a sly smirk;

"But, do you know what movie we're gonna watch?"

The CMCs waited with bated breath and excitement sparkling in their eyes as they watched the guests show looks of confusion and thought as they tried to figure out a good answer to their question. Sunset watched the scene play out in silence, content with letting her friends take the lead this time. Oh, she knew what movie this was going to be, but she made every attempt to keep that fact from showing on her face. After about a minute, Octavia raised her right hand to get Scootaloo's attention, which prompted her to point right at the string player and tell her with gusto;

"Okay, Tavi, show us what you've got!"

With a small smile, Octavia answered after taking off her hat to hold it over her chest;

"Well, there is certainly only one movie character who wears this hat."

She paused for a slight dramatic effect before adding with a wink;

"Only one who can make you excited enough to wear her outfit."

The CMCs immediately looked down at their choice of costume, looked back up at Octavia, and promptly expressed sheepish grins. At that moment, the entire audience knew precisely what was up. Their excitement levels kicked into high gear as they joined the CMCs and Sunset in loudly declaring with joy;

"DARING DO!"

More laughter filled the clubhouse for a few seconds before ebbing away, which gave Scootaloo a chance to ask her music-playing friend;

"Ah, but which Daring Do movie are we watching?"

Octavia's head was drawing blanks within moments, given her quiet shrug and head shake. Confusion filled the minds of just about every audience member as some of them yelled out their best guesses;

"The Quest for the Sapphire Stone?", inquired Flash.

"Nope!", answered the CMCs in perfect unison with big smiles.

"The Ring of Destiny?", asked Micro Chip.

"Guess again!", said the trio of movie buffs, their anticipation growing along with their smiles as Scootaloo's eyes suddenly showed a spark for a split-second.

"Riddle of the Sphinx?", asked Twist.

"You're not even warm!", exclaimed the founders of the club while Scootaloo herself covered her mouth in an attempt to contain her excitement-fueled giggles. Luckily, someone was able to get the correct answer before they could explode out from her mouth. That someone was Lyra, who yelled out happily;

"The Statue of Peace!"

Just like that, Scootaloo's excitement erupted as she belted out a nearly-manic burst of laughter with absolutely no shame and with the explosiveness of a convention's worth of fans. She bounced in place for a moment or two before declaring with waving arms to all who listened;

"You have NO idea how much I've wanted to watch this movie with you all!"

With a level of speed that would make her idol and sister-at-heart proud, she grabbed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom as they were watching her joyful hysterics with understanding eyes and wide grins. She then pulled them into a group hug that they happily embraced after being startled for a moment. The crowd cheered and aww'd in approval as they watched the CMCs hug it out with giggles, smiles, and in the case of Scootaloo, happy tears. Once the trio had calmed down and broke out of the hug, Apple Bloom turned to face the crowd and went back to taking care of the itinerary;

"Oh, we'll all be watchin' that film mighty soon! But first, let me ask ya'll somethin': have any of ya'll watched The Statue of Peace before? Raise your hands if ya' have."

A few of the audience members raised their hands, but most did not. Of particular note, Sunset, Octavia, and DJ-P0N3 had not raised their hands. Neither did the CMCs, which surprised everyone else in attendance! Sunset quickly asked the club founders out of confusion;

"How come you haven't watched it yet? You're not ones to miss out on catching Daring Do in theaters."

The trio expressed sheepish grins again before Sweetie Belle answered on their behalf;

"Normally, that would be the case. But, it's not everyday we get to do a club screening for a movie we've never seen before."

Apple Bloom finished for her;

"So, we figured we'd take the opportunity to wait for when we can share our first viewin' of the newest Darin' Do movie with ya'll!"

The crowd voiced their approval and appreciation of the CMCs' choice. Scootaloo jumped in to continue with handling the itinerary;

"Now, since some of you have seen the movie already, be mindful of Movie Club Rule #2: Never spoil a movie for someone who has not watched it."

Sweetie Bell, with a raised right index finger, deftly added;

"Unless they willingly and knowingly consent to being spoiled."

The audience members nodded their heads in approval along with the CMCs. With that, Apple Bloom looked at the audience with her biggest, dopiest smile before announcing;

"So, with any further ado..."

She sharply looked over at Sunset before telling her happily;

"Sunset: roll it!"

Without skipping a beat, Sunset ran over to the projector behind the seats. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this was a device that accepted both DVDs and Bluerays, given the two correctly labeled disc trays that were accessible from its back. She pushed a button just to the right of the DVD tray to have it automatically move out from its container. After checking to see if the right DVD was inside the trey, she gave it a gentle push to have it move back into the container. She then pushed the clearly labeled play button and ran back to the front of the audience to take her seat that was placed at the far-right while grabbing her complimentary Daring Do hat to put it on. Seeing their cue, the CMCs took their own seats at the front, with Scootaloo sitting to Sunset's left, Sweetie Bell at the far-left, and Apple Bloom sitting between her two club mates. After a few seconds of waiting, the DVD menu for the movie appeared after depicting an appropriately themed intro sequence. Scootaloo pulled a remote out from her right pants pocket, aimed it right at the projector, which was equipped with a remote sensor bar built into its front, and quickly selected the Play option after turning around for a second to check that it was highlighted on the menu. With her job done, she put the remote back into her pocket, sat back on her seat, and readied herself to enjoy the newest addition to her favorite movie/book series ever while stomping her feet on the ground repeatedly out of sheer excitement.

"This is gonna be so awesome!", she thought to herself as the companies that were involved in the film's production and marketing were advertised. Right then and there, a certain memory of hers, one that she shared with her two best friends, flashed before her eyes for a split-second. It was far from a happy memory of hers, which involved a certain white-haired girl giving them a truly menacing glare with her fists coming at them at full speed. It scared her for a bit, to the point that her hands twitched ever so slightly without her noticing. So, she looked over at Sweetie Belle and then at Apple Bloom. Seeing their excitement-fueled mirth made her fear take a hike and her hands relax. She was going to watch a Daring Do movie with her friends! Nothing in this universe, she felt, could possibly ruin that for her. Her smile growing three sizes that day, Scootaloo looked back at the projector screen to let herself become fully immersed in the movie-going experience as the film began in earnest.

That uncool bird could wait.





The movie lasted for a good two hours and thirty-five minutes, but it was so well-paced and exciting to everyone watching, that to them, it felt like only an hour and some minutes had passed! Most of the attendees praised the film, but the CMCs were the most impressed by it. Scootaloo was the first of the three to express her enjoyment as they ushered each of the other attendees out of the clubhouse for the day.;

"That was the best Daring Do film EVER! OF ALL TIME!"

Apple Bloom belted out a hearty Apple laugh before chiming in;

"Ah tells ya', that there Darin' Do just keeps gettin' more amazin' with each book and film!"

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but gush as well;

"The movie was so different from the other ones too! Normally, Daring Do has to go out in the world to find a treasure to protect from the bad guys. But, this time, she kept them away from a treasure that she was protecting in her own safe-house!"

Sunset, who was helping Octavia and DJ-P0N3 clean up the clubhouse by getting the projector screen rolled up and put away, added with a smile of her own;

"That was the most interesting part of the film, really. I mean, you typically see Daring Do brave all sorts of obstacles just to get a treasure. This time, the villains had to brave obstacles set up by her to even get near that statue."

Octavia, with a chuckle, noted whilst she swept the leftover bits of candy off of the floor with a broom and dustpan;

"A classic example of role-reversal done well, as far as I'm concerned."

DJ-P0N3 gave a quick thumbs-up in approval as she carefully moved Bulk Bicep's seat out of the room, its legs slightly cracked from taking on his weight. Sweetie Belle saw fit to gush some more;

"Don't forget about how the movie showed us why she was so driven to protect the Statue of Peace!"

With audible voice cracks and tears that revealed a moved heart, she added;

"I had no idea Daring cared so much! When I saw the reveal, I just wanted to give her a big hug!"

The sweet singer sniffed while wiping her tears with her right sleeve. Apple Bloom, with a smile, declared with surety;

"My respect for Darin' grew to the size of a fully grown red delicious apple tree thanks to that movie. After all, we do have things that we wanna keep safe."

She gave her fellow club-mates, Sunset, Octavia, and DJ-P0N3 a warm smile before adding as the last of the other guests departed;

"Like our friends."

Everyone's hearts were warmed by her words as the CMCs joined their three friends in helping to finish cleaning up the clubhouse. Once it was all cleaned up and its usual furnishings were back in place, the two practitioners of strings and dubstep took their instruments to get them safely tucked away outside of the clubhouse. Sunset decided to give her young pals a quick heads-up as she walked towards the door after the duo had left with their instruments in tow;

"I'm going to see if those two need any help and catch up with them a bit, if you don't mind."

She gave them a knowing wink as she said this. The CMCs nodded happily in response, which prompted her to take her leave. Once the door was closed behind her, the girls stood in a row in silence, their genuine smiles etched on their faces. After a few seconds, they took a deep breath, exhaled, and dropped the smiles to express calm, but serious, frowns. Frowns that they showed only to a number of people, besides their kin.

They walked over to where their banner was hanging on the wall to their left, the club's logo being proudly displaced on it. They positioned themselves to stand in a row once again, with Apple Bloom in the center, Sweetie Belle to her left, and Scootaloo to her right. They all stared at the banner for three seconds before Scootaloo noted with an indoor voice that was as serious as her facial expression;

"We haven't done this in a while, haven't we?"

Her two friends nodded in silent agreement. Sweetie Belle then moved over to the safe on the club desk. With a breath, she carefully turned its combination lock in a pattern that all three of them knew from heart. After hearing the sound of a lock being undone come from the safe, she pulled the lid open via its handle, grabbed something from inside of it, and closed it briskly. Held by her right hand with the utmost care was a single piece of paper that was folded no more than two times. She returned to her spot among her friends and handed the paper over to Apple Bloom, who carefully unfolded it whilst Scootaloo pulled two small pins out from her left pants pocket with her right hand. One pin had a red plastic handle while the other one's handle was amber. Once the paper was fully unfolded, Apple Bloom placed it on top of the banner to have it somewhat cover the club logo, allowing Scootaloo to place the pins on the paper's top corners to have it hang there. With the task done, the girls looked upon the paper in silence. Whatever this paper was, whatever was written on it, mattered a great deal to the CMCs. Enough for the daredevil among them to sing with a soft voice that was filled with confidence;


What should a colt do,

When a heart has been hurt,

and sorrow's what they feel?



Sweetie Belle joined in to add a layer of sweetness to the performance while keeping in tune with Scootaloo, their voices rising to a volume slightly above the earlier softness;


Break through your fears,

and help them, dears.

Scars, with care, will heal.


About three seconds of silence passed before all three CMCs sang in well-practiced unison, their loud and proud voices echoed throughout the clubhouse as they expressed hope, confidence, and the hint of a old wound's sting;


Brave colts, dear friends!

Raise their spirits high!

Through storms,

pain, and fire,

friendship shall not die!


They had finished their song, that time at least, but a young lady who had walked into the clubhouse as they were singing had a different idea as she sang out with pure hope and pride in her soft skillful delivery;


Friendship shall not die!


The CMCs knew that beautiful singing voice like the backs of their hands! They turned their heads to face the now opened door, catching Sunset standing about two steps into the clubhouse while giving them a warm smile with love in her eyes. Octavia and DJ-P0N3 were standing behind her, just outside of the clubhouse, with warmth in their smiles as well. As Sunset lead them inside, she noted to the CMCs, who's faces were basically beaming rays of love back at their three friends at this point;

"You really need to finish writing that song."

Apple Bloom chuckled a little before explaining with a hint of nervousness;

"Sometimes, the right words can be mighty tough to think of."

With a chuckle of her own, Sunset said with a nostalgic look in her eyes;

"Oh, I know that all too well, AB."

Octavia expressed a soft polite cough, which got everyone else's attention. She then calmly asked;

"Shall we proceed then?"

"Quite right, Tavi!", exclaimed Sweetie Belle, who rushed out of the clubhouse alongside Sunset and P0N3. Octavia, seeing an opportunity, took a few steps closer to the paper hanging on the banner while noting with her chin held in thought;

"So, this is it, then?"

Apple Bloom, who had moved slightly out of the way of the curious string player to let her pass, told her while bumping her chest with her right fist to show her pride;

"Darn tootin', miss!"

A slew of memories flowed through Octavia's mind, not all of them being positive, as she declared in a soft voice that revealed her awe;

"The List of-."

Before she could finish, however, Sunset, Sweetie Belle, and P0N3 returned to the clubhouse. The bacon-haired girl and the DJ were carrying a medium sized wooden podium together, which they carefully maneuvered passed Octavia and Apple Bloom and placed in front of the club desk. This alone distracted the string player enough to leave her sentence unfinished as she watched them do their work, with Sweetie Belle waiting for them nearby while holding a wooden gavel in her right hand. Once the podium was in place, she walked over to it and placed the gavel on its spot on the right side next to the smooth top part of the podium that was angled down to aim at the desk. It was high enough for Apple Bloom to use effectively, who walked over to stand just behind it, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle standing at her sides. With a quick grab and three bangs of her gavel, she placed back on its spot and happily announced to the other girls who had walked over to stand as a group together in front of her;

"Ah hereby call this special meetin' of the Canterlot Movie Club to order!"

She gave Octavia, P0N3, and Sunset quick friendly glares before noting;

"Much obliged to our three Honorary Club Members for comin' to this 'ere meetin'!"

All three founders applauded the honorary members, who waved at them in appreciation. After that, Apple Bloom continued on;

"Let's start with the first item of the day. Ah'll be honest with ya'll..."

Her smile vanished to make way for a sad frown as she declared with a hint of hurting in her voice;

"It ain't a happy one."

With a nod to Sunset from her and her two best friends in all of the world, Sunset looked over at Octavia and P0N3 and told them honestly with somber concern in her voice;

"Gilda's back and she's wasted no time in trying to hurt the kids and my friends."

Prior to this declaration of truth, the two musicians' mannerisms were that of politeness, curiosity, and in the case of the DJ, quiet jamming. P0N3 was bobbing her head to some sick music being played via her oversized headphones, but she had the music turned down enough for her to hear and react to the others, while Octavia gave off a dignified grin while keeping her eyes glued on Apple Bloom. Once they both heard Sunset's words, however, their mannerisms had clearly changed. P0N3 took off her headphones, an extremely rare act from the lady, and allowed them to hang from her resting right hand. Her lips formed a terribly visible frown while her left hand formed a tense fist. Her eyebrows were angled to hint at an intense scowl coming from her eyes, which were hidden behind her decorative shades. Octavia's reaction was equally vivid. Her eyes went wide with shock for a moment, before they narrowed to form a scowl of her own, both of her hands clenched into fists, and she tried to keep her breath steady as her anger rose to the surface. Sunset's temper, well known to many a Wondercolt, tried to rise to the surface, only for her to hold it back as she expressed a look of frustration on her own face. Once those three looked at the CMCs, however, their anger and frustration melted in favor of concern for the young ones.

Apple Bloom was looking down at her podium while instinctively placing her right hand on top of her big red bow, Sweetie Belle absentmindedly held her right hand with her left hand while trying to sniff back her tears, and Scootaloo hugged herself while standing as stiff as a statue, her breath erratic and short. Their hands were twitching slightly every-so-often without any recognition from their owners. The CMCs all looked positively horrified, as if old terrifying memories were haunting their minds with the vividness of a well made horror film playing in real-time. Without a word, each of their three friends walked over to them to hug them gently: Octavia to Apple Bloom, DJ-P0N3 to Sweetie Belle, and Sunset to Scootaloo. The young ladies sank into the arms of their friends, their shared terror slowly being chased away by their tried and tested friendship. It took about two minutes for them to calm down enough to wiggle out of the hugs and return to their previous positions, with the Honorary Club Members following suit. With a look of pure gratitude and hope in her smile, Apple Bloom addressed them sweetly;

"Thanks, ya'll. We needed that."

Her two fellow founders nodded in agreement, their smiles just as large as hers. Octavia, having calmed down as well, was the first to comment on the subject at hand;

"It is truly dreadful that, after all these years, Gilda is still out to hurt other people!", she complained with as much propriety as she could muster. P0N3 crossed her arms after putting her headphones back and nodded to affirm her beloved's statement. Scootaloo, with renewed joy on her face and fire in her eyes, added happily;

"Yeah, but our sisters and friends stood up to that jerk, and we did too!"

The CMCs gave each other fist bumps to celebrate that victory, however small that may have been. Sweetie Belle, with a giggle, blurted out;

"You're not gonna believe what Apple Bloom called Gilda when she was being so mean to the others!"

Hearing that made the young Apple a tad nervous as she told her with a shaky voice;

"Now now, Sweetie. There ain't no need to tell the folks all of the de-!"

But, there was no stopping Sweetie Belle from exclaiming with joy and pride for her older friend;

"She called her a raging she-varmint!"

Poor Apple Bloom was quite scared as she told her off for her blabbing after giving herself a facepalm;

"Consarnit, Sweetie Belle! Ain't Ah the blabbermouth around 'ere?!"

This exchange got well-meaning laughter and smiles from most of the other girls, with P0N3 settling for a supportive thumbs-up and grin aimed at the young farmhand, who was looking around for any sign of anger or disappointment. Once she recognized that what she was getting was support, her nervousness and fear faded away as told them while scratching the back of her neck with her right hand;

"Thanks a bushel, Ah guess."

Octavia then made it to express a dignified 'humph' while raising her chin up to the ceiling with her eyes closed. She then made another comment;

"Serves that woman right."

Sunset chimed in with crossed arms and annoyance on her face while containing her slowly bubbling anger over the bully in question;

"That girl has to find better ways to spend her time than by pushing people away."

"Ah second that notion!", exclaimed Apple Bloom. Octavia then declared to the CMCs with a confident loving smile;

"You needn't worry, girls. Dearest P0N3 and I will personally send word to every student and faculty member in CHS about Gilda's return."

The DJ saluted the girls to confirm her involvement. Sunset looked over at each CMC with her sideways smirk and told them confidently;

"What can I say? Us Wondercolts got your backs."

The smiles each club founder was beaming at their friends over such heartfelt words could melt the polar ice caps. Apple Bloom then had a thought that got her to exclaim out of pure excitement while looking at each of the other girls present;

"Gilda's a dern ingrate and make no mistake, she'll get hers one day. But..."

She paused for dramatic effect before adding with a sly wink aimed squarely at Sunset, who knowingly winked back;

"Recent events have given us the chance that we've been lookin' for, ya'll!"

She then grabbed her gavel and pointed at the paper on the banner with it while declaring joyfully, hope filling the eyes and hearts of her and her two best friends;

"The chance to finally finish our list!"






Present time, in Rainbow Dash's bedroom


Sunset not only finished regaling Princess Twilight Sparkle with the details of how the movie screening went down, but also made sure to add in the movie club's meeting as well. She knew the CMCs would be fine with her doing this, for they trusted her and the princess with such info. Once the details were written down, she waited about a minute before Twilight sent in her response.





I hope they finish that list. In fact, I know in my heart they will.





She knew her royal friend would give this kind of response, but was no less moved by it. With a breath, she replied truthfully.





So do I, Twi...





Thinking of Gilda and her seemingly unshakable disdain for the kids, among others, Sunset added to her message with a sigh.





But, they've got their work cut out for them.





Three seconds later and the princess had sent in another message.





Speaking of work, how did things go between you, your friends, and Wallflower?





With a hopeful smile, Sunset told her simply.





The first meeting between us went really well! Pinkie and Rarity spoke their peace without going overboard and Wallflower responded with honesty and confidence.





Twilight gave her response a moment or two later.





Your confidence in them is clearly not misplaced! I was a bit worried about your Pinkie, since she, like mine, is a lady of powerful emotions and inexplicable behavior. So, I'm happy that she handled herself well, all things considered. I wish Wallflower good fortune as she walks her own path to personal growth. Speaking of which, how are you and the other Rainbooms walking your own paths?





Some old hurts decided to sting her heart a little upon reading that last message, but Sunset would not be deterred. She responded sharply and with surety.





They are walking them well so far, as am I. We're going to have one of our check-in sessions tomorrow, actually. That reminds me...





She felt more than a little fear, not so much of what she was going to say, but of her friend's response to it. She knew this was going to come up sooner or later. She knew it was better to get this to the princess now than later. Still, she could feel that fear try its best to hold her writing hand back from doing its job. This hesitation lasted long enough for Twilight to ask a question.





Reminds you of what, Sunset?





Reading that was enough encouragement for Sunset to push through her fear to write the message she was wanting, needing, to send her.





A while back... I found myself... homeless. My friends found out about that not too long ago. But, the girls being the girls, they offered me their support after I explained the situation. They've gone so far as to declare that they'll renovate this abandoned building that I was stuck in while letting me crash at their places in the meantime. Obviously, I agreed to the idea and I'm now sitting in Rainbow's bedroom. I feel pretty bad about not calling for aid sooner.

Sweet Celestia, I should have told YOU about it, at least! I'm sorry Twi, I just didn't want to be a burden to you all.





That's was it. The deed was done. It was now a matter of waiting for what Sunset thought was the inevitable torrent of judgement from an understandably worried Pony. It took all of ten seconds for Twilight to respond.





You are a burden to no one, Sunset Shimmer, and you'll always have a room in my castle for whenever you need it.

Never let yourself forget that, okay?





It was all she could do to hold back her laughter as intense relief flooded her being. How could she be such a foal?! This Pony was the Princess of Friendship! She should have known better than to think her friend would be so judgemental! Her fear deleted from existence, Sunset expressed her gratitude to her former enemy.





Thank you, Twilight. I really needed to read that!





Five seconds later, she got another message.





You've got wonderful friends. I wish them luck with the renovation project! Make sure to show me photos when...

Wait... an idea just popped into my head as I'm writing this message!





A smirk born of mischief formed on Sunset's face as she sent her response while imagining the excitement on Twilight's face.





Bring it, Princess!