If Wallflower Blush had a dollar for every seed she carried in little bags stuffed in her jeans' right pocket, she'd be the richest invisible girl ever.

That was the reminder she gave herself every time she caught herself thinking she was invisible again. Ever since the Memory Stone Incident, she promised herself and Sunset Shimmer, the girl who was the least likely person to be her friend out of the entire Human race, that she would never stop trying to make herself visible to her peers. Thanks to the recent garden party that was run by the Rainbooms, the Gardening Club being featured in the yearbook, and her own personal efforts, she had made good progress on achieving that goal. The plants she loved so much were the stars of the party, which had the knock-on effect of spreading the resulting attention over to their caretaker, who was both frightened and thrilled whenever a party-goer would ask her about a plant or gardening tips. Granted, her chronic nervousness over being in any conversation at all did not make talking with these well-meaning folks easy for her. But, what, or rather who, made doing so possible was not just Sunset, but two other girls who Wallflower had somehow befriended during the party. It's been give or take a day ever since then and she still couldn't fully believe it:

She had friends. Plural! That meant more than one friend, which also meant more than none!

Shaking off the disbelief over her good fortune, she turned her thoughts to the students she had spoken with earlier that day. She found it interesting that, as understandably angry with her as they were over her use of the Memory Stone, not one of them lashed out at her. No yelling, screaming, punching, kicking, pulling, pushing, or... whatever it was Sunset was about to do to her two days ago in the yearbook room.

Another reminder that she regularly gave herself; do NOT imagine what Sunset was about to do to her two days ago!

The whole thing was strange too, she thought. Why didn't the students try, or even want, to punish her for meddling with their memories with a magical artifact that she should not have obtained in the first place? Many of them did rightly criticize her for committing such a stupid act, truth be told. But, didn't she deserve to be punished? Yes, the Principal and Vice-Principal did make sure to have her temporarily banned from the garden after the party as part of her official punishment (which also included time in detention), much to her deeply felt sorrow. But, she still felt that she hadn't been properly punished, if that made sense. It was, in her mind, as if the consequences of her actions did not line up with her crimes. Still, she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Wallflower knew she deserved punishment, but she figured it best to at least try to make the most of this chance she was given.

At least, she hoped she could make the most of it. A cruel voice in her head did not agree with that sentiment, however. They rang in her mind as she sat on the grass in the yard, making her hold her head with both hands as if she was having a splitting headache. She could hear that terrible voice's opinion on her thoughts ring out in her mind;

"Those friends will leave you, as they should!"

"You don't deserve them!"

"You deserve to be punished, but no one has the balls to do it right!"

The voice was interrupted by something far more lovely to Wallflower than her ever-present inner turmoil: a memory. Ironic, yes, given her history with memories, but there it was. This memory was a truly happy one for her, for it involved an act of goodwill shown to her by one of the sweetest souls in CHS, a beautiful showing of generosity that was best described by the girl who pulled it off;

She released her grip on her head and allowed her hands to rest on her lap. Of course, it would be that memory that shuts that voice up! Chuckling a little to herself, she took the opportunity to refocus her thoughts on the newfound friend in question: Derpy Hooves. AKA: Ditzy Doo. AKA: Muffins.

This friend of hers had many names. She preferred Derpy, so that was what Wallflower called her.

The first thing that came to mind concerning Derpy, other than her names, was her endless love for baking muffins. Really delicious muffins at that, as Wallflower found out when she had taken the pastry treat that the nice girl had offered her during the party. It was a fluffy blueberry muffin fresh from the oven, which became a favorite of hers upon the first tasty bite. The second thing that came to mind was that Derpy was incredibly, stubbornly, adorably nice! Seriously, Wallflower didn't expect Fluttershy to have such intense competition for the title of Nicest Person on Earth until she had met this lovable soul with bright eyes! One time, during the party, she was busy tending to some of the plants when Derpy noticed and offered to help within seconds of doing so. Shocked, but curious, she gave her the task of getting fertilizer into a wheel-barrel and bringing it over to her. Derpy pulled this off without a complaint, but not before almost accidentally dumping the fertilizer off to her right side, well within dirtying distance of a mortified Rarity, when she was half-way to the terrified plant-lover. Thankfully, the budding baker was able to keep the barrel upright in the end, thus saving Rarity from a fashion calamity. That Derpy, Wallflower would come to learn, was helpful, but needed help more often than not. But, she wouldn't trade her for anything, not even a beautiful plant! Which led her to the third thing that she noticed about Derpy: she never judged anyone. Wallflower could never fully articulate to that sweet friend of hers how much her refusal to be judgemental meant to her.

Roseluck was just as much a great boon to her as Derpy was, albeit in different ways. For one thing, she shared with Wallflower a passion for botany, a fact that she found remarkable when she first learned of it. She wasn't the only one who loved plants... she wasn't some plant-obsessed freak! She had a beautiful hobby that was shared by another person! She fondly remembered when she had first pelted Roseluck with all sorts of plant-based trivia without even thinking about what she was doing until she was three-quarters of the way through a lecture on why it was a bad idea to apply Eyebright directly to one's eye. Of course, once she realized what she had done, she instinctively covered her mouth with both hands. Frightened that she might have weirded her friend out by oversharing, she clammed up. But then, something happened that hadn't before: Roseluck gently moved Wallflower's hands over her mouth and asked her with a kind giggle that made her heart swell;

She was stunned. Perplexed. Shocked. Bamboozled! Wallflower Blush overshared, but she didn't annoy Roseluck. She info-dumped, but she didn't drive her away with her weirdness! Oh, sweet Mother Earth, the botany talk they had shared together during the party and soon after it was gloriously relieving to her! It also helped that, like Derpy, Roseluck was not one to judge others. She did have a bit of an attitude though, but she mainly aimed it at bullies or anyone else who gave her friends trouble.

A helpful sweetheart and a protective botanist. Those were two of Wallflower's friends. As she sat on the grass while looking up at the sky, she could feel the makings of a certain feeling inside her heart. It was as if a tiny seed had been planted within her. She knew the feeling by name and yet, she believed herself undeserving of having it in her heart. Still, it was a seed, and seeds did not deserve to be treated poorly. Besides, she didn't just have Roseluck and Derpy to thank for planting that seed: Sunset Shimmer was just as responsible.

"To think... I once hated that girl.", Wallflower said softly to herself while watching the birds fly through the blue sky. With an internalized grumble that she could hear in her head, she thought to herself;

Her fists clenched as she prepared to finish that thought. Before she could, however, she heard footsteps coming towards her from behind. Looking over at the source, she recognized it as Trixie Lulamoon, who was walking up to her with purpose in every step and confidence from forehead to chin. It was hard to not recognize her, given the large purple star-covered hat that she wore on her head. Wallflower looked away out of sheer nervousness. Granted, she held no ill will towards Trixie. She did help Sunset help her, after all! It also helped that she was quite nice to her during the garden party. She even inquired about using a few of her plants for some of her future magic shows! Then again, Trixie was... intense. Perhaps a little too intense for her blood. Still, if the magician wanted to talk with her, then there was nothing wrong with indulging her for a bit. After all, she could use the practice!

Wallflower waited until Trixe took a seat on the grass to her left before announcing with an excessive amount of pride;

"Has come bearing a message for you!", she finished with a little less oomph and a little more friendliness in her delivery. Wallflower looked over at her to find that she was looking back at her with a warm smile, which was quite different from the usual expression of sheer bucking arrogance that she was known to show at all times. Finding this to be a sign of a peaceful conversation, Wallflower took a chance;

With her right index finger aimed squarely at her face, Trixie announced with the surety and ham of a thespian;

"Hold on, Wallflower! The Attentive and Understanding Trixie recognizes your nervousness!"

She added while standing back up, walking to stand in front of Wallflower, and taking a quick bow;

"Thus, she wishes to make it disappear with a short, but magnificent performance of the magical arts!"

"Why did she give herself so many titles?", the gardener asked herself as she watched Trixie strike a pose or two for even more effect. She then quickly grabbed her hat with her right hand while adding;

She didn't see any harm in Trixie's performances and thought it would be rude of her to decline the offer. So, she nodded her head, prompting Trixie to place the hat upside down on the grass before her. Wallflower watched as the magician performed elaborate hand movements while staring down the hat and chanting dramatically;

If she had known any better, she would have thought she was hearing Trixie utter a dark incantation from an old horror movie! The lady who thought herself great and powerful pulled a smoke bomb out of her pants pocket quick as a flash and slammed it between herself and the hat while exclaiming;

The bomb exploded, causing smoke to spread around both girls, driving Wallflower to cover her eyes and cough profusely for a bit. Once the smoke cleared enough to for her to open her eyes back up, she found that, to her surprise, the hat was gone! Trixie took a another, deeper bow while declaring with pride;

It didn't take long for her to see that a new item had replaced the hat: a small red movie ticket. She picked it up with her right hand to inspect it further. Written on the front of the ticket in gold font was a single short message:

Campsite at Everfree
4:00PM Today

She had a hunch as to who this message came from as soon as she saw the ticket, but she had to be sure. Turning the ticket to reveal its back confirmed her hunch. Proudly displaced on the back was a logo that depicted a yellow filly pony standing on her hind legs in front of a blue shield while donning a yellow cape.

She, like every Wondercolt in CHS, knew precisely who that logo belonged to. Fear began to grip Wallflower as the gears in her head started spinning rapidly. She had a few guesses as to why they would want to speak with her, each one worse than the last! With a gulp and strong hesitation, she took the ticket and placed it in her right pants pocket. As if sensing her trepidation, Trixie attempted to sooth Wallflower's mind in her own Trixie way;

"Oh, there is no need for fear! Not when the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie will stand with you when you meet the girls!"

The once-invisible lady sharply turned her head to face the magician. With a look of disbelief that matched her voice, she asked her;

"Is that not what friends do for each other? Besides, I happen to be a good friend to those girls, so my gloriously powerful presence alone will paint you in a good light!"

Trixie and her... friends? That idea did not sound... unpleasant to her, if she was being honest with herself. Yeah, Trixie was more arrogant than Rainbow Dash, but she did help stop her magical downward spiral. Without further ado, before Wallflower could even fully process the notion of having a fourth friend, Trixie gently grabbed her right arm and walked away from the school while firmly pulling her along for the ride. The gardener tried to pull away over this sudden development, but two voices gave her a different idea;

"It's okay, she can be trusted!", said Roseluck.

"She was good to you before, wasn't she?", noted Derpy.

Trixie recognized the pulling and promptly stopped to wait for her unwilling traveling partner, allowing her to break free from her grip. She stood in front of the magician for a bit. Trixie looked at her with a slightly apologetic expression. Wallflower wasn't too upset at her for dragging her along without her consent. Goodness knows, Wallflower was always unreasonably hesitant to expand her horizons. Still, she wanted to at least let her know what she thought of the idea of going with her to that meeting, to meet with them. With a breath, she initially tried to say no, but a third voice in her mind gave her a little push in a different direction;

"There's nothing wrong with taking a chance on yourself, even if things don't always work out for you.", declared Sunset.

With a satisfied smirk, Trixie reached out with her right hand, which Wallflower took. They walked to Trixie's vehicle, which they used to travel the rest of the way to their destination. The plant-lover's mind was filling up with the cruel voice's lies again as they went down the road, but she ignored them.

The thought of letting that voice win was more terrifying to her than talking to that club would ever be.

Before Wallflower knew it, she found herself standing on top of one of the hills that dotted the vast clearing in the Everfree Forest. This clearing made for a beautiful camping site that was, strangely enough, rarely used by other people. This turned out to be a good thing for the pair of girls, as this meant there would be no random campers roaming around nearby. Well, good for Wallflower mainly, since she and large crowds did not mix.

She was very glad that the garden party's attendees did not get all bunched together with her as the center!

She turned her head and upper-body to look around for any sign of the ones who invited her here. No scooter, no wagon, no red or pink bow.

"Good, I can collect myself before they arrive.", Wallflower thought to herself as she decided to try something akin to what her mother had showed her recently: she laid down on the grassy ground beneath her feet, stretched her arms out from her sides, closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing. Trixie was, to put it lightly, confused by the gardener's behavior;

"Trixie does not believe this is the best time for a nap.", she noted while scratching her head with her right hand. Wallflower responded politely, even though she was slightly annoyed by this interruption;

"You think?", questioned an even more confused Trixie. The green-haired lady sat up and exclaimed out of her slight annoyance;

"Look, I've only recently started practicing this, okay? At least let me do this for a minute or two before-!"

The soft sound of wheels rolling through dirt and grass in the distance barely registered to their ears. But, when Wallflower heard it, she turned dead silent as she sat back up to stand straight in a hurry. Her fear could be easily seen in her eyes as she, along with Trixie, looked in the direction of the sound.

The pair waited as they heard those same wheels skid through dirt for a moment before stopping. A second or two later, the opening of a wagon door carried from the base of the hill they were standing on. After listening to the many sounds of items being picked up and moved about, the girls recognized the silence that crept up and around the hill. It made Wallflower more nervous than she was before. After three seconds of silence, soft footsteps slowly came up to them. Eventually, the source of those steps revealed themselves as they walked up the hill, with a certain large red bow being the first thing that came into view. Apple Bloom, who wore a red sports helmet along with her usual garments while her bow bounced from the back of the helmet, arrived while brandishing in her right hand a red box just small enough to fit in her hand. Flanking her from both sides were Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle respectively. Scootaloo came rocking her purple sports helmet and traditional clothing. She carried an orange box in her right hand that was the same size as Apple Bloom's box and a medium-sized cooler in her left hand. Sweetie, like her two friends, wore her own sports helmet as well as her typical outfit. While she carried a picnic basket in her left hand, she too held a small box in her right hand, which was lavender in color. The trio were walking with purpose in every step they took, with not a single trace of hesitancy to be found in their movements.

Wallflower did not know what made her feel more nervous: the many possibilities of what could be in those boxes or the unusually stoic expressions on their faces. The latter was also quite outlandish for these kids to anyone who knew them, for wherever the CMCs went, they always brought joy, passion, and hope with them. Now, however, whatever emotions they were feeling as they stepped up to Wallflower and Trixie were hidden away underneath their stoic faces. As the gardener and magician tried to make sense of this odd development in their heads, the trio stopped to stand about a foot or two away from them. Scootaloo carefully placed the cooler down on the ground next to her, while Sweetie Belle did the same thing with the picnic basket. Apple Bloom, however, stared silent daggers at Wallflower, her face refusing to give away so much as a hint as to what she was feeling at that moment as the trio took off their helmets after placing their boxes in their pockets. The little Apple then removed the bow from her helmet and deftly tied it around her hair on the back of her head before going right back to glaring at Wallflower. The kids were quick to pull their boxes back out after that. This only added to the gardener's nervousness, for she thought to herself with a frightened gulp as she stared back at the young Apple;

At this point, those kids yelling at them would be far more tolerable than this unnaturally cold behavior they were exhibiting! Trixie, after seeing the terror being shown by her friend, decided to ease the situation with a friendly greeting aimed at the kids;

"Canterlot Movie Club, the Respectable and Friendly Trrrixie is glad to see you once again!"

The trio turned to face Trixie, who kept up a polite, friendly appearance. With their combined gaze driven away from Wallflower, she took a moment to calm herself down while Trixie tried to strike up a conversation with her young pals. For a few seconds, their faces maintained their stoic state, only for them to melt into warm smiles that were far more in keeping with who they were. But, they did not say a word to her. They simply nodded their heads in unison and turned back to face Wallflower again. The poor girl barely had five seconds to recover before she could feel their collective gaze on her again, which made her arms and hands wince a little. Against better judgement, she looked back at them. Their faces went back to their previous neutral state, their eyes locked on her like a military-grade jet's targeting system. The fear inside Wallflower flared up even more as the staring match between them continued. That horrible voice that always tried to lead her astray sensed the opportunity to make her suffer and promptly took it;

"Those kids hate you over what you did to their friends and sisters!"

"Everyone hates you!"

"Best to get away now before the pain really sets in."

"Go on, coward, RUN!"

"RUN! RUN! RUN!"

Even as the voice kept repeating that same word over and over, she remained as stiff as a statue while staring at the CMCs. They and Trixie could plainly see the terror on her face, with the latter mentally readying herself to step in and help her at a moment's notice. If the kids were also worried for Wallflower, they did not show it as their eyes remained fixed on hers. The botanist wanted to run away. Badly! But, she knew what doing so meant for her. What it meant for her every time she ran from her mistakes: The continuation of the same sad story.

The moment she reminded herself of that desire, she felt a gentle warmth flow within her body, as if she were being hugged by someone that she could not see. She imagined that the three, no, four friends she had made were hugging her, which helped her summon the willpower to push aside the cruel voice, leaving space for a different voice to take its place. This one was soothing, sweet, and as feminine as it was familiar to her mind and heart;

"Plants do not shrink when faced with peril, little seedling. They strive to grow, come what may."

Wallflower Blush felt herself grow just a tiny bit with each purposeful step she took towards the CMCs, who followed suit in utter silence. The fear on her face gave way to a rarely seen resoluteness that Trixie found both relieving and wonderful to see, as evidenced by the smirk on her face that was somehow both smug and supportive. The gardener and the three silent girls stopped to stand mere inches away from each other, their glares staying on target. All was silent for five seconds before someone spoke up;

"I'm done running.", Wallflower declared with genuine confidence and resolve. That was, until she realized what she had said the moment she spoke and promptly covered her mouth with both hands out of sheer nervous instinct, her eyes growing wide with shock and horror.

"Of all the times for me to overshare!", she thought in a rising panic. She looked at Trixie, who gave her a look of pride that was strengthened by her smirk from earlier. Fearing the worst, she looked back at the CMCs, who kept their stoic expressions on her for a few more seconds. After that, their faces slowly became filled with warmth and friendliness as big ear-to-ear grins were formed, their eyes sparkling with a happiness that was difficult to destroy. Scootaloo was the first of the trio to speak to an increasingly dumbfounded Wallflower;

The gardener slowly allowed her hands to rest at her sides while her right eyebrow was raised, thus creating a look of pure confusion that was verbally expressed in a soft deadpanned voice;

The now joyful Canterlot Movie Club expressed well-meaning giggles over the situation for a moment or two before Apple Bloom told Wallflower;

"Don't ya' worry none, missy. We'll have a good bite first and then we'll talk."

Her choice of words and tone used made it clear to her that this Apple was just making a suggestion. She figured it was a good idea to play along, since she needed a bit to process what just happened anyway. On the one hand, she didn't run from her past! But, on the other hand, those kids had some explaining to do! With a nod, she walked over to the picnic basket to see what foods she could help prepare, but not before a thought came up that needed investigating. She gave Trixie an annoyed glare before asking in an accusatory tone;

Trixie, with narrowed eyes, clarified with a huff while looking off to her right side;

"The Honest and Well-Meaning Trixie did not know what the CMCs had planned, other than them wanting to meet you here."

Wallflower figured this was enough, so she nodded and went back to dealing with the basket's contents.

The food and drinks were various and plentiful. A full assortment of canned sodas and little juice boxes with straws were stashed in the cooler, with tons of ice placed inside to keep them cold. For food, they had puffy Cheetos, a wide variety of lunch meat, yellow and swish sliced cheese, white bread, paper plates, ketchup, mustard, chocolate chip cookies, and a whole bunch of apples. Stuffed into the basket alongside the food was a red & white checked blanket that was taken out and spread out onto the grass, so that the food and drinks could be placed on it. The girls helped themselves to whatever they wanted to eat and drink. Their plates contained much of the same foods, with Wallflower opting for fruit punch, Trixie choosing an orange soda, and the CMCs grabbing regular cola. At first, they sat together on the grass as they enjoyed their meals in silence, which Wallflower found to be pleasant. She felt she needed the mental break before the inevitable could come. What broke the pleasing silence, to her dismay, was a question from Apple Bloom;

"Ah mean no offense, missy. But, it don't look like you're eatin' much.", she asked hesitantly, clearly hoping she wasn't being rude. The gardener looked down at her plate. She quickly understood that Apple Bloom wasn't far off the mark: she really wasn't eating much of what was on her plate compared to the others. With a slightly nervous chuckle, she looked over at the red-headed girl and explained;

"But, you look like haven't eaten as much as you should for a while now!", exclaimed a deeply concerned Sweetie Belle. Wallflower instantly surmised in her head that her skinny arms were a dead giveaway as she grimaced over being found out. Scootaloo declared with gusto and a fist pump to the sky;

"Perhaps the Concerned and Helpful Trixie can use her mighty mastery of magic to make your food more enticing?", suggested a worried Trixie. Wallflower, however, felt the need to have a word in head-wise;

"Girls!", she exclaimed out of nervousness and a hint of gratitude, which got the others to stop and listen. While feeling internally glad to be seen and heard by others, she explained more calmly;

She could hear the whispers of that horrible voice in her mind, but she kept it from stopping her from finishing;

Her voice sounded just as sad as she looked as she glared down at the plate on her lap, her head tilted downwards for good measure. She really did not want to elaborate on the details, on the guilt she was carrying inside. All was silent for two seconds before Apple Bloom solemnly declared;

Wallflower's head shot back up to look at the young Apple, who was looking back at her with a face filled with a quiet understanding mixed with sadness. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, she noticed, bore similar expressions. When Apple Bloom spoke again, she paid close attention to every word she uttered;

"Sometimes, the guilt we carry over our past mistakes can make us not want to do stuff that's fun and healthy for us."

"How did she know about that?!", Wallflower asked herself before something came up in her mind that made her eyes grow wide. It was a guess, one that was strengthened by history. She figured she was right, but she had to be sure. So, with a sigh, she noted to the other girls;

"Eeyup.", deadpanned Apple Bloom with a sigh of her own. She looked over at each of her two best friends, who looked back at her with attentive glares, as if the three of them were having a silent conversation with each other. With affirmative nods, they reached for their small boxes with their right hands, grabbed them, and placed them on their laps. With their eyes locked on Wallflower, Apple Bloom asked her seriously;

"Here we go...", she thought in resignation as she saw looks of seriousness and frustration in the eyes of all three club members. Within a few seconds, Scootaloo added calmly with sadness in her words;

"You took from every single student in CHS their good memories, our good memories, of Sunset Shimmer."

That guilt inside Wallflower flared up alongside her fear, but neither of them could keep her from running off as Sweetie Belle chimed in with a voice that was both serious and hurt;

"You even used the Memory Stone on Sunset, taking so many memories from her that she thought she was still a Pony in Equestria!"

Staying in this conversation, listening to their words, became more and more painful to the gardener with each second that passed. Still, she would not run. Apple Bloom spoke up once again, this time with a higher pitched voice and large sorrowful eyes that nearly broke her heart;

Wallflower looked over at Trixie, who was finding it hard to look her in the eye, though not from a lack of trying. There was nothing else for it, this had to be addressed here and now;

"You're right.", said Wallflower, the regret in her voice adding to the truth she uttered. She couldn't look at any of the girls in the eye, so she settled for the plate on her lap. With their attention on her, she explained further;

"Even before the Memory Stone, I was invisible to other people. Most people didn't pay me any mind, really."

"To my credit, I did try to make myself visible back then by talking to people. You know, making conversation and all that. But..."

Her hands turned into clenched fists to express her growing frustration before she continued;

"Every time I tried to talk to someone, I made some stupid social error that drove me to either clam up at best or run off at worst!"

She took another deep breath again, this time to hold back the frustration that was turning into anger, before adding;

"Once I found the Memory Stone and realized what it could do, I had it in my head that I could delete those mistakes from existence. Give myself a do-over, you know?"

She waited for five seconds. No judgement from the girls. Five more seconds and still no judgement or even a snide remark. Another second later and Wallflower spoke again as a certain terrible memory played out in her mind;

"Sunset...", she said in a frustrated voice that was barely above a whisper, yet could be heard by the others. Before any of them could react verbally, she yelled out;

The eyes of all three CMCs grew wide upon hearing this come out, but they still said nothing so that Wallflower could continue in a loud voice, her face still aimed at her plate;

"She was popular, had friends to call her own, and didn't have to worry about feeling lonely in her life, while I was left alone and invisible to people. Why was she visible to others and not me?!"

Another deep breath and her anger subsided. Still no judgement from the girls, which helped to encourage her to keep talking with a mirthless chuckle;

"How jealous could l get? I mean, it wasn't Sunset's fault that I was invisible. It wasn't anyone else's fault either. If you want to know the culprit behind my invisibility..."

She shot her head back up to face the CMCs and Trixie, who were looking at her with attentive concern. She looked at them with sadness and anger mixed into a blend of negativity as she told the honest truth;

"You're looking at her: the jealous, petty, hateful coward who blamed other people for her problems!"

It felt relieving for Wallflower to finally say that truth out loud to someone. Well, someone besides Sunset, anyway. Doing so didn't heal the guilt inside, but it did make the weight a tad lighter. With a sigh, she calmed down for a bit and noted before anyone could respond;

She allowed the tiniest smile imaginable to grow on her face before she calmly elaborated on this specific point;

"These days, I'm not so invisible. Not just because of that fun garden party and being in the yearbook, but also because I've been trying harder than ever to talk with other people, to push through the little social mistakes I make."

A little giggle escaped her lips as she added with a tiny hint of happiness in her voice;

"I have friends now. Friends!", she exclaimed with a sparkle or two in her eyes. The budding happiness inside of her heart pushing her on, she declared confidently;

"I was cruel and cowardly. Now, I want to be kind and brave! I'm the reason why I was invisible. Now, I want to be the reason why I'm visible!"

She watched each of the girls' faces carefully, looking for any sign of a positive or negative reaction. What she got was multiple levels of sweetness. Trixie showed to her plant-loving friend no small amount of support and absolute pride as she declared with all of the theatrical ham and cheese she could muster;

"That was a truly heartfelt and magnificent demonstration of truth, friend Wallflower! The Great and Powerful Trrrixie is here for you, just as Trixie said she would!"

She was so glad to have that magician as a friend at that moment. She then took a closer look at the CMCs. At first, their eyes were as wide as possible. But, their faces slowly turned into ice-melting expressions of love as the giant, dopey, happiness-filled ear-to-ear smiles that they were known for came into view. No judgement, no snide remarks, just pure love that flowed from the kids and right into Wallflower's heart. She really did NOT expect this reaction from them, but she was not going to complain about it. It was certainly better than the numerous alternatives her mind had conjured up before coming to this meeting! With a few polite coughs to settle themselves, Apple Bloom addressed her in a respectful manner that was partnered with her smile;

The CMCs, in nigh-perfect unison, took their boxes off of their laps with their right hands. With their left hands, they gently lifted their lids off of them, placed the lids to their sides, and took the contents of the boxes out from their places of safety. Once the boxes were returned to their laps, they put those items into their right hands and had them rest on their open palms to show them to Trixie and Wallflower, who looked on out of curiosity. The items were paper-crafted ponies small enough to stand proudly on each club member's palm. Their manes and ponytails were red and yellow while their coats were amber. It was clear that crayon was carefully used to give them their colors. Written in red ink on both sides of their flanks were the same initials:

Both Wallflower and Trixie recognized who had given the CMCs these ponies, but they wanted to let them speak first. Without further ado, Apple Bloom started things off while looking at her paper-pony in solemn reflection;

"These little ladies represent somethin' mighty important to the three of us..."

Such a simple word to utter, yet it clearly meant the world to those girls in Wallflower's eyes. After a second or two of silence, Scootaloo chimed in calmly, her sorrowful eyes locked on her pony;

"We're awesome people, Wallflower, but we're not flawless. We've made a mistake or two that we're not proud of."

Wallflower and Trixie knew exactly what she meant by that. Not willing to judge the girls, they gave them looks of understanding and support. The botanist did also notice that the CMCs' hands twitched slightly for a brief moment when Scootaloo finished speaking. Sweetie Belle's eyes were just as sorrowful as Scootaloo's for a moment until happiness's brilliant warmth flooded them and inspired a smile to grow on her face. With an adorable squeak, she added while gazing at her paper-pony;

"But, we've learned from the wonderful friend who gave us these gifts that learning from our mistakes matters just as much as us making them."

Apple Bloom, with a short heartfelt laugh that made her sadness run and hide, looked up at Wallflower with a grin and told her sweetly and with her unique level of enthusiasm;

"If you're willin' to learn from your mistakes, to put in the work to clean up your act no matter the weather, then there's always hope for ya'."

All of the CMCs looked at Wallflower with love and smiles. The lady herself had paid close attention to every word they uttered, but she was perplexed all the same, though she kept her confusion internalized;

"Wait, did they just say that-?", she thought to herself before her thinking train got derailed by the oncoming speeding truck that was the movie club's nigh-limitless positivity;

"There's always hope for ya', Wallflower Blush!", they exclaimed to her in joyful unison. Trixie, who kept her composure during that entire conversation, made sure to show her green-haired friend support with a smile and a thumbs up. That gardener's mind was suddenly, horrifyingly, utterly divided;

"There's no hope for you!"

"But, I do have hope!"

"You don't deserve hope!"

"No... I do deserve hope!"

She clenched onto both sides of her head as tightly as she reasonably could while closing her eyes in horror and pain as a terrible headache flared up. She wanted to let hope inside, she really did! But that uncaring voice inside was not letting her have that easily. Before the battle inside her mind got worse, she felt a bunch of small arms wrap around her waist like tight comfortable blankets, with a different pair of hands gently resting on her shoulders. All of this produced a deep feeling of comfort and ease that flowed through her body and into her mind, quieting the battle enough for the voices of her four, no, seven friends to echo from within;

"Ya' got this, sugarcube!"

"You're too awesome to give up now or ever!"

"We believe in you, Wallflower!"

"Trixie sees the good in you, so let yourself see it too!"

"You're as wonderful as a freshly-baked muffin!"

"Give yourself the care you give to your plants!"

"You are so much more than your mistakes, Wally."

Their words helped to ease her headache and encourage her to push back against the dark inside. It was the familiar feminine voice that sealed the deal;

"Your mother loves you, my little seedling."

Just like that, the pain stopped and the cruel voice retreated into some dark corner in Wallflower's mind. After letting herself breathe out of relief, she opened her eyes to see the CMCs giving her one of their famous movie club hugs with all of their hearts. She knew actually who was holding her shoulders and she had no problem with that at all. With a slightly larger smile than usual, she wrapped her arms around the kids to show her appreciation for their help. She took a mental note to thank Trixie for her help later as she saw each club member look up at her with big smiles on their faces, clearly relieved to see that she was feeling better. With satisfaction in their hearts, they released her from their grip as she did the same with them. They then stood straight and looked at her square in the eyes. Apple Bloom, with another cough, declared happily;

She suddenly looked quite apologetic, same for her friends, as she said while scratching the back of her head with her right hand;

"Sorry about the coldness we showed ya' earlier. We... needed to see what ya'd do if the past was lookin' right at ya'."

"We didn't want to be mean to you though, so that stoic thing was the best we could think of."

Wallflower, however, felt like giggling a bit, which she did before responding as sweetly as she could;

With more relief-filled sighs, the CMCs collected themselves before Apple Bloom switched topics;

"Alrighty then, one of the main reasons why we wanted to talk with ya', besides us wantin' to see what you're about, was to send ya' a message."

She raised her right eyebrow as Trixie released her from her grip and asked the kids;

The CMCs grinned at the thought of their answer, with Sweetie Belle being the one to break the news in an excited fashion;

That got her a bunch of giggles from the little ones before Apple Bloom elaborated on this surprise;

"We had a good talk with them Rainbooms earlier today and they've made it clear that they want to help ya' become a better person. But, there's a wrinkle in this 'ere situation..."

Thankfully, Wallflower was able to calm down enough to catch what the girls were saying, but that last bit of info from Scootaloo knocked the wind out of her sails before she could even catch them;

"Wait, so Sunset did tell them about that!", she noted in her mind. She wasn't upset about this, actually. Sunset trusted her friends to not blab about other people's personal affairs, and to be fair, Wallflower didn't tell her to NOT tell them. By the time she had calmed down, Apple Bloom was rummaging through her right pants pocket with her right hand for a second or two before pulling out a small piece of notebook paper that was folded several times over to fit within her hand. She then offered it to the botanist while declaring to her with warmth in her eyes, smile, and voice;

Grateful for the gift, though confused as to what it could be, Wallflower politely accepted it by taking the paper from the young farmer's hand and placing it in her left pocket. This prompted Sweetie Belle to note;

"To be clear: if you want to talk with any of the Rainbooms in general, that's fine. Sunset being Sunset aside..."

"They'll try to reach out to you. It's up to you as to whether or not you'll let them in."

Wallflower couldn't help but be moved by how thoughtful and open the Rainbooms, the girls she had hurt the most, were being, albeit from a distance. She was sure, at that moment, that this arrangement would help them all. So, with a nod, she declared to the kids;

This was the truth. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to let the whole band in though. But then, a thought came up that prompted her to ask the CMCs;

The trio stepped off to the side to reveal to Wallflower that, yes, their paper-ponies were standing over their plates like silent watchful guardians of food. Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed while running off to her plate;

She walked over to them in a brisk pace, leaving Wallflower and Trixie behind. The latter walked over to the former's right side, looked right at her, and said with a smile and uninhibited pride;

Wallflower, who was enjoying the adorable sight of three kids scarfing down their food with all of the gusto of a hungry mare, turned her head to face her arrogant friend and told her with a grimace;

"She told you her gloriously powerful presence would paint you in a good light!"

With an exasperated sigh, she allowed her to have this moment as the two unlikely friends walked over to the hungry kids to reclaim their plates and eat together in peace. Wallflower's plate was cleared of food and her stomach properly filled up before the day was done.

What Mistakes Tell Us

by TheGJ90

Of Fear and Courage