//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - Investigation and Reflection // Story: Spring Surprises // by TheGJ90 //------------------------------// Fillydelphia Juvenile Detention Center - The next morning. The prisoners were enjoying their breakfast as the sunrise shined through the cafeteria windows. The usual slop provided by the detention center was not terrible to one's taste buds and was healthy for the body. Still, the food was far from fine cuisine and the students that caused enough trouble to land themselves a spot there would quickly come to miss the high-school food. One of the prisoners sat at a table furthest from the cafeteria doors in silent solitude. Most of them made sure to keep their distance from this one, mainly out of fear born from her reputation. After all, they knew that they would be fools to mess with The Wrecker. Of course, there were some exceptions to the rule. Most of these people who had the guts to sit within striking distance of her also had the good sense to eat in silence without disturbing her. But, even then, there was that rare occasion when a prisoner or two would try to make a name for themselves in a truly foolish way. Much to her annoyance, this morning produced one such occasion. The tall buff young man who started it did so by stomping over to her left side with a swagger as she quietly munched on her ham sandwich. After stopping within inches of her, he called out The Wrecker with arrogance oozing from his voice; "So, this is the girl that everyone's been talking about?" She kept on eating her food, as if the guy did not even exist. This did not faze him, for he went on with a chuckle and arrogance powering his demeanor; "The one who made every street gang in the city too afraid to kill..." Still no response or even visible recognition from her. Figuring this to be a sign of weakness, he attempted to assert his dominance by spitting on the sandwich she was enjoying before declaring with a venomous smirk; "You don't look so tough to me." As he laughed at her expense out of obnoxiously loud pride as if he owned the place, she calmly took her plastic butter-knife off of her plate with her right hand while setting the sandwich down on it with her left hand. She then slowly cut off the part of the sandwich that was dirtied up by the brute's saliva. He was too busy laughing to recognize what was going on, until he caught sight of her placing the spit-ridden part of the sandwich far to her left, passing it over to him without so much as turning her head in his direction. Putting two and two together and getting disrespect, he told her with a threatening voice, withering patience, and growing anger; "You think you're hot stuff, don't you? Well, newsflash, girly: you're trash!" He slammed his left hand on a spot on the table that was inches from The Wrecker's left arm, who did not flinch or express any other sort of reaction, before elaborating in a most insulting manner; "Your rep: trash! Your fit: trash! Your silent treatment shtick: trash! You probably haven't thrown hands with anyone before, have you?" His anger giving way to an overabundance of confidence, he showed yet another venomous smile before adding; "Oh, I'll bet you've been talking yourself up to be this big-time menace just to hide how scared and weak you are. But, in truth..." He took a deep breath and exclaimed; "You're a poser!" Still no response from The Wrecker, who kept on eating her food whilst he went on his tirade, as if she was entirely alone. The other prisoners paid him no mind either, even the ones who could hear him rant and rave. The guards kept their eyes on him, but made no moves to intervene. His growing anger over being ignored drove him to lose much of his restraint as he yelled out with a growl; "Are you deaf, girly?! I just called you a fraud! What are you gonna do about it?!" Not a peep from her. The young man was about ready to lose it. He roared at her out of anger; "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He got nothing from her, not even a grunt. At this point, he was fuming enough to let loose a vicious right hook aimed for her left arm, her bicep specifically. If she was a normal person, her arm would have been considerably hurt by the attack. The arrogant teenager, however, learned the hard way that she was far from normal. When he struck The Wrecker's left bicep, all his fist got for the effort was terrible pain, especially in his knuckles and fingers! He quickly pulled his now hurting right fist away and held it with his left hand while yelling out in pain for a few seconds. His target refused to stop eating her meal, as if the attack never happened. He stopped yelling to ask her out of frustration, confusion, and barely hidden fear; "What the heck is up with that arm?! Felt like I punched a brick wall!" It wasn't long before a guard showed up to give him a warning to not attack other people or risk punishment. After acknowledging the warning, he left for the nurse's office in a huff while clutching his wounded left hand, allowing The Wrecker to finish her meal in peace. During and after that entire incident, she was mentally tackling a topic that was far more important to her by comparison; "What should be the fate of Sunset Shimmer?" Once her meal was devoured, she pulled out from her pants pocket the photo of Sunset that Cinch had given to her before. She felt her rage rise from within for a moment before she forced it back down to keep her thoughts in order. At that moment, she figured it best to learn more about the object of her anger. She began by putting to use a simple yet clever method of getting info without attracting attention: listening closely to blabbermouths in the local den of scum. Luckily for her, she was already in one and most of the prisoners knew better than to bother her. All she had to do was find a suitable spot near a group of talkative teenagers and sit in silence with ears wide open. It didn't take her long to find interesting comments concerning the object of her fury: "Sunset Shimmer? Never met the girl, but I heard she was this big shot in that high-school near Canterlot City a few years back." "I've never been to Canterlot High, but I heard from my cousin who goes there that Sunset was a classic bad girl. Ruled the whole place! My kind of girl... at least, she was, until she got the coolness kicked out of her." "You know what I heard? I heard she went from being the big bad bully to a crying little girl in one night. What a wimp!" "I know she was a bully in the past, but nowadays, she's nicer than most people! She rocks a sick jacket though." "Sunset's been rollin' with this band of girls called the Sonic Rainbooms. They got rockin' guitarists, but their songs are unbearably cute. I'm talkin' about some dumb 'magic of friendship' crud. I mean, that ain't how real life works!" "That Sunset chick got this gaming channel called Shimmer Code. I hear it's pretty fire. Now, if only those stupid guards would let us use the Internet..." "My little bro showed me a picture of the Rainbooms during visiting hours and man, they could make a rainbow just by standing in a row! You can't miss those dorks!" After taking about thirty or so minutes to quietly investigate, The Wrecker returned to her table and contemplated in silence; "It is interesting that Sunset's reputation has reached so far beyond CHS, but all this talk of her supposed change of heart is... unexpected." Her old rage flared up again, but she managed to keep it reigned in as she shook her head before mentally declaring; "No, all I'm getting is hearsay. Gossip filled with half-truths at best, and I NEVER settle for gossip when dealing with punks." With a sigh, she looked over at the tables in front of her for a moment before lowering her head to look down at her music player, which was resting in her left hand while she pushed the directional buttons on it to move through the selection of songs it contained. Hers was a rather large collection of music, which came with the music player when a guard presented it to her as one of the more recent rewards for her good behavior. This meant that, even now, she hadn't listened to all of the songs available to her. As she scrolled through the list, she found a piece that stood out from the digital pile. The name of the song got her curiosity, but it was the name of the band that got her attention. With a grunt, she thought to herself; "Still, even half-truths can sometimes point one in the right direction..." Without further ado, The Wrecker pulled her earphones out of her pocket, plugged them into the music player, and put them on. She then pressed the play button on the player to listen to the song she picked: Life's Like a Runway - by The Sonic Rainbooms (ft. Rarity Belle) Juvenile #448: The Wrecker - 4 days until freedom Canterlot City - Around that same time. Sunset, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash traveled through the streets of Canterlot City together, with Rainbow on her skateboard and Scootaloo on her scooter. The daring duo wisely wore their protective gear as they rolled on the pavement in style. Riding in a basket while safely secured by seat belts was Rainbow's beloved pet tortoise Tank, who had just woken up from his Winter hibernation. The basket was carefully latched onto the long silver metal bar that connected the scooter's red handlebars to the blue board below, its red and turquoise wheels rolling loudly down the road. Scootaloo could not do awesome tricks without endangering Tank so long as he rode with her. But, she was more than happy to ride safely for the sake of her most excellent cargo. As for Sunset, who did not see the need to bring her motorcycle with her, she opted to run alongside her two pals, who were gracious enough to maintain a brisk pace that she could keep up with. While she had no complaints, given that she chose to do this and figured she could use the exercise, the panting mare of two worlds asked the young movie buff between short breaths and with a small smirk; "How do AB and Sweetie keep up with you and your scooter?!" "Practice!", Scootaloo exclaimed with an excited smirk of her own that was just as filled with life as her eyes were. That short exchange got a good laugh from Rainbow Dash as the trio made their way through the city, into the suburbs, and over to the little girl's house before stopping right in front of it. After parking the skateboard and scooter nearby, they walked over to the front door, with Rainbow ringing the door bell while Sunset carried Tank in her arms. A few seconds later, Scootaloo's Aunt Holiday and Auntie Loftie, opened the door, allowing the trio to walk inside. Within a nano-second of the door being closed behind them, the daredevil gave her aunts big hugs, which they gently reciprocated with love in their eyes. Lofitie told with a smile as sweet as her voice; "Looks like you had fun today, you little lightning bolt." That got an appreciative giggle out of her niece, who broke out of the hug and pointed at Tank, who had just been placed on a nearby table by Sunset, while telling the two women with a jovial bounce; "You bet I did! I got to wake Tank up from his hibernation for the first time ever!" With a quick dash, she pounced on Rainbow with a quick hug before telling her idol out of sheer gratitude while looking at her with sparkles shining in her purple eyes; "Thank you so much!" Rainbow Dash always loved seeing how excited her little buddy could get over stuff she liked. It reminded her of herself, actually. So, of course she rewarded Scootaloo with a quick ruffling of her hair with her right hand, which produced even more happy giggles from her. The aunts took the chance to show their own gratitude to the older girls, with Holiday verbalizing it while Loftie settled silently expressing it with a warm smile aimed at the both of them; "Thank you for keeping an eye on Scootaloo." Sunset nodded her head at them and responded with sweet politeness; "It was our pleasure. Your niece is fun to be around." "I know, right?", Rainbow Dash said to further emphasize their shared appreciation for the young lady, who looked at both of them and her aunts with adoration all over her face. She then gave Tank a quick pat on the head and sprinted off to her room. This was the girls' cue to politely take their leave after Rainbow grabbed her pet from the table he was chilling on. Before they left, Sunset told the pair of caregivers; "We'll be out of your hair then, have a good day you two!" But, before they could even reach the front door, Aunt Holiday and Auntie Loftie rushed over to stand side-by-side between it and the girls, who were surprised by this sudden action. The aunts then told them in soft calm unified voices that were in stark contrast to the wide-eyed familial menace they revealed in their glares; "If Gilda hurts our niece and her little friends again, she won't be able to run." Rainbow Dash and Sunset knew that this warning, glares and all, was meant for the big bad bird and not them. Even so, they couldn't help but feel genuine fear of just what exactly those two would do to Gilda if she crossed the line again. With simultaneous gulps, they nodded their heads in silence. Satisfied, the aunts glares melted back into warm smiles as they ushered their guests out the door. The two high-schoolers mentally swore to themselves to never draw the ire of Scootaloo's relatives as they traveled in utter silence, with Tank having been carefully passed along to Sunset for her to carry. After stopping at Rainbow's house to drop off Tank and give him a good drink of water, the two girls went to their next destination: the home of Fluttershy. It took two seconds for the lady herself to open up the front door after Rainbow knocked. The numerous thick smells that came from animals and people assaulted the noses of the two visiting friends, but frequent visits had strengthened their resistance to such a powerful combo of scents. As they suspected from their animal-loving friend due to their shared history, a variety of critters were right there with her. Two birds sat on her left shoulder, a cat rested on her right shoulder, a trio of squirrels scurried around her feet, and Angel Bunny sat on top of her scalp while giving her owner's guests his traditional agitated glare. Fluttershy happily ushered Sunset and Rainbow Dash into the living room and closed the door behind them while amazingly preventing a single animal from falling off of her. She then turned around to face the pair and told them with a beaming smile and more strength in her voice than usual; "I'm so glad you two could come to the check-in! Please, make yourselves at home while I take care of these cute little babies." She said all this while lovingly petting one of the birds with her right index finger, much to its appreciation. Angel Bunny, however, tapped Fluttershy's scalp with his left foot while crossing his little arms and expressing a look of pure indignation over being called a baby. She didn't notice this as she walked through the nearby doorway that led into the kitchen and out of sight while the bunny maintained his balance, prompting her guests to sit back on a nearby couch to chill for a bit. With her sideways smirk brought to bare, Sunset commented with an approving tone; "It just makes sense that Fluttershy would have her home double as a mini-animal shelter." Rainbow Dash chuckled while expressing a confident grin before exclaiming in an a matter-of-fact tone; "Of course she would do that, animals to her are what sports are to me..." She looked over at the kitchen doorway while a subtle layer of sweetness was slowly added to her smile. She finished her sentence with a hint of adoration in the athlete's eyes; "Her passion!" Sunset may not have had a ton of positive experience with romantic affairs, but even she could see a certain subtle twinkle in Rainbow's eyes that made her mentally decide to have a chat with Rarity later. Whilst the two sat quietly together, Sunset could not help but think on what she wanted to say for this particular check-in. This included something that made her shudder slightly at the mere thought of it. Thank goodness, Rainbow did not notice this! The former bad girl made sure to mentally reaffirm her intention for the day; "I've put this off too long, I will tell the girls about my... problem." As if on cue, a certain vile voice that was all too familiar to Sunset spoke venomously in her mind; If you tell those fools, they'll abandon you again! "Of course, that jerk would do this now!", she thought to herself out of internalized annoyance. That troublesome pest in her head always did bother her just before a check-in. She steadied her breathing and called upon the memory of her and her friends' very first group hug. She could almost feel the warm comfort from that hug wash over her as she mentally responded to the liar resolutely and with a small sly smirk; "You don't know my friends very well, do you?" Ah, but the cruel voice had a response ready to go; I know they hurt you before though, just as so many others did... Sunset's amber fists clenched and her upper-back tensed up. Specifically, the two spots where wings used to be. Even so, her breathing remained steady and calm as she braved the tide of emotional pain being sent to her by the hateful voice within, which tried to poke at an old nerve; Just as SHE did. A couple of knocks on the door pulled Sunset out of her own head for a brief moment. Luckily, a moment was all she required to completely recenter herself in the present moment as she looked up at the door, the voice inside having turned silent once more. Rainbow, with gusto, yelled out while running to it at a brisk pace; "I got it!" Opening the door, she was greeted by Applejack, who clearly looked like she got up with her rocket boosters set to maximum burn, if the energy and happiness in her demeanor was any indication. With a quick tip of her Stetson and a fist bump shared between the two competitive pals, she quickly walked into the living room before stopping to stand near the couch. She then took a hearty whiff of the air in the room and exhaled through her mouth with a relaxed sigh. She then declared with a warm grin and softness in her tone of voice; "The smell of this 'ere house reminds me of home every time Ah come 'ere." It wasn't long after Applejack's arrival that the rest of the band showed up as well, with Pinkie bringing in a bag full of frosted cupcakes to share with her friends. Sci-Twi, in particular, arrived while carrying her clearly stuffed school backpack, a fact that her friends did not comment on. This was, after all, a sight that was as common to them as the rising of the moon. By the time Fluttershy returned to the living room after providing animal care, she giggled at the sight of her fellow band-mates enjoying their snacks while shooting the breeze. Once everyone had settled down, Rainbow Dash decided to address a certain annoying issue right away; "Flutters, is Zephyr here today or what?", she asked her long-time friend with a grimace at the thought of possibly sharing the same breathing space as the living embodiment of 'refusing to take the hint'. Much to her intense relief, however, Fluttershy shook her head and explained in a somewhat celebratory tone; "No, he's still out on that cruise trip with Mom and Dad. They'll be back in two days though." At that precise moment, every Rainboom in the room thought to themselves; "Thank goodness, Zephyr Breeze is not here right now!" Seeking to get things moving, Sunset looked over at their host and asked her with calm seriousness all over her person; "Are the preparations complete?" With a smile filled with warmth, Fluttershy answered with that soothing gentleness she was known for; "I have prepared the space in the basement. It is ready when we are." Nodding their heads in agreement, the other Rainbooms finished their sugary snacks and began to make their trek into the kitchen. After making a right, they walked through a door at the far end of the kitchen that led into a staircase when opened. Once inside and the door was closed behind them, they ventured down the stairs and into a clean basement with a ceiling lamp being its only source of lighting. Hanging from the right side of the lamp was a single string that allowed one to turn it on and off. The coverage from the light covered the washer and dryer that were set up in a row at the left side, as well as a large round wooden table positioned just below the lamp. Seven wooden chairs with soft seat cushions were neatly placed around the table. Expertly carved on each seat's backrest was iconography that visually represented the girl they were made for. If the average Human saw these carvings, they would seem like nothing more than creative iconography. But, to Sunset Shimmer and her Rainbooms, they were basically their Cutie Marks, albeit in spirit in the case of Sunset's friends. Placed some distance away from Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's seats was a large cardboard box with an opened top that revealed seven tall wax candles, each one given a colorful design that was related to its rightful owner: A red & yellow stripe pattern for Sunset, brilliant pink with red-pink balloons for Pinkie Pie, olive with scattered red apples for Applejack, a dark purple and moderate purple gradient for Rarity, simple cyan for Rainbow Dash, light rose with little white bunnies hopping about for Fluttershy, and lavender with tiny white sparkling stars placed in a perfectly organized intricate pattern for Twilight Sparkle. Stashed with the candles were seven small round glass jars that served as simple candle holders of respectable quality, the kind one could get at a reasonable price in a reputable furniture store. With calm oozing from their faces, the Rainbooms made their way to the table and sat upon their assigned seats, with Sci-Twi placing her backpack on a spot on the floor to her immediate right. Fluttershy, instead of sitting, walked over to the box and picked it up to move closer to the table before laying it back down. With a sigh, she grabbed one of the candles, along with a candle holder, and passed them over to the friend connected to the candle. She did this until only her own pair remained in the box, which she grabbed before sitting down with the other girls. Sensing that the time had come, the girls placed their candle holders in front of them on the table and carefully positioned the candles next to them to signal their readiness. Applejack took her right hand and reached into the right pocket of her blue jeans, which she had chosen to wear instead of her usual blue skirt. After taking a second to rummage around, she pulled out a small metal lighter. She gave Sunset, who sat directly opposite from her, a short nod. This was the silent cue for the former bully to reach up to the ceiling lamp's string with her right hand to grab it. Once she did so, she looked around at each of her friends, who were all giving her small smiles that hinted at the warmth they felt inside. With a grin of her own, she pulled the string down and turned off the light. The basement had no windows and the door upstairs was closed tight, so it had no other source of light when the lamp was turned off. This allowed pitch black darkness to envelope the room and its seven occupants. Even though a soft whimper could be heard from Fluttershy, not a single girl present chose to run away. Instead, Applejack swiftly set her lighter alight, thus creating with it a tiny yellow flame that gave her face a gentle glow that did a fine job of highlighting her skin color and white freckles. She carefully brought the flame close to the top of her candle and, with a steady hand, she was able to light her candle. Doing this kept her spot at the table illuminated even as she snuffed out her lighter's flame. With a smile that only added to the soothing nature of her now lit candle, she slowly took it in her right hand and held it up slightly at the center of the table, allowing each of the other Rainbooms to light their candles with her own flame, one girl at a time. Once all of the candles were lit, they placed them in their candle holders. Now, each girl's face was given the same glow as Applejack's, which kept away the darkness that surrounded them and made the room uniquely cozy. The candles themselves were specifically selected for their calming and allergen-free scent. So, no nose was aggravated as the scent strengthened the sense of peace that filled the room and eased the minds of the girls. With their flames alight, Sunset started their check-in in the exact same way that she did so many times before: she softly told to her friends in a gentle fashion inspired by the motherly mannerisms of her former teacher; "For as long as these candles burn, let no one in this room be shamed, judged, or lied to by any of us. This is a time for the truth..." The girls, alongside Sunset, closed their eyes, took a deep cleansing breath in, and slowly released it along with any tension they had carried into the room with them. Once they opened their eyes back up, they all declared in peaceful yet firm unison; "A time for friendship." All was silent for about five seconds as the girls looked at each other with attentive care in their eyes, waiting patiently for the talk to start. Rarity saw fit to start things off with sophisticated poise; "Let us begin by discussing what we've all been up to ever since our previous check-in.", she offered before giving Sunset a warm grin and adding; "I shall go first, if you wish." After getting an affirming nod from the bacon-haired girl, Rarity went on while casually switching her gaze between her friends; "Besides managing Carousel Boutique and watching over Sweetie Belle, I have been improving upon my emotion management skills. The results, thus far, have been smashing, for it has been quite some time since my last dramatic outburst over a fashion emergency." With a polite flick of her meticulously stylized hair, she declared with smiling pride; "I've only had to remove tear-stained eyeliner once in the time between the last check-in and this one!" The fashionista got a round of applause from her friends, with Applejack belting out a heartfelt laugh before exclaiming in support; "Good on ya, Rares!" As Rarity took several short dignified bows and the clapping died down, Sunset noted with a proud smirk; "That explains the breathing exercise you did with Wally." "Indeed, Sunset darling.", Rarity responded with a warm glare aimed at each of her friends, with slightly more attention given to Applejack before anyone could notice. With a giggle, she elaborated further; "That little exercise was first used on me by my dear mother during a rather intense episode I was having over the lack of ice-cream in the freezer combined with the most horrible revelation from one of my soap operas!" The other Rainbooms, while making sure to not roll their eyes over their friend's past behavior, noticed her having a case of the giggles over it and promptly got infected. The friendly giggling lasted for five seconds before everyone calmed down, allowing Rarity to speak some more; "Yes, well, she went on to teach it to me after I calmed down. Now, I have two versions of the technique: one for myself and one for others. Both of them have proven to be quite effective thus far." "A fine addition to your emotional toolbox, Ah reckon.", said Applejack with a supportive wink and smile that the tailor took notice of and deeply appreciated. Rarity then remembered something that drove her to gasp a little before declaring happily; "Goodness, I almost forgot!" She looked at her friends with joy and pride on her face as she announced in a slightly boastful manner; "As of tomorrow morning, there shall be a new employee in Carousel Boutique!" This news took the other girls by surprise before they started showing genuine happiness for their friend, with Fluttershy expressing her own joy through words delivered with an indoor voice and a beaming smile; "That is wonderful news, Rarity!" With a quick tip of her trusty hat, Applejack added with relief; "Ah'm mighty glad you're gettin' more help, sugarcube. Ah ain't no fashion expert, but even Ah know that you're gonna be about as busy as my family will be once Spring really kicks into high gear." Rarity allowed a heartfelt laugh to leave her mouth before responding to the farmer's comment with an understanding tone; "You are certainly correct. As much as I adore Spring fashion, dealing with it in the shop during the season itself can be a trying experience." Rainbow Dash gave her a thumbs up before asking with curiosity and confidence all over her face; "So, who's the newbie?" With excitement in every flutter of her delicately prepared eyelashes, Rarity looked at Rainbow with a smile as she responded in a sing-song voice that made the self-proclaimed 'Most Awesome Tomboy in CHS" try very hard to not groan internally; "Oh, I am glad you aaaaaasked!" She went on to happily explain to the group; "She is an old friend from my childhood days who goes by the name of Coco Pommel. I had stumbled upon her-." Rarity got loudly interrupted by Pinkie Pie, who gasped before yelling out of sheer shock and jubilation while staring daggers at her; "You RECONNECTED with an old friend?! That alone is worthy of an party!" Before she could so much as pull a party blower, let alone a fully loaded party cannon, out from her poofy hair, Rarity quickly and firmly took her right hand with her left, which got the party planner's attention. With a sigh, she gently told her with a sweet voice and plenty of politeness; "Pinkie darling, do be a sweetheart and let me finish my story, won't you?" With a tiny bit of wind taken out of her party sails, Pinkie nodded with a slight pout before reclining in her seat. Rarity, with a breath, continued where she left off; "Anyway, I had stumbled upon her by complete accident during one of my walks through downtown Canterlot. Whilst we took the time to catch up at the local tea shop, I learned that she, like me, had followed the alluring call of fashion!" She added strong emphasis on that last word with the flare of a thespian, a fun little quirk that her friends were both familiar and okay with, before calming down with a few quick coughs and speaking further; "But, unlike me, she was unemployed! Naturally, I could not abide by my friend going through such an abysmal ordeal and I knew that the boutique would benefit greatly from having another set of hands available. So, I offered her a position with fair pay, which she happily accepted." She got no complaints from her friends over that, with Sunset herself declaring with a smirk filled with pride; "Who else can you be but a generous sort?" The whole group belted out friendly laughter, knowing perfectly well where the Equestrian in the room got that comment from. Rarity herself was quite flattered by this show of respect. Once the laughter died down, Pinkie Pie jumped back into the conversation by talking at the speed of sugar while expressing one emotion after another as she spoke; "I've been one busy Pie ever since our last check-in! I threw a lot of fun parties, including one for Boulder, who found himself a new rock friend! Isn't that great, girls?! Maud was so happy for him! I also finally got to face Wallflower and my hatred for her without hurting her, but you know that already. I mean, of course you do, you were all there! I also caught Marble and Limestone having a fight, which made me really sad! Buuuuut, I helped them make amends with each other through the combined power of family and frosted cupcakes!" How Pinkie managed to deliver her Pinkie Rants without stumbling on her words was one of nature's mysteries. It was also a mystery to her friends as to how she managed to remain seated throughout the entire rant! Of course, no Rainboom in the room would trade her and her oddball mannerisms for anything. Twilight was the first to react with a giggle before saying; "I'm glad Maud and Boulder had a great time and I hope his new friend treats him well. Your comment about Marble and Limestone reminds me of the extremely rare moments when I argued with Shiny." The other girls looked at her incredulously, with Rarity being the one to outright gasp at the notion presented to them. Sunset told her softly as she attempted to tread on a seemingly sensitive topic lightly; "You having arguments with your BBBFF... I never thought that scenario was possible." With a sigh, Twilight looked right at her amber friend and told her honestly; "Yes, we have had them before. But, we worked through each and every one of them." She placed her right hand on her heart, closed her eyes, and declared with familial love in her smile; "I can never hate Shiny a day in my life... and he can never hate me either." The girls' hearts were warmed by Sci-Twi's words, which prompted Applejack to note with a nostalgic tone while watching her science-loving friend open her eyes to look back at the farmer; "Ah know what ya' mean, Twi. Ah may have had a few verbal tussles with Big Mac and Apple Bloom, but that won't stop us from lovin' each other." She sighed contently while placing her hands comfortably between the back of her head and her chair's backrest before adding with a smile; "A family that talks things out works things out, as my Pa' once told me." Sunset, while thinking back to all of the times she and her friends had done exactly that, asked Applejack; "So, anything interesting come up for you lately, AJ?" After thinking for a moment, she responded with a chuckle; "The farm's doin' good. Us Apples have been workin' our tails off to get ready for the Spring Harvest..." The conversation between the seven girls went on to reveal plenty of additional details concerning their recent escapades and future plans: The Apples' efforts to prepare for their family reunion and the noted harvest. Rainbow Dash's efforts to lead the Wondercolts soccer team to championship gold before graduation. Sci-Twi's progress on making upgrades to Spike's robot dog friend (among several other scientific endeavors). Soon enough, the conversation transitioned over to Fluttershy's story of when she brought to the local animal shelter a stray male puppy who had a most striking injury; "The poor dear has only one eye?!", exclaimed a mortified Rarity. The other girls were not too far off as the animal-lover nodded her head solemnly before continuing; "Thankfully, the wound had healed up long ago, so he wasn't bleeding from where his right eye should have been." Without hesitation, she pointed out in an adorable gushy voice, her eyes sparkling with love for the animal in question; "But, the sweet little pup could still see well enough to walk right up to me when I reached out to him with my hand." She giggled happily before adding; "He started licking it after sniffing it twice. I think he just wanted a friend, because he didn't get shaky or squirmy after I picked him up." The group couldn't help but gush over the puppy's adorableness, even though he was not in the house. Rarity allowed herself to shed a happy tear or two that she gracefully wiped with her right index finger as she declared; "Oh, that furry sweetheart! I'm sure the folks in the shelter will take good care of him." Rainbow Dash, excited as can be for the dog, exclaimed to Fluttershy; "You should totally give that dude an eye-patch! I mean, he's already cool, but the eye-patch will make him look like a pirate dog!" The almost-never loud lady responded to her long-time friend's suggestion by giving her a happy grin before telling her excitedly; "Oh, he wears this little eye-patch over the wound that makes him look strong and cute at the same time. He loves it so much! I wish I had my phone, so that I can show you all the pictures I took of the pup." The girls smiled and laughed in support of Fluttershy, with Sunset being quick to give her a gentle reminder; "Normally, I would be fine with that, but you know the drill: only one of us can bring a mobile device to this table and it's Twi's turn today." She briskly turned her head to face the bookworm in question, who had already pulled out her tablet and placed it on a spot near her candlestick on the table. Within moments, all eyes fell upon Sunset, who suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over her as she looked back at her pals. It was Twilight who asked on their behalf; "So, how have things been for you lately, Sunset?" Under normal circumstances, she would have plenty to talk about in regards to what she had been up to between check-ins. This time, however, compared to her friends, she had far less material to work with. Granted, she still appreciated getting some much-needed peace after that whole Time Turner business and the great snowball war. But, it didn't sit well with her that she had so few juicy topics to bring up. Before the nerves could really flare up, however, she mentally took a step back and remembered where she was at: sitting with her friends in the safe space of their creation. With a deep breath to keep herself steady in the present moment, she explained; "Well, other than Gilda's return, you finding out about my..." She looked down at the table in an apologetic fashion for a second or two before looking back up at her friends and speaking further; "Living arrangement, and the usual stuff I do with my time, things have been rather quiet for me between this check-in and the last one." Applejack laughed in a loud heartfelt manner for a few seconds, catching everyone else's attention. After calming down, she told Sunset while giving her an understanding glare; "Ya' have any idea how much Ah, a hard-workin' farmer with chores and work to do every day, can appreciate gettin' a little quiet time?" She added with a wink; "Trust me, sugarcube, you're a lucky girl!" All of the girls laughed at this, including Sunset, who was happy to have one less thing to worry about. With the pleasantries out of the way, it came time for the Sonic Rainbooms to get right into the meat of this meeting, the very reason why they conducted the monthly check-ins in the first place. It was this reason that Sunset reminded them of when she spoke once the girls calmed down; "Okay, I'm sure we've all put in an effort to work on ourselves ever since we last sat at this table. So, if any of you want to open up about your self-improvement experiences, be they good or bad, now is the time." Silence filled the basement for five seconds before Applejack broke it with her voice; "Ah've got me some stuff to unpack." She then slowly pushed her candlestick forward, thus placing it out of the circle and closer to the center of the table while keeping it within reach of her hands. The other girls nodded as Sunset gently declared with a look of pride on her face; "You have the table, AJ." After making a small adjustment to her hat with both hands, Applejack spoke with surety; "Equestria Land was food for thought, to say the least." She chuckled a little before continuing while looking around at each of the girls, with a smiling Rarity being given slightly more attention than the others; "As ya'll know from that fiasco as well as past check-ins, Ah'm not always honest with myself when Ah should be. After we got Vignette to see some sense, Ah figured Ah could get this problem solved real quick like, since Ah was aware of it. Yeah, Ah've been more honest than ever these days. But, still..." She sighed audibly and elaborated further; "There's this naggin' feelin' Ah got in my noggin' that there's more goin' on with my self-honesty problem than Ah think Ah know. Ah mean..." She silently pondered her next words carefully for a few seconds before asking the group with worry in her voice; "Is it possible for a girl to lie to herself without even knowin' that she's doin' it?" It took all of three seconds for Sunset to nod her head while explaining in a somber tone; "Yes it is, in a way. I'm living proof of that." The other girls instantly understood what she meant by that. Applejack felt bad about accidentally poking at an old wound. As if sensing the farmer's desire to apologize for doing exactly that, Sunset gave her a look that was warm and genuine like a friendly hug to silently tell her that she was okay. Getting the message, she nodded at Sunset before expressing another question; "Alrighty then, ya' got any advice on how Ah can check for stuff like that? Ah've talked to my folks about it and their advice has been mighty helpful. As ol' Granny Smith told me..." She paused for a moment to make ready before belting out her best impression of her grandmother; "Sometimes, ya' gotta stop and check yourself to stay honest with yourself." After enjoying the giggles her performance had produced, she went on in her normal southern twang while looking Sunset in the eye; "It's darn good wisdom, Ah reckon. But, Ah'd like to hear your thoughts too." Once again, all eyes were on Sunset, who felt no nervousness this time as she thought of the right words for her response. Applejack needed advice and she was determined to give the kind that could help her. Once she got the words picked out in her head, she told her truthfully; "Granny's right on the money. The trick to self-honesty is to be mindful of yourself, especially during times when you have to be real with yourself and others." She chuckled softly to herself as memories of the early days of her redemption played out in her mind. She then elaborated further with a hint of sadness adding weight to her words; "Celestia knows, it can be tough to be mindful of yourself. Doubly so, when some parts of you are not... pleasant." Sunset did not have to look around the room to feel the love her friends were silently sending to her at that precise moment. Like medicated ointment tailor-made to feel soothing to the touch, their love covered the wounds in her heart, keeping them from flaring up. With relief in her breath, she continued on; "Still, it's important that you understand and utilize mindfulness, if you want to catch any self-made lies that try to sneak their way into your heart." The girls were moved by their dear friend's words, Applejack included, who tipped her hat to Sunset while declaring with the confidence that was unique to her extensive family tree; "Anything worth doin' is tough to get done and Ah'll get this whole mindfulness stuff done right, ya' hear?" That got a sideways smirk from Sunset as the farmer moved her candlestick back into the circle. The next Rainboom to step up was Rainbow Dash, who pushed her own candlestick to the center of the table with gusto. When given welcoming nods by the group, she thought to herself for a moment while expressing a look of confusion on her face. After finishing with her contemplation, she started off calmly while looking at her friends; "I'll be real with you, something happened yesterday that took me by surprise." She sighed before explaining in more detail; "I was doing my morning Yoga exercises, like usual. But, when I was performing the motions and poses, I felt a single tear fall from my right eye." She shook her head before exclaiming out of annoyance; "That didn't make any sense to me at all! I mean, I didn't feel sad or angry at the time and I'm sure I wasn't in pain either!" The confused athlete sighed again to cool down before going on; "I stopped to straighten up my body and see what was going on. At first, I thought I was feeling things that weren't there. But, there it was, a tear on my face! At that moment, I did what my Yoga lessons taught me..." She closed her eyes, placed her hands on her lap, took a deep breath in, and exhaled out before adding with calmness in the words she uttered; "I breathed, let it be, and kept up the practice without judging a thing." She opened her eyes again and finished with the question that had been nagging her ever since that fateful morning; "Why did I cry?" She looked right at her friends as she asked this. Most of them quietly thought of a good response, but Twilight got one picked out within a fraction of a second; "What were you thinking about when the tear was shed?", she asked Rainbow, who responded with a toothy smile laced with the urge to brag after taking a second to mull; "Well, I was thinking of some of those moments that tested us and how awesome we turned out to be when we faced them." That detail made even Twilight confused, but Sunset was quick to step in with a question of her own; "Okay, then how did you feel after you noticed the tear?" Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and lowered her head slightly as she let herself become deep in thought for a moment or two before looking back up to face her amber friend and declaring calmly; "I felt confused and... lighter... I mean lighter in here." She pointed at the right side of her head with her right index finger as she said this. She elaborated a little more while gesturing to her chest with both hands; "As well as in my body." Sunset silently racked her brain for some kind of info that would help her friend better understand what she went through, but all she drew were blanks. Still, it was clear, based on Rainbow's words, that her strange experience had a positive result, so the matter did not worry her too much. Regardless, she preferred to not leave this to chance, not with her friend's emotional health involved. With a sigh and a grin, she told Rainbow calmly; "That's something we can look more into later. For now, I suggest that you keep practicing your Yoga." Her smile turned into a fun-loving smirk before she added; "If you cry for no apparent reason again, try to let the tears fall as you turn your body into a pretzel." Rainbow let out a mirth-filled snort over the well-meaning joke Sunset had fired at her direction as she tried, and failed, to hold back her laughter. After taking a few seconds to let her mirth out to play, she calmed down enough to give a playful retort; "I'll keep that in mind, Shimmer." With the matter settled for the time being, Rainbow Dash took her candlestick and moved it back to its place in the circle. After fives seconds of waiting for more of her friends to take the chance to chime, Sunset decided it was time to say her peace. She pushed her own candlestick towards the table's center, just as Rainbow did earlier. With eyes and ears locked on her, she calmly explained to the group; "I'll be frank with you all: there have been some days, including very recently, when I find myself too distracted to perform my daily meditation practice. It's either an outstanding task, some unexpected event, or my overthinking brain that gets my attention, know what I mean?" Twilight understood what it was like to have an overactive brain, so she made sure to show her friend that understanding with a caring smile. The rest of the girls gave her supportive smiles of their own, remembering perfectly well the times when they themselves were too busy to perform some self-care. Sunset sighed audibly while feeling a twinge of shame before going on; "I know better than to mentally kick myself over my mistakes these days, and I have all of you to thank for that. Even so, the urge to do so can sneak up on me at times. But, you know about that already." Her friends' smiles grew a little, with a spark of concern flaring up in their eyes as they listened intently. Sunset, at that moment, decided it was time to admit something important to her friends, something she wished she had told them ages ago. She did not like what she was about to say. Her upper-back tensed up again at the mere thought of it. But, she needed to open up and this space they were in, filled with peace and honesty, was the best place to do so. With another deep breath, she spoke softly with sadness and seriousness mixed together on her face and in her voice; "There's... something else that's been bothering me for a long time now..." The other girls' focus on Sunset was doubled in strength upon hearing this as she went on to admit; "Sometimes, when I'm alone with my thoughts or I feel especially vulnerable..." Her hands clench tightly as she finished while a twisted cackle, produced by one of her most painful memories, echoed in her mind; "I hear her voice in my head." Sunset could feel a powerful tension created from her words fill the room like smoke from a bonfire. The reactions from most of the other girls were clear and pronounced. Fluttershy held both of her hands up to her chin as if silently praying, Rarity covered her mouth in a vain attempt to muffle her horrified gasp, Applejack took her stetson off of her head with both hands and lowered it down to her chest, Pinkie Pie quickly pulled a cupcake with frosting that matched Sunset's colors out from her hair with her right hand and placed it on the center of the table, and Rainbow Dash cracked her neck and knuckles as if she was readying herself for a scrap. They all showed to Sunset looks of genuine concern for their friend, which she greatly appreciated. She looked over at Twilight, who was giving her a look that was remarkably different compared to that of the others: a knowing somber expression. It didn't take long for Sunset to make an educated guess. The two dear friends locked unblinking eyes on each other, comforting each other without saying a word. The others gave them three seconds before walking up to them and wrapping them up in a group hug that they both happily sank into. Once the hug was broken up, the rest of the girls returned to their seats, with Sunset and Twilight discovering that Pinkie had placed a second cupcake next to the one that was meant for the Equestrian. This one had frosting that matched Twilight's hair color. With grateful smiles aimed at the winking party planner, they took the cupcakes and eagerly devoured them, much to Pinkie's giggly joy. Applejack was the first to respond to Sunset's admission; "We ain't judgin' ya' none, sugarcube.", she told her with a friendly glare that was as honest as her words. The troubled coat-less mare could easily tell that the others thought the same, given the smiles they showed her. With a strong sense of ease flowing through her being, she made it a point to clear up a potential and understandable assumption before it could be voiced; "Before anyone asks: no, the raging she-demon is not trying to possess me." The tension from earlier disappeared thanks to the girls' combined audible exhaling that was filled with relief. A frown appeared on Sunset's face as she went on with a more somber tone of voice; "But, her voice still haunts my mind from time to time. I won't lie to you: she spoke up during our talk after the Memory Stone Incident and sweet Celestia, she was angry." Her voice gained more strength and feeling when she exclaimed; "She wanted me to drop you all like a bunch of bad habits!" Gasps rang out from the circle of friends who sat with her. They all wanted to make some kind of helpful comment to ease her heart, but they knew Sunset wasn't done yet, so they kept quiet to let her speak her peace. She did exactly that, her sideways smirk shown with pride; "But, you know that's not how I work.", she said with clear confidence. The other Rainbooms smiled upon hearing this detail. They all knew, and appreciated, just how faithful she was to her friends. She wasn't done yet though, for she went on as her smirk gave way to a sad frown and a regretful tone; "I'm sorry for not telling you all about this sooner. I wanted to, but... I had to work up the courage first." She fell silent for a few seconds, which prompted Applejack to tell her sweetly, her hat back on her head; "Ya' needed time to get that courage of yours built up, there ain't anythin' wrong with that." The others nodded their heads in approval, much to Sunset's sweet relief. As tempting as it was to be a little smug towards the demonic voice in her head, she decided to not poke that mental bear for now. Instead, she gave the girls a warm smile and elaborated further with renewed surety; "I haven't been sitting on my flank, though! I've been trying to figure out the nature behind this wicked voice in my brain ever since our talk. So far, I haven't found anything conclusive." With a quick playful wink, she added; "At least it's not a magical problem." The girls laughed together over her joke for a bit. Sensing an opportunity, Twilight chimed in; "Have you looked into the scientific aspect of your predicament?", she asked inquisitively. Sunset shook her head and answered with a sigh while looking right at her intelligent friend; "Yeah, I figured the science of mental health would give me some answers, I mean..." She stretched her arms straight out from her sides to gesture to the whole group while adding; "What do you think we're all tackling here?" The girls nodded their heads, some of them chuckle a little, before Sunset continued on; "Learning about the emotional side of it has done my short temper a world of favors. But, other than that, I haven't found much useful info yet." She groaned while facepalming herself with her right hand and tilting her head downward. Twilight could not help but gently place her left hand on her right shoulder before responding in a soft understanding voice; "I know what you mean, Sunset. Mental health, as a topic, has so many different notions, connotations, aspects, misinformation, and a whole bunch of other things connected to it that it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction." Sunset kept her head low and her right hand on her face as she noted in soft annoyance; "Don't get me started on the misinformation, Twi. I'm amazed I found helpful anger management tips online!" At that moment, she heard the rough scraping of metal on wood come from the table. She looked up to see that Rarity had moved her candlestick to the center to have it rest near Sunset's. She gazed at the fashionista's calm face as she chimed in with proper nobility while gazing back at her amber friend; "Your issue reminds me of my own, darling, for I have found my own progress to be held back as of late as well." Sunset's face showed concern for her as she asked; "What's holding you back, Rarity? We'd be happy to help you." A grateful smile was expertly painted on Rarity's face while she answered truthfully; "While I have become better equipped to manage my emotions when matters become tense, when it comes to dealing with my issues concerning the Sunset of old..." She pondered silently for a moment to collect her thoughts on the matter and added while an old regret replaced her smile; "A mental block has kept me from truly making peace with our shared past. One that has taken a most..." She shuddered in fright before finishing; "Dreadful form." Before Sunset could comfort Rarity, Applejack pushed her candlestick towards the center as well and noted with a sigh and a apologetic look aimed right at her fiery friend; "Ah've hit a mental block like that as well." Rainbow Dash added her candlestick to the growing circle at the center; "Same.", she declared regretfully. "Me too.", noted Pinkie Pie, her hair losing a tiny portion of its poofiness as she moved her candlestick as well. Fluttershy did the same with a soft whimper, the nearly tearful glare pointed at Sunset screaming "I'm so sorry!". The former bully knew exactly what that block was for them, which she described with a voice filled with years' worth of internalized guilt as she closed her eyes and lowered her head in shame; "The she-demon." But, as heavy as the guilt felt within her mind and heart, she would not let it crush her now, not when her friends needed her. She looked back up at them with eyes fired up by determination and waited for them to open up further. Rainbow Dash was the first. She groaned loudly before exclaiming out of sheer annoyance; "Every time I try to even think about the Old Sunset, the demon shows up in my head like a lame jump scare!" That got a frustrated grunt from Applejack, who noted with crossed arms; "It's like that demonic varmint don't want us to find peace. Well, that makes me wanna find peace even more, dangnabit." "The d-d-demon is so scary!", whimpered Fluttershy, her arms wrapped around her waist out of sheer terror. Applejack made sure to comfort her faster than her pony counterpart could gallop; "Now don't ya' worry none, sugarcube. We'll solve this problem together, just like we did with all of the others!", she told her with an honest smile. Fluttershy looked back at the farmer with relief washing over her demeanor, a tiny grin forming on her face for good measure. Her words lifted the other girls' spirits, Sunset's especially. Over the years, she had come to truly love those moments when her friends rose to the occasion. Rarity, with an appreciative chuckle, replied with dignity; "Quite right, Applejack! But, how do we remove this terrifying blockage so that we can make progress once more?" As the girls thought on that question, Sunset couldn't help but notice that, of the five affected by the block, Pinkie Pie was the only one who didn't say a word. Upon looking over at her, she found that the party planner was staring her down with narrow eyes and a serious frown. The sight of this made Sunset wince a little before settling down. Pinkie didn't look angry, thankfully, but it was rare to see her look so serious. The poofiness of her hair was back at its usual level by this point. Looking down slightly, however, Sunset noticed that her friend's pink hands, which rested behind her candlestick on the table, were rapidly switching between clenching tightly and relaxing fully. The mare of two worlds was about to try to help Pinkie out when she heard one more candlestick get pushed to the center of the table: Twlight's. All eyes turned towards the scientist, who looked at each of them with somber regret in her eyes. Pinkie's hands relaxed again and remained so, her serious face dropped to focus on helping Twilight. With determination pushing her forward and friendship keeping her mind grounded, she explained; "My own mental block is keeping me from making peace with my... checkered history with Crystal Prep. Granted, that dance contest was a major boon for me on an emotional level, for I've been building up a strong friendly rapport with the Shadowbolts team ever since." Twilight took a deep breath and sighed audibly before finishing; "Regardless, that block actively hinders my progress, and she has glasses wreathed in magical flame." Her six friends quietly gave her their support with warm smiles and caring eyes, which she eased her mind more effectively than words could describe. Sunset decided to make a comment of her own in a calm fashion; "So, for different reasons, we are all blocked by the demons that represent our troubling past..." They all went back to pondering in silence for a few seconds until Rarity came up with an idea that she saw fit to express; "Perhaps another perspective may help us find a solution?" Just hearing that alone was enough for Sunset to get an idea of her own, one that produced an excited grin on her face. The grin got her friends' immediate attention, with Pinkie asking gleefully; "What's making you so happy, Sunset?" Her grin morphing into her familiar sideways smirk, she looked at each of the girls while answering confidently; "I know someone in CHS who can give us a different perspective on things." She turned her focus on a curious Twilight before warning her; "I should stress, Twi: this girl's take on things will be really different from what your used to." The bookworm giggled a little and replied with confidence; "True, but you would not have suggested her if she couldn't assist us in a meaningful way." Her face changed to form a determined and serious glare as she declared; "Besides, we made a Pinkie Promise to heal the wounds we've carried all these years, Sunset. Sticking to one perspective won't help me keep it." Her words touched the hearts of every Rainboom present, with Rainbow Dash yelling out with excitement and pride filling her voice; "I like that spirit a lot, Sci-Twi!" The rest of the girls showed her support as well, with Applejack asking Sunset after tipping her Stetson to Twilight; "Alright then, sugarcube, who do ya' have in mind? One of them drama folks?" "One of the athletes? I know a few from that old clique.", Rainbow suggested excitedly. "One of my fellow fashionistas, perhaps?", chimed in Rarity with a graceful flick of her hair. "Um... maybe one of the eco kids?", Fluttershy asked nervously. Before anyone else could make another suggestion, Sunset added a hint of slyness and anticipation to her smirk while looking right at the animal-lover and answered her with a chuckle; "I'll do you one better: the eco kid." It was all Fluttershy could do to keep herself from squealing in delight over this new information. Instead, she allowed a giant ear-to-ear smile to form on her face. The five other Rainbooms, however, looked more perplexed than enthusiastic. Rainbow Dash put their confusion into words that she chose more carefully than usual out of respect to the nature of this check-in; "Look, I'm all for us getting extra help from a Wondercolt. But, how's she gonna help us out?" Sunset's sideways smirk grew more and more in silence, which did little to help clear the confusion in five of her friends' minds. As for Fluttershy, her joyful excitement over what was coming became stronger along with Sunset's smirk. As she explained herself to group, their minds payed attention to not just their Pinkie Promise and what was being discussed, but also to what they were going to talk about with a certain movie club later that day.