//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 - A Club Provoked. A Friend Down River. 
// Story: Spring Surprises 
// by TheGJ90 
//------------------------------//

The CMCs were consoling Twist while Big Mac darted out of the clubhouse to get a first aid kid from the house. They, along with a terribly concerned Twilight and Flash, carefully escorted the teary-eyed redhead to Octavia's seat, which she gladly gave to her. The pair were right there with her, ready to help at a moment's notice, when Twist sat down while sniffing profusely. She looked distraught and hurt all at once, the bruises on her body adding to the miserable effect. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got down on one knee from each side of her chair and held her hands with a kind of gentleness that helped to soothe the troubled creator of confections. As for Scootaloo, she did for Twist what Rainbow Dash used to do for her years ago. She walked up to her friend and, with a big smile, slowly placed her right hand on her left shoulder while mentally readying herself to back off should Twist pull away. The tearful girl looked right at her orange friend, her breathing becoming less erratic than before. Once it was clear that she did not object to what she was doing, Scootaloo carefully tested the waters further by placing her left hand on her right shoulder. Twist started to relax a little, which gave the caring young lady the signal to proceed by looking her dead in the eyes. The two kept their eyes locked on one another as Scootaloo carefully lowered her head to rest her forehead on Twist's, an act that the girl who sorely needed some comfort gratefully allowed. Rainbow Dash saw what was happening and, knowing precisely what was up, gave her little buddy a proud smirk. Twist's breathing became steadier by the second, but the girl before her was not done. Scootaloo, with a softness that was rarely used in public, told to Twist, her smile still on point;

"The trouble has passed, little buddy."

The sweetness in her voice was like a balm to Twist's heart and mind, both of which were also helped by the trust between the two kids. The tightness in her muscles that she had carried with her all the way to the clubhouse had finally started to ease up as the go-getter before her went on with closed eyes and a softer tone;

"Let it be the past."

Through sheer instinct, the redhead's breathing began to synchronize with hers, a sense of calm forming within her being as she too shut her eyes. Scootaloo recognized this and gave her several seconds of quiet before finishing with pure goodwill in every whispered word;

"You are safe... You are safe..."

Everyone else watched this play out, relief setting in as a tiny smile as sweet as candy formed on Twist's tear-stained face. The two friends breathed as one in utter silence for a good ten seconds before breaking up and opening their eyes. They looked at each other with eyes filled with friendship before Twist showed her helper some honest gratitude;

"Thank you."

The daredevil responded by bumping her chest with her right fist. Twist looked around the room and shared her gratitude with the others;

"Thank you all.", she said happily, her tiny smile growing little by little. The people around her showed her looks of love and goodwill, with Pinkie doing standing hops in celebration while looking quite gleeful to match. Granny Smith made sure to walk up to Twist and ruffle her hair with her right hand, which made her giggle. Scootaloo stepped back a bit to give the two space while watching the scene unfold with joy in her heart. She watched as the oldest Apple told Twist with the sweetness of a grandmother;

"Don't ya' worry none, sugarcube. Ya' got good folks 'ere that'll help ya' out."

Her mood had quickly improved upon hearing this, as evidenced by her now large grin and eyes made bright by hope. She gave Granny Smith a warm hug, which she reciprocated before taking a few steps back, allowing Sunset to make her way over to the bespectacled girl. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, upon seeing this, instantly moved to join Scootaloo. All three movie buffs could not bare the thought of interrupting what was one of their favorite things to see:

Sunset being Sunset.

She got down on her right knee directly in front of Twist. They looked at each other with smiles all around as the former carefully took the latter's hands into hers. It was as if Sunset was silently guiding her mind to a peaceful state with nothing more than gentleness, goodwill, and eye contact. The redhead's face winced a little as her injuries were slightly inflamed for a moment by the physical movement of her arms, only to relax once the pain settled back down. Upon closer inspection, it was clear to Sunset that most of her bruises were on her arms, with only one large bruise on her right cheek. It was amazing that her glasses were left unharmed, given what little she knew at the time. Before any inquiries on the matter could be made, however, the clubhouse door was kicked open by the right boot of Big Mac, who came rushing in while carrying a white first-aid kit with a red cross on the center of the lid. Sensing this, Sunset thought it best to move off to the side to make room for the Apple of few words, so that he could tend to Twist. While this was going on, she walked over to Flash, who was watching all of this unfold while leaning on the wall where the list used to be, and asked him with concern oozing from her face and voice;

"What happened to her, Flash?"

With an exasperated sigh, he told her as seriously and calmly as he could;

"Gilda happened."

Just like that, the whole room turned tenser than a rubber band stretched to the limit. Winona and Spike growled upon hearing the bully's name, while Ray expressed an extremely rare frown. Almost hearing the alarm bells in her head ring like crazy, Sunset quickly turned her entire body to face the CMCs, who were standing in a row together some steps away from Twist. They practically spun their bodies to face the Equestrian. Right then and there, she saw something on the kids' faces that she did not expect from them. Their eyelids were wide open, their pupils shrunken to the size of pinpricks while their irises remained at their normal sizes, and their mouths arched to form frowns as clear as day. They breathed slowly while clenching their fists, as if readying themselves for a fight. For a whole two seconds, the CMCs' faces kept up this appearance that stunned their Phoenix Friend until their expressions changed to show calm worry, their pupils back to their original size and their hands relaxed once more. Throughout this short time-span, they were staring off at no one in particular. Now, their attention was fixed on Sunset and Flash. The former was quick to notice that since the Rainbooms and the other guests were behind the kids, they did not see what had happened with them. Flash asked Twist before his amber friend could say anything in response to what she had just witnessed;

"You're okay with me telling the story?"

Even though the girl's damaged arms were being cared for by Big Mac, she could still look over at the guy who brought her to the clubhouse and nodded to give him her blessing. Without further ado, and with all eyes on him, he told the tale;

"I was jogging down the street earlier today when I had gotten a notification on my phone. It was a Bedlam DM from Octavia that said..."

He pulled his smartphone out from his right pants pocket with his right hand, raised the screen up to his face, and with swift swipes and presses with his thumb, he brought up the DM in question. He then read it aloud to his audience;

"This is a CHS Student Emergency. Gilda's back and she seeks to hurt others once again. Let no Wondercolt or those close to them walk alone so long as she's acting as a bully. That is all."

Twist gave Octavia a smile full of appreciation that the others were quick to match. She smiled back at them before motioning to Flash to continue. With a breath, he did so;

"As soon as I read the message, I looked around where I was at for any student who needed a buddy. I found myself getting closer to what I knew was a dead end road when I heard Gilda yell out; 'You're friends with those cowards?!' I ran as fast as I could and there she was, yelling at Twist while punching her arms at the dead end!"

"How utterly brutish of her!", exclaimed a mortified Rarity. Flash nodded before the frown he was rocking up till now turned into a grin. He then added to his tale;

"Yeah, but Twist was talking back at her, telling her 'They earned my friendship, you jerk!', even as she was getting beat up by her! I stomped over to the two, looking to stop Gilda before she could do any lasting harm. She managed to get a punch in on Twist's face while yelling at her 'All they've earned is a beating!' before I shoved the punk away."

He crossed his arms and allowed frustration to form on his face before finishing;

"She decided to run off instead of causing more trouble. Sweet Apple Acres was closest to us, so I got my pal here in a flash."

When that dork used his name as a pun in such a serious fashion, everyone else in the room knew that he was not in a joking mood. The CMCs turned right around in unison and walked up to Twist as Big Mac moved aside after he finished tending to her wounds. Apple Bloom declared to her with a soothing grateful voice that held a heaping helping of friendliness;

"We appreciate ya' standin' up for us."

She looked at each of her fellow club members and asked them with a big smile;

"Don't we, ya'll?"

The trio gave Twist beaming smiles as Sweetie Belle answered happily and with a voice crack;

"Yes we do! You were so brave!"

"And awesome too!", exclaimed Scootaloo.

Twist's smile had grown well beyond the level of tiny by this point. With surety in her eyes and signature lisp, she told them;

"Friends stand up for each other. You'd do the same for me."

She got a movie club hug for that comment, which the trio gave to her while being careful to not inflame her bruises. She relaxed into the comfort the hug provided, letting it wash over her like a wave of good vibes as a peaceful sigh escaped her lips. Everyone else watched this adorable scene unfold, unwilling to interrupt it for the life of them. Just the sight of it eased the tension in the room, with Winona's happy barks and Ray's renewed smile kicking it to the curb. Once the hug was released, Sunset asked Twist calmly;

"Would you like to tell us your side of the story?"

The candy lover felt all eyes fall on her, which hardly dampened her newly risen spirits. Her smile still holding strong, she suggested to her bacon-haired friend;

"I'll do you one better..."

She then raised her bruised right arm to hold it straight at Sunset. Her palm was aimed at the ceiling with her fingers uncurled and relaxed. The beloved Wondercolt knew exactly what Twist was silently suggesting and so did the others, who looked at her with wide eyes. With a gentle grin and a nod, Sunset walked up to her and got down on her right knee to be at the kid's level. Sunset made her intention clear in her mind before gently grabbing Twist's right hand with hers. After taking a deep breath, she willed her geode magic to activate, causing her eyes to be utterly filled with a bright white light: the tell-tale sign that her memory magic was at work.





Twist was walking down the street when the seeing the dead end road to her left fueled her curiosity. She had traveled this street so many times before and yet, she had not once ventured towards this dead end. So, she decided to see what was present there real quick before returning to her usual walk home. Once she walked passed an alleyway on the left side of the road, however, a certain feminine voice called to her from the shadows that place created;

"Sup?"

Twist turned to her left to see who was getting her attention. She may not have instantly recognized the voice, but she could never forget the face of its owner, who stepped out of the shadows.

"Gilda...", she responded with a mixture of awe and fear in her voice. The kid remembered well what that Griffon could do when provoked. The Griffon herself was glaring at her with a confident smirk on her face. Her eyes, much to Twist's surprise, did not so much as hint at ill intent. Even so, the redhead kept some distance from the bully, who told her with a chuckle;

"I was exploring my old stomping grounds when I caught you here."

With a shrug, she added while Twist took one step back;

"Figured I'd see how you're doing. After all..."

Gilda took one step forward, her smirk morphing into a frown as she declared;

"The thing that drove me to leave Canterlot City had hurt you too."

She spoke with a voice that was surprisingly filled with understanding and... concern? Twist wasn't sure on that last one. Still, she saw a chance to get away from a dangerous person peacefully and promptly took it by telling her nervously;

"Well, I'm glad you understand that much, but I need to get home before my parents get worried for me."

Twist was quite happy to not be insulted over her lisp that day! To her intense relief, Gilda nodded before responding;

"Yeah yeah, can't have the folks get bees up their butts, I get it."

Seizing the opportunity, Twist turned to walk back the way she came. She had managed to take two steps before the bully declared with a combination of venom and pride that made her shiver internally;

"I'll make sure to shove a candy cane down those brats' throats for the both of us."

All thoughts of going home were instantly tossed aside by Twist's mind to make way for a single, all-encompassing thought. It was this thought that drove her to turn right around, stomp over to Gilda, and look her dead in her eyes. With gritted teeth, she told her as calmly as she could while giving her a truly angry glare;

"Don't you dare hurt them over what they did."

The Griffon was taken aback by her words for a moment or two before she recollected herself. With a scowl of her own, she asked her out of annoyance;

"Really? You're going to defend them? The girls who hurt you?"

All pretense of politeness was clearly dropped by Gilda, while Twist kept her sense of friendship alive within her, even as her rising terror sought to override it. Her legs were shaking, trembling even, but her feet were kept still thanks to that single thought that guided her actions:

Do the right thing.

So, with fire in her eyes, she did exactly that;

"Yes!", she exclaimed to the bully, her fists clenched for good measure. She managed to raise her arms up quickly enough to protect her face, but not before she took one good smack to her right cheek from Gilda's left fist. Sunset did not want, or need, to see any more of this to understand her friend's plight. The last thing she saw before pulling out from Twist's memory was the Griffon's eyes, which were filled with furious contempt from her angled eyebrows to her shrunken pupils and irises.





From the moment the memory magic stopped, Sunset wrapped Twist tightly in her arms, as if she was shielding her from some unseen threat, while complementing her with soft sweetness;

"Oh, you brave girl!"

She made sure to not accidentally make her wounds sting as she hugged her. Twist, with a grateful giggle, gladly hugged her back while feeling quite protected. For a solid thirty minutes to an hour, Twist found herself having fun with everyone else in the clubhouse:

Enjoying sugary sweets with Pinkie Pie.

Doing the robot sans music with DJ-P0N3 and Twilight.

Playing with Spike, Ray, and Winona.

Making jokes with Sunset, Flash Sentry, and Rainbow Dash.

Having a drink of fizzy apple cider with Applejack and Big Mac.

Playing with cute birds alongside Fluttershy.

Chatting it up with Rarity, Granny Smith, and Octavia over a cup of tea.

By the time she was talking movies with the CMCs after giving Ray a head pat, she had almost forgotten about her scuffle with Gilda. Now, she was standing with the movie buffs several steps away from the podium;

"Ah've been meanin' to give the fourth Pirates film a shot for a long time now.", noted Apple Bloom, her excitement at the thought of watching a film from a movie series she loved evident on her beaming face. With a slight chuckle, she added sheepishly;

"Ah just haven't gotten around to watchin' it yet."

Sweetie Belle chimed in while holding her chin with her right hand to ponder;

"Hmmm, I think its name is On Stranger Tides."

Scootaloo, with an excited hop, added with glee;

"You know I'm always up for watching a Pirates film. They're so cool and fun!"

As enjoyable as it was for Twist to listen to her three friends geek out over films, she figured it best to address the elephant in the room. With a bit of nervousness, she told them;

"Actually... I've never seen the Pirates films before."

The CMCs froze in silence for a moment before sharply turning their heads to face her with eyes wide with shock. With a unified deep breath, they yelled out together;

"WHAT?!"

Twist was clearly taken aback by her friends' shared reaction. Startled, but not at all angered. Before the girls could pounce on her, however, Apple Bloom, who stood between her two pals, held her arms out from her sides with her eyes closed to hold them back. Catching the hint, they calmed themselves right down, with their leader following suit with another deep breath before opening her eyes again. Once they were settled, the young Apple addressed the revelation with a look of pure sweetness and excitement fired directly at Twist;

"Sugarcube, we're gonna solve that problem together one of these days, ya' hear?"

The rest of the trio had big smiles of their own, which conspired with Apple Bloom's to chase away Twist's nervousness. After giving them a quick nod, she turned her attention to Flash, who stood behind her alongside the others, and told him;

"I'll need to head home soon."

Flash gave her a thumbs up while noting to the group;

"Before we got here, I called her parents to let them know I was watching her, so they know she's safe"

He then gave Twist a quick smirk before admitting;

"Still, it would be good to take you home."

With that settled, the young girl said her goodbyes to everyone and, after getting one last carefully applied group hug from the CMCs, she left the clubhouse with Flash Sentry in tow. The last thing she saw before closing the door behind her was the beaming grins shown by Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle as they stood at the doorway.

It took five seconds from the moment the door was shut for those smiles to slowly fade, giving way to looks of shared anger, their clenched fists twitching rapidly. Scootaloo began to express that powerful emotion on her club's behalf with a soft frustrated voice;

"Gilda..."

Just hearing her speak was enough to get the attention of the other folks behind the trio. They watched as the orange daredevil who could never forget a bully's sting exclaimed angrily;

"A person should know better!"

She punctuated her point by slamming the side of her right fist on the door with a loud bang that made everyone else wince a bit at the sudden noise. By this time, Twilight had found herself standing alongside Sunset a few steps behind the kids, specifically at her right side. Terribly concerned, she kept her eyes locked on Scootaloo, who stood as still as a statue while taking audible deep breaths to soothe her anger. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were already trying to calm her down with gentle pats on her shoulders. Twilight was about ready to step in herself when a sigh from Sunset got her attention. The two friends looked at each other before the Equestrian declared to the egghead with calm worry on her face;

"This is just a taste of the pain that Gilda can cause."

With another, more resigned sigh, she added with a hint of somberness;

"Especially when emboldened by her hatred."

As she spoke, Rainbow Dash decided to take action for the kids' sake. Sunset looked right at the young woman in question as she walked over to Scootaloo and hugged her from behind after getting down on both knees. Applejack and Rarity joined her to hold their own sisters close as well. Needless to say, the CMCs appreciated this gesture. Whilst they sank into the warm embrace of her kin, Apple Bloom declared with sadness in every word;

"We gotta stop that mean ol' bird. Ah mean, Gilda's got every right to be angry with us... But, that don't excuse what she's been doin'!"

She wiggled out of the hug and turned to face Applejack, her big watery eyes about ready to shed tears as she exclaimed;

"Two wrongs don't make a right, ya'll!"

"I agree!", declared a clearly unhappy Sweetie Belle, who got out of Rarity's hug as well to look her in the eyes before adding with voice cracks filled with indignation;

"Hurting us is one thing, but to hurt our friends as well, and over what?! What we did to the school?! That's not fair!"

Scootaloo, after wiggling out of Rainbow Dash's tight grip, turned to face her sister-at-heart, and yelled out to her with righteous frustration all over the kid's face;

"Don't even get me started on what Gilda did to you, Rainbow!"

The anger on her face melted into warm appreciation and love for the cyan teenager who knelt before her. With a smile that was just as loving, Scootaloo told her simply;

"You're a loyal and awesome friend..."

Those heartfelt words produced a smile on Rainbow's face, which got wiped away by the return of her ward's anger as she finished with a yell;

"That jerk isn't!"

The older folks watched with supportive glares as the CMCs expressed their discontent over Gilda's actions. They all knew well their refusal to let injustice slide. Sunset, however, felt compelled to do more than just watch. The kids' anger was understandable to her, yes. But, though it came from a place of goodwill, the former bad girl dreaded what that feeling could lead them to do without guidance.

She was not one to let history repeat itself if she could help it.

Sunset walked over to Rainbow Dash's back and gently placed her right hand on her right shoulder. This prompted her to turn her head to look at her, curiosity filling her red eyes. Calmly, the amber-skinned girl offered to the trio of big sisters;

"May I speak with the kids for a moment, girls?"

Rarity and Applejack looked at her as well. After a whole second, all three sisters nodded in agreement before standing back up to walk out of their friend's way, allowing her to get down on both knees to face the CMCs at as close to their level as possible. With her sideways smirk brought out to ease the tension, she suggested confidently;

"Movie Club Huddle."

The three club members had been giving their beloved friend curious glares, their anger having retreated deep within their minds in the face of Sunset's close proximity to them. Once the huddle was declared, curiosity gave way to budding excitement as the trio held each other's shoulders as well as Sunset's, while she held onto Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's. They all got closer together to complete the huddle, prompting the Honorary Club Member to give her three young pals some advice with a voice just loud enough for the people behind her to hear;

"Right now, you can't control what that foal in a mare's body does."

The kids had let a short giggle slip upon hearing that insult as she went on;

"But, what you can control is what you do about it, how you choose to handle her."

She gave them a knowing wink before adding with goodwill and seriousness mixed together in harmony;

"Make sure you choose wisely."

The CMCs reacted with sheepish grins while she declared with a level of sweetness comparable to that of a loving relative;

"And never forget to think with your heads..."

The kids finished her sentence for her with knowing smiles and warmth in their unified voices;

"And our hearts."

The huddle quickly transformed into a group hug as Applejack belted out a hearty laugh before declaring with pride;

"Well said, ya'll!"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash were no less happy for those four girls, with the latter giving them a thumbs up and a smirk oozing with confidence. The former, by contrast, expressed her joy with more dignity and grace as she spoke happily while giving each CMC a look of honest love as they and Sunset broke out of the hug;

"I am quite thrilled to see how much you three have grown."

Twilight, at that point, had walked over the CMCs and told them with understanding and support in her eyes and voice;

"I, too, know how much it hurts to be bullied, how it feels to want a bully to stop hurting people."

A smile grew upon her face before she finished;

"I'll do what I can to help stop Gilda, so long as we're using morally sound means to do so."

Big Mac responded to that comment with a gentle and strong;

"Eeyup!"

Granny Smith, after busting out one of her well known laughs, asked the kids a question;

"All right, youngin's, how do ya' wanna stand up to that varmint?"

That got her a giggle from Apple Bloom, who went on to declare confidently;

"Well, Ah know we ain't gonna sink down to her level-!"

She stopped herself near the end of her sentence when an idea popped into her head. An idea that caused her eyes to sparkle with excitement and joy, her feet stomping in place out of sheer giddiness while she giggled profusely. Her two best friends in the whole world caught this, with Scootaloo exclaiming with gusto;

"Something's got AB fired up!"

Sweetie Belle chimed in excitedly, her voice cracking adorably;

"What's the plan, Apple Bloom?"

The young Apple took a couple of quick breaths to steady herself enough to respond;

"It ain't no plan yet. It's just an idea that needs fleshin' out.", she clarified to them. She then turned her attention to Applejack and told her with that sweet Apple honesty filling her voice;

"The three of us can get the details on this 'ere idea of mine ironed out. After that, we can pass it along to all of ya'll for inspection tomorrow when our afternoon chores are done. We won't go puttin' this to work without your approval!"

She gave the other grown-ups a loving glare before aiming it at her two friends. She then asked them;

"How's that sound to ya'?"

"It sounds awesome!", Scootaloo declared happily. Sweetie Belle nodded her head in agreement, her cautious mind grateful that they weren't going to jump headfirst into trouble without a plan.

This time, at least.

"Indeed!", added Octavia, her face beaming with pride for the kids as she walked up to them. After Sunset stepped off to the side to make room for her, the string player stopped to stand a step or two away from the CMCs. She then told them with certainty;

"No doubt, you seek to help end that scoundrel's violent wrath in your own..."

Octavia chuckled as memories that were both fond and wild came to mind before she continued;

"Unique fashion."

"Would ya' expect anythin' less from us, Tavi?", asked Apple Bloom confidently while placing her hands on her sides to make herself look sassy, although all she did was increase her adorableness by a factor of ten. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were quick to give their dignified friend knowing smirks, to which she responded with a reserved chuckle. Granny Smith, who was listening closely to the entire conversation, made sure to warn the kids with a calm yet stern voice that served to strengthen her narrow glare;

"Now, barin' emergencies, ya'll better not do a thing about Gilda without our say-so, ya' hear? That girl is a danger to others, after all."

The CMCs nodded at the old Apple and told her in honest unison;

"Yes ma'am!"

Her narrow glare melted with relief as she nodded back at them. Apple Bloom started leading her fellow club members back to the podium when Twilight spoke up once more, albeit more nervously;

"I should tell you now before we proceed, kids..."

The trio stopped to look right at her. The egghead was holding her right left arm with her right hand out of nerves and worry as she explained;

"I was informed of your Great Crusade by Pinkie Pie earlier."

The CMCs sharply turned their heads to give an apologetic Pinkie a look of surprise before Twilight, who had sensed danger, got their attention;

"She-she didn't give the details, mind you!", she exclaimed with a slight stutter before taking a quick breath as the kids looked back at her. Once she was settled, she elaborated further;

"She only gave me the general gist of it. I do not know the story behind your terrible mistake."

The kids walked over to Pinkie Pie while carefully navigating passed multiple people and stood a few inches away from her. For two seconds, they looked at the party planner with a neutral stoic expression that drove her to express a growing sadness on her face, her hair nearly completely deflated. After that, their faces formed giant smiles that swept Pinkie's sadness away within an instant, her hair regaining its vibrant poofiness. Apple Bloom spoke on her club's behalf;

"Thanks for respectin' our Pinkie Promise, sugarcube!", she told the party planner with happiness and love in every word she uttered. The whole trio got pounced upon by an overjoyed Pinkie, who wrapped them up in a big hug that they were fine with relaxing into. Of course, they could only enjoy it for about two seconds before she released them and started hopping around them. As she committed each action, she exclaimed in rapid-fire glee;

"I'm so glad I didn't make you sad or angry! I would never disrespect a Pinkie Promise, because disrespecting a Pinkie Promise is just as bad as breaking one and I refuse to hurt anyone in such a horrible way!"

The CMCs watched their peppy pink friend bounce about, content with enjoying the sight for a spell. It wasn't long, however, before Sunset moved over to Pinkie and gently grabbed both of her hands to non-verbally signal to her that she needed to calm down. Thankfully, she recognized the sign and did exactly that, her bubbly smile holding strong. Whilst Sunset proceeded to engage in some small talk with Pinkie, Apple Bloom decided to ask Twilight with a calm serious look;

"Speakin' of Pinkie Promises, ya'll made any progress with keepin' yours?"

That question got every Rainboom's attention within a second of it being uttered. All seven pairs of eyes were locked on Apple Bloom, with Granny Smith, Big Mac, Octavia, and DJ-P0N3 aiming their glares at Twilight. Both girls couldn't tell which one of them felt more nervous, honestly. Thankfully, Rarity was quick to ease things up for them by answering graciously while giving the young Apple a loving smile;

"Each of us has made great strides in that regard. However..."

Her smile turned into a frown as she finished with a dramatic sigh;

"A mental roadblock stands between us and taking the next step on our road to self-healing."

The CMCs felt worry rise within their hearts. Sweetie Belle was the first to express it;

"What would stop you from inside of your minds?", she asked while giving her big sister a most concerned glare. Within a nano-second, the three children figured out the answer and promptly gasped in shock over it. Scootaloo spoke with a shaky voice, afraid for the seven teenagers who looked back at her and her friends with an old sadness in their eyes;

"You're talking about..."

"Midnight Sparkle and...", Sweetie Belle added with just as much fear in her voice as Scootaloo's. Matching them both was Apple Bloom, who along with her two friends, finished their shared thought;

"The she-demon!"

They made sure to give each and every Rainboom present a hug that helped to chase away their sadness, with extra tight ones given to Sunset and Twilight. Once the hugs were delivered, Rainbow Dash declared to the trio with renewed confidence radiating from her smirk;

"Don't you worry, squirts, we're too awesome to give up!"

Fluttershy, with a voice as soft as a fluffy pillow, elaborated on her childhood friend's point with her usual level of shyness, albeit mixed with a hint of building excitement;

"Yes, well, we're going to visit a fellow student after this meeting, to, um, see if she can help us."

The CMCs's shared fear got kicked into space as Scootaloo pumped her right fist with refreshed exuberance and responded happily;

"Ah yeah! Wondercolt reinforcements!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were positively beaming over this news. Octavia, out of curiosity, politely asked the band;

"Who are you visiting, exactly?"

Her beloved DJ tilted her head to her right side to silently express her own curiosity. Feeling everyone else's eyes fall upon her, Fluttershy's nerves shot through the roof. Before she could retreat into herself, however, Twilight stepped in to answer on her behalf, albeit while feeling quite nervous herself;

"We are visiting a person who, apparently, has helped Sunset in the past: An ecological enthusiast by the name of Tree Hugger."

Sunset let a knowing smirk grow on her face as she watched the CMCs's smiles erupt in size upon hearing that name. Apple Bloom did a quick bounce before exclaiming with hope in her words while gazing at each Rainboom;

"Ya'll made a mighty smart choice, Ah tells ya'!"

"Yeah, Tree Hugger's a really sweet lady!", noted Sweetie Belle with a joyful nod. Scootaloo chimed in with gusto, sparkles gleaming in her eyes;

"She'll totally help you girls out!"

Somehow, Rainbow Dash's smirk grew larger as she noted with a chuckle;

"I'm still wondering about how she'll help us, but now I'm even more interested!"

Sunset, seeing an opportunity, suggested to Octavia and DJ-P0N3;

"You two want to come along? There's some space available."

The musical couple looked at each other for a second, nodded at each other, and looked back at Sunset. Octavia, knowing exactly what was happening, moved her head to gaze at the CMCs. They were, as she expected, giving her and the DJ a trifecta of adorable pleading expressions, complete with raised upper lips and big puppy dog eyes. Satisfied and proud of her young friends, she returned her attention to Sunset and answered on the couple's behalf;

"Dearest P0N3 and I have a quiet day today, so we would be delighted to attend."

Just before the kids could cheer in celebration, Applejack stepped into make a suggestion of her own to the Equestrian;

"Well, since the youngin's have been mighty good as of late, Ah see no harm in rewardin' them by havin' them come along with us too."

She then looked over at the increasingly overjoyed CMCs and added with a wink filled with mirth;

"So long as they help us take that canoe of mine out for a spin."

The incredible amount of happiness within the bodies of the Canterlot Movie Club could not be contained any longer. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle belted out a loud and proud;

"YAY!"

Without skipping a beat, they hugged everyone in the room and busted through the clubhouse door to leave like three colored bullet trails, but not before the club leader hurriedly declared aloud;

"Meetin' adjourned!"

The smiles on everyone else's faces filled the room with happiness as one by one, they all left the clubhouse. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were the first ones to leave, determined to catch up to their younger sisters. Sunset was the last to step through the door. The moment she did, however, she saw, in her mind's eye, the memories of the CMCs giving off that unexpected look in their eyes and the fury in Gilda's eyes as she attacked Twist. Such mental images did not stop her from closing the door behind her, but as she walked down the ramp, she found that they reminded her of an old painful memory. One that drove her to shake her head in an attempt to bring herself back into the present moment. This prompted that dreadful inner voice to sing with no small amount of venom;


I'm just like you and you're just like me, yeah!


Sunset Shimmer chose to ignore that twisted voice's vile attempt at desecrating her friends' song as she kept her pace with the others.






Later that afternoon, at a river near the Everfree Forest


Three rowboats and a canoe were resting in a line on the shore of the river. The rowboats could house four people each, while the canoe could only hold up to two. On one side of the river stood the Rainbooms, the CMCs, DJ-P0N3, and Octavia Melody. The thick line of trees of the Everfree Forest stood on the other side. The cello player looked, and felt, more than a little perplexed by what they were about to do. Her significant other was not too far off in that regard, although her large tinted sunglasses hid most of her confusion. Octavia gazed at the boats before her and expressed a polite comment;

"I, quite frankly, did not expect to be partaking in a boat ride to reach our destination."

She looked over at a smiling Sunset, who stood to her right while looking back at her, and elaborated;

"I have no complaints, mind you, I simply wish to know why we are doing this."

The spirited guitar player let her smile grow a little before she answered calmly;

"Tree Hugger wants to meet us at this spot down the river that she uses to heal up and strengthen her 'spiritual self' as she puts it. That, and..."

She motioned to the beached boats with both hands and finished;

"A boat ride sounds fun right about now!"

Satisfied with that answer, Octavia noted with a nod and a smile;

"Well, I don't know anything about a 'spiritual self', but I see no harm in relaxing on a boat."

Sunset, with a smile, motioned to the group with one tilt of her head towards the boats. Without hesitation, they carefully pushed the boats into the water, got on board, and began their journey. The lead rowboat contained Sunset, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. The rowboat behind it held Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Fluttershy, and DJ-P0N3. The third rowboat contained Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The canoe brought up the rear while holding Octavia and Apple Bloom. The cello player sat closest to the bow, while the youngest Apple in her bushel sat near the stern. The fleet of water vessels gently traversed the river, its flow giving them a bit more speed as the girls who held the paddles kept their movements under control. As the two canoeing friends kept pace with the others, Octavia could not help but look over at Sunset's boat while noting aloud;

"I had no clue that Sunset had history with Tree Hugger."

With a hearty chuckle, Apple Bloom responded with a smile;

"Yeah, that girl keeps things close to the chest."

Her smile was quickly replaced with a frown that spoke of an old hurt as her dignified companion looked back at her;

"She gets how important doin' that can be."

Octavia gave the unhappy Apple a sympathetic grin that raised her mood rather quickly. Feeling a bit chipper, Apple Bloom declared;

"Even today, mystery surrounds Sunset Shimmer like a cloud of bees swarmin' a hive."

She chuckled before smiling nostalgically;

"That reminds me of this one mystery Ah like."

Even as they talked, the pair kept their rowing steady and careful to make sure their canoe stayed aligned with the rest of the boats. With a raised right eyebrow, Octavia asked;

"Oh, perhaps you could elaborate?"

Her smile back with a vengeance, the Apple began to tell the tale, her pink bow seemingly bouncing with excitement;

"A couple of days after the Battle of the Bands, Ah'd say a day after Sunset paid the movie club a visit, the CHS Wondercolts made it their business to apologize to her for bein' so mean to her durin' that dern contest."

The typically reserved musician allowed the lingering sting of guilt to show on her face as she uttered softly;

"Yes... we all did."

It was Apple Bloom's turn to give her friend a sympathetic grin, one that Octavia deeply appreciated. She then went on with her story;

"Darn tootin'. She earned a few friendships that day. But, dealin' with one apology after another had opened up the wounds in her heart, the ones left behind by the Fall Formal Incident."

Both girls felt genuine sympathy for their shared friend as the movie buff sighed before adding;

"So, the poor girl was feelin' plum miserable by the time she met with her band-mates later that day. Durin' their talk, she asked that she be given the next day to rest up. Ya' know, recharge and think on her next moves. Bein' good friends, the Rainbooms granted her request."

Noticing a pause in the storytelling, Octavia saw fit to comment politely;

"I do not blame Sunset for needing a break. After all the trouble she had gone through up until that point, she deserved a little R&R, as it were."

Apple Bloom quickly nodded and went on with the tale;

"Her friends had the same idea. Now, the next day came and went without any trouble, but..."

She paused for dramatic effect before continuing;

"The girls heard nothin' from Sunset."

The cello player's eyes grew wide in surprise, but the Apple was far from done, for she elaborated further;

"No texts, no calls, no visits, not even a letter! Ah'm talkin' total radio silence! Thankfully, this was on a weekend, so she didn't miss school stuff. Her friends noticed the silence and figured she was just makin' sure she was restin' up completely."

The two girls took a moment to make sure their canoe was still on course and safe. After that, Octavia asked;

"So then, what happened on the day after?"

Apple Bloom's smile grew wider as she answered her with a subtle hint of excitement;

"Well, Ah'll tell ya'. The very next mornin' came and the Rainbooms were relaxin' together at one of the restaurants in the mall. Beforehand, they tried to contact Sunset again, only to get even more silence. But then, as they ate, they heard a familiar voice call out to them. They looked around and there she was, happy as can be! Not even a hint of misery to be found on her face, and as Pinkie would tell ya', her smile was real!"

That last part brought a grin to Octavia's face as she listened to her friend, who's smile was growing by the second, continue on;

"She walked up to them with a lively spring in her step. The girls welcomed her with friendly cheer, but then Rainbow Dash noticed somethin' interestin' in Sunset's right hand. She asked her what it was. Turns out, it was a piece of paper. Written on it was the first draft of lyrics to a song."

Apple Bloom's smile morphed into a confident smirk, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she challenged her friend;

"Care to guess what song that was?"

Octavia pondered this for a few moments. Seeing this and feeling quite impatient, the little farmer gave her friend a hint by skillfully whistling seven notes from the song in question. The musician's eyes grew wide upon hearing this as it all clicked in her head. She declared in soft awe;

"That song..."

"Eeyup... That song.", Apple Bloom said in soft jubilation. With a contented sigh, she added while letting one of her most treasured memories flow through her mind;

"Sunset's song."

Octavia, as the song and its music video played in her head, noted with a smile;

"It is no wonder so many in our Alma Mater are so fond of that particular piece: it speaks to the desire to move forward."

Apple Bloom looked right at her with a serious glare and responded calmly;

"That's exactly what the Rainbooms are tryin' to do, what we're all tryin' to do..."

They both checked the canoe again, only to find that they had not veered off course. With a breath, the Apple finished with a seriousness that could not be missed from a mile away;

"Move forward."

Sensing that the conversation was over with, Octavia joined her friend in focusing on the task at hand. What she could not notice was what troubled Apple Bloom's young mind;

"Hard to do that when you're past wants to be today...", she admitted internally.





The river took the fleet of boats deep into the Everfree Forest, the trees and their leaves becoming so plentiful that they almost covered the sky. The sun's light peaked through the leaves in the form of gentle god rays hitting the water and dirt. The wind became less intense the further the group of girls ventured forth. By the time they neared their destination, the air around them became practically still. Sunset, who did not have the task of rowing, pointed out the location by yelling out to the group while pointing with her right index finger;

"Tent dead ahead!"

The girls looked at what she was referring to. The tent in question appeared to be quite large and spacious compared to what was typically expected from such a thing. It was shaped like a rectangle, light-brown in color, was tall enough for Bulk Biceps to fit inside, and had a zipped up entrance facing the shoreline. It had two windows placed at either side of the entrance. They too were zipped up: a clear sign that the occupant cared for her privacy. One by one, the boats were skillfully navigated onto the shoreline without damaging their hulls, allowing them to slow down and stop on the soggy earth. The girls stepped out of their vessels, checked to make sure they were properly docked, and then walked up to the tent's entrance together, with Sunset leading the pack. She stopped within a step from the zipped door and called out;

"We're here!"

Two seconds later, the entrance was unzipped from the inside, allowing the occupant, Tree Hugger, to gently walk through it. The expression that was shown on her face could be best described as perpetually zen. Not a trace of stress could be found on any of its features. Even her smile was noticeably relaxed. Her demeanor seemed just as chill, for she carried herself with the gentle grace of a girl who was almost impossible to startle or anger. Her thick striped dreads, which were colored in light and dark shades of orange, moved through the air with equal grace. She had left her yellow bandana with white flowers in the tent, leaving her hair unusually bare. Her outfit was quite simplistic: a pink loose-fitting long sleeve shirt and a yellow skirt that reached down to just above the knees. Instead of shoes or even sandals, she was barefooted. The way she spoke to Sunset echoed her entire demeanor;

"Sunset Shimmer, I felt your fiery energy flow down the river from here!", she happily declared whilst walking over to give her a hug. The former bad girl reciprocated with a smile as she responded sweetly;

"It's good to see you, Tree Hugger."

The rest of the group appeared quite happy with this exchange between friends as the consistently chill lady ended the hug and walked over to each of the girls. With a slightly enlarged grin aimed at a gleeful Fluttershy, she declared to the rest of the band;

"You Rainbooms bring positive vibes to every place you go."

The girls smiled to show their appreciation of Tree Hugger's words, while Fluttershy took it a step further by giving her a big hug that she happily embraced. Once released, the peaceful lady walked over to the maestros of classical-step. She then gave them a glowing comment in one of her more relaxed tones;

"The music you play together moves the soul, man!"

"Such is the beauty of music, Tree Hugger.", Octavia responded with the propriety passed down to her by her family. While she did have to hold herself back from being judgemental of this lady's seemingly lax behavior, she did find it pleasing to know that the group's host had some appreciation for the musical arts. Tree Hugger's smile grew quite wide upon seeing the CMCs, who were beaming friendly grins upon her as she walked up to them. With a twinkle in her eyes, she greeted them with warmth;

"Your real smiles always make bad vibes fade away."

"Blessings!", they exclaimed in happy unison while giving her peace signs with their right hands for good measure. Feeling a little touched by this gesture, she brought out her own peace sign with her right hand and responded in voice that was both cheerful and utterly relaxed;

"Back at you, radical ones."

After she gave each movie buff a fist bump, she ushered the group into the tent. As the girls entered their host's domain one by one, Twilight, who was in the back of the line that had formed, heard a certain cruel voice in her mind comment on the unfolding situation with twisted mirth;


I wonder how that unintelligent hippie will waste our time, Sparky?


The Mad Twientist's steps were taken with strengthened purpose as she walked through the unzipped doorway, even as that voice cackled in her head like a mad doctor.