//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 - Communication and Revelation 
// Story: Spring Surprises 
// by TheGJ90 
//------------------------------//


CHS Vice-Principal's Office. Right after school earlier that day.


There, the Rainbooms sat together on the long dark blue couch that rested along the wall in Luna's office. The comfort that the couch provided, combined with the presence of the Vice-Principal herself, eased their nerves considerably. Being there for each other during this important time in their day finished the job, allowing a sense of ease to sweep over them. Even Fluttershy, who was normally a bundle of shyness, felt quite calm all things considered. All eyes were aimed at Luna, who sat on the matching recliner chair while giving the girls a gentle yet firm glare. Between them was a round light-blue table that was utterly bare. Clearly, the room was modified my its owner to prepare for the band's arrival. The eight ladies sat in silence for a whole minute before Luna greeted them with a warm grin;

"It is great that you have chosen to speak with me. Now, how are you girls doing today?"

Sunset was the first to speak up. With a smile, she answered;

"I woke up early, got to see Ray do a trick or two in his terrarium, watched Twi here introduce us to her newest invention, and made some new friends in those eighth-graders. Besides the usual stuff, like keeping up with my studies, I've been doing pretty good today."

While Fluttershy silently gushed over the adorableness that was Ray the Leopard Gecko, Applejack spoke as well with a tip of her Stetson hat to Luna;

"Ah've been doin' fine myself, actually. Chores have been manageable, family's doin' good, and the school day went off without a hitch."

The other girls had followed suit, revealing that they've also been doing fine overall. Relieved, but far from satisfied, Luna moved the discussion along;

"Let's switch gears over to the last few days. Have there been any issues during this time?"

Hearing that made the girls react in various ways. Applejack tilted her hat down to hide her face, though the grimace her mouth had formed was still visible. Rarity's eyes turned down to gaze at her lap, her face forming a forlorn frown. Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and looked off to her right side, her visible frustration hiding her own internal emotions. Pinkie Pie's hair got slightly less poofy, her sadness all over her face as she gazed at Sunset, who held her left arm with her right hand in a defensive posture. Fluttershy hugged herself while appearing as frightened and worried as she felt, her eyes shut tight. Twilight Sparkle, like Pinkie, was also looking right at Sunset, her eyes filled with concern and sadness. Luna felt for those girls, but she knew she had to give them a gentle push to speak their minds. So, with a sigh and an understanding glare, she asked with gentle firmness;

"Who among you will speak first?"

Tension filled the air in the room. The girls wanted, needed to talk about the more... intense recent events. Bringing themselves to do so, however, was difficult to say the least. Their worries and fears nearly silenced them, but it was in difficult moments such as this that the Rainbooms showed their hearts. They stood up from their spots on the couch like seven rockets, looked right at Luna, and declared with conviction in unintended unison;

"I will!"

Upon hearing each other speak, they gazed at each other for almost a second before smiles and laughter filled with understanding busted through the tension like battering rams. Luna took this moment to enjoy the mirth being expressed by her students while feeling quite proud of them. Once the laughter died down, she addressed them as they returned to their spots on the couch;

"You're willingness to talk about your troubles is a healthy sign."

She gave them a smirk before adding;

"Still, I would like to know who will speak first."

Rarity spoke up with calm dignity, her fears cast aside for the time being;

"Perhaps I will kick things off, as it were?"

The others nodded in agreement, allowing her to stand back up and speak some more;

"Yesterday, the seven of us alongside Octavia, her lady love P0N3, and the CMCs payed one of our fellow students a visit: Tree Hugger."

Hearing this prompted Luna to raise her right eyebrow out of curiosity as the tailor went on;

"We were seeking her assistance with getting a clearer idea as to the nature of our invisible scars, so that we may learn how to heal them properly. This way, we can make certain that we will not hurt someone over our past again."

She gave Sunset a regretful, yet resolute glare as she spoke.

The Vice-Principal hummed softly to herself before noting in a calm fashion;

"A sound goal... continue."

Rarity, with the occasional help from some of her friends, explained to Luna what happened during that visit. Once she was finished, she returned to the couch and, like the others, watched the educator closely while waiting for her response. Luna pondered what was revealed to her in silence for a couple of seconds before responding;

"Yes, Tree Hugger is most certainly a spiritual young woman. She is not a professional, but that does not discount the knowledge and experience she has on matters of the mind and spirit."

She smiled confidently at the girls before adding;

"So, you made a wise call by seeking out her aid. As for what you saw during your meditation session..."

Her smile faded into a frown as she continued to speak while gently glaring at the fashionista;

"Rarity, you did not share the specifics on what exactly you and your friends had witnessed when meditating. Only that it had given you all a fright terrible enough to warrant Tree Hugger's direct intervention."

Looking sheepish and feeling quite nervous, Rarity told Luna;

"My sincerest apologies, Vice-Principal! Even now, it is difficult to put such an awful fright in words."

Applejack stood up and, after giving Rarity a heart-warming smile, looked over at the trusted adult and offered;

"Ah'll explain my side of it, if that'll help my friends."

The other girls behind her nodded in agreement, with Luna giving the farmer the go-ahead;

"You may proceed then."

Applejack closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, allowed a certain dreadful memory to play out in her mind. After opening her eyes, she told Luna with a somber tone of voice while feeling fear simmer from within;

"At first, Ah was seein' the key moments in our friendship play out one by one. Good times, bad times, and the like. Ah was also feelin' the emotions Ah had felt when them memories were made, only they were plum stronger than normal."

Rainbow Dash nodded at her friend and rival, her words reminding her of her own experience. As Applejack spoke, she kept her eyes locked on Luna to make her honesty more apparent. The school official kept her silence while listening intently. The farmer felt her fear slowly rise to the surface. She shuddered a little, but she would not stop herself from speaking further, her voice becoming softer in tone;

"When Ah saw myself and my friends betray Sunset..."

The hurt that the Apple was carrying inside could be heard by everyone present when she uttered that young woman's name. Even so, she would not let her turmoil stop her;

"Ah felt... anger. Terrible anger, sadness, and pain...", she admitted with a whimper that few souls in the Human world could ever say they had heard from her. Her friends were visibly worried for Applejack as they watched her hug herself for comfort. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset were the most worried of them all, and that was saying something. But, the farmer was not done;

"Before Ah could react, the ragin' she-demon threw a fireball at my face. When she did that, Ah felt mighty afraid...", was what she uttered with a shaky soft voice before turning to give Sunset an expression filled with sadness, regret, and above all, fear. As hard as those feelings tried to make her hold her tongue, she knew in her Apple heart that she had to push forward. She had to be honest with herself. So, she did, with a pained tone;

"Just as afraid as Ah was that night..."

Everyone present knew exactly what night she was referring to. Tears welled up in her green eyes when she added with short heavy breaths while keeping her gaze fixed on Sunset, who was also doing her best to not bawl;

"Ah don't know what was more terrifyin', sugarcube: the fireball comin' at me or the threat of dyin'. Ah know, Ah wasn't actually gonna die, but still-."

That was it, that cowgirl was getting a hug, or so the mare declared in her mind as she practically pounced on Applejack, her arms wrapped tightly around her. Even through her tears and powerful emotions, the young Apple could sense what was coming. So, while wrapping her own arms around Sunset, she told her with a gentleness in her voice that was not too far off from what she had used to comfort Apple Bloom whenever she felt miserable;

"Before ya' start, ya' done apologized enough long ago, and once was enough. Ya' hear?" 

Her words soothed Sunset's heart enough to bring a smile to her amber face as she replied out of warm gratitude;

"I hear you, AJ."

To say the other girls were moved by this sight would be a gross understatement. With beaming smiles and warm hearts, they watched their two pals hug it out, with Rarity showing the most appreciation via the sparkles in her eyes. Luna, with a grin of her own, gave the two ladies props;

"It is great to see you two helping each other out."

Once Applejack and Sunset broke up the hug, the latter gave Luna a smirk and told her with utter confidence;

"It comes with being a good friend, or so I've learned."

Somehow, her confidence had spread throughout the band like the world's most helpful virus, thus easing their troubles for the moment. This gave Rainbow Dash the push she needed to stand up and speak as soon as Applejack and Sunset sat back down;

"Those feelings AJ talked about..."

She groaned out of frustration before finishing;

"I felt them too."

Pinkie Pie raised her hand while announcing with a frown, her hair stubbornly maintaining its poofiness;

"Same here."

Rarity raised her hand as well. Soon enough, all five of Sunset's former enemies had their hands up in solidarity. After taking a mental note of this, Luna then asked Sunset while the two locked eyes;

"No doubt you, too, saw your memories of your friendship's important moments as well the she-demon. Am I correct, Sunset Shimmer?"

The mare looked away from Luna for a moment before taking a breath, giving her a calm glare again, and saying;

"Yes, I did."

"And what feelings did these mental visions produce for you?", Luna asked. Sunset stood up slowly and closed her eyes. She then took a deep breath before settling her breathing into a slow barely audible pattern. While keeping her breathing steady, she answered with a soft voice filled with a lifetime of regrets;

"Well, when I saw those memories play out in my mind's eye, the emotions tied to them were difficult to work through, as you can imagine. It got really tough when I started seeing all of the times I had hurt people play out one by one..."

Twilight had nearly stood up to give Sunset a hug when she was stopped by Rarity, who carefully held her down with one hand. With a shake of her head, the mare added with shame laced in every word;

"When the demon appeared, I felt the old anger, the bitterness and fury that once drove me to be a cruel person. I also felt fear, yes, but not just of being fried to a crisp by my own twisted reflection..."

She placed her right hand on her heart and admitted;

"I was afraid of relapsing back into the old habits that landed me in that crater... Of regressing back into being the bad girl the whole school loved to hate..."

She opened her eyes to give Luna a look of pure fear that oozed out from her turquoise eyes before finishing with painful finality;

"Of becoming the demon again."

Her demon, at that moment, tried to make a most venomous snide remark in her head;


Yeah, about that, Sun-.


Unfortunately for that cruel voice, however, it took less than a second for Sunset's friends to step up when she needed them;

"You won't let that happen again.", said Fluttershy with a voice that was just a hair above the normal speaking level. She was loud enough to get Sunset's attention, who spun around to catch the certainty that radiated from the typically reserved animal lover. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were filled with conviction. If she was afraid, she did not show it to Sunset, who got interrupted before she could show her friend gratitude;

"Well said, darling!"

She looked over at Rarity, who showed just as much conviction, which was balanced by her natural dignity. With a small smile, she added with grace;

"It will take far more than intense feelings from the past to push you back down into darkness."

Twilight delivered her own response before Sunset could turn her head to face her;

"You have control over your life, not the demon inside.", she said with genuine confidence. When Sunset looked at her, she saw the face of a friend who was sure of herself and the friend who stood before her. Twilight's friendly smile only added to the effect. Rainbow Dash, like usual, jumped into the conversation with absolute reckless abandon;

"Yeah! If you ever need help with kicking that jerk's butt, just give us a call!", she exclaimed with a giant smirk while throwing quick boxing jabs in the air. Pinkie Pie bounced on her seat repeatedly while declaring with one of her bigger smiles;

"If that big meanie ever makes you feel sad or blue, then just say so and good ol' Pinkie Pie will cheer you up!"

Just then, a thought popped into her head that filled her bouncy heart with glee;

"Ooh! I can throw you a 'Sunset Will Never Ever Be a Bully Anymore Party'!"

Before the former bully could even blink, Applejack belted out a hearty laugh before telling her with honesty in her heart and grin;

"Simply put, sugarcube, that there demon's plum outnumbered seven-to-one..."

After a short pause, she winked at her and finished;

"At least."

The combined goodwill and support shown by six of the greatest friends she had ever known had knocked Sunset's negative feelings away like a hurricane crashing down upon a forest, silencing her demon. It was all she could do to keep her sudden fit of heart-born laughter from turning into an unrelenting cacophony of guffawing. Once the laughter cooled down, she had felt it again: the warmth, that loving pull that had always come from the deepest depths of her core. It didn't actively tempt her into plunging into those depths. Instead, its presence served as a silent reminder to her that there was goodness in her heart. After taking a few seconds to enjoy the feeling of that warmth, Sunset turned to face Luna yet again, pointed her right thumb at the wonderful friends behind her, and declared with a smirk and tone of voice that was somehow both sweet and smug;

"And Gilda treats my girls like they're fair-weather friends."

"More like we're any-weather friends!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed with pride for herself and the band she helped form. They all guffawed together over Rainbow's words until Luna got their attention, her own happiness apparent in her authoritative voice;

"Settle down, girls! There is more to discuss."

Once they did as instructed, Luna focused her eyes on Twilight and said;

"That just leaves you, Twilight Sparkle, though I can hazard a guess as to what you had seen."

The nerves within the egghead shot back up, driving her to look off to the side. Even so, she could feel the quiet encouragement she was getting from her friends and Luna. So, with a sigh, she explained with a low sorrowful voice;

"Just like with the others, I saw the moments we made together at first. But then, I started witnessing the times when I was bullied and manipulated in Crystal Prep..."

She hugged herself tightly and closed her eyes as she went on;

"The shame, fear, and hurt I had felt during those dark times were inflamed to a considerable degree..."

Her voice became shaky, even as she found the strength to straighten herself up and look Luna in the eye, before she added;

"I then saw Midnight Sparkle floating in the sky while looking down at me with that manic smile of hers. She tried to use the allure of knowledge and unrivaled magic to tempt me into letting her take back control."

In spite of her inflamed nerves, a small but powerful sense of surety grew within Twilight's heart. This pushed her to express a tiny genuine smile as she continued speaking, her voice slightly more stable;

"I told her that her poisonous deal can burn in Tartarus."

That detail got her supportive cheers from her friends, with Rainbow Dash belting out;

"Ohhhh, Midnight got shut down!"

At that moment, however, Twilight noted with a deadpanned expression that was matched by her voice, her eyes revealing a thousand yard stare;

"She responded to my defiance by firing a massive, vision covering, purple laser of magical death at my face."

Just like that, the cheer in the room had vanished. The other Rainbooms looked at Twilight with concern all over their beings. As the bookworm took several deep breaths to settle herself, Luna decided to get a little clarification before moving on;

"Just to be clear: During your meditation session with Tree Hugger, all seven of you had mentally experienced a noticeably vivid vision of a familiar demon attacking you with the intent to kill?", she asked as carefully as she could. The girls' unified response was a simple and direct;

"Eeyup!"

They all shuddered at the thought of what they had recently gone through right after speaking, with Luna watching quietly while being as still as a statue. Thanks to her experience as a guidance counselor, she could recognize that the experiences the girls had related to her were yellow flags. They were signs of trouble brewing at the very least, but there was still time enough to counter such trouble safely. Before she could fully formulate a response, however, Sunset spoke up once more;

"There is something else..."

The Vice-Principal turned her attention over to the former bad girl, who's eyes were filled with calm resolve. Yet, the older woman could see hints of an old hurt in them. Twilight was very much in the same boat, from what the educator could tell. She listened to Sunset explain herself;

"There are times... when Twi and I hear the demons we used to be in our heads..."

She looked down at her lap, her hands forming into fists on them;

"Taunting us... trying to lead us away from the honest paths we walk..."

If the meditation session's harrowing results were yellow flags, then this, in Luna's mind, was a crimson red flag that was shared by Twilight and Sunset! Worry shot up within her and nearly drove her to act instantly. With gentle recognition and a deep breath, however, she was able to calm herself right down. For Luna, now was not the time to act rashly. Her students needed help of a healthy kind and rushing would not provide that. Right now, though, she needed more info. So, with a look of understanding and gentleness in her eyes, she asked the two troubled girls;

"You are welcome to not answer this question if you feel you are not ready to do so... Putting aside the Fall Formal and the Friendship Games incidents, have those two demons ever successfully led you astray?"

Luna could see it: their recognition of the out she had provided that, like with so many other students before them, had eased their worries and stress enough to help them find the strength to tackle a difficult question. It was a classic approach that she knew they needed. It took a few seconds of silent contemplation, but it was Sunset who answered first as she looked back up at Luna with renewed resolve;

"I could not hear the she-demon's voice in my head at the time... But, through my anger, she almost led me to..."

Regret covered her entire face and filled her voice as she finished;

"To hurt Wallflower during the Memory Stone Incident."

Hearing so much as a reference to that awful day drove the other Rainbooms to silently express regret on their faces too, a fact that Luna took notice of instantly;

"So, it was that incident that woke up the demon inside Sunset's mind. That's on top of it waking the other girls up to their own issues...", she thought to herself as Sunset returned to her place on the sofa. Twilight shook her head while giving her own calm answer;

"Thankfully, Midnight Sparkle has not succeeding in turning me towards a dark path ever since the Friendship Games."

Relief flowed through Luna, but she was not entirely at ease quite yet, for the yellow and red flags were still very much in place. After thinking on the words of her students for a moment longer, she figured out exactly what her next move was going to be. Just like with any other situation involving invisible scars, Luna made sure to handle this delicately. Slowly, she rose from her seat and, with an expression made soft and comforting by her smile and eyes, announced to the band;

"I'm noticing a keyword here: feelings. Old painful feelings that were likely left unresolved until the Memory Stone Incident gave them fuel, driving you to make a nearly ruinous mistake."

"Ya' hit the nail on the head there, ma'am.", noted Applejack, the guilt on her face being quite apparent. But, Luna was not finished yet, for she explained further;

"I believe that it was those feelings that also contributed to your meditation session ending so abruptly and fiercely. If you can resolve and release these feelings in healthy ways..."

She deliberately paused to give the girls a chance to figure out the rest of her words. Sure enough, their eyes shined with sudden realization. But, it was Twilight who had finished Luna's suggestion for her;

"Then we would be one step closer to better understanding, and healing, our invisible scars!", she exclaimed with anticipation. Rainbow Dash was clearly all for it, given the smirk she showed when declaring;

"I like the sound of that!"

Pinkie Pie, who was showing one of her usual beaming grins at the time, had suddenly turned it into a sly smirk that she aimed squarely at Sunset, who looked a bit taken aback by this. With a knowing giggle, Pinkie noted to her;

"I remember you helping Wallflower face down my hatred. You helped her 'be with her feelings' as you had put it."

She sounded just as clever as she felt. With a head shake and a chuckle, Sunset said;

"Yeah, I made sure to learn about managing my feelings soon after the Memory Stone was destroyed, as you all know from our talks in the Monthly Check-Ins."

Luna held back a chuckle while feeling quite proud of the girls for creating and adhering to that particular ritual. With a slightly sheepish grin, Sunset admitted;

"I might have taught Wallflower a few of the tricks I've picked up."

Hearing this had made Pinkie's beaming smile return with increased size and intensity. While bouncing in her seat, she exclaimed to her out of pure joy;

"That's just like you to help someone out, SunShim!"

"Learnin' healthy habits and passin' them on to others is a mighty fine thing, sugarcube.", noted Applejack with a tip of her hat to Sunset, who was showing considerable relief as the girls gave her their quiet approval. She then suggested to them;

"I was thinking of walking you all through one of my emotion management methods at some point."

"A most splendid idea, darling!", exclaimed a grateful Rarity, with the others nodding in agreement. Luna chuckled before noting while giving Sunset an approving glare;

"I concur, although your friends are welcome to give the idea some thought before making a decision."

After the girls pondered their answer in silence for a moment, Twilight suggested to her friends;

"Sunset can teach us that method after this session. This will give us time to practice it before next week's one-on-one sessions with Luna."

The girls nodded at her in agreement, with Luna announcing with a smile;

"I'll do you one better, I will add that method to next week's session. I expect you all to have given managing your emotions a real try before then."

She focused her gaze on Sunset before noting;

"I will need you to stick around after the others leave, so that you can bring me up to speed."

"Yes, ma'am.", was her response. After talking things out some more, the session ended with the girls, save for Sunset, taking their leave one by one. Once the two ladies locked eyes on one another, Luna asked the former bully;

"So, I take it your method involves mindfulness meditation?"

Sunset smirked as well before answering;

"Good guess!"

She then explained the details to the professional while mentally thanking the glorious mane of Princess Celestia that no demon gave her or her friends trouble during that day's session. Even so, Sunset made sure to keep a mental watch for so much as a sinister inner cackle as she talked with Luna.






Carousal Boutique. Later that day, after the meeting with the CMCs. About an hour before opening hours.


One of the things that the Belle sisters took great pride in was the consistent readiness of Rarity's prized shop. They always made sure that every publicly accessible part of the establishment was made neat and proper for the customers before opening hours. On this day in particular, they were especially driven to get everything ready well in advance. The clothing racks and hangers were fully stocked and the shelves were neatly filled. Now, Sweetie Belle was focused on giving the floor of the main shopping area a good sweeping while Rarity herself was double-checking the clothing for one of the things that she, as a tailor, saw as utterly ghastly:

Wrinkles.

While wearing her fashionable red glasses to catch those minute details that were otherwise easy to miss, she carefully inspected each garment in a brisk pace. Sweetie caught sight of her big sister making the rounds and rolled her eyes before noting to her out of restrained annoyance;

"Rarity, you've already done the wrinkle check twice now! Our stock is ready for selling."

Her words pulled Rarity out of her hunt for such dreadful things and, with a sigh and a small grin, responded calmly;

"Oh, I suppose you are right, darling."

She looked around the orderly and almost pristine shop with her eyes while turning her body around and added with a hint of gratefulness aimed at her little sister;

"Our shop and wares look positively stunning!"

Just then, the doorbell rang throughout the shop. For a brief moment, the two girls were surprised by this. Who would come to their shop so early? But then, they remembered why this day was so important. With giant teeth-baring smiles and an excited giggle from Sweetie Belle, the two ran up to the door. Rarity, with grace, opened it up to see the visitor they have been waiting for. This was a woman who appeared to be around fashionista's age with cyan eyes, two-toned cyan hair, off-white skin that was light amberish gray, and a tri-shade hair clip that used purple and two shades of red. Her outfit looked very much like a sailor's uniform for women. It consisted of a white-bordered lavender sailor collar with a red tie, a lavender shirt that had the same colored border along the edges, a lengthy scarlet skirt that bore the image of a stylish lavender hat with a red feather on both sides, a pair of lavender heels, and long fashionable socks that matched her hair. This girl was standing just outside of the shop as still as a statue. Nervously smiling, she greeting the two ladies before her with a slight stutter;

"Hello t-there! I-I hope I'm not interrupting anyth-."

Rarity grabbed her right wrist and firmly pulled her into the shop before she could finish speaking, prompting her to yelp in surprise as the door closed behind her. Sweetie quickly stepped back to give the two some space. Once the lady was no longer being pulled around and she was able to straighten herself back up, the tailor wrapped her up in an tight affectionate hug while exclaiming with joy;

"Coco, darling! I am so glad that you could make it, my friend!"

Just like that, Coco's nervousness vanished along with her bewilderment. Feeling Rarity's arms wrapped around her reminded her of simpler times, of the moments the two of them had spent as friends. With a relaxed smile, she embraced Rarity in kind while telling her honestly;

"I'm glad to see you too, Miss Rarity."

Sweetie Belle did her best to contain the urge to gush over how sweet they were being to each other. So, she settled for showing her support of their friendship with a big smile as they broke up the hug. Rarity, with a polite titter, noted to Coco;

"Oh, darling, I have never needed my friends to be so formal with me and I shan't make an exception with you."

Feeling relieved over this detail, Coco took a breath and happily nodded her head. Rarity then turned over to Sweetie Belle and announced to her with a loving grin and a soft voice while gracefully motioning to Coco with her right arm;

"Dearest Sweetie, I would like to introduce you to my childhood friend and fellow fashionista: Coco Pommel."

Coco turned to face the younger Belle as Rarity spoke. Once she locked eyes on her, however, an old memory popped into her head that produced on her face a smile filled with nostalgia and goodwill. She walked up to Sweetie, who was all smiles and more than happy to welcome a friend of her big sister. But, before she could even say hi, Coco told her softly;

"The last time I saw you... you were just a little baby Belle pulling on Rarity's hair."

That made Sweetie feel a tad embarrassed, but her smile had hid it well enough. That was, until Coco complimented her while getting down on her right knee to speak at her eye level;

"My goodness, you've become such a beautiful young lady.", she told the little girl, the fondness in her voice only growing with each passing second. Poor Sweetie blushed while looking off to the side. But, she couldn't completely hide her appreciative smile from Coco's sharp eyes. Rarity couldn't help but audibly gush;

"Oh, how lovely it is to see you two get along!"

After calming down, she then announced with calmer dignity;

"Come along, Coco! Sweetie and I shall give you a tour of our humble establishment."

Soon enough, the tour began, much to Sweetie Belle's relief, with Rarity leading the charge. As she learned more about the shop and how it worked, Coco couldn't help but feel that working here would turn out to be a great decision for her life. After all, she was going to work with an old friend.

During the tour, Coco got to know the different parts of the shop, where the clothing was located, how the cash register worked, and so forth. Rarity had even gone so far as to explain to her how the wares were organized;

"You see, darling, each line of clothing is divided firstly by the four seasons. They are then divided further by style, occasion, and...", she explained while pointing at the different racks and shelves around the trio of ladies. She deliberately paused before finishing, thus giving Sweetie Belle a cue that the little one was quick to catch. With a beaming smile, she declared with a calm nod;

"Physical Build."

Rarity turned to give her sister an appreciative grin and complimented her;

"Very good, Sweetie."

As the young one's smile became brighter than before, the tailor switched her attention over to Coco, who was giving some of the clothing present a discerning gaze, and asked her;

"Do you understand so far?"

Coco turned to give her friend a warm smile and told her honestly;

"Yes, I do."

Rarity sighed with relief before explaining;

"I must admit, the organization of the boutique's wares used to be much more extensive. So much so, that it was quite difficult for anyone other than me to keep track of it all."

She tittered gently as Sweetie Belle chimed in;

"So, Rarity and I revamped the entire system, so it's really easy for anyone to follow!"

She then let out an exasperated sigh that clearly released a considerable amount of old stress before admitting with crossed arms and slight indignation in her frown;

"It took us four hours to get that done..."

"Yes, but it was four hours I was happy to spend with you, my little gem.", Rarity responded with fondness seeping out from her words as she gently patted the head of Sweetie Belle, who couldn't help but smile again. Coco giggled politely before gushing sweetly while holding her hands up to her chin;

"You two are so adorable together!"

Hearing that made both of the Belle sisters giggle a little before the trio proceeded with the tour, which eventually led them to a certain room on the floor above the shopping area. Rarity, with a dash of theatrical flare, unveiled this room to Coco;

"Behold: my tailoring office!"

Well, it certainly had at least a couple of items fit for an office, what with the desk and purple chair made of faux-leather at the far end. But, it was so different from the typical office that, if Rarity had not proclaimed it as such to Coco, she would have thought it was the world's messiest dressing room! Scattered along the walls of the room were large piles of fabrics that consisted of numerous patterns, sizes, shapes, and colors. Standing next to the desk at the left corner farthest from the trio was a tall wooden dressing cabinet with two large doors and three long drawers below it. At the far right corner was an additional pair of drawers stacked on top of each other to each the same height as the desk. complete with a tall mirror placed on top of it. The mirror itself had a wooden frame that matched the brown used for the taller cabinet. The wood used to make all three pieces of furniture had the distinct look of considerable quality, a clear sign that their creator knew exactly what to look for in wood. Much to Coco's relief, the piles did not extend to the doorway or the rest of the floor, so there was plenty of room for her and her friends to navigate the area. As she ventured forth, she quickly noticed the pair of fancy red glasses neatly placed on the center of the desk as well as the purple opened box filled with carefully organized tailoring tools sitting next to them. Speaking of tools, standing directly behind the chair was a tall white closet with its door hanging open, revealing even more tailoring tools and assorted fabrics stashed within. Hanging from the center of the ceiling was a decorative purple lamp with a long string hanging underneath the lamp itself and three large motionless white fan blades attached to it. The lamp's white light kept the room illuminated with its pleasant glow, but not enough to hide the blue diamonds drawn on the wallpaper, which pop out from the purple background. The windows on the wall to the left of Coco, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle were covered by lavish curtains that were a lighter shade of purple than the wallpaper. On the right side was a white door that had a "Dressing Room" sign attached to it via hammered nails. As for Rarity, she walked ahead of the others and over to one of the windows. After carefully stepping over one of the smaller piles to get close enough, she grabbed the middle window's curtains and, with brisk hand movement, pulled them open to let the sun in. After walking back to the center of the room, she reached up for the lamp's string and gave it a quick pull to turn off the lamp light, allowing the natural sunlight to give the room a more cozy look and feel that Coco found to be quite lovely. After turning to give her sister and friend a sure smile, Rarity declared with grace;

"I like to perform my craft while in the sunlight from time to time. It helps with my complexion and inspiration."

Sweetie Belle let out a knowing giggle while Coco tried to keep her nervousness reigned in as the two joined the fashionista in the office. As she looked upon each increasingly noticeable pile of fabrics, she slowly tried to express her thoughts on the matter to her boss and friend;

"Yes.. well, about... about these fabrics... they are..."

"Making this entire room a complete and utter pigsty?", Rarity finished jokingly with an understanding grin aimed at Coco. She then belted out a jovial titter that eased the young tailor's nerves before explaining while gesturing at the piles with her hands;

"You see, darling, this pigsty may appear to be an utter travesty against neatness to the average person. But, to my mind and experienced eyes, it allows me to quickly and easily find the right fabric for the task at hand."

Sweetie Belle added to Coco with a grin;

"She calls it her organized mess."

"Yes indeed, my dear Sweetie.", Rarity acknowledge with a grin of her own before declaring with enthusiasm;

"Come along now, loves! Let us discuss the work to come!"

With grace and plenty of practice guiding her steps, she navigated her way over to the chair behind the desk and sat upon it as the others walked up to its front. After placing her chin on her clasped marble hands, she gave Coco a polite yet firm glare before speaking again;

"Firstly, it should be made clear that my sister willingly volunteers as a helper in the boutique."

Sweetie puffed up her chest while elaborating with pride in her voice and smirk;

"That's right! I help Rarity clean up the shop, take inventory, assist customers, and model the smaller outfits!"

After giggling with love and pride in her purple eyes, the fashionista gushed at the proud young Belle;

"Of course, little one, and you have been such a marvelous helper!"

Coco gave Sweetie a quick appreciative smile that she caught, which only added to her growing mood. After the two returned their attention to Rarity, she added after coughing a little to reestablish her calm demeanor, her eyes locked on Coco once more;

"However, with your arrival as our newest official employee, the first other than myself, the load that Sweetie carries can now be shared between the two of you."

The young lady with two-toned hair saw no issues with taking on some of the day-to-day tasks, but what came next would fill her with excitement;

"Of course, you will also have plenty of opportunities to work directly with me on tasks related to that beautiful profession we call fashion.", Rarity declared, her own love for said profession showing in her voice and the subtle sparks in her eyes. It was all Coco could do to avoid squeeing with delight to save herself the embarrassment! Still, she could not contain her short happy hops as she responded excitedly;

"Oh, I'm so looking forward to working with you both!"

"As am I, darling.", Rarity admitted with warmth oozing from her face and grin. She then aimed that soothing warmth at Sweetie Belle and ordered her;

"Do be a dear and escort our bouncy friend downstairs and show her how to handle the customers. It will be good for her to start off strong on her first workday."

The younger Belle nodded her head before taking Coco by her right hand and pulling her to the door. The two laughed together as they left the room, the door closing behind them. Rarity sighed a hopeful sigh as she stood up from her chair and walked over to stand in front of the tall dressing cabinet. With gentle care, she reached for the knobs for each door and pulled them open up, revealing a large assortment of neatly prepared clothing. There were shirts, suits, and dresses hanging via plastic hangers along a round wooden horizontal rack that was connected to both sides of the cabinet. Multiple kinds of footwear, from shoes and sneakers to high heels and sandals, were placed on the bottom of the cabinet in an organized fashion. But, standing in the center on a space between the footwear and upper-body clothing was a glass case that rested on an expertly crafted wooden pedestal. It was tall enough to almost reach the rack, which helped to make it hard for anyone with clear vision to miss. Inside this case was a single solitary outfit. It was clear that Rarity had put in considerable effort to maintain its luster, for no wrinkles, stains, or other signs of dirtiness could be found on the ensemble. Its jacket, undershirt, and skirt were held aloft by a black display stand, with only its round base being visible below them. The outfit's footwear, a pair of tall boots, were placed on top of the base to have them rest directly below the skirt. Rarity could see in her mind the memories that the mere sight of this particular set of garments had produced. They were memories both good and bad, yet she did not fear them. Instead, she welcomed them like she would welcome old friends as she gently placed her right hand on the glass. A certain memory among the wave that flowed through her head was louder and more vivid than most, for better and for ill. It hurt her to that such an dreadful, avoidable moment was made, but she took it as inspiration to honor a vow that she and her dearest friends had once made together. With a smile as warm as her beautiful heart, Rarity softly declared to herself;

"As the stars as my witness, you shall always be remembered."

After taking a deep breath while letting a tear or two fall from her eyes, she spun around on her right heel in ladylike fashion and walked over to the door with purpose in every step. Confidence filled her smile as she announced with surety;

"Now then, it is time that I put the past aside..."

Once she opened the door and stepped through, she finished her declaration aloud and with a knowing chuckle;

"To partake in the events of today."

With that, she closed the door and joined the others in making ready for the work ahead, her mind filled with happy memories that were was vivid as the artwork depicted on the outfit that rested in its place of honor.






The next day. After school at the Statue Portal.


Five of the Rainbooms were working on Sunset's mess of a house directly, while the mare herself was relaxing at Rainbow Dash's house. Sci-Twi, however, was taking a much more indirect approach to contributing to the renovation effort. She was sitting in front of the side of the statue that housed the portal with her legs crossed. The CMCs were chilling out at the statue's plinth while keeping their eyes on her. Other than the four of them and and a green doggy backpack-rocking Spike, the area was basically deserted. Resting on Sci-Twi's lap was a smartphone that wore a thick silver protection case that covered its sides and back while leaving space for the back camera and side buttons as well as the ports and jacks on the bottom. The scientist held a small square device that was thick and silver in her left hand. Her right hand held a black USB cord that was expertly wound up in a rather large circle to keep its length manageable. Spike, while sitting on his rump and wagging his tail, gave each item on his owner's person a good glare before making what was apparently his third attempt at soothing her inflamed nerves;

"Look, Twi: You inspected them, I inspected them, you inspected them again, and we inspected them together. All of the devices are ready to go. This will work!"

Sci-Twi, who bore an expression that could be a front-runner for the dictionary example of anxious, was not too sure of her pup's words;

"Thank you for the encouragement, Spike, but.."

The poor girl started taking rapid breaths as she explained;

"What if the Princess gives us the signal and we proceed, only for one of the devices to suddenly break?!"

She then sharply turned turned her upper-body to face the lavender custom-built wireless router and its own wound up yellow cord that rested on the ground to her right while exclaiming;

"I can't take that chance!"

When she reached over to the router after placing the square device on the ground, a pale olive hand moved onto her right hand with gentle care, getting her attention with ease. She looked up to see the encouraging smiles of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, who all stood in front of her. Apple Bloom, her right hand on Twilight's, told her with soft sweetness while firmly grasping the magic journal page in her left hand;

"Hold on there, Miss Twi. Ya' checked these 'ere devices more than enough for us to know that they'll work."

"Yeah! They were made by you using your awesome egghead smarts, so we know they're gonna work just fine!", exclaimed Scootaloo with absolute confidence in her smirk. Sweetie Belle's words were just as well-meaning and lovely;

"Even if one of them breaks, we know you can fix it."

Her anxiousness could not contend with the CMCs' encouragement, so it was swept away in favor of renewed confidence that eased Sci-Twi's mind. With a deep breath to fully resettle herself, she gave the kids a grateful grin while noting;

"You are not wrong. That which breaks can be fixed."

Spike picked that moment to give her his own words of encouragement;

"Remember what your mom always says: if you spend your time worrying over what ifs..."

Twilight looked over at him with understanding and love before finishing his words;

"Then you'll lose your chance to experience what could be."

Her mind was calmed at the best possible moment, for the journal page had started glowing and vibrating in Apple Bloom's hand! Twilight quickly placed the wound up cords on the ground near her and politely grabbed the page with both hands. She then gave the newly written words a quick glance before announcing;

"She and her Spike are ready!"

The group worked together to get things in motion. After unwinding the cords, they used them to connect the wireless router to the square device, which, in turn, they had also connected to the smartphone via the USB port on its bottom. Twilight spoke aloud her thoughts in a somewhat deadpanned tone of voice as they worked;

"The battery-powered Sparkle Router is already turned on and its rechargeable battery is fully charged. The modified portable wireless hot-spot should be working with the router via the Ethernet cable connection to give the smartphone direct access to the Internet."

Once the connections were fully established, she ordered Apple Bloom while handing the smartphone over to her;

"Test the connection, this device should be connecting to the school's wireless network that the Principal has generously allowed us to use."

The young Apple saw the smartphone Twilight was offering to her with her right hand. She walked up to her and had reached about half-way to the device with her own right hand when she hesitated. This lasted for a second before Apple Bloom took the device. Being the attentive scientist that she was, Sci-Twi recognized the initial hesitancy. Mentally labeling it as a minor curiosity for the time being, she watched as her friend navigated through the phone's menus and waited for a few seconds. Those few seconds felt like hours to the others as they watched her with baited breath before Apple Bloom exclaimed with joy;

"We got them Internet bars, ya'll!"

Twilight could barely contain her glee;

"Excellent, now to prepare for the transfer!", she happily declared while clapping her hands in delight. The girls took the smartphone and carefully placed it in Spike's backpack while making sure that its cord was poking out from it. Once the deed was done, Spike made sure to stand as proudly as he could, puffed chest and all, while listening to Twilight declare to him;

"My good boy, you are about to embark on an important and historic journey. Make sure you handle yourself well in Equestria, okay?"

He gave her a smirking salute with his right paw before turning to face the portal. As he readied himself, his owner turned to the CMCs, who stood at her right side, and told them;

"Keep your eyes and ears open for eavesdroppers while I tend to the equipment."

They saluted her as well while grinning from ear to ear. With that settled, she returned to her gaze to Spike and gave him her blessing;

"Venture forth, my furry friend!", she exclaimed in a dramatic hammy fashion that was purely intentional. The kids stifled their laughter over the ham and cheese before them as they waved goodbye to Spike, who ran up to the portal and leaped into it. The only evidence of his departure being the black cord that was poking through the portal from the Human world's end, with a small magical glow emitting around the spot it was poking out from. By this point, most of the cord was still wound up, but now more of it was unwinding at a rapid pace. Twilight fixed her eyes on this, hoping that there was enough cord for their plan to work. Sure enough, after about five seconds, the unwinding process stopped abruptly with plenty of cord left. Her glee had only grown in response to this development as she focused on monitoring the devices present with cheer all over her face. Apple Bloom, who had pulled her own smartphone out from her pants pocket while being excited as she can possibly be, was basically bouncing in place along with her oversized bow while exclaiming;

"This is gonna be awesome, ya'll! Ah hope it don't take 'em too long!"

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle a little over her friend's adorableness as she listened to Sweetie Belle respond with a squeak and a smile;

"It's okay if it takes them a bit, as long as things work out well on their end."

"Things are totally gonna work out!", exclaimed Scootaloo with a fist pump and a most confident smirk. Apple Bloom stopped bouncing to give her two pals a friendly glare. So, the four girls waited for three whole minutes before the smartphone suddenly started to vibrate in the Apple's hands. This startled her for a moment before she looked down at the screen and began doing several thumb swipes and presses on it. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked over at the screen from both of her sides. Once she finished, the sight that shined before the Canterlot Movie Club made Apple Bloom's giant smile turn into her best take on Sunset's sideways smirk as she looked over at Sci-Twi, who glared back at her with nervous anticipation. The rest of the club members followed suit, the sight of which eased the scientist's worries a bit. What came next deleted them from existence. With soft confidence and in perfect unison, the Canterlot Movie Club quoted to their nerdy friend what was, in their minds, one of the few enjoyable video game films;

"It has begun..."






Later that day, on the streets leading to Sugarcube Corner.


Sunset was taking a relaxing stroll through town when five of her fellow Rainbooms, alongside a now backpack-less Spike Octavia and DJ-P0N3, had caught up with her. Naturally, she was all for spending time with them. As they walked and chatted it up about one thing and another, Sunset's house was brought up by Applejack, noted to her with a smile;

"The work we're doin' on your house is goin' smoothly so far!"

The redeemed mare beamed a bright grateful smile at her friend as Rarity added with dignified gusto while keeping watch on the path before them;

"The help we've recently received has improved our progress, darling. Still, it will take a great deal of effort on everyone's part to make for you a house that is utterly smashing!"

"Our plan is proceeding as expected...", noted a confident Scootaloo, who had managed to sneak up on the girls alongside Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Twilight. The group stopped to turn and look at the four girls and pup behind them. Twilight, like Spike, gave her friends a happy smile. The CMCs, however, showed smirks and eyes filled with secret intent and anticipation. The six ladies were quick to notice the sheer confidence the kids were exuding through the way they walked up to them. Sunset expressed to them with a smirk of her own;

"Well now, someone's got that movie club strut!"

Sure enough, that was precisely what they were doing: strutting up to their friends and kin as if they had just done something truly awesome. With a wink aimed directly at Sunset, Apple Bloom told her;

"Let's just say that, when we're done, your house will have a little somethin' that ya' won't soon forget."

As much as that little comment piqued the former bad girl's interest, she thought better of asking further. Her finished house was supposed to be a surprise, after all! Before she could respond, however, Scootaloo then announced to the group out of pure excitement;

"We talked with those new kids during lunch at school today. They've agreed to meet us at the clubhouse tomorrow after school for a movie screening!"

This news brought out smiles from everyone else present, with Sunset reacting happily while looking at each club member with goodwill in her turquoise eyes;

"That's great, girls! I'm sure they'll love it."

The other ladies nodded their heads in agreement, with Spike barking jovially over the news. CMCs beamed at their beloved friends and sisters with love in their hearts. With that settled, they rushed ahead while exclaiming in unison;

"We'll be at the clubhouse!"

Thankfully, Octavia and P0N3 made sure to run after them, but not before they waved goodbye to the Rainbooms and Spike, who waved back. The elder sisters to the CMCs shook their heads as they watched the kids run off and out of sight, with Rainbow Dash noting;

"Those squirts never run of energy, do they?"

Pinkie Pie, with a bright smile, responded with a giggle;

"I know, right? They're like Energizer Bunnies! They just keep going and going and going and going-!"

She repeated herself while bobbing her head from side to side until Rainbow Dash covered her mouth to put a clamp on her repetition and told her out of restrained annoyance;

"We get the idea!"

The party planner giggled through the athlete's hand before they all continued their trek to Sugarcube Corner. It took them a good five minutes before they could see the establishment itself, which strengthened their shared growing hunger for snacks. The band and canine were a short walk away from their destination when they saw someone exit the building through its front doors.

It was Gilda.

Immediately, the Rainbooms tensed up while instinctively holding each other's hands. Spike, who stood next to Twilight, readied himself to growl and bark at the bully if she so much as looked at the girls funny. Gilda turned to look at the group, a smirk filled with venomous confidence forming on her face as she greeted them with her hands on her sides;

"Sup?"

Rainbow Dash looked around the area surrounding her former friend with her eyes, determined to catch any and all possible surprises before they could spring forth. So far, nothing had caught her eye. Sunset, with plenty of restraint brought to bare against her now inflamed anger, gave Gilda a death glare that prompted her to laugh out loud. Once she was done, she told Sunset with mirth;

"Well, at least you still have the Old Sunset's eyes!"

Sunset made it her business to express her best 'excuse me?' face, but was otherwise unmoved by this comment. Gilda spoke once more after settling down;

"Anyway, I just finished having a snack and figured I'd look for you girls. I knew you weren't hard to find around here, but man, I must be extra lucky today!"

She then focused her attention on Twilight and greeted her specifically;

"Hey there, Twilight!"

For a short moment, Gilda's venomous expression was dropped in favor of a frown that seemed to express genuine regret, but none of the girls or Spike could tell for sure. She told the egghead with a slightly soft voice that was rarely used;

"I got carried away when I called you Egglight after you told me not to. My bad, girl. Won't happen again."

Twilight was, frankly, taken aback by this admission. She still didn't know for sure if Gilda was being genuine or not. Regardless, she responded as politely as she could, uncertainty seeping through her voice;

"Thanks... I guess."

Applejack, by comparison, was having none of the bully's possible manure that day;

"What the hay do ya' want?", she asked her with a serious glare, her anger apparent in her frown. Somehow, Gilda's smirk had gained more venom as she answered;

"Oh, I figured I'd introduce you all to my awesome friends."

The emphasis she had put in the word 'awesome' while giving Rainbow a quick smug glare could not be more apparent to the everyone else present. The urge to roll their eyes up to their skulls was amazingly reigned in. They slightly tightened their hold on each other's hands in a silent reaffirmation of their bond. Gilda turned back over to Sugarcube Corner's doors and told them as she grabbed the handle on one of them with her right hand;

"Hold on, I'll have them pull up."

Before the Rainbooms could even make a comment, she briskly pulled open the door and performed a whistling noise that sounded very much like a bird call. Hearing this unlocked powerful memories within the mind of Rainbow Dash: memories of when she used to roll with Gilda and her gang. Going by her history, she figured she had three good guesses as to who her old enemy had brought with her.

They were all wrong.

A few seconds after the whistling was done, the bully stepped off to the side while holding the door open, allowing a bunch of people to walk through one by one. The moment those people came within view of the girls, they were stunned by who they were seeing. The fact that they had all seen them before didn't help matters much. None of the girls were as stunned as Sunset, however, her mouth opened agape as she witnessed these familiar folks walk with the bad girl to form a line in front of her and her pals. Why wouldn't CHS's most beloved Wondercolt be so shocked? After all, she had just met them yesterday and they had helped produce a few positive memories for her.

Smolder and Yona stood to the far left, Gallus and Silverwing to the far right, and Ocellus and Gabby stood with Gilda herself at her sides. While the six kids gave the Rainbooms warm friendly smiles, with Gabby going so far as to wave at Sunset excitedly, their apparent leader glared at the band while looking terribly proud of herself.

The venom in her smile remained strong as she declared to the seven shocked ladies and their curious dog with a surprisingly polite tone of voice;

"Sonic Rainbooms: Meet the Griffons."

Sunset Shimmer's first thought expressed exactly what she and her bandmates were thinking at the time, although her friends themselves would have used entirely different words;

"Oh, ponyfeathers..."