Comfortably sitting in a luxurious armchair, in the middle of an elegant living room heated by a roaring fireplace, Rarity was patiently waiting for her friend Sunset Shimmer, and, in the meantime, trying to kill some time, listlessly flipping through an old fashion magazine, that she had read from cover to cover at least five times, that afternoon.
She would never have believed that, without the company of her not so refined parents, or of her intrusive sister, she might feel so alone! And yet, that morning, when she had heard that they would go together to her uncle’s home, for a fishing weekend, she had inwardly jumped of joy at the thought of having the whole house for herself for two days.
However, after having spent four hours rearranging and organizing her wardrobe, three combining her clothes to create some new outfits, two creating a new embroidered bag and a final hour trying, unsuccessfully, to find the ideal position for the armchair in the living room, at the end she found herself sitting on the same armchair she had laboriously dragged over every inch of that living room, tired, out of ideas, and bored.
She wanted to leave the house, go out and take a walk, watch some nice shop windows, or maybe do some shopping. But she couldn’t. She had promised her parents that she would remain at home. And anyway, it was almost evening, and thus almost all the shops in town were probably by now closed.
At that point, she had put her hand on the phone, and called all of her friends. But, apparently, by a strange coincidence, they all were out of town. To be precise, Applejack was at a family gathering out of town, Fluttershy went with some eco kids friends to a major conference about forests safeguarding, Rainbow Dash was committed to the final game of the high school basketball championship, and Pinkie Pie had offered to help the Cakes for a very important catering that took place that evening. In short, no one could pay her a visit that evening. No one, except for Sunset Shimmer.
At first, when she saw that name on the phonebook, automatically and without wanting to, she remembered some of the most unpleasant incidents that had occurred because of Sunset. First, she remembered her anger and frustration when their group, that group so heterogeneous and yet so united, formed by herself and all of her friends from the first high school year, had been split, because of the enormous tensions that were crawling between them, and then how much she loved to humiliate and subjugate everyone in the school, including her…
It was inevitable. She couldn’t help but remember these things. It happened almost every time she thought of her.
Very often, it happened that, when Sunset was smiling at her, that friendly smile overlapped, in Rarity’s mind, with the cruel grin that until a few months ago she wore so often.
But it was precisely in those occasions that she shook her head and tried to see only and only what she was now, and not what she had been.
In fact, she had learned that forgiving didn’t mean forgetting the bad actions of someone, but, on the contrary, continuing to remember them. Only in this way you could see how much that person that you had forgiven had grown and had improved.
Once, when she was still small, she had broken a pot which in her view was horrendous, but that, for her father, was a precious memory of his grandfather. She had broken it simply because she didn’t like it. And her father, to punish her, forced her to repair the pot in question. By dint of glue, in the end she succeeded, although the result was even uglier than the original. In any case, he put it back exactly where it was before, saying that now it was even more beautiful.
“You say that it’s beautiful,” she had asked him, “because you liked the way it was before, and now it’s even more…more...”
“Ugly?” he completed the sentence for her, “To be honest, I've always found that pot horrendous too! Surely I'm not sophisticated as you, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to recognize an ugly thing when I see it!”
“Really?” she asked, surprised, “But then, if you really don’t like it, why do you keep it here, in the living room, in plain sight, and why, when I broke it, did you want me to fix it?”
“You see, Rarity,” he started to reply, “we don’t keep some things because we like them, but because they remind us of something important, pleasant or unpleasant. All the experiences we have, from first to last, are important, and make us who we are.”
In front of the confused look of his daughter, he added, “For example, that pot was given to me by my grandfather when I was your age. He gave me that horrible pot as a birthday present, when I, instead, wished for a toy train, or a sling. Furious, I threw it to the ground, reducing it to smithereens. At first, I thought I was the one who had been wronged, receiving a gift so useless for a child like me. But my displeasure and my shame were immense when my grandmother told me that my grandfather had made that pot with his own hands, just for me. When he was young, he was a very talented potter, but then, because of arthritis, he had to stop. However, for my birthday, he had found the strength and patience, despite his stiff and aching hands, to make another pot. His last pot. Only for me!”
Looking at her, he saw a flash of empathy through her deep, blue eyes, and realized that she had understood now. So he continued, “Distraught by shame and guilt, I went to my grandfather, and I apologized. Then, I asked him if it was possible to fix the pot. And you know what he said?”
After a small dramatic pause, that won the full attention and interest of his daughter, he said “He replied ‘Everything can be fixed, from pots to relationships. Because the most powerful glue in the world is forgiveness. And as long as there is the will to apologize and repent, forgiveness will never cease to exist.’ “
At those words, so simple and still so deep, Rarity felt a curious mixture of emotions inside her: comprehension, regret and pathos. Emotions that she saw reflected in the eyes of her father. And at that point, she understood. Understood that he had felt those same emotions, when her great-grandfather had said those words.
And then she smiled. Until then, she had never felt very much like him. She was so attentive to details, and obsessed with cleanliness and perfection. Instead he was a carefree guy, a bit of a simpleton, and with virtually no sense of style. And yet, now she had discovered to be strikingly similar to him, at least from the emotional perspective.
In front of her smile, he smiled back, and then said, “So, together we repaired the pot, which became even uglier. But anyway, I didn’t care anymore. By then, the pot wasn’t ugly anymore at my eyes, because it depicted something beautiful: The bond between me and my grandfather, cracked by an act of blind selfishness, but repaired with the glue of forgiveness. And since then, it has never left its place on that pedestal, because it’s there to remind me of my grandfather, and of that important life lesson that he gave me.”
And then he looked at that horrible pot, on its pedestal, and wrapped his strong arm around his daughter. And she, happy again, returned the embrace and whispered, “You know, perhaps it’s true that it’s not that ugly. After all, I'm sure that, as a modern art statue, it would make a great impression…”
With a smile, she looked up from her magazine, toward that pedestal. It was still there, uglier than ever, but with its burden of sad and sweet memories to accompany it.
Every time she looked at that pot, she inevitably remembered the time spent trying to put together all those tiny pieces, with the glue that flowed freely and clung on her hair and clothes. However, along with those not so cheerful memories, she also remembered that moment when she and her father had felt closer than ever, and all the other moments they spent together, in a harmony renewed and strengthened by that event.
Towards Sunset Shimmer, she felt the same feelings. She remembered all the pain Sunset had caused her, but the pain only served to increase the joy she had felt afterwards, having her as a companion and a friend.
And she knew that she, Sunset herself, was reminded as well all that pain she had created, when she still believed that friendship was a weakness. She knew from how she, in the early days, was always demoralized every time someone spoke about the Fall Formal.
But in the last days, however, she was finally able to see a new light in Sunset’s eyes. The same light that she had seen reflected in the eyes of her father. And, with her enormous joy, Rarity realized that she, Sunset herself, had finally found the strength to forgive herself. Because, indeed, all the love and friendship with which she and her friends had surrounded her, in the last months, would be useless, if Sunset wasn’t able to turn the page and stop her past from preventing her to live the present the way she wanted. And she could succeed only this way. With forgiveness. Not just from others, but also from herself.
It was at that moment, while making these thoughts, that she heard a knock on the door. Hopeful, she stood up and walked toward the entrance, briskly but with all the grace that distinguished her. Then she arrived at the door, looked through the peephole and saw her friend Sunset Shimmer, quivering a little because of the cold fog hovering out there, but still smiling.
“Sunset, darling!” she said, as she opened the door and invited her friend to come, “You made it! I was beginning to fear that the fog had prevented you from finding the way. After all, you haven't come to my house yet, since we usually meet at Pinkie’s house!”
“Oh, don’t worry, Rarity!” she replied, as she took off her jacket and hung it on a coat rack in the hall, “The directions you gave me were very clear. Besides, a villa like this in a residential area could only be your home!”
“Oh, right!” she agreed, “Actually, you know, some time ago my parents wanted to move into a little more modest house, but since this villa has belonged to my family for five generations, no one had the heart to leave it!”
“Five generations? For real?” Sunset asked, looking around, “And yet, this house doesn’t seem so old. Indeed, it almost seems to have been renovated recently…”
“In fact it is so!” Rarity explained, “You know, after it had been occupied by my grandparents, the house was a little run down, and there was talk about abandoning it. But luckily, my father managed to make a successful deal, and I convinced him to restore the house. He even allowed me to give impressions and recommendations to the renovator!”
“It shows!” she said, looking at a finely embroidered purple curtain, or at a cupboard full of inlays, “Your lovely touch is everywhere!”
“Yes, I do have an eye for these sorts of things. Oh, but where are my manners!” Rarity said, “I haven’t accommodated you yet, and you're here all shivering! Please, come with me: I’ll accompany you right away to the living room, and then I’ll prepare a good tea. I’m sure you’ll fell a lot better!”
That said, she led Sunset into the living room, and invited her to sit on the armchair where, until a minute ago, she was sitting. After that, she left the room, to go and put on the cooker the kettle for the tea.
While Rarity was in the kitchen, Sunset Shimmer began to look around, and saw that also the living room had been decorated in accordance of Rarity’s taste. There were some things that seemed a little out of place, like a strange, ugly pot in full view on a pedestal, but for the rest, everything was as ordered, harmonious and coordinated as her friend liked.
And it was while she was looking around that she saw it. A photo, framed in a stylish silver frame, resting on the top shelf of a bookcase, which depicted her five friends, all together.
A little curious, she came and took the photo from the shelf, and looked more closely at it. Now that it was in her hands, she saw that her friends, in that picture, were much younger. They probably were no more than fourteen years old. Probably the photo dated back to when they had just met, the first year, and when she had just come into that world. Before she had a chance to ruin the life to anyone…
She was already on the verge of being overwhelmed by the sad thoughts that had accompanied her for the whole way, but then she heard the steps of Rarity coming back, and she hastened to dispel those thoughts. Just before she crossed the threshold saying, “I’ve put the kettle on. Soon it will boil, and…”
She stopped when she saw that Sunset was looking at that picture, with a sweet look but with a little bit of pain in it. Then she walked over and murmured, “Yes, that picture is pretty special to me, but not only me. In a certain sense, beyond Twilight, it’s also thanks to that photo if I and the others were able to rebuild our relationship.”
“So is this one,” Sunset whispered, “the famous yearbook photo that reminded you of your great friendship? I remember that Fluttershy spoke often about this episode…”
“Yes…” Rarity agreed, “But I don’t know if she told you the story behind this photo.”
“No, in fact!” Sunset said, “and in fact, I've often wondered how your group, so heterogeneous, was born, back when everyone stood with their own kind.”
"Well, actually,” she answered, “at the beginning it surprised even me, the fact that among all the students, the five of us were the only ones with different interests who remained together. But still, our curious relationship helped us to overcome various difficult situations. And it all began that day, an October morning like any other…”
That morning she was, as always, heading toward the entrance of the school. She was widely ahead of time, as always. In fact, she always tried to arrive in advance, so that she could give a final touch to the makeup in the bathroom before entering the classroom.
At her side, was walking Aqua Blossom, a girl who was her classmate, and who shared her deep passion for fashion. She was quickly talking about a hairdresser who had just opened, and at which she had already been five times, lastly saying that she thought him a true professional, concerning hair.
Rarity was listening, interested but not too much. Aqua Blossom was the first girl she had befriended there, in that school, but she felt that between them there wasn’t a strong bond. For some reason, only while they were in the classroom, they were able to talk and chat, but out of there, they hadn’t done anything together. Aqua wasn’t interested in saying her impressions, or sharing her feelings, and she never just wanted to take a walk together. It was enough for her to have someone to talk about fashion with while at school.
But for Rarity, that wasn’t enough. Surely Aqua was all right to talk about fashion, but she wanted someone with which she could share some other things…
And it was while Rarity was absently listening to Aqua, that someone stopped her, gently but firmly.
“Careful!” said a voice, mild and sweet, “You should be a little more careful about where you step. You almost stepped my friend’s tail!”
Taken by surprise, without even looking at who had stopped her, she looked at the ground, and saw a white, tiny baby rabbit, at one inch from the tip of her boot, who squeaked angrily toward her.
“Oh, look at this sweet, little angel!” Rarity said, tenderly, bending down to pet the little bunny, “Sorry if I almost stepped into you. Aw, you truly are adorab-Ouch!”
That cry of pain was caused by the sudden and unexpected bite the rabbit gave her on the finger. Surprised she took a step back, shaking her finger to ease the pain. She shook it because the idea of thumbsucking, besides being indecorous, was also disgusting to her eyes, since that finger had been bitten by an animal.
It was then, as she looked up from that apparently harmless rodent, that she saw the one who, in the future, would become her best friend.
As almost always, when she was trying to classify a stranger, her first look went to her clothing. And, although her clothing was pretty simple, it was still well-coordinated, a sign that, although she certainly wasn’t an expert, she was still a person with a certain aesthetic taste.
Then she looked up, and it was then that the true revelation came.
She couldn’t tell what it was. Perhaps the long, silky and voluminous hair, or perhaps the face, by the stylish and discreet traits, or perhaps her deep eyes, by the firm but also gentle expression, directed at that time toward the rebellious rabbit. She didn’t know what it was, but everything in her face seemed to express an innate and infinite delicacy and elegance.
“Now, Angel,” the unknown girl said, with her slight voice, “Do you remember what I told you many times about biting people? That is not nice! Now, apologize to her, as a good boy!”
At first it seemed that the animal had no intention of apologizing, but a second later, he lowered his ears and put his paw on her boot, which probably was his way to apologize.
“He’s mortified to have bitten you!” said that girl, “I’m sure he won’t do it anymore!”
“Oh, don’t worry darling, I’m fine!” Rarity reassured her, “Instead, who are you? I don’t remember having met you yet.”
“Oh, well…you know…” she began to say, clearly embarrassed, “the fact is that I'm not…very…very comfortable with..ehm…other people. I usually take care of my animal friends and…”
“Excuse us,” Aqua Blossom suddenly interrupted her, wrapping her arm around Rarity, “but we really have to go now. Today we have a new substitute teacher in French, and rumors say that he’s quite nice. So we absolutely can’t go to class without giving a final touch to our look!”
“Ehm, don’t worry, Aqua!” Rarity said, escaping her embrace and pushing her toward the school, “Go on without me! I'll join you in class in a minute!
At the beginning, the fashionista looked at her in a strange way. Rarity had never missed their meeting in the bathroom for the finishing touches until then. And that was even weirder, since there was a chance to meet an handsome professor. However, she decided to not arise too many questions, and walked away, saying, “Alright. See you later!”
And so she went off, and as soon as she was far enough, Rarity said to the girl, “I ask you to forgive her. She’s so obsessed with her appearance that sometimes she can be a little insensitive. However, all in all Aqua is a good girl. Anyways, what you were telling me?”
“Well,” she said, timidly, “I was saying that…normally I’m not very comfortable with people. However, I must admit that with you, even though I know you just by a couple of minutes, I feel a little more at ease than usual. Yes, you look like a really nice girl.”
“Thank you, darling.” Rarity thanked her, “You know, I have to admit that also I have never been completely comfortable with other girls who, like me, are interested in fashion. I don’t know why, but I felt there was something missing in them. Something that instead I feel within you!”
“Really!” the girl exclaimed in surprise, as she bent down to pick up her rabbit, “Well, I…I’m happy about that. No one has made me fell so special until now!”
“If you want my opinion, I think you're very special”, she replied, before adding, “My name is Rarity, and is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thanks!” she answered, “My name is Fluttershy, and…”
“Watch out!” a male voice suddenly shouted , addressing them.
Immediately, Fluttershy’s face paled visibly, as she looked behind her interlocutor. And so, confused, Rarity turned…and saw a soccer ball that, at great speed, was flying towards her face.
Fortunately, her survival instinct prevailed, and allowed her to crouch down an instant before the ball hit her in the face. Behind her, Fluttershy had already taken cover by a little, and she remained unharmed too.
“Heavens!” Rarity said, shocked, as she stood up, “I almost had a heart attack! It’s possible that this school’s boys only think about shooting balls around, without worrying about who they hit?”
That said, she turned to pick up the ball, which had fallen a few yards away, with the intention of finding out who was the culprit. However, when she saw how dirty that ball was, she thought better of it, and left the ball where it was.
“Hey!” called them at that moment a voice from behind, a female voice this time, “You two there! That’s our ball!”
Rarity and Fluttershy turned together, at that call, and they saw a girl running toward them. A girl with disheveled and messy hair, which had all the colors of the rainbow. Her expression was hard to define: one could have said that she was determined and embarrassed at the same time. She was wearing a sports uniform, quite worn and dirty, and with a combination of patterns and colors that were, to say the least, horrible.
“Ah, so you're the one who almost hit me in the face with this ball!” Rarity assaulted her, furious, “Don’t you know that it’s dangerous to play in the schoolyard? With a shot like that, you could give me a black eye!”
That girl, in response, nervously scratched the back of her head, and, with an embarrassed smile, she replied, “Yeah, sorry about that! We know we shouldn’t play here, but the selections to enter the soccer team takes place today, and me and Heath Burns wanted to practice a little, ad work on some moves. Too bad that his aim isn’t exactly the best…”
At that moment, Rarity noticed that, further back, there was a boy who was wearing a uniform identical to the one of the girl speaking to her. He was looking worried in their direction, as if to make sure everything was all right.
Rarity was instantly sure to have identified the real culprit, and gave him a look of menace, so intense that it could terrorize a killer. And he also must have been terrified, because he quickly gathered up his things and walked hastily toward the school.
“Heath!” the sporty girl called, addressed to the boy on the run, “Heath, come back here! Come on, after all nothing happened!”
“But something almost happened!” Rarity interjected, still quite nervous, “You certainly can’t liquidate problems like this!”
In any case, it was too late. By now he had already crossed the entrance.
The unknown girl, rather disappointed, snorted and then said, “Great! You made my training partner flee! How am I supposed to train, now? What a shame, I hoped to be able to perfect my overhead kick before this afternoon…”
“Overhead kick?” Fluttershy asked, “You’re really able to do it?”
“Sure!” she said, with a confident smile, “Actually, it’s precisely because of that the coach asked me to attend the selections. He saw me perform one during recess, and since then he's always kept an eye on me! He even lent me this old uniform for practice before the selections…”
“Oh, now I understand why it’s reduced in this condition.” Rarity said, turning around her with a critical eye. She seemed to have completely forgot what happened just before, “However I must say that the soccer coach must have a terrible taste in uniforms. I mean, who would ever combine this shade of brown with this shade of grey?”
“Yeah, I know. It’s not that great.” she agreed, “But it’s not that big a deal. When I’ll get into the team, I’ll have a brand new uniform, hopefully a little more brightly colored one!”
After that, she held out her hand towards them and said, “By the way, I’m Rainbow Dash, and I apologize again for earlier.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter that much.” Rarity said, taking her hand, “And anyway, I should apologize as well! Thinking that you were the culprit, I’ve thoughtlessly accused you with an aggressive and rude tone for no reason, something that a young lady shouldn’t do!”
“Ah, no biggie! These things happens sometimes! If you only knew how many times I've been accused of having smashed a window!”
In response to that sentence, Rarity gave a mischievous smile and whispered, “And, how many times did you actually break the window?”
Rainbow Dash, at that question, blushed violently, scratched her head again and said, “Ehm…Well…Fifty fifty?”
At that answer, all the three of them burst into laughter.
It was strange, but Rarity felt that Rainbow Dash, although she apparently was the direct opposite of the other girl she had met that morning, Fluttershy, had something in common with her. It was the very thing that made Fluttershy special to her eyes. She hadn’t figured out what it was yet, but she felt it was something unique, surprising. Something she had never felt inside anyone, before those two girls.
However, after they stopped laughing, and after Rarity and Fluttershy introduced themselves to Rainbow Dash, the sporty girl picked up the ball with her foot and began to dribble, and soon after proposed, “Well, we still have about ten minutes before the bell sounds, and I’m without a training partner. Wanna try to play with me?”
“I would love to play… whichever game you’re talking about!”
All the three girls, in that moment, looked confused at each other. None of them had pronounced that last sentence. Then, a moment later, they realized that, without any of them noticing, a fourth girl had joined their little group. A girl with pink hair, so voluminous that it seemed made of cotton candy. She was dressed in bright colors, and had a sunny smile which, combined with her bright blue eyes, made her look very likeable.
“Oh, you almost scared me.” Fluttershy said, “We hadn't heard you arrive...”
“Yeah, a lot of people tell me that,” replied the newcomer, “but I can’t help myself! When the words ‘fun’, ‘party’, ‘play, ‘game’ or ‘candy’ reach my ears, I can’t help but ask to be involved! Anyway, who are you? You know, I like to meet new people. I know almost all the students of this school. However, for some strange, mysterious reason, nobody really enjoy staying with me! They say that I'm too exuberant, and even annoying sometimes. But you know what? For me, instead, they are the ones that are too boring! I mean, since I came here, no one has held a party yet, or a student meeting, to ensure that everyone knows each other!”
During her long speech, the mysterious girl had done nothing but move incessantly, gesticulating strangely. It seemed that her energy and vitality was unlimited. However, the gestures and that incessant movement, seemed the frantic gestures of a madman. Or rather, they could appear as such.
But it wasn’t like so for Rarity. In her enthusiasm, in her smile, even in her seemingly random behavior, she saw only one thing: happiness. Pure happiness. And when she looked up and glanced at her two new acquaintances, she understood, by the light in their eyes, that they thought the exact same thing.
When the mysterious girl finished speaking, she also stopped moving and finally stood still. Then she saw that all the others were looking at her strangely, and said, “Ok, I get it. I'm leaving now…”
“No, wait!” Rarity interjected, taking her hand to prevent her to go away, “The fact is that I’ve never met a girl as exuberant as you! But I mean, exuberant in a good way! You know, it seems that inside you there is so much joy that you aren’t able to hold it!”
“Uh-huh,” Fluttershy added, “You know, I usually don’t like very noisy people, but you seem so nice and full of life…”
“Yeah, you look like a fun girl!” Rainbow Dash intervened, “I’m sure we’re gonna have a blast together!”
Saying this, she threw the ball to the newly arrived girl’s feet, saying, “Anyway, I wanted to play soccer! Do you know how to play?”
The girl, with a strange look, bent down to pick up the ball. But when she got up, she showed a smile even bigger and brighter than the one she had at the beginning.
“Whee! Finally!” she shouted, “I knew it! I knew that around here there would be someone able to appreciate all of my party-energy! It was difficult, but I made it! Girl, we’re gonna have a blast together! For real! First of all, we’re gonna have a slumber party at my place, then we’ll meet every day to chat, play cards, braid each other's hair, eat candies, trade ringtones, hav-”
“Ehm, excuse me if I interrupt you, darling,” Rarity interrupted her, before she could get lost in her speech, “But, after all, the four of us met just this morning. I don’t think that, two minutes after we met, we are already best friends. That's not how it works!”
“But of course, it’s obvious that we aren’t best friends already,” she replied, “but still, we’re friends! Can’t you see this strange chemistry that has arisen between us? I know almost nothing about you all, but I feel that each one of you is special in a unique and rare way. The same way that I feel rare and unique compared to all the others. And yet, no one, before today, had ever accepted this specialty and uniqueness of mine. And I bet that each one of you, before today, had felt the same way I felt! I can read that in your eyes!”
Those words, so unexpectedly deep, struck the heart of the other three girls. And, spontaneously and freely, Rarity thought that, at last, she had understood what mysterious thing was that she had felt since her eyes had crossed Fluttershy’s gaze. It wasn’t something special that Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash, or that happy and radiant girl of which she still didn’t know the name, had. It was something that they had when they were together. It wasn’t the fact that each of them was extraordinary on her own, but rather their union was extraordinary. That morning, in that school, something revolutionary happened. Something unheard before. Four hearts, different from each other under any perspective, had come together.
In that moment, the course of Rarity thoughts was interrupted when, suddenly, the pink-haired girl pulled her into an energetic group hug, which also involved the other two girls.
“This is the best school day EVER!” shouted her, “I finally have some real friends even at the high school! Oh, by the way, I’m Pinkie Pie, but for friends just Pinkie. Nice to meet you all!”
“The pleasure is ours, Pinkie.” she said, even if that embrace was literally taking away the breath from her, “My name is Rarity.”
The other two presented themselves too, and then, when Pinkie finally released them all from her embrace, they began to chat a little, Rainbow and Pinkie about how to play soccer, Rarity and Fluttershy about what shampoo they used to make them so bright. But then, suddenly, a small van stopped in front of the driveway leading to the school.
And from that van came down a girl with long, blond hair, tight towards the end in a rubber band. She was dressed in quite simple clothes and she proudly wore a cowboy hat. And finally her face, dotted with freckles, had an outspoken and resolute expression. All of this gave the impression of a girl more accustomed to the country than the city.
However, the girl, helped by a huge guy, who always remained silent, unloaded from the van several crates of apples, which seemed quite heavy.
And while the four friends watched the country girl work, they saw in her eyes that light. The light of passion. The same light that she, Rarity, saw every morning in her own eyes at the mirror, while trying one outfit after another, for several minutes, until she finally got the desired effect.
Until that day, she hadn’t seen that light inside anyone else. But then, when Pinkie Pie had made her profound speech about friendship, in her eyes had appeared that same light. But not only in hers.
That light was also inside Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
That's why they were special, and that's why their sudden union was even more special. Each of them was burning with passion, a passion not only for themselves, but also for sharing.
And now, in that morning that, for the first time, she had met three people with such passion, a fourth one jumped out from nowhere. Suddenly, their meeting didn’t seem so accidental anymore. Perhaps, on the contrary, it was destiny to have that meeting.
In the end, the two young country kids ended up unloading the van, and then, as the boy sat on the driver's seat and went to park the van, the girl began to carry the crates, one at a time, towards the entrance.
Looking at the crates left to carry, nine in total, Rarity got a doubt, and glanced the time on her cellphone. There were only four minutes left before the bell.
Then, she looked at the others, and evidently Fluttershy had the thought she just had, because she said, “She’s never going to make it in time, isn’t she?”
All together, the four girls nodded.
“We can’t sit here and watch with folded hands!” Rainbow exclaimed, “We have to help her!”
Pinkie nodded again, with a determined expression. Fluttershy at the beginning seemed to hesitate, but then proclaimed herself concordant. Rarity didn’t answer. That morning she was wearing some of her most beautiful clothes, and she refused to risk staining or tearing it to help a stranger.
But the others evidently understood what she was thinking, because they addressed to her a look of encouragement, and Pinkie also said, “Come on, Rarity! I know that you think too that she’s special just as we are. We can’t let her get into trouble because we haven’t helped her!”
Rarity recognized within herself that she was right. And, immediately after, she raised her head and looked at her new friends, who with their eyes instilled courage and strength inside her.
Yes, it was true. If she hadn’t helped that girl, she felt that she would never forgive herself for that.
So, she joined the others, and quickly, went to collect a crate for each, and together, they joined the country girl.
“Hey, what are you doin’ ” she said, when she saw those four girls who, at her side, were carrying the crates, “Those are the apples of my family’s orchard, and ah have the duty to bring them up to the kitchen!”
“Oh, so it’s with these apples that they prepare that delicious fruit salad!” Fluttershy said, happily, “In any case, don’t worry. We're just helping you carry them!”
“Eh, but ah don’t need any help!” she replied, “Ah can do it on my own! After all, ah’ve always done it every week since the start of the school!”
“Girl, the bell is gonna ring in three minutes!” Rainbow Dash said, “At this rate, there’s no way you'll make it on your own!”
“Three minutes!” she exclaimed, obviously taken aback. Then, she looked back toward the remaining crates, and her confidence seemed to falter.
“Ehm, ah guess ah could actually use a little help…” she finally admitted, reluctantly.
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie exclaimed, “After all, helping friends is fun! And also being helped is fun!”
“Yeah, ah think it’s true that unity is strength.” She replied, “So, thanks for the help! My name’s Applejack, by the way.”
They introduced themselves to her as well, and then, together, they continued to carry those crates. Sure, it was a tough job, but in the end, Rarity began to consider even that work, in some way, fun. She only had to look at Pinkie that, while carrying the box, was telling a joke after another about apples, or Rainbow, who was trying to carry the box holding it in balance on her head, or Fluttershy, who was gently scolding her rabbit, because he had tried to eat an apple. Applejack, meanwhile, was telling of how life was on her family’s farm, just outside Canterlot City.
It was true. The five of them were completely different. Maybe they had nothing in common. Still, she felt more and more that their meeting wasn’t a coincidence. And, even if it was like so, she felt that, those four girls, whether by chance or by fate, would be very important to her, in the days ahead.
“…And so it has been indeed…” Rarity concluded, putting back the framed picture in its place, at the top of the shelf.
Behind her, Sunset Shimmer was looking at her, deeply moved. Moved, because those same feelings that Rarity had felt, at that first meeting, she was feeling them now. And she felt them every time she had the opportunity to stay close to just one of those girls, so special, and which created a bond that was even more special.
Perhaps, if during her foalhood, she had met someone with that force, and that passion, but especially with that huge, selfless desire to help others and make friends, things for her would have been different.
But perhaps, in fact, she had actually met ponies like that, but, at that time, she was too blind and closed in on herself to see that. Believing herself too strong, and above anyone else of her age, she wasn’t able to find other types of greatness inside others. And so, she was left alone.
“It’s a beautiful story, Rarity…” Sunset said, coming up to her and looking at that photo, “So it’s in this way that your friendship began…”
“Well, that was just the first step.” she answered, “After that day, sometimes we met by chance, and we greeted each other. But then, we started to really feel the need of each other. We needed to experience that bond one more time. To feel united, as an outfit composed by many clothes and accessories different from each other, but which together create an unique beauty. And that was the real moment in which we, our group, was truly born!”
At that very moment, as soon as she finished the sentence, the two girls heard a piercing whistle coming from another room. And Rarity exclaimed, “Goodness! I forgot the kettle on! Be right back!”
And rushing, she left the room to go turn off the stove.
Sunset Shimmer was left alone, in that elegant room... except for that bizarre pot. Wondering why Rarity could have put a so ugly pot in a room just as important as the living room, she came up to try to get a better look. But, as she did, her eyes fell also on the large window of the living room, and on the road out of it, still shrouded in fog.
And it was then that she saw it.
In the driveway that led to Rarity’s house, there was someone! Because of the fog, she couldn’t see who it was, but, judging by the size, it had to be a boy her age.
But the strangest thing was the odd gait with which the stranger was moving toward the door. He was advancing very slowly, unsteadily and limping, keeping one arm hanging and the other tight across his chest. It almost looked like he was drunk ... or badly injured.
“Ehm, Rarity!” Sunset called, uncertain about how to deal with the situation.
“What is it, darling?” Rarity answered from the kitchen.
“Er…I think…I think someone is coming…someone that might need help!” Sunset said, trying to get a better look from the window, in order to see better the stranger, “But I can’t figure out who it is!”
“Oh, my! It could be a burglar!” Rarity exclaimed, walking into the room, and trying in turn to look out the window. But it was useless. The fog was too thick. And the stranger was almost at the door by then.
“The peephole!” Rarity proposed, “You try to see who it is through the peephole. If it’s a criminal, we’ll call the police immediately!”
Sunset gave a nod, and, together, they headed for the entrance. But they didn’t have the time to approach the door, that they heard a loud thud coming from it.
“Heavens!” Rarity cried, stepping back in terror, “He’s trying to break down the door!”
Her hands had already grabbed the phone, but then, she remained uncertain, and Sunset too, when, instead of other blows coming from the door, they heard total silence, as if the mysterious figure had gave up after only one attempt.
However, it was only after several, interminable seconds, that Sunset found the courage to approach the door, and peek out through the peephole.
She peeked out for a long time, dubious, but in the end she drew back muttering, “There’s no one out there!”
“What!” Rarity exclaimed, “There has to be someone out there! We didn’t imagine that blow at the d-Whoa!”
While she was speaking, she had approached the door and opened it, as if she wanted to be face to face with the burglar to prove she was right. But when she opened it, someone had fallen face down on the floor of the entrance.
And then, to her horror, Sunset understood. The blow they had heard hadn’t been produced by a kick against the door, but from the body of that poor fellow who, passing out, had fallen against the door. And so, when Rarity had opened the door, the stranger had lost his only support and had fallen to the ground.
However, for a few seconds, both girls stood there in shock, watching the stranger lying on the floor of the entrance. And, at least judging from its physiognomy, it had to be a girl, but still, it wasn’t possible to see much of her appearance, as the unknown was wrapped in a tattered and dirty coat, with a hood that wrapped her head.
In the end, Rarity looked at her friend in the eyes and said, “I think we should take her to the couch, and see if we can help her in some way…”
“That's right.” Sunset agreed, as she grabbed the girl under the shoulders, to turn her face up and bring her to the living room, “This poor girl must feel terrible if she collapsed suddenly like that. However, I don’t understand why she came here. I mean, if she felt bad, she could…”
She had stopped because, as she tried to lift and turn her, the hood dropped, and now both could clearly see the face of that girl. A face framed by a cascade of blue hair.
In that moment, Sunset and Rarity looked at each other. And each other read in the eyes of the friend the uncertainty about what to do.
Because it was true that the girl who was lying at their feet was obviously in need of help. But it was also true that the last time they had seen that girl, she and her partners had tried to brainwash the entire school, in order to absorb all the power they needed to regain their former strength and, in this way, enslave the entire planet.
Because the girl at their feet was known by the name of Sonata Dusk.