Spring Surprises

by TheGJ90

Chapter 10 - Of Houses and Crusades

Later that morning...

Scootaloo was pacing left and right on the wooden floor of the CMCs clubhouse, nervousness and fear conspiring to keep her on edge and doing a fine job of it. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked on in concern for their friend as she expressed her worries whilst she paced;

"Oh man, what are they gonna say? What are they gonna do?"

Sweetie Belle tried to reason with her worried friend, her voice cracking a little as she did so;

"I'm sure they won't get mad at us over this."

Apple Bloom took the opportunity to strengthen Sweetie's words with some encouragement of her own;

"We get why ya' feel so plum worried, Scoots. But, if Sunset, Octavia, and P0N3 can understand why we're doing this, why not the others?"

Truthfully, their words did help soothe Scootaloo's worries, but only slightly. She stopped pacing to turn around to face her friends, fear all over her face as she exclaimed;

"Yeah, but what about Rainbow?! The others might get it, but you know how she feels about-!"

Her words were interrupted by the voice of Sunset Shimmer calling to them from the walkie talkie can that hung from a string on the wall next to the clubhouse door;

"We're here girls.", she told them.

Just hearing her voice was enough to make Scootaloo wince a little. She gulped while giving her friends a pleading expression. Sweetie and Apple Bloom looked at each other and nodded with renewed smiles before showing them to their pal, who visibly relaxed at the sight of their goodwill. Just before they could perform their usual tripe high-five, the CMCs remembered two important details:

1. Their list was still hanging on the wall!
2. Twilight Sparkle was sure to be behind the door!

Without needing so much as a prompt, Sweetie Belle rushed over to the list, removed the pins that held it in place, and took it into her hands before it could fall. She then briskly folded it back up while Apple Bloom opened the safe. She passed the list over to the young Apple, who carefully placed it in the safe and slammed it shut. While this was going on, Scootaloo ran over to the can on the wall, grabbed it, held its business end up to her mouth, and declared to the waiting guests while trying very hard to hide her nervousness;

"No phrase to finish this time, we'll lower the ramp for you. Just give us a moment."

Thankfully, that seemed to be enough for the group on the other side to wait patiently. By the time she had finished speaking, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had already hidden the list. While the former was busy getting ready at the podium, the latter went with the orange girl through the door and over to the levers. As Scootaloo pulled the correct lever while feeling hidden resignation and fear, she could not help but think to herself;

"Oh Rainbow Dash... I hope I don't disappoint you."

---

The group that joined the CMCs in the clubhouse consisted of the Sonic Rainbooms, Spike, Octavia Melody, DJ P0N3, Big Mac (with a happy Winona on her leash), and, to Apple Bloom's surprise and delight, Granny Smith. The little Apple rushed over to the old family matriarch and gave her a big hug, the pink bow she had picked out for the day perking up along with her mood. With a loving laugh, Granny Smith reciprocated the hug, much to everyone else's joy. Once the hug was released, Apple Bloom asked her eldest relative with that dopey smile of hers beaming rays of familial love from her face;

"Weren't ya' takin' one of your naps?"

With a wrinkled smile of her own, the old Apple told her sweetly;

"Normally, Ah'd be nappin'. But, when Ah heard about Sunset's housin' problem, Ah couldn't stand the thought of not doin' a thing to help her out. So, Ah figured, why not start off by workin' up enough energy to join in on these 'ere meetins'?"

Sunset felt a swell of gratitude in her heart as she told her happily;

"Thank you, ma'am."

Granny looked over at the teenager and told her truthfully;

"There ain't a person in the world who deserves to be homeless."

She raised her thick right index finger at Sunset's face and added with a firm parental voice that was balanced out by her grin;

"Now, ya' best remember that, missy!"

Sunset nodded at her, her smile refusing to leave her face.

"Oh, if I had somepony like her as my grandmother when I was filly...", she thought to herself wistfully before returning her attention to the present moment. Once the excitement died down, Apple Bloom ran back to her spot behind the podium, took her gavel with her right hand, and waited for the others to take their seats. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, being founding members, took their places next to their leader, with the former to her right and the latter to her left. Thankfully, the group of attendees had brought their seats with them when they arrived, with Twilight being the only one who came wearing a backpack, which she placed to the left of her seat before sitting down. Once the group was seated, Apple Bloom rang her gavel three times before announcing calmly;

"This 'ere meetin', the first of two, of the Canterlot Movie Club has come to order."

She pointed the business end of her gavel at the audience before her and went on with a grateful smile;

"Our thanks to the Sonic Rainbooms, Spike the Dog, Honorary Club Members Octavia Melody and DJ-P0N3, and..."

Her bow bounced a little as she giggled a little before finishing;

"The entire Apple household for attendin'!"

Big Mac's response, laced with a smile, was as simple and direct as it was expected from a man like him;

"Eeyup."

Laughter filled the clubhouse for a bit before Sunset noted to the CMCs;

"Actually, there's one more guest in attendance today."

With quick and gentle movement, she raised the right shoulder of her trusty jacket with her right hand, prompting a certain leopard gecko that she picked up before arriving to crawl out from under the jacket and up to his owner's neck. His giant smile in fully display, he rubbed his head on her neck in a show of pure affection that got everyone in the room to gush. Most of the folks in attendance were already quite happy over this development, but the CMCs were the happiest of the bunch by a country mile;

"RAY!", they cried out in joyful unison before rushing over to Sunset in the hopes of giving the little guy head-pats. Their older sisters smiled lovingly at the adorable sight before them as Ray caught sight of his owner's right hand, which was placed right in front of the shoulder he was standing on. Instinctively, he crawled on to the hand, which allowed Sunset to carefully move him to within safe head-patting range of the giggling movie club, who did exactly that.

"You're one sneaky little lizard, ya' know that?", Apple Bloom commented with eyes sparkling with love. She then looked over at Winona, who was getting ear scratches from Big Mac, and noted with nostalgic joy;

"Reminds me of the times when Winona would surprise me with doggy pounces when Ah was little."

She made a mental note to play with her family's dog later when Sweetie Belle cooed while patting Ray and gently stroking his scaly back with her right index finger, her voice cracks unrelenting in their adorableness;

"You're so cuuuute! I bet you make Sunset smile every day just by being your wonderful self."

"Hehe, that's true!", Sunset thought while feeling the love she had for her beloved pet, who wagged his tail happily over the attention he was getting as Scootaloo chimed in with cheer in her voice;

"I wonder what kind of adventures you get into when you're not in your terrarium? I'll bet they're awesome like you!"

While the kids continued to shower Ray with affection, Applejack looked over at Sunset and asked her;

"So, what made ya' wanna bring your critter with ya'?"

With a quick chuckle, she told her honest pal with a voice loud enough for the kids to hear her words;

"I figured the CMCs would be nervous over what we're going to talk about in the meetings. So, I figured a visit from a certain little ray of sunshine would help them out."

"You got that right!", exclaimed a happy and grateful Scootaloo, her nerves from earlier having been soothed completely by the ancient and mystical power of cute animals. Speaking of cute animals, Ray managed to quickly crawl his way back over to Sunset and climb up to her right shoulder. Apple Bloom walked over to her and hugged her tightly while telling her with sweet softness in her southern twang;

"Much obliged, Phoenix Friend."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo joined in on the hug while Sunset relaxed into it. They then looked up at her with pure adorable adoration on their faces, which made her heart melt in an instant before they broke up the hug. With the impromptu pet session over with, the CMCs returned to their positions at the podium while the attendees sat back on their seats, with Winona sitting on the floor between Big Mac and Granny Smith while Ray chilled with his owner via his chosen perch. With sparkles in her eyes, Apple Bloom addressed the audience;

"Now, our first meetin' concerns the work to be done on Sunset's house. Unfortunately, this means that she has to step outside for a spell."

Her bow drooped as her eyes lost their sparkle. She looked over at Sunset with a sad expression that could make a heart cry;

"Sorry about doin' this to ya', sugarcube.", she told her in an upset tone. The rest of the trio looked about as sad as their leader. The fiery lady herself responded sweetly in the hopes of easing their worries;

"It's okay, girls. I could use some fresh air anyway and besides..."

She reached over to Ray and caressed his chin with her right index finger, a gesture he very much appreciated, before finishing with a smile;

"I won't be alone out there."

The frowns on the CMCs were replaced by reinvigorated beaming grins, Apple Bloom's bow rising back up to further emphasize her change of mood. Once she saw that the rest of the group were also fine with this arrangement, Sunset got up off of her seat and walked out of the clubhouse before shutting the door behind her. Unbeknownst to her and everyone inside, someone was watching them all closely.

---

This someone was perched on the thick branches of one of the healthy trees in the forest that surrounded the clubhouse. This tree in particular was situated at the forest's edge, giving its occupant a clear angle of the side of the building that was to Sunset's right as she walked down the ramp. The tree was some distance away from it, far enough for the naked eye alone to be of limited use. But, it was still close enough for this person to listen in on the club members and attendees thanks to a carefully placed and aimed high-powered microphone that was positioned near the edge of one of the thicker branches in front of them. This microphone was connected via a black cable to the noise-canceling headphones that the person was wearing. They were using a large pair of binoculars to keep a close eye on the meeting in the clubhouse via the uncovered window, their hands rocking soft gloves made of cloth. This person's outfit was positively covered in camouflage that helped them blend in with their surroundings. Even their equipment was rocking matching camo, including the mic, which had camouflaged cloth covering it that doubled as a DIY pop filter. Their face and hair were hidden under the shadow created by their large hood. Their movements were slow and deliberate, all to make as little noise as possible. They could not afford to attract attention now, especially when the head of the Apple Family was nearby! Through the binoculars, they saw Sunset venture beyond the ramp and sit down on a grassy spot near it before crossing her legs into a comfy position. After taking a moment to smile at her pet lizard, who sat comfortably on her right shoulder, she placed her hands on her lap with her palms up, closed her eyes, and started breathing slowly and deeply in silence. Within about a minute, a contented smile formed on her face as her body became more visibly relaxed over time. The wind blew from her back, causing her fiery hair to dance gracefully in the air. Yet, this did not disturb Sunset in the slightest as thoughts came and went in her mind like water flowing in a creek. A creek that, in her mind's eye, she watched without interfering with its gentle flow.

"She looks so peaceful.", the stealthy eavesdropper thought with a hint of happiness growing within before refocusing on the clubhouse chatter playing in their headphones. With a quick sigh, they moved their binoculars back over to the uncovered window and listened closely.

---

"During yesterday's special meeting, Sunset had given us clearance to call upon other Wondercolts to aid us in this project.", Octavia explained to the others in a dignified fashion before adding with a determined glare;

"Make no mistake: My dearest P0N3 and I will provide you all with assistance. Sunset is our friend too, after all."

Her lady love and fellow musician added more weight to Octavia's claim by pounding her chest with her right fist and giving off a confident smirk. As badly as the CMCs wanted to hug those two with all of their hearts, they figured it best to not interrupt the proceedings. So, they settled for showing them their oversized dopey smiles, which the musical couple happily noticed. Applejack thanked them both on the group's behalf;

"You're all heart, ya' two lovebirds.", she said with a relieved smile. Rarity chimed in with dignity;

"Indeed. We've only just started work on the house and already, it has become quite clear that we need all the help we can acquire."

"Logistically speaking... yeah, we need more pairs of hands to get this done!", said a sheepish Twilight as she scratched the back of her head with her right hand. Granny Smith spoke up with enthusiasm in her voice;

"Ya'll got the four of us Apples and our dog with ya'. Just tell us what needs doin' and we'll get it done good and proper!"

Winona barked happily in agreement to this claim. Rainbow Dash jumped into the conversation with an excitement-fueled suggestion of her own;

"I can send word to the other Wondercolts with Bedlam DMs. Someone's bound to step up!"

"Good call, Rainbow.", noted Twilight, who elaborated further while adjusting her glasses;

"Sticking to DMs should help keep this project in-house so to speak. I'd rather Sunset not be embarrassed due to the whole city finding out about her being homeless."

"I don't think I'd be able to hide if that were to happen to me.", added Fluttershy, who looked and sounded terribly nervous over such a concept. Pinkie bounced in place while asking in a rapid pace filled with glee;

"Oh! Oh! May I help, Rainbow Dash?! I've got the whoooole CHS student body on my Bedlam friends list, so I can send word to them super-duper fast!"

Apple Bloom giggled over all of this before telling the group with calm surety;

"Okay then, Rainbow and Pinkie can send word to other students who can help us."

"I second that motion!", declared an excited Sweetie Belle.

"Third!", Scootaloo exclaimed in agreement. With a satisfied grin, the club leader and founder rang her gavel once before announcing;

"Motion carried! Now, onto the business of our renovation tasks, startin' with Sunset's bedroom..."

As the group discussed the matter at hand, their unknown eavesdropper listened in on the conversation. Their thoughts traveled back to the Rainbooms' previous acts of goodwill before reaching a specific conclusion;

"The girls are taking this quite seriously. I mean, they don't frequently call up their fellow Wondercolts unless it's for a big project..."

This person could think of two other instances when that band brought in other help from their high-school peers: The fundraiser for Camp Everfree and...

They felt strong tension flare up in their shoulders as the memories of a particularly painful time in CHS history played out in their mind. After taking several deep breaths to release the tension, they continued to listen to the folks in the clubhouse. Apple Bloom was just finishing up her explanation of what she and her two best friends wanted to do with Sunset's bedroom;

"Well, that's our plan. Ya'll got any ideas on how we can tackle it without lettin' Sunset know about it?"

The others tried to think of a way to do exactly that, save for Sci-Twi, who started to show a tiny grin on her face that no one noticed. Applejack noted with a sigh while adjusting her hat;

"Yeah, there ain't no gettin' around it: we need the Princess's help with this one. But, how in the hay are we gonna get her help without makin' Sunset suspicious?"

Sci-Twi's grin grew into an increasingly excited teeth-baring smile while eyes started to show signs of restrained manic joy. Rarity hummed to herself for a moment before making a fair point;

"Since the portal at the statue will only be opened by Princess Twilight from her castle, the only means by which we can contact her is through Sunset's journal."

The egghead could barely hold back the urge to giggle like an evil villain about to conquer the world through science. Her smile grew to be ear-to-ear in length while the discussion around her raged on;

"But, how are we gonna contact Pony Twilight without being caught by Sunset?", asked Pinkie Pie before she tossed a few small chocolate balls into her mouth while looking quite puzzled. The CMCs were deep in thought as the conversation played out. Sweetie Belle took a second away from her pondering to note;

"Stealing the journal is a big no-no, obviously."

The giggles inside the Mad Twientist could no longer be contained. Her manic giggling became more than noticeable to the others, who looked over at her with concern and confusion in their eyes. Before they could speak up, however, Sci-Twi calmed down enough to look directly at Sweetie Belle and exclaimed to her with a gleeful expression that included a hint of mania in her eyes;

"We don't have to use the journal!"

Now, the folks in the clubhouse were even more confused, with Apple Bloom putting their confusion into words with a raised right eyebrow;

"Ah beg your pardon?", she asked in as calm a voice as possible.

Sci-Twi answered by briskly taking her backpack off of the floor and placing it on her lap. She then unzipped the main bag and opened it up to feel around inside of it for a bit before pulling out a well cared for notebook with a lavender cover that bore her sparkling iconography. After returning the backpack to its previous location, she rested the notebook on her lap, opened it, and began to flip through the pages until she stopped at one bookmarked by a small brown ruler that she promptly moved aside. The rest of the group looked at the notebook as she flipped, only to see something interesting about the bookmarked page: it was NOT connected to the notebook at all! Before anyone could look more closely at it, Sci-Twi carefully grabbed the page by its top edge with her left hand, lifted it into the air, and closed the notebook with her right hand before placing the page on top of it. The lavender cover underneath the page made some more of its unique properties more apparent to the people around her. It was clearly cut clean out of what ever book it came from instead of being torn out of it. The exception to its neatness was a single large rip where its bottom right corner used to be. Nothing was written on it, not even a single equation. Applejack looked up at her excited friend and asked what the people she stood with were thinking;

"What is it about that there page that's specia-?"

Her eyes went wide in shock as the dots connected in her mind. The words she uttered were filled with awe;

"No way..."

"Yes way!", exclaimed Sci-Twi as the rest of their friends and family members came to the same realization that Applejack did, their eyes also following suit. Before anyone else could react appropriately, she declared with pride;

"This, my friends, is no ordinary page: It is a page taken directly from Sunset's journal!"

---

Twlight's Laboratory, two days before Sunset's house was discovered.

"Sunset... I have a question for you.", Twilight asked after she finished writing up the results of their latest experiment, which was an attempt to upgrade Spike's robot dog friend by giving it a list of rudimentary verbal responses (including adorable barks) that it would pull from whenever it hears someone ask it a question. The currently inactive automaton sat as still as a statue within a box built with thick transparent glass that was placed in the middle of a long desk that both Twilight and Sunset had been working on. While she was busy organizing her results papers at one end of the table, Sunset, who stood at the other end, was putting her black rubber gloves away when her friend spoke to her. Those gloves were part of the science outfit that the owner of the laboratory insisted that they both wear, which also consisted of a white lab coat and large clear safety goggles that they wore on their foreheads whenever they weren't experimenting on something. Spike was relaxing on his little bed that was placed at a safe distance away from the two scientists and their work. Once Sunset had placed her gloves on a free space on the desk before her, thinking that their hard work was done for the day, she turned to Twilight and told her calmly with a hint of curiosity on her face;

"Let's hear it, Twi."

The lavender student of all of the sciences turned away from the desk as well to face her friend, the glimmer of scientific curiosity shining in her eyes as she elaborated;

"It concerns your journal."

She then pointed at the object in question with her right index finger. Sunset looked over at it while pondering what she could be getting at. The journal was resting on a spot to the left of her gloves, its logo, a combination of hers and the Princess's cutie marks, displaying proudly on the cover. As she stared at one of her most prized possessions, Twilight explained further;

"The magic of the journal allows two-way communication between yourself and my royal equine counterpart via the simple act of writing on its pages. This leaves me to wonder about the full extent of this magic."

Sunset grasped her chin with her right hand before asking while keeping her eyes locked on the journal;

"You want to discover and understand that extent?"

With an affirmative and excited giggle, her egghead for a pal went on;

"Specifically speaking, I want to answer this question..."

She walked over to the journal, grabbed with both hands, and turned to show its cover to Sunset after holding it over her chest before getting her point across;

"Would the journal's magic extend to a piece of one of its pages, should it be removed?"

From the moment she heard the world 'removed', Sunset's mind's alarm bells rang with the fierceness of a tornado drill. With a deep breath, she managed to calm her head down. But, she still expressed worry on her face as she responded nervously;

"Twi, I'm all for getting to know how magic works, but-!"

"I understand your concern, Sunset!", Twilight exclaimed with even more nervousness than her friend had expressed, cutting her off mid-sentence. This prompted Sunset to be silent, which allowed her to take several deep breaths to relieve her growing anxiety. Once she was calm, she spoke further while glaring down at the journal;

"This journal means the world to you, for it maintains a physical and emotional connection between yourself and the Princess."

She shook her head before looking back up at Sunset. Surety and determination filled her face and eyes as she declared calmly with far less nervousness than a few seconds ago;

"I will not be the one who destroys that connection."

"What was I so worried about?! It's Sci-Twi, for Celestia's sake!", Sunset thought to herself while her sideways smirk broke through her fading worry. She walked up to her, placed her right hand on her left shoulder, and responded sweetly;

"Midnight Sparkle would not have cared about the feelings of others. You do, Twi."

Twilight's heart and mind were put at ease by her dear friend's truthful words. Jubilation was added to the mix upon hearing what she said next;

"We'll take one piece from a page at the end of the journal."

---

Present Day, in the CMCs' clubhouse

"And after careful testing of both sides of the piece, it was revealed that the magic of the journal extends to any piece of its paper that is ripped out from it! You can thank the test messages that were sent between the two of us and the Princess for this discovery!", finished an ecstatic Sci-Twi, whose enthusiasm was matched by her visible pride in herself. The rest of the folks in the clubhouse were still noticeably shocked by this revelation to say the least. That shock soon gave way to happiness, however, as they all voiced their approval to her with cheers, laughter, and in the case of an exuberant Apple Bloom, a mighty cowgirl yell;

"YEEE-HAAAW! Way to go, Miss Twi!", she happily belted out. Scootaloo added with an excited bounce;

"Now, we can get the Princess's help!"

The CMCs were about ready to unleash upon Twilight a heaping helping of hugs born from love when Applejack interrupted them with a smile aimed squarely at her nerdy friend;

"Ah'll bet good cider that the Princess was mighty shocked when that first test message came up on her end."

Rainbow chuckled before responding on Twilight's behalf;

"Yeah, I can't help but imagine the look on her face when she saw that message tucked away on a corner of a page."

Hearing that comment caused Sweetie Belle to realize something that was too important to not mention;

"Hold on for a second!", she exclaimed with a squeak, catching everyone else's attention. With a quick breath, she elaborated;

"Say we use that page to contact the Princess and she agrees to help us with Sunset's bedroom. We're gonna be talking to her about that a lot."

Her face expressed a frown before she finished with slight resignation;

"I don't think one page is gonna be enough."

"It'll get the ball rollin', though.", noted Applejack. But, before she could speak again, Twilight spoke up with a confident smirk;

"Acquiring the services of the Princess of Friendship is just the start of my plan!"

Having caught the attention of the group, she adjusted her glasses again and declared with confidence fueled by her carefully crafted logic;

"Now, listen carefully..."

---

Sunset could barely hear the commotion from the clubhouse, which was basically a bunch of distant unintelligible voices that she easily tuned out. The sounds that she did hear clearly were the blowing of the wind and birds chirping in the distance. Such sounds only served to strengthen the growing sense of calm within her being as she kept her focus on the flowing creek in her mind's eye. Her breathing was quiet and steady, her body was becoming more and more relaxed by the second, and her mind was as still as the dirt beneath her. Best of all: the demon inside, for reasons Sunset could not begin to fathom, had deigned to not interfere with her session. Almost everything felt right to her at that moment. As if on cue, soft footfalls could be heard from behind Sunset. This did not come close to disturbing her, though. Not even when the source of the sound, a person, walked over to her and sat down at her left side with comfortably crossed legs. Sunset, at this point, was in a state of pure tranquil focus that only a select few could interrupt without inciting her agitation. The one who sat next to her was one of that number, who gently commented while gazing at her peaceful demeanor;

"It must be quite pleasant.", Twilight said with a hint of wistfulness in her voice whilst she placed her backpack on her lap and opened it up to let Spike climb out and run around on the grass in front of the pair of girls.

Now, everything felt right to Sunset.

Using her friend's voice as a guide, her slowly pulled herself out of her meditative state and into the present reality, her eyes fluttering slightly. She gave Twilight a calm attentive look while she listened to her speak further;

"To be able to get your thoughts to quiet down whenever you want."

An understanding grin formed on Sunset's face as she responded sweetly;

"I get what you mean, Twi. I found it hard to get my thoughts to shut up when I started meditating."

She turned her head to face forward, towards the forest and the path through it, and elaborated further;

"I mean, Rainbow gave me a taste of it when she introduced me to yoga. But, practicing meditation for longer than a few minutes?"

She chuckled softly before finishing with a voice laced with nostalgia;

"My brain did not like that at first."

A strong sense of relief flowed through Twilight. She allowed a small smile to appear on her bespectacled face as she responded with gentle happiness

"I knew you would understand! You may seek out knowledge in a different way compared to me, but an intellectual is still an intellectual."

It was her turn to chuckle a little before adding with annoyance filling her words as she gazed at the forest before her;

"People like us can have overactive brains at the worst of times."

Sunset saw an opportunity for some light teasing and took it with a smirk aimed right at Twilight;

"I take it you've been dealing with hearing a metric ton of equations, theories, and experiment results in your head-."

Her nerdy friend interrupted her with a loud groan while holding her head with both hands;

"When I actually don't want to hear them for a change, yes!"

She let her hands rest at her sides while adding with an exasperated sigh;

"Don't even get me started with my..."

Some certain old hurts flared up inside just enough to cause her to hug herself while shuddering slightly;

"Sub-optimal memories of Crystal Prep, Cinch, and..."

She could hear that familiar, dreaded cackle echo softly in her mind;

"Her."

Twilight took a deep breath to recenter herself. After allowing her hands to rest again, she looked over at Sunset once more and told her with genuine surety;

"Make no mistake, I am in charge of my life, not Midnight Sparkle. With that being said, finding a way to quiet my mind will go a long way to solidifying that fact."

Sunset could not help but feel proud of her friend's personal growth. Hearing her words gave her an opportunity to help her grow even more, one that she took without question. Sunset offered with that sideways smirk that any of her friends could recognize in a heartbeat;

"Well, I can give you a quick beginner's lesson. You've been meaning to try out mediation anyway, so why not do it here and now?"

Twilight's eyes sparkled with excitement over the thought of learning something new and useful. The giant smile on her face only made that excitement even more clear to her amber-colored friend, who decided to sit back and enjoy the reaction she was getting. It was surprising to her that the egghead did not belt out a happy squeal for good measure! Twilight rapidly nodded her head to further express her interest, which prompted Sunset to begin the impromptu lesson;

"One of the beautiful things about meditation is that you don't need much to give it a go. You just need time to yourself, a quiet place, and a comfy spot for you to be still on. You'll obviously have a moment a peace while the CMCs conduct their second meeting. Plus..."

She looked around the grassy area that they were sitting at before returning her attention to Twilight and explaining further with a smile;

"This whole place is quiet enough for our needs and we're sitting on comfy grass, so we're set there too."

"Ah, how convenient!", exclaimed an excited Twilight before she asked while giving her crossed legs an inquisitive glare;

"What sort of sitting position would work best for this practice?"

That got a friendly chuckle from Sunset, who answered calmly;

"Whatever position is comfortable for you, Twi."

She added with a playful wink that her friend caught just in time when she looked back up;

"You don't need to be a pretzel to meditate."

The two girls laughed at Sunset's joke for a few seconds while imagining their limbs hilariously contorted in a cartoonish fashion. Twilight then took a moment to adjust her posture and legs to maximize her comfort as best as she could, her backpack moved to her right side. She did this for a few seconds while Sunset moved to sit directly in front of her, the former bad girl's legs also crossed as she formed her usual meditating position, her hands resting on her lap with her palms opened and facing upwards. Once the two were settled, Spike, who had caught the conversation during his quick run and stopped to listened in on it, decided that this was the best moment to pounce on Twilight's lap with a jovial bark, much to her surprise and delight. With a loving giggle, she rubbed his back as he nestled himself into her lap as she asked him with a smile;

"You're trying to help me relax?"

"Is it working?", Spike asked her in return with a bit of smug slyness in his voice. He sank into his new lounging spot as he spoke, his furry body refusing to move an inch. Twilight scratched his right ear, much to his appreciation, while telling him sweetly;

"It most certainly is, you lovable canine."

While taking a mental note to give the pup a treat later, Sunset waited patiently for her friend to refocus on the task at hand. It wasn't long before she did so, the girls' eyes now fixed on each other. With Twilight ready to go, Sunset began by making a quick clarification;

"I'll guide you as you start your practice, but once you're in deep, I'll go deal with that meeting while you meditate. Square deal?"

The genius nodded her head before an idea popped up in her brain. She quickly turned to face her backpack, unzipped one of the smaller pockets, and pulled out from it her smartphone. With a few quick swipes and finger presses, she used the phone's timer app to set up a ten minute timer that she then showed to Sunset. After getting from her an approving nod, she placed the phone on a spot on her lap between Spike and her belly with the screen facing the sky. With one final finger press, she started the timer and allowed her hands to rest at her sides, prompting Sunset to instruct her in a calm concise fashion as Twilight looked back up at her.

"To meditate is to focus while letting all other things come and go. First, let's pick something for you to focus on. You're new to this, so I suggest your breath. Got it?"

Her student's eyes sparkled again, albeit more subtly than last time, as she expressed her agreement with this suggestion;

"Such a choice may yet be effective on account of its simplicity... I've got it."

Sunset smiled over Twilight's thought process before continuing;

"Now, let's start by relaxing the body and mind. Three deep breaths should do the trick. You can breathe through the nose or the mouth. Your call."

With that, she guided her eager charge through each deep inhale and equally deep exhale, Twilight having chosen to breathe in through the nose and out with the mouth. Their breaths quickly became in sync with each other as she felt the muscles in her body ease up more and more with each breath she took, her mind becoming just a little bit quieter each time. Once the third breath was finished, she felt more ready for this session than she was a moment ago, her being feeling more at ease than usual, much to her relief. After a moment's pause, Sunset moved the lesson to the next step with a softer voice than before that gave away her helpful friend instincts that were kicking in;

"Let your breathing return to its natural rhythm."

Automatically, Twilight tried to deliberately slow her breathing down. But, her friend quickly caught on to this and gently stopped her;

"Relax, Twi. The trick is not to control or change your breathing, but to let it flow naturally..."

After a short affirmative nod, she mentally backed away from keeping a handle on her breath, allowing it to settle into a pattern that her body knew from instinct alone. Sunset, glad to see her friend catching on quick, guided her further;

"Close your eyes and focus on your breath."

With her eyes gently shut, Twilight turned her attention on her target of focus as her teacher went on;

"Follow its rhythm... how it feels to inhale... and exhale."

Already, the egghead was recognizing a benefit to this session: her body was becoming more relaxed by the second and her mind's usual relentless chatter was losing its loud volume. As tempting as it was celebrate this, she knew she had to maintain her focus. Another benefit she discovered was that Sunset's voice was quite soothing to her mind, which only strengthened her growing relaxation. Just then, a thought came up, one concerning a mystery that has concerned her as of late;

"What did the CMCs do that troubles them so deeply?"

Twilight tried to shake the thought out of her head to reclaim her focus. Sunset, thankfully, was right there to help her with gentle guidance;

"Thoughts will come up when meditating and that's okay.", she softly told her with a voice as sweet as honey. This encouraged her student to let her body and brain be still again and listen closely to what was said next;

"Thinking is what the mind does all the time. So, when a thought comes up, acknowledge it, let it go, and return your attention to your breath. No judgement of the thought or of yourself."

Twilight, trusting her friend, attempted to do as instructed. Acknowledging that thought of hers was a simple task, but letting it go proved to be more difficult. It was as if her mind was geared towards latching onto thoughts like it was Spike with his chew toys! Sunset saw her face become increasingly tense with frustration and sweetly gave her some much-needed advice;

"Be patient with your mind, Twilight... be patient with yourself."

The advice, delivered by the lovely auditory balm that was her friend's voice, made something click in the scientist's head within moments of her hearing it. What was she doing, letting herself get aggravated during this process? To meditate was to focus and focus, she remembered, required patience! With a deep breath to steady herself once more, she mentally stopped trying to reign in that thought of hers. Instead, she imagined herself stepping away from the thought and watching it patiently. No judgement came from her. But, as a simple impromptu experiment, she opted to avoid interacting with it altogether as well to see if this would help. It took almost a minute, but the thought faded away, allowing her to refocus on her breathing with a tiny victorious smile on her face. Sunset watched carefully as her friend became more and more relaxed over time, her smile growing to show a newfound sense of contentment within herself as she breathed naturally and in utter silence. Twilight's being had gotten closer to a zen-like stillness than ever before, and only over a couple of minutes had passed since the session started. Slowly, Sunset stood back up and began to walk away, her steps taken with the utmost care to avoid disturbing her now peaceful friend. But, before she left, she made sure to give her a considerate message in a quiet whisper;

"I'll be back, Twi. Practice for as long as you wish until then."

Twilight's contented smile grew just a little wider as Sunset walked back over to the clubhouse ramp, walked up it, and entered the building with a smile of her own.

---

Once Sunset returned to her seat in the clubhouse, the CMCs nodded at her in unison before Apple Bloom banged her gavel from the podium three times and announced with more seriousness on her face than usual;

"This second meetin' of the Canterlot Movie Club has come to order."

Her voice sounded just as serious, a far cry from the joy she previously exhibited. The young Apple did not waste time with pleasantries;

"Let's get down to business, ya'll. Our first item: The Great Crusade."

The large group of attendees leaned in a little closer as Sweetie Belle elaborated on her friend's words with a tiny smile on her face;

"As some of you have heard earlier, we only have two people left to check off of our list."

To say that the attendees were thrilled by this news would be quite the understatement. Their combined joy was expressed through enthusiastic cheering, whistling, and clapping. Big Mac, true to form, gave the trio a thumbs up before celebrating their success as simply as he could;

"Eeyup!"

Granny Smith shot up like a green rocket, ran up to each of the CMCs, and wrapped them up in huge hugs that only a grandmother like her could give while laughing jubilantly. The little ones, in spite of their growing nervousness, couldn't bring themselves to not smile and laugh with the others, especially not with Granny squeezing the laughter out of them! Even after the hugging stopped and everyone returned to their previous positions, some folks were still celebrating. Octavia took a more reserved approach by giving the three kids a polite nod and one of the sweetest smiles she could muster. DJ-P0N3 went for an equally simple action: she show the girls the devil horns with her right hand. The Rainbooms were especially ecstatic, Applejack tipping her hat to the CMCs while giving Apple Bloom in particular a look of sisterly pride that was strengthened by her loving grin and hearty laugh;

"We're so proud of ya'll!", she told them happily. Rarity was no less enthusiastic about her own showing of support of the kids, who became more and more nervous by the second;

"Oh, you darlings have worked tirelessly on your self-appointed mission!", she exclaimed with dignified love in every syllable she uttered while paying special attention to Sweetie Belle before adding;

"For you to finally finish it would be a magnificent achievement!"

The club founders had started to blush profusely. They tried to look away out of sheer shyness, only for Rainbow Dash to get their attention through her boisterous mannerisms;

"But really, was there ever any doubt?", she asked with a most confident smirk on her cyan face before adding while giving Scootaloo a glare that oozed with pride;

"When those squirts set their minds on something, they'll give it their all every time!"

Pinkie Pie had to be held back from accidentally trashing the clubhouse with her wild gleeful bouncing by Fluttershy and Sunset. All three of them bore smiles of their own. The group continued to sing the kids' praises for a few more seconds before Apple Bloom had had enough. With three strong bangs of the gavel, she got the group to simmer down while declaring with nervousness filling her voice in spite of her heartfelt smile;

"Order! Order in this 'ere clubhouse!"

The noise settled down and all eyes were on the little Apple, which didn't do her nerves many favors. She glared at the audience of friends and family while looking quite bashful, with her two friends not fairing much better in comparison. She pleaded with a softer tone of voice than usual while slowly lowering her head to hide behind the podium;

"Come on ya'll, we're tryin' to be humble 'ere."

Hilariously, her big pink bow poked out as she tried in vain to hold it down with her left hand. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, by this point, had joined her at the podium by hiding behind her. The older folks in attendance gushed over how adorably humble the kids were being, with Sunset taking this moment to compliment them with a sly smirk;

"Clearly, I'm not the only troublemaker who's grown over the years."

Apple Bloom slowly rose up from her impromptu hiding place, with her two pals returning to their previous positions, albeit at a similar pace. They then rewarded Sunset for her heartfelt comment with giant smiles that radiated love and gratitude like nuclear power plants, cutting through the embarrassment shown by their red cheeks. After taking about a minute to recover, Apple Bloom reigned in the discussion;

"Yeah yeah, let's get back to business, ya'll.", she declared with renewed calmness. The others nodded their heads in agreement, which prompted Sweetie Belle to move things along on her leader's behalf;

"Now, we already know that one of the two on our list is Sunset Shimmer.", she said with a small grin aimed at the lady in question, who responded in kind. Scootaloo jumped in to add with an excited smile;

"Yeah, and checking her off the list is like Thanos..."

She raised her clenched right fist up to the right of her face and finished with well-acted dramatic seriousness, her facial expression twisted to match;

"Inevitable!"

Everyone present giggled for a good few seconds before Applejack asked with curiosity in her eyes;

"So then, who's the other Wondercolt?"

She held her chin with her right hand to ponder while noting aloud;

"Ah could've sworn ya' only had one person left on that there list..."

Right then and there, the CMCs' bright faces turned into deep frowns. Just the frowns alone got the audience's attention, with Pinkie Pie asking out of worry;

"What's making you so sad?"

"Not what, who...", Scootaloo answered softly, her voice laced with fear as she fixed her gaze on a deeply concerned Rainbow Dash and declared;

"And she's not a Wondercolt."

It took all of two seconds for every attendee to connect the dots, save for Sunset, Octavia, and DJ-P0N3. Rainbow's eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks, her mouth agape for a moment before she whispered out of stunned worry;

"Scoots..."

The others' reactions were very similar, although she was the only one who expressed hers verbally. Without further ado, Scootaloo went over to the safe, opened it up, pulled the list out, and closed it tight before walking over to the part of the wall where the club logo was displayed. She then hung it on the wall with pins she pulled out from her pants pockets and moved off to left side to let everyone have a clear view of the list's contents. The three Honorary Club Members saw this earlier, but now, everyone in the clubhouse could see what the daredevil had added to it:

#27 - Gilda

Silence filled the room, the kind that made the CMCs' hearts beat faster by the second. Doubly so for an increasingly nervous Scootaloo;

"Please don't be mad! Please don't be mad! Please don't be mad!", she repeatedly mentally pleaded, her eyes locked on a wide-eyed Rainbow Dash. Her legs shook rapidly out of nervousness and terror mixed together in an emotional blender. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe in an attempt to keep the blender from going into maximum overdrive. But, before she could even begin to spiral, Scootaloo felt two hands hold onto hers. Her left hand was grabbed with firm consideration, while her right hand was held with soothing gentleness. She opened her eyes looked at her sides to find that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had come to support their friend. The heartwarming smiles they gave her were further evidence of this. Scootaloo felt a powerful sense of ease overwhelm her terror and soothe her nerves, which allowed her to breathe deeply and look at Rainbow again, this time with a calm surety all over her demeanor. She always knew that with her friends by her side, she could take on any storm, no matter how fierce.

The daredevil's big sister-at-heart stood motionless, her red eyes glaring at Scootaloo. Everyone else kept watch on Rainbow Dash, curious as to how she was going to react. A veritable maelstrom of thoughts roared in her head. Some called for supporting the kids, while others warned of what Gilda could do to them if she caught them alone. But, one thought was louder than the rest;

"What's your heart telling you?"

She closed her gaping mouth and eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke softly and with resignation;

"I should have known you'd make this choice..."

Scootaloo's worry grew sharply as she tried to keep her cool. It was a good thing she chose to not talk back at that moment, because her idol was not done yet. She opened her eyes, walked up to the trio of kids, got down on her right knee to be at her protege's level, looked at her with a smirk that oozed with pride mixed with sisterly love, and told her with a chuckle;

"After all, you have a good heart, and that's awesome."

All of those worries and fears in Scootaloo's mind were blown away, scattered to the winds by Rainbow's heartfelt words. A giant smile grew on her face, which was matched by that of her best friends. Before anyone else could speak further, Applejack chimed in while she walked over to Apple Bloom to kneel as well, her eyes locked onto her little sister and filled with understanding;

"We all know ya' youngin's will try to do right by that varmint. Even if it means runnin' the risk of gettin' hurt again."

She sighed out of worry and exasperation before adding with a smile as big as her heart;

"Ah don't like ya' goin' anywhere near her one bit. But, tryin' to stop ya' from bein' good to folks won't help ya' none."

The CMCs' were being more than simply moved by their sisters' words: they were being flown to the stars above! It was all they could do to hold themselves together long enough for Rarity to give her own two cents, which she did so with her usual brand of proper nobility after kneeling in front of an overjoyed Sweetie Belle;

"Therefore, it falls onto us, your friends and families, to watch over you, to support you as you finish the duty you have charged yourselves."

Within mere nanoseconds of Rarity finishing her comment, each CMC leaped into their big sister to hug them tightly while yelling with absolute relief and joy;

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Out of the three, it was Scootaloo who was shedding happy tears. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all wrapped their little sisters into their arms and held them just as tightly. The friends and family members that were near them silently showed their support with smiles filled with love and understanding. Ray, of course, had one of the biggest smiles present. As for Winona, she ran over to the hugging Apples and barked at them with joy while trying to jump onto one of them. Recognizing this, Apple Bloom looked to her right to find the family dog was gleefully bouncing about. With a giggle, she moved her left hand to give Winona a few gentle head-pats while telling her;

"Thank ya' too, sugarcube!"

The adorable canine rewarded her by licking her hand, which produced even more giggles from the young Apple.

---

With the hugs delivered, Apple Bloom quickly found herself sitting on the floor while playing with Winona. Sweetie Belle was pacing left and right near the list. Scootaloo was leaning her back on a spot on the wall to the right of the list with her eyes closed. While only two of them looked the part, they were all pondering the same thing:

How to solve the Gilda Problem.

The rest of the group started discussing that exact topic. Fluttershy, amazingly, was the one who started things off;

"How are the girls going to do right by Gilda, when she's such a big meanie?", she asked with a short whimper and a look of pure worry and fear. Granny nodded her head before bringing some wisdom to the conversation;

"Yeah, that girl's more rotten than a rotten apple. Ah'll bet she'll ignore any good deed the youngin's will do for her at best."

"Eeyup.", was Big Mac's affirmative response. With an annoyed groan, Rainbow Dash exclaimed;

"Darn that jerk! Why won't she move on from what happened?! I mean, it's been years since-!"

"Stop yourself, RD!", yelled out Applejack, who looked at her cyan friend with concern lacing her voice and face. It took all of a second for Rainbow to realize what she had almost done. With an apologetic glare, she looked at the three kids to check on them. Apple Bloom was still playing her dog, Sweetie Belle was still pacing, and Scootaloo was still leaning, her eyes shut tight. Relieved that a potential crisis was averted, she turned her attention over to Applejack and told her truthfully with a sheepish grin;

"Sorry, AJ. It's just..."

Her grin vanished to make way for a frustration that was older than the Rainbooms band itself. Applejack noticed this and soothed her friend's mind with a gentle right hand placed on her left shoulder. She even added a friendly smirk to seal the deal. Since it was clear to the athlete that she avoided the wrath of the farmer, she nodded at her before Octavia contributed to the talk;

"Normally, it wouldn't matter if the recipient of a good deed appreciates the deed performed or not, but...", she began before stopping to think on her next words. After deciding on what to say, she told each club member, who she knew were listening intently to the conversation;

"The end goal of the Great Crusade is to heal the damage left within those who are on your list. I sincerely doubt that Gilda will be receptive to any healing methods you implement at the moment."

A fair, if uncomfortable point, much to everyone's dismay. Silence crept into the clubhouse as the group contemplated what they could do to resolve the issue at hand. Their nerdy friend, who was meditating outside, was just as quiet.

---

Twilight found yet another benefit to practicing meditation after five minutes of the session: the ease it provided to reflecting on past actions and events. The process, she found through experimentation, was remarkably simple. Firstly, she mentally called upon a memory of an action she took or an event she at least witnessed. Secondly, she watched the memory play out in her head from start to finish. Thirdly, she asked herself a question concerning that memory. Finally, she allowed any answers to pop up. All of this was done without judgement or force on her part. While the process was indeed simple, performing it was challenging to her at first. Even when using the most simplistic of memories, she found the very act of not analyzing every minute detail of that memory to be uniquely difficult. Regardless of this, she followed Sunset's advice to the letter;

"Be patient with my mind... be patient with myself...", was the mantra she uttered in a gentle whisper whenever she was faced with difficulties during the session. This has proven to be quite effective at keeping her grounded in a state of calm focus. Now, as she sat in the clearing where the clubhouse stood a ways behind her, she was starting to reap the benefits of being able to look back on moments in her life from a peaceful and contemplative angle. Her mind, once an almost endless stream of mental chatter, was quieter than it had ever been before. Spike, who remained on her lap throughout her session, looked up at her content face and thought with a loving grin;

"Wow... I've never seen Twi look so... at peace!"

If the camouflaged figure who sat on their tree could hear Spike's thoughts, they would agree with that notion. They couldn't help but make their own mental comment on the lovely sight;

"That's it, Twilight. Let yourself be as you are."

They decided to let themself enjoy the sight of the bookworm allowing stillness to reign within her mind, unaware of the distraction to come. Yet another benefit that came with meditating, Twilight found, was that with a quiet mind, came a stronger sense of hearing. She chocked this up to her mind not being loud enough to distract her from her senses. Even though she could hear the wind blowing in the air and the birds chirping from the trees surrounding the clearing, these sounds did nothing to disturb the peace that she happily got to know. That peace, however, would suddenly be shattered by an unexpected source. A loud masculine voice called out from forest's edge while sounding terribly concerned. Instantly, Twilight opened her eyes to visually investigate this. Annoyance could not reach her worried heart as she saw who was calling out and promptly got up to rush over to them, with Spike bringing up the rear.

---

The voice that drew Twilight's attention was too far away from the clubhouse, so the group inside had not heard it when they were talking some more. Rainbow decided to suggest;

"Gilda was always a prankster. That might be something we can work with."

Pinkie's hair bounced while her face lit up upon hearing this detail. But, before she could react verbally, everyone in the room got startled by the Twilight's frightened voice as it cried out from the walkie-talkie can;

"Student health emergency! Student health emergency!"

The CMCs stopped what they were doing and made a mad dash over to the can, with Scootaloo being the first to reach it. Sunset quickly ran over to the list and grabbed it from the wall. Taking advantage of having the privilege of knowing the safe's combination, she opened it, stuffed the list inside, and slammed it shut before turning her attention to the clubhouse door. Everyone else followed suit as Apple Bloom told Twilight via her can;

"Say no more, get your keister inside!"

The door flew open within seconds, prompting the trio to see what was going on. What they saw made the whole group gasp in shock. Standing at the doorway was Flash Sentry, who looked back at them with seriousness and worry all over his young face. Twilight stood with him, but standing between them while holding on to their arms for dear life was a brushed and crying;

"TWIST!", yelled out the CMCs, their shock and sadness over seeing their friend hurt abundantly apparent as they scrambled to give her a hug.

Author's Note:

So, the Rainbooms and the CMCs got plans in mind and work to do!

But then, who is spying on the club meetings? What happened to Flash and Twist?

Comments

[Darkevony]

Oh! That was such a smart way to use logic with the journal. And it's great to see Sci-Twi learning to meditate and work on herself a bit as well as Sunset having such a strong support group. Lots to unpack and discover, like the mystery someone/someones hiding in a distance, or what could've happened to Twist. Thankfully, I'm getting around to reading this chapter just as the next one became available. Time to exploreitate.

[TheGJ90]

11703384
Oh, I'm looking forward to when the CMCs can take time to connect with the princess.

By the way: Princess Twilight never really talked with the Canterlot Movie Club in the show, did they? Looks like that's changing in this tale.

As for our mysterious eavesdropper... hehehehe. Oh, that detail will be so much fun to expand on later, I'll just say that!