Spring Surprises

by TheGJ90

Chapter 14 - School Twists

Later that evening in Sweet Apple Acres.

If there was one thing Applejack liked to do after dinner, especially in recent months, it was to reflect.

She only did this during nights when she had a lot of things on her mind that she needed to process. Sometimes, it was easy to work through such thoughts. Just do a little reflecting on the day's events and go right to bed, easy as eating apple pie. Other times, it was harder to do than riding a fully grown bull that was seeing red! Even so, doing this healthy habit always helped the young Apple get her mind cleared before bedtime. On this particular night, she carried within her more than enough thoughts to warrant some honest reflecting. Sure enough, she was sitting in front of her desk in her bedroom: her preferred thinking space where she could put aside farming and school work to focus on her thoughts. Giving her desk a gentle glow of light was a small lamp that stood to her left. The farmer had already finished her Spring Break homework, her meal was devoured, and all of the chores for the day were done. So, there was nothing stopping her from tackling the thoughts that swirled around in her mind like a spiral.

"The cruise trip and the Star Swirl Music Festival...", she pondered to herself while absentmindedly adjusting her stetson with her right hand. The memories of those two events kept finding their way to the front of her mind ever since she and her friends had left Tree Hugger's tent. She didn't find this aggravating, to be clear. But, they were definitely annoying! Not only that, but there was something about them that caused her brows to furrow in contemplation;

"They were fun, but...", she began to note in her head. Before she could finish her thought, however, several knocks on her door echoed throughout her room, catching her attention within moments. With curiosity in her eyes, he called out from her desk;

"Who is it?"

In response, the not-so-subtle voice of an old lady came from behind the door;

"It's Granny, sugarcube. May Ah come in?"

Now, that confused Applejack to say the least! She got up out of her seat and turned her body to face the alarm clock on her night stand to do a quick check of the time. It was 8:45PM, a fact that gave her more questions than answers;

"Sure, give me a moment!", she called out to Granny Smith as quickly as she could. She knew better than to make the Apple Family Matriarch wait for too long. As she walked over to the door at a brisk pace, she wondered internally;

"Shouldn't she be nappin' right about now?"

After opening the door, she moved to the side to let Granny Smith walk in. If she was tired, then her calm focused demeanor had hid it well. Once the door was closed, Applejack asked her grandmother with a polite smile;

"What brings ya' to my room at this hour?"

The farmer was hardly complaining about being visited. After all, family and friends were always welcome in her room, so long as they knocked first. Granny Smith gave her a loving grin while telling her;

"Figured Ah'd check in on my grand-kids before hittin' the hay."

Applejack's smile grew a bit wider upon hearing this. She then returned to her chair, sat back down, and looked at the wall above her desk, her mind quickly returning to the business from before. Granny caught the furrowing of her granddaughter's brows and noted calmly;

"Ya' look like a lady with a lot on her mind."

Applejack kept forgetting how perceptive the old Apple could be. With a sigh, she responded with slightly more relaxed eyebrows;

"Yeah, somethin's been botherin' me."

She looked down at the desk, her thoughts getting louder by the second. The gentle firmness of Granny's Smith's large right hand on her shoulder turned the mental chatter's volume down quite a bit, much to Applejack's relief. She looked over at the old Apple, who asked;

"Ya' wanna talk about it, sugarcube?"

The young farmer looked back at the wall, took a moment to think on her words, and began calmly;

"Ya' know about that Pinkie Promise my pals and Ah made last Spring..."

Granny chuckled softly before noting with a grin;

"Yeah, and Ah'm mighty proud of ya' and your friends for takin' care of yourselves."

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle in return before adding;

"Well, Ah've been thinkin' back to those vacation trips we went on last Summer. The festival and that cruise."

"What about 'em?", asked Granny. Her grand-daughter sighed before explaining;

"Don't get me wrong, my friends and Ah had a lot of fun back then!"

She shuddered while feeling slightly nauseated for a brief moment before continuing;

"Seasickness and magical mayhem aside."

The young Apple got a gentle pat on the back from Granny that seemingly knocked her nausea away. Encouraged, she spoke further;

"Still... Ah've been wonderin'..."

She looked Granny Smith in the eye and asked her with concern on her face and in her country-born drawl;

"Were those trips a waste of time that would have been better spent healin' our old scars?"

The oldest living Apple in the family did not hesitate to give Applejack a meaningful response. With a narrow glare and her right index finger pointed directly at the freckled girl's face, she replied with a voice that was both caring and firm;

"Now listen 'ere, missy. Ah haven't forgotten about how much of a mess ya' were after that Wallflower girl went and messed with your brain."

The young farmer felt the sting of an old inflamed scar in her heart as she listened closely to her grandmother's words, which were given a more soothing tone as she went on;

"Oh, ya' were doin' your chores as well as any Apple ought to. But, these old peeprs of mine could see the pain ya' were feelin' inside."

Applejack reflexively tilted her hat downwards while looking down to hide her bubbling emotions. Granny, with the experienced gentleness of a parent, placed her right hand under Applejack's chin and gave it a tiny push. The silent encouragement was enough to get her to look back up at Granny, revealing sadness born from regret in her green eyes. Sensing her cue, the senior Apple went on;

"Ah figured that your friends were hurtin' too."

She gave Applejack a warm grin before finishing;

"Ah'd say ya'll needed to make those trips, so that ya'll could rest up, have fun, and remember who ya' are underneath all that grit and grime inside ya'."

Applejack could feel it in her heart: that soothing sense of ease that reminded her of the hugs she used to get from her parents. A part of her was certain that they were watching over her with love. With a loving smile on a face covered with relief, she told her beloved grandmother while feeling that old scar of hers cool back down;

"Thank ya', Granny. Ah needed to hear that."

She then gave her a tight hug for good measure, which the old lady was happy to reciprocate. Applejack would sleep well that night, with thoughts of her family and friends holding vigil over her dreams. But, just before she fell into slumber's welcoming embrace, a quiet whisper echoed in her mind. Its words were not recognizable and she was far too tired to be consciously aware of its short-lived presence. Even so, on a subconscious level, she knew that it spoke of things most foul...

---

The next morning, at the street leading to CHS. Well before the first bell.

The Rainbooms and the CMCs walked to school one the sidewalk together alongside Octavia and DJ-P0N3. As usual, they were equipped with backpacks filled with what they needed for the day ahead. Everyone was in good spirits that day for a couple of reasons. For one thing, school was back on in CHS, which gave them the opportunity to reconnect with the numerous friends they had made in that institution. Not only that, but the end of Spring Break had also brought a certain upcoming event to the forefront of their minds. Rainbow Dash, with plenty of exuberance, was the first to bring up such a momentous occasion;

"Graduation is coming soon, girls!"

Rarity, with well-practiced refinement and poise, attempted to bring her down to Earth;

"We are all excited about graduation, darling. But, the ceremony is set to take place in late June and we are currently in March."

All that produced was a frustrated groan from the athlete as she held the top of her head with both hands, her impatience on full display. After letting her hands rest on her sides, she replied out of annoyance;

"I know! It's such a long wait!"

Applejack chimed in with a slightly annoyed glare aimed right at her friend and rival;

"RD, we've been workin' towards graduation ever since our Freshman Year! A few more months won't hurt us none."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while refusing to say anything in response. Sunset, with a smile, added her own point to the topic at hand;

"Let's take it one day at a time, girls."

She looked over at her annoyed friend and added;

"Trust me, RD. We'll be accepting our diplomas on stage before you know it."

She only had time enough to get her eyes back on the path they were taking to their destination before Apple Bloom belted out with joy and pride in every word while her eyes remained locked on the path ahead;

"Ya'll earned your diplomas, sugarcubes!"

Sweetie Belle took this chance to gush as well while she too kept her eyes on the street;

"We're so proud of you all!", she exclaimed with joy over the thought of those seven wonderful ladies graduating. Scootaloo declared with gusto and a fist pump to the sky;

"You better believe we'll be watching you at the ceremony! We wouldn't miss it for the world!"

The young tomboy made sure to return her attention to the street they walked on before she could miss the oncoming turn. The CMCs caused the the other girls to express smiles filled with appreciation as the group made the turn together and got closer to the school. It was at that moment that a thought popped into Sunset's head;

"Once we graduate... We'll be done with CHS for good."

Another thought formed in her mind, one that she instantly marked as important;

"I wonder what the girls will do after graduation? For that matter..."

A deep frown formed on her face;

"What will I do?"

Sunset pondered her future in silence as the group arrived at Canterlot High School's front yard. The first sight to greet them was the recently reconstructed white marble statue that depicted a horse rearing up on its hind legs, the large plinth below holding it in place. The girls stopped to quietly look upon the rebuilt fixture of their school's identity with relief and pride, with Twilight's relief being more prominent on her smiling face. Octavia gazed at the statue for a moment longer before looking over at Twilight. She then asked her with a hint of nervousness in her Trottingham accent;

"Are you certain that the statue's pedestal was completely fixed?"

The egghead nodded while explaining with surety;

"Correct. From what I've heard, the construction crew triple-checked their work when they finished during Spring Break. I checked as well soon after and can confirm that there are no cracks on the statue or its plinth. Which reminds me..."

She turned to gaze at each of her friends, excitement growing in her demeanor as she announced with beaming pride;

"It pleases me to report that I have finally fixed the bugs in my newest invention, which will aid us in our efforts to keep this world's magic reigned in!"

The girls clapped and cheered before Rainbow Dash congratulated her with a smirk and fist pump;

"Awesome job, Sci-Twi!"

Applejack, with a tip of her hat, happily requested;

"Go on then, Twi. Show us the fruits of your hard work!"

"Um, if you want to, that is...", Fluttershy noted in her usual soft voice, her demeanor as shy as ever, even though it came with a friendly grin aimed at Twilight. Speaking of the egghead, she was exuding confidence from head to toe, a far cry from her days in Crystal Prep. With a quick nod at the attentive group of girls, she pulled her backpack off of her back and placed it on the ground in front of her. The large main compartment of the backpack, which had a small opening left on the right side where the zipper could be seen, wiggled a bit before becoming still again. This was an otherwise strange occurrence that the others were quite glad was not spotted by CHS staff. Twilight went for one of the smaller front compartments, unzipped it, and reached inside. After almost a second of rummaging, she pulled out an item that she was quick to show to the girls after standing up straight, her smile almost as large as her brain.

The mere sight of this object gave her friends a most potent shock. The other Rainbooms took a quick and large step back in near perfect unison while Fluttershy whimpered a little, with Rarity gasping along with a wide-eyed Sunset. The CMCs immediately hid behind the band for safety while feeling just as afraid as they looked. DJ-P0N3 had to raise her tinted sunglasses up to her forehead to get a better look at the object with her wide naked red eyes, her mouth agape in surprise and fear. Only Octavia Melody remained composed, even as she too showed wide eyes as she glared at the seemingly dangerous object that Twilight held in her right hand. It was round, dark purple in color, and had curved lines circling it that reached all the way to the center on the top and the bottom, nearly wrapping around the object. A lavender button rested on top where the lines would otherwise come together. The device had a thin tiny gap around it that clearly defined and divided the top and bottom halves. Twilight recognized what was going on with her friends within seconds and promptly went to work on assuaging their fears as she lowered her right hand to let it rest on her side while holding the item firmly;

"I can assure you, this is not the device that contributed to the rise of Midnight Sparkle!", she declared in a serious fashion. Slowly, the CMCs poked their heads out from the right side of the band. Their eyes oozed with concern, but they were not quite as frightened as they were before. The other girls all sighed in relief in almost perfect unison, with Sunset asking Twilight with a grateful grin;

"Okay then Twi, what is it exactly?"

The scientist's confident smile returned with a vengeance, which did wonders to clear away what was left of the group's fear. Glaring at her dear Equestrian friend, she explained with polite excitement in her voice while keeping the device held up before the others;

"This is the Sparkle Thaumometer Version 1.0: a portable device that can be used to track magical energies without directly affecting them."

The girls expressed various levels of surprise as Twilight went on;

"That limitation alone prevents the Thaumometer from being able to unleash Midnight Sparkle, or any entity like her for that matter. Thus, anyone can use it to safely detect and track magical energies with ease."

Sunset felt pride for her pal rush to the surface as she walked over to her. The scientist allowed the hand that held the device to rest at her side, curious as to how the feisty mare would respond. With a gentle hand placed on her Twilight's right shoulder, Sunset told her with confidence and friendliness poured into a good vibes blender;

"You've done a fine job, Twilight."

The rest of the girls cheered as they moved to join their two friends. Once they had all gathered around, however, the cheering intensified before the inventor called out;

"Hold on!"

Once silence filled the yard, she gave Sunset one of her toothy grins filled with science-fueled excitement and declared in a sing-song voice that revealed her contained glee;

"That's not all it can doooo!"

Sunset chuckled over her nerdy friend's antics while stepping back a bit and told her sweetly;

"Enlighten us then."

She did exactly that, with well-meaning enthusiasm and a tiny hint of mania;

"Not only can my ST-V1 track magical energies, but it can also analyze them and save its findings as data that can be converted into legible information at a later time!"

She looked at the girls to gauge their reactions. Most of them clearly understood her words well enough to show their support, Sunset especially. Applejack seemed confused for a few seconds before clarity visibly kicked in for her, while Rainbow Dash blurted out while scratching her head;

"Translation, please?"

The honest farmer could not facepalm harder without hurting herself. With a head shake for good measure, she looked over at her confused friend and clarified out of familiar annoyance;

"She can use that there technological doohickey to track down and learn more about the magic in our world."

Clear understanding filled Rainbow's face as she thought to herself for a few moments. Right then and there, she expressed a large smile before declaring out of sudden pure excitement and confidence;

"That means we can find those magical wisps and stop them in their tracks!"

"It would be a breath of fresh air to be able to prevent a magical problem from happening for a change.", Rarity commented while giving Twilight's Thaumometer her discerning tailor's glare. After inspecting it for a second or two, she gave her friend some honest critique;

"Putting aside the less-than-stellar memories your new invention invokes, darling, I do find that its purple & lavender color scheme gives it a most splendid appearance. Visually distinct and yet not overly striking."

Twilight couldn't help but blush a little over Rarity's approval of the device. Sure, she didn't care as much about aesthetics as the fashionista did, but she never could ignore her inventions getting compliments. Sunset pondered silently for a bit while holding her chin with her right hand before asking her friend;

"What about the range? How far can it detect magic?"

The nerd looked at her and answered calmly;

"Its maximum range is precisely nine-point-one-four-four meters. Which, translated to UCS customary units, is ten yards."

Rainbow Dash noted with a raised eyebrow;

"A football player could run that distance really quickly when pushed hard enough."

With a loud groan filled with an all-nighter's worth of frustration, Twilight responded while looking at the athlete;

"That's one of the main problems the ST-V1 has: a limited maximum range, especially when it's set to detect magic in a straight line! Granted, it can be adjusted to have a width like a half-circle, but it only goes as wide as two-point-one meters from both sides. I was shooting for at least twenty meters straight ahead, but I haven't been able to make a power supply strong enough, and small enough, to make that possible while maintaining the Thaumometer's portability."

Applejack walked over to Twilight and gave her a warm grin tailor-made for soothing stress before chiming in sweetly;

"Ah ain't never handled a tool that didn't have problems, but Ah ain't never handled one that wasn't useful either."

She gave her a friendly wink and added;

"Ah'd say your new Thaumo-thingy will be mighty useful."

Normally, Twilight Sparkle would take offense to one of her inventions being given such a ridiculous name. But, for a friend as great as Applejack, she was quick to make an exception. Before she could thank her, however, Pinkie Pie jumped right in between them and exclaimed with joy all over her pink being;

"You can use your amazing invention on me! That way, if I get lost, you can follow my Pinkie Trail right to me!"

Twilight giggled over her bubbly friend's suggestion and responded with a nod while gazing at each of the other girls;

"Better yet, I want to scan each of the other Rainbooms, so that our magical energies can be tracked and converted into helpful info later. I have already scanned myself, for the record."

Sunset was the first to approve of the idea;

"Sounds good to me. Fire away, Twi.", she said with a smile while the rest of the band gave approving nods of their own. With that settled, Twilight raised the ST-V1 up to her chin while holding it with both hands. She then pushed up the top side of the device with her thumbs, causing it to flip open like a large pendent. What was revealed to those who could see what was under the apparent lid were two small knobs with small numbered labels written around them. Above the knobs was a small black LCD screen shaped like a square. The button remained in the center of the device, only it was clear that was situated between the screen and the knobs. While making a few adjustments by twisting the knobs with care, Twilight mumbled to herself as she was prone to do whenever she was futzing with her tech;

"Adjusting detection range and width..."

Once the desired settings were applied, she aimed the ST-V1 at Sunset's chest, who made sure to stand directly in front of her while the others gave the two some space from the sides. With one good push the button with her right thumb, the thaumometer's lines started to glow in a repeating pattern. The glow itself showed a bright shade of teal, yet another hint as to the checkered history of the device's predecessor. The glow's pattern was matched by a constant beeping sound that was audible but not loud enough to be annoying to the average Human ear. The beeping, like the glow, played in a frequent fashion as Twilight kept her aim fixed on Sunset. The scientist explained the function of her invention with the surety and enthusiasm of a teacher as she performed her demonstration;

"The ST-V1 glows and beeps when it detects magical energies. The frequency of said beeping depends on the strength of the detected magic as well as as its distance from the device's detection area."

She took several steps back while turning the right knob before stopped to stand again, the beeping's frequency slowing down as she did so, while the glowing maintained its own rhythm. She then checked the LCD screen, which depicted a long set of seemingly random numbers that reached from one end of the screen to the other. Feeling satisfied and giddy, she then aimed her device at the remaining Rainbooms while making sure that different sets of numbers were shown for each of them. Once that was done, she decided to point the ST-V1 directly at the statue, particularly where the portal was located, which produced yet another set of numbers. She was about to turn off the device when Apple Bloom asked out of curiosity and a hint of fear;

"Miss Twi, maybe ya' can scan the three of us, Tavi, and P0N3 as well?"

Twilight looked over at the young Apple and her two best pals, who all appeared to be quite intrigued and slightly apprehensive. With a grin, the scientist answered;

"It was good of you to suggest that, actually, since I'm looking to scan more CHS students later anyway. Hold still, please."

The CMCs, with a quick breath, did as instructed, with Octavia and DJ-P0N3 following suit. What followed was more than a little interesting to say the least. Twilight aimed her invention at Apple Bloom first, which produced not just a different set of numbers, but also an entirely different beeping pattern. It was slower than what the girls or the statue portal had produced, but it was frequent enough to warrant attention from the student of science. When she used the device on Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, they produced unique number sets, but practically the same frequency of beeps! Before anyone could comment on this discovery, Twilight made sure to scan the string player and her lady love, only to obtain similar results, albeit with slightly less frequent beeping. The scientist sharply raised her right eyebrow while thinking to herself and maintaining calm seriousness on her face;

"To quote Spock of Vulcan: Fascinating."

The others girls' reactions were a tad various. Octavia maintained her composure while letting concern appear in her eyes. DJ-P0N3 raised her signature shades up to her forehead to reveal red eyes wide with surprise. As for the remaining Rainbooms, they instinctively turned to check on the CMCs, who were expressing nothing more or less than shock and worry on their faces. Apple Bloom said what everyone was thinking in a slow tone filled with awe;

"This means that... the five of us got magic in our bodies..."

Scootaloo, with a nervous gulp, added with fear that she rarely expressed publicly;

"That's both awesome and concerning at the same time."

Sweetie Belle, ever the voice of reason in the movie club, noted with a worried squeak;

"Hold on! We don't know how much magic is in our bodies."

Twilight, who managed to stay calm throughout all of this, nodded at the young singer before responding;

"Precisely. That is a question that I will investigate when I return to my laboratory later tonight."

She then turned off the ST-V1 and returned it to its place in her backpack. As she did this, Sunset walked over to the five Wondercolts who were, apparently, magical to some unknown degree. With a smile that somewhat soothed their worries, she told them with certainty;

"If you had enough magic in you for it to cause trouble, it would have done so by now."

The five friends became more at ease than they were a moment ago as she went on;

"As always, if you witness or experience anything magical, let us know. Okay?"

They all nodded with grins of their own, their fears taking a backseat for the moment. Satisfied, Sunset motioned to the group while declaring;

"Let's get inside while it's still early, everyone! We can discuss magic stuff some more during lunch."

With that, the girls walked up to the front doors of the CHS and entered its halls while chatting amongst themselves about the day to come. As Sunset listened to Rarity gush over the Spring clothing line she was making, the mental voice of a certain she-demon decided to talk over both the fashionista and Sunset's own thoughts;

So many students with magic, so many potential demons, and it's all your fault, Sunny!

Leave it to the she-demon to mentally go for the throat. An old guilt rose to the surface of the mare's mind like a rocket fueled by emotional pain. The memory of when she had the gal to put on that Celestia-cursed crown and the horror that followed flashed in her mind with the vividness of a modern day movie. Her breathing became short and increasingly erratic. Her thoughts ran at multiple miles a minute and kept getting faster by the second, with the demon adding her wicked cackling to the mix just to mess with Sunset some more. Before things could get even worse, however, Rarity's voice rang through the otherwise overwhelming mental noise with dignified concern in her voice;

"Sunset darling?"

Like a gentle tug of the arm, the fashionista pulled her away from the noise inside. Sunset quickly realized that she was standing as stiff as the statue outside at just a few steps inside of the school. With a quick head shake, she looked around to find that the others were gazing at her with worry pouring from their eyes. The Rainbooms in particular showed both worry and understanding on their faces, which were balanced by the goodwill in the smiles that began to form. The CMCs were on a similar boat, only their eyes sparkled with concern and hope. Like an invisible balm, the combined goodwill and hope eased the guilt in Sunset's mind, allowing her to quietly recenter herself as the girls waited patiently for her to recover. Ten seconds of deep breathing while connecting with her personal mantra was all she needed to do exactly that. With that sideways smirk of hers on full display, she declared to her friends with confidence;

"I'm here."

The Rainbooms, Octavia, and P0N3 grinned happily upon hearing this, with Pinkie bouncing with boundless glee. As for the CMCs, they were relieved that their beloved Phoenix Friend was in higher spirits, but they were also confused. Apple Bloom, who walked alongside Sunset with her friends in tow, voiced this confusion on her club's behalf;

"Why did ya' go and say that you're 'ere? We know where ya' at.", she asked with a slightly tilted head and raised eyebrow. Once the group started making their trek through the main lobby, the mare of two worlds answered with a soft chuckle;

"Sometimes, the mind can get too focused on what has happened and what could be. It can get so focused on such things that you'll find yourself stuck in your own noisy head."

She gave the little Apple and her two best pals a friendly wink before explaining further;

"Whenever I recognize that I'm stuck in my head, I do what I can to bring myself back into the present moment. The here and now."

The kids pondered this new information for a moment before Sweetie Belle exclaimed excitedly;

"Oh, so when you say 'I'm here', that means that you're back out of your head!"

Sunset nodded at her before Scootaloo noted with a teeth-baring grin;

"Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda would like that trick, Sunset!"

For added effect and before anyone could intervene, she began to quote the character in question with a half-way decent impression of his voice;

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery-!"

Sunset jumped in to continue the quote for Scootaloo with a hint of playful flare, only without the impression;

"But today is a gift."

She then finished it with a softer tone of voice while returning her attention to the path before her;

"That is why it is called present."

---

Soon enough, the girls were at the lockers, grabbing the items they needed while putting what they didn't need into them to prepare for the school day. They were silent as they prepared, though their moods were positive to put it simply. Sunset's short episode from before did little to dampen her spirits, as evidenced by the gentle smile she showed as she placed her magic journal in the locker. Just then, she remembered something that a certain frustratingly angry Griffon had made her forget about until that moment. Well, said Griffon wasn't there to ruin things again, she realized. After finishing up and closing her locker, Sunset looked over at the CMCs, had just placed their paper pony boxes in their lockers. She watched with love as they gazed upon their treasured possessions, their eyes filled with a seemingly endless shining sea of hope. With content sighs, they closed the lockers in near-perfect unison. Seeing the opportunity, she asked them;

"So, about that story of how you three first met?"

The CMCs looked back at her with excited smiles, with Scootaloo being the most excited by far. The other girls, upon hearing this, turned to face them after finishing up at their lockers. Apple Bloom turned her head to face her orange friend and asked her;

"Ya' wanna start us off, Scoots?"

She nodded happily at the redhead, who took a step back to give her room, with Sweetie Belle following suit. Scootaloo, after looking at the smiling friends who stood around her, took a breath and began;

"It all started about a week after Rainbow Dash's freshman year began..."

Just before she could truly get stuck in with storytelling, a polite feminine voice laced with authority and grace called to the group from further down the hall;

"Good morning, students!"

The girls could recognize that voice from a mile away. Scootaloo held back the urge to groan out of annoyance as she, along with the others, turned to face the woman who called to them. It was none other than Principal Celestia, who was walking over to them alongside her sister, Vice-Principal Luna. The two were relaxed and quite pleased to see their students, much to their relief. The girls made it a point to gather around as their school's leaders stopped to stand before them, with Sunset and Twilight standing in front of the others. Luna, her collected demeanor on point, declared;

"It is good to see you all here so early."

She gave Sunset a knowing grin before adding;

"Not to mention unexpected."

The human-pony girl laughed sheepishly before explaining;

"Well, I've started getting up early recently and the girls decided to join in for today."

Twilight, with a giggle, clarified;

"It seemed like a reasonable way to get back into the school mindset."

The whole group expressed friendly laughter, with Celestia and Luna letting polite chuckles out. Once they all calmed down, Celestia took the moment to note;

"You all arrived at an opportune time. We would like to discuss some important matters with you. Since there is plenty of time before the morning bell rings, I suggest we tackle them in my office now."

Applejack responded on the girls' behalf with respectful honesty;

"Nothin' wrong with gettin' things settled right away, Ah reckon."

The others nodded their heads in agreement, with Sunset telling the two sisters;

"Lead the way, then."

Even though she felt a twinge of nervousness, Sunset Shimmer was quite sure that whatever it was the Principal and Vice-Principal wanted to address couldn't be too bad.

---

Before long, they were all situated nicely in Celestia's office. Since there weren't enough seats for everyone, the group of girls opted to stand at the Principal's desk together. Celestia sat at the other side with Luna to her right with a straight posture. After taking a moment to think in silence, the former began politely;

"First things first..."

Her politeness was augmented by a gentle grin as she declared to the girls;

"As of today, we have six new students coming to CHS."

The students who stood before her were shocked for a second before jubilation covered their faces and filled their voices as they laughed, cheered, and high-fived each other. Rainbow Dash, true to form, was the most enthusiastic of the bunch;

"Ah yeah! We got new Wondercolts coming in!", she yelled out with a fist pump to the ceiling.

Once the joy eased down into a more manageable level, Octavia commented with her chin held in thought;

"So late into the school year, no less."

She looked at Celestia and Luna before asking in a dignified fashion;

"I take it they are not too far behind their peers grade-wise?"

Luna, with an understanding smirk, explained;

"You needn't worry, Octavia. These girls' grades are in line with how close we are to the end of the school year and from what my sister and I can tell, they should be able to keep up with their fellow students from here on out."

The string player sighed with relief as Apple Bloom asked with a giant smile on her face and a voice full of happiness;

"What grade level are we talkin'? Juniors? Freshmen?"

Celestia answered with a grin of her own;

"Eighth Graders, actually."

That got the eyes of every CMC to grow wide for a moment, with the other girls looking about as surprised. Scootaloo expressed her own amazement in a soft and simple fashion;

"Wow... That takes me back."

"Same 'ere, Scoots.", noted a nostalgic Apple Bloom as the memories of eighth grade flooded her young mind. Celestia took this chance to elaborate further;

"Going by our clock, their bus should be arriving in about ten minutes. We would like for them to be given a tour of the school before they go to Homeroom."

Every single student in that room considered taking on such a task, but it was Sunset who spoke up first;

"I'll be happy to show them around.", she declared resolutely. While the rest of the group smiled in agreement to this, Luna had a different idea;

"We appreciate your willingness to help, as always, Sunset Shimmer. While you will be charged with introducing these new students to our school, you will not be doing it alone.", she said with a calm sure voice before giving the CMCs a small smirk. It took them less than a second to connect the dots and start beaming rays of joy at Sunset with their faces. She looked over at the joyful kids and gave them a friendly wink as well as fist bumps for good measure. There were no complaints or reservations from anyone in the room. With that bit of business settled, Celestia spoke once more;

"Now then, there is another topic to address. This will come up at some point anyway, so we might as well deal with it now."

She expressed an exasperated sigh before giving the girls an understanding glare filled with concern, a look that was matched by Luna, who brought up the elephant in the room;

"Recent events concerning a former student have come to our attention..."

She focused that glare on the CMCs, their smiles from before having been replaced by knowing frowns, their eyes filled with a stubborn old hurt. Their hands started to twitch without them noticing what was happening. The rest of the girls looked at the trio with worry oozing from their faces, ready to comfort them at a moment's notice. Sci-Twi, in particular, recognized the kids' twitchy hands and made sure to mentally note this for later. Looking to give three of CHS's Wondercolts some encouragement and relief, Celestia noted to them with a gentle smile and calming tone that was as soothing to Sunset as the one normally used by her royal counterpart;

"Rest assured that this school is filled with people who will help you when you ask."

Her words eased the CMCs' internal hurting just enough for them to give the Principal tiny appreciative grins. Apple Bloom spoke on her club's behalf with a softness in her southern drawl that had none of her usual exuberance, her frown back for more;

"Ah thought we were gettin' over her, ya'll..."

She hugged herself while expressing a grimace before continuing;

"When we heard Gilda's voice for the first time in years, Ah felt so dern terrified, my mind got plum flooded with one wild thought after another. Ah couldn't move my body or even stand without tremblin'."

Sweetie Belle held Apple Bloom's left shoulder with both hands as gently as she could. With a sad squeak, she added;

"I felt the same way, AB."

"Ditto for me.", said Scootaloo, who held her leader and friend's right shoulder in a similar fashion while looking twice as hurt as her two pals. With a frightened shudder, she noted softly;

"When we stared that jerk down after AB talked back at her..."

She hesitated for a moment before looking up at Sunset and declaring;

"It felt to me like she brought Tartarus with her."

"That's how Sweets and Ah felt too, Scoots...", Apple Bloom noted with a rare deadpan voice while staring at the desk before her. Sweetie Belle nodded to confirm her words as she went on;

"Many of ya'll know how we feel about that awful place."

Neither Scootaloo nor Sweetie Belle released their grip on the Apple. The other girls as well as the two leaders of their school were listening to every word the CMCs had uttered. At this point, those leaders had heard enough. Celestia stood up at her desk, walked around it, and got down on her right knee to face the kids at their level, or at least close to it. They turned to look back at her as she declared with a loving expression;

"Regardless of those powerful feelings that troubled you so deeply, you stood up for your friends and sisters against a bully. I can safely speak for Luna and myself when I say that we are proud of you three."

Luna had followed her big sister's example as she spoke, promptly moving to stand at Celestia's left side before getting down on her own knee while showing the CMCs plenty of warmth on her face. Speaking of the kids, the Principal's heartfelt words cut through the hurting inside enough for happiness to ease their troubled minds. With renewed sparkles in their eyes, they beamed back at the Principal and Vice-Principal while responding in gentle unison;

"Thank you."

The Rainbooms, Octavia, and P0N3 made sure to give the kids hugs and fist bumps: silent genuine reminders that they had the movie buffs' backs. Once the Principal and Vice-Principal returned to their places at the desk, Celestia made another point quite clear to everyone else in the office;

"Make no mistake, Luna and I believe, based on what we've learned from you and your fellow students, that it is best that the CMCs stay away from Gilda."

Luna elaborated on that point while glaring directly at the trio, who looked back at them as politely as they could, in spite of the frustration growing from within their heads;

"After all, if seeing and hearing Gilda is enough to induce such an intense reaction from you, then she would surely capitalize on that reaction in a vicious manner if she were to catch you without backup."

The kids' frustration simmered down a bit, but it was still strong enough to make them question the words they had heard. They knew that Celestia and Luna didn't want them to get hurt by that loathsome bully again. Even so, they would not turn away from the duty they've charged themselves. Scootaloo told the two education officials after taking an audible breath alongside her pair of pals;

"We understand that you two want what's best for us."

She spoke calmly and with confidence, for she was determined to handle this peaceably out of respect to the two women who were in charge of the school she loved so much. Scootaloo turned to look at each of the other older girls, with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo following suite. The group gazed at the CMCs with understanding expressions as the daredevil spoke again with a smile filled with love;

"You all do."

She and her two friends turned back around to face Celestia and Luna again before she declared with utter surety;

"But, we still have our mission, one that we're so close to completing! It may not be a Pinkie Promise, but it's just as binding as one."

All three CMCs expressed on their faces pure resoluteness that the principal and vice-principal took notice of instantly. With resigned sighs and knowing smirks, they showed the kids understanding glares while Celestia herself responded with her traditional level of professionalism mixed with goodwill;

"We knew we couldn't discourage you from confronting Gilda with mere words. We'll respect your choice and provide you with support if you need it. We just wanted you to know our take on the matter."

Luna, with a hint of worry in her eyes and voice, requested to the young ones;

"All that we ask is that you be careful when dealing with her. 'Trouble-maker' does not even begin to describe that clearly troubled young lady."

The CMCs responded with a quick unified nod;

"Yes, ma'ams!"

The two sisters gave the kids satisfied smiles before Celestia announced;

"With that settled, let us make sure that we do our due diligence before you all leave."

She reached into her right pants pocket with her right hand and pulled out a folded note. As she handed it over to Sunset, who quietly accepted it, she explained;

"On that note, you'll find key details regarding our new students, including their names and what school they hail from."

While Sunset nodded at the Principal, Twilight commented with inquisitiveness filling her eyes;

"Transfer students... I had guessed as much."

Luna announced before additional comments could be made;

"Unless you have any questions or concerns, that will be all."

"One last thing before we get moving.", Sunset noted as politely as she could to avoid inciting the adults' combined agitation. Thankfully, her attempt was successful, for they nodded at her respectfully. This prompted her to give a simple, yet important request;

"My band-mates and I seek school counseling."

The entire band gave their school's leaders glares that were both polite and serious in equal measure. The CMCs, Octavia, and DJ-P0N3 all understood the situation instantly and made no objections or remarks out of respect. Luna, thanks to her history with the Rainbooms, was quick to recognize how much this mattered to them. So, with a small smile, she answered;

"I'll have time after school set aside for counseling. It will have to be a group session this time, as my schedule has very little room to breathe today."

Applejack responded on her friends' behalf with a tip of her hat;

"That's alright, ma'am. We can try one-on-one sessions later on."

Rarity chimed in with her usual grace;

"Besides, I do believe that we will benefit greatly from doing this particular session together."

Another nod from Luna prompted Celestia to end the conversation decisively and with a supportive grin;

"Very well then. You may go now, girls. We hope the school day treats you well."

One by one, the girls took their leave of the office. As they made their way down the hall, Rainbow Dash asked Rarity with a raised eyebrow;

"Don't you have that new employee-slash-old friend to help out after school?"

The fashionista tittered politely before explaining;

"As it happens, there is a sizable gap between the final bell and getting Coco situated at work, which I normally set aside for rest and pre-work prep."

Applejack, with a supportive chuckle, told Rarity;

"Good of ya' to keep your schedule in order, Rares."

With a growing smile, Rarity responded;

"Indeed! Wise scheduling aside, Canterlot Boutique, as important as it is to me, can wait for my mental health."

Sunset felt pride for her beautiful friend, a feeling that she was quick to express with one her best smiles unleashed for added effect;

"You've made the right call, Rarity."

The group stopped to stand at a straightaway in the hall that had another path stretching to the right. Sunset declared to the others;

"We'll group back up during lunch. See you then, girls."

She then gave the CMCs an encouraging glare and ordered;

"Come on, kids! We've got newbies to welcome!"

The trio fast-walked with her while giggling happily. With that, the group broke in two, with Sunset and her three young pals taking the straightaway while the rest of the girls took the right-hand turn.

---

The CHS welcoming committee stood in a row at the bottom of the stairs leading to the school's entrance. Sunset unfolded the note and took a look at it. She read the details out loud to the CMCs, who were keeping an eye on the street for any sign of the new students;

"Let's see... Their names are Gallus, Silverstream, Yona, Ocellus, Smolder, and Gabby..."

A specific piece of info got Sunset's eye enough to interrupt her for a moment before she continued;

"Interesting... they are all transferring from the same school: Mount Aris Middle School."

Hearing that made Sweetie Belle turn to face Sunset, her eyes wide with surprise as she remarked;

"That's really far away from Canterlot City."

"You got that right, Sweets.", said Scootaloo, who went on to note with awe;

"Mount Aris itself is a stone's throw away from the Crystal Land's southern border..."

"What buses are they ridin' in?", asked Apple Bloom. Sunset was quick to find an answer;

"Just the one actually. They're all riding on bus nine-seven-dash-four."

She then quipped while refolding the note and stuffing it in her right pants pocket;

"Well, that'll make finding them a breeze."

The four girls waited outside as patiently as they could, albeit with Apple Bloom pacing about to keep herself calm. It took a few minutes, but their patience was rewarded with the arrival of the first yellow school bus of the morning as it parked at a spot just behind the statue. Apple Bloom stopped pacing to gaze at the buss. They all looked up at a spot above its door and sure enough, it bore the number they were looking for, which was written in bold black paint;

97-4

Apple Bloom ran up to the door with the speed of a red-headed bullet, her bow bouncing rapidly as she did so. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle quickly caught up with their pal, with Sunset Shimmer bringing up the rear. They stopped to stand in front of the door while making sure there was enough space for the students inside to make their way to the school without too much trouble. Before any words could be uttered, the door opened and a whole line of students came filing out one by one. At first, the four saw some Juniors and Sophomores make their way passed them. A few Juniors, they recognized and greeted with smiles and fist bumps. Soon after that, however, the new eighth graders came out as well. Yona, the first one out, was a lady who was as tall as Big Mac himself and had a large build overall. Her brown hair was styled to have two large pigtails hanging down behind her with two pink bows keeping them tied up. She had olive eyes, grayish amber skin, little freckles on her cheeks, and a most friendly smile. Wrapped around her neck was a green scarf with white stripes along the edge. Her sleeveless shirt was just as pink as her bows. Her pants were brown like her hair, with dark grey shoes serving to complete the look. Next up was Silverstream, who had light blue hair with light cornflower bluish gray highlights, blue violet eyes, light magentaish gray skin, and a simplistic dress that rocked a pale, light grayish orchid color. She wore around her neck a lovely necklace that consisted of a variety of small seashells. Her shorts rocked the same color as her dress and her light blue tennis shoes complemented her hair in a way that Sunset was sure Rarity would approve of. Silverstream's smile was bright and filled with excitement. Coming out from behind her was Ocellus, who came rocking a pair of sunglasses with cyan lenses that hid her eyes. She had light amaranth hair that flowed down her back and light grayish arctic blue skin that had a hint of paleness to it. Her dress bore a more brilliant amaranth color with shoulder and waist highlights that matched her hair color. Complementing her outfit was a pair of thick brown heeled boots that reached to about half-way up to her knees. Up next was Smolder, who came with a look that spoke of all things punk rock! She had cyan eyes, orchid hair that was styled like a thick mohawk, brilliant gamboge skin, a black leather jacket that the CMCs and Sunset instantly took notice of, a black undershirt with the image of a large red and yellow dragon breathing fire on the front, a skirt that matched her hair, and black shorts underneath. The other aspect of her appearance that the four girls were quick to catch was her pair of tall black boots with large light gold fire painted on the front from the top to the tip of the toes. Any old Wondercolt would easily recognize that style of footwear! Smolder walked with a face that oozed with confidence to make way for Gallus and Gabby, who exited out of the bus while keeping close together. The former, a young man to be exact, had brilliant cerulean hair that was short with parts of it combed to the side near the top to look like feathers with yellow tips poking out, azure eyes, and light blue skin. His outfit consisted of a light-brown zipped up jacket, brilliant amber finger-less gloves, dark blue pants, and boots that matched his gloves, only they had white highlights around the toe area. He was holding Gabby's left hand with his right as they walked over to the others. Gabby herself, who had arrived just behind Gallus and was a bit shorter than the rest of the group, had turquoise eyes, arctic bluish gray skin, dark azureish gray hair that had a single decently sized ponytail at the back, and a necklace around her neck that carried a closed heart-shaped pendant. Like Gallus, she wore a jacket, only hers was a black bomber jacket with white fuzz along the collar. It was also unzipped, revealing an undershirt that matched her eyes. She also wore jeans that bore the same color as her hair and thick boots that matched Gallus's gloves. The six eighth graders came together to stand in a row directly in front of the CMCs and Sunset. They stared each other down. Like the other girls in his group, Gallus was giving the older students before him a friendly grin. Gabby's smile, however, was growing exponentially by the second while she glared directly at Sunset, her eyes lighting up like stars with growing glee. Sensing the lack of tension between the two groups as a good sign, Sunset started things off by giving the new arrivals a proper welcome;

"Glad to see you all, everyone!", she began with one of her friendlier tones of voice. The CMCs, as if on cue, waved at the eighth graders while showing off their typical beaming teeth baring grins. Before the four of them could say anything else, however, Yona responded jovially;

"Yona is glad to see you all too!"

That got giggles out of the CMCs and a chuckle from Sunset and Gallus, the latter having decided to chime in with a more chill demeanor and voice;

"Yeah, she likes to meet new people."

"So do we!", exclaimed Apple Bloom. But, before she could even think of introducing herself and her friends to the group, Gallus gave them a clear warning with a knowing smirk;

"So does Gabby, who is several seconds away from exploding."

Speaking of the girl, she was practically bouncing with joy at this point. Sunset, having gained plenty of experience with the likes of Pinkie Pie and the explosive joy of the CMCs, braced herself for what she was sure was going to be a familiar situation.

Within two seconds, she was faced with something quite different.

Gabby, upon her left hand being released by a chuckling Gallus, zoomed up to Sunset and declared with absolute positive fandom mixed with the happiness, and bounciness, of a fully caffeinated Pinkie Pie;

"You're Sunset Shimmer! THE Sunset Shimmer!"

To say that the mare herself was taken aback by this reaction was an understatement and a half. She held up her hands in self-defense, hoping to at least keep the clearly well-meaning joyful girl from crossing any boundaries by mistake. Sunset did her best to keep her friendly smile up and honest, even as nervousness grew from within her mind. The CMCs were surprised for a moment or two before pure delight swelled within their hearts. The fact that one of the new students was a big fan of their favorite band was wonderful enough. But, the fact that Gabby was also a fan of their Phoenix Friend was the glorious icing on the cake! They started smiling brightly as they took the time to enjoy watching their beloved friend get some adoration thrown at her. Adoration that Gabby expressed in a rapid-fire pace;

"You're the rhythm guitarist and one of the vocalists for the Rainbooms! You and your band play really amazing songs! Mind you, I've only listened to a few of them and I've only seen one of your music videos, but still!"

Thankfully for Sunset, Gabby was gently and firmly pulled away from her by Gallus while he promptly told her;

"Ease up on the rocker, kid. You'll have plenty of time to talk with her later."

The young Rainboom fan pouted to herself while being pulled, which the four girls found adorable. Silverstream took this moment to explain things while giving Sunset an apologetic look;

"Yeah, Gabby discovered your band yesterday and she was hooked after the first song."

The mare of two worlds, having already taken a quick moment to resettle herself, laughed a little before responding to her sweetly;

"It's okay! I'm flattered that she likes us and our work so much."

She then gave the new students one of her sideways smirks and declared;

"But, we've got places to be and things to see. Firstly, some introductions."

Sensing their cue, the CMCs lined up to Sunset's left as she spoke again while looking at the group before her;

"My name is Sunset Shimmer, but you already know that."

After letting out a chuckle along with the others, she motioned to her three young friends, which prompted Apple Bloom to exclaim happily;

"The name's Apple Bloom!"

"My name is Sweetie Belle!", said Sweetie with a polite smile and nod. Scootaloo, true to form, introduced herself with pride all over her face;

"I'm Scootaloo!"

Apple Bloom made ready to help her friends finish their introduction as only they could by saying with anticipation in every word as she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo bent their knees down as if they were about to do a big jump;

"And we're..."

But, before the trio could do their loud and proud club introduction, Sunset made the bold decision to interrupt it by running up in front of Apple Bloom and exclaim quickly while waving her hands up;

"Hold up, hold up, hold up! We're in school, remember!"

The movie buffs straightened themselves back up while giving Sunset an annoyed glare for a brief moment before realization had set in, prompting them to express sheepish grins. After giving them a warm smile to let them all was well, she turned to ask the six kids under their watch;

"I take it each of you have your syllabus on you?"

As a veteran Wondercolt, Sunset knew perfectly well how the school handled newly enrolled students. As if proving this fact, each kid nodded at her, with Ocellus noting;

"They were mailed to us soon after we enrolled. I've never known a school to do that before."

The eldest Wondercolt present explained thusly;

"It's part of CHS's standard procedure for dealing with students who enroll late into a semester."

"Smart.", Gallus remarked with a satisfied smirk.

Apple Bloom's patience, at this point, had quickly taken a backseat. With playful encouragement, she exclaimed to the others;

"Come on, ya'll! Let's show the new folks what's what around 'ere!"

With that, she sprinted up the concrete steps and over to the school's entrance, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle not too far behind her. Sunset motioned to the six students and lead them to the doors. She could hear Gabby say to herself out of pure joyful anticipation as they went inside the school;

"This is so awesome!"

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I'll try my best to not have the CMCs overdo it on the movie references. No promises though!

Good on Sci-Twi for taking inspiration from a most terrible mistake to make a useful tool. Already, she is learning more about the Human World's magic. But, where will this lead?

So... CHS's new students have names that many a FiM fan will instantly recognize! Gabby being a big Rainboom fan is just asking for fun storytelling to me. Yes, I took the time to look up and use the names of the colors used in the Young Six's canon designs. No, I am not apologizing.

Comments

[Darkevony]

Adored that part with Granny Smith! It only makes sense that she could sense the trouble brewing in AJ’s heart. It made for a really sweet moment. Also, good to see the young six joining. Can’t wait to see how you characterize them! And I don’t mind the movie references, especially when they’re the stellar and super memorable ones like Oogways. Fits the moment too. It only makes sense for the CMCs. Other than that, I really like the direction you’re taking in world-building around the magic that was introduced after Sunset. Expanding and building on what was only hinted at in the few moments we got to see of the movies and specials, and given it’s its own twist. Lots to still unpack like the shared demon. Or even the CMCs latent potentiality. But for now, I’m finally caught up on this one and I’ll have to make some time later for The Great Crusade. Sorry it took so long to reciprocate your story GJ! You wouldn’t believe half of my work-related fiasco that’s been going on since November of last year!

[TheGJ90]

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Yeah, Granny got that old Apple eye that's been sharpened by experience. Of course, she'd catch trouble in a heartbeat! Oh, I've got some plans for the Young Six (notice that I switched Sandbar for Gabby of all characters), Magic in the Human World is going to be interesting to say the least, especially to our resident nerd and her pony pal.