Spring Surprises

by TheGJ90

Chapter 3 - The Other Bad Girl

It took a great deal of time and effort to get the rest of Sunset's personal affects out of the house, but for the group of friends, it was all worth it. They were helping Sunset out and spending plenty of time together, after all! It was a good thing that, like the rest of the Rainbooms, she had kept her musical instruments, save for her personal electric guitar that was still in its bag, stashed in Canterlot High's music room (she had learned her lesson from what they called the Storage Key Mishap). As it turns out, there were very few places in the house where an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar could be safely stored without running the risk of their necks being warped by sub-optimal room temperatures. The Murder Chest, as it was tentatively named, was placed under Sci-Twi's care, who called for Shining Armor to come pick it up while giving him clear instructions to never open it. Once the items were placed outside of the house, Applejack called for Big Mac to bring in the family truck to help move Sunset's affects to Rainbow's house. He replied as simply as expected from the big guy;

"Eeyup!"

Once he arrived, it was quickly revealed that he was not the only one she had called in, for she announced to the others;

"Heads up, ya'll! Ah just told Apple Bloom the situation. She's bringin' the youngin's in to help get this stuff moved out of the way."

Every Rainboom smiled upon hearing this news, with Rarity noting with a few respectful giggles;

"Oh, dearest Sweetie Belle will be happy to assist us!"

Rainbow was less reserved with her reaction, for she did a brisk fist pump before declaring enthusiastically;

"Scoots will be too, I know that for a fact!"

Applejack chuckled with no small amount of pride before adding;

"Ah know mah little sis will be pleased as punch to help out."

She then looked over at Sunset with a knowing smile and a friendly wink for good measure;

"Those sugarcubes got a lot of love for ya'."

Sunset smiled back at her while responding sweetly as a flood of memories came rushing into her head;

"Yeah, we've got a good thing going."

Sure enough, within mere minutes of her announcement, the familiar rolling of wheels could be heard from down the street. A certain orange scooter, driven by the helmet-clad Scootaloo, came rushing towards them. Being pulled from behind the scooter was a sturdy wooden hand-made wagon large enough carry three people. Sitting in the wagon with seat-belts and helmets on were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They all had giant smiles on their faces as Scootaloo expertly stopped her sick ride with a loud screech from her tires, the wagon behind her slowing down to a stop soon after. She stepped off of the scooter whilst her two friends opened the wagon gate in front of them before stepping onto the street.

What happened next drew plenty of grins and barely-contained chuckles from everyone else present.

---

With a voice filled with excitement and pride, Apple Bloom called out to her friends;

"CMCS! FALL IN!"

Right on cue, they started marching in unison over to the Rainbooms like a trio of young soldiers. The serious expressions on their faces, along with their helmets, added to their performance tremendously, if the mirth etched on the faces of every Rainboom watching was anything to go by. Big Mac, however, was just leaning on his truck while enjoying the show in a relaxed fashion, even though he could not resist grinning a little. He knew the score all too well with those three girls. They stopped to march in place in front of Sunset for a moment before stopping to stand at attention. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack stood to her left, while Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie stood to her right. With their combined gaze fixed on the flame haired girl, the three young ladies announced in perfect unison;

"Canterlot Movie Club: House Renovators! Reporting for duty!"

They finished their performance with a right-handed soldier's salute, their serious expressions having never left their faces during this whole thing. Sensing her cue, Sunset saluted them back while responding in the most serious voice she could muster, her face contorting to match it;

"At ease, Movie Club."

It took the four of them all of five seconds to drop the act completely, falling into a fit of riotous laughter before the CMCs leaped into Sunset to give her one of their famous movie club hugs while exclaiming happily;

"It's so good to see you, Sunset!"

She lovingly wrapped them into her arms and relaxed into theirs for a bit for before they broke off to give each other room to breathe. Apple Bloom then declared with sadness in her eyes;

"If we had known about ya' livin' in this 'ere wreck of a house, we would've sounded the alarm ourselves!"

"Yeah, you deserve to live in an awesome house!", exclaimed a similarly distraught Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle, however, was about ready to burst into tears as she cried out;

"We're not letting our friend and Honorary Club Member be homeless!"

"Well said, darlings!", exclaimed Rarity, her face beaming with pride over her little sister and her friends as she walked over to them with tissues in hand. She gently dabbed Sweetie Belle's tears out of her eyes while Applejack explained with similar levels of pride;

"Well then, your first job will be to help us get Sunset's stuff packed into Big Mac's truck."

Rainbow Dash jumped in to add excitedly;

"She'll be living with each of us while we fix up her house."

She then pointed at herself with her thumb before finishing with a hint of smugness;

"Starting with me, of course!"

Applejack, as it turns out, didn't quite mention her friend's new living arrangements to Apple Bloom on the phone, for she was going to tell the young girls about it in person. Of course, Rainbow Dash would mention it first! The farmhand rolled her eyes over her honest error in judgement as Scootaloo's eyes were filled with stars and her mouth fell agape. She reacted with shock and rapidly building excitement;

"Sunset's... going to... live... with Rainbow Dash!?"

She straight up jumped with joy repeatedly over this news while yelling out;

"THAT IS AWESOME!"

She then high-fived Rainbow for good measure before telling Sunset with the absolute gusto and bounciness of a fangirl on cloud nine;

"You're gonna love living in her house! Rainbow has the most awesome house ever!"

Their sadness forgotten, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gave their elder friend a look of pure love as the former declared;

"Ya'll always be welcome in our clubhouse. Just say the word whenever ya' need a place to crash for the night!"

Resisting the urge to pull the sweethearts into another hug, Sunset told them honestly;

"Thanks girls. I'll keep that in mind, although..."

She couldn't help but let her face show her trademark sideways smirk before adding gently;

"I don't think you have much room for a fourth sleeping bag and a gecko."

With that, everyone went right to work on putting her things into the truck.

---

By the time they had finished getting the items cleared out and watched Big Mac as he drove the truck out of sight with his cargo, the CMCs wagon and helmets included, it was half-past 3:00PM! It wasn't long after that that Shining Armor had arrived to pick up the Murder Chest (the girls made sure not to tell Sci-Twi's cop for a Best Big Brother Friend Forever about the nickname). After he left with the chest in tow, they all thought about what they were going to do next. It was a quiet day scheduling wise, so most of the Rainbooms did not have any important business until later on. The CMCs had club business to attend to, but they decided to put that off to spend time with their sisters and friends. Sunset, however, needed a shower. Thankfully, she already had one the night before, so The Stink, as Rarity had so graciously put it, hadn't set in yet. Bad breath from a lack of tooth brushing, however, was a different story! So, it was decided that they would all celebrate their efforts with a quick trip to Sugarcube Corner (formerly known as the Sweet Shoppe) for a snack and then send Sunset to Rainbow's house, so that she can wage war on cavities and settle into living with the athlete for a week. As they traveled through the neighborhood to reach their destination, the girls started talking about all sorts of things. Current plans, jokes that ranged from good to bad enough to laugh at, that sort of thing. As they were about halfway towards Sugarcube Corner, the topic of discussion changed to one that Sunset had been a curious about for some time, but didn't quite find the chance to ask about it until now;

"Girls, we've known each other for a long time now, haven't we?", she asked them thoughtfully. Pinkie Pie responded with dramatic flare and joy that was fit for the theater, her face beaming with a type of happiness only she could experience and express to the world;

"Yes, and our friendship shall last forever!"

Sci-Twi giggled slightly to herself as they all watched their peppy pink pal laugh maniacally. Once the laughter had died down, she then looked over at Sunset with certainty and happiness in her eyes and added to Pinkie's claim;

"Until the end of time."

Fondly remembering the time when Princess Twilight Sparkle had sent her the lyrics to a certain song that took a week for her to get out of her head, she felt that familiar warmth grow within her body again, this time inside of her belly. It encouraged her to give Sci-Twi a sweet affirming grin. As she continued to walk with her friends while feeling completely safe in their presence, she felt a strong pulling sensation from deep within. A strong urge to let herself sink into that warmth for a while, as if her heart was voicelessly calling her to rest within itself. Knowing what that would do to her, though, she resisted the temptation, as lovely as it was. After all, she had a thought she needed to express, and she really did not want to worry the girls;

"What I'm trying to ask is, do you all have any stories from before Canterlot High?"

Rarity responded with a dash of nostalgic laughter to start things off;

"Our lives prior to Freshman Year... goodness, it has been ages since I've last looked that far back!"

Applejack gave off a hearty laugh before adding;

"Ah got me a story or two to tell about those old days, that's for sure!"

"Um... I don't have a lot of stories from before I enrolled into CHS... but, I could tell them, if you want.", Fluttershy noted softly, more to herself to than to the others. Rainbow Dash, ever attentive of her old friend's mannerisms, placed an encouraging hand on her right shoulder, which eased her tension a little. As for Pinkie, she was more than happy to oblige;

"Oh, I've got soooo many stories from before I got into CHS! Oh, there's that time when Maud and I found gemstones so beautiful that she almost smiled! I can't forget that one time when Limestone and Maud were hunting for-!"

There she went, ranting at approximately 100 kilometers-per-hour about one story after another with all the excitement of a kid in a candy store. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem like a miracle that any of the other girls could make heads or tails of what Pinkie was saying! But, they all had years of practice at this, courtesy of their friendship with the positively peppy purveyor of parties. Of course, anyone who knew Pinkie Pie would also have the good sense to get her to stop before she could destroy a conversation, which was precisely what Applejack did by gently, yet firmly, placing her right hand on Pinke's mouth to shut her up before telling her sharply;

"Slow down there, Pinks! The others got somethin' to say as well, Ah reckon."

With a nod from Pinkie, she moved her hand off of her mouth while Apple Bloom chimed in while adjusting her large red bow;

"Ya' know, Sunset, Ah don't think we ever told ya' the story of how Sweetie, Scoots, and Ah first met."

The amber girl's eyes grew wide for a moment before she uttered in awe;

"The origins of the Canterlot Movie Club..."

With a chuckle, she finished with a smirk;

"This I gotta hear!"

Sweetie Belle, with a jovial giggle, declared with a slightly watery mouth;

"We'll tell you about it when we get to the snacks!"

Sci-Twi then decided to ask Rainbow Dash while moving her face to gaze at the sidewalk before them;

"What about you? You got any pre-CHS stories of your own?"

What the other girls got in response was silence. Deafening, uncharacteristic silence. Sci-Twi quickly turned her head to face Rainbow Dash to see what was going on. Gone was the confidence that she was known for. What appeared on her face instead was hesitancy and frustration. She kept her eyes locked on the path in front of her as they walked, silently refusing to give her friend's question the time of day. Scootaloo, with nervousness filling every syllable she uttered, told to her beloved idol and sister-in-heart;

"Rainbow..."

There was something else in Scootaloo's voice that Sci-Twi had recognized besides the nervousness. It was the tiniest hint of hurt. As if an old pain had seeped into the young daredevil's voice. It reminded the bookworm of how her own voice sounded whenever she was hurting inside, hence the recognition. Before she could even so much as attempt to soothe her friend, however, another voice rang out from behind the group, one that was entirely new to Sci-Twi. It was, however, familiar to the others. Familiar enough to stop them dead in their tracks, which prompted her to stand still as well. The voice had uttered a single word, which was more than enough to change the entire situation in a negative fashion;

"Sup?!"

---

Sci-Twi looked at each of the girls to see their reactions in the hopes of better understanding what was going on.

Fluttershy hugged herself while softly whimpering in terror.

Rarity could barely contain her visible indignation.

Pinkie Pie's smile weakened slightly while her hair lost a portion of its poofiness.

Sunset gritted her teeth to keep herself from growling, her fists tightly clenched and her eyes filled with an old fury that she was, thankfully, keeping under wraps.

Applejack, as usual, kept her emotions on the inside, but the lowering of her hat and the deep frown on her face spoke volumes on how she was feeling.

Rainbow Dash breathed slowly and heavily, her eyes expressing her frustration from a moment ago, only with hesitancy replaced by a rage that was fighting tooth and nail to come out of hiding.

Seeing all of this was worrying enough for Sci-Twi, but what had made her worry even more was seeing how the CMCs reacted!

Apple Bloom clutched her chest with her right hand for dear life while expressing a look on her face that could be best described as shock and regret personified. Sweetie Belle was not too far off by comparison, only with tears added to the mix. They were both holding onto the arms of a trembling Scootaloo, Apple Bloom with her left arm, and Sweetie Belle with her right. She held onto their arms for dear life while trying valiantly to hold back her own tears as she breathed so quickly, she was almost hyperventilating. The terrible horror the normally excitable and courageous daredevil was expressing, combined with the combo of regret and care shown by her two best friends, was something that Sci-Twi would never forget. With a breath, she turned around to walk out of the group to see who had caused her friends to produce such a profound reaction.

It was a single person, a young lady who looked to be around Rainbow Dash's age. She had tan skin, yellow eyes, the smuggest smirk the bookworm had ever seen, and white hair styled to match that of an eagle with light-purple highlights at the three front tips that looked very much like feathers. She wore a light-brown unzipped bomber jacket with white fuzz at the top of the collar, a white undershirt, a matching pair of pants, and black boots with yellow bird talons painted on them. Sci-Twi did not recognize this girl who gave off an air of trouble with her smirk alone, but she was positive her friends did. Before she could turn to ask them, however, the girl walked over to her with an arrogant strut as the group behind her turned around to see what was happening. The lady with the eagle hair stopped to stand just outside of striking distance from Sci-Twi, her eyes looking at each of the girls before her. Sunset walked over to stand next to her increasingly nervous and concerned friend before telling the new person with a deadpan voice and the most calm, furious, and piercing glare she could muster;

"Gilda."

Gilda glared back at the former bully before giving her a reply as confident as her strut was, her smirk refusing to leave;

"Sunset Shimmer."

The rest of the girls walked up to stand close behind Sunset and Sci-Twi, a fact that Gilda had taken notice of. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack stood-by-side of each other, with Pinkie Pie on the fair-right next to Applejack and Fluttershy on the far-left next to Rainbow. What she did not see, however, were the currently mortified CMCs, who their sisters had stealthily hidden behind them. With a mirthless chuckle, she remarked with a hint of annoyance;

"I see you're still hanging with those Wonderdorks."

"My friends are called Wondercolts.", Sunset replied with a slight bit of venom in her voice, her gaze refusing to move away from Gilda, who raised her right eyebrow, seemingly out of confusion.

"Friends? Is that what you call them?", she asked calmly before turning her attention on Sci-Twi, who kept her composure despite the growing fear in her heart tempting her to hug herself like Fluttershy was doing.

Gilda's behavior reminded her of her time in Crystal Prep way too much for her liking.

The source of that fear cocked her head off to the right for a moment as she stepped closer to Sci-Twi, stopping just close enough to inspect her without going into awkward territory. It was close enough to make her feel even more nervous, however, as Gilda tilted her upper-body forward slightly to size her up for a few seconds before noting with a frown;

"You look like her... but that ponytail... and the way you present yourself..."

She then declared after straightening her body back up, her smirk returning with a vengeance;

"Nah, you're not the Princess. You're a different person altogether, and judging by the glasses, I'd say you're an egghead."

"I see no problem with that, Gilda.", noted Sunset, with more venom added to her voice as she promptly defended her friend. Gilda's response, however, was an unexpected laugh;

"Neither do I!", she remarked before continuing;

"I mean come on, who makes those cool as heck smartphones work so well?"

She then gave Sci-Twi a wink that nearly made her wince before adding;

"Eggheads like you, that's who! But, really, I should introduce myself."

With a fist bump on her chest to express her own personal pride, she declared to her;

"The name's Gilda, leader of the Griffons!"

She then asked with more politeness than either Sci-Twi or Sunset had expected from her;

"May I ask what your name is?"

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, she answered with a slight stutter;

"T-Twilight Sparkle."

Gilda's response was a hearty laugh and a surprised;

"You have the same name as her?! That's awesome!"

After taking a moment to calm down, she then noted with a friendliness that was, to Sunset's shock, not at all faked;

"Well, since you probably haven't been around those Wonder...colts... for a long time...", she expressed the last part of that name with no small amount of anger, which she had then driven back with the friendliness from earlier as she went on;

"I should give you some advice: you're better off without them."

"Excuse me?!", shouted an angry Rarity, her arms folded in increasing indignation over Gilda and her choice of words. Ignoring the fashionista entirely, she walked over to the group behind Sunset and Sci-Twi while explaining her case in a rather insulting matter;

"I mean, look at the menagerie! You've got..."

She pointed at Pinkie Pie;

"An annoying brat who wouldn't know a cool party if it hit her on the head."

Pinkie's hair lost even more poofiness as Gilda pointed at Applejack;

"A hillbilly hick from a backwards family."

AJ's frown turned into a low furious growl, though her hat was still lowered to cover her eyes. The insulting lady turned her attention over to Rarity;

"A prissy snob who couldn't tailor her way out of a paper bag."

Rarity raised her nose high with an audible huff in response to this verbal barb as Gilda gave Rainbow Dash the mother of all death glares before declaring in a low growl that screamed of hatred;

"A traitor."

Three things were keeping the furious Rainbow Dash from pouncing on Gilda in a fit of rage: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. The best she could do was spit at the ground near the bully's feet as she turned her attention over to Fluttershy before declaring;

"A pathetic weakling who's afraid of her own shadow."

The animal lover's response was a pained whimper as she tried desperately to hide behind her long hair. Oh, if it weren't for Rainbow being such a loyal friend, she would be wailing on Gilda for hurting Fluttershy like that! She made a note in her head to comfort her friend after this was over as the bully turned back around to face Sunset, who had just walked up to stand at mere inches from her, her rage barely contained on her face. It was all she could do to keep breathing steady and her fists from striking the jerk's face as Gilda remarked with clear disappointment on her face;

"And then there's you."

With an exasperated sigh, she explained;

"I wasn't at the school during the Fall Formal Incident. But I've heard the stories about how you fell so hard that you begged for forgiveness."

With an annoyed grunt, she reiterated while looking at ground;

"Begged!"

She looked back up to glare at Sunset eye to eye before asking calmly out of confusion and frustration;

"What did that rainbow laser do to you?"

Before she could respond, Gilda went on in a surprisingly soft serious voice;

"You used to be strong. Proud. Confident. Cool. You didn't take crud from anyone and you took down the idiots who tried to stand in your way. Everyone who was smart knew to either stand with you or stand back."

She sighed again while clearly thinking back to a past Sunset would rather forget before declaring;

"You were the Queen Bee of Canterlot High. Now look at what you've become..."

Throughout this declaration, Gilda was giving off a look of anger and the tiniest hint of what Sunset had guessed was pity. That pity gave way to anger in its entirety, however, as she finished;

"A dweeb with no claws."

That comment drew irate glares from each of the Rainbooms Gilda had insulted. But, it had yet another effect. During this entire exchange, Sci-Twi's fear kept her mouth closed, even though she wanted badly to stand up for her friends. Each insult made that desire grow more and more, but it was the shot fired at Sunset over her past that was the straw the broke the pony's back. She ran up to stand between her and Gilda and told the bully with surety that pushed through her terror and a furious gaze to match;

"You will leave my friends alone this instant!"

The other Rainbooms cheered her on with gusto. Sunset, however, settled for giving Sci-Twi a heartfelt grin and a laugh filled with goodwill as her fury was weakened by the warmth inside. She was loving the magic of friendship right now. Gilda, however, laughed jovially before telling the confused and slightly less frightened bookworm;

"An egghead with guts! I like this Twilight already!"

After calming back down, she then went back to giving her her own take on advice;

"Let me be real with you, Egg-Light. May I call you Egg-Light?"

"Do not call me Egg-Light.", said Sci-Twi in a rapid pace that gave away her nerves and annoyance over the new nickname. Gilda continued on, undeterred by her request;

"Egg-Light, your buddies may talk up a big game. But when the chips are down..."

She then gave Rainbow Dash another dreadful death glare before adding;

"When their loyalties are challenged..."

She turned her attention back over to Sci-Twi as she went on;

"They'll abandon you for clearer skies."

That comment struck every Rainboom directly at a wound in their hearts, causing a sharp internal pain that drove the ones in the group to yell out words of encouragement to their friend, including the likes of "Do not listen to that ruffian!", "We won't abandon you!", and "We're in this together, ya' hear!?". Sunset herself was about ready to say 'buck it' and beat Gilda's miserable hide for her insolence, but her self-control was still keeping her reigned in, even as the self-proclaimed lead Griffon tried to deliver another insult;

"Best to drop them now, while you have the-."

Before she could finish her sentence, before the Old Sunset could make another attempt to return to enact painful revenge upon an unsuspecting Gilda, a voice that had a distinctive southern drawl to it rang out on the street where they were all standing. It wasn't Applejack's;

"YA' DON'T KNOW A DERN THING ABOUT THE PEOPLE YA' HURT, YA' RAGIN' SHE-VARMINT!"

Apple Bloom, who had spoken out in a fit of righteous fury, squirmed her way out of the group of girls to stand square in front of them, her fists clenched and ready to fly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were right there with her, fists and all. Their faces oozed with a mixture of fear, tears, and barely contained rage. Their big sisters tried to hold them back, but to no avail. Not even they could stop them from standing up for their friends and family. Not even the bully before them, who looked at them with a shocked expression for a moment or two before her face contorted into a look of cruel, almost unrestrained malice that could scare away grown men as she stomped her way over to the CMCs before standing within a few inches between them. Their sisters stood ready to defend them at a moment's notice, with Pinkie Pie and even Fluttershy following suit. Sunset, with controlled anger, slowly and quietly walked over to within striking distance of Gilda's back, prompting Sci-Twi, who watched the situation play out with fear and curiosity in her head and heart, to follow her lead. While she knew her friends would keep the girls save, she wondered what was it about them that made Gilda so agitated. With a growl, the Griffon told the CMCs;

"I was almost hoping your sisters would toss you three out like the trash you are."

"Don't. Insult. The youngin's," was Applejack's response, the anger in her voice, and the raising of her head to reveal a face covered in restrained familial rage, signalling a potential beating.

Gilda kept her gaze fixed on each of the club members, who glared back at her without a hint of relent, as she replied while maintaining her growl, caution effortlessly thrown to the wind;

"Why shouldn't I throw shade at these brats, after the stunt they pulled?"

That response only added to Sci-Twi's curiosity, enough to drive her to ask a question that, luckily, stopped Applejack from doing something she would regret later;

"I beg your pardon?"

Gilda's eyes went wide with shock as she sharply turned her head to face her before telling her out of confusion;

"You don't know... You actually don't know?!"

The shock and confusion within Gilda gave way to a revelation that drove her to belt out a loud fit of laughter, the kind that was always a prelude to disaster. Between laughs, she was able to utter;

"You mean they never told you about them!?"

She pointed her shaking right index finger the CMCs, who's anger slowly turned into sorrow, before adding with vile mirth;

"About the single biggest mistake they have ever made in their miserable lives?!"

The trio's sorrow become more and more prominent on their faces as Gilda hugged her sides in a vain attempt to control her twisted joy. Sci-Twi could see it plainly in their eyes: the regret, so deep and terrible in strength. It reminded her of her own and the sight of it being in the eyes of three good friends nearly broke her heart. Sunset was about to plant her black decorative boot up the bully's rear, but then she remembered the frightened friend who was nearby, and the distraught trio of friends up in front, which prompted her to relent. The Old Sunset would not have hesitated, and in spite of her rage, she was glad to not be her anymore. As for Gilda, she had finally recovered from her fit, only to get an idea.

An awful idea.

Gilda the Griffon got a wonderful, awful idea.

She looked at the CMCs, who stood their ground in defiance of her and their emotional anguish, and expressed a truly despicable smirk;

"I wonder if I should tell her the story...", she said with wickedness in every word she spoke. Her suggestion caused each club member's legs to shake, even as they remained steadfast. Apple Bloom gulped audibly out of terror, her bow drooping to match her mood. To her, to the three of them, Tartarus was opening up to claim them at last! Luckily for them, they had an angel in their corner, and she was as angry as a phoenix. With more self-control than she ever imagined having in her body, Sunset grabbed Gilda's left shoulder with her right hand, spun her around to face her dead in the eye, and told her slowly with strained fury in her voice;

"Don't you go there."

That accursed smirk of Gilda's remained untarnished as she thought for a few moments that felt like an eternity to the Rainbooms and the CMCs before replying;

"Eh, I suppose I'll let you all tell it to her. After all..."

She pointed at Sunset, and then at each and every Rainboom, save for Sci-Twi, before finishing;

"You were hurt by those brats too."

She then glared at Sunset one more time before stating calmly;

"This makes us even."

"You'll be leaving now.", demanded Sunset as she released her vice grip from Gilda's shoulder. With satisfied grunt, she walked down the street away from the girls with her hands in her pants pockets while dishing out one last insult for the road;

"Later, dweebs!"

The first thing the girls did was comfort the CMCs, who turned right around and hugged their sisters with all their hearts. They all got into a large group hug that was filled with love, sadness, regret, and friendship, with Rainbow Dash making it a point to comfort Fluttershy as well. No words were spoken during the entire hug as Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sank into the combined embrace, the presence of their friends and family helping to keep them from falling to pieces. No words were needed. As far as Sci-Twi was concerned, her curiosity over Gilda's claim could wait. Her friends needed her.

---

The rest pf the journey was quiet, but it went on without further incident. Once the girls had taken their seats in Surgarcube Corner and placed their orders, Rainbow Dash pounded her first onto the table where she and other Rainbooms were sitting at before yelling out in frustration;

"It's been YEARS and that bird is still as horrible as ever!"

With a dignified "hmph", Rarity replied with expertly contained indignation as she took the time to touch up her lipstick;

"Quite right, darling. Her little 'traitor' comment did not go unnoticed by me, which I find to be quite rich, coming from that dreadful rube."

"She betrayed Rainbow Dash!", exclaimed an angry Scootaloo, who was sharing a nearby table with her fellow CMCs while all three of them looked as hurt as they had felt. She looked at Rainbow Dash for a moment, who gave her a supportive smile that cut through the anger inside, before turning around to look at her table instead. Applejack tipped her hat at the trio before telling them with a smile;

"Ah'm mighty proud of ya'll for standin' up for us when ya' did."

Her smile turned into the frown of a concern sibling as she added a tiny bit of sternness to her voice;

"But the shots that varmint had thrown at ya'll was somethin'-."

"That we all wanted to avoid, we know, big sis.", responded Apple Bloom. She sounded furious, but her anger was hardly aimed at her sister and they all knew that. With a breath, she went on to loudly rationalize her club's decision while staring down at the table she was sitting at, her bow drooping once again;

"But, we just couldn't stand back and watch, ya' hearin' me?!"

"Ah hear ya', sugarcube, and Ah agree with your choice.", was Applejack's response before she sighed with a voice filled with concern. She then added honestly;

"Ah'm just worried for ya'll."

"We all are.", Sunset chimed in while looking at each CMC with worry in her eyes and heart. This was enough to get them to turn their heads to face the group. Thankfully, the tears had long since stopped. Sensing the opportunity, she offered to them;

"If you need our help with anything, anything at all, just ask."

Fluttershy took the chance to get up out of her seat, walk away from the Rainboom's table, and wrap the CMCs in one of her most gentle hugs, an act they greatly appreciated. She then told them in a sweet whisper that guided them away from their anguish;

"Sunset means what she said, and it comes from all of us. We're here to help you girls, whenever you need us."

Their anger evaporated and their sorrows fled into the most far off corners of their minds as the CMCs melted into Fluttershy's arms. The world around them faded away, save for their sisters, friends, and the pink-haired angel of peace who held them close.

"There there...", whispered the angel in question as their breathing steadied into a slow deep rhythm. For a wondrous minute or two, all was well in their minds and hearts. Applebloom thought of Sweet Apple Acres and her family. Sweetie Belle thought of singing and her sister. Scootaloo thought of flying on the back of her idol. They had to keep themselves from falling out of their chairs when released from Fluttershy's bliss-inducing grip. After composing themselves, they thanked her with a combined warm glare, their dopey smiles returning with gusto, much to their friends and sisters' relief. This, Sci-Twi recognized, was the right moment to ask Sunset a single question that has been bothering her ever since their encounter with Gilda;

"What is that jerk's deal?"

She suddenly felt the gaze of every friend she had in the building before nervously continuing while raising her hands up in defense;

"I mean, what she had done was absolutely horrible! But, I simply do not know what kind of history she has with you all."

Sunset gave off a regretful sigh before admitting while looking her dear friend in the eye;

"We really should have told you about her sooner, Twi. But, honestly, we thought she was ancient history. The kind that's best put behind us, you know?"

As if on cue, the food they had ordered had been delivered by the the waitress, which prompted a pause in the conversation as they each took their meals. A salad with dressing and a bunch of apples for Sunset, sugary sweets along with a pancake for Pinkie, a simple bagel for Rarity, a rather large cheeseburger for Rainbow Dash, a salad for Fluttershy that matched Sunset's, and a tray filled with assorted vegetables for Sci-Twi. The CMCs got extra-large cheeseburgers, a heaping helping of fries, and a big bottle of ketchup instead of the little packets that were normally provided. All of this food was remarkably different from the kind one would expect to be served in a bakery, but this was one of those rare occasions when Sugarcube Corner would expand their menu to non-bakery foods for a day, which the Cakes found to be a unique way to help keep the lights on and liven up their selection. It also helped that they had staff on hand who could make said food. The girls had no problems with their meals, but what the CMCs had gotten alongside their own as something special. It was a single note which made their hearts feel even warmer upon reading it;

"You'll be okay, kids! - From the folks in Sugarcube Corner."

They each had at least seven guesses as to who had asked the people running the place to write that note, but they decided to take it up with them later as they began chowing down on their food with extreme hungry prejudice. It wasn't long after that before their drinks had arrived as well: assorted sodas for most of the Rainbooms, a cup of jasmine tea for Rarity, and chocolate milk for the CMCs. Their sisters looked at the young girls with knowing smiles and familial love as they each happily accepted their drink. Who could blame them for spoiling their kin this time around, especially after what had transpired earlier?

Whilst the group enjoyed their meals, Rarity decided to pick the conversation back up from where they left off after taking a graceful sip of her tea;

"While I understand your viewpoint on the matter, Sunset darling, we really should have expected Gilda to return eventually. She does come off as one to hold a grudge, after all."

Pinkie Pie gave a snort borne of rarely expressed anger as she exclaimed;

"That girl is a smile-stealing meanie!"

She then downed half of her soda in one go before slamming her glass onto the table while showing a fury on her face that was usually reserved for those who dared to commit the cardinal sin of breaking a Pinkie Promise. Seeing this kind of reaction from Pinkie of all people made the girls sitting close to her feel no small amount of concern and dread. Thankfully for them, that anger quickly melted away in favor of her traditional bubbly happiness as she declared with a giggle as honest as Applejack herself;

"Not to worry though! It'll take more than one grumpy mcgumpy pants to ruin our days!"

She then enjoyed her meal as if she was never angry to begin with. Sunset was not entirely sure whether she should be happy or concerned for her as she returned her attention to Rarity and the topic at hand;

"You both make a fair point, which makes bringing Twi up to speed all the more important, because Gilda would probably lie to her about her past actions."

While taking all of this in, Sci-Twi thought about how she should respond for a moment before declaring with absolutely surety and calmness;

"Let me put it to you this way, girls..."

She pushed her glasses up her nose before giving Sunset a most certain glare;

"I've only seen this Gilda once and I already know that she would feel right at home in the old Crystal Prep."

This got a big "ohhhhhh!" from Rainbow Dash before she happily replied with an enthusiastic thumbs up;

"Sci-Twi with the BURN! Good on you, buddy!"

It was at that moment that the door to the restaurant opened up, revealing Sci-Twi's mother, Twilight Velvet, who walked over to the girls while holding a backpack in her right hand. Without a second thought, she got up out of her seat to give her mom a loving hug, which she happily accepted. Once the two of them had broken out of the hug, Sci-Twi asked;

"Why did you come, mom? Am I needed at home?"

With an amused chuckle, Twilight Velvet replied sweetly;

"No, but a certain ball of adorableness needs you."

The bookworm knew exactly what she meant by this as she readied herself for the pouncing to come by getting her knees with a knowing smirk on her face. The mother then placed the backpack on the ground between them and unzipped it, allowing Spike the dog to leap into Sci-Twi's arms and lick her face, much to her giggly joy.

"Sp-Spike! It's good to see you too!", she said between laughs as she gave her faithful furry friend ear scratches while the other girls gushed over the sheer cuteness of the sight before them. It was a VERY good thing that Sugarcube Corner allowed one pet per-customer or per-group, so long as they stayed off the tables and away from the food! With a quick kiss on her daughter's forehead, Twilight Velvet bid them all goodbye and promptly left the building. Sci-Twi then got back to her seat, with Spike deciding to take a seat on Apple Bloom's lap. After giving her face a good licking, much to her happiness, he made himself comfortable and asked the girls while getting pet-pets from the youngest Apple present;

"So, what happened while I was napping?"

"Gilda happened, darling.", was Rarity's polite reply, which also contained a tinge of frustration over the girl in question.

Spike raised his right eyebrow out of curiosity as he responded with a bit of his typical snark;

"I don't know who this Gilda is, but they sound disappointing."

"That's putting it mildly, sugarcube.", deadpanned Apple Bloom as she took another bite out of her burger. The rest of the CMCs, like her, showed clear distaste at the thought of hearing anything about their bully. But, they did not fuss or fret over it, as they wanted Sci-Twi, and Spike for that matter, to understand why they didn't like her at all.

The dog was intrigued, for he made a simple request;

"Let's hear it then: what's her angle?"

All was silent for almost a minute as the girls tried to think of the best words to start their explanation off. Rainbow Dash, in a rare twist, said exactly what needed to be said in a calm tired voice that stood in contrast to the sadness in her eyes;

"Hurting people... That's her angle."

With everyone's attention fixed on her, Rainbow Dash told them all a story she wished with all her awesome heart had never happened.

---

Long before I had ever set foot in Canterlot High School, and this was back when I was a little girl, I had friends I could count on, very much like I do now. Back then, two of them were who I considered to be the best friends a girl as awesome as me could ask for: Fluttershy... and Gilda. I thought I knew what was in Gilda's heart. I mean, she had a short temper and was always getting into fights. But, she always had my back, and me hers. I was a kid back then... I didn't know any better. If there were signs of trouble coming my way, then I never saw them.

I wish I had seen them.

As the years came and went, Gilda had it in her head to start up a street gang. The Griffons, she called them. She offered me a place in the gang as a founding member. I accepted without question. I mean, was I really going to leave a friend hanging? We didn't do anything illegal, so don't get me started on that, Twi! Nah, it was more like the kind of gang where we ran together, played together, and sometimes fought together.... In self-defense, I swear to the stars above, Sunset! Simply put, we didn't do anything that would land us all in jail, even though we did have to hold Gilda back from sending punks to the hospital a few times. One day, about a month or so before Freshman Year, I got enrolled into CHS! I was so ecstatic that I had to tell the other Griffons about it. They were all happy with me over the news, especially Gilda, who proudly announced her own enrollment into the school. That was a great day.

The last day when I would ever call Gilda my friend.

The next afternoon, I was doing a jogging exercise down the sidewalks of Canterlot City when I heard the crying of a little girl! I ran towards the crying, which came from an alleyway that was off to the left of the sidewalk I was jogging on. All of my instincts told me to take a peek first before rushing in.

Yeah, I know, that's what I normally don't do! Shut up and let me finish!

I peeked into the alleyway to see something that made me shake in shock:

GIlda was stomping on a little girl while she was on the ground!

Her body was hiding the girl from my sight, so I couldn't see who it was. Her crying voice was not recognizable to me.

I sure as hay did not hesitate!

I ran over to Gilda to shove her out of the way, which allowed me to stand between her and her victim, who whimpered and cried behind me. Needlessly to say, Gilda was shocked. That shock on her face turned into that stupid smirk as she told me calmly;

"Now now, Dashie. I'm just taking care of some business. Back off and let me finish."

I wasn't budging. I told her straight up;

"You leave the girl alone and maybe I'll forget about you beating her to a pulp!"

That wiped that smirk off of her face in an instant! She was angry as heck for a moment, but then she did something that I don't think she's done again since; she took a deep breath to calm herself down!

After composing herself, she gave me a genuine smile, yes I said genuine, AJ, and placed her right hand on my shoulder before telling me calmly;

"We've been friends ever since we were kids in grade school... and because you are my friend, I'm gonna give you one last chance..."

Her anger came roaring back as she demanded with a furious look in her eyes, her irises shrinking to drive home the effect;

"Step. Off."

With a breath of my own, I told her simply;

"No!"

That really shocked her! Backing up a step or two, she exclaimed angrily;

"You're gonna choose some brat you don't even know over your childhood friend?!"

Hearing those words come out of her stupid mouth gave me reason to think about what I was gonna do next. I then realized something important. Something Gilda was doing at that moment. Something I had to confront her about;

"Are you making me choose?"

I could hear the hurt in my voice when I said that. Heck, I could feel it! The fact that it was even likely that she was gonna do something so uncool to me made me want to explode and smash her face in. But, the girl behind me had seen enough violence as it was, so, for her sake, I kept my fists lowered and waited for Gilda's response.

I hoped she was going to say no...

"Yes, I am!", was her furious answer.

Darn it, Gilda!

I held my ground, my silence being the only response I could possibly give her. I was ready to fight if I had to, but for whatever reason, perhaps in memory of our friendship, out of annoyance, or a lack of care, Gilda turned around and left us both in a huff. I made sure to not even contact the other Griffons after that, as I just wanted to be done with the whole thing.

We've been enemies ever since.

---

By the time Rainbow had finished telling her story, she had already finished her meal. Sci-Twi, having never heard it before, was terribly saddened to hear of her friend having been betrayed so painfully. She held Rainbow's hands gently in hers as a show of support, which prompted the athlete to give her a small smile in return. The other girls knew the tale well, but hearing it was no less painful to their hearts. Applejack had taken her hat off out of respect, Sunset gave her friend a look of deep understanding and regret, Gilda's past misdeeds reminding her very much of her own, Pinkie Pie cried into tissues that she had pulled out from her hair and blew her nose into them, Rarity rested her hand on Rainbow's shoulder while restraining herself from expressing any of her overly-dramatic reactions, and Fluttershy had tears streaming down her face as she looked at her cyan friend with utter sadness in her heart and eyes. As for the CMCs, they had left their food and their seats as they walked up to the Rainbooms' table during the story, with Spike jumping off of Apple Bloom's lap as they did so. Once it was finished, they each gave Rainbow Dash a look of pure understanding and solidarity, with Scootaloo being the only one of the three who was shedding tears. By then, Spike noted in his head to always growl at Gilda on sight as he got up onto Rainbow's lap and snuggled on it. He got more ear scratches for his trouble as Rainbow told everyone around her;

"Thanks, girls. But, there's a happy ending to this story."

The frown that was itched onto her face was replaced by one her signature manure-eating grins as she explained;

"While I did lose a 'friend' in Gilda that day, I did gain a new real friend in that little girl, who I made it my business to get to know."

She looked right at Sci-Twi and asked her excitedly;

"You wanna know who that girl was?"

Sci-Twi nodded her head, to which she replied with a chuckle and sly wink;

"Well, if she wants you to know, then she'll tell you."

She sat back, which gave her sharp-minded friend room to see something she didn't see coming: Scootaloo slowly raising her hand after some quiet nudging from her club pals, her eyes filled with an old hurt that wouldn't go away easily.

Needless to say, Sci-Two was shocked at this revelation! She had no idea that poor Scootaloo was physically assaulted! Well, she wasn't going to let her wallow in the sadness she was expressing before her eyes! Not while she had a tactical Spike within reach, anyway. She gently released Rainbow Dash's hands from her grip, grabbed her trusty dog with both hands and, with care and help from her friends, had him positioned close enough to Scootaloo for her to get what she was going for. Scootaloo lowered her head to face Spike and, once she was close, he struck her sadness in the best way any dog could: The Attack of a Thousand Licks! His target started giggling on the sixth lick and allowed herself to laugh after the tenth one, which prompted Sci-Twi to happily declare with a little bit of her unique brand of mania in her ear-to-ear smile;

"Yes! Yes, my friend! Let happiness return to you! VIA DOGGY KISSES!"

Between Scootaloo's happiness and Sci-Twi's mad-twientist laughter, the other girls couldn't help but surrender themselves to the positive vibes that were filling Sugarcube Corner, their sorrows from earlier in the day having no sway over them for a good while. Once the laughter had settled down, everyone returned to their seats, with Spike choosing to go back to Rainbow's lap for a bit longer, and enjoyed the rest of the food. As the chowing down continued, Sci-Twi decided to move herself and her meal over to an empty spot at the CMCs table, for she wanted to let them know about something important that had come to mind during Spike's lick attack. The girls were more than happy to have her sit with them, especially after she had been so sweet with Scootaloo. With a breath, Sci-Twi explained to them gently;

"I can't help but mull over what Gilda had said about the three of you."

Their hands flinched for a brief moment before continuing to eat. She noticed this, but continued on regardless;

"Of particular note was that 'mistake' she had referred to."

They experienced a second, more pronounced hand flinch, which prompted her to add sweetly;

"I'll understand wholeheartedly if you don't want to talk about that. I remember the regret I felt over..."

She looked off to her right side in remorse, the cackling voice of a certain demon ringing in her mind as she continued;

"Over what I had done as Midnight Sparkle. I didn't want to open up about my problems concerning the topic. But..."

She looked back at each of the CMCs, who were now giving her their full attention, before explaining;

"I had closed myself off from my friends on the matter and doing so nearly cost me everything I cherish."

She adjusted her glasses to prepare herself;

"I don't want that for you three or anyone else. So, I'm telling you now that while I'll respect how you wish to handle your so-called 'single biggest mistake', eventually you will need to tell someone you trust about what had happened and how it's affecting you."

They all looked away from her, their eyes betraying the pain in their hearts. She gave each of them the sweetest smile she could deliver before declaring;

"I'll be more than happy to wait for you to tell that story. I won't even look it up myself before you do, because I know you'll tell it truly."

The CMCs looked back at her with eyes made wide by shock. The Rainbooms were surprised as well, with Sunset expressing a soft reaction while glaring at Sci-Twi;

"Woah."

Each of the CMCs looked right at their sisters, not with pleading expressions, but expectant ones, as if they were waiting for them to say something. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack had an idea on what was going on, so they gave their sisters affirming nods. Just then, right as the CMCs turned back to face Sci-Twi, Pinkie Pie's entire body shook profusely and uncontrollably from head to toe! Every girl sitting at that table knew precisely what that meant and, after connecting the dots, watched the young girls' table with great interest:

A Doozy was coming!

The CMCs stared daggers at Sci-Twi for a moment or two before Apple Bloom turned to face Sweetie Belle with a look of pure seriousness, who nodded in silent understanding. She then looked over at Scootaloo with the same expression, who responded in kind. The Rainbooms kept their collective gaze fixed on the four girls from their table. Even Pinkie was watching amidst her constant shaking. The youngest Apple returned her attention over to Sci-Twi and, with her seriousness still itched on her face, made a single declaration that held considerable weight to the other girls;

"Ah, Apple Bloom, foundin' member of the Canterlot Movie Club and proud blood relative of the Apple Family, hereby, on behalf of fellow club members Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, as well as myself, make this Pinkie Promise..."

The three dear friends sharply positioned their arms, preparing themselves to perform the motions that sealed such a promise, as Sweetie Belle continued for Apple Bloom;

"To tell you, Twilight Sparkle, Sci-Twi to your friends, the story of the terrible mistake that Gilda would hang over our heads and how it's affecting us."

Scootaloo stepped in to add to their solemn pledge for her two pals;

"We may not be able to tell it today, tomorrow, next week, or even next month. But, you can bet a whole stack of Daring Do books that we will tell it to you, because you deserve to hear it from us..."

She looked away for a moment before noting softly, almost to herself;

"Instead of from that jerk."

Seeing her cue, Apple Bloom looked over at the other girls, their mouths wide open in shock at what they were hearing, and told them as sweetly as she could, her dopey smile very much on point when it came to hiding the struggle within;

"We want ya'll to be there for us when we tell her, because we know ya'll can help us pull it off good and proper."

Recovering from their shock (with Pinkie still shaking wildly), the girls nodded their heads in agreement, with Sunset showing the trio the most pride of them all. She, better than most, knew how much this meant to the young ones. Satisfied and more than a little relieved, Apple Bloom returned her gaze to Sci-Twi, readjusted her arms to make them ready, and with a final nod to her friends, the three of them did the motions and made the promise in perfect unison;

"Cross our hearts and hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in our eyes!"

Sci-Twi was moved by all of this as they finished doing the motions. She had heard stories of the fabled Pinkie Promise from her friends as well as the terrifying consequences of breaking such an oath. In fact, she had even made such a promise herself once, one that she was proud to know she hadn't broken! So, she understood its importance enough to thank each of the CMCs and reaffirm her own pledge to not look up their story until after they told it. She looked over at the other girls, who were all beaming at the young ones, happy as can be over them making such a monumental promise. As for Pinkie Pie, her body had finally stopped shaking, meaning that the Doozy was over with. Which made her a very happy Pie, as she was hoping to experience that particular one for a long time! Of course, there was just one problem:

For the first time in a super-duper long time, Pinkie Pie finally found a Pinkie Promise that she was worried could be broken! Oh, she did NOT like that idea!

---

Fillydelphia Juvenile Detention Center: Around that same time!

The Wrecker did what she always did during this time of the day; sit in the cafeteria while eating her meal in silence, not wanting to bother or be bothered by her fellow prisoners. Such a habit, combined with her well-earned reputation, was enough to keep most of the prisoners at arms length, which helped her maintain her currently spotless behavioral record that afforded her the outlandish outfit she was rocking. If she wanted that clean slate, which she absolutely did, then she needed that record to stay spotless for the rest of her sentence.

Tick-tock.

The image of Sunset Shimmer's picture flared in her mind like embers shooting out from a fire pit: sudden and with fierce consequences. Her rage bubbled up for a moment before she stamped it back down with steady breathing. Her preferred choice of music blaring in her ears, courtesy of her music player and earphones, also helped to settle her mood. There was a time and a place for rage, she had learned from life. The situation she was in afforded her neither of those things.

Tick-tock.

As he rage gave way to calm, other memories rose to the surface, ones that she would prefer to never forget;

Fire. Burning down a home.

Screams of sorrow. From her own voice.

Relentless fury. Pain wrought by her hand.

Tears. Streaming down a sweet soul's face.

These memories, and many others, were fuel to her own fire. Some of them were painful to bare, and she was not ashamed of the tears she had shed over them. Still, they were fuel to a fire that drove her to live, to act, and to thrive. The same fire that, in time, would drive her to fight. So, she held them all close to her heart, refusing to lose sight of even a single detail.

Tick-Tock.

The clock in her mind kept her focused with each internal tick, reminding her that soon, her freedom would come, which would give her the chance to face down one last punk. She almost smiled at the thought of that. Almost.

Years of regrets make it hard for a girl to smile.

Juvenile #448: The Wrecker - 6 days until freedom.

Author's Note:

Fillies and gentlecolts: Gilda has entered the story! This chapter is more wordy than others, but I had to set the stage for certain... things.

Don't worry, we'll get to why she wasn't around in the canon series soon enough. I haven't forgotten about the history behind Sunset's housing situation either!

I don't know what's worse, the Griffon herself or that thing she's referencing...

Will the CMC's keep their Pinkie Promise? Who else will contribute to Operation: Sunhouse?

What will The Wrecker do when she gets out?! WHAT IS IN THE CHEST?!

So many questions... so much to write about!

I look forward to seeing your comments on how the story's developing!