> Memory Lost and Found
>  by BoredAuthor817
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I owe you one, Trixie!  I will never forget this.”

As she ran down the hall, she heard her new friend yell through the glass: “Never say 'never'!”

Sunset Shimmer grit her teeth, biting away the tears threatening to fall.  They stung her eyes.  Sundown was fast approaching and, if she had any hope to save her friends' memories, it was now.  She didn't know how, but, somehow, she had to get that stone away from Wallflower Blush and destroy it, or, convince her to do it.

Still, she sighed, even if she couldn't make everyone here remember the change she has made over the past year, she still had solace that the all that she helped build still remained.  Even is she had no part of them, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy will all be friends.

“No,” she grunted, “I will restore their memories.  They will remember me.”

'But, you can also always fail' came a voice from the back of her mind.

'If so, I've not lost everything.  With Trixie, I will start anew.  I also have the ponies in Equestria.  Princess Twilight, Starlight,' a smile came to her lips and warmed her heart, 'Princess Celestia.  I will not be alone as I once was before.'

Sunset pushed through the doors at the school's rear entrance, shielding her eyes as the setting sun blasted her in the face.  She scanned the lot.  “Come on” she grumbled, “where are you?”  She winced as she saw her friends hanging out around Applejack's pickup truck.  They looked like they were having so much fun without her.

'No,' she frowned, 'Wallflower first, them later.'  That's when she spotted her, a singular green form, walking across the parking lot to a small wooded area.  'So, that's where her garden is...' Sunset growled.  She made a mental note to search it later for more Equestrian lost artifacts.  'Actually,' she wondered, 'why just the garden?  The whole school grounds, for that matter!'

She took off running into to the parking lot.  Taking in a deep breath, she yelled as loud as she could.  “Wallflower?”

Upon hearing her name, Wallflower Blush turned around to face her pursuer.  She hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to stay or flee.  On one hand, she was shocked that anyone could call for her by name.  On the other, she also feared Sunset Shimmer.  Though no longer “mean”, Sunset still had her anger issues.

Wallflower had seen it flare twice now, though, both times, Sunset has been stopped and calmed by her friends.  Without someone to quell the beast, Wallflower didn't know what Sunset would do to her—and something told her Sunset's words back in the yearbook room were no idle threat.  However, she had some confidence knowing that Sunset wouldn't remember their little conversation from earlier.

With that fear in mind, Wallflower turned and picked up her pace towards her garden.

“Wallflower, stop!”  Sunset called out again.  This time, she sounded much closer.

Wallflower let out a sigh.  'No point in trying to outrun her.'  She turned to face Sunset.  “You remember my name?”  Genuine shock in her voice.

“I remember everything” replied Sunset, “The memory stone, how I acted.  All of it.”

“What?” Wallflower was taken aback.  “How?  I erased the whole afternoon!”  Shrinking back slightly when she realized she had yelled her confession.

Sunset's voice got softer.  “Listen, I used to be just like you.  Sure, I was popular, but I was lonely.”

Wallflower scowled.  “You're nothing like me.  And I'm not lonely because I have...plants!”  She paused, recounting what she just said.  Her shoulders fell.  “That sounded a lot less lonely in my head.”

“I'm sorry, Wallflower” Sunset continued.

“No, you're not” the girl spat, “You're just trying to look good in front of your friends.”  She growled, “And it's working!  Gah!  How am I supposed to get back at you if nothing I do matters?”  She took in a deep breath, “I hate you!”

She stopped.  That wasn't what she meant.  She never really hated Sunset Shimmer.  “Aggravated with” would be more appropriate.  After all, how could you really hate someone whose only crime was to ignore you?  If that were the case, then Wallflower hated the whole school, possibly even the whole world.

She heard a pained gasp come from Sunset.  A grin briefly passed her lips.  Finally, she had struck a nerve.  But Wallflower stopped herself from digging the knife further.

She took off her backpack from her shoulder.  “I wanted to teach you a lesson by erasing your friends' good memories of you, but, obviously, that didn't work.  But,” a smirk came to her lips, pulling the Memory Stone from her bag, “what if I erased all their memories of high school?”

“You can't!” Sunset cried in horror, “You'll be stealing their memories of each other!”

“They'll think of each other the way you think of me.  Which is not at all!”  She summoned the magic within the stone and sent it hurling towards the group of girls huddled around together, listening in on their conversation.

“No!” Sunset ran towards the girls and diving before them, taking the magic unto herself.  She landed onto the asphalt with an oomph!, her act not having gone unnoticed by the other girls.  Sunset raised herself to her elbows and looked sternly at Wallflower.  “I've ruined their friendship once before.  I'd rather give up my own memories than let it happen again!”

Sunset's face lit up with magic as the spell took hold.  Wallflower held the memory stone firmly as Sunset had each memory ripped from her.  She hardened herself to not react to the other girl's screams.

“Twilight,” Sunset pleaded, “don't forget me!”  She let out a tearful cry as the last memory left her.

At last, it was done.  All the memories of Sunset's friends, of high school, gone.  Years wiped away in an instant.  Wallflower stood in shock.  She had witnessed the removal of memories many times.  But never any at this magnitude.  She felt her heart thumping within her chest as she watched Sunset fall and lay still.  What had she done?

To her relief, Sunset stirred.  Wallflower watched her rise to her hands and knees.  She let out the breath she had been holding.  For a brief moment, she feared she may have killed the poor girl.  Though, her rejoicing was short lived when Sunset began to speak.

“This isn't Canterlot.”  She turned to the others gathered around, “Where am I?”

Wallflower noticed Sunset's hands.  The gestures she made.  Sunset moved like a pony.  Wallflower sucked in a deep breath, slightly disturbed by the scene before her.

She watched with fear as the frighted pony viewed her surroundings.

A cry rang out.  “Princess Celestia?”

Wallflower heard the panic in the “pony's” voice.  She turned away, suddenly sympathetic and ashamed of what the former bully had become.

“What's happened to me?”  Sunset asked, examining the ends of her forelegs.  She uncurled a hoof and gazed upon her open hand.  A new surge of fear erupted from her chest.  Tears welled in her eyes, “Somepony help me!”

Wallflower watched as the other girls gathered around Sunset Shimmer.  Each of them clearly disturbed and moved by what they had just seen.  As each laid a hand upon Sunset, a light ignited between them.  Wallflower shielded her eyes.  When the light faded, all of the girls, including Sunset Shimmer, were floating above her in their pony forms and dressed in brightly-colored outfits.  Wallflower took a step back.  She had known the girls to undergo change by magic before.  Generally, it meant that someone was going down.

“Wallflower,” Twilight Sparkle spoke, “you have magic you do not understand.  But, it is nothing compared to the magic of—”

“Yeah, yeah” Pinkie Pie cut her off, “We get it.  LIGHT HER UP, LADIES!”

Almost as if on cue, the geodes around the girls' necks glowed.  Multi-colored beams came together to form a single blast of white light sent hurling towards Wallflower.  With nothing else to shield herself it, Wallflower held up the Memory Stone.  The magical beam came in contact with the stone, heating it up before exploding it in her hands.  The shock wave hit her, throwing her backward onto the asphalt.

Wallflower, defeated, watched the memories within the stone be released and find their rightful owners.  She got to her knees, her breathing heavy.  It was over.  No more memory stealing.  She now had to return to a world from which she could not disappear.  In a way, she felt relieved; in another, terrified.  But, now there was something else she had how do live with.  Shame.  Even if no one could remember what, or when, she stole from them, she would still have to live with the fact she did it.

She turned away from the group and sat down.  She wanted to give them their privacy.  But, most importantly, she wanted to hide.  Behind her, she could hear the joyous cries of the girls as each reclaimed their memories.

“Sunset Shimmer!” yelled Twilight Sparkle, throwing her arms around Sunset's neck and pulling her into a deep hug.  She tried all she could to keep from crying.  The one person who taught her the most was also the one person she almost forgot forever.  Warmth filled her knowing she had her friend back once again.  However, that warmth quickly turned to ice when Sunset said:

“I-I'm sorry, do I know you?”

Twilight quickly pulled back and looked directly at Sunset.  Fear immediately filled her when she saw that her friend's eyes lacked the light they generally held.  “Sunset,” she bit back her tears, “it's us.  It's me, Twilight Sparkle.  Don't you remember me?”

“I'm sorry,” Sunset shook her head, “I don't know you.”

“How 'bout us, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack; the other girls stood around her. “Do ya know us?”

Sunset viewed the other girls, giving them the same empty expression she gave Twilight.  “I'm sorry.  Should I?”

“Yes!” cried Twilight, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.  She cupped her hands around Sunset's face.  “We're your friends!”

“You've said that before,” she said, removing Taillight's hands, “But I have no recollection of friends like you.”

“Oh, dear...” Fluttershy gasped, choking back her tears.

“Sunset, darling” Rarity spoke up, trying to hide her own fear “We've known you for years, though, only for the past year have we been friends.  Do you not recognize us at all?”

“No” Sunset shook her head before curling up into a ball, her hooves over her head.  “Please!” she wept, “I just want to go home!  Somepony help me get home!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack ran over to Wallflower.

“What did you do?” Applejack demanded, raising the other girl up by the front of her sweater.

“Fix Sunset's memories!  Now!” yelled Rainbow.

“I can't!” Wallflower squirmed in Applejack's grasp.  She let out a yelp when she no longer felt the ground beneath her feet.  “The stone did all the memory stealing.  I'm not even fully sure how it works!”

Applejack's glare darkened.  “You mean you had no idea jus' what you were doin'?” her grip tightened, “You jus' threw aroun' Equestrian magic as if it were a toy?”

“Easy there, AJ” Rainbow tried to calm her friend, flashbacks of the Friendship Games coming to mind, “You're starting to act like Sunset would.”

Applejack threw Wallflower to the ground.  “At least now I can understand her anger.”

Wallflower scrambled to her feet and reached for her bag.  “Look,” she said, pulling out a piece of paper, “this is all I have.  I found it with the stone.  Maybe it can help.”

“For your sake,” Rainbow growled, snatching the paper, “I hope it does.”
> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took some coaxing and time to calm down the frantic and scared Sunset Shimmer.  Which had to be done all over again when she discovered she had lost her magic, and her horn.  Thankfully, though, their ponied-up forms didn't last for very long and they were swiftly returned to normal teen-aged girls.

With some encouragement, the girls got Sunset to her feet and they made their way to the Sweet Shoppe.  If anything, a sip of her favorite drink might help soothe the pony.

The girls seated themselves at their usual table.  They spread themselves out as much as they could; careful not to crowd Sunset Shimmer, who was still getting used to the feel of her “new” body.  Still, she seemed to react positively to Twilight and hung onto her every chance she had.

“Here you go,” smiled Pinkie Pie, setting a hot drink before Sunset.  “This is your favorite.  You order it most every time you come here.”

Sunset Shimmer looked cautiously at the light brown concoction with whipped cream and a golden syrup of some kind.  Carefully, she examined the container before exploring its contents further.  She took a sniff at the liquid.  “What is it?” she asked.

“Dark roasted coffee with a dollop of cream, a dash of sugar (raw only) and a shot of espresso all topped with whipped cream, and a drizzle of caramel.”  Pinkie Pie smiled broadly with the widest eyes Sunset had ever seen.

“Well,” Sunset sighed, carefully dipping a spoon in to the drink, “here goes nothing.”  She placed the spoon in her mouth and allowed a moment for her tongue to register the flavors of the coffee.  Almost instantly, she began hacking.  She was handed a napkin with which she promptly wiped her mouth.  “I drink this?” she cried.

“Quite frequently” replied Rainbow Dash.

“W-why?”

“Coffee generally wakes you up” explained Twilight, “Many people drink it for the caffeine.”

“Well,” gagged Sunset, “if the caffeine doesn't wake you up, the taste certainly will.  Have they no tea?”

“Right!” Pinkie jumped, “Your favorite tea coming right up!”  She was stopped by Sunset before she could run off again.

“I don't know what you think my favorite tea is.  Just dandelion will be fine.”

Pinkie let out another smile.  “Right!”

Sunset scrunched her nose at the coffee one last time before moving the vile liquid away from her.  Placing her hooves on the table, she laid her head down.  She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“You okay?” a soft voice said.  Sunset had to take a moment to register just who was talking to her.  This was the one they called “Fluttershy”.

Sunset let out a muffled groan.  “I've got the most horrible headache.”

“I can imagine after what you've been through.” Twilight said.

“Please,” Sunset whimpered, “I just want to go home.”

“We're not sure if that's such a good idea right now,” said Applejack, “For one, we have no way of gettin' ya back to Equestria right now.  And, considerin' the state yer in, we'd rather you not make the trip alone.”

“You can stay at my place tonight” offered Twilight.

“No!” Sunset slammed her hooves on the table, causing everyone and everything to jump, “No offense, but I don't want to stay anywhere!  I want to go home, to my own room, to my own bed.”  She took in deep breaths, all she could to keep from crying again.

Fluttershy turned to Rarity and said in a hushed voice, “You suppose Princess Twilight could help?”

“Obviously,” Rarity replied in the same quiet tone, “but, without knowing where Sunset left her journal, there's no way of getting in contact with her.”

Fluttershy nodded.  “Sunset,” she said aloud, “you have a book you carry around with you.  You say you use it to talk to the princess.”

Sunset's ears instantly perked and a light flashed in her eyes.  “My journal!” she happily cried, “You know of my journal?”

“Quite well” replied Rarity, “You wouldn't happen to remember where you last left it, would you?”

Sunset's smile quickly faded as she shook her head.  “I always keep it in my saddlebag, which I most always wear.”  Her mood fell, “Except for now.”

“Well,” Fluttershy said, “we know what both your journal and bag look like.  We can certainly find it for you.”

A brightness briefly came to Sunset's face.

“All-righty!” sang Pinkie Pie, “One hot cup of dandelion tea here we go!”  She placed the mug before Sunset who gladly took it with both hands.  However, after one sip, she was spitting that out as well.

“Ugh!” she wiped her tongue, “Doesn't taste right.”  She pushed away a plate of carrot cake she had been nibbling on.  “Nothing tastes right.  Why does nothing taste right?”  She slumped in her seat and dove her hands into her jacket pockets.  Her fingers made contact with something and her curiosity surged.  Pulling it out, she found a piece of paper had been crumpled up and placed in her pocket.  Flattening it out, she saw it was a note of some kind.

“Who is Trixie?”

“The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!” said Rarity in a mocking tone, mimicking the stage performer with stunning accuracy, “She's the school's resident magician.  Not the best, by any means.  Really, a little too full of herself for her own good.  Why do you ask?”

“Apparently,” replied Sunset rereading her note, “I left her locked in the...” she squinted to read the word, “year book room.”

“What?” came a collective cry from the other around the table.

“Oh, the poor dear!” Fluttershy gasped, “She'll be there all night.”

Twilight rose from her seat.  “I'll go get her.  Maybe Sunset's book bag and journal are in there as well.”

“I'll go with you” Sunset rose from her seat, but was quickly set back down.

“I'm faster if I go alone.  Plus, better if one of us gets into trouble breaking into the school at this time than all of us.”

“Then I'll come, too” said Rainbow, “You're gonna need a lookout.”

Twilight held up her hands.  “I'll be fine by myself, thanks.”  She gave a gentle look to Sunset, “I'll be right back.”

“In the meantime,” Applejack leaned onto the table towards Sunset, “what else do you have in your pockets?”

Sunset shrugged and began fishing through her various pockets.  To everyone's surprise, quite a few items soon found their way onto the table.  Articles among the pile included: a faux leather wallet; keys; cellphone; a small folding knife; a USB drive; some candies; a flip notepad and golfer's pencil; a small packet of tissues; some loose coins; guitar picks; and a set of earbuds.

“Geez, Sunset,” Rainbow said, sorting through the lot, “how many pockets have ya got?”

“I dunno.”  She checked the last of her clothes.  “I think that's everything.”

“Well,” Rarity began, “take a look at this.  See if this jogs any memories.”

“I somewhat doubt it” Sunset sighed, taking the wallet from Rarity.  She opened it to view its contents.  Inside, she found some bills and punch cards to various eateries.  Most notably, she saw what appeared to be some sort of identification card.  A picture was on it; of who, Sunset was unsure.  Though, she imagined that's what she would look like as a version of...whatever these creatures were.

She returned the wallet to as it was and replaced it on the table.  “Nothing.”

“Okay,” continued Pinkie Pie, handing over the cellphone with the photo gallery open, “how about this?”

Sunset took the device and examined it, unsure what to make of this strange technology.  “What sort of magic is this?”

“It's no magic, silly” Pinkie giggled, “It's...Well, I'm not quite sure what it is, but I'm sure Twilight can explain it to you.”

“Just look at the pictures, darling” Rarity coaxed.

Sunset turned the device over to once again view the screen.  It took a little time, but she soon learned how to navigate between the images.  They were mostly of these new creatures she was now with, including the one that looked strangely like her.

“Well,” smiled Fluttershy, “anything?”

Sadly, Sunset laid the phone back on the table and shook her head.  She slid down in her seat, crossed her arms and let out a long sigh.  “Thanks, but I don't think any of this is working.  I don't remember you, or any of this.  I just want to go home.”

Fluttershy moved next to Sunset and pulled her into a gentle hug.  “We're working on that, sweetie.  You just need to be patient, but we'll be with you as long as you're here.”

“What are you looking at, Rainbow?” asked Rarity, noticing that the athlete had been rather studiously focused on a sheet of paper.

“It's the paper that Wallflower Bush gave me” replied Rainbow, “She said she found it with the Memory Stone.  I'm trying to read what it says, but can't make heads or tails of it.”

“Then how did Wallflower know how to use it?” asked Applejack.

Rainbow laid down the paper and pointed to various illustrations.  “These pictures give hints as to how to use the stone.  She must have figured it out that way.  What I'm curious about is what all this writing says.”

“May I?” Sunset said in similar excitement as when they inquired on her journal.

“You can read it?” Rainbow asked, sliding the paper over.

“Well,” Sunset let out the first smile the girls had seen all night.  She sat up, and for a moment, the old Sunset Shimmer seemed to reappear. “you are talking to Princess Celestia's own private student.  (Not that that really means anything to you.)  Point is:” she pointed to the script with a hoof, “This is Old Ponish, the ancient language of my people.  Don't ask me to pronounce it, but, yes, I can read it.”  She glanced at the text before reaching for her notepad and pencil.  After some frustration, she managed to move the pencil with her teeth to make notes.  After a short while, she spat out the pencil and let out a joyous laugh.  “Oh, ho, ho!  Clever!”

The other girls pounced.  “What?”

Sunset let out a smirk.  “It's a code.  See, on the surface, these are basic instructions.  But, these words are misspelled and these misspellings appear enough consistent enough to be deliberate.  In other instances, this was usually a hint towards this being a cypher.”  She rubbed her hooves together, “Oh, do I love a challenge!” and quickly set to working.  “Odd, though...” she lightly pondered, “This is certainly from Equestria.  What is it doing here?”

“Well,” Rainbow whispered to the others, “as long as she's happy.”

“How's it going?” asked Twilight as she approached the table with Sunset's book bag in hand.

Pinkie shrugged.  “Eh” and pointed to Sunset.

“See you found the journal” Rarity pointed to the bag on Twilight's shoulder.

Twilight nodded and placed the bag on the seat.  “I've already sent a message to the Princess.”

Sunset's head shot up.  “And?”

“She knows where we are and is coming to here to get you.”

Sunset wiped the tears from her eyes.  “Thanks!”

“Sunset Shimmer?” came a quivering voice.

Sunset looked up to see a blue girl with silver hair.  “Trixie?” she asked.

The magician's eyes lit up.  “You remember me?”  However, any hope she may have had was quickly lost when Sunset shook her head.

“Lucky guess,” replied the pony, “Twilight said she was going to retrieve somebody named Trixie.  Logic would assume you were her.”

Trixie's shoulder's slumped.  “Oh...Well, never fear” She straightened and raised a firm finger to the air, “The Grreat and Powerful Trrrixie never turns away from her Pretty Decent Assistant-Detective-Helper-Person.”

Sunset blinked.  “That's a mouthful.”

“It's a working title” Trixie shrugged.

Twilight was looking over at Sunset's scribbles.  “What are you working on?”

“Piece of paper Wallflower gave Rainbow” replied Pinkie, finishing off her drink.

“Sunset thinks its a cipher of some kind” continued Fluttershy.

The bookworm cocked her head.  “Any progress?”

“Some,” Sunset said, reading over her translation, “but it doesn't make any sense!  'Under the brown howl of the alligator moon'?  What in Celestia's name does it mean?”  She gave frustrated growl to the notepad.

“Hey, girls!” said a familiar voice.  Sunset looked up to see a purple girl walking up to their table.  She had a big smile on her face and the other girls seemed to be happy to see her.  Sunset watched the new girl intently.  Her brow furled.  “Twilight Sparkle?”

The new girl's smile broadened.  “Why, yes, Sunset Shimmer, that's correct.”

“But,” Sunset pointed to the first Twilight Sparkle she met who wore glasses, “you're Twilight Sparkle.”

“She is” said the new Twilight Sparkle.  “She lives in this world while I live in Equestria.”  A knot formed in her gut.  Having only read human Twilight's vague message, she had no idea what she may be in for.  She knelt next to her friend.  “Sunset, do you not remember me?”

Sunset only sadly shook her head.  “But, you say you're from Equestria.  Does that mean Princess Celestia is with you?”

“Princess Celestia was unable to make the trip.  She's waiting for you on the other side of the portal.  I'm to bring you to her.”

Sunset shuffled uncomfortably away.  “How do I know if I can trust you?  Who are you?  What's your title?”

“You can trust me” Princess Twilight said, cautiously.  She was becoming unsure what state the memory stone had left Sunset.  “My name is Twilight Sparkle.  I am an assistant to Princess Celestia.”

“No, you're not!” Sunset raised in her seat, “I know every assistant and everypony on the palace staff.  But, I don't know you.”  She pressed an accusatory hoof into the princess's chest.

“I'm new...?”  She gave a large, toothy grin.

Sunset frowned.

Princess Twilight signed.  “Sunset Shimmer, you can trust me.  You need to trust me.  We're in a mirror world of Equestria.  I know my way around here.  That's why Princess Celestia sent me through to get you.  She's waiting for you, Sunset.”  She reached out her hand.

Sunset looked to the other girls for guidance.  They seemed to be okay with this newcomer.  Perhaps, she could trust their judgment.  She grabbed her bag and dumped her things into it.  “Okay.”

It was a quiet walk back to Canterlot High.  Trixie was unable to join them since it was approaching dinner time and her parents always expected her home.  Still, she gave Sunset the biggest hug that was deserving of a “Pretty Decent Assistant-Detective-Helper-Person”.

As they walked, Sunset hung tightly to human Twilight.  “I wish you could come with me” she said, “I don't know why, but I feel better when I'm with you.”

Twilight bit her lip.  She wanted to tell Sunset everything.  How, even with her own memories gone, she still felt some sort of connection to Sunset.  Fearing she may only frighten Sunset further, she swallowed her words back down.

With Sunset safely with human Twilight, Princess Twilight took the opportunity to speak with the other girls.

“I don't know what to tell you” she said, rubbing her chin, “With the stone destroyed, her memories should have returned.”

“Might this have somethin' to do with Equestrian magic not always workin' the way it should in this world?” asked Applejack.

“It's quite possible.  However, even in Equestria, somepony inadvertently taking in that much magic doesn't always end well.”

Rainbow took a step in front of the princess, effectively stopping her path.  “What do you mean?”  Fear over-toned her voice.

Twilight's shoulders slouched.  “I mean, I don't know if, or how, the spell may have been corrupted.  From what you tell me, Sunset received a spell that would have erased memories of three to five years, six times.  Now, how exactly it manifested itself it Sunset remains to be seen.”

Rarity hesitated before she spoke.  “What are you trying to tell us?”

“What I'm trying to say is: I may not be able to fix this.”  She looked ahead with a brokenhearted sigh.  “And the Sunset Shimmer we have come to know, and love, is gone.”
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a solemn moment at the portal that led to Equestria.  Each of the girls looked at Sunset Shimmer as if this would be their last meeting.  Though Princess Twilight assured them it wouldn't be so, it was still hard for the girls to not believe they may have lost their friend forever.

With Sunset examining the portal, Princess Twilight pulled some of the girls aside.  With a consoling smile, she handed Sunset's journal to her human counterpart.  “I'll try to keep in touch every chance I get.  Any new developments, and you'll be the first to know.”

“Right,” nodded Rainbow, as human Twilight received the book, “and we'll look around here to see what we can find.”

“Maybe Wallflower can offer a few more clues as to what happened” offered Rarity.

Princess Twilight smiled.  “Sounds like a plan.”  She turned to Sunset Shimmer.  “You ready to go?”

Sunset glanced at the portal, then back at the princess and gave a weary nod.  “Uh-huh.”

Princess Twilight stood beside the portal and gestured for Sunset to follow, “Then, after you.”

Sunset gulped and took in a deep breath before taking a step into the rippling stone.  After a harrowing ride through a multi-color rainbow tunnel, she found herself in what appeared to be a library.  Not any library she had seen before, though, never having liked being in libraries in the first place, she hadn't visited all that many.  She quickly realized she was back in her pony form and was standing on her hind legs.  Falling onto her front legs, she let out a sigh.

She looked around for a moment, before she saw her: a large, white mare with an ethereal mane.  Her heart jumped into her throat.  “Princess Celestia!” she cried out and quickly galloped to her mentor's side.  She latched onto her teacher as tears escaped her eyes.  “It's was so horrible!” she wept, “There were strange, furless creatures that walked on two legs!  Drank horrible drinks... and... and no magic!”

Princess Celestia wrapped a gentle foreleg round her student.  “It's okay” she cooed, “You're home, and safe, now.”  She looked up when she heard the portal starting up again and a white light illuminated the room.  In a short time, Princess Twilight emerged from the mirror.

She gave a brief moment to acclimate to her pony body once more before addressing the student and teacher.  “Princess Celestia, if I may have a word with you.  In private?”

Celestia nodded and turned to Sunset.  “I'll be back in a little bit.  You just wait here, okay?”

Sunset sniffled and clung tighter to her teacher.  “Please,” she whimpered, “don't leave me again!”

“Sunset,” said Twilight, gently, “you must be hungry.  How about I have Spi—Starlight make you some dinner?”

A low growl rumbled through the room.  Sunset looked perplexed.  She thought for sure she had eaten lunch that day.  Still, the thought of food sounded comforting.  She wiped the tears from her eyes.  “Okay.”

---

With Sunset happily enjoying a small supper in the kitchen, Twilight and Celestia made their way to the Map Room.

Celestia frowned in thought as Twilight filled her in on the details regarding Sunset's condition.  “Without knowing to what extent the Memory Stone has affected her, it's hard to tell where to begin.”

Twilight nodded.  “As far as we know for sure, she has no memory of her time in that world.  That's at least a start.”

“Not a very good start, I'm afraid.  It means Sunset may have also reverted to the way she was at that time.” She let out a sigh, memories of her young pupil flowing to the surface, “Sunset may have been intolerable before she left, but, at times, she could also be down right insufferable.”

“How did you deal with that?”

“The same way I caused it.”

“What?”

“You remember when she remarked that I didn't used to have a sense of humor?”

Twilight shrunk back, remembering that conversation quite well.  “Yeah?”

“Well,” Celestia sighed, “contrary to popular belief, I've always had a sense of humor--it's just no pony ever got to see it.  After I lost Luna, I became distant, and closed.  And was so for many years.  Though I had many friends, I still held them at a distance.  I held on to the grief I felt from my sister and didn't want to get too close to any other pony for fear of feeling the same.  In many ways, I have you and Sunset to thank for showing me I was wrong.

“Sunset came to me under difficult circumstances.  She needed me as much as I needed her.  And, while I tried to be everything she needed, I still maintained some distance—an error I only realize too late.

“Sunset's response was to lash out.  She became unruly and rebellious.  Suddenly, everything became about proving herself better than anypony.  It didn't help that she had the talent and ability to do it.  In the end, I'm afraid I became the object of her obsession.

“Naturally, I became strict and stern with Sunset, which only drove us further away.  Surprisingly, she responded well to it.  Almost as if that's what she wanted.  Soon, that was all I could be with her.”  Her expression and ears fell, “I'm afraid some of that carried over when I started teaching you.”

Twilight felt her own body slump.  “I can see why you've never talked about her before.  Or, why Sunset shoots me down whenever I ask.”

“Sunset has never liked to discuss her past.  That was something I learned quickly when she became my pupil.  Even when I tried to have her seek counseling, she refused.”

“Well,” Twilight sighed, “this certainly makes things a lot harder.”

“Indeed.  But first, let's try to discern where Sunset is.  If we can pinpoint where in time she thinks she is, it might help in figuring out what the Memory Stone did.”

---

“So,” Sunset said, taking a bit of grilled eggplant, “you work here?”

“Work, study, pretty much little bit of everything” Starlight Glimmer responded, suppressing a nervous chuckle.  It seemed so odd to be dealing with Sunset in this manner.

“Well,” Sunset spat the morsel back onto the plate, “please tell me you're not the cook here.  It's a miracle half of Equestria isn't starving due to unpalatable food.”

“What?”  Starlight snarled.  She felt a surge of magic to her horn, ready to smite the impudent pony.  But, remembering these were abnormal circumstances, she quickly forced it back down.  “Well,” she smirked, “think you can do better?”

“Think I can?” Sunset turned up her nose, “I know I can.”  She got off her seat and marched past Starlight with an arrogant air to her strut.  “You are talking about Princess Celestia's own pupil, after all.  I'd mastered all the advanced spells of Nebulas of Queen's Pasture when I was a third-year.  Cooking?  Pfft!  Might as well be Intro to Spells 101.”

Starlight watched as Sunset placed a frying pan on the stove and proceeded to dice and season vegetables with a single flick of her horn.  Though, something about what Sunset just said didn't seem right to her.  She was aware of Nebulas of Queen's Pasture, and his work.  An evil grin crossed her face.  'Fine,' she thought, 'two can play at this game.'  She flipped her mane and nonchalantly approached Sunset.  “So,” she said, slyly, “Nebulas of Queen's Pasture, huh?  Mastered all his spells, huh?”

Sunset threw the vegetables into pan, the moisture in the vegetables sizzled in the heated olive oil.  She smiled proudly.  “Yep!  Performed every last single one of them.”  She was thrown off slightly when Starlight retorted with:

“That's impossible.”

“Oh, really?” Sunset snarled.

A snark smirk crossed Starlight's lips.  “Nebulas was a magic theoretician.  All of his spells were thought spells.  None of them were actually meant, or even possible, to perform.”

“Well, I did it!” yelled Sunset, “I even wrote a paper on it!”

“Where's that paper now?”

“In the school's library.  That's right,” she straightened up and puffed out her chest, “I've been published!”

“I don't believe you.”

Sunset huffed and returned to her pan.  “Princess Celestia had me publish under an assumed name” she said in a softer tone,  “Go look it up.  It's written under the name of Sundown Glisten, but it's all my work.”  She spooned the sauteed vegetables onto a plate and returned to the table.

Starlight watched the other unicorn with wonder.  Could is possibly be true?  “Why did she make you publish under a different name?”

“Princess Celestia didn't want it tie back to me for fear it would fan my ego.”  She took a bite of broccoli, “Ha!  Like that would ever happen!”  She pondered as she chewed.  “Surprised you haven't heard of it.  Most everypony has.  There have been a few seminars on it and it's now required reading for Advanced Magic Theory.” she took a second glance at Starlight, “Did you even graduate?”

Starlight lowered her head.  “I never went to Celestia's school.”

“Ha!” Sunset cried, pointing a yellow pepper-laden fork to Starlight.  “I knew it!  The moment I saw you, I knew I was dealing with an inept!”

“Wait, what?”  Starlight fought to control her magic.

“Only the smartest, most powerful unicorns can get into Princess Celestia's school.  No wonder you couldn't make the cut.”

Sunset's salvation came in the form of the kitchen door opening and the entrance of Princesses Celestia and Twilight.  Had they waited a second more, Starlight couldn't guarantee there would still be an amber pony sitting at the table.

“Now then, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia smiled, “I trust you've eaten your fill?”

“Mm-Hm!” Sunset smacked her lips and rubbed her belly, “Starlight is such a good cook.  I don't think I could eat any more!”

Starlight glowered.

“That's good” smiled Twilight, seemingly ignoring her student.

“Sunset,” Celestia continued, “we need to ask you a few questions so we can figure out what happened to you.”

Sunset's face fell.  “You mean now I somehow got magically teleported to another world?”

Celestia nodded.  “What's the last thing you remember?”

“Well,” Sunset jumped to the floor and paced thoughtfully, “I was in my room.  I had moved from my bed to the balcony so I would watch the sunset.”

“What were you doing in your room?” Twilight pressed.

“I was studying for... Oh, no!  I have my midterms they day after tomorrow!  And my paper for Elemental Magic is due in the morning!”  She quickly fell into a panic attack that even Twilight considered a bit excessive.  “...and I still have to dress the crickets!”

“It's okay, Sunset” Celestia said, putting a tender hoof on her student, “I'll have a talk with your teachers.  I'm sure they'll understand, given the extenuating circumstances.  Right now, let's see about getting you some rest.  I'm sure after all this, you must be tired.”

As if on cue, Sunset let out a gigantic lawn.  “I suppose I am.  But, where am I going to sleep?  I don't recognize this place.  Where are we?”

“We're in Ponyville.”

“Ponyville?” Sunset sneered, “You put a castle in that backwater town?”

“That's enough, Sunset” Celestia glared, “It's quiet and allows Twilight and Starlight to do their work in peace.  And, being that it's so late, we'll be spending the night in this 'backwater town'.  Now, come along, I'll show you to your room.”

Sunset scrunched her nose at Twilight.  “Have you no other staff for that?  This is so below Princess Celestia.”  She cowered slightly when she heard Celestia's voice:

“Come along, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset glared at her hosts before following after her teacher.

Starlight watched as Sunset exited the kitchen.  Her eyes turned downcast.  “I hate her.”

“Starlight!”  Twilight yelped, her wings flaring.

“Are you familiar with a paper written by Sundown Glisten?”

“Thought to Reality: The Works of Nebulas of Queen's Pasture?”  There was a little too much excitement in that voice.  “Yeah, I've read it.”

Starlight's eyes closed.  Her words pierced her and caused her heartache.  “I really hate her.”

---

“Well, she's asleep” Princess Celestia said, joining Twilight, Starlight and Spike in the library.  There was a fresh pot of tea on the table and she quickly helped herself to a cup.  “I've asked Luna to try to look into her dreams.  Perhaps she can discover more that will help us.”  She turned to Starlight and gave a sympathetic smile.  “I'm sorry for what happened in the kitchen.  I should have warned you.”

Starlight's ears fell.  “I suppose I should have expected it.  Sunset and I have talked about our pasts.  She told me she wasn't the best of ponies.”  She frowned slightly.  “Wait, how did you...?”

Celestia let out a light chuckle.  “I've seen that act of hers before.”  She let out a sigh.  “It's obvious we're dealing with a much younger Sunset Shimmer.”

“How much younger?” asked Twilight.

“That mid-term and paper she mentioned both took place about two years before I first showed her the mirror, which was about three moons before she left...”

“Crickets?” Starlight raised an eyebrow.

Princess Celestia let out a light chuckle.  “An independent study portion of the exam.  Students choose a topic they find interesting and do a presentation before the panel.  'Shimmering Crickets', as they were later called, were a group of five crickets Sunset had taught to tap dance.  They were dressed in highly-sequined jackets and had little top hats.”  She took a sip of her tea.  “Quite delightful.

“She followed it up later with synchronized dancing cats.”

“I think I've heard of that one” Spike remarked.

“Still,” Twilight sighed, “that's a lot of years to suddenly be missing.”

Celestia nodded.  “For the time being, I would prefer to leave her in the dark until we know exactly what happened and can provide her with a means to remedy it.

“In a way, we got lucky.  That exam happened about this time of year.  Hopefully, for now, she can accept losing only a few weeks.”

“I'm sure everything will be better once you two return to Canterlot” Starlight offered.

“I will not be bringing Sunset back to Canterlot.”

“What?” the other three cried in unison.

“Canterlot has changed too much since then.  This castle, and Ponyville, are unknown enough to her that she won't notice the time loss.  The main thing right now is to be gentle.”

Spike crossed his arms.  “I can't believe you're asking us to treat a grown mare like filly.”

“That's what she is right now—” replied Celestia, “a filly.  A confused, scared, arrogant, selfish filly.”  She hung her head, ashamed to think if her student that way again.  “I'm sorry, Twilight, but, I wouldn't leave her here I didn't think you could handle her.  I'll come as often as I can, and am needed, until we get this all sorted out.”

“But, where could we even start?” asked Spike.  Anticipating a study session for Twilight, he had begun picking through the stacks for books relating to memory magic.

“That paper that was buried with the Memory Stone is a good start.  If you can translate it, and find the hidden message, if any, it may be the key we need.”

Starlight examined the mystery parchment.  “You really think there's a hidden message in this?”

Celestia shrugged.  “Sunset has often had good instinct for these sorts of things.  If she thinks there is one, then it is certainly something worth looking into.”
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You're leaving me here?” Sunset Shimmer cried, “Why?”

“You need rest, and Canterlot is not the place for that.”

Sunset laid at her mentor's hooves.  She rolled into her side in submission. “Why are you punishing me?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Princess Celestia stomped her hoof, “you will remain here as long as I see fit, and that is final.”

“What about my studies?  You just said I've lost nine weeks!”

“We're making a slight shift in your studies.  We're going to focus on something different for now.”

That caught Sunset's attention.  She rolled onto her stomach, tail swishing in anticipation.  “Something different?  A different kind of magic?”

“Put simply, yes.  I'm entrusting you to Twilight Sparkle to teach you the Magic of Friendship.”

“Friendship?” Sunset gagged, “Who needs that?”

“You do.”

The unicorn let out a groan and went back to writhing on the crystalline floor in contempt.

“That's enough, Sunset” Celestia snapped, “Come on, stand up like a big filly.  Twilight is the Princess of Friendship—”

“What?” Sunset's nose scrunched, “Another one?  Where did she come from?”  She had thought something seemed off about Twilight.  But, given the more pressing situation, and the excitement, of the previous night, she had not paid much attention it.

Celestia ignored her student but continued: “...and this is the Castle of Friendship.  You're being left in good hooves.”

“But,” Sunset quivered, “you are coming back, right?”

Celestia's features softened.  “I'll return as often as I can.  I'll also have some of your things sent over to help you feel more at home.  Now, I must be going.”

Sunset grabbed her mentor, hugging her tightly.  “Don't be gone for too long, please.”

Celestia hugged her student back.  “I won't.  Now, run along.  You don't want to miss breakfast.”

Sunset pouted her whole walk to the castle kitchen.  “I can't believe I'm being stuck here indefinitely.”  She was abruptly stopped by a small, scaly body running into her.  “Hey!” she scolded, “watch where you're going!  What kind of idio—”  Her voice trailed off as she noticed what sort of creature was before her.  “You're a dragon” she said, simply.

The creature seemed to be quite proud of the fact.  “Indeed I am!” he said, extending a claw, “The name's Spike.  Pleasure to meet you, Sunset.”

“You know me?”

“Yep,” Spike replied, picking up the scrolls he had dropped, “Twilight and Starlight told me everything.  I'm glad to hear you'll be staying with us for a while.”

“A few days” Sunset replied, “Not long.”

Spike just smiled.  “At any rate, we're glad you're here.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a couple of things to take care of.”

Sunset frowned as she watched the little dragon run off.  “He seems way too nice.”  She made a mental note to inquire as to how a dragon came to live among ponies, and proceeded into the kitchen.  Looking around, she saw Princess Twilight seated alone at the table enjoying a book.  At her side, was a mug and a plate with the remnants of her meal.  Sunset made her way to the table and plopped onto a chair.

“Good morning, Sunset!” chimed Twilight, looking up from her reading, “You sleep well?”

Sunset let out a yawn.  “I suppose.  Had some really weird dreams, though.”

“Sounds interesting” Twilight smiled, resting her head on her hooves, “Care to talk about them?”

“No.  What's for breakfast?”

Twilight waved towards the far wall to exhibit a small spread of breakfast delectables.  “We've got some fruit and muffins.  There's oatmeal in the pot.”  She pointed to a small saucepan on the stove.  “Jam, milk, and juice are all in the fridge.”

“Really?” Sunset scoffed, “This is what you call breakfast?”

“It's rather inclusive” replied Starlight, entering the kitchen.  She bid good morning as moved to the breakfast buffet.

“Maybe for you” huffed Sunset, “You two are old, and, wherefore, hopeless, but my brain is still developing.  I need more than just a few pieces of fruit, and a slopping of creamed oats!  I need fuel, fatty acids.  You ever hear of eggs?”

'Ah!' Twilight smirked inwardly, taking a sip of her tea, 'Now, we reach the heart of the “problem”.'  She kept her face inexpressive and spoke simply to the filly.  “Everything here contains what you need.  However, if you want eggs, you're more than welcome to make them yourself.  They're in the fridge.  Applejack brought them fresh the farm this morning.  Same with the milk.”

“And the apples” added Starlight, taking a bite of a large, yellow apple.

Sunset growled.  “I guess I have to get my own plate.”

“That's how we do things around here” smiled Twilight.

Sunset grumbled something under her breath, but stepped down to the floor and began filling a plate with fruit.  She plopped the plate back onto the table and, begrudgingly, ate her breakfast.  “So,” she spoke at long last, “Princess Celestia says you're gonna be my teacher for a while.”

“That's correct” responded Twilight.

There was another moment of silence.

“So,” Sunset teetered, “where do we start?”

Twilight held up a hoof.  “First, you finish your breakfast.  Then, we lay down some ground rules.”

Sunset took one last mouthful of food before pushing her still half-full plate away.  “Done!”

“Rule number one:” began Twilight, “Everypony is responsible for her own mess.”  She pointed to the discarded plate, “Scrape off that plate, and put it in the sink.”

Sunset let out a snort, but did as she was told.  “What next?” she asked, returning to the table.

“Rule number two:” the princess continued, “Everypony has chores which will be carried out daily.”  She levitated a scroll to Sunset.  “You will be responsible for these being done every day.  Spike, my assistant, will supervise.  If you need anything, seek him out.  I trust you two have met?”

"Yeah, we ran into each other."  Sunset unrolled the paper in her aura and began reading down the list.  “Wash the dishes... Take out the trash... Sweep and mop the foyer...” she winced at the next one, “Scrub the bathrooms?”  Crumpling up the list, she threw it at Twilight.  “Now I know you're messing with me!  I'm here to learn magic.  What does any of this have to do with magic?”

Twilight caught the paper in her own aura, and threw it back, hitting Sunset.  It bounced off the unicorn's head and fell onto the floor.

“Bathroom cleanliness is no small matter.”

“What about my lessons?”

“These are part of your lessons.”

“What about the other part?”

“I'll get to that.  Rule number three:—”

“No!” Sunset stood up in her seat, “No more rules!  Princess Celestia left me here so I could study friendship magic.  The sooner I master it, the sooner I can return to Canterlot.  So, just teach me so I can go home!”

Twilight's ear twitched and she closed the book with a boom.  “Fine,” she said, coolly, “you want to be that way?  Your lessons are done for the day.  Go to your room.  I'll see you at dinner.”

Sunset almost fell off her seat.  She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words to fill it.  Silently, she jumped to the floor, and walked from the kitchen.

Twilight let out a sigh as the door closed.

“Well,” Starlight took a sip of orange juice, “that went well.”

“You think I was too harsh?”

“I dunno” she shrugged.  “Maybe?  Sunset clearly needs discipline.  And you seem pretty capable of giving it.”

“Believe me,” Twilight let out an exasperated laugh, “I get enough practice with Flurry Heart.  But, adolescents are much different from foals.”  She let out a groan and laid her head upon the table.  “I just hope the girls in the other world are having a better start than us.”
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I hope Sunset is doing alright” Fluttershy sighed, setting her lunch tray on the table.

“I'm sure she's fine” Rainbow tried to sound reassuring “She's in good hands... er... hooves.”

“I hope so” Twilight pulled out the journal and flipped through the pages.  “I sent a message to the princess requesting an update.  Still waiting for her to reply.”

“I'm sure she's very busy, darling” smiled Rarity, “Even without emergencies, the princess does have a lot on her plate.”

Twilight sighed and put the journal away.

“I'm sure she'll write when she can” smiled Applejack, “In the meantime, we've got some work of our own to do.”

“Quite right” agreed Trixie, plopping down next to Applejack.  “Question is: Where do we start?”

“Um, no offense, Trixie,” said Rainbow, “but who invited you?”

“The Great and Powerful Trrixie needs no invitation!”

“Lucky us” Applejack deadpanned.

“So,” Trixie pulled out her notebook “to recap: One amnesia patient, six friends (and former amnesia patients), and one hardened detective.  The keen and deductive Trrrixie is on the case!

“Little did I know what I was getting myself into when I first got involved in this case.  To solve the theft of memories seemed simple enough—at first.  But, now, my client had become the victim.”

“Not so fast!”  Everyone turned to see Rarity dressed into a trench coat and fedora.  “Noir is my gig, sister, and I will not have you tramping in my town.”

“Is that so, sister?” Trixie sneered, crossing her arms across her chest, “And how, exactly, do you plan to stop me?”

“Elementary, my dear Trixie” replied Pinkie Pie, blowing on a bubble pipe, “You just choose a different mystery subgenre.”  She pulled out her deerstalker and placed it firmly on her head.  “Now then, ladies,” she chewed on the pipe's mouthpiece, “the game is afoot.  I don't know the rules, but I suspect it has something to do with running around without shoes.”

Fluttershy let out a squeal of glee.  “That sounds like fun!”

“It would to you” groaned Rainbow Dash, crossing her arms, “I happen to know just how much you and Tree Hugger love nature walks.”

Applejack covered her eyes with her hat.  “I'mma gonna try not to imagine that image.”

“Can we please stay on topic?” yelled Twilight, “Sunset is counting on us, or, at least she would—if she knew what was going on—to sort this out.  And we currently have no idea what we're dealing with!”

“Oh, country-air, moon cherry,” smiled Trixie.

Rarity's ears bled.  “Please don't speak French—ever.”

Trixie cast a glare at Rarity before continuing: “We know exactly what we're dealing with.  Behold!” she held up up a piece of paper, “The Mystery Stone!”  She slapped it down on the table for all to see.

“Isn't that the drawing Sunset showed us at the beach?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes.”

“Hmm...” Pinkie held up a magnifying glass to the sketch.  “Very interesting.  But, we need an expert.  My sister, Maud—”

“We already talked to your sister” Trixie said, quickly pulling the paper away, “She really didn't give us anything.”

“Besides,” added Rainbow, “that rock is gravel now.  We can't study it, even if we wanted to.”

“Oh, ye of little faith.”

“Please get to the point, Trixie” sighed a slightly annoyed Twilight.

“We don't need the rock.  We've got us!”

Applejack cocked an eyebrow.  “Come again?”

“We all had our memories altered by the stone.  Surely, we must have gained something from that experience that might help us.”

“Okay,” said Rainbow, a bit taken aback, “that has to the the smartest thing I have ever heard you say.”

“Oh, I don't know if I can remember anything” Fluttershy murmured.

“It's true,” added Rarity, “the whole thing does seem a bit foggy.”

Trixie's shoulders fell.

Twilight, though, was thoughtful.  “Maybe, that's a symptom!”  She dug through her backpack and threw loose leaf papers and pens to everyone.  “Quick, write down every thing you can remember of the weekend and yesterday, up to the moment we got our memories back.  Even if it doesn't seem right, write it down!”

“Twilight,” started Applejack “wha—”

“Just do it!”

After several quiet minutes, the girls had compiled several pages of notes.  Handing her small stack back to Twilight, Rarity asked, “Mind explaining to us your little exercise?”

“Trixie said it herself: memory is a fickle thing.  It can be influenced and warped both consciously, and subconsciously.  Whole studies are made on false memories where test subjects can remember, with vivid detail, something which never happened.”

“Get to the point!” the others cried in unison.

“What I'm getting at,” Twilight pushed up her glasses, “is that our memories of the past few days may be being altered--even as we speak.”

Fluttershy cowered.  “By who?”

“Or by what?” Rainbow growled.

“By our own brains!” Twilight replied.  “We've had memories taken and then replaced with quite a span of time in between.  This 'fogginess' we're experiencing may our brains' attempt to reconcile our time with our memories, with our time without our memories.”

“But, in what way?” asked Applejack.

“That, we need to figure out.  However, chances are, we may soon not be able remember the weekend as it actually happened.”

Silence fell over the lunch table.  “Well,” Pinkie blew the bubble pipe, deep in thought, “interesting theory.  But, how could it help Sunset?”

---

With the school day drawn to a close, the girls reconvened at the statue base which housed the portal to Equestria.  Twilight looked over Sunset's journal with a sigh.  Still no reply from the princess, and she was beginning to feel worried.

“Okay,” Pinkie began, blowing bubbles out her pipe, “first's thing's first is to narrow down our list of suspects.”

“There are no suspects” replied Rarity, “Sunset's memories are lost, not stolen.”

“Indeed,” agreed Trixie, “But, they had to go somewhere when the Memory Stone was destroyed.  So, they're more... misplaced.”

“Then, let's start there” said Applejack, “The best way to find somethin' you've misplaced is to retrace yer steps.  Fer us to do that, we need to start with the one other person who was there when they were misplaced.”

“Who?” asked Trixie.

Rainbow clenched her fist.  “Wallflower Blush. "

“Again, who?”

“Was Wallflower even in school today?” asked Fluttershy.

Shrugs and “I dunno”'s bounced around the circle.

“She ain't in any of my classes” recalled Applejack, “Least that I know of.”

“I think she's in my history class” said Rarity, “But, I don't remember seeing her today.  Of course, the room is always kept rather dark.”

“I don't think I have any classes with her, either” added Twilight, “But, I was making special effort to try to see her in the halls.  Couldn't find her.”

“Maybe she's hiding out in the yearbook room” Pinkie offered.

Trixie shook her head.  “Not a chance.  Twilight and I locked the door last night when we left.”

“Right,” Rarity nodded, “and only Sunset was given a key by Vice-Principal Luna.”

“But, you two were locked in the room” said Rainbow, pointing to Trixie “How could you have trouble getting out if Sunset had the key?”

Trixie shrugged.  “Maybe she forgot?”

“It wasn't with Sunset last night, either” Applejack said, thoughtfully.  “She emptied out all her pockets.”

“Then, it was in her book bag.”

“I think not” replied Rarity, “Sunset is a bit of a creature of habit.  That key, she always kept, in a pocket, on her person.”

“Okay, so she lost it somewhere.”

“Or,” finished Pinkie, “somebody took it.”  She blew some more bubbles before letting out a frustrated cry.  “Gah!  So many leads, none of them going anywhere!”  She pulled out a lollipop to pacify herself, offering another to Trixie, who seemed to be sharing the same sentiment.

“Either way,” said Twilight, “we should try to track down Wallflower.”

“Well,” Fluttershy pointed to the school's entrance, “there are Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna.  Maybe they can tell us whether or not Wallflower was in class.”

“Worth a shot” smiled Rainbow before running off, calling out to the administrative heads at the top of her lungs.  Applejack was hot on her heels.

“Good evening, girls” the principal smiled as the girls approached, “You're here rather late.”  She placed a hand on her hip, “I hope we're not the midst of another magical dilemma.”

“Wha-at?” Rainbow gave a less than convincing smile, “You think that's all that happens around here?”

“I'd rather it not” Celestia frowned, “At all.”

“Everythin's fine” Applejack stammered, “Really.  We're just tryin' to find a friend of ours.”

“And who might this friend be?” asked Vice-Principal Luna.

“Wallflower Blush” Rainbow replied.

“Who?” the sisters asked in unison.

Applejack winced, trying to form a mental picture she could describe.  “Small girl... upperclassman... rather nondescript... green.”

“Usually wears a sweater and jeans” continued Rainbow, “Very shy.”

“We just want to know if she was in school today.”

Luna pulled out her tablet and began swiping through the screens.  “We've been having a few students out lately due to a cold going around.  Let me pull up the roster...  Ah!  Here we go.  Nope, sorry girls, her grandfather called her in sick this morning.”

“He didn't say what kind of sick,” inquired Rainbow, “did he?”

“Sick is sick” Luna replied, scrolling back up on her tablet, “We generally don't ask about specifics.  Hmm, now that you mention it, Sunset Shimmer didn't show up for classes either.”

“You girls know anything about that?” asked Celestia, a hint of concern in her voice.

The girls shook their heads.

“We had better go check on her” Rainbow smiled.

“You do that.  And, please remind her call the office next time she's going to be out.  Now then, girls,” the elder sister raised an eyebrow, “I hope that answers all your questions.”  

“Yep!” Applejack smiled, “That's everythin'!”

“Good.  Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a lot to prepare for tomorrow.  We'll see you in the morning.”

“Good night!” the girls waved as the sisters walked off.

Rainbow grinned.  “They're totally gonna to get sloshed.”  It quickly faded as her eyes met with Applejack's disapproving frown.  “What?  How else do you survive running a high school?”

“Well, no luck” Applejack said, rejoining the other girls, “Wallflower was out sick.  You girls come up with anythin' else?”

A “nope” groaned throughout the group.

“Tell you what:” Twilight offered, “We all seem pretty tired and worn out.  How about we all go home, and have a good night's rest, and see what we can come up with in the morning?”

“Ooh!  Perfect idea!” cried Pinkie Pie, “Slumber party at my house!”

“No offense, Pinkie” Rarity sighed, “But, I'm not really in the mood for a party right now.”

“Me neither” Fluttershy hung her head, “It just doesn't seem right without Sunset.”

“Oh...” Pinkie suddenly slumped.

“It's okay, Pinks” Rainbow wrapped an arm around her friend, “We'll do that slumber party later.  Just not tonight.  Gives you a little more time to plan.”

That seemed to lighten Pinkie's spirits.  “Oh!  Then I could make it the most stupendous, super-dupperiest partyspacular ever!”

Trixie was quick to point out that those weren't real words.

“That's the ticket!” smiled Applejack, patting Pinkie on the back.  “Well, I'd better get goin'.  Twilight, be sure to text us the moment ya hear anythin' from the princess.”

Twilight nodded.  “You now I will.”  She paused as a small playing card glided before her.  She turned to see Trixie.

“My card” smiled the amateur magician.

Twilight adjusted her glasses to better focus.  “It's the second of clubs.”

“Really?” Trixie smirked, “Look again.”

Twilight did look and, this time, the card was different.  On the back of the card was an extravagant miniature poster advertising a show Trixie had done a few months back.  On the face, was her contact info.

“Just in case you want to keep me in the loop” she said, sheepishly.

Twilight took the card with a smile.  “I will.  Thanks.”
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset laid curled-up on her bed, her tummy giving her grief.  She knew she should have eaten more than just a few bites of fruit.  Maybe, even taken some of that oatmeal.

She growled as her stomach grumbled.  Looking at the clock, she saw that she still had a few hours before lunch.  She groaned and turned onto her side.  This place was the worst.  This castle was the worst.  The princess, her student, her assistant; they were all the worst!

She bit back her tears with a deep-throated rumble.  “What did I ever do to you for you to leave me here?”  She grit her teeth with a hiss.  “'Friendship Studies', my rump!  Slave labor is more like it!  Whoever heard of doing menial chores to learn magic?  You used to send me across Equestria to fulfill mythical quests!  I've been tried by the tests of the mystics!  Hardened by the fires of—”

Grrrooowwwl

Sunset hugged her tummy again and groaned.  The pain was maddening.  A meager breakfast; barely a dinner the night before.  She could have sworn she had eaten lunch the day before, but her stomach seemed to say otherwise.

“Come on, Sunset,” she moaned, “You're better than this.  Just go downstairs, and get some food."

'Won't be that easy.' she told herself, 'Princess Twilight doesn't seem the fool type.  You can't just walk into the kitchen without her suspecting something.'

Her stomach called again.

'Well, we can't have starving either.'

Sunset paused for a moment, weighing her options.  'Well,' she smiled, 'the dishes still need to be done, and they're in the kitchen.  Nothing says I can't eat while I work.  In-taking energy at the same rate it is being expelled?  A very efficient system, if I do say so myself.'

She hopped off her bed and trotted downstairs to the castle kitchen.  She swung open the door to the kitchen and was about to pass through the jamb when something pushed her back.  She stumbled for a moment before shaking off the feeling.  A second attempt and, again, she was sent back.

“What the...?”  She tested her hoof against the opening.  There was definitely something.  Taking a few steps back, she took a running start towards the door.  This time, she bounced and went flying backwards, landing on her tail.

“Fine,” she grunted, “you want to be that way?”  She pawed the floor with her hoof and let out a snort.  Summoning her magic, she blasted a beam towards the doorway.  Much to her surprise, the beam came back at her, struck her squarely in the chest, and sent her tumbling further down the hall.

She laid there for a moment, recovering from having the wind knocked out of her.  Regaining herself, she jumped to her feet with a snarl.  Her head lowered and ears folded back; her tail flicked in agitation.  She set her eyes on the doorway and prepared another volley of magic to combat it.

“I wouldn't do that” a voice came from behind her, “The field returns as much force as you exert upon it.”

“Huh?”  Sunset quickly uncharged her horn and turned to see Starlight Glimmer standing in the hallway.  “How long have you been there?” she glowered.

“Long enough to see that your next attack would get you seriously hurt.”

“Well, thank-you” Sunset grumbled, “But I'm perfectly capable of defending myself against magic attacks, thank-you very much.”

“Yes,” Starlight smirked, “you seemed to have done so well at avoiding that last one.”

“I was caught off-guard!”

“And, yet, that's when it counts the most.”

“Whatever,”  Sunset stood up straight and assumed a dominative stance.  She flipped her mane, “I'm not here to study the fighting arts.  I'm here to learn about Friendship, remember?  Anyway, what kind of friendship castle denies its friends food?”

“Hungry?” Starlight raised an eyebrow.

“What?  No!”  She tried to suppress the sounds of her stomach.  “Okay,” she admitted, “maybe just a little.”

“Well, you're just gonna have to wait” said Starlight, simply, “No food for you 'till lunch.  Princess Twilight's orders.”

“What about my chores?” Sunset cried, hoping logic would win over the conversation.  “How does the princess expect me to do my chores, if I can't get into the room to do them!”

“Your chores are more than just washing the dishes.  Besides, there's only the four of us.  Not that many dishes.  You can do them all tonight after dinner.”

Sunset's stomach growled once again.  “Starlight Glimmer, please!” she pleaded, “Just a little something to tide me over?”

Starlight's ear turned with irritation.  “Now, that wouldn't really teach you anything, would it?”

“N-no...”

“At last, we reach an understanding.  There are still a little over three hours hours before lunch time.  Why don't you go see to your other chores?  They'll help take your mind off food.  I'll call you for lunch.”  She turned to return to her other duties.

Sunset let out a sigh.  “Okay...”  Her ears perked back up.  “Where's Princess Twilight, anyway?”

“She and Spike went to Canterlot for the day” Starlight called back, “They'll be back in time for dinner.”

“Great,” Sunset grumbled, “everyone gets to go to Canterlot except for me.”

---

“I don't believe it!”  Twilight cried, slamming shut another book, “This can't just be it!”

Spike looked around at the other shelves in the Canterlot Library of Magic's restricted section.  “Sorry, Twilight,” he said, “we've gone through everything.”

“We couldn't have!  This place is huge!”

“It's not that big.”

Princess Twilight let out a groan and banged her head on the table.  It seemed to have worked last time, maybe it will again.  She waited, listening for the sound of something falling, possibly breaking.

Nothing.

She released another groan.

“Cheer up, Twilight,” Spike smiled, placing a gentle claw on Twilight's shoulder,  “at least we organized the place.  Everything neatly arranged by subject, era, auth—”

“It's no use, Spike” Twilight said, sadly, “Nothing in this library is of any use if I can't use it to help give Sunset Shimmer her memories back.”  She rested her head on the stack of books before her.  “It's hopeless.”

“Hey!” the little drake cried, “Nothing is hopeless.  You've proven that time and time again!”

“Spike, I'm dealing with something far beyond my knowledge!”

He gave a shrug.  “Never stopped you before.”

Twilight let out a sigh.

“Look,” Spike's shoulders fell, “if it were reversed.  If you were the one who lost your memories, do you think Sunset would have given up on you?”

Twilight gave her assistant and half-glance.

Spike read the silent speech and continued “Of course not!  She's already done it for six friends—maybe more, we're not sure quite how many Wallflower affected—what's to stop her from doing it for the one?”

“Your number one assistant has a point.”

Twilight's ears perked as Princess Celestia entered the small library.  She raised her head to see her mentor and her sister by her side.

“Sunset Shimmer risked everything to see that what was stolen was restored.  Even, sacrificing her own memories to keep the damage from spreading further.  We owe it to her now to help her regain what she has lost.”

Twilight's ears flopped.  She turned back to her books, suddenly feeling her yoke triple in weight.  She felt somepony move behind her, but she couldn't fine the strength to move.  “I know it's hard,” she felt a gentle nuzzle, “but I have faith in you.”  Twilight craned her head slightly to see Celestia smiling down at her.  That look, alone, gave her the new courage and strength she needed.  She took in a deep breath and moved to face the Night Princess.

“Did you gather anything from her dreams?”

Princess Luna shook her head.  “Nothing discernible.  I'm afraid her subconscious is a jumbled mess.”

“Hmm...” Twilight rubbed her chin, “She did mention something this morning about having weird dreams.”

“Indeed.  I believe it's her mind adjusting to the sudden lack of memories.”

“I'm sure it's having a heck of a time making sense of all this.”

“Have you gotten anything more from the paper that was buried with the stone?” Celestia asked.

Twilight pulled out the ancient scroll.  “Not much.  I've translated it.  They're just basic instructions.  Point, take memory, repeat.”

“You believe there is a hidden message to the scroll?” asked Luna.

“There certainly is something.  What, I can't tell.  One thing for sure: this pony did not know how to spell.”  She turned to her mentor, “I'd like to bring Sunburst and Moondancer in on this, if you'll let me.  Both of them are fluent in Old Ponish and enjoy a good puzzle.”

“Three heads are better than just one” Celestia nodded, “But, be sure to tell them that this is a most secret project.  The Memory Stone has been buried away from the Equestrian conscious for over a thousand years.  I would prefer to keep it that way.”

The younger sister nodded in agreement.  “Some things like that are better left forgotten.”

---

Starlight released an exasperated sigh.  “Sunset!” she called out.

“Yeah?” a voice came from down the hall.

Starlight turned to view the younger unicorn.  “What is this?”  She pointed into an open room.

“Uhm...” Sunset pretended to think, “A clean bathroom?”  Though, it was quickly evident that that was the wrong answer.

“You call this clean?”

“Cleaner?”

“Sunset,” Starlight buffed the underside of the sink with a rag, “there is still soap film everywhere!  Did you even wipe anything down?”

“Look!” Sunset snapped, “It's not my fault a cleaning spell won't work on this place!  I had to go in, and scrub everything by hoof!”

Starlight fought the instinct to match her voice to Sunset's.  “That's the whole point.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sunset yelled, “What's the point of me being here to learn about magic, if I can't use magic?”

“Your chores are not about the use of magic, or spells.  They're meant to build character.  To occupy your body while your mind is free to think and contemplate.”

“Yeah,” Sunset grumbled beneath her breath, “to think and contemplate about how much this sucks.”

Starlight's ear made an irritated turn.  “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.”

“Well, you should!” Sunset retorted, “Because this blows to high Tartarus!”

“That's enough!” Starlight's voice was low and even, but still exerted force.  It startled Sunset.  Starlight made a quick count to ten, and let out a slow breath.  “Now,” she said, in a softer tone, “I'll get you more cleaning supplies, and you'll get this bathroom cleaned right.”

“No spells?”

Starlight shook her head.  “No spells.  Not quite how things are done around here.”

“Well,” Sunset sneered, “I'm sorry we all can't lower ourselves to your level.  Must be hard, being under the roof with two more powerful beings.  Even the baby dragon seems to have more prowess than you.”

Starlight fought to maintain her composure as she materialized the cleaning supplies.  “Just clean the bathroom.”

Sunset let out a low growl as Starlight walked off.  “Whatever, peon.  I'll show you how a true student of a princess does magic.  A cleaning spell may not work on the room, but, an animate spell will work on these brushes.”  She let out a slight chuckle in her own brilliance.  “Once I assign them a task, I can sit back and let them do all the dirty work.  Ah, this is nothing compared to crickets.”

She took a moment to focus.  Channeling a portion of one's own magic into inanimate objects was not only a bit tricky, but could also prove a bit taxing on the user.  Sunset readied herself and slowly began the transfer.  Soon, the cleaning brushes and rags went from laying upon the floor to standing on end at full attention.

“Well,” Sunset smirked, “that's a promising start.  Now, to give orders.”  She reached deeper into her mana reserves, summoning it to the surface.  A fire burned in her chest, and a smile crossed her lips.  She loved this part.  She felt the heat flow through her whole body.  She breathed deeply.  This is what it felt like to be alive!

“NOW LISTEN, YOU TOILERS OF GRIME!” her voice boomed, “HEED MY VOICE: GO, AND DO MY BIDDING!”  The ritual complete, Sunset released the items from her magical grasp and stumbled back slightly.  The use of such magic had exhausted her slightly, but she'd experienced much worse.

Yet, her sense of accomplishment was soon dashed as she heard the sound of wood clacking on the polished floor.  She looked over to see the brushes and rags lying in a heap.  With a frown, she went into investigate.  Kneeling down, she poked and prodded the pile with her hoof.  “W-what the?”  

A small cloud of magic smoke suddenly appeared and, from it, dropped a scroll.  Angered and intrigued, Sunset took the paper in her magic and opened it.  Inside, was a single line: That's not going to work either.

A roar reverberated through the castle.  “OH, COME-ON!”

---

Sunset grumbled as she walked away from the bathroom.  Two hours she spent on it.  It had better be clean.

Starlight peered in and gave the room a thorough inspection.  “Very good” she smiled approvingly, “Now just four more to go.”

Sunset muttered something under her breath.

“Oh, come now,” the other tried to lighten the mood, “It wasn't that bad, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Look, why don't you take a break.  Lunch is set up in the kitchen.  You'll feel better once you get some food in you.”

“I hope it's not your cooking.”

Starlight let out an exhausted sigh as she watched Sunset go downstairs.  “This is going to be a long day.”

---

Thankfully, for both parties involved, the afternoon progressed faster than the morning.  Sunset had resigned herself to her chores--if for only it meant something for her to do and maximized her opportunities to antagonize Starlight.

Just when Starlight felt she was in the verge of destruction, the kinds not seen since the time she bottled up her emotions, a sound came that was music to her ears.

“Starlight!  Sunset!  We're home!”  Twilight's voice echoed throughout the castle halls.

“Not a moment too soon” smiled Spike, taking a whiff of the aroma coming from the kitchen.  “Dinner's almost ready!”

“Well, at least someone likes my cooking” Starlight's ears flicked.

“Oh, please,” Sunset glared “He's a dragon!  His kind eats freaking rocks!  You could cook it till it's a fossil and he would still eat it.”

“Not true” Spike retorted.

“Anyway,” Starlight continued, “dinner will be ready in half an hour and somepony” she turned to Sunset, “still has some chores to do.”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a huff and set back to lugging a large garbage bag to the back of the castle for the garbagepony.

“So,” Twilight smiled hesitantly, “how did it go?”

“Remind me never to have foals.”

“That bad?”

“Let's just say, she needs work.  Honestly, though?  This whole situation is just plain weird.  Why don't we just tell Sunset the truth?"

Twilight sighed.  "Believe me, Starlight, I'd love to.  But, Princess Celestia--"

"What about Princess Celestia?" Starlight suppressed a shout, "This is our friend we're talking about!"

"This is not Sunset Shimmer!"

Both Starlight and Spike were taken aback.

Starlight's eyes narrowed.  "You can't honestly believe that!"

Twilight's ears dropped.  "I don't know.  All I do know is Sunset is not the Sunset we know.  And, right now, Celestia is the only pony who knows Sunset best.  Until I have reason to do so otherwise, I will trust her judgement in this matter."  She let out a sigh.  "And, I hope, you can do the same."

Spike crossed his arms in silent protest while Starlight released a growl.  "Alright, I'll do it.  But, I won't like it."  She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself.  "So, you two come up with anything?”

Twilight shook her head.  “We've searched the whole library.  What Sunset and I found the other day appears to be it.”

“There were some other references to the Memory Stone is other legends,” offered Spike, “But, they were mainly folklore.”

Starlight sounded hopeful.  “Folklore can hold some truth”

“Yeah,” Twilight's gaze fell, “but they all eventually tied back to the same story of Clover the Clever.”

“So, we're back to square one...?”

“Not exactly.  We still have the paper that was buried with the stone.  Princess Celestia has agreed to let me pull in some help to find the hidden message.”

“That sounds great!” smiled Starlight.

“I'm glad you agree.”  She levitated a scroll to her student.  “I was hoping you could deliver this.  It's a copy of the Memory Stone Scroll.”

“Okay” Starlight raised an eyebrow, taking the scroll in her magic, “Who do you want me to give it to?”

“Sunburst.”

Starlight stopped.  “What?”

“You two are planning on getting together the day after tomorrow, are you not?”

“We were planning.  I told him I had to cancel because of an emergency.”

“Well, that's even better!” the princess beamed, “See if you can reschedule because of an emergency for tomorrow.”

Starlight blinked.  “Are... are you sure?”

“After today,” Twilight smiled, fixing an out-of-place lock of Starlight's mane, “you look like you could use a break.  Go, have some fun.  I'll take care of Sunset.”

“You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.”

“I've dealt with Sunset Shimmer, bully of Canterlot High.”  Twilight shivered, remembering those three, long days, “I have some idea.”
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight jumped off the train and looked about the town.  It wasn't at all what she imagined.  However, she only had a drawn map to go by.  Sunburst said he had spent some time here on layovers during his travels.  So, hopefully, that meant there was at least something to do here.

She exited the station and took a survey of the area.  It looked quaint.  Not large like Ponyville was, and not quite small like the town she founded.  Still, it seemed a nice change of pace.  And, the way things were going, she needed that.

“Starlight!” a voice called out.

Starlight turned.  “Sunburst!”  She ran to meet him, wrapping her hooves around him in a hug.  “You been here long?”

“Only an hour.” the stallion adjusted his glasses, “Made good time on the train.  I've picked out a place for us to have brunch.  Figured you'd be a little hungry after your trip.”

“You're talking to somepony who missed breakfast.”

Sunburst lead the way to a delightful-looking little bistro.  “This place is amazing” he said, opening the door for Starlight.  “Everything is all homemade and is cooked from scratch every morning.  You just might want to watch the portion sizes, though.  They really like to feed you here.”

Starlight let out a chuckle.  “Well then, it's a good thing I'm famished.”

With their orders placed, the two settled down to light chatting over their cups of hot tea.

“So,” Sunburst cleared his throat, “you mentioned something about an emergency.  Wanna talk about it?”

Starlight's expression fell slightly.  “It's complicated.”

“Oh...”

“A friend of mine has had an accident.”

“Starlight, I'm so sorr—”

“She's okay, but has lost her memories.”

Sunburst's eyes widened  “All of them?”

“Just the past couple years.  She currently thinks she's a filly.”

“What happened?”

Starlight stirred her tea.  “Kinda hard to tell.  The accident happened outside of Equestria.”

“Wait, is this that friend you said has been studying magic abroad?”

Starlight nodded.  “Which is partially why I'm here.  Princess Twilight is wondering if maybe you could help us.”

“Me?  How?”

“Not here” she sipped her tea.  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the waiter approaching with their food.  “Too many ponies, and I'd like to enjoy my breakfast.”

Sunburst was not kidding on the portion sizes.  Starlight felt a little intimated as three heavily-filled platters were set before her.  However, after devouring three eggs, a healthy helping of grits, several hay hash browns, a buttered biscuit, and a large stack of pancakes ,she was a happy pony.

To watch a single pony eat that much amused Sunburst.  He, himself, enjoyed a cheesy garden-stuffed omelet, coupled with toast and a large bowl of fresh fruit.  “Now then,” he said, tending to the cheque, “you all ready to go?”

The pair made their way to a small park.  It was fairly secluded and had many places to sit.  Starlight figured this would be the best place to brief Sunburst.  They settled by the pond and Starlight produced a scroll from her saddle bag.

Sunburst took the document with great wonder.  “What would princess Twilight need help wi—Gasp!  The Memory Stone!”

Starlight's eyebrows raised.  “You've heard of it?”

“Only in lore!” his smile gradually grew wider, “Did you know that it is said the Clover the Clever traveled to alternate worlds and dimensions in pursuit of this stone?”

Starlight maintained a neutral expression.  “You don't say.”

“Oh, can you imagine it?” Sunburst beamed dreamily, “Worlds beyond our own!  Strange and beautiful creatures unlike the kinds we have ever seen!”

“Yeah... does sound pretty amazing...”

“Wouldn't you want to go to such a place?”

“I suppose...”

“All the dangers!”

“Sounds like a nice vacation...”

“Who knows?  Maybe there are some worlds out there without magic!”

Starlight paused.  “You've given a lot of thought to this, haven't you?”

“What can I say?  I'm a huge fan of Hooves Ferne.”  He pulled out the small note which came with the scroll.  His eyes darted about the paper as excitement rose to his lips and escaped in a cry of delight.  “A secret mission for the princess?”

Thankfully, Starlight had the foresight to enact a dome of silence around them.  Otherwise, the entire town would have been privy to their conversation.

“A secret message?” Sunburst continued reading his note, “Oh, this just keeps getting better!”  He held up the first scroll and began examining it from different angles.  “Tell me, little one, what secrets do you hold?”

“It's only a copy, Sunburst.  The paper is new.”

“Quite right” Sunburst cleared his throat, “Even so, often times, the parchment itself was infused with an enchantment of some kind.  Sometimes, even multiple.  You should have Princess Twilight thoroughly inspect the original.”

“I'll be sure to pass on the message.”  Her spirits fell as she watched Sunburst survey his new project with glee.  “I hope this isn't going to be our whole day.”

“Hm? Uh, no... 'course not.”  He tucked his papers into an inner pocket of his robe for safekeeping.  “We intended this to spend the day together and that's exactly what we're gonna do!  So, uh, what do you wanna do?”

“Well,” She said with a smile, “I saw an antique store on my way in.  I thought that, maybe, we could do some antiquing for a while.”

“Well, um,” Sunburst coughed and adjusted his glasses, “I saw a hobbies and crafts store on my way in.  I thought maybe we could check that out.”

Starlight produced a coin.  “Tell you what: heads we do antiquing first, tails we do hobbies first.  And we can sort out lunch somewhere in the middle.”

“Deal!”
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset let out a yawn as she entered the kitchen.  “Good morning” she mumbled.

Twilight smiled, looking up from her book.  'Not really a morning pony, is she?'  She returned the greeting.  'I wonder if she's still having strange dreams.'

Sunset moved across the kitchen and grabbed a clean plate from the cupboard.  She seemed to have have learned her lesson from the previous morning.  In addition to fresh fruit, her plate was topped with a carrot muffin and a small serving of oatmeal.  She set it on the table and went to the refrigerator, returning a bit later with a tall glass of milk.

“Good to see you have a healthy appetite” Twilight remarked.

“I'm still a growing filly.”

Twilight suppressed a chuckle.  “So, I seemed to have missed yesterday.  How did it go?”

Sunset swallowed her food.  “Horrid.  The other chores, I can stand.  Your bathrooms, however, are a bio-hazard.  Four showers later, and I still don't feel clean.”

“Oh, I'm sure wasn't not all that bad.”

The young mare looked traumatized.  “You've obviously never crawled under a vanity.”

“Well, maybe now, with you tending to them, things should be easier.”

Sunset only grunted and continued with her meal.  “Are we going to resume my lessons today?”

“Finish first, then we'll talk.”

“Where's Starlight?”

Twilight turned a page.  “She's off visiting a friend for the day.”

“Spike?”

“You ask a lot of questions”  She pointed to Sunset's plate with her muzzle. “Eat.”

The student let out a sigh through her nose and set to finishing her plate.  With only her milk left, Sunset set her other dishes in the sink, and returned to tend to her drink.  “Can we talk now?”

Twilight looked up from her pages.  Satisfied, she nodded and set her book aside.  “Now then,” she began, “as you may have noticed by now: Teamwork is what keeps this place moving.  Everyone is given specific tasks, without which, this whole castle would fall apart.  In addition to your chores, you will also be expected to assist in our daily duties.

“You inquired as to Spike's whereabouts.  He's off preparing your to-do list for today.  You will be his assistant while you're here.”

“What?” Sunset cried, “I'm going to be the assistant's assistant?  That's like being the pony that takes away the garbagepony's garbage!  Are you—”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Twilght said, sternly, “I will not have a repeat of yesterday.”

Not wanting that either, Sunset quieted down and drank her milk.

“Now then, as I am also your teacher, I will also expect every morning a brief report of the previous day's events.  What you put in them is up to you.  They may be lessons you learned, things you've read, observations, etc.  How long they are is also completely up to you.  Seeing as this is day two, and yesterday didn't exactly go as according to plan, I'll expect reports for yesterday and today tomorrow morning.”

A scroll hovered over to Sunset.  “This is a list of readings to accompany your lessons.  All these titles are found in the library.  You don't need to read them in this particular order, but I would suggest it, as they are cumulative.  Upon completion of each, I will expect either a report or small demonstration about each topic's concepts and applications.”

She took a sip of her tea.  “Lastly,” she smiled lightly, “you are here to get some rest.  I don't want you to feel as a prisoner here.  As long as your chores and other duties are done, you are free to wander about at your leisure.

“You may find this little town has quite a lot to offer in ways of rest and relaxation.  You will also find that, despite as we may seem, we do enjoy our moments of just kicking back.  All I ask is that you ensure to join us for dinner, unless prior arrangements have been made, and that you observe a ten o'clock curfew.  By that, I mean you are either in your room, or on your way to your room, by ten.”

“Why my room?” Sunset asked softly.  She didn't want to be confrontational, but was merely asking out of curiosity.  “Why not be in the castle by ten?”

“You really have no business wandering the castle after ten” Twilight simply said, taking another sip of tea.  “I hope you realize I'm giving you a lot of liberty here.  Please don't make me tighten the reins.  I am trusting you to be responsible with your freedom.

“Now, any questions?”

“Just one” Sunset teetered, as it seemed a bit petty, “my allowance...”

“You shouldn't need it.  Everything you want, or need, will be provided here.  However, if you still feel the need for a little extra spending money, I'll speak with Princess Celestia.”

Sunset nodded.  That was an answer she could accept.  She felt the princess pat her shoulder.

“Finish up.  Spike is waiting for you.”

---

Sunset pushed open the double doors leading to Princess Twilight's throne room.  She glanced around the large room, trying to locate the little dragon.  “Hello?” she called out.

“Oh, Sunset!” Spike poked his head out from behind one of the stone thrones, “There you are!  Come on over.”

“So,” Sunset said, trotting over, “Princess Twilight says you have a list for me.”

The drake nodded.  “Right here!”  He held aloft a scroll, which Sunset took and opened it.  She glanced down it's contents.

“It's a shopping list.”

“Yep!  Need a lot of things around here.”  He produced her saddlebag and a small purse with Bits.  “This should be enough for all your purchases, plus a little, just in case.”

Sunset peered into her saddlebag and raised an eyebrow.  “Where'd all my stuff go?”

Spike only shrugged.  “I dunno.  Princess Twilight just gave me the bag.”

The young mare bit back a growl.  She'd have to have a talk with the princess later about her things.  She, particularly, was not liking being without her journal.

“It will probably take you most the morning to get everything” continued Spike, “Meet me back here when you're done.”

With her bag firmly strapped, Sunset headed off into town.

It was market day and the small town of Ponyville was bustling with various vendors, and street merchants.  Everywhere Sunset looked, there were ponies buying, selling, or just enjoying the fair.  In some corners of the market were performers, each displaying their various talents.

Sunset pulled out her list, and reviewed it, while surveying the circle surrounding town hall.  There were many things she could get from the market itself.  A few things, though, she would have to venture into some of the nearby shoppes.

'Okay,' she smiled, 'the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can do whatever else Spike has set up for me, the sooner I can return to do my chores, the sooner I can get my schoolwork done, the sooner I can do what I want.'  She shook off the feeling of how daunting that all sounded.  Setting back for a moment, she formulated a plan.  Having sorted out the swiftest route to get her through the market and to the items she needed, Sunset descended upon the center.

With her path mapped out, she moved quickly about the market.  She skillfully weaved among the other bodies, coming to a stop at her first stall.  She pulled out her list and double checked it.

“May I help you, Miss?” said a gentle voice.

“Yes!” smiled Sunset, rolling her list back up, “I'm looking for berries?”

“Right this way.”  The stallion gestured Sunset to a side of his fruit cart where various berries were laid out.

Sunset made her purchase and moved on to her next stall.  She checked off her list as she went.  Completing her transaction for a loaf of bread with the baker, she glanced at her list again.  “Well, that completes all the food items.  I still need quills, ink and paper.”

In planning, Sunset had allocated herself a little time to explore the market before leaving for the shoppes in town.  She was particularly interested in the living statue set up near what appeared to be a magic show stage.  Sunset sneered at the empty stage.  She never cared much for performance magic, but she did have a certain appreciation for ponies who could stand motionless for hours on end.  Hence, her great admiration for the palace guards.

This particular statue was of Clover the Clever.  Judging by his dress and props, Sunset surmised, that the statue was attempting to recreate Clover performing one of his seven legendary trials.  She cautiously approached the statue.  She knew from experience that they sometimes liked to jump at ponies, and she didn't want to be surprised.  Having kept a close eye on him during her time at the market, she knew he had been standing still for about an hour.  However, now up close, she was able to admire the detail of the costume and makeup.

He was painted from ear to hoof in bronzed paint with careful patina.  About were also white splotches and streaks where “birds” had made an unfortunate deposit.   Sunset was so enthralled in the study of the detail, she almost forgot she was looking at a real pony.  That is, until he winked, causing her to jump back slightly.

Sunset smiled, dropped a coin into Clover's pan, then went about her day.  As she trotted away, the market was rocked by a giant explosion.  Sunset quickly turned around to see smoke rising from the magician's stage and a blue unicorn mare dressed in a purple robe and hat yelling at the top of her lungs, announcing the beginning of the show.

As much as she was asked to try, Sunset could never stand stage magic.  To her, it was just a cheap gimmick for the real thing.  It didn't help that most stage magicians she had encountered were unicorns; failures employing tricks and illusions to supplant their own shortcomings.  The explosions and pyrotechnics on display now only gave further proof of that.

Giving her heart a moment to calm down, Sunset left the market.

The shoppes to get the final supplies were easy to find.  Though how a furniture-seller was also the same stallion that sold quills, she would never understand.

---

With an empty list and a full pack, Sunset walked into the Map Room.  She removed her bag and set it on the table.  “Spike?” she called out.

The little dragon came running from down the hall.  “All done?”

“Yep!” Sunset puffed her chest, happy to have been done earlier than Spike had estimated, “Here's your change.  So, what's next?”

“Um... nothing” Spike said, inspecting the items of Sunset's pack.  “You're done.”

“Wait,” Sunset's eyebrows shot up, “that was it?”

“Yep!  You have no idea how much this helps.  Thanks!”  The little dragon gave a broad grin.

“So, I'm free to go?”

“Yep.  Unless you want to help with more stuff later.”

“Um... we'll see.  In any case, I'll see you later.”

Perplexed, but relieved to strike an item from her task list, Sunset trotted into the castle foyer and began planning her next chore.

“Oh, Sunset,” Princess Twilight called out, “didn't mean to bother you, you seemed a little deep in thought there.”

“Not really,” the unicorn replied.  She turned to see the princess trotting up to her with plated sandwiches in her aura.

“Good.  Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to cook dinner tonight.  They're still be four of us—I have a friend visiting from Canterlot—and Starlight tells me you seem to know your way about a kitchen.”

“Well...” Sunset pawed the floor.  She wasn't going to outright admit that she could do the work of servants. “Just a little.”

“Just think about it and let me know.  It'll be a big help.” she let out a nervous chuckle, “And, I trust you not to poison us, or anything.”

“Come now,” Sunset said dryly, “where would be the fun in that?”

Twilight paused.  For a moment, she couldn't tell of the pony was only kidding, or being absolutely serious.  She swallowed the lump in her throat.  “Just let me know if you want to do dinner, or not.”

“Let me finish the rest of my chores, and then we'll see.”

“Sounds good to me.  By the way, lunch is set out in the kitchen for whenever you're ready.  I'll see you later.”  With that, she trotted off to the library.

“Oh!” Sunset cried out, “Princess Twilight!”

Twilight turned back.  “Yes?”

“Quick question regarding my stuff.  I noticed it missing from my saddlebag earlier.”

Twilight nodded.  “That's right, I had emptied out your bag so you could take it to the market.”

“I would like like to have my items back.  Please?”

“Of course.  They're in my office.  I'll drop them off in your room.”

“Thank-you.”

---

Twilight let out a sigh as she entered her private library.  At a conference table, surrounded by books, sat Moondancer.  The studious unicorn was so wrapped up in her research, she barely registered, or acknowledged, the entrance of her friend.

“That good, huh?” Twilight joked, taking an empty space at the table.

“Hm?” Moondancer looked up from her book, “Oh, hey, Twilight.”

“Anything?” Twilight asked as she levitated a sandwich over to Moondancer.

Moondancer hesitated.  “I don't know...”  She took a bite of her sandwich.  “You see these misspelled words?”  She pointed to her copy of the scroll, which was riddled with notes.

“Yes?”

“Well, for one, they're not really misspelled, but merely alternate spellings.  They only looked misspelled because it's written in a non-standard Old Ponish.”

Twilight's heart dropped.  “So, there's not really a secret message.”

“Oh, but there is!  Because these words are misspelled.”

“But, you just said—”

“...and that is true!”

“Moondancer, please...”  Any other time, Twilight would have enjoyed this beat-around-the-bush game Moondancer often liked to play when trying to show her up.  But, Sunset's situation weighed too heavily upon her mind.

“Okay.  No, they are not really misspelled because they're written in Old Ponish from the northern lands of what is now the Crystal Empire.  However, they are misspelled according to the Old Ponish as it was written in the southern lands, or modern day Canterlot and surrounding area.  And, as we know, since Canterlot became the capital and heart of Equestria, and the Crystal Empire went to who-knows-where, the southern version of Old Ponish became the one we know today.

"The reason you don't notice is right away, is that many of the letters of one alphabet look very much like letters from the other.  So, what may look like a Q in the southern alphabet, is actually a letter to describe V-V, or W, in the northern.

“But that's not the best part!”

“Joy...”

Moondancer held up the Memory Stone Scroll.  She turned it over to reveal the full page of writing.  She smiled as she watched her friend's eyes grow wide.  Even as school fillies, it was wasn't often that she got to leave Twilight speechless.  And Moondancer relished every moment of it.

“Wha-what is this?” Twilight cried.

The bespectacled pony let out a laughed and turned the paper back over.  “That's what I got when decoded the front.  You see, when I 'correct' a word, let's say borthest (we both know the standard spelling).  But, the northern spelling is B-O-U-R-T-H-E-S-T, as seen here.  In this case, U is the letter I take out.  Another example is here: daggi.  You can see, they used a double G where it should have been singular.  In this case, this the letter I take.  G, when turned upside down, becomes eeng, and eeng translates as the letters I, N, and G.

"Now, naturally, there are going to be some multiple and letters left over.  But, if I clean it up, and do some minor reorganizing, I get 'Naeg Hydous Seightus raeten.

Twilight's ears perked.  "Hydous Seightus?  That's a revealing spell!"

Moondancer nodded and turned to the new document, “This is where the true message is."  She pushed the paper forward for her friend to better see.

Twilight frowned as she read.  "But, this is nonsensical.  These aren't even words!"

"Yep, that's because this is a completely different code.”  She looked at the stacks around her.  “We're going to need more books.”

"Awwgh..." Twilight sank.

Moondancer cocked her head.  “What?  You like books.”

“Yeah, but I was hoping more for an answer to the riddle.  Not another riddle.”

“I know what you mean.  Anyway, looks like you may have to take another trip to the restricted section.  Which,” she made a mock pouting face, “thanks for not telling me about it, by the way.”   

“Hey!” Twilight cried, “I only just found out about it myself!”

“Whatever...” the other waved in feign disbelief, “Still can't believe there was a whole other section to the library just hiding under our very noses.”

Twilight jumped up, excitedly, “I know, right?”

The two stared each other down in icy glares before cracking into fits of laughter.

“Okay,” Twilight wiped her tears, “just give me a list of what I need to look for.”

---

Sunset stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel with her magic.  She released a sigh and stretched.  A warm shower after a day's work always felt good.  With her chores finally done, she could focus her attention back onto her studies.  Or, she wished she could focus on her studies.  Whenever she was left alone with her thoughts, something kept nagging her in the back of her mind.  She felt it everytime she looked into the mirror; every time Princess Twilight, Starlight, or Spike looked at her.  Even with Princess Celestia, she felt something was off.  But, it was not exclusive to the waking world.  Sights and sounds riddled her dreams--none that she had ever heard, or seen, before.  But, when she'd wake, they'd become but a mist.

Wrapping the towel around herself, Sunset stepped out the bathroom and to her bedroom down the hall.

Closing the door behind her, Sunset surveyed the room.  Aside from her current situation, by all accounts, she should feel comfortable here.  Everything here was designed by her kind for her kind; from the architecture to the furniture.  Yet, why did she feel like she didn't belong?  Why did she often feel like this body wasn't hers?  Sometimes, there were moments when using magic didn't feel right.

As much as these thoughts plagued and troubled her, Sunset also knew that they detracted from her objective.  She has been assigned a task, given a mission.  And nothing reminded her more than the pile of books on her writing desk.

Earlier, she had collected a few books from Princess Twilight's reading list and was anticipating a little reading time to herself--even if she wasn't too excited about the actual material.

She had declined Twilight's request to cook dinner, citing she wanted to catch up on her studies.  However, she did offer to cook on another night.

Sunset hung up the towel to dry and began preparing a little reading nook.  She grabbed some extra pillows from the bed and a spare blanket and soon had a little cozy corner that she could curl up in.  It wasn't anywhere near what she had in Canterlot, but it sufficed.

She walked over to her desk and grabbed the book at the top, which was also the first book on the list.  The Art of Friendship Sunset read the title page, “An overview.”  She flipped through the book.  “For nearly eight hundred pages, this had better be concise.”

Sunset made herself comfortable on the cushions in her corner.  She levitated the book in her magic and kept a pen and paper close by for any notes.  She opened the book to the first chapter and began reading.

There were many factors working against the unicorn.  Maybe it was the subject matter, or that she made herself a little too comfortable.  Maybe it was the weight of the troubles on her mind.  Or, perhaps, that she was just plain tired.  But, whether it was by one, or a combination, Sunset was soon fast asleep.

For how long she had dozed, she had no clue.  Only that some time had passed and somepony was knocking at her bedroom door.  She rolled over and stretched with a yawn.  “Coming!” she tried to call, but it was no more than a mumble.

“Oh, Sunset!” Princess Twilight looked startled when Sunset opened the door, rubbing her eyes with her hoof, “I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were taking a nap.”

“Not exactly my intention” Sunset replied, sleepiness still in her voice. “Was trying to get some reading done.”

“Oh... Anyway, sorry to throw this on you.  But, could you take care of dinner?  I've already got things started I just need somepony to watch over it.”

“Um... sure.  Why can't you do it?”

Twilight waved a hoof.  “Princess business.  I need to make a trip to Canterlot and won't be back till morning.  Spike is still here, but he's busy with other things.”

“Okay,” Sunset yawned, “as long as I don't have to do much.  This day has left me exhausted.”

“Just means you'll sleep well tonight.”  Twilight smiled, optimistically.

“I somewhat doubt that.”

“Well, anyway, I had better get going.”

“Princess Twilight?”

“Yes?”

Sunset shifted her weight slightly between her forelegs.  This may not have been the right time, but she still had to ask.  “My stuff?”

Twilight's eyes grew large.  “OH!” she pressed a hoof to her head.  “I'm sorry, Sunset, I completely forgot!  We'll deal with it when I get back.”

Not entirely the response Sunset wished to hear.  However, she acquiesced.

---

Just as Princess Twilight had said, everything needed to complete dinner was already laid out and waiting to be enacted.  The butternut squash and accompanying vegetables were happily roasting away in the oven.

Sunset still had to toss the salad, cook and mash the potatoes, and slice the bread.  But, those wouldn't need to be done till later.

She was ecstatic when she discovered her peeling spell worked on the potatoes.  “Hm...” she chuckled, “Guess the princess isn't as sadistic as I thought.  Even if she does flaunt how she gets to go to Canterlot, and not me.”  

Cooking the rest of dinner went rather quickly.  Sunset still found herself with a little down time and managed to finish the introduction of her book.  With perfect timing, Moondancer and Spike walked in just as she began plating.

“Smells good!” the dragon licked his lips.

Sunset raised an eyebrow.  “You'll eat just about anything, won't you?”

“Pretty much” Moondancer chuckled, taking as seat at the table, “I've known him practically since he was a hatchling, and there was almost nothing you could give him that he would refuse.”

Sunset levitated Spike his plate.  “How long have you been with Princess Twilight?”

“Since forever” Spike replied, “She's the one who hatched me, and pretty much raised me.  Oh, by the way, Sunset, Moondancer.  Moondancer, Sunset Shimmer.”

Moondancer's ears perked.  She was about to say something, but Spike, seeing her reaction, quickly quieted her.  Moondancer sank back into her seat.  Confident that whatever it was, Spike would explain later.

It was a mostly quiet meal.  Small talk fluttered around the table.  However, whenever Sunset tried inquiring as to what Moondancer was doing, she was quickly shot down with an “I'm not allowed to talk about it.”  Conversely, whenever Moondancer attempted to ask Sunset in-depth questions about school, she was met with a swift, silencing cough from Spike.

As dinner came to a close, Sunset set about clearing the table and prepared to wash the dishes.

“Anypony home?” a voice echoed from the foyer.

“Starlight's back!” Spike smiled, “Sunset, you'd better have a plate handy in case she's hungry.”  He jumped down from his seat and ran to the front door.  As he arrived, he saw Starlight tipping a porter before bidding him a good night.  Just a few feet inside the door, laid a small trunk.

“Princess Celestia sent some things for Sunset” Starlight explained.  It arrived yesterday, but got lost in their luggage room.  Nopony bothered to see who it might belong to.”

“How did you find it?” asked Moondancer.

Starlight pointed to Sunset's cutie mark painted on top of the chest.  “It's kinda hard to miss.”

“Well, I'm sure she'll be happy to have it” said Spike.  “We were just finishing up with dinner.  I'm having Sunset prepare a plate for you, if you're hungry.”

“Maybe something light” Starlight replied, “I've eaten quite a lot today.”

“Okay.  I'll go let her know.”  He scampered off towards the kitchen.

“So,” Starlight looked around, “where's Twilight?”

“Canterlot” Moondancer said, “She's making a special trip to the library tonight.”

“More books?  As if we didn't have enough...  So, I take it you've met Sunset?”

Moondancer nodded.  “Why didn't you tell me that's who was staying here?”

The tone in Moondancer's voice gave Starlight a slight pause.  “You've heard of Sunset Shimmer?”

“Who hasn't?”

“Twilight, apparently...”

“Her tap dancing crickets and synchronized dancing cats were feats of infamy!  Granted, they were later deemed as borderline unethical.  So, I can see why not many have heard of them now.”

“How did you?”

“Please,” Moondancer chortled, “Twilight may be a bookworm, but I out-bookworm that bookworm.  There are many mentions of her works in the school's records.”

“So, you'd never met Sunset...?”

“What?  No,” the other shook her head, “she was gone about a year or two before we started.  Twilight and I were in the same class.  Odd, though, I wonder how those two met.”  Her voice went somber.  “Twilight mentioned she had had an accident.  Care to elaborate?”

“Not here” Starlight lowered her voice, “Later, when Sunset's not in potential earshot.”  She had spotted the amber unicorn emerge from the kitchen.  “Oh, hey, Sunset!” she called out, “Look what came in for you.”

Sunset's face lit up when she saw the trunk sitting just inside the castle door.  “Yes!”  She ran up to the luggage and, promptly, teleported it, and herself, from the foyer.

“Huh...” Starlight snorted, “Why didn't I think of that?  Could've saved myself ten Bits.”

---

Sunset set her trunk down near the bed.  She fumbled and fiddled with the locks and catches.  Though she probably knew all that was within it, she still felt like a foal on Hearth's Warming Eve.  Finally, she got it open and flipped the lid.  Inside, laid a myriad of treasures.

She dug through a layer of small trinkets; games and puzzles she had always loved; a book of magic riddles; another of adventures in faraway lands.  She set all these aside and continued her digging.  Finally, she came across what she wanted most.  She pulled out two stuffed toys; one a griffon, the other a phoenix.  Princess Celestia gave her the griffon shortly after becoming her teacher, but Sunset had always treasured her phoenix.  For some reason, she always felt a strong connection to the fire bird.  It was also one of the few items she had always had.

The other one was still in the trunk.

With great joy, Sunset pulled out a thick blanket.  Sure, it was a bit old and ratty, but it was hers.  Like the phoenix, she had always believed it was one of the few items given to her by her parents.  When she left the orphanage to live with Princess Celestia, these were the two things she made sure to bring with her.  Though the princes offered her newer versions, Sunset couldn't bring herself to part with them.

With a great sigh, Sunset wrapped the blanket around herself.  She had outgrown it quite a while ago, but, if she curled up, or laid it on a diagonal, it could still cover her.  She took in a deep breath.  The blanket smelled clean.  Almost as if it were freshly washed.

She sat for a moment, puzzled.  The blanket had been washed, and her phoenix and griffon appeared to have been as well.  In fact, everything appeared like it had been cleaned before packing.  Sure, she wasn't known for keeping the tidiest of rooms, but she never thought of her stuff as that dirty.  In fact, she had just gotten into a fight with one of the palace maids over dusting her room.  Naturally, the princess sided with the maid, so Sunset's room got cleaned.  Sunset frowned as she recalled the incident.  "What could have happened over two months to make them do it again?"

Still contemplating, she peered into the trunk to see if there was anything else.  All that remained was a small note; from the princess, no doubt.  Sunset set that aside to read for later.  She placed her games and books back into the trunk and pushed it under the bed.

With a heavy sigh, she took off her blanket and placed it on the bed, setting her stuffed toys on it.  At least now, she had something to return to once she finished her chores.  And, perhaps, clear her mind from her troubling thoughts.

Feeling a bit better, Sunset trotted out of the bedroom and returned downstairs.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle flipped through the pages of Sunset Shimmer's journal, silently rereading various passages of Princess Twilight's letter.  Around her sat the rest of the Rainbooms and Trixie.  Having had read to them the full update on Sunset, the group sat solemnly, contemplatively digesting the new information.

“So, Sunset is, like, an Equestrian teen now?” Rainbow spoke up.

Twilight let out a sigh, closing the journal.  “It would appear so.”  She leaned against the statue base, sadly; the book hugged close to her chest.

“But, I thought Wallflower was just going to erase our years of high school” pondered Trixie, “That should have brought Sunset back to the point of freshman year, or, to when she first came through the portal.”

“Not exactly” Fluttershy said.

“That's true” added Rainbow, “Flutters and I have been friends since middle school.  Fifth grade, wasn't it?”

Fluttershy nodded.  “Though, we really got together in sixth.”

“So,” Rarity deduced, “in order for Wallflower's spell to work on you two, it would have had to take memories from roughly three years before high school.”

“Therefore,” Pinkie Pie blew thoughtfully on her bubble pipe, “it took Sunset's memories of not only CHS, but also a little over two years of her time in Equestria.”

“Well, that explains why Sunset is where she is” smiled Applejack, happy to finally get an answer to something.  "Still, though, not tellin' Sunset what's up just don't sit well with me."

"I'm sure whatever they're doing, darling," Rarity tried to rationalize, "it is all in Sunset's best interests."

Applejack looked shocked.  "Lyin' to her is in her best interests?"

"Maybe it is" Fluttershy gave a heavy sigh, "Maybe Princess Twilight was right.  Maybe Sunset Shimmer is gone.  We all saw how she was at the Sweet Shoppe.  She seemed like our Sunset, but..."

"...at the same time, she wasn't" finished Pinkie.

The farmer threw her hands in the air.  "I can't believe this!"

"Do you really think it would do Sunset any good to know she's missing nearly a decade of memories?" asked Rainbow.

That gave Applejack pause.  She sputtered silently, opening and closing her mouth, trying to come up with an answer.  Eventually, her shoulders fell in defeat.  "I dunno..." she said, softly, "But, if it happened to me, I would like to know."

Rainbow folded her arms.  "I'll keep that in mind.  But, my stance is: As long as Sunset is happy, I don't care what they tell, or don't tell her."

"You really think she's happy?"

Rainbow only shrugged.  "You ever hear of ignorance is bliss?"

"You ever hear of honesty is the best policy?"

"So, they tell her.  Then what?  Sunset walks around, lost to who she is?"

"She already is lost to who she is" Pinkie Pie pointed out, "In fact, she's back to who she was.  I'm kinda with Applejack on this one.  If we were only talking a few months, maybe I would agree.  But, there's no denying Sunset has changed so much that she's not the pony she thinks she is now.  She, at least, deserves the right to know."

"But, you're speaking as if you know her" said Trixie, "That's part of the problem, is it not?  We don't know this Sunset."

"Doesn't mean we can't try to do right by the Sunset we know" replied Applejack.

"And, if she's gone for good?"  She slightly shrunk back.  She didn't really want to bring it up, but she felt she needed to bring it up.

"Can we please stop?" yelled Twilight; her voice choked with tears.  "I don't want to lose Sunset!  Just the idea of it..."  She trailed off as more tears fell.  Rarity and Fluttershy were quickly at her side.

"It's okay, darling" Rarity said, gently stroking Twilight's hair, "We're all a bit on edge.  This whole ordeal has got us quite scared.  We just need to have faith in Princess Twilight and her friends, and do all that we can over here."

“But we're still no closer as to finding out what happened to Sunset's memories” Rainbow whined, “And, with Wallflower out again today, I feel like we're losing valuable time.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow.  “You think the three-day rule still applies?”

“Believe me,” replied the athlete.  She rested her hands behind her head.  “We deal with a ton of things that have a three-day deadline.”

“If that's true,” said Pinkie, “then that would make tomorrow the third, and last, day.”

An uneasy air fell over the group as growing sense of urgency suddenly set in.

“Does anyone know where Wallflower lives?” asked Fluttershy.

“No,” Trixie gave Twilight a sly look, “but I'm sure we can find out.”

The look made Twilight fell very uncomfortable.  She wiped her nose on a tissue.  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“That little geode of yours” Trixie explained, pointing to the gem hanging around the bookworm's neck. “You can open locks with it.  You can get us into the school, into the principal's office and school records.”

Twilight jumped to her feet in protest.  “I'll do no such thing!”

“And why not?”

“You're talking about” she counted off on her fingers, “breaking and entering, invasion of privacy, possibly theft.  I happen to know that they keep all that information on a computer database, so we can add hacking, and... and all sorts of illegal!”

“Now's not the time to play goody two-shoes pious chicken!” Trixie yelled back, “We're talking about your—our—friend here.  You don't know what Sunset went through to get your memories restored.  She nearly lost you and, now, you're about to lose her.  And, even when all seemed lost, she never gave up.

"You owe her this much!”

Twilight took a step back.  Her mind pondered as she twisted a lock of hair around her finger.  The end result was a sigh.  “I just don't like using my geode and power for doing things I know are wrong.”

Trixie looked confused.  “But you broke into the school to let me out of the yearbook room.”

“That was... different.  I needed to get you out, or you would have been there all night.  I didn't have violate anyone's privacy to do it.”

“Look,” Trixie said tenderly, “if it helps, you don't have to look at the files.  Just get me in and then the discrete and confidant Trixie will handle the rest.”

Rarity rolled her eyes.  “Oh, please” she muttered.

“I'm gonna have lean with Trixie on this one” said Applejack, “Yeah, what we're doin' is wrong and, if we get caught, we're gonna be in a whole heap of trouble.  But, this may be Sunset's only chance.  And fer that, I'm willin' ta gamble.”

Rainbow Dash rose to her feet.  “You two go on ahead and see if you can find Wallflower's address.  The rest of us will stand as your lookouts.”

Twilight and Trixie nodded and turned to enter the school.

“Just one thing before you go” said Fluttershy.

Trixie turned around to find the nature girl with a glowering glare on her face.

“What do you have against goody two-shoes pious chickens?”

---

“I thought she was kidding!” Trixie protested as she and Twilight walked down the hall towards the main office.  She rotated and stretched her shoulder.  Fluttershy certainly didn't seem like that kind of girl, but she could sure give a mean arm twist.

“Rule number one with Fluttershy:” recited Twilight, “Do not insult the animals.”

“There are rules to Fluttershy?”

Twilight didn't respond.  Instead, she fired up her geode and began working the tumblers in the office door lock.

“You know,” Trixie whispered, “this place is really creepy in the dark.”

“I dunno” said Twilight, opening the door, “I kinda like it.”

“You would” replied the magician, “You lived in the basement of Crystal Prep for how long?”

“It wasn't the basement” Twilight growled.  She sat down at one of the office computers and booted it up.  Once the login screen was up, she made a few taps on the keyboard and was soon in.

Trixie's eyes grew wide.  “You're a hacking genius!”

“Not really” Twilight gleamed, “I've volunteered in the office a couple of times and have gained the trust of the secretaries.  Mrs. Penpoint gave me the password to her computer.  One of the perks of being a 'goody two-shoes pious chicken'.”  She returned to the screen and opened a program from a shortcut on the desktop.  “Okay, so this is the database.  For security reasons, the school board IT department automatically resets and issues new passwords every month.”

“Okay...”

“Which means it's probably written down here somewhere.  Look for a sticky note, or something.”

“Or, this”  Trixie opened the desk drawer and pulled a piece of folded paper from underneath it.

It was now Twilight's turn to be surprised.

“Oldest trick in the book” Trixie shrugged, “Almost to the point of being cliche, actually.”  She opened the paper and Twilight typed in the alphanumeric combination.

“Okay,” Twilight stood up from the seat, “my end is done.  You take it from here.”

“With pleasure!”  Trixie took the chair and began imputing her search parameters.  In no time, she found Wallflower's profile and jotted down the listed home address into her notebook.  She then quickly logged out and closed out any windows before shutting down the computer.  “Okay,” she said, turning to her partner, “Let's get out of here.”

---

Trixie waved her notebook to the other girls as she and Twilight left the school building.  They seemed to have understood her signal and began to emerge from their stakeouts.

“You got it?” Pinkie took the notebook and flipped to the address page, “Sweet!  And it's not too far from here.”

“Good.” Applejack looked at the time.  “It's pretty late as it is, and I'd hate to disturb anyone after dark.”

“Well, it's going on seven” said Rarity, “Hopefully, they're done with dinner by now.”

It was a nice walk in the brisk night air.  Canterlot city didn't have much of a night life outside of the downtown on the weekends, so the streets were mostly empty.

Almost as if not to break the sereneness of the still night, the girls walked quietly, engaging only in minimal chitchat.

"Do you really think Wallflower would be able to help us?" Fluttershy asked.

"It's hard to tell" Rarity replied, "Aside from us, she's the only other person who would have any memory of what happened."

"That is," added Twilight, "unless the Memory Stone backfired and took her memories as well."

"I just can't wait to give her a piece of my mind" Pinkie growled.  Trixie had told and shown them the video recording made by Twilight's drone.  It only made her blood boil.  "Going after Sunset like that just because she wasn't noticed?  I mean, who does that?"

"Romantic admirers" Rarity replied.

Rainbow rolled her eyes.  "You need to stop reading romance novels."

Applejack fumed.  "I just hope Wallflower is pleased with what she's done.  If she really wanted to show that Sunset hadn't changed, she sure more than succeeded."

Twilight tried to calm her friends down.  "Let's at least try to be civil until we can assess the situation."  In looking at them, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and promptly walked into Trixie.  Replacing her glasses, she looked up to see that they had come up to Wallflower's residence.

Quietly, they gathered in the enclosed front porch of the two-story craftsman home and Rarity rang the doorbell.

After a while of waiting, Rarity wondered if anyone had heard the bell.  There wasn't a car in the driveway, but they could hear what appeared to be the TV from within the home.  Just when Rarity was about to try the doorbell again, the front door opened and the girls came to face with a rather elderly man.

“May I help you ladies?” he said.

“Um, yes” replied Rarity, “We're looking for Wallflower Blush.  Does she live here?”

“Who is it, Grandpa?” came a girl's voice from within.  In a few seconds, Wallflower was standing beside the old man.

“These girls say they're looking for you” said Grandpa, “You know them?”

“Yeah,” Wallflower smiled to the visitors, “they're from school.”

“Oh...” Grandpa nodded, “Well, I've leave you girls to do girl things, then.”  He turned and went back into the house.

Wallflower smiled again and gestured for the girls to sit on the seating area on the porch.  “I'd invite you in, but Grandpa doesn't like anyone cutting into his Wednesday-night TV.”  She closed the door behind her and sat down on a small wooden stool.  “So, what brings you here?”

“Well,” Rarity began, “we heard that you've not been feeling well the past few days.”

“And, you just thought you'd check up on me, huh?”  Wallflower crossed her arms, “Well, I appreciate that, but I'm just fine, really.  I've been experiencing some headaches and Grandpa thought it best if I stayed home.  That's all.  I'll be back in school tomorrow.”

“Oh, that's good” Fluttershy smiled.

“But,” Wallflower raised an eyebrow, “I suspect you're here for more than just a wellness check.”

The silence out of the other girls only proved Wallflower right.  A sadness fell over her.  “This is really about Sunset Shimmer, isn't it?”

Again, silence.

Wallflower let out a sigh.  “Look, I'm really sorry about what happened.  I'm just as shocked and confused as you are."

"We were hoping you could give us some more details from that night" said Trixie, "Anything you may have seen that we may have missed."

"I'm sorry.  I have no further answers for you.  I told you everything in the parking lot.”

“It has been a few days,” Applejack coaxed, “has nothin' new come to mind regardin' the stone?  Or, maybe somethin' you thought strange from that night?"

"Maybe it did something different from the other times you used it” added Rarity.

Wallflower only shook her head.

“I know this may be hard” said Twilight, placing a gentle hand on Wallflower's shoulder “But, we would appreciate it if you could try to remember about Monday night.  If you remember anything, please let us know.  It may help us find out just what happened Sunset's memories.”

“I'll do my best” Wallflower nodded, “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some chores to do before I can go to bed.”

After bidding Wallflower good night, the girls decided to hit the Sweet Shoppe for some much-needed liquid comfort.

“Was it just me,” Pinkie said, as they walked, “or was Wallflower acting really strange?”

“We've only just met the girl,” Applejack replied, “We don't really know what 'strange' is for her”

“...or what 'normal' is either” finished Twilgiht.

“She did seem a bit more assertive and confident” commented Rarity.

Rainbow scoffed.  “That's nothing.  You should see Fluttershy at her house.”

“Excuse me?” asked Fluttershy, “What are you talking about?”

“Just sayin'” Rainbow shrugged, “You're a different person in your home than in the world.”

“Well,” said Trixie, trying to sound optimistic, “we'll see how Wallflower is at school tomorrow.”
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came too early for the teenagers of Canterlot City.  As the sun rose its way to the heavens, the daylight zombies emerged from their homes and funneled into the brain factory that was Canterlot High School.

Rainbow Dash let out a yawn as she closed her locker.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” came a gleeful cry from down the hallway.

“Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow groaned, “you're way too chipper for the morning.”

“Awe what's the matter?” Pinkie made a sad face, “Didn't sleep well?”

Rainbow rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  “Let's just say I'm not a morning person.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie looked around, eyeing the gathering crowd of the half-dead, “well, you and a whole bunch of other people.”

“Have you seen the others yet?”

“Twilight's in the library, Fluttershy is handing out fliers for the animal shelter's fundraiser this weekend, Applejack is eating breakfast in the cafeteria.  No sign of Rarity or Trixie yet, but they should be showing up soon.”

“How about Wallflower?”

“Nope.  But, she may be in her garden.”

Rainbow released another yawn.  “Well, let's see of we can round up the others and try to catch Wallflower before class.”

Twilight proved the easiest to find.  All the girls had to do was look for a table with a fortress of books built upon it, and they would find their favorite bookworm.

On their way to the library, the duo had run into Rarity and pulled her along with them.

“Whatcha reading, Twilight?” Pinkie yelled in her loudest library voice.

The disruption pulled Twilight from a deep thought, but she quickly recovered.  “Oh, good morning, girls!” she smiled, “Just getting in some light reading before school starts.”

Rainbow was examining the books on the desk.  “Is this for a class?”

“No,” laughed Twilight, “this is all research I'm doing on memory.  I know the princess is already tackling this from a magical standpoint, but I wanted to come at it from a scientific angle.  Maybe, I can find something that can help her.  Or vice versa.”

“So, what did you find?” asked Rarity.

“Well,” Twilight's face lit up, “As you may know, there are three main types of memory: long-term, short-term and spacial.  Short-term has the potential to become long-term and spatial can be either long-term or short-term.

“Short-term and spacial are simple, but, long-term has several sub-types: explicit and implicit memory.  Explicit memory is then broken down into: episodic, semantic, and autobiographical.

“Episodic and autobiographical are the ones I'm most interested in, as these seem to have been the ones affected by the Memory Stone.  I'm most interested in episodic, in particular.

“You see, episodic memory also contains the supporting information needed for memory retrieval.  We remember details about certain events because they are associated with another memory or detail.  Episodic memory allows our brains to establish connections and produce a memory we wish to remember.

“I hypothesize that's the reason we 'remembered' certain things, even though our memories of Sunset were taken.  There were connections made in our brains to those missing memories that we could only access on a subconscious level.  But, when we consciously tried accessing them, we experienced the equivalent of trying to open a corrupted file.”

“...and the egghead strikes again” Rainbow smiled.

“Sunset must be going to through something similar” Twilight looked downtrodden, “But, on a far more drastic scale.  We lost a portion of few months.  She's lost whole years.  Her brain must be going crazy trying recuperate this sudden severing of connections.”

“Well,” said Rarity, “that does concur with what Princess Twilight said Princess Luna said.”

“Yeah,” countered Rainbow, “but Sunset had a complete memory wipe.  No back up memory, complete system restore.”

“Ooh!” Pinkie teased, “Who's the egghead now?”

“Shaddup, Pinks” the athlete grumbled.

“While true” Twilight replied, “I'm under the belief that our brains are too complex, too interconnected to not have an adverse affect when a vast amount of information is suddenly missing.”

“Well,” Rainbow crossed her arms, “how about you put your theories aside for now and head over to the garden with us to try to catch Wallflower?”

Twilight shook her head.  “Sorry, I'd like to finish this chapter and get a letter off to the princess before first period.”

“Suit yourself.  Let us know if she writes back.”

Outside the library, Fluttershy was pinning a flier on the announcements board.  She gave a smile when she saw her friends walk through the doors.  “I do hope you can come help out this weekend.  But, I'd understand, what with Sunset... and all...”

“I'm surprised you didn't tell them you couldn't do it” said Rainbow.

“I couldn't do that” Fluttershy shook her head, “I had already committed last month.  Even with this being an emergency, with Sunset in Equestria, I feel there isn't much more I could do.”

“We understand, darling.” Rarity placed a comforting hand on Fluttershy's shoulder.  “I've been feeling a little useless, myself.  There is only so much that can be done over here.  But, back to your predicament, yes, a promise is a promise.  We can make do without you for a few hours, if need be.”

Pinkie let out a long sigh.  “I do hope we solve this before the weekend, though.”

“Anyway, Fluttershy,” Rainbow spoke up, “how many more fliers do you have to hand out?”

Fluttershy smiled, triumphantly pointing to the paper on the bulletin board.  “This was the last one.”

“Awesome!” she linked arms with the nature lover, “That means you can come join us in looking for Wallflower.”

“You don't need to look for her.  I saw her walking off to her garden earlier.”

“Then, that's where we're headed!”

Along the way to the rear parking lot, the group encountered a familiar stetson-wearing farmer walking towards them.

“Mornin' all!” Applejack smiled and waved.  She let out a startled cry and held onto her hat as she was wordlessly grabbed and pulled along with the horde.  “Uh, y'all mind tellin' me jus' where we're goin'?”

---

The wooded area behind the school was a stark contrast to the rest of the campus.  Stepping into its confines was almost like entering another world.  Safely tucked away, it offered a safe haven to all who ventured.  The perfect place for someone wishing to hide from the world.

Here, it was quiet.  The tree canopy provided shade and shelter from the elements which relentlessly beat down upon the school every day.  There was a noticeable temperature drop the moment they entered the treeline.  Though, it was refreshing.

A path had been cut through the area.  Fluttershy explained that it was a trail carved by the animals that lived in the area.  She further described that it twisted and wound through the trees.  She and Tree Hugger had traversed it many times.

“More 'nature walks' I can assume?” Rainbow said, slyly.  That earned her a hat-smacking from Applejack.

“Over there!” Pinkie pointed to a break in the foliage.  “Looks like somebody's been making a path of their own.”

“Hmm” Rarity examined where the ground had been repeatedly trampled.  This particular area had been worn down to a thin sliver of dirt.  “I think you're right, Pinkie.  You can see where someone has deviated away from the main path several times.  The garden must be over there.”

Following the new path, the girls soon came upon a clearing.  In the center were some large boulders stood on end in what appeared to be a mini Stonehenge.  Surrounding the formation was a lush garden with bright, colorful flowers.

The girls gawked as they looked at the flora around them.

“Okay,” Applejack smiled, crossing her arms, “I'm impressed.”

“Well, we found the garden” said Fluttershy, “but where's Wallflower?”

“Wanna try that crazy-looking girl over there?”  Rainbow pointed to a frantic-looking girl with green hair scouring on her hands and knees in a corner of the garden.

“She looks like she lost somethin'” Applejack commented.

“Maybe we can help.”  Rarity began to make her way over to Wallflower.  As she approached, she heard the shy girl grumbling to herself as she combed the grass between the flowerbeds.  Rarity tried her best not to startle the gardener.  She cleared her throat: “You lose something, dear?”

Despite Rarity's best efforts, the green girl still let out a yelp and jumped at the sight of the newcomers.  Only once she saw who they were, her expression changed from one of surprise to relief.  “Oh, thank goodness you're here!” she cried, “I can't find it!”

The girls looked at each other.

“Can't find what, exactly?” asked Applejack.

“My...” Wallflower paused for a moment, as if she had forgotten exactly what she was looking for.  “My...uhm...necklace.”

Rainbow's eyebrows raised.  “You wear a necklace?”  Not that it was easy to tell what Wallflower wore under her sweater.

“Yes!  Almost all the time!  You know that!”

“Um...” Fluttershy said, “We do?”

“Yes!  We... we... um... we...”  Wallflower let out a growl and brought her hands to her head.

Rarity cautiously placed a tender hand on Wallflower.  When the other girl didn't move away, she added her other.  “Wallflower, dear, are you okay?  Should we get Nurse Redheart?”

“No” Wallflower responded, quite calmly.  She lowered her hands and searched for her backpack.  “I'll be fine.  It's just a slight headache.  Just need to—aarg!”  She crumbled to her knees in agony, eliciting a cry from the other girls, who quickly ran to her side.

Wallflower waved them away.  “I'm fine!”  She shakily rose to her feet only for her legs to buckle beneath her again.  She fell once again, only to be caught by Rarity and Applejack.

“I don't think ya should be at school today” Applejack said, lifting the small girl into her arms.  “Let's get ya to the office and we can have someone call yer grandpa.”

Wallflower didn't protest.  Instead, she wrapped her arms around Applejack's neck and rested her head upon her shoulder.  She eyed a faint orange glow coming from under the farmer's shirt collar.  “What's that?” she asked.

Applejack raised an eyebrow, wondering what the other girl may have been referring to.  Upon realizing what she meant, she answered: “That's my geode.  It glows like that whenever I summon the magic within it.”

“It gives you extra strength” Wallflower said, dreamily, “That's how you're able to carry me with ease.”

“Eeyup.”

Once in the principal's office, Rarity and Rainbow explained the situation to the staff while the other girls sat with Wallflower.  Nurse Redheart had been summoned and was performing a quick examination.

“Well,” she stood up and placed her hands on her hips, “aside from the headaches, you seem to be in good health.  How long have you said you've had them?”

“Since Tuesday morning” Wallflower replied weakly.

“Hmm... anything happen Monday that you think may have triggered them?  Any environmental allergies that you know of?”

Wallflower only shook her head.

“Well, another common trigger is a sudden drop in temperature, but we haven't had that in a while.  If I were your mother, I'd have to taken to the hospital for an MRI.

“Have you been experiencing any other symptoms?  Dizziness?  Vomiting?”

Again, Wallflower answered in the negative.

The nurse frowned.  “What have you been taking for them again?”

Wallflower handed over a small white bottle from a pocket in her knapsack.  “They're over the counter.  I've used them plenty of times for cramps.”

Nurse Redheart briefly examined it before returning it to the student.  “Well, they'd certainly do the trick.  I use them myself.”  She let out an exasperated sigh, “I don't know what else to tell you.  You've already taken off two days.  But, without any further symptoms, or the ability to do a detailed examination, there's not much more I can do.”

She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.  “Do talk to your grandparents about getting you to a doctor.  If only to be sure that this is nothing serious.”

“Speaking of which,” said Vice-principal Luna, “we managed to get a hold of your grandfather.  He's on his way to pick you up.  That is, if you want to leave.  I'll let you two sort that out when he gets here.”

“Thanks” Wallflower smiled.

Luna turned to the other girls.  “While I appreciate you wanting to hang out and comfort Wallflower, you girls really need to get to class.  I'll have late slips made up for you to give to your teachers.”

With well-wishes towards Wallflower, the five Rainbooms were shooed out of the office and onto their perspective classrooms.   

“You still don't think she's acting weird?” Pinkie Pie whispered.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight nervously tapped at at the table.  Normally, she would be enjoying a rather decent-sized breakfast.  However, after a very filling day with Sunburst, she wasn't left with much of an appetite.  Knowing it would come back around by lunchtime, she'd thrown some berries on her plate to help tide her over.  Though, mostly, she nibbled on them out of boredom.

Taking in a sigh, she reviewed again the day's lesson plan that Twilight had left for Sunset.  It was supposed to be a full morning of friendship exercises.  But, it required a student to get started.

Feeling the morning wasting away, Starlight grew agitated.  “Come on,” she grumbled, “where are you?”

At the same time, though, she was feeling quite apprehensive about the day--and not only because of its assignment.

Though she knew from whence these feelings stemmed, it didn't help her feel any better.  In fact, the more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

Everything from the past few days seemed to weigh upon her.  The more she focused on Sunset Shimmer, the more she had to distance herself from her friend.  The more she had to remember that this wasn't the pony who came crashing into the library; who whisked her away to a mystical land.

No, this was not the friend she knew.  She was dealing with a younger pony.  Her friend was the one who this pony would become.

"Become".  That word had long-ingrained itself into Starlight's mind.  Ponies weren't made, they became.  That was something both Sunset and Starlight knew well.  When Twilight took them under her wings, they weren't made into new ponies, they became new ponies.

Nor was it a quick process.

She and Sunset had stayed up long nights discussing and comparing their challenges, failures, and victories.

It was on this level that Starlight knew Sunset better than anypony.  They had an understanding that even Princess Twilight, try as she might, could never have.

In a way, Starlight was glad Sunset hadn't been told the truth.  In their midnight talks, it was evident that neither wanted to ever return to the ponies they once were.  Starlight knew Sunset would be crushed if she was aware of what she had lost.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if Sunset knew what she would be losing when she jumped into the line of fire.  Did Sunset know she would be sacrificing not just her memories, but also her self?  If she was willing to give up her memories, was she also willing to give up all that she had become?

"Sunset threw away everything for those she loved."  Starlight bit back her tears.  Could she make the same sacrifice as her friend?  Would she be able to set aside all that she had become to save her friends?  Could she even begin to have Sunset's strength?  Her courage?  If asked of her, could she give of herself to be ripped apart?

She let out a sobbed sigh as she lamented what her friend had been reduced to.  How truly different of a pony Sunset once was.  In stark contrast to their first meeting months earlier, she and Sunset hadn't exactly gotten off of the right footing.  It gnawed at Starlight that such an important turning point in one's life could later spark or fizzle a relationship.

Throughout their time alone, Sunset, who Starlight had only known to build individuals up, only sought to tear them down.  At the hooves of a master demolitionist, Starlight had felt chunks of herself being slowly chipped away.

All of it had left her absolutely drained.

However, her day with Sunburst had more than revived her.  It had allowed her to clear her head.  It didn't matter how she felt, or how Sunset made her feel.  She would still keep pushing forward.  If for nothing, than for her friend's sake.  This was only a means to an end.  That end being restoring Sunset Shimmer to what she had become.  And, knowing that, Starlight felt rejuvenated; ready to take on whatever.

But, where was Sunset?

Just when she thought she would have to go wake Sunset herself, the door swung open and in walked the mare in question.

Sunset let out a large yawn while plopping two scrolls onto the table.  “I suppose I give these to you?”

Starlight looked at them inquisitively, until she realized that they were Sunset's daily reports.  “Yes,” she said, setting them aside, “I'll make sure Twilight gets them.”

“Good” the other yawned again.  She looked over the breakfast options.  “Don't you ever eat anything else?”

“Why not stick to what you know you like?  We do switch it up some days, though.”

Without a word, Sunset filled her plate with some fruit and a muffin, and settled down at the table.

The two sat in silence.  Starlight at a loss of how to begin conversation and Sunset in a state of disinterest.

“So, um, that trunk that came for you yesterday...”

“What about it?”

“May I ask what was in it?”

“No.”

Starlight's awkwardness meter rose slightly.  “Oh...”  There was another silent pause before she started again.  “Did you sleep well?”  Sunset looked like she hadn't slept a wink.

“Depends on your definition of 'well'.  If you mean that I slept through the night, then, no.  If you mean that I achieved the required amount of rest, then, no.  If you mean that I slept soundly, and pleasantly, then, no.”

“Weird dreams still bothering you?”

“At this point, it's hard to tell.  I feel like I'm still in one.”  She gave her inquisitor a hard stare. 

Starlight returned to her berries.

Sunset finished her breakfast in silence.  Dumping her plate into the sink, she returned to Starlight.  “I understand that you have a list of things for me to do today.  Why don't you just go ahead and give it to me so I can be on my way?”

Starlight held up the list, but snatched it away before Sunset could grab it.  “There's one more thing.”

Sunset rolled her eyes.  “Ugh, isn't there always?”

“All these things, you have to do with me.”  She winced when she saw Sunset's expression.

“You're kidding me, right?”

“Nope.  Princess Twilight has put together a series of friendship exercises, and that's something that can't be done alone.”

Sunset let out a sigh.  “Okay, what are these exercises?”  She returned to her seat at a the table and glanced over the list.  She frowned as she scanned each item.  “I don't get it.  We're just going to, basically, hang out?”

“Pretty much.” Starlight nodded, “That's what friends do.  Bear in mind, these are merely suggestions.  So, we don't have to to them all today.”

For the first time that morning, Sunset gave a smile.  Albeit, a devious one.  “Well then, this should be easy.”  She rolled, up the list.  “Okay, I'll play your game.  Where do we start?”

“How about right here?  One of the things is to just have a conversation.”

“Okay, talk.”

Starlight shook her head and smiled.  “Doesn't work that way.  These are your exercises.  I'm just the recipient.”

Sunset released a low growl.  “Fine.  What do you want me to talk about?”

“Well, tell me a little about yourself.”

“I'm Princess Celestia's student and the most gifted unicorn in all of Equestria.  Next.”

“Well,” Starlight waned, “that's a start.  How about you elaborate?  Uh, before you do, you want some tea?”

That actually sounded appealing to Sunset.  As Starlight started up the kettle, she continued: “I was born in Canterlot and started my lessons under Princess Celestia when I was six.  Since then, I've lived in the castle, and that's about it.”

“No family?” Starlight inquired.  Though she already knew the truth, she was curious as to what a younger Sunset Shimmer would have answered.

“I don't associate with them.”

“Don't you ever want to see them?”

“Why?  They never understood me and, now, they would only be a hindrance.”

Starlight gave a sad sigh.  "I sorta understand.  My dad and I are kinda the same way."

Sunset's ears perked up.  "What about your mom?"

"She died.  When I was really little."

"Oh..." Sunset's ears flopped, "I'm sorry.  Do you remember her?"

"Vaguely.  I have a few memories of her.  But, It's been mostly just me and my dad."  A slight smile crept across her face.  Every so often, Starlight was reminded of how much she missed home.  How much she missed her father.  It had been years since they'd last seen each other.  Despite a few letters now and then, the two had barely spoken.  Even with all his requests for her to come home, Starlight still stayed away.  As much as she would have loved to go home, she knew it would only make matters worse.  Actually, the reasons Sunset gave were the reasons she had left.

A whistle from the kettle threw her from her thoughts.  She poured the water into to pot and allowed the tea to steep.  Setting it on the table, she grabbed cups and spoons.

“Okay,” she said, “so, no family.  But, what about friends?  Surely, you must have some fillies you hang out with at school?”

“I found the same problem with friends as I did with family.  Yeah, there are some ponies at school I can stand.  But, for the most part, I find them annoying.”

“How so?”

“They don't take anything seriously.  All they want to do is hang out, and have fun.  But, we're at an elite magic school.  Not just any unicorn can get in.  We're the best and brightest our tribe has to offer.  And they don't want to prove it?” she shook her head, “I just don't get it.”

The room fell silent for a while as Starlight dispensed the tea.  “What about you and Princess Celestia?”

Sunset tested her tea.  “She's my teacher.  Nothing more.”  It needed milk.

“From what I've heard, she's a bit more than just a teacher.”

“Well, I suppose you could also call her my guardian.”

From the tone in her voice, Starlight got the sense that Sunset wanted it to be something more.  She remembered how Sunset had once mentioned that she had often thought of Princess Celestia as her parent, but, it had always been a strained relationship.  Starlight realized she was seeing a little bit of it now.  When Sunset returned with the milk jug, she though best not to further press.

“Was there anything else?” Sunset asked.

“No,” Starlight sipped her tea, “I think that satisfies this portion exercise.  There will be more to follow, but, right now, let's just enjoy our tea.”

Sunset frowned.  “This is another exercise, isn't it?”

“Maybe...”

---

Twilight let out a giant yawn as she stepped onto the railway platform.  She was so tired, but didn't want to risk sleeping on the train for risk of missing her stop.

“Need a hoof, your highness?”

Twilight glanced over to see a porter trotting up to her.  “Those look pretty heavy” he said.

“Uh, yes,” she replied, “Thank-you.”  The two small wooden crates were loaded onto a cart, and Twilight crawled right in with them.

“Home, your highness?”

“Yes, please.”

It was a short ride between the train station and the castle.  However, Twilight knew she wouldn't have been able to walk it.  She doubted she would even be able to make it from the door to her bed.  Upon arrival, Moondancer dealt with the porter while Spike dealt with Twilight.

“You overdid it again, didn't you?” he scolded.

Twilight nodded off, only to catch herself.  “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

The dragon rolled her eyes.  “Sure, you don't.”  He propped himself under Twilight and helped her up the stairs.  “Come on, let's get you to bed.”

“Where are Starlight and Sunset?”

“They're out following your list.”

“Hm?  Good.”  She leaned closer to Spike, “I think they're going to be good friends.”

---

“So, why do ponies do this?”

“Because it's relaxing.”

“So is sleeping, but we're not doing that.”

Starlight chuckle lightly as she let out more string for her kite.  “Don't you just enjoy watching something?”

“You mean something trying to free itself?  Because, that's what we're doing.”

Starlight turned her gaze to the two kites flying above them.  They bobbed in the wind and threatened to yank the spool from her grasp.  In a way, Sunset was right.  She'd never actually thought of kites that way.  “You don't get to fly a lot of kites in Canterlot, do you?”

Sunset shrugged.  “They're parks where ponies do that sort of thing.  But, Canterlot is also a big city.  It's not as open as Ponyville.  Most of the time, the buildings would get in your way.”

“So, what do you do for fun?”

“Study spells and practice magic.”

“I mean, aside from that.”

Sunset adjusted her string length.  Not that she needed to, but more of a nervous motion.  Almost as if she were to disclose her most guilty pleasure.  “I kinda dabble in art.”

“You draw?”

“Paint, mostly.”

“What's your favorite subject?”

“Apocalyptic landscapes.”  She laughed at the expression Starlight gave her.  “Sorry,” she chuckled, “I couldn't refuse!”

Starlight let out a light laugh.  Until she saw Sunset's face and, for a moment, she thought she saw her friend again.  She felt her heart sink slightly.

Sunset's own laughter began to die down.  “But, I really do paint.  Flowers, mostly; any sort of still-life.”

"Hmm..." Starlight said, thoughtfully, "Maybe we can do that next."

"Maybe..."

---

Twilight blinked as the afternoon sun glared through her window.  While she hadn't intended to sleep the day away, it was what she needed.  Rolling over, she let out a stretch and a wide yawn.  'Much better,' she smiled.

She encountered Moondancer on her way downstairs.  “About time you got up” she teased.

“Very funny” Twilight playfully sneered.  “Have everything you needed?”

The scholar nodded.  “Yep, and a little more.  I'm just taking a short break to clear my head.  I've started thinking exclusively in Old Ponish.”

“That's not a bad thing...”

“It is when you're trying to talk to others.  Spike came in and I greeted him with an ancient salutation.  For a while, neither of us could penetrate the language barrier.”

Twilight fought down a laugh.  “Okay, I'll give you that.  Spike never really took to Old Ponish.  He knows a few words and phrases from the times he's helped me study.  But, he can't really hold conversation.”

“Yeah, well, I think he may start carrying around a phrase book.  Just in case it happens again.”

“Speaking of which, where is he now?”

“In the library, preparing for Sunset.  He said there are wraps in the fridge for you.  We had an early lunch.”

Twilight smiled.  “Good, that's where I was headed anyway.”  She called over her shoulder as she trotted off: “Ight de luzen yu innfut.”

“Oh, very funny!” her friend replied.

Just as Moondancer said, there were two vegetable wraps on a plate in the refrigerator.  Twilight grabbed them, and a bowl of haysticks, and settled quietly at the table.  She pulled out Sunset's daily reports, which Starlight had left for her in her room.  Though she really didn't have to read them, a certain curiosity had its hold on her.  Opening the first scroll, she glanced at the first line:

Friendship is madness.  Madness is chaos.  Chaos is mayhem.  Mayhem is Pain.  Pain is control.  Control is power.  Power is magic.

Twilight unrolled the rest of the report with a sigh.  This was going to be a long read.

---

Lunchtime rolled around and both ponies found themselves rather hungry.

“Hayburgers good with you?” Starlight asked.

Sunset shrugged.  “I normally go for the grilled carrotdogs, but, sure, could go for something greasy.  Beats old mare breakfast food.”

With hot burgers in hand, they seated themselves at a table.

Sunset looked inquisitively at the sandwich before taking a giant bite out of it.  Starlight watched on, greatly amused.  “You don't eat a whole lot of fast food, do you?”

Sunset swallowed down her morsel.  “Not really.  Princess Celestia is always insisting that I eat healthy, and that extends to the school cafeteria.  Plus, I have free reign of the castle kitchen.  So, yeah, I really have no reason to go out and get fast food.  All these same,” she took another bite, “it's pretty good!”

They stopped for ice cream cones on their walk back to the castle.

“Don't tell Princess Twilight this” Sunset said, licking off a melting drop, “but, this was kinda fun.”

Starlight let out a chuckle.  “Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.  I'll tell her we had the most miserable time.”

"Um...Starlight?"

"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow, noting the hesitation in Sunset's voice.

"About your dad" Sunset said slowly, "Don't let you two stay apart for too long."

Starlight stopped, shocked.  Not only because that wasn't something she had expected to hear from this Sunset, but because a much older, wiser, Sunset Shimmer had told her the same thing.  Though now, she felt more compelled to consider that advice.

---

Sunset poked her head into the library.  This wasn't the same room she saw when she first arrived.  This was much larger, and brighter.  She began to wonder just how many libraries there were.

“There you are!” came a chipper voice.  Spike came pattering up to meet her.  “Hope you and Starlight had a good morning.”

“It was a morning” Sunset said, simply.

“Well,” the dragon smiled, “I hope you're ready for a bit of work.”  He handed Sunset a scroll and pen.  “You'll be needing these.”

Sunset looked to him with a raised eyebrow.  “What kind of 'work' is this?”

Spike gestured to the stacks of books.  “Princess Twilight is the middle of reorganizing all the libraries...”

“All the libraries?”  Spike didn't seem to hear her.

“...and it's our job to catalog what is here.  Just go down the shelves and write the title of every book.”

Sunset slightly jumped.  “You're kidding, right?  This could take us days!”

“Weeks, actually.”

“You do this often?”

Spike smiled proudly.  “Good organization is all part of castle upkeep!”

“This is insane!”

“You know what's more insane?”  He gave a sly smile.  “Not being able to find the book you need.”

Sunset only groaned.

---

The afternoon dragged into evening just as Sunset had expected.  While she had covered some considerable ground, there was still a whole world left to chart.  To her surprise, however, she had come across some interesting titles, and was compiling a list of her own of books she would want to read later.

Though, those books were in another section.  Her current area contained books that one would have to tricked into reading.  With a bored yawn, she picked up the next book in line.  Daring, Dastardly, and Dangerous Adventures of Garden Snails.

“Sounds like a real page-turner...”  Next book: More Daring, Dastardly, and Dangerous Adventures of Garden Snails.

“Ugh...”  Next book: Even More Daring, Dastardly, and Dangerous Adventures of Garden Snails.

“Seriously?”  Next book.  “Oh, they added 'delightful' to this title.”

“How ya doing, Sunset?”

“Please tell me Princess Twilight doesn't personally seek out and acquire these things.”

Spike let out a laugh.  “No, we constantly have publishers sending us books.  Hence, why we're constantly reorganizing.  But, get yourself to a good stopping point.  Starlight's getting ready to serve dinner.”

Sunset released a frustrated sigh.  She couldn't figure which was a lesser fate: sorting through the adventures of garden snails, or Starlight's cooking.

---

Moondancer was the first to arrive for dinner.  “Will just be the four of us, Starlight.”

“Why?  What happened?”

“Twilight had to run off.  She got another message from Sunset's friends.”

Starlight placed the steaming hay noodles on the table.  “Good news, I hope.”

The bespectacled unicorn shrugged. “Didn't say.  But, the way she ran out of here, it looked like it was an emergency.”
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie let out a stretch.  After hours of sitting at a desk, it felt good to let everything out.  That, added with the prospect of lunch, made for a very good feeling.  She walked to her locker and began putting away her items from the morning.

“Hey, Trixie!” came a joyful chime.

Trixie turned to see Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush walking up to greet her.  She waved to them.  “What's up, girls?”

“Oh, nothing much” replied Lavender, “What about you?  Haven't seen you around much lately.”

“Been busy.”

“A new magic act?” Fuchsia smiled, excitedly, “You know you can always count on us to assist.”

“Not a magic act, per se” Trixie grinned, “I did, however, finally master the Magician's Exit.”

The girls let out a squeal of excitement.

“Still has a few squeaks,” Trixie continued, “but mass improvement.”

“That's great!” smiled Lavender, “But, seriously?  What have you been doing?  We saw you running around with Sunset Shimmer the other day, and figured something was up.”

“Yeah,” Fuchsia looked concerned, “that girl is all sorts of magic bad news.”

Trixie held up her hands.  “Believe me, I'd tell you if I could.”

Lavender crossed her arms.  “Okay, be that way.  Just be careful.  Sunset's got some pretty weird and powerful magic surrounding her.”

“Oh, ye of little faith!” Trixie smirked, “It's nothing the Great and Powerful Trixie can't handle.”

The show of confidence didn't help Lavender's concern.  “Just promise us you'll be careful.”

“Hey,” Fuchsia pointed down the hall, “Who's that over there?”

“Hm?”  Trixie craned her neck around her locker door to see.  “Oh, that's Wallflower Blush.  Strange girl.  Claims we've known each other since the third grade.”

“Huh,” pondered Lavender, “I was with you in third grade.  Don't remember her.”

“Any relation of yours?” Trixie asked Fuchsia.

“Not that I'm aware of.”

Lavender looked perplexed.  “Why I she just standing there staring into her locker?”

“That's not her locker.” Trixie frowned, “That's Sunset Shimmer's.”  She stepped around the other girls and made her way up to Wallflower.  “Um, hey, Wallflower.”

“Hi.”  It was a barely audible whisper.

Trixie forced out a friendly smile.  “Whatcha doing?”

Wallflower seemed greatly confused.  “I... don't know.  I thought I was going into my locker.  But...”

Trixie crossed her arms.  “This isn't your locker.”

“I see that... now...”

“Are you feeling okay?”  She reached out to the gardener, but the girl shrunk away.

“I... I think so... I had better get to my locker.”  She bolted past Trixie and ran down the hall.

“That was odd” said Lavender and she and Fuchsia rejoined Trixie.  They had witnessed the whole interaction from Trixie's locker.

Trixie closed and locked Sunset's locker, in deep thought.  “Yeah, it was...”

---

“I just witnessed the weirdest thing with Wallflower” Trixie said, setting her lunch tray on the table.  She saw the collective stares of the Rainbooms.  “What?”

“Nothin'” replied Applejack, “Only that we thought she went home this mornin'.”

“She wasn't feeling very well” Fluttershy explained, “Last we saw her, she in the office waiting for her grandfather to pick her up.”

“Well, that didn't happen” Trixie took a sip of her drink, “Because I just had a chat with her in the hallway.”

“What was she doing?” asked Rarity.

“She was in Sunset's locker.  Not doing anything.  Just staring there.  It was kinda creepy.”  She let out a shudder.  “Who all knows Sunset's locker combination?”

“Well,” replied Twilight, “we all do.”

“We have the combinations to each other's lockers” Rainbow clarified.

“I don't need locker combinations” beamed Pinkie with pride.

“Hey, girls!” came a chipper shout.  A lunch tray plopped onto the table and a  new chair was added.

“Um, Wallflower?” Rarity hesitated, “What are you doing?”

“Just enjoying lunch with my friends, of course!” Wallflower laughed, “We are friends, aren't we?”  She looked at the blank expressions around the table.  “Why am I getting an odd feeling of deja vus?

“You're not the only one” said Rainbow.

“Well, of course we're friends!” smiled Pinkie.  She jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around the green girl, “We're not gonna let what happened last weekend come between us.  It's always nice to welcome a new friend!”

“At this rate,” Applejack grumbled into her apple, “we're gonna need a bigger table.”

“New friend?” Wallflower asked.

“Say, Wallflower,” Applejack quickly changed the subject, “that's a pretty impressive garden you've got there.”

Wallflower's face lit up.  “You really think so?”

“Yer talkin' to a farmer after all” Applejack grinned, “I may tend fruits and vegetables, but a garden's a garden.”

Wallflower blushed.  “Thanks.”  She nibbled lightly on her sandwich.  “So,” she said, “any word on how Sunset is doing?  Are they any closer to getting her memories back?”

“No change, I'm afraid,” replied Twilight, idly prodding her food.  “No update from the princess since last night, either.”

“Well, she and Starlight Glimmer are pretty bright.  So, I'm sure they'll come up with something.”  She shrunk back slightly when she saw the puzzled glances around the table.

“Who's Starlight Glimmer?” Trixie asked.

“That's what I want to know” replied Rarity.  She leaned in closer.  “Wallflower, darling, how do you know of Starlight?”

Wallflower froze.  “I... um... I...”  She put her hands to her head, “I don't know!”

“It's okay” Fluttershy reached out to the green girl.

“No!” Wallflower yelled, “It's not!”  She jumped up from her seat and ran from the cafeteria.

The table sat in dumbfounded silence.

“See?” Pinkie cried, gesturing in the general direction Wallflower had run, “Acting.  Weird.”

Rainbow was the first to rise from her seat.  “We'd better keep a close eye on here for the rest of the day.”

"You do that," said Twilight, pulling out the journal, "I gotta report this to the princess."

Trixie couldn't take being ignored any longer.  “Who is Starlight Glimmer?”

---

Thankfully, the afternoon went on without incident.  Despite their best efforts, though, Wallflower seemed to have successfully avoided the Rainbooms.

“I know Princess Twilight said for us to keep an eye on her,” Rainbow said, “but, for a girl who complains so much about being invisible, she certainly does a good job at not being seen.”  She and Fluttershy walked towards the statue base where Rarity and Twilight were already seated.

“I just hope we can find her soon” said Rarity.

“Me, too” added Twilight, “If what we witnessed at lunch is any indication, she may be in serious danger.”

“You really think Sunset's memories are in Wallflower?” Fluttershy asked.

“Everything seems to add up” replied Rarity, “She was there at the time, and in close proximity to the stone.”

“Well, she ain't in the buildin'” Applejack said, approaching the group, “Pinkie and I checked everywhere, even Sunset's old hidin' spots.”

“It's like she vanished!” added the party girl.

“No sign of her on the soccer field, either” said Rainbow.

Trixie came from around the side of the school building.  “The garden's a bust as well.”

“Well, she didn't come this way” Rarity said, “Twilight and I have been sitting out here since the last bell.”

Twilight pondered a bit.  “That all is assuming Wallflower didn't skip class.  With her having Sunset's memories, it's very likely that she's acting like Sunset as well.”

“But, Sunset doesn't cut class... that much.”

Applejack rolled her eyes.  “Yer one to talk, RD.”

Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie and Trixie:  “You two seem to be the masters of disappearing and reappearing.  Have any ideas?”

Trixie took a firm stance and crossed her arms, insulted that she would be asked to divulge the mysteries of her craft.  “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

Pinkie only shrugged.  “For me, it just happens.”

“Oh, thank goodness, there you are!” came a shout from down the street.

The girls looked over to see Wallflower Blush running up the sidewalk.  “Girls!” she panted, “I need your help!”  She stopped before the group and help up a set of keys.  “My keys won't work on my apartment door.  And the landlady won't let me in.  She even threatened to call the cops on me unless I left.  The nerve!  I've been nothing but a good tenant for years!”

“Calm down, Wallflower,” Rarity put a hand on the girl's back, “Why do you want to get into your apartment?”

“It's Ray!” Wallflower cried, “I haven't fed or watered him in days!  And it's well-past his last feeding day!”  She fell to her knees and sobbed, “I'm a horrible parent!”

“Okay,” Trixie whispered to the other girls, “who is Ray?”

Fluttershy made her way to Wallflower and gently took the girl's hands.  “Sun—Wallflower, Ray is fine.  Applejack and I went to pick him up Monday night.  He's at my house.”

Wallflower sniffled, “R-really?”

Fluttershy smiled and nodded.  “Why don't we sit down for a while.  You seem exhausted.”  She led Wallflower to the statue base and set her down.

“How's that headache, sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“Not much better.”  Wallflower wiped her nose on her sleeve, “But, I also don't want to go home.”

“We understand, darling” Rarity rubbed Wallflower's back, “Just know we're here for you.  So, just try to relax.”

“But I can't!” Wallflower hissed, “I can't find my geode, my journal... any of my stuff!”

Twilight quickly, and stealthily, pushed Sunset's journal further into her knapsack.

“Do you have the key to the yearbook room?” Trixie asked.

Wallflower dug into her pants pocket and soon produced a key on a camera key ring.

“Well,” Rarity smiled, “that solves that mystery.”

“I'm not quite sure how I came to have it” said Wallflower.  She handed it to Rarity.  “You had better take this.  You're the vice president after all.  With Sunset gone...” A blank expression fell over her face, “I...”

“Shh...” Fluttershy cooed, “It's okay.  Just let it go.”

The other girls had moved off to the side where they could talk privately.

“This ain't good” Applejack said in a low voice.

“You're telling me” replied Rainbow, “Wallflower's gone, like, all Jekyll and Hyde.”

“More like Jekyll meeting Hyde” Twilight looked over her shoulder.

“Can't anything be done?” Trixie asked.

Twilight shook her head, “Wallflower belongs in this world.  Princess Twilight doesn't want to bring her to Equestria unless she absolutely has to.  For now, all we can do is help her feel comfortable.  We need some way to monitor her overnight.”

Pinkie's eyes lit up.  “Does that mean...?”

Applejack let out a sigh.  “Yes, Pinkie.”

---

Surprisingly, Wallflower's grandparents seemed unconcerned about their granddaughter spending the night at a stranger's house.  In fact, they seemed overjoyed at the idea.  Her grandmother even went so far as packing Wallflower's overnight bag and dropping it off at Pinkie's house.

“Wow,” Twilight looked shocked, watching Wallflower's grandmother drive away from Pinkie's bedroom window, “even my parents aren't that excited for me to get out of the house.”

“I don't really like leaving them alone” Wallflower said, sorting through her bag.  Her tone hinting that she wished not to elaborate.

“Okay,” Pinkie checked her texts, “Trixie just picked up the pizzas.  Sodas are in the fridge and, if someone could help me with the snacks, we should be all set!”

“I've got ya, Pinks,” replied Rainbow, “right after I beat Applejack.”

“Ha!” the farm girl retorted.  She pressed the buttons on the video controller with great determination, “Fat chance!”

Rainbow let out a growl.  The race was almost over and, while she had the lead, Applejack was coming up fast.  At the last minute, Applejack used her power-up, coming up and surpassing Rainbow, crossing the finish line first.

“What?” Rainbow yelled, “Oh, come-on!”  She threw the controller down and got up to join Pinkie Pie in the kitchen, grumbling as she went.  “...and I thought playing against Sunset was bad.”

“Sunset says I'm worse” Fluttershy said, rather confused, “I don't understand why.”

Applejack let out a laugh.  She turned to Wallflower and offered up the free controller.  “Wanna give it a try?”

“Um...” Wallflower said, uneasily, “I don't really play video games.”

“It's pretty easy.  Come on, we can run one of the practice tracks, if you want.”

“Okay...”  Wallflower sat down next to Applejack.  She listened intently as Applejack explained what the different buttons did and how the game worked.

“Ya think ya got it?”

“Um... yeah...”

“Okay” Applejack smiled.  She opened the menu and began browsing through the various levels.  “Since yer new ta this, and our guest, I'll let you choose the track.”  She handed her controller to Wallflower.

Wallflower looked at the different races.  After sorting through a few, she finally came across one she liked.  Applejack gulped when she saw Wallflower's selection.

“Yer sure about that, sugar?”

Wallflower nodded slowly, as if she, herself, was unsure.

“Isn't that Sunset's favorite track?” Twilight whispered to Rarity.

Rarity looked up from painting Twilight's toenails.  “Yeah,” she replied, “she plays it almost all the time.”  The two watched from the bed as Wallflower chose her car and character.  “Those are Sunset's usual choices as well.”

With an animated creature yelling “Go!”, the race was on.  Applejack tried her best to navigate the twists and turns, but even this level was a bit too advanced for her.  Wallflower, on the other hand, commanded her car with ease.

“Wow!” cried Fluttershy, as Wallflower completed a tricky maneuver, “Go, Wallflower!”

“Who's side are you on?” Applejack yelled.  She fought to keep control of her vehicle, but an in-game cheat had made the road slick.  She let out a low growl as her car and character fell off the edge of the track and into the abyss.

With her human opponent far behind, Wallflower focused on reaching the end.  She swiftly took out the remaining A.I. characters and crossed the finish line, effectively winning the race.

“Woot!” she raised her hands in triumph.  She looked over to Applejack and blushed, “Er... sorry, Applejack.”

“It's okay,” Applejack said with a light chuckle, “Just glad to see ya havin' some fun.”

“Hey, guys,” Rainbow poked her head in the doorway, “Trixie's just arrived with the pizzas and—Woah!  Sweet score!”

Wallflower turned to the screen.  A blinking line showed her where she had landed on the scoreboard.  She was third.  All the other high scores were held by “SunShim”.

“Well,” Applejack nodded, “that there spot is yers, go ahead an' put yer name in.”

Wallflower hesitated before finally entering “WallBlush”.

“Cool!” smiled Rainbow, “Now, come on, my pizza's getting cold.”

---

Several slices had already been handed out by the time the girls reached the table.

Partway through dinner, Trixie who had seated herself towards the center, began showing off her repertoire of party tricks.

“You're pretty good” Fluttershy clapped, “How long have you been doing this?”

“Oh, about since first grade” Trixie had to think about it, “I know I had perfected a few tricks by the time I was in the third grade.”

“Trust me,” Wallflower groaned, “you couldn't get her to stop.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows, “You two have known each other for that long?”

Trixie face turned bright red.  “Er...”  She didn't want to bring up again the fact that she didn't remember Wallflower.

“We've been in every class together since the third grade” Wallflower said, fiddling with her pizza.

“So,” Rarity said, “you two also went to the same middle school?”

“Not exactly” Trixie said, “Our school was K through eight.”

“Well,” Applejack took a bite of pizza, “we already know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were at Canterlot Middle together.  Who else went where?  I attended Everfree Academy myself.”

“That's a tiny school, isn't it?” asked Rainbow.

“Yep, but Granny liked it 'cause it was close to home.  Lotsa farmers send their kids there.”

“I went to Crystal Prep” Rarity coughed.  She smiled sheepishly at the stares from around the table.

“Maybe I should clarify” offered Twilight, “Crystal Prep has a middle school and a high school.  I also went through their middle school.”

“HA!” Rainbow burst into a fit of laughter, pointing a finger at the fashionista, “I can just imagine you in a stuffy, conforming, uniform!”

Rarity chose to ignore Rainbow.  “Odd,” she pondered aloud, “I don't recall seeing you there, Twilight.  Though, now that you mention it, I did hear rumors of this really smart girl who took all private classes in the basement.”

“It wasn't the basement!”

“If you were already going to the middle school,” said Fluttershy, “why did you change to CHS?”

Rarity let out a slight chuckle, “As my parents put it: Crystal Prep has several reputations.  One of them is less... um... desirable.”

Twilight slumped.  “I know what you mean.”

“I guess we all kinda do” Applejack fiddled with some chips, “but you two didn't turn out that way.  Especially you, Twi.”

“How 'bout you, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow said, “Where did you go before CHS?”

“Right here” Pinkie smiled, “I was home-schooled.  Same with all my sisters.”

Silence fell over the dinner table.

Trixie gave the moment ponder.  “That explains... so much.”

---

With full stomachs and all loaded-up on sugar, the girls retired to Pinkie's bedroom.  Despite it still being early, amidst the video gaming, nail painting and just general goofing off, the girls soon, one by one, nodded off to sleep.

The one last awake, Twilight took the moment to send a message off to her Equestrian counterpart.  She grabbed her knapsack and snuck out to the kitchen, so not to disturb anybody.

Seating herself at the kitchen island with a glass of water, she opened Sunset's journal to a blank page.  She tapped her pen for a moment, thinking of the words to send.

“Dear Princess Twilight,” she began.  She couldn't ever think of a better opener, and that's how Sunset normally started her writings.  So, Twilight figured why not follow suite.

“Hope Sunset is still doing okay.

“Things are pretty much the same over here.  We've brought Wallflower in for a sleepover at Pinkie Pie's.  She's sleeping now.  But, it's becoming more and more evident that she has Sunset's memories.  I fear that they may be dominating over her own as she's acting more and more like Sunset Shimmer.

“I'm worried of what she may do if her memories and Sunset's collide.

“Please write back soon.

“- Twilight Sparkle”

“Hey, Twilight” said a soft voice.

Twilight shot up to see Wallflower leaning in the door way.  Twilight's heart sped up.  'How long has she been standing there?'  She swallowed down her fear, “H-hey, Wallflower.  W-what are you doing up?”

Wallflower let out a stretch and waltzed over to the refrigerator.  “Got a little dry.  Guess I didn't drink enough with dinner.”  She froze as she opened the door.  “Wow... they really love their whipped cream.”

“No,” Twilight laughed, “just Pinkie.”

Wallflower around dug a little.  Finding only soda, she settled for some tap water.  “So,” she said, “what are you doing up?”

“Oh,” Twilight tittered, closing the journal and covering it as best she could, “I have a heard time sleeping.  Brain just keeps going, you know?”  It wasn't a complete lie.  She often found herself up late thinking about various things.  Only after a couple hours of wild brainstorming, would she finally fall asleep from sheer exhaustion.

“Oh... I guess you smart people are like that.  So many ideas... and stuff.”

Twilight only gave a broad smile.  It quickly went away as the journal vibrated and lit up beneath her.  “Not now!” she hissed under her breath.

The buzz didn't miss Wallflower's attention.  She looked to the other girl with a raised eyebrow.  “What was that?”

Twilight's heart raced.  “That?  Oh!  That was... um... my phone!”

“That didn't sound like a phone”  Wallflower frowned.  She stepped closer, “What are you hiding.”

“Nothing!”

Wallflower pushed Twilight aside.  “My journal!” she gasped, “You had it this whole time?”

“Wallflower, wait!”

“What have you been writing to Princess Twilight?”

“Wallflower,” Twilight pleaded, “don't!”

Wallflower turned to Twilight.  “Don't what?  Read my own journal?”

“You don't understand!”

“Oh, I think I understand perfectly.”  Wallflower flipped open the journal.

Twilight, in a moment of desperation, did the only thing she could think of to do.  She jumped Wallflower and the two fell to the floor.

The girls struggled on the cold tile before Wallflower got the upper hand.  She pinned Twilight down, pressed a knee her stomach, and enclosed a hand upon her throat.  Wallflower raised a clenched fist, “I never thought you would turn on me!”

Struggling for breath, Twilight managed to let out one cry for help.  In a short time, the weight was lifted from her and she could breath again.  She scrambled backward, 'till her back made contact with the cabinetry.  She leaned back, catching her breath, Rarity and Fluttershy were swiftly at her side.

On the other side of the kitchen, Rainbow and Applejack firmly held down a kicking and screaming Wallflower.  “Why?” she demanded, tears streamed from her eyes, “Why would you betray me?  After all we've been through.  I thought we were friends!  Twilight, we've been through so much together!”

“I never did anything with you!” Twilight shot back.  Only after realizing what she had said.  She covered her mouth with her hands.  Probably not the best words to say to someone who had your best friend's memories.

Wallflower stopped her thrashing and looked to Twilight in dead silence.  The sadness in her eyes.  Twilight had to turn away.  She had seen the same expression in Sunset Shimmer.  This time, the look was even more heartbreaking.

“Twilight,” Wallflower's voice broke, “please.  Girls, we're friends, right?”  A new wave of sobs hit her.  “Why is it no one remembers?”

“Uh... Pinkie...” Rarity whispered.

Pinkie already had the journal.  “Yep, on it.”
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Twilight leapt through the portal, taking little time to adjust to two legs.  This was twice now she had to make the jump on short notice.  She hoped Pinkie was over-exaggerating.  If Wallflower had, indeed, turned violent, then they were in for a bigger problem.

She rounded the corner and soon got a line of sight on Pinkie's house.  Panting as she approached, she rang the doorbell.  It wasn't long before the door opened and a pink hand reached out to drag her into the residence.

Twilight was pushed into the kitchen were she saw her counterpart sitting on the floor, visibly shaken and Wallflower sitting on the opposite wall, being stared down by Rainbow and Applejack.  Even with Pinkie's note, Twilight had trouble discerning the scene.

“Somepo—body want to explain what happened?”

“Twilight!” came a cry.  Before she could react, Princess Twilight was receiving one of the biggest hugs she'd ever received.

“Wallflower?” she surmised.

“You now me?” a light came to the green girl's face.

“Why, yes” Princess Twilight hesitated, “Yes, I do.”

“Oh, thank Celestia!  Twilight, tell them we're friends” she gestured to the other girls gathered,  “They don't believe me.”

Twilight bit her lip.  She really didn't want to lie. It was bad enough she had to constantly lie to Sunset--and she had enough of a time keeping up with the ones she told her.  She pushed her anguish further inward.  “We're... we're friends, Wallflower.

"We're all friends.”

“I knew it!” Wallflower cried, pulling the princess aside.   “Twilight,” she spoke in a low voice, “you've got to help me.  I think someone erased their minds with Equestrian magic.”

“What sort of magic?”  More internal tears.

“I dunno, something to make them forget me.”  She paused, her eyes becoming wide.  “Oh-no!  Suppose someone has used the Memory Stone on them!”

“Wallflower...” Twilight tried to be gentle, “the Memory Stone—”

“Was destroyed, I know.  The question is who would want to—ack!”  Wallflower doubled over, her hands raised to her head.

Princess Twilight reached out to grab the falling girl.  However, she proved too heavy for her and both fell onto the floor.  Twilight wrapped her arms around Wallflower, holding her tightly.  “It's okay,” she whispered, “Just try to breath.”

Wallflower let out another scream of agony.  The heels of her palms pressing firmly into her temples.

“Wallflower,” Twilight tried to snap the poor girl out of it, “talk to me.  What is going on?”

“It hurts!”

“I know.  What are you seeing?”

Wallflower let out another cry and, for a moment, she found clarity.  “Me and... me?  Gah!  I don't know!”

“Shhh...” Twilight comforted her, tightening her hug.  “It's okay.” she whispered, “It's all going to be okay.”  She prayed that wasn't a lie.

“No, it's not!” the girl sobbed, “I'm losing myself, Twilight!  I'm losing myself and I don't know where I'm going!”  She buried her face into Twilight's shoulder and wept.

Princess Twilight bit the inside of her lip as she thought of what to do.  She felt the strong urge to bring Wallflower with her back to Equestria.  However, there were many things to consider when it came to bringing someone through the portal.

Under normal circumstances, Sunset would have used her new geode magic to see into Wallflower's mind.  However, these circumstances were anything but normal.  Taking Wallflower to Equestria may be her only option.

“Wallflower,” she said, kindly, “how would you like to make little trip with me?”

The green girl sniffled.  “To where?”

“To Equestria.  I think there may be somepony there who may be able to help you.”

“Will I be gone long?”

“Hopefully, no.  It will just be for the night.  We'll be back by morning.”

Wallflower slowly backed away from Twilight and wiped her eyes.  She gave a brief moment of thought before weakly nodding.  “Okay.”

“Good” Twilight smiled, “Let's get your jacket and shoes and we'll be on our way.”

“Shouldn't I get dressed?”

“Believe me” the princess chuckled, “it doesn't matter all that much there.”

Despite Twilight's words, Wallflower still insisted on getting out of her pajamas.  Once dressed she and Princess Twilight bid good night to the other girls and started their walk towards the portal.

“Oh,” Fluttershy whimpered, “I feel just terrible.”

Twilight Sparkle let out a dejected sigh.  “Tell me about it.”

“Look,” Rainbow tried to cheer them, “it's not like we could do anything else.  All this magic stuff is way over our heads.  At some point, we would have had to give it to Princess Twilight.”

Pinkie closed the front door with a heavy sigh, “Still doesn't make things feel any better.  I just wish we could do more to help.”

Applejack stretched out a yawn.  “Well, not much else we can do tonight.  Might as well get back to bed.”  She lead the way back to Pinkie's room, but stopped short of bumping into an all-blue girl.

Trixie yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  “What's all the ruckus?”

---

Wallflower clung awkwardly to Princess Twilight as they walked to Canterlot High School.  She eyed the other girl wearily, as if not sure what to make of her.

“I feel like I know you” she said, “But I don't think that I do.  Do I know you?”

Twilight bit her lip.  Unsure of Wallflower's exact state of mind, she had to choose her words carefully.  “In a manner of speaking.”

Wallflower raise an eyebrow.  “How so?”

“Well, you go to CHS and I've visited there a couple times.  I've been involved in two of the school's largest functions.  That's, st least, how a lot of the other students know me.  So, stands to reason, that's how you know me.”

“No,” Wallflower shook her head, “that's not it.  Gotta be something else.”

Fearing another headache attack, Twilight fought her hardest to get Wallflower not to think about anything.  “Just try to clear your mind” she said, “Once we get to Equestria, we can try sorting this out again.”

Thankfully, she could see the silhouette of the school building in the moonlight.  It wouldn't be long now before they were back in a land of predictable magic.  One of these days, she would have ask Sunset Shimmer how she could stand it.  That is, if she could talk to Sunset Shimmer again.

The girls stood before the rippling stone the two worlds.

“So,” Wallflower quaked, “what do I do?”

Twilight placed a gentle hand on Wallflower's shoulder.  “Give me a moment to go ahead and make sure everything is okay on the other side.  I'll jump through and, after a minute, you follow.

“What you want to do is lean forward a little bit.  The portal will transport you through in the same position you step into it.  So, you'll arrive there standing on your rear legs.  Leaning forward helps you get onto your front legs more easily.”

Wallflower gave Twilight a sleepy look.  “Oh... okay.”

The princess smiled and patted the girl's back.  “You'll see.  We'll have you there in no time.”  She stepped up to the portal and prepared to jump through.  “Just remember, give me a minute before you come through.”

She nodded.  “Got it.”  Wallflower watched as Princess Twilight took a step into the stone and was gone.  In deciphering a minute, she decided to count to sixty before taking the plunge herself.

The journey wasn't quite what she had come to expect.  Certainly, a rainbow kaleidoscope was not the first thing that came to mind when discussing wormholes to other dimensions.  Perhaps she had watched too many reruns of sci-fi shows, but Wallflower was expecting something a bit more spacey.

As Princess Twilight had said, entering the portal with a slight forward posture did allow for an easier shift from bipedal to quad.  Landing on her front hooves with an oomph!, Wallflower was quite happy with a seamless transition.

“Twilight!” she called out with glee, “I—”

She was cut off by a bolt of purple magic, and was soon sound asleep.

Twilight felt horrible for pulling such a cruel trick on Wallflower.  Yet, as she gently cradled the green earth pony in her aura, she couldn't help but rationalize it was for the best.  She would have to find some way of making it up to the poor girl later.

She carried Wallflower over to the sitting area and placed her gently on one of the sofas.  Grabbing a small blanket, she laid it over her sleeping guest and tried to make her more comfortable.

“So, this is where Sunset Shimmer's memories went to?”

“Princess Luna!” Twilight smiled, “So glad you could make it.”

“Your message sounded urgent” replied the night princess, “But, I didn't expect you to bring her here.”

“Little other choice.  You're the only one who can get into her mind and see what's going on.”

“I can look into her dreams, and that is all.  However, I doubt it will offer many clues to what you are searching for.”

“Please” Twilight begged.

Luna nodded.  “Very well.  Wait here.”

---

Wallflower looked about herself.  She was in a strange land, indeed, but she was most sure it wasn't Equestria.  For starters, she wasn't a pony.  However, despite being in human form, she knew she wasn't in Canterlot City either.

She turned around and around, trying to see where she was.  She was in a large, lush garden.  Despite it being night, flowers were blooming everywhere.  However, when she tried to see beyond its hedged walls, she saw only a black void where not even the moonlight could enter.

“Hello?” she cried out, “Can anyone hear me?”  She turned around, hoping to find an other being besides herself, “Is anyone there?”

A voice came from the darkness.  “I am here.”

Wallflower turned around again, but saw no one.  “H-hello?  Who's there.”

“I am.”

“I hear you, but I can't see you.  Where are you?”

“I am here.”  A tall figure emerged.  Wallflower's eyes widened when she saw who it was.

“Vice... Vice-Principal Luna?”

“Luna is my name” replied the figure.  A light smile crossed her face, “But I am not a vice-principal.”

“No,” Wallflower remarked, looking at Luna's flowing robes and glistening jewelry, “I suppose you're not.”

She gave the newcomer a good going over.  She was clothed in the night sky, which flowed in an invisible breeze.  Her feet were clad in silver shoes.  Silver cuff bracelets adorned her wrists.  They glistened as stars as she moved.  A black collar necklace hung around her neck.  In its center was a silver crescent moon.  Upon her brow sat a crown, black as midnight, but shone as the moon.  Though, what Wallflower found most fascinating was a little blue jewel which sat embedded in the middle of her forehead.

“Yep,” the girl surmised, “you're definitely not my vice-principal.”

The woman smiled.  “I have come to help you, Wallflower Blush.”

Wallflower was taken aback.  “Help me?”

“Yes.”

“H-how?”

“You tell me.”

Wallflower pondered for a moment.  What would it be that she needed help with?  Her thoughts were disrupted by a large explosion which shook the landscape.  “What was that?” she yelled.

“Something from deep in your subconscious” Luna replied, calmly, “What could be trying to get out?”

“More like something trying to get in” Wallflower replied, absentmindedly.

Luna raised an eyebrow.  “What, then, is trying to get in?”

Wallflower backed away, her face paled.  “The Notme.”

Another explosion; shortly followed by an other.  Soon, a whole volley of explosions.  Though nothing seemed to be destroyed, they certainly shook the earth beneath their feet.

Wallflower let out a cry, covering her ears with her hands.  “Please!  Make it stop!  Don't let it catch me!”  She curled up into a ball on the ground.  Around the garden, thick vines grew.  They twisted and weaved together to form fortified walls against the invader.

“Wallflower,” Luna's voice sounded calm above the chaos, “what is the Notme?”

“A monster” the girl replied, “It wants me.  It wants my garden.  It's already taken so much!”

A shrill whistle filled the air followed by a massive explosion.  This time, pieces of the thorn wall came raining down.  Wallflower released a frightened shout and Luna looked up at the hole caused by the intruder.

In it, she saw a fiery being.  It towered over them.  Its tentacles outstretched, it wrapped around the thorn wall and crushed it to splinters.  More vines rose to repair the damage, but they, too, were were swiftly discarded.

“Please!” Wallflower cried.  She reached out and grabbed onto Luna's robes, “Don't let it take me!  It's not a part of me and I don't know how to get rid of it!”

Before Luna could do anything, a flamed arm reached around Wallflower.  It flicked Luna backward and wrapped it self around Wallflower.

Wallflower screamed in terror as she was lifted up and brought towards the main body of the Notme.

“NO!” Luna shouted; her voice loud and commanding.  She brought a hand to her forehead and focused on her jewel.  A white light illuminated from it and spread throughout the rest of the garden.

When the light dimmed, the Notme and any trace of it was gone.

Wallflower let out a cry as she entered free-fall, but was soon safely engulfed in a nightly blue aura and safely down to the ground, where she was gently released onto the grass.

“Okay,” Wallflower gasped, “definitely not my vice-principal.”

Luna cocked her head, “I thought that was already established.”

“Well, there's no doubt now.”  She looked over to where the Notme once stood.  “Is... is it gone?”

“I'm afraid not” replied Luna, sadly, “I've only pushed it back for now.  What can you tell me about it?”

The girl hung her head.  “Not much I'm afraid.  It's only started showing up in the past couple days.  Always this fiery tentacled creature.”  She looked around.  “This garden used to be much larger.  It would stretch on for miles.  Slowly, the Notme has been absorbing it, tearing it apart and changing it into... well...”  She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Slowly, the black void melted away to reveal a different world.  One of fire, but not a fire that destroyed.

Luna looked at this new landscape in wonder.  Everywhere, life flames danced, created and grew.  There was something familiar about it.  Something integral to her very being.  She felt it tugging at her from within her breast.  Her eyes widened when she realized what it was.

This fire was magic.

“I used to be much larger” Wallflower continued, “I used to have more power.  The Notme has taken all of that from me.”

“Wallflower,” Luna placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, “we will find a way of destroying the Notme and restoring that which has been lost.”

The green girl looked up at the Night Princess with big hazel eyes.  “You sure we can?”

The princess gave a smile.  “Most sure.  I must go now.  But, I promise, I'll see you again.”

Wallflower wrapped her arms around Luna, giving her a big hug.  “Please hurry back!”

“I will try.  For now, get some sleep.  You need it.”  She placed a hand on Wallflower's head and the girl was soon in a deep sleep.

---

“You're back!” a cheerful voice cried out.

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head and body.  The whole experience had left her feeling rather weird and tingly.

“You okay?” Twilight asked.

“That was... interesting.  I have heard you speak of the creatures in the other world, but I never imagined...”

Twilight held in an excited gasp.  “You were a human?”

“Her subconscious changed me as so.  That form seemed best, given the circumstance.”

The younger princess smiled broadly.  “So, how was it?”  She often enjoyed talking with others who had experienced the transformation.  She did it with Sunset and Starlight.  Now, she could do with it Luna.

“Enlightening.  We encountered a being known as the Notme.  It is a monster that haunts and terrorizes her dreams.  Though, I'm afraid, it is a very real thing.”

“You mean like the Tantibus?”

“Yes, but, unlike the Tantibus, Wallflower didn't create it.  This is something which was placed within her, and occupies more than just her dreams.”  Luna walked over to the sofa where Wallflower was sleeping.  She reached down and gently stroked the pony's mane.  “I am very certain Sunset Shimmer's memories have been overpowering Wallflower's own.”

Twilight's eyes darted from side to side as her mind began to process.  “But, how?”

“I'm no expert on how the brain works.  However, it seems that her brain is attempting to reconcile two opposing memories by merging them together.  Given Sunset's dominant personality, it's quite feasible that her memories would be as well.”

“So, with Sunset's memories...” Twilight concluded, “Wallflower Blush is slowly turning into Sunset Shimmer!”
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The silence around the lunch table was deafening.  None could remember the last time the table was so quiet.  Even the way they ate was quiet.  Instead of words, the only conversation consisted of the snapping and grinding of morsels with the occasional slurping of a preferred drink.

Even Pinkie Pie, who prided herself on bringing life to every space she was in, had resigned herself to a corner and idly shuffled her food.

Wallflower sat away from the storm.  Though the Rainbooms had insisted that she join them, she was determined to sit alone.

She nibbled quietly on her sandwich.  The night before was still a bit of a blur to her.  She had awoken in the school courtyard under the Wondercolt statue.  No real clue as to how she got there.  Though, it was comforting to find the other girls there waiting for her with a fresh change of clothes.  How they knew to be there was anyone's guess.

She could have attributed her strange predicament to sleep walking.  However, that was something she wasn't known for.  Moreover, her dream of being a pony in a pony world wasn't something she'd experienced before either.

One thing Wallflower did know for sure of last night, and it pained her that it was true, was the fight she had with Twilight in Pinkie Pie's kitchen.  “Fight” was putting it mildly.  Wallflower had always been a pacifist.  Thus, the thought she was so close to choking and beating someone unconscious was absolutely terrifying.

Wallflower shivered as she remembered Twilight struggling beneath her grasp.

“Hey,”  A hand on her shoulder made her yelp.  Wallflower looked up from her meal to see Twilight Sparkle standing next to her.  “You wanna talk?”

“What about?” Wallflower asked, dejected, “You made things pretty clear last night.”  The girls wanted to talk earlier that morning as well.  But Wallflower was in no mood for it.

Twilight let out a sigh.  “Yes, and no.”

Wallflower pondered for a moment before pushing the rest of her lunch away.  She really wasn't hungry.  “Okay,” she said, “so, uh, you wanna do it here or...”

“No,” the other girl motioned towards the door, “let's walk.”

With most the student body in the cafeteria, the school hallways made for a nice quiet place to chat.  Moreover, there were no idle ears to drop in on a conversation.

Twilight and Wallflower walked silently for a while.  Both still a little uneasy about being alone, given their tussle in the Pie's kitchen.

“I don't blame you” Twilight broke the silence, “I know you weren't really yourself.”

Wallflower kicked an imaginary rock across the floor.  “Still isn't an excuse.”

“No,” Twilight looked down, “it isn't.”

“I could have seriously hurt you.”

“But you didn't!”

“But, what about next time?”  Wallflower jumped in front of Twilight.  “What if I go off on you, or someone else and there is no one to stop me?  What about then?”

Twilight placed a hand on Wallflower's shoulder.  “Wallflower, you don't have to worry about any of that.  We're here for you.  The girls and I will look after you and, the moment you go off on anyone, we're gonna be there to stop you.”

Wallflower let out a whimpered sigh and fell against the lockers.  She let her feet slide out from under and she fell to the floor in a ball.

“Look,” Twilight said gently, taking a seat beside Wallflower, “I know what it's like.  It's kinda scary having two people inside of you.  And, though you may be in control, you never know when the other one will come out.  And, when she does, how can you protect those you love?”

“But you defeated Midnight Sparkle.”

“Eventually.  But, in weeks before that, I lived in terror of her coming and exacting her revenge on my friends.”

Wallflower studied the floor, deep in thought.  She pulled her knees closer to her chest, the realization suddenly settling in on her.  It was something she was beginning to suspect, but too afraid to admit.  However, the events of last night erased all denial.  “I have Sunset Shimmer's memories, don't I?”

“...Yes.”

“How... is she doing?”

“It's really hard to tell.  But, she's with Princess Twilight in Equestria and is being taken care of there.  You're here with us, and we're here to take care of you.”

Wallflower wiped the tears from her eyes.  “I just want this nightmare to end.”

Twilight wrapped her arms around Wallflower and pulled her into a deep hug.  “I know.”

---

Twilight sat at the Wondercolt statue base.  She was just finishing up her update to the princess.

“It's a shame you can't make it tomorrow, Twilight” Fluttershy said.

“Sorry, Fluttershy,” Twilight hung her head, “but my mom generally likes it when her whole family is there for her book signings.”

“I, for one, am jealous” said Rarity, “A whole weekend in Manehattan sounds delightful!”

“Well,” Twilight's eyes lit up, “their libraries and museums are quite impressive...”

“Oh, uh, yes, I would suppose those, too, are rather riveting.”

“What are you still doing here?” Rainbow teased as she came up the walk, “It's the weekend!  Go home, you eggheads!”

“I'm waiting for Wallflower” replied Twilgiht, “I told her I'd walk her home.  You're welcome to join.”

“Sorry,” Rainbow stretched, “I make it a point never to linger at school any later than three-thirty on a Friday.  Have a fun time in Manehattan, Twi.  I'll see the rest of you tomorrow.”  She waved as she walked off.

“I need to be going, too” said Fluttershy, “There are a few things I still need to do for tomorrow.  I'll see you later.”

Bidding Fluttershy good-bye, Twilight turned to Rarity.  “What about you?”

“Well, I've got nothing else scheduled for this afternoon.  Sure, I'll walk with you.”
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset was excited.  She had finished her chores early and Spike said he didn't need her until later in the evening.  With finally a bit of freedom, she'd loaded up her saddlebag and was on her way to the great outdoors.

She practically jumped down the stairs to the main foyer and ran past the princess and her assistant.

“Hi, Twilight! Bye, Twilight!”

“Wait just a minute” Twilight called back, causing the unicorn to stop short of the door, “Where are you going?”

“To the park.”  Sunset turned around.  “To read.  This town does have a park, doesn't it?”

“Yes, but, what's wrong with the library?  Or anywhere else in the castle?”

“Not enough windows.  I like to watch the sun as it crosses the sky.  To feel the breeze whisk through my mane.”

The sense of appeal was lost on the princess.  “But, there's also dirt, and pollen, and grass stains!... Besides, there are so many distractions at a park.  Ponies coming and going.  Little fillies playing...”  She shook her head, trying to get back on track.  “What I like about the library is it's quiet.  You don't have to worry about the world around you.  You can get lost in your work.”

“I don't want to get lost!” Sunset restrained her outburst, “I want to be mindful of the world about me.  To see the changes of the day reminds me that time is fleeting.  That I am limited.  It forces me to focus on the things that really matter.  To stay locked up all the time, to let the world pass you by, one day you will wake up and find you're no longer part of this world.”  Her face fell.  “That you're all alone.

“Plus,” she said, her voice regaining it's upbeat tone, “this place is just down right gloomy.  I'll see you later!”  She pranced out the door and bounded down the steps.

“You know,” Spike smiled slyly, “if she hadn't left when she did, you two could have really learned a lot from each other.”

Twilight just huffed and continued her her walk to the library.

“Anything?” she asked, entering the room.

“Translating takes time, Twilight” Moondancer answered, “Especially when you're also dealing with a code.”

“We're working as fast as we can” Starlight said.  She tried to sound reassuring.  “Just try to relax.”

“I can't” Twilight sighed.  She glanced over the Memory Stone scroll.  “Not with worrying about Sunset and, now, Wallflower?”  She let out an aggravated growl, “This scroll certainly has a big spell infused in it and I can't even activate it to see what it is!”

“Maybe the secret message is the means of doing that”  Starlight offered, “Look, Sunburst said he found a way that he can get away from his duties in the Crystal Empire for a few days.  Soon, we'll be able to compare notes.”

Twilight only slammed her head against the table with a grunt.

“Does this place seem gloomy to you?”

“What?” Moondancer looked puzzled, “No!  Not at all!  In fact, it's brighter in here than in most libraries.”

Starlight's expression told a different story.  “Yeah, kinda.”

---

Sunset galloped through the small town.  She thought for sure she had seen a small park with seating areas days before.  Stopping at the town square, she looked around.  She barely recognized it without all the vendors and their tents.  She couldn't believe it was the same space.  Being much more open, she could get a better view of the whole town.

“Still backwater” she grumbled.

“Sunset?”

Sunset's ears perked up.  She turned to see a pale blueish-gray mare with a yellow mane running towards her.

“Sunset Shimmer?” the mare stopped short, taking a good look at the pony before her, “Oh my gosh, it is you!  I saw you in the market the other day, but I just couldn't believe it.”

“Uhm, hi, Ballad...” Sunset hesitated.  The pony looked like Ballad, a fellow classmate, but... older.  Furthermore, the pony's excitement unsettled her.

“How've you been?” Ballad continued, with a big smile on her face, “It's been, like, forever since anyone has seen you.  One day, you were in school, then poof!, gone without a trace!”

Sunset shuffled.  “It's complicated.”  She was shocked when Ballad let out a laugh.

“What about you isn't?”

“So, um,” Sunset rubbed the back of her head, “what brings you here?”

“I live here.  Have for years.”

“Really?  Must be quite the commute.”

Ballad raised an eyebrow.  “What are you talking about?”

“School...?”

“Oh,” she tittered, “I'm no longer going to Celestia's school.  Not for a while now.”

“Ha!” Sunset exclaimed, quite chuffed, “I knew you weren't cut out for it.  Actually, it surprises me you lasted this long.  Sure, you had promise, but, obviously, you squandered it.”

Ballad frowned.  “Sunset, what are you—?”

“I mean, everyone knows your mass-quantity materializing spell was the greatest catastrophe the campus had ever seen.  Seriously, what idiot doesn't know the difference between F-L-O-W-E-R and F-L-O-U-R?”

The other pony shrunk back a bit.  “Sunset, please don't tell me you're still holding a grudge.  That was an accident, and years ago, and I apologized.”

“Years?” Sunset hissed, “What time warp have you been in?  You dropped a hundred pounds of flour on me.  I finally got all the white dust out of my stuff!”

Ballad did all she could to keep from yelling.  “I'm in a time warp?  You speak of that incident as if it were yesterday!”

“It was last semester!  Gah!” she pinched the bridge of her muzzle, “No wonder you flunked out.  You've got the memory of a goldfish!”

Ballad opened her mouth, ready with a rebuttal, but quickly closed it again.  She stood straight, adjusting her composure.  “You know what, I'm not even going to.  You're not worth it.  I thought maybe, that after all these years, you had changed, Sunset Shimmer, but, it appears I was wrong.  You haven't changed, nor do I think you ever will.  Some ponies are just beyond hope.

“Good-bye, Sunset.  I hope our paths never cross again.”  She turned and trotted away, leaving a very confused Sunset Shimmer in her dust.

“She said years.”  Again, that nagging feeling tugged at her.  This time, though, it was much stronger.  It clenched at her stomach and clawed at her heart.  She was missing something, but what?  The more she questioned, the more she feared the answer.  Too many things seemed wrong.  Too many things weren't adding up.

Anxiety took its hold.  Sunset closed her eyes, employing various exercises to control her breathing and slow her heart rate.  Her efforts worked and, eventually, she managed to shake off the feeling and continue on her way.

---

Sunset didn't find the park she was looking for.  However, just past the edge of town, she did come across an apple orchard.  Seeing it as good a place as any, she nestled down under the shade of a large apple tree and began her reading.

Let it not be said that the absence of language is indicative of an absence of communication.  If anything, it proves to be quite the opposite.  In many cases, it has been proven that friends possess an...

“Ah-hem.”

...ability to communicate at a near-telepathic level.  In truth, whole conversations have been conducted...

“Ah-hem” came a sharp voice from above.

Sunset looked up from her book to see a large orange mare in a stetson standing over her.  “I'm sorry,” she said courtly, “was this your spot?”

The mare shook her head.  “Nope.”

“Do you mind me sitting here?”

“Nope.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow.  “Then, how may I help you?”

The mare frowned and pointed to a small pile of discarded apple cores not far from Sunset's side.  Sunset gaped at the pile.  She remembered munching on some apples as she read, but not that many.

“I don't mind ya on my land and I don't mind ya sittin' under my trees.  But, I do mind ya takin' my apples without askin'.”

'Well,' Sunset smirked, 'ain't she country.'  Though, something about this earth pony seemed eerily familiar.

“I hope you've got a mind to pay for all of them.”

“Why, of course” Sunset replied with a confident smile she always exhibited when talking to an underling.  “Well, not me, personally.  Just go to the Castle of Friendship and speak to Princess Twilight.  I'm sure you two can work out a compensation.  That is, if you've got the nerve to ask the princess to pay for anything.”

The mare raised the brim of her hat up some and eyed the unicorn intently; almost unsure of what to make of her apple thief.  “Princess Twilight, huh?”

“You are talking to her guest, after all.  Of course, I don't expect you to know who I am, but she is under strict orders from Princess Celestia for me to have some rest and relaxation.”

“Is that so?” the mare smiled, “Well, let me have a talk with ol' Twi and see what's goin' on.  In the meantime, yer comin' with me.”  She helped Sunset to her feet and lead her along the dirt path that ended at an old farmhouse.  The mare opened the door and ushered Sunset into the kitchen.  “Now, you sit yerself here a spell while I go fetch the princess.  Luckily, she ain't far.”

Sunset took a seat at the kitchen table.  She didn't know if it was the apples she ate, or the way the mare talked so casually about the princess, but something was upsetting her stomach.  Her ears perked when she heard Twilight's voice.

“Thanks, Applejack, they were right where you'd said they'd be.”

“Glad to be of assistance” replied Applejack.  “Uh, if ya got a minute, there's somethin' I need to talk to you about.”

“Sure!”

“She's in the kitchen.”

“She?”

Sunset hunched slightly when she saw Princess Twilight follow the country mare through the door.

“Found her readin' in the orchard” Applejack explained, “Normally wouldn't mind none, except that she's made quite a meal of my apples.”

“What?” Sunset protested at Twilight's glare of disapproval, “Reading boring stuff makes me hungry!”

“She says you'll pay for the apples” Applejack continued, “Is she with you?”

Twilight let out a sigh.  “Yes.”  She faced her friend, “Can we go outside?”

Applejack raised a curious eyebrow.  “Uh, sure...”  She opened the door and allowed Twilight to go first.

Sunset rose to follow, but Twilight stopped her with a swift: “You stay there.”

Sunset slumped back into her seat.  It was obvious the princess wasn't pleased the situation.  However, she was confident that Twilight would be on her side and something would be worked out.  In her experience, many ponies would do anything to gift a royal.

With not much else to do, Sunset reopened the book she was reading and continued on the chapter.

Once again, she was interrupted by the presence of the orange mare.  Though, this time, Princess Twilight was at her side.  Sunset eyed the pair curiously.  Despite their greatest attempts to hide it, she noticed a slight air of tension between the two which wasn't there before.  She began to wonder just what words were exchanged outside.

“I trust you've come to an agreement?” she said.

“Yep” Twilight smiled.

“Good,” Sunset closed her book, “then you'll just pay for the apples and we'll be on our way.”

“I'm not paying for the apples.”

“Well,” Sunset smiled, “even better.”

“You are.”

The unicorn froze in her tracks.  “What?”

“You ate them, you pay fer them.”  Applejack explained, though the delivery sounded a little forced, “It's only right.”

Sunset scoffed, but maintained her composure.  “Fine.  I don't have any Bits on me, but I can write you an IOU.” She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag, “What's the market value of apples these days?”

“It ain't the money I'm worried 'bout.  It's the principle of the matter.”

Sunset felt her patience beginning to wane.  “...and that is...?”

“Ya can't just take stuff an' expect another ta pay fer it.  Youngin's gotta learn.”

“Right,” Sunset rolled her eyes, remembering an early lesson Princess Celestia tried to instill. “If you want something, you have to earn it.”  'Still,' the student had always added to herself, 'doesn't mean you can't deserve it either.'

“Glad to see you two are in agreement” Twilight smiled, turning to Applejack.  “I'll see to it personally that Sunset Shimmer is here first thing in the morning!”

Sunset didn't like the sound of that.  “What?”  From what she could tell, the farm-mare wasn't all too happy about it either.  Maybe, she could still talk her way out of it.

“So, it's agreed” said Applejack with a nod.  “Yer gonna earn them apples.  A bushel of apples for a hard day's work.”

“Wait, tomorrow?  But tomorrow's Saturday!”

Applejack shrugged, “Work's still gotta be done.  Git a good night's sleep.  Yer gonna need it.”
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset let out a long yawn as she followed Princess Twilight along the dirt path that lead to Sweet Apple Acres.  When Twilight had told her to be up early, she wasn't thinking of so early that even Princess Celestia wasn't awake.

Sunset released another yawn.  “You sure they're gonna be up?  I mean, it's not exactly polite to rouse somepony from a peaceful sleep.”  She glared at the princess, who had done just that a few moments ago.

“The Apple Family prides itself for being up before the sun” said Princess Twilight, “It's very rare to have to wake an Apple.”

Sunset let out a grunt and slightly shifted the load on her back.  “How come I have to carry him?  Moreover, how come he gets to sleep?”

“Spike has a long day ahead if he is to have everything prepared for Monday.  Also, need I remind you he is also a baby dragon?  He needs just as much sleep a foal.”

Spike mumbled in his sleep.  He stretched, reaching out a claw and grabbed onto Sunset's mane.

Sunset winced as her hair was yanked.  “Still doesn't explain he has to come; or why I have to carry him.  Also, what do you feed him?  He feels like he weighs a ton.”

The small dragon stirred lightly, mumbling softly under his breath “...rocks.”

Celestia's sun began to creep over the horizon as the trio came upon the Apple farmhouse.  Applejack was waiting for them at the door.  “Mornin' Twi!” she smiled, “Sunset.”

Sunset yawned.

“Morning, Applejack” Twilight returned the smile, “Well, here she is.  Bright and early as promised.”

“Good thin', too” replied the farmer, “We've gotta ton of work to do.”

Again, Sunset noticed a tension between the two friends.  She became quite interested to know what had gone on between them.  However, at the moment, she had more pressing issues.  “What kind of work?” Sunset asked.

“Well," she smiled, "ther's collectin' the eggs, milkin' the cows, feedin' the chickens and sloppin' the hogs.”

“Wait,” Sunset sounded hopeful, “That's it?  Then we're done?”

Applejack let out a hearty laugh.  “Heck, no!”  She lead Sunset to the barn, “Then we can have breakfast!”

Twilight gently took Spike in her magic, lifting him from Sunset's back, placing him onto her own.  She waved as the other ponies walked off.  “You two have fun!”

“Fun” wasn't exactly as Sunset would have described it.  Between fighting with chickens, getting personal with a cow, and playing waitress to swine, she was having anything but “fun”.

To top it all off, Applejack had instructed that she couldn't use magic, besides basic levitating, on any of her tasks.

“Jus' ain't the way thin's are done here” the earth pony proudly touted.

Sunset shook off the mud from pigsty and grumbled something about “country water” under her breath, but left it at that.

She helped Applejack carry the eggs and milk back to the farmhouse.  Walking into the kitchen, Sunset saw breakfast was already underway.  Spike had finally awoken and was seated at the table enjoying a tall stack of steaming, fluffy pancakes.

Twilight was at the stove assisting Apple Bloom.  “Well,” she smiled at her charge, “I trust you've worked up an appetite?”

“Have I ever!” Sunset replied, laying down her load.  She picked up some plates and silverware and finished setting the table.

“Hello?” came a hesitant knock at the door.

“Oh,” Spike cried, “that's Moondancer!”  He jumped down and ran to open the door.

“Moondancer!” Twilight smiled, placing a plate of toast on the table.  “Glad you could make it!”

Moondancer stepped timidly over the threshold.  “You... uh... sure I'm not intruding?”

“Nonsense!” beamed Apple Bloom, “More's the merrier, right, Big Mac?”

The large red stallion kicked the soil from his hooves as he entered the kitchen right behind Moondancer.  “Eeyup!”

“Where's Starlight?” asked Twilight.

Moondancer took a seat at the table next to Spike.  “She's at the train station.  Got a message from Sunburst that he was coming in on the morning train.”

“Alright!" Applebloom called, "Everypony take a seat!”

“Well, about time!” an elderly green mare grumbled, walking into the kitchen from the main house “Half the mornin's gone!”

Breakfast commenced with Twilight dispensing out the introductions.

“So, youngin'” Granny Smith eyed Sunset, “Think yer up fer a day on tha farm?”

Sunset rolled her eyes.  “Pfft!  Please, compared to what Princess Twilight has been putting me through, this is light work.”

“Is that so?” Applejack stared half-lidded over her drink towards Twilight.  She smiled inwardly when she saw the princess slightly shrink away.  She'd talked Twilight's ears off about the importance of honesty, and made it quite clear how she didn't appreciate being pulled into the deceit.

Sunset chose to ignore her new task master, and instead continued with her meal, happy to finally have a plate-full of scrambled eggs.

Applejack kept a close eye on Twilight from across the table.  Something about the way the princess averted her gaze whenever their eyes met, gave her great satisfaction.  She wanted Twilight to squirm.

Not that Applejack was completely against the arrangement.  While always happy to have another set of of hooves on the farm, and a day's work was a fair trade for the eaten apples, it was the pretenses surrounding the whole situation that she was strongly adverse to--and she made sure Twilight knew it.  Though the princess may have eventually won her over by arguing that a day out of the castle and in the open air would be good for Sunset, as far as Applejack was concerned, Twilight owed her big for this favor.  And, already, she had come up with some ideas to make her friend pay.

---

With breakfast over, and Sunset sent back to work, Twilight, Moondancer, and Spike made the return trek to the castle.

“I'm really anxious to see what Sunburst has so far” said Moondancer, “Starlight said he lives up in the Crystal Empire.  Does that mean he should have access to their historical writings?”  She took a moment to breath before prancing in place.  “Oh!  This is so exciting!”

“I'm more anxious to compare your notes with his” responded Twilight, a little less enthusiastically, “If they're similar, then we know we're on the right track.  But, there is still much to learn.”  She let out a long breath, “And I fear we're losing time.”

“Look, Twilight” Moondancer leaned against her friend, gently nuzzling her, “I understand you're worried about Sunset Shimmer and, who's this new pony?  Wallflower Blush?  Anyway, I see there is a lot on your shoulders right now.  But, you don't have to keep it all to yourself.  We're all here to help you.  Together, we'll figure this out.”

Spike let out a sigh.  “That's what I've been trying to tell her.”

Twilight nuzzled Moondancer back.  “Thanks.  I'll try to remember that.”

"And," Moondancer said, "you can begin by telling Sunset what's going on."  She cast a curious glance when Twilight faltered.  "Come-on, Twilight, how long are you going to let this go on?  It's only a matter of time before she suspects something, if she doesn't already."

Twilight only looked away.  She would have continued walking, but Moondancer had blocked her path.

"What of Starlight Glimmer?  Sunset is her friend, too.  I can't be the only one who sees how she looks at Sunset.  Why do you continue to hurt her?  Why do you continue to hurt yourself?"

That last statement shocked Twilight.

"You think I can't see what this is doing to you?  Twilight, I've known you for years.  I've learned to read you like a book.  You can try hide it, but I can see the weariness growing on your face."

"I mention it to her every morning" Spike added.

"Twilight," Moondancer looked squarely, "at some point, this needs to be done.  What is it you're waiting for?"

Before the princess could give her answer, another voice filled the air.

“Twilight!  Moondancer!  There you are!”  Starlight came running down the road to meet them; a smile plastered on her face.  “Sunburst is here!  He's waiting for us in the library!”  She ignited her horn and, in a few short seconds, they were standing in the middle of the study library.

Moondancer stumbled a bit, trying to regain her bearings.  “A little heads up next time” she teetered, “Please?”

“When she's like this?” replied Spike, offering Moondancer a supporting arm, “Not gonna happen.”

“Ah!” a voice called from the corner, “Starlight, you're back!  That was fast.”

Starlight made with a quick introduction between Moondancer and Sunburst.  The large grin still shone across her face.  Twilight began to wonder if she really should have pushed for so many friendship lessons with Pinkie Pie.  More importantly, she wondered what Starlight had put in her morning tea.

“So,” Moondancer said, pawing the floor between her and Sunburst, “I understand you've also been working on a translation of the code.”

“Oh, yes” Sunburst adjusted his glasses, “It's a very interesting one indeed.  Nice work finding it, by the way.”

Moondancer blushed slightly.  "Ah, it was nothing, really..."

"No, I'm serious.  A message hidden in plain sight?  It's so obvious, but, at the same time, not."

A smile flashed across the mare's face.  “I know, right?  How simple and, yet, complex!”

“The use of the northern versus southern spellings was a stroke of absolute genius!”

“Whoever wrote it would have had to have extensive knowledge of both alphabets.”

“Not only that, but also know which words were and weren't written differently to know not to include them.”

"But, what tipped you off to it?" asked Twilight.  That had been nagging her.

"It was the word 'stayn'" said Moondancer.

Starlight tilted her head.  "Stayn?"

"Stone" Sunburst translated.

"It was the only word that had northern spelling, but was still spelt the southern way.  It also told me that I would be using the southern spellings."

“Anyway," Sunburst said, sorting through his papers, "I've hit a bit of a snag decoding the message on the back.  My library just doesn't have that big of a  resource selection in regards to decrypting cyphers, so figured now would be a good time to come over and compare notes. ”

"As I mentioned in my letters," Starlight began, "We haven't made that much progress."

Moondancer sadly nodded.  "We've been hitting snags of our own.  But, would love to see what you have."

"Great!" the stallion smiled, making room on the table for Moondancer, "Let's get started."

Starlight and Spike were anxious to help and were quickly employed.

“You four do that”  Twilight said, reading from her communication journal.  “We have another problem.  Wallflower's gone missing.”
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The girls let out a collective sigh as they watched the cop cars and detectives drive away.

“This is bad” Trixie said, “This is real bad.”

“Tell me 'bout it” replied Rainbow, “With Sunset's memories, who knows what Wallflower may be doing.”

“I just got a text off to Twilight, letting her know what's going on.” Rarity said, pocketing her phone.  “We just need to make sure our stories are straight.”

“What stories?” asked Trixie, “Barely any of us saw Wallflower yesterday.”

“Yes,” replied Applejack, “but we also gotta make sure ta keep Equestrian magic out of it.”

“I sincerely hope you do.”

The girls jumped around to see Principal Celestia standing over them.  She stood tall; arms crossed firmly across her chest.  Every student at Canterlot High quickly learned that whenever the principal struck this pose, she meant business.  However, there was something a bit off-setting, almost humorous, about seeing their principal in casual street attire.

“Principal Celestia!” Rainbow smiled nervously, “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Unlikely, though, not improbable.  Yes, I can think of other things to do on a Saturday.  But,”  She let out a brief sigh, allowing her posture to drop slightly. “Luna is ever the avid animal lover.  And, if I'm to keep peace in office and home, I must indulge her.

“However,” She resumed her stoic attitude.  “that is not why I'm here.  I assume you know about Wallflower Blush.”

“Who?”  Trixie quickly asked.  But, a quick eyebrow raise from the principal quickly proved that they could no longer feign ignorance.

“So,” Rarity said, “I can only assume that the detectives spoke with you as well?”

Celestia nodded.  “Both Luna and myself.”  She let out another sigh and allowed her hands to fall to her sides.  “Look, I don't know what has been going on the past week, nor do I want to know.  Given that now police are involved, the less Luna and I know, the better.

“Another thing, and they may be unrelated, but Sunset Shimmer's absence may be brought into question.  No doubt, Detective Doyle would want to look into the student attendance records.  Naturally, a sudden disappearance of another student would draw suspect.

“Again,” she emphasized, “I don't want to know where Sunset is, or what she's doing.  All I'm saying is, if you girls want to keep all this as low profile as possible, Sunset Shimmer had better resurface soon.”

---

“Principal Celestia wants us to make Sunset appear” said Rainbow with a mouthful of food, “Short of finding her version in this world and parading her around town, how are we gonna to do that?”

“It does sound like quite the predicament” Twilight's voice came over the speakerphone.  Rarity's cellphone sat in the middle of the table in Fluttershy's dining room.  Around it, sat six girls enjoying a well-deserved pizza dinner.  “In my conversations with Princess Twilight, she has made it quite clear that Sunset is in no condition to make public appearances.  Much less, cross the portal.”

Applejack let out a huff.  “I suppose even somethin' like a phone call is out was well.”

Rarity shook her head.  “That would still involve getting Sunset somehow over here and coaxing her to say the right things.”

“If only there was actual magic here” Trixie mused, “we could just make a duplicate of Sunset.”

“True,” replied Pinkie, “but, according to Sunset, even in Equestria, that rarely turns out well.”

“Maybe, we can create a double...”  Twilight sounded thoughtful.

“Woah!” Rainbow cried out, throwing her arms into the air, “Mad scientist alert!”

“Not really” Twilight explained, “Principal Celestia just wants Sunset to make some sort of appearance.  From the way you all make it sound, something as simple as a phone call will do.”

Applejack gave a frown.  “Did you not hear us just now?  There's no way on Earth or Equestria that you can get Sunset Shimmer ta make a phone call.”

“Yes, I can.”  When there was silence from those around the table, Twilight continued, “Listen, thanks to the Rainboom's recording sessions, and Sunset's online gaming channel, we have several samples of Sunset's voice.  I should be able to input that into a voice synthesizer, so that anything we type will be said in Sunset's voice.”

Fluttershy smiled “Then, all we'd need is Sunset's cellphone!”

“How soon can you get something like that set up?” asked Rarity.

“Depending,” Twilight's voice wavered, “Will take me a day... Probably looking at making our first call Monday.”

Rarity looked around the table.  All the other girls seemed to be in agreement.  “Sounds like a plan” she said.

“Excellent!  We'll be driving back to town tomorrow afternoon, and plan to be arriving late.  I'll get as far as I can on the program with what I have.  If I need more, I'll let you know.

“Also, I'll need you to tell me who will be picking up Sunset's phone, so I can make arrangements with the princess.”

“You got it!” Rarity smiled.  Her finger hovered over the “call end” icon, “We'll text you later.”

“Sounds good.  Good-night!”

With the call ended, the girls sat around in silence and nibbled at their pizza crusts.

“So,” Trixie broke the silence, “What now?”

Applejack let out a sigh.  “Not real much we can do.  Until Twilight comes up with needin' somethin', we're just sittin' here.”

“Well, what about when she's done?” asked Fluttershy, “What are we gonna have Sunset Shimmer say?”

“Good question” agreed Rainbow, “She'd have to explain why she's been missing for the past week.”

“And make it believable” Pinkie added.

“Not only that,” Rarity put a finger to her chin, “It would have to be something that would be hard, or impossible, for the police to confirm.”

Trixie pulled out her notebook and a pen.  “Sounds like we've got some writing to do.”  

With pens and paper passed around, the girls began brainstorming possible story ideas.  However, amidst the creative furry, Fluttershy could not bring herself to write.  Instead, she curled herself into a ball and stared blankly at the table.  Her withdraw didn't go unnoticed for long.

“Fluttershy,” Rarity said gently, “is something wrong?”

Fluttershy shook her head.  “I can't help thinking: What if Wallflower is in some serious danger?”

A silence fell over the table.  Though none were willing to openly admit it, they were all worried about Wallflower's well-being.

“I'm sure she's fine” Applejack tried to sound consoling.  “Even if she weren't, there's nothin' we can do today.  It's already dark.”

“Plus,” added Rarity, “the police haven't asked for any help from the community.  If we get involved now, it may seem suspicious.  The best thing to do is to stay out of it and let Detective Doyle do his thing.”

Rainbow made a special trip around the table to Fluttershy's chair.  “Don't worry, Flutters” she said, draping an arm over her friend's shoulders, “Look, chances are, she's not far and is just in the city somewhere.  Heck, for all we know, she may be camping out in her garden.”

“That is a distinct possibility” agreed Applejack, “One of us may want to venture over there tomorrow just to be sure.”

“If not,” said Trixie, “then, hopefully, she is of the mindset to come to school Monday.”
> Chapter 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset dragged herself into the foyer.  The last few steps were grueling.  She barely had enough strength to use her magic to open the door.  Every last muscle in her body ached.  With a groan, she laid upon the cold stone floor.  Instant relief flowed over her burning muscles.  “I thought you weren't supposed to hurt till the morning after.”

“Sunset!” chimed Twilight.

'Sweet Celestia,' Sunset winced, 'Not now.'

“You're back!  How was it?”

“I will never eat another apple as long as I live.”

“Oh, come now!” the princess chortled, “I doubt it was that bad.”

“Those ponies are masochists! And sadists!  And insane.”  She sucked in a breath as she stretched out.  “I think I may have pulled something bucking apples.”

“Well,” Starlight said, sympathetically, remembering when Twilight had sent her to help out on the Apple farm, “That's very easy to do if you don't quite know what you're doing.  How about we see about getting you into a hot bath?”

“Anything!” Sunset cried, “Please!”  She leaned against Starlight as the two made their way upstairs.

Twilight watched on with a sad smile.  Her spirits slightly lifted with a voice from the doorway.

“Princess Celestia!” her tone was bittersweet, “About time you showed up!”

The elder princess have a remorseful sigh.  “I'm sorry, Twilight, but getting away is easier said than done.  The chancellors have been trying to cram everything in before the court goes on its annual vacation.  All my time has been tied up in that.”  She lowered her head, “But, I did promise Sunset I would come visit when I could.  Now, with my schedule (finally) under control, I can be here a few days.”

"Good" Twilight's voice grew stern, "Because we need to talk."  She led the way to the map room and instructed her mentor to sit down.  "This has gone on long enough" she declared, "Sunset needs to be told the truth."

Princess Celestia didn't say anything.  Instead, she sadly stared at the magic map on the table.

The silence infuriated Twilight.  So much so that felt herself ready to explode.  "You said this would only for a few days.  We're coming up on a week!  I agreed to go along with 'life as usual' for two, maybe three days, because we thought we would have some answers by then.  Well, here we are, and we've got more questions than answers!

"I'm tired, Starlight's tired, we're all tired!

"I've had enough of the lies!  You haven't been here.  You don't have to deal with the 'tell the truth' speeches from everypony.  You weren't the one who got lectured by Applejack.  My ears are still ringing!

"What's more," she sighed, "despite our best efforts to preoccupy her, Sunset is beginning to suspect something."  She unrolled Sunset's daily reports for Celestia to read.  "She does her best to hide it from us, but she's crying out for help.  She senses something is wrong and either doesn't trust us, or is too afraid to ask."

Celestia glanced over Sunset's notes.  For the most part, they seemed pretty typical of what Sunset used to write.  However, underneath the writing, she could see remnants a word or phrase that had been written, but later erased.  All of which hinted to a panic lurking beneath the surface.  Most telling was the paper from the day before.  Celestia squinted as she tried to read the words.  "Ballad... years...?"

Twilight nodded.  "Any idea what that means?"

Celestia let out a sigh as she rolled up the scrolls.  "I remember a student named Ballad.  She and Sunset were in the same class.  I can't recall the exact details, but the two got into a huge fight over an incantation mishap.

"I was away on a diplomatic trip and had only heard about it after the fact."

"Ballad must have been in Ponyville yesterday" Twilight sighed, "They must have bumped into each other...

"There's no use trying hiding it now.  Sunset must be told."  She was caught slightly off guard by her mentor's further silence.  Looking to Celestia, Twilight got the feeling there was something else.  Something the old teacher wasn't telling.

Suddenly, it dawned upon Twilight.  Her eyes darted back and forth as all the pieces of the puzzle came together.  With a picture finally before her, it all made perfect sense.

"Unless..." she said, "you're afraid of something..."

"Twilight," Celestia's voice cracked, "please--"

"No you don't!"  Twilight snapped, "Fear has caused you to hold back before.  You delayed sending me to Ponyville because you feared for my safety.  I can see now that fear has been a part of this whole mess.  Or, perhaps, it's been a major player this whole time?

"I hadn't thought much about it before, but it's all coming clear now!  Why you never once reached out to Sunset after her reformation.  Why you gave me your journal to communicate with her without any explanation.  Why you never asked me once how she was doing outside of that night!

"In fact, do you know anything of how Sunset has changed beyond your meeting last week?  Because I do!"  She fired up her magic and materialized her communication journals onto the map table.  Sliding the books to Celestia, she flipped through various passages in which Sunset had recorded testaments of her new nature.

"See all this?" Twilight shouted, "This is the Sunset Shimmer who is brave, loyal, selfless.  This is the Sunset Shimmer who, even though they either didn't understand, or care, told her friends that they had had their memories stolen.

"This is the Sunset Shimmer I know, the one that Starlight knows, the one you met last week, and the one we're trying to save!  I'm certain that, once you've read them, you'll come to understand just how much this week has eaten us away from the inside!"

Seeing her mentor on the verge of tears, Twilight swallowed down her own.  "Princess Celestia, please" she said gently, "Help me help Sunset.  But, in order to do that, I need to know what is going on.  I need to know the truth."

"I'm sorry, Twilight" the elder mare broke down, "I'm so very sorry."

Twilight remained silent, but moved closer to her mentor to offer support.

"I just...  I can't lose her!"

"It's okay," Twilight coaxed, "just start from the beginning."

"The beginning?  That's where it all started.  Ever since day one, it was about loneliness.  Sunset and I found each other when we were both lonely.  Our relationship was founded on it.  I wanted somepony to love and to care for.  She just wanted to be loved.  We were so desperate for it, we were blind to each other's shortcomings.

"Much like with Luna, I didn't see the problem until it was too late.  When it all fell apart, there was nothing I could do.  Sending her away was the hardest thing I had done since banishing my sister to the moon.  And, it ripped as big a hole in me as it did then."

"But, then," said Twilight, "you should have been overjoyed by my report the first time I crossed the portal."

"I was--in so far as that she was alive and well."

"But, not that she had changed."

Celestia's head hung low.  "She had pretended to be 'reformed' so many times before, I thought it was just another act.  That's why I gave you the journal.  I couldn't bear to learn for myself that she was just up to her old ways."

Twilight frowned.  "So, that display in the throne room last week..."

"Was a test to see if she was sincere.  You can't imagine the happiness I felt when she proved herself true."

"And then, a few days later..."

Celestia clenched her teeth, allowing new tears to fall.  "When I first heard the news, I panicked!  I didn't want to lose her.  Not again.  Not like this.

"But, when I got here, and assessed the situation, I truly had Sunset's best interests in mind."

Twilight's tone turned serious, yet remained gentle.  "Well, now, you risk her leaving again and, this time, it will be forever."  She moved to face her mentor, "You need to be the one to break the news Sunset.  You started this, only you can end it.  Do it while she still has some faith and trust in you."

Princess Celestia said nothing, but wiped her tears with a nod. "I'm sorry, Twilight."

"Don't apologize to me!  Apologize to Sunset!  She's the one most hurt in all this!"  Twilight let out a long breath.  It felt good to get everything out.  "Now, that only leaves the matter of Wallflower Blush...”  She paused when she noticed a strange look on Celestia's face.  "What?"

“Um... about that... I'm sorry, Twilight, I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?”

“Wallflower is in Canterlot.”

Twilight struggled to control her outburst.  “What?”

“Luna found her last night, wandering around between Canterlot and Ponyville.  She's been with Luna ever since.  I thought for sure she had told you.”

“She must've gotten sidetracked by something."  The younger princess relaxed.  “Well, that certainly is a relief.  I'd better let the girls in the other world know.  They've been searching for her all day.  Wonder how she managed to sneak in...”

“She didn't say.  But, I'm sure your friends will be happy to know she's safe.”

Twilight let out a slight snort.  “Probably not as much as me.  But, we both know she can't stay here.  The authorities in her world already involved.  She needs to go back.”

“That may be easier said than done.  I'm afraid the situation has progressed.  Wallflower has been teetering between between herself and Sunset quite frequently.”

Twilight felt her anxiety grow again.  “That's... a bit concerning.”

Celestia gave a single nod.  “Luna would also rather Wallflower not be left alone.”  She stepped back slightly as Twilight melted onto the floor.  "The two spent the whole day together."

“Your sister say anything else?”

A sadness fell over Celestia.  “She calculates that, at this rate, Sunset's memories will fully overtake Wallflower's in roughly three days.”

Nothing could have prepared Twilight for that.

---

Twilight trotted back and forth on the library floor.  “This is bad.  This is really bad!”

Sunburst lowered his head onto the table.  “Please stop.  You're making me dizzy.”

“Three days” Twilight mumbled with each turn, “Three days.  Maybe less.”

“Okay” said Starlight, “that's certainly bad, but there is also the possibility of more.”

“I agree with Twilight” Moondancer looked over their notes, “Princess Luna says three days to complete the process.  Whether more or less, either way, that does not give us much time.”

Twilight continued her pacing.  “Three days... two days... one days... no days...”

Spike stood up from the table with a sigh.  “I'd better try to stop her before she wears a groove into the floor.”

Moondancer shuffled through the pages of notes.  “We've only just scratched the surface of this thing.”

“We still don't know which alphabet to use” added Sunburst, “The message can be written in either Northern or Southern Old Ponish.  And, while many words are similar, there are still many more that are not.”

“Of that, I'm painfully aware.  Our best course of action would be to make two separate translations.”  She nodded to Starlight, who used a duplicating spell to make copies of the notes.  Within seconds, there were four stacks of notes on the table.  Moondancer pushed one to Sunburst.

Sunburst took his stack and adjusted his glasses to better focus.  “You seem to have a better handle of the Northern spellings than me.  I'll try to decipher using the Southern, and we'll see what we come up with.”

Moondancer nodded.  “Sounds like a plan.”

"May I make a suggestion?" Starlight spoke up, glancing through the notes, "We've been working off the assumption that this is just another text written in Old Ponish.  What if it's a spell?"

"Hmm..." the stallion stroked his goatee, "That is a possibility..."

Moondancer seemed concur.  "It would explain why we've been having so many problems.  We would have been working in the wrong language."

"Okay, Starlight," Sunburst smiled, "you run with that theory.  Moondancer and I will give the Old Ponish another shot.  Hopefully, one of will come up with something."  He glanced over to see Twilight still pacing back and forth, dragging a tiny dragon behind her.  “Shouldn't we help?”

“No,” the mares replied,  “they'll be fine.”

---

Finally, through much coercion, and a large, hot pot of tea, Twilight was able to settle down.  In an effort to maintain her composure, she resided herself to a huddle in a corner with her journal and pen.  As her friends worked, she sat quietly briefing her human counterpart with the latest developments.

This is bad, Twilight.  Appeared the response after several lengthy paragraphs.

“I know.”

This is really bad.

“I know.”  Never, had Princess Twilight thought she could ever be frustrated conversing with herself.

I mean, it's good that Wallflower is safe, and not out wandering the streets.  But, three days doesn't give us much time.

Have you explored alternatives?

“Hard to without fully knowing how the stone worked.  Or, what went wrong to cause Sunset's memories to go into Wallflower.

"Even with all my studying on the subject, this is still something beyond me, and a bit beyond even Princess Celestia.”

You mean to tell me you have no memory spells over there?

“We do.”  She grumbled.  Though, she was only slightly annoyed.  After all, she couldn't expect a non-magical being to fully understand magic.  She quickly dispensed with the explanation: “But, they all work differently.  Most of those spells are designed to suppress or block memories.  Yes, there are those that can remove a full memory, but they are generally only effective on memories created within a certain time span.  And, even then, those memories become lost forever.  Of what I've found, none of them involve using magical objects or vessels.

"I should also note that many of these spells involve dark magic.”

She let out a long sigh, allowing herself to calm down.

“That's what made the Memory Stone so dangerous.  It seems to have been able to remove any memory, or fragment of, no matter how long ago it was.”

There was a brief pause.

So, you've got nothing else...

“Well,” Twilight tapped her quill upon the page hesitantly.  Dare she even bring it up? “I was thinking, couldn't Sunset use her new magic on Wallflower?”  Her agitation grew as she stared intently upon the empty space below her writing.  She had herself so worked up, that she was startled when new lettering glowed upon the page.

Even if she can still use the geode, she will very likely only get fragments of a memory, not the whole.

If my research has proved anything, it's that memory is a very complex thing.  Yes, there is the actual audio-visual and, at times, tactile witnessing of an event, which can be shared, but there are thoughts and feelings that only the individual can know.

While Sunset claimed to be able to experience all the above, there remains some question as to the limitations.  Sometimes, she'd experience just the audio and/or visual, sometimes just the thoughts.

And, before you ask, she's explained her experiences in Pinkie's mind as a fluke (ie. Pinkie Pie).

“But, it is a possibility.”

That still leaves Wallflower.  Sunset wouldn't be re-taking her memories, she'd just be getting second-hand copies of her own--that is, is she doesn't also accidentally snag some of Wallflower's.

And, need I stress, in past, Sunset could only see memories that were pertinent to a given situation.

There is also so much that can go wrong--especially if you're expecting this "younger" Sunset to wield the geode.  It took us all a while to finetune how to use the power within them.  And the only way we did that was by embracing the magic and allowing ourselves to be susceptible to it.

Sunset's magic is based upon an empathy she has for others.  Something, which I gather, she is currently incapable of.

Whatever you come up with, it needs to work fully, and reliably, for both.

Twilight let out a gruff growl.  She didn't need to be reminded that, right now, two lives depended upon her.  “I'm doing what I can.”

It seemed like hours before the page lit up again.

I'm sorry.

Twilight was slightly taken aback.

I know you're stressed... and worried.  Maybe even overwhelmed... and a bit scared.

A flutter wound its way within Twilight's breast.  Her quill quivered in her magic with hesitation.  “What?  How could you...?”

I'm you, remember?  ...well... sorta you...  I know exactly how you get when faced with a problem you can't seem to solve.  Or when you're feeling overwhelmed.

And... I'm feeling exactly same way.

A smile crept across Twilight's lips.  Twilight Sparkle's words made her relax slightly.  Of course an alternate version of herself would know how she felt.  She sought comfort in the fact that, at least, one other understood.

But you don't need to be.  You have those there who can help you.  Let them.  Don't feel like you need to bear this burden alone.

The princess let out a sigh.  She peered across the room to where three ponies and a dragon were busily pouring through books and scrolls.  “I don't think I need to.  They have already taken charge.  I'm the one not willing to let go.”

I know what that's like.  :)

Twilight took in a deep breath and slowly released it.  It provided the calm she so greatly needed.  “So, how are things on your end?”

Well, like I said, the police showed up at Fluttershy's animal fundraiser and questioned all the girls.  Somehow, they found out where I was and called my hotel room.

I had a short talk with one of the detectives on the case.  He seemed content with what I told him.  Though, I doubt I've heard the last of him.

“He still suspects Wallflower to be a runaway, right?”

He made no hint of it to me, but I still believe so.

I hope so.

It would make everything much easier to explain after the fact.

In the meantime, the girls and I are going to try our best to try to keep any mention of magic out of it.  That's the last thing the authorities need to know about.

Which brings me to my next portion.  We've devised a plan to explain Sunset' s sudden disappearance from this world, but we'll need her cellphone to implement it.  Any chance we can arrange for a drop-off?

Twilight raised an inquisitive eyebrow.  “Just let me know when.  Either Starlight, Spike, or myself will bring it through."  A thought hit her.

"Do you suppose the girls to look after Wallflower?"

What do you mean?

"Wallflower can't stay here and, if her family is looking for her, then she needs to contact them.  While the obvious would be just to send her back to her home, she needs to be monitored.  Think you girls could handle it?"

What kind of question is that? ;)
> Chapter 18
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset laid sprawled out upon the floor.  She had tried the bed and her study pillow pile, but the cold crystalline castle floor was what she found to be most comfortable.

Princess Celestia sat on some pillows not far from her former student, contently sipping away at a cup of tea.  An amused smile sat upon her lips as she listened to Sunset lament her recent plight.  “Sounds like you've had quite the day.”

Sunset let out a groan.  “I have officially sworn off apples.”

Celestia took a sip.  “Of course you have.”

“I'm serious!”

“Of course you are.” Another sip.  “Just like how you were serious about never eating eggs.”

Sunset painfully raised a hoof in opposition.  “That was different.  I had no idea what they were!”

“Indeed,” the solar princess chuckled, remembering their little biology lesson so long ago, “you thought they were the excrement of birds.”

“Well, what else comes out that end?”

Celestia had to set her cup down to prevent from spilling on herself from laughter.  “So, aside from learning the value of a bushel of apples, what else have you learned?”

“How to make a bathroom pristine.”

“A valuable skill, but I was referring more to the realm of friendship.”

“Not a whole lot, so far.  I've started on the reading list Princess Twilight gave me.  In all, we seem to be focusing more on the study of teamwork.”

Celestia nodded.  “I know that's a difficult subject for you.”  Inwardly, she sighed, 'It was for Twilight, as well.'  She picked up her cup again and resumed with her tea.

A gentle silence filled over the room.  For the moment, both mentor and student were content just to be each others' company.

"I've missed you" Sunset said, gently hugging her stuffed creatures.  "I was happy when my trunk arrived.  I got the letter you put in it.  I read it every night.  Why have you not written more?"

"I'm sorry, Sunset.  I've been very busy."

"I know" Sunset said sadly, "You're always busy."

Celestia set her cup aside.  "Well, I'm not busy now."

Sunset let out a smile.  Still, a singular thought hung on her mind.  She hugged her stuffed phoenix and griffin tighter, pondering how to present her query.   

“Princess Celestia?”

“Yes, Sunset Shimmer?”

“When can I come home?”

Celestia was thankful she was out of Sunset's line of vision.  That way, the little pony couldn't see the pain in her eyes.

“It's not that I don't like it here, per se” Sunset continued with a sigh, “Twilight and Starlight, despite their shortfalls, have been good to me.  It's just...”

“You miss home” Celestia finished softly.

Sunset responded in a sad nod.  “I don't know why.  I've never felt this way before.”  She released a slight snort.  “Usually, you have to issue a royal decree for me to come home.”

“Quite so” she sipped her tea amusedly, “I have several drafted and on hoof for just the occasion.  Though, I am sensing you're experiencing a little more than a bout of homesickness.”

Sunset let out a long sigh.  She turned to look out the open doors to the balcony and the land lit by the moon beyond it.  She hadn't seen the moon but only once since she'd been here.  It didn't pass by her window.  “I just can't put my hoof on it...”  Once again the room fell silent.

"Princess Celestia?"

"Yes?"

Once again, Sunset squeezed her stuffed creatures.  "Is there something I should know?"

Princess Celestia pursed her lips, trying to decide best how to explain things to her student.  Her thoughts were cut short by a sharp knock on the door.  The two looked at each other in wonder as to who it may be.

“Come in.” Sunset called out.

The bedroom door opened slightly to admit Princess Twilight and, with her, a small box.  “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but I wanted to give these to Sunset before I forgot.”  She placed the box next to Sunset, who peered into it with great curiosity.  Opening it up, she found some candies, a small folding knife, notebooks and pencils, as well as a sketchbook and art pencils.  Sunset recognized some of the items as the ones she had pulled from her pockets while she was in that strange world.  But, she could have sworn there was more.  Grateful for what she had received, she sought not to press it.  However, she was missing one very important, valuable possession.

“Where's my journal?”

“Well, um...” Twilight looked to Celestia for guidance

“I've instructed Twilight not to give you your journal.”

Sunset looked betrayed.  “What?  Why?  I've always had my journal!”

“Since Princess Celestia has put me as your teacher” Twilight explained, casting a scowl at Celestia when Sunset wasn't looking, “We saw no need for you to have your journal.”

“You did this?”

The elder alicorn's head dropped in genuine shame.  “I'm sorry, Sunset.  It's only momentary and, in the meantime, it's in a safe place.”  She shied away from Twilight's disapproving glares.

As much as Sunset hated the notion of being without her journal, she relented.  After all, if Princess Celestia insisted it was for the best of her education, she could accept it—for the time being.  She sat solemnly inspecting the items of the box, unaware of the silent shouting going on above her.

With one last frown towards Celestia behind Sunset's back, Twilight left the room, and the mentor and student in peace.

Once again, silence reigned in the small room.  As the hour grew later, Sunset turned to Celestia.  “Will you be spending the night?”

“I was planning on it.”

“Were you planning on spending it with me?”

“If you want me to.”

Sunset solemnly nodded.  “I'd like that.”  She pulled together a pile of pillows and blankets in her magic and set them down on the floor next to her.  She basked in her mentor's approval as she settled down in the makeshift bed.  Sunset shuffled slightly, pressing her smaller body into that of the elder pony.

"Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yes, Princess Celestia?"

The princess took in a deep breath.  "You know I love you, right?"

Sunset thought the question strange, but nodded.

"And you know that everything I do for you is because of that love, right?"

Again, a nod.

"And that I only want to do what is best for you?"

Another nod.  "Are you going somewhere with this, princess?"

Celestia let out a long breath.  She wrapped a leg around her student, pulling her into a hug.  Sunset responded by pressing herself closer into her mentor's heart.  "I just wanted you to know" Celestia said, nuzzling the top of Sunset's head, "that, no matter what, I love you.  And everything I have done is because I only wanted to do what was best for you."

"Princess Celestia, you're scaring me!"

"Don't be" She gently kissed Sunset, "My little pony, you have nothing to be afraid of."

The two laid together, enjoying each other's closeness.  As the cool night breeze wafted in, Sunset found a source of warmth in the solar princess.  Still, she felt unsettled within.  The latest interaction with Princess Twilight, and, now, these strange questions from her mentor stirred it further, causing her to squirm slightly.  “Princess?”

“Yes?”

“Why can't I have my journal?  I don't like being without it.”

“Why is that?”

“I enjoy writing in it.  I like telling you about my day.”

“Well,” Celestia smiled and gently nuzzled her student, “you don't need your journal right now, as I am here.”  Her face lit up as a thought entered her mind, “Why don't you do it now?  I'd like to hear to tell about it.”

“Um...” Sunset's hooves tapped together, “where should I start?”

“How about when when you got up?”

“Really?” Sunset frowned.  Not a particular part of the day she wanted to recall.  “Well, for starters, I was up long before you were.  Not my idea, mind you.  Princess Twilight has no sense of time.  As smart as she may supposedly be, 'early' is clearly not a word she understands.  The moon was still shining when I was roused from my warm bed.

“The walk to the Apples' farm in the early hours was quite nice.  So, I guess it wasn't all that bad.  But don't you dare tell Princess Twilight that.  As far as she knows, I was miserable.

“But, when we got there, it as straight to work.  Once Twilight handed me into their clutches, I was whisked away to the barn.

“The chickens were first.  Don't be fooled by those little balls of feathers.  Those things are little devils!  And guard their nests with poised talons.  Personally, I'd rather fight a roc than a chicken!  Well, at least I could blast a roc without having somepony yell at me.

“The cow was next.” she let out a shiver, “I feel dirty just thinking about it.  Celestia only knows how the cow felt.”  She paused briefly, realizing the context she had used her teacher's name.  “Oh... uh...”

“It's okay.” Celestia chuckled, “I'm well-aware of how my name has come to be used.  Though, can't say I wholly approve.  But, I can understand how it has come about.  Go on, continue.”

“Well, nothing much else to say about that.  Only that my hooves felt that they needed a thorough washing once I was done.

“Is it wrong to say that I felt like I was violating a cow?”

With Celestia silent on the subject, Sunset continued.  “Anyway, last before breakfast were the pigs.  The euphemisms are right in every sense.  I now have a new respect for waiters and servers.  With that in mind, I don't think I could ever eat in a restaurant the same way again.”

“Well,” the teacher nodded, approvingly, “that certainly is something positive to take away.”

“Perhaps... At any rate, after breakfast, I was completely abandoned to the whims of the family and it was straight to the fields.  I was first set to help Big Mac plow and sow the field.  He plowed and I followed behind spreading the seed.

“Of course, being the most helpful pony that I am, I suggested using a spell to do the whole process in one fell swoop.  That, however, was quickly shut down.  Apparently, these ponies aren't all that interested in efficiency.  Well, I suppose some ponies are more brawn than brain—”

“Sunset!”

“What?” Sunset frowned, “It's a fact.  Earth ponies are, physically, the strongest of the tribes.  And they're proud of it, too!”

Celestia let out a relenting sigh.  “Okay, I'll give you that.  Just... mind your phrasing.”

Sunset rolled her eyes.  “At any rate, they seemed more interested in torturing themselves and getting less things done than using magic and getting more things done.  Whatever...

“The field took up half the afternoon.  With that done, everyone met up in the orchard.  This part I actually enjoyed.  Who knew beating up trees could be fruitful and fun?

“Okay, okay, not really beating up trees.  But, bucking is a good way to let out some pent up anger.”

Celestia tilted her head.  “You have pent up anger?”

“I'm here, aren't I?” Sunset replied, bluntly.

Celesia frowned.  “We've discussed this...”

“Quite.  So, as I was saying, kicking a tree can be quite therapeutic.  The only problem is, if not done right, can lead to injury.”

“Hence, your current predicament.”

Sunset let out a sigh.  “Yeah...”

“Well, sounds like you've certainly had quite the day.”

“Not one I'm itching to relive—ever.”

Celestia let out a light chuckle.  “In that case, how about you try to get some rest.  From what you've told me, you've more than deserved it.”  She took Sunset's blanket and draped it over the pony.

Sunset stretched and let out a yawn.  “Maybe you're right.  One thing I do know is I'm gonna sleep well tonight.”

“That's the reward of a good day's work.”

Sunset let out a mumble as sleep slowly overtook her.  “...and aching muscles is the curse...”

Celestia smiled as she watched over the sleeping pony.  Though fully grown, she still saw Sunset as the small foal who bounded her way into her private quarters.  Celestia couldn't remember the last time she had gotten such a scare.  How Sunset had managed to get past the palace guards and staff was anyone's guess.  Still, it amused Celestia that it had happened.  And, after the long day she had experienced, she could have used a little laughter.  She smiled as she remembered the Captain of the Guard's expression when she alerted him that they had been “infiltrated”.

Who knew that a little filly—who had gotten lost chasing after a ladybug—would become so dear to her?

She gave Sunset a gentle nuzzle.  Normally, she wouldn't have had given a thought to such a disruptive little tyke and merely have her seen home.  But, after observing the detection spell she had used to repeatedly locate the same ladybug—much less, follow it all over Canterlot—Celestia quickly felt this foal was special.

Moreover, once she found out about about Sunset's living situation, Celestia knew she had to rescue her.  Not just Sunset, but all the other fillies and colts who resided in on the of the most deplorable orphanages in Equestria.

Because of Sunset, many desperate foals found loving homes.  However, and not for her lack of trying, a family couldn't be found for Sunset.  At the same time, Celestia couldn't bear to part with the filly.  Thus, against all council, Celestia took it upon herself to raise the child.

Though she never once regretted her decision, Celestia often wondered if she was doing the right thing.  She wondered if she was wrong in trying to do it alone.  Maybe, she underestimated what it would take to juggle being a parent, teacher, and ruler.  So many times, when she felt she had failed, she wondered if things would have been better had she had somepony else to help her.  Such thoughts only pushed Celestia into a darker place.

Luna would have been the perfect aunt.  But, Luna wasn't there—nor had she been for nearly a thousand years.  Through the absence of her sister, Celestia learned that's why she couldn't lose Sunset.

Yet, Sunset still left, and Celestia was left alone, again.

She let out a sigh as she gently stroked Sunset's mane.  Her heart ached for her student.  Sunset had always showed such courage.  Even when small, she possessed the strength to do what too few dared.  Celestia cursed herself that, right now, she couldn't do the same.

She bit back the tears from her eyes.  "I'm sorry, my little sun.  I am so very sorry."
> Chapter 19
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the morning sun stretched its rays over Equestria, Sunset made her descent to the kitchen, alone.  While she had experienced a good night's sleep, several things still hung heavily upon her.  With every step, they seemed to become worse and worse.  Only the thought of seeing her mentor in the kitchen lifted her spirits slightly.  Only to learn when she got there that Princess Celestia had been called back to Canterlot, but was expected back early that afternoon.

Princess Twilight wasn't very happy about it, but was sympathetic in the regard that "a princess's work was never done."

Seated at the breakfast table, Sunset idly prodded her food with her fork.  She had filled her plate, as per her usual routine, but a wad growing in her stomach prevented her from experiencing any bit of an appetite.  On occasion, she would spear a strawberry; on another, cut through a piece of melon.  But, never had she the notion to eat it.  Instead, the food would find its way back to her plate.

Twilight and Starlight looked at each other in silent conversation.  The young pony's sudden lack appetite seemed of great worry to them.

“Sunset,” Twilight spoke tenderly, “is everything okay?”

“Do you know a pony named Ballad?” came a soft reply.

“Not particularly” Starlight replied, “I know she's a cousin of Lyra Heartstrings.”

Sunset let out a thoughtful hum and continued reorganizing her plate.  Silence hung over the breakfast table.

“What happened to the Mare in the Moon?”

Twilight felt a lump growing in the pit of her stomach.  “What to you mean?”

“The Mare in the Moon.  What happened to her?  She's gone.”

“You sure about that?” asked Spike, uneasily.

Sunset nodded.  “Quite sure.  I'm generally up late studying and will often talk to her.  When I saw the moon yesterday, I noticed that she wasn't there.

“May I be excused?”

“If you're finished eating.”

“I mean from my studies.”

Twilight was planning on doing that anyway.  To top it off, Sunset's current mood was quite distressing.  She nodded.  “Get yourself some rest.”

With a thankful bow, Sunset placed her dishes in the sink and silently walked from the kitchen.

“Should we follow her?” Spike asked.

“No,” Twilight replied, “best to give her some space.  But I do want to you send a letter to Princess Celestia.  Tell her she needs to get back here right now.  Tell her my threat still stands: Either she tells Sunset the truth today, or I will.”

There was a sudden flash of green flame.  “Done!”

---

Sunset went straight to Twilight's private library.  She had to get her hooves on that journal.  If she couldn't have her own, she knew there was another she could.  She knew it was there because she had seen it when she arrived, and had thought it odd that somepony else would have her mentor's journal.

Making sure she was alone, Sunset opened the library doors and slipped in.  She made her way to the far corner of the room, where the magic mirror was stored.  As she suspected, the portal was deactivated.  This made removing the journal much easier.  She took her mentor's journal in her magic and quickly found a corner in which to read.

She flipped through the pages, trying to find the last entry, only to find the journal had been filled.  She frowned.  This journal was new!  She and Princess Celestia had, not too long ago, replaced their current journals.  At most, they only had a few month's worth of entries in them.

Glancing at the later notes, she saw that they all opened with “Dear Princess Twilight...”  Her expression deepened as she saw this greeting took up nearly half the journal.  What bothered her further were these were written in a hornwritting she didn't recognize.  In addition, Princess Twilight had appeared to have written back.

Finally, she came to where the greetings to Princess Twilight began.  Working backwards, she saw one entry that was addressed to Princess Celestia in the unknown writing, before the lettering returned to her familiar scrawl.

Still, Sunset felt uneasiness with these pages.  True, they were unmistakably her own writing, but she had no memory of these entries.  Furthermore, she read of events that she knew were coming up, but, according to her journal, had already happened.

With fervor, she flipped through the pages, reading every last detail she could.  Her heart pounded within her chest and her breathing became deeper as he worst fears were realized.  Somehow, someway, something was terribly wrong.  How could she not remember?  Sunset stumbled backwards, landing on her tail.  Lightheadedness set in and her mind swirled.  'What has been going on?'

---

Breakfast was drawing to a close when Spike let out a long belch.

Starlight raised an eyebrow.  “Excuse me?”

“Sorry,” Spike said, sheepishly, “magical messages and food don't exactly mix.”  He held up a scroll with the royal insignia.

Twilight quickly took the scroll and opened it.  Spike skidded to her side, jumping to read the message for himself.

“So, what does the princess say?”

“She's still stuck in her meeting.” Twilight summarized, “She'll come as soon as she can get away.”  She let out a low growl.  "Of all the times for the chancellors to call an emergency court!"

“I'm worried about Sunset” Starlight said, rising from the table, "I didn't like the way she looked when she left.  I better go check on her to make sure she's okay."

“You do that” Twilight sighed, rolling up the scroll, “I just hope I don't have to be the one to tell her."  She set her own dishes in the sink and set aside some food for Moondancer and Sunburst, whenever they woke up.

She and Spike were almost finished putting the last of the food away when Starlight flashed into the kitchen.

"Sunset's not in her room!" she panted, "I can't find her anywhere!"

"I don't get it" said Spike, scratching his head, "That's the only place in the castle she hangs out."

Twilight's mind raced.  "If she's not in her room then... oh-no...”

“What?”

“Last night, Sunset asked about getting her journal back.  Since Celestia hadn't yet told her, I had to say no.  But, if she can't have her journal...”

“She'll seek out the journal it's connected to” Starlight finished.

Twilight made a bolt for the door.  “I need to get to the library!”

Not wanting to waste any time, Twilight took a page from Starlight's book and teleported herself to the library doors.  She paused for a moment, pressing her ear to the doors for any movement inside.  It was quiet, save for soft whimpering.  Twilight took a step back and drew in a deep breath.  This wasn't going to be easy.  Expelling her air, she opened the doors to the library.

Right away, her eyes locked unto Sunset Shimmer, sitting at the table, looking at a small book, clearly distraught.

“Sunset?” Twilight said gently.

The unicorn looked up when her name was called.  Twilight saw she had been crying.

“Sunset,” Twilight continued, slowly walking to the table, “it's okay.  You can talk to me.”

Sunset wiped her eyes.  “Can I really?” she asked, “Or, are you just going to lie to me?”

Twilight's heart fell.  “I would nev--.”

"SHUT UP!" Sunset spat , "You would never what?  Lie to me?"  She snarled at Twilight's solemn expression.  “Then explain this!” She threw the journal across the table, “What's going on?  Why do I remember none of this?"

She grit her teeth as more tears threatened to fall.  "Please, Twilight, tell me the truth.  What... what has happened to me?”

Twilight let out a sigh through her nose.  “We should have told you this days ago.”  She used a summoning spell to materialize her copy of their communication journals.  Setting it on the table, she opened the book and turned to the pages regarding the Memory Stone.

“Let's start with that strange world” she said, gently, “Where we were was a parallel world to our own.  You have been living there for several years.  That's where we met and became friends.  The other inhabitants from that world are your friends as well.

“A week ago, you wrote to me regarding a problem in that world.  Your friends suddenly lost any memory of their friendship with you.”  She pushed to journal for Sunset to see, “We discovered that someone had used the Memory Stone, an ancient Equestrian artifact, to erase people's memories.  Not just your friends, but everyone, suddenly lost any recollection of you from the past year.

“After doing some research over here, you returned to that world to further investigate, but, in confronting the individual, your own memories were erased.”

Sunset looked at the princess with wide eyes.  “W-what?”

“According to your friends in the other world, you gave up your own memories to keep them from further losing theirs.  You lost all your memories of that world, and some of this one.  Almost ten years in total. ”

“But,” Sunset frowned, “it says here that if the stone is destroyed, the memories will be restored.”

“That's true.  The stone was destroyed, and your friends got their memories back.  However, for some reason, yours weren't returned.”

“...And that's where you found me.”  Her ears flopped as she began to process this new reality.  In an instant, it seemed her whole world had crumbled.  “So, all this... everything...

"I'm no longer Princess Celestia's student, aren't I?”

Twilight shook her head, sadly, “No.”

“Am I a student anywhere?”

“You attend a school in that other world.  To them, it's general education.  To us, it's an elective independent study.  A fair bit of your time there is spent trying to figure out how Equestrian and Friendship magic works in that world.”

Sunset sat quietly, flipping through the pages of Twilight's journal.  “We're close friends, aren't we?”

“Yes.”

“What of Starlight?”

Twilight smiled.  “Two instant peas in a pod.”

“And Spike?”

“You're friends.  Though, your closer to his other world counterpart.”

Sunset's mind wondered back to the night at the cafe, when she encountered two Twilight Sparkles.  “You speak of counterparts.  Do I have one as well?”

“We suspect so, though, no one has seen her.  Look, Sunset, I understand you have about a thousand questions right now.  But, I don't have the time to answer them all here.  Let me at least tell you what you should know.

“We are working as hard as we can to recover your memories.  I have two friends helping me who are excellent scholars.  So far, we have translated the scroll that was buried with the Memory Stone and have uncovered the clues necessary to help us decode its hidden message.”

“What of finding my memories?”

“Somehow, your memories got put into an inhabitant of that other world: Wallflower Blush.  We're not sure how to extract them from her, but we're hoping the hidden message of the scroll will give us some clues.

Twilight placed her hooves over Sunset's.  “I'm sorry I can't tell you any more.  But, please know that we're here for you.”

“We all are” said a gentle voice.

The two ponies looked up to see Princess Celestia standing in the doorway.  Starlight and Spike stood by her side.

Out of instinct, Sunset ran to her former mentor.  However, she stopped short, unsure if her usual course of action was still an acceptable one to take.

Celestia saw Sunset's uncertainty.  She lowered herself down to the unicorn's level and spread out her wings, inviting the unicorn to take refuge within her.  

Sunset, however, seemed hesitant.  Tears formed at the surface as her heart was split in two.  She backpedalled slightly.  Part of her wanted to run to the security of her teacher; her mother.  Part of her just wanted to flee as far away as she could.

In the end, she chose to flee.  With a choked sob, her horn ignited and she was gone in a flash of red light.

Starlight placed a comforting hoof on the distraught Celestia.  "It's okay" she said, "She didn't go far.  Just to her room."

Celestia wasted no time running upstairs.  However, when she reached Sunset's bedroom, she stopped short of the door.  Through the thick oak, she could hear the sobs of her beloved student.  Each heartfelt cry made her own heart twist further.  Tears stung and fell from her own eyes.  She hadn't meant for this to happen.  She hadn't meant for any of this to happen.

And, yet, it did.  Now, she had to live with it.

She curled up outside the door.  If she couldn't comfort Sunset in body, she could in spirit.

After a while, the sobs gave way to silence.  Celestia suspected that Sunset had cried herself to sleep.  Gently turning the handle, she opened the door and peered to the bedroom.

It was dark within.  Sunset had drawn all the curtains to block out the sunlight.  All was still, with the exception of the light snoring coming from the bed. 

Celestia cast an illumination spell and went to check on Sunset.  She found her curled up on top of the comforter.  She was wrapped in her old blanket; her stuffed phoenix clutched lightly to her chest.  Celestia later found that the griffin had been thrown to the other side of the room.

She sat next to the bed and let out a sigh.  She didn't care what happened to her.  If Sunset decided to leave her forever, she would understand.  However, what she could not stand was Sunset being in this state.  It would be hard, but she could live without her Sunset.  What she could not live with was knowing Sunset was living and not being her better self.

It wasn't how she would have wanted it.  But, now that the truth was finally out, they could all find some rest.

“Don't worry, sister,” a low whisper came from behind her, “I'll make sure she sleeps well.”

“Thank-you, Luna” the elder sister smiled, “I only hope...”

Luna placed a hoof on her sister's chest, “Hope is all we need.  Twilight and her friends have been working tirelessly.  If anypony can figure it out, they can.”

“But time is against us.  What if we can't restore her...?”

“Then we find a way to pick up from where we left off.”

Celestia grit her teeth.  “That's unacceptable!”

“You think I'm not as upset about this as you are?  What of Wallflower Blush?  That poor girl is losing herself, and she is aware of it, and she is afraid.”

Celestia seemed to not have listened.  Her focus remained solely on the pony in the bed.  “It's not fair!” she hissed, recounting the stories Twilight had showed her in the journals.  Only then, did she realize her mistake of not inquiring about Sunset sooner.  Reading the entries, she found such pride and joy in her student.

“She's fought for so much.  All of it, just to have all her achievements, all her struggles, all she has become... gone!”

“And Wallflower hasn't overcome challenges of her own?  Sunset is not completely gone.  She may not remember, but everyone else will.  Together, we will help her find herself again.”

“But we shouldn't have to.”

Luna drew closer to her sister.  She felt everything churning within, threatening to erupt.  “I know it's hard.  But, I also know you've done hard things before.  You persevered then, you can persevere now.”

A deep growl reverberated in Celestia's throat, rising and becoming a muffled scream as it escaped her lips.  With no will left, she collapsed onto the floor.  “I'm tired, Luna” she said, softly, “I'm tired of being strong.  For once, I want to be weak.”

A gentle smile crossed Luna's lips as she nuzzled her sister.  “Then, let me be your strength.”
> Chapter 20
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia awoke refreshed.  She gently lifted her head and glanced around the bedchamber.  She was in a different room from Sunset's.  It was about the same size, but different layout.  The curtains had been drawn to shut out most the light to allow for a better sleep.  Though, a small amount of sun was allowed through.  The angle of the light filtering into the room alerted her to the time of day.

She slowly slipped off the bed onto the floor.  Once free, she shook off and stretched her joints.  She had no idea exactly what Luna did to her, but she was very grateful.

With another stretch, she left the room and made her way down the hallway.  As she walked down the stairs to the main floor, she encountered Twilight on her way up.  The former student's expression indicated she wanted to talk.  They stopped with a few steps between them.  Celestia slouched, averting her student's gaze.

Twilight released a long, hard sigh.  "I see no point in telling how upset I am with you.  It's clear you already know.  Let me just leave you with some advice you once gave me: You have a lot to think about."

Celestia only fell further.

"At any rate,” Twilight continued, “glad to see you're awake.  I thought you'd sleep the whole day.  Seems to be a theme around here today.”

Celestia cocked her head.  “Really?  Where are Moondancer and Sunburst?”

“In their rooms, sleeping.  I hope.  They've been working on this nonstop since yesterday and I didn't want them to run themselves rugged.  Starlight just went to bed herself.”

"What of Sunset?"

“Twilight!” dual voices cried out.

Twilight turned in the direction of the voices to see two mages galloping down the hall, levitating papers trailing behind them.  “What's all this?”

“We've done it!” grinned Moondancer, “We've cracked the coded code!”  She placed several papers at the princesses' feet.  Each sheet filled with text and drawings.

“Look here,” Sunburst pointed to various portions of the notes, “it's an activation for a spell of some kind.  We think it's to the spell infused in the scroll!”

Twilight's whole body drooped.  “You two didn't get any sleep, did you?”

“Oh, quite the contrary,” the stallion pushed up his glasses, “we've had quite the night's sleep.”

“But, how did you...?”

“Princess Luna was kind enough to give us a shared dream" Moondancer explained, "by which, we could work on this while our bodies rested.”

“Efficient...”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Moondancer pulled Twilight with her magic, “Starlight and Spike are already in the library.  Let's go!”

---

The doors to the library opened to reveal Starlight and Spike preparing for a ritual of sorts.  Starlight was finalizing a spell circle just as the group stepped in.

Twilight looked around the room.  Everywhere, were hung papers with various spell diagrams and circles.

“Well,” Starlight smiled, putting the chalk away, “that's the last of it.  You filled her in?”

“Pretty much” nodded Moondancer.

“I'm still a little fuzzy” Twilight replied.

“It's simple” Starlight smiled.  She wrapped a hoof around her mentor and ushered her around the room, beginning with the original parchment.  “We know there is a spell infused with the Memory Stone Scroll.  The coded message on the back tells us how to activate it."  

"Turns out," Spike added, "it wasn't a message written in Old Ponish, or a spell.  It was a whole list of them!"

Starlight nodded.  "Technically, it was a collection of spells, diagrams, and the instructions to set them up.”

“That's about as far as I got" Twilight said, "But, what are we activating, exactly?”

“That's the fun part” pranced Sunburst, “We don't know!”

“Just consider it an adventure!” Moondancer quipped.

Uncertainty churned within Twilight's stomach.  Not that she was adverse to an adventure.  Rather that, now, they didn't seem to have the luxury for such things.  Plus, in the past when things like this happened, they almost always didn't end well.  “You sure about this?”

Sunburst shrugged.  “About ninety-nine percent.”

Twilight swallowed.  Despite the one percent uncertainty, she was still satisfied and wholly trusted her friends.  Still, that did not prevent the butterflies from fluttering within her as she took her place in the spell circle.

Celestia and Spike took shelter in a corner of the library.  Not entirely sure how the spell would work, it was decided to have them observe and, if necessary, intervene.

Twilight took in a deep breath, summoning the magic she needed.  To her side, she heard Sunburst begin the spell.  Starlight and Moondancer followed not far behind.  Focusing her strength, Twilight performed her part, activating her portion of the circle.

Almost instantly, she felt a magical feedback.  She felt it flow back through her horn, down through her body, out her hooves and into the circle.  Though it seemed awkward to have the magic flow backwards, there was nothing about it that told her something wrong.  It was only the fact that it was a steady current that told here everything was fine.  Twilight grit her teeth, pushing herself further into the spell.  She closed her eyes tightly as she felt the magic build.  With one final surge, her vision turned to white.

When Twilight opened her eyes, she was no longer in the library.  With her were Starlight, Moondancer, and Sunburst, each equally as confused as her.

Sunburst took a few steps backward, bringing himself closer to the others.  “Wha... What happened?  What is this?”

The mares were trying to discern the same thing.  They scanned their new environment, examining every detail.  They appeared to be in some sort of swamp.  Wherever they were sent to, they had landed in a small circular clearing.  Beyond that, was a dense forest.

Eventually, Moondancer broke away from the pack.  “Did... did we just get transported somewhere?”

Starlight looked about the clearing.  With her preferred mode of transportation being teleportation, she had come know quite well the signature of a teleport.  She knew well that one so large as to transport four grown ponies over a vast distance would have left quite a bit of residual magic.  Yet, in her examinations, she found nothing.  With no evidence of a teleport, it meant the only other explanation.  “...I think the question is not as to where, but to when.”

“No” Twilight said thoughtfully.  She ran her hoof through the trunk of a nearby tree.  As expected, it swept right through with no resistance. “We're having a vision of some kind.

“I experienced something similar a few years ago when Zecora gave me a potion that allowed me to witness the night Princess Celestia banished Princess Luna to the moon.”

Two bespectacled ponies' jaws dropped. “What?”  In an instant, they had descended upon the alicorn princess.

“Oh,” Moondancer said, pressing a hoof firmly into Twilight's chest, “we are talking about this later.”

Sunburst was quick to agree.  “We are so talking about this later.”

Starlight couldn't help but laugh. “Okay,” she said, “so, then, where and when are we?”

Twilight shrugged.  “No idea.”

The ponies jumped when they heard rustling in the forest.

“Someone's coming!” Moondancer yelped in a loud whisper.  She quickly sought for a place to hide.  Starlight and Sunburst were looking a little uneasy themselves.

“It's okay” Twilight calmed her friends, “Whoever it is, they can't see or hear us.  They can't even touch us.  Remember when my hoof went through the tree?”

The noises became louder before a unicorn stallion jumped into the clearing.  He looked over his shoulder and around the clearing to be sure he was alone.

They watched intently as he reached into his bag and pulled out a scroll, which he laid out on the ground.

“Wait a minute," Sunburst stood erect, "isn't that...?”

“...the Memory Stone Scroll.”  Twilight's eyes narrowed.

Moondancer adjusted her glasses.  "But, it seems incomplete."

The stallion then pulled from his bag a quill and ink.  Hastily, he wrote on the scroll till, finally, he let out an exhaustive sigh.  Putting away the writing tools, he took out a smooth, round stone.

Twilight's eyes lit up.

Placing the stone atop the scroll, the stallion's horn ignited, causing the stone and scroll to also light up.  Lightning began to spark from items.

Suddenly, the light in the clearing faded.  A heavy wind blew in.  In the sky, black clouds gathered.

Despite being in no danger, the four friends still huddled together.  Around them, it looked like the beginnings of a mighty thunder storm.  The wind became stronger.  It kicked up leaves and loose dirt and threw them around.  In glee of its destruction, it howled.  Answering the wind's call, the trees circling the clearing joined in and swayed in a ritualistic dance.

It became so loud, Starlight and Moondancer had covered their ears.  Sunburst was about to do the same until he heard it.  A voice in the wind.  He nudged Twilight.  The look she gave him told him that she had heard it, too.

Twilight pointed to the enchanter, and Sunburst was a little perplexed, until he noticed the lips.  Then it all made sense.  It was the stallion's voice he was hearing.  He was chanting the spell.  Immediately, Sunburst focused on the incantation, trying to decipher every word.

Suddenly, a bright light emitted from the scroll.  It filled the area and exploded in a clap of thunder.  In an instant, the storm as gone and all was calm.

There was a brief moment of silence before the air was filled with a female's laughter.  “Stupid fool!  I knew you could finish it!”

"If only to put an end to you" the male growled.

The group turned to eye the newcomer.   She was a tall, slender unicorn, with sinister grin spread across her face.

"We'll just see about that" she said.  With a charge of her horn, she sent a blast towards the stallion.

He skillfully dodged the magic bolt and threw up a shield.  "Is that the best you've got?"

"Says the pony who put up a shield instead of firing back!"  She charged her horn and released another blast.  It took out the stallion's shield and a second round of fire pummeled him into the dirt.

The mare tsked as she surveyed her opponent.  "I had expected so much more of a fight from you."  She picked up the stone he had dropped and inspected it.  “Very nice” she smiled, “Now, to see if you work.”

The stallion pushed himself up into his haunches with a low, painful growl.  "You won't get away with this."

She only smiled as she closed her eyes and focused.

Twilight watched wide-eyed as the stone began to glow.  A moment later, the stallion let out a cry of anguish as a long ribbon emerged from his head and floated the stone, where it was absorbed.

With the last of the ribbon from him, he fell back to the ground, exhausted.

The memory collected, the sorceress laughed in triumph.  Though, she was quickly stopped by a voice calling out from among the trees.

“Barley?  Barley!”  A third unicorn jumped out of the forest and ran to inspect his friend in the ground.  He wore a green, tattered cloak.  But, his most distinguishing feature was his cutie mark.

Moondancer's jaw dropped.  “Oh my gosh!” she cried, jumping onto Sunburst, “That's Clover the Clever!”

Sunburst proved to be equally as excited as he exclaimed, “I know, right?”

"Then..." Twilight mumbled, "that would make her..."

"By Star Swirl's beard!" Clover demanded, "What have you done to him?"

"Only what you would have had done to me!" the sorceress sneered.  "And, now, to deal with you."

Clover stood his ground, but it proved useless.  In a short matter of time, she had collected his memories as well.  Clover fell, immobilized, next to his friend.

With nopony left to stop her, the sorceress picked up Barley's bag and disappeared into the forest.

Clover was the first to arouse.  He let out a shout when he saw his friend lying beside him.  "Barley?" he shook him, "Barley!  Come on, wake up!"

"Steady on!" the other unicorn groaned, "Who is this Barley fellow?"

"Barley," Clover chided "now is no time for jokes."

"Who's joking?" he grumbled, "And who is Barley?"

A great wave of fear and concern washed over Clover.  "Why, you're Barley..."

Just then, the whole world turned to white and Twilight found herself back in her library.  She shook off the residual magic and glanced around at her friends.  Starlight looked a little exhausted, but gave a smile that she was okay.  Sunburst and Moondancer, however, were bursting with exhilaration.  From the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Princess Celestia and Spike coming towards them.

“Everypony okay?” Spike asked, quite worried, “Your eyes all went all white and glowy for a second then everything died.”

“Yes,” Twilight smiled, pulling her assistant in for a hug, “we're just fine.”

“You know what just happened?” Sunburst asked.

Moondancer grinned widely.  “Do you know what just happened?”

Sunburst's excitement escalated.  “I think I know what just happened.  I'm asking you what just happened to confirm that what I think just happened really happened.”

“Well,” Moondancer rose to meet Sunburst, “if you think what happened is what I think happened then:”

The two jumped in unison: “We know how to make a memory stone!”

“More than that,” added Twilight, turning to her mentor, “I think I know how it works.”
> Chapter 21
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Under the cover of darkness, two figures snuck their way towards the local high school.  They huddled behind the statue base and awaited their rendezvous.

Rainbow looked at the time.  “I hope we don't have to wait long.”

“Why?” Applejack frowned, “You have another appointment?”

“Yes.  With my bed.  Sunday is the day of rest, and I intend to take full advantage of it.”

The farm girl just rolled her eyes.

It was a quiet night.  There was the light chirp of crickets and a gentle breeze blew through.  Being that it was the very early morning hours, there was not another soul.  The two girls had become so accustomed to the quiet that they nearly died of shock when the portal started up.

In a blazing light, Princess Twilight was kneeling before them, with Wallflower Blush at her side.  Rainbow and Applejack quickly helped them to their feet.

“How ya doin', Wallflower?” Applejack asked, leaning the girl against her for support.  The poor girl looked tired and ragged.

“Been better.”

Princess Twilight was talking with Rainbow.  “Here's what you asked for” she said, handing over Sunset's cellphone and keys.  “I just wanted to say that you girls have been doing a great job, considering.”

“Believe me,” Rainbow sighed, “it hasn't been easy.”  She smiled when a warm hand landed on her shoulder.

“Just keep hanging on.  So, you girls all set?”

“Yep.  Rarity and Trixie are going to meet us there.”

“Okay, just remember: first sign of trouble, and you bring her back here.”

Rainbow gave a thumbs up.  “Got it!”

It was a short, quiet walk to Sunset's apartment building.  Trixie and Rarity were parked outside waiting for them.  When they saw the trio walking up, they exited the vehicle, and began removing sleeping bags and luggage from the trunk.  They greeted Wallflower at the door with sympathetic smiles.

Entering the studio apartment, Wallflower seemed a bit apprehensive.  In one respect, she felt she was coming home.  In another, she felt she was violating someone's privacy.  She was quick to make her feelings known to the girls.

“We understand, darling” Rarity tried to be compassionate, “But, there's really no other place we can bring you.  Plus, if Sunset's memories flare again, they may be more manageable in a familiar environment.”

“If you want,” added Applejack, “we'll just hang out in the living area.”  She moved the couch aside to create a sleeping area.

Somehow, it didn't make Wallflower feel any better.  “So, what are we going to do?”

“That's completely up to you” Trixie smiled as she raided Sunset's refrigerator.  She took a step back, perplexed.  “It's all drinks.  Doesn't this girl keep any food?”

“I eat out a lot.”  She stopped when she realized what she just said.  “I mean,” she corrected, “Sunset eats out a lot.  Between school lunch and her work, she doesn't have much need to buy food.  There are some snacks in the microwave.”  She smiled sheepishly at the other girls.  “Sorry.”  Though they tried to hide it for her sake, she could see their sadness.

Rainbow wrapped her arm around Wallflower's shoulders, pulling her into a half-hug.  “It's okay.  Not like you can help it.”

“Still,” Wallflower looked downcast, “I don't want to make this awkward for you.”

“I think we're already well passed that point” Trixie said, popping a chip into her mouth.  Despite the urge, the other girls chose not to comment.

“Wallflower, here why don't you change into your pajamas?”  Rarity handed Wallflower the overnight bag she has left over at Pinkie Pie's house.

Wallflower stared blankly at the duffel bag.  She had completely forgotten about it.  Her sleeping bag, too.  Though, that as well had been brought and was being laid out on the floor.  She zipped it open and pulled out her night shirt and shorts.  Maybe it would make her more comfortable.  Pulling out her toiletries as well, she went off to the bathroom.

Applejack adjusted her hat with a sigh.  “This is gonna be a long night.”

“I just hope she falls right to sleep” said Rarity, “Would be better all-round.”

“Yeah, but let's not force her.  Plus, she needs to contact her grandparents to get them to call off Detective Doyle.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow pointed out, “but we still haven't come up with what she should tell them.”

“My grandparents, though I love them, will believe most anything you tell them.”

“Woah!” Rainbow nearly jumped out of her skin.  Spinning around, she pointed to Wallflower, “Ninja!”

Wallflower chuckled lightly at the comment.  “But, it's true.  They're been times I've told them things and they completely forget about them.  I could say I was just about anywhere, and they'd believe me.”

“Well,” Rarity said, “that's certainly an odd stroke of luck.”

“Tell ya what,” Applejack smiled, “after all we've had to deal with, I'll take it.”

With everyone dressed for bed, the girls settled down in their sleeping bags.

Wallflower laid silently, looking up at the ceiling.  So many thoughts floated through her mind.  Some she recognized as her own; others, Sunset's.  She closed her eyes and tried to push those ones back.  She owed Sunset a huge apology once this was all over.

Oddly, though, through all this, she felt she had come to know Sunset Shimmer and her friends.  Though, she wondered how much of that was true just because she happened to have Sunset's memories.  If Princess Twilight, somehow, managed to relieve her of Sunset's memories, would she still feel the same about these girls?

She prayed Twilight could find how to take the memories away.

Exhaustion slowly taking hold, Wallflower turned over, and went to sleep.

---

Rainbow awoke to the sound of gentle guitar strumming.  She gently raised her head.  It was still dark out, but the sky was beginning to lighten.  She gently moved so as not to disturb anyone and looked over to where Wallflower was sleeping.  Seeing the sleeping bag empty, she quickly sat up and searched around.

However, she didn't have to look far.  On the other side of the couch, Wallflower sat, softly playing one of Sunset's guitars.  She had plugged it into the amp, but had turned the volume way down.  Rainbow sat silently and listened.  Wallflower was practicing chords and scales.

Slowly, Rainbow arose and went over to join Wallflower.  “Can't sleep?”

“Yeah,” Wallflower replied, “I like to play whenever that happens.”

Rainbow grabbed the other electric guitar off the wall.  “Mind if I join?”

Wallflower plugged the second guitar into the amp, and started playing a simple melody.

A pang twinged Rainbow's heart.  She recognized that tune.  It was one she and Sunset had come up with.  It was a duet they had hammered out one late night while studying.  No one else knew of it; it had become their special song.  Without realizing it, she had jumped in with her part.

Wallflower played Sunset's part of the piece flawlessly.  If Rainbow closed her eyes, she could swear her friend was right there with her.  However, she knew it was only an impostor.  And, yet,as they came to the end, when she looked at Wallflower, she could Sunset's face.  The same face she always gave when they played their song.

Then, in a blink, it was gone.

There was a moment before Wallflower realized what had happened.  “Rainbow...”

The multi-chrome girl choked and turned away.  “S'cuse me.”  She was thankful it was too dark to see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Wallflower watched helplessly as Rainbow ran to the bathroom.  A short while later, she heard the shower start.

---

With morning finally upon them, Trixie headed out to get hot drinks and breakfast sandwiches.  Rainbow had begged to join her.

It only made Wallflower feel worse.

Sorting through her things, Wallflower found some new articles of clothing.  Namely, new underwear.  She blushed slightly as she pulled it out.  “Rarity, I know you're into fashion, and enjoy dressing your friends.  But, does that also extend to... um... under clothing?”

The fashionista chortled.  “On occasion.  But, in your case, we just couldn't get to your closet.”

“But, how do you now my size?”

“Please, darling, do you even need to ask?”

Applejack leaned close and whispered into Wallflower's ear: “She has special vision that allows her to see everyone's dress size above their heads.”  She laughed as a pillow struck her in the face.

“Really, Applejack!” Rarity scolded, “Stop giving away my secrets!”

“Who's hungry?” came a chime from the door, “The Great and Powerful Trixie has delivered!”

---

After breakfast, Wallflower sat down to call her grandparents.  The other girls listened in so the could collaborate her story later, if need be.

Wallflower took in a deep breath as she listened to the line ring.  “Hey, Grandpa!” she smiled, “Yes... Grandpa, I told you and Grandma I was going out of town with a friend... Yes, Starlight Glimmer... We went camping.  We're driving back now... Well, I'm sorry, but I told you I'd have limited reception where I was going... Okay,” she sighed, “I'll stop by so you can see I'm alright, but I already made plans with her and her friends.  So, I can't guarantee it would be today...  No, Starlight can't talk now, she's driving... Yes, she's very responsible... Okay... Love you, too.”  She hung up the phone.

“Well,” she smiled to the other girls, “that's done.”

“You do this a lot, don't you?” Trixie asked.

There was remorse in Wallflower's expression.  “Only so I can get away with small things at home.  This is the biggest lie I've ever told them.”

Applejack fiddled with her hat.  “Well, ye'r a little too good at it.”

As morning turned to mid-morning, Pinkie Pie showed up so Applejack could return home for her chores.  With Pinkie Pie, came lunch: Chinese takeout from down the street.

The small group settled in the living room area, each silently enjoying her meal.

“Did you know?” Wallflower said softly, staring at her food, “Sunset used to practice with chopsticks to master the dexterity of her fingers.  While I, on the other hand,” she launched her fork to spear a piece of pepper steak.  Failed to penetrate the target, instead pinching the side to sent the piece of meat flying from her pate and onto the floor.  “...struggle enough with a fork.”

“It's not just you” Trixie tried to be consoling, “It's these flimsy plastic forks they give out.  Everyone has trouble with them.  Here,” she threw a metallic fork at Wallflower.  “Use this instead.”

“Trixie!” Rainbow frowned, “Isn't that one of Sunset's forks?”

“Yes.”

Rarity let out a low growl.  “Just keep track of everything so we can put it all back how we found it.”

“Whatever,” Trixie waved, “we agreed we would clean the place anyway.”

“You also owe Sunset some snacks” Rainbow pointed out.

“Believe me, I haven't forgotten.”  She flipped through the pages of her notebook.  “I'm keeping a full list of all I have eaten.  I'm even going to throw in a package of peanut butter crackers for added measure.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie joked, “so you have something to eat whenever you visit.”

Trixie scowled.  “Obviously, you don't know the many healths and benefits of peanut butter.  I am merely looking out for the best interest of my friend.  And I see that Sunset has no peanut butter.”

“I'm allergic to peanuts” Wallflower said.

“Oh,” she faltered, “well, certainly don't want to get Sunset sick, or (ahem) anything...”

“Sunset's not allergic” Wallflower pointed to herself, “I am.”

“Oh...”  Trixie took a huge bite of eggroll.

---

If ever there was a picture of a lazy Sunday afternoon, this was it.  Amidst the casual talk, and occasional homework, there wasn't much that happened in the little apartment.  With not much else to do, Rainbow resided herself onto the couch, where she quickly fell fast asleep.

“Didn't you bring any board games with you?” Rarity asked Pinkie Pie.

“Saw no need.” Pinkie replied, “Sunset has a whole shelf of them over there.”  She pointed to the large storage cabinet against the wall.  “I should know, I gave her half of them.”

Rarity turned to Wallflower and Trixie, who were reviewing their geography homework.  “You two ready for a break?”

Trixie got up from the floor and stretched.  “Yes!  Too much information!  My brain can't take any more!  I feel like it's about to explode!”

“I've been felling like that all week” Wallflower said simply.

No one really in the mood to think, the girls settled on a simple board game.  They gathered around the coffee table, serenaded by Rainbow's gentle snores.

“If you don't mind me asking, Wallflower,” Pinkie said, moving her pawn, “You haven't seem to have had any blowups with Sunset's memories.  Does that mean you have them under control?”  She winced slightly at Rarity's disapproving scowl.  Though, she slightly relaxed when Wallflower seemed comfortable answering.

“Yes and no.  Part of what Princess Luna and I did all day yesterday was try to find ways of keeping it under control.”  She picked up the instruction card and read it.  “She placed a spell over me to try to slow the process.  In addition, I've been doing various mental exercises to try to separate my memories from Sunset's.”

“Well, they certainly do seem to be working” Rarity commented, as Wallflower finished her turn.

“The only problem is I need to almost constantly do them.  Otherwise, Sunset's memories will come out.  Wait for when I'm either tired, or distracted, like last night.”

“Well,” Trixie pondered, “that certainly explains why you were mixing in Equestrian geography into our homework.”

“Yeah,” Wallflower rubbed the back of her head, reminded of how confused she made Trixie, “Sorry.”

“Don't say 'sorry'” Pinkie said, “It's not your turn!”  The other girls just rolled their eyes.

“So,” Trixie hesitated, “you can tell the difference between your memories and Sunsets?”

“Yeah, it's kinda hard to explain.  I guess it's like I have two groups in my head and I'm trying to do everything to keep them separated.”  She gave a light chuckle, “Interesting thing is I can consciously access both.”

Rarity felt a surge of anger mounting within her.  She struggled to keep it controlled.  “You've actually looked at Sunset's memories?”

“I did, at first.  If only to help differentiate between Sunset's memories and my own.  However, this is only for the memories that are still separate.  Those that have merged, or begun to merge, I have no control over.”

“It's okay, you have a right to be angry.  Sunset is your friend.  Even if I never meant to, I know that, in many ways, I've violated her privacy.  And yours.”

All color drained from Rarity's face.  How could Wallflower have known?  She had always prided herself on her stealth, never revealing her cards until the last possible moment.

'Sunset had come to know us pretty well' she reasoned, 'Maybe, with Wallflower having her memories, she was able to—”

“I can read people pretty well” Wallflower explained, “One of the perks of being 'invisible'.  You can watch people without them knowing—and it being totally weird.”  She picked up a card to start her turn, “Turns out, it's something Sunset and I have in common.

“Sorry.”

“There's no need to be, darling” Rarity waved.

“Not you.  Pinkie.”  She moved her pawn to a space occupied by one of Pinkie's, causing it to move from just outside the safe zone leading to home all the way back to the start.

Pinkie let out a shout of applause, if not a bit salty about having to take her piece all the way around the board again.  “That's a Sunset Shimmer move right there if I ever saw one!”

Wallflower shook her head with a smile.  “Nope.  That's another thing Sunset and I have in common.  We don't like to lose.”

In the end, Wallflower didn't exactly win, but she came in at a close second to Pinkie.  However, it all really was about the fun and fellowship.  So, as Pinkie quickly pointed out, they all won.

Rainbow awoke just as they were putting the game away.

“Good morning!” Pinkie teased.

The athlete let out a stretch and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  “Is it really?”

“Yep” Trixie responded.  She held up her cellphone, displaying the clock.  “It's just about six o'clock.”

“What?” Rainbow exclaimed, “No way!”  She looked confused as the other girls broke out into laughter.

“Yes way!” Wallflower chuckled, “You slept the whole afternoon.”

It took a moment for Rainbow to register, before she folded her arms in a huff.  “Very funny, you guys!”

“Yes,” Rarity laughed, “it is!”

With evening upon them, Pinkie packed up her stuff to return home.

“I wish I could spend the night” she pouted, “But, my parents like having Sunday dinner as a family.  Plus, my cousin is in town.  And I haven't seem seen him in years!”

“I suppose we should be looking into our own dinner” Rarity said, fishing her purse for her car keys.  “I guess I'll pick something up after I drive Pinkie home.”

“I'll come with you” Rainbow yawned, “The trip will help me wake up.”

“Better also grab something for breakfast while you're out” Trixie reminded them, “Twilight's coming over first thing in the morning.”

Left alone, Wallflower and Trixie set up the coffee table to eat dinner as soon as Rarity and Rainbow returned.

Wallflower noticed an easiness to Trixie.  Every so often she would stop, turn to the quiet girl as if to say something, then return to what she was doing.  Wallflower raised a curious eyebrow, but remained silent, allowing the magician to take her time.

Eventually, they settled on the couch, enjoying a little TV.

“I'm sorry” said a soft voice during a commercial break.

Wallflower frowned, muting the TV.  She didn't quite hear.  “I'm sorry?”

“Yes,” Trixie sighed, her shoulders falling, “I'm sorry.”  When Wallflower didn't say anything, she continued: “Just, the things I've said to you.  Some not very nice things.  Not just for this past week, but today as well.  I know I sometimes speak without thinking.  Only after, do I realize just how uncomfortable I've made you.”

“It's okay” Wallflower smiled, “I know you.  You have a hard time having an interest in anyone besides yourself.  You haven't changed since third grade, and I doubt you ever will.

“But, that's the problem, isn't it?  I don't know you.  After all the grades we've been though together, I should, at least, know your face, or something...

“I mean, I remember Rock Cliff—and he only spent one year at our school.”

Wallflower blinked.  “Who?”

“Fifth grade?  He was that kid who sat next to Holly Bush.  Mostly kept to himself, but was always munching on some sort of candy?”

She shook her head.  “Doesn't ring a bell.”

“Anyway, he was a weird kid.  But, still, I haven't seen him since then and, yet, I remember him.  What does that say for someone I've spent much more time with?”

Wallflower hugged her knees.  “It's not entirely your fault, you know.  I've used the stone on so many people.  I... may have erased some of your memories.”  She let out a somber sigh.  “I've really made things horrible for myself haven't I?”

“I wouldn't say that, exactly.  But, sorta...?”  She shrunk back when the other girl emitted a groan.  “Wallflower,” she tenderly, “let's set this all aside for a moment.  Because, this isn't really helping anything.

“Yeah, you may have gone a little crazy with that stupid rock.  But, that's all done now.”

“You don't have to rub it in.”

Trixie frowned.  “Excuse me!  I'm trying to have a heart-to-heart here!

“I realize that you've pretty much been ignored by most everyone, but it doesn't have to stay that way.  We'll get through this and, when this is all over, the Great and Powerful Trixie would like nothing more than to get to know her Best-Somewhat-Shy-Adventure-Person.”

“You can just say 'friend', you know.”

“But then,” Trixie winked, lightly punching Wallflower's shoulder, “it wouldn't be as special.”
> Chapter 22
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mondays.

Everyone hates Mondays.

If there were to be a vote to remove one day from the week, it would unanimously be Monday.

That is at least how Principal Celestia felt as she walked into her office that morning.  Moreover, the weekend didn't seem to have helped matters.

It had all started with a talk.  A simple conversation.  Nothing much.  Nor was she was gone long.  But, in the time Celestia was speaking with Sunset Shimmer's friends, Luna had adopted a bird on her behalf.

Normally, Celestia wouldn't mind her sister doing things for her without her consulting.  In fact, she is often very grateful for her sister's initiative.  However, getting a pet is a completely different matter.

“Philomena” she grumbled, pouring hot water into a cup for tea, “who names a cockatoo Philomena?  Who names anything Philomena?”

The name, which the bird came with, aside, Celestia had far other things to contend with.  Namely, that some juvenile had thought it funny to teach a bird capable of speech nothing but obscenities.  That evening, and the whole day after, the house was filled with words that would make a sailor's ears blush.

Celestia was thankful they didn't have company over, as was their normal Sunday fashion.

Still, there was still the matter of trying to get an animal to relearn its entire vocabulary.  Being an educator herself, Celestia felt very confident in such a task.  However, the bird proved to be more troublesome than even the most delinquent teen she dealt with every day.

Slumping into her office chair, she pondered what to do.  'Flutershy can talk to animals, right?  Maybe she could get through to that birdbrain.'  She put her face in her hands and let out a groan.  'No doubt, she has already tried.'

Her thoughts were broken by the ringing of a telephone.  She looked upon the desk with a sigh.  'Now what?' she wondered as she strained for the receiver.  “Hello?”

“Hey, Principal Celestia!”

“Sunset Shimmer!” the principal sat up.  This was a pleasant surprise.  Her brows furled.   Was it Sunset?  It sounded like Sunset, yet, the voice seemed a little funny.  “Where on earth have you been?”

Sunset let out a light, nervous laugh.  “Ah, funny you should say that... I haven't been on earth.”

Celestia's eyes widened.  “You mean...?”

“Yeah, um, came down with something early last week and, with really no other place to turn, I just went back to Equestria.”

“Well,” she smiled, “considering you're calling me, I can assume you're back on this side.”

“Yes.  Just got back today.  Doctors put me on bed rest and gave me some medicine.  But you know what they say about horse pills.”

“Well, nice to finally hear from you.  I trust you will be rejoining us soon?”

“Depends on what my doctors say.  I have a follow-up with them in a few days.  Oddly enough, I came down with Equestia's version of the flu.”

That last remark worried Celestia a bit.  “It's not contagious, is it?”  The last thing she needed was an other-world contagion roaming the halls.

“No, not that we can tell.  Or, I'm already passed that window.  It's just magical illness need to be treated magically and rarely go the ways you think.  At any rate, I'm still under strict bed rest.  I really only came back so someone could bring me my schoolwork that I could catch up on.”

“Uh, yes, I'll ask your teachers to give your assignments to one of your friends.”

“Thanks.”

“Well,” Celestia relaxed, “I'll let you go so you can rest.  Again, great to hear from you.  Oh!” she suddenly remembered, “Do you know Wallflower Blush?”

“Um... no” Sunset replied, “Should I?”

“No,” Celestia's face fell, “just thought I'd ask.  Anyway, hope you get better soon.”

---

Twilight ended the call and leaned back in her seat with a heavy exhale.  “That was close.”

“I'd say” said Rarity, passing the nerdy girl a plated Danish,  “I just hope it buys us enough time.”

“I hope so” Fluttershy sighed into her tea, “I don't like the thought of lying to Principal Celestia.”

“None of us do!” Twilight cried, making the other girls in the apartment jump.

“Woah, Twi,” Rainbow put her hands on her friend's shoulders, “try to calm down there.”

“Calm?  How can I be calm?  We're teetering just days away from losing Sunset forever!”  She felt the tears welling in her eyes, and lost the fight to stop them.

Trixie silently wrapped a comforting arm around Wallflower.  With the other girls primarily concerned with Sunset, she had place it upon herself to make Wallflower feel that someone was deeply worried about her, too.

Wallflower showed her appreciation by pulling Trixie into a hug, while, on the couch, three saddened friends consoled Twilight.

---

Fluttershy tensed when she heard the announcement for her to report to the main office.  She had no clue why she felt afraid.  Unlike Rainbow Dash, she never did anything wrong.  Unless, Rainbow did something and she has been implicated merely by association.

She shook her head.  That was, of course, silly thinking and illogical.  With only a few steps left to the principal's office, Fluttershy rationalized that she wasn't being summoned for any wrong-doing.  Still, she had do wonder why the principal had called for her.

Opening the door to the reception, she was greeted by Principal Celestia.  Fluttershy gulped, but the principal gently smiled.

“Fluttershy,” she said, softly, “glad you could come.  I'm sorry for pulling you away from your lunch, but I was hoping I could have a talk with you.”

“A talk?” Fluttershy sputtered.

“Yes.  About Sunset Shimmer.”

“S-Sunset?”

“Yes.  Why don't you come into my office so we can sit?”

As Fluttershy timidly took her seat, Principal Celestia continued.  “I assume you know by know that Sunset has been in Equestria, battling the flu.”

“Um, yes” replied the girl, trying to recall the script she and the girls had compiled, “She texted Twilight about it last night.  She apologized for just running off like she did, without so much as a note.  But, she just felt so poorly all she could think about was getting back to Equestria.”

Celestia gently smiled.  “If I'm not getting too personal, I can completely understand.  Sometimes, you're just so miserable, you lose sight of everything else and just focus on one thing.

“Well, anyway, that's why I've asked you here.  Sunset has requested the classwork she has missed so she could work on it while recovering.  I've spoken with her teachers and they're compiling a packet for her.  I was hoping either you, or one of your friends, could deliver it to her.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy smiled, “you know we would be delighted!  We were all planning on visiting Sunset anyway, now that she's back in town.”

“Good!  It should be ready at the end of the day.  I'll leave it with one of the secretaries for you to pick up.”  Her tone suddenly became serious.  “But, there is something else I wish to discuss with you.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, but allowed the educator to continue:  “As you may know, I adopted a cockatoo Saturday.”

“Oh, Philomena, yes!”

Celestia looked shocked.  “So, you know...?”

Fluttershy shrugged.  “Only from those from the sanctuary she came from.”  The shelter was affiliated with various other rescues.  Most of which participated on Saturday.  But, Fluttershy quickly saw that that wasn't the answer Celestia was looking for.

“So, you don't know...?”

“What?”

“Philomena has, let just say, a colorful vocabulary.”

The girl's eyes grew wide.  “Oh, my...”

“Do you suppose you could...?”  She made a gesture to the geode around Fluttershy's neck.

“Well, I don't know... Yes, I have lots of experience talking with birds.  But I've never dealt with any who could actually talk."  She was surprised when the principal gave her look of desperation.

“Fluttershy, please, I love my sister, but I can't have a bird turning the air in my house blue!”

Fluttershy pondered for a moment before giving the principal a confident smile.  “I'll try my best.”

---

Fluttershy angrily set her lunch tray down upon the table.  “Well, I hope you're all happy.”

The other girls gathered gave their friend a clueless stare.

“What are you talking about?” asked Trixie.

The usually timid girl fought to control her temper.  “I had to sit alone with Principal Celestia and lie directly to her face.  And it as not pleasant.  She's preparing homework for us to give to Sunset tonight.”

“Good!” smiled Pinkie Pie, “That means our plan worked!  That means celebratory cupcakes all 'round!”  She placed a large platter platter in the middle of the table

“You're just looking for any occasion for cupcakes aren't you?” Trixie said, grabbing a few confectionery treats, “Not that I'm complaining.”

Applejack gave a slight chuckle, reaching for a cupcake of her own.  “Pretty much every occasion ya can think of.”

Pinkie nodded with pride before a sudden realization dawned upon her.  “Oh no!” she cried, much to everyone's surprise, “We completely forgot!”  She pulled out another platter of cupcakes and placed it next to the first.

The overwhelming smell of sugary icing made Rarity feel a little sick in her stomach.  “And, what, exactly, are these all for?”

“To celebrate solving the mystery, of course!" she hugged Wallflower, "We found Sunset's memories!  And" she smiled even wider, "made a new friend.”

Fluttershy had just about lost it.  “ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?”

“Woah, Fluttershy” Rainbow raised her hands, “Just try to relax.”

“Relax?  How can I relax?”

“Look, Fluttershy,” Applejack said calmly, “None of us is likin' this.  But, until this is all resolved, we gotta do what we gotta do.”

Fluttershy slumped into her seat.  “But, for how much longer?”

“Not long!” Twilight jumped.  She opened journal for all the girls to see. “Princess Twilight found a cure!  Wallflower, we could have you and Sunset back tonight!”

The whole of the excitement that permeated from around the table could be summed up in one joyous cry from Pinkie Pie.   “Oh my gosh!  Really?"   She hugged Wallflower tighter, eliciting a cry from the girl.  "I need more cupcakes!”
> Chapter 23
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Let me attempt to understand this” Princess Luna said, summing up the plan Twilight had just delineated, “You're going to use the Memory Stone to take Sunset Shimmer's memories out of Wallflower Blush and put them back into Sunset?”

“Yep!” Twilight beamed, “It's quite simple, really.  Seems we've only half-understood the purpose Memory Stone.  While it can remove, and, temporarily, store memories, it's really a memory transfer device.”

Princess Celestia frowned.  “If that is true, then this a far more dangerous artifact than we originally thought.”

“Indeed,” nodded the younger sister, “the ability to take one's knowledge is one thing.  To transfer that knowledge to another, while having positive applications, can also have dire consequences.”

Celestia turned to Twilight.  “Are you sure this will work?”

“Most definitely!  I just need Princess Luna's help to differentiate between Wallflower's and Sunset's memories.  Particularly, if we're going to separate merged memories.”

The younger sister took the moment to ponder.  “Given the relation between memories and dreams, a dream state would work best...  But," she warned, "as logical as you plan may be, it's still quite risky.”

Twilight's demeanor dropped slightly.  “I know there is that slight chance we might accidentally snag one of Wallflower's memories.

"The Twilight Sparkle in the other world has already explained it to her.  Wallflower is willing to take that risk.

"But, Luna, you've also been in her head. 
Surely, you've noticed the difference between her memories and Sunset's.”

The night princess thoughtfully nodded.  "It's a bit hard, but it is doable."

"That's all I need."

“When do you plan to preform this procedure?” asked Celestia.

“Hopefully, this evening.  Starlight, Sunburst, and Moondancer are out getting what we need to make the Memory Stone.  Apparently, not just any rock will do.”

---

“How about this one?” Trixie held up a rock from the pile she was digging through.

Maud shook her head.  “It's unstable.  It will crumble as soon as magic hits it.”

Trixie gave a frown and proceeded to cast a transfiguration spell.  Just as Maud had predicted, the rock fell apart into pieces.  Disgruntled, the show pony threw the bits to the ground.

Starlight surveyed the numerous rock piles they had amassed.  “Who knew there were so many rocks in Ponyville?”

“I'm just glad we were able to narrow it down” Sunburst said, digging through a pile of his own, “Otherwise, we would be out here for days.  Though, I still don't understand how you could extrapolate all that from a drawing...”

Moondancer decided to take a break from sorting her pile.  She leaned upon it for support.  “You seem to be quite knowledgeable about rocks.”

“Are you kidding?” Starlight exclaimed, taking full opportunity to boast about her friend, “Maud, here, holds a roctorate in, well, rocks!  She knows everything there is to know about them.  She's even taught me a thing or two about their magical properties.”

This caught Moondancer's interest, and she was quickly at the earth pony's side.  “Ah-em, Dr. Pie, how would you feel about doing a few lectures?  We don't really teach much about geology at Princess Celestia's school and somepony like you sharing some of her insights would be quite the educational experience.”

“I hadn't really thought about doing a lecture tour quite yet” Maud simply responded, “After traveling so much for my roctorate, I was hoping to stay in a central location for a while.”

“I'm not talking about going all the way to the Crystal Empire.  Just to Canterlot for a few engagements.”

“That kinda sounds like fun” Starlight elbowed Maud, “I'd definitely go to hear you speak.”

“Look,” Moondancer smiled, handing Maud a small piece of paper with contact information, “I'm not trying to pressure you into anything if you don't want to.  All I'm saying is we'd love to have you.”

Maud pocketed the paper with a slight smile.  “I'll think about it.”

“Okay!” panted Trixie, garnering the attention of the others, “This pile is all the rocks that can handle magic without breaking!”

---

Having worked through lunch, Sunburst and Moondancer volunteered to run into town to get some food.  It was a silent walk to the hayburger shop.  Despite having spent quite a bit of time together, neither unicorn had actually talked to the other.  Even after days of collaboration, they were still very much strangers to each other.  Which lead up, finally, to this trek in awkward silence.

Seeking to break the air, Moondancer cleared her throat.  “So, um, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.”

Sunburst raised an eyebrow.  “Oh?”

“You were a quite few years ahead of me, were you not?”

“At school?  Yes, I believe so.”

“So, then, you knew Sunset Shimmer?”

“No.  Not personally, or by name.  I remember there being a huge commotion about the time she started.  Everypony knew that Princess Celestia had a personal student, but, at the time, no one really knew who.”  His focus turned to the road beneath his hooves, “I... uh... flunked out shortly after.”

“Oh...”  Moondancer mentally kicked herself.  She hadn't meant to hurt Sunburst.  “I'm sorry...”

“What?” the stallion yelped, “No, don't be!  Yeah, flunking out of your dream school may not be the best thing in the world, but it's allowed me to do things I wouldn't have otherwise.”

Moondancer let out a slight sigh.  That only made her feel a little better.  “So,” she pressed, “what did you do?”

---

“Nope...

"Nope...

"Nope...”

Trixie growled and held up another stone.

“Nope.”

“How about this one?”

“Nope.”

A pile of rocks went flying with a mighty cry.  “Gah!  Starlight, help me out here!”

There was a light laugh.  Few things gave Starlight as much joy as having her friends together.  “If you keep showing her every single rock, you can expect her to say 'no' most every time.”

That wasn't what exactly what Trixie wanted to hear.  She took another rock off the pile and threw it towards the ground.  The stone bounced off the cobblestone and landed a few feet away.

“That one.”

Trixie's ears perked.  “What?”

Maud pointed to the rock that had just thrown.  “That's the stone you should use.”

Starlight walked over to examine the stone.  “Are you sure?”  She had been staring at the rocks for so long that all of them had started to look the same.

Maud only nodded and Trixie let out a triumphant shout.  “Wa-hoo!  I told you I'd find it!”  She wrapped a foreleg around Maud's shoulders and gave a tight squeeze.  “We make such a good team!”

“Technically, you just had me go through every rock one by one.”

“Yes, but I had to pick the rock to run by you.  Technicalities, schmecnicalities.”

“Either way, this is great news!” Starlight hugged both her friends, “And we couldn't have done it without you two!”

“Did we miss something?”

The trio turned to see Sunburst and Moondancer returning with their lunch in hoof.

---

Twilight meticulously inspected everything needed for their spell, marking off on her list as she went.  She had comprised quite an extensive checklist.  Impressive, considering they only needed three things to make the Memory Stone.

“Alright,” Twilight rolled up the scroll, “everything is set!”

“Great!” smiled Moondancer, “So, um, who's gonna do it?”

The four magi looked at each other in silence.  They hadn't really discussed who would perform the spell.

“I'd say it one of you two” Sunburst pointed to Twilight and Starlight, “Of any of us, you two have the ability to do it.”

Twilight turned to her student.  “Starlight?”

“What?”

“This seems like something a bit more in your realm of expertise.”

Starlight was taken aback.  As much as she appreciated her mentor's confidence and praise, she had to protest.  “I don't know.  Seems like a lot of pressure...  What about the chanting?  The last thing we need is me mispronouncing something.”

"You'll do just fine" Twilight smiled, placing a hoof on her student.  "You've done this type of stuff numerous times before.

"I know this whole thing has got you all upset, but, I see you as the best pony for this."

Starlight only gave a slight smile.

“I think that settles it then” Moondancer smiled, “Statlight will perform the spell and the three of us monitor.”

Despite all preparations, and the extra vote of confidence, Starlight still felt a little uneasy about performing the spell.  Looking around, she saw that her friends felt the same.  Though, now was not the time to get cold hooves.  Not now that they were this close to saving Sunset and Wallflower.

She took in a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.  She glanced over to her friends, who gave her nods, indicating that they were ready.  With a second deep breath, Starlight collected her magic before blasting it towards the stone and its scroll.

Though the spell had been extensively reviewed, and every precaution had been made,Twilight, Sunburst, and Moondancer still harbored some reservations.  They looked on with concern.  So far, everything seemed to be going as planned.

That was, until the wind started.  Considering that they were in an enclosed room, none had thought about that.  As the wind intensified, it picked up books from the shelves, sending them flying missiles throughout the library, sending the two unicorns running for cover and Twilight erecting a shield.

Eventually the three ended up taking refuge under a large, overturned chair.  From the shelter, they cautiously peeked their heads out to view Starlight.  She was difficult to spot amidst the cyclone of books, but she seemed to be fine.  Huddling together, the other three waited out the storm.  Finally, with a clap of thunder, everything stopped and hundreds of books came raining down.

Sure it was clear, the three dashed from their hiding spot and to Starlight's side.  The unicorn looked at her friends with a weary smile.  She was a little exhausted, but okay.  The library, however, was a different matter.  The entire room was in disarray.  She let out a groan.  “Spike's gonna kill me.”

Chuckling, Twilight wrapped a comforting foreleg around her friend.  Through the destroyed library did upset her, she was going to put it aside for the moment.  “Don't worry.  I'll talk with him.  He'll understand.  The main thing is we did the spell.”

“But, did it work?” Sunburst asked, as Twilight picked up and inspected the stone.

Moondancer gave a sly smile.  “Let's find out.”  She took Sunburst's beard into her magical grasp and gave it a mighty yank.

The stallion let out a pained shout.  “What did you do that for?”  As he sat rubbing his throbbing chin, Twilight pointed the Memory Stone towards him and focused its magic.  In a flash of light, she had the memory and Sunburst acted as if nothing had happened.  Though, now slightly confused.  He glanced around himself.  “Um, why are you all looking at me?”

“Do you remember it?” asked Twilight.

“Remember what?”

“Moondancer pulled your beard” said Starlight.

“She did?  Is that why my chin feels weird?”

In a second flash, Sunburst let out a cry of pain.

“What did you do that for?”  He paused.  “Wait...I already said that.”

“You remember now?”  Starlight sounded hopeful.

“Yeah, I remember that and not remembering that and... woah...”

“S-Sunburst?”  Starlight waved her hoof in front of his face.  Sunburst, however, didn't so much as blink, but stare blindly into space.

Moondancer grew concerned.  “Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” Sunburst finally replied, “just... woah...”

“Well,” Twilight smiled, continuing her inspection of the new artifact, “safe to say it works.”
> Chapter 24
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset huddled in her blanket, holding her stuffed phoenix tightly.  She turned through the copied pages her journals Princess Twilight had graciously given her.  She'd read through them numerous times.  However, now, she was idly glancing over them; processing the newest information.

Princess Celestia stood uneasily off to the side.  Her eyes darted around the room, moving from Sunset to the window, to the pile of reading pillows, to the desk, back to Sunset.  She didn't pay much attention to what she saw, glancing about only from nervous habit.  She did, however, note that the griffon had recovered from its crashed flight and was now sitting upon the desk.

'A promising sign' Celestia told herself.  She looked back to Sunset, who was still flipping through pages.  Celestia wasn't sure how to react when Sunset agreed to speak with her.  She was more surprised it was Sunset who requested it.

Yet, now, she was more unsure about things than ever.  Yes, Sunset indicated she wanted to talk.  Yes, she invited Celestia into her room.  However, upon arriving, not a word had been uttered.  Not even a "hello."

Celestia sighed inwardly.  She'd gotten the silent treatment before.

She became alert when she heard Sunset set the pages aside.  Looking to Sunset, she saw her squeezing her phoenix.

"I suppose we should talk about it" she said.

Celestia gave a few slight nods.  "Only if you're ready."

"That's the thing, isn't it?" Sunset laughed sarcastically, "How can you know if you are ready?"

Celestia lowered her head.  Something like this, it wasn't easy to tell.

Sunset turned her attention back to her phoenix.  She sat quietly, fiddling with the bird, making its wings flap with her hooves.  "There really is no point in talking, is there?"  she said softly, "There's so much I don't know.  So much I need to know."  She let out out a sobbed sigh.  "I'm so confused!  I don't know what to think.  I don't even know what or how to feel!"

"That's understandable--"

"Understandable?" Sunset snapped, "What do you know about 'understandable'?  You weren't even here!  You left me in a strange place with strangers.

“Why do I get punished?  I'm the one who lost her memories and woke up in a world I don't know.  I'm the one who needed help.  I needed you.  Instead, I get dumped onto two teachers who dish out manual labor under the guise of 'magic studies'.”

"I understand you're upset--"

"I'm more than upset!" Sunset hissed, "I'm angry, hurt, lost...  Even after hours of reading my own journals, I don't know who I'm supposed to be!"

She hugged her phoenix tighter.  "Twilight and Starlight I can understand.  They didn't know the old me, and there was only so much they could do.  But, you?

"I've always trusted you!  I went on those wild adventures, did crazy things because I knew you would always be there for me!

"Something happened between us.  My journals allude to it, but Princess Twilight remains silent.  She says I should talk to you.

"I know I'm no longer your student.  What happened?  Why could you not be there for me now?  

"Because right now?" she choked on her sob, "Right now, I really need you!  I'm happy to have my memories returned, but I'm frightened!  I want to know what happened between us, but I'm afraid to know!  I can't help but wonder what other horrible memories await me.  Am I better off without them?  Should I just stay the way I am now?"

Celestia cautiously put a foreleg around Sunset.  When Sunset didn't object, she tightened the hold, bringing her into a hug.    "There are many things I'd rather forget as well" she sighed.    “But, Sunset, no one is going to force you to go through with this if you are not ready.”

Sunset let out a long breath.  “After what everyone has done, I feel as if I owe it to them.”

“You don't owe anybody anything.”

Sunset looked up with big, teary eyes.  “Don't I?  After all you've done for me since I was little?  After how I've treated everypony?”  Her jaw clenched as tears rolled down her cheeks.  “How can I not owe anypony anything?”  She felt a strong wing wrap around her and she lost all control.

Celestia fought off her own tears as Sunset's wetted her coat.  She tightened her hold as the sobs increased.  A part of Sunset's blanket had fallen away.  She took it and pulled it over the the unicorn.  Sunset responded by snuggling deeper into the princess.

As much as Sunset loved her blanket, there was always a sadness to it.  Celestia knew it well.  She knew the joy and happiness Sunset felt whenever she had her phoenix and blanket.  They were security.  They were comfort.  But they were also pain.

Celestia was well-aware of Sunset's belief that her parents delivered her to the orphanage, wrapped in the banket, the phoenix held in her infant hooves.  These items were reminders of her parents.  They were reminders betrayal, reminders of abandonment.

It broke Celestia's heart to think she'd hurt Sunset the same way her parents had.  Though unintentional, she'd done the one thing she'd swore she'd never do:  she had become like Sunset's parents.  She had abandoned her daughter, leaving her to the care of strangers.

It was never known why Sunset was given to the orphanage.  Celestia had often wondered why parents would give up their children.  Over the years, and after much research, she had formulated many theories.  She now had another:

Maybe, like her, they were afraid.

But, the blanket and phoenix also represented something else.  They were symbols of love.

Too many foals, Celestia found, had been delivered to orphanages in nothing more than their own coats.  Nothing for warmth.  Not even a name.

Sunset was given her name.  She was given warmth and comfort.  She was given a companion.  Whatever their reason, her parents loved her enough to give her these things.  And she loved them for that.

Celestia looked at the griffin perched upon the desk.  She wondered what that toy meant for Sunset now.

---

If not for the blue aura that surrounded her, Wallflower Blush would have had a hard landing upon exiting the portal.  She gave a sheepish smile of thanks to Princess Luna.

Princess twilight had also come to greet their patient.  "How are you feeling?"

Wallflower shuffled.  "Scared.  Excited.  Releived.  Really, as well as to be expected."

"Each understandable and good" Luna smiled.

"If you'll follow me," Twilight continued, "Everything is all set up."

Wallflower looked around as they walked through the castle.  She hadn't noticed just how large it was.  Of course, she really hadn't had a good look at it.  Still, it seemed just as daunting as the reason she was here.

Princess Luna draped a reassuring wing over the trembling earth pony.  “You're going to be just fine.”

“It's not so much the transfer of memories” Wallflower replied, staring idly at the ground, “It's the thought of seeing Sunset Shimmer again.”  It has been a week since this whole debacle began, and the image of a distraught Sunset had forever seared itself into her mind.

Luna gave a gentle smile.  “I'm sure she's just as anxious about this as you are.”

That, at least, made things a little better for Wallflower.

“Well, hopefully, that will all be behind us soon.”  Twilight said.  She led the way up the stairs and down the hall.  She opened a single door to reveal a bedroom.  Inside, was a table and a freshly made bed.  With Luna's gentle guidance, Wallflower walked to the bed and climbed in.  She pulled the covers tight to her chin.  

“Well then,” Twilight said, picking up what Wallflower quickly recognized as the Memory Stone, “if you're ready, we'll get started.”

Wallflower made one last glance around for reassurance before giving a short nod.

“It's going to be okay” Luna gently stroked Wallflower's mane, “You'll be asleep for the whole thing.  Now, make yourself comfortable.”  After some adjustment from Wallflower, Luna placed a sleeping spell over the pony.  In short time, light snores filled the room.

Luna prepared for her second spell.  With a nod from Twilight, the two entered the Dream Realm.  Twilight took a moment to get her bearings and looked about.  “This seems a bit different from the last time I was here.”

“That's because we're in a different level” the night princess replied, “We are at the boarder of the sleeping and waking worlds.  This is where lucid dreaming happen.  We should be able to get the most clearest of visions from here.  ”

Twilight started up the Memory Stone.  “Well, let's get started.”

---

It was a long and arduous task, but, after an extensive combing through Wallflower's memories, the princesses began to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.  It hadn't been long before they worked out a system and rhythm for detecting and extracting foreign memories.  Remarkably, the majority of the memories were still intact.  However, there were also those they found that were only fragments.  Then, there were those which had become infused with Wallflower's.  Those ones required delicate precision.

Exhausted, Twilight strained to capture the last remaining of Sunset's memories.  She wiped her brow as the latest memory was carefully stored.  In her hooves, the Memory Stone was growing warm from the repeated use.  A little bit away Luna spouted words of encouragement before announcing she'd found another memory.

At last, Luna ran a wide sweeping spell over the whole dreamscape.   She let out a relieved sigh.  “That's all of it.”

Twilight shared in her relief.  “Good!  This was starting to get really hot.”

A moment later, the alicorns were back in the waking world.  Wallflower Blush was sleeping soundly in the bed, wrapped up in the blankets.  Luna made a quick check on her before following Twilight across the hall to another bedroom where Sunset Shimmer was silently snoozing away.  At her side, sat Celestia.  She greeted the other princesses as they entered.  “I trust all went well?”

“Indeed” nodded Luna. “When Twilight catches her breath, we'll be ready to proceed with Sunset Shimmer.”

“It wasn't that bad” the younger panted.

Luna gave a smirk as she went over to inspect Sunset.

“She only just fell asleep” Celestia said, "I'm afraid she's very restless."

The younger sister nodded in acknowledgement.  “I'll give her a little something to aid with that.”

With Sunset in a deep, sound sleep, Twilight turned her focus back to the Memory Stone.  As she had noticed with Sunburst, it was easier to remove memories than to place them—and that was just for a single memory.  However, she pushed through and soon, the stone lit up and memories came flying form it and into Sunset.

Sunset seemed to have sensed something was going on.  She let out a slight moan of discomfort, and shuffled slightly, but remained asleep.

With the last memory gone, the stone powered down and remained inert.

There was a collective release of breaths.

Celestia returned to Sunset's side, giving her a tender nuzzle.  “When will we know if it worked?”

Luna shrugged.  “Whenever they wake up.  Which could be anywhere from minutes to hours.  We'll just have to keep an eye on them till then.”

---

With Sunset and Wallflower on their way to recovery, Celestia had called a meeting to discuss the Memory Stone.

“There's no doubt,” Moondancer concluded, “in the wrong hooves, this is a very dangerous stone.”

“True” said Sunburst, “But, I also see no cause to destroy it.  We have proved that good can be done with it.”

“But, that was to undo the harm done with by the first stone.”

“What about next time?”

“I'm gonna agree with Sunburst on this” Starlight spoke up, “Even if there isn't another pony running around with another memory stone, having one may prove beneficial.  The thing is, it would have to be reserved for the most extreme of circumstances.”

Celestia pursed her lips.  She studied the stone sitting innocently in the center of the conference table.  Both sides gave valuable arguments.  While it had the potential for good, it also had the potential for evil.  However, Celestia wasn't keen to destroy something solely based just on the possibility of the “potential of”.  “This is the only Memory Stone, correct?”

“That we know of” Twilight replied.

Celestia returned to her pondering.  'That we know of.'  She didn't like the sound of that.  For all they know, there could be more, unknown, stones.  Whether they have been scattered throughout Equestria, Equus, or other worlds, this one stone may be their only defense against them.  It would be foolish to throw it all away.  She took the stone in her hooves and rolled it around, inspecting it.  “You are the only ones who know how this stone is made?”

Twilight and her friends nodded.

“Nopony else knows?”

Again, she was answered with nods.

Celestia looked to her sister.  The two seemed to be thinking the same thing.  Though, they wished they weren't.  Upon reaching a silent agreement, the elder sister hung her head.  “In that case, I'm sorry.”

“Sorry?” Sunburst raised an eyebrow, “Sorry for wha—”  He stopped when he saw he wasn't speaking to anybody.  “W-Where did Princess Celestia and Princess Luna go?”  He looked to the other mares with him.  They also seemed to have experience the same thing as him.  “Uh, what happened?”

Moondancer placed a hoof to her head.  “I don't know.  Weren't we just talking about something?”

“We were discussing how a Memory Stone is made” answered Twilight.

“Right,” Starlight said, “how is it made?”  She flinched slightly when Twilight gave her a glare.

“You don't know how it's made?”

“No,” replied Moondancer, “I thought you were going to tell us.”

Twilight felt her heart race.  'What just happened?'  She looked to the table and noticed that not only was the Memory Stone gone, but also the scroll and other documents to go with it.  Twilight frowned and ran to the door.  “Stay here!”

The sisters hadn't gone far.  In fact, they were still in the castle when Twilight caught up to them.  “Princess Celestia!” she yelled, her fury was evident in her voice, “What did you do?”

Celestia let out a visible sigh, turning to her student.  “I'm sorry, Twilight, it had to be done.”

That wasn't good enough.  Twilight's eyes narrowed as her speech became slow and deliberate.  “What did you do to them?”

“I only removed the actual ritual to making the stone.  Nothing more.”

Twilight snarled.  “Then you removed my memory of you doing it.  But, what about me?  Why did you not take my memory as well?”

Celestia turned away.  It only surged Twilight's anger.  “Do you not trust me?”

“Twilight, you know I do—”

“Then return their memories, or take mine as well!  Or let it be their decision.

"I trust those ponies back there just as much as you do me, of not more!”

That may just have been a knife to Celestia.  However, she could not blame her student.  She knew what had to be done, what needed to be done.  With a heavy heart, she reached into her saddle bag and pulled out the Memory Stone.  “I'm really sorry about this, Twilight.”

Twilight lowered her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.  “I know.”
> Chapter 25
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset stirred lightly, the last remnants of sleep slowly fading to into the waking world.  She took in a deep breath and released it with a stretch; beginning in her forelegs, arching down her back to her hind-legs with the remnants being expelled with a flick of her tail.  She released another breath in relaxation.  Unarguably, that was the best sleep she'd had in weeks—especially since her friends had their memories erased.

She paused on that thought, allowing it to echo in her mind.  Friends, Memories, Erased.  A series of names, places and faces, both pony and human, floated before her mind's eye.  Warm tears of joy gently slid down her cheeks.  'They did it!'

There was a slight moan and a rustling of sheets.  Sunset looked over to see another bed a few feet from hers.  The occupant was buried deeply beneath the covers, but for a little tuft of green mane sticking out.

Her roommate moved again, this time waking from her own slumber.  The green pony rolled over and slowly opened her eyes, almost instantly, making contact with Sunset Shimmer's.

“Hey” mumbled Wallflower, clearly not fully awake.

Sunset gave a gentle smile.  “Hey, yourself.  How do you feel?”

The response came as a discernible groan.  Sunset let out a light chuckle.  “Yeah, I'm pretty much the same.”  She sat up in her bed and looked around the room.  The chamber was mostly empty, save for the two beds and a table.  Sunlight filtered into the room through a large window.  Sunset searched for a clock, finding none, but estimated it was after midday.  She returned to Wallflower.  “You hungry?”

“Um-huh...”

Sunset jumped down from her bed and trotted to the table, on which some food and water had been placed.  She filled up two plates with some grapes, berries, and a slice of bread.  A quick spell to slice an apple, and that was added the plates as well.  Filling two glasses, she carried it all over to Wallflower's bed.

The human-turned-pony watched in awe as the unicorn worked.  “You're really not from my world, are you?”

Sunset released a hearty laugh.  “What gave it away?”  She placed Wallflower's plate on the bed and settled herself down on the floor.

“You sure you don't want to sit on the bed?  Or something?”

“Believe me, this is far more natural.”

Wallflower turned onto her stomach and looked inquisitively on how to tackle the plate, before allowing her animalistic urges to take over.

The two ate in silence.  Once finished, Sunset gathered the dishes in her magic aura and returned them to the table without leaving her seat.

“Wow,” the other admired, “with magic like that, why would you ever leave this place?”

Sunset let out a light snort, “It was... complicated.”

“Yeah,” Wallflower seemed to remember, “It was.”  Her composure fell and she turned away in shame.  “I'm really sorry.”  She winced slightly as two hooves touched with hers.  Looking up, she was up front and personal with a pair of bright, shimmering cyan eyes.

“I know” Sunset smiled.

“No,” Wallflower choked on her tears, “no, you don't... Maybe, you do?... Do you?”

“You had my memories,” Sunset said, inquisitively, “do you have any remnants of them?”

Wallflower shook her head and placed her hooves on her head.  “I... I...”  She found herself calmed by a gentle nuzzle.

“Shh” Sunset cooed, “It's okay.  Try to relax.  Princess Twilight said we'd experience some confusion.”  She laid the earth pony back down and covered her with the blankets.

Wallflower wrapped the covers tightly around herself.  “How can you be so calm about this?”  She was slightly startled when Sunset let out a short burst of laughter.

“I'm from here, remember?  I was a student of magic.  For years, it was my whole life.  I'm used to craziness.”

“I thought it may have had something to do with you being a unicorn.”

“That's only partially.  True, magic very much exists as a second nature to my tribe.  But, even then, some are more apt with it than others.”

Wallflower turned away.  “You must think me a fool, then.”

“Not so much a fool as misguided.” Sunset said, softly, “Happens to the best of us.”

“Misguided?” Wallflower huffed, “I was a complete idiot!  Using magic I wasn't familiar with—in the presence of a master, of all people!”  Her eyes widened as Sunset released another bout of laughter.

“Well, I'm flattered you think of me as a 'master'.  Even so, you didn't do anything with that stone I wouldn't do myself.”

Wallflower's ears perked as she raised her head.  “R-really?”  She felt the need to elaborate.  “I used the stone to erase small things.  Awkward meetings, situations, any sort of public speaking.”

“Believe it, or not,” the unicorn smiled, “it pales to what I would have done.”  Seeing Wallflower's confusion, she continued:

“I have plenty I would want to erase from the collective memory.  After the Fall Formal, and everyone was still wary of me, I would have given anything to erase everyone's memories of me being mean.  You talk of awkward interactions?  I experienced that everyday until the Battle of the Bands.  I lived with the humiliation, the scorns.  Would it have been easier to erase all of that and start fresh?  Heck, yeah.

“Buck, why even stop there?  I could have used the stone on Princess Twilight or Princess Celestia.  I could have had my old life back in no time.  No longer shamed pupil who threw a tantrum and ran away.

“But then, I truly wouldn't have changed, would I?  And, maybe in some ways, I still haven't.  My temper and anger continue be a part of me.  However, I always have my friends to calm me down and reel me in.  Even still, it forces me to make an effort.  To try to better myself.”

Sunset sat back on the floor and leaned her back against Wallflower's bed with a sigh.  “I can't say it's been easy.  I've had to put myself out there, open, and exposed.  Every exchange, good or bad, I've had to live with.”

Wallflower lowered her gaze.  “And here I just got carried away with erasing people's memories.”

“It's very easy, you know; to get carried away with power.  No matter what you do with it.”

The room fell into a brief silence.

“I don't know if I can do it, though...”

“Do what?”

“Go out.  To actually deal with people.”

Sunset craned her head to better see Wallflower.  “No one said you had to do it alone.”

“I wouldn't even know where to start.”  She looked up to once again see Sunset at her side.  Though, this time, Wallflower found two amber hooves holding her own.

“Well,” Sunset smiled, “you can start with this pony.  And we have my friends back at CHS.  I'm sure, if you ask, they will be your friends, too.”

A pain still lingered in Wallflower's heart.  “Not best friends.”  Seeing the fallen look on Sunset's face, proved it to be true.

“Probably not” Sunset sadly agreed, “But, things like that happen.  I'm sure though, if you look, you'll find a little group of your own.”

Wallflower pondered for a moment.  “How did you do it?” she asked at long last, “Take everything after the Fall Formal, I mean.”

“The only way you can.  One day at a time, one moment at a time.  The question is: Are you ready to start?”

Wallflower gave a weary nod and moved to get out of bed with a smile.  Sunset assisted, helping her friend maneuver onto all fours.

“Wallflower,” Sunset hesitated as they made their way to the door, “can I ask you something?  And, please don't spare my feelings, or feel like you need to lie to me.”

“I can probably guess what it is, but go on.”

Sunset sucked in a breath.  “When I was the 'Biggest Meanie', was I ever mean to you?”

Wallflower looked down at the crystalline floor.  “No.” she said softly, “One of the joys of being invisible is that you go unnoticed by everybody.  It was very easy for me to avoid you.  And, even when I was in your sights, you still overlooked me.”

“I'm sorry” Sunset sighed.  She paused, realizing her statement needed some clarifying.  “N-not that I'm sorry for not bullying you. I mean—”

This time, it was Wallflower's turn to laugh.  She pressed her body into Sunset's, nuzzling her gently.  “I know exactly what you mean.”

---

“Oh, good!” smiled Princess Twilight, “You're awake!”  She galloped over to her patients.  She noted the awkwardness in their gait, only to realize it was because Wallflower was leaning on Sunset for support.  “How do you two feel?”

“Miserable, as to be expected” Sunset teased.

The alicorn's posture fell slightly.  “Not exactly our intent, but good to know you're back to normal.”

“Yeah,” Wallflower deadpanned, “whatever 'normal' is here.”

“Well, anyway,” Twilight smiled, quite pleased with the success, “The princesses would like to see you.  But, I suspect you would want to get back to your world as soon as possible.”  She could see Wallflower was anxious to move.

“It would be nice.  Not that I haven't enjoyed it, but, I'm done with being a horse.”

“Pony” the Equestrians corrected.

---

Princesses Celestia and Luna met them in the library.  Twilight lead the way to the magical mirror.  With a quick flick of a switch, the portal came to life and soon was ready for transportation.

“Wallflower,” the Princess Celestia said, “I do hope you did enjoy your stay here, such as it was.”

Wallflower nodded.  “You were all very kind.  Especially you, Princess Luna, I don't know how I could repay you.”

“There is no need.”  Luna replied, giving Wallflower a night nuzzle, “The pleasure was all mine.”

“Well,” Sunset nudged her traveling companion, “you ready?”

“Ready as I'll ever be.”

Sunset slightly smiled as she turned to the princesses.  “I'll see her home then I'll come back.  There are a few things I need to tend to here.”

“Take your time” Twilight nodded, “I'll keep the portal open.”

With a final good-bye, Wallflower and Sunset stepped into the portal.

As per usual, the first moments of stepping out of the portal were a little disorientating.  Sunset shook her head as her vision cleared.  Off in the distance, she heard someone call out her name.  Soon, tender hands grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

“I'm so glad your back!” Twilight Sparkle cried, as she and her other friends jumped on Sunset in a giant group hug.

“I'm glad to be back” Sunset smiled.  She looked to Wallflower and wrapped an arm around her new friend, pulling her in.  “We're both glad to be back.”

Wallflower hung her head as she looked around the small group of friends.  Now was a good a time as any to start what she and Sunset discussed.  With a deep breath, she began her speech: “I'm really sorry—”

“Save it” Rainbow held a stopping hand, “We know you are.  And, after all you've been through, we figure you've been punished enough.”

“No sense in beating yourself up further, darling” Rarity smiled.

Wallflower smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Now then,” Sunset gave Wallflower a gentle squeeze, “let's get you home.  I can imagine your parents are worried sick about you.”

The other girls decided to join on the excursion.  Along the way, they asked Wallflower and Sunset various questions about their experience and about Equestria.  Many of which, Sunset quickly shut down, wanting to give Wallflower some peace and rest.

As they came up to a crosswalk, the group heard someone call out to them.  Turning around, Sunset saw Trixie running towards them.

“Hey, Trixie!” Sunset yelled with a smile.

“Is it true?” the magician panted as she caught up with the group, “You really have your memories back?”

“Yep!” grinned Sunset, “Every single last one of them!”

“Success!” cried Trixie, triumphantly, “The Great and Powerful Trrrixie has solved another case!”

“What do you mean you solved the case?” asked Pinkie Pie, “You had help, you know.”

“Merely consultants.  Don't worry, I'll be sure to mention you in the 'Special Thanks' section.”

“'Special Thanks'?” Rarity cried, “Why, I never!”

“Look,” Trixie's eyes narrowed, “when you write this story, you can write it however you want.”

“Fine!  I'll be sure to write you out!”

“Woah!  Hold on a moment!” Sunset called out, stepping between the trio of sleuths, “I don't know what you three did while I was gone, but all I can say is, somehow, you managed to work together to help make things right again.  And, for that, I'm thankful to all of you.”

“Same” added Wallflower.

“Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your thanks.”

“You know,” Sunset smiled thoughtfully, “the school does have a mystery club.  It's been inactive in past years, but I bet you three could get it up and running again.”

The three sleuths looked at each other.  “We'll think about it.”

Sunset gave a shrug.  “That's all I ask.  Trixie, we're walking Wallflower home.  Care to join us?”

“Sorry” the magician replied, “I was in the middle of purchasing supplies for my next trick when I saw you all walking by.”

“Well, we'll see you at school then.”

“Till then” Trixie smiled.  She moved closer to Sunset, awkwardly, hesitantly.

Sunset chuckled and lightly punched Trixie in the shoulder.  “It's okay.  I know you're not much for hugs.”

Which was why she was so confused when Trixie and Wallflower embraced.

---

With Wallflower Blush safely home, Sunset thought it would be nice to stop over at the Sweet Shoppe for some treats before returning back to Equestria.

“You're going back already?” Twilight groaned, “You were already there a week!”

Sunset took a sip of her favorite drink.  How she could have ever turned it down was beyond her.  “True," she said, "but in that week, I said and did some things that I need to make right.  Plus, Princess Twilight is still holding all my stuff.  Don't worry, it will only be for a few days and, thanks to you, I have an excuse.”  She cast a grin towards her friends.  They, clearly, were not happy with the fact they had lied to their principal.  “If Principal Celestia asks, I'll be back Monday.”  She let out a long sigh.  “The main thing for me is getting all that schoolwork done...”  She made a mental note to never come down with an actual Equestrian flu—or any other flu, for that matter.

"Oh!" Rarity dug into her bag, "That reminds me."  She placed Sunset's cell phone and keys on the table.  "Also, don't freak out if your place looks a little cleaner than you left it."

Sunset looked at the items in perplexion before cracking a smile.  "You know what?  I'll ask later."

“At any rate,” Applejack threw her arm over Sunset's shoulders, “good ta have ya back, Sugarcube.”

“You have no idea what it's like you have you back as well.”

“Yes, we do” Pinkie smiled, “Well, sorta. 
Trixie filled us in as how miserable you were.”

Fluttershy gave Sunset a hug.  “I still can't believe we could forget about you.”

“At any rate,” laughed Sunset, “this will be a week that none of us will ever forget!”  She stopped when she noticed that no one was joining her.  “What?”

Rainbow winced, “I think I speak for us all when I say: We'd rather forget it.”