Respectfulness Is Friendship
At the end of the day while the sun sets over the ocean, there is not a lot of people on the beach. In fact there’s no one at all at the beach this time. It was mostly a school day when people do their homework or other hobbies where they live. However even sometimes on school days, the beach is still a great place to spend free time.
The Rainbooms took their bus with their swimsuits on with their new best friend, Sunset Shimmer who lost all of her memories. Despite all the memories being washed away, they still accept her as a best friend after she saved the rest of their memories.
Applejack parks the bus while noticing that no car is at the parking lot. “Wow looks like we’re the only ones here. We got the whole beach for ourselves.” She said happily.
“That’s awesome!” Rainbow and Pinkie shouted.
“But I still have sunscreen for all of us especially with our new best friend Sunset Shimmer.” Rarity representing Sunset who’s still scared with no memories of her best friends.
All the girls leave the bus expect Sunset to enjoy time in the beach. Twilight and Fluttershy try to cheer her up but it’s not working.
“Sunset.” Twilight putting her hand on her shoulder. “Everything is going to be fine. You’re with us now.” Sunset slowly lifted her head up but due to her memories being gone, she’s having a hard time to get up from her seat.
“Am I supposed to be in Equestria? I feel like I don’t belong here.” She replied quietly.
Both Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with concern since Twilight doesn’t understand what Equestria is.
“What are we going to do?” Twilight spoked.
“Maybe she can make sandcastles with us.” Fluttershy suggested. “And we can have Applejack to help her to use her hands. She still thinks she’s a pony.”
Twilight agreed while she took Sunset’s hand. Sunset slowly gets up still scared as they get out of the bus.
“Come on Sunset, going on the beach especially during the sunset is the perfect way to keep yourself calm.” Twilight turning her head around to Sunset.
“I guess for the most part.” Sunset looking at the ocean. As they went down the steps, they went to their spot on the beach. Rainbow Dash and Applejack didn’t bring their surfboards but instead they decided to play volleyball. Rarity and Pinkie Pie are making sandcastles to which is what Fluttershy and Sunset are going to do.
When they both got on their knees they begin making their sandcastles with the buckets they'd also brought. Sunset is having a hard time using her hands to lift one of the buckets and to make things worse, she doesn’t know who to use her arms. For the next minute, Rarity notices and decides to get Applejack for help.
“Applejack darling, Sunset needs help with her fingers.” She called while Applejack catches the beach ball after Rainbow hits it in the air. She hands Rainbow the ball and went to Sunset. She grabs Sunset’s hands and shows her what they are.
“Sugarcube, these are fingers. Sometimes you use these to count or sometimes holding on to something heavy.” Applejack explained perfectly. She picks up the sand bucket and scraps the sand from the ground. While the bucket is full she placed it upside down on the ground and lifted the bucket up as the sand is shaped like the bucket itself.
“That’s actually helpful. Thanks Applejack.” Sunset hugged her. That made Applejack really happy. Even if it was just only for making sand castles, it was a gesture she’ll always accept when she’s always honest.
“It will take a while to get used to but it’s not that hard to forget.” Applejack replied. Pinkie Pie and Rarity are really happy to see Sunset thanking the country girl while Twilight could find what Sunset was talking about. After seeing her memories sucked out of her head she could have second thoughts about her.
While Applejack went back to play volleyball with Rainbow Dash, Rarity has a surprise for Sunset for the sacrifice. “Sunset darling, I made a present for you after you saved my memories. What really means a lot to me is what this gift should mean to you.” Rarity placing her hand on Sunset’s shoulder while giving her a purple wrap present.
“Thanks but aren’t gifts supposed to be given for birthday and holiday occasions?” Sunset asked.
“Well sometimes, but this is the first time you’re hanging out with us on the beach and you had a sad time, so we want to make it up to you.” Fluttershy explained.
“It’s also what friends do.” Twilight added.
“Now go on and open your gift sweetie.” Rarity replied.
Sunset felt warm after hearing the most calm and nice words from her friends. Almost like she never felt this way before despite her memories gone. She lean her head by the gift with her ear close as she shakes it up and down to hear what’s inside. She unwraps it and it’s revealed to be a stylish, sparking red and yellow, beach towel. And similar to Rarity’s towel, it has small sunshines hanging at the end of the towel representing Sunset’s cutie mark.
“You made me a beach towel?” Sunset asked while she’s mesmerized at her gift.
“Of course. Girls like you deserve the best outfits in the city.” Rarity smiled as she wink at Sunset.
“It looks really unique. Did any of you tell me I had something like this?”
“Yes but everyone like you deserve better.” Rarity added. Sunset gave Rarity a hug while giving her opinion about her.
“If you make more of these, your fashion business would be a huge success.” She continue to hug slightly harder while Rarity accepts her opinion.
“I always knew you would say that.” Rarity commented.
***Thirty Minutes Later***
It took a long time for Sunset and her friends to make the best sand castle they can do. The sand castle was fifteen feet tall, small pink plastic flags on top of the towers and it also has mini beach people figurines by the structures of the sand like towers.
“It may have taken a half hour but we finally did it!” Pinkie jumped as she hugged both Sunset and Fluttershy. “We made the best sand castle of friendship!”
“You do know that other sandcastles online will still top ours.” Fluttershy retorted.
“Our castle is still friendship!” Pinkie slight yelled.
“And full of magic.” Twilight added. She used her geode as her hands have sparkles of magic. She blows it towards the sandcastle, sparkles makes it breathtaking as if it’s really a castle from a fairy tail book.
“We really made it better then I thought.” Sunset adoring the design made out of sand.
“Believe me, the older you get, the bigger things you can do.” Rainbow Dash boasted while nicely punches Sunset’s arm. “If I give you more soccer lessons and part of my team, our careers as players will really show what the definition of big means.”
“Did I ever played soccer?”
“Probably not, but again, I’ll teach you lessons.”
“While also learning not to show off!” Applejack chiming in which annoys Rainbow.
With another half hour they have left, their last activity is of course swimming in the waters. They came to the beach for that reason, always saving the best for last.
“Well what are we waiting for?” Rarity asked as she took off her towel. “I’m normally don’t want my hair to get wet but swimming is no denying on that.”
“And we can see sea animals. I really want to see more of them.” Fluttershy added.
“Then let’s not waste time and let’s hit the waves...even if me and Dash don’t have our surfboard.” Applejack cheered as she throw her hat by the magical sandcastle. Everyone but Sunset and Twilight went to the ocean to spend the rest of their time.
Twilight took off her glasses and her hair bow to make sure they don’t get wet. “Sunset.” She said while she places her glasses and bow down.
“Yes Twilight?” Sunset respond.
“When I came to Canterlot High, I completely forgot why I transferred there in the first place. I never understood how I stopped myself when my device from the Friendship Games got out of control. The more I remembered, it shows that my new friends helped me. Was it you?”
Sunset didn’t have an answer since she couldn’t remember her past. Her memory loss makes it difficult for her to believe she actually saved Twilight. But when they left town to go on the beach and making a sandcastle, she saw Twilight as a person that has a pure heart of gold while having magical abilities. And the only thing she never notice about herself is her geode around her neck.
“Umm Twilight, what are these things around our necks?” Sunset asked.
“These are geodes.” Twilight answered. “Me and the others got these at the Everfree Forest when we stopped Gaia Everfree. And since we’re wrong that yours isn’t a cheap knockoff, you really did come with us, but had never been seen which really surprises me.”
They both look at their geodes. Sunset never understands what her’s can do when it comes to her powers. “Can you help me on how to use it?” She asked while picking on her geode.
“Sure but I think I need to use my powers. I still don’t remember what your’s does.” Twilight uses her magic again as she grabs both Sunset hands. They both closed their eyes but Sunset opened her since her eyes are glowing. Twilight may have magical powers but there’s more she learns everyday.
Inside Sunset’s mind, she saw Twilight’s memories of Camp Everfree, Rarity’s music video and the same beach they went to which was the time their memories of Sunset were erased. But with Twilight’s magic surrounding both her and Sunset along with Sunset’s mind reading powers, the magic glows brighter.
“Ummm….What’s going on Twilight?” Rainbow Dash reacted. Soon the others notice how strong Twilight’s magic is becoming when Sunset looks deep in Twilight’s mind.
She notice that she also has another ability, both they never knew their abilities involve a bond. A bond that should never break or it couldn’t ever act if that happened. The more Sunset sees in Twilight, her powers get better. Finally both of their powers shot on Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack's foreheads as they both get drag towards Twilight and Sunset. Since they did remember the times before Twilight got transferred , Sunset can see more memories like the Fall Formal and the Battle Of The Bands.
With the magic of friendship getting stronger, their powers managed to increase not only their memories, but also Sunset’s. With all powers their in use, Sunset instantly remember everything that happened especially, her time in Equestria. Twilight and the others remember everything that happened in their situations. Their battle against the Sirens, the activities they did at the Friendship Games and others also revealed to be Sunset who was always by her side all along.
Soon the magic started to fade, they all landed on the sand with their eyes finally opened. “Twilight…” Sunset blinked as she looked at her friends. It was at this moment, she got her old memories back.
“Sunset?” Twilight replied while blinking as she also remembered Sunset Shimmer, along with her friends.
“SUNSET!!” All of Sunset’s friends shouted in cheer with a group hug of Sunset.
“Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity, I remember all of you!” Sunset cheered in happiness.
“Our geodes must have combined our powers so that we always have a bond even when we don’t have our memories.” Twilight explained.
“I guess friendship with magic can do more things than we thought.” Fluttershy commented.
“What if we use are powers to go in outer space!” Pinkie hopping while squeaking.
“No! Let’s not go to far with that!” Applejack retorted.
“It still would’ve been awesome.” Rainbow added.
“Okay we can all agree there are magical powers we don’t know about, but we can still use this power to have the other students remember Sunset Shimmer.” Rarity replied. “And besides, we really need to put everything back to normal.”
“You’re right.” Sunset finished. “I think I learned something about friendship today and that’s respect. You all showed your heartfelt care after how you treated me earlier. To make up everything that happened, our geodes do really fit with us in any situation we’re in. I think we should called this lesson, Respectfulness Is Friendship.”
Everyone agrees with her as they continue to hug and went back to the ocean to spend the rest of their time swimming and splashing each other. While other people won’t remember who Sunset was, the girls can use their new abilities to help them. It would take time to have everything back to the way it was but it would be worth the wait. And as for Sunset Shimmer, despite having her memories gone when she came to the beach, there was no way anything can go back to what it use to be but thanks to her geode getting her memories back, she has a lot to say to her Equestrian friend Princess Twilight and especially her former teacher Princess Celestia about what she learned about friendship. Luckily for her it will surprise both of them since it never happened in their lives.