Today, Spike, his girls, and the Guardians of Harmony had stopped in a city on their way to finding Tirek and put an end to his empire. As they were walking the street, Sunset Shimmer was taking in all the local street art on walls or even the sidewalks.

“Not bad at all,” Sunset admitted, “Good use of coloring and detail.”

Spike and his girls looked curious, as Fluttershy enlightened them, “Sunset's an artist.”

“You are?” Gabby asked the redhead/blonde mix girl.

“I dabble in artwork from time to time.” Sunset admitted.

“Oh, you do more than dabble,” Pinkie spoke up loudly, “Why you're-” Sunset quickly clamped her mouth shut.

“Pinkie! We're in public.” she reminded her.

“Oh. Sorry!” she whispered making Spike and his girls look confused.

They pressed on, walking by a flower shop where Wallflower took the time to stop and look all the varieties on display.

“Very pretty and perfectly arranged.” she said to herself while observing.

“So, Wallflower's a real garden girl, huh?” Applejack let out a chuckle.

“In a manner of speaking.” Spike admitted.

Wallflower looked and noticed some flowers off to the side looked like they were wilting, “Well, we can't have this now,” she began to concentrate as her foot touched the ground where part of it glowed. A magic essence trailed up to the wilted flowers and suddenly began blooming again much to the Guardians surprise, “That's better.” she said before rejoining everyone.

“Wallflower, that was amazing.” Twilight said impressed.

“It's what I do.”

“But how could you use magic when you're an earther?” Applejack asked confused.

“I've never actually understood it myself.” Wallflower confessed.

Moondancer spoke up, “If I may. I have reason to believe that Wallflower is special case of earther. Where while she may have enhanced strength she is also so in tuned with the earth, that she has a strong connection with plant-life. Hence she is able to make them grow, re-bloom, or even control them.”

“Like she did with those vines.” Pinkie recalled.

“Precisely.” Moondancer confirmed.

“That's just incredible,” Twilight continued to get fascinated, “An earther using another type of power outside physical strength!”

Wallflower blushed a bit, “I am what I am. Of course the me I used to be wasn't nearly this active and social.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity wondered.

“Much like my name, I really was a wallflower. Always sticking to the sides and never noticed. I was there, but never noticed. But it didn't help I lacked social skills. All I had were flowers and plants.”

“That's kinda sad.” Rainbow said, only to get nudged by Applejack.

“Rainbow!”

“No, it's ok,” Wallflower replied, “It did feel sad. Even when I discovered I was capable of making plants grow I wasn't able to get others to notice me because I was shy to talk to them what with always being ignored and all.”

“I get where you're coming from with the shyness.” Fluttershy confessed making Wallflower smile.

“So how did you get involved with Spike and the others?” Twilight inquired.

“One day I was out for a walk while in one of my depressed moods having once again felt like I was absolutely invisible to the world around me. Because of that I almost walked out into traffic until Spike pulled me back.”

Spike spoke to them, “And it's a good thing I did. A truck was barreling right through where she could've been.”

“Quick thinking.” Rainbow commended him.

“I felt so embarrassed by it, Spike actually thought I was trying to throw my life away.” Wallflower said sheepishly.

“Well, from the way you looked and just almost walking out into the street how could I have thought otherwise?” Spike asked rhetorically.

“Point.”

“And besides you did the same for me not long after.”

“How?” Sunset asked Wallflower.

“Well, a runaway cart was rolling downhill right in our path with Spike in the line of fire. I used my power to summon vines from the ground to make a wall to catch it before it could hit us.”

“That's incredible!” Applejack gasped.

“It sure was.” Spike agreed.

“It surprised us all when we saw her do it.” Fleur added.

“Afterward we took her out to get to know her more.” Saffron explained.

“At first it was a one sided discussion given Wallflower's shyness.” Moondancer said.

Wallflower blushed in response, “It was the first time someone or even a group stopped to actually talk with me. I wasn't exactly sure how to interact.”

“When we realized we might've been coming on a little too strong we calmed down and helped her see she was among friends.” Gabby explained.

“She felt more comfortable when she learned I understood the feeling of being invisible.” Spike explained, as the girls knew he could relate to her in that manner.

“I was surprised that someone was actually incapable of doing any of the three special abilities,” Wallflower said, “But I was also relieved Spike didn't hate me for what I could do with plants compared to his... lack of ability.”

“How could I hate someone who saved my life?” Spike asked rhetorically, as she smiled at him.

“The more I talked with Spike and the girls the more I felt calmer, more relaxed. I didn't feel so invisible anymore. I felt wanted.”

“That's when I decided to let Wallflower join us,” Spike told the Guardians, “With her unique power it would make for good use in our group.”

“Good for you, Wallflower.” Fluttershy said.

“Thanks. And it's not just that. My knowledge in herbs and flowers allowed me to learn specific plants and flowers that can help treat or heal wounds. So I'm also the team's medic always having the right kind of herbs to use to make healing remedies.” the girls continued to feel impressed by the girls skill.

Spike spoke up, “You girls go on ahead to the hotel. I'll be along shortly.” And with that he split up from the group and headed out.

As they watched Spike take off, Twilight looking determined was about to follow him, until Rainbow and Applejack stopped her, “Whoa, Twilight, what're you doing?!” Rainbow asked.

“I was going to go talk to Spike,” she answered, “I mean all of you did so I figured it was time I talked to him.”

“Darling, as admirable as that is I think if you did now it would look too obvious.” Rarity warned her.

“Yeah, we all may have gotten a chance to talk to Spike and make amends, but if you do it now he'll only see it coming.” Pinkie put in.

Twilight seeing their logic sighed, “I guess you're right. But I really want to make peace with Spike just as you all did.”

“And ya will, sugarcube.” Applejack assured her.

“But maybe wait another day before you try just so he won't expect it so soon following Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy suggested.

“Agreed,” Sunset said, “If anything I'll go talk to Spike. Since I wasn't around that time when he left he'll have no reason to feel hostile towards me. Plus I wanna finally get to know more about him outside from what you all told me.”

“I understand.” Twilight replied.

“I'll go with you, Sunset.” Wallflower offered.

“Thanks, Wallflower.” Sunset smiled, as the two followed after Spike.

As Spike walked, Sunset and Wallflower caught up to him, “Spike!” Sunset called.

“Yes?”

“Wallflower and I were hoping you'd let us accompany you.” Sunset answered, as Wallflower nodded.

Spike shrugged, “If you want.” The two smiled at his answers and followed at his side.

Later the three stopped to enjoy a slushy drink in the park. The three were slurping before Wallflower clutched her head and groaned from brain freeze.

“You're out. Sorry, Wallflower,” Spike chuckled. The three relaxed, as Spike looked to Sunset while filled with curiosity, “So, Sunset?”

“Yes?”

“How did someone like you truly become a member of the Guardians of Harmony?” Spike inquired.

“Yeah, I thought there were only six bearers of the ancient relics.” Wallflower recalled.

“Well, before I became a member I actually ran with a real bad crowd.” Sunset confessed.

“Bad how?” Spike wondered.

“Bad as in broke a lot of rules, said nothing to my folks. That sort of thing.”

“I see.”

“Then one night we were planning to break into the store and steal the cash. It was then I realized I got way over my head. As we were making our escape, my so-called friends abandoned me with the stolen money and tried to leave me to take the heat. Fortunately Twilight and the others who had witnessed what was going on actually helped me.”

“Just like that?” Wallflower asked.

“Yeah. Surprised me too,” Sunset admitted, “I guess they could see past my appearance they knew I didn't really wanna do this. And I truly didn't. I just wanted attention, since I wasn't actually getting it at home. Parents were always working late, so I was coming home to an empty house and had to fend for myself. So I ended up joining the wrong people because I felt like I had nothing to lose.”

“Jeez, and here I was always trying to find ways to get attention back when I used to live there.” Spike said surprised.

“Difference was you never resorted to acting out and rolling with bad people.” Sunset noted.

“And what makes you think that?” Spike challenged her.

“Twilight and the girls told me.”

“Huh?” Spike did a double take.

“Yeah, they talked to me about you. After I discovered your old bedroom at Twilight's place two years ago.”

“It's still there?” Spike wondered.

Sunset nodded, “The girls managed to get through to me and helped me see breaking rules wasn't the way to go. And so I did the right thing by tipping off the cops where my former crew hid out, they were arrested and the money was returned.”

“That's doing the smart thing.” Wallflower smirked.

“Since then I've been tight with the girls. Then one day Celestia and Luna called for us to meet, especially me. They revealed the aside from the six elements the girls bonded to, they discovered hidden in a secret compartment in the chest they came in housing another element. They wanted to see if I could bond with it because they saw how close I had gotten with the others, and it would react if my bond with them was truly strong. And sure enough it reacted and bonded to me granting my own Guardian rank.”

“Well, lucky you.” he answered.

“I was lucky,” Sunset admitted, “With all the stuff I did before I didn't think I would be worthy enough to bond with it. Since then I've been helping them out ever since doing good deeds for others and taking on threats that would be too much for the cops to handle.”

“Amazing.” Wallflower admired.

“Yeah,” Sunset replied, “But anyway, when I discovered your old room, Twilight and the others told me about you?”

“About how I was the powerless one in the Sparkle household if not the entire world?” Spike asked in sarcasm.

“Well, they didn't say it like that,” Sunset answered, “In fact when they talked about you they were sad about it.”

Wallflower nodded and spoke to him, “She confirmed she and everyone did mourn for you when you left.”

Sunset nodded, “It is true. I even witnessed Twilight break down in front of us as she thought about you. The guilt she felt for driving you away because of her negligence haunted her every time she thought about you. And it wasn't just Twilight, it was all of them.”

“I can believe that.” Spike admitted after having reconciled with the others already.

“I know you've been making amends with them these last few weeks and such.” Sunset noticed.

Spike nodded, “Truthfully, I half expected Twilight to have come to try talking to me.”

“She did, but we all figured you'd see that coming so I chose to come talk to you and get to know you from your POV and not just from the girls.”

“Clever.”

Wallflower spoke curiously, “Although if they did allow Twilight to come and talk to you, what would you have done?”

Spike looked at Sunset and Wallflower who were both curious as to what Spike might have done if Twilight did finally confront him on what happened between them. Even though he had gotten along well with the rest of the girls, was he truly ready to finally talk things out with his former sister even though things could never be the same as they were before?

“I-I don't know.” he answered unsure.

The two girls sensing he was still at odds and torn between his decision knew better than to press it further and just hugged his arms in comfort, "Huh?” he looked at the two.

“We won't force you to answer any further, Spike.” Wallflower promised.

“But when the time comes try not to be too cross with Twilight. After all you both have been hurting from this in your own ways.” Sunset explained.

Spike sighed knowing it had to be true with all the evidence he learned from the girls, “I get it.”

Sunset smiled deciding how to lighten his mood, “Spike, Wallflower, how would you like to know a little secret about me?”

“A secret?” they asked.

“Yes. You know I said I dabble in art but Pinkie was going to say something else if I hadn't stopped her?”

“Yes.” Spike confirmed.

“Well, I'm actually a graffiti artist in Canterlot City.” she whispered.

“You are?” Wallflower asked.

“I am.”

“What's your street name?” Spike asked, as Sunset leaned closer and whispered to them.

“Flanksy.”

Their eyes widened in shock, as Wallflower spoke quietly, “You're that person?” Sunset nodded.

“Wow,” Spike gasped, “I've seen some of your artwork photographed in the magazines. You really got talent.”

“Well, after leaving the bad life, I needed a new hobby,” Sunset chuckled, “In fact following leaving the bad life I confronted my parents on how them not being at home as much wasn't doing me any favors. And so they worked things out so then they started coming home earlier so we can at least be a family and not just on weekends.”

Spike smiled feeling relieved she could make things up with her parents too, and that in turn influenced him more on not only talking things out with Twilight but perhaps even the rest of the Sparkles too.

For the rest of the time, Sunset continued to get to know more about Spike and Wallflower and vice versa. When night fell they returned to the hotel they were staying at. As Spike and the girls were exploring the lobby they saw a sign outside one of the party rooms read 'Karaoke Night'.

Spike looked at the girls and asked, “Anybody up for some karaoke?” The girls all smiled and nodded liking the sound of it.

Soon they were all gathered in the room with many other hotel guests who decided to join the karaoke night. Each of the girls individually or in small group got to sing a song of their choosing earning applause from the audience. Even when Twilight had her turn Spike joined in the applause. When Spike got up for his turn, Sunset Shimmer joined him.

(Our Time has Come)

The two sang as if they were in perfect sync, as the crowd watching looked very impressed. At their group table Spike's team and the Guardians of Harmony were also impressed at how well the two sang together, especially Twilight.

When the two concluded their song everyone applauded on how well they did together. Spike and Sunset looked at one another before sharing a smile and a hug. As Spike hugged Sunset he thought about what she told him before.

'Try not to be too cross with Twilight. After all you both have been hurting from this in your own ways.'

Spike thought to himself, 'She's right. I have to face this.'

Author's Note

Wallflower's plant and flower growing ability even though she's an earther references to the Earth Ponies of Gen 5 where they gain the magic to make plants and flowers grow.

For all you naysayers, skeptics, and doubters who think Twilight's a lost cause here and doesn't deserve forgiveness or anything should try for once keep an open mind and not think there's no coming back from it.