Equestria Girls - The Tale of Two Sunsets

As Sunset and her friends continued to work on their graduation song within Applejack's garage, they had made some rather exceptional progress, as Twilight managed to compromise their plans for the opening tone of the lyrics. The rest of the girls had high hopes for their performance at CHS, imagining the overwhelming praise and reception from not just everyone at CHS, but their families as well. Everything seemed to be coming together rather nicely, despite the urgent situation with Applejack's family, which internally still made several of the girls skeptical on who could've committed such a crime.

"It's certainly quite refreshing to come up with a new song together as a band, we admittedly haven't done so in ages." Rarity reflected. "That being said though, it's truly a real shame that Pinkie Pie couldn't be here to partake with our little activity, wouldn't you say?"

"She does have a way of bringing out the creativity in us, that's for sure." Twilight nodded. "But hey, we're not even close to finishing the song yet, so I'm sure there's still plenty of time for her to contribute later, down the line."

"Well whenever she comes back, we'll totally surprise her with this epic tune!" Rainbow strummed a few energetic chords on Applejack's old guitar, the sound resonating through the room. "For now, let's keep the momentum going, and see what else we could come up with. Let's see... what do you think about adding a bridge that brings all our friendships together?"

"A bridge could serve as a symbol of unity, especially considering everything we've been through." Sunset went along with Rainbow's idea. "It's like... when we stand together, we're unstoppable no matter what this world throws at us. Maybe we could each throw in a line or two that represents our individuality, but blends seamlessly into the whole song?"

"I reckon that's a fine idea, Sunset." Applejack agreed. "Rainbow, why don't you start us off with something that captures the essence of your main trait, loyalty? And I'll follow with honesty, if that's alright with everyone?"

"That sounds great." Fluttershy replied, as she began scrolling through her phone. "I'll think of something that represents kindness and compassion, but I'm admittedly having a more difficult time coming up with the right lyrics. Perhaps if I scroll around social media for a bit, I could get some inspiration."

"Ah yes, social media's the main reason as to why my side-business has been doing so well." Rarity acknowledged. "The best invention to ever exist, as long as it's used for the greater good. You girls all remember what happened with Vignette, don't you?"

"All I remember is that she used her phone to trap us in a random white room, somewhere in that amusement park." Rainbow recalled.

"And I was SO MAD when I found that out, though it's actually amusing on hindsight, I'd say." Sunset added. "I wouldn't really say that social media was the cause of that incident as much as Equestrian magic, but I can see where you're coming from. Back in Equestria, we don't even have these fancy phones that let you play games or listen to music, just those old-fashioned telephones."

"NOT have cell phones or social media back in Equestria?" Rainbow's eyes widened. "I couldn't imagine going a few hours without watching some hilarious or viral videos on the web. I feel for you Sunset, you must've been so bored back in your world."

"I wouldn't really think that's the case, Sugarcube." Applejack reflected. "I remember Sunset tellin' me about how much magic Equestria has, and that her world's equivalent of cell phones were magic-burpin' dragons. We certainly ain't got nothing like that in this world, that's for certain."

"And technically-speaking, we were all there once, when our boat sank during that spring break cruise." Twilight reminded. "It was certainly... freaky to adjust being in a horse's body, but I get the feeling that no amount of science could ever give us a logical explanation for how such a thing was possible."

"Almost like the equivalent of living in two different worlds, each with its own set of rules and... well, problems." Sunset said. "For example, I don't have my horn in this world, as much as I'd like to use telekinesis to make everyday activities a little easier. But at the same time, Equestria doesn't have video games, television, or smartphones, so it's kind of a trade-off."

"So, you're saying that in Equestria, you could just wave your horn around and stuff would move?" Rainbow paused, visualizing the idea. "Then we could literally be like that one evil villain dude from that movie we watched at Pinkie's slumber party! What was the name of the film, again? I just remember the dude had asthma, and he chopped off the main character's hand, before telling him he's their father."

"Well, it's not quite that dramatic, Rainbow." Sunset giggled. "In Equestria, my horn's more of a tool for magic, not just for moving objects. There's also the option to teleport, cast spells, levitate, or even create a giant beanstalk from a simple seed."

"Fascinating!" Rarity's eyes sparked further curiosity. "And what about your singing, Sunset? Does your magic enhance it as well?"

"I'm pretty confident that I could sing, with or without magic." Sunset acknowledged. "After all, that's exactly how we were able to defeat the Dazzlings back at the Battle of the Bands, and I'm sure that's mostly because I didn't rely on a voice-enhancing pendant all the time."

"Well, I reckon we all had to find our own ways to shine." Applejack winked. "It's the same mentality when it comes to goin' to college. When everyone has a college degree, you have to find even further ways to stick out. Good luck tryin' to figure that out when you've got evil student loan debt followin' you for the rest of your days."

"When you put it that way, it's not entirely wrong to think that's how Equestria operates, as well." Sunset pondered this mentality. "In Equestria, we rely more on our innate talents and abilities rather than formal education. Though I do admit, it's pretty funny that I say that now, considering I used to be the top student at the School For Gifted Unicorns."

"Our world can be pretty depressing when we think about it that way." Rarity nodded. "Here, we're all about papers, diplomas, and the almighty grade point average. It's almost reached a point where learning doesn't even matter anymore, as much as arbitrary and meaningless grades. Yet in your world, it's all about honing your inner talent and growing through friendship, that just sounds so whimsical and pure. But... we've already had this talk, and it's clear that most of us don't plan on falling for that scam, which many parents fool their kids into believing is necessary to become successful in life."

"Yeah yeah, I'm still with you all on that." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I've heard it all, tons of people being brainwashed to go to college, only to end up with depression and debt. Do I really want a psychology degree that'll cost me $100,000, just to better understand why customers want fries with their burger? I'd rather do literally anything else to get by, especially since nobody ever seems to talk about the many jobs out there that don't require some useless and expensive degree. Speaking of which, how about we continue working on that epic song? Fluttershy, have you come up with anything yet for your part in the bridge?"

Just as Rainbow turned to Fluttershy to ask this, so did the other girls, and they immediately noticed that something was wrong. Fluttershy simply continued staring at her phone with wide eyes and shrunken pupils, and acted as if nobody in the room had just asked her a simple question. This most likely meant that something else abrupt had come up, which managed to put Fluttershy in a state of shock. Did she manage to stumble across something disturbing on the web, or was it actually related to inspiration for the song?

"Fluttershy, you okay?" Rainbow went over to her friend. "You've been pretty quiet for a bit, is something wrong?"

It took Fluttershy a few more moments to compose herself, but she eventually snapped back to reality, and realized how awkward everything had become.

"While I was browsing the web for some ideas, I saw something on the news which, I don't know if it truly means that... she's back, but it's definitely concerning." Fluttershy held out her phone, showing a news article titled, 'Mysterious Mugging Near Canterlot High'.

"Muggin', you say?" Applejack read the headline. "Well, I guess that means that the recent break-in and robbery may not have been a coincidence, after all."

"But Fluttershy, what makes you believe that... SHE was the one responsible for this?" Rarity inquired. "For all we know, it could've been anybody else, thieves and burglars aren't exactly uncommon in this harsh world."

"According to this article, one of the local residents was the one to report this story, after encountering this supposed crook, who had already committed multiple accounts of mugging this past week." Fluttershy explained. "The article goes on to mention that while walking home one night from work, this person was understandably exhausted and sleepy. So much so that they ended up bumping into the crook, whom they described as a tall woman wearing a brown leather jacket. Exactly what she used to always wear, back when she had relentlessly bullied me at CHS."

Sunset listened on, realizing Fluttershy had suspected that her oldest school bully had somehow returned, and was the one responsible for these mysterious robberies. It once again made Sunset feel extra guilty about the days when she herself had relentlessly bullied Fluttershy at CHS, and showed next to no mercy towards the rest of her classmates.

"Don't you all remember when I first met her in the halls during freshman year?" Fluttershy began sharing her experience back then. "It was a peaceful and sunny day at CHS, where the freshmen were all looking forward to their first day of high school. I was delighted to have some animal friends joining me on my first day, though this was before I was told that I wasn't allowed to have pets on school grounds. I seemed to have gotten a bit distracted with my gerbil friends, that I accidentally bumped into... her in the hallways. I ended up accidentally scratching her leather jacket, and from that moment on, to say that I got off on the wrong foot with her, is certainly an understatement."

"Oh dear, I remember that, she was quite the... I can't even come up with the right words to describe her." Rarity commented. "Fluttershy, darling, we've all had our fair share of schoolyard bullies, but I can't imagine the sheer terror you must have felt back then."

"All over a leather jacket, too!" Rainbow added. "I mean, who does that sort of thing, making somebody else's life miserable over an accident? Unlike Sunset here, she's come around, even after we wrecked both her leather jacket and reputation at CHS, back during the fall formal. I know this line's probably getting really old at this point, but uh... no offense."

"None taken, Rainbow." Sunset's gaze drifted to the floor, the weight of her past heavy on her shoulders. "But Fluttershy, are you really sure it's her, maybe it's just someone who looks similar to your old school bully?"

"Believe me, I don't want to imagine that she's back, but the rest of this article is telling me otherwise." Fluttershy continued. "It also mentions that when this person bumped into the crook, they tried to apologize and go about their day. But immediately after bumping into her, the crook in question instantly lost her temper, and specifically told them that, 'You lame citizens are driving me buggy, I gotta bail!', before attacking them with a plank of wood and stealing their wallet. Doesn't that sound exactly like... her?"

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like her." Rainbow nodded. "Who else uses 'lame' so much these days, honestly? But why would she come back, and now of all times? You don't think she's planning something to ruin graduation, do you?"

"If you don't mind me asking, real quick?" Sunset spoke up. "I'm definitely going to need some further context, but who exactly was this girl in question, do you remember her name?"

"Her name was Gilda, Sunset." Fluttershy shuttered upon mentioning that name once more. "She was the school's resident troublemaker before... well, you get the idea. I don't want to make you feel guilty again, especially after how much you've proven to be a friend to us all, over the years."

"Hmm, that name doesn't ring a bell at all." Sunset pondered. "To answer your question, Rainbow, it's really hard to say what her motives are, or if she has any particular reason to still have a vendetta against you all. But we still don't know for certain whether or not that article's talking about Gilda."

"I'd be pretty certain that even after all these years, she'd still hate our guts." Rainbow replied. "Considering... we were also kinda the reason she got expelled from CHS."

"Even so, it was absolutely well deserved!" Applejack huffed. "Especially after that incident where she poisoned the cafeteria's chili, in an attempt to prank everybody! There's a fine line between pullin' a joke, and simply being insufferable."

"That would be the main reason I don't really pull those kinds of pranks anymore." Rainbow acknowledged. "It was cool back in the day to mess around with the rest of our classmates, but when I realized it wasn't necessarily fun when I was the one being pranked, well, you get the idea."

"It's quite fascinating how one's perspective can change, once the tables have turned." Rarity nodded. "Though I can't really say that was always applicable for Gilda, when a joke came at her expense. Instead of learning a lesson like the rest of us would've, she simply sought out to get revenge and sink even lower, up until she felt like she won. As you can imagine, this eventually led up to her expulsion from CHS, though we can't really say she didn't have it coming."

"So this Gilda always was a wild card, even before I came along." Sunset leaned against the wall, her arms folded, burying herself in deep thought. "I almost never could've imagined that CHS had this much trouble brewing in it, long before I came into this world, myself. For a while, it almost seemed like I was the most disliked student who's ever enrolled at this school."

"Well, that's the thing about CHS, Sunset." Applejack replied. "It's got its fair share of drama, but it's usually not on the scale of what you had to deal with. Why, there's still some students who just love to gossip about the others behind their back. I still occasionally overhear somebody in the halls mention 'Piggly Wiggly' from time to time, but I think I've gotten used to it by now."

"As for Gilda, I've admittedly always felt like something was off with her, even when I briefly knew her back in middle school." Rainbow continued explaining. "She often caused trouble for the sake of it, picked on those who were different, but she had a knack for disappearing after she caused enough damage. It's like she knew exactly when to vanish into thin air, especially when she was about to get caught."

"What was the straw that broke the camel's back with Gilda, if you don't mind me asking?" Sunset looked around at her friends, each of them holding a piece of the puzzle to Gilda's downfall. "Was there something particularly extreme she did, which led to her expulsion?"

"It was a series of events, really." Rarity began reflecting. "Gilda had been a persistent troublemaker, but the final incident was when she tried to sabotage the school's talent show, simply for her own amusement. She had painted herself as the victim of our so-called 'competition', and tried to manipulate us all into fighting each other."

"Just like when the Dazzlings did the same, and goaded everybody into becoming fiercely competitive during the Battle of the Bands?" Sunset recalled. "I guess that wasn't the first time CHS had such an unpleasant experience with competition."

"Yeah, she had a real nasty streak, that's for sure." Rainbow folded her arms. "And you know what made her antics even worse? Gilda was always filming stuff on her phone, trying to catch us in some kind of embarrassing situation to post online to MyStable. She had this weird obsession with exposing what she saw as our 'true colors', it's like she didn't have any friends, or anything better to do than to mess with everyone else's lives. And when we found out that she tried to rig the talent show, just to film us in heated arguments, that was really the last straw."

"Huh, so this actually wasn't the first time you girls had to deal with online gossip and unwanted exposure, considering what happened with Anon-a-Miss." Sunset had an epiphany. "That explains why you girls were quick to believe I was behind that account, as well as the fact we weren't as close back then. And to be fair, what Anon-a-Miss did, it didn't seem too different from everything else I was responsible for, back at the Fall Formal."

"Well, I reckon that's all water under the bridge, Sunset." Applejack put a hand on her shoulder. "We're all still sorry for puttin' you through that back then. I know we've had our fair share of troublesome experiences at CHS, but that was no excuse for just throwin' you under the bus, especially since we truly jumped to conclusions with no real evidence."

"Thanks Applejack, it's just... it's eerie how history seems to repeat itself at CHS." Sunset looked up at Applejack, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I know everyone's changed since then, and we're all working to make sure nobody has to go through that again. But let's focus on Gilda for now, if she's really back, we can't ignore it."

"And if it isn't her, I think we should still keep our guards up." Twilight suggested. "I mean, if this thief's going around town and robbing random houses, any of us could be their next target. I couldn't imagine not having that money to go to college anymore, my life would be ruined..."

"That's why we have to do something about it." Sunset took a deep breath, looking up at her friends. "Remember how we stood together to defeat the Dazzlings and Gaea Everfree? This is no different, regardless if it's Gilda, or whoever this thief is."

"Umm, unfortunately, I may have even further reason to believe that... Gilda really is back." Fluttershy gulped. "I scrolled around the web again, and I found this other article here, mentioning that there was a recent jailbreak from... where the police ended up sending her, after she got expelled..."

"Jailbreak, you say?" Rarity's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she approached Fluttershy to get a better look at the article. "Could it be that she's returned with a vendetta against the school, or perhaps just looking to stir up trouble again?"

"The article goes on to list a few of the inmates who've gone missing, including Rolling Thunder, Lightning Dust, and a few others." Fluttershy scrolled through the rest of the page. "It doesn't specifically mention Gilda by name, but this definitely confirms that the recent robbery here at Applejack's may not have been a coincidence at all!"

"Hmm, it also mentions that the Canterlot Juvenile Detention Center had not experienced a jailbreak like this in over fifteen years." Twilight read the article on her own phone. "And the timing is eerily suspicious, right around the time when the school's alumnae are starting to come back into town for graduation."

"Well, one thing's for sure, it seems like we've got no choice but to watch each other's back, once graduation rolls around." Rainbow sighed. "Just when we thought that leaving behind our magical geodes could've let us live our lives casually like everybody else, now we've got vengeful Gilda on our shoulders."

"Agreed, but we can't let this ruin our final moments at CHS, we've come so far together, and we're not about to let some old bully taint our graduation memories." Applejack said with a firm nod, her eyes reflecting the determination that had carried her through so many battles. "Besides, we've faced far worse, and come out the other side stronger for it."

"I'm not letting her mess with us again, she's had her shot and lost." Rainbow added. "If she thinks she can just waltz back over here and start causing trouble, she's got another think coming. When it comes to any unfinished business Gilda might've had with us, I think we can act out what happened. Mostly to let Twilight and Sunset get a better understanding of the day she got expelled, what do you say?"

"I'd like to hear more about it, sure, but I think it's also important to keep our eyes on the future and not just dwell on the past." Sunset replied. "We've all changed a lot since then, so for all we know, perhaps Gilda has too."

"Second that." Twilight nodded. "Remember when I was that lonesome student who was ranked #1 at Crystal Prep Academy, but never really had any true friends? I think the closest to a friend I had was Sugarcoat, but even then, she often acted snarky towards me, simply because she got ranked #2."

"You don't know Gilda like we did, Sunset." Rainbow shook her head. "That's actually a pretty good thing, but... to act out what happened that day, let's pretend I'm Gilda, and Rarity is Principal Celestia. You know where this is going, right Rarity?"

"Oh, darling, I think I can manage that, I was quite the drama queen back in the day." Rarity nodded, as she exited a door within the garage, ready to begin their act.

As Rainbow and Rarity prepared everything, Twilight and Sunset were able to get a pretty quick understanding of what was happening, especially with the obvious setup, as Rainbow put a bucket on top of the door that Rarity was about to enter. Rainbow then took out her phone, doing what she recalled Gilda had done on that fateful day, at least to her best memory of the incident.

"What's up, Griffon Army?" Rainbow said, pretending to be Gilda. "It's your girl Gilda again, and you know why I'm here today? It's cause that lame wimp Fluttershy actually tried to stand up against ME, of all people! Can you believe how lame she truly is, especially for a girl whose only real friends are pathetic animals? Well today, I've got the best prank for you all, and I sure hope you can all get me up to one million views with this video! Earlier this week, I tried to convince Fluttershy that she's not only a chicken, but a smelly chicken as well! She seriously smells like she's been hanging with that loser Applejack, who was clearly raised in a barn!"

"Gilda was correct about ONE of those statements, but now you get the idea on why I disliked her so much." Applejack whispered to her friends.

"So, I've just been told that Fluttershy's coming out of her lame animal shelter club, and she'll never see this coming!" Rainbow continued the act. "We'll see who exactly the real smelly chicken will be at the end of the day, it surely won't be me! And if we break one million views on this video, I'll even release the other prank videos of me planting fake cheat sheets in my classmates' desks, and getting them in trouble for it, since the teacher caught them! But for now, let's see that lame chicken come out of the club, smelling worse than the cafeteria's old potato salad!"

"I had one of my classmates tell Gilda that I was in the animal club, when in reality, I was in the library, and instead asked a certain somebody else to spend a little time with the critters." Fluttershy explained.

Suddenly, the doorknob on the garage's door turned, but Rainbow's eyes widened when she saw through the window who was really coming out of the club. Rarity pretending to be Principal Celestia walked into the garage, and almost instantly, walked right into the boobytrap that Gilda had set up, even though there was technically nothing like that, this time around.

"If you're wondering, the trap that Gilda set up involved a little contraption with strings, which spilled tar and a bag of feathers onto Principal Celestia." Applejack explained. "Just imagine Rarity's covered with all that, and looks like a giant chicken."

"Ahhh, Principal... Celestia!?" Rainbow stammered as if she were Gilda. "I-I..."

"Gilda!" Rarity frowned, pretending to be the CHS principal. "What did you just do!?"

"I-It wasn't meant for you, it's just-" Rainbow continued the act, and as Rarity was pretending to wipe the imaginary tar out of her eyes, she accidentally pushed the door even further. "N-No, wait! Watch out for that...!"

But it was already too late, and the bucket fell directly onto Rarity's head, making Rainbow stare at the scene in absolute shock.

"For the record, that bucket was filled with rotten sardines and anchovies." Fluttershy explained. "I think you can imagine how furious Principal Celestia must've been."

"Oh, no doubt about that." Twilight nodded.

"I can't believe she went that far just to spite you, Fluttershy." Sunset added.

"GILDA!!!" Rarity screamed, as she picked the bucket off of her head.

"P-P-Principal Celestia, I-I'm so sorry, it's what you think, it was meant to b-be an accident!" Rainbow said, out of the blue.

"You really think that I'm dumb enough to believe THIS was an accident!?!" Rarity screeched, furiously.

"Yes!" Rainbow replied. "I-I mean no, I-I-I mean..."

"You are in BIG TROUBLE, GILDA!" Rarity snapped. "Give me your phone, and get in my office, RIGHT NOW!!!"

Rainbow then sadly slumped her way over to Rarity, as the two went through the garage's door, then came back in, concluding their acts, and pretending as if nothing happened.

"I gotta hand it to you, Rarity." Rainbow commended. "I was actually quivering back there, you really know how to make a convincing performance as a furious principal."

"Why thank you, Rainbow." Rarity blushed. "It's all thanks to the drama club back in freshman year, I suppose. Besides, it's not every day one gets to reenact a moment of such... utter chaos."

"After that little incident, Principal Celestia thoroughly searched through Gilda's phone, and not only found her confessions to settin' up that particular prank, but even previous crimes she committed, that other students had gotten in trouble for." Applejack explained further. "As a result, she got the police involved, and presented those videos as evidence against Gilda."

"When given a chance to right her wrongs, Gilda absolutely refused, and claimed that she'd rather go to jail than give the whole school a heartfelt apology." Fluttershy added. "And it was at that moment, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna both decided that enough was enough. For the first time in ages within CHS's history, Gilda ended up getting expelled, and we never saw her again."

"There were often rumors about what had truly happened to her, but for all we knew, nothing ever came of them." Rarity recalled, before turning to Sunset and Twilight. "That is... until now, of course. But surely, you've both got a more clear understanding of the type of girl we're up against, if she's truly returned?"

"It sounds like she was quite the troublemaker." Twilight said, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "Not even anybody at Crystal Prep Academy was THAT bad. I've admittedly heard a rumor however, that Indigo Zap ended up bullying somebody so badly, that they had to drop out of school altogether. That said, it's probably just a rumor, I can't imagine something like that actually happened."

"Even I broke down in tears and wanted to do nothing more than the right thing, after turning into an actual demon." Sunset reflected. "Vice Principal Luna actually mentioned that it was because of my willingness to do the right thing, that they didn't get the police involved, nor expel me for everything I did at the Fall Formal."

"But that was different, Sunset." Rarity put a hand on her shoulder. "You had genuine regret and sought out to change your ways, from what I understand. Gilda on the other hand, well, she didn't quite have that same... revelation, shall we say?"

"We've all done things we've regretted, and it's sometimes even because of bad influences or pressure." Twilight added. "I don't think that incident at the Friendship Games would've happened, had it not been for that devious Principal Cinch."

"Yeah, and look how much we've all changed since then." Rainbow said, confidently. "We've faced so much together, from Equestrian magic to school drama. No matter the problem, we deal with it like we do with any other problem, as a team."

"All of that perfectly encapsulates the song we'll be performing during graduation." Sunset nodded. "Well, we've still got some time this week to finish the song, so I'd say we're already on the right track to make sure nothing will ruin our big day together!"

Just then, everyone began to hear a truck pull up in front of the garage, as a familiar voice began to make itself apparent.

"Applejack, Big McIntosh, Applebloom!" Granny Smith called out from outside. "I just came home with some groceries, and could use a little help carryin' them inside!"

Realizing that her grandmother was finally home, Applejack realized that she had no choice but to face the music, and that she couldn't keep quiet about the supposed robbery, any longer. The farm girl sighed, before turning to her friends, and knew that she had to be strong, even in the tougher times.

"Ah shoot, that's Granny Smith." Applejack's eyes widened with worry. "Looks like I can't keep it from her anymore, I've gotta tell her about the break-in. She's gonna be devastated, I just know it, but we've got no choice. I'll be right back, girls."

"We're all here for you, Applejack." Sunset assured. "Let us know if you need us to help you get through this rough patch."

With a deep breath, Applejack stepped outside the garage door, ready to approach her grandmother. Applejack admittedly had a hard time coming up with the right words to tell Granny Smith that her retirement deposit had gone missing, but nevertheless, this matter had to be taken care of, sooner or later.

"Alright Applejack, I've got the bacon, eggs, and bananas in this bag." Granny Smith began carrying one of the grocery bags out of her truck. "Would you be a dear and get the canned vegetables?"

"Ah, sure thing, Granny." Applejack nodded, forcing a smile. "But, there's something we need to talk about first, it's a pretty urgent matter what we've got to fix."

"Oh, wouldn't you know it..." Granny replied. "In fact, I've already called up the local repairman to come fix that broken window in the back of the kitchen, but I'm not lookin' forward to hearin' what he's gonna charge me."

"Wait, so... you knew about the broken window?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Well yes, it actually happened earlier this week, all thanks to that pesky raccoon that's been gettin' into our trash." Granny explained. "I baked a fresh apple pie and let it cool on the window sill. Little would I know, the furry little burglar would come by and try to steal it. I tried to shoo him away with my broom, but he ended up making me swing it too hard, and I accidentally smashed the window up. The pesky little pest ended up getting away with my pie, sadly."

Suddenly, Big McIntosh and Applebloom approached the two, after overhearing that their grandmother had returned.

"Sis, Big Mac and I have already filed the report, so now we can focus on carryin' those groceries!" Applebloom announced.

"Eeyup." Big McIntosh nodded.

"Report?" Granny Smith raised an eyebrow. "Applejack, mind explainin' what this is all about?"

"Well Granny, it's about the broken window, we saw it and thought somebody was responsible for a break-in." Applejack explained. "Big Mac and I were worried that someone might've also taken your retirement deposits, since we couldn't find our profits from this year's harvest. We didn't want to trouble you until we knew for sure, but we had to tell you now."

"Applejack, what makes you believe I would just leave a large amount of cash sittin' around the house?" Granny questioned. "I deposited everything into our family's bank account weeks ago, since I needed to provide evidence for my Social Security Taxes being paid off, which would make me eligible for retirement."

"So... there was no burglar or break-in?" Applebloom asked, confused. "W-What about the broken window in the kitchen?"

"Apparently, that was just a raccoon who got hungry for some apple pie, and Granny accidentally broke the window, tryin' to get the varmint out." Applejack sighed. "I'm really sorry, Granny, but we really thought some criminal or burglar broke into the house last night, and stole all our money. Because of this paranoia, we already filed a police report, and it seems like we've made a huge mistake by doing so."

"Well, that's quite the relief, but also a bit embarrassin' for me." Granny Smith chuckled. "We'll just have to call the police back and let them know it was a false alarm, but hey, at least you all were lookin' out for me, and that's what matters. Now, let's get these groceries into the house, and to get our minds off of this misunderstandin', I'll tell you about the time I fought off a whole pack of coyotes with just a flashlight and a fryin' pan!"

Applebloom and Big McIntosh had done so, as did Applejack, before she finished carrying the remaining canned vegetables, and went back over to her friends in the garage, who had once again overheard everything. It was admittedly a huge relief to learn that the only burglar who had robbed the Apple Family was nothing more than a simple masked racoon. This however, did not dismiss the possibility of Gilda still being out there somewhere, and plotting to take revenge against CHS, even after all these years.

"So, Granny's deposits are safe, but I just can't shake off this feeling that... we may still be in danger." Applejack said to the rest of her friends. "After all, if a number of inmates from juvey have escaped, who knows what that'll mean for the rest of us, especially with graduation just around the corner?"

"Well even so, remember what Sunset said about the Dazzlings after we defeated them?" Rainbow reminded. "Without those magical pendants, they're just some harmless girls with no real power to be a threat to us."

"Plus, if we need to, we could just use our magical geodes to give us the upper hand." Rarity added. "I'm sure that no matter who's out there plotting to sabotage graduation, as long as we have each other, we'll never let anything like that happen."

"We've never let memory-erasing stones or endless time loops tear our friendships apart, so I'm pretty confident in thinking that we'll all make happy memories during graduation." Sunset said. "Especially since... we haven't had any unexpected encounters with Equestrian magic for the past few months. I think that may just be a sign of things to come, all things considered."

"We also owe it to you too, Sunset, for being the kind of leader who's always there for us, through thick and thin." Twilight smiled. "I mean, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be that depressed and lonesome school girl at Crystal Prep Academy, constantly being blackmailed by Principal Cinch to do all kinds of crazy things."

"Thanks, Twilight." Sunset felt a warm glow spread through her chest, her eyes shimmering with a mix of pride and satisfaction. "I've just... never really felt this kind of happiness back then, you've all been the best family in my life, metaphorically and technically speaking."

"Speaking of family... I didn't realize you had friends over, Applejack." Granny Smith walked over to the garage, and saw all the girls hanging around. "And it's a good thing too, considerin' I baked an extra apple pie this mornin', and Big McIntosh and Applebloom have already had their fixin' for the day. Wouldn't you all like to come on inside, and have a slice?"

"Hmm, that sounds like a nice way for us to share some even more quality time before graduation." Applejack nodded. "What do you girls all think?"

"Why, that sounds fabulous." Rarity agreed. "I may be on a bit of a diet now, but I suppose I could use a cheat day."

"Some glucose might help us get the energy we need to continue working on that song." Twilight added.

"I'm down!" Rainbow raised her hand, before whispering to her friends. "Actually... I don't really like pie all that much, but I'm more down to hang out a bit longer. You girls can have my slice, if you want."

The rest of the girls giggled, before they followed Granny Smith inside, looking forward to having some sweets, especially following the ordeal and potential return of Gilda. Applejack and Sunset were about to go inside the house as well, before Sunset stopped outside the porch, and realized there was something else she needed to get off her chest, since the supposed robbery and break-in had kept her mind off of it for a while.

"Hmm?" Applejack looked back at Sunset for a moment. "You comin' inside, Sugarcube? There's plenty of pie for everybody."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to having some pie as well, it's just... there was actually something I've been meaning to ask you, since we left Sugarcube Corner." Sunset began. "You know that new girl that Mrs. Cake hired, Sugar Belle?"

"Oh yeah, she's a real sweetheart." Applejack nodded, recalling meeting her for the first time. "What about her?"

"Well, she said that while you were sitting at one of the tables, you actually mentioned that something about the way she spoke, it reminded you of me?" Sunset questioned.

"Ah, that's pretty true when it comes to Sugar Belle." Applejack nodded, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "Yeah, she's got this way of talkin' that's all sweet and proper, just like how you used to be, shortly before the Dazzlings came to CHS. She's got her own charm too, such as this way of stringin' words together, similar to how you did, before you started hangin' out with us more. Made me think of how much you've changed since we met, and how much we've all grown together as a group."

"It's nice to know that I left a positive impression on you, Applejack." Sunset took a deep breath, stepping closer to her. "Sugar Belle does have a certain... innocence to her, I suppose it's comforting to be reminded of who I used to be before I fully integrated myself into the group. But thanks to all of you, I've learned what true friendship is, and I'm so much happier for it. Speaking of growing and changing, there's something else I've been meaning to tell you all, and it's been weighing on me."

"We're all willin' to lend an ear for you, Sunset." Applejack assured. "Let's head on inside and discuss it over some apple pie?"

"Sounds wonderful, and let's just say, I hope you'll all be pretty understanding about it..." Sunset replied.