Sweet Apple Acres. The next afternoon after school.

The CMCs were carrying a storm of conflicting emotions withn their young minds.

Worry, fear, hope, anticipation, anger, nervousness, and more besides.

Pacing back and forth in a row near the front door with their hands held behind their backs, they tried to work through those feelings in silence as the Rainbooms, Granny Smith, and Big Mac watched them closely while standing near the stairs that led to the second floor. Spike and Winona were watching them too. The former had droopy ears and concern all over his furry face, while the latter appeared to be more curious than anything. Applejack, concerned for the kids, said to them gently;

"Now, sugarcubes, Ah'm sure the screenin' will go smoothly."

Sunset chimed in while giving the trio a warm smile;

"I don't think you've ever had a bad screening before, actually."

The kids stopped moving to stand directly in front of the door and looked over at Sunset. With worry painted on their faces, Apple Bloom spoke for the club;

"Can ya'll blame us for bein' so nervous though?"

Several polite knocks rang from behind door, instantly grabbing everyone's attention. Without pause, the CMCs moved out of the way of Granny Smith, who walked up to the door and looked through its small peeping hole to see who had arrived. With a warm smile forming on her face, she declared with a hearty chuckle that eased the kids' concerns a little;

"Ya'll got three friends waitin' for ya'!"

Hearing that generated big beaming smiles on the CMCs' faces. With clear anticipation and their negative feelings temporarily forgotten, they waited as Granny opened the door, allowing three Wondercolts to walk in one at a time. Once they were inside, they got pounced upon by the speeding trio of children, who were more than happy to give them hugs powered by relief and gratitude. Overjoyed, the CMCs exclaimed in unison;

"Tavi! P0N3! Twist! You made it!"

The Rainbooms, Big Mac, and Granny Smith watched with smiles of their own as Octavia Melody, DJ-P0N3, and Twist hugged the kids back. Octavia, true to form, was carrying her cello in her distinctly shaped black carrying bag on her back. P0N3 had brought with her a backpack that bore the same shades of blue and white as her outfit. As for Twist, she held in her right hand a grocery bag filled with what the CMCs had guessed was a bounty of sweets. Spike and Winona barked happily upon seeing this lovely display. Once the hug was broken up, the cello player spoke to her three young friends with dignity and grace, her grin filled with sweetness;

"Your invite was a tad impromptu, but you do not prepare for movie screenings in such a hurry without a good reason."

P0N3 bumped her chest with her right fist while giving the trio a supportive smirk. Twist, with a happy bounce, added;

"Plus, we get to help give the new students a fun Wondercolt welcome!"

Her lisp, a distinct aspect of her voice, was as prominent and adorable as ever. As infectious as their friends' excitement was, it didn't stop the CMCs' worries from rising back up to the surface. With renewed frowns that immediately made the three ladies before them concerned, they sighed audibly before Scootaloo noted;

"The situation with the newbies has gotten more... complicated."

Soon enough, the Rainbooms and Apples helped the club update their friends on recent events. Twist was shocked to say the least, with P0N3 lowering her large shades to reveal the surprise in her eyes. Octavia, by stark comparison, was mortified. Driven by painful memories, she exclaimed to the CMCs;

"Good heavens! Please, tell me those young ones haven't been cruel to you!"

"Thankfully, they've been mighty nice to us so far," Apple Bloom answered out of clear relief over that fact. Octavia was just as relieved as she let out a deep sigh before Rainbow added with a confident smirk;

"They've been good to us too, so we think there's hope for those squirts."

Octavia gazed at the combined confidence and goodwill shown by the Rainbooms and older Apples before looking back down at the CMCs. With a hopeful grin, she replied;

"On that, I agree."

The hope that was expressed by the kids' faces shined like the sun at that precise moment. Twist then took this chance to ask them;

"What's the plan, girls?"

The CMCs looked over at each other to have one of their silent conversations before nodding in agreement. They then looked back at the others as Scootaloo told Twist while giving her a warm grin;

"You said it yourself: we're gonna give them a fun Wondercolts welcome!"

No one objected to that idea, that was for sure! Soon after that, Granny went right back to watching the front porch via the door's peeping hole. Seconds later, she exclaimed;

"Eyes up, ya'll! There's a van pullin' up!"

Like rockets, the CMCs ran up to one of the windows next to the door, with the Rainbooms and their three guests following behind them. While Winona stayed close to Applejack, Spike tried find a spot where he could look through the window, if nothing else but to watch for danger. Twilight, having recognized this, quickly grabbed him by his sides and brought him up to the window so that he could see. Big Mac and Granny stood behind the group as they watched the van itself park off to the side of the road where the house stood. It was a brown vehicle with large windows on the visible side and front that were heavily tinted black to maintain its occupants' privacy. Two of those windows belonged to two larger doors that were closed together, with the passenger door and its own window to their right. The van was clearly large enough to reasonably hold a family within its confines. There was a certain aspect to the vehicle's appearance that had caught the girls' eyes, one that made Rarity gasp in shock and Spike whimper a little. Applejack was the first to make a comment;

"Ya'll seein' them little round dents on them two big doors?" she asked the others, concern dripping from her voice. Sure enough, there were indeed round dents scattered about below the doors' windows. The CMCs, in particular, were staring them down as their memories of the action flicks they had watched with family and friends rose to the surface. Scootaloo gave voice to what she and the others were thinking about with a serious tone;

"There are stories connected to that van and some of them may not be fun."

Everyone else either nodded or grimaced in agreement. Before more comments could be made, the two doors were opened, revealing a pack of Griffons as they stepped out of the van two at a time. Gabby and Gallus, followed by Yona and Ocellus, and then Silverstream and Smolder. As the kids gathered together to form a group, the sound of another door opening could be heard by the folks in the house. It came from the unseen driver's side of the van, as well as the loud slamming of a door. Within moments, a considerably old tan man came stomping around the hood of the van and towards the Griffons. The first thing that the people standing at the house's window noticed about this man was his distinctly grumpy scowl that was seemingly aimed at everyone and everything he saw. The second and third things they noticed were his red fez and the bald head it rested upon. Of course, his glass left eye and the scar that went under it were also hard to miss, drawing yet another gasp from Rarity. His garbs were simple enough: a violetish gray jacket, matching pants, a medium gray undershirt, light yellow gloves, and boots that were a darker shade of gray than the pants. Keeping his balance stable as he stomped was a dark violetish gray wooden cane that he held in his right hand. Granny Smith had to narrow her eyes to get a better look at the visitors and their grumpy chauffeur. Once she did, she quickly announced to the folks standing with her;

"Just a moment, ya'll! When old folks like him look that agitated, ya' don't wanna make 'em wait for too long."

Sure enough, she opened the door and walked out before anyone could respond to her words. Once the door closed behind her, the others watched from the window as Granny Smith walked over to the grumpy senior and gave him a friendly greeting;

"Howdy there, ya'll! Ah'm pleased to see ya' around these parts."

Even from their spot inside of the house, the teenagers and kids could still hear the eldest living Apple speak, even as she moved further away from the window. The ornery old man, who turned to face her, was just as loud. With an annoyed grunt, he responded to her greeting with frustration in every word he spoke;

"You must be the head of this house, judging by your age."

"Darn tootin', Ah am," Granny said with familial pride all over her being. As the two seniors spoke, the Griffons had walked over to stand at the old man's right side. They listened as he went from frustrated to jovial within a second, belting out a loud and raspy laugh that made his advanced age abundantly clear before declaring out of relief;

"Well, at least your home is watched over by someone with life experience!"

He suddenly started coughing and wheezing before he could speak further, prompting Gabby and Gallus to rush over to him and pat his back. Once he recovered, he reached out to Granny with his left hand and introduced himself;

"They call me Grandpa Gruff."

The old Apple, with a polite smile, shook his hand and responded;

"They call me Granny Smith."

While the two old folks talked some more, Gabby, after returning to her fellow Griffons alongside Gallus, had caught sight of the folks watching from the window. With sparkling eyes and a beaming smile, she greeted them with a joyful wave. They couldn't help but smile back at her, with the CMCs themselves waving in return. Grandpa Gruff loudly cleared his throat, prompting the Griffons to divert their attention to him without delay. With an annoyed grunt and a parental glare that could make little kids afraid for the lives, he ordered;

"You'll be in someone else's house, so be respectful of your hosts and don't cause any trouble. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Grandpa Gruff!" the Griffons exclaimed in unison. Somewhat satisfied, he looked back at Granny Smith and told her;

"I'll leave these hellions in your care then. I want them to call for me before it gets too dark out."

"That's fine by me," said Granny before motioning to the Griffons with her right hand and telling them with a warm smile;

"Get your keisters into the house, youngin's! Ya'll are gonna have fun today!"

With laughter and cheer, the gang of kids ran up to the front door, leaving the old Apple in the dust. They did make sure to leave plenty of room for her to open the door for them, though. Grandpa Gruff, with one last grunt, walked back over to the van while muttering something about an 'impatient generation'. Granny, however, found the kids' energetic behavior to be amusing and a fun reminder of her grand-kids. She walked up to the door and opened it up, allowing the Griffons to walk inside one at a time. They were greeted by the Rainbooms with handshakes, fist bumps, and smiles. Spike and WInona sniffed each Griffon for a bit before barking happily at them, which got the two plenty of head pats. The CMCs were visibly relieved and for good reason:

Gilda was not with her flock this time!

Once everyone settled down in the kitchen, with the Griffons and Rainbooms sitting around the table and the others standing near them, Gallus took a moment to point out the extra girls among them;

"I'm not complaining, but I didn't expect there to be so many extra people here!" he noted with a relaxed chuckle that his friends joined in on. Save for Gabby, who was barely containing her growing glee while glaring at the Rainbooms with a dopey smile on her face. With a chuckle of her own, Apple Bloom explained;

"Yeah, we kinda went a little ham with the invites."

Smolder responded with a smirk;

"Eh, it's no problem at all. Now, the screening will be even cooler."

She then tried to rest her legs on the kitchen table. Tried being the operative term, given that she almost instantly moved them back off of the table upon noticing Gallus' annoyed glare and cough. Sweetie Belle spoke up politely and with growing excitement in her voice;

"Yeah, but first, some introductions!"

Hearing this prompted Scootaloo to introduce her friends to the Griffons, starting with the Rainbooms;

"Now, you already know about Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset Shimmer."

She spoke with exuberance as she pointed out each band member while showing special attention, and added love, to Rainbow, Twilight, and Sunset. The seven girls smiled at all of the kids as she did this. Spike ran up to Scootaloo and gently bonked her leg with his furry head. She looked down at him to find that he was giving her one of his impatient glares. While taking the time to lean down and scratch his ears, she added with love in her smile;

"Oh, I'm not forgetting about Twilight's #1 pet, Spike."

"You better not!" the pup thought to himself while enjoying the scratching he was getting. Winona, sensing an opportunity to play, rushed over to the daredevil and started licking her leg, which made her giggle before noting;

"Same for you, Winona!"

Everyone else gushed over the adorable scene before them. Once Scootaloo straightened back up, she turned her attention over to the second trio in the room and went on;

"You may have seen these awesome girls during school. We have Octavia Melody..."

Octavia bowed her head slightly while letting out a dignified and sweet greeting;

"It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Scootaloo continued by pointing out the DJ next to the string player;

"DJ-P0N3..."

P0N3, in typical fashion, showed the Griffons a confident smirk and the devil horns with her right hand. Without skipping a beat, the movie buff introduced the budding candy-maker;

"And Twist!"

Twist waved at the kids happily, albeit with a little bit of nervousness that was not at all their fault. Silverstream noticed the grocery bag and asked Twist while pointing at it with her right index finger;

"What do you got in there?"

The little red head beamed at her and reached into the bag with her left hand while announcing;

"I made some candy for all of us to enjoy!"

She then pulled out from the bag a handful of sugary sweets, which included chocolate-peanut butter cups, small chocolate bars, and little gummy ponies. Yona hopped out of her seat and started bouncing in place with excitement all over her face;

"Yona loves candy!" she exclaimed with loud joy. Without hesitation, Twist shared her treasure trove of snacks with the others. As they munched on the candy, Smolder noted to her;

"It's pretty cool that you made this stuff."

She took a bite out of her chocolate bar and added with a smirk;

"This is some good chocolate!"

The creator of confections couldn't help but bashfully blush while responding with a nervous voice;

"Oh shucks..."

Once the CMCs finished snacking on their gummy ponies, they motioned to her, Octavia, and P0N3 while Apple Bloom told them excitedly;

"Come on, ya'll! We're gonna need some help with the final prep."

Twist quickly devoured what was left of her chocolate-peanut butter cup while the two musical love birds placed their chocolate bars in her bag for later. Once it was clear that they were ready, the movie club zoomed out of the kitchen like three rockets, with their three friends trying to keep pace with them. Ocellus looked at where the six girls used to be with a warm smile while noting sweetly;

"Those movie club kids are quite the energetic bunch."

"I know, right?!" exclaimed an exuberant Pinkie Pie as she bounced on her seat with a really wide smile filled with positivity. The others nodded in agreement, with the other Rainbooms, Big Mac, and Granny Smith smiling over the joyfulness that the CMCs frequently expressed. A few minutes of shooting the breeze later and the movie club rushed back into the kitchen. With anticipation shining from their grins, they declared in unison;

"We're ready to go!"

Soon enough, the band, gang, Spike, and Big Mac followed the trio out of the house through the back door, leaving Granny Smith to handle her business while Winona opted to curl up on the kitchen floor to rest a while. The Griffons stopped to stare in wide-eyed awe at the sheer vastness of the farmland before them. Multiple large sets of crops that were taller than most people, several barns of varying size and complexity, and numerous rows of apple trees that seemed to stretch on for miles. Everyone in the group could smell the powerful odors that could only come from a farm and its animals. The CMCs stood ahead of the others with their backs facing them. Apple Bloom, in particular, took a mighty whiff of the assorted aromas with closed eyes and sighed contently before saying aloud;

"Ah'll never get tired of that sweet Apple air."

The Rainbooms, all of whom stood to the Griffons' right side, took in the beautiful sight that was the farm while quietly reflecting on the memories that were made there. Same for Big Mac, who couldn't help but recall his parents with a small nostalgic grin. Spike looked upon the landscape in anticipation of all of the running and playing he was gonna do that day. Just then, sly smirks began to form on the CMCs' unseen faces. Within seconds, they turned to face the Griffons before Scootaloo playfully challenged them with pure confidence in her voice;

"Try to keep up, newbies!"

Right then and there, the trio ran off through the farmland, prompting the Griffons to run after them, with the others following behind. The eighth graders quickly found this chase to be quite fun as they laughed and ran right after their young hosts, who giggled with delight. They were keeping pace with the CMCs, but there was still a sizable gap between them. The others kept pace from behind the gang. They all ran through the farm and into the forest of apple trees at the edge. After a short run, the movie club stopped at the other side of the forest to allow the others to catch up. Once they did, Apple Bloom introduced the Griffons to their personal sanctuary;

"Welcome, new friends, to our clubhouse!"

She, along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, moved out of the way to let the Griffons take a good look at their clubhouse. Their initial reaction to seeing the large and well cared for building was a unified;

"Wooooaaaah!"

Right after that, Yona gave an honest and cheerful reaction as she and the others walked up to the lowered ramp;

"A treehouse! Yaks build best treehouses around. But, this one is cool too!"

"It looks tough enough to tank a thunderstorm," noted a smirking Smolder. Gabby, with stars in her eyes, straight up gushed;

"It looks amazing!"

The other Griffons smiled and nodded in approval. The CMCs, having taken notice of their guests' positive reactions, couldn't stop themselves from feeling bashful if they tried as they walked with the others. Scootaloo thought to herself out of joy and anticipation;

"This is gonna be so awesome!"

The large group of young folks and one furry buddy gathered around the clubhouse's front door as the three movie buffs walked up to it and opened it up. While everyone filed in, the Griffons looked around the room in renewed awe. The room was decorated with movie posters on the walls and a few choice standees standing near them on the floor. Of course, the club's logo was still proudly displayed on its usual spot on the right-side wall. A long table on the left side held a whole slew of snacks fit for watching movies, including a bowl of popcorn, a bottle of butter, assorted sodas, a bowl of fresh red delicious apples, and Twist's candy bag. Placed on the center of the floor in an organized fashion were enough seats for everyone present, with acceptable walking space provided on the left and right sides. This time, there was no projection screen or projector present. Instead, the CMCs had brought their flat-screen TV and DVD player to bare. The TV was hung on a spot above the table on the far end of the room. On that table rested, among other things, the DVD player and the locked safe. The club podium was not present in the building this time around. Twist was standing at the snack table while giving the new arrivals one of her warmer smiles. Octavia and P0N3, however, were standing together near one of the standees on the right while holding hands. Their cello bag and backpack were carefully placed to the far left end of the snack table, out of the way of the walking space. They, too, welcomed the Griffons with grins. After greeting them and Twist in kind, the flock walked around the place to take a closer a look at things and chat it up with the others. Gabby looked up to check out something that caught her eye: the paper ponies that were hung around the ceiling. She couldn't help but let out a wide smile as she exclaimed while spinning around with her arms stretched out to the sides;

"These ponies are so cute!"

Sunset chuckled while walking up to Gabby, who finished spinning in time to catch sight of her. As the mare looked up at the ponies, she explained to the young lady with softness in her voice while being very careful with her word choice;

"Yeah, they really make this clubhouse shine..."

While this was going on, Smolder was eying one of the standees with her arms crossed. This one depicted a muscular man clad in a black leather jacket, a matching undershirt, and a pair of black sunglasses. He was holding up a shotgun in his right hand while sitting on a motorcycle. The name of the movie the standee was advertising was displayed below the motorcycle, while the last name of the actor it was showing was prominently displayed above him. With nostalgia in her eyes, Smolder noted;

"My mom once caught this movie's debut when she was a kid. She saw standees like this one in the theater she went to."

Scootaloo, upon hearing this, walked up to her and passed on a fraction of her movie history knowledge with gusto;

"Yeah, this is an authentic standee that theaters used to advertise the film during its original run!"

That got a surprised look on Smolder's face as she turned her head to gaze at Scootaloo before asking;

"For real, kid?"

The daredevil looked back at her with a confident smirk and nodded, prompting the Griffon to declare with a smirk of her own;

"Cool."

Ocellus was talking with Sweetie Belle, Octavia, and P0N3 about their tastes in music, with the younger Belle sister saying;

"You mentioned playing the violin when we first met, Ocellus. I bet you can play really well!"

The young Griffon blushed a little before responding softly while scratching the back of her head with her right hand;

"Well... I have been practicing regularly."

Octavia's eyes light up when she told Ocellus out of dignified excitement;

"How wonderful! I, too, play string instruments quite frequently."

The previously nervous young lady, inspired by this admittance, asked Octavia with renewed confidence and a wide smile;

"That is lovely! Which ones do you play?"

With pride being allowed to reveal itself on her face, the classy Melody explained to the interested girl;

"My main instrument of choice shall always be the cello. It is, after all, my very first instrument, not to mention my signature. However, I also play the violin, viola, and double bass. Although I am considering branching out to other string instruments."

Ocellus sighed out of admiration for such instruments before noting;

"Such a wide variety of sounds..."

Sweetie Belle giggled knowingly before adding;

"Throw DJ-P0N3's wubs into the mix and the variety shoots through the roof!"

The DJ performed record scratching motions with both hands, much to the giggly delight of Sweetie and Ocellus. Octavia let out a reserved chuckle while giving P0N3 an adoring glare. Spike, ever the watchdog, kept his eyes, ears, and nose on the people inside from his vantage point in a corner of the room, with extra attention given to the Griffons. He was almost certain that they were not a threat, but he saw no harm in being a little extra cautious. Meanwhile, Silverstream was talking with Apple Bloom near at the desk that held the safe. The subject being the club's history, which the history buff was quick to ask about;

"So, how did you girls get this clubhouse?"

The young Apple, with nostalgia all over her face and grin, explained;

"This 'ere clubhouse was built by my big sister when she was a youngin'. She passed it on to me and my friends after we founded the club."

She let out a hearty chuckle as the memory of when the trio first saw the building played out in her head. She then added;

"Of course, by then, this place needed plenty of TLC."

She looked around at the well-kept room that was but a part of the fruits of her club's past labors and finished with pride;

"As ya' can see, we fixed it up good and proper."

Silverstream smiled as well before noting to her new friend;

"I get it. My fellow Griffons and I had to really spruce up our hideout too when Gilda showed it to us. Now, it's like our second home."

Hearing the gang's name be mentioned did cause Apple Bloom to feel tense around Silverstream, to say nothing of her bully being name-dropped by the budding historian. Thankfully, that tension was quickly overshadowed by her delight at making a new friend so easily. So quickly, in fact, that her hands only twitched slightly that time. The two girls looked at each other with friendliness in their eyes. Satisfied, Apple Bloom turned to face the rest of the clubhouse and looked around. She quickly saw Yona gazing at the club logo as the Yak thought with a smile;

"Movie Club logo looks almost as cool as Griffon logo..."

Sensing no danger from her, or the other Griffons for that matter, the club leader happily called out to the folks present;

"Take your seats, ya'll! We're gonna start the film in a bit!"

Soon enough, most of them found their chairs and sat down on them. The Griffons sat in the middle row, with the Rainbooms and Big Mac behind them. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Octavia, and P0N3 walked over to stand with Apple Bloom as she got right to business;

"A huge thank ya' to ya'll for comin' today," she began with a bright smile that could light up a dark cave. Sweetie Belle, with her eyes locked on the new students, added happily;

"Firstly, we'd like to welcome the new Wondercolts to their very first Canterlot Movie Club screening!"

The trio, along with the others, gave the Griffons a most welcoming applause, to which they responded with grateful smiles, confident smirks, cheerful waves from Silverstream, and an adorably embarrassed blush from Ocellus. Once the clapping died down, Scootaloo chimed in with exuberance in every word she spoke;

"It took us a long time to decide on which movie to show for you all, so you know the one we picked is cool!"

She then gave Rainbow Dash a wink before adding;

"We're talking at least twenty-percent cooler than the average film!"

That got a short knowing laugh from Rainbow and the rest of the older Wondercolts as Apple Bloom stepped back into the conversation;

"Secondly, since we've got a whole bushel of new folks, it would be smart of us to check somethin'..."

She paused to choose her next words with care before asking the audience with a more serious expression;

"Do any of ya' new folks have some kind of disability that might affect your movie viewin' experience?"

Without skipping a beat, she clarified;

"Ya' don't have to answer that question if ya' don't want to. We're just doin' our due diligence, is all."

The Griffons stayed seated, save for one. Ocellus, with a fearful gulp, slowly stood up. The girls standing before her were clearly surprised. But, before they could react, she began to explain herself with a soft yet clear voice;

"To be clear: I can watch a movie without any trouble."

She gently adjusted her heavily tinted glasses with her right hand as she noted;

"You can thank these for that."

Sunset, her chin held in thought, politely asked her;

"So, your vision is only somewhat impaired?"

Ocellus looked over at Sunset and shook her head. Her fear weakened by the clear lack of judgement from the people around her, she answered with a somewhat more confident tone of voice;

"It's not my vision that can be hampered. My mind is considerably sensitive to bright lights and vivid colors, you see. They can give me terrible headaches at best, migraines at worst. So, I wear medically prescribed glasses with lenses designed to make such imagery tolerable for me to witness."

It didn't take long for the CMCs and the friends who stood with them to smile over this reveal. Scootaloo verbalized her positive reaction;

"Your specs protect your brain and make you look cool in the process? That's awesome!"

Ocellus smiled back at her while feeling intense relief over how accepting her new friends were being. Her fellow Griffons showed her their support with fist bumps, supportive smirks, a strong pat on the back from Yona that made her lean forward a little, and a beaming smile from Gabby. With the matter settled, Apple Bloom got everyone else's attention;

"Listen up, ya'll! This 'ere film is an old classic and Sweetie Belle's personal favorite!" she declared with confidence before Sweetie Belle literally hopped in to announce the film's name with barely contained glee and arms stretched out from her sides;

"The Princess Bride!"

The audience's reactions were a tad mixed. Most of the attendees, the Rainbooms included, applauded with certainty in their smiles. The Griffons, however, showed some uncertainty on their faces as they clapped. A clear sign that they had never seen this film before. Smolder, with a raised right eyebrow, told the trio;

"That movie sounds girly to me."

Scootaloo was quick to defend the film, if nothing else but to prevent an increasingly incensed Sweetie Belle from yelling at the orange Griffon;

"Don't go knocking a motion picture you've never seen before!" she exclaimed with an excited grin and a wag of her right index finger before elaborating;

"The Princess Bride has romance, yes, but it also has adventure!"

Sweetie Belle jumped in to add with a bright smile and excitement in her eyes, her earlier anger quickly cast aside;

"Heroics!"

Apple Bloom chimed in while performing several quick pretend sword swipes with her right hand;

"Sword fightin'!"

Some of the audience members chuckled at the sight of their hosts being so thrilled as Yona gave Smolder a pat on the back hard enough to make her upper-body lean forward. Upon getting her attention, she gave her some encouragement;

"Come on, friend Smolder, give the movie a chance! Yona thinks it'll be fun to watch!"

After giving Yona an annoyed glare and pondering her words, Smolder looked back at the CMCs and declared with a sigh;

"Fine, but it better not disappoint."

"YAY!" was the trio's response as they high-fived each other. As much as Apple Bloom wanted to get the show on the road, she knew that they still had to deal with the itinerary first. So, with after everyone calmed down, she warned the audience;

"A quick disclaimer for ya'll: this film depicts physical violence and on-screen death."

"Now, we're talking..." Smolder thought with a smirk as Scootaloo hastily jumped in to clarify further;

"Nothing horribly graphic, though! So, don't expect to see someone lose an arm or a leg."

The Griffons nodded their heads in understanding, which prompted Sweetie Belle to suggest to Apple Bloom;

"Before we begin, could you please lower the curtains over the windows?"

With a quick salute, the young Apple went to each window and lowered its curtain, causing the lighting in the clubhouse to dim a bit. Ocellus smiled slightly while breathing a sigh laced with ease as she watched Scootaloo set up the DVD player. She also noticed Sweetie Belle give her a knowing wink and a beaming smile that warmed her heart. Once the player was set up, Scootaloo opened the safe, pulled the movie's DVD case out from it, and closed it tight before returning to the player. With gusto, she opened case, grabbed the disc, and placed it into the player before grabbing the nearby TV and DVD remotes. After giving the audience an excited smile, she went with her two friends to sit at the front row, with Octavia, Twist, and P0N3 following suit. Once seated, the daredevil turned on the TV and player. After navigating the movie's DVD menu, she pressed play to start it up. The whole group sat back and relaxed as the movie began, with Sweetie Belle barely containing the urge to squeal in delight as a giant smile fueled by excitement formed on her face.

During the beginning of the film

The audience watched the sick young boy's grandfather as he prepared to read the book that was aptly titled 'The Princess Bride'. This got the attention of Gallus, who asked out of curiosity;

"Is this movie actually based on a book?"

"You bet it is!" exclaimed a happy Sweetie Belle before she prompted shushed him before returning her gaze to the film. Just in time too, for the grandfather had started telling the tale. Within minutes, the romantic aspect of the film became abundantly apparent, much to Smolder's annoyance. She could barely contain her groaning as she commented with a facepalm;

"Ugh, mushy romance... not my thing."

"Easy there, Smoldy. It's not that mushy," noted Silverstream. This was, thankfully, enough to silence the agitated Griffon. Once it was revealed that Buttercup's beloved Westley was killed, however, Smolder appeared to be considerably less annoyed when she saw Buttercup go through terrible grief. It was this grief that she had put into words with utter sadness in her voice and on her face;

"I will never love again."

The mohawk-rocking girl couldn't help but become more engrossed while reluctantly admitting to herself;

"Man, that's rough for her."

Unbeknownst to every Griffon, however, the CMCs were keeping one ear on the film and the other on them, while the Rainbooms, Octavia, and her lady love did the same from their vantage points.

Right after Buttercup is kidnapped

Vizzini, the leader of the kidnapping trio, was insulting his two hired cohorts, the giant Fezzik and the Spaniard Inigo Montoya. Gabby had no love for the leader's abhorrent behavior;

"That guy's a big bully!" she declared with crossed arms and a serious nod, having already added the character to her mental list of mean villains in stories. The CMCs smiled in quiet unison as Yona noted in agreement;

"Yona thinks Fezzik can pick Vizzini up with one hand."

That got chuckles from some of the other attendees before they all turned silent once more. At least until Inigo and Fezzik started making funny rhymes, which got everyone to laugh again.

Just before the Sword Fight

"This Inigo is quite respectable," noted Ocellus as she and the others watched him and the Dread Pirate Roberts get ready to fight. The rest of the audience nodded in agreement, with Sweetie Belle shushing them before announcing happily;

"The Sword Fight is about to start!"

Soon enough, the battle began in earnest. The two swordsman clashed with a level of skill, balance, and grace that no Griffon present had seen before. Smolder was especially enamored by this display;

"Those two can scrap!" she thought to herself. Her fellow Griffons were about as impressed. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, like the others, were enjoying the scene with wide eyes and bright smiles. Sweetie Belle was behaving in mostly the same fashion, except for the fact that she was silently mouthing each line of dialogue that was said between the two fighters with near-perfect synchronization.

Soon after the Fire Swamp scene.

Buttercup and the Dread Pirate Roberts had just been caught by the Prince and his men. Roberts' witty banter in the face of death was quite enjoyable to Smolder, who commented;

"That guy wouldn't be fazed by the largest army around."

That produced short chuckles from some of the audience members. The CMCs, however, were utterly engrossed in the film. The group watched as Buttercup made a deal with the Prince to spare Roberts' life. Once she was taken away, the pirate and the Count, a certain man with six fingers on his left hand, exchanged words before the latter knocked the former out cold. The film had cut to black right then and there, which prompted Scootaloo to pause the film with the remote while Apple Bloom called out;

"Intermission time!"

That made the new kids confused, to say the least. Looking at the CMCs, Gallus verbally expressed that confusion;

"Wait, what?"

With a polite giggle, Sweetie Belle explained to them;

"During our screenings, we like to give people a break in the middle of a film, especially when watching the really long ones."

Apple Bloom chimed in with an encouraging tone of voice, her cheerful smile adding to the effect;

"So, ya'll can take this moment to stretch, grab a snack, use the bathroom, or do other stuff before we continue watchin' the movie."

That, it turned out, was the cue Gabby needed to make a dash through the clubhouse door and all the way back to the Apples' house, which produced grins and laughter filled with understanding from the others. Scootaloo, with a head shake, added;

"See what we mean?"

She then turned her head to gaze at Big Mac before telling him;

"We're gonna need a speaker right about now."

"Eeyup," was his simplistic answer before he walked out the door as well. Ocellus, upon hearing this quick exchange, asked Scootaloo;

"What do you need a speaker for?"

"You'll see," the daredevil said in response before giving her a wink that was as cryptic as her words. Octavia Melody and DJ-P0N3 allowed knowing smirks to form on their faces as they grabbed their cello bag and backpack respectively.

Back in the Apple Family's house.

Gabby had just exited the bathroom while feeling quite relieved. She walked through the kitchen to catch Granny Smith when she was in the midst of cooking up food while Winona continued to sleep soundly on the floor. One good whiff was all it took for the young Griffon to recognize the unique scent that could only come from a home-cooked meal, which was enough to make her mouth water a little. With a big smile, she exclaimed in anticipation of the feast to come;

"That smells delicious, ma'am!"

Granny let out a hearty laugh before replying out of gratitude while expertly chopping apples;

"Much obliged, missy!"

Gabby's head tilted slightly to the right before she asked;

"What are you making?"

Granny's smile grew wide as she explained enthusiastically, her apple chopping increasing in vigor;

"Ah'm rustlin' up some cheeseburgers, veggie burgers for our vegetarian guests, apple crisps, apple salad, and some apple-pear pie for desert!"

Now, the young lady's mouth was really watering! She recovered in time to hear the family matriarch add;

"Now, this 'ere food ain't ready yet, so get your keister over to the clubhouse before ya' miss out on the fun!"

With a quick salute, Gabby ran back outside to rejoin her friends, but not before showing the old Apple some gratitude of her own;

"Thank you for the meal!"

Granny happily thought to herself as she continued her work;

"That one seems like a dern sweetheart to me."

Back in the clubhouse.

By the time Gabby had returned to the clubhouse's ramp, she could hear the soft tones of string music echoing from the windows. Frightened that she was missing out on the rest of the film, she rushed inside, only to witness a sight she did not expect to say the least. Standing to her left near the snack table was Octavia Melody. She was playing her cello with the skill and confidence of an experienced musician. Her eyes were closed and a calm smile rested on her face, a tell-tale sign that her music had taken hold of her mind. Gabby quickly came to enjoy the cellist's performance. She also noticed DJ-P0N3 was sitting next to Octavia, her turntable fully prepped and connected to the tall black speaker to her left. Yet, the DJ was simply sitting quietly, her hands resting at her sides instead of scratching records. The young Griffon looked around and saw that the Rainbooms, Spike, Twist, Big Mac, and her fellow gang members were standing around at different spots around the room, their heads bobbing to the rhythm of Octavia's strings. What really caught her eye, however, was what the CMCs were doing. They were dancing just behind the audience seats, their eyes shut and their smiles bright and content. The kids' movements matched up with the cello playing to the point that it was as if their movements were being guided by the music itself. They were no expert dancers, to be sure. Regardless, they stepped, twirled, and spun with confidence and quiet elation. They always kept close together, but never bumped into each other or tripped over themselves. There was something to their dance that Gabby, as young as she was, could tell;

"They look so... free," was her positive thought. Yeah, that was a good way to describe their dance: free. Free from worry, doubt, fear, the whole nine yards. Quiet as a mouse and careful to avoid the dancing trio, Gabby slowly walked over to stand with Sunset, who stood in front of the club logo. While enjoying the performance from her new vantage point, she softly asked the mare;

"Do the CMCs do this often?"

Sunset smirked before answering with a politely lowered tone of voice while gazing at her three young friends;

"Usually whenever either Octavia, P0N3, or both play within earshot of them."

"Both?" Gabby thought out of pure confusion. Sunset looked down at the young lady and added some slyness to her smirk before noting;

"Here's a hint: when it feels right, let the music move you."

Even more confused, Gabby returned her attention to the CMCs. About two seconds later, the unmistakable sounds that were tied to dubstep were played from the speaker, courtesy of DJ-P0N3, who was now putting the turntable to work. The Griffons' ears perked with recognition as they all looked over at the DJ, fascinated by this new addition to the performance. The dubstep was soft at first before slowly rising in volume to join Octavia's cello playing. It didn't overtake her music, as Ocellus and a few others had anticipated. Instead, the technological sounds served to augment the classical strings, allowing the two remarkably different styles of music to blend together. The resulting auditory harmony was a new and amazing treat to the Griffons' ears as well as their minds. It was at that moment that they started bopping their heads to the beat without making the conscious decision to do so. Soon enough, smiles began to form on their faces. It was Smolder who was the first to fully surrender to the music, followed by Gallus and Sliverstream. Yona and Ocellus joined them soon after. Gabby, seeing friends new and old having a good time, took a deep breath and embraced the beat entirely. Now, every Griffon and movie buff was dancing together, much to the joy of the Rainbooms and Big Mac, who were watching them closely with happiness covering their faces. Spike's reaction was quite similar, only he was also bopping his head to the beat as he smiled. The music being played had lent itself well to smooth energetic dancing, so none of the kids felt any need to really go wild. Between the two groups, the Griffons were less experienced than their movie club counterparts, but they were no less enthusiastic. Some of them stepped, spun, and twirled, while Smolder straight up break-danced. Yona was clearly more interested in stomping happily, almost shaking the floor beneath her feet with her dancing. Thankfully, no accidents occurred during this performance. The older folks and the purple dog watched as the dancing continued until Octavia and DJ-P0N3 finished their performance, allowing the song to fade into silence. The kids slowed their dancing down to a stop as the music ended, allowing themselves to gaze at each other while standing in two parallel rows with only an inch or two of space between them. The CMCs beamed joyful smiles at the Griffons, who responded in kind. The others gave the kids a round of applause, with Pinkie Pie whistling at them with tons of enthusiasm. Sunset, in particular, showed satisfaction in her smile. Apple Bloom, with sparkling eyes aimed at each Griffon, declared;

"Music... It brings out the best in people."

She got no arguments from anyone else in the room over that lovely claim. The group of young folks congregated at and near the turntable. Octavia was putting her cello and bow away in her black bag while the others talked, with P0N3 leaning in front of the table. Smolder commented to the cellist and her beloved DJ with a smirk;

"I didn't know dubstep and music older than my grandma could work so well together, but they do!"

Ocellus nodded excitedly in agreement before adding, her eyes sparkling from behind her sunglasses;

"The song was such a beautiful piece that filled my body with energy!"

She showed Octavia and P0N3 a smile filled with gratitude before telling them;

"You two performed brilliantly. Thank you."

The cellist had just zipped up her bag when she heard the two friends' words. Once she turned around to face Ocellus and Smolder, she gave them a warm smile that was appreciative and dignified. Her lady love, with a confident smirk, showed them the devil horns with her right hand, to which Smolder responded in kind. Gabby looked at the pair with starry eyes and an ear-to-ear grin while exclaiming;

"CHS keeps getting more awesome by the day!"

The other Griffons seemed quite pleased with the performance as well, with Yona mentally comparing Octavia and DJ-P0N3's music to what Yak musicians could produce. As much as the other Wondercolts enjoyed this display of appreciation for their school and good music, they all knew that they had to get things moving again. So, Apple Bloom got the others' attention with a quick cough before declaring with a smile;

"Okay, ya'll, let's get back to our seats and finish the movie!"

With that, she lead the group to the audience seats while Spike continued to do his duty. Once everyone was ready, the movie, which had remained paused up until now, was made to resume right where it left off.

After the movie had finished

With the feature presentation dealt with, the group had gathered around behind the seats to discuss what they had just witnessed. Smolder was bragging about the coolness that was a certain sword-wielding Spaniard;

"Inigo Montoya kicked all kinds of butt in that movie!" exclaimed with a laugh before adding;

"Yeah, he lost the first fight. But he fought the Dread Pirate Roberts with everything he had, so it was a loss he could take."

Gallus, who was enjoying one of the few remaining chocolate bars that survived the screening, noted with a nod;

"Yeah, but he went right after the Count later on. The guy was driven to avenge his father, after all."

Sweetie Belle couldn't hold it in any longer, she had to gush;

"Inigo is such a gentleman too!" she began with a happy squeak that got everyone's attention. Giggling excitedly, she went on;

"He helped the Dread Pirate Roberts up with the rope, even though he knew he was out to kill him. He even waited until he was ready before fighting him! Not to mention him being such a good friend to Fezzik."

Rarity, without missing a beat, started to gush over the other handsome gentlemen from the film, dramatic flare and all;

"Westley is so sweet and loyal to his dear Buttercup. He would no doubt fight the most terrifying monster imaginable just to protect her like a knight in shining armor!"

The two Belles sighed like ladies swooning over their crushes, which made Apple Bloom, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo snicker audibly. This prompted the pair to give them two fierce narrow glares that shut them up within moments. The others thoroughly enjoyed watching this humorous moment between the girls, with Sunset commenting with a head shake and a sideways smirk;

"Yeah, the movie is full of memorable characters, not to mention quotable lines."

As if they were waiting for their cue, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran up to stand before each other quick as a flash before taking up sword-fighting stances. Their best fencing stances to be precise. With well acted expressions that exuded politeness and anticipation, they began to reenact a scene ripped right out of 'The Princess Bride'. Scootaloo, playing as Inigo, declared with her best take on a Spaniard's accent;

"You seem a good fellow. I hate to kill you."

Apple Bloom responded with her own take on the Dread Pirate Roberts;

"You seem a good fellow yourself. I hate to die."

The others backed off to make room for the pair of movie buffs as they began dueling each other with pretend sword thrusts, cuts, and swipes, all of which were performed with their left hands. Their captive audience chuckled and giggled in delight as they watched the two fight it out while never truly hitting each other. With strong balance and smooth movements, Apple Bloom forced Scootaloo to the clubhouse door, prompting Sunset to rush over to it and open it up, allowing them to continue their fight outside. They stopped at about halfway down the ramp when Scootaloo made a daring and dramatic backwards jump onto the grass behind her. Not willing to be outdone, Apple Bloom made an equally daring leap onto a spot to the left of her friend before returning to her fighting stance. When Scootaloo got into her stance, they continued their play-fight while moving throughout the clearing. Sunset led the others outside to watch the spectacle unfold as Scootaloo noted to her worthy opponent with a knowing smile;

"I admit that you are better than I am."

Sensing what was coming and loving it, Apple Bloom asked her;

"Then why are you smiling?"

"Because I know something you don't know," Scootaloo answered, her smile turning into a smirk. Apple Bloom asked in response;

"And what is that?"

The daredevil's response was simple and to the point;

"I am not left-handed."

She immediately switched her sword-swinging hand in the middle of defending against Apple Bloom's attack and went right on the offensive, thus putting her opponent on the back-foot. As the fight progressed, the young Apple told Scootaloo with a smirk of her own;

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm not left-handed either!"

She pulled off the same hand switching trick that Scootaloo had just utilized and started to push her back in retaliation. When it came to pretend play-fighting, these two movie buffs were well-practiced experts in their playful craft. The crowd standing at the clubhouse cheered them on in delight and excitement. The battle soon became as even as it could get, the two friends holding each other off in a stand-off clash of imaginary blades. The sparkles in their eyes and the brightness of their smiles revealed the immense amount of fun they were having together. Sadly, real life would bring this epic battle to a premature close as the ringing of the Apple Family dinner bell echoed all the way to the clubhouse, hitting everyone's ears without relent. Granny Smith's voice rang out just as loudly as she announced with positive anticipation;

"SOOOOUPS ON, EVERYBODY!"

The annoyance shared by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo over being prevented from finishing their duel was quickly overwritten by the thought of devouring the delectable food that only an Apple could make. After bowing to each other like respectful combatants, they ran with the others back to the house.

Later, at Sweet Apple Acres' kitchen

The Wondercolts and Griffons were practically salivating at the home-cooked spread that graced the kitchen table they all sat around. The CMCs made sure to sit next to their sisters while the Wondercolts in general sat together on the left side while the Griffons sat on the right, with Granny Smith sitting between them. Spike sat near Twilight's right leg, hoping to sneak some falling table scraps, while Winona sat next to Apple Bloom's left leg with the simple goal of relaxing with family. Granny, with help from Big Mac, had to bring out the larger table just to make sure there was enough room for everyone and their plates! Smolder was about to grab her cheeseburger when she got interrupted verbally by Applejack, who warned her with a calm voice;

"In this 'ere house, we wait until its head is ready to eat if possible."

She pointed at Granny Smith with her right hand, which encouraged the Griffons to look over at her. Sure enough, she was slowly getting her plate ready at the counter. Keyword: slowly. Smolder politely restrained her annoyed groan before responding with crossed arms;

"Yeah, we get it. Grandpa Gruff takes his sweet time to move around too."

Gallus then gave the old Apple some encouragement;

"Take your time, ma'am. The food won't get cold in a hurry."

The other Griffons smiled encouragingly at her as Granny finished setting up her plate, grabbed it, and turned around to face the others. Seeing the smiling Griffons and thinking well of the well-meaning remarks from the two of them, she responded with a raspy chuckle;

"Glad to see that Grandpa of yours is raisin' ya'll to be considerate youngin's. Now hold your horses, Ah'll be with ya'll in a jiffy."

As the family matriarch made her way to the table, Apple Bloom complimented her new friends with a beaming grin;

"Thank ya'll for bein' so patient with Granny!"

The smiles from the other Wondercolts were just as bright. Yona took this moment to comment with pride;

"It's like friend Smolder said: we get it. Besides, Yona was raised to respect our elders, unless they're being disrespectful."

That comment got a hearty Apple laugh from Granny Smith as she finally reached her seat and placed her plate on the only free space left on the table. Once she sat down and recovered, she declared with a smirk;

"The big girl gets it, Ah reckon! Now, Ah ain't gonna make ya'll wait any longer. Let's eat!"

With that, everyone dug into their food without hesitation, with Sunset and Fluttershy obviously partaking in their vegetarian meals. The food was delicious, to say the least. This was expected by the veteran Wondercolts and Apples, but the Griffons were not entirely prepared for the unique tastiness of Apple Family cuisine. Gabby, in particular, was making adorable noises while stuffing her face with her burger, her eyes watering a little over how good it tasted. Yona was having a good laugh while enjoying her meal with reckless abandon;

"Yak food will always have a special place in Yona's heart, but your Apple food is wonderful!" she declared with proud appreciation. The other Griffons were enjoying their food about as much as those two did, and it wasn't even time for desert yet! Applejack, feeling especially proud of the effect her family's famous cooking was having on the newbies, took a moment away from chomping on her burger to brag a little;

"Darn tootin', it is! Don't go overdoin' it though, our food will fill your bellies up somethin' fierce!"

"Eeyup!" noted Big Mac before he took a large bite out of his apple crisp. Silverstream, after enjoying some of her salad, decided to mention something to Applejack;

"I don't mean to pry too hard, but I noticed that you and Apple Bloom share similar names."

Gabby had recovered from her food-induced just in time to hear her friend's words, which got her mind to put two and two together. What she got made her want to squeal in delight, but she held herself back so that she could catch how the two Apples would respond. They looked at each other with smiles filled with the kind of love that Gabby had seen before, but not from them. They looked back at Silverstream as their smiles turned into proud smirks. Apple Bloom was the one who answered with absolute familial pride;

"Applejack is my big sister!"

Gabby could barely contain her growing glee, but what came next would make the effort ten-times harder for her to pull off. Sweetie Belle gave the older Belle a swift big hug that was quickly reciprocated before announcing without a hint of regret;

"Rarity's my big sister too!"

The young Griffon did not see that coming, nor did she expect the next revelation that came up soon after. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo simply could not help themselves. With proud fist bumps, the latter added with pride;

"Rainbow Dash and I are sisters-at-heart, which is totally the same as being sisters!"

It was all Gabby could do to keep herself from exploding with unrelenting joy and shock mixed into a blend of pure positivity. With what little self-control she had left in her now vibrating body, she stood up and requested as politely as she could in a strangely monotone voice;

"Could you excuse me for a moment, please?"

Confused, but not bothered, Granny Smith nodded her head to grant Gabby her request. The young Griffon turned towards the door that led outside and briskly walked through it. A few quiet seconds passed after the door was closed and everyone else suddenly heard the loud voice of an exceedingly overjoyed girl;

"THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY AWESOOOOOOOOME!"

The sound of startled birds chirping and flapping wildly could be heard by the happy folks present in the house. Granny Smith, with a shrug and a good chuckle, sweetly remarked;

"Well, she ain't wrong."

Gabby, after returning to her seat at the table, looked at the others with a sheepish grin. Quick to catch even a hint of guilt, Sunset soothed the young lady's concerns;

"You've done nothing wrong and we're flattered that you think so well of us," she told her with gentleness in her eyes and smile. Relieved, Gabby nodded at her happily as Rainbow Dash exclaimed;

"You've got a ton of energy in your body, kid! I like that!"

Gallus, with a knowing smirk, added;

"You have no idea."

The CMCs looked at Gabby with appreciation and natural friendliness all over their faces, their hearts warmed by her genuine happiness over their familial bonds. Even so, the specter of Gilda haunted the trio's minds like an uninvited guest, so they could not fully embrace their positivity like usual. Twilight, in the spirit of preventing an awkward silence from forming, took the chance to ask Gabby;

"I've been meaning to ask, what was the first song from our discography that you listened to? You did say that you've only listened to a few songs, after all."

The big Rainbooms fan looked back at Twilight with joy sparkling in her eyes, a bright and beautiful smile forming on her face. Without hesitation, she answered;

"Shine like Rainbows!"

Hearing that admission raised the whole band's mood up to a considerable level. Rainbow Dash gave Gabby an enthusiastic thumbs up and a prideful teeth-baring smirk. Fluttershy quietly giggled while showing appreciation on her blushing face. Rarity tittered politely over the kid's choice of song. Applejack gratefully tipped her hat to her. Twilight had to hold Pinkie Pie back from spontaneously throwing a 'Thank You for Listening to Our Song Party', so the party planner settled for dishing out one of her bigger smiles. Sci-Twi herself showed just as much appreciation in her own grin. As for Sunset, she showed Gabby her signature sideways smirk and a thankful nod for good measure. It was she who responded verbally;

"I'm glad that it was that song that got you interested in our band, Gabby. It's a personal one for us, you see," she explained. Rarity chimed in with grace;

"It also helps that it was one of our first hits."

Pinkie Pie, being her excitable jolly self, jumped into the conversation with all of the subtlety of a jackhammer set to the highest possible setting;

"It went super viral! I'm talking millions and millions of views on HoofTube alone! That means it made millions and millions of people really happy!"

She was clearly overjoyed at the thought of having made so many people smile with a single song. So much so, in fact, that she bounced off of her seat repeatedly like a kid in a bounce house, her grin filled with cheer. Twilight, once again, had to calm her down. Octavia and P0N3, like the band, were pleased with Gabby's song choice, although their reactions were far more subdued: a thumbs up from the silent DJ and a polite smile and nod from the cellist. Twist's bright smile, which she aimed squarely at Gabby, could light up a dark cave. Spike grinned while thinking back to the time when he first heard the song. Rainbow Dash took this moment to brag, but not about herself this time;

"You can thank Fluttershy for the awesome lyrics! She wrote them herself!"

Gabby's sparkling eyes were aimed directly at Fluttershy herself, her smile becoming wider by the second. The poor shy animal lover felt her face become as red as a tomato. She tried to hide her face, not to mention her embarrassment, with her hands while expressing a frightened 'eep' sound. Thankfully, some gentle comfort from her cyan hype-girl settled her down real quick. Big Mac's take on the matter was simple;

"Eeyup."

Granny simply sat back and enjoyed watching the young folks have a good time together. As for the CMCs, they were about ready to explode with unrelenting joy. It was now their turn to gush over the pure awesomeness that was their favorite band ever. Apple Bloom was the first to explode;

"The Sonic Rainbooms are so dern cool and talented! They can make a song about anythin' and it would rock!" she exclaimed with joy radiating from her being like a nuclear power plant. Sweetie Belle was no different;

"They've done positive songs, fun songs, inspiring songs, and even some heavy songs!" she remarked with happy squeaks. Scootaloo finished for her friends with absolute gusto mixed with healthy fandom;

"Yeah, and they're all awesome!"

As the four biggest Rainbooms fans in the room gushed and ranted with joyful abandon, Gallus whispered to himself, not so much out of annoyance, but out of simple resignation while holding the right side of his head with his right hand;

"Oh great, there's four of them now..."

As fun as it was for Granny Smith to watch the kids have so much fun connecting with each other, she would not stand to let their food get too cold. With a carefully restrained voice powered by firm authority, she called out;

"Settle down, ya' whippersnappers! We still got some eatin' to do!"

The kids did exactly that within seconds, not wanting to upset the lady of the house. With that, the group went back to eating their food, which was, to their relief, still quite warm. Sadly for Spike, there would be no table scraps to munch on this time. As much as the Wondercolts and Apples wanted to, not a single one of them could stand to bring up Gilda as a conversation topic within earshot of her flock.

Later that evening.

It wasn't dark outside yet, but the sunset was drawing near. So, after they finished eating and had more fun with their new friends, the Griffons got ready to be picked up, with Gabby calling Grandpa Gruff via her smartphone. As they waited for for the ride alongside the others, Scootaloo walked over to the new kids and told them confidently;

"We should hang out again sometime."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded their heads in agreement, their smiles revealing their excitement over such a notion. The other Wondercolts were not that far off in terms of reactions. Not even the specter of Gilda could dampen their spirits this time around. The Griffons smiled back, glad to have made such a good impression on their friends. Minutes later, the honking of a car horn echoed from the street beyond the front door, signalling the gang members to walk through the door one by one. Gabby was the last to leave, but not before she waved goodbye at Granny Smith and the Wondercolts, who all waved back at her with smiles full of goodwill. They then stood in silence as the Griffons got into Grandpa Gruff's battered van and he drove it away. Once they could not hear its engine anymore, the group collectively audibly sighed as if they had just let go of a terribly heavy weight. It was Apple Bloom who started to verbally express their shared dilemma;

"Those Griffons are mighty nice folks," she declared with a hopeful smile that was shared by her two best friends. Big Mac seconded that notion with a sure;

"Eeyup."

The CMCs smiles turned into frowns as Sweetie Belle noted out of disappointment;

"But, they're friends with Gilda."

Big Mac's response was simple and riddled with concern;

"Eeyup."

Scootaloo's smile returned, although it wasn't quite as strong as it was a moment ago, when she added;

"But, they're not bad people."

Her friends smiled again, while the only thing Big Mac could say to that notion was, again;

"Eeyup."

Just then, Apple Bloom made a fateful decision in her head. It was about as spontaneous as she usually was. She turned to face Twilight and asked her with polite seriousness;

"Miss Twi, could ya' follow me to my bedroom? There's somethin' Ah want to show ya'."

She looked over at the others and told them;

"Ya'll are welcome to follow us, if ya' want."

She ran upstairs to her bedroom, with the rest of the group following suit.

Apple Bloom's Bedroom

One of the key items in the young Apple's room was her banjo, which rested on its stand on the corner to the far-right of the door. Standing next to the banjo and closer to the door was a desk with a tall lamp standing near the right-side edge that filled the room with a gentle yellow light. Next to the lamp, in the middle of the desk, was a framed photo of Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith standing together. Their smiles were filled with familial love and very few worries to speak of. Near the desk's left side edge was a small terrarium that housed a green segmented earthworm that was sleeping soundly. At the upper-right corner of the room was Apple Bloom's bed, which was long enough for her to comfortably sleep on. There were other items to speak of in the room, including the TV and DVD/Bluray player placed opposite the bed, specifically on the same wall as the bedroom door. The wallpaper was decorative and old-fashioned, with a light green background and little apples drawn just below the ceiling in a continuous line that circled the room. Now, what had Apple Bloom's entire focus was not the banjo, nor the TV or the bed. Not even the family photo had gotten her attention. No, that was given to the closet that was to the right of the TV, at the lower-right corner of the room. The rest of the group slowly filed in to follow the young Apple while still giving her room to do her thing, with Twilight making sure to watch closely while standing at her right side. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood at her left side, their faces showing an understanding that ran deep. This understanding was shared with Apple Bloom, who slowly opened the closet door. Up until now, Twilight had never been to the little Apple's room before. So, just seeing what it had to offer in general was fascinating to the curious learner. Upon retrospect, she probably should seen what was in that closet coming from a mile away, given what she knew about her and her elder sister.

Inside the closet was a whole slew of large bows that were hanging on the walls. All of them were already tied and they covered an interesting variety of colors. Most of them were either red or pink, with the pink bows being the most common ones of the bunch. But, there were a few that used entirely different colors, such as gold and white. What had also caught Twilight's eye were the labels that were placed below each and every bow, which were small pieces of paper and somewhat larger pieces of cardboard that were nailed together onto the walls. The egghead noticed that different occasions were written on each label. Most of them were standard fare: birthdays, holidays, key events in the CHS school year calendar, that sort of thing. Twilight took note of the fact that the gold and white bows were labeled 'REDACTED' and 'Wedding' respectively. She also noticed that Apple Bloom was not looking at any bow in particular, but at a blank space just below the bow labeled 'Apple Family Reunion'. With a sigh, she reached out to the spot with her right hand and gave it a good push, surprising Twilight by pushing it far enough to reveal a hidden compartment in the wall! The square gap between the piece of wood and the wall was so small prior to it being pushed that the scientist had failed to notice it until now. Apple Bloom reached into the compartment with both hands, which was noticeably deep, before pulling out a single box. Its color was a brilliant gamboge that caught everyone's eyes, Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac especially, who looked upon the box with quiet reverence. Apple Bloom, silent as a mouse, walked over to her and placed the box on it before pulling off its lid with her right hand to open it. It was just big enough to fit what was contained within: a single pink bow. Just like the rest of the young Apple's extensive collection, this bow was almost as large as her head. But, it bore one major difference that made it stand out from all of the other bows: a single large rip on the top of its right loop that showed that it was halfway towards becoming split in two.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood at Apple Bloom's sides as they gazed at the damaged bow with sad expressions that hinted at both sorrow and regret. Why, just the mere sight of it drove Applejack to gently place her right hand on Apple Bloom's right shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Rainbow Dash and Rarity provided their own sisters the same comfort. Sunset, like Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, looked at the trio with concern and regret mixed together in her frown. Octavia Melody placed her right hand on Apple Bloom's left hand to show her support while giving her a gentle genuine smile for good measure. DJ-P0N3 did something that was extremely rare for her to do in public: she took off her signature shades, revealing red eyes that, along with her smile, showed the CMCs understanding and a subtly shown desire to punch the source of their sadness. Spike climbed onto the bed, walked over to the bow, and sat down while giving it a quiet glare. He outright refused to touch it out of fear of accidentally damaging this clearly important item beyond repair. Big Mac and Granny Smith watched in saddened silence, determined to listen to whatever the young ones had to say. Twilight saw these reactions and quickly made a connection in her head that she hoped was not at all factual. As the others watched the CMCs closely, Apple Bloom started to explain while gazing at her ripped bow;

"Miss Twi... Ah was wearin' this 'ere bow..."

Her voice was soft, serious, and terribly regretful. A painfully nightmarish memory flashed before the CMCs' eyes for a brief moment, interrupting Apple Bloom's train of thought as well as her words. Once the flash had ended, she checked on her two friends. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were looking right at her with the same regretful expression that she herself was showing. With encouraging nods that eased their heads and hearts a little, Apple Bloom returned her attention to the bow and continued while her hands began to twitch;

"Ah was wearin' it when the three of us had made that... stupid mistake and..."

Twilight knew what she was getting at and promptly made it clear herself;

"When Gilda made you all pay for it," she finished for the young one as gently as she could. The CMCs nodded in silence before Scootaloo softly chimed in, her fists clenched tightly, even as they twitched as well;

"The cruelty that Gilda showed us during that cold Winter day... no one deserves."

Right when she finished speaking, the three movie buffs turned to face the folks that stood around them with renewed determination in their eyes. Sweetie Belle's hands, like her friends', were clearly twitching. But, that didn't stop her from exclaiming with utter surety;

"That, right there, is why we're gonna stand up to her. Our way, not hers!"

The Apples and Wondercolts who were watching them were moved by their words and drive, their concerns eased to say the least. Spike readied himself as Apple Bloom, her determination refusing to waver, added;

"As for her Griffons, they're not our enemies."

She chuckled and smiled a little before continuing with revitalized cheer;

"Shoot, they're our friends, Ah tells ya'!"

No one present disagreed with that notion. Certainly not her two best pals, who appeared to be just as cheery. As Spike waited patiently for the right moment to come, their shared worry replaced their cheer. Apple Bloom made a terrible concern abundantly clear;

"Ah just hope them sugarcubes don't get hurt because of Gilda... or us."

The trio turned back around to face the bed, just in time to see Spike leap right at Apple Bloom with a playful bark. Instinctively, she held him close to keep him from falling, but she fell right into his trap! Without waiting for a even a nano-second, Spike licked her face repeatedly, which made her laugh within seconds. Her friends followed suit while witnessing this sudden, but adorable display of affection. The others gushed over this sight, with Fluttershy being the one who enjoyed it the most by a country mile. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo got up to Apple Bloom and Spike to give them a group hug.

But this, too, was what the clever dog had been waiting for!

Once the other two movie buffs were close enough, he began to lick their faces as well, which made the trio's laughter grow stronger and more jovial. After a minute or so of getting puppy love, the kids moved the pup back onto the bed and gave him head pats for his trouble. Once that was done, the youngest Apple in her house softly requested, her improved mood evident in her voice;

"Could ya'll give us a moment, please? We'll be back down soon."

Recognizing the need to give the little ones some space, the other Apples and Wondercolts quietly walked out of the room one by one, but not before they each gave the CMCs gentle hugs. Spike followed the group out as well. Once the kids were alone, Apple Bloom took the ripped bow into her opened hands with the utmost care and felt the urge to shed sorrowful tears. She resisted the urge, however, mainly to prevent this, one of her most treasured possessions, from being stained. With sadness and determination oozing from her voice, she declared while gazing down at the bow that rested on her palms;

"Ma', Pa'... We'll make ya' proud, ya' hear?"

A gentle warmth suddenly grew from within the kids' hearts. It eased their sadness and fueled their drive to set things right. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo didn't think too much of this phenomenon, but Apple Bloom figured that her parents were helping them in spirit.

Author's Note

Update: Reworded Twilight's inquiry about Gabby's interest in her band to line up with established lore. I also fixed a case of terrible wording in the dancing scene. Remember folks: Parallel = lines/rows are side by side, while Perpendicular = lines/rows are touching!

Also, I fixed a continuity error involving Spike's history with the Rainbooms. I admit, I confused him for Equestria's Spike.

Well, that went better than expected! In spite of their feelings towards Gilda, the CMCs and Wondercolts have befriended the Griffons. But, the big bad bird herself is still a problem. Here's hoping she doesn't become one for her flock.

Next Chapter: We check in on the band's efforts, the Griffons get a lesson in CHS history, and a certain menace is let out of her cage...

Equestria Girls Lore Challenge: Near the end of this chapter, a certain green earthworm was mentioned. Who is he, when in the show did he appear, and what is he to Apple Bloom?