The next morning, at the CHS Statue.

Apple Bloom could not put into words how happy she was to be leaning on the left side of the statue.

After all, just beyond its portal was where the Princess of Friendship called her home and, oh boy, was she excited to be getting her help with the renovation of Sunset's house! Of course, with school being on for the day, neither she, her fellow club members, or Sci-Twi could contact her. Not when there was school work to do first anyway, and they were all respectable students. Still, just being around that statue was enough to give Apple Bloom's heart plenty of fuel, which consisted of excitement, joy, a dash of anticipation, an extra scoop of friendship (which was magic), and a heaping helping of hope. Since she had arrived extra early, the little Apple had time to lean back and relax for a spell, which she did without a second thought. Her mind was set alight with all sorts of ways that she and her two best pals could make Sunset's bedroom into one that their beloved Phoenix Friend deserved;

"Hangin' little lights on the ceilin' would work nicely. They'd be like them fairy lights from her old loft."

That thought made her smile brightly, but before her mind could expand on it, she heard the voice of Applejack coming from her right;

"Someone's a happy Apple," she declared with a chuckle. Even when on CHS property, the older Apple thought it best to stay close to her little sister. Apple Bloom felt a familiar sense of calm and safety upon hearing her voice. With a laugh, she looked over at her and responded;

"Of course Ah am, big sis! When we're done, Sunset's gonna have a wonderful house to live in!"

The older Apple belted out a hearty laugh that could easily infect a whole crowd with its cheer before telling her little sister;

"Darn tootin' she will! Now, Ah was gonna go practice with the girls before the first bell."

Apple Bloom was happy to hear about that, but what came next made her want to dance in place. With a knowing smirk, Applejack offered;

"Your two pals are gonna watch us play, wanna come with?"

She didn't hesitate to respond as happily as she could, her pink bow bouncing along with her body to further express her glee;

"Ah'm all for that!" she exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes. Just then, she felt her right pants pocket vibrate repeatedly, which got her to stop bouncing. While expressing a sheepish grin to her sister, who held onto her smirk, she pulled a smartphone out from said pocket. After giving the screen a few quick swipes and a good look, Apple Bloom laughed and smirked like a little kid who just away with stealing precious cookies from the nigh-impenetrable cookie jar fortress. She then showed the screen to Applejack while holding the phone with her right hand and declared in a sing-song voice;

"Lookie-lookie!"

Catching what her little sister was talking about made the farmer's smirk morph into a warm smile as she responded;

"Well, Ah'll be. Sunset's gonna love that, Ah reckon!"

Before she could react further, she noticed a certain someone walking up to her sister. With a playful grin, she quietly waited, much to Apple Bloom's confusion. That confusion would not last long, however, when that someone's voice, filled with cheer and youthful innocence, came from behind her back;

"Hey girls!"

The young Apple nearly dropped her phone in surprise! Thankfully, she managed to prevent that from happening. After quickly stashing the phone back into her pants pocket, she turned around and saw that it was Gabby who greeted the two Apples. Applejack chuckled a bit before calming down while Apple Bloom greeted the Griffon back with a slightly nervous voice;

"Howdy, sugarcube!"

Her smile was a tad shaky, but far from disingenuous. Without skipping beat, Gabby asked her;

"What were you two looking at?"

This was a problem for both Apples, a big one. Given the secrecy involved with what had been shown on that phone's screen, they couldn't blab about the details to Gabby or her friends.

Not yet, anyway.

Still, they couldn't stomach the thought of lying to them. Their Apple hearts would not let them hear the end of it if they did, to say nothing of what Granny Smith would do them! Thankfully, Apple Bloom had come up with an answer that would, hopefully, satisfy their friend;

"Oh, just some personal stuff, is all," she told her as calmly as she could. Thankfully, this was enough for Gabby, who replied with an understanding smile;

"That's fine with me. My flock and I have our own personal stuff too, so I get it."

Hearing that was a huge relief for both Apples, for Granny Smith would sleep well that night! Right then and there, Gabby showed sudden realization on her face and promptly declared;

"Oh man, I gotta meet with the flock before homeroom!"

She then rushed over to the steps that led to the school's front door while yelling to them;

"We'll talk later, my friends!"

While shaking her head and holding her hips with her hands, Applejack commented;

"That girl's got pep in her step, Ah tells ya'."

Even though Apple Bloom's mind would never let her forget about Gabby's connection to Gilda, the happiness she felt whenever she saw that excitable Griffon be herself could not be overshadowed by her old pain. After laughing a little, she responded to her big sister's comment while watching Gabby go through the front doors;

"Ah can relate to that."

The CHS Music Room, ten minutes before the first bell.

It was not everyday that the CMCs could watch their favorite band of all time practice their craft. In fact, they could count the number of times they had done this with one hand. They had no problems with this though, as it just made the times when they could watch all the more special.

Or, according to Scootaloo, all the more awesome.

The kids were sitting on their chairs while watching each band member play their instruments with skill and joy. They were in the middle of a jam session that was a prime example of fun. There was no predefined song being worked on, they just found a beat and rocked out to it while the kids moved their upper-bodies to the beat with their eyes closed and their smiles wide! The band jammed for a solid couple of minutes before stopping. The CMCs gave the Rainbooms a joyful applause, their smiles beaming across the room. The seven musicians smiled back at them and began to sit down on their seats to rest a while. Fluttershy took this moment to grab her notebook and pencil, which were on her seat, before sitting down herself. She then placed the notebook on her lap, opened it up, took her pencil into her right hand, and began to write on a blank page with a creative's excitement shining in her eyes. Rainbow Dash, while lounging on her chair, was the first to take notice of this. With a smirk that showed both confidence and pride, she declared to the others;

"Fluttershy's got the writing bug again!"

The rest of the girls, the kids included, looked over at the pink-haired writer, who was too engrossed with her work to notice the attention she was getting. At least, she was until Pinkie Pie, with a giant ear-to-ear grin that only she could produce, bounced out of her seat and asked Fluttershy while enthusiastically patting her back;

"What are you cooking up this time?"

The noticeably strong back pat produced a short surprised yelp from the animal expert, prompting her to look up at her friends. Once she saw that all eyes were on her, she instantly clammed up while quickly bringing her notebook close to her chest, holding it for dear life. Seeing the terribly nervous look on her face, her friends were quick to give her gentle encouragement. Most settled for warm looks, head nods, and thumbs up, since they didn't want to risk talking over each other and making things worse. Sensing her opportunity, Rainbow Dash walked up to Fluttershy and told her while gently holding her left shoulder with her right hand;

"We won't force you to cough up the goods and besides, we all know how awesome you are at writing songs, so you got nothing to worry about!"

The athlete spoke with absolute confidence in her friend and the kind of vocal tone that could encourage anyone to be their best self. Fluttershy, after years of being Rainbow's friend, could recognize that tone from miles away. Feeling that familiar encouragement ease her worries and doubts like so many times before, she took a breath and returned the notebook to her lap. With a grateful smile aimed at everyone else in the room and sure voice, she responded;

"Thank you, girls, I needed that."

After taking a moment to watch her friends show relief on their faces, she looked down at her notebook and continued writing as she explained;

"With graduation coming up, I want to write for us a new song to celebrate the occasion. A song for the school to remember us by."

Everyone present felt excitement at the thought of doing something so sweet for the school they loved. Pinkie Pie expressed this feeling as only she could: by doing cartwheels around the seats while somehow not knocking anything over;

"One last gift for CHS?! YIPPEEE!"

It was amazing to the others that confetti was not exploding around Pinkie as she cartwheeled about before landing on her two feet in a surprisingly skillful fashion. She even struck a pose like an entertainer on a stage for good measure. If the CMCs had score cards, they would all hold up perfect tens. After a good laugh was shared among the girls, Applejack noted honestly;

"Leavin' behind a heartfelt tune for our school sounds mighty nice to me!"

"A most intriguing idea!" declared a clearly interested Twilight, her right hand holding her chin as her mind ran through multiple ideas at a rapid pace. Rarity, with supportive dignity and a smile aimed at Fluttershy, chimed in;

"That is a lovely goal, darling! But, I must inquire, what theme does your new song tackle?"

The friend to all things living and furry looked back at the fashionista and answered with that surety from earlier;

"The future that we can make for ourselves and each other. At least..."

Right then and there, her usual nervousness crept back into her voice and mannerisms, but it was not as strong as per usual as she added;

"Um... that's just the initial idea for the theme, I haven't fleshed it out yet and I've only just started writing the opening verse."

The girls pondered her words for a good few seconds before Sunset noted aloud;

"The future..."

The Equestrian felt her worries related to that topic creep up from within her mind, which she quickly pushed back down before telling Fluttershy in a genuinely supportive manner, smile and all;

"You've picked a strong theme."

Rainbow Dash, true to form, expressed her thoughts on the matter with absolute encouraging gusto;

"That totally works for our style!"

"It is also quite fitting," noted Rarity. Sci-Twi elaborated on her friend's point;

"Exactly! After all, thoughts of the future are known to be in the forefront of a typical high-school graduate's mind."

"I wonder if I can make future-themed cupcakes for everyone?" pondered Pinkie Pie while Applejack tipped her hat at Fluttershy. The farmer then told her sweetly;

"We're lookin' forward to readin' your lyrics, once they're ready of course."

The CMCs were straight up bouncing in their seats Pinkie style in excitement over getting to hear such a song from their beloved band. The kind young lady couldn't help but beam brightly at her friends, happy as can be over getting their support. Thankfully, Twilight had the good sense to check the clock that hung on a wall in the music room: A little less than five minutes were left before the first bell was set to ring! Once she had announced this to the others, the band carefully put their instruments away and briskly walked out the door, with the CMCs following suit. Having no song-related matters to distract her as she walked with the group, Sunset's thoughts returned to the topic of her future;

"What will happen to me after CHS? Especially if the girls..."

Her mind couldn't bring itself to consciously finish that thought, not right away anyway. Just the mere notion was painful for Sunset to consider. Still, she would not let herself run from her own thoughts. So, she pushed herself to finish it while keeping a sharp eye on where she was walking;

"If the girls' lives take them down different paths... where does that leave me?"

Free from the traitors you pal around with! Better to drop them now though.

"I won't drop my friends over mistakes they've learned from, demon," Sunset mentally declared in defiance of her demon's snide claim. All she got for that remark was internal vile cackling that nearly caused her to miss the door to her homeroom. Thankfully, she caught sight of it in time to stop moving. After watching the others walk inside, she took a quick breath before opening the door to join the girls and begin the school day proper.

Later that day, in the cafeteria during lunch.

The Rainbooms sat together at their usual table while chowing down on their food. As the other students ate and socialized around them, Rainbow Dash announced to her friends with pride and excitement all over her face, voice, and demeanor;

"After school, we're gonna work on Sunset's house and this time, we'll have a whole bunch of Wondercolts to help us out!"

Sunset beamed at her helpful friends before responding;

"I'm sure you'll do a fine job, girls."

The rest of the band beamed right back at her before Rarity noted with dignity and surety;

"Make no mistake, Sunset darling: your humble abode will be the jewel of your street when we're done."

"Yeah, but enough teasin' our pal, ya'll. Don't wanna make her too curious," added Applejack with a knowing smirk aimed at her amber friend, who smirked back while thinking back to her past attempts at being sneaky. Twilight diverted the conversation to a different topic with calm seriousness;

"Okay, girls, let's discuss how we're going to handle the Griffons from here on out."

Everyone's smiles shrunk a little upon hearing this, with Pinkie Pie speaking first;

"Hold on a second!" she exclaimed. She then quickly turned her head to look around the cafeteria while expressing narrow eyes and a frown that made her appear quite shifty. After giving the area a visual once-over, she then looked back at the girls and declared with a nod;

"No birds here. We're good."

Sunset, while thanking the universe that their new friends were assigned a different lunch hour, began the discussion proper;

"Obviously, those kids have to be warned about Gilda's past at some point."

"We ain't tellin' them about that without the youngin's," noted Applejack, her innate stubbornness prominent on her face and in her voice. Rainbow Dash added to her rival's point with crossed arms and an understanding glare focused on Twilight;

"Yeah, the squirts gotta keep their Pinkie Promise and we're not gonna take that away from them."

"Indeed," Rarity began before elaborating with worry in her voice;

"While we will most certainly honor that sacred vow, based on our current knowledge, it stands to reason that Gilda will eventually start telling her gang members lies and half-truths about the kids, and us for that matter."

The other girls showed their shared sentiment with frowns and nods. Just then, Sunset had come up with an idea that made her bring back her smirk. With renewed confidence and a tiny hint of reservation that was almost hidden behind her face, she suggested to them;

"Then we just have to head her off at the pass."

That got her looks filled with curiosity in her friends' eyes as Fluttershy asked in soft nervousness;

"Um... how are we going to do that?"

Sunset Shimmer's smirk, and internalized concern, grew in response to that question.

After school, in the hallway leading to the library.

The six young Griffons stood together at a table in the first floor of the library. Specifically speaking, they were near the circle of computer stations that surrounded the statue at the center of the library. Ms. Cheerilee was restocking one of the bookshelves that was some distance away from the kids. But, they were still within eyesight and earshot of her, so they knew better than to risk causing her trouble. Most of the Griffons were calm, with Gabby showing clear and considerable excitement that was, to Cheerilee's relief, silent. Even so, the increasingly vibrant sparkles in the young lady's eyes were a sign that she would not be silent forever. As for Smolder, she was the only one of the six who looked quite annoyed over their situation. Out of pure impatience, she let out with a restrained groan;

"What's taking them so long? They told us to wait for them here after school, so what's the hold up?"

The librarian recognized that she was at least trying to keep her voice down, so she held her tongue while stealthily rolling her eyes. Yona, while making sure to not be too loud, attempted to calm her friend's growing frustration;

"Yona is sure our new friends will get here," she said with an encouraging smile aimed at Smolder, who seemed to relax a little upon hearing her words. Gabby could not contain her excitement any longer, although she could still restrain it, along with her vocal volume, out of respect to Cheerilee;

"I wonder what they want to do with us? I'll bet it'll be super fun," she declared with a wide smile filled with mirth and honest fandom. Ocellus, her chin held by her right hand, pondered for a moment before speaking with a thoughtful tone;

"But, why would they want us to meet here, of all places? I doubt they want to do a group study session with us, or else they would have informed us of this intent earlier."

Gallus added while narrowing his eyes slightly;

"Yeah, I've got an odd feeling about all this. Not bad, just odd."

The other Griffons nodded in agreement before Silverstream chimed in;

"We're meeting in a library... What's in here that's related to-"

Her question was interrupted by the sound of the library's door being pushed open by Sunset Shimmer, who led her fellow Rainbooms into the room itself. The CMCs, with Apple Bloom leading the trio, followed behind the band. Octavia Melody and DJ-P0N3 walked by the kids' sides, with Flash Sentry bringing up the rear. The Griffons all looked over at the group of teenagers and were quick to give them friendly greetings that were responded to in kind. Cheerilee stopped dealing with the bookshelves within her vicinity to watch the enlarged group of students converse, with Smolder starting things off while keeping her arms crossed and her narrow gaze fixed on Sunset;

"Now that we're together, let's hear it: Why did you want to meet us here?" she asked impatiently. Gabby quickly added with what she hoped was enough politeness to balance out Smolder's annoyance;

"Grandpa Gruff is keeping Gilda busy with chores right now, so we've got time before they start calling."

Most of the Griffons did not notice the hands of the CMCs twitch slightly when Gilda's name was uttered, save for Ocellus, who had found it a harmless oddity and nothing more. Sunset looked over at Smolder and answered her calmly while letting out a smirk that hinted at anticipation.

"We're here because we want you to learn more about CHS's history. But, we'll have you do it in a place that can only be found in this library..."

Her smirk grew wider as she finished with a softer, more secretive tone of voice;

"If you know where to look."

She had Silverstream at 'history', to say the least. Why, she could barely contain her rapidly growing excitement enough to not cause an auditory ruckus! Thankfully, Gallus and Yona were quick to gently calm her down with shoulder pats and knowing smiles. Ocellus was also visibly interested in what kind of secret location she was speaking of. Before she could make an inquiry on the matter, however, Sunset turned her gaze over to Cheerilee, who was watching the conversation closely, and declared to her with serious politeness on her face and in her voice;

"Ma'am, this humble student would like to show her peers the stories we safeguard."

The librarian smiled brightly at her and her friends before walking away while motioning for them to follow her. She guided the group over to a far off corner of the library where the bookshelves nearly surround them entirely, save for a single opening to Cheerilee's left. She stopped to stand before the bookshelf along the wall and inspected the books it carried, specifically the ones on the middle shelf. The book that caught her eye was a blue one that showed its title along its spine:

The History of the Crystal Kingdom - by Stygian

With care, the librarian took the book off from its shelf with her left hand and took a step off to the left side, revealing a sight that none of the Griffons watching had expected to see. What was once hidden behind the book was a single small blue button with a yellow base that was attached to the wall. The young eighth graders wondered what the button was for, but they did not have to wonder for long. The older Wondercolts watched with knowing anticipation on their faces as Cheerilee turned to face the Griffons and asked them with the smile she normally brought to bare when teaching a class;

"Could one of you try pressing the button, please?"

Gabby rushed over to the button within moments, prompted the other Griffons to shake their heads while giving off understanding grins. Excited and curious all at once, she enthusiastically pushed the button with her right hand.

There was a noticeable button pressing sound, but nothing else was produced.

The excitable young lady decided to give the button a few more rapid presses.

Still nothing but that sound!

Puzzled, she looked over at Cheerilee and asked;

"Am I missing something here?"

The other Griffons looked at her as well, curious as to what her answer could be. The teacher's smile remained strong as she answered with a simple yet strange request;

"Firstly, I would like for you all to step away from the shelves on the right side."

The group of students did as instructed, with Gabby opting to stand near Cheerliee, who walked over to the gap in the bookshelf that once held the history book she was still carrying in her left hand. Without skipping a beat, she gazed at the Griffons before telling them;

"Secondly, listen closely."

She then reached over to the button with her right hand and pressed it three times in a pattern that went something like this:

Tap. Tap-tap.

To the eighth graders, that rhythmic pattern of sound was interesting, but it held no greater meaning for them. But, for the older Wondercolts that stood with them while expressing knowing smiles, that pattern was basically school pride in auditory form. It was that same pattern that produced a result that took the Griffons by surprise.

Two of the floor panels that rested before the bookshelves on the right side of the nearly boxed-in area started to sink a bit before sliding all on their own, the sounds they made grabbing everyone's attention within moments. By the time the panels had finished moving, they were hiding under the panels that were once to their left. This revealed a long rectangular hole in the floor with a silver metal ladder bolted to the side of the hole that was closest to the group. The Griffons gazed upon this hole with eyes filled with wonder, their mouths agape. Their elder peers, however, kept their smiles on point as a dash of satisfaction was added to them. Smolder verbally reacted before her friends could;

"Okay, this alone is cool enough to be worth the wait," she declared, her earlier impatience tossed aside. Ocellus took this moment to comment with awe and realization in her voice;

"I see now..."

She looked over at the button and elaborated excitedly;

"You can't just press the button wildly to make the panels move, you have to push it in a specific pattern!"

Cheerilee, pleased that one of the new kids had figured this out so quickly, gave Ocellus a warm approving grin before noting;

"Of course, young lady. Be warned, though: the pattern gets changed randomly, so don't try to make this trip without a staff member to help you."

The students nodded in agreement, which prompted her to walk over to the ladder and carefully climb down it, but not before she told them with a calm teacher's voice;

"Once I've reached the bottom, begin climbing down one-by-one."

They watched the librarian venture deeper into the hole at a steady pace. It seemed to not have its own lighting, so the library's lights were the only things that were allowing the students to actually see the bottom, which was a concrete floor. Soon enough, Cheerilee had reached the end of the ladder, stepped off from it and took a few steps back to make room for the others. Without further ado, the Wondercolts, young and old, formed a line and began to join her in the hole. Sunset was the first of them to do this, with the CMCs following her. The remaining Rainbooms joined them soon after, followed by the Griffons, Octavia, P0N3, and Flash. It didn't take long for the Griffons to recognize several things about this hole. Firstly, it led to a long hallway that felt rather claustrophobic with so many people in there. Secondly, there was another blue and yellow button that was on the wall to their left, a few steps away from the ladder. Thirdly, there was a single wooden door at the far end of the hallway that Cheerilee were leading the group towards. As they got closer, Gabby noticed that the image of a tall horse standing on its hind legs was carved onto the wood. The teacher grabbed the door's metal knob with her right hand, gave it a twist, and pushed the door open. She then guided the group through the doorway, allowing them to quickly recognize that they entered what appeared to be a room that had much more space for them to spread out compared to the hallway from before. The library's light could only travel so far, however, so the room was a tad too dark for any student to notice any key details. As the group had spread out, Cheerilee moved over to a light switch that was on the wall to her right. Before the students could react, she flipped the switch to turn on the ceiling lights that hung over the room.

The Griffons were surprised once again.

This 'room' was, in fact, a long and wide hallway with eight numbered doors, four on each side, that led to what appeared to be classrooms. Lines of metal lockers stood along the walls between each door. The walls, ceiling, and floor bore the same colors as what was typically seen in the hallways on the floor above. The lockers were well cared for, which was made evident by the lack of rust and grime. But, they still showed their age in the form of dents and de-coloration. At the end of the hallway was another wooden door that hid who-knew-what to the wide-eyed Griffons, who looked around the place in wonder. Gabby was the first of them to react with words, for she declared;

"Wow, I didn't know CHS teaches classes underground!"

Applejack let out a hearty chuckle that got the others' attention. With all eyes on the Apple, she explained;

"Our school used to do some of its teachin' down 'ere long ago. Durin' a time when it stood against laws that just weren't right."

Smolder looked around the hallway with a large toothy grin laced with respect while remarking;

"So, CHS has a rebellious side to it? I dig it."

Twilight, with confidence in her demeanor and growing excitement in her sparkling eyes, chimed in when Applejack tipped her hat to her;

"Now, this basement floor is where CHS protects important items from its history and the stories tied to them. We call it the Hall of Stories."

Silverstream was about ready to bust through each and every classroom door upon hearing those words out of pure excitement, just to see what sort of relics she could find and the tales she could learn from them. But, she then felt the heavy yet gentle left hand of Yona, who helped her cool down enough to remember her good sense and politeness. She looked at her large friend, who gazed back at her with a grinning face that silently expressed understanding. The other Griffons walked around the area to explore a bit while the Rainbooms and other older Wondercolts watched them closely, thrilled to see the kids take such an interest in this part of the school that most people rarely got to see. Sunset, like the others, was thrilled. But, that stubborn subtle reservation lingered in her mind like an annoyingly catchy beat, minus the music. She held out hope that things would work out that day, but she still feared what could happen. Cheerilee, after giving the students a moment longer, brought them back together to have them follow her down the hallway to the left side classroom door that was closest to the door at the end. This door, like the others, had its number engraved on the wood just above its window:

07

Sunset's reservation gained strength upon seeing that number, but it was not strong enough to deter her. The door's window had white blinds that were lowered behind it, so no one could see what was inside of the classroom. This, the Griffons had noticed, was true for the others as well, while the door at the very end of the hall had no windows to speak of. With bated breath, the group of young folks waited in silence as Cheerilee opened the door and led them inside. Given that this basement floor was said to have once been used during a bygone era, one would think that a room it housed would look the part. This classroom, by stark contrast to that notion, was practically a one-to-one recreation of the room that the Griffons and CMCs went to for Homeroom earlier that day, save for the glaring lack of windows on the walls. The ceiling light more than made up for the otherwise missing lighting though. Another key difference was that there were far fewer desks present in the room. Specifically speaking, there were five desks that were meant for students: One in the middle that was the largest by far, and four smaller ones, with two of them at each side of the larger desk with walking space between each of them. Seeing all of this confused the new kids to say the least, but what really got their attention was what was on the desks. Each one held a single solitary item that was angled to face the wall where the door was located. These items did not have a single spec of dust, dirt, grime, or any other form of muck on them: a clear sign that they were treated with considerable respect and care. The Griffons were quick to recognize what each of these objects were. The four smaller desks held a closed upside-down CHS yearbook, a tall marching band leader's hat that bore the school's blue and gold colors, a large pair of teal and white noise-canceling headphones, and a sledgehammer with a long brown handle and a dark grey mallet. Standing prominently on the larger desk was an object that looked entirely out of place within a high-school setting. It was a large chest carved from black stone that had five steel locks attached to its front and five more on its back, each one bearing a uniquely shaped keyhole. The other objects were interesting enough to the Griffons, but they didn't expect this! Their minds shined with all sorts of ideas as to what that chest could be hiding. As if sensing this, the CMCs moved out of the group to stand in front of the chest while aiming their backs towards it, with Apple Bloom in the middle, Scootaloo to her right, and Sweetie Belle to her left. They beamed at the eighth graders with smiles filled with anticipation as Apple Bloom challenged them while holding back the urge to let out a sly laugh;

"Care to guess what's in the chest?"

It took them almost a second to start spouting out guesses, with Gallus being the first;

"Gold coins?"

Next, came Smolder, who suggested with a hopeful grin;

"Old Rock & Roll albums?"

Silverstream's guess was a little more sensible, given where the group had come from earlier;

"Ancient historical texts?" she asked while holding her chin with her right hand. Normally, she would show intense enthusiasm at the mere thought of such a notion, but something in her was silently telling her that this was not the time for jumping with joy. As they made their guesses known, the Griffons saw the Rainbooms, Octavia, DJ-P0N3, and Cheerilee gather near the desks, with Sunset giving each of the five items quick glances before focusing on the younger students. Her six friends, however, paid a little more attention to the yearbook, hat, and sledgehammer before gazing at the kids as well. The band stood together on the right side, while Flash, P0N3, and Octavia stood at the left. Cheerilee decided to stick with the Rainbooms as well. The CMCs' smiles became smirks that were both confident and nostalgic as the young Apple replied;

"They are heartfelt gifts..."

The Griffons dropped the guesses they were thinking of to listen attentively to Apple Bloom. With all eyes now fixed on her, she began to tell a tale that was steeped in her school's history with her best storytelling voice;

"Handcrafted and delivered by the CHS Wondercolts to Sunset Shimmer herself."

The eighth graders quickly glanced at Sunset, who was giving them a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with powerfully fond remembrance, before returning their attention to the CMCs in time to hear more of the Apple's tale;

"An offering of peace and friendship made after she had helped the Rainbooms save the student body and staff..."

She paused while her smile was dropped in favor of a frown born from an old hurt. Her eyes lost much of their earlier sparkle as she looked off to the side, her signature pink bow drooping to match her mood. She finished her sentence with soft-spoken regret in her voice;

"From a terrible fate."

The Griffons were quick to notice everyone else's reactions to this claim. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, very much like their leader and friend, showed genuine regret on their faces, even as they placed comforting hands on Apple Bloom's shoulders. Octavia and Sunset showed each other understanding with nothing more than their solemn faces, the former also silently expressing a dash of regret as well. Flash looked no less regretful, as evidenced by his frown. DJ-P0N3, wasting no time, walked up to him and gave his right bicep a playful jab that got his attention. The jab and her friendly smirk were enough to get a grateful smile out of him. The other Rainbooms watched these reactions closely while readying themselves to help raise their friends' spirits at a moment's notice. Ah, but regret would not stop Apple Bloom for long! Encouraged by the thought of what was coming next, she looked back up at the Griffons with renewed vigor and happiness. Even her bow seemed to bounce with glee as she suddenly spun over to the chest and walked over to its right side while continuing her tale;

"Moved by this act of goodwill and not willin' to suffer thieves, Sunset took the gifts..."

She stopped to stand at the chest's right side, turned to face it, and gave it two hearty taps with her hands before speaking further;

"Placed them in this 'ere stone chest..."

She allowed a dramatic pause to take effect before gazing at the Griffons and finishing;

"And hid it 'ere, away from the outside world..."

It was a simple tale, true enough, but the young newcomers were riveted by it regardless. But, there was something about it that did not entirely sit well with Gabby. She looked over at Sunset and asked her;

"But, why did you give back the gifts the Wondercolts had made for you?"

That question got the gears in Smolder's head to turn enough for her to remark while giving the mare a narrow glare;

"Yeah, returning a gift to its sender ain't cool."

The other Griffons gazed at Sunset as well, if nothing else but out of curiosity. Now, all other eyes were on her, even her band's. Thankfully, the human-pony girl was ready for a moment like this. Her earlier reservations returned, but they would not dissuade her now. She walked over to the table that held the sledgehammer and looked down at it. As the pivotal moment in her life that was bound to the otherwise ordinary tool played out in her mind, she slowly took its handle into a firm grip with both hands. After thinking about it for a moment, she decided to not lift the sledgehammer off of the desk or even move it an inch. With a sigh and a somber voice, she admitted without even looking at the attentive Griffons;

"I'm sorry to say that I wasn't always a good person."

This reveal produced a shocked gasp from Gabby, with her five friends looking quite surprised themselves. Before they could fully process this, however, she elaborated on a fact that was, to her mind and heart, an old pain;

"Years ago, I was... mean. Deceptive, manipulative, prideful, easy to anger... A full-on queen bee bully."

It was tough for young Gabby to reconcile with what she was learning about;

"Sunset Shimmer, a super-cool singer and nice person... was a bully?!" she thought to herself with a slight shudder. The mare herself did not move an inch as she went on;

"I gave the school many good reasons to hate my guts and I ruled over the halls with an iron fist. But..."

Her voice had gained a clear hint of resoluteness, her hands tightening their grip on the sledgehammer's handle when she added;

"When the girls who would one day become my friends defeated me, I finally saw where my life was going and... Let's just say I did not like where I was about to end up. So, I turned away from that path and learned to live as an honest person."

Sunset chuckled a little before noting;

"The girls helped me out, yes, but most of the students did not make it easy for me. I'll never blame them for that. However..."

She tried to think of the best way she could put this next part without coming off as insulting. Flash, however, resolved this issue for her;

"In some ways, a lot of us had become her bullies," he admitted with calm solemness and no amount of hesitation, his hands shoved into his pockets to further reveal his regretful mood. Octavia looked just as remorseful, with the CMCs doing their best to put on brave faces to hide their deeply rooted regret. Sensing the need to raise morale, Sunset released the sledgehammer from her grip, turned around, and gave the kids, Flash, and Octavia one of her encouraging grins, the sight of which eased their minds within moments. After they grinned back at her, she looked over at the attentive Griffons and spoke further, this time with a more cheerful tone of voice;

"After my friends and I saved the school, I didn't know what all those other students would say or do to me in response. Sure, I figured they'd cool their heads down a bit, but I did not expect them to give me a whole box of gifts!"

She spun around to gaze at the stone chest. With her face and voice full of appreciation, she declared;

"When I had gotten those gifts, I swore to myself that they would never be stolen or destroyed, and I could not think of a safer place for them than here..."

She turned back around to look at each person who stood in that classroom and finished with gratefulness and surety;

"In the school that, despite everything, gave me a real chance."

Everyone else in the room was clearly moved by her words. This was especially true for Gabby, who ran up to Sunset and gave her a big hug that took her by surprise. After releasing her quick as a flash, she declared to her with a wide smile and sparkling eyes;

"You're not a bully now and that's what matters to me!"

She then crossed her arms and gave her a sure nod to further affirm her claim. Clearly, Gabby's difficulties from earlier had been fully resolved. Sunset's mind and heart were positively elated, but she saw fit to restrain herself for now. The other Griffons nodded and smiled in agreement with Gabby's heartfelt words, with Smolder noting to the Rainbooms;

"You girls gotta tell us how you saved the school! That just sounds like a cool story."

"For that matter, what terrible fate did you save it from?" asked a curious Ocellus. Octavia, with a polite titter that got the others' attention, took this moment to explain while gazing at the four items that were next to the chest;

"These objects, like Sunset's chest, are tied to important stories from our dear institution's history. One day, loves, we will tell you these stories."

She then gave the Griffons a sly smirk before noting;

"But not today."

A chorus of disappointment rang out from the gang;

"Awwwww!"

Cheerilee, who was watching the conversation play out, chimed in to calm down the young ones;

"Now now, students! Let your new friends tell such stories when they mean to. All they ask from you is a little patience. Okay?"

The Griffons gathered into huddle, discussed among themselves in hushed whispers for almost a minute, and then broke up the huddle to face the librarian. They then told her in calm, if slightly annoyed, unison;

"Yes, Ms. Cheerilee."

She couldn't help but giggle slightly over how well-mannered the eighth graders were being. Applejack, like the others, was beaming at them when she walked over to the kids and told them truthfully;

"Them stories are mighty personal to us, so we wanna tell 'em right, and tell 'em we will."

She even tipped her trusty hat to them for good measure. Her words and hat tipping got them to grin back at her, which prompted Cheerilee to announce to the students;

"Come along now, everyone! You'll have other matters to attend to soon, I'm sure."

One by one, the students left the classroom, save for the CMCs, who had a different idea in mind. Apple Bloom called out to Sunset before she walked through the door;

"Could we have a word with ya', sugarcube?"

Figuring this wouldn't take too long, the mare told Cheerilee;

"We'll just be a moment, ma'am."

The librarian nodded before responding;

"I'll be waiting at the ladder."

With that settled, Sunset turned around and walked over to the CMCs, who were standing in a row in front of the five historical items. They showed her appreciative smiles as the door closed behind her. Soon enough, Apple Bloom noted to her;

"We get why ya' don't want to rush this."

"Yeah, our school has been through so much," added Sweetie Belle, with Scootaloo finishing with an understanding tone;

"It makes sense to not dump all of our adventures on the squirts in one go. Gotta let them process the awesomeness."

Her two friends quickly shot surprised glares at her, with Sunset telling her with a knowing smirk;

"Now, where did you get 'squirts' from, I wonder?"

That got a sheepish grin and chuckle from Scootaloo, while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom giggled with her. Once she settled down, the young Apple spoke up again after returning her attention to Sunset;

"Let's just make sure we don't take too long to tell them those tales, ya' hear? Don't want to make them mad at us none."

Just then, two terrible thoughts popped into the CMCs' heads, which made them drop their smiles in favor of frowns laced with fear and regret. They turned around to gaze at each of the objects on display in silence. Sunset, recognizing what was troubling her trio of pals, walked up to them, got down on her right knee, and wrapped them up in a hug with gentle care. Having no desire in their hearts to object to this, the kids sank into the hug, letting their bodies relax, even as their minds were haunted by thoughts related to errors they wished they had never made. Yet, not even those thoughts could hold back the good vibes that a hug from their Phoenix Friend could generate for long. Thus, the kids' minds turned quiet, much to their relief. After ten to fifteen seconds of silently enjoying the hug, Apple Bloom told the mare a truth that the CMCs, and everyone in CHS for that matter, held close to their hearts;

"You're a good person, Sunset Shimmer. Don't ever let anyone make ya' think ya' ain't."

Her voice was as soft as a fluffy pillow and as gentle as the hug she was receiving. As if on cue, the trio gently held Sunset's arms with their hands in a silent show of adoration. Sunset's heart sang silently upon hearing the Apple's honest words, her mind responding by reflecting on the numerous examples of her personal growth.

The people she helped.

The lives she helped to save.

The friends she made.

Without warning, her train of thought suddenly shifted over to an intensely vivid mental image of the she-demon flowing in the air above the school parking lot. While expressing a toothy smile filled with vile glee, she firmly gripped Applejack's stetson hat, which was ripped in some places, in her left hand. This sight was horrifying enough to Sunset, but what was equally terrifying was what was tightly held in the demon's right hand:

Twilight Sparkle's glasses, which were snapped in two by the nose guard.

In the real world, Sunset quickly shut her eyes while tightening her hug around the CMCs. It was all she could do to hold back the urge to whimper in terror. The four deeply troubled girls held each other close, their shared friendship driving back the storm of internal pain, albeit slowly. After a few minutes of hugging, they released each other from their grips, recollected themselves, and gave each other warm smiles to reaffirm the bonds between them. Feeling much better, they walked out of the classroom in a single-file line, with Scootaloo being the last to exit though the door. But, before she did so, she looked back at the items on the desks one last time. With a sigh that could speak volumes if it could talk, she turned around and walked away while thinking to herself;

"Honestly... there really should be six items in this room..."

She had finished her thought just before she closed the door behind her.

Sunset's House (work in progress). Later that day.

The Rainbooms, Big Mac, and the CMCs were working hard at fixing up what would soon become Sunset's renovated abode. But, this time, they had more hands on deck, courtesy of Octavia Melody, DJ-P0N3, Flash Sentry, and Twist. With safety gear on and tools at the ready, they helped their friends with the current task of the day: Fixing up the first floor's walls and windows. By this point, the uneven concrete was replaced with new wooden flooring that was approved by Applejack and Big Mac. The wood had a beautiful brown color that produced within the young folks present a hint of the feelings connected with the comforts of home. Ah, but that was just it: a hint. They could only imagine how much stronger those feelings would be when their work was complete. Why, just the mental image of Sunset's joyful reaction to her newly renovated home was enough to inspire the Wondercolts to do their best to get this done! At any rate, with the floor fixed up, many of them focused their efforts on the current task. Big Mac, via his truck, had brought new windows and window frames that were the right sizes. The far from subtle sounds of tools being put to use and the ripping of wood could be heard throughout the house as the young folks sealed up cracks in the walls, removed the broken windows, the boards that once covered them, and installed the replacements. Rarity, true to her sensibilities, had provided new curtains, which rested in a large decorative luggage case near where the slightly ripped couch used to be. Whenever she was not helping the others, she was drawing up ideas for indoor decorations in her notebook. It was when she was drawing her latest idea that she heard three sets of feet rushing to the front door. She looked up in time to catch the CMCs, clad in construction safety gear and decked out tool belts, running to the sidewalk and making sharp right-hand turn. Big Mac followed them from behind without skipping a beat. Knowing that the Apple of few words could keep the kids safe, she returned to her artwork while smiling over how Sunset would react to what those movie buffs were going to turn her bedroom into. Twist, while wearing a yellow hard hat and safety goggles that were the same shade of purple as her glasses, was learning from Applejack how to properly use a hammer;

"The trick with this 'ere tool is to use it with restraint," she explained while showing the attentive young lady her hand-crafted hammer with her right hand. Twist listened while gazing at the hammer as the farmer instructed further;

"Ya' don't need to hit a nail with everythin' ya' got, ya' just need to hit it hard enough, and enough times, to push it in."

Twist, with a wide smile, nodded her head while saying, her lisp in full effect;

"Use restraint, got it!"

While this was going, Fluttershy was trying to get a window frame attached to the large square hole where an old window used to be, specifically one of the windows at the front of the house. Of course, she wasn't doing this alone, for she was getting much needed assistance from Sandalwood and a large flock of birds. The birds, attached to the top of the frame via safely tied rope, worked with the young man to hold the frame up, so that she could hammer it in place with strategically positioned nails. Needless to say, Fluttershy's pony ears and wings were on full display as she worked with her human and animal friends. Rainbow Dash was busying herself by working with Pinkie Pie to seal up the cracks in the walls next to the bathroom door. The damaged areas they were working on had already been cleaned by this point, the old wallpaper having been removed in the process. Since the walls used drywall material, the two friends had chosen to paint premixed drywall compound over the cracks. As they painted with their large brushes, Pinkie took this time to bring up an interesting point;

"You know, Rainbow Dash, we never got to hear you tell stories from before you went to CHS."

That got a chuckle out of the athlete before she replied;

"Yeah yeah, we all got distracted by stuff for a while. That and there are parts of my time before CHS that are..."

Her smirk vanished without a trace as she finished with a more somber tone;

"Pretty lame."

Pinkie, in a show of thoughtfulness, was quick to give her friend some comfort;

"You don't have to talk about your time with the Griffons if you don't want to."

Rainbow kept on painting while clarifying with a growing smile;

"Hey, I've got a lot of good memories from back when I was in that gang! Not even Gilda can ruin them for me."

Her smile became quite toothy as she went on;

"There was that one time when Lightning Dust challenged me to an arm wrestling match. I beat Lightning's butt three times in a row, but each match was tougher than the last! After the third match, she was so mad, she dared me to arm wrestler again, only with my left arm instead of my right arm. I accepted that challenge without a second thought."

Rainbow started to laugh out loud for a bit before managing to hold back the guffawing long enough to finish her short tale;

"Kicked her butt in ten seconds flat! She then stormed out of the hideout while yelling 'Cheating! Dash's arms are cheating'!"

Right when she finished, her laughter became louder and so distracting that she stopped painting altogether. Pinkie simply kept on painting, content with basking in her friend's happiness, her own smile holding strong. After a few seconds, Rainbow calmed down and returned to her work while noting with confidence;

"What can I say? Gilda can't ruin my good memories."

Pinkie's smile became just a little brighter and bubblier than usual. At that moment, however, the front door got pushed open, allowing Big Mac and CMCs to return while bringing in a large object that was covered in thick black cloth. Their hard and purposeful footsteps alone got everyone else's attention as they worked together to carry the object to a free space at the far-left wall. With care, they slowly lowered it onto the floor before releasing it from their hands. The others were quite curious was to what was underneath the cloth, but Applejack was the first to inquire about it;

"What did ya'll bring in, anyway?"

Apple Bloom, with a positively sly smirk on her face that was matched by that of her two friends, answered cryptically;

"Let's just say that we'll be able to make stairs for that there bedroom mighty soon."

All Big Mac said was, as expected from his sisters;

"Eeyup."

Before Applejack could investigate further, the kids grabbed the cloth and, with finely honed teamwork, lifted it off of the object and tossed it aside. The other folks got a good look at what was previously hidden for a second or two before smiling and laughing in a celebratory fashion. The young farmer gave her brother and the CMCs a grateful look expression while responding;

"Oh, that is gonna save us time and cash! Much obliged, ya'll."

Feeling proud of themselves and grateful to Big Mac for his help, the kids darted over to hug him faster than a rocket. After being taken by surprise for a brief moment, he hugged them back while letting out a soft deep chuckle. At this point, it was clear to everyone that getting started on the bedroom stairs was going to be their next task for the day.

Meanwhile, in Rainbow Dash's bedroom.

Sunset, taking the opportunity provided by the quiet in the house, was meditating on her sleeping bag. Her thoughts flowed through her mind like a gentle river and her breathing was slow and barely audible. The outside world was becoming less and less noticeable to her senses, a sign that she was sinking deeper into her meditative state. The amber girl welcomed this with quiet grace, for she felt that this was a good time to let it all go for a while. With each in-breath, she mentally chanted one half of her personal mantra;

"Let the past be what it is..."

With every out-breath, she finished the mantra;

"Not today."

She felt herself fall deeper with each full mental utterance of her mantra. In that moment, she sensed no danger to anyone, let alone herself.

Fillydelphia Juvenile Detention Center: Around the same time.

The main cell block in the facility was abuzz with chatter from the prisoners in their cells. Thankfully, they had the good sense to not cause enough of a ruckus to bother the guards who held vigil over the area. Of course, it was still difficult for many of them to contain themselves. This was not without good reason, of course, for the topic of discussion was more than a little interesting to them. The guards could easily hear the chatter from their positions;

"Today's the day when she is set free!"

"Oh buck... you mean... her?"

"That's right, The Wrecker."

"Oh man, what's that menace gonna do when she's out?"

"What do ya' think, man? Beat the breaks off of fools!"

"Who is she gonna hunt down first though?"

"Does it matter? I ain't wishin' what she does to gangstas on anyone!"

"Who here that isn't crazy does?"

The guards made sure to keep themselves alert as tension rose from within them, knowing full well of who was coming. As the prisoners continued to guess as to who The Wrecker would target, the woman herself was sitting in her cell, her entire being as silent as the shadows the ceiling light had cast. Her music player rested unused on her lap, its connected earbuds placed on top of it. She held in her her right hand the picture of Sunset Shimmer, which she stared at with intensity that could melt steel beams coming from her goggles. Just then, her cell door opened, revealing the old veteran guard and his younger, and visibly nervous, counterpart standing side-by-side at the doorway. They walked up to her together as she looked up at them with curiosity in her concealed eyes. Once the two stopped to stand before the inmate, the veteran declared to her with his gruff voice;

"It's time for your release. We'll escort you to the exit."

The only response that woman gave was a simple nod before slowly standing up while taking the music player and earbuds into her right hand. The veteran guard, who was taller than his partner, could easily see that The Wrecker was tall enough to look him straight in the eye. Between the dark grey bandages covering her face and the goggles with thick red visors obscuring her eyes, it was impossible for him tell how she felt about her impending freedom, even with his years of experience as a prison guard. In spite of the threatening demeanor that seemed to come natural to the prisoner, the guard sensed no danger and promptly brought out the handcuffs that were attached to his belt. Recognizing what was up, The Wrecker slowly placed the music player and earbuds into her right pants pocket and raised both hands up to the guard, who latched the cuffs onto her wrists and locked them with a key he had pulled out of his own pants pocket. With that measure implemented, he then motioned for her to follow him and his partner to the opened door. The trio walked down the cramped hallway, passed the sealed windowless cells, and stopped at the closed steel door at the end. The gruff guard opened it and led them down another hallway before making a left-hand turn to reach the cell block. The chatter within the block continued unabated until The Wrecker came into the prisoners' sights as she was escorted to the main pathway that traveled in a straight line between the rows of cells built into the left and right walls. The moment she appeared, every single juvenile present turned silent and as still as statues, allowing a sudden deafening silence to fill the block. With the veteran guard in front of her and the younger one behind, she allowed them to escort her down this pathway at a slow but steady peace. The gruff guard's steps were calm and cautioned, while his counterpart's were nervous and slightly shaky. The Wrecker's footsteps, however, were purposeful and stable. Every part of her demeanor, from her clenched fists to her unwavering stature, showed no weakness. As she walked, the prisoners in their cells watched her with both curiosity and fear in their eyes, minds, and hearts. They had heard the stories, some of them had even witnessed that woman's violent actions. Knowing all of this, the very notion of her being set free, and the terrible possibilities that came with it, filled the prisoners with dread. This was especially true for those few who had their own violent intentions for when they were also set loose.

After all, if they were to incite her wrath...

The Wrecker and her escort arrived at the departure station near the exit, where the woman manning the station quickly went to work upon glancing at who was now standing at the other side of her station's protective glass. She grabbed a wooden box with two hands, lifted it onto the table next to her, and reached into it with her right hand, all in clear view of the now former prisoner and the guards watching her closely from each side. After rummaging around for a moment, the woman pulled one item after another out from the box and placed them on the counter in front of her that was built just under the glass. She then pushed each item into the two-way receptacle built into the counter, allowing The Wrecker to see them on the other side. As each item appeared, the woman noted what they were with calm professionalism;

"One three year-old charged smart phone in good working condition. One small notebook with assorted drawings in good condition. One wallet containing a single valid motorcycle license. One photograph with a black cover and brown frame in good-"

As the lady noted the items, the former prisoner grabbed them and put them in her pockets one-by-one in a slow and careful pace. But, when the photographed was referenced, she hastily grabbed it with both hands before the worker at the station could finish her sentence. Slightly startled but not at all concerned, the guards kept their watch going while the woman went on after taking a quick breath;

"Condition. That is all of your personal effects. As a reward for your consistently good behavior, the Warden has ordered for sixty dollars to be placed into your wallet to help get you started. This has already been done and you're encouraged to count them. A bag will be provided for the framed photo, if you wish."

The Wrecker nodded her head in silent agreement. Soon enough, a white bag very much like the ones found in grocery stores was passed through the receptacle, which was grabbed by the younger guard. He then opened it up and aimed it the lady under his watch, his hands slightly shaky out of nervousness. After gazing at the concealed photograph, The Wrecker carefully placed it in the opened bag and firmly took the bag's handles into her right hand without a fuss, much to the guard's relief. She then pulled the wallet out from her pocket, opened it, and checked the money inside. The veteran watched the whole situation play out with his sharp discerning eyes and found no signs of trouble. With that settled and the wallet returned to its satisfied owner's pocket, he led the others to the exit doors, which were locked by a security system that only guards could operate via the wall panels placed to the left and right of the doors. Pulling out their key-cards, the two guards walked over to the panels and swiped the cards through the card slots built into them in perfect unison. This caused the doors to be unlocked, the loud sounds of metal gears spinning from within them being proof of this. After turning around to check on who they had the task of returning to the outside world, who stood as still as a statue while staring daggers at the ext, they turned back around and pushed the doors open, allowing the infamous Wraith of the Streets to leave the detention center at last.

It was a beautiful day outside, nearly evening time when going by the sun's position in the sky. The Wrecker was led to a nearby parking lot, specifically the one reserved for visitors and any outgoing prisoners who have rides waiting for them. There were a few cars of different types, makes, and conditions scattered about, but what had caught the so-called wraith's eyes was a vehicle tailor-made to stand out in a crowd. It was a motorcycle, a chopper to be precise. It was built with midnight blue steel that shined in the sunlight, a black driver's seat made of fake leather, black hand grips on the handlebars, and two dark-grey tires on the front and back. Two midnight blue saddlebags were attached to a space on the sides just above the rear wheel. The Wrecker couldn't help but express how impressed she was by this sick ride with a loud whistle, getting the guards' attention when they, too, were gazing at the vehicle. Startled for a moment, The older guard let out a rough chuckle before commenting with a smirk;

"You got good taste in bikes, kid. I'll give you that."

The two law enforcers moved closer to the bike and visually inspected it while the younger one of the two explained, his earlier nervousness eased a bit by the sight of the vehicle;

"This was sent to you by an anonymous benefactor, to be used by you when your sentence was up."

The veteran finished with a grunt and a frown;

"We've already inspected the bike. After confirming it to be safe for use, we kept it under lock and key until now. Yes, it is fueled up and ready to go."

He looked back over at The Wrecker before adding with a renewed smirk;

"Think of it as part of your final reward for behaving so well. With that said..."

He coughed loudly and declared with a professional tone and neutral expression;

"With no black marks on your prison record earned during your entire sentence, consider your full criminal record wiped clean of felonies, demerits, and so forth. Commit a felony again and it will stay on your criminal record. Do you understand?"

The woman with the black cowboy hat nodded in silence once more. The veteran then pulled out his key, which prompted her to raise her cuffed hands up to him. It took him only a few seconds to unlock the cuffs and remove them, setting her hands free. The younger guard then suggested, albeit with some hesitancy;

"A-as per standard protocol, we can use our police car to escort you to your next destination if you wish, but we can't go further than that."

After staring at the guards in silence for a few seconds, The Wrecker walked over to one of the saddlebags, opened it up, and placed the white bag inside before closing it. She then got onto the bike and inspected it further. She was quick to recognize the distinct lack of key. Thankfully, before she could even think to get agitated, the gruff old guard called out;

"You're gonna need this!"

She looked over at him just in time to catch him tossing the key over to her, which she skillfully caught with her right hand. Wasting no time, she gave the bike a much closer inspection. It appeared to be a stereotypical chopper, but she had to be methodical to catch any unique traits or bike parts that she would have to work with. Thankfully, nothing of the sort came up. So, after about a minute of inspecting, she inserted the key into the ignition slot and gave it a good twist. She then grabbed the hand grips with each hand and twisted the right hand, causing the bike's engine to come alive with loud pride. Just from the sounds the engine was making, she could easily tell that it was already warmed up;

"Fueled and ready to go indeed!" The Wrecker thought to herself with a tiny smirk that existed for half of a second before vanishing. The young guard asked her with a loud voice that he hoped could cut through the engine noise;

"Are you sure you don't want us to escort you?!"

She turned her head to look at each of the guards and slowly tipped the front of her hat's lengthy brim to them without saying a word. Before they could react, she aimed her gaze forward, got her feet into position, and with another strong twist of the right hand grip, caused the bike's engine to roar again. This prompted the guards to create some healthy distance between them and the former inmate, giving her plenty of room to maneuver. With a skilled rider's hand and experience, she slowly turned the bike towards the empty path between the parked cars and followed it towards the driveway in a safe pace. She stopped on the driveway itself, just short of the road beyond. After looking both ways, she drove onto the road and left the detention center entirely. The guards watched her drive out of sight without saying a word, the younger of the two sighing out of intense relief, while the older one grunted and thought to herself;

"Good behavior or not, protocol or not, I can only hope that letting that woman out was the right call..."

As The Wrecker herself zoomed down the open road, she took a moment to enjoy her newfound freedom by feeling the wind blowing on her bandaged face, her goggles making for excellent eye protect. Amazingly, her hat refused to leave her head. Sadly though, not even the wind could blow away the old fury that simmered within her as she kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead. It was that fury that drove her to make a certain declaration in her mind, the same one she gave for all of the other people she had hunted down in the past;

"Sunset Shimmer... Your past comes for you."

Rainbow Dash's Bedroom

Sunset was suddenly knocked out of our meditative state by a terrible chill that shot up her spine like an invisible rocket, causing her to gasp. Her eyes went wide with surprise as her breathing became short and audible. It took her a good five seconds to resettle herself, breathing and all, before she recognized a prominent feeling of dread simmering within her gut. Once her breath slowed down to its regular rhythm, she told herself aloud with a fearful frown;

"I feel like something terrible is coming..."

She stood up on her sleeping bag and looked out the bedroom window, which showed the sun as it slowly inched closer to the horizon. With her gaze locked on the outside world, she added while expressing genuine worry on her amber face and in her voice;

"and by Celestia, I hope I'm wrong."

Juvenile #448: The Wrecker - Freed from prison.

Author's Note

As of now, a wraith approaches...

Next chapter: The CMCs strike back, Wallflower faces our fab girls once again, and The Wrecker makes an interesting stop on her journey.

Now, for the answer to the previous chapter's Equestria Girls Lore Challenge:

The earthworm referenced in said chapter was Colonel Wigglesworth, Apple Bloom's pet worm who, along with his wormy friends, turned out to be an adorable unwitting pawn in the Flim-Flam Brothers' schemes. You'll find him the Season 2 short "The Cider Louse Fools".

Those two deserved better!