The next morning in CHS. One minute before the first bell.

Wallflower sat at her desk in homeroom while being nervously silent as Cranky Doodle kept watch on the students from his desk. What was causing her nerves to flare up, besides the very thought of socializing with a person for longer than a minute, was what she wanted to do after school. She knew that something like this worked before. Even so, the idea of speaking with Rainbooms again, this time at their usual table, made Wallflower feel a great deal of fear. Granted, this fear was mitigated a bit by the success she had earned through her previous conversation with the girls. It had only been a couple of days since then and she was still amazed at herself for facing down the real, and powerful, feelings expressed by two Rainbooms back-to-back! Regardless of her clear progress, the gardener was still deeply afraid of the possibilities;

"Can I keep this up?"

"Will I make a mistake?"

"If so, how would the girls react?"

"What if I hurt them again?"

"Will I-"

The first bell of the school day rang out throughout the classroom and the hallway beyond its closed door. This had the effect of knocking Wallflower out of her head and back into reality, much to her relief. Contending with her inner turmoil was frequently terrifying for the girl. Sensing his cue, Cranky Doodle stood up from his chair, walked over to the door, and opened it up to check for any stragglers. Within moments, he moved out of the way of the opened door to make space for Tree Hugger, who came into the room with half-opened eyes and a mouth that showed neither a frown or a smile: a neutral expression. The other students, Wallflower included, looked over at her with curiosity in their eyes. Cranky Doodle was just as curious, for he noted with a grunt;

"I won't harp on a student for being a few seconds late, but I'm wondering what kept you busy."

Tree Hugger turned to face his almost-permanent frown and explained with her seemingly natural calmness;

"Some unexpected trouble at home delayed me, Mr. Doodle. I won't be late again though."

With another, somewhat satisfied grunt, the teacher nodded his head and motioned for the hippy to take her seat, which she did by walking over to the vacant desk to the right of Wallflower and sitting on its chair. The plant-lover kept her eyes fixed on Tree Hugger, her curiosity growing by the second. Thanks to her getting to know the peaceful girl through Sunset, she couldn't help but think of two key details;

"She's never been late to homeroom before now... Heck, I've never seen her show that kind of expression before!"

Before she could think further, however, Tree Hugger's eyes found hers. At that moment, the hippie's neutral frown turned into the utterly relaxed smile that most people in CHS could recognize with ease. Most of the time, this would be the part when Wallflower would sharply turn away out of fear and nerves. She felt that strong urge to do so as those two negative feelings flared up once more...

But, turning away from a potential conversation was what the old Wallflower Blush would do. Today's Wallflower took a different approach.

She kept her eyes locked on Tree Hugger's and tried to show her a smile of her own. Of course, this one was laced with nervousness and genuineness mixed together in a blend that showed multiple levels of awkwardness. This did not seem to faze the peaceful girl, however, for instead of cringing and looking away like Wallflower expected, her relaxed smile grew a little bigger as she nodded her head in silence, as if acknowledging, perhaps even approving, of the gardener's attempt. Recognizing the positive result, Wallflower's nervousness eased up enough for her to lower her guard. At that moment, the relaxing vibes being generated by the hippie's peaceful demeanor slipped their way into Wallflower, which contributed to her growing sense of ease. But, before she could so much as say hi, Cranky Doodle, having returned to his desk after closing the door, cleared his throat to get the students' attention. Once all eyes were on him, he began to speak clearly while sounding perpetually grumpy;

"Okay, class, let's get down to business."

After a short pause, Cranky spoke further;

"First thing's first: Attendance..."

He grabbed his attendance list, which was written on a piece a paper, and called out;

"Wallflower Blush!"

"Here," Wallflower declared with a raised hand. Cranky, after briskly adding a check next to her name on the list, continued;

"Bon Bon!"

"Here!"

"Lyra Heartstrings!"

"I'm here!"

"Twist!"

"Right here, sir!"

This process went on for about a minute or so until everyone was accounted for. No one was absent, which pleased Cranky, although his face hardly showed that fact. As for Wallflower, she looked back on the days when she was invisible and mentally thanked the stars and Mother Earth that, at the very least, the teachers saw her long enough to mark her as present in her classes!

Once Cranky finished going through the itinerary, the students in homeroom quickly started chatting amongst themselves over a variety of topics. Thankfully, they were keeping their voices down to indoor levels of volume, so they didn't draw their teacher's ire. Wallflower, after taking a quick breath, looked over at Tree Hugger, who was breathing slowly and quietly with her eyes closed, her entire face exuding peace with effortless ease. As much as she didn't want to interrupt what was clearly a quick meditation session, Wallflower's curiosity got the better of her. While being careful to not raise her voice too high for the hippy's sake, she told her nervously;

"I-I have a question for you."

Tree Hugger opened her eyes and turned her head to face the gardener. She showed no sign of agitation, frustration, or even minor annoyance on her face, her peaceful smile refusing to vanish. Before Wallflower could react, she responded calmly;

"You are wondering why I was late to homeroom today."

The once-invisible girl's eyes grew wide for a moment as she nodded in silence. The lady of peace answered simply;

"I'll explain myself, but I want to talk to you and the Rainbooms about this. After school in your far out garden, perhaps?"

Well, that couldn't have lined up better in Wallflower's mind! She could face at least one Rainboom and get her answer in one go! She figured it best to wait anyway, since whatever was on the hippie's mind, it was clearly important enough to involve the girls and her. The gardener gave her a nod, which prompted them both to discuss other topics, with nature being their major focus. Tree Hugger's earlier neutral expression remained vivid in Wallflower's mind as they talked.

After school, in Wallflower's garden.

The Rainbooms and Wallflower were all grouped together in the latter's uniquely crafted office. Wallflower herself sat at her desk, with Derpy and Roseluck standing at her sides. They all sat and stood in silence, with Rainbow Dash being the most visibly frustrated, what with her arms crossed and her right foot tapping repeatedly. With a loud annoyed groan, she exclaimed;

"What's taking them so long?!"

Applejack, with a roll of her eyes, responded out of equal annoyance;

"Really, RD? We've only been 'ere for five minutes!"

The perturbed speedster sighed audibly before admitting;

"I know! But, Tree Hugger, Trixie, and the squirts said they'd be here by now and I don't want us to do this without them!"

"Such is a feeling we all share, Rainbow Dash," Rarity added with poise while showing her friend a smile built for soothing minds. She quickly added a clear hint of sternness to her voice, however, when she noted;

"But, given the importance of the business at hand, it would behoove us to utilize a reasonable amount of patience."

Before Rainbow could make another grumpy retort, however, the CMCs came running into the office before stopping to stand before Wallflower's desk. With bright smiles shining on their faces, Apple Bloom spoke to the older girls around them on her club's behalf;

"Sorry we took so long! We were..."

She gave Twilight Sparkle a knowing smirk that her two friends were quick to mimic before finishing;

"Busy with somethin'."

Twilight, knowing exactly what the young Apple meant, smirked back at the kids, with the other Rainbooms following suit. All of this made Wallflower feel more than a little confused, but with a more pressing matter to deal with first, she opted to let this be for the moment. She watched as the CMCs gave the Rainbooms quick hugs before turning their attention over to her and her fellow Gardening Club members. With wide smiles from the trio, Apple Bloom greeted Derpy first while giving her a look full of goodwill;

"Howdy there, Derpy! How's little Dinky doin'?"

The bright eyed girl's sweet giggles filled the office with ease before she replied happily;

"She doing great, actually. She just started making a drawing of all of her friends!"

She gave the CMCs a wink before adding;

"That includes who she calls 'the coolest movie club around'."

The kids couldn't help but blush bashfully, with Scootaloo scratching the back of her neck with her right hand while the others showed their approval of this development. Their sisters, in particular, gave them grins filled with pride, with the others following suit. As much as Wallflower wanted to get down to business, she refused to make this moment about her, when it was about three of the people who she was relieved to call her friends. Those same friends looked over at her and, with beaming smiles, declared in enthusiastic unison;

"We see you, Wallflower!"

Just like that, the weapons-grade cheer produced by the Canterlot Movie Club was fired directly into the being of Wallflower Blush. She could feel that cheer ease her troubled mind and wrap around her heart like a fuzzy blanket that carried love in every speck of fuzz, minus the itchiness. Thankfully, this feeling did not have the intensity of Pinkie Pie's seemingly magical happiness. So, she was able to process it, and her genuine gratefulness, without her body going haywire. Wallflower gave the kids a tiny nervous smile that only seemed to make theirs brighter. The others, having recognized the meaning behind their words, couldn't help but grin at the gardener, with Pinkie and Sunset being especially happy for her. The kids turned their attention to Roseluck, with Sweetie Belle saying;

"I hope you and your grandma are doing fine, Rosey."

Her friends nodded their heads in agreement as Roseluck nodded back at them with an appreciative smile. At that moment, Trixie had arrived with a great leap into the room, her flare for theatrics cranked up to a high level;

"The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie has arrived and this time, she won't miss a thing!"

The others looked over at Trixie to catch her striking one of her choice dramatic poses for added effect. As she did this, a certain hippie walked up to her left side while commenting with a peaceful tone of voice, her peaceful grin and lidded eyes on full display;

"Your showmanship is enjoyable to watch as always, you proud soul."

After moving her body into a standing position, Trixie responded with a smug smirk and a matter-of-fact tone;

"You know brilliance when you see it, Tree Hugger, for Trixie is reason enough for Trixie to be proud."

The Rainbooms, CMCs, and Garden Club members all felt, and held back, the urge to groan over Trixie's behavior, with Wallflower thinking to herself while shaking her head;

"How I managed to befriend someone as arrogant as Trixie Lulamoon, I will never know."

She thanked her lucky stars that she didn't blurt that thought out as Trixie walked up to her and declared to Wallflower with confidence and goodwill, her bombastic mannerisms placed to the side;

"Trixie was not there for you when you faced the wrath of Pinkamena. But, now, Trixie can correct that error by being here for you today."

"We're here for you too, Wally!" exclaimed a fired up Scootaloo before she and her two pals gave each other fist bumps to further affirm their continued presence in the office. Tree Hugger showed Wallflower a genuine smile as well as a peace sign with her right hand in silence, making it clear that she had the same goal. Moved by this show of support, the gardener expressed her gratitude to the five girls who stood before her;

"Thank you."

She looked around the room and extended that gratitude to the others;

"Thank you all."

Sunset, after taking a moment to think on her words, called out to the group;

"Now that everyone is here, we can proceed."

She focused her eyes on Wallflower and asked her calmly;

"Are you ready for this?"

The once-invisible girl sliently glared at each Rainboom present before focusing in on Sunset and declaring with a voice made slightly shaky by her rising nerves;

"As ready as I can be..."

Recognizing Wallflower's nervousness, Rarity quickly came up with an idea that she presented to the group with clarity and grace;

"Now, we could step up to confront Wallflower ourselves, as Pinkie and yours truly did before. But, I propose that this time, we let dear Wallflower pick who among our band she wants to face today."

The remaining Rainbooms pondered this quietly, giving the Garden Club's founder time to at least try to reign in her suddenly terribly inflamed nerves. She stood up from her set at the desk like a rocket, her eyes wide with surprise. While trying, and failing, to steady her breath, she thought in a growing panic as she shut her eyes tightly as if a bright light had suddenly shined in them;

"Wait, she wants ME to choose this time?! I haven't thought of who I want to face before now! Oh, what am I gonna do?! Will I make the wrong choice?! What even IS the wrong choice here?!"

Her panic grew faster by the second, along with a headache that was stabbing her head like a sharp knife from the inside. Instinctively, she held onto her head with both hands for dear life. But, before she could completely spiral out of control, she felt two sets of arms wrap around her shoulders like a warm blanket, stopping her panic in its tracks. She opened her eyes and looked to her sides to find that Roseluck and Derpy were hugging her tightly, with the latter giving her a large smile that was both sweet and dopey in equal measure. The former took this chance to remind her panicking friend;

"Remember what Sunset taught you."

She spoke with a kind of soothing gentleness that could settle down a thunderstorm. As if in direct response, Wallflower's mind, as rattled as it was by her nerves and panic, allowed a single mental voice, the voice of Sunset Shimmer, to echo from within with utter clarity;

"When you feel terribly stressed, worried, or panicky, what you can do is stop, take a deep breath in..."

She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath at a slow pace while making sure to feel her belly rise. She finished this just in time for her mind to give her additional instruction;

"Hold it for a moment..."

She held onto her breath while recognizing that her headache was losing its severity, enough for her to let her hands fall to her sides. As soon as she did this, the inner voice of her friend told her to finish;

"And breathe out."

As she allowed an audible exhale to be let loose, she could feel her head losing much of its earlier tension, the mental chaos from her panic having subsided considerably. Recognizing that the danger had passed, she opened her eyes again and looked around. She quickly noticed that the other girls present were all giving her genuine supportive smiles that varied in strength. Obviously, Pinkie Pie's and the CMCs' were the strongest smiles shown. Feeling relieved, Wallflower hugged her two friends in return while softly declaring with a grin that was slightly larger than the one she used before;

"I'm lucky to have friends like you in my life."

The CMCs gushed audibly over the sweetness shown by the trio of gardeners as they hugged it out, while most of the others chuckled and clapped. Applejack, in particular, belted out a hearty laugh before tipping her hat to the three girls as they broke up their group hug. Rarity then told Wallflower with a most apologetic tone of voice that was laced with dignity;

"I apologize for startling you, darling. I only intended to make a helpful suggestion, not bring chaos to your mind."

The plant-lover waved the tailor's words off with her right hand before noting to her calmly;

"It's okay, Rarity. I just didn't expect to even consider the idea of picking who I want to face today. But, when that idea got into my head, I..."

"Overthought it to a considerable degree?" Twilight added thoughtfully, to which Wallflower responded by sharply turning her head to face her and ask;

"That happens to you too?"

With a knowing smile filled with helpful intentions, the scientist explained;

"My mind loves to analyze and reanalyze facts and possibilities so intensely, that frankly, it can be quite the loud vital organ at the worst of times."

The gardener was so surprised by the lavender girl's understanding that she didn't stop herself from blurting out;

"My brain can get really loud when the mean thoughts pop up!"

Suddenly, she felt everyone's concerned glares aimed squarely at her as she instinctively covered her mouth with both hands to shut herself up before she could blab any further. Fear, that often irrational feeling, rose from within her mind within moments of her unintended admittance. But, before it could take hold of her, Pinkie Pie asked her with worry in her normally bubbly voice;

"Are those mean thoughts popping up now?"

When Wallflower looked over at Pinkie, she was stunned by the prominent concern on the party planner's face. Thankfully, her hair had not lost any of its poofiness. She quickly noticed the worry being shown and shared by the other girls. Not wanting to let this stand, the gardener slowly lowered her hands to let them rest at her sides while she quietly checked her mind. Much to her relief, the dark thoughts that would normally torment her were not present at the time. So, with a sigh, she answered;

"No... not right now, anyway."

Relief filled the room as the girls who surrounded Wallflower exhaled their tension away. Applejack, while giving the green-haired girl a calm contemplative glare, noted gently;

"We ain't judging ya' none, missy, and we're mighty glad that your mind is in a decent place."

"We can have one of us step up instead of you picking, if that helps," Sunset offered thoughtfully. Wallflower could tell that no one present was putting pressure on her to make one choice or another. Somewhat relieved, she thought about her options for a few seconds before reaching her decision. She knew this would be hard on her, but no one ever said that facing the music would be easy. With a slightly shaky voice, she declared;

"I'll pick someone to face this time."

The other girls' eyes grew wide with surprise, only for genuine support and goodwill to flow into them as they all encouraged their host to make her choice without being pushy. Rainbow Dash nodded her head at the gardener while showing one of her toothier smirks and crossing her arms. Applejack gave her a warm smile filled with encouragement, with the other band members following suit. The CMCs ran up to stand with Wallflower behind her desk while expressing beaming smiles powered by friendship. Trixie performed a graceful bow while gesturing to the Rainbooms themselves, her proud smirk on point as usual. Tree Hugger's smile, and entire demeanor, oozed with a special kind of peace that flowed into Wallflower's being so gently that she barely noticed it until tension that didn't even know was in her body had started to ease up. She turned her head to look at each of her two garden buddies, who were also giving her smiles that were bright like the sun. Fueled by all of this silent encouragement, Wallflower quietly pondered her options;

"Let's see, I've only got five more Rainbooms to face, although I'm sure I'll have to follow up on Rarity and Pinkie Pie later. But, which one should I face today? Which one feels right to me?"

Just then, she felt something from deep within herself, beyond her mind. This feeling, with gentle subtlety, silently pushed her to look over at a certain Rainboom and declare with a level of surety that surprised her;

"I choose you, Applejack."

The farmer's eyes grew wide for a moment before a small smirk that hinted at pride appeared on her face. The other girls showed various reactions. The other Rainbooms, for example, appeared to be shocked for a few seconds before acceptance and support ruled over their faces. Trixie was visibly intrigued by this choice made by her green-haired friend. Tree Hugger raised her eyebrows for a brief moment before letting them rest while keeping her eyes fixed on both girls. Derpy and Roseluck patted Wallflower's shoulders to remind her that they had her back. The CMCs revealed themselves to be a tad nervous as they looked at Applejack and Wallflower repeatedly. Apple Bloom, in particular, couldn't help but think to herself;

"Oh, Nelly... Their talk is gonna get mighty heavy real quick like!"

Speaking of the older Apple, she slowly walked up to stand in front of Wallflower's desk while the others made sure she had room to reach it. The two girls locked eyes on each other as Applejack revealed with a hearty chuckle;

"It couldn't have been easy for ya' to make that choice, missy, but ya' did it anyway."

The gardener was bewildered by the fact the she had earned a compliment from one of the Sonic Rainbooms, of all people! But, she quickly recollected herself, just in time for Applejack to speak again, this time with a more serious tone of voice, her smirk replaced with a frown;

"Let's get somethin' straight before we get into the nitty-gritty: Ah try my best to be an honest Apple."

With that one sentence, she had gotten everyone's attention. The farmer took her hat off of her head with both hands and held it to her chest. While gazing at her trusty headgear and letting a whole slew of memories flow freely through her mind, she elaborated with calm certainty;

"Ah was born into an honest family, raised to be honest, and Ah'll still try to be honest long after them Eternal Hills call for me."

Apple Bloom gave her big sister a wide smile full of love as Applejack went on;

"Make no mistake, Wallflower, Ah'll be real with ya'..."

Her grip on the brim of her stetson tightened considerably as she declared with a raised tone and increased surety;

"But, Ah won't be cruel to ya'."

Hearing this was a relief to the plant-lover, even as that horrible voice in her mind tried to distract her with terrible notions. But, before it could express so much as a single notion, Applejack looked back up at her with fiery green eyes and explained with politely restrained familial passion;

"Honesty without tact can turn into cruelty faster than a pig can eat his lunch, and my Ma', Pa', and Granny never raised no tactless Apple!"

Apple Bloom's smile grew wider and her eyes sparkled with delight as her big sister took a deep breath before proceeding with a calmer voice while fixing her gaze squarely on Wallflower;

"So, Ah'm gonna say a few honest truths. Ah won't belittle, insult, demean, or bully ya'. But, these truths will be real and, like it or not, they're probably gonna hurt."

Oh, Wallflower did not like the sound of that last part one bit! Before she could react, however, the farmer added with a more thoughtful tone of voice, the fire in her eyes replaced by a soothing softness;

"With that bein' said, Ah ain't gonna force ya' none. So, if ya' don't feel ready to take what Ah gotta say right now, just say so and we'll put a pin on it for later."

To say that the gardener was tempted by Applejack's offer was a gross understatement. The cruel mental voice took this chance to sway her in its own insidious way;

Those truths of hers will make you cry and run, you little coward! It's best that you say no now and save yourself the embarrassment.

As if in direct response to such mental devilry, three more voices echoed in Wallflower's mind. They were young, energetic, and full of hope;

Ah know ya' can face the truth, sugarcube!

You've done it before and you can do it again!

You've got courage, Wally, and that's awesome!

The vile voice was about to make a twisted retort when yet another voice, her own voice, spoke with absolute surety;

I'm done running!

That feeling from within, along with those far more pleasant voices, gave Wallflower the push she needed. With a deep breath to ready herself for what she was sure was going to be a verbal and emotional storm, the once invisible girl told Applejack with confidence that was slowly becoming a stronger part of her makeup;

"Bring them on."

The people around her were clearly moved by her show of courage, with Rainbow Dash exclaiming out of excitement and goodwill while pumping her right fist near her face;

"Ohhhhhh, you go, Wallflower!"

Applejack's eyes went wide for a moment before she gave the gardener an appreciative smirk. Wallflower's growing nervousness could be seen all over her face, even as kept her rear planted on her seat. The two stared each other down for a few seconds until the farmer's smirk vanished as she sighed audibly. With a serious expression in full effect, she began to speak;

"Ah get why ya' felt invisible, missy."

If that dark voice in Wallflower's head was trying to interrupt her focus, it was failing miserably as she kept her attention locked on Applejack as she continued;

"Most folks weren't givin' ya' the time of day in our school, even when ya' were in them big public events."

She shook her head before adding softly;

"That ain't right..."

The caretaker of plant-life truly appreciated Applejack for being so understanding, but she knew that she was far from done. As if proving her right, the Apple gave her a narrow glare and went on while placing her hat on the desk between them;

"The youngin's told me that ya' at least tried to talk with folks when ya' were havin' this problem. Good on ya' for tryin', Ah'll grant ya' that. But..."

A hint of anger was added to her voice as she declared with an even narrower glare, her hands resting on her sides;

"We both know what ya' did every time ya' messed up in a conversation though. That ain't right either..."

Applejack's hands tightened into fists before she finished with a low growl, her anger growing in strength from within her mind and heart;

"And neither is turnin' the whole dern school against one girl, just to make her feel as miserable as ya' did."

The gardener's deeply rooted guilt became terribly inflamed, but it did not have power enough to match the motivating feeling inside that she could not name. She watched with internalized dread as Applejack's anger spiked in a most striking manner. It drove the furious Apple to raise both of her fists up to the ceiling before slamming them onto the table with a fearsome thud that made her hat shake a little, Wallflower almost jump out of her seat, and the others flinch. Without letting anyone around her respond, Applejack yelled out at the frightened object of her fury;

"Tell me when Ah'm tellin' lies!"

Fear and guilt gripped Wallflower Blush's heart and mind with the tightness of vines. Both of those feelings were vividly expressed through her mannerisms and face. Such a sight was reason enough for the others to feel for her. Most of them showed their worry and understanding on their faces. Tree Hugger's peaceful expression remained steadfast, but she would not deny herself her internal feelings. Not even Applejack's anger could obscure Wallflower's predicament from her sight. Upon seeing the girl she was confronting look down to the side with a face full of remorse and terror, she took a moment to let her anger subside before saying with a soft consoling voice;

"Ah overdid it. Ah'm-"

"No."

Wallflower raised her right palm up to Applejack as she spoke with a voice that was stable and remorseful, interrupting her with ease. With a heavy sigh, she elaborated;

"You told the truth and you were not cruel to me over it. I know that what I did was wrong..."

That silent, encouraging feeling from before pushed her to look Applejack in the eye while letting her hand rest on the table, in spite of her powerful negative feelings. With a sure glare and a louder voice that was filled with the certainty from before, she added;

"But, you needed to say it, just as much as I needed to hear it."

Without conscious thought, she gave Sunset a glance so quick that only she had caught it before returning her attention to the wide eyed farmer and finishing;

"So, you've got nothing to apologize for."

It seemed, to Wallflower, that surprising herself was going to be a trend for that day. Upon realizing what she had just done, she promptly covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with shock and fear. She expected Applejack to at least give her a judgemental glare, but she saw nothing of the sort on her face. Instead, she saw a soft smile laced with understanding that was made more evident by her gentle nod. The other girls showed their support of the pair with smiles of their own, watching with rapt attention as Applejack asked;

"May Ah ask ya' a question?"

Wallflower nodded her head while keeping her hands on her mouth, prompting the farmer to ponder for a moment before speaking again while gesturing to the desk with her right hand, a serious frown replacing her smile;

"If the Memory Stone was on this 'ere desk right now, would ya' use it again?"

Within half of a second after that prime example of a loaded question was uttered, tension rose within the wooden office like a rocket. The other girls were notably stunned by what they had heard, but it was Rarity who verbally reacted while sounding as aghast as she looked;

"Darling, don't you think that asking that question is inappro-"

"Hold on, now!" Applejack exclaimed with carefully restrained authority and seriousness while keeping her gaze fixed on Wallflower, who's hands had just fallen to her sides while she stared blankly at her, her mind lost in a raging sea of thoughts and her breathing slightly erratic. Sensing her honest friend's good intentions, but still no less concerned, Rarity stopped speaking and nodded her head in a dignified fashion to demonstrate the trust she had in Applejack. The other girls followed suit, with Wallflower's garden buddies gently rubbing her shoulders to keep her from spiraling out of stress. Her mind, at that moment, was being rocked every which way by the sea of thoughts. Not all of those thoughts were helpful;

We all know ya' ain't gonna use that vile stone anymore!

Oh, please! Of course you would use it now!

You're way too awesome to run from your problems!

Don't kid yourself. You'll always be a coward!

You have a good heart and you're listening to it now.

You were cruel before and you'll be cruel again!

Applejack looked closely at the internally conflicted silent gardener as concern rose within her Apple heart. The others were not that far off by comparison, with a tiny hint of worry breaking through the peacefulness on Tree Hugger's face. Silence crept into the room as all eyes watched the still as a statue Wallflower, who was not having much luck with calming her loud mind;

You wouldn't fall to the stone's temptation, so says the Wise and Correct Trrrrixie!

You would fall from the moment you see the stone!

A muffin made for a friend is more fulfilling than that scary stone will ever be!

You'd use the stone on your friends in a heartbeat!

Come on, girl! You've got better things to do than use that piece of trash!

You're the piece of trash who would use that thing!

You are so much better than the stone and who you used to be!

You ARE who you were that day!

The mental cacophony raging in Wallflower's head had reached a fever pitch, forcing her to tightly grasp the sides of her head and shut her eyes in a futile attempt to get some measure of comfort. The world around her was almost impossible for her to sense. She recognized the voices of some of the other girls, but they were muffled by the chaos within;

You won't use it!

Yes you will!

You won't use it!

Yes you will!

Before a splitting headache could attack her head, however, a fragrance had wafted into her nose. It was gentle, soothing even, a much needed distraction from the war inside her head. It was also, much to the delight of her heart, familiar. Wallflower, out of instinct cultivated by her life, took a deep whiff of this fragrance and allowed it to flow freely into her body. The voices in her mind became softer and softer until they grew silent after the third sniff. Her hands fell back to her sides once more and after opening her eyes, she gazed upon the source of her comfort with relief all over her being. It was Tree Hugger, who was showing Wallflower a truly caring smile. She held up to the gardener's nose with her right hand a flower with white petals and a yellow marking on the lower petal. The sight of this plant made the troubled girl's eyes sparkle as she slowly declared with a soft voice;

"Eyebright..."

The brightness in the hippie's smile grew in strength when that word was uttered. As Wallflower's mind and body returned to a state of ease, Applejack told her in a way that was genuinely apologetic;

"Look, Ah ain't expectin' ya' to give me an answer right away. Certainly not now."

The plant-lover looked around and saw that the girls were gazing at her with goodwill and support in their eyes and smiles. Some smiles, like Derpy's and Pinkie's, were larger than others, but they were all genuine. She then returned her focus to the eyebright. With gentle care, she took the flower from Tree Hugger with her right hand and held it in her fingers. While gazing at the plant, she admitted with a resigned sigh;

"I don't know."

Everyone's attention was locked on Wallflower as she stood up from her seat, walked passed the desk to stand at the center of the office, and explained while refusing to move neither the plant in her hand nor her gaze from it;

"I know that stealing other people's memories is wrong... I know that making people feel as terrible as I do won't help me grow or heal... I know that running from my problems won't make them go away..."

She tightened her grip on the flower's stem, closed her eyes, and declared with a pained voice and a short breath;

"But..."

She willed her breathing to become slow and steady again before finishing with a calmer voice that lost none of its pain;

"When I think about whether or not I would use the Memory Stone again if I had the chance... I... I can't come up with an answer."

She spun around to look right at Sunset with a pleading expression, the tear ducts in her eyes filling with water as she asked;

"Does that make me a bad person?"

Suddenly, there was a long list of folks who wanted to hug Wallflower right there and then. But, Applejack decided to use words instead. With a caring smile and honest intent, she walked right up to the gardener and told her;

"No, it don't, missy."

Wallflower sharply turned her head to look at the farmer as she added while stopping to stand close to her face;

"That just means ya' got somethin' that needs figurin' out."

With carefulness and grace, she took Wallflower's hands into hers while taking care to avoid damaging the eyebright and told her something that was as truthful as the goodwill in her green eyes;

"Ya' take all the time ya' need to find your answer, ya' hear?"

There was something about seeing Applejack's eyes up close that made the haunted young lady feel safe. Safe enough to let a truth of her own leave her mouth without resistance;

"I will," she uttered calmly, even as a tear or two left her tear ducts. Applejack let out a satisfied smirk before releasing her grip on Wallflower's hands. The latter expected her to walk away, but instead, she used her right thumb to gently wipe the tear stains off of her face before returning to the desk while Tree Hugger moved out of her way. The others beamed bright smiles at the farmer and gardener, with Derpy and Roseluck clapping and whistling in support of their club leader. Sunset, in particular, gave her two friends a proud nod. After reclaiming her hat and placing it on her head once more, Applejack turned around to face Wallflower again and declared with pride;

"Ah gotta say, you've been honest with yourself today. It ain't the first time ya' done that."

She gave the CMCs and Trixie a knowing grin when saying that second sentence, to which they responded in kind. After returning her focus over to the botanist, she added with a heavy sigh, a softer voice, and a hint of sadness on her face;

"With that bein' said, Ah'd say it's my turn now."

Everyone else in the room knew exactly what she was going to talk about. So, they all showed Applejack respectful silent attention, the other Rainbooms especially. The young Apple took her geode, which hung around her neck via a necklace, into her right hand and held it firmly. With eyes closed and an open heart, she admitted with a voice laced with an old regret;

"Ah don't know what hurts the most: What ya' did to the school... or what we did to Sunset."

Right when those words were spoken, Wallflower looked around the room to find a sight she wished she never had to see. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle all laid bare that same regret through the sadness they showed on their faces. Pinkie's hair almost completely deflated and Twilight had to take her glasses off to wipe her tears. It was all Rarity and Fluttershy could do to hold back their tears. Rainbow Dash had put up a tough front, but it was already starting to crack. Sunset, ever the understanding sort, looked upon her dearest friends with her own sadness in her eyes. As much as she wanted, needed to cheer them up, she knew that Applejack needed this chance to speak her peace more. So, as much as it pained her, she stood still and watched the honest Apple in silence. Trixie gazed at each of the girls who were once her enemies with concern, same for Derpy and Roseluck. The CMCs were about ready to hug the emotional pain out of their favorite band, but held themselves back to give Applejack time to push forward. Tree Hugger grasped her hands together and brought them up to her chin before closing her eyes. In her mind, she made a simple, yet heartfelt request;

"Universe, please help these radical girls to never forget the goodness in their hearts."

Applejack, after tilting her head down to look at the grass below, spoke once more, her regret oozing from every word she uttered with her soft voice;

"We could have listened to her, ya' know? Taken her words and the evidence she showed us into consideration... But, we didn't. Not the first time around, anyway."

She tightened her grip on her geode before adding;

"Yeah, we did stand up for Sunset and save the day in the end. That much, Ah can say with pride. Ah just..."

She tilted her head back up to look at Wallflower with sorrowful eyes and declared while doing her very best to not cry on the outside;

"Ah just wish Ah hadn't let my pain keep me from seein' what my heart never forgot!"

The farmer squinted her eyes shut while turning her head to look down at her right side. In spite of her best efforts, a single tear dropped from her eyes and onto the grass below, causing Rarity to gasp and Rainbow's eyes to grow wide. Now more than ever, Wallflower herself wanted to do something to help Applejack. After all, she too knew how it felt to carry guilt inside. But, before she could say anything to comfort her, Applejack spoke softly;

"But... ya' know what?"

There was something about that voice, the pure stubbornness that it exuded, that drove the gardener to silence. Good thing too, for the Apple had picked that moment to raise her head up to face Wallflower again, this time with eyes set ablaze by renewed fire. She then spoke from the heart with clear and fierce passion;

"Ah'll do what Ah can to make sure that nightmare never happens again! To heal the pain inside this 'ere heart of mine instead of hurtin' folks over it!"

The farmer pounded her chest with her right hand to emphasize that last part as she spoke and finished without a moment's hesitation;

"If that means facin' down a whole pack of lies told by my own brain, then Ah'm comin' after 'em with my hammer!"

It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone around Applejack was moved by her words and steadfastness. Tree Hugger moved out of her praying stance and gave the farmer a warm supportive smile. Speaking of smiles, the CMCs were practically firing happiness lasers at the fired up Apple with theirs! Many of the others showed Applejack their approval with grins and nods of their own, with most of the Rainbooms being especially happy for her. Pinkie, being Pinkie, opted to bounce in place with absolute glee while waving around pink pom-poms that she most likely had acquired from the mysterious depths of her now fully poofed up hair. As for Wallflower, the farmer's words struck a chord in her for a specific reason. It was this reason, combined with the feeling she could not yet name, that pushed her to blurt out before a single conscious thought could be formed;

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do, word for word!"

As if on cue, she covered her mouth with both hands again, her nerves sharply rising to considerable heights. Before they could overwhelm her, however, Applejack walked over to Wallflower and, while dishing out one of her larger smiles, gently placed her hands on hers and lowered them off of the plant expert's face. Recognizing her fear and confusion, the young Apple told her simply with goodwill strengthening her words and hope shining in her green eyes;

"And that... is the honest truth."

There it was again, that sense of safety that Applejack's eyes instilled within Wallflower. She could not, for the life of her, figure out why they did this to her, but she wasn't going to complain about it. Relieved that this conversation worked out as well as it did, and grateful to everyone for the help they gave her, she couldn't, or rather wouldn't, resist the happiness that overtook her negative emotions. Emboldened by this happiness, she let out a sweet yet nervous smile that was somewhat larger than normal.

Just like that, the tension from earlier had been kicked to the curb in favor of jubilation!

The girls cheered and laughed in celebration while walking up to the pair. The CMCs were among the happiest and loudest, with Apple Bloom belting out a loud and proud;

"YEEEHAAAW! That's how it's done, Apple Family style!"

Wallflower and Applejack were taken aback by the sudden noise and praise, the former especially, but they were quick to show their appreciation. The older sister gave Apple Bloom a high-five, while Sunset made sure to give the once-invisible girl a loving hug, which she happily accepted. Wallflower still couldn't quite think of a name for that feeling that helped her. But it didn't do her any harm, so she opted to let it be for now as she and Applejack received hugs from even more people in the office.

One large hug session later...

The girls had decided to sit together in a circle at the center of the garden to rest up a bit. After being involved in that emotionally intense talk between Applejack and Wallflower, they certainly needed the respite! The Rainbooms sat together, as expected, with Wallflower sitting between Derpy and Roseluck at an area opposite of the band. Trixie and Tree Hugger sat to the Rainboom's left and the CMCs to their right. They were all chowing down on muffins provided by Derpy, which were fluffy and delicious. As they munched on their tasty snacks, Rarity took this moment to praise the pair for their handling of the earlier conversation;

"You two spoke your truths with such grace, darlings! I am proud of you both."

The pair felt their hearts lighten a little thanks to the tailor's kind words. Scootaloo turned her head to look over at Tree Hugger and tell her with a smirk;

"That was smart of you to calm Wally down with that flower. She loves plants, after all."

The hippie smirked back at her and responded in a most chill fashion;

"I figured a little aromatherapy would do her mind wonders, especially if it came directly from a plant."

As Wallflower internally basked in the memory of the eyebright's aroma, Rarity focused her gaze on Applejack and told her with a somewhat stern tone of voice;

"I will admit that you did tackle the situation with the bluntness of a hammer, but that turned out to be the apropos approach in the end."

The farmer chuckled before responding calmly;

"Sometimes, a blunt hammer is a more effective tool than a precise blade. Depends on the job, really. But, Ah do get why ya' were so worried earlier. Ya' didn't want me to accidentally hurt Wallflower over my troubles."

"Indeed, darling, and I am glad to say that you managed to avoid such a dreadful pitfall," Rarity noted before taking a dignified bite out of her muffin. Applejack, not wanting to leave any loose ends be, looked over at the gardener and began to ask;

"Just to make sure, did Ah-"

"No, you did not hurt me with your words," was Wallflower's simple yet truthful response, which she delivered just before going back to munching on her muffin. The eyebright flower from before was now resting between her right ear and her head, thus acting as a lovely piece of natural decoration. There was something off about her voice that Fluttershy was quick to notice. With nervousness and concern mixed together on her face, she noted with her traditionally soft voice;

"Um... Wallflower, I don't mean to be rude, but you sound a little... drained."

Sunset, who had also noticed this, made sure to explain to the group;

"Take it from me, being honest about difficult subjects, especially the personal ones, can make a girl feel tired in the head."

Rainbow Dash took this moment to tell the increasingly attentive Wallflower with a confident smirk that showed a hint of understanding;

"Yeah, what you and AJ did today was awesome! But, it's hard to stay awesome when you're tired."

Twilight, recognizing what the girls were getting at, finished for them with a supportive grin aimed right at the green-haired lady;

"So, we won't mind if you want to take a break before you face someone else."

Before this conversation began, Wallflower was focused entirely on eating her muffin and existing, all to replenish the mental energy she had used up earlier. Hearing the girls' words, however, had given her mind an extra boost that was just enough for her to say to them with a grateful tone of voice;

"Thanks for that, I do need a break. Facing Applejack's honesty may not have been as intense as facing Pinkamena, but it was still intense."

Trixie saw an opportunity to brag and promptly took it. Only, this time, it was not about herself;

"Yes, and you endured that intensity with such steadfastness that even Trrrrixie was moved!"

She then gave Applejack some praise as well, albeit begrudgingly;

"Trixie admits that you, too, did an amazing job. She supposes that you may yet fulfill your Pinkie Promise one day."

While her annoyance was all over her face, Trixie did let a small appreciative grin slip through her armor. She got a tip of the hat from Applejack for that and the complement. Pinkie Pie, while looking right at Wallflower and Applejack, chimed in with her usual brand of exuberance, her uniquely bright and bubbly smile lighting up the area;

"I'm super-duper proud of you both! I wanna make some fun and delicious cupcakes to celebrate!"

As if to drive home her claim, she took a mighty bite out of her muffin. As she made adorable noises while chewing on her snack, Twilight spoke up while looking at Tree Hugger, her own muffin resting on her lap;

"I'm glad that Applejack and Wallflower talked things out so effectively, but now I'm curious as to what you wanted to speak with us about. Something that made you late for homeroom, based on what Wallflower told us earlier."

The hippie nodded at the scientist with a peaceful smile while the other girls focused their attention on her. Even Wallflower followed suit, her mental exhaustion having not entirely overridden her curiosity. She did hope she wouldn't have to talk for a while, though. Tree Hugger closed her eyes and breathed in a slow and quiet fashion. She did this for a few seconds before opening her eyes again. Without further ado, she began to speak her peace with a calm voice;

"Every morning, one of the first things I do when I wake up is partake in an early morning meditation session to prepare my mind for the day ahead."

A frown slowly broke through the peacefulness that normally held fast on her face before she went on;

"Now, when you meditate, things come up. Thoughts, memories, feelings, and more..."

Her words, combined with that rarely seen frown, made the others feel concerned, with Apple Bloom asking her with worry in her eyes and voice;

"What was it that came up for ya' this mornin'?"

Tree Hugger closed her eyes and breathed deeply, audibly this time. With an equally audible exhale, she explained;

"It was not a memory, for I had never seen this before, and even now, my gut is telling me that it was more than just a thought..."

Rainbow Dash, who was never known for having a vast supply of patience, exclaimed out of clear annoyance;

"Well then, spit it out already!"

"Rainbow Dash, it wouldn't hurt to let the lady finish in her own way," Rarity noted to her out of politely expressed indignation. Thankfully, this exchange was enough to get Rainbow to quiet down, allowing Tree Hugger to continue with a layer of seriousness added to her voice, her eyes still shut;

"I saw icons... the iconography that people like you righteous ones bare with pride..."

Hearing that really got the girls' attention, especially Sunset's. After pausing for a moment, the hippie went on;

"They were floating side-by-side just above a grassy hill. The sky was blue and clear. The wind was calm and birds chirped from afar. A truly peaceful scene..."

Her tranquil smile returned for a moment before the frown replaced it again when she added;

"What interfered with that peace was a dark and fearsome storm that loomed beyond the hill, lightning striking the ground with reckless abandon and thunder roaring with the fierceness of a mother bear. Yet, the icons stayed together, facing down the storm and all its might even as it came within inches of hitting the hill."

Fluttershy had to hold back the urge to hide behind her long flowing hair out of fear, while the others showed various levels of nervousness and worry. Tree Hugger, her frown holding strong, spoke some more;

"The storm slowed down to a stop as three pairs of giant turquoise eyes glowed ominously through the dark clouds."

The fear in the other girls grew stronger, with the CMCs holding each other for comfort as their friend opened her eyes, looked upon the circle of Wondercolts, and went on while focusing her gaze on Twilight Sparkle;

"One pair expressed an uncaring cold drive..."

Twilight and Sunset felt their right hands clench into fists without direct input from them. Tree Hugger turned her gaze onto the CMCs;

"One pair revealed a hateful, vengeful wrath..."

The kids gulped in fear as the hippie started to look at each Rainboom present, one at a time;

"And one pair blazed with a willingness to judge and punish..."

She took another breath, sat in silence for a second or two, and finished;

"A lightning bolt struck the ground before the icons, causing a wall of fire to tower over them, all of which made me almost jump out of my meditative state. It took me a good while to recover."

The girls pondered what they had just heard in silence. It was Twilight who made the first comment on the matter;

"It sounds like either your imagination had gone wild or... what you saw was a warning of some kind," she said with narrow ponderous eyes before sighing and adding with a frustrated groan;

"I normally take far more stock in empirical evidence than in bizarre creations of the mind. But, you don't come off as a liar and what you have said is... unsettling to me. Too unsettling to dismiss outright..."

As the intellectual's mind went through multiple scenarios at a time, Tree Hugger chimed in, her calm seriousness still holding strong;

"The way I see it, sooner or later, you girls will be tested. Perhaps more harshly than ever before..."

Recognizing the growing tension within the group, not to mention the fear and nervousness shown by the girls, she gave them a genuinely tranquil smile and advised them, her voice filled with peace and good intentions once more;

"But, do not let fear cloud your minds, my friends. You have faced difficult challenges in the past and have grown from triumph and setback alike. I know in my heart that you will triumph again."

Her words got through to the girls, as evidenced by the renewed confidence in their eyes. Most of them smiled back, with Rainbow Dash letting out one of her confident smirks. Twilight, with a grateful nod, added to Tree Hugger's point;

"Fear can often make a person paranoid and paranoia inhibits reason."

At that moment, Scootaloo jumped into the conversation with some encouraging words and rekindled exuberance;

"It doesn't matter what kind of test comes up, we'll ace it with flying colors!"

The others chuckled and giggled over the daredevil's positive behavior, with Tree Hugger clarifying;

"All that I suggest is that you girls keep your senses sharp and be ready to show your hearts when it counts."

Sunset smiled warmly at her peace-loving friend and responded sweetly;

"Sound advice, Tree Hugger."

Even as she spoke, the hippie's warning echoed in her head;

"A willingness to judge and punish..."

The mare of two worlds was reminded of just how glad she was to not be that kind of person anymore...

Later that day, on the streets of Canterlot City

The CMCs were taking a stroll on the sidewalk, with their sisters keeping pacing from close behind. The kids were carrying three long wooden boxes, one for each of them, via the short handles that they held in their right hands. All six folks felt pretty relaxed, thanks to their walk. Applejack, with an appreciative smile, declared with joy;

"It's mighty nice to have a relaxin' stroll with our kin."

"Quite right, darling," Rarity noted in agreement while giving Sweetie Belle a quick loving glance before returning her eyes to the path before them. With a growing smile of her own, she added;

"It has been too long since we last did something like this together."

"You got that right, sis!" exclaimed a happy Sweetie Belle, her smile as bright as the sun. Her two friends' smiles were not that far off from hers in terms of brightness and sheer joy. Apple Bloom was quick to express that joy verbally with a quick hop;

"Ain't nothin' gonna ruin this 'ere walk for us!"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo said with pure certainty and a fist pump to the sky to match. She went on to say without even thinking about the possible consequences of her actions;

"Not even Gil-"

Thankfully for her, Rainbow Dash had caught on to what was happening in time to take preventive measures;

"Don't tempt fate, Scoots!" she told her hurriedly while her eyes darted left and right to check for a certain Griffon's presence. Scootaloo recognized what she had almost done and promptly shut her mouth while letting out a sheepish grin. Her sheepishness only grew in strength upon seeing the narrow glares from her two friends.

Unfortunately for these six ladies, however, fate had no need for temptation that time.

The girls walked towards a nearby alleyway on their side of the street. They would have walked passed it without a care in the world, if they had not caught sight of Gilda. Once they did so, they froze in place before turning towards the alley to see what was going on. Of course, they made sure to not step into the alley itself or make a single bit of noise. Now, they figured, was the time to investigate. They were quick to notice that GIlda was talking to a person they could not see in a clearly threatening manner;

"You know, little girl, you should be more careful with your muffins..." she said with wicked false concern in her voice. The six girls quickly guessed in their minds who she was talking to, their righteous anger rising to the surface. The CMCs gazed at each other, their hands noticeably twitching. After having one of their silent conversations, nodded in agreement before carefully hiding themselves behind the building to their right. They then placed their boxes on the ground without making too much noise and began to prepare. The little girl who was in front of Gilda and out of the students' sight whimpered sadly;

"Please, don't squish Nana's muffins..."

"Dinky!" was the horrified thought the students had at the same time. The CMCs hastened their quiet efforts while their sisters slowly walked up to Gilda's back. The bully remained unaware of what was about to come her way as she continued to terrify little Dinky;

"I mean, all it takes is one..."

She slowly raised her right foot up off of the ground;

"Little..."

She aimed her boot over the bag of muffins that Dinky was covering with her arms, protecting them with all of her heart while looking up at Gilda with terror painted on her face. Just then, when the bully was about to finish speaking and give the muffins, and Dinky, a good stomp, three furious voices yelled out from behind her;

"Gilda!"

The Griffon froze in place for a moment before slamming her foot back down to stand straight. With an annoyed grumble, she turned around to give Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash a death glare. To say that they simply looked angry would not do the righteous fury they were demonstrating justice. Frustrated, yet curious, Gilda asked them;

"Who is that brat to you, anyway?"

That 'brat', upon hearing the trio's voices, felt her terror get vaporized by relief and joy as she happily watched Rarity respond with a combination of propriety and restrained anger;

"A fine young lady who need not be troubled by miscreants such as yourself."

"We'll give ya' one chance to walk away with your dignity intact," declared a deadly serious Applejack, her fists clenched and ready for battle. Rainbow Dash then told the brute with a low growl that spoke of an anger older than the band she was proud to hang with;

"Step. Off. Now."

Emboldened by the older girls' words and steadfastness, Dinky told Gilda off as well;

"You better be nice or no muffins for you!" she exclaimed, prompting the bully to turn right around to catch the little one performing her best take on Rarity's stiff upper lip, 'humph' sound and all. As much as the trio wanted so badly to laugh at Gilda's expense and shower Dinky with praise, they knew they had to keep their mouths shut. After all, the bully was being momentarily distracted, which was exactly what they had hoped for. With a careful pace, they moved out of the way to make room for the CMCs, who walked up to stand in their place. Gilda, unaware of the quiet substitution, gave Dinky a venomous remark;

"Those muffins probably taste like trash anyway. Besides, if you keep yapping, someone's bound to shut you up."

Just before she could even think to do or say something else, she felt three strong forces hit different spots on her back hard enough to make her jump out of surprise. As she turned around to find that the CMCs were the source of theses forces, she immediately recognized three facts about what was being fired upon her: They were consistently strong, ice cold, and wet.

Very, very, wet.

Even as the constant stream of pressurized freezing wetness assaulted her body, Gilda quickly saw that the kids were blasting her with colorful squirt guns that looked more like battle-ready weapons than simple toys for children. Apple Bloom brandished a squirt pistol that she was firing with her right hand, Sweetie Belle dual-wielded squirt sub-machine guns, and Scootaloo held a squirt rifle with both hands. The water they were unleashing upon her, the bully realized, was a genuine problem. By themselves, the ammunition fired by the CMCs' playtime weaponry would have been manageable for her. But, when fired together, the combined water pressure and considerably cold temperature forced the Griffon's body to dance and spin about uncontrollably. Gilda's frequent attempts at verbal protests could be heard through the dispensing of liquid justice, but no actual words could be discerned. This fierce attack upon her person, and her increasingly drenched clothing, gave Dinky enough time to grab her bag of muffins and run over to the CMCs to hide behind Scootaloo. As she ran, she noticed that each club member was wearing a different addition to their traditional ensembles. Apple Bloom wore a black tricorne hat, her pink bow hidden underneath it. Sweetie Belle bore a black bandana that covered much of her head, her two-toned hair pocking out just below it from behind her head. Scootaloo rocked a pair of black-tinted sunglasses that hid her eyes from view. Their faces exuded determination and focus, even as their hands continued to twitch while they fired their weapons at the flailing bully. The trio pressed their attack for a few more seconds before stopping, allowing Gilda to finally get her body back under control. She turned back to face the trio of kids and stood still. Well, about as still as she could be while shivering due to the cold water that dripped from as high as her shoulders. She took a moment to check herself, only to discover two details. For one, none of the kids' shots had hit her head or face. Not only that, but her entire outfit, even her bomber jacket, was utterly soaked. She was already outraged, but hearing the amused giggles of Dinky only added to her anger. She instantly gave the little one, who was poking her head out from the right side of Scootaloo's body, a glare that made her ill intentions abundantly clear, which prompted Dinky to hide behind the movie buff out of renewed terror. Gilda glared at the three older girls with pure hatred in her eyes before making an attempt at getting up close to them. She could only take one step forward, however, before the kids fired their squirt guns again, this time at the ground between them and their adversary to form a line of drenched concrete. Having stopped Gilda in her tracks, the CMCs pointed their guns right at her chest. Their aim was steady, in spite of their hands being so twitchy. Apple Bloom declared to Gilda with confidence, determination, and a narrow glare;

"Movie Club Rule Number Six: Never let fear or hatred drive ya' to cause pain."

"We won't let you bully anyone again!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, the squeak in her voice somehow making her sound more resolute. Scootaloo, feeling pumped, told Gilda while looking her dead in the eyes and revealing a knowing smirk;

"Yeah, and as for your revenge..."

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, who were previously standing at the sides to give the kids room to do their thing, walked over to stand right behind them while giving the Griffon three intense glares filled with an unending desire to protect their charges, their arms crossed for full effect. As if on cue, Scootaloo finished while she and her two friends let out three smug smirks;

"You won't get it!"

Gilda gave each Wondercolt present a disdainful gaze, with special attention and fury aimed squarely at Rainbow Dash and the CMCs. But, before she could so much as make a single rancid remark, she got knocked down onto the concrete face-first by a speeding Derpy, who had rushed down the alleyway with reckless abandon while looking terribly worried. The other Wondercolts were visibly surprised by this for a moment before happiness over seeing their friend covered their faces. Derpy stopped for a moment to look down at the face-planted Griffon and told her hurriedly;

"I'm sorry!"

She then made a beeline for the CMCs while barely managing to avoid tripping over Gilda's body. Little Dinky recognized Derpy's voice and was instantly filled with joy, relief, and unconditional love;

"Nana!" she exclaimed while running up to her from behind Scootaloo. Clearly relieved, Derpy got down on her right knee and held Dinky's shoulders when she got close enough. After giving her forehead a sweet little peck that made the child giggle happily, she asked out of pure concern;

"Are you hurt, little one?"

Dinky shook her head and explained;

"Gilda caught me and tried to stomp on the muffins!"

She raised her muffin bag up to her chin before continuing with a hurt whimper;

"She was being so mean to me!"

Wasting no time, Derpy stood back up and turned to face Gilda as she tried to get back up, with Dinky quickly running to hide behind her right leg. With disappointment in her crossed eyes, the girl told the bully;

"Then I'm not sorry."

As the pair turned to walk towards the other girls, Rainbow Dash let out a loud and proud;

"Ohhhhhhh!"

The others smiled approvingly at the both of them. By this point, Gilda had gotten back up and was standing straight while refusing to dignify Derpy's comment with a response. Recognizing that she was both outnumbered and outgunned, she gave the girls one more death glare before stomping down the path opposite them in a huff. The group watched her closely until she was out of sight. Once the coast was clear, Dinky gave the muffin bag to Derpy and pounced on the CMCs with tight giggly hugs while exclaiming;

"Thank you for protecting me!"

The older girls gushed over how adorable she was being as she made sure to hug Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity as well. During this time, the CMCs' hands stopped twitching, thanks to the danger having passed. After the hugs were delivered, Dinky looked up at Derpy with sparkling eyes and told her with a bright smile;

"Friends are wonderful to have!"

Everyone around her agreed with that sentiment, even if that agreement was not revealed vocally. Derpy then told her with a voice that was as stern as her frown;

"I look away for a moment and you run off on me. You could have gotten hurt, Little Bubble."

The sparkles in Dinky's eyes instantly vanished. An apologetic frown replaced her smile as she looked off to the side while shuffling the ground with her right foot out of visible shame. She responded with soft sadness in her young voice;

"I'm sorry for running off. I just wanted to explore."

Derpy couldn't stay mad at her for very long after hearing that. Hardly anyone present could. A forgiving grin formed on her face as she lovingly played with the little one's hair with her left hand while holding the muffin bag with her right. Thinking it best to give Dinky some helpful advice, she told her;

"I'm glad you enjoy exploring so much. But, don't forget to explore with a buddy you can trust."

The bubbly child thought for a moment before exclaiming with a giant smile and a happy hop;

"Like my friends and Nana!"

"The squirt gets it!" Scootaloo noted with a smirk. Apple Bloom then took this opportunity to ask the kid;

"Now, why were ya' carryin' them muffins around?"

She looked right at the youngest Apple and told her excitedly;

"Nana Derpy baked those muffins for a party we're going to and I wanted to keep them safe!"

Derpy inspected the muffins before declaring with appreciation for the child's efforts in her voice;

"Thank you for watching over the treats, they are in good condition! Although..."

She gave her little charge a smirk before finishing;

"It would have been safer to give them to me before running off."

Dinky giggled sheepishly in response to that comment. Applejack, with a hearty chuckle, declared to everyone present;

"Well, seein' as how everyone's safe and sound now, Ah say we escort Derpy and the sugarcube to the party before we continue our walk."

Rainbow Dash gave her a thumbs up, while Rarity nodded her head while showing a polite grin. The CMCs, by start contrast, celebrated the idea with a triple high-five, or rather, a quadruple one, for Dinky had joined in on it by jumping up to reach their hands with glee. It wasn't long before the group traveled down the sidewalk together, with Dinky riding on Applejack's shoulders with the biggest smile on her face. The CMC's smiles were just as bright, their hearts made lighter by a job well done. Even so, they kept their squirt guns held firmly in their hands, ready to strike at Gilda again if she were to cause more trouble for some innocent soul.

They weren't the only ones who were ready to strike.

Laying down on the roof of the building to the left of the alleyway was a certain watchful sort who was clad in urban camouflage and a large hood. Armed with a camouflaged slingshot that was fully loaded with a small padded rubber ball, they watched the group of girls walk by with a satisfied grin on their face. While holding back the urge to chuckle in celebration, they thought with relief flowing through their being;

"And here I thought I had to give those kids backup."

They looked over to the horizon beyond the city with calm determination on their face, the mind calculating a slew of potential plans;

"Knowing that ingrate though, I will have to soon..."

Meanwhile, at the outskirts of Canterlot City.

The roadside bar situated along one of roads that led to the city proper was no stranger to quiet days, when the flow of customers was hardly plentiful. Thankfully, it also had its fair share of busy days, enough to keep the lights on. The bartender was busy cleaning one of the glasses while keeping watch on the bar itself, which was devoid of patrons. His patience, to his relief, was strengthened considerably by his time working there, so he felt no frustration, let alone the urge to smash a bottle on the table. The bar contained a whole slew of round tables with wooden seats of reasonable quality and comfort, a dart board on the wall to the right of the door, a large flat-screen TV hanging on a spot on the wall to the left of the counter, a pair of bathrooms in the back, and a wide variety of empty bottles displayed on the wall behind the counter. The TV was playing a local news bulletin concerning a recent string of grave robberies. Right when the bartender finished cleaning the glass and tucked it away on a shelf under the counter, the bar's front door flew open, revealing a new customer. Now, he had been on the job for many years, so he had seen all sorts of people, from the mundane to the bizarre, walk through that door. But, he had never seen the likes of this person, who walked up to the counter and sat on one of its stools while carrying an air of intimidation with their silence. Their hat was ripped right out of the old cowboy films from the days of black & white television and their black goggles with red-tinted visors gave off some subtle steampunk vibes to the provider of beverages. The dark grey wrappings that covered their head, neck, and ears made them look like no troublemaker that he had ever seen before. Heck, he couldn't even tell if this person was a man or a woman! The matching fingered gloves and orange prison uniform seemed entirely normal by comparison, and what was that box on their neck for anyway? This person, to him, was clearly a former prisoner. Most likely an escapee, if he had to guess. But, he wasn't entirely sure of this, so he wasn't going to call the cops on them right away. That, and he never turned down a customer for no good reason. So, he gave them his usual greeting with a polite voice that hid his growing nervousness;

"Welcome to the Trotting Horse. How may I help you?"

Strangely enough, they reached into their pants pocket and pulled out a smartphone. An old model, by the bartender's reckoning. They tapped on it with their right index finger at a brisk pace for a little while before placing it down on the table with the screen facing up. They then turned it around so that the screen was not upside down for him. Curious, he looked at it to see that the phone's notepad app was active. It revealed a single message that the customer had typed up:

Lemonade. Large. Chilled.

An odd way to place an order, but not unheard off in the man's eyes. At this point, he figured that this customer was mute or, at least, they had difficulties with vocal communication. Seeing no harm in accommodating them, he walked over to the fridge behind him and opened it up to grab a bottle of lemonade. Soon enough, the oddly dressed customer was quietly drinking their lemonade from a large glass, their phone stashed in their pocket once again. Suddenly, another patron walked through the front door. By comparison, this one was wearing a rather mundane outfit and it was easy to tell that this was a man. He walked up to the table and sat on the stool to the right of the other customer. He then called for the bartender;

"I'll have the same as her."

"How does he know that this is a woman?" he asked himself while his eyes darted between the two of them. Friends? Drinking buddies, maybe? Eh, it didn't matter that much to him at the time. Like any good bartender, he'd listen to his customers whenever they needed to spill their guts out. But, if they paid fairly and behaved well, then he wasn't going to pry too hard on their personal matters. While he went back to grab the lemonade bottle, the guy quietly pulled something out of his pants pocket, placed it on the table, and slowly slide it over to the silent woman, who angled her head slightly to get a good look at the item. Once his hand left the item, it was clear to her that this was a small white envelope. It had no address, postage stamp, or any other kind of marking, it was as blank as an empty page in a newly bought journal. As she stared at the envelope out of pure curiosity, the man whispered to her while keeping his eyes on the bartender;

"My boss told me to expect to catch you here."

"Abacus Cinch, I'd imagine..." the woman figured in her head as the man went on;

"Now, I don't care to know what she wanted me to send you. I've done my job, so I'll enjoy my drink and be on my way."

With the matter apparently settled, the silent lady took a large gulp of her lemonade, placed it on the table, and slowly took the envelope into her left hand. Once she stuffed it into her pants pocket, she finished her drink, gave the bartender fair pay for his trouble, and left the bar without uttering a word.

She drove down the road on her chopper bike far enough for the bar to be well out of view behind her before parking it on the right side curb. After turning her head to look around for any potential eavesdroppers, she pulled the envelope out of her pocket and ripped it open from its back. She carefully pulled its contents out and held them in her right hand to take a look at them. They were, in fact, two items. The first was a small piece of ripped notebook paper that showed a list of different addresses and names. Given where she was going, she had figured that these would be useful for her hunt. So, she pocketed the list with care and inspected the second item. It was a single photo of respectable quality and was clearly well cared for, for it bore no fingerprints or creases. Whatever it was that the photo depicted, the sight of it had suddenly inflamed an old festering rage within the woman. Her right hand threatened to crush the photo under her fingers and her teeth were grinding each other left and right. Old painful memories played out in mind, which only made her rage even stronger. It was so strong, in fact, that it became quite tempting for her to just let herself roar and howl to the sky above. For one whole second, she saw red through more than just her goggles as a memory flashed before her mind's eye;

Tears. Streaming down a sweet soul's face.

Yet, she managed to hold her fury in check with steady breathing and focus, her eyesight returning to normal. She recognized that rage would not help her at this point. So, after taking a few more seconds to cool down, she put the photo in her pocket as well, made her chopper roar in her stead, and drove back onto the road. As Canterlot City came into view, memories of her past actions, of justice rightly delivered, kept her motivated to stay the course, to investigate before making a move on her quarry.

After all, The Wrecker would not be who she was if she wasn't thorough.

Author's Note

Wallflower has faced Applejack, the CMCs have struck back against Gilda, and The Wrecker has been given something that has added fuel to her fury!

I know, the chapter is long, but since it tackles three of the major plots in the story, it kinda had to be lengthy.

Next chapter: We check in on the Rainbooms' house fixing efforts, CHS is rocked by a major surprise (points at the story's title), and Coco experiences a memorable work day.