The next morning, during history class.

"One of the fascinating aspects of Princess Platinum's reign over the Crystal Kingdom was who had protected her. Not only did highly trained guards watch over her, but she was also personally guarded by the Crystal Knights: three mysterious knights who held quiet vigil over the Princess."

Silverstream listened with enthusiasm fueling her focus, her eyes sparkling with delight over what Ms. Cheerilee was relating to the class. The only times she pulled her attention away from the teacher was when she was writing down notes in her notebook. She gazed at Cheerilee with wonder in her eyes, more than willing to learn more about these knights she spoke of. The rest of the class also showed clear interest as their teacher turned around to face the chalkboard and grab a piece of white chalk. As she began to draw on the board, she explained;

"No one knows where they came from or who they were underneath their ornate royal armor, but when going by the evidence that historians have found, we do know that the Crystal Knights had stayed by Platinum's side whenever possible. No assassin could harm her, no beast could end her, and no corrupt royal could manipulate her. Not before answering to the Princess' knights."

Through well-practiced restraint, Silverstream kept the urge to squee at bay;

"History is so fascinating and fun!" she thought to herself before recognizing something about the teacher's lecture that she wanted to look into. Once she caught a pause in said lecture, she raised her right hand with the speed of a rocket. Cheerilee stopped drawing on the chalkboard and turned around to check on the class. When she caught sight of the history buff's hand, she asked;

"What is it, Silverstream?"

Without a moment's hesitation and with clear interest on her face, the young history buff asked;

"What happened to the Crystal Knights?"

The other students showed genuine curiosity over this question as well. Seeing all this, Cheerliee's eyes lit up as she showed a soft smile that revealed her internal joy;

"Oh, to see students show such strong interest in learning!" she thought with delight before answering Silverstream's question without skipping a beat;

"That's the thing: No one knows!"

The students' eyes went wide with surprise, with Silverstream's sparkling, as Cheerilee returned to drawing on the board while elaborating, her artistic work hidden by her head and arms;

"It is well known that the Crystal Knights protected Princess Platinum until her death. However, soon after the coronation of her successor and daughter, Princess Garnet, the knights vanished from the Crystal Kingdom."

After a few seconds of silent drawing, she finished her art piece and placed the chalk on the attached bottom tray that matched the length of the board. After turning around to have her back face the artwork, she explained further;

"According to the public and private records that have been restored and preserved, the royals had tried to use gossip to spread the notion that the knights had been paid off to leave the kingdom forever. But, this turned out to be a lie fabricated by those among the royalty who sought to undermine Platinum's line. Most of the citizens, by stark contrast, were more inclined to believe that the knights had quietly retired from the public eye on account of old age or injury. Others figured that they had been killed by enemies of the kingdom."

The students silently wondered what fate had befallen such a mysterious and important trio as Cheerliee added;

"While it is true that no one knows for certain as to what became of the Crystal Knights, what is certain is that they left something behind when they vanished..."

She smiled brightly before side-stepping to the right to reveal her artwork while finishing;

"Their mark."

The students gazed in surprise and amazement at the drawing that was revealed in front of them. It was a simple drawing that depicted three heater shields placed close together to form a defensive line in front of a large colored in diamond-shaped jewel. The shields were tall enough to cover almost half of the jewel. Each shield had a simplistic drawing on their front. Shown on the left shield was the moon as it began to fall over an ocean and beach. The right shield depicted a forest caught in a raging fire. The shield in the middle displayed several sparkling stars. Silverstream looked upon the artwork with eyes filled with wonder and delight. Just before she could think to recreate this mark in her notebook, however, Cheerilee noted while walking over to her desk;

"Ah, but my crude interpretation doesn't do that piece of visual history justice."

She pulled open her desk's drawer and reached into it with her right hand;

"Which is why..."

She pulled out from the drawer a large photograph that was carefully laminated and raised it up high for the class to see it clearly. Her smile still holding strong, she finished declaring;

"I have this!"

It didn't take long for the students, even the ones sitting in the back, to recognize what the photo depicted: the mark that Cheerilee had drawn up, only it was engraved onto the front of an old and immaculately crafted throne's backrest. She handed over to Apple Bloom while requesting;

"Please make sure you take a good look at the photograph before passing it to a student near you. Everyone gets a turn."

Apple Bloom carefully raised the image up to her face to give it a close visual inspection. With wide eyes, she spoke aloud in awe;

"This looks amazin'..."

Compared to the drawing on the chalkboard, the engraved mark showed far more details and was an equal to the throne in terms of quality. Clearly, it was the product of an experienced artist's hand. Apple Bloom passed the photo over to Scootaloo, who exclaimed with shining eyes while gazing at it;

"It reminds me of the ancient treasures recovered by Daring Do!"

It was Sweetie Belle's turn to gush when she got her hands on the photo;

"The carvings alone are so lovely! The part with the stars is my favorite," she squeaked in delight. One by one, the other students all got to look at the photo and make their own comments on the knights' mark. When Silverstream got her hands on it, she barely held herself back from yelling out of joy while she inspected it;

"This is so cool!" she exclaimed as her eyes rapidly moved to examine every nook and cranny of the image. She then pondered aloud;

"I wonder why the Crystal Knights left their mark behind? To show their loyalty to the kingdom?"

Smolder, who sat directly behind her, suggested with crossed arms and a smug smirk;

"I'll bet it was a warning: don't be a punk or the knights would be back to kick butt."

Before the whole class could join in on the speculating, Cheerilee declared with a polite chuckle;

"A lot of the Crystalians from the era had a similar idea in mind, Smolder."

The class cooled down and focused their attention on Cheerilee as she moved to reclaim the photo while elaborating on her point;

"It was widely believed, especially among the royals, that the mark was indeed a warning: that those who would dare to bring harm and ruin to the Crystal Kingdom and Platinum's line would be held to fierce account by the Crystal Knights."

Just when she was really getting into her lecturing stride, however, the bell had rung, signalling the end of history class. Wasting no time, Cheerliee noted to the students as they moved to depart the classroom;

"Make sure that you study the reign of Princess Garnet, for we'll be discussing her and the first signs of the Golden Age's dramatic end tomorrow!"

Silverstream, in high spirits over the history she had learned and had yet to learn, walked over to Smolder and Gallus, who were grouping up with the CMCs as they left the room, with a big smile on her face. She held her textbook and notebook close to her chest with both arms, the eraser end of her pencil poking out from her notebook like a bookmark. Smolder and Gallus opted to carry their own school supplies in the backpacks strapped to their backs. As the group walked down the hall, she thought to herself out of pure excitement;

"Oh, this has been a wonderful day so far and it's still morning!"

Smolder commented on what they had recently learned;

"I like those Crystal Knights. Heck, I like knights in general. They fight hard and look cool while doing it in their armor."

She then threw a few punches in the air to hammer home her point. After that, she asked while holding her chin with her right hand;

"I wonder what the Crystal Knights' armor looked like?"

Silverstream made a mental note to check for references to such armor in her history textbook later as she listened to Apple Bloom chime in with an excited smile that showed a subtle sign of pride;

"Well, Ah don't wanna brag too hard, buuuuut...."

The others, instantly recognizing what their friend was about to do, mentally readied themselves for the metaphorical explosion to come;

"A few folks in my family tree were knights durin' the time of the Crystal Kingdom!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, her pride being far less subtle than before."

Silverstream gasped loudly before rushing over to stand directly in front of Apple Bloom, stopping the whole group in the hall with nothing more than her pure exuberance. With stars in her eyes, she asked excitedly with giant smile;

"Your family tree goes back that far?! That's amazing! I have so many questions!"

Apple Bloom was startled for a moment before she quickly resettled herself and, with an understanding grin, told Silverstream with soft sweetness;

"Easy now, ya' might want to take a gander at where we're at."

She did exactly that for a second before realizing two things that were of equal importance.

One: she had yelled in the school hallway.

Two: she did this while random students walked by her and the group, thus getting their confused attention.

With a sheepish chuckle, she apologized;

"Sorry, everyone. I get really excited over historical stuff."

Satisfied, Apple Bloom told the confused witnesses politely;

"We got this handled, ya'll. Ya' can go about your business now."

Those students gave Silverstream friendly grins before walking away, leaving the group of young folks behind. Silverstream got thoughtful shoulder pats and smiles from the CMCs and her fellow Griffons as the young Apple declared to her happily;

"No harm done, sugarcube. One of these days, Ah'll tell ya' an Apple Family story or two."

Sweetie Belle, recognizing that the situation was resolved, encouraged the others;

"Let's get to class before we're late!"

The group of kids walked briskly together to their destination, with Silverstream gushing in her head over how nice her new friends were. They had reached a point where the hallway they were in was connected to another one that was built sideways. This one was filled with seriously heavy traffic that was produced by other students, mostly eighth-graders and freshmen. So, they had to wait for the traffic to clear up before proceeding. Scootaloo, visibly annoyed by this development, said with a frustrated groan;

"The halls can be so busy during the morning!"

The others nodded their heads in silent agreement as they watched the long crowd of people move down the hall before them. It was while they were watching that something had caught Sweetie Belle's eye. For about half of a second, she had noticed a curl of hair that bore two shades of light blue just barely poking out from a dark brown hood. This hood was warn by someone who walked between two full grown adults: a child who looked to be around Sweetie's age and was clearly being escorted by said adults. But, before Sweetie could make out anything else, the child had disappeared within the sea of walking bodies. There was something about that hair that seemed familiar to her, yet it also made her feel uneasy for a reason she could not figure out. She stood as stiffly as the statue that stood beyond CHS' doors, silently contemplating what she had just seen. It was Apple Bloom who got her out of her stupor with a quick pat on her back. When Sweetie Belle turned to look at her friend, she saw concern on her face. Apple Bloom asked her with a raised right eyebrow;

"Is somethin' up, Sweets?"

She turned to the other side to find that Scootaloo and the three Griffons were just as concerned. With a sigh, Sweetie Belle looked back at the hallway traffic just as it was beginning to thin out and answered;

"I don't know why, but..."

Her body shuddered slightly before she finished;

"I feel like I just saw a ghost."

Hearing that made her friends more confused than anything. Smolder, with crossed arms, suggested;

"A ghost? Are you sure you weren't just seeing things?"

Sweetie took a breath while thinking on the Griffon's words;

"Maybe I was. Still..."

The traffic had cleared up, allowing the group to continue their trek to the next class. Even as she walked, Sweetie Belle was almost lost in thought;

"Why did that hair look so familiar?"

A few minutes later, in Principal Celestia's office.

"So, you see as I do, sister-mine?"

Vice-Principal Luna stood to Principal Celestia's right when she made her inquiry, her face expressing a mixture of calm and concern. Celestia showed the same feelings when she looked up at her from her seat. With a quick nod, she replied;

"I am not an expert on the mind like you, Luna, nor am I as knowledgeable on spiritual matters as Tree Hugger. But, I know some things concerning both subjects and I trust you both in this case. Besides..."

She turned to face the door to her office and placed her elbows on the desk, allowing her chin to rest on top of her hands. Her eyes filled with thought and worry, she finished;

"If our suspicions regarding what troubles Sunset and her friends are true, then we must act with care. One mistake can-"

Several loud knocks from behind the door interrupted her mid-sentence, grabbing the attention of both sisters. Initially suspecting this to be a student or staff member, Celestia motioned for Luna to open the door, which she did so while the two of them put their concerns aside for the moment. Who the Vice-Principal had seen at the door were not at all who she and her elder sister had expected to meet. It was a pair of adults, a woman and a man specifically, both of whom were about as tall as her. The man had green eyes, pale white skin, and blue hair that was styled to rock a thick pony tail behind his head. The woman's eyes had a bright amber red color, her skin was pink, and her short hair was white. Their casual clothes were simplistic and wrinkle free. Nothing to write home about, but not the sort of the outfits that would render Rarity aghast. What Luna and Celestia were paying more attention to were the two adults' facial expressions. There was calm politeness on the surface, true enough. But, the educators, thanks to their extensive experience, could easily catch the subtle yet piercing glares that hinted to them of the anger that these adults tried to keep reigned in. Hoping that a good first impression would prevent tensions from rising, let alone flaring, Luna welcomed the visitors in a dignified fashion as befitting of her position;

"Good morning to you both. I hope we can be of help to you."

The pair glared at Luna intensely for two seconds that felt noticeably lengthy to her before nodding in silence. Seeking to not annoy them, she turned and led the pair over to Celestia's desk. As Luna returned to her spot next to Celestia, the principal asked these quiet guests in her usual polite demeanor, her welcoming smile doing a fine job of hiding her growing concern;

"So, what can we do for you today?"

A second later, the woman spoke. Her voice was simple enough to figure out: calm, polite, and serious all at once. There was, however, a sparkle that shined in her eyes as she spoke, the kind that the two educators recognized as one that only familial love could produce;

"Our niece is interested in possibly returning to CHS to finish her education here."

A former Wondercolt possibly returning... That was more that enough to drive away the concern that had been growing within Celestia and Luna! With happiness taking its place, the former responded with a genuine smile;

"Oh, that is wonderful news! We'll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about our school, if it helps your niece reach a decision."

As the Principal spoke, Luna kept her eyes on the apparent aunt and uncle as they listened while standing together side-by-side. It was at this moment that she had caught sight of a curl or two of light blue hair that barely poked out from behind the uncle. It was visible from her vantage point for half of a second before it was hidden behind his back entirely. Something about that hair made Luna feel uneasy, but that didn't stop her from feeling happy to help a former student in need. So, with a warm smile built to ease tensions and hearts, she requested;

"It would help us a great deal if we got to see your niece in person. I'm sure she would very much appreciate that."

The uncle, while letting a smirk appear on his face, turned his head to his left and aimed it down while saying softly in a most encouraging fashion;

"It's okay, little bean. You can come out now."

The principal and vice-principal beamed over getting to see who they assumed was a sweet former student.

Seeing that person move into view from behind their aunt and uncle confirmed their assumption. Seeing her remove her hood to reveal her face, however, turned their smiles into looks of shock that quickly morphed into frowns. The room became full of silence and tension as Celestia thought to herself out of renewed concern;

"Sunset Shimmer, and her friends for that matter, will need to hear about this soon!"

Later that afternoon, in the halls of CHS.

Sunset Shimmer's school day started off like usual, with homeroom and science being largely uneventful. But, it was after science class that she noticed that something was off. Whenever she walked down the halls, she found that many of the students who walked passed her were talking amongst themselves, as per usual. But, there was a subtle lingering sense of unease that hovered over them, even as they talked and smiled as if all was right in the world. This was more prominent in the juniors and seniors, some of whom would give Sunset a quick concerned glance as they walked. Thinking deeply about how she could best soothe the minds of her peers, she almost didn't catch Flash Sentry when he rushed over to walk by her right side, his textbook in hand. After they showed each other friendly smiles, Sunset told him out of relief;

"Glad to see you're in good spirits, Flash."

His smile grew just a little larger as she responded confidently;

"It helps that today has been good to me. Good thing too..."

He looked around the hallway to catch sight of the other students who walked by the pair. He, too, noticed the uneasiness that hung over them like an invisible rain cloud that was about ready to release its payload upon them. With a frown and a sigh, he finished his thought;

"Since it's obvious that the school could use some support right now. It's like something's bugging the students and, from I've heard, they can't quite pin down why. I might have an idea about that though..."

He turned his head to give Sunset the kind of calm and serious look that easily got her attention. Before she could speak, he told her;

"Earlier this morning, I got called to the Principal's office. Apparently, they wanted me to warn you and the girls about..."

He sharply turned his attention to the path before him, clearly hesitant to finish his sentence. Worried for her friend, Sunset asked him gently;

"Warn us about what?"

Flash was silent for two whole seconds before sighing audibly and saying with resignation laced in his voice;

"I think it's best that I tell you all during lunch. When we're together in one place, you know?"

As curious as she was, Sunset didn't want to press him too hard. So, she gave him a nod and walked with him to the cafeteria, the unease in the school lingering in her mind.

Later, in the cafeteria.

Sunset, most of her band-mates, the CMCs, and Flash Sentry sat together at their table while enjoying their food. Sunset and Flash sat together along with the kids on one side of the table, while the other Rainbooms sat on the other side. Rarity and Sunset sat at the end of the table that was closest to the cafeteria's doors. Rainbow Dash was tapping the table with her right fingers while looking considerably annoyed. With a grunt, she asked;

"What's taking Pinkie so long?"

Applejack shook her head before noting;

"It ain't like her to be late for lunch."

As if her words had produced a pink summoning symbol covered in glitter and confetti, Pinkie Pie pushed through the doors at that precise moment. She rushed over to the table and practically leaped onto the empty seat between Fluttershy and Twilight, startling them both with ease and a gleeful grin on her face. With an apologetic giggle, Pinkie told her friends;

"Sorry I'm late! My Pinkie Sense flared up right after class had ended and it gave me the party-planning bug!"

Most of her friends smirked, snickered, and giggled over this explanation, entirely accepting of Pinkie's eccentric antics. While Twilight was also smiling, she was curious enough to ask her;

"Who are you planning a party for?"

Pinkie's smile grew wider and brighter as she declared out of excitement;

"I don't know yet!"

Now, Twilight was both curious and confused, to say the least. Just when she thought she knew all there was to know about Pinkie's Pinkie Sense, it pulls something new out of her poofy hair! Thankfully for Twilight, Pinkie already had the details lined up in her head;

"Whenever I get a hair twitch, a bouncy left foot, a right eye twitch, a left ear wiggle, and a burp in that order, that means I've got to plan a party for someone soon! It could be a new person or someone who I haven't seen in a really long time!" she exclaimed with no small amount of joy in her hyperactive demeanor. Most of the Wondercolts present, Twilight included, chalked this up to Pinkie being Pinkie. Flash, however, had put two and two together to make trouble. With a clear cough to get everyone else's attention, he began to explain as calmly as he could;

"The Principal and Vice-Principal wanted me to tell you girls that they had spoken with a visiting former Wondercolt this morning. She's interested in possibly re-enrolling into CHS."

He could feel worry grow from within him as he spoke, and it was for a very specific friend of his. When he finished speaking, he glared at Sunset, his eyes and facial expression letting that worry shine through. Sunset looked back at him while feeling quite concerned for her friend. Yes, the very possibility of a former student returning to the school excited her, but her concern tempered that excitement. The others, however, did not have this issue. Rainbow Dash, by a country mile, was the most excited. With a fist pump to the sky, a large teeth-baring smile, and loud pride, she exclaimed;

"Awwwww yeeeeaah! That's some awesome news!"

Rarity, her dignified smile revealing her happiness over the news, attempted to gently cool down her boisterous friend's exuberance;

"Try to settle down, Rainbow Dash darling. No doubt, Flash Sentry wishes to give us the details, and I'd rather you not make a scene."

Rainbow took a breath and looked around to find a whole slew of eyes gawking at the group of friends. With a sheepish grin, she settled down and focused her attention on Flash. Pinkie Pie was doing her best to not explode with joy over the news, so she opted to bounce on her chair with rapidness that nearly matched that of a jackhammer. Fluttershy and Twilight both held onto her shoulders to get her to calm down before her bouncing could break the chair. They, too, were smiling over the news. Sunset and Flash found their friends' reactions to be a fun, if short, distraction from their cares. But, once they calmed down, those cares returned in full force as they gazed at each other again with renewed worry. As for the CMCs, they beamed bright smiles full of joy for a moment before catching the worry shown on the faces of Flash and Sunset. Just the sight of this was enough to turn their smiles into frowns as Apple Bloom asked Flash the question that was on everyone's mind;

"Who is it?"

It was at that moment that Sweetie Belle thought to herself;

"Wait, she has shown interest?"

The memory of that curly light-blue hair flashed vividly in her mind, which got her to consider a possibility that was both important and unsettling. She looked over at Rarity, who was looking right back at her with eyes widened by realization. Sweetie Belle figured that her sister had the same idea as her, which made it all the more plausible to her. The pair, like the others, turned their attention back over to Flash with worry in their hearts. A worry, that, like Flash's, was focused on one person:

Sunset.

Flash looked at each of the girls and, after a moment of hesitation, he began to reveal;

"It's-"

The doors were audibly pushed open once again, interrupting Flash and prompting the group to see who had just arrived. Who they saw were three people: the man, woman, and child from earlier. The little one, a girl, stood between the adults, her hands holding theirs. This time, her hood was carried in the man's right hand, so her face could be seen by all. Simply witnessing the mere presence of the child threw the whole group into a state of shock, save for a worried Flash. Applejack slowly adjusted her hat with her right hand while softly declaring in slow awe;

"Ohhhh, Nelly..."

Rainbow Dash had to wipe her eyes with both hands to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Fluttershy tried to hide behind her hair while trying to recover from the shock. Pinkie Pie just sat there, stunned and stiff as a rock from her family's rock farm, her mouth agape and eyes wide. Twilight was also shocked to see this kid, enough to absentmindedly adjust her glasses. But, her shock was mixed with her natural inquisitiveness, which was slowly rising to the surface. Rarity was flabbergasted, her wide open mouth covered by both hands to muffle her dramatic gasp. The CMCs' reactions were not that different from Rarity's, especially Sweetie's, which was an almost perfect match with that of her sister. Sunset showed shock on her face for three seconds before a terrible realization had struck her, and her mood, like a hammer to the heart. Now, she showed a frown that revealed an old regret that was all too familiar to her mind and heart. She was sorely tempted to look away from the child out of shame. But, years of personal growth, coupled with her stubbornness, helped Sunset keep her gaze fixed on the little one as she released her grip on the adults' hands and walked towards the group's table. Flash, wasting little time, placed his left hand on Sunset's right shoulder in a silent show of support. Sunset appreciated the gesture, a tiny smile poking through her frown for a brief moment for good measure. They all watched closely as the kid walked closer to them with slow cautioned purpose in every step, the pair of adults following close behind her. As she walked, the other students in the cafeteria slowly began to take notice of her presence. The eighth graders and most of the freshmen didn't pay much mind to this occurrence. But, the rest of the students found it to be quite interesting, not to mention surprising.

After all, many of the older Wondercolts genuinely thought that they would never see that kid in CHS again!

The kid in question silently expressed calmness on her pink face, but there was a subtle intensity in her moderate scarlet eyes that made it clear to the group, to Sunset especially, that she was not in a playful mood. Her two-toned light blue curly hair bounced slightly with each step she took, a white bow tied on top of her head and angled slightly to her left bouncing with the hair. Her outfit consisted of a large red ascot worn around her neck, a lavender t-shirt with a large burgundy rook chess piece on the front, a pair of blue jeans that were a tad ripped at the right knee, and thick brown boots fit for hiking. She stopped to stand within inches of the end of the table where Sunset and Rarity sat. The girl gave the former an narrow glare that was matched by the two adults who stood with her. No anger, bitterness, or even agitation could be seen on their faces, just a calm intensity that gave Sunset pause. Her strength of will helped her maintain her composure in the face of such silent scrutiny, even as the urge to back off out of fear remained. The support she felt from her friends added to that strength, encouraging her to keep her gaze locked on the child. By this point in time, the traditional cacophony of conversations that normally rang out throughout the cafeteria had become noticeably softer in volume as more and more students paid attention to the encounter near the doors. Rarity, gazing upon the child with a knowing stare, lowered her hands from her mouth enough to declare in awe;

"Cozy Glow..."

Her voice was loud enough to be heard by nearby students, who quietly passed Cozy's identity along to their peers. The news had spread like an invisible wildfire within seconds, the shock it produced bringing the cafeteria to a rare and deafening silence. Why, even Granny Smith was watching the situation unfold from her serving counter! All eyes were on Sunset and Cozy now, who continued their stare-down. The former allowed resoluteness and regret to be shown on her face, while the latter maintained intense calmness on hers. Flash, the other Rainbooms, and the CMCs readied themselves to stand up for their friend. Many other students, including those close to the doors, followed suit, Octavia Melody and DJ-P0N3 chief among them. Everyone around Sunset, Cozy Glow, and the pair of grown-ups waited for the shoe to drop. Five agonizingly seconds had passed, during which a certain she-demon had commented on the situation from within Sunset's head;

Ohhhh, I can't wait to see how your 'friends' buck this up!

Cozy Glow, without warning, turned her attention over to Rarity, who had mostly recovered from the shock of her appearance, but was still visibly stunned. Right then and there, the kid's entire demeanor had almost instantly shifted. The look in her eyes became soft like a gentle glow and the friendly smile that formed was as cozy as a blanket. Just the sight of this eased the tension in Rarity's mind as Cozy Glow greeted her with the level of sweetness that was expected from children;

"Lady Rarity. Golly, it's been too long!"

The friendliness being exuded by Cozy Glow was enough to calm the minds of the group of students before her, at least for the most part. Sure, Sunset's friends were still ready to defend her at a moment's notice. But, now, they had hope that this situation could be resolved peaceably. This was a hope that Sunset shared with them, in spite of her regret and shame attempting to stifle it. All the same, she knew that she had to face the music as she did many times before. This time, she dared to believe, it would be through words and nothing more. Rarity, her sense of propriety rising to the surface like a bottle rocket, greeted the little one in return with a joyful smile as happy memories from days long passed played in her mind;

"It most certainly has, Cozy darling!"

With enthusiasm that was balanced by grace, she reached out to Cozy and gave her a gentle hug that was happily accepted. Flash, the CMCs, and the other Rainbooms smiled sweetly at the sight, with Fluttershy, the movie buffs, and Pinkie Pie gushing audibly. Sweetie Belle was especially happy to see Cozy again, although very much like the others, her concern for Sunset never left her mind. After releasing each other from the hug, Cozy and Rarity smiled brightly at each other before the former admitted while looking off to the side out of visible shame;

"Gee, I'm so sorry for not calling you for so long. I... I had to focus on family."

Rarity, not wanting to let her old friend's sadness slide, responded with surety, her smile refusing to vanish;

"Perish the thought! I missed you terribly, but I was certain you had your reasons for not reaching out."

Cozy Glow, after a moment's hesitation, looked back at Rarity to show relief and gratitude in her renewed grin, although it was smaller than the big and bright smile from before. Applejack, with an understanding and hearty chuckle, told the little one;

"Ya' were puttin' family first and for a good reason, Ah reckon. Ya' must have a lot of love for your folks."

The others nodded in agreement, their smiles genuine and strong, although Sunset's was slightly strained. Cozy Glow's smile grew three sizes upon hearing Applejack's words. With sparkling eyes, she exclaimed;

"Uh-huh! I love my whole family lots and lots!"

She hammered her point home by spontaneously giving the two adults near her big hugs full of giggles. Of course, given her size, all she could hug were their legs. They rewarded her sweetness by playing with her curly hair while giving her loving smiles. The entire scene was simply adorable, but try telling that to Sunset's she-demon, who remarked as Cozy went back to talking with Rarity;

Who's going to buck up first, Sunny? I'm putting money on Rainbow Dash bringing back the No Offense joke!

Sunset Shimmer refused to dignify that rancid comment with a response as she kept her focus on the situation at hand. She caught Cozy looking at the students around her while noting excitedly;

"Wow, I see so many familiar faces and some new ones too!"

Now, it was their turn to feel more at ease, as it seemed like all was going to be well from their perspective. Cozy turned her attention onto the Rainbooms and noted;

"Last time I was here, you girls were separated..."

She took a quick glance at their footwear before adding;

"and you wore really tall boots."

Cozy then looked over at Twilight and said;

"I never saw you here before though."

After the girls had a quick laugh over the past, Rarity responded with a nostalgic smile;

"Well, much has changed since you last walked CHS' halls, and not just our ensembles."

Pinkie Pie announced with glee;

"For one thing, we're all friends now!"

Confetti exploded from behind her back as she let out a big dopey smile and raised her hands to the roof, her closed eyes adding to the joy she expressed. No one dared to ask where the confetti came from. Rainbow Dash chimed in with gusto and a confident smirk;

"Not only that, but Sunset went from being a bully to being awesome!"

Sunset enjoyed hearing her demon growl out of annoyance in her mind almost as much as she enjoyed the support she was getting from her friends, not to mention what they were inferring. A friendly grateful smirk started to grow on her face as Fluttershy added softly with somewhat less timidness than usual;

"Um, we'll understand if you're still mad at her. Just know that she won't hurt you ever again."

Cozy gave the Wondercolts who spoke up a wide-eyed glare as they each said their peace, her smile from before replaced with a confused frown. Twilight was next in line;

"I wasn't around to see Sunset at her worst, truth be told," she began before giving Sunset a smile full of warmth and goodwill. She then said truthfully;

"But, I can tell you from personal experience that she is a person who I'm proud to call my friend."

The demon's frustrated growling became more mentally audible, which contrasted with Sunset's growing happiness as she heard Pinkie Pie cheerfully exclaim;

"She's sweet, fun in parties, and makes people happy!"

Flash spoke up as well with confidence in every word he uttered;

"The whole school can tell you stories about Sunset's good heart."

"We sure can!" declared the CMCs, their smiles shining like a trio of stars.

The demon was about ready to yell out an insult in Sunset's head, but Applejack's words, born from the heart, silenced her. She gave Cozy Glow a look of sweetness and said;

"What we're sayin' is the honest truth, sugarcube..."

She gave Sunset a smile fueled by years of well-earned friendship and finished with certainty;

"Sunset Shimmer ain't a bully no more."

Cozy Glow's confusion became even more visible as she turned to look at the other students who witnessed the conversation play out. They were expressing supportive grins of their own and it was easy for her to tell who they were aimed at. She abruptly turned her back to have it face the table the Rainbooms were sitting at. After taking a few seconds to silently process what she had just heard, she spoke to the students behind her, the calmness in her voice hiding the emotions inside;

"She ain't a bully no more, you say?"

Just like that, the worry felt by every Wondercolt at the table returned with a vengeance. Another two seconds of silence passed before Cozy Glow turned right around and walked up to stand close to Sunset. Close enough for Cozy to lean right up to her face as closely as her little body could allow, her intense glare having returned in full force. Sunset, in spite of her renewed regret, remained composed, her face reflecting her calm focus. The stare-down between them lasted for three seconds before Cozy declared with calm definitive certainty;

"I'll be the judge of that."

Without saying another word, she turned around, walked up to her adult chaperones, took their hands, and promptly walked out of the cafeteria with them. As soon as the doors closed behind the trio, everyone in the room collectively, and audibly, exhaled out of relief. Applejack, after adjusting her hat once more, expressed that relief;

"Well, that could've gone worse."

"Indeed..." said Rarity, who was deep in thought while eying the closed doors;

"It would seem that Sunset is not an enemy to Cozy."

"But, she is no friend of hers either," noted Twilight while giving Sunset a quick warm glance. As the others deliberated over how to best handle the kid, among other topics, the CMCs gazed down at their food in silence. Memories played out in their heads: painful moments they wish they had never caused appearing one after the other like scenes from a movie edited together to a form a reel laced with regret. At the end of it was a memory that tied them all together:

Sunset Shimmer shedding genuine tears.

The CMCs slowly took their apples with their right hands, raised them up to their mouths, and chomped on them in unison while expressing a look of shared and unflinching determination, their minds locked in on their next act.

After school, it the Principal's Office.

The Rainbooms were talking with Celestia and Luna. The main outstanding item for discussion was quickly addressed;

"If we were able, we would have warned you about Cozy Glow ourselves," said Celestia with a calm yet apologetic tone of voice. Luna finished for her older sister with a similar tone;

"But, we recognized that we would be swamped with work today, so we acted accordingly."

Sunset, with an understanding grin, responded;

"Your work is hardly ever done, so I get you having Flash warn us."

"Thankfully, it all worked out, at least for the time being," noted Twilight. Applejack took this moment to ask the two educators;

"So, what's the word on the youngin'?"

The whole band looked at the pair with polite expectant eyes as Applejack elaborated;

"Is Cozy re-enrollin'?"

Celestia and Luna looked back at them for a moment before sighing to let the tension out of their bodies. The Principal answered calmly while gazing at each Rainboom present;

"Two things."

She raised her right index finger up to have it hover next to her face's right side;

"One: She will visit us a few more times to get a better sense of the school's environment before making a decision."

She brought out her right ring finger before finishing, her eyes locked on Sunset;

"Two: Cozy Glow's current grievance is with Sunset."

She gave the lady in question an expression filled with understanding as Luna added;

"Her words, not ours."

Sunset let out a heavy regretful sigh and frown, which prompted Rainbow Dash to give her right shoulder an encouraging bump, which she took notice of, while saying with a toothy smirk

"Well then, all SunShim has to do is show the squirt how cool she is and they'll be buddies before they know it!"

Sunset gave Rainbow a small grateful smile while Applejack noted;

"Makin' friends is somethin' Sunset's mighty good at, so Ah reckon she'll warm Cozy's heart."

The mare in the room felt her friends' support flood her heart and head with good vibes as she gazed at each of them, her smile having grown much larger. They all gazed back at her with grins full of goodwill, with Pinkie waving a small flag that had Sunset's smiling face crudely drawn on it with her right hand. With gratitude in her voice, Sunset told them;

"Thanks, girls. if I need help with making peace with Cozy, I'll know who to turn to."

Yeah, like you'll actually bring yourself to ask for-

She cut off her demon's remark by suddenly hugging Rarity, who responded with a chuckle full of surprise while hugging her back. The other girls joined in to form one of their many, many group hugs around Sunset, which the Principal and Vice-Principal happily witnessed in silence. All the demon could do was, once again, grumble and growl. After the hug was broken up, the girls returned their attention to Celestia and Luna, the former deciding to speak again;

"Well, I believe that will be all for Sunset here."

She focused her eyes on Sunset and told her;

"You may go now. Luna and I have to speak with your friends some more before they can leave as well."

With a quick polite nod, she took her leave of the office, but not before turning to give her friends one more friendly look when she reached the door and saying to them;

"See you later!"

Once the door was closed and Sunset was now out of sight, the band and pair of educators leaned closer to each other over the desk between them. Celestia and Luna revealed playful smirks that hinted at their excitement as the latter asked;

"So, how goes the renovation project?"

Applejack, with a smirk of her own, answered like a seasoned home renovator;

"Progress is slow goin', but it's steady. The hardwood for the first floor is holdin' strong and a dern sight prettier than that whole mess of concrete that the sugarcube had to deal with. Them walls have largely been fixed up too, but we gotta double-check for any cracks we might've missed before we can give 'em either paint or wallpaper. Ah'm thinkin' paint myself."

"I can see why you would make that choice, Applejack darling," Rarity said in response while giving the farmer a certain glare that signaled the start of an argument. After waiting a moment, she elaborated on her point with well-practiced sophistication;

"The beauty of the right coat of wall paint is matched by the simplicity of its application. However, it would be unwise to immediately discount the detailed visual splendor of wallpaper."

Applejack shook her head while feeling the argument coming through the growing tension in her head. The others watched with interest as she delivered to Rarity her counterpoint while glaring back at her;

"A good wallpaper can be a pretty sight, true enough. But, if it starts peelin' off the wall, it'll go from pretty to ugly in a hurry."

"Not if it is properly installed, darling, and certainly not in a bathroom with a shower."

Smugness appeared on Rarity's face as she added;

"I believe it was you who warned me about that when I wanted to cover the walls of Sunset' shower with wallpaper."

"Dangnabit, when that girl makes a good argument..." Applejack thought with a sigh as she decided to offer the fashionista a compromise;

"How about this? We can paint the livin' room, bathroom, and kitchen. But, we can also add wallpaper to the basement room and maybe the den we're gonna build outside."

Rarity held her chin with her left hand while pondering in silence. She did this for two seconds, three seconds, four seconds...

The suspense annoyed Applejack by the fifth second, with the others showing far more patience. Her face was noticeably tense and her eyes were quite narrow. Thankfully for her, Rarity gave her answer upon the sixth second;

"Acceptable."

Applejack released her annoyance and facial tension with a hearty honest laugh before commenting;

"Ya' just love to mess with me, don't ya'."

"Only because it is harmless fun between us and the faces you make in response are simply priceless," was Rarity's reply, which was augmented by a friendly titter.

The other girls chuckled over the banter between the pair. Celestia, with a smile, asked the band;

"So, I take it you've gotten plenty of help so far?"

The girls looked over at Celestia and Luna as Twilight explained with excitement in her voice;

"We have acquired assistance from several of our fellow students. In fact, we are expecting more of them to help us today, which will most certainly be a boon for us."

With that matter resolved, Applejack looked over at Celestia and Luna, who had allowed their concern to melt into relief, even as the younger sister kept her eyes on Twilight. Applejack asked the two;

"Is there anythin' else ya'll need from us?"

They thought for a moment before shaking their heads, with Celestia replying on their behalf;

"Nothing comes to mind at the moment. We'll contribute to the project as well when and where we can."

She winked at the girls and added with a smirk;

"You'd be surprised at how busy a Principal and Vice-Principal can be after school hours."

Luna smirked as well, knowing exactly what her older sister was speaking of. The Rainbooms smiled back to show their understanding and appreciation before Twilight, out of continued excitement, motioned to the door while exclaiming;

"Come on girls! We have a living space that needs an extensive overhaul!"

The band rushed through the door, with Fluttershy closing it behind her as quietly as she could. Celestia and Luna sighed heavily, with the younger sister noting while a smile;

"Sunset Shimmer is lucky to have friends like them."

Celestia nodded in silent agreement while thinking of the wonderful moments the Rainbooms had made for CHS. Just then, Luna's smile turned pained as she softly declared with dread lurking beneath her voice;

"Given the path they walk, who they are, and what we suspect, sister-mine..."

Her hands clenched into fists when she finished with surety that matched her dread;

"They will need each other in the end."

Later that afternoon, at Sunset's house (under renovation).

Compared to previous days, the house was practically buzzing with activity. Along with those who stepped up early on, such as Octavia, Flash, and DJ-P0N3, other Wondercolts had also joined in on the effort. Tree Hugger worked with Sandlewood and Roseluck to tidy up the front porch. Down in the basement, Microchips and Trixie were carefully cleaning the place up. The vacant lot behind the house was handled by Fluttershy and Twist, who were looking for lost critters to rescue before work could be done out there. As for Applejack, she had a task of her own in mind;

"Okay, ya'll! Time to test these 'ere stairs!" she announced with hammer in hand and transparent safety goggles worn over her eyes. Like everyone else working on the house, she was wearing a yellow hard hat. Her trusty stetson was placed in the CMCs' parked wagon on the sidewalk, which was being watched over by Spike and Winona, who patrolled around the wagon. Some of the Wondercolts present had answered Applejack's call by rushing over to the foot of the bedroom stairs. She saw that it was Bulk Biceps, Pinkie Pie, and the CMCs who had joined her. Satisfied by the turnout and assortment of builds she could work with, Applejack explained to the lineup of workers;

"Now, them stairs behind me have been built up."

She pointed at the stairs themselves with her right thumb. From their positions, the line of friends could see the fully finished set. Like the floor, they were made with good quality wood, but this wood was a lighter shade of brown than the hardwood floor. Bolted onto the walls on both sides of the stairway were round thick wooden rails that had the same color as the stairs. Without skipping a beat, Applejack continued;

"Ah just need to give 'em a few stress tests to see how well they can handle bein' put to use. Think ya'll can help me out with that?"

The young workers nodded their heads and smiled, more than happy to help out. The first ones to be called up were the CMCs, who ran up to stand at the stairs after giving each other fist bumps. With a knowing smirk, she told the kids;

"Form a line and march up and down them stairs. If them steps make any weird noises, let me know."

The CMCs knew exactly how they wanted to do their task. So, Apple Bloom ordered them with loud excitement;

"CMCS! LIIIIINE UP!"

They did exactly that, with Apple Bloom taking the lead, Sweetie Belle in the middle, and Scootaloo bringing up the rear. Without further ado, the leader commanded;

"MOVIE CLUB: MARCH!"

The others watched with smiles and chuckles as the trio marched up the stairs, their feet and legs moving in unison like they were a bunch of little soldiers. Once they reached the top, Apple Bloom yelled out;

"MOVIE CLUB: HALT!"

They stopped to stand inside of the bedroom. They looked around, the room was now entirely bare, its furniture and other important items having already been moved out of it. Heck, the only sign that was it once lived in, if one could call it that, was the opened window. To most people, this would be nothing more than a bare room. But, to the Canterlot Movie Club, this was a blank canvas that was waiting to be filled. In their minds, they imagined what the room would look like when they were done, and perhaps more vividly, the joy that Sunset would express when they show it off to her. The kids expressed confident smiles full of warmth and love as Apple Bloom declared;

"Phoenix Friend, when we're done, this 'ere room will make ya' heart warm no matter the weather!"

With that, the trio reformed their line. Once that was done, Apple Bloom ordered her friends with a brighter smile than she had when they walked in;

"MOVIE CLUB: MARCH!"

Further into the living room, where the couch used to be, Twilight was staring intently at the blank space that its removal had left behind, her mind conducting accurate measurements at a rapid pace. She could easily hear the sound of Pinkie Pie bouncing up and down the stairs with audible cheer as she thought to herself;

"There is enough space for us to knock down a section of this wall and make it into a door. That would allow us to access the vacant lot without having to walk around the house. However..."

She eyed the white pair of electrical sockets to her right that were built into the bottom of the wall. With a sigh, she decided;

"We need to make certain that we're not going to hit any wiring before committing to this action. I need to examine the layout of the house's wiring for that."

Not even the loud steps of Bulk Biceps could derail Twilight's train of thought;

"I had found the layout after extensive online research earlier, but it is still saved on my computer at home. I'll print it out tonight, so that we can-"

Just then, an idea formed in her mind, one that made her smile brightly. She quickly pulled her smartphone out from her pocket and did some screen tapping and swiping with her thumb to bring up the text messenger app's message list. A single swipe was enough to reveal a group chat, which Twilight accessed with one good tap. Right when she hovered her thumb above the textbox for new messages, she hesitated. She then thought to herself;

"I've been meaning to bring the Shadowbolts team into this project. But, I haven't gotten around to contacting them yet."

Yeah, because those basic troglodytes don't deserve to be in the presence of their betters.

Twilight felt terror over hearing the voice of her demon in her head again, but her resolve to heal her invisible scars rose to match it. It was then that she had a revelation, one that strengthened her resolve with confidence, the kind that made her do her best take on Rainbow Dash's cocky smirk. Before Midnight Sparkle could speak again, she wrote a text message in earnest with both thumbs and sent it to the group chat. After briskly stuffing her phone back into her pocket, she declared in her mind while holding that smirk of hers in place;

"Thank you for the accidental encouragement!"

At that moment, Twilight felt a razor sharp pain in her head, which prompted her to hold it with both hands while her face tensed and frowned with pain. A certain song echoed from within her mind;

Unleash the magic! Unleash the magic! We're not friends here after all.

Before the next part of the chorus could echo in Twilight's mind, the memory of Sugarcoat's voice interrupted the song;

"We want to be your friends, if you'll have us..."

That memory was enough to get the headache to fade away within seconds, allowing Twilight to let her hands fall and recollect herself. With a calm adjustment of her glasses, she nodded her head in agreement with her heart's silently delivered advice, her cocky smile back in full strength.

Later that evening, in Carousal Boutique.

Rarity, having recently returned from helping with the renovation project, was inspecting the clothing that was neatly stashed in one of the rows of shelves that lined the walls of the boutique. Coco Pommel was busying herself at the cashier's desk by doodling on a page in her small notebook. Her creation in progress was a drawing of a dress idea that came to her head earlier in the day and she just could not resist putting it onto paper. Thankfully, it was a quiet day at work so far and she had no immediate duties to tackle. So, no harm was being done from her perspective. Just then, the doorbell rang, grabbing both hers and Rarity's attention. Coco quickly placed the notebook on her desk and closed it before declaring;

"I'll get it!"

She then walked over to the door at a brisk pace to avoid making the potential customer outside wait too long. Rarity went back to conducting her inspection. Coco opened the door, which allowed her to see what this person looked like. By Celestia's ever-flowing mane, did their appearance strike her! It was clear to Coco, upon first glance, that this was a woman. But, her outfit was tough to process to say the least! With nervousness in her voice and a slightly shaky pair of legs, Coco called to her boss and friend while keeping her eyes locked on the customer;

"Uhh, Miss-I mean, Rarity? Could you help me with this one please?"

"I'll be right there!" she replied with a sing-song voice before walking up to her friend. She was about halfway to the door when she noted;

"I see nothing wrong with helping a co-worker every now and-"

She instantly stopped speaking and stood next to Coco upon catching sight of the customer. Rarity became as still as a statue. Her eyes were wide with shock and her mouth was agape for a moment before she declared in soft awe;

"Oh... my..."

The woman who stood before them on the other side of the door was somewhat taller than the both girls and was utterly silent. The orange shirt, matching pants, brown shoes, and darkly colored gloves that she was wearing were striking enough to Rarity and Coco. But, they could not figure out what was more outlandish about her appearance:

The dark gray bandages that covered her neck and face, the matching voice box attached to her neck, the dark gray goggles with visors that were red like blood, or the long thin hat that fans of old western films would adore.

For a reason that Rarity Belle could not fathom at the time, a terrible chill crept up her spine that made her body shiver...

Author's Note

Sunset and company got visited by the past in tiny bean form, more friends step in to help with the renovation project, and...

"Sees The Wrecker at Rarity's door."

Well... "coughs" Rarity and Coco had best be careful with this one...

Very careful!

Soooo, in case you readers haven't quite figured it out yet: this story is set during Season 8 of Friendship is Magic. The same season that introduced the fandom to the most demented filly in G4. As for this story's Cozy, you'll learn more about what she's about in due time. The CMCs are certainly interested in her.

On that note, I'd like to say something about this story, since we're so deep in it now:

It has so many spinning plates! Major plots, side plots, and world building (oh my)! I'm amazed I can keep track of it all, frankly. Speaking of world building, if you think that the beginning portion of this chapter that tackles the Crystal Kingdom is nothing more than fluff, then I gotta warn you:

I'm a guy who likes to pay off what I set up in my writing whenever possible, and that includes world building.