Forgetful Service

Chapters

Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring

Summer

“No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong, Wallflower!” Rainbow exclaimed, ripped the pencil from me and began to scribble, muttering aloud as she wrote. “The goal against Shadowbolts was mine. Velvet scored against Wondercolts Juniors!”

I didn’t resist, letting the captain of the soccer club change my notes. Her teammates weren’t here, so there was no one else who would fight against Rainbow’s decision.

“See? This is much better for the yearbook!” Rainbow gave me my notes back with a proud smile. “The one and only awesome Rainbow Dash saving Canterlot High from embarrassing losses!”

“But that’s not what happened,” I reply. “I was there when you missed—”

Rainbow put her hands on my mouth, looking around to see if anyone had heard it—despite the two of us being alone in the room. “Let’s, um, not talk about it, okay?” she asked me with a nervous laugh.

I rolled my eyes but nodded.

“Perfect! Just write exactly like I did and the team will be satisfied.”

I watched as Rainbow turned on her heels and left the room, her walking being more like a winning dance. I had a sneaking suspicion she’d been talking more about herself than the team.

With a sigh, I put the note into a folder and reviewed the conversation. It was like I’d expected, Rainbow Dash trying to dictate what events should and should not be published in the yearbook, but could I allow that? As the representative of the Yearbook Committee, I could straighten Rainbow’s twists easily.

And yet, I was worried about it. If I told the truth rather than the story Rainbow wanted to spin, what would she do after she saw the results? I had allowed her to dictate to me what to write, which only showed how weak-willed I was.

I’d messed up once again. I should’ve taken the pencil away from her and told her that I wouldn’t change the facts to make her look like the hero. Now Rainbow knew how easily she could push me to do whatever she wanted.

Reaching into my bag, I took out the Memory Stone and erased the conversation from her memory. A relieved exhale escaped me and I, with a relaxed mind, went onto the next club.

The school cafeteria was a place I dreaded to be. It wasn’t that bad things happened there, but rather the creeping realisation that everyone had at least someone to talk to—except me.

Sometimes, I tried to change it. I’d sit on an available seat and listen to the ongoing conversation, trying to be part of it. However, it had always resulted in using the Memory Stone.

It didn’t mean that I stopped trying. Seeing Sandalwood and Sweet Leaves (the “eco-kids”, as some would call them) talking eagerly, my interest spiked and I, seeming uninterested, sat at the same table.

“We shouldn’t interfere!” Sweet said firmly, pounding her fists on the table. “Nature knows what’s best for itself!”

“But the fungus is a foreign species!” Sandalwood replied calmly. “I get what you’re saying, but we risk it pushing out the native species.”

“And with what, Sandalwood? With pesticides?”

“There are natural ways to fight them, like limes.”

As the heated discussion went on, I tried to get from context which region they were talking about—most probably the school entry zone, where I had noticed fields of mushrooms emerging.

Caught up in their topic, they didn’t pause to acknowledge me, continuing on and on about whether to interfere or not. As a gardener myself, I believed in changing nature to match one’s vision, which went against their values—making it difficult for me to speak up.

“They’re not an invasive species; scientists aren’t worried about them!” Sweet said, standing up from her seat and waving her arms around with no awareness of her surroundings.

“Because they appeared only recently!” Sandalwood countered. “We don’t know for sure if they’re safe!”

“But that fungus usually enters into symbiosis with—” Sweet’s flailing arm knocked over my cup, causing the drink to spill out onto the table. “Oops! I’m so, so sorry…” She and Sandalwood took the few napkins they had and began to wipe.

“I’ll get more napkins,” I said and left the table.

How did I mess up even before going into a conversation? I should’ve known to not put my cup this close to Sweet with her fidgety arms, but no; instead I’d focused on attempting to be part of their discussion—which I only barely understood anyway.

After the table was dry again, they didn’t remember the accident had ever happened.

Having one meal together was a set tradition in our family that my mother wouldn’t ever allow to be broken. However, with my father’s work shift, it meant that we would eat late in the evening—which I didn’t mind; I never went to bed early anyway.

She always asked the same questions. ‘How was school?’ ‘How did the day go?’ ‘Did something new happen at work?’ Once either my father or I answered the usual ‘fine’ and ‘nothing new,’ my mother would move on to gossip about anything she heard from others. Working at a kindergarten, she would never run out of things to say, and today was no exception.

“Have you heard what’s happening downtown? Apparently, there’s a bunch of young teenagers renting out flats there. Without their parents!” She raised her eyebrows judgmentally and gave a loud sigh. “One can only wonder which type of delinquents they are.”

“Isn’t there an exchange student program at the university nearby?” I asked, earning a piercing gaze from my mother. “Some girls at school had their cousins move there.”

“Exchange program or not, these people have way too much time on their hands, drunkenly wandering the streets and pestering young children and old couples,” my mother went on. “If any of your friends invite you to visit their ‘cousins,’ if they even really are cousins, refuse politely. There is nothing good to learn from them.”

“I will,” I replied, not wanting to bother arguing with her. Not like I had any reason to wander downtown anyway.

“Darling, please,” my father said. “Our girl has become old enough to decide what is best for herself.”

“As long as she lives under my roof, I will protect her from bad influence,” she responded firmly. “This city has been going downhill for years, with more bad people moving in. Just like our neighbours. Have you heard that Cloud was shouting at his children? Who knows what kind of abuse these kids go through.”

Letting my bag fall on the ground, I took a deep breath and looked around with a smile. This spot behind the parking lot was perfect for the garden club, all the better for being a place no one ever went to.

I put my gloves on and went to work, digging up a hole for a new plant. It would take months for this place to become how I envisioned it, but I liked it for this exact reason. Just me by myself, no awkward conversations I’d mess up, and no need for the Memory Stone.

Here, time flew by fast. If it wasn’t for the need to go home, I would’ve spent an eternity here. Shaping nature was relaxing and enjoyable, and even when I was forced to leave, the sight of how much progress I made was enough to give me a good mood for the rest of the day.

The sounds of steps coming nearer ripped me from my thoughts. Looking behind, I saw Trixie approaching and reached for my bag, dragging it close to me.

What was she doing here? Who in their right mind would walk behind the parking lot? While Trixie was known for her eccentricity, I still couldn’t make sense of it. I reached into my bag and grabbed the Memory Stone, just in case.

However, Trixie had her focus elsewhere, glancing frequently behind herself. Before I was able to make myself noticed, Trixie pulled out a rabbit plush from her hat and tossed it on the bench.

“Trixie doesn’t get it, Fiddle,” Trixie said with a sigh.

I bit my lip, knowing that it was too late to get out of it peacefully. How hadn’t Trixie seen me yet? So far, she had her back to me, but all it would take to notice me was to turn around. Maybe I could silently climb into the bushes? I didn’t want to use the Memory Stone until it was absolutely necessary.

“How can anyone not see her Greatness and Powerfulness?”

I rolled my eyes as I slowly moved step by step out of her sight. This was typical Trixie.

“Sure, the Rainbooms have actual magic, but isn’t the illusion of magic much more impressive?”

Reaching the bushes, I moved a few branches away.

“What did they do to earn it, unlike Trixie? Didn’t Trixie practise every trick for years? Doesn’t she spend all her savings for the best gimmicks and outfits? And what did they do? Holding hands together and shouting ‘Friendship’! Anyone could have been in their place!”

Having prepared an escape route, I began to slowly extricate myself, but slipped and fell to the ground, snapping branches.

Despite not seeing Trixie, I could feel her stare on me.

“And who are you?” she asked me threateningly.

I slowly crawled back and revealed myself with a nervous grin. “I’m the gardener here.”

“The gardener?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow. “You look more like a student to Trixie.”

“I’m a member of the school’s garden club,” I explained.

Trixie crossed her arms. “And why didn’t you tell Trixie you were here?”

“I wanted to,” I replied, raising my arms in defence. “But then you started speaking with… um…” I gulped upon seeing Trixie clenching her fists.

If there was a good time to use the Memory Stone, it was now. However, I’d have to reach into my bag, and Trixie seemed furious enough to jump at me at any quick movement. Would I ever not mess up?

Suddenly, Trixie exhaled and sat down at the bench. “Whatever, now you know. Not like I can do anything about it.”

I blinked. Out of anyone, I didn’t expect Trixie to rein herself in.

“Fiddle’s been with me since I was four,” Trixie continued, chuckling softly. “I remember my first magic trick, pulling her out from a hat. Of course, now I don’t play with her anymore, but with no one wanting to do anything with me…”

Trixie didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant. So many times I tried to talk to anyone about the Memory Stone, hoping to get help for the mess I created for myself. But every time I brought it up, they looked at me like I was crazy or dangerous, forcing me to erase the memories.

“I, um, promise I won’t spill about Fiddle,” I stammered.

“It’s not about telling anyone about her,” Trixie responded, staring at the ground. “It’s what I said about the Rainbooms.”

“What do you mean?” I asked her curiously.

“Don’t you get it?” Trixie asked, her voice with a hint of anger. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, feeling jealous because of real magic other girls possess? How she craves the recognition these seven get?” She let her face fall into her hands. “Now I must look like a complete fool.”

I sighed. Another awkward memory of me; it was best to erase the memories of this conversation. However, as I reached into my bag and took out the Memory Stone, an idea came into my mind.

“Hey, Trixie,” I said. “I can, um, give you an offer.”

“An offer?” Trixie asked, looking up immediately with furrowed eyebrows. “Are you trying to blackmail Trixie?”

“No!” I retorted. “Don’t take it like that! What I mean is that I could, um, be like Fiddle for you.”

Seeing Trixie’s weirded out expression, I slapped my forehead and groaned. Better to not beat around the bush.

“This,” I showed her the stone, “gives me the power to erase any memories. My offer is that you can open up, tell me whatever is in your heart, and then walk away, knowing that I’d have no memories of this conversation anymore.”

Trixie blinked before her eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Are you kidding me?”

I laughed nervously. “What do you mean?”

“Trixie just told you how she envies the Rainbooms for their magic—” Trixie took a step towards me. “—and your response is to tell her you have magic also? Are you out of your mind? Now give her that!”

Raising her arms, Trixie jumped at me. It all went so fast that I didn’t react to it and fell with her to the ground. Luckily, I had the Memory Stone tightly enclosed in my hand that even Trixie’s attempts to rip it from me failed.

The Memory Stone glowed in a green light, and a moment later, Trixie stopped in her movements, staring at me with a confused expression. “What happened?”

“Um,” I muttered, trying to come up with a response. “You were telling me something that has been bothering you.”

“Yeah, the one thing with the Rainbooms,” Trixie replied. “Why am I on top of you?”

I didn’t reply, but instead detached myself from her.

“Trixie asked you a question!” Trixie said, her voice annoyed, as she stood up.

An idea came to my mind and I used the Memory Stone once again.

“Done,” I said.

Biting my lips, I closely watched Trixie’s expression.

“Done with what?” Trixie asked, tilting her head.

“Me forgetting what you told me,” I replied. “That’s what you wanted after all.”

“Trixie did?” Raising an eyebrow, Trixie rubbed her temples. “Yeah, she remembers that. But why does it feel like she forgot something also?”

“That’s, um, a side effect of me forgetting things. Some memories of yours are also erased, but that was agreed upon by us.”

“Hm.” Trixie took a close look at me, as I gave a nervous smile. Did she buy it? “Seems like it,” she finally said as she shrugged. “And did you forget about Fiddle also?”

As my reaction was to immediately move my eyes to the plush, I couldn’t lie about it anymore. “No, not yet. Do you want me to forget her also?”

“She does,” Trixie responded as she put the plush into her bag.

“But in return you’ll forget how I look and sound,” I added. “Otherwise it won’t work.”

“Do whatever you have to do,” she said and turned on her heels, walking away.

It took a while for me to process that my impromptu idea worked out. Did Trixie really just accept that she had told me her jealousy about the Rainbooms’ magic and I forgot it afterwards?

That raised the question if I should really follow the lie and erase my memories also. A part of me feared to mess with my own memories, but at the same time, I didn’t have to erase Trixie’s full memories of me—albeit still way too much.

No, I promised Trixie. She trusted me that I had no memories of her envy and her plush anymore, so I raised the Memory Stone one last time and erased the specific memories I had to do.

There are two kinds of substitute teachers: Those who know the subject and try their hardest teach about it, and those who let the students do whatever they want.

Ours was the latter, and while many cheered about it, I didn’t. I was sure that, by now, I had erased any last memories of myself from everyone. I was nothing more than a ghost to my classmates. They turned to each other, talking about different topics, while I could do nothing else but sit in my seat and let my head fall face-first on the table.

Were my attempts at socialising even worth trying? Why was I even here? In the end, nothing changed for me anyway. I could’ve just as well left Canterlot High and joined another school; I would be the same blank slate.

“Behind the parking lot?”

I looked up, my attention suddenly and completely on Rose, who had asked the question to Paisley.

“Yeah, Trixie said she met the fairy there.”

I blinked, confused by what they said. I clearly remembered only erasing Trixie’s memories of my look and voice, but she should’ve been aware that I was just another student.

“But we’re speaking about Trixie,” Rose said. “You know how she likes to make up stories.”

“It’s different this time—she really seems to think it’s true; she even threatened to beat up Micro Chips for asking for proof,” Paisley explained.

“But a fairy?” Rose asked, still doubtful.

“We have classmates who magically get pony ears and wings, we’ve had literal Sirens, we’ve had—”

“Fine, fine,” Rose interrupted Paisley with a groan. “Maybe it’s true, but I won’t just take Trixie at her word. What did the fairy do, anyway?”

“It just listened to Trixie and then forgot the conversation.”

If I hadn’t been as confused as Rose, I would’ve laughed at her perplexed expression. That part, at least, was what actually happened—I held my word and didn’t remember anything besides having met Trixie and tricking her into believing I gave her this offer. But how did Trixie spin the story into me being a fairy?

“I don’t get it either,” Paisley continued. “Trixie switches between the fairy having bad memories or having some sort of memory control.”

“But what’s the point?” Rose asked, rubbing her forehand. “The more you tell me, the more it feels like a fever dream.”

“Don’t you get it?” Paisley asked, her tone serious. “Imagine being able to talk to someone without worrying whether the person will remember it.”

“Are you sure you’re not going crazy?” Rose asked, scratching her head. “What’s the point of talking to someone if there won’t be any memories of it?”

“Because…” Paisley trailed off, biting her lips and looking away. Left unsaid was “because sometimes you just need to get it off your chest.”

While I couldn’t remember what exactly Trixie had told me, I was aware that it was something she needed to vent about, so I understood Paisley in that sense.

But how big was the probability that there would be more students who would seek the same? For a short moment, there was a pain written in Paisley’s eyes, a yearning for Trixie’s fairy to be true. It vanished the next second, as she shook her head and changed the topic, but I kept thinking about it.

What if more students came to me? Should I allow it? Or should I erase the memories of the fairy rumours Trixie was spreading here?

It was my first instinct. After all, Trixie was spreading a tale about me, and it would be awkward trying to explain how that part was all made up.

Unless…

I expected Peisley to appear in my garden. What I didn’t expect was that she’d be there before me, walking in circles with her head down.

How long had she been here? How much did she need me to be willing to wait for a “fairy”? Approaching nearer, I bit my lip in discomfort, hoping I wouldn’t mess it up as usual.

She was so deep in her thoughts that once she noticed me, she jumped up in surprise. Gathering my courage, I gave her a comforting smile as she looked at me with widened eyes.

“Sorry,” Paisley said, catching her breath. “I didn’t notice you earlier.”

“It’s alright,” I replied. “Why are you here?”

“Me?” Paisley looked nervously around, before sighing. “It… um, doesn’t matter. I should’ve known not to trust Trixie.”

I sighed in relief as she turned to leave. Maybe I should let the fairytale stay a fairytale. This way, my garden would be all my own without any disturbance, and wasn’t that what I wanted?

But then I saw Paisley’s plunged shoulders, her downward lips and her slow pace. She needed this, and I couldn’t let her down. There was nothing for me to lose anyway.

“You’re looking for the fairy Trixie mentioned, right?” I asked her in a friendly voice.

Paisley stopped in her movement before nodding slowly. “It’s, ugh, stupid. It’s just a hassle anyway.”

“Not as big of a hassle as adjusting to this world,” I lied as confidently as possible.

There it was. The stone was now rolling, and while I had the chance to let the stone disappear, I couldn’t restart the moment anymore.

“Adjusting to this world?” Paisley asked me before the realisation hit her. “Wait, you are the fairy Trixie mentioned?”

I nodded. “It’s, um, a complicated story, but in short, I was a fairy back in my world and turned into this after crossing the portal.” I pointed at my body, before chuckling softly. “At least I still have my power.”

Paisley kept staring at me, her mouth wide open. “You mean the… memory thing?”

“It’s a part that defines my species,” I explained. “We can take any memories of another in exchange for a part of our memories getting erased. Back in my old world, I abused it, and got punished with banishment.”

This “drawback” I made up was necessary. It would explain why no one would remember what the “fairy” looked and sounded like, while at the same time appearing as if I was less dangerous and couldn’t just erase anyone’s memories at will—a necessity with the Rainbooms around.

“Oh,” Paisley said. “So Trixie didn’t lie?”

“She didn’t,” I replied. “I don’t remember what she told me, and in return she doesn’t remember what I look like.”

“But didn’t she say you had big wings and were flying in the air?”

My eyes widened, as panic shot through my body. Of course Trixie would’ve described me like that!

Luckily, I caught myself in time and was able to laugh it off.

“She probably filled in the memories with her fantasy,” I said, which was technically the truth. “As you can see, I sadly have no wings anymore.” I moved my shoulders in circles, mimicking to remember them. “I miss flying around.”

“So it’s all true.” Paisley let out a relieved breath. “Do you, um, have anything against using your powers again?”

“Not if they are used to help others,” I responded with a smile. “Do you want to talk with me?”

She nodded slowly. “It’s, um, something I don’t want anyone to remember, but if I don’t say it, I feel like it would eat me up from the inside.” She let her face fall in her hands. “Ugh, sorry, it’s such a weird request.”

I put my hand on her shoulder, comforting her. “Hey, nothing is too weird or stupid. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d heard something embarrassing. Remember, any emotion you have is valid. I’m all ears for you, and whenever you want me to forget it, I’ll do it in exchange for my appearance.”

“Thank you,” Paisley replied and pointed at the bench. “Can we sit down? My legs are tired.”

“Wallflower,” my mother said to me, entering my room. “May I ask you a question?”

I looked up from my homework, trying to read her face. From the tone of her voice, she seemed worried, but her eyes didn’t show if she’d heard any of the rumours.

“Sure,” I replied.

“Is everything really alright at school? I know you say it is, but doesn’t someone usually invite you over to a birthday party around this time of year?”

Holding back the urge to bite my lips, I contemplated how to reply. There had indeed been a student (other than Pinkie, who invited everyone) who, over the past years, invited me regularly to her birthday: Mystery Mint. We weren’t close, and the only reason she knew me was us being seat neighbours in sixth grade. A very chatty girl who would consider anyone a friend as long as you’re friendly to her, and she had always kept me in mind even after our classes got separated.

I had always thought that my silence was awkward for her, so, for her sake, I’d had her forget about me.

“Mystery got sick,” I lied.

“Ah, right, the rocker girl,” my mother commented, nodding slowly. “Isn’t she in the Death Grinders band? What a name…”

I let out a sigh, knowing where this would go.

“It’s not like I don’t understand teenage rebellion,” my mother continued. “I was one myself once, but I never went as far as to get into a heavy metal band.”

“It’s a rock band,” I replied. “And the name was suggested by Cherry and chosen as a parody for the style of their outfits.” Mystery had told me so much of their band that I could talk about their history for hours—about their forming, their first songs or even the drama they had.

“Point being,” my mother said, “that one should never cross into smoking or drugs. You know how the performances of these bands usually go, with the crowd getting all crazy. Honestly, it’s best that she got sick and the party was cancelled.”

“Mystery promised herself that she’ll never smoke,” I said. “Her father got lung cancer from exactly that and barely survived it.”

“What a fate.” My mother rubbed her forehead. “A child should’ve never witnessed that. Is her father better?”

“He’s back to normal,” I responded, “and clean from cigarettes for a year.”

“That’s good. Take him as an example, Wallflower.” My mother looked at her wristwatch. “My oven!” she exclaimed and ran out of my room.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my homework. My eyes were reading the words, but my mind was absent.

Mystery’s birthday was today. I expected to not be invited—it was better for the both of us. It would be awkward for me there anyway, as the rocker band would talk about their music and performances (which wasn’t my cup of tea) while I would be standing on the side with crossed arms, feeling sad that I would be alone by myself. Besides, Mystery barely knew anything of me even before the Memory Stone.

So why did not being invited hurt so badly?

The art club, as usual, neglected to tell me what to write for them in the yearbook by the deadline, so I had to reach out to them personally. Entering their room, I sat down on an empty chair, waiting for someone to be free.

My interest was piqued by seeing Sunset Shimmer drawing on a canvas—not because of what she was drawing, as it was just a simple sunflower, but how others reacted to it.

The painting was almost finished, and the other club members stood around, giving suggestions or praising how well Sunset had drawn it.

The longer it continued on, the more it enraged me. Clenching my fists, I wondered just why they supported the former bully in her art. Didn’t anyone remember her past mistakes? Didn’t anyone remember how she terrorised the school? Why did the students forgive her, while I, without any bad memories, was a nobody to them?

It was unfair. Sunset didn’t deserve good treatment. Why were my awkward moments punished so harshly, but her huge abuses were forgotten?

‘Maybe’ a thought came into my mind, ‘her good deeds should be forgotten, too.’

I turned my gaze to Sunset, who was presenting her result proudly as she gave the last brush on the painting. She was so unfairly happy. She would’ve deserved the punishment.

Standing up from my seat, I was about to leave the room—the yearbook wasn’t important anymore—but another painting caught my eye.

There was my garden, set with a colourful sunset that highlighted the different flowers and plants. In the centre was a bench, upon which rested a silhouette of a figure in green light. The wings behind the human body gave away who it was: the mysterious “fairy” in the garden behind a parking lot.

In that moment, my lips formed by themselves into a smile, and my anger vanished without me noticing it.

They appreciated me—maybe not as a student, but as someone they could open up to. After Paisley, several more students had come to me, each time requesting the same thing: that I forget what they told me.

Of course, some wanted me to erase some awkward memories of themselves from others, but I firmly refused, pretending the price to pay for this would be too high—I couldn’t and didn’t want this fairytale to be more than what it is now.

I turned back to Sunset, who posed for a picture with her painting. Erasing the good memories of her wouldn’t be right. She worked and fought hard to get to where she was now. She made friends with the Rainbooms, becoming a member of their band—what right did I have to take it away from her?

I had my own achievements, and I was satisfied with them. The students wanted and needed me, the same as I needed their seeking for forgetful ears. I wasn’t a nobody, I was the fairy behind the parking lot.

And no one would ever take it away from me.

Autumn

Weeks passed, and the garden made significant progress in its appearance: Beautiful flowers blossomed, and the ground was plastered with soft grass, the borders set with blooming bushes. Even the pleasing aroma in the air was a joy, and the small forest around added to the relaxing feeling with the sounds of birds chirping their pleasant melodies.

It didn’t mean the work was done. Mother Nature had her own visions, forcing me to pick weeds regularly and treat the plants to keep the garden like it was, but I liked it this way. With that, I had a reason to keep working here and be alone by myself.

However, when I heard steps behind me and turned to see Sunset Shimmer approaching, I bit my lips nervously.

What was she doing here?

“Hi there!” she greeted me, waving her hand, before she took a closer look at me. “I don’t recall seeing you around before.”

I nodded slowly.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer, and yours?” she asked me in a friendly voice, offering me her hand.

I didn’t take it. I knew about her mind-reading abilities.

Seeing how I didn’t react or reply, Sunset chuckled nervously and took her hand back. “You seem nervous,” she asked me. “Is everything alright?”

Why was I scared of her? I had the Memory Stone close to me, meaning that I was safe.

I shook my head and exhaled. “Sorry, I had a short blackout. I’m, ehm, Wallflower.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sunset replied and looked around. “Beautiful garden. Did you do everything yourself?”

Why was she being so nice to me? What was she up to?

“Y-yeah. It’s the garden of the gardening club,” I responded.

“Haven’t heard of our school having one.” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Newly founded?”

“Some months ago,” I answered. “So far I’m the only member.”

“Even more impressive. This looks like you worked here for years,” Sunset praised me.

I smiled proudly. Not many appreciated or even glanced at what I made here, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear these words from her.

“Thank you,” I said. “It means a lot to me.”

“Something tells me you’re also the fairy of the rumour spreading across the school, am I right?”

The question was asked in a friendly and curious voice, and by Sunset‘s relaxed expression, it was probably meant as that too. Nevertheless, it sent chills down my spine. Somehow, she’d caught me.

I didn’t reply immediately, but my surprised stare must have answered the question already for her, as she chuckled softly.

“So you are our mysterious fairy.” She crossed her arms and eyed me.

I gulped, reaching unintentionally for my bag. What was her intention?

“I expected you to be more like a normal student, with the way the portal works,” Sunset continued, her tone still friendly. “But to be honest, I never heard of fairies in Equestria.”

“Equestria?” I asked with a confused voice.

Sunset blinked. “Our… home world?”

Shoot. Of course it had a name! Why didn’t I get it from the context? Now she knew that I made everything up! Except…

“Oh, right! Equestria!” I faked a relieved laugh. “I forgot so much of my world over time, even the name.”

“I see,” Sunset nodded, but from her raised eyebrow I could still see her doubts.

“Also,” I said, “did you just say ‘our’ world? You’re from there too?”

To my surprise, Sunset’s face frowned. “How are you just hearing this for the first time? Didn’t you say you’re a student here too?”

“I, um, joined the school not so long ago,” I lied, internally slapping myself for my stupidity. “Not really the type to find things out quickly.”

“Hm,” Sunset replied, her eyes piercing through mine. “Tell me more about yourself. I never heard of ‘fairies’ from there.”

“Um…”

What should I do? This was getting worse! Why did I build upon the fantasy of Trixie? Sunset was from this other world, so she would quickly figure out how nothing added up!

“I think,” Sunset said, taking a step closer, “that there is no fairy, and you’re—”

Before Sunset was able to finish her sentence, I took my bag, used the Memory Stone on her and ran away.

Our evening dinner was quiet, which was unusual.

Even though my mind was absent, the thoughts circling around Sunset, I noticed the worried glances my parents were giving me.

But they didn’t ask what happened.

Minutes had passed, and I continued stabbing my food with my fork. I had to do something about Sunset and her friends. They would poke their noses into what shouldn’t matter again and again, taking away the only thing I had in the school. Why did they even care? I wasn’t doing anything bad!

“Are you not hungry, Wallflower?” my mother asked, breaking the silence.

I looked up at her, then back to my plate, shoving a piece into my mouth. Maybe this would be enough to calm her down.

“We’re getting worried for you,” my mother continued, placing her fork on the table. “You’ve stopped telling us anything about your friends or the school, despite staying there long after class is over.”

“I told you about my garden club,” I replied, not looking up. “That’s why I stay there longer.”

Why did she care? Shouldn’t she be happy I wasn’t with someone that might influence me in the wrong direction? Not that I cared, but having other worries right now, it infuriated me.

“But didn’t you get new members?” my mother asked. “I thought someone like Sweet or Sandalwood would be interested in it.”

“The Sandalwood you wondered whether was a hipster with all the ‘perks’?” I asked her, clenching my fist tightly around my fork.

“Oh, it was him?” My mother rubbed her chin. “Yeah, better not let him join. Who knows what he’d grow.”

I pressed my lips tightly in response. Of course she would say that; why did I expect something else?

“Now you’re going too far,” my father murmured, furrowing his eyebrows.

“All I care about is the safety of and absence of bad influence on my child,” my mother responded, crossing her arms.

“What safety?” I asked, standing up from my seat. “Any time I tell you about someone, you find a single trait and then assume the worst. Blueberry? Obsessed with her looks. Watermelody? Her abstract paintings showed her family and psychological issues. Golden? Never trust actors; they all lie through their teeth!”

“Because I care for you,” my mother replied in a worried voice. “Especially with what supposedly happened at your school with apparent ‘magic incidents’. Stuff like that shows that the current generation is going downwards.”

“Could you stop assuming the worst for once?” I yelled. “I already mess up any conversation, and I don’t need you to tell me what else I’m doing wrong!”

“Wallflower, watch your tone!” my mother retorted.

“As if it matters!” I shouted. “Once I’m back in my room, you won’t remember this anyway!”

I backed up, holding my mouth with my hands. I had blabbed, despite swearing to never mention the lack of memories again. Based on the wide eyes my parents gave to each other, I knew that they sensed that there was more to what I said.

“Wallflower,” my father said, taking a deep breath. “These memory holes that we have—”

I turned on my heels and ran back to my room, and once the Memory Stone was in my hands, they stopped calling my name. Sitting down, I tried to slow down my rapid breathing, as I felt my heart racing in my temples.

Just why did this keep happening? Why did I always mess up everything? I should’ve just nodded to what my mother told me and moved on—just like my father. She would talk any potential friend away anyway. Why did it bother me that she judged anyone so badly? Didn’t I judge myself like this too?

I couldn’t keep this up. They had too many lost memories; they would put the puzzle pieces quickly in place.

Couldn’t I just keep my role as the fairy? Couldn’t everyone just leave me alone? Why did everyone stick their noses into what didn’t bother them?

Why couldn’t I be happy?

The next day at school, I arrived earlier than anyone and waited for Sunset in the hallway. I didn’t intend to talk to her, but I had to figure out if and what she was planning to do.

The first to arrive were five of her friends, one by one. As usual, they gathered together before their lockers and talked with each other. Standing close to them, I couldn’t hear anything noteworthy regarding me.

Looking at the clock, the first lesson was soon about to begin. Just where was Sunset Shimmer? Why else would I come so early?

My gaze at the entrance doors, I heard Sunset greeting her friends. Where did she come from?

“There you are, darlings!” Rarity greeted Sunset and Twilight. “How did the inspection go?”

“The ‘fairy’ wasn’t there,” Twilight replied, “so we installed hidden cameras and microphones. This time, she won’t be able to make herself forgotten.”

My eyes widened, and it took all my self control to not yell out in surprise. Cameras? Microphones? They were all out for me!

“And you really don’t remember anything from yesterday?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset shook her hand. “Not a single thing. Neither the fairy, nor how I entered the garden, nor why I was there. I even forgot that there was a rumour of a fairy in our school.”

“Yeah, that fairy seems up to something if she’s so afraid of you,” Applejack added.

“Is everything alright with you?”

The silence after Fluttershy’s question made me turn to their direction, making me realise they were all staring at me.

“Yes, why?” I asked through a forced smile.

“You look like you have a panic attack!” Pinkie explained, her voice way too cheerful for my liking.

Placing my hand on my chest, I felt it moving rapidly from my breathing.

“It’s… um, nothing!” I laughed and turned to walk away. “Absolutely nothing!”

They knew. I might’ve as well had a red glowing arrow pointing at me with the letters “It’s her!”, so obvious was my reaction.

“Are you sure?” Applejack asked. “‘Cause you look nothing like fine.”

“No, really, I’m fine,” I replied and quickened my steps.

Distance. I needed distance from them. Just enough to reach into my bag and make them forget me. I only had to walk behind that corner and—

“Now hold up!”

I screamed in surprise when Rainbow appeared out of nowhere before me, only a gust of wind showing that she had used her super speed.

“Were you eavesdropping on us?”

“W—What? No!” I stuttered, grinning so widely that I showed all my teeth.

“Then why are you so scared?”

Calm down, I thought to myself. As long as they don’t know about the Memory Stone, you’re safe. But it was easier said than done; I couldn’t take off my bag without raising any suspicion.

“And who even are you?” Pinkie asked, her voice being friendly despite the situation. “I don’t remember seeing you around here.”

I gulped. Now or never!

I pushed Rainbow away, causing her to yelp and fall to the ground. Before anyone could do anything, I took my bag off with a swift movement and reached into it for the Memory Stone. As soon as I grabbed it, I felt myself being raised in the air.

“It must be her!” Twilight said, whose hands were glowing in a purple aura.

But I didn’t need to move, and within moments, they and anyone around us had forgotten what just happened.

It was completely silent. With the start of the first lesson, no one was in the bathroom, but I still locked myself in a stall. My legs pulled to myself, I tried to take deep breaths to calm down my racing heart which felt like it might explode.

It was too close. Only one moment too late, and I would’ve lost everything. Only one moment too late…

What should I do? Just what? I didn’t know! I couldn’t lose my fairy role! I needed it!

Why did the Rainbooms care for it? Why did they want to ruin everything? Just why?

It was the only thing I had left. I erased any memories of me as Wallflower, and I couldn’t allow to lose myself as a fairy too!

It wasn’t fair! Sunset was a bully! She didn’t deserve to become popular! Everyone still remembered her mistakes, but they didn’t care! Why couldn’t Sunset see how much being the fairy means to me?

Clenching my teeth, I kicked with my feet at the door. The lock broke, causing the door to be opened, and made way for me to view myself on the mirrors above the sinks.

What a pathetic girl. The tangled hairs and clothes were full of sweat and the face red from crying. Who even loved me? Who even liked me? Was I even worth being remembered? Would my parents be happier if they forgot me?

The fairy was the only thing I had left. The only thing that I had left.

The only thing left of me…

Taking the Memory Stone in my hands, I marched out of the room. I knew where the Rainbooms were, which lessons they had.

They wouldn’t take the rest of me away!

It shouldn’t have been that easy.

It shouldn’t have been that easy!

There was no way I could’ve just marched into a classroom, raised the stone, walked up to one of the Rainbooms and snitched her geode away, while her eyes were mindlessly staring into the void.

It shouldn’t have been that easy…

In the yearbook office, I laid down the seven geodes on the table. Even without touching them, I could feel their magic pulsating from being close together. It was a wonder they didn’t corrupt me, considering the previous incidents like at Camp Everfree.

But the geodes didn’t bother me anymore. I was safe from the Rainbooms—at least for now. I had no idea what to do with the cameras and microphones they planted in my garden, but that was a worry for the future.

They didn’t remember having their geodes or their superpowers, and Sunset didn’t remember that there were any fairies in her world.

No, what not only bothered, but frightened me was the Memory Stone that I had now in my hands.

There was absolutely no resistance. No one could do anything to stop me. Everyone in the room forgot me as soon as they saw me, making me essentially invisible.

I could’ve done anything to anyone.

I was unstoppable with it!

…

I carefully laid down the Memory Stone next to the geodes. My eyes locked on it, I let out a long sigh.

What was I doing?

Now, in this room with no one else to distract me, I recalled the last months. The way I used the Memory Stone, the way the mystery of the fairy unfolded, the way I cut myself out from anyone…

My fate, didn’t I…

…do this…

…myself…?

…

I erased anyone’s memory of me, I made sure that no friendship with me was able to be made, I let the rumour of the fairy be built up—Sunset had every right to be suspicious, if I was able to take her geode that easily from her and leave her without any memories of it! If I were Sunset, I would try to stop me too! If I were in her place, I would do everything to—

Gasping for air, I backed up, distancing myself from the glowing geodes on the table.

“I felt that!” I yelled at them.

Their power around me, their magic… They were close to corrupting me in my guilt.

But maybe I should let them? Maybe the Rainbooms would fix me…

It was a warm and welcoming feeling. The power understood me. It knew what I wanted. It—

No!

Opening my eyes, I took another step back.

“You can’t fix anything!” I shouted at the geodes.

The power was tempting. It would fix my mess. It would—

With a swipe of my arm, I knocked the geodes off the table and ran out of the room, locking the door.

I had to calm down. Once my feelings wouldn’t let the geodes corrupt me, I could deal with them later.

As for now, I had to deal with the cameras and microphones in my garden.

Stomping on one last device, I was sure that I got every “bug” Sunset and Twilight had planted. Now, everything was back to being perfect. No one would bother me with being the fairy in the garden behind the school’s parking lot, and anyone requiring my service would be able to get it.

Just as it was meant to be.

Hearing footsteps, I was surprised to see Trixie coming towards me. Wasn’t it the second period? Didn’t Trixie have geography class with me?

“Oh, hi there,” Trixie greeted me, waving her hand. “You’re the fairy, right?”

I blinked, confused as to why Trixie would leave a class to speak to me. However, it was the role I wanted, so I smiled and nodded in reply. “Indeed! Do you need my service?”

“Well…” Trixie trailed off, rubbing her chin. “Maybe a bit of an unusual request, if that’s possible.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve erasing anyone else’s memories,” I responded.

For a short moment, Trixie raised an eyebrow, but then waved her hands. “Oh, no no,” she said, laughing. “Trixie doesn’t want herself to be forgotten. You see, she has learned a new and astonishing trick that she needs to practise with someone, but it doesn’t work when the person remembers the end.”

“I see,” I replied. “This falls under my service, so go ahead.”

“Thank you so much!” Trixie cheered and placed her bag on the ground, pulling out a blindfold. “For this trick, Trixie shall prove her Great and Powerfulness by doing the trick blind! You can test it yourself.”

She held the blindfold before my eyes. With a nod, I confirmed that I couldn’t see anything, and Trixie put it on.

“Now watch, and be amazed as the Great and Powerful Trixie—” She produced with a snap a deck of cards. “—shall show you a card trick! Pull out any card you want.”

She spread the cards before me, and I took one from the middle.

“Now memorise it and put it back in the middle of the deck!”

I followed as Trixie said. She masterfully shuffled the cards, spreading and throwing single cards at random in the air and catching them—very impressive, considering she was blindfolded—before, at last, she gave me the deck.

“Now, tell me any number from one to twelve.”

I thought for a moment. “Seven.”

“Now, count seven cards from the deck and put them on the bottom.”

Was this the end of the trick? With no idea of any magic tricks, I would be amazed if I found through sheer guess the correct card.

“Now, turn the top card!” Trixie declared, putting her hands proudly on her hips.

I turned the card and—

“Not the one,” I said, biting my lip. Did I mess up?

“What?” Trixie exclaimed, raising her blindfold. “And you did exactly what Trixie said?”

I nodded. “I think I did.”

“That can’t be!” Trixie yelled. “I couldn’t have messed this up! I have to try it again! Erase your memory of the trick! Well, except the blindfold. No need to repeat that.”

She put back on her blindfold and crossed her arms.

“And the cards?” I asked carefully.

“Oh, right.” Trixie raised her hand in the air. “Just give them to me.”

I placed the deck of cards into her hand and reached for my bag with the Memory Stone. Once I forgot the trick, I put the stone in my pocket—after all, I might need it more than a few times.

“Okay, done,” I said. “You can start over again.”

“And you forgot everything about the trick?” Trixie asked, her voice with a hint of worry. “It only works when you haven’t seen it before.”

“I promise I have forgotten everything except the blindfold,” I said.

“Then watch!”

With a snap of her finger, she produced a colourful rope.

“For this trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie will ask you to tie her up.”

Trixie stretched out her hands towards me, so I took the rope and was about to begin when Trixie interrupted me.

“No, no, no! Not like that, but in a special way! Do as I say!”

Trixie explained how I should tie her up, which I followed step by step.

“—and at last, hold my hands,” Trixie commanded.

I did, but as soon as I took her hands, she stretched her elbows to the side, causing the rope to slide onto my hands. She quickly pulled with her now free hands on the end of the rope, tying me up.

“What…?” I exclaimed, shocked at the sudden action. Was this part of the trick?

“And now for the best part,” Trixie chuckled, taking off her blindfold, “we take your hands, pull them up in the air—” She did each movement that she announced. “—and take that stone of yours!”

I gasped and tried to pull my hands free from her grip, but to no avail. With her free hand, she reached into my pocket and took the Memory Stone. I raised my knee to kick her, but Trixie was quicker and kicked my standing leg, causing me to fall down.

“No!” I shouted. “Please, don’t take it from me!”

“Like these glowing crystals you took from Rainbooms?” Trixie responded, her gaze only at the Memory Stone.

“The geodes?” I asked in surprise, before my jaw dropped. “Wait, how do you remember?”

“I don’t know,” Trixie said. “Maybe because I’m Great and Powerful, maybe because you didn’t see me in the hallway watching you holding that stone.”

I remembered.I only erased the memories of me from those in the classes, not from anyone who saw me. It was such an easily preventable mistake!

“But… how did you make the connection?” I asked, close to tears.

“Come on, fairy,” Trixie rolled her eyes, “wasn’t Trixie the one who came up with the fairytale of yours? Trixie always knew that you were just an ordinary student; she just waited to see if you would get caught by the Rainbooms. But, well, you actually defeated them, taking away… um…” She scratched her head, unable to remember that the Rainbooms had powers. “…whatever the geodes gave them, so Trixie decided to take that magical artefact from you herself!”

“No! It’s dangerous! Please, untie me! Don’t take it away from me.” I begged her, trying to untie myself from the rope. How was the knot so tight?

“Dangerous? The only one being dangerous is you,” Trixie responded, holding up the Memory Stone. “Now, how does this one exactly work? Trixie didn’t see you murmur something or make a special move.”

“As if I’ll tell you!” I retorted, giving up on untying myself, and stood up on my knees. "Now, free me!”

Trixie bursted out into laughter. “Really?” she asked, holding her stomach. “You think you can order me around? If you only knew how pathetic you looked right now!”

I couldn’t hold it any longer and broke into sobbing.

This was it. I’d gone so far with the Memory Stone, even going against the Rainbooms, just so I could stay the fairy, and yet it was the same service that I offered that took it away from me—even by the person with whom it all started.

Fate couldn’t be more cruel and ironic.

“Please…” I cried. “It’s the only thing I have left.”

“Don’t worry, fairy girl, Trixie will make good use of that stone—better than you have, at any rate. Maybe she’ll even be so kind as to let you keep your memories. Even if,” she gave me a disgusted look, “it doesn’t look like you want to remember yourself like that.”

At that moment, the school bell rang.

“Well, Trixie has to go,” Trixie said and put the Memory Stone in her bag. “Good luck to you, you’ll really need it.”

As she walked away, I crawled to my tools and cut the rope with them. Afterwards, I took a notebook from my bag and wrote myself a note of anything that I should remember.

I didn’t know what memories Trixie would erase from me, but I needed to be prepared.

Winter

My room was darkened from the closed blinds as I laid on my bed. The pillow was wet from my tears and my blanket dirty from the lumps of earth that had stuck to my clothes—a perfect portrayal of the mess I was sitting in.

Trixie had figured out how to use the Memory Stone. It was child’s play anyway, just thinking who should forget what, so it wasn’t a surprise. However, Trixie was cruel in which memories she chose to erase.

My memories were untouched. Whether it was because she didn’t see me as a threat or because she wanted to punish me, I didn’t know.

But Trixie erased the rumour of the fairy.

I knew that Trixie did this as a security measure for herself. Without anyone remembering the fairy, the Rainbooms wouldn’t search for one. She even went directly to them and told them about the geodes in the locked room—a sign of how long she’d been watching me. While the Rainbooms would need some time to figure out what the geodes were for (unless they wrote it down somewhere), it made sure that they wouldn’t suspect Trixie of anything anymore in case I would seek their help.

It was a perfect plan—just not for me.

Everything I built for was gone. I had erased my past, and what I had built in the present had vanished as quickly as a finger snap.

I was literally a nobody.

The sounds of keys and opening doors notified me that my mother had returned. She would soon find me, and ask what was going on, why I wasn’t in school.

I didn’t move. I didn’t call her. Everything was crashing down, and all I could do was wait till I would be crushed by the consequences of my actions.

Since I had no music in my room, I was unnoticed for a while, but eventually, my mother went up the stairs and noticed the closed blinds. When I heard her footsteps in my room and they suddenly stopped, I knew that she was looking at me.

“Wallflower, what are you doing here?” she asked me with a worried voice. “Did something happen?”

“Go away,” I muttered and hid my head with my pillow.

“Did someone bully you? Did someone beat you up? Did—”

“Go away!” I yelled, my voice muffled through the sheet.

“But sweetheart—”

I raised my head and turned to her. When she saw my face, her eyes widened, and she took a step towards me with raised arms.

“Please,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Not now.”

My mother bit her lip, but nodded and stepped backwards, her eyes still set on me. Only after some time did she sigh and leave the room, closing the door behind her.

I let my face fall on the pillow and remained laying on my bed, pitying and crying myself out.

A knock on my door ripped me out of my state, but when my mother entered the room, I turned back to the wall.

“Wallflower,” my mother said, sitting on my bed. “I called the school, but they weren’t aware of anything. Please, at least tell me what happened to you. Maybe I can help you.”

I didn’t reply.

“Is it… something you regret? Did someone break your heart?”

I shook my head.

“Did you get pregnant?”

I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. But seeing her serious and worried expression, I said, “No, I didn’t.”

“Did you take… um…”

Before my mother would play the guessing game, I answered the questions for her immediately.

“No, I didn’t take any drugs, I wasn’t raped, I didn’t join any criminal gang, nor did I witness a traumatising accident or death. Anything else?”

My mother sighed. “You know that I’m worried for you, sweetheart. Please…”

“The last person I want to talk to is you, Mum. Don’t take it personally, but you know why.” Without waiting for a reply, I turned back to the wall.

My mother remained sitting silently for some minutes before she broke it.

“Do you want something to eat?”

I shook my head, and my mother finally left the room.

I let out a sigh. I knew I had to tell her at some point, but I rejected the idea that she would be the first person to hear about the Memory Stone.

A soft shaking of my shoulders woke me up from my sleep. Turning my gaze, I saw that it was my father.

“Change your clothes and wash yourself, dinner will be ready soon.”

With a surprised blink I turned to the clock, which confirmed that it was indeed so late already. My stomach notified me of its hunger also with a loud growl, so I nodded and stood up.

After leaving the shower and changing into new clothes, I walked down to the kitchen and sat at my place, giving careful glances at my parents.

While my father always had an unreadable face, the unease and worry was written plain on my mother’s: Her hair was more tangled than usual and she repeatedly bit her fingernails. However, as we started eating, she didn’t say anything to my surprise. While I didn’t want to say anything right now, the silence bothered me—it reminded me too much of yesterday’s dinner, making me anticipate another interrogation.

But it never came.

I only ate half of my portion before I moved the plate away, causing my mother to ask, “Not hungry anymore?”

I nodded.

“Then please remain sitting,” my father asked me.

I sighed. It had to come to this of course. It was inevitable, but I still wished to move the moment further so my future self would have to deal with it.

“You know the question, Wallflower. Better now than later,” my father said as if he read my mind.

Crossing my arms, I looked away to the side. I never liked to maintain eye contact with him; his unchanging face always confused me.

Seconds passed, which felt so long. Neither of my parents continued eating, so only the ticking of the clock broke the silence. I hated it. Wishing that the ground would open and swallow me up was pretty trite in situations like this, but I still wished for it right now.

I never liked confrontations, and with the Memory Stone, I’d forgotten how to stay through one.

But the silence felt more and more like an unbearable weight crushing me down, so I couldn’t take it anymore and opened my mouth.

And once the words flowed out, they didn’t stop.

It had been a lot to take in for my parents. As soon as I mentioned the Memory Stone, my mother couldn’t stay in her seat and walked in circles, and when I’d finished, my father nodded slowly before saying I’m free to go to my room.

His voice at that moment was the first time I heard on the verge of cracking, the disappointment audible in every syllable. I knew he only said this to hide his anger, but I followed.

“Why are you blaming me?”

“Why? Would you listen to yourself for once? You infected her with your gossip!”

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did! There wasn’t a single student you didn’t criticise!”

“I’m just concerned for her safety!”

“Safety? According to you, everyone out there is an egoistic criminal! Of course she’d think that everyone else thinks about her like you think about others!”

The argument downstairs was loud enough for me to hear everything, causing me to break down into tears. I didn’t want this to happen! They shouldn’t break up because of me!

The desire to put on headphones and drown out the argument was big, but I had to know the outcome. If it started to go downhill, I would have to try to break into Trixie’s house and take the Memory Stone from her to—

What was I thinking? Why was my first instinct to erase memories again?

But it would be an easy solution…

…that would only prolong and increase the problem.

I groaned, beating with my fist against a wall.

I did this.

I did all of this.

I broke my family. I erased myself from my school. Everything was crashing down because of me.

Without me, everything would be fine.

Without me, everyone would be happy.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my determination and took my bag, putting the most important necessities in it and sneaking out of my room.

It was for the greater good.

My parents were still arguing in the kitchen, so they didn’t notice me. Within seconds, I’d left through the door and ran away.

There was nothing better than an uninterrupted work. The only sounds, other than those of my tools in the dirt, were the soft chirps of birds and the buzzes of bees, and with the school far, far away, no one would be interrupting me.

It was beautiful and peaceful. I didn’t have to go anywhere. I didn’t have to leave. I was all by myself.

It was perfect.

A soft chuckle made me look up. Before me stood a teen girl with green hair, wearing a red shirt, dark blue shorts with sunflower stickers and brown boots. However, the first thing that caught my eye was the sunflower in her hair, which oddly enough resonated with me.

“Do you like it here?” the girl asked me.

I nodded. “And who are you?”

Another chuckle. “You created me, Wallflower. Don’t you remember?”

I blinked before I shook my head.

“I’m the fairy of this garden. You can talk to me whatever you want and I forget it afterwards.”

Rubbing my temples, I took another deep look at the fairy. Only now did I realise how she was like a mirror image of me.

Somehow, I didn’t question it anymore.

“Do you like my garden?” I asked instead, showing it with my arms.

The fairy nodded. “A lot. You did very well.”

“Thank you! I’m really proud of it.”

“Do you want to show it to anyone else?”

The fairy’s question made me hesitate. Taking glances at each plant, I thought about what the answer was. I wanted to show it to others, but that was more for seeking endorsement than anything else.

“I don’t need it,” I replied. “Sure, I’m happy whenever someone else praises my work, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about inner peace and personal achievements.”

The fairy’s smile widened. “That’s great to hear! So you won’t show it to your parents, right?”

I turned my face away from her, looking to the ground. I didn’t expect the question, but I realised the implications for each answer. If I said yes, then I had no connections with my own parents; but if I backed down, then I wouldn’t be true to my words. There was no saving me from messing up conversations, even when talking to the fairy.

“Sorry,” the fairy scratched the back of her head nervously. “I didn’t mean to poke into unnecessary details. But no one else will come across here, as far as I understand.”

“No one will anymore.” I replied with a sigh. “Trixie stole my ability to be you, and since I ran away, I can’t return to the school or this garden anymore.”

The fairy tilted her head. “But we’re here, aren’t we?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.

The fairy didn’t reply, but simply stared into my eyes. The longer she did, the more I realised what was going on.

She was mocking me. Her smile was actually her sneering at me. She had praised my garden to make me proud of it and later on break my confidence apart. For what? Just for the sick joy of seeing me panic from my failures?

“Wallflower,” the fairy said, as the sunflower on her head dried out instantly. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Liar!” I yelled at her, stepping back.

Her red shirt faded into an unnoticeable grey, and the shorts turned black as the stickers fell apart.

“You ruined my life!” I shouted back, my breath becoming rapid.

“But I am you,” the fairy said, her voice cracking down as her eyes welled up.

“No, you’re not!” I retorted, clenching my fists. “You’re who I wanted to be!”

“Then why are you angry at me?”

Opening my eyes, I saw the rough concrete ceiling above me. My body shook from the cold ground. I turned my gaze to the fire that had almost died out. After throwing in a few more wood pieces, I wrapped my blanket tighter around myself as I waited for the much needed warmth.

How much I missed my room, my soft bed, my warm house. But it was the best for everyone.

I deserved it for everything that I did.

After the bakery closed and the last worker left the building, I emerged and ran to the dustbins, opening them. So many plastic bags full with perfectly fine breads and pastries; it hurt seeing them being thrown away. Nonetheless, it meant free food for me, so I took a bag with the most variety and ran back into the warehouse.

Once in safety, I opened the bag and searched through it what I could eat. Too many pastries had something with apples in—Applejack’s family was literally flooding Canterlot City with their product—and it took me a while to find a piece of an orange cake and some strawberry flavoured donuts. There were also sausages wrapped in dough, which I put to the side for later use.

While I ate, I heard a noise from a corner above me. Looking up, I saw something black and small moving across the scaffold. I continued eating, not taking away my eyes from the creature.

Before long, it climbed down, revealing itself to be a cat. Its fur was dirty and yet puffy, and its green eyes stared into mine intensely.

“Hello there, little kitty,” I greeted it gently with a higher pitched voice—I think Fluttershy talked like that to animals.

However, the cat stopped in its movement. Had I scared it?

“You don’t have to fear me.”

No reaction. Maybe it was hungry? I reached for the sausage, removed it from the dough and threw it at the cat. It grabbed the food with its teeth and ran away.

Sighing heavily, I returned to eating the orange cake.

The first day all alone. I should get used to it.

Heavy rain dropped all over me, but I didn’t care about getting wet. I was angry instead. Fists clenched, I saw how flannel plants had grown all over my garden.

A quiet sniff made me notice the fairy sitting on the ground, her legs pulled to herself. Sunroots covered her body, but I still noticed the dried up sunflower on her hair and the clothes lacking any colour.

“You!” I yelled at her. “Why didn’t you take care of this place?”

She raised her face, her eyes fiercely looking into mine. “Me?” she asked. “What do I have to do with your garden?”

“You’re the fairy!” I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air. “Just look at yourself! You can’t even take care of your own body! See how the garden affects you too!”

“Take care of it yourself.” The fairy crossed her arms and turned her head away, her nose up in the air.

“At least go inside somewhere,” I retorted. “Or use an umbrella.”

“The rain doesn’t bother me,” the fairy replied. “Nor these sunroots on me. I grew them myself.”

Gritting my teeth, I took her arm and pulled on it, trying to make her stand up. I was too weak.

“Stand up!” I shouted, getting frustrated.

“Why?” the fairy replied bitterly. “No one comes here anyway.”

“Because I care for you and this garden!”

A peal of thunder threw me out of my dream. With a loud groan I rolled around, trying to find a comfortable position to fall back asleep.

Hopefully these dreams would stop soon—I didn’t need any “lessons” or metaphorical representations.

No matter which position I tried, none of them were comfortable enough to fall asleep. It didn’t help that, with the heavy storm outside, lightning and loud thunder were too near to feel safe in this warehouse.

Hearing a meow, I opened my eyes and looked in the direction it came from. There was the black cat again, approaching me and my fireplace. What surprised me more was the kitten it… she carried with her.

I didn’t say anything as the cat placed her kitten on the ground, gave me a short glance before running away into the darkness.

Blinking in surprise, I turned my gaze to the helpless kitten. Its fur was soaked with water and cried loudly for its mother.

The sight broke my heart. Why did its mother leave it? Was the world really so cruel that even among animals mothers would leave their children to some dangerous species? My mother had been right all along with how cruel the world was.

I unwrapped my blanket and used it to dry the kitten as carefully as possible.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll take care of you.”

Hearing another meow, I turned to the direction and saw the cat return, carrying another kitten with her.

My eyes widened as the cat placed the wet kitty on the blanket and ran away into the darkness again.

She didn’t leave her kitten with me, she’d gone back for her other kittens! I slapped myself for judging her so quickly. Had I become like my mother? Did I think of her so badly that I assumed she’d be able to abandon her own children?

Three more times the cat returned before she stayed with the kitten and licked them dry. I was watching them from a distance, rubbing my arms and legs warm due to having given them my blanket.

“See how much she loves them.”

I jumped up in surprise and looked next to me. With widened eyes I saw the fairy from my dreams sitting next to me.

“You? But… aren’t you…?” I stammered, searching for words. “Am I hallucinating this?”

Her tired eyes looked at me. “No, you’re half-asleep.”

“Glad I’m not going crazy,” I replied sarcastically. “Why aren’t we in my garden? Usually, I meet you there.”

The fairy shrugged.

“Alright, let’s get over this,” I said. “What’s the next ‘lesson’ you want to teach me? What’s the next checkmark in our symbolism list?”

The fairy sighed. “Wallflower, look at the cat.”

I rolled my eyes, but did as she said.

“So you see how much she cares for her children? How she went back to the storm again and again until she rescued every single one of them?”

“Is this about how my mother is scared for me?” I asked with an annoyed voice. “I know about motherly love.”

“And yet, despite you knowing it, you judged it. When a child runs away, other people always think it’s the parent’s fault, don’t they?”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but stopped. She was right. A child running away from her parents, what would anyone think of it? They couldn’t tell them about the Memory Stone, they would look crazy!

The fairy exhaled. “You still won’t return home, won’t you?”

Closing my eyes, I shook my head.

“I don’t get it,” the fairy said. “You understand how you got yourself into everyone forgetting you. You know you erased every memory of yourself. But instead of trying to fix and start again, you run away. You don’t want to be alone, Wallflower.”

“No, but I deserve it,” I responded.

“Then why were you disappointed when the cat ran away after you fed her? Didn’t you wish that she would stay with you? And now look at yourself. You smile whenever you look at the cat. You’re proud that she trusts you even with her children.

“So, tell me: What is the reason you keep making the same mistakes despite understanding why they’re wrong? Why is the smart Wallflower, who knows better than her mother to not judge anyone simply based on limited information one has, burying deeper and deeper her hole, further escalating and blowing up the consequences—”

“Shut up!” I shouted, pulling at my hair. “Just shut up! I don’t need my subconsciousness judging me also! I don’t need you!”

“But—”

“What part of ‘shutting up’ don’t you understand?” I retorted, standing up. “I hate these types of talks! I hate having to stand up for myself! Is that what you wanted to hear?”

The fairy looked up at me, her sad eyes locked into mine. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Growling angrily, I grabbed her shirt and pulled her towards me. “Then tell me, ‘me.’ What do you think is the truth?”

The fairy’s lips raised slowly into a grin, before responding quietly, “You fear punishment.”

The storm had ended long ago and the morning sun lightened the warehouse, but I remained sitting before the extinguished fire, not taking my eye off of it. The “half-dream” hadn’t let me rest as my thoughts didn’t stop circling about it.

Did I fear punishment that much?

As much as I wanted to deny it, it made too much sense. When Trixie stole the Memory Stone from me, I didn’t go to Principal Celestia or the Rainbooms to tell them about it. It would be the only right thing to do with how dangerous the Memory Stone could be in the wrong hands.

But that would mean I had to reveal having used it myself.

Further proof was that I couldn’t force myself to return to my parents. The longer I thought about it, the more reasons came into my mind as to why it would be better if I was with them: Their worries, what others would think of how they treat me, how cowardly I looked in my parents eyes—why else would I have run away anyway then out of fear of consequences? Even my initial argument that they would break up because of me made no sense, as me having run away would only escalate any argument between them.

I had to return. I had to face my consequences, but I feared them. Even my hands were shaking from just thinking about it.

That’s what I had been doing the whole time: Running away from my punishments. When I erased any memories of me, I didn’t want to explain the memory holes others would have—so I created even more of them. When I realised how far I’d gone by stealing the geodes of the Rainbooms, I still didn’t undo my mistake. Everyone knew how narcissistic Trixie was, and yet I let her keep that stone without caring what damage she might do to others. Whenever my parents had caught up to their memory holes, I erased these memories of it, and when I couldn’t anymore, I ran away…

I let my face fall in my hands, my forehead drowning in sweat.

Why was I doing nothing? I understood everything. My thoughts were the same, repeating itself again and again. The longer I waited, the worse the consequences would be, but I refused to face them.

How pathetic was I? When would I finally pull myself together?

Tears fell down my eyes, guilt overtaking me.

But I remained sitting, my heart racing in my chest.

“Wallflower,” a voice whispered to me.

Looking up, my eyes widened in shock. There was the fairy again, but different. She floated, and a dark aura surrounded her. Her eyes were glowing green, the same colour the Memory Stone glowed whenever I had used it.

“No,” I yelped, crawling back. “Please, don’t!”

“It’s time, Wallflower,” the fairy said as it flew nearer.

“I can’t! Not yet!”

I stood up and ran away to the exit. It was my only escape from her, but no matter how fast I ran, it didn’t come near.

My breath was heavy, my legs and arms were shaking and feeling weak, and my heart pounded like crazy.

“You can’t run anymore,” the fairy said, her creepy voice echoing in my head.

“No!” I shouted, as multiple hands grabbed tightly around my arms.

“We got her,” a man in a blue uniform said, putting a hand on my forehead. “Looks like she has a fever—she’s probably hallucinating. Bring her to the hospital!”

Spring

Slowly waking up, the first thing I saw was a white ceiling until a familiar face appeared.

“Wallflower, you’re awake!” my mother exclaimed happily, taking me into a hug. “I was so worried for you!”

Before I could take in what had happened, my mother already detached herself from me and bombarded me with questions.

“Mum,” I murmured, hoping that she’d stop, but she didn’t.

“Are you hungry? You must be! My poor, poor sweetheart, why did you only run away? I asked every student you knew about you, but you weren’t anywhere. Did that fever come from the storm? Why didn’t you take more warm clothes with you?”

I sighed quietly and focused on recalling how I got here, as she left me no time to answer any questions anyway.

Someone probably found me as I was becoming sick. Even now on this soft mattress that felt like a cloud given from heaven, I felt awfully tired and cold. Sniffles flew down my nose, but luckily I saw a box of tissues next to me and reached for it.

“Here, let me help you,” my mother stopped in her flood of questions and took it. Holding it on my nose, she said, “Blow.”

If not for my state, I would have ripped the napkin away from her and used it appropriately myself, but I followed her order and freed my nose.

“Oh, dear Wallflower,” my mother wailed. “My poor, poor child.”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my voice hoarse.

“No, Wallflower, it’s me,” my mother replied, taking my hands. “If only I could see how my gossip made you detach from your friends, how you isolated yourself, how—”

Shaking my head, I interrupted her. “No, Mom, it’s all my fault. I was the one who overused the Memory Stone. I was the one who ran away…”

Tears welled up in my mother's eyes as her lips formed into a smile before she took me once again into a hug.

At that moment, I couldn’t contain my emotions anymore and hugged her back. Seeing how much she took care of me now, how happy she was to see me, it made me realise that she indeed had that motherly love for me that the fairy had told me about, and that her warning me about the students was also showing her love—in a strange and warped way, but it was still her love.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked her.

“Busy with paperwork,” she replied. “But he’ll come soon.”

I nodded slowly, gathering my courage to meet him.

“How did he take it? I mean, me running away…”

My mother chuckled softly. “He remained calm for me. You can’t imagine what panic I felt.” She sighed and looked out of the window. “But even in my panic, I saw how scared he was for you. Sure, he was also angry at you for leaving us in this mess—child protection services got in contact with us—but he guessed that you wouldn’t return on your own.”

I bit my lips, ashamed of how true this statement was.

“But you’re back now,” my mother continued, “and that’s all that matters.”

Principal Celestia’s raised eyebrow only showed slightly what she was thinking when I had told her everything. Was it doubt? Or was she judging me for how low I had let myself fall?

“That’s quite a story,” Celestia said and reached for a folder behind her. “And you found that stone behind the school’s parking lot?”

“Yes, in the garden of my garden club,” I replied.

“You seemed to have erased a lot of memories of you. I don’t recall having approved the garden club—” She opened a page from the folder. “—four months ago.”

“I, um,” I rubbed my arm, “erased your memories of it because it was awkward that I wanted to form it alone.”

“I see. Now, about Trixie…” Celestia looked me deep in the eyes, making me uncomfortably worried. “I can’t imagine how such a nice girl would steal that stone.”

My eyes widened. “But Principal Celestia—”

Celestia raised her hand, interrupting me. “I can understand how that might be her having used that Memory Stone. She had been acting strange in the last few days, and your story would fit a lot of puzzle pieces together.

“However, I don’t have the power to do anything without any evidence or an investigation, but would you want me to call and interrogate her?”

I shook my head. “The stone is way too powerful.”

“That’s what I thought,” Celestia responded. “I’m gonna believe you, but only because I don’t remember seeing you despite you being on the yearbook’s committee for years. We’d run the risk that she’d use it not only on me, but also you. Do you have any suggestions on how to approach it?”

A sigh of relief escaped me. Celestia believed me—or at least considered the Memory Stone being real.

“I’ve taken notes at home and my parents know about her,” I explained. “It’s the only way to not forget. My first approach would be figuring out where she hides the Memory Stone and coming up with a plan to separate it from her.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “Sounds good. You should also get the Rainbooms involved as soon as possible; they have experience in magical incidents.”

Pressing my lips together, I didn’t reply. It had already taken enough courage to walk into the Principal’s office, but now also ask for help from those I had stolen their geodes from?

“I strongly suggest you consider talking to them, at least,” Celestia said, “but do as you think is best and keep me in the know. You’re free to go.”

I stood up and was about to leave the room, but before I touched the doorknob, Celestia added, “And Wallflower, if you think about using that Memory Stone again for yourself—”

“I won’t,” I interrupted her, my voice firm. “I broke enough of my life with it, and I won’t repeat that mistake again.”

Finding a loud, exuberant magician turned out harder than I imagined, which made me more and more anxious. Wasn’t Trixie always craving attention? There was no way that one wouldn’t notice her appearance in the cafeteria!

As I was looking out for her, I didn’t notice a student sitting at my table and her waving a hand before me.

“Hey, um,” Mystery said, scratching the back of her head.

“Wallflower Blush,” I replied politely.

Mystery blinked. “Yeah, the name checks out. Have we met before?”

I nodded, getting anxious about what she’d say next.

“Strange, it’s like my memories of you are completely gone. Like, you were at my previous birthday parties and I still have photos with you of them, but…” Mystery trailed off, eyeing me up as she visually tried to recall any memories of me.

“It’s a long story,” I chuckled nervously. “But oversimplified, it was my fault using some sort of magic. If you wish, we could talk later about it because I’m a bit busy right now.”

“Oh, sure!” Mystery replied cheerfully. “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask me!”

I smiled. I didn’t realise how much I’d actually missed her. She was too talkative, but her helpful side was something I had always appreciated. Even now, seeing how Mystery gave me a chance to start over with the friendship filled me with such joy that I would’ve hugged her weren’t it for my mission—and of course how it would be weird for her.

Speaking of my mission, I noticed Trixie at the counter taking her food and heading straight out of the cafeteria. Surprised by her action, I left my tray and followed her.

Keeping my distance so as to not be seen, I noticed something strange about her. Were it not for her typical blue outfit, I might not have recognised her: Her head and shoulders were lowered, her walking pace slow with her feet barely rising from the ground. The complete opposite of the overconfident Trixie.

Why was she distancing herself from everyone? This was too unusual for her.

As Trixie walked around a corner, I silently walked along the wall and followed, only to yelp in surprise when I saw her standing before me.

“And why are you following Trixie, fairy?” Trixie asked me threateningly and waved the Memory Stone before my face. “Want this back?”

Slowly raising my hands in the air, I took a few steps back. The first time I saw Trixie and I already failed at keeping myself hidden from her.

“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Trixie asked me, clenching her free hand. “You knew what it would do to Trixie?”

“Do… what?” I responded, tilting my head.

“Make everyone forget me!” she shouted and threw the Memory Stone at me. It happened so fast that I could only move my head to the side to evade it.

I didn’t dare to turn around and pick the stone up. Trixie’s eyes watched my every move with a murderous look, and her breath was loud and quick.

“Um…” I stammered, searching for the right question to not further enrage her. “What exactly did everyone forget about you?”

“Everything!” Trixie yelled and moved towards me, pointing her finger at me. “No one remembers me as a magician. No one remembers me speaking in the third person. As soon as I act like I always acted, they look at me strangely and ask why I’m acting so crazy!”

I gulped and walked backwards until I reached a wall. Trixie didn’t stop approaching me until we were standing face to face.

“When I saw you crying back in the garden, I thought it was you being pathetic. Now I know that it was the stone doing this to you. I despised you back then, but now…”

She trailed off, finally stepping back and looking to the side.

I didn’t dare to say anything, but I could figure out what happened. Trixie used the Memory Stone to erase anything negative about her, but due to her obnoxious behaviour whenever she played her “magician’s role,” people forgot exactly that part of her.

Now, she was just a normal girl for everyone at this school.

“Trixie did a magic show during the weekend,” Trixie said, her voice almost too quiet to be heard. “She used the stone to erase any trick that wasn’t perfect in her eyes. At the end, the spectators walked back home without a single memory of her performance.” She hid her face in her hands, but couldn’t hide her sobbing.

A wave of pity came over me for her. If there was someone who could understand her, it was me. I was less attention-seeking than her, so if me being a nobody hurt me so much that I clung to the fairy role no matter what, how devastating must it have been for Trixie that her stage persona had been forgotten?

Not knowing what else to do, I stood awkwardly next to her. Should I place a comforting hand on her shoulder? Should I say something to her? Or should I take the Memory Stone while I still could?

“Do you know how to reverse it?” Trixie asked me suddenly, wiping away her tears. “Please tell me you do.”

Pressing my lips together, I shook my head slowly.

“Do you think destroying it will work?”

Trixie’s voice was desperate, and her eyes screamed for the last hope, for me knowing how to reverse her mistake, but I could only shrug in response.

“Only one way to find out.”

Before I realised what she’d said, Trixie ran to a nearby fire extinguisher, took it and smashed it repeatedly onto the Memory Stone.

With each smash, more and more cracks formed on the stone until it glowed in a green light.

“Stop!” I shouted at Trixie, but she continued on.

With another smash, the Memory Stone crumbled into pieces, and the light became bright and formed itself into a blinding orb.

“Trixie, run!”

But Trixie didn’t. She watched wide-eyed the growing orb, seemingly paralysed. Before it could reach her, I jumped at her and pushed her to the side.

A lightning bolt emerged from the orb, hitting me right on my head.

The rain poured down in masses and trees ripped from the ground from the strong wind and flew right into the tornado that was rapidly advancing toward my garden.

“It’s over,” I heard the fairy say next to me.

“No, it’s not!” I declared and took her hand. “We have to run!”

Running against the wind was hard. Leaves and branches flew against my face, and only green lightning occasionally brightened the view.

The earth shook and I tripped.

“Get up!” the fairy yelled and pulled on my hand, but I was too stunned from the view behind.

My garden, my hard work. The tornado sucked every flower, every plant up. All was gone, destroyed in mere seconds.

“Quick!”

A bolt of lightning brightened the sky and revealed the ground opening up, the crack expanding in our direction. Before I could do anything, it reached us.

The crack went right under the fairy’s legs, sucking her in.

“Help!” she screamed.

I held her hand as tightly as I could. The fairy dangled in the air, the deep gap under her like an endless abyss.

“Don’t let go!” I yelled.

“The tornado!” the fairy responded. “It’s coming nearer!”

I pulled as much as I could, but when it seemed that the fairy was almost out, the ground shook again and the progress was lost.

“Let go of me!” the fairy said. “It’ll suck you in!”

“Never!” I retorted and pulled again.

“Wallflower.” Her voice was quiet, but I could still hear it. “Save yourself.”

“I lost you once, and I won’t lose you again!” I responded, my eyes welling up. “I won’t let the Memory Stone erase you once more!”

“Wallflower, look at me.”

Another lighting gave me the view of the fairy. The loosely sunroots around her body were all dried out, and on her head was a young sunflower sprout.

“You did everything you could,” the fairy said, her voice compassionate.

“I don’t care! It’s not enough!”

“Wallflower—”

“I won’t ever let go of you!”

A rainbow coloured light flew above us, going right into the tornado and encircling it. The wind got weaker and the rain lighter. Taking the chance, I gathered all my strength and pulled the fairy up.

An explosion launched us both into the air.

Coming back to my senses, the first thing I saw were the Rainbooms. They had transformed into their magical outfits and pony ears, and their gaze was upon me.

“Finally,” Rarity muttered and let herself fall to the ground, puffing heavily.

“That was too close,” Applejack added and sat down.

What happened? Taking a look around, I saw that we were in the cafeteria. The chairs and tables were scattered all over the room. The walls, ground and the ceiling were covered in leaves and sunroots.

Gulping, I turned my gaze to the Rainbooms. “I’m… sorry,” I said, ashamed of what I’d done.

“Don’t be,” Sunset responded, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We know it wasn’t you.”

“But the sunroots, the plants—”

“All because of the Memory Stone.”

My jaw dropped. How did she know? Where did she hear the name?

Sunset chuckled. “We may have forgotten the fairy, but we had taken notes. I also asked Princess Twilight about it and she found an old writing describing the stone.”

“But I have to ask,” Twilight interjected, “how were you able to hide from us so well? My readings showed that the Memory Stone’s magic was at school, but you were seemingly never here.”

I glanced at her with a confused expression before explaining, “I wasn’t at school. Trixie took the Memory Stone from… Wait, Trixie!”

Turning on my heels, I ran out of the cafeteria to where I had seen Trixie the last time. The hallway was covered in leaves and sunroots like a jungle, while the lockers were laying on the ground.

Hopefully, Trixie was fine.

Soon, I heard her voice calling for help. Going around the next corner, I saw her struggling to get free from clinging vines, cursing loudly.

“Trixie!” I called, approaching her. “Here you are!”

“Get away from me!” Trixie retorted, waving with her arms, but got only more entangled in the vines.

“I’m here to help,” I replied.

“You helped me enough,” Trixie said bitterly. “Trixie will free herself on her own!” She waved her arms and legs again, but it got only worse until she couldn’t move anymore.

“You really don’t want a helping hand?” I asked with a smirk.

Trixie groaned. “Fine, but don’t tell anyone about this!”

“Too late.”

Turning around, I saw Rainbow grinning at us, with the other Rainboom members also approaching.

“So here is where the corruption had started,” I heard Twilight mutter as she examined a root that broke from the ground.

“Here, let me help you,” Rarity said and summoned a floating crystal. With a single hand movement, the crystal flew above Trixie and cut the vines easily, letting Trixie fall with a thump.

“Ouch, that hurt Trixie!” Trixie complained.

“You’re welcome,” Rarity replied with a scoff, crossing her arms. “And can you please stop talking in third person?”

“You don’t remember?” Trixie asked, standing up in an instant. “Please tell me you remember the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

The Rainbooms’ silence was heavy, answering the sad reality.

“We don’t,” Sunset said, sighing. “Any memories that were erased are gone forever after three days.”

“No…” Trixie fell on her knees. “This can’t be true.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset replied, then turned to me. “Could you fill us in on what exactly happened?”

“Wallflower, dinner is ready!” my mother called me.

“Coming!” I responded and put my gardening tools and my gloves away. Tapping the dirt off my clothes, I entered the house and washed my hands before sitting at the kitchen table.

“How’s the front yard?” my father asked me.

“It’s doing great,” I replied with a cheerful smile. “The first flowers are already replanted, and over the weekend I plan to buy some plants you’d definitely like!”

“For a punishment, you enjoy the work a lot,” my father responded with a wink of his eye.

I chuckled. “It’s a lot of work to do, though. So far I’m still brainstorming what our garden should look like. I thought—”

“Don’t overwork yourself,” my father interrupted me. “You’re already busy with your garden club and the front yard, not even speaking about homework and exams.”

“Yeah,” I scratched the back of my head. “I shouldn’t get too carried away.”

“Speaking of school, how was today?” my mother asked me curiously.

“Mostly busy with cleaning the school from the plants my corruption caused. While Trixie and I had to do it, many other students helped also, including the Rainbooms.”

“The Rainbooms, huh?” my mother said. “Couldn’t they just use their magic to clean the school up? Shows how they wanted to see you—”

My father cleared his throat.

“Right, right,” my mother laughed nervously and took a deep breath. “No more gossip.”

“Also, Mystery offered me to visit one of her concerts as a way to compensate for not having invited me to her birthday party. Could I go, please?” I gave a wide, innocent smile. I didn’t particularly care for rock music, but it gave me the chance to start a friendship again—and this time correctly with me also doing something for it.

“What about you being grounded?” my father inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Please!” I begged him. “It’s for Mystery. She feels guilty having forgotten me.”

“Hm, what do you say?” my father asked, turning to my mother.

I watched her as her lips were searching for words. She visibly fought with herself, repeatedly rubbing her forehead—I was asking to go to a concert of the Death Grinders, after all—but at the end, she let out a long sigh.

“Alright,” she said, defeated. “But only under the promise that you’ll be careful out there, understood?”

“Thank you so much!” I cheered happily.

Biting my lips, I listened to the suggestions Roseluck made for the garden of our club. They weren’t bad, but her plan included removing the anemones I was too proud of, and a combination of flowers and plants I knew didn’t harmonise with each other. However, she and Muffins were the first additional members the garden club got, so shouldn’t I try everything to keep her?

When Roseluck finished telling her suggestions and gave me an eager and proud look, I contemplated how to reply.

Should I deny it and risk her getting angry and leaving me? What would it look like if I drove off a new member on the first day?

If only I had the Memory Stone with me…

Shaking my head to stop the creeping thought, I took my stance and replied firmly, “No.”

“No?” Roseluck asked, her voice tinged with disappointment. “But it would look beautiful!”

“It sure does,” I responded. “But you shouldn’t plant roses and bunchberries next to each other. Roses need sun; bunchberries, however, shade and lots of water.”

“Oh.” Roseluck scratched the back of her head. “You’re right, I forgot about that. But the foxgloves are great companions to roses!”

“They are, but…” Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage. “Could we, please, keep the anemones? I’m ready to change the garden to make it more reflective of all of us, but I don’t want to remove these flowers. They’re, um, personal for me.”

“Oh, sure!” Roseluck responded, to my relief. “We can come up with something else.”

Muffins pointed behind us and when I turned my gaze in the direction, I saw Trixie slowly approaching us. When the magician saw that we were looking at her, she stopped.

“Sorry,” I said to my other members, “I think she wants to talk to me. Will be back soon!”

I was right with my assumption. Trixie led me to the parking lot, where no one would bother us. I hadn’t seen Trixie smile since the destruction of the Memory Stone, and her current hopeless expression made me feel pity for her.

“How do you do it?” she asked me, her voice filled with sadness.

“Do what?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Be happy,” Trixie said.

I pressed my lips together, not knowing what to say, prompting her to continue.

“I still remember you back in the garden, how you begged me to return the stone. You had even taken the Rainbooms’ geodes just so you could keep being the fairy. And yet, I see you living on, back to socialising with others and keeping up with your club activities.”

I sighed. “Trixie, the truth is, I had lost everything even before you took the Memory Stone from me. No one at school remembered me anymore. Your actions made me realise that.

“I’m building up everything again. The old friendships that were forgotten, my communication skills, my courage, it will take time and effort from my side. I’m lucky to get a second chance, and I can’t afford to waste it.”

“Glad you’re getting a second chance,” Trixie replied bitterly. “Trixie doesn’t. Every time she goes back to her stage persona, she gets weird looks or even ridiculed.”

“No, Trixie,” I said firmly. “You have a second chance. While you have to start from zero, you have already years of practice with your tricks and the people being honest with you. Use this chance to become a better magician, don’t do the mistakes you did before when you had started and focus on the things you know work.

“You have to change your approach, but if you see your situation as an opportunity, you can be even Greater and more Powerful than you were before.”

Looking to the ground, Trixie nodded slowly. “Trixie understands your point, but it’s also disappointing to see that what I achieved before was something no one liked.”

“Then take the chance to polish it,” I replied. “Adjust it to make it something everyone will love.”

Trixie turned her gaze to me, a slight smile forming on her lips. “The Great and Forgotten Trixie shall think about your words.”

Without waiting for a response, Trixie walked away, her pace more confident than before—even if not as in the past. Nonetheless, I was satisfied with the result of the talk. It was still up to Trixie to apply my words, but I was sure they’d help her.

Before I returned to the garden, I took a glance at a car’s window, looking at my reflection. The sunflower sat almost perfectly on my hair and needed only a little adjustment with my hands.