Rarity was in her room, engrossed at her desk facing the door, reviewing her progress on her art work. The entrance of her father brought her out of her thoughts.

"Hello, princess," Hondo greeted.

"Dad," Rarity replied, looking up from her notebook.

Hondo watched his daughter carefully. "Everything okay? You seemed a little upset at dinner."

Rarity sighed. "Some things have happened at the university."

"And that bothered you?" Hondo asked.

"No. I felt a little helpless for not reaching out to my old friends because of something that happened during lunch. Plus, right now I have to do a team project with one of them and the trailer didn't end well," Rarity said, fiddling with his pencil.

"I see. Remember, honey, everything is in due time. Let things calm down and everything will be resolved," Hondo advised with a reassuring smile.

The dressmaker stood up and hugged her father. "Thank you, Dad. I don't know what she would do without your support." Hondo reciprocated the hug warmly. "Although following advice is a little difficult sometimes," she admitted with a laugh.

"Life always presents us with challenges, but we must learn to face them," Hondo responded calmly.

"In fact, surprisingly one of them approached me... wanted to listen to me. It was... unexpected," Rarity revealed, releasing the hug.

"That shows that knowing how to wait for the moment and being willing to listen. Many things can change from one day to the next," she commented, smiling proudly at her daughter.

Rarity nodded, feeling comforted by her father's words. "Thank you, Dad. You always know what to say at times like these."

Hondo smiled and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We are here for you, daughter. Always."

Rarity smiled back and looked towards her desk. "I think I should keep working on this. See you tomorrow."

"Sure, honey. Good night," Hondo said with a warm smile.

The dressmaker returned to her drawing thinking what the sculpture would be like, tomorrow she would undoubtedly talk to the farmer and make her see reason about her work.

It was already daylight and the clock next to Fluttershy's bed was ringing. She turned off the alarm and got up to clean up, but before that, she looked down at the dress she had worn the day before, reminding her of the incident with the meal. Sighing, she decided that she would have to wear another similar dress. The others she used to wear should be drying outside of her, so she looked for one that she almost never wears.

After a quick shower, the pink haired girl headed to her closet and she put on a pale pink dress. It was comfortable and gave a delicate touch to her style.

Before going to the bathroom, she took her cell phone and played a background track without lyrics. As she untangled her hair, he paid attention to the instrumental that sounded good to her, although she felt something else was missing.

Her mind returned to what had happened. It was embarrassing having food spilled on her and the stares of the students. She knew Rainbow felt guilty, as he could tell from the message he received from her. Fluttershy knew she had to reassure him that everything was okay.

But were things really good between them? They finally talked about what she had kept to herself, but she knew it would take time for things to go back to normal. The jock could be impulsive at times, and Fluttershy hoped her friend wouldn't give in to that side again.

In addition, she had the support of her friends, who would help her in some way in this process.

The pink haired girl came out of her thoughts, although she still had doubts and fears about what could happen to the multicolored haired girl. One side of her hoped that everything would go back to the way it was before.

She went downstairs and met her mother in the kitchen, who was preparing breakfast.

"Good morning darling!" her mother greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Mom," responded with a soft sigh.

"How did you sleep?" asked, placing a cup of tea in front of her.

"Not very well," Fluttershy admitted, stirring her tea carefully. "I was thinking a lot about yesterday."

Her mother looked at her with concern. "Is everything okay with your friends?"

The pink haired girl nodded. "Yeah, just... there was a small incident at the university. Nothing major."

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here," her mother offered lovingly.

"Thank you, Mom," she replied sincerely. "And dad? And Zephyr?"

"Your dad already left for work early, and Zephyr is still sleeping," explained.

"Isn't he supposed to be working today?" the pink haired girl asked.

"He apparently swapped shifts with a coworker. You know how your brother is, he looks for an opportunity to get away from his work," her mother said with an amused laugh.

The animal lover just let out a laugh.

"Do you have plans for today?"

Fluttershy took a sip of her tea before answering. "No...unless the girls want to do something, but they haven't said anything."

"Well, maybe we can do something today," her mother said.

Fluttershy smiled slightly. "That would be a good idea."

"Maybe go to a coffee shop to have some cappuccinos and eat cake," her mother suggested.

"I would like to."

With that exchange, Fluttershy finished her breakfast and prepared to leave.

"I'm leaving, mom. Say goodbye to Zephyr," the pink-haired girl said, opening the front door.

"Good bye daughter."

After saying goodbye to her, the animal lover left the house to go to the stop for a taxi or bus.

Rainbow was getting out of her car, this time without her sister, since she was getting in a little late today. As she put the keys into her backpack, she noticed some students looking at her and murmuring. She frowned for a moment, put on her backpack, and walked toward the entrance.

"Could she really do it on purpose?" said one student to another. Rainbow managed to hear that, but she decided to ignore them and continued walking.

At the entrance, a slightly muscular white-haired girl greeted her.

"Hey, Dash," the girl greeted.

"Gilda, are you ready for today's training?" Rainbow asked.

"We'll see if you can handle my sweep this time," the sturdy girl said.

"Ha, we'll see," Rainbow responded with a confident smile.

The two entered the building and continued talking as they passed by several students.

"Did you hear? It seems like he wanted to finally end their relationship," another student commented.

Rainbow heard another student. "They've already started..." she said, clenching her fists.

"Everyone saw what you did yesterday, and you know what they are like..." Gilda commented.

"And apparently they took me out of context..." she said, letting out a sigh.

"It seems that the tension was so strong that she wanted to make it clear to him that she didn't want her in the group," one student murmured.

"Hey you, come here," Rainbow said, approaching a student.

Meanwhile, Twilight was in the library with Sunset, returning a book before joining the other girls. While she was waiting to be attended to by the person in charge of her, a student who was in front of her and Sunset spoke to them.

"I'm so sorry Fluttershy has to leave the group," the student said.

"That?" Twilight exclaimed, surprised.

"You know, some people said they heard Dash yell at her friend before throwing the noodles at her and that you guys had to step in to comfort Fluttershy," the student explained.

"Great, the rumors have started," Sunset said, shaking her head.

"That's not what happened," the blue haired girl said firmly. "Rainbow didn't yell at Fluttershy, it was an accident."

The student shrugged. "I'm just saying what I heard," said and then left.

Twilight exchanged a worried look with her friend. "We need to clear this up before she gets out of control."

Sunset nodded. "Let's meet the girls in the music room and talk about this."

Once the book was delivered, they left the library.

Twilight sighed. "These rumors can cause a lot of damage. I don't want Fluttershy or Rainbow to suffer any more misunderstandings."

"I know," Sunset replied. "It's been a long time since they took rumors out of context. Not to mention Belle."

Applejack walked through the halls, aware of the rumors that were circulating. She received Sunset's message in the messenger group to meet in the music room. She advanced a little and saw the athlete with Gilda arguing with a boy. As she approached, he heard that Rainbow seemed to be trying to clear things up.

"Now do you understand how things went?" said the athlete calmly.

"I think so," the boy replied.

"Perfect, now go," Rainbow said, patting her shoulder. The boy obeyed and walked away from her.

"It seems like you handled the situation well," Applejack commented as she arrived in front of them.

"For a moment I thought you were going to hit him," Gilda said with a laugh.

"I'm not just punches," said the athlete with a half smile.

"Well..." Gilda shrugged her shoulders. "See you both at training," she said goodbye.

"Bye, Gilda," the blonde responded as he began walking with his girlfriend. "How are you doing with what they say?" she asked.

"I didn't think yesterday's incident led to this, I almost forgot about these rumors," Rainbow said.

"Hey, Rainbow, rumors aside, what was yesterday?" she asked, trying to understand the situation.

The two stopped.

The multicolored haired girl was silent for a moment. "Have you noticed that since we started dating, I always invited Fluttershy?"

"Yeah, that's what you did," Applejack replied, remembering.

"Did you ever see her feel uncomfortable?" Rainbow asked, her tone serious.

The farmer put a hand on her chin, trying to remember. "I think so, I remember a couple of times she seemed to want to say something, but she didn't."

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING?!" Rainbow shouted, pushing her with her arms.

"Excuse me? What should she say?" the blonde asked, not understanding.

"You could have told me she was ignoring Flutters for you!" she said, raising her voice.

"Are you blaming me for your fight with Fluttershy? And how would I know that?!" Applejack exclaimed, her voice rising and visibly angry, pushing him back.

"Looks like it's a love triangle," one student commented, murmuring to another.

"So it seems," the other student responded.

The two girls heard that and looked at each other, but Rainbow glared at her partner.

"Look what you caused!" the athlete said, pushing her again.

"That's what you get for screaming at the top of your lungs!" Applejack replied, trying to stay calm, but still annoyed.

"Girls, please stop," interjected Sunset, who had arrived just in time to see the argument. "We don't need more rumors."

"She started it," Rainbow said, pointing at her partner.

"That's not true and you know it," Applejack crossed her arms.

"Both of you, stop it," Twilight said, coming up behind Sunset. "This is not the time or place to argue."

Rainbow gritted her teeth and finally, forcing the words out of her, said, "I'm sorry, AJ. I shouldn't have exploded like that."

Applejack nodded, but his lips remained tight. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry too. Let's just try not to make any more noise, okay?"

Sunset and Twilight exchanged a look. "We have to clear things up. Let's go to the music room," said the blue haired girl.

Rainbow and Applejack nodded and the four of them headed towards the music room.

Upon arriving, they found Pinkie Pie sitting on the drum stool, clearly upset, playing random notes without her usual enthusiasm.

"Did you hear what they're saying?" asked as soon as she saw the four of them.

"Yes, and we need to stop it," Sunset replied as they took their seats. "Where's Fluttershy?"

"I don't know, after yesterday, I'm not sure how he feels," Pinkie said.

"We need to talk," Twilight said. "It's important that we clear this up before the rumors get out of control."

Rainbow nodded. "I didn't know what to say to him after yesterday."

"And we must also confront those who are spreading those rumors," Sunset added. "This cannot continue."

Just then, Fluttershy walked timidly into the music room, clearly flustered by all the stares on her. Seeing her friends, she quickly approached. "Hello," she said quietly.

"Hello, Fluttershy," the blue-haired girl said with a reassuring smile.

"It seems you've already heard the rumors," the party girl said.

Fluttershy nodded slowly. "There are many perspectives..."

The five looked at each other worried.

"I don't know if you read the message, but I'm really sorry about yesterday. It was an accident and I never meant to hurt you," Rainbow said, approaching with her head down.

"I know, Rainbow Dash. I know you didn't mean to and it's okay," the pink haired girl responded, with a small smile.

"Now, we need to get this all straight," Applejack said. "Let's talk to everyone who is spreading these rumors and put an end to them."

"I agree," Pinkie said, finally getting some of her energy back. "We can't let this affect us anymore."

The group agreed and went out to try to convince the others about what really happened. They spent a few minutes talking to some students to clarify things, but although they managed to convince some, others still stuck to their points of view. After a while, they dispersed to go to their classes.

Rarity was in marketing class, trying to concentrate on the professor's words. However, her gaze repeatedly drifted to Applejack, who was sitting a few seats away. They needed to move forward with the art project, or ideally, finish it. This time, she would make sure the farmer heard her.

With midterms quickly approaching, she couldn't afford any delays. She didn't want to face her mother's lectures, even though she hadn't had any so far.

When class finally came to an end, Rarity picked up her things with a mix of determination and nervousness. She kept her books in her backpack, an elegant and personalized design that she always highlighted for her good taste. Just as she was about to approach Applejack to talk to her, she realized that the farm girl was no longer in her living room.

She left the classroom and looked around her for someone who could help her. Seeing a blue-haired boy she knew, she decided to approach him.

"Hey, Flash. Do you know if Applejack has any classes now?" Rarity asked with a smile.

"Hello, Rarity. No, he doesn't have class right now, but he does have training," Flash responded with a friendly smile.

"Training?"

"Yeah, she and the other girls have soccer practice. Sometimes they don't, but I'd bet she does today."

"Thank you, Flash, I owe you one," Rarity said gratefully.

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile and continued on her way.

Rarity headed towards the outside court. As she walked, she tried to organize her thoughts, preparing to face Applejack and make sure that this time they could both work together without personal conflicts.

When she arrived, she saw some girls running after the ball on the court, throwing passes and scoring. She recognized Lyra and Bon Bon among the students. The ones that stood out the most were Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have a challenge ahead of her when she came to the defense, and Sunset Shimmer, who was on the opposing team in the forward position. Finally, she saw Applejack, the girl she was looking for, who was on the same team as the multicolored girl and was in the defense position.

"I don't understand much of this, but they do play well," the dressmaker said to herself. "I've been at this institute for a month now and it's the first time I've come here."

She always thought that the girls would be on a basketball team, since that was what they played the most when the seven of them were together. But times change, and now football was what the three of them were passionate about.

Many thoughts ran through her mind, wondering what would have happened if... But there was no use in regretting the past that couldn't be changed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by some murmurs next to her; two students were watching the training and were murmuring to each other.

"Fluttershy isn't here, I'm sure she left the group like they say," a student said.

"You think?" answered the other.

Rarity did not live in another world, she was aware of the rumors that were floating around today due to yesterday's incident. But they were rumors taken out of context, that's all. Once, they had already said things about her, and although in a way they were not wrong, what she did not like was that her criticism of the girl who received the ball was unfair. Even though she lasted almost two weeks, she didn't like that the other girl had a bit of a hard time.

Rumors can be both real and false, but what limits would these criticisms reach?

The dressmaker shook her head to stop thinking about it; She didn't even want to imagine what would happen. She better focus on her studies than on what others said.

Since he didn't have classes now, he decided to stay and watch the training, like he used to do before when the three of them played basketball.

A few hours passed and she saw how the girls in blue suits left the court and headed to the dressing rooms. Rarity let out a sigh; She would have to wait a little longer. She walked to the nearby vending machine and bought some candy.

She waited a few minutes and headed towards the locker room. She saw someone leave; She wasn't sure what to do when she saw Sunset Shimmer standing there. She was going to say something, but Rarity stood her ground and turned to leave, leaving the redhead a little taken aback.

Once she sensed that Sunset was gone, she returned to the locker room and watched Lyra leave. She had no choice but to ask him if Applejack was still inside her.

"I'm sorry to tell you that you were a few seconds late," Lyra said.

"What are you talking about?" Rarity said.

"He just left with Sunset and Rainbow," Lyra replied, gesturing with her hand.

"It must be a bloody joke," the dressmaker said, putting a hand to her forehead and shaking her head. She must have left when she turned away from Sunset, she deduced. "Cowgirl is really going to give me a headache," she muttered.

"Is something wrong, Rarity?" Lyra asked.

"Nothing, honey. Could you answer another question for me?" Rarity said.

Lyra nodded and listened to the dressmaker's next question.

The jock of the group, once separated from Sunset and Applejack, headed to the backyard where she knew she would find the animal lover tending to some plants. When she arrived, she saw Fluttershy crouching down.

"Hey, Flutters. Can I talk to you?" said cautiously.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash. Sure, tell me," replied, looking at her with a small smile.

Rainbow took a breath before continuing. "I know yesterday was a disaster, but I really want you to know how much I care about you. Would you like to go out for coffee after school?"

"Umm...Thank you, but I already have plans," Fluttershy said hesitantly.

"So, how about tomorrow? Or we can go for a walk right now," she insisted.

"Rainbow Dash, I really appreciate you trying, but I need some space."

"But, Flutters, I just want to fix things. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between us," Rainbow said, frustrated.

"I know, but sometimes forcing things doesn't help," she whispered.

"But if we don't do anything, it will never be solved!" Dash raised his voice.

"Another argument?" a nearby student murmured.

"It seems like it doesn't end here," added another student.

Fluttershy, noticing the murmurs, felt even more uncomfortable and decided to move away from her. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I need to go," she said softly.

Rainbow watched as Fluttershy walked away from her, feeling frustrated. "Don't you guys have better things to do?" said angrily to the students who were murmuring.

The pink-haired girl walked away from her, not knowing if she could put up with the rumors and the multicolor-haired girl's insistence any longer. She walked a little further to another part of the patio and sat on a bench, remaining silent until a country voice broke the silence.

"Hey Fluttershy, are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just...rumors," she replied regretfully.

Applejack nodded and sat down next to her. "Can I talk to you about something?" asked her with a serious expression.

"Sure, Applejack. What's up?" replied, looking up.

"I wanted to talk to you about something Rainbow and I discussed recently," Applejack began.

"Another fight?" the pink haired girl guessed.

"Sort of. It's something she mentioned."

"What did she say?" Fluttershy asked, curious.

"About the rift between you and Rainbow. I noticed that when we first started dating, we sometimes left you aside. It wasn't intentional, but now I see that it must have affected you a lot," she explained, looking at Fluttershy seriously.

Fluttershy looked down, fiddling with a leaf. "Yes, I felt a little lonely sometimes. But I didn't want to say anything because I knew they were happy together."

The farmer sighed, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I should have been more aware and made sure you felt included."

The pink haired girl nodded slowly. "It's not your fault, Applejack. Maybe I should have said something too," she said a little crestfallen.

"Don't blame yourself. You're a good friend, Fluttershy," Applejack said with a sad smile. "It hurts me to know that I made you feel left out. I want you to know that I care a lot about our friendship, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you feel valued and loved."

Fluttershy smiled slightly. "Thank you, Applejack."

"If you ever need to talk or if you feel uncomfortable with something, please tell me. I want to make sure it doesn't happen again," the blonde said sincerely.

"I will. Thank you for understanding," replied, appreciating her friend's words.

"Well, I won't take up any more of your time. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am and how much I value you," Applejack said, standing up.

"Thank you, Applejack. I really value your friendship too," Fluttershy responded, standing up as well.

They hugged briefly. Fluttershy and Applejack left together until they separated to go to their respective lockers. Fluttershy walked over to her locker, mulling over the conversation as she put her things away.

On the other hand, Rarity was walking through the locker aisles to talk to the blonde girl about work. Walking a little further, she saw her, but she was not alone; With her were Rainbow Dash, who seemed somewhat crestfallen, and Pinkie Pie, with her usual classic smile. Applejack was going through his things in the locker. The party girl, upon noticing her presence, greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Rarity!"

Rainbow frowned at Rarity's name and turned around. "Belle, if you're here to talk... I'm not in the mood."

"No, I'm not here for that, Rainbow Dash," replied.

The athlete raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to your girlfriend about our project," Rarity explained, directing her gaze to the farmer.

Applejack slammed her locker shut. "Do you want to continue like yesterday?" asked.

"I'd rather not," said the dressmaker. "I don't know if I know you well yet, but I don't think you want to fail this class."

The blonde grimaced and opened her mouth. "You're right. But you don't know much about what friendship is about so we can move forward."

"Then enlighten me," Rarity said, opening her arms.

Pinkie and Rainbow watched the conversation with curiosity.

"Friendship is about being there for that person, being honest and supporting them whenever they need it," Applejack said.

"You're right, but there's also another part of friendship that's important." Rarity began to approach the blonde. "Also try to listen, understand and give space when they need it."

Rainbow analyzed the words of both girls realizing something. "Belle, for the first time since you came back you've said something useful," said, closing her locker, taking her things and walking down the hallway thoughtfully.

The dressmaker raised an eyebrow, she didn't know if she should feel offended or flattered with that comment. She put it aside and looked at the green-eyed girl again, but neither of them said anything.

Pinkie, seeing the awkward silence, tried to break it. "So are you going to continue your project?" asked with a nervous smile.

"It's up to Applejack."

"Okay, let's go," she said.

The two walked towards the living room, leaving Pinkie behind, a little confused by the scene.

"That was weird. In both cases..." muttered, watching where her multicolored friend and the two girls went.

Side A / Cafeteria
On the other hand, for the minors it was their lunch time. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood next to Spike and Scootaloo. The atmosphere between them was relaxed.

"And how was it yesterday?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"How do we have fun?" Apple Bloom asked.

"They already said that at recess," Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes.

"We mean his sisters," the green-haired boy said, crossing his arms.

"Rarity and Applejack were working on their project together in the art classroom," Sweetie Belle began to explain. "Well, it happened that we ran away from Pinkie and by coincidence we saw through the window where our sisters were"

"Apparently they were going well at first," Apple Bloom interjected, frowning. "But we could hear them starting to argue. It seemed pretty tense."

Spike frowned. "It was a little expected," he said, shrugging.

"Yes, since from what we heard I think we understood that they were talking about what happened with the girls," the youngest Belle continued, looking around her to make sure no one else heard them. "We listened to my sister saying that they should show the bad side of friendship and Applejack complaining about that choice. Then that led to other comments and left my sister alone."

Scootaloo nodded thoughtfully. "I guess working together wasn't going to be that easy," commented.

"I hope they can figure it out soon," Apple Bloom sighed, fiddling with his sandwich. "The atmosphere between them yesterday was not the best."

"Me too," Sweetie Belle agreed, resting his chin on her hand. "I hope the day comes when everything smoothes out between them... well, not only them but also with the girls."

Spike looked at his friends with a comforting smile. "I'm sure they will. Sometimes they just need a little more time and patience," he said, patting Sweetie on the shoulder.

"Yes, I miss when the six of us spent time together," the magenta-haired girl said, with a melancholic sigh.

"Yeah, and when we discovered things we didn't fully understand," Spike added, laughing softly.

There was a melancholy silence, until the youngest of the Belles broke it.

"Hey, we're almost getting to our last classes and nothing's happened," said, frowning.

"It's true," the green-haired boy said, nodding his head.

"Ha, I beat you. They're going to wait until Monday," Scootaloo said, laughing and nudging Spike. This defeated sigh.

"Then they will tell me what it is about. They promised me that if nothing happened today they would tell me," insisted, crossing her arms.

"We promised," Apple Bloom said, looking at her seriously and then at the two who nodded. "Well, you see, when we arrived around this time..." she began.

Sweetie Belle listened and little by little a smile formed, waiting for her to arrive that day, so she decided not to tell her sister yet. She knew she would like it too.

Side B/University
Rarity and Applejack met again in the art room. They chose to collaborate on a single sculpture, joining their talents in a collaborative way.

Rarity organized the tools and materials while Applejack reviewed the project guidelines. Once the dressmaker organized the materials, she took out her notebook to draw. The farmer saw that and sighed lightly.

"I hope you don't start drawing your dress sketches and pay attention to the work," said, trying to joke.

Rarity bit her lip upon hearing that. "I wish I could go back to those days..." murmured barely audible.

"Eh...?" she expressed the blonde, raising an eyebrow.

The dressmaker remained silent for a few seconds. "I think we should set some rules this time," suggested cautiously.

Applejack nodded, noticing her comment, but determined to focus on work. "Okay. Rule number one: keep the conversation focused on the project."

"Exactly," she replied seriously, resting her pencil on the notebook. "And rule number two: respect the opinions and suggestions of others without judging."

"Got it," the blonde nodded.

"I think we should work on something that really challenges us and allows us to combine our strengths," Rarity suggested, looking at the drawing she had made the night before. Next, she chose a block of clay and began sculpting the initial outlines.

"The theme of honesty remains central," the blonde said, taking another part of the material and beginning to sculpt more precise details.

After hours of concentrated work, they finally finished the sculpture. When they saw the final result, they both felt great satisfaction.

Rarity broke the silence with a smile: "I think we did a good job today."

"We did," Applejack replied with a slight smile. "Now let's hope the teacher approves it and maybe we can display it at the event."

"Event?" the dressmaker asked herself then she looked down, noticing her hands covered in clay. "I think we should go clean our hands before we leave," she suggested, pointing to her hands.

"Good idea," Applejack agreed, carefully picking up the sculpture and carrying it to a table where the other works were.

They both headed to the bathroom to clean their hands, in silence without any talk involved, but from time to time Rarity glanced at the blonde. Afterwards, they returned to collect their things.

Rarity adjusted her backpack while Applejack made sure she had everything in her light brown canvas crossbody bag. "See you...see you. I guess," the dressmaker murmured quietly.

"Of course..." the farmer responded with a neutral expression.

Since neither of them said anything, they separated again, each one going her own way. Rarity made time to wait for her younger sister and then headed towards where she used to meet Sweetie Belle. She noticed immediately that her younger sister looked remarkably happy.

"Sweetie," she called as she approached. "What's got you so happy today?"

Sweetie Belle looked up with a mischievous smile. "Oh, nothing you can know, big sister," she replied enigmatically.

The dressmaker frowned, intrigued by the answer. "A secret, huh?"

"It's a secret for now," the youngest said.

"It's okay, I'll find out eventually."

Sweetie Belle nodded with a wide smile. "Thank you, Rarity. So... how did it go with Applejack today?"

Rarity was quiet for a second at the question. "It went well, actually. We worked together on our project and managed to finish it without any major setbacks."

"That's great!" the youngest exclaimed. "I'm happy things are getting better between you."

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Rarity thought as she grimaced subtly. "Yeah, we're definitely making progress," she said, faking a smile. "Come on?"

Her younger sister nodded and they began walking home together.

It was already Saturday and the girls were busy with their usual activities. Sunset and Pinkie, who worked part-time on weekends, were at their respective jobs. Applejack was helping out on the family 'farm', Rainbow was doing her personal training despite her practice with the team, and Fluttershy had just returned from the animal shelter. On the other hand, the girl with glasses used to spend most of her free time studying.

Therefore, the animal lover was not surprised to receive a video call from Twilight and she accepted it immediately.

("Hello, Fluttershy! How are you?") Twilight greeted through the screen.

"Well, it's just... I was expecting another call, I don't want to sound bad," Fluttershy replied.

("Oh, don't worry. You were expecting Rainbow, right?") she asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Uh, yeah... she got a little pushy yesterday, and in some ways it's not like she expected me to call to insist again, but maybe to talk about some topic other than..." she hesitated.

("About some other Applejack fight")

"Emm...yeah, but at the same time I feel like it's better that we don't communicate yet," she admitted.

("I understand. It gives you a little room for things to flow," Twilight agreed.

"Yeah, it's weird though, isn't it? When the thing that left me out was happening, I wanted her attention, but now that I appreciate her trying to show it, I want my space too," Fluttershy mused.

("This is how our defense system works. Sometimes we want something, but we act exactly the opposite to protect ourselves and then achieve our goal," she said.

"I don't want to talk too much about myself. Were you doing something important?" the pink haired girl asked, changing the subject.

("You could say it's important, but it's not academic, although at the same time it is," she responded thoughtfully. ("I was thinking a little about rumors and how to convince others")

Fluttershy frowned slightly. "Any ideas?"

("Still nothing")

The pink haired girl looked down. "There have been many rumors, some strong and some not so strong, and they can be both false and real, so we had to rule out the false ones."

("Mmm...Fluttershy, you're a genius,") she said with a smile. ("I might start there to get an idea.")

The pink haired girl raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Whatever you came up with. I hope it works."

("I just have to tie the threads together a bit,") Twilight assured with determination. ("Now, how was your day at the animal shelter? Was there anything special?")

Fluttershy smiled and started chatting with her friend about how she did at the animal shelter.

Sunday passed and it was already Monday. The girls were on their 'lunch break' and they all decided to sit together, even though some of them had free time and weren't planning on having lunch. They wanted to prove that there was nothing wrong with the group and discuss the rumors that continued to circulate.

"Girls, I was thinking a little over the weekend about the rumors," Twilight commented.

"Any way to get other people to stop saying things?" Fluttershy asked.

"Or better that there is something to make them forget about this?" Rainbow added.

"I've been looking at the chances of success in getting them to stop talking," she explained. "And I came to the conclusion that the rumor is of an intermediate level. It is neither that powerful nor that light."

The girls looked at each other confused, and Sunset lifted her shoulders.

"I didn't want to use this example, but let's take Belle's," the blue-haired girl suggested with a nervous giggle.

"Ugh, really, Twilight," the athlete replied.

"Just listen...the ball she received plus her drama only led to people saying things like 'the spoiled girl who can't handle a ball' or 'the dramatic girl who only cares about appearance,'" she explained. .

"They weren't that wrong about that," Rainbow commented sarcastically.

"She is always attentive to her appearance. Has she been like this before or did she just take up the habit when she already had an interest in impressing others?" Sunset wondered.

Applejack made an annoyed face and looked at Pinkie. The two of them had already dealt with that side of the dressmaker before meeting the rest of the girls. Then they saw the girl with glasses again.

"Well, when we saw her we already had an idea of what she was like, but what does this have to do with it?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Remember that another point of view also came out, which was that the girl who threw the ball at him did it on purpose because she couldn't stand seeing someone more attractive," Twilight mentioned.

"I still don't understand," said the farmer.

"The girl was criticized, yes, but she didn't last long since the students put the rumor aside. Therefore, the same thing will happen to you two too," the blue-haired girl stated, looking at Fluttershy and Rainbow.

"Ah, I understand," said the athlete.

"That's why it's good that what happened wasn't so big that it took too much out of context. Now we just have to show that there are no bad vibes in the group," Sunset added with a nod.

"Exactly," Twilight agreed.

"I don't want to imagine what a big scandal would be like," Fluttershy said, a little nervously.

"When was the last time there was a big one?" Applejack wondered, trying to remember.

"Well, there was that time when... when they believed about Wallflower..." the redhead hesitated, avoiding going into specific details.

"What happened to Wallflower?" the pink haired girl asked with interest.

"Ah, nothing serious really, just rumors," Twilight interjected, trying to divert the attention.

"Yeah, it was more of a misunderstanding that went a little overboard," Rainbow added, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure it was so big I blocked it out of my mind," Fluttershy commented.

They all stayed silent for a moment just listening to the bustle of the other students.

"I was thinking of making a joke with Pinkie so they would stop talking," the athlete mentioned, breaking the silence and abruptly changing the subject.

"Would have been fun!" exclaimed the party girl, encouraged by the idea.

"And I would have stayed away if they did," Applejack commented with her arms crossed, remembering the previous pranks that had been played on her, especially by the multicolored girl.

"Come on, last time it was just a little joke," Rainbow said, downplaying what happened.

Once she gave the blonde girl a chocolate that had a liquid inside that painted her mouth blue and that took a while to get out.

"Better avoid those jokes," Twilight suggested.

"Yes. Better to show that everything is fine and skip the jokes," Sunset added.

"It's calmer that way," Fluttershy agreed.

"Okay, although it would have been fun," Pinkie admitted, a little exhausted at the moment. "The good thing is that what happened is mild," she commented, returning to the topic.

"You're right, this could be said to be mid-level and Belle's was a lower scale," Rainbow acknowledged. "Something good Belle did," she murmured.

The party girl heard him. She looked in front of where the dressmaker would be and then spoke to her, but she realized that she was not at her table and, apparently, at no other table. When she surreptitiously glanced at the other tables, she wondered if she was inside, but, if she weren't there, where would she be? She would surely have gone to her house by now.

After talking, each one felt calmer, so they began to talk about typical trivial things, such as things that happened in their respective classes.

Once they finished, they separated since some of them had free time, but in the case of the three girls in the group who were on the soccer team, they went to get their things. A certain blonde girl had the need to go to the bathroom. After leaving it, she went down another hallway that would also lead to her locker.

Walking for a few minutes, she saw the wavy-haired girl at her locker, looking in her mirror as she touched up her makeup and ran her hand through her hair.

"You're still the same," the farmer murmured, shaking her head.

Three Years Ago: Ending Winter
b]Applejack arrived at the imposing mansion, as she called it, impressed once again by how large and spacious the Belle house was.

She wore a dark brown leather jacket open over a white lace sleeveless blouse. Instead of her usual jeans and boots, she opted for sleek, tight black pants and black sneakers that combined style and comfort. She had left out her beloved hat for the occasion.

Upon ringing her doorbell, she expected to be greeted by the always welcoming Roseluck, but she was surprised to see Rarity's mother answer the door.

"Hello, Mrs. Belle. How is she?" Applejack greeted.

"Oh, hello, Applejack. I'm fine," Cookie replied, letting the blonde pass. "I heard they're going to a party."

"Yeah, Rarity was a little sad about not having the New Year's Eve dance," the blonde commented.

"Yes, she seemed a little discouraged. So your cousin Pinkie Pie suggested that the three of you go to that party together," the lady added.

"Yes, she's waiting for us," Applejack smiled.

Cookie, as always with her serious expression, nodded. "And that rose?" asked, pointing to the bouquet the farmer was carrying in her right hand.

Applejack got a little nervous. "Oh, uh... It's... for you. A gentle lady like you deserves a gift," said, extending her arm with a nervous smile.

"Thank you, Applejack. You didn't have to," Cookie replied, carrying the rose to a vase.

"Rare... I mean, is Rarity ready?" asked to avoid an awkward silence.

"I'm not sure. She's upstairs, if you want to go see her," Cookie said.

"Excuse me," she said before moving towards the stairs.

She went up, passing through the youngest Belle's room and heading towards the last door. She knocked and after hearing a "come in" from inside her, she opened the door and closed it behind her.

Inside it, she saw Rarity, but she frowned as she realized that she wasn't ready yet.

"Rare, aren't you ready yet?" asked.

"Jackie..." Rarity said happily, walking over and kissing her on the lips. "No, I'm not ready yet," replied.

"But we're already getting late and you're still... what exactly are you doing?" asked impatiently.

"I still haven't decided what dress to wear," Rarity replied.

"Just pick anything. I told you that you look beautiful in anything," Applejack said.

"But dear, I can't just wear anything. I must present myself properly for where we are going."

"Rarity, it's just a nightclub. We'll be in the dark," Applejack frowned.

"Oh, it can't be. You're right... I won't be able to look good in the dark," said the dressmaker.

The farmer sighed calmly and approached. "What do you have in mind to wear?"

"Look, what do you think of this light blue dress? There's also this purple one, or this red one that would also make me look good," she said, posing with each one.

The blonde thought a little before speaking. "Put on the light blue. Even though purple looks good on you, the light blue stands out on you," she suggested, trying to remain patient.

"Perfect. I'll be right back, honey," Rarity said, heading to her personal bathroom.

A few minutes passed and Applejack was waiting outside, but Rarity wouldn't come out. Finally, she knocked on the door to find out the reason.

"You can come in, Applejack. I'm ready," the dressmaker said on the other side.

"So what were you doing?" asked as she opened the door and entered the bathroom. She sighed in frustration as she saw that Rarity was putting on her makeup in front of the mirror. "Rarity, we're going to be late."

"A good makeup and we're ready, honey," Rarity replied.

Suddenly, the dressmaker's cell phone rang with a message. She was going to see him, but Applejack stopped her.

"Leave it, Rare. Put your makeup on quickly and let's go," she said urgently.

Rarity nodded and continued with her makeup in detail.

The blonde rolled her eyes at her. This was a side she didn't really like about her girlfriend, the fact that she took so much interest in her appearance.

Present

The farmer sighed and took advantage of the fact that Rarity was focused on her locker to walk past her and avoid starting a conversation. Knowing the dressmaker's attitude, she probably wouldn't have wanted to talk anyway.

Pinkie, who was a few steps behind, approached Rarity's locker. Before speaking to her, she could notice in the distance the hat and dark brown flannel that her cousin was wearing that day, but she lost sight of it when more students passed by her.

"Hello, Rarity!"

"Hello, Pinkie Pie."

"You never stop being elegant," commented, eyeing the lipstick the dressmaker had in her hand.

"I was eating a piece of cake, but when I wiped it with the napkin, I got too much of my lipstick and the color looked a little uneven, so I didn't think it was appropriate to leave it like that," explained.

"Oh..." Pinkie murmured.

"What's happening?"

"Nothing," Pinkie replied.

There was a brief silence before the party girl spoke again.

"For a moment I thought you were gone," said, curious.

"For some reason, Sweetie Belle asked me to stay a little longer," Rarity replied.

"Oh yeah?" said the party girl.

"She told me she would understand," the dressmaker said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Mmm..." murmured thoughtfully. "Oh, I get it, it was probably Apple Bloom."

Rarity frowned in confusion.

"You'll understand in a few minutes, something tells me," Pinkie said enigmatically. "So, were you in the cafeteria? I didn't see you."

"Actually, I went somewhere else... to be honest, I didn't want to meet the girls' gazes while I was waiting," admitted.

"I see, it must be awkward," Pinkie nodded.

Rarity nodded as well.

"You know, Rarity, you're acting different. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I can tell," the party girl said, trying to be honest but careful with her words. "You haven't apologized like before and now you seem a little... distant."

"I'm just trying to do the right thing this time," Rarity said with a more serious tone.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow, still not fully understanding.

"You see, the last time I apologized to them, you saw how it ended," the dressmaker said, referring to the incident at the mall. Pinkie nodded, remembering. "That day I was very distracted and I wanted your forgiveness, so I went to talk to my parents to ask them for advice," she began to explain.

"And what advice did they give you?" she asked, eager to know more.

"Wait"

"Wait?" Pinkie repeated, intrigued.

Rarity gestured to let her continue speaking. "Wait for the right moment. Give them space to manage the emotions you have with my presence after so long," she explained.

"I get it, you're waiting for things to calm down," Pinkie said.

"I've been thinking about what to do after things calm down, how to show them that I'm not what they imagine me to be," she said.

"We'll work on that," the party girl said, nodding. The dressmaker smiled.

"Hello, Pinkie, hello, Rarity," Bon Bon greeted as she approached with lyra.

"Hello," they both responded.

"I see you're getting to know Pinkie," Lyra commented.

Pinkie looked a little confused at Rarity and she then looked down.

"You know, any new student is a new target for making friends," Pinkie joked. "And you guys, how did you meet Rarity?"

"In art class," Bon Bon replied.

"Yes, although we already knew her name, you know how some students are, always talking," Lyra added.

Both Pinkie and Rarity understood what they meant and agreed that it was exactly what was happening with the athlete and the animal lover.

The sound of the speakers caught everyone's attention, recognizing the chancellor voice. Pinkie grabbed Rarity's shoulders shaking her.

"It's happening, Rarity!" said excitedly.

"Ah... what?"

("Good morning everyone! I am pleased to announce that this year's homecoming event is about to begin. There will be a variety of activities for everyone, from club fairs, festivals and sports competitions. It will be a fantastic opportunity to get to know each other better and enjoy of our community between the school and the university. We will give more details of the activities in the next few minutes. I hope to see everyone participate with energy and enthusiasm!")

Side A / Yard
On Principal Luna's side, she gave the same information to the minors, who seemed excited to hear the words.

("...I inform you that you will be allowed to participate in joint activities with the university," Luna announced seriously. ("I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to learn and enjoy yourself, but I also remind you that you must behave with the utmost respect and follow all established rules. I will not tolerate any inappropriate behavior.")

The Crusaders gave each other a high five and together with Spike they observed the varied expressions of their companions. Snips and Snails looked excited.

"Let's go see Trixie! Let's go see Trixie!" exclaimed Snips and Snails excitedly.

Diamond Tiara, among other students, was showing off a bit. The Crusaders exchanged glances with each other, shaking their heads.

"See that? Diamond Tiara is in 'look here she's the winner' mode," Scootaloo commented sarcastically.

"That's typical of her," Spike replied with a wry smile.

"It seems like everyone is pretty excited about this event," said Sweetie Belle. "I managed to keep it a secret," she added, proud of herself.

The Crusaders and Spike continued to watch as the excitement spread among their classmates.

Side B/Hallway
Everyone had finished listening to Rector Celestia report on the start of the year event.

"Wow, that sounds super exciting!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping excitedly. "There's always so much fun and cool things to do!"

Lyra nodded excitedly. "Yes, it's the best time to meet new people and make friends!"

Bon Bon smiled, but noticed that Rarity looked a little hesitant. "Aren't you excited, Rarity?"

Rarity frowned slightly. "Well, will it be really interesting? I've never attended these events before..."

"Ahhh..." the three of them sighed dramatically.

"What?! You've never been to one of these events at the beginning of the year?" Lyra asked incredulously.

Rarity sighed softly. "Well, I studied online for the last few years, so... I don't have many memories of what it feels like to be at those events."

"Didn't you have any fun this whole time?" Pinkie said, putting a hand on her chest.

"So, do we agree on that issue?" Twilight asked the girl next to her.

"Yes," she replied, but she stopped when she saw the somewhat peculiar expressions on the four girls. "What's wrong with them?"

The party girl approached her. "Starlight, can you believe Rarity hasn't had events like this in recent years?"

Twilight, curious, approached. "How is that?"

"Apparently, our refined girl has not participated in welcome events because she has been studying online," Bon Bon explained.

"That explains how she is in her last year without having been present in the previous beginnings," thought the blue-haired girl. "Well, this year... you will... experience an event." She tried to sound natural.

"So it seems," the dressmaker responded somewhat doubtfully.

"Rarity, you're missing out on so much," Starlight said, avoiding any awkward silence as she was aware of the situation between the dressmaker and the other girls.

Pinkie put a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. "But don't worry, I promise you'll love it. We're going to make this the best kickoff event you've ever experienced!"

"Exactly," Lyra commented.

"Oh... uh, thanks girls," Rarity said looking at the three, slightly avoiding the gaze of the girl with glasses.

Twilight observed the gesture of her hyperactive friend and frowned, beginning to sense what was going through the party girl's mind these days.

Elsewhere on the b-side, some students looked happy, like Flash with his band, thinking about the possibility of being able to perform, and others were talking about what their exhibitions would be like and what kind of games there would be.

Rainbow crossed her arms with a half smile. "Get ready, Crystal Prep, we're going to beat you."

"There's still no talking ahead of time," Sunset said with a smile.

"We've trained hard," said the multicolored haired girl. "I literally ended up on the ground by Gilda and we clashed."

"You're right," Sunset agreed. Then she looked next to her and saw a certain shy friend. "Hey, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy turned to the two, smiling shyly. "Hello, girls."

"Are you excited for the homecoming event?" Rainbow asked.

This she nodded gently. "Yeah, although she's going to make me a little nervous about all the attention."

"Don't worry, we'll be together," Sunset said with a reassuring smile.

Fluttershy smiled, grateful for the support. "Thank you." She then looked at the multicolored girl, but neither of them seemed to say anything.

"You know, I'm going to ask the coach if she needs anything," the athlete said before walking away, leaving both girls.

"That was weird," the redhead commented, watching Rainbow leave. "I thought I'd ask you out or something."

"It's the strangest thing, I was hoping that this weekend he would call me or send me a message, but nothing," said Fluttershy, playing with her fingers. "And today she hasn't done it either."

"Oh really?" Sunset asked thoughtfully. "It looks a bit... like..." she stopped before finishing the sentence. "It doesn't matter." She then put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sure Dash has his reasons, but that doesn't mean he doesn't value your friendship."

Fluttershy nodded, grateful for the words.

Some time later, while some students were taking advantage of their free time and others were still in class, the voice of Rector Celestia echoed through the loudspeakers giving more details about the welcome event. Gradually, the students began to gather their things and say goodbye, ending the school day.

Fluttershy went home thinking a little about her situation with Rainbow. She was there for a while, but then she made up her mind and walked towards the animal shelter, a place that filled her with peace and where she could take care of her furry friends. When she entered, she did not expect to find anyone she knew, so she was surprised to see the athlete talking to one of her caregivers.

"Tell me again who you are looking for," the man said.

"I just told you like three times. Her name is Fluttershy, she has yellow skin and aquamarine eyes," Rainbow said with annoyance.

"Fluttershy? I'm sure I've heard that name somewhere," the black and gray haired man said.

"F-L-U-T-T-E-R-S-H-Y," she spelled.

"Interesting name. What university is she from?"

The already fed up athlete opened her mouth. "Listen, mother fu-"

"Hello, Rainbow Dash. What are you doing here?" Fluttershy came forward before her friend finished her sentence.

"Hello, Fluttershy. I thought I could find you here. I wanted to talk to you, but this man isn't listening to me," she said, pointing to him.

"Fluttershy, I thought you wouldn't come today," the man said, somewhat surprised.

"I wasn't going to, but I thought I'd come hang out," Fluttershy said.

"As for this stranger?" the man asked.

"I'll take care of it," said the pink-haired girl, approaching.

"Okay, whatever, I'll be here," the man said, walking away.

"You see you do know her!" Rainbow exclaimed, annoyed with the man. "You know, I was asking about you, but this guy ignored me," explained.

"He's not against you, he's like that, he likes to bother visitors a little," Fluttershy commented.

"But he treats his visitors well," the athlete said sarcastically.

"But Discord has his kind side," the pink-haired girl added.

"I hope to get to know that side of your friend Discord," replied, crossing her arms.

"What brings you here?" Fluttershy asked.

The multicolored one became more serious. "Ah... I wanted to apologize for being so pushy lately. I just want you to know that I really care about our friendship and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right."

Fluttershy stayed quiet, waiting for Rainbow to continue.

"I focused on doing favors for you that I didn't even think about... I didn't think about what you wanted to do," Rainbow continued.

The pink haired girl nodded with a smile. "It's okay, Rainbow Dash. All in her own time." Rainbow nodded as well.

"I'd still like to talk about some boundaries," said.

"Limits," the athlete repeated, feeling that she didn't like that word very much.

"But we can leave it for another day," Fluttershy said.

A silence was present. Rainbow didn't know if she should say something else or try to start some other conversation. Fluttershy seemed to notice it too and she got an idea.

"Do you want to go with me to walk some of my friends?" Fluttershy suggested.

Rainbow smiled and nodded.

"I'll be back, there are only a few of them and I would like to introduce you to someone," she said, heading to an area where the animals were. A few seconds later, she appeared with some puppies, but something small in size jumping around caught Rainbow's attention.

She approached the small creature and caught it just in time as it jumped towards her. "And this little one?" she asked.

"His name is Angel. I adopted him a year ago," Fluttershy said with a smile.

"In the end you did adopt a rabbit like you wanted," she commented. "I missed that moment," she thought with some sadness.

"Yes, I treasure it very much," said the pink haired girl.

After that, they both took some leashes and took several of the furry friends for a walk. As they walked through the nearby park, they continued talking.

"Fluttershy... About the rumors... I want you to know that I don't care what they say. We can move on," Rainbow said determinedly.

"It'll be hard, but we have to prove them wrong... At some point everything will go back to the way it was," Fluttershy said.

"Even between us?" asked.

"That will take time too," the pink haired girl replied.

"I promise I'll keep trying, but I'll also respect your space. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed. That's why I didn't text you over the weekend... I thought I should give you space even with that," explained.

"Thank you. That means a lot," Fluttershy said with a smile. "You could send me messages... In due time," she added.

The afternoon passed quickly as they walked the animals. Carelessly, Angel jumped out of Fluttershy's arms and came dangerously close to the road where the cars were passing. The traffic light was green for cars and the rabbit was already on the road.

"Angel!" exclaimed Fluttershy, who froze.

She looked next to her and saw Rainbow running towards the animal.

"Rainbow Dash!"

A car was approaching quickly and Fluttershy closed her eyes in fear. She heard a sudden brake, but she didn't dare open her eyes. She felt footsteps approaching and recognized her voice.

"I got it," she said tiredly, reaching out with the rabbit in her hands.

"Rainbow Dash...don't do that again," Fluttershy began, expressing how scared she felt.

Rainbow changed her hand to the rabbit when she saw that her friend was approaching and began to gently hit the athlete's chest. She felt her blows, but it was not painful at all. As she hit her, Fluttershy started to cry and moved away from her a little.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you, but I know it would hurt you to lose Angel," she said a little crestfallen.

"I wouldn't want anything to happen to you either," the pink-haired girl responded between sobs.

"Fluttershy..."

The girl continued crying. "Still...thank you, Rainbow," Fluttershy said, bringing her hands to her face.

Rainbow opened her eyes upon hearing her words. She felt the need to hug her, but she knew she should wait. Instead, she placed a comforting hand on Fluttershy's shoulder.

Author's Note

• A lot of things happened and I wanted to take advantage of the rumors issue that I mentioned at the beginning of the story. Speaking of the center of the rumor, we had a breakthrough in Rainbow and Fluttershy's relationship. If you didn't understand why Rainbow opened her eyes when she heard Fluttershy, it's because she called her by her name instead of her full name. Since they became estranged, Fluttershy always called her by her full name... Possibly some would have preferred a hug, but I thought that would be too hasty, so I changed it to her name.

• I was planning to go immediately to 'midterms', since there will be development, but it would be very hasty. Then, while researching, I discovered what events there were, so I introduced them to improve the development of the characters.