Applejack and Apple Bloom were already at home, telling their family about the game.

"I'm sorry you couldn't win the game, but like you said, you'll have to go through the losers' bracket," Granny Smith said, smiling from her rocking chair.

"And you've been training hard," Apple Bloom added, her head down.

"You don't always win," Applejack said, putting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Well... yeah, I'm frustrated, I admit, but we'll get through it," she added with a smile.

Apple Bloom smiled and Big Mac nodded.

The farm girl moved her hand to her pants pocket, pulled out her cell phone and checked it, frowning when she didn't see any new messages.

"What's wrong, sis?" Apple Bloom asked, noticing the concern on the blonde's face.

"I'm waiting for a text from Rainbow," Applejack replied, looking at her phone impatiently. "You saw that I tried to cheer her up after the game, but I was too honest and you know how that ended."

"You can be too honest sometimes," Apple Bloom said almost quietly.

"Yep," Big Mac agreed.

"True," Granny Smith added.

"Maybe," Farm Girl said with a shrug. "I'm waiting for Dash to text me so we can talk."

"Why don't you call her?" Apple Bloom suggested, frowning. "Maybe she's expecting the same from you."

Applejack hesitated, looking at her phone. "I don't know, Bloom. Maybe it's better to wait until tomorrow when we meet in person. I don't want to make things worse."

The younger girl sighed. "Sometimes waiting just makes things worse, AJ. Maybe you should try."

Farm Girl nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right, but... I think I'll wait until tomorrow."

The three of them looked at each other surreptitiously.

"You know, I was thinking we should make cider for the first win of the make-up game," Applejack suggested cheerfully.

"That's a great idea," said the old lady. "We'll work on that tomorrow, it's too late now."

"Yep," Big Mac nodded.

"Great, I'll help," said Apple Bloom with a smile.

"Whoa, hold on there, young lady," said Applejack waving a hand. "I still think you're too young to do that part of the job."

"Oh come on, I could just squash the apples," she said reproachfully.

"You're right," said Granny Smith. "The more pies, the more we'll have for the team."

"Yep," added Big Mac.

"Okay, but that's all," the blonde agreed with a smile.

"Echo," replied Apple Bloom, also smiling.

Applejack put her phone away, trying not to think about the lack of a message. The family continued to chat about plans for making cider and other everyday topics.

"Okay, Apple Bloom, you should get to bed now," Applejack said, getting up from the couch.

"Bye, family," the farm girl said. "See you in the morning."

"Get a good night's sleep, Apple Bloom," Granny Smith said.

"Ugh, but it's still early," the younger sister protested. "Besides, they know we don't have school."

"That's true, but we're still going to wake up early," the older sister said, putting her hands on her sister's shoulders and leading her upstairs.

Once she dropped her younger sister off in her room, Applejack headed to her own. She looked at her phone once again, but this time she decided to log on to Instagram and saw a post from Pinkie Pie. At that moment, she remembered the conversation she had yesterday.

"I didn't tell the girls about Pinkie and Belle, you know," she said, sitting down in her desk chair. "Belle..." mumbled and started scrolling, still in the app.

An idea crossed her mind as she entered the search bar, but then she realized what she was going to do and shook her head. "Why do you come back out of nowhere and bring these ideas to my mind?" asked herself.

She shook her head and thought back to the conversation with her cousin. "I'm not convinced, but I still have to make sure they don't get mad at Pinkie for her idea of giving Belle another chance."

She stood up, heading over to where she had her guitar. Sitting on the bed, she started playing a little to distract herself.

Rainbow Dash was opening the door, letting Scootaloo in first. As she entered, she greeted her parents with a smile, albeit a tired one.

"Hey, family!" Rainbow greeted.

"Hey!" Scootaloo greeted.

Her mom appeared in the living room. "Hey, honey! How did the game go?"

"We lost, but I'm determined to win in the finals," Rainbow said, showing her fist up.

"That's the attitude, Dash. We know you can do it!" her dad said.

Rainbow nodded determinedly. She said goodbye to them and headed to her room, with Scootaloo following close behind.

"You were great today, Rainbow. I know you'll win next time."

"Thanks, Scoots. We're going to give it our all in the finals!"

After saying goodbye to Scootaloo, Rainbow closed her bedroom door and plopped down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts returned to Fluttershy and how she had motivated her after the defeat. She sat down and grabbed her phone, hesitating if she should text or call her.

She went into Messenger, but before that she saw that the farmer was online. She knew what it meant, but she didn't think twice and went to the pink haired girl's contact.

She started to write, {Hey Flutters, thanks for today...} She stopped halfway through the message, hesitating and deleted it. "What if I don't know what to say after that?"

"Well, yesterday and today we almost talked like before," she wrote another message again.

She spent a few minutes looking at her phone, writing and deleting messages without sending them. Finally, she sighed and put the phone aside.

"Ahh... why is this so hard?" said, letting herself fall on the bed. She closed her eyes and sighed. "One step at a time, Dash. We'll get there."

She got up to put on her pajamas and got ready for bed, feeling a mix of frustration and hope.

It was already Thursday and each student was arriving at the time that suited them, but our six girls arrived early in the morning, heading to the great hall. Once her sisters had scattered, Pinkie was the one who spoke first.

"Shall we go see who the new members were before we play?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Fluttershy replied.

"Sure," Twilight nodded.

"Uh yeah, but first I want to talk to Dash and Sunset about the team," Applejack commented, putting her hands on one of her shoulders.

"Ok, let's go girls," Pinkie encouraged the blue and pink haired girl.

Before Fluttershy and Twilight followed Pinkie, Applejack grabbed both of their wrists to stop them.

"AJ, is something wrong?" the blue haired girl asked, confused by the action.

"Are you okay?" the pink haired girl asked, equally confused.

"I'm fine," Applejack assured, letting go of them.

"So why are you stopping them if we were going to talk about the team?" Rainbow questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The five of us should talk," the farmer stated.

It didn't take long for Sunset to notice. "You talked to Pinkie, didn't you?"

"It was actually the organization day, but since yesterday happened, I forgot. Come on, I'll tell you," explained, nodding her head.

"But what about Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, watching as the party girl was talking to herself.

"Remember how she is, she won't notice that we're not here from all the talking," Rainbow commented with a laugh.

"Good point," Twilight nodded.

"Let's go to the locker room, no one will hear us there," Sunset suggested, nodding.

The five of them, without saying anything, walked to the side of the stage to go to the locker room.

"So, what did you want to talk about, and what about Pinkie?" the pink-haired girl said, curious.

"What did she do out of nowhere that surprised us?" Applejack asked, giving a clue.

"Belle," Rainbow frowned.

"About Belle?" Twilight exclaimed, surprised.

"Yeah, when I dropped Apple Bloom off at home and took Pinkie to hers, I took advantage of the moment. We started talking about it, although she kept trying to divert the topic by using..."

"Blondie, don't get all tied up and get straight to the point," Rainbow interrupted, desperate.

"Okay," Applejack replied. "She wants to give Belle a second chance."

"What!?" the girls exclaimed.

"She's crazy," the athlete said quickly. "After everything that happened?"

"I'm almost the same. I told her how that would make us feel and she said she knows how uncomfortable we get about it and when she comes near us," the farmer explained.

"Although we don't have her around anymore," Fluttershy commented, remembering the dressmaker's behavior.

"It's true, the other day she walked away when I found her outside the dressing room," Sunset added, with a finger on her chin.

"Outside the dressing room?" the farmer asked, curiously.

"Yes, it was the day the rumors started," the red-haired girl said.

"I understand... maybe she was looking for me for work," the blonde thought, frowning slightly. "It's similar to when I was looking for her everywhere."

"From one day to the next, Belle doesn't come around anymore, but at the same time I'm glad," Rainbow commented, crossing her arms with a half smile.

"It's true and that calms us down a bit, since we can focus on our business," Twilight added.

"Exactly... it seems that she got the message to leave us alone," Rainbow said, still with a half smile.

"Do you think Pinkie has something to do with it?" Fluttershy asked thoughtfully, looking at the girls. "The same day that she started talking to him was when she started to pull away."

"It could be," the athlete speculated.

"Girls, I don't think so," the blue-haired girl said, remembering days ago.

"Why do you think that?" Applejack asked.

"Remember that Pinkie looked as surprised as we were," Twilight remembered.

"True," Rainbow said.

"A decision of her own?" the farmer girl wondered, somewhat surprised.

"Leaving that subject aside and returning to Pinkie, what do we do?" said the multicolored haired girl, waving her hands.

"We can't force Pinkie to forbid her from doing something she wants," Sunset commented. "I'm not saying that I agree," she clarified.

"That's what I told her, that we can't tell her who she should or shouldn't hang out with, but I did tell her to be careful," Applejack added.

"So we're just going to accept it? Just because Pinkie says so?" Rainbow whined.

"Maybe we should try to understand why Pinkie wants to give her another chance. There might be something we don't know," Fluttershy suggested timidly.

"Listen, I'm not saying we should forgive her right away. But if Pinkie thinks Belle deserves a second chance, maybe we should respect that," the blonde proposed.

No one said anything for a moment.

"Well... I'm not defending her, but Starlight told me she was helping decorate the stands," Twilight commented with a shrug.

"Really?" the pink-haired girl asked.

Twilight nodded.

"Are... are you defending for some reason for..." Rainbow commented.

"I told you I'm not defending her," the blue-haired girl interrupted.

"Then why are you looking for something like you want to prove something?" The athlete questioned.

"It's nothing, just..." Twilight said, remembering what her science partner said, but she shook her head a little and took a deep breath to speak. "Let's just see how her actions speak for her."

"You're right. We're just going to watch and see how things play out," Sunset concluded.

"I don't like this, but I'm not going to fight with Pinkie over Belle," Rainbow said, arms crossed and grimacing.

"It's understandable. Still, we can still be cautious," Fluttershy said with a smile at the multicolored haired girl.

"Thanks girls, I knew we'd come up with something," Applejack said with a smile, happy that they didn't get mad at her familiar.

"But if something doesn't seem right, we'll talk about it right away," the athlete warned, pointing to the living room.

They all nodded, ending the conversation and heading for the door.

The group split up to look for the party girl, agreeing to meet up after finding her for the outdoor games. However, three people stayed close by.

The sportswoman walked towards the pink-haired girl, a little nervous, but hiding it. The animal lover noticed that; she knew her since she was little and knew when something was bothering her.

"Hey, Flutt-"

"Rainbow, can we...?" Applejack asked from behind the athlete, who turned around at the interruption and looked back at the pink-haired girl.

"Go ahead, I can wait," Fluttershy conceded.

"Thanks," the farmer replied.

The two of them walked away a bit to talk, so Fluttershy took a look around. Even though there was no longer a club expo, she could see some new faces chatting with some members, probably new members or others who didn't make it the day before.

She turned her gaze to her athlete friend, who seemed to be having a slightly tense conversation with the blonde; both were frowning and waving their hands until Rainbow put a hand in front of both of them in a 'stop' sign, indicating the end of the conversation.

Applejack shook her head and walked away on her own while Rainbow started walking towards Fluttershy.

"Ready. Sorry about earlier," said, pointing her thumb back.

"Okay... did something happen? The conversation seemed tense," commented with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Nothing important. AJ just wanted to know about a message, but it's not relevant. Besides, didn't we agree not to talk about certain topics?" said the athlete, trying to downplay it.

The animal lover nodded with a smile.

After what happened with Angel, Fluttershy told her friend the reason why she sat in another seat the day of the incident at lunch; she needed space to think about what would happen in their relationship. Rainbow, on the other hand, told her that to avoid overwhelming her with certain problems, they would not talk about the fights she had with the farmer.

"What did you want to talk about?" asked, starting to walk next to the multicolored haired girl.

"I wanted to thank you for motivating me yesterday when I felt like a loser. I know Pinkie tried, Twilight tried something, and then AJ went overboard, but none of it worked," said Rainbow with a serious expression and then changed to a smile. "But you were the one who helped me not feel the worst. Thank you, Fluttershy, for being there despite how we are."

"You're welcome, Rainbow. I knew you needed that push, and it doesn't matter that we're still in progress; we can support each other," said the girl smiling back.

The athlete was going to tell her that she tried to write to her last night, but she preferred to keep it from her.

"Shall we go with the others?" suggested the multicolored haired girl.

Fluttershy nodded. The two continued walking to meet up with the others.

While Pinkie stood in the center of the room talking to the red-haired girl, the girl with glasses, and her familiar, the party girl turned to the others with a frown.

"Hey, you left me talking alone until Lyra and Bon Bon answered me because I was apparently having my Pinkie moment."

The girls looked at each other before heading over to the couple who greeted them, returning the greeting in a friendly manner.

"Ah, haha, we were following you, but we..." Applejack said, trying to come up with an excuse. "We got sidetracked by a booth."

"Yeah, you know how Twilight is; she wanted to know the number of registrants, even though that wasn't in the presenter catalog," Sunset chimed in.

"Exactly, you know how perfectionist she is," the farmer added with a nervous smile.

Pinkie frowned, not completely convinced. "Mmm... okay," she said, though she still seemed somewhat annoyed.

"What did we miss?" Rainbow asked as she arrived with her friend.

"They found Pinkie," Fluttershy replied with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, since we lost sight of each other by staying at a booth," Sunset said with a wink. The two got the message and played along.

"Sure, once we figured that out..." the sporty girl said.

"... We split up to look for you," the pink haired girl added, as if she had actually cared.

Lyra and Bon Bon watched the scene and held back their laughter at the lame excuse. They then approached the group.

"Girls, how about we go outside for the games?" Lyra suggested, breaking the moment of conversation.

"Ah, I can't wait!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly.

"We should tell Rarity too, remember we wanted to make sure she enjoys her first event," Bon Bon added with a smile.

"First event?" Sunset asked, confused.

"Correction, first event in a long time," Lyra clarified.

"Yeah, looks like Rarity hasn't had much time to have fun since she started college," the jock continued with a dramatic flair.

"Has she been so busy with design?" Rainbow teased with a laugh.

"Design?" Bon Bon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Applejack lightly punched her in the side for talking too much and a few of her friends gave her a look with the message to keep the information to herself.

"Ah, it's just an impression," the sporty girl said, making a nonchalant gesture. "Look..." The girls looked where she pointed. Rarity was walking next to Starlight. "... You can see she has an interest in fashion."

"Mmm... look at that blouse and those heels," Bon Bon commented.

"Sometimes I'm struck by her curly locks," Lyra said, looking at the seamstress's hair.

"Plus, she sometimes walks away without first brushing her hair back," her partner said, mimicking Rarity.

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the exaggerated description. The rest of the friends looked at Rarity, noticing some changes in her appearance. They had been staring at her so much to have her back in their lives that they hadn't noticed certain changes: her hair, which had always been wavy, was now wavier and longer. Had the girl grown? Yes, but she was still on par with the rest of the group, except for Rainbow and Applejack, who were the tallest.

Once the group stopped analyzing Rarity, they noticed her and Starlight heading towards the exit.

"Looks like Starlight is explaining the details of the games," Lyra commented.

"I'm sure Rarity will love the dress-up game," Bon Bon said with a smile.

None of the girls looked like they would pursue the topic.

"I'm sure a lot of them will participate," Pinkie said to avoid an awkward silence. "Let's go."

The girls nodded and went with Lyra and Bon Bon outside. They walked for a few minutes until they came close to the soccer field. On the side of it, various tracks or fairs had been set up, depending on the game. The air was filled with laughter and excited voices as the students gathered around the various games set up on the field. There were a variety of games set up: sack races, ring toss, and target shooting, among others.

"Look at all this!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "It's like a carnival! Where do we start?"

Rainbow looked around and saw the sack race. "Let's go there first," she pointed. "I told Fluttershy we'd be playing in the sack race."

The pink haired girl smiled. "I'm not very good at racing, but I'll try my best."

"Don't worry, it'll be fun. And you don't have to win," the multicolored haired girl added, giving her a smile.

The group headed towards the sack race area.

"Will you do it, Twi?" Sunset asked, shaking her head at the track.

"But who's going to do the hosting for us?" Twilight asked.

"Don't worry, Twilight. We don't necessarily have to host everything," Celestia commented from beside Cheerilee.

"I'm the one in charge of this activity, so I'll say when the race starts," the teacher explained with a smile.

"How about we do it?" Applejack suggested to the blue haired girl.

"If the chancellor says it's okay," Twilight nodded.

"We'll beat them," Scootaloo proclaimed, appearing with the Crusaders.

"Ha, get ready Scoot," Rainbow replied with a half-smile.

"Not if I beat them first," the farm girl said competitively.

The companions looked at each other a bit, noticing how their friends' competitive side was making itself felt.

"But first..." the sportswoman took off her jacket to leave her shirt only and passed it to Sunset. "I'll need to be as comfortable as possible for this race."

"If you insist," Applejack said, taking off her shirt and passing it to the party girl, leaving her in her black shirt.

"Ahh..." some students, both male and female, expressed in surprise at that action.

"You think I have them without that," one student commented.

"Men..." Lyra sighed, rolling her eyes, leaning on her partner.

"What's wrong?" Rarity asked, walking over to the group with Starlight.

"Nothing, the usual guy thing for seeing almost naked girls," Trixie commented.

"Almost naked?" Rarity repeated, blushing slightly.

"Look, both Rainbow and AJ took off their clothes to be in their t-shirts," Bon Bon pointed out, indicating the starting line. Rarity followed with her gaze.

"Some people wonder if they'll have abs without their shirts, too," Trixie added, arms crossed.

"Ohh..." the seamstress muttered, covering her face slightly in a blush.

"That shouldn't be any of your business," Starlight stated.

The wavy-haired girl lowered her head a little; she knew that Applejack was in full exercise when they were together, so she could see some signs of muscle development. She wouldn't be surprised if she already had six-pack abs. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"That's true, it's a personal thing."

The girls nodded, not noticing the blush that had invaded the seamstress, and paid attention to the game that was about to begin.

"Come on, girls!" Pinkie exclaimed, encouraging her friends.

The contestants lined up at the starting line, each with a sack in their hands.

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy and winked. "Ready?" The pink-haired girl nodded, trying to calm her nerves.

"On the count of three! One, two, three... GO!" Cheerilee shouted, and the girls began to jump inside the sacks.

"Come on, Scoot!" Spike exclaimed.

"You can do it, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle encouraged.

"Jump faster, AJ!"

"Twilight, you can do it!"

The contestants jumped in a hurry to reach the finish line, leaving their companions a little behind.

Applejack, almost there, tried to put aside her competitiveness and decided to wait for Twilight a bit, and they continued jumping together. Meanwhile, Scootaloo left Apple Bloom behind. Snips and Snails were behind the two, competing to be in the next game with Trixie.

Finally, Rainbow and Fluttershy were left behind. The athlete tried to catch up with the others. But suddenly, the pink-haired girl tripped and fell to the ground, letting out a small cry of surprise. Rainbow stopped when she heard the soft cry.

"She's sure going to leave her."

"He won't mind leaving her behind."

"Fluttershy is no longer in the Mane Six group."

The athlete looked at the finish line and then at her friend on the ground. Her mind was racing, but she knew what she had to do.

Ignoring the murmurs, Rainbow turned around and approached her friend, helping her up. "Are you okay, Flutters?" She nodded, her cheeks flushed from the fall and the murmurs.

"Yeah, thanks, Rainbow."

"Come on, let's finish together," the athlete suggested with a smile, before offering her hand to help her. The pink-haired girl made the effort to get up.

The two continued the race together, jumping in unison. The murmurs around them changed tone, some surprised and others in admiration for Rainbow's gesture.

"I thought I would leave her."

Rarity, tired of the comments, approached the students. "You know it's not nice to think things that aren't true about others when the reality is different. What would you think if they talked about you?"

The murmuring students fell silent. Sunset heard what was said, it caught her attention and she stared at her for a bit, not expecting that from the seamstress.

Finally, Rainbow and Fluttershy crossed the finish line together, receiving applause and cheers from their friends.

"That was amazing!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping for joy. "Long live friendship!" added, approaching her friends.

Rainbow smiled and looked at Fluttershy. "I gave my word."

"Even though that competitive side almost got the better of you, I knew you'd do the right thing," the pink haired girl replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom approached the magenta haired girl with an annoyed expression. "Scootaloo, you left me behind!"

Scootaloo laughed. "I'm sorry, Apple Bloom. I got too excited. I promise I won't leave you next time."

Apple Bloom frowned, but then smiled. "You better, Scoot. We're a team."

"Girls, that was great even though we finished second," Sweetie Belle said as she approached her two friends.

Twilight, for her part, approached Applejack, still breathing heavily, but with a grateful expression. "Thanks for waiting for me, Applejack."

The farm girl patted her on the back. "No problem, Twi. It's always better to compete together than separately."

"Way to go, girls!" Sunset said, smiling at the camaraderie between them all.

Meanwhile, Rarity watched her friends from a safe distance, feeling a little nostalgic. She remembered the times when they were all inseparable.

At that moment, Cheerilee walked over with a smile. "Good job, everyone! This is what team spirit is all about."

Several students who were there scattered to participate in other games, including some close to the Mane Six.

Pinkie, still full of energy, pointed towards the climbing wall area. "Look, they have a climbing wall! Let's give it a try!"

"Now I'm really going to need my friends," Rainbow commented, flexing her muscles as she looked at the structure with interest. "Who's up?"

"I want to try," Applejack stated, stretching out her arms. "I haven't been climbing in a while."

The group headed towards the climbing wall. Some students were already at it: some were climbing with agility, while others struggled with the first few holds. Flash and Timber, who were climbing, came down to greet the girls.

"All yours, ladies," Flash said politely.

"Thanks, Flash," Sunset replied with a smile.

The Belle sisters stood a little further back, watching the girls get ready for the climbing game.

"We could try another one in the meantime," Sweetie Belle suggested, looking at her sister.

"Not so much action," commented, walking away with her sister.

The organizers of the activity gave them instructions and helped them put on their safety harnesses.

"Bon Bon, do you want to participate?" the girl said, arriving with her partner.

"Sure, aren't you coming with me?" Bon Bon asked.

"The other one," she replied with a wink before approaching the spectators.

"Do you want to go up with me?" Sunset asked with a smile.

"Aren't all four of you going up together?" Bon Bon questioned.

"You know how AJ and Rainbow are when it comes to confrontations," Sunset said, rolling her eyes in amusement.

"Hahaha, yeah!" she laughed, remembering how competitive the two girls are. "So we go up together," added, showing a fist on the side and bumping it with Sunset's.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy saw the cyan-haired girl approaching, "Aren't you going up?"

Lyra, standing beside her, smiled at her. "I wanted to, but I'm trying to cheer Bon Bon up. Even though we're all determined to make it to the finals, she still feels a little guilty about not saving the goal," explained.

"I understand, girls are the same. But you know they tend to hide their feelings," Twilight commented, joining in.

"I'm ready to conquer this wall!" Pinkie exclaimed, adjusting her harness excitedly.

"Come on, come on, don't keep me waiting!" Rainbow challenged, taking a starting position. "I'm not going to let anyone outdo me!"

Applejack, always up for a challenge, adjusted her harness and got ready alongside the sporty and party girl. "I haven't been climbing in a while, so I hope I don't make a fool of myself," she said with a competitive grin.

Bon Bon and Sunset also prepared to climb. "Good luck, everyone," the red-haired girl said, looking at the others with a smile.

The competitors headed to their sections of the climbing wall, and the organizer announced the countdown.

"On the count of three! One, two, three... let's go climbing!"

The girls began to climb the wall with determination. Rainbow and Applejack moved quickly, using their strength to move forward. Pinkie, with her characteristic energy, moved nimbly, laughing as she climbed.

Lyra looked at Fluttershy and Twilight. "Who do you think will get there first?" she asked.

The two watched as their friends made their way up the wall.

"I have faith in my girl, but she's not at her best. I might get there with Sunset in second place," the cyan-haired girl said.

"Mmm... Rainbow," Fluttershy opined.

"According to my calculations of the times Rainbow has won and lost against AJ, they sometimes end up in a tie," Twilight said thoughtfully.

"So, do you think they'll end up in a tie?" Lyra asked.

"Yeah, unless Pinkie goes all out and beats them," the blue-haired girl said, knowing the party girl's unpredictable style.

Meanwhile, Rainbow and Applejack were near the top of the wall, their hands gripping tightly onto the handholds. "Come on, AJ, you're going to see me win!" the multicolored-haired girl shouted.

"You'll see when I beat you!" the farm girl shouted, putting all her effort into reaching the top.

With one last push, they both reached the top at the same time, and the watching crowd cheered enthusiastically. Bon Bon and Sunset were near the top, cheering each other on and overcoming the last obstacles.

Pinkie Pie, although a little further behind, also reached the top shortly after, laughing and celebrating.

Finally, all the competitors climbed down from the wall, receiving congratulations and applause from their friends and classmates who were watching.

"You did well!" Fluttershy commented, approaching with the others, taking the opportunity to hand over the jacket to her friend that Sunset had given her to participate.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," she said with a smile, receiving the jacket. "I almost had it," added, looking at the farmer.

"Ha, I told you I would get there!" exclaimed Applejack.

"I told them they would get there in a tie," Twilight commented as she handed the shirt back to the blonde.

"Did they bet on us?" asked the farmer, taking the shirt to put it back on.

"Yeah, who else got it right, or was it just AJ and Rainbow?" Bon Bon asked with a smile.

"I knew you would get there with Sunset," Lyra acknowledged with a smile, "but, in second place," added a little nervously.

Bon Bon smiled and hugged Lyra. "It doesn't matter where we end up, as long as we're together."

"Aww," Pinkie said with her hands clasped near her cheeks, "it's nice to see couples like this."

Applejack grimaced and glanced at Rainbow.

"Yeah, even though we're not in one, it's nice to see happy couples," Fluttershy commented with a smile.

"Well, everyone has different ways of showing it," the sporty girl said with her arms crossed.

"How about we go to another game?" Sunset suggested.

Twilight coughed a little, drawing the attention of the couple who seemed to still be in their world. "I don't know if you want to, but will you come with us?"

"Sure," Bon Bon nodded as Lyra hugged her arm.

The eight of them started walking, looking at the other options they hadn't tried until they stopped at the three-legged race, where they saw Starlight, Trixie, Spike, and the Crusaders.

"Ahhh... Girls, it's my time!" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the track.

"Pinkie, if you want to be my partner it'll be in another round," Twilight commented as Spike approached her.

"I could, but I could barely balance myself in the sack race," Fluttershy admitted, a little embarrassed.

"I'll definitely participate, but... Scoot, are you ready?" Rainbow asked, stretching out her arms.

"Sure!" replied, excitedly standing beside her.

"Apple Bloom, do you mind if I'm with your sister this time?" Sunset asked.

"Oh, nevermind. Starlight, do you want to be my partner?" Apple Bloom proposed excitedly.

"Sure, I haven't participated in much. Besides, Snails asked Trixie to be his partner," she replied.

"Don't worry girls, I already know who I'll be with," the party girl said, showing that everything was fine.

The girls seemed happy not to discourage their cheerful friend, but were surprised by what she said next.

"Rarity, you up for it?" Pinkie asked with a smile as she watched the seamstress arrive with her sister.

"Belle!?" some of her girls exclaimed.

"Me?" Rarity replied, surprised. "I don't know, Pinkie Pie..."

The sporty girl thought about what the answer would be. "Here goes," murmured.

"Come on, sis," Sweetie Belle encouraged.

"It's not that I don't want to," the seamstress explained, then pointed at her shoes. "How am I supposed to run in heels? I'd fall halfway or before," explained.

"Good point..." Pinkie observed, looking at the seamstress' shoes.

"That makes sense," Sunset murmured, analyzing the odds of the seamstress falling. The rest hadn't thought of that either, figuring it would give an excuse.

After Pinkie thought of options to solve the problem, she said with her eyes lit up, "Got it! Tell me, how big are you?"

"What?" Rarity replied, confused.

"Standing," she clarified.

"Ah... I don't know exactly why, but I wear size **," the seamstress replied.

"Okay, any girls who have that size?" the party girl asked, looking around at the others.

"I can lend you my sneakers," a student offered.

"Okay, though I wouldn't want to wear something used for hygiene reasons," Rarity muttered under her breath.

"Perfect, problem solved!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Hey, Sweetie, do you want to be my partner?" Lyra proposed to the younger girl.

"Sure, let's see if I can beat my sister," replied, excited.

"Looks like our students are already participating together," Chancellor Celestia observed, watching as they teamed up with the younger ones.

"Yeah, even though studying comes first, you can still have your fun time," Principal Luna commented from beside her sister.

Once everyone was lined up at the finish line, there were variations of teams like older ones with their same age and the same ones with the younger ones, but there were also mixed ones.

"I forgot how affectionate you are Pinkie Pie," Rarity said as she felt the party girl hug her tightly.

"Why do you say that?" asked, confused.

"You squeeze too hard," explained, wincing in pain.

"Oops," Pinkie said, moving her arm to another position.

Some of her friends who were in line laughed a little, knowing what the party girl's hugs felt like.

"Ready, set, go!" the organizer exclaimed, giving the starting signal.

The teams began to move in a haphazard fashion. Rarity and Pinkie, bound by their legs, tried to coordinate. Despite wearing sneakers, the dressmaker still struggled to keep up with the party girl's enthusiasm. They stumbled several times, almost falling to the ground.

"Left, Rarity, left!" Pinkie shouted.

"I'm trying," she replied, doing her best to keep her balance.

Rainbow and Scootaloo moved forward quickly, demonstrating excellent coordination. Beside them, Apple Bloom and Starlight weren't as lucky, staggering and giggling as they tried to stay on their feet.

"Come on, Scoot! We can win this!" Rainbow cheered, looking ahead.

"Yeah!" she shouted, full of determination.

Twilight and Spike, though a little slower, managed to keep a steady pace. Sweetie Belle and Lyra, on the other hand, stumbled frequently, giggling nervously every time they almost fell.

"Watch it, Sweetie Belle!" Lyra said, trying to avoid another stumble.

"Sorry," the youngest Belle replied, trying to keep her balance.

Meanwhile, Pinkie and Rarity were in the middle of the group, moving forward slowly, but not giving up.

"We're doing it, Rarity!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"I don't know what you call 'doing it,' but we're still standing," the seamstress replied, focused on her steps.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo crossed the finish line, celebrating their victory with enthusiasm.

"We won!" shouted the magenta-haired girl, raising her arms in triumph.

"Good job, Scoot!" Rainbow congratulated her, patting her on the back.

Twilight and Spike came second, closely followed by Apple Bloom and Starlight, who ended up laughing out loud as did Lyra and Sweetie Belle.

Rarity and Pinkie, although they didn't win, crossed the finish line without falling, which for them was already a triumph.

"We did it, Rarity!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend excitedly.

"Yes, we did," Rarity replied, laughing despite herself.

Pinkie was happy that Rarity was having a good time, as she had told her days ago. Her friends watched the scene with curiosity; it was as if the party girl and the dressmaker almost felt like they did when they enjoyed outings all together.

"Okay, students, I see you're having fun, but for the style lovers, who wants to participate in the Creative Fashion Show game?" Gloriosa announced.

Rarity's eyes lit up with excitement, but something crossed her mind. Sweetie Belle, noticing that, took her by the arm and led her to the group. Each interested student followed the teacher to an area where not many students circulated for what was to come. Once they arrived, Gloriosa continued:

"The teams must dress a volunteer with clothes and accessories provided by the drama club. Older and younger people can participate as well, in mixed teams."

The sisters in charge of the event watched as the older sisters formed groups with the younger sisters. They noticed that the Mane Six group was just watching.

"You're not participating?" Principal Luna asked.

"Fashion isn't my thing, and we decided with Apple Bloom that we would participate together with the family next week," Applejack commented.

"I don't have that passion," Rainbow added.

"I'm catching my breath," Twilight explained, breathing heavily.

Before Luna or Celestia could ask the remaining three, Pinkie Pie spoke up:

"But I'm participating!" she exclaimed, approaching the crowd that was gathering to form the groups, leaving the girls with wide eyes.

"Pinkie, let's be together," Sweetie Belle proposed upon seeing her approach.

"I thought you would be with Rarity," Pinkie replied confused.

"This time I want her to be inspired," the younger said.

Pinkie didn't quite understand what she meant, but brushed it off and continued looking for more members, like Lyra and Timber as a model.

"We'll be rivals this time, love," Lyra declared, walking away from Bon Bon.

"Let's see how my group turns out, my love," Bon Bon joked with a laugh.

"You two are so cute," Rarity commented, walking over to the changing room where Spike was, who had joined the group.

"Thank you. You know when you have someone you love, they're your everything," Bon Bon said.

Rarity smiled, but before she could say anything, Gloriosa spoke again.

"You have 30 minutes to dress your model according to a specific theme that is randomly assigned to you."

A boy approached the dressmaker's group. "Rarity, don't talk anymore, your model has arrived," he announced with a half smile. "And who knows... maybe the person who has sailed through a sea of stars and found his girl," added with a theatrical air.

Rarity smiled amusedly. Although it was already obvious that the boy had his eyes on her, she was not going to be rude, so she agreed to let him be her model.

"Okay, Feather, try this on."

"As you command," he replied, taking the garment and beginning to put it on.

"How about this one?" Spike asked, holding up a tie.

Rarity saw Feather studying it a bit. "It has to be something that matches his hair and... his... eyes..." finished saying when she noticed that the boy had green eyes.

"I'm going to look for another one," Spike said, not realizing that the seamstress was lost in her thoughts.

Bon Bon walked over as she saw that Rarity was still looking at the boy. "Yeah, a lot of girls are attracted to Feather's eyes," she commented as she looked at the makeup. "It's like her charm."

Rarity was still looking at the boy.

"Rarity?" Bon Bon called.

"Ah, yes, ehh, it's nothing... he just reminded me of someone with similar eyes," said, snapping out of her daze.

"Your beau, huh?" Bon Bon said with a playful smile.

"Kind of... He had green eyes too," commented, glancing sideways at a certain blonde who was talking to the girls.

"It's interesting how you mention your ex," Bon Bon said, still eyeing Feather's choice of foundation. "It seems like he was someone important to you. Maybe things didn't turn out the way you expected."

"Let's focus on making Feather look good," Rarity suggested, diverting the conversation. "The other stuff is in the past."

"Okay... now, let's get to work," Bon Bon said determinedly.

As time ran out, Rarity and her team had created a stylish and original outfit. Feather, dressed in a suit inspired by 1920s fashion, looked stunning.

When time was up, Gloriosa, along with Celestia and Luna, reviewed each model in their specific style.

Rarity confidently introduced her model. "Our theme is Vintage Glamour," she explained, as Feather walked as if she were on a catwalk. "We've created an outfit that combines classic with contemporary, highlighting timeless grace and sophistication."

Lyra's team presented a futuristic ensemble that was bright and full of neon colors. Pinkie Pie had added eye-catching accessories, and Sweetie Belle had created spectacular makeup that complemented the theme.

Octavia's team showed a casual chic look, with modern and elegant clothing. Snails had selected subtle accessories that complemented the outfit, and Apple Bloom had done an excellent job with Flash's makeup and hair.

"What lovely designs!" Celestia exclaimed. "You've really shown your talent."

The audience applauded, impressed by the creativity and skill of the team.

The girls looked at each team's looks and were impressed. Although they wouldn't admit it yet, they were surprised to notice the seamstress' touch in choosing the outfits.

"As we knew you were going to put in the effort and show your talent, even though for some this isn't your strong suit..." Luna continued, starting with a serious expression but changing to a smile.

"We decided that there are no winners," Gloriosa said.

The teams were surprised, but soon burst into applause and laughter, celebrating together the effort and fun they had shared.

"The important thing is that everyone had fun and learned something new," Celestia added with a smile.

Rarity approached her sister, still smiling. "You did well, darling."

"I learned from the best. You still have it."

The dressmaker let out a laugh. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle."

Pinkie jumped for joy near the sisters. "This college welcome is going amazing!"

She started walking, but stopped halfway between going to her friends or continuing with Rarity. She saw the dressmaker and was motioned that it was okay for her to go with the others. With a smile, she turned to her friends.

"I still have energy for more. What's next?"

With laughter and lively chatter, the girls headed off together to the next game.

After a while of participating in the games, the girls returned to the great hall, where a large crowd of students had already gathered to watch the drama club's performance. The stage was adorned with elaborate sets depicting a small town with medieval-style houses.

The president of the drama club took the microphone and announced the play:

"Welcome everyone! Today we present our version of 'The Oath of the Heart'. We hope you enjoy the show!"

The lights dimmed and the curtain rose, revealing the actors in their medieval costumes. The story began with two neighboring kingdoms, separated by an ancient rivalry. In one of the kingdoms lived Lady Seraphina, played by Trixie, a brave and fair young woman who lived up to the expectations of her family.

In the other kingdom, a noble knight, Sir Tristan, played by Feather Bangs, was known for his bravery and honor. Despite their different social classes, a chance encounter in the woods led to Seraphina and Tristan meeting and falling in love.

In the audience, the dressmaker was surprised to see the magician there. "Trixie? I thought she was coming next week for her magic show."

"Yeah, she dropped out last minute," Starlight explained from beside her. "The girl who was going to play Seraphina felt sick, so Trixie was asked to take her place, which is why she wasn't in the rest of the games."

"I imagine she didn't like it at all," Rarity deduced, sensing the answer. Starlight nodded.

Back on stage, the play showed the struggles Seraphina and Tristan faced as they tried to overcome the brewing war. There were moments of great emotion, such as when Sir Tristan gives a moving speech before the war.

"In these times of darkness, there is a light that shines beyond the stars. A light that has guided my heart through the darkest of nights and given me the strength to face any challenge. That light is your love, Seraphina. I promise, in front of everyone present, that my heart will always be yours, no matter what happens on the battlefield."

Feather approached the audience in the middle of his speech, looking out at the crowd, he stopped at the wavy-haired young girl and winked at her. He then returned to his character and continued with the line. "May everyone here present bear witness to my oath. May my love for you be my shield and my sword, and may this love transcend time and distance."

Rarity blinked, blushing a little. Sweetie Belle giggled. "It seems someone caught the humble knight's eye."

Starlight and Lyra exchanged glances, knowing the boy's fame and wondering if the dressmaker knew about it.

Elsewhere in the crowd, the group of friends were watching the play and didn't miss the wink.

"Who do you think he winked at this time?" Sunset asked, curious.

"Looks like someone new made it onto his list," Applejack said, waving her hand a little. "Do you think that girl will fall into his arms?"

"Let's hope not, you know how Feather is with the ladies," Fluttershy said.

The girls nodded. Pinkie was a little quiet about that, she knew the boy had set his sights on the dressmaker.

The play continued, with Feather and the rest of the cast delivering a stellar performance.

As the act came to a close, the audience erupted in applause. The girls joined in the enthusiasm, enjoying the show.

"It wasn't bad for a play," Rainbow said.

"Yeah, it really was," Twilight agreed. "The cast did a fantastic job."

With that, the activities of the second day of the event ended and everyone headed to their vehicles or walked home, waiting for the next day.

On the way home, Sweetie Belle and Rarity were talking about how much fun they had on the second day of the event.

"The games were great," Sweetie Belle said excitedly.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun, even though some of them weren't my style," Rarity replied with a smile.

"I think the Wondercolts deserved a distraction," Sweetie Belle said.

"Why do you say that?" Rarity asked, confused.

"They lost yesterday and were pretty bummed until Rainbow gave them some words of encouragement, but..."

"Do they still have the feeling of what could have been?" Rarity finished for her sister.

"Luckily they'll have the make-up round tomorrow," Sweetie Belle said with a smile.

"Can they come back to the competition?" the seamstress asked, surprised.

The younger girl nodded.

"It's good that they had their fun day," Rarity said with a smile.

"Yes! And I can't wait for Mom and Dad to join us next week," her sister said excitedly.

"Speaking of them..."

A slow-moving vehicle pulled up to the side of the road.

"Shall we take them?" Hondo asked from the car.

"Mom? Dad?" Cookie exclaimed, surprised.

"We left early today," Cookie explained with a smile upon seeing her daughters.

The girls headed to the car and, once inside, Hondo began to drive.

"We have good news for you," Hondo announced happily.

"Have you guys gotten permission yet?" asked the youngest excitedly.

"We're going to ask for it tomorrow," her mother replied, looking at them through the rearview mirror. "But I asked for permission to hang out tomorrow, even if it's just for a little while," she added with a smile.

"That's great news!" Rarity exclaimed.

"And Dad?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"I won't be able to, but as your mother said, we'll ask for permission tomorrow," she said with a happy expression.

"Then we'll make mother spend some quality time with us," the seamstress said with a smile.

As Hondo continued to drive, they chatted animatedly about what they would do tomorrow and next week.

On Friday, Applejack got out of her truck with Apple Bloom and another companion. They took the cider rations they had prepared the day before after returning home from the backseat and, to go unnoticed, they stored them in a cooler.

"I wish Grandma Smith had come," said Apple Bloom.

"She'll be here next week," said Applejack with a smile. "Right, Big Mac?"

"Yep," she replied as she walked, dragging the other cooler with wheels.

The three began to walk into the university building. Once inside the great hall, they saw some students dismantling some stands, since now it was time for the food exhibitions where Pinkie would be one of the participants.

Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom approached where the two sisters in charge were.

"Good morning, Chancellor Celestia and Principal Luna," greeted Applejack.

"Good morning," greeted Celestia with a smile.

"Good morning, students," Luna greeted, somewhat seriously.

"Big Mac, long time no see," the chancellor said with a smile.

"Yep."

"Looks like you're still the same," Celestia said. The boy nodded. "What can I get you?" she asked.

"We brought something to celebrate the game win," Applejack said, a little nervously.

"It's a brilliant idea, and it'll boost the Wondercolts' enthusiasm," the chancellor said.

"They haven't said what it is yet," Luna said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's cider for the team," Applejack said, waiting for the positive answer.

"Hmm... Fine, but as long as you keep it out of the reach of minors," Luna said, eyeing the wheeled cooler the three of them were carrying.

"You can leave it in the cafeteria kitchen and say the chancellor authorized it," Celestia said, a little seriously.

"Thank you, Principal Celestia and Principal Luna," Applejack said with a smile.

The three of them left the Great Hall to drop off the rations in the cafeteria.

Near the Great Hall, Rarity and Sweetie Belle were leading and showing their mother around the new university building.

"This area seems to be very spacious," Cookie commented, looking around with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I'm still not used to it all," Rarity replied, remembering when she got lost a couple of times. "And the welcome event has been a huge success so far."

"Yeah! There are so many fun games and activities!" Sweetie Belle added, excited.

Cookie nodded, her expression softening a bit.

As they walked down the hall, several students greeted Rarity and Sweetie Belle, noticing their mother's presence. Cookie responded with a brief nod, maintaining her composure.

After walking a bit, they arrived at the Great Hall and could see the principal and headmistress, who upon noticing the presence of one of the mothers approached.

"Nice to meet you. You must be Rarity and Sweetie Belle's mother," Celestia said.

"Yes, I am," Cookie said, nodding. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Mrs. Celestia and Mrs. Luna."

"Nice to meet you," Luna said, her expression almost as serious as Cookie's but not quite as serious.

"I hope my daughters haven't made a bad impression," Cookie said, looking from her daughters to her sisters. "Has there been any problems that I don't know about?"

Celestia shook her head. "Everything's been going pretty well."

"No problems," Luna replied.

The youngest Belle let out a soft sigh; she almost thought her headmistress would say something about her escapades to the B-side.

"If you're talking about grades, the teachers have given few assignments so they must have done well," the chancellor said, thinking optimistically.

"Yes, but after the events there will be midterms, so the students will have a lot of studying to do if they don't want to fail, either on the A or B side," said the headmistress.

Rarity gulped, as in some subjects she noticed that she was having a hard time understanding the new subjects that were being taught.

"I think you're right, you can't neglect your studies," said Cookie.

They both nodded.

"We won't take up any more of your time. I hope you enjoy your visit," said Celestia.

The Belles said goodbye to the two sisters and went further into the classroom.

At the other entrance, Applejack was returning and told Big Mac that if he wanted, he could tour part of the institution where his brother used to study before or hang out in the classroom, but the older one opted to just walk around the place. As for the younger one, she went to hang out with her friends.

While the farmer waited for the exhibits to be set up, she went to see the last of the booths, specifically the carpentry booth.

"How was your exhibit, Caramel?" asked Applejack as she arrived at the booth.

"Not bad," said Caramel. "Some were interested, some weren't."

"You'll be lucky..."

"But we did get some sign-ups," said the boy, taking a piece of paper from the side of the table, extending his arm.

"Mission successful then," said the farmer, taking the sheets and seeing some new members.

"I'm sorry you didn't win yesterday."

"Relax, we'll have a chance to come back if we win today's game," said the blonde with a confident smile.

"I'm sure they'll win," Caramel said.

"I have a feeling, as Pinkie would say," Applejack said with a half-smile.

"That Pinkie Pie never loses her grace," she said, laughing.

"Have you seen her and the others?"

"Yeah, I saw Pinkie Pie off to the side, putting a tablecloth on the table," Caramel said.

"I'm sure she's already getting ready with the rest of her classmates," Applejack said, then handed him the paper she still had in her hand. "I'll leave you to go see her and meet up with the others."

"See you later, AJ," the boy said goodbye.

As he began to walk a little, he could notice the presence of a woman in the distance. She was a little surprised, so she tried to go unnoticed and approached the nearest booth.

"Hey, AJ," a student greeted.

"Hey," he smiled nervously. "What do you have here?" Applejack asked surreptitiously.

As Pinkie Pie began setting up her snacks for the display, she heard the seamstress's voice and looked up.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie, what do you have?"

"Oh, hello, Rarity. Look at my darling cupcakes," the party girl replied, showing her table full of different sweet concoctions. "I learned them last year."

"So this was what was on display yesterday?"

"No, Mother, the club-related stuff over there was the day before yesterday."

"Today is the food display," Pinkie commented cheerfully. She then recognized the lady in front of her. "Oh, Mrs. Belle, it's been a long time."

"Mmm..." Mrs. Belle said, studying the cheerful girl.

"Mom, do you remember? It's Pinkie Pie," Sweetie Belle said.

"Oh, right, sorry my memory," Cookie recognized. "Pinkie Pie, the one who was always so cheerful?"

"That's right," the party girl said.

"Still the same," the younger girl added with a giggle.

"It's good that some people don't change," Cookie commented.

"Thank you... So what brings you here, if you don't mind my asking?" Pinkie asked with a smile.

"Oh, it's not a bother at all, dear. From what my daughters told me, both sides can now coexist at these events, and I thought I should take care of my girls."

"Mother..." the seamstress murmured with a smile.

"Dad couldn't make it, but he'll be coming next week," Sweetie Belle said cheerfully.

"Besides, I'll only be gone a few hours and then I'll be back," Cookie said with her typical serious expression.

"I see," the party girl said and then took one of the trays of cookies. "Would you like to try one of my samples?"

"Sure, why not?" Cookie said, taking one and taking a bite. "Not bad," she acknowledged. "What do you specialize in cooking?"

"Yes, ma'am, one of my passions has always been cooking, so I decided to study something related to it," explained.

"It's good that you can pursue something you're passionate about," Cookie said.

Rarity's smile faded at those words, which didn't go unnoticed by her sister and mother.

"Is something wrong, Rarity?" Pinkie asked, noticing the dressmaker's change in expression.

"No, nothing," she replied, trying to hide her feelings.

"Child, why don't you show me more of these clubs out there?" her mother suggested, starting to walk.

"Sure, mother, there are many that are interesting," the dressmaker replied, following her.

Mother and daughter began to walk.

"Since when is Rarity so formal with her mom?" the party girl asked jokingly, laughing a little.

"I'd like to know why," the younger Belle said, a little discouraged.

Pinkie stopped laughing when she realized that the youngest Belle was serious.

"I've always wanted to ask her why she calls Mom 'mother', as she used to call her before," Sweetie Belle said.

"That's funny," commented, remembering the times she went to Rarity's house in the past and used to call her in a different affectionate way.

"In these three years things happened and, boom! Rarity became more formal with Mom," the younger Belle said, gesturing with her hands.

"Rarity hasn't told me much about what's happened in those years. All I know is that she studied online and something she mentioned about going out," the party girl commented.

"I think that's something else you'll have to figure out over time, and I won't tell you much about it. I could tell you other things, but regarding what happened, I'd rather leave it to my sister," Sweetie Belle said, watching her sister walk away with her mother.

"You're right, Rarity barely opens up to me. First comes giving her space and then trust."

"You said it, Pinkie," Sweetie said.

"Hey, Pinkie, if you want to look for more things, I'll take care of this," her partner said.

"Thanks, I'm going to see my friends and then I'll go get the rest."

The two then began to walk.

Further up, Rarity was with her mother explaining about some clubs and Cookie was nodding and saying a few comments. When they were about to reach the next booth, the seamstress made them stop.

"Mother, why don't we go that way?" she said, pointing to the other row of booths left.

"Okay," Cookie agreed, but noticed what her daughter was trying to avoid. At some point, she would have to talk about it. They continued down the path the seamstress had requested.

"Child, about what I said about studying something I'm passionate about," she said, her expression softening.

"I'm still going to study what I'm in," Rarity said firmly. "I'll follow this path and I'll pass it."

"I know you'll make it," her mother said with a smile.

Rarity smiled and her gaze drifted to where they were going. She could see a blonde who seemed nervous and somewhat evasive with her gaze. At first she thought she was avoiding her gaze, but then she noticed where her attention was directed, and the seamstress put on an incredulous expression.

"Really, Applejack?" thought, shaking her head.

Applejack was near the last booths after moving around for a few minutes, but she saw Cookie approaching. Her first instinct was to hide, so she quickly ducked down and ducked under a nearby table, trying to remain unnoticed.

After waiting a bit, she heard the sound of footsteps passing by, so she stepped out, meeting Rarity's gaze, who had a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing down there?"

The farm girl slowly stood up. "Oh, Belle, you over here." She began indifferently. "Nothing, just... checking something out."

Rarity narrowed her eyes, knowing she was lying. "Checking something out under a table? Sure, it's very believable."

"Believe what you want. I don't know why I'm giving you explanations for something you don't know," Applejack replied.

"Because it's obvious what you're doing," said, leaning slightly towards the blonde.

"And what do you think I'm doing?" the farm girl asked, frowning slightly.

"You're hiding from my mother."

"About your mom? I don't know what you're talking about," Applejack commented, trying not to let her nervousness show. "Like I said, I saw something fall."

"Uh-huh, weren't you supposed to be checking something?" Rarity said, crossing her arms.

"Uh-huh..." She said, then made a face. Excuses weren't her thing.

"You don't have to hide from her. You know things are... different," she hinted indirectly. "There's no reason for you to hide from her, cowgirl."

"How do I...? Nevermind." She sighed to calm herself down. "I don't want to... cause trouble," admitted, trying to calm herself down.

Rarity smiled at her a little. "I understand it's still awkward. Just... don't hide. She's not going to eat you or anything." said, starting to take a few steps.

The blonde stared at her, a little surprised by her understanding.

"Bye, cowgirl," said goodbye as she walked further away.

Her expression changed at that and she narrowed her eyes. "Cowgirl..." muttered.

"I don't want to agree with her. But why did you hide?" Rainbow asked, appearing with the others.

"It didn't go unnoticed by anyone," Twilight said, raising an eyebrow.

"What about 'cowgirl'?" Sunset asked curiously.

"It's just a nickname she gave me once," the farm girl explained, crossing her arms. The others looked at each other, waiting for her to continue. "I don't like that nickname and I asked her not to call me that at the time, but now she just pulled it out of nowhere."

"I think she was a little upset that you did something unnecessary," Fluttershy commented in a soft voice.

"Funny, isn't it? We call her 'Belle' and she'll probably call you 'cowgirl' now whenever you make her mad," Pinkie added in an amused voice.

"I mean, always," Rainbow joked.

"Rainbow, not now," Sunset chimed in, giving her a look.

The sportswoman rolled her eyes and looked back at the farm girl. "'Cowgirl,'" said, laughing a little. "I prefer 'blonde', something simple."

"Yeah, maybe because it came to you at a good time," Applejack replied sarcastically.

The multicolored haired girl frowned. "You pushed me out of your house and it came out naturally," recalled somewhat angrily.

The girls looked at each other and the party girl stepped forward in case things got tense between the couple.

"How about I take my cousin for a ride,"suggested taking her by the shoulder and they both started walking.

"Don't take so long," Sunset said raising her voice a little.

And the four of them started walking in the other direction.

"Hey, Dash, what happened that time when AJ kicked you out of his house?" asked Twilight.

"Do you remember when AJ was bad?" asked Rainbow.

"Yeah, you told us to let Applejack take some time alone to process what she was going through," commented Sunset.

"It was about your parents, right?" Fluttershy asked.

"How do you kno...?" Rainbow didn't finish. "I... I called you about that too," said, somewhat downcast, knowing the answer.

She remembered that that time, despite understanding the situation, she was still a little upset by the farmer's behavior that ended up calling the pink-haired girl.

Fluttershy nodded slowly and the two remained silent. Twilight regretted asking and looked at Sunset.

"You know what, how about we go get some air?" Sunset suggested to lighten the mood.

They didn't say anything, but they headed towards one of the entrances.

Elsewhere, in the locker room, Pinkie brought the farm girl over to talk about her peculiar attitude in the great hall.

"Come on, cousin, tell us why you're acting like that," Pinkie asked.

"Act how?" Applejack asked, pretending she didn't know what she was talking about.

"Why are you hiding from Mrs. Belle? I remember everything was fine when we went to Rarity's house before everything," she commented confused. "Yeah, despite being a bit of a serious lady, you could tell she liked you."

"Yeah, she liked me... I think," the blonde replied, bringing her hand to the back of her neck.

"So, what happened?"

The farm girl sighed. "It's because of when... you know." She mentioned, waving her hands. Pinkie waited anxiously. "I didn't tell you this since, let's say, we were past that stage..."

As expected, the blonde rambled on before getting to the point. "AJ, stop beating around the bush," Pinkie insisted.

"Okay..." Applejack said, sitting down and looking for a place to start. "I just happened to be at the Belles'..."

Three Years Ago: Spring
Applejack was at Rarity's house like every other time she went to her house. This time they were in the studio where the Belles had different instruments, but the biggest one was exactly the one she was playing. Actually, the curly-haired girl was playing slowly, showing it to the blonde.

"Do, Re, Mi, Do," the seamstress said as she played. "Mi, Fa, Sol."

The blonde put her hands on the keys and tried to keep up.

"You played Mi instead of C," Rarity corrected.

"Was that Mi?" said the farmer, looking at the keys. "I still don't know how to tell these keys apart."

"It's the same way I think about guitar strings or frets as you mentioned," Rarity said, remembering when the blonde tried to teach her how to play.

"There's a trick to that," Applejack said with a laugh.

The dressmaker laughed a little. "You were listening when I explained the keys on that side."

"I'll be honest," the farmer said, giving her a smile, "at first, yes, but you look cute when you have that expression of concentration that I ended up missing."

The dressmaker blushed slightly and looked away with a shy smile.

"Well, I guess it'll take me a little longer to learn how to play this."

Rarity let out a small laugh. "Don't worry, sweetie. The important thing is that you're trying, and besides, we have all the time in the world to practice."

Applejack nodded. "Can we try one more time? I promise to pay attention this time."

"Of course," she replied, placing her hands back on the keys. "Remember, it starts with C."

The farmer concentrated and followed Rarity's movements, trying to memorize the position of each key. Slowly, she began to play the notes correctly.

"You did it right this time!" the seamstress exclaimed.

"Thanks, Rare," she said with a satisfied smile. "It must be your good teaching."

Rarity smiled and looked at Applejack. "No, AJ, you're putting in the effort. I'm impressed."

Applejack nodded, grateful. "Thanks for always supporting me, Rare."

"Always," Rarity replied with a smile.

Cookie was walking through the front door of the house after a long day at work. She greeted her family in the living room: her daughter Sweetie and her sister Roseluck.

"Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Mom."

"Hello. Where's my brother-in-law?" Roseluck asked.

"Hondo had to stay a little longer," Cookie replied.

"We'll see him at dinner then," the red-haired girl said.

"Where's Rarity? Is she out with her friend again?" Cookie asked.

"Rarity's in the study," the younger girl replied.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, dear."

Cookie began to walk down the hallway that led near the stairs. When she arrived, she opened it without knocking. What she saw took her breath away: Rarity was kissing Applejack. Surprise and dismay were reflected on her face.

"Rarity! What... what's going on here?" Cookie exclaimed.

Rarity and Applejack quickly separated, embarrassed at being discovered.

"Mom... uh... I..."

"I don't want to hear it! What do you think you're doing?" Cookie said with a frown. "I can't believe you kept this from me."

Tears began to form in Rarity's eyes as she watched her mother walk away. Applejack placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Then, she gathered her courage and followed the mother of the family and tried to speak.

"Mrs. Cookie, we..."

"I don't want to hear any excuses. This is... a lot to process," she said, trying to understand.

Roseluck walked into the hallway and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Cookie, maybe you should sit down and listen to them."

Cookie looked at her youngest daughter who was quiet watching the scene. "Sweetie Belle, go up to your room."

"Ma.." she was going to say, until she met her aunt's gaze telling her to listen.

Cookie looked at Roseluck after Sweetie Belle went up to her room. A tense silence filled the air as she searched for answers on her sister's face.

"Did you know?" she asked.

Since Roseluck was the first person and family member Rarity told about her doubts, she was also the only one she told about her relationship with the farm girl. No one else knew, which was why they kept their relationship a secret until now.

Since her sister didn't speak, she understood from her silence what that meant. She then looked at the two young women with a mix of confusion and surprise. Rarity was clinging to Applejack, afraid of losing her.

"Mama, we didn't want to hide it, but we didn't know how to tell you," she said, releasing the hug.

Cookie sighed, looking at the farm girl and then at the dressmaker. "This is... hard to accept. Applejack, I need you to leave this house while I think about all of this."

Applejack looked at Cookie, dismayed by the firmness of her words. She turned to Rarity, seeking support, but the distraught expression on her partner's face told her there was no other option. With a lump in her throat, she nodded and headed for the door.

"I'm sorry, Rarity. I didn't mean to cause trouble," the blonde said in a sad tone before heading to the door, opening it, and leaving.

Rarity stood frozen, unable to do anything as she watched Applejack leave. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she struggled to hold back her sobs. Roseluck walked over to her and held her tenderly, sharing her pain.

The seamstress clung to her aunt, seeking comfort amidst the devastation. Cookie saw her daughter in her sister's arms, who stared back at her. "Cookie, remember that a mother's love also means acceptance and understanding."

"...Her mom found us in a compromising situation and kicked me out of the house, and from that moment on I never knew how to decipher the look she gave me," the farmer finished telling.

"Wow, don't tell me they lived a Romeo and Juliet 2.0," Pinkie exclaimed, almost excited.

"Pinkie, we're alive and you know that the Apples supported that relationship," replied Applejack with her arms crossed.

"It was just a reference," Pinkie commented. "So they broke up for a while and then got back together?"

"I'm not going to talk about it, it's already something in the past," Applejack pointed out, making a sign with her hands for her to stop.

"You can't leave me in suspense," she insisted, leaning a little.

"That's in the past, so it doesn't affect me and now everything is fine in my present," Applejack stated, getting up. "Look at the time, I have to go now," she said, taking out her cell phone.

"Come on AJ, don't make an excuse to escape from your past."

"It's not a lie, look, your presentation is almost here," she replied showing her cell phone, then she put it away and started to head for the door, but before that she wanted to comment on something. "And... I'm not escaping from the past, which I'm not attached to," opened the door and went out.

"But you were escaping from your mom," the party girl murmured with a raised eyebrow. "How is that not staying in the past?"

"Okay," she said getting up and determined. "I'm not going to stay with the intrigue, I'll find out somehow what happened," she added taking a magnifying glass out of her hair. "This is a mission for Pinkie Detective Pie!"

"...And the Crusaders!" said the three minors coming out of their hiding place.

"Excuse me? You three naughty girls, when did you follow us?" asked looking at them.

The three of them laughed a little.

"After I saw you take my sister," Apple Bloom explained with a giggle.

"Plus, it was weird seeing her hide under the table," Scootaloo added.

"So we followed them and since Applejack let the door close on its own, we took the opportunity to go inside," Sweetie Belle finished explaining.

"Uh-huh," Pinkie nodded. "Spike isn't hiding?"

"No, he stayed talking to Ember," the youngest Apple answered.

"Can we be part of your investigation?" Scootaloo asked.

"And for what reason would he let them in?" she questioned in detective mode.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom began to look for an excuse.

"I can tell you what happened next," the youngest Belle said with a smile, knowing she had an ace up her sleeve.

"Mmm, okay mini Belle, what happened after that?" Pinkie asked with the magnifying glass in her eye.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but put it aside to begin telling what had happened.

Rarity stood in the kitchen, trying to avoid her mother. She didn't want to face the difficult conversation she knew would come sooner or later. As she was making herself something to eat, she heard a noise behind her and was startled. She quickly turned to find Roseluck, her aunt, looking at her with concern.

"My dear, how are you feeling?" Roseluck asked softly, placing a hand on her niece's shoulder.

The seamstress sighed, looking down for a moment before answering. "Scared, Aunt. I'm worried about how Mom will react now that she knows about Applejack and me. I'm afraid she'll forbid us from seeing each other."

Roseluck squeezed Rarity's shoulder tenderly. "Your mom is going through a process. It's understandable that she's shocked, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you or want the best for you."

The seamstress nodded, grateful for her aunt's comforting words. Before they could talk any further, Sweetie Belle entered the kitchen. The seamstress tensed at the sight of her younger sister.

"Sweetie Belle, about what you heard the other day... uh, about Applejack and me."

"Rarity, I already knew about you," she revealed, looking at her older sister seriously.

Rarity was speechless for a moment, shocked. "How... how do you know?"

The younger sighed and approached her sister, placing a hand on her arm. "Don't be mad, but I found out that time we watched the movie at the Apple's."

"But... but that night I thought you were asleep."

Sweetie Belle lowered her head. "We pretended to be asleep because Apple Bloom suspected something between you two, and I wanted to find out if it was true."

The seamstress was overwhelmed by her sister's revelation. She hadn't expected her sister to find out before she herself had a chance to speak.

Roseluck looked between the two sisters, worried by the tension in the air. "Sweetie Belle, honey, have you talked to Cookie about this?" she asked softly.

The younger girl shook her head. "No, I've never mentioned anything."

"Rarity, I know my sister can be harsh about these things and it will be hard for her to accept it. She needs to hear you too."

Rarity, with tears in her eyes, said, "I still don't dare to face Mom after she found out about my tastes," then covered her face with her hands. "But I think I have the answer since she took my cell phone away from me."

"I'm sure Mom will understand, if not early, late, but she will," her sister said.

The younger girl and her aunt looked at each other sadly, then approached the seamstress hugging her silently, comforting her.

Present
"I can tell you what's next, but I think I'd skip a lot to get to that moment," Sweetie Belle commented after finishing telling.

"Wow, they really went through a lot," Scootaloo said in surprise.

"Hmm, so they didn't break up, they just passed another challenge," Pinkie said, pacing thoughtfully.

"Rarity was really sad about not hearing from Applejack. She locked herself in her room because when Mom took her cell phone away, she thought she didn't accept the relationship," the youngest Belle explained.

"It was before school started. And before they met the girls, right?" Apple Bloom said, trying to remember the moment.

"Yeah, it was a few months before they started school," Sweetie Belle confirmed.

"I thought you'd know that," Scootaloo commented, confused.

"I almost mixed up the dates of the two times Applejack was in a state of depression," the youngest Apple said with a giggle.

"Interesting," Pinkie said, trying to sort out the information. "We'll find out what happened."

"So we're in?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Certainly, my dears, and something tells me that Granny Smith must know something," the party girl said.

"I think we should start with my dad," Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Why?" Pinkie asked, curious.

"I know he talked to Mom. I don't know what about, but it was before Rarity talked to her," explained.

"It could be a timeline of events. First Mr. Belle, then Granny Smith, and we'd end with Sweetie Belle. Or, unless Rarity or Applejack dare to tell the ending," Scootaloo suggested.

"I doubt they'll tell us what happened, since according to my sister, she's put the past behind her," Apple Bloom said, rolling her eyes.

"True, and Rarity has only said things that remind her of what happened in the present, but I don't think she'll say anything very profound," the party girl said thoughtfully.

"Then we'll have to wait until next week," Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Okay, Mission Romeo and Juliet 2.0 is in action," Pinkie said, stretching out an arm.

The three of them smiled and, one by one, stretched out an arm and then raised it upward.

"But now let's get back to the great hall. The banquet is about to begin," the party girl said cheerfully.

The four of them headed for the door.

Fluttershy, Sunset, Twilight, and Rainbow walked around the courtyard in complete silence.

Twilight moved a little closer to her pink-haired friend. "Hey, Fluttershy," called quietly.

"Yeah, Twilight?" replied in the same tone of voice.

"Sorry for bringing up that earlier," the blue-haired girl said, feeling a little guilty for making Rainbow look downcast.

"Don't worry, Twi. How were you supposed to guess that topic would come up and that I would talk about the reason why Applejack was depressed that time?" Fluttershy said.

"You're right," Twilight said, calmer.

"But I'm fine with talking about things I already know, as long as it's not about new fights."

"Do you already know all the conflicts they have?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"I kind of know some of the things Rainbow doesn't like about her relationship with Applejack, but AJ's about Rainbow, I'm just deducing, but I'm not sure," Fluttershy said, remembering a bit.

"Wow, I know we had the conversation about the llamas and whatnot, but I didn't think you knew more," Twilight said, surprised.

"Yeah, but like I said, I'm fine as long as I don't get comments about her fights," said with a smile. "We agreed on that with Rainbow."

"Yeah, but she seems to feel guilty about linking that to the calls," Twilight said, looking at the jock, who was walking with her head down.

"Yeah, I noticed. Can I have a moment with her to clear it up?" Fluttershy said.

Twilight nodded and quietly called out to Sunset, who was trying to talk to Rainbow. Once she picked up the call, they both walked away and indicated inside, implying that they would meet in the great hall.

The pink haired girl stopped the athlete by putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Fluttershy, about..."

"Shall we sit down?"

The two of them walked over to a bench and sat down.

"Rainbow, it's okay that you know some things and that I bring them up in conversations," Fluttershy said, trying to convey understanding.

"I feel like you only know about it because of my carelessness in calling you to vent, rather than anything that was discussed with the others."

"I understand, and I'm sorry if that made you feel bad. It's not your fault that things turned out this way," the pink haired girl answered sincerely. "What matters is that you're here now and you're trying to make things right."

Rainbow nodded, relieved by her friend's words, but still a little guilty. Fluttershy, noticing the tension in her friend, brought her hand closer to Dash's, gently interlacing their fingers.

This surprised the athlete, who looked at their joined hands.

"I thought I still..."

"I can make an exception for this time," Fluttershy said with a smile, squeezing her friend's hand slightly. Rainbow smiled and returned the grip, closing her eyes slightly.

"One step at a time," the athlete thought.

Author's Note

• The original dialogues when Rarity's mom found out about her sounded very homophobic, so I decided to change them so they weren't so strong and Cookie wouldn't take it that way for that reason.

• As for some things that happened, I won't specify what, I'll just say... subtle details (you tell me what you think I'm referring to)

• When I wanted to integrate the character of Feather Bangs into the story, I hadn't noticed her eye color, so Rarity's reaction when she noticed it would be like mine, only in Rarity's case it was 'exaggerated' (I can't find the right word) to fit better with the plot. Another thing: the Bieber Pony was actually going to be a cameo, but I ended up integrating it with the role of Casanova.

• Another thing, it will take me a while to translate the next one, because I had forgotten that tomorrow I'm going on a trip alone for the weekend so when I get back you'll have chapter