Sitting on one of the nearby benches, Fluttershy wasn't participating in the game, but she watched her friends with a slight smile. She appreciated the sense of calm that it brought her to see them enjoying such a carefree moment.

At that very moment, she felt a presence at her side. Turning her head, she saw Twilight approaching with her backpack slung over one shoulder, her expression relaxed, though she still maintained that air of concentration that always accompanied her.

"Hey Fluttershy," she greeted with a small smile as she settled on the bench, letting out a sigh of relief as she sat down. "I was in the library. Did I miss anything interesting?" asked, with a soft laugh, her gaze following the movements of the group running from one side of the court to the other.

Fluttershy shook her head gently, returning the smile.

"Nothing too exciting... except that Rainbow has made some impressive baskets."

The bespectacled girl nodded and made herself more comfortable, pulling a book out of her backpack. Although she was physically present, it was clear that part of her mind was still caught up in her studies and recent review sessions with Rarity.

"What about you? Anything interesting in any of the library books?" asked, noticing his pensive expression.

Twilight tensed a little; she wasn't sure whether to tell him that she had been studying with Rarity. Things seemed to be less tense, but she was afraid that any comment might bring misunderstandings or reignite conflicts.

"The usual, books with interesting information," lied with a slightly awkward smile.

"The books beat you," Fluttershy joked, laughing softly as her eyes returned to the game.

They both fell silent, watching as the girls from Rainbow's opposing team tried to snatch the ball from her, only for her, with her agility, to dodge them.

"Why didn't you join?" the blue-haired girl asked, glancing at her friend and then at the game. "Besides, they're with fair players."

Fluttershy glanced at the court before looking back. "You know I'm not very good at sports... I prefer to watch," said, shrugging slightly.

"Like we always have since we met," Twilight laughed, recalling memories of their friendship.

The pink-haired girl smiled, lost in the nostalgia that accompanied those words. "Just like old times."

"Yeah, though the only thing missing is Bell-" Twilight paused as she realized what she had said. Her mention also surprised her friend, who froze for a moment.

"Uh... I don't know why I mentioned her," said, clearly confused.

"Yeah, it was unexpected," the pink-haired girl replied, equally confused. "But we don't always have to leave her out of conversations," added in a tone of understanding, her gaze drifting a little into the past.

Twilight thought about it for a moment.

"You're right. Sometimes she can get carried away, like I did now," said, taking another look at the game. "I just wish she was still with AJ and yelling his name when she played against Rainbow," joked.

Fluttershy frowned slightly, watching the multicolored girl share a team with the blonde.

"It kind of made me laugh that she didn't even notice what was around her," Twilight commented, with an amused smile, remembering how the fashion designer used to get lost in the game, focusing on the farmer without noticing much else.

"Noticing..." Fluttershy murmured, watching the game, her gaze fixed on Rainbow and Applejack as a feeling rose in her chest.

"When you're in love, it's typical to act a little erratically," the bespectacled girl commented, in a casual, if slightly analytical tone. "According to some studies, strong feelings can cause you to behave impulsively or distractedly..."

Twilight continued to explain the behavior, not noticing Fluttershy lost in her thoughts, listening to the sound of the ball bouncing on the ground, then the basket...

Three years ago: Mid-Autumn
The sun was beginning to set, tinting the sky in shades of orange and purple as the girls finished a friendly basketball game on a street court. The cool breeze blew gently, giving them momentary relief from the heat of the game. There was only one last basket left to break the tie.

With a leap, Applejack scored, sealing the victory. Rarity, who was on the sidelines, couldn't contain her excitement.

"That's my girl!" exclaimed with a proud smile.

Fluttershy clapped shyly, but her smile faded when she noticed something unexpected: an exchange of glances between the farmer and the athlete. Rainbow, still panting from the effort, cast a quick glance at Applejack. When their eyes met, the multicolored girl looked away, but the other girl kept her gaze for a few seconds longer.

"Did Rarity notice?" thought worriedly, glancing at her curly friend, but the girl had moved at some point, looking for a towel for her partner, not noticing the tension on the court.

With a knot in her stomach, Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder if it was just her imagination. No one in the group talked about anything happening between the two, partly because Applejack was with Rarity, and everyone seemed to assume that was the only reality.

The seamstress smiled as she approached the blonde, handing her a towel.

"Here, you better dry yourself off or I might get you wet with water... so you're not so... sweaty," commented with a slight grimace of disgust.

"Thanks," said, taking the towel with a warm smile and beginning to dry herself off. "Is something wrong?" asked, seeing a worried expression on her partner.

Rarity looked at her phone, her attention distracted. "Ah, it's just a text from my dad. He tells me not to be late," explained before passing another towel to the multicolored girl. "Here, Dash."

"Thanks, but... are you sure everything's okay?" Rainbow asked in a worried tone, noticing her friend's uneasiness.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just that," replied, her expression relaxing. "But don't worry, everything's fine."

"I'll drop you off then," Applejack said with a smile as she finished drying herself off and grabbed her bag. "It's my duty to take care of the princess of the house." Rarity smiled back with a tender expression.

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the cheesiness, but didn't say anything.

"See you tomorrow in class," the farmer added as she took her partner's hand.

The girls said goodbye, and Applejack and Rarity walked away hand in hand. Fluttershy watched them as they left and then turned to the multicolored girl, who was now pouring water over her head from her bottle.

"Uhm, Rainbow..." she began in her soft tone, approaching carefully. "Can I talk to you?"

Rainbow, who was drying herself off, raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused. "Huh? Sure. I am the only one here, after all," she joked, letting out a light laugh.

"Yeah, you're right," she replied with a nervous smile, looking at the empty benches. As the athlete bounced the ball against the wall, Fluttershy searched for the right words.

"Is something wrong? Let it go," she insisted, throwing the ball once more against the wall, waiting for an answer.

The pink-haired girl bit her lip, looking at her friend in profile. "It's just that... well, I've noticed something... actually I've noticed it a few times... something between you and Applejack," said hesitantly. "Maybe I'm just imagining it, but..." Her words trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

Rainbow caught the ball, looking at her seriously. "Me and Applejack? Pfft, don't make me laugh. You know AJ is with Rarity and she's my friend... I wouldn't want to ruin things. There's nothing between us."

Fluttershy sighed in relief for a moment, but was surprised when her friend continued talking.

"But... I don't know. Something's wrong with me," she said with a sigh, looking at the ground. "You know I don't know about that romantic stuff. So... I have no idea what I feel."

"Do you think you might feel something?" asked carefully, surprised by the confession.

"Flutters..." Rainbow looked up, letting out a sigh. "I've never been with anyone. So I don't even know if this is what they call... liking or crushing."

"You're right, but it could be... though I don't know enough about it to confirm it either," said, laughing nervously. "I guess we're even."

"Two misfits," the multicolored girl joked with a forced smile. "Let's drop this conversation," said, looking up at the sky, where the orange color was already beginning to fade.

Fluttershy looked at the sky. "Yeah, it's getting late. You should wrap up warm, the wind is starting to get cold."

Rainbow put on a light jacket and, with her ball and bag in hand, they walked away from the court together.

As they walked under the darkened sky, the pink-haired girl kept turning the conversation over in her mind. Should she tell Rarity something? They had gotten closer and told each other almost everything... but would it be the right thing to do?

For now, she decided to keep quiet and wait. Maybe, at some point, she would tell her. The truth would come out at some point.

Present

"... That's what the studies say too," Twilight continued to explain the behavior of feelings.

Fluttershy blinked several times, slowly coming out of her memory and returning to the conversation, listening to the sigh of her bespectacled friend.

"I don't know what's going on... I mean when Belle got so euphoric, I don't know if that bothers you."

"Huh?" reacted, returning completely to the present.

"I talked about Belle," answered, looking at her with a slight smile.

Fluttershy blinked a few more times, somewhat disoriented, trying to remember what Twilight had been talking about. Finally, the only thing she could think of was to reply, "As I mentioned, we can't always avoid talking about her," though she had missed much of the conversation in the memory. Apparently, her friend didn't notice her brief mental absence.

"I should forget that part of the past," thought sadly, remembering the feelings the multicolored girl once confessed to her.

Twilight watched her with a thoughtful expression, but said nothing and just nodded, deciding to change the subject. "I've been reading up on study techniques we could use for tests. There are some we could apply in our group sessions."

Before Fluttershy could reply, a loud shout of victory echoed from the court. Rainbow had just scored the last basket, winning the game. Applejack patted her on the back with a smile, while Lyra and Bon Bon celebrated with laughter despite their defeat.

The girls slowly approached where Fluttershy and Twilight were sitting. The athlete, with the ball under her arm, was grinning from ear to ear, still breathing heavily. "Wow, Twilight! I thought we wouldn't see you until after school," joked, setting the ball aside and stretching her arms above her head.

The bespectacled girl closed her book with a smile and looked at the girls. "I was stuck in the library. You guys sure know how to enjoy free time."

"That's because we know how to balance life!" Pinkie exclaimed, suddenly appearing next to Twilight, which startled her a little.

Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged a glance and, noticing the time, decided to leave. "We're leaving now," Bon Bon said as they gathered their backpacks and water bottles. "Let's go study."

"Ah, studies," Rainbow said, sighing.

Lyra smiled as she adjusted her backpack. "That was a fun game. See you tomorrow!" she added with a smile as they both said goodbye, waving as they walked away towards the exit.

"And speaking of studies... who wants some of the delicious pie Applejack made yesterday? That'll cheer us up for studying!" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling out a jar and opening it.

The farmer laughed, raising an eyebrow. "I also brought some extra pieces in case we didn't have enough," said, opening a bag where pieces of her signature apple pie peeked out.

"You did leave something for us this time, Pinkie," Twilight commented, already intrigued and hungry. But before she could say more, Rainbow made a face.

"Ugh, I'm not a fan of sweets," commented, making an amused expression as she shook her head. "Nothing personal, AJ. Your pie sure is delicious, but it's not my thing."

Fluttershy, with a smile, pulled a small bag out of her backpack. "Well, I brought this, a salty touch for your study mood," said softly, handing the bag to the multicolored one.

She looked at her curiously, taking the bag. "What is this?" She asked, opening the package and smiling at what was inside. "Oh, salty pretzels! You didn't have to... but you do know me."

Fluttershy gave her a small, happy smile. "I knew you'd like it."

The sportswoman sat down next to her and nudged her gently. "Definitely," said, grateful, and began to eat with enthusiasm. While in response the pink-haired girl only lowered her gaze for a moment. She couldn't help but feel a little proud of knowing her tastes so well.

Applejack took the carefully wrapped apple pie out of her bag. "Well, for those who do enjoy sweets, here's the pie," said, offering it to the rest. Thus, everyone who didn't get to try Pinkie's pieces could take a piece, although there was still one left over.

While they were enjoying the moment, the party girl noticed the last piece and smiled as an idea occurred to her.

"AJ, can I have that leftover piece?" asked after swallowing.

"Sure. Are you saving it for later?" replied with a smile.

"Actually... there's someone who hasn't tried your pie yet," said, taking the piece to put back in the jar.

Applejack's smile faded a little, turning almost serious as she realized who she was referring to. "It's for her, isn't it?" said with a sigh. The others had no trouble understanding, showing different expressions.

"Come on, AJ, don't make that face. You know Rarity still likes your cooking skills," Pinkie joked, winking at her encouragingly.

The farm girl cocked her head, confused, as she didn't remember making anything recently for the group. "What are you talking about, Pinkie? I haven't done anything else..." The others thought for a moment.

"Yes you did," Twilight chimed in, thinking out loud.

"When?" asked, still confused.

"The cider," Rainbow replied with a sigh. "Remember you made enough for the team and some who weren't part of it?"

"I thought my brother said she didn't drink it when he offered it to her," the farmer answered, remembering the occasion.

Sunset lowered her head, remembering how everyone scattered after what Big Mac said on that occasion. She knew she would soon have to give Rarity an answer about the request she made; she would talk to her later, some things made her think, already having an answer.

"Yeah, that's right..." Pinkie opened her eyes, surprised. "How do they know if they didn't even have her around?"

"It's not... uh... not on topic," Fluttershy answered, somewhat nervously.

"Exactly, what matters is the cider AJ made with her family," Twilight intervened, wanting to calm the situation.

"Okay," said the party girl, narrowing her eyes as if trying to solve a mystery. "I later found out that Rarity talked to Starlight and the others who she gets along with, and ended up accepting the cider. Although she was hesitant at first, she liked it in the end."

Applejack just nodded and the others didn't say anything.

At that moment, Chancellor Celestia's voice was heard on the megaphones, asking some senior students to go to the music room and then head to their respective classrooms to find out what to study in the other subjects that they still didn't know what was in it.

"Let's see what we have for the exam," Rainbow said, putting her backpack on one shoulder.

"I'd rather it be another report," Fluttershy commented with a sigh.

"We'll see," Twilight said, wanting to reassure her.

"I'll take the opportunity to give Rarity a pass and tell her it was made by you, AJ," Pinkie said, winking as she stood up.

"Just don't go overboard with what you say," Applejack commented, making a 'stop' gesture with her hands.

The party girl just smiled widely.

Once their backpacks were ready, they headed towards the music room. Upon arriving, they saw that there were already several students inside, so they entered and joined the small crowd. In front, the teacher waited patiently for everyone to explain to them.

The teacher began to explain what the exam would consist of, and the students took notes in their notebooks, which some quickly took out of their backpacks. Once the teacher finished explaining, the students began to leave the classroom.

Twilight noticed the dressmaker a few meters away and remembered minutes ago the learning and the unexpected birthday greeting she had given her, smiling slightly at that.

She then approached her friends to talk about the exam, as did the other students, who were dispersing down the hall. Some quickly left, as they also needed to find out about their other subjects.

Sunset, for her part, looked around to make sure her friends were distracted before walking away a bit. Taking advantage of the fact that Pinkie was still busy chatting, she approached Rarity, who looked at her in surprise upon noticing her presence.

"Can we talk over there, in the corner? It's about your request," said, nodding towards a more discreet hallway.

"Sure, let's go," the seamstress replied, casting a quick glance back to make sure no one was watching them as she followed the red-haired girl.

As she walked, Rarity thought about her next decision. Twilight had already agreed to help her, so should Sunset refuse her request? Or would she get angry if she did?

Her friends, for their part, continued to talk about the music exam. The conversation quickly changed to what the exams in other subjects might be like, a topic that was already causing concern for some of them.

"I'd say cooking class will be a piece of cake," Pinkie commented, smiling with her characteristic optimism.

"Yeah... I'm sure it'll be easy," Fluttershy agreed, nodding with a slight smile.

"I hope we've studied enough," Rainbow added, frowning as she remembered how little she reviewed yesterday.

"That's why today we'll focus on the key topics and I'll give you some pointers for studying at home," Twilight said thoughtfully, mentally reviewing the most important points.

"Now we just need to know what's in the other subjects," Applejack commented, with her practical and confident tone.

"Why don't we go find out now?" the blue-haired girl suggested, excited at the idea of confirming that everything was in order.

Pinkie looked around and frowned slightly. "What about Sunset? I don't see her..."

Rainbow also looked towards where the red-haired girl was a moment ago. "I was here a while ago..."

"Were you looking for me?" Sunset appeared again, approaching them with a carefree smile.

"We looked for a second and you were gone, and now you appear out of nowhere!" the party girl exclaimed, laughing and making exaggerated faces.

"Relax, I was just talking to someone. What were you talking about?" asked curiously.

"I was saying that we should go to the classrooms and ask about the subject that we don't know if it's in yet," Twilight explained, showing her usual organizedness.

"Good idea," Sunset nodded. "So we don't get confused with the subjects," she replied with a smile. "Imagine art," she joked, nudging Applejack.

"Art?" the farm girl muttered, her eyes widening. "Oh no, if they make us draw something... I'm lost," thought worriedly, remembering her attempts at drawing.

"On the way we decide which of our classrooms we go to first," Rainbow proposed, taking the lead.

The girls nodded, though Applejack did so with a hint of unease in her expression.

"Fine, you guys go first. I'm going with Rarity; besides, we'd still get separated," Pinkie said, walking backwards as she waved goodbye to the girls.

"Fine, but we'll meet up later in the cafeteria or the library for some serious studying," Twilight replied, waving her hand. "And remember to go to your teachers to find out about the other subjects."

"I know, I know," said excitedly, turning to look for the seamstress, who, seeing her leaning against the wall, looked somewhat pensive. "Rarity, are we going to the lair?" he asked, his enthusiasm enough to bring her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Well, why not?" replied, nodding at what Pinkie had just said. "We could study..."

"Yes and no," the party girl interrupted quickly.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused by the answer.

"I have something for you," said, shaking her backpack mysteriously, "and an invitation."

"But, Pinkie, it has to be—"

"No, no, no. We talk first, then study," insisted, putting an arm around her and leading her down the halls and to the staircase that led to the roof. Rarity gave in and let her friend lead her away from the bustle of students and girls.

Once up, they settled in the center, next to a cement wall surrounding a raised planter. The place was quiet, and the cool wind welcomed them, bringing with it the scent of the flowers that were beginning to bloom in the small garden.

"I was thinking last night," Pinkie began in a detective-like tone as she opened her backpack, "about one of the reasons you fell asleep."

The seamstress's eyes widened with a hint of alarm. "Huh?"

"You overdid it with your studying, more than Twilight did!" she exclaimed, relaxing her tone and pulling a potion out of her backpack. The seamstress let out a sigh. "Here, it's a pie," added, showing her one last piece she had saved.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Rarity said, taking the pie and savoring it slowly.

"And so much studying that your brain got fried," continued, touching her forehead with a finger as if checking her temperature. "That's why I thought we should leave early tomorrow, so you can relax a bit."

Rarity stopped eating for a moment, surprised by the proposal. "Skip class?"

"It's not much of a getaway when you consider that there's only study time. No regular classes," explained with a mischievous grin.

The seamstress was about to protest, but she had to admit that, in a way, Pinkie was right.

"Besides, today would be our longest day," the party girl added, holding up a finger to make her point. "But anyone could leave early and nothing would happen."

Rarity looked at her for a moment, her thoughts wandering between the possibility of adventure and the responsibility of studies, before she went back to taking a bite of her pie. "I want to stay and study, but... if we left tomorrow, I wouldn't leave my sister alone."

"Relax, obviously Mini Belle would come with us!" Pinkie said, letting out a laugh.

"Mmm... I'll think about it," Rarity replied, somewhat more convinced but still hesitant. "I don't know if my parents would approve of me going out just to have fun."

"Just leave that information out," the carefree party girl replied. "They don't need to know, it would be a white lie."

The curly-haired girl grimaced, not entirely comfortable with the idea of lying to her parents. "I'll think about it."

"Think about that fried brain," Pinkie said, looking at her face closely. "It seems you didn't fall asleep today," she commented, crossing her arms.

Rarity let out a short laugh. "Maybe a simple outing wouldn't hurt. Plus, this way Pinkie will still think I fell asleep just from studying and not from the side effects of a pill," thought as she took another bite and smiled at the taste.

"Looks like you liked it," the cheerful girl commented upon seeing her friend's smile.

"Yeah, it was delicious," replied, enjoying the last bite.

Pinkie laughed. "Actually, it was the Apples' doing... more specifically, Applejack."

Rarity nearly choked at the revelation, coughing a little and looking at her with wide eyes. "Did Applejack do it?" asked, surprised.

"Yes. I asked for the last remaining piece in your name," said, smiling mischievously.

"Did you literally tell her?" asked, still trying to assimilate the information.

"More or less," replied, shrugging.

"And she accepted?" asked, even more intrigued, leaning in slightly before stepping back.

"Uh-huh," Pinkie nodded, not giving it much thought.

Rarity thought for a moment; she knew the dedication Applejack put into cooking, which made her smile slightly.

The party girl didn't understand the reason for the seamstress's smile, but she smiled as always.

After enjoying a few minutes in silence, contemplating the wind and the calm of the rooftop, they decided to go down. As they walked, now down a hallway, Pinkie glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Well, Rarity, unfortunately for me, we'll have to part ways. I'm going to study with the girls at..." she paused to check her phone and smiled. "At the cafeteria, apparently... more motivation!"

"Motivation?" the seamstress repeated, confused, wondering what could possibly make Pinkie consider a cafeteria a place of work.

"Full belly, happy heart," replied with a big smile, leaving Rarity somewhat perplexed. Without further ado, she gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "So, you're going to think about it, right?"

The wavy-haired girl relaxed her expression, accepting that sometimes the party girl's ideas escaped her understanding. "Yeah, I guess I can consider it. Sometimes, a little escapade doesn't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I'm off with the girls. See you later!"

"See you later, Pinkie." Rarity watched her walk away with her characteristic energy.

She walked down one of the hallways where there were a few students. Most were probably in the library, others in some random classroom, while a few more were scattered around other parts of the campus, studying or not.

By pure coincidence she stopped in front of the music room, where she had been a few minutes ago, and remembered the conversation with her mother. Through the glass, she observed the piano in the center of the room, covered by a cloth, as if almost no one used it. It was as if it had been waiting, just like her, for someone to play it again.

She looked at her own hands and remembered how they moved gracefully over the keys, creating melodies that seemed to give voice to her emotions, although now she didn't know if her fingers would remember. She felt a knot in her stomach as she remembered that, since she walked away from her old life, she had put that passion aside.

She looked around a little to make sure she was alone; She had already left behind the students who were hanging around the hallway. Then, she took a breath, gently pushed the door open and entered the room, feeling that, perhaps, it was time to reconnect with that part of herself.

Cafetería
After almost two hours, both Rainbow and Pinkie blinked at the information they were receiving, either from Sunset or Twilight, who helped them a little in their respective subjects.

"Wow! I don't know if my brain is in a processing state or if it will go away from my head when we leave the cafeteria," the party girl said with wide eyes.

"I hope it's the first option, and the same for you, Dash," Twilight replied, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'm processing everything too," Rainbow said, her mouth half open.

Applejack, after closing her notebook with a light slam, looked at her partner. "If you manage to get a high grade, I promise that on our next outing we will go to a bar."

"Oops, weak point," commented, tilting her head slowly to look at her, as if she was considering the proposal.

"You can do it!" Fluttershy said softly, her eyes shining with positive encouragement.

"I will, I don't plan on missing that cup," Rainbow stated, determined, making a fist gesture as if she had already won.

"Another motivation," thought Sunset with a smile as she stood up.

"I'll free you," Twilight joked, putting her things away.

"Thanks for the help," said the multicolored girl closing her notebook.

"I don't think it's necessary to stay as if it were a normal class, right?" Applejack wondered, looking at the time on her phone and noticing that they would now be in their first period after lunch.

"Exactly!" Pinkie exclaimed, suddenly standing up, scaring her friends who were sitting a little. "I knew you would think like me."

"Sure," replied the farmer, not fully understanding the cheerful girl's enthusiasm.

"That's true, I would hold you back to study more if it weren't for free time," said the blue-haired girl, putting on her backpack. "But you guys do your homework, right?"

"We'll do that, right?" Fluttershy asked, looking to her left and right side.

"Obviously," the party girl said, forcing a smile. Even though she didn't like studying, she knew she was right.

"So... let's go get our brother or sister," Twilight said, looking at Rainbow and Applejack, who nodded.

The girls walked out of the cafeteria, the murmur of the students fading once they stepped through the door.

"By the way, Pinkie, did you go to your teachers to find out what your exam subjects were?" the girl with glasses asked.

The mention of the teacher made Applejack a little nervous, who remembered arts. She couldn't find her teacher to ask and she was afraid that the exam was something related to drawings.

While the party girl thought of some excuse, she decided to be honest. "Heh... after talking to Rarity, I went straight to the cafeteria."

"Oh, Pinkie!" said, shaking her head.

"You can still ask tomorrow," Fluttershy suggested, her voice soft and encouraging.

"Yeah, I'll ask tomorrow," Pinkie said with a smile.

Twilight began to think about finding some solution. "Got it! You have almost the entire university in your contacts, right?"

"Yeah," said, nodding vigorously.

"Text or call someone in your same major and have them tell you what's in the other subjects," the blue-haired girl suggested, putting her hands on Pinkie's shoulders.

"That's a good idea," Sunset commented, stretching.

"It's better than waiting until tomorrow," Fluttershy added, nodding firmly.

"Thanks, Twi, you saved me," Pinkie said, relieved by the suggestion.

"You always have to find a solution," Twilight said, letting go of her friend's shoulders.

"Except to relax," Rainbow joked, coughing in the middle of the conversation, receiving a few glances. "You know I'm joking," she added, raising her hands in a sign of peace. Changing her expression to a more serious one. "Girls, I'm going to give it my all on these tests. I promise I won't give up!"

"That's what I wanted to hear," Applejack said, wrapping her partner's shoulder around her with a supportive smile.

"And if you need any extra help, I'm up for being your personal tutor!" the party girl joked.

"Don't promise parties, because if you don't deliver, I'll get mad," Sunset continued the joke, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

Pinkie started to laugh; she couldn't promise not to throw a party, it was her thing.

As the laughter faded, Twilight looked around and remembered that time was short. "Girls, we should get going. There's a lot of studying to do at home and not much time."

The girls started walking, but the multicolored girl made the farmer, who still had her by the shoulders, stop near Fluttershy, who raised her head.

"Thanks again for the pretzels; they were a great motivation," said as she put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"You're welcome. You could consider it as a return for the cake," replied, blushing a little. "I could buy you another one if you want."

"Damn, Fluttershy! If you keep spoiling me like that, I'm going to end up spoiled," joked, giving her a wink that made the pink-haired girl laugh shyly.

"I wish you had a sweet tooth," Applejack said with a smile, breaking the silence that had formed.

"As you please, a taste is as you please," Rainbow commented, letting go of Fluttershy's shoulder and now looking at the farmer.

With a few last exchanges of encouragement and jokes, they headed for the exit. After meeting up with their relatives, each one went to their homes.

The hours passed, night came, and then the first rays of the sun began to peek out as students slowly arrived at the school. Rarity arrived early, and the first thing she did was leave some things in her locker, taking only what was necessary to meet Twilight. Knowing how punctual she was, she walked over to her locker, making sure the others weren't present.

"Hey, I know you said tomorrow," the seamstress said, waving and emphasizing 'now.' "Or the day after, but we could go over it. If you have commitments with the girls, I can wait."

Twilight thought about it for a moment, remembering that she didn't set a time when she would study with the others. Luckily for Rarity, she agreed to continue today. They were now on their way to the library.

The soft rustle of pages turning and the distant tapping of students on their laptops created an ideal atmosphere for study. The girl with glasses patiently reviewed a couple of accounting exercises, while the seamstress tried hard to concentrate.

"Remember what I told you about accounting entries," Twilight commented, pointing to one of the mistakes in Rarity's notebook. "It's simpler than it looks once you follow the steps."

"I know," Rarity sighed, her wavy haired face sighing. "It's just... it's not something that comes naturally to me. But I'm glad you're here to guide me."

Twilight nodded briefly, her gaze dropping to the notebook before murmuring, "Well, at least you're getting better. I told you, it's all about practice."

A brief silence fell between the two of them. It seemed like the tension was slowly easing, though neither of them dared to mention the obvious.

"Thanks again for taking the time," Rarity said quietly, avoiding eye contact for a moment.

The blue-haired girl, without taking her eyes off the papers, answered almost automatically, "You're welcome. Just... it's important that you get this right."

Suddenly, at the entrance of the library, a familiar figure appeared, entering with soft steps and her eyes widened slightly when she saw Twilight and Rarity sitting together. She moved a little closer to them; she didn't say anything at first, but her surprised expression was enough to catch both of their attention.

The bespectacled girl sat up straight in her chair, as if she hadn't expected anyone to see them. "Fluttershy," said with a nervous smile, trying to remain calm. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just came to return a book..." muttered, still looking at Rarity and then back at Twilight. It was obvious that the situation had taken her by surprise, but she didn't want to seem nosy.

"Oh, right," replied, trying to sound natural. "We're... studying."

Rarity decided to stay silent, with a slight polite smile towards Fluttershy, although there was a slight awkwardness in the air.

Fluttershy didn't comment any further, but curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she grabbed a couple of books from a nearby shelf. Twilight, sensing the tension, decided to clear things up before it was misunderstood.

She stood up, approaching her friend and moving away from the table a little so she could explain. "She asked me for my help a few days ago... and I accepted. We're just studying for the tests, nothing more," said quietly, once Fluttershy returned with her book. "I haven't told the girls that I'm helping her."

The pink-haired girl nodded slowly. "I understand. It's good that you're helping each other... I won't say anything," she added with a soft smile, although her voice carried a hint of sadness that didn't go unnoticed. "See you later."

Twilight watched her leave before sighing in relief, returning to the table. "Well, let's get back to this," said in a matter-of-fact tone, although the little interaction with Fluttershy had left a different air in the room.

Rarity, grateful for not having caused a scene, simply nodded and returned her attention to her notebook. There was much more to be resolved, both in their studies and between them, but for now, the important thing was to move forward.

Fluttershy peeked through the door, watching as her friend spoke to the seamstress and the seamstress responded. She felt a little downcast; she knew this was something academic, but a hint of envy enveloped her. Even though Twilight could approach Rarity and speak to her, she wished she had that same courage.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts and began to walk away from the library, looking for a quieter place.

Inside, the seamstress continued to concentrate on the numbers in her notebook, which lasted for several minutes.

Twilight took the notebook, noticing the blots, the hesitations in the answers, and suggesting the one she thought was correct. She couldn't help but watch as she struggled to understand each concept. "Wow," said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Your dedication is impressive."

Rarity looked up, surprised by the compliment. "Really? I thought I was making a mess of this," replied, a flash of insecurity crossing her gaze.

"You're doing very well," she insisted with a slight smile. "I know how much you like to have your effort recognized. It's admirable to see you so focused."

The girl's words made the seamstress smile slightly. "I appreciate you saying that. But right now, I'm not thinking about it. But there is... someone else from whom I hope to receive some similar, but not exact, words," she added, keeping her voice low and evasive.

Twilight frowned, intrigued. "Anyone else? It must be that person you want to prove something to," thought.

"Maybe I used to enjoy certain praise... from someone," Rarity said, forcing a smile as she reminisced a bit about the past. "But that person... said something to me I didn't expect... and... and... I don't know if he'll ever say anything nice about it again." Her tone revealed a vulnerability that the girl in front of her hadn't anticipated.

A part of her thought that comment was due to a love interest she had outside of town. "I understand, but it's always nice to receive praise, right? You shouldn't dwell on that memory," Twilight said, interest growing.

Rarity felt a knot in her stomach. "Maybe I should just let it go... but right now, all I want is to learn and pass these tests. I don't have time to be distracted by that."

"Okay. Let's focus on the present instead," the blue-haired girl said, sensing the tension in the air. It was evident that there was something deeper behind the seamstress's words. "You know, sometimes you should make peace with that past..." The last sentence left her thinking; it was something she should consider as well.

The purple-haired girl noticed that, but she preferred not to say anything and just point at the notebook. "Let's continue."

Something about the way Rarity mentioned the compliments she liked caught Twilight's attention. Even though it seemed like she still liked receiving recognition, it was evident that she wasn't receiving it as much from others, and that could be related to what happened during her time out of town. And she couldn't help but notice this change in the seamstress.

The girls walked through the halls, appearing one after another until Twilight reached the end, with Pinkie noticeably absent.

"Twilight, I thought you were late. That would be something totally new for you," Rainbow commented, arching an eyebrow playfully.

"Not at all, I went straight to the library to study," replied, adjusting her glasses as a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Studying alone?" Sunset asked, looking at her with interest.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, feeling trapped. Fluttershy, who noticed her discomfort, intervened gently.

"Sometimes, studying alone isn't bad... just the books and yourself," said with a smile, as if trying to downplay it.

Sunset and Rainbow exchanged glances and nodded, understanding the idea. The blue-haired girl, relieved, mouthed a voiceless "thank you" in the direction of the shy girl, who nodded with a smile.

Applejack, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the conversation. She had a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other, scribbling something down.

Upon reaching the green courtyard, the girls scattered: some sat on the wooden bench, while others preferred to settle down on the fresh grass. The farmer continued writing in her notebook, oblivious to the rest, until a ray of sunlight hit her eyes, forcing her to frown and find a more comfortable position.

"How much do you concentrate?" Rainbow asked at her side curiously.

Applejack grimaced at her. "I'm trying to draw. I don't know what the midterm art test is, but if it's drawing, I want to be prepared."

"AJ, it could be other subjects we've passed... We don't know yet," Sunset said, but inside she felt a little guilty remembering that the little joke about the test could have added pressure on her unintentionally.

The farmer sighed and looked down at the grass, letting the pencil dangle between her fingers. "It'll be easy for you... drawing is for the most skilled," murmured, admitting her insecurity.

"Here, give me that," the multicolored one said, gently pulling the notebook until Applejack handed it over to her completely.

"What are you going to do?" asked, raising an eyebrow as Rainbow flipped to another page.

"I almost never draw," replied, her voice low, as if it were a well-kept secret. "Let's see if it's true that it's not easy." Frowning, she focused intently on the page.

After a few minutes, she lifted the notebook and showed a drawing that, although done at top speed, was a depiction of herself scoring a goal. "What do they say?" asked, looking for sincerity.

Sunset looked at the drawing, stroking her chin with a smile. "It's not bad, you just need to polish up a few things," commented.

"You made some parts very thin," Fluttershy added, lowering her head at the stares of her friends.

"Hey, be honest!" Rainbow exclaimed, noticing the discomfort of the stares on the pink-haired girl.

"That's true, you missed filling in," Twilight commented, cocking her head.

"But you still did it," Applejack said, looking down and acknowledging her defeat to her partner, even though it wasn't a competition.

The bespectacled girl raised her hand, asking for a chance. "Let me try," said, holding out her arm. After receiving the notebook and turning the page, she thought of an idea and began to draw. "There," said, turning the notebook over. It was a perfect square shape, though without much detail.

"Very straight," the sportswoman opined, with a mocking smile.

Fluttershy looked at the drawing and frowned, trying to figure out what it was. "Is it... a die or something?" asked, a little unsure.

"I'm not sure, all I draw in class are squares and rectangles... you get the idea," said, holding the notebook out to the group.

"I can try," the pink-haired girl asked, her voice soft.

"Sure, Fluttershy," Applejack encouraged, pointing at the notebook with her hand.

Once she took the notebook, she began to draw and then turned it over. "What do they say?" asked nervously.

Rainbow looked at her, mouth agape. "What an impressive bird!"

"Now that's artistic talent," Sunset commented in surprise, regretting it when she heard a groan from the farmer.

They all looked at her, who covered her face. "I'm a disaster as an artist."

"Not even close, AJ," the multicolored one said, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Not everyone can be an artistic genius like Fluttershy. But that doesn't mean you're bad at everything; no one takes care of the farm like you!"

"And how does that help me?" asked, dejectedly.

Sunset patted her arm. "What Rainbow meant was that not all of us are good at everything. And you know how to do amazing things that none of us could."

"I see," Applejack nodded in understanding.

"How about instead of trying to draw something, you try to copy a drawing?" the red-haired girl suggested, taking out her own notebook and showing a page. "Try making something like this."

Meanwhile, Pinkie was running through the halls at full speed, with a mixture of concern and drama in her voice that made several students look at her curiously. When she went out to the courtyard, she saw her friends gathered together, some standing and others sitting on the bench.

She immediately approached, receiving greetings from them. However, the party girl ignored them for the moment and, without thinking twice, began to shake Fluttershy, who looked at her in alarm.

"I can't find her!" exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Who??" Fluttershy asked as best she could between shakes.

"Rarity's gone! We were supposed to get together and she didn't show up!" repeated, shaking the pink-haired girl harder.

Fluttershy tried to calm her down, whispering softly, "P-Pinkie, I'm sure she's okay... Maybe she went to the library."

"I already went and she wasn't there. What if the library swallowed her?" sighed dramatically, putting her hands on her head. Twilight watched the scene, amused, and finally put a hand on her shoulder.

"Pinkie, I think we can rule out the people-eating library," said humorously. Although, she remembered that the last time she had seen Rarity was in the library. "She's probably somewhere quiet... you know, sometimes one needs some fresh air."

The party girl shook her head. "No, I already went and nothing."

"The cafeteria?" Sunset suggested. "Or maybe in some classro-"

"Neither, I searched inside and outside," interrupted, dramatizing each word.

Rainbow sighed, somewhat uncomfortable hearing so much about the seamstress, but she wasn't going to leave her friend so 'scared' either. "Some other courtyard, perhaps?" suggested, trying to sketch a small smile.

"I spent minutes looking for her in all of them," Pinkie complained, bringing her hands to her head.

Just then, Rainbow noticed someone among the small crowd coming and going near the entrance. "Look, there's the 'missing one'," said, pointing at Rarity, who was absentmindedly staring at her fingers with a small smile.

"OH, RARITY!" Pinkie cried upon seeing her, almost jumping for joy.

The seamstress, hearing the party-goer's cry, turned her head towards the group. Seeing them gathered together, she hesitated for a moment, but finally sighed and approached, although her expression denoted a little nervousness.

When she got close enough, Pinkie grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, just like she had done with Fluttershy before.

"Where have you been? I looked for you up, down, over there, and over here!" said, finishing shaking her.

Rarity put a hand to her head, trying not to get dizzy. "I was just in a classroom," explained in a soft voice.

"See?" Sunset said with a reassuring smile. The party girl nodded, finally calmer, and fell silent as the group watched.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by an exasperated "Ahg!" from Applejack, who held up her notebook showing a crooked drawing. "It came out awful," said, frowning in frustration.

"Uhh..." they all said, not knowing what to say. However, a small laugh escaped Rarity's lips before she could stop it.

"Sorry," she muttered as she saw everyone staring at her, trying to hide their discomfort.

The redhead noticed how she seemed to shrink under her friends' attention. "Applejack is a little worried that the art test is drawing," clarified, trying to lighten the mood.

"But they haven't said it yet," Rarity said, glancing at the farm girl.

Applejack sighed, avoiding her gaze. "I just want to... prepare and it's not... working out," admitted, looking away.

"At least you're trying. I think you draw better than before," the seamstress said with a small smile.

The farm girl was silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the notebook. She wasn't used to receiving that kind of support from her at present.

Rarity worried that perhaps the comment was too close to how distant they were so she thought better of leaving at the sight of any negative comments.

"I guess... you're right," the blonde muttered, looking up.

The dressmaker sighed in relief and looked back at her with a small smile at Applejack's comment, surprised that she hadn't been upset.

"Well, girls, since the missing girl is back, I wanted to take the opportunity to say goodbye as well," Pinkie said, wrapping an arm around the dressmaker.

"Say goodbye?" Fluttershy asked in confusion.

"Yeah, since there's no set departure time this week, I'm going with Rarity," said, looking at the blue-haired girl. "And don't worry, Twilight, I studied before... as Dash would say, 'my way'," added, seeing Twilight raise a finger, already anticipating the priority of studying. "And I'll study at home too," said, rolling her eyes.

"That makes me feel better," said, relaxing her expression.

The party girl gave her a thumbs up. "Shall we go?"

"Let's go," Rarity replied, throwing one last glance at the girls.

"Bye," Pinkie said cheerfully.

"Bye," the seamstress said, then ran a hand over her forehead, sighing as she walked away with Pinkie. "Oops..." said, having said something without thinking about it again.

The girls didn't know what to say to that and just said goodbye.

"Is anyone going to say something?" Fluttershy asked, seeing that no one said anything.

Rainbow suddenly stood up. "Girls, I'll be right back," said, heading for the door. She wanted to take the opportunity to say something to the party girl.

"I didn't mean that," the pink-haired girl said. Twilight and Sunset laughed at the comment.

Applejack looked at her notebook with a slight frown, as if analyzing every detail. Then she looked back to where they had gone, with a more relaxed expression. "Girls, do you think my drawings aren't as bad as before?"

The three of them looked at each other and then looked at the farmer to give her an answer.

Inside, Rainbow managed to catch up with Pinkie, who was walking away with a vibrant energy.

"Pinkie, I was thinking that since you're going somewhere in the city, you could take Scootaloo," suggested, with a slight feeling of foreboding.

"Scoot?" asked, tilting her head in curiosity and a hint of confusion.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll want to see a costume for Halloween. Plus, I have to get power with this," Rainbow added, bumping her fist into the palm of her other hand, preparing for the rest of the study challenge.

"You're in luck, we're just going to the mall, I want to see costumes for what I'm planning," Pinkie replied with a mischievous grin lighting up her face.

"Perfect!" exclaimed, feeling everything fit together like a puzzle.

"Wait, what about Apple Bloom? She'd be left alone," the party girl asked, frowning.

"Hmm... you're her relative, so you must have some say in her, right?" Rainbow commented thoughtfully.

"Yeah, we've been out together sometimes," said, a hand on her chin. "I'll take her."

"Wait..." the multicolored girl muttered, frowning as she thought about the situation.

"What? I can take care of her," Pinkie said, brightening up a bit at the idea.

"I know, but I don't know what Applejack thinks," Rainbow said, crossing her arms. "Better just take Scoot," suggested, as if that would avoid any trouble.

"Uhhh, good idea. She might get mad if I take her without permission," the party girl said thoughtfully, then smiled at her. "I'm glad you trust us both to take care of your sister," added, looking at Rarity, who was a little far away, waiting for them to finish talking.

"Not yet," the sportswoman said, glancing sideways at the seamstress. "But I trust you."

"Soon you will!" Pinkie exclaimed with a smile lighting up her face.

"Don't make me laugh," replied with a look of disbelief. "I'm going back to the others." She turned to go back to the group, feeling like everything was clicking.

"Okay," replied, waving goodbye. She watched the multicolored one walk out the door and then turned around to approach Rarity, who looked more uncomfortable.

"Uh... already?" Rarity asked, a little tense.

"Yeah, and we're taking Scootaloo," replied with a wide smile, full of excitement.

"Oh, at least it won't be as chaotic," commented, relieved that there were only two of them.

"Why?" Pinkie asked, her face full of pure confusion.

"Remember how mischievous the Crusaders are together," Rarity reminded her, a warning tone in her voice, remembering some of the pranks they had gotten up to in the past.

"Good point," the party girl said, finally picking up on the concern. "Two will be enough," added with a nervous laugh as they began to walk.

As they reached the entrance, especially the part that connected side A and B, they saw Principal Luna, who frowned upon seeing them.

"Pinkie Pie and Rarity Belle, anything you need on this side?" asked, now standing in front of them in her signature serious voice that always commanded respect.

"I've come for my sister," Rarity said firmly.

"And Scootaloo," Pinkie added, excitedly.

"Scootaloo?" the headmistress asked, crossing her arms behind her back, clearly skeptical. "I'd understand about little Miss Belle," said, looking at the dressmaker and then at the party girl, "but Rainbow Dash's sister?"

"Rainbow gave me permission to take her out," said, confidently, as if that would convince the headmistress.

Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Principal Luna, don't be so upset," the party girl said, smiling charmingly and trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

The headmistress cocked her head, making a thoughtful face. "Where exactly are you planning to take her?" asked, softening her tone a bit. "I don't think it's appropriate for you two to go out in the middle of study week."

"We just thought we'd take Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle somewhere to relax after their hard studies," Rarity explained, trying to sound convincing. "It's a little reward for the effort she's been putting into her studies."

"Yes, and we promise she'll come home safe and sound," Pinkie added, putting on her best puppy face.

Luna looked at them suspiciously, but something in her words seemed to soften her stance. "Okay, but you have to make sure Scootaloo comes home early so she can continue studying."

"Thank you, Principal!" they exclaimed in unison, feeling a mix of relief and excitement.

Within a few minutes, the two younger girls appeared at the entrance, looking a little confused. Once they were in a taxi, Pinkie and Rarity would explain the plans to them.

Moments later, they arrived at the mall. The hyperactive girl stopped in front of the seamstress, her eyes narrowing dramatically. "First, before we go in," began in a serious tone, "forget what happened the last time we were here... I don't want to see you looking downcast, understand?"

Rarity gave her a grateful smile. "Ah, I might have remembered, but I'll try."

The younger sister nodded vigorously, looking at her sister. "I wouldn't like to see you sad either!" Meanwhile, Scootaloo just nodded, not quite understanding what they were referring to.

The seamstress took a deep breath, moving her hands as if she were getting rid of negative thoughts. "Okay, girls. I'll try not to think about it... but, yes, let this be our only way out. I don't want to get too distracted from my studies."

Without wasting a second, the three of them stood behind Rarity and began gently pushing her towards the entrance. "Rarity, forget it just for today!" Pinkie insisted with a wide smile.

With a resigned sigh, the curly-haired girl walked inside, letting the excitement spread to her. She noticed that Halloween decorations already adorned the aisles with spiderwebs, glowing pumpkins, and skeletons on every corner, creating a festive atmosphere.

As they walked through the mall, Pinkie excitedly pointed to a store filled with Halloween costumes and accessories. "Look at the costumes!"

Inside the store, Rarity kept an eye on the girls, not paying much attention to the costumes. The party girl, always with a playful touch, put on a bright green wig and a clown mask. Turning with her arms outstretched, she said in a mocking tone, "Boo!", causing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to burst out laughing.

Removing her mask, Pinkie looked at her friend with a smile. "Have you seen anything you like yet?" asked.

Rarity shook her head, briefly looking at the costumes. "I haven't seen anything that catches my eye."

"What are we dressing up as for Halloween?" Sweetie Belle asked, full of curiosity and her eyes shining with excitement.

"How about a skeleton... or a zombie?" Scootaloo suggested, waving her hands as if imitating a creepy creature.

"Zombie sounds scary!" Sweetie said with a mischievous grin and then looked at her older sister. "What about you, Rarity? What matching costume are you wearing?"

"I'm a little old for that," replied, shrugging.

"True, but think of some fun costume," Pinkie suggested with a hint of mystery.

"What are you up to, Pinkie?" asked, raising an eyebrow in intrigue.

"It's a surprise," replied, winking.

"Oh, I want to know," Scootaloo exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said it in front of them," Pinkie muttered with a nervous smile.

"Huh...?" Sweetie Belle said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ha ha! Never mind, they'll be distracted by the candy tonight," the party girl said with a mischievous grin hoping to divert attention.

The younger girls looked at each other in confusion, wondering what surprises awaited them on Halloween.

Pinkie pointed to a mannequin in a full suit and cape. "Look! That vampire costume would look good on you."

Rarity examined the fabric, touching it delicately. "Oh, the cape is lovely, but that embroidery on the suit... could be better quality," she commented, frowning slightly.

The party girl raised an eyebrow and gave her a little push on the shoulder, smiling. "Come on, Rarity! At least take the cape. You can put your own spin on it. You won't regret it," she assured, waving her hand in the air as if imagining a dramatic scene.

The seamstress put a hand on her chin thoughtfully and looked at the cape again with interest. She looked away at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who were moving around, trying on accessories and giggling with each choice. Finally, she looked back at the cape.

Back at school, after Pinkie left, the girls headed to the library to continue studying in depth. However, they noticed that the farmer looked worried and decided to clarify what the exam included, hoping to calm her down.

Now Applejack left the art classroom accompanied by Sunset, while the rest of the girls waited for them outside. Seeing the blonde's more relaxed expression, they assumed that everything had gone well.

"So it's not drawing at all?" asked Rainbow with a half smile.

"No, that calms me down more," replied, looking at the ceiling with her eyes closed and a smile.

"That's good," said Fluttershy softly.

"We should go. We've studied a lot for today. We could go to the square," suggested the multicolored girl stretching out an arm.

"Wrong, Dash, we haven't studied enough," said Twilight, raising a finger.

"Come on," insisted Rainbow with a smile. "Let's just refresh our minds."

The blue-haired girl raised an eyebrow, somewhat skeptical. "And what would you suggest? Take a break from studying to go out and play in the park?"

"Exactly," the sportswoman said, gently tapping Twilight's shoulder. "Just a little while to clear your mind. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to allow yourself a break."

"But... there's so much to review," argued, biting her lip.

"One side agrees, the other doesn't," Applejack intervened with a smile.

"Besides, if we stay locked in class, I'm going to suffocate!" Fluttershy added in a friendly tone.

"And we don't want that to happen," Sunset added with a wink. "Besides, you can always take your notes to the park and review a little while you rest."

Twilight sighed, but a small smile began to appear on her face. "Okay, we can review in between."

"Deal!" Rainbow exclaimed, making a triumphant gesture. "Let's refresh our minds."

"Perfect, just go find our sisters," the farm girl said, starting to walk away.

"Don't worry so much about them."

Applejack stopped and looked at her partner, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?" asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow.

"Relax, Twi. I don't mean Spike," said Rainbow, looking first at the glasses girl and then at the farm girl. "I almost asked Pinkie to take your sister, but she only took Scootaloo."

"What...?!" exclaimed, starting to pace back and forth.

The other girls looked at each other in amusement. "What do you have?" asked her partner playfully.

The farm girl stopped and took a deep breath. "For a moment, I almost heard you say that she took her."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She asked without waiting for an answer, in disbelief, then looked at the girls who were holding back their laughter. "Now that we've got that out of the way, let's go."

Applejack raised her arms in surrender. "I can misinterpret things."

Sunset walked past her, patting her arm. "More confidence, AJ, more confidence," said with a laugh before walking away with the others.

"Uh... okay," said, sighing in defeat as she followed them.

The girls started walking towards the parking lot after going to find Apple Bloom and Spike.

"How are we going to get there?" the farm girl asked thoughtfully.

"By car," Spike answered, as if it were obvious.

"That goes without saying, Spike," said, bringing her hand to her chin.

"So why the question?" Rainbow said, coming up beside her.

Applejack pointed at the parked vehicles.

The others had a hard time understanding what she meant. "Oh, I get it," her partner finally said.

Each of the girls, except Fluttershy, looked at their respective vehicles, thinking of a solution.

Back at the mall, they found a store that specialized in Halloween costumes. Not only did they have a wide variety of costumes, but also an express makeup area, where artists applied quick touch-ups to complete the customers' look.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo couldn't resist, so they asked for some makeup to complement their costumes. Once done, they ran off to the fitting rooms and surprised the older girls.

The two older girls stood by the fitting rooms, exchanging amused glances as they waited patiently for the girls to come out. From inside the changing rooms, giggles and murmurs could be heard, mixed with sounds of rustling fabric and the zippers of costumes.

Pinkie, impatient as ever, swayed from foot to foot, with a smile of anticipation. "Do you think Sweetie Belle chose the skeleton costume or the colorful unicorn one?" she whispered, leaning towards the dressmaker with a conspiratorial expression.

Rarity, with a soft smile, crossed her arms. "Knowing my little sister, I'd bet she went for something colorful and sparkly. She sure got carried away with the unicorn costume!" she replied in an affectionate tone, remembering how much her little sister adored colors and sparkle.

The party girl nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I bet Scootaloo went straight for something spooky! Maybe a monster or a zombie?" said, holding back a laugh.

Just then, one of the changing room doors opened, revealing the magenta-haired girl in a full mummy costume. Her body was wrapped in bandages that hung haphazardly, and her face was painted white with dark accents around her eyes, giving her a ghostly appearance.

"Woohoo!" Scootaloo raised her arms, pretending to be a mummy looking for victims. "Come here, mortals!" exclaimed in a deep, scary voice, as she tried to approach the two with slow, shuffling steps.

Pinkie brought her hands to her face, feigning horror. "Ahhh! It's a real mummy!" she cried in a theatrical tone, before bursting into laughter.

Rarity giggled. "Very convincing, Scootaloo. Although I think some of the bandages are a little loose," commented as she adjusted one of the bandages to make the costume look neater.

"How do I look? Am I scary?" asked, trying not to smile as she posed dramatically.

"Definitely, darlinght," she replied approvingly.

The door to another fitting room opened, and Sweetie Belle stepped out in a completely unexpected costume - she wasn't wearing the sparkly fairy costume they were expecting.

Instead, she was wearing a zombie costume: pale skin, fake 'blood' stains on her clothes, and dark circles under her eyes that gave her an eerie expression. She walked slowly, her arms outstretched, and made a low, chilling 'growl' sound.

Rarity put a hand to her chest and gave a small cry of surprise. "Sweetie Belle! Now that's unexpected!"

Pinkie burst out laughing, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! That costume is perfect! You're the cutest zombie I've ever seen!"

Sweetie Belle smiled behind her zombie makeup, pleased with the impact. "I wanted to try something different," she confessed, trying to hold back a giggle.

The older sister, recovering from her initial shock, leaned over to adjust the costume a bit. "Well, I must admit, it fits you... creepily well," she said with a smile. "Though I never would have expected you to choose something so scary."

The younger sister shrugged, amused. "Sometimes it's fun to do unexpected things. I can't wait to show our parents."

Rarity pretended to agree, remembering the escape they had. "Then I'll ask her to hide it for a few days."

Scootaloo looked at her friend. "Now we really are the perfect Halloween team!"

Sweetie Belle nodded, though she remembered that only Apple Bloom was missing. She hoped she would find a matching costume, just like Spike if he decided to join.

In the plaza, the girls were sitting. Twilight decided to take out her notebook while the others continued enjoying their ice cream.

"Does anyone feel cold from eating ice cream at the wrong season yet?" Fluttershy asked, rubbing her arm.

"Not me," Spike said with a smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"Say it for yourself, at least you have a jacket!" Apple Bloom replied, shivering a little as Applejack wrapped her jacket around her.

"That's why I asked for a small one," Twilight said, showing off her almost finished ice cream cone.

"You're not like us," Rainbow commented, wrapping her arms around her partner and Sunset's necks. "Our blood burns through our veins."

"Well said, Dash. That's kind of like when we work out and get hot," the blue-haired girl said, opening her notebook.

"Oh, Twi, you're going to make me say 'Sperkle' again," the multicolored girl said, releasing the two girls.

"She had her touch, too," Sunset said, taking a bite of her ice cream.

"So, Rainbow, why is good nutrition important before warming up?" Twilight asked, touching on the key points of a subject the athlete was studying.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

"No more studying," Apple Bloom dramatized, covering her ears. "Why don't I just take cousin Pinkie?"

Rainbow waved her arm to get her attention. "I told the first one to take you, but then I changed my mind because of AJ," she said, showing her hands.

"Thank goodness. I would have been mad if you left without my permission," Applejack commented, finishing her ice cream.

"But I've dated Pinkie before," Apple Bloom complained.

"Even though Pinkie may be your familiar, you have to have AJ's permission," Sunset said, looking at her.

"Same with you, Spike," Twilight added, looking at her brother. "If you'd left without my permission, I would have been angry and worried."

"How old were you when you started going out on your own?" her brother asked, almost challenging her.

"17," he replied with a triumphant grin.

"Ow," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"Just two more years," Apple Bloom muttered to herself.

Some of the girls held back their urge to laugh.

"What?" Spike asked, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "At least then we would have seen costumes with the others."

Fluttershy laughed softly. "Do you have any ideas for Halloween?"

The boy smiled excitedly. "Maybe a superhero. Something with a cape and cool powers!"

Applejack, listening, looked at her sister. "What about you, sugarcube? Do you have something in mind yet?"

Apple Bloom thought for a moment, fiddling with the cone. "Something simple, perhaps... but if I go with Spike, we could do something together."

Rainbow crossed her arms and smiled, thinking out loud. "I hope Scoot picked something scary," said, faking a scared voice.

"Speaking of her, you should take advantage of the fact that we're downtown and call Pinkie to bring her over," Twilight suggested, leaning in a little.

"I'm sure they're still at the mall," the multicolored girl said to herself, looking at the large building in the distance. The others turned their gazes in the same direction.

"So they went there," Applejack commented, still looking at the building.

Rainbow nodded as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number. From the expression on the athlete's face as she pulled the phone away from her ear, everyone assumed Pinkie answered instantly in her energizing voice.

"We could go now," Apple Bloom suggested, looking at her sister.

Applejack shook her head. "What we'll do is get home and have lunch and then study."

"It's still early for lunch," Twilight commented, checking the time on her phone.

"Then we'll get there, study, and then have lunch," corrected herself, looking at her younger sister.

"Come on, sis," Apple Bloom insisted, pouting.

"I promise we'll see costumes over the weekend," the farm girl said with a smile. "And if Twilight's okay with it, we can go see them with Spike."

"Yeah!" the younger girl exclaimed, excited.

"We're going, right, Twilight?" Spike asked, giving her a puppy-like look.

"Okay," replied, smiling as she shook her head.

Before any of the girls could say anything else, Rainbow ended her call. "Ok, see you here," said, hanging up and standing up and looking at the girls. "Okay, they'll be here in a few minutes. Let's wait for them at the corner where we have the cars."

The girls nodded, gathering their things and finishing their ice creams. They walked together, laughing and joking about the costume ideas they came up with in the meantime.

Once at the corner, barely a few minutes passed when the energetic figure, Pinkie came skipping along, as always, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo ran behind her, while Rarity followed a little further behind, dusting off her coat with a tired expression.

"There you are!" Rainbow exclaimed, waving at them.

"Girls!" Pinkie greeted with a big smile.

"And how did it go?" Twilight asked.

"It was so much fun! Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle found some amazing costumes," Pinkie said excitedly, handing her the shopping bag that held the magenta movie costume.

"Yeah, Rainbow, wait until you see the costume I picked out for Halloween," Scootaloo said, looking at her sister with a proud smile.

Rainbow smiled back and patted her on the back. "I'm sure it'll be great, Scoot," said, avoiding the temptation to look inside the bag.

"I wish we'd picked together, but AJ already said it'll be this weekend," Apple Bloom commented, walking over to her friends.

"Oh, oh, you don't know, I surprised Rarity with my unexpected costume!" Sweetie Belle added, amused.

"I want to see it now," Apple Bloom said, trying to look at the bag her friend was holding.

"You scared her more than surprised her," Pinkie commented, bringing her hand to her lips as if telling the girls a secret.

The older girls looked at the dressmaker, who looked away a little when she saw the trees. She tried to look ahead again, but she looked back at the trees, as did the others. A feeling invaded them as they looked around a little, staying silent as they looked ahead. If this was the first time they met after the last time...

...in the same square, where they all waited for the arrival of Applejack and Rainbow. Rarity, who looked discouraged, was acting strong. On that occasion, the two arrived hand in hand, with Applejack trying to look confident, while Rainbow felt a little uncomfortable. The girls' gazes were at first on the two, followed by comments that changed direction, barely concealed, while Rarity observed her expression...

"Girls!" the younger girls exclaimed, snapping them out of their memories.

"What happened to you? You went to another world!" Apple Bloom said with a laugh.

"You went to Pinkie's world," Sweetie Belle said, continuing the game.

"If it's not Pinkie who's leaving, it's all of us," Spike continued with a laugh.

"Sorry, it seems like we all started thinking at the same time," Fluttershy commented softly, hiding her sad voice.

"We were in sync," Pinkie said, laughing, but inside she couldn't shake the memory for a long time.

"Yeah..." Applejack muttered, briefly looking at the ground before shaking the thought out of her head.

The seamstress grimaced and tried not to feel bad about remembering the encounter at the mall with the girls months ago. It worked, but she didn't expect this vague memory here in the plaza, so she shook her head, as did the blonde, to isolate it.

Twilight and Sunset looked a little thoughtful at the memory.

"Sure... What do you say, Scoot, we're going?" Rainbow asked, not going into more detail about what she remembered. "You're probably starving, aren't you?"

"Actually..." Scootaloo replied, pointing at Rarity, as if wanting to say something else.

The sportswoman gave her a serious look for an answer, while the seamstress stood firm. "They were both hungry, so after looking at costumes we went to the food court for lunch," she explained.

Her sister nodded with a smile while rubbing her tummy.

Rarity sighed, amused, looking at the younger one. "At least there wasn't that much of a mess. They behaved."

Some laughed remembering one of the many pranks they had witnessed from the younger ones, whether from the past with the three of them or just the two of them.

"If you had gone, who knows how things would have turned out," Applejack joked, putting a hand on her sister's head.

"Funny," Apple Bloom said.

The farm girl let go of her sister. "Shall we go now?" asked, taking out her keys.

"Oh, we can take Rarity!" Pinkie exclaimed, spreading her arms.

"What?" Applejack and Rarity said at the same time, while the others looked at them surprised by the request.

"Pinkie, it's not necessary," the seamstress replied, taking Sweetie Belle's hand. "I'll take a taxi, it's okay, it's daytime."

"Are you sure?"

"She can take care of herself, like she said it's daytime," the blonde said, trying to sound neutral.

Pinkie, despite wanting to insist, stopped pushing. At least she was glad that Rarity was distracted from her studies.

Rainbow started walking next to Scootaloo, passing behind the curly-haired girl. "I trust Pinkie more... but Scoot is Scoot and... I like to see that she had fun," murmured, before walking away with her sister. "See you tomorrow, girls!" she said, raising her arms, receiving farewells from the others.

The seamstress stood for a moment, thinking about what she said, and then shook her head, taking that as an implied "thank you."

Each one began to say goodbye to head to their vehicles, and in the end, only the Apples and the Pies remained with the Belles.

"We're leaving too." Rarity walked with Sweetie Belle toward the bus or taxi stand, but stopped for a moment as she passed Applejack, standing next to her, but both looking in opposite directions.

She remembered how the farmer looked the last time she saw her. She sighed and, in a low voice, said to her: "I really think you've improved... you shouldn't worry." she sketched a slight smile that the blonde didn't see, but could sense.

Then, Rarity continued walking, leaving Applejack, who waited a few seconds and looked back. For a moment, the seamstress's words left her speechless.

"Shall we go?" said Pinkie, clapping her hands to break the silence.

"Yes, I'm already hungry, and we just finished the ice cream," commented Apple Bloom.

"Ice cream doesn't fill you up," replied the farmer, looking ahead and trying to distract herself.

"Then let's try another of the Apple's delicacies!" The party girl exclaimed, walking with exaggerated steps as if she were marching.

The three of them climbed into the red truck and, with one last look at the square, Applejack started the engine and headed towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Upon arriving, the farmer went up to her room and looked at some edges until she remembered. She stood on her toes to reach a box on top of the closet where there were old notebooks, but the one she was looking for was a drawing one. She was looking for a particular drawing to compare it with the one she had been doing hours ago. The girls had already told her that she had improved a little, but, since they did not remember exactly what her previous drawings were like, they could not be sure.

Seeing both notebooks, Applejack smiled sideways. "Maybe there was a change," said, this time with a smile, unconsciously thinking of the words of a certain person.

The days passed quickly, punctuated by the frantic routine of studying, in which libraries and corners of the campus were filled with students immersed in books and notes. Finally, the midterm tests arrived, and with them, the first evaluation.

Rarity was on the rooftop, sitting in the center next to one of the Mane Six.

"How am I doing?" asked, passing her the notebook.

"You're doing well... although you still stumble in some parts," replied with a slight grimace. "But if you've almost mastered it, why did you ask me for help?"

The seamstress looked away, somewhat uncomfortable. "I hope you don't mind... I'm studying with someone else, but I wanted to make sure I'm doing it perfectly. I just want to be sure I won't make any mistakes."

Sunset was silent for a moment, reflecting before answering. "I guess that makes sense..." said, pausing. "Maybe it would have bothered me before," thought. "I'd double check too, just to make sure everything's okay."

Rarity nodded, feeling relieved.

"I appreciate that you preferred somewhere far away. That way I don't have to worry about misunderstandings with the others." The red-haired girl glanced around. "It's an interesting place to study, by the way."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like to be somewhere quiet," replied, turning back to her notebook. "Let's just say it's my place to think."

Rarity focused back on her exercises, trying not to get distracted. Sunset, for her part, watched her for a few more moments before carefully reviewing her notebook. The silence was broken only by the sound of pencils sliding across paper and the slight breeze.

The curly-haired girl glanced at the red-haired girl after reviewing the exercises, hesitant to talk about anything else besides studying. "So... how did your first test go?" asked, trying to break the ice as she jotted something down in her notebook.

Sunset looked up from her notebook. "It wasn't as bad as I expected. Although, honestly, there's always something that makes me doubt," commented briefly, but without sounding sharp.

Rarity nodded understandingly. "You mean those answers you write down and then doubt if they were correct?" deduced, and Sunset nodded.

"Yeah, I feel the same way. It's frustrating when you think you have everything under control and then you start to think that maybe that wasn't the answer."

The red-haired girl looked at her briefly, avoiding her gaze a little. "Exactly. But well, you just have to trust that we did the right thing."

The purple-haired girl sighed, resting her head on one hand as she looked at her notebook. "Yeah, just that, despite finishing an exam and feeling relief, then you remember that there's more and the pressure rises again."

Sunset nodded as she reviewed the exercises. "But at least you seem well prepared. That's already a plus."

Rarity smiled shyly. "Thanks, I hope so. Though I must admit I still feel a little nervous."

"That's normal," said, closing her notebook for a moment. "Sometimes it's best not to think about it too much. Just focus on one test at a time and do your best. Besides, you're taking it seriously. Studying with more than one person isn't bad; on the contrary, it's smart to make sure you understand it well."

Rarity let out a small laugh. "I do it for pure survival. But yes, it helps a lot to have different perspectives."

Sunset smiled slightly and nodded. "Definitely. Just try not to put too much pressure on yourself."

"I'll try not to put too much pressure on myself, though I'm getting headaches already," said with a sigh. "I really appreciate your help," she added sincerely, feeling more relieved that she had kept the conversation going.

They both focused on their notebooks again, letting the tranquility of the rooftop and the cool breeze give them a break from the tension of the midterm exams.

Rainbow took a deep breath every now and then as she walked down the halls towards the cafeteria, thinking about how her first assessment would have gone. Despite her thoughts, she didn't show it on the outside, maintaining a confident facade. With a final sigh, she opened the cafeteria door.

Walking in, she saw the girls with their trays already ready for lunch. Reluctantly, she made her way to the line to wait her turn. As she walked, she was greeted by different students who were already seated or were just leaving.

Waiting in line, she caught a glimpse of the dressmaker and ignored her without thinking much of her. Across the way, she saw Sunset, who was approaching.

"Looks like there's two of us," said, laughing.

"Yeah..." Rainbow looked away towards the door. "Or three," added, pointing at the animal lover, who waved shyly. "Join the club," said once Fluttershy stopped beside her.

"Breathing back?" Sunset asked, referring to the backyard.

"Yeah, I wonder if it'll be okay," replied, referring to the test.

"It must happen to all of us," the redhead commented, glancing at Rainbow. "In different ways."

Fluttershy nodded in understanding.

With their trays full of food, they headed out to their usual table, greeting the others. Some were sitting, while others preferred to stand, enjoying the fresh air. The conversation revolved around midterms and studies.

Twilight, playing with her spoon, thought a little about the dressmaker after the short study sessions. "I wonder how she's been doing," murmured.

"Who are you referring to?" the multicolored girl asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Fluttershy looked nervously at the bespectacled girl and then at Rainbow, fearing the reaction that might be triggered. Twilight paused before answering, preferring to be honest. "Belle asked me for help studying... I thought about it a lot before accepting, but I finally did so on the condition that we wouldn't mix up the personal."

Rainbow, Applejack, and Sunset's gazes widened in surprise. "What?!" they said in unison.

The redhead took a step forward, thoughtful. "So you're the one she's been studying with."

Twilight looked at her strangely. "Did you know?"

Sunset shook her head slowly. "No, I didn't. She just told me that she'd been studying with someone else."

All eyes now turned to the redhead, searching for more answers. "She asked me for help too, and... I accepted on the condition that I don't confuse things by helping her," she explained.

"You too?" Applejack asked, clearly surprised.

"So... she accepted the help from both of us," Pinkie chimed in, with her characteristic energy.

"You knew?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide.

"Of course! Rarity told me first," replied with a big smile, looking over to where the dressmaker usually sat.

Applejack frowned slightly. "Asking the girls for help despite everything... is a risky move," thought, but inside a small smile almost formed on her face. "But she did it."

The girls turned their gazes to the empty chair where Rarity usually sat. But she wasn't there.

"Despite there being no school, I don't think she'll miss her lunch," Twilight said, looking over to the others. "She must be hungry."

"I saw her earlier with her tray," Fluttershy said softly.

"Nah, relax," Pinkie commented with a wave of her hand. "She's probably in her den."

Sunset cocked her head, remembering when she'd taken her up to the rooftop and told her it was her place to think. She assumed that was what the party girl meant by 'den'. "You mean upstairs?" asked, pointing her finger up at the roof of a part of the building.

"Yeah, how do you know?" asked, intrigued.

"I was studying up there with her, in case any of you saw us," explained.

"Did you know she was going up there all along, too?" Fluttershy asked, looking at Pinkie.

"No, I only found out a couple weeks ago," replied with a carefree smile.

"So Belle asked you two for help, and you agreed," Rainbow said, taking in the information with both hands resting on the table. The girls looked at each other, somewhat nervous, waiting for her reaction.

"I must admit... that was clever of you," finally said, crossing her arms. "Even though it pisses me off that you're around us... you could have just said it before, without worry. After all, I don't control your lives." The girls let out a sigh of relief.

"Right, Blondie?" commented, looking at Applejack.

It was then that they all noticed that the farm girl was still staring blankly in the direction of the empty table, clearly distracted.

"Where do you think she left off?" Sunset wondered playfully.

"Applejack," Fluttershy said, trying to get her attention.

Rainbow looked at the table, and a mischievous thought crossed her mind. "Pss, Pinkie," murmured with a half-smile, pointing to one of the glasses on the table. The party girl, catching on instantly, smiled mischievously, took the glass, and walked over to Applejack.

"Girls, I don't think it's a good idea to make a joke now," Twilight said, holding up a hand as if to stop them.

But Pinkie shook her head. She took the blonde's hat off. "AJ, she just needs some..." She paused, pouring the contents of the glass over the farmer's head. "...soda!" said cheerfully.

Applejack, who had been completely immersed in her thoughts, suddenly felt the liquid sliding down her hair and face. "What the...?!" exclaimed, quickly standing up.

"Until you reacted!" Rainbow exclaimed, high-fiving Pinkie as they both laughed.

"You two, again!" complained, visibly angry. "You could have shaken me or clapped! But you had to throw juice on me!"

"Exac-" the party girl was going to answer, until she processed what Applejack had said.

"What do you mean, juice?" The athlete asked, frowning and looking at the glasses on the table. "No one ordered water?" asked, looking at the group.

"There was orange juice," Fluttershy said, remembering her order.

"I was going to order water, but I changed it to juice last minute," Twilight explained, with a small laugh.

"You know I always order juice unless there's none," Sunset said.

"Whoops!" Pinkie exclaimed, realizing her mistake.

They all looked at Applejack, whose expression showed that she was on the verge of exploding. "I'm going to get this!" said, running off to the bathroom to clean up.

As soon as the farm girl left, the three turned to the two pranksters with disapproving expressions.

"That wasn't necessary!" said the redhead, crossing her arms. "You know AJ hates it when people play pranks like that on her."

"I thought Dash pointed out a glass of water," Pinkie defended herself, shrugging.

"And I thought it was water," commented the multicolored one, crossing her arms.

"What if you had hurt her? I don't know, something else and it got into her eye," Twilight added, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it was too much," said Fluttershy, with her soft but firm tone.

The two pranksters looked at each other and, for a moment, it seemed like they were going to protest, but they finally lowered their gaze, regretful.

"We're sorry... We didn't think AJ would react so badly," said the sportswoman, with a small grimace.

"Yeah, we just wanted her to react!" The party girl said, looking at the group with wide eyes. "It was supposed to be a little joke."

Sunset sighed. "We understand your penchant for pranks, but you could really see that the joke is the right one. Don't you think?"

Rainbow and Pinkie nodded, clearly getting the point. "Okay, we'll try to calm things down when I get back," said, scratching the back of her neck.

Rarity had finished lunch on the roof, as she usually did lately. She knew that at some point, Sunset or Twilight would tell the group that they were helping her with her studies. More so now that she revealed to the red-haired girl that she was studying with someone else and it wouldn't take long for her to find out. Girls always ended up sharing everything.

As she walked through the hallways near the front door, she saw Applejack run out. It was clear that something had happened. Her face reflected a mix of frustration and anger, and... her hair was wet?

She frowned, remembering how much the farmer bothered feeling disheveled in public. The blonde preferred to avoid anything that would draw unnecessary attention. Curious and somewhat worried, the seamstress decided to follow her at a safe distance and watched as she hurriedly entered the nearest bathroom.

When she reached the bathroom door, she heard the water running and the girl's frustrated murmurs. Rarity hesitated for a moment. She knew Applejack was probably not in the mood to talk, much less to her.

Inside, the farm girl was leaning over the sink, trying to rinse the sticky juice out of her hair. Water alone wasn't enough. At that moment the door opened, it was the dressmaker wearing a neutral expression.

Their gazes met briefly. Applejack looked at her with confusion and obvious annoyance. "Belle, not now..." muttered, irritated, as she tried to clean her hair. Rarity didn't respond; she simply stepped forward and turned on the sink, apparently busying herself with washing her hands. Applejack, more focused on getting the sticky juice off of her, didn't say anything else.

"Those two..." muttered irritably, clearly referring to the pranksters in the group.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dressmaker, who was still there silently. When their gazes were about to meet, without words, Rarity turned around and left the bathroom.

Applejack, relieved to be alone again, looked over to the sink to see if she could use something other than water. To her surprise, she found a bottle that hadn't been there before. Shampoo. She recognized the brand, and there was no mistaking who had left it.

"Thanks... Belle," muttered to herself, a mix of surprise and gratitude.

The dressmaker could have ignored all of this, gone about her day as if nothing had happened. But she didn't. Without further ado, the farm girl opened the bottle and began to wash her hair, the unexpected gesture lingering in her mind.

A few minutes later, Applejack returned from the bathroom and joined the girls at the entrance to the cafeteria. Her hair was still somewhat damp and messy, and her expression reflected anger.

"So that was the only thing you two could come up with because you were distracted?" asked, crossing her arms.

"We're sorry," Pinkie said quickly, waving her hands in an exaggerated manner. "We didn't mean for it to be so... juicy."

"Okay, okay," Rainbow chimed in, holding her hands up in surrender. "We promise to think things through better."

"You know what? I'm going to try to hold back," said, trying hard to keep a neutral tone. "I just hope next time you'll think of something less... sticky."

The girls looked at each other. Sunset, who had always been good at mediating tense situations, smiled. "Maybe we should have a talk about pranks from now on."

"Definitely," Fluttershy agreed, looking at the pranksters with an air of seriousness that made them nod. "Not all pranks are good, especially when they involve juice."

"Yeah!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up and down. "A cake would be perfect! I promise I'll make one to make up for it," said, touching the blonde's hair. "Hmm...? I thought it would be a little sticky?"

Applejack gently pushed the party girl's hand away. "I was able to fix that," said, putting her other hand in her back pocket and feeling the small jar.

"Didn't you use soap?" Twilight asked a little worriedly, taking a step towards her.

"No, I didn't," replied, her expression relaxing. "And, Pinkie... I don't know if a cake is the solution, though I'm clean now, save for the memory of feeling sticky."

"The past is the past," Pinkie said, flashing a big smile.

"Let's just leave the conversation and go play," the farm girl said, taking a deep breath as she began to walk away.

"Good idea," Rainbow agreed, patting her shoulder. Receiving an unpleasant look from Applejack, she giggled and stepped away, quickly approaching the rest of the girls.

"She'll get over it," Fluttershy whispered.

"I know... I better stay away for now," murmured back.

"Yeah, good idea," Sunset added, trying to lighten the mood. "Let's just relax a little."

As they continued walking, Applejack surreptitiously pulled out the empty jar. She didn't know the exact amount she should have put in, so she had thrown it all in. "I'll throw it in the next trashcan," thought, putting it back.

The six of them headed to the music room, where they had their instruments ready to play before starting another day of group study.

After a few minutes, Rarity was waiting for her sister at the entrance, pacing back and forth for three reasons: the uncertainty of the result of the first test, whose grade she still didn't know when she would receive; the next test tomorrow, and her concern for Applejack, wondering if she was better and if she had used the shampoo she left for her or, on the contrary, if she had ignored it and thrown it away.

"Rarity?" asked her sister.

The seamstress stopped when she heard her voice, somewhat embarrassed. "Sweetie, you're here..." replied. Seeing her sister's confused expression, she added: "It's just that the first test has me like this."

"I would be the same, but for some reason I'm glad to have that test out of the way," said Sweetie Belle, skipping as she walked out the door.

Rarity followed her, letting out a small laugh. "I wish I could be that carefree, but it's my last year."

"It's not the final exam either," Sweetie Belle said, now walking beside her and stopping jumping around.

The seamstress just nodded, letting out a sigh.

The younger sister looked at her with a mix of curiosity and sympathy as they walked. "Still, you can't spend the whole year worrying," said with an encouraging smile.

"You're right, dear. Sometimes I drown in a glass of water."

After a few seconds of silence, Sweetie Belle glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, noticing that Rarity still seemed distracted. "And are you okay with the assessment, or is there something else that's bothering you?"

Rarity hesitated for a moment before answering. She wasn't sure if she should tell her sister about her concerns with Applejack. "Well... let's just say I left something for someone, hoping that... it would help." She searched for words, trying to sound casual. "But I'm not sure she's accepted it."

The younger sister nodded, picking up on her sister's tone. "Is it someone special?" asked with a mischievous smile, causing Rarity to giggle.

"Sweetie... don't always think it's someone special," she replied, avoiding her little sister's gaze. "I just... want her to be okay."

"Why don't you just ask her directly?" suggested casually. "If you really care, I think it's worth it."

The seamstress smiled at her younger sister's advice. "For the moment, I'll just watch," replied, trying to convince herself.

The two of them continued on their way while Rarity pondered the idea. The conversation with Sweetie Belle had given her something to think about, and she felt a little more relieved.

Pie Family House
Pinkie, upon arriving, immediately headed to the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and a focused smile on her face. She checked each shelf, pulling out the ingredients she needed one by one.

"What's said is said," muttered to herself, pouring flour into a large bowl and adding the eggs. "This time it'll be a perfect apple pie for Applejack!"

Just then, her phone rang and she saw Rarity's name on the screen. Still whisking, she turned on speakerphone and answered. "Rarity! Hello, hello, hello, what's up?"

("Hello, are you busy?") asked curiously.

"Yes! I'm on a baking mission," replied, turning up the mixer's speed a little. "I'm making a pie for Applejack... I hope this will forgive me for the juice joke."

Rarity laughed softly on the other end of the line. ("Oh, I see. So you had something to do with that...")

"Of course you did!" Pinkie said confidently. "I think the whole university saw her running to the bathroom."

("I saw her too, and she looked pretty upset...") the seamstress said, sighing lightly. ("I must say, you may have gone a bit overboard with the joke.")

The party girl grimaced, even though she knew Rarity couldn't see it. "Well, maybe so... but in my head it was so funny! It's just... we got confused and thought it was water." She sighed, shrugging as she continued to whisk. "Still, I think a cake will forgive me."

"Applejack loves apples. And besides, cakes are like... the secret key to fixing any problem," added, more confidently.

("I hope so.") Rarity said pleasantly. ("Besides, it's sure to be delicious. Still adding your special touch?")

Pinkie smiled widely, adding the final dash of cinnamon. "Of course! A dash of love, lots and lots of cinnamon... and a little vanilla, because it always works."

A sigh was heard on the other end of the line. ("That sounds perfect. Pinkie, you really are good at making others feel better.")

The cheerful girl smiled, although again, the seamstress couldn't see her. "Thanks! And don't worry! I bet after one bite, Applejack will forget all about the juice. The most important thing is that we remain friends, right?"

("That's right.") Rarity said, although she couldn't see her, she knew that on the other end she was smiling. ("Well, I won't interrupt you anymore, good luck with the cake! I'm sure she'll love it.")

"Oh, and I have something to talk to you about tomorrow!" she said with a half smile. "I discovered something with the girls."

("Something you discovered...?") asked curiously.

"I think you sense it," Pinkie said in a mysterious tone.

The seamstress was silent on the other end for a few seconds. ("I think so... I'll explain tomorrow.") she replied with a sigh. ("Well, I'll leave you. See you tomorrow!")

"Bye, Rarity!" she said goodbye, returning to her enthusiastic tone. With a smile, she hung up the phone and continued whipping, focused on making the best apple pie.

The next day, in the bathroom of her house, Fluttershy was getting ready, her hair falling softly over her shoulders as she chose a brush to comb her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled shyly as she heard the track that began to play on her cell phone. She felt so comfortable that, after adjusting the volume, she used the brush as if it were a microphone and began to sing the melody quietly.

"There's so much more in me..."

The music filled the air, and she let herself go, completely forgetting that she was alone. She walked out of the bathroom moving to the rhythm of the song, singing with her eyes closed, as if she were in front of an imaginary audience. Without realizing it, she began to walk towards her room, still holding the brush in her hand as if it were her personal microphone.

"Look out now, i'm in the zone, Yeah! Can you feel it?"

As she opened her eyes and turned excitedly towards her bed, she froze, her voice fading away suddenly. There, leaning against the door frame, was her friend, watching her with a half smile. Fluttershy was speechless, her face reddening as her friend looked at her amused.

"Since... since when are you there?" asked, still holding the brush, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Rainbow shrugged, crossing her arms with a mischievous smile. "Just a little while ago. I didn't want to interrupt my private concert." She then winked at her, amused. "Didn't I know you wrote a song?"

The pinkette looked at the brush in her hand, quickly lowering it and putting it aside as she apologized with a nervous laugh. "It wasn't a concert. I just... wrote it over the months."

The multicolored girl stepped away from the door and entered the room, smiling in a relaxed manner. "Hey, I thought it was cool. You have a really nice voice."

Fluttershy's embarrassment slowly dissipated with her friend's words. "Thanks. I just... I wasn't expecting you to show up."

Rainbow put a hand on his shoulder and smiled sincerely at him. "I guess it's lucky I did. Hey, you should show it to the girls, we all have our solos already."

The animal lover leans closer, still feeling a bit of heat on her cheeks. "Maybe... You inspired me in some way."

The athlete raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh yeah? Who knew I'd be a muse?"

"Not in that sense... you know... the other time, when they were doing mixes," clarified, waving his hands.

"Ohhh..." Rainbow said, nodding in memory.

"I'm surprised you came in, I thought you wouldn't because of Zephyr," Fluttershy said, nudging him lightly.

"Yeah, well... I wasn't sure she wouldn't be there, but I took a chance and wanted to go in together. I took the opportunity to say hello to your parents," explained, scratching her hair. "I haven't seen them since the event."

The pink-haired girl rings her bell, lowering her head for a few seconds. "Is there anything else you need before we can go?" Rainbow asked, briefly pointing to the door. "I'm going to try to ease things up with AJ."

Fluttershy headed to the bathroom to grab her phone and to her desk, where she had her backpack, to grab it. "Were you able to clean her shirt?"

"I didn't... but I had to ask mom to do it in case she mixed the dark with the light... something like that, right?" Rainbow asked, making a face of confusion. "I never said anything about my mom," added, somewhat embarrassed.

The pink-haired girl laughed. "I didn't hear anything... and yes, it is something like that," replied, leaving the room.

They went down the stairs and met Fluttershy's mom.

"Bye, mom."

"Bye, sweetie," her mom said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Bye, Rainbow, I hope you visit us soon."

"I'll make room sometime," the multicolored one said, waving goodbye once her friend opened the door.

Once outside, the pink-haired girl saw the car where Scootaloo was in the back, apparently studying, but she could see something lit up, so she was probably playing with her cell phone.

When Pinkie arrived at school, she went to find Rarity to talk about what she had told her the day before on her cell phone. She preferred to talk now so that the seamstress wouldn't feel so nervous during the fitting. Besides, she would take the opportunity to give the farmer the big piece of cake she had made for her.

They both walked together down the hallway of lockers. Rarity, despite having gotten used to seeing girls, still avoided situations where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were together.

"I'm not really sure..." muttered, somewhat nervous. She knew that the couple's lockers were right in that direction.

"Come on, Rarity, it'll just be a moment. You can wait to the side so you don't have to talk to them," Pinkie gave her a slight push, encouraging her.

Later, Rainbow, once she arrived with Fluttershy and Scootaloo, separated from them, meeting Applejack, who was about to open her locker. She approached silently, although the students who greeted her were not helping. Already at her side, she caught her attention before she could open the locker.

"Are you still mad?" asked, while showing her the flannel that the farmer had worn the day before, now clean.

Yesterday, after group study, to make up for the joke, she asked her for the flannel she was wearing to wash it at home, even though Applejack refused at first, she ended up accepting.

Applejack took it and put it in her bag. "Not so much anymore," replied, with a calmer voice than yesterday. "And thanks, although I told you it wasn't necessary," said, opening her locker and starting to organize it.

"Thank goodness," Rainbow said, relieved by the answer as she opened her locker. "But I had to... I owed you."

The blonde nodded, continuing with her things, until suddenly, she came across the bottle of shampoo. She held it in her hand, looking at it without saying anything.

"You know I do sometimes, but that's just in my nature," the multicolored girl said as she pulled out some notebooks.

Applejack just muttered an "Uh-huh," still staring at the bottle, lost in her thoughts. Although she didn't fully understand why she had kept it, if she was supposed to throw it in the first trash can she found.

Rainbow continued talking, not noticing her partner's concentration. "Well, about Pinkie and me... but let's go find another victim. Maybe we'll try not to make such big jokes like the other day."

"Uh-huh," she repeated, distracted, her fingers running over the bottle. Finally, looking up, she saw Pinkie approaching down the hallway, and behind her, Rarity. Upon seeing her, their eyes met briefly, and the seamstress immediately noticed the bottle in Applejack's hand. The farmer's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Almost automatically, she put the bottle away and slammed her locker shut, harder than she intended, making Rainbow and Pinkie jump, as well as other students nearby.

"Jeez, AJ, what was that?!" the multicolored one exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest.

"Oh, Applejack, you scared us!" exclaimed the party girl, who was already right next to her, looking at her in surprise.

She stayed silent for a second, looking at both of them without knowing what to say and at other students who looked at her almost with a frown. "Sorry... I don't know why I did it," finally said, feeling a little exposed.

Rarity walked past, continuing on her way. She already had the answer, and she sketched a slight smile at it. Applejack couldn't help but follow her with her eyes, surreptitiously.

Pinkie noticed the seamstress walking away. "Hey, Rarity! I'm not done talking yet!" exclaimed, raising her voice a little. "I'll make it quick," muttered as she pulled a large jar out of her backpack. "It was a promise," added, opening it to reveal a large piece of apple pie.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Applejack said, taking it. "There was no need, since I'm not that upset."

"I think I would have anyway," Rainbow said, bowing slightly.

"Yeah," the party girl replied, glancing sideways to see if the seamstress was still walking. Luckily, she stopped a little in the distance. "Sorry for the joke, next time I'll make sure it's water."

The farmer raised an eyebrow.

"Just kidding," Pinkie said, holding up a hand, palm up.

"We'll look for other victims," the multicolored one said, giving her a high five.

"Exactly," said with a smile.

"You guys and your pranks," Applejack said, turning around to open her locker.

"See you later," Pinkie said, taking quick steps so as not to keep Rarity waiting.

"Shall we go with the others to review for the test?" Rainbow suggested, demonstrating how she gently closed her locker.

"I won't do it again," said, rolling her eyes at her partner's intentional action.

The athlete giggled a bit before speaking. "Did you get any messages from the Apples?" she tried to guess.

"No, nothing like that... we're just going with the others, this was a reflex," said, gently closing her locker.

"Okay," Rainbow said, starting to walk away, and Applejack followed close behind her.

Pinkie and Rarity sat on a bench in the courtyard. At first they thought about going to the dressmaker's 'den', but as on other occasions, it was closed, so they decided to stay and go to the courtyard.

"Now, will you tell me how you managed to get both Sunset and Twilight to study with you at the same time?" asked the party girl, leaning a little towards her.

"Twilight was the one who agreed first, with the condition of not mixing personal with academic," explained, while Pinkie nodded several times. "That same day we had our first session, and later, after the chancellor called us to go to the music classroom, Sunset spoke to me to discuss my request..."

"And what happened?" insisted the party girl, curious.

"Well, I didn't know what to answer when Sunset told me, with a sigh, that she had thought about it and that she agreed to help me, but that I shouldn't confuse this gesture with an interest in... in resuming... you know," explained, pausing. Seeing her tilt her head, Pinkie understood.

"Yeah... they both mentioned something about the condition they put on you," Pinkie said, nodding. "Don't tell me, they haven't talked outside of academics."

Rarity raised her head. "Sunset and I had a steady conversation about the midterms... it wasn't as awkward as I expected," replied with a slight smile. "And with Twilight... it was, um..."

"It was what?" insisted again, eager for more details.

"I don't know... she complimented me and somehow touched on a topic I'd rather not go into."

"The design?" Pinkie asked curiously.

"Not directly, but by mentioning certain compliments, it made me remember a few things..." Rarity said, shaking her head. "I don't like to go into that, although she was right..." The last part was said quietly.

"Reason?" the party girl thought, narrowing her eyes. "It's okay, Rarity..."

The seamstress smiled, relieved that she didn't have to go into the subject further.

"But if you notice, thanks to those interactions it seems like things are looking up," Pinkie said with a smile.

"You're right... I just had to wait," the seamstress replied with a smile. "Now tell me... how did Applejack end up with juice on her head?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

The party girl let out a nervous laugh and began to explain the "miscalculation," as Twilight would say, and how the farm girl ended up in the bathroom. Rarity got a little lost in the bathroom part without hearing the rest, remembering how she had seen that the farm girl did use the bottle of shampoo in the end.

Author's Note

• Hello, how are you? I know, I'm late translating the chapter again... I'll bring the two missing ones in the next few days

• At the beginning, the chapter was going to be mostly filler, with a little preview of the girls' conversations with Rarity, although they were everyday. In the end, I decided to go deeper into some of those interactions, and even though I already revealed (and it's obvious) who Rarity is talking about regarding the unexpected comment. I also added a flashback and the slight one in the square.

• We're moving forward in the relationships; I'm trying to make them feel as natural as possible. Is there one you liked more or do you hope that one improves?

• You may be wondering why I didn't include the conversation between Rarity and Sunset when the latter accepted your request. I wanted to leave you with the suspense about the answer and the reason for that "yes." Things are less tense.

• That would be all, I'll see you in the next chapter. Bye!