It was already Friday and, as they had agreed during the week, they all met at the entrance of the mall. After waiting for everyone to arrive, they finally decided to go in to enjoy their outing together.

"Wow, it's been so long since we came to the mall together!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with enthusiasm, jumping up and down with joy.

"Yes, it's going to be great!" Fluttershy agreed with a smile.

Sunset looked around, observing the stores. "It's nice to go out and do something fun together."

"Totally," Twilight agreed. "It's good to take a break from our studies once in a while."

As they walked through the corridors full of stores, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were a little behind the group, chatting with each other.

"What do you think about going to that electronics store?" suggested the farmer, pointing to a store that displayed the latest technological gadgets.

Rainbow glanced at the pink-haired girl; it seemed that Pinkie was asking her to go with her. They were all together, so if she hadn't managed to invite her during the week of classes, at least she could try to strike up a conversation with her. She looked at the farmer to respond. "Fine by me."

Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Pinkie decided to venture to a candy store they had seen nearby, excited about the prospect of enjoying some sweet treats together.

"Look! They have a great variety of candies!" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing to the shelves full of sweets.

Fluttershy smiled shyly and nodded. "Yes, they look very delicious."

The party girl picked up a handful of different flavored candies and put them in a bag. "Let's try a little bit of everything!"

Twilight stopped in front of a bookstore and was mesmerized by the books adorning the shelves. "Oh, look at all these novels," she whispered in admiration.

Sunset approached her and smiled. "Do you want to go in and take a closer look?"

Twilight nodded, and together they entered the bookstore to explore the titles and immerse themselves in the stories.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued exploring the electronics store, examining the latest models of phones and tablets with interest.

"Have you seen these new headphones?" Applejack pointed to a particular model on the shelf. "They say they have incredible sound quality."

"Uh-huh," Rainbow responded, barely paying attention.

"Is something wrong?" asked the blonde, noticing how distracted Rainbow was.

"Uh-huh," murmured again, her gaze lost in the store's horizon.

Seeing that the athlete wasn't paying attention, Applejack decided to change her approach.

"I hope you don't consider this as the group date you wanted to have," said the farmer, crossing her arms and looking at her intently.

"Uh-" Rainbow started until she processed what her girlfriend had said. "What?!" exclaimed in surprise.

"It's what you said the other time," Applejack continued in a firmer tone. "And now you're finally listening to me."

"Seriously, blondie, you're bringing this up now?"

"It's just that you seem more distracted than usual on our dates," Applejack said, showing her frustration.

"Wait, is that why you suggested coming to the electronics section? To talk about this?" Rainbow asked, frowning.

"Not exactly. You seemed distracted, and I thought, 'Hey, maybe I need to talk to my girlfriend to see if something's wrong,' and since you weren't listening, I brought up this topic," she explained, with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Ah... you could have just asked me earlier," Rainbow said, annoyed.

"Okay, maybe I should have done it differently," the farmer admitted, still visibly upset. "Is everything okay? Does it have something to do with Fluttershy or is it something else?" she asked in the same tone.

"How do you know about that?" the athlete asked.

"It's pretty obvious," Applejack replied, with a mix of annoyance and concern in her voice.

"I'll just say, I don't know exactly what's going on," Rainbow said, frustrated.

"You don't know exactly what's going on? What kind of answer is that?" Applejack asked, her tone harder.

"It's the honest answer, I don't know what's wrong with Fluttershy," Rainbow replied, growing more upset.

Applejack took a deep breath. "Alright... any progress on that?" she asked, more calmly.

"Nothing," Rainbow replied, frustrated.

"Okay."

They stayed silent for a moment.

"So?" Applejack asked, trying to break the silence.

"So?" the athlete replied.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Maybe we should have another outing. Last time I canceled, and I told you about that place. Plus, you haven't suggested any place."

"Alright, let me think," Rainbow responded, with a serious look.

"And don't even think about suggesting a bar," she added, with a warning tone.

Rainbow frowned, about to say something, but decided to keep it to herself. "How about going bowling?" she finally proposed.

After exploring the stores for a while, the Mane Six gathered in the center of the mall.

"Well, where do we go now?" Applejack asked, looking at her friends with a smile.

"We could go to the games and then the food court," suggested Pinkie enthusiastically.

"Or to the food court and then the games," proposed Twilight thoughtfully.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I vote for the games," she affirmed with determination.

Sunset nodded. "I say we eat first," she added.

The girls looked at Fluttershy and Applejack, waiting for a tiebreaker.

"I'm fine with either option," said Fluttershy in her usual soft voice.

Applejack smiled. "I'm also okay with either option," added.

"seriously!" complained Rainbow, looking at her girlfriend.

"You asked me to decide, and I did," the farmer responded calmly.

"Why don't we play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide? It's fair," suggested Sunset, trying to mediate.

"Yes, I love that idea! Let's play!" exclaimed Pinkie, excited.

The others nodded. After several rounds, they finally came to a decision. In the end, they decided to go to the games first and then have lunch.

What the Mane Six didn't know was that in another part of the mall, a girl with wavy violet hair was with her family.

Cookie was leading the expedition, carefully looking at each storefront, while Sweetie Belle and Rarity followed her excitedly, occasionally stopping to look at the displayed products.

"Look at this beautiful dress!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, pointing to an elegant dress in one of the shop windows.

Cookie stopped next to her, evaluating the dress. "It's quite striking, but don't you think it's a bit too much for you, Sweetie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rarity joined the group, examining the dress with expertise. "I agree with Mother. Maybe you should look for something more suitable for your age," she suggested while adjusting her purse.

Hondo approached. "Well, Sweetie, how about that outfit we saw in the previous store? I think it would look great on you," he recalled with a smile.

Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I loved that outfit. Let's go find it," said excitedly.

As they continued exploring the mall, the Belles enjoyed their time together, taking advantage of this rare opportunity for a family outing since their return to the city.

As the girls entered the arcade, they found themselves immersed in a lively environment full of bright lights. Around them, they saw a variety of arcade games, from classic pinball machines to the most modern virtual reality games. The sound of coins dropping into machines and the laughter of players filled the air with joy.

"This looks awesome!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie with enthusiasm, pointing towards the various options in front of them.

Fluttershy smiled shyly as she observed the bright Air Hockey table in the corner of the arcade. "I think I'd like to try this game," she said, pointing to the table.

Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Great! It looks fun. Let's play."

Together, they approached the table, where Twilight inserted some coins and picked up a plastic mallet. Fluttershy chose the other mallet with an eager smile. Each of them hit the puck with the mallet. The pink-haired girl moved gently, while Twilight adopted a more focused stance, calculating each move.

Meanwhile, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset headed toward the basketball machine, where they could score as many shots as possible in a given time. Each one had a ball in hand, ready to have fun.

"Come on girls, let's start the fun!" exclaimed Sunset, smiling with excitement.

"Yeah, I'm ready for a good time!" added Rainbow, preparing to throw her first ball.

Applejack nodded. "This is gonna be great! Let's see who can make the most baskets!"

They started throwing the balls, enjoying the game and cheering each other on. Each one tried to make the best plays.

Applejack threw the ball hard, but it bounced off the rim and flew away. The blonde frowned as she missed.

"Almost got it! You were so close," commented Sunset.

"I know, I almost had it! Oh well," responded Applejack.

Rainbow, with determination, concentrated to throw. "You know, this could be like our training for when we start with basketball," she said almost jokingly.

"Yeah, definitely! But we still don't know what's next after volleyball. Soccer or basketball?" said Sunset. After Rainbow, Sunset took another ball and positioned herself to shoot towards the hoop.

"Hmm, good question," said Applejack, waiting her turn.

With Twilight and Fluttershy nearly finishing their game, they moved the mallet, exchanging laughs and comments as they tried to win.

Finally, after an exchange of hits, Twilight managed to score the last point, securing her victory. Fluttershy congratulated her friend on a game well played.

The two moved away from the Air Hockey table, looking for another game that was free to play.

Pinkie Pie was immersed in one of the virtual reality shooting games, moving from side to side while exclaiming, "Pow! Pow! Take that, villains!" She took a few steps back as if avoiding attacks. "I'm on a winning streak!" she said after shooting again, then jumped for joy when she hit the last enemy.

After taking off the virtual reality visor, Pinkie looked around, her eyes lighting up with joy when she spotted the Dance Dance Revolution machine. As she approached, she saw Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Hey girls, want to play?" asked Pinkie, excited, pointing to the dance machine.

"Sure," said Twilight, looking at the machine. "This is your favorite, isn't it?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, I love it," responded Pinkie with joy.

"Who goes first?" asked the pink-haired girl.

"Why don't you go first, Fluttershy?" suggested Pinkie.

"Okay," the animal lover agreed.

Both stepped onto the platform and, after inserting the coins, began to move to the rhythm of the music in an exciting game of Dance Dance Revolution. Twilight watched.

After a few minutes of fun, Sunset thought about leaving the couple alone. "Girls, I'm going to try another game," she announced. "But you keep having fun, see you later."

"Sure," said Rainbow with a smile.

Applejack nodded. "Yeah, see you later."

As Sunset walked away, the farmer looked at the athlete. "What do you think, Rainbow? Ready to compete?" Applejack challenged with a smile, inserting more coins to start the game from scratch.

Rainbow accepted the challenge with a determined look; she would never turn down one. "Of course! Get ready to lose, Blondie."

Both began throwing the ball skillfully, competing with each other to see who could score the most points. The competition between the farmer and the athlete intensified with every passing second.

"That's another point for me! Can you feel the pressure?" the athlete teased, with an arrogant smile on her face.

Applejack frowned, focusing on her next throw and scoring. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dash, did you think I was going to let you win that easily? You're about to see what I can do."

As Sunset walked, she saw her three friends at the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Fluttershy watched with curiosity, while Twilight tried to keep up with the rhythm but couldn't match Pinkie's moves, who was dominating the game. The party girl won again and then saw her other friend.

"Hey, Sunset! Want to join us? It's one of my favorite games, and I want a challenge!" exclaimed Pinkie, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The red-and-yellow-haired girl approached them. "Sure, why not?" she replied with a smile.

"Let's see if you can beat her," Twilight said as she stepped down from the platform, looking exhausted and leaning on her knee.

"Let's see if I can," Sunset chuckled lightly, seeing her friends tired. She stepped onto the platform and prepared for the challenge. Pinkie inserted another coin into the machine to start the game.

"It still amazes me how Pinkie doesn't get tired with all her movements," commented Twilight with a tired smile.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised anymore, but she still manages to," said Fluttershy with a small laugh. "It's like Rainbow and sports."

"Exactly. Many wonder how she doesn't get tired. Well, she used to, but her body got used to the effort, and most people don't consider that it's not all physical; she must learn some psychological skills," Twilight continued.

"That doesn't exempt her from getting hurt by overexerting herself," expressed Fluttershy with a bit of concern.

"You know Rainbow, despite being a bit irresponsible, knows her limits. She wouldn't overexert herself unless she wanted to, but it has never happened," Twilight explained, nodding.

"You're right," Fluttershy said, relaxing a bit.

"By the way, where could she be?" Twilight wondered, frowning as she looked around.

"She might be at another game, or if Applejack isn't here, they might be together," Fluttershy deduced, shrugging.

"That's most likely," Twilight said, thoughtfully. "Hmm... Fluttershy has been with Pinkie and me, and for now, it seems they haven't spent much time together. We still have the afternoon for something to happen, and if not, another day it will be." Twilight looked back to see if she could spot Rainbow, then turned her attention back, glancing sideways at the pink-haired girl. "What could have happened? Rainbow said it all started when she arrived at Canterlot's Side A. Although they were still close, at some point something happened that made Fluttershy distance herself, and now they can barely talk. It really surprised me when I saw them talking that day. You could feel the tension and awkwardness in the air..." she thought, recalling the conversation. "Wait, Fluttershy was about to accept Dash's outing until she mentioned Applejack... Hmm, it has something to do with Applejack," she came out of her thoughts, still needing to analyze the situation to know if her blonde friend was really involved. She then turned her attention to Pinkie and Sunset's showdown.

In another part of the arcade, the shots continued, quick and precise, as both girls tried to outdo each other. However, as the score evened out, the atmosphere became more tense.

"You're cheating, Rainbow! It's obvious you're shaking the machine to favor yourself!" accused Applejack, frustrated by her lack of success.

Rainbow frowned, indignant at the accusation. "That's ridiculous, Applejack! You're making excuses because you can't keep up with me. But I'm not going to let you get away with it."

The argument intensified, with both girls exchanging insults and accusations as the competition became more aggressive.

The other four girls had reached the basketball machine. After playing, they decided to look for the two remaining girls until they found them, but not as they expected.

"Oh no, not again," said Twilight, frowning and shaking her head.

"I think we should've gone to the food court," commented Pinkie with a frustrated grimace at seeing both girls immersed in the argument.

"I guess it's my fault for leaving them alone at that game," admitted Sunset.

"Are they really going to start this again?" Fluttershy commented with a worried tone before heading towards her two friends.

The four knew well how competitive Applejack and Rainbow Dash could get when they challenged each other; sometimes it bothered them, but they were their friends, so they had to accept that competitive side of them.

"Girls, shouldn't we relax a bit?" Fluttershy timidly intervened, trying to calm them down.

But Applejack and Rainbow were too caught up in their rivalry to listen to her. They continued arguing, ignoring the rest of the group watching them.

Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, hoping one of them would try to stop them. Sunset was about to take the initiative to stop the argument, but was surprised to see the party girl step forward and address the two.

"That's enough, girls!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie finally, raising her voice to be heard. "This was supposed to be a fun outing with friends, not a damn cockfight!"

Pinkie's words seemed to snap Applejack and Rainbow out of their trance. They looked at each other, taking deep breaths as they put aside their rivalry.

These are some of the few times Pinkie is seen angry, and it always surprises her friends, as she is usually the cheerful and euphoric one in the group, and doesn't seem to worry much about what happens.

"You're right, Pinkie," admitted Applejack. "We should relax and enjoy our time together."

Rainbow nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we definitely need to chill out a bit. How about we go grab something to eat as we planned?"

The others nodded in relief, grateful that the tension had dissipated. Together, they left the games behind and headed to the mall's food court, ready to enjoy a relaxed meal.

The Belle family was strolling through the clothing store, observing the different styles. Cookie, always with a critical eye, examined the garments closely, while Sweetie Belle and Rarity made comments and pointed out things that caught their attention.

"Oh, look at those shoes! They're perfect for your outfit, Rarity," suggested her younger sister, pointing to a pair of elegant heels.

Rarity smiled and nodded. "You're right, Sweetie!" She looked at the heels and then said, "But I think I have a similar pair at home, so I'll leave these for someone who really needs them."

Sweetie Belle nodded and headed to the blouse section.

The fashionista continued browsing clothes with Cookie following closely. "Look, Mother, that dress is absolutely charming!" exclaimed Rarity, stopping in front of an elegant evening gown.

Cookie, with a thoughtful smile, nodded. "Yes, dear, it's very pretty. But remember, you need something you can wear both for special occasions and day-to-day."

"I know, Mother, I'm just admiring the craftsmanship," replied Rarity.

Meanwhile, Hondo, the only man in the group, watched patiently from the side, observing with interest the women's choices.

"Are you looking for something?" asked a sales assistant nearby with a friendly smile.

Hondo nodded with a smile. "Yes, we're looking for some clothes for my daughters and my wife. It's a family shopping day," he replied.

The assistant paused and commented with curiosity, "You're the only man in the family, right?"

Hondo chuckled softly. "That's right, I'm the only man among all these women. Imagine what it's like at home!"

The assistant smiled understandingly. "I completely get it. I'm the only woman in my family, so I know how it feels."

Hondo nodded in solidarity. "It's a challenge, but at the end of the day, they mean everything to me."

The assistant nodded with a smile. "Exactly, family is the most important thing."

"Dad, look," Sweetie Belle exclaimed, holding out a shirt.

"Have a nice day, sir." The assistant smiled as she bid farewell and walked away to continue her work. Hondo nodded gratefully to the assistant as she walked away, then turned towards his younger daughter and began to walk towards her.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding a plaid shirt in front of her. "Do you think this color suits me?"

Her father looked at the shirt. "Hmm, it's not bad, but I think a lighter tone would suit you better," he suggested.

"You're right," the younger girl agreed.

Meanwhile, Rarity couldn't resist having a little fun. She picked up a black leather jacket she had been eyeing, walked over to her father, and put it on him. "What do you think, Dad? Do you think this style suits you?" she asked, barely containing her laughter.

Hondo chuckled softly. "I think these are a bit too much for me, Rarity. But they'd look great on you."

"Oh, come on, Dad! Just try it for fun," Sweetie Belle urged.

Hondo decided to join in the fun and put on the jacket, causing laughter among the women in the family. He looked at himself in the nearest mirror and, to everyone's surprise, he looked quite good. "Not bad. What do you think, Cookie?"

Cookie couldn't contain her laughter at seeing her husband in the leather jacket. "I think it's an interesting look, dear," replied with a smile.

"You're quite the gentleman, Dad," added Sweetie Belle.

Rarity took out her phone and captured the moment with a photo. "This definitely goes into my favorite memories," said with a smile.

"Rarity, can you send it to me so I can share it with Auntie?" the youngest requested.

"It would be better to keep it private for now. Maybe we can share it later," said Hondo, embarrassed by the situation.

"Yes, it's better not to involve her right now. You know how my sister is, always so... cautious," Cookie responded seriously.

After having fun trying on different clothes and taking pictures for memories, the Belle family finally decided on the items they would take home.

Rarity watched attentively with her parents as the items were being checked out at the register. The cashier indicated the total, and she was ready to pay, but suddenly, her parents exchanged worried looks.

"Don't you have the card, dear?" her mother asked, frowning as she checked her purse.

Hondo searched his pants pocket and shook his head.

"Could it be that we left it in the car?" Rarity quickly deduced, trying to stay calm.

"Possibly, we might have dropped it while checking that we had everything," said her father, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Rarity, dear, could you go fetch it?" her mother asked.

The fashionista nodded with determination. "Of course, Mother. Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute," she replied firmly, before turning and heading towards the store exit.

However, as she started walking, she was abruptly interrupted when she encountered the Mane Six, who appeared unexpectedly in her path. Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing them.

"Rarity!" exclaimed Pinkie with surprise, catching the attention of the rest of the group.

The other gazes turned towards Rarity, and she found herself caught in the center of their attention.

Rarity took a deep breath, determined to address the uncomfortable situation. "Girls, I've been wanting to talk to you..." she began, but before she could finish her sentence, the girls started walking away.

The fashionista clenched her fists. "Wait...!" exclaimed, her brow furrowed. "I really want to apologize for what happened," she said with a tone of desperation. "I'm truly sorry, but..."

Some of the girls abruptly stopped, turning to look at her with clearly visible expressions of annoyance on their faces.

"But?" Twilight asked incredulously.

"A 'but' in an apology? Seriously..." said Sunset, her voice containing a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

Rarity realized what she had said and grimaced at her mistake. "I misspoke, that's not how I wanted it to sound," she admitted.

"It's not just that, you approach us as if nothing happened, and it's not the first time," Applejack interjected, with an indifferent tone.

Fluttershy nodded sadly. "I don't know if I'm ready to listen to you."

Pinkie nodded silently, her eyes reflecting a mix of compassion and sadness. The athlete just sighed and looked at her seriously.

Twilight sighed and commented, "You know we always supported you and you..." Pinkie and the others, upon hearing those words from Twilight, looked at her.

Three years ago: that day
Fluttershy, Pinkie, Sunset, and Twilight were walking through the school hallways. After a while of walking, they saw Rarity taking a sip of water from the cooler and noticed her popping a pill into her mouth. The four of them had the same thought and approached their friend.

"Hey, Rarity!" greeted Pinkie.

Rarity didn't respond as she was still drinking water. After swallowing, her friends continued to inquire.

"Are you okay, Rarity?" asked Fluttershy softly, noticing the tension in her friend's shoulders.

"As if you care," Rarity muttered without thinking, feeling her friends' gaze on her.

"What?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

The fashionista blinked. "Nothing... I just have a headache..." she corrected, looking at her friends.

The four of them observed the dark circles under her eyes and the tired expression on her face. They knew she had been going through a tough time with stress and also because of her breakup with Applejack.

"You should take some time to rest," suggested Sunset. "That way you won't stress out so much."

"We're here for you, Rarity. If you need anything, just let us know," commented Twilight nervously. She was worried about her friend.

Rarity felt overwhelmed by her friends' support, but at the same time, a sense of loneliness washed over her. "Thanks, girls," she said with a weak attempt at a smile.

"We care about you, Rarity," said Fluttershy, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder, although for some reason, she felt uneasy doing so.

"I hope Pinkie's words helped her; I wish I had been there to support her," thought Twilight.

Despite feeling the support of her friends, Rarity sensed a tense atmosphere, and the others noticed it too.

Rarity discarded the cup in the trash can. "I think I should get some fresh air," she said, though her voice sounded more subdued than usual.

The girls nodded understandingly as Rarity walked away, but once she was out of earshot, they began to exchange worried glances.

"Tell me I wasn't the only one who felt that?" Twilight asked, letting out a sigh.

"That tension in the air? Something didn't seem right," said Fluttershy with concern.

Sunset nodded slowly. "Yeah, we all definitely felt it. Do you think it has something to do with her breakup with Applejack?"

"I think that's the most obvious explanation," said Pinkie, looking downcast. "The dark circles and she seemed like she had been crying recently."

"Yeah, you're right; I don't know why I asked. She's also been stressed, but I think we can put that aside," admitted Sunset.

"Yeah, that might not be related, but it's also because of Applejack and Rainbow," added Twilight. "I hope there hasn't been any tension between them."

"Maybe we should talk to her about it," suggested Fluttershy.

With that decision made, the girls set off to find Rarity and make sure she was okay. However, none of them could imagine the chain of events that would unfold in the next few hours.

The girls stopped looking at Twilight and directed their gaze at Rarity.

"That's right, you made them, and I handled it poorly," said the fashionista, acknowledging what had been said. "Mistake after mistake," she thought sadly.

"And now onto your 'but'," said the athlete seriously. "Tell me, Belle... was anyone forcing you?"

"Forcing...?" wondered the fashionista. Rainbow looked at her with a furrowed brow, and that's when Rarity realized what she meant and lowered her gaze.

After taking a breath, Rarity walked through the hallways. She stopped, took a deep breath. She knew she would encounter the others. That feeling of hearing them flooded back to her. She lowered her head, her gaze shifting to the showcase displaying an important trophy for the institution.

An idea crossed her mind. As she got closer, she felt an internal struggle. She quickly stepped away from it, shaking her head to push those thoughts away.

"What am I thinking," she muttered to herself, clenching her fists with determination, taking steps back.

Rarity moved away from the showcase, resisting the urge to give in to her darker desires. She knew that making that impulsive decision would only bring trouble.

The girls headed to the locker hallway after waiting for Rarity to take a few minutes to talk, each with a heavy heart due to the inexplicable tension they had perceived in their interaction with her.

Finally, they reached the locker hallway, where they saw Rarity picking up books from her locker with a serious expression. The girls exchanged glances before approaching their friend. They wanted to address the issue of Applejack and Rainbow subtly. Despite their own concerns, they made an effort to keep smiles on their faces.

"Hi Rarity... again," Pinkie began a bit nervously, feigning a smile.

"Hi, girls. Is there something else?" Rarity asked, glancing at them out of the corner of her eye and returning her attention to her locker.

The girls exchanged sidelong glances and nodded.

"Rarity... I know things have been a bit... difficult for you lately," Twilight began. "Sometimes, relationships can be a real challenge, but we're here for you."

It took the fashionista a few seconds to understand what they were referring to; she simply listened.

"We want you to know that we're here for you. Friends are there to support each other, right?" expressed Sunset.

Rarity opened her eyes a bit wider but returned to her previous expression, not commenting and once again just listening.

"Exactly. We know things can be a bit confusing. If you need to talk about anything, you can always count on us," said Fluttershy.

"Of course! Friends are always there to help each other, even when things are a bit complicated. So, even though we may not fully understand what you're going through, we're here for you, Rarity," Pinkie concluded.

The girls waited nervously for her response. Despite offering her support, they felt that tension again. For some reason, Rarity turned her head in the opposite direction and seconds later looked at the girls.

"I know you'll be there," the fashionista finally responded with a half-smile.

The girls' words dissipated into the air, leaving a feeling of discomfort floating around Rarity. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached.

the fashionista looked up and saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash walking hand in hand. A wave of emotions flooded her immediately.

Rarity directed her gaze towards the blonde. However, Applejack seemed unable to meet her gaze. Her eyes shifted away, avoiding any eye contact with the fashionista.

Meanwhile, the athlete, although not showing the same avoidance as the farmer, also didn't seem entirely comfortable. Still, she kept her gaze fixed on Rarity, without looking away.

Applejack tried to break the silence, asking curiously, "What are you talking about?"

Sunset quickly responded, "Rarity was telling us about her designs," trying to hide the real reason.

The farmer frowned at the mention and turned her head.

Rainbow Dash continued the conversation. "Have you finished your designs already?"

"I just have a few more, and I'm ready," Rarity replied.

A silence fell.

Pinkie tried to break the silence and the tension that seemed to be returning now that they were all together again. "And then you'll see that you'll be recognized for your designs."

"Yes, of course you will," said Fluttershy.

"I agree, but I suggest you take some time so you won't have a headache anymore," said Twilight.

"Are you still in pain? Maybe you should take some pills," Rainbow suggested. "I have some in my locker," she added, heading to her locker and entering the combination to open it.

Rarity, despite the tension, approached to tell her that she had already taken some, but she got distracted looking at the numbers of the combination. Upon opening it, Rainbow searched and pulled out some pills, turned around, and approached the fashionista to hand them to her.

"Thank you, I had already taken some, maybe I'll take them if it doesn't go away," Rarity replied.

Rainbow nodded. Applejack glanced at the fashionista for a moment and then quickly looked away, taking the athlete's hand and pulling her close. "We should do something else while we wait for the next class," the blonde suggested, for some reason, she couldn't look the fashionista in the eyes, faking a smile.

The fashionista didn't miss that attitude. "What about going to the cafeteria?" Rarity suggested.

"Huh?" Applejack expressed.

"To the cafeteria?" asked the party girl. Pinkie put a finger on her chin. "Girls! It's taco Wednesday!" she exclaimed with joy.

"Let's go then, and then we'll head straight to our class," said Twilight, accepting the suggestion.

"Maybe if we all have lunch together, the strange tension that's forming will calm down a bit," Sunset thought.

"I'm not going to miss it," said Rainbow, starting to walk.

"Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll be right there, I'll put away the pills and follow you," Rarity said, pointing to her locker and walking towards it.

"Okay," Pinkie said, starting to walk with the others.

Once the girls were out of sight, Rarity lowered her head and thought about following them, but something else crossed her mind. "1,6,4," she murmured and glanced at the end of the hallway leading to another hallway where the showcase was. She looked back where the girls went, thought once again. She closed her eyes after a few seconds, opened them, closed her locker, and headed to the end of the hallway opposite to where the girls went.

Present
Rarity lifted her head, looking at the girls. "No, no one forced me to hide the trophy in your locker," she acknowledged.

Sunset, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow looked at her with a serious expression, while Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at her with a sad expression.

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Rainbow affirmed with the same expression. "We didn't expect anything less from you."

"I think there's nothing more to talk about," said Sunset. The girls didn't say anything and started walking, but Rainbow stopped.

"You know... there's something I've wanted to tell you since you did that," she added, turning around. Rarity didn't say anything, just waited for her to speak. "I bet when you were with Applejack, you were just using her as a puppet, manipulating her everywhere, that you didn't even truly love her," she expressed.

That comment left Rarity stunned, while Applejack frowned at the remark. The other girls were also a bit surprised by the comment. With that said, Rainbow began to walk with the girls, leaving Rarity behind.

Rarity was paralyzed by the words, watching as the others left, not feeling her sister.

"Sister, do you have the card already?" Sweetie Belle asked, snapping Rarity out of her thoughts.

"What...?" Rarity asked absentmindedly.

"The card-," she was going to comment again, but stopped upon noticing something. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Why do you ask?" Rarity asked.

Her sister pointed to Rarity's face. "You have a tear on your face," she said.

The fashionista moved her hand to her face, and as Sweetie Belle said, there was a tear. She wiped it away and looked at her sister, who was looking for an explanation.

"You know, when I see something, I get very excited," she tried to explain.

Her excuse was not very believable, but Sweetie Belle bought it for the moment. "Okay, do you have the card then?"

"The card... The card!" Rarity exclaimed, remembering the initial reason they left the store. She began to walk towards the escalators.

The younger sister watched her sister, a little worried about how she saw her, but decided to put it aside. "I guess that's a no," she said, turning back to the store.

The girls sat at a table in the food court of the mall, enjoying their individually chosen meals while the hustle and bustle of the place mixed with their conversations. However, there was a palpable tension in the air since they encountered Rarity.

Pinkie nervously played with her food, glancing at Rainbow and Applejack, who were sitting together at the other end of the table. She decided to address the issue.

"Dash?" Pinkie called out to her friend.

"What's up, Pinkie?" the athlete responded, looking up from her food.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard up there just now?" Pinkie said.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Well... that thing you said about Rarity and my cousin. It seemed like a bit of a... harsh comment," Pinkie continued, firmly.

Applejack nodded slowly. "Yeah, Pinkie's right. That was a bit out of line... I felt a little uncomfortable with what you said," she added, furrowing her brow.

Rainbow frowned, feeling uncomfortable under her friends' gaze. "I didn't think you'd take it like that. Besides, don't tell me you don't think something similar when she showed that side of herself that time?".

"Probably in a different way, but the comment wasn't relevant," commented Sunset.

"We're upset, that's true, but that doesn't justify saying something like that," said Twilight, with an understanding gesture.

Fluttershy nodded. "It's important to be careful with what we say, especially when we're angry," she murmured.

"I wanted to tell her once, but she had just left town when I had the chance, and I mentioned it upstairs, but as they say, it wasn't relevant," said Rainbow, shrugging.

The girls nodded. With the atmosphere a little more relaxed, they continued with their meal, leaving behind the discomfort that had been present moments before.

Sweet Apple Acres
The afternoon was falling when Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned after spending the day with the other Mane Six. As they approached the house, the farmer noticed that her brother and Granny Smith were at the entrance of the barn, looking at something with a mixture of surprise and dismay. Applejack furrowed her brow and approached, with Dash following closely behind.

"What's going on here?" the farmer asked, not understanding what was happening.

"Oh, Applejack, Rainbow Dash. Look what Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have done," Granny Smith pointed out, indicating the inside of the barn.

Rainbow stepped forward to observe the painted apples while Applejack raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Wow, this is... colorful," exclaimed Rainbow with a chuckle.

"What the heck have you done with the barn's apples?" asked Applejack.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom emerged from behind a pile of boxes, with a nervous smile.

"Hey, Applejack, Rainbow... What do you think of our natural art exhibition?" Scootaloo began.

"Scoot, what did you do with the barn's apples?" Rainbow questioned with a mixture of amusement and reproach.

Scootaloo shrugged. "Uh... well, we thought we could do something fun with them."

"We wanted to add a touch of creativity to the barn. You see, we thought we could do something fun with the apples and... well, here we are," explained Apple Bloom with a somewhat forced laugh.

"I'm sorry," Scootaloo apologized, lowering her head. Dash sighed and then gave her sister a light tap on the shoulder.

"Well, at least you tried to do something different. But next time, ask for permission before using the apples for artwork," said Rainbow.

"I appreciate your creativity, but now we have wasted apples and a mess to clean up," declared Granny Smith, shaking her head.

"Hey, look on the bright side," said Apple Bloom.

"What's that bright side?" asked Rainbow, raising an eyebrow.

"If Sweetie had agreed to come... it probably would have been even worse," said Scootaloo.

"I'm not sure about that," Big Mac commented with crossed arms.

"Probably not," Apple Bloom admitted.

"Was she going to come?" Applejack asked curiously.

"She was... but she had a family outing," revealed the younger Apple.

"That explains why she was at the mall," Rainbow thought with a furrowed brow.

"So, the Belles were inside the store" the farmer thought.

"Less talk, we need to clean up the mess," Granny Smith called attention, pulling the blonde and the athlete out of their thoughts.

Everyone started to help with cleaning up the mess the two younger ones had made. After the cleanup was finished, Rainbow asked her sister to clean her hands, as they were covered in paint. While waiting outside, near her car, Applejack approached to say goodbye.

"Remember we have plans for...," the farmer was going to continue.

"I know, on Sunday," Rainbow finished for her.

"Okay," Applejack nodded.

"Ready, we can leave now," Scootaloo said, approaching them.

"Did you say goodbye?" Dash asked, walking towards the driver's door.

"I did inside, goodbye Applejack," Scoot said, opening the passenger door.

"Goodbye, and to you too," she said, referring to Rainbow.

"See you," the athlete said, getting into the car.

Once inside, Dash started the car and reversed to head home, while Applejack made her way to the front door of her house.

Three years ago: that day
The seven friends walked through the hallways, chatting animatedly after the last class of the day. Rarity remained in the shadows, trying to go unnoticed while her heart pounded in her chest as she realized which hallway they were walking down.

"Girls, I just remembered something," said Rarity, breaking the conversation.

"Okay, see you later," responded Pinkie, as the girls stopped to listen to Rarity.

The athlete stopped in front of her locker. When she opened the door, her expression changed to one of confusion and surprise.

"What the heck happened here? Who put this trophy in my locker?" exclaimed Rainbow, carefully pulling out the trophy. The group of friends approached to see what was going on.

"What's going on?" asked Sunset, furrowing her brow as she saw what her friend was holding. "Isn't that the school trophy?"

"Dash, what's that in your locker?" asked Applejack.

"I have no idea!" Rainbow was visibly bewildered and upset by the situation.

Principal Mare happened to pass by the hallway at that moment and stopped upon hearing the commotion. "What's happening here?" she asked, approaching the group.

"Principal Mare, someone put this trophy in my locker and I have no idea who could've done it," explained Rainbow, showing the trophy.

The principal examined the trophy with a serious expression. "It's the trophy that was taken when the showcase was broken."

"What?!" exclaimed the girls in unison.

"A few hours ago, someone broke the showcase and stole the trophy," said the principal. "This is serious, Rainbow Dash. Come with me to my office immediately to discuss this."

"But I didn't do anything!" Rainbow was visibly distressed by the accusation.

"Principal, you should..." Twilight tried to intervene.

"I said immediately," the principal interrupted.

"But ahhh..." Rainbow followed Principal Mare with the trophy in her hands.

The other five girls exchanged worried looks among themselves. They knew something wasn't right, but they couldn't understand how a trophy had ended up in Rainbow's locker without her knowledge.

Meanwhile, Rarity watched the scene from a distance, feeling the weight of her guilt crushing her once again. "It's done, there's no turning back," she murmured to herself, feeling the anxiety overtaking her once more. "Not again," she said, heading towards an empty spot to sit down.

She felt a sudden increase in her heart rate, accompanied by trembling hands and difficulty breathing. A feeling of tightness in her chest. She struggled to control her breathing, focusing on inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm the overwhelming anxiety that consumed her. After a few moments, she managed to regain her composure.

Present
The dressmaker snapped out of her memory. She was sitting on her bed in her room, and she had been distracted since she returned home with her family from the mall, and she knew they noticed.

The dressmaker sighed. "That was one of my first anxiety attacks, I suppose it was a reflex from my actions," she said sadly.

Then she remembered what happened at the mall when she tried to apologize. "I was so desperate that I didn't even realize my words... I've never apologized... only to my parents."

The dressmaker got up and headed towards the stairs. On the first floor, she could hear the sound of the TV. When she walked a bit, she could see her parents were there.

She approached her parents with hesitant steps. She looked at her mother and father, who were sitting on the couch, absorbed in the television. With a nervous sigh, she broke the silence.

"Can we talk for a moment?" the dressmaker asked, trying to maintain her composure.

Cookie, always attentive to her children's affairs, sensed the tension in Rarity's voice and looked at her attentively. "Does it have something to do with university?" Cookie asked seriously.

Rarity glanced away for a moment. "Mother, for now, can we put that aside? It's something else that's bothering me," she said.

Seeing her daughter's expression, her mother decided to let it pass this time and muted the TV to listen to what her eldest daughter had to say.

"Do you remember what happened three years ago at school, right?" she asked, embarrassed.

Hondo and Cookie exchanged meaningful looks, remembering the situation that caused such a stir.

"Yes, we remember," replied Hondo seriously, while his wife nodded silently. "But you made up for your mistake in the past," he said with a smile.

"With you, yes," Rarity said, looking downcast.

"What do you mean, daughter, and what's this about?" Cookie asked.

"Well, when I went to my first day of university... I ran into the girls again," Rarity confessed.

Her parents widened their eyes in understanding. "That... sounds complicated," murmured Hondo empathetically, placing a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"It is... and I've wanted to talk to them, but..."

"They... don't want to know anything?" Cookie asked with concern, anticipating the answer.

Rarity nodded sadly, feeling the weight of loneliness on her shoulders. "I don't know what to do. How can I apologize to them?" she pleaded, seeking guidance and support from her parents.

Hondo and Cookie exchanged a look full of understanding before enveloping Rarity in a comforting hug. Together, they would devise a strategy and suggestion on how to address the situation and repair the relationships with her friends.

Author's Note

• Sorry for being late. I will tell you the unexpected thing that happened to me. My mother asked me and my brother to chop firewood, and since they were very hard, my brother came up with an idea: use the ax and some kind of hammer. At first the idea worked, but in a bad position I ended up hitting my finger with the back of the ax and with more force than he was using. "Ouch", you don't know how he hurt me. I had to be on ice and I couldn't bend my finger; It hurt every time he tried.

• I had my doubts about revealing what happened, but since I gave clues, I decided to hint at what happened and thus advance further in the plot.

-What Rarity did may be a bit cliché. I looked for more ideas and talked to someone on Instagram who I share ideas with sometimes. I asked him, "Hey, what do you think of this thing Rarity possibly did in the past? Do you think I should change it?" and his response surprised me.

-At first, I had planned for Rarity to be there when Rainbow opened her locker and feigned surprise, but she was going to look very hypocritical of her.

• Now we need to know about Fluttershy and Rainbow, but it's not the only thing missing; You'll know what I mean.

• Some of the mall scenes, like going to the arcade games and the family outing, were based a little on my life.

• Get ready, in the next chapter there will be more things and maybe I will upload it sooner, since I am not only advancing in the chapter that I am about to upload each week, but I am adding more ideas to the possible chapters. But whether I upload the chapters sooner depends if I don't have family matters, and if it's something else, I'll let you know.