by Perdita Finn
Pinkie’s eyes filled with tears. Something terrible was happening.
But the hardest memories to lose were the last ones. “Oh no, Twilight Sparkle,” realized Sunset Shimmer, as scenes of their times together gathered into her mind. “You taught me everything I know about friendship. Don’t forget me! Please! Don’t forget me! ARGH!”
Twilight watched in horror as the beam of light from the Memory Stone crackled and zapped around Sunset Shimmer. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Sparks flew. More and more memories left Sunset Shimmer.
Sunset Shimmer gasped for breath, dizzy. She looked all around her, confused. “This isn’t Equestria,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Where am I? Princess Celestia?”
Twilight shuddered. Fluttershy covered her face. Pinkie started sobbing. Applejack and Rainbow Dash glared at Wallflower.
Wallflower wouldn’t look at anyone. She kicked at the dirt with her shoe defiantly.
Sunset Shimmer stared at her hands. She wiggled her fingers and freaked out. “What’s happened to me?” she cried. “Somepony help me!”
The Magic of Friendship
The shadows were long. The sun had almost set. Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes, shivering. She opened them again, and all the girls were staring at her.
“Who are you?” she asked.
Twilight stepped forward. “We are your friends,” she announced.
Sunset Shimmer’s face was blank. She didn’t recognize her. But it didn’t matter. The other girls crowded close.
“We may not remember you—” Applejack began.
“But after seeing what you did—” interrupted Pinkie.
“The sacrifice you made for us—” Rarity gushed.
“We would be proud to call you…” said Flutterfly.
“Our friend!” said all the girls together.
Twilight held out her hand to help Sunset Shimmer to her feet. As soon as their hands touched, however, the geodes around their necks began to glow. A sizzling line of energy crackled down Sunset Shimmer’s arm and up Twilight’s. Rainbow Dash reached out and took Twilight’s hand, and the energy traveled into her. Her geode glowed. All the girls linked hands, and all their geodes glowed. They were lifted into the air.
There was magic more powerful than the Memory Stone.
“Wallflower!” announced Twilight from high above her. “You have magic you do not understand, but it is nothing compared with the Magic of…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “We get it! Light her up, ladies!”
Just as the last rays of sunshine slipped below the horizon, a rainbow beam of magic color shot out of their circle and blasted the Memory Stone! It cracked. It exploded, sending sparks in all directions! It was like a Fourth of July fireworks show! Kaboom! Kapowee! Hisssssss!
Sparks flew onto the girls’ foreheads as their memories rushed back to them.
“Aaaaaah!” screamed Sunset Shimmer.
“Ohhh!” cried Fluttershy.
“No!” yelled Wallflower.
“Yes!” exclaimed Pinkie.
Sunset Shimmer looked around her. “Twilight Sparkle?” she asked hesitantly.
“Sunset Shimmer!” cried Twilight, hugging her friend.
Pinkie Pie piled on, and they all shared a big group hug.
“We’re so sorry,” said Twilight at last.
“I’m just glad to have you all back,” Sunset Shimmer told her.
Wallflower felt ashamed watching the reunion. Nothing had worked out the way she had imagined, and now she felt worse than ever. “I’d rather be invisible or forgotten than remembered as a villain,” she whispered.
Sunset Shimmer broke apart from her friends and went over to Wallflower. After all, she knew a little something about making mistakes. “We’ve all been villains to someone at one time or another,” she told Wallflower. “What matters are the choices you make today.”
Wallflower looked down at the last shard of the Memory Stone in her hand. “When I first found the Memory Stone,” she admitted, “I only erased little things—awkward hellos, saying the wrong thing, literally any public speaking.…”
Twilight nodded sympathetically. She understood. “I’ve had plenty of awkward moments I wish I could erase, too.”
“But it’s no excuse,” said Wallflower. “I’m sorry for everything. I was so used to erasing memories that I got completely carried away.”
“It’s okay,” Sunset Shimmer said with a smile, forgiving her. “I’m sorry, too. I may have stopped being mean, but a great and powerful friend helped me realize I still wasn’t very nice to you.”
The other girls nodded in agreement.
“None of us were,” agreed Applejack.
“And I know how hard it is being shy,” offered Fluttershy.
“Everyone matters, Wallflower,” Sunset Shimmer said to her. “No matter how insignificant or invisible they feel.”
Wallflower took Sunset Shimmer’s hands and squeezed them. Somehow everything had worked out in the end. Wallflower never wanted to forget this moment. Not ever.
Most Improved
Sunset Shimmer was writing in her journal to Princess Twilight Sparkle. Not only was everyone friends again—but now the girls had a new friend, too.
Dear Princess Twilight, wrote Sunset Shimmer. You can add a new ending to the archives. The Memory Stone is no more.
Sunset Shimmer had wanted to write to Princess Twilight for a few weeks, but she’d been so busy getting the yearbook finished. Just that afternoon, a truck had arrived at Canterlot High with the finished books. Before the boxes could be unloaded, however, Vice Principal Luna had stormed out of her office, shouting, “No student parking in the faculty lot.”
The faculty lot was a very powerful location. Sunset Shimmer smiled, remembering her trip to Equestria. Without the curse of the Memory Stone, she might not have gone back so soon.
Thank you for your help, she wrote to Princess Twilight. Give my best to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. I am happy to say that everything is back to how it used to be.
Only that wasn’t entirely true. Things were better than they had ever been.
Memories to Treasure
Sunset Shimmer was hurrying to class the next day when Trixie stopped her in the hallway. She was waving her yearbook in the air.
“I demand to speak to the yearbook president!” she exclaimed.
Sunset Shimmer stopped, stunned. What was the matter?
Trixie flipped open her yearbook. “How did this get in here?” she demanded to know.
Among all the usual Superlatives was a giant photo of Trixie under the caption Greatest and Most Powerful. It looked just like the mock-up poster Trixie had created long ago.
Sunset Shimmer shrugged, pretending to be clueless. “A yearbook president never reveals her secrets!” She waved her hand like a magician she knew.
Sunset Shimmer peeked through an open door into a classroom. “I’ve got a delivery for Best Gardener!” she called out.
In the classroom, Wallflower was teaching Snips and Snails about pruning bonsai trees. She looked up and went over to Sunset Shimmer. There in the Superlatives was a picture of her! Not only that, her yearbook was filled with messages and signatures—from Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and all her many new friends.
“You coming to lunch, Wallflower?” Sunset Shimmer asked her.
Wallflower nodded as she waved good-bye to Snips and Snails. Together, the girls headed off down the hallway.
At lunch they sat down with all the girls who were just discovering the biggest surprise of all in the yearbook: The photo on the beach of all the friends together included Sunset Shimmer. Twilight’s camera drone had nailed the shot! It was perfect. But, on the opposite page, flexing his muscles, was Bulk Biceps.
“Oh come on, seriously?” complained Rainbow Dash, laughing.
Sunset Shimmer burst out laughing as the girls discovered her little joke.
It was so much fun to have good friends—a
nd she never, ever wanted to forget how much they all meant to one another.
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