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.