Mayhem felt so excited. It was his second week of wish granting. That in itself was exciting enough, but he was going to finally see Spring Meadow again. He knew he could have visited at any point during the week, but he wanted to see if Twilight was really correct.

She had told him that after a week he’d see a whole new Spring. A Spring that was returning to her previous state of love and happiness. He showed patience just for that hope.

He opened the door to Twilight’s knock, floating up and hugging her. “Hello, Twilight!” he said joyfully. “How are you?”

She returned the hug. “Very good, thank you. What about you?”

He released her, flashing a big grin. “I’m so happy!”

“That’s what I want to hear. You ready to have some fun?”

He nodded hard and floated onto her back. “Yes, please!”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

“Bye, Mommy!” He waved to Fluttershy.

She returned the wave. “See you later, Mayhem.”

They teleported, and wound up outside Sweet Pea’s house.

“Hmm?” Mayhem said curiously. “What are we doing here? You don’t have everyone ready this time?”

“I have the other three waiting, but I thought you’d like to take this chance to talk to Spring Meadow and see how she’s done over the past week.”

“Oh! Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Twilight knocked on the door, and a short while later it opened. “Hello,” she said genially as she saw Sweet Pea’s mother.

“Oh,” she said. “Hello, Princess.” She turned her head and said loudly, “Sweet Pea! Twilight and Mayhem are here!”

“Oooo!” came a squeal in the distance, and soon enough the rapid sound of hooves came closer.

She came around the corner, and threw her hooves around the little draconequus. “Hi, Mayhem!” she said excitedly.

“Hello, Sweet Pea,” he replied.

The energy drained out of her, and her voice grew shaky. “I just… I… well, there’s just no words that can get across just how much what you did means to me.

“It’s just like old times. We’ve been having family dinners with Spring’s family all week. Things finally feel back to normal.”

“She and Forest have been nearly inseparable all week,” said Sweet’s mother. “She’s finally getting some pep back. All of us have been so much happier this week, and it’s all thanks to you and your magic.”

Mayhem sniffed, his lower lip trembling. He squeezed Sweet Pea, crying a little. He had really made a difference. Not just with Spring’s family, but Sweet’s as well.

Twilight smiled down at him. She wanted him to keep experiencing the results of his good deeds. It would only strengthen his heart and make him more unlikely to go back to his out of control self.

She put a hoof on his shoulder. “Well, it seems your actions have had some good results, after all.”

“Did he think they didn’t?” Sweet asked as she released him.

“He got a little caught up in Spring’s lingering sadness last week, wondering if he had really done anything good for her if she was still miserable.

“I explained to him that she just needed more time to get past her feelings.”

Sweet let out a little sigh. “It is just like old times… but that’s certainly true. In the middle of playing together her eyes will sometimes look somewhere far away.

“It’s like the flip of a switch. One minute she’ll be happy and joyful and laughing, then she suddenly shifts and starts crying and begging for hugs.”

Sweet hung her head. “I sometimes wonder if she’ll ever be all better.”

Twilight gave Mayhem a little push. He looked up at her, and she moved her head towards Sweet a few times.

It took Mayhem a few seconds to get it. He remembered what she had told him last week when he was expressing doubts.

He looked back towards Sweet Pea and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Spring is gonna be just fine. I know it might seem like she’s just stuck in the past, but you’re focusing too much on just the fact that she gets sad rather than what it means.”

Spring’s eyebrow rose as she looked back at him. “And… what does it mean?”

“She’s building up experiences to fight the darkness. She spent a long, long time telling herself that she was worthless trash who wasn’t worthy of love. That took a real toll on her mind, but her asking for love and hugs is her way of overcoming the past.

“Whenever she starts feeling unworthy she goes to someone she loves and asks for them to connect their heart with hers for reassurance. As she does this over and over she starts to rebuild her broken heart with all those experiences.

“She’s told herself horrible things probably hundreds of times, building walls of self-hatred, so now she needs to hear nice things that much more so they can break down those walls and let the love in.

“It’s going to be slow at the start, but as she gets love every day those walls will grow weaker and weaker until she can break them down for good.”

Sweet gave him a small smile. “I guess you’re right. It will be a good day when she gets rid of him for good.”

Twilight and Mayhem both gave her perplexed looks.

“Why would you say that?” asked Mayhem. “I guess you just misspoke, but it sounds like you think Spring will be happy if her brother was gone.”

Sweet’s head tilted. “Why would you-”

She stopped, a thoughtful look on her face. “Oh! Oh… that’s right. You wouldn’t know, would you?”

“Know what?” asked Twilight.

“Well, I think it would be best if you got it from her directly. It’s her thing, after all. She should be the one to explain it.”

Mayhem was intrigued. If her brother wasn’t what Spring would be happy to be rid of for good, then who else could it be? And how did it relate to her feelings about the accident?

Twilight was similarly curious. Why would Sweet be referencing someone not involved in the accident? They had seen in her memories that no one blamed the filly for the accident, and only gave her sympathy.

Sweet gave her mother a hug. “I’ll see you later, Mom. I can see both of these two want an answer to the mystery.”

“Farewell, dear,” she replied, hugging her daughter back.

They went next door, knocking on it.

Clear opened the door. “Greetings, Princess,” she said with a bow. “How are you today?”

“Very good, thank you,” Twilight replied.

Clear looked over at Mayhem, walking forward and hugging the draconequus to her. “Thank you so much, Mayhem. I wish I could say more than just that. It just feels so inferior to what I want to get out.”

Mayhem smiled as he returned the hug. “You’re welcome!

“Don’t worry so much about the words. I can feel your heart. That tells me everything you want to say.”

When she let him go she was teary-eyed like Sweet had been earlier. “Our family owes you a lot. Who knows how long Forest would have been in a coma if it hadn’t been for you? If there’s anything you need of us please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Don’t cry. Just be happy. That’s all I want from you.”

She took in a deep breath, wiping her eyes and getting her smile back. Turning her head she said loudly, “Still! Spring! Forest! Twilight and Mayhem are here!”

It took a minute, but the three made their way to the front door as well. Just like Clear, their first action upon seeing Mayhem was to hug him in gratitude.

Mayhem felt warm from their love, tears gently coming down his eyes.

When he was released he hugged Twilight. “Twilight?” he said with a happy sigh.

“Yes, Mayhem?” she replied.

“Love feels good, doesn’t it?”

She chuckled. “It sure does. Is that why you’re hugging me now?”

He nodded. “I wanted to pass some of that love on to you. After all, it wasn’t just me that helped Spring last week. You helped too.”

“Well… a little bit. You did most of the work.” She rubbed his head. “But I appreciate the sentiment all the same. Nothing wrong with a little extra love in the world.”

He turned back to Spring. “So… who’s this mystery person?”

“Mystery person?” Spring asked in confusion.

He nodded. “Sweet Pea said something about you wanting to be rid of someone for good, and it seems to have something to do with your accident.

“The only person involved with the accident was your brother and Specter, and it doesn’t feel like you want to be rid of either of them.”

“Oh,” said Spring. “That.

“The one I want to be rid of is King Sombra.”

Mayhem’s head tilted in confusion.

Twilight had a serious look on her face. “What does that mean?” She walked forward, an air of power emanating out of her. “You think King Sombra is possessing you? What does that mean?”

“Easy, Princess!” Forest said quickly. “It’s just a code word.”

Twilight glared at him. “A code word?”

“It’s something I came up with. Rather than thinking about it like she’s attacking herself, we use that to signify that her darkness is emerging and needs to be fought.

“All she has to do is say that Sombra is coming, or just the word in general, and we know it’s time for some affection.”

The fierce look on Twilight’s face faded, though she still looked somber. “And why is that your code word?”

“Shortly before my accident we learned about the Crystal Empire and King Sombra’s rule in history class. Not only was he turned into a shadowy form by the princesses, his name literally means shadow.

“Aside from that, one of his most devastating abilities was to make one live out their worst fears. Rather fitting from both sides, don’t you think?”

Mayhem nodded. “That makes sense.”

“It certainly relates when you put it like that,” said Twilight, “but that still doesn’t explain why you need a code word at all. Isn’t asking for hugs and affection enough?”

“My logic,” said Forest, “is that it works better for her as a visual metaphor. If you can identify where the threat is, then you know the direction to run to in order to get away from it. However, if you think about it as the thoughts coming from herself then there’s nowhere to run, as you can’t get away from yourself.

“Rather than just her mind fighting against itself, one side fighting for love and one fighting for hate, it allows her to view her troublesome thoughts as an intruder that has to be chased away.”

Twilight took in a slow breath. “So, then… Sombra. If her natural state is love, then when she starts getting down about the accident she views it as an outside threat taking control rather than an internal one. And when you show her love that threat is forced to relinquish its hold on her, receding back into the shadows.”

He nodded.

“That’s really clever,” said Mayhem.

“There’s one more reason I like it,” said Spring.

“What’s that?”

She got an awkward look on her face. “I still don’t like being babied.”

“Hmm?”

“Twilight asked why we use a code word rather than just asking for hugs and affection. The problem with that is that they’re not always connected to one another.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight.

“I understand why my parents are concerned. After all, Mayhem showed them my memories and all the nasty things I thought about myself. It’s certainly true that I’ve struggled a lot this week. Sombra has constantly invaded my mind and I’ve needed tons of hugs and nice words to fight him off.

“But… sometimes… he’s not there. They’ve gotten used to thinking that if I’m asking for something that it means he’s in my mind, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes I just want a hug, and there’s nothing more to it. But they always acted like it was a full on disaster, and it made me uncomfortable. That’s why I’m glad for this new system.”

“Ah,” said Twilight, understanding now. “So Sombra is also used to avoid confusion. If you use his name it signifies you’re in considerable distress and need to be taken care of immediately, while if you just ask for a hug or to snuggle then it lets them know you’re still alright and are just seeking a connection.”

“Wow!” said Mayhem. “I can’t believe how in depth just using one word can be.

“So… you’re still having a hard time of it, huh?”

She nodded. “Sombra… is really strong. I’ve been pushing to fulfill my brother’s wish as much as I can, but I’m still weak. It’s really easy to fall into the darkness.

“It’s like I’m barely holding my head above water, and when I stop paying attention my head goes under. My family is always there to lift me out of the water, but as soon as they let go…”

Tears came down her eyes. “I just feel like I’m defective sometimes.”

“Don’t say that,” said Sweet Pea. “You just need more time to get past your feelings.”

“All I want to do is smile so I can make Forest happy too, but I can’t do it on my own yet.

“I’m just constantly dragging him down with my own stupid feelings.”

“That’s not true, Spring,” said Forest. “Don’t let Sombra’s lies rile you up.”

“It is true!” She spun around towards him. “Every single day all you do is spend all your time with me. You don’t go out anymore. You only talk to Specter when he comes to visit. The only time we’re apart is when you’re at school. Besides then I’ve completely taken over your life.”

Spring stomped her hoof. “I hate this!” she said angrily. “I hate having to rely on the person I’m trying to help. I want to do it on my own! I’m just too weak to do it by myself.”

She let out a low growl. “How can I give when I’m taking away? With everything he does, going out of his way to spend so much time with me, I still can’t do anything for him in return on my own yet.”

Everyone looked down now, except Twilight.

“Don’t worry,” said Twilight with a calming smile. “I’ll help her past these feelings. I already know exactly what I want to say.”

Clear looked a little less worried. “Okay. I trust you, Princess.”

“We have to go. I have the other children in the castle already. I don’t want to leave them alone for too long or they’ll get worried.”

Forest reluctantly moved towards his mother.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Forest stopped and turned back towards her. “You’re coming with us. You are an essential part of this.”

“I thought…”

She inclined her heads towards Mayhem. “As I said to him last week, our jobs as spreaders of friendship is to create a solution that doesn’t require our continued presence. This is still a matter between you and your sister, so you naturally have to be there for a proper resolution.”

He nodded, looking relieved. “I’d rather be there anyway.”

Twilight bowed her head to Clear and Still. “I know you’re worried about your daughter, and rightfully so, but I give you my word as princess I will help resolve her feelings just like last week. By the time I return her to you she’ll be much better, so please put your burdens on me and let them flow away.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Still said humbly, bowing to her. Clear mimicked the motion.

Twilight’s horn flashed, and they were now in a room in the castle. “Stay here for a minute. I need to talk to the other children.”

“I’m staying here!” Sweet Pea said. “She’s my best friend, so I want to make sure you really do help her again.”

“I want to be here for it too,” said Mayhem, “but I do want to come over to say hi. And probably give them some board games or something so they won’t be bored waiting for us.” He let out a little chuckle.

Twilight nodded. “That’s fine.”

They went a few doors over to the room they had been in last week. She opened the door.

When they saw Mayhem all the children got up and trotted over to him.

“Hey, Mayhem!” said Chocolate Chip, giving him a hug. “How are you doing?”

“Good.”

“I got a real good wish today,” said Flash Step. “I’ve been thinking on it all week.”

“Same here,” said Plum Pie. She looked around, then asked, “What about Sweet Pea? She couldn’t make it this week?”

Chocolate looked disappointed. “It won’t be the same without the five of us together.”

“She’s here,” said Twilight. “I know you guys have been waiting all week for this, but I need to ask for just a little more patience from you. We have a bit of an emergency friendship problem to attend to. Shouldn’t take longer than twenty or thirty minutes.”

“What’s wrong with Sweet Pea?” Flash asked with concern. “If she’s in trouble we should be there for her, just like we did for Mayhem last week.”

“I thank you, Flash, for thinking of your friend, but it’s not her with the issue. It’s a friend of hers.”

“We helped her last week,” said Mayhem, “but she still needs a bit more help.”

“Do you want us to come along?” asked Plum.

“Again,” said Twilight, “thank you for your concern, but it would be best if you stayed here. She doesn’t need moral support right now. She needs to understand how much her brother values her.”

Mayhem snapped, and a toy box appeared. “I don’t want you to be bored while you wait, so this is for you to pass the time. Close the box, think about the kind of game or ball you want, and it will show up when you open it next.”

“Cool!” said Flash.

Mayhem waved to them. “Okay, we’ll be back soon.”

He headed for the door with Twilight, pausing as he heard his name. He turned around. “Yes?”

Plum gave him a warm smile. “I believe in you, but if you need our help we’re here for you.”

Mayhem returned her grin. “Thanks, you guys.”

They went to the room where Spring and the rest waited, closing the door behind them.

Author's Notes:

Did you get swept up in the mystery too? Bet you didn't see that coming.

So Spring is still, naturally, having some issues, but Twilight already has a plan. And it's a good one.