All That Glimmers

by ZOMG

Rating: everyone
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Main 6, Other
Length: 5249

Starlight spends her first Hearth's Warming Eve with friends, new and old.

Hearth's Warming Eve is meant to be spent with family and friends, new and old.

After months of beating back her old ways, Starlight wants her first Hearth's Warming with her friends to go off without a hitch. The presents are all wrapped and ready, Twilight's castle has been decorated, and a few visitors from Our Town came in by train to spend the holiday with them.

But Starlight isn't the only one who put thought into her gifts. After all, Hearth's Warming Eve was meant to be spent together with those she was closest to.

Even if she thought those bonds were lost many years ago.

Original artwork by dm29.
Preread by Jondor and Timaeus.

Published 2015-12-25 01:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-12-25 01:20:01 UTC

Meticulous Planning

I found myself chewing on my bottom lip as I stared at the presents sitting on my bed. Well, it wasn’t technically my bed. It was Twilight's—after all, she was kind enough to let me move into one of the many, many guest rooms in her castle until I “got on my hooves”.

That offer was extended quite some time ago, and I haven’t heard a word about when she expects me to leave since. I’m beginning to think it was another of her open-ended offers. Admittedly, I’m not certain I would’ve extended the same courtesy, at least not on an indefinite basis. Even in Our Town, my offer to stay was simply until our “new friends’” cottages were built.

Er, well, not my Our Town anymore. It’s more their Our Town these days, and good on them for figuring out how to uphold their want for equality while appreciating each others’ talents!

Speaking of which, I must say, I was both distressed and a bit excited that Diamond, Night, Party, and Sugar are visiting for Hearth’s Warming—they may have forgiven me, but I do have a very long way to go until I truly earn their friendship. They might not say it, but I know them.

Too well.

I shook myself. It wasn’t the time to dwell on past mistakes. Hearth’s Warming was a time meant to be shared with my friends.

Yes. Friends. Not ponies I manipulated into adopting my ideology with a few well-chosen words to attack their talents or psyche, but genuine friends. My very first since Sunburst all those years ago.

I shook my head to banish those thoughts. As Twilight kept telling me, it was best to learn from my mistakes, not dwell on them, no matter how terrible they were. After all, she was hardly innocent of a few episodes here and there—a rather interesting tale about her still-missing doll was a testament to that.

Tapping my hoof against my mattress, I looked to each present in turn. Each was wrapped in the same brown packaging with beige twine, much like one would use to ship something through the post office—a perfect way to show that I loved and cherished each of them equally!

With such plain coloring, there was no way for me to cast favor toward any of their color schemes. Thus, there was no way for any to feel like I valued them any less than—

The sizes of the gifts all vary. They’re unequal. And, thinking back, I know for fact that I spent more on certain gifts than others, completely contrary to my budget plan. I’m quite certain Twilight’s present cost about twice as much as Rarity’s. Or any of the others, for that matter.

Inequality. I was perpetuating the very thing that caused conflict amongst ponies. After all, inequality in ability, wealth, and value of ponies is what causes such strife. I should know this better than any, my life’s work was to remove such conflict and teach ponies to think and act in unity so they get along.

The visage of Diamond, Night, Party, and Sugar dressed in tattered brown cloaks, with their manes styled to Our Town’s code, and grinning at me as they proudly displayed the equal signs emblazoned on their flanks where their proper cutie marks should be appeared before my eyes. But they weren’t alone.

Six new faces joined them. Six mares I had grown very fond of and become quite friendly with.

No!

Cursing, I closed my eyes and began to count backward from ten. “We’ve all talked about this,” I reminded myself, speaking aloud as if chiding one of the foals for boasting. “Forcing ideology on ponies is bad. They won’t be bothered by price tags or appearance of wrapping, this is about sharing friendships and exchanging gifts with those closest to us.”

Though the words brought a bit of relief, my heart still raced. I brought a hoof to my chest and took a deep breath, holding it inside a moment. Slowly, I released it, just as Twilight had shown me.

“It’s something Cadence taught me when I was a filly,” she’d told me. “It helps whenever I feel like I’m stressing, so maybe it’ll help you too.”

It’s not magic, but I can feel the weight leaving my shoulders with each repetition. I’ve made many, many mistakes, and learned my lessons along the way. Each of the presents laid out before me were for the ones who stood up and taught me when I needed it most, even if I didn’t think I did at the time.

The corners of my mouth tugged into a small smile as I reached out to run my hoof against one of the twine bows. “They won’t care about price or appearance at all.”

“Starlight?” Twilight’s voice sounded out from my doorway. “Is everything alright?”

I yelped, jumping and turning in place to face my friend. With a quick sweep of my magic, I knocked the presents off my bed. “I’m fine!” I replied, giving a rather plastic smile. “I’m just, um, finishing up my wrapping! Not quite done yet!”

She tilted her head, concern written plainly upon her face. “Sorry, but I could hear you doing my breathing exercises all the way down the hall,” she said. “Can I come in?”

The smile on my face became a bit more genuine. Asking me if she could come into a room in her own castle, what a ridiculous pony. “Yes, please.” I shifted closer to the head of the bed so she could take a seat next to me if she wanted.

Twilight took the invitation and trotted over, hopping up onto my bed. She turned in place so she was facing me fully, her hooves rested neatly on the mattress. “Are you nervous?” she asked, straight to the point with all the subtlety of a buck to the face.

My tail twitched, I reached up to rub at my shoulder. “A little.” I let my gaze fall to the covers—I must say, it was quite nice of her to find a blanket that matched the aquamarine glow of my magic. Yet another gesture she would no doubt brush off as just being friendly.

She moved in closer and placed a hoof atop mine, holding it against my shoulder. “Party’s letter mentioned they were all excited to see you again,” she reminded me in a gentle tone. “And you’ve had some good exchanges with them through mail on your own.”

“Yes, we’ve had some good conversations about the village.” I gave a stiff nod. “They’re running it quite well, far better than I ever—”

“Don’t start,” she chided.

Right. I wasn’t supposed to beat myself up about that. My friends wanted me to learn from my mistakes, not beat myself up over them.

A rather difficult battle, in my opinion. Though, that may just be me.

Ducking my head, I mumbled in reply, “Sorry. I’m still working through some of that.”

“That’s alright. These things can take a little time.” Her hoof left mine as she moved to wrap me in a hug. A gesture I was happy to accept and return.

Warmth spread through me, starting at the very core of my chest, bringing with it a sense of calmness that chased the tension seemed to leave my very being. It’s almost funny. I used to think I’d be the one guiding ponies out of the darkness.

Little did I realize that I was only leading them deeper into it.

Twilight held me for a moment, then shifted to glance over the side of the bed. A chuckle escaped her lips, she drew back to look me in the eye, fixing me with a quizzical look. “Not finished wrapping, eh?” she teased, lighting up her horn and floating eleven neatly wrapped packages to orbit around us.

I chuckled, letting my ears swivel back to lay against my scalp. “I may have panicked a little bit when you walked in.”

“So I see.” She let them all come to a stop in a neat little row, raising a brow as she inspected them. “Brown wrapping paper?”

“I, um, may have had another episode.” I fidgeted in place, biting the inside of my cheek. “I started thinking about how much I wanted everypony to know that I appreciated them, but didn’t want anypony to feel any less appreciated, and then…” I trailed off.

Fortunately, Twilight knew where I was going. “So that spiraled into worrying about whether or not we’d get upset if our presents weren’t wrapped as nicely as others.”

“Or that I’d spent more on certain gifts,” I admitted before I could stop myself.

She sighed and ran a hoof through her mane, drawing another wince. I know that sigh, it’s one I used to employ whenever somepony in Our Town would start to act contrary to our—er, my ideology, rather.

The disappointed teacher sigh. Something that still evoked shame in nearly every pony who wanted to belong.

I, myself, am not immune, no matter how skilled I was in using it.

“I’m sorry,” I say, as though hoping to soften the verbal blow to come.

Or one that would’ve come if the roles were reversed, and Twilight had been my newest convert as planned. The thought of her grinning back at me in that manner used to make me feel a hint of pride at how well a princess joining my cause would help spread the message far and wide.

Now, instead, the mere thought brings the burning taste of bile to the back of my throat.

Her hoof touched mine again. “Don’t be.” Twilight smiled at me, rubbing at the back of my hoof. “It takes time, Starlight. I didn’t think you’d suddenly forget all those thoughts just because you became my friend.”

“I’d like to forget,” I grumbled, flicking my tail. “It would be much easier.”

She heaved another sigh. “And you’d have learned nothing, Starlight. If we could all hit ‘erase’ and forget our mistakes, we’d just keep making them over and over again, in different ways.” Leaning over, she nudged her shoulder against mine. “And we’d never have become friends.”

I hate it when she does that.

Grumbling, I flick my tail again. “You’re right, as usual.” I cast a sideways glance at her, fixing her with a narrow-eyed stare. “You don’t play fair when it comes to not letting me wallow.”

Twilight gave a snort of laughter. “The last time I was left to wallow, I hypnotized a town into chasing a doll so I could solve a friendship problem. Ponyville is a ‘no wallowing zone’.”

A ghost of a smile crossed my face. I couldn’t help it, she’d long since figured out how to make me laugh, and seemed to be going that route. Clever girl.

Why bother fighting it when I could just play along and feel better? “Is that a Royal Decree?” I ask.

“It is,” she replies, nodding solemnly. “My mental health advisor says so.”

“Oh? And just who do we have to thank for this new piece of legislation.”

“Pinkie Pie.”

I had to bring a hoof to my mouth to help hold back my laughter, though I was unable to hide my grin. “You’re terrible. I’m impressed you managed to say that with a straight face.”

“No, terrible is that you think I’m kidding.” Her brows furrowed, she turned to stare at the wall. “My friends were the first petitioners I ever had to deal with; they all came in with her and helped her lobby to make Ponyville a ‘no wallowing zone’ for one Twilight Sparkle.” Rolling her eyes, she faced me again and stayed silent a moment.

I never was very good at hiding my mirth, and she’d picked up on that as well.

Twilight waved a hoof at me. “Go on, laugh. I did too, right up until I realized how serious they were.”

No further prompt was needed. I let it all out, cackling and pointing my hoof at her like she’d walked into the room with custard pie smeared all over her face, and her horn sparking with magic as she tried to hold in her temper before she went after Pinkie and Rainbow.

I fell back onto the bed, kicking my hind legs in the air. “You should see the look on your face!”

“You should’ve seen it when we showed her all the signatures!” Pinkie Pie giggled, rolling around right next to me. “She looked like she was sucking on a lemon!”

Normally, I’d have jumped at another of her sudden appearances, but the way Twilight groaned and brought a hoof to her forehead only sent Pinkie and I further into peals of laughter, hugging one another as we tried to regain control.

Well, I tried. Pinkie simply did as Pinkie was wont to do, as per usual.

“Hello, Pinkie,” Twilight said, resigned to suffer our friend’s antics. “What brings you here?”

“Oh!” Pinkie sat up straight, beaming at us both before launching into her mile-a-minute babble, “Well, Rarity sent me up to tell you that everything’s ready for the welcoming-slash-pre-Hearth’s Warming Eve party and remind you both that the train is due to arrive really soon, so I ran up the stairs as fast as my hooves could carry me, and went to your study! Only, you weren’t in your study, so I went and checked your room, but you weren’t there either! So, I went running all over the place, and—”

Mercifully, Twilight chose that moment to force her mouth shut with a well-timed ribbon of magic. “You came to tell us that it’s time to go meet them at the train station? Nod if yes.”

Giggling around the hoof, Pinkie nodded and gave a muffled “Yepperp-depper-doodle!” in reply.

“Okay, thank you.” Twilight removed her hoof from Pinkie’s mouth. “Go let the girls know we’ll be down in a moment, just finishing up a little chat with Starlight.” She looked to me for confirmation.

Naturally, I was on the spot with a single nod. “Yes, soon enough.” I reached out with a hoof and touched Twilight’s, then gave a wobbly smile for added effect. “Twilight was just helping me through another of my, um, little lapses.”

One blink later, and I found myself wrapped in a warm, tight hug—the Pinkie Pie specialty. “It’s okay, Starlight,” she said, her tone soft, yet still holding that same perkiness she always seemed to carry.

For her, it’s a rather bare-bones message. But it’s one I needed most.

Tentatively, I returned her hug. “Thank you,” I mumbled in reply. “It really means a lot to hear.”

She drew back and beamed at me. “No problemo, Starlight-o!” she chirped, right back to her normal exuberance. Hopping to her hooves, she snapped a quick salute to Twilight and bounced twice to get off the bed, then made her way to the door.

Just before heading out into the hallway, she stopped and turned to look over her shoulder—though not at Twilight or me, I noticed.

Her eyes were locked on the presents still held aloft in Twilight’s grasp.

She was still trying to sneak a look at hers.

I lit my horn and deftly slipped my magic in through the “cracks” in Twilight’s magic, stealing enough control of the spell to drag my packages behind my back. “No, Pinkie,” I scolded.

Pinkie whined. “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!” She stuck out her lip in a rather exaggerated pout, complete with wide, watery eyes.

Fortunately, past interactions with Fluttershy, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle have rendered me quite impervious to such displays.

Mostly.

Somewhat.

Not at all. I had to look away and fold my hooves to keep the image. That pony sniffs out weakness better than me—er, better than when I used to play on others’ doubts.

Fortunately, Twilight sensed my weakness and cleared her throat. “Pinkie, you know the rules,” she said. “No opening presents until Hearth’s Warming Morning.”

“But Starlight gets to—eep!” Pinkie clapped her hooves over her mouth, shooting a rather guilty look toward Twilight, then glancing toward me. “Sorry! Gotta go! Bye!” Without another word, she zipped off, leaving behind a cloud in the vaguest shape of a pony.

I blinked a few times as the gears in my head began to whir. Slowly, I turned to Twilight, who seemed to have taken a rather keen interest in her hooves.

For a leader, she had a rather startling inability to hide things from her friends.

“You’re planning something,” I said.

Twilight flinched, then aimed a rather plastic grin in my direction. “Of course I am,” she agreed. “It’s Hearth’s Warming. We all planned out what we were getting one another, you know how it works.”

I tapped a hoof against the mattress, staring silently at her. If there’s one thing I learned about my friend-slash-teacher, it’s that she couldn’t stand feeling like somepony knew she was up to something.

From what Rarity and Applejack have told me, it’s something to do with feeling as though she’s a naughty filly standing in front of Princess Celestia. I may have sniggered a bit.

Okay, I sniggered a lot.

There may have been claims that I was seen rolling around on the floor of Carousel Boutique’s display room with tears of mirth streaming down my face.

They were quite true.

Nevertheless, I maintained my gaze for a moment longer, then went in for the proverbial kill. “Twilight Sparkle,” I said in my very best disappointed teacher’s tone.

Her wings flared, she hopped nimbly off the bed and made for the door. “W-Well, I’ll just leave you to store those! Be sure to meet us downstairs in—”

“Oh, no you don’t!” My horn flashed, the door slammed shut, held firm against her attempted wrenching by my magic.

For a moment, we dueled for control. Two master mages locked in an epic struggle, neither of us willing to give an inch.

I gritted my teeth. “Tell me what you’re all planning!”

“No!” she shot back, straining as she managed to snake a tendril through my defenses and take hold of the doorknob. “It’ll ruin the surprise!”

Clever, but that didn’t stop me from simply shifting focus to the door itself. I threw the full force of my magic against the door, then stepped off the bed and began to stalk toward her.

Twilight stepped back, her eyes darted around for an escape.

A smirk began to spread across my muzzle. She was on my terms in my own room, the fact that it was her castle was irrelevant. The environment was on my side.

Her eyes lit up. Shooting me a cheeky grin, she released her hold on the doorknob. A tendril of magenta magic shot passed me, and then my world went dark. “What in Equestria?” I yelped, throwing up my hooves to cover myself against the merciless onslaught of…

My blanket.

I had forgotten that Twilight had already beaten me twice when I thought the advantage was mine. She seemed to have a rather impressive talent for that.

“You little parasprite!” I shrieked, pushing up against it with my magic and throwing it off of me, just in time to see her bolt through the open doorway. Naturally, I galloped after her, the hair on the back of my neck bristled as her laughter and hooves echoing off the high arching walls of the crystalline castle. “Get back here and tell me!”

As it turned out, Twilight was not above enlisting allies in her quest to keep me unaware as to the nature of her little surprise.

Namely, she was all too pleased to go tearing through the main entrance at full gallop, yelling “Pinkie! Starlight wants you to teach her all fifty-seven verses of the Hearth’s Warming song you told me about the other day!” at the top of her lungs.

I never had a chance. My poor ears suffered a most terrible assault, and about thirteen verses were forcibly crammed into my head.

Standing on the platform with a blue scarf around my neck and matching boots on my hooves, I shot a sidelong glare at each of my friends, who all grinned back, looked away and whistled, or, in the case of Fluttershy,  sucked in her lips and tried her best not to meet my gaze.

They were all in on it, and, if history held true, there were several plans to make sure I didn’t figure out their little surprise.

I wrinkled my snout and looked off into the distance, allowing myself a small smile as I watched a small train chugging toward us. If they wanted to play little games and group together to find me some sort of surprise, and then go to great lengths to keep it from me, that was fine.

Twilight would get her just desserts soon enough, since she was, no doubt, the mastermind behind the plot. She’d forgotten that she wasn’t the only mare in town with high level magic at her disposal.

Vengeance would be sweet. Already, I had an idea on how to enlist Spike to my cause.

I spared a quick glance to the young drake seated atop Twilight’s back, looking off into the distance with us. His allegiance could be bought with a few gemstones as long as it didn’t involve anything too rash.

Fortunately, I don’t think he’d mind distracting Twilight while I move a few of her things about six inches to the left, just enough that she knows something is out of place but can’t quite put her hoof on it.

The thing about friends with OCD is that they can be rather easy to tease. As I found out when Rainbow walked in, switched a few books around, threw a jaunty wave in my direction, and then walked out as if nothing happened, Twilight Sparkle is no exception.

It took us hours to figure out which books she’d moved, not to mention where she’d put them.

With each passing moment, the train drew closer. Memories of the times spent with the four approaching ponies flashed through my mind—convincing them to join my cause, living in Our Town with them, watching them turn against me when they discovered my lie (that one hurt quite a bit), and then, to my surprise and immense relief, accepting my apology.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as their train entered its last leg in the approach. Would they receive me as readily as they had at the entrance of Our Town? Had they really forgiven me for all the things I’d said and done?

Maybe I should’ve taken that invitation to visit and talk with my former townsponies before Hearth’s Warming. It would’ve at least given me some sort of feel for what was coming.

I was broken out of my thoughts by a repetitive thumping of hooves on wood. Snorting in amusement, I turned to watch as Pinkie bounced in place.

“They’re here, they’re here, they’re here!” she squealed, throwing her hooves apart like a magician after the final bounce.

Rainbow Dash’s hoof shout out to the side, catching Pinkie around her withers to try and stop her bouncing. “Settle down, girl!” she scolded, laughing as Pinkie fixed her with an over exaggerated pout. “C’mon, you can wait a little longer to bake with Sugar Belle again.”

“That so?” Applejack drawled. “An’ just who’s been trainin’ for a race with Night Glider, stirrin’ up all kinds o’ crazy wind around my farm whenever she goes zippin’ passed?”

Shrugging, Rainbow placed her hoof on the ground. “Hey, priorities. We didn’t get to race last time, so I’m just gonna smoke her while she’s here.”

Twilight and I shared a look, then rolled our eyes. Of course those two would want to race in the middle of winter. From what the letters have told me, Night has been practicing her gliding quite a bit, and roped quite a few of her fellow pegasi into races. None had been able to hold a candle to her speed, which left her wanting for competition.

Naturally, Rainbow Dash was her best bet. And why not?

“Whatever makes you happy,” I said, turning to watch the train again. “Just don’t be surprised if you miss out on all the hot cocoa and snacks that Pinkie and Sugar make for the rest of us while we sit inside Twilight’s nice, warm castle!”

She scoffed and flipped her mane. “Yeah, well, we know Double’ll come watch us. And Party, too. Wait, that means she’s gonna have a bigger cheering section on my home turf!” Her wings flared out to the side, Rainbow leapt forward and pointed a hoof at the rest of us. “You guys have gotta have my back!”

Fluttershy bobbed her head, a look of rare determination crossed her face. “I’d, um, be happy to be a part of your section again. If you want, that—eep!” Before she could finish, Pinkie snatched her up into a hug.

“Me too! Me too! Me too!” she cheered. “Flutterbutter and I can be your cheering section, Dashie!”

Pumping her hoof, Rainbow flexed her wings. “Sweet! Thanks, girls!” She turned to the rest of us, grinning expectantly.

“I’m in,” Applejack said. “Team Dash all the way.”

“Not exactly a matter to question, really,” Rarity added. “Though, if you could do me a favor and race her before I sneak her off to style her mane, I’d be much obliged.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Rares.” Rainbow folded her hooves over her chest, grumbling, “Can’t believe a pegasus that awesome wants to play dress up with you.”

Again, Twilight and I shared a look. There wasn’t really a way to say no to her, I’d found. Though, in this case, I did have some semblance of an excuse. “My loyalties are torn,” I said. “I’ve known Night Glider longer, and both of you are my friends. So, I’ll just enjoy the race.”

“I’ll join the Rainbow section,” Twilight said, fixing me with a smirk. “Though, I don’t think you’re going to beat Night Glider quite as easily as you think.”

Scoffing, Rainbow waved a hoof at us. “You’ll see,” she said, a cocky smirk worked its way across her face.

I glanced at her wings, and spared a silent chuckle when I noticed them fluttering as she bounced lightly on her hooves. She could dress up her attitude and claim that she was looking forward to the “only challenging flyer outside the Wonderbolts” as much as she wanted, but it didn’t take a genius to recognize her excitement.

Knowing Night Glider, she was thinking along the same lines.

May Celestia have mercy on us all.

At last, the wait was over. Their train pulled into the station, grinding to a halt and hissing as it spewed steam onto the platform. I waved my hoof in front of my face, wrinkling my snout at the scent of coal.

Equestria desperately needed to find an alternative means of travel. One that, preferably, didn’t assault my senses so much.

When the steam cleared, I could see them through the windows. Namely, I could see Party Favor and Sugar Belle’s curly, bouncy manes disappearing behind a wall, then reappearing in the next window alongside Night Glider’s perpetual windswept style, and Double Diamond’s helmet mane.

They were all smiling and laughing as they made their way to the door, with their suitcases held aloft in magic or laid across Double Diamond’s back. So much happier than they’d been when I was running things.

I shook myself. Dwelling was only going to make things worse.

Again, I fixed the smile upon my face as they trotted through the door, each pausing to spare a nod to the conductor and thank him for the ride.

A pink blur shot from our side to catch the four of them in a tight hug. “You’re here! You’re here! You’re finally here!”

Laughing, Party Favor slipped his hooves free and wrapped them around her. “We are! We are! We finally are!” he replied in similar manner, nosing into her mane. He looked up at the rest of the girls, grinning at each in turn. “It’s great to see you all again!”

“I’d give you a hug, but, y’know.” Night Glider glanced between Pinkie and Party, then shot a wry look at Double and Sugar when they joined in the hug, all but squishing her in the middle of the middle of it all. “Gah! Lemme go! You guys are gonna break me in half!”

Double reached up and gave her a noogie. “Oh, shut up and take the hug, you big foal! Keep up that whining and I’ll make sure Sugar Belle doesn’t let you have any sweets!”

That was all it took to send the rest of us into laughter with him while Night Glider gasped and begged a giggling Sugar Belle not to let her suffer “a sweetless holiday” at Double Diamond’s behest. Party, of course, simply sniggered quietly, while Pinkie seemed a bit torn between amusement and horror.

Apparently, not allowing a pony their sweets was a fate worse than death in Pinkie’s Equestria. Heaven help us if that mare ever gets elected to public office.

With their antics playing out before us, the floodgates opened. Each of my new friends stepped forward to embrace my old ones—er, old, renewed friends? We did have a reunion after that falling out—and went about the usual pleasantries; asking how they were, how Twilight was doing with her princess duties, what sort of parties were being hosted, and, the one that caught my interest, how things were in Our Town.

I hung back a bit and made a show of surveying the train. Eavesdropping was hardly appreciated, but I couldn’t help but take interest in how Twister and Raindance had finally gotten married, or how Quick Wit had taken over teaching the foals.

Though it wasn’t my village, I felt warmth fill my chest. At very least, something good had come from my old mistakes. The thought was much more pleasant than beating myself up.

The steady cadence of hooves on wood made my ear flick toward them. I turned and found myself muzzle-to-muzzle with Sugar Belle, flanked by the rest of my friends.

She hesitated a moment, giving a shy smile. “Hello, Starlight,” she said, her voice as soft as I remembered. Nowhere near as chipper or exuberant as I’d heard she’d been at the post-chasing-me-out celebration.

But, I let bygones be bygones. She forgave me, and I had nothing my gratitude for that.

I returned her smile. “Nice to see you four,” I greeted, giving myself a little pat on the back for remembering what I’d practiced saying. “I hope your trip was—”

Four pairs of hooves wrapped around me in a tight hug, effectively derailing my rehearsed greeting.

“It was great,” Double said, drawing back to smile fondly.

I felt a bit odd seeing my former right-hoof looking down at me—I never realized how tall he was—like that. Good odd.

Without warning, his grip around me tightened as he picked me up. I squeaked in protest and kicked my hind legs in search of the nice, firm, safe ground, then squealed when I felt his hoof shift up to noogie my mane.

“Put me down!” I demanded through poorly hidden giggles. “Double Diamond! You’re ruining my mane!”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Starlight!” he boomed above our friends’ laughter.

I love my friends.