Twilight Sparkle sluggishly ambled through the sleeping city of Canterlot. Everypony was in bed, or almost everypony anyway. If they weren’t asleep they were indoors, seeking shelter from the pouring rain. The purple unicorn wished she could simply teleport to her destination, like she used to, but her magic just wasn't keeping up with her these days...
Twilight’s hooves dragged across the cobblestone road as she turned the lonely street corner to meet the friendly flickering neon lights of Donut Joe's Dessert Shop. She stopped and smiled sadly, remembering her frequent ‘panic episodes’ before exams, during which she always sought refuge in her old friend’s donut shop.
“I wonder how Joe will react to my coming home…” the unicorn wondered sullenly to herself, resuming her exhausting walk towards the shop.
With some effort she heaved open the door, recognizing its bell’s well-known jingle. Donut Joe stood behind the counter, as usual, washing some dishes with his own unicorn magic.
“Twilight Sparkle,” he greeted her in his heavy New Yorkshire accent. “Long time no see. What can I get for you, filly?”
Twilight couldn’t return his playful smile. “Coffee, I guess, thank you.” She somewhat dejectedly found a booth and sat down facing the café's broad picture window. A lonely customer entered a few bits into a jukebox and shortly some sorrowful jazz filled the shop. Trying not to think about Ponyville, Twilight watched raindrops stream down the window, just like those all-too familiar tears.
Donut Joe contentedly whistled to himself while he wiped down the dessert counter with his magic. Noticing that Twilight Sparkle still sat miserably by the shop window, he glanced at the clock.
"Twilight Sparkle, it's about past midnight--the shop closed over twenty minutes ago." He dropped his rag and trotted to her table.
Twilight turned away from the window to face Donut Joe, her eyes brimming with pent-up tears. "I'm so sorry, Joe...I guess I….just lost track.......time…" her voice faded away as she blinked and swallowed hard. Suddenly concerned, Joe responded, "You 'kay? Hey—I wasn't gonna close up shop for a while now."
He sat down across from her and glanced at her untouched cup of coffee. Nudging it towards her with telekinesis, he suggested, "You haven't even touched your drink. Why don't you work on it while you tell me what's on your mind, huh?"
Twilight hesitated and longingly returned her gaze to the dark, rain-washed Canterlot street.
"Come on, Twilight--for old time's sake. I haven't seen you since the National Dessert Competition," Joe encouraged with a sideways smile. "At least tell me what brings you back to your hometown."
Blinking back those annoyingly persistent tears, Twilight pushed away her coffee mug. "I….I might very likely be here to stay, Pony Joe."
Joe's eyes widened at Twilight's use of his old familiar nickname. He gave her a sympathetic glance as he magicked a box of tissues onto their table and waited patiently for his friend to resume. After a moment spent regaining her composure, Twilight continued. "...I don't know if I can live in Ponyville any longer. My friends--" Her voice broke off.
“Is something wrong? Was there a fight?" Joe asked hurriedly.
"That's just it, Joe. Everything's all right with my friends. They're doing wonderfully. They're successful, happy….Rainbow Dash was recently accepted by the Wonderbolts--"
"That's amazin'! I'm not the least bit surprised, y’know. That night you introduced us, after the Grand Galloping Gala, I could tell that mare had spu--"
"She's living the dream." Twilight interrupted, struggling to appear cheerful. "Apparently there's even something going on between her and Soarin', too….although that may have changed...she spends so much time in Cloudsdale now, I wouldn't know." She stopped to choke down her tears. Those tears! Why weren't they going away? She was never one to cry…
Donut Joe used his magic to give Twilight a tissue. "How's that party animal doin' now? The excitable mare with the cake…?"
"Pinkie Pie applied for a job at the Party Barn and was hired as Store Superintendent, I think….gave her apartment on Sugarcube Corner to the Cake twins--they've grown so much I can hardly recognize them…" Twilight sniffed. "Speaking of foals, my brother---remember Shining Armor?"
Joe nodded.
"You know Cadence, my old foal si--I mean my sister in law?"
Another nod. Twilight gave a sad attempt at a grin.
"Well," she started, "they've had a filly. Name's Dawn Breaker. She looks just like Cadence, an alicorn and everything."
"Talk about special, Twi! You've got yourself a royal neice! You must be so proud!" Joe grinned.
"Yeah, I suppose. It's just now my B.B.B.F.F. has even less time for family...well, extended family...semi-extended...no, you know what I mean---"
"You?"
Twilight hung her head in embarrassment. After a minute or two, she admitted, "I know what you're thinking...I'm the most selfish pony in all of Equestria." Her head hung even lower between her sagging shoulders.
"Twilight Sparkle! Of course not." Joe responded with a gentle smile. "We all want attention from the ponies we love, but most of the time we just have to sit back and watch them go about their own lives for a while. Sure, it takes patience, it's somewhat of a sacrifice, but they always come back to you in the end….trust me, I know." With these last words, Joe used his magic to raise Twilight's chin so she could face him from across the table.
A look of sad realization passed across Twilight's countenance, and quickly left with a faint blush. Donut Joe released his magic and cleared his throat to break the suddenly awkward silence. "...and how's that workhorse now, what was her name….AJ?"
"Um...Applejack…" started Twilight slightly uncomfortably. "Well, she runs Sweet Apple Acres now. Her brother….Big Macintosh…" she trailed off again.
For some reason it bothered Donut Joe to hear the regret in Twilight's voice at the mention of the red draft stallion's name.
"Big Mac got married to my acquaintance, Cheerilee." She finished.
"How...exciting?" Joe responded questioningly.
"Yeah." Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, Applejack's younger sister, Applebloom, discovered her special talent, too--something pertaining to interior decorating. Helped fix up the farmhouse a little, I heard."
"You heard?"
"I haven't had the opportunity to visit the Apple Family in a long time...at least, every time I try AJ's too busy to...you know...hang out…" Twilight swallowed hard. "Remember Fluttershy?"
Donut Joe responded with another nod.
"She opened a veterinary clinic out of her own home...and again...she's been pretty busy." Twilight sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry.…" Joe comforted. He was glad that Twilight finally looked like she was done crying--it pained him to see his friend this way, especially during the first time spent together--alone--in years. "Back at the Gala night," he began, "there was another mare with you too, wasn’ there?"
Twilight's ears immediately shot up. Her eyes widened and filled with tears. "Ra-ri-ty!" She bawled.
She threw her hooves over her face and cried harder than she'd ever let herself cry in public before. Joe, shocked, worried, and confused could do nothing more than repeatedly summon tissues out of the box and feed them one by one to the sobbing mare in front of him.
"I-I'm sorry--I didn't...are you oka--do you want some water--coffee--donuts?!" Joe sputtered out. "Can I get you anything to hel--should I leave? Twilight Sparkle, please, PLEASE stop crying...you don't have to tell me what's wrong...just--why don't we change the topic, huh?" He pleaded. "How's your assistant friend, the baby dragon--Spike?"
At this, Twilight immediately froze and stared at Donut Joe. Her face slowly contorted into what seemed to be a painfully strained grin, and Joe smiled back.
"Spike?" Twilight squeaked, almost inaudibly.
While Joe began to ask another hopefully harmless question, Twilight again burst into tears. This time Joe magicked a rag from his kitchen and gave it to Twilight. As Twilight buried her face in the towel, Joe trotted around the table, took a seat next to his old friend and gently put a hoof on one of her violently shaking shoulders.
They sat there, listening to the rain bang relentlessly against the shop window, until Twilight calmed down enough to mumble: "Spike…a-and Rarity…" her voice lowered to a feeble whisper. "...are married."
Donut Joe was too much in shock to give a decent response. After some time he cautiously began, "...When--"
"Yesterday."
"...Where--"
"The other side of Ponyville. Got a nice little place--well, not exactly little….enough for a mature dragon anyway…"
Twilight sat there sniffling, waiting for Joe to respond.
"...how??"
"I don't know, Pony Joe! I JUST. DON'T. KNOW!" Twilight exploded. "They both seem so content though, so…" she said in between heart-wrenching sobs, "...so...perfect."
After a long moment of silence, Twilight seemed to have run out of tears. She continued in a strangely dispassionate tone, "Rarity still runs Carousel Boutique. Her sister looks after the place now, though. Rarity might let Sweetie Belle turn half the store into a recording studio to help kick off her musical career...Sweetie's special talent turned out to be music." She glanced up at Joe, who still sat quietly. "Big surprise there…" Twilight added sarcastically. She sniffed.
With her magic she reached for a tissue from the nearly empty box in between her and Joe. The magical glow around her horn sputtered and went out as Twilight repeatedly tried to summon the tissue.
Troubled, Joe used his own magic and easily offered Twilight the tissue. She sat there despondently, staring at the floor, and hardly acknowledged Joe's offer. He set the tissue back down on the table while Twilight asked in a changed, helpless voice: "Can a pony lose her special talent, Pony Joe?"
"Twilight Sparkle, if anypony knew it'd be you, you're so well-read and intelligent and all." Joe answered as he put his foreleg over Twilight's hunched shoulders. "….but I wouldn't bet on it for the world."
Twilight closed her eyes and didn't respond.
"You said you...might be here to stay?" Asked Donut Joe, quietly, hopefully.
Twilight tried to lift Joe's forleg off her shoulders, but again her magic failed her. Confused, Joe pulled away and tried to apologize.
"Look at me, Joe." Twilight interrupted. "I was Celestia's prized pupil. I knew how to manipulate magic in more ways than anypony in Ponyville. I banished an Ursa Minor, I travelled through time, and only I could wield the sixth element of harmony, magic." A single tear rolled down hear cheek. "Look at me now."
Donut Joe again picked up the tissue and wiped the tear away, saying, "Call me silly, but I'm looking at you and I see the very same mare you just--"
"But I can't go back to Ponyville. I'm not letting anypony back home see me like….this." She looked forlornly up at her sputtering horn.
"Say that again, Twilight." Joe pleaded.
With a somewhat confused expression, Twilight slowly repeated, "I don't want anypony back home--"
"Home, Twilight. You need to go home."
"But--I--"
"Sure, Canterlot's where you grew up as a filly 'n all but Ponyville is your home now, and has been."
"But my magi--"
"I'd bet you're magic'll come back when you go back to Ponyville, Twi. Trust me."
"I don't understand…"
Donut Joe reached up and placed his hoof on top of Twilight's. "Home isn't where you live. It's where your friends are. And your friends make you who you are. Think, Twilight! You're special talent makes a pony who she is. It sure sounds to me as if you left yourself back home."
Twilight was visibly struggling to comprehend everything Joe was explaining. He gave her an analogy, "Your elements of harmony don't function on their own, do they?"
Twilight shook her head.
"Right," he continued, "they need to stick together. Then they're what they were meant to be, if I’m not mistaken.”
"You're suggesting that I go home…?"
Joe nodded, smiling sadly.
"But my friends, they're all….dispersed….living their individual dreams...why am I not doing anything different?" asked the puzzled unicorn.
"Twilight, do you remember why you left Canterlot in the first place?"
Twilight nodded. "The Princess stationed me in Ponyville in order to further study the….magic...of friendship." She gradually began to understand Joe's reasoning.
"You're far from finished learning, Twilight Sparkle. But you'll get there soon. This is probably the most important lesson you've learned so far." Donut Joe smiled.
"You're absolutely right, Pony Joe.” She gave him a melancholy smile. “I'm going home," Twilight left the table and began to walk towards the shop exit, Joe following her.
"Thank you… tremendously…for letting me recognize my mistake." She abruptly engulfed Donut Joe in a hug.
A short while later she let go, stuttering, "...the Princess...will probably want to know about this…..lesson."
Joe simply nodded.
"Thanks," mentioned Twilight. "...again." The purple unicorn pushed open the shop door and stepped back out into the downpour.
Donut Joe turned to finish cleaning up shop, reflecting upon fond memories of himself and Twilight that he thought he’d forgotten years ago. Maybe he'd just hit the hay and leave the cleaning for tomorrow...it was already almost one-thirty in the morning after all….
Suddenly the shop door swung open with a ring.
"Pony Joe?"
Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, dripping wet. The surprised proprietor spun around and stared at her.
"….promise me you'll visit soon."
Donut Joe beamed. "Of course, Twilight. Your closest friends always come back for you."
Twilight returned his grin. Her horn began to glow an increasingly vibrant shade of violet as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. A powerful surge of magic briefly illuminated Donut Joe’s Dessert Shop in a blinding purple radiance as the unicorn teleported home.
