Not what it seems

Years later still in the same town as always, Joy turned into a beautiful mare, she's changed since the "incident,"after a few years she started to be her old self. She still had her mint mane with pink and purple highlights and royal blue eyes, but there was something deeper that was missing from her something important. No pony could think of what was different, maybe it wasn't a physical thing on her maybe it was the feeling you get when by her,no one knew but they just hoped that it would return. It didn't for many years later.

She became her old self years later after "the night" she became the pony every pony wanted and got, the happy, loving and understanding pony she is. Joy never celebrates Hearth's warming or Hearth's warming eve it reminds her of too much and gives her painful memories she had stuck in the deepest darkest caverns of her mind. Joy had many friends, for she was friends with everybody in her small little town, but she had one best friend her name was Stardust.

Light yellow coat that could light up a room if it wasn't for her bright smile she had a dark blue mane with a bright purple streak in it with big purple eyes. She was crazy, that's all she was crazy she told stories that never made sense she was always fulled with endless energy and could always say the randomness things in the world. She was always happy though she did have her bad days where no one really spoke to her and that made stardust more happy the next day, every one needs solitude every once in a while. Her cutie mark with a purple star with little pink specks following it.

It was currently Hearth's warming eve and every pony in town was getting ready for the upcoming celebration. Joy was locked in her house, no pony dare to come to her while at this time or talk to her on these sort of days. When it's this time of year she's always scary and every pony can understand that though. No pony knew what happened 12 years ago and not many ponies do, if it can turn the happiest pony in the town into a shell of who she once was then it must have been bad.

Stardust and Joy has been friends for a few months now but they were still best friends, Stardust didn't know not to come to her house and disturb her on this kind of day so when she got there on Hearth's warming eve to give Joy a present she wasn't met with the best reaction. It happened on Hearth's warming and Stardust was trotting to a small yet warming cottage with pale pink ear muffs and a bright yellow scarf to keep her warm on her way to the cottage. The cottage was not exactly in town but really close to there, so Stardust went there with a small box in her blue aura in her grasp smiling to herself. When she got to the cottage she was surprised to see it...bland, no dull. Joy's house always had some lights to it, either it be a lamp outside or the fairy lights outside her house, but Stardust annoyed that fact thinking it was just nothing. Oh how wrong she was.

Once she came to the porch and knocked on it Stardust could hear some sound but couldn't figure out what it was. Finally the door opened to a angry looking Joy staring into Stardust's purple eyes. Before Stardust could say anything Joy cut her off.
"What are you doing here Stardust?" Joy said in a voice that was dangerous and low, a voice Stardust never heard from her best friend. The tone made her flinch on surprise but quickly recovered and smiled again.
"Um well i'm here to give you a present!" Stardust said in her happy voice that always seems to be on.
"Well I don't want the present I only want to be alone and you should know that!" Joy almost yelled at her with her eyes glaring at Stardust.
"Oh sorry I didn't know" Stardust said in a sad voice and looking down at the ground with a few tears at the brim of her eyes. Joy knew how sensitive Stardust was and imminently felt bad.
"I'm sorry Stary but I just don't like this day and you have to understand that during this time of year I like to be alone, okay?" Joy said while having her hoof on Stardust's shoulder to try and comfort her more.
"Oh it's okay I guess, but why do you hate this holiday? It's the most exciting time of year!" Stardust said while jumping up and down to show her excitement for one of her favorite holidays.
"O-oh well I don't like to talk about it" Joy said while having her eyes some where else to avoid any more questions.
"Can you pppllllleeeeaaasssseeee tell meeeeee??? We're BEST friends!" Stardust said while clinging on to Joy and putting on her best puppy god face and even quivering her lip.
"Yes I know but I just don't want to talk about it." Joy said while pushing Stardust off of her and giving her a look.
"But why?? Is it because we aren't as close as we think we are?" Stardust said looking into her eyes and still giving Joy her best look to convince her, though that didn't work.
"I just don't want to okay?!?" Joy yelled getting annoyed by stardust.
"BUT WHY WE'RE BEST FRIENDS AND WE TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING!" Stardust yelled.

For the first time in a long time Joy looked scared, Stardust NEVER yelled EVER, but she was yelling now. Joy didn't want to talk she just wanted to go in to bed and think about when she was younger, but stardust had to come over and ruin it not that she blamed her of course, but what she did blame her on was she was bugging her with questions she didn't want to answer. When stardust yelled at her it was like something deep in Joy snapped into millions of pieces and all joy wanted to do right now was smack the mare. But she couldn't, after all she was her best friend and as mad as she was she couldn't do that to her. So instead of smacking she yelled.She yelled hard.
"SOME THINGS YOU JUST DON'T TELL OTHERS OKAY!?! SOME THINGS PONIES DON'T WANT TO SHARE NOT MATTER HOW CLOSE THEY ARE!" by the time Joy was done she was slightly panting and staring down Stardust with a strong glare.
"O-okay I'll um i'll just leave this for you and not bother you" Stardust said with tears and she set the present on the ground and ran off.

immediately after Joy felt horrible, she just yelled at her best friend. She looked down at the present and open it carefully not caring how cold it was or how the snow glistened in the sky. Inside was a golden frame that was decorated with all sorts of things and the picture was of her and Stardust the day the meet in the park and instantly became friends.

That day was a good day for Joy and she was in the park reading a book and in the corner of her eyes she could see a pony on the bench and crying her eyes out. Joy got up to see the new pony in town.
"Hey what's wrong?" Joy said while getting on the bench and sitting down beside her.
"Oh well I just moved here and I don't have any friends to hang out with so i'm a bit upset about that, then my parents were arguing about something so I came to the park to get away" the light yellow pony said with more tears coming down her face.
"Oh I've been here for all my life and I could always make new friends!" Joy said in her somewhat happy voice.
"REALLY?!? You would?!?" The pony said getting up and hugging Joy till she popped like a balloon with too much air.
"Yes,I-I would if you could stop squeezing me to death"Joy said starting to chock.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" the pony said while letting go of the white mare that had been gasping for air a few moments ago. From there they started a wonderful friendship and got to know each other

Joy sat there remembering that day, the day she meet her best friend . Joy got up and got her scarf and ear muffs from her house and started to run. Running to the park where she knew she could just sit there and be left alone, cause why would anyone be out on the night of Hearth's warming eve? She wanted some solotuid but not in her house she wanted it where she first meet one of the most important ponies in her life, but now she lost her best friend like all those years ago. She knew this would happen, history repeating it's self for Joy, getting close with ponies you love then losing them...forever. She got to the very park and the very bench she meet Stardust on and sat down, and for the first time in along time she cried.