Author's Note

Character Tags: Main 6
Tags: Sad, Slice-of-Life

Set: 1512 AD; A few months after the end of The Broken and The Damned.

A Frank Talk

"Honey", Shadowlock said, walking up to Twilight. "They're here."

She looked back at her coltfriend who had come up next to her. She slid a bookmark into the book she was currently reading, turning her head over her shoulder to look at the dark grey stallion. She said, "Ok. Thanks. Can you, ya know...?"

"Sure", he said, lighting up his horn and bringing over her wheelchair. Both of their magics aided Twilight in sliding her paralyzed rear legs into the braces that held them in place on the metal frame. After the locks were secured, Twilight walked over to the stairs where she stopped and lit up her horn to teleport to the floor below.

She appeared in front of her friends, who were all huddled around the table in the living quarters above the Golden Oaks Library. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all looked exhausted, with massive bags underneath their eyes and sloped posture. Their manes were frazzled messes, their coats were all slightly dirty and disheveled, and they all looked like they were about to just pass out.

Fluttershy, by contrast, didn't look too tired. Instead, the area around her eyes looked slightly puffy, like she had been crying. She looked much thinner than she had a few months ago, with her ribs poking out from beneath her oily yellow coat. Most notably, however, was the long scar across her cheek; The result of Rainbow hitting her with her swagger stick. It normally wouldn't have been visible, but Fluttershy had waited so long before going to the doctor that it had gotten infected and scarred.

"Thanks for coming, girls", Twilight said.

"Hey, Twi", AJ said, her stetson drooping low over her left eye.

"You all look miserable", Twilight noted. "What have you all been doing?"

Rarity said, "Well, due to all the damage the Changelings did, a lot of the noble's clothing was damaged. I've been swamped getting all of the orders completed."

Pinkie said, "The cakes needed me to help finish some things up getting the store repaired."

"Ah've been helpin' replant trees on the farm", AJ said.

"And I've been fixing some things up around the cottage", Fluttershy said. "W-why do you ask?"

"Because I've been asking around", Twilight said. "Big Mac, Coco, the Cakes. Hay, I even got Shadowlock to watch you, Fluttershy. You've all been working yourselves to death!"

"W-whatever do you mean, Darling?", Rarity asked.

"AJ, Big Mac told me you've done nothing but work eat, and sleep ever since Rainbow left. Coco told me the same thing about you, Rarity. Pinkie, the cakes tell me when you aren't doing that, you're writing and sending letters to Rainbow Dash! They say you've wasted half your salary on envelops, stamps, and ink! Fluttershy I've barely seen, much less interacted with." She stopped, taking a deep breath. "Girls. This is the first time we've all been together since I got out of the hospital."

The others developed a sudden interest in either the table or the floor. Silence reigned for a minute, until Twilight said, "I'm not meaning to sound accusatory or anything like that. I just want to know what's going o-"

"What's going on, Twilight", Fluttershy suddenly snapped. "Is that we failed! Rainbow Dash, the Elements, Equestria! Everything!"

AJ said, "Yeah. Flutters is right. We messed up worse than a Cow that strapped the plow on backward. Did ya see wah happened to Rainbow!? Ya heard what she said?"

Pinkie wailed, "We're horrible friends!", before falling back and sobbing. The others didn't look that far behind her.

Twilight lit up her horn, teleporting something onto the table. It was a simple white envelope, with writing in Pryhan and a stamp of an eagle on the front. The others all looked at, either in confusion and or in curiosity. Rarity asked, "What is this?"

"It's from Rainbow", Twilight said, undoing the top of the envelope and pulling out the letter. "I had a feeling this would happen, and I sent a letter of my own to her. It took a while, but this is her reply."

++++~++++

To my former friends,

Twilight tells me that you're all been miserable. Throwing yourselves either into your work or isolation. Normally, I wouldn't care. The only reason I'm even typing this is that I know exactly how you all feel.

After I was exiled, I was a mess. As I assume you can imagine, that's what happens when everything and everyone you loved and wanted was taken away from you. Granted, our situations are nothing alike. But I digress.

I took the first chance I could in order to distract myself. I enrolled in a job, courier work to be specific, and worked myself to exhaustion. To go to sleep properly, I had to drug myself. I would fly as fast as I could, do my job, then go back to a small hut and pass out. My life became nothing but eating, flying, talking to customers or my boss, and sleeping.

This is essentially you, if Twi's right. AJ, Rarity, and Pinkie have been doing nothing but working, eating and sleeping. Flutters locked herself in her cottage, not even doing that first part. Again, the context is not the same, but the scenario is the same.

So, what now? Is this how you plan to spend the rest of your lives? As husks, going through the motions? Honestly, that's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone. Even you.

So, stop. I pulled myself out because I had things to latch onto and make things worth it. My son, my new friends, my husband and his side of the family. I suggest you do the same thing.

Applejack Apple. If what I've been told is right, you've managed to make Prince Blueblood not be such a prick. Good on you. Plus, you have a bigger family than anyone I know. Hell, maybe in the whole planet. You may be a stubborn, boar-headed shit, but you don't have to feel worthless.

Rarity Belle. You've gotten a well-rated fashion store. Even if it wasn't as good as it was, you're still doing your dream job. I know if at least four of my soldiers who would love to be in your position. And again: you have a nice family.

Pinkamena Diana Pie. I know of your crush. I'm not an egghead, but I'm not an idiot either. It wouldn't have worked out period: I'm straight. Now, that doesn't mean anything. Again, your family loves you, and you can find someone else. You're THE Pinkie Pie. The biggest party pony in Equestria. Act like it.

Fluttershy Breeze. We were friends. I helped you, and you helped me. Now, consider this my last kindness. Like I told Rarity, you are living your dream. Your brother is an ass, but your parents are lovely creatures. You live with your favorite thing in the world.

My point? Move on. Like I said, I formed new attachments in order to not become a miserable, potentially suicidal bitch. I recommend you all do the same. Go on some dates with your coltfriends (Or marefriend, in Pinkies case). Live a little. Just don't do the same shit I did. I know what that leads to; it isn't pretty. Some real depraved shit. If you don't want to get your act together, that's your problem. That's it.

Praetor Rainbow Dash, Pryhan Imperial Army.

P.S. Don't mistake this for me attempting to reconcile or something. I still hate all of you. Consider this advice; nothing more. Don't get your hope's up, especially you Pinkie.

++++~++++

The others looked at her as Twilight finished reading the letter. Their expressions hadn't changed much, save for Fluttershy, who had joined Pinkie in lightly sobbing. Applejack finally said, "So. S-she doesn't want to reconnect."

"Yeah", Pinkie choked out in between sobs.

Twilight sighed, before saying, "Did you not listen to anything in this letter? She may not want to be friends again, but she doesn't hate you enough to just leave you to suffer. Take her advice."

Fluttershy said, "Tw-twilight. We were friends for lon-onger than any of y-you. I was h-her first friend. I-I, I want to re-recon-"

"Well, that bridge has been burned", Twilight said, before sighing. "Before I came to Ponyville, I had a few friends. Since we were fillies, having just barely gotten our cutie marks. We grew apart. That, was likely a lot of my fault. Heh heh. We're on speaking terms, but we're not 'Friends'."

Before any of them could interrupt her, Twilight continued. "Friendship is magic, but magic isn't all-powerful. Spells fail, runes lose power. That's actually a pretty interesting Pryhan legend. They had a hero; Diomedes, I think his name was. He had a runic sword, which could slay anything with a single scratch. But, the caster had died, and runes have to be constantly refilled with magic, so the magic faded, and-"

"Twi", Applejack interjected. "You're rambling again."

"Right, sorry. Anyway, long-story-short, Diomedes was able to use the worthless sword to save a village and defeat some monster. Moral of the story?", Twilight said.

Pinkie asked, "Um... make sure you keep your sword up-to-date on its check-ups?"

"What!?", Twilight said. "No. The moral is: even the best things don't last forever, and instead of working pointlessly to fix it, try and move on. Exactly what Rainbow is suggesting you all do."

The others looked between each other, looks of despair shifting to ones of at least some hope. Twilight said, "At least we still have each other."

Fluttershy suddenly bolted over to her, wrapping her wings around her in a hug. The others did the same, wrapping their hooves around one-another in a big group hug. Twilight felt a tear or two on her shoulder, but none others joined them. Barely above a whisper, Twilight heard Fluttershy whisper in her ear, "Thank you, Twilight. Thank you."

"What are friends for?"