The good old days

by momo-malt-gern

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie
Length: 6503

On New Years Eve, Starlight ensured Pinkie Pie, that she didn't need to prepare a birthday party for her by telling her stories from the past.

Interesting enough, that Starlight Glimmer's birthday falls on New Years Eve. A fact, which was still unknown for her friends, until this year. Pinkie was of course eager of planning the most awesomest birthday party for her friends. Perhaps a bit too eager. Anyways, Starlight actually didn't need something extremely big and special for her birthday. Spending New Years Eve with her friends is already enough, which she explained to Pinkie.

Published 2020-02-11 18:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-02-11 18:10:01 UTC

Chapter 1

11 o' clock in the morning. Starlight Glimmer was sitting in her office and was signing various forms. It was a boring job, but she had to do it. After all, she was the new Principal of the School of Friendship and had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. There will be new students coming to the School of Friendship after the winter vacations in the New Year.

Today was Near Years Eve. Only 13 hours until 2019 ends and 2020 begins. Finally! Starlight was already excited for today's evening. She already knew that there will be a lot of fun. However, the work comes before the fun.

Starlight sighed and glanced at the huge pile of paper forms. She still had a lot of work in front of her and those remaining 13 hours won't entirely be for partying. Starlight knew that she has to go through all the work.

Reluctantly, she levitated her quill, but was suddenly interrupted. Someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," Starlight said.

As soon as she spoke out those two works, a pink silhouette with poofy, dark pink mane energetically bounced into the room and dashed to Starlight with an extreme high velocity. Starlight was surprised, simutaneously happy. It was Pinkie Pie, who greeted her.

"Happy New Year's Eve Starlight Glimmer!!" Pinkie Pie squealed joyfully, still happily bouncing up and down.

Starlight always wondered about the never ending energy, Pinkie keeps in her body, but that's what made Pinkie special. Starlight was happy to have her as a friend.

"Pinkie, you came," Starlight exclaimed, "Thanks."

"Well of course I did!" Pinkie replied with enthusiasm. "Why shouldn't I? After all, we're friends and as a friend of you, I was supposed to wish you Happy New Year's Eve!"

"Yeah, I understand," Starlight said. "I mean, you didn't have to. After all, I heard that you had something very important to do in Canterlot for today."

"But Starlight, you're something very important for me as well!" Pinkie interrupted Starlight.

"Thank you," Starlight continued, "I'm honored of your choice of privilegies, but you didn't have to. Besides, nobody ever did anything special on my birthday."

"Wait. WHAT?"

Pinkie was obviously surprised. In a positive way, but she was still surprised.

"That's..." she stammered and struggled bringing any words out, "that's horrible!"

"Um...not really," Starlight said.

"Of course it is!" Pinkie disagreed. "So your birthday is today and you never had a party or...or presents or a cake or..."

"Nope," Starlight said calmly, "but that's not such a big deal."

"I can't believe that!" Pinkie screamed. "It must be awful! It must be horrible!"

Now, Pinkie was clearly in shock and horror, not believing what Starlight just said. Not believing what she just heard with her own ears. Until, she had a brillant plan and a great sacrifice for her friend Starlight. Such a brillant plan that she even doubted her own average intelligence. Not to brag.

"Starlight Glimmer! No matter if you want or not," Pinkie shouted at Starlight, pressing her face in front of Starlight's, "you will get your first birthday party you ever had, planned by me, Pinkamena Diane Pie! And it'll be great, that it could easily count for 20 birthdays simutaneously! I don't want you to live in such an agony anymore, as a good friend!"

"But Pinkie," Starlight stammered and unintentionally flushed.

"No excuses!" Pinkie went on.

She went to Starlight's desk, took the remaining pile of papers and walked to the door.

"I will give them to Twilight," she said. "For you, no work anymore! Twilight will handle all of that. After all, she used to be the Principal of this school, so I don't suppose she forgot how to do her job!"

"Um..thanks?" Starlight said quietly. Clearly overwhelmed by Pinkie.

"Don't thank me! Thank yourself for revealing that vital information to me," Pinkie said cheerfully and stepped out of Starlight's office, carrying all the forms.

Starlight looked at the pink pony slowly disappearing and just hoped, that she wouldn't drop any of those forms. They were important for the School.

***

Starlight decided to take a break after all the paper signing work. So, she left her office and wanted to wander around in the School of Friendship. The building was huge and empty. Besides Starlight herself, nopony was in there. All of her students had winter vacation and went to their families to celebrate their Hearth Warming holidays, especially the Young Six.

Starlight walked down the main hallway and let her thoughts wander to her conservation with Pinkie Pie back in her office. She was surprised but also honored that Pinkie volunteered to organise a big birthday party just for her, since they were both friends. She was extremely grateful, yes. On the other hand, she couldn't understand, why Pinkie was that eager to organise a party for her.

Sure, Pinkie was a party pony and it was literally her job, but Starlight didn't really need a birthday party. Besides, Pinkie already had enough to do in the following days, which was also the reason why she travelled to Canterlot in the first place. Starlight knew that from the past few days, when Pinkie was pretty much stressed out due to her duties.

Starlight sighed, as she arrived at the first inner courtyard. She remembered that courtyard. It was the same school garden where she was trapped in a bubble prison, when she was mad and manipulated by Screwball, causing her having a big wrath on Chancellor Neighsay. It was also the courtyard, where she once saw Precious-la and Cozy Glow playing Hide and Seek in her early years as a Guidance Councellor. And now, she is the Principal of this school. And a birthday mare.

Starlight decided to explain all of that to Pinkie later, as soon as she sees her, and have some calm rest. She turned her head to have a glance on one of the clocks. Twelve-thirty. She didn't know, when her party will begin, but she was sure, that Pinkie would inform her, as soon as she knows when.

***

Everything was calm and reserved. Starlight was glad to have some rest and some time alone. She remembered herself to gratefully thank Pinkie for taking the obnoxious work of signing paper forms from her shoulders and also to thank Twilight for doing the work instead. As soon as she sees them. She was grateful for her life that Pinkie did her such a favor.

It was a bit too boring for her in the school campus. And also a bit too creepy, since there was nopony around besides her. That's why, Starlight decided for little a walk into the town of Ponyville. The air was fresh and there was not a single cloud in the sky, having the consequence of a bright, sunny afternoon, which made Starlight happy.

Starlight bought some food at the Ponyville market. She went to various shops and noticed, that 9 out of 10 ponies greeted her Happy Birthday besides of Happy New Year's Eve.

"Pinkie must have told you about my birthday, right?" Starlight asked the Cakes as soon as she entered the Sugarcube Corner.

Mrs. Cup Cake nodded cheerfully. "She indeed did. She was pretty mesmerized about that."

"She told us, that she didn't know about that and repeated at least ten times, that she will plan the greatest party, she ever planned," Mr. Carrot Cake added, slightly smiling. "Then she went to Canterlot and ordered us to bake a birthday cake for you, but that's supposed to be a surprise."

"A great surprise," Mrs. Cake said mysteriously and emphasized the work "great" as if she was Pinkie herself. "So please don't try to glance."

"Well thanks," Starlight said. "That's very nice of you."

Starlight sat down at a table and tried her best to not spoil the surprise for herself. Probably, she could look out of the window. Or probably, she could play with the Cake twins.

As soon as she thought so, two very small toddlers, almost babies, walked to Starlight's direction and looked at the pink unicorn with big, cute babyeyes. A colt and a filly, both at the same age. Those must be the Cake twins.

"Hey there," Starlight kindly greeted these two toddlers.

They looked at her without saying a word for a while. Then, they looked at each other again, ran off and disappeared behind a wooden door.

In the moment, Starlight noticed a random newspaper laying on the neighboring table and considered to take it and read from it, Pinkie Pie suddenly bursted through the entrance of the Sugarcube corner and grabbed Starlight's cheeks, just to release them in the next moment.

Pinkie was panting heavily, as if she sprinted from Canterlot straight to Ponyville. Or at least from the Ponyville train station. At least, she was still looking happy and confident.

"You didn't see the cake, did you?" Pinkie asked Starlight, almost shouting.

Starlight nodded and Pinkie sighed shortly in relief, just to go on with her monologue.

"I'm telling you, your party is going to be so awesome!!" Pinkie squealed in excitement and joy. "I organized everything and by now, everything is just perfect! I can't tell you, because it's supposed to be a surprise. I can only tell you, that it'll be an awesome surprise which will substitute all the 20 other birthdays, you sadly missed! Can you guess out, who helped me organizing everything?"

"Twilight of course," Starlight replied, still overwhelmed by Pinkie's generousity and eagerness. "And the Cakes. Probably also Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack, right?"

"Yes!" Pinkie squealed. "And many many other ponies, who helped you! I probably can't even enumerate all of them, but I'm sure, that it was at least 20 ponies! We spent a lot of time preparing. And preparing. And preparing. You should come over to the Town's Hall today at six pm. But, you...you didn't go into the Town's Hall before, did you?"

Starlight nodded and noticed another relief sigh from Pinkie. She looked at the clock. It was already three pm.

"You spent four hours preparing a party just for me?" Starlight asked.

Pinkie laughted insanely, which slightly confused Starlight.

"Nonono, the preparation works aren't done yet, silly! We won't spend only four hours for your party! We will probably need additional three hours, until everything is done, and there will be so much!! That's the main reason, why we hired so many ponies in the first place to prepare a birthday party for you!" Pinkie said, still half laughing.

"But..." Starlight stammered, "but what about your important duties in Canterlot? You were stressed of them for a very long period of time, even for several days. Did you even have time to finish them today?"

This time, Pinkie laughted even harder, so that her stomach ached and she barely had the opportunity to breathe under all the laughing.

"I cutted ties with them of course!" Pinkie laughted. "You are more important for me than those random duties. I gave that responsibility to Cheese Sandwich. He volunteered."

In this moment, Starlight noticed a tired and exhausted expression under her cheerful and loudly laughing face. She suddenly saw wrinkles under her round, blue eyes. Probably, it was only an illusion or a self-interpretation by Starlight. Probably, Pinkie wasn't as exhausted as Starlight thought she would be. Probably, Pinkie was only panting, because she talked to fast without breathing between her lines.

Suddenly, Starlight pitied Pinkie. She felt extremely grateful and overwhelmed, when she actually realized what Pinkie sacrificed for her just to organize the perfect birthday party for her. She finally realized, how generous and selfless Pinkie was, and she knew excactly, that those Canterlot duties were extremely important and even vital for her. Knowing, that Pinkie cutted ties with them just for her was just mesmerizing.

Without thinking, Starlight stood up and tightly hugged Pinkie. She didn't even realize, that tears were running down her cheeks. She wept tears of joy.

"Thank you," Starlight cried. "Thank...you."

She couldn't say more, even if she wanted to. She didn't know, how to express her gratitude in words. And even if she knew, she would say a hundred words to express, how overwhelmed and thankful she is to Pinkie.

***

They hugged each other for a very long time, but Starlight didn't care for how long. She only started to develope a feeling for time, when she noticed a little silhouette holding a tissue to her direction. She released Pinkie, took the tissue and wiped her tears out of her face. Starlight glanced at the pony to get a detailed look of her. It was a small yellow unicorn with an orange, bushy many and big, blue puppyeyes. She used to hold the tissue with use of her magic, since as a unicorn she was capable of performing magic. It must be one of the Cake twins.

"Thanks," Starlight said to the toddler, which disappeared behind the wooden door again.

Starlight turned around, only to realize that Pinkie was already gone. There was not even a single trace of her. She looked at the clock. Three-thirty.

Then she remembered Pinkie's words again. She understood, that she still had a lot of work to prepare. Thus, she didn't wonder, why Pinkie disappeared so quickly. Pinkie probably couldn't allow herself to waste any time anymore.

As soon as Starlight remembered Pinkie's words, she suddenly noticed something vital she forgot. She didn't explain to Pinkie that Pinkie didn't have to spend that much time to organize an entire birthday party for her, especially since Pinkie already had some very important duties to finish. However, she couldn't do so. She just couldn't explain it do Pinkie.

Starlight didn't want to hurt her feelings, especially since she sacrificed so much only for her and her special birthday. Starlight didn't want to appear in a rude or ungrateful way, which she certainly wasn't. After all, Pinkie cancelled her Canterlot duties for her and gave it to Cheese Sandwich. And because of her, Starlight didn't have to do that obnoxious paper signing work anymore, which is a huge relief for her.

Besides, Starlight was a little bit excited for Pinkie's party anyways. She already knew in the morning that New Year's Eve is going to be fun. Now, she's sure that it'll be.

***

It was already five pm and the sun was slowly going down and drowing the sky above Ponyville in a beautiful, dark violet hue. The first few stars appeared at the sky and the moon slowly began to arise. Starlight stared in the sky. Her eyes wandered to the distant silhouette of the Canterlot Castle, which could partially be seen from Ponyville. She was wondering what Pinkie and her friends are organizing for her.

Starlight was excited. She was even more excited than she was back then in the Sugarcube Corner this afternoon. Way more excited. Although her friends weren't here, as they obviously had to help Pinkie preparing her birthday party, the time until the party's beginning wasn't boring at all.

The Ponyville's citizens came to Starlight just to greet her and wish her Happy Birthday, so Starlight took the opportunity to talk with them a little bit. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia even brought music, so Starlight danced with one or two of her new friendly acquaintances.

She remembered back her first day, when Princess Twilight wanted her to make new friends and painfully remembered all her struggles of making friends. Back then, she supposed that the fault doesn't lie in the Ponyville's citizens but in herself. The citizens of Ponyville were always friendly and kind, as it wouldn't be possible in any other big city, and now Starlight finally understood why. She could probably find one or two new friends this evening here. Who knows?

Starlight avoided entering the Town's Hall. She feared that she could ruin the surprise for herself, as Pinkie told her that the party would be there. However, she trapped herself once or twice staring at the entrance of the building in the middle of the Ponyville market with excitement and joy. Once, she even stared at it for over a minute.

After she danced once again at the market place under the influence of the music, Starlight looked at the clock. It was five thirty. Pinkie didn't come yet. Probably, she wasn't done yet with her preparations.

Starlight decided to wait for Pinkie in the remaining half an hour and listen to the music. Five forty-five. Five fifty. Five fifty-five. Six o' clock. Six ten. But not a single trace of Pinkie. Starlight was surprised. Usually, she expected Pinkie to bounce towards her with a lot of enthusiasm and joy, squishing her face and screaming "Happy Birthday", like she did two times today. She remembered that Pinkie was usually really prompt with parties.

The ponies around were also surprised about Pinkie's absense. Some of them looked confused. They silently murmured to each other and shrugged. The first guests were already leaving, heading to their homes, looking rather grumpy.

Also being highly confused, Starlight slowly went to the Town's Hall. As soon as she entered, she was shocked. She couldn't believe her own eyes: The Town's Hall was entirely empty, except of some poor ribbons as party decorations. Starlight rubbed her eyes and winked a few times, but the hall remained empty. She expected over twenty guests suddenly shouting "Surprise" in unity, but it didn't happen. Even if she blinked over a thousand times and waited for probably thousand hours for the "Surprise", there was still no party in front of her. Starlight was heavily surprised, but in a negative way.

She couldn't believe it. She was 100% sure that Pinkie told her to organize a party for her. A big and an awesome party. She was sure, that Pinkie couldn't be lying. If Pinkie promised a party, she would also do it with no excuses. Starlight was sure that she would. After all, she even sacrificed her Canterlot duties just for her. But the reality was different: No one could deny that the thing in front of Starlight Glimmer was certainly not a party.

Starlight wandered through the room, whether she could discover something unexpected. She searched the entire room for anything, which looked slightly like a party, and even used her X-Ray spell for that matter. With no luck. Probably that's all part of Pinkie's plan. Probably, the party would build up any moment, when she looked away. Starlight couldn't explain the phenomenon in any other words.

When she just wanted to check up the room for the second round, she suddenly noticed a heaped pony at the egde of the Town's Hall, trying not to be seen by anypony by making itself as small as possible and hiding her face. Starlight looked precisely at the pony, although she couldn't recognize her face. It was Pinkie Pie. Crying.

Not hesitating once, Starlight rushed to Pinkie and lied a hoof at Pinkie's poofy head. Softly and gently, Starlight petted her and tried to comfort her, although she was more confused than before of what happened this evening. First the missing party and then a crying Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie noticed Starlight and turned her face to the pony petting her. She immediately froze, suddenly jumped up and fled to the other end of the room. Tears were still running down her cheeks.

"Do not dare to come near me!" Pinkie shouted in a hostile way, as she wanted to protect Starlight from herself. "I...I didn't deserve you to come near me!"

"What's the matter?" Starlight couldn't suppress her confusion and had the desire to release her vast amount of questions jam-packed in her brain. "Where's the party? Why are you crying? Where are the other guests? Why is this room empty?"

This was obviously too much for Pinkie. Starlight saw the pink creature breaking down and hiding her face with her hooves again, as she did before.

"I...I," Pinkie cried. She tried to explain, but Starlight heard from her broken phrases that she couldn't.

She wanted to comfort her, but feared that Pinkie would dodge her again. Therefore, Starlight remained at her spot and asked another question. Slowly and in her softest voice, she ever spoke with. At least, she tried. "What did you do?"

"I FAILED!" Pinkie shouted violently and cried as loudly as possible. Tears were running down her cheeks without a break and her face became red and ugly. Pinkie could hardly breathe under all the crying. "I FAILED ORGANIZING YOUR PARTY....I...I'm a bad party planner I...I disappointed you and..."

"Slow down!" Starlight said.

"Don't you dare to speak with me!" Pinkie cried in rage and pointed at Starlight. "I...We're not friends anymore, after I disappointed you that badly...you...you deserved better friends!"

"I said SLOW DOWN!" Starlight repeated, getting louder as well.

She aimed her horn at Pinkie. A turquoise beam emitted from her horn, captured and froze Pinkie and caused her immediately becoming silent and stiff. Pinkie remained at her position and stared at Starlight with big, horrified eyes. Starlight went to her, sat down and put her right hoof at Pinkie's shoulders.

"Everypony makes mistakes. Nopony is perfect. It doesn't mean that we're not friends anymore, if you failed," Starlight told Pinkie in a soft tone. "Calm down first and tell me what went wrong with your organizations."

Starlight aimed her horn at Pinkie and casted a spell, which caused Pinkie being able to talk and move again.

"Everything went wrong!" Pinkie said in hic-ups. "All the organizations failed. The delivering of all the ribbons and partying decorations didn't go to me but to some random pony in Manehattan. The party games suddenly disappeared, no idea how. Fluttershy became nervous and so did her animal choir. And all the apple pies. The presents couldn't be made or delivered. The cake was destroyed. The cake. It was such a huge and extravagant cake."

Pinkie stopped, She stretched her arms and said: "The cake was that tall! The Cakes worked all day on it and now...Boom!"

Pinkie pushed both of her hooves on the ground to emphasize the tragic fate of the cake. Her tears came up and she started crying loudly and hysterically.

"It was all my fault! How could I ruin your birthday party? I...I failed as a party planner! I couldn't! I just couldn't and I failed and everything went wrong!"

"Pinkie, calm down or I have to make you motionless," Starlight exclaimed and pointed at her horn.

This time, Pinkie immediately stopped. She sobbed and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, much calmer now: "I just wanted you to have the best birthday party you had in your life, since you never had one! I...I extremely pitied you, how much you missed out! And...and...the preparations lasted the whole day! There's no chance that I could plan another party for you. I...you needed a birthday party!"

"Pinkie listen," Starlight said calmly and put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "I understand your intentions. I also understand that you can't imagine someone not celebrating her birthday. But I already told you in the beginning that you didn't have to do that for me. You didn't have to prepare such a big thing just to celebrate my birthday. Or twenty of my birthdays. You didn't have to cancel your plans just for me. I never wanted you to do so."

"But you never celebrated a birthday!" Pinkie shouted hysterically.

"And?" Starlight asked.

"And..." Pinkie stammered, "and that...horrible!"

"Why if I dare to ask?" Starlight kept on asking.

"Because...um..." Pinkie stammered, "because you never celebrated a birthday and that is horrible!"

"That's not a reason," Starlight said. "It's on your point of view horrible, but not in mine. I never celebrated a birthday and I'm still living. You have to understand that it's not so important for me, as it is important for you."

"I still messed up really badly!" Pinkie said with a trail of stubbornness. "I mean, you were so happy in the Sugarcube Corner. You cried tears of joy! You said thank you...and I disappointed you."

"I always celebrated New Year's Eve," Starlight said. "And for me, New Year's Eve means more than just a birthday. It's the Eve when a whole year will be born. Even a whole decade. A decade full of fun and partying."

Pinkie wiped her tears away and smiled. Starlight saw it as a sign that she should continue telling Pinkie about the miracle of New Year's Eve.

"New Year's Eve was always something magical for me," Starlight told. "Of course I couldn't remember, but my dad told me stories about my mother. The last day of the year was a magical day for herself. It was the day when she gave birth to me and she was astonished by all the firework."

Pinkie imagined Starlight's mother laying in a bed of the Ponyville's hospital. She was holding a baby Starlight in both of her hooves and smiled at her daughter. At that time, Starlight was very tiny. Even tinier than the Cake Twins, when Pinkie had to babysit them. Pinkie imagined her being as exhausted and tired as Cadance was, when she gave birth to Flurry Heart. She nearly fell asleep, but looked happy. Then the fireworks started. Outside of the Ponyville hospital and she looked up from baby Starlight out of the window. She was astonished by the lights and the magic. She was mesmerized. She knew that it was a special day for both her and Starlight and couldn't do anything else but staring at the fireworks with big, fascinated eyes. She wept tears of joy and the firework reflected in her deep blue eyes.

Pinkie's frown from before immediately turned upside down. Her tears dried and she laughted: "Tell me more!"

Starlight smiled and said: "Okay, if you want. I also remember playing along with Sunburst at New Year's Eve, when we were still children. We grew up together in the same town and saw each other every day, but New Year's Eve was always something special for both of us. We had so much fun and Sunburst also taught me a few spells, how I can cast fireworks myself. My dad always thought it was too dangerous."

Pinkie saw Starlight as a foal in front of her mental eye wildly chasing Sunburst. Next to her her mother, now slightly older. They had awfully much fun together. Pinkie knew it from foals. She knew excactly that foals had a lot of energy, causing them always bouncing up and down and having fun. Just the way how she has fun.

"And what's about your creepy equal mark town?" Pinkie asked. "Did you enjoy your time there as well?"

"Well..." Starlight hesitated. She was embarrassed of her past self, who stole over twenty cutie marks just to create true friendship. "On those Eves, I thought of Sunburst and I wondered how he was doing. I wondered whether he thought of me too."

"But...did you have fun?" Pinkie kept asking.

"I did to some extent," Starlight responded. "In our town, we played together and had a lot of fun, although Sugar Belle's muffins weren't really edible. I thought, we were getting along so well because of our missing cutie marks, but that was what I thought back then. Before Twilight changed my mind."

Pinkie imagined Starlight with an equal mark dancing and chatting with the other citizens of the Cutie Markless town, all with the same cutie mark, the same hairstyle and the same creepy fake smile. They ate Sugar Belle's muffins and immediately spitted them out. Then they laughted as if nothing happened.

"I remembered back New Year's Eve, when Tempest Shadow did her fireworks with her broken horn," Starlight changed the subject. "I spent time with Trixie. Although, it wasn't New Year's Eve, it felt like one."

"Do you know what?" Pinkie said. "Tell me all of your stories, you've ever experienced at New Year's Eve! I want to hear all of them!"

Starlight smiled. She eventually nodded and went on talking.

***

It was already Eleven-thirty. Pinkie and Starlight still sat next to each other in the Town's Hall, but with the single difference that Pinkie's tears from before have already been dried and her frown has been turned upside town. They were giggling and laughing. It was obvious that they had a lot of fun in the past few hours.

"So, in your mind New Year's Eve is something like your birthday, right?" Pinkie asked while still smiling. "I mean, you have fun with your friends and family, you play a lot of games, you eat. All those things sound like activities, which ponies usually do on their birthdays!"

"Well kinda," Starlight said.

"But," Pinkie interrupted Starlight. Her smile was suddenly wiped away. "But you didn't have a cake. Or any party guests. Or games."

"And I don't care," Starlight said calmly and shortly giggled. "Listen, I really had a lot of fun with you today evening. And before my party should have already started, I talked and danced with the citizens of Ponyville. That was fun too. Everything I truly care on my birthdays is spending some valuable time with my friends. It can even be only one true friend."

Pinkie opened her mouth to say something. In the next moment, she closed her mouth again. She stared at Starlight and smiled. Starlight smiled back. Then, both of them suddenly bursted in laughter again, when they looked at each other.

"Besides, we still have next year to spend time with all of our friends, right?" Starlight asked.

Pinkie hesitated. She eventually agreed: "Right."

Starlight turned her head away from Pinkie to the entrance of the Town's Hall and sighed. It was a happy, content sigh. Both ponies quietened for a few minutes and carefully listened to the silent night and the quiet twittering of the nighingales out there. The moment was so calm, but simutaneously satisfying and gave Starlight the perfect opportunity of remembering back her past New Year's Eves. It was a beautiful night for Starlight.

However, that beautiful moment didn't last long. To their absolute shock, the delivering pony suddenly dashed through the entrance of the Town's Hall and sprinted with an enourmous high velocity through the entire hall, so that he nearly crashed into Starlight and Pinkie. Luckily, the pony could come to halt on time. He panted. He looked exhausted, but also shocked at the same time.

"Here...Mrs...Starlight..." the delivering pony panted heavily.

He quickly gave Starlight a small, yellow letter and immediately broke down. The confused Starlight took the letter and opened it.

"Emergen...cy..." the pony lying on the ground panted exhausted and pointed at the letter with shaky hooves. "It's...serious..."

"What emergency?" Pinkie asked and bowed down to read the letter Starlight was holding.

Dear Starlight,
Quick! Come to the School of Friendship immediately! It's an emergency and we need your help!

Starlight was confused. She read the letter twice. Even a third time. And a fourth time. But she didn't grasp, why they needed her at the School of Friendship. She didn't know, who wrote this letter, since they didn't reveal themselves. But she knew that it was something important, although she didn't know what.

"Go...quick..." the delivering pony panted, now with obvious horror in his eyes.

Starlight glanced at the clock. It was eleven-forty. If they hurry, they could arrive at the School of Friendship within five minutes.

"Come on Pinkie!" Starlight exclaimed, still holding the letter. "It's something important. We need to get there!"

Without waiting for Pinkie, Starlight raced out of the Town's Hall and sprinted straight to the School of Friendship without coming to halt even once. She didn't stop running. She was sure that whoever wrote that mysterious letter needed her help, so she ran and ran. She nearly sprinted to the wrong direction two times out of stress. Eventually, she arrived at the School and for the second time for today, she couldn't believe what she saw.

She saw over a hundred ponies standing in front of the School of Friendship. In front of her. She quickly recognized some students of her School of Friendship, but before she could identify all those ponies, the crowd suddenly began to sing in unison:

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Starlight Glimmer! Happy Birthday to you?"

As soon as the crowd finished singing her birthday song, the crowd divided in the middle and two ponies went through the path carrying a metal tray with a cake standing in the middle of it. The cake wasn't a huge cake, but Starlight could identify that it was definitely a cake. A cake with candles standing on it.

Starlight's mouth stood open due to positive surprise. She couldn't say a word. She wasn't sure whether this year's New Year's Eve was her best one in her life, but it was without any doubt the New Year's Eve with the most surprises. Probably, she will explode because of the surprises or react otherwise.

In this moment, Pinkie arrived next to Starlight and also stared at the big crowd and the ponies carrying the cake, as she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked confused and looked specifically at some familiar faces among the crowd.

Ocellus stepped out of the crowd, went over to Pinkie and Starlight and shortly nodded with a smile on her face. "Yes, you did."

"We just organized a spontanious birthday party for Starlight Glimmer and you just missed our song, we were singing to her," Rainbow Dash exclaimed proudly.

"Will you blow out the candles soon?" Mrs Cake asked while still holding the tray with the cake. "Or at least something instead of leaving your mouth open?"

"Can someone please explain me, what is going on here right now?" Starlight asked and rubbed her eyes.

"Explain it to me too, please," Pinkie added.

Ocellus cleared her throat.

"We've seen you being really frustrated that nothing went the way you wanted it to go. We've seen you almost bursting out in tears and the way you shouted to everyone out of anger and frustration and...we were really sorry for you Pinkie. We pitied you," Ocellus said.

"So Ocellus and I assembled every student, every friend and everyone, who helped you organizing Starlight's party at the School of Friendship here to surprise you with a song and a cake," Smolder went on. "So in that way, you both can get what you wanted. Pinkie can get her succeeded party and Starlight...well she can have her birthday party!"

"Yeah, Ocellus even turned into that weird delivering pony," Silverstream said. "She is even a brillant actor!"

"And the cake," Mr. Cake added, "it's not excactly that complicated like you requested, Pinkie. We just took one we had on stock in the Sugarcube Corner, but we hope you will like it anyways, Starlight."

"I heard you saying, Starlight," Twilight interfered, "that it was enough for you when you spend valuable time with your friends, even if it's one friend. Well, it would be much better, if you spend your New Year's Eve with more than hundred friends. That would also make Pinkie happy."

"I can't believe it that you did all that for me!!!" Pinkie screamed!

She immediately bursted to her group of friend and hugged them tightly, cutting off the opportunity for them to properly breathe. She was crying again, but this time it was only tears of joy. Pinkie was truly touched by her friends saving Starlight's party. She was overly happy.

Starlight also realized what her friends did to her. And what her students did to her. They did their best to save Pinkie's party to make Pinkie happy, but also to make herself happy. She looked at the huge crowd, face to face, and said thank you to each of them in her mind. In this moment, she realized the high number of all the ponies, who were willing to wish her Happy birthday and was touched by their actions. By their generousity and their kindness. She didn't have the right words to thank each of them, but she was extremely grateful and touched. Her mouth slowly turned to a smile and just like Pinkie, she wept her first tears of joy.

"Thank you," Starlight whispered hoarsely into the crowd. She wasn't aware, to whom her "Thank you" was adressed. In truth, she was grateful for each pony standing in front of the School of Friendship and for each pony who was singing that birthday song for her. "Thank you for making my birthday memorable."

Starlight somehow felt to do so. She stepped to the Cakes and hugged both of them, however forgot to blow out the candles. She went to Ocellus and Smolder and hugged them as well, among with a few of her other students and sometimes whispered "Thank you" with tears in her eyes. Eventually, she went to Pinkie and the rest of the Mane 6, who were struggeling of getting air within Pinkie's extremely tight hug, and hugged all of them.

"Aw man," Applejack sighed hoarsely. "Now, I'm squished by two ponies!"

"I hope I don't suffocate," Fluttershy whispered anxiously.

Starlight letted her friends go and so did Pinkie. Applejack inhaled deeply and said with relief: "Now, that's much better!"

"Attention please!!" a voice suddenly shouted.

Everypony froze and turned their heads to the source, where the voice came from. It was Ocellus, who held a megaphone and stood along with Smolder in front of them all. They waited until everyone was quiet.

Ocellus stared at the clock for a few second, then raised her hoof with the megaphone and shouted: "GO!"

Immediately, Smolder, Spike, Precious-la and Trixie Lulamoon sprinted to each of the four rows of fireworks, which Starlight didn't notice at the beginning. Smolder and Spike spitted fire, while Precious-la and Trixie casted a fire summoning spell to ignite the firework fuses. The fireworks immediately rose into the sky and exploded under light and sound. The numbers 2-0-2-0 appeared on the sky in bright colors.

In the excact same moment, four other unicorns from the School of Friendship sprinted in front of Smolder and Spike and casted three firework spell one after another. They ignited the sky with beautiful lights in all sort of colors: Blue, green, red, violet. It was mesmerizing. Truly astonishing.

Starlight thought that it was definitely a magical night today. She looked at the clock. It was three minutes after midnight.

THE END.

Author's Note

Precious-la Estella is my unicorn OC.

The story about Starlight's mother was my personal headcanon. Everything written in cursive is comparable with a flashback of what happened in Starlight's mind. The name of Starlight's mother is Moonlight Gleam.