Ughh! I've had enough of you two fighting all the time! You've waken me up at 4:03 in the morning, you've caused a disturbance to our students, and you're not acting like friends to each other anymore! Just go on your stupid friendship mission and come back good friends again, alright? I hope you two don't cause a break in the friendship problem you're about to solve!
Starlight looked up at the rain cloud above her. Luckily, it wasn't one of those spiky ones Twilight had described in one of her stories. But it was still a ginormous cloud, and it was going to darken the whole forest. She would have a lot of trouble navigating her way, yet alone finding a friendship problem, in the forest.
She walked a few more steps before sitting down under a tree and watching the rain that was now falling, crying, her own little rainfall with her.
She had no idea why she agreed to split up and solve the mission separately. She didn't like being alone. And she didn't like fighting. And, like Spike had said, she wished she and Twilight would solve the mission as good friends, not separate. But lately, it had been impossible for the two to get over everything.
Starlight wiped her tears, but it was no use as more just came flowing back. She hoped Twilight would be up for reconsideration.
Headmare Twilight! Guidance Counselor Starlight! Is everything alright? It's just... you were fighting and it was loud and... and...
It was disturbing us. It was pretty loud, you know. I know it's a problem for our learning, but if you've got a problem too, I guess we could help solve it.
Twilight looked up at the storm cloud above her and shielded her eyes from the rain. "No," she whispered to the voices replaying in her head. "You don't have to solve any problems. I do. I was called on this mission for a reason."
Twilight looked behind her. She just wanted to be sure she wasn't being tracked or anything of the sort. She didn't know why she wanted to be alone for now, but she did. She was starting to feel like she couldn't solve the friendship problem alone. Still, she didn't want to be near Starlight. At least not right now.
She felt tears coming, but she tried to push them aside. She wanted to be strong for herself, and for Starlight, too. She had a feeling that Starlight would be the one to disguise her tears in the rain. Which left her to keep her eyes dry. Twilight pushed through the heavy pouring and walked forwards, further from the spot that the two decided to split up, but moving towards the place where the Tree of Harmony was.
Hey, sugarcube. Is everythin' alright? Y'all ain't actin' like yourselves anymore, fighting all the time.
Heh, what Applejack said. I feel like you've been, you know, fighting a bit lately. I hope you two get over it soon.
Starlight felt her chest rip in two like a sheet of paper. She felt that the Fire of Friendship in her heart was being put out by her tears, plus the rain. "I- I hope we get over it, too," she sobbed to the sky, to the rain, to herself, and to the voices playing in her head.
She hoped Twilight would hear that. Either way, it was time to get over such a little thing like a rainfall and finally move on. She headed towards the Tree of Harmony, hoping it would give her some ideas as to where she could find a friendship problem, as well as some tips on how to heal the wounds she had with Twilight.
The Great and Powerful Trixie thinks you two have not been getting so well lately. And as much as I, well, dislike Princess Twilight, I care for your friendship with her. It's affecting how you perform on stage, too. Do you think you could fix your problem sometime soon?
Starlight sighed. "Yeah, Trix. I do."
I can't take you two fighting! Oh, I hate it when my animals fight. It's even worse when ponies fight. Their emotions are much stronger than a little bird's are. It's hard to mend a friendship with a deep wound in it. I hope your fighting hasn't gone on for too long. If it has, that might cause some problems.
Twilight felt the wound. She felt the crushing weight of a faltering friendship, and she now saw the silliness in the arguments that had taken place over the past few days. She wanted to heal that wound, but she would need Starlight to heal it. She had to bring both sides together, not just one.
She needed Starlight to solve the friendship problem, and she saw that now. The map called the two of them together for a reason. If only they could have both seen that reason from the beginning. So why had she so foolishly asked them to split up?
I don't think even cupcakes can mend a friendship this hurt. You really need to go on that vacation in the Everfree Forest.
It's a frienship mission, darling. But yes, I do believe you should go on that mission sometime soon. Maybe it will give you the time to relax and think over your issue.
Starlight closed her eyes. She had lots of time to think over her issue with Twilight. All alone. It was boring, and sad, and she hated it. It wasn't relaxing, though, mostly because she was fretting over the problem the was supposed to solve. And the other one, too. But to her, right now, her obstacles with her own friendship was the bigger thing.
Starlight looked up again, watching the rain. It was no longer a heavy pour. It was a light drizzle, perfect for finding her way to the Tree of Harmony now. She was sure Twilight would find her soon, or the other way around. She hoped Twilight wanted too, really.
I'll watch over the school for now, okay? Just go! I hope your mission is over soon.
And I hope the wall between your friendship is over soon, too.
"So do I," Twilight said in a soft and remorseful tone. But she heard another voice say it with her. She looked around and saw Starlight on the other side of the cliff. It seemed that she had reached the Tree of Harmony from her searching area. At the sight of Starlight, she smiled, knowing that they were both willing to heal their wounds and finally solve the friendship problem.
Starlight grinned when she saw Twilight. She teleported over to her and looked back up at the clouds. The rain was gone. No more watching the rain. She looked past the cliff to see a sunset, and a beautiful rainbow accompanying it. The Fire of Friendship was back now that Twilight was, too. "So, do you think you're ready to solve the friendship problem now?"
Twilight smiled again. "Yes, definitely." The pain from earlier was just a slight tingle now, like a cutie mark glowing once a friendship mission had been solved.
Wait.
The feeling was just as physical as it was figurative. Starlight and Twilight looked back to their cutie marks in unison, seeing them pulsate. The friendship problem was solved. They looked back to each other with smiles. Twilight looked to the rainbow in the sky, letting her eyes fall onto the beauty of all the colors. Starlight followed suit.
Alright, you go that way, I'll go this way. It'll give us more chances to find the problem and will also let us be alone!
Well, I like the sound of that! For once, you have a good idea.
Twilight decided to push that conversation aside, just for now. Right now, they were just watching the sunset, as friends. As ex-enemies.
