The soft light from the moon tip-toed it's way into the room. Berry Punch was hard at work making some last minute adjustments to her painting.

She had her scarf wrapped around her neck; the clothing provided a sense of comfort. Even if Roseluck was away for the moment, she was still with her.

She looked over the painting she worked on for the past month. Depicted on the canvas was Roseluck on a dock by the ocean, she had smile on her face, and her green eyes sparkled in the dawn light. Needs a couple touch-ups.

Berry Punch put the last remaining touches on her painting. She stepped back and looked over her work. There was a sense of satisfaction with having finished, and a tinge of creeping nervousness at showing her work publicly. Berry Punch breathed in and out to calm herself. Roseluck will be there, Minuette will be there. It’ll be just fine.

She left the painting to dry and went into her kitchen. Her stomach was demanding she eat something.

"Alright, alright," she grumbled. "Sorry, I spent so much time in there."

She made herself two sandwiches, bread, lettuce, and sunflower seeds. She munched on an apple after she was done.

As she sat back against the table she wondered about what would happen tomorrow. She hadn't publicly displayed her art since college. Am I still good enough? Or did some of my skill atrophy away? Would I even know until somepony pointed it out?

She idly opened the fridge. Maybe something sweet would help.

Berry Punch noticed a muffin she hadn't put there in her fridge. A note was attached to it.

She took the muffin and note out.

Berry Punch,

I know you're feeling nervous about the festival, and I'm not going to be there the night before, but I wanted to leave you this note. You can do this. Don't let anypony drag you down. Don't let those doubts in your head drag you down. I know you'll be the best there is. You already captured my heart. You can do the same with your art for others.

Love,

Roseluck

Berry Punch felt her nervousness wash away. Even when she's away, she finds a way to support me. I love her so much. Berry Punch hugged the letter to her chest. She's right. I can do this.

She nodded to her self then nibbled at the muffin. A familiar chocolate, blueberry, and cinnamon combination rushed over her taste buds. A smile spread across her face. She hadn't forgotten the day they met.

"Personally I like the spring, but the transition between the two has its own charm, don’t you think?"

Berry Punch smiled to herself.

"It does."

It seemed like a long time ago, even if it had been only a year. Some days Berry Punch wondered if what happened the past year was a dream she would wake up from. It seemed too good to be true, but she pushed those thoughts down. They weren't constructive, more like the last vestiges of what her life used to be like trying to drag her back.

She shook her head.

There was nothing that could drag her back. She was sure of that.

The moonlight shone down on the empty cobblestone roads. A yellow mare made her way to a building. The sign read, 'Ponyville Post Office'. The door was locked, but it didn't matter. Her magic carefully applied tension to the core, and moved the pins into place. With a click the door opened.

Guess they didn't change the locks since the end of last summer. She smirked. Less of a headache for me. She walked straight to the back area where the mail was kept. She ignored all the other mail routes and focused on Derpy's work desk. A stack of unorganized mail sat on the table, ready for the next morning.

She slipped the letter into the stack before she left the post office.

Now she just had to wait.

Author's Note

Kept my promise this time! Another chapter tomorrow. This one will be longer