Shunned

by Goagulant

Rating: teen
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Romance, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, Suicide / Self Harm, Profanity, Human, Sad, Drama, Anon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash
Length: 11681

Starlight Glimmer has expressed doubts about continuing to live in Ponyville, but as Anonymous would come to find out, there is more influencing her decision than just her desire to live elsewhere.

When Twilight Sparkle took the throne after Celestia and Luna retired, Starlight Glimmer was left to watch over the Castle and School of Friendship. Twilight understood that this was a big change for Starlight, so she asked you, Anonymous, to give her some company in the castle. It was a strange transition for you both, to say the least, but it had been a few years at this point and you two had grown to tolerate eachothers company. Lately, though, things have been different. Starlight was becoming quiet and distant, and she started communicating with her friends less and less. Pinkie Pie had picked up on this before you did, so one day when you walked into Sugarcube Corner to get yourself some donuts, Pinkie Pie shared her concerns with you. As you payed closer attention to Starlight, you realized that something serious was manifesting in her, and it was up to you to find out what.

First time writing for MLP, and by proxy, my first work on this site as well. Constructive criticism is highly encouraged.

Published 2024-11-23 03:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-11-23 03:10:01 UTC

Shunned

The rich air of Sugarcube Corner feels more satisfying now than it ever has been. The bright colors and assortment of sweets laid out for the citizens of Ponyville to gaze on had almost been lost on you. You had been away with Starlight Glimmer on an incursion to her old village for a few weeks, but now that you’re back in Ponyville, you can’t help but take it all in again. The trip wasn’t easy for either of you. From Starlights obnoxious snoring keeping you up at night to you not taking the trip seriously, you and her always found a way to get on eachothers nerves. Despite it all, you both have come to like eachother, but you still won’t shy away from a chance to have some time to yourself.

As you wait by Sugarcube Corners’ pick-up counter, Pinkie Pie comes out of the kitchen to greet you. “Hiya Anon! Here for those donuts you ordered?” Your expression lights up at the sound of her voice. “Yes ma’am!”

Pinkie hurries back to the kitchen to get your order. You have always admired her work ethic. It’s been 20 years since you arrived in Equestria and she has been giving Sugercube Corner her time for all of those years. Ever since the Cakes retired however, it’s been difficult for her and Cheese Sandwich to run the place, especially since they have a newborn filly of their own.

Pinkie Pie scurries back to the counter with your order immaculately balanced on one of her front hooves. “6 assorted sprinkled donuts for the big man himself!” She says with a smile. You hand her some bits, thank her, and begin to walk out the door when she suddenly stops you.

“Anon, wait a sec!” Pinkie says as she speed-trots out from behind the counter to catch you. “How is Starlight doing? Has she been alright?”

Your eyebrows crease at the seemingly unprompted question. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“I know she has you to talk to, but...” Pinkie looks down to her hoof, still carrying the bits you gave her. “...I just feel like she hasn’t been herself since Twilight moved to Canterlot. Can you make sure she’s okay for me?”

You think hard, both about what to say and also if Starlight truly had been acting differently lately. Your trip to her old village didn’t exactly alarm you, but now that you think about it, she never explicitly told you why she needed to go there. You look down at your donuts, then back at Pinkie. “I’ll go and talk to her, okay?"

She smiles. “Thank you Anon, I’m just worried for her. It’s a big castle for only you and her, ya know?"

You nod and smile back before pushing open the front door to Sugarcube Corner to let yourself outside. You planned on eating these donuts by yourself on a bench by the river, but following Pinkies concerns, you decide to walk back to Twilights former castle to see Starlight.

You understand what it’s like to be alone. You can’t remember the details, but you were brought to this world in the middle of your sophomore year in college. You didn’t have many friends, and the ones from highschool you did have continued their lives elsewhere. You wonder if they even knew that you were missing. When you met Twilight and the others, she had just become an alicorn. Despite going through a massive life change, she still made an effort to help you acclimate to Equestria. The thought of returning the favor to her magical apprentice filled your mind, to the point where you didn’t even notice the trap that you were walking into. The sky above you become dark, as you look up, an airborne wall of water smacks you with enough force to knock you to the ground.

“Ugh, what the hell?” You clean yourself off and look back up. You see Rainbow Dash above a cloud, barely containing her laughter.

“Pffft....bhahaHAHAA,” She outbursts while pointing down at you.

“What was that for?!” You pick up the soggy box of donuts and attempt to get the loose water off of it. “I just got these too!”

“Exactly, Anon! I’m surprised you didn’t eat them already!” She continues laughing, but slowly stops as she realizes that you’re completely oblivious to what she’s talking about. “Did you forget?”

You remember the bet that you had made with her and Applejack. A surly groan leaves your mouth. “Yea, I remember now.”

A few days before your trip with Starlight, the three of you were drinking some extra apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres last harvest. You thought you were a good drinker, but Rainbow and Applejack drank twice as much as you and never even stumbled. You on the other hand, made a stupid bet while intoxicated that was something along the lines of “I bet I could harvest more apples than you both with my eyes closed.” Your eyes were closed alright, because according to Applejack the next morning, you fell asleep face first into the bucket of 2 apples you had collected before you passed out. She warned you that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t forget about the bet, and that you’d better watch your back.

“You’re too easy to prank Anon. I need somepony else to prank, they’ll be more of a challenge than you!” She snorts as she finishes her sentence and lets out a chortle to playfully mock you. “Enjoy your wet donuts Anon!” She shouts as she flies away.

You knew Rainbow was rough and callous sometimes, but you couldn’t help but shrivel in defeat as she flew away. This wasn’t the first time Rainbow, or anyone has pranked you. You’d been the center of attention ever since you arrived here, for better or for worse, but for some reason, you just couldn’t shake off the defeat you felt from this prank. Perhaps it was because you wanted to share these donuts with Starlight. You get a better look at the donuts inside the damp pink box and you notice they’re still dry. You use the now waterlogged handkerchief in your pocket to wipe down the box before continuing the walk to Starlight in your soaking wet clothes.

By the time you reach the Castle of Friendship, your clothes are no longer soaked, but you definitely smell from the dirt you fell into. You open the door and call out. “Starlight? I’m back.”

There is no response, but you think nothing of it. Like Pinkie said, it is a large castle. She could’ve just not heard you.

You put the donuts down on the dining room table and walk to your room to prepare to take a shower. You get a new set of clothes before entering the bathroom. You go to turn the shower on, but are instead stopped by a reminder of your responsibility to Starlight. You recall what Pinkie Pie asked of you; she was worried for a reason. You set down the clothes you grabbed and instead make your way to Starlights room.

You arrive at her doorstep and notice that it’s closed. This wasn’t unusual for Starlight, she did always like her privacy when she could get it. Besides, she was probably as sick of being with you in her old village as you were of her.

You gently knock, as to not startle a potentially sleeping Starlight. Before you can even say who is at the door, you hear a loud shuffle from inside the room that startles you. You take a short pause before speaking to process what you just heard. “Hey Starlight, It’s Anon. Can I come in?”

You hear more movement inside before she responds. “Yea, come in!”

You see her sitting at her dresser, staring at herself in the mirror before she turns around. “What’s up?” Before you have a chance to respond, she is taken aback by your appearance. “Oh jeez, what happened to you this time?”

“heh, I made a bet with Rainbow Dash.” you say while cleaning loose dirt out of your hair.

Her look of concern quickly turns to one of disappointment. “You should go clean up. you’re tracking dirt everywhere”. She says, as she turns back to stare at the mirror.

You stutter while attempting to speak. “I uh- I actually wanted to talk to you.” You pause. “Ho- How have you been?”

She turns back around. “...Fine? Why do you ask?”

You blurt out without even thinking. “Do you miss Twilight being here in Ponyville?” You knew your communication skills were terrible, but you still surprised yourself with the stupidity of that delivery.

She’s stunned for a moment, but then turns to look at a picture on her dresser. It’s of her and Twilight at her graduation ceremony. “Sometimes I do.” She says, still looking at the photo. “But she’s ruling over all of Equestria now. This castle just isn’t big enough for her ambitions anymore I guess.”

You realize that Pinkies suspicions were warranted - Starlight was battling something internally.

She looks back to the mirror. You walk closer to her, so that you both see eachother in the mirror. “Do you want to talk about it?” You ask her.

She turns to face you with a slightly confused look on her face. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

You roll your eyes. “Come on Starlight, I’ve been living here with you for years, I can tell when you’re lying to me.”

Her face loses its rigidity as you finish your sentence, almost like her expression was a facade. You sense that you might’ve made the wrong call to ask her about this in this way.

You sigh. “Sorry, I'll leave you alone.” You backpedal and begin to walk out of Starlights room to go shower.

“It’s okay”. She says before you can leave. “I just... I just want some space right now”.

You nod and make your way back to the bathroom. There’s always a positive side to getting pranked by Rainbow Dash, and that’s the gloriously warm shower you get to take afterward.

After embracing the cozy temperature of the shower for a while, you get out smelling and feeling like a new man. You put your fresh clothes on before going to fix your hair in the mirror when you notice that Starlight left one of her brushes on the counter. You move it away from the counter so that you have space to work, but not before you notice the extreme knots of hair in it. Starlights mane has always been luscious and on the same tempo with Starlight herself for as long as you’ve known her. It’s a source of pride for her and a source of jealousy for you. “I wish I could have hair as beautiful as hers.” You say to yourself while making an effort to continue fixing your hair instead of staring at the brush.

You exit the bathroom and walk to your room to begin taking a nap. You left your bed a mess while leaving the castle earlier that morning, but you don’t really care. You just really wanted to get out to see Ponyville again after being away from home. There’s nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed again after sleeping elsewhere. As you feel yourself drifting into the dreamscape, your eyes shoot open like a demon that was the subject of an exorcism. “The donuts!” You had totally forgotten to put them in the refrigerator to keep them from getting stale. You get up and begin to run back downstairs. After what felt like an endless maze of halls, you turn the corner to the dining room to see Starlight standing next to the table you left the donuts on, with a donut in one hoof.

“Sorry!” She says with a full mouth as she notices you. “I was hungry.”

You laugh and walk towards her. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Yea, I just get into these weird funks sometimes.” She replies. “I’m feeling better now, really. Thank you, Anon.”

“Anytime Starlight.”

You share the silence for a short moment.

“I can have these, right?” Chuckles Starlight while gesturing to the half-eaten box of donuts. You didn’t even notice that she took as many as she did until she mentioned it.

You open the box and grab yourself a donut, taking a big bite while looking at Starlight, who is awaiting your response. “Yea... I got them for both of us...”

She grins.

“...but it seems like you’re just taking them all for yourself.”

The tone shift baffles Starlight. “You’re a jerk.” She scoffs.

You can’t help but start laughing. An embarrassed Starlight looks away, knowing that she had just been fooled. She eventually joins you in laughter, but not before playfully stomping on your foot with her free front hoof.

“OW! Haha. Jeez Starlight take it easy!”

You two share the laughter and donuts for a short while at the dining table. You check the clock to see what time it is; It’s 2:30pm on the dot.

“Well, thanks for the donuts Anon.” Starlight says as she rises from her chair. “I’ve got some paperwork I need to finalize for the School of Friendship before the next school year.”

She begins to walk back towards the stairs. There was still plenty of daylight left to use, and you had an idea of what to do with it. Before you let yourself be left alone in the dining room, you call out to her to stop her.

“Hey, Starlight!”

“Hmm?” She retorts without turning around.

“Um, when you’re done... doing what you need to do...” Your voice escapes you.

Starlight awaits your finished sentence. “Yes?” She turns around now.

“How about we go out somewhere later, when you’re free?”

Even from across the room, you can see her light up at your proposal. You don’t see Starlight as anything more than a friend, but besides that, you still felt nervous asking this to her. It was nothing more than a platonic request from two good friends. Besides, you’re still unsure what’s troubling her, and you want to be there for her. It’s also not like she hasn’t asked you out either. You just spent time with her in her old village for two whole weeks, for reasons you’re still not sure of, too.

“Okay Anon!” She twinkles. “Where do you want to go?”

“We can go for a walk then get some hayburgers.” You suggest, even though you don’t particularly enjoy hayburgers. “How’s that sound?”

“It sounds great!” She replies. “I’ll hopefully be done with my duties in a few hours”

“See you then!” You wave to her as she turns back around to go to her office upstairs.

You find yourself alone in the moments that follow, still in the dining room, thinking about how you want your walk-and-talk with Starlight to go later. You get up and exit the dining room and make your way to the front doors of the castle to get some fresh air in an attempt to divert your mind to other things. As you reach towards the door to push it open, it slams in your direction, causing your hand, and the entire door for that matter, to smack you squarely in the face.

“Anon? Anon?! I know you’re here! Oh, there you are!”

It was Rainbow Dash again. She didn't even seem to care that she almost broke your nose with the door.

She looks down at you. “Come on, enough sleeping man. Listen, I need to know where Starlight is!” She giggles and looks behind her, back outside the front doors. You see Applejack carrying a large bucket of ice water. She has the same expression as Rainbow Dash in this moment, one that you know all too well - Applejack and Rainbow Dash were going to prank Starlight.

You bring yourself to your feet as you check your hand and face. “You just slammed the door in my face and you’re expecting me to just tell you whatever you want now?” Your stern voice swells into one of anger. “Starlight is busy Rainbow, go away! You too Applejack!”

You attempt to push Rainbow Dash out of the castle to no avail. Despite being a decently tall guy at 5’8”, you’re still pretty lanky. Besides, Rainbow Dash is the self-proclaimed best Wonderbolt in Equestria, you really didn’t have a chance at moving her despite being considerably taller than her. She has enough muscle in those wings to allow her to surpass the speed of sound.

“Woah woah woah.” Says Rainbow Dash while looking at you condescendingly. “Looks like someone’s not too happy they got hit by the best prankster in Equestria earlier today!”

Despite being physically larger than her, you know that she’s the one really controlling the situation here. You stop trying to move Rainbow Dash and collect yourself to hear what she and Applejack have in store for Starlight.

Applejack interjects. “Alright Dash, I think Anon’s had enough.”

Rainbow Dash walks backwards until she’s back outside. “Can you tell us where she is Anon? This prank is too good to pass up!” Rainbow Dash wells up her eyes in an attempt to manipulate you. You can see Applejacks grin fade as Rainbow does this.

“Come on Dash, you know that never works on him!” Says Applejack.

You take a deep breath. “I already told you, she is busy. Now please leave us alone.”

“Oh, us huh?” Rainbow Dash snickers. She was making a fool of you with your own words. You almost lose control again as easily as you did the first time. You take another deep breath, then close the door on her and Applejacks face and lock it before going to sit back down.

You still wanted fresh air outside, but that door did a number on you. You wouldn’t even be able to enjoy the outside air because your nose had started swelling. You wipe a small drop of blood from your nose, and you realize that you need to go back to the bathroom to clean your face... again. This was the second time Rainbow Dash sent you to the bathroom to clean yourself up today. You’ve already learned the hard way before that the second time is never as fun.

You wipe your nose with your handkerchief as you walk to the bathroom upstairs. At the top of the staircase, you see Starlight getting ready to enter her bedroom.

“Oh hey Anon!” She gasped. Her sound and expression clued that she must’ve been surprised to see you right outside her room. Or it could also be the fact that your nose looked like a plum. “For crying out loud Anon! What happened to your nose now!?” Well, you got your answer. It was definitely the latter.

“I just uh, fell, yea. I fell getting out of the chair in the dining room.” You say while continuing to traverse the hallway towards her. You don’t know why you felt the impulse to lie and protect Rainbow Dash. Something in your subconscious told you to do it, but the doors one hit K.O on your face made it difficult to piece together the reason. You can tell that Starlight didn’t believe you, but she decides not to push it.

“I’m just heading to the restroom real quick to clean this up.” You say as you gesture to your nose.

Starlight begins to speak, but something has caught your eye. You become distracted when you look behind her into her room towards her window. It’s Rainbow Dash, peering in from the outside. This was it. You knew something was off. You had forgotten to consider that this was once Rainbow Dashes and Applejacks castle too. They know it as well as you do.

“Anon?” Starlight asks as she waves a hoof in front of your face. You don’t respond. “ANONYMOUS!” She shouts with enough force to make you snap back to her eyes.

“Yes Starlight!” You almost shout back at her, as if she was drill sergeant and you were a runt in boot camp. You’d be more aware of the fact that you were basically standing at attention if you weren’t in this extreme staring contest with Rainbow Dash.

“You go clean yourself up, I have to do this last thing before we can go.” She says before going back into her room and closing the door behind her. As the door closes, it’s like time decided to slow down. You still see Rainbow Dash outside, but in a flash, she shoots you a wink and flies off before Starlight sees her.

So much happened that you’re still trying to process, but there was one thing that you were certain of, stopping Rainbow Dash and Applejack from pranking Starlight.

You just had to stop them from getting the jump on Starlight and enacting their plan until she was ready to leave. You know Rainbow Dash isn’t subtle enough to successfully sneak in through Starlights window while she’s still in there. You jog towards to the bathroom, knowing that every second counts. You slow your movement to the bathroom to a complete stop before beginning to sulk. You realize that you may have made a mistake by zoning out while she was talking to you, because you have no idea what Starlight said she needed to do. It could take a couple minutes or a couple hours. You were definitely not prepared to stop the 2 physically strongest ponies you know for that long, and just how screwed you are is starting to sink in.

You enter the bathroom and wash your face. As you dry the water off with a towel, you notice that Starlights brush is missing. “Hmm, I guess she left it in here by mistake.” You whisper to yourself. That’s probably why she wasn’t in her room before.

You stare into the mirror for a short moment, thinking of a plan. You immediately lose focus when you see your nose glaring back at you through the reflection. “I should get some ice. I can’t go out looking like this.” You say to yourself while exiting the bathroom.

You make your way back downstairs. As you turn the corner to the kitchen, you see Applejack and Rainbow Dash ransacking the ice maker, with the kitchen window wide open behind them.

“Sorry Anon, but our ice is starting to melt and we need some more!” Rainbow Dash teases you.

You start to run at them in an effort to stop them, but they’re two steps ahead of you. Applejack grabs the full bucket of ice in her mouth while Rainbow Dash lifts her as they float back out of the oversized window. You were not going to let them get away easily this time. You jump on the table that the ice maker sits on and make a leap of faith from the counter to the base of the window. If you missed this jump, you would need ice for a lot more than just your nose. By some adrenaline-fueled miracle, you manage to grip the airborne bucket.

“Let go Anon!” Rainbow Dash pleads. This plea sounded like it was equal parts fear and play. Perhaps she was just as surprised at your sudden acrobatic skills as you were.

You lose your grip and fall to the floor of the kitchen. You land on your feet this time, ready to go on the attack again. Before Rainbow has the chance to say something, you are both captivated and stunned by a familiar sound - The water running to the shower on the second floor. You had no idea why Starlight was in the shower when she just told you that she had things to do, but that doesn’t matter now. You’re only responsibility is to stop the ponies in your kitchen from reaching her. You lock eyes with Applejack and Rainbow Dash for a second, the devious look in their eyes shakes you to the bone. In the blink of an eye, they zoom past you towards the stairs. Rainbow Dash flies at the perfect height to have Applejacks limbs smack you in the head, but it doesn’t faze you. You try to beat them to the bathroom, but by the time you turn the corner to see the bathroom door, it’s already open, with steam pouring out of the door. You run as fast as you can to stop them, but it’s too late. You hear an ear-piercing scream from Starlight inside the bathroom that makes you wince, followed by the laughter of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. That wasn’t all that you heard, however, the laughing quickly stopped – It was followed by a flurry of tears. You turn the corner of the bathroom to see the shower curtain half on the floor, with Starlight crying on the floor of the shower, covered in ice. Applejack looks back at you with an empty bucket and a concerned expression on her face, while Rainbow Dash covers her mouth with her hoof.

“What did you do!” You scold Applejack and Rainbow Dash as you walk up to the shower besides Rainbow Dash. You are floored by what you see. Starlight had an empty head of hair. What you thought was her natural mane was on the floor besides her inside a hair net.

It was a wig. The ice must’ve weighed it down too much and knocked it clean off her head. You look away and move to grab a towel from the shelf in the bathroom to hand to Starlight.

Rainbow Dash musters a few words as you move. “Starlight... We’re so sorr-”

“ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!” Starlight ignites her horn in anger. Covered in ice and tears, she telepathically grabs and tosses each of you, one by one, out of the bathroom. She throws Rainbow Dash and Applejack against the wall opposite of the door, but she gently sets you down outside the bathroom instead, before slamming the door and locking it with her magic.

The three of you remain silent as you hear Starlight continue to cry. You’re flabbergasted, staring at the bathroom door with the towel you grabbed still in your hand. You’re not sure if the silence from the ponies behind you is because they realized they messed up, or if it’s because Starlight knocked them out by throwing them out of the bathroom. You turn around to find out which, and it looks like it’s a mix of both. Rainbow Dash was folded like a lawn chair, while Applejack just sat on the ground next to her.

“I had no idea, Anon.” Says Applejack in a somber voice.

“Neither did I.” You reply.

Rainbow Dash begins to wake up. She speaks in a slurred voice while rubbing her temple with her hoof. “What in Equestria just happened?”

You quickly clap back. “You both just humiliated the hell out of Starlight after I told you two to leave her alone!”

Rainbow Dash gives you a disapproving look, but it swiftly fizzles out as she looks down, realizing her mistake. “I didn’t think the ice was that cold...”

Applejack stomps on her hoof. “You know damn well that’s not what Anon’s talking about, Dash!”

You decide to back up Applejacks statement, while still scolding her and Rainbow Dash equally. “Do you have any idea what you guys just did to her?”

They don’t say anything back to you. Even if Starlight wasn’t hiding this from everyone, you still don’t know why they thought this would be a good idea. It’s been almost a decade since Twilights Sparkles coronation. Twilight and her friends were busy reshaping Equestria following the Legion of Dooms near complete takeover for almost all of that time. Only when Equestria was doing well and the different pony races weren’t still skeptical of eachother did Twilight finally ask you to give Starlight some company. She was just left to fend for herself before then. You weren’t exactly close with her before, but even then, you still knew that the situation wasn’t favorable for Starlight. Twilight still talks to her as much as she can, you can hardly blame her since she’s so busy, but the others? You’d almost feel contempt for all them if it wasn’t for Pinkie Pie. She’s the only one besides Twilight who still seems like they care about Starlight.

“You guys should leave.” You say without making eye contact with either of them. Surprisingly, they both bring themselves to their hooves and begin walking towards the stairwell. Rainbow Dash is only able to take a few steps before stumbling. You move to help her, but Applejack is already on top of it.

“I got it Anon.” She reassures you. You both know that Rainbow wouldn’t accept help from anyone besides her anyway.

After the events of the last few hours, the smart move would be to follow them downstairs to make sure they actually leave, but you could care less about them right now. The potential heartache from another dumb prank is nothing compared to what Starlight is probably feeling. Besides, if they did something to anyone else in view of you, you’d probably actually hurt them.

You shift your attention back towards the bathroom door once Rainbow Dash and Applejack are out of view. You slowly walk up to it – There's nothing but silence on the other end.

You reach out to her with your voice. “Starlight?” There is no answer. “You okay in there? Applejack and Rainbow are gone.” You linger on your next words. You’re not even sure if she’s still in the bathroom. She could’ve teleported anywhere at this point. You take a deep breath, and make yourself vulnerable to her. “I’m sorry this happened, Starlight. It’s my fault. I should’ve done more to stop them so that we could have a good day together.”

The door unlocks. You slowly lift your free hand to the handle, turn it, and open the door. Starlight is still on the floor of the shower, but sitting up this time. She was facing away from you, with her mane still in the shower cap on the floor next to her. She’d rather inhibit herself in fear of a reaction from you than face you directly. The cool ice was all melted, but the aroma of steam and tears was enough to paint the picture of Starlights current emotions for you – She was ashamed.

You say nothing as you walk up beside her. You crouch down to her level, and offer her the towel you grabbed earlier. It takes a moment, but she eventually acknowledges your presence with a side glance. You say nothing while softly staring into her eyes, still holding the towel out to her as an invitation for her to open up to you. You see her wince in an attempt to turn her head to make eye contact with you. When she does, she matches your expression with a slight grin and an exhale. It seemed like she was relieved that you weren’t horrified at her lack of a mane.

She lifts her hoof to meet the towel on the opposite side as your hand. “Thanks, Anon.” She mutters to you before breaking eye contact again. She takes the towel and wipes the stagnant tears from her face before throwing it over her flank to keep herself warm. You shift from the crouching position to a sitting one on the floor next to her, in preparation of addressing the elephant in the room, but she beats you to it.

“It’s not your fault.” She says. “I’m getting old, Anon. I’m not as... healthy as I used to be.” Her head sinks back down to her chest.

“Starlight...” Your voice trails off. “What’s the matter?” Your lack of emotional social skills erodes away in this moment. This wasn’t like before in Starlights bedroom. Your confidence and empathy take a front; Your self-consciousness of saying the wrong thing has become a memory. “I’m your friend. If you’re not feeling well, I would like to know about it.” She meets your eyes again, this time with tears in them. “Let me help you, Starlight.”

She breaks into tears in front of you, while burying her face in her hooves. “I’m sick... Anon.” Her voice trembles and breaks with each syllable she speaks, like it was physically hurting her to speak about what she had been keeping secret.

You’re unsure what she means. You place your hand on her withers in an attempt to comfort her. You feel her become tense at the sensation, but she quickly relaxes and accepts your gesture. “What do you mean?” You reluctantly question her.

She inhales deeply, and removes her tear-soaked hooves from her face. “I have a condition...” She sniffles between each sentence. Before you have a chance to ask for specifics, she finishes her sentence. “It’s... It’s a cancer.”

Your confidence turns to uncertainty. You know this phenomenon all too well. Before you found yourself in Equestria, your father was diagnosed with cancer. It was too late for him; he passed away only a few years after his diagnosis. Your eyes swell with concern. You are scared for Starlight, and she sees it in you.

“It’s not fatal right now.” She reassures you. “But the treatment... it’s very arduous.”

You finish her sentence. “That’s why you lost your mane...”

She nods. “The doctors said the first round of treatment got it all out, but... I know that’s not how it really works. This will always be a part of me, Anon, and... I...”

“What is it, Starlight?”

Her face becomes red and tears begin to flow from her eyes once again. “...I’m really scared.”

Without warning, she completely breaks down and throws herself onto you, crying into your shoulder. You reciprocate the embrace, holding her close to you. You shut down any doubts you have about the implications of this exchange. In this moment, your only perception of reality is one of you surrendering yourself to Starlight. Your shoulder becomes soaking wet with tears in a matter of seconds, with the residual steam from the shower making the stain spread faster. Starlight wept for full on minutes at a time. By the time she was lucid enough to speak again, her face was flushed and limp. Throughout it all, not once did your ability to care for her needs waver in the slightest. It was like having a second chance with your dad, and you weren’t going to let it slip away.

“I don’t want to live with this... this thing that’s slowly killing me...”

“Hey hey hey no.” You stop her. “You can’t say that, Starlight. You have so much to live for. This doesn’t have to define you.”

She relinquishes her hold on you to face you, and you do the same. “Anon, I am the first student of the princess of Equestria. I have done things that nopony else has ever done, and now I am at the mercy of something I can’t control.” She raises a hoof to her horn. “This can’t help me fix it. The best doctors in Equestria can’t help me either. I... I have nothing!”

She wallows in sorrow, collapsing onto the floor. You catch her head as it falls, gently setting it down on your lap. You grab a second towel from the shelf for her, although you are unsure what to do with it. You decide on using it as a blanket for Starlight, laying it down over her to keep her warm, as the first towel you gave her was already wet with her tears. She exhales deeply, satisfied at the warmth descending upon her. You set your hand down on her head to provide extra comfort, but not before hesitating to think about how she would feel to have you touching her exposed head. This move elicits a response from Starlight.

“I can’t even brush the wig the way I want either. It’s not at smooth as my mane was.”

You sense that putting your hand there was making her self-conscious, so you withdraw it from its place on Starlights temple. Before you can place it back by your side, she interrupts you. “It’s okay, Anon.”

You can tell that she was uncertain, but she still trusted you enough to comfort her. You slowly raise your hand back atop her head, and set it down where it was before. A few seconds after, Starlight ignites her horn and uses her magic to gently move your hand in between her head and your lap.

You lean back against the wall of the shower before speaking again. “You left your brush in here earlier today, and I thought it looked pretty beat up. Is that why?”

“Yea... It makes me upset sometimes.” She sniffles, then changes her tone to something akin to a pout. “It’s not easy to work with at all. Twilight got the most beautiful mane in all of Equestria when she got older, while I got an incurable disease.”

This wasn’t just about the cancer – Starlight was depressed.

“Your mane doesn’t make you any more or less of a good pony, Starlight. You’re still you!” You say, attempting to change her outlook. “I know you have it in you to continue living your best life. You said it yourself. You’ve done things nopony else has ever done, that doesn’t need to end, and neither do you.”

She remains silent, and her expression stagnates. You try a different approach.

“Does anyone else know about this?” You ask.

She takes a moment to answer. “No... but I'm sure Rainbow is going to tell everyone in Ponyville that I wear a wig now.”

You groan, knowing she’s probably right. Rainbow Dash has always been a wildcard. You hope Applejack is working overtime to prevent her from doing anything to make Starlights life even harder than it is right now.

“It’ll be fine, Starlight.” You reassure her. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

You feel her body relax further. You two sit on the floor of the bathroom for a few minutes before conversing again. You open your mouth to speak. “Starlight?” You ask, but there is no answer. You look down, and see her eyes closed – She had fallen asleep on your lap. You feel a sensation of both relief and accomplishment at the fact that Starlight had chosen to sleep in your presence at all, nevermind on your lap. You get as comfortable as you can on the crystal wall of the castle bathroom. You rest your eyes and within minutes you fall asleep, still holding Starlights head with your right hand, while your left hand now rests on the towel she was using as a blanket.

When you wake up, you’re on a different floor than that of the castle bathroom. You had awoken in a different realm, the Canterlot throne room to be specific. This was unique – The dreamscape had never taken you here before. The throne was empty, and the stained-glass windows where art of the princesses should’ve been were all wiped clean. You spin in a circle to take it all in. It wasn't the first time you had been in the throne room, and even without the art and the splashes of color, it was still a sight to behold. As you bear witness to Canterlots greatest piece of architecture, a familiar face suddenly appears in front of you – Princess Luna.

Your spin is broken and you fall backwards onto the floor in astonishment. Luna has never entered your dreams before, and at this point, she shouldn’t be able to. She gave up her responsibility of watching over the night when she and her sister retired and handed the throne off to Twilight. You scramble to the kneeling position to show your respect.

“Anon, get up.” Her tone is one of condescending nature. “I am no longer royalty.” This confirms your suspicions - This couldn’t be Luna. You rise to your feet and decide to play along. Her eyes meet yours as you stand. You had forgotten just how much taller she was compared to the rest of Ponyvilles residents.

“What are you doing here Prin-” You clear your throat. “Excuse me. what are you doing here, Luna?”

“You are getting close to Starlight.” She nearly interrupts you. The manner in which she spoke, it was like she knew what you were going to say before you said it. She didn’t even give you time to close your mouth after you were done speaking. “Her predicament is... trying.”

You crease your brow. “How do you know about that?”

Again, a near instant reply from Luna is spoken. “I have seen it in her dreams, Anon, as I am seeing you now in this dream.” She was lying to you.

If where you find yourself now isn’t the dreamscape that Luna created, then it must be a lucid dream. Nothing else could explain the realism of the environment you found yourself in. If what you were thinking was true, then this Luna would be nothing more than a manifestation of your subconscious. You were unsure what your interaction with Starlight meant for both of your futures, so your subconscious brought you a Luna to attempt to answer your questions.

You begin to test your theory, and by proxy, your own subconscious. “How long has she been sick?”

“I know what you’re trying to do, Anon.” You weren’t expecting such a forward answer, but it confirmed your suspicions nonetheless. “You need to try harder.”

“I don’t know what you want from me Luna.” You scoff at her, as if you weren’t arguing with yourself.

“I want you to think for once, you idiot.” Yup, Luna would never say that. The bridge between your personality and your minds interpretation of Luna was starting to form. The information your subconscious wanted you to remember was within your grasp. Luna starts chanting at you. “Think! Think! Think! Think! Think!”

Copies of Luna begin to make a circle around you, all harmonizing the same word – Think. You close your eyes and drown out the incessant noise of the Luna clones. When it goes quiet, you open your eyes.

You find yourself back in the castle of friendship, at the front doors to be specific. You hear the indistinct chatter of mares outside the front door. You push the grand doors open to find Starlight and Trixie, both standing by Trixies wagon. This was a memory from weeks ago, from before you and Starlight left for her village.

Your thought process is cut short by Starlight. “Anon, what are you doing? Trixie is here with the wagon. Go and get your stuff so we can go!”

“Uh, yea one sec!” You say before going back inside the castle and closing the doors behind you. The instant the doors shut, the environment around you changes once again, and you found yourself in Starlights village. This was different though. The town was empty and devoid of color. Only two things caught your eye in this dark expanse: Starlights old house, and Starlight herself walking away from you.

“Starlight?” You call out to her. She keeps walking towards the house, away from you. You try to catch up to her by picking up your foot-pace, but she stays the same distance from you no matter how fast you move. You concede this fight against your mind, and decide to maintain a loose follow until you both enter the house. It was mostly empty, just like how she left it when she first moved to Ponyville with all of her things. From nowhere, she starts putting her things back on her shelves. “Starlight?” You touch her to persuade her into turning around this time. “What are you doing?”

She continues putting her belongings on the shelves, and mutters two words. “My life.”

“Huh? Starlight, I don’t understa-”

All of a sudden, everything turns black, like a big bang that ended the universe instead of starting it. You take a second to process what just happened, before your eyes open once again. You found yourself inside the bathroom again as you breathe a sigh of relief. You look down, expecting to still see Starlight resting, but she must’ve woken up and gone somewhere. You take a minute to double check that you’re not still dreaming before you bring yourself to your feet. You take a quick look in the mirror before you exit the bathroom – Your hair was a mess. You must’ve been in there for a while. You wash your face and briefly comb through your hair before venturing back outside the bathroom.

The windows in the hallway let in less light than they were before. You take a peak outside and see the sun setting. The clock in the hallway read 6:16pm. “Oh no...” You whisper to yourself. You hope Starlight wasn’t alone for too long. If her snoring didn’t wake you up, then she must’ve woken up much earlier than you did.

You walk towards her room. You hear clanking and the movement of things as you draw closer and closer. Her door was slightly open. You knock a few times before entering, only to see her with her luggage, packing up her things.

“Starlight? What’s all of this!” You accidentally raise your voice out of panic. you know that this isn’t a dream anymore.

“I’m going back to my village.” She asserted.

“What? Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Anon.” She hesitates. “In fact, you did everything right.”

The confused look in your eyes tells Starlight that she still has the talking floor here. You don’t exactly like where this conversation is going, but you need to hear this.

She stops packing her things and faces you. “I... I want you to come with me. I want to leave Ponyville behind.”

“What? Why are you doing this? I thought we were doing good here-”

She cuts you off. “No, Anon. I am NOT doing good!” You are taken aback. You knew Starlight was an emotional pony, but she was never irrational. “Nobody cares that I'm here! I’m just a byproduct of a time that everyone seems to want to forget! I don’t hear from ANYONE besides Twilight anymore, and it’s like she doesn’t even want to see me sometimes! I just want to go somewhere where I can live what life I have left in peace.”

You kneel down to her level. “I care that you’re here Starlight! I’m sure the rest of your friends do too!”

“I know you do, Anon, and I'm grateful for that, but do they?” She argues with you. “All they do is walk past this castle whenever they’re around! Like it’s some kind of relic to be forgotten!”

“Yes, Starlight! They do care!” You reminisce on moments from earlier today. “Pinkie Pie asked about you when I was getting those donuts we ate! You know they all see eachother when they perform their royal duties with Twilight. I know Pinkie isn’t the only one who wants to see you, Starlight! I’m sure of it!”

Starlight cannot keep up the angry facade for long. You can see her eyes straining in an effort to not cry. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack wanted to be there for you earlier too, but they respected you enough to know that they made a mistake!”

You move to hug her as you see her eyes well up once more. “As much of an honor it would be to go back to your village with you, I know that seclusion is not what you are seeking.” You choose your next words carefully. “You seek love, Starlight. No matter how much time you have left on this earth I promise you that Twilight, myself, and the rest of your friends will be there with you.”

“I don’t think they will...” Starlight starts to weep, but she manages to stop herself and pull away from you. She magically collects her bags and runs downstairs.

“Starlight! Please! Wait!” You shout and chase after her. By the time you reach the bottom of the stairs, the front doors were already flung open and she was gone. You run outside and look around frantically. Starlight was nowhere to be found. “STARLIGHT! STARLIGHT!” Your voice breaks more with each consecutive outcry, like a piece of you was breaking off with every word.

You catch your breath and run as fast as you can towards town. There are not many ponies outside at this hour, and the ones you do see aren’t any of the ones you’re looking for. You make an Olympic sprint past all of them for the home of one of Starlights closest friends.

She may have retired the craft of recreational magic, but Trixie Lulamoon never got rid of her iconic magic wagon. She could never get rid of the biggest keepsake to remind her of her great and powerful years. Everyone knows that she’s past her prime. You just pray that she’s willing to set her pride to the side for Starlight. In any other situation, she would ignore you. If you and Starlight still got on eachothers nerves after all this time, then you and Trixie would annoy eachother just by existing in the same room as one another.

You find her wagon in her usual spot. You eagerly knock on the door of the wagon, waiting for her to answer. You hear hoofsteps inside trotting closer to the door. They pause for a moment, then they start again, moving further away this time. You don’t have time for this.

“Trixie! I know you’re in there!” You shout from the outside. “I really need to talk to you! It’s an emergency!” You await a response, but you know that Trixie won’t answer. You bite the bullet and draw her out by appealing to her favorite thing – Her ego.

“Trixie, seriously.” You inhale deeply. “There’s no one else that can help me besides you right now. Please open the door.” You were right. Trixie is the only one who would travel the world and back for Starlight, and she was your only hope.

You prepare yourself for another disappointing non-answer. “Trixie?” The instant you finish speaking, she hastily opens the door. Your previous encounter with being too close to a door gave you the reaction time you needed to avoid having Trixies smack you in the face this time.

“What do you want, Anon.” Trixie speaks while smacking a piece of chewing gum in her mouth. She looked like she was ready to turn in for the night, which was not good for the case you were about to make to her.

You cut to the chase. “It’s Starlight, she needs our help.” Trixie stops obnoxiously chewing. “I need you to take me to her village. She hasn’t been doing well... um, physically or mentally. She needs you, Trixie.”

She stops chewing her gum for a moment before she closes the door on you. Before you can perceive the emotion of failure, Trixie teleports outside in her iconic magic hat and cloak. She hooks herself up to the wagon and shoots you a glare. “You just gonna stand there? Come on!”

You breathe a sigh of relief and grab onto one of the handlebars on the outside of the wagon. “You ready?” She asks you. You nod at her, and she nods back.

You were expecting a smooth ride, but you knew you were in for more when she ignited her horn as she started running. She may have given up recreational magic, but she started studying practical magic as a substitute. She was casting some kind of speed spell. You look down and notice the wheels of the wagon shimmer with Trixies magical color. Before you know it, you jump to what seemed like lightspeed. The wheels below you ignite the grass they roll on as you struggle to not lose your grip on the side of the wagon.

“Christ, Trixie! Slow down!” You adjust your hold on the wagon to accommodate for the increase in speed.

Trixie takes the turns on the path with grace despite the extraordinary speed. The wheels on the turning side of the wagon lift up off the ground with each turn. Trixie knew the exact speed she needed to go to get to the village as fast as possible without throwing you off the wagon. She had given you the tools you need to make it to Starlight, you just needed to have the strength to hold on, for both your sake and Starlights.

After a few minutes, she comes to a screeching halt outside the front of Starlights village. The abrupt stop throws you onto the dirt floor and makes the wagon stand on its two front wheels. You somehow land on your feet for a moment before stumbling to the floor. Before you faceplant, Trixie uses her magic to stop you and bring you to the upright position.

“Thanks.” You say softly.

“What makes you think she’s here?” Trixie says while ignores your pleasantries.

“She told me she wanted to go back to living here.” You reply. “She even asked me to go with her.”

“Ugh, what? Why would she ask you over me!?” Trixie scoffs. You see that she’s actually hurt from this realization.

“It’s not like that, Trixie. The point is that Starlight is unwell and she needs our support. We just need to bring her home, then we can talk about everything.”

Trixie takes a deep breath and resets her facial expression. “Okay, let's go.”

You and Trixie begin asking the residents of the village if they’ve seen Starlight. They all say the same thing – That they saw her go into her old house. You and Trixie make your way to the opposite side of the village to Starlights house. Before you can knock, Trixie rattles the door with her magic.

“Starlight! It’s Trixie. What’s going on? Did you really ask Anon to live with you here?”

“Trixie!” You grumble at her before going up to the door. “What she meant to say is that she really wants to help you. Come back home Starlight.”

You and Trixie are suddenly teleported inside, specifically onto the couch in her living room. You two see Starlight on the other end of the room, surrounded by boxes and luggages of her belongings.

Trixie wastes no time. She gets up and walks towards her. “Why are you doing this?”

Starlight looks over Trixies shoulder towards you. You two share a glance, before you signal a nod for her to talk to Trixie.

“I feel like everyone wants to forget me...” Starlight reluctantly speaks to Trixie, before taking her wig off in front of her. This move you did not expect. “I also got sick and lost my mane... I’m just not doing good, Trixie.”

Trixie reacts with a surprising amount of emotional maturity “What!? For Celestias sake Starlight I'm so sorry. why didn’t you tell me?”

“I... I don’t know. I don’t have it in me to be vocal with everypony anymore.” She admits. “This cancer... I’m just a wreck, Trixie.”

Trixie takes off her hat and moves to hug Starlight. Starlight reciprocates the advance. A smile is elicited from both of them in response to eachothers affection. “You don’t have to live in seclusion, Starlight. I’ll be with you for as long as you need.”

This statement makes Starlight look over Trixies shoulder towards you again. Trixie had said almost the exact same thing you did before. You decide to interject. “Do you understand now Starlight? Every one of your friends care about you.” You reason with her. “I’m sure Twilight and the others would say the same thing if they were here. You just need to be willing to talk about your situation with them.”

Starlight pulls away from Trixie. “But what will they think of me, Anon. I feel like I'll just be a burden.” She broods.

“I think they will point out how great you are, Starlight.” Trixie retorts. “I mean your mane was one of the best things about you-”

“Trixie! Focus please!” You reproach.

“But they will see past that, is what I was going to say.” Trixie glares at you before continuing. “When we met, I was nothing more than your assignment from Twilight Sparkle, but you decided to give me a chance. You changed my mind about friendship. That’s something the princess of friendship herself couldn’t even do for me. We watch eachothers flanks, Starlight. It’s what friends do.”

You back up Trixie. “It goes without saying. You’re needed in Ponyville, Starlight. Come back home with us.”

You and Trixie share a look before you both go back to examining Starlight, eagerly awaiting a response. After a few seconds, she uses her magic to begin putting her stuff back in their boxes.

Starlight looks back up towards you two before breaking the tension with an assertion. “Let’s go home, guys.” She said, while graciously smiling.

You and Trixie share a sigh of relief, before you both begin helping Starlight pack everything up. It only takes a few moments thanks to the help of Trixie and Starlights magic, and before you knew it, you three were back at Trixies wagon.

“I don’t know how I can thank you both for everything.” Starlight says.

“Please, Starlight.” Replies Trixie. “Self-pity is not a good look on you. Besides, that’s more Anons style anyways.”

Starlight stifles a laugh as you sneer at Trixie. “What? No it’s not.”

“Sure it’s not.” Trixie remarks. “Now get on the wagon.”

You grab onto the side of the wagon while Trixie sets herself up on the front like before. Starlight moves to join her. “All my stuff is weighing this wagon down.” Starlight says. “It’s only fair that I do my part in pulling it.”

Trixie accepts Starlights assistance while simultaneously making another jab at you. “Thanks. I could use the help pulling your friend, he’s pretty heavy.”

You shoot a shallow grin at the two ponies which makes them laugh, before making a comeback of your own. “I can use my own legs to carry myself, thank you very much.” You say as you jump off the wagon and walk next to them.

The three of you take a nice, slow walk back to Ponyville. You don’t mind this though. It gave you the best excuse to take in the beauty of Equestria as the sun continues falling over the horizon. The three of you would spend the time cracking jokes, most of the time at eachothers expense. You talked about everyones shared memories as well, like the time Pinkie Pie actually convinced you to stick a cupcake in your eye to avoid a curse. You were very gullible when you first arrived in Equestria, to say the least. You could make jokes all night, but you knew it was only a matter of time before Trixie decided to break the ice on Starlights condition.

“So uh, Starlight.” Trixie restrains herself from being too brash. “When did you find out... that you were sick?”

“Almost a year ago.” Starlight doesn’t tremble on her words this time. She had fully opened up to you and Trixie at this point. “The treatments made me lose my mane. It was not an easy time for me.”

“Well, I’m just happy you made it out healthy enough to tell us about it.” You add.

“Yea, you look pretty good, Starlight.” Trixie says, backing you up. “How’d you get that wig of yours anyway? It looks so real!”

“Oh, just a little bit of magic and whatever was left of my natural mane.” Starlight says. “Having the real deal makes it easier to craft a replica.”

You comment off of what Trixie said before. “Heh, yea. It’s a replica alright. Magic can do a lot of great things.”

“Yea.” Starlight replies. “But not everything.”

The three of you share eachothers company as the lengthy walk back to the Castle of Friendship nears its end. It really put into perspective how fast the trip to the village was in comparison - Trixie really didn’t want to waste any time.

Trixie and Starlight unharness themselves from the wagon in front of the Castle of Friendship before they share a hug together.

“You gonna be okay?” Trixie asks Starlight.

“I think I will be, yea.” Starlight says.

Trixie and Starlight back away from eachother. “I’ll walk you in.” Trixie says.

As the three of you walk towards the castle doors as you make one last joke to end the night. “I guess we got our walk done, Starlight, we just need to go get hayburgers now.” You quipped.

“How about we just go to sleep instead.” She retorts, before letting out a slight chuckle.

You all open the doors to the main hall. At first the lights are off, but then they are all suddenly ignited. If you didn’t know any better, you would say that the amount of light made you go blind in that moment. As you recover from what seemed like the light of God descending upon you, you hear a horde of ponies all shout one word.

“SURPRISE!!!”

You squint and rub your eyes to bring them back to functioning status as quickly as possible. When you start to see detail again, you realize that all of the ponies in front of you both was damn near everyone you’ve ever met since you arrived in Equestria. You look at Starlight; She was just holding a hoof over her mouth in surprise. Trixie looked just as floored as you did.

Pinkie Pie runs up to you. “Starlight!” She takes a massive breath. “Welcome to the bestest most ultimatest superb awesomest surprise party EVER!” Pinkie directs Starlight to the others at the end of the hall before speaking to you.

“Thank you for checking on her, Anon.” She says.

You had bigger questions that needed answering before you could even begin to process what she said. “How did you all know to be here?” You ask.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash let Twilight know that something was up, and in turn Twilight asked me to set something up for her!” Pinkie replies.

“Isn’t that just like her.” Trixie sneers before conceding her contemptuous attitude. “I guess it works though. Starlight deserves this Pinkie, thank you.”

“Yea Pinkie, you guys know how to turn up for your friends.” You add.

“Awww, I love you guys!” Pinkie says before squeezing you both in a hug of surprising strength. You struggle to breathe while Trixie reluctantly scowls at the gesture, like this wasn’t the first time she and Pinkie Pie had been in a situation like this. Pinkie releases her grip on you both. “Enough of that, let's go join the others!” She says before skipping away towards Starlight and the others.

“She’s such a hooffull sometimes.” Trixie says to you.

“Maybe.” You reply. “But she’s what Starlight needs right now.”

“Yea... she’s lucky to have such good friends.” She says with a drifting voice.

“We all are, Trixie.” You say with a smile.

Trixie lights up slightly at your pleasantry. “Come on.” She says before walking towards the others.

You and Trixie meet back up with Starlight. “There you guys are! Pay attention, Twilight is about to say something.”

Even before she made it to the clearing in the center of the room, Twilight towered above everyone else. She has grown so much since she took the throne. You couldn’t help but feel proud of her as she took the stage. Her friendliness was the reason you survived in this world, after all.

Twilight begins. “Greetings everypony! We are gathered here today to celebrate somepony very special to me – Starlight Glimmer. When I met this unicorn, she was... very troubled. I helped her through it the first time, and she went on to do many great things, but now, she needs the help of everypony, and human, in this room. Starlight, please join me on stage.” Starlight gently maneuvers through the crowd to stand next to Twilight. “Starlight, as my very first student, the amount of pride I feel for you cannot be put into words. You have grown into such a mature and powerful mare, and I am so very proud of you. I am sorry that I didn’t know you were struggling here at the castle. Know that myself and our friends will always be there for you. You should never feel ashamed to talk to us or any of your friends. We love you Starlight, and Equestria would not be the same without you.”

Starlight tears up on stage. “That’s very sweet, Twilight. I... I love you too.” They share a hug and everyone starts clapping. As the clapping stops, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie join them on stage.

“DOGPILE!!” Pinkie Pie shouts, as her and the others join in on Twilight and Starlights hug.

They all share a laugh before Twilight gives the stage to Pinkie Pie. “Alright everypony, LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!”

You swear the cheers of everyone started rocking the castle. You and Trixie share a look, before you both let loose and join them. Everyone partied the night away. The festivities seemed like they lasted for days. I guess that’s a side effect of having Pinkie Pie host the party; She always gives 101% when it comes to her parties.

All good things come to an end. When the party finally ended, and almost everyone had gone home, it was just you, Starlight, and Trixie left. The last bit of party cleanup made you realize just how great it is to live in a world with magic. Thanks to the help of your gifted unicorn friends, it was done in a flash, literally. The three of you admire the beauty of the castle walls, relishing the opportunity to see them clearly again past all of Pinkies party streamers, balloons, and confetti.

“Well, that was something.” You say while struggling to keep your eyes open. The extreme exhaustion had you slurring your words more than any apple cider drink could do.

Trixie laughs at you. “Yea, it was. You look like shit, Anon.”

You shrug your shoulders at her. “What can I say, I party hard.”

Trixie and Starlight share a laugh. “Thanks for today you guys.” Starlight says. “I had a ton of fun with you both today.”

“We’re both always down for a good time, Starlight.” Trixie replies.

Starlight initiates a hug between you three. You accept it, while Trixie hesitates. “Come on, Trixie.” You say to her. She looks intently at you both, before grinning and joining you both in the embrace. “I knew you’d come around.” You say to her.

“Shut up.”

The three of you laugh as you withdraw from eachother. “Have a good night, Trixie.” You say with a smile. She shoots a smile back towards you both before teleporting away in a flash.

You and Starlight remain in the main hall. “Well, I’m tired. I’m gonna get some sleep.” You say to Starlight.

“Okay, goodnight.” She replies with a smile.

You make your way upstairs and into your room. You fall back first onto the sheets – They have never felt so good. Before you fall asleep, you get back up to put your night clothes on. As you get ready to go to bed, a knock is heard at your door. You already know who’s on the other side, but you entertain it regardless.

“Who is it?” You ask in a high pitch.

“Anonymous, open the door please.”

You comply and drop the facade before opening the door to see her face. “What’s up, Starlight?”

She blushes and kicks one of her front hooves. “Earlier, before the party, in the bathroom...” She pauses. “...I liked how you acted there and, honestly... I was looking forward to going out with you earlier today, too. I’m just... I’m not ready for this night to end, so... Um, can I sleep in here tonight? With you?”

You swallow a bounty of air. You were afraid this would happen, but you set your pride aside for her. It wasn’t like you didn’t enjoy the experience before. “Starlight, I...” You think, eventually deciding to opening up. “...Okay, come on.”

You let her into your room and close the door behind her. You both climb into your bed and get comfortable. Starlight snuggles up next to you and closes her eyes. You remain stiff for a moment, unsure of what to do. You try to remember what you did for her before in the bathroom. As it comes back to you, you loosen up. You pull the sheets over her before bringing her in close.

"I really hope I stay healthy, Anon. I wouldn't want to miss being here with you."

You hold Starlight tighter. You weren't sure what this meant for either of you, but you start to think that this may be the start of something great. Everyone else had moved on with their lives: Pinkie had a child, Rarity was a billionaire and owner of a fashion empire, Fluttershy finally married Discord, Rainbow Dash and Applejack started living together, and Twilight was the princess of Equestria. You accept this as your new role - Confiding in Starlight, and her confiding in you. You didn't think you could feel love again after losing your father, and your entire world soon after, but you knew that being this close to Starlight was a blessing. As you both get comfortable, you share one last exchange with her before you fall asleep in eachothers arms.

“Goodnight, Starlight.”

“Goodnight, Anon.”