"... And the night was a complete disaster, but Celestia said afterwards she hadn't enjoyed herself so much in years!!". Princess Twilight Sparkle finished regaling the other three ponies at the table in the cafe the infamous tale of her first Grand Galloping Gala experience... To complete silence from those assembled.
A few moments later, realising the princess had finished her shaggy dog story, Twinkle Shine burst into a hearty laugh... Almost TOO hearty. Then, under her seat, she nudged Minuette, who similarly started giggling like she'd just heard the greatest joke ever. Lemon Drops was the next mare to receive a little prod, and soon the trio of ponies were making such a racket that most of the other clientele stopped what they were eating or drinking to stare at these somewhat hysterical ponies.
Twilight looked at the reactions of the other customers, and then whispered to her noisy entourage "Er girls... It wasn't THAT FUNNY" with a somewhat embarrassed smile. Almost immediately, the three of them stopped their impromptu laughter and looked nervously at Twilight.
"We're sorry, we just think you're the best storyteller EVER" gushed Twinkle .
"If anyone else had told us that, it wouldn't have been HALF as hilarious" beamed Minuette.
"Go on... Tell us another one... We promise to be quieter" swore Drops.
Twilight looked at each face, staring at her with rapt attention. Something strange was going on here. She'd been sat here with the trio for a few hours now... And the response to her anecdotes was the same. Uproarious giggles, followed by effusive praise. It was starting to irritate her a bit.
Plus, it didn't even seem the other three mares seated were even LISTENING to her. They were either looking around the room to see if anyone had spotted the little group, or they seemed to be pointing her out to passers-by. Almost as if... No, Spike couldn't be right...
She decided to put her theory to the test. It WAS a little under-handed, but she must know the truth.
"Okay, I'll tell you what happened when Discord got free in a moment. But tell me... What was your favourite part of the last story I told you, if the three of you loved it so much?"
It was like someone had asked them to count the amount of dropped foliage after the Falling Of The Leaves.
"Eeeerrrrrrr..." muttered Twinkle.
"Hmmmmmm..." pondered Minuette.
"Wweellll..." thought Drops, before sheepishly stating "All of it?"
"YEAH!!" "I was going to say that too!!" Twinkle and Minuette agreed, and there was much relief all round... Almost as if this was a brilliant answer.
Twilight was somehow less convinced.
The princess put her hoof to her temple, and sighed. "Spike told me this might be happening. I didn't want to believe him, but I guess my determination to make amends clouded my judgement. The three of you... Don't really know me at all do you?"
Glancing nervously at each other, then at her, the three mares seemed to go into panic mode. "Of course we do!!" said Twinkle, slightly frantically. "You're Twilight Sparkle, our good friend from school!!"
"You come from Canterlot, just like we do!!" squeaked Minuette.
"And now you're a PRINCESS!!" added Drops, like this was the greatest thing in the world.
"Yes, yes, yes. All that is true. But do you know ME?" said Twilight, with a little exasperation. "For instance... What's my brother's name? My favourite author? My best food?"
The three mares, realising the jig might be up, formed a makeshift huddle. Twilight shook her head in amazement. This was beginning to get... Rather desperate.
A few swapped answers and a bit of silent bickering later, the trio were ready to resume the conversation.
"Your brother's name is Rusty Chainmail" uttered Twinkle. "He was a black stallion, wasn't he?"
"Your favourite writer is the AMAZING J.K Rowling." said Minuette. "I should know, because I've read all her Hairy Ascotter books".
"And your best food? Quesadillas of course!!" Drops spoke with confidence." We used to eat them all the time at recess!!"
Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were all completely wrong... And in one case, bizarrely incorrect. She lowered her head, and felt somewhat guilty how she'd just swept Spikes now legitimate concerns from earlier on under the metaphorical carpet. She should listen to the little guy more often.
Not knowing what to say, Twilight simply sat up, and made her way to the cafe door. Looking at one another with barely disguised shock, the three mares left behind tried to block her from leaving.
"We're sorry, it's just that..." spluttered Twinkle.
"You're SO much cooler now..." stated Minuette.
"Then when you were an egghead!!" Drops pronounced that last word as if it was a curse.
Twilight cringed in horror. So THAT's what they really thought of... "Now, listen very carefully." she told the trio, rather coldly. "I'm STILL that 'egghead', my new position doesn't change that one iota. Just because I have wings now, doesn't mean I've somehow transformed into a different mare. And I don't think you three understand that, unlike..." She suddenly remembered somepony very important...
"We DO, honestly!!" pleaded Twinkle.
"Give us another chance!!" begged Minuette.
"Yeah!! We'll REALLY pay attention to your stories this time!!!" That was, of course, Drops.
The princess rolled her eyes, and let out a weary sigh. "That's not the point. The fact is, ever since I returned, you three have been treating me more like some kind of celebrity, than an actual friend. You're not really all that interested in what I have to say, but you DO enjoy the trappings of being closely affiliated with a member of the Royal Family. Well I'm sorry, but I only want to hang around those who like me for myself, and don't put on a fake act just to try and win my favour. So, I bid you good-day. Come on Spike, we're leaving now."
To the cry of "At last!!" from her number one assistant, Twilight made her exit, framed by the downcast faces of her so-called 'friends'. Twilight KNEW the little dragon would have been eavesdropping from his place at the nearby bar, and shot him a look as if to say "Don't say 'I told you so!!'". Spike picked up on this, but still looked pretty smug as the duo made their way to a certain building...
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Moon Dancer, a bespectacled, studious yellow unicorn, was not in a very good mood. She had just spent the morning avoiding the overtures of one of her old schoolmates, and former best friends, Twilight Sparkle. "Just because she's a princess, and gets to hang around with the fancy ponies, doesn't mean..." she fumed, while trying to stack some books, but failing every time due to her aggressive temperament.
Who did Twilight think she was, anyway? Socialising with the very ponies who used to mock them for being geeks in class, as if pretending nothing had happened. Had she REALLY forgotten about all the bullying, and taunting that had made their lives a misery back then? Well, Dancer was not going to be so forgiving. ESPECIALLY to one who abandoned her at the drop of a hat... Without so much as a goodbye... Leaving her all alone...
'KNOCK, KNOCK!!' Came the sound from the door. Lost in her thoughts, Dancer flinched at the sudden noise... Which, of course, resulted in the carefully organised heap of books she was manipulating with her horn to collapse. AGAIN.
Seething with frustration, she shouted at the top of her voice "WHO IS IT?!" (As if she didn't know).
"It's Prin... It's Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to talk to you. PLEASE don't shut me out."
"Huh" scoffed Dancer. "And I suppose you've brought your fan club with you as well?!"
"Wha..." came the reply "No, I left them behind. PLEASE let me in. I've got a lot of explaining to do."
"You're not going to leave me in peace until then, are you?" sighed Dancer, in resignation. "Very well, you've got five minutes." She opened the door with her magic, allowing Twilight entry... With Spike waiting outside.
Trotting over to two nearby chairs, the mares sat down... One with a look of sincerity, the other with an expression of complete disinterest. Twilight got the ball rolling.
"Look, ever since I arrived back, I've been trying to make amends with everypony. I thought that ever since I became an alicorn, I'd lost touch with my roots, and I was eager to make things right. But, it turns out my memories were false. Those who I THOUGHT were my friends at school, couldn't care less about me back then... And are only interested in me now because of my new status. I don't want friends like that. I want ponies who liked me for being the mare I was... Both now, and then."
"You LEFT ME BEHIND!!" Dancer's anger, bubbling under the surface, finally erupted. "WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A FAREWELL!! With you gone, I had NOPONY!! I've just been sitting here, day after day, going to the library... Coming back... That's been my life!! And the minute you DO return... The first thing you do... Is go to see our former tormentors. HOW COULD YOU?! We were ALWAYS there for each other, Twilight. At least I THOUGHT that. But as soon as you got a better offer, you were off without a word. And now, you're best pals with those who used to taunt us. Well, I'm very happy for you. Now, would you please leave."
The mental exertion perpetuated from so much emotional baggage took it's toll... And Dancer couldn't help but burst into tears, running down her face in between loud sobs.
Twilight felt a great sense of guilt at the sight... This was HER doing. How could Celestia have made such a big mistake... Crowning her the Princess Of Friendship... When she couldn't keep friendships with those who were closest to her?
Unsure of what to do, and with a few streaks of water running down her own cheeks, Twilight decided to follow her instincts. She trotted over to where Dancer was sitting, unfurled one of her wings, and hugged her old friend with it.
Despite being mad with the alicorn, Dancer, couldn't deny the warmth and the comfort of the gesture, and snuggled up to it, burrowing her wet visage into the feathers.
Encouraged by this sign, Twilight decided to do the same with the other wing, and soon Dancer was enveloped in a tight, yet soft embrace.
Hearing the sobs slowly petering out, Twilight decided to take her chance. "I know all that, and I can't tell you how sorry I am. In the heat of the moment after receiving that order from Princess Celestia, I forgot about about one of the ponies closest to me. And ever since then, I've been so busy making NEW friends, I forgot about my OLDEST one... You. Those others I was talking to just now... They didn't care about me back in the day... And the only reason they're fawning over me at this moment is because of my new position. I see that now. I want to spend time with those who consider me an equal, not sycophants and toadies. So please, take my hoof and let's spend the day together, just like old times."
With bloodshot eyes, Dancer looked up at Twilight, unsure of what to do. It was the calm, sympathetic look in Twilight's eyes that eventually helped make her mind up, and she grasped the hoof on offer, before the two of them hugged each other again... This time, with their limbs.
"Thank you" sighed Dancer "I really needed to hear that.
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An hour later, the pair were sitting on the floor, comparing notes on some esteemed tomes they'd been reading and catching up with each other's research. It really was just like they were kids again... And both mares were thoroughly enjoying each other's company. "How could I have missed moments like THIS." Twilight thought to herself. "It just goes to show... That sometimes, even The Princess Of Friendship needs a lesson."
Then, there came the second knock on Dancer's door that day.
The two ponies stopped their studying, and looked at each other. On a whim, Dancer decided to open the door with her spell... And there stood three very apologetic looking mares, along with a perturbed Spike.
"I tried to stop them, but they INSISTED on seeing you" said the young dragon, with his arms crossed and tapping his foot on the floor.
Twinkle stepped forward first "Look we just came by to say we're all very sorry..."
"For all the trouble we caused you both back then," continued Minuette, with her head bowed.
"And for trying to leech off your fame now" finished Drops, looking as ashamed as the others.
Twilight and Dancer looked at each other. They SEEMED genuine enough... But there was a LOT to forgive... So, how to respond?
"Tell you what" said Twilight, ever the peacemaker, "If Dancer agrees, then the three of you can come in for a drink. But I want you to treat me as a fellow pony... Not as a 'princess' or a 'star'. Then, maybe we can air out some of our issues, and we can understand each other better. Do you agree?" She turned to Dancer, who gave an affirmative, if slightly hesitant, nod.
Twinkle, Minuette and Drops looked amazed. This was FAR more than they could have hoped for. They couldn't say "YES!!" fast enough, before all crowding in and made themselves comfortable.
"You too, Spike!!" Twilight smiled at her little friend, just as he was about to go back to waiting outside, in a huff. She was determined not to neglect anyone close to her ever again, especially not the loyal dragon who'd stood by her for so many years.
Joyfully, Spike made his way into the room as well, and as the door closes, so does our story.