//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Dessert // Story: The Taste of Friendship // by Bookish Delight //------------------------------// Starlight Glimmer tossed in bed. She didn't enjoy not being able to sleep, but she was also rather used to it. After returning from the portal, Twilight and Trixie had both suggested—amidst incessant  bouts of passive-aggressive bickering—that Starlight get some rest while they ran more tests to ensure the magic mirror was safe to be around. They'd also both promised to spend time with her "later." Starlight was both looking forward to and somewhat dreading the occasions. She looked out of her window, at the shining dots in the sky which bore her namesake. What do I even do now? She asked herself. Where do I go from here? I understand I have friends that won't give up on me easily, but if I'm still going to keep causing trouble for them like this... She sighed forlornly and turned over in her bed again. Even worrying about it was tiring, so she elected to put that off as well. The second she closed her eyes, she heard a knock at the door. "Starlight?" a muffled voice said. "Are you awake? It's Twilight." Starlight pondered whether or not to respond for a few moments, then finally replied, "I am." Her door opened, and Twilight walked in, lighting each of the room's torches with magic as she did so. As Twilight came closer, Starlight could see that Twilight she was levitating... something next to her. Slowly it came into focus, and Starlight could make out... a slice of pink cake with a candle on top? She looked at it quizzically. Twilight noticed. "Pinkie insisted I give you this. It's a 'Happy Crossing Dimensions And Not Getting Killed By An Evil Supervillain While On The Other Side' cake." She blushed. "I've had three now." "Whoa." Starlight boggled, then grinned. "Ah, well. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I'll be alright." She snickered. "Heck, what's more dangerous is the fact that Trixie's got some sort of all-day thing planned for the two of us tomorrow that she won't specify the nature of. I'll need you to make sure she doesn't outright kidnap me." The two ponies giggled. "Thanks to the both of you for rescuing me, though," Starlight continued. "I really could have been stuck there forever had you not worked together to figure things out." She looked away. "Would've finally had to lie in the bed I made, I guess." Twilight's eyebrows furrowed. "Starlight." Starlight didn't move. "Starlight, please. Look at me," Twilight pressed. With a sigh, Starlight slowly turned her head to see Twilight looking at her empathetically. Twilight gestured towards the foot of the bed. "May I?" Starlight nodded, and Twilight sat on the bed across from her. Starlight sat up to meet her. "Starlight," Twilight began, "you have been beating yourself up ever since you got back. To be blunt, I want you to stop. For two reasons. "First, I know you think everything that happened today was your fault, but the truth is, it wasn't anypony's fault. I put that magic mirror in the the magic studies room so the mirror's magic could be studied in the room where we study magic. You had every right to be in there, doing what you were doing. And we both figured removing the book from the mirror's mechanism had rendered it inert." She rolled her eyes. "I guess we both know better now." Starlight fidgeted. "Well... I suppose, but—" "Second, on top of nopony getting hurt, it sounds like you learned some pretty good friendship lessons on the other side. You selflessly jumped to the aid of somebody you trusted, and made a real friend out of them, too. All in all, I'd count today as a win for your studies." Starlight stayed silent. She supposed Twilight had a point there, too. She hadn't considered taking pride in any of what she'd done today, but the more she thought about it... Twilight scooted closer, and placed a hoof on Starlight's shoulder. She looked at Starlight with caring eyes.         "I always notice when you're being down on yourself, Starlight. I know you try to hide it around me, but I know the signs because I was there myself a lot. Seriously, I got discouraged all the time learning about friendship from Princess Celestia." She paused, then smiled mischievously. "I've mind-controlled ponies too." "W-what?" Starlight balked amidst Twilight's giggles. "Yep!" Twilight proclaimed with a jovial nod. "I was so desperate to learn a lesson about friendship—by having a friendship problem to solve—that I tried to make one. I kept trying crazier and crazier plans until, finally, I put nearly all of Ponyville under a mind-control spell just to get them to act how I wanted. Nopony was themselves for hours!" Twilight laughed, and sighed wistfully. "Gosh, it all seems so long ago now. Still..." She stared at Starlight with a smirk. "...sound familiar?" "But... b-b-but..." Starlight fumbled for words. She clutched her head with both hooves.  "All of Ponyville? Why did you never tell me this? Why did you and Spike read me the riot act last week?" Twilight sobered. "Because sometimes the pain of knowing exactly what you did wrong to ponies who didn't deserve it, helps strengthen your knowledge of what it means to be a friend. And for you especially, that isn't new territory, is it?" Starlight inhaled through her teeth. "Ouch." "But it wasn't for me, either." Twilight squeezed Starlight's shoulder. "Mistakes are great things to learn from. But they always hurt. That's the secret of their effectiveness." Twilight looked into her eyes, and Ukyo's earlier words pushed to the forefront of Starlight's mind. "It's easy to feel like you just can't win sometimes," Twilight said. "I know you feel that way, and I did for the longest, too. I was always scared of failing those I most wanted to make happy. Trust me, though: everypony is scared of exactly that. That's the punchline of comparing yourself to others—because once we get to know each other? It turns out that we're always more alike than we think we are." Twilight got off of the bed. "Except for the moment. Starlight, however accidentally, you actually made a magical breakthrough today! Be proud of yourself." She chuckled. "Also, uh, be happy you survived to tell about it." "I'll... I'll try." For the first time that night, Starlight felt like she could relax, just a little. "Twilight?" "Yes, Starlight?" "I... I know I don't say this enough—you know, in between my blowing up magic experiments and messing with ponies' livelihoods—but..." She tapped her hooves together repeatedly, before gathering the courage to look at Twilight with an earnest, appreciative smile. "...Thanks. I'm so glad you're my teacher. And my friend."   "And I'm so glad to be both." Twilight nodded, mirroring Starlight's expression. "I know it's been a hard road, but not a day goes by when I don't think you're worth it, Starlight. I just hope you do too." Starlight looked away, doing her best to hide an involuntary blush. "Baby steps. Good night, Twilight." "Good night, Starlight." Once Twilight was gone, Starlight took a bite of the cake—it was of the usual Pinkie quality. She wrapped the rest in plastic, then lay back down. As she did so, something poked into the back of her head. "Ow! What the..." She felt behind her head, and recovered a small metallic spatula. Starlight gasped—she'd completely forgotten it was tied to her mane. There was a pretty bow attached to it... and a note as well. Starlight opened it, and was greeted by a crude drawing of Ukyo's grinning face and a two-fingered V-sign. --- Dear Starlight, Wherever you are, I hope this note finds you at the right moment. I'm so glad to have met you. I hope it can happen again—I wouldn't mind learning more about friendship myself! But whether we do so again or not, just remember: never stop cooking. The meal's always worth it. ~Ucchan --- Starlight put the letter on her nightstand and snuggled into her covers, smiling ear to ear. Finally, she could sleep comfortably.