“Something sure smells good in here,” commented Starlight Glimmer as she entered into the kitchen. Looking around, she saw it was quite a mess with flour, milk, and batter all over the island table and the floor around it. Twilight had on an apron, but while it did help keep most of the mess off of her, the apron itself ended up getting covered with spilt batter. April also had an apron on and removed her coat to prevent it getting messy too. It also revealed the Cutie Mark on her flank, three stars, colored green, blue, and orange.
“Oh, hey, Starlight,” greeted Twilight pulling out a tray of muffins from the oven with magic and removing the muffins to place them on a cooling rack with the other batches she had already made. “You’re just in time. I’ve made some sweet potato muffins.”
“And they’re really good,” commented April before taking a bite into one.
“Oh, you have a dinner guest,” assumed Starlight. “Hello there, I’m Starlight Glimmer.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m April Showers,” she replied. “But you can just call me April and, actually, I came here cause I needed some friendship advice.”
“Well, if anyone can help you, it’s Twilight,” Starlight assured her. “So, what’s the problem?”
“My friends in Manehatten moved away,” she explained. “They went to follow their dreams and while I do wish them the best, I can’t help but feel…”
“Hurt? Betrayed? Lonely?” Starlight finished her sentence with multiple options.
“Mostly lonely,” she agreed. “Also a bit sad too, mostly because I have no idea what I should do.”
“Did she happen to mention that I went through something like this with my friend, Sunburst, when we were just kids?” questioned Starlight.
“Actually, I never even brought it up,” Twilight told her.
“Oh,” responded Starlight looking a bit embarrassed.
“Well, what did you do after your friend left?” asked April curiously.
“I’d rather not go over the details,” Starlight explained. “But let me just say that I made some choices that I’m not proud of and wouldn’t recommend you doing either. But, thanks to Twilight, I was able to make amends with him and have been much happier because of it.”
“I’m glad things were able to work out for you and your friend,” April told her. “I just want my friends to be able to remain close even if we’re so far apart. Twilight, have you had any friends that left you behind too?”
“I don’t really think ‘left behind’ is really the best way to phrase it,” commented Twilight. “But remember that I told you about what happened with my friend, Moon Dancer?”
“But when that happened you were the one who left,” pointed out April. “What about a time when somepony left you?”
“Uh, let me think…” pondered Twilight. “Somepony leaving me… well, when Starlight graduated I decided to let her choose what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go.”
“And I chose not to leave yet,” she reminded Twilight.
“Then I suppose I haven’t had that happen to me,” admitted Twilight.
“Yet, anyway,” added Starlight. “Everypony at some point in their life has to deal with that feeling of loss. It could be that some day I finally decide to go somewhere else or maybe one of your other friends. Maybe even Spike might make that decision too.”
“I am well aware that might happen someday,” replied Twilight trying to keep her composure. “I know it won’t be easy, but just because they might not be here in Ponyville does not mean they’re gone forever.”
“They might not be gone forever, but it is not as easy to accept as you might think,” explained Starlight. “Do you think I took up a vendetta against Cutie Marks and created a village with the philosophy of removing them if Sunburst leaving me was not the most soul-shattering, heart-crushing moment in my life that was even enough to make me wipe out all life in Equestria as we know it?!?”
“Um…” interrupted April looking quite worried about everything she just heard.
“Heheh,” Starlight gave a nervous laugh. “That was… more poor choices on my part and the whole wiping out all life was an unintended consequence. But I think I made my point.” There was a long, awkward silence. “Um, do you think we could please change the subject now?”
Coming to her aid, Twilight spoke up. “Well, the sweet potato muffins should be about ready. So, how about we go sit down and eat.”
“Great idea,” agreed Starlight using magic to lift the muffins and some plates over to the map room. “And I’ll just whip us up some tea to go with them.” Filling the teapot with some water from the sink, she then put some tea leaves into a strainer and placed it in the pot as well. Next she put it on the stove to heat up. “Alright, now we just need some teacups.” Opening the cabinets, she went in search of some. “Teacups… teacups… where are all the teacups?”
“They’re in the teacup closet,” reminded Twilight.
“Oh, right,” replied Starlight rolling her eyes as she walked over to a closet and opened it to reveal it was overflowing with teacups. “I don’t regret teaching Trixie that spell, but I wish she’d refrain from doing it every time she performs or at least try something other than teacups.”
Gathering three from the closet, Starlight waited for the tea to whistle and then carried the pot over to pour some tea for herself, Twilight, and April. The three then sat down and enjoyed their meal together.
“Mmm, I still can’t believe how good these are,” commented April already on her fifth one.
“Thanks,” smiled Twilight beaming with pride. “I’d say they are my specialty. I may not be able to hold a candle to baking compared to Pinkie Pie or Applejack, but I still do alright.”
“Speaking of those two and Rainbow Dash,” commented Starlight. “I see they are all on friendship missions right now and you are too.”
“Yeah, April is who I’m helping here and I’m positive that the others are well on their way to helping her friends too.”
“So you’re all doing one friendship mission spread across Equestria?” she asked. “How are you all managing to keep in touch?” Starlight thought for a moment then added, “Please don’t tell me you did that thing with a music box ballerina again.”
“No, none of us have been in contact since they left,” answered Twilight. “I haven’t even tried to teleport over to them either.”
“But then how will you all be able to solve the problem if you aren’t all working together?” questioned Starlight. “Do they even know that you are all working on the same friendship mission?”
“I’m confident that they’re all doing fine,” stated Twilight. “And by tomorrow we’ll all be back in Ponyville.”
“You wanna make a bet about that?” suggested Starlight.
“A bet on what?” asked Twilight.
“That you’ll all have this friendship problem finished by the end of tomorrow,” she explained. “If you win I’ll help you re-reorganize the downstairs library.”
“Oh, you must be confident that we can’t do it,” smirked Twilight. “Very well and I’ll even go so far as to say that we’ll have it solved by sundown.”
“Sundown?” repeated April looking around for a window.
“Then we have a deal,” grinned Starlight. “And if I win then you can be Trixie’s ‘volunteer’ and help her perform all her shows in Ponyville for the next month.”
“It’s a deal,” agreed Twilight and they hoofshook on it.
“Uh, speaking of sundown,” April said nervously. “It wouldn’t happen to be sundown now, would it?”
“The sun was starting to set when I first arrived here,” commented Starlight. “I’d say that Celestia should almost be finished lowering it.”
“Oh, I gotta hurry then,” she cried. “I need to get as high up as possible, right away!”
“You do?” asked Twilight. “Why?”
“There’s no time to explain,” she begged. “Please, I can’t miss it!”
“I just need a second to teleport us,” Starlight told her and in a flash of light they were gone from the map room and found themselves atop Twilight’s castle.
Looking around, April was relieved to it was still light out. Gazing out towards the sun, she saw that it was only just starting to sink beyond the horizon and paint the sky with a golden orange. “Made it just in time,” she breathed with a relieved look on her face.
“You needed to see the sunset?” asked Starlight confused.
“It was what she and her friends saw together when they first became friends,” Twilight explained.
“Yeah, and since then we’d always climb up as high as we could to watch it together,” she added. “Even when we’re not together I try my best to make sure I don’t miss it and I hope they are doing the same.”
“If you mean as much to them as they mean to you then I’m sure they do as well,” smiled Twilight as she and Starlight sat beside her and continued to watch the setting sun as it slowly sank lower. They were all quiet and only the soft sound of the wind was heard. Reaching into her pockets, April pulled out some objects and looked down at them tearing up a bit. When the sun finally vanished from sight, the sky changed to a pitch black save for the shining moon and the stars dotting the sky.
“That was very nice,” commented Starlight breaking the silence.
“Yes it was,” sniffled April. “It brings back a lot of memories.”
“What’s that you got there?” asked Starlight noticing the stuff she had in her hooves. There was a popsicle stick, a cd, and a round, blue gemstone.
“Just some keepsakes,” she answered quietly. “We gave each other something to remind us of one another. This cd has some of the music that Fire Wheel used to play for us. Rocky gave us each a popsicle stick, and Gale gave us these gemstones she used to always wear on her necklace.”
“What did you give them?” asked Starlight.
“This coat I’m wearing,” she explained. “I made one for each of us after we became friends. I know this must sound dorky, but I always felt that it made us kind of like a secret organization. It makes me sad always having these with me to remind me that my friends are no longer with me, but at the same time they also make me happy and give me some comfort.”
“It just goes to show you just how wonderful the magic of friendship truly is,” stated Twilight.
“A bit cheesy, but I agree,” smiled Starlight. “I’m sure you’ll always be friends no matter where they go or wherever you go.”
“I go?” wondered April. “I never really gave much thought to what I wanted to do. But maybe now that I don’t feel as worried I’ll spend some time thinking about it.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” agreed Twilight. “Now I hate to bring this touching moment to an end, but we did end up leaving the kitchen in a bit of a mess and we should clean it up. Spike, would you mind lending me a hoof?”
“But Spike isn’t here,” Starlight reminded her. “He left earlier in the day, right?”
“Oh, right,” recalled Twilight facehoofing at her slip up. “Force of habit. Uh, Starlight, would you care to help then?”
“Sure thing,” she nodded and walked towards the stairs. “Uh, April, are you coming too?”
“I’ll be down in a little bit,” she replied gazing up at the stars. Starlight and Twilight smiled and then began to head down the stairs.
“I really should get back home and make sure I’ve got everything packed away,” Gale told April as she was pushing her up the stairs of the old clock tower in Manehatten. “I’m leaving for Los Pegasus tomorrow morning, after all.”
“All the more reason to come up here,” April insisted as they reached the top floor. “This might be your last chance in who knows how long till you’ll be able to sit with the rest of us and watch the sunset. You have to at least do it once more for us.”
“Gale looked at April’s pleading face that looked on the verge of tears. “You know I can’t say ‘no’ when you look at me with those sad eyes,” she admitted. “Ok. I’ll stay just to watch the sunset, but afterwards I really need to get back home and finish packing.”
Opening the door, Gale was caught off guard as she saw the dusty, old top floor of the clocktower had been swept clean and was now decorated with balloons and streamers. There was a table with a big cake on it, a cooler beside it filled with ice pops, and a bowl of punch on another table. Gale also saw a banner hung in perfect view of the door so she was able to clearly read, “Gale the Great Wingless Flyer” along with a crudely drawn picture she assumed was supposed to be of her flying. They even added in a rainbow trail behind her.
“Surprise!” announced Rocky and Fire Wheel as the two of them jumped out with party hats on and quickly started blowing into noise makers.
“Oh, you guys,” smiled Gale looking a bit embarrassed. “I thought I said that I didn’t want you all making a big fuss about it.”
“We didn’t,” answered Fire Wheel. “This is a small fuss. You never said anything about that.”
“And what kind of friends would we be if we didn’t give you a proper send off party?” added Rocky.
“We just wanted to wish you good luck,” sobbed April and she hugged Gale tight.
“I guess there’s no way that I can refuse now,” she admitted. “So let’s celebrate.”
“First up,” informed Rocky. “We’ll have some of my sea salt popsicles on the roof while we watch the sunset.”
“While listening to some of my music,” added Fire Wheel.
Making their way overtop the face of the clock, the three ponies and their zebra friend looked onward at the sunset. There was a calm look on each of their faces as they viewed the setting sun as Fire Wheel’s music helped set the mood. But rather than the calm smiles they used to wear while gazing at it, there was a noticeable amount of sadness in their eyes now too as much as they tried to mask it.
By the time the sunset was over, the music came to an end and the popsicles they had been licking was reduced to nothing by the sticks. “As much as I see the sunset I never get tired of it,” commented Fire Wheel.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” agreed Rocky. “Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside… did I really just say that?”
“Relax,” chuckled Gale. “I think we all feel like that. It’s just so nostalgic, just like when we first met on Macintosh Hills. How we became friends and what we saw.”
“Then running all the way back home,” laughed Fire Wheel. “Oh, things sure are a lot funnier in hindsight aren’t they?”
“Well, we technically took the train back from Appleloosa,” corrected Rocky. “But we might have actually run it if we had to. How long has it been since then? Four years ago? Five?”
“Gonna be five before long,” commented April tears running down her cheeks. “Now it won’t be the same if Gale won’t be coming.”
“Actually,” interrupted Rocky. “After Gale told us that she wanted to try performing on stage in Los Pegasus… I was thinking of…”
“You too Rocky?” gasped April.
“Well, we don’t have much of a show if Gale isn’t here to perform,” he admitted. “So, I was thinking that maybe I could try my hand at being a chef. That’s why… I’m thinking of going off the Canterlot. So, sorry Gale if I’m stealing a bit of your farewell party.”
“Take all you want,” Gale told him. “You know how I hate it when you all make a big fuss over me. Heheh, even if it’s a small one.”
“Well, that’s really great you two,” Fire Wheel told them. “In fact, maybe this is a sign that I should make a change too.”
“You?” they all asked sounding quite shocked.
“You want to leave too?” questioned April.
“What?” he asked back. “I think I’ve grown a lot over the years. I’m not the same timid pony I was before. So you don’t have to worry cause the next time you hear me it’ll probably be some of my music cause it’s gonna be so popular they’ll be playing in the streets of every big city in Equestria for all to enjoy.”
“Sounds like you have gained quite a lot of bravado to make a statement like that,” admitted Rocky.
“And what about you, April?” wondered Gale. “Have you been thinking about what you want to do?”
“Me?” she responded tears flowing down her face. “Actually, I haven’t. When we planned this party I had no idea that all three of you would suddenly be going away.” She wiped her face dry and then smiled big. “But I’m so happy for all of you. So go out there and do your best. I won’t be far behind. I’ll figure out what I want to do.”
“You should go into making clothes or costumes or something like that,” suggested Rocky. “You made us those nice coats we wear when we go down to Macintosh Hills not to mention all of Gale’s outfits when she’d perform.”
“Maybe,” she answered continuing to give a big smile. “And I don’t think this needs to be said, but I want you all to keep the coats I made for you. You know, as a reminder of me.”
“That’s a good idea,” agreed Fire Wheel. “And since you like my music, I’ll give you all a copy of some of my best songs. Then you can have proof that you knew me before I became a big star.”
“Well, what am I gonna give you guys?” asked Rocky. “All I make is food and you can’t just hold onto that forever.”
“But you already gave us something,” Gale told Rocky as she held up a popsicle stick and then the others did the same.
“Seriously?” he asked. “You are giving away a coat and music, but expect me to give you all a little stick to remember me?” He smirked and started to laugh. “Wow, you really must be my friends if that’s enough of a gift to make you all happy.”
“And now for mine,” Gale stated as she held out four round gemstones. “One for each of you.”
“But these were a part of your favorite necklace,” remarked April.
“It’s something very precious to me,” she admitted. “But the same is true about all of you so I have no problems about you each having part of it. Blue for April, orange for Rocky, red for Fire Wheel, and green will stay with me.”
“Now I feel even cheaper for just having a popsicle stick to give you all,” joked Rocky getting the others laughing too. “Well, it’s getting a bit dark and we still have cake and punch to eat.”
“And then I really gotta get home and finish packing,” stated Gale.
“Hey, Gale,” Fire Wheel told her as they trailed behind the other two going inside. “I noticed that you weren’t wearing your necklace when you first arrived. Did you already know about our little party and have them ready to give to us?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know my own friends this well after all these years?” she answered him.
“Dishes done and time for bed,” yawned Twilight as she entered into her room. She was about to head straight into bed, but stopped at her friendship mirror and took a look at all the pictures she had of her friends on it. She then stopped and looked at the picture of Spike posing valiantly with the Dragon Lord’s bloodstone scepter. “I wonder how Spike is doing. He’s usually fast asleep by now especially after a busy day.”
Walking over to bed, she tucked herself in and gave another big yawn. “He’s really come a long way since I first started to take care of him. He’s been my number one assistant for practically his whole life. He’s been more than just my friend, he’s a part of my family. He’s taken care of me just as much as I’ve taken care of him and he’s even helped to save Equestria. He’s a hero in the Crystal Empire and even the official friendship ambassador to the dragons. He’s done so many great things and really come into his own. He’s no baby dragon anymore. He’s more than capable of taking care of himself now.”
“You’ve never known what it feels like to have someone precious leave you,” Starlight’s words echoed in Twilight’s head.
She groaned feeling an ache in her hearts and tears well in her eyes. Twilight sat up in bed suddenly finding herself wide awake. Using her magic, she pulled a book from a nearby bookshelf. It had the title “Family Photos” written on it. Opening it up, she looked at the numerous pictures that were in it. The first few pictures in it showed of just her parents when they were younger and started dating. Twilight gave a little giggle as she saw a picture of her parents after bungee jumping. Twilight Velvet, her mother, looked eager to go again while her father looked ready to collapse. Twilight couldn’t help giggle at the look on his face.
Flipping further ahead, she saw the pictures of their wedding and further when her brother, Shining Armor was just a colt. There was a picture of him going out on Nightmare Night with his friends dressed as their Ogres and Oubliettes’ characters and then another of when he took Cadence to the school dance.
On another page there were pictures of Twilight, though in many of them she wasn’t looking at the camera and had a face in a book. Seeing these, Twilight couldn’t help turn a little red from blushing. “Am I really that much of a bookworm?” she asked herself.
Continuing on, she saw the picture of the day she first got her Cutie Mark and also the day she first met Spike. There were a few more pictures showing of when she first took care of him and the forced grins she made while the pictures were taken. “You were quite the handful back then,” Twilight admitted. “But looking back if I had just focused solely on my studies then I probably would have not be where I am now. I could have ended up becoming a different pony entirely if it wasn’t for you.”
With each page she flipped she could see how she and Spike grew up together in Canterlot till finally they reached the point that they first arrived in Ponyville. Twilight teared up seeing the photo they had taken of them standing in front of the Golden Oak Library. She saw some photos of their first Nightmare Night in Ponyville too and so many more memories came flooding back to her with every page she went through. Then finally she reached a page just past the middle of the book where the photos came to an end and every page after was completely blank.
“We’ve made so many memories together, but for how long?” she wondered. “I’ve never even considered what life would be without you.” The pain in her chest ached even more and she couldn’t stop the tears from running down her face. Twilight buried her head beneath her pillow to muffle her sobbing and continued to cry and soak her bed sheets. “Oh, Spike…” Her sobbing continued till she cried herself to sleep.