Starlight had always been glad to see summer's end, for when fall arrived, the ponies of her town reclaimed their village. Dragons melted back into the forests, soldiers in training returned to their homes, promising novices followed their new masters, tour buses stopped grinding their way up the mountainside, and the amateurish campers dispersed to whatever far-flung homes they hailed from. With the strangers gone, life in Sire’s Hollow returned to a slower pace.
She looked outside her window, focused on the small house across the street, the one where Sunset and Sunburst had stayed all summer. Sunset was the first to exit, carrying the biggest suitcase she had ever seen with a strained look on her face. She would have laughed if her heart weren't so heavy. Behind her, carrying a ridiculous amount of luggage in a small wagon, Sunburst stepped out into the porch. From the distance and the glass between them, she had no idea what they were discussing, and frankly, she didn't care. Knowing would not change the outcome.
Summer ended just like every other year. But this year was different. This year, she had met somepony so wonderful it had changed her world, a pony she cared so deeply that the thought of him leaving left her reeling with grief. Sunburst was leaving and she couldn't bear it.
She was startled from her thoughts when she heard familiar voices approaching, she looked around and saw that the cousins were walking towards her house. Unable to endure the goodbyes, Starlight ran out the back door when she heard them knocking. Her backyard had no fence, just a line of trees that marked the entrance to the woods. She galloped up the familiar trail, her ears buzzing with adrenaline, and her vision blurred with unshed tears. She stumbled but didn't fall on her way, she stopped only when she was too tired and sat on the ground, uncaring of the mud clinging to her tail, letting chill autumn mists soak into her fur as hot tears trickled down her cheeks.
This was her favorite hiding place, a really small cave carved into the mountainside that she could barely fit in, but it had an incredible view of Sire's Hollow. From there the town seemed so small, the ponies were little more than dots of color and the houses looked like toys. She had wanted to show Sunburst this spot and the missed opportunity made her cry even harder.
The sun dipped over the horizon and Starlight watched as one by one, the buses left Sire's Hollow. The colorful dots dispersed and the shadows stretched over the valley, still, Starlight didn't stand up.
When the first stars appeared in the sky, Spike was the one who found her. She half expected a scolding or a rebuttal at the very least. Instead, he sat next to her and placed a leathery wing over her shoulders, curling himself tightly around her in the small space of the cave, drawing her close into the warmth of his scales. The dragon didn't say much while he held Starlight, he didn't seem to mind that she left tears and snot on his scales, but the lovelorn unicorn found solace in the dragon's assurances that Sunburst would be back when the seasons turned. One other remark stayed with the mare from that day forward.
"Love takes courage."