Rarity was crying.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged glares.
“Why’d you have to be such a good DM?” Apple Bloom grabbed her friend by the shoulder. “You made her cry.”
“It was your idea!” Scootaloo shoved her off.
The two continued bickering, fighting with choice phrases that were normal for brutish warriors like April and Scott but unbecoming of two girls on the cusp of adulthood.
“It’s alright, girls." Rarity wiped the tears from her eyes.
She looked down at the desk, finding it messy with paper scraps. She had no idea how she lost herself in that world, but she did not regret a second.
They were on the last page. The adventure in Belle Reve was only a shared dream of two sisters.
She walked over to her friends’ side and gave them each a hug. “Thank you both. For everything.”
They nodded, neither really knowing what to say. They hung in the heavy silence for a moment.
"Back when we were the Crusaders," Apple Bloom swallowed. "We thought of ourselves as a family. My big sis and Rainbow Dash. You were a part of it, too."
"We still do," Scootaloo added. She wiped the snot off her nose with her forearm.
"I'm sure she'd be honored to call you her sisters," Rarity said. "I know I am."
The girls clung onto her for a while.
"I..." Rarity turned to the silver dress. "I have a lot to think about."
Rarity's heart raced.
She was at the end of a long line of students. With each name called, the line shrunk and another teenager became a full member of society.
This would be her second time walking at a graduation, an opportunity her sister never had the privilege of experiencing. It's not for you, she thought, biting her tongue. You're doing it for her.
Before the painful thoughts truly set in, Rarity felt an arm grasp hers. She smiled at Apple Bloom to her right. Scootaloo flanked her left, locking her arm around her.
"Will you be alright when they call us up?" Scootaloo asked. "You'll be alone for a bit."
Rarity nodded. "It won't be for long."
Apple Bloom handed her a framed photograph of Sweetie Belle. "Stay strong, sis."
Rarity brought them in for a hug. They kept the embrace until it was Scootaloo's turn to walk. Then it was Apple Bloom's, leaving Rarity alone with her thoughts. She took a calming breath.
You're not alone. You have them. They love you, and you them.
Rarity tugged at her collar. After all that time, she never expected that little silver dress to be so damn itchy. She couldn't help but pick at her skin. At the very least, its weight had disappeared. She even looked good wearing a dress meant for her little sister.
Soon enough, she would walk, meet her friends and family, and reclaim a life she thought she had lost.
When Sweetie Belle's name was called, Rarity found herself looking at the stars.