At first glance, this night in Ponyville was the same as every other that came before it. Dimming lights and nocturnal music embroidered the otherwise tranquil ocean of the town in deep slumber. And certainly, to almost every unwitting pony around, this evening would just be like any other evening. Nothing more than a blur blanketed in sweet dreams beneath soft moonlight.
Even so, Princess Twilight Sparkle descended upon the town, her dress still glittering despite the swathes of dirt smeared across the fabric. The runaway princess paused, if only to take in the air enveloping her, smiling briefly as the familiar scents of her soon-to-be former hometown engulfed her lungs.
“Do not allow yourself to be alone, Twilight Sparkle.”
She could hear Luna’s warning from all the way in Canterlot as she galloped across town.
“Do not make the same mistake that I did.”
Her last advice, echoing faintly in the fissures of her memory.
Twilight arrived at her destination minutes later. It was a place she knew she would come back to, solely with the intention of having the conversation she hoped would one day take place. She never thought that this night would come so soon, nor that she would be the one to initiate it.
Of course, there will be a time when she can worry about it later. For now, her place is right here.
“Seek comfort, should you need it.”
With Luna’s words in mind, Twilight pushed herself to knock on the door, before stepping back and clenching her eyes shut to pray to the sun, the moon and every star sparkling in between.
“Tell yourself that you deserve it.”
A light came on in the window.
“Force it upon yourself, if you must.”
Twilight held her breath when she spotted the familiar silhouette bounding over, only for her hooves to scramble in tandem with her magic when she realised the haggard state she was in.
“And when you find it, keep it.”
The front door swung open, just as she managed to brush away the last splotches of dirt from her dress.
“Keep them close.”
Yet as frazzled of a state as she may be in, the sight of the other pony alone kindled in Twilight a calm she never knew she needed. And with it, a smile no amount of practice could ever replicate.
“For there is no greater comfort than knowing there’s somepony in your life who wants to take care of you.”
A smile that soon made way for the most important question of her life.
“Can we talk?”