...Twilight stood in her library, gasping. A crimson sheen hung over the books that Spike had left scattered about earlier that afternoon. Twilight glanced out the window to see a melting sunset. Suddenly, her vision blurred, for she was crying. She tried rubbing her eyes dry, but the tears kept coming. She couldn't stay in one place. She could hardly breathe.
Bursting through her door, she stumbled outside and broke into a swift gallop. Several ponies gasped, stopping in mid-trot to gaze worriedly at her. Several called out to her, asking her what was wrong. Twilight ignored them all, speeding across town, stretching her lungs to the breaking point. At last, she saw Sugarcube Corner and she made an ardent beeline. She considered teleporting the rest of the way, but there was no time to cast a spell. There wasn't time to even stop and think.
At last, Twilight slammed her way into the eatery, nearly knocking the doorbell off its fastener above.
Her friends stopped looking through Rarity's dress samples, their heads snapping towards Twilight in an instant. The whole table gawked at her with wide eyes.
"Twilight?" Fluttershy stammered.
"Everythang okay, sugarcube?"
"Twilight!" Rarity gasped. "You look like you've seen a ghost! Whatever is the matter, darling?"
Twilight breathed. Heaved. She trotted forward, ran forward, stumbled forward. She swept Spike up in her forelimbs, hugging him deeply. As soon as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie leaned down, she stood up and nuzzled them both, one after another. Her every other breath was punctuated with pent-up sobs, framed through a delicate smile as she hugged each mare in equal turn.
"Twilight!" Applejack fanned her with her hat, a spontaneously goofy gesture. "Slow down, darlin'! There're plenty of us to go around—!"
"I love you..." Twilight shuddered, hugging Rarity as she leaned over the mare's shoulder to rub cheeks with Fluttershy. "I love you all." She hiccuped on a sob, cracking the twentieth tear-stained smile since she entered the place. "I j-just want you to know that."
"We we do, Twilight!" Rarity gave her a gentle squeeze. "You don't need to tell us twice—"
"No, I do! I really do!" Twilight sniffled, her voice weak and wavery. "Every second of every hour! Every hour of every day! Every day of every year!" She trotted towards Applejack, only to trip. The mare caught her, and Twilight nuzzled her close, weeping. "I love and adore you all so... s-so much. You mean the world to me. Please... I wish you could understand..."
"Understand what?!" Rainbow Dash hovered at a safe distance, shrugging. "What gives?! Why are you so friggin' mushy all of the sudden?!"
"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie hollered like a living megaphone. She stretched her forelimb up impossibly high and yanked Rainbow down before shoving her cheek against Twilight's. "Shut up and hug our Twilight! Nowwwww!"
"Augh!" Rainbow winced, smiling nervously into Twilight's embrace. "Uhhh... h-how you doing there, Tw-Twilight?"
"I'm happy..." Twilight sniffled, smiling as Fluttershy and Spike closed in to turn it into a group hug. "I'm j-just so happy to have all of you as friends." She clenched her eyes shut. "I'll never forget you... ever..."
"Why would you ever forget us, Twilight?" Fluttershy said, smiling. "We're not going to leave you!"
"Y-yeah! What she said!" Rainbow smirked. "We're totally by your side! Rain or shine!"
"Just... thank you..." Twilight murmured, breathily now. "Thank you... thank you so... so much..."