“But there is one other magic. The magic of those who have come before us and the legacy they leave behind. How they've influenced us and made us who we are. Your friends will come and go, but there's always a part of them that stays behind.”

Twilight sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks once again. “Does... Does it ever get easier?”

Celestia suspired gently. “No. It never does. They say time heals all wounds, and it's true to some extent. Time will heal the some of the sting, but the scar will always remain.” The princess looked up to the moon before continuing, “but I guess that's for the better.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Scars are a permanent memento of our past. If they heal, their stories are lost.” Celestia continued, “There will always be a place, a scar, in your heart and in the hearts of her friends. The magic of friendship is one that never fades away.”

-From 'Decay,' written by Thyrai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Celestia's orange sun hung low over the horizon of awkwardly rounded, snowy mountains that were scattered about the whole of Equestria.

Today was a good day for Pinkamena Diane Pie. Sugar Cube Corner had been graced with yet another of her stupendous parties, and once again, the mares and gentlecolts of Ponyville cantered off through the heavy rain to their homes. Everypony was probably exhausted after all those hours of dancing and eating, and would be enjoying the rest of their evening in the comfort of their own homes. Everypony but Pinkamena.

Twilight called to her over her shoulder as everypony filed out of Sugar Cube Corner. "Hey, Pinkie, do you want to stay at my library tonight? Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash are staying, and it wouldn't be the same without you!" A familiar feeling that had practically become a reflex built up in her chest, compelling her to squeal and dash after Twilight... But today, Pinkamena would not be the bubbly mare she usually was. Actually, she would be quite the opposite. The icy chill of a suppressed memory graced Pinkamena's mind with its unwanted presence.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, I can't. I've got something I have to do. You five have fun though, okay?"

"Oh... Alright. We will!" Despite the pall of sadness that Pinkamena was letting herself rapidly slip into, she couldn't help but smile; She was the element of laughter, and nothing made her happier than making other ponies happy. Little did anypony know that nothing else could, either... Not anymore.

"Pinkie promise?" Pinkamena said.

"Pinkie promise," came the reply from Twilight. With that, Pinkamena began her walk to the quiet place that nopony would have guessed that she would have. She had an oasis to herself at the far edge of the Apple family orchards, and this is where she stayed during those rare moments where just she wasn't content with the way her life was going. Pinkamena wasn't ungrateful; She had excellent living accommodations, and five friends who would never turn her away if she was in need. Everypony knew her, and she knew everypony else, and she threw parties practically every day... And most of the time, she was indeed happy.

Still... There was a small scar on her heart that no party or affectionate bond with her friends could ever mend. Pinkamena considered everypony who was a nice person to be her friend, but she had made very few friends that she would consider as "close." It was the loss of her first close companion that occupied her thoughts today and made them gloomy...

Pinkamena's single tear was washed away by the downpour as she passed through the gate to the Apple family farm and made her way to the perimeter of the orchards. The night was almost dark as it was, and nopony else would have been able to see beneath the thick canopy of branches and apples, but Pinkamena was quite the Houdini in every aspect of life. Pegasi could fly, and with her flying machine, so could she. She could do everything that an earth pony could do and so much more. It was common knowledge that magic was strictly a tool for unicorns, but Pinkamena had some magic of her own. Just a little.  

Pinkamena hung her head and shut her eyes, thinking of the laughter and joy that she brought to Ponyville on a daily basis. She then raised her her head and opened her eyes slowly. When she did so, a slowly bobbing pink light hovered silently above her head. It looked almost like the glowing thorax of the fireflies she was so fond of... Except it was the most obnoxious--and tantalizing--shade of pink.

She began her passage beneath the orchard canopy. She passed in between trees and around the colossal wooden bins that would be used for harvesting apples in the fall. The spark that danced above Pinkamena's head gave the apples and trees an eerie, yet welcoming rosy tint as she made her way through the dark orchards. The canopy was so dense that it made the incessant rain from the black clouds above sound so very far away.

After what may have been thirty minutes of lonely walking, she came to one apple tree in particular. It was an obscenely overgrown Red Delicious that stood on its own in the middle of a clearing. Pinkamena would come here when she was feeling down, but that wasn't the only time; The apples that hung from the dense canopy of this tree were excellent for her pies, and she had never found anything quite like them. The weight of these pristine scarlet fruits rivaled that of a pumpkin's. Indeed, they were very big, but they were flavorful, too. Each apple was saturated with sugary juices that Pinkamena couldn't keep from spilling onto the grass when she bit into one.

What Pinkamena most liked about standing beneath this tree was watching the crimson, glossy skin on the apples. As she stood under it, she could see the individual reflections of the spark that hovered above her... It was a strange, silent beauty, and she couldn't seem to get enough of it.

Pinkamena stepped slowly to the base of the massive tree where a thick patch of tall grass had grown. Actually, Pinkamena placed it there herself; It concealed a hole at the base of the tree that lead to a bedroom sized cavern beneath the tree.

The cavern would have been pitch black if not for Pinkamena's magic. Roots dangled down from the earthly ceiling above a small pool of bubbling, icy water. Pinkamena sat at the edge of the pool and looked into it, watching her spark's reflection dance across the surface. Absentmindedly, she waved her hoof gently through the icy water, causing the entire pool to shimmer with rosy light.

Pinkamena waited for ripples to cease and looked into the pool once more, this time seeing her own face... The face of the emotionally distraught filly she was on that night so many years ago.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Filly Pinkamena sat atop one of the larger rocks on the rock farm, out of sight of the house where anypony could see. Sitting beside her was her closest friend who she spent most of her days with. The colt was entirely pink, just like Pinkamena, but he already had his cutie mark. In fact, he was born with it: A black question mark. He would never talk about his parents, but he said it was for that reason that his parents named him Mystery. Pinkamena thought the name was really neat, but even neater was his cutie mark. It changed all the time. Every month or so, it would be some random character or shape. A cloud, a hoof, a water drop... None of it ever made sense to Mystery or Pinkamena, but neither of them really cared about that. Pinkamena didn't have her cutie mark yet, and their plan was that they would find there talents together... Someday.

Pinkamena looked to the colt who sat beside her to see him looking off to the orange horizon. He was always so quiet, and they almost never said anything. It was just so comfortable to be close. It was like they didn't need to talk. In fact, they didn't really do anything, either.

"Mystery?" Pinkamena said, tilting her head at him.

"Yes?" he answered quietly.

"Where do you live? I know you've never been to my house, but I don't even know where yours is."

"Please don't ask about it, Pinkie." Mystery was the first to call her that.

"Why? Do you life far away, or-"

He turned his head and looked at Pinkie, who now felt really bad for pushing him. He was really nice, but he was really sensitive, too. Almost as sensitive as the yellow pegasus that Pinkamena would befriend many years later.

Pinkamena looked back, and she looked for a long time. What she saw made her forget the darkening scene around her, and it made her think.

He wasn't angry with her, but actually seemed to be grateful. He hated to talk about himself, but he seemed to want Pinkie to talk to him, too. He was also really sad about something. Pinkie wanted to ask, but decided against it.

In his eyes, she also saw a bit of pain. Something was really getting to him, and Pinkamena wanted so badly to help him, but she couldn't.

In that same look of his was also something equally beautiful as the sonic rainboom that Pinkamena would later witness.  He was just so... loving. He seemed like he wanted to hug Pinkie, but he wasn't so sure if he would scare her off or not. He was very shy, after all.

Mystery broke the eye contact and leaned forward, resting his face in his hooves. It would be Pinkamena who broke the ice today.

Mystery jumped, but didn't pull away as Pinkie scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him.

"W-What are you doing, Pinkie?"

"I'm hugging you, silly. Haven't you ever had a hug before?"

"No... I haven't." Pinkamena was in shock. She thought everypony got hugs... like, all the time. It was now easier for her to understand why he was so quiet.

"I'm sorry," Mystery whispered as he returned the embrace.

He really needed a hug, Pinkamena thought. "For what, Mystery?"

He tightened his embrace. "I don't even know. I just am."

For a long time, the pair held each other in view of an orange sunset, totally oblivious to the darkening environment they were in. Time seemed to pass so slowly, and that was just fine; Pinkamena was happy, and Mystery seemed happy, too.

"Pinkie?"

"Mystery?"

"I was sorry about something. I have to leave tomorrow... I don't know why, I just don't, but I do, and-"

Pinkamena held him at arms length. "Mystery, why? Why now? Where?" Mystery looked at the sun that was nearly gone.

"I don't know, Pinkie. It's my cutie mark. I just... It seems to tell me things. When it turned into a heart, it lead me to you. And now..."

"What now, Mystery? I don't understand!" Pinkamena was already missing him; He was the only friend she had ever had until this point, and she didn't want to lose him. This was so sudden, so nonsensical.

"Look." He turned, and Pinkamena could see his cutie mark, which had changed once again. It was a solid black question mark. She hugged him again, but he didn't do the same.

"Mystery, why do you have to go? A question mark can mean anything!" Tears were beginning to build in her eyes. He was so straightforward with it.

Mystery stood, gently pushing Pinkamena away. "I just know. I'm sorry."

Pinkamena's hair deflated for the first time, and she too looked at the horizon. "I'll miss you, though..."

The pink colt stepped beside her and gave her one last big hug. "Pinkie Pie?"

Oh, no, Mystery, don't go... were her thoughts.

"Yes," she said, already suppressing her sobs.

He held her at arms length this time, looking into her eyes. He was smiling, beaming even. "Pinkie, I never smiled before I was your friend. Not ever... You're the reason I go on, and you're the reason that I can be happy. I don't know why I have to go or if we'll meet again, but if we don't... I want to promise you something." He came closer and held her again, her face buried in his chest. "I promise I'll be happy, and make as many ponies smile as I can for the rest of my life if you'll do the same. I'll do it for you, and I'll see you again."

It was at that moment that Pinkamena's hair was restored to its previous poofy prime. She was still going to miss him, but she had come to the same realization that he did. The pain and confusion brought on by his words evanessced in full.

"Me, too. Pinkie promise?"

"Pinkie promise."

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Pinkamena smiled and let her tears fall and mingle with the murky pool at her hooves. The sound of distant rain on the grass above her head was as calming as ever.

She wiped her tears away and smiled at her own pink face that looked back at her from the surface of the pool. It was a smile; It was what she lived for, and the only thing that ever made her happy. There were also two of them looking back at her.

Pinkamena rubbed her eyes, thinking that the tears had blurred her vision. Indeed, the reflections of two pink ponies were beaming at her from the surface of the pool. An arm was put around her shoulder from her right side; It was Mystery.

She leaned into the embrace that she hadn't felt since she was a filly. "Mystery, you came back!"

Despite the fact that he was now a stallion the size of Big Macintosh, his voice was still as gentle as ever. "I Pinkie Promised." She hadn't felt this kind of joy since the sonic rainboom.

Pinkamena pulled away to get a better look at him. "What is it now, Mystery?"

Mystery stood in the cramped space beneath the apple tree and turned, revealing his new cutie mark. What Pinkie Pie saw made her hug him again and squeal with delight.

Branded on Mystery's left flank were two blue balloons and a yellow one. He really did keep his Pinkie Promise.