I apologize if this is not up to your expectations. I hope it is at least close. Nevertheless, I guarantee that next chapter is going to blow you the buck away.

Just remember. True friends never go away.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I think I learned something yesterday...but I don't necessarily like it, either.

It was a fun day that day. Me and Rainbow had gone out for lunch, and it was absolutely wonderful. I can't even remember the last time I had such a disaster-free outing! On our way back, Rarity stopped us, and she seemed excited.

She said she was glad to see us again, and that she was sorry she hadn't been out in a while. But apparently, she'd been busy with a new dress line, in hopes that somepony would take her up. She actually wanted us to model. It was a fun thing most of the time, so I agreed eagerly, while Dash rolled her eyes-but nevertheless, accepted.

We got to the boutique, and it appeared that we weren't the only ones who were to be there. Pinkie was bouncing around, talking the ear off of a slightly subdued Fluttershy. Without Applejack, though, it seemed...empty.

I have to tell you, it was really something when Rarity came out with the dresses. They all appeared to be a set, complimenting each other with different hues and styles this way and that. Pinkie got an easily recognizable cyan color, fringed with tiny hems of light green. It matched her surprisingly well for the colors. Not to mention it was flexible enough to withstand her excited bouncing and extremely fast running.

Fluttershy received a gentle pink dress, which elegantly flowed with every single inch that it covered. The fringes of cyan seemed to be just a little afterthought, but it still looked great. The tiny little hairpin that held her hair into a bun was a nice touch, and it gave a whole 'refined' feeling, while still being every ounce of 'beautiful and innocent' that it could be. Even Fluttershy herself found enough courage to compliment it.

Rainbow, frankly...I don't think she liked hers, even if I kind of did. It was a rather unique hue-lavender. The fringes of red, as with Fluttershy's, seemed to be an afterthought, but it worked perfectly fine. I didn't really get the color choice, until Rarity explained that it 'brought out the contours of the wearer, all while still keeping decency and beauty intact'.

It finally came time for my dress. It was a simple, understated white hue. It came down only across maybe halfway down my lower back, while still reaching enough to be considered acceptable for a dress. I asked Rarity about it, and she explained why-'Elegance is the picture of simplicity, and if you wish to be elegant, believe it or not, you actually have to tone it down. You have to bring out who the pony really is, and allowing them to see more of you than your dress does just that.'

As she finished, Rainbow smiled at me. "I still like it all the same," she said, and gave me a little peck on the cheek.

Oh boy. I suppose that the slight blush afterwards should have been the worst of it, but Rarity had to bring it up...

"Ahem, Twilight, darling...do you happen to be one of...'those' ponies that I read about in 'Ponies' magazine...?"

It took me a while before I realized what she meant. The others watched us expectantly, and I knew I really had no choice here. So I explained the whole relationship thing, starting all the way from the crows.

It was intimidating, very much so. I was worried about what my friends would think about me. I just wanted to bolt and run at some points. But Dash held my hoof the entire way through, and I found enough courage to finish.

Pinkie was the first to break out in a grin, and to speak. "This calls for a party!"

...I suppose I should have expected that from Pinkie. Almost everything calls for a party in her world. Perhaps one day I'll take a page from her book.

Fluttershy didn't have much to say, but she still awkwardly smiled and made a few compliments and well-wishes.

I couldn't help but think how empty the room was without Applejack. Again.

And then Rarity finally...well, tried to make a comment. She just stared at me, eye twitching as if I were the most vulgar thing to ever be witnessed by her vision. All she said was, "Um...I...think...".

The speed at which she exited the room shouldn't even have been possible, but nonetheless, it was quick. Done in a flash and a snort.

I...took that as a cue to leave along with Dash.

Today, there was no word from Rarity at all. Not a word. Not even to reclaim the dress. And I [saw] her walking by me, but it was as if she was taking special care to avoid me. Not so much as if she were my enemy, but as if she just wanted nothing to do with me at all.

And that brings me to my, frankly, disgusted lesson.

Some ponies don't accept you for who you are. They let a small, trivial tic get in the way of any possible amiability. Sometimes, those ponies can be your own friends. But you have to ignore them, and move on. True friends wouldn't let such a small issue get in the way of a friendship.

I also realize how much it hurts to lose a friend this way...even as I write this letter under the shroud of night, curled up to the one pony that I love...

There's still a hole in my heart.

Your slightly upset, but faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
12-13-1001

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I think my heart hurts just a little, too. When you're sad, I'm sad too, if only just a little bit. But Twilight, you have to remember this, too.

Life has its ups and downs. The downs are there for you to be strong, and overcome them, becoming the pony who you really can be. And if you have somepony with you every step of the way, you have to enjoy that fact, and let them know that you appreciate them. Because they have their downs, too. And part of life is helping others out of their low points. Stick through the bad, and the good shines through.

Speaking of good shining through, much diligent work up in Canterlot has finally paid off. We've found a vaccine for the Fever with a 99.9% success rate, or as good as scientifically possible.

We did notice one rather odd side effect. When given to members of an aviary species, a statistical one in ten thousand (obviously, we don't have that many samples) contracted a nasty case of Wing Rot, and it was surprisingly incurable. Statistical predictions show that they only lived for about 2 more painful weeks unless amputation was performed, and even then, life in the wild would be physically impossible. The disease would just keep spreading anyways, albeit at a much slower pace.

Oddly enough, it took a full week to be establish, right when we assumed that it was fine. So it seems to be a slow-spread dormant variation mutation of it.

The vaccination should soon reach Ponyville's hospital. I advise you to get as many ponies as possible there on the 'morrow, so that nopony else has to suffer the same as poor Applejack did...

Princess Celestia
12-14-1001

Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your ecstatic & faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
12-14-1001

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Don't thank me. Thank the hard-working ponies who were behind it all. I just orchestrated the research, they did the rest.

Princess Celestia
12-14-1001

Dear Princess Celestia,

In that case, I thank them.

I have no idea why I waited until today to send that thanks. But I suppose it wastes less scrolls. Because I think I learned another small thing today.

...funny. Now I cover my lessons in depth. I wonder why I do that.

Anyways, we got as many ponies as was safely possible into the hospital. Oddly enough, they had no clue about the fever, but after hearing that it was what took Applejack, everypony rushed towards the doors without a second thought.

The line was so long, I swore I'd be 42 by the time I reached the end. It was also no small feat to keep Dash in the line, too. She insisted for a while that she could handle anything, until I pointed out that Applejack always thought so too. That made her a lot quieter.

We were literally the last 2 ponies to receive the vaccine, and Dash was ahead of me. I was sitting in the waiting room, reading a few of those magazines that they always keep-they always seem to be outdated.

Then they called for me.

I was slightly confused. All the ponies left the same way that they entered, and I hadn't seen Dash exit. I looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. Regardless, I walked in. It was probably just a misunderstanding.

Thankfully, she was there, albeit looking at the floor, as if embarrassed. The doctor told me that she kept shying away from the needle, and refused completely to let anypony hold her still, or even just calm her down.

My first thought was, she's scared of needles? It isn't that uncommon, naturally, but of all ponies...her?

The doctor continued, asking if I would be kind enough to help. That was when Dash looked up, smiling weakly, before the grin faded from her face at a quick glance back to the doctor.

I knew a little about this, and the best technique is distraction. So I told her to look at me, but she wouldn't. Her eyes were riveted on the needle, and I swear she was sweating. I had to take her hoof before she even so much as looked at me.

It took a few tries. I began by trying to talk about what had happened lately, but she whipped her head around at the last second, nearly knocking the doctor over. That one was a bust.

We tried again by talking about books, but again, the last few inches were interrupted by her tossing her head to the side to find the needle poised to possibly save her life. It was as if she had such a bad feeling about it, that she knew exactly when it was coming.

It was only when I decided to talk about the Wonderbolts did she give me her full attention. She rambled on about how 'awesome' they were, and she didn't even notice when she was done until the doctor said so.

I remember her blinking, turning to him, and to me. "You sneaky, sneaky pony..." she'd giggled. It was actually kind of funny, and I was laughing a bit too.

What did I learn? Sometimes, fears can nearly get the best of you, no matter how small. But sometimes, all you really need is for a friend to be there to help you through it. Because friends help each other, and little things are no exception.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
12-15-1001

The late sunset threw its light over the peaceful town of Ponyville. It lended to the slow, sleepy feeling as everypony finished their day, and prepared to go to bed.

Except for two ponies.

These two ponies sat on a high balcony belong to the Ponyville Library. They each watched the sun go down in silence, neither saying a word. Each merely snuggled up to the other, enjoying each other's company.

That is, until one spoke, hardly even above a whisper. "Rainbow?"

It was a few seconds before Rainbow replied. "Yeah, Twilight?"

Twilight frowned. "I...I didn't say anything."

"Really? Then who did...?"

The unicorn rolled her eyes slightly. Obviously, if I knew, I'd tell you...

"Oh, um...I'm sorry, is this a bad time? I guess I should just...go now. I mean, if...if that's OK with you..."

It was only when the two ponies looked up that they noticed a yellow pegasus nervously hovering above them, looking for all the world like they wanted to run.

"Fluttershy!" cried Dash. "How's it hangin'? I haven't seen you since that meetup at the boutique last week!"

The shy mare looked around, as if trying to keep an eye out for a sudden attacker. "Yes, um...I was a little busy with...things...certain things..."

Twilight frowned. "And what sort of 'things' are we discussing?"

Fluttershy gently alighted on the balcony, only to give ground before the lavender unicorn's inquisitive stare. "Oh, um...well, I figured I'd ask you two, since you're...you know..."

Twilight looked at Dash, arching an eyebrow, to find her staring right back, a similar expression on her face. Wow. Different minds think alike, apparently.

"Riiight..." said Dash, before rolling her eyes, and turning her gaze back to the yellow pegasus. "Did you come to ask us, or to tell us that you wanted to ask us, but you aren't actually going to?"

"Well, um..." The pegasus kicked at the wooden floor gently, cheeks coloring slightly. "Yesterday, me and Pinkie went to a restaurant together...it was nice...but...I don't think she gets it..."

A silence hung in the air. I guess I might as well ask, thought the purple unicorn. "Gets what?"

As the same question came from her partner in perfect synchronization, Twilight couldn't help but to giggle. Even Fluttershy joined in before sighing.

"Well, I was dropping hints the whole time that I l...r."

The unicorn cocked an ear towards the nervous pegasus. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"I said I...Pinkie Pie...but she doesn't really get it, I think."

Dash nudged Twilight. "Now's a good time for a hearing spell, eh?"

"Enough!" shrieked Fluttershy, before covering her mouth with a hoof, embarrassedly shying away. "Oh, um, I'm sorry. But I'm saying it, loud and proud!"

The timid mare drew in a large breath, and rambled so quickly that Pinkie Pie herself would be proud at the speed of execution.

Apparently, one of them understood, though, and it wasn't Twilight, she was sure of that. The blue pegasus jumped up, grinning like a loon. "No way! That's awesome! I always thought you were the sort of pony to go for somepony more quiet, but good for you! Going for the ball of energy! I think you may wanna ask Twi' on this one, though."

The purple furred unicorn coughed. "Yes, now if you could just repeat that back to me, preferably slower..."

"I got this," claimed Rainbow. She bent down until her mouth was just inches from Twilight's ear.

The unicorn vaguely heard her whisper at the smallest volume possible, but it still carried the level of emotion that her excited outburst had carried. "Fluttershy said that during dinner, she was dropping these big ol' bombshells to Pinkie that she loved her, but each and every one went over her head. She wants to know how to tell Pinkie so that she actually understands. Obviously, I have no clue at how to do that. That pony is so completely random, yet kind of clueless."

Twilight didn't know whether to be happy or confused. What? When did this happen? Moreover, how does it make sense?!

Oh, right. Just like me and Dash 'make sense'. But Fluttershy...that's just...unexpected.

However, she forced a smile so that things wouldn't seem awkward. "That's great! Honestly, I think the way to get her attention, is to throw her a party."

"I-what?" Fluttershy's expression conveyed pure confusion by now.

"Well," the unicorn began. "The gesture should be enough, but if that doesn't work, what signifies a party's purpose? A banner! So just put your thoughts there! I'm sure Rari-...oh, right..." she trailed off as she remembered Rarity's reaction. "In any case, just ask her if she feels the same. And if she isn't taking it seriously, which I know she won't, just explain to her the whole concept. If she still doesn't get it..."

Twilight glanced at Rainbow. Almost knowingly, the pegasus nodded, and leaned over to whisper in the bubble gum pink-maned pony's ear. Almost immediately, she shrunk back. "I-really? Isn't that a little much? It seems a little too p-"

"Fluttershy. This is Pinkie. Nothing is too much."

Fluttershy smiled in response. "Oh, I suppose you're right. I guess I'd better get to bed. The sun's setting."

Almost as if taking infinite care as to not disturb the air itself, the pegasus timidly lifted into the air.

"Bye Twilight, bye Rainbow. Thanks for everything!" she called softly, before turning to fly gently away.

"Cya', Fluttershy!" Dash said, watching as the figure flew away, as if to make sure she was out of ear shot.

"Nice pony," she said eventually.

Twilight smiled. "Not as nice as you are. Well, at least to me."

Rainbow Dash smiled abashedly. "Aw, geez. Quit it. Don't make me milk it!"

"I know you won't."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"I don't even know what you'd do without me." remarked the unicorn smugly.

"Same with you."

"Touché."

Without another word, the pegasus lay back down upon the floor, and offered the shelter of a wing to the unicorn next to her. Twilight gladly accepted, burrowing into the source of warmth that was emanating from her. It was especially cozy on this cold winter night.

Wait. What...what's that?

As soon as they'd closed, Twilight's eyes flung open faster than a cricket with a sugar rush.

With growing urgency, her eyes sought out the one spot that had felt just wrong. Oh please, out of all the ponies, don't let it be her-

Her panicked thinking nearly ceased as her eyes came to rest on a small patch of feathers on the pegasus' wing. They looked perfectly normal, of course. But a closer glance revealed that the skin underneath was covered by a large, red, and apparently...damp lesion.

"No," she whispered. "No...No..."

It was as if it were the only word she could say, as if her mind was a record with a huge scratch. The world slowly faded from her view, as her peripheral vision shrunk and she vaguely registered the tears brimming up in her eyes. Her hearing slowly dulled until all she heard was her heartbeat rapidly thumping away.

Her teacher's words echoed in her head-

"When given to members of an aviary species, a statistical one in ten thousand contracted a nasty case of Wing Rot...surprisingly incurable..."

It was the last thing on her mind before the world went blank.

"Twilight! Twilight!! Are you okay?"

The unicorn slowly cracked open her eyes. Rainbow Dash peered down at her, a concerned look on her face. It was only a few seconds before the memories came flooding back, and the tears sprang back to Twilight's eyes.

"No," she whispered. "I'm not. You..."

She sniffed, took a deep breath, and explained the letter to Dash that she'd received only a week or so ago. About the wing rot, its usual mortality rate, even about how the vaccine had it as a side effect.

"...and what's that have to do with anything?"

" Dash..."

She could no longer hide the tears, and she felt the heat of one coursing down her cheek as she continued, voice cracking with sadness.

"I'm afraid you're that you're the 'one' of the ten thousand..."

It took a few seconds. The pegasus even had to check her wings by herself, and check again, and again, and again. But Twilight Sparkle eventually saw the news dawn on the young flier's face. Many emotions passed by at once. Confusion. Anger. Bewilderment. And finally...

The one that she saw most was sadness. A sadness that had crushed the young pegasus' heart.

It was silent for a few seconds, as the pegasus trembled, attempting to hold back the tears that lurked within her eyes. But it was about as much use as trying to stop a river's flow with a spoon.

It was now the pegasus' turn to be upset, but this time, much more so than Twilight. Already, a few tears were gently creeping their way out of the corners of her eyes.

"Wh...what? W-why?! Why freakin' me?! I-I didn't d-do anything! All I d-did do was exist! And t-this is what I g-get in return?!"

"Rainbow, the important-"

"Now I'll never get into the Wonderbolts! N-NEVER!"

"Dash, please, you're going to make me-"

Twilight was taken aback as the young flier suddenly sprang on top of her, bawling her eyes out, squeezing her harder than a hungry pony would squeeze the last bit of food in Equestria. "And most of all, I...I..."

It seemed to be too much an effort for Rainbow, as she just buried her head into the surprised unicorn's shoulder, shuddering with pure sorrow.

"I d-don't wanna die!" she eventually cried. "Especially not this young! I wanna live! I w-wanna live with you! I d-don't want this! I don't wanna up and l-leave you alone, especially not t-this way! I love you t-too much!"

By now, it was hard to tell whether the pegasus was beyond hope or not, but despite that, she continued. "And I h-have dreams, y'know? Stuff I wanted to do! I mean...is it t-too much to ask that I g-get to spend time with somepony else, finally take that walk in the park, or that I g-get to break the air speed record set by m-myself? Is it?!"

Twilight finally realized that Dash was beyond comfort. She was sure she would be too, if she'd been told she only had 2 or so weeks to live.

So instead of offering pointless, false reassurances, she simply wrapped her hooves around the stricken pegasus, and pulled Dash tighter as she sobbed for dear life.

"Never let go..." she whispered.

"N-never, Twilight...N-never, e-ever..."

"I'll always love you."
It was about twenty interminable seconds before the distraught pegasus choked out a mournful question.

"F-forever, and a-always, Twilight?"

Twilight felt her heart breaking in two. But she had to tell the truth-

"Forever and always, Rainbow...I promise..."

Each second is a gift from now on. Each and every second with her.

...oh who the buck am I kidding, how can I live with what I've done? Not only did I make her get the vaccine, knowing the risks, but I just told her she was going to die, essentially! Poor Rainbow...

The moon had finally made its gradual ascent above the horizon, and now it hung curiously just above it. The gentle shafts of moonlight were enough to illuminate the trail of tears cascading down Twilight's face.

As she squeezed the crestfallen pegasus even tighter, her brain shut out all thoughts.

Except for one. And as the two despondent lovers embraced, the thought could have been thought to be shared in perfect harmony.

...why?

That awkward moment when this isn't even the saddest part...
Stay tuned!