Twilight woke to the sound of knocking. It was a not-unfamiliar sound to her in this particular establishment, one she was familiar with. Shaking her mane out and plodding downstairs, she opened the door with as much of a smile as she could manage.

"Good morning and welcome to the Golden Oaks library."

"Eep."

Just on the other side of the door was a young filly, wide-eyed and clutching a book in her weak aura of magic. Twilight blinked, trying to make sense of the scene and indeed the whole morning.

This wasn't her library anymore, and she wasn't this library's librarian. She was the Archmage, and this poor little filly was probably meeting her for the first time. Twilight paused for a few more moments, blinking down at the young filly before cracking a wide smile.

"How can I help you?"

"I-I-I, uuh. I came to... return this?" The poor young filly stuttered helplessly, looking up at Twilight with a mixture of amazement and shock. Twilight stood aside, sweeping a hoof across the dusty interior of the mid-morning library.

"I can handle returns, I should think. What were you reading?"

"U-uum, 'Daring Do and the Mummy's Voice'? I-It's a kid book, I know, but I really like it and-"

"Here you go." Twilight pulled another book from a shelf nearby, passing it to the young filly while she took the other one. "This is the next in the series. 'Daring Do and the Mighty Dragon,' it's one of my favorites, you know."

The little filly lit up like a bright new day dawning, and Twilight found herself smiling to mirror her. "Thank you, Twili- eer, Archmage!"

"You can call me Twilight." She smiled and leaned in to nuzzle the young pony affectionately. "All my friends do."

"Thank you!" She squealed and dashed off, not even bothering to give her name. Twilight honestly didn't mind. She stood in the doorway, watching the young pony jet off down the street, her head held high and her eyes bright with wonder.

'I wonder how many of her friends she's going to go tell. I probably made her day, giving her that book... She'll say 'the Archmage checked out my book this morning!' and it'll be the most wonderful thing to happen to her.' Twilight sighed as she shut the door, right at the same time the young pony turned a corner out of sight.

"That was... cute."

"Well good morning, Cross Stitch." Twilight blinked at the stallion standing on the steps leading up to the library's second floor. She pulled the card from the inside cover and began filling in the details of its return, taking note that the young pony's name had been 'Flower Glow.' Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she replaced the book on its shelf and smiled up at Cross Stitch. "Sleep well?"

"Like a foal." He nodded warmly, yawning as he descended the stairs. "Sorry if we were too loud last night."

"No worries." Twilight shrugged. "These walls are paper-thin. You'd never believe the things I've heard Spike say to himself when he still lived here." A brief flash of melancholy struck Twilight, and she found herself looking down at the floor, scuffing a hoof dejectedly. She shook herself, beaming up at the stallion warmly. "Soundproofing spells make for restful night's sleep."

"Well I'm still sorry. Rarity can be a hoof-full when she gets going."

"Eugh." Twilight blanched at the thought, and Cross Stitch's reactionary chuckle proved infectious. She smiled and retreated to the kitchen. "Do you drink coffee?"

"Black, if you'd please." He affirmed, moving towards one of the nearby book shelves. Twilight set about to brewing a pot of coffee, just the way Luna did. Minus the cinnamon; apparently the library's kitchen wasn't as well-stocked as she had left it. Still, the heady aroma of coffee filled the library, and Twilight opened windows to help move the scent around and upstairs, where Rarity was either sleeping off last night's endeavors or preparing for her day.

As she looked out at the quiet street, Twilight couldn't help but think 'and what a wonderful day it's going to be.'

----------

"APPLEJAAAAAAAACK!" Twilight cried out as she whipped through the air, spinning around in a disorienting, dizzying circle.

"Hold on there, sugarcube!" Applejack dashed across the grass, her hooves thundering into the dirt as she flung herself across the open air. Twilight grunted as the enchanted water constricted tighter around her chest, whipping her in another dizzying circle. She collided with the farm pony, breaking the water's bonds and sending them both flying downstream. They skidded through the shallows together, kicking up sprays of water and dirt in equal measure. Twilight managed to land mostly on her hooves, though Applejack skidded through the last four feet or so on her face.

"Alright, enough playing around." Twilight huffed at the roiling mass of water upstream, shaking her mane out before her horn blazed to life. The water lurched forward, sensing the immediate imbalance in magical energy. She grunted with the effort, seeking her calm center.

To an untrained magician, Twilight was trying to lift the water wholly out of the creek, exposing the muddy bed and keeping the whole thing a good six feet off of the ground. But Twilight was doing that and more. Her horn's light grew in intensity, probing into the soil around the riverbed, right where the roiling water was the most intense.

"Applejack!" Twilight growled at her friend as the orange farmpony picked herself up from the mud. "Mind telling me why you have a Class-A magical corruption in your soil?!"

"A what now?" Applejack cocked her head, swiping mud off of the brim of her hat. Twilight rolled her eyes and felt out the corruption in the soil, pulling it towards her with telekinesis. The result was a rainbow-colored, mud-covered, snarling ball of electric energy. The crater it left in the creek glowed ominously, but faded the further the howling ball of energy grew to her.

"This," She dropped the water back into the creek with a thunderous splash, the water swelling up and onto the banks for a few moments before rushing past their hooves. "Is a sentient energy made when nature magic meets certain household cooking ingredients." The rainbow-colored ball whirled in her grip, spitting bright yellow sparks that hissed into the water.

"Is that what it is, now?" Applejack rolled her eyes, peering back upstream. "Looks like that nasty bit o' water's calmed down, though. Is that there what was causing it?"

"Applejack." Twilight face-hoofed. "Did you dump zap apple jam into your creek?"

"O' course! We always dump it when it goes bad." Twilight could have slapped her.

"'Goes bad.' Ah huh. Well, this was causing that 'little problem' you were having with your creek." Twilight focused on the glowing ball, picking through the separate energies until they came unwound like a ball of string. The snarling corruption crackled a few more times before hissing away into two separate balls held in her telekinesis, one of mud and the other of off-color zap apple jam. She dropped the mud on Applejack's back, making the farm pony yelp and shiver. The other, she kept until they'd find a suitable glass container to put it in for regular disposal.

"Well thanks fer helpin' me out, Twi. That creek's been actin' up fer... Shoot, six months now."

"A.J., you can't dump inherently magical fruit by-products into natural water features. There's magical energies that don't coincide with the ingredients and nature of processed magics." Twilight hauled herself out of the creek, feeling muddy, wet, and a little sore from being unceremoniously grasped by a bit of angry water.

"Well that'd explain the problems we've been havin'." Applejack followed, shaking herself off. "Ah appreciate you comin' out here to take a look, though. Sorry you had t' get all dirty." Applejack snarked, flinging a bit of mud onto Twilight's flank. Twilight lifted a load of water from the creek and dumped it on Applejack's head as recompense. They shared a laugh and walked back towards the farmhouse.

"So what else y'all got planned today?"

"After a shower?" Twilight stuck her tongue out. "We've got lunch with the girls, then I promised a young unicorn on my way into town yesterday that I'd help them out with a few things. This afternoon, I was going to get fit for the dress. Rarity says she'll need at least five days to get it done."

"That filly. Ah swear." Appjeack shook her head with a warm smile. Twilight mirrored her.

"She works hard."

"Ah ain't sayin' she don't. Ah'm happy fer her, Twi. Nevermind what ah heard."

"Oh. Right." Twilight grimaced as she remembered Rarity's less-than-honest history. "Look, ponies are foolish by nature. None of us are without our mistakes. I think Rarity's suffered enough."

"Oh trust me, she an' I had a good long talk when I found out." Applejack said sagely, lifting her head a little. "Ah might not know everythin' that goes on up there in Canterlot, but there's a few things ah can tell 'bout my friends that they don' have the mind to tell me." Applejack's words sounded a little ominous, and as they entered the quiet farmhouse, Twilight squared up with her.

"And about me?"

"Hmm." Applejack turned to face her, fixing those brilliant emerald eyes on her. Twilight didn't let her gaze waver for a moment, staring at Applejack just as intently as she was stared at. After a few long, tense moments, Applejack finally spoke.

"Ah get the feelin' you ain't tellin' us everything going on in Canterlot, even if it might concern us. Ah know you've told lies, and you've used yer friends to tell them. Ah know you can hardly sleep at night, and yer not tellin' anypony that ain't Luna herself. Ah know you've got some skeletons in that there closet of yers, Twi." Applejack sighed, closing her eyes. "But ah ain't in no position to tell the Archmage what she's doin' wrong. What ya did, what yer doin', and what yer gonna do ain't no business of mine." Applejack turned away, opening one of the hallway closets to fetch them towels. Twilight looked at the mare's flank intently for a few long moments, thinking hard. When Applejack offered her a towel, Twilight responded.

"Do all of you feel that way?"

"We ain't got no choice, Twi." Applejack chuckled. "You aren't around anymore. We've all got our own lives t' live. Ah got the farm an' Thunderlane. Rarity's got Cross Stitch and Trottingham. Pinkie's got her bakeries. Dash's got Archer an' the Wonderbolts; an even Fluttershy has got Big Macintosh." Applejack's rough hoof reached out, lifting Twilight's chin until their eyes met once more.

"An' you've got all of Equestria to worry about."

"Pfft!" Applejack shoved the towel into Twilight's face, rubbing her mane vigorously.

"None of us hold it against you, Twi. We're still good friends an' all, we jus'... Have our own priorities." Twilight emerged from the fluffy cover of the towel to look at Applejack, a sad smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Applejack."

"You know me, sugarcube." Applejack started toweling herself off. "Ah weren't the Element of Honesty fer nothin', even if I hafta be brutal about it sometimes."

"Yeah, but, you're not sad or anything, are you?" Twilight started toweling herself off, though Applejack gave pause in her own ministrations. She looked intently at the fluffy fabric of her towel for a few long moments before drawing a deep breath in through her nose.

"Ah'd be lyin' if ah said ah didn't miss what we had, darlin'. But jes like Granny Smith, the best things in life don' last forever." As if on cue, a pegasus stallion descended from upstairs, freezing on the steps as he spotted two sodden mares toweling themselves off on the threshold. "Sometimes," Applejack beamed up at him. "Ya hafta let somethin' die so you can make room fer somethin' else."

----------

"Applejack said she wasn't going to make it for lunch today." Twilight smiled at the other five ponies waiting at the table for her. "She said she'd be busy at the farm today, especially after I helped her out with that creek."

"What was the matter, darling?" Rarity inquired. She sat next to Cross Stitch at the cafe in town, with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy sitting with them.

"I'd say 'nothing major,' but it kind of was. To spare you all the details, I'll just say it was a high-level magical corruption that was messing with the elemental balance of one of the creeks on her property. It'd have taken at least three other unicorns a few days to work it out."

"And it took you... Thirty minutes?" Rarity's jaw was open, to mirror the others. Except Pinkie. She just shrugged and said 'meh' before turning her attention back to the menu before her. Twilight blushed as she took the sixth and final seat at the table, smiling at the ponies around her. Save Cross Stitch, it felt exactly like she was just meeting her friends for lunch so many years ago. With the chaotic events earlier that day, it wasn't a far cry from her life back then as well.

"Well then." Rarity cleared her throat and shook her mane out before smiling at Twilight. "Are you ready for our fitting this afternoon?"

"Of course. I just need to shower is all; I had to beat a hasty retreat from Applejack's house."

"So that's what the ear flop, eye twitch, stomach grumble was for." Pinkie mused from behind her menu. Fluttershy snorted in a very uncharacteristic manner. Twilight smiled at her, as the shy pegasus' return to character came in the form of a ferocious blush. She retreated behind her mane, but at least she didn't disappear underneath the table. Leaps and bounds.

"Oh you don't need to worry much, darling." Rarity returned them to the matter at-hoof with a nonchalant scoff. "It's just a fitting. Though if you want to leave a poor impression on that young colt from earlier, then you can skip it."

"Ooh, I had almost forgotten." Twilight grimaced. She had picked her menu up and was browsing daffodil sandwiches when Rarity reminded her of her promise to the young unicorn from earlier. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Any time, darling."

"I'm torn, girls." Pinkie Pie laid her menu down with force. "Do I get a daffodil sandwich, a salad, hay fries, or a lettuce wrap?"

"Why not all of them?" Dash offered. Her head was turning methodically, as if she were scanning each option and seriously considering her own advice.

"Eew, no. I'm on a diet, thank you." Pinkie muttered, sounding not unlike Rarity, save the high-class undertone to her accent. It wasn't her inflection that now had everypony at the table staring at her unabashedly, but rather the words she had uttered.

"A... A diet?" Fluttershy broke the silence - and character - once again.

"Well, duh! I'm a busy pony; I can't haul all this extra poundage around Equestria. I've got bakeries to open! Trust me, I -want- all of those things." She licked her lips lasciviously, as Twilight was wont to do when looking at Luna. In a way, she guessed food would be Pinkie's parallel for Twilight's love of the princess. "But I don't want to put on any more weight. Losing it's hard enough." She let her gaze fix on one particular item before sighing. "I guess a salad would suffice. Maybe dessert if I'm feeling scandalous."

"Speaking of scandal." Rarity moved onto the next topic with the sort of practiced social ease Twilight rather envied her for. "How are you and Archer getting along, Dash?"

"Huh?" The rainbow-maned pegasus looked up from her menu with a confused blink. "Whaddya mean 'getting along?' We're doing just fine."

"Yes, but for the brave and ever-bored Rainbow Dash, things would get stale after some time, no? This is your first serious relationship, isn't it? Haven't you two run into any... stagnation? You know," Rarity leaned in to whisper, though everypony at the table to hear her. "... in the bedroom?"

"Psh." Dash scoffed, though Twilight didn't miss the faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Archer's great in the sack. Like I said, we're doing just fine."

"You're not telling everything again, Dash." Twilight cut in with a devious smile. She and Rarity shared a quick glance, their eyes glimmering mischievously. "Or do I need to regale the girls-"

"- hey!"

"... and Cross Stitch with the laundry reports from the guard's quarters?"

"Oh you evil little..." Dash bristled at her, staring daggers across the table. Twilight covered her smile with a coquettish hoof. In the end, the brash pegasus gave in with a sigh. "He's... really, really good at eating me out. He can do it for hours."

"Oh my. Cross Stitch could learn a thing or two from him, I think." Rarity purred, nudging her stallion. Cross Stitch just lifted an indifferent shoulder at the peering gazes he was getting.

"Lockjaw."

"Ah huh. Go on, Dash."

"Whaaat, come on!" She pleaded, flopping onto the table. "This is my first relationship! It's not like we're breaking out whips and chains or anything; sheesh, it's pretty... Vanilla. You know, nothing fancy. We don't even do it dolphin-style."

"Ooh, you should." Pinkie intoned. "It's really nice. You can kiss him without hurting your neck, and it's easy to roll over and ride him if you want."

"Right. Maybe later." Dash gnawed on her lower lip, as if seriously considering the thought. "Anyways, we're fine. Just, you know... Enjoying life. We keep pretty busy. I mean, he's due to become Commander in, what, six months?"

"Eer, eight if I remember right." Twilight mused, thinking ahead in her ever-changing schedule. It had been a major reason she wanted to get married this summer, since next spring would be his induction. Plenty of time for her and Luna to grow acclimated to the married life.

"Right, and I'm so close to getting a permanent spot on the touring team. It's not like we even see each other every day. Unlike some ponies here."

"Eep." Fluttershy instinctually retreated behind her mane, one wide, fearful eye peeking out at the rest of them. Respectuflly, Twilight turned her attention to the menu, listening but not looking at the shy filly.

"How are you and Big Macintosh doing, darling?" Rarity's sweet voice coaxed the pegasus out of her shy little world. Twilight smiled as she listened to her.

"I-it's nice, living alone. He helps out a lot with the animals, and we're not really... Eer, well, you know." Twilight glanced at her furious blush. "We're not that... active... in the b-bedroom."

"Any particular reason?" Pinkie Pie casually lofted the question out, but Twilight could sense Fluttershy tensing up. After a few moments, though, she seemed to unwind.

"W-we're just okay with spending time together. He loves to read, and I've picked up knitting. We don't have to m-make love every day to know we love eachother." She sat up, seeming to hit her stride, getting comfortable talking about it. "He told me he used to see a lot of mares in town back when Twilight lived here, and a little before... He slept around quite a bit, but couldn't find a mare who was... Well, I guess okay with him being so quiet. They wanted to change him, to make him suit their wants. I love him because of who he is, not because of who I want him to be.

"He told me once he considered giving it up for good. But, I mean, he is a stallion in a town full of mares. He told me he tried once, and made it six months before giving in." Her blush intensified to all-new levels. "It was my first time."

"Oh wow." Rarity fanned herself with a hoof. "So you were his first after so long, that you changed his mind after giving up something like that. That's..." Rarity swooned, leaning heavily against Cross Stitch. "That's so romantic."

"He was so traditional about it." Fluttershy smiled. "He brought me pink lilies, the same color as my mane, and wrote to Las Pegasus to get my dad's approval. He was a true gentlestallion, and when it happened it was..." She inhaled through her nose, closing her eyes. "It was everything I'd ever dreamed of. Since then, we've been living together."

"That's really nice, Fluttershy." Twilight smiled at her friend. "I'm happy for you two."

"What about foals?" Rainbow Dash came in like a wrecking ball, changing the tone of the conversation with three short words. She earned glares from everyone, even Cross Stitch. Save Fluttershy, who retreated behind her mane once more. Dash grumbled and settled down to mope over her mistake while Rarity slid around the table to rub Fluttershy's neck soothingly. It took a few minutes and the waitress came over for their orders in that time, but Fluttershy emerged with a soft whimper.

"W-we, uuh... It's... It's kind of sensitive, and-"

"You don't tell us if you don't want to. Especially if it's personal." Twilight offered. She had a feeling it'd be something serious, given Fluttershy's reaction. She couldn't quite tell if it was just the pegasus being herself, or if it truly was something worrisome. Fluttershy nodded quietly, gnawing on her lower lip as she seemed to teeter on the edge of telling them. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"He's sterile."

"... Oh." Rainbow Dash sunk lower in her chair. Rarity rose her hooves to her mouth, and even Pinkie seemed to take that little revelation rather seriously. Twilight was shocked, to say the least. "Which, you know..." Fluttershy continued. "Would explain why he doesn't have any foals with all of the other mares he has been with. We've tried, and the doctors helped a little, but to make it happen, it'd take a lot of medicine, some therapy, and a very specific ovulation cycle monitoring process... All for something we're not even sure we want right now." She took another steadying breath, offering a brave smile to them.

"We've decided if it happens, it happens. If not, then we're happy to have our lives together. I love him for who he is, flaws and all. Besides," She blushed a little, looking down the street. "There's always adoption."

----------

Lunch was a moderately sober affair. Fluttershy and Rarity were quiet, and Pinkie Pie said she needed to send a letter to one of her bakeries that had opened just a few weeks ago. Cross Stitch wanted to go for a walk to meet up with some old friends of his, and Rarity needed to prepare for the fitting. Fluttershy went to meet Big Macintosh after his work at the farm was done so they could walk home together. Twilight was alone on her walk to the library and her afternoon appointment with the inquisitive young colt.

The meeting itself was rather intriguing, as the young unicorn had a dozen questions about very obscure and particular branches of magic; none of which seemed to have any correlation. Apparently he had just come across them in his studies, and wanted to round out his knowledge. He confessed to studying at Twilight's library often, and meeting her face-to-face was one of his goals. Twilight had finished the meeting with an offer to tutor the pony herself, sending letters to and from Canterlot. With her address in-hoof, the young colt dashed home just before three, meeting Rarity on her way in.

"He looked awfully happy." Rarity mused, depositing several wrapped bolts of cloth inside the door. "Did you kiss him?"

"Hardly!" Twilight swatted at her friend playfully. "I just offered to tutor him."

"I figured it would be something like that." Rarity cooed, ushering Twilight upstairs with a nudge. "That little filly this morning, that colt... The ponies around here like you, Twilight. And you're making them awfully happy."

"I'm just doing what I can." Twilight blushed, leading Rarity up to where her old bedroom had been, but was now Rarity and Cross Stitch's temporary lodging. Rarity had a small stand set up for Twilight to stand on, and the various utensils for measuring her body were all set out and ready.

"Well, you're doing a lot of it." Rarity ushered her up onto the stand, a length of measuring tape already floating in her magical aura. "And don't think you won't be rewarded for your efforts."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Twilight inquired, standing still. She was no stranger to fittings anymore, not after her numerous run-ins with not just Rarity, but other dress-makers in Canterlot.

"Well, think about it, darling. You come to Ponyville for a week, and all you do is help everypony out. You work the library like you used to, take on another student, even if just by proxy... Goodness, you stopped a grade-A corruption in Sweet Apple Acres. The headlines will be all about you for weeks to come, about your kindness and benevolence. How selfless you are."

"I don't see how it's any different from what I did when I lived here-"

"You mean aside from the fact that you're the Archmage now?" Rarity cut her off, peering over the edge of her glasses. Twilight hadn't even noticed her put them on, but Rarity's words struck her like a hammer to hot iron. "Twilight, your actions have consequences now. Not just small ones, but consequences that will be heard Equestria-wide. Hide all you like from the limelight, there are things you're going to do that will reach the public, one way or another. If it isn't fixing national problems, then it's fixing local problems." She smiled up at Twilight before focusing on the tape.

"You're the Archmage now, darling; not some mousy librarian from a backwoods town. Like it or not, you're a celebrity."

----------

The following day, Twilight caught up with Pinkie Pie during breakfast at the original Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie's name had already reached enough ponies nationwide that they were coming from all around to visit her home. Pinkie was a celebrity in her own right, and would only continue the meteoric rise as her signature bakeries filled more and more cities. Twilight had to wait in line for her pastry before meeting the energetic pink pony at a table of her own.

"Things are busy today, aren't they?"

"They usually are when I open a new bakery." Pinkie beamed at a couple of young foals who passed their table. "The new city hears about the original, and there's usually at least a dozen or so who make the trip out here. Remember, Baltimare's at least a hundred times bigger than Ponyville. Even a little word-of-mouth goes a long way. You should have seen this place after I opened the Manehattan one!"

"Fantastic." Twilight chuckled, diving into her muffin. It was delightfully fluffy, with just the right amount of almonds interspersed in the still-moist center. Pinkie might not have been a unicorn, but there was magic in her work. "But how busy are you staying?"

"You know," Pinkie sighed, a rare sign of melancholy from her. "It's tough sometimes."

"I can imagine. You travel a lot; I hardly see you in Canterlot anymore, and each time I ask about you it's always 'oh, she's in Trottingham this week,' or 'Baltimare had a party emergency, so she's out there handling it.' I never even expected you to move to Canterlot with me, but... Here we are, eh?"

"Yeah..." Pinkie inhaled a deep breath before letting it out with a smile. "But it's good. I'm making a lot of bits, and that means more bakeries and more smiles. I may have left my friends in Ponyville behind, but... Well..." She smiled as a particular orange-maned pony came up for a warm hug. "Some friends never go away. How are you, Carrot Top?"

"Oh I'm doing just fine, Pinkie. It's so good to see you again. It's been, what, two months?"

"Two months, two weeks, four days, and sixteen hours." Pinkie ticked each one off with a bob of her hoof, somehow materializing four forelegs. As soon as Twilight tried to focus on it, they were gone and Pinkie was beaming at her mischievously.

"Well that's two months, two wee... Too long!" Carrot Top chuckled. "We missed you, Pinkie. Ooh, Roseluck said she wanted to say hello, but she's at market all day. Should I tell her you'll be by?"

"Only if I can get one of her candied roses! How are she and Bon Bon getting along, by the way."

"Oh those two fillies, I swear." Carrot Top rolled her eyes patronizingly. "One week they're having it out in the street and the guard adjunct needs to get involved, and the next you catch them going at it in the fountain and the mayor needs to ticket them for indecent exposure."

Twilight snorted into her coffee. A terrible experience, if she had ever had one related to coffee. She rubbed at her burning nose while Carrot Top and Pinkie laughed.

"Anyways, I didn't mean to interrupt your breakfast. You enjoy yourself, Pinkie, and don't be a stranger."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie waved a goodbye to Carrot Top before turning back to Twilight.

"See? You never really leave your friends behind. Even if you're a busy baker," She pointed to Twilight with a glimmer in her eyes. "Or the Archmage."

"I suppose that's true." Twilight muttered, staring into the dregs of her coffee. "I suppose that's true..."

----------

"Oh wow, I never thought a chicken could catch Scale Itch..." Twilight blinked in shock at one of Fluttershy's chickens who had come down with a mysterious illness. She curled up in a basket on the floor of the shy mare's cottage, being tended on by a considerate family of mice and one surprisingly punctual squirrel. "This is so strange... I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but you've stumped me. I'm going to have to do some research to help this poor thing."

"Oh, it's nothing that bad." Fluttershy leaned in to nuzzle the chicken lovingly. "It's just an inconvenience. Mr. Cluckers is fine, he's just itchy is all." When Fluttershy stood back up, she smiled warmly at Twilight. "Thank you for your help, though. I didn't know what he had."

"It's nothing, really... I'm just glad I read that book on dragon physiology."

"There's a book on dragon physiology?" Fluttershy cast a glance over her shoulder as she stepped into the kitchen, setting a kettle on the stove for tea. Twilight nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"I brought it back from the Valley of Knowledge."

"Oh, when you and Rarity went to that library? Goodness, how could you think to bring anything back after what happened to you two?"

"You know..." Twilight sighed, looking down at the table. "I honestly wonder how I thought to do anything out there. I was more scared than I've ever been... Not just because it was such a daunting task, but..." She felt a chill run up her spine. "We almost lost Rarity."

"But we didn't. I've seen her scars, Twilight; she wears them proudly." Fluttershy's words struck a chord in her, making Twilight furrow her brow.

"How do you mean?"

"I mean it's not unlike a pregnant mare's stretch marks, or a young pony's cutie mark. Rarity doesn't begrudge you for her injury. I hope you know that."

"No, I know she doesn't hold it against me at all, but... How can she be proud of her scars? I was there with her, Fluttershy. Even when I found her, she nearly died. It took everything I was worth to bring her back." The memory of finding Rarity, of casting all the spells she had in desperation right there on the steps in that underground passage. The blood had been everywhere. "We almost lost her."

"But we didn't." Fluttershy returned obstinately. "Instead, Rarity shared a moment with you, one of the most haunting and visceral moments we ponies can. You brought her back from the brink of death. I wouldn't say she owes you, but the two of you have a connection now, Twilight. Something you can't ignore or walk away from; and neither can she." Fluttershy's words, softly spoken as they were, cut into Twilight. She blinked at the unexpected outbreak from her friend, unsure how to take what she was saying. Before she could reply, Fluttershy continued, stepping forward to lay a hoof over her own.

"In a way, I'm jealous of her."

"What? How?" Twilight recoiled at the thought. "She nearly died! How could you-"

"Not that she almost died. That she's so much closer to you than the rest of us are." Fluttershy's words cut even deeper this time, and Twilight felt a twinge of regret take hold of her heart. She sat back in the chair, stunned beyond words. Again, Fluttershy continued.

"We've grown further apart since you've moved away, Twilight. Applejack and I stayed behind, but Pinkie, Rarity, and Dash followed you to Canterlot. I'd hate to be so rude in saying this, but it hurt our friendship. I'm not angry or upset with you, Twilight, I'll say that right now. But I am sad that we're not as close as we could have been."

"... Why are you saying this just now? It's been over three years, Fluttershy..."

"Because," The poor pegasus looked up at Twilight with watery eyes. "How could I ask you to give up on everything you wanted to be just so you could stay in Ponyville? What kind of friend - no, what kind of pony would that make me? To ask somepony else to give up their hopes and dreams, indeed their destiny, just so I can stay comfortable?" She shook her head solemnly, stepping back to pull the kettle off of the stove. She spoke with her back turned to Twilight, her voice low and intense.

"Just because I cherish what we had doesn't mean I want it back. We've moved on, Twilight. Found things... Maybe not better things, but different things. Love, and different friendships, comfort and hobbies of our own. I may not be that much of a different mare than I was when you left us," She turned back to Twilight, her expression genuinely happy. "But you are."

"Fluttershy..."

"You've matured so much in just three years, Twilight. You went from a shy librarian to the Archmage. You've thwarted uprisings, assassinations, opened a long-lost treasure trove of knowledge... And you're going to accomplish so much more; I can feel it." She stepped forwards again, this time wrapping Twilight in a tender hug.

"I can't hold that against you. And if anypony does, you tell them to come talk to me. Understood?"

Twilight tried to talk through her tears, and failed. She choked one word.

"Understood."

----------

"So it seems to me the five of you have some thoughts on me being Archmage..." Twilight sat at the table in the library, surrounded by her old friends. They all cast shifty looks at one another before nodding. Twilight inhaled through her nose, letting it out slowly. "I'd say I'm sorry, but-"

"Poor form, darling." Rarity teased, drawing a faint chuckle from the gathered ponies.

"Right. I know we did so much together, and we were the best of friends..."

"All good things must come to an end." Rainbow Dash intoned, sounding surprisingly more mature than Twilight had attributed her for.

"I guess that sums it up pretty well."

"Well it's not like we're done being friends, silly! We still have each other!"

"That's true." Twilight smiled at the other ponies, though she still felt the melancholy in her chest. "We're just not... best friends anymore." Their smiles wilted, but none of them raised any objections. Applejack stepped forwards, pulling her hat off of her head.

"We had a good run, girls. But real life don't wait for nopony."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck, stepping forward as well. "It's kind of like we've grown up, y'know? Pinkie's expanding, Fluttershy's settled down, Applejack's just about ready to pass the farm down, Rarity's living in Trottingham... Even I'm moving away from Ponyville for good." She grimaced at her own words, as if they hurt her. In a way, Twilight supposed the element of Loyalty would be hurt by leaving friends and former homes behind.

"But that's not a bad thing." Pinkie added helpfully. "We're moving on to bigger and better things! And we're still around. We know we can count on each other if things get hard. Right?" She leveled a serious eye at the other five. "Right?!"

"Right." Rarity stepped in. "I know I'm willing to drop everything to help anypony; especially one of my good friends. Just because we're not all six together anymore doesn't mean we're not friends. Just a different caliber of friendship, is all."

"Agreed." Fluttershy nodded. "We're still here, even if we're not doing something as amazing as being a Wonderbolt or... or being the Archmage."

Twilight looked at the five ponies smiling at her, their hooves reaching out to touch in the middle. All they were missing was her. Shedding a tear, she laid her hoof on top of the pile.

"Friends forever."

----------

"Dash!" Twilight caught up with the pegasi in the late-evening sun. Rainbow Dash flapped to a halt, dropping down to land heavily in front of her.

"What's up, Twi?"

"I wanted to talk to you. One way or another, I've spoken to the others alone... Everypony except you." She sighed faintly, looking into the pegasus' lavender eyes. "What do you think about all this? About us moving apart?"

Dash looked at her seriously for a long time, the silence between them so thick Twilight could have sworn it slowed down time. She held Dash's intent gaze for what felt like an eternity before her friend spoke again.

"It hurts, Twilight." Her voice was low and quiet, not like her at all. Twilight watched the tears leak out of her eyes, falling to the dirt path under their hooves. "It's like a knife, right here..." She sniffed, raising a hoof to her breast. "I think I was putting on a face, saying all that stuff earlier... I don't want us to grow apart. I don't want to leave Ponyville. I don't want things to change."

"... But...?"

"But they're going to." Dash sighed, wiping a hoof across her eyes. "It's just part of growing up. Ponies grow apart. Friendships die, or at least dim, ponies pass on, jobs come and go." She shook her head, but the tears came back, streaking out of her eyes. "I just have to get over that. I'm not some little filly anymore. I'm an adult, and I'm in love. I can't let things like this - natural things - bring me down. It's not like I can change any of that, and even if I could, why would I want to? That'd only hurt you guys, my friends, in the long run. We've got our lives to live. Be it as a Wonderbolt, a veterinarian, a farmer, a baker, a dress-maker..." She looked Twilight in the eye once more.

"The Archmage... It doesn't matter what we do, we're going to grow apart. It's our destiny."

"But it hurts, Dash, I don't want-"

"Shut up, Twilight." Rainbow sighed, shaking her head. Twilight paused, her mouth still hanging open. "Don't feel sorry for me. This is just part of who I am, and I've always been like this. It took every ounce of strength I had to leave Cloudsdale behind. And you don't know how hard it was for me to move to Canterlot, leaving Fluttershy and AJ behind... And, and..." She sniffled again, her chest shaking. "How hard it is to realize I might not be in love with Archer for the rest of my life." The tears came in force then, streaming from her eyes.

"That's just the way it is, Twilight. Rainbow Dash: Loyal to a fault."

"Dash... I never knew how hard it was for you..." Twilight stepped forward, laying her hoof on the pegasus' cheek. They locked eyes once again, Twilight's compassionate and warm, Rainbow Dash's wet and leaking. Slowly, Twilight pulled her into a hug. "I don't want this to hurt as much as it does; nopony deserves this pain. And I admire you, for shouldering it in your own way. You're a strong pony, Rainbow Dash. Stronger than I am."

"Don't say that, Twilight. You're the strongest, most powerful, intelligent, beautiful pony I know."

"Strength has many forms, Dash. In a way, I think yours is a lot better than mine. I have my magic and my wit, but if there's one thing I know I lack..." She pulled back, laying a hoof on Dash's breast.

"It's the level of compassion you have."

"... Fuck you, Twi. Making me cry like this." Dash gave a nervous laugh, and it proved infectious. Twilight joined in, the two of them hugging as they laughed and cried in equal measure. When they pulled away, their eyes were puffy but there were no more tears to be shed. Dash punched her foreleg playfully.

"We're gonna have to enjoy ourselves. Who knows if the six of us will be together like this again?"

"True." Twilight smiled. "We've got four more days until the wedding. I know we're all busy doing our own thing, running around Ponyville. You're moving your home to Canterlot tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, and Applejack said she has to run some things out to Dodge Junction day after tomorrow. Oh, and Pinkie just told me this morning she's gotta run to Manehattan for a day."

"Then let's put a pin in that fun, yeah?" Twilight grinned at Rainbow Dash. "We'll have to do it on the wedding."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Twilight. But that day won't be about just us. It's your wedding, after all..."

"True..." Twilight grinned. "But I get the feeling with you girls by my side... It'll be the best night ever."