Smolder lie in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was turning thirteen in a few hours, it was nearly midnight. Everycreature else was asleep, though, everycreature but her.

She still lay there, waiting idly by as the clock on her dormitory wall continued to tick faster. That mocking tick. It was like the stupid thing was teasing her. Tick, tock, tick, tock. She allowed a bit of smoke to flare from her nostrils.

She glanced at the clock, still mocking her with that stupid sound. That stupid clock.
On that stupid wall. Fwoosh! She allowed gigantic flames to course through her throat, leaving nothing but ashes, and a slightly charred wall. Great. Now she didn’t know how much time she had left. The time she had until it happened. Her birthday.

Smolder wasn’t really the type to get excited about birthdays. She’d always thought that getting all riled up for them was a waste of energy. If she felt that way about anycreature else, it would, of course, be even harder to even try and conjure up any excitement for her birthday.

But, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was, every year she got older, the closer she would get to... it. The stages. The phases. Something she so desperately wanted to run away and hide from, but, she told herself time and time again, you can’t reverse time.

...And she was right. She couldn’t. But the closer and closer she got to that phase, that... terrible phase... she had dreaded every second of the truth. That she couldn’t reverse time.

She knocked her head up against the bed frame, waiting, and waiting. Waiting for that dreaded time. She knew she couldn’t hide from it, and so, she was fed up with it. She just wanted to get it over with. To end the endless anticipation. For... it.

She wished so desperately that she could stop inviting that word, that... term, into her head. it, it, it, it. The phases. The stages. It.
“Argh, enough, already!!!” She tossed her pillow at the wall, followed by an emotionless sigh. She knocked her head up against the bed frame for the last time, succumbing to that feeling. Deep down, she knew. It was here. And it was here to stay.

That same morning, promptly when class was in session, Smolder sat with her head resting in her palm, looking the most nonchalant she’d ever been. Ocellus glanced at her, taking note of the emotions she was feeling by occasionally(and discreetly) sticking her tongue out. She tasted bitterness, like, taking a sip of bubble soap.

She smacked her lips a little, keen on making sure Smolder was alright. This dragon, in particular, was very special to her, after all. Ocellus, you could say, had feelings for her, special feelings. She would hate to admit it to any of her friends, but she does tend to occasionally find herself staring at the orange reptile.

She was a changeling, after all. They did seem to have huge, glittery eyes, but, something about Smolder just made her gush. She wasn’t sure, what, or how, but she knew. She knew that she had feelings for her. She just wasn’t sure how to tell her. She knew this one thing, surely, that she couldn’t just keep her in her
peripheral vision. She had to be watching her at all times.

She knew this- it’s not that she didn’t trust Smolder or anything- these thoughts had often clouded her mind. She always felt guilt for having to evaluate her thoughts about her all the time, even though she knew how she felt about her. She loved her, still, she just didn’t know how to figure it out. How to figure herself out.

“Eep!” She cried out as the bell rang. She sighed in relief, satisfied that she didn’t draw any eyes on her as she cried out in surprise. Just as she was relieving herself, she noticed Smolder leaving the classroom while she was trying to get herself together.

As she noticed this, she quickly packed her saddlebags and rushed after her in a trotting motion, making sure not to draw any attention to her in the process.

“Good morning, Smolder!” This caused Smolder to jump before she instantly turned around, sweating a little.

“...Oh, hey, Cel’. Sorry I didn’t say anything before class.” She gazed into Ocellus’ giant eyes, instantaneously losing herself in them, somehow. She had fixed her position so that she was standing up straight.

“It’s... fine.” Ocellus then remembered. Something was missing. It had been nagging at her all morning. The one thing she didn’t say to Smolder at first this entire morning. “Um... H-Happy Birthday!”

Smolder tensed up, gritting her teeth slightly
“Y-you know it’s my Birthday...?” Ocellus’ cheeks turned a light shade of teal.

“I’ve... heard from a few ponies, I guess.” Ocellus’ blush grew stronger as she pulled out a book, burying her face in it. Just as she did what she did, Smolder had tensed up.

Smolder was feeling... something. Something SO unbearable and uncomfortable, yet, it was like a cluster of energy pumping and coursing through her body. That book. She had to have it.

She suddenly grabbed the book, holding grip of it for a while. “The book, Cel’. Can I have it?”

“Maybe if you ask a little more politely,” Ocellus giggled.

“Please, give me the book.” Smolder urged. “Now.”

“...Okay, you can have it.. I guess-“

That word. It. She immediately slammed herself in the head with it, giving it back to Ocellus turning away from her.

“Woah! Are you alright?!” She prodded Smolder on her shoulder, trying to get her to go turn around, but, each time she tried to look at her face, but Smolder kept turning away from her.

“It’s not mine, it’s not mine, it’s not mine-“ Smolder insisted to herself.

“Smolder! I can’t help you if you won’t look at me!” Ocellus cried, still trying to get a look at Smolder’s wound.

“I don’t need any help, I’m fine...”

“Okay, just... don’t do that again, okay...? You scared me...” Ocellus stated firmly, giving her scaly friend a hug. Smolder reluctantly hugged her back, resisting the urge to try and retrieve the book she had given up.

Once Ocellus completely reassured herself, she finally left Smolder alone, going about her business. She had just wondered one thing, what exactly happened?