Twilight Sparkle woke up earlier than usual. She hadn't slept well the night before due to her aching ribs and blistered skin. She stirred in the morning light as she recalled her fight with Trixie, and how her surprising speed at casting was more than impressive.

The sore and tired mare closed her eyes and recalled that helpless feeling of being trapped within another's aura, unable to move, and unable to fight. She closed her eyes tighter and realized how close she had come to being permanently crippled or worse. She looked down at her blistered arms and chest, the sharp focused magic Trixie had produced was burning her from the inside out. Twilight wasn't sure rather to be thankful for being spared or to seek vengeance. After taking a deep breath, she figured it'd be best to be glad she didn't get hurt worse in that scuffle. Although she was proud of the number she did on Trixie's face.

Twilight put on a confident smile and went downstairs to find an exhausted Spike sleeping on the couch. She considered waking him up but remembered how early in the morning it still was. After walking in front of a mirror she noticed a large red bruise beneath her coat across her ribs. Feeling cautious, she headed out to the emergency room to get it checked out.

It didn't take long to trot down the road to the hospital, but her ribs were throbbing by the time she arrived. She hobbled inside with an expression reflecting her agony on her face.

"Are you alright miss? Quick, come with me!" A nurse quickly led Twilight into a room and saw to her injury.

With gentle hooves she rubbed the affected area. Twilight jerked away as she touched a particularly sensitive spot.

"Well then, it looks like you have a few broken ribs. You should have come in sooner, do you know how much worse this could have been if you waited any longer?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it was that serious." Twilight blushed and looked down, trying to recall the blow to her side that Trixie had delivered. It didn't seem hard enough to break anything, unless there was a spell amplifying the impact. Twilight didn't recall seeing her cast a spell, but it was possible.

"Care to explain these odd burns Miss?" The nurse looked over Twilight's legs and chest.

"No, I'm sorry but I can't explain them. Will you please treat me and send me on my way?" Twilight looked away, feeling ashamed to have been put in such a humiliating position.

The nurse rolled her eyes and prepared a treatment for the burns while the doctor made his way over. She applied an ointment to Twilight's body and instructed her to do the same every twelve hours until they were gone. It would help avoid infection and soothe the pain. The doctor came in shortly after and greeted Twilight with a standard halfhearted formality.

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Stitch, I'll be taking care of you today. Hmm, three fractured ribs huh? Lets take care of those."

The doctor grabbed a large bandage roll and tightly wrapped it around Twilight's torso. She winced under the pain of the applied pressure, but held her strong stance as she allowed him to finish.

"There we are then, all done. This should be enough to keep those old bones held together heh heh. I'm only kidding, but you need that pressure to ensure proper healing. Now in a day or so, have somepony help you change the bandages and reapply the pressure. Come back and see me next week and we'll make sure you're healing up nicely. Now have a nice day little one. Nurse, get her some meds or something to ease the pain will you?" The doctor then lazily trotted off to see the next patient.

Twilight let out a deep breath, still not used to the extra pressure around her chest. The nurse gave Twilight a bottle of pills and a cup of water. "Take one now and another every four hours or as needed."

"Thanks." Twilight immediately took a pill.

She slid off the hospital bed and followed the nurse to a desk, she then signed different papers as instructed and left the building. With a deep breath, Twilight felt she needed to get as much pressure off her chest as possible, whether it be literal or figurative, she decided to go talk to Fluttershy. She slowly made her way down the road, getting faster as her pain pills kicked in.

"Fine then! I never expected anythin' better from a sleazy little mule like you anyhow!" Applebloom shouted and angrily trotted towards Twilight.

"Whoa there little one, fighting with your friends?" Twilight pried.

"I ain't fightin' with nopony! I'm just tryin' to stay civil here, and she's bein' a damn hayseed that won't listen to reason!"

"Please Applebloom, settle down. You're too... rural sounding when you're this angry. I really can't understand half of what you say." Twilight offensively pointed out.

"Sorry Twi, I'm just so... I don't even know what the word is!"

"Frustrated? Flustered? Belligerent? Spiteful? Infuriated?!" Twilight continued to offer suggestions.

"Yes Twilight, take your pick. It just ain't right what Diamond Tiara's doin' now. She's usin' her dad's influence over the school board to cut funding for the arts and crafts classes and distribute it towards the dumb old drama club. Coincidentally, Diamond Tiara loves the drama club..." Applebloom's cheeks burned as she considered what she'd do to stop this from happening. "If we don't stop it, art class will be cut, and those are my only resources for creative output. I can't expect Sweetie Belle's mom to buy me stuff, and I can't get a job, I already tried." Her ears lowered as she hung her head in disappointment.

"Well, financial influence isn't something that can be swayed by you fighting with the money holder's daughter. Maybe you should swallow your stubborn Apple Pride and befriend this mare so that she'll be more reasonable with you. First, you have to be reasonable with her." Twilight raised her leg to give Applebloom a hug but was stopped by a searing pain in her ribs.

"Gosh darn it, you're right Twilight. Thanks... What happened to you anyhow? Looks like you got trampled by a stampede of angry buffalo." Applebloom smacked Twilight on the back as a gesture of tough love.

"I got in a fight with... with an old friend. Don't worry about it, I'm fine now. So if we're done here I really need to talk to Fluttershy." Twilight frowned and attempted to walk away without waiting for a reply.

"Go for it, I gotta go talk to Diamond again anyway..." Applebloom lowered her head and trotted away.

Twilight felt a bit of regret sending an insecure friend off on her own like that, but she had her own agenda to tend to. As she approached the path to Fluttershy's tree home, she realized she'd need an explanation for the injuries. She knew lying wasn't an option, avoiding the truth at all wasn't an option, that that's what got her in this position in the first place. She needed a subtle way to break the truth about both the fight and the affair. This was going to be more of a challenge than Twilight imagined, she knew her sensitive friend wouldn't react in a reasonable manner no matter how delicate she was with her words.

At the front door, Twilight paused and ran through a thousand scenarios in her mind, none of which ended well. Deciding to simply wing it, she tapped on the door.

Fluttershy stumbled downstairs and answered. "Twilight? I didn't expect to... to see you so soon."

"I'm here to tell you I'm sorry Fluttershy. I sent you a letter a couple days ago, but it never reached you." Twilight shifted, not sure if she should try to go inside or not. More than anything she wanted to sit down and rest.

"Twilight, why are you in bandages? Did you fight with Trixie?" Fluttershy placed a hoof to her mouth when she realized she hadn't seen Trixie in a couple days.

"Yes, but it's not a big deal. I've actually been thinking about that a lot. Can I come in Shy, my ribs are killing me." Twilight pushed her way by, not taking no for an answer.

"Sure... Anyway, what happened, is Trixie alright?" Fluttershy askedt.

"Yeah, I'm sure she's fine..." The annoyed unicorn glared, feeling a bit neglected. "Anyway, I'm here because well... I have something to tell you. I know you're not going to like it but, I need to tell you." Twilight looked down at her hooves and took a deep breath.

"What is it Twilight?" Fluttershy began to believe Trixie's suspicions were accurate from the beginning.

"After our fight, I cheated on you with..." Twilight covered her face in shame.

Fluttershy's eyes widened and she swallowed her tongue. She sunk back against the wall with a broken heart.

"I'm so sorry Fluttershy, I know I can't make this up to you. But I'll try, I'll do anything you ask. Please let me make things right." Twilight slowed her speech, seeing the pain in Fluttershy's heartbroken eyes was enough to make her break down as well.

Fluttershy remained dreadfully silent. The horrors running through her mind couldn't be conveyed with words, however, her eyes said everything for her. Twilight sat still, beating herself up. How a stupid mistake could bring so much pain to a pony she cared so deeply for was beyond her.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and sank deep against the floor in the corner of her front room. "Twilight, please leave."

"But, but Fluttershy, please wait. I... I just... Please don't make me leave yet." Twilight couldn't stop her tears form pouring.

Her world came crashing down as more self inflicted pain washed over her already aching chest. Twilight tightly pressed her hoof into her ribs to relieve the heartbreaking pain within by creating a stronger pain on the outside. The fact that she brought this upon herself was nearly unbearable. She stumbled to her hooves and hesitantly left the house. After aimlessly wandering down the roads of Ponyville for what seemed like an eternity, she made her way home. A trail of tears dotted her path. She eased her way inside and was quickly greeted by Spike.

"Heya Twi, where have you been... Are you alright? What's with the bandages?" Spike placed a claw on his worried chin.

"I'm fine, just leave me alone alright?!" Twilight drearily trotted upstairs and slammed the door behind herself.

She crashed into her bed and bit down on her pillow, pouring all her heartache out into the absorbent cushion. Now more than ever, Twilight wanted nothing more than to return to Canterlot. She wanted to escape from these emotions. Friendless days of studying were simpler, and more enjoyable. Although, convincing Celestia wouldn't be so simple.

Trixie stared down at the remains of her latest creation. A trampled painting of her and her new best friend, Pinkie Pie. She knelt down and levitated the strands of tail hair that were obviously left on the destroyed painting intentionally. Three vivid distinct colors, Trixie looked to Pinkie for an explanation.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. "I know who did this, and I know why. I'm sorry Trixie, I know you worked hard on that picture."

"Who would do this? Twilight Sparkle? That doesn't make any sense..." Trixie lowered her eyes, trying to come to terms with the fact that countless of hours of her time had been wasted.

Pinkie trotted up to her and placed her nose softly placed her nose on Trixie's muzzle. "This is my fault Trixie, if you want to blame anypony, blame me."

Pinkie's usual cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Trixie took a few deep breaths and leveled her mind.

"So do you care to explain what's happened? Clearly you know a lot more than I do." Trixie asked, hurt by this cruel act.

"It's my... my marefriend, or I should probably say my ex-marefriend. She's the jealous type and probably forced Fluttershy to tell her where I was. I'm glad we weren't here when she showed up though. I'd hate for you to have to fight again." Pinkie put on a fake smile and gave Trixie a subtle kiss on her still injured cheek.

"Well... it's just a painting right? No real harm done I suppose." The defeated unicorn closed her eyes and tried to let it go. Forgive and forget, forgive and forget...

"Right, I'll deal with her when I see her again, and I promise she'll leave you alone from now on, Trixie. I should probably go and take care of that now before things get out of hoof... I'll see you soon okay?" Pinkie ran her hoof down Trixie's foreleg, until she was cupping the mare's hoof between her own.

Trixie took Pinkie's smile for what it was worth, then let her go. "I better see you soon."

As Pinkie trotted away, Trixie wanted nothing more than to call out to her and beg her to stay. Instead, she went back inside and plopped down on her bed, alone. Looking across the walls of her home, she noticed something interesting: Over half of the paintings have been replaced by ones depicting her and Pinkie doing something together, usually sharing a smile or a gentle hug.

Trixie decided to take a nap, she planned on spending a good deal of time awake tonight trying to have a conversation with the stars. As crazy as that seemed, there was something to it. She laid her head down and lost herself in thought. Something particular hung on her mind, the fact that Pinkie seemed to have replaced any feelings she ever held for Fluttershy. There was something very alluring about this fun-loving mare. Unlike all the time she spent with Fluttershy, there was no reason to be grateful to Pinkie, other than the fact that she enjoyed spending time with her. Suddenly, it seemed a bit clearer, Fluttershy was the first pony to treat her kindly, it was only natural to develop a bit of a crush. Not realizing it was simply a little crush, she had overreacted and thought it was something much deeper.

Fluttershy, already knowing the difference between love and a crush, was easily able to make a decision as to which mare she cared for more. Trixie rolled over and hugged her pillow, staring at the door. What a fool I've been...

She closed her eyes and thought about Pinkie, the time they've been spending together and fun they've had. Maybe she's the one for me... Maybe.

Moments later, Trixie was fast asleep.

Pinkie made her way into town, knowing Rainbow would likely be on the lookout for her. Sure enough, as she approached Sugarcube Corner, she heard the familiar sound of a pegasus landing directly behind her. She turned around to confront the one who destroyed something precious to both her and her new best friend. "You, I've been looking for you, Dash!"

The pegasus was clearly unsure of herself, she recoiled and looked down. "Lets just get this over with..."

"Get this over with? What is this to you? Hmm Dash?" Pinkie was clearly frustrated, she placed her hooves on her eyes and swallowed her rage.

"I don't know Pinkie, I'm tired of all this drama. We haven't even been together for a month and you act like we've been married for years." Rainbow knew she was being harsh, she looked away and imagined the pain Pinkie must be feeling.

"You don't get it; it doesn't matter how long you're with somepony, what matters is how much you love them. Dash I loved you, you were my best friend and when you told me you loved me, I believed you. I didn't realize all you cared about was having sex with me all the time! That's all you do, you show up when you're wings are up, then you leave me alone all day. I was just a stupid filly that thought you actually cared about me, but not anymore." Pinkie looked down at the sidewalk and forced her tears to stay inside.

"What do you mean by that? Of course I care about you, I'm sorry I'm not ready to settle down, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Really Dash? You still don't get it? I hope that someday, somepony does this to you. Then you'll know how I feel."

"Why don't you just tell me how you feel, is that really too much to ask? Maybe if you told me from the start we could have avoided this whole mess." Rainbow rolled her eyes, a gesture that only sent more anger coursing through Pinkie's veins.

"You can't relate because I don't leave you by yourself all the time. Maybe if you actually loved me the way I loved you, and I decided to leave and go flirt with other mares all the time, then you'd know what it's like." Pinkie didn't hold back, her frown turning to a quivering pair of lips.

"You're wrong Pinkie, I've been looking everywhere for you lately, but you've been off with another mare. Sound familiar?"

"I found somepony else who actually likes having me around. I think... I think I'm falling for her, and I don't want you ruining it with your bad attitude. If you don't want to settle down then... then I don't want to have anything to do with you!" Pinkie stamped her hooves and turned away.

"Fine, I'll just leave you alone then... If that's what you want." Dash swallowed her emotions and stood strong.

"What difference would it make, you leave me alone most of the time anyway. Also, I'm really mad at you for destroying Trixie's painting, she worked really hard on that! What's wrong with you?! Why do you act like that?!" Pinkie was in tears, the stress of this situation being something she had never dealt with before.

"Wait, Trixie? That stupid unicorn who makes fun of everypony. I should go buck the hay out of her right now!" Rainbow recalled being humiliated by her several years ago, a grudge she never let go of.

"If you want to hurt her, you have to go through me. I won't let you lay a hoof on her." Pinkie narrowed her eyes.

"Really?! Don't you remember what she did to us? You weren't there were you? So you don't even know! Rarity and Applejack would be on my side! Come on, how can you choose her over me, how long have we known each other? Look I'm sorry about what happened between us, but I don't want to lose you as a friend, and I think you're just getting with Trixie because she's the only one who'll give you attention right now, you just want to make me jealous..." Rainbow crossed her hooves and glared at her teary-eyed friend.

"It's not always about you Dash, and she's changed. She's been a better friend to me in the past two weeks than you have since I've met you. So yes, I'm choosing her over you." Pinkie held her ground, her eyes sharp and her voice sharper.

"That's fine Pinkie, I really don't care. You know, I'm going to be leaving Ponyville soon. I'm moving back to Cloudsdale and taking Scootaloo with me." Rainbow confessed for reasons she wasn't even fully aware of, she simply wanted to see Pinkie's reaction.

"Go ahead, you won't be missed." Pinkie's heart shattered at the thought, but she held it all within.

Rainbow Dash took a few steps back, her eyes watering. She took flight and disappeared above the clouds. As soon as she was out of sight, Pinkie let her strong facade fall to the ground. She broke down into an inconsolable crying fit. Pressing herself against the brick wall of the bakery, she held onto her stomach and slowly slid to the sidewalk as she let her aching heart pour out through her eyes. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it...

Twilight Sparkle angrily paced her room. She closed her eyes and drowned out all of Spike's pleas to let him in to help. Her mind was full of hateful and spiteful emotions. She directed them all towards Trixie. Rather than worrying about fixing what she had with Fluttershy, she misplaced her energy towards finding a target to release her frustration.

Pulling a drawer open with her magic, she grabbed her journal and forcefully pressed it up against the wall. She closed her eyes and focused. An image of Trixie filled her mind, she imagined her pinned to the ground as she concentrated her magic. She knew it'd be easy to overwhelm her rival when she was at full strength. The book began to glow, then crack as deep blue flames escaped from within, causing it to burst into flames before exploding into millions of tiny particles that scattered into the air and dissipated around her.

I'll get you Trixie...

Twilight sat down at her bedroom desk and began writing a letter to Celestia. She pulled out a quill and magical parchment, then began working out the wording necessary to convince the princess that she was serious.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Most of my friends have moved away, and I've grown apart from others. I don't feel that I have anything left to learn about friendship here. Perhaps if I were to return to Canterlot, I could make new friends and learn more there. Not only that, I no longer feel safe living here. A certain unicorn has invaded my home, stolen my things, and assaulted me, resulting in broken ribs and sever magical burns. I hope you understand all my reasons for wanting to return, I eagerly await your reply.

Twilight rolled the letter up and trotted downstairs.

Spike was more than relieved to see her out of the room. "Twi! Are you alright? What happened, please tell me! You're driving me crazy, I need to know!" Spike closed his eyes and quickly ran up to his friend to give her an overdue hug.

Twilight felt guilty for causing this dragon to worry so much, he didn't deserve to be kept in the dark, and he really did love her.

"Spike, I'm sorry about all of this, but a lot has happened lately. I shouldn't have yelled at you, you're really the only one I can count on to stay my friend no matter what. I love you Spike." Twilight reached up to return his hug, she forced her self to endure the pain for a moment, felling that Spike's affection was worth it.

"It's alright Twilight, you can tell me when you're ready, I just want to be here for you, just like you're always here for me." Spike's sincerity warmed her heart.

"Thanks Spike. You're a great friend. Here, go ahead and send this letter." Twilight let out a deep sigh and realized she needed to reapply her ointment. "Wanna help me with something?" She asked with a mischievous grin as Spike set the scroll ablaze.

"Uh, sure!" Spike answered, unknowingly.

After a few hour nap, Trixie wobbled out of bed and headed outside to check on the time. The sun would be setting soon, so she had time to go bathe before Pinkie decided to show back up, whenever that may be. She headed off to a nearby pond near Zecora's hut. The water was cold but she adjusted quickly as she inched her way in.

Trixie gasped and her voice cracked as she lifted her head out of the chilly water. She shook her soaking wet mane out of her face and began to rub her hooves down her body and legs, rinsing the cool water through her coat. Feeling refreshed, she climbed out and shook herself mostly dry. She attempted to mat her still wet and messy mane into place and quickly trotted back towards home. After further drying herself off, she headed back outside to consult the skies. The sun had mostly set and stars began to appear in the sky one by one. Trixie patiently waited for them all to become visible. She stared at them with a hateful gaze while they took their sweet time making their way into her field of vision.

As she watched and waited, Pinkie's light trotting caught her attention. "It's about time you got back, I missed you, Pinkie."

Trixie decided her stars would have to wait; Pinkie took priority.

"Really?! I missed you too! I came back as soon as I could. I think the ponies I'm staying with are mad at me for leaving all day everyday instead of doing my job." Pinkie picked up her pace as she made her way to Trixie for a hug.

"Are they now, big surprise huh?" Trixie sarcastically joked.

"I know, weird right?" She giggled and placed a hoof to her mouth.

"Pinkie, your mane, why is it flattened?" Trixie asked, surprised she didn't notice such a drastic change in style sooner.

The pink mare dropped her fake smile for a moment, a painful lump grew in her throat as she recalled what happened earlier today. "I just, it does it on it's own sometimes... Anyway, what do you wanna do tonight?! We can do whatever you want, it's your turn to pick." Pinkie put her smile back on.

"Oh, well in that case... Look this might sound weird, but do you ever hear voices in your head?" Trixie narrowed her eyebrows and put on an awkward smile after realizing what she just asked.

"Of course I do, doesn't everypony?" Pinkie raised an eyebrow.

"You do?! Wow, I thought I was going crazy. What do yours say?" Trixie happily smiled, feeling relieved.

"Oh... um, well. I don't think they'd like it if I told you. They can get pretty angry sometimes." Pinkie looked worried.

"Angry? That doesn't sound good..."

"Yeah, so what do yours say? If they don't mind me asking, that is."

Trixie thought about it for a moment. "Well, its just one voice, and she usually tells me that everyone makes mistakes."

"That's all? Your voices sound boring." Pinkie laughed.

"Well, actually I think it might be the stars talking to me somehow. I was wondering if you wanted to sit out here with me while I tried to talk to them again." Trixie tried to remain serious as if her request was normal.

"Oh... I guess we could do that..." Pinkie seemed disappointed.

"If it gets too boring for you, I promise we'll do something else, okay? Plus, I think it'll be nice to sit with each other and watch the stars for a while anyway." Trixie sat down and placed her front leg around Pinkie's neck.

"Okay, I guess that sounds nice. I was kinda hoping you'd want to make sky fire again." Pinkie smiled hopefully.

"Maybe later Pinkie, for now lets just enjoy some quiet time." Trixie pulled Pinkie down on her back as they both lay in the grass, staring up at the darkening sky.

There was a cool chill that caused Pinkie to cuddle closer to Trixie. The unicorn cherished the moment and pulled her in as close as she could be. A few bright shooting stars streaked across the sky, however Trixie didn't enjoy it in the least. She stared angrily at the stars, cursing their silence.

"Well stars?! Not very talkative today are we!" Pinkie jumped at the sudden shouting.

"Whoa, are you okay Trixie?" She held on to her rapidly beating heart and caught her breath.

"Yeah, it's just these confounded stars! They speak to me when I want them to shut up, otherwise they're completely silent! Forget them, lets go do something else Pinkie." Trixie stood up and shunned the night sky.

Pinkie happily obliged, eager to have some fun. "Oh, I know, lets play tag. You're it!"

Pinkie spontaneously shouted and ran around the house. Trixie laughed at the sheer randomness of the playful mare and quickly chased after her. Pinkie was much faster and surprisingly nimble for an earthpony, she continued to leap right over Trixie and into trees or out of sight in other manners. Having had enough, Trixie caught her in an aura of magic and levitated her over.

With a light tap on the nose, Trixie smiled. "Tag, you're it."

"Hey, no fair!" Pinkie stuck her tongue out and laughed.

"My magic is so fair! If you can jump around like a maniac I can use magic! No complaining!" Trixie glared as she shouted.

"Cheater..." The playful pink mare carelessly retorted.

Trixie looked as if she were about to attack her friend at any moment, then broke out in laughter. "You know what I love about you Pinkie?"

Pinkie paused for a moment. "That I'm random?"

"Well yeah that, but what I meant was that I can be myself around you without worrying about how you'll react. I know I seem mean sometimes, and you're always so okay with it. If I shouted at Fluttershy like that, well you know... I'm just saying thanks for being... for being you." Trixie smiled.

"You're welcome Trixie, I wouldn't want to be anypony else anyway." Pinkie trotted up to her and gave her a tight hug.

"You know what Pinkie? Tomorrow's my birthday..." Trixie casually confessed.

"Is it?! That's great! I'll throw a party for you at Sugarcube Corner and invite the whole town!" Pinkie excitedly exclaimed.

"No no no, that won't be necessary, I was just thinking we could spend the day together... again... like we always do anyway. But this time it'd be more special because it's my birthday!" Trixie put on an unusually bright smile.

"Fine, but I'm still throwing a party for you out here. Oh oh! I know, let's invite Fluttershy and Zecora!" Pinkie widened her eyes as widely as possible and silently begged.

"...Fine, a small party will be okay. But don't overdo it." Trixie laughed and hugged Pinkie again, expressing gratitude for her thoughtfulness.

Trixie looked up to the sky, the moon was approaching the center, signifying it was nearing midnight.

"Pinkie... It's midnight." Trixie felt as if her heart stopped when Pinkie didn't pull away from the hug.

"Happy birthday, Trixie."

The unicorn closed her eyes and steadied her nerves. This was the first time she'd heard those words since she was just a little filly, and it meant so much more coming from a friend she cared for so deeply. Pinkie detected something was up when Trixie began squeezing her with uncomfortable force.

"Are you... alright Trixie?" Pinkie fought for air.

"Yes. Everything is... perfect." Trixie let go and laughed after realizing what she had done.

Pinkie was still smiling despite her near asphyxiation, smiling was almost habitual for her, whether it was sincere or not. The two made sharp eye contact and both Pinkie and Trixie lost their smiles. The stars were brightly shining in Pinkie's light blue eyes. Trixie stared deep within them, wondering if what she was feeling was meant to be felt. A bright streaking star lit up the sky and disappeared in a matter of seconds, Trixie witnessed the event through Pinkie's amazing eyes. The unicorn's heart skipped a beat, and she smiled, feeling a deeper level of comfort and happiness.

Pinkie swallowed a large lump in her throat. She nudged her friend away and fell to her hooves. Looking into Trixie's eyes was bringing back painfully familiar feelings. All she could think about was Rainbow Dash, and the thought that she'd soon be leaving forever.

"Trixie, will you make the sky-fire again? Please?" Pinkie didn't smile, and she kept her eyes lowered.

The unicorn detected something was wrong, Pinkie needed to be cheered up, that was apparent to her. She wondered why and if it was something she did or said. "Um, sure Pinkie, of course."

With a light glow, Trixie's horn lit up and sent an orb into the sky. It filled a clearing and exploded into an iridescent array of spectacular colors. They expanded and lit the sky up in a display of ever changing waves of color, spreading in a brilliant ring above the trees. Pinkie grabbed onto Trixie and buried her muzzle in her chest. Warm tears soaked her coat and she ran her hoof down Pinkie's long straight mane.

"What happened? Why are you so sad?" Trixie looked up as the remains of her spell finally dissipated into the night sky.

"Can you do it again, please?" Pinkie continued to cry as she kept her eyes closed tightly.

"Sure, if it'll cheer you up, I'll do anything you want." Trixie closed her eyes and sent another ball of light into the air, creating the same spectacular display once again.

Pinkie looked up and watched the rainbow rings spread across the sky. She squeezed Trixie tighter, hoping to bring a smile to her own face, a real smile. Sadly, the feeling simply wasn't there.

"Pinkie, tell me what's on your mind." Trixie pulled her friends cheek tightly against her chest.

"I... I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'm not sure what you mean. Who left, and why do you care so much?" Trixie couldn't help but ask, her curiosity always pushed her into asking questions best left unasked.

"It's nothing, I mean nopony. A friend is moving away and she's leaving me on bad terms, I was so angry that I couldn't say goodbye, or let her know how much I'm going to miss her." Pinkie kept her eyes closed and tried to take comfort in Trixie's warm hug.

"And why were you so angry with her?" She asked, wondering why it took this long for her friend to break down.

"It's because, she..." Pinkie let out a long painful quivering sigh, "she broke my heart."

"Was it that wretched Rainbow Dash? I say good riddance to her. We're better off..." Trixie was cut off by a hoof over her mouth and the sound of her friend sobbing.

She angrily smacked Pinkie's hoof away and let her warm embrace fall into a halfhearted hug. With a deep breath, she realized she may have crossed the line. "Look, I'm sorry Pinkie. I'm just a little bitter over my painting, I hope you understand." Her voice was harsh and full of spite, but Pinkie detected the sincerity within.

"Its... its okay, Trixie, I just, I can't..." Pinkie could hardly speak through her constant sniffling and spontaneous gasps for breath.

"Shh, it's okay. Just, stay quiet and I'll take care of you, alright? Everything's going to be just fine, you'll see. I'm certain that when you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll feel much better." Trixie lifted her friend up and walked her back inside.

She lay Pinkie down on the small bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Pinkie."

Trixie turned to head back outside but was stopped by her friend calling out to her. "Wait, please don't leave me alone. Will you stay with me? Please?"

With a sigh Trixie turned back. "Of course I'll stay with you." She trotted up to her friend and sat on the floor next to the small bed.

Pinkie scooted as close to the wall as she could, then held her forelegs open, welcoming Trixie to join her in bed. The unicorn tentatively climbed in and laid next to her friend, who was quick to tightly hug her and press her tear-soaked muzzle into her chest.

"Thanks..."

"It's... it's no problem." Trixie cautiously wrapped her hooves around Pinkie, lightly patting her on the back.

Pinkie looked up, the dim candle light brightly reflecting in her deep blue eyes as she met Trixie's gaze. The sympathetic unicorn brushed the mane out of her friend's face as her heart pounded in her chest. Before another tear rolled down the pink mare's delicate cheek, a blue hoof wiped it away, causing her to shudder with overwhelming emotions.

With a deep breath, Pinkie leaned up and kissed the source of her comfort. Trixie felt her heart skip a beat, then she closed her eyes and squeezed sweet warm mare next to her. Only a few short moments passed before they parted and Pinkie returned to the comforting unicorn's chest.

Trixie lay silent, her mind full of questions and her tongue tied in a helpless knot. Pinkie forced herself to smile, hoping this kiss would bring her the happiness she so desperately craved. A heart shattering thought pierced her mind. I'll never smile again...

Eventually, the two lost themselves in their thoughts, and Pinkie quickly drifted off to sleep, still holding on to her new best friend. If anything, at the very least, they weren't lonely tonight. After a while, Trixie gently nudged Pinkie's hooves to one side and eased her way out of bed. She made her way to the door and took a moment to look back at her snoozing friend. The soft candle light gently illuminated her uncovered body; she was perfectly beautiful. Trixie noticed the subtle frown on her heartbroken face, her gentle breathing as her chest slowly expanded, and the way her long straight mane hung over the edge of the bed. She covered her mouth with a hoof as her heart filled her body with a bittersweet pulse of pain. She was in love with this mare, but feared the feeling wasn't mutual.

The stars were as bright as ever as she made her way outside to clear her mind. She stood strong and looked to the sky, her eyes lacked her usual anger and resentment. "Well, stars, here I am. Do you have anything to say?"

She sat down and stared into the ethereal void between the celestial objects, hoping for a small glimpse of the magic hidden within. The vivid moonlight washed over her, erasing the stress of the night. She let out a deep breath and felt a sense of sweet serenity surrounding her as the stars twinkled in their unusual patterns. Normally she'd curse the stars for their silence, but tonight, she found solace in solitude.

Fluttershy lay in her bed, wide awake and alone. Well past midnight, she'd been up crying and imagining Twilight with another pony for hours on end. Painful pulses of heartache filled her entire body as she attempted to fall asleep. Her slightly opened window allowed the breeze to sway her curtains, catching her attention. She looked over at the movement and was distracted by the unusually bright night sky. She stood up and headed to the window. Looking to the stars reminded her of Trixie, a mare who always put Fluttershy ahead of her own desires. She turned away and cleared her mind.

This revelation of Twilight having cheated on her came as a crushing yet somewhat expected blow. The kind mare drearily trotted downstairs and grabbed a photo album. She flipped through the pages with her hoof, smiling at several old pictures of herself and the one she once loved so much. Images of her and Twilight smiling and sharing gentle kisses through various areas in Ponyville sent jolts of pain through her body. These once beautiful memories, now tainted by a cruel act of infidelity, were hardly worth saving. As she turned the pages, something became apparent. The somewhat more recent pictures seemed less happy, they weren't kissing, and their smiles hardly seemed sincere.

She angrily shut the book and threw it across the room with a hoof. As she recalled the last day she spent with her ex-lover, she wondered whether or not the affair had already occurred. Trixie was still living with her at the time she went to visit, several months ago. It almost felt pathetic knowing they've gone months without spending more than an hour or so together at a time, and how she so desperately held on to such an obviously dead relationship. She closed her eyes, and searched her memories for any detail indicating signs of cheating on that day, the last day the shared as a couple.

Fluttershy calmly made her way down the streets of Ponyville, enjoying the beautiful morning. She was unusually upbeat today, having left Trixie contently behind with a new spell-book in hoof, new motives filled her mind with joy. Trixie's spell revealing such a beautiful image of what Fluttershy truly wanted most had reminded her of what it was like when she first got with Twilight. All the happy times they shared, all the love that once flowed between them, she wanted it back. With a positive goal in mind, she cheerfully trotted through town.

As she arrived at the library door, she gave it a quick knock, wearing her brightest smile. Twilight soon answered.

"Oh, hello Fluttershy. What brings you here?" She seemed genuinely glad to see her lover.

"I just really miss you and wanted to spend a day together, just like we used to." Fluttershy let her smile shine.

Twilight looked away for a moment, then put on a crooked smile. "Sure, um, come on in."

Fluttershy followed her lover inside and looked around, taking in the familiar scent of her home. Twilight trotted into another room and sat at a desk. The curious pegasus followed and looked over her shoulder. "What'cha doin'?" She asked with a cheerful tone.

"I'm reviewing the results of a few experiments I performed earlier. Let me concentrate please. We'll spend time together when I'm done. This is important." Twilight remained completely focused on what she was doing, paying no attention to the mare behind her.

"Oh... Okay. I'll just, um, sit over here then." Fluttershy took a seat at a desk on the opposite end of the room.

She glanced up at a clock: 10a.m. As boredom began to set in, she found her eyes wandering the room. A few books caught her attention, but she figured it'd be pointless to start reading, Twilight wouldn't take that long, she convinced herself.

She twiddled her hooves and played with her mane for a while, letting it fall in her face then blowing it back to one side with a puff of air. With a deep sigh, she looked back up at the clock: 1p.m.

"Twilight, should I just come back later?" Fluttershy's good mood was gone and her goal felt lost.

Annoyed, Twilight glanced up at the clock. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry Fluttershy, I didn't realize I was letting the time escape me like that. I'll take a break now so we can spend some time together. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Oh, that's okay Twilight, I don't mind." The saddened mare had regained some of her hopefulness. "So what should we do?"

"Hold on a moment, I'll be right back, okay?" Twilight stood up and exited the room as Fluttershy nodded.

She heard Twilight tell Spike to go pick some things up, then she came trotting back in. "Alright, come with me." Twilight stood next to her lover and led her to the bedroom.

Fluttershy trotted up to the window as she forced the painful memory out of her mind. After having sexual relations with her, Twilight went back to work on her research. The disappointed mare left the library and ran into Pinkie Pie, who needed help with a few things, taking up the rest of her day. When she got back, Trixie was more than supportive of everything, despite not even knowing half of the details. She was always willing to go out of her way to make Fluttershy happy, and never selfish.

Several tears dotted the window sill, she wished Trixie would pay her a visit right now, although she was certain that would never happen at this hour. Maybe, maybe you're the one for me, Trixie...

The sun rose as one would and should expect it to, however Trixie held her usual disdain, blaming Celestia personally for it waking her up. She stretched and yawned, realizing she must have dozed off outside once again. Pinkie was the first thing to come to mind, she rushed inside to see if she was still sleeping. As she entered, she spotted a small note stuck to the door.

Trixie, I went to get ready for your party today. Be back soon!

There were eraser marks underneath that sentence that clearly covered the words 'Love you!'. Trixie held the letter to her chest and took a deep breath, being honest with herself, she'd much rather cancel the party and be able to lay in bed with her friend right now. She climbed into her bed and pressed her face against the pillow, Pinkie's scent remained. She opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, enjoying the subtle remnants of her latest infatuation. As her eyes slowly closed themselves, she began to picture that beautiful smile, those gorgeous blue eyes, and a soft pink mane that smelled so sweet. Her heart fluttered and soon she was once again sleeping, dreaming of her crush like a little filly. She was finally living a part of her life she was forced to miss out on as a younger mare, she was learning about love and all the wonders that followed it.

After a couple short hours, Trixie climbed out of bed and stretched out once again. She headed outside for some air and took a deep breath. It was a beautiful day, and the crisp summer air carried a slight chill and was very refreshing. After a moment to enjoy the day, she decided to head around to the back of her home. Most of her canvases were still hanging on the wall, and the beautiful portrait that got destroyed was brought to mind. Pinkie loved that painting, it always made her smile, something Trixie noticed she seemed to be having trouble doing lately.

She closed her eyes and imagined Pinkie's bright, heartwarming face, smiling as wide as she could. Waves of magic radiated off her horn and made their way to the canvas, lightly scorching the surface with their combustive contact. The colors were vivid and the picture was coming together more quickly than Trixie usually paints. Before long, a solid outline was drawn, a perfect representation of the most friendly mare in Equestria's cheerful smile. The sight filled Trixie with a sense of accomplishment, if this image could invoke the same feeling that her real smile brought, then it was well done to say the least.

She continued pouring magic onto the canvass as she waited for the return of her friend. It was clearly getting late in the afternoon and she was still alone. What's taking her so long...

After a momentary break, she went back to her painting and lost track of the day, as she often did during her projects. Several hours later, she stood in front of an amazing portrait. She walked up to it and brushed her hoof across Pinkie's face, wishing more than anything that it could really be her. Sadly, she was alone on this birthday. Her stomach growled as she nudged her front door open to inspect her small pantry. Nothing was to be found, sharing her home with Pinkie these past couple weeks had exhausted her food supply much faster than she had planned. Not to mention spending all day with her new friend left her with no time to gather wild crops and other provisions as she normally would.

Trixie wandered back outside and looked over the grass on the ground. After a brief moment of consideration, she scorned herself for even considering it. I will not eat grass off the ground like some cow!

Having made that decision, she collapsed onto the grass beneath her and laid on her back. She held onto her stomach and suppressed her appetite. Today she simply lacked to will to go out gathering supplies, she'd rather go hungry.

Happy birthday Trixie. You're tired, lonely, and hungry with nopony to turn to. Oh day of days... The apathetic unicorn allowed herself to sink into a state of self-pity.

She leaned up and stared down the trail with woeful tears filling her eyes. "Pinkie, where are you?"