“You’re going.”

>Starlight’s mother had never been one to waste words
>In fact, Starlight didn’t think she’d ever heard the woman use more than seven in a single sentence, at least not when she was around
>When her mom informed her that she’d be spending her Spring Break working with the Teaching Engagement Activities Concerning the Under-Privileged (TEACUP) program, Starlight knew there wasn’t much she could do to argue
>Those two words from her mom immediately slashed her dreams of a spring break spent reading by lamplight while rain lashed at the windowpanes
>So, as you can imagine, twelve-year-old Starlight wasn’t exactly in the best of moods as she stomped up the front steps to the home of her assigned “partner” for the next week
>The place was shabby from age, with peeling tiles and rotting wood surrounding the windows
>Nevertheless, it was clear the place’s owner was trying their best to maintain it; the house was painted in turquoise pastels, as if to offset its disrepair with a bit of color
>Starlight knocked twice on the front door
>The door opened almost immediately, revealing a middle-aged woman with golden-blonde hair and a sunny complexion
“Hello, Mrs. Lulamoo—“ Starlight started, but was immediately cut off
>”Oh, you’re right on time!  I like that!”
>She beamed at Starlight, gesturing for her to enter
>”C’mon in!  Just wipe your feet, if ya don’t mind.  It’s been so muddy lately!”
>The woman spoke with the thickest Minnesota accent Starlight had ever heard; she felt vaguely as if she’d just stepped into a reshoot of Fargo
>”Trixie’s upstairs waitin’ for ya.  She’s so excited, you have no idea.  Been talkin’ all week about how she can’t wait to meet ya.”
“Great,” Starlight said, her voice decidedly less enthusiastic.  “I, uh… can’t wait to meet her too.”
>”Oh, you two will get along perfect, I’m sure.  Ya want some snacks?  I wasn’t sure what t’ make.  Trixie doesn’t really eat much, so I got a much of different stuff.”
“I think I’m fine, but thank you.”
>”Are ya sure?  I got Pizza Rolls!”
>Starlight couldn’t say no to Pizza Rolls

>She spoke with Mrs. Lulamoon for a moment, over what to expect with Trixie
>”She can be a real handful sometimes.  The sweetheart is always lost in her imagination.  But if you play along with her, she’ll be happy as a clam.  More rolls?”
>Starlight shook her head
“Play along how?”
>Mrs. Lulamoon shrugged
>”I can’t exactly tell ya.  You’ll know what to do, I’m sure.  You been with TEACUP a long time, haven’t ya?”
“A few years, I guess,” Starlight said
>She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice
>”That’s just great, I really think so.  You kids do so much, I really hope you know how much I appreciate it.  I try to engage Trix as much as I can, but… but she needs someone her age.”
“Right.”
>Starlight sighed
“Well, I should go meet her now, I guess.”
>”Great idea!  Trixie’s room is first on the right, once you get to the top of the stairs.  I’ll be down here if ya need me!”

>Starlight climbed the stairs slowly
>Each step she took creaked beneath her sneakers, and a deep sense of foreboding had begun to settle over her
>She swallowed, her dry throat aching as she turned the knob to Trixie’s room
>Internally, Starlight said some rather disgusting things about her mother for ever forcing her into such a position
>The door creaked inward, revealing a tiny bedroom with a wooden floor
>First, Starlight noticed the walls; the were a blank white, but maps of unrecognizable countries had been scrawled across them, amidst cartoony murals of clumsily drawn knights and dragons
>A few toys were scattered around the room: a single lego robot, a handful of stuffed animals, and a pile of plastic swords that looked like they’d been bought from a discount Halloween store
>There wasn’t much furniture other than a single dresser and a bed
>And on the bed sat Trixie, a girl who looked to be Starlight’s age with silver-blue hair
>She was dressed in a moth-eaten sweater and a pair of stretched sweatpants, and wore fuzzy socks to protect her feet from the probably splinter-inducing floorboards
>Almost immediately upon hearing the door open, Trixie turned
>Wide, violet eyes brightened the moment they landed on Starlight
>”Ah!  You’re here!”
>Trixie launched herself off her bed, crossing the distance between her and Starlight in two bounds and wrapping her arms around the other girl
>Starlight winced as Trixie’s hug closed around her like a vice
>”It’s so cool to meet you!”
“Y-yeah… you too…”
>Starlight let out a tiny, choked gurgle, hoping Trixie would get the hint
>She didn’t
>Finally, just as stars were beginning to swim in Starlight’s eyes, Trixie let go
>”My name’s Trixie!”
“Mhm, your mom told me.”
>”What’s yours?”
“Starlight Glimmer.”
>”That’s super cool!  You sound like you could be a sorceress!”
“Oh, um… thanks?”
>Starlight backed up against the wall
>She hadn’t expected this level of hyper-friendliness; it was like trying to talk to a puppy
>”So, what do you wanna do first?”
“There’s a list?”
>”Sure is!  I wrote down everything we can do together.  Just gotta remember where I put it… stay right there!”
>Trixie whirled away from Starlight and started rooting through her dresser drawers
>Baggy t-shirts and star-patterned underwear went flying through the air; Starlight dodged nimbly aside to avoid being hit by a pair of panties speckled with little crescent moons
>”I know I had some paper around here somewhere…” Trixie mumbled
“I, uh, don’t really think that’s necessary, heheh…” Starlight said with an awkward chuckle.  “Maybe we can just play a game or something?”
>Trixie spun back around
>”That’s a great idea!  Let me go grab my Yugioh cards!”
“Yugioh?”
>”Yep!  Stay right there!”

>Trixie went back to rooting through the dresser and pulled out a stack of cards, which she divided in half between herself and Starlight
>Like most kids her age, Starlight had owned some Yugioh cards at some point or another when she was like eight, but they’d long since been lost
>Still, the faded chunks of cardboard with their scrawling text and cartoony knights and dragons sent a squick of nostalgia running through her
>She started to shuffle through the stack she’d been given, and was surprised to find that Trixie’s cards were mixed with several homemade ones, constructed from notecard with the monsters and text drawn in pencil
“What are these?”
>”Those are the cards I made.  I don’t get new ones very often, so I make my own!  I gave you all the best ones, because I won’t need them to destroy you.”
“Destroy me, huh?”
>Starlight was surprised to find she was smiling as she rooted through the cards
>”Yep!  You’re lucky this isn’t a *real* duel, or Trixie would be sending you straight to the shadow realm.”
“I’m spooked.”
>That got a giggle out of Trixie
>”You should be.  Now, let’s duel!  I’ll start off with my Pot of Greed!  It lets me draw two cards!”

>The game was, as you can probably imagine, an absolute mess
>Starlight could hardly remember the rules, and it seemed vaguely like Trixie was making up some of her own
>Then again, considering how complicated everything was, Trixie could very easily have been playing 100% legally and Starlight still would have been completely lost
>Anyway, the game started out poorly for Starlight and quickly got worse
>Trixie was playing some sort of ghost/zombie hybrid deck, summoning and reviving all sorts of graveyard horrors which quickly overran Starlight’s defenses
>Which would have been brutal enough without Trixie posing and announcing every move
>”Aha!  You’ve activated Trixie’s trap card!  Now all your monsters get destroyed!”
“You destroyed all my monsters last turn.”
>”Yep!  That’s because I’m a superior duelist.”
“Or because you took all the best cards.”
>”I already told you, I gave *you* the best cards.  You should try believing in them.”
>Starlight rolled her eyes
“Okay, okay.  I *believe* in the cards.”
>Starlight closed her eyes and drew from the top of the deck
>Trixie leaned in closer, craning her neck to try and see what Starlight had gotten
>”Well?  What is it?”
“It’s… you?”
>The card was one of Trixie’s originals, and featured a crude drawing of her in a cape and wizard hat
>In childish handwriting, the card’s title read “The Great and Powerful Trixie”
>Trixie’s eyes went wide with mixed fear and delight
>”That’s the best card!  You can win now!”
“I can, huh?”
>Looking down, Starlight saw that Trixie had given the card version of herself only 1,000 ATK points, hardly impressive in the scale of the game
“Huh.  How do I win again?”
>”Read what it does!”
>Starlight scanned the card’s effect, which Trixie had also noted in her somewhat sloppy handwriting
“So… playing this lets me control all *your* monsters?”
>Trixie nodded vigorously
>”Exactly!  Because *nobody* can resist Trixie!”
“I see.”
>”Mom says my confidence is very attractive.”
“Maybe not the word I would use, but yeah.  Sure.”
>Starlight shrugged, dropping the card onto the battlefield
“Guess I win?”
>”Sure do!” Trixie said, sounding surprisingly cheery
>Starlight, internally, had assumed Trixie would be the bratty can’t-ever-lose type
>But she seemed almost ecstatic at being beaten by her own self-insert, 
>Starlight didn’t really want to think too hard about that right now
“So, now what?”
>”Rematch, of course!  I was just going easy on you.”

>They ended up playing at least a dozen more games
>And, in most of them at least, Starlight emerged the victor
>It was strange; each game would start out with Trixie absolutely destroying her with armies of zombies
>But at some pivotal moment, just when it seemed like things were lost, Trixie would inform Starlight of the special abilities of one of the custom cards that Starlight held
>Usually, said custom abilities weren’t written on the card at all, but they never failed to let Starlight come out ahead
>It wasn’t hard to see what was happening
>After each time one of the custom cards pulled Starlight from the clutches of defeat, Trixie would cheer
>”This is just like in the show!  It’s so cool!  You should pose when you play it!  Say something like, uh… ‘This was all just part of my plan!’”
>Starlight found herself smiling again
>She jumped to her feet and jabbed a finger towards Trixie, lowering her voice as far as it would go
“You fool!  You think you’ve beaten me?  I just drew the key to my salvation!”
>”Yes!  That’s so cool!”
>Starlight grinned, and somehow managed to flick the card such that it landed perfectly on the gameboard
>Trixie just stared in awe

>After a quick lunch of peanut-butter sandwiches (one of Trixie’s favorites, apparently), the hail of raindrops began to clatter against the house
>”Awww…”
>Trixie looked downcast as she helped clear the dishes away
>”I wanted to show you the Everfree.”
“The what?”
>”That’s what I call the woods out back.  Dragons live out there.”
“Yeah?”
>Trixie sounded hilariously earnest
>But, as Starlight stared at the shuddering walls of green canopy and shade-drenched trunks, she couldn’t help but agree with her
>If dragons were going to live somewhere, they’d be pretty at home out there
>The buzzing of rain against the roof intensified, and a low howl began to echo outside as the wind picked up in intensity, scattering leaves and scraps of twig against the windows
“Jeez.  That’s getting kinda intense…”
>Starlight couldn’t keep the slight quaver out of her voice; she liked to think of herself as the kind of person that didn’t give into irrational fears, but something about the brute force of a thunderstorm always put her on edge, and particularly bad displays usually ended with her hiding under a blanket 
>”Is a little rain enough to scare you?” Trixie asked, grinning as she scooted up next to Starlight
“It’s not the rain that bothers me, it’s the—“
>On cue, a flash of lightning illuminated the swaying trees outside, followed almost immediately after by a cannonfire blast of thunder
>Trixie yelped, and clung tightly to Starlight’s arm
>”Heh… heheh…”
>Up close, Starlight was internally a little gratified to realize Trixie was half a head shorter than she was
>She patted the top of Trixie’s noggin
“Should we get down in the basement, just in case?”
>Trixie nodded, still not letting go
>”Fine, fine.  But, you know, only because *you’re* scared.  But don’t worry!  Trixie will be here to protect you!”
>Starlight suppressed a chuckle

>Trixie pressed her tiny, warm hand into Starlight’s and led her down into the basement
>The descent was creaky and involved several close encounters with cobwebs
>At the bottom, Trixie scooped up a flashlight lying near the foot of the stairs and flicked it on, revealing a cramped, unfinished basement piled high with bulging cardboard boxes
>None were labeled, but Starlight could see clothes, old photo frames, antique furniture, and weird painted knick-knacks peeking out of some of the open boxes
“What is all this stuff?”
>”Dunno.  Some of it was dad’s.  Some of it’s mom’s.  Some of it is just stuff that we keep around.  I kinda like it, though!  When I get bored I can come down here and root around for something cool.  Like this!”
>From within one of the boxes, Trixie pulled out an authentic German Pickelhaube
“Whoa!  Where’d you get that?”
>Trixie shrugged
>”Family had it.  No idea where it came from, but now it’s mine!”
>Trixie plopped the helmet on her head, wobbling slightly under its weight
>The thing was several sizes too big for her, kinda looking more like she was wearing a soup bowl than a helmet
“T-that thing’s probably a hundred years old!  You can’t just go around playing with it.”
>Trixie rubbed her chin
>”Hmmm… as your superior officer, Trixie is fairly certain she can do whatever she wants with it!”
>Starlight grumbled, and Trixie went back to rooting through boxes
>From the same box that held the Pickelhaube, she retrieved two French-military overcoats and a woolen ushanka
“Did… did your family fight in every European army in existence?”
>”Pretty much!  Warrior blood flows through the whole Lulamoon bloodline,” Trixie said as she passed Starlight the ushanka and a coat.  “Let’s play pretend!”
“Don’t know how much we can do.  We’re kinda holed up down here until the rain stops.”
>As if to remind her that there was no chance of it stopping any time soon, several rumbling cracks of thunder punctuated Starlight’s statement
>”Then we can pretend this is a bunker,” Trixie said, donning the overcoat; it trailed behind her like a dress.  “We can make a fort out of boxes!  It’ll be like being on the frontlines.”
>Starlight was busy trying to figure out what exactly would make playing Trench Warfare fun, but she went along with Trixie’s dumb plan, and the two girls piled scooted together enough boxes to make a rough square shape, then draped an old wool quilt over it
>Trixie crawled inside first, holding the flashlight like a lantern to illuminate the tiny fort
>Starlight clambered in after her, cozying up next to Trixie in the cramped space
>Everything smelled of dusty, and everything beyond the flashlight’s narrow bubble of light was pitch black
>Combined with the right, it did really feel like they were huddled beneath a tent, somewhere on the wasted Rhine
>Starlight shivered
>”Are you cold?” Trixie asked, scooting a bit closer
“A little.”
>”Me too.”
>Trixie hugged her legs against her chest, staring at the spot where the flashlight’s beam met the quilt and spilled outwards into a fuzzy cone of light
>The orange glow caught in her eyes, giving them a shimmering, vaguely melancholic look
>A few seconds later, her head drooped onto Starlight’s shoulder
>”This helmet is really heavy.”
“You can take it off, you know.”
>”No.  It’s too cool.”
“Right.”
>Another crash of thunder hit, this one loud enough to shake the foundations of the basement
>Starlight squeezed her eyes shut, and she felt Trixie’s hand slip into hers

>They huddled together as the worst of the storm passed over them in a cacophony of howling wind and lashing rain
>When it finally began to pass, the low pitter-patter of droplets against the rough returned, sounding almost deafeningly silent by comparison
>The point atop Trixie’s Pickelhaube pricked Starlight’s cheek, making her open her eyes
“Well that was… intense.”
>Trixie nodded, nearly poking Starlight in the eye
>She sat up and removed the helmet, holding it in her lap
>”Starlight?”
“Yeah?”
>Trixie looked down, the deep shadows cast by the flashlight falling over her face
>”I’m really glad you came here today.  I know my mom probably… probably made you do it, right?”
“Huh?  I mean, she didn’t *make* me.  I just joined the program, and…”
>Starlight sighed
“I dunno.  You know how it goes.”
>Trixie nodded
>”You still enjoyed your time with Trixie, right?  It was still fun?”
“It was!”
>”And will you be coming back?”
“Yep!  All week.”
>Trixie nodded as she shut off the flashlight
>In the darkness, she awkwardly padded across the stone floor, her hands groping blindly until they found Starlight’s shoulders and gave her a somewhat clunky, but definitely enthusiastic hug
>Starlight returned the hug with one arm
>The basement was pitch black; even with Trixie’s face only inches from hers, Starlight couldn’t see her
>But she could feel Trixie’s breath, and the warm whisper of it across her cheek sent this strange, electric jitters down her neck and across her lips

>Twenty minutes later, Starlight bid goodbye to the other girl when her mom came to pick her up
>The car ride home was silent, aside from her mom’s single question
>”How did it go?”
“Really well, I think.  The girl I worked with—“
>That phrase felt completely wrong, but Starlight wasn’t sure how else to phrase it in front of her mother
“—was really nice.  We got along really well.”
>Starlight’s mom nodded, her eyes focused on the road

>That night, after she’d finished finished reading for evening, Starlight lay in bed and watched the headlights of passing cars race in glowing polygons across the ceiling
>The final hug that she and Trixie had shared kept resurfacing in her mind
>Something about it felt *off*, in a way she couldn’t quite describe
>There was something incomplete about it, she supposed
>Still, she had a whole week’s worth of days left with Trixie
>Starlight was sure she could figure out what was missing

>The next morning, Starlight awoke twenty minutes before her alarm rang
>She went through her morning routine in a methodic haze, her might still rolling over possibilities
>What was that strange feeling?
>There had been warmth in the embrace, plenty of it, but the flow of Trixie’s breath across Starlight’s face had seemed to open up something deep inside her, some narrow jigsaw-puzzle gap that thrummed in time to her own heartbeat
>It was strange, to say the least, but Starlight tried to push such thoughts out of her mind on the drive to Trixie’s house
>Yesterday’s storm has left the entire town scattered with debris; slick green leaves blanketed the asphalt, and chunks of branch ranging from twigs to car-sized tangled messes were piled haphazardly on sidewalks, streets, and lawns
>A heavy scent of ozone and of wet earth hung in the sodden air, and it cooled the buzzing heat in Starlight’s chest as she took deep gulps of it
>This time, when she knocked on the door of Trixie’s house, Trixie herself answered instead of her mom
>She was dressed in a set of purple pajamas, which were themselves patterned with little blue and yellow starts
“Hey, Trix—“
>Starlight didn’t even get a chance to finish her greeting before Trixie was pulling her inside, jabbering away about her plans for the day
>”Trixie’s so glad to see you!  Today is going to be *super* cool!  Not to brag, but I just happen to know a few secret locations out in the Everfree forest.  I bet nobody else even knows they exist!”
>The tone in Trixie’s voice made it evident that she 100% meant to brag
>But Starlight went along with it, a little intrigued
“Yeah?  Like what?”
>Trixie flashed her a devious smile
>”That’s for Trixie to know, and you to find out!  But first…”
>With a sweep of her arm and a clumsy flourish, Trixie yanked Starlight into the kitchen, where two plates of sunny-side eggs, bacon, toast, and microwaved hashbrowns were laid out on the table, next to tall glasses of orange juice
>”…breakfast!”

>So, Starlight wasn’t really accustomed to a full, delicious meal to start the day
>Her mom had always been a bit more a fan of the “single granola bar and a cup of tapwater” school of breakfast preparation
>After downing so much delicious food, Starlight felt like she could take on just about anything the day had to offer
>Was this something that other people did every day?
>Trixie, after finishing, still had some bread crumbs around her mouth, which she wiped with the back of her hand
>”You ready?”
“Uh, I guess so.  Should we take anything with us?”
>Trixie clapped her hands together
>”Uniforms!  The ones from yesterday!  We can pretend we’re on a *secret* mission, behind enemy lines!”
“Wont’ they get kinda dirty?”
>Trixie waved away Starlight’s concern
>”Ah, who cares.  Not like anybody else is using them!”
“Yeah but… but those are historical artifacts?”
>”No, they’re junk from Trixie’s basement.  C’mon!”

>And so, despite her protests, Starlight dressed in the same greatcoat and ushanka as yesterday, and the two girls trekked out into Trixie’s backyard
>The air was thick with rain and slightly chilly; Starlight was a little grateful for the thick coat, now
>Last night’s deluge had turned the ground to muddy slop, however, and her shoes sank nearly an inch into the sodden earth with every step she took
“Isn’t your mom gonna be worried about us?”
>”Nah.  She’s not even home.”
“Oh.”
>Starlight was about to ask why, but the question died on her tongue
>”She works a lot,” Trixie said without being asked
>She was marching ahead of Starlight, a real trailblazer, her pickelhaube slightly askew on her tiny head
“Right.  My mom’s kinda the same.”
>”Didn’t she drop you off today?” Trixie asked, puzzled
“Well, yeah.  I mean she’s at home a lot, but she’s not really, you know… around, or whatever.”
>”I have no idea what you mean.”
“It’s nothing.”
>Trixie frowned
>She paused at the edge of the forest, where a dirt path wound between a pair of crooked maple trees that formed a sort of scraggly archway into the clustered plantlife 
>Starlight caught up to her, craning her neck to get a look at the woods
>For something found in your average midwestern backyard, there was a bit of a mystical quality to them
>Trixie turned around and punched Starlight in the shoulder
“Ow!  What was that for?”
>”Keep up your morale, soldier!  This mission is vital to the empire!”
“Right, right.”
>Starlight playfully shoulder-chucked Trixie, and the two marched into the outer reaches of the woods

>A canopy of slushy noise closed in over them almost immediately
>The woods were alive with the chirping and cawing of hundreds of birds, plus the ambient dribble of leftover rainwater filtering down through fresh green leaves
>Each step on the forest’s path was melt with a wet slurp as the mud fought aggressively to hold onto Starlight’s shoes
>There was no doubt they’d be ruined by the time she got back
>Up ahead of her, Trixie proudly swung her arms, keeping time to a full military march
>Droplets of rain plunked off the boiled leather of her helmet, and neither girl said much as Trixie led Starlight inwards
>Starlight thought of the books she’d read on World War II, of American soldiers marching through the countrysides and quiet forests of Normandy, and wondered if it felt anything like this
>Eventually, the sound of rushing water grew louder in Starlight’s ears, and they happened upon a narrow, clear brook that rushed enthusiastically over a bed of smooth rocks
>At the other end of the creek, nestled between a grove of sycamore trees, was the dilapidated form of a long-abandoned shack, its roof nearly caved in and holes eaten into its wooden framework
>Trixie noticed Starlight admiring the building, and beamed proudly as she pulled off her muddy shoes
>”You like it?”
>Starlight nodded
“Seems a little dangerous.”
>”Nah.  If anyone tries to sneak up one us, they’ll probably get caught by all the rusty scrap and old nails lying around.”
“O-oh.  Okay.”
>”And besides, I come here all the time!  I call it Fort Trixie.”
“Not the most creative name.”
>Trixie shrugged
>”Still a pretty good one.  C’mon!  We gotta cross the moat before any patrols spot us!”
“Right, right.  Of course.”
>Starlight hadn’t really committed to the military fantasy, but she had to admit that her neck prickled a little at the thought of what could be lurking out in those trees
>Trixie rolled up the hems of her coat and pajama pants and began to wade barefoot through the water, holding her shoes in one hand
>Starlight did the same, shivering when the icy water met her skin
>The current was almost terrifyingly swift, swollen by the spring rain
>As soon as she made it across, though, Starlight immediately pulled her shoes back on, and kept a close eye out for the aforementioned rusty nails

>Fort Trixie, as it turned out, had two levels: a ground floor and an attic
>Starlight didn’t quite trust the attic’s rickety wooden flooring, some of which had already collapsed, but Trixie tromped right up
>Beneath the patch where the ceiling had collapsed, some old blankets were spread out in a sort of next, just big enough for two people to lie in
>Trixie plopped down, and motioned for Starlight to lay next to her
>Starlight did so, but spent the whole time praying that the boards wouldn’t suddenly give way beneath her
>She settled down next to Trixie amidst a groaning of protesting cross-beams
>There wasn’t much room on the blanket nest, so the two were forced to squeeze together, just a little
>And, while Starlight wouldn’t have admitted it, having a warm Trixie next to her definitely staved off some of the early spring chill…
>Up above, the gap in the ceiling left an unobstructed view of the slate-gray sky
>Staring at it gave Starlight the strangest sensation she were upside down, as if she were floating above some foggy chasm that stretched impossibly far beneath her
>”Whatcha thinking about?”
“Nothing interesting.”
>”Oh.  I was thinking about dragons.”
“Huh.  Is that gonna be our next mission?  Finding a dragon?”
>”No way.  If there’s any dragons out here, Trixie is gonna stay outta their way.”
“Smart idea.”
>Trixie nodded, scooting a little closer to Starlight
>”But… maybe we could take one on together.”
“You think so?”
>”Trixie knows so.  Adventures are much better with you around.”
“Oh.”
>Starlight felt that puzzle-piece hole in her chest tremble
“I’m glad.  I like our adventures.  They’re… pretty chill.”
>”Awesome!  Tomorrow, let’s slay a dragon.”
“Why do we have to slay one?”
>”I… I don’t know, I actually.  That’s kinda just what heroes do.  Huh.”
“Seems like the dragon might just want to be left alone.  Or, maybe it’s lonely.”
>”It *can* get pretty lonely out here…”
>Starlight bumped her elbow against Trixie’s side
“Well, it doesn’t have to be.  Maybe we could find one and befriend it.  Don’t think many adventurers have done that, yet.”
>Trixie’s eyes shone in the pale light
>”That is the BEST IDEA TRIXIE’S EVER HEARD!”
>She threw her arms around Starlight, squeezing the other girl so hard her back cracked
>”Next to Trixie’s own ideas, of course.”
“Hah.  Naturally…” Starlight managed to eek out
>Trixie let go of her, and sat with her head resting on her knees
>Her hand lingered just a few inches from Starlight’s
>Starlight took it in hers, finding it was a bit like holding a particularly excitable baby bird

>The rest of the morning and through the afternoon, they explored
>Hands clasped, Trixie lead Starlight to a small rock formation near the stream, where they pretended to fight off an ambush of enemy troops, and then to a glade where they rested, pretending to doctor their battle-wounds
>Gradually, the sweep of adventure closed in around Starlight
>The world seemed to collapse, until it was nothing but her, Trixie, and the rustling of leaves around them
>She swore she could almost see the imaginary soldiers, picturing them in her mind as some sort of undead Wehrmacht, eyes aglow with bloodlust until imaginary gunfire took them down
>When eventually it came time for her to leave, Starlight was physically exhausted but mentally bristling, her body awash in vibrancy
>She helped support an exhausted Trixie as the two hobbled back home, their legs and arms aching from climbing and crawling and their clothes splattered with mud and grass-stains
>When they bid goodbye, she and Trixie shared an extra long hug, during which the other girl nuzzled her head against Starlight’s chin
>The smell of her made that strange puzzle-piece gap in Starlight’s chest widen just a little
>And as her mom, coldly furious about the mess Starlight had made of her clothes, drove her home, Starlight couldn’t help but feel a little dazed, left in that languid state of contented exhaustion
>She felt that she knew what would fill her, but wondered if she was crazy all the while

>When her mom pulled up front of Trixie’s house the next day, Starlight sprinted the distance between the vehicle and the front door, holding her jacket over her head as a makeshift umbrella
>A steady, dreary rain had been falling since she woke up, and it was predicted to last throughout the entire day
>Puddles splashed beneath her feet, and her rubber rain boots squeaked against the wet concrete as she stutter-stepped to a halt in front of the Lulamoon residence
>Trixie’s mom ushered Starlight in, even going so far as to take her jacket and toss it in the drier
>From the kitchen, she could smell the warm, cinnamon scent of baking, and was somewhat surprised when she realized just much like home this random house felt to her after just two days
>Trixie herself was sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by markers and sheets of music
>She was focused so intently on her drawing that she didn’t even notice Starlight until she sat down
>Trixie looked up, looking momentarily bewildered, but a giant grin spread across her round little face when she saw her friend
>”Starlight!  Look what Trixie drew!”
>She proudly held up the piece of notebook paper in front of her for Starlight to examine
>Her art was surprisingly good; not quite child-prodigy level, but way better than Starlight would have expected, given what she saw on the homemade Yugioh cards
>Trixie must practice a lot, Starlight thought, then she realized that the poor girl probably didn’t have much else to do…
>The picture depicted a unicorn dressed in a magician’s cape and matching hat, posing proudly in front of a collection of circles and connective lines that vaguely suggested the shape of a second unicorn watching her
>”That’s gonna be you,” Trixie said, pointing out the unicorn in progress
“Oh, really?  Am I a unicorn too?”
>”Yep!  The most powerful unicorn around!  Even more powerful than Trixie…”
>Trixie tapped the completed unicorn drawing which, now that Starlight looked a little closer, definitely had the same hairstyle in addition to an unmistakably boisterous Trixie-ness
“More powerful than you, huh?”
>Trixie nodded
>”Yep.  Unicorn Trixie isn’t as good at magic as she wishes.”
“Why not?”
>”She never had anybody to teach her.  That’s why she’s best friends with you!”
>Trixie plopped the drawing back down, and hastily began scribbling in details to Starlight’s counterpart
>It was kinda mesmerizing how quickly she filled in the swooping mane and the stocky horse-body
>Starlight wondered how many times Trixie had drawn her already
>The thought made the hole in her chest tremble
>”Do you wanna draw something?”
“Uh…”
>Starlight bit her lip
“I’m not really much of artist.”
>”Nah, I bet you’re really good!  Trixie wants to see what you’ll make!”
>Trixie practically forced art supplies into Starlight’s hands
“Okay, okay.”
>Starlight accepted a pencil and a few sheets of notebook paper, and started scribbling
>What was she supposed to draw?
>Trixie’s picture of her was already turning out great
>Anything she did would look pretty lame in comparison
>Starlight was so intensely focused on the paper in front of her that she didn’t notice Trixie staring at her
“What?”
>”I just wanna see what you make.”
“Eh, it’s really not gonna be anything great…”
>”I wanna see!”
“Okay, okay.  Bleh…”
>Starlight clamped her tongue between her teeth, and started desperately trying to figure out how anatomy worked

>Her end results weren’t exactly amazing
>She tried to sketch her and Trixie marching through the woods in their uniforms, with spooky figures peaking out from between the bridges
>But instead, it kinda just ended up looking like two kids wearing trash-bags, surrounded by a bunch of crummy, disproportioned Darth Vader’s
>Starlight could feel Trixie peeking over her shoulder, and hastily tried to cover her drawing
>”Whoa!”
>Too late
>Starlight held her head in her hands
>”That’s awesome!”
“No, it’s pretty bad.”
>”Well, it’s nowhere near as good as mine, as expected.”
>Starlight frowned
“You don’t have to rub it in.”
>”Trixie isn’t trying to rub it in!  I love it!”
>Trixie bent in closer
>”You just need a good teacher, and you could be—”
>Suddenly, Trixie froze, a sparkling smile spreading across her face
>”Trixie could teach you!”
“Oh, really?  I mean, you don’t have to…”
>”No, this is perfect!  Gimme your hand!”
>Trixie wrapped the slender fingers of her right hand around Starlight’s
>”Now, just let Trixie guide you.”
>Trixie rested her head on Starlight’s shoulder, so close that both girl’s cheeks pressed together
>Up close, the radiant warmth of Trixie’s body flooded into Starlight
>The hole in her chest buzzed in response, sending millivolts of excitement crackling across her skin
>Trixie swept Starlight’s hand in a confident arc, sketching out a few circles
>”See?  It’s easy!  Just make the circles like this…”
>Her fingers tightened around the back of Starlight’s hand, manipulating it in quicker, more precise strokes
>Starlight bit her tongue
>She hadn’t realized before just how *strong* this girl was
>A childhood spent out in the woods instead of reading must do that to her
>There was a definitely roughness to Trixie’s fingers, a layer of callous unusual for a girl her age
>She was surprisingly tough
>Yet her grip around Starlight was so gentle, so precise
>”You okay?”
>Starlight crashed back into awareness
“Huh?”
>”You’ve been staring at the wall like this,” Trixie said, making a bug-eyed face and comically clamping her tongue between her teeth
“I-I’m fine.”
>”You don’t sound fine.  You’re breathing *really* hard.”
“Huh?  No way,” Starlight said, panting
>”Yes way.”
>Trixie flashed Starlight a smug grin
>”I think I know what’s happening.”
>The gap in Starlight’s chest suddenly seemed to deepen into a dark, icy pit
“Y-you… you do?”
>”Yep!  You’re thinking…”
>Trixie posed, pointing dramatically at Starlight’s face
>”…that Trixie is the best art teacher ever!  Just look at the awesome drawing we made together!”

>Starlight shrugged
“I mean, you did all the work.  You pretty much just drew while holding my hand.”
>”Nope!”
>Trixie held up her left hand
>”Remember which hand I was drawing with when you walked in?”
“Huh?”
>”Trixie is left-handed!”
“Wait, then how does that work?”
>”It means you have super-secret [H I D D E N   P O T E N T I A L]!  You just need the help of an experienced artist.  Like me!” Trixie said, thumping her chest
>Starlight scrambled to find words
“Are… are you serious?  I did that?”
>”With Trixie’s help, you sure did!”
“Huh.”
>Starlight flexed her right hand, staring at it as if it were a stranger’s
>”Trixie’s gonna make you a master artist.  It’ll be great!  We can make a giant mural all over the wall’s of Trixie’s room, with dragons and the two of us on a rocket and—”
>”Yeah, that’s not happenin’, sweetie,” Trixie’s mother cut in
>She bustled over to the table and set down a steaming platter of cinnamon rolls for the two girls
>”Fine, fine.  We’ll just draw a *super cool* comic instead,” Trixie said with a wink to Starlight
“R-right.”
>As was usual with Trixie, something about talking to her made Starlight’s head whirl
>The girl’s torrent of excitement was something completely alien to a passive bookworm like S. Glimmer; she loved being caught up in it, as absolutely whiplash-inducing as it was
>Together, both girls dug into breakfast with gusto, scarfing down way too many cinnamon rolls and washing them down with instant orange juice
>Starlight had grown up in a strictly organic-only household; she had never imagined the evil “from concentrate” stuff could be so delicious

>After breakfast, there was a lingering feeling of “what now?”
>The rain continued to splatter against the window outside, not strong enough to feel intimidating but not weak enough to be bearable
>It just sort of droned on, and Starlight felt as if her energy was spilling out into the gutter along with the streams of runoff water
>Of course, that was Starlight
>Trixie didn’t even seem to care
>”So…” she said, tipping her chair back on two legs and contentedly patting her belly, “what do you wanna do next?”
“I dunno.”
>”No ideas?”
“Not really.  Sorry,” Starlight said with a self-effacing chuckle, “I’m feeling kinda boring today.”
>Trixie gasped
>”How can you call yourself boring?  You’re like, the coolest girl Trixie knows!”
“Do you know what many people?”
>Starlight really wasn’t sure why she said that
>Trixie’s face fell slightly
>”Not really.  But… even if Trixie did, she’s still sure you’d be her favorite!”
>Something inside Starlight melted
>She was acutely aware of how little she deserved to be told something like that
“Right.”
>She felt Trixie’s little hand take ahold of hers
>”Wanna go up to my room?”

>In Trixie’s bedroom, the rain drummed against the thin ceiling overheard, underscoring the two girls’ conversation with a thin slush of white noise
“I’m sorry.”
>”What for?”
>Trixie looked genuinely taken aback by that
“For… for thinking you didn’t have a lot of friends.”
>”I mean, you were right.  That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”
“I guess.  Kinda.”
>Both girls were seated on opposite ends of Trixie’s bed, and the battered mattress creaked under Starlight as she turned away
>Trixie shrugged
>”But I still like having you around, even if you won’t be around forever.  You make me happy.”
“I’m… I’m glad.  You deserve to be happy, Trixie.”
>Trixie sprawled out across the bed and nudged Starlight with her foot
>”You too!  Trixie thinks you deserve to be *super* happy.  So… you wanna play something now?  Trixie has a lot of really good ideas to cheer you up.”
“Sure.”
>Starlight rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand
“What did you have in mind?”
>”Just wait right there!”
>Trixie dug into the whicker basket full of plush toys that lay next to her bed
>Starlight hadn’t gotten a good luck at most of the stuffed critters; now that she looked closer, she realized how battered each one was
>The vast majority of the toys were dragons, their brightly-colored sequin scales graying with edge and many floppy wings and limbs tattered
>But there were other fantastical creatures mixed in, and from the pile Trixie pulled out two unicorns, passing one to Starlight
>Hers was a faded shade of purple, with a horn that had probably once been glittery, but not only looked threadbare and gray
>Trixie’s own plush had a paper wizard’s hat and a matching cap, clearly homemade
>”You like her?” Trixie asked
“They’re both adorable.  How long have you had these?”
>”I… I don’t really remember.  I don’t really play with them as much as I used to, so I’m glad they can keep each other company.”
>Trixie made her pony bebop up next to Starlight’s and nuzzle against it affectionately
“Ah, so these two are friends?”
>”Yep!  Best friends!  They’re learning magic together.  Yours reads a lot and is super smart, but mine can do a bunch of cool tricks!”
“Do they have names?”
>”Um…”
>Trixie frowned
>”Not really.  Trixie could never think of a name that sounded good enough.”
“Well, how about we name them after ourselves?  That’s Unicorn Trixie, and this is Unicorn Starlight.”
>Trixie beamed
>”That’s a great idea!  We can adventure together even when we’re stuck in here!  You’re really pretty smart, Starlight.”
“Heh, I mean… it wasn’t *that* clever, but…”
>Starlight coughed into her hand, trying to hide her dopey smile
>Something about the wide-eyed innocence of Trixie’s compliments made them stick pretty hard, and Starlight felt as if she could curl up inside each one like a fuzzy sweater
>Pony-Trixie bopped Pony-Starlight’s snout
>”You should watch me do some tricks!”
“Sure thing!”
>Starlight made her pony-self do an excited shimmy at the prospect
>Trixie made her pony gallop excitedly around the bed
>”And now, watch as Trixie turns this, uh…”
>Trixie grabbed the nearest item
>”…completely ordinary empty can of Dr. Thunder into…”
>She grabbed the second-nearest this time
>”A giant robot!  Ta-dah!  Pretty cool, eh?”
“Sure it!”
>Starlight made her pony do a happy little stompy-dance
>Trixie lit up, grinning
>”But sometimes, even Trixie makes mistakes!  The robot’s been possessed by the evil ghost of, uh… Osama bin Laden!”
“Well that got dark.”
>”There’s no time to chat!  We need to take the robo-spook down!  Lend Trixie your strength!”

>So, that about set the tone for the afternoon
>The ponies’ adventures become increasingly impractical: rocket-trips to the moon, battles against flying saucers represented by paper plates from the kitchen, and a magic-duel atop the planes of Trixie’s bed
>The two unicorns saw it all
>Starlight lost herself in the creativity of it; something about Trixie’s grinning abandon made it so easy to forget she was a thirteen-year-old girl still playing with dolls
>It felt like a real adventure
>Eventually, though, it all had to end
>”Starlight!” Trixie’s mom shouted from downstairs.  “Your mom’s here!  Time t’ go!”
>Trixie looked quite obviously crestfallen that things had been cut short; the unicorn versions of her and Starlight were just about to challenge the Ancient Wizard God Chumbo, represented by an old Gandalf action-figure that Trixie had in one of her drawers
“Sorry… guess I’d better head out.”
>”Yeah…”
>Trixie perked up, though Starlight noticed that it took her considerably longer than usual to do so
>”That’s okay!  Trixie will still get to see you tomorrow!”
“Sure will.  I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
>For a moment, both girls just stared at each other, the room lit by pale gray light and silent aside from the steady pattering of rain
>Starlight, feeling somewhat clunky, handed her plush back to Trixie and headed towards the door
>Just as she reached it, though, she heard Trixie’s voice behind her
>”Starlight?”
“Yeah?”
>”Trixie… I mean, I still get my goodbye hug, right?”

>Trixie held out her arms, the sleeves of her hoodie drooping somewhat comically over her hands
“Ah… right, yeah.”
>Starlight circled her arms around Trixie’s waist and pulled the other girl against her
>Trixie’s hug was tight as ever, but there was a measured gentleness to it
>Her head came to rest against Starlight’s shoulder, and Starlight allowed her face to brush against Trixie’s hair
>It smelled like a muted, sweeter version of the way the whole house did: of cinnamon, of dollar-store soap, and of aged wood
>Starlight was acutely aware of Trixie’s soft chest pressing up against hers
>It made her feel warm, and strangely whole
>The two held each other like that until Starlight heard the creaking of floorboards from down the hall
>She lifted her head to see Trixie’s mom standing at the end of the hall
>Immediately, Starlight let go of Trixie
>She stood there, facing the girl’s mom, with her arms dangling at her side and a sheepish, guilty look on her face
>But Trixie’s mom just smiled
>”C’mon, Starlight.  Let’s go get your coat, sweetie.”

>Starlight followed Trixie’s mom down the stairs, her eyes on the floor
>She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so guilty
>There was nothing weird about two friends hugging, right?
>But she was all too aware that what happened back there wasn’t a “friend” hug
>She wasn’t sure what kind of other hugs there were, but…
>Well, there was *that* kind
>And maybe Starlight kid sort of feel *that* way about Trixie
>Whatever *that* way was, really, she wasn’t entirely sure
>It wasn’t like Starlight hadn’t had these little crushes before
>But she’d never actually gotten this far with one of them, and at this point she couldn’t even imagine what to do next
>Granted, Trixie probably didn’t feel anywhere near the same way
>Starlight mentally blocked the thoughts of Trixie reciprocating affection out of her mind, feeling weirdly paranoid that Mrs. Lulamoon would somehow pick up on her feelings for her if Starlight thought about them too hard
>”Starlight?”
“G-gah!  Yeah?”
>They had reached the laundry room; Starlight gave Mrs. Lulamoon a nervous smile, stuffing her sweaty hands into her pockets
>”You okay?  You look a lil’ nervous, sweetheart.”
“No, I’m fine.”
>”Okay.  Here ya go.”
>She passed Starlight her warm, now-dry jacket
>The moment it was in her hands, Starlight whirled around with every intent to dash out of the room
>But she felt Mrs. Lulamoon’s hand on her shoulder
>”Listen, uh… can I talk to ya for a moment?”
“S-sure.”
>”Thanks.  Now, ya been real good with Trix, an’ I appreciate that a whole lot.”
“I’m g-glad to hear it.”
>Starlight stared up into the older woman’s sunny smile, seeing nothing but terror in it
>”But, uh… I saw that you were huggin’ her back there, and I just wanted to tell ya—“
“I’m sorry!  It won’t happen again, I promise!”
>”Huh?”
>Trixie’s mom looked genuinely confused
“Oh… are you not mad?”
>”Mad?”
>Mrs. Lulamoon chuckled; somehow, even her laughter still had that thick Fargo accent
>”Course I’m not mad atcha!  It’s just… Trix gets real attached to folk that are nice to her, y’know?”
“Hah.  Yeah, I can kinda tell.”
>”It’s one of the reasons I love the little thing so much.  But… it can be hard for her.  She gets so attached to these nice kids that TEACUP sends here and then, well… she doesn’t see ‘em again.”
“Oh.”
>”And I understand.  You guys are doing a good thing, volunteering your time for kids like her who don’t have a lotta people to rely on.  But you have lives you gotta get back to, once your week here ends.  So I guess, what I’m askin’ is…”
>Trixie’s mom patted Starlight’s shoulder
>”Try not to get her hopes up too high, okay?”

>Those words stuck with Starlight the entire way home
>The rain had fizzled out, leaving a misty haze that hung in the air and blotted out the afternoon sun
>Streetlights were on already, and brief bars of yellow light flashed across the car’s interior as they sped home
>’Don’t get her hopes up…’
>Was that all that Starlight was doing?
>She hadn’t really considered what she would do after her TEACUP session with Trixie ended
>Starlight saw no reason that the two couldn’t stay being friends, but…
>Well, it’s not like she was still friends with any of the other kids she’d met through the organization
>The program was pretty much just an endlessly cycling rent-a-friend for kids who couldn’t find them normally
>That thought made Starlight feel a little sad
>She curled up in the back seat, feeling a little less like a kid and a bit more world-weary
>Was it even right, to make Trixie feel like all of this was real?
>Was it real?
>It felt real, but Starlight couldn’t help but doubt her own authenticity


>She lay in bed a long time that night before she slept
>A fierce Midwestern wind was rocking the house, howling where it buffeted against the windows and causing tree branches to scrape against the roof
>Starlight rolled herself in a cocoon of blankets, feeling particularly lonely
>No matter how she tried to keep her mind off it, the hug she shared with Trixie kept surfacing in her thoughts
>It had been so different than the others, lacking the bone-crushing enthusiasm of Trixie’s previous hugs
>There was a tenderness to it; definitely not a friend-hug
>Or was Starlight imagining things?
>In that moment, the smell of Trixie’s hair, the soft thump of the girl’s heart, the feeling of her skinny body beneath an oversized sweater…
>Did Trixie feel something for her?
>And if she did, what did that change?
>TEACUP’s program would still end
>And what would stop them from drifting apart?
>Love?
>That hadn’t kept her parents together, and she didn’t see why it would work for her
>Starlight rolled onto her stomach, then onto her back, then onto her stomach again
>Her alarm clock read 11:35; she’d be lucky to get even seven hours of sleep at this point
>Eventually, Starlight practically gave up on sleeping, and resigned herself to staring at the ceiling, imagining increasingly bizarre, embarrassing, and ultimately painful scenarios of what could happen between her and Trixie
>When she finally did fall asleep, she dreamed she was sprinting through dense, spidery treebranches, chasing desperately after a figure in a blue hoodie while gaping holes opened in the earth around her feet and threatened to swallow her whole
>It wasn’t a pleasant night

>Starlight woke up fifteen minutes before her alarm, finding her bedroom awash in pale, gray light filtering through the window
>She promptly leaned over the bed and threw up violently into a trashcan
>When she finished heaving, she fell back onto the bed, her body soaked in clammy sweat
>The world pinwheeled sickeningly around her
“Mom…” she croaked out, disgusting by the foul taste in her mouth
>Starlight’s mom entered, still in her bathrobe with her hair tied up in a knot at the back of her head
>”Yes?”
“Sick.”
>”Hmm.”
>Starlight’s mother placed a hand to her daughter’s forehead
>”You’re not faking this to avoid visiting Trixie, are you?”
“N-no.”
>”You feel hot.  I suppose I’ll phone Mrs. Lulamoon and tell her you’re not coming.  Poor Trixie…”
>Starlight sank into the covers, lifting them up to cover her face
>She wasn’t faking this, right?
>It definitely *felt* real
>Her entire body felt like it was lit with sewage-green flame, smoldering just beneath the surface of her skin
“T-tell her I’m sorry…”
>”Of course.”
>Starlight’s mom disappeared from the room, leaving the sick girl to mope


>What felt like hours later (but was probably closer to minutes, given the unchanged lighting from outside), she returned with the phone in her hands
>”Trixie is very concerned about you.”
“Oh.”
>”You promise me you aren’t faking this?”
“I’m not!” Starlight tried to shout, but only ended up letting out a gurgling squawk
>For a long time, Starlight’s mom just regarded her with the same expression she used while reading
>”Good.  Because the poor girl practically begged me to let her come and take care of you.”
“S-she did?  What did you say?”
>”Yes, naturally.”
>Starlight’s mother turned to leave
>”She’ll be here in half an hour or so.”
>Starlight’s mother grabbed up the puked-in trashcan and carried it out of the room
“Mom?”
>She paused in the doorway
“T-thanks.”
>”Mm.  Of course.”
>And with that, she was gone

>Starlight, however, continued to lie in bed
>She was getting quite tired of looking at the same ceiling
>Somewhere out in the hallway, she heard boots squeaking against the floorboards in an erratic, excited pitter-patter that could only have belonged to Trixie
>Twenty seconds later, her bedroom door was thrown open and Trixie sprinted inside
>”Starlight!”
“Hey…”
>Trixie ran towards her
>Her arms were wide, clearly intending to wrap Starlight in a get-better hug, but Trixie thought better of it as she got closer
>”Are you okay?”
“I’ll live.”
>Starlight rolled onto her side, facing the other girl
>She noticed Trixie was carrying a backpack, but didn’t have the energy to ask about it
>She didn’t have the energy for much of anything
>Trixie clearly picked up on this and sat on the floor next to Starlight’s bed, resting her head in her hands and watching the sick girl
>Every once in a while, she’d glance around the room and take in the overflowing bookshelves that filled its walls
>”You read a lot, huh?”
“Yep,” Starlight croaked
>”Trixie does too…”
>Trixie lay back on the floor, staring at the ceiling along with Starlight
>”Is there anything Trixie can do to make you feel better?”
“I don’t know…”
>”If you think of something, lemme know.”
“Okay.”
>A few minutes of silence passed, in which Starlight zoned in and then back out of lucidity
>She was actually kinda impressed at just how awful she felt
>Starlight’s gaze drifted around the room, occasionally lingering on random details: drops of water that collected on the blue rubber of Trixie’s rainboots, the mirror on her wall that was permanently askew, the way Trixie’s hair shone a pale, smoky blue in the room’s dim light…
>”Starlight?  Starlight?”
“Huh?”
>Starlight snapped back to reality to find Trixie poking her shoulder
>”You weren’t paying attention to Trixie.”
“Sorry,” Starlight croaked
>”Trixie was asking if you wanted her to read to you.”
“Uh…”
>Starlight’s head was swimming so hard that it took a moment for her to process the question
“I guess.”
>”Cool!  Trixie is gonna read you a story she wrote herself.  It’s not finished it, but you’re gonna love it.”
>Starlight couldn’t manage a response
>Trixie hopped up onto the edge of her bed, kicked her boots off, and removed a folded piece of paper from her pocket
>”Ahem.  Once, in the very distant land of Equestria, there lived a young unicorn who wanted to be a famous magician more than anything…”
>Starlight could feel herself sinking into the pillow already, her fever-addled brain drifting further away
>”…she didn’t have many friends…”
>It was beginning to feel more and more as if the room were spinning about its axis
>”She didn’t have any, really.  The poor unicorn lived in a wagon, all by herself, hoping someday she could impress enough ponies that one would want to stick with her…”
>Starlight tried to fix her eyes on something, as if doing so could steady the vortex inside her head
>Her eyes, blearily, anchored on Trixie
>The base of her neck, to be specific; her oversized sweatshirt hung just loose enough to reveal the sloped, slender bit of skin where her neck ended and her chest began
>A little of her left shoulder was visible too
>It looked soft
>”But one day, she finally met someone who would stay with her!  And the little unicorn was so happy she finally had a friend…”
>Starlight held her gaze on that shoulder

>She must have fallen asleep at some point, because suddenly Trixie was gone and Starlight found herself alone, shivering, and slick with sweat
>Her room was dark, aside from shafts of moonlight that stretched the books atop her desk into black, oblong shadows on the floor
>Starlight pulled the blankets tighter around herself, shuddering horribly
>When she closed her eyes, she was that same stuffed toy she and Trixie had played with earlier, trying desperately to perform some kind of magic as her blue, caped companion applauded
>But each attempt she made just made her feel a little sicker, until Starlight was sure that she’d simply dissolve into something liquid and foul
“Get away from me…” her dream-self pleaded, but the blue one wouldn’t listen.  “Can’t you see I’m not good?”
>Starlight curled up beneath the blankets, afraid to move
>Why couldn’t she see it?
>Her friend just kept cheering for her, oblivious as Starlight began to fade away
>Maybe it was for the best this way…

>Sometime that night, Starlight’s fever finally broke
>She woke up still exhausted, but feeling far more alive than she had
>For a while, she lay in bed and stared blankly above her, counting globs in the popcorn ceiling
>Eventually, her mom knocked on her door
>”Starlight.”
“Yeah,” she croaked
>Her mother entered and stood with her arms folded near the door
>”Today’s Friday.  Your last TEACUP day.”
“I know.”
>”Still not up to going?”
“Don’t think so.”
>”I see.  Should I invite your friend?”
“I don’t want her to get sick.”
>”Hmm.”
>Starlight’s mom clicked her tongue, then turned to leave
>”She’ll be disappointed.”

>Even though she couldn’t sleep, Starlight continued to lie in bed, her eyes glassy and loosely focused on a spiderwebbing network of cracks in the corner of her bedroom
>What else was she supposed to do?
>She wouldn’t be any fun today anyway
>Every time Starlight’s eyes closed, images of Trixie swam through her mind
>Sometimes they were of the other girl’s beaming face, sometimes of the way her hands fidgeted with the hem of her hoodie while she talked, and sometimes they weren’t images at all, just flashes of sensation reminiscent of how Trixie’s warm breath had flowed over Starlight’s face when they held each other during the storm
>Starlight’s fingers dug into the sheets, balling them inside her fists
>A part of her wondered if she could stay like this forever, and maybe these feelings would just go away
>Yeah, right

>It took about another hour or two before Starlight realized just how terribly hungry she was
>She’d been unable to eat a thing yesterday, and her appetite rushed back to her with a striking, painful sensation
>Groggily, she sat up in bed
>Her body was weak from so much lying around, leaving her legs shaky as she headed for her bedroom door
>To her surprise, though, her right foot caught on something small and soft lying next to her bed, and she stumbled as she tried to avoid squishing it
>There, at the foot of her bed, was one of the unicorn dolls her and Trixie had played with the night before
>It was the blue one, decked out in a small cape made of construction paper
>For a moment, Starlight could only stare at the little pony and wonder how she got there
>Trixie must have left the unicorn behind, she figured
>Starlight picked the toy up, and the plushie’s soft little body seemed to relax against her palm
>A tiny piece of paper was taped to its leg, which Starlight pulled away and unfolded
>She revealed a pencil drawing of herself and Trixie, both of them clad in armor and sleeping back-to-back beneath a cramped tent
>Starlight stared at the drawing, once again taken aback by the sheer talent on display
>She slumped onto the bed, holding the unicorn toy in her lap
>Why?
>Why was Trixie so nice to her?
>Didn’t she know Starlight was just going to disappear, like she had with the others?
>And besides, the nicer Trixie was to her, the more it would increase these things that Starlight felt about her…
>Starlight shook her head, cursing the other girl’s stupidity under her breath
>Things were just going to get messed up, like they always did
>So what was the point in trying to fix any of it?
>What was the point in liking anyone at all, if it all just fell apart in the end?
>These questions and others chased themselves in circles through Starlight’s head
>Before long, she felt like she’d go crazy
>And maybe she did, just a little bit
>Because, seized by a sudden surge of restlessness, Starlight jumped up from her bed and sprinted downstairs

>Her mom was sitting in the living room, placidly sipping at her tea
>She raised an eyebrow as Starlight sprinted past
>”You’re looking better.”
“I sure hope so.”
>”And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.  I’ll be back later!”
>Starlight scarfed down a handful of crackers for a quick breakfast, then jumped onto her bike and pedaled furiously towards Trixie’s house

>It seemed that the sun had finally broken through the week’s spring storms
>The day was muggy and damp, and it wrapped around Starlight in a warm, soggy mantle
>Sunlight beat down on her brow, and sweat flowed freely down her face as she rounded the corners of narrow suburban streets, flying beneath rain-soaked oak trees and past people’s muddy gardens
>She remembered the way to Trixie’s house well enough, and soon found herself in front of the shabby place
>Its white stucco walls glistened with rain-water, and the moisture had stained the wooden porch a dark gray
>Starlight stepped up to knock, but paused halfway
>She had to be making a mistake, she was almost sure of it
>But…
>Starlight’s hand hovered inches from the door
>What was so wrong with making mistakes anyway?
>In this moment, for today, her and Trixie would be happy
>She closed her eyes, focusing every part of herself on the image of that girl’s smiling face, framed in her silver-blue hair
>Nobody could force her to give up on that
>She’d make mistakes and, knowing her, she would probably ruin things eventually
>But for now, the two of them could share a spring afternoon
>Starlight knocked on Trixie’s door; the sound was sharp and clear, and was answered almost immediately by the pitter-patter of Trixie’s footsteps
>Really, what else could she have done?

>Almost immediately, Starlight found herself wrapped in the other girl’s arms
>”Starlight!  Your mom said you weren’t coming!”
“Yeah, I, uh… I feel a lot better now.”
>”That’s great!”
>For a brief second, the two stayed silhouetted in sunlight underneath the doorway, with Trixie holding Starlight at arm’s length
>The other girl stared at her quizzically 
>”So… it’s our last day, huh.”
“Yeah…”
>Starlight dropped her gaze, but Trixie grabbed ahold of her hand
>”Then let’s make it a good one!  We’ve finally got some sun, let’s go for an adventure!”
“Yeah?”
>A tiny glimmer of light had begun to eat through the gunk inside Starlight
“What kind of adventure?”
>”Let’s go find that dragon!  He needs a friend, remember?”
>Starlight answered with a nod, and the two ran off with their hands still clasped together

Closing song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzv7oiKqOvU

>Sunlight settled through the tree leaves above as they entered the forest, fresh mud squishing beneath the girls’ shoes
>Starlight’s chest ached; she did’t think she’d ever run this much
>After having biked all the way here, it was exhausting
>But each breath of warm spring air gave her just enough energy for a few more steps, and she followed close behind Trixie
>”Careful,” Trixie whispered back to her
>They ducked amidst a patch of frilly green bushes
>”They’re everywhere.”
“What are?”
>”Ghosts!  They wanna take us away!”
“Hmm..”
>Starlight picked two makeshift swords out of the wood lying underfoot, passing one to Trixie
“We’ll need to keep ourselves safe.”
>”Yeah!  You lead this time!”

>Starlight pressed forward this time, her sword held aloft
>She could almost see the creatures lurking in the shadows, and drew reflexively closer to Trixie
>The other girl pressed back up against her, keeping a watchful eye over Starlight’s shoulder
>”The dragon must be close.”
“How can you tell?”
>”Trixie just knows these things.”
“Well?”
>”Forward.  But stay quiet.”
>Trixie gestured to a gap in the trees, and both girls crept beneath an archway of intertwined ivy and emerged into a wide clearing, the floor of which was bare, wet earth
>A collapsed tree trunk lay flat in the center of it, halfway sunken into the mud
>Trixie took a few steps forward and stopped, her stick-sword dropping to her side
>”It’s dead.”
“Trixie…”
>Starlight tried to take her friend’s hand again, but Trixie walked forward and placed her hand against the trunk
>”We didn’t make it in time.”
>There was a flatness in Trixie’s voice that Starlight hadn’t heard before
>”He must have been lonely.”
“Guess so.”
>Starlight followed her friend and rested her hand on Trixie’s shoulder
“But it’ll be okay.  He’ll be a part of these woods forever, now.  Look.”
>Starlight gestured with her stick-sword towards a protruding branch, where a robin was already shaping twigs into a nest
“See?”
>A little smile touched Trixie’s face
>”Yeah.  He’ll be here forever now.  And we can come and visit!”
>Trixie turned around, facing Starlight
>Here eyes were downcast, unable to meet Starlight’s face
>”You… you will come and visit me, right?”
“I…”
>Starlight’s voice caught in her throat for a moment
>The answer was “yes,” of course
>She wanted to see Trixie again, probably more than she really should…
>But she couldn’t help but doubt her reasons
>And, well… how long would she even be around?
>”Starlight?”
“I… I will.”
>”Awesome!”
>Trixie grabbed ahold of Starlight’s hand, squeezing it
>”So?  What now?  We still got a few hours!”
“Do you, uh… do you want to play something new?”
>Plans started forming in Starlight’s head, so far-flung that they were almost hard to envision
>”Sure!  Like what?”
>Starlight gulped
>”I’m gonna be a princess.  And you come rescue me.”
>”Oooh, classic!  A noble task for Trixie, no doubt!”
>Trixie stepped back, bowing deep
>”Fear not!  The Great and Powerful Sir Trixie will bow before no calamity!”
>Starlight couldn’t help but smile, despite the fluttering anxiety that seemed to perch right on her shoulder
“H-heh, cool!  I’ll be, uh… right up there!”
>Starlight pointed to the top of a nearby tree, one with plenty of close-together branches which would hopefully make it easy to climb
>”Trixie will stop at nothing until she rescues her!  Just wait a little more!”
>Trixie ran off, swinging her sword at imaginary foes, and Starlight hauled her skinny body up into the tree
>She rested in the crook of a branch, curling into a ball and closing her eyes
>Was she really going to do this?
>It was so stupidly risky, not to mention incredibly lame
>But if she didn’t now, she’d never get up the nerve
>And if she didn’t get up the nerve, she’d regret it
>Would Trixie hate her?
>Maybe…
>”Hark!  Your savior is come!”
>Starlight opened her eyes, seeing Trixie at the base of the cliff
>She was splattered in significantly more mud than before, and beamed as she held her stick-sword aloft
>”Trixie is here to rescue you!”
>Starlight waved her up
“My hero!” was all she could think to say, as her brain was currently about to implode in on itself
>Trixie scaled the branches with surprising ease, hopping from one to the other as she scrambled up to towards Starlight’s perch
>Starlight scooted to the side so that Trixie could join her
>”Trixie has come to rescue you, fair Princess Glimmer.  Would you come with me, now?”
>She extended her hand, and Starlight took it again
>Even after holding it nearly all day, the delicate warmth of Trixie’s palm still made Starlight’s chest tremble
>Starlight smiled at her friend
“I would.”
>She let Trixie lead her down to the ground
>And as her feet touched the earth, her mind was made up
>She turned to Trixie
“You’ve proven your valor, sir knight.”
>Trixie beamed puffing out her chest
>”All in a day’s work, my lady.”
“You’ve earned yourself a kiss.”
>Trixie blinked
>”A… kiss?”
“It’s only fair.”
>Starlight’s heartbeat was so strong she could feel it echoing in her ears
>Was she seriously doing this?
>She held out her hands
“Will you accept my gift?”
>Trixie hesitated for a single terrifying moment, in which Starlight’s brain managed to convince her that she’d just irrevocably ruined their friendship
>”Trixie shall!”
>She delicately took hold of Starlight, pulling the other girl close until their faces were only an inch apart
>The warmth of Trixie’s breath washed over Starlight, and she realized in a haze that she actually had no idea how to kiss someone
>But she wouldn’t allow herself to back out now
>She closed her eyes and awkwardly bumped her mouth against Trixie’s with a soft, wet *smooch*
>Both girls looked at each other, not really sure what to do next
>”…so that’s what a kiss is like!  Trixie has earned a just reward!”
>Starlight smiled, blushing furiously
“Maybe you could earn another, if you really want one…”
>”Trixie accepts!”
“Could you, um… help me get back to your house?” Starlight asked, right as her exhausted legs were about to give out from under her

>They made it back, barely
>By the end, Trixie was practically carrying an exhausted Starlight
>They hobbled in, past Trixie’s mom, and up the stairs to Trixie’s room
>Inside, they collapsed to the floor together, sitting propped and panting with their backs against Trixie’s bead
>”That was the best adventure Trixie’s ever been on.”
“Yeah…”
>”Trixie can’t believe she got a real kiss…”
“No?”
>Starlight scooted a little closer to her friend, just close enough for both girls’ shoulders to touch
“Well, maybe you’d believe it a little more if you got another?”
>Trixie nodded furiously
>”Trixie thinks she would!”
>The two embrace, letting their kiss last just a little longer this time
>It was clumsy, of course, not to mention a bit messy on account of the splotches of mud on Trixie’s cheeks
>But, much like the bond the two had formed over the week, it was warm and safe and absolutely radiant despite its messiness

>Starlight, of course, eventually had to go home
>Long after it got dark, after a few more rounds of games, a nap while sharing Trixie’s bed, and a few more quick, nervous kisses, Starlight pedaled home
>She’d actually done it
>There was no way of telling what would become of her and Trixie now
>Starlight couldn’t help but be a little afraid that she’d gone and ruined everything
>But she supposed that, at this point, there wasn’t much of a reason to continue worrying about that
>She wanted Trixie
>And she wanted to make her happy
>In that moment, she’d acted out of the purest intentions she had
>So, even if she’d made a mistake, it had been a mistake that was true to her
>The thought was comforting, in a way
>That night, as Starlight lay in the bath with eyes lazily focused on the ceiling, she thought back to the dead “dragon” they’d found in the woods
>And to a young Starlight, it seemed almost as if nothing ever really ended
>Everything just persisted in chaotic cycles, drawn endlessly towards what it was needed for
>If Trixie needed a friend, that’s what Starlight would be
>And she’d be quite happy to be more than a friend
>She wanted to be with that girl somehow, she knew that much
>And it wouldn’t be easy
>But thunderstorms always end in peace, and Starlight was ready for whatever her and Trixie’s beautiful, terrible storm would bring

End