25 days till Christmas
"Fluttershy, get in my office right now," A voice shouted.
"I hope you're not in trouble. After all it was my fault," A girl questioned.
"Look I took the blame so I have to go through with the punishment," Flutters reassured.
A woman dressed in a black dress, who looked to be the manager walked into the room. The woman found two girls imitating her and another.
"Congratulations. You two have just volunteered to work in the 25th of December,"
"What? I can't, that's Christmas day," One of the girls cried.
"Look, Fluttershy we weren't trying to imitate you for fun," Another reassured.
"Yes because there are other kinds of imitation," Flutters just crossed her arms, waiting for them to say something back. "It's Miss Fluttershy to you, by the way."
The girls went back to their desks and awaited commands.
"This fashion line needs to be done by the end of December, otherwise no one will be getting paid," Fluttershy demanded.
oOo
"Over here," A girl called, waving her hand to get Fluttershys attention.
"Pinkie, Rarity," Flutters greeted, sitting down at her friends table.
"You look tired," Rarity told her.
"It's been a long day," Flutters took a sip from her awaiting drink.
"Look you have to stop working yourself too hard. It's been nine years since it happened," Rarity reassured.
"Rarity is right, I mean she's not worth it," Pinkie placed her hand on the shy girls.
"Your right, we should be celebrating. I mean this will be my fifth line of clothing to go out,"
The two girls looked at each other.
"What's the matter now?"Flutters asked getting a little annoyed.
"We have kinda booked tickets to go back home. Well the place we went to school together," Rarity confessed.
"Why?"
"We heard about your ten year reunion and they're doing it on the 24th December," Pinkie told her friend.
oOo
Where do you want dropping off?" A man asked.
"Just around the corner, I can walk from there," The girl told him.
"Have you been here before?"
You could say that. I can't believe I'm back here after nine years," Sunset thought the last part in her head.
The taxi driver did as he was told. He took her bags out of the back and left.
"Mum, dad, I'm here,"
"Sunset, hey sweetie," Her mum greeted, "Don't worry we'll be out of here soon. Your dads just filling the car,"
"I just hope you enjoy it. I know I haven't been around much. I just wanted to do something special for your 10 year anniversary," Sunset confessed.
"I know and we appreciate you looking after the house, I know your sister would have loved to have seen you but..."
Sunset cut her mum off, "Yes I know she's busy with university."
It didn't take her parents long before they had packed up and headed off to the airport. A knock was heard at the door. Sunset got up and crept over to the spy hole. She then let out a breath realising who it was.
"What are you two doing here?" Sunset asked.
"Is that anyway to greet old friends," A Texan girl asked.
"Look we heard you were coming back and thought we could celebrate," another girl spoke. She had rainbow coloured hair. She held up a case of apple cider.
"I'm not stopping long just up until Christmas," the girl replied.
"Spoil sport the two girls whispered.
oOo
Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie all got off the plane and headed straight over to a waiting taxi.
"So how does it feel to be back in your old hometown?" Rarity asked, excitedly.
"To be honest it's not as bad as I thought it would be," Fluttershy tried to muster up a smile.
"I've booked us a hotel," Pinkie explained to both of her friends,"
oOo
"Here you go girls, you have arrived at your destination," the taxi driver told them.
"We will go and collect our keys for the room. You on the other hand can pay for the taxi," both girls agreed.
Rarity and Pinkie grabbed their bags and headed off into the hotel.
"How much do I owe?" Fluttershy asked searching through her bag.
"30 dollars
Fluttershy took her purse out of her bag and a letter fell out along with it. She paid the taxi driver and bent down to pick the letter up, when someone bumped into her, knocking her to the floor.
"Pinkie, what have I told you," Flutters grabbed her bag and noticed a helping hand in the corner of her eye. She was just about to grab it when she realised who it belong to.
"Sunset," Flutters gasped.
"Hey, Flutters long time, no see," Sunset said with a smile
oOo
"What happened to you?" Rainbow asked, noticing her friends' black eye.
"Fluttershys back, did you know about this?" Sunset asked, angrily.
"No, why would I know," Rainbow cut her sentence short, "Oh wow she actually did that to you,"
"No I did it to myself. I wanted to know if black eyes suited me and now I know,"
"What did you expect a hug," Rainbow took a sip of her drink, "Are you staying for the reunion."
Sunset just shook her head, grabbed her coat and headed out.
oOo
Fluttershy found herself slipping out of her room. Her friends had gone out but she had refused them when they asked if she wanted to come with. The shy girl wasn't really talking to them much, seen as it was there idea to bring her back. There was a cosy little spot not far from where the hotel was. It had a few trees gathered around and in the middle laid a bench. At Christmas the villagers would decorate the trees with trimmings and lights, when they were lit up at night it would look as though you were staring at the stars. Fluttershy used to come to this spot when she felt lonely or wasn't talking to anyone. It eventually became a little hideaway for her and a friend.
"Happy ..." Fluttershy started.
"Anniversary," Another voice finished.
Fluttershy's eyes widened, recognising the voice.
"Sunset, what are you doing here?" Flutters asked gobsmacked.
"Me! What about you?"
"I came here to think, like I always did and this spot was dedicated to my parents," Fluttershy
"I wondered how long it would take for you to bring up your parents,"
"I don't need to hear this," Fluttershy stood up and started to make her way out of the forest, "Stuff my friends, I'm getting the first flight back home."
Sunset followed her friend out, "That's it run away like you've always done,"
Flutters stopped and turned around to look at the fiery haired girl.
"You don't understand, what I'm going through," tears started to fall.
"I know because you won't let me," Sunset moved a little closer to the shy girl, "What happened to us?"
Fluttershy hugged herself a little tighter, not bringing herself to look at the other girl. Sunset reached an arm out. She made it inches away from the shy girls arm before retreating.
"I can't do this anymore," Sunset said her farewell and walked away.
Futtershy finally looked up only to watch her friends back walking away. She reached an arm out wanting to bring her back but changed her mind.
oOo
Rainbow noticed Sunset walking back to her house.
"Hey, wait up," Rainbow called.
Sunset didn't budge she just carried on walking. Rainbow took her mobile out and dialled Apple.
"Whatever your doing drop it and meet me at Sunsets," That all Rainbow said when Apple had picked up.
The sports girl just followed her friend back to the girl's house. Eventually when Sunset got to her front door, she unlocked it and left the door wide open, she took that as a sign that her friend wanted to talk.
It didn't take long for the Texan to get to Sunsets house, she found Sunset standing looking out of the window and Rainbow sat down on a settee nearby. Apple walked straight over to the chair and sat beside her friend.
"It was a cold winter's day. The snow was making a blanket on the pavement. I remember because we pulled a prank on the sweet shop owner, we made a break for it and the man chased us all the way into the town square that's when I slipped down. Fluttershy, pulled me into the bushes, she had never laughed so hard, since her parents died," a small laugh escaped Sunsets mouth, "
oOo
Fluttershy found herself telling the same story to her friends back at the hotel.
"I never felt so loved, like I did that day. She suggested dedicating the bench to my parents making it our little hideaway. We would meet their every Christmas night. The villagers put the lights on the trees and Sunset would always say it was like looking up at the stars," Fluttershy continued.
"Did you ever tell her?" Pinkie asked.
"No, I didn't want to feel weak,"
"You should tell her, darling," Rarity put a hand on Fluttershys arm.
oOo
"We never missed a Christmas until this one day. Fluttershy was turning eighteen in a couple of months and I just felt like she needed a shove. I knew her parents would want her to leave and get on with her own life. I was scared she wouldn't want to leave, so that Christmas I heard her sneak out but I didn't. I wanted to show her we couldn't do this anymore, then I changed my mind, I went to find Flutters but when I arrived she was gone all that was left was this ticket. Sunset held up a plane ticket dated nine years ago.
"You should have spoken to her. Got your feelings out there," Rainbow suggested.
"It was complicated."
"You're the only one that makes it complicated," Apple put in.
Sunset didn't answer them, instead she just left the room. Rainbow and Apple looked at each other, the sports girl took out her phone texted Fluttershy..
oOo
"That Christmas I did as we usually did. I go out first then Sunset meets me, the only problem is she didn't show. I had booked two tickets to leave this place and I was going to ask Sunset to come with me. My bags were packed aso all we needed to do was get on that plane. I knew my parents would have wanted me to live my own life. I left without her that day because she never showed up," Fluttershy explained, she couldn't hold the tears in anymore and ran into her room leaving the girls
Fluttershys phone lit up, Pinkie read the text message
Fluttershy, its Rainbow we need to talk about Sunset.
Ok where? Pinkie replied
The pub tomorrow night,
oOo
Rarity and Pinkie walked into the pub. They hadn't told Fluttershy where they were going. Upon entering they noticed two girls sat at a table at the back of the room.
"Where's Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked confused, seeing two girls approach their table.
"She couldn't make it," Pinkie replied taking a seat.
"We're here about the same thing as you. We know you want to get Flutters and Sunset back together." Rarity told them.
"So what you thinking, sugarcube," Apple Jack leaned in closer.
"We do the usual town routine thing and then text them both. They arrive and realise how much friendship meant to them both," Pinkie explained.
They all nodded in agreement.
oOo
"I'll see you two later," Sunset waved to het two friends.
The older girl headed into town to meet her ex best friend. She took a slow walk, nervous about what Flutters wanted to talk about. Sunset came across the trees that once contained hers and Fluttershys hideout.
"I can't believe they've stuck with the same tradition," Sunset whispered to herself.
Sunset then noticed a young girl staring up at the lights that hug around the trees.
"I can't believe they did this," She heard the girl say.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Sunset asked.
Fluttershy turned around to see her friend before walking away.
"Flutters wait up," Sunset ran after the young girl. She found her in they're hideout.
Sunset slowly approached the shy girl and put a hand on her, "Too much,"
Flutters turned around a wide smile on her face, "No, it's just perfect,"
"Tickets for two," They both heard someone say behind them.
They both turned to see all four of their friends standing together.
Rarity and Pinkie both held up a ticket each.
"We thought you would need these, more than us," Pinkie told them.
"We bought them so we could leave you here. Now we know you two are meant to start a new life somewhere else," Rarity continued.
"Now you can go into business together like you've always wanted," Rainbow suggested.
"We don't know how to thank you," Sunset took the tickets.
"You already have," Apple Jack finished.
"Well, are you ready?" Sunset asked, holding her arm out.
"As I'll ever be, "Flutters hooked her arm in her friends awaiting arm.
Sunset and Flutters both looked at each only to realise something.
"Who are you?" They both asked in unison, turning to the girls they thought they once knew as their friends.
The weird thing was the four girls disappeared before they even got an answer. All that was left behind was the cold twinkling snow that started to fall.
Sunset and Flutters stood together looking at the stars, they both noticed something.
Only You, the stars spelled out.