"Ah-ah-ah! Hold on a moment, Sweetie!"

She stopped in her tracks, hooves scuffing against the ground like they wanted to just keep running and to find her friends. Taking one last look at the wide, open street, she turned and walked back to her sister.

Every step made her hooves twinge, and dull aches that had nothing to do with the ones in her chest throbbed in her legs.

Maybe she had spent too long just lying around on her bed. And eating chocolates. And feeling pretty miserable…

No. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about that now. Even if it still felt like there was a hole in her chest, she was supposed to be thinking happy thoughts.

And Rarity's warm, soft smile made it just a little easier to do that.

"Come along, Sweetie…" said Rarity, a frilly hanky hovering in her blue glow. "We can't have you being a mucky-pup when your friends see you."

"I guess not…"

She didn't even move her head back as Rarity softly rubbed the cloth over her mouth. Something awful was just eating at her insides.

It had been days since she'd seen Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. How were they feeling? Were they just as upset as her about the audition? Were they… were they…

She gulped, and there wasn't even anything sweet left on her lips for her to try and distract herself with.

Were they going to be angry with her?

She pulled her eyes up from where they had dropped to, and aimed them squarely at Rarity's. Something made her sister look all blurry. Again.

"But what if they don't want to see me?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Rarity opened her mouth, but closed it before she could say anything. She smiled, and her eyes softened.

"Oh, Sweetie," Rarity said, but her voice was more like a whisper. Sweetie felt her sister's forelegs wrap around her again.

Just being held there, with Rarity's hooves gently stroking her forehead, made that empty feeling inside seem a whole lot smaller.

She pressed her head against her sister's warm fur. She didn't want this to end. She didn't want to feel all cold and empty and lonely again.

"Don't you go thinking such nonsense, darling," Rarity said, pulling away. She softly kissed her cheek. She was still smiling, and the way her eyes twinkled made Sweetie's middle feel all nice and warm again. "I'm sure they're just dying to see you again."

"I guess you're right, sis," Sweetie said. She stood up just a little bit straighter.

Of course the others would be happy to see her again! They were the Cutie Mark Crusaders Best Friends For Life!

She could just imagine their smiles now…

It was enough to make that empty feeling get even smaller!

Rarity tittered, and nuzzled her again.

"Of course, Sweetie," she whispered. "Now run along and enjoy yourself!"

Her smile was more of a smirk, now, and Sweetie couldn't help but match it.

She turned and galloped away, her heart singing again. "See you later, Rarity!" she called over her shoulder, before setting her sights firmly on Sweet Apple Acres.

The houses and smooth streets slipped away, and a rough track bordered by apple trees took their places.

She panted. She didn't remember the trip to Apple Bloom's being this hard before.

Licking her lips, she stole a glance at the sun. It didn't seem to be burning any brighter…

She shook her head. What was she thinking?

Princess Celestia would never do anything like that!

Her leg twinged again. That was it. She'd been in bed for days, and her legs weren't used to running again, yet.

It was just her being stupid again.

Stupid.

Like she'd been at the audition…

She stumbled.

Thinking about Rarity's smile or Apple Bloom's or Scootaloo's or anypony's wasn't filling that gap in her heart, any more.

It didn't help that she'd had to run past her school. And listen to the piano through the open window. And hear the other fillies and colts…

Hear them rocking along to the beats she should be rocking along to. Hear them having a blast belting out the tunes she should be belting out. Hear them being in the musical that she should have been in…

If only she could rock out, or belt out, or have anything to do with a musical…

She stopped, and squared her legs. Her lips screwed up into a frown.

One that she aimed at herself.

No. She wasn't going to let this get to her.

She wasn't going to let her friends' first sight of her for days be her crying.

Then again, she couldn't let it be of a frown the size of Opalescence's, could she?

Over the unease that still lingered in her chest, she made her lips stretch into what she hoped was a happy little smile.

If only she'd brought some chocolate with her…

By the time she made it into the orchards and out of the sun, she felt a couple of trickles drip off her nose. For the first time in ages they weren't coming from her eyes.

She licked her lips, and tasted a little bit of salt as well as some cracking.

At least she was in the shade, now, and the crunchy leaves and soft grasses felt much nicer under her hooves than the hard road.

As she slowed to a trot and got her breath back, though, something felt off. The chills in her chest continued to swirl and curdle, and they mixed in with the thoughts that only grew louder as she got closer to the clubhouse.

Would they be angry with her? It had been a solid few days since she'd even spoken to them. That was enough time for… for dozens, maybe even hundreds of cutie mark crusades!

What if… What if they'd…

Something filled her eyes.

And she hadn't been…

Her lip wobbled.

Stop it.

She shook her head until the trees blurred, and after she stopped she sucked in great gulps of air, just trying to clear her head.

She couldn't keep thinking like that. Of course they'd be happy to see her! Of course they would!

Right?

Wait.

There it was. Clinging to the trunk of a huge, mature tree, with the new telescope hatch poking out through the leaves up top and a fresh coat of paint covering up all the little patches and cracks, was the clubhouse.

There were voices coming from inside.

They weren't loud enough, or she wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but they were there.

Her friends were there.

She ran. Her legs moaned and ached, and she was sure she nearly fell over a root that looped out of the ground, but she kept running. She had to see them again. Now.

She scampered up the ramp, breath catching and whistling through her teeth. Her eyes closed as she stopped, and she heaved to catch her breath. Again.

Insides squirming with so many unanswered questions she couldn't make them out any more, she opened her eyes.

They were both there.

Apple Bloom sat on her rump, pointing a hoof at a pair of cards that were face-down on the floor. Scootaloo lay on her back, legs held limply upwards, her mane sprawling over her own cards.

Both of them stared looked straight at her, their eyes wide and jaws hanging.

In spite of everything, just the sight of the two greatest fillies in the world and the most wonderful friends she could ever hope to have made a great… wave of warmth washed through her chest. It spread up to her muzzle, and blazed a shy little smile across it.

"Hi, guys," she offered.