Aria continued to watch as a trail of color with golden accentuation streaked across the heavens, followed by a blur of dark gray. Only after watching the pursuit pass over several times could Aria remove her attention from the action.

“By the way Ari, yer not the only one who's runnin' late,” Flax smirked as she pointed over to a couple of ponies nearby.

Aria immediately recognized the two Canterhollow residents. One was Harper, the other Lizzy. The first was a unicorn of minty color and a flowing, powder blue mane and tail. Her hair was dashed with white streaks, her eyes golden like the setting sun, though at the moment a storm of tears clouded the color.

“Take care Lizzy,” Harper said to her friend, Lizzy, a cream- colored pony.

“I'll miss you!” Lizzie replied. “Enjoy your time away from... here!”

The two wept a little more before Harper could contain herself enough to speak again. She held onto her friend's shoulders and looked straight into her friend’s aqua blue eyes.

“I'll come back and visit sometime, Lizzie.”

“I'll b-be waiting!” replied her friend, who then began to back away slowly.

After a minute or two of sorrowful farewells, Harper turned and slogged over to the others with eyes gleaming and nose snuffling. The minty- colored unicorn let the sadness run like waterfalls until her eyes went dry as a desert.

Seeing her reflection in the puddle of tears below, Harper wiped her face and sniffled the last bit of sadness out of her senses. She looked up at the group of five standing before her. After a final sniffle, she hopped into a charging pose and locked eyes with Aria.