This night was not going how Pippin Rose hoped it would.

Prom wasn’t even a big deal to her. She didn’t spend hours doing her hair or weeks planning her outfit like other fillies would. She didn’t fawn over the decorations or wait excitedly for a colt to ask her out…no, she wasn’t thinking about colts at all. Instead, her mind was on a certain filly friend of hers. A friend who was having the night of her life with a colt who didn’t give her the value she deserved. Pippin knew she deserved better…but deep down, she hoped that would be her.

But it was no use. Diamond had the colt of her dreams and nobody could change that. Pippin wouldn’t take that away from her. So instead, she decided to suck it up and go with someone else. At least he was a friend.

Pippin turned to Motocross and gave a halfhearted smile as they made their way towards the venue. “Thanks fer coming with me.”

”No probs, Pips,” Motocross nodded. “But you know you can’t pretend we’re dating forever. You gotta tell her at some point.

”She’s got a boyfriend, Motor. I can’t. ‘Specially not tonight. We jus’ gotta make peace with it for her sake and try to have fun.”

But as they got closer to the Ponyville Convention Centre, what they saw caught them by surprise.

Diamond Mine sat on the steps of the Centre sobbing her eyes out, each one shining like a citrine from her tears. She looked absolutely pathetic. Her dress was that of a pastel angel and her mane was made up elegantly, but the night didn’t seem to be going well for her at all

“Diamond!” Pippin forgot about everything else on her mind and immediately galloped up to her friend. “What happened? Where’s Clavicle?”

She could hardly get her words out because she was so distraught, staring up at Pippin with quivering lips. “H-he…” Then she squealed out before she could finish her sentence, throwing herself around the yellow filly’s shoulders. “He broke up with me! And ran off with Sunny Daze! He told me she was prettier than me!”

“There there,” Pippin stroked the mare’s back comfortingly. “Ya know that ain’t true.”

“What’s going on??”

The group turned around to find their old friend Flower Power trotting up to them, wearing a concerned expression on her face.

Motocross quickly pulled away from the others. “Hey! Flower! Clavicle ditched Diamond!”

Diamond only responded by sobbing louder.

Pippin shot him a glare and continued trying to comfort Diamond, using her own dress to dry her mascara-stained tears.

”I’m sorry, Diamond. I know how much ya wanted this.”

”I-I really did!” Pippin tried not to cringe as Diamond blew her nose into her dress. “And it’s ruined! All ruined!”

*****

Motocross and Flower watched the scene from a distance, Motor having stepped away to give them space.

”Girls, right?”

”I am a girl.”

“Yeah, I mean, this,” Motocross gestured towards his friends. “All this drama and stuff. Pips, Diamond, that guy, there’s always some thing going on. I’m there to help ‘em out, but honestly? I’m getting kinda sick of it. It was better when we were all chill.”

“Yeah, I do miss those days,” Flower nodded. “But like my mom says, troubles come and go. This won’t last forever, as much as it feels like it. All you can do it let things work themselves out.”

”I guess so,” Motocross sighed. “It just sucks, y’know, watching all this shi—stuff happen and not being able to do anything about it. We oughta just hang out like we used to.”

Flower was quiet. “It has been awhile…”

Motocross took notice of this. “Yeah, sorry we haven’t hung out.”

”It’s fine,” Flower assured him. “I understand. But Mom’s nature sabbaticals have gotten pretty boring, especially now that we’re out of school.”

”Like this is any better,” Motocross snorted and gestured towards his friends. “Y’know, we should hang out more. We’ve had a lotta fun times together.”

”We definitely should,” Flower smiled, broadly and genuinely this time. “I think it’s what we both need.”

*****

”Feeling better?”

Diamond had finally calmed down to the point where she was no longer sobbing, but instead sniffling quietly and leaning into Pippin’s gentle embrace. This would feel so good any other time, Pippin couldn’t help but think to herself.

“I…I don’t know…” Diamond pulled away and wiped her makeup-stained face. “I just can’t believe he did this…”

”I know.”

”But there’s nothing I can do about it, right?” Diamond sat back down on the steps. “Oh, what a night…”

Pippin pondered for a moment. Under better circumstances, this would be the perfect time to tell her how she felt. But not tonight, just after a breakup. She couldn’t play with her feelings like that. After all, her happiness came first. But that also meant she couldn’t see her miserable like this.

”Well…this is still yer prom. You’ve been waiting fer this. Ya can’t let one colt stop ya from having fun.”

”Yeah…” Diamond cracked a smile. “I shouldn’t let one breakup ruin my life. I don’t need him.”

”See? That’s the spirit!” Pippin helped her up. “Why don’t we all just enjoy the prom together? I’ll be yer ‘date’ if ya want.”

Diamond chuckled. “Sure, why not?”

”YEAH, PIPS! GO GET HER!”

”Motocross?”

Pippin coughed. “I think somepony spiked his punch. I dunno what he’s talking about.”

Both fillies shared a laugh.

“But I think it’s time we go have fun. We got Motor and Flower, Thunder and Cheese are comin’, it’ll be just like old times. What’d’ya say?”

”Yeah! Just like old times!”