Although the other ponies, including Twilight Sparkle herself, might not have noticed anything, this was supposed to be the first lesson on the Magic of Friendship for the six main characters, and Aurora was definitely going to arrive early to snag a good seat in the front row.
Even if she was just going to be background scenery, she wanted to be in the same tier as Lyra Heartstrings.
Aurora had even invited Zecora to the party this time, and although Zecora still had concerns about whether she could appear in a place with so many ponies, she didn't show much resistance.
"There's going to be a scary dragon at the party! Why is everyone still afraid of a Zebra?"
Spike deliberately put on a fierce expression, but in reality, he wasn't scary at all; Fluttershy even looked at him with an adoring, incredibly affectionate expression.
Although Spike's performance lacked any intimidation, everyone understood his meaning and intention.
Since a dragon could live in Canterlot just like an ordinary pony, there was no reason a Zebra couldn't get along with the residents of Ponyville.
Furthermore, thanks to Aurora's leadership over this period, even the most stubborn Applejack had let down her guard against Zecora and had even apologized to Zecora for her previous prejudices.
Eventually, with everyone's persuasion, Zecora let go of her misgivings and accepted the party invitation.
For the remaining time, they went to the street together to pick out a birthday gift for Rainbow Dash, bringing Zecora along. With so many ponies accompanying Zecora, even those few merchants who didn't care for a Zebra wouldn't have the heart to drive them away.
However, while the other ponies were busy browsing and picking out items, only Twilight Sparkle seemed distracted.
She had taken to heart what Aurora had told her just moments ago—that she would have to face a problem related to the Magic of Friendship all on her own.
Thinking about this situation made her feel anxious and nervous, as if she weren't about to attend a friend's party, but rather heading into an exam hall.
She knew she should be focusing on picking out a birthday gift for Rainbow Dash, but she couldn't control her thoughts; the more she thought, the more anxious she became, and the more anxious she became, the more she thought, creating a vicious cycle.
So much so that by the time the other ponies, including Spike, had bought their gifts, only Twilight Sparkle was still freaking out, dissatisfied with everything she saw.
"No, no, this won't do!"
In her agitation, Twilight Sparkle's voice grew louder unconsciously, scaring the gift shop owner into quickly putting back the gift she had been about to recommend.
"...Sorry, I wasn't talking to you. I'll take the one from just a moment ago, please wrap it up for me."
As the gazes of all the surrounding ponies converged on her, Twilight Sparkle realized her lack of composure; she blushed, returned to her normal volume, hurriedly purchased the gift, and left the shop.
"Whoa... Twilight, are you okay? Even when you're taking exams from Princess Celestia, I've never seen you this nervous."
Spike stood on his tiptoes to stroke Twilight Sparkle's mane, hoping to soothe her emotions.
"I'm fine... It's just that when I think about meeting Rainbow Dash and what I should say to her, my mind just goes blank."
Twilight Sparkle didn't know what to say to avoid being a buzzkill while still being able to help Rainbow Dash; after all, her understanding of Rainbow Dash was limited to bits and pieces from other ponies, and she didn't know what Rainbow Dash's troubles were or how serious they might be.
Although compared to her past self, she wasn't completely ignorant about how to maintain friendships, this was truly the first time she had encountered such a situation on her own.
"If only there were a book that could tell me exactly what to do in this situation and what to say..."
Twilight Sparkle expressed her worries to them in low spirits.
Unfortunately, the Library in Canterlot didn't have any books specifically about friendship, and even if there was a magic book about the Magic of Friendship, it was one that Star Swirl the Bearded hadn't finished writing.
Aurora, however, recalled that she had flipped through a few books in the Restricted Section like "Equestrian Etiquette," "The Art of Social Hooves," and "Dark Psychology." She had curiously flipped through a few pages to get a taste, only to find the content quite watered down, though they were barely passable as psychological horror novels.
However, Aurora dared not tell Twilight Sparkle anything about the Restricted Section. First, Celestia wouldn't allow it, and second, forbidden books were still too early for Twilight; they required at least a 16+ age restriction.
"Twilight, you're overthinking it; friendship isn't actually as difficult as you think."
"But I don't know how to handle that kind of situation. I'm afraid I might say the wrong thing and lose this friendship, just like—no, never mind, I think I'm just too nervous."
Twilight Sparkle had almost let some words slip out, but she stopped herself just in time and admitted her anxiety instead.
"It seems Twilight is indeed too nervous. I'll go take her for a walk to clear her head. Could you please help carry these things?"
Although Twilight Sparkle hadn't managed to say it, Aurora knew what she had wanted to say in that moment.
She placed the things she had bought onto Aurora Glow's back, and Spike took Twilight Sparkle's items. The other ponies didn't say anything; they knew this pair of mentor and student needed some time alone.
"Keep an eye on Little Aurora."
"...Everyone, let's go find Applejack and Rarity; Pinkie Pie must have notified them as well..."
After Aurora and Twilight Sparkle left, Fluttershy suggested heading somewhere else. And upon hearing they were going to find Rarity, Fluttershy's suggestion was immediately met with an enthusiastic response from Spike.
"I have to mention to you two, there's a little rascal missing here."
Zecora, who was following behind Fluttershy, suddenly looked left and right, then hurriedly called out to stop Fluttershy and Spike, who were about to leave.
Recovering his senses, Spike turned around and discovered that, sure enough, Aurora Glow was nowhere to be seen.
As expected, when a child is quiet and not making a fuss, they're definitely up to something behind your back.
"Oh no, Little Aurora—!"
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