The Look

Pinkie Pie sat at a pink table, poking a cupcake.
Her mind drifted to Fluttershy once again as she had given up checking the mailbox for a letter from the yellow pony. How could Fluttershy not write to her? She always looked kinda miserable when she was touring Equestria so surely a letter to her friends would cheer her up! Pinkie had sent many to her and had tried to visit, but she still wasn't able to visit her friend. She sighed deeply.
Suddenly Rarity broke through the large doors of Sugar Cube Corner.
''Hello darling!'' Rarity chimed.
''Oh... hi Rarity...'' Pinkie mumbled, obviously this was not her usual tone.
''Everything okay dear? The unicorn asked.
''Well, no. I've been thinking about Fluttershy again and I really think we all could've tried super duper harder to try and see her! We haven't heard from her in six months and... and it's her birthday in three days!''
''How did you-oh.'' Rarity began, realising that Pinkie of course knew everypony's birthday. ''Well, I'm sure she is having a great time, but if you really want to see her, we can try to visit again, I suppose.''
Rarity tried to hide her jealousy of Fluttershy but once again it failed. Most of her friends felt sorry for her as Fluttershy had departed with all the glory, leaving Rarity and her slightly failing fashion career to go nowhere. Once Rarity finished her my-life-is-pathetic stage, she developed a jealousy for Fluttershy. She knew that she shouldn't feel that way but... this was her dream.
Rarity and Pinkie went to visit Sweet Apple Acres first to see if honest Applejack would also wish to see Fluttershy.
''Applejack? Applejack!'' Pinkie began.
''Oh howdy sugarcube, you're lucky that ah'm finished with this here apple buckin', I can finally relax. What can ah do fer ya?'' Applejack replied.
''Well, we've decided to take a small trip to visit Fluttershy, we believe that she's been so busy that she's been unable to contact us for the last few months. She may have been swept up in the moment, or has just needed time to settle in!'' Rarity explained.
''Fluttershy? Why ah've not seen her fer months! I'd be glad to try and see her again, we've got a mite t'catch up on! Only, ah hope she hasn't become too hoity toity...'' Applejack trailed off.
A similar situation occurred at Twilight's library and Dash's cloud home, but the two also agreed to join them in visiting Fluttershy.

The five set off to the Fashion Institute, exchanging ideas of how their shy friend had turned out after the months of modelling, wondering whether they really were prepared to see her again after she had tried so hard to ignore them.

3 months earlier.
''Limelight! Limelight please. I'm begging you. Just one letter p-please... one letter...'' Fluttershy begged, her figure lowered to the ground, one hoof slightly raised, eyes teary, like when Gilda the Griffon yelled at her publicly.
Catwalk stood slightly behind Limelight, sniggering.
''Get out of my face, you worthless fat, ugly thing,'' Limelight began, ''you'll never be as beautiful as us, so why don't you just give up?'' Limelight ripped up Fluttershy's decorated letter and threw the shreds in her face before strutting off.
''But... I Pinkie promised'' Fluttershy sniffed.
Some of her letter's shreds began to crumple as Fluttershy's tears soaked the ground.