Applejack swung the Sugarcube Corner's door open and trotted inside, happily inhaling the sweet aroma of the newly baked cupcakes.
"Oh, good morning, Applejack!" Pinkie Pie welcomed her friend from behind the counter. "How can I help you?"
"Howdy there, Pinkie," Applejack replied. "I want four cupcakes."
"Wow! You must be so hungry."
"Ya bet I am!"
"What flavor do you want?" Pinkie brought out a long menu and showed it to Applejack. "We have a new flavor. A cupcake with yellow frosting that I call 'Lemon Hearts Cupcake'!"
Applejack laughed. "Now that's a cute name! I mean...you didn't bake Lemon Hearts into cupcakes, did you?"
Pinkie laughed and raised an eyebrow. "What?! Absolutely not! Lemon Hearts just helped me prepare the recipe. I mean, look, Lemon Hearts is over there." Pinkie pointed towards one of the tables; Applejack glanced at the table to see Lemon Hearts eating a cupcake with yellow frosting.
Applejack laughed again. "Oh, Pinkie, you know I was just joking."
"Perhaps you should stop reading fanfictions."
Applejack irked an eyebrow. "Stop reading what now?!"
Sugarcube Corner's door was pushed open forcefully, earning the attention of both Applejack and Pinkie. It was Fluttershy who had entered. She was carrying something close to her chest and her eyes were hidden in the shade of her mane.
"Good morning, Flutters!" Applejack greeted.
Fluttershy didn't respond. She just trotted slowly towards them, her expression still obscure. When she reached Applejack, the thing between her right foreleg and her chest became visible. It was Angel, laying asleep on her foreleg. His fur was messed up. Fluttershy finally looked up, revealing her red eyes.
"Flutters? Are you okay?" Applejack asked worriedly.
"I...It's...Angel," Fluttershy replied, fighting back tears.
"Is he okay?!" Pinkie asked, becoming more worried. Angel opened his eyes to reassure her that he was still alive, but he was in an absolutely terrible condition.
"Angel is...sick!" Fluttershy replied, failing to prevent a few tears from trickling on her cheeks.
Applejack sighed in relief. "Oh, Flutters, that's okay. I'm sure that with yer excellent care, Angel will get better very soon..."
"No, he won't! Angel is going to DIE!"
Applejack and Pinkie were taken aback by the sudden outburst. Many ponies inside the Corner stared at them.
"Fluttershy! Don't say that?! I'm sure he'll recover."
"You don't understand!" Fluttershy couldn't hold her tears any longer. "He's been sick for two weeks, and with every passing day, he's been getting worse and worse. I knew what his illness was. It was the Bunny Curse virus. An incurable disease. I knew I couldn't help him. I went to Zecora, and she told me he would die after one month, then gave me a potion to...to put him to sleep! I decided that I would do it today, but this morning, Angel told me his last wish was to take a tour around Ponyville, to see everypony before... before..."
"Calm down, Fluttershy!" Applejack took her friend in an embrace; Fluttershy accepted it and sobbed into Applejack's shoulder. "I'm sure we'll find a way to help him." Applejack tried her best to calm her friend down, though she knew it was very unlikely they would be able to help Angel, because if Fluttershy, the expert in animals, said she couldn't help him, then no one else could.
Fluttershy shook her head. "There's no way."
Pinkie fought back her tears. She hated to see Fluttershy cry, but she had to stay strong for her friend. "Come on, Shy. Let's go see Twilight. I'm sure she has some book that could help us."
Well, Twilight is one of my destinations for Angel's last tour, Fluttershy thought, before she nodded. "But, Pinkie, where's Gummy?"
"He's upstairs in my room. Why?"
"It's just... Angel wants to see him. Please?"
Pinkie felt a lump form in her throat, her struggle against tears becoming harder. "Oh... okay." She headed upstairs to bring her pet. She reached her room and found Gummy on her bed, chewing on a plushy. "I'm sorry, Gummy, but I have bad news."
Gummy blinked.
"You'll find out very soon." She lifted him and placed him on her head.
In Twilight's castle
"No. Not this one. Not this one either! No!"
Twilight was galloping everywhere in her library, levitating, opening and throwing books here and there in a desperate effort to find a book to help Angel. Fluttershy wasn't even paying attention to Twilight. She just stood with Applejack and Pinkie, staring sadly at the floor. She glanced at Angel, and saw him smiling at her with slightly opened eyes.
Fluttershy managed a sad smile. "Twilight's castle is so beautiful, isn't it?"
Angel nodded.
Owlicious flew and stood on Fluttershy's head, staring at Angel. "Who."
Angel smiled at him.
Owlicious wore a sad expression and hung his head down. "Who." He then glanced at Gummy; he blinked. "Who." Owlicious nodded.
Twilight levitated almost every book in the library at once, squeezing her eyes shut. "I... I..." All the levitated books were thrown into the wall forcefully. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. But... I have nothing!" Twilight approached Fluttershy, hanging her head down. "I'm so sorry. You have experience in animals more than any of my books. So if you said you couldn't help Angel, then who am I to say anything else?!"
"That's okay, Twilight. I knew you couldn't help him. There's no need to be sorry," Fluttershy said calmly.
Twilight glanced up at Fluttershy, and saw her smiling a teary smile. Twilight then glanced at Angel. "I'm sorry, Angel."
Angel smiled at Twilight; she smiled back with moist eyes and patted him on the back.
Later, Fluttershy continued Angel's last tour around Ponyville, along with her friends. She visited Sweet Apple Acres and lay under the shade of an apple tree for a few minutes, before she had to go. Winona gave Angel a lick on the cheek and joined them, too, to spend one last day with her bunny friend.
The next destination was the Carousel Boutique.
"I...I'm so sorry, Fluttershy!" Rarity patted Fluttershy at her shoulder. "Just...if you want anything, anything, just tell me!"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Thanks, Rarity. I really don't need anything. Just, Angel wanted to see Opal."
Opal glanced at Angel, but she then immediately turned back to staring at the ground sadly.
"Ah, I know what will I give you!" Rarity searched a little box and brought out a tiny, blue scarf. "This scarf I was planning to give to Angel on his birthday, but...it seems like said birthday won't come."
Fluttershy wiped her tears and took the scarf. "Thanks, Rarity! You're truly the most generous pony I've ever known!" She gently wrapped the scarf around Angel's neck; he smiled at the feeling of the soft fabric.
"Don't thank me, dear. Now, what's your next destination?"
"Rarity, you really don't have to come with us."
"Nonsense! I must go with you."
"Well, it's... Rainbow Dash's house."
"Rainbow Dash it is."
With that, Rarity joined the group, along with Opal, and headed to their next destination.
At Rainbow Dash's house
"I'm coming with you!"
"But..."
"No buts, Fluttershy! You stood beside me when Tank was about to hibernate, so how can I not stand beside you in a situation like this?!"
Fluttershy hung her head down. "I didn't want to tire you guys with me."
"Are you serious?! Tire us?! Flutters, we're friends. It's our duty to stay together through everything." Rainbow Dash hugged Fluttershy.
"Thank you, Rainbow."
Tank hovered near Angel and patted him on the head, his eyes flooding with tears.
A few seconds later, Fluttershy trotted out of the house, with Rainbow Dash and Tank by her side.
The group visited many places, then. They even visited the spa and Cranky and Matilda. They then met the Cutie Mark Crusaders on their way, but they didn't tell the three little fillies what was happening, because Fluttershy said she didn't want to stop them from going after their Cutie Marks.
Finally, they all stood on a bridge above a river, showing Angel his last sunset.
"Do you like th sunset, Angel?" Fluttershy asked; Angel nodded. "I wish I could show you another one, but...but..." A lump in Fluttershy's throat prevented her from completing her statement.
When the sun dived completely under the horizon, as if on cue, Angel began to cough and breathe abnormally. Fluttershy immediately rushed back to her cottage, with her friends following right behind.
They all stood in front of Fluttershy's cottage, because none of them, not even Rainbow Dash or Applejack, was strong enough to enter the cottage and watch Fluttershy say her last goodbyes to Angel.
Inside the cottage, Fluttershy sat on the sofa, hugging Angel gently to her chest. None of the other animals was visible, for they too could not bring themselves to watch Angel die.
"Oh, Angel," Fluttershy said between her cries. "I wish I could spend one more day with you."
Angel coughed.
"I...I'm sorry for all the times I failed to make you your favorite meal. And I..." Fluttershy choked in her sobbing. "...I forgive you for all the times you locked me out of the cottage."
Angel smiled a tired, teary smile at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy picked a bottle filled with a purple liquid and opened it. She felt her heart beating faster. She couldn't believe she was about to kill her pet. But she had to. It was for his best. She couldn't leave him to suffer any longer. She was the Element of Kindness, after all, and putting Angel to sleep was the kindest thing she could do for him.
"I... I'm sorry, Angel." Her tears streamed harder, and her hoof began to shake. "This...is for your best."
Angel managed to gesture weakly towards Fluttershy's mane.
"Yo... You want my mane?"
Angel nodded.
Fluttershy wrapped her mane gently around Angel as if it was a scarf. Angel always loved Fluttershy's silky mane. It was one of his most favorite relaxing places. He loved to lay in Fluttershy's mane or tail, even though he always knew he had to brush her mane after messing it up that way.
"Is that good?"
Angel nodded, smiling warmly at the warmth of the silky mane.
Fluttershy took a deep breath, preparing to end his suffering. "Now, Angel, you... you have to drink this." She moved the bottle closer to his mouth. "Don't worry. It... it won't hurt. Just drink it, and everything will be fine."
Angel nodded; Fluttershy slowly poured a few drops in his mouth, then closed the bottle and placed it aside.
A few seconds later, Angel could feel nothing. He felt no pain, no warmth, not even Fluttershy's mane. He glanced up at Fluttershy, smiling warmly at her, then closed his eyes for the last time.
Fluttershy waited a few seconds, then shook Angel gently. "Angel?"
There was no respond.
"Angel?"
Nothing.
"ANGEL!"
Fluttershy hugged her dead pet and sobbed loudly.
Twilight and the others outside of the cottage knew what Fluttershy's shout meant. They all hung their heads down and cried lightly. Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried to hide their tears, and they succeeded, just barely.
Very soon after, Fluttershy trotted out of the cottage, carrying Angel in her foreleg. Applejack and Rainbow Dash dug a hole deep enough near the cottage to bury Angel. Fluttershy felt her heart being squeezed as she placed Angel in the hole, a place where he would never come out from, a place where she would never see him again. She took one last glance at his face. He was still smiling, as if he was happy to see her.
"Does anypony want to say any last words to Angel?" Twilight asked.
"Well, he was an energetic little bunny, I have to say," Rainbow Dash said.
"What can I say? He surely was a nice guy. He made Fluttershy happy, and that's enough for me," Applejack said.
"He was cruel most times, but deep inside, he had a good heart," Rarity said.
"Gummy will miss you, Angel. We will all miss you," Pinkie Pie said, tears trickling on her cheeks.
Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but she cried instead of forming words.
Twilight hung her head down. "I guess that means we shouldn't make this any longer."
Fluttershy took a step away from the hole, losing vision of Angel, and allowing Rainbow Dash and Applejack to bury him. The other pets watched in pain as their friend faded under the soil.
Winona whined and let her tears fall.
Opal was fighting back tears.
"Who," Owlicious said to Opal, opening his wing for her; she accepted the embrace and cried under his wing, while he cried as well.
Tank hung his head down, a tear trickling down ever slowly on his cheek.
Gummy's expression didn't change, as he blinked two torrents of tears.
Those were their last goodbyes to Angel.
"Rest in peace, Angel Bunny," Applejack said, as she and Rainbow Dash finished the burial and placed a gravestone and a red flower on the grave.
"We'll never forget you, little buddy," Rainbow Dash said.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy," Twilight patted Fluttershy on the shoulder, trotting past her.
Everyone trotted away from the grave. They glanced back to see Fluttershy still standing in front of the grave.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight called.
Fluttershy was lying on her stomach, hiding her face under her forelegs and crying.
Rainbow Dash wanted to go back to her, but Twilight stopped her and shook her head.
"She needs to stay alone with him for now," Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash nodded sadly, then continued on her way, leaving Fluttershy to cry... and cry...
Three weeks later
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"I'm coming," Fluttershy called, trotting towards the door. She opened it to find Twilight, a saddlebag on her back.
"Good morning, Fluttershy!" Twilight greeted happily.
"Oh, hi there, Twilight."
"Sorry if I disturbed you."
"No, it's okay. It's nice to see somepony. The cottage felt kinda calm and empty after Angel passed away." Fluttershy stared sadly at the ground.
"Hmm, okay. I have something for you. Just close your eyes."
"Oh...okay." Fluttershy obliged and closed her eyes.
"Now you can open them!"
Fluttershy opened her eyes and widened them in surprise. Twilight was carrying in her foreleg a small, white bunny. She was so similar to Angel.
"What do you think?" Twilight asked; there was no response. "I found her near my castle and thought, who would be better to take care of her than Fluttershy?!"
Fluttershy's lower lip quivered. She seemed as if she was about to cry.
"Fluttershy? I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
Twilight was silenced by a sudden hug from Fluttershy. "Thank you so much Twilight! Thank you!" Fluttershy said, crying.
Twilight sighed in relief. "Glad you're happy."
"I'm more than happy!" Fluttershy broke the embrace.
"So, what will you call her?"
Fluttershy took the little bunny from Twilight and hugged her. "I'll call her...Angela!"
"Angela? Great name!"
"Now, Angela, go there and say hi to your new friends." Fluttershy placed Angela on the ground and let her enter the cottage. "Thank you, Twilight! I can never thank you enough for this!"
"You don't need to thank me. Just take care of Angela." Twilight turned around to leave.
"I will!"
"Goodbye." With that, Twilight flew back to towards her castle.
Just as Twilight left, Fluttershy heard the cottage's door shutting close. She also heard the lock clicking, indicating the door had been locked, too.
"Umm, Angela? Could you please open the door for me?"
