Thousands of tiny stars glittered in the night sky, while the cold breeze played with Fluttershy’s mane, making her shiver. Summer had ended and autumn was taking over, causing multicolored leaves flying everywhere, some of them spiraling around Fluttershy’s backyard where she sat at the pond.
The surface of the small pond rippled again as another tear ran along her cheek, dropping into the cold water. The wind was blowing even harder, ruffling her fur and wings, forcing the mare shake as the shivers ran along her spine.
“Why does nopony care about me?” she whimpered, breathing a cloud of vapor into the night sky while staring the moon. “Why won’t anypony love me?”
Quiet sobbing filled the air as the stars glimmered in competition with her eyes.
“She said she’d come, but she didn’t,” the mare slurred through her tears, “Am I not worth anything to her; to anypony?”
It was Fluttershy's birthday, but like always, she didn’t want a big party, just some quality time with her friends; especially with Pinkie Pie. The timid pegasus had a crush on the pink party mare, but she was way too shy to tell about her feelings. Being a close friend was the next best thing she knew.
She had specially requested her to come and Pinkie Pie had promised to be there. Not Pinkie promised, but still. None of her other friends had shown up either, not even Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t interested to hear their explanations anymore. They simply didn’t care, she’d refuse to hear any of it. What excuse would somepony have to miss their friend's birthday?
The birthday cake was sitting on the kitchen table and the candles had burned out a long time ago, melting on top of the cake. Fluttershy wasn’t much of a baker, but she thought it would impress Pinkie Pie nevertheless.
Thoughts about some kind of a disaster in Ponyville filled her mind as the possible reason for her friends to not show up, but then again, this wasn’t even the first time this had happened. Things had not been good for a long time. ‘No, this was the last time they hurt me,’ she thought.
Fluttershy stared her reflection on the pond's surface and sobbed.
“M-Maybe it’s better if I j-just... If I just leave Ponyville and never come back. There’s nothing for me in here anymore,” she said, gritting her teeth as the sorrow pressed her head down.
Tears poured from her eyes and the hatred filled her heart for the longest time. Nothing would matter anymore. They’d need to get along without one of the elements. They didn’t care about her, why should she give a flying pony feather about them either.
Fluttershy’s got enough of being that kind and understanding pegasus that everypony else could just walk over, never mind it was her destiny. It was her life and she didn’t want to play her role any longer. She simply wasn’t happy anymore.
She stood up and watched the moon, her vision blurring from the tears.
“I’m sorry, Luna and Celestia, but I have to leave. I don’t believe in the magic of friendship anymore... It’s just an illusion,” Fluttershy said pouting, turning her head away from the moon.
She walked back inside and took a look around her home. There were no animals around at the time as most of them were already preparing to hibernate. Angel was sitting on the couch, staring Fluttershy worriedly. She had told him to stay inside as she wanted to be alone for a moment.
Fluttershy stopped upon laying her eyes on the bunny. He looked somewhat alarmed, unsure, and scared even.
“Angel honey, would you like to go on a small trip with me?” Fluttershy inquired from her brave little pet.
Angel tilted his head, looking his master questioningly.
“Oh, I don’t know where, but it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s far away from Ponyville,” she answered.
The bunny then motioned something at the pegasus a moment later.
“They are not my friends anymore!” Fluttershy retorted. “I have been tolerating this far too long and it’s time to act,”
Angel lowers his ears and looks down, being sad upon hearing the news. He then shakes his head and hops towards Fluttershy, stopping in front of her and reaching his paws towards the pegasus.
Fluttershy formed a delicate smile on her lips.
“I knew I could count on you, Angel,” she says and lowers her head to the floor, allowing the bunny to hop on her back.
She walked to the upstairs and picked up her saddlebag and put it on. Stopping by one of the drawers, she sighed and opened it. From the drawer, she took out a small box, putting it in the saddlebag.
“Let’s see, I have the brush, some food, few bits, and your bowl,” Fluttershy revises, “It feels quite bad to leave all my critters behind, but I can’t stay here anymore. Not with my good for nothing friends,” she says to Angel, who gently pats Fluttershy on the back.
“I thought that Pinkie Pie would show up at least...” the pegasus whispers, “I’m such a fool,”
Tears start to form in her eyes again as she gathers the rest of her personal stuff and goes back downstairs.
She sees a picture of her friends hanging on the wall. Everypony looked so happy, although Fluttershy herself was acting shyly on the photo, hiding behind the others as the last pony on the row. Rainbow Dash was flying, while Pinkie Pie had the largest grin on her face she had seen for a while. Others were just staring at the camera.
Fluttershy takes the picture down and puts it on the table next to the cake and stares it a while longer before sobbing.
“I thought you were my friends,”
She then takes the small box from her saddlebag and opens it. The golden necklace with the pink butterfly shaped gem in the middle shines from the casing. She picks it up and sets it next to the cake as well.
Angel watches Fluttershy, eyes widening from the surprise as he starts to realize that this was going to be a one-way ticket. This was the goodbye.
Tears fall onto the table as the pegasus twitches from crying. Angel’s eyes start to fill with tears as well, never had he seen his master like this. Completely devastated, desperate, and sad. It wasn’t the first time he saw her crying, but certainly the most emotional one. How could he ever comfort his master? The only way he knew was a gentle hug. The bunny wobbled closer to her neck and hugged tightly.
“Thank you, Angel. You are my only true friend,” Fluttershy whispers through her blurred vision, giving a small kiss on Angel’s forehead.
She opens the cottage door and with one quick motion, jumps into the night sky, not looking behind her, as she disappears among the stars with Angel.
