Something to Remember me by

by ChaoticHarmony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Sad, Fluttershy
Length: 7157

Goodbyes are painful. Nothing will ever change that...

Everything must end eventually. Ponies will drift apart as they grow, each of them pulled down a separate path of life. For some, it's a paved road lined with bright lights and jeweled sunshine. For others, it is merely a simple trail with only the light of the stars, sun, and moon to guide them.

Inspired by this comic

Published 2012-09-10 22:24:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-08 16:15:36 UTC

So That you Know I'm Still Here

Special Thanks to AssasinMonkey for doing the coverart once again! No, really, this guy is AMAZING!

Another Special thanks to DarkAura[NLR] for being an awesome prereader!

And one last special thanks to you, for reading this fiction. I hope you enjoy it.

---- Something to Remember me by ----

Why is it so easy to say hello when it is so hard to say goodbye?

The sun rose from its hiding place under the horizon, pushing away the darkness that shrouded the land. Each of the rays sliced away the night with ease, spreading into the world a brilliance that was only obtainable in the early hours, the time when there were few to witness it. The few that were awake watched with wondering eyes as the silver moon quickly retreated, drawing behind it the blackness as if it were simply a blanket that hung over the land of Equestria.

One of these ponies was sitting outside on the soft grass a small distance from the trickling stream that flowed beside her home. Her butter-yellow hooves were only just submerged in the clear liquid that flowed smoothly around them. Her soft hums barely triumphed over the gentle babbling of the water, providing a melody that danced around the tempo of the stream. Birds of every size fluttered around her and sang along to the song that whispered through the small blades of grass, each of their melodies blending into and setting themselves apart from hers.

As the song faded into nothingness, Fluttershy looked around at all of the birds that twittered at her from all sides. “Thank you, my friends. That was… nice.” Directing her gaze upward, Fluttershy watched in a deep, thoughtful way as the sun’s light finally pushed the entirety of the moon’s darkness under the horizon. “Nice.” She repeated simply, allowing a soft sigh to escape her lips before pulling her hooves out of the water to dry them on the fluffy towel that she had taken with her. It had been a gift, given to her a few years ago, from her old friend Rarity, the Element of Generosity and one of her best friends, not to mention one of the most-successful clothing designers of Canterlot.

Normally, the shy pegasus was hidden away inside at this hour, tending to her animal friends before braving the outside world. Today, however, was special. She spread her wings and stood, stretching her muscles that had remained immobile for so long that morning. Her soft groan penetrated the chirping of the birds, causing them to fall silent and stare at her with curious eyes. She followed their silence with one of her own; allowing it to remain undisturbed as she merely looked at the scenery that surrounded her. One of her oldest bird-friends hopped over to her, pushing his head against her leg and twittering nervously.

She patted the anxious creature lightly, smiling down at its worried eyes. “Oh, it’s okay, Birdly.” If birds could frown, then Birdly’s mouth would be turned down at nearly ninety degree angles. Fluttershy merely giggled at the creature as it pecked at her back, attempting to draw out the source of the preoccupation that hovered over her mind. “No, really, I’m fine.” The bird merely looked at her and cawed skeptically before flying away. The silence suddenly exploded with the sounds of what seemed to be thousands of wings as the flock of birds took to the skies. Another sigh found its way out of her mouth, this time filled with sadness rather than contentment.

She glanced over her shoulder at the birds as she stepped along the path that lead up to her cottage, finding herself eager to turn and take flight as well. She smiled sadly and continued walking, her hooves making soft thumps in the ground as they impressed their shapes into the dirt. Her door stood in front of her, smelling faintly of the fruit that the wood’s origin had once borne on drooping branches. It was a beautiful thing. On its hard surface was her name, carved in beautiful flowing letters. She remembered Applejack and her family as they presented the gift to her, urging her to accept it on the day before they moved to the struggling settler-town of Appaloosa in order to assist their family there.

After a moment of silent admiration, in which she ran her hoof across the carved letters that were set deep into the wood, she pushed into her home and allowed the door to swing shut behind her with a snap. Her hooves clicked on the floorboards as she walked over to the animal feed that was hidden away under the staircase. She called the animals softly with a small tune, pouring the small pellets into a few different bowls as the different creatures scurried into her cottage. “Good morning, everyone.” She smiled at all of her friends before turning to put the feed back where it belonged.

A loud, incessant tapping greeted her as she emerged from the cupboard. She hovered into the kitchen, where the sound was originating from, and looked down to find Angel Bunny tapping his rather large foot on the smooth tiles. She chuckled at her oldest friend’s stubbornness and took down a salad that had been resting on the top of the dining table. “Okay, Angel Bunny, here you go; a nice, special salad just for you!” As she set the dish on the floor, the white rabbit reached up and grabbed her hoof, pulling her closer to him as he looked deeply into her eyes. Another sigh worked its way up into her throat until she quashed the urge to release it. “I’m fine Angel, really.”

The accusing beads of black were further obscured by white as the bunny squinted at her, his eyes seeming to say ”I’m not stupid, Fluttershy.” The tiny paw brushed lightly against her cheek, the eyes now asking her a question that she couldn’t answer. She shook her head at the ball of white fur and turned away, hiding the sudden upwelling of tears that appeared in her eyes.

Everyone is concerned about me, but I can’t tell them what’s wrong. A feeling of helplessness filled her to the core as she stepped around the animals that nibbled on the food that she had set out for them. Wiping a hoof over her eyes in an attempt to clear her misty vision, the yellow pegasus flew up the staircase and into her room. Once seated upon the soft covers of her bed, she reached over and grasped a worn picture frame that stood on the nightstand. The faces that were frozen on the paper looked up towards her from a different time. A different life.

Twilight Sparkle, the first to leave Ponyville to study abroad in the outlying territories of Equestria, had been rendered nearly incoherent with tears as she pulled out a piece of paper which no doubt had a farewell speech written on it and began reading. Eventually, the studious unicorn had simply tossed the words aside and gathered the other five of them into a large hug. Her last words echoed up into Fluttershy’s mind, sounding as they had on that day. ”I’m going to miss you. All of you. Thank you so much for those gifts you all gave me. Thanks to them, I’ll never ever forget you guys.”

The socially-challenged pony had given them a gift in turn, each of them receiving a large book that had Twilight’s Cutie Mark as a cover image. On its pages stood not text, but pictures; pictures transferred from the librarian’s mind and imposed onto the white paper. All of her memories in Ponyville, both the good and the not-so-good, were magically pressed into the paper better than any kind of ink could do. The leather-bound book, now slightly yellow with age, stood tall on the top of her bookshelf, where anypony could see it.

Fluttershy looked up to the oversized book, the border of it wavering in her vision.

Pinkie Pie had been the second to leave the small town, the pink pony being tasked to run the Royal Kitchen in Canterlot. Throwing a party in a manner quite like her usual self, excepting the small sad smile that replaced the ordinarily bubbly one, the earth pony raised their spirits above the sadness of the occasion. Each of them had also given her a gift, something for her to remember them by, though the pony’s uncanny ability to remember all the things about her friends would probably strike such a need for an item. However, the excitable earth pony accepted the gifts with, well, excitement. The party pony’s last words also sounded as if they were shouted shrilly merely minutes ago. ”Oh, thanks you guys! I bet I can make a nice little shelf in the castle with these! Oh thank you thank you thank you!”

The mischievous pony also left them all with parcels, which contained a single sheet of yellow and pink paper. It was a recipe for Chimmecherry Chongas, something Pinkie had perfected in the years prior to that day. The now slightly-crumpled and stained piece of paper sat in Fluttershy’s kitchen, framed in a balloon-ringed holder. Every year, on the same date as that fateful day when five became four, Fluttershy baked some of the delicious treats in memento to her departed friend.

She gulped around the strange feeling in her throat, blinking away a few watery tears that attempted to free themselves from her eyes.

The next one of their group to leave was Rarity, undoubtedly drawn away by how large her business had grown, especially in Canterlot. As with the other two that had left them, the circle of friends gathered one final time in the Ponyville Day Spa, exchanging gifts once more between themselves with teary eyes. There was but two words that Rarity had uttered, barely able to pronounce them through her sobs. ”Farewell, everypony.” Fluttershy remembered how sad their last embrace had felt, how empty it left her as Rarity pulled away and stepped onto the train.

It would have been unbefitting of the Element of Generosity to depart without leaving them with something in return. In her usual way of showing her love for them, Rarity had crafted each of them a new Gala dress, as theirs had been utterly destroyed in the last Gala they had attended. Fluttershy’s dress hung in her closet, twinkling slightly with life even in the dark space, begging to be taken out and worn. She found herself opening the closet door at times and slipping into the garment, posing in the mirror as if she were a fashion-born pony, only to sigh sadly after a few minutes and place the beautiful clothes back onto their hooks.

Small taps could be heard in the room as her tears began to slide down her face and drip onto the glass from behind which her friends all smiled up to her.

The final pony to move away was Applejack, who had been stubbornly putting off her goodbyes until the last minute. They all sat around a table in the railroad station, each lost in their own emotions until the orange pony pulled out a large pitcher of Apple Family cider. Without words, she also brought out three mugs and set them down in front of each of them, pouring the golden liquid into them before sitting down again. Another moment of silence assaulted the trio of friends as they stared at the drink before them. Applejack was the first to grab her cup, the other two mimicking the action. ”Well everypony, Ah’m not one for speeches or nothin’. Was fun being ya’lls friend, but Ah hope we still are.” They simply clank their tankards together and downed the cider, each of them letting out a refreshed sigh as they finished it off.

Though nothing physical was given to her, Fluttershy could still remember that particular mug of liquid above all others. Whenever she drank a different kind of cider, any flaws that would have normally made themselves known were forgotten as the recalled taste of Applejack’s brand, and the memories that came with it, danced across her taste buds and mind.

A ringing bell drew her out of her memories, pulling her away from those happy times and into the present. She drew a hoof across her face, brushing away her tears. A single thought wormed its way into her mind, repeating itself over and over again in time with the bell’s peals. It’s time. She got up from her perch on the soft blankets and walked slowly over to her desk, upon which sat a non-descript paper bag. She grabbed the package in her mouth and pushed open her window, from which she flew into the sky. It’s time.

After a few minutes’ flight, her butter-yellow hooves were landing lightly on the hard-packed dirt of the takeoff strip for pegasi on weather missions. She slowed to a stop and looked around at the flat plain of nothingness that was broken only by the shapes of a few ponies that crossed its surface and a few outlying buildings that jutted upward. Minutes passed, seeming like seconds to her as groups of weather pegasi took off from the many different areas in the airfield to prepare for the storm that had been scheduled for that day. She smiled as she watched a grey mare yelling at a pair of colts that had apparently done their tasks wrong, reminiscing at how Rainbow used to rant at her about how she didn’t push the clouds hard enough to stay in place.

A lone flyer landed in the dirt in front of her, slowing to a dead stop in a matter of seconds, the pegasus’ prismatic mane waving behind her in the wind. She watched in silence as the mare slowly walked toward her. When the blue-suited mare became level with her, Fluttershy turned and trotted beside her. The silence was broken only by the sound of flapping wings and their hooves as they touched the ground. The bag suddenly seemed to weigh tons as they walked farther and farther down the strip until it became so heavy that she set it down and stopped

“Shy, I—“

“Shhh, Rainbow. It’s okay.” Fluttershy merely sat there, playing with the fringes of the package that she had brought with her. “I have something for you, Rainbow.” Fluttershy merely pushed the bag over to her friend, who looked at it with sad eyes before pulling out a flower with pink petals that curled curiously like Fluttershy’s mane.

“What is it?”

“It’s just something to remember me by, it’s nothing re—“ She cut off as the cyan pegasus wrapped her in a warm embrace. Fluttershy brushed through the rainbow mane and murmured softly as the pony cried softly into her own.

“I could never forget you, Shy, and anything you give me is special!” Rainbow Dash tightened her hold on her friend, slightly rocking back and forth with the force of her sobs. After a few minutes, the brash pony pulled away from her oldest friend and rubbed a hoof at her eyes. “Shy, I… I’m not saying goodbye. I won’t do it, because...” She looked up into the sky, Fluttershy doing the same. “I’ll be coming back. Remember when we went after Nightmare Moon, and I had to go across the bridge?”

“Of course I do, Rainbow.”

“Well, I said ‘I never leave my friends hangin’, and that includes you, Fluttershy.” Rainbow turned away and watched as a few more pegasi took to the sky as another group landed. “I-I’ll see you again, Pinkie Pie promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cup—“ A butter-yellow hoof touched itself to her lips, silencing her promise.

“Please, don’t make promises you can’t keep, Rainbow. Especially a Pinkie Promise. It’s okay, I’ll be fine.” Fluttershy drew her oldest friend into another hug, this one briefer than the last. As she pulled away, Fluttershy backed up a few spaces and sat there on the dirt expectantly.

“You aren’t going to let me go without you watching, are you, Shy?” A small smile was given to her in answer, bringing a snort from the tomboyish pegasus. “Figured." She crouched and spread her wings wide. "Well, here’s my little something for you to remember the coolest and most radical pony in all of Equestria by!” With that, the newly-joined Wonderbolt took to the air with a powerful flap of her wings.

Fluttershy watched as the sky was painted with a sparkling rainbow that shimmered in the sun for a moment, and was gone.

I can tell by your tears that you will remember it all.

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.

It’s all said and done, it’s real, and it’s been fun.

How lucky I am to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to.

However, saying goodbye isn’t the hard part, it’s what we leave behind that’s tough.

You say you will never forget...

But it’s always nice to have something to remember me by.

The end

Epilogue Part One: Something in the Mail

---- Something to Remember me by ----

---- Epilogue Part One: Something in the Mail ----

When you're alone, sometimes all you need is a letter to rid yourself of the feeling.

Five Years Later

Fluttershy walked away from the town of Ponyville, though it hardly earned the name of a “town” anymore. The bustling city was full of ponies, large businesses shooting upward from its roots of family-run stores and shops. The trail that she walked on, once dirt but now pavement, still lead out into nature; the land by the Everfree Forest that nopony else dared to defile and change. After a day of trying to navigate the once-familiar town, she found herself on the verge of exhaustion. Ponies jostling by without saying hello, buildings that reached so high that the clouds seemed lower than them, even the marketplace being filled with buildings rather than stands, it was all so much change.

She shook away the unsteady feeling that found itself resting on her heart more often than not, still walking in her slow, measured pace back to her home. A wall of shrubs and plant-life could be seen a small distance away, blocking the view from the outside. As she stepped closer to it, her hooves took her away from the road onto a smaller dirt path that was packed hard with her everyday walking upon it. Soon the sight of the growing city behind her faded away behind the greenery that sprouted from every direction. She smiled at a grey stone that looked up at her from its place on the ground, the words that were carved into its surface slightly worn from the nature that surrounded it.

Angel Bunny
The best bunny friend I could ever ask for

Rest in peace, my dear

Fluttershy sat there for what seemed like ages, looking into the times long past, a smile creeping along her face as the fond memories made themselves known. Time lost all meaning as she stared at the grave, losing herself to the grains that composed the sands of time. The loud call of a bird drew her out of the folds of recollections with a start, making her look up in alarm. The sun shone far off in the distance, telling the world that it was weary of its trip across the sky and was ready to rest once more. She reached into her saddlebags and drew out one of her flowers, laying it down next to those already there and turning away. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled one last time at the tombstone. “Good night, Angel Bunny.”

Once inside her home once more, she set the saddlebags down on the floor and stretched, relishing in the now-weightless feel of her back, her wings flaring outward with relief after being held down by the heavy straps. “Oh my, that feels nice.” She smiled as she finished her stretching, her wings folding back against her side. Picking up her brush, she set about rectifying the damage that had been done to her mane over the course of the day’s shopping. The tune that she hummed came easily to her mind, a wordless melody that she often sang aloud with the accompaniment of her animal friends that could provide it. Of course, most of her animal friends had fled into and past the Everfree Forest to escape the surge of pollution that plagues the natural world around Ponyville even today, despite the town’s leaders attempts to cut waste.

Her brushing completed, she laid the bristled tool back where it belonged and looked at the mirror, flashing a small, shy smile to herself. “Hello there, Fluttershy.” A light giggle escaped her lips before she turned to enter her kitchen, unaffected by the silence that gripped her once-bustling-with-critters home. She opened her refrigerator and drew out a plate that held her meal to end the day with. She sat down at the table with the simple daisy sandwich and bit a large chunk into its side, giggling slightly as small crumbs of the bread toppled from her mouth onto the plate below.

Taking another large bite, she found herself without another one to take after she swallowed, her sandwich a mere pile of crumbs on the dish below her. “Oh, my, I must have been hungrier than I thought. Oh well.” She picked up the plate and walked over to the sink next to the window, through which the sun shone with an orange light that peeked at her from over the horizon. Enraptured by the sight, she sighed contentedly as she put the now-clean dish onto a towel to dry before turning to stare at the diminishing glow.

Without warning, a green light filled the room, accompanied by the sound of magical fire. “Eep!” She jumped backward with fright as something landed on her head, stopping only when she smacked into the opposite wall. Pushing herself up from her newfound position on the floor, she looked around for the source of her reaction. Her eyes roamed over the room once before finally settling on the pale, brownish-yellow of the parchment that lay on her floor in the form of a scroll, sealed with the Royal Emblem of Celestia. “Oh my, a letter from the Princess!” She grabbed the letter in her mouth and trotted into her living room, setting it on the table and gracefully hopping up onto her couch. “I wonder what she could want.”

After a few moments of fumbling with the seal, as all pegasi and earth ponies did due to their lack of magic, the scroll sprung open. “Dearest Fluttershy,” she read with a quieter-than-usual voice. “Your presence has been requested at this year’s Grand Galloping Gala, in the hope that you might assist us with a matter that is of utmost importance. Yours Truly, Princess Celestia.” The letter went on further as to list the goddess’s many titles but Fluttershy had eyes only for the golden ticket that shone with a magical glow, no doubt a spell cast by the letter’s sender to ensure that it stay there until she was ready to use it.

She grabbed the slip of plastic and pulled it away from the scroll, wincing at the harsh taste of the artificial material. Spitting it out into her hoof, she looked at it with both reverence and confusion. “What could the Princess need from me?” Suddenly a more-urgent matter made itself known as Fluttershy walked over to the calendar, another jolt of shock passing through her as she read the words The Grand Galloping Gala in the square that represented the very next day. “Oh no! The Gala is tomorrow!”

Her hooves clicked on the tiles as she paced back and forth anxiously, her breath coming in pants as she fretted over her decision. “Oh, the Princess wants me to go to the Gala for something important! I can’t just ignore her!” Her mane waved as she suddenly turned and walked the other way. “But the Gala is tomorrow! I don’t know if I’m ready to go there again after what happened last time, not to mention all the ponies that will be there!” She turned again. “But if I don’t go, the Princess might be mad at me and make me go to the Gala!” Stopping suddenly, she clutched her head with both hooves, shaking it back and forth. “Oh, it’s so hard to decide!”

It was at that moment another scroll decided to make a dramatic appearance before her, landing on the floor with a clatter. “Another letter?” She nervously pawed at the seal before pulling it away and allowing the rolled parchment to unfurl and reveal its contents. “P.S. I have, shall we say, told the castle menagerie to tolerate your presence.” She couldn’t suppress her squeak as she read the line over and over. “Oh, I just have to go now! All those little critters to spend time with? Aaah, I’m so excited I could scream.” Taking in a deep breath, Fluttershy released her pent up energy with a barely-audible shout of joy.

A sudden realization shattered her joy, replacing it with anxiety. “Oh, but what am I going to wear? What can I wear?” She fluttered around her cottage, nervously scanning the room for any indication as to the answer for her question. She nearly flew into a wall as she darted another direction, her wingtips grazing the smooth surface. Veering away from the blank patch of painted plaster, she crashed into the table that had once been demolished by the Cutie Mark Crusaders in a vain attempt to get their Cutie Marks. Rubbing her pained head, Fluttershy huffed and tossed her head. After a few moments of staying still, she blinked hard and sighed.

“Oh my. I have to calm down, I’m becoming like Pinkie Pie!” She let out a soft giggle before taking a deep, steadying breath and walking over to the closet that held her spa-buddy’s parting gift. “I know I have the perfect thing to wear.” Opening the closet door, she gasped as the light that filtered into the room shimmered on the dress that hung from the scarcely used hangers. She ran a hoof down the soft fabric, relishing in the feel of the supple cloth. “Thank you, Rarity, it’s perfect.”

She backed out of the closet and shut the door with a soft snap, drooping with the sudden weariness that grasped her body. Looking out of her window, she was faintly shocked to see the moon resting high in the sky amongst the twinkling stars. “How did it get so late?” Suppressing a yawn, Fluttershy walked up the staircase and into her room. Setting the letter and the ticket on her mirror-stand, she sleepily read through it once more before clicking off her light. Crawling into bed, she finally allowed a yawn to escape her before descending back into the painful embrace of dreams; a place where her past became the present, though inexplicably filled with regret and longing.

“The best night ever…” Her whisper was lost to the sounds of the morning, a few birds that had stopped to rest the night near her cottage twittering happily as they flitted around the bushes. She shook herself lightly, tearing her mind’s eye away from the night that had happened so long ago. “W-w-what time is it?” She yawned against a hoof and walked over to the window, small splashes of sunlight leaking in from behind the heavy cloth that was draped over them. Drawing back the curtains that hid most of the sun’s light from the room, she couldn’t suppress a gasp as the sun’s position, much higher than she had anticipated, made itself apparent.

“Oh no! I’m going to be late!” Flapping her wings, Fluttershy literally flew down her staircase and into the main room of her cottage. She frantically scanned the room as she searched for a brush, grabbing one with her teeth when her watchful eyes spotted the simple tool. Wasting no time, she ran it through her hair as she completed the rest of her normal morning routine with a single hoof. Setting the brush down and sighing with relief, she walked back upstairs to her room and the bed that needed making. As she was rectifying the disarray her nightly tossing had inflicted on her blanket, a glint of gold caught her eye. She took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh before picking up the slip of plastic.

Please note that this is going to be an Epilogue in two parts, and I am currently working on the last part of it, which should be released here sometime within a few days.

Epilogue Part Two: Again at the Gala

Epilogue Part Two: Again at the Gala

---- Something to Remember me by ----

---- Epilogue Part Two: Again at the Gala ----

However far away you drift from each other, friends have a nasty habit of meeting again, even if it takes a little nudge.

Five hours later, she found herself standing outside the large gates that towered over the opulent path into Canterlot, the fabric of the dress shimmering in the light cast by the gemstone lights that lined the road. She couldn’t help but cringe at the glances that the other ponies directed at her, even those that were simply passing over her. A nudge sent her frayed nerves alight, making her jump with a small squeak.

“Well, pardon me, Miss. I didn’t see you there.” A gallant-looking stallion removed his hat from his head and bowed slightly before continuing into the city. “Though, you might not want to stand in the way like that either.” He called jovially over his shoulder, giving her a wink before returning his attentions to the pony that trotted alongside him, a pretty cobalt mare with an elaborate hairstyle that practically screamed upper-class.

“Thank you.” Her murmur was heard only by empty air before being lost to the crowd’s chatter. Shaking herself from the strange trance that held her, Fluttershy passed through the wrought-iron bars, her shoes that Rarity had attached with the dress clicking lightly on the stones with every step. She stared around at the city that she thought she knew, her eyes taking in the greatly-changed buildings of the ancient city of Canterlot, giving a newer feel to the whitewashed walls that were made in places with plaster instead of stone. Turning down the smaller road that led towards the gardens, she found her way barred by two heavy-set stallions in golden armor.

“Are you Miss Fluttershy?” Taking her terrified squeak as a yes, the guard nodded to his partner before turning back to her. “Well then, come with us. There is somepony very important who would like to speak with you.” He walked up to her and nudged her with a wing. “Come, Miss Fluttershy, she doesn’t have all night.” The trio walked in a bubble of space, as royal guards tend to create for themselves whenever they ventured into the streets outside the castle.

The wandered farther and farther from the tall stone walls, finding themselves nearly alone in a backstreet of the city. The two stallions stopped suddenly, taking of post on either side of her with stoic expressions on their faces. “Miss Fluttershy.” One of them stated simply, waving his hoof to the side. Panic eliminated any sense that she had, flowing through her body like wildfire before another voice came from the store beside them.

“Fluttershy?” A gasp, followed by a wall of pink flying out of the store that crashed into the butter-yellow pegasus, cut off whatever the other voice was going to say.

“Oh my gosh, Fluttershy!” The pair of hooves that was wrapped around her tightened, squeezing more of the oxygen from her lungs. “It’s so good to see you! I mean, really really really really real—“

“Hi… Pinkie… Pie. I missed… you… too… But can you... miss me a little less?” She wiggled in the embrace, trying to free herself from the party pony’s hooves.

“Oops.” The pink pony released her, smiling sheepishly at her after she brushed herself off. “Sorry, but I just missed you so much and I couldn’t just not hug you, because then I wouldn’t be able to hug all my friends!”

Fluttershy smiled warmly at her old friend. “That’s okay Pinkie, I understand. Wait,” The implications of the baker’s words finally hit her. “Did you say all of your friends?” The earth pony nodded excitedly. “As in, Rarity and Twilight and everypony else?” Another nod. “W-w-what? W-w-who d-did—“

“Good gravy girl, are ya going to come inside and let us greet you?” A voice with a slight country twang cut across her stutters. “Get in here already!”

“Yes Fluttershy, darling, do come in before you catch a cold.” Rarity’s unmistakable accent called out. She pushed open the door and blinked as she stepped inside.

“Um… wow.” She looked around at the party her friends had put together, Pinkie’s hoof in things evident by the worn party cannon that sat in the corner. “Is this… for me?”

Twilight Sparkle, as studious as ever, looked up from her book and giggled. “What, this? No, Fluttershy, it’s for us. The Elements of Harmony, our own little Gala right here in Pony Joe’s Donut Shop.” Tilting her head back to shout backwards, she yelled into the next room. “Thanks again for that, Pony Joe.”

“No problem, Twilight Sparkle. Anything for an old regular.” A husky voice called from the kitchen.

They all sat in silence for a moment, giving Fluttershy time to look around the old shop whose white walls were still cracked and flaked with memories. A sudden shock jolted through her body as she glanced over at the rest of her friends. “Wait, you said all of us. Where’s Rainbow Dash?” It was as if the lights dimmed as a depressed hush fell over the other four, their faces ranging from anger to teary-eyed sadness. It stabbed at her heart to see her friends in so much pain. “Um, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make everypony else sa—“

“You didn’t do nothin, Fluttershy.” Applejack slammed a hoof on the table and straitened her hat angrily. “That Rainbow, always puttin’ things off like that. Ah’m just about ready to use Kicks McGee on that mare, thinkin’ she’s gotta stay for that Gala with those Wonderbolts instead of coming to see us after all this time.” As she fell silent, the rest of them shifted awkwardly in their seats. “Ah’m sorry everypony, Ah don’t mean to get all riled up.”

Twilight Sparkle decided to prevent the awkward silence that would no-doubtedly develop. “That’s all right, AJ. I guess we have to accept that she’s moved on.” Shaking her head sadly, Twilight turned back to shout at the owner. “Hey Pony Joe, how are those donuts coming along?” In answer, the stallion burst through the double doors and deposited a heaping platter of pastries onto the table. “I thought I ordered only a dozen. That looks like a lot more than a dozen.” She, like the others, looked upon the pile with both awe and disbelief.

The tan pony flashed a smile before bowing to the mares. “My treat, Twilight Sparkle, for a very special circle of friends. After all, what’s a Gala without any food?” Chuckling to himself, the donut-dealer turned away from the befuddled five and returned to his kitchen, the double doors swinging in his wake.

After a few moments of silence, Pinkie Pie visibly quivered on the edge of leaping at the mountain of food. Twilight simply sighed. “Go ahead, Pinkie Pie. I know you’re dying to eat some.” Grabbing the now-in-the-air mare with a spell, she laughed with the others as she levitated a few of the pastries onto her plate. “Just let us get some first.” After the gathered ponies had obtained their meals, the spell holding back the pink pony dissipated, allowing her to slam face-first into the pile of food with a squeal of delight.

The group of ponies, underestimating the sugar-loving pony’s enthusiasm for sweets after being apart for so long, were helpless as the crumbs and drops of frosting fell upon them. Rarity was the first to speak, her affronted tone cutting through the sounds of engorgement. “Pinkie Pie! You just got food all over my new dress!” Pulling out a handkerchief from who-knows-where, the fashionista made futile efforts to clean herself. “Oh, it’s not coming out! Oh, this is the worst possible thing!”

“Oh, Rarity, it’s just a little icing and some bread.” Twilight shook her head as the other unicorn flared up indignantly.

“It’s more than just a dress, Twilight. See, it is a one-of-a-kind, hoof-stitched dress made of the very rarest of silks from the spiders that are in the crystal mines beneath the city. “I bought it at the Canterlot Orphanage charity auction, for more than it really costs for sure, but it was worth every bit.” She sighed dramatically and put a hoof to her head. “And now it’s ruined!”

Pinkie Pie, drawn out of her eating by her friend’s wail of despair, leapt from the table and landed next to Rarity. “Oh, don’t worry, Rarity! I have the perfectest thing that will get all those tasty bits of food out of that pretty dress.” Pulling out an ordinary-looking dish rag, she approached Rarity with a determined look on her face.

“Oh no, keep that dirty little thing away from me.” The white pony waved her hooves in an attempt to fend off Pinkie but it was hopeless, her protests turning into sputters as the cloth rubbed over her face and clothes. When it was finally removed, a speechless Rarity sat in the chair looking down at herself, now free of any food that had been adorning her dress. “W-w-what?” She pawed at the folds of silk. “How… how did y-you—“

“Well, the Princess gave me this after she saw that I kept getting all kinds of stuff on my chef’s clothes in the castle. It’s super-duperrific right?” She bounced around the room in her usual manner. “I mean, if I accidentally get something on somepony else like that I can use it on them too and—“ Applejack’s hoof, with a donut on the end of it, put an end to the pink pony’s rambling.

“All right now, Pinkie, we get it.” The orange pony pushed her Stetson hat back up onto her head and smiled at them. “All right ya’ll, let’s eat!”

The other five’s voices filled the tiny shop with enthusiasm. “Yeah!”

. . .

Hours later, Fluttershy stood atop the building’s roof, staring up into the stars that formed a lattice across the black sky. There was no moon tonight, a gaping hole filling where it normally rested. Applejack’s words came back to her from inside her heart, stabbing into her with each syllable. Ah’m just about ready to use Kicks McGee on that mare, thinkin’ she’s gotta stay for that Gala with those Wonderbolts instead of coming to see us after all this time.” Tears soon found themselves falling down on a suicidal mission to the ground, exploding into countless particles as they struck the roof tiles.

“Oh, Rainbow…” She caught herself searching the sky for the familiar rainbow trail zipping in a line towards her. She felt yet another stab when she saw nothing there. “Why did you have to go and join those Wonderbolts?” She couldn’t suppress the anger that bubbled up from deep within her, brought out by her friend that had always been by her side through their years together. “And now you aren’t here…” Fluttershy bitterly wiped away her tears and turned away from the sky, looking down at the stone and tracing the patterns with her eyes.

“Fluttershy?” The small voice called out in the night hesitantly, sounding so unlike her friend from five years past. “Are you here?”

“I’m up here, Rainbow Dash.” Her voice, which would have normally been breathy and happy, was filled with a disgusting anger that filled her entire being. “I’ve been here.”

“Fluttershy!” The flapping of wings signaled the arrival of the sextet’s other pegasus, who landed a short distance away and kicked at the ground slowly. “So… how are you… er… doing?” Even now, as she stood before Fluttershy, Rainbow’s voice had changed. Her appearance had as well. No longer was the athletic pegasus carrying the look of a tomboy, holding now the look of a careless pony who was on top of the world and held the ponies around her in her hooves.

“How am I doing? I’m doing fine, Rainbow.” Her voice was cold, frighteningly so. “I’m so happy that you are too.” Fluttershy heaved suddenly, her mouth shutting around a sob that threatened to escape. The rainbow-maned pegasus’ cyan hooves attempted to wrap around her in a comforting hug, but Fluttershy batted them away. “No, Rainbow. You can’t do anything.” Fluttershy turned away and looked back into the star-studded night sky. “You can’t do anything, Rainbow.”

“Shy… I… I know I bucked up… I know that I’m just some jerk who brushed away her friends like they were nothing.” Behind her, Fluttershy could hear the soft plips of tears impacting into the tiles that lined the room. “But I want to tell you something, Shy. So could you just turn around and let me tell you?”

As she did so, soft lips touched to hers and shattered all of her conscious thoughts. Time seemed to lose meaning as the two ponies kissed on the rooftop. Fluttershy felt all of her anger and frustration ebb away, replaced by a strange contentment that filled her with warmth. After what seemed like several lifetimes, the cyan pegasus pulled away and smiled tearfully. “Shy… I don’t want you to remember me how I am now.” Rainbow Dash backed up to the edge of the roof and shook her head sadly. “Just… remember me how I was.” With a flap of her strong wings, the Wonderbolt flew into the night’s embrace.

The butter-yellow pegasus stood on the rooftop, touching a hoof to her lip and staring at the darkness where her oldest friend had disappeared from her life. “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash.”

Through the tests of time, our friendships endure.

All six of them, bright and pure.

But sometimes, even though you are still friends, your time apart has no cure.

And the only thing you can do is remember the good memories of that old friend, the mare azure.