I lifted my head off the pillow. I levitated some tissues to me and wiped the tears off my face. I thought the whole Sunburst thing when I was a filly hurt me. That pales in comparison to the hurt I feel right now. I never thought Twilight and my other "friends" would have abandoned for that idiot unicorn Starswirl. They didn't stand up for me, but sure as hell stood up for Twilight when he was rude to her. What makes me so less important that I don't get ponies standing up for me. Not even the Princess of Friendship herself cared enough about me to defend me. Nor Spike. Some Elements of Harmony these six are.

"I thought we were friends," I mumbled to myself. I rolled my eyes. "And now you're talking to yourself while Princess Twilight fawns over Starswirl." I glanced at the picture of me and Twilight along with our friends. I don't know why seeing that angered me, but it did. I lifted the picture with my magic and flung it at the wall as hard as I could, wincing at the sound of the glass shattering. I waited for someone to come to my room on concern. But shocker, no one came.

"Probably so busy with their replacement friends," I growled. "I always get fucking replaced." I fell backwards on my bed and fought back tears again. I really thought we were friends. After everything I did. After all my progress. From stopping Chrysalis with Trixie, Discord and Thorax, to Stygian. Now that I think about, that doesn't sound like a lot of progress. I wiped a tear that sneaked past my defenses away with a hoof. I should honestly quit holding back the tears, maybe letting it out would be best. I rolled over and shoved my face into my pillow and started sobbing again.

"W-what makes me so unimportant that I don't deserve respect?" I sniffled to myself. "I'm trying so hard for be a good pony. I thought I put my past behind me, but it always comes to bit me in the flank." I angrily slammed my hoof into the pillow. Repeatedly. "Maybe I just need to give it a few days, and everything will turn out fine." I snorted at that and wiped some snot of my muzzle with a hoof. I felt disgusting with the snot in my fur. I decided to get out of bed and looked in the mirror.

"Holy shit," I mumbled. I looked like a mess, mascara running down my face and the rest of my makeup messed up. I really need to fix my make up later. I prided my appearance a lot. I really toned down the makeup usage since I left my village. Probably because I didn't need to worry about ruling with an iron fist over every pony there. They were doing well from what I heard. Nightglider was on the town committee, Double Diamond was opening a skiing resort in the mountains to bring in revenue for the town and Sugar Belle was running a bakery out of her house. I stepped forward into my shower and turned it on, feeling the warm water spray onto my fur.

I levitated the sprayer with my magic and rinsed off my makeup and tear stained face. I focused extra hard on the snot covered hoof and my chest fur. I hated crying, it always left me a mess like this afterwards. Before that, I never cried. Crying doesn't really give off strict leader of a village, does it? I stepped out the shower after rinsing my mane and using my favorite shampoo. I quickly dried myself off and brushed my mane into my favored style.

I decided to go talk to them, maybe this is all a big misunderstanding and I just need to talk to them. After all, friends communicate with each other. Right? I stepped out into the hallway and trotted down the hall. I froze when I heard voices floating up the staircase. I missed the first part, but I sure as hell heard the last.

"Never change," Starswirl said. I felt the same sadness wash over me. They had to be talking about my former villain status. Going to talk to them was stupid. I turned around and galloped to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I came to a conclusion in that moment: I was going to run away and decide if I wanted to keep staying here or not. I had entertained the possibility of leaving these past few days and go stay with Trixie, but she was out on tour at the moment. I packed a bag with all my meager belongings. My picture of Trixie and I after we kicked Chrysalis' ass, my book that allowed me to communicate with Sunset in the other world. Toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush and a few other essentials. Thankfully ponies don't wear clothes often so I didn't need to worry about that. I slung the bag onto my back carefully and opened the door with my magic. I cautiously stepped over the broken glass. No matter how hurt I was emotionally, I didn't want to get hurt physically. I'm not suicidal, well not anymore at least. I stepped into the hall way and shut my door quietly. I don't know how long I was in there, but I could still hear ponies talking in Twilight's back up library. I was grateful they used that one instead of the main library. Farther from the door and easier for me to escape. I snuck down the stairs and to the door.

"Uhm, are you okay?" I spun around and focused on Fluttershy. I threw my bag into a room nearby.

"I'm just fine," I snapped and she flinched. "What do you want?"

"Just checking," she stared at me with an unreadable expression.

"Why don't you go away and check something else out?" I regretted that as soon as I said it. Her ears flattened against her head and she nodded.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," she mumbled. "Won't happen again." She slunk off into the castle and I sighed. As much as I regretted those words, she was the element of kindness. She didn't stand up for me either. I left the castle quietly after retrieving my bag. I ended up in the middle of the town and started wandering. I had no idea where I was going to sleep. Other than Trixie, I didn't know anyone else in town. Maybe I should go back to the castle, I mused. Certainly would be safer than sleeping out on the street. I quickly shook that idea away. As long as the Pillars were there, I didn't want to be there. I spotted a nearby bench and trotted to it. My hooves hurt after walking around town and punching my bed. I slumped against and sighed.

"This is for the best," I sniffled. "They probably were lying the entire time they said we were friends."

"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of insanity I think," a grey pegasus I vaguely recognized as Derpy settled on the seat next to me.

"Hey Derpy," I forced a smile. "How's it going?"

"Going good," she faintly frowned at me. "And you?"

"Been better," I admitted as I stared up into the night sky.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She said sweetly and I shrugged. "Talking about your feelings is healthy."

"Fine," I sighed and told her everything. I mean everything, from the village to now. To her credit, she took it all well. Especially me practically brainwashing a bunch of ponies. She wrapped her hooves around me and hugged me.

"I'm sorry you're dealing with this," she whispered and rubbed my back with a hoof. "Nopony deserves to feel unimportant, especially a pony who's trying her hardest to change."

"Why are you being so accepting of this?" I asked. "I just told you I stole a bunch of ponies cutiemarks and you're sitting there like it's nothing." Derpy inhaled.

"Sure it was wrong," she admitted. "All my life, I've been called names for my speech and my eye. And for being accident prone. I've learned to accept all ponies, no matter what they've done." I gave her a flicker of a smile.

"You would make a better Element of Kindness," I sighed. "I feel you would have stood up for me at least."

"I would have, yes. But Fluttershy is good too." I rolled my eyes at that.

"She was there and didn't do a dang thing. She's guilty too," I reminded her. She patted me with a hoof.

"It'll turn around," she promised. "Everything gets better. Everypony makes mistakes." She gave a faint frown. "Where are you gonna sleep?" I shrugged.

"Probably the street and just hope to Luna nopony rapes me or kidnaps or kills me," I mumbled.

"Yeah no," Derpy announced and stood up. "That won't stand. I refuse to allow that. You're coming with me." She pulled me off the bench.

"Uhm, where?" I hesitantly asked.

"My house. I refuse to knowingly let you sleep on the street or leave you at risk of death," she started pulling on my hoof.

"I can walk," I grumbled. "Are you sure I won't be a bother?" Derpy gave a chuckle.

"You won't," she promised. "Plus, I have the cutest filly in all of Equestria for you to meet. You'll love her, just get ready for death by hugs. Dinky adores hugging new ponies." I gave a laugh at that. That sound sounded a bit foreign to me after these few days.

"Sure sounds like a good way to go," I said.

"It is," Derpy agreed. "Right this way." She pointed a hoof towards a carrot farm and I followed her with a smile.

---------------‐-----------------------------------------‐---

Fluttershy nervously entered the library.

"Uhm Twilight, can we talk?" She hesitantly asked. Twilight looked up from her book.

"Yeah, sure Fluttershy. What's up?"

"I just saw Starlight wandering the castle. She looked upset and told me to go away when I tried to ask her what's wrong. Do you have any idea what could be going on?" A worried look crossed Twilight's face.

"I have an idea. I never apologized to her for not defending her." Fluttershy's ears once again flattened.

"None of us did," she realized. "She must be heartbroken by it."

"I'll go talk to her right now. She's probably up in her room after taking a walk," Twilight mumbled as she teleported outside Starlight's room. She carefully knocked on the door. "Starlight? I'm here to apologize for not defending you against Starswirl. It was wrong of me. And the others. We're very sorry." The door creaked open and Twilight peeked her head in. "Starlight?" She gasped when she saw the broken picture and glass. She looked around the empty room and started to freak out. She quickly teleported back to the library, startling her friends and the Pillars.

"Starlight's missing!" She screamed on the verge of tears.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Derpy announced with a flourish of her hoof. "It may not be much, but it's a roof over me and Dinkys heads." I looked around the slightly run down small house. It was quaint, that's for sure.

"It's nice," I finally said.

"It's crappy, but it works for now." Derpy took my bag and set it on the ground. "You can sleep in the spare room or in my bed."

"I'll take the spare room. I wouldn't dream of stealing your bed after all. It would be rude of me," I said adamantly. I was surprised she would even offer me that.

"It would be rude of me to not offer my guest it," Derpy answered. "Dinky's asleep, you can meet her tomorrow. She has school, otherwise she would be up right now." I smiled at that. "The spare room is on the left side up stairs, I'll take your bag up there." She grabbed the bag with her mouth and slowly trotted up the stairs.

"Thanks Derpy. For everything," I mumbled. She dropped the bag upstairs and looked back at me with a wide smile.

"Anytime, Starlight. Anytime."

Author's Note

I really fucking hated how the mane six and Twilight allowed Starswirl to treat Starlight and no one stood up for her and she never got an apology. I absolutely love Starlight, she deserved better.