Fluttershy stood alone in her kitchen.  Wan light from the dour, overcast sky filtered through the curtains, casting a pallor over the spartan furnishings of the hollowed-out tree she had been using for shelter these past few months.  The lanky filly couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen sunlight - it would have had to have been just before winter.

Right after her parents had disowned her.

She could still hear her father’s voice thundering in her head.  [i]“No child of mine will live with those filthy dirt ponies and their conniving unicorn masters!”[/i]  She shivered as the memory echoed through her.

She had thought she wouldn’t need her parents, that she would be better off with all of her new animal friends below.  For the span of a week, she had been happy.  Then, winter had begun, and they all had either migrated to warmer climates or hibernated.  Abandoned, bereft, Fluttershy had been forced to bear the cold winter alone.

Loneliness eats at a pony, and in her isolation, despair had taken hold.  Only grey, empty silence had been her constant companion since winter began.

Today, she finally had enough.  A slow trickle of tears extinguished the last feeble embers of hope in her eyes.

With a resigned sigh, Fluttershy took her knife between her teeth and turned her back to the window.  The knife was sharp - she had made certain of that.  If she was quick and precise, she wouldn’t even feel it, or so she told herself.

She brought her foreleg up and rested it on the dusty table, hoof pointed towards the ceiling.  She was trembling.  She took a deep breath to steady herself, then carefully leaned in-

*knock knock knock*

Fluttershy let out a squeal as the knife pinwheeled into the air.  The blade sank deep into the floor and stuck there, quivering.  Fluttershy stared at it, her breath ragged, her mind numb.  She raised her foreleg, and saw that there wasn’t even a scratch.

*knock knock knock*  A raspy voice accompanied the hoofbeat on her door.  “Yo, Fluttershy!  You home?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened.  “R-Rainbow Dash?”  She hastily dried her eyes on her fetlock, then trotted over to her door and flung it open.

Rainbow Dash hovered a few feet off the ground outside, and gave Fluttershy a bright grin when she saw her.  “Hey, what’s up, filly?”

Fluttershy stared up at her, jaw agape.  “Rainbow Dash?  Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I just got my papers from graduating Flight School, and I’m being transferred to the Ponyville Weather Team!”  She beamed.  “I’m officially moving here next month, but I figured I’d drop by to get the lay of the land first.  You wanna show me around town?”

“Wh-” Fluttershy shuffled back a step back, still staring.  “Why me?”

Rainbow Dash blinked at her, then slowly stated, “Uh, because you’re my friend, and I haven’t seen you in a while, duh.”  She landed, then looked over her shoulder with a frown.  “Also, the welcoming committee in Ponyville is nuts.  This crazy pink filly fired a confetti cannon in my face!  I’m still shaking bits of paper out of my mane!”  She tousled her mane with a hoof, and a few colorful pieces danced their way to the floor.

She looked back at Fluttershy, and took a hasty step back as she saw the tears brimming in her eyes.  “Whoa, whoa, what’s wrong?”

Fluttershy sniffed as she gave her a quavering smile, then rubbed at her eyes again.  “It’s nothing, I’m just- I’m really happy to see you.”

[hr]

Rainbow Dash gawked at Fluttershy as she finished her story.  “So… if I had actually slept in as late as I’d planned that day…” she trailed off, her voice husky with emotion.  The two mares sat across from each other in Fluttershy’s kitchen as bright afternoon sunshine poured through the windows.

Fluttershy nodded as she took a sip of her tea.  “It all seems so silly now, considering how wonderful the last few years have been with you and the other girls.  But I just thought you should know that, because of you, I’m still here.” She offered her a warm smile. "And I'm grateful."

Rainbow Dash’s chin began to wobble.  She flew across the table and tackle-hugged Fluttershy, and held her tight as she cried, “Fluttershy, I don’t ever want you to go anywhere!”

Fluttershy returned her embrace and nuzzled her softly.  “Don’t worry, dear.  I don’t plan to.”