//------------------------------//
// Where All Roads Lead 
// Story: Where All Roads Lead 
// by RazedRainbow 
//------------------------------//

Some ponies thought of crickets as nothing more than simple insects; beings that exist for the sole purpose of existing. Pinkie looked at them in a different light. To her, their quaint cantatas provided the perfect score for the Sun’s effulgent entrance. Their tranquil, yet chaotic symphonies were ringing out across the landscape with a more enlightened flair than their typical, groggy, monotonus droning. Every note seemed to hit the perfect resonance for such a twilight; minor chords for a bittersweet ballad. The sweet smell of dew nipped at her hooves and snuck its way into her nose, delicately massaging her olfactory nerves with their loving, aromatic touch. She was glad that there was such an excess of dew. The moisture would make Rainbow’s entrance a more ostentatious display than ever before. She could see the first wisps of Celestia’s nurturing rays peaking over the distant mountains and their incandescent, passionate glow made her heart pound ardently. 

As was the case year after year, she had planted herself at the fork in the path: Directly on the point where the road to Ponyville splits. She faced down the path that would take a mobile pony to Canterlot, but she did not take a step past the invisible barrier she had concocted within her mind. Since she had first started to come here, on this day, waiting for Rainbow’s return, she had always planted herself five paces away from the signpost that read, “To Canterlot”. To some, it was a superstition, but to Pinkie it was a tradition: She would sit in the same spot every year, and every year Rainbow would come soaring down the path at the break of dawn. The pink mare was sure that if she took even a step forward, the outcome would stay the same, but it was more fun to hold on to the belief that even a single step would change everything.

A gentle breeze was blowing through the spring air and playfully kicking up a consistent cloud of dust. The farther the Sun rose above the mountains’ grasp, the clearer the dust became. If Pinkie squinted, she could make out individual specks of dust; tiny molecules that seemed so insignificant, and yet such a vital part of the whole atmosphere of the morning. If even one, minuscule dot of disheveled sediment was missing, then the entire aesthetic quality could be changed dramatically. Pinkie liked this idea: Everything had its purpose and, if even one part disappeared, the entire fabric would be fractured. 
        
A quiet cough erupted behind her; far enough away for it to echo off the surrounding hillside in an eerie cadenza. Turning her head, she was just barely able to make out the bobbing form of a unicorn through loose strands of pink mane. As the unicorn grew closer, Pinkie’s smile grew: Twilight had always been one of her best friends and her company was always a sight for sore eyes. Twilight, like Pinkie, would always sit at the road to Canterlot on this particular morning to greet Rainbow upon her arrival. While the purple mare never shared the earth pony’s enthusiasm about the event, she was always there, sitting at the pink mare's side through good times and bad times. As the distance between them decreased, the pink earth pony could make out a bouquet of flowers, delicately held by the purple unicorn’s telekinetic grip. They shared a brief smile before Twilight lightly plopped down on the ground, parallel to the pink mare. A heavy plume of dust flew into the air, triggering another coughing fit from the unicorn.
        
Pinkie giggled at Twilight’s misfortunes, and the unicorn attempted to laugh along, but all that came out were raspy wheezes and tremulous coughs. After a couple of deep inhales, Twilight was able to catch her breath and the two mares were able to giggle together once more. Pinkie loved to laugh and it was moments of unadulterated glee like these that made her love her Element. The Sun was hanging halfway over the mountains and Pinkie could feel the moment she had been waiting for approaching like a stampede: She was practically bouncing in anticipation. Twilight remained stoic, a far more pensive smile emblazoned on her lips.

Every year the crescendo occurred sooner than the previous year - it was like the orchestra of time’s lungs were growing progressively weaker. It was obvious to Pinkie that, one day, the music was going to die out, and all the excitement and youthful exuberance would fade away into a static backdrop of melancholic white noise, but for now, she couldn't care less. Her heart was in her throat, as she looked down the road, awaiting the appearance of the source of her existence. The source of her happiness.

The source of her smile.

The rainbow bloomed with no sound and no fury. It spread from mountain peak to mountain peak, stretching itself over the sky. Nature rang out in a beautifully vibrant symphony: Birds provided the soaring melody, while Pinkie’s heart provided the throbbing bass. Twilight let out a harmonious, sad sigh as she stared at the rainbow, analyzing every bend and every tone. A rainbow such as this one shouldn’t be able to appear during this season. It shouldn’t be able to reach such a size, and it most certainly shouldn’t be able to shine with such a luminosity. However, after observing the look of childlike bliss on Pinkie’s face, Twilight chose to let science slide for once. Sure, a logical explanation could be easily found, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment for Pinkie.

Sighing, the unicorn lifted herself off of the path and placed a single hoof on the pink mare’s shoulder. Blue eyes met purple, and for a brief second, Twilight could have sworn she saw a brief hint of somberness flash through Pinkie’s irises. The earth pony slowly nodded, answering the question that neither felt the need to ask after all these years. A few strands of straight pink mane fell into the mare’s face as she nodded, but she quickly blew them away. Those straightened tendrils, those misty eyes, were for another time; this was a time for smiling, no matter how pained that smile may be. 

Pinkie turned and walked away from the rainbow- away from the path and its unknown destination. Before following the earth pony, Twilight laid the bouquet against the signpost, and gave the rainbow one last look. Yet another wavering smile formed on her lips as she watched the spectral phenomena pierce the heavens. Rays of transcendental light seemed to emit from deep within the rainbow itself, and their chromatic beams bathed the world in a joyful aura. Her eyes drifted towards the signpost, and the two signs that resided upon it. She meticulously read and reread the sign that ran parallel to the road; every curve of every letter punching her in the gut as she traced the forlorn words that spelled out a reality she had long ago accepted, but still vehemently despised.

“Rainbow Dash Memorial Pathway.”