//------------------------------//
// Partition 
// Story: Sentience - The Ultimate Party Machine 
// by PinkamenaParty 
//------------------------------//


Friendship & Learning


As the sun slowly began to rise, the town began to come to life. The sun dispersing the shadowy veil of night and giving way to the day, and the hardworking Apple Family duo already out in the fields tending to the apple trees. Ponyville was a wonderful sight to behold in the morning glow.
Felicity had spent the entire night looking out the window at moon and stars in the sky, deep in thought. She thought about what her purpose might possibly be, and why she was created. She thought about the ponies she might meet and make friends with. But she thought the most about Rainbow Dash, who was the first pony she saw when she was activated. Felicity couldn't help but think about the older, but still beautiful pegasus with the long, multicolored mane. Every time her mind wandered to thoughts about Dashie, she experienced a sensation she couldn't understand, as if somepony was holding her up in the air, but her hooves were still firmly on the floor.
Just as she was about to leave her room to go downstairs, Pinkie opened the door and walked in casually, looking at her with a smile on her face.
"Good morning!" Pinkie said cheerfully.
"G-good morning" Felicity replied softly, still a little deep in thought from the night.
Without another word, Pinkie beckoned her to follow and trotted down the stairs and out the front door. Felicity hesitated for a second, slightly confused, then followed Pinkie outside, running to catch up to her. Pinkie began running as well, staying ahead of her as much as she could and darting around corners at a fairly high speed, keeping Felicity fairly far behind her.
"Wait for me!" Felicity shouted ahead as she followed Pinkie around yet another corner, trying not to lose sight of her.
Pinkie only snorted and giggled back from her lead position, glancing back to make sure Felicity didn't get lost.
Pinkie stopped in front of the town library and knocked on the door, planting her hoof firmly on the doorframe and laughing, all the while trying to catch her breath.
"That was fun!" She exclaimed as Felicity finally caught up to her.
"Was that supposed to be a race?" Felicity questioned her, fairly annoyed that she had almost run into a shop stand after rounding the last corner.
"Yeah! Wasn't it fu-" The door suddenly opened and Pinkie lost her balance, falling flat on her face.
"Oh, good morning Pinkie," a mare's voice spoke from behind the door.
"Hey Star!" Pinkie giggled as she stood up again.
"Who's this?" Star asked as she stepped out from behind the door, her deep purple coat and mane frizzed up as if she had just gotten out of bed.
"I-i.... ummm..." Felicity stuttered nervously.
"It's okay, I don't bite." Star said, while using her magic to brush her mane.
"I-i'm Felicity.... Pinkie made me." She managed to say, looking down at the ground in front of her shyly.
"She MADE you?" Star asked, her eyes widening.
"Yeah! She's a robot." Pinkie interjected, still giggling.
"You haven't been eating cupcakes all night again, have you?" Star looked down at Pinkie in disbelief.
"Well yeah, but this isn't one of my pranks, she's actually a robot! see?" Pinkie said, as she pushed some of Felicity's mane out of the way to show Star the display screen embedded in her lower neck.
"Okay, so she is a robot, but she seems a bit odd for a robot," -she pointed her hoof at Felicity- "Since when do robots actually move like real ponies and talk like real ponies? They usually have computer-generated voice software, and you know as well as I do that those sound like the buzz of a bee. Why, if Felicity really is a robot you created, you've made an incredible breakth-" Star stopped to breathe and calmed herself before her excitement got out of control.
"We should call everypony over, i'll explain the details then, okay?" Pinkie said calmly.
"Okay, just make yourself at home, i'll go get the girls." Star sighed and began a quick trot down the street.
Felicity waited upstairs while Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Star, and Pinkie were having a quiet discussion below. Felicity tried to listen in, but couldn't hear them whispering. Felicity was beginning to let her imagination run wild when Pinkie finally beckoned her to come down with her hoof.
"Okay, as i've just explained, Felicity here is a robot I designed and built to carry on my legacy" Pinkie said, standing up.
"What in tarnation are you talking about?" Applejack interjected, "Where are you going?"
"That's what i was just getting to. According to the blood tests they ran at the hospital, I'm afflicted with an incurable disease that's slowly eating away at my brain's involuntary muscle control. When the results came back, I was told i have a mere 3 months to live." Pinkie stated with a hint of sadness in her tone.
At this, everyone in the room gasped from sheer shock. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, Rarity showed the same reaction, but Fluttershy was the first to break down in tears.
"N-No! It can't be true! Please tell me this is one of your pranks!" Fluttershy cried, her hooves gripping Pinkie's shoulders.
"Also, this news was given to me almost three months ago. My heart could simply stop any time now." Pinkie said as she turned her head, looking away, her mane falling straight, losing it's poofy appearance as she spoke.
Felicity fell back on her haunches, unable to believe what she's just heard. Her creator, whom she had so wished to befriend, was going to die.
"W-Why...? Why does this have to happen?!" Felicity sobbed, unable to physically cry even though her emotions were begging for tears to flow.
Pinkie turned around and walked towards the front door, opening it and turning around.
"I have some final business to attend to in Canterlot. If i don't make it back, for what it's worth, making you all smile was the greatest joy of my life." Pinkie smiled and walked out the door, closing it behind her.
After Pinkie had left the room, all of the color and life had seemed to drain from the room, leaving the brokenhearted friends to cry and console each other. Fluttershy needed it the most, she wasn't crying anymore, but she was staring at the floor blankly, feeling the full emotional force of the knowledge that one of her best friends was going to die. Rainbow Dash was crying and hugging Fluttershy, in a mixture of trying to console Fluttershy, and grieve on her own. Star and Rarity were hugging each other, literally soaked in each other's tears. Applejack was fighting back her tears, all while trying to console Felicity, who was already screaming from the sorrow that had overwhelmed her. 
After Pinkie had boarded the train, she began to wonder how Twilight was doing and felt a little excited to see her for the first time in several years. She made a mental list of things she wanted to do, then yawned and drifted off to sleep. Sleeping soundly, her straight pink mane fluttering in the breeze coming through an open window a few seats ahead of her, Pinkie seemed beautiful as she drifted away, her last breath bringing a peaceful smile.