Balloons

by SomeGenericPonyNameHere

Some Smiles Waver From Time To Time

Another successful party come and gone! This is what went through the pink earth pony's mind as she began the process of cleaning up after her latest shin-dig. The party, much like the party planner herself, was a spontaneous one, decided on when she had learned of both Rainbow Dash's latest new cool aerial move (much to an excited Scootaloo's delight) and Fluttershy's new baby birds. Both were cause for celebration and the pink mare set to work on it in all her Pinkie Pie logic, faster than one could turn a page and as well thought-out as if it were made in advance.

As she went around with a bag in one hoof and a trash can held in her tail, Pinkie Pie stumbled onto a small raised bump beneath the blue circle carpet. Curious, she moved back and lifted the carpet up. "Maybe somepony dropped a bit? Ooh! Ooh! What if it's a piece of candy that fell? Ooh! Or! Or! What if it's-"

Her excited chatter was cut off as her blue eyes met with a single grey piece of rock. It was tiny in size, no bigger than a star sticker. "Oh! Hmm. Must've been dragged in here by Applejack. Or, if she went on another one of her diamond expeditions, Rarity. What do you think, Gummy?"

As if on cue, the toothless little alligator made his way up to rest lazily atop Pinkie's head, curling his body against a puffy curl as he settled. Pinkie Pie giggled and was about to go on cleaning but for some reason, her hoof wouldn't, couldn't, drop the simple little piece of earth into the trash. Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way to a bucket that lay beside a counter and dropped it inside. She didn't hear the expected CLUNK of stone hitting plastic, but rock landing against something organic. That was odd, she had thought it was the mop bucket she had used earlier when Rainbow dash couldn't hold her cider and lost her cake all over the kitchen floor. She couldn't help giggling once more at the memory of a frantic Rarity screaming for the mop while a doubled-over Applejack held her sides as she let out a hearty, gut-busting laugh while a cringing Twilight Sparkle watched on in horror. Fluttershy helped Twilight Sparkle get a woozy Rainbow Dash up to the bathroom while a still frantic Rarity went on and on about the sanitary wellbeing of Pinkie Pie's kitchen. And then she screamed a blood-curdling scream as an overly amused Applejack upturned the still clean mop bucket over her head, telling her to calm down about the mess while an enraged unicorn gave chase while wielding a flailing rolling pin in her magical grasp.

The memories made by her and her friends had Pinkie Pie's giggle turn into full on laughter at the memories made today. And then her eyes went back to the bucket she had thought held mop water. Going over to it, she had seen it was the bucket she had used back when she had those imaginary friends the day everypony had thrown her a party of her very own. Her birthday. She remembered that day. It was the first time she had felt that sad in.....well, since she was a dirt covered little filly on her family's rock farm.

Back then.....Her world back then was one donning nothing but white, grey and black tones. She loved her family, that was certain as Celestia's sunrise. Oh, but from time to time....she remembered being a little filly afraid of shadows that played over the walls at night, being a sad little filly that was alone and afraid beyond the threshold of her family's farm. As she peered into the bucket holding the turnips from long ago, Pinkie Pie felt a sting behind her eyes as empty feelings began to well up again in her chest. Feelings that reminded her of how sad and lonely she felt as a filly growing up in a world of dull and depressing undertones. There was nothing to be happy about back then. No smiles, no laughing, no colors, no confetti or cake, no streamers or decorations, no music or games to play, nothing.

It wasn't that these things were unavailable to them, but that was her family's world then.

A soft plip snapped her out of a stupor she didn't realize she was in until she felt a faint splash on her muzzle. She brought up a hoof and wiped at her eyes as tears flowed freely from her lashes. The pain she had felt from all the sadness as a filly rose into her chest, making it and her throat tighten as she stifled a sob.

A slumbering Gummy felt his owners' mane deflate as her crying continued, waking up the little toothless alligator. It was rare to see the pink earth pony in such a mood, especially after such a fun-filled night of partying with her close friends. But nopony was made of stone. Unless they were encased in it, then they'd be made of stone.

Something caught the little gator's attention and he snapped his toothless maw at it as the thing drifted by his owner's head, as if he were shooing it away while she was in distress. The tail of it rose away from the little gator and brushed against the mare's tear stained cheek. She didn't feel it at first, too caught up in her painful memories to even feel her beloved pet alligator on top of her head. It wasn't until Gummy slipped off her head and landed into the bucket, jostling her out of her stupor. She saw his beady little eyes move around, peering at something close.

An airy brush against her ear made Pinkie Pie turn her head up to see just what her Gummy was eyeing. It was a stray blue balloon floating about her head, its string dangling over Gummy's snout. She hiccupped, sniffled and brought her hooves up to lightly capture it. She rolled it around in her hooves carefully, pressing here and there to feel the extent of its buoyancy. It was still fairly full of bounce but was losing its levitation.

Another brush against her right hind leg had Pinkie Pie look down to see a yellow one roll along the floor, having already lost its ability to stay airborne but still as airy as its blue sibling. Pinkie looked around and saw that her floor still had many downed but fully formed balloons of different colors drift about. Her muzzle quirked a little at the corner of her mouth until she cracked the biggest smile she had made since the day she had gotten her cutie mark.

Pinkie Pie jumped up from her sad spot and with renewed spirit, she bounded towards the bulk of the batch and rolled around in the delightful colors and vibrant hues of the balloons. There were yellow ones, blue ones, orange and red, purple and pink. All these colors brought on the same happy feeling she had felt the day she smiled for the first time. It was the very first time her entire family was happy! Remembering that made her feel oh-so happy all over again, making her mane instantly inflate back to its normal bounciness!

She was so happy, she gathered up any nearby balloon within hoof's reach and hugged them as dearly as she hugged her friends and threw them up above, seeing them rise and float away from each other as they rained down overhead. Pinkie Pie giggled, feeling happy and free from the sadness she was reliving moments prior.

She couldn't help but feel a bit sad whenever the party had to end and everypony was gone. That happened every now and again, but seeing these balloons, remembering the light her friends brought into her life, made the little pink earth pony remember it wasn't a lasting end and she was no longer alone. It was merely an intermission until the next big party! She shook her head as her tears stopped, laughing to herself as she made her way upstairs. As happy as she was feeling now, even hyper party planners needed their rest! And she was feeling the events of the day taking their toll.

Tomorrow was going to be a brighter, funner day! "Goodnight, Gummy!" Pinkie Pie called out before disappearing behind her doorway, already knowing that her sweet little Gummy was already dozing in the spot where she had left him.

Just like balloons
We soar on our own
Finally free
From the pain of our home
And just like balloons
That no one will hold
Free from the truth
That no one will know

"Balloons" lyrics -Mandopony

Author's Note:

This was done on the fly, inspired from the "Balloons" vid from Mandopony. Dem feels....