it's never easy, leaving the ones you love behind.
Blueberry Bass wasnt always depressed and repressed and what ever other -essed word you could think of... he was once a small colt with a dream, and a girl next door to cheer him up....
but circumstances change... Ponies die... and Journies are made... and love grows from a small seed of self-loathing.
the first four chapters are just setting it up... and then, our tale truly begins.
the sounds of the birds echoed from the outside. The scratching of pen on paper proved that a writer can never truly sleep. I took a glance across the room, the house was quiet.
And I hated it.
I remember when I first arrived here, the first mare I met was seemingly snobbish, but she had an air of generosity about her. I chuckled when she introduced herself. “Rarity? Seriously? Forgive me if I come up with any puns involving your name at any given point in time” she gave me a slightly distasteful look, but then noticed my Cutie mark, a simple quill and bass clef. “so what is your name then, my good” “my name is blueberry bass, just call me bass” I smiled, I was suddenly bundled into by a Pink blur. “oh hey Rarity, have you seen the new Stallion around town?” Rarity simply cleared her throat and point down towards me. “umm…. Hi there” I watched as she gasped and lifted off.
That was the first time I met her, a small conversation was made between two ponies… interrupted by pure chaos. I had trotted off down to the local bakery, Sugarcube Corner. Upon opening the door I heard the tinkle of a bell. “oh, hello dear, cant say I’ve seen you before” I chuckled. “well, new place,” I gestured around myself “new face” then pointed to my face. I heard the melodic laughter coming from the kitchen. It was the pink blur from before. “hey, you sounded just like one of my friends” I raised an eyebrow. “zebra? Speaks in rhyme?” She gasped, “how did you know?” “yup, Zecora” I sighed, history has a tendancy to sneak up on me like… well… history.
I bought a cupcake and carried on my little adventure, floating up the cupcake with my magic. I took a bite. The flavour of the cupcake hit me like a wave of chocolate and strawberry. After I finished the cupcake, I was hit with inspiration. Not to blow my own horn, if you pardon the unicorn pun, but being a lyricist has its perks. I quickly dashed off home, in search of my quill and parchments.
Upon my arrival, I was bombarded with a tremendous shout of “SURPRISE!” I saw the banner, and smiled nervously. they watched as I began to hyper ventilate. I walked out and stopped, shutting the door behind me. “too many ponies…. Holy….non-sequitor….” My breath started to slow down, but I watched as ponies came pouring out of my house. They looked disappointed, others looked angry. “she put a lot of time and effort into this, you jerk” a cyan Pegasus hit me in the head. “s-s-sorry” I was shaking like a leaf. “Rainbow, why did you do that” a Stetson wearing pony began to berate the cyan mare. I walked in to see the pink blur taking down her hard work. “miss?” she didn’t look at me. I trotted over to her.
She looked up at me for a moment. That’s when I recognized her for the first time. “Pinkamena?” her head snapped up. “Nopony’s called me that in long time” she sniffled. I placed a hoof on her shoulder for a mille-second before retracting it again. She turned to look at me, and finally recognized me.
“Bass?” she was surprised, genuinely surprised. “yeah, its me” I had pulled her into a hug “look… I’m sorry for… well” she placed a hoof on my lips, telling me to shut up. “when you left the village… I didn’t know what to do, I found my calling shortly after… but….” Her mane was straight, just like I remembered it. I always joked that when she finds her cutie mark, she’s be happy as anything. “you got your mark then?” I was subconsciously eying her flank, taking note of her balloons. I suddenly heard a small inflating sound. Looking over to her, I saw her mane was slightly poofed up.
“ever since I left, I’ve been hating myself, Pinkie…” her Striking blue eyes gazed into mine, she could see I wasn’t lying. “I found out why” she remained silent. She closed her eyes, trying to stop a flow of tears. “please, don’t do this to me” she spoke. “P-pinkie” “please don’t leave me again” i brought her close to me. “Pinkie… Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, if I break this promise… then I will die … first song I wrote” she gazed at me, she wanted to say something.
The sound of a balloon being blown up was heard once again. “you were one of the best friends I had” she said to me. I didn’t know what to say.
It was then that I was metaphorically punched in the head. My heart began to race. sure hope this works I silenced her. I held her in my arms. I kissed her passionately. She returned the sentiments.
“Pinkie Pie, the reason I hated myself was because I left you” I stated. A blush was visible on her pink fur. “shall we… try the party again?” she smiled. “I think I’d like that a lot” we were laid outside, watching the stars.
I grew to hate the silence, simply because it wasn’t disrupted by Pinkie Pie. The songs… they no longer needed writing. I had a song embedded in my heart. The ballad of Pinkie Pie, it was never-ending.
I placed my pen down on the paper, and climbed into bed, the sight of that poofy pink-mane sending my heart a-flutter. “Goodnight Pinks” I kissed her on the forehead. The sight of her so still, apart from her breathing made me fall asleep.
I awoke at sunrise. I craned my head to prevent the light hitting her eyes. I continued to stroke her mane lovingly… She had opened her eyes, looking at me bashfully. “I suppose we had better talk to my friends” I sighed, “that Cyan Pegasus certainly won’t cut me any slack” “Well, its Dash, what do you expect?”
“one of these” I kissed her. “aaaaand one of these” she shoved a Cupcake in my mouth as I leant in for a second smooch. The room was filled with her melodic laughter once more. I sighed and blew a strand of my mane out of my face… and then joined in the laughter.
at least... that was one of the scenario's floating around in my head.... a scenario that was far from the truth.... so far fromt the truth that it hurt....
i was never good at puzzles, i lacked the patience
the rain beat down on the path to ponyville, soaking me to the skin. the dark clouds looming over my head would continue to follow me. i stopped to sneeze for a moment, then continued on my journey. it was terribly cold, but i wouldnt let it bother me. i continued to walk on, slightly shivering. It felt as though there was a weight on my head that just wouldn’t move, like an endless pushing against my skull. Suddenly I felt a stabbing pain in my head, and i collapsed.
I awoke with a slight pain in my lower back. The Room was a blinding white; I could hear the faint whistle of the breeze floating in through the window. I tried get out of the bed. As soon as I lifted my head off the pillow, I was in agony; my eyes quickly darted around the room for something to steady myself with. Giving up on my search, i laid my head back. "Your awake," an unidentified voice uttered, my vision was still blurry as I scanned the room. The silhouette moved closer, "my name is Nurse Redheart, Mr Bass, you were struck by lightening" "well... thats a shocking development" i commented, in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. hearing a slight giggle from the nurse i sighed "where am i exactly?" "Ponyville Hospital" i mentally rejoiced "thank Buck for that," i smiled, "how long am i going to be in here for?" "3 more days," she sighed."why? is there somewhere you need to be?" "kinda, i'm moving in to a new home here" "well... watch out for Pinkie Pie, She'll most likely... eh, never mind"
Pinkie Pie, the mere mention of her name makes me think back to a simpler time. w used to play together... years ago...but....
5 years ago, the small village of Colten
"Come on Bassy," a small filly shouted with glee. "you've got to go faster than that to catch me!" the filly was bouncing around hyperactivly, being chased by a blue-coated orange maned Colt. "slow down Pinks," he huffed and puffed, seemingly out of breath "you know i've got medical problems" she stopped and rushed towards the Colt. "oh, sorry... i forgot" she smiled sheepishly. the Colt used this to his advantage. "GOTCHA!!!" he pounced on the little filly and began tickling her. suddenly there was a call, "Blueberry Bass? just what do you think your doing?" it was Blueberry's legal gaurdian. "i was just" "thats innapropriate behaviour" "fine," the small colt sighed, hanging his head low. but can i?" "no... its getting late, your coming home" "okay, bye Pinks!" the colt shouted. "bye Blue" the filly smiled.
Bass walked glumly beside his gaurdian, Granny Free. she was a battleaxe of a filly, taking no prisoners when angered. but something told him something was off. within a few minutes of arriving at the house, things continued as normal. he would cook himself dinner, then disappear into his room, writing whatever pours forth from his mind. Granny Free had told him, the best way to learn something was by doing. she also knew he would have to learn to cook for himself one day. she was a wise old crone.
but then... that night, she drifted away peacefully, leaving him alone. for a while, he didnt notice. he was too used to being left to his own devices. but the smell began to sneak its way up his nostrils. after checking the bedroom, he found the body.
he then sighed as he packed his things, and left, wanting to see Pinks one last time before it came to this. he knocked on the door to the Pie household. "Hello mr Bass, if your here to see Pinkemena, tough, she's grounded and not having any visitors" her father grumbled. "oh, well..tell her" the door was slammed in his face. the colt was downtrodden, he then left shortly afterwards.
"well here goes, the first step out into the world... heh" the solt began to walk through the village, finally reaching the dusty path leading to nowhere inparticular. "Growing up sucks" he said as he continued walking.
there was a distant sound on a distant day of a distant year....
5 years ago, the long road to no-where in particular
i left the village, cold and alone. i had nothing left for save the memories. the memories of her, had i known that she was leaving. for a young Colt, i was more of an adult than any of the others. it was apparant that not alot of ponies actually cared what i did. i continued walking, occasionally stopping to find shelter from the rain.
hearing the sounds of a barrow being drawn through the rain, i jumped out. "Excuse me sir, could i grab a lift?" i asked. the old stallion simply smiled. "sure, i could use the company but... arent you a little bit young to be out on your own" "no sir, i'm just... well... Orphaned really" i summed up the best i could. "hop in the back, i'll take you to the nearest City"
the streets of manehatten, 2 years ago
it had been roughly 3 years since i left Colten, making my new home under the stars.... scratch that, there were no stars to be seen in Manehatten, the city itself was overflowing with light. i used to sing on the sidewalks for money, completly accapella. when one mare or stallion would through a coin my way, i simply smiled, thanked them and carried on. others would pay me to shut up and move on. but then again, most simply walked on by. i sighed. i wasnt the best singer in the world, i knew that... but i had saved up enough to buy myself a steel string acoustic guitar. i took up my usual spot and sat down.
i played the same song i played two years ago. it relaxed me, reminded me of what i was here for. the Nurse had finally stopped listening to the music, "so, how long have you been playing for?" "eh... two years" i didnt go further. "really? thought it would have been longer than that" she placed a tray on my lap. "oh, erm...thank you" i blushed slightly at the hidden compliment. i after slowly destroying a meal, i stared wistfully out the window. three more days and i was free.
it had been three days. i had finally arrived at my new home, all my things were already there... considering i hadnt really got alot to put in the house at all. i sat down on the floor, feeling glad i didnt go and spend all the money earned from the busking days. "thank the heavens i was a savvy saver" i mirthed to myself. there was a knock on the door. i got up and answered. "Hello, My name is Derpy Hooves," i looked at her for a moment, she was a pegasus. but then i noticed her eyes, a golden yellow colour, and strangely unfocused. "ummm hi, im Blueberry Bass" i smiled. "you noticed my" "eyes, sorry.... but they inspired a song" i smiled weakly. she raised an eyebrow. "wha? -welcome to Ponyville, either way"she trotted off.
i began to write. not knowing a pair of striking Blue eyes filled with tears, watching me.
"gahd... this song is Terrible" i exclaimed, crumpling the paper and tossing it aside. the paper landed on a pile, a quite large pile. failed attempts at writing a song. never in my 5 long years have i been well and truly stumped this badly. i got out of my seat. taking a deep breath, mulling it over whether to take a walk or not. whats the worst that could happen i thought to myself. i grabbed my acoustic and headed out, locking the door behind me.
the town was bustling, i was bumped into, however, unlike in manehatten... the ponies here apologize. "Thats okay," i grinned. the turquoise pony simply smiled. "i was just looking for a nice spot to sit down and relax" she raised her eyebbrows, noticing my guitar. "well... go to the park, plenty of spots available" she grinned back. "okay" she trotted off, i made my way to the Park.
sitting down on the grass, i lent my head back onto a tree. i was simply at peace, watching the world pass by. "heh, who would have thought it," i mused to myself. "after 5 long years on the road... i've finally got my own place" just then, i heard it. a loud boom, and a variety of colours swept across the sky. i quickly pulled out a pen and notepad, seemingly inspired by the event. but as soon as the pen touched paper the inspiration had gone. i sighed deeply, knowing that inspiration rarely comes to those who actually want it.
unluckily for me, it began to rain. i got up, and darted for the nearest shop. a piano resided inside the shop, i was surrounded by antiques. "great, something to pass the time" i muttered to myself. "hey, umm...sir? could i?" i pointed at the piano, he simply nodded. "i don't get many customers, but... eh, go ahead" i smiled. i pulled myself up onto the seat, and began to tickle the ivory keys. a sense of euphora came over me. "it's been too long" little did i know, a pink pony with Blue eyes had also entered the shop. she stood and watched. but as i reached a pivotal point in the music, she joined me. i still had my eyes closed, but as i heard the crescendo and a giggle. "hey there," the pink mare looked at me and suddenly gasped. i was waiting for an exclaimation of my name and a buck to the face. but niether of them came.
instead she began to ramble and then darted out of the door. i shook it off, looking out the window to see the rain had stopped. with an ever present smile on my face. but before long... i collapsed, wheezing. i walked back to the hospital. "hello *wheeze* again Nurse" she looked me over, "medical condition, need meds" "i see, Doctor?" she walked me into a room and sat me down. "just wait here" i sat and waited, slowly getting my breath back. within a few moments, the doctor walked back in, i told him about my condition. "take this prescription over to the pharmacy," he said with a smile. "you look like you could use some well deserved rest" i simply grinned, "your right" with that, i trotted off to the pharmacy. getting the pills was easy enough.
i had arrived back home. opening the doorm i was net with a very loud "SURPRISE!" instead of hyperventilating, i simply popped two pills and walked in. but i still jumped. "Wow!" i grinned from ear to ear. the room was filled with lots of ponies of different sizes and colours. it was like an LSD trip.
The party was in full swing, but i didnt feel the music. i only listened as the same boring beats shuffled across the floor. i sighed, and put on a fake smile. i just wanted to get this over with. i watched a pink pony bounce around the house, enjoying herself. "hey! Bass, Pinkie sure knows how to throw a party, doesn't she!" a cyan coloured pony shouted next me. she oddly reminded me of that mare from that book, ya know? Daring-do... but i could also tell she had a bit of an attitude problem. "i'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in all of Equestria" she boasted. i simply rolled my eyes, "sure you are" i said quietly.
i continued my attempt to mingle but soon found myself face to face with the very sort of pony i had trouble with in manehatten. the upper class. "hello Darling, my name is Rarity, i run the Carusel boutique, feel free to stop by if you need a new suit" i sighed, i didn't want to say anything. "pleased to meet you" i smiled. sighing again, i took a quick glance and saw a plate of muffins and cupcakes on the table. i noticed a pair of grey hooves grab one muffin, i watched as the muffin disappeared into oblivion. "that good huh?" i asked the grey mare. she simply nodded, knowing it was impolite to talk with a mouthfull of muffin. i reached out for a cupcake. taking a bite, i was returned back to that simpler time, only... Pinks was attempting to bake cupcakes in my granny's oven...much to Granny free's chargrin.
i shook off the memory, and continued to munch happily. i had purposefully hidden a bottle of whisky away from prying eyes, knowing that pranks are usually pulled. "hey there sugarcube, ah'm applejack" i was surprised to here a southern-belle accent around here. "ah, its nice to meet you" i gave a genuine grin, something told me we would get along fine. "just to give ya a heads up, ah work down at Sweet apple Acres, so if ya need anythin apple wise, just holler" "will do!" i smiled.
within a few moments, i bumped into a purple unicorn, she had her head in one of my music books. i cleared my throat. "You know... you should really ask before reading my stuff" she suddenly looked up and shot me a sheepish look. "terribly sorry sir, my name's Twilight Sparkle, i work at the ponyville library" "i'll be sure to come in for a book or two..maybe a spell" "really?" i face-hoofed. "the maybe a spell part was a joke... mind you..sometimes humour can be wasted on the intelligent" "oh... well...thank you for the compliment?" i left her confused, which was a small amount of payback as to what...she....
oh sweet celestia no.
i looked at the open page. cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, if i break this promise... i will die. i heard a shrill shriek and a bizarre deflation sound. "EVERYPONY OUT!!!" was the next thing i heard. as ponies left the house, they were muttering something. "YOU!!!!!!" she pointed a hoof at me. i could only cower in fear. but then i looked up into her eyes, those striking blue eyes which i had missed so much. "Blueberry Bass!!! where the hay have you been?" i watched as silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. "p-p-pinkemena?" i stuttered, oddly confused. i rushed to hug her, but she pushed me away. "no, you dont get off that easy... where were you...after 5 years you finally show up here?... why?" i slumped down, "Pinks... i....i don't know what to say" i looked down, "Granny Free died two days before i left" "And you didnt think to tell me?" she was about to start ranting. "please Pinkemena... hear me out" but it was too late. "i don't want to hear it... just... leave me alone okay? you've done enough" she stormed out of the house.
i was alone again. i walked over to my hiddne stash of whisky, i pulled the top off and poured a glass out. "damnit... this all worked out so much better in my head" i sighed. the unwritten songs began pouring out, and i began to write. "damnit... why did i have to go buck shit up by travelling" i lamented.
there was a lot more paper wasted that day, piles of it. i hadnt slept in several days. after a while, i needed to get some groceries. sighing inwards, i knew i would probably bump into somepony. "hey!, hey im talking to you! Bass!" i looked up, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings before finally coming down to land. "i dont know what you did, but i want you to fix it" she growled. "what?" i looked at her, i was totally clueless. "what have i done now! cant i take a few measly steps without something going wrong" i slumped down, my vision began to blur with tears. she gave me an odd look. "what the hay?" look just go to sugarcube corner and speak to pinkie pie" "Pinkie Pie?... oh you mean Pinkemena" "yea...hang on a minute, you know her?" i was still sat there..."yes... but thats not important" "fine.... just.. go talk to her"
i walked in to the shop, but was met with two very hatefilled stares. "so, your the one" the stallion behind the counter said, with a hint of malice in his voice. "oh for Celestia's sakes... if either one of you even thinks about tearing me a new one... i'm goint ot take a bass string and tie you two against the ceiling" i shouted. the two ponies were flabbergasted. "now...wheres ...Pinkie Pie" i began to wheeze. "i need... to speak with..her" i fumbled around in search of my pills. Rainbow dash walked in behind me, hearing my haggard breath. i took two pills and had to sit down. "ehe.... sorry...about... that outburst...earlier" the mare looked at me for a moment, "it's okay... we're just" "Protective of Pinkie... i know... she was a sweet...little...filly back in the day" i smiled weakly. the ponies looked at me, "i just... thought... things would be different you know?... after Granny Free died, i was pretty much left with nothing...cept Pinks" i sighed, tears freely falling. "i..should have never come here in the first place if all i was going to do is bring her" i was slapped across the face with a pink hoof. a trio of gasps was heard.
"Don't you dare...don't you bucking dare say that you brought me pain" she screeched. "PInkie Pie... i'm sorry...p-please let me explain" "You don't need to explain anything... you left with out saying goodbye" time seemed to stop, i turned to look at Rainbow dash. her face contorted to one of disgust. "your the why she doesnt like her childhood?" Dash spat in my face.
"fuck it" i sighed. "i...i'm not wanted here...i should have just...i'll just..." there was no use trying to fight it any longer. i broke down and wept. nopony has ever seen me break down, not for five years. "Blueberry, why didn't you say goodbye?" she could clearly see i had been torturing myself for years. i told her.... i told her that i couldnt... "your father...never did like me... just told me you were grounded" she looked at me, the solution to the puzzle was becoming clearer.
"look, I'm.... not the colt i used to be," i began telling her what exactly happened to me during the five years. she began to cry. "i'm sorry...so so sorry... i didnt know..i didn't..." i just sat there, cradling the pink pony with striking blue eyes in my arms. "it's okay Pinks... i'm still here arent i?" she looked up at me. "i hate myself... for leaving you, like i did, you were.... hay...still are my best friend, but... i wanted to be more than friends... but i dont deserve it" i looked down.
"too right you dont suarcube" i was pushed away from pinkie and literally knocked to the floor. "Aplejack, don't" i simply just stood up and left. "you know... i got better treatment when i was homeless" i sighed. again... everything stopped. "how the hay could you afford to live there then?" "saving for five long years, what i didn't use to buy what little i needed to survive, i saved up" i said solemnly. "i should have just stayed in Manehatten" i lamented again.
"I just can't do anything right" i sighed deeply as i set off for home. my head hung low as i didn't watch where i was going. i bumped into someone, and heard a squeak. "oh i'm sorry" i lifted my head up and flashed a small smile. "my fault really... but at least you didn't shout at me" i sighed. "what do you mean?" i looked over to the voice. "is.. is that why your crying?" "please...just...leave me alone for a little while" my face fell. the cream coloured pegasus could clearly see something was tearing me up inside. "well, you can talk to me about it, um... if that's okay" she grew quiet. "ehe... i havent told you my name have i" i tried to smile. she looked closely at me for a moment. "wait... i' think i've seen you before" i stopped dead in my tracks, expecting another onslaught of abuse... but it never came. "your that lonely Colt from Manehatten aren't you?" i let out a breath i wasnt holding. "wait, you lived in manehatten?" "yes, when i was alot younger... my parents moved from cloudsdale there so i could be closer to the ground" i raised an eyebrow, judging by the look of this pony, she didnt really speak much. "so where did you live?" she asked... i simply looked down and remaind quiet. what i said next, nearly broke her heart. "R-r-really? you lived out on the streets?" "yep, i had spent.. 5 years there... saving money until i could afford a place here" "why Ponyville?" she asked, she seemed naive. "i'm not sure anymore" i sighed.
"i only just moved in, got a very warm welcome until... well... you heard the song promises promises?" she looked at me quizzingly "oh yeah, it's really good... the chorus was kinda strange.. sounded just like" "a pinkie promise" she snapped her head fast to look at me. "and now...you hate me too" i sighed again. as i ran off, i could here the flapping of wing. i got to my front door. "please just...wait!" she shouted. "why" i looked down, as she landed she placed a hoof on my shoulder. "your the Colt who... broke her heart arent you" i winced, preparing myself for more pain. "i didn't know..." i murmered. "just..blame me for everything, i'll take the burden" "what do you mean, blame you for everything?" she looked at me in confusion. "you want to know why she gets so down?... it's because of me" i would have gone into an explination...but as usual its either they dont care, dont want to know... or something terrible is about to happen. suddenly a cyan blur came speeding towards us. "FLUTTERSHY!!!!" Rainbow dash had landed, "Pinkie's in trouble... major trouble" "what kind of trouble?" Fluttershy asked. i had already left, following smoke.
"Sugarcube corner's on fire" Rainbow dash cried. "are.. are you going to Blame that Colt for it?" the cream coloured pegasus asked her friend. "of course, it is his fault!" Rainbow dash was suddenly stared at. she came crashing down to the ground. "how dare you.... that Colt has had such a hard life, i should know... i've seen him on the streets of manehatten" Rainbow just sat there speechless. "he's probably been saving for five years just to move here in hopes of actually having a roof over his head... and you think that he's trying to kill pinkie pie?...i dont believe it" rainbow dash knew fluttershy was right. "but... Pinkie Pie.. she..." "just shut up, lets get going" fluttershy took off. she was pretty angry. Rainbow dash's assertiveness lessons had paid off, but not in the way she had hoped. the cyan pegasus simply sat there for a good 20 seconds, putting the pieces together.
she then took off. following the plumes of smoke. as she landed she could only watch as a certain dark blue, orange-maned colt ran into the burning building. mr and mrs cake simply stood there in tears. thier lively hood had gone up in flames.
Sugar cube corner was ablaze. i was stupid enough to go in and look for a certain pink pony. as i ducked under broken beams, the fire raged on. i heard the sobs, the cries for help. then i heard the ragged coughing. "i'm coming pinkie" i wheezed, the smoke combined with my condition, had caused a bizarre chain reaction. as i got nearer to the source of the coughing, i grabbed her by the foreleg, "come on pinkie, i'm" i coughed, "i'm getting you out of here" she looked at me like i was lying. i noticed her leg was trapped underneath a broken beam. "this is going to hurt okay?" she simply nodded, as i lifted the beam with my magic. she let out a soft wail. i then crawled underneath her and carried her out. the adrenaline going through my body had finally dissipatte as we got outside. i placed her on a stretcher and collapsed.
the smoke, the adrenaline and my condition was too much. but Pinkie was safe, thats all that mattered. i was suddenly lifted up and placed onto a stretcher. "wait," my voice was raspy and haggard. i pulled out the keys to my home and handed them to the cakes. "you can live there..at least until your shops rebuilt" i smile weakly, rainbow simply watched the scene. she had watched me carry pinkie out, she had watched me collapse... and now she had seen me seemingly give up my home for someone who needed it more, i then blacked out.
"Fluttershy... you were right" Rainbow sighed in defeat. "i'm sorry" Fluttershy simply looked at her frined with a small content smile. "i'm not the one you should be apologizing to" she said softly. "yeah i know..." Rainbow sighed once again.
The cakes were incredibly grateful, they had a roof over thier heads sitll. but it almost cost someponies life. they knew that Blueberry Bass had nothing to do with this, because by Pinkie's description, he wouldn't hurt a fly. it was lucky nopony was hurt. especially the foals. "i'm so glad we took the foals to the nursery" Mrs cake sighed. with a half-hearted chuckle.
awaking in the hospital i simply smiled. "heh, you jsut cant keep me away can you" i chuckled, which soon became involintary coughing. "ow" was all i said after wards. Nurse Redheart simply smiled. "you've got visitors" she smiled. "who would want to visit me?" upon saying this, a certain cyan pegasus trotted in with a sad expression on her face. "oh... its you, come to shout at me some more?" "no..."she continued to look down, ashamed of herself "i'm sorry..." i simply sighed, "did i hear that correctly?" i said, trying not to cough. "you said you were sorry? what for?" "for shouting at you, for...how i treated you" she spoke, "pinkie pie told us about you once, said you were the beat of the party drum... but then you" "left 5 years ago..." she suddenly looked at me, she could see a small tear roll down my cheek. "her father never let me say goodbye" isighed.
Rainbow felt even worse... she began to sob, "i'm so sorry dude" she felt a pair of hooves pull her into a hug. "look..forgive and forget" she looked up at me in confusion. "i've already accepted the things that i can't change," she listened. "so i just moved on" i let go of her. "so, hows pinkie?" "she's okay," Rainbow answered yet hesitated. "she...she's coming to see you tommorrow" she stated. i smiled weakly. "just go to my place and pick up my guitar would ya?" fluttershy walked in with it. "Already planned ahead, Twilight's idea" i took a sip of water for a moment. "thanks... are those 3 coming tommorrow?" yeah, they want to apologize too" "well, Fluttershy must be lucky..she's the only one of Pinkie's friends thats managed to stay in my good books" "what about the rest of us?" "less-than-good books" i chuckled. she huffed. "how long will it take?" "eh... a little bit of time... like.. when i finally get out of hospital, so how long was i out?" "two weeks" the realization of two weeks missed hit me , "well....buck" the only two words i could muster.
i was sitting upright, my hooves slowly dancing along the guitar frets, when the sound of hooves on tiles was heard. "you're awake" i turned my head as i stopped playing. "yeah, how are the cakes doing?" i asked. "Rainbow told me what you did for them..th..thank you" she whimpered. "Pinkie... ii know you probably will never for give me for leaving...but...hear me out okay?" she nodded. she finally heard my side of the story.
"Granny free died in her sleep... i didnt notice until then smell began" she looked at me for a moment. "what smell?" "death" i lowered my head. "i knocked on your door to say my goodbyes... but your father said you were grounded" i continued my story. "what?... i was not!" Pinkie blurted. "told ya, your dad didn't like me" i sighed. "so.. i left Colten, winding up on the streets of Manehatten for 5 years" "wait..how could you afford a house here then?" "saved my money" i simply stated. "but thats not the point... when i left, i began to hate my self, i couldnt afford my medication so i couldn't really do anything," she looked at me for a moment, as if she was going to say something. "how bad has it gotten?" "well, considering i had to save you almost at the cost of my own life..i'd say...not that bad" i tried to lift the mood. "seriously please"
the doctor gave me two years
"i still have plenty of years left in me" i smiled. she suddenly pulled me into an embrace. "thanks for... you know... saving me and" "not forgeting?... or not breaking it" "yeah" i could se that something was stil bothering her. "pinkie..." she wrapped her hooves around me, and pulled me into a hug. "thank you, for... coming back to me" "Pinkie," i lifted her chin up to look in her eyes. she simply pulled me closer. "it probably won't mean anything now but... back in manehatten... whenever i was near the end... i'd just think of you" her eyes widened, then she darted out of the room, not wanting to hear it.
i simply grabbed the acoustic once again, and simply began to lament. the others had trotted in, they began to listen,. Pinkie pie was dragged in by Rainbow Dash and fluttershy... she was still sobbing. she perked her ears up to listen to me, because i was basically trying to tell her what i should have said years ago. they heard and felt the pain i went thorough that day. little did i know i was using a spell to project memories onto a blank white wall. the memories had a sepia tone as they played out.
they saw every beating i had gotten while living in manehatten, every near death expiriance. The smiles, no matter how far apart they were. they saw me sleeping in a box for nigh on 5 years. they saw me get mugged, stabbed, smashed in the head with bottles. as they continued to watch, upon hearing the final lines i'm gone, the room fell silent. they could see the pain clearly on my face, the tears rolling down my cheeks. i sighed as i turned to face them. the shock on thier faces was evident,
"Manehatten... wasn't one of my best ideas" i said, as i placed the guitar back down on the bed. "why... why didnt you just come here instead?" Rainbow's voice cracked slightly. i could tell they we all... disturbed by what they had seen. "Ponyville wasn't that accessable at the time" i sighed, Pinkie simply looked at me with a sorrowful look. "are you going to leave again?" she asked, clearly worried i moght go back to that hell hole. "nope, i'm staying here...even if i don't belong" i stated. "of course you belong here... you saved Pinkie, you've let the Cakes live in your house...if anything" Twilight started to ramble about something involving friendship reports. "Twilight... shut up, your rambling" i blurted out. she stopped at looked around sheepishly. everypony else just gave a shooting glance at her..and then back to me. "what?... she was" everypony seemed to just laugh.
i was discharged from hospital. Pinike Pie trotted next to me with a smile on her face. "well, Pinks, lets go home" she simply smiled and bounced off in the direction of my house.
they say that home is where the heart is, well in that case.... my home is currently constantly bouncing around, full of energy. it had been a full 4 months since that fire. turned out someone left a gas fire running. highly understandable to pin the blame on poor old me.
it never gets any easier, the illness i mean. I never wanted this, but... as long as its me and no-pony else... i can deal with it. I glanced over to the sleeping pink party pony next to me. an ever present smile was emblazoned on her face. it was a bittersweet moment, realizing i had just... half a year left now. But i'm going out with a bang.
I felt a pair of hooves wrap around my neck, pulling me down back on the bed. "Pinks!" i was about to protest but was soon silenced by a pair of lips pressing against mine. needless to say, i was surprised. "shut up bass" she gave me a smile. i returned the smile. "so what do you wanna do today?" she asked.
"well... i've got to plan my funeral... but i think we'll just turn it into one huge after party" I grinned. Pinkie looked at me in shock. "how long?" "just under a year, Didn't want to worry anypony else, i couldn't really give a shit...." i stopped in deep thought. Pinkie then looked at me with a mixture of sorrow and fear. "you know a good recording studio?" "why?" "got a good album idea i was saving for just an occasion, get yer friends" i grinned.
within a few minutes seven of us were standing outside a recording studio. "Vinyl owed me a favour so we have the recording studio to ourselves for a month or two" Pinkie smiled. "so who here can play an instrument apart from me?" i asked. Rainbow plonked her self uncermoniusly behind the drums. twilight picked up a bass and Pinkie Pie picked up a guitar. Rarity looked at me sheepishly and picked up a violin. "okay....Fluttershy?" i noticed she was standing by the microphone. I began to teach them the songs that i wanted to record.
we rehearsed for a few days until they were perfect.
Recording each track took longer than expected. but after a while, I sighed with a smile. listening to the unmixed playback, I looked over to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, Could you promise me something?" "sure, what is it?" I pulled her into a deep kiss as the music carried on playing.
"never stop smiling" As Rarity walked back in, she looked at us with a smile on her face. "dears, time and a place" needless to say, both of us blushed. "we'll meet back at sugarcube corner guys, I've just got to mix all these perfectly and... record one more track"
I began the mixing process, a long and painstaking task, getting levels right. I should have asked Vinyl for a helping hoof with this. within 5 hours, I had it all done, and then I began the final recording.
I sat down at the piano, and sighed. grabbing the microphone and positioning it perfectly, I began to play.
inside the mixing booth, Pinkie Pie and the others began to listen, they had walked in unannounced. Pinkie Pie watched on as tears fell from Blueberry's face. he wore a bittersweet smile on his face. within the past 2 months of recording, his health had deteriorated rapidly. He didn't have much time left, he knew it, she knew it... everypony knew it. Twilight placed a hoof on pinkie's shoulder as she too began to weep.
"He wants to go out with a bang" Pinkie pie smiled slightly, looking to her friends. "we'll do what we can Sugarcube" Applejaack smiled.
they all walked in and began to pick up instruments again as i moved away from the piano. "hey, it's yer big send off song" Applejack held a banjo in her hooves. "You ready?" I looked them for a moment,."sure"
however, after the mixing of the last two songs was done, It began.
The dull pain kicked in, then the hyperventilation. Pinkie Pie rushed to my side and cradled me in her hooves. "I don't want to go" "I don't want you to go either, stay with me" Pinkie choked back her tears.
"Sorry Pinkie, looks like i won't be able to take you to the beach like I promised"
She felt my life slip away as i began to convulse in her forelegs.
I was dying right there and then.
and as if on cue, in some cliche way, the recording stopped, the music stopped and the only thing anyone could hear were the gentle sobs of Pinkie Pie.
The funeral had gone off with out a hitch, the cremation was perfect. And pinkie knew just where Blueberry Bass wanted his ashes to be spread. as she walked to the land outside ponyville she opened the urn, with fluttershy right by her side. She spread the ashes as the Universe began to slowly move forwards.
She sat down and simply looked on. "Thanks for coming with me fluttershy" Pinkie said while still sniffling slightly. "thats okay," Fluttershy smiled slightly as she laid a wing on her friend's shoulder. "Circle of life remember?" Pinkie Pie simply looked up at the stars.
It was at that point, a faint jingle could be heard, and a voice from the radio had sat down beside her. "Miss Pie?" Pinkie Pie looked over to the mare, she too was weeping gently. "Sapphire shores? what are you doing here?" the mare began to sing the chorus of a certain song which had reached the top 40 charts. "if i break this promise, I will surely die, He sold it to me... on one condition"
Pinkie Pie looked down at the mare, sensing the sincerity coming from her. "He wanted you to have the royalties for the song... but I never found you... when i recieved word of his being here in ponyville, I returned," she tried to wipe away tears, "but was too late"
she handed the Pink Party pony a cheque, and gave her an apology for being too late. "I've got to go... but, please... Keep smiling, it's what he would want" Pinkie seemed to brighten up a little.
as she made her way to the place at which the Wake was being held, she hummed her own little song. "Come on everypony... smile smile smile...."she sniffled in between lyrics. Fluttershy joined in. "fill her heart up with sunshine sunshine" Fluttershy then helped her into the venue.
"Isn't this supposed to be a party?" fluttershy asked no-pony in particular.
Pinkie Pie's ear twitched for a moment as her mane... re-inflated. "Your right fluttershy," she hugged her friend.
