> The Last Laugh
>  by Gandalf158
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Prologue


The congregation was made up of pretty much everyone in Ponyville; even Zecora showed up from the Everfree forest. Along with friends and family, the mourners included the Royal Pony Sisters, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Mi' Amore Cadenza, and Discord. The whole room quieted down as the minister, a dull brown earth pony, took the stage.
"We are gathered here to pay tribute to a dear friend. Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter, party pony, beloved daughter, and devoted friend. Her life had humble beginnings; she was born into a local family of rock farmers. After her coming of age, she went to work as a baker/foalsitter for the Cakes, owners of Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville. After this, she went on to save Equestria on multiple occasions; be it Changelings, Discord, or even the dreaded Nightmare Moon," at this, Princess Luna hung her head in silence, "When Pinkie knew her time was short, she came to me and asked that I have her friend and fellow Element of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle, to say a few words on her behalf. Miss Sparkle?"
As the purple unicorn stood to go to the altar, she wiped some tears away from her eyes using a tissue plucked from the nearby box by her violet-pink magical aura. When she finally got to the altar, she pulled out a carefully organized stack of index cards and began to read them off.
"Pinkie Pie was a good friend. She would always cheer you up when you're down, and searched for any reason to throw a party. She took her job as the Element of Laughter seriously. About two weeks ago, she came to me and asked that I would have myself and the other Elements tell about our last days with her. She wanted me to start."
She flipped through her notes and cleared her throat...
> Twilight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Chapter 1: Twilight

        
It all started roughly a day or two after the diagnosis, Pinkie decided that her last days were going to be spent with her friends instead of in a hospital waiting for a cure that will never come. That day, she decided to spend the entire day with me, so we went to the Everfree forest to catalogue plant life on the edge of the forest. She was currently hopping from bush to bush gathering up all the different kinds of flowers she could. Pinkie Pie came forward after her last foray into the bushes, forelegs laden with daffodils. 
        "Alright, Spike, add daffodils to the list of plants found here in the forest. Scientific name Narcissus pseudo-narcissus." I said looking at the baby dragon. 
        Spike wrote down the information. As he finished, Pinkie dove back into the bushes, startling a small family of quail that had apparently made their nest in the bush. After apologizing to the birds, Pinkie kept looking around for more flowers. All things considered, she was really cheery, too cheery for a girl whose days were numbered. That, and today was just too beautiful; the birds were singing, I saw a couple of squirrels and other critters scurrying around. Nearly five minutes later, Pinkie popped up with more flowers. 
        "Hey Twilight, what kind of flower is this?" I took a look, they were pretty, the same shade of cotton candy pink as Pinkie's mane, and looked like a cross between tulips and daisies, but I had no idea what they were.         
        "I don't know, maybe they're a new breed?" 
        "What should I put it down as?" Spike asked. 
        "Until we know what kind of flower they are, put them down as Pinkamenas." I said. 
        "Thank you Twilight! I always wanted a flower named after me!" Pinkie was bouncing with happiness at my decision. 
        "Pinkie, how are you so upbeat?" I glared at Spike. 
        "Spike! Don't bring that-" 
        "It's okay Twilight. People have been asking me that for the past few days. Spike, I'm the Element of Laughter. I always see the positive side of things, silly!"         
        "What positive side? You only have three weeks to live!" at this, Pinkie Pie stopped for just a moment and thought for a moment.
        "That means I have three more weeks to spend with my friends. See? Positive!"         "I just don't understand how you can smile and laugh when you're dying, is all." Spike and I were on the verge of tears, but Pinkie was still giddy as ever. 
        "Come on now, we've got more flowers to find!" With that, she delved back into the bushes. Spike and I dried our eyes and looked at each other. 
        "Well, if she can see the positive, so can we Spike. Let's go." We foraged around for thirty more minutes, then I spoke up. 
        "Pinkie, I just want you to know, we'll miss you. You're one of the best friends I've ever had." 
        "Don't talk like that, Twilight. Miss me when I'm gone, for now, let's live our lives." 
        "Alright. Oh, I almost forgot, I've got to get back to the library; Cheerilee is bringing the kids from her class over for a research project!" 
        "Ooooh! Can I help? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!" Pinkie asked, hopping up and down and smiling her trademark smile. 
        "Sure. That would be great, Pinkie, I could use the help." 

        We walked back to town in relative silence, save for Pinkie's occasional humming. On our way to the library we passed several ponies just going about their business. As we walked past, they looked up at us with solemn looks in their eyes. As per her usual, Pinkie Pie was all smiles and waves as we made our way to the large tree me and Spike called home. As we approached the library, Cheerilee was already at the front door. 
        "Sorry I'm late, Cheerilee, I was cataloging flowers with Pinkie and Spike and lost track of time." 
        "Quite alright, Twilight." I let them in and went to work, helping kids find books, answering questions, and the like. 
        Pinkie also went to work, doing essentially the same thing as me. The children asked questions about the ponies they were going to do their report over, where the restroom is, that sort of thing. For the most part, everything was going well, Pinkie was busy doing….whatever it is that Pinkie Pie does. There were a few close calls, a young Earth Pony nearly knocked over a stack of books onto Sweetie Belle, but at the last moment, Spike stopped it from falling. After about an hour, most of the fillies and colts had left, but three stayed behind. 
        "Miss Sparkle, can ya help us find a topic fer our research project?" Applebloom asked in her thick, Southern accent. 
        "Certainly, what did you have in mind?"  I asked.
        "We want it to be over somepony that is totally awesome!" Scootaloo said, channeling Rainbow Dash almost perfectly. 
        "How about an athlete, we have a pretty small selection of sports books, but that could be something to look into." I said. 
        "No, somepony we know. Somepony from around here!" Sweetie Belle said. 
        "How about Rainbow Dash? She's pretty... awesome."
        "Nah, we thought about it, but there's not enough stories about her." Apple Bloom said. 
        "Ooh! I know! How about Twilight! She's saved Equestria three times!" Pinkie said. 
        "That'll work! We've got the best source of information about her right here!" Sweetie Belle said, gesturing to me with a grin. 
        "Yeah! You're awesome Twilight!" Scootaloo said. 
        After this, Pinkie Pie handed me a note and left. After the girls had asked me their questions and had left, I opened it. It read; 
        Twilight, you are cordially invited to my big "Goodbye-Everypony-I'll-Miss-You party at Sugarcube Corner at 8:00 Friday two weeks from today. I really hope to see you there. -Pinkamena Diane Pie 
        I sent out a note to her RSVPing immediately…



> Fluttershy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Chapter 2: Fluttershy


        "And a one! And a two! And a one! Two! Three!" Pinkie exclaimed, and the little chickens did the routine we had been teaching them. 
        "Oh, they're doing so well! Thank you for all your help Pinkie." I said. 
        "No problem 'Shy!" 
        We watched them run through their routine and when they finished, Pinkie and I gave them a round of applause. Pinkie had the idea that we could use the chickens as entertainment for the party, and I thought how nice it would be for Elizabeak and her friends to get some exercise. That and it was kind of funny seeing a bunch of chickens dance. As the chickens went back into the coup, I looked over at Pinkie.         
        "Would you like to come in for some tea? That is...if you want to."
        "I'd love some tea! OOH! I even brought some cupcakes, we can have a tea party!" she said, hopping up and down in excitement. 
        She pulled out a cotton candy pick platter with 12 of the most delicious looking cupcakes I had ever seen! They were decorated with roses and came in all colors of the rainbow. As we went into the cottage, Angel came in from the living room and went over to his food bowl, tapping his paw impatiently. 
        "Make yourself at home Pinkie, I need to feed Angel." I said. 
        "Okie-doki-loki!" Pinkie said, sitting down at my dining room table. I put some water on to boil for tea and sat down across from Pinkie. She looked sad, and I could swear her mane looked a little flatter and duller than normal, and all things considered, she should be sad, but up until this point, she's been just as bubbly and happy-go-lucky as ever. The moment passed, and she quickly put back on the smile that she is known for. She looked up to me after a second. 
        "Is everything alright?" I asked. 
        "Yeah, I was just thinking about Gummy. Hey, I've got a favor to ask of you 'Shy. When I'm gone, would you mind taking care of him?" she asked, starting to get that downtrodden look on her face again. 
        "Of course! I'd love to. Don't worry Pinkie, he'll be in good hooves." 
        "I know he will, and thank you, it means a lot to me knowing he‘ll be cared for." At this point, the kettle started to whistle, so I got up and brewed the tea. When it had steeped long enough, I set it on a tray along with sugar, cream, and honey. I put the tray on the table and sat back down. Pinkie's mood seemed to improve when she took her first sip; her mane perked up, and her coat seemed just a little bit brighter. "This tea is terrific! What kind is it?" she asked me. "Oh... well, it's an herbal tea I make myself from the plants at the edge of the Forest." She ate a cupcake and drank the rest of her tea. All things considered, she was doing very well. She'd been out and about, I heard she even helped Twilight discover a new kind of flower, apparently they named them after her, too. Anypony else would have given up hope, they would've just curled up into a ball and waited for the end. She was taking it all in stride. 
        "You know, I've got another idea! You should have your birds sing at the funeral!" she said. 
        As soon as the last word left her mouth, her mane popped and fell limp. Her usually vibrant, cotton candy-colored coat turned dull and dark, much like when she thought that we didn't want to be her friend anymore. There were tears welling up in her electric blue eyes, and the sight of her, always so happy, now looking like this, it was more than a little unnerving. I went over to her and wrapped her in a hug. She lost control and started crying, crying harder than I've seen anypony cry before. For about thirty minutes we just sat there, her crying into my shoulder, me telling her, quite untruthfully, that it was all going to be alright and to just let it all out. Soon her sobs turned to whimpers, then to the occasional sniffle. Pinkie, when she was all cried out, got up to leave. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. See you around." she said, voice cracking. 
        "Pinkie, you don't have to go. You really shouldn't be alone right now." I said. 
        She turned around. Her eyes were red and puffy, and they seemed dim and distant. For a second, she just stood there, as if she were thinking on the words. Then she came over to me. 
        "Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden." 
        "It's no burden, I'll make the spare bed up for you." She hugged me and thanked me. 
        "Sorry I lost it back there. It's all just starting to be too much." 
        "Pinkie, you have nothing to apologize for. It's good to get these emotions out. Keeping them bottled up isn't good." 
        She was starting to perk back up; her mane seemed to being returning to normal, and her coat was once again its bright, pastel color. She was also smiling again, a good sign. 
        "Thank you Fluttershy. Again. Do you need help cleaning up?" she said, motioning to the plates and cups on the table. 
        "No, I've got it. Just go and make yourself comfortable." 

        After I finished cleaning, I went into the living room where Pinkie had sat down. She'd fully recovered by this time and was her usual, fun-loving self; humming contentedly to herself while she watched the Beaver family's youngest explore the relatively new land of my living room. Pinkie Pie is the only mare I know who can bounce back from something that devastating as this so quickly. 
        "So, about what I said earlier. Will you have them sing?" She asked. 
        "Yes of course! That is... if you don't mind?" I said. 
        "It's fine, I've... made my peace with it. What are you going to have them sing?" 
        "I thought that you would pick, seeing as you’re the one they'll be singing for." I replied, trying my best not to make her cry again. 
        "Hmm.... how about 'Amazing Grace'? Ooh! And 'Live and Let Die'!" 
        "Alright, I'll start them practicing tomorrow. And I just want to say, it means a lot to me that you'd trust me with Gummy." 
        "Well, I just thought you were the best with animals, that and he loves it so much when you petsit for me." 
        We must have been talking for hours, because when next I looked up, it was dark out. I glanced at the clock; it read 9:00 PM. It was time for bed for all my little animals, and I needed to get them to bed, or they’d be up all night and sleep all day, when they should be out enjoying the sun. Except for the animals that are meant to be up all night.
        "Pinkie, I hate to be rude, but I need to go and put my animals to bed." 
        "Okie-doki-loki!" she said. 
        After I tucked in all of my animal friends, I went back and sat back down in the living room. Pinkie was looking a bit tired, so after a few more minutes, she decided it was time for her to turn in. She helped me make the guest bed I usually reserve for larger animals, and then she went to sleep. I went upstairs, and fell asleep as well. 
        When I woke up the next morning, Pinkie Pie was gone, there was a steaming cup of coffee, a cupcake, and an invitation on the table to a party she was throwing at Sugarcube Corner Friday two weeks from now….



> Rainbow Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Chapter 3: Rainbow Dash


        The next day, I was walking over to Sugarcube Corner to meet up with Pinkie for lunch. It was a clear day outside, no clouds, minimal wind, and unlimited visibility. Also known as a perfect day to go pranking. As I walked through Ponyville, everything seemed normal, birds were singing, foals were playing in the park, ponies went into stores and businesses, and the Farmer's Market was crowded as usual. I saw Spike go into Sofas and Quills, probably to get more quills for Reshelving Day. When I finally arrived at the bakery, I opened the door and went inside. Mr. and Mrs. Cake greeted me and told me that Pinkie was upstairs, looking after Pumpkin and Pound. They had been crying, and Mrs. Cake's voice cracked as she added.
"Y-you two have fun today." after she was done, she sniffled and got back to work.
        I went upstairs and found Pinkie playing peek-a-boo with the two young foals. She looked up at me after a while. She looked tired, her usually vibrant blue eyes were now dull, same for her mane and tail. She was still smiling, though. I took that as a good sign.
        "Hey, Dashie! Give me just one teensy-weensy little second to put the twins down for their nap."
        "Take your time." I said.
        She picked them up and gently placed them in their crib and sang them a lullaby. I must've fallen asleep too, because the next thing I saw was PInkie standing in front of me giggling. I started blushing and tried to save face by saying something cool, but all that came out was a nervous chuckle. We went outside and walked to the small deli across the street. After getting our food, we walked back outside and went to the park. 
        When we got there, we saw Scootaloo and her friends doing… something. All we knew was that Scoots had somehow gotten herself all tangled up in the string of a kite and Apple Bloom was trying to get her untangled.
“Come on Bloom! This is really uncomfortable!” she said.
“It’d be easier if ya held still!” Apple Bloom said.
        “Hey there, squirt. You need some help?” I asked.
        The orange filly blushed as she saw Pinkie and I walking towards them, probably embarrassed out of her mind. I helped her get untangled, then helped her get up.
        “What were you three silly fillies doing?” Pinkie asked.
        “We were trying to get our cutie marks in kite flying, but Scootaloo kinda got tangled in the string.” Sweetie Belle said.
        “Well, be careful next time. We might not be here the next time you get in trouble like that again.” I said. That was a horrible way to word that.
        The three girls got a real sad look on their faces after I stupidly said that. I didn’t mean it like that, but, that’s how it sounded. I looked over to Pinkie, and she was looking sad too. I tried to cheer everypony up with a joke, but it didn’t work. The three fillies trotted off after saying their goodbyes to us, their heads hung low.

        "Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up. How about we go and prank somepony?” I said.
        “What did you have in mind, Dashie?” she asked.
        “You’ll see. Just come with me.”

        Ten minutes later, we were ready. The trap was laid out, and our first victim, Time Turner, was walking right into it. He broke the tripwire, and received a banana cream pie in his face for his troubles. Pinkie and I fell on the ground laughing while he tried to wipe off his face. When he saw it was us, he started to chuckle too, but looked a little down as he walked away. Pinkie was right, that was a great prank. Maybe a little cliche, maybe, but funny all the same. When we finally stopped laughing, I helped Pinkie Pie up; she had lost weight, a lot of it.
        "Oh, Dash, that was so funny!" she said, still giggling to herself.
        "Y-yeah, hilarious."
        I must have had a look on my face, because she asked me what was wrong. I looked up to her, and she looked concerned, as if there was something wrong with me.
        "Oh, nothing." I lied.
        "Come on, something's wrong, you look confused."
        "P-Pinkie? Have you lost weight?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
        "Yeah, the doctors say that it's part of my condition. My metabolism is working double time, and it's burning a lot of fat," she said, looking down for a moment, then back up, "But I'm fine, really. Come on Dash, let's set this back up."
        "Alright." I said, resetting the tripwire while she replaced the pie.

        After three more ponies fell into our trap, we decided to take a walk through Ponyville. Everypony had a downtrodden look as we walked by, and Pinkie tried to cheer them up by stopping them and telling a joke or singing a song. It seemed to work, because after she was done, ponies started to look happy again, they were laughing, smiling, and enjoying the beautiful day. After a few more minutes of walking, we bumped into Derpy. Literally.
        "Sorry 'bout that. Wasn't watching where I was going. Oh hey, Rainbow, Pinkie. How are you two today?" she asked after she dusted herself off.
        "Oh, fine. How are you, Derpy?" Pinkie responded.
        "I'm great. Hey, I think I have a letter for you. Sorry it's a little late, I forgot to deliver it yesterday." she handed Pinkie a sealed envelope.
        After Derpy flew away, Pinkie opened the letter and read it.
        "What's it say?" I asked her.
        "It's from Twilight, her RSVP to the party!" she said.
        "Well, that's good. Say, do you need any help with the party?" I asked her.
        "No, I've got it handled. But thanks for asking. Also, I almost forgot! I still have some invitations to give out!"

        So for the next half-hour, Pinkie and I went around town handing out invitations. When we were done, we started walking back to Sugarcube Corner. The streets were pretty empty, the sun had set about ten minutes ago, save a few ponies going home from work and a few going in for the graveyard shift. When we got back to the bakery, the Cakes were already in bed, probably stressed out from the past week. Pinkie Pie was walking upstairs when she suddenly stopped and looked over to me.
        "See you at the party." she said.
        "Yeah, see you at the party." I said, voice cracking.
        I couldn't take it any longer. I flew back to my cloud house, and collapsed on my entryway floor, sobbing like a filly.
        "See you at the party." her last words kept repeating in my head, until I passed out...



> Rarity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Chapter 4: Rarity


    A few days after Rainbow and Pinkie's “incident” with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it was my turn to spend the day with Ponyville's resident party pony. I had the whole day planned out; after decorating for the Party, we'd go and relax at the day spa, then we would get something to eat at the diner for lunch. Finally, we would return to my Boutique to, as Rainbow Dash would put it, “hang out”.
    That was the plan, anyway. When I got to Sugarcube Corner, though, I moved “getting something to eat” to the front of our schedule. The pink Earth Pony looked ghastly; she was thin enough that I could count her ribs, her mane was slightly less poofy than it normally is, and her usually bright, electric blue eyes seemed distant and cold. I barely held back the tears that threatened to fall at the sight of one of my best friends reduced to such a state.
    “Pinkie, darling, how are you feeling today?” I asked her.
    “Okay, I guess. How're you feeling?” she asked in a weak voice.
    “I'm... alright. Why don't we head over to the diner? I hear that today they have a special on their special celery soup!” I said in a sing-song voice, trying, rather pathetically, to cheer her up.
    “Alrighty!” she said, and her eyes seemed to brighten a little at the thought of food, so I took that as a good sign.

    On the way to the diner, we passed by ponies who, upon seeing Pinkie Pie, would bow their heads in sorrow. Pinkie, however, didn't seem to notice. When we got to the diner, we took an outside table and ordered our meals.
    It was a beautiful day; very few clouds, it had rained the night before, so the air smelled sweet, and the sky was a simply breathtaking cyan. A complete and utter contrast to how I, and assuredly the whole of Ponyville, was feeling.
    “It's a beautiful day, isn't it Rarity?” Pinkie asked, as if reading my mind.
    “Yes, quite beautiful indeed.” I replied, wondering where exactly she was going with this.
    “Ironic, isn't it? The most beautiful days on the outside always come on the worst days inside.” she said.
    I was... surprised... at this. I had no idea what to say to that, so for a few moments, I just sat there, mouth trying to make words, but brain unable to make a coherent thought.
    “It's alright, Rarity. You can talk about it, I've come to terms with this.” she said, breaking the silence.
    It was precisely at that moment our waiter brought over our food; a bowl of celery soup for me, and a daisy sandwich with a side of hay fries for Pinkie.
    “Mmm, this soup is simply divine. Would you like to try some, darling?” I say, in an attempt to change the subject.
    'I'm good. Would you like a hay fry?” she asked.
    “Pinkie, may I ask a question of you?” I asked.
    “Shoot.
    “How are you feeling? I mean how you are really feeling. Not Pinkie the Element of Laughter, Pinkie my friend whose about to die.” I say, wanting her to be honest.
    “I felt fine, a bit tired, but fine. Don't worry about me, my time is coming, but it isn't here yet. Let's just enjoy what little time I have left.”
    “Alright then, it's agreed. We'll enjoy what time you have, and worry about what's coming when it comes. When you're finished with your food, we'll be off.”
    She finished her sandwich, and after paying we were off to the day spa. When we arrived, Aloe and Lotus were there to greet us.
    “Good day, Miss Rarity, how are we today” Aloe asked.
    “I'm quite alright, thank you for asking. I'm here for my regular, plus one.” I say, gesturing to Pinkie.
    Aloe nodded, and Lotus led us back to the mud room. After about a half an hour, we moved on to the massage room.
    “So, Pinkie, have you thought about how you want to decorate the Party?” I ask.
    “Lots of streamers, confetti cannons, and balloons.” she replied in true Pinkie Pie fashion.
    “Don't you want anything more... extravagant?I mean, if there ever was a time to go all out, darling, it's now.”
    “Well, I was going to crack into my good confetti cannons. Why, what did you have in mind?” she asked.
    “I was just thinking you might want something more than that. But it is your party. When we're done here, we'll head over to the Corner.”
    “Okie-doki-loki!”

    An hour later, we were decorating every wall with streamers, hanging balloons from every chair, table, window, and anywhere else we could, and strategically placing confetti cannons. A lot of them. This being her last party ever, she was going to use all her remaining party supplies. Let's just say that she had quite a stockpile of supplies.
    “Rarity! We need more streamers over there!”
    “What color?”
    “Salmon!” she instructed, placing another cannon along the eastern wall.
    I hand the streamers as instructed, and continued to hang decorations around the shop until there was no more room in the Corner. Then, as if reading my mind again, Pinkie spoke.
    "I think we should decorate the outside now!” and that is what we did.
    
    For two more hours, we decorated the store front, the street in front of the bakery, and two of the surrounding businesses. When we were done, I invited her back to the Boutique.
    “Well, that was fun!” Pinkie said as we walked through the front door.
    “It was quite... memorable.”
    “Hi Rarity! Hey Pinkie!” Sweetie Belle said, coming in from the living room.
    “Hiya Sweetie!”
    “Sorry about the other day, Pinkie. We-”
    “I should be the one apologizing. Rainbow didn't mean it like that. But that's all over now.” Pinkie quickly said.
    “Well, that's a relief. Rarity? Is It alright if I spend the night at Apple Bloom's? We want to plan our weekend crusades.” Sweetie asked, giving me the puppy dog eyes, a trick I taught her, for the record.
    “Very well, I'll see you on Monday, Sweetie.”
    “See you later, Pinkie!” she said, grabbing her suitcase, already packed, I might add, and walking out the front door.
    “Well, how about I make us some nice celery soup?” I ask.
    “Ooh, I'd love some soup!”
    “Two bowls of celery soup, coming up...”

> Applejack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Chapter 5: Applejack


        The next day, Ah went over to Sugarcube Corner to help Pinkie with bakin' fer the Party. This being the last party she was gonna throw, she wanted to bake two dozen of every kind of cupcake recipe she knew, an' let me tell ya, that mare knew a lot of recipes, including some really weird ones.
        "Two dozen Piña Colada Surprise, check!!"
        "What's next, Pinkie?"
        "Hmm. Only two more batches to go! We still have to make Sapphire Vanilla for Spike, and my Special Super-Duper Mega Berry Supreme recipe, after that, we're done! Unless you wanna help bake some cherrycangas! Or should it be chimicherr-"
        "Please don't start that again, Pinkie."
        "Alright! Now come on, we've still got a little baking to do!"
        So we mixed, poured, and baked the last batches, then put them in the Corner's freezer. After that, we walked outside.

        "You 'n Rarity did a good job on decoratin' this place." Ah said.
        "Thanks Applejack!"
        It was another beautiful day out: birds singin', critters scurryin' around, an' everypony goin' about their business as usual. Ah've noticed we'd been havin' quite a few "nice days" since the diagnosis, and it didn't seem right fer the weather to be this nice, all things considered. But then again, if it were all rainy out, nopony would be able to do anythin' outside, and the Party would have to be confined to the cramped inside of Sugarcube Corner.
        "So, Pinkie, what do ya wanna do now?" Ah asked her.
        "Hm... maybe you could finally teach me your special Apple Fu!" she stuck a fighter's pose and nearly fell over.
        "On second thought," she said, getting back to her hooves, "maybe we should do something else."
        "Agreed.” Ah looked up at the clock tower an’ noticed it was about time fer lunch, so Ah made a suggestion, “How about we go back to the farm an’ have some of Granny Smith’s cookin’?”
        “That’s a great idea!” Pinkie said, an’ we were off.

        We got there just in time for mah sister and her friends to knock Pinkie and me down.
        “Sorry Applejack.” Scootaloo chuckled nervously, helpin’ us to stand back up.
        “No harm done! What are you three up to? Is it something fun and adventurous?” Pinkie said, somehow all in one breath.
        “We’re gonna try ‘n get our cutie marks in spa workin’!” Apple Bloom said, earnin’ an audible groan from Scootaloo.
        “Ooh! That sounds fun! Tell Aloe and Lotus I said hello!” Pinkie said.
        “We will. Come on girls, we only have four more hours until the spa closes!” Sweetie Belle said before trotting off.
        We walked into the kitchen to the smell of apple pies being baked. Granny Smith was cookin’ lunch, and Big Mac was just gettin’ back from the fields.
        “Afternoon, Pinkie, sis.” he said, goin’ upstairs to wash up fer lunch.
        “Hi Big Mac! Hi Granny Smith!” Pinkie said.
        “Oh, hello, dear. Are you stayin’ fer lunch?”

cabbage stew.”
        “Ooh! That sounds good!”
        A half hour later, the table was set, and Pinkie, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Ah were sittin’ and eatin’ some of the best stew Granny had ever made. Pinkie was on her second bowl, while the rest of us were barely getting done with our first. Honestly, Ah’ll never know where she puts it.
        “I was right, it is very good!” she said, finishing her third bowl.
“Ah’m glad ya think so, dear.” Granny replied with a smile.


        “I need about twenty barrels of Sweet Apple Acres cider, if you can spare it.”
        “Of course we can, dear! In fact, y’all should break into the Reserve. It’ll be goin’ bad in a few months anyway.” Granny said.
        “Are you sure? That stuff is pretty expensive.” Pinkie said, lookin’ a bit unsure.
        “Not when you’re the ones who make the cider. Come on, Big Mac, we got some barrels to move.” Ah said.
        “Eeyup.”
        We finished lunch an’ cleaned up the kitchen an’ dinin’ room, and got right to work.

Thirty minutes later, twenty barrels of Sweet Apple Acres Special Reserve cider moved, ten each, by me and Big Mac were laid to rest in Sugarcube Corner’s store room. There was plenty of room, the Cake’s kept most of the ingredients upstairs in the pantries.
        “Thanks for this, really. This means a lot to me.” Pinkie said as we unloaded the last of the barrels.
        “You’re welcome, Pinkie! Glad I can help.” we turned to leave, when Mrs. Cake cleared her throat.
        “Why don’t you two come upstairs and have some cake? It’s the least we can do.”
        “Thank you fer the offer, ma’am, but Ah’ve still got chores to do on the farm.” Big Mac said, not even stoppin’.
        “Won’t you stay Applejack?” Pinkie asked.
        “It’s alright, me ‘n Bloom can handle it.” Mac said.
        “Okay, Ah’ll stay. Thank you Mrs. Cake.”
        Pinkie smiled, and the four of us went upstairs to eat the Cake’s famous Germane Chocolate cake.

        It was some of the best cake Ah’d ever tasted, and the saddest Ah’ve ever seen the Cakes. They tried to be brave, but Ah could tell they were barely holdin’ back. Pinkie just carried on like nothing was wrong. In fact, she was just finishing up tellin’ us some story or another.
        “...And then I was like, ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy?!’”
        The story made no sense to me, but Ah lauged anyway. She started to tell another, when the twins started bawlin’.
        “Ooh! I’ll take care of it!” she said before zippin’ into their nursery.
        “Ah should be goin’. Ah need to get up early tomorrow if Ah’m gonna get my chores done in time fer the Party. Goodnight, Pinkie! Mr.and Mrs. Cake.” Ah said, tippin’ mah hat.

        That night, Ah didn’t sleep a wink...

        


> The Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
The Party


        The day of the party arrived at last, and everypony in attendance would agree that the pink party mare had outdone herself once again. Six mares in particular, however, weren’t enticed by the streamers or the decorations, or even the games and activities set up around the perimeter of the party. No, this was not a day to celebrate for them, no time for games, or music, it was a day of sadness. It was Pinkie Pie’s last party ever, the one the banner that hung between two storefronts proclaimed as a “Goodbye-Everypony-I'll-Miss-You” party, and they were all too emotionally drained from the last few weeks to enjoy it.
        Pinkie Pie in particular was distressed, she didn’t like to see her friends sad, in fact, she had thrown this party to cheer them up in the first place. She tried to get them to dance, to have fun, but their hearts weren’t in it, so eventually they took to just sitting around a table. For a while, nopony spoke, but Pinkie broke the silence.
        “I’m sorry girls, I thought that this party would help.” Pinkie said glumly.
        The other girls said things like “it isn’t your fault”, but it didn’t register to Pinkie. The stress of the past few weeks was finally starting to catch up with her. Tears were welling up in her eyes, she was on the verge of a breakdown. She tried to think of a way to cheer everypony up, but came up blank, and for the first time in a long time, Pinkie Pie didn’t know how to cheer up her friends.
        “Pinkie, it is a great party, it’s just that we aren’t exactly in the mood to party.” Fluttershy said quietly.
        “Thanks, Fluttershy, that means a lot.” Pinkie replied, drying her eyes, “Look at me, here I am crying while trying to cheer my friends up.”
        For a while, none of them spoke, they just sat there. The party was going on strong, and everypony else seemed to be having a good time, and that made Pinkie a little happy. If she couldn’t make her friends happy, at least she made all these other ponies happy.
        It took a while, but eventually Applejack spoke up.
        “Look, Pinkie Pie threw this party fer us, the least we can do is try ‘n enjoy it.” she said, getting up and walking over to the counter that was being used as an impromptu bar.
        She brought over six mugs of Sweet Apple Acres Reserve cider and set them down in front of her five best friends. She took her own mug in her hoof, and raised it up in a toast.
        “A toast, to Pinkie Pie. Best friend a pony can ask fer.” she said.
        The other Elements of Harmony raised their own mugs in agreement and quickly drank the golden-brown cider. Applejack got another round, and set the newly filled mugs down on the table. This time it was Pinkie who proposed the toast.
        “And to you girls, for helping me through this.” she said.
        After a few more mugs, Pinkie Pie was starting to feel a little bit better, and her friends seemed happier, too. She smiled for what felt like the first time in a long time. She seemed to brighten up, her mane got a little of its poofiness back to it, and for the first time since she went to the doctor, she felt… happy. Happy to be here, and to see her friends laughing and having a good time.
        "So, Pinkie, this is your party, what do you want to do?" Rainbow asked.
        "I don't know. What do you girls feel like doing?"
     As she and her friends reminisced about their adventures together, Pinkie slipped away for a little fresh air. As she stepped out into the night, she heard somepony approach from behind her.
        “Good evening, Pinkie.” she heard a familiar voice say.
        “Hi Princess! I didn’t know you were here, how do you like the party?”
        “We are afraid that our visit is not a social call.” the princess of the night said, her eyes showing her sadness.
        “What do you m-... oh. It’s time, isn’t it?” Pinkie asked.
        “No, not quite yet. But time is running short, my little pony. We’ve come to tell you that you should say your farewells.” with that, the indigo princess disappeared.
        “Pinkie? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, a look of slight concern on her face.
        Pinkie shook it off, her face regaining its trademark smile. 
“Yeah, just getting some air.” she nodded, and went back into the party. She did feel a little stronger, she supposed. Back in the main party, Pinkie decided to do something she hadn’t done since the diagnosis; she went to the dance floor and started to dance.
        The music playing was upbeat, a sort of mix between classical and DJ Pon3’s trademark wubs, and Pinkie was getting into it. It was a fun song to dance to, she thought. After the song was done, she went over to the bar and got another mug of cider.
        For a while, she felt sad, thinking about all the parties she would never throw, all the friends she wouldn’t make. But looking around the room, she realized something, all these ponies were having a good time, and wasn’t her special talent making ponies happy? She found peace in that; that through it all, she had always done what she was meant to do. All her friends would think of her and smile, even long after she was gone, so it didn’t matter about what could’ve happened, she realized that the only thing that does matter is what you do with the time you’re given.
        As the party wound down, Pinkie and her friends found each other and said their goodbyes. Pinkie was on the verge of tears, but held them back. Her friends all said goodnight, as if they’d see each other again the next day, which made Pinkie sad. As they all left to turn in for the night, Pinkie trotted up the stairs to her room.
        “Goodbye, girls. I’ll miss you.” she said…

        The next morning, Twilight was woken up by the sound of a knocking at her door. Spike got up and answered it, but called for her to come down. When she got down to the door, there was Rainbow Dash, crying.
        “Rainbow? What’s wrong?” she asked her.
        “It’s Pinkie, she’s…” the last word caught in her throat, but Twilight got the message.
        Rainbow broke down, and Spike, teary eyed himself, helped.

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Last Laugh
By: Gandalf158
Epilogue


        Twilight stepped back up to the microphone and pulled out another stack of index cards. She organized them and cleared her throat. Then she began to read off the eulogy she had written for her friend.
        "I don't know what else to say after that, except that Pinkie Pie was, and is, the glue that held us together, whenever we were down, she would be there to cheer us up. I will always look back on my time knowing her and smile, because that's what she would've wanted. I couldn't have asked for a better friend, and I know you'll all agree with me. So, today, we say goodbye to Pinkie, but she'll always live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew her, and that's the way she would've wanted." She concluded her speech and put away her cards. She stepped down off of the stage, and Fluttershy led her choir of birds in Amazing Grace....


The End