> Smile
>  by Purple Tea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I’m tired of working on this monster. But here it is. It’ll be in two parts.
This fiction is inspired by Anon & nukeiffum’s story Bittersweet.
---



There was a trail of crumbs weaving back and forth, making sharp turns around corners and even going under a number of vendor carts before finally ceasing at the door of Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at this trail, usually Pinkie's a little neater with her casual-snacking, but shrugged and didn’t think much of the  abnormality. She raised a hoof and pushed against the door into the well-known bakery. It was typical day outside, the Pegasus ponies had pushed back the scheduled rain and cloudy skies for one last day of warm sunshine. A nice ending, Rainbow had thought with a grin, before they'd have to bring in the brisk winds and sudden flurries of fall.
"Hey Pinkie? You there?"
Surprisingly, she received no response. There was no sudden rush of confetti from her friend's cannon, no cupcakes scattered around the counter waiting to be frosted, not even the usual bob of bubblegum mane, popping up from who-knows-where with a rather loud, Hi there Dashie!
No. It was as silent as death. The tables laid empty, some on their sides with the chairs tipped over. The lights were dim to the point of going out. The whole scene looked as though not a soul had passed through since the beginning of the summer.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie? I'm here to pick up some treats for the coaches’ meeting today," Rainbow tried, raising her voice a little louder so that it echoed around the bakery.
Rainbow Dash had taken a position as an altitude coach for flight camp that summer. Though she missed the constant cries of victory from her fillies and colts, the surprise hugs from the shy ones happy enough to have someone there, that wasn't as loud or angry as the previous coaches had been; she was still happy to be free from foal duty and have those extra bits in her pocket. Besides the money and the sight of seeing foals fly for the very first time, which as much as she hated being sappy, really was reward enough; this meeting really was what got her wings flapping. Rainbow had been counting off the days until she could return to Ponyville for the final, end-of-season flight camp coaches’ meeting. Not one usually for long pointless lectures, meetings were usually out of the question for the cyan pony. But today's was quite special and happened to be why she fought tooth and nail for the position. 

Today, after she recovered the refreshments from Pinkie Pie, she'd fly back on up to Cloudsdale, where she'd been bunking it that summer, and settle down with the other two instructors and Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. For the rest of the night, the three would discuss the foals and fillies for any that had stood out with their flying ability. The meetings were a relatively new occurrence ordered specifically by the Princess. If only they'd had such things when she'd been in flight camp, maybe then she would've already had her seat on the Wonderbolts, no questions asked.
"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?"
Rainbow shook her head, clearing her anxious thoughts of Spitfire and her companions. Instead she focused her attention on the display case, where she could see a number of ready-made cupcakes. But the cupcakes themselves, were not their usual cheery colors nor delectable smells. Spiders along with their webs and other tiny black bugs had made their homes on the surfaces of the desserts. The cupcakes themselves, were a mess, their tops looked deflated. While others leaned to one side, some even  fallen into one another, their frosting inter-melted.  It wasn't like Pinkie to fall short on her pastry duties. Pastries, candies, anything sweet, was practically Pinkie's life. She lived for treats. 
"Rainbow Dash?"
Slowly, bits of Pinkie Pie appeared on the stairs in the far back of the shop. The Cakes lived in a small two-bedroom apartment above their bakery, where they allowed Pinkie to stay as payment for her work. 
Though her hair was still as crazy as ever and she wore her usual grin, there was something about Pinkie that seemed off. "Wow, is it the end of the summer already? The days went super duper fast this year, huh?"
Rainbow nodded, even her voice seemed a bit strange. It cracked with her pitch, as though she hadn't used it in a while. Small bags were gathered beneath the earth pony's eyes. And she seemed a bit paler than usual.

"Pinkie, are you okay?" Rainbow asked. She motioned to the disaster that had once been Sugarcube Corner, "What happened here?"
"Hm?" Pinkie brushed a stray hair from her eyes and swept her head from side to side, as if taking in her surroundings for the first time, "Oh. Huh. Seems Pound got a little behind on his dusting duties again. I'll go get him."
She turned on her hooves and headed back for the stairs. She placed one hoof up, ready to ascend, but stopped. Her body became rigid, her tail drooped. Softly, she whispered, "Oh that's right." 
"This is a little more than dust, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow replied, oblivious to the change in her friend. She pointed to the cupcakes in the display case, "When was the last time, you swapped these out with some fresh ones?"
"Swapped?" Pinkie turned, tilted her head, and scrunched her eyes as if concentrating really hard, "Two? No, no, three?"
"Days? They shouldn't look so-"
"No, months. Three months exactly I think. I sold my last one the day you left, to you."
Rainbow tried not to gape. Three months? Three months? What had happened here, to the shop? To her friend? 
"Pinkie these cupcakes have gone bad. You need to make some new ones. You need to bake."
"Bake? Hmm. Not in a while Dashie. Stopped buying. No more customers, no more cakes or cupcakes, or lollipops, or tarts. No more, Dashie." 
What was she talking about? The words spilled from Pinkie’s mouth in a fast jumble, one right after the other. No more, Dashie.
"And the Cakes?"
"No more, I already told you." This response came quick, as if it should've been obvious.
"No, no," Rainbow shook her head, "The Cakes. As in your employers? Your family?"
Pinkie fell silent. Her eyes moved away from her friend’s waiting expression. She stared at her hooves, the tables, even the showcase. Anywhere, but Rainbow Dash. Her voice was a whisper, barely audible, when she finally replied, but Rainbow was able catch it. A single word, "Gone."

“Gone? Pinkie Pie what are you talking about? Where could they have gone?”
"Las Pegasus, I think." Pinkie's mane flattened at her words, "They left back in the beginning of August. I was going to throw them a really super going away party."
"But why?"
With a grim expression, the earth pony replied, "I'd overheard them talking about it. I knew they were leaving even before they told me. I was sad of course, having to leave my bestest friends and all. But I knew I could visit anytime I wanted. I'd even asked Twilight if she could study up on some transportation spells for me. But, but even that..."
She quivered, her shoulders shook, nothing came from her lips, but that single word over and over, "But...but...”
Rainbow startled at this sudden change in her friend and unconsciously made to nuzzle her, a  calming Pinkie tactic she'd experienced first hoof time and time again, but Pinkie moved away.
"S-sorry Dashie."
"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore if you don't want to."

Pinkie's voice stammered to a stop, but her shaking wouldn’t cease. She raised her eyes to Rainbow and the look there was frightening. Pinkie's expression was so pained, tears raced her eyes and rolled down her raw cheeks. They were both silent for a moment and Rainbow was about to say something, anything really to break the unbearable silence, but Pinkie cut her off, her voice no longer soft, "They left me. How could they?
"I was planning that party. I had everything cupcakes, sugar cookies with little rainbow sprinkles just how Pound liked it. And I was going to be good. I was going to be a really good girl. I wasn't going to eat any of it. I pinkie-promised."
Rainbow felt the hairs along her skin jump, startled at this sudden outburst. This is not the Pinkie she’d known, not even close to the one she'd grown with. This sad little mare, her eyes glassy, lips chapped and straight, depressing hair was not Pinkie Pie.
"They told me outright they were going away. They didn't bother trying to hide it. They never said where, of course, only when. They would be leaving the twenty-third of August. Just a bit before you got back from flight camp. I was sad I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye, but Twilight promised she’d poof you down there, so I could say it face-to-face.
“I was so stupid. I watched them pack up the apartment, put everything in boxes. I packed up my own stuff too. I even told them I'd leave my party cannon behind so they wouldn’t have to worry about paying extra for the storage on the train. I was all ready."
Though she hadn't said it yet, Rainbow Dash could tell where the story was going, "They didn't leave when they say they would? Did they?"
"Two weeks ahead," the pink pony whispered, "They knew I'd be over at Twilight's that night for a sleepover with her and Rarity. We’d been planning for months, I’d even reminded the Cakes a couple of days before they left, incase they needed to push back any of my orders.
“The going-away party was the following day. Twilight was going to do some fireworks for the kids. And I worked my hooves off on those pastries. I didn’t lick the spoon even once. 
“It hurt so much. I’d never felt anything like it when I found the windows boarded up and all of their boxes gone. Rainbow Dash, they didn't even bother to say goodbye."
At that moment, Rainbow didn’t care if she was pushed away again. She leaned into her friend and wrapped her forehooves around the pink pony’s shaking form, "Pinkie. I'm so, so sorry."
Pinkie wiped her eye with a hoof, "Don't be. It's my fault. I deserved it."
"It’s not your fault. You’d didn’t do anything wrong."
“No, no, Dash. It is. There's something wrong with me.”

Pinkie broke their embrace with a sniffle. With a hoof, she motioned towards the nearest table. Together the two rolled it back onto its feet. Using her tail, Pinkie pushed a pair of chairs back to their usual stance and Rainbow, using her wings, scattered the dust. It's wasn’t perfect, but it was close to how the cyan pony remembered it to be. She took one last glance around the shop, and filled the empty tables and chairs in her minds eye. She saw ponies laughing, ponies talking. Some sipping from little ceramic mugs, other nibbling warm, frosted cupcakes fresh from the oven.
Rainbow could just make out her friends, Rarity, Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy, all standing before the showcase. And then there was Pinkie in her splendor, peeking from behind the glass case with a cupcake and a dozen candles. Aim for the sky Rainbow Dash, they’d chorused.
I'll miss you this much, Pinkie had cried opening her arms as far a they'd go, Make sure you write tons of letters this time.
She heard herself laugh. And then as if from far, far away, came her voice, I will Pinkie Pie. I promise, everyday.

The vision was gone in a blink. The other ponies and her friends, had disappeared, leaving nothing in their wake. The tables were bare once more, the chairs toppled over as if somepony had gotten up in a rush.
Rainbow settled herself into one of the chairs at their table and watched as Pinkie took the other.
"From the beginning," Rainbow sighed,  "I need to know how this happened."
The pink pony gave a quick nod and then swallowed a breath. "It was strange..."








> Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"...my body felt weak, broken almost. Like some little screw had come undone from my bones and they’d collapse into a pile of broken parts. Broken parts that couldn't  be fixed by sweets! Can you imagine that? Some days I couldn't even lift my head, others I was fine from morning 'till afternoon. But out of nowhere, I'd just collapse, unable to breathe.
“I'd lost a bit of weight by that time and the Cakes were worried. They had me stay inside the shop at all times and I wasn't allowed to visit anypony. They would have to come to the shop to speak with me.
“We weren't sure what it was at first. The symptoms were really weird. Mister Cake thought I was just a little light-headed. He had me eat twice as many sweets as I usually did. And I did. I would eat them, all of them. It was like my body constantly needed more and more."

Rainbow nodded, though she hadn’t found any of this particularly odd. Pinkie was well-known for her ability to knock back more sweets than anypony and without consequence. She'd been able to do it since they were fillies. It was a talent little Rainbow Dash had been very envious of.
"Nobody was really all that worried. I mean, I was tired lots, but I was okay. Once we realized it didn't seem to be infectious, I was able to help bake again. I made tortes and pies and macaroons, mmm they even let me eat on shift! I'm never allowed to do that, Rainbow Dash, never! But Mrs. Cake was worried I'd pass out again, so she told me to eat as much as
I liked, as long as I left enough for the customers."
"Wow, that sounds like heaven, Pinkie Pie."
Other than the collapsing, nothing seemed wrong. Rainbow couldn't seem to figure why the Cakes would just up and leave, especially without their star baker. It just wasn’t like them. They loved Pinkie like a daughter. 

"Oooh, it was. But only for an itty, bitty bit. Then some other things happened."
"What kind of things?"
"One day, around the end of July, I was busy making chocolate bark for Ms. Bon-Bon and I was chop, chop, chopping and ended up nicking my hoof. It wasn’t very much at all. I mean, I’ve nicked my hoof much worse before. One time I even cut off a bit of my mane. So I thought nothing of it. I got up and went to rinse and bandage the blood away. But the blood kept seeping through the bandage, so I put on another one and another one and another one. But it wouldn’t stop. 
“I didn’t want to scare anypony, so I called Mrs. Cake to the kitchen to see what she could do. She was pretty good at it, almost as good as Nurse Redheart. She took gauze and wrapped it around my bandages and at first I was scared the blood was going to show again, but it didn’t. Mrs. Cake took over for me after that and told me to rest. She had to start the bark batch all over again because I’d accidentally gotten onto some of the pieces and it wasn’t safe to eat anymore.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head, highly suspicious of this new information. This wasn’t the usual bout of light-headedness. It was something much worse and the Cakes must have noticed. Hadn’t they?
“Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash sighed. She leapt from her chair and started for her friend, “Did the Cakes try taking you to a real doctor?”
Pinkie nodded.
“R-really? Was he able to diagnosis you?”
Another nod.
“So there must be some solution, right?” 
This time Pinkie shook her head from side to side, “No cure.”
“Huh?”

“I said, there’s no cure. Something’s happened in my body. I’m this really weird kind of sick. They gave me this syringe-thingy and I was supposed to use it every time I ate a sweet. It had this weird, clear substance in it, and I was really, really scared.
“Doctor Whooves said it would only pinch a bit. And it was better than not eating any sweets at all, right? But there was this look in his face. Like there was something else he didn’t want to say. It took a bit of badgering, but he finally said that I was ‘too far ahead,’ that ‘the insulin would do nothing more than help ease the symptoms.’”
“I-I don’t understand?”
“Neither did I. Mrs. Cake was really sad and stuff. She kept crying and saying, ‘why’ over and over again. I tried asking what was wrong, but Mr. Cake told me to wait in the other room while they talked. I didn’t hear much, only snippits. There was something about time, I think. I didn’t have enough time or something along those lines. I didn’t really get it then, but I think I kinda get it now.”
“What do you mean?”
Pinkie shrugged and said, “I wasn’t allowed to be around the sweets anymore. I wasn’t even allowed to come down from my room. Mrs. Cake had me stay over Twilight’s library a couple of times, but that was more so toward the end, around when they left. And I’m still sad and all, but seeing you today so fresh and new and already always moving forward, it’s like, that’s the past and this now, you know?”

“I think.”
“But, what am I supposed to do? Making candies, and cookies and cakes, that was my job. Without that, I’m nothing. I’m a useless pony.”
“Useless? Really Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow prodded her friend’s thigh, “Remember this, your cutie mark? This is your job, Pinkie. It’s your destiny.
“You’re not useless. You’re a very important pony. You may like to make cakes and candies and other desserts, but that’s just  a little part of you.”
Rainbow reached for her friend and pulled her into another embrace, “You make people smile, Pinkie. That’s a totally huge job in itself.”
“But-”
“Do you even know how much sadness’ there is in the world? How much fear and tears? Do you know how amazing you are Pinkie Pie? You are stupendous, amazing, and about twenty percent cooler than any other mare I know.”

“T-thank you, Dashie.” The cyan pony smiled at her friend’s response, her cheeks glowed rosy as Pinkie returned her nuzzle. “I wasn’t even close to being done yet,” Dash added, “There’s a lot more cool stuff about you, I just ran out of adjectives.”
Pinkie Pie couldn’t help herself any longer. She giggled, a really, loud Pinkie-giggle. There was a  warmth spreading through the broken earth pony. It swept through her body, her bones, and finally ended with her heart. It wasn’t all at once, but as the hours passed and the two spoke, Rainbow Dash could see Pinkie had returned to her old self. First there was her smile, her laugh. And then finally, her mane, which popped back to life with great vigor.
“Hey, I want to show you something.” Rainbow nipped her friend’s ear, and gently pulled her toward the bakery’s door. Though it had only felt like minutes to the two ponies, hours had passed since Rainbow first entered through that very same entry. Outside, the two could see Luna had taken over for her sister. Her moon stood over Ponyville, bright and welcoming. 
“Dashie, you-you missed your meeting, didn’t you?” Pinkie said, her voice rather quiet, 
“Yeah, but it’s okay. This was more important.”
Rainbow lifted her eyes to the sky. With the bright moon above her, she could just barely make out the city of Cloudsdale. Somewhere up there, Coach First Flight and Blue Cloud were sitting side by side with Spitfire, probably commenting on how unreliable Rainbow Dash was over warm cups of cider and pictures of her campers.
Pathetic, Spitfire would snort, shaking her head at the thought, real Wonderbolts are always on time. They remember their important engagements. 
Rainbow sighed at the thought, but didn’t make any move to spread her wings. Pinkie Pie had needed her and Pinkie Pie was what was important. 

“Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow pulled herself away from her inner argument, and turned her attention back to her friend. Pinkie stood with her head held high, eyes focused intently on the moon. Her breathing was very deep as if she were trying to take in as much of the scenery as she could.
“Hm?”
“Do you see the stars up there?”
“Yeah.”
For a moment Pinkie Pie was silent. She plopped her rump down onto the steps of Sugarcube Corner, never taking her gaze from the sky.
“I think I finally understand why the Cakes left me. You helped me figure it out.”
“What do you mean?”
Pinkie Pie took another deep breath, filling her cheeks and her throat until she was about to burst. Don’t cry! Don’t cry! “I- I think they were trying to protect me.” She stopped with a shaky gasp, “I t-think they realized that their business was only hurting me. Being surrounded by sweets day after day, they must’ve thought it was tearing me apart inside. And then the goodbyes. I-think they loved me Rainbow Dash.”
“Pinkie, I know they loved you.”
“Yes, but, I think they c-couldn’t say g-goodbye, because they were scared they would change their mind. That they would stay and continue to h-hurt me. I think they miss me.”
“I bet they do. A whole lot. I know I’d miss you Pinkie Pie.”
“You would?”
The cyan pony tapped her chest, right above the spot where her heart was, “So much, it’d hurt.”

Pinkie grinned, her own heart swelling at the words. She knew her friends loved her and that she loved them just as much, if not more. It was unspoken knowledge. That was just what best friends did, they loved each other despite their faults. But hearing Rainbow Dash openly say, what nopony ever had, was just too much for the pink pony. She continued to focus on the moon above her, afraid that if she even glanced at Rainbow Dash, she’d break down again.
“Rainbow.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
“When I was little filly, way before I even came to Ponyville, I used to live on this farm with my parents, my sisters, and my grandmother. About a month before my sisters and I were supposed to head down to Ponyville, my grandmother passed away.”
“I didn’t know you had a grandmother. I’m sorry.”
Pinkie shook her head, “No, no. There’s no need to be sorry. She was ready to go. But I was a mess. I cried all the time, and even stopped eating for a while. Papa Pie was really worried about me. He sit with me for hours on end, trying to get me out of bed. Finally one night, he picked me up and carried me outside on his back. He said, ‘Look Pinkamena. Look at the stars.’ So I did. Without the lights like we have here in Ponyville, there were so many stars and they seemed to go one forever.”

“That must’ve been some sight.”
“It was. He asked me, ‘Would you like to hear a story?’ And I nodded. I loved stories. I still do. So he settled down into the dirt, and I climbed from his back. He nuzzled me close, told me how much I meant to him. Then he started the story. He said, once upon a time, way before the Princess Celestia or Luna, there was a small town of ponies. In this small town there was one family in particular. There were only two ponies in this family, a papa and his daughter. The mama pony had died a long time ago, back when the filly was born.  The daughter always had guilt for this, as she thought it was her birth that had caused her father so much emotional pain. She wanted to help him,and fix her wrong. Being young and unable to really comprehend death, she thought that she could make substitutions. The filly tried many times to take her own life and thought that by doing so she could restore her mothers'. Desperately she held knives to her throat, climbed the highest of heights, and even contemplated drowning herself in the nearby river. But she was never able to fulfill the attempts. She was afraid, very afraid of what waited for on the other side, and because of this she did not succeed in her suicide.”

Rainbow released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The air blew from her lips, as if she were pushing the anxiety from her body.
“As the filly grew, she began to question her past actions. One day, as a young mare, she confessed to her father what she'd been trying to do. 'I'm sorry,' she cried, 'I wanted to bring mama back for you, but I couldn't do it. I am selfish.' 
“Her father listened to her confession with open ears and a gaped mouth. He was surprised his daughter had thought such terrible things about herself. He tried to console her, tried to tell her how special and beautiful she was, but she refused to listen. The following night, he had once last idea. And with a bit of coaxing he was able to pull his daughter outside. 'Look up,' he instructed. Despite her suspicions the mare obeyed, she look up high into the sky, but saw nothing but black.
“'Not there,' her father replied, 'there.' He lifted a hoof and pointed high above their farmhouse. It was tiny, but the mare could just make it out. A small glimmer was in the sky, glowing bright.
'What is that thing?' Asked the daughter, as she had never seen such a sight before.
'That is your mother,' the father replied, 'She has come down from where it is ponies go after death. She's come to speak with you, and ask that you cease harming yourself. Though she can't speak to you directly, she's come now to watch over you, and prevent harm.'
'Isn’t she angry?'
'At you, my dear? Why of course not. She loves you very much with every bit of her heart. Seeing you in such pain as wounded her. She's afraid of the way you talk to and threaten to harm yourself.'
'But how do you know?' The mare retorted, 'You can't speak with her, can you?'
'No I cannot. But I can see her clear as day. She's up there watching you, glowing bright with her love.'
The mare was unable to say another word, she took her father's reply to heart. And with a smile, she looked to the star and nodded."

"Wow."
"That's exactly what I said! I asked, 'Papa, is there any ponies watching over me?' And he nodded. He pointed to a star directly overhead. "All stars are ponies that have come to watch over their loved ones. This one popped up a couple of nights ago. I wasn't sure who it was at first, but the way it glowed and shimmered, I could tell it was somepony important.   And then I remembered my mother, how strong she was despite her age, how rough and angry she always seemed. And I remembered how you, Pinkamena, were able to make her smile and laugh and I realized that it was her, come down from wherever it is ponies go after death, to watch over you. She sees that you're not smiling anymore, and that worries her. So she's come to make sure you giggle again and grin.'
'Really?' I'd gasped, and Papa had said, 'Really. And one day I'll be up there too, watching over you and your sisters.'"
Rainbow didn't know how to reply to that. The story was powerful to say the least. Pinkie Pie turned her attention to Rainbow and asked, "You would never hurt yourself would you, Rainbow?"

"No never," the multiple-colored mare retorted, "It's against Equestrian law."
"I know that, silly. But what if you were really, really sad? Like if it hurt very much to get up and move the clouds? Or if you couldn’t even fly? What if you couldn’t do a Sonic Rainboom again?"
"Um, I-I guess? “ Rainbow struggled to think of losing her ability, losing what made her special and set her apart from other ponies. “I don’t know, Pinkie Pie.”

“What if, you lost someone special?”
“What do you mean?”
Pinkie leaned into her friend, intertwining her puffy pink tail with Rainbow’s multi-colored one, “What if you lost me?”
“Pinkie! That’s an awful thing to say!”
But what if she did lose her? Rainbow scattered her thoughts of Spitfire, the Wonderbolts, and whatever else she’d been thinking about. She started with a clean slate and placed Pinkie Pie in the middle. She filled the background with the colors of her home, Ponyville. She saw Twilight outside her library and Rarity with a sewing pin between her hooves. There was Applejack with her cart full of fruit and finally Fluttershy with her animals. She tried to imagine picking them away one by one, until only Pinkie remained. Then, she attempted to remove the pink pony bit by bit. She imagined picking away her mane, her tail. Little bits of her that seemed insignificant, until finally only her voice remained, echoing loudly in Rainbow Dash’s subconscious. 

Good morning! 

Come on let’s see a smile! 

Oooh, how about a cupcake with red and yellow and blue frosting? Doesn't that sound yummy? 

Dashie, I love you lots, I’ll write to you every single day.

She loved her friends; she really did with every bit of her heart. But there was something different about Pinkie, something that made her harder to remove than the others, “Pinkie Pie, what’s happening?”
“I already told you,” Pinkie replied, “I think I may be going soon.”
“But I didn’t think you meant-” Rainbow’s words fell short, as a hoof touched her arm. She focused her attention on the earth pony’s face. There were tears rolling down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. Her smile was still bright, showing all her teeth.
“I’m happy Twilight didn’t have to poof you down to Las Pegasus so I could say goodbye. It feels a lot better this way.”
“I’m not ready yet, Pinkie. I need you to stay.”
For the last time, Pinkie wrapped her arms around her cyan friend. “It’s going to be okay,” she cooed, “It’ll be alright in the end.”

“But Pinkie!”
“I told you that story for a reason. Were you listening closely?” Pinkie took Rainbow’s hoof in her own and together they pointed towards the sky, “I’m really, really ready Rainbow Dash. I know it’s going to be hard for everypony, myself included, but I just, I- I sense, it’ll be okay.” As if in response her tail began it’s signature twitch. 

“After I’m gone, I want you to look up, high in the sky. There will be a new star up there and I’ll try to shine as bright as I can so you find me easily. I’ll be there every night, watching over you and our friends. I want you to tell them and their fillies and your own fillies and your grandfillies, and your great-great grandfillies what happened here tonight. I want you to tell them I was happy. And that they should be happy too.”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t thinking clearly, her mind was unable to comprehend what she’d been hearing. This secret, this humongous secret her friends had kept from her despite her many letters to them. She could left early. Could’ve spent more time, here in Ponyville with Pinkie Pie. They could talked about so many more things. She would’ve defied Celestia herself, if it meant she could just have Pinkie Pie a little longer. “Pinkie. I need more time. There’s so many more things I need to tell you! So many things we have to do! Isn’t there some kind of transplant for this? Medicine you could take?”

“Dashie.”
“I-I know. I’m sorry.”
“Please. Don’t be. Don’t be sad either, okay? I need you to do one last thing for me.”
“Anything.”
“Dashie, you need to keep smiling. It's super duper important to me”

“O-okay.” Tears blurred the speedster’s vision until her friend was nothing more than a pink blob, “I-I can do t-that.”

“Pinkie-promise?”

With a deep breath, Rainbow dried the last of her tears from her eyes. Then, she spread her lips into the biggest smile she could. 


---
'Cause I love to make you smile, smile, smile!
Yes I do!
It fills my heart with sunshine all the while!
Yes it does!

'Cause all I really need's a smile, smile, smile
From these happy friends of mine!