//------------------------------//
// One Last Friendship Mission 
// Story: One Last Time 
// by Jhoira 
//------------------------------//

After breakfast the room filled with the happy groaning of ponies who had eaten too much but didn't regret it in the least. As breakfast had gone on upbeat talking had taken place, thankfully Applejack had cheered up and the group had had a fine breakfast. They all looked around in confusion soon afterward, there was a strange tinkling sound in the air, like a wind chime. "What is that darling?" Rarity asked as she looked at Twilight.

Twilight shook her head in response. "I'm afraid I don't know. I don't have any chimes up."

"Ya know, it sounds a might familiar..." Applejack screwed up her face, trying to remember what the sound was from.

"Yeah! I've totally heard this before!" Rainbow Dash frowned as she also tried to rake her memories in search of the sound.

"Ooh! Search party!" Pinkie pulled out a magnifying glass. "The best kind of party that's not an actual party!"

"Uh... Girls..." Everyone looked at Fluttershy who was pointing at her cutie mark. It was glowing faintly, pulsing and chiming gently like it had all those decades ago, but the friendship map hadn't called them in forever! They just had started using it as a table!

Everyone looked to the map, wondering what in the world could be happening that would interrupt their last day together. Rarity was irrationally cross with the thing, she had wanted to settle down for a loving relaxing last day with her friends and her mate. Fluttershy was nervous as always, friendship missions always made her nervous. Twilight was fascinated, she was curious if the map somehow knew it was their last day, so it couldn't give them a mission far away. Pinkie bounced, looking excited, she always appeared happy so it wasn't much change, it didn't matter what was going on around her. Applejack grinned along with Pinkie Pie, spending her last day helping some poor pony with a problem? She could definitely make peace with that. Rainbow Dash gave a hoof pump, shouting. "Oh heck yeah! One last adventure!"

The friendship map suddenly popped into existence on top of the table, but it was faded, it was... If you could call a map sickly it was sickly. They watched as the map sputtered, fading in then out, then popped back into existence. It faded out a second time, until only a very small piece of it lit up. The map seemed to somehow know its failings, its loss of power, and was focusing on where it needed power the most. Their cutie marks flew down and started to circle ponyville, then ponyville grew slightly so the individual buildings could be made out, though the projection flickered the marks came to float around the very castle they sat in. Though the map flickered it remained projected.

"Uh? We have a friendship problem!?" Twilight was shocked, they had a friendship problem!?... Well, they had had one, but they solved it! "Uh... Maybe the map's just slow about picking up on what was happening earlier?" The rest of the ponies looked skeptical, but none offered a better explanation until a quiet voice said.

"I don't think so, girls..." They all looked at Fluttershy who pointed at the map. "There are only five cutie marks. Pinkie's not there..." They all looked at the map, save Pinkie who slowly started to back towards the door, indeed the three balloons weren't there, and they turned to look at Pinkie, whose cutie mark wasn't glowing. After only a few more moment the map flickered quickly then disappeared, and all their cutie marks stopped glowing, but it had been long enough for them all to see the difference.

Twilight got up, walking slowly towards her longtime friend. "Pinkie... What's the matter...?"

Pinkie put on her best smile, that didn't fool any of them, they all knew when Pinkie was faking it by this point. "Who me!? I'm just fine and dandy!"

Fluttershy also got up, followed by the rest of the girls who came to stand near Pinkie, though making sure not to crowd too close to her. Fluttershy spoke in her soft voice, "Pinkie, whatever it is we're your friends. We want to help..."

"No really! I am one hundred percent okie dokie! I'm not worried about anyone!" Pinkie pulled a noise maker out of her mane and twirled it, causing the loud whirring sound they were designed to make. The others groaned as the loud thing went off but they wouldn't be so easily deterred.

Rarity had picked up on the key phrase there that Pinkie had let slip. "Darling... Are you worried about Cheese Sandwich?"

Pinkie's smile twitched but she shook her head. "Nu-uh! He is okie dokie too! I... I just said goodbye to him this morning! He's... He's still okay!" Pinkie nearly jumped over Twilight when she turned back from looking at Rarity and found Twilight had walked over to her, smiling gently Twilight pulled Pinkie into a gentle hug. "Hey! I-I said he's okay! Don't need any hugs here!" She pushed Twilight off of her, cantering a few steps away.

"Pinkie..." Twilight walked after her friend, though didn't try to hug her again as she was obviously not in the mood for such at the moment. "Do... Do you want to go spend your last day with Cheese Sandwich? It's okay if you do." Twilight wasn't ecstatic about the idea especially since it would kind of preclude them all staying together. If the other's had wanted to go see their families, or if Fluttershy had wanted to bring Big Mac it would have changed the dynamic a bit but they'd all have been together. Cheese Sandwich couldn't handle a lot of noise, or motion, he tired easily and was very sensitive to other ponies at the moment. If Pinkie wanted to go be with her mate, they'd have to say goodbye to her now. But it would be better that Pinkie be able to go be with her mate if that's what she wanted. They couldn't keep her here, and even if they could, it wouldn't be for the best.

"No! NO! I DON'T! I don't want to see my mate waste away before my eyes and can't do anything about it! I didn't want to see my father waste away and die a sick old man!" The entire group jumped back as Pinkie exploded at them, but right after that, Pinkie burst into tears. This time when Twilight rushed forwards to hug her she didn't pull away. "I didn't want to see Maud get old! I didn't want to see..." And the list went on, and on. Everyone that Pinkie had seen get old or sick and die. Pinkie didn't include those who died relatively healthy or young. It seemed that Pinkie didn't fear death, she feared infirmity. The rest of the group came in, sitting close to Pinkie to offer their support but not interfering, Pinkie and Twilight had gotten particularly close over the years. Some of the group theorized that if Cheese Sandwich hadn't been around Twilight would have been married a third time.

Twilight nuzzled her friend gently. "It's scary but there's nothing we can do about it Pinkie..."

"And why not!?" Twilight hadn't been done with her sentence but Pinkie didn't care. "Why do we need to get old!? Why do we need to get sick!? Who's cruel joke is it that we die like this!? That we have to suffer and get old!? Can't we just be healthy for like... I dunno, sixty years then die healthy!?" Twilight didn't know what to do except keep hugging her friend, she assumed that Pinkie was just venting and not actually asking but... "Why Twilight!?" Twilight blinked, staring at her friend. "You've read all the books! Why do we get old!?"

Twilight froze for a few moments before her mind caught up with the question. "Uh... Well... Uh... You see... Our cells... In laymen's terms, our bodies over time start to degrade and can't keep up their full health so they slowly break down and..."

"I know that Twilight!" Pinkie wasn't angry at Twilight, but she was angry in general, so it came out harsher than she'd intended. Pinkie took a deep breath, collecting herself for a moment before continuing. "I-I know the technical reasons... I more meant... Why can't we just live normally, who would design us like this!?"

Twilight shifted a bit uncomfortable with the turn that the conversation had taken. "Uh... Well, Pinkie... Not everyone believes we were designed... Some think we were, some don't, some think it was more indirect than designing..."

"Well I do!... Or did... I don't know anymore! I mean... Father always raised us to... But then he got sick!... Why did he get sick!? He was a good stallion Twilight!" Pinkie started to cry again. "Cheese Sandwich is a good stallion! They both said there's a reason for it! Why did they get sick!?"

Twilight opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out so she closed it, she didn't know what to say. However, a timid, sad voice came from behind her. "To help others." There was a pause in the sobs as everyone turned to look at Fluttershy, who blushed brightly and looked to the side, but continued. "Tree Hugger always told me... While she was sick..." Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously, she wasn't really used to talking about her beliefs to anyone except Big Mac but this was to help Pinkie. "Tree Hugger told me that when we see another suffering it changes us, for good or for ill... It's... Those of us who are good take from it more compassion towards others..."

There was an extended silence, interrupted only by sniffling from Pinkie, until another pony spoke, Rarity. "Sweetie Belle... Rest her soul... Said that she was always just the tiniest bit happy when she didn't get her cutie mark. She said that when we suffer it's to remind others of how good they have it. Even if they're going through trouble, they still have so many blessings." Applejack leaned in, nuzzling her mate gently. Rarity always got a little sad when she talked about her little sister.

"Granny Smith always told us that, she was happy in her old age. I... I can't tell ya too much about sickness Pinkie. But when Granny talked about being young she was a foolish mare who would waste her time on stallions, or some such. She said that it was getting older, when she couldn't run around and be foolish that she realized she wanted... She wanted more from life than the day to day fun. She wanted to leave something for the world... Not just something for herself..." It was Applejacks turn to get the nuzzled from her mate. Applejack turned her head, pressing into Rarity appreciatively.

Rainbow Dash looked awkwardly to the side, coughing and biting her bottom lip. "Uh... Soarin... I dunno girls... This... Is actually a little dark..."

Twilight looked from Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. "Uh... Why don't I go, then you can finish it up Rainbow Dash?" At Rainbow Dash's nod Twilight smiled at Pinkie. "Before Flash went in for surgery... The last thing he told me... Besides that he loved me. Was that it was not that we had only had a short time together... It wasn't about how short or long we lived... It was about that we found the purpose of our life and we lived it, and that we loved it. Whatever that was..." She smiled sadly, letting out a single sniffle of her own. "You know Trixie said almost the same thing a few days before... She said that she had loved her life, and that being great and powerful... She'd done everything she could have wanted with it."

Pinkie smiled, nodding jerkily, and all eyes slowly turned to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash shifted a bit, still unsure if she should go with what Soarin had indeed said, or if she should make something up. She opened her mouth a few times before closing it. Suddenly she felt a smaller mare press up against her side, Fluttershy smiled at her. "Go on Rainbow Dash... If you think it'll help, even if it is... Uh... Dark."

Rainbow Dash sighed but nodded, straightening up. "When Soarin was... After he crashed and you know he... Uh... Lost a wing." She sucked in a deep breath, the only thing stopping her from crying a little herself right now was her oldest friend pressing up against her, supporting her emotionally. "Well... You know the surgery didn't work and he only had a few weeks until the strain got too much on his damaged heart and he'd die... He said he was sad to leave me... But... But he was happy to be going somewhere..." Rainbow Dash let out a choked cough and felt a soft, yellow wing wrap around her back. "Going somewhere that he could fly again..." Rainbow Dash turned her head slightly, burying it in Fluttershy's shoulder who reached up, giving her a hug as well. Rainbow Dash wasn't in a state like Pinkie or Applejack had been, but she was visibly upset, and let Fluttershy hold her for a short time.

Twilight nodded, tears in her own eyes, all of them were on the verge of tears, but they all had their friends to comfort them. Twilight swallowed around the lump in her throat, looking at Pinkie. "Is... Are those enough reasons...?"

Pinkie swallowed but nodded after a moment. "Y-Yes... I think it is... I... Though I'll still have some questions for the boss when we get there!" 

That statement actually brought a smile to Twilight's face. "Oh, I'll have a lot too! But I'll let you go first there Pinkie."

That actually got a giggle out of Pinkie who let go of Twilight and nodded. "That's nice of you Twilight!" Pinkie turned slightly making the come here motion with her hoof and all the girls crowded in, sharing a single large hug, that had been a fairly emotional time for all of them there.

As they broke up their hug they all gave each other hesitant smiles, but then a surprised gasp broke the air. They all turned to see Fluttershy pointing at the friendship map, it was lit up again. Rarity actually groaned, and after what had just happened no one, not even Rainbow Dash was looking forward to 'one last adventure.' However it didn't display the map of Equestria, it flickered into life, displaying all six of their cutie marks. They were all dim, and faded, then they all burst into bright light, full, healthy light, and a large version of Twilight's castle appeared. Each of the cutie marks circled it a few times, then sunk into the castle, before the castle faded out. The table, which had always been lit faintly from some glow within itself faded out as well, until a large slab of crystal was all that remained.

An entire minute of silence went by until a timid, "did... Did the friendship map just say goodbye to us...?" came from Fluttershy's lips.

They all nodded hesitantly, and Pinkie smiled a little wider, walking forward and patting the table with her hoof. "Thank you for helping us all those times... And especially this one." 

None of them truly thought the table was an actual being, and it wasn't, not truly. But somewhere in the depths of the crystal, where a mind might have lived if it had had the power to grow, a flicker, the slightest echo of selfhood had heard, and it knew, as it finally faded from existence, it had served its masters well, one last time.