Rainbow looked around her house. It wasn't clean but it wasn't a pigsty either. Trash from several different takeout meals lay on the floor. She groaned at the idea of cleaning. Rainbow know she had to but the very idea made her feel tired. She had delayed cleaning day for a week now and her house was starting to smell. Tank slowly marched towards her, trash bag in his mouth.
"Your right buddy. I should start before it gets worse." She walked over to the tortoise. He dropped the bag and Rainbow picked it up. She nuzzled him and went to the nearest pile of trash. Right before she picked anything from the pile up, there was a knock on her door. She sighed and started walking towards the door. There was another knock. "I'm coming!" Opening the door, Rainbow saw Pinkie bouncing in her normal way.
"Hiya Dashie! Whatcha doing?" asked the pink mare.
"Nothing much. Do you need something?"
"You up for a slumber party? All the others are coming! It's gonna be so much fun! There's going to be punch and cookies and cake and a lot of other things that I can't remember at this moment!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"I'll be there."
"Promise you won't be late."
"Cross my heart, hop to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie immediately hugged her.
"You said it correctly! See you at five!" The pink earth pony jumped over the edge of her house. Rainbow quickly flew to the side and saw Pinkie bouncing on a trampoline. That pony is so random, thought Rainbow.
"Bye!" Rainbow walked back into her house and began picking up the trash that was spread randomly on the floor. After some time her floor was almost spotless. She grabbed the trash bag with whatever had been on the floor and took off to put it in the nearby dumpster. It didn't take long for her to arrive and it took her even less time to leave. She didn't like it around the dumpster. It felt like she was being watched every time she went there. Shaking off the feeling, she spread her wings to go home.
"Hey Dashie!" yelled Pinkie, who was right next to her. She jumped and looked at her.
"Hi Pinkie. Don't do that."
"Did I scare you?"
"No. You startled me. What are you doing here?"
"I saw you flying with something and I was curious about what it was, so I followed you here. What was it you were carrying?"
"It was trash. Nothing special."
"Okay! See you later! Remember! It's at five!" The pink mare bounced away and Rainbow shook her head. She took off and raced across the sky, heading towards her house. She was greeted by Tank at the door.
"Hey buddy. You hungry?" Rainbow walked over to the fridge (yes she has a fridge) and got some lettuce leaves and put them in Tank's food dish. The tortoise made his slowly made his way over towards his food. She couldn't help but smile at the pace he was going. When she first got him his speed had annoyed her, but now it was sort of cute. Not that she would admit that to anypony. She shook her head and looked at the time. Two thirty-four. There was two and a half hours until Pinkie's slumber party and Rainbow had no clue what to do until then. She sat on her couch and started channel surfing on the TV. (yes, she also has a TV. Will you just let me tell the story?!) Rainbow quickly became bored. There was absolutely nothing to do. She looked around her house. Everything looked boring. Rainbow groaned at the idea of sitting around doing nothing so she flew out a window and looked for a cloud to rest on. She wasn't in the mood for a nap but at least she could see if anything interesting was going on in Ponyville. She had several ponies wave at her and she waved back. Settling on a cloud, rainbow looked down at the town. Everypony was going around and doing their daily business. She saw ponies gathering around the town hall and Rainbow decided it was something important so she flew down and landed towards the back of the crowd. The mayor took the stage and any talking in the crowd silenced.
"Greetings citizens of Ponyville. I have gathered you here today because change is coming. A change that is bigger than anything we have ever seen. Especially you." The mayor was directly in her face and staring into her eyes. Mayor Mare walked back towards the front of the crowd. The crowd started to whisper. Rainbow heard several 'Who was she talking to?'s Rainbow became confused. She shook her head and saw Mayor Mare leave. The crowd started dissipating. She began to make her way through town. She kept almost bumping into ponies. It was like only Pinkie saw her. It was strange. She looked at the giant clock tower towards the edge of town. (because apparently Ponyville has one of those. Now shut up me!) To Rainbow's surprise, it was almost five. She flew to Pinkie's house at full speed. She got there faster than she thought she would. Pinkie was waiting at the door.
"Hi Dashie. You're early."
"Yeah. I thought it would take longer for me to get here."
"That's okay. It only matters that you're here." The pink pony hugged her tightly. "Let's go in." Pinkie held the door open and Rainbow walked in, closely followed by Pinkie. They went up the stairs and into Pinkie's room. The others were already there, though they weren't talking and there were bags under all of their eyes. "We're here."
"Hey Pinkie. I was wondering when you would be back. Who did you bring with you, darling?" asked Rarity.
"Dashie." All the others sighed and looked towards the pink mare. Did she do something wrong?
"Pinkie, we know you don't want to let go but Rainbow's gone." said Twilight.
"What are you talking about? I'm right here." Rainbow said.
"But. She's right here." argued Pinkie.
"Sugarcube, I know that this is hard for you but the sooner you let go the better." Applejack was on the verge of tears.
"What are you talking about? Let go of what? What happened?" All the ponies in the room seemed to be ignoring her questions. "What is going on?!"
"Ow. Dashie that hurts my ears." Rainbow looked at Pinkie, who was looking directly at her.
"Sorry. But what are they talking about?"
"Pinkie, please. I don't want to cry anymore." said Fluttershy.
"But she's here. You have to believe me!" Pinkie started crying. Rainbow flew forward and caught Pinkie right before she collapsed.
"Pinkie. Please stop crying. I don't want you to cry." Pinkie's cry reduced to sniffles. Rainbow looked at the others, who were gaping at them.
"Is Pinkie floating?" whispered Applejack.
"It looks like it."
"Can't you guys see me?"
"No Dashie. They can't." Pinkie crawled out of her hooves and sat down.
"Don't act like that Pinkie. At least you can see me. Even if nopony else can." she said, hugging her friend. "Besides. You still have a slumber party to host."
"You're right. I do!" Pinkie brightened up and everypony else sighed. "Let's get this party started!" Rainbow smiled and sat down. Rainbow watched them all have fun. Pinkie came over and sat down next to her. "Hey Dashie? Could you hold this?" Pinkie handed her a cupcake.
"Sure." Rainbow took hold of the cupcake and saw everypony had stopped what they were doing and stared at where Rainbow was.
"Pinkie, why are you sitting next to a floating cupcake?" asked Rarity.
"I'm sitting next to Dashie."
"Pinkie. They can't see me, remember?"
"Yeah. But you're there."
"I know."
"Anypony feel like they're hearing half of a conversation?" asked Rarity. Everypony besides Pinkie raised their hooves. Rainbow rolled her eyes and got an idea. She looked towards Rarity and threw the cupcake. It landed squarely in the center of her face. Rarity shrieked and Rainbow burst out in a fit of laughter.
"Dashie! Be nice to Rarity. It's not her fault she can't see you." Rainbow stopped laughing and grabbed a napkin from the table nearby. She handed it to Rarity. Rarity looked at the others before excepting it. Rarity then stopped wiping the frosting off her face and looked at Rainbow.
"R-rainbow?"
"Yes?" Rarity gaped at her. "This is getting a little awkward."
"Terribly sorry darling. But you're-"
"Rarity! Don't bring that up!" yelled Pinkie.
"Okay."
"Are you two okay? Rainbow can't be here. She's-" started Twilight.
"Shhh!" Pinkie glared at Twilight.
"Pinkie? What happened that you don't want me to know?" She looked at the pink earth pony steadily. Pinkie was shifting in place.
"Are you saying you don't know darling? It happened to you after all." said Rarity.
"What happened to me?"
"Are you two okay?" asked Twilight. She turned to look at the others. "I think they're hallucinating."
"Yeah Twilight. Just because they are the only ones that can see me that means they're hallucinating." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Now darling, technically, -" Pinkie started doing this weird 'don't tell her' hoof motion. "Sorry darling, but she has a right to know. Rainbow, you died two days ago." Rainbow looked at Rarity. She wondered what she looked like to her.
"But, I'm right here. I'm not dead. I'm here! I can't be dead! I'm not DEAD!!!" Rainbow felt herself hyperventilating.
"Dashie! Please stop. You're scaring me." Rainbow could barely make out what Pinkie was saying. She collapsed onto the ground, shuddering. She was scared of the idea of being dead. She couldn't be dead. "Please." Rainbow started struggling to stand up. A gentle hoof helped pull her up. She looked up and saw Fluttershy looking at her, fresh tears on her cheek. Next thing Rainbow knew, she was being hugged, heavy tears falling onto her back.
"Fluttershy. Don't cry. There is no need for that. I'm right here." She started rocking the butterscotch mare back and forth, trying to sooth her friend. No matter what happened, she was always going to be there for her friends. Suddenly all her friends were hugging her. Tears streaming down all of their faces. Well, that proves that ghosts can get hugs, Rainbow thought.
They spent the rest of the night having fun and Rainbow found out how to go through walls, so it turn out as bad as Pinkie had thought.