It was one year since Rainbow Dash passed away. All of Rainbow's friends were sad for a long time, but after a while, they accepted it and began to move on with their lives. Pinkie Pie's birthday was coming up, and to catch up on all the parties missed during the depressing months after Rainbow's death, Pinkie had decided to throw a party that lasted five whole days!
“Um, Applejack?” Fluttershy asked softly as she thought about all this. “Um, shouldn’t we get something for Pinkie’s birthday?” The two girls were at Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy was visiting Applejack, as she usually did everyday.
“What? Get somethin’? We'll make somethin’!” the strong Apple exclaimed.
“Oh, that would be nice, but what?” Fluttershy asked politely.
“Remember those friendship rock necklaces that we made with Maud Pie?” Applejack asked.
“Of course I do! I still have them.”
“Well, look at these.” Applejack opened a chest that Fluttershy hadn't noticed until Applejack pointed it out.
“Oh my, those look amazing!" Fluttershy exclaimed in awe peering into the chest.
“Yup. Ah worked the whole mornin’ for this.”
“I’m sure Pinkie would love them-” Fluttershy turned around “-but that’s your gift. I still have nothing.”
“Shoot. Ah should have thought this through,” Applejack muttered. She trotted forward so she stood next to Fluttershy. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. We can say it’s from both of us.”
Fluttershy didn't believe what had just come from Applejack's mouth. She started at Applejack. "Are… are you saying that we should lie?”
“Uh…” Applejack seemed to be at a loss for words. “You… can… still… uh… do somethin’ for this, Ah guess. So, in a way, you helped and then it’s from both of us!"
Fluttershy considered this offer a few seconds. Was she really suggesting to lie?
“Okay then, Applejack. How can I help?”
Applejack sighed in relief. “Well, I still need some wires for the necklaces… and there is still some unfinished rock candies left… Ah guess you can do that?”
Fluttershy smiled. “Of course I would do that.” And she started immediately with the so called courses.
~
Rarity and Twilight were at the spa. They tried to relax, so they could party for at least one day.
“Darling, what’s your gift for Pinkie Pie? If I may be so curious?” Rarity asked, stretching her legs and looking over at her lavender friend.
“Well, normally I would give her a book…” Twilight started. Lotus put a cucumber slice on Twilight’s eyes as she continued, “but now, I just want to make her smile.”
“Oh, so you’re going to do something special?” Rarity questioned.
“Yeah! Something that even her pinkie sense can’t predict.” Twilight smiled.
“You're making me curious,” Rarity said.
Twilight started to giggle. “I know. But I’m not going to tell you.”
A moment later, their Spa treatment was over. The girls headed to the Sweet Apple Acers to pick up Applejack and Fluttershy so they could go to the party.
“Tell me.”
“No."
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Tell me!"
“No!”
“TELL ME!”
“N-"
“Twilight! Rarity! There y'all are. What’s goin’ on here?” Applejack yelled, interrupting Twilight in the process.
The two unicorns trotted over to Applejack until they were close enough to talk to Applejack with a normal voice.
“Twilight doesn’t want say what her gift is,” Rarity explained.
“Of course not. It’s a surprise. And if I tell you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore... And what are you laughing at?” Twilight turned, annoyance obvious on her face, to Applejack.
“Sorry, Two. But you sounded just like Pinkie Pie!" Applejack giggled.
“Talking about Pinkie Pie, we should depart before we’re too late for the party,” Rarity said.
Twilight looked around. “Where is Fluttershy?”
“At the little filly's room,” Applejack said. “She could be here any…”
“Oh my… you are already here!” Their pegasus friend exclaimed. She flapped her wings and flew toward the trio to join them. “I hope you didn’t have to wait for me.”
“No. It doesn’t matter darling," Rarity comforted Fluttershy.
“Great, we’re all here, let’s go!” Twilight exclaimed. The group walked back to Ponyville.
~
“Pinkie Pie! What are you doing?” Twilight yelled. Pinkie was balancing at a pile of books atop a very high ladder.
“I’m finishing the decorations!" She exclaimed. She tried to hang up a banner right above the entrance of Sugar Cube Corner.
“But darling. Isn’t that dangerous? You can fall of…” Rarity was interrupted by Pinkie Pie.
“Dangerous? No! I’m standing at safety-manuals for workers at great heights!” Pinkie yelled back.
“Just come of and let us help!” Twilight yelled. Lowering her voice, she added, "You aren't exactly in your prime."
“No thanks, I almost got it! But if you really want to help, there is cake in the oven! It should be ready by now. Would you check it?”
“I’ve got this," Rarity said. “I can’t take a look at this anymore.”
“Ah’ll comin’ with ya, before you burn your hoofs,” Applejack added. Because Pinkie Pie had, for some reason, blocked the main entrance, Rarity and Applejack walked to the back of Sugarcube Corner.
“Fluttershy and I are going inside as well, Pinkie. We will see what still has to be done," Twilight told the pink Earth Pony, who was balancing on the ladder like a circus pony on a tightrope.
“Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
Just as Twilight and Fluttershy were going around the corner, Pinkie Pie yelled something to them.
“Twily! I feel a combo coming up!” Pinkie Pie yelled excitedly.
Twilight peeked from behind the corner, suddenly afraid. “What does it say?”
“Shaky hooves and a tummy that flutters, means watch out for falling-” and with that, Pinkie Pie suddenly lost her balance and tumbled off the ladder.
“PINKIE!” Twilight screamed. She hurried to help her fallen friend.
The three other friends heard the sound of falling books and a ladder, so they ran as fast as they could outside as well.
“Pinkie?” Applejack yelled from the inside. “What the hay is going on he… No.” She stepped outside and saw the terrible accident that just happened.
“Oh no, Pinkie…” was all Fluttershy could say.
“Is she…” Rarity asked anxiously. She was afraid that she already knew the answer.
Twilight stood there with the once so lively party animal in her hooves. “She landed right on her head. I… she… broke her neck…” Twilight wiped some tears from her eyes.
“Isn’t there anything we…” Fluttershy suggested, panicked.
“No.” Twilight cut off, looking up at her friends “There... isn't anything we... can do.”
“A broken neck, it kills you immediately," Applejack said, and she took of her that and pressed it too her chest.
They gathered around Ponyville’s best prankster and cried for there beloved friend.
~
Another stab, similar to the one they had last year.
“Who passed away now?” Princess Luna asked.
“I’m more afraid of who’s the next one,” Princess Celestia answered.
They looked out the window and stared at Ponyville.
“We should tell them," Luna supposed.
“You know we can’t, and even if they know, they can’t stop it,” Celestia said.
“I know… it’s just part of the circle…”
~
Twilight forced a smile onto her face as she stared at the pink quartz grave. Pinkie Pie had mentioned several times she didn't want ponies to be "sad and droopy" whenever they visited her grave.
Wherever she was now, Twilight hoped Pinkie couldn't tell that Twilight was crying on the inside.
Twilight heard sniffling. Fluttershy wasn't able to keep up the happy charade. She was sitting on the ground, tears sliding down her face as Rarity and Applejack tried to comfort her. As Twilight watched, she came to the stark realization that their group was whittled down to only four members.
"Pinkie, you were a sweet and dear sister." Twilight turned around to see Maud Pie, Pinkie Pie's older sister. She hadn't observed Maud that day, but Twilight was startled by what she saw.
Maud's eyeshadow was wiped off, and she had several minute tears in her eyes.
Maud only visibly shows when something so tragic happens? Twilight wondered.
Marble and Limestone, Pinkie's triplets, were at the grave too. They silently placed two polished rocks onto her grave, then stepped back and hugged each other.
Suddenly, a light blue mist rose out of Pinkie's grave. Twilight wondered who would become the Element of Laughter. To her surprise, the mist wound its way over to her and disappeared like the red mist had. Twilight wondered why her other friends hadn't gotten another element, but even as she asked herself that, Twilight knew why.
She would outlive her friends for a very long time.
Twilight sighed, closed her eyes, and tried to smile for Pinkie Pie's sake.