//------------------------------// // Goodbye. // Story: Goodbye // by FeelingPinkie //------------------------------// She stood outside the bakery made literally out of sweets and candy. Sometimes she would wonder how they built it, how it was able to stand so long. Especially in both rain and shine. But tonight, they only thing on her mind was the young apprentice inside. She hid outside near the only lit window, peeking inside. It was raining, very heavily. So it was harder to be spotted in the darkness and fogginess of the gloomy storm. But easier to get sick. She didn't mind.  "Ahhhh!~" A muffled but clearly satisfied sigh came from inside the bright window of the bakery's kitchen. Despite the constant drops of rain that pour down around her, she was still able to make out the voice of somepony in the bakery. "Pinkie, isn't that enough cookies and milk for tonight?" Another rang out from the kitchen, masculine yet rather gentle.  "Oh, Carrot! You know she hasn't had them for at least 5 nights. Let's just let her have a little more tonight, alright? After all, she baked them all day!" A feminine voice replied the male's next, slightly haughty-sounding but meant good intent. "Well... Oh, alright. Pinkie, don't finish all of them okay? Remember what you're saving them for!"  "Mmhmm!" The pink mare gave a salute gesture to the yellow stallion, and then proceeded to stuff another cookie into her mouth, munching it down like a beaver clugging down wood. Literally.  "Oh, Pinkie." Cup Cake sighed and shook her head, smiling. She gave a small nudge to Carrot Cake, and both of them started to trot out the room. "Good night, Pinkie." They said together, in sync. Pinkie gave them a cheeky smile, her teeth and lips covered in crumbs and having a small 'milk-stache' below her muzzle.  "Guub nugh!" She spoke through another cookie she chomped down.  Outside the kitchen window, the pony eyed Pinkie, her eyes filled with tears and remorse. She stopped looking inside, and turned away. She looked up at the sky, a flash lightning spread across. Nights like this she wished she stayed at home, in her bed, warm. She wished she could nuzzle up in Pinkie's shoulders, and she'll whisper into her ears.  "It'll be okay, I promise."  But she knew, it wouldn't be 'okay'. It would never be okay. Tears swelled up in her eyes, dripping down like the raindrops that fell from the clouds above. She whimpered quiet outside, her mane and coat soaked, herself freezing. She had to do this. It would be better this way.  She wiped the tears in her eyes, but made her vision even more blurred since her body was already drenched.  'Oh, Fluttershy..." She thought to herself, and sighed. She spread her wings, soaked and heavy, and flew up into the air, the collected weight of water in the fur of her wings made it harder to move about, but she could cope. She flew up and landed on the platform of the balcony on the second floor, leading into Pinkie's room. The glass door into her room was unlocked, so she pushed it and step a hoof in. "Oh no!" She whispered, withdrawing her hoof back out. "I'm all wet! I can't go in and have all the rainwater drip on her stuff!" She fumbled frantically, trying to think of something to help her predicament. Just then, a green blur approached the Pegasus. A small, green alligator, named Gummy. He looked up and blinked at the mare. She looked down and saw that he had already started to chew on her hoof.  "Oh, hello to you too, Gummy! I'm so sorry, I'd love to play with you but... I have to go soon... But I really need to give... Oh wait! Gummy!" She grabbed his toothless jaw off her hoof gently and held he up with both hooves. "Could you please hold on to something for me? It's... really really urgent to keep it dry, but don't pass it to Pinkie first... Because... Well she'll understand when she reads it... So will you? Pleasee?" He blinked twice. "Great!" She planted a small peck on his alligator nose and pull out an envelop from her saddlebag. The sides were slightly wet, but it looked dry still. She placed it on his flat, long head. "Thanks so much, Gummy. I have to go so... Take care of Pinkie for me while... I'm gone... Alright?" He blinked twice. She nodded, and flew out through the balcony, her expression turning sorrow, tears streaming down her cheeks again. Pinkie opened the door to her room then hopped on her bed. Her stomach was at peace and her heart was content with sweetness. She licked her lips again, still tasting of chocolates and milk. From the corner of her bed bottom, a green tail popped out. "Gummy!" She jumped up and caught the little fellow into her arms.  "Gotcha, hehe! Hey, where'd you get this from?" She scooped out the envelop in his jaw, oozing of thick saliva.  "Isn't that wet yet... So it must be pretty new... Where'd you get this from, Gummy?" She tilted her head slightly as she shot her eyes back between Gummy and the letter. The alligator replied with three blinks.  "Fluttershy? But... Wait where she'd go!? How'd she-" Pinkie looked at the open balcony door, the howling of the wind escaping it. Her heart stopped for a moment as she looked back at the letter.  "OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH!" She zoomed out the room, the letter and envelop floated down, gently landing on the floor. Pinkie picked up a saddlebag and placed a plastic jar in it. She then slammed open the door and ran out, into the ominous downpour. 'Dear Pinkie,' She ran across the almost flooding grounds of Ponyville. The heavy raindrops continued slamming down against her. The light of the lamps were dim from all the fog the rain brought with it, but she didn't care. She just knew she had to find her. To find Fluttershy. 'I'm sorry for embarrassing you... I'm sorry I had to do this, but this is better for you... I know you may hate me, but I want you to be happy. I know how you hate being laughed at... So leaving would be the best choice...' The yellow mare eyes the clock that hang on the ceiling of the station. 1105. Ten minutes until the last train arrives. Ten minutes until she can finally do something that will make Pinkie's life better. Even though she herself may wish it doesn't have to be this way, it would be better. As long as Pinkie is happy... 'I'm happy, Pinkie. When you're happy, I'll be happy. And I know, that those ponies that called us names, called you names, made you unhappy. So no. I won't let them say those mean things anymore. I won't let them make you sad.' Her mane flatten slightly from all the rainwater that gathered in her fur and mane. It made her whole body heavier, and making it more difficult to run especially with such a slippery floor. But no. She had to press on, no matter what the condition. No matter the consequence. 'I know you'll find somepony else who's better for you than me. A nice, handsome stallion. I promise I'll be truly happy for you. So please Pinkie... Forget me and... us. I'm sorry... For all the pain I've caused...' "All aboard the last train to Manehatten!" The conductor announced as a row of ponies lined up in front of him, ready to hand him their tickets.  "Hey, miss? Ya comin'? Train's a leavin' soon." Fluttershy turned to see a leaf green Earth pony with a baby blue mane who had tapped her shoulder. He gestured to the queue of ponies who were about to aboard.  "I..."  "Ya waitin' fer somepony, miss?" He tilted his head slightly. "Umm, not really..."  "Oh, then ya better make a move on!" He held her hoof and dragged her towards the queue of ponies. She reluctantly followed, cringingly. 'Thank you Pinkie. For all the happiness you've brought to me. I'm sorry, truly. For... Everything...'  "Last call for the last train to Manehatten!" The conductor's voice echoed the now almost empty train station. Fluttershy stood at the end of the queue of 5 ponies. She looked down at the ticket on hoof, soft tears in her eyes 'Goodbye, Pinkie.' "FLUTTERSHY!!" The yellow mare in question turned around, her body frozen in shock at what she saw. In the pouring rain, a pink mare emerged from the blur of fog and rainwater that fell from above. At her side was a saddlebag. Her coat and mane was drenched wet, limpy and darkened slightly. Her expression was one of pure joy and sorrow somehow at the same time. Her hooves step up the steps that brought her up into the station. She trotted forward, standing in front of the yellow Pegasus.  "Pinkie what are y-" Pinkie tackled her, both ponies face to face, lying on the wooden floor. Their muzzles were only half and inch apart. Pinkie eyed Fluttershy intentfully. She sighed and got off the Pegasus and carried down her saddlebag, placing on the ground. She reached her mouth in it, and took out a plastic cookie jar. A few drops of water gather on the outside, but it didn't matter anymore. "Pinkie what's th-" "I know I'm a little oblivious... Okay maybe not only a little. And I know sometimes I don't think about the things I say and how they may affect others. It's kinda hard to change that part of me... But I promise I'm still trying my bestest! Honest!" "Yeah, those meanie ponies said horrible stuff about us and I felt hurt and sad. But I said something horrible after that too! I shouldn't have said 'I wish it wasn't like this.' Because I love how it is this way. The two of us. Maybe I was a little sad at first about those mean words I heard, but when I thought about it, why should I? I have the best thing that ever happened in my life." Pinkie reached a hoof out, and gripped Fluttershy's.  "This."  Tears flowed down her cheek for what seemed like the hundredth time today, as she looked at those big, beautiful blue eyes, and felt the damp, warmness of Pinkie's hoof. She lunged forward and embraced her, the pony she loved. "I'm so sorry, Pinkie... I'm always causing so much trouble for you..."  "Now you listen here, filly!" Pinkie held her fillyfriend's muzzle against her's, glaring at her in mock sternness.  "Don't you ever! EVER! Say you're 'causing me trouble' or even a 'burden' to me! You not! AT ALL! So don't you ever do this again! I love you with all my heart, and I know you do too! So!" Pinkie reached forward and planted her lips onto Fluttershy's.  "Muack! There! No more running away! Deal?"  "Deal." Fluttershy whispered, her tears now dried and a quiet smile spread across her lips, her heart rate pulsating.  "Ahem, young mares." Both mares turned, eyes meeting the smiling conductor, who stood right behind them, a bag of bits in his hoof. He handed it over to Fluttershy, smiling. "Here you go, miss. A word of advice, don't leave a town you love, especially not when the pony you love is in it. Believe me, I've experienced it myself, first hand." Just then, the head of the green Earth pony from before popped out from the window. He winked at the mares and then looked at the conductor, impatiently.  "Well, that's my cue to go! I wish both of you continued happiness and love." He grinned and nodded, then ran back into the train, as smoke puffed out the exhaust pipe, and a loud screech echoed.  "Next stop : Manehatten!" A familiar voice rang as the train moved out, the station, leaving the two ponies alone. "Pinkie?"  "Yes, Flutters?" "What's this?" She pointed at the cookie jar, curious. "Oh yeah!" Pinkie grinned excitedly, as she pulled out the cap of the jar. In it was a giant, heartshaped chocolate chip cookie, its colour was a perfectly cooked brown, and the chocolate looked like it would just ooze out when you bite it.  "Oh my! Is that for..." "Yep! Had to slog through all the bad ones, until I found the perfect one to give to you! Here!" She picked up the cookie and placed it on Fluttershy's open hoof.  "I wanted to give it to you as an apology for the dumb things I said. But then I saw the letter, then I was afraid I would be too late..."  "Thank you, Pinkie. Here you go." Fluttershy cracked the cookie into half, passing one half to Pinkie. "But-" "A heart shape, like this one, is actually two hearts, put together. So this one is for you, it's my part of the heart. And this one here." She waved the one on her hoof, and bit off the edge. "This is yours." She smiled. "Mmm!~ Fluttershy your heart is really sweet!" Pinkie spoke as she munched down the cookie. Fluttershy giggled, and bit her part of the cookie gently. "Oh, Pinkie."  The two ponies sat quietly in the station, the last few droplets of rain fell, as the clouds cleared and the moon glowed bright and beautiful.  "Looks like the rain stopped." Pinkie looked up at the clear night sky. She stood up and shook all the water off her coat and mane, which had returned to its previous brightness and fluff. She packed the empty jar into her saddlebag and placed it back on her back. She reached a hoof forward and lifted Fluttershy off the ground.  "Let's go home." She turned and hopped down the steps and out the train station. Fluttershy stood at the top of the steps, looking hesitant as she gazed into the night's stars. She smiled again, her eyes sparkled and sighed with a sense of relief. "Let's."