Just Smile

by Inky Scrolls

Cogitābat, ergo erat

“Twilight?” Spike gently pulled on his friend's forehoof. “There's a doctor at the door. He says you should go with him to the hospital. It's about Pinkie.”

Sighing deeply, Twilight turned from her studies. They were all that seemed to matter to her these days. Not since... well, not since things changed. Changed for the worse. “I'm coming, Spike.”

She gathered a notebook and quill, pulled on a scarf against the wind, and followed the little dragon outside. It was colder than she had thought; not only was snow falling mercilessly, but the light breeze from earlier in the day had become just short of a gale, whipping up the fresh, white powder and reducing visibility drastically.

As they trudged towards the hospital behind the doctor, forehooves held up to shield their faces from the stinging blizzard, Equestria's newest princess thought over how very different her life had become over the last few months. Pinkie and Fluttershy had started dating just after Pinkie's birthday; the accident had happened less than a month later.

Twilight never had found out exactly how the fire started, but Discord seemed to think it was Pinkie's fault. Angel Bunny had been too distressed for the first fortnight or so to communicate coherently, and as Fluttershy and Pinkie were... unable to tell anypony, Twilight had tried to learn all she could from the cottage itself. The charred timbers and blackened walls did not communicate anything substantial to her, however.

At first, when the doctors had told her and the others of the full import of the blaze, she hadn't been able to believe them. Surely not? Not – not Fluttershy? Dead? And Pinkie, in a coma... but then the realisation had set in. The knowledge that she would never see one of her best and oldest friends ever again, and that another friend was unlikely ever to wake up...

She had tried to stay strong, to stay lively for the others, to be someone they could lean on. But eventually, hiding her emotions became too much for her, and she took increasingly to locking herself in the library, having Spike turn away all visitors, and crying till her heart felt it could take no more.

But life had to go on. As a princess, she had important work to do, and it would not do to be seen to give in under the weight of loss. A ruler must be a rock, a steadfast, reliable pony upon whom others could depend. And, with her remaining friends' help, Twilight had been able to pull herself together, and move on with life.

She'd carried on her studies, but they were focussed mainly now in one area. What would happen to the Elements of Harmony, now that one of their bearers was gone? Would the strength of that union break, or would it, as when the Tree of Harmony took back the Elements, continue as before? After extensive, late-into-the-night research, Twilight had concluded the latter. Despite Fluttershy's permenant absence, and Pinkie's incapacitation, their friends' love for them was the same, if not stronger than ever. This would ensure the continuing strength of the Elements, and of their equine embodiments.

Eventually, in spite of the weather's best efforts, Twilight, Spike and the doctor managed to battle their way to the hospital. A sharp push on the door later, and all three were inside, shivering from the cold and dripping melting snow onto the greying carpet.

The medic turned round and pointed with a hoof. “She's just along there. Nurse Redheart will be with you.” Then, with a quick, sympathetic smile and respectful nod, he trotted off.

“Come on, Spike. Let's go and vis-” Her breath caught in her throat. “Visit Pinkie.” Blinking back tears, she and her dragon companion walked the last few steps towards Pinkie's intensive care ward.

Glancing through the porthole-like window before pushing the door open, Twilight was surprised to see not only Nurse Redheart, whom she knew, but three other doctors and nurses, whom she had seen before but never spoken to. With hearts full of dread, Pinkie's anxious friends opened the door, and stepped inside.

All four medical staff looked up as they entered. “Ah, Twilight, Spike.” Nurse Redheart motioned to an empty space by the bed. “There's been a development.”

As Twilight and Spike approached, one of the other doctors took over, speaking in a low, careful and clear tone. “Miss Pie has not been conscious since approximately forty hours ago. This is anomalous even for her severely comatose state, as she had been showing relatively frequent patterns of consciousness and unconsciousness. Physically, there has been no substantial change, but her vital signs are progressively weakening.”

Twilight was shocked, worry causing her to frown. “What can have caused this? She was doing so well. I mean... she hadn't been getting any worse.” Spike reached up and placed his hand on her side; she smiled gratefully for his support.

“We don't know.” Now the second of the three doctors they hadn't talked with before was speaking. “There is one possibility, but we have no way of knowing for sure.”

The two anxious friends exchanged nervous glances. Spike whispered: “What do you mean?”

Nurse Redheart, who had been tending to Pinkie's life support machines, turned to the visitors. “I knew Pinkie. She always tried her best to make other ponies happy, and felt it keenly when she was unable to. Even more so if it was her who caused upset or pain.” She paused, glancing at the silent, pink muzzle lying on the pillow. Twilight hadn't previously noticed, but Pinkie Pie seemed paler than before... her hair was still curly, but somehow lacked the eye-catching brightness which had been one of her most distinguishing characteristics before the fire.

“And now she has done just that.” Nurse Redheart continued, slower than before. “We think that, as she will undoubtably have known this, she has...” She trailed off again, but had said enough for Twilight to understand.

“She has lost the will to live.” As the purple alicorn murmured those words, she knew them, in her heart of hearts, to be true. Closing her eyes, she sighed. “What do you suggest we do?”

“I'm afraid there is little we can do.” The first doctor was speaking again. “Without her being awake we cannot communicate with her, and she is in such a state that we cannot wake her up. If she has decided that it is time to- that her time has come” – he hastily corrected himself – “we cannot change that.”

Twilight nodded, hearing, but barely understanding. “There is nothing? Nothing we can do to save her?”

The silence that greeted her question was answer enough. The realisation dawned at last. “I understand.” She crept to the bed, laid her head on her hooves, and silently wept.

Over the course of the next few days, Pinkie Pie's vital signs continued to weaken. Never again did she awaken enough to hear the others when they spoke to her, though they often visited. As the hospital had a limit of three to the number of visitors allowed at any one time, the four friends took turns to go in to see her in pairs. And despite frequent entreaties to the contrary, Rainbow Dash kept up a nighttime watch outside Pinkie's window, ready for if anything untoward should occur.

Eventually the end came, as everypony knew it must. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were with Pinkie in her room, conversing about all sorts of things and generally trying to buoy each other along, when Rarity noticed that the steady 'beeps' from the pink earth-pony's life support machine were becoming steadily further apart.

Panicking, she called for a doctor. Doctor Plaster, who was the first to arrive, confirmed their fears: Pinkie's heart was, indeed, failing.

Immediately, Rainbow Dash flew out through the window to find Twilight and Applejack. She found them both at the library, along with Maud and her other sisters, who had travelled to stay in Ponyville whilst Pinkie was in hospital. After giving the alert, all six of them raced back to the medical centre.

Inside her ward, two surgeons were preparing to give Pinkie electric shocks to keep her heart going. Rarity, backed up against the window, was insisting that she didn't think it a good idea, but her fears were ignored. Ignored, that is, until Maud, Marble and Limestone arrived.

Seeing family members, and aware that their services may be needed almost any minute now, the two medics explained what they intended to do. Maud, however, had other ideas. “No.”

Her steady, clear, monotone voice and the statement it carried surprised the doctors. Seeing their expressions, Maud continued: “She wants to go. Let her.”

Respecting the wish of their dying patient's family, the medical ponies stepped back and exited the rooms to allow unrestricted access for her friends and family to the bedside. Straight away the others, Maud, Limestone, Marble, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow and Twilight, all moved as one to crowd round her bed. Together they stood there, saying what they knew to be their final farewells.

“I wish you didn't have to go, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash's voice quivered, but she held herself from tears. “I'll really miss you.”

Beep... beep... beep...

Twilight closed her eyes, letting her shoulders droop. “I didn't think our friendship would end this way, Pinkie. I knew this day would have to come, one day, but I didn't think... I didn't think it would be so soon.”

Beep... beep... beep...

“G-Goodbye, Pinkie.” Marble began rocking slowly on her hooves until Limestone placed a foreleg round her. Unable to go on, she burst into tears.

Beep... beep...

“Ma and Da couldn't be here, Pinkie.” Managing to keep herself under control with effort, Pinkie's eldest sister, Limestone, continued. “They had to stay at home at look after the farm. You know what those rocks are like, always needing tending to!” She broke off again, sniffing. “I'll... I'll miss you, Pinkie. You've been the best sister I could've asked for. Thank you.”

Beep... beep...

Rarity moved closer and prepared to speak but was unable to. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes, silent tears falling to the floor.

Beep...

“Ah sure wish it didn't have to be this way, sugarcube.” Applejack smiled, the only one in the room to do so. “But ah'm gonna remember you as the friend you were, not the invalid you've become. Goodbah, Pinkie.” She doffed her hat, holding it to her chest.

Beep...

Maud sat down on the pillow, next to Pinkie's head. Gently lifting her up, Maud held her sister close, saying her final goodbye. “You loved me, Pinkie. And I love you. I hope you know that. Farewell, sister of mine.”

Beep...

Beep...

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......

“To lose a close friend in so harsh and sudden a way is tragic. To lose two close friends... words cannot describe the pain I know we are all feeling.”

Twilight knew the ponies with her were in agreement by their bowed heads and saddened expressions. Fluttershy, the first of their little group to pass on, had been buried in the Spring, her favourite season. Pinkie would have to make do with Winter, and the sleet and hail it brought to her burial.

In attendance were the four remaining mares of their group, along with Spike the Dragon, the Cakes, and the whole Pie family. Even Cheese Sandwich had been contacted, and was amongst those gathered to mourn Pinkie's death.

“I don't have a long speech prepared. I don't have much to say. But I would like to take a few minutes, now, just to remember some of the things that made Pinkie special to me... to all of us.”

Twilight went on to recount some of their late friend's best moments. From encouraging Cheese Sandwich to become a party-pony when they were both young foals, to greeting Twilight herself to Ponyville with an impromptu welcoming get-together. She mentioned the affair with the 'baked bads' and the way she helped guard the Cakes' entry to the Canterlot Baking Competition. Twilight spoke also of the Day of Too Many Pinkie Pies, and of how the real Pinkie had come through in the end.

“And that, I think, was important part of Pinkie's character.” Some of those listening to Twilight give Pinkie's eulogy were smiling now, remembering her, as Applejack had said she would, for who she was, and not for who she no longer could be. “She never gave in if she felt there was even the slightest chance of making somepony happy, or if she thought she could cheer up somepony down. And I know one thing she would have said, could she have been here today: I wanna see you smile!”

Hearing one of the late mare's most well-known expressions finally helped the whole group do just that – smile. For the first time since her death, the Pie family shared joy-laden glances, silently reminding themselves of other parts of her character they loved her for.

Twilight sighed thankfully. She had succeeded as a princess should. She had brought the others out of the shells they had barely left since Fluttershy's death and Pinkie's hospitalisation, nearly seven months previously, and had provided them with a reason to be happy. Feeling a tug on her foreleg, she looked down at Spike.

The baby dragon softly congratulated his mentor and friend. “Well done, Twilight. You've cheered us all up again... Pinkie would be proud.”

“Thanks, Spike.” Twilight smiled wistfully. “But now... now we have to say goodbye.”

In response to some unspoken agreement, the fifteen ponies standing by the freshly dug grave, side by side with Fluttershy's, slowly began to file away. Each of the Pie family, along with her closest five friends, left flowers by the headstone. As well as a small bunch of tulips, Spike also carried a single daffodil, which he laid on the grave in Fluttershy's stead.

Maud, the last to leave the churchyard, turned back to read her sister's epitaph for the last time before making the long and arduous journey back to the rock farm. Having done so, she smiled in memory, and silently walked away.