Pinkie Pie woke up, a sad expression plastered to her pink face. She was used to waking up like this by now.
She didn't know when it happened, or even how it happened, but it happened. Pinkie remembered finding herself so sad one day and she didn't understand why. She, being the happy and carefree mare that she is, shrugged it off and put a smile on her face anyway. It was somepony's birthday celebration and she didn't care if she was sad or even why she was sad, she had a party to plan and ponies to make smile.
This was one of her first mistakes.
She then found herself be sad every day after that, the feeling of sadness, loneliness, darkness, and emptiness loom over her. It wouldn't go away. Of course this didn't stop her from partying and making other ponies smile. She would make other ponies happy before herself.
She started finding it harder and harder to fake her smile and her happiness. She would try to keep her mane poofy and curly but she would find many strands of it go completely straight and lose its bounce. One day it almost went completely flat and she had to explain to her friends why.
*Flashback*
"Why did your mane go flat all of a sudden, Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked, observing her friends’ mane problem.
"Oh um, well Twilight, in cold weather my hair just you know, gets a mind of its own and goes flat. It's normal for me..." Pinkie tried to explain in the best way she could.
"Pinkie Pie...it's the end of August," Twilight stated, looking questionably at her pink friend.
"Oh um...did I say cold weather? Heh...I meant warm weather...oops. Silly me I guess! Heh...heh..." Pinkie chuckled nervously, faking a smile once again.
"Okay then Pinkie. Anyway girls, I was saying that I think it would be great if..." Twilight started explaining something but Pinkie's mind went somewhere else.
*End of flashback*
Pinkie sighed to herself and slowly got up. She walked up to Gummy, who was sleeping in a wooden basket with a blanket in it and a smaller one on top of the little alligator. Pinkie smiled softly and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Gummy, time to wake up and make ponies," Pinkie sighed and frowned again, "smile..."
Gummy blinked once, then twice and looked at her cross eyed. Pinkie yawned and walked to her dresser. She gasped as she saw her reflection. Her mane was completely flat.
She tried frantically to get it poofy again but to no avail. Everything she tried just didn't work. She gulped as she tried to think of a solution. Nothing came to her mind so she looked up at her mane solemnly.
“I’ll just lie about it…again,” Pinkie said out loud.
Pinkie walked slowly down the steps down to the Sugar Cube Corner kitchen. She sighed before coming into eye sight of the Cakes. She then faked her best smile and said her morning greetings to her Ponyville family.
“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie said.
“Morning Pinkie…oh my…what’s wrong with your mane, dearie?” Mrs. Cake asked with concern.
Pinkie was expecting her to ask so she smiled at her as best she could and came up with a false explanation for as to why her mane had got flat. “Oh…my mane? Do you like what I’ve done with it? I decided to try a new style out. It was so poofy before and it made me look crazy, don’t you think? It also gets in my eyes when I bake! That’s sooooo annoying. I just thought this would be better!” Pinkie said in a fake hyper tone and with a false smile plastered onto her face.
Everything she did was fake now.
“Oh, did Rarity do it for you?” Mrs. Cake asked.
“Nope! I actually did it…myself,” Pinkie said. She said the last bit quite sadly, which Mrs. Cake noticed.
“Are you aright, Pinkie?”
“Oh, what? Of course I’m alright! Heh, why wouldn’t I be?” Pinkie asked, making herself seem cheery again.
“Alright well, I have a feeling it’s not going to be a very busy day so you can have the day off if you would like,” Mrs. Cake said. Mr. Cake nodded in agreement as he set up tables in the eating area.
“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked, wanting to make sure they weren’t just being nice.
“We are 100% sure, Pinkie Pie,” Mr. Cake interjected. “Go have a good day; you have been working very hard lately anyway. You deserve a nice day off. In fact, I don’t think you’ve had one in some months now.”
“No…I like to keep myself busy and make sure you two don’t over work yourselves. You have two foals and a whole sweet shop to run, after all.”
“We know but on days like today, it’s completely fine for you needing some time for yourself,” Mr. Cake replied.
“Oh…well, if you insist then I guess I can go have some time for myself.” Pinkie thought that maybe a break would help her out of her depressed mood. Maybe some relaxation time would help her.
Pinkie made her way out the door and waved the Cake’s off, leaving them to get ready for the day. Pinkie walked to the spa. It wasn’t her first choice but she thought that maybe some pampering would bring a smile back on her face. She would try anything to be happy again.
“What would you like ma’am?” The spa employee asked Pinkie as she walked up to the counter.
“Just a nice hoof wash and hooficure, and if you have anything for making your mane bouncy again,” Pinkie said as she looked at her flat mane, “I’ll take that too.”
“Of course, miss! We’ll have a spot for you in one moment. Miss Rarity is just about to leave.” She gestured to the beautiful white mare, sparkling from the product they put in her coat and mane. She flipped her mane to show off her now dazzling coat.
“Do I not look smashing, darling?” Rarity asked Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie smiled a tiny smile and nodded.
“You look amazing Rarity, as you always do.”
“Thank you, Pinkie. Well, I’ll let you have your pampering. It looks like you need it,” Rarity said gesturing to Pinkie’s mane. “Are you stressed, darling? Your mane seems to have lost its…poof.”
“Oh well no, I just decided to try out a new style. I just wanna change it up a bit is all. I’ve decided to change it back though. Oh and…make sure you tell the other girls that my mane style may vary now. You know, so they know the reason and stuff and aren’t worried.” Pinkie smiled a nervous smile at Rarity. Rarity nodded halfheartedly and smiled back, not really noticing Pinkie’s odd behavior. She was too busy admiring herself in a mirror close to the vanity she just came from. She was now wearing a beautiful ballroom gown.
“I’ll um, yeah…make sure to do that, Pinkie Pie.” Rarity was tossing her mane back and forth, checking all the curls and angles of it. She then stopped looking at herself long enough to hug Pinkie Pie and start for the door. “I’m off for my date with Fancy Pants! Have a good time, darling! Make sure you try their special today; it’s truly amazing! Kisses!” Rarity yelled as she rushed out the door.
Pinkie smiled at her friend. She was glad she was so happy. Rarity may have been acting a bit rude, but Pinkie knew the reason. She was actually pretty nervous about her date with her coltfriend. Fancy Pants was a very handsome stallion after all. Though she was nervous, Rarity was also very happy to be having a date. Pinkie was glad.