Carrot Cake helped Pinkie carry some boxes down to the basement of Sugarcube Corner. The boxes contained every item that reminded her of Rainbow Dash. Everything from the pranks they pulled together and on each other to the Mare-Do-Well costume to the gifts they received from the buffalo tribe were stored into the boxes. She didn’t know what to do with them since Rainbow Dash is no longer among the living. The last thing she wanted to do was throw them away like garbage.
“Are you sure you want these here?” Carrot Cake asked.
Pinkie nodded her head. “They’ll be safe here. I figured until I have something to do with them, this is where they belong.” They placed the last of the boxes on the corner with the others. As much as she didn’t want to, Pinkie felt the need to store them in a safe place so she won’t be triggered.
Carrot and Pinkie took a long look at the pile of boxes before them. Some were on top of others like a half-build pyramid. Not knowing what to do now, Pinkie slumped on the floor. All those precious memories sealed inside those cardboard cubes. Carrot sat next to her, not sure of what to say to the young mare.
“You really miss her, don’t you?”
Pinkie sighed and nodded her head. “I’m sorry I never got the chance to really know her. She seem really nice.”
“She was the greatest friend anypony could ask for.” She turned around so she wouldn’t have to look at the boxes.
Carrot stood, and gazed at the boxes while a little smile crossed his lips. “I do remember one of the pranks you two pulled on Cup Cake’s birthday. Those little trick candles? Boy, that one was a doozy.”
“Yeah… “
“Pinkie, I just want to let you know that no matter what you decide to do with the boxes - whether you keep them in the basement forever, or pass them on to others - just remember to cherish all those great times you had with Rainbow Dash. She may be gone, but her memory will live on if you keep it alive.”
Carrot Cake held Pinkie’s hoof to help her off the concrete floor. He straighten her mane so her eyes wouldn’t hide behind it. He didn’t want her to trip while walking out of the basement. Carrot hoped her mane will return to its cotton candy shape again. Seeing Pinkie with that frown and her hair straight was just unnatural to him.
Sometimes it was difficult to be the embodiment of happiness. Since her first day in Ponyville, everypony expected her to be the life of the party. Smiles, jokes, songs, all of the works. There was an unwritten rule created by her peers that she can never be sad. Trying to keep her image and reputation was a twenty-four hour job, one she took seriously. Sadness was never an option.
When she saw that sonic rainboom give color to the sky all those years ago, she knew her purpose. Before, she never knew what happiness was. Pinkie had no idea how to smile. That sonic rainboom gave her the reason to live. It was the most joyful, awe-inspiring experience she ever had. She smiled so much she never wanted that feeling to be gone. Pinkie wanted everypony to feel that same joy she had many years ago.
That feeling was gone, possibly forever. A mare she loved not as friend, but as her own sister, perished doing what she enjoyed. For as long as she knew them, Pinkie treated her friends like they were her family. If one of them cried, then she cried. If one of them were anger, then she was angry. She had a connection with them. When Rainbow Dash dived for her final sonic rainboom, a piece of Pinkie died with her.
She tried to make sense of the darkness that descended upon her. Pinkie couldn’t remember a time she experienced a death of a loved one. She was so heartbroken she couldn’t put that feeling into words.
There was a frame on her wall. It was a photograph of Pinkie and her best friends. All of them together, enjoying life. It was the first photo they took together. Everything was in perfect harmony. Now everything looked like it was going to fall apart. Pinkie shuddered at the thought of their friendship not surviving, that everypony in her life will fall away.
A knock on her door pulled her away from her thoughts. Cup Cake peeked through the door. “Pinkie, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Cake.”
Cup Cake knew Pinkie, and her straight mane was a sign that something was wrong, especially if it was like that for days. She let herself in and sat next to Pinkie on her bed.
“What’s on your mind, dear?”
“... I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if I can ever be happy again… I don’t know if I can laugh again, or smile.”
Cup Cake took Pinkie’s shoulders into her hooves. Pinkie stared at the floor. “All my life I promised myself to never be sad. I wanted everypony in the whole world to be as happy as I was. I’m not sure if I can keep that promise.”
She felt her straight mane being soothingly rubbed by Cup Cake. It calmed her, but only for a short while. The thought of eternal sorrow made her delve deeper into despair.
“Pinkie,” Cup Cake said as she drew her closer. Pinkie rested her head on Cup’s shoulder. “I know how you feel. A long time ago, when my mother passed away, I didn’t know how I can go on. My mother meant the entire world to me, and she was my best friend.”
“... Your mother?”
“Yes dear, just like you and Rainbow. We did everything together, and she was the reason I got my cutie mark. We loved to bake together.” Her gentle smile gradually faded. Pinkie knew what she was about to say just by looking at her. “I was so devastated when she died. I cried for days and days. Whenever I look at Pound and Pumpkin… I think about how they’ll meet their grandmother.”
Visions of the two foals danced around her head. Her heart dropped from the terrible fact. She couldn’t bear the thought of dying before she can see any of her descendants.
“I’m sorry.”
“Losing somepony is never a good thing. That’s why it’s so important to keep their memory alive. In our minds and in our hearts. I just wish she was here to see those two precious foals.”
Cup Cake patted her on her back. She approached her bedroom door, but she stopped to look at her again. “Pinkie, why don’t you take some time for a while?”
“Time off?”
“Of course. Maybe go out of town for a while. Take as much time as you need.”
“What about the shop, and the twins?”
“Don’t worry, me and Carrot can handle things. Right now, I want you to take a break. Maybe visit some family to take your mind off things.”
Pinkie gave what Cup Cake said some thought. Maybe she was right. It wasn’t good for her to be stuck in her room, but she didn’t want to leave the twins. After a moment, she silently agreed. Taking some time off might just be what she needed. Before Cup left her room, she wanted to say one more thing.
“Pinkie, can you do something else for me?”
“Sure, anything.”
“Promise me you will smile again. It really breaks my heart to see you this way. There will be difficult times in our lives, but I know you’re strong enough to see it through. You always have.”
Cup Cake closed the door. Pinkie sat on her bed staring at the photo of herself and her friends. One day she will smile again, who knows? There was an old saying she heard a long time ago, but she forgot where she heard it. Sometimes, you have to get through stormy days to arrive at the sunny days. But for Pinkie, this was going to be a long stormy night.