//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: The Spirit of Loyalty // by Matthew Penn //------------------------------// Pinkie forgot how miserable and quiet the rock farms were. Since leaving home for Ponyville she had been surrounded by noises and smiles. She even forgot how dreary the skies over the farm were. Pinkie couldn’t remember a time if it rained. However, she looked forward to the visit. She’d always plan to see her family again, or have them visit her friends in Ponyville, if they ever decide to get out of the house.         In some ways, she was relieved to leave Ponyville. Staying at the rock farm could provide her solace, and maybe answers. She didn’t know how long she was going to be gone, but her friends were on the back of her mind; Fluttershy locked inside her dark home. Who will take care of her? She imagined the others are under much stress as well. Then there was Pound and Pumpkin. Pinkie was reluctant to go away because of them. There was nopony there to make them laugh or play with them. She made a promise to herself to come back for them.         On the day she approached their front door, there were no smiles. Nothing had changed since that first party she had given. It wasn’t too bad, since Pinkie wasn't smiling either, no matter how much she wanted to. For a moment, her father didn’t recognize her, despite being the only pony in the family with a bright pink coat. Then her hair was down.         He mouth hung open. His hooves stroked her pink face and long hair. “... Pinkie? Is that you?” She nodded. Igneous Rock didn’t know what to do. This was her daughter, but not the same daughter as he last saw her. Was this an apparition? Pinkie looked over his shoulder to see an older mare walk toward Igneous’ back.         “Mom,” she said.         Cloudy Quartz stopped what she was doing. Igneous moved out of Pinkie’s way so she and her mother can get a good look at each other. Just as her father, Cloudy believed to have seen a ghost. She reached her hoof out to Pinkie, then pulled it back. She was afraid to touch her.         “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long,” Pinkie said.         “That’s… okay,” Igneous said. He closed the door as Pinkie made herself at home. Cloudy awkwardly looked to Igneous for what to do. They stood in silence.         “Where’s everypony else?” Pinkie asked.         Three young mares appeared beside Cloudy. All of them had pale and grayish coats, with long manes the same length as Pinkie’s. Two of them looked mildly surprised to see her, but one of them had no hint of emotion on her face.         “Marble, Limestone, Maud,” Pinkie said.         Marble and Limestone said nothing, only nodding their heads. Maud was the only one who approached her. “Pinkie,” she said.         “I’m back. I’ll be visiting for a few days, maybe weeks. I’m not sure.”         “Welcome back,” Maud said. If anypony outside of Pinkie’s family met Maud for the first time they wouldn’t think much of her. From her monotone voice one would believe she was constantly bored or boring herself, but Pinkie knew her heart. She loved her three sisters just the same, but Maud was her favorite.         “Your room is… that way,” Igneous pointed. He tried to soften his face so Pinkie wouldn’t feel intimidated by him.         Pinkie nodded. Neither of them said nothing else. She went to her room, and as she expected, it was exactly as she left it. It wasn’t just her room, it the room she and her sisters shared. A large bed on one side with no windows. She removed her saddlebag and dropped it, then sat on the bed. Pinkie wondered how her sisters managed to sleep in the same bed after all these years. Will they even remember her was the most important thought.         She heard her mother approaching the room. Cloudy slowly opened the door, nervously gazing at her daughter. Pinkie gazed back at her.         “Pinkie,” she said. Cloudy didn’t know what else to say. Pinkie remembered how many in her family weren’t much into conversations. Of course, she herself wasn’t a conversation starter before the sonic rainboom. Cloudy moved her lips but nothing audible came out. “I’m… glad to see you.”         “Thanks,” Pinkie said. “I’m glad to see all of you too.”         “What brings you here?”         “It’s difficult to explain, but… “ she paused. “One of my best friends died. Her name was Rainbow Dash.”         “Oh. I’m sorry.”         “I loved her so much. When she died it tore me apart that I couldn’t think straight, so decided to leave Ponyville for a little while.”         “... Stay as long as you like.”         Pinkie nodded. She gazed at the wall some more, and Cloudy silently closed the door. It was nice speaking to her mother. Maybe they’ll have more to talk about when she feels comfortable enough. After a few minutes alone in her room her sisters entered. Marble and Limestone stood side by side while Maud sat next to her.         “We have not seen you in years,” Limestone said. Despite the simplicity similar to Maud, there was something unsettling from the tone of her voice.         “I know. That’s what I told mom.”         “How long will you stay?” Marble asked.         “I don’t know.”         Marble and Limestone gave a quick look of uncertainty to each other. Without another word they disappeared from the room.         “What’s wrong with them?” asked Pinkie.         “They have issues,” Maud answered.         “Issues? Like what? Was it my fault?”         “I can’t explain.”         Pinkie had a feeling their issues began with her, but Maud was too polite to say anything. If Limestone and Marble were upset with her in some way, who knows what their mother and father thought about her.         “I think I need to be alone.”         Maud nodded, then left Pinkie alone in the bedroom. She tried not to spend too much time thinking about Marble and Limestone. Hopefully what they’re upset about didn’t had anything to do with her. But the way Limestone looked at her, and the tone of her voice. Her back was on top of the sheets. With no windows, all she had to stare at was the wooden ceiling. The sun was down over the rock farm. Cloudy Quartz had just prepared dinner for the family. It was a special occasion since Pinkie Pie returned, so it was mud pies for the night. Limestone and Marble set the dinner table, and Igneous told Maud to retrieve Pinkie. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. The door creaked when she slowly opened it. Maud saw Pinkie lying on her side, her pink back facing her. She must’ve been really tired, Maud thought. She imagined Ponyville must be hundreds of miles away from the rock farm.         Then she heard noises, almost like little whimpers. Maud called her name, but Pinkie didn’t respond. She whimpered so more. They grew intense for a second, with Pinkie saying Dashie, Dashie. Maud stood over her, then she begged for the pony called Dashie to not die.         “Pinkie,” Maud said. She shook her sister until Pinkie came to. She sat up quickly, forgetting where she was until she saw Maud. A pink hoof was over her chest as she caught with her breath. “I heard you talking,” she said.         “Oh Maud, I had a terrible dream!” Pinkie said. She grabbed Maud and pulled her close. It was a strange for her. For almost her entire life she never felt the affection of another pony, and the first and last that happened was Pinkie’s first party.         “What were you dreaming about?”         “... My friend, Rainbow Dash. I dreamed about the day she died, and…” She placed her hoof over her face. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not right now.”         “Mother made dinner.”         Pinkie drew a breath and gathered her thoughts. Maud helped her out of the bed and led her to the family room. The Pies were already seated at the table, with Maud and Pinkie being the last ones present. She saw they had slices of mud pie on their plates, and a glass of water. When Pinkie looked across the table she noticed her mother giving her a weird face. It wasn’t malicious, but it seemed as though she expected her to say something about the pies. She figured her mother remembered how much she used to eat mud pies when she was a filly, although she didn’t necessarily enjoy them. Cloudy Quartz didn’t have to know that.         “I… made mud pies,” she said.         “Thank you. They look delicious.”         Cloudy looked down, her eyes between the plate and her daughter. Pinkie wasn’t sure if her mother was pleased. She turned to Maud for some guidance. She gave Pinkie a look that told her everything she wanted to know. The family ate their dinners in silence. For Pinkie it was a long cry from Ponyville, a place where she can enjoy the company of those she loved. In the House of Pie there was no laughter, no smiles, no stories of the day’s events. Pinkie took a fork of the mud pie into her mouth. There was no taste to them and she had trouble swallowing it, but she didn’t want to disappoint her mother.         Pinkie looked to the other side of the table to see Limestone staring at her. There was no emotion in her eyes although she knew something was wrong. She kept eating, trying to ignore her. Marble noticed that Limestone had her eyes on Pinkie, but did nothing.         “... Pinkie,” Igneous said, “... how is Ponyville?”         “Ponyville? It’s a nice town. The ponies are nice too.”         “... What of your friends?”         “One of my friends died in an… accident. She was a pegasus.”         “... How sad,” Cloudy said, twiddling her hooves. There was nothing to be said after that tidbit of information. Marble chewed on her mud pie while taking glances at Limestone. Most of the time she took her eyes off Pinkie for a moment, then gazed back at her.         “Did you make any parties in Ponyville?” Marble asked. She felt Limestone’s eyes radiating on her. Pinkie saw it too, but answered anyway.         “Yes. I never did stop throwing parties for ponies. But now, I don’t know if I can do it anymore.”         “It takes time,” Maud said in her monotone voice.         The table was silent again, save for the sound of the forks clashing the plates. From time to time Pinkie took a quick look at Limestone to know if she was staring at her. Limestone finished another fork full of mud pie, then set the utensil down and pushed the plate away from her.         “Why did you leave us?” she asked accusingly.         “Limestone… what are you - “         “Why did you leave us? After you got your cutie mark you left the farm and never came back.”         “I was going to come back,” Pinkie said.         “You chose your Ponyville friends over us. Are we not good enough for you?”         “I would never think that!” Pinkie said. “Why would I think I’m better than my own family?”         “Limestone, it is not the time,” Maud said.         “That party you threw for us all those years ago…” Limestone paused, her lips trembling. “It was one of the best days of my life. It was the first time that I, and all of us, have smiled. On that day I knew what true happiness felt like. But then, you decided to leave. I was miserable once more.”         “Please Limestone, I never meant to hurt you,” Pinkie said. “I left the farm because I wanted to make everypony happy!”         “And now you come back because that same happiness is gone. And you’re not going to find it here.”         “Limestone, how can you say that? I thought we were sisters!”         Limestone pushed her chair back. She left the table to go outside, but not before giving Pinkie a few more words.         “Why couldn’t you just stay in Ponyville?”         The door slammed.         The Pies were sat in their chairs stunned by what transpired. Igneous Rock shook his head while his wife stared at her children. Marble wanted to focus on anything instead of her family.         “She’ll be back,” Maud said.         Pinkie’s bottom lip quivered. She wiped her eyes dry but tears flowed like a flood. With each attempt to hold back her grief the emotions grew.         “I have to go,” Pinkie said. She pushed herself out of the chair and rushed to her bedroom. Her cries were inaudible once she buried her face on her pillow. This was memory she left for the Pies, and she was ashamed of it. If Limestone was right, then she wouldn’t find the answers she was looking for by staying at the rock farm. 12 Years Ago… Pinkie was not sure how long she held that wonderful smile, but she wanted it on her face for all eternity after what she had just saw. A day ago, she witness a streak of rainbow cover the dark cloudy sky with brilliant colored light along with her gray world. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. All her troubles, her miseries, and her sadness instantly passed away when her eyes caught the most unnatural, yet beautiful sight in the world. For the first time in her life Pinkie knew what true happiness was like. She wanted that feeling to last forever.         And what was a better way to make it last than to throw a party?         She spent the entire morning transforming the silo into a party station while her family was out collecting rocks. It was almost one o’clock, which means her family will be back soon. Pinkie took the time to review her work. Balloons and streamers were hung with care on the walls while the party games sat on a table, waiting to be played. Pinkie also had to wake early sunrise to bake the cake. It was to be the centerpiece of the party.         Everything from the decorations to the games and snacks were set in place. Pinkie slowly open the door and took a quick peek at her family. They were putting rocks into a pile, just like they had always done every day. She giggled with excitement when she imagined the looks on their faces when all of them saw the party. All she needed now was music. Pinkie ran to the record player that sat on the corner of the room. Once she placed the needle on the record, dance music played, but she turned up the volume.         Pinkie’s body ecstatically followed the rhythm of the beat. She knew in her heart and soul that this was going to be the best day ever, for her family and herself. The more she thought about how much fun they were going to have, her face was becoming contorted with extreme enthusiasm. Pinkie could not wait anymore. The party has to begin now.         She swung open the door and yelled, “Hey everypony! Come inside!” Her parents were confused as to why their daughter would yell in such a manner. Believing that she needed help with something rock related, her family decided to look inside the silo.         “Pinkemena Diane Pie,” her mother said. “What is the matter?”         Enter the silo was like entering a whole new world for them. The Pies were ambushed by a kaleidoscope of decorations. There was so much color, some of them they had never seen before. The way the room was set up was at most unnatural to them, and what was that strange noise coming from that contraption? Why would Pinkemena do this, they asked themselves. Pinkie stood in front of them, doing something with her mouth that frightened the Pies to no end.         Then, something was happening to them. Something to this day none of the Pies could explain. Their lips began to wiggle and twitch. Seeing the weird colors, the strange decorations, and the foreign noise from the machine stirred emotions inside them they had never felt before. What was happening to them? Are they dying? Did Pinkemena cast a spell on them?         After a period of awkward and stunned silence, the Pies did something that Pinkie will always keep in her memory for as long she lived. Her mother and father became the first ponies to grin. Her three sisters soon followed. She done it. Pinkie finally got her whole family to smile. The filly jumped for joy and tackled them with a bear hug. The Pies never said anything, but continued to smile. It was a new feeling for them, and a feeling they adored as much they did Pinkie. She saw it in their eyes. All of them hoped they can stay like this forever. Present Marble stood out on the front porch looking out for Limestone. She knew Limestone had troubling feelings toward Pinkie Pie, but she never imagine she’d see such emotion emerge from her sister. Dinner ended abruptly after her outburst. Most of the Pies went to bed, except for Maud. She joined Marble on the porch and both gazed at the blackness of the sky.         “She’ll be back,” Maud said.         “How can you be sure?”         “There’s nowhere to go. She has to come back.”         Marble didn’t know what to say. She continue to gaze at the dark dirt fields. Where could Limestone possibly go? She prayed she hadn’t been hurt while trying to navigate the dark.         “What if she never comes back?” Marble asked.         “She will. It’s time for bed.”         Marble faced the darkness of the dirt fields one last time, and Maud gently pulled her inside the house. Their hooves on the wooden floor creaked in the blackness, they were sure they wouldn’t wake anypony. The Pies were heavy sleepers. Maud opened the door to their bedroom, and out of the darkness the two mares saw Pinkie already asleep on the bed. Marble didn’t have the courage to say anything in front of Limestone, but she was glad Pinkie had come back. She had high hopes that Limestone will return the next morning, and things will be just the way they were before Pinkie left for Ponyville. Pinkie had that dream again. She cheered and screamed as Rainbow Dash performed tricks in the air. It was an amazing sight. The sky was clear blue with no clouds, the sun was bright and warm. She held her breath when Rainbow Dash flew upward until she disappeared. Then, her smile turned into a frown when felt something was wrong. Pinkie screamed for Rainbow Dash, begged her to come down. With one last yell there was an explosion of light and color.         Then Pinkie was awake. She found herself on the bed between Maud and Marble. There were no windows, so she didn’t know what time it was, but she somehow knew it was morning.         “... Pinkie.”         Maud sat up, staring at her with a blank expression. “Good morning.”         “Good morning,” Pinkie said back.         “You were talking in your sleep.”         “Oh.”         They fixed their eyes on each other for a minute, then Marble emerged from sleep. She rubbed her eyes to find that Pinkie and Maud were wide awake. Pinkie hadn’t taken the time to realize that the bed was still wide enough to hold herself and her sisters. She climbed out of the bed and led herself out of the room, with Maud and Marble following her. There was nopony in the family room. Upon further inspection Pinkie found her mother and father out in the field. They were gathering rocks and placing them on a pile. All this time Pinkie had never question why her family, and other families that lived on the rock farms, gathered rocks. It was possible that nopony knew why. Living here, there was nothing to do but gather rocks.         Pinkie stepped into the front porch and sat on a rocking chair. Maud and Marble joined her on the porch. They watched their parents work endlessly on the dirt fields. Igneous and Cloudy had saddlebags full of rocks they collected from the ground. Igneous noticed that his three daughters were were watching him, so he nodded and tipped his hat, then resumed his work.         “Limestone hadn’t come back,” Pinkie said sadly. “I hope she’s okay.”         “She’s fine,” Maud said. “She does this when she’s upset. I actually followed her once.”         “You did?”         “Somewhere out in the field, whenever she leaves the house, Limestone stays in a tent. It’s been going on since you left the farm. Marble doesn’t know about it, yet.”         Pinkie pushed her mane out of her eyes. The sun hid behind the grey clouds, although it never rained. She imagined how the rock farm would look like if there was green everywhere, and rich with life. Her family wouldn’t have to be rock farmers, but vegetable farmers.         “How long has Limestone been upset with me?” asked Pinkie.         “For a long time,” Maud answered. “She tried to bring back the happiness she felt when you created that party, but failed. Now she’s miserable all the time.”         “... I didn’t know.”         “Now you do.” Crows flew overhead. Their harsh squawks echoed through the air. Igneous removed his hat to wipe the sweat from his head, and Cloudy poured rocks into a pile. Marble stepped inside the house, leaving Pinkie and Maud alone on the porch.         “I didn’t mean to hurt Limestone,” she said. “I didn’t know that party meant so much to her. If I’d known, I would have taken her with me.”         “She was distraught after you left,” Maud said. “Limestone felt she had no purpose, and was cursed to be miserable for the rest of her life.”         “Why would Limestone think that about herself?”         “... She believed fate had chosen you instead of her.”         Marble returned with two glasses of water on a platter on her back. She carefully approached Igneous and Cloudy and offered them the glasses.         “I should have never come back,” Pinkie said.         Maud looked at her with her unfeeling eyes. However, Pinkie knew she hadn't liked what she had said. “I was hoping seeing my family again will provide me answers… but one of my own sisters hate me.”         “Limestone doesn’t hate you, she’s just conflicted.”         “Last night she told me to go back to Ponyville.”         “In times of despair we lose hope in ourselves. We say and do things that we later regret. Limestone just couldn’t fathom of how you can be happy and she couldn’t.”         “But I’m not happy at all. My best friend died, and everyday I see my whole world crumbling down. The reason I came back is because… I wanted to find an answer.”         “The answer to what?” Maud asked.         “... Will I ever be happy again? Can I ever make anypony happy again? And can Limestone be happy again?” she sighed.         “You will, Pinkie. You managed to get this far in life.”         Igneous and Cloudy finished their glasses of water. Marble took the empty glasses and returned to the house. Maud laid on the wooden floor of the porch. Pinkie thoughts were still on Limestone. She wanted to go find her hiding spot, but quickly decided to let her be alone.         “When will Limestone come back?”         “She doesn’t stay in her tent too long. Maybe you can talk to her when she comes back. She’ll listen to you this time.”         “I hope so,” said Pinkie. Limestone kept a tent out in the middle of nowhere, her own personal sanctuary to get away from the troubles of reality. It came to be sometime after her sister Pinkie Pie left the farm to pursue her dream to bring smiles and laughter to all the world. During that time a void had to be filled, and Limestone thought she could bring the same feeling of joy her sister gave to the family. She never forgot that day when she smiled for the first time. Limestone, as all her family, lived under dark clouds with no life under the dirt. Nopony, including her, had never heard of the words “smile,” or “laughter,” or “party.” Those concepts were foreign to them, and in many ways they still were. That day when she smiled was like entering the gates of Elysium. Her spirit was lifted up and the weight on her soul was lighter. No words can do justice on that experience, and to this day Limestone never attempted to find any. On that day Pinkie had mentioned something that she called the “Sonic Rainboom,” the event that made her cutie mark appear. It began with a loud explosion in the air along with a swirl of colorful light that filled the dark sky. How come Limestone hadn’t witnessed it? After Pinkie left the farm for civilization, Limestone thought her purpose was to take up her mantle. She was overwhelmed with happiness that she too wanted that feeling to last forever, and what was a better way than spreading it to her family? Unfortunately, as with most good things in this life, nothing lasts forever. Limestone tried everything she could to bring happiness in her humble home; she prepared parties for her family every other week with no help from anypony, tried to teach them fun activities Pinkie showed them like dancing, singing, and games; not much could be said about her baking skills. After a while she gave up trying to make everypony happy, and she too became miserable once again. To make matters worse, Pinkie never returned. Limestone hoped that one day her sister will return home and bring the happiness and smiles back into their home, but she didn’t. There wasn’t even a single letter from her. Limestone could’ve followed her trail to Ponyville, but she didn’t know which direction to go, so she remained at the rock farm trapped by her own sadness. Over time, to get away from her family, she ventured out into the empty wastelands and created a tent to spend time dwelling on her thoughts. She was safe inside her tent, nothing could enter. Everything was as before, then one day, something she couldn’t have imagined happened - Pinkie finally returned home. Limestone should have been happy to see her sister again after so many years apart, but she wasn’t. The moment she saw the pink mare approach her home her heart was full of venom. She couldn’t figure it out, although she knew everything that had transpired in her life was because of the sister who abandoned her. Her entire family gave a blind eye to the fact that Pinkie had abandoned all of them for her own selfish gain. Did they not remember that feeling of joy they had for a brief time? Had they not remembered what it was like to open their eyes to the beauty of life? How dare Maud defend her? She knew that answer - out of all the three, Maud was always her favorite. Limestone’s frustrations grew. The tent was warm and cozy, much different from their small home full of rocks and dirt. Maybe she should stay here for the rest of her life. It wouldn’t matter to the rest of the Pies, Pinkie’s misery was far too important than her’s. Who would notice anyway? She knew it won’t be them, or anypony. “Limestone, are you in here?” Pinkie asked. Wait a minute, Pinkie? But how? Nopony knows about her tent. Limestone turned her head, and there she was, Pinkie Pie was her straight hair. Her sanctuary has been invaded by an unwanted visitor, her sister of all ponies. Limestone turned away from her. “Limestone, may I come in? Please?” She didn’t respond. There was a prolonged silence between them. Pinkie wasn’t quite sure whether this was an invitation or a decline, but after a moment of sticking her head through the opening of the tent, Pinkie let herself in. There was still no reaction from Limestone. She had her back toward Pinkie the entire time, there was never an attempt to at least make a glance at her. Pinkie extended her arm to touch Limestone’s arm, but after consideration she retracted it. Never before was Pinkie was at a lost for words. Anything that came from her mouth might have the power to push Limestone further from her. Limestone became too frustrated from the silence, so she let her guard down and spoke. “How did you find me?” “Maud. She told me she followed you here without you noticing, and she showed me the way.” “Is she outside?” “No.” Limestone sighed. She never looked at Pinkie during that short conversation. Of course Maud would know where her secret hiding place was. “Why did you come here?” she asked. “I was hoping we could talk.” “No… why did you come back home?” she asked in a low voice. “Limestone, I know you’re upset with me. I don’t blame you. You don’t have to say anything to me, but I hope at least you’ll listen to what I have to say.” There was no answer from her. Pinkie waited but Limestone wouldn’t face her. Even if she begged Limestone she still wouldn’t listen. Pinkie thought, and decided it was better to leave her alone. Maybe she’ll feel much better if she wasn’t around. She got up to leave, but Limestone slowly turned around. She had a frown on her face, but she was willing to listen to what she had to say. “Speak.” “Whenever I close my eyes, I always see the sonic rainboom that made me smile. It was the happiest moment of my life that I will always cherish, and I wanted my own family to feel what I felt. I was so proud when all of you enjoyed yourselves, so I decided to go out and spread that same feeling to everyone across the world.” There was a sense of longing in her voice, but it faded with a simple sigh. “I left town thinking… no, believing that throwing the party would fix everything here. I never realized how much that party meant to you. When Maud told me of how you tried to do everything I did I felt so terrible.” The hard look on Limestone’s face soften. Pinkie was thankful to know that she was listening. It was all she wanted from her. “I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted everyone to be happy. I thought I was doing a good thing. Can you ever forgive me?” “Yes,” Limestone finally said. They sat together in silence. The tension between when she first arrived dissipated. Pinkie was very surprise of how much room the tent had. She couldn’t imagined the many times Limestone snuck out to retreat from the world. Limestone’s bottom jaw moved as she was trying to form words. “Your friend,” she finally said. “You said she died. What happened?” “You know that sonic rainboom I told you about?” Pinkie said. “That was made by my best friend; well, I didn’t know she was going to be my best friend years later. Her name was Rainbow Dash, and she was a pegasus. And she was a good friend. She was always loyal no matter what. She was the kind of pony who will always have your back. And she was a great flyer, too, one of the best in the whole world. One day, she wanted to make the largest sonic rainboom in the world, so everypony from everywhere came to Ponyville to see her do it.” “Then what happened?” “She did it… then we never saw her again,” she said with sadness taking over her voice. “It was the largest one she ever made.” “I remember seeing bright colors in the sky some time ago. Was that her?” Limestone said. Pinkie nodded. “I was outside when it happened,” Limestone said. “I was walking through the field and I heard a little explosion. Colorful lights spread across the sky. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. For the first time since fillyhood, I was smiling once more, if only for a little while.” Limestone silently scolded herself afterward. “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s awful to think that your friend’s death gave me brief happiness.” “It’s okay. I was happy too when I saw it. Everyone was. Nopony knew it was going to be the last time we’ll ever see her.” “Pinkie, I’m truly sorry for what I said to you last night,” Limestone said. “Things have been so horrible for me, but it’s not an excuse for the things I said. I don’t know why I lashed at you like that, but I am honest about one thing - you will not find happiness here. I never did. I tried and failed.” “Limestone,” Pinkie said, “before I came back to the farm, did you hate me all these years?” “No. I cannot bring myself to hate anypony, especially my own little sister.” She paused while letting the sad air out of her. “But I wish you had not made the choice to leave.” The passage of time of unnoticeable to them, for when Pinkie took a glance outside she saw that the sun was already down. Limestone held a lantern that brought light to the tent. Pinkie wouldn’t mind to stay with her sister all night, but she thought whether their mother and father were worried about them. They never showed emotion, but there were times Pinkie knew what they were feeling just by looking at their eyes, which reminded her of the saying that the eyes were windows to the soul. Before she threw her first party, her mother showed what at least could be called emotions than her father. When Pinkie was a filly she fell on a pile of rocks and bruised her leg. It was one of those rare times Cloudy Quartz had seen any of her daughters cry. She helped Pinkie to her legs, and although there was no feeling in her eyes, Pinkie looked deeper and saw that her mother cared very much for her. The two spent half the day inside the house as her mother healed the wound, and doing all she can so Pinkie will stop crying. Pinkie wanted to look into Limestone’s eyes as well. She was astonished how much she had changed over the years. Her pink arm tapped Limestone’s shoulder, and when she turned there was what she could best describe as an “empty sadness,” the same emotionless look her family has, and at the same time it looked as though Limestone was confused, tired, and had given up hope. She held her hoof into Limestone’s and gradually tighten the grip. Pinkie thought they spent enough time inside the tent, so she helped themselves out - with Limestone carrying the lantern so the light can guide their way through the night. Looking up Pinkie remembered that not even the moon and stars appeared during the night. The sleepover her friends had at Sweet Apple Acres came to her thoughts. At that night they laid under a gallery of white diamonds on a black canvas. Twilight Sparkle pointed out all the constellations she could find without using her astronomy books, and of course, Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than to fly up and touch them. It was a beautiful night. “Limestone, do you remember seeing any stars at night?” Pinkie asked. “Yes. In my dreams.”