//------------------------------//
// Laughter 
// Story: Lemon Sorbet 
// by Annuska 
//------------------------------//

	The sight that greeted Fluttershy upon returning to the gymnasium was concerning, to say the least.

Rather than the executives of the Party Planning Committee carrying out actual execution of their party plans, Fluttershy found the two in what appeared to be a precarious situation: one sitting at a table with her head down in her arms, and the other with her hands on the first’s heaving back, as if trying to ease her of whatever ailment was plaguing her.

The sight, aside from concerning, was also blatantly unproductive – but productivity was the farthest thing from Fluttershy’s mind as she tucked the punch bowl she’d retrieved from the kitchen under one arm and hastened to Sonata and Pinkie. Stopping just short of the table, she looked from Sonata – now able to also hear her gasping – then to Pinkie, eyes wide.

“Is . . . is she crying?” Fluttershy asked quietly, as if the supposition itself would further damage the already delicate situation.

Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a single syllable, Sonata sat up straight and all but flung her head back, revealing that her gasps and tears were not of a despondent nature, but rather of a mirthful one as a breathless laugh escaped her.

“Technically yes,” Pinkie finally answered, looking somewhat concerned despite her inability to not smile at the sight of her laughing girlfriend. “And I super love hearing people laugh – especially Sonata! – but it’s, uh, kinda worrying that—”

Sonata’s laughter was cut short by her own abrupt cough, and Pinkie quickly patted her on the back until the coughing ceased.

“—that she’s been laughing for like, five minutes straight and can’t stop to breathe.”

“Oh, goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed, free hand flying to her mouth before she pulled it away to gingerly take hold of Sonata’s shoulder. She lowered herself slightly to look – or, try to look – Sonata in the eye. “Are you alright?”

It took a few more moments of deep breaths, forcing the last of her giggles out, and Pinkie’s gentle patting, but gradually, Sonata calmed and her breathing evened out.

“I—I’m good,” she assured, pulling hair out of her face with both hands. “I’m good. I’m totally cool.”

“Are you?” Pinkie asked with a tinge of doubt.

“Like, super absolutely cool,” Sonata reassured, pushing her palms against the edge of the table and tilting herself back in her chair. She then let go, allowed the feet of the chair to fall against the floor heavily, and slid the chair back to stand up, grabbing a bag off the table in the process. “I’m so good, actually, that I’m gonna finish putting up these streamers.”

“What was that all about?” Fluttershy asked, looking at Pinkie after watching Sonata walk over to the point on the wall where the streamers left off. The situation had certainly been much less dire – or hilarious, rather? – when Fluttershy had left to pick up the punch bowl.

“Oh, uh,” Pinkie hesitated, avoiding Fluttershy’s glance as she picked up a couple tinsel-laden centrepieces and piled them into her arms. “Super funny story! Literally?” Pinkie giggled with a touch of nervousness. “You know when you start thinking about something funny and you can’t stop and it maybe isn’t really appropriate to the situation but you gotta tell someone and the perfect person to tell is your girlfriend?”

“Umm . . .”

“So when we met in the middle with our streamers I blurted it out and of course I knew she was gonna laugh, duh! But I didn’t know she’d think it was funny enough that I’d have to walk her over here and sit her down! Usually the kind of thing that makes her laugh that hard is stuff like people walking into doors or tripping and falling.” Pinkie frowned slightly.

“What did you tell her?”

“Well . . . did you hear about the two guys who stole a calendar?”

Fluttershy scrunched her face up. “No?”

“They both got six months.”

An abrupt thud sounded from only a few feet away as Sonata’s streamer roll hit an air duct instead of sailing over it, and Fluttershy and Pinkie turned to see her struggling to keep upright as a second fit of uncontrollable laughter struck her. Pinkie glanced toward Fluttershy with a sheepish smile.

“I guess she likes puns, too.”