//------------------------------//
// is it real? 
// Story: fixing a pinkie promise 
// by The Drifting Bard 
//------------------------------//

Death comes to us all 



Home.

they say that home is where the heart is, well in that case....
my home is currently constantly bouncing around, full of energy.
it had been a full 4 months since that fire. 
turned out someone left a gas fire running.
highly understandable to pin the blame on poor old me.

it never gets any easier, the illness i mean.
I never wanted this, but... as long as its me and no-pony else... i can deal with it. I glanced over to the sleeping pink party pony next to me. an ever present smile was emblazoned on her face. 
it was a bittersweet moment, realizing i had just... half a year left now.
But i'm going out with a bang.

I felt a pair of hooves wrap around my neck, pulling me down back on the bed. "Pinks!" i was about to protest but was soon silenced by a pair of lips pressing against mine. needless to say, i was surprised. 
"shut up bass" she gave me a smile. i returned the smile. 
"so what do you wanna do today?" she asked. 

"well... i've got to plan my funeral... but i think we'll just turn it into one huge after party" I grinned.
Pinkie looked at me in shock. "how long?"
"just under a year, Didn't want to worry anypony else, i couldn't really give a shit...." i stopped in deep thought.
Pinkie then looked at me with a mixture of sorrow and fear. "you know a good recording studio?"
"why?"
"got a good album idea i was saving for just an occasion, get yer friends" i grinned.





within a few minutes seven of us were standing outside a recording studio. "Vinyl owed me a favour so we have the recording studio to ourselves for a month or two" Pinkie smiled. 
"so who here can play an instrument apart from me?" i asked. Rainbow plonked her self uncermoniusly behind the drums.
twilight picked up a bass and Pinkie Pie picked up a guitar. Rarity looked at me sheepishly and picked up a violin.
"okay....Fluttershy?" i noticed she was standing by the microphone. I began to teach them the songs that i wanted to record. 

we rehearsed for a few days until they were perfect.





Recording each track took longer than expected.
but after a while, I sighed with a smile. listening to the unmixed playback, I looked over to Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie, Could you promise me something?"
"sure, what is it?" I pulled her into a deep kiss as the music carried on playing.

"never stop smiling"
As Rarity walked back in, she looked at us with a smile on her face. "dears, time and a place"
needless to say, both of us blushed. "we'll meet back at sugarcube corner guys, I've just got to mix all these perfectly and... record one more track"

I began the mixing process, a long and painstaking task, getting levels right.
I should have asked Vinyl for a helping hoof with this.
within 5 hours, I had it all done, and then I began the final recording.

I sat down at the piano, and sighed. grabbing the microphone and positioning it perfectly, I began to play.




inside the mixing booth, Pinkie Pie and the others began to listen, they had walked in unannounced.
Pinkie Pie watched on as tears fell from Blueberry's face. he wore a bittersweet smile on his face.
within the past 2 months of recording, his health had deteriorated rapidly.
He didn't have much time left, he knew it, she knew it... everypony knew it. 
Twilight placed a hoof on pinkie's shoulder as she too began to weep.

"He wants to go out with a bang" Pinkie pie smiled slightly, looking to her friends.
"we'll do what we can Sugarcube" Applejaack smiled.

they all walked in and began to pick up instruments again as i moved away from the piano.
"hey, it's yer big send off song" Applejack held a banjo in her hooves. "You ready?"
I looked them for a moment,."sure"



however, after the mixing of the last two songs was done, It began.



The dull pain kicked in, then the hyperventilation.
Pinkie Pie rushed to my side and cradled me in her hooves. "I don't want to go" 
"I don't want you to go either, stay with me" Pinkie choked back her tears.

"Sorry Pinkie, looks like i won't be able to take you to the beach like I promised"

She felt my life slip away as i began to convulse in her forelegs.

I was dying right there and then.

and as if on cue, in some cliche way, the recording stopped, the music stopped and the only thing anyone could hear were the gentle sobs of Pinkie Pie.