But The Story's Just Begun
Party’s Over
Pinkie Pie swept up the errant streamers that littered the floor of Sugarcube Corner. It was nighttime, and the smell of sweets and hard cider still lingered in the air.
It had been one hell of a party.
That being said, the ebbing effects of the alcohol, combined with the slow crash that only ever accompanies the end of a sugar rush, did not do wonders for Pinkie’s physical or emotional state of mind.
It wasn’t that there was anything inherently wrong with the party, quite the opposite actually; it was almost as if the party was too fun. Now the festivities were over, and she was left alone with just the memories as she cleaned up the confetti carnage. Time seemed to slow as her adrenalin rush came to an abrupt end. It wasn’t a good feeling by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a feeling Pinkie had become well-accustomed to after hosting as many parties as she did on a regular basis.
That didn’t mean it hurt any less.
Pinkie happened upon a half-eaten cupcake on the refreshment table, and tears came to her eyes. She imagined the ecstasy somepony must have felt when eating the scrumptious delight, followed by soul gripping sadness when they discovered they were too full to take another bite and finish the pastry off.
Perhaps that was how Pinkie was feeling at the moment, half eaten. If only nights could stretch on longer, if only she could spread the joy she felt to other ponies for just another minute. Alas, it was not to be. She had chores and a job to attend to, as well as a store to help prep for the next day’s customers.
Wrapping it in a napkin, Pinkie took the cupcake and sadly dropped it into the trash, feeling a vice close in around her heart. How many ponies were left half eaten, the stresses of their days or weeks or months only half forgotten? The promise of a uplifting party only half delivered? How many mares and colts came to her party seeking healing from their demons, just to have their cure ripped away from them after only half treating the disease, causing the sadness to come back with a stronger vengeance than before.
Pinkie’s hair deflated. Maybe she was just being selfish, thinking the sorrow she felt would be shared by the rest of those who attended her party; Projecting her own problems onto others so that she can make herself feel better. Maybe she was the only one left with this crippling loneliness, and rest of the ponies were simply content with their evenings, leaving Pinkie the strange one. It wasn’t fair.
Pinkie emptied the remnants of the punch bowl into the kitchen sink, feeling the dregs of her own spirit pour down the drain, tears mixing with the sweet concoction as they splashed against the cold, unforgiving steel. It was mesmerizing, watching the blood red liquid stain the sink as it made its way down the drainpipe, never to be seen again. Pinkie slumped over, lightheaded, as if her own life force were draining away along with it.
Dragging herself to her hooves, Pinkie made her way for the front room once again, if only to perform a final once over before going to bed for the night, and heard a crunch beneath her hoof.
Looking down, Pinkie picked up the object. It was a party horn with a blown membrane; Somepony must have gotten too enthusiastic and popped the mechanism. Giving it a blow only served to take her breath away. With no seal to inflate the horn, the decoration hung limply as it gave a weak squeal. Whether the noise was from the horn, or Pinkie’s own throat, was unknown to her.
As Pinkie made her way up to her room, the dread weighing on her shoulders only seemed to intensify. She was alone. Lying on her bed, terrifying scenarios started to rush through her mind. What if this was her last party? One could never know; there could be some horrific calamity that would befall one of her friends. They were the elements of harmony after all, it’s not like they lived the safest lifestyles to begin with. There were only so many adventures they could go on as a group before one of them eventually kicks the bucket. It was only a matter of time.
Maybe it would be Pinkie who dies before the others, that wouldn’t be as bad...would it? If she was gone, who was going to be Ponyville’s premier party pony? Pinkie was too young to consider taking an apprentice under her tutelage. This was not good. This was not good at all.
There was a knock on Pinkie’s bedroom door.
“Pinkie--Dearie, are you alright? Mr. Cake and I just got back in and we noticed you missed some decorations while cleaning up the shop. This isn’t like you--oof!”
Mrs. Cake didn’t have time to finish her sentence as she was tackled by the sobbing mare.
“Mrs. Cake I was so scared! I was throwing a party like I normally do and then it was over and when everypony was leaving then I got really sad and felt really lonely because I don’t know if this is going to be my last party--”
“Pinkie--”
“--and I thought, what if I die first? At first I thought that wouldn’t be so bad, but then I wondered who would be the next Element of Laughter and Party Planner for Ponyville? I haven’t taken an apprentice that can take my place when I’m gone yet because I’m too young for thinking about that at the moment--”
“Sweetie--”
“and then what would happen to my friends? I mean, they’d be sad at first, but would they finally get over it and then slowly forget about me? I’ve already been alone before and I don’t think I can take being forgotten! it’s almost worse than being alone, it’s like loneliness forgetting about me, where would that leave me then--”
“Pinkamina Diane Pie, look at me!”
Snapped out of her rambling, Pinkie turned watery eyes to the comforting expression of her Ponyville mother. Mrs. Cake led her over to Pinkie’s bed and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
“Now, let’s breathe, slow down, and start over. You’re sad because it’s the end of a party and all of your friends have went home, am I right?”
Pinkie took a shuddering breath, “Mm-hmm”
“And you’re afraid that something is going to happen that will prevent you from having such a fun time again, correct?”
Nodding, Pinkie nuzzled harder into Mrs. Cake’s neck.
“So what?”
Pinkie jerked away as if struck, taken aback at her employer’s bluntness.
“Let’s say we all die tomorrow. Now, I’m not saying that something that drastic is very likely to happen, but it’s something out of our control nonetheless. Are you going to spend all of your time moping around, worrying about the future, or are you going to cherish the time you do have? As time goes on people change, friends might move away, and there just might be a tragedy that shakes you to your core. There will be friends you have now that won’t be ten years in the future, and that being said, there will be innumerable ponies you will meet that would like nothing better than to be your best friend from now until forever. You just can’t spend all of your time dwelling on what might be, rather than what is; all that will do is tear you apart, and we just can’t let that happen now, can we?”
“Nuh uh.” Pinkie sniffled as a few curls sprouted in her otherwise razor-straight mane.
“I don’t know about you, but instead of sitting up here in this stuffy room crying, I’d much rather like baking myself some honey cookies. Not even sadness can survive in honey. How’s that sound?” Mrs. Cake winked.
Drying her eyes, Pinkie nodded, and was led downstairs where Mr. Cake was finishing up mixing a bowl of batter, plopping large portions on a baking pan. The twins Pumpkin and Pound Cake helped in what way they could; lounging on his back and licking the honey off of the used spoons. Mr. and Mrs. Cake shared a knowing look, and sat Pinkie at the middle of the counter, taking seats on either side of her.
“These are going to take ten minutes to bake, so why don’t you tell me what’s going on.” Mr. Cake was the first to speak.
Over the next few minutes, Mrs. Cake relayed the previous events, pausing periodically for clarification from Pinkie. Nodding sagely, Mr. Cake gave Pinkie a hug of his own. The twins crawled across the counter and hugged Pinkie as tightly as their little legs would allow.
The five stayed like that for a while, not wanting to break the serene peace that had been achieved with the level of emotional outpouring only moments earlier.
All good things must come to an end though, and the five were snapped out of their reverie by the smell of burning honey.
Mr. Cake, true to his jittery nature, was first on the scene. Moments later, he returned with moderately burned cookies, and halting shudders of his lanky frame. As Pinkie watched him set the tray down on the counter, she noticed Mrs. Cake wasn’t faring much better, trembling as if she were about to cry.
Pinkie backpedaled.
“Mr. Cake, they don’t look so bad, just a little...extra crispy! I’m sure they’ll be perfectly fine. Even if you two didn’t like them, I’m positive Spike could use these as snacks for days! Oh please don’t cry!”
Mr. Cake’s quaking intensified, and he let out a snort before bursting into laughter.
“Crying? Sugar, if anything, we’re about to cry from laughing. I’m sorry dear, it’s just that this brings back old memories.” Mrs. Cake gasped out as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Pinkie sat, nonplussed, while Mr. Cake continued.
“Many years ago, when I was just a colt here working for Old Man Snickerdoodle, I was a terrible baker; I would burn whatever I would try to make. No matter how closely I watched the clock, I would always become lost in my own thoughts, and by time I would come to, the pastries would be long overcooked. I never understood why he never fired me long ago. I became so nervous and absent minded, that once while fretting over what type of cake to make for the day’s practice, I walked straight into this fine young filly while she was coming home from her daily shopping.”
Mrs. Cake chose this time to chime in.
“Groceries went flying everywhere, and the carrots I was going to use for stew that night fell right on his silly ol’ head. I thought I had startled him terribly, because he started running off in the opposite direction. I gathered my belongings,--minus carrots, he took those with him-- and followed as closely as I could; which isn’t that easy, him being as tall as he is, let me tell you. Anyway, I followed him all the way to Sugarcube Corner, where he was dashing back and forth, mixing ingredients and throwing pans into ovens. It was as if he was possessed. I asked if I could help, and he had me keep the timings organized.
“We were like clockwork, wherever he slacked behind, or got distracted, I was there to pick up the pieces, and whenever I couldn’t reach an ingredient, or started to fumble, he was there to correct me.
The carrot cakes came out perfectly, just as Mr. Snickerdoodle was returning from his daily errands. He saw the cakes that my Carrot and I made, and hired me on the spot. We were ecstatic, and as we celebrated, I saw a flash, and lo and behold, my Carrot had gotten his cutie mark!”
Mr. Cake hugged his wife, and continued the story.
“Now don’t get me wrong, I still have my slip ups and faults, and I don’t think I will ever be completely free from my anxiety--”
“--but I still love him just the way he is.” Mrs. Cake planted a kiss on his cheek, earning a giggle from a brightening Pinkie Pie.
“Pinkie, it’s okay to worry, within reason, over the future. Everypony does it at some point in their lives, and some more than others. What’s not okay is to keep it all to yourself. Mr. Cake, myself, Pumpkin and Pound, as well as the rest of Ponyville, we all love you. When we say that, we don’t mean just the happy and exuberant parts either, we mean all of you. We don’t care that occasionally, you display a worry that just proves you are a normal pony, we do care when you keep it all inside and let it tear you apart. Promise us that you will try your best to not worry so much about the future, and if you do, which will happen eventually, that you will come to us, or find one of your friends to talk to about it.”
Feeling tears well up in her eyes, and curls forming in her mane, Pinkie brought the two into a bone-crushing hug. Not wanting to be outdone, Pumpkin and Pound climbed up and settled themselves on Pinkie’s neck. giving hugs of their own.
“Of course I promise! You know I consider you two as Godparents to me.” Pinkie beamed.
Mr. Cake finally wormed his way out of Pinkie’s vice-like grip, heading back to the kitchen. Mrs. Cake, before Pinkie could voice her concern, explained.
“That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about. We were returning from the Mayor’s office.”
Pinkie’s eyes widened as she thought of the implications. Mrs. Cake continued as Mr. Cake returned with a folder in his mouth.
“Pinkamina Diane Pie, would you please give us the honor of being the Godmother of our children?”
If they didn’t know better, the Cakes would have been frightened by the sheer size Pinkie’s eyes seemed to expand to. Mane and tail exploding to their former shape, Pinkie did her best imitation of Twilight Sparkle.
“Yes yes yes yes yes! Of course I would be happy to! Oh my gosh, do you know what this calls for?!”
Before Pinkie could finish her massive intake of breath, Mrs. Cake shushed her with a hoof.
“A signature would be just fine for right now.” Pinkie was given a quill.
Signing as fast as her mouth would allow, Pinkie bounced in circles around the Cake family, before bounding into the main hall of Sugarcube Corner.
Now, Pinkie knew the lights in this room were in working order, she had changed them the week before when Sweetie Belle and her friends thought it would be a good idea to try their hooves at being “Cutie Mark Crusaders Opera Singers”. If only she could find the light switch.
“Surprise!”
Pinkie nearly jumped out of her coat as the combined shouts of her five closest friends, along with dozens of others, rang out across the dining hall. Pinkie was even more surprised when she saw Princess Luna standing in the back of the room, blushing sheepishly while nearby ponies rubbed their ears from the volume of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
Walking over to her friends, Pinkie looked around in awe.
“Oh girls, this is amazing! How did you know?”
Twilight was the first to answer.
“We originally just planned for a “Happy Becoming A Godmother, Pinkie” party, but Mr. and Mrs. Cake came to us earlier in the day and explained to us the depression you go through after one of your parties, and we thought a good pick-me-up would be to combine the two causes into one two-for-one Partyganza...Wow, it’s even weirder when I say it.”
“Shoot, Sugarcube, you coulda told us about this, we woulda talked it over ages ago. Y’all know I ain’t goin anywhere.”
“Yeah, that would be like, totally uncool; seriously against my element.”
“I would have left you with one of my animals for company, I’m sure they wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
“Darling, you simply cannot let these emotions fester, it’s terrible for your mental and physical beauty.”
“Thanks girls, it really means the world to me, though I do have to ask, why is Princess Luna is here?” Pinkie gestured towards Her Majesty.
“Is it not within my realm to oversee and ensure the wellbeing of my subjects? Just because not as much happens during the night, doesn’t mean that I can shirk my duties. Also, I am interested as to the customs of the modern “Party”. I must say, I am not disappointed. What is that stuck in your mane?”
Pinkie had been in such a rush to sign the document binding her as Pound and Pumpkin Cake’s Godmother, that it had gotten lodged in her curls.
Using her magic to untangle the scroll from Pinkie’s mane, Luna read the contents, then frowned.
“This will not do. Not at all” Pinkie’s face fell and her forelock straightened to cover one of her eyes.
“Not at all. Pray tell, is this how Sister does legal proceedings in this day and age? Stars above, so much language for such a simple request. Remind me to reform the legal system, I swear, it’s like Tia lives for making stars out of match heads. Here’s how we used to do it in the court of the night.” Luna lowered her head, her horn pointing directly between Pinkie’s eyes.
Cringing, Pinkie closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. When nothing came, she slowly opened her eyes to see Luna making an arcing motion to each shoulder, along with a couple of magic incantations.
“Pinkamina Diane Pie, I dub thee Moon Guardian of fair Pound and Pumpkin Cake. So long as the stars may shine, and the moon may illuminate the night, you are bound to these two now, and forever more.” Making one final sweep with her horn, Luna cast a small orb of magic, which made it’s way down to Pinkie’s chest, before slowly spreading with a blue glow over her heart.
“I bid you good tidings. From now until you may cease to walk this earth, you are connected to these two. Shall a tragedy befall them, you shall be the first to know. Come, enough of this royal business, we are all here to enjoy ourselves, are we not?”
Pinkie couldn’t argue with that. With a spring in her step she made her way to the nearest table. Jumping atop it, she addressed the gathered crowd,
“Thank you so much everypony, without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Without ponies to enjoy my parties, what good is a party pony in the first place?”
She turned to Mr. and Mrs. Cake.
“Thank you two, for supporting me through my sad times, as well as putting up with me during my bit-too-happy times. I wasn’t lying when I said you two are like parents to me.”
Leveling her gaze on her fellow elements, Pinkie continued.
“Thank you girls, for keeping me as such a close friend. Even if we weren’t the Elements of Harmony, I couldn’t ask for friends as special as you.”
Finally, Pinkie looked towards Princess Luna.
“And thank you for coming to my party. Not only that, but making official my connection to Pumpkin and Pound. I’m sure they are thankful too.” Pound and Pumpkin, while thankful, were at the moment sleeping peacefully on Mr. Cake’s back.
“Now that the formalities are over with, LET’S PARTY!”
The party was winding down, as the one before, yet this time, Pinkie didn’t wear a frown on her face. This time, there was a smile threatening to split her muzzle in two.
Everypony was heading their separate ways for the night. It had been one of the best Pinkie Pie parties to date, one that would be spoken about for generations as “That one time”.
Luna was making her way out of Sugarcube Corner, intending to leave for Canterlot to wake her sister for the Sunrise, when Pinkie stopped her.
“Princess Luna, can I ask you a question?”
“Any time, child.”
Pinkie gained a newfound interest with the floor as she fidgeted with her hooves. “It’s just that, at times like this, the girls and I would usually write a letter to Princess Celestia, and as far as I know, even though you are the Princess of the Night, we haven’t really sent you any friendship reports.”
Luna tensed as she noted the truth of these statements. “Go on.”
“It’s just that, I feel it would be appropriate, as it is night and all, to write you a friendship report, and seeing as how you are here right now, it seems like it would be the perfect time.”
Luna smiled.“That would be splendid, Pinkie”
Dear Princess Luna,
Today I learned that it’s okay to worry about things, it’s what makes me a normal pony, but to not let it control my life, as the future is something completely out of everypony’s control. I will try to stop worrying about the future, and experience the present, as it might contain the last memories I make, and I don’t want to waste that thinking about what could have been.
I also learned to go to my friends if I’m having problems. As different as we all may be, we all have our faults. They’re not something to be ashamed of, but something to be acknowledged, something to be loved.
I love all of my friends dearly, and while I might be sad when we do finally part ways for good, I know that I will always be loved, and will always love them back.
And that’s all that matters.
Your friend,
Pinkie Pie
P.S: Can you send me some extra Moonshine? I think I quite like drunk Twilight.
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Good story!
That last line made me laugh so hard
Very, very nice. This was truly a joy to read. The greatest thing about this was the way you captured that odd limbo between childhood and adulthood in the beginning of the story with the juxtaposition of Pinkie's thoughts and actions. Parties are an excellent symbol for that simplistic childhood bliss, and Pinkie being force to clean and prepare for things associated with adulthood - responsibilities, jobs, duties, etc. - conveys the strange tear one feels when on the cusp of adulthood. I especially love how the things she contemplates while cleaning - being neglected, the unpredictable, the irreversible. That all makes for great character development, and great characters make for great stories.
However, the story did lose momentum for me near the end when it became more dialogue heavy and less about Pinkie's inner world (her inner world being the thing that captured my attention in the first place), and the lesson she learns is essentially prescribed to her in her conversation with Mrs. Cake. This cheapens the message greatly, I think, for the greatest lesson are learned when one comes to the conclusion themselves. Pinkie Pie's lesson should have been learned thru her own thoughts and actions, not thru the words of another.
This is a fantastic work so far, and I look forward to seeing more.
3010286
The tone changing can be explained down to my mood. I recently went to bronycon and got a pretty bad case of post con depression. I wrote this as a way to vent my feelings in a semi constructive manner, and as the depression left me, it sort of left the story as well.
I originally did plan on keeping it more mellow and thought-centered, but honestly couldn't at the time think of a way to introduce the Cakes without also introducing a bunch of dialogue to go with it. The message also changed as I was writing to a more "we accept you, even with your faults" along with the original premise. Maybe the story could have been better had I left it the way it was. Though to be honest, I started hitting a block once I ran out of emotions to pull from.
I'm glad you at least enjoyed the first part. Sorry I kinda cheapened the experience for you in the end though.
Thanks for reading!
Zyrian
3010286
As for the prescribed revelation, sometimes things need to be spelled out before they truly sink in. (I've had too many moments like this. More than I can count.)
That was pretty damn good. I wish it had been a bit longer, so Pinkie's depression could've been more drawn-out and detailed. I love the way you were writing her inner thoughts; I wish there was more like that.
Spelling/grammar wise, it was also pretty good. A few minor mistakes like missing periods and stuff, but there was one glaring mistake that actually made me double-check to see if I had misread it.
The last time I checked, Pinkie was the Element of Laughter, not Kindness.
Aside from those things, this was brilliant.
3010834
Dully amended. Thanks for catching that, I don't know where my mind was at that moment.
3010852
See how many more you can catch before I have a look at it. I saw some derpage, and I bet you can spot it too if you look hard
I've fixed stuff months and months after the fact. As ponyfic writers in a community, we have a curious freedom to keep polishing up stuff long after it's 'published', which print authors never had. There's ALWAYS another teeny detail that can be tidied
Good stuff here. Pinkie's letter to celestia speaks volumes.
Okay, not bad, we've got a lot of Pinkie Pieness, and you're exploring the part of her character that doesn't often come up in the show, but it's clearly there. Good. It actually kind of reminds me of the post con depression I've been feeling. I like this, but I think you spend a little too much time telling Mrs. Cake's back story. I got bored and began skimming. I'm actually going to have to take a break and try to finish it later. I don't have the mental energy to stay focused on this story. Your Pinkie Pie is really great, but you should work on the rest of it.
I didn't feel let down by the apparent change in tone: I figure Pinkie is multipolar anyway.
Well now, isn't that a promising first posting...
Seriously. Very well done characters, your level of detail was spot-on for the mood, and the tone was set well and changed fluidly throughout. My only real nit-pick was that I don't think they would have had enough time between Pinkie's breakdown and actually throwing the party, but that's okay. Someone once told me, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story."
3016959
Yeah, in actuality, they had about a half hour to set everything up.
Maybe they used a new model of party cannon with a silencer on it.
3018362
That's somewhat more believable, the way it read was like they had maybe five minutes?
So I'm going to be the reverse of prevailing sentiment, it appears. No matter, let the games begin!
The first part didn't really grab me. I mean, I know Pinkie's prone to drop-of-a-hat mood swings but this one just seemed way too sudden and over-the-top. But when Mrs. Cake knocks on the door, wow does this fic take off.
Let's just say I can personally vouch for the validity of Mrs. Cake's words of wisdom -- I've had the same given to me way too many times. Also, I loved the story of how Carrot and Cup met; believable and utterly adorable.
And then the final act, which quite honestly would have been just too easy to mess up. The surprise proposal was great, the party makes sense, but Luna's inclusion made me wary at first. I've seen way too many people just stick Luna into things because she's Luna and they feel sorry for her plight/lack of screen time, but you gave her a great role to play here! Nice to see people out there still writing her as, you know, a wise Princess who's proud of herself, as opposed to a weeping waifu or war instrument.
All right, getting sleepy so I'm going to cut it off here. I get the feeling I'll need to reread this story later on down the line, so into faves it goes. Thanks for writng this -- oh, and enjoy your stay in Heartwarming.
P.S. You've got some missing punctuation, mainly after lines of dialogue. Check your closing quotation marks and insert periods and commas where necessary.
Nice little story you've got here!! I like it!
Though I noticed a couple of things I wanted to mention to you:
- I know someone already pointed it out, but it still says Pinkie is the Element of Kindness...
- The accepted spelling of Pinkamina is actually "Pinkamena", with an "e".
Just wanted to let you know. Cute story! Have fun writing stuff!
Oh, I so can relate with Pinkie in this one. Sometimes I too tend to worry too much about the future instead of living the today. This story has a great lesson I'd better apply to myself as soon as possible.
As for the rest, I love it.
I think you've done a great job writting Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I especially like how they tell the story of how they met, it made me smile. This whole story made me smile.
Thank you for writing this.
Very nice. I'm with a few other commenters here in saying that I totally relate to Pinkie and take Mrs. Cake's words to heart. I always used to (and still do) look way to far ahead. Now, as a cancer patient, I really need to think about the present. Gotta live in the now.
Lol drunk twilight
That was really sweet, I enjoyed it.
4044445
thanks!
I think you overdid it, rushing into flatmaning her like that, and Princess Luna showing up what kind of "what", but it's not often you see a Sad Pinkie story continue on past the sadness and resolve with a happy ending, so kudos for that. :)
Phew, finally got to reading this!
I enjoyed it! The prose was well written, and I liked how you expressed Pinkie's thoughts and feelings. The Cakes have always held a special place for me, and I like their roles as pinkies parents here. It was nice getting to see a how-they-met tale, too.
The appearance of Luna was unexpected, but never unwelcome. I liked the spell thingie she did on Pinkie.
The story had a great message too, one I fully support. Nice job, Zyrian.
4844676
Since this was essentially my "venting out" of post-BronyCon depression, I tried to recreate the harsh, quick crashdown I experienced myself. It is a bit heavy-handed in the way I wrote it, but it hit me like a brick when I came down from the convention.
Was it too rushed, or too dramatic, or both?
4848195
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
4848653
Definitely rushed, needs some proofreading. My main complaint is the tonal whiplash, though given why you wrote it, that at least makes sense.