Smile, smile, smile?

The lights are out. The first floor is completely empty, and the owners of the bakery are gone. Something in the building gives off feelings of anger and despair. Some chairs are turned over and boxes of pastries have been violently thrown across the room.

Sniffling is heard from the upstairs floor of Sugar Cube Corner. A girl with long, straight pink hair sitting on the floor with her back to the wall is crying; holding her pet alligator in her lap. "Stupid Rainbow Dash." She mutters as the tears patter on top of the alligator's head. She wipes them off with their thumb and apologizes. "At least you're here, Gummy." She looks up and around at the room: The lights are off and the room is covered from floor to ceiling with birthday decorations that could make Cranky Doodle smile. However, the balloons and streamers gave off feelings of despair instead of their intended happiness.

She looks directly above her at a banner that reads "Happy Birthday!" and her expression hardens. "Stupid Twilight, spending more time studying. When did studying become more important than friendship?!" She slams the back of her head against the wall. "Stupid friends!" Her shout causes Gummy to look up at her as more tears fall from her eyes.

All my friends hate my parties and don't want to be my friend anymore. She rubs her eye to wipe away the tears. A growl in her stomach reminds her she hasn't eaten anything today, so she slowly makes her way to the table where a cake with white frosting and pink edges resides. She tries to cut a slice but the knife catches on the table and is jerked from her hand; leaving a track across her finger. Liquid crimson starts to dot across the new mark.

"Ow!" She winces, bringing her cut hand close to her chest before a sudden wave of anger flushes through her. Stupid friends! If they were here, this wouldn't have happened. She uses her uninjured hand and shoves the cake onto the ground. The large pastry flips over and lands on the floor with a wet smack. She looks back down at her finger, watching as more liquid life came out of the tiny wound. It didn't hurt anymore. It even felt... better.

Even though the pain from being neglected by her own best friends still chewed away at her heart with dirty teeth, for a moment things seemed okay. She looks back at the knife on the table. She begins to think what would happen if she did more.

"No! I can't do that!" She shakes her head violently to rid herself of those thoughts, but they stay a little longer, "Can I?" She picks up the knife and gingerly runs her finger along the blade, trying not to cut herself. "Maybe just one..." and she drags the metal against her, making another line like the one on her finger. She winces, but then accepts the feeling, and tries to go for another just like that one.

"Stop!" A voice just like hers shouts out from behind her. She whips around instantly and sees a mirror on the other side of the room. "You can't do that! It'll hurt!" her reflection calls out. The reflection is exactly like Pinkie, only her hair is curlier and fluffier. And even though there is a stern expression on the reflection's face, she is happier and more cheerful.

"Who are you?" Pinkie asks.

"I'm you, silly! Who do I look like?" The reflection smiles at her.

"You can't be me, I'm me!" Pinkie shouts at the mirror.

"But I am you!" The reflection responds, "I'm you on the inside. I'm who you really are, and you are who you used to be. You don't need to hurt yourself, you need to smile!"

"I can't smile knowing all my friends hate me!" Pinkie nearly screams at the top of her lungs.

"They don't hate you, silly nilly! They're your friends! Remember when this happened last year? I bet Rainbow Dash is on her way to get you right now." The reflection smiles.

"No! They hate my parties and they hate me!" Pinkie becomes violent; seeming ready to take the knife and stab the mirror. But before she can attack the piece of furniture, she falls to her knees and starts to cry; letting the knife clatter to the floor. "They hate me and it hurts too much! I- I just want it all to go away."

The reflection looks down at her and takes a moment as if to think before saying "Sing".

"Huh?" Pinkie asks. Wiping the tears away with her hands.

"C'mon and sing with me." The reflection's face lights up. "My name is Pinkie Pie..."

Pinkie turns her head away in refusal, but within a few seconds she contributes, "And I am here to say..."

"I'm gonna make you smile and I will brighten up your day." They both sing the song in tandem. Once they finish, Pinkie's expression lightens almost completely. A knock turns Pinkie's attention away from the mirror. Rainbow Dash calls from the other side to make sure Pinkie is in the bakery. Pinkie turns back to the mirror to thank her reflection, but it only mimics her actions.

Pinkie's hair is back to normal and her smile slips back onto her face. "Thank you- Me." She says anyway and goes to answer the door.

"Heya Pinks! Wanna go down to Applejack's?" Rainbow asks.

"Absoooolutely!" Pinkie answers happily, walking past her friend.

"Great! I'm not gonna lie, I was afraid you would go nuts again like last year." Rainbow scratches the back of her head nervously.

"Don't be silly, nilly! All I need to do is smile!" The two walk off to Sweet Apple Acres to Pinkie's surprise party. Her friends that she thought had neglected her are all there to celebrate. As the party progresses, she remembers the line that marked her hand and does her best to make sure no one sees it.

She smiles to herself and thanks herself one more time for helping her. For stopping her.

1,138 views