Come on and Smile!

by Fenton

The Thin Ice

"There's a fine line between madness and sanity. Yesterday, you enjoyed your life, you spended time with your friends, you welcomed the customers and took their orders, everything was fine. And then, the little worm of suspicion start digging. And you see yourself talking and playing with inanimated objects whom are not able to speak. Or are they? Do you remember Gummy?"

As usual, the little alligator was staring at the void, admiring the wallpaper of Pinkie's bedroom.

"Of course you remember, how could you not? It was yesterday."

"That was so funny!", said Pinkie, gigling.

"Fortunatly, our friends dispeled the misunderstanding.", she added, laughing.

"And we've been able to start again our normal life...", she whispered, barely smiling.

Come on every pony, smile, smile, smile
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunhine

"Well, time to move on, we have a cute-ceañera to plan! Button Mash will be super-duper sad if we don't give him our very best! You have your cutie mark only once so, let's PARTYYYY!"

Pinkie ran downstairs, grabbing her pet in her mane. She aimed for the kitchen and started baking.

"I wish somepony had planned an awesome party for me. I know Gummy, we were already partying so technically, I have had my cute-ceañera, but the party was for my family firstly. Hmm? Oh you want me to tell you what happened that day? Didn't I already tell you this story? But you want to listen to it agin. Huuuh."

"It's not really worth it you know..."

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I was harvesting granite rock.

"Pinkamena! Time for lunch!"

"Coming, Dad!"

I wanted to finish harvesting this plot of land before heading home; as my parents taught me, finish what you start, and I have always sticked to that.

Anyway, I was rolling the last rock when it happened. A loud "bang" and the sky was filled with so many colours that I could hear them. All the way around, my usual and reassuring grey sky was gone. So I did something I experienced for the first time in my life and which I couldn't control. I smiled, I smiled so brightly; I wanted to match what I just saw. But it didn't last, and shortly after, I started to feel empty. I knew, deep down, I wanted to relive this experience and to not let it end. That's why I planned a party for my family, in the course of wich I got my cutie mark.

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“Pinkie?”

“...in the course of wich I got my cutie mark. And from that day, I have never ceased to plan parties.”

“Pinkie!” shouted an annoyed purple unicorn.

“Oh! Hey Twilight! How are you doing? Need anything?”

“I already told you, she sighed "I need four raspberry cupcakes. I know you commission them and I hoped that they could be ready before my appointment in fifty minutes.”

“Okie dokie, I'll get it down in no time.”

She put down the mixing bowl on the counter and went back to the kitchen.

“Well, I'll need...”

She froze in front of the oven as a sweet fragrance of raspberry reached her nostrils. A ringing timer filled her ears and by force of habit, she turned off the oven and took out what was baking inside the oven.
Four sweet raspberry cupcakes.

“Huummm, weird.” she said.

Twilight saw Pinkie coming back from the kitchen with her order.

“Pinkie, how did you...”

“Told you that I would get it down in no time.”

“But..”

Twilight was confused. How anypony could bake in such a short time? She had left, what 2 mins ago? Remebering what happened the last time she had decided to question Pinkie Pie, Celestia's faithful student sighed heavily and resigned herself to let this subject unstudied.

“Thanks Pinkie”, said Twilight as she put 10 bits on the counter. “I hope the mayor will enjoy them.”

“I'm sure she will!” answered a grinning pony.

“By the way, Pinkie, who were you talking to? Is everything okay?”

The smile on Pinkie's face slowly decreased and she ended in starring at Twilight, her expression as blank as the flank of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Pinkie?” insisted Twilight.

All I really need's a smile, smile, smile
From these happy friends of mine

“I was talking to Gummy of course, he wanted to hear again the story of when I got my cutie mark” Pinkie replied, showing her ponytail where the little alligator was hanging from its mouth. “I should tell you someday. Wich reminds me, do you know what do you call a bear with no teeth?”

“I don't know, a toothless bear?”

“No silly. A gummy bear!” she exclaimed a big smile on her face.

“Not bad" said Twilight giggling. "Anyway, since I have some spare time before my appointment, I'll go check the market. Bye Pinkie.”

“Bye Twilight.”

As her friend left the room, Pinkie grabbed back her mixing bowl and start baking again.

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“You truly can't be serious, Pinkamena. I don't know what have happened to you but you can't really still think about this balderdash.”

“But Fatheeeer...”

The young filly was staring at his father with pleading eyes. The meal was long cold and almost untouched.

“Your father is right sweetie, you can't expect us to let our young daughter go live by herself. You are too young and we need you at the farm.”

“But I have tried, I have really tried! Those two past months, I have tried to act like before but it doesn't suit me anymore."

"You have tried?" asked her father with a sarcastic tone. "The only thing you've tried is convince us that a little filly should leave her family and the life that she had no problem with before to live on her own. You have brought this topic almost every day since that day. That party was certainly a nice break in our routine but we are rock farmers Pinkamena. We are responsible and serious ponies. We don't waste our time in silly things."

"Silly things? Replied Pinkie, shocked. "Parties are super-duper serious business. It's like rock farming but funnier to do and at least it brings smiles and joy to ponies! Work here is just..."

"Boring?" cut Igneous. "Dull? Or maybe pointless?"

"I didn't say..."

"And how do you think ponies build their houses? They need the rocks we harvest. My ancestor had the honor to provide the marble for the Canterlot Castle. Everypony can admire the Pies' work every time they lay an eye on the royal castle. There is no greater proud that knowing your job is perfectly done. The rest is details."

"But..."

“No more “but”,” added her father, “you won't leave this house, end of story. The Pies are rocks farmer. It had been this way and it will be.”

“Then maybe I don't want to be a Pie anymore.”

Silence fell, as hard as the rocks surrounding the farm. Realizing what she has just said, Pinkie quickly put her hoof in front of her mouth.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean...”

“Leave.” His voice was barely a whisper. Igneous was staring at his plate, a small tear in his left eye.

“Wh...what?” Pinkie's voice was shaking. She wasn't sure of what her father has said or she was too afraid to accept it.

“I said, LEAVE!” Igneous Rock Pie shouted, smashing his hoof on the table, now staring at his daughter with a furious look.

“You don't want to be a Pie? FINE, you aren't one anymore. Go ahead, go find your funny life, plan your fiesta or whatever you call it. Our house is boring, devoid of joy? FINE, go live elsewhere. But listen to me, Pinkamena, listen carefully. If you should live in one of those big, corrupted, full of sins city, remember that what you were able to call your family before won't be here to get you out of that twisted life you crave for. And don't be surprised if a crack appears in what you call your destiny.”

Silence fell once again. Cloudy Quartz was looking back and forth between her mad husband and her daughter.

“Dear, you...” she started before being interrupted.

“Enough! Pinkamena, you leave tommorrow first hour in the morning. Prepare your baggage.”

Slowly, the young filly left the table and went upstairs, with a heavy heart. Reaching her bedroom, she started gather her belongings, sobing. Soon, she heard small hoofsteps climbing the stairs and turned her head. Her sister Maud was looking at her, bearing her usual neutral expression.

“What do you want Maud?” asked Pinkie, crying.

“I wanted to see if you need some help.”

“I don't need help to gather my stuff, I am almost done.”

“I wasn't talking about that kind of help.”

Pinkie froze, a picture frame in her hoof. It was a photo of her first party. Her whole family was gathered, with a happy smile on their face. This day have been the best day in her short life, she have been able to bring so much to them. For a moment, everypony had forgotten about their concerns, about the farm, the hard labor. It was a pure moment of ecstasy. How did things end up like this? Two months ago, they were sharing a moment of joy and now, she has prevented from happening again, because of that stupid cutie mark, because of her new whim. She knew, deep down, that it was her, that it was the kind of mare she wanted to be. Bring smile, joy, repel the sadness of ponies and make their day brighter.

“Pinkie...”

Her sister's voice and the gentle touch of a hoof on her shoulder cut Pinkie off of her thoughts. Her sister had just used the name she thought fit her best. That made her let it all out. She hugged her sister tightly, her head on her shoulder, letting the tears ran down.

“I'm sorry Maud, I'm sorry.”

“Shhhhh, it's okay Pinkie. In the end, it will be okay.”

“I know I'm the one to blame, but I feel I have no choice, I would trade my cutie mark if it would meant Father doesn't hate me.”

“He doesn't. Even if he doesn't show it for now, he cares about you. We all do.”

“I don't know if I'll be able to do it, Maud.”

“You will. I know one thing about my sister, she always manages to make things right in the end. We will stay in touch, don't worry. Plus, we still have tommorrow morning. I don't think that Father will really kick you out from the farm first hour in the morning. We will have at least a breakfast to enjoy together.”

"Yeah..."

"And your cutie mark is what defines you. You can't really go against it."

"Yes... I... I don't want to stay at the farm but I didn't want to leave like this."

Her eyes now dry and her heart a bit lighter, Pinkie released her sister.

"Try to sleep tight, I'll see you tomorrow."

Pinkie watched her sister leave her room. She was feeling a little better, thanks to her sister and her quiet voice. However, she felt she couldn't face her father tomorrow.

Finishing her pack, she made up her mind. Hoofstep by hoofstep, she quietly walked down the stairs, careful of any sound coming from the house. It seemed, to her relief, that everypony was asleep. She grabbed some food from the kitchen closets and aimed for the door.

Outside, she saw that the sun was almost set. The late evening air was hot but unable to warm the cold inside her heart and she felt some shivers running through her spine as she was taking the first steps taking her away from her home. She was granting herself one last look at it when she saw her mother under the porch, slowly swinging on a rocking chair.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked, with a bit of a reproach in her voice.

Pinkie froze, all of her body shaking. That's what she wanted to avoid, having to face her parents. She had focused on the simple task of leaving, setting aside all the consequences that this fact implied.

Her father had been right. She hadn't really tried to fit in this way of life. She couldn't anymore, the multi-colored sky had made her taste something so contradictory with the life of a rock farmer that she couldn't stand it anymore, she had to do something. She first tried to share her past experience with the only ponies she cared for. And it had worked in a way, for the first time she saw her parents smile. But it had lasted for such a short period of time. They got back to work shortly after, not showing any signs that the party had changed anything in their routine or that they wanted to do it again despite her atempts to throw some others.

"Mother, please don't..."

"Try to prevent you from leaving? I won't. Just come closer."

Pinkie took a few steps towards her mother who was standing up from the chair. When she reached her, her mother put her hoof on her shoulder's daughter first and then grabbed her in a hug.

"I won't", she repeated. "My little filly is too stubborn for trying to make her do something she doesn't want to."

Pinkie could hear the love and concern in her mother's voice. That made her rethink her decision. Was it really worth it? She could still back out, her mother would have just to say a few words. The next days would certainly be awkward, mostly with her father, but in the end, she felt that he would forgive her and that they could return to their routines. But that routine wasn't meant for her. She knew it but it was hard to face some consequences that went with it.

She finally broke the silence, and the warming and conforting hug.

"I should go now, for I feel that I won't always have the courage to go. Please, tell Father that I'm sorry and that I love him."

"Your father loves her little filly", she replied, "and your mother loves you too. Wherever you go, know that, even if the sea may look warm and the sky may look blue, your home, your family and your life will always be here, at the rock farm, when your fantasy will end."

"Goodbye Mother, I love you."

"I love you too."

Pinkie turned and headed for the train station. As she walked, she felt her mother's look on her back. A look, she was guessing, made of watery eyes, love, and silent reproachs. She tried to focus on the train station barely visible in the horizon and to forget for the moment what she was letting behind her.

Author's Note:

First of all, thank you for reading this.

It has been difficult to decide to post this chapter as I feel it is bad and poor but I posted it anyway, to have an outside look.
It is not proof-read so criticism is here to make this story better and make me feel bad, don't hesitate, point out all the mistakes.

About the story itself, it's basically Pinkie Pie who struggle with her "wall", kind of. If you don't know what it is and you didn't recognize where the art cover come from, please, go listen to it (Pink Floyd The Wall).

Finally, remeber that it is an English story wrote by a French guy so grammar mistakes are more than probable (I wasn't able to get someone to pre-read it).

Thank you again!