The Times of Good-bye

by Karan Dash

The Second Good-bye

Rarity and Twilight talked as they walked side by side on their way to Pinkie Pie's house.

"Honestly Twilight, I don't even know why I bother. I am coming just because you insisted so much. But really honey, these parties just get worse and worse," said Rarity.

"Well, Pinkie is an old friend, you know? She just has fallen on hard times. She probably needs us more than ever," answered Twilight.

"It doesn't seem that our 'help,' whatever it might be, is doing any good. Seriously, I hope you at least have a serious talk with her this time."

"I will try, but you know, you could speak with her too."

"I have! It's just that I don't tell you about it. In any case, it's hopeless. Anytime I try to talk some sense into that girl she just laughs, eats more cake, or pulls out some vulgar stunt. Last time she shoot her stupid cannon full of confetti at my face! It is because of you that I'm breaking my promise to never set foot on her house again."

"Well, that's just Pinkie being Pinkie."

"Oh, really? And what about what she did at Applejack's wedding? AND at the funeral of Applejack's husband?"

Twilight looked down at her hoofs and continued walking. Her forced enthusiasm was gone.

"I can't defend everything she does. I know she needs to change. Look, I promise I'll talk to her, but will you at least please try to enjoy yourself? It's a party after all."

Rarity sighted, "I might as well, Twilight."

After a while, they arrived to Pinkie's House. The shade of the paint was uneven and it was peeling off in some places. The wood on the doors and windows was a bit rotten and there were several spider webs here and there. The windows were stained and one of them had a big crack on it. There were some bottles and wrappings around the house. The music was loud and you could hear Pinkie inside sing at the top of her lungs. Not again, thought Twilight with both anxiety and frustration. She knocked as Rarity frowned and wrinkled her nose.

Pinkie Pie' answered from the other side of the door. "Come in, the door is open! The party is just getting started!"

Twilight and Rarity entered Pinkie's house. Fluttershy was sitting on the couch. She tried to hide a frown as she ate some nachos and guacamole from a bowl on a coffee table. Pinkie Pie was singing and dancing on top of the dining table, which was full of spilled soda, scattered popcorn, broken chips, and squashed cupcakes. All the furniture had stains or patches. "Hello, fillies, it was about time you came. You know the party is not the same without my good pals Twi and Ra!" yelled Pinkie as she clumsily waved a hoof at her friends.

Twilight covered her ears with a pillow from the couch, walked to the stereo and turned the music down. She attempted a smile. "Sorry Pinkie, it was a bit too loud for me. Working at the library, you get used to the silence," she said as sat on a chair. Pinkie just stuck out her tongue at her.

Rarity ignored Pinkie and sat next to Fluttershy, who smiled widely at the presence of her friend. "Where's Applejack?" the Unicorn asked.

"Oh, she's not coming," answered Fluttershy. She lowered her eyes a bit.

Pinkie jumped down from the table. "She's still brooding and not talking to me. And here I was trying to make sure that everybody had a good time at her event," she remarked as she picked up a cupcake and ate it.

"Pinkie! It was her husband's funeral!" cried Rarity.

"More the reason to cheer everypony up." Pinkie took a bottle out from who knows where and started to drink. Suddenly, the bottle was enveloped in a purple magical aura and was snatched quickly from Pinkie's hoof.

"Hey, I was going to drink that!" complained Pinkie as Twilight smelled the interior of the bottle.

"Pinkie! You said you weren't going to drink anymore!"

"No, Twilight, YOU said I wasn't going to drink anymore." Pinkie took out a pack of cigarettes from the same place she got the bottle, took a cigarette out and lit it as she sat in another chair.

"And you smoke, of fucking course," said Rarity with disgust on her voice as she crossed her front legs.

"Spare me the drama, daaaarling," Pinkie puffed a smoke. "We're not teens anymore. How old are you? 40? 41?"

"Oh, don't worry about my drama, sweetheart. I came at Twilight's insistence, but I think I will not stay for very long," said Rarity with a sardonic smile.

Fluttershy looked at Rarity, then at Pinkie. She put a hoof on the back on her head and said "Pinkie, we... we are just worried about you. I'm not saying never drink, just... well, you tend to do things that are just not acceptable. I mean, you understand that what you did to Applejack was wrong, right?" She looked at the food around the place. "Also, you shouldn't be eating like this. Like you said, we're not teenagers anymore and this kind of food is just not healthy. Think about it. What do you think Rainbow Dash would say if she were alive?"

"I don't know." Pinkie shrugged her shoulders. "Get me out of this box, I'm in excruciating pain?"

"Pinkie!" cried all the other ponies at the same time. Just then, the door of the bedroom opened and a young stallion came out.

"I can't lift with all that nagging. I'm going home," he said with an accusatory tone at nopony in particular. On his way out, he smacked Pinkie Pie's flank. which caused her to let out a little shriek.

"Don't go, honey," Pinkie put her hooves together in a pleading gesture. "It's just a small reunion with my friends that I had planned for a while. I didn't know that you were coming until last night. Please stay, I promise we'll be quiet."

The stallion ignored her. He walked by the three other ponies and left, not even saying good-bye.

Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie, "Who is that?"

"Oh, just someone I met about two weeks ago at a bar." Pinkie avoided her friends' eyes and squashed her cigarette. She stood up and served some punch in a few cups. "Strawberry punch anyone? I swear there's no alcohol in this." She offered a tray with the cups to her friends.

"It's another one of your boytoys, isn't he? How old is he? 25?" Rarity said calmly as she took one cup and sipped it.

Pinkie Pie sat on the other couch leaving the tray on the coffee table. Her head was erect in defiance. "27. So what if he is?"

Fluttershy interjected "Oh Pinkie. Pardon me for saying this but..." She fidgeted a bit. "I just don't see how you could be happy in such a relationship. It's not so much the age. It's that the way you live and the kind of stallions you go out with. I mean, how can you even start a family with such a guy? I love my foals but I wouldn't have been able to raise them without knowing I could count on Big Mac for..."

"I can't get pregnant," interrupted Pinkie, emotionless.

"What?" said Twilight and Rarity in unison.

"What you heard. I can't get pregnant. I've had tests and shit." Pinkie looked directly at Fluttershy. "I'm happy for you Fluttershy. But I just can't have what you have and I never will."

Fluttershy was frozen and had no reply. "I... I had no idea. I'm sorry," she stuttered.

Rarity reached out a hoof to Pinkie. "That's still no reason to live the kind of life you have, Pinkie dear, jumping from one stallion to another, living in an eternal party, eating junk food all the time, getting drunk all the time."

"Shut up ,Rarity! And spare me your false pity," bit back Pinkie. Rarity's eyes widened as she took a hoof to her mouth. Pinkie spoke on as she took another bottle out of nowhere and drank a sip from it. "Like I don't know that you are as lonely as I am. All those long hours working, never taking a break to because you have no one to have fun with. And now Sweetie Belle has replaced you as the mare every stallion is crazy about. You're not getting any younger and you know it. At least I have someone to fuck with."

Rarity's teeth clenched. "I am building a business, not destroying myself and sleeping in every stallion's bed, being dumped every, what? two months? two weeks? Do you even keep count or are you always that intoxicated?"

"You have some nerve to talk to me like that," Pinkie Pie leaned forward as she threw the bottle on the ground, smashing it. "You little..."

"Hey, girls, let's calm down," Twilight said as she gestured with her hooves. "I know how you feel but..."

"And how would you know it, Twilight?" interrupted Pinkie as she took out yet another bottle. "You literally have all the time in the world to find someone. You can afford to spend another twenty years in your studies and you won't age a day. You will always look in your early twenties and you will always be attractive." She brought the bottle to her mouth and slobbered as she drank.

Twilight didn't know what to say, she looked down at one of her hooves, with which she started to scratch the floor. Everypony else avoided looking at each other.

"That's right. I shaid it! And it wash about time," Pinkie put the bottle down and lit up another cigarette. "Like nopony of you hadn't notished. Who do you think you're fooling? We all see each other rot away, getting wrinkles and..."

"ENOUGH!" said Fluttershy with a stern voice. The other three ponies turned around to look at her.

"I think I'll take my leave," her voice wasn't loud, but it was assertive. "I came to have a good time and I'm having anything but. You should be ashamed of yourself, Pinkamina Diane Pie, treating us, your old friends like some street drunkards. No wonder Applejack doesn't speak to you." Fluttershy was trembling, but her voice did not waver. "I'll let you know that I'm not rotting. I have a wonderful family who fill my heart with joy and life. And now if you excuse me, I believe I have spent enough time away from them. Have a good night!" She walked out of the house. None of the other ponies stopped her.

After a few moments, Rarity looked at Pinkie Pie with a disapproval look. She stood up and walked away without saying a word, her head hanging low.

"She knowsh I'm right, you know?" Pinkie started to stuff her face with some chips that were on the table. She was clearly under the effects of the alcohol now.

"I'm sorry Pinkie," said Twilight. "I guess I hadn't thought about how my condition affected you all. Still, you can't continue like this. I mean, even I fantasize about having a family."

"I can't 'ave a family, Twilight."

"Sure you can. All you need is a bit of..."

"No, Twilight, you don't undershtand. I literally can't have a family. I'm shterile. I'm FUCKING SHTERILE!" Pinkie Pie covered her eyes and began to cry as she dropped herself on the ground.

Twilight had wanted to talk about adoption, but this was clearly not the right moment to do it. She sat next to Pinkie, not without pushing away some food and bottles, and hugged her friend, who was crying unconscionably. It was then that she noticed the needle marks on her arms and neck.

Twilight leaned back, shocked and disgusted, turning her head away from Pinkie. She stood up and left, with a sensation of sickness in her stomach.

*****

"I'm glad you gave yourself some time to see me, Applejack," Twilight said as she took a sip of her cappuccino. It's a bit hard to see old friends nowadays, specially Rarity. It' not easy for her to come all the way from Manehattan."

"Yep," replied Applejack as she took a bite of her strawberry cake. "With all the long hours she keeps and always running from show to show and from client to client, I'm surprised the girl has time to pee."

Twilight laughed. "Yes, but you too work hard too. You're already on the fields even before the sun rises."

"Well, running a farm is a lot of work and I'm the only one there now that everypony is gone."

"You must miss them."

"Not gonna lie, sugarcube. That farm used to be so full of life with so many ponies around."

"Yeah, I remember, Big Mac, Applebloom, Granny..."

"Ah good old, granny," sighed Applejack as she rested her head on her hooves. "She lived a long and fulfilling life. Truth be told, I'd like to go like her, working on the farm until my bones are too old to pull a cart or buck a tree. Now, my husband on the other hoof, well, that's another story."

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened to him."

"Don't. That's life, you know?"

"But you're still young enough to redo your life and look for a stallion that will appreciate you. You can be quite an attractive mare when you want to, you know?"

"I don't know, Twi. I did make a promise to love that stallion forever. I guess since it's death do us apart, the promise it's fulfilled. It's just that... I'm not sure if I want to live through that again."

"That was just terrible bad luck, and you know it."

"Oh, I don't mean that. I mean... well..." Applejack put a hoof to her chin, "that experience of getting to know someone, having a relationship, arrange a marriage. I'm just not interested in it anymore. I lived it, I enjoyed it, but it's over. It's one more item off the list," Applejack ate a bite of her strawberry pie and looked up at Twilight, smiling.

"Oh well," sighed Twilight. "How's Applebloom?"

"Mighty fine, I must say. That girl got her cutie mark pretty late, but she sure has taken advantage of her talent since then. Also, the thing with her stallion is turning serious. I think we'll be having another wedding in the family soon."

"That's nice to hear, although I think she's still too young for that. Ah, I still remember when the Cutie Mark Crusaders used to cause lots of trouble."

"Tell me about it," Applejack giggled a bit, then got serious. "Big Mac told me that Fluttershy is having trouble with the hospital. It seems that the hype about Rainbow Dash has died out."

"It must be hard to keep donors in the long term, I guess," Twilight took another sip of her coffee.

"Yep, and Fluttershy has her hooves full with two foals too. But Big Mac tells me that he and Fluttershy couldn't be any happier."

"That's wonderful, and how old are her foals now?"

"The filly is 12 and the colt is 10. Not much longer before Fluttershy has to deal with teens. I still remember when Applebloom went into her rebellious phase."

"Well, they are both lovely in my opinion. And I'm happy for all of them."

Applejack slurped her milkshake. "You know, I saw Pinkie Pie at the general store. I even walked up and talked to her."

Twilight opened her eyes wide "Really? How is she?"

"Pretty bad. She really let herself go. Not only she's overweight, but she also has a running nose and snorts all the time. She dressed as if she were a still a teen and she was buying lots of alcohol and cigarette cartons." Applejack's eyes were fixed on her pie as she poked it with her fork.

Twilight couldn't help but be curious. "And then what happened?"

"I went up to her and said hi. She looked like she had seen a ghost. I told her that I forgave her for what she did at my husband's funeral. She was at a loss for words for a while... and then she invited me for a drink at her house. I declined politely, gave her a hug and left."

Twilight shook her head. "Let me guess, she was wearing sunglasses."

Applejack quickly looked at Twilight with an open mouth. "How the buck did you know?"

Twilight looked sideways. "I've been reading. She not only drinking. She's doing drugs too. That's one of the signs, wearing sunglasses so that you can't see their red eyes."

"Drugs, eh? I guess it was bound to happen. Now we know where all her money is going."

"How can we get her to change?"

"I don't reckon we can. She has to admit that she has a problem first and that girl in obviously in denial. However, you should definitely speak with her."

"You think she'll listen to me? She doesn't even listen to Maude!"

"I'm not talking about that, sugarcube. Listen, I know what she said to you at her party. Fluttershy told me everything. The reason I spoke with her is so that I could leave that funeral incident in the past and be at peace with myself. You too should talk to her and forgive her."

Twilight's throat got hard for a moment. "I'm not even that mad, just... conflicted."

Applejack had finished eating her cake and was cleaning her mouth with a napkin. "Think about it hon. In any case, I'm back to the salt mines. Those trees aren't going to buck themselves, you know? The harvest this season was plentiful, but that just means more work. I'm thinking about hiring that Scootaloo girl for a while. You too should get someone to replace Spike. It's not good for you to be all alone."

Twilight embraced her old friend. "It was lovely to see you Applejack. Take care and I'll think about what you said."

*****

For a few weeks, Twilight always found an excuse to avoid talking to Pinkie Pie. She wasn't even sure what she would say to her. It was until one day, when she was arranging the latest delivery of books and thinking that it was about time to get another assistant, that she heard someone knocking on the door.

She opened to find a very old mare standing in front of her. For a moment, Twilight didn't recognize her.

"Mrs. Cake! Good afternoon. I haven't seen you in a long time. Please do come in." Twilight pointed with a hoof to the inside of her house, as a sign of invitation.

"Twilight, dear," the old mare said. "I'm afraid that I not in the mood for visits. I have come to ask you a favor. I'm very worried about Pinkie Pie. She hasn't shown up for work in days and we haven't heard from her. I'm afraid something might have happened to her. Could you go to her place and see what's going on? I'm too old to go myself and I need to take care of the business."

Damn you, Pinkie, dropping the job like that, thought Twilight. She forced a smile and said "Sure, I'm a bit busy at the moment, but I'll go as soon as I'm done."

Mrs. Cake put her hooves together and looked at Twilight directly in the eyes. "Would you mind going right away? Please do it as a favor to this old mare."

Twilight's heart began to beat faster. "Ah, sure. I'll... just close up and leave."

*****

Twilight arrived to Pinkie's house a few minutes later. By now, she understood why Pinkie had moved out of Sugar Cube Corner. It would have been impossible to keep her addiction hidden from the Cakes there, although she was sure they knew.

She noticed a foul stench coming from the inside as she knocked the door. "Pinkie, I need to talk to you!"

No answer.

Twilight knocked harder. "No more games, Pinkie! Open the door! We're all worried sick about you!"

No answer.

Maybe she went on a trip or something, thought Twilight. She asked Pinkie's neighbors if they knew anything about her. They told her that they hadn't seen Pinkie come out of her house in days.

Twilight came back to the door and knocked one more time, her stomach churning. "Pinkie, open the door NOW!"

Still no answer.

She could feel the rush of adrenaline. She kicked the door as hard as she could, but it wouldn't open. She tried again and again, but she just didn't have the strength of an Earth Pony. She wished Applejack was with her.

No time to go get Applejack, thought Twilight. She went to a window and kicked the glass. Then she climbed through, scratching herself in the process. She fell inside the bathroom.

Once inside the stench was even worse. Twilight had to cover her nose with one of her hooves. "Pinkie? Where are you?"

She walked around the house. It was ten times dirtier than the last time she saw it. There were some needles on the table and tons of empty bottles and squashed cigarette butts all over. The furniture had alcohol stains and it was burned in some areas.

Twilight finally arrived to the bedroom. The sight made her let out a scream of horror.

*****

Pinkie Pie's friends and family buried her the next day. It was a simple affair. No ceremony or eulogy. Just lowering the casket, covering it with Earth, and leaving a tombstone made by Maude to mark the place. Twilight couldn't help but notice the contrast with Rainbow Dash's funeral, which was full of speeches and had been attended by important ponies. The only somewhat remarkable sight at the event was a very, very old donkey crying silently, sitting atop a nearby hill.

Twilight didn't want the event to finish just like that, so she invited the others to a nearby restaurant, the closest business there was. The Pies and the Cakes rejected the invitation, stating that they'd rather do their grieving in private. Fluttershy also excused herself, saying that the conversation wouldn't be appropriate for her foals. She and Big Mac hugged their friends and walked away, with two crying foals in tow. Applejack didn't have anyone waiting for her at home and Rarity grudgingly accepted.

"I'll have a cognac, and if you don't have it, whiskey will do, dear," said Rarity to the waiter who had come to take their orders.

"I'll have a beer myself" ordered Applejack.

"You're having alcohol?" asked Twilight with surprise.

"Darling," said Rarity with a sigh. "Just because Pinkie Pie didn't know how to drink, doesn't mean that the rest of us don't either. And honestly, after these news, I definitely need a drink."

"Well, in that case, I'll have a beer too," said Twilight to the waiter, who left to get their drinks.

"It was pretty shocking I must say," said Applejack. "So it was an overdose?"

"It wasn't exactly confirmed, but the doctor said there was no point in running tests and making the bills higher. Honestly, I don't see what else could have been. I... I saw it myself." Twilight's ears and eyes dropped.

"I am so sorry for you, my dear," said Rarity as she touched Twilight's shoulder.

"I can't say it didn't shake me. Honestly, it was the worst scene I have seen in my life," said Twilight.

"Do not go into details please, I think I know as much as I need to know," Rarity put a hoof on her chest. Just then, the waiter arrived with their drinks.

Applejack lifted her mug. "To Pinkie, may she live a better life wherever she is."

Rarity and Twilight clinked her drinks with Applejack's, "To Pinkie!" Tears started to roll down through Rarity's cheeks.

"Oh darn it," said the white unicorn. "My make up... is getting... ruined..." Her speech was being interrupted by hick ups and sobs.

"It's ok Rarity. You can let go. It's perfectly natural for you to react like this," said Applejack with watery eyes as she patted her friend's shoulder. "I can understand why Maude and Fluttershy didn't want to stay. They still have to think what to say when their foals ask what happened to aunt Pinkie."

Twilight couldn't help but remember the advice that Applejack had given her a few weeks ago. "Applejack, Rarity, I love you!" said Twilight with a rush. "I just want you to know this, in case something happens to any of us."

The two mares couldn't help but laugh at Twilight's outburst. "Darling, we're not dying. I'm 41, just three years older than Pinkie," said Rarity with her face full of tears and messed up make-up.

"That was unexpected and funny," laughed Applejack as she too had tears running down her cheeks. "Are you planning to take Pinkie Pie's place?" The thought of her departed friend stopped the laughter. "Boy, she did make me laugh a lot. I think I never realized what a gift Pinkie gave us each day, at least before her... well, you know."

Rarity buried her face in her hooves. "And she's not here anymore. She's not here. I will never see her again, EVER!" She was wailing loudly.

Twilight too thought about the many times Pinkie had made her laugh. She finally understood how precious Pinkie had been to everyone around her and why her friends and her family, specially Maude, loved her so much. She thought how hard it must have been for everyone to see Pinkie sink deeper and deeper into an illness that she could not escape from. She wished she could give up her immortality to see her pink friend smile again.

She knew that the people in the other tables were watching them. She didn't care. She too buried her face into her hooves and started to cry.

Good-bye Pinke. I will miss you so fucking much.

Author's Note:

Just to comment on the common criticism that Pinkie Pie should go like this. I have never heard about alcoholism or addiction going "darn, I can't touch this person because it's not right."

Although not as common, some have said that it's not believable (in a story about talking horses) that their friends miss Pinkie when she was terrible with them. People who have had to deal with alcoholics do get harsh treatment from them. That doesn't mean that they don't love the alcoholic person and that they don't feel sad when they die.

Anyway, thanks for reading so far.

Comments

[Hillbe]

He's back and I've decided not to live alone Twilight
Who Prince Blue Blood?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Try again Sis.
Spike!?!
My business will carry on for a thousand years!

[Karan Dash]

8036631 How did you make those icons? They're sooo cool!

[Hillbe]

8038955 the happy face icon at the end (above where you type) B I U STcolor Link- Picture- you tube - " - SP - happy face

orig02.deviantart.net/a30d/f/2017/055/2/7/fashionably_resting_by_hillbe-db0abdt.jpg

[Karan Dash]

8038999

The things one learns everyday. Thank you for commenting.

[Hillbe]

8039023

Lawn Dart
Dope fiend
Bear food?
One buck too many?
Manticore Mouth Dive?
Laying Dragon eggs? After a cruise vacation?
The Maretanic (Yeah the guy always dies)
I blowed up?
They all are Equestrian Heros except Spike he was on vacation...

[Karan Dash]

8039064
That's pretty funny.

[Karan Dash]

8039064
Don't put in any spoilers tho. Still funny.

[Fervidor]

Jesus Christ. That's not sad, that's depressing. As in, I literally feel a bit more dead inside from reading it.