She reminds me how to laugh...
I Almost Lost Everything
Original concept written and edited by Shanenator
She Reminds Me How to Laugh…
*****
The ceiling.
That same old ceiling. White, fluffy, and made of clouds. It’s kinda boring, really. And yet…it’s familiar, and that’s reassuring. I’ve woken up countless times to see that ceiling. It’s almost like an old friend, though not nearly as dear to me as my actual friends. My friends…how I love them so. Yesterday, that sentiment was once again set in stone for eternity.
Yesterday…
Heh. Wow, was that a roller coaster of a day. I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional. But not anymore! Nope, I’m done with all of that. The whole incident is over and done with and I’m more than happy to put it behind me and move on with my life. Today’s a new day, and I intend to seize it just like any other!
So then why do I feel so drained?
I dunno. I feel…thin. Like jam spread over too much toast or something. It’s almost like I’m living some sort of trance. There’s something…missing from my life right now. Something that was there before, but is now absent. What’s worse is that I can almost say what exactly it is that’s missing. It’s on the tip of my tongue! Why can’t I figure this out?
Well. I know who can.
If I’ve learned anything recently, it’s this: when I have a problem, who else do I turn to? My friends, of course! They’ll always be there for me, no matter what! They call me the Element of Loyalty, but they’re all just as loyal as I am. No doubts about it.
My friends…
How long has it been since we just hung out? Goofed off? Killed time just for the sake of being together and enjoying each other’s company? Too long, clearly.
That’s it. That’s the thing.
It’s been weeks since I’ve done anything fun with my friends. I mean, sure there was the picnic a couple days ago but that hardly even counts. We had to do SOMETHING for my return. That’s just that. No, I think I need to go and spend some quality time with my friends. Each and every one of them. One on one. They’ll help me figure out how to feel better. How to get back to living life to the fullest. Each and every day.
Time to go see what Pinkie Pie’s up to.
*****
Cue Pinkie Pie’s scene. Pinkie is in the bakery, just putting the finishing touches on a particularly delicious-looking set of cupcakes. Today is a very busy day, and there are a lot of orders to fill, so she is going to have to work all through the day. No parties or anything.
Aww, do I have to? I do? Lame. How super-duper boring. Anyways, back to the script.
This is a shame, seeing as how she really, REALLY wanted to go check on Rainbow. She’d been acting a bit strangely lately.
Wait, what? I’m not supposed to read this? Oh! Oopsies! No we don’t have to start over! You worry WAAAY too much! I’ll just draw a line through all of this! See? Nopony will even know! …What? Don’t give me that look. …Okay, okay, fine! I’m doing it! Gosh! Calm down.
Hip-hip-hooray for today!
It was a super-duper-splendiferous day! The kind of day where one wakes up and rolls out of the wrong side of bed! One just KNOWS it’s going to be good! Everypony knows that when one rolls out of bed on the right side, it will be a good day. The wrong side means a great day. But jumping out of bed and spinning around three times in mid-air? Oooooh. Better watch out. Then one knows that day is going to be a real doozy.
And not of the good kind.
Anyways, today was going to be great. How, I wasn’t exactly sure. After all, I can never know what exactly it is that will make my day great! All I know is that as long as I keep a smile on my face and keep being me, good things will come of their own accord! All I have to do is be Pinkie Pie! Which isn’t easy. After all, there are rules that have to be followed! Rules, I say!
But those are foal’s play.
Breakfast was delicious, as always. You can’t go wrong in a bakery! Although, I was a bit disappointed to hear that we had a huge order to fill. That meant we’d pretty much be baking all day. As much as I love to bake, it can get a wee bit boring after hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and…
Yeah.
Besides! That meant I couldn’t go and hang out with my friends! Which was REALLY a shame because poor wittle Dashie has been acting so down recently. I really really REALLY wanted to go and put a smile on her face today, because that’s what I love to do! Make ponies smile! Especially my bestest best friends.
Oh well, tomorrow’s always there.
I knew she’d appreciate it, too. Dashie and I are super-duper good friends! We do almost EVERYTHING together! I’m sure that after that super scary near-death experience, which despite being kinda fun was probably a bit upsetting for her, she’d like a nice smile or two. I can’t believe I never thought about that day from her perspective. I felt pretty bad about it…
But not anymore!
No saddie-waddie today, no sir! Today was a good day! A GREAT day! A day filled with sugar and chocolate and yummy smells! And, hey! Everypony loves Sugarcube Corner! I’m sure that at least one of my friends will come waltzing through those front doors looking for something sweet to eat. And boy, will I have just the thing for them!
So imagine my surprise when the UNLIKELIEST of ponies comes through that door.
We’d been open for just over an hour. As usual, the breakfast rush was busy, busy, busy! But it was nothing the Pinkster couldn’t handle! The usual trio of muffins for Ditzy (“Howdy-doo, Miss Doo!), a coffee and scone for Cheerilee (“Morning, Cheerilee! Have a great learning-filled day!), tea and crumpets for Time Turner (“Morning Timey! The usual, I take it?”), and an EXTRA dark coffee for dear Berry Punch (“Another wild night, eh? C’mon, Berry, let’s see a smile!”).
And so on, and so on, and so on.
I let out a sigh of relief as Bon-Bon stepped away from the counter, her breakfast in tow. That’s the last of them! As much as I love serving everypony breakfast, and wishing them a happ-happ-happy day, filling orders for half the town isn’t exactly easy. It has its perks, though. I take a long draught of my sweet hot chocolate, the sugary deliciousness giving me a boost to keep on tackling the day.
And that’s when the door jingled.
Again? But who else was left to get their usu-
“DASHIE!” I squeal in excitement as I rush over to her. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Maybe I get to make her smile today after all! I quickly pull her into one of my awesome, Pink-a-riffic hugs that I just KNOW everypony loves! Hugs make everything better, right? “Ooooh, I’m so happy to see you! Glad to see that you’re not mopey-doping around your house all day!”
A mumble.
“What’s that?” I ask, releasing her from my oh-so-gentle grip. Rainbow pulls away, her face beet-red. She appears to be a bit out of breath. I wonder why that suddenly happened? She was fine a moment ago…
“Heh…heh…hey, Pinks. How’s it going?” she asks as soon as she’s recovered.
“Just GREAT!” I reply happily. “The breakfast rush is my favorite time of day, and today’s has been particularly great!” Wait…was that actually true? “Or…maybe my favorite time’s the lunch bustle…or maybe the dinnertime crunch?” I screw up my face in concentration, trying to determine WHICH time exactly was my favorite. But they’re all so great…
Rainbow laughed.
It was great to hear her laugh. It’s been far too long since I’ve heard that laugh come so easily. So happily. So free of cares and worries. “That’s great, Pinkie. Glad to hear it.”
I happily skip back to my place at the counter. “So, what brings you to Sugarcube Corner this early? Looking for some goodies?” I chirp, waggling my eyebrows. “Cuz ain’t nopony bakes the goodies like we do! They’re simply Pinkie-licious!”
Rainbow laughs again.
“I know they are, Pinkie. It’s been too long since I’ve stopped by. I can’t decide what I want, though. Why don’t you surprise me?”
“Hmm…” I hum thoughtfully. What’s the perfect treat for Rainbow right now? Tricky, tricky, tricky… I hold up my forehooves in a slightly square shape, as if I was looking at a picture of Rainbow. Sticking my tongue out and closing one eye in concentration, I size her up. Everypony has just the right treat to make them happy, one just has to know these things! Better be…
Rainbow smiles again, clearly trying not to laugh.
Heehee! I guess she’s enjoying my usual Pinkariffic antics. Everypony does! That’s why everypony loves Pinkie Pie! Even me! See? All I gotta do is be myself and good things will come! “Ah-ha!” I declare dramatically. “I’ve got just the thing…” I dash (teehee!) into the kitchens, intent on finding just the right delectable delight for my dear prismatic friend. I swiftly snatch up the desired pastry and skedaddle right back over to the counter.
“Ta-da! I present to you, your breakfast!” I exclaim dramatically, taking a deep bow and holding out the selected treat, of course donning my classic mustache in the process. The dessert in question was a vanilla cupcake with rainbow icing.
Rainbow Dash’s favorite.
I could sense her smile even without opening my eyes. “Aww yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” She deftly swipes the cupcake and takes an appreciative bite out of it. “Thanks, Pinkie. You always know how to make me feel better.”
“No problem-o Dashie!” I respond happily. “What are bestest best friends for?” I start to hop back into the kitchens. “So!” I call out. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“Actually…” she begins but trails off.
Uh oh. Initiate happy time procedures.
“Daaashiiiie,” I call dramatically. “You’re not still hung up about the whole ‘tornado incident’ are you? Do I need to do my super-awesome rendition of how the super-awesome Rainbow Dash super-awesomely saves us all again? Hmm?” I finish as I press my face up into hers.
Huh. I could’ve sworn I was just in the kitchens…
Rainbow blushes a bit and backs away a pace. “Wha? Er, uh, no…” she stammers as she backs away, clearly as surprised as I am at my sudden appearance. “No…” she repeats. “I’m over that. It’s fine. But…” She looks at the floor, idly scuffing it with a forehoof.
“Yeeeees?” I inquire, blinking my eyes outrageously.
“I was just wondering…you wanna hang out today?” she asks rather quickly and with a trace of uncertainty in her voice. Even her eyes seem a bit unsure. Why that is, I can’t possibly fathom. Clearly, she’s gone and done it again. Worked herself up into some wacky emotional state where she can’t even ask to hang out without acting all weird!
There’s only one solution.
“Oooof COURSE we can!” I cheer as loudly as I can, throwing my forehooves into the air. “It’ll be SOOO much fun! It’s been way too long since the two of us just kicked back and goofed off.” I finish with a smile. Rainbow let out a soft sigh of relief. Wow, she’s really out of it. Nothing a day with the Master of Pink can’t fix!
“Although…” I add coyly, smirking slightly.
“Yes?” Rainbow asks, looking suddenly nervous again.
“There’s just one teensy-weensy little thing…”
“Uh huh…”
“That might have to be taken care of…”
I stare right into her eyes waiting for a reply. Evidently she is as well. That’s okay, though, I love staring contests! Rainbow, however, tends to dislike them. Growing impatient, she frowns and says, “well?”
“Oh, right,” I say nonchalantly. “We have this super-duper-mega huge order of cupcakes to fill today, so I have to bake bake bake! But I could REALLY use an extra hoof or two. Whaddaya say, Dashie? You up to the baking challenge?” I ask, waggling my eyebrows ridiculously yet again.
And the Rainbow I know and love is back.
Puffing out her chest pridefully, she locks her fiery gaze with mine. “Hah! There isn’t a challenge in the world I’d back down from! Lead the way, Pinkie!”
“Okie dokie lokie!” I chant as I once again begin to hop back into the kitchens. As we enter, the smell of deliciously fresh baked goods immediately assaults our senses. One could practically taste the sugar by sticking their tongue out and going ‘aaaah.’
Which I did. It was delicious.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were busily hustling about the kitchen, too distracted by filling our various orders to pay us any mind. As long as I was here and working, they didn’t really care what I did. “Dashie,” I ask as I stride over to the counter and start gathering ingredients. “Have you ever even made cupcakes before?”
“Uh…” Rainbow pauses and flushes red again. “No…” she mumbles in defeat. “But hey! It can’t be too hard to learn! I’ve got you to teach me, and you’re the best around! Besides, I never back down from a challenge!” she finishes, puffing out her chest once again.
I giggle in reply. She’s so cute when she does that.
“Well, that’s true and all, but it still takes years of practice to make the perfect cupcake! I remember when mine used to blow up! Those were the days…” Rainbow suddenly took on a rather alarmed look.
“Well, I, uh…I’ll bet I can figure it out. No problem! Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it!” she declared confidently. Or at least, she attempted to be confident. I could tell she was a bit rattled at the moment.
Time to test the waters.
“Hmm…I dunno, Dashie. You don’t really seem the baking type to me. Are you sure you don’t wanna just hang out tomorrow when I’m free?”
“No!” she blurts. I raise an eyebrow. She realizes her mistake and quickly tries to backpedal, blushing furiously all the while. “I mean, uh, I was…really hoping we could hang today…”
Well that settles it. She needs me right now.
And what kind of friend would I be to abandon her? “Okie dokie lokie!” I cheer. “It’s not too hard anyways. All right, the first step to baking a super-duper scrumptious cupcake is…”
*****
“Hey Pinkie?”
“Yeah?”
“How much sugar did you say the recipe called for?”
“Two cups, Dashie! Gotta make them goodies nice and sweet!”
“Oh, ponyfeathers…” I heard her mutter under her breath. Undoubtedly she made some sort of mistake.
“Oh, don’t worry about it Dashie, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” I console her as I stride over to her mixing bowl. I dip my hoof into the batter to give it a taste. “Here, I’ll help you figure out how to fix it.”
Oh sweet Celestia help me it cannot be saved.
I must’ve made a face, because Rainbow instantly looked worried. “That bad, huh?” she asks glumly.
“Dashie…” I say calmly. “Where’s the sugar that you used?” She points to the source of her ‘sugar.’ “Dashie…that’s the salt.”
“Oh.”
A few seconds passed where we just stared at each other. “I knew that,” she suddenly continues. “I was just showing you how not to make a cupcake,” she finishes with a sly grin.
My grin soon matches hers, and pretty soon we’re practically rolling on the floor, tears of laughter streaming from our eyes.
Just two friends sharing a wonderful time together.
*****
*FWOOMPH*
White. White everywhere. Why is everything white?
“Achoo! Eheh…sorry, Pinks…” Oh. That would be why.
“Dashie,” I say calmly. “Did you just spill an entire bag of flour in my kitchen?”
“Um…yes? Look, I’m really sor-”
I cut her off with my frantic laughter. “Heeheeheehaha! Oh, Dashie, that is soooo FUNNY! I’ve forgotten how clumsy you can be! Hahahaha!” Rainbow looks to me in confusion. I guess it makes sense. She spills a whole bag of flour and here I am laughing like a maniac. However, seeing Rainbow’s coat and mane covered in white only makes me laugh harder.
“Oh! Ohoho! Dashie..you…y-you look like a ghost! Haaahahaha!”
Rainbow looks down at herself and cracks a smile. The smile slowly evolves into a snicker. Then a chuckle. Then it turns into a snicuckle, which is like a combination of the two. Not long after that, she’s laughing just as hard as I am.
Here we are, standing in the middle of the kitchen where we’re supposed to be making cupcakes, covered in flour, being totally unproductive, and just laughing our flanks off. We just laugh. And laugh.
And laugh.
*****
*FWOOSH! CHOOF CHOOF FWOOOSH!*
I carefully set down the fire extinguisher and turn to face a rather sheepish-looking blue pegasus. “And that,” I say gravely, “is why you never leave your cupcakes unattended.”
“But you walk away from them all the time! I watch you! You practically never keep an eye on your baked goods!” she protests.
“That is because I, dear Rainbow Dash, am a professional.” I smile smugly.
“Oh yeah?” she retorts. Suddenly, she takes on a rather wolfish grin. “Well, it’s a good thing I just so happen to be a professional at wiping smug grins off of pony’s faces! C’mere, you!” I release a squeal of delight and take off, barreling around the corner to hopeful freedom. However, Rainbow is hot on my hooves.
“Can’t catch me! Can’t catch me! Nananana!” I taunt playfully, turning around and sticking my tongue out at her.
“I can and I will! Get back here!”
“Never!”
Laughter echoed through the building as we rushed about helter-skelter, as well as the constant thudding of hoofsteps.
*****
“Hey! I did it! And they’re not burned!” Rainbow Dash declares excitedly as she holds up a tray of piping hot cupcakes, fresh from the oven. The grin on her face extends almost from ear to ear.
“That’s great Dashie! Mmm, they smell delicious! Wonder how they taste?” I muse, tapping my chin with a forehoof in thought.
“Uhh…hopefully alright…I think I did this one right,” Rainbow answered hesitantly. “Maybe I should…try one?”
“Already got it covered!” I declare, grabbing a cupcake and popping it into my mouth. Yes, it’s hot, but I AM a professional. I’ve taste tested more goods than anypony in town probably! I chew the cupcake slowly, taking my time in evaluating its flavor, texture, and fluffiness. Eventually, I gulp it down. Rainbow is looking at me quite anxiously, eager for approval.
I am proud that I was able to maintain a straight face.
“Rainbow…how much butter did you use?”
“Uhh…well, I added as much as you said, but then I added a bit more because the batter didn’t look the right color. I thought I might’ve misheard you. So, I made it golden yellow, like it looks now. See?” She held up the cupcake tin as an example.
“Dashie…the batter changes color in the oven. Also, cupcakes aren’t supposed to ooze when you bite into them.”
Rainbow made a face before sighing in defeat and dumping the cupcakes into the trash bin. “Well. You learn something new every day.”
I snicker. “Oh, goodness. You’re too funny, Rainbow Dash! Adding too much butter to change the color of the batter…PRICELESS!”
Once again, I find myself rolling on the floor with laughter along with my bestest best friend.
*****
“How do these ones look?”
“They look great, Dashie! And as long as you followed the recipe EXACTLY, they’ll taste great too! Now, the only thing they need is the icing!”
“Icing?” she asks, a nervous look taking over her features.
*****
“Well…I tried to make it rainbow-colored like you always do, but…” Rainbow trails off, sheepishly examining her…creation.
“Well…it’s not TOO bad…” I try to console her. “It’s just…it needs a little more…umm…yeah, okay, it’s bad,” I finish. I’m sorry but…very few ponies will eat a cupcake that just looks like it got puked on. “At least we can tell them that it’s not ACTUALLY puke flavor!”
Our laughter reverberated throughout the building for several minutes.
*****
“Ta-da! I finally did it! Told you I could!” Rainbow Dash announces proudly, holding up her latest confectionary creation. And sure enough, it actually looked quite tasty! The cake itself was golden brown on top, and the rainbow-colored icing was swirled above it quite nicely. Sure it could’ve been a little bit more precise but not bad at all for a newbie!
“That looks great, Dashie! Box them up and put them with the others. We’ll be done with this order in no time! I knew it was a good idea to have you stay!”
Rainbow Dash swells with happiness, a wide smile gracing her features.
*****
“Phew!” I say, wiping the sweat from my brow with a forehoof. “That’s the last of them! Boy, that sure did take a long time.” I look down at myself. “And one can certainly tell I’ve been in the kitchen all day!” I glance over at Rainbow Dash. She, too, is covered head to hoof in flour and stray specks of chocolate and icing. “Guess it’s time to go wash up, hmm?”
Rainbow Dash flashes me a wolfish grin. “Oh, I have a waaay more fun idea…”
*****
“CANNONBALL!” I shout as loud as I can as I plummet into the lake. A loud splash follows, as well as the sweet sound of Rainbow Dash’s laughter as soon as my head breaches the surface of the cool water.
“Good one, Pinks! Nine out of ten!”
I giggle and wave back to her before gazing off into the distance distractedly. The sun is just starting its descent to beyond the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful collection of red and orange hues. I take a moment or two to examine such a marvelous sight, briefly comparing the rainbow in the sky to the rainbow in my friend’s mane. Ponies sometimes think that I’m only crazy about parties, but hey, I can appreciate the finer things in life too.
Like a sunset that reminds me of my best friend.
I quickly wash away the signs of the day’s toil and swim over to the edge of the lake. I hoist myself out of the water and take a seat on the bank, trailing my back hooves in the still, warm water, watching the ripples spread slowly over its glassy surface. The rainbow of colors in the sky is reflected on the water as well.
Everywhere I look, rainbow.
I quickly shake myself off in an attempt to dry my soaking wet fur and currently straight mane. It doesn’t work too well, but it was fun nonetheless. A splashing sound nearby signals that Rainbow is pulling herself up next to me. A cheeky grin later, and she’s shaking herself dry as well, of course mostly undoing my previous attempts to get dry. “Ack! Rainbow, stop! Teehee!” I giggle as I shield my face from the oncoming deluge of water. Rainbow simply laughs harder, and is eventually forced to stop by her own convulsions of glee. Eventually we quiet down and turn to look at the sunset once more.
In the silence we sit, admiring the view. Enjoying our friendship.
“Pinkie…” she begins.
“Yes, Dashie?”
“Thanks…for everything.” I turn to give her a look of confusion. “For being so understanding yesterday,” she clarifies. “I didn’t see it then, but now I know how badly I needed you guys. And…you were there for me. To understand. To help me see. To make everything better. I just wanted to say thank you.
“Thank you for being such a great friend.”
I felt my eyes tear up slightly. No! No tears now! Only happ-happ-happy smiles! “Awww, Dashie, that’s so sweet,” I say excitedly, pulling my best friend into another one of my oh-so-gentle hugs. “But you know we’ll always be there for you, no matter what! Just like you would do for us. Right?” I release her and look into her magenta eyes.
“Right,” she replies, and I can see the fire in the depths of those rose orbs. See the conviction. The determination.
The loyalty.
“That’s the Dashie I know!” I cheer happily, grinning widely.
She grins back. “And thanks for letting me hang out today, too. I had a great time. Honestly, I really needed that.” She sighs and leans back a bit. “It’s been far too long since I’ve had a day like that…”
I sense her hesitation and immediately jump on it. “Who says it has to end now?” I say cheekily.
She turns to give me a confused look. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“I meaaaan,” I say, drawing out the last word for emphasis. “That you and I are going back to Sugarcube Corner! I have plans!”
Her eyes light up in excitement. “Okay! I’m down for a surprise! Race you there?” she asks coyly, her body coiled like a spring, ready to leap off at a moment’s notice.
“Hmmm…” I hum thoughtfully, tapping my chin with a forehoof as I pretend to consider her request. “Nah! PAYBACK!” I shout as I suddenly leap forward and shove Rainbow back into the lake. She yelps in surprise but somehow manages to grab my foreleg and drag me in with her.
Soon our laughter and all-out splash war is all that can be heard.
*****
“So Pinkie, what kind of ‘plans’ are we talking about?” Rainbow asks as we step into my room. Well, I’m bouncing, but it’s more or less the same thing.
Right?
I giggle in response, both at her anticipation and at the memory of our return walk through town. We probably looked pretty silly, both dripping wet and giggling like maniacs the entire way. We passed Rarity as we went, who simply rolled her eyes and chuckled at our antics. But who cares? Silly is fun!
“Oh, you know, only your most favoritest of favorite games…” I trail off as I start digging around in my closet. “Ta-da! Here it is!” I exclaim, holding up a box. Her eyes widen as she beholds the object clutched in my forehooves.
“Oh, it. Is. On.”
*****
“Left foreleg to red! Oh, ponyfeathers, it had to be that!” Rainbow Dash groans as the spinner stops moving.
I giggle from underneath her. “Uh oh, Dashie! Looks like this might be it!” I tease as I deftly place my left forehoof on a red circle, maintaining perfect balance all the while.
“No way! I…I’ve got this! Just…gimme a…second…” she says slowly, her face scrunched in concentration. Slowly but surely, her left foreleg inches its way off of the mat and begins to move towards a red dot. I can hear her panting in exertion as she struggles to maintain her balance.
Then I get the idea. A wonderful idea.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I begin to lift my head so that my frizzy pink mane begins to contact her soft blue underbelly fur. Grinning coyly, I begin to shake it. “Pfft! Hahaha! Pinkie...s-stop it! I c-can’t focus! Hahaha!” She laughs manically as I continue to tickle her. Her left forehoof slams back down onto the green circle it was previously resting on, restoring her balance.
“Pinkie…c-c’mon…that’s cheating! Hahahaha!”
“Oh, fine,” I pretend to huff in annoyance. “I’ll stop.”
“Thank you,” Rainbow Dash manages once she calms down. Slowly, her left forehoof once again begins to lift into the air. Grinning maniacally to myself, I resume my prior assault with no mercy. I shoot my head up into her stomach, immediately thrashing about to get the desired effect.
“Gootchie gootchie goo!”
“ACK!” Rainbow yelps in surprise. “P-Pinkie! I c-can’t…woooaah!” It was then that Rainbow’s stoic efforts to remain standing were exhausted, and she came crashing down onto me, who in turn fell to the floor. We both groan in pain and have to take a moment or two to return to our senses, but soon I start giggling uncontrollably.
“Looks like we both lose!” I manage between laughs. I see Rainbow shoot a glare at me, but soon she’s laughing too.
Nothing can keep our spirits down right now.
*****
“What’s that, Gummy? You want Queens? Rats! That’s all I had left!” I make a show of angrily shoving my hand of three cards at my pet toothless alligator, which join the entire deck spread on the floor before him. “Wow, Gummy. You win again! You’re just too good at ‘Go Fish’!” Rainbow Dash seems to be cracking up, hiding her obvious smile with a hoof.
I don’t understand what’s so funny. Losing isn’t THAT amusing.
I huff in annoyance and cross my forelegs. “C’mon Dashie, let’s go play a game that Gummy’s not so good at…”
*****
The two of us stood just outside the door of Sugarcube Corner, admiring Luna’s impressive night sky together. By now it was quite late, and although today had been super-duper great, just as I knew it would be, Rainbow has to get home now.
“Pinkie…” she says softly.
I turn to face her, and was slightly surprised to see fresh tears glistening on her face. “Yes, Dashie?”
“I…know I’ve said this a lot, but…thanks. For being there for me. Both today and yesterday.”
I simply smile. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. Don’t think I couldn’t tell that you needed me. C’mere, you.” I spread my forelegs wide, inviting her into a hug.
A gesture that she eagerly accepts.
As we pull away, I look her straight in the eyes. “You had fun today, didn’t you?”
Rainbow nods vigorously. “Oh yeah! I had a blast! I…really needed that, honestly. I didn’t quite wake up feeling like myself…”
I raise an eyebrow. “But better now?”
“Much better,” she agrees. She then lets out a soft sigh and ruffles her wings slightly in preparation for flight. “But now it’s late. I think we both need some rest after today,” she adds with a chuckle.
I grin toothily. “Will I be seeing you tomorrow?”
She pauses to consider that. “Not for too long, probably. I have…plans.”
“Okie-dokie-lokie!” I chirp happily in response. “Just stop by again whenever you can!”
“Trust me, I will.” She pauses to look me in the eyes one last time and smiles. It wasn’t a particularly wide smile, but boy was it genuine. Even I can’t always smile like that.
“I’ll see ya round, Pinks.”
“See ya!”
And with that last statement, and a powerful stroke of her wings, she’s rapidly disappearing into the night sky.
*****
Today had been great.
It was exactly what I needed. Hanging out with Pinkie, it’s easy for one to forget all the troubles they have. You just fall into the moment, completely unable to consider the world outside of that which you are currently sharing with her. Her joy, her laugher, her love of life…it’s all so infectious.
I’m glad some of that spread to me.
It felt good to laugh again. To be careless. Pinkie serves as a constant reminder of why life is great. Why MY life is great. To be friends with her…it’s truly a gift. One that I will treasure forever.
One that will never stop giving.
I realize now that some of that dull emptiness I felt this morning has faded away, and replaced by a warm fuzziness. Although I still don’t feel one hundred percent, it’s comforting to know that my actions today have helped get me back on track to the way I once was. Before I almost lost everything.
Now I can gain it all back.
As I step into my cloud home, I realize that I’m actually quite hungry. Moving almost on autopilot, I hardly notice as I mechanically make a sandwich and then hungrily wolf it down. Boy, am I tired after today. So tired that I hardly notice as I go through my nightly routine. All I can think about right now is my nice, soft bed. Eventually, at long last, I flop down onto it, and find myself looking upon a familiar sight.
The ceiling.
That same old puffy white cloud ceiling. As I stare at it, I reflect upon just how different my life was the last time I did this. What had been different? Oh, right. I didn’t have the awesome memories of today. Those fantastic memories of hanging with Pinkie Pie.
The day I was reminded how to just let loose and laugh without a care in the world.
I was struck by a sudden inspiration. If I were to be asked, I wouldn’t really be able to explain why I did what I did next. First I climbed out of bed. After a bit of digging through my broom closet, I found what I was looking for.
It was a bucket of pink paint.
Without really thinking, I pried off the lid, dipped my hoof into the delightfully bright pink paint, and smeared my hoof across the ceiling directly over my bed. Not so much that it would drip, but just enough paint to leave a visible pink streak. Satisfied with my work, I washed my hooves, put the paint away, and climbed back into bed. Soon enough, I found myself staring at that patch of ceiling yet again. Now it has a definite pink streak. A constant reminder of today’s events.
Now I will never forget how to laugh.
A single tear falls from my eyes as I stare at the ceiling and smile. If the ceiling was an old friend before, now it’s an incarnation of one of my actual best friends. All it needed now was a few more colors…
I think I’ll pay Fluttershy a visit tomorrow.
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Amazing! I love your style of writing so much. I can't stress how happy I am that you're continuing this.
...sweet Celestia MY FEELS!!!
I swear this Arc with Rainbow Dash is nothing short of excellent! The first chapter would have stood well enough on it's own, but then the letter and now this? Ambitious doesn't cover it, but from the looks of things, you will succeed very well!
Best of luck to ya, and keep smiling!
Is it me or do you seem to switch between the 'complete' tag and 'incomplete' tag?
Whatever, I still like how this reads. The transitions are damn good and skillfully placed to boot.
Can't wait for Fluttershy's day. But, uh, try to do it within a month, yeah?
(Oh who am I kidding? Who cares how long it takes? Just do it RIGHT!)
~Skeeter The Lurker
So I'm guessing by the end of this, Rainbow is gonna have a 'rainbow' of colours on her ceiling?
[youtube=WRu_-9MBpd4]
The secret was in the frosting
[youtube=rWWAj8IdWiI]
2358507 Thank you so much for your kind words!
2358692 Thanks very much! Ambitious would be trying to keep my chapters under 5k...and writing them within half a month lol...
2358709 It was marked complete. I got the idea to continue it while responding to comments and such from the first round. And I'll do my best to update sooner, feel free to check out the box on my page for update progress! Thanks for the feedback!
2359287 More or less...
2359296 ...He knows too much...
Rainbow Dash going to Sugercube Corner, getting a cupcake, and then Pinkie asking if she wants to help make cupcakes?
This is Cupcakes all over again!
2360837 Only the slightest of differences...I'm sure no one will notice...
An update? I don't know...I kind of liked this better as the sweet, emotional little oneshot that it was, but I'm still going to give it a chance.
I'm callin' it now. Rainbow colored ceiling at the end of the story.
Man, what a beautiful piece of work this is.
It's just a great feel-good story, and it's literally had me smiling through tears, which I don't think any other story on here has ever accomplished.
This is seriously something special, and I'm so glad you're adding more to it. Very well done. Can't wait for more.
2361686 Understandable. The content I intend to add, however, really builds off of what already exists without really going anywhere. Once it's all said and done, it will probably still feel like a one-shot. Thanks for giving it a chance!
2361722 Hmmm...this is indeed within the realm of possibility...
2361738 Thank you so much for your kind words! Let us all feel good together!
Don't forget how to laugh!
This, is what I commented 12 weeks ago, when first reading the first chapter.
I still stand by that, I've not seen a fic yet taking this apporach on Dash's (or any ponys) care for her friends, with any of the happenings in the show.
And, now, you're adding even more depth to this fic. As you said in the authors notes, it's pretty possible to take guesses what will happen next. With that said, I'll undoubly follow this during the entire ride. (It doesn't matter if it takes a month or three for the next chapter to arrive
)
I also mentioned in my old comment that everyone seemed in character. I'll stick to that too; I really like how this (assuming it continues as I think it will) will explore the characters. Your take on Pinkie is interesting, she's understanding, pretty smart when it comes to be, and still as random as Pinkie should be. (The "4th wall"-breach, haha). On top of that, she's indeed written as Dash's good friend.
Dash might or might not be in character in this fic, I think that depends on how you see Dash as a character. In my opinion I think what is happening to Dash here is plausible, with the events explained and expired as they were.
So, well, summarzing: This fic was great as a oneshot. And, now you're adding even more great storyline upon that, that will explore even more of the characters you've explained.
Just, 'yay'
Thanks for writing this and putting it up for everyone to enjoy!
M
2364147 Thank you for your thoughts! If nothing else, this fic will certainly be an exercise in characterization. Personally, I was rather proud of how I did Pinkie (how many authors do first-person Pinkie Pie?). I felt the fourth wall breach was obligatory. As for Dash, this is the direction I wish she would move in. A bit more emotional. It's gotta be all bottled up, right?
Call it artistic liberty. Thanks again for the support!
2368247
I like it. Can't wait for the Flutters chapter.
That being said, take your time. I never mind waiting for good stuff.
2415515 Unfortunately, time will be taken...*sighs sadly* Thanks for the encouragement, though.
2814586
3237847 The side which I deeply wish was explored much more frequently.
Dayum son where'd you find this? Thats what one of my other friends said about it and this needs PDATE NOAW
I really like this fanfic. Especially the first chapter always makes me
When will you finish the next chapter?
wow, it really sounds odd when someone, who hasn't uploaded a new chapter to his own fanfic for 3 years, asks this
I LOVED THIS SO MUCHHHH.
Rainbow Dash is best pony xD
This premise is actually pretty darn horrifying if you think about it.