Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #261: In The End

Pinkie Pie wasn’t as silly as she seemed. She knew that not everything in the world could be fixed with the power of friendship, or by careful application of parties and far too much sugar. But she tried to not think about that, because she was still having a wonderful time in Ponyville with all of her friends.

Then Rarity moved away. It was only to Canterlot, and Pinkie and the rest of the elements made the effort to visit her at least once every two weeks. And for a while, that was fine. They were still friends, but Rarity had just had to move to help her business grow. She wasn’t really going to get a whole heap of clients living in Ponyville. Canterlot was much more centrally located, and Rarity had a much more expansive and expensive clientele on hoof, and Pinkie could hardly fault her for making a good business descision.

But then, as happened every year, Applebuck season rolled around, and with the workload, Applejack simply couldn’t spare the time to visit Rarity anymore. And once the rush of harvesting season died down, Applejack had simply not seen a whole lot of point in going up to Canterlot as often. Wasn’t her kind of town, she’d said at the time. And then, of course, Granny Smith had passed on, and Pinkie had given the Apples their space. And because Granny Smith had really been holding the farm together, Applejack had to pick up those reins. And that didn’t leave a whole lot of spare time for visiting friends.

Pinkie and the others tried to visit when they could, and Applejack always made sure that they were welcome at Sweet Apple Acres, but it wasn’t the same as all of them meeting in Twilight’s library for a sleepover, like they used to. Her friends, her dearest, bestest friends were drifting apart, and Pinkie knew that despite all the visits and trips that she was just putting a bandage over the things that were tearing them apart.

Pinkie knew that it would only be a matter of time. Rainbow Dash was getting ready to join the Wonderbolts any day now-really, she was just waiting on the final letter. Then she’d be gone, to places Pinkie Pie couldn’t always follow her, to places and skies far off and over the horizon.

Twilight, too. She was getting more and more work as she got more comfortable in her role as Princess, and while Pinkie really doubted she’d move out of Ponyville, she was staying in her shiny new crystal castle a whole lot more.

And Pinkie Pie knew that without her friends, Fluttershy would go back into her cottage, back to only conversing with animals most of the time, and only interacting with other ponies unless she absolutely had to.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t stupid. She could see the gaps forming in them, in their friendship, and she knew that no party, or cake, or ludicrous amount of sugar would fix this.

All she could do was hold on as tightly to those who remained as she could for as long as she could. They’d been together for a while, and now they wouldn’t be. It was just the way things were, as much as Pinkie wished otherwise. Rarity would become a famous designer, Dash would join the Wonderbolts, Applejack would work on the farm until she couldn’t walk anymore, Twilight would probably write a whole bunch about magic and be a fantastic Princess, and Fluttershy would just retreat quietly back into herself again.

And Pinkie, Pinkie was just a baker and party planner in Ponyville. Nopony special, not compared to some of the others. And maybe that was the way it was supposed to be.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #261: “Party Pony Can’t Do Nothin’”
The prompt: There are some things that Pinkie Pie can’t fix.

I was listening to Linkin Park while writing this. That probably explains a whole lot.
Also, woo! Chapter 300!

Comments

[Malandy]

Yeah. Listening to Linkin Park is sufficient explanation...

Pinkie's Aesop is a Sad truth... I think... hope I'm wrong and it's not true, but I don't think I am...