Cheese Sandwich is sent back to Ponyville. There, he's asked to throw a party he never expected to host.
Cheese Sandwich had always loved being the traveling party pony he was. He'd been doing it for nearly forty years, but still had the energy and joy in his heart to continue. There was no challenge he couldn't overcome, no party he couldn't throw, and no pony he would disappoint. However, when a new, strange cheesy sense brings him back to Ponyville, he discovers a party he never thought he'd have to plan...
Cheese Sandwich walked triumphantly away from his lively hometown. In the dark, night skies of Manehattan, vibrant fireworks exploded and caused beautiful showers of color. Along with a dully-colored poncho and black hat, the stallion wore a slight smile on his face. Yet again, he’d successfully thrown a large bash and showed hundreds of ponies the time of their lives. He loved traveling to different towns and causing ponies’ faces to light up in glee. Every smile was like a shining gem; priceless, but well-worth the hard-work to earn. In reality, smiles were a sweet coffee that kept him working hard throughout the day.
“I’ve never seen so many ponies party that hard before…” the orange stallion started in a rather dramatic tone. “I’d say out of my forty years of party-planning, this bash was one of the bests.”
The stallion smiled and turned as his head away from the lifeless, rubber chicken that rested comfortably on a little saddle on his back. With pride in his heart, the stallion traveled further down the road, heading forwards and looking for a new adventure in a bright, new town.
Cheese Sandwich hadn’t gotten a mile away from the lively town when he felt something familiar, but unusual…. His body trembled and his heart rate skyrocketed as a sudden rush moved from his front legs to his stomach. When they trembling hit his flanks, the divided sandwiches on his flanks wheezed out a familiar melody played in reverse. His ears started flopping and his voice rang out from the shock of the intense vibration. As suddenly as the vibrations stopped, they ended. The orange stallion was left with large, green eyes and an agape lower lip. His shocked expression slowly turned into a wide, bright smile.
With a gleeful holler, the stallion jumped skyward and floated down to the earth with his poncho as a parachute.
“Now that was a doozie!” he cheered. “And it’s in Ponyville!”
Ponyville. Out of all the locations in Equestria, that little town was his favorite to visit. It was home to not only hundreds of amazing ponies, but his own, personal inspiration and friend. Her name was Pinkamena Diane Pie, or just Pinkie Pie to be simple. She’d hosted the very first party Cheese ever attended. She changed his life and molded him into the amazing stallion he was.
Unfortunately, he seldom visited the little town. He always seemed to be on-the-go, trying to please one group of ponies or another. He did, however, relish the many times he did get to visit. Out of all his years as a traveling party pony, he’d taken time to visit the town nearly ten times. A few of the occasions were because of an event that needed planning, while others were simply because he had an open schedule and time to kill. His visits to Ponyville were the most exciting and well-worth the trip. During every single trip, even if it were for somepony else’s birthday, he’d still squeeze in some time to spend with one of the greatest ponies he’d ever met. Meeting with Pinkie Pie was a rare, but special occasion each time it happened. Even though the pink party pony was a disaster when it came to scheduling, she always made time to spend with her friend.
Happily, the stallion trotted off, feeling joy in his heart when he realized his next destination.
Cheese Sandwich happily galloped with a wide smile on his face. The desired town was less than a mile away. He could see the tallest of the buildings from where he was. Long beams of golden twilight seeped through cracks of houses and little businesses. His heart pounded as joy grew with every hoofstep he took closer to the little town.
Oh, this’ll be great! The stallion thought to himself as he galloped towards the town. I’ll get to see Pinkie again! We’ll hang out and get some lunch and just catch up… Man… when was the last time you saw her? A year or two ago? Oh, and she was just like she’s always been! So joyful, happy, and full of her random antics…Man, she never really changed that much…I hope she never does…
Cheese Sandwich continued to trot all the way to the little, awaiting town of Ponyville. He gained speed as joy filled his heart. Ponyville coaxed him slowly, forcing him to gallop at a quicker pace.
After around a few minutes of galloping, Cheese Sandwich finally reached the outskirts of his favorite town. He’d been slightly worn out from galloping as fast as he could, but still continued to make his way into the surprisingly quiet town. There weren’t many ponies trotting around as usual. The stallion simply assumed it was because it was literally the crack of dawn. Who would be up that early?
The stallion carried on, migrating deeper into the depths of the sleepy town. He looked around. Nopony seemed to be out at all. Everypony must have stayed up late the previous day. There were usually at least a few ponies roaming around to do early-morning activities or watch the sunset. The odd absence of everypony was rather…disturbing.
The stallion took a left as he dug deeper into the resting town. What he was so used to being lively and full of energy was practically consumed by every shade of gray. Even the vibrantly colored buildings didn’t lighten up the place.
Slowly, the stallion traveled deeper into the town. Turning another corner, his green eyes lit up at the sight he’d been wishing to see since the previous day; a brightly painted bakery with a large cupcake of a room at the very top. The roof was a chocolate brown and “frosted” with swirls of vanilla “icing” around the edges. The pink, front door was closed tightly and locked from the previous night.
With a wide smile, Cheese trotted over to the door and took in a breath. What time was it? From the looks, the town was dead. Wouldn’t it be…rude to awake anypony at that hour? He didn’t want to interrupt anypony’s beauty sleep, but simultaneously, he wanted to see Pinkie Pie as early as possible.
Maybe Pinkie got up early to start making some treats… Maybe if you just knock very lightly, you’ll get somepony who’s already awake… Just don’t knock loud enough to wake up somepony else…
Cautiously, the stallion raised a hoof to the ponies’ door and gave it four, quick taps. They weren’t too-too loud, but they could still be heard. Cheese Sandwich waited a moment to see if he’d receive a response. Surprisingly enough, he did. A light-yellow unicorn mare opened the pink door. Her orange mane stood up in every direction and crust boarded her puffy, blue eyes. The instantly aroma of cinnamon treats hit entered the stallion’s nostrils and made his mouth water.
“Heya Pumpkin!” the stallion greeted the mare with a large smile. “Is Pinkie home?”
The little mare’s eyes opened wide and she felt tears quickly invade them. She didn’t really know what to say…
“Umm…why?”
“Oh, you know, my cheesy sense brought me to Ponyville and I was hoping to pay the old gal a visit!”
Pumpkin slowly nodded. “Just… give me a moment…”
Cheese Sandwich respected the mare’s wishes with a simple nod and smile. Pumpkin slowly closed the door and looked at the inside of the store. It seemed so dull and sad in comparison to usual. The mare let out a long sigh and traveled upstairs. Each step made her heart ache even more as she ventured into the upstairs and opened the first door on her right. She smiled as she saw the room before her. It was empty with a familiar, pink bed neatly made in the center. There was a dresser pressed against the back wall, a closet, and a nightstand with a polka dotted lamp resting on it. Slowly, the mare walked in and examined the abandoned room. She walked past a dresser and gazed over the line of pictures she had displayed. The first one she saw a picture of her and Pound Cake when they were only six. They were hugging their parents and their unrelated aunt, Pinkie Pie. Next to that one was picture of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. They were in a tight group hug, but each one of them wore a bright smile. The last one was of Pinkie and Pumpkin's parents. They were all smiling so brightly. Pumpkin Cake fought back tears in her eyes as she examined the pictures. She let out a long breath and opened the dresser. There, inside, rested something she hated seeing. Not long after the unforgettable event, her and her brother had discovered that note. She lit up her horn and levitated the note to her eye level.
My Dear Family and Friends,
Lately, I’ve been thinking my time will come to an end. It may not, but it’s better safe than sorry. I’ve been having some really bad pain in my stomach lately. I’m hoping it’ll just blow off as a little illness or something. I don’t want to make you all worried over something this silly, because I honestly don’t think anything that bad will happen. Anyway, if the worst possible thing happens, I want any bits I have to be evenly split between Pound and Pumpkin Cake. I want any of my possessions to go to anypony who may need them. I want you all to know how happy you’ve made me in life, and how much you all mean to me. I hope that even as I pass on, the smiles I’ve caused you will still last a lifetime. Cherish each moment and don’t forget to smile! Each sixty seconds you spend sad is a full minute of happiness you can never get back!
If you’ve discovered this and I’m gone, please remember I have a private note for all my individual friends! I love you all, and it’s been a true honor to call you all my friends and family!
Sincerely yours,
Pinkie Pie
Just like the very first time Pumpkin Cake read that awful note; she had tears streaming down her face. Her nose crinkled and her eyes gushed out the salty liquid. The mare’s face was a dark shade of crimson and her eyes remained puffy and pink. Slowly, she set the note back down and rummaged through the dresser. Within it, she had nearly fifty different letters all written out to different ponies.
For the past seven or eight years, Pinkie had always been extra cautious when she got sick. She knew she was aging, but she also knew she hadn’t taken the best care of her body. She knew all the unhealthy choices she made would catch up to her eventually, and that’s why she’d always take time to write out an overall message if her passing. Several years ago, however, she’d written out she’d written out multitudes of individual letters to all of her friends.
Cheese Sandwich… I know I remember seeing that name somewhere…. It’s got to be in here…
The mare’s magic shuffled the letters around until her blue eyes set on one with “Cheese Sandwich” written in Pinkie’s familiar mouth-writing. She sighed and grabbed it with her magic. She tried hard to hold back her tears as she made her way back down the stairs. She went all the way down to the dining area. There, she went back to where the stallion waited peacefully. Her orange magic engulfed the doorknob and twisted it. It opened to reveal Cheese Sandwich patiently waiting. Pumpkin sighed and levitated the closed envelope over to the stallion.
“Just read that…” she said bluntly and shut the door.
Just read it…? Cheese thought to himself as he stared down at the letter. I just wanted to see Pinkie Pie…What’s this about…? Slowly, the stallion tore open the letter with his name printed on it. Inside was a neatly folded, white piece of paper. Still a bit confused, the stallion opened the letter and started reading it.
Dear Cheesy,
If you’re reading this, that probably means I’m dead. Either that, or somepony was snooping through my things without me knowing. Anyway, it’s probably because I’m dead.
Cheese stopped himself. Dead…? She couldn’t be dead, right…? It had to be a prank of some kind. She could simply be joking with him or something. Anything. She just couldn’t be… dead. With dread in his heart, the stallion continued reading on.
I know accepting this may be hard to do, but I don’t want you to be sad because I’m gone… I want you to be happy that I was a small part of your life… That’s how I want everypony to think of me… I never told anypony this, but when I was younger I used to cry when I thought about dying. Not because I was afraid of death, but because I was afraid of the way it would affect my friends afterwards. I always wanted my smiles to last a lifetime, not mere seconds. I know my friends may be sad at this moment, but I want them to be happy….
… I want you to be happy. I hate seeing my friends sad… That’s why I wanted to ask you specifically for this favor. Listen… I want you to host my funeral. I know, it may be too hard for you, but it would mean so, so much to me if you did this… I don’t want my friends to be sad at my funeral… I know that’s a lot to ask for, but it would mean everything to me. You know how to make ponies smile better than anypony I know… please don’t let me down… The last thing I want to see at my funeral is sad faces. I have faith in you Cheese Sandwich. I have ever since the day I met you. Always remember to smile every day, even if it’s hard to do.
Cheese Sandwich couldn’t recall a single moment in his lifetime that he cried harder than he did that day. In the center of an abandoned room, he let salty tears stream down his reddening face. His green eyes were puffy and sparkling under the dim light of the golden sunrays seeping in through the curtains. His heart was aching like it never had before. His back rested uncomfortably against the wooden floorboards as he drowned in his own internal anguish. She…was dead. Gone. Non-existent. Moved on. She was his inspiration… and she died.
As the stallion continued weeping in the empty room, a different stallion watched carefully from behind a corner. His brown eyes were watering and his face was tear-stained. His white cheeks were tinted a light shade of pink.
Gosh… Poor guy’s crying harder than I did…I know I tried to hold it in and everything, but wow…
Pound Cake sighed heavily. Ever since his "auntie" passed the previous day, his heart hadn’t felt a lick of happiness. His heart had shattered into a million pieces and was far beyond repair. He’d know the eccentric party mare ever since he was born. Living without her was so… strange and impossible. It was almost as bad as when his parents passed away. Seeing how many ponies had been affected by Pinkie’s death was almost as depressing as the death itself.
Pound entered the room as quietly as he could. His hooves thumped softly against the wooden floorboards. Fortunately, the stallion couldn’t here Pound approaching through his loud sobs and unrecognizable mutters. It wasn’t until the caring colt put a hoof on the stallion's orange shoulder that he even knew anypony was around. Cheese Sandwich lifted his head and stared at the stallion. He sniffled inward and wiped away dripping tears with his hoof.
“Are you alright…?” the white pegasus asked in concern.
“I…I’m fine…just… sad… If I would have known I would have visited more often… I just didn’t know the last time I saw her truly would be my last…”
Pound Cake rubbed the stallion’s back gingerly.
“I’m sorry….that morning we woke and found her with no pulse was just…awful… I don’t think I ever saw Pumpkin cry so hard… It was just so…unexpected…”
The stallion’s voice started crackling as he remembered the awful morning of the day before. He sniffled harshly and looked at Cheese Sandwich.
“You…why’d you come here…?”
“I…I don’t know… I just get these senses and they tell me where to go…” He paused. “Pinkie…she wants me to host her funeral… I think she knew I’d come here…Or she wanted me hear, so I ended up coming... or something...You get it..."
Pound Cake took in a breath and felt tears reinvading his brown eyes.
“She…she was a very mysterious pony… I think you meant something to her…” He forced a smile. “Every time you’d pay her a visit, she’d talk about you all day.”
Cheese smiled back. Even if it was a forced smile, it was still a smile. The little crescent on the colt’s face reminded the stallion of his request.
“Did Pinkie give you a note…?” he asked. Pound nodded.
“She told me how proud she was of me, and that I’d turned out to be a handsome, hard-working stallion. She told me to have a good life and to always remember to smile…”
Cheese’s smile slowly became more authentic.
“She told me the same thing… She said I was good at making ponies smile, and that’s why she wanted me to host her funeral… She thinks I’ll be able to make ponies smile… How am I supposed to make them smile at a death, though…? It’s a funeral… I can’t be my usual goofy self… I have to make them smile in a way I don’t know how…”
The pegasus smiled at the stallion. “Well, you made me smile… even though, you know… I’m still pretty depressed about the whole thing…”
“I… did? How?”
“I don’t know… you just reminded me of old times with her… I guess it’s better to appreciate I had her all those years than to be sad that it was taken away… Good things can’t last forever… Right…?”
“Yeah… I guess so… She’s not gone, really… We have a wonderful pony watching us…”
Pound nodded. “She…always wanted to make others happy… I guess that’s what was so special about her…”
“Yeah, I guess… I remember the wide smile I saw on her face the first moment I saw her…”
The room fell silent as they both looked back on distant memories of Pinkie. Both of them still had water invading their eyes and leaking out of the corners. Pound, however, let out the occasional chuckle or smiled a bit at fond memories. They both thought of birthdays and laughter and cupcakes and everything positive that came from the mare. After a minute, Pound stood from where he was and sighed.
“I’m going to go tell Twilight we have a funeral planner…” Pound announced with a smile. Cheese did nothing but nod. “Cheer up… That’s what she would have wanted…Remember; you can stay here as long as you need to... Just like Pumpkin said.”
"Thanks..." Cheese muttered.
Slowly, the pegasus rose from his hooves and left the room. Pinkie’s old bedroom door closed with a click. There, Cheese Sandwich rested alone with a pit of dread in his heart. His insides twisted as he tried desperately to shoo off the emotional torture.
Come on, Cheese…. You can do this… for her. All she wanted was to see her friends smile. You may not be able to make jokes, goof-off, or be your random, silly self, but you will get them to smile somehow… It’s what she would have wanted.
Cheese sighed as he set a bundle of flowers before the opened casket. In a pink coffin lied a pink earth pony. Her eyes were closed and her fluffy, pink mane curled and bounced all around. Still, she was smiling. Her smile was bright and cheery like it always had been. She looked so fragile, so delicate, and so beautiful that way.
The stallion returned his attention to the setup he’d made. There were several rows of chairs for the audience. He was standing on a wooden stage. There was a podium in the front for ponies to speak up if they had a few words to say about the deceased mare. He was sure quite a few ponies would. She was pretty popular around town. There were also some flowers bordering stage. He chose pink roses. They reminded him of Pinkie’s color and true beauty.
Cheese looked down at the watch around his hoof. It was tightly strapped on and was his only piece of clothing aside from a black bowtie he wore around his neck. The time was half past noon. The event would start around one that afternoon. He still had time before the event. Although he still wasn’t completely sure how he’d put a smile on their faces, he knew there had to be some way. Anything was possible.
With a long sigh, the stallion walked up next to the opened casket and stared at the beautiful mare. He felt his eyes wetting at the sight of Pinkie Pie. A tear managed to make its way out and roll down the stallion’s face. Planning that funeral was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He was given two days, and although he could have planned it within an hour, it still emotionally tore him to think of the little details. Overall, the event was very simple. Flower vases boarded the chairs and stage. The casket was placed on the stage and opened for all to view. The funeral was being held in a little, unoccupied park. The natural surroundings were a little more peaceful to be around and it gave the ponies more room.
The stallion leaned against the table supporting the opened casket. He felt his heart breaking.
“Pinkie…” he said in a whisper. “I know making ponies smile means a lot to you…and I want to respect your wished, I just… hope I don’t disappoint you. I really, really want to make you happy…” he sighed. “Please don’t be upset if I can’t make them smile… I’ll try my best… Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” The stallion smiled as he put a hoof up to his right eye.
With Pinkie’s request sent in his heart, he started thinking of all the things he could possibly say to perk up the depressed ponies…
By five after one that afternoon; the entire front row was filled up with ponies. All of them wore some kind of black attire. Most had thrown on nothing but a hat or tie. One little, white unicorn had a black dress on with lace and ribbon. Her mane was done up in a beautiful bun. Next to her sat an orange earth pony with nothing but a black hat over her sloppy, blonde mane. Next to that mare was one with a dulling, rainbow mane. She wore a black tie. Cheese sighed as he remembered throwing a bash for her. That was the very first day Pinkie met him… He also remembered the pegasus who sat next to Rainbow Dash. She had a beautiful, light pink mane and large, teal eyes. On the very end there was an alicorn, who hadn’t seemed to age a day since he’d first seen her. She too wore a black dress. Her mane laid flat like it always had. All of Pinkie’s dearest friends were fighting back tears as they sat there, thinking about their gone friend.
In a further back row, there was one of Pinkie’s sisters, and Pound and Pumpkin Cake. Behind them was a small cluster of ponies Cheese didn’t recognize. They must have been good friends of Pinkie, though.
Although the stallion was increasingly unsure of himself, he knew he had to push through it. He’d never had difficulties with stage fright. His biggest fear was not fulfilling Pinkie’s wishes.
“Can you believe Pinkie Pie actually wanted Cheese Sandwich to host her funeral?” the cyan mare asked the pegasus next to her in a rather harsh tone.
“I…I don’t know…” Fluttershy replied quietly. “I-it was just something she wanted…I guess...”
“Yeah, but why’d choose a total goof-off for a serious event?”
Rainbow was nudged by an orange mare to her left.
“Will ya quite it? Pinkie Pie specifically requested Cheese for a reason! Can’t ya jus’ respect her wishes?”
The pegasus folded her hooves and grumpily looked away from Applejack,
“Sorry… I was just sayin’!”
The trio of chatty ponies shut up as they heard a stallion at the podium clear his throat. The entire crowd gave the stallion their attention.
This is it, Cheese… There’s eleven ponies here… If you can get each one to smile just once… That’d be enough for me to go home satisfied… Maybe that’d be enough for Pinkie to go home satisfied… “Hello…” the stallion started nervously. The crowd stared up at him with large eyes. Most were glistening with tears. “As you all know, we’re here to celebrate the life of a dear friend of ours; Pinkie Pie.” Cheese swallowed a large amount of saliva that gathered in his throat. “When I received a letter from Pinkie, explaining the task, I was actually very nervous for many reasons… Planning this was a depressing task, but over the past two days, I’ve realized something; why would we mourn over the death of our beloved friend…? Instead of crying over our loss, we should relish in all the moments we had with her… She was an amazing friend, and we should all be thankful for the amazing years she’s given us…” He sniffled, trying hard to hold back the tears. “Pinkie Pie was a mare of many talents, and she should be honored as such. Let’s not think about the pain we’re in now, but the joy we’ve had through all the years.”
Cheese’s green eyes scanned the crowd, searching for smiles. The first smile was from Pound, who knew his goal. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Cheese Sandwich smiled back.
One out of eleven… It was then a slight chuckle came from the front as Twilight remembered something rather particular about the party pony. Fluttershy smiled as her friend giggled.
Three… Good… Only eight more left…
For a good thirty seconds after the most recent smile, Cheese saw little to no more smiles in the small audience. In fact, a couple ponies were sobbing to themselves. The stallion felt his heart slowly breaking. He knew that wasn’t what Pinkie would want to see at her funeral.
“Well… is there anypony who’d like to say a few words about Pinkie?”
At first, nopony spoke up. The area was quiet and filled with an awkward silence. Soon enough, a gray hoof in the back of the crowd shot up. Her eyes were dull and her mane was flat. The stallion nodded and trotted down the stairs to give the mare as much room as she needed. Gladly, the mare made her way up the stairs and to the podium. Her voice was gentle and a bit shaky when she spoke.
“Pinkie Pie…was my sister. She and I did a lot of stuff together as foals…” A smile appeared on her face. Cheese smiled as she continued. “We would mostly just work the rock farm, but sometimes she’d come up with these crazy ideas that would always end in trouble…” The mare sighed. “She really was something… She was a great sister and an amazing friend to me. Honestly, she made me smile more than any other pony who ever lived… She will always be remembered by me, and chances are anypony else who’s met her…”
Not knowing what else to say, the mare made her way down the stairs and took a seat back where she originally was. A cyan mare in the front row didn’t hesitate to immediately rise from her seat and make her way up to the podium. Her pink eyes were glistening with tears. Her ears fell flat against her head and her heart thumped in agony. She looked at the ground as she spoke. Her voice was quivering.
“To be honest… I always thought I’d be the first to go with all the stupid stunts I’ve tried. I never thought it’d be her…” Tears began to overflow in the pegasus’ eyes. She raised a hoof and wiped away the droplets. “I used to not appreciate her enough… I-I sometimes thought she was annoying…a-and I wish I had the chance to g-go back and fix everything…t-tell her how much she meant to me…I remembered how she used t-to m-m-make me f-feel better even when I didn’t want her to…” Rainbow took in a large breath and panted out her words. “I just. Never. Imagined. This would. Happen. So soon!”
With that, the heartbroken mare ran off the stage with tears spilling out of her eyes.
Well… No smile there…
Cheese frowned and observed the crowd from where he stood. It was then another mare from the front row stood to her hooves. She trotted around and to the side of the wooden stage. She stepped up the stairs and slowly made her way to the podium. When she reached her destination, she faced the crowd with a frown on her face. She respectfully removed her black hat from her head. Her voice seemed to be stronger than the previous ponies’. She still, however, was holding back tears.
“Ah… Ah was real close ta Pinkie Pie… The first day I met her… She’d come from Sugar Cube Corner to gather some apples…” The mare chuckled and grew sadder as she remembered that day. “Since then, we’ve been very close to each other. We used ta share recipes ‘n’ such. Ah..can’t really remember too much from back then, but Ah’m sure we had a lot a’ great times together… Honestly, Ah wish she would have lasted longer…. Granny Smith always told me that death isn’t the end to yer life, it’s a start to a new one… Ah don’t know what it’s like when ya die, but Ah’m hopin’ Pinkie’s ‘appy….”
The mare’s little speech earned not only earned a smile from herself, but from the alicorn in the front row, as well as the designer and a pony all the way in the back. If Twilight hadn’t already smiled, he could have counted five more smiles off.
Alright...four more to go… Just make sure they smile and that’ll be it… Humbly, the mare placed the black hat back on her head. She walked away from the podium and made her way back to her seat. Cheese kept his eyes locked on the audience. Nopony else was budging an inch. He waited nearly twenty seconds before making his way back onto the large, wooden stage. He went over to the podium.
“Is there anypony else who’d like to say a few words about our friend?”
Awkwardly, the crowd looked around. A few ponies looked rather tempted, one being Pumpkin Cake. She twiddled through her orange mane awkwardly and kept making unsure glances at Cheese Sandwich, who allowed her a moment to think. At long last, she slowly got up from her seat. The stallion smiled and removed himself from the stage. Slowly, the unicorn made her way up the stairs with twisting and turning insides. Her emotions were a storm of confusion and depression. She made her way to the podium and looked at the audience.
“Pinkie…Pinkie’s always been there for me…” she started in a crackling voice. “She was there for me when my mom died…” Tears started flowing from her eyes. “She was there for me when my daddy died… She comforted me the whole first week both times…. She gave me the best advice…” She sniffled. “She…She was my second mommy… I couldn’t handle it when my first mommy died…” The mare head tears running down her face. “Now… it’s like my second one is gone… I… don’t even know what to do now…”
Quickly, the mare ran off the stage with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Okay…Maybe you should have just gone on… As the mare left the stage, Cheese Sandwich climbed back up it. He went up to the podium and stared at the audience.
“Is there…anypony else that would like to say a few words?”
This time, there were no unsure glances or anything. After a few moments of no more volunteers, Cheese took the situation into his own hooves.
“Well… I know it’s been a very saddening two days, but just remember one thing; Pinkie Pie would never want to see you sad like this. She would want to see you smiling with joy and beaming with love. That’s what she lived for. She didn’t die for the opposite to happen. Pinkie always told me to smile every day, and that a simple grin would get anypony through a tough time.” The stallion felt tears swelling up in his eyes as he began to have trouble practicing what he preached. “When you smile…you bring Pinkie back to life for one measly second… Now… If you’d like to say something directly to our beloved deceased, please come have a moment with her…”
Slowly, the large crowd of ponies migrated to the opened casket. The line was orderly, and each pony whispered sweet messages to their dead friend. Cheese watched as the purple mare set a bouquet of pink pansies at the pony’s casket. A salty tear rolled down her cheek as she muttered a few words to the pony. Her ears flattened as she made her way down the opposite side of the stage. Her heart was broken in two as she approached the orange stallion, who stopped her in her tracks.
“Twilight…” he started unsurely. “I’m so, so sorry for your loss… If you need anything over the next few days… don’t hesitate to ask… I think I need to rest here in town a while, anyway.”
The princess simply smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind… thanks for doing this… I’m sure if Pinkie were still around, she’d love to see how much effort you put into this.”
The stallion nodded her off and the pony went about her busyness. He watched as another mare came down from the stage. She wasn’t anypony he’d recognized, but she was still rather pretty. She had beautiful locks of a red mane and a white body. She had nothing but sadness in her eyes. Cheese Sandwich cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry for your loss…”
“It’s fine… Pinkie and I were really only business partners. She was still great to be around and fun to hang out with, though…” She sighed. “I hope she’s happy where she is… I mean, I know she is…” the mare then smiled. “Thanks for all this…”
Three more to go…
The stallion waited for the next pony. This one was taking a rather long time. Looking back, he saw none other than Rainbow Dash at the casket, sobbing sweet words into her beloved friend. Slowly, she placed some flowers on the casket and trotted offstage with tears swelling in her eyes. Slowly, the mare made her way down the stairs and to her seat. Just like the other two ponies, she was stopped by the funeral host.
“Rainbow Dash…” The mare gave the stallion her attention. “Listen…I know you’re feeling bad about certain things, but I’m sure Pinkie forgives you… She’s not the kind of pony to hold a grudge.”
The breaking mare wiped a tear. “I-I know… b-but she just… n-never got to apologize for the way I acted sometimes…”
“Maybe, but I doubt Pinkie even noticed…”
“How would you know?” she snapped in an almost angry tone. “You were barely even around her!”
“Maybe so…” the stallion made an attempt to be stoic. “But… I remember how Pinkie always used to brag about you being a Wonderbolt at a picnic we had together once. She talked about how you were one of the most awesome and amazing ponies she knew…”
The weakening mare smiled slightly. “R-really…?”
“Swear it. She always boasted about you… I honestly don’t think she’s too upset with you…”
Rainbow smiled and nodded to the stallion.
“Thanks…”
Alright…Two more to go…
At that moment, Cheese was approached by Fluttershy.
“I’m sorry for your loss…”
She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Before he could say a word to her, however, she trotted off. An urge within him wanted to stop her, but he knew that if she really needed something, she would have given him a moment longer.
After a minute more of waiting, another pony came down. This time, it was a unicorn in a beautiful, black dress.
“I’m sorry for your loss…”
Rarity turned her head. Her mascara was running from tears.
“Oh… it’s not your fault. I’m just happy to see she’s moved on to that big party in the sky.”
“Pinkie would have loved to know you’re happy…”
Rarity nodded before trotting away.
After waiting a long minute, two ponies came down from the stairs. Friends stick together, he supposed.
“I’m sorry for your loss…” he said to the duo.
Both ponies tossed him a smile before trotting away.
Hmm… Guess they didn’t really want to talk… At least I only have to make one more pony smile… I hope that satisfies Pinkie… The stallion looked up to see only three more ponies at the casket. One was Pinkie’s very own sister, who was wiping away a tear as she set a bouquet of flowers at her sister’s casket. She trotted down the stairs with a heavy, shattering heart.
“I’m so sorry for your loss…” Cheese Sandwich stated as the mare walked passed him. She turned her head to him and forced a smile.
“Thanks… Pinkie was my favorite sister… I hope she’ll look after me until I can join her one day…”
“Trust me…she will.”
"Thanks..."
The two nodded at each other before the gray-coated pony trotted away.
As the dear sister of Pinkie trot off, Cheese turned his head. There were Pound and Pumpkin, mourning before the pretty, pink casket. They were both crying heavily as they stared at the pink pony. There she was, dead. Her body was but an empty shell that possessed no soul like it used to.
“Hey, you two…” Pumpkin and Pound turned as they heard a quiet, sweet stallion voice from behind them. There, was Cheese Sandwich. “Do you need something?”
“We need Pinkie back…” Pumpkin stated as if she were a little filly once more.
Cheese didn’t know how to respond… The only thing they asked for was one of the few things he couldn’t provide.
“Look… I’m sorry about Pinkie… I just know that being unhappy won’t get you anywhere…. If Pinkie were still here, she’d want to see you smiling…”
“I know, but… I can’t help it…”
Slowly, the stallion wrapped his hoof around the sweet, unhappy mare. Her heart pounded against her chest and she returned the generous hug. Her hooves wrapped around the stallion’s torso. She let her hot, wet tears fall onto the stallion’s soft fur. Her ever breaking heart was drowning in anguish as she let out her emotions more freely. Cheese Sandwich rubbed the mare’s mane and back, patting her shoulder softly.
“There, there…” he repeated as her aching hearted grew tired.
The little pony sniffled as she rested her chin on the stallion’s chest. Tears continued to gush out of her eyes. It was at that moment he knew one thing. On that very day, there was no possible way to get a genuine smile from the heartbroken mare.
Cheese Sandwich stared at the abandoned shell of a pony that used to be Pinkie Pie… She was so… beautiful. Even then, her mane was still perfect. Everything she stood for was perfect. She was an amazing friend, and seeing her so cold…so lifeless was depressing.
The funeral service had ended nearly an hour before that. The stallion, however, needed some private time to come to terms with the sudden death. Nothing could ever replace the beauty that was Pinkamena Diane Pie. Generations would pass, and there would still never be another pony like her. Nopony could ever be born with her natural determination and free spirit. Nopony could even be close to her light-spirited and gleeful attitude. She truly was the most amazing mare he’d ever met… She was his inspiration for everything he turned out to be in life… Nothing would be able to replace the gorgeous mare.
Slowly, two trickling tears fell down the stallion’s face, hugged his chin, and fell to the ground below. His trembling hooves reached out and help the mare’s upper body in his arms. She was cold, not warm and soft like he’d remembered. Still, she was still Pinkie, and that’s all that mattered. Slowly, he took the corpse into his embrace and sung a familiar tone at a much slower tempo than it had ever been sang.
“I really am so happy…
Your smile fills me with glee….”
The stallion chocked back on his own tears as he continued singing.
“I give a smile,
I get a smile…
And that’s so special to me….”
Cheese trembled as he heard the mare’s voice echo the song in his mind. Slowly, he set down the previously inhabited body. He rested her back against the coffin in the most comfortable position he could. Slowly, he sighed and felt tears in his eyes.
It was at that moment high winds picked up. Branches in the trees above swayed back and forth and rustled.
Looks like a storm’s coming… better get back home before I get caught in it…
Slowly, the stallion closed the casket and walked away. He fought against the wind as he tried to head in the direction of home. The whirling wind whipped through hid wild mane. It was then a white piece of paper hit the stallion in the face. He let out a grunt before removing it. Suddenly, the wind died. The stallion stared at the paper and silently read it to himself.
Dear Cheese Sandwich,
I know I told you to plan my funeral, and I know it was a lot of work. I know getting ponies to smile would be hard, and I didn’t expect you to get everypony to smile. I know Pumpkin’s still down in the gutters, but I’m sure she’ll get over it as time passes… I really hate seeing her sad like that…
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you tried hard to get my friend’s spirits up. I know it was hard to do without telling jokes or being your cute, goofy, self, but I’m sure you did everything you could to make things work out. Please carry on smiling, and never lose your hope. Please tell Dashie I forgive her for whatever she’s upset about. Tell my sister I’ll be looking over her. Tell Pound and Pumpkin that I still love them, even if I now have no way of showing it. Tell all of my friends to prosper and live their lives to the fullest.
Love,
Pinkie Pie
P.S.: It’s really hard to write when you’re disembodied.
