Remember "The Last Round Up"? Ever wonder what Rarity and Pinkie Pie had to go through to get home?
As a result of being deserted by their friends after the Canterlot Rodeo, Rarity and Pinkie are forced to hoof-cart it home. Will they make it one piece?
“Pinkie Pie, PLEASE!” exclaimed the white unicorn, as she continued to rhythmically pump the hoof-cart, “You have been at this for at least an hour. Will you just pick a name already?”
“But Rarity, it’s of uppity up up upmost importance that I don’t pick just ANY name but the RIGHT one! I’m gonna start making these as soon as we get back to Ponyville and something as deliciously delicious as this has to be given the absolutely positively scrumptuliciously best name ever!”
“Hmph, I know what I’ll be doing when I get back to Ponyville.”
“Trip to the spa?”
“No! I mean… Well, yes,” Rarity admitted, as she eyed the dust in her fur and pieces of cacti in her mane, “But AFTER that I’m going to give that careless, inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, pegasus a piece of my mind!”
The pink pony titled her head in confusion as she kept a consistent pumping rhythm with her friend.
“Fluttershy?”
“Rainbow Dash!”
“Ohhhhhhh, you’re still mad at Dashie?”
The white equine cast a look of disbelief toward Pinkie. “Of course I am! Leaving us, out here stranded in the middle of nowhere!”
The energetic earth pony’s normal uplifting smiley face diminished to one of concern. “Are you still mad at me too, Rarity?”
The unicorn let out a low sigh and averted her gaze to the wooden bottom of the hoof-cart on which the two mares sat as they continued to pump at a steady tempo.
**********************
“Applejack, you broke your Pinkie Promise! Apologize!”
“Pinkie, Ah did not break my promise!” the orange mare yelled back.
“Wha?”
“If ya’ll reckon back, Ah told you that Ah would tell you everthin’ AT breakfast! But Ah didn’t come to breakfast. Ah couldn’t come to that breakfast! Not if it meant tellin’ ya’ll what happened.”
The pink pony was baffled. Technically, Applejack was right. “Well, I… I-”
“Ah’m sorry Pinkie, but Ah can’t tell ya’ll the truth. Ah just can’t!”
“Well, I heard a sorry in there, so that’ll have to do for now. I’ll get a real apology later. RARITY CATCH ME!”
“What? Pinkie-”
The white mare’s eyes widened as the pink pony came flying at her backwards from Applejack’s station wagon. She screamed. Pinkie slammed into her at full force, knocking them both onto the dirt road rolling as the station wagon and cart dashed off at breakneck speed.
“Rainbow! Turn back!” Twilight bellowed.
“There’s no time. They knew what they were getting into,” the blue pegasus retorted, as she kept running.
Of the two of them, Pinkie was the first to sit up, Rarity nursed her head as she followed. She shook her head, spit a piece of cacti out her mouth and glared at the pink earth pony whose smile beamed innocently back at her.
“Nice catch!” the party pony said.
The white mare’s left eye twitched and she suddenly smiled. “Pinkie, darling,” the unicorn started, “Do you mind telling me WHAT IN THE NAME OF EQUESTRIA YOU WERE THINKING WHEN YOU JUMPED?!”
“That… you would catch me?”
Rarity’s teeth sank into her lower lip and she growled before releasing a deep breath. “Calm yourself now Rarity,” the unicorn told herself, “it is un-lady like to anger so easily. We’ll just follow them on hoof as best we can.”
“And with these wheel tracks in the ground, getting back to our friends will be easy peasy mozzarella cheesy!”
Rarity threw an unnoticed annoyed scowl at Pinkie Pie and the two ponies set off to catch up with their friends. They followed the two sets of seemingly endless tracks until they cut off at a railroad.
“They… they stop here,” the unicorn said.
“What do we do now?”
“Well, if we follow the train tracks, eventually it’ll lead us back to the train station in Canterlot. We can buy two tickets to the next train and we’ll be home in no time.”
“But which way toward town?” the pink pony inquired.
Rarity looked left, then right. She was just as clueless as her energetic friend. “Oh my… I guess, Eenie Meenie Miney Moe?”
“Ooh ooh ooh! Can we do it Pinkie Pie style, pretty pleeeeeeeeease?”
“How do you-?”
The pink mare jumped onto the tracks and pointed her hoof left and right as she sang.
“Pinkameana Diane Pie! Stick a cupcake in your eye! If I had wings I would fly! Pinkameana Diane Pie!”
The unicorn rubbed her head and groaned. “Right it is then.” Rarity began walking while Pinkie Pie bounced beside her.
“Didja like my rhyme?”
“It was very…creative…”
“Thanks! I have one for everypony! Listen to this one,” the pink pony cleared her throat.
“Rarity is such a priss, That all the colts wanna kiss But they must remember this, She’s a lady and a miss!”
The unicorn’s cheeks flushed red with vanity. “My, how clev-”
“Swiftest pony? Rainbow Dash. That pegasus flies so fast! She will never come in last, Being her must be a blast!”
“Pinkie, darling, now when you say everypony, do you mean-?”
“Everypony in Ponyville!”
Rarity’s eyes widened as Pinkie began to perform her next rhyme about Flutttershy, Twilight and then Applejack. For the next hour, the pink pony recited rhymes about Lyra, Bon Bon, Carrot Top, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Cheerilee, Derpy and more. Each rhyme just as energetically delivered as the last. The blazing sun above cascaded them with superfluous heat as they trekked along. The unicorn shook her head, the temperature, along with Pinkie’s voice, was starting to unnerve her. She took a second to rest while the pink pony continued to bounce around singing her rhymes.
“Colgate has a shiny smile That never goes out of style She will always-”
“Pinkie Pie! While I appreciate you sharing your creativity, do you think you could… be quiet?”
“Okey Dokey Lokey!” the pink equine said.
The unicorn let out of sigh of relief as the only sounds that filled her head were the pounding of hooves as her pink friend bounced around and the occasional squawk of passing birds. She tried to imagine herself on a beach, by the water; lying face down on a cushion receiving the massage of a life time. A cool ocean breeze washing over her while a muscular colt pressed his gentle hooves into her back kneading away all the tension as she slowly melted in euphoric relaxation. Two more colts would fan her from either side. Another one would approach her and serve her an ice cold drink. She’d wrap her lips around the straw and moan sensually as a blend of fresh fruit juices drenched her taste buds.
“Rarity! Looky!”
The white mare’s eyes snapped as her day dream was invaded by the high pitched perky voice of her friend. She sat up and cast her gaze toward where the pink pony pointed. Not too far in front of them was a hoof-cart. It appeared just sturdy enough to hold both of them. Rarity sighed.
“Well, at least two of my legs can rest…” the white equine thought.
******************************
The pink pony continued to stare at her friend, awaiting an answer.
“Rare? Ya there?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry, Pinkie… No, I’m not mad at you anymore darling. It’s just… ugh.” The unicorn stopped her rhythmic pumping and wiped the sweat of her forehead. “Why would they just leave us? It’s been almost three hours; surely if they were looking they would’ve found us by now?”
Pinkie shrugged as she stopped pumping. “Maybe they thought we went back to town and got sooooo worried that they started a search party and are looking for us there.”
Rarity shook her head in disbelief trying to comprehend the pink mare’s absurd statement. “I… suppose? But how do we even know we’re going in the right direction? What if we’re actually headed away from Canterlot and towards Ponyville?” the unicorn gasped, “What if we’re not even on the right set of tracks?”
“Only one way to find out!” Pinkie exclaimed putting her hooves back on the lever. Rarity moaned. She was completely exhausted and hadn’t seen any sign of another pony or living thing since they started.
The fact that the pink earth pony still had so much optimistic energy was quite astonishing and a tad annoying. One thing was clear however; staying in place wasn’t getting them anywhere. Rarity took a deep breath, placed her hooves back on her lever and the two ponies regained a steady rhythm.
“So… tired…” the unicorn whined as she laid on the unmoving hoof-cart.
“Ooooey woooey, my forelegs feel goooey!”
Rarity rolled her eyes, even exhausted the party pony was random and somehow still cheery. The unicorn sat up with what little strength she had. “Pinkie, it’s been at least another hour. We should’ve made it to Canterlot by now. We simply must be heading back towards Ponyville.”
“Should we turn back?
“Dear Celestia, no!”
“But our friends are probably superdee duperdee worried!”
“When they realize that we’re not in Canterlot, they will more than likely think we probably took a train back home and will board the next one. And when I get my hooves on that Rainbow…”
“Like that train, Rarity?” Pinkie pointed at the oncoming train.
“ Yes, darling…Wait, wha-!?”
The unicorn’s eyes widened as the train charged full speed in their direction. She immediately sat up and jumped off the hoof-cart. The train’s whistle blew loudly.
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii train!” Pinkie exclaimed as it started getting closer.
“Pinkie!"
“Yeah, Rarity?”
“Get off the hoof-cart you silly foal!”
“Why?”
“The train is going to run you over, that’s why!” Rarity shouted as the train’s whistle blew again.
“Because why?”
The train whistle blew a third time drowning out Rarity’s words. The white unicorn stamped the ground as the train got closer and closer to Pinkie.
“You’re gonna have to speak up Rare! I can’t hear you over the train!”
The unicorn charged the earth pony just in time. The train whipped past them causing a huge dust cloud to surf the air; their manes tousled from the train’s cross wind. Rarity panted and coughed as she slowly let Pinkie up.
“Are you ok?”
“I’m Peachy Keen Billie Jean! But our cart’s seen better days.”
Rarity turned to the cart, or the few pieces of shattered wood and bent metal that was left of it. The unicorn shook her head. At least they were both uninjured.
“Pinkie, promise me something darling?”
“Sure!”
“Next time a speeding train is coming towards you, get off the tracks.”
“You know speaking of Pinkie Promises; I can’t believe Applejack broke hers! Well, technically, she didn’t. She said she’d tell us what happened AT breakfast, but she didn’t come to breakfast. But then when was she ever gonna tell us? What if she NEVER had breakfast again? Would she still have broken the promise? Is that even legal? What if she-”
Rarity sighed and lay on her back as the pink pony rambled on. She noticed the position of the sun. She sat up and looked ahead towards the direction they were traveling; nothing but dirt for miles. She looked back up at the sun as it slowly started to set. Nightfall was coming soon, and the two ponies had no idea how far away civilization lie.
As the white unicorn and the pink earth pony hiked on, the temperature started to drop. Night time was approaching soon and Rarity found herself starting to become concerned with their well-being. Pinkie, on the other hand, was bouncing as merrily as always, still rambling on about Applejack’s Pinkie Promise.
“So in theory, if we had a brunch, Applejack would have to tell us half of the story! Because brunch is a combination of-“
“Pinkie Pie!”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you the least bit concerned? It’s going to be dark soon and we have yet to find any sign of shelter, or anything for that matter.”
“Nah, we’ll be alright!”
Rarity shot a look of disbelief and shock towards her pink friend. “How can you even say that? The day is almost over and we have no place to sleep, no water,” the unicorn’s stomach growled, “And no food either! Tell me, how can you possibly be sure we’re going to make it through this?”
“I don’t know, I just know!” Pinkie said eliciting a growl from Rarity. “Sometimes, you just gotta smile and say: ‘Everything’s gonna be alright!’”
“Pinkie, you know sometimes you can be a royal pain in the- whahaaaaaaa!”
“In the whahaaaaaa? What’s that?”
The unicorn sat up and spit out a mouth-full of dirt. She had fallen in a relatively deep ditch. As the pink pony slid down seconds later, Rarity raised her hooves in the air and screamed.
“Ugh! Can my beautiful coat get any dirtier?!”
She was suddenly bombarded by a clump of dirt to her face from the earth pony.
“Yes, it can!” the pink pony giggled as she dusted off her hooves.
The white equine turned red with anger. She took a deep breath and spoke to herself through gritted teeth. “It’s... fine, Rarity… she’s just… being… Pinkie Pie!” the unicorn told herself. At least they had some kind of shelter now, it wasn’t much, but it would do.
As night time fell upon Equestria, the two friends huddled around the small fire they were able to make out of tumbleweed and a few twigs.
“Good thing Twilight taught you how to use that fire spell, or we’d be two extra frosty frosted pony popcicles!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“We wouldn’t be in this mess had you not jumped off the stupid station wagon so carelessly in the first place…” the unicorn thought. She shook her head to avoid such negativity. Even though it was her fault that she was now cold, dirty, hungry, and thirsty and not home in her nice warm bed, Pinkie was still her best friend; her excessively hyper, overly cheery, best friend.
“Hey, Rarity?”
“Yes, Pinkie?”
“You think they ever found out what was wrong with Applejack?”
“I’m not sure darling, but whatever it was, it better had been worth leaving us like this.”
Pinkie Pie yawned as she lay down, resting her head on folded hooves. “I’m sure it probably was.”
Pinkie dozed off, Rarity lie on her back awake. Although her pink friend didn’t realize, she knew it all too well, they had been forgotten. The question that remained, when would their so called “friends” remember? The unicorn’s worried thoughts eventually faded as she drifted off to sleep. The crackling flame slowly burnt out as the night passed.
The unicorn awoke to the sound of Pinkie’s giggles. As she raised her head, she felt an itchy sensation all over her body. Once her vision came to, she noticed the pink earth pony giggling softly and covered in scorpions. The itchy sensation on her body became more apparent. She looked down and noticed that her body too was coated from chest to hoof in scorpions. At that moment the unicorn completely froze, she shot a glare at her pink friend still giggling.
“Pinkie!” the unicorn scolded in a hushed whisper.
“Haha! I know! We must’ve fallen in their home! Heehee!”
“Pinkie… Stop laughing!”
“I can’t help it! They’re tickly wickly!”
Rarity did her very best not to panic. She took one hoof and did her best to gently shake off some of the scorpions, but to no avail. She noticed one crawling up to Pinkie’s face, sitting on her nose.
“Uh oh…” the pink pony said as she scrunched her face, trying to get the scorpion off, “Ah…ah…ahhhhh.”
“Sweet Celestia, Pinkie, no!” the unicorn cried.
“CHOOOOOOO!” the earth pony sneezed with such force that all the scorpions flew off her and landed on the unicorn.
Rarity screamed and jumped out of the ditch, wildly shaking all the scorpions she could off of her. She ran, rolled, jumped, flipped and tumbled until she didn’t feel any more of the tiny legs tickling her. She panted as the pink mare approached her; the scorpions scattered, making their way back to their home.
“Awww, that looked like fun!”
Rarity threw an evil glare at Pinkie Pie. “That was ANYTHING but fun!”
The unicorn stormed away from her. Pinkie noticed a scorpion still sitting on Rarity’s left back leg, just under her flank.
“Um, Rarity?”
“Not right now Pinkie Pie!”
"B-But, Rarity!”
“I need some time to myself. So if you don’t mind, you stay over there and I’ll stay right here!” the unicorn exclaimed, as she plopped her behind on the ground, frightening the scorpion and causing it to sting her.
“OUCH!” the unicorn gasped. She looked at her flank; right below her cutie mark was a small sting mark that was already turning a bit red. The scorpion fell off the white mare and started running back to the ditch.
Pinkie Pie ran up to her friend. “There’s a scorpion on you.”
“I KNOW THAT! IT JUST STUNG ME!” the unicorn roared. She looked around franticly.
“I need to get to a doctor. Fast!”
“Why?”
“Pinkie! Scorpion stings are deadly!”
“Not all of them, silly filly! Fluttershy taught me that! It’s very rare that anypony ever dies from a scorpion sting!”
“But it’s still possible!” the unicorn observed the mark; it was getting redder and starting to tingle. Rarity swallowed as panic began to overtake her.
“You just gotta stay calm. Smile, and you’ll be alright!”
“Stay calm?! STAY CALM!?” Rarity stamped her forelegs into the ground. Her frustration had hit its peak and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold off on snapping.
“Someone looks like they need a soooooooonnnng!” the pink pony cheered as she patted her friend on the head.
“Ohhhh, when you get a tiny sting, Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing! Open up your mouth and siiiiiiiiing, Then you’ll-”
“SHUT! UP!”
The pink mare stopped and gave a concerned look to her fuming friend. “Rarity, are yo-?”
“I said, shut up! I can’t take it anymore! Everything that’s happened for the past day has been YOUR FAULT! We wouldn’t even be in this mess had you not idiotically jumped off the stupid station wagon!”
Pinkie Pie frowned and rubbed her hooves in the ground. “I-I-I know… and I’m sorry. That’s why I’ve been trying to make you smile and laugh until we-”
“Until we what, Pinkie Pie?! Die of hunger?! Dehydration!?”
“Rarity, I-I’m s-”
“You’re what?! Sorry for knocking me off the cart?! Getting us stranded in the middle of nowhere? Annoying my ears off with all those stupid rhymes and songs!? For almost getting me killed saving YOU from the train?! Making me fall in that ditch?! Sneezing all the scorpions on me?!”
The pink equine’s eyes started to water. She blinked the oncoming tears away, trying not to absorb the hurtful truth of Rarity’s verbal blows. She knew the unicorn had every right to lash out at her, but she couldn’t let it dampen her mood. Deep down Pinkie knew if they just stayed positive, they would get through this, but the conviction in Rarity’s voice burned like acid.
Rarity leaned in until their faces almost touched, digging one of her hooves into the pink equine’s chest. “Oh, no, wait…maybe it’s for getting me stung by the scorpion whose venom is now coursing through my blood stream! What a fabulous way to die! A fashionista poisoned by the negligence of her idiotic, hyperactive, friend. But then again, I’ll be fine because according to you, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS SMILE AND THAT WILL FIX EVERYTHING!!!”
Pinkie Pie lowered her head. She closed her eyes desperately trying to stop the tears but they aggressively pushed against her eyelids. She sniffed as a few spilled out, hitting the ground below.
Rarity scrunched her face up in disgust and turned away. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the last few moments of my life, alone, reflecting on the wonderful time I had before I passed away… All. Thanks. TO YOU!” the unicorn said finally, before storming off.
The pink mare sat there, head down, unmoving save for the furious shaking of her body. Rarity was right, if this was anybody’s fault it was hers. It took all of Pinkie’s strength not to cry. She bit her lower lip so hard until she tasted blood. When the unicorn was finally out of sight, she wept silently to herself, finally allowing the tears to drench the ground beneath her.
***************************
The sun’s heat waves beamed down mercilessly upon the unicorn. Rarity panted as sweat poured down her face onto the hot ground. Her back leg started to swell. The tingle was now replaced by a burning pain every time she took a step. On top of that, her mouth felt bone-dry; her tongue felt like sand-paper. She tried to ration what little saliva she had left until she was able to at least find a town, a house, or some kind of civilization.
“Element of Laugther… hmf… more like, Element of Annoying.”
Rarity groaned as her slow walk came to a halt. Her back leg was throbbing and her head was pounding. She clutched her chest with one hoof as she felt her heart race, and it became hard for her to catch her breath. She knew that if she didn’t keep going, she was going to die out here. But if she kept pressing forward, there was a chance, although small, she would make it. The unicorn forced herself to keep walking, but within several steps, she collapsed to the ground; her body drained of all energy. As Rarity’s vision slowly became nothing but a blur, she uttered what she knew were her last words.
“And Applejack was so determined not to tell us, that she hopped on a stagecoach and we had to chase her half way across town!” Twilight exclaimed to Spike as she looked through her books.
“Ha! No way! That’s hilarious!”
“Actually, the funniest part was when Pinkie was done talking to her. She screamed for Rarity to catch her and jumped right off the station wagon.”
“Wow! Did Rarity catch her?”
The purple unicorn giggled. “Yes and no, we were going so fast that when Pinkie came down, the force knocked both of them off the cart we were on. I told Rainbow to go back, but she wanted to catch up with Applejack first.”
“Hahaha! I bet Rarity had a few words for her when you guys finally went back for them, huh?” Twilight’s face froze in horror and Spike sighed happily. “Oh Rarity, even when you are angry you are truly an elegant beauty. Spike stirred as he allowed himself a moment to fantasize about the beautiful white mare that grazed his dreams so often. “So, what’d she say to Rainbow?”
The purple unicorn remained unmoving which raised the purple dragon’s concern. “Twilight? Hello? Anypony in there?”
“Dear. Sweet. Celestia.”
*******************
“I can’t believe you left them in the middle of nowhere!” Spike shouted, clutching on for dear life as Twilight ran with all the strength her four legs could muster.
“I know, I know, I know! Ugh! How could we forget Rarity and Pinkie Pie?!”
As the unicorn made it into town, she was fortunate enough to find Applejack there with her applecart and Fluttershy with her. She approached the two ponies, who shot her concerned looks.
“Ya’ll alright sugarcube?”
“Pinkie… train… Rarity… nowhere…” the unicorn said in between short gasps.
“Uhm…pardon?”
“When you guys came back from Canterlot, you never brought Rarity and Pinkie Pie back with you!” Spike bellowed.
Applejack raised an eyebrow and laughed at the baby dragon. “Horseswabbles! Right after, Ah confessed about not winnin’ any blue ribbons, we all-” Applejack’s face froze the same as Twilight’s when she remembered.
“Oh, my!” Fluttershy squeaked as she too recalled.
Rainbow Dash, seeing her friends, flew down from a nearby cloud. “Hey guys! What’s going on here?” Fluttershy grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulders. “We forgot Pinkie Pie and Rarity after we came back from Canterlot!”
“What? No we didn’t we got Applejack, had our sappy moment and then headed back to town and got on the trai-” Rainbow blinked as she now was on the same page as her other friends, “Oooooh…right.”
“We have to get on the next train to Canterlot!” the purple unicorn exclaimed.
“But Twilight, what if they never found their way back to town?” Fluttershy said.
“Ya’ll think they might be just stranded in the middle o’ nowhere?"
“Oh, man. Rarity is probably heated! I wouldn’t be surprised if she made me into one of her dresses. And Pinkie, that pony’s so random who knows what she’ll do to me? She’ll probably turn me into cupcakes or something!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Rainbow, now is not the time to be worrying about yourself! We need a way to get to Canterlot while still being able to look for our friends!” Twilight said.
“What about the hot air balloon?” Spike inquired.
“O' course! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, ya'll can fly us 'round while we all keep our eyes out fer 'em!"
"Let’s go!” Twilight exclaimed, before jetting off.
“Ohhhh, I hope we’re not too late…” the shy yellow pony said, worriedly as she and the others followed.
Rarity awoke slowly and groaned in pain. As her vision steadily came into focus, she noticed the ground gradually moving beneath her. Suddenly she felt it, step by step, she was being carried.
“Glad you’re awake, it’s kinda lonely out here,” said the voice, hoarsely.
“P-Pinkie Pie.”
“That’s my name, the one and the same.”
“W-What are you doing?”
“You were right Rarity, all of this was my fault. I know you hate me, but right now, all that matters is that you need a doctor. And I’m going to get you to one no matter what.”
A slight smile formed on Rarity’s face. Despite everything, all the mean words she said, Pinkie was still going to do her best to get her unicorn friend help. Rarity was sure that when she closed her eyes, it was for the final time, yet somehow, someway, she was still hanging on. She was stronger than she thought. Or maybe, it was Pinkie’s strength that was helping her. Her chipper attitude, her optimistic take on everything; even now, as both of their bodies suffered from the effects of dehydration and hunger. Were the odds that they would survive high? Absolutely not. But not once did that effect Pinkie’s attitude.
“Pinkie Pie, darling.”
“Yeah, Rarity?”
“Do you promise me we’re going to be alright?”
Pinkie turned her head to her unicorn friend. Rarity, with all her strength, gave the pink earth pony the warmest and sincere smile she could, despite her droopy eyes and pale face. The pink pony’s eyes got a bit misty and she smiled back.
“I Pinkie Promise.”
Another hour passed and the pink pony eventually collapsed. Rarity climbed off of her and rolled Pinkie onto her back. The pink pony tried to sit up and only to cough violently, and lay back down. The unicorn looked around, still nothing but dirt. She got the feeling that they’d been going the wrong way the whole time. With how long they were traveling, they ought to have seen some grass lands by now. Rarity sighed as it became apparent that they were never going to make it through this.
“I think… this is far enough, darling.”
“No, I said… I’d get you to a doctor… and I will… I’m not… gonna let you…”
“I’m not worried Pinkie… you made me a Pinkie Promise that we’ll be alright… so I know we’ll be fine.”
“Rarity?”
“Yes, darling?”
“My tongue feels all dusty and sand papery… Like Opal’s litter box.” Rarity smiled and gently rubbed the pink equine’s head, not even bothering to wonder how she knew what the cat’s litter box felt like.
“Mine too.”
Rarity lay down next to her friend and closed her eyes. A few minutes passed and suddenly she felt something touch her. It was cold, wet and there was only a drop of it. Then all of a sudden, more drops, and even more, until there was a downpour. A single raincloud was showering down upon them. Rarity stared in shock.
“Pinkie! It’s a miracle!”
The unicorn opened her mouth wide, soaking up as much of the plentiful rain as she could. The earth pony awoke and sat up.
“Am I dreaming?”
“No, darling! It’s actual rain!”
Pinkie Pie stuck her tongue out cautiously then opened her mouth as wide as she could, swallowing as many of the drops that fell from the cloud. She looked at Rarity who smiled at her and the two ponies just started to giggle at each other. What seemed like their last moment now wasn’t. They watched as the raincloud drifted away. Pinkie hopped a few times to see the top of the raincloud. She titled her head in confusion.
“Rarity, there was nopony on that raincloud. If pegasi are the only ones who can make it rain then…how did that happen?”
“I’m not entirely sure…but let’s just be thankful it came when it did.” Pinkie Pie nodded and then frowned at her friend. “Pinkie, what’s wrong?”
“I’m so sorry Rarity, all of this has been my fault. If I hadn’t jumped off the station wagon, we’d be home right now. I thought, maybe I could make things better by trying to make you laugh or at least smile, but all I did was make you angry and got you stung by scorpions. I’m a horrible friend, and I’m sorry.”
“No, Pinkie, I’m the one who’s sorry. I over reacted. I was just terrified once I got stung by that scorpion. Yes, maybe things could’ve gone differently when you jumped, but since then you’ve done nothing but try to make the best out of a bad situation. I was the one being a…a…
“A meany old grumpy crabby grouchy cranky meany pants?”
Rarity giggled as she squeezed the excess water out of her mane and tail. “Yes, that… I’m sorry, Pinkie.” Pinkie smiled at her friend, then observed her stung leg which had now swelled to about three times the size of her other ones. “How’s your leg feeling?” She asked uneasily.
Rarity looked at it and wiggled it as best she could. “Well, I can’t actually feel it anymore, but on the plus side it doesn’t hurt or tingle either.”
The pink mare frowned and lowered her head. Rarity lifted it back up. “But I guess you could say…it’s doing rather…SWELL!”
Rarity started to chuckle then burst out into laughter at her own joke. Pinkie smiled and then began to share in laughter with her friend.
“There they are!!! Down there!!!” a voice yelled.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew downward to meet Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Twilight, Applejack and Spike jumped out and immediately embraced their friends with hugs. Rainbow and Fluttershy rushed over once they got the ropes off.
“Thank goodness we found you two! We are so sorry we forgot you! Are you ok?” the shy pony exclaimed.
“We’re as right as rain!” Pinkie exclaimed as she shook herself dry. She looked at her white unicorn friend and the two burst right back into laughter. The rest of the gang looked at them in bewilderment.
“Sweet Celestia! Sugarcube, what happened to yer leg?”
The rest of the ponies and Spike’s eyes all widened to see one of the prissy white unicorn’s legs almost as plump as a watermelon.
“It’s a long story…but first, let’s get me to a doctor shall we?”
It took about two and a half seconds before anyone moved. The rest of the gang was completely surprised at the unicorn’s uncharacteristic sense of tranquility given the circumstances. Rainbow and Fluttershy gently raised Rarity and placed her in the basket before Applejack retied the ropes to them; in no time they took off towards Ponyville. Rarity smiled as Spike’s soft eyes glanced at her then back at her leg. He gently rubbed her hoof.
“Are you ok, Rarity? Do ya need anything?”
“It’s ok, Spikey Wikey, I’m going to be alright. I just have to smile. Right, Pinkie Pie?”
“Absolutely, positively!”
Spike looked back at Twilight who merely shrugged her shoulders as the pink equine and white mare laughed together.
“So that’s what all the fuss was about?” the white unicorn asked sitting in the hospital bed, her leg almost completely back to normal thanks to a shot and some special herbs from Zecora.
“Hehehe, eeeeyup! But Ah learned my lesson, first place don’t qualify who Ah am. My friends and family will be proud of me no matter what.” Applejack admitted, blushing.
“Annnnnnnnd?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
“And never try and find mah way outta a Pinkie Promise!” The gang shared a laugh.
“Sorry again for leaving you, guys, I don’t know what we were thinking,” Twilight said, “Although if SOMEPONY had turned back when I told her to then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
The purple unicorn raised an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash who blushed and put a hoof behind her head. “Hehehehe… Sorry, guys!”
“It’s quite alright, darling; it was… a rather enlightening experience.”
“Oh? Anything worth writing to the princess?” Twilight asked.
“Actually, now that you mention it, yes. Spike! Take a letter, darling.” Spike pulled out some parchment and quill. Rarity cleared her throat and everyone had their eyes and ears on her.
“Dear Princess Celestia, I learned that sometimes you can find yourself in a situation with little to no hope. You will come upon challenges in your life that make you feel as if you can’t go on. But Pinkie Pie taught me that, although all odds seem against you, and life seems unfair, sometimes the best way to get through it is to smile and tell yourself that everything will be alright. Your faithful student, Rarity.”
The pink pony smiled and Twilight nodded as Spike sent the letter off to the princess.
“Alright, ya’ll, let’s get outta here and let Miss Rarity rest on up!”
All of the ponies left, except Pinkie Pie. Rarity smiled at her. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie…for giving me the hope I needed to go on.” Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes and the two equines hugged. “There’s one thing I don’t get though. You almost let that train hit you, darling. Why?”
“Well, I couldn’t make you laugh with jokes or my clever rhymes, so I thought maybe physical humor would get you to crack a smile.”
“All that just to get me to laugh?”
“Element of LAUGHTER…duh!” said the pink pony as she giggled.
Rarity raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She couldn’t believe she actually learned a friendship lesson from somepony with such an eccentric thought process.
“Seeing you hurt wouldn’t have been funny Pinkie… so I guess we could say your joke would’ve been… a TRAINWRECK!” The unicorn laughed at her own joke. She looked at the pink pony who shot her a bemused look.
“Whyyyyy dontcha just let me stick to the joke making?”
“Of course, darling.”
The two mares shared a laugh and hugged each other tightly. “But ya know what still gets me, Rarity? That raincloud.”
“Oh, right, so peculiar. It was gone as quickly as it came too.”
“Guess it’s just one of those things we’ll never know.”
******************************
Princess Celestia sighed happily as she sipped her tea. In a nearby open window, a raincloud drifted in. The elegant alicorn raised an eyebrow and approached the cloud. She tapped it gently, and a gray pegasus, with a blonde mane popped from the cloud and looked around. Princess Celestia smiled and shook her head.
“Somepony got turned around again, didn’t they?”
“Princess Celestia? Awh, did I take this cloud to Canterlot instead of Ponyville again?”
“Yes, Derpy, I believe you did.”
Derpy smacked her forehead with her hoof and the princess laughed. “I just don’t know what went wrong!”
