The scourge of depression has infiltrated Ponyville once more and poisoned everyone in the city.
(One of my submissions for Nanopowrimo). After a tragic event has befallen Ponyville, every pony decides to come together for the event, to engage in a day of recollection over the past and what could happen in the future. None of the remaining five wanted this to happen, and no one else in Ponyville wished that it had. Will any of the citizens be able to move on? Will her friends move on? Or will there never be another smile in the city?
It was the seventh time that night that her purple orbs had opened, and Twilight shifted in her bed, unable to go to sleep after the event that transpired a week ago. The purple mare leaned her legs over the side of her bed, and pushed herself onto her hooves. She turned her head towards the window to her right, and stared outside. A beautiful night sky opened up to her field of vision, numerous stars and constellations brightening up what was otherwise a terrible night. Luna had surely outdone herself this time with such a sight. It was a shame that Luna's attempts to brighten up the mood of Ponyville would eventually be in vain, since no pony would be able to smile their way out of this one.
Twilight moved down her stairs towards the main library, and her horn emitted a purple light, as she levitated one of the books off of the shelves and placed it onto a nearby table. The binding of the book was starting to wear thin, and if Spike didn't clean the house every now and again, one would be able to tell that this was the only book that Twilight had picked up. For such a studious mare, who loved to fill up her library with new and interesting books whenever she had the chance, the fact that she was only focusing on one subject was certainly noteworthy. Bloodshot eyes stared down at the book as Twilight opened it, the pages sparkling with the aesthetic of magic while she turned to a specific subject for the seventh time. Her eyes scanned the pages, a sigh coming from her lips as she realized, for the seventh time, that she was unable to change what had happened. This spell was the closest to ameliorating what occurred, but it was beyond her reach. Princess Celestia was unable to perform this spell either, since it required the Elements of Harmony.
Twilight closed the book and started to walk in a circular motion around the room, feeling the familiar grooves in the flooring that were created by routine, a routine that started up a week ago. “I could have stopped it. We all could have prevented this from happening.” she thought, while her hooves made small “clop” noises on the wooden floor. “There was something that we could have done... anything that we could have done.” Twilight stopped for a few moments, as her thoughts circled around the event. She tried to think of what she had hypothesized before, all of the guesses and bubbles that she drew on her chalkboard. Twilight wanted to know what happened, why it happened, and why it had to happen. Tears filled up Twilight's eyes and she lowered her head, followed by sitting back down on the floor. She looked at the floor as her tears formed a small puddle, and she opened her mouth to let out an audible sob.
“No one knows why.” Spike responded, and Twilight turned towards the staircase to see the purple and green dragon, staring down at her with a defeated disposition. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes drooping, and he took a long time descending those stairs down to comfort his friend.
Another tree took two feet to the middle of its bark, as the apples fell into a previously placed cart. The cart was completely empty, save for the current amount of apples that were catapulted out of their homes and soon into the mouths of Ponyville's citizens. Applejack looked away from the tree as leaves started to float down in her previous field of vision, indicating that there were no more apples to fall, and she yawned silently before slipping her head through the cart's circle handle and pulling it towards the next tree. “She's gone.” Applejack told herself, as she set the cart close to the next tree, and moved out of the handle to buck the apples off. “Nothing is going to change it, Princess Celestia told us this.”
Applejack kicked the tree with both of her hooves, looking backwards at the tree with an expression of anger, as if it was the Flim Flam brothers or another rival company that wanted to drive her out of business. She would rather have that then what happened. Her hooves beat against the tree, forming indents on the bark. One, two, three strikes against the tree with both of her hooves, as Applejack's eyes started to water. All of the apples had fallen off and landed neatly in the cart, while her hooves continued the assault. Soon enough the indent became noticeable, but one more large kick had split the tree in the middle, as it fell backwards and leaned against one of the other trees. Applejack sobbed quietly and placed her front hoof over her face, wiping the tears that collected while she moved into the cart and pulled it to the next tree. She could fix that mistake later, a tree was replaceable.
Big Macintosh let out a sigh as he looked out of his room window, seeing the light coming off of Applejack's lantern. He already knew what she was doing. She had started doing it seven days ago. Applebucking at night, while the day was spent in Ponyville, helping out the citizens and preparing the city for tomorrow. He wanted to tell her that she should probably get some sleep, but he couldn't convince his sister. He had a hard enough time convincing her to take a break during the last Applebuck Season, he doubted that he could get her to stop. Especially since those apples were her only form of escapism right now. Every pony needed one of those, due to what happened. Big Mac's head lowered as he looked over to his bed, where Smarty Pants was sleeping comfortably. He would be the decider over what would happen. Would Big Mac go outside, console his sister, and bring her inside to get some rest? Or would he leave her to her own vices, and go back to bed with hopes that Applejack would sleep soon? Applejack managed to sleep that night, collapsed at an apple tree that was recently watered with her tears.
Cerulean orbs that belonged to the shy pony never stopped watering, no matter how much Angel and the other animals tried to console her. Fluttershy was laying on her couch, the same spot that she kept herself when the newspaper wrote devastating things about her. However if it was just the newspaper that got to her, then at least she would be able to “get over it” as Rainbow Dash would say. But this was the seventh day of crying. Fluttershy's eyes grew puffy and swollen from the abuse, and it looked like her station wasn't going to change for a while. Her cottage was surrounded with animals, every single one she helped surrounding her to try and make her feel better. From Angel to the bear she massaged, they were all inside and silent. The last five days were full of suggestions and verbal consolation to try and rise Fluttershy off of her couch, but none of them were successful.
Angel sat next to the mare as she stopped crying, only because her eyes were becoming too swollen and the pain was too much for her to bare. She sobbed and sniffed a few times, feeling her nasal passages refusing to accept any air, and she had to breathe through her mouth to keep the oxygen circulating. She looked down at the rabbit, and Angel smiled lightly to try and change Fluttershy's mood, but the mare leaned back against the couch, placing her hoof over her swollen eyes while her eyes watered some more. Eventually she would cry herself to sleep, and none of the animals were comfortable with leaving this emotionally torn mare by herself. She still had the event to attend in twelve hours, so even a small amount of sleep would significantly help her appearance and mood. Although the mare didn't want to attend the event, she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't.
The beautiful color of the daytime sky, that previously illuminated Ponyville was reflected off of a certain mare's eyes, along with the magical energy that circled the room. Fabrics and gemstones circling throughout the room as they were put together, contrasts and complements calculated in much the same way that Twilight would explain the constellations. However, Rarity's mind wasn't working as quickly as her usual design theories, and from the looks of her room, she had probably contracted the same feelings as her friends. Her room was uncharacteristically dirty, and not in the fashion that she would usually leave her living quarters.
Her dresser, where many of her sewing and creation tools were held, were all mixed and matched with one another. Tools lay diagonal, horizontal, and everywhere in between, as if someone had dumped the dresser contents out and scooped it back up haphazardly with a dust pan. Silk cloth in every color of the rainbow was circling the perimeter of the room, in a montage of colors that reminded one of the colorful ice cream that Sugarcube Corner used to sell during the summers. Blue and red silk were packed on top of each other, wrinkles creasing through the fabric due to the intentional (but not desired) ignorance of the mare in the room.
There was just simply more things on the mind of the white mare then the tidiness of her room. She was able to find her tools and her fabric. If she really needed to, she could always smooth out the creases in the cloth with a few tricks that she learned throughout the years of her profession. Her work was maimed, it took longer to create a dress then usual, and her ideas would usually become immaterial the moment that Rarity levitated her cloth into the air. She had succumbed to using other people's ideas and designs for dresses, when some pony would come into her shop and ask for a commissioned dress. The originality dried up, leaving the mare terrified of the future, but at the same time, wishing that she could go back to the past. Rarity looked down at the floor, her horn blending in with the darkness and there was a combined noise of cloth and tools falling to the ground. “A lady is allowed to cry... if no one sees.” she told herself, as two tears slipped out of her closed eyes and formed a small puddle on the linoleum.
The house in the clouds, a spacious and noticeable dwelling that any pony would be able to pinpoint on a map if they were asked. The house of the fastest flier in all of Equestria, the living arrangement that the coolest mare decided on, succumbed to the scourge of sloth and depression, two of the things that Rainbow Dash was usually in short supply of when it came to her house. Her house was usually immaculate, as shown by the previously pure white clouds, opaque but beautiful works of art. Rainbow had seen a few colts create paintings of her house, and viewed such art creations when she previously attended the Gala last year.
Unless your name was John Coltstable, one would have no desire to paint such a living arrangement as it is now. The whole structure of the house had turned gray, every single cloud that formed the beautiful dwelling had merged with a pile of cumulonimbus clouds, and ended up creating a storm house. Rain fell on the outside of the house, water droplets leaking down the outside and down onto the grass below. Despite the weather throughout Equestria, any pony that walked around a one block radius of Rainbow Dash's house was able to hear the sporadic thunder clap that came from her house.
The rainbow river that remained along the left side of her house continued its cycle, however the colors in the water had grown pale. The liquid started to overflow from the excessive amounts of rain, and the pale colors dripped along the edges of the house, and flooded the entrance to Rainbow's interior. Inside of the house, past the clouds that were carefully formed into livable furniture, Rainbow Dash was laying on her bed, staring up at the gray clouds and the consistent sounds that came from the rain drops battering against her house and the ground below. Her magenta eyes didn't close, she felt like she was in a trance, completely shocked by the facts that were revealed to her seven days ago. It simply wasn't possible, she wasn't going to accept it. She had to accept it, there were no smoke and mirrors.
Rainbow Dash climbed off of her bed, and walked over to the doorway of her room. Her eyes stared outside at the rain that pattered against the clouds. She extended her wings, flapped them a few times to make sure that they wouldn't cramp and lock up on her, and she dashed out of her house, her destination not confirmed. She just wanted to fly, even though she might circle around the city for the next few hours. She had to tire herself out, or else she wouldn't go to sleep, and her thoughts and tears would keep her awake. Her eyes watered as the wind beat against her mane and face, as her wings pushed her farther away from Ponyville, until she turned around in midair and continued. Around the city she flew, thoughts of the last seven days puncturing through her mind, and reminding her exactly why she was unable to sleep for so long, without turning into self induced narcolepsy due to this shortage.
Rainbow Dash flew for three hours, circling around the town until she was about to collapse, and her wings brought her back to her home. She ignored the rain that dampened her mane as she moved back to her bed. She collapsed onto her bedsheets, her wings ached from the exertion that she put herself through. Her right hoof moved over her eyes, but it didn't stop the tears as they fell once more onto her cloud created blanket. She sobbed a few times, her wings relaxing and falling onto the clouds while Rainbow Dash cried for the first time since last week. It was all bottled up, hidden behind the demeanor that she was too cool and awesome to cry. Although there were a few problems wrong with such a portrayal, everyone was too depressed to notice Rainbow Dash trying to act tough. Rainbow knew herself that she wasn't tough enough to endure this kind of emotional trauma. No one was. The whole city was plagued by this event, one that was going to be commemorated tomorrow in exactly eight hours. Pinkamena Diane Pie, had passed away.
Princess Celestia looked over the balcony of her castle, her pink hues staring at the horizon. It was time to bring out the sun, and in turn, allow Luna the small amount of rest that she needed before she would attend the funeral. Celestia's eyes softly glowed, and her wings began to beat against the wind. Slowly but surely, she raised up into the air, her hooves extending to the sky. Her whole body turned orange, glowing with magical energy until the moon disappeared over the mountains, and the sun trudged into the horizon. Celestia landed back on her balcony, and let out a sigh of relief after such an exertion. Bringing up the sun was always hard, especially when Luna was trapped for a thousand years and she had to take up both duties. She was sure a few dozen years of her life disintegrated due to the lack of sleep she lived off of, but such a fact was not something to brood over. There was another subject who required her full and undivided attention, one who she should have saved. Celestia's head looked down at the floor as an image of Pinkie Pie moved past her field of vision, laughing and doing her trademark springy bouncing. Her eyes watered, but a tear did not fall.
Princess Luna was finally alleviated of her duties to raise up the moon, and as much as she wanted to immediately go to bed and catch her rest, there were thoughts that impeded such a process. Luna moved over to her bed and laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling while her thoughts bounced around in her mind. “How can such a travesty happen?” Luna thought. “This isn't how life is supposed to end.”
The sunlight radiated off of her dark blue coat, and she noticed she left the window on her balcony open. Her horn glowed with a transparent blue energy as she closed the window, and then pulled the blinds to obscure all of the light and allow her to rest. Despite her attempts, she didn't sleep at all.
The morning breeze flew west through Ponyville, chilling the bodies of any mare or colt who wanted to be out bright and early for the preparations. One such volunteer was neither, considering he was a different species. But he did walk outside, blonde toupee adjusting slightly due to the wind. Cranky Doodle Donkey had not aged much since his first interaction with Pinkie Pie. Apparently after his movement descended in speed, there weren't many other afflictions that could put down the donkey. Matilda was sleeping in bed, she was probably going to catch up on another hour or two of sleep. It was fine, there were four hours until the reception. Cranky started walking down the road towards the middle of Ponyville, his thoughts slowing down his stride and threatening his composure. “Of all the things that could happen to this town,” he said in his deep voice, “This has to be the worst.”
Due to Cranky's slower walking speed, he was able to take his time looking around Ponyville while he made his way to the Town Hall. The bright colors of each of the buildings as he passed them projected an energy that seemed lost, as he walked down the road. Every building was cleaned up to the highest degree, that was the common courtesy of each citizen doing their part. However there were no toys left outside accidentally. There were no signs suggesting that someone come in for a nice cup of hay juice, or signs asking for employment. Not a single addition to the buildings were remained. Cranky guessed it was because no one wanted to talk about the event. No one wanted to admit that the one mare who touched each of their lives, in one way or another, left them. Cranky finally reached the Town Hall, and his eyes widened at the massive amount of work that was going to have to be accomplished for the funeral to acquire its proper look. He looked behind him as he saw a light brown mare walking down the street, at probably twice the speed that he managed.
The Mayor knew that she had to be the first one at the gathering, because the preparations wouldn't be made correctly if she was late. She trotted along the road, a large scroll in her mouth. She kept her eyes on the road, probably because to her, there was nothing to see. Six days of empty houses were flooding past her peripheral vision, as if she was able to remember each moment where the additions to each house were taken down. The Mayor's eyes were hazing over while she continued her stride, and she blinked a few times when she bumped into the Town Hall's wall. There was a hint of embarrassment in her face, and she walked over to the podium outside the Hall. Her hooves ran over the wood and she lowered her head. Her mouth released the scroll, her memories catching up. Her hooves lightly pressed against the wood, as she closed her eyes. “Thank you Pinkie.” the Mayor whispered to the podium, the mahogany wood soaking up a few tears.
Cranky Doodle did not want to interfere with the Mayor's crying, but at the same time, he did want to get the decorations ready for the funeral. He slowly moved up to the podium, and the Mayor handed the scroll to the donkey. The two remained mute as they moved off of the podium, and stared over the scroll. The Mayor was already used to the position of everything that would be used for the funeral, and she motioned over to one of the large tables, previously provided by the colt who sold sofas and fans. He managed to buy more land to add to his store, and in the process, now sold mattresses, fans, and tables. Why he bothered to pick those three things and not focus on selling all furniture, the Mayor did not know.
The sun's slow ascent towards the horizon was indication that it was time for every pony to wake up, prepare themselves, and start to help out with the funeral. Within the hour, ponies were starting to exit their houses, walking over to the Town Hall. No one spoke. From exit of their house to movement and arranging the funeral, not a single word was spoken, or even whispered. Carrot Top's eyes leaked tears as she set up stacks of chairs in front of the podium. Colgate's own hues remained on the table as she set it up, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. It was hard enough keeping in the desire to cry, and she was sure that her own eyes would spill tears if she watched another's anguish play out on their face. The entire group that prepared the funeral were completely synchronized with their jobs and duties. Twilight Sparkle previously met up the the Mayor in order to make sure that every pony was given a job they could accomplish quickly. If only they could join together for another one of Pinkie's songs. Her songs was their preference to preparing the area in which her corpse would be presented.
"Are the muffins done dear?" Mr. Cake asked his wife, who was across the room, pulling out a large tray of muffins and replacing them with uncooked batter which would form another batch. Mrs. Cake nodded her head as she placed the tray on a nearby table, letting out a sigh of relief since they were not burnt. Seven days ago, the Cakes had stopped taking catering orders, and used the previous three days to prepare the funeral. The four days beforehand were unable to be forgotten, since it was the longest period that the both of them had cried. Their nasal passages did not matter, if their eyes were capable of shedding tears, then they did. When the Cakes came back to creating works of edible art, they were off their game, and accidentally ruined a large cake which they planned to use for Pinkie's funeral. The two of them could not talk to each other, since they only ended up growing frustrated and yelling due to who's fault it was. It was either Mr. Cake's fault for heating the cake's batter for too long, or Mrs. Cake's fault for taking out the cake too haphazardly, and ruining the structural integrity. They made up quickly the next day, and started to work.
Pound Cake looked up at the staircase that directed to their room, along with the room of the mare that they had missed. Why was Pinkie Pie not helping the Cakes with the food? Surely his mom and dad had told Pinkie that this order of food was very big, so she should stop sleeping and help them. Pound Cake wished that he was able to help. He was sure that if he was able to fly, that he could help out his mother and father. He looked at his wings, and flapped them a few times, before he realized that he wasn't going to get off the ground. He placed his front hooves on the first stair, letting out a small exhale due to the exertion as he pushed himself onto the first step. Excitement moved through his body as he managed to climb up the second step, and then the third. He stopped halfway up the stairs and caught his breath, before he finally managed to reach the second floor of his house. He walked over to the door, and knocked on it a few times, realizing that the handle was very high from his current position. He flapped his wings once, twice, three times. Nothing. He continued flapping, reaching his right hoof up until he started to lift off of the ground. He smiled, letting out a coo of excitement as he grabbed onto the door knob with both hooves, and turned it to the right. The door opened inwards to the room, and Pound Cake let go of the knob, falling onto his bottom once his wings stopped flapping. "Pinkie," he said, as he looked around the room. "Pie."
Mr. Cake finished icing the top layer of the new wedding cake, and he stood back to stare at his creation in its full beauty. A vanilla cake with strawberry filling, colored pink in memory of Pinkie. Yellow and blue balloons adorned the sides of the cake, and a figurine of Pinkie Pie stood on the top, holding up three words, “Smile Smile Smile.” Both Cakes looked at their creation, and Mr. Cake started to frost the second layer while Mrs. Cake brought out the large amount of apple snacks that were previously cooked by the Apple family from the refrigerator. The large amount of snacks that Twilight Sparkle was stuffed with on her first day in Ponyville were now on a large cart. Three hundred delicious snacks packed on cart with four trays were pulled out of a walk in refrigerator that was conveniently bought after they made a large catering order in Canterlot. Mrs. Cake looked over every snack, eventually moving to her knees so that she could inspect the last tray on the bottom, and a sigh was emitted from her lips when she realized that nothing was wrong. Her concentration was broken by Pound Cake's crying, and both parents looked at the kitchen door, before they rushed out of it. Both parents climbed the steps and stopped when they reached Pinkie's room. Mr. Cake turned on the light, illuminating a room that was not entered for the past seven days.
Pound Cake stopped crying when his parents had walked into the room. He had apparently moved too far into the room's darkness and ended up becoming scared. Mrs. Cake moved over to the windows and pulled open the blinds. She looked out the window and saw Ponyville's citizens preparing the rest of the funeral. They looked like they were almost done, all that was left were Pinkie's things to be dragged out. Mr. Cake moved over to Pinkie's Party Cannon, placing his hooves on top of the barrel, and he bit the bottom of his lips, while tears snaked their way down his cheeks. Pound Cake looked up at his father, placing his hooves onto his dad's feet. “Pinkie? Pinkie Pie?” he asked.
Pound Cake was scared that his father was crying for a random reason, and Mrs. Cake picked up her son, “Pinkie went out, Pound Cake.” she told him. “She went out, but she will be back. Smile until she comes back okay? Smile for me?”
The pegasus smiled before letting out a small laugh and a coo, as he placed his hooves around Mrs. Cake's neck. The wife closed her eyes and the three embraced in the room, Pinkie's alarm going off and blurting out its silly aerobic music.
Three mare's hooves clopped their way up the Ponyville road, while another two sets of wings continued to beat against the wind. The two unicorns in the group used their magic to surround a pink casket, with Pinkie's cutie mark etched in the middle. Applejack was using her strength to balance the casket on her back, while it was slowly walked over to the funeral. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were holding alternate sides of the casket, leaving it perfectly balanced on the earth pony's back. Spike was walking behind Twilight, his head tilted down. None of the remaining friends were able to keep their head up. Applejack's hat was conveniently blocking her sight, and in turn, her tear filled display. Rainbow Dash's hues were misty, but she managed to avoid spilling a tear. Fluttershy had managed to avoid making loud sobs, but her eyes were still leaking. Twilight's eyes formed a pathway with her tears, while Rarity's eyes shed the sporadic tear.
The funeral seats were visible as the five reached the end of their duty, the beginning of a day that no one wanted to start. Twilight and Rarity levitated the casket off of Applejack's back, and the two pegasi gently placed Pinkie's casket on the decorated platform, a marble table, ordered by Princess Celestia. All one hundred seats of the funeral were taken as the remaining five sat down. The funeral settings were all perfectly aligned. One hundred chairs, placed in a ten by ten row and symmetrical column. Four tables, holding the snacks that were baked through the collaborative effort of the Cakes and the Apple family were vertically placed, two on each side of the chairs. Five feet in front of the first row of chairs was the mahogany podium, the Mayor's favorite gift. To the left of the podium sat a table, where Spike was currently sitting, but he didn't play a tune. No one wanted to hear the tune that followed the casket.
Another row of decorations were aligned behind the podium, but they remained horizontal with the coffin. All of Pinkie's props and possessions she either brought with her, or used were collected and placed as a memento of her silly acts. For now, they were just more reasons for the crowds to cry. Pinkie's Party Cannon, her Welcome Wagon, her bicycle that flew through the air, her trampoline, every ball that she had stashed around Ponyville, and every hidden eye patch were found and brought out, for this one day of recollection. All of these decorations would be put back, although Twilight asked that the party cannon be buried with Pinkie. She never left home without it, she wouldn't be buried without it.
The remaining five were sitting in the first row of chairs, and Pinkie's family took up the remaining chairs. The second row was comprised of Cranky Doodle, Matilda, the Cakes, The three princesses, and Shining Armor. The third row contained Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, the Mayor, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and four ponies that Pinkie befriended. The fourth row contained the parents of the remaining five, while the children were in the fifth row. The sixth row on were every pony that Pinkie had touched, or befriended, which was essentially all of Ponyville. Twilight looked up at the podium, and Applejack lightly nudged her, a small smile on her face to show her desire that Twilight go up and talk. She moved up off of the chair, and walked over to the podium, three solid steps echoing throughout the ten rows of chairs as she raised herself up to the crowd. She didn't have any cue cards, or a script with her. She was winging all of it.
“We are gathered here today...” Twilight paused, biting her lip as her hooves pressed into the wood. She released her lip to talk again. “To mourn the passing, of Pinkamena Diane Pie.” she said, as she looked over to the closed casket, before looking back to the crowd. “Forgive me for bringing the subject to me for a moment. But I... was always the one among us who would love to lecture or teach others. It wasn't until I met Pinkie, and in turn, the rest of my friends, that I would be able to explain and lecture others about the value of friendship.” Twilight looked down at the podium for a moment, before looking back to the crowd, her lungs begging her to abnormally breathe so that she could cry. Or the other way around.
“Pinkie was the first one that I met in Ponyville. Our first meeting was brief, but it was the start of a friendship that I would cherish for the rest of my life, whether it was over or not.” Twilight's eyes started to grow misty, but she continued. “Pinkie was different then anypony in Ponyville. She devoted her whole day to making sure that everyone had a smile on their face. It was as if a smile was her life goal, to place on everyone's face. If someone in Ponyville was smiling, nine times out of ten, Pinkie was probably the cause of it. When she wasn't creating new scenarios to make us laugh or smile, she was creating parties, inviting everyone that wished to attend, and breathing life into each one. She never ran out of energy, and in turn, never ran out of smiles to give.”
There was a pause, and Twilight grabbed the podium, although she was sure that she wasn't able to move it with her hooves alone. She just needed a few moments to breathe. During these few moments, many of the citizens were taking this time to think of the many times that Pinkie had shown up, and livened up their day with something that was probably miniscule to Pinkie, but meant the world to them. Twilight took another breath, and continued,“Pinkie taught me a lot of lessons, either due to the random nature of her actions, or her devotion to her knowledge of friendship, which I'm sure matched or exceeded my own. She taught me that I didn't need to see something to believe it, through a large and painful amount of occurrences. But even in my cast, Pinkie would always make me smile. She taught me that a solution to a problem could be in one of the least expected places.”
Celestia was smiling as Twilight continued, as she remembered the particular letters that Twilight sent to her, “She, along with the rest of my friends, taught me that an event can always be made fun if the origins of the event are boring. She was with me when we broke into the Canterlot archives to try and stop time, due to my fears over a future event. She taught me more than my lectures had taught any pony, and I know that her lessons will remain in my mind for as long as I live. Pinkie was beautiful, smart, random, but caring and always there for her friends. She brought a smile to my face whenever I was around her, and I can't hold it back any longer. I loved her.” Twilight's eyes continued to water, and the remaining five's eyes did the same, as they felt their feelings reflected on the purple mare's eyes. “I loved her more then anyone I knew, I wanted to spend my entire life with her. And now...” Twilight couldn't continue, she silently sobbed on the podium. Applejack stood up from her seat. She moved over to Twilight, and slowly walked her back to her chair. The Southern pony moved over to the podium, stood up, and lowered her hat, placing it on top of the wood.
“Pinkie Pie was one of the weirdest ponies that you could ever meet.” Applejack said, and a small laugh was uttered while a tear moved down her cheeks. Some of the crowd members also laughed, but a greater majority was crying. “But you couldn't even say that was a bad thing against her. Pinkie was compassionate, caring, always there to put a smile on your face, and for her, being weird was one of her personality traits that helped her make all of us happy in the first place. She knew more about us then we knew about ourselves, and she was able to make us all happy due to what she knew. Pinkie is inside all of our hearts. Whenever we feel like we want to smile, even though we want to do nothing but...” Applejack's sentence was interrupted with her own pause, as she sobbed and covered her eyes with her hoof to wipe the tears. “Cry. Whenever we smile, a part of Pinkie is inside all of us. That is probably why she wants us to never stop smiling. Ah loved her too. Thank you.” Applejack moved off of the podium, stepping down the three steps before she moved over to her chair.
The podium remained vacant for a few moments, before Fluttershy stood up, and she slowly walked over to the podium. She reached it in a minute even though it was five feet away. The crying had seemed to affect her the most, considering her swollen eyes. She looked down at the podium as she spoke, but she made sure to add more volume to her voice, so that everypony could hear. Tears began to slide down her cheeks, but Fluttershy gathered all of the courage that she held in her small frame in order to speak. “Pinkie Pie was the first friend that I made in Ponyville. Cloudsdale wasn't my home, I knew it when I fell out of the skies and was saved by the group of butterflies that caught me. When I moved into Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was the first one to help me move, since she was the only one that introduced herself to me. And,” She took a pause to sob. “I remember the funny bicycle that she used in order to help me move. It was this odd bike that you could fly with, and she would grab one of the boxes at a time, and slowly pedal downwards towards my cottage. She also gathered a whole group, some of you probably remember this, to help me move. Although she could only carry one box, she helped me. Pinkie held a party in my cottage after that, which ended up scaring away all of the animals around my cottage. I didn't tell her anything about how upset that made me, but she was able to tell.”
Fluttershy paused again. “She asked me if her party had done anything wrong, and I told her that it scared away all of the fauna nearby my house. Without skipping a beat, Pinkie had a detective hat on and was walking outside, motioning for me to follow her.” Fluttershy smiled, the first smile this crowd had seen. “We brought all of the animals back to my house or around it. When I told her that no one helped me like that before, she said she was surprised, but I wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. I loved you Pinkie Pie, I always will.” And that was when Fluttershy's courage ran out. She started to cry loudly on the podium, as her head hit the wood and her hooves pushed against it. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, slowly flying up from her chair and over to the shy pony. She helped Fluttershy to her chair, before she moved over to the podium. Rainbow Dash's lower lip was quivering, but she was trying her best to remain “cool”.
“It's my turn to speak I guess.” she started off. Rainbow ceased the attention on her bottom lip, before gripping the sides of the podium, like every pony before her. “Pinkie Pie was random, and weird. But she was awesome, in every meaning of the word. She exhibited all of the traits of a true friend, and still managed to be able to pull off cool pranks. She was cool, probably twenty percent cooler then I will ever be. She was nice, and always tried to keep the friendship between us six together, even though there were fights every now and again. I could never forget the party that Pinkie threw after we defeated Discord. Our friendship was at stake during that battle, but you would never think so if you attended the party Pinkie threw after the battle. I was jealous of her, because she was capable of being the friend that I never could be. She was also faster then me, somehow, because I could never chase her away. She always appeared next to me whenever I ran. She was also stronger, and more athletic, even though she never showed it. She never had a reason to. While I, Rainbow Dash the cocky... idiot,” her magenta eyes started to water as she continued, “Continued to chase my dreams of joining the Wonderbolts, while treating my friends like they were in the way. I never joined them, I failed to join because I couldn't realize that the Wonderbolts were a team, not a one mare show. If I listened to Pinkie, or at least looked at friendship the way that she did, I would have been able to join the Wonderbolts... and I may have been able to save her. It was my fault! I'm sorry Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash moved over to the casket, and placed her head on the painted wood, crying her eyes out while Rarity stood from her chair. The coupled sounds of Rarity's hooves clopping on the ground and Rainbow Dash's loud crying continued for a few seconds, until Rarity placed her front hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.
Rainbow didn't stop crying, as the two mares descended the staircase and moved to the chair. Rainbow Dash sat down and covered her eyes, while Rarity looked towards the podium. She wiped a tear from her eye as she moved back to the podium, placing one hoof on the front while the other remained at her side. Out of all of the mares that had their composure, Rarity probably had the most. Her cerulean eyes observed the crowd, as she took a few breaths to make sure that she had her composure, and wouldn't choke up. “Pinkie Pie was a mare that touched all of our hearts, and she didn't have to even try to do it. Much like me creating a dress that suits the fancies of the customer, Pinkie never had any problems with making us happy. Us, Ponyville, was always happier even when the day tried its best to do the opposite.” Rarity said. A small smile moved across her face, as if she was allowing the crowd to smile now. Possibly it was also the fact that Rarity had the least amount of contact with the party pony, and internally, didn't have a big enough connection as the other four who sat on the chairs, and wept their eyes out. That didn't mean Pinkie wasn't a friend, just that Rarity didn't feel as much as a loss as her friends. Either way, she was smiling.
Rarity took another silent breath, and continued. “I will admit that I have not... talked to Pinkie as much as I should have.” she looked over to Fluttershy, feeling a large lump of guilt pooling in her stomach due to the fact that she visited the shy pony more then the party mare. She couldn't fix it now. “I didn't spend as much time with her as others. But the time that I did spend with her, I will never forget. Much like Rainbow Dash, my dreams of one day moving to Canterlot, were not only failing currently, but blinding me to what I had. I remember every party that Pinkie threw for us, I remember banishing Nightmare Moon and Discord. I remember... hearing her laugh. Now that is all that I have to her, memories. Pinkie, we loved you.” she said, before she looked down and descended the steps. “Thank you for being in my life.” she muttered to herself, as she sat back down on her chair.
Twilight Sparkle moved back to the podium, and she looked around the crowd. Not a single pony had managed to smile during the remaining five's speeches given to Pinkie. “If anyone else would like to say something for Pinkie, please walk over.” she said. Twilight managed to catch Celestia softly nodding her head, while Cadence wiped more tears on a handkerchief. Shining Armor placed his head on top of hers and his hoof on her cheeks, his attempts failing to comfort his wife. Princess Luna stood up, although the Cakes had managed to stand up first, before anyone, and the four walked over to the podium. Both of the Cakes were fighting back tears, and everypony sat down in respect since the two who lived with the deceased, were about to speak. “Thank you, Twilight.” Mr. Cake uttered. Both Pumpkin and Pound Cake were looking around, their eyes scanning for Pinkie Pie. Their mother told them that she would be back. Where was she?
The Cakes took a few moments to gather their composure, and although they were able to get rid of the blockage in their throat, nothing was stopping their eyes from their constant watering. Mrs. Cake's eyes shifted to the funeral cake that was provided for the guests, and her gaze remained on the figurine at the top of the cake. Pumpkin Cake followed her mom's gaze, and her small horn started to glow. The figurine levitated in the air and moved over to the filly, until it was placed in her hoof. Her mother would have taken it away if she stuck it in her mouth, and she wanted to keep the figurine. She licked off the small amount of cake that was on the bottom, and she giggled while the Cakes started to speak. Mr. Cake started.
“Pinkie Pie was a mare that helped us more then anypony else in our life. Even though my wife and I provided her with a place to stay, I always felt that it wasn't enough for her. We wanted to pay her more for her help on our catering orders, but we simply did not have the money to do so. We had to save our money, since we were planning on having children of our own. We remember her exact words,” Mr. Cake said. Mrs. Cake dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief that she brought with her, and she continued where her husband left off. “I don't need to be paid at all! I know that every single one of these cupcakes and muffins are bringing a smile to someone's face. That is my payment.” Mrs. Cake exclaimed, a small smile on her face from remembrance.
“We told her that our house was her house, and she could stay here as long as she wanted. She never left. Day after day, she would tell us how happy she was that she was living with us, and before she would help Ponyville, she always asked us if we needed help with our orders. We only asked for her help if we were behind on the speed we needed to complete our order, but Pinkie helped us anyway. On the many days where we had to split up our catering orders, Pinkie started to sneak peeks at the order list.” Mrs. Cake wiped another tear, smiling and letting out a small laugh. “She would wake up early, and bring out the first order we planned to finish, and start to work. She didn't ask for payment, probably because my husband and I were smiling when we came down to see her work. As she said before, that was all she wanted.”
“When the twins were born, we were hesitant with allowing Pinkie to babysit for us. We were afraid that she would be too excited about the children to handle the responsibilities of taking care of two. We were completely wrong. Although we noticed that we were missing several bags of flour, when we gave her a chance to babysit, she was perfect for the job. That only made her more helpful, and us more guilty since we couldn't pay her more for her help. She was the perfect mother.” Mrs. Cake said. She looked down and then muttered to herself, “A better mother then I could ever be.”
Mr. Cake continued, as he noticed his wife was having a harder time keeping her composure. He looked down to Pinkie's parents, and he smiled as he turned to face them. “You raised a wonderful daughter, she was already smiling and helping others when she came to Ponyville. That shows that whatever you taught her, it stuck with her and she became the reason we smiled, the reason Ponyville smiled.” He said. Pinkie's parents and two sisters nodded their heads, a smile on their face as they remembered the first party thrown for them. Mr. Cake continued, “Pinkie Pie will always be remembered, how could you not? When she touched the life of everyone in Ponyville. We love you Pinkie Pie, we will never forget you. Thank you.”
The four moved away from the podium, figurine still placed in Pumpkin Cake's hand as they took their seats. Pinkie's parents were the next ones to stand up, and they moved over to the podium. No pony, including Twilight Sparkle had seen Pinkie's parents before. The only ones who had a slight recollection of them were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, when Pinkie explained what her parents looked like. Princess Celestia was the first one to send them a letter, informing them of Pinkie's death. Pinkie's father could distinctly remember the smell of a Ponyville letter, so when this scroll was sent to him with a different scent, something did not feel right. He never got mail, so when a scroll from Canterlot had appeared in their mailbox, he unrolled it and read it to himself. The news of his daughter's death had the whole family crying for five days, and traveling for the other two to reach the funeral. Although their communication with Pinkie was cut off, she was still their daughter.
Pinkie's father stood up, staring down at the many ponies before him. Every single one of them were unknown to him, although knowing Pinkie, all of them probably knew her. He coughed a few times, as he took off his hat in respect. “Pinkamena Diane Pie, was a different daughter than we thought she would be. She was a different color from all of us, her attitude was different, even before her hair became curly, and she was the first one to show us exactly what we should be doing: smile. Pinkie's first party that she threw for us was something completely unheard of in our city. We only use what we need to use for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Other additional things for events were practically laughed at in my city. But when Pinkie brought us to her party, we couldn't help but smile as we drank punch and ate cake.”
“Pinkie was different. But that did not mean that she was unwanted. We loved our daughter, and as much as we wanted her to stay on the rock farm with us, we understood when she told us that she was moving to Ponyville. Her whole life, just like ours, was circular. It was boring, and while my other daughters, my wife, and I were used to it, Pinkie didn't have to be. We wanted her to do what made her happy, although if she had stayed with us, she probably wouldn't have died.” the father said. Many ponies in the crowd shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, the elephant in the room being addressed. The sisters behind Pinkie's father poked him in the back a few times, and shook their head to show that Father was treading on thin ice.
Rainbow Dash's teeth were clenching together, while Applejack stood up, unable to contain herself. “Excuse me Sir.” she said, as the apple bucker and the father glared at each other. “Speaking from personal experience, I am pretty sure that I would rather do what is fun and live a shorter life, than a boring and sad task and live longer.”
Twilight Sparkle felt uncomfortable, and she levitated Applejack's hat over her face, before whispering to her. “Please Applejack, calm down. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.” She said, and Applejack clenched her teeth before nodding her head. Twilight then turned to the father, allowing him to continue if he talked appropriately.
The father continued, breaking his glare with Applejack, “We are sorry that she has passed away, because we are sure that Pinkamena had spread more happiness then we ever could, it was her destiny in life. Ours is consistent, and forgettable. Thank you for inviting us to our daughter's funeral.” He finished, and he motioned for his wife and daughters to exit. The four of them moved off of the podium, and walked back over to their seats, the father covering his face with his hat. The sisters embraced each other and cried, while the mother was soaking her own handkerchief with tears.
Cranky Doodle Donkey was the next to stand up, and he slowly moved over to the podium, letting out a small grunt of exhaustion when he finally managed to hoist himself onto his front hooves. “I'm Cranky Doodle Donkey. Many of you don't know me, because I don't go outside my house that much.” he said. It was true, Matilda was usually the one who did the grocery shopping, and since Cranky Doodle did not have anything else to do, he had enough money to live out with Matilda for the rest of his days. “I was one of the last friends that Pinkie Pie had made. She... was the weirdest pony that I have ever met, and I traveled through all of Equestria. I never met someone like her. She was energetic, random, but you are all right, she was also generous. The first gift that she gave me was this,” he said, as he placed his hand onto the blonde toupee that perched atop his head.
“Pinkie spent that whole day trying to make me happy, even though I told her many times to stay away from me. It was probably rude of her, to keep bugging me, but if she didn't persist, then I wouldn't have met the one donkey that I fell in love with at the Grand Galloping Gala.” Cranky smiled lightly, and a few tears seeped out of his eyes while he took a pause so that he could gather his thoughts. “Pinkie Pie brought Matilda to me, the donkey that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and then didn't mind when I said that I wanted to live the rest of my life in peace and quiet. Which didn't include her.”
Princess Celestia smiled lightly, remembering the letter that Pinkie sent to her, considering Cranky Doodle. This was the one Pinkie was talking about. Cranky continued, “She was one of my best friends, no one had ever done something so nice for me before. Thank you Pinkie, I will never forget what you have done for me, I can't. You found me my love.” he said, and then he moved down from the podium. He sat back down on his chair, and the Princesses exchanged glances, thinking if it would be a good time for them to share what they had to say. However Applebloom was the next to stand up, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The three Crusaders walked over to the podium, and upon realizing that they wouldn't be able to be seen or heard, Scootaloo motioned for the others to stand up on her, and create themselves if they were taller. It was adorable, watching Sweetie Belle stand up on Scootaloo's back, and Applebloom slowly climb up the two fillies until she was the one able to be seen.
“Thank you.” Applebloom said, smiling as she placed her hooves on the podium. “Pinkie Pie made me smile more then anyone else in the city. As a blank flank... you tend to be a loner, especially when the only friends that you have are other blank flanks. Pinkie helped us try to get our cutie marks countless times, probably because the smile that we would get when we do feel them on our flanks would be unforgettable. Pinkie, we will always think of you, thank you for all that you have done.” Applebloom then moved off of Sweetie Belle, and helped the white filly up onto her back. Scootaloo's face was starting to turn red as the shifting had caused her to almost drop the other two, but she was able to hold herself up for now. Sweetie Belle allowed tears to go down her face as she began to speak. Visible on her flank, was a smiling face emitting two musical notes. However the other two crusaders, did not acquire their cutie marks. Sweetie Belle smiled softly as she looked at the crowd, noticing that everypony that took part in the Smile Song was currently sitting down. “If you don't mind... I would love if we could all sing Pinkie's song. The one that brought all of us together, because I want it to do the same for today.” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat again, before she smiled lightly, tears falling down her face as the crowd sang with her.
“My name is Pinkie Pie (hello), And I am here to say (how ya doin'), I'm gonna make you smile, and I will brighten up your day! It doesn't matter now (what's up?), if you are sad or blue (Howdy), 'Cause cheering up my friends is just what Pinkie's here to do! 'Cause I love to make you smile, smile, smile, yes I do. It fills my heart with sunshine all the while, yes it does. 'Cause all I really need's a smile, smile, smile, from these happy friends of mine. I like to see you grin (awesome)! I love to see you beam (rock on)! The corners of your mouth turned up, is always Pinkie's dream. But if you're kind of worried, and your face has made a frown. I'll work real hard and do my best, to turn that sad frown upside down. 'Cause I love to make you grin, grin, grin, yes I do. Bust it out from ear to ear, let it begin. Just give me a joyful grin, grin, grin, and you fill me with good cheer. It's true, some days are dark and lonely. And maybe you feel sad, but Pinkie will be there to show you that it isn't that bad. There's one thing that makes me happy, and makes my whole life worthwhile. And that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile. I really am so happy. Your smile fills me with glee. I give a smile, I get a smile, and that's so special to me. 'Cause I love to see you beam, beam, beam, yes I do. Tell me, what more can I say to make you see, that I do. It makes me happy when you beam, beam, beam, yes, it always makes my day!Come on everypony smile, smile, smile, fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine. All I really need's a smile, smile, smile, from these happy friends of mine! Come on everypony smile, smile, smile, fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine, all I really need's a smile, smile, smile. From these happy friends of mine!”
At this point, Sweetie Belle sang Pinkie's verse while the crowd sang the chorus' lines. “Yes a perfect gift for me (Come on everypony smile, smile, smile). Is a smile as wide as a mile (Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine). To make me happy as can be (All I really need's a smile, smile, smile; from these happy friends of mine). Smile, smile, smile, smile, smile! Come on and smile! Come on and smile!”
Every member of the crowd was smiling, standing up while tears leaked down their cheeks. No pony cared about their clothes or their image. Many of the mares in the crowd were ruining their make up with their tears, while other colts, who usually never shed a tear in their life, were openly crying over the remembrance of Pinkie. Sweetie Belle smiled lightly, allowing one more of her tears to fall onto the puddle in the podium, before she bowed her head. “Thank you Ponyville.” she said, as she stepped down, and all three Crusaders moved back to their seats.
Princess Celestia stood up, and walked out of the crowd of chairs as everyone sat back down. The song was over and the high of happiness that followed with the song slowly dissipated. She ascended the steps to the podium, and looked down at her subjects, a light smile on her face to show that she wasn't punishing anyone. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, and then placed her front hooves back on the wooden floor. “Thank you for all coming here today. It means a lot to everyone sitting down on a chair, that we come together as a group and mourn the passing of everyone's friend, including mine, Pinkie Pie.” Princess Celestia turned to Twilight Sparkle, and the student stiffened in her chair, until the Princess spoke. “Twilight Sparkle, whenever I read the letters that you sent back to me on Pinkie Pie, or the letters that Pinkie Pie had herself sent me, I had grown jealous over the friends that you had acquired. Pinkie Pie's parties were fun, when I was able to attend them. Unfortunately with royal duty, I wasn't able to attend them that often. Pinkie Pie was the best friend that anyone could ask for, and she exhibited her Element of Harmony until her passing. Nothing made me laugh more then a Pinkie joke, or one of her pranks. I, Princess Celestia, thank you for your friendship.”
The white alicorn moved down from the podium, the entire crowd silent after Celestia admitted to jealousy, depression, and regret. Even royalty could feel these things apparently. Twilight moved off of her chair, stumbling over her hooves. Her eyes were spaced out, as if the magnitude of her loss still did not hit her. Probably because she never wanted it to hit her in the first place. She moved over to the podium, placed her front hooves on it to pull herself up, and then looked at the crowd. “I would like to take this time to give a moment of silence to Pinkie, and all of the things that she has done for Ponyville, for us. Please think about the most important thing that Pinkie has ever done for you, think about the specifics, and what you learned or what Pinkie did to help you, or bring that smile to your face.”
The whole crowd lowered their heads and closed their eyes, as memories were reflected in everypony's mind.
Applejack shifted around in her chair, the silence of the crowd echoing through the wind. It was a year ago, exactly a month after Chrysalis' defeat where her memory took place. Applejack was inside of her kitchen, moving back and forth between her own cooking materials. She was baking apple turnovers for the local hospital, as a thank you for taking care of her when she had broken her leg. She unfortunately exhausted herself too hard on the apple farm, and ended up accidentally kicking a large boulder instead of a tree, which ended up breaking her left leg, and fractured her right. She just exited the hospital a few days ago, and she was already back to work. Some would say that she was stubborn for risking another injury, but Applejack had to pay back the hospital, even though they were only doing their duties. She heard a knock at the back door, which pointed to the apple farm, and she moved over to the door, opening it with one of her hooves while she poured a small amount of sugar into the batter she was creating.
Pinkie Pie hopped into the room, smiling as she already figured out what Applejack was doing. “Hey Applejack! What are you doing? Huh?” she asked, as she moved over to the oven to check the current turnovers. They had a little while and then they would be perfect. Applejack smiled and nodded her head. “Well Pinkie, remember when ah broke my leg?” she asked. Pinkie nodded her head, and she walked around the kitchen, taking in every detail so that she knew where to start off if she were to help Applejack with her baking. Applejack continued, “Well the doctors were so nice to me, and they treated me so well that ah wanted to thank them for what they did.” she said. Applejack placed the batter mix onto the table and started to mix it with a spoon, trying her best to make sure that the batter was a perfect white mixture. Pinkie remained nearby the refrigerator, since she wasn't sure if Applejack wanted help. “That's their job though, they are supposed to take care of you.” Pinkie replied.
The orange mare started to pour more batter into tins, and she moved over to a bowl of fresh apples, that were cut up and thrown into another bowl of apple sauce. Slices of delicious apples, mixing into the sauce looked like a treat nirvana. Applejack usually didn't make treats like these for free, but when she did, she needed to make sure that she did it right. “Ah know that it is their job, but if ah wasn't able to buck any apples, then ah would have to leave it all to Big Macintosh. As nice as it is to take a little time off, if ah were to take any more time off then the week that it took for my legs to get better, Big Macintosh wouldn't be able to harvest the whole farm. He would get tired, and the apples would go bad. Ah couldn't have that happen. Ah have to show the doctors that my legs mean a lot to me, and the fact that they healed me quickly, made me very grateful.”
Pinkie nodded her head again. “Oki doki loki!” she replied, placing her hands onto the bowl of combined applesauce so that she could make another batch of turnovers, just waiting to be placed into the oven and baked. However as Pinkie took a good look at Applejack, she noticed that the hard worker wasn't exactly running on a large amount of sleep. Much like the current Applejack, who was coming close to sleeping right in the funeral chair from exhaustion, the Applejack in her memory was baking perfectly, but only because she had all of her attention on her ingredients. She would probably die from embarrassment if she cooked burnt turnovers as a thank you. Pinkie placed her hooves onto Applejack's own hooves and smiled, as she pushed the hard worker away from the counter for a moment. “Do you need any help?”
Applejack shook her head, probably a few more times then was needed to prove her point, and she moved back to the counter, walking around Pinkie so that the orange mare didn't end up pushing Pinkie into the counter. “Ah don't need any help. All ah need to do is cook another twelve batches, and then ah will be able to take them to the hospital to pass out among the staff and the patients. It is only fair that if ah give some of the turnovers to the staff, that ah also give some to the patients.” she responded. Pinkie realized that her friend's speech was becoming a little too circular, probably because Applejack would forget what she was saying halfway through her sentence, and then repeat it just in case she didn't know if she said it. The Cakes did that a lot as well, when they stayed up all night on a catering order with Pinkie's help. Pinkie smiled. “Well Applejack, wouldn't it take only an hour or two if we were able to cook all of these turnovers in the kitchen that Mr. and Mrs. Cake have?” she asked. Applejack was surprised. That would cut down the time of baking by at least sixty percent. She nodded her head, smiling. “Ah would love if we could do that, but ah don't think that ah should be using their kitchen just for something that ah am cooking for free. Ah can't pay them to use their kitchen, because ah'm already paying a lot of money to get these turnovers prepared.”
“Don't you worry about any of that Applejack!” Pinkie Pie said, as she smiled and moved over to a large tray of turnovers. Apparently this was Applejack's system: the turnovers would be made, baked, and then placed on a tray. Judging by the temperature of a fraction of the turnovers on the upper left side of the tray, Pinkie was able to tell that Applejack was cooking four turnovers an hour. Her oven was small, probably because it was not used to creating large catering orders, only small orders and snacks for the family. “How many turnovers do you have to make?” Pinkie asked.
Applejack placed her hoof underneath her chin as she thought this through. “Well... one turnover for each patient and doctor, with a third of the total for seconds was my plan. So... forty five if we count extras for us.” the mare replied.
Pinkie's eyes widened, and she shook her head. “Oh no no no no, this simply will not do. If we want the turnovers to be hot and ready for the doctors, then we need to use the Cake's oven. Bring enough ingredients for forty five turnovers, I will make sure that the kitchen is ready!” Pinkie said, and she dashed out of the room, managing to open and close the door through her haste.
Applejack let out a grunt of exhaustion as she finally pulled a cart full of ingredients to the Cake's house. She released the circle strap on the cart, and opened the Cake's door so that she could start to bring the ingredients in. She trotted into the kitchen with all of the flour bags, and gasped as she realized Pinkie's work. The pink mare had heated up all of the ovens so that they were at the perfect temperature for baking, along with placing additional racks so that more turnovers could be cooked within the allotted time. Pinkie was rushing around the kitchen, but stopped when she saw Applejack. “Hey Applejack!” She said, a smile on her face as she moved over to the Western pony, and helped her place the flour sacks on the large counter that in the future, would hold the funeral cake.
Both mares walked back and forth between the cart, emptying the ingredients until there were no more, and Applejack placed the wagon in the back of the house. She moved back into the kitchen and smiled. “Thank you Pinkie for your help... you are saving me,” her talking was paused by a yawn, "So much time. The sooner I can deliver all of these, the sooner I can get to sleep and continue apple bucking.”
Pinkie smiled and placed her arm around Applejack. “Don't you worry at all Applejack! We can cook all forty five turnovers in one hour with this oven!” she said. She pointed to the trusty oven, one that had survived through the largest catering orders, and the smallest ones that required the most detail on heat and time. With a few racks added and a simple change on the time, the turnovers would be made quickly. Pinkie moved over to the counter and brought out a large variety of bowls, one large one that could be made for all of the turnover batter, and another smaller one that could be used for the apple filling. “Okay, I'll make the apple filling and you can make the batter okay?” she asked.
Applejack was still stunned at the fact that her best friend had just managed to turn a 6 hour baking session, into a hour. “Thank you Pinkie.” Applejack said, as she started to mix up the batter with water and the rest of the ingredients.
Pinkie finished up the apple filling, and the two collaborated to create the turnovers as quickly as they could, once Applejack finished with her part of the job. Applejack looked over to the pink mare, and she thought that it would be a good time to make some small talk for an hour or so, while they were more or less completing “busy work” to get to the turnovers. “So Pinkie, how are you doing?” she asked.
Blue eyes stared back at Applejack, and she smiled while they created a tray full of uncooked turnovers. “Oh I am doing just fine Applejack! Thank you for asking!” she said, as she opened the oven, slid in the tray, and then gently closed the lid. The cooking began on the turnovers, and she moved back to their main counter, where they began to fill up another tray. “I am so happy that we are going to be able to give all of these turnovers to the hospital. Imagine how happy they are going to be when they take that first bite!” she said, as she bounced around the counter, and added a few more sliced apples to the filling.
Applejack smiled and let out a small laugh, nodding her head while she placed another perfectly crafted turnover on the tray. One specific question popped into her head, as she looked at the clock and realized that Pinkie had already spent a whole hour making sure that Applejack would be able to cook these treats efficiently and quickly. Didn't she have other things to do? It was a week day, Monday to be exact. Usually others were the most busy on Mondays, Applejack included. That was why she intended on going to bed when she finished this order. “Pinkie,” she started, The pink mare turned towards Applejack, a wide smile on her face while she ate a raw turnover just to examine the taste. “Why are you doing all of this?” Applejack asked. “Isn't this a little too out of your way?”
Pinkie giggled, and she shook her head. “Of course not, Silly! I love helping everypony! You know that. Even if our treats only give me one smile, all of this will be worth it.” she responded.
Applejack almost couldn't believe it, and a small flood of guilt moved through her body. She remembered the last party Pinkie threw, in celebration of Berry Punch's birthday. Applejack was unable to attend, because she had to pick the whole Apple farm during that time or risk an infestation. Applejack had not done anything to make up for the fact that she missed Berry Punch's birthday, other then show up at Berry Punch's house with a present and an apology. Maybe if she had worked harder, she would have been able to attend the party. Pinkie had not missed out on a single plan that she arranged ahead of time, no matter what extenuating circumstances held her back. Applejack on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She had a lot of work, but was it really more then Pinkie's? Was it harder to help every single pony in Ponyville, every day, than to harvest an apple farm?
This question buried deep into Applejack's head, while the two mares finished up their baking. “Pinkie, ah promise that ah will pay you back for all that you are doing for me.” Applejack said.
“Oh Applejack, you are so silly! I don't need you to pay me back! I didn't have any extra plans, and I still will be able to help out the people that need it!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. But I do have to leave when I finish baking these. You can borrow our cart for the turnovers. Mr. and Mrs. Cake will be back when you are done, and you can give it to them! Okay?”
“Pinkie, you are only giving me more reasons to want to make it up to you. Ah've never had someone help me this much in one sitting, especially only one pony.” Applejack replied. The Applebuck Season came to mind, but that didn't count, since Applejack didn't accept any help until the last minute. Pinkie practically came into her house, and started to help after she knew what Applejack was doing. “Ah Pinkie Promise.”
Applejack opened her eyes after feeling that memory finally reach the end. The turnovers they created were delicious, and it struck up more business with the farm. Many of the patients told her that they were going to come back to the farm when they were healed, and most of them remained true to her word. Applejack however, did not. She covered her face with her hoof, and wiped away a few tears, “Thank you Pinkie, for everything.”
A headache was coming on. Rarity winced and she levitated all of her current fabrics onto a chair near her dresser, while she raised a hoof to her head. She wanted to go outside and get a massage, that would be a nice way to get rid of this headache, but a massage would take way too much time out of her schedule. She barely had time to sit down and take ten minutes to try and ameliorate her headache, an hour would probably put “Crunch Time” as a necessity. She leaned back against the couch she placed in her main working room, and she laid back against the pillow. Her head rested while her horn glowed for a few moments so that the lights could be turned off and the pillow could be adjusted. “Summer attire, it has to be fun and the model has to be as well. Fun, full of energy and pizzazz.” Rarity thought. As much as she wanted to avoid thinking so she could get over her headache, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had to get these dresses done.
Hoity Toity was a colt that you did not want to disappoint. The last time he had showed up at Rarity's store, she had created the dresses for the Gala, and all of the other dresses that he had asked for after her friends put on a wonderful show for him. So when he knocked on Rarity's door, asking for six original dress designs under the summer theme, Rarity knew better then to deny it. She promised that he would have the dresses within a week, which delighted the rich colt since he didn't want to wait any longer than that. Now here she was, enduring a headache while she still tried to piece together the fifth dress. It was the fifth day, and Rarity was starting to panic a small amount. There was no way that she would be able to get this dress done on time, if she allowed her mind to get the best of her. As expected, the large amount of panicking that she was doing, was only making her headache worse, and she winced, letting out a small moan of pain as she rubbed her forehead with her hoof.
“Calm down Rarity. Stressing over the problem is just going to make it harder to get over.” She told herself, her blue eyes staring at the dark ceiling. Her horn glowed and she pulled open the drawer to her dresser, where all of her tools lay neat and organized. She pulled out a vial, full of an elixir that was previously created by none other then Zecora. A smile moved across her features as she took the cork out of the neck of the vial, and drained a quarter of the liquid. A warming sensation moved over her head, spreading through her until they reached the bottom of her hooves. Her headache felt like it had melted away, and she almost dropped the vial from the relaxed feeling she felt. However, she kept her concentration, as she stuck the cork back into the vial and levitated it back to its place. Now she could continue, she had dresses to make.
Stitches were created, cloth was cut, colors were complemented, ideas were implemented. Rarity spent the whole night stitching together the last two dresses, followed by sleep when she had finally finished that last stitch. The next day was spent rectifying her work, just in case she made any mistakes, and to her, the dresses were not going to have any problem passing Hoity Toity's expectations. Rarity went to bed that night with a large smile on her face, snuggled up with Opal between her hooves. The next day was one that Rarity would never forget.
Rarity rushed around her house, levitating the six mannequins in the middle of her living room and setting them down gently, since the dresses were still attached. Her eyes took a glance at the clock, and she was filled with relief when she found that she still had an hour until Hoity Toity appeared. A certain scent started to fill her nose as she stood there, contemplating what she wanted to have for breakfast. Her eyes widened as she realized that she had procrastinated on her cleaning duties due to these designs. She had managed to get a small amount of cleaning done while she fixed the dresses yesterday, but for the most part, her house was unclean. “This could not be so!” She said, as she stamped her right hoof on the ground. “The house must be clean!”
Rarity trusted that her dresses would not be moved while she cleaned, so she quickly dressed herself up in an apron to avoid her coat getting dirty. She barely had time to clean, she couldn't take a shower just in case Hoity Toity were to show up. She was readying a bucket of water and a mop so that she could clean the kitchen, until she heard a knock at the door. “Oh no!” she said, staring out the door frame of the kitchen in horror that Hoity Toity wanted to be early. “Oh this can't be! Oh please Celestia, please!” Rarity added while she walked over to the door. She opened it and the cheerful pink mare had jumped up in the air.
“Surprise!” Pinkie said. She had a saddlebag on her back, which looked t be filled with mostly air, but Rarity was able to see the smallest trace of a book's binding within the bag. One of her hooves was holding her bicycle, which she used to move through the air and finally settle down at Rarity's location. She didn't know it back then, but Rarity was able to tell that Pinkie had decided on her bicycle because she did not want to dirty Rarity's house with her hooves. A tear moved down the face of the present Rarity, as she opened her eyes. She wanted to stop the story there, but Pinkie's contribution would be cut short, and that was not what she wanted to remember her by, especially during this time. She closed her eyes once more, and the memory was replicated once more in her mind. Rarity let out a sigh as she realized that Pinkie was probably going to want to come in. “It's you Pinkie. How are you doing my friend?” she asked.
Pinkie was extremely excited that Rarity was awake, and she bounced into Rarity's house, the door closing behind her. “I am doing just fine and dandy!” she responded. “I just finished helping Rainbow Dash with her problem, and I thought that I would come to you and see if there was anything that you needed help with.”
“Oh I can assure you that I am fine.” Rarity said, and she trotted over to the kitchen so that she could start the steps on how to properly mop. Before she was able to do so however, Pinkie had stopped near the six dresses, and she emitted an “Ooh” in interest. Rarity walked over to Pinkie and let out a sigh. She didn't want her friend to touch the dresses, but she rationalized that if Pinkie touched them, her hooves were clean so there would be no dirt on them. Pinkie admired the dresses, remembering not to touch them. The first time that she had touched Rarity's dresses, the two of them did not know each other very well, and Rarity raised her voice a large amount. Pinkie ended up leaving, but that event did not get her down. She just remembered to not touch Rarity's dresses. Pinkie bounced over to the kitchen after she finished marveling at their beauty. One would think that they would spend an entire day staring at the craftsmanship, but Pinkie didn't have the time, and she was used to Rarity creating works of art in dress form.
Rarity looked up and down the kitchen, thinking about how she was going to do this. First she had to sweep the floor, so that there would be no large chunks (if there was any, she was usually quick to sweep it up previously) moving around with the mop. While she thought about the direction in which she was going to mop, Pinkie had pulled the broom out of the kitchen closet and started to sweep. Rarity turned to Pinkie and was about to stop her, until she realized that the floor was being swept just like her. She half expected the broom to be thrown around like a ruffian, but Pinkie was perfectly gathering every single thing on the floor into a nice little pile, before it was scooped up into a dustpan and deposited in the trash.
Rarity was surprised, but with the amount of time that they had spent together, with Pinkie's eidetic memory, she shouldn't be surprised that Pinkie knew how to sweep “her way”. Pinkie placed the broom and dustpan back in the closet, a big smile on her face as she sat up on the kitchen counter so that Rarity could mop. “So what are the plans for today?” Pinkie asked.
“I have a meeting with a very important client.” Rarity replied, while her magic picked up the mop, drained it of the excess water, and then softly placed it on the ground. Her horn glowed, and the magic dragged the mop around, slowly cleaning up the floor of the dirt and grime that would deposit due to a week of work. While it was not as dirty as a certain Apple's family house, there was still noticeable amounts of dirt. Rarity did not let anyone in her house other then her friends if it was this dirty, and as much as she appreciated Pinkie's help, she didn't expect it. If they wanted to help, that was fine. If not, no problem at all.
Pinkie kicked her legs back and forth, absentmindedly looking around the kitchen while she spoke, “Is the meeting for those pretty dresses that you have in your room?” She asked.
“Why, yes of course. I spent so much time on those dresses. I had to draft a picture of them, and I had to discard twenty different designs because they weren't as good as the ones that I stuck to.” Rarity replied, half of the kitchen cleaned by the time she finished that sentence.
“I think the dresses are really pretty!” Pinkie said, “You have really outdone yourself!”
Rarity's nervous disposition turned into a smile, and she looked to Pinkie while she continued to mop up the room. She levitated a rag onto the floor to dry up the water, and sporadically drain into the sink. “Thank you Pinkie, that is very kind of you to say.”
“Those dresses are my favorite so far! Other then the one you made me for the Gala, they are the best ones I've seen!”
“Thank you kindly.” Rarity responded, and as the floor was completely cleaned, she put all of the cleaning tools away, and moved onto the carpet of her living room. This was the room that Hoity Toity was going to inhabit, so she had to make sure that it was perfect. Pinkie jumped off of the counter and zipped through the air until she was standing on the carpet, and she smiled at Rarity while the white mare laughed. Good old Pinkie Pie, she could never get tired of that. She cleared her throat as she started to levitate all of her fabrics and tools onto higher surfaces, so she could clean the carpet. “So Pinkie, do you have any plans for today?”
“Nope! I already helped Rainbow Dash, Mr. and Mrs. Cake with their catering order, and I helped Derpy move.”
“I see.” Rarity responded, as she levitated the main rug in the living room, rolled it up, and then opened her door so she could take it out. She stopped as she realized that she just showered before Pinkie came here, and she concentrated her magic, levitating the rug over her durable clothesline. She then took a broom from her living room closet, and started to beat the rug. Dirt started to fall out of it, and she started to beat it quickly as she realized that she only had forty five minutes before Hoity Toity would arrive. Pinkie leaned back and forth on her hooves, not bored despite the mundane task that Rarity was taking part in. When the rug was placed back on the floor, Pinkie talked again, “Well is there anything that you need my help with?” She asked. The two mares moved back into the house, and Pinkie moved behind the mannequins so that she could have a rear view of the dresses, while Rarity cleaned up the last of the rugs.
A half hour later, Rarity had not managed to get rid of Pinkie. Despite the numerous hints that Rarity gave, Pinkie was intent on staying for at least a hour, so that the two could catch up. Rarity had no problem with that, but Pinkie was not exactly the kind of pony that she would want around Hoity Toity. The two were completely different, but at least Pinkie was better then Applejack. That still did not help her nerves as the clock was ticking, and Rarity was running out of ways to clue Pinkie in on the fact that Rarity wanted to be alone while these dresses were shown. She finally sighed. “Listen, Pinkie-” she started, but the doorbell rang and her nerves twitched, before she walked over to the door. She had to keep it together, Pinkie couldn't ruin this.
Rarity trotted over to the door, and opened it, smiling quickly when she saw that Hoity Toity was at the door. He peered at her through his glasses, and he let out a small laugh upon seeing Rarity in an apron. “Well then, I suppose that you had to fire your maid?” the colt asked.
Rarity laughed nervously, and nodded her head, “Uh, yes.” she responded, moving to the side so that the colt could enter. “She was not doing her duties and she had to be let go.”
“I see. Well, are those the dresses?” he asked, tilting his glasses up for a moment so that his naked eyes could draw in the colors without the yellow filter.
Rarity walked over to the dresses and nodded her head, taking a quick glance of the room. Pinkie had disappeared. Relief flooded through her, and she placed that smile back on her face while she moved over to the mannequins. “As you can see, I perfectly portrayed the theme of summer in these dresses, along with exhibiting six different motifs in summer.” she responded. “I can assure you that these dresses will make anyone who wears them, the belle of the ball.”
Hoity Toity smiled and nodded his head, placing the glasses back over his face as he moved to touch the fabric. Rarity could see that his hooves were perfectly clean, so she didn't have to worry. “Perfect color complements, excellent craftsmanship, and I thought the dresses that you showed me a year ago were just created out of luck.” he said, and he laughed his posh laugh a few times. “Well, since you had models for your last six dresses, I assume that you have six models ready to show me how they look?”
Rarity felt her heart skip a beat, and she turned to the posh colt, “I um...” she paused, biting her lip and nervously smiling.
Hoity Toity raised an eyebrow, “You do have a model for your dresses, do you not?”
Both of the members of the living room turned towards Pinkie. Hoity Toity laughed a few times, possibly due to the fact that a pink mare wanted to be a model for dresses. Rarity couldn't tell, but he found this suggestion to be silly at best. Rarity walked over to Pinkie, and she whispered into her ear. “I don't think that you can show these dresses in the way that Hoity Toity wants. I'm sorry Pinkie.”
“Are you crazy? I know all about modeling!” Pinkie replied, quite loudly, and the white colt seemed taken aback by her informal rejoinder.
“I see, well if you are able to model these dresses, then I will not complain, although the mere fact that a pink pony is modeling is... interesting to say the least.”
“I'll put these on, and show you that Rarity knows how to make dresses!” Pinkie responded, and she giggled before she turned to Rarity. The white mare looked thunderstruck, as if her career was going to be flushed down the toilet because of this one action. Pinkie was able to sense Rarity's distress, and she placed both of her hooves on her friend's shoulders. “Don't worry Rarity. The plot doesn't allow me to fail.” she said, smiling brightly.
Rarity stared back with a confused expression, before Pinkie giggled again and rushed over to the dresses. In a wave of pink colors, all six dresses were taken into a separate room and the door was closed behind her. Hoity Toity looked towards his pocket watch, and Rarity shifted between her hooves in nervousness. “The dresses are nice, are they not?” she asked.
“Why yes, they are nice, but I like to see a dress on a pony before I buy it.” the posh colt replied. “It can look as pretty as possible, but only with application will it truly show how great it is.”
Rarity nodded her head, and then turned back to the hallway, wishing that Pinkie didn't take so long to get ready. The bedroom door opened a minute later, and Pinkie slowly stepped out. She had put on the dress perfectly, as if she was the mannequin. She slowly walked out, giving Hoity Toity the time to observe her every curve, her flank, her hair which was perfectly blown back into a style that complimented the dress. This certain dress had emblazoned the motif of a party, something that Pinkie was all too familiar with. Right when she stopped, a few feet away from Hoity Toity, there was a loud “Bang!” and the room was covered in party decorations, a pinata, all of the decorations that a party would contain. Rarity looked towards a corner of the room, and Gummy was absentmindedly staring back at her, his mouth on Pinkie's Party Cannon.
Hoity Toity was stunned, and he lifted his glasses before he walked around Pinkie, taking in the splendor of her grace and poise. “Absolutely marvelous!” Hoity Toity said, and he moved back to his side of the living room, clopping his hooves up and down on the carpet to show his excitement for the next dress. Pinkie smiled and winked at Rarity before she moved back into her makeshift dressing room. Rarity couldn't believe it. She pulled one of her eyelashes and winced at the pain, before letting it go, making sure that she didn't pull it out to avoid looking less then desired. How did Pinkie know how to be... not her? Rarity was half expecting Ponyville to slowly turn to chaos. Was Discord back? A bunch of questions moved through her head, and she turned when she heard music.
Light and cheery music was playing from a phonograph, and Rarity looked towards the sound. Gummy had just released the needle, which caused the phonograph to play. Hoity Toity adjusted his glasses, his expression turning more serious. “I see, this mare is going to try the pool party dress next.” He said to himself. Indeed she did. Pinkie only took half of the time of the previous dress, and when she moved out of the room, she slowly jogged over to the spot before extending her hooves to the air, smiling brightly. The motif of a pool party was not lost on the dress, and another “Bang!” came out of the Party Cannon, a small inflatable pool (filled with water) landing right in front of her. She placed her hooves in the water and Hoity Toity smiled once more. “The perfect attitude in a pool party! While I would not have such a party, since I am more used to things like the Gala, this is the perfect attitude that a pool party would entail! Bravo!” he said, and he clopped his hooves once again. Pinkie smiled and bowed, before moving back into the bedroom.
A complete half hour later, Pinkie had exhibited all of the dresses, putting on a show that would probably mirror the Gala's dresses for how wonderful they were. As Pinkie moved into the bedroom in order to take off the dress, Hoity Toity's sunglasses were on top of his head, so that his eyes could meet Rarity's while they spoke. He took out a large bag of bits from his outfit and gave them to Rarity. Her eyes lit up as she realized how much she was being paid, but she cleared her throat. She couldn't lose her composure in front of him. He hadn't left yet. “Thank you so much for your business.” Rarity said, as she placed her hoof onto her forehead to try and form a pose that he would like.
Hoity Toity wasn't interested in poses, he was more interested in the mare that showcased the uniforms. “That was a brilliant show!” he said, as he placed the red cup full of lemonade that he previously acquired on the first dress on Rarity's dresser. He was thirsty, but he was more in the mood for wine. “You have certainly outdone yourself Rarity. I have never seen such beautiful dresses, complemented by a wonderful show such as this. It was as if you made all of this up on the spot!”
Rarity laughed nervously, “Of course, imagine that.” she responded, her eyes shifting left and right before she met his gaze once more.
“I expect these dresses to be delivered to my suite by tomorrow. I can assure you that I am going to be coming back more often. The train ride to Ponyville and the normal ones who surround you in this town certainly must be getting to you. For me it was worth it, since I am going to be receiving those works of art.” Hoity Toity replied. He walked over to the door, and Rarity opened it with her magic. “What a lady.” he added, smiling as he walked outside. “I will contact you in a week, I would love to have dinner with you to discuss dress patterns for the fall.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Rarity responded, holding back the firework of excitement that just exploded in her body. “Ta ta.” And the door closed behind him.
Pinkie walked out of the bedroom, shaking herself a small amount and her mane moved back to its original shape. For once, Pinkie was the one who was tackled to the floor. “Pinkie I can't believe that you did all of that!” Rarity exclaimed, as she hugged the pink mare.
The brightest smile was on Rarity's face, and Pinkie giggled before the two of them moved back to their hooves. “Well of course, I couldn't let this story have a sad flashback, now could I?” she asked.
Rarity was confused, but she decided not to ask. Of all the things that Pinkie was capable of, she never would have guessed that her friend could not be herself, and impress Hoity Toity, a colt that was completely opposite from her. Pinkie moved over to Gummy, and started to clean up the mess that the Party Cannon had left. She was slightly guilty that she dirtied Rarity's room, right after it was cleaned to look perfect for Hoity Toity. For the first time in a while, Rarity couldn't care less. Due to Pinkie's intervention, her reputation was saved, and she got to have dinner with one of the most popular dress designers in Equestria. She hugged Pinkie once more, and Pinkie wrapped her hooves around her friend, her face looking down somewhat for a moment. Her disposition looked depressed, but Rarity wasn't able to see when the two had broken apart. “I can't thank you enough, Pinkie.” Rarity said.
“Anything to help a good friend.” Pinkie replied, another giggle resonating to prove her point. “I'm glad that I could help you!”
Rarity's eyes opened, and she looked left and right, noticing every pony who was remembering Pinkie's impact on their life. She dabbed at her leaking eyes with a handkerchief, and she looked down towards her lap. “I can never thank you enough Pinkie... I never got to repay you.”
The wind blew through her mane as she flew. Rainbow Dash didn't usually have a smirk on her face, or a smile from her recent weather duties. One would think that she would be cocky and happy, since she created a new record for cleaning up the skies. Instead of ten seconds, she was now at eight. Despite such an achievement, Rainbow Dash landed on her house, wiping off her hooves so that she did not get any dirt on the interior of her house. A letter was clenched between her teeth, her saliva moistening the bottom of the envelope in which the letter was housed. However since she already read the letter, she wasn't worried about it. “Just my luck.” she said to herself, moving the letter to her right hoof as she moved over to her bed. She collapsed on top of it, letting out a sigh, frustration coursing through her body. “How am I going to try out for the Wonderbolts now?” she asked her room. As expected, there was silence for a retort. The light blue mare turned onto her back, as she pulled the piece of parchment from the envelope, wanting to read the letter again just in case she missed something.
“To the Wonderbolts Fan Club,
As you may know, the Wonderbolts have been providing shows for Canterlot and Ponyville for the past year. The Grand Galloping Gala was one of the best events that the Wonderbolts were able to perform for every pony, but for the next month, the Wonderbolts will be moving their performances to Los Pegasus. We know that you are probably sad from this decision, but Spitfire has told me that she doesn't want any pony to be alarmed. These performances are only for a month, and the Wonderbolts will be moving back to Ponyville after wards. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Fancy Facts, Wonderbolts Publicist”
Rainbow Dash tossed the letter onto her cloud end table and it hovered there, probably due to the cloud's magical properties. Her magenta eyes stared up at the ceiling. As much as she wanted to fly over to the Wonderbolt's house, and beg them to stay in Ponyville so that she could practice, she wouldn't disrespect their decisions. She was ready, she could tell. Her wings flexed underneath her body, slowly extending before retracting. She was the best flier in all of Equestria. Princess Celestia deemed it so, when she saved the Wonderbolts and Rarity while creating a Sonic Rainboom. She was sure that even Princess Celestia was not capable of such a feat! But then again, Applejack's words resonated through her mind. “Your magic is a part of you Sugarcube, and we like who you are.”
Rainbow Dash couldn't blame Princess Celestia if she wasn't capable of her own feats. That was why the two of them did not have the same cutie mark. She was sure she wouldn't like it if Princess Celestia rubbed the fact that she could raise the sun and moon in her face. She focused back to the problem at hand. How was she going to be able to show off her stuff to the Wonderbolts, if they weren't going to be in this city? She didn't have the energy to fly all the way to Los Pagasus, and she didn't have enough money to purchase a train ticket. It seemed that she was out of luck for the time being. Frustrated, she punched her bed, only to feel the soft and tingling clouds pushing back at her hooves. She bit her lip. “I guess I could take a nap.” she said to herself, as she closed her eyes, her wings relaxing. “I'll worry about this tomorrow.”
The next day came around, and Rainbow didn't have much in the means of a solution to her problem. After some brainstorming, the only thing she could think of was taking a train. But tickets were expensive, and she didn't have enough money. An idea came to her mind and she sat up in her bed. If she could borrow money from all five of her friends, then she would be able to pay for a ticket! Tickets were sixty bits. If she could borrow ten bits from all of her friends, then she could afford the ticket, and she wouldn't be making a large financial burden on one person. It was a perfect idea! Rainbow Dash flew out of her house, looking at the beautiful white clouds as she made her way to Fluttershy's cottage. She landed on the doormat, and lightly knocked on the door to avoid startling her.
Fluttershy looked through the heart shaped hole in the door, and smiled when she saw that it was Rainbow Dash. “Oh, hello Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy said, as she moved over to hug the other pegasus. The two let go of each other and Rainbow Dash walked into her friend's house, moving over to the living room couch. She sat down, and the yellow mare did the same. “Hey Fluttershy, how are you doing?”
“I am doing just fine. I am so excited that you came to visit me. I was just about to feed all of my little friends.”
“That is cool. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a little spare bag of bits lying around, would you?” Rainbow Dash asked. She figured that if she wanted to ask Fluttershy for anything, she might as well do it now since any form of flattery would not affect her. Her and Applejack, both of them were not very happy when they were subjected to flattery for something.
Fluttershy shook her head, “I'm sorry, but I don't have any spare money with me. I had to spend all of the money on food. I got a few more friends for my house, and the eat more food then the rest of my friends combined. I don't have any spare money for this month, or next month, until I teach my friends how to catch their own food.” she responded.
Rainbow Dash sighed, and nodded her head. “I understand, thanks anyway. Sorry if I sounded desperate... it's just,” Rainbow paused, “The Wonderbolts are going to be taking their shows to Los Pegasus, and I need to take a train over there. I am ready to show off my stuff to them, and prove that I can be a part of their team.” she said.
Fluttershy looked guilty that she didn't have the money to give to the pegasus, and she once again apologized for not having the money. “If I could help you, I would.” she responded. “Please don't hate me!”
Rainbow Dash laughed a few times, and hugged her, “I could never hate you Fluttershy. I'm going to go ask everyone else. Have a good day okay?”
Rainbow Dash landed on Twilight's doormat, letting out a sigh at the fact that she had to ask the one mare that she called an “egghead” time and time again. She was going to have to apologize for that... sometime later. She knocked on Twilight's door and Spike was the first to open it. “Oh, hello Rainbow Dash.” he said, a smile on his face as he allowed her inside. Twilight was currently sorting through a large pile of books, her purple eyes staring over a cover. “Spike, would an author that starts with “S” and “A” be alphabetized before “S” and a period?” she asked. Rainbow Dash giggled a small amount, finding it hard to believe that this is what Twilight spent a lot of her time doing. However she reprimanded herself, remembering that everyone was different.
Twilight's eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, and she smiled brightly, “Oh, hello Rainbow Dash. How are you doing?” She asked.
“Doing fine Twi, listen, I need your help with something.” Rainbow said, still slightly embarrassed that she was asking.
Twilight's eyes lit up at the possibility of helping out one of her best friends, and she levitated a clipboard over to herself, followed by a quill. “What is it that is troubling you?” she asked, a bright smile on her face.
Rainbow pushed her hooves together, twiddling them a small amount before she finally answered, “The Wonderbolts are going to be going to Los Pegasus and I need to go over there because I can show them my moves. I am ready, I know I am, but since they are going to be gone for a month, I need to go see them now. A train ticket to Los Pegasus is sixty bits, and I have ten on me, I was wondering if I could borrow thirteen bits?”
Twilight was disappointed that this problem wasn't something that she could turn into a letter to Princess Celestia, but she understood Rainbow's predicament. It was unfortunate that she wasn't able to talk to the Wonderbolts about joining when she won the flier competition, or when she was at the Gala. Following your dreams was a large lesson that she learned recently, so she would love to be the one to help Rainbow Dash achieve her dreams. However, there was one slight problem. “I would love to help you Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said, although the nervous frown on her face was not reassuring.
Rainbow noticed this frown, but she still remained positive, “You will?” she asked, a large smile on her face.
“I would love to help you, but I don't have any money to spare.” Twilight replied, guilt slowly moving onto her face.
Rainbow Dash sighed, but smiled and hugged Twilight. “I understand, thank you for listening though.” she said, and she flew out the door, closing it behind her.
Rainbow beat her wings against the wind, moving through the sky. She passed Sugarcube Corner, not wanting to ask her pink friend. Pinkie probably didn't have any money, so there was no reason to ask. She landed on Rarity's doormat, and a smile came across her face. Rarity made a large amount of money from the sale of dresses, at least, Rainbow thought so. How could she afford such a large house if that wasn't the case? She knocked on Rarity's door, and it glowed before being opened. Rarity was in her side of the living room, apparently working.
She walked into the room, the door closing behind her. “Hello there Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said, a smile on her face as she placed two colors together, complementing them. She moved the fabrics over to Rainbow's mane, and compared the two before levitating them back to her. “Is there something that I can help you with?” she asked.
Rainbow took a deep breath and explained her problem to Rarity. After wards, she took another breath, “So I need a train ticket to Los Pegasus. In order to do that, I need to borrow twenty bits.” she said, afraid that she was going to be shot down like the other friends.
Rarity smiled and nodded her head, “Well Rainbow Dash, you are in luck.” she said.
Rainbow was about to leave, but Rarity's smile had kept her grounded. “Really? You have enough money?” she asked.
Rarity winced slightly, embarrassed that she had the money, but she wasn't able to hand it over... yet. “I do have enough money... but not today. I am finishing off these dresses, and I will be able to lend you the money in a week. Is that okay?”
Rainbow Dash's mood deflated once more, and she shook her head. She moved to the door, opened it, and turned to look at her friend. “Thank you for trying, but if I can't be there on the first day, then I might as well not go.” she said, “I'll see you later.”
Rainbow Dash laid down on a cloud, sighing in frustration and sadness over the coincidences that ended up depriving her of a ticket to Los Pegasus. If she had just been more careful with her money, or her friends, then she would have been able to go. But now, she had to wait an entire month to show the Wonderbolts her moves, and in that time, anything could happen. The Wonderbolts could end up accepting someone else, and kick her chances of joining to the curb. They could end up growing more attached to Los Pegasus, and would travel there more frequently, depriving Rainbow of more chances to prove herself. “It isn't fair!” she said out loud.
“What isn't fair?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow sat up, completely surprised at the party pony's question. She looked around, and saw that Pinkie was using the same trampoline that she used around Gilda. She was bouncing every few seconds up to her, remaining in the air, and then falling back down. Rainbow sighed. She might as well explain it to Pinkie. She couldn't borrow any money from Applejack, they still had a feud going on over who won that hoof wrestling match.
Pinkie's eyes widened as Rainbow mentioned Los Pegasus. “Ooh, I know that...” her head disappeared before she bounced back up, “Place! It's west of... here!”
“Yeah, Pinkie. I don't want to... ask you, because I still... owe you from last month. But will... you lend me... some money for a train ticket?” Rainbow asked.
Pinkie paused in midair, as her head punctured the cloud. “I don't have any spare bits.” she responded.
Rainbow sighed, “Of course you don't. That's my luck.” she said to herself, as she fell back on the cloud.
“But wait!” Pinkie exclaimed, as she fell back down onto the trampoline, and bounced back up, “I do have... A ticket to the Wonderbolts Show.... In Los Pegasus! It comes with... a free train ride to... and back to Ponyville!”
Rainbow thought that Pinkie was joking, or that she was dreaming. She punched herself in the shoulder and then winced from the pain. “How did you manage... to get a ticket... to the Wonderbolts Show?” she asked.
Pinkie landed on her flying bicycle and she pedaled up to Rainbow's cloud. “Well I did a party for them, and they thanked me by giving me two free tickets! I already gave one to Scootaloo, because she wanted to see the Wonderbolts really badly. You can have the other one!” she said.
Rainbow Dash held out her hooves, tears in her eyes as Pinkie pulled the ticket out of (not surprisingly) nowhere and placed it in Rainbow's hooves. She hugged Pinkie Pie extremely hard, and then pulled back, “Thank you so much Pinkie... I don't know how I can ever repay you.”
“Oh you don't need to, that smile was all I wanted! Let me know how it goes okay?”
“Spike, where did that book go?” Twilight's hues stared through three bookshelves, crammed with literature from nursery rhymes to Princess Celestia's elimination of Discord and his reign. Her head shook from left to right, her eyes scanning every title in front of her. It just wasn't there. Spike was rushing down the stairs, a pile of books stacked on his arms. Twilight levitated the stack over to her table, where she started to sort through them. “No, none of these are it!” she said, whining slightly as she pushed one of the books off of the table out of frustration. “How am I supposed to do this without the book! I am going to look like a complete egghead!”
Twilight hated that word, she only endured it when Rainbow Dash decided to use it. Although ever since she started reading the Daring Do series, that word was being used less and less. She appreciated that, but a correction of one's slurs was not important right now. What was important was that book. “Please tell me that you found it!” Twilight said, as she moved her head an inch away from the baby dragon, her slightly bloodshot eyes staring into the dragon's own.
“Uhh... no Twilight, I haven't found it. I'm sorry, but it looks like you are going to have to go out on that date without it.” Spike replied.
“Oh that's just great.” Twilight replied, “The one time that I actually wanted to read that book, it disappears. How convenient.” she turned towards her door, sighing as she levitated a few bits a few inches from her face. “I'm going to go and have a sandwich to calm my nerves.” she said, as the door opened in front of her. Spike nodded his head, and descended the stairs, claiming the new stack of books as his job.
Twilight walked down the road, keeping her head held high, but the prospect of a date was still lingering in her mind. Her date was tomorrow, and despite the three days that she spent looking for that practical book on how to impress a colt, they were all for naught. The book was not found, and in her panic, she didn't realize that out of her five friends, one of them has probably gone out on a date before. She stopped walking as a yellow building passed her vision. The same restaurant that she dined at when she got her tickets to the Gala. Now that she thought about it, out of the four years that she had been in Ponyville, she didn't go to that restaurant. Spike cooked so well, and her friends usually brought over something when that wasn't the case.
Twilight's neutral expression turned into a smile as she walked into the restaurant. The waiter was surprised to see her, but it was quickly hidden with his own smile as he brought Twilight to a table outside. There was not a cloud in the sky, hopefully her entree would not be waterlogged again. The waiter disappeared and came back with a glass of water, which he placed in front of the studious mare. Twilight thanked him, and the waiter nodded, “Let me know when you are ready to order.” he said, before providing another nod of respect. While the waiter disappeared again, Twilight looked over the menu. It was weird, the difference between the layout of a menu and the layout of a book. Run on sentences were rampant in this menu, but the creator probably did not have to abide by basic literary rules. After all, who cared? They wanted food, not a lesson in English.
“Twilight?”
“Huh?” Twilight turned around, the combination of her focus on the menu and a divergent mind conversation keeping her from realizing who it was that spoke. Rainbow Dash was standing a few feet away from her, the two of them separated by the restaurant's fence. She was smiling, and Twilight was able to see that her friend's eyes were slightly drooping. She was tired, and her mane was out of its usual order. “What's up?”
“Oh, well I am just trying to get some food in my stomach.” Twilight said, placing her internal problem on the back burner for the moment. Maybe a little interaction with her friends could trigger some kind of epiphany. Her friends attending a date was still eluding her. “I'm just thinking about what I am going to do. I have a problem.”
Rainbow nodded her head, and her wings flapped a few times to bring her over the fence and onto the opposite side of the bench. She was skeptical over what Twilight considered a problem, since it was usually something that she couldn't help with. She liked Twilight, she really did, but a previous “problem” was finding a book that Rainbow didn't want to find, and didn't know where to look. But at the same time, she felt guilty that Twilight had done so much for her, and yet Rainbow wasn't able to pay her back. Maybe this was her chance. “What's the problem? I'm sure it's nothing for the best flier in all of Equestria.” she said, a smirk on her face as she looked to her wings.
Twilight smiled lightly, a small glimpse of the Sonic Rainboom moving past her mind as she focused on the problem. “I wasn't able to find my book. I remember so many times, throwing it to the side because it wasn't useful to me at the time. But now that I actually need it... the book disappeared.” she said.
Rainbow had spaced out partially when she heard, “Book” but she nodded her head anyway. Another book problem, it seemed. “Well, do you remember the last place that you looked? Are you sure that no one took it and we need to open up a can of whoop flank?” she asked.
“No, I'm sure that the book wasn't stolen. Who would steal a book?” Twilight replied. Discord came to her mind, but she ignored it. He wasn't coming back. “I needed that book for my date!”
“Wait, what?” Rainbow's attention was brought back to Earth, her head snapping to stare into Twilight's eyes. The egg... well read pony getting a date? She would have fallen over laughing if she wasn't so shocked. “You are going on a date?”
“Yes!” Twilight replied, standing up on the bench in a hysterical manner. Some of the diners were looking over at her, and Twilight sat back down on the bench, her face turning slightly red. “I have a date tomorrow with one of Shining Armor's friend's brothers. I need that book or else I am going to fail my date!”
Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, “Twilight, I'm sure that you are going to do fine without the book. Just be yourself.” she responded. Rainbow wished that she could give her own advice, but when it came to dates, Rainbow had not officially gone out on one. No one had asked her. Her eyes drooped as she realized that her egghead friend was asked out on a date before she was. However they widened back to regular shape. The last thing she wanted was to be depressed, she had tickets to the Wonderbolts tomorrow! Before she was able to add another suggestion, Twilight interrupted.
“But, I'm not sure if myself is what the date is for!”
“Just trust me Twilight, if you be yourself, then the date will end up the way that it was supposed to.” Rainbow responded, “I gotta go, I hope you don't mind. See you later!” And she was off.
Delectable. Delicious. The taste as the flowers relaxed against her tongue and combined with the bread was priceless. If she wasn't meagerly paid by library wages, she would have paid more for this sandwich, just out of the adept mastery of the chef. Twilight's smile became brighter as the sandwich was set down on the plate. She almost jumped as she heard that one particular party pony. “Hey Twilight! Whatcha doing!”
“Hey Pinkie, I'm just eating and thinking.” she responded.
Pinkie climbed up the bench and sat down, smiling as she managed to break the laws of physics again and move from the ground up into the bench. “That looks like a good sandwich,” she started. Pinkie blinked as she finally realized the second part of Twilight's response. “What are you thinking about?”
“You promise not to tell anypony?”
Pinkie placed her hooves over her chest, before lightly poking her eye. Twilight wasn't sure why she made her friend Pinkie swear, even though she told Rainbow. She should have Rainbow do the swear the next time they meet. “I have a date with somepony tomorrow.”
“Ooh! I remember my first date.” Pinkie said, giggling as her mind started to backtrack. “So many cupcakes were made that day.”
Twilight didn't want to ask, it was probably best to focus on her problem, “I don't know anything about dates. I never went out on one, and the last time that I heard of them, was from my brother!” She placed her hooves over her face, as her chin touched the bench. “I'm going to fail my date!”
Pinkie giggled again, and reached across the bench to remove Twilight's hooves, “Twilight, I'm sure that you are going to do fine.” she said.
“But, I'm going into something completely unprepared.” Twilight's voice was slowly becoming lower as she spoke. She wanted to disappear, but at the same time, if she could just find that book, her confidence would come back and she could attend that date. Pinkie let go of Twilight's hooves and then placed her own below her chin. “Hmm... how about the both of us role play out a date?” she asked.
Twilight was taken aback. Sure, Pinkie would help every pony with anything, but if a date consisted of a mare and a colt talking and getting to know each other, wouldn't two mares ruin the purpose? It made sense. That was like having X as a variable, and then trying to solve for Z, when there was no Y or X. Confusing mathematical similes aside, if it would train her for her date, then she couldn't disagree. “Thank you Pinkie.” she said.
Pinkie stood up, that trademarked smile on her face, “Oki doki loki! I'll be at your house in two hours!” was her last words, before a puff of pink clouds had indicated her quick departure. Twilight should have talked to Pinkie in the first place, she either completely knew how to fix something, or had no clue. Either way, asking her first was her new preference.
Were you supposed to be nervous on a fake date? If not, then why was her gulping so much louder when Spike wasn't home? Twilight had sent her assistant out to get some groceries, since a refill of parchment and ink was in order. She was sitting down near her living room table, fighting the urge to pace in nervousness. Pinkie would never stand her up, but it had been one hundred and nineteen minutes. As that last minute moved across the clock, there was a knock at the door. The door illuminated in purple magic before it was opened, and Pinkie bounced through the archway and into the room, a bright smile on her face. Twilight's eyes widened as she looked over the mare.
Pinkie had dressed very formal for this fake occasion. She was wearing a new dress that Rarity had designed, a beautiful creation of pink and white, which reminded Twilight of the mares in the fairy tales. Her hair was (somehow) pulled back into a more manageable fashion, and a beautiful red topaz necklace was adorned on her dress. Twilight wasn't wearing any clothes, only her saddlebag, which now made her feel more naked then any point in her life. Pinkie's eyes scanned her body, but not a single comment came out about her lack of clothing. “It is nice to see you Twilight.” Pinkie said, as she moved to her knees at the table. Twilight moved to the other side, and realized that one of her wooden figures was blocking the view between the both of them. She knocked it onto the ground, before letting out a nervous laugh.
Pinkie giggled a slight amount, and the sound of her Party Cannon rang out. The door was closed after the room was completely modified. A candle for each mare was burning on their side of the table, purple for Twilight and pink for Pinkie. Two dishes were placed in front of the mares, five cupcakes sitting atop them. “I baked these for you.” Pinkie added, as glasses of water followed. The windows were also closed, and Gummy started to slowly roll the Party Cannon back to Pinkie's room. Twilight was lost for words, and she turned to the pile of cupcakes in the middle of the table. She took one, and bit into it. Her red face had still not dissipated, and Pinkie took a cupcake as well. “I failed the dress portion of the date, didn't I?” Twilight asked.
Pinkie shook her head, “That is how you regularly dress, I am only wearing this because colts usually overdress for us mares!” she replied. “On a date, you wear whatever you want Twilight!”
Twilight looked back to her cupcake, not sure if Pinkie actually knew what she was talking about, or if a date was actually as laid back as Pinkie was claiming it to be. She looked back to the cerulean eyes of her friend, and then she placed the cupcake on the table. Pinkie asked another question, “So, Twilight? What do you do?”
Twilight laughed a small amount, “Pinkie, you know what I do.” she responded.
“No I don't, I haven't seen you around.” Pinkie replied.
Twilight blinked a few times, and when her date winked, that was when she realized the “role play” part of this aspect. “Um... I'm a librarian in Ponyville... I like to read books, go outside, and play with my friends.” she said. There was a pause, “I failed that too didn't I?”
Pinkie shook her head, “There is no wrong answer, that you have.” Pinkie replied, thinking of the many rich colts that could easily ruin a date. However her attitude was not spoiled, that smile remained on her face, like the mare in the moon for a thousand years. “I'm sure you heard this before, but if you be yourself, then you will never fail a date. Okay?”
Twilight nodded her head, Rainbow and Pinkie's lesson finally sinking into her brain. Her nervous disposition turned into a smile, “Thank you for all of this help Pinkie... is there anything that I can do to repay you?” she asked.
As expected, Twilight never got to repay Pinkie, despite all of her attempts. Her purple hoof moved over her eyes, as her eyes began to water again. If she didn't fail that date, then maybe she could have had a colt friend to cry on. Despite all of Pinkie's help, Twilight had not only failed the date, but failed to pay Pinkie back. “I love you Pinkie.” she whispered to herself, her hoof shaking as her tears rolled down the sides.
Fluttershy's eyes looked to her left, capturing the sight of Twilight's hoof moving in front of her face. She quickly looked forward, and closed her eyes. Twilight wasn't making any noise from her silent sobbing, which is why Fluttershy was hesitant to open her eyes in the first place. Her stomach felt like it was turning over, due to all of the feelings that she was repressing. She half expected herself to throw up, but for the moment, she was physically fine. Her mind wandered through all of Pinkie's contributions to her life, and although she was losing count of the small things, one particular big event popped into her mind. A small smile came to her face as the memory started to play out.
Ponyville was peaceful, that was the consensus among its citizens. With the Mayor overseeing the city, she had put into action a large list of laws that would keep the peace. Ever since the Hearth's Warming Eve, where the story of the windigoes was shown, the Mayor didn't want to replicate that incident. Happiness and friendship caused a lack of frozen ponies, and Princess Celestia preferred that over discord and anger. However, as much as the citizens of Ponyville wanted to act in complete harmony with one another, sometimes, it was too inconvenient. Fluttershy was unfortunately one of the mares in Ponyville who had to endure the bad moods of ponies when they weren't exactly on their best day. Pinkie's attempts at making someone smile could only last for so long. Fluttershy was letting out a grunt of exhaustion, her wings carrying her as much as they could to the ground. She was currently moving from Cloudsdale to Ponyville, where her new friends were. Her eyes were focused on the sky, the beauty of Cloudsdale leaving her enamored. However her lack of attention to who was in front of her had caused an altercation.
A small “Oof” came from her mouth as she ran head first into a colt, who was carrying a couch with another colt. They were probably moving as well. Fluttershy stumbled backwards a few steps, while the colt was pushed forward from Fluttershy's weight and ended up slumped over the couch. The couch leg also fell on his hoof, which made him yell out in pain. Fluttershy's eyes widened and she moved over to the colt, as the two moved the couch off of his hoof. “I'm so sorry,” she started, “I wasn't watching where I was going.”
“Well obviously you weren't watching!” The colt fired back, anger the prime factor in the raising of his voice.
Fluttershy paused, her eyes already starting to haze up. She took a few steps to the side of the road, removing herself from the colt's way. “I'm... sorry.” Fluttershy replied, her last word barely noticeable to the best ears.
The colt's anger was not over yet, he pointed at the couch legs, which now had a decent amount of dirt on them from the impact on the ground and his hoof. “Sorry is not going to clean up my couch! I was trying to hold it away from the dirt, but since you weren't watching where you were going, now I have to get it cleaned!” he said as he stomped his unhurt hoof.
Fluttershy's eyes started to water, and she took another step backwards. Her eyes were now shifted towards the ground, and he wasn't able to hear her apology. It was nothing more then a squeak, “I'm sorry.” her eyes started to shift left and right, as her brain reminded her of why she didn't like Cloudsdale. “Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly!” The chant echoed in her mind, and her tears only started to multiply.
“Hey, leave her alone!” Pinkie walked over to the colt, her arms wrapped around a cardboard box. The box was white, and held a delicious cake inside. This was the perfect moment for Pinkie to interject, she couldn't stand to see a crying face. “You made your point, why are you making her cry too?” Pinkie asked, and she stood between the two feuding ponies. Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie's back, and the memories of Rainbow Dash standing up for her was now filling up her mind. Her parents and Rainbow Dash were the only people that didn't want to make fun of her, or push her around. Was this pink mare just wanting to have Fluttershy all to herself for taunting and teasing? As the angry colt and the mare conversed, Fluttershy soon agreed that this wasn't the case.
Fluttershy tried to get a hold of her composure, although the gasping noises and the spasms of her diaphragm were not helping. Her briefcase, which she was holding on her way to her new home, was next to Pinkie's hoof, since she dropped it after she was yelled at. The colt was a little more happy now, as Pinkie had provided him with an offer. She would help him carry the couch to the destination, if he apologized. He moved over to Fluttershy, and bit his lower lip. He was obviously not used to apologizing for his behavior, which is why he was gritting his teeth when he finally said it. “I'm sorry.”
“It's,” Fluttershy's words were interrupted by her gasping, “Okay.” she replied. As much as she wanted to say that it was her fault, the last time that she ended with that sentence, she had another ten minutes worth of chastising thrown on her, which brought her to more tears. She didn't want to repeat that. The colt moved back to the couch, and Pinkie moved to the other side, letting out a grunt of exertion as she lifted her side onto her back. She started to backpedal, looking behind her and occasionally at the ground so that she didn't fall. The yellow mare didn't hear any words from the party pony as she walked away, which left her there, alone. As much as it would have bothered other ponies, Fluttershy was mostly used to it, so she flew back to her cottage.
She slowly opened the door to her home, her eyes scanning over the emptiness. It was a perfect little home, with just enough space for her to pursue what she wanted, making friends with the animals. She opened her briefcase, and walked over to the closet, her hooves working to place this load of clothes away. This was the first load of items that she brought from her room back in Cloudsdale, and she was already tired. How was she going to be able to move, at all? If she was a better flier, then she would be able to empty her room in less then a day. Rainbow Dash's smiling face moved past her mind, and guilt started to flood her. She didn't tell her friend about her movement from the air to the ground, what would she think? Rainbow was adept at the arts of flying, but hopefully she would be able to understand that not everyone was good at something they were born with. “Please don't hate me.” Fluttershy said aloud, assuming that no one would be able to hear her.
“I don't hate you.” replied the previous pony that stood up for her.
Fluttershy turned around, and she quickly closed the closet before turning around, placing her back against it. Sure, this mare didn't hate her, but you didn't need to hate someone to make fun of them. “Th...thank you.” Fluttershy responded, her voice barely able to be read.
Pinkie placed her hoof behind her ear, before giggling and she trotted over to Fluttershy, until the two of them were inches away from each other. “I couldn't hear you.” she said, blinking a few times, a bright smile on her face.
Fluttershy wasn't sure if she could smile wider then this mare. Even the smile when Rainbow Dash acquired her cutie mark wasn't as big as the one in front of her. “Thank you.” she retorted, her eyes shifting down when their gaze met.
Pinkie placed her hooves onto Fluttershy's shoulders, and then pulled her in for a hug. “I'm sorry about that colt that yelled at you, he was having a very stressful time with moving, and he just snapped. He told me that it wouldn't happen again.” Pinkie said. She then pulled back, “I'm Pinkie Pie, what is your name?”
Fluttershy would have loved to believe that the previous colt's behavior would not be repeated, but the circular behavior of bullies was one that she was able to bring up again, and again. She remembered when she was being taunted by two foals, and when Rainbow Dash threatened them, they promised to stop. Promises meant nothing to them. Fluttershy tried to move back into a happy disposition, since this mare was introducing herself to her. “I'm Fluttershy.” she responded. Her eyes remained on the floor, until Pinkie placed her hoof underneath the yellow mare's neck, and pushed their gazes to meet.
“I don't look bad, do I?” she asked, giggling slightly before she turned around to look at her back.
“No, no you don't! You look perfect.” Fluttershy quickly retorted, terrified that Pinkie would take her assumptions the wrong way and lash out at her.
Pinkie blinked a few times, and then took a step back, before tackling Fluttershy to the ground, hugging her extremely tight to herself. “It's nice to meet you Fluttershy! I'm so glad to make new friends in Ponyville! The two of us are going to have so much fun!” she said.
This was all too good to be true. She was able to introduce herself to someone without being yelled at, or made fun of. Twilight Sparkle would indeed do the same thing a few years from this memory, but Pinkie was the first. Pinkie stood up, letting go of Fluttershy so that the two of them could continue to talk. Her eyes wandered over to the opened suitcase, and its lack of contents. “Are you moving here?” she asked, while her eyes wandered over to the empty rooms, curiosity taking over for the time being.
Fluttershy nodded her head, and then closed her briefcase. She looked over to the archway which indicated the exit, but a sigh exited her lips. She didn't want to continue moving any more, it was simply too much for her to handle. Pinkie noticed the sigh, and then started to check off pegasi in her mind that would be able to help move. “Do you need help moving?” Pinkie asked, as she walked over to the door. She leaned against the door frame, expecting Fluttershy to follow.
Fluttershy looked to Pinkie and she smiled, and nodded her head once. “I do need help with moving, I can't handle it all on my own. That one briefcase took all of my energy.” she was embarrassed to admit it, but at this point, she was desperate for help.
“I can get a few ponies to help! I can't help, because I don't have any wings, but I can carry things if you need it!” Pinkie replied, more names passing her head and being checked off.
“Any help that you can offer, I would love.” Fluttershy replied. Her smile grew wider, and Pinkie looked directly at it. Her own smile came across her face, and she turned her back to the yellow mare. “Well I am going to go get you some help for tomorrow. Rest for today, and we will continue moving tomorrow okay?” Pinkie said, her eyes looking down at the ground for a moment, her eyebrows drooping. Her stature remained strong and “happy”, but the frown on her face did not indicate it. Good thing no one was looking, the party pony had to sigh every now and again.
The group that Pinkie managed to bring for the move was larger then any group Fluttershy had seen in her life. Ten earth ponies, five pegasus, and five unicorns were standing outside of Fluttershy's house as she flew down from Cloudsdale to her new home. One briefcase was underneath her shoulder, and she dropped it in surprise, as all twenty ponies were staring right at her. Her breathing started to hitch, and her wings slapped shut against her body, and she fell five feet into two earth pony's arms. “Th...thank you.” Fluttershy responded, and she looked at the ground, her body slowly closing in so that she was as insignificant as she wanted to be. All of this attention, she hated it. The gaze on her was broken by Pinkie, who finished talking with an interior designer. “I owe you Pinkie.” the colt said, and Pinkie giggled as he walked back into line. Pinkie pulled a soapbox in front of her, (from nowhere obviously) and stood on top of it. “Okay, listen up, Fluttershy needs help with her moving! Now the Mayor has designed a plan for all of you, this way, we can get Fluttershy all cozy and safe in her blankets in less then a day!”
“Yeah!” the crowd cheered. Fluttershy jumped from the cheer, and looked around her to see that no one was staring at her. She managed to pull herself to her hooves, and Pinkie cleared the teams to move to Mayor Mare. She walked over to Fluttershy, “Hey Fluttershy, are you doing okay?” she asked.
Fluttershy was having trouble finding the right words. She was extremely happy that Pinkie managed to cut down her moving time from a week down to less then a day. But a few questions remained in her mind, which just happened to be blurting out of her mouth, “How?”
“Oh silly, Ponyville is happy to help with anyone who needs it.” Pinkie responded. Fluttershy smiled, completely unaware that there were bags tied to a few of the pony's clothes, a few bits jingling around inside. Others were happy to help, and it was shown by the smiles on their faces as they read over the plan. Others were smiling, but when most looked away, their frown would show. Perhaps a favor was being collected. “It doesn't matter, you will be snuggled all up in your blankets by the end of the day! My friend Rarity is going to take you out on a massage, go relax okay?”
Fluttershy's eyes opened, and a sob came from her lips as the conflicting feelings within he stomach were unable to be held back any longer. Pinkie Pie was the first to make her smile in Ponyville, the first to help her, and now because of the past, the first in her heart. She choked on her words as she tried to whisper to herself, but she was unable to form any coherent words. “I love you Pinkie Pie, I will never forget you.”
The podium remained unused for the fifteen minutes of recollection that everyone took part in. It was the longest fifteen minutes of Ponyville's existence. Despite this, everyone was perfectly fine with stretching the silence. Heads were slowly looking up at the podium, as memories were ended and smiles appeared on the faces of the enamored. The smiles did not last for long, since memories were called such a thing for a reason. Princess Celestia's purple eyes stared at the emptiness in front of the town hall, before they shifted to the Mayor, who was blowing her nose on a handkerchief. A complete examination of the crowd showed just what Celestia was afraid of, depression and fear. You could start Cloudsdale's Cloud Factory with the amount of tears that were shed today.
Her most faithful student did not deserve this kind of pain. While she could not speak for Luna, Celestia had spent well enough of her time mourning over past friends, lovers, and ones who showed true friendship. It was selfish, but Celestia had no tears to cry for the party pony. She wanted to, she wished that she was capable of crying. But after seeing the death of Starswirl the Bearded, the banishment of her sister, and the transformation of Discord, she had cried enough tears for a lifetime. How selfish she was, sitting in her chair and thinking about the deaths of past ponies, when there was a corpse inside of the coffin in front of her. She was one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, and yet she was unable to dissipate the plague of depression on the crowd. What use was her?
This was harmony, although it wasn't the kind that Celestia would prefer. The absence of one mare brought silence and recollection, a kind of congruity among all of the ponies in Ponyville. But at what cost? Celestia's magic was unable to dispel this collection of depression and regret. Although she was able to call this harmony, who would want this? The practical part of her mind told her that the Elements of Harmony was now missing one. Her wide range of knowledge did not cover what happened when one of the elements was missing. Celestia and her sister were the ones to use the Elements before the main six, and due to this, a problem was never brought up. Fear started to flood throughout her body as the unknown spread throughout her mind. She should have seen this coming. The past seven days were a blur in her mind, as she tried to sit in that chair and remember.
Celestia had the responsibility to take care of her subjects, and her eyes slowly closed as Nightmare Moon's return flared up in her memory. She was unable to create any kind of agreement between herself and her sister, and she took the cowardly way out, imprisonment. It saved her subjects, but if Celestia had enough adept magic power to banish the element of Discord, then why was she unable to come to an agreement? Why was she unable to stop Discord by herself, and instead had to risk her faithful student and her friends to save Equestria? Why was she unable to fight back Chrysalis, and instead was defeated in one magical spell? And now, as she sat here among the citizens of Ponyville, was she unable to prevent this catastrophe? Why was she so... useless?
Her purple eyes turned to Cadance, who had her head buried into Shining Armor's chest. She was the only one who could possibly change the mood of the room. Pinkie Pie spent her whole life making others happy, and although she would want everyone to be smiling, a spell to create it was not suitable. Celestia wanted to stand up, walk over to that podium, and use a combination of her words and magic to make everyone happier. But the correct words to do so had escaped her mind, and her fear of angering her faithful student was taking over her judgment. She honestly expected to have more ponies angry at her. She was the princess of the kingdom, one who was capable of eliminating any other spell in existence. It was a shame that death was not a spell, it was life.
Twilight's head looked up at the podium, her eyes watering as she realized that the funeral should be wrapped up soon. If not, she was sure that every pony would be perfectly fine with ignoring their duties, and replicating memories in their head until their own timely passing. A random thought passed through her head about the time spell, and whether or not she should have used it for something as idiotic as reminding herself of an abstract catastrophe. She should have saved it for an actual one. She pushed herself onto her hooves, and slowly walked over to the podium. Her head looked up at the crowd, as a tear slid down her right cheek, “Thank you all for coming. Please take as many snacks as you wish. Pinkie's coffin will be buried tonight at 9 PM. Have a... Good day.”
Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Honesty, Magic, Laughter. The six inseparable traits that created Harmony, both in this life and the next. Raindrops made soft pattering noises on Pinkie's coffin, as the remaining five stood over a six foot hole in the ground. A crowd stood behind them, spreading out in a half circle due to the large amount that decided to stay. Not a single pony left the funeral, everyone wanted to see Pinkie off. Her coffin remained on the grass, directly below the hole. Not a single pegasus wanted to clear out the clouds. Leaving the funeral, even if it was for one moment to clear the clouds, was not worth leaving their friend. The rain would be allowed to fall, for today. Twilight and Rarity stared into each others eyes, their glances simply telling the same thing. Neither of them were ready.
Princess Celestia stood over Pinkie's grave, her gaze on the six feet of depth. She, just like the rest of the crowd, did not want the coffin to be placed into its perfectly shaped room. But the thousands of years that she lived in Equestria was telling her the words that no pony else wanted to hear. Which is why she didn't want to share them, “She had to be buried sometime.” Celestia looked towards Twilight, who tilted her head down with Rarity since either unicorn was not ready to lift Pinkie into her resting place. A part of Celestia wanted to do it herself, to have the honor of helping one of her best friends into her final days on the surface. But she already had her turn, and due to her previous actions, Celestia was sure that she did not deserve this honor.
Princess Luna bit back tears, the absence of Pinkie Pie bringing back memories that were long since repressed in her subconscious. The one thousand years that were spent trapped inside of the moon, thinking about her own actions and the selfishness of her sister. She wouldn't (and couldn't) challenge her sister's decision. After all, the thousand years had already passed, but there was a reason that the two of them weren't exactly speaking like Applebloom and Applejack were. Hurt feelings, a thousand years of them, were between them both. Her return to Equestria and the elimination of Nightmare Moon from her body was an event that she would always rejoice and thank the Elements of Harmony for. But what was there to thank her sister for?
The first thing that Luna remembered doing when she acquired her room in the Canterlot Castle, was visit all of the houses that her previous friends were living in. While the Canterlot folk did not run away from her like the Ponyville citizens, none of them remembered Luna, probably because her friends have been dead for at least nine hundred years. When this realization hit her, Nightmare Moon almost struck twice. Her sister got to watch the slow transformation of Equestria into a larger country, while Luna lived in a state of stasis until her anger and jealousy created enough power to bring her back. Her sister was sad, she could tell, but she could never empathize with the feeling that Luna held deep in her chest. Her friends were dead, and Luna never got to see them grow up, or live. If anyone could empathize with the remaining five's loss, it would be her.
Blue hues stared at the many flanks and backs, as this particular colt was trying to capture a view of the coffin. This was the worst event that he had ever seen, and due to the technology that he was in control of, he had seen a lot. Doctor Whooves took a step back from the crowd, and he started to walk along the edges of the crowd. He eventually managed to slip in between two lines of the crowd, and managed to get into the front row. The TARDIS passed through his mind, and guilt flooded through his body as he realized that he could have prevented this funeral, if he was aware of Pinkie's antics. No one knew why Pinkie died, but if he had tried to look a little bit into her mannerisms and plans for that week, he was sure he could have stepped through time and prevented it. However it was too late now, even if Whooves wanted to save Pinkie, her death was now locked in time.
The four Cakes remained close to each other, the water soaking each of their clothes as they stood there, waiting for their daughter to be placed into the hole. Even though death was never a concept that passed through their household, now that both parents were able to think about what they lost, both Mr. and Mrs. Cake wished that Pinkie's death could be switched with theirs. Pinkie had more years on her life then both of them, she was slowly turning into a better parent, and her impact on Ponyville was largely negative, that many people wished she would run for Mayor, because who wouldn't like a fun mayor that made everyone smile? The two baby Cakes looked down at the hole, confusion spread among their faces. Why exactly was a pink box hovering right next to a large hole? What was the purpose of all of this? And when was Pinkie going to come back?
Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda's eyes stared down the hole, realizations popping into their mind at the most inconvenient times. The one who did the most good in the city, was the one who ended up dying first. The good were never supposed to die young, especially a mare who brought two star crossed lovers together, even when it was none of her business. Not only that, but Cranky and Matilda were definitely growing on the years. His lack of hair was not because he liked wigs. He was going to die soon, and with the lack of impact that he had on Equestria, who was going to care when he couldn't run anymore? Matilda was a given, but perhaps he should have changed his name and his attitude. Pinkie Pie managed to gather the entire city and beyond to attend her funeral. Cranky would be surprised if five people came to his.
The two unicorns could wait forever, but they knew they could both hold off on this until they died of starvation. Twilight and Rarity focused their magical power, purple energy engulfing one half of the coffin while the other was covered in light blue magic. The coffin was slowly raised from the ground, and every single head in the crowd watched the wooden creation as it hovered over the hole, and slowly sank downward, until it was unable to be seen in the dark. Both unicorns felt a small tap on their horns, indicating that the coffin hit the bottom, and they let go of their magic. Spike handed a shovel to the remaining five, before taking one himself, and all six started to shovel dirt into Pinkie's new home. More sobs, sniffs, nose blowing, and flat out crying could be heard through the scratching noises of the dirt interacting with the shovels.
The last shovelful of dirt was deposited on top of the bulge in the ground, and Spike took all six of the shovels back, as Pinkie's friends refused to move. The crowd slowly started to disperse, as every one started to walk back to their houses for a night of recollection, if their mind wouldn't allow rest. Princess Celestia bowed her head to the remaining five, before she flew up into the night and disappeared with a teleport. Princess Luna glimpsed one last time at Pinkie's grave site. “Never Stop Smiling.” She read to herself, and a small smile moved across her face. “If only it was that easy.” She thought, before a teleport marked her exit as well. Twilight looked down at the grave site, a small smile of defeat creeping along her face. Would this be considered a ghostie? Should she giggle at it? Laugh maybe? Twilight turned away from her friends and disappeared in a glow of magical energy, leaving four at the grave site. Fluttershy wiped her eyes with her wing, and Rainbow Dash moved over to give her a hug, while Rarity and Applejack embraced so that they could cry on each other's shoulders.
There was one last thing that the remaining five had to do, as they stood here among the ruins of their friend. “Spike, take four letters... please.”
You wanted us to tell you about our lessons in friendship whenever we learned something. I always sent you letters proclaiming that I didn't learn anything, and I already knew what the lesson was. But this time, I can't claim that I knew this was going to happen. No one can. My friends and I are the Elements of Harmony, but when one of us is not alive anymore, how can we call ourselves that? When one of us was gone, Discord was unable to be turned back into stone. Our friendship was like apple pie, and without Pinkie, the filling of laughter and smiles that kept the taste in the pie is missing. I've seen and been to funerals before, but I didn't expect that I would have to go to one for one of my best friends. I thought that we would all live happily into our old age, and share favorite memories together until we finally couldn't walk anymore. I guess I haven't told you what my lesson in friendship was yet... the truth is that I don't know what it is. When someone dies, usually you learn something from it, or you stay at home and mourn the passing. I am doing neither, but standing here out in the rain, as my eyes drift now and again to my friend's grave, is making me want to mourn.
I learned that friendship is an accomplishment. Now as I think about the many fights that I had with Pinkie, and the parties that I attended, every memory that I spent with Pinkie will never leave me, and I will hold with me until my own death. I know that four of my friends are still alive, and will still be with me whenever I need them, but even with the disappearance of one, I already feel alone. They say “what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.” That isn't true, no one in Ponyville is stronger because of this. Especially when the one who passed had interacted with everyone's life. Pinkie touched everyone's heart, and the lack of her touch will only weaken those who considered her as a role model, a lover, a babysitter, and a mother. We will all live on, even though it won't be easy.
Please forgive me, my hoof is having trouble writing right now. But I know that if I put this scroll down, I will never write this letter to you. Pinkie was my best friend. She was the one who visited me the most, asked me how I was, and helped me when I was way over my head. I have hundreds of friends, all of them animals, and of course Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. I learned about death the hard way, a year after I got my cutie mark. I was taking care of a bird who was born with a hurt wing. She wasn't able to fly anywhere, and had to walk. I built a nest for her nearby my bed, and we both started to walk around my house, as I cleaned up and took care of the other critters that I became friends with. She was my best friend, I knew her before Angel, and she was very special to me.
Over the months that I took care of her, she was slowly starting to become more sick, just like Philomeena before she was reborn. Because she couldn't fly, she wasn't able to exercise as much as she wanted to. A bird's wings are their primary source of exercise, because they can only hop and step every now and then with the way their legs are made. I didn't know what was wrong with her, and I ended up using every medical technique that I knew on her to fix my friend. I knew Pinkie Pie at the time, and she would drop by my house to help, even though she knew nothing about animals. She gave me money to go see a vet, and even he wasn't able to tell me what was wrong with her. I know now what was wrong, the vet didn't want to break my heart. In the end, she passed away in a month, still a baby bird who could have flown if she was born with the ability to do it. I loved her, I fell into a state of depression for weeks because of it, and the one person who brought me out of it, was Pinkie Pie.
She brought me a cupcake every day, for a week, and she didn't stop until I was actually able to make a smile on my face. I ate every cupcake she brought me, and when she invited me to one of her first parties, I went only because I wanted to pay her back for the happiness she brought to me. The punch was delicious. The cake was amazing. The games were more fun then counting all the bunnies in Ponyville. I never felt fun like that, and I was never invited to a party before. Having Pinkie in my life helped me experience a lot of things first. My first party was with her. She was my first friend when I moved to Ponyville. But at the same time, she was the first best friend I knew, that I had to attend a funeral for.
Pinkie always made me smile, even when I didn't want to talk to her and just shut myself up into my own little world, void of interaction. She spent fifty bits alone to gather a group together to help me move. Rarity's element would be proud. If Pinkie was a pegasus, and I knew her before I moved down to Ponyville, her death would not have affected me as much as it does now. All that she did for me, now looms over my head while I failed to repay her kindness, with my own. I will always love her, and keep her in my heart, since no one could be the friend that she could. I will spread happiness to those who are close to me, Pinkie would like that.
It's easy to let your reputation go to your head. I remember the problems that I made when I tried to show off my talents, even though my friends were able to save Ponyville from events that I wasn't able to fix. I am having the hardest time keeping this quill straight, sorry if that is making this letter harder to read. When I first met Pinkie Pie, I thought that she was an annoying mare, who spent way too much time on activities that were immature. If she was making parties, shouldn't she be more focused on trying to create fancy food orders for Canterlot? My attitude was that if you wanted to master your special talent, then reaching the top of the ladder was the way to do it. I never told her this, because I knew she wouldn't care. Also, at the time, I wasn't a fan of hanging out with the earth and unicorn ponies. I didn't have anything against them, I was just too busy trying to perfect my art of flying. Pinkie Pie was a joke to me, but now as I write this letter to you, I admit (a little too late) that I was the joke.
Pinkie Pie did party orders. She created works of art on a pastry tray, and sampled some out to me a few times, when I was hungry. I was a flier, a mare that wanted to have my name up in lights, and eventually join the Wonderbolts. Pinkie was goofy, always smiling, and helping everyone in Ponyville. I was competitive, paranoid about judgment, and ignorant of everyone in Ponyville. The two of us were complete opposites, and it was probably because of this, that she was the one who died happy. I haven't died yet, but I was unhappy before any of this happened. As I got to know Pinkie, after Twilight came to town, I learned that she had a fun side to her. She was capable of pulling pranks on everyone in Ponyville, including myself. The both of us always had a laugh because of it. But apart from pulling pranks on each other, I didn't spend much time with her. She didn't have that much time to spend either, at least, I don't think. How was she able to help with everyone's problems and still create appointments for her friends? I could never figure that out.
Pinkie's parties were the best, and this is coming from a mare who loved to party up in Cloudsdale. She was always creating new games to try out in parties, new drinks, and new food. I was never bored of her parties, and attended them when I could. My schedules were changed when Twilight told me that I was lazy, and the Wonderbolts wouldn't pick me if I didn't 'clean up my act'. I didn't believe her for a while, but eventually, my training regimens became brutal and harsh, to the point where my wings would be sore and begging for rest when I finally laid down on my bed. Every day I worked to try and test my flying, while Pinkie did what she wanted, and ended up being happy in the end. I was not accepted into the Wonderbolts, because I did not have the right attitude that they wanted. Even though Spitfire was a fan of mine, and wanted me to be a part of the team, she knew that the Wonderbolts' showings would tank quickly if I couldn't learn their moves, and told them to put mine into their act. The day that I was rejected from the Wonderbolts, was the day that Pinkie died.
Twilight managed to visit me in Los Pegasus, where the Wonderbolts were playing their shows. She told me the news, and I lost it. I didn't believe her. Pinkie was young, happy, and healthy. There was no way that she was dead. I broke down crying in the middle of the stadium. My best friend, the one who cared for me and provided a shoulder that I could cry on, was gone. My dreams of the Wonderbolts moved to the back of my mind, as my wish for Pinkie grew stronger. I didn't care about fame or the Wonderbolts anymore. I wanted Pinkie back. If I didn't blindly try and pursue my dreams, and instead took some of the lessons that my friends taught me to heart, I would have been able to be a a part of the Wonderbolts sooner. If that was the case, then I would have been able to save Pinkie... from what happened. The lesson that I learned was something that should have came to me a long time ago. I was selfish, I didn't listen, and because of that, I don't deserve a friend like Pinkie. I loved her, and she will always be in my heart, whenever I want to do what I love, or smile, or giggle. She was the purpose that I did most of those things, anyway.
This was the worst possible thing. Pinkie Pie was a completely different pony from me, and I liked that about her. I always wanted to take part in the parties she threw, because it was a way to relieve the stress from work. Stitching together completely different patterns every week, was taxing on my brain, so it was nice to shake out the stress in one of her parties. A massage could only do so much after all. I envied Pinkie, but at the same time, making dresses was what I loved. However, that didn't mean that creating cakes and treats in order to put a smile on other pony's faces wouldn't have been fun as well. I almost can't believe that Pinkie is gone, even though I was able to see her body inside of that coffin. She was always wanting to help me, and see what I was doing. I was never bothered by her constant questions about my work, although my opinion on a chimmicherry or a cherrychanga will always be remembered.
It isn't fair. Pinkie was one of my best friends, she was a mare that had a lot to live for. She had a family that cared for her (even though they let her go), a surrogate family that loved her, and two surrogate siblings. Whenever I went to the Cake's house to buy some cupcakes for my dress presentations, Pinkie was there. She would be taking care of the babies, cleaning up what the parents could not, and on a dime, go out to help Ponyville with their problems. I owe her my entire career because of her modeling attempts, and yet I couldn't find a way to show my appreciation. Every pony from Los Pegasus to Cloudsdale asks me to make a dress for them, and whenever I ask them how they found me, Hoity Toity's name came up. Pinkie's generosity outshone mine, the one who had such a word as her element. She should have taken my element as well, she would have shown it more.
Pinkie added energy and excitement to my life, whenever she was present in my day. I can say that, because now that she is gone, I haven't had a visitor since Twilight told me the news. No one else asked me how my day was, or if I wanted a cupcake. No more letters were sent to my house from Ponyville. Canterlot wasn't aware of what I lost, so I still acquired letters from there. Pinkie added meaning to my life, and although I will be able to continue living without her, I can truthfully say that it is going to be hard. I loved her as a friend, and I can't accept the fact that she is gone. She will always be in my heart, and whenever I smile, I hope that her heart is filled with sunshine, wherever she is.
