Pinkie Pie led her friends to the train station on what was another beautiful Ponyville day. The sun was out, the sky was clear and everything looked the picture of perfect serenity.The six mares trotted down the street, feeling the dirt under their hooves as they walked through town. Normally, you would think Pinkie Pie would be happy to be with her friends on a gorgeous day like this but her mind was unusually heavy and weighed down with thought. She hadn't even told her friends the whole story.
"So, who's this friend of yours we're meeting at the train station, Pinkie?" Applejack asked.
"He's... not a friend, really," Pinkie Pie said.
Twilight trotted up further to walk closer beside her pink friend. "Didn't you say we were meeting a friend of yours at the train station?"
Pinkie Pie rolled her head to one side. "I said we'd be meeting somepony I know..." she trailed off.
Twilight furrowed her brow. Her friend had been acting uncharacteristically down since this morning. She was usually smiling wherever they were going, boundless energy and excitement barely contained in a hyper, pink ball of pony. It wasn't often she acted down or mopey and when she did, she would always tell somepony about it, especially her friends. She was never shy about what was bothering her, or shy about anything, really. But whatever was wrong now, she kept quiet about.
Rarity also noticed Pinkie's unusual behavior. She trotted up beside her, too. "You know, if something's bothering you, sweetie, you can tell us."
"I know," Pinkie Pie replied curtly. Her voice had a hint of sadness or regret in it but not overwhelmingly. It was like a twinge of disappointment, a pang of despair on the edge of just having to deal with everyday life. Rarity almost stopped and thought about her friend's response. Their other friends took notice of this as well.
Rainbow Dash decided she would try to investigate what was going on next. She flew over beside the magenta mare, hovering off the ground while she walked. Rainbow Dash just liked being a little higher off the ground sometimes, was all.
"Pinkie, you're not acting like yourself," Rainbow said. "What's going on? We're getting worried about you."
Pinkie Pie nodded. "I know. Me too." Again, her voice had that same hint of sorrow at the end. It was almost like she was leading them to something unfortunate, something inevitable that they were going to be forced to deal with.
Fluttershy trotted up to Pinkie. Her head was hung low in a submissive state. "Is... is there some reason you don't want to tell us?" she asked.
Pinkie's expression actually changed as she thought about it. "I wouldn't say it's a reason... it's more like a surprise I don't want to spoil."
"But Pinkie," Applejack interjected. "If it's a surprise, why are you acting so mopey? Don't you like surprises?"
"I do like surprises," Pinkie said, turning around to face her friend. "But this isn't a happy surprise."
"It's not a happy surprise?" Applejack asked back. "But wasn't your character going to be called Surprise at one point anyway?"
Pinkie shook her head somberly. "It's just not that kind of a surprise. And did you just break the fourth wall? I'm the one that's supposed to do that."
Applejack took off her hat and bit down on the rim momentarily. "Aw shucks, you're right. I did. But you're not acting like yourself today so why should I?"
Rainbow Dash flew over to her. "You're not going to start lying again, are you?"
Applejack shot a blank stare at her Pegasus friend. "No," she replied flatly. Rainbow Dash should know better but she wasn't convinced.
"How do I know that wasn't a lie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Rainbow Dash, we're voiced by the same girl. Why would I lie to myself?"
Twilight turned around sharply. "Stop breaking the fourth wall!!" she shouted, almost in a rage.
"Sheesh, fine, Tara," Applejack said back.
Twilight ran up to Pinkie's side again. "Pinkie, please tell us what's going on! You're not acting like yourself and it's messing everything up!"
Pinkie nodded to herself. "And that's how Equestria was made," she said in a monotone.
Twilight stopped in the street. "What?!" she asked, not knowing what her friend was talking about.
Pinkie Pie turned around. "Look, the reason I've been acting so strange is because... it's a surprise," she said.
"You said that already, Pinkie," Twilight said, approaching her friend. "What do you mean, though?"
"We're going to meet... my brother," Pinkie finally revealed. A collective 'oh' of realization echoed from the other mares.
"So, you're sad about meeting your brother?" Rarity asked. "This isn't a happy visit, I take it?"
Pinkie turned and began walking again, her gaze on the ground. "When I said it was a surprise... I meant it. My brother's name is Surprise. He's just not a happy one."
Twilight approached her again. "That's why you've been acting sad? Because we're going to meet your brother?"
The pink mare looked over to Twilight. "Surprise was never a happy colt, as long as I knew him. Nothing I could ever do could make him smile so... whenever I see him, I start to act sad for him. That way, he seems happy by comparison."
Twilight's mouth hung agape. Sometimes Pinkie's complexities really baffled her and they were always some revelation to why she was acting some way when she behaved differently. But this was like nothing she'd ever heard of before.
Rarity walked up. "So, you're acting sad so that your brother seems happy?"
Pinkie nodded. "I hold a lot of feelings, a lot of emotions for a lot of different ponies. Usually happy ones and as I carry them, I get a chance to spread them. I am a pony; it's my job to bare another's burden. Today, I'm carrying my brother's." She turned around and proceeded to walk to the train station.
The others were struck silent by what Pinkie had said. Now, they were a little sad themselves. Twilight however decided to pick her head up. Something told her that there was still a bit more to this than they realized...