The Bliss of Ignorance

Epilogue

Pinkie moved away from a heavy boulder and wiped away the sweat on her forehead. “Hello, Dashie. How have you been?” She turned towards the light blue pegasus.

“Hi. Pretty normal. Nothing interesting or cool happening.” Rainbow spread her wings and started preening her feathers. “The air’s been kinda dusty today. A lot of work?”

“Just the usual. Anyway...” Pinkie sighed. “I... wanted to tell you something. But first, I want to ask: It’s been three months now. Do they still miss me?”

Rainbows wings jerked back down. “Uh... S-sure! Every day, I hear at least one pony go all like ‘I wish Pinkie was still here!’ Really!”

“Come on, Dash. Tell me the truth.”

“Well, you know...” She started digging the tip of her hoof into the ground. “It was like that at the beginning. Me and the girls got kinda mad and told Dumb-Bell and his friends just what we think about them. He laughed, so I kicked him. In the face. But I already told you about that and my short vacay in jail like a dozen times.” Rainbow let out a shaky laugh. “Everypony was really sad that you left. Scootaloo told me a bunch of her classmates even cried.”

“They did?” Pinkie smiled. “That’s nice of them. Not that I mean them crying is nice! I don’t like foals crying. But it’s still nice. I mean–“

“I get it.” Rainbow grinned back.

“But all that’s been months ago, and I want to know how it’s now. For example, I haven’t seen Applejack in ages! Why doesn’t she come to visit?”

Rainbow winced, rubbing the back of her head. “Well, you know... farm work, apples, cattle... Plus she has no wings. It’d take her too long to get there, and she has to work. She’d totally come if she had more time to spare though!”

“What about the others? They only come over like once in a fortnight.”

“You know how Fluttershy flies and even Twilight isn’t that good. And the rest, again, don’t have wings. It just takes them too long to get here. But they still like you just as much as before!”

“I know, but I miss them.” Pinkie sighed again. “How’s the town doing? Any big changes? Did another party planner arrive, or is it all glum and sad and unfunny?” Pinkie’s eyes began to glisten. “It must be horrible there. I bet they regret chasing me away!”

Rainbow bit her lip. “Uuh...”

“You’re going to lie again, ain’t you?”

“Yeah.” Rainbow chuckled, looking away. “I mean it’s not like the town is the same – there’s a lot less fun now and it’s generally unawesome and uncool. But...”

Pinkie leaned closer. “But?”

“They’re all kinda... okay with that. It’s just like before you arrived all those years ago. A bit dull and boring... but we manage.”

“Oh.” Pinkie cast her eyes down.

“But if you came back, I’m sure they’d all be happy!”

“Yeah, because then they could laugh at me again!” Pinkie turned away.

“Come on, it’s not like th–”

“I’m moving away.”

Rainbow froze. “W-what?”

“I never liked working on a rock farm, and mom and dad know that. They asked around and found me a place in another bakery.”

“So you’re not going back to Ponyville?”

Pinkie slowly shook her head. “No. I can’t, I’m... scared.”

“What?” Rainbow frowned. “How can you be scared? There’s nothing dangerous in there!”

“Scared that it would all repeat.”

“So you won’t even try again?” The frown turned into a scowl. “That’s... that’s stupid!”

“I didn’t say I won’t try again.” Pinkie’s voice wavered. “Just... just not in Ponyville. No sense going somewhere where I’ve already failed. Not when they don’t even mind I’m gone!”

“But I mind! And Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy too!”

Pinkie turned back to her, her eyes overflowing with tears. “I know. And every time I see them, it... it...” She sniffed. “It hurts! Because I know that all this time, you’ve been having amazing adventures and had lots of fun, while I did nothing! Nothing! I can’t go back because of the other ponies, and I can’t stay here because of you girls!”

Dash recoiled. “Why do you keep saying this? You can come back! Screw the other ponies!”

“You don’t get it! You’ve always been so confident; you can’t understand!” Pinkie fell to her haunches. “It hurts too. I tried keeping it out, but it still does! Do you have any idea how it feels like, when a pony you greeted every morning for years starts insulting you? Just think about it! Your good friend comes up to you and says that you’re just a dumb, little filly and then laughs at you!” Pinkie took a deep, shaky breath. “And he’s not the only one.”

Rainbow’s features relaxed. “I... guess you have a point. I never had this problem. Comes with being cool and radical, I guess.” She blew her mane away from her eyes and sat down beside her. “Sorry, Pinkie.”

The wind whistled between the boulders, clearing up some of the dust in the air.

“So, where are you moving to? Somewhere nearby?”

“A big city.”

“Please tell me it’s Canterlot.”

Pinkie sobbed. “Fillydelphia.”

“Fillydelphia?” Rainbow jumped up, staring at Pinkie with her jaw agape. “That’s half of Equestria away! That’s... that’s way too far! Even I can’t get there in a day, no matter how fast I go!”

“I know.”

“If you know then... then why? Don’t you want to see me anymore?”

Pinkie looked away, tears still flooding her eyes. “No.”

“What?”

“I told you! Every time I see you, I remember Ponyville! I remember that I have my bestest friends there, and that they all have tons of fun without me! That they go on adventures without me! That every time they laugh or sing or eat a cupcake, I’m not there with them! It hurts almost as bad as the insults, maybe more.”

Rainbow grit her teeth. “So that’s what you’re going to do, huh? Just... just go and leave everypony behind?”

“It’ll be a fresh start. I won’t make the same mistakes again and make tons of new friends. Real friends. After some time, when I have them, I... I could take them all to Ponyville on holiday. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“Hay no! How long do we have to wait for that? Months? Years? You’re ditching us for ‘friends’ you don’t even have yet!”

Pinkie harrumphed. “Ponyville ditched me first!”

“I don’t believe this.” Rainbow started pacing around, smiling and crying at the same time. “This isn’t happening. This is just one big, bad joke.”

“Dad already arranged everything.”

Rainbow grabbed Pinkie by the shoulders and pressed her muzzle against hers. “I’ve been going here every day, every day, for three months, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you would come back, and you go to Fillydelphia instead? Fillydelphia! Why not Vanhoover, while you’re at it? Or Appleloosa; would that be far enough? Or, or just ask the Princess and go to the Moon! None of us will bother you there!”

Pinkie gulped. “I... I hoped you’d wish me good luck. To have a nice goodbye. I guess... I guess I was wrong.” She yanked out of Dash’s grasp and, sobbing and sniffing, galloped towards her home.

Dash was quick to catch up. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you aren’t! You’re angry at me and hate me! You’re mean!” She ran into the farmhouse and slammed the door in Rainbow’s face. Inside, she leaned against the door and slid into a sit, wiping her tears.

“Pinkie?” Rainbow said, her voice muffled by the door.

“Y-yes?” Pinkie breathed heavily, water still pouring from her eyes. “W-what do you want?”

“What you just said... You know I don’t hate you, right? It’s just... you caught me off guard, that’s all. I overreacted.”

Pinkie blew her nose into a hoofkerchief, throwing it into a nearby bin when she was finished. “I-it’s alright. I shouldn’t have said you’re mean either.” She sniffed again. “It’s not true. You said those things because I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

For a few seconds, all that could be heard was Pinkie’s laboured breathing.

“Pinkie I... wish you good luck. It’d be awesomer if you came back, but... if you gotta go, you gotta go.”

“Thanks.” Pinkie obliterated the last of the tears on her face. “Do... do you want in?”

“Nah. I’d just break up. When... when are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning. I know I should’ve told you earlier, but I was afraid you’d... well... do this.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Hey, that’s me, the one and only.” Soon, her voice returned to its serious tone. “I guess it’s up to me to tell the girls, right?”

Pinkie nodded, even though Rainbow couldn’t see her. “Tell them I’m sorry. They deserved a proper goodbye. I’m... I’m a coward.”

“It’s okay, really. They’ll understand.”

There was another pause.

“I guess this is it then,” Rainbow said.

“I wish it hadn’t ended this way.”

Rainbow sighed. “We all do. I’d better go and tell them... maybe they’ll manage to come by tomorrow. If they hurry.”

“You know they won’t. It’s too far.” Pinkie picked herself off the ground. “Tell them I’ll miss them. And that I love them. You too.”

“Okay.” Rainbow’s voice was shaky and sounded like it was about to break. “I’d... I’d better go.”

There was a whoosh, and Pinkie knew that her friend was gone.