Demise

by Mackalillan

Rating: everyone
Tags: Other, Pinkie Pie, Tragedy, Sad, Romance, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6096

If death came knocking, would you choose to die as yourself today or as an empty shell in four?...

If death came knocking, would you choose to die as yourself today or as an empty shell in four?... This is my story, of my death and love of my best friend.

Published 2012-05-01 22:34:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-05-01 22:34:03 UTC

Chapter 1

“Don’t cry because it’s over… Smile because it happened.” ~Dr. Seuss

…Today everything ended, but just for me. Everypony’s lives continued as they should, some cried, some laughed, and some others just lived their lives… But mine reached an end today.

I used to be a light blue Pegasus pony, with a royal and light blue mane, it was long. Enough to cover most of my face at times, but not long enough to touch my shoulders. I was a stallion…

…My name was Mack.

It was a normal day with my friend Pinkie Pie… Yes, that very same pink pony that lives in Sugarcube Corner, the always happy, author of the Smile song…

-Why shouldn’t I forgive you! You’re my best friend! Or… are you?

-OF COURSE YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE STILL WERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE LOADS OF FRIENDS AND ALL SORTS SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE I'M YOUR SECOND BEST FRIEND OR SOMETHING. BUT YAY!

-OF COURSE NOT PINKIE!!! We are and will always be!

-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

I smiled. She always made me smile. It was practically impossible to be with her and not to smile. It was either her silliness, or her personality that made everypony in sight to draw a smile on their faces. Upon telling her that she was my best friend, and vice-versa, she hugged me. She hugged me tighter than any time before.

She then released me… I could feel my breath getting a bit heavier due to that, but I thought it wasn’t anything important, until I saw her face. Her expression had changed… From being the always-beaming Pinkie Pie… To a concerned one.
She was worried. Very worried.

I grinned, thinking that would tell her that I was fine… But it didn’t worked it seems. And she had an excuse for that… I don’t remember clearly what happened afterwards, I must have passed out. I just remember having an oxygen mask on my face while I was being taken to the hospital (Kind of weird at first… since it was only a common hug at the time, nothing more important.) as if an emergency had occurred.

-Pinkie, I’m okay!

She didn’t listen. Her concern was too great, and it somewhat concerned me too… What was concerning her THAT much? Did I look THAT bad?...

…Or there was a reason behind her concern that I didn’t know?

-Pinkie…

As I tried to listen to her voice, as I waited for her to explain to me what the buck was going on, I was hooked up to a life-support system by some doctors. The whole scene was freaking me out. A lot. I was concerned, confused, and I was starting to get a bit impatient.

-Pinkie… Can you disconnect me? I’m fine…

…then a tear ran down her cheek. Then I knew there REALLY was something very bad going on. She never cried, ever. In the time I’ve been here in Ponyville, the few times I have seen her cry was due to a very emotional –happy- reason… But I have never seen her sad enough as to cry.

-…Why do you keep saying that, Mack?

-Because I’m fine! I just needed a breath!

She looked away. As if either pain or sorrow overwhelmed her and she couldn’t look at me anymore… I didn’t see or feel anything different on me… Except the life support hooked to me and the sudden guilt I was feeling over Pinkie’s depression.
She left the room then… With no chance of leaving by myself now, I just rested there. A day passed… Well, it actually felt like a single day.

The next morning, a doctor walked inside. I couldn't recognize him.

-Ah, you have a visitor, Mr. Mackalillan… you must be Ms. Pie?

He turned to Pinkie, who was behind him and she nodded solemnly. It was the first time in ages I heard somepony call me by my full name. Not even my son (who was adopted, by the way) or my fiancée called me like that… speaking of which…

-…Can you tell me why are we doing this again, Pinkie?

I thought this was nothing but a prank… And not a good one, if I may recall.
It wasn’t.

-You’ve forgotten already?... I’m afraid the memory loss is becoming quite serious now, and that can only mean one thing…

I don’t know how I contained myself upon hearing those words from the doctor. Memory loss!? You mean… I have memory loss!?

Pinkie then started crying… then I knew this was no joke at all. As good as a prankster she is, she looked really bad. If she was acting, she was doing WAY better than any Canterlot actress. But I didn’t think she was acting. It just looked too real.
She grabbed my hoof tightly, and looked at me. From the look of her eyes, I could assume she had not slept in quite a while… which was weird, considering just 1 day had passed since we last saw each other…

-Mack… You’ve been here for 3 weeks…

...Or so I thought. 3 weeks. It was not a day, they were three weeks. What happened in that time, I couldn’t tell. Was I in a coma? Was I simply asleep?...
…Did I forget?...

-…shall I explain to him again, Ms. Pie?

The doctor placed a hoof on her shoulder, and she nodded, and then rested her forehead on my hoof. The whole scene was giving me goosebumps. I didn’t know what was going on, and watching Pinkie suffering like this was just giving me a fatal blow… I couldn’t stand it… But, I waited. Maybe I could figure out something from what the doctor was going to tell me.

-Mr. Mackalillan, you have been at the hospital for 3 weeks. Ms. Pie here brought you in because you had been oxygen starved. You passed out shortly after arrival, but we soon got your oxygen levels back up. However, you would not wake up.

My heart sank. How could I just forget the fact that I passed out!? How could I feel these 3 weeks like a single day!? My eye started twitching… And I couldn’t help it but to grimace upon hearing that. It was just too twisted.

-I'm sorry, Mack...

I could feel her tears running down my hoof to the soft fabric of the bed, as she looked at me with a gaunt expression. This was a nightmare. One I strangely couldn’t wake up from.

-…No more hard hugs from now on.
I said jokingly, trying to comfort her… It didn’t work. But I haven’t listened to the worst… Yet.

-You have a rare condition. Cortexula Eroditosis.

-…What the buck?

-You don't remember? You don't remember anything!? Please, Mack. This is the 5th time we've explained it to you!

She collapsed to my hoof again, sobbing.
Not only have I spent 3 weeks here… But this was also the fifth time I have had this conversation. The fifth time in three weeks… And I couldn’t remember a single moment from that. I was starting to doubt if they were telling me the truth… It was just too twisted to be true…

-…I need Tenderheart

Yes… Nurse Tenderheart was my fiancée… And I was in the very same hospital she worked! If this was just a bad prank, she would take me out of here, and so we would go back home to live our lives normally again… Then, Pinkie stood up, she became incredibly pale.

I had a bad feeling about that… A very bad one.

-…I'm sorry to put you through this again Mr. Mackalillan, but you always have to ask the whereabouts of your wife...

My heart sank once again. What the buck was going on!? Now it wasn’t only me, but my fiancée as well!... I could feel my hooves trembling in fear, I didn’t know what to expect, what to hear…

-...where is she?

-Former Nurse Tenderheart attempted suicide after we explained your condition to you the 3rd time. Fortunately a hospital staff member stopped her… She is now in strict phsychiatric care as a danger to herself and other ponies. I'm afraid, Mr. Mackalillan, that your fiancée is clinically insane.

…If this was a nightmare, this would have been the perfect moment for me to wake up… but I didn’t, and that only meant something…
This was real, I was really ill, and my fiancée was really insane.

Would you like to know your condition, Mr. Mackalillan?

Well... Cortexula Eroditosis is a disease in which your brain cells have a malfunction. A malfunction meaning they continually destroy themselves. This means your memory erodes over time. You can't remember bigger and bigger chunks of your life. Everytime we explain it to you, you forget within a few days. At this stage it can only take a few hours for you to forget your birthday, name and favorite color. Obviously, the eroding of brain cells is an incredibly serious and fatal matter. I'm afraid, Mr. Mackalillan, that you will most likely pass away by the end of the week. It's Wednesday, in case you've forgotten that as well.

…Great. For me, it was Sunday. I wasn’t just losing memory; I just didn’t just lose my fiancée… I was going to die. Not in years, or weeks, but in four days.

I couldn’t say anything… I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t whisper… I was surprised I could still breathe.

-…ALL THIS JUST FOR A HUG!?

-It was not the hug that gave you this disease, Mackalillan, and I advise you not to blame the poor pink pony outside. She is the only one who has stayed around to be with you in the end. Your wife is crazy, your child has already been located in a new home and you don't seem to get visits from any of your other friends. I believe they find it too painful. Ms. Pie already berates herself for triggering your condition, but the disease lay dormant in your brain since the day of your birth.

…Things were getting better each second…

-Mackalillan, the last time we told you this, you screamed at the poor mare for half an hour and she still came to see you again the next day. You didn't speak to her for 2 days, until today when you have forgotten everything once again… I'm going to ask Ms. Pie if she would like to come back in now, if that's alright with you?

…Okay, let’s make a quick recount of what has happened so far;

I forgot all events that happened for the last 3 weeks.

My fiancée almost committed suicide and was insane.

My son was relocated.

My friends abandoned me.

…And apparently… I shouted at Pinkie.

It was just too much to bear… I had lost everything I knew until that point… My friends, my family, my life… I couldn’t help it, and I started crying, covering my face with the pillow.

…But then, I realized something.

I still had somepony… the only pony who didn’t abandon me, no matter what…

…My best friend.

I could hear the doctor walk outside, and I could hear him speaking with Pinkie as well… I couldn’t overhear their conversation, but I knew they were talking. Then I could hear the door open… And I could hear somepony coming inside.

Mack...

I recognized her voice… But I refused to look at her. Like a little foal pouting. I didn’t want her to look at me like that either. Then, I felt her hoof on my shoulder…

-…I’m sorry…

She was really sorry. But, what for?... She did nothing… I always had this illness. I assume she was thinking about that hug, 3 weeks ago (Though I still doubted that time had really passed by), was the catalyst of this illness. Yet, I said nothing.
I could tell her figure from the corner of my eye… She was kneeling in the bed, next to me. That scene didn’t made things any easier, and neither did her words;

-Please, Mack, Say you forgive me... You didn't last time and I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry...

-I-I forgive you… You did nothing… Nothing at all…

-I hugged you… I hugged you and started this whole thing…

Oh my god. She really think that was the cause. And, frankly, on this point I really gave up. I had no hope left.

-He said it was not the hug... I've always had this... And now it's over... It's all over... But it's not important anymore... I'll end up forgetting... Again…

-D-do you know w-w-why I didn't leave when all the others d-did?...

-…why?...

-B-because... After Tender... Snapped... The time after that... When you forgot... and I explained everything to you... Well, you remembered for a few days after that... and well... I kept coming to see you, and you kept being sad and depressed... and you just seemed lonely... So.... So… So I kissed you…

My heart sank a third time.

She hadn’t just stayed with me all this time… she was doing everything in her reach to comfort me, to make me feel happy… To make me smile. And yet, I was being a total jerk with her.

-P-Pinkie…

She stayed silent now. What was she thinking?... Was she going to leave me now? Was she already tired of me and all this?...

-My coltfriend doesn't know... He doesn't come to see you anymore. Y-you said... Y-y-you said thank you, you know... and then... and then you kissed me back… I'm sorry, Mack... I'm so sorry. I just... I just wanted to make you smile again.. I just- Then the next time you forgot... Last time... You were... a bit angry. You screamed at me and it was like you were a different pony... But I thought... Maybe this time... You'd be okay with it... Not with this, I mean... Not with Tender and the life support and everything... But with me... Kissing you...

I have to mention, I knew her coltfriend… We were good friends but… Seems he didn’t consider me such a close friend after all… And who would?... Apparently I kissed his marefriend… I’m not surprised he left… But there was still a question, knocking at the doors of my subconscious…

Why did she kiss me?

-...There's nothing for me here... Nothing... I-it's... It's all over... It's over!... Everything I ever knew... Gone...

-I'm here...

She was really there for me. And I was so depressed, so down… So out of spirits that I had forgotten about her this whole time. Of course she was there for me… If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t bear with all this… She wouldn’t be next to me right now…

-…I-I’m going to forget this… Most likely…

-But I won't... Y-y-you know.... You don't have to...Forget this, I mean…

She pulled a bottle from her mane… A small bottle, it had one small pill inside.
I knew where was this going… And I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

-The last time... The time you got mad... You shouted that you wanted to die... So... I got this, incase that's what you wanted... That way... This time. This time would really be the last time... It could be the time I remembered you by…

She was offering me the gift of death. She was offering me to end it all… Once and for all. I didn’t know what to say at first… I mean, she was my best friend (or at least I still considered her my best friend… Now more than ever) but… Was my condition really THAT bad?... Oh, I will die this Sunday anyways, I guess it is.

-...I don't have anything left here... Nothing... And the few things I might still have... Will be erased from my memory anyways...

…What a way to cheer her up, eh?

-I... I know... I'm being selfish, aren't I. I just want more time with you, Mack... but... But you should take this... If you want to. It'll only be like going to sleep... I'd do that... For you, I mean. I'd give this to you. Because I don't want you to suffer anymore. I hate seeing you suffer. I'm sorry, I should have given this to you ages ago, but the first few times you still had Tender... Then I thought you had me... Then, then I was too scared to approach you and you wouldn't speak to me... But this time... I'm sorry, Mack. I'm so sorry.

She laid her head on the pillow, next to mine, and placed the bottle between us. I looked down to it, then back to her. I didn’t know what to do… I had no way out either, and I knew it. I had just two options… Taking, or not taking the pill. And one of the options meant everything would end today…

-...I don't know what to do...

-I love you Mack... Whatever you choose, I will always love you. You're my best friend... And a better kisser than my coltfriend.

She managed to do it again… for the first time in that day, I smiled. I couldn’t contain a chuckle either… I quickly snapped back to reality, but a single ray of hope illuminated my soul now… It was her. She was the only pony I had left in what was left of my already destroyed life.

-...I sometimes wonder why life is so hard...

-I saw that smile... At least I got one more out of you… So is this it?

She placed her hoof on my face, holding it gently. She then glanced to the bottle.

-… So is this it?

-I... I don't know...

I couldn’t contain myself anymore… a tear ran down my cheek. I knew it was the end… But it’s easier to think it than to say it. Not to mention, having to say that to your best friend, and maybe your last one left…

-...I lost my fiancée... My son... My friends... Everything... And... I don't know how long I'll remember that I've lost them... That I've lost it all... But... Then... There's you...

She grabbed my hoof again, but this time with a sudden urgency… It comforted and freaked me out a bit. But, come on… I had enough the whole day. There was nothing that could freak me out again…

-I'll be okay, you know... If this is what you want. Just... If you do decided to go... Would you... Would you let me kiss you one last time?

I couldn’t believe it. Apparently we had kissed before… and she wanted to kiss me again!... But why?... this confused me a lot. And it would have left me thinking for weeks, if I had the pleasure of time.

-I... I haven't decided yet...

I held her hoof more tightly between mine. I’m not going to lie, I was afraid to lose her as well.

-...I don't know what to do... What should I do?...

-Do whatever you want, Mack. You said before... It doesn't matter now. You won't remember anything.. It doesn't matter... Except... It matters to me.

I could notice her breathing getting heavier. She was pretty nervous… And I couldn’t blame her. I was pretty nervous too, but not exactly because I was going to die, eventually…

-...If only there was another way...

She put on a pretty bad impression of a TV announcer and changed her voice tone slightly.

And today our final question is Death, or Death. Mackalillan, our current contestant, has a few days maximum to answer this question and on the line today is... His best friend's heart.

…If the circumstances were different, I would have laughed. For obvious reasons, I didn’t. I rubbed my cheek on her hoof… something I never did before. At least, with Pinkie.

-You know.. I promise I'll visit your grave everyday. And I'll sing you the smile song once a week if you'd like. I could... I could sing it now if you'd like…

…That certainly was encouraging…

-...so... you think this is the only way too huh?... I'm not surprised… It's all over...

-You die either way, Mack... It's just whether it's now, or in a few days time, when all this won't even exist to you anymore.

As bad as it sounded, she was right… My time was already counted, and it decreased each second we spoke.

-...you're... you're right... I...

This was being more difficult than what I thought…

-...I just wish this was easier for you... more than it is for me... I already have nopony left... nopony will cry at my funeral... but you... Right now... my only concern is you...

I wasn’t lying. She was my only concern now… I knew I was going to die, one way or another, and Pinkie was the only pony I had left…

-I'll be okay, Mack. I mean... I won't be "okay" Of course I won't... But this is as good as it gets, and I just want you to go as my best friend. The friend I know you as now. Not the brainwashed Mack you'll be in a few days. I don't want you to go... But you have to, Mack. Either way, I'll cry. Either way, you die. I just want to make you happy... I thought this pill would do the trick... Bu-bu… It's all so complicated…

I just pulled her closer and hugged her. I didn’t know what to say anymore… the decision was more than obvious now… before something else happened… Before I lost my mind once again… I had to do it. End it all… Now…

-…It’s fine, Mack. I'm more at fault than you...

-No... don't say that Pinkie... don't blame yourself on this...

-Y-y-you d-did...

…I didn’t want to blame her for something she didn’t do… Not again… doing it once and not remembering was already bad enough.

-S-sorry... I'm... I'm so sorry...

I hugged her tightly… But not too tightly, fearing that she would be in the same condition as me… A stupid concern since the hug was not the catalyst… She then pulled back, and looked in my eyes, and vice-versa…

-I can't believe it never occurred to me that you were so much more than a best friend...

-Wh... what do you mean Pinkie?

-I mean... I mean you're special, Mack. I realized when you kissed me back that time... Of course, you don't remember...
I hated this damn illness more than I did before during that moment… I’m surprised I could hold my tears.

-I...

I looked down to the bottle again. I wanted to do it but… At the same time, I didn’t want to leave Pinkie… Not after what… She has told me… Things were just getting more difficult.

-Are… you ready to decide?

-...no...

She then did something I didn’t expect. She leant in and kissed my cheek. When I looked at her I could notice her cheeks flushed. She then whispered in my ear…

-I'll stay with you until you're ready...

-T-thank you Pinkie...

I laid my head on her chest… I was like a little kid being comforted after a traumatic experience. I felt comfortable with her, I felt safe… I felt normal… As if time could flow and nothing would ever change… but even I knew that was not true. I could feel her hoof stroking my mane, as she held me gently.

-Shhh, it's okay...

-...This is being more difficult than what I thought...

-Whatever you choose... Whatever happens... You will be here...

She raised her hoof to her chest. I could see it. A sudden realization then crossed my mind… I couldn’t say a word. I just held her tightly, resting my forehead on her shoulder. I couldn’t contain myself anymore.

-I just want you to die happy... Or... As happy as I can make you….

She nudged the bottle. It may have sounded cruel, but she was right…

-I've lost everything but you Pinkie... that's pretty much impossible...

I smiled faintly and leant my face closer to hers, feeling a little bit more confident… It was now or never, literally.

-...I just wish this was easier...

-Would it be easier if I told you I didn't have feelings for you and didn't want to be your friend and never wanted to do see you again...? I'm sorry, but that would be lying...

-I... I understand but... I can't just do it after... knowing all that... not that easily...

-It'll save you the pain of having to find this all out again... And it will let me spend your last moments with the Mack I know and love...

-I... you're just too kind Pinkie... very... you don't deserve this suffering either...

-Nobody deserves any of this... but it can't be helped. It would just be like going to sleep... For the last time.

My last sleep. It sounded a bit more comfortable than losing my mind when the day ended… and never knowing what was of my final minutes.

-...yeah... but me dying is the least of my concerns...

I couldn’t hide the fact that I was worried for her anymore… That I loved her

-Mack.... I'm going to be sad either way. It can't be helped... But I'll feel better if I know i helped you make the right choice. The right choice for you...

-...What would you do Pinkie? What would you do in my place?...

-If our situations were reversed, you mean?

-Yes…

-I... I don't know... I think... I think I'd take the pill. I'd hate to become somepony I'm not for the last few days of my life... And this way, we can be sure to end on good terms...

I could tell she was a bit unsure at the moment… But, she was right. Neither of us knew what would happen tomorrow… if I would still be myself, or somepony else again… And I feared I would become the pony that shouted at her before. I had to decide what to do with my last moments… And leaving another part of my mind to shout at her until I died, was definitely not on my plans.

-Then... I think I know what to do now...

I grabbed the bottle, and when I did, she pressed it into my hoof, and then she looked to my face.

-when you take the pill, you'll have about 5 minutes before it takes effect, then another 3 before you finally fall unconscious and then your vital organs will slow and eventually stop. We'll have 8 minutes, Mack. 8 minutes to say goodbye… A little less time than I'd hoped, but I think this is for the best...

She couldn’t hold it… and neither could I. I dried the tear that was already running on her cheek with my hoof, and forced a faint smile… If it wasn’t for her, I couldn’t have made it.

-T-this... this will be the best thing in the end Pinkie... R-ready?

I opened the bottle and placed the pill on my hoof. I was, finally, ready to take it. She nodded.

8 minutes... Tell me when you're getting sleepy…

She smiled, and so did I. I nodded and, with all of my guts I took the pill. The pill that would kill me. The pill that would, hopefully, give us peace. All of us…

-I... Well... this is it Pinkie...

I took a deep breath, and sighed. She crawled into the bed, lying next to me, facing me. Her muzzle was centimeters from mine… I never thought we would see each other like this. Not one in the edge between life and death, no… but… In such an… Intimate way…

-… I'm going to miss you, Mack. You'll always be the best friend ever, and best kisser too.

-It's hard to imagine it Pinkie... really... I mean... you say I did it... but I can't remember it...

-I'll always remember it... It was like a whole other part of my heart opened up just for you. Like fireworks going off in my chest...

-Well... I'm certainly glad you liked it...

-I wish I knew if you had...

She looked at me, in a different way than before. Like, as if she was reliving the moment in her head… It was hard to tell though, knowing the fact that I do not remembered that…

-...well...

I could feel my face getting hotter. I blushed.

-...I suppose there's only way to know...

-Are you sure? I... I don't want to make you kiss me, Mack...

-S-sorry... I just...

I soon regretted saying that. Not even in my last moments I was clever. I felt her hoof lifting my chin. She frowned.

-What's wrong Mack?... I only have a few minutes to sort it out...

I forgot about it. I had my time counted, even MORE than before… I had days, but after taking the pill I had minutes. And the clock kept ticking, it wouldn’t stop to let me think on what to say. But even so…

-Nothing... It's just that... I don't know what to think Pinkie... I mean...

Without feeling it, I held her a bit closer… I barely noticed her nose was already touching mine. I looked into her eyes… They were sparkling, I never saw them prettier before…

I think.... I think maybe just once more.

I smiled faintly… My face still flushing.

-This... I...

Then, I did it. Almost out of instinct, I pressed my lips against hers… Strangely enough, her lips locked perfectly in time with mine, like two dancers taking to the floor. It was magical… It was beautiful… I could feel her hoof pressing against the back of my head, pulling me deeper into the kiss. I caressed her fluffy, curly mane, and, as soon as I snapped back into reality, I could feel a tear running down my cheek. She pulled away, and she pecked my lips once, twice, and once more, before opening her eyes, and looking back into mine…

I... I shouldn't have...But... I suppose I did. So... Did you like it?

She smiled and licked my nose. I couldn’t help it, and I smiled. I didn’t like it… I LOVED IT.

-Y-yes... heh... neither should have I...

…I then remembered what we were doing. I kissed the marefriend of one of my friends. I frowned and looked down, quickly regretting doing that… Something quite stupid, since I wouldn’t be able to do it again. Ever.

-Sorry Pinkie...

-You have an excuse... You're dying. Kissing him won't be the same again...

She then kissed me tenderly again, out of nowhere…

-4 minutes left... You'll start to get sleepy in a moment... I can't believe this is it...

Four minutes left. And I had only one minute of consciousness. This was it. This was really the end… I knew I was coming, but I couldn’t believe it.

-Neither can I Pinkie… Thank you Pinkie... thank you for all this...

Anything for a friend, Mack... I just... Can't believe I'm never going to be able to hear your voice again… T-t-tell me y-you lov-v-ve me?

…It’s not until the end when you notice what you have. And in that very moment, I knew I had Pinkie with me. Always. As a best friend… and as a special somepony. She was always there for me… even in the end. I hugged her tightly, as tightly as I could then, and caressed her mane, until I finally whispered in her ear…

-I... I L-love you Pinkie...

...I love you...

I love you too, Mack. I love you too...

I could tell she glanced somewhere… The clock.

-Feeling sleepy? We only have 3 minutes left, Mack...

-...a little... I... I guess this is it...

I touched my forehead with her own, and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to sleep… But I couldn’t fight back. Not for long.

-...I... I don't want to leave... but there is no other way... is it?...

-No, not now... I wish... I wish this moment would last forever… you still there, Mack?

I opened my eyes… Fearing I would fall asleep involuntarily. I knew this was the end, yet I didn’t want to leave… I didn’t want to lose Pinkie…

-...y-yes... still here...

I raised my hoof to caress her cheek, and halfway there, she grabbed it with both hooves, clinging to it.

I... I... Goodbye Mack...

She gave me a last, soft kiss… Before she closed her own eyes. I drew the biggest smile I could for her… It would be the last one.

-...Goodbye Pinkie... I will... never.. forget you...

I closed my eyes… Feeling my breath getting weaker already. I wasn’t awake anymore… But I could still feel. I felt her forehead pressing against mine, I could feel her breath…

-Bestest best friends forever Mack. Forever and ever and-

…I could feel her hoof on my face. I wanted to shout… But I couldn’t.

-Ever...

She curled into a tight ball under the covers, I had my hoof still resting on her shoulder. I felt her sobbing, and, involuntarily, I held her closer to me. Like a small child holds his teddy bear closer to himself on his sleep. Then I could feel her hugging me. I felt her ear pressing against my chest, as it became weaker… And weaker… Until it finally died. I do know what my expression was though… I was smiling. Pinkie could steal from me, one last smile… One that would last forever.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

She looked up, peeling an eye to him to see if he was still alive. Upon noticing he wasn’t, tears cascaded down her face. She curled again to his chest, finally finding herself, after nights of staying awake from him, falling asleep, being held by his cold, dead arms.

Epilogue

Each passing day, we wake up.
We wake up, hoping for betterness...
We wake up expecting to live through the day...
But, are we sure of what awaits us?

Do we know what will the future tell us?...
How do you know if you will wake up tomorrow?
None of us know... Unless we've seen the future
...But that's pretty much impossible.

It isn't until the very end when we know what we have...
We see who are the ones who really love us...
who are the ones who really care for us...
...But, does it matter anymore?

The clock is ticking...
I can hear it.
I can hear the seconds pass by...
I can feel the life fading from my body...

3 weeks have gone by... Yet, it felt only like a day.
...Maybe because it /was/ a day for me after all.
But... even if I discovered a lot of things...
...Betrayal... Abandonment...

...You're showing me the magic still exists.
and not your everyday unicorn magic, either...
...but, the magic of Friendship.
...The friendship you gave me... that will live forever...

...I can remember the first time we met, Pinkie.
when I arrived to this small town called Ponyville,
and you all shared the magic of friendship with me.
...But, I never imagined... that you would stay with me...
...Until the very end...

I doubt i'll have enough in what's left in my life to thank you...
...when everything was lost for me...
...you were there. even when I hurt you...
...you didn't quit. You stayed here... Until the end...

...But, this is it.
I just wish I could have waited a little more...
...But it's too late for regrets now.
I'm already on my final sleep...
...And I can't tell you all this...

It's all on my mind...
And, hell... Does it even matter?...
I won't be able to hug you... Or kiss you... Or even hear your voice again...
...I'm going to miss you... And everypony else... even if they abandoned me in the end...
...But you didn't. And that fills me with joy and breaks my heart at the same time...
I just wish you didn't saw me like this.

...I just wish we had more time.
My arms already feel cold... And I can't breathe anymore...
...Yet, I still feel your warmth.
I know you're still here...

...But my time's over.
I'm not here anymore... It's time for my demise...
Goodbye Pinkie...
...I will never forget you...
...Best friends forever...
...and ever...
...and ever.