Some Smiles Waver From Time To Time
Another successful party come and gone! This is what went through the pink earth pony's mind as she began the process of cleaning up after her latest shin-dig. The party, much like the party planner herself, was a spontaneous one, decided on when she had learned of both Rainbow Dash's latest new cool aerial move (much to an excited Scootaloo's delight) and Fluttershy's new baby birds. Both were cause for celebration and the pink mare set to work on it in all her Pinkie Pie logic, faster than one could turn a page and as well thought-out as if it were made in advance.
As she went around with a bag in one hoof and a trash can held in her tail, Pinkie Pie stumbled onto a small raised bump beneath the blue circle carpet. Curious, she moved back and lifted the carpet up. "Maybe somepony dropped a bit? Ooh! Ooh! What if it's a piece of candy that fell? Ooh! Or! Or! What if it's-"
Her excited chatter was cut off as her blue eyes met with a single grey piece of rock. It was tiny in size, no bigger than a star sticker. "Oh! Hmm. Must've been dragged in here by Applejack. Or, if she went on another one of her diamond expeditions, Rarity. What do you think, Gummy?"
As if on cue, the toothless little alligator made his way up to rest lazily atop Pinkie's head, curling his body against a puffy curl as he settled. Pinkie Pie giggled and was about to go on cleaning but for some reason, her hoof wouldn't, couldn't, drop the simple little piece of earth into the trash. Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way to a bucket that lay beside a counter and dropped it inside. She didn't hear the expected CLUNK of stone hitting plastic, but rock landing against something organic. That was odd, she had thought it was the mop bucket she had used earlier when Rainbow dash couldn't hold her cider and lost her cake all over the kitchen floor. She couldn't help giggling once more at the memory of a frantic Rarity screaming for the mop while a doubled-over Applejack held her sides as she let out a hearty, gut-busting laugh while a cringing Twilight Sparkle watched on in horror. Fluttershy helped Twilight Sparkle get a woozy Rainbow Dash up to the bathroom while a still frantic Rarity went on and on about the sanitary wellbeing of Pinkie Pie's kitchen. And then she screamed a blood-curdling scream as an overly amused Applejack upturned the still clean mop bucket over her head, telling her to calm down about the mess while an enraged unicorn gave chase while wielding a flailing rolling pin in her magical grasp.
The memories made by her and her friends had Pinkie Pie's giggle turn into full on laughter at the memories made today. And then her eyes went back to the bucket she had thought held mop water. Going over to it, she had seen it was the bucket she had used back when she had those imaginary friends the day everypony had thrown her a party of her very own. Her birthday. She remembered that day. It was the first time she had felt that sad in.....well, since she was a dirt covered little filly on her family's rock farm.
Back then.....Her world back then was one donning nothing but white, grey and black tones. She loved her family, that was certain as Celestia's sunrise. Oh, but from time to time....she remembered being a little filly afraid of shadows that played over the walls at night, being a sad little filly that was alone and afraid beyond the threshold of her family's farm. As she peered into the bucket holding the turnips from long ago, Pinkie Pie felt a sting behind her eyes as empty feelings began to well up again in her chest. Feelings that reminded her of how sad and lonely she felt as a filly growing up in a world of dull and depressing undertones. There was nothing to be happy about back then. No smiles, no laughing, no colors, no confetti or cake, no streamers or decorations, no music or games to play, nothing.
It wasn't that these things were unavailable to them, but that was her family's world then.
A soft plip snapped her out of a stupor she didn't realize she was in until she felt a faint splash on her muzzle. She brought up a hoof and wiped at her eyes as tears flowed freely from her lashes. The pain she had felt from all the sadness as a filly rose into her chest, making it and her throat tighten as she stifled a sob.
A slumbering Gummy felt his owners' mane deflate as her crying continued, waking up the little toothless alligator. It was rare to see the pink earth pony in such a mood, especially after such a fun-filled night of partying with her close friends. But nopony was made of stone. Unless they were encased in it, then they'd be made of stone.
Something caught the little gator's attention and he snapped his toothless maw at it as the thing drifted by his owner's head, as if he were shooing it away while she was in distress. The tail of it rose away from the little gator and brushed against the mare's tear stained cheek. She didn't feel it at first, too caught up in her painful memories to even feel her beloved pet alligator on top of her head. It wasn't until Gummy slipped off her head and landed into the bucket, jostling her out of her stupor. She saw his beady little eyes move around, peering at something close.
An airy brush against her ear made Pinkie Pie turn her head up to see just what her Gummy was eyeing. It was a stray blue balloon floating about her head, its string dangling over Gummy's snout. She hiccupped, sniffled and brought her hooves up to lightly capture it. She rolled it around in her hooves carefully, pressing here and there to feel the extent of its buoyancy. It was still fairly full of bounce but was losing its levitation.
Another brush against her right hind leg had Pinkie Pie look down to see a yellow one roll along the floor, having already lost its ability to stay airborne but still as airy as its blue sibling. Pinkie looked around and saw that her floor still had many downed but fully formed balloons of different colors drift about. Her muzzle quirked a little at the corner of her mouth until she cracked the biggest smile she had made since the day she had gotten her cutie mark.
Pinkie Pie jumped up from her sad spot and with renewed spirit, she bounded towards the bulk of the batch and rolled around in the delightful colors and vibrant hues of the balloons. There were yellow ones, blue ones, orange and red, purple and pink. All these colors brought on the same happy feeling she had felt the day she smiled for the first time. It was the very first time her entire family was happy! Remembering that made her feel oh-so happy all over again, making her mane instantly inflate back to its normal bounciness!
She was so happy, she gathered up any nearby balloon within hoof's reach and hugged them as dearly as she hugged her friends and threw them up above, seeing them rise and float away from each other as they rained down overhead. Pinkie Pie giggled, feeling happy and free from the sadness she was reliving moments prior.
She couldn't help but feel a bit sad whenever the party had to end and everypony was gone. That happened every now and again, but seeing these balloons, remembering the light her friends brought into her life, made the little pink earth pony remember it wasn't a lasting end and she was no longer alone. It was merely an intermission until the next big party! She shook her head as her tears stopped, laughing to herself as she made her way upstairs. As happy as she was feeling now, even hyper party planners needed their rest! And she was feeling the events of the day taking their toll.
Tomorrow was going to be a brighter, funner day! "Goodnight, Gummy!" Pinkie Pie called out before disappearing behind her doorway, already knowing that her sweet little Gummy was already dozing in the spot where she had left him.
Just like balloons
We soar on our own
Finally free
From the pain of our home
And just like balloons
That no one will hold
Free from the truth
That no one will know
"Balloons" lyrics -Mandopony
Author's Note
This was done on the fly, inspired from the "Balloons" vid from Mandopony. Dem feels....
Come On, And Smile!
Beyond the world of Equestria and far beyond pony scope, a pink-haired teen wiped at her eyes as she stood alone in the school's gymnasium. Before her was a wide table, with packages of confetti and streamers sitting to the sides. More packages of balloons sat in the middle of it, nearly overrunning the amount of confetti and streamers.
The human Pinkie Pie was preparing for a school event that was going to happen in a few days. Her friends wouldn't be there until twelve in the afternoon, so she had time to get her materials ready for them all to work on. She even supplied lunch and cupcakes for all to enjoy if someone got hungry, with a little extra in case Applejack or Rainbow Dash ate everything. Again. But being by herself was not what made the young girl so melancholic.
As she was spreading the packages and separating the varieties of balloons (water balloons, long ones to make animal balloons, print balloons, etc.), a sudden wave of depressing sadness made her throat tighten as tears stung her eyes. With a hand over her mouth, Pinkie pie silently wept as she stood over the white tabletop. She was startled and confused at first, wondering what had brought this on. One moment she was getting ready to set up a school event with her friends, and the next thing she knew she was crying by herself amidst the happy colors of her decorations, with her usually curly hair flatter than paper.
The answer dawned on her, making her let out a light gasp as her eyes widened in realization. With watery eyes, Pinkie Pie tore open a package of regular solid colored balloons and grabbed the first one her shaky fingers could get. It was a sky blue balloon she placed at her lips and blew with all her might, willing happy thoughts into each breath she inflated the balloon with. "It's alright!" she gasped out between each huff and puff. "Don't be sad!" Another huff, another puff. "Don't be afraid!" Huff, puff. "Friends! We have friends!" Huff. "They....They'll be there..." Puff. "Freh.....Hoo-wee, is everything moving?"
Becoming dizzy in her attempt to inflate what she wanted to call a "Happiness balloon", Pinkie Pie swooned as her blowing made her light-headed. She didn't see anything as the world around her blurred, didn't even hear the heavy boots stomping across the court at a hurried pace. She did feel a solid form hold her up as her legs gave out.
"Whoa now!" A southern drawl cried out in alarm as another warm frame came to the other side of the young pink-haired girl. "Pinkie Pie, are you okay?!"
Shaking her head free of the dizziness, Pinkie Pie saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash holding her up with each of her arms draped around their shoulders. In front, she could see Rarity and Fluttershy coming up as well, dropping their bags and rushing over to them.
"Oh, my goodness! Are you alright, Pinkie Pie?"
"Darling, what happened?"
As Pinkie Pie nodded, the two athletes helped the party planner onto the bleachers, with everyone sitting around her. She took in a deep breath and regarded her friends with a sheepish giggle.
"Sorry to scare you, girls. I just got a little light-headed there for a moment. Guess I got a little carried away with my balloo- Hey! Where'd it go?!"
Pinkie Pie looked around to see where her balloon had deflated to. In her distress, she hadn't noticed it sitting atop her head hidden in one of her bouncy curls. Chuckling lightly, Rainbow Dash reached up and plucked it out of her hair and handed it to her.
"Here ya go, Pinks! Looking for this?"
Pinkie Pie gasped and took the elastic from her friend, nodding to her and resumed inflating it. "Easy now, Pinkie Pie. Don't be gettin' yerself dizzy again!"
Without releasing her lips from the balloon, the pink haired girl nodded and happily filled the balloon in her hands. With a final blow, she tied off the end and looked to the other young teen girls surrounding her, smiling as they were smiling at her. My friends, she thought wistfully to herself. Seeing them together, surrounded by the light and happy feelings they gave off, made her feel joy and happiness from within.
She sprung onto her feet and ran out of the gymnasium, with blue balloon in hand as her friends followed her out, hurrying to catch up to her as confusion showed on their faces. She sprinted down the halls of CHS and burst through the double glass doors of the entryway, making her way to the white equine statue of her school. Pinkie gave the blue balloon a final hug that lasted a moment before she thrust it into the side of the statue, making it disappear as she pulled her hands back. She smiled to herself, knowing, without rhyme or reason, that it'll get to where it was needed.
Just then, her friends burst forth from the same set of doors, all panting as they called out to her. Pinkie waved at them, smiling as she started making her way back to them. After only a single step, she spared a happy glance at the statue and skipped off, humming happily as she returned to her waiting friends.
Author's Note
So! Interesting thing I noticed. When I submitted this, I was so pleased with my work and how it came out that I, in all my intelligent glory (sarcasm), completely forgot to label it with the "complete" tag!!
And well, I decided to make an honest story out of this little piece, so here's an unintended bonus chapter!
