"'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..."
It happened without fail, day upon day, leading up to a whole two weeks. Pinkie Pie would help the Cakes bake, and clean up the mess that she inevitably made while doing so. She would run around Ponyville, greeting all of her friends with a smile, and once every two or three days, with a party.
Then the pink mare would slowly and quietly retire to the room she was allocated upstairs, gently closing the door. There, she would drag herself onto her bed, and sit, thinking.
Something she hadn't done much since...
Twilight. She's gone. Forever.
A single tear managed to force its way through the side of her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to fight it for the sake of happiness.
Pinkie glanced around her room, alighting on the one picture that she knew would likely provide her with a small amount of solace. One that sat, framed with a gold-leaf outline and a note right below it.
The photograph within depicted a pink pony that she recognized as herself, her hooves wrapped tightly around a lavender unicorn, smiling as wide as possible. The mentioned unicorn looked directly outwards, it seemed, at present-Pinkie herself. Though her body language was a little awkward, her expression of a slight, coy smile said enough.
As Pinkie Pie read the note placed gently below it for possibly the 200th time, she was faintly aware of her vision blurring, making it ever harder to read. The hot warmth that slowly spread across her cheeks made the words that she gently whispered to herself become tinged with a certain level of emotion, one that she had come to know very well in the past few days.
"Our first hug as a couple..." Even her whisper cracked and wavered with unadulterated grief. "I'll always love you, Twilight..."
Reading such words of affection from long past were daggers that pierced her heart, and she could take no more. The pink pony threw herself face down into her pillows, attempting to muffle the sobbing that inexplicably, yet dually impossible to ignore, followed.
Lost in a world of bitter tears and grim memories, Pinkie never heard the tapping at the door, followed by a hesitant speaker. "Pinkie, dear? Is that you? Are you alright?"
No response, obviously, from Pinkie.
The door to her room creaked in, and a very bright hued mare walked in. Pinkie Pie still saw or heard nothing, her muzzle still buried deep in the pillow; her eyes squeezed tight as possible in a futile attempt to abate the flow of tears.
The figure stopped, looking at the pink earth pony with a gaze that spelled 'pure concern'. "Oh come now, dearie, chin up!" Mrs. Cake said, attempting to put some spring in her voice, if only for the young mare's sake. "You have a letter that might interest you!"
"Why should I care?" Pinkie remained face down in the pillow that she wept in, though her sobbing now slightly lightened up. "Why should I care about anything anymore?"
The baker mare winced, trying not to let loose a tear herself at the situation. Pinkie was always so cheerful, and to see such a pony sunk so low...
"I...guess I'll be on my way then, Pinkie..." she said, following a short silence. "I'll just leave it here..."
Just before the door closed, the pink mare heard a final statement that made her instantly jolt up, tears of bitterness forgotten. "It's from Twilight."
Twilight? Was it even possible? She was the d-word! All of this occurred to Pinkie as she grabbed hurriedly for the letter, tearing open the envelope with shaky hooves. The words printed neatly were certainly those of her marefriend. But was it...
'Dear Pinkie Pie,
If you're reading this, I am most likely dead. Either that, or I am somehow lost and presumed so.'
The party pony shook her head in disbelief, wiping at her tears as she did so. She continued reading in a quiet, hopeful whisper.
'I know that this very letter arriving at such a time should be an impossibility, but I arranged for Celestia to deliver it through the Equestrian Mail Service when she deems it necessary.
I'm sure you miss me very much Pinkie, and I miss you too. It's dark, oh so very dark in the place that I write this. I can feel my contact to the world slipping, so I must hurry this letter with utmost haste.
I have a feeling that you're devastated, because I know you to be a pony who would be vulnerable to emotions.'
So it is my Twily... Pinkie thought with a sigh. She always did know me...
'I'm writing this to tell you that you shouldn't be so sad. In the short time we spent together, whenever I saw you sad, my heart always cleaved itself in twain. If you were sad, I was. The moments that you smiled made me smile too, and just the sight of you could brighten my entire lousy day.
I can't so much put it into words, not this way, Pinkie. I remember you mentioning that I should write a poem sometime. That being said, this is for you, my Perfectly Peppy, Pink Prancing Pony Partner of Ponyville. You stole my heart, so it's only right that I keep yours intact.'
The aforementioned PPPPPPP sighed, tracing a hoof back over the words on the admittedly aged scroll.
Her heart was pounding, no, thumping furiously against her chest as she once more fell back onto her pillow, tears in her eyes. She continued reading, the words becoming incredibly blurred, nearing a point where they were barely legible.
'You
A simple expression known as a 'poem', composed by Twilight Sparkle.
When You are around,
I smile at everyone.
When I'm feeling down,
You declare my sadness 'done'.
Your hugs are like
A dosage of pure love.
Your peppy psyche,
Never fails to bring me to love...
You.
But I've fallen asleep,
And I seem to have forgot,
That without a peep,
Awaken; I shall not.
But please don't cry,
Please don't mourn your own,
Those tears gathering in your eyes,
Hardly quell my own.
That day when we first found,
New feelings and sensations galore,
Was when You were around,
And I never wanted more.'
By now, Pinkie had to stop, as the weight of a thousand emotions pressed upon her chest. The memories of such a peaceful, happy time seemed almost distant; in the dystopian world that she now wallowed in. I remember... she distantly thought, swiping at her face with a slight sniffling. It took a humungous effort not to break down into sobs again. Her hugs always did smell like some sort of good flower...
'The times that quickly followed,
Was in which that us two found,
That a relationship wasn't hollow,
Only a fullness that followed you around.
I was a young, foolish filly;
I went much same.
I now find it rather silly,
That I once found love a game.
Perhaps love is a game,
Perhaps it is...Pinkie Pie.
It is one that I, with great shame,
Had to lose the game and die.
I hate that word, I detest it so;
I'm sure you're weeping over it too.'
The pink pony glanced with a start at her own tear-covered hooves, and her soaked pillow. Well, she's a good guesser, I'll give her that...
'But since it's time to go,
I'll tell you something not entirely new.
I loved you, Pinkie Pie,
I still do.
If one thing made me smile,
It was the thought that you did, too.
In the case that you find,
Tears crowding your eyes,
Leaving you blind.
Just realize...
You loved to make me smile,
Yes you did.
It filled your heart with sunshine all the while,
Yes it did.
'cause all you really needed was a smile,
From those happy friends of yours.
You.
You are the pony who brings joy to the world.
You bring sunshine to my world.
Pinkie Pie, you have a job to do.
That job is to be you.’
It was like a slap to the face. Slowly, Pinkie set down the piece of parchment. Was that it? Why had Twilight ended the letter so soon? How did she even write it?
Short and prematurely truncated as such a letter was, Pinkie Pie knew exactly what to do. She quietly removed herself from the bed, taking care to clear the tears from her eyes. The pink mare trotted to the door, a newfound spring in her step.
Stopping in the doorframe, she turned back, taking hold of a familiar picture once more. "Our first hug as a couple...I'll always love you, Twilight..."
A slight smile crept over her face, as her heart finally lifted. Odd way as it was to end a letter, the message was clear: 'Be happy. It's what I would want most.'
"I will." Pinkie said, gazing at the picture, straight into the framed unicorn's face, as though she could see her. The smile on Twilight's face no longer struck her with grief, instead it made her smile back.
And it was time to spread that smile.
"My name is Pinkie Pie."
A small wave from a passing pony caught her attention, and the pink pony turned, spouting a cheerful 'Hello!'. Without a care, the fuschia mare trotted onwards, continuing to hum that oh-so-familiar song from days' past. The only thing she was unaware of was a watching force, one seemingly inponane. It was almost as if it were singing with her humming...
"Your name is Pinkie Pie,
And you are here to say...
You're gonna make me smile, and you
Will brighten up my da-a-a-ay..."
"Still watching her?"
Twilight Sparkle jumped, turning to face the sudden voice. "Oh, it's only you, Sapphire," she said, quickly grabbing the blue pegasus mare in an embrace. "You almost scared me to-"
"Can't do that hon', you already are!"
Twilight giggled. "That's true." With a dreamy sigh, she turned back to a small pool set into the fluffy surface that she stood on. Inset in the ripples was the figure of a cheerful pink mare; the faint sounds of laughter and chatter vaguely floating up as the pony in the pool moved.
Twilight reached out a hoof longingly, meeting with the startlingly cold surface of the water. Additional waves soon sprang up, obscuring any view of the pink mare. Slowly, she brought her hoof back, staring uncomprehendingly at the drops of water that remained.
"You know you can't use the Looking Pools for direct contact, right?" asked the blue pegasus, gently laying a hoof across Twilight's shoulders. "Pure Magic can only go so far..."
"I know, I know..." said the unicorn, turning to face the pony beside her. "I'm still trying to get used to life after death. It's...rather different to say the least. Ponies of all types walking on clouds, the ability to wish anything into existence by thought, provided it isn't malicious...it's an equality I haven't seen...well, ever."
"Don't forget the transition." offered Sapphire.
"Ah, yes..." muttered Twilight, looking absently back at the pool, of which there remained no ripples. "The black empty period in which you get one contact to the world before you...yeah."
It was silent for a few seconds, completely contrasting the bright, cloudless, sunless sky. One could gaze straight up, and see nothing but a great beautiful blue sky, not obscured by a blazing, blinding ball of fire.
"Still can't believe that a sneeze led to all of this..."
"A what now?" The pegasus' voice rose in disbelief, as she raised an eyebrow accompanying such change. "A sneeze?!"
"Yeah. Me and her," Twilight began, motioning vaguely to the 'Pinkie-Pool'. "We were in the bakery, and she was trying to reach something high up. While she stood on my shoulders, I sneezed, and..."
A slight burning enveloped her cheeks as she finished. "...I guess I never felt it. The last thing I actually did remember was...was..."
"...was?" Encouraged the blue pony.
Twilight averted her gaze once more to the pool, watching her former marefriend bounce ever cheerfully around, as ebullient as could be. She watched as Pinkie playfully teased a sunken rainbow maned pegasus, who batted half-heartedly at the pink pony. The faint wisps of a conversation could be heard.
"Come on, Dashie! Don't be so sad! Love what you have, and try to save it, but I mean, don't grab what isn't there!"
"I'm not feeling it, Pinkie...there's like such a huge gap in my schedule now that she's gone..."
"Know what you need?"
"...what?"
"A hug."
The purple mare stared distantly into the refractory waters as a ball of energy sprung against the cyan mare, encasing said mare in a deathly bear hug. Rainbow finally smiled, laughing and trying to push the pink pony off of her. "Aw, Pinkie, stop it! I swear, if you try to tickle me again-"
"Thanks for reminding me!" Instantly, Pinkie Pie was upon her with a flurry of hooves, as Rainbow Dash sunk to the ground in a shower of giggling and protests.
"...she tried to save me..." said Twilight, closing her eyes to the world around her. She felt her heart beat just a little slower, felt her breathing become slightly deeper and longer.
"She...she kept hitting at my chest, hoping to use a futile mockery of CPR. It worked well enough, but considering how the utensils landed...I hadn't a chance.
"And then, she...she..." The mare paused for breath as familiar hot, salty pinpricks materialized at the corners of her eyes. "...she tried mouth-to-mouth, trying-incorrectly, I might add-to force some amount of air into my lungs, but it wasn't going to work.
"She ended up just collapsing on top of me, and crying, just hugging my paralyzed self. She kept apologizing, frantically blubbering and nearly choking on her own words, almost...dare I say screaming in desperation."
"But look at her-she's happy. Only you can do that." Sapphire's wisdom was not misplaced in intention, and both knew that.
"No, it isn't just me..." Twilight managed a weak smile. "She makes herself happy by making others happy."
A silence followed again, ending when the blue pegasus arose. "Well, I gotta' go catch a run with the stunt squad. I'll see you later, Twilight."
"Mmm." The unicorn didn't even bother to look up from the pool.
"What I would give for just one last hug, one last message..."
Twilight sighed, laying onto the fluffy cloud, placing her muzzle just inches from the glistening water. A slight extension of her lips, and a flurry of ripples sent themselves scurrying from the point of impact, splitting what had moments ago been a splitting image of the pink pony. If I had to choose...
"I love you, Pinkie..."
Pinkie sighed, watching as a renewed cyan pegasus trotted into the distance. "They always smile, Pinkie..." she told herself. "They always do..."
With a smile, the pink pony resumed her travels, once more humming a strangely peppy melody.
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm dark and lonely...
Hmm hm hm hm feel sad, hm hm hm hm hm hm hm show you that it isn't that bad..."
A sudden thought, a sudden tummy ache followed by an earache and a tail twitch sent her gaze sky-high, and she smiled wider. She knew that one, and she was so glad to say it.
"I love you too, Twilight."
It's true, some days are dark and lonely...and maybe I feel sad, but Twilight will be there to show me that it isn't that bad...
There is one thing that makes her happy, and makes her whole life run free...
And that's when she talks to me, a special pink pony~...
She really is so happy,
Her smile fills me with glee.
I give a smile, she gets a smile,
And that's so special to me...
'cause she loves to make me beam, beam, beam, yes she does.
It fills her heart with sunshine all the while, it just does.
It makes her happy when I beam, beam, beam, yes it always makes her da-ay~!
Yes the perfect gift for Twi-ly,
Is a smile as wide as a mile.
To make her happy as can be~...
Smile,
Smile,
Smile,
Smile....
Smile...
Come on and smile...
Come on and...
Smile...
...
I miss you, Twilight...
...
Love you...
