A tear plopped into a still river, making it ripple outwards for a good minute. The tear’s owner sat by the river bank, staring at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy, her mane was sweaty, and the tissue she held with her magic was damp. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks to cause more ripples.
Hearing hoofsteps, she gasped and looked up, only to see her friend, who was an earth pony, coming towards her. She sighed and looked back at the clear liquid below her.
Spring saw her friend’s face from where she stood. It was puffy, her lip was trembling, and her nose was raw and red. It was obvious she had been crying, or still was. Spring took a gulp of courage, knowing how Summer could be when she was upset, and walked over to her green and yellow unicorn friend.
"Hey, Summer," Spring said quietly as she sat down. "What's up?"
Summer said nothing.
"Aw, Summer. Don't be like that," Spring continued as she tried to put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Summer shied away, turning her back to Spring.
"I'm fine," She mumbled. "Everything's just perfect." Spring caught an aggressive tone in Summer’s voice. Summer splashed a huge boulder in the river, getting her and Spring wet. "So why don't you just keep walking? OK? I'm perfectly...fine..."
Spring noticed the river swelling more as soon as Summer finished her sentence. She huffed, getting a little bit frustrated.
"Summer..." she said, in a calm but firm voice. "I can see that you’re the opposite of 'perfectly fine'." Summer shifted a little bit. "So, could you please tell me what’s wrong?"
Why should I tell her? Sure, she’s my friend, but a friend would know when to leave another friend alone! If she really wants to know, she could ask my family or something, instead of bugging me, when I'm clearly upset!! Summer thought, splashing more rocks into the river.
Spring heard Summer sigh, and the rocks splashing into the river ceased. After a little while, Summer sniffed loudly, and turned her head over her shoulder, the picture of misery.
"S-Spring, if you must K-k-know, m-m-my guine-ea p-pig-g d-d-d-died," she stuttered, finding it difficult to speak and hold back her tears.
Spring gasped. "Oh, Summer, thats awful! What happened? How did he die?"
Summer sniffed again, turning her body to face her pink friend. "W-well, w-we noticed his strange behavior t-three days ago. H-he wasn't eating much, bu-but kept begging f-for food. T-the next day, we saw h-he liked to eat a-apples, because dad gave him some-some apples, and he n-nommed them right up. O-on the last day, I w-was holding him, and he was really-really light, so I levitated him a-and saw his stomach was c-caved in."
Spring gasped again. That must have been awful, to see a beloved pet’s stomach caved in.
"S-so, I cried all o-of yesterday, worrying m-my head off for him. We went to s-see a movie around five, and, when we g-got back, C-cuddles was laying out all flat like," A small sad smile came to her lips. "Like a burrito!" She cried the last three words. It took Spring a couple minutes to calm her friend down.
"He was still b-b-breathing, b-but very slow-l-ly," Summer continued. “And, f-five minutes after, a-at 10:02, h-he died." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I-I didn't feel like celebrating Equestria l-last n-night."
"Oh, Summer, thats awful," Summer nodded in slight agreement.
"I-I made a p-poem for him," she said quietly.
"Oh, that's...great," Spring replied, not sure if it was great or not. "Here, why don't you read it?"
Summer shook her head. "I-I can't." She turned her back to Spring again.
"Sure you can!" Spring said joyously, trying to get some courage into Summer's broken heart. She gently put a hoof on her back.
"I CAN'T!" Summer snapped, making Spring jump back, losing her balance. "I had enough trouble writing it," Summer continued, a bit more calmer.
"Well, could I at least read it, please?"
Summer weighed the decision in her head. Should I let her see it? She kind of made me feel better, so, maybe I should. But, she was kind of nosy, and I guess that’s what friends do when they try to cheer you up. I guess I just needed a talk, and she was the perfect one to talk to. She did ask nicely, too. And what kind of friend would I be if I said no? After all she's done for me?
After a while, she opened her saddle bag and brought out the rolled up paper in a light green glow.
"G-go nuts," she mumbled as she plopped it in front of Spring. Spring slowly unrolled it as
Summer lay down to look at the river once again.
There goes his spirit, drifting away from us,
his soul is nothing but a memory now, hidden in the mist and musk.
While I look into his cold, lifeless eyes, I remember all the good times,
like everyone tells me to do, but I just wind up with tears in my eyes.
I miss him so much, it hurts, so bad,
all the memories, a thing of the past.
As I look around, everything reminds me of him,
from my house, to his cage, to his face.
And I know it seems cruel to say it's unfair,
but I'd rather be dead, then to see him disappear.
Yes, I know, I'll have him in memory,
But I'd rather have him alive, and next to me.
Spring finished the poem, misty-eyed. She laid down next to Summer, and they stayed there for two hours, not saying a single word.
