Working Relationships

The Day The Laughter Died

“C’mon, darlins’,” Applejack nudged Rainbow and Rarity.

“Now?  She’s leaving right now?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, Twilight’s train is arrivin’, and we all promised her we’d be there!” she exclaimed, pointing towards the door.

They walked through the now crowded streets of Ponyville.

“How long will the trip be?” Dash asked,

“From here to Timberwoods? Roughly 10 hours, give or take,” Applejack answered, not stopping her slight gallop.  They were starting to pick the pace, dodging the pedestrian ponies, and made their way to the station.

Pinkie was already waiting for them, alone.  Her hair wasn’t poofy like normal, but drab and low, like the time she thought her friends didn’t want to be her friends anymore.

“Why so glum, Pinkie Pie?” Rarity asked, catching her breath from the jog.

“I’m gonna’ miss Twilight, you guys,” she cried out.  Her head sagged, as she sat down on the bench facing the cross ties of the rail road.  The train blew off in the distance, and her heart sank a little every time it did.

She thought she would be able to pull through, and get over it, but by the time she started walking towards the train station, it hit her hard.  Rarity sat down next to her, and comforted her, saying soft things in her ear.

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, and thought of the future.  She was happy Applejack was giving her a chance, but sad that Twilight was leaving and how sad Pinkie was.  It was hard enough last time Pinkie got sad, now it was like deja vu all over again.

Twilight came holding some of her bags, Spike the rest.  Pinkie started to cry, but the others stood their with welcoming, sad smiles.

“Hi, girls, I’m so glad you came... but where is Fluttershy?” she asked, and they looked around.

“I’m here,” she said, flying over, “I’m sorry I’m late, I just, I-”

“Calm down, Fluttershy, it’s a sad time for all of us,” Twilight stopped her.  They all looked at Twilight, even Spike with big, gleaming eyes, as Twilight broke the short silence.

“Well, I guess this is it...”

Pinkie hopped from the bench and from Rarity’s grasp, and lunged herself towards Twilight.  Embracing her, she cried all over her mane, “I’m gonna’ miss you, Twilight,” she feebly whined out.

“I’m going to miss you to, Pinkie,” she said softly.

“You really have to go?” she asked, no reason why she shouldn’t.

“Yes, Pinkie, it’ll only be a few weeks,” Twilight stammered, feeling Pinkie’s pain,

“A few weeks is to long to be without you, Twi’, goodbye.”

Next was Dash and Applejack, they hugged each other, and said their goodbyes, getting teary eyed, and then Rarity.  They did the same, leaving only Fluttershy left.

“Goodbye, Fluttershy.”

“Goodbye, Twilight,” she said, lying.  She was about to hop on the train with her, so she played out the act.  Even thought Fluttershy never felt this devious before, it was in the name of her love, and nothing was stopping her.  She had a mission, and she was going to complete it.

They hugged, and then they all watched as the train pulled up at the station.  Pinkie hung her head again, and Spike walked up to Twilight after loading the luggage.  Spike embraced Twilight, and all of the ponies looked in awe.

“Spike? Arn’t you going?” they all asked,

“No... I’m staying.”

There was no answers, just questions.

“But wh-”

“ALL ABOARD!” the conductor shouted, and Twilight hopped on.  While no pony was looking, Fluttershy made a quick excuse, and ran to the back of the train, in the caboose.  With a quick turn of her head to see if anypony spotted her, and hopped on the red cart.

There they all were, watching Twilight from the station, as the train pulled out.  They all waved. Pinkie was crying, Applejack’s arm was around Dash’s back, and Rarity ran to comfort Pinkie.

What an exit...

Twilight watched as her friends and Ponyville disappeared into the background, and she started making her way towards Timberwoods, in the Swayback Mountains.  The train rocked slowly, and the luggage was hung high above her head.  The train was small only four carts, strange, they normally have about six.

This was a one way trip.  Last train to Timberwoods until her ETD a few weeks later.  Twilight leaned her head up against the glass, her horn slightly scraping it.

Fluttershy sat down in the caboose’s inner room.  She knew it was going to get very hot, and then very cold, so she had to make her way up to the car before Twilight’s, to keep her from being seen.

Everypony but Pinkie left the station, leaving her to wallow on her bench.  It seemed when her friends left, everypony left, leaving a blank silence wrapped around her.  Her heart was like a ship, cracked and sinking into a deep, underwater depression.

“Why?” she thought.  Her hair leaning over her shoulders, wet from her tears.  She pulled out a tissue and dried her face, but they still kept coming.

It was a beautiful day out, but no parties, no laughter, no fun, only Dash and Applejack’s relationship.  They were growing closer, Pinkie could sense it, which put down her insecurity, but didn’t help her emotions.

No help sitting her, she got up, and walked away from the station where they were once were, together.  She wandered the streets of Ponyville, so drab.

Maybe a muffin or a cupcake would help her.  Yeah, a muffin sounded better than a cupcake, Ditzy Doo would have some.  She decided to head to Ditzy’s home, not just for the food, but for the company.  The streets were full of ponies now, but they paid no attention to Pinkie Pie, as she moved slowly through the crowed, her head bowed, an her hair dragging across the dirt.

When she arrived, she knocked on the door, and the cross eyed Pegasus pony opened the door.

“Ditzy, I-”

“Call me Derpy, I changed it, Pinkie, remember?” she stopped her.

“Sorry... Derpy... I feel really bad, I thought you had a muffin or two,” she said.

Derpy looked into Pinkie’s eyes, she could see the sorrow, like a pony who lost a pet... Or a friend.

“Come on in, Pinkie,” Derpy answered.  They sat down in the tiny kitchen, and she pulled out a tray.

“Let me put these in the oven,” she said.

Pinkie never really talked to Ditzy, or Derpy as she would call herself, since the last Winter Wrap Up they had.  Derpy’s relatives lived all over Equestria, places like Manehatten and Stalliongrad.  She could never tell who Derpy was talking to, either, on account of her eyes looking all over the room.

“Derpy, I’m sorry to burst in here, I don’t want to be a burden,” she said.  Derpy put the batter in the oven, and sat down across from Pinkie.

“Why so glum, Pinkie Pie?”

“Twilight left today.”

“Where did she go, I wasn’t told,” Derpy got more interested.

“To Timberwoods,” Pinkie squeed.

“Timberwoods? That’s a long way from here.  When did she leave?”

“Just a few moments ago,” her hair draped on the table, curling into tiny knots.

“Why don’t you put your hair up?” Derpy tried to comfort her.

“I don’t want to,” Pinkie shot back.

“I can help you, Pinkie,” Derpy got up, and searched for a comb.

Pinkie just sat there, and mumbled, signaling a ‘what ever’ sign.  She combed the pink hair down across her back, and then bumped it all up.  After she was finished combing, she ran her hooves rapidly across Pinkie’s head, and frizzed it up.

“Perfect!” Derpy exclaimed, and the muffins were ready.  She pulled them out and lay them on the table.

“Butter?” she offered Pinkie, and Pinkie took it.  They ate them slowly, and Pinkie spoke up.

“I don’t know what to do, Derpy, I hate feeling this way.”

“Why do you?” Derpy said.

“I already told you, Twilight left!”

“So, what's so bad, she’s coming back, right?” Derpy guessed.

“Well, yes, but-”

“But nothing! Just keep your head up, and you will be able to pull through,” Derpy stopped her.

“You’re very smart, Derpy, I don’t know why people think differently,” Pinkie said, finishing the muffin.

“Think differently about what?” Derpy asked.

Pinkie laughed a bit to herself, “Nothing, nothing at all.”