Leap of Faith: Generosity Vs. Laughter

Chapters

Chapter One - Like she's never danced before...
Chapter Two - A Rock and A Question
Chapter Four - If Something Can Go Wrong....
Chapter Five - The Death and The Life
Chapter Six - We Are Gathered Here Today...
The Reception (Afterparty)
Chapter Three - Diagnosis: Terminal, with a side of Wedding Planner
For those of you tracking

Chapter One - Like she's never danced before...

"Spring...a peaceful time of year...a beautiful time of year. Temperatures are just right...not too hot...not too cold, and are just perfect for outdoor outings and enjoying a good time with your friends. It's the season of joy...season of life...season of love. Love...as beautiful as a rainbow, and as sweet as candy. How does love even work, one wonders. In mysterious ways I suppose. It has various forms...I know. Love for a friend, love for a pet, love for...somepony. It's not fair...now that I really think about it...it's just not fa-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!

"Pinkie please answer me!!!! PLEASE! You're worrying me darling please open the door!" Rarity shouted and screamed, trying her best to shove her shoulder against the door to bust it open. Being a mare of grace and more mental focus then of physical, this particular task was too much for the fashion diva, and was instead forced to scream at the door instead, trying her hardest to reach the distraught mare on the other side.

"I'm fine Rarity! Just...just go away!" Pinkie Pie shouted back, hugging and rocking herself back and forth slightly. She sniffed as she looked towards her bathroom, tears flowing from her eyes as Rarity continued to shout and bang on the door. She quietly slumped to the floor, her straight, pink mane flowing over her body and face as she whimpered

"How could this have happened.....?"

Leap of Faith: Generosity Vs. Laughter

One Month Earlier...

It was just the beginning of Spring in the good town of Ponyville, around the days of late March and early April. Birds were coming home in swarms to rebuild their lives from their winter pilgrimage to the south, animals of all shapes and sizes emerged from dens to start anew and gather food for the next winter, and even the ponies of Ponyville mimicked (in a way) the same ways, shops opening and farms tilled and planted for the next season. It was only the very start of day, with the sun only having just peaked the treetops of the Everfree Forest. A beautiful, breath-taking red glow had begun to shine over the small, tranquil town, leaving ponies to gasp and stare up into the ruby sky as if they were watching fireworks.

For one pony in particular, a mare with a fashion sense as keen as Pinkie's Pinkie Sense, the glow gave not only astonishment and wonder...but inspiration. Rarity Geminavi sighed, her small blindfold like mask hanging off of her horn and her mane what most would describe as "Leaf Blower". She was enjoying a warm sip of hot coffee, staring outwards towards the beautiful streets of town from her bedroom window on the second floor of the Carousel Boutique, her fashion shop and home.

"Oh how beautiful...yes...yes I could do such wonders with this...a new line perhaps?" She muttered quietly to herself, her eyes narrowed in concentration and thought as she took another sip of coffee and swallowed with a slight grimace. "More salt licks..." she grunted slightly, eyes flicking down to her magically levitated cup for only a brief moment before they looked back up to stare over the rosy morning. "Well..." she sighed, turning her head towards her bed and smiling "Maybe a new dress for the little one...". Sweetie Belle was still curled up in the safety of Rarity's blankets, her small face relaxed and free of troubles. The elder sister could not help but smile as the sun rose higher and higher up into the air, spreading its glow into her bedroom and over the face of her younger sister.

She giggled as the young filly rolled over and groaned slightly "Just five more minutes Rarity..."

At this, the fashion mare flicked her head to the right, flinging the blindfold mask onto her nightstand and turning to trot down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Some breakfast is in order I believe" She smiled, looking forward to a brand new day, with brand new dresses!

~~~

All was quiet in the bakery known famously...and infamously, as Sugar Cube Corner. Sweets, candies, cakes, and all other manners of baked goods rested perfectly and neatly in rows on shelves and display cases in the lower floor of the shop. They were all magically preserved with a simple charm, one that faded once a product left the safety of the bakery. Besides, how awful would it be if such a delicious and beautiful treat just went to waste on a shelf, with nopony getting the chance to sink their teeth into such a tasty, scrumptious morsel?

The thought was not even conceivable for the Party Pony of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie herself who was sprawled out over her bed upstairs in her quiet, tiny bedroom. While indeed it was silent in her room (apart from her light snoring), her room screamed 'LOUD!'. Streamers, balloons, her Party Cannon for Celestia's sake, all littered the slightly cramped room. A massive chalkboard rested itself along one of the walls, pink scrawls and jumbles of words littering the entire expanse of the board. The only real thing discernible that could be read out of the pink, chaotic mess were the three words 'NEW PARTY IDEAS!!!!'.

Yes...all was quiet...and then the twins woke up. As if on instinct, Pinkie Pie flung her hooves up to her ears and groaned, rolling over to face the window, her back turned to the wailing noise. This didn't really have much of an effect as Pinkie now suddenly hissed at the red glow of the sun that had just reached the peak of her bedside window. She hissed "The light!!! It burnssssssss!!!!!!" and rolled back over to face the wailing, which she could only label with as much sanity as she of all ponies had, 'The Lesser of Two Evils'. Her headache was expected, the furious pounding at her skull informing her that she needed some coffee and a LOT of water, stat! It had been a late night for the mare...from what she could remember.

The voices of Mrs.Cake only briefly met Pinkie's ears as she made a slow walk towards her dresser's mirror, staring at her own Aqua Blue eyes, thin lines of red etching themselves in the once pearly whiteness of them. "Now now dearies! No need to cry...mama's got ya!" Mrs.Cake cooed to her children from down the hall, drawing Pinkie Pie to smile as she thought about how wonderful the Cakes were being to her lately. She knew it was only out of comfort...reassurance more like. Her eyes slowly looked over towards the left, no longer lingering over the several strands of straight, dark pink hair that blended into her usual bubbling mess of a mane. The calender marked today as yet another visit...another diagnosis...another miserable evening that would most likely end up with her going back to the Corral.

She didn't know what drew there...to those dark halls and the overcrowded dance floor. Perhaps it was the music DJ-PON3 and DJ-0CT4V1A played around the clock, or the booze...or maybe just to get away from the realization that things probably were NOT going to be ok. Her train of thought was broken, her eyes shifting towards her bedroom door as Mr.Cake's voice echoed from the nearby hallway "Pinkie dear! We're having some breakfast soon if you'd like to join us!". Pinkie didn't respond, simply walking towards her door with a bit of a limp in her step. As she descended the stairs, the memories of the previous night poked and prodded at her throbbing skull, forcing her to relive them over and over.

~*~

Vinyl's Cage Corral - The Previous Night

"WOOHOO! Work it girl!!!" A colt shouted to a mare next to Pinkie Pie, who was trying her best to push through the swelling, throbbing crowd that took up the entire dance floor in the Corral. She had only just arrived to the establishment, her hair threatening to deflate and fall over her shoulders at a moments notice. She had only come back from the scheduled appointment, the doctors demanding she return the next day for another few checkups to confirm their suspicions. The entire ordeal had taken a lot out of the poor Party Pony...and for the first time since she left the rock farm...she couldn't find the strength to make herself smile, or even conceive of the thought of partying. No...there would be no partying for her tonight, she decided...only haze. A drunken haze that she could lose herself in, to escape the pain of the past few days.

She pushed through the final barrier of fleshy dancers, heaving herself into one of the stools and holding up one of her hooves. DJ Shake n' Bake, resident Bartender of the Corral, smiled and made his way over, cleaning a glass with magic. "Hey Pinks!" he shouted over the thudding bass of Vinyl's equipment "What brings you to the party park!? You looking for a good time?!!"

Pinkie shook her head, shouting back "Nah! I'm looking to get good and wasted! Give me a shot of Cider-Six with three drops of Braeburned, hold the ice!"

Shake blinked in surprise, his eyes widening as he yelled "By Celestia's Mane Pinkie what the hell you need that strong a hit for!? Somepony in your family die!?"

Pinkie chuckled slightly, pushing her now straightened hair out of her face and shouting over the noise "Not really! I'm just looking to take a break from the world, you know?!"

Shake nodded, smiling and levitating the desired bottles over to a small glass as he spoke "Yeah I hear ya!!! You better down this quick and get out there, I hear one of your fav's is coming on!!!"

Pinkie nodded to him, picking up the glass in a carefully balanced hoof once it was filled. She was thankful Shake and Vinyl had managed to score the 'HEAVY ALCOHOL's LICENSE' from Canterlot, the only permit that allowed stronger then average drinks to be sold at the Corral. It was a purely 'Drink at your own risk' type of deal, with ponies having to sign a waiver before they were permitted to get into the strong stuff...which included Cider-Six and Braeburned. She had only once had such a volatile mixture before from Applejack, who was the original developer of the smashing drink. It was as close to an equivalent as Cousin Braeburn's Braeburned then anything else, with just one advantage: Cider-Six could hammer you faster then Braeburned as long as it had a few drops from the drink accompanying it. It was this secret mixture that Pinkie found herself drinking, slinging back the glass and sloshing the brown froth into her mouth. She downed it with a swift gulped and immediately started to giggle, her mind and vision partially blurring. It was quite a feat, according to Applejack, creating a drink that could instantly bring the most alcohol-hardened mare like Pinkie or Berry Punch to being tipsy.

Pinkie flipped her hoof twice more, getting two more shots slid towards her which she downed with such posture that you think she was some kind of professional. Despite her suddenly feeling lightheaded and sick...Pinkie couldn't help but giggle, and even laugh slightly. All worries and thoughts of the day and the depressing one that was sure to follow evaporated from her brain, the only thing filling it now being the thudding bass and the screaming hoots and hollers of the dancers. She spun in her stool as she heard Vinyl Scratch tap the microphone above her turntable and shout "YOOOO EVERYPONY IN THE CORRAL LET ME HEAR YA SCREAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!" Pinkie's screams were drowned out by the thunderous roars and shouts from the rest of the corral, Vinyl's voice barely audible over the noise "Buck yeah that's what I'm talking about! You've just finished listening to DJ-0CT4V1A's track Xephyr, the very same track we played at the Canterlot Music Gala thingy a few months ago! It's my turn now everypony, but I need to know if you're ready!!!!"

The thunderous screams of the crowd met the DJ mare's ears and brought a wide smile across her face as Octavia gave Vinyl a small hug and made her way off stage. "Alright then!" Vinyl shouted, slipping on her headphones and turning up the Bass on her turntable to 'RAPE' setting (A label she had made herself with a small roll of duct-tape). She looked up as Pinkie Pie made her way to the middle of the crowd, finding a small clearing on the floor to where she could finally get her mind off of EVERYTHING. "Hey hey!!!" Vinyl Scratch shouted, catching sight of Pinkie "Look's like we got Ponyville's resident Party Pony here tonight! Let's get things shaking ya'll!!! Come on, let me see ya dance like a MANE-IAC!!!"

A light synth-like noise starting to play through the speakers, followed by the loud thudding base of the speakers. The crowd started to get into the rhythm of the beat, dancing slightly and cheering as Pinkie went right into the groove. She hopped up on her rear hooves and held out her front hooves at her side, her middle swinging in a circle and her head bobbing back and forth to the beat. As the lyrics flew from Vinyl's mouth on stage, Pinkie's rear hooves began to slide with snappy movements on the floor, doing a dance that everypony knew as 'Shuffling'

"Just a Party Pony on a Saturday night, looking for the time of her life! In Ponyville noone hates her at all, they all say she's craaazy! Like the rhythms to the beat of her hooves, changing parties into life! She has danced into the party zone, where the pony becomes the dance!

"She can dance into the night, with her mane free and so light! Let us get down to the dance she rocks toniiight!"

"It's Pinkie Pie, Piiiinkie Pie's on the floor! And she's dancing like she's never danced befoooore!!! Yeah it's Pinkie Pie, Piiiinkie Pie's on the floor!!!! And she's dancing like she's never danced befoooore!!!!"

The crowd screamed with delight as several ponies quickly rushed up next to her, getting into her groove and mimicking her wild movements as the music continued.

"From the light of day to the dark of night, there's a place most never see! It is dominated by a pony we know, you can see her bouncing all daaay! You work all damn day with no peace at all, you just need sweet reeeealease!!! It's the beats of the hooves of a bubblegum mare, dancing without much caaare."

"She can dance into the night, with her mane free and so light! Let us get down to the dance she rocks toniiight!"

The last thing Pinkie remembered was finishing her dance with heaving breath and hearing nothing but solid ringing as ponies screamed and cheered for her.

~~~

Pinkie thought about the previous night as she sat at the kitchen table with the Cakes, watching as Mrs.Cake spoon fed the twins. She smiled slightly as the mother made small little airplane noises to try and get the twins to take their food. The tiny filly seemed all for the idea...but the foal had other ideas, choosing instead to bang on his high-chair until his tiny bowl of baby food fell to the ground.

Pinkie's smile faded quickly as Mr. Cake looked over from his place across from her and smiled slightly...a comforting smile at his best. "So..." he muttered, swallowing a bite of his cereal "Let us know if there's anything we can do Pinkie...let us know how the appointment goes, ok?"

'Oh right...' Pinkie thought, staring down at her bowl of cold, wet, depressing cereal and fighting the urge to cry 'Reality does exist...'

Chapter Two - A Rock and A Question

"What's wrong dear...don't you like eggs?" Rarity whimpered, her bottom lip quivering. Tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes as she carefully watched Sweetie Belle poke and prod at the black, charred mess of eggness that rested on her plate.

"Well...sure I like eggs but..." Sweetie Belle began, pushing the eggs around on her plate with a magically levitated fork "...aren't eggs supposed to be...you know...yellow?" Rarity sighed, turning away from the table and walking quietly towards the stove.

"Suppose I'll try again..." she whispered, opening the fridge with magic and bringing out the half empty carton of eggs. She was normally a good cook, able to feed herself and Sweetie Belle with no issue at all. The one thing that always seemed to elude her though...was the skill of cooking eggs. "Oh yes I see...two rotations and...hmmm" Rarity muttered, reading over the small cookbook she had propped up against a large jar of sugar. It was this sight that caused Sweetie Belle to sigh and chuck the plate of torched eggs into the trash, her hopes of a good breakfast quickly fading away.

Just as Rarity was about to pour a freshly wicked cup of yolk into the pan, her doorbell rang, dragging a sigh of relief out of Sweetie Belle. Perhaps her breakfast could be saved after all, but only if she acted fast.

"Oh, the door bell!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, a little more over-the-top then needed. She rushed over to where Rarity stood in front of the stove and quickly put her two front hooves on the unicorn's side. She shouted, making Rarity blink in astonishment "Might be a customer! You should go answer that! Wouldn't want to lose a customer right?!"

Rarity stared with wide eyes at Sweetie Belle's overjoyed face, the filly's smile creeping her out just enough to draw a slow, concerned sentence out of her "Right...well...I suppose I'll just leave you to the eggs then...". Sweetie Belle nodded with intense enthusiasm, using all her might to push Rarity towards the entrance to the kitchen. The diva simply sighed as she was semi-pushed from the kitchen, her hooves quickly taking her to the door as the doorbell rang again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!!!!" Rarity shouted towards the door, quickly illuminating it with her magic and swinging it inwards. She smiled as she spotted the pink waves of a silky mane, and the canary-yellow fur of a timid, kind-hearted mare she knew as one of her best friends. "Fluttershy! Why darling this is such a wonderful surprise! What brings you...to.....um, Fluttershy? Are you ok dear?"

Rarity's smile quickly faded, her eyes quickly widening as she saw the state her friend was in. Fluttershy's eyes were wider then Rarity's, her breath coming out in ragged gasps and her cheeks blazing with the reddest blush Rarity had ever seen. Her mane looked a bit ruffled, and her wings kept twitching every few seconds...a sign that Rarity recognized as a Pegasus who has been startled or taken by extreme surprise. "My goodness! Fluttershy what ever has happened?!" Rarity exclaimed, a hoof up towards her own mouth as she looked the frantic Pegasus up and down slowly.

"I...I....I...!" Fluttershy squeaked, her voice high in pitch. She tried her best to speak, with Rarity only catching small bits and pieces of her sentence up "I...need...I just...Macintosh....he...um..."

"Calm...down dear. Slow, easy breaths" Rarity coached, putting a tender hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. She had gone through these motions before with the timid pony, remembering many a time when she had found Fluttershy in a similar state on her front porch whenever a terrible storm passed over the town. This however...was mere filly's play to the other times Fluttershy had been to Rarity's in her current condition.

Fluttershy nodded slightly, taking a deep breath and uttering out the low word of "Tea...". Rarity nodded quickly, helping her friend inside and towards one of the many circular tables that rested inside the Boutique.

"You wait right here dear...I'll be right back." Rarity said, patting Fluttershy on her back as she settled in a small chair by the table and nodded.

Several minutes passed, with Rarity praising Sweetie Belle in the kitchen for her progress with breakfast followed by a kettle that had been placed on the stove for Fluttershy's tea. The Pegasus in question had seemed to calm down slightly, her breath more under control and her wings growing still at last. She smiled slightly as Rarity trotted in with a tray that held two cups of warm, fresh tea for them both.

"Th...thank you..." Fluttershy said, taking a relieving sip out of her cup and placing it on the table.

"Oh it was no trouble at all dear...you gave me quite a fright however" Rarity said, taking a sip of her own and cocking her head in confusion towards the Pegasus "What happened to get you all riled up though? I've never seen you in such a terrified state!"

Fluttershy's blush practically gleamed as she muttered "W...well...it all started last night...Macintosh had just gotten off of work..."

~*~ The Previous Evening ~*~

"Can't I go in?!"

"Come on you fatass, let us go!!!"

"Is that all you can say is 'Eeyup' you inbred hic!?"

"There's no way the club is full!!!"

The shouts and taunts of the ponies in line continued to fall upon the deaf ears of a hunking red stallion known around town as the 'Work Horse' for Sweet Apple Acres: Big Macintosh. Night time was fast approaching in Ponyville, with Princess Luna eager to begin her celestial magic in Canterlot. It was an unfortunate thing for Macintosh, as the more unruly, rough crowd tended to come out after the sun had gone down. In addition to being a farmer pony, Macintosh was also widely known for his job as a Bouncer for Vinyl Scratch, guarding the metal door at the bottom of a staircase leading inside to Vinyl's Cage Corral. He had already given a friendly hello to a semi-straight haired Pinkie Pie who had gotten in with the V.I.P. password about ten minutes earlier...and for some reason regretted it. It was because of this that the line of ponies had begun to grow more and more impatient with each passing second.

On any other night, Macintosh wouldn't really care about what the crowd shouted at him...but with the plans he had, he didn't want anything setting off his mood. He sat on his haunches, sighing in aggravation and adjusting the black beanie pressed down on his head with a gentle push of his hoof. His black sweater wasn't doing much to help either, making his whole body itch from the wool-like fabric. He was just about through with the stupid crowd, nearly losing it when somepony shouted "He probably ate out his STD infested sister, it would explain why he couldn't talk since his throats all fucked up!"

Fate would smile on Big Macintosh however, a breath of relief escaping his lips as his replacement trotted up to him. A stallion, a little bit bigger then Macintosh and slightly bulkier, nodded to him as he approached. He was dressed in similar garb to Macintosh's, and spoke quickly and sternly with little emotion in his voice "Shift's over Macintosh. Go home."

Macintosh let out a small whinny, hopping up on his hooves and dashing away from the depressing spot in front of the staircase with a loud "Eeeeeeyup!!!!" He was eager to get away and on towards his destination as soon as possible, knowing what he'd get when he got there. Fluttershy had only hinted to the stallion about what the night's plans were, and just the sheer thought of it was enough to poke and tease Macintosh's brain to a point of pure insanity.

The wind whipped through the stallion's mane as his hooves beat loudly against the ground, sending him flying across the streets of Ponyville and right out of the northern edge of town. He didn't even bother himself with taking the extra time to cross over the bridge that led over the river, launching himself over the water with a quick kick of his hooves. As he moved down the winding dirt path, the light's of Fluttershy's cottage started to become clearer and clearer. Soon enough, he spotted the wooden bridge leading over the small little river that ran in the front of the cottage, and wasted no time in leaping clean over it.

Meanwhile, from the inside of the cottage, Fluttershy hurriedly tried to make herself ready and presentable for her Stallion lover, going over the checklist of everything she had planned (With the item of 'Thank Twilight for teaching me about Checklists...still unchecked). Candles, Dinner...the outfit discreetly bought from the 'Naughty Store', as she liked to call it. She gave herself a quick look over as the thunderous padding of Macintosh's hooves reached her perked ears, making sure she was fully ready for him. She blushed at her own reflection, looking up and down the red-velvet dress she had on. It was a one piece gown, the fabric soft but see-through, and showed off a yellowish tint of her fur through it. Near the bottom portion of the dress which was stretched skin-tight over her flank, was the slight frill of a modified skirt made to fit her and stretch as she moved. She smiled and stared at herself as she finally finished adjusting the big red bow in her hair, giving herself the impression that she was some kind of 'Present'.

As she heard him approaching the cottage with frantic speed, she lept over the arm of her couch and landing with a soft squeak. She spread her hooves out and laid herself out on her side, with one hoof propping her head up so that she could stare towards the door. A blush as red as her dress had settled on her face, a thought racing through her head as Macintosh tried his best to unlock her door with the spare key she had given him "Oh...I do hope Rainbow Dash was right about this being assertive...I really want to be good to him and not be so timid when it comes to...to....this."

She let out a little squeak of fright as the front door flew open, a winded Macintosh trotting in quickly and sucking in a breath when his eyes landed on the sexily dressed mare laid out before him on the couch. Fluttershy felt as if her face was on fire, her eyes on Macintosh's which were traveling up and down her body. "Oh...mah...stars." Macintosh breathed, his own blush visible through his deep red coat.

"D...do you like it?" Fluttershy spoke, her voice a bit soft but still clearly audible. Big Macintosh couldn't help but smile as he looked around the dimly lit living room at all the scented candles that had been lit up just for him, and his favorite dinner (It being 'Apple-Getti', a combination of Spaghetti and Apples) set out on the kitchen table just for him.

"Apple-scented candles..." Macintosh sighed, taking a deep breath that made his heart throb with the familiarity and comfort of home.

Fluttershy giggled and spoke as he quickly made his way over to her "I knew that today was going to be extra hard on you...because of it being Happy Tuesday at the Corral. I thought I'd...give you something to look forward too."

Macintosh couldn't help but smile, pressing his lips against Fluttershy's and diving into a passionate embrace with her. The mare's wings immediately fanned out along the couch with a loud 'POOMF!', and was followed quickly by her front hooves which wrapped around the stallion's neck, drawing deeper into their kiss.

"Flutt...mmmh" Macintosh tried to speak, his words getting muffled by the heavy pecks and presses of Fluttershy's lips against his "Ah wanted...mmph, to tell th-mmmm...ah had a surprise of my own for...for you..."

Fluttershy pulled her lips away for a moment, her breath slightly heavy as she whispered "A surprise...for me?"

Macintosh nodded with a quiet "Eeyup" and gave her a quick peck on her lips before going on "I wanted to make it up to you for all the late nights the Corral has been giving me...because I know you don't like to be here all alone at night. I have to give it to you tommorow morning though...if that's alright."

Fluttershy giggled and ran her hooves down Macintosh's chest and sides, getting a shudder out of the Stallion and a small wheeze of breath. She smiled and gently helped Macintosh up onto the couch, blushing as he gently settled down on top of her and adjusted his posture as not to crush the frail mare. "Oh..." Fluttershy smiled "I think I'll be able to wait for the morning...we haven't even gotten started on the night yet...".

Macintosh shivered as he felt Fluttershy's teeth nibble at his ear and he breathed "M...Miss Dash has been talkin' to ya'll about the assertive thing again...hasn't she?" Fluttershy nodded and pushed her lips up against his with a small smile on her face, one hoof pressed against his side, and another trailing itself down his chest, stomach...and right to his - "Whoa Nelly!" Macintosh breathed, his blush increasing tenfold in intensity and his breath coming out in a raspy shudder. "Ah...ah didn't know you wanted to...you want to do this...tonight?"

Fluttershy gave a small nod, her eyes staring up into Macintosh's as she whispered "Y...yes. I know we talked about...about my first and...I want it to be you. I want it to be here...tonight...with you." Macintosh couldn't be any more proud and happy to hear those words escape her love's lips. For her to trust him with something so sacred and precious, it was a true sign that Fluttershy indeed loved him more then anything in the entire world of Equestria.

Macintosh sighed in pure bliss as Fluttershy pulled him down into yet another deep kiss...setting off the fuse for a night they would not soon forget in the coming years.

~~~

It was early the next morning when Fluttershy opened her eyes, a low groan escaping her lips. She tried to move slightly, but found herself unable, stuck in a single spot. It was then that she finally felt the quiet 'Thump Thump' of a heartbeat against her back, and the gentle, warm breath of Big Macintosh on the back of her neck. She smiled as she looked down at the front hooves that were wrapped around her middle, pulling her snugly against Macintosh's belly. She sighed with a content smile on her face, her blankets filling her with the scent of apples and trees. It was during the night that the two had moved from the living room to the bedroom, with Macintosh doing the carrying and most of the...delicate work.

It took her a bit of work, but eventually she managed to pry herself out of the passed out stallion and slip out of bed. The moment her hooves it the ground however, they threatened to give out from under her. Her legs wobbled and shook as she tried her best to stay on her hooves, a throbbing, sore pain making itself clearly known near her flank...

Fluttershy let out small, pained sigh as she wobbled towards the bathroom door, her business aching to be done. She wasn't upset that she was in pain...after all, she knew what she was getting herself into. There was comfort to be had however, as Macintosh had indeed kept his promise to be nice and gentle with the fragile mare during the night.

Wasting no time at all, Fluttershy quickly closed the door shut behind her, unaware that Big Macintosh had woken up the moment Fluttershy tried to wiggle her way out of his hooves. He had always been a light sleeper, and with Fluttershy now in his life, it would only seem to reinforce it. Who knew if danger could be lurking during the night...danger that he'd need to be awake, aware, and fully prepared for.

With a light sigh, Macintosh rolled over in the tangled mess of the pink colored blankets and took a good look at the small clock that rested on Fluttershy's wall. It was hard to see through the dim morning light, but he could just make out the time of 5:45. "Perfect!" he thought, looking towards the bathroom as a flush was heard "Just in time fer me to take her outside for the sunrise...". The door to the bathroom opened and Fluttershy stepped out, still wobbling but with a look of relief on her face. This faded slightly however as she watched Macintosh sit up in her bed, her voice squeaking as she spoke "Oh no...I didn't wake you up did I?"

Macintosh shook his head, slowly inching his way out of bed as he said "Ee-nope! I was meanin' to get up round' this time anyway. Your surprise is comin' up at the crack uh dawn!"

Fluttershy blinked in surprise for a moment and whispered "R...really? Why so early?"

It was then that Macintosh blushed, a bashful grin on his face as he muttered to the Pegasus before pecking her on the lips "Ya'll will see...don't worry!"

It was just nearing the time for the sun to peak over the world, with the sky ablaze in beautiful colors of red and orange. Already Fluttershy felt the soothing warmth of the approaching sun on her coat and skin, and smiled as she watched Macintosh trot from the backdoor of her cottage and into her backyard. It was here that they could get a perfect look at the mountain range that rested to the far west, the sun just about ready to peak over the mountaintops. As Macintosh made his way over to her, Fluttershy could just barely make out a large plastic bag clutched in his mouth. He smiled as he placed it gently down in front of her, the first rays of the sun now beginning to make their presence known.

Macintosh cleared his throat slightly and took Fluttershy's hoof in his own, smiling as he spoke "Fluttershy...ah...ah just wanted to tell you something. Out of the time we've been together...ah feel like ah can say that you are the most wonderful, beautiful, and amazin' thing to ever have happened to this silly little farm pony. No matter what, on any day, you always bring a warm smile and a throbbing heat to mah swellin' heart. Ah know it's been a few months...and ah know it may seem like ah'm jumping the gun here...but ah just wanted to say that ah've given it some thought. Ah know deep in my heart that ah will never find a mare like you...as kind as you...and wonderful as you. Ah can't fathom it, and ah can't ever fathom the thought of losing you. Fluttershy...ah want to be with you for the rest of mah life...ah want to grow old with you and...and be whatever it is you want me to be. A work horse...an animal doctor...a father...ah don't care what. Ah'll be anything and everything for you Fluttershy...because ah love you." Fluttershy was in tears by the end of his heart-warming speech, her hooves settling over her heart on her chest. A wide smile was stretched across her face as Macintosh reached down to the bag, pulling out a medium-sized black box and whispering "Fluttershy...ah got a question to ask you..."

"Y...yes?" Fluttershy squeaked in question, the edge of the radiant sun just starting to show over the mountains. Macintosh smiled, his eyes looking over towards the mountains for just a brief moment. He needed to time it just right...just perfectly in order to give her the full effect! As the sun's rays beamed in the direction of Ponyville, Macintosh flipped open the box and held it up in his hoof, a squeal sputtering out of Fluttershy's lips.

The sun's rays caught the Diamond hoof-ring perfectly, the gem sparkling and lighting up with the color of the majestic sky. Macintosh smiled as he whispered, staring at a whimpering, but smiling mare who stared at the ring with a look of pure joy on her face.

"Fluttershy...will you marry me?"

At first Fluttershy was utterly speechless, her throat refusing to work as the raw emotions of love and joy threatened to make her thudding heart explode with pure happiness. Finally, with a new found strength coursing through her body, she lept at Big Macintosh. The stallion was surprised as the sheer strength of the mare, who had by some miracle managed to tackle him on his back. She pressed her lips against his with as much force as she could have ever mustered, and cried. She smiled as she pulled her head back, staring down at her smiling lover as her tears gently dripped onto his cheeks.

"O...of course I'll marry you!" Fluttershy squeaked, watching as Macintosh popped the ring from its place in the box and slid it over her outstretched hoof. The mare practically squealed, hugging Macintosh tightly and burying her face in the side of his furry neck. "I love you...oh by Celestia's Mane I love you so much..." She whimpered into his neck, her eyes wetting his red fur.

"Ah love you too Sugarcube..." Macintosh whispered, thankful that Fluttershy had managed to just remind him about something. He would need to write a very extensive thank-you card for the requested sunrise.

"Oh...oh my gosh" Fluttershy gasped, leaning up to stare down at Macintosh who looked up at her with a smile on his face "I have to tell Rarity! I have to tell the others! Is it ok if I tell them?! I won't if you don't want me to but oh I don't know if I'll be able to handle it and-"

"Honey...ah don't mind if you tell all of Ponyville" Macintosh chuckled, his lips getting pecked once more by the yellow mare.

"Oh thank you! Can I meet you for breakfast at Daisy's? I'll be real quick I promise!" Fluttershy squeaked, drawing a nod out of Big Macintosh. He chuckled as she thanked him and gave him another quick kiss before darting away, her wings fanning out and carrying her up into the air. He sat up slightly to watch her go, smiling at her fading form before turning his head to watch he rest of the sunrise. He felt his heart swell with love and joy as the rays of the sun warmed his face and body, a sense of calm and fulfillment filling him. He took in and let out a deep breath of relaxation, uttering only a single word to the soothing air...

"Eeyup!"

(So! Sort of a new Chapter style I'm trying there. Let me know how it worked! 4,000 words...AWESOME! I'll fill that quota yet!)

(Also, a cool story, it's 4:18 A.M., so you all better appreciate the pain I've gone through to pump this sucker out!!! God I need some Advil....love you guys.)

Chapter Four - If Something Can Go Wrong....

"Can four weeks go by so fast...?" Pinkie Pie thought, staring coldly out of her bedroom window at the town of Ponyville below. The afternoon sun was bearing down harshly upon the poor ponies of Ponyville, the heat rising to such unbearable temperatures. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything the Weather Team could do about this since a large majority of the thawed winter water and the small period of rainy showers experienced in the earlier days of March STILL needed to be dried away. The rainy season was scheduled to begin near the second week of May, and if the water level wasn't reduced by then, Ponyville could face a serious flood! Or...so the Captain of the Weather Team said at least...

Pinkie couldn't care about the weather much anyway, or about all the parties she had planned in the earlier month but never got to throwing, or (shockingly enough) about the beautifully designed wedding invitation laying on her desk. It was a simple, yellow-colored card with a border of red apples lining the edges and a picture of a butterfly in the middle of a heart-shaped Gala Apple. The envelope that it had been slid into was of a similar design, now torn and discarded in the bowels of Pinkie's trash can, pushed alongside all the ruined party invitations and papers lining out new ideas for events and games she wanted to try. She just couldn't care anymore...couldn't be bothered...not when there was only a little time left to enjoy them. Even if she had forced herself to try, not much could alleviate her heart of the throbbing fact that certain doom was coming. It had been a month since the day she met with Doctor Health and received the fatal news that she had been dreading for weeks and weeks. She had become hopeful, at the very least, that maybe the good doctor was wrong, that maybe it was just a small hiccup since death had failed to come for over a week past its pre-determined arrival. With the appointment she had just returned from however...her hope couldn't be any farther from the truth.

Doctor Health was indeed surprised when Pinkie had visited him, looking healthy, vibrant, and happy...but never the less...the diagnosis remained. Though the first hurdle of evading death had been crossed (By some kind of miracle, according to the doctor's words), Doctor Health insisted and was certain that the next hurdle just could not be jumped. This of course brought Pinkie's heightened mood back down to a sickening, record low. She barely left the house now...barely ate...barely slept. She tried to explain this to the Cake's...insisting that she wanted to spend every waking moment awake and aware...so as not to be struck down by disaster in her sleep. The Cake's were devastated when these words left the pink mare's lips, with torrents of tears to accompany the fact that there really was little time left for her. They of course swore themselves to the power of the Pinkie Promise not to tell ANYPONY about what was happening...as Pinkie insisted she did not want to dampen the moods and spirits of the ponies getting ready for Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's wedding.

The Wedding...oh how could she say no to poor Fluttershy!? The invitation had demanded an RSVP, but knowing Pinkie Pie, Rarity had already assumed that there was NO WAY in Equestria that Pinkie would miss one of the biggest parties in the world for anything, and had already added her to the guest list! Pinkie had thought and thought and thought through all manners of the day and night, trying to work up some kind of excuse to miss the wedding. It was a wretched thought, the idea of skipping out on the most important day of your friend's life. It wasn't like she wanted to of course! Under normal circumstances, Pinkie would have already sent Rarity a conformation on her guaranteed attendance before the diva would even have the IDEA of sending an invitation to her. These weren't normal circumstances however...and with such little time left...it would be better to just miss the wedding then to have Fluttershy and the rest of the girls see her like this.

No...she couldn't say no...but she couldn't say yes either. To her, the idea of dissapearing was all too...comforting. She wouldn't have to lie to Fluttershy if she never sent a response...she wouldn't have to tell her why she couldn't make it. She could just, fade away...

....if only it were that easy...if only it were so simple...if only she knew that it was about to get much, much worse.

~~~

"Ah, Doctor Whooves! How glad of you to make it!" Rarity shouted in glee, giving the brown coated colt with a whipped back brown mane a gentle hug, careful not to let her white and blue saddlebags slide off her back. His cutie-mark of an hourglass shone brightly in the beams of the sun that shone brilliantly through the stained glass windows of the Temple of Celestia downtown, making him practically glow with a radiance that Rarity argued came from the Doctor himself. The Doctor gave a light chuckle, stepping back out of the mare's hold and giving her a warm smile. The temple itself was what one could call 'artistic beauty', with every surface adorned with carvings and designs of Equestria and the blazing sun. The tapestries resembled those of Celestia's which hung in her castle, depicting some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets ever recorded in Equestrian history.

"So!" He exclaimed, looking around the empty hall of the temple, taking in its elaborate decorations dedicated to Princess Celestia and the sun "This is where it is being held I suppose?"

Rarity nodded, walking with him as they moved up the aisle slowly and speaking in a bright tone "I figured it would give it a more...traditional setting. The time of the wedding should catch the sun directly upon the stage through the windows, giving Fluttershy her own natural spotlight."

The Doctor nodded, obviously impressed as he studied the stage and the area surrounding it. He had heard of course about the wedding between Fluttershy and Big Macintosh, as the town was absolutely abuzz with joy and excitement. Princess Celestia herself even granted the couple full permission to use the temple for their very special day, insisting that the Element of Kindness be given the best for her courageous and kind deeds of the past. "Fascinating" The Doctor began, running his hoof along a column of stone that they happened to pass by. The sun like patterns that crossed its surface seemed to twinkle and dance as the sun's light gleamed through the windows "The Temple of Celestia is one of the oldest buildings in Ponyville, being a sort of beacon or lighthouse of hope in the early days of the town's founding. Farmers from all around would come and pray to Celestia for bright warm skies, and her blessing for a good harvest that year. Shame that it's more of a tourist extraction now then anything else...there's such beautiful history to be had in these great columns!" He smiled with glee as he turned his head towards Rarity, noticing that she to was smiling, but in more of a polite way then genuine. He let out a slight snicker as he held out a hoof "My apologies Miss Geminavi, I tend to get into the spirit of things more often then I should. On to business then, as you did request my presence here for a...urgent matter, according to your letter."

"Oh yes!" Rarity said, looking over towards the stage as she spoke "Dear Fluttershy is down at the spa getting her hair and make-up done for the wedding. They're trying on a variety of styles to see which one she would like to wear on her big day!" The Doctor nodded slightly and followed her movements with his eyes as she trotted towards the entrance doors to the temple. "I am going to need your hour glass for a little...time experiment."

At this, The Doctor's eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing twinkle as he whispered with excitement, his voice being carried by the walls of the temple "A...time experiment? Ooh you have me excited already Miss Geminavi! Do tell, what is it you hope to find out?"

Rarity stopped at the entrance to the temple, turning to face The Doctor as she spoke "I need to run through a small rehearsal of the time-table I hope to have in place for the wedding, which will include the seating, the ceremony, the vows, and the reception. With the information I get from this, I'll be putting Twilight to work with writing up a formal schedule of events that I can put into a pamphlet for the wedding!" She smiled at her brilliantly thought out plan, swelling with pride. Her smile faded however as she looked towards The Doctor's raised eyebrow, a small frown on his face. "Doctor?" Rarity muttered, tilting her head to the side "Is everything alright?"

As if snapping out of a trance, The Doctor quickly shook his head and smiled wide once more, exclaiming "Oh do not worry Miss Geminavi! I'm afraid I got a little too excited at the notion of a...time experiment. Little bit of a stretched idea in my own mind."

Rarity giggled and waved a hoof dismissively as she said "Oh it's quite all right...what...were you expecting though?"

"Oh..." The Doctor began, putting a hoof to his chin as he looked up to the ceiling and wearing a face that a naughty school-filly might have "Perhaps something a little...bigger, concerning time. Not to worry though!". He stomped his hoof down, flashing Rarity a pearly smile and speaking with a confident tone in his rich voice "You won't even need my hourglass, as I'm a perfect sort of hourglass myself! Whenever you need me to start and stop the time Miss Geminavi, I shall do so! Just...task away!" He giggled after he said this, as if he were laughing at his own inside joke.

Rarity nodded, smiling herself as she held up a hoof and said "Alright, we shall begin with the walking of the aisle first! It would be best to go from most important of the events to the least. Doctor, you may start...about....now!"

The Doctor instantly started his mental counter, the seconds ticking away with such excitement in his mind as he watched Rarity walk with an over-the-top, formal grace. She played the part of a bride well, to The Doctor at least, watching her careful hoofsteps, her delicate posture, and the peaceful yet focused expression on her face. His eyes followed her all the way to the stage, where she took small, yet graceful steps upwards onto the raised surface. She came to a full stop, turning with her eyes closed to the right and standing in what she perceived to be the EXACT spot where Fluttershy would be when she turned to look at her future Husband. "TIME!" She shouted, The Doctor making a joke-able clicking sound with his tongue and cheek to resemble that of a stopwatch stopping.

"One minute and forty two seconds!" The Doctor exclaimed, reciting the numbers that flashed through his head. He smiled as he watched her face light up with satisfaction, but felt the corner of his mouth twitch when he realized what number he had-

"Perfect!" Rarity shouted, breaking The Doctor's train of thought as she lept from the stage and trotted towards his position in the middle of the temple's central aisle "Just around the normal time for a bride to make it to the stage, given the proportions of the aisle's length. Although I will have to deduct at least a good twenty seconds from that time as Fluttershy will more then likely be more nervous then Twilight was at the Apple-licious Square Dance party when Trixie invited her out onto stage in front of everypony, causing her to move at a much faster pace out of nervousness..."

The Doctor blinked in amazement as Rarity spilled this out in one breath, his own voice one of wonder "Blimey Miss Geminavi, you have such an amazing perspective when it comes to things like this! Can you really tell the exact time deduction that will be required just by a pony's personality?"

Rarity nodded, a proud look in her eye as she walked with The Doctor towards the entrance. They pushed through the doors and out into the heat of the afternoon as she spoke "I may be a mare of crafting, my dear Doctor, but I am also a mare of detail. It is my job to know the tiny tidbits."

"Fascinating" The Doctor whispered, smiling as they approached the fork in the road that split off towards the Northern and Southern portions of Ponyville. "Well then, this appears to be my stop!" The Doctor smiled, turning to face Rarity "I'm glad I could be of assistance to you today Miss Geminavi, it was truly a wonderful experience to work with you!"

Rarity giggled, waving a hoof at him once in flattery and whispering "Oh you are too kind Doctor! Don't forget that you are more then welcome to attend the wedding!"

"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed, nodding at the mare's words "You can count on me being there. When IS the wedding, by the way?"

Rarity smiled, reaching into her saddlebags and producing a yellow-colored card with red apples bordering the edges. She handed it to The Doctor as she spoke "In around a week and a half, the very first week of May!"

The Doctor let out a gasp, staring at Rarity in disbelief "Do excuse my language Miss Geminavi but Bloody Hell! To plan and host such an event in such a short time! Are you sure that this is possible?!"

Rarity sighed, nodding as she closed the flap on her saddlebags "I'm afraid it will have to be Doctor, for the rainy season is to begin in the second week of May, and the Apple Season just shortly after. Macintosh will be far too busy with Sweet Apple Acres during that time. The season ends in Winter which is NOT the season to hold weddings, and what's worse is Zap-Apple season coming just after in the following spring. There will just be no room for a wedding in that time, and by then the two will already want to be settled down."

The Doctor let out a whistle as the diva finished, his eyes wide in wonder "Blimey...you will certainly have your work cut out for you on this one Miss Geminavi! I wish you the best of luck regardless, and look forward to sitting exactly in the third seat from the center aisle, four rows back from the stage for the wedding."

Rarity blinked, muttering slightly as she spoke "How do you know where you're going to be si-" She stopped, shrugging slightly as she smiled "...never mind...I look forward to seeing you there then!"

"Of course." The Doctor smiled "In the meantime...what is your next move I wonder?"

"Well..." Rarity giggled, a mischievous grin on her face "I'm going to have to employ the services of a certain pony for the Wedding Reception...or as a certain favorite author of mine likes to call them...'After-parties'. It will be a blast if placed in the care of the right hooves..."

At this, The Doctor smiled as well, sharing her naughty grin and whispering "The right hooves being...pink ones...correct?"

"Oh Doctor....you ARE good..."

~~~

"Oh that just looks wonderful shnookums! Perfect touch on the icing!" Mr.Cake exclaimed, smiling as he watched Mrs.Cake squeeze the tube of red-colored icing in her mouth, decorating the borders of a four layer cake she was making for a business party being held in Town Hall in just a few days. It was the last order to be done before they set upon one of the greatest tasks ever bestowed upon them in the history of their catering business: The Wedding Cake for Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's wedding. It was by pure luck only that Rarity had come by in the earlier week to place the order while Pinkie Pie was...'out and about' as the Cakes said.

Mrs.Cake gently placed the tube of icing down on the table and took a few steps back to examine her hoof work. She nodded, satisfied with the end result and muttering with a tired sigh "I supposed it'll have to do. Those fancy schmancy ponies demand so much nowadays it's hard to get anything just right!" Her husband nodded, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. The pink maned cake-mare giggled as the front door to the shop opened, the wood hitting the bell dangling above and letting forth a chorus of light jingling.

Mr.Cake looked over with a bright a vibrant smile on his face as he recited perfectly "Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner! How can we help you t- oh...dear." Well...almost perfectly. Rarity stood in the doorway of the entrance, a happy smile on her face as she exclaimed "Mister and Misses Cake! How are you both on this warm spring day?". Mrs.Cake gulped and let out a nervous chuckle, her eyes involuntarily flicking upwards towards the ceiling.

When she spoke, it was with a loud, over-the-top voice...much too loud for a regular indoor setting "Oh, Rarity!!! What brings you by here today Rarity!? Checking up on the Wedding Cake!? We've already got the design drawn out if you'd like to look at it Rarity!!". Mr.Cake looked towards his wife with the same stunned expression that was plastered on Rarity's face, wondering if he was the only one that noticed she has used the diva's name maybe one to many times in that statement.

"Um..." Rarity began, raising an eyebrow as she spoke out her words carefully, as if walking on eggshells "That would be...lovely? I'm actually here to talk to Pinkie Pie about her throwing a party for the recep-"

"Oh I think she's still in bed dear, might be sick, best not to disturb her!" Mrs.Cake shouted, a wide, but nervous smiled etched on her face.

"-tion..." Rarity finished, her face a mix between fear and utter confusion.

Mr.Cake looked at his wife with an expression similar to hers until he caught the warning glare out of the corner of his wife's eyes, seeing the motions of her eyes that pointed....upwards. He quickly turned to Rarity and added his own voice to the chaos, though his was more frantic "Oh yes! How could I have forgotten!? I believe Pinkie is sick indeed!!!".

Normally, any mare would have backed down by this point. Most would either be too creeped out to push the issue or too bothered to even try to get answers where none could obviously found. Rarity Geminavi, of course, was not just any normal mare. She was a mare of class, of grace, of fashion...but also, of detail. She was nearly fooled into the 'Creeped Out' approach, but the small glare given by Mrs.Cake to her husband sealed the deal. NOPONY could fool Rarity with a challenge of detail and hope to get away with it, not by a long shot!

"Oh..." Rarity started, a polite, tender smile creeping onto her face "I won't disturb her for long. I understand if Pinkie is ill that she may need her rest...but oh it would be such a shame not to at least TALK to her first! It does concern the wedding after all...and I'd hate for plans to be postponed or held off unless I knew for sure that Pinkie wasn't up to it!". She smiled as the Cake's stared at her in horror, the two of them watching her trotting towards the staircase that led up to Pinkie's room. "Just this way?" Rarity asked, an innocent tone laced into her victorious voice.

"I...um...uh" Mr.Cake stuttered, trying to speak but failing miserably.

"I thought so..." Rarity hissed through a forced smile, quickly moving up the stairs. She wasn't going to be stopped, not today! Not when Fluttershy's Afterparty was at risk! She knew that only Pinkie Pie would be capable of party with as great of a magnitude as this. Why all of the parties Pinkie threw were outstanding, always leaving ponies begging for more! Her last party was testament enough to this, as it was...was....

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the second floor's hall. The realization of it all crashed over her as she quickly started to piece together a puzzle that she wasn't sure she wanted to solve. When...was the last time Pinkie had thrown a party? More concerning...was the question of when was the last time she even SAW Pinkie? She was shocked and somewhat ashamed that she didn't really have the answers to these questions. Then again, she never was the one to go venturing after Pinkie Pie out of the blue. She had a fashion business to look after, and a little sister to take care of. Besides that, it was usually Pinkie seeking HER out for help or advice concerning decoration styles and what she think could help spruce up a party's 'look'.

It was this thought that brought a sad throb to Rarity's heart, her hooves finally finding the will to move again as she slowly walked down the hall towards the overly decorated and crowded pink door that led to Pinkie's room. "How awful of me..." Rarity muttered to herself "Barely spending any time with the dear...and then just showing up out of the blue and dropping such a large request on her." She slowed yet again, turning her head towards the stairs and whispering "Perhaps I SHOULD leave...". She thought it over in her head and quickly frowned, shaking her head rapidly and whispering angrily to herself "No! There was definitely something odd about how the Cake's tried to prevent me from seeing Pinkie! There might be something wrong or she might need help! I have GOT to see her!"

She quickly made her way to the door, stopping in front of it and raising a hoof. Just as she was about to knock, however, the sounds of crying and sniffling quickly reached her ears. Rarity put her hoof down instantly, pressing the side of her head up against the door and listening. She could tell it was Pinkie by the sound of her crying, as she had heard once before when the random party pony smashed one of her vases by accident and bawled her eyes out like a child, begging her for forgiveness. She listened closely as Pinkie sniffed, muttering to herself "Wh...what am I going to do Gummy? How am I...how am I going to tell them about this? How can I tell Fluttershy that I can't make it to the wedding?"

Rarity's heart skipped a beat, a cold wave of ice racing through her as she threw her hoof up to her mouth quickly. It was just a second too late however, as the beginning's of an audible gasp escaped the Diva's lips just before her hoof smashed them shut. "Wh...who's there!?" Pinkie suddenly shouted from within, the scrambling of hooves audible from the other side of the door.

"P...Pinkie dear? It's me, Rarity!" The white unicorn shouted through the door, her concern clearly audible in her voice "What do...you mean when you say you can't make it to the wedding?!"

Rarity listened as the sound of a door opening reached her ears, along with Pinkie's voice "I mean I can't make it when I say I can't make it! Something's...come up!"

At this, the diva let out a heavy huff and shouted "Now Pinkie that's simply nonsense! Are you ok dear?! The Cake's were acting quite strange when i mentioned -"

She was suddenly cut off by the harsh shouts of the pink mare within "What did they tell you!? WHAT DID THEY SAY!?"

Rarity was taken aback at the sudden force of her voice, blinking in surprise and shouting back "They...they didn't tell me anything! All I did was mention that I wanted to see you and they tried to feed me an excuse as to why I couldn't!" She narrowed her eyes as she went on, her voice growing angrier "And with that kind of response Pinkie Pie I know for sure that there's something wrong! Open this door right now young lady!"

"Go away!!!!" Pinkie screamed, the sound of a door slamming echoing through the room and hall.

"What do you mean go away!? Pinkie what's wrong!? This isn't normal!!!" Rarity screamed back, lighting the door handle up with magic and giving it a slight jiggle. Locked...as she expected it to be.

"Just leave me alone Rarity, I'm fine!" Pinkie cried out, the sounds of shuffling coming from within. Rarity of course, wasn't buying it at all.

"What can't you tell us pinkie? You were asking Gummy how were you supposed to tell us something, but what is it!? What's wrong!!!" She shouted, trying her best to throw as much concern and care into her voice as she could muster.

She waited for a response, and grew increasingly worried when silence answered her. "Pinkie?!" She shouted, jiggling the door handle a bit more "Pinkie are you there?!" She took a step back, panting slightly as she started to lose her nerve. "Calm down Rarity..." she whispered to herself "Just...calm...down." She slowly started to regain her senses, and even took a deep breath....before shoving her weight against the door in attempts to bust it down. She had to be honest with herself...she didn't really know what was getting into her at this point. She banged on the door three more times before she shoved herself against the door again and screamed "Pinkie please answer me!!!! PLEASE! You're worrying me darling please open the door!"

She continued to shove herself against the door as Pinkie's voice finally called out to her "I'm fine Rarity! Just...just go away!"

"NO!" Rarity bellowed, stamping her front hooves on the ground as she tried to regain her stamina from the attempted door-busting. "I will not leave a friend that I KNOW is in need! You are going to open this door up right NOW Pinkie Pie and you are going to tell me what is w-"

She stopped as she heard the sounds of Pinkie's balcony door opening and closing quickly, the air growing silent and calm. Rarity knew Pinkie had run off, probably leaping from the second story onto the ground below. It wouldn't be too hard...for a random pony like Pinkie to pull that sort of stunt off without injury or effort.

The frustrated, and not to mention worried, diva turned and started for the stairs. She was nearly half way down the hall when Mr.Cake appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted "Everything ok up here?! I heard shou- OH SWEET CELESTIA!!!" He was cut off by a storming, charging Rarity racing right towards him, a look of fury in her eyes. He yelped and quickly turned, flying down the stairs with intense speed. Speed wasn't going to be enough to escape Rarity Geminavi however, the diva quickly appearing on the bottom floor in front of the panicked colt with a loud 'CRACKLE' of teleportation magic. It was a wonder for Rarity that she had actually managed to pull that off...since Twilight was the only one known to be able to do that without a problem.

She paid little attention to this though, her focus set on Mr.Cake and now on Mrs.Cake who had come rushing out of the kitchen nearby to see what all the fuss was about. The diva growled lowly, whispering in a menacing tone "No more lies, no more deceit! You two are going to tell me what is going on with Pinkie Pie right this instant, do you understand me?!"

Mr.Cake gulped and shook with fright as Mrs.Cake stuttered, faltering under the piercing gaze of the unicorn "W...we can't tell you Rarity! Pinkie Pie made us both swear by the Pinkie Promise!"

"Um...y..yeah that's right!" Mr.Cake added, a fearful look in his eyes as Rarity shifted her glare towards him "Y..you can't break a Pinkie P...Promise!"

The couple yelped and held each other in fright however as Rarity stamped her hooves on the ground, shouting "I don't give a Celestial DAMN about any Pinkie Promise right now! You're going to come clean, NOW!"

Mrs.Cake looked to her husband for an answer, whispering up to him as she shook "Well...what do we do?"

Mr.Cake looked down at his wife with an equally frightened look and whispered "I...I don't know! We can't break a Pinkie Promise...we swore not to tell..." Rarity was just about ready to start another torrent of screaming when Mr.Cake went on

"But....I think I may know somepony who HASN'T sworn to such an oath. I think I know somepony who CAN tell you."

(Whew...long chapter is long! Hope you're enjoying the suspense so far, cause I sure as hell am! Hue hue hue hue...)
http://askwolokai.tumblr.com/ (Don't forget to keep up to date!)

Chapter Five - The Death and The Life

"Yes...uh huh....uh huh. Well...oh? Yes I'm sorry again Miss Daisy but we simply can't- ...I see. I see...yes. Very well...we have a four o'clock open tommorow and a five o'clock the following day. Four o'clock, yes ma'am! Alright, thank you very much Miss Daisy! Buh-bye now."

*Click*

Nurse Redheart sighed as she hung up the phone, taking a pencil up in her mouth and quickly scribbling down 'Miss Daisy - 4 P.M.' in the small schedule book sitting on her desk. It was official...she was damn tired, laying her weary head on her poor, aching front hooves that gingerly rested on the hard wood of the desk she was confined to. On most days she could push herself through the fatigue, but for some reason the '2:30 feeling' was pounding at her hard today. She figured it may have been just the monotony of it all, doing the same thing all day: Answer phones, read fan-fiction, schedule appointments, check on patients in A-wing. She even entertained the idea of what she was doing as Insanity, doing the same thing over and over again, expecting something different or some exciting new adventure to come rushing around the bleached walls of the clinic.

As always, nothing exciting happened. No adventures, and no glory for the poor mare Redheart. She frowned sadly, looking down at her hooves in boredom for a moment before moving her nose towards the mouse connected to the computer which sad idly in front of her, waiting eagerly for a command. She gently pushed the left button with her nose, clicking on the screen and watching as the computer brought her back to its previously opened page: A fan-fiction written by her favorite author. She smiled as she started reading down the page, her heart a flutter with excitement at the possibility of a new adventure written by the colt who she had the honor of meeting when he had checked into the clinic only weeks ago. She had to admit, she was a bit ashamed of herself since she was starting to fall behind a bit on reading the updates. Work just HAD to interfere with even her pleasures of life, refusing to let her have not one shred of sanity and peace.

"Oh Mr.Kurr..." she breathed, smiling a little as she started a new paragraph and licked her lips "You saucy devil you...always bringing the best emotions to light!" This was it, it had to be! The climax of the story was soon to come, the suspense building up and threatening to explode like an over-pressurized steam valve! She had tried her best to keep up to date with this particular story, as the author was doing his best to throw curve-balls and twists left and right, building up the greatest amount of suspense that he could ever hope to achieve! She had been led on long enough, it was time to finally discover the dark truth that he had so cleverly hidden in the dark shadows of despair! "Oh my...oh my!!!" The nurse shouted, covering her mouth with her front hooves as she neared the fatal sentence, the one that would finally reveal to her the information that the author had dangled above her head like a carrot in front of a donkey.

Just...one...more...senten-

*BAAAANG!!!!!!!*

Nurse Redheart yelped, flying up out of her seat in terror as the front doors to the clinic burst open and hit the walls with a thunderous crash. The poor nurse landed on her rump just next to her seat, her eyes wide and her breath coming out in panicked heaves. "Goodness!" She shrieked, putting a hoof to her chest "What in Celestia's name was th- OH GOOD HEAVENS!"

"Well HELLO Nurse Redheart!!!!" Shouted a very, VERY angry and psychotic looking Rarity. Her mane looked a bit ruffled, her cheeks gleaming with a violent red. Her very pupils were contracted to the size of mere pin needles and she had a very scary look in her eyes that displayed only one word: Insanity. She was leaning over the front counter, staring down at the nurse with the creepiest smile imaginable, striking fear directly into the poor mare's heart.

"R....R...!" Stuttered the terrified nurse, taking in Rarity's vicious look as a warning sign of danger and trying her best not to completely lose it and faint.

"Oh darling, there's no need for words! All I need is for you to point me in the direction of dear Doctor Health...can you do that for me dear?" Rarity whispered menacingly, her smile still stretched across her face. In her mind however, the situation could not be any more different. "Oh I do hope Nurse Redheart accepts my apology later..." Rarity thought, a pained stinging in her heart that throbbed along with the guilt she was feeling for having to take such drastic measures. "This act has to work...It MUST be this way, or else I'll never get answers fast enough, and I don't have that much time to lose if Pinkie Pie's acting like this! She could be in danger, or worse!"

The nurse whimpered, holding her front hooves close to her chest like a begging puppy and muttering "R...Rarity Doctor H...Health's schedule is full today! I can't...he's not..."

Rarity narrowed her wild eyes slightly, looking towards the computer and spotting the open page displayed on the screen. With her masterful skill of detail, she INSTANTLY picked up on the paragraphs of the story and identified them to one Wolokai Kurr...an author she knew as a favorite of hers and a few others. "Ah ha!" Rarity squealed in her mind "I've got you now! Sorry dear Redheart...but desperate times..."

The diva cackled with delight as she reached her hoof over towards the power button on the computer and shrieked "Ooooh, big shiny button! I wonder what it does!!!!"

"No! Don't!!! I've been waiting weeks for that update!" Screamed the poor Nurse Redheart, her front hooves flailing in front of her in panic.

"Tell me where the good Doctor is Redheart! You see this button here!? I'm going to press it if I don't get answers right, NOW!" Rarity replied in a harsh tone.

Redheart cried out in fright as Rarity's hoof lingered dangerously close to the power button, her own willpower shattering in an instant. She just could NOT stand to be denied the satisfying of her suspense now! "Ok, ok!!!" Redheart wailed, caving in and covering her eyes with her hooves. "A-Wing, last door on the left!!! Oh Rarity have mercy!!!!"

Rarity nodded, her maddening eyes flicking towards the hall as she said "Very well dear...mercy it is!" Redheart let out a gigantic breath of relief as Rarity galloped away, leaving her to give herself a tight hug and catch her breath.

The light's above whisked by at an alarming speed as Rarity galloped like a mad-mare towards the desired door. She prepared herself quickly for the events that were about to transpire, rationalizing it in her mind. Redheart was a pony she cared about...a pony who she had no problem showing mercy on with her act....Doctor Health however....was not.

Inside the office, Health sighed, levitating another few papers away from him onto a nice and neat stack next to his left hoof. "Order forms...prescriptions..." Health muttered, trying his best to sift through and manage all the paperwork so that he could make the four o'clock viewing of "Paws", a movie about an over-sized, monstrous bear stalking a popular park and preying on the innocent ponies within. "Just a few more papers...and I'll be fr- eh?" He started, hearing the handle of his locked door being jiggled rather...violently. His eyes widened as the handle continued to jiggle, a furious set of hoof pounding following it. "Um...who's there?" he muttered, a nervous tone clear in his voice.

"MAIL-MARE! I have brought thou a package!" shouted a velvety, yet angry sounding voice on the other side of the door.

Health raised an eyebrow and lit up his horn with magic, unlocking the door with a loud, audible 'click' and shouting "Alright then...door's unlocked, though I don't recall ever ordering someth- WHOA!".

Rarity's magic illuminated the door, swinging it in with thunderous force. She charged in, bellowing a sort of battle-cry as Health scrambled backwards out of his chair and backed up towards the wall, shrieking in terror. Rarity wasted no time in bounding over the desk, pushing her left shoulder against his chest and pinning him up against the wall as she pushed her hoof over his lips, silencing him.

"Special delivery!" Rarity roared, pressing her weight up against him "I've a package needing to be delivered to 'Doctor Health's ASS!', and the delivery system? My HOOF if I don't get answers!!! Spill it foal, what's going on with Pinkie Pie!!?"

She removed her hoof from his lips and allowed him to talk, growling as he said "Miss Geminavi please gain control over yourself!!! I simply cannot discuss that kind of thing with you! Doctor-patient confidentiality still presides!"

He yelped as Rarity pushed her weight against him and shouted "Am I going to have to upgrade the delivery system to first-class?! Because that means instead of hooves it'll be HORNS! Why don't I ship it via EXPRESS MAIL, guaranteed to arrive in three seconds!!!!"

"Miss Geminavi!!!!" Health shrieked, his pupil's contracting as Rarity gave him a look that drove fear right into his rapidly beating heart.

"ONE!" She shouted, her left eye twitching.

"Please, you simply cannot do th-" Health started, trying his best to get his point across. Obviously...it wasn't working.

"TWO!!!!" Rarity roared, her horn lighting up with blue magic.

Health squealed in fright, still trying his best to find the words to diffuse the situation "Miss Rarity maybe we could discuss this in better conditions! If you could just calm down maybe you can see that I just cannot disclose this information to you!"

Rarity though...wasn't buying it as she shouted "THREE!! Sorry Doctor Health, but you've got MAIL!" She moved herself away, grasping the Doctor with her hooves and pulling him forward. She threw him across his desk, exposing his flank to her. She cackled with glee as she tilted her head down, making sure Health could see as she squealed "SPECIAL DELIV-"

"OK!!! OK I'LL TALK!!! Please just don't...don't hurt me!!!" Health squealed, shutting his eyes tights as Rarity's horn dimmed to its normal state.

The doctor yelped as he was flipped on his back, Rarity quickly jumping up on top of him and sitting her flank down on his belly. She tilted her horn down towards his face as she shouted "TALK!"

She listened as the Doctor informed her of Pinkie's appointments...the agreement to keep everything hushed up...but worst of all...the disease. She gasped as the Doctor revealed to her the final diagnosis, explaining to her that there really wasn't much time left. She didn't bother to wait around for more, leaping off of the table and rushing out of Health's door.

She had to find Pinkie, immediately! There was no way that she was going to Pinkie face this alone...not when there was only a handful of precious time left! She'd be there for her...until the very end.

~~~

"Oh Gummy...what do I do?!" Pinkie sniffed, turning her face down to nuzzle the tiny alligator she held in her hooves. "I can't hide from Rarity forever! How am I supposed to disappear now that Rarity's on the hunt?!" She was laying on her belly in a small clearing just east of Fluttershy's cottage. It was one of the most private places that she knew of in Ponyville, and it was here that she had chosen to hide. She whimpered, her eyes brimming with a fresh set of tears, her mind a flurry with painful ideas and excuses she would try to use with Rarity.

Just as another idea started to form in her head, a voice made her freeze "Pinkie Pie?! Where are you!!!?" Pinkie looked over towards the west, squeaking as Rarity's voice called out to her.

"H...how did she?" Pinkie whispered aloud, her eyes widening in disbelief. She watched as the bushes on the far edge of the clearing rustled, the hum of magic audible even from that far of a distance.

Just as she was about to up and flee, the bushes parted on the west side of the clearing and Rarity stumbled through. Her mane was littered with leaves and her white coat had splotches of dirt mixed in with her fur. Her horn was aglow with blue magic, and a worried look was etched upon her face.

When the diva spotted Pinkie Pie, her face changed to one of relief, a light breath escaping her as she said "Oh Pinkie! There you are! Oh you had me so worried!"

"Go away!" Pinkie shouted, getting to her hooves quickly and placing Gummy on her back.

Just as she started to flee, however, Rarity shouted after her "Pinkie I know! Doctor Health spilled it all to me!"

The party pony stopped dead in her tracks, looking towards Rarity with a distraught expression, watching as she started to walk closer to her, muttering "Yes...that's right Pinkie...I know. Oh why couldn't you tell us dear!? Why did you hide?!"

Pinkie bowed her head in shame, muttering as Rarity approached "I...I didn't want to destroy the happy mood of Fluttershy's wedding...I didn't want to burden you all with this when it's really only me that should have to face this..."

As Rarity closed the final distance between them, the diva threw her front hooves around the mare and gave her a tight hug, whispering "Oh honey, no...you shouldn't have to hide. Fluttershy would have understood...we all would have, you know that!"

"I'm sorry!" Pinkie cried, hugging her dear friend back "I just didn't know what to do...I've been so lost over the past few weeks that I just...I just couldn't..."

At this, Rarity sighed and whispered "Pinkie dear...you should of had more faith in us! We would have stood by you if you had just told us! All it took was just a little leap of faith...don't you see that?"

Pinkie sniffed, whimpering as she held onto Rarity "Just...just like you're taking for me?"

Rarity nodded and patted her gently "Yes dear...you know that I care about you, you know that I only want you to be happy. I was willing to raid an entire clinic just to get answers as to why you were acting like this...because I knew that no matter what I had to do at least SOMETHING to help you!"

As Rarity finished, Pinkie spoke...confirming to Rarity that Health's words were true, and weren't just some story to be told to cover his own flank...literally.

"I know you've probably been wondering exactly what's been happening...and...well, It's a special kind of disease...it works only in a course of a month or so...and it's killing Gummy"

Rarity sighed, hugging Pinkie ever closer as she let out a sobbing wail and cried into her shoulder. As she stared at Gummy, she could only feel sympathy throb in her heart. He looked ill indeed, his eyes fading and his skin an unhealthy, light green. He looked tired...like he wanted to sleep, but Rarity knew better, knowing the disease had to be taking its final toll on the poor creature. "Pinkie...I'm so sorry" she whispered, patting her gently on the back as her sobs quieted.

"I know...it's ok..." the pink mare whispered "I just...I didn't want to bring the mood of the wedding down while I was grieving...it just wouldn't be right. Fluttershy deserves happy friends at her very special day...not sad o- OW!!!!"

Rarity jumped back as Pinkie cried out in pain, turning her head to watch gummy bite down onto her back. "What in the world?!" the white mare shouted, watching as Pinkie winced in pain "I thought you said Gummy had no teeth!! How is that hurting you!?"

"They've been growing I guess! I don't know!!!" Pinkie responded, yelping as Gummy bit down a bit harder "Ow!!! Gummy stop it, what's wrong!? Why are you doing this?!" She walked forward, wincing as Gummy bit even harder. She didn't want to shake Gummy off of her, not in this condition. Just as she walked to the right however, the pressure lessened, and Gummy released his hold on the mare.

Rarity, noticing this, was quick to respond "Pinkie...keep walking in the direction you're going!"

"But why!?" Pinkie shouted, straying to the left and wincing as Gummy bit at her again.

"Because I have a feeling..." Rarity started, narrowing her eyes "That Gummy wants to go somewhere" She quickly followed after Pinkie, wincing as she was being harshly driven by the weakening alligator. "What lies in this direction anyway?" Rarity asked, the two of them exiting the clearing and moving through the trees.

"Nothing except Froggy Bottom Bog! I don't know why in the world he'd want to go there though!" Shouted Pinkie, stepping over a few branches.

They continued on through the forest, with Pinkie's yelps echoing across the woods whenever she strayed away from the direction Gummy wanted to go. The rest of the journey only took around half an hour, the sun beginning to dip towards the evening time. Pinkie fell to her belly as they reached the muddy embankments of Froggy Bottom Bog, her back sore from all of Gummy's biting. "Ok...we're here..." Pinkie whimpered, turning her head and looking towards her alligator. "G...Gummy?" she whispered, noticing that his eyes were closed and his form was still. She quickly pulled him around in front of her, cradling him in her hooves. She put her nose to his belly and waited, breathing with relief as she felt his weak heartbeat gently thud against her nose. "He doesn't have much time left..." she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she got up and sat back on her haunches.

Rarity nodded, trotting over and laying her horn gently against his belly, whispering "I had best work fast then..."

"What are you doing?" Pinkie asked, a concerned look on her face as she held her fading Alligator in her hooves.

"The same magic I used to find you...my Gem Finding magic works on ponies too you know. It's how I can find Sweetie Belle whenever it's time for her bath, I just used it to find you." Rarity explained, her horn glowing with blue magic.

Pinkie nodded slightly, but pure confusion was still set in her face "But...why would you need to use it on Gummy...you already know where he is!"

Rarity nodded at this, standing back up "True...but the magic is a little more complex then just that. Say as an example...I'm looking for a specific type of ruby. Not only will I find the ruby I'm looking for...but I'll find others like it. I may already know where Gummy is...but the poor dear wanted to come here for a reason...and perhaps it is this magic that will tell us what it could be."

Pinkie nodded, watching as Rarity trotted off into the bog, her horn aglow with magic. The unicorn quickly moved through the bog, her horn glowing brighter as she neared her destination. She circled around, making a wide sweep and following the brightness of her horn. Just as she went to move around one of the dead trees nearby, a sort of...barking noise, yelped out at her. She stopped, turning her head to the right which in turn caused her horn to glow brighter...and illuminate another tiny alligator that looked a bit like Gummy. "Oh...hello there." Rarity whispered, tilting her head to look around the alligator as she noticed a blue aura of magic was starting to gleam around the base of the tree. "What do we have here...?" She slowly walked up to the small alligator, watching as it gave her a good sniffing and backed up. "Yes...you can smell Gummy on me can't you?" she whispered, watching as the alligator backed away and around the base of the large tree.

As she moved around the tree, her eyes widened. If Gummy was wanting to go somewhere...there was no doubt in Rarity's mind that this was it. A nest of at least twenty small eggs was resting in a small crook in the base of the tree, the other alligator being careful to step around them as it moved to the back of the nest, into the tree. "Oh Gummy..." Rarity smiled, her eyes brimming with tears "You truly are a wonderful alligator." Just as she started to peer closer at the eggs...her spell suddenly dissipated, the blue aura dissapearing in a quick flash. She lifted her head up slowly, a sad look forming on her face as she whispered "Oh no..."

She quickly made her back towards the spot where she left Pinkie, her suspicions coming true as she heard the sorrowful wails of Pinkie Pie. She approached the embankment, quietly standing away from the pink mare as she clutched Gummy tightly in her hold and let her tears flow unhindered. The fashion diva sighed, bowing her head and muttering a few words to Celestia...a prayer for Gummy...who to Rarity was a brave and wonderful alligator...to the very end.

"P...Pinkie" Rarity whispered, watching as the pink mare sniffed loudly and looked up at her "I'm so sorry about your loss...I don't know what I would if I were to lose Opal...but..." she tried her best to give a comforting smile as she whispered "I think...there's something you should see. But first...I think we should say a few words for Gummy..."

Pinkie nodded, sniffing loudly as a fresh set of tears started to fall from her eyes and onto the lifeless form of her best friend, the alligator she called Gummy.

~~~

"Rarity...what...what is this?" Pinkie whispered, staring in wonder down at the nest. It had been around an hour since Gummy had passed away, the two of them burying him on a tiny hill that rested near the bog. It was only now that Pinkie had been shown the nest, Rarity's smile and gentle hoof on her back giving her comfort.

"This..." Rarity whispered "Is Gummy's final gift to you Pinkie...the reassurance that happiness and life still remains even now when he is gone."

Pinkie sniffed, wiping a tear out of her eye as she watched the other tiny alligator move a few eggs carefully around in the nest. "I had always wondered..." Pinkie Pie began, looking over the nest carefully "Gummy would disappear for hours at at time some days...I got real worried about it. He'd always come back though, so I just stopped caring after awhile...guess I have my answer as to where his mystery location was..." Rarity smiled, giving Pinkie a pat on her back as she whispered towards the nest, her heart swelling with pride and joy. Gummy did not want his death to be a burden on Pinkie's poor heart...and wanted nothing more then to show Pinkie that life and happiness remained, even after death. It was this realization that had Pinkie smiling, whispering as she stared down at Gummy's future line

"It's...beautiful"

(Bit rushed, but the time table's crunching me face T_T. )
http://askwolokai.tumblr.com/ (Love you guys! Brace for the conclusion!!!!)

Chapter Six - We Are Gathered Here Today...

(Ok...well I've been beating myself in the head too long about this. My mind keeps screaming 'I TOLD YA SO I TOLD YA SO!!!' and quite frankly I have to agree. I honestly should have gone with my gut and chosen to cancel this one along with Muffins, but...I didn't! To all those who have critiqued and commented on this fic concerning its flaws, I SERIOUSLY can't thank you enough for being on the same page with me. I fully agree AND see where you are all coming from...kind of like standing on the edge of the road with the crowd while watching your smoldering car getting pulled up onto the tow truck and talking with them about how badly that sucked. Any...way, I'm gonna go ahead and grab my shotgun...and blow this fic's head off because I think we all agree that this really...really needs to get killed....fast.)

~*~*~

One and a half weeks later...

"Oh come Fluttershy do stay STILL! I can't properly get your mane up into this clip if you keep moving around like this!" growled a frustrated Rarity, trying her best to slip the white-colored butterfly clip into the squeaking pony's mane and trying not to wrinkle her own pink dress. It had been over a week since Rarity had returned to Ponyville with Pinkie Pie, the two of them having just given Gummy a proper burial on the small hill near Froggy Bottom Bog. Every day since then, Rarity would wait patiently for Pinkie Pie to come visit her, and help her through the grieving process. It was difficult for the first few days...but eventually the bright pink color in Pinkie's coat began to creep back, her mane getting poofier and poofier by the hour. The diva was even relieved to see that Pinkie had even started to draw up plans for the wedding reception, a few layers of stress and a few items on her to-do list disappearing.

"Oh but this dress is so itchy, and my nose itches really badly...and...and I have to go to the bathroom really bad!" Fluttershy squeaked, staring down at the flowering white dress that hung from her shaking body. The dress itself was a gorgeous mix of white and lightish teal-green, with three visible layers of fabric hanging from the back and the main stretch of the dress flowing to the ground with the looks of clouds bordering its edge. The front of Fluttershy's dress was clamped together by a large white, ornate butterfly brooch with a pair of tiny wings clipped behind it.

"Fluttershy the dress is made of silk, it can't itch!" seethed Rarity, finally clipping the frustrating clip into the mare's mane, just behind her ear. "There's nothing stopping you from itching your nose, you have hooves you know! Not to mention the fact that you've already had at least twenty bathroom breaks!" She sighed, trotting around her front and giving her a good look over. She smiled as she took a step back, a swelling pride thudding in her heart as she said "There! You're all ready!" Fluttershy nodded, frowning as she struggled to get up out of the stiff chair without damaging the dress. Rarity watched this display with difficulty, grimacing as the mare finally made it out of the chair and onto her hooves. "Well...that was graceful!" She chuckled nervously, staring over the clock on the far wall and getting a rough time estimate as to how long they had left.

Fluttershy noticed this as well and squeaked in fright when she realized that there was only twenty minutes left before she would be walking. "R...Rarity..." she whimpered, her bottom lip quivering "I...I don't know if I can do this..."

Rarity sighed, rolling her eyes slightly as she thought 'Oh pony...here we go...'. She walked closer to Fluttershy as she spoke, a smile forming on her face "Oh come now Fluttershy....you're just nervous. Every bride gets really nervous right before their wedding!"

Fluttershy blinked, looking towards Rarity with uncertainty and whispering "Th...they do?"

"Of course!" Rarity chuckled "Trust me, you're going to be fine! Believe me when I say that Big Macintosh is even more nervous then you are! When I last checked, the poor dear was standing up on stage and shaking so bad it looked like he was coming down with the disco fever."

This brought a giggle out of the timid Pegasus, a smile forming on her face as Rarity took another look at the clock and lit up her horn with magic. A small camera floated over in front of Rarity from a small table nearby, the lens clicking itself open and aiming at Fluttershy. "One for the scrapbook!" the diva shouted, watching as Fluttershy stood up straight and smiled, waiting. The shutter clicked and the flash went off, the back of the camera quickly spitting out the photo that made Rarity squeal with delight. "Oh darling this is just PRECIOUS! This is going to look so wonderful in a frame!

Fluttershy smiled as Rarity rushed up, giving her a big hug and whispering in her ear "You'll do fine dear...just one hoof in front of the other. Keep your eyes focused on Big Macintosh, ok? Nopony else is there but you and him, understand?" The Pegasus nodded, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath as Rarity lowered the white veil over her face and turned to the door. "Keep an eye on the clock dear, you walk in fifteen!" She squealed in delight, trotting towards the door.

"Rarity, wait!" Fluttershy called out, making the unicorn stop suddenly and turn her head in question. "Um...I just wanted to say...thank you...for everything."

Rarity chuckled, waving a hoof dismissively and moving back towards the door as she said "Oh don't even mention it Fluttershy...it was an honor."

~~~

"This bow tie itches...how do you wear these infernal things?" a voice spoke out from beside Doctor Whooves, the lightish brown dressed in his best dress shirt and tie.

The Doctor, hearing the colt beside him, sighed and whispered "Oh stop complaining! You should be happy I got one of the special invitations that said I could bring a guest...anything to get you out of Vinyl's house for two seconds is miracle all in its own." Whooves sighed as the grumbles continued next to him, but suddenly smiled as Rarity made her way up the aisle, giving greetings and 'thank yous' to a few ponies sitting near the aisle. He craned his head upwards a bit and spoke as the diva trotted by "Oh Miss Geminavi! Over here!"

The mare stopped, turning her head and smiling as she caught sight of The Doctor. She giggled as she looked at the two empty seats next to him near the aisle and asked jokingly "Third seat from the center aisle, four rows back right?"

The Doctor chuckled and nodded, his eyebrow raising "Remember that do you? I'm surprised you did with all this other wedding business going on! A miracle worker indeed Miss Geminavi!"

The diva blushed slightly, waving a hoof at him and whispering "Oh nonsense, it was the least I could do for my dear Fluttershy. And please....call me Rarity."

"Well then, Rarity" Whooves began, drawing a deeper blush out of the unicorn "I'd like to introduce you to my guest, a colt I'm sure you may be familiar with."

Rarity blinked, craning her head to look around Whooves and towards the dark brown-colored colt sitting to his left. He wore a dress shirt that was a bit...plain, in comparison to The Doctor's, with a matching bow-tie and a small necklace dangling around his neck. Her eyes traveled upwards and she gasped as she caught sight of the brilliant green eyes that stared back at her. She couldn't believe her eyes, stuttering as she tried to keep her cool "Mi...Mister Kurr...I...oh this is such a honor!"

The Pegasus chuckled slightly, looking away nervously and brushing his long brown mane out of his face as he muttered "Likewise Miss Rarity...I can't wait for the wedding to start."

Whooves cleared his throat as the Pegasus sat back in the pew, hiding himself from a star-struck Rarity and muttering "So, how did everything go with dear Pinkie Pie?"

Rarity shook her head rapidly for a moment, as if she were being stirred from a trance. She blinked a few times and finally frowned as The Doctor's question finally registered in her mind. "Well...it's been...slow, but steady. She informs me that the reception is going to be quite the party, so I guess we can assume that she's feeling much better now." The Doctor nodded and smiled as an elderly mare near the front pressed her hooves down on a few keys of an organ, music blaring through the metallic pipes. "Excuse me" She muttered, giving The Doctor a polite bow and quickly moving towards the stage.

She looked up towards the assembly as she trotted closer, making sure everypony was in place. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were standing on the left, with their simple, pink dresses flowing out onto the ground. As her eyes flicked to the right, she instantly caught sight of a nervous Big Macintosh, the stallion looking like a wet, frightened kitten left out in a thunder storm. A giggle escaped her lips as she watched Braeburn and Caramel try and play Boulders, Scrolls, Knives' discreetly behind their older cousin. "And last but not least..." she whispered to herself, looking towards the center where a large, white-coated alicorn sat behind a large wooden podium.

Princess Celestia smiled as Rarity trotted up the steps to the stage, her voice reaching the diva's ears even though it was in a hushed whisper "Everything all set?" Rarity nodded, taking her place next to Pinkie Pie and signalling the elderly mare with a quick wave of her hoof. She quickly shared a wink with Pinkie Pie before standing straight, taking in a breath as the ceremony began.

The temple grew quiet as the sounds of the organ blared out from the metallic pipes, the music of the 'Wedding Trot' floating through the air. When the double doors to the temple opened, the crowd turned and gasped in wonder as the mid-afternoon sun gleamed through the entrance and fully illuminated the beautiful form of Fluttershy. Big Macintosh's heart skipped a beat as his fiance' began the slow walk down the aisle, Celestia's warmth and sun guiding her and nuzzling her every step of the way. "That's it...one hoof in front of the other...doing great..." Rarity thought to herself, carefully watching the mare's hoofsteps.

The crowd slowly turned their heads as Fluttershy made her way by, the sun's light shining perfectly through the stained-glass windows above, illuminating her form and her future spot on stage. Finally, the canary-mare slowly made her way up on stage, taking her spot in the sun light and turning to face her future husband. "H...hi" Fluttershy whispered, blushing and looking into his eyes.

"Howdy..." Macintosh whispered back, his own blush barely visible through his red fur.

"Are we ready?" Celestia whispered, a small smile on her face as she looked between the two. After a quick nod from both of them, Celestia held up her front hooves and announced "My beloved subjects, mares and gentle-colts of Ponyville and towns beyond! We are gathered here today to celebrate and formerly announce the joining of these two wonderful ponies, as they take their first steps of true love into the wonderful life of marriage!" She paused for effect, watching as the crowd smiled with glee and stared towards the blushing couple. "It is by my decree and duty as Princess Celestia of Equestria, to unite these two in holy matrimony, and to grace them both with my eternal blessing. Before I can bestow my light, however, I must hear from them the words that shall bind their hearts together, in loving warmth, for as long as they both shall live."

She turned her head towards the timid mare, smiling as she said "Dear Fluttershy, will you take Macintosh of the Apple Family to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold with caring hooves, in sickness and in health? Are you ready to bind yourself and your heart to this stallion, and to proudly proclaim yourself his wife?"

Fluttershy looked deep into Macintosh's eyes, her heart swelling with love and joy as she whispered "I do...and I am."

Celestia smiled and nodded, turning to Big Macintosh and speaking "Dear Macintosh, will you take Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold with strong, protective hooves, in sickness and in health? Are you ready to bind yourself and your heart to this wonderful mare, and to proudly proclaim yourself her husband?

It was Macintosh's turn to stare into Fluttershy's eyes as he proclaimed "To answer both of them questions yer highness...ah say 'Eeyup!'

A light laughter could be heard amongst the crowd as Celestia smiled, raising her head and shouting "Then I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, hereby grant to them my eternal blessing, and happily pronounce them, Husband and Wife! Macintosh, you may kiss your bride!" The crowd roared and cheered as Macintosh moved forward, pulling his new wife into a deep kiss and sharing tears of joy with the happily weeping Pegasus.

When the two finally parted, it was Pinkie who lept forward and cheered, shouting loudly "Alright! Let's get to the Afterparty!!!!"

~~~

Rarity and Pinkie Pie sighed, the two of them sitting on their haunches in front of the temple and watching the sun beginning to set. The party had ended only a short while ago, with Fluttershy and Macintosh heading home to their cottage near the Everfree Forest. The two sat in silence for a moment, the sun emitting the same reddish glow that it had on that one morning, the morning Macintosh asked for Fluttershy's hoof in marriage, and the day Pinkie Pie knew for sure that Gummy was not going to make it.

It was Pinkie Pie to speak first, her voice low and soft "Hey...Rarity?" The unicorn turned her head towards her, a questioning look on her face as Pinkie went on, a smile etched on her face "Thanks...for everything. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't helped me through Gummy's death..."

At this, Rarity simply shook her head and smiled, hugging her friend close and whispering "Don't mention it dear...that's what friends are for."

The two of them sighed, watching as the sun quietly set behind the mountains, another day and another chapter closing in the land of Equestria.

~*~The E

(.....?)

I stopped typing, my hooves weary and hurt. I glumly stared at the screen as yet another minute ticked by, signaling to me that I should be asleep already. I sighed, shaking my head as Vinyl spoke out from over my shoulder "Um...that's not how you spell 'End'...Wolokai."

I rolled my eyes, hitting the 'Save' and 'Publish' buttons and hopping out of my chair. "Of course not..." I grumbled, pushing my way out of the door. Vinyl followed close behind as I growled "That story doesn't even deserve an ending, it deserves the damn gallows!"

Vinyl's voice followed me to the kitchen and lingered in my ears as I rummaged through the now open fridge for something hard to drink. I really...really didn't want to remember writing this "What do you mean? I thought it was ok..."

I sighed, pulling out a bottle of cider and placing it on the counter with a light 'bang!'. I spoke as I popped the lid off with my teeth, the beverage practically begging me to drink it at this point "Vinyl that was not, 'ok'. That, was garbage. The plot was more or less terrible, the wrong elements were worked into the story which basically turned it into a giant pregnant mood swing, and for Celestia's sake don't even get me started on the wedding...I could practically feel the hate mail pouring through the veins!"

Vinyl glared at me as I took a swig of the Cider, the brown liquid burning my throat and driving me to cough slightly. She spoke as I tried to smack my tongue against the roof of my mouth, trying my best to get the taste out of my mouth. Maybe Cider wasn't such a good idea... "Wolokai nopony's going to send you hate mail...you're overreacting. If this one was really that bad then just make it up to your fans in the next one!"

I shook my head sadly, staring at the Cider bottle a moment before turning and walking towards the patio door. "What next one..." I muttered, pushing myself out the door and into the cool night air before Vinyl could respond. I hopped into one of the small lawn chairs, leaning back until I felt my back hit the soft fabric. I stared up at the stars in sadness, their twinkling and utter majesty not doing anything to alleviate my heart of worry and defeat.

How could I write more after this...? This was horrible! How could anypony come back from a train wreck like this!?

"No..." I whispered, staring up towards the full moon with sadness and pain echoing through my soul "I can't go on with this...I can't write this anymore..." I closed my eyes slowly, deciding that right then and there...that I was done. I should have stopped one story sooner...but no, went on I did. I dared myself like an idiot...and got burned like I expected. That was it...I was done....

Or so I thought...

No...no matter how hard I wanted to deny it...there was still one left...one Leap of Faith left to go. One that I didn't even know about...one that I did not know who it was about. I did not know when it would be coming...I did not have a clue or care in the world. Nothing could have prepared me though...for the day when it happened. The day when everything went wrong...when everything ceased to be.

One more Leap of Faith for a pony...that nopony...not even me...would see coming....

Mine

The Reception (Afterparty)

Ugh....terrible. No, even worse, SHAMEFUL! I'm glad this one is over, because quite frankly I can't believe it even exists. I can hear the critics roaring at me from across the far corners of the cosmos, and the funny thing is I fully agree with what they say.

This was SUCH a bad turn to take with the Leap of Faith series, and it's one I truly do regret. Hopefully this ends up at the bottom of some dusty old trunk or something, lost and forgotten in the sands of timeways of time and stuff. Forget the fact it's currently 7:29 A.M. and I have yet to sleep, because this fic needed to end before it caused anymore damage.

I just hope TwiVs.TGAP left a large enough cushion to let this fic crash land safely. There's just so many elements to this story that I did not like, and no matter what I did I just couldn't make it work! Three chapters in I knew I was screwed, that this was gonna tank soooo badly.

Oh well...at least I tried to salvage what was left of it *Shrug*

At ANY rate, I do hope everyone is up to speed on the recent news and events. If you remember from the Afterparty from Twilight Vs. TGAP, I announced The Ballad of Pinkie Pie would be coming out, but I didn't specify when. Well I can tell you when, it's after the next and FINAL Leap of Faith.

That's right, one more fic in the Leap of Faith series. Now, I know a lot of you will be a little sad to see the series ending, but I'm sure there are a large majority of you also asking "Wolokai, what are you going to do after Leap of Faith and The Ballad of Pinkie Pie are done...? Are...are you leaving!? Are you going to keep writing!? OMGHAXXORSWTFBRAH!?"

Ok ok...calm down. Few things about THAT: Yes, Leap of Faith is ending, NO, my writing is not! I will still be writing regardless of the series ending....because there is a BRAND NEW series in the works!

This is correct! There is a new series I'm planning on launching, note...planning. I want to see what everyone's position is after the last Leap of Faith which is coming up, FAIRLY SOON. I really need to make this one good though if I'm to recover from this...bad of a fall. *Shiver*

Let me just say, that this is most DEFINITELY not my best work. This makes me cringe, hell, it's been making EVERYONE cringe. My critics and fans have been very helpful in pointing the flaws out and let me just say I agree with you 100%. Of course there are some elements that were good in the story but...I think we can safely say that this fic was just....ugh there aren't even words.

Anyway, enough self-bashing for now, it's 7:40 in the morning now and I'm really...really tired. Please, PLEASE forgive me for the quality of this fic, I promise and swear with every fiber being that holds my soul and life together that the final Leap of Faith, WILL BE ONE TO REMEMBER!

It's going to be, VERY, VERY long...at least that's what I'm hoping it will be. It's going to be a majorly huge Leap of Faith that will reveal and bring to light some things from the other stories that you may have missed. Things from Pinkamena and the Leap of Faith universes that are small and insignificant, but ESSENTIAL to the ending! Sort of a read between the lines kind of thing. Now, let me just reiterate about that 'Long' part. Yeah, it's pretty much a gigantic epic adventure. I envision it to be like, book length, maybe. I won't get my hopes up too far, but let me just say I've been planning this fic and ending since Octavia Vs. Rave.

Ok...enough talking...typing..meh. It's 7:40 A.M., and I need to sleep. Please...please show mercy on my inbox tonight, all you critics and what not. Please bash, but bash politely because I am just wrecked over this fic. There's not much more you could tell me that I don't already know so...thank you in advance.

One last thing before I go: the title of the last Leap of Faith. Please refrain from the Mary Sue comments...because I'm going to try my absolute damned best to make it work. Good night all...and get ready for....

*drumroll!*

Leap of Faith: Wolokai Vs. Life

http://askwolokai.tumblr.com/

Chapter Three - Diagnosis: Terminal, with a side of Wedding Planner

"Have a good day Pinkie!"

"Let us know how it goes!"

The Cakes smiled from the front door, watching as a straight-haired Pinkie Pie trotted quietly into town. Her dark pink hair had been done back in a ponytail and bounced along her back as she went along through the buildings. The send-off brought only a small smile to the mare's lips, and she reminded herself to thank them for their gratitude during the whole situation. It was going on about a week today when the Doctor's first told her of what may be happening, and what a week it had been.

She had tried to act normally when she was told the grave news, being told that it was 'truly unfortunate but normal that things like this happen'. She tried to keep her cheery demeanor and her festive spirit during this time, even going as far as to throw a 'Party just to have a Party' Party. Although those who attended had a good time...they could all tell that something was a bit off. When asked by the party-goers or just regular customers, The Cakes would respond just as they were always instructed to respond: a quick smile and a simple 'Oh she's just feeling a bit off is all, nothing to worry about!'.

It was with this simple, little white lie that bought off the suspicious and concerned ponies of Ponyville, momentarily putting their concerns at rest to give Pinkie Pie just a short, but thankful time to breathe and be free of sympathy and pity. She had even gone as far as to put The Cakes under the formidable power of the Pinkie Promise to ensure her secret be kept safe. She didn't need ponies to worry about it...especially her cheery, happy friends. What right did she have to ruin their smiles, dampen their spirits, or make them sad? All her friends, with the exclusion of Rarity, had all found true love and happiness...and the last thing she wanted was to ruin that now after all the hard work they had gone through to get their 'Happily Ever After'.

Even Twilight Sparkle, now a month out of her near-fatal coma, had found the perfect match for herself. How could Pinkie ever think or conceive of the idea to bring this up to them now? "No..." she thought quietly to herself, turning down a dark alley near Bon Bon's Sweet Shop "Nopony can know....they can't know!". She hoped to make it to the doctor's unnoticed, planning to make it back to Sugar Cube Corner within the hour. She didn't need to draw anymore attention to herself then need be, knowing that anypony that caught sight of her would immediately start pelting her with concern and offers to help with whatever it was that was bothering her. She didn't hate them for it...after all, Ponyville was known for its overly-friendly populace.

But it was for this very reason that Pinkie stuck to the shadows, quickly moving through the back alleys and towards the Clinic that rested near the center of town. Unlike the Hospital, which was located near the edge of town, the clinic was set up near the middle for convenience and lesser treatments for accidents or injuries that were beyond normal hoof-care but NOT an emergency. It only took her a matter of moments to quickly rush from her dark sanctuary in the alleys and through the double doors at the front of the hospital. It took Pinkie Pie a small bit to get her eyes to adjust to the sudden color change of the building, with white blasting out at her like some sort of sick joke. White chairs, white floors, white walls, white ceilings, hell even Nurse Redheart looked white today. Pinkie blinked for a moment before chuckling slightly, realizing the Nurse's fur had always been white. As she approached the front counter, Redheart looked up and smiled at the dark pink mare, exclaiming in a voice that uncomfortably echoed off the walls "Well Good Morning Pinkie! My my you ponies just come and go so fast nowadays...just released Captain Volokai's son not twenty minutes ago and now you're here! That colt sometimes...sicker then a diamond dog at times." She paused to look down at her Appointment Book, the log that kept track of everypony's schedules and patient appointments. She ran a hoof down the spotless white paper until she spotted the Morning Block for Doctor Health, scanning over the words Pinkamena Diane Pie - Stage Three Diagnosis, Treatment Options. Redheart frowned slightly as she whispered, looking back up to Pinkie "Oh dear, I hope this isn't for anything too serious...is there anything I can help you with today before you go see the Doctor?"

Redheart's voice always brought comfort to Pinkie, because she at least could understand the pain that she was going through. She knew about the condition, the diagnosis, everything since day one. It was Redheart who was there, helping her along quickly towards the Doctor's office on Day 1 when she had come bursting into the clinic, wailing and screaming her head off. The best part about it, according to Pinkie, was the way Nurse Redheart treated the situation. It was like she was being fully supportive to Pinkie...yet it was almost impossible to tell. She wasn't bombarding the Pink Mare with questions, concerns, sympathies or anything...but simply letting Pinkie know help WAS there, if she wanted it or not.

Pinkie smiled at these thoughts for a moment before she shook her head and whispered "No thank you Nurse Redheart...I'll just see myself to Health's office."

Redheart gave her a small smile and nodded her head, looking back down at her partially opened book, the golden laced title of Leap of Faith barely gracing Pinkie's as she said "Alright then, you know where his office is. Have a Day Pinkie!". The Pink Mare chuckled at the Nurse's farewell, always finding it rather humorous that the Nurse would never say have a good day if she knew it wouldn't or could possibly not be a good day for somepony.

The mare trotted down the white hall to the desk's left, passing by several empty gurneys and tables of medical equipment and papers. Most of the rooms were empty, she noticed. Most of the doors were open and void of any life, which brought comfort to the saddened mare. Empty rooms meant healthy ponies, and healthy ponies meant more meat for the party grinder...at least...that's how Pinkie saw it, in a way only Pinkie Pie could. She felt her smile twitching back down into a frown as she stopped in front of the wooden door near the end of the hall, a plaque on it's oak face reading:

Doctor Health

Disease / Care Specialist

She gulped and knocked on the door three times, the echo of the sound making her cringe and leave a very uncomfortable sense of awkwardness around her. It wasn't any longer then five seconds when a deep voice from behind the door spoke "The door is open! Do come in!" Pinkie sighed and placed a hoof on the wooden surface, giving it a light push and watching as it swung inwards slowly. As the door opened, a brown coated unicorn stallion with a wavy mane and large, round spectacles was revealed to the mare, sitting at his desk. He wore a stainless white lab coat which matched his cutie-mark of a white thermometer. He looked up as Pinkie Pie entered and smiled, exclaiming in a voice that made the mare's ears droop slightly "Miss Diane! How nice to see you! I trust you are here for your appointment?" Pinkie nodded sadly, looking towards the ground as the door shut quietly behind her and sniffing slightly. Doctor Health's excited demeanor seemed to fade casually, his business like manner slowly taking hold as he hopped off his small chair and held out a hoof to the medical bed that rested in the corner of the room. Pinkie Pie took his signal immediately and hopped up on the bed, her back hooves dangling off the edge as she sat uncomfortably on her flank. How Lyra managed to do this...she'd never understand.

The doctor cleared his throat as his horn lit up with white-colored magic, levitating a clipboard and pencil over towards the pair. He jotted a few things down, looking from the clock back to the sheet a few times before speaking "Well Miss Diane...how is it today?"

Pinkie squirmed slightly on the bed, trying to get comfortable as she brushed some straight hair out of her face and whispered "About the same...but you can tell it's slowly getting worse."

Doctor Health nodded slightly, jotting some notes down. "Worse in what way? Are the symptoms getting more severe?" He questioned, his eyes flicking from the sheet towards her.

Pinkie nodded slightly, whispering in a voice that threatened to crack "T...there's more vomiting...sleeplessness. Can't move or be active as much. Barely even able to make it to the appointment today...that's why I c-"

"I know..." the doctor whispered, cutting her off gently "A good move on your part I think." A large frown started to form on his face as his voice took on a grave tone "Miss Diane...this is the third appointment we've had now, and I'm afraid after all the tests we've run and everything...there's little we can do. I can't even recommend to you any kind of Treatment either that would be safe, for the risks are just to great and to severe to even imagine. In any case...it would just prolong and cause more suffering..." Pinkie felt the first of her tears gently fall down her cheeks as the Doctor whispered "I'm so sorry Pinkie...I truly am..."

The Pink Mare sighed with a shudder racking through her body, her breath coming out as a tiny, choked out sob. She barely had the strength to utter the few words "H...how long?"

Doctor Health looked away, guilt written all over his face as he whispered too her as gently as she could "Maybe...a week or two, with the way these symptoms are going now. No longer then three however..."

What was left of Pinkie's restraint snapped, the dam of emotions breaking away and releasing a flood of tears and heart-wrenching sobs. She threw herself on the good doctor, hugging him tight and letting her emotions run free and untamed. Doctor Health frowned slightly out of awkwardness and sympathy before returning her hug and giving her a gentle, professional pat on the back. "Why don't you go home..." Health whispered "Try to get some sleep...it's been a bad morning for you and I can't stand to see you hurt like this any longer..."

Pinkie nodded slightly, sniffing and retreating out of the Doctor's hold before whispering "Th..thank you Doctor...I suppose you'll be seeing me again soon..."

The doctor sighed, his saddened frown deepening as he spoke "Don't think like that Pinkie...just...try and have a good day regardless...and make the last few weeks enjoyable...alright?" It took a moment for Pinkie to respond, and when she did, it was only via a curt nod and a light sigh. She retreated from the Doctor's office, back down the hallway and towards Nurse Redheart's desk.

"So...how did it go?" Redheart asked, looking up from her book at the sound of Pinkie's hoofsteps approaching. When the pink mare shook her head, it brought a deep sigh out of Redheart's throat. "It's so tragic Pinkie...this shouldn't have to happen to anypony...especially you."

"I know..." Pinkie whispered back, a heavy sigh escaping her own self as she slowly made her way to the front door. The Nurse didn't even bother to ask if she needed to schedule another appointment...she knew she wouldn't need another one. What good would it do...to have your fears and worries confirmed yet again? To have your worst nightmares relived every time you walked into these cursed halls that bore more death then happiness. It was this thought that made Redheart shake her head in disbelief and watch as Pinkie pushed her way out of the double doors and into the noon-time sun.

For Pinkie, the trip back to Sugar Cube Corner was...numbing. All feeling had seemed to leave her as she made her way back through the dark, damp corridors of alleyways that made up the backs of Ponyville's shops and buildings. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel...only walk. Not a thought crossed through her mind, except the cold, hateful emptiness of the void and how she was going to have to come face-to-face with the realization...that death was coming. Death, that had claimed the lives of so many before her...was ready to make another strike.

She quickly shook her head, trying her best to keep the thoughts of impending and inevitable doom out of her head as she emerged from the dark alleys and towards the front door of Sugar Cube Corner. She opened the door quietly, skimming over the note left on the small table just to the left of the entrance that told her The Cakes were off with the twins somewhere. She felt relieved and somewhat happy that they were gone, knowing that they had left to give her space and quietness on purpose. She walked up the stairs leading to her bedroom with a quiet sigh, coming up onto the landing and trotting towards the pink-colored door that was absolutely littered with crazy drawings and pictures of party cakes and decorations. There was no cheer to be had from this brightly decorated door however, the hinges letting forth a chorus of depressing creaks as they were forced to swing inwards.

She took a few careful steps in, and let the door shut behind her. She was safe, in her own sanctuary at last. She had only managed to make it halfway across her room when she fell to the floor, letting out a wailing sob and curling up in a tiny ball. Hopelessness and agony coursed through her veins and heart like icy venom, racking at her very soul. She wailed that it wasn't fair, it wasn't right. How could this of happened, and why to her of all ponies? It didn't make it any easier for her as Gummy, her pet alligator, slowly padded his way over to her from his spot under her bed. She took one good look at him and instantly fell into greater hysterics, causing her to pull him tightly into her hold and give him a firm squeeze. Over and over, her weak voice spoke out to him, falling on ears she knew were more then likely deaf.

"It's going to be ok...it's going to be ok Gummy...I promise it's going to be ok...it'll be ok! It's...going...to...be...ok!"

~~~

"Oh Fluttershy it's going to be ok! Don't you worry about it at all!" Rarity spoke, reassuring her dear friend and putting her worries to rest.

"B...but how will I know if I'll be a good w...wife? I've never been a wife before!" The yellow-canary Pegasus squeaked, a bright blush passing over her face.

Rarity chuckled, taking a sip of her warm tea before speaking "Oh nonsense darling, NOPONY knows how to be a good wife so quickly, or so easily! It takes practice, an open-mind, and good communication! Why just look at Mrs. Cake! Mr.Cake is her very first husband, and they're a wonderfully happy couple with twins! Don't you worry yourself over it one bit, because I KNOW you'll do just fine!"

Fluttershy smiled at her friend's comforting thoughts, her eyes flicking over to the sound of tiny hoof-steps coming down the hall. Sweetie Belle poked her head through the door a few moments later, a happy look on her face as she squeaked "Breakfast is ready! Oh, and hi Fluttershy, how are you today!?"

"Oh..um.." Fluttershy began, her timid shyness causing her to stumble over her words as usual "I'm..um.......nice."

The tiny filly giggled and looked over towards Rarity, pointing a hoof at her and shouting in a taunting voice "At least that's better then 'Burnity' over there. Don't forget 'Rari-burn', you still have to pick up Opal from the Ponyville Clinic later on today!"

"Oh Sweetie Belle you can be so rude at times!" Rarity pouted, watching as the young filly bounced away, giggling like a mad schoolgirl.

"Um...Rarity? Why is Opal at the clinic?" Fluttershy asked quietly, finishing the last of her tea.

Rarity looked back over to her friend after a moment and sighed "She ate something that was a bit...unhealthy for her, and I had to take her to the Clinic because the veterinarians office has been closed temporarily for repairs. Not to worry though, she should be as good as new by the time I decide to get off my flank and go get her!"

Fluttershy smiled but suddenly looked down at the table, poking her hooves together and trying to find the right words to spell out what she wanted to say "Hey...Rarity?"

"Hmmm?" The diva hummed, finished the last of her own tea and setting it down on the china plate.

"I've...never had a wedding before..." Fluttershy began, her blush deepening "...and I've never really been to one either...so what do I do? How do I get married to Big Macintosh?"

Rarity giggled at this, finding it so adorable that Fluttershy was so innocent as she was shy. She spoke gently, as if explaining something to a smaller filly "Well, it's simple dear. You get a Wedding Planner! Somepony who knows a lot about style, etiquette, and fashion! Themes must be chosen, flowers, decorations, locations. Oh it's such a long process but you'll have the final say-so in whatever you want to do for whoever you decide to help plan your wedding!"

Fluttershy looked up slightly, her eyes widening at the sheer size of such a task. "Somepony with...style...etiquette...and fashion?" Rarity nodded as she went on "Well...that choice should be pretty easy then of who I want to plan my wedding."

"Oh?" Rarity questioned, raising an eyebrow and casting a confused glance towards her friend.

"Well...yes..." Fluttershy whispered "I think....it should be you." Rarity gasped, her front hooves flying up over her mouth and her eyes widening to the size of saucers.

When she spoke, she stuttered even worse then Fluttershy "B...b..but! Fluttersh..shy! You would...you would really trust me with such...such a massive honor? This is your WEDDING Fluttershy, the most spectacular and important day of your entire life!" Tears started to form in her eyes as she went on "And you would...would entrust me, with this?"

Fluttershy nodded, holding out a hoof out to Rarity and whispering "Of course. If anypony knows about style, etiquette, and fashion of all things...it's definitely you Rarity. So...will you be my Wedding Planner?"

Rarity felt tears lightly fall down her cheeks as Fluttershy bestowed upon her the chance of a lifetime. To take into her hooves the responsibility and honor of planning for her friend, the most heart-warming, beautiful, and most important day of her entire existence. She could feel her heart swell with joy as she squeaked "Fluttershy...I would be honored to be your Wedding Planner! Now come darling, we must begin at once!"

(Sorry for the late update. We're back in business! Please note that this story is going to be rather short. I'll try to pack in as much awesomeness as I can! Short Stories deserve BIG awesomeness!!!!"

For those of you tracking

Hey all!

Wolokai here.

For those of you who may have missed the opening of Wolokai Vs. Life, I have a link for you!

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/5023/Leap-of-Faith%3A-Wolokai-Vs.-Life

Voila! Enjoy!