We never really forget
You knew this day would come. Everyone did really, one would assume everyone just hoped it wouldn't be this soon. That's not to say the thirteen fantastic seasons didn't mean anything, quite the contrary. My Little Pony had lasted nearly fourteen fun filled, laugh inducing, riotous years. You always made the time for it, every Friday was pony night and anybody who didn't like it could, well, what they could do is not for polite conversation. You followed it all through high-school, into college, through thick and thin, through the happiest point in your life, and through the darkest point in your alcohol induced chronic depression. MLP had always been there to uplift your spirit when you needed it most. Whether it was the kindness of Fluttershy, the brash, hotheadedness of Rainbow Dash, the (sometimes pigheaded) perseverance of Apple Jack, the giving generosity of Rarity, the nerdy kindheartedness of Twilight Sparkle. Or Pinkie Pie.
Geez, there was no way to describe how she made you feel. When she walked on screen, it was like all of your problems melted away and the only thing you could possibly do was laugh and sing along with the loveable pink blur. There had actually been a joke between you and some friends, that breathing the air near her would be equivalent to huffing diabetes and chasing it with a shot of pure maple syrup. But you digress. Today was the very last episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic ever to air from the hub, only to be aired once, ever. So for all you cared, it had better be the best episode of any show in the entire world. You sit down in your faithful computer chair and tune in to the livestream on your laptop in an almost rehearsed manner, pop the sound system in, grab the snacks from your kitchen, and get ready for the best pony night ever.
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The credits roll, the last producer's name pops onto the screen and just like that, it's over. Just like that, the greatest show there ever was, concluded with a two and a half hour finale. You sit there, staring at your monitor, your reflection staring back at you, almost mocking you, daring you to do something. You let out a long breath you didn't even realize you'd been holding as you get up from your seat. You walk to the TV and browse through what's on for a bit, nothing catches your eye. You go to the kitchen to make a sandwich, but only take two or three bites of it having lost any and all appetite. You pick up your jacket and hat three times, only to cast them away angrily equally as many times. You run your hands through your hair, pulling lightly. You couldn't take it anymore, you run into your room shouting and cursing loudly, you rip down your posters, tearing them slightly, you stuff them all into an old box along with all the merch you've ever purchased, stuffies, hats, shirts, hell even the one wig you got while you were drunk at the con, it all went in.
“Psst”
You grab all the fan-art you've made and shred it into little pieces over the trash bin.
“Psst!”
A sharp hissing noise grabs your attention.
“Psst!”
There it is again!
“PSST!!”
You look to where it's originating from. Aha! It's coming from... your laptop? But you switched that off, didn't you? As you walk to it you can see an animated almost pastoral scene on your monitor, some grassy knolls covered in spring daisies, poppies, and all sort of various wildflowers. You push the power switch a number of times to no avail, you opt to flip it over and eject the whole battery. Flipping it back over the picture is still frozen there, no, wait, not frozen. The painted grass is swaying in an unseen breeze, a soft gust whistles through the flowers, tearing off lose petals and scattering them about. The whole scene looked so real, almost like you could just reach into the screen and grab a-
“HIYA!”
The screen is instantly filled by something horrendously pink and fluffy, you cry out, startled, and trip over your chair, knocking it over in the process, and bang your head as you back away from the screen quickly.
“Ooooh, ouchies! That looked like it hurt...” gently rubbing your head, you look up to lock your gaze onto a pair of astonishingly familiar blue eyes gazing over you through your monitor with concern. “I'm super dooper double looper sorry about that! I didn't think you would be standing that close.” you recognize her instantly, it's Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie pushes her face and snout against the other side of your monitor, and giggles when (with a direct violation of a number of laws of physics) the other side of the monitor fogs up. You sit there in shock and awe and absentmindedly wonder if this is all just-
“Some crazy dream?” Pinkie finishes your thought sitting there on the other side of the screen with her hoof against her chin, head tilted pensively. “well maybe it is, that would be kinda spooky though dont'cha think!” she laughs again raising her arms above her head like a foal pretending to be a ghost. “OOooOOooh, tonight you will be visited by the ghost's of three pinkies- hey, don't do that!” Pinkie cries as you once again try to hit the power button on your laptop. “I don't have much time to talk, and I-I don't want to go... not just yet...”
Pinkie lets out a sad sounding sigh. “I'm sorry for shoving all this onto you so quickly, but I didn't know who else to talk to! Nopony else could have imagined that this was coming, and I couldn't just tell them! I mean Twilight would have been all like 'No pinkie, that's nonsense, you're crazy, I like books!'” she giggles for a moment before continuing. “You... You're the only one who I think I can talk to...” Astounded by this situation, you flip your chair back over, sit in it and lean forwards to look the pink party pony in the eye. Hell, if this was a dream you might as well make the best of it.
“Okay, now where was I... Oh right! Just popping by to say goodbye!” her smile droops as she realises the impact of her words on you, she looks down, sad again. “I always hate saying goodbye, and now... I'm going to have to say goodbye for good. No more adventures, no more parties, no more searching for the magic of friendship... It's all over now.”
“So I guess what I wanted to say was thank you, thanks for sticking with us this whole time, through thick and thin on our adventures through life.” she says with a sad smile. “I don't know why you funny looking things would even want to watch us in the first place but... I'm sure glad you all did! I'm glad we got to share our adventures with you. I was happy to know that I was making other ponies, or, whatever you are happy. Even though nopony else knew you were there with us, I was happy to know you were always there laughing along with us.”
without realizing it, you take a hand and place it against the monitor, Pinkie mirrors your action, placing her hoof against your hand. Somehow, you swear you can feel hoof.
“I don't want it to have to be sad though.” she says, staring at your hand on the other side of the screen. “Just because you aren't going to see us like normal anymore, doesn't mean that all those fun times were for nothing right? Every party has to end but as long as everypony had lots of fun... it was still a good party, right?” you press your hand harder into the screen. Consciously making an attempt to close the distance between the two of you. Pinkie pulls back and shakes her head. “this is how it has to be.” she says sadly.
She shakes her head again then flashes you the most brilliant smile you've ever seen. “thank you, and don't worry about me or the others. As long as weird skinny things like you remember us then we'll be okay!”
She giggles one last time, “thanks for the memories, smell ya later!” with that, she giggles as she turns tail and runs off. She stops on the top of the hill she's running over and offers you one last smile and wave. Then she's gone, forever.
The screen goes dark.
You sit, glued to that chair for what seemed like an eternity, feeling a mix of what you assume must be every emotion known to man, cut with a healthy dose of sadness. But when you do get up from that chair, you know what you need to do.
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Time makes a pretentious twit out of you and many many years down the line you're getting home from work late at night. With nothing better to do than watch TV, so you do just that. You feel like watching some hub network, even if pony night stopped a long time ago you still like children's cartoons since they always made you feel happy and young, but tonight specifically since you were reading something online about the fact that Equestria Daily had finally shut down. It was the last bastion of the brony to go. It had started after the last episode, all the pony dedicated tumblrs, except for the really well known ones had shut down then it moved to twitter, and facebook, followed by 4chan officially removing the /mlp/ board. This was when you assumed everyone just forgot about it, for a time, you forgot as well.
Then, perhaps just to spite you, perhaps by fate, you hear that familiar song begin to play. Looking up, you see you were indeed not mistaken, the open sequence was playing. You get up and walk to the TV unable to believe your eyes, you stand in that position for the entire half hour of play time. Right before the ending, you swear you can see pinkie wave to you, you pass it off as a trick of the eye. Then, It all comes flooding back, and the tears fall from your eyes, the Music, the fan-art, the fan-fiction, the videos, the laughs, the cries and all the memories. You think about those six ponies who changed your life for the better, the ponies who taught you about friendship, the ponies who showed you that you were worth something. You think about all the amazing friends you've made because of the ponies, and wonder why you never stayed in touch with them. You realize just how lucky you were to be a part of the amazing journey that was My Little Pony Friendship is Magic; how amazing it was to be in a fandom that meant so much to you all those years ago. You remember every last detail of the adventures of those six fantastic ponies, and how proud of them you were for their everlasting friendship. You realize there are still fans just like you all over the world thinking the exact same thing as you.
Because fandoms like ours never really die out.
We never really move on.
We never really find something else.
We never really forget
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Many more a year down the line, you, old and sickly, enter into your attic to collect you personal effects before being moved into a seniors home, when you notice something glowing in the farthest back reaches of your attic. You walk to it. There, in the darkness, is your laptop. Yes, that laptop. It hadn't functioned very well after that last episode, yet, there, on the screen, opened in notepad was a message. You hoped... no you knew who it was from. There on the screen were the words-
Every hello contains within itself the echoes of it's own goodbye. For every person you come to know on your journey through life, no matter how long you know them, there will always come a day when you will see them for the last time. And yet it's all worth it. The time between hello and goodbye, if you fill it properly, will sustain you through all your days. Every shared moment, every laugh, every cry, every precious sliver of time spent with someone you care for is a treasure, to be kept safe forever.
-P.P.
You stand there, just looking at it. You only notice the tears rolling down your face when you hear the soft *plip* of them hitting the floorboards. Gingerly, you pick up the laptop and bring it into your chest for a hug, you silently mouth the words
“Thank you”
It could be your mind degrading, it could be someone else talking, or it could have even been your old age. But you could swear you hear a happy female voice say:
“no,thank you, for not forgetting.”
