Pinkie smiled gleefully as she waved the final customer of the day out the door.

“Have a super-doper fun-fun-fun evening! Enjoy your cake!” the pink pony cheered as she jumped up and down with excitement.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” laughed the mare as she waved back. “You have a good night, too.”

“Aww, thanks!” Pinkie giggled, waving. Once the pony was out of sight, she carefully shut the door. She let out a content sigh as she flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed.’ It had been a good day, albeit a slower one than usual. Of course, that had made the day much easier for Pinkie, as she had been the only one working. The Cakes were off on their anniversary and had left the shop, and the twins, in Pinkie’s care.

Usually caring for the twins was a challenge, although a really fun one, but Pinkie was having none of the usual trouble with them. She hadn’t heard so much as a peep from them since she put them down for their nap several hours ago.
Maybe Pinkie should have been more worried about the lack of excitement caused by the babies, but she had checked on them. They had been lying side by side, cuddled up together and twitching slightly in their cutesy-wootsy dreams. She was quite relived that she could pay more attention to her customers and making other ponies happy. They were just sleeping; she wasn’t too worried.

Maybe Pinkie Pie should have been slightly concerned about the lack of visitors to the store. After all, Wednesday was normally the most packed day of the week, other than Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and, of course, Sunday. She had wondered about the lack of ponies, especially when Lyra came in without Bon-Bon. The two mares came in together every Wednesday at the same time; never had Pinkie seen one without the other. When asked where the earth pony was, Lyra had simply shrugged and said the other mare was sleeping. This was the answer Pinkie had gotten almost every time she asked where a pony was. It was strange, especially around mid-day, but the pink party pony dismissed it as nothing more than a flu, or something of the sort, going around. A dismissed thought is easy to ignore, so Pinkie wasn’t concerned.

Pinkie probably should have been wondering why she hadn’t heard from four of her closest friends in several days. She had thought about her friends a lot during the lonely hours of running the store and had come up with reasons for the absences. Rarity and Applejack were both probably busy with work and Rainbow was just spending lots of time practising. Fluttershy was just being Fluttershy and spending time with her animal friends, rather than her pony ones. Or they were all sick, although Pinkie had to admit there was a slim chance of that. Or they all know that Pinkie was running SugarCube Corner on her own and couldn’t leave it, although they should have known that she would always appreciate the company. Or maybe it was a combination of two or more of the above. No matter what, Pinkie wasn’t spending much time worrying about her absent friends.

So it was with a mind free of worries that Pinkie Pie possessed as she pranced to her room. The sun was slowly falling from the sky and the moon was starting its climb as the pink earth pony laid down her head. She let out a content sigh as her eyes drifted closed, expecting her usual dreams of joy and friendship.

Pinkie Pie: Rocks

The day started just like any other. Pinkie rose with the sun and got ready for a fun-fun-fun day of helping care for the twins and run the bakery. Everything was just a super-duper fun-tastic as ever when Pinkie went out to get the mail. The Cakes were back from their vacation but Pinkie had yet to get the postcard they had sent. Therefore it was no surprise when Pinkie pulled out a piece of paper from the mailbox with her name on it. It was a surprise, however, when she saw where it was from. Confused by the sudden contact from ponies she had not heard from in a while, Pinkie told Mrs. Cake that she would be in her room and climbed the stairs in a mild daze, staring at the letter in confusion the whole time.

Only once she was safely seated on her bed did Pinkie dare open the letter. As her eyes scanned the page, taking in the elegant cursive words, Pinkie could feel her mane and tail trying to deflate. Shaking her head to clear it, Pinkie read the letter over two more times, eyes flipping between it and the crest stamped on the envelope to hold it shut. She could not believe it but it had to be true. She searched desperately for some sign that it was a prank but it couldn’t be, no matter how much she wished. It was the Pie family crest on the envelope, the special Pie stationary and Mama Pie’s very own writing. No pony could copy the lines on the page to mimic Mama Pie. It just couldn’t be done. Once she admitted it was the truth, Pinkie read the letter over one last time, forcing herself to take it in slowly.

Dear Pinkamena Diane Pie, the letter began,

I am sorry that this is how we must reconnect after all these years. I’m afraid the news I have is not good. It is about your father, Pinkamena. I know this will come as a shock but he is rather unwell. The doctor says he will not pull through. Your father wishes to see all of his children once more before he passes.

Please return home quickly, as your father does not have much time.

Sincerely,

Mama Pie

Pinkie sat frozen for a few moments. With a shaking hoof, she reached for the envelope, which she had dropped before reading the letter for the final time. It was not merely the contents of the letter that chilled Pinkie’s blood, but the contents combined with the date on the envelope. It was dated for over a week ago. From the letter, it had sounded like her father had days to live, not the week it had taken for the letter to arrive. Shock took over Pinkie’s body as the reality hit her. The letter fell from her grip and floated to the floor. As it landed, the look of shock and pain in Pinkie Pie’s eyes changed to determination.

Fast enough to rival Rainbow Dash, Pinkie sped around her room, grabbing her most valuable objects and slamming them into her saddlebag. She bolted down the stairs in a pink blur, stopping only long enough to hastily explain the situation to Mrs. Cake. Then she was off to the train station. Once on the train, Pinkie Pie started to write letters to her friends and the Cakes, explaining in more detail what had happened and adding that she didn’t know how long she would be gone.

Once the letters were written and set somewhere safe to be sent when able, Pinkie had only one thing left to do.

Cry.

And so she did. Head down, she let her tears fall swiftly down her face and to the floor of the carriage. Her hair tried to flatten itself but she denied it the luxury; her family would need her to help lift their moods. She may be too late to see her father but she could be there for her mother and the sisters. She would get all of her tears out on the train. She had to be ready for the tidal wave of grief that would greet her on the family farm.

The train ride was long. Once Pinkie Pie cried herself out, she was left with nothing to do and no energy to do it. Emotionally drained, she dropped to the floor and tried to sleep.

She did not dream. She was not sure if she even slept at all. It felt as if she only blinked before the whistle was blowing and the train stopping. There was no pony waiting to great her; why would there? She hadn’t had time to let them know she was coming.

Despite no guide and many years since her last visit, Pinkie Pie knew the way to the farm by heart. She trotted uneasily along the path, the first seeds of worry pricking her mind and slowing her hooves. What if she was too late? What if she couldn’t cheer anypony up? What if, what if, what if.

Pinkie Pie shook her head, trying vainly to dislodge the unhappy thoughts. Her family needed her. She would do everything within her power to make them happy. She would make them happy, but not forget. No pony should ever be forgotten.

Pinkie slowed to a stop as she reached the farmhouse. Should she knock or just walk in? She settled on knocking and then entering. Poking her head in the door, Pinkie Pie saw her family sitting at the dinner table, three heads turned to face her.

“Pinkamena?” Mama Pie asked, her eyes dull.

“I’m here, Mama,” her daughter replied. “I’m sorry I only got here now, the letter just came today. Am I too late? Is dad…?” Pinkie trailed off, unable and unwilling to finish. A simple nod was the only reply before Mama Pie went back to eating. Her two sisters, now fully grown, stared back down at their meals without so much as a peep. Slowly, methodically, they continued eating their meals.

Boiled asparagus and potatoes stew. The same supper Pinkie could remember eating all those years ago. She remembered how much she hated it, the same tasteless meal every evening. Shaking away the pained memories, Pinkie Pie tried to speak again.

“I’m-I’m too late?” she squeaked out. Her mother nodded again, still looking down. “I’m so sorry! I swear, I only got the letter today and I came as fast as I could and-and…” Pinkie trailed off, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry,” she said again, tears slipping down. She hung her head, unable to look into her mother’s eyes.

“Pinkamena,” her mother tried, but Pinkie cut her off.

“Pinkie Pie,” she corrected. “I go by Pinkie Pie now.”

“No,” Mama Pie said softly, finally lifting her head. “Your name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. You cannot go back to your old life, Pinkamena. You are needed here. Your sisters and I-”

“What do you mean, I can’t go back to my old life? Are you saying I can’t go home?” Despite her sadness about her father’s death, the pink mare was still shocked by what her mother was saying. Her shock only grew when the normally-docile mare rose sharply to her hooves.

“This is your home, Pinkamena. Your sisters and I cannot care for the farm on our own; we need you.” For a frightening moment, the pink pony could have sworn her mother’s gentle blue eyes flashed a darker teal, the pupils narrowing to slits. Then she blinked and her mother simply looked old and tired, clearly overworked.

“We needed you, Pinkamena,” Mama Pie continued as she sat down again, seeming too weak to stand, “we needed you back the moment you left. Your father had to work twice as hard to make up the loss of hooves, but he refused to call you back home. He cared too much for you. He knew this was no place for you.

“But Pinkamena, your father is gone. We cannot keep the farm without his help and we don’t have enough to hire extra hooves. You’re needed here, Pinkamena. Do you see that?”

“I-yes. I do, Mama. I see that. It’s just, what about my friends? My things? All my stuff is back in Ponyville, and Gummy-”

“Pinkamena, I know this must be hard for you, but there is no time for you to go back. You are needed here and you are needed now.” The old mare sighed, and Pinkie saw her mother age before her eyes. She could see the wrinkles along her cheeks, and the deep shadows under her eyes brought on by trying to do more work than one pony can do. Her sisters seemed equally tired, their movements slow and heavy with weariness.

“But Mama…”

“Please understand, Pinkamena. It will be easier this way.”

All fighting energy was lost from the normally energetic pony. She nodded meekly, knowing that her family needed her.

It did not take long for her to fall back into the routine of the farm. It is true what they say: old habits die hard. She wrote to her friends, but less and less as time went on. Her mane straightened itself, no longer fluffed by constant parties. Slowly but surely, Pinkie Pie began responding to the name Pinkamena, stopping using her old name entirely.

Life fell into simplicity, days blending to weeks, to months, to years. It was an easy lifestyle, if a little dull.

It wasn’t hard to figure out. There was no talking. There was no smiling. Only rocks.

Forever.

Author's Note

Let me start with this:
I am a horrible person.

I'm beyond sorry that this has taken so long to get out. There is a reason I'm so awful at getting these things out, but it is long. It's here, if you want to see it. The short version is that I've been through Hell the last few years.

I wish I could say that the next chapter will be out soon, but that would be a lie. I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, although it will be showing Princess Twilight Sparkle's fear. After that, there will only be one chapter, Princesses Celestia and Luna, before the epilogue. I have the basic outline for both chapters, but the problem is finding the motivation to write. I've been really depressed lately, plus exams are next week. ~~Although, that's probably why I threw myself into getting this written and out.~~

On a more related note, I threw in some major hints for the ending here. Anyone catch them? Also, as usual, feel free to point out any mistakes I made. Seriously. I'm human, so I know there are some.