7 Days in Heaven

Peace. Simple, genteel. You drift on a sea of clouds. For the first time since you've arrived here, you really and truly sleep. It's blissful. You don't think anything can take you out of this place. At least, until the you hear the clanging of cymbals. Cymbals? What the hell?

You shake your head, trying to clear your mind. It's really hard to do though, with that CONSTANT BANGING! You sit up, and look around the room for the source of the disturbance. Of course. Who else could it be, but her?

"Good morning sunshine! Sorry if I woke you! Wait, no I'm not, that's exactly what I was trying to do."

Pinkie Pie stares up at you, positively beaming. She twirls her cotton candy colored curls in between her fingers, unable to contain her seemingly boundless energy. On the floor by her feet are two marching band style cymbals, which she must have used to try to wake you up. So much for getting up to your circadian rhythm.

"Jeez-a-whiz Pinkie. What time is it?"

"Oh it's not that early. Well, it's a little early. I'd say early enough that you would usually be sleeping sometimes, but not all the time. Know what I mean?"

You look at her like she's a creature from another planet.

"Not really, no."

"Oh."

She seems disappointed that you didn't understand the gist of what she was saying. Her frown passes in a split second though, and her face again spreads into an incredibly wide smile.

"So what are we gonna do on our super special ultra cool day together?"

"I don't know. I thought you were supposed to come up with the plan."

"Oh, oh, we could bake cupcakes! Wait, you might not like that, you don't seem like the kitcheny type to me. Oh, we could go fishing! Wait, you and Applejack already did that. And I hate fishing. Fish are gross. They're scaly and slippery and-"

"Hey Pinkie?"

"Yes?"

She bats her eyelashes at you, which you find absurdly cute.

"Might I get ready for the day before we form any grandiose plans? I'm not even dressed."

You lift your covers up a little to convey your point. Pinkie suddenly turns a shade of pink that you didn't think existed.

"What?"

"You... umm..."

It seems like she's somewhere between supremely uncomfortable and uncontrollable giggling. You look down, and realize your member is hanging out of your pajama bottoms. You gasp, lower the covers, and turn a shade of pink that rivals hers.

"Don't worry, I didn't really see it. Much. Okay I did, but it was okay, because you're-"

She stops herself.

"I'm gonna go let you get dressed."

She runs out of the room, grabbing her cymbals and closing the door behind her. You slam your head against the bed post. This is going to be a long day.

You expected some backlash from the Rarity incident, but to your (very pleasant) surprise there doesn't seem to be any. Rarity has stopped hanging around with the mean girl clique, meaning that she has no reason to tell them about what transpired, and Blueblood is probably too embarrassed to admit he got destroyed by a nerd. Sometimes life can be rough, but it seems like the universe decided to smile on you today. You've been walking around with Dash, strolling through the school grounds. You two meander down to the soccer field, and Dash absentmindedly begins kicking around the spare balls. She kicks one particularly hard. It smacks something, and flies off in a weird direction.

"Oof! What the heck was that?"

A dazed face rises from the field. A very soft, but somehow charismatic face. Her head is covered with long bubblegum colored hair. She must have been lying down on the untrimmed grass for nobody to have noticed her. She pats the top of her head, and you realize Dash must have inadvertently hit her with the ball. You run over to the strange girl.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I was just sitting here, looking at the clouds, when suddenly WHAM! Something came and hit straight on the noggin!"

"My bad."

Dash walks over, and kneels beside her.

"I didn't see you there. What the heck are you doing lying on the ground?"

The girl seems to ponder this for a while, before shrugging.

"I dunno. I felt like it."

She punctuates this with a huge shrug, and she collapses back to the dirt floor. Out of spontaneity, you decide to follow suit. Dash stares at the two of you like crazy people.

"I'm gonna go now. You two enjoy... whatever it is you're doing."

As Dash walks away, you and the pink haired girl wave after her.

"Bye crazy rainbow haired lady! Be careful what you do with your balls!"

Her goodbye takes you completely by surprise, and you double over with laughter. The pink haired girl looks at you, her head tilted to the side.

"What's so funny?"

You shrug.

"I dunno."

She smiles, and seems to accept this. You're surprised by how well you're getting along with this girl. Maybe it's because she's not really your type. It's not that she isn't pretty- she's incredibly cute. It's just that you like take charge woman, with a good head on their shoulders. This girl seems kooky and innocent. You give yourself a little slap, realizing you've been incredibly rude.

"May I ask your name?"

She ponders this.

"Well, my name is Pinkamena Diane, but that name is silly. Just call me Pinkie Pie."

"Pinkie... Pie?"

You can't see how this name is any less silly then her real one, but you decide to let it drop.

"So, do you come here often?"

Pinkie giggles at your feeble attempt at humor. You can't tell whether it's out of pity or real amusement.

"I just go wherever I feel like. School is boring. You're stuck in class all day, not being able to do what you want. So when school is over, I just go with the wind."

"Go with the wind?"

"Yeah. I just spread my arms, and let it take me where it wants to take me."

She spreads her arms for effect, and then folds them beneath her head.

"And today, the wind took me here, in the middle of this field. Did the wind bring you and crazy rainbow lady here as well?"

"Her name is Dash. And..."

You ponder the question. The more you think about it, the more you realize that you and Dash did just sort of randomly walk out here. No rhyme or reason. You just did.

"... yeah. I guess it did."

"The wind is funny like that sometimes. It brings me people."

She turns, and grins.

"I'm glad it brought me you."

You return her grin.

"Thanks. I'm happy I met you too."

The two of you lie on the field, looking up at the sky. This feels... right. For the first time in a long time, you're comfortable around a girl. No awkward thoughts. No romantic inclinations. You're just two people enjoying the world, letting the wind take you where it pleases.

You actually consider trying to avoid Pinkie, unsure how she'll react to your earlier wardrobe malfunction. You quickly realize that she's not the most tactful person in the world, so you'll probably have to do some explaining to the house. You don't want the rest of the girls thinking you whipped your dick out the second she walked into the room. Showered and dressed, you speed walk, looking for Pinkie. You check the places you've been before- the kitchen, the outside walk, and the art room- but she's nowhere to be found. Just as your about to give up, your world goes dark.

"Guess who?"

You smile. By the sound of her voice, all is forgiven.

"It can't be Pinkie Pie, can it?"

You hear a gasp, and your world comes back to life. You turn around, and see Pinkie Pie. She looks aghast.

"How did you know? Are you a mind reader? If you are that would be crazy! And a little creepy... what am I thinking right now?"

She looks at you expectantly.

"I can't read minds Pinkie."

"Aww. Oh well. So I think I've figured out what-"

You hold a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Pinkie, did you tell any of the girls about what happened this morning?"

"Hmm..."

She seems lost in thought. You can't believe she would forget something like this so fast.

"You know... when you came into my room..."

"Oh!"

She giggles.

"That! No, of course I didn't tell the girls. They're not even here! We go out into town on most days to give you and whatever girl you're with some privacy."

"Huh, I didn't know that. Well, anyway, do you think you could keep it to yourself? It was an accident, but I don't want them to think that I'm-"

"A big pervert!"

She sticks her tongue out at you.

"... yes Pinkie. A big pervert."

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed."

She pantomimes a zipper being pulled over her mouth.

"So, anyway, did you come up for something for us to do today?"

"Yeah, I did!"

She grabs your hand, and leads you outside. You run for a while, heading in the direction of the forest. It's not the same path that Applejack took you down- in fact, there doesn't seem to be a path at all.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going where the wind takes us!"

A smile crosses your lips. You realize it's been a long time since you've heard her say that. You two run into the forest, dodging trees and their low hanging branches. You delve deeper and deeper into the woods, getting lost in them. You feel a little bit of fear- you've heard stories of people getting lost in the woods- but you can't help but feel safe with Pinkie by your side. She may be a little crazy, but you're pretty sure she wouldn't get you lost.

Pretty sure. Somewhat. Maybe.

She pulls you along into a clearing. Here the trees here have a natural gap in them, and the sun shines down on the forest floor. Pinkie Pie giggles.

"This is perfect!"

She lets go of your hand, and pulls out a picnic basket from out of nowhere.

"Were you... were you carrying that before?"

"Of course I was. What, do you think I could just make it appear from thin air?"

"No, but..."

You decide that it's not worth talking about. Pinkie's always been quirky, and her ability to pull objects from space is just one of those weird things she seems to do. She opens the basket, pulls out a blanket, and lays it on the grassy forest floor. She sits down, and pats the ground next to her. You follow suit. She pulls some food from the basket, and sets it in front of you. As you reach for something, she grabs your hand. You turn to face her.

"I need to be serious for a second. I know I'm not really good at it, but..."

She takes a steadying breath.

"... I have to try. You really helped me back in high school. I thought I was surrounded by friends, by people who loved me. But you were the only one who was really there for me. The only... one..."

All of the sudden, her face darkens. Her normally bubbly composure seems to collapse in on itself. She stands there, broken.

"Oh no."

You put your arms around her. You feel her breath start to come more rapidly, and see her eyes start to water.

"I promised I wouldn't do this."

She lets go completely, and starts to sob.

"It's okay Pinkie. I'm here for you."

You've gotten to know Pinkie pretty well over the last few days. You notice that she seems to be constantly surrounded by friends- the exact opposite of you. It's probably her personality. She's charming, in some outlandish way. She goes out of her way to help people, and to make new acquaintances. You're pleased to note that she doesn't seem to discriminate when it comes to who she sees- she's friends with all sorts. Even the popular girls seem to begrudgingly accept her, although they seem to vanish whenever she draws near. You figure all her positive energy must drive their negativity away. You spend the most time with her outside of school, near the soccer field. The wind blows you two there very often. Today is one of those oddly windy days. You've been playing around with the soccer balls, trying to kick them into the net. You find that, even without opposition, you're pretty terrible. Just as you're about to give up, you see a familiar bunch of pink curls. You wave to Pinkie, and she absentmindedly waves back. She walks over to you, but her heart doesn't seem to be in it. She seems to be very lost in thought. You find this incredibly odd. Pinkie is a lot of things, but ponderous is definitely not one of them.

"Everything all right?"

This seems to wake her from a deep slumber.

"I... I don't know."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She looks at you, strangely. You can't put your finger on it, but something is definitely odd.

"Have you... ever wanted to help a friend, but aren't quite sure how?"

You remember the look of longing on Applejack's face as you embraced her in her room.

"Yeah. It's tough, isn't it."

"Yes, it is. I love cheering people up... but most of the time it's pretty easy. A hug here, a compliment there, and some cupcakes once in a while. But sometimes there's somebody who's hurt in a different way. In a... a deeper way. Not a scratch, but a scar. You know?"

You try to understand, but you can't really follow her. You just try to go with it.

"So one of your friends is really hurt, and you don't know how to help them?"

She nods.

"I really like this person, and I feel like I have to help them. But... but I can't just cheer them up. It's more complicated than that. And I'm not a very complicated person."

You realize what is wrong with her. She looks... sad. It's almost alien on her. You just can't imagine Pinkie Pie- always full of energy and cheer- being sad. But here she is.

"Well, I wish I could give you some advice Pinkie, but I don't know enough about what's going on to help you."

"I know."

She leans on you.

"It's just nice to have somebody listen."

The tender moment is interrupted by the harsh ring of her telephone. She pulls it out of her pocket, and picks it up.

"Hello? Yes, this is Pinkamena... yes, I know her. She... she what?"

You've never seen that expression on somebody's face before. It's like her whole world is crumbling. Her face darkens, and her eyes water. She sinks slowly to her knees. You try to catch her, but she seems to way a thousand pounds.

"No... no, she wouldn't. I just talked to her yesterday, she said she was feeling fine."

The tears flow freely, and you are at a loss of what to do. You have a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You suddenly remember a girl who hung around Pinkie- a sad-looking girl who rarely talked to anyone. Pinkie was different with her. You can't really describe how- she just seemed to try harder. Maybe it was because she was trying to stop her from... from...

Oh God.

The phone falls from Pinkie's hands, and she cries out. Her sobs come fast and hard, and she beats at the ground. You try to do something- anything- but you can muster a feeble phrase.

"I'm sorry."

She looks up at you. Her eyes seem lifeless. She carefully picks up her phone, closes it, and dusts it off. She stands up, her tears suddenly stopped.

"I have to go now."

You feel like you should stop her, but you can't bring yourself to do it. All you can do is watch her walk away.

"It still hurts, you know? The thought that everyone would leave, when I needed them most. Everyone... everyone except you."

The tears stream down Pinkie's cheeks, and before long you realize they are falling down yours as well. You haven't seen her this broken in a long time. You can't help but feel partly responsible. It was your sudden appearance that must have triggered this. You rock her gently back and forth in your arms, and you feel her clutch you tighter and tighter. You whisper gently in her ear.

"It's okay Pinkie. Let it out... just let it all go."

She cries for a while more, stopping slowly. She looks into your eyes. You can almost see into her soul through those reddened pools of blue. You gently stroke her hair. She brings her face closer to yours. Your lips nearly touch, but she reneges at the last second. You exhale, knowing that it's for the best. She lets you go, and sits back down. You follow suit. You sit there for a while, basking in the glow of the sun.

"I miss her, you know? She was special to me. She was the first person I was ever-"

She stops. She suddenly seems a little uncomfortable.

"Can you keep a secret?"

You nod. She sighs, and continues.

"She was the first person I was ever really in love with. She was so different, you know? Everyone else seemed so shallow. But she was always beyond that. She had a great mind. And she felt things so deeply. The smallest triumph could lift her spirits. But the tiniest hurt destroyed her. I never knew anybody like that before, and I don't think I'll find anyone like again. She was beautiful, inside and out. And when I met her, she was just hurting so much. Hurting in a way I couldn't help. It was weird, her being like that. My whole life I've been able to make people happy, and here was someone who just never seemed to smile."

She looks up at the clouds, seeming to lose herself there.

"I decided I'd give her everything. Not just things, but... myself. I gave her my heart. I gave her my soul. I gave her the most intimate parts of me."

You can see her twitch at this, clearly remembering a bittersweet moment.

"And for a while, I thought it worked. We lived within each other. My happiness seemed to feed her, but her sadness seemed to feed me. Nobody knew. I couldn't let anyone catch on. After all, I was Pinkie Pie. The adorable, happy-go-lucky girl who skipped through the corridors. But down inside me, I felt her pain. I thought I could do that forever, you know? Just swallow her pain, and keep it inside me. I thought I could handle it. After all, we... we loved each other. But it wasn't enough. Those last few days, she grew more and more distant. I could feel her draining away, like sand in my palm. I should have told somebody. But I was so confident. I loved her, she loved me. We didn't need anyone else. We could live for each other. She could live for me. But it wasn't enough."

Time seems to freeze for a moment.

"I wasn't enough. I couldn't save her... I wasn't enough."

You don't recognize the girl sitting on the sidewalk anymore. Her hair hangs low, lacking its curl. It seems to hang from her, dirty and unkept. Her face, normally so bright and cheerful, is pulled and sullen. Her normally perky pink clothing has been replaced with a dirty hoodie and sweat pants. And of course, nobody hangs around her anymore. They seem to avoid her like she's contagious. They whisper about her though. Whisper that maybe she and that girl were more than friends. Whisper that she could have stopped it, could have helped. You hope she doesn't listen to the whispers, but you know she hears them. You wonder whether she even cares. You and Dash have been playing baseball for a while. You don't seem to hit a single ball, or catch a single throw. Every time you try to focus on the game, your eyes drift over to that girl. That once bubbly girl, now deflated. When Dash throws a ball right past you, she grunts exasperatedly.

"I give up!"

She tosses her glove into her bag, and walks over to you.

"Why don't you just go talk to her?"

"What could I say?"

Dash considers this.

"Maybe you don't have to say anything."

You realize she's right. You don't know what to do, but you have to do something. You give her back the bat, and trudge over to where the girl sits. You put yourself next to her. You sit in silence for a while. She finally grunts at you.

"What do you want?"

"I don't know. The wind took me here."

You look at her. No reaction at all.

"Pinkie-"

"I don't need your sympathy!"

She practically spits this at you.

"Why don't you just leave me alone... like everyone else."

"Because that's not the kind of person I am."

"What kind of person are you? Some kind of knight? Are you gonna take me away on your steed, clear away all my pains with a magical kiss?"

Her voice drips with sardonicism. A lightbulb goes off in your head.

"No, I'm not a knight. And I can't cure anybody's wounds with a magical kiss. I know I can't take the hurt away, Pinkie. Nothing ever will. But maybe..."

You stand up.

"Do you trust me Pinkie?"

She looks at you confusedly, her tangled bangs covering her face.

"I... I guess."

You reach out to her, and she takes your hand. You walk to your car, and open the door for her. She gets in. You get in beside her, start it up, and begin driving.

"Where are we going?"

You ignore her question. It will all become clear soon. You drive in silence, until you reach your destination. It's a graveyard. You feel Pinkie stiffen next to you, but she doesn't say anything. You drive through the entrance, and park. You get out, open her door, and motion for her to follow you. She does so, albeit very slowly. The two of you walk through the fields, making sure not to disturb any of the grave sites. You finally find the place you're looking for. It's a large gravestone, decorated with a marble angel. A family member has placed flowers here pretty recently- they are still fresh. Pinkie approaches the grave stone.

"What... what is this?"

"This is my brothers grave."

She looks at you, utterly shocked. You kneel down and gently brush the dirt off of the headstone.

"He died when I was eight. He was older- sixteen. It was a car accident. My parents were devastated. I don't think they ever really recovered."

You pick up a flower, and slowly turn in over in your hands.

"I don't think I ever really recovered either."

You put the flower back, and stand up. You turn to Pinkie.

"But I kept on living. I know that it's what he would have wanted. I know in my heart that if I stopped living... if I tore myself apart because of his death, he would be disappointed. He'd want me to keep on living, because he loves me."

You wonder how Pinkie will react. You wait for her to do something- anything- but she just stands there. You think you've failed, until she walks over to you. She embraces you.

"I need you to take me home. I... I have someone I need to visit."

After she's said her piece, she seems relieved. It's like a massive weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

"I wasn't enough, but no matter what I could have done, I'd never have been enough. She was going to do it, one way or the other. It hurts to think about, but it's true. There's nothing I could have done."

She looks at you.

"What you did that day was really brave. To put yourself out there like that takes a lot of courage. Without your help, I might never have been able to move on."

She snuggles close to you. You put an arm around her shoulders.

"It still hurts. On days like today, when the sun is out, and the wind seems to blow the right way, I can almost see her. And I wish, more than anything, she was back. But I know I can live my life now. That's what she would have wanted."

"It is."

A gentle breeze blows through the clearing, stirring up a few leaves. Pinkie looks in that direction, and a look of recognition seems to pass on her face. It's over as soon as it started though. She looks up at you, and gives a little laugh.

"I was determined to make this day about you, and not about me. But here I am, crying on your shoulder again."

"It's okay Pinkie. I don't mind."

"I know you don't. And that's why you're so special."

She gives you a little peck on the cheek. You sit together, in that sun filled clearing, holding each other. The warmth spreads through your body... you feel at peace.