“15 minutes until the premiere, folks! 15 minutes until the premiere!”

“Oh my gosh it’s finally happening! I’m so nerviscited, for real this time!” Pinkie cried out, bouncing on her tail briefly before springing off. “Is everyone ready?!”

“We’re all here, Pinkie Pie.” came a quiet call, as Fluttershy glided over. “That is, um, I think so.”

Pinkie giggled. “Oh, Fluttershy – on or off the stage, you’re still the exact same.” Then Pinkie looked another way, and frowned.

“Already? It seems like season 4 ended yesterday.” Said Rarity in a rather whiny tone, as she trotted onto the set.

“Are you kidding, Rares?” Pinkie said, jumping over. “It feels like it’s been an eternity since season 4 ended! Seriously, the centaur who played withered Tirek is retired now! Discord’s got a deal with a record company and –“

Pinkie paused, sniffing the air, and her brow narrowed. “Rarity, have you been smoking again?”

Rarity looked around, beginning to sweat. “…no?”

Pinnkie groaned. “Rarity, I told you not to do it anymore!”

“Oh Pinkie, don’t be such a spoilsport. You know I only smoke just before the start of a new episode." Rarity said, her snout in the air.

“Yeah, but what if all the little girls somehow find out you smoke? What will that tell them?!” Pinkie cried.

Rarity looked at her oddly. “Little girls watch this show? I never knew that.”

“I didn’t know that, either.” Fluttershy added.

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Never mind…” she said. “I need to run off to check on the setup. Get into position, okay?”

“Of course, darling.” Rarity said, rolling her eyes.

Pinkie scampered off. “Hey Carrie! Are the grim, grinning ponies ready for their scene?”

“Creepy as ever, Pinkie!” Carrie called, glancing at the horde of wide-eyed, grinning ponies. “reeeally creepy.” She muttered to herself.

“Lester! Are those prop barrels ready?” Pinkie called to a man off to the side.

“Got gallons of the stuff waiting for the signal, Pinks!” Lester said, flashing a thumbs up.

“Perfect!” Pinkie said. Then she looked over. “Hey, Tara Strong!”

Tara looked over from her place on the set. “Oh, hi Pinkie.”

“You excited? Because I am!” Pinkie said, shuddering. “I’m so glad you’re here to watch us kick off the season! I mean, I know you’re just the pretty face who goes out to the crowds in order to throw them off from the fact that ponies are real, but you’re still a great friend!”

“That’s nice, Pinkie.” Tara said wearily.

“…Is something wrong, Tar-pit?” Pinkie asked. “You seem a little off.”

“First off, Pinkie, don’t call me that.” Tara said, rolling her eyes at Pinkie’s nickname for her. “Second, I’m worried because I don’t see Twilight anywhere. I’m seriously starting to fear for her – the season starts in ten minutes and she’s nowhere to be found!”

“Twelve minutes thirty-three seconds.” Pinkie corrected her automatically. “And don’t you worry – I’ll make sure she’s here, as fast as I can!”

“Oh, thanks, Pinkie. I owe you one.” Tara said, nodding.

“Hey, anything for you, Tara!” Pinkie chirped, before bouncing off across the set. “Twilight? Oh Twiii-liiight!”

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked, looking around a corner.

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked, looking in a bucket.

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked, picking up Rarity and looking under her.

Eventually, Pinkie had an idea – the dressing rooms. She walked through the studio and down a hallway, past a gem-studded door, a door with a tree on it, a rainbow-shaded door, a door emblazoned with apples, and a door which was absolutely encrusted in confetti. Finally, she stopped at a purple door with a shimmering star upon it.

“Twilight?” Pinkie said quietly as she stuck her head into Twilight’s dressing room.

The room looked like a scene from a horror movie. The lights were down low, and the makeup and beauty tools were scattered haphazardly about the floor. Twilight sat in the center of the mess, quietly sobbing.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Pinkie questioned, trotting over, and kneeling down.

“What’s the point of it all, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, looking up, tears running down her face.

“Oh, Twilight, you’re so silly!” Pinkie said. “The point is to entertain, and teach kids moral lessons!”

“Pinkie…” Twilight said slowly. “What if they don’t like us?”

“What are you-“

“What if they think we’ve gotten stale? What if they think we’re no longer funny?” Twilight said, her tone rising in pitch. “Pinkie, what – what if this is the last season? What if they forget about us?! What if-“

Pinkie stuck her hoof in Twilight’s mouth, shutting her up. “Like I said, Twilight – you’re so silly.” Pinkie giggled. “Even if some of them don’t like us, the show will always have some sort of following. It’s grown too big NOT to have a following! Why, there are Conventions, fan-cartoons, heck, even fanfiction!”

“Pinkie, you don’t get the point.” Twilight reprimanded. “I mean – take you for example. People have started to say they dislike you in these last seasons. They think you’ve changed from how you were originally. What if that drives people away from the show?”

“Who cares.” Pinkie said simply. “It’s their right to like or dislike the show, after all. I happen to personally know a huge fan club who doesn’t care what I’m like. It doesn’t matter if I’ve changed – I’m still the same old Pinkie Pie.” She frowned briefly. “Although I admit I’m not sure I like what some of these writers did with me this season…” her smile returned. “But I’m confident that there will always be people who are Pinkie Pie fans, just as there will be Twilight Sparkle fans, and Applejack fans and Fluttershy fans and Maud Pie fans and-“

“Okay, I get it, Pinkie.” Twilight said, nodding. “I think I get what you’re saying – even if we’re bad, people will love us – not neccisarily for how we are, but for how we always have been, and what we always will be.”

“That’s more like it, Twilight.” Pinkie said, nodding as she rubbed a hoof on Twilight’s back.

There was a subtle pause between the two, as they thought over their careers and their lives.

“You never answered me, earlier, Pinkie.” Twilight said, turning her head over her shoulder. “What if this is… the final season?”

Now, Pinkie could have said many things. She could have said that Season Six was already in the works. She could have said that their legacy would live on. She could say that the fans wouldn’t forget. But she knew that those weren’t what Twilight needed to hear right now. So she took a deep breath, looked Twilight in the eyes, and said:

“Then we’ll make it the best darn season yet.”

Twilight looked at Pinkie, as a smile grew on her face. “You’re right, Pinkie.” She said. “They-“

“HEY!” came a scratchy cry, and Pinkie and Twilight looked to the door to see Rainbow Dash hovering outside. “What the heck are you guys doing?! We’re live in two minutes!”

With that, Twilight and Pinkie leapt up, and sprinted through the hallways back to the stage set.

“30 seconds, people!”

“Hey, Pinkie?” Twilight said, as the lights came on, and the cameras got into place, and the ponies prepared themselves. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, Twilight!” Pinkie said happily.

“and, 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… ACTION!”

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading! Comment if you notice errors - there will be errors, with how fast this was made.