“...while others in the field have said that the power of magic comes from imagination itself. My own studies have shown that-”

A knock on the door caused Twilight Sparkle to jump. The quill she held up with her telekinesis drew a short, black line on her page of notes. It was small enough that she could write the next word over it without too much of a fuss, but she scolded herself for being careless anyways.

Placing the quill down, the unicorn looked towards where the door would normally be seen if a few stacks of books didn’t currently block her view of it. Spike was off with Rarity helping her with one thing or another and left her to study on her own. She made a mental note to try and time his activities and her time to study better.

Knocking again shook the door. “I’m coming!” Twilight called and began her trek through the maze of books. The library had become her home since moving to Ponyville and anytime she could she explored the rows of stories and research. That, more often than not, meant the library became a complete mess as one story lead her to find another, and another, and another. It was always worth it for that last bit of knowledge.

Reaching her objective, Twilight used telekinesis to open the door before whoever was outside put a groove in it from all the knocking. The first thing she saw was pink, curly, bouncing hair as Pinkie Pie fell forward. The earth pony had been leaning against the door, knocking with her head again.

“Twilight!” Pinkie said with smiling excitement, though you would be hard pressed to find her saying something WITHOUT excitement. It was contagious, and Twilight couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hi Pinkie,” the unicorn replied, “What brings you over?”

The pink pony stood up and shook her head to clear it. Knocking with her head always made the most noise and got the door open fastest, she just wished it didn’t make her see stars. Her purple friend’s cutie mark caught her eye as she stood and she shook her head again, not realizing those weren’t imaginary ones. “What else, silly? A party!”

Of course, thought Twilight. If Pinkie didn’t throw a party twice a week Twilight thought the pink pony might explode. Smiling, she asked, “What are we celebrating this time?”

Hopping in place, “O, it’s not a celebration, it’s a sleepover! Gummy had the idea just now and I’m rushing to make sure everyone knows!”

The purple unicorn looked around her pink friend but did not see Gummy, Pinkie’s pet alligator. She didn’t always take him around with her as the little guy was always biting anything within reach. It wasn’t usually an issue because, as the name suggests, he had no teeth, but he did tend to slobber. That fact kept him out of Twilight’s library and away from her precious books.

Pinkie noticed her friend looking around and said brightly, “Gummy’s at home right now getting ready for the party! Can you make it?” Not once did her smile falter. There was no downside to any answer Twilight could have given, at least not to Pinkie. The bouncy earth pony would still love her friend no matter what she told her.

Which made her answer all the better. “Of course I can make it. Should I bring anything?” asked Twilight. A normal Pinkie Pie party usually included everything one would need to party till they dropped, from food and games to sleeping bags and pillows. There was a reason she was known as the “Party Pony”.

The light of sunshine seemed to dim for a moment as Pinkie said, “Well, Gummy just had the idea, so I wasn’t able to get everything ready…”

Her unicorn friend nodded, “Alright, I’ll bring some snacks and my sleeping bag, ok?”

Pinkie’s light seemed to shine twice as bright. “Thanks, Twilight!” She leaned in and wrapped her two front legs around her friend in a hug. The way she leaned in made it too difficult for Twilight to hug back, so the unicorn just leaned her head against the pink pony instead. Pinkie remembered not to hug Twilight too tight like the way she hugged Applejack. All her friends liked their hugs differently, and she always made sure to get them right.

Stepping back, Pinkie turned and said, “Gummy is going to be so happy to see you when he wakes up!” With that, she bounced away towards Rainbow Dash’s flying home.

Twilight couldn’t stop smiling if she tried and stepped back to close the door. Before she could activate her magic she stopped and her smile faltered. When he wakes up? she wondered. She had read about alligators sleeping for long periods, but it was only a few hours until night. Plus, with the “Party Pony” as an owner, she doubted he would get much sleep even when he should.

Tossing it around in her head did no good and she logged it away as she closed the door. Pinkie Pie was so random, who knew what she could have meant. Twilight turned to navigate the maze of books and finish some more of her studies before the party.

------- Several hours later -------

Spike had returned to the library not long after Pinkie Pie had left. At first glance, the library seemed to become even more chaotic and maze-like when the baby dragon got involved in Twilight’s studying. Even when he tried to keep book stacks in the order and category the brainy pony had kept them in, finding a tome quickly became like finding a needle in a haystack.

Twilight was used to having Spike take some time to find a book when things got like this, but when he didn’t return for a while she put down her quill and went looking for him. She found him sleeping on a pile of books in the corner of the library, where a few stacks of books had stopped the light of her candles and created a pocket of darkness. The darkness must have ushered the dragon off into sleep.

Smiling, realizing that she needed a much needed break as well, she levitated Spike off his bed of books and into his actual, must softer, bed beside hers on the second floor. While she was at it, she moved some of the stacks around so they were a little less likely to fall on anypony who happened to bump into them. She saved cleanup for tomorrow, after she had finished her work completely.

After fixing her mane and tail with her brush, she used her telekinesis to put her pack on and opened it. The unicorn placed her rolled up sleeping bag and a small pillow on one side and balanced it out with some soda and chips on the other. Settling the pack on her back, she used magic to put out the candles around the room and headed out.

The sun cast rays of orange and gold across a partly cloudy day. Pegasus ponies flew through the dusk towards Cloudsdale. Few shops remained open and fewer shoppers browsed their goods. There was a dedicated square for shops in Ponyville, but a there was no strict law forbidding shop keepers from opening up anywhere they thought business would boom.

Twilight kept to herself, as she often did. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know half the ponies in Ponyville or that she wanted to avoid them. She simply fell into an old routine of bookish shyness that she had grown accustomed to since living in Canterlot. If anypony had approached her, she would have engaged them as she would a friend. But no pony did, and she sometimes wished she was more assertive.

Being “brainy” didn’t make her schooled in every subject. Celestia had seen that and sent her to Ponyville to make real friends. It was the best thing that ever happened to her.

The sweet shop, Sugarcube Corner, lay on the corner of market square. Music could be heard coming out of the shop and lights shown out its windows. Pinkie Pie lived there with the owners of the shop and parties were held there often. The owners often left for a quieter scene while one of Pinkie’s parties was going on, and that seemed to be the case this time.

Walking to the door, Twilight knocked loudly so she could be heard over the music. She hadn’t gotten her hoof down when the door swung in and Pinkie filled the doorway with her big smile.

“Twilight! Fashionably late I see! Very trendy!” The pink pony wrapped a front leg around her purple friend and pulled her inside. She was excited to see her friend, as she was with any friend, and almost forgot not to pull too hard. Twilight didn’t like being pulled or pushed hard, though sometimes Pinkie forgot.

The unicorn just smiled and allowed herself to be pulled into the shop. Looking around, she saw tables with cups and drinks and food, walls with games and balloons, and the music box on its customary pedestal. A few things quickly told her something was wrong, however. A cradle, too tall to see into from where she was, was placed near the music box on one side of the room. On the other side, far from both objects, were the rest of her friends.

They all didn’t seem to notice that Twilight had arrived yet. Rainbow Dash seemed to be arguing with Rarity about something in hushed tones. Fluttershy was leaning against Applejack, her head down and eyes closed. Applejack kept trying to get a word into the argument between her other two friends, but they seemed to ignore her. Whatever she was trying to get through seemed to have failed to penetrate before and they paid her no mind.

Meanwhile, Pinkie bounced off toward the cradle. “Come say hi to Gummy!” she called back to the purple unicorn. She was loud enough to be heard just over the music to Twilight. Yelling too loud would disrupt the game her friends were playing across the room, and she didn’t want that.

Torn between seeing what was wrong with her friends and following Pinkie, Twilight hesitated. She guessed that saying hi to Gummy wouldn’t take long and then she could see what was going on. First levitating her pack off and down next to the door, the unicorn followed the pink pony.

Pinkie had moved to the far side of the cradle and was rocking it gently. It was probably the gentlest Twilight had ever seen her friend be with anything.

“Awwww the little tyke is still sleeping. O well, you can say hi anyways!” Then, realizing she was yelling, Pinkie said, “Just be sure to be quiet.”

Twilight didn’t remark on how having the cradle right next to the music box was counterintuitive with sleeping, knowing it might just go over Pinkie’s head. Smiling at her friend’s innocence, the unicorn moved up to the cradle and peered in. What she saw made her smile vanish.

Gummy was lying in the cradle, and, at a quick glance, appeared to be sleeping on his back. But Twilight had seen this many times before in her books, had seen birds lying deceptively in the brush as if sleeping. The little alligator’s legs were locked in awkward positions. His tongue lolled partway out of his mouth. The lids of his eyes weren’t fully closed, and the eye beneath had a glassy look to it.

Twilight wasn’t fooled for a moment. But Pinkie reached down and slipped Gummy’s tongue back into his mouth, saying, “Silly Gummy, you’re going to wake up tasting pillow!

“Speaking of tasting, I’m parched!” she continued, bouncing over to a nearby table with drinks on it.

Twilight didn’t watch her go, couldn’t tear her eyes from the little alligator before her. She reached gingerly into the cradle and felt the little alligator’s chest for a pulse, but found none. Her hoof jerked back. He was cold, so cold.

Suddenly the music seemed too loud. She tried to use telekinesis to gently lift the pin from the record but ended up scratching it loudly before it cut out. The unicorn grimaced and looked over to her friends across the room. They realized she was there and waved her over.

“Hey!” Pinkie exclaimed from the punch table, “Why’d you turn off the music?”

For a moment, Twilight couldn’t find her voice. The pink pony started towards the music box, most likely to turn it back on, when she finally blurted out, “I think Gummy wants to sleep, so we shouldn’t play music!”

It didn’t take long for the light bulb to flip on and Pinkie said, “You’re right! How silly of me!” She turned back to the punch table and proceeded to try lifting the ladle with her hooves. It was hard, but she knew she could do it. And she would impress all her friends by pouring them drinks. And Gummy, too, when he woke up.

Twilight moved over to the other side of the room while Pinkie fumbled with the ladle with little success. Rainbow Dash moved over to let her into their circle. On closer inspection, it looked as if all of them had fought back tears recently. Fluttershy’s head was still down and angled away, but she was sniffling. Applejack had a leg around her and was holding her close. The initial shock fading, Twilight felt like crying herself.

No one spoke for a moment. No one really knew where to begin. Finally, Applejack said, “We need to tell her, now.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity both gave her a look that said this had been discussed before. She didn’t back down, “Look, everyponies got to learn about death at one point or another.”

“Pinkie Pie isn’t somepony,” Rainbow Dash said, “Can’t we just, I don’t know, switch him with another alligator when she’s not looking?”

Loudly, AJ responded, “And when does she learn about it then? Do we just keep pulling the ‘ol switcheroo on her anytime one of her pets croak? What happens when somepony she knows heads on to the big ranch in the sky?”

“Applejack!” Rarity said, shocked, “That’s absolutely ghastly!”

“Well it’s true!” AJ turned to her purple friend, “You agree with me, right, Twilight?”

Twilight looked from Applejack to Rainbow Dash and Rarity. It was clear to her, after reading as many stories as she had, that there was only one option. “If we…replaced Gummy, then we would have to keep doing that forever and we don’t even know if she would be fooled. Applejack is right, she has to know now. Before this gets out of hand.” Tears welled up in her eyes but she fought them back.

Everypony, including Applejack, seemed daunted by her words. What they were about to do was destroy their friend’s innocence. No pony stepped forward to volunteer.

Meanwhile, Pinkie dropped the ladle into the punch for the fourth time. She glanced back and made sure no one was watching as she reached in and made to grab it, but it slipped from her grasp in the liquid. Rarity didn’t like it when things got into the punch, and Pinkie had reached in a few times already. Pouting, she knew she shouldn’t keep making it worse. After drying her hoofs on a nearby napkin, she turned to her friends and called out, “Twilight!”

The purple unicorn jerked like she’d stepped on a nail. She turned and looked over at the pink pony.

Pinkie waved her over excitedly, “Come here, I’m sure they can play without you for a minute!” She still didn’t know what game her friends were playing. Whatever it was looked like it was making them really sad. After she poured them drinks she would suggest a fun game that would make them happy again. She would see if Gummy wanted to play, too! He loved pin the tail!

Twilight didn’t want to go. Her friends all looked relieved. Rainbow Dash pushed her towards Pinkie, “You’re the brainiac! You figure out a way to tell her then!” It was the first time anyone had seen Dash relieved not to be in the spotlight. No pony made to stop her.

Walking slowly, the purple unicorn moved across the room to her pink friend. Pinkie never stopped smiling, never thought anything was wrong. Her friends liked to play all sorts of games; this one was just a different. She would learn to play eventually and they would all have fun together!

Twilight moved up beside Pinkie next to the table. The pink pony looked at her expectedly. When the unicorn just stared back, eyes a little red, Pinkie coughed and jerked her head towards the punch bowl. Twilight looked towards it and noticed the ladle within. With a soft “Oh…”, she levitated the ladle out of the bowl and set it on a napkin to dry.

Pinkie clapped, “Thanks!” She started drying the ladle by hoof.

Letting her thoughts collect while Pinkie dried the ladle, Twilight came to what she hoped would be a good analogy. “Pinkie Pie,” she started slowly, getting the ponies attention, “You’ve seen flowers wilt, right?”

Pinkie put the dry ladle back halfway into the punch bowl and said, “Well of course I have! Sometimes I forget to water Mrs. Cake’s roses and a few wilt up and have to be cut off. But I don’t like doing that because the thorns sometimes prick me and-”

“And when they get that way,” the unicorn quickly cut in before Pinkie went off on a tangent, “They aren’t just wilted, they’re dead.”

Questioningly, “Well, yeah. But, why does that matter?”

Slowly, slowly, “Well…not only flowers can…die. Other things can die too.”

Surprised, cautious, “Like what?”

A little quicker, “Like birds and bugs. And even ponies.”

The image of a wilting pony made Pinkie squint her eyes in confusion. Something in her mind clicked and she was able to make the connection between old age and wrinkles. “Granny Pie got all wilty like a rose.”

Realizing she was nearing the peak, Twilight pushed ahead, “Yes, when we get older we get…wilty. And then we eventually…pass on.” When she got a confused look from Pinkie she knew she couldn’t sugar coat it. “We die, Pinkie. If we grow too old or we get hurt too badly, we die.” The unicorn started to tear up again. This was so much harder then she thought it was going to be. It was one thing reading about it. To have to explain it to somepony, who, when they got to the end, would not want to believe it, was a whole other beast.

Wheels were starting to turn in Pinkie’s head by then. It was obvious to her that, from her friend’s pained expression, this was very important. She was trying to put it together, trying to figure out why it was so important, but she was missing something. “Twilight, why are you talking about this? Did something happen?”

Twilight’s eyes shifted to the cradle for an instant, but Pinkie caught it. “Gummy?” she asked her friend, more confused than ever.

The unicorn wiped her eyes and changed the subject, “What did you and Gummy do today?”

Pinkie’s lost smile returned, “We had a great day! We woke up, took a bath, then we played space alligator! I would toss him up and catch him, toss him up and catch him! Toss him up…” Her smile went down a notch. “But then I saw a cloud that looked like a big, white Gummy, so I waved up at him. Then I heard a crunch and looked down. Gummy was fast asleep, right in the middle of playing!” Her smile returned in full, “That’s when I knew he wanted to have a sleepover! I put him to bed and rushed to tell you!” With a small bounce she ended, “And now we’re all here!”

In the dark corner of Twilight’s mind, she had known all along. A dark thought floated up and told her it was inevitable. Pinkie was so hyperactive and forgetful that it was only a matter of time before Gummy ended up this way. It was a miracle she hadn’t baked him into something…

Her own thoughts made her shut her eyes and grit her teeth. She was crying in force now. This wasn’t her, this wasn’t how she thought or felt.

Pinkie wrapped her legs around Twilight and pulled her into a hug. “What’s bothering you so much, Twilight? Was it that game you girls were playing?” She glanced over at the others. “Is this part of the game? If it is, I don’t like it…”

Twilight got herself under control and disengaged from Pinkie’s hug. She had started this and she would finish it. “Pinkie, come over here…” Moving with purpose, the unicorn walked over to the cradle holding Gummy. The earth pony walked with her, keeping an eye on her.

Twilight waved her friends in. It was now or never. They all approached but stayed on the other side of the cradle.

Pinkie was worried about her friends. They all looked so sad. And they kept looking from her to Gummy. She said, “I don’t want to play your game if it makes me cry. And we shouldn’t play near Gummy. He gets cranky when he’s woken up.”

Twilight almost let it go right there. They might be able to find her a new alligator this time, and maybe again the next time. But when would it end? When would Pinkie Pie’s perfect world come crashing down around her? Would it be somewhere far from her friends, far from people who care about her?

Softly, Twilight said, “Pinkie….Gummy isn’t going to wake up.” Pinkie’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “Gummy…he got hurt. Hurt badly…and now he won’t wake up.”

“What are you talking about…?” asked the pink pony. “What are you saying?” But the wheels kept turning in her head. She made the connection her friend was trying to make, but didn’t believe it.

“Gummy…is dead, Pinkie.”

If it wasn’t coming from Twilight Sparkle, her smartest friend, her newest friend, she might have yelled that she was lying. But Pinkie saw all that Twilight was, and above all else knew she wasn’t a liar. Still, no matter how much she knew, she pushed it all aside.

“Dead? Don’t be silly!” she said in an unsteady voice. She wondered who that was that sounded so uncertain when the truth was obvious to her. “Gummy’s just sleeping! And I think he’s so tired that he doesn’t want to have a sleepover anymore! So maybe you should all go!” Pinkie never let her smile falter, but her eyes were starting to water.

Everyone was crying now. Soft, quiet tears. Rarity started to move around the cradle to Pinkie, but the pink pony jerked away from her.

“I said, Gummy says everyone should leave now!” She reached down into the cradle, “Right Gummy? Say, ‘bye bye’ to our friends before they leave!” Using her hoof, she tried to move Gummy’s leg in a wave. The limb was stiff and wouldn’t budge. She tried harder, but to no avail. Her hoof moved over his little chest and stopped. His little heartbeat was gone.

O Gummy!” she said to her bitey little friend, “You know what makes you so special is your big heart!” Scooping him up and putting his chest to her ear so she could hear it, she exclaimed, “You’re heart holds all my secrets and stories! You’re better than any diary! All day long it goes ‘bump bump bump’ with all my love!”

“…it was right here…” tears fell into the cradle.

The little alligator bit her hair and she giggled, “That’s not cotton candy!” She lifted him away, “I bet if you could talk you would say it right back, right?”

Her tears started to form little pools on his scaly hide. She tried to wipe them off him but more kept coming down.

“Come on, Gummy, say it! Say ‘I love you’!”

A small sound came out of her throat. Knees weak, she leaned onto the cradle, rocking it forward. Nose to nose with the little alligator, she looked at his big, closed eyes.

“Say it once...just once for me...just say it for me...”

The others had come around to her side of the cradle. Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder and tried to think of something to say.

Pinkie lunged forward, scooped Gummy up, and rocked back. Her back hit the wall not four feet away and she slumped down, clinging to the little alligator.

She hugged him tight, tighter then she knew she should but not letting up one bit. Because Gummy couldn’t feel it anymore. Gummy didn’t feel her heartbeat against his, didn’t feel her tears running down his back. Gummy didn’t feel how much she loved him anymore.

“Don’t throw him away!” She cried, “Don’t throw him away! He’s not a flower! He’s not wilted! Don’t throw him away!”

Twilight moved up quickly and hugged Pinkie tight. “No one is going to throw him away. It’s ok, Pinkie. It’s ok…” Pinkie didn’t fidget or pull away, and all her friends were soon hugging her together, the little alligator in the center.

They sat like that together a long time. Everypony let out all their frustration and sadness in their tears. No pony said anything.

They all wiggled until they were lying comfortably against one another. The floor was hard but none of them wanted to move away from the others to get pillows. Twilight and Rarity levitated some over and soon they were dozing off.

Fluttershy went first, then Rainbow Dash, then Rarity, and finally Applejack. Pinkie Pie watched them all slip into sleep. They all looked fine. But she worried they wouldn’t wake up. Like Gummy wouldn’t wake up. She sniffled and felt fresh tears come.

Twilight nuzzled her and held her closer. Pinkie buried her face in the other ponies hug.

Only after Pinkie Pie was fast asleep did Twilight allow herself the luxury. She dreamed of Gummy happily gumming away at one of her favorite books. Reaching down, she stroked his scales and let him continue for as long as he wanted.

Part Two

The morning weather warmed her skin, making the purple unicorn too hot for her blanket. Forgetting where she was a moment, she kicked off the blanket right onto the yellow pegasus lying next to her. Fluttershy gave a small “eep!” in her sleep and wiggled the blanket off. The sound drew Twilight back into the room and the situation.

She looked down to see if she had woken Pinkie Pie by accident. The pink pony had replaced herself with a pillow at some point. Panicky, Twilight looked around the room for her friend. The door to the store was ajar, letting in the hot air that had awakened her.

Moving quietly so as to not wake her friends, the unicorn untangled herself from their sleeping bodies and made her way to the door. It was just before dawn but the day already felt like it was going to be beautiful. She pushed the door open all the way and looked around outside.

The lampposts were still lit, illuminating the street. Across the street, out of the light, sat the silhouette of Pinkie on a small rise. Twilight closed the door behind her and walked towards her friend. The rise she was on stood between two trees and commanded a view of one of Sweet Apple Acres apple groves. In the dark, the groves looked like the waves on an ocean.

The purple pony sat down next to her pink friend. Pinkie didn’t look her way. In the dark it was too hard to see her expression. Twilight gave up and looked out onto the waving trees instead. The dawn began to make the furthest clouds visible glow in gold.

When Pinkie spoke, it was in a whisper, but no other sound obscured it. “Gummy loved getting up early and coming here…he never told me…but I knew…”

The dawn came on in earnest. A line of light pushed back the dark across the world before them. When it hit them, Twilight gasped. The world was sparkling. She could never get over how the world woke up. It was like all of Equestria was beckoning, saying that anything was possible.

Pinkie continued, “When the light lit up the trees and made them shine, Gummy would stop his biting and fidgeting. He would just stare…like he had found his purpose…like he was always meant to be right here…in my arms…”

The unicorn looked over at the pink pony. She held Gummy against her, but had him faced away so he could look out at the dawn. The two of them sat perfectly still. Pinkie looked like she hadn’t gotten much sleep.

The door to the sweet shop opened suddenly. Twilight looked back and found Applejack worriedly looking around. When the earth pony saw where they were, she relaxed and went back inside.

It was then that Twilight’s stomach growled. She realized none of them had eaten anything last night. A breakfast of stale snacks didn’t sound very appealing. Turning towards Pinkie, she asked, “Are you hungry? I can get you something from the donut shop.”

The pink pony shook her head. The unicorn knew her friend was starving. Pinkie ate like her metabolism was the core of a sun.

“Well,” said the purple pony, “I’ll get a lot. And if you get hungry you can have some, ok?”

Pinkie nodded. She never looked away from the dawn. Twilight went back to the sweet store to tell the others where she was headed. Applejack had woken the others when she realized Pinkie was missing. The purple unicorn got everyponies order, emptied her pack, and picked up breakfast for everyone at the donut shop down the street.

She returned to find all her friends on the rise, watching the dawn end. Slipping inside the sweet shop quietly, she moved the stale snacks onto one table and set up breakfast on a now empty one. Returning outside, she called them all back in.

----

Breakfast was eaten in silence. Rainbow Dash laughed once when Rarity spilled her espresso, but that was all. Pinkie Pie sat by Twilight, staring at nothing, Gummy never leaving her arms. The little alligator was stiff as a board now. His scaly body was cold against her fur.

When they had all finished their meal, all eyes turned to Twilight. She did not feel resentful at her friends for putting this on her. All morning the brainy unicorn had been thinking of their next move. It was going to be as hard as their first one.

She leaned against Pinkie and nuzzled her. The earth pony looked a question at her. Twilight began softly, “Pinkie Pie. You can’t keep holding on to Gummy like that.”

The pink pony’s eyes grew wide with fear. This was the moment she had known was coming. They were going to take Gummy away from her. Her eyes started to water.

Twilight knew she was stepping on hollow ground, but she thought she had a way to convince Pinkie to see it her way. “That Gummy you have in your arms,” she said, “that’s not the Gummy you knew. The Gummy you knew, that would sit with you to watch the sunrise, he passed on.”

She knew that. How could she not? The Gummy in her arms was so quiet and still and cold. He was nothing like the Gummy she had played with most of her life. But he was still hers.

Quietly, “I don’t want to throw him away…”

Somewhat relieved, “We won’t. When somepony, or someone, we love dies, we bury them so we can always remember them.” Inspiration, “We could bury Gummy on the hill outside so he can always watch the sunrise, if you want?”

Burying was a new concept to Pinkie. She had buried bones for Applejack’s dog before. Gummy had bones. “No pony’s going to dig him up, will they?”

Confused, “Of course not.”

The pink pony started to relax her grip on Gummy. As she did, the pressure on her stomach let up and it growled in hunger. “Ah!” she said, realizing for the first time how hungry she was.

Twilight held out her front legs for Gummy. Pinkie stared at her. “I’ll hold him while you eat,” the unicorn said.

Reluctantly, Pinkie handed Gummy over to Twilight. While she ate, she never let him out of her sight.

The tension in the room decreased and everypony made it a point to talk to Pinkie about her meal. The pink pony only said a few words at a time. But they coaxed a few more out every sentence until she was talking almost like normal. It only took her one look at Gummy to sabotage them.

----

Twilight wrote up a list of things they would need for a proper burial. For a pony who made a list for everything, she found it extremely difficult to finish. It was made harder because she had to make copies for everypony.

While they went to collect what was needed, Twilight stayed with Pinkie and Gummy. The earth pony had placed the alligator back into his cradle and rocked him absently. The unicorn stayed by her side.

Suddenly, Pinkie asked, “Twilight…you said that Gummy got hurt…badly. How?”

Twilight Sparkle felt fear like she had never known. It took all of her mental strength to calm herself down enough to say, “I don’t know, Pinkie.”

The look her pink friend gave her could have melted stone. “You knew he had gotten hurt, you said so after I told you abou-” Pinkie stopped. The cradle stopped rocking.

Pinkie Pie saw the moment as if it were happening again. She tossed her beloved alligator up into the air, legs high to catch him. And there, higher in the sky, was a great big cloud Gummy. Her legs waved wide as she gave a greeting. And the little alligator she had meant to catch fell to the ground at her feet.

The sound of the crunch echoed around her brain.

Once, when she was just a little filly, she had seen a bug crawling around her room and called for her father. He had stepped in, found the bug, and stomped it with his hoof. It had made a loud crunch that she would never forget.

“Oh…” she said softly, her legs getting weak. She had forgotten it. It was the same sound Gummy had made when he fell. The sound of a little life going out. “Oh…”

Twilight was quick to catch her before she collapsed. The pink pony had thought she had cried out all her tears. She had been wrong. She sobbed and wailed and clung to her purple friend. The unicorn tried to calm her down, but the earth pony couldn’t hear her over her own voice.

Screaming, “It was me!”

----

The next few hours came and went. Pinkie Pie clung to Twilight like a lifeline. The unicorn let her hug as hard as she wanted. Somewhere in her mind a thought told her it was too hard for Twilight, that she didn’t like her hugs like this. That thought didn’t make it very far.

----

Outside, on the rise, Applejack had brought a shovel from her house and was digging. The going was slow, the earth hard. She fell into the work and let her thoughts drift anywhere they pleased. Of course, they lead her to Gummy.

It had been a gloomy, rainy evening when the little alligator came into her life. Her brother, Big Macintosh, had gone out to make sure the barriers around the fields would hold and keep them from flooding.

She was starting her teenage years and had rebelled against being left behind. Big Mac got her to stay the same way he usually did; by making her watch Applebloom. She was little more than a baby but was already as headstrong as her sister, always crawling places she shouldn’t. Applejack had pouted but stayed behind willingly.

It was late into the night when Big Mac returned. His dark silhouette in the rain made Applejack’s heart race. He was carrying something in his mouth. Something that fought back.

The orange pony was waiting as far out on the pouch as she could when her brother came into the light. In his mouth was a little baby alligator. It didn’t have any skin from which he could bite onto, so he had it by the side. Its little legs kicked in agitation.

Granny Smith edged her way onto the porch. “What’s this, then?” she asked Big Mac.

The big red colt bent down and released the alligator. The little thing tried to scurry off but the colt’s hoof came down and pinned its tail. “I caught this little guy stuck in the water against one of the blocks.” The tiny alligator tried to claw at the ponies hoof but to no avail. “Lookin like the runt ah the litter.”

Applejack stepped closer. The scaly baby beast looked thin, and his attempts at escape quickly became halfhearted. She looked up at her brother, “What’cha gunna’ do with ‘em?”

Blushing slightly, perhaps not thinking that far, Big Mac said, “Wait till the rain let up and set him loose, I reckin.”

Shock, “Yea can’t do that! The poor little guy’ll die all by his lonesome!”

Granny Smith interjected, “We can’t be takin care of an alligator on a farm, Applejack. He needs to be sent back where he came from.”

The little pony bit her lip. It wasn’t in her to just let an animal go and hope for the best. That’s when she had an idea, “Mah friend, Fluttershy, is good with animals! She can raise ‘em!”

Big Mac looked to Granny Smith. With a sigh, she nodded approval. “When the rain let up,” she said as she turned back into the house.

With a grin caused half by relief and half by getting her way, Applejack bent and took up the little alligator the way her brother had. It looked up at her with its great big eyes almost pleadingly. She smiled and went back inside.

The shovel fell from her mouth as she let out a soft sob. It wasn’t like her to cry. Applejack was supposed to be the strong one of her friends. But down in the deep hole she had dug, away from everything but her task, she allowed her emotions to come out. Just a little.

She forgot how easily a little became a lot.

----

Rarity levitated twenty different dark veils around the room. Twilight had asked her for two things: appropriate clothing and something fitting to cover the casket with. While the white unicorn had more clothes than any other pony in Ponyville, that fact was truly a double edged sword. She knew it was taking her far longer than necessary to find clothing for each of them, but she couldn’t decide.

In a huff, she tossed the veils back to their stands and opened her closet. Quickly, she set the clothes inside spinning around the carousel they were on. Something had to be here!

She stopped the carousel suddenly. On a dusty hook at the end of her clothing line hung a green, scaly looking coat. The scales were made from shiny fabric and reflected her image back in them. Her thoughts tumbled down into its origin.

The first day before a heavy rain was always misty and made her hair puff up. After hours making sure no amount of mist would penetrate her locks, Rarity stepped out of the boutique and into the afternoon day.

Inspiration had been a fleeting thing with her of late. She was off with a purpose: to find the next big fashion and bring it to the poor, unfashionable masses of Ponyville. Wearing one of her “simpler” dresses, the unicorn headed away from her home with no particular destination in mind.

As she wondered, looking this way and that for the “next big thing”, she saw her friend Applejack walking her way. It took the pony a moment to realize what she was carrying. The orange pony noticed her and walked over, the green bundle in her mouth looking forward.

“Um…” the unicorn started. “Applejack, why on earth are you carrying that…thing around like that?”

The earth pony bent forward and released the alligator. He looked up at her but sat still. After feeding and bathing him, he had come to know her. The little guy was still fidgety, but stayed near.

“Ahm takin’ this little critter over to Fluttershy’s,” she replied as she kept one eye on him. “Big Macintosh found ‘em last night all by his lonesome.”

Rarity stared down at the little green creature. It noticed her and stared back. A spark lit up her eyes. “That’s it!” she exclaimed, “That’s the next big thing!”

Her earth pony friend just stared at her, confused. “Uh…what?”

“Scales!” she said, “Imagine it, a full ensemble in the finest scales and gems! Ooooo, it’s going to look fabulous!” Rarity was starting to get really animated now as she looked Gummy over. The little gator cocked its head.

“Scales? Ooooo no you don’t,” Applejack used a hoof to push the baby alligator closer to herself. “You want scales, you better go’on and make ‘em yourself and leave this little guy out’a it.”

Huffing, “O, fine! He wouldn’t have made more than a sleeve anyways.” The unicorn turned and headed back towards her house.

The idea stuck in her head and didn’t let go. Flashes of designs and accessories, all made with scales, or scale look-a-likes, filled her mind. The next few weeks were a whirl of trial and error until she got the look she so wanted.

Rarity reached into the closet and gently took out the dusty jacket. She hadn’t worn it in years. Not since Pinkie Pie’s birthday. A single tear raced down her cheek. She brought the jacket in close and hugged it tight. How could something so important have been forgotten?

----

The task given to Rainbow Dash suited her perfectly. She was to tell anypony who had been to one of Pinkie Pie’s parties, or had known Gummy well, about the funeral. That meant most of Ponyville soon heard the news and spread it along. The blue pegasus started coming across ponies who knew already, and decided to take a break.

She settled down on her stomach on a cloud drifting by and looked down upon Ponyville. Her eyes stuck on a rock in between two houses, set in the middle of a garden. Wings flapping slightly, she pushed the cloud closer to the rock. The memories came uninvited.

Dashing from cloud to cloud, rainbow hair flying, the pegasus practiced her short sprint. Her wing clipped a cloud awkwardly and sent her spiraling to the ground. Her shoulder got a scrape, but she was grinning as she stood back up. Her time was getting better.

Across the street, with a little green alligator wiggling in her mouth, walked Applejack. Rainbow stared at her a moment before bursting out laughing. The earth pony heard her and looked over. The alligator looked as well, big eyes blinking.

In between laughs, the pegasus asked, “What the heck are you doing with that, Applejack? Planning on teaching the little guy to buck apples for you?”

Blushing, Applejack put down her bundle and said, “No! Ahm takin’ him to Fluttershy’s!”

Still giggling, the blue pony walked over to her friend. “Well, isn’t he cute?” The little gator had the biggest eyes on anything she had ever seen. They stared up at her in curiosity. Her wings flapped once as she brought them in. The motion caught the alligators attention and he wobbled to her side, trying to reach up and bite one of her feathers. Rainbow laughed, “Wanna fly, little guy?”

“Ooohhh no, no, no!” but Applejack wasn’t quick enough. In one motion, Rainbow Dash turned, got hold of him the way the earth pony had, and took off. “Rainbow Dash!” the orange pony yelled.

Flying through the air always sent her blood rushing. The little alligator in her mouth stared forward, lips catching the wind. Smiling, the pegasus took them up and around through a few tricks she knew. She heard her name being yelled below but didn’t pay it any attention.

A cloud came up before her. Heart racing, she flew right into and through it. Moisture exploded all around her and she laughed in excitement.

That’s when she remembered she had been carrying something.

Rainbow Dash gently flew down to the rock in the middle of the garden. She hadn’t meant it, she swore she hadn’t. She had just been so happy, she forgot and let go. It wasn’t her fault, honest.

Gently placing her forehead against the rock, the pegasus broke down in tears.

----

The yellow pony gently picked another flower and set it in the basket in her mouth. Twilight had tasked Fluttershy with gathering flowers. It was a simple task, one that should have made her happy. But every flower she picked just reminded her why she was picking them.

Angel followed along behind her, watching her. She was normally so happy she was singing. Today, however, she was quiet and businesslike. When he tried to get her attention, she shooed him off with a quiet, “Not now, Angel dear. Mama’s busy.” He had seen her like this a few times, mainly when an animal she was taking care of died. The rabbit kept a respectable distance and made sure the other animals did as well.

Fluttershy lost herself in the task at hand, falling back to that day when little Gummy had come into her life.

Singing had always livened up the morning, so Fluttershy had made it a habit to sing with the birds when she awoke. The singing would usually last a few hours, with solos all around. She either kept up or hummed along as she went about the rest of her day.

The pegasus was outside, watering her plants, when a sound made her turn and look up. A rainbow streak was coming her way, fast. She had seen this before and stepped away from her delicate flowers. Rainbow Dash’s entrances usually ended in something breaking.

Smiling, she opened the door to her cottage in anticipation of her friend’s arrival. She realized something was wrong when she saw little drops of red falling away behind Rainbow. Her friend’s entrance also threw her off.

Rainbow Dash, with a baby alligator in her mouth, skidded to a stop just outside Fluttershy’s cottage. The little gator was unconscious, and blood dripped out of his mouth. The blue pegasus was shaking and her eyes were wide with fear.

Fluttershy didn’t ask questions. An animal was hurt. It didn’t matter why or how. She took the alligator from her friend and rushed inside.

When the quiet pony was gone, Rainbow fell to the ground and cried.

----

The door to the cottage opened and a tired looking Fluttershy emerged. Outside, Applejack and Rainbow Dash waited. Rainbow’s eyes were downcast. Applejack looked at Fluttershy expectantly.

Relieved, “He’s going to be fine.” She saw her two friends relax and lean against one another. A smile touched her lips for a moment before she continued, “A lot of his teeth were damaged. His jaw had to be realigned, and I had to de-tooth him completely. I’m not sure he’ll be able to grow new ones.” The stricken look her friends gave her reminded her that they didn’t deal with animal injuries almost daily like she did. “Oh, um, sorry,” she apologized.

“It’s ahright, sugarcube,” Applejack said, more to Rainbow Dash then Fluttershy.

The blue pegasus was in shock. She hadn’t hurt anything or anyone ever before, and she didn’t plan to. The look on the little alligator’s face as it fell stuck in her mind and made her cry more.

Fluttershy moved up and hugged her friend. “He needs time to heal,” she said, “When he’s better I’ll let you know.” Rainbow Dash leaned against her and sniffled.

“I’ve just…got something in my eye…”

Smiling, the yellow pony nuzzled her friend.

The baby alligator made a miraculous recovery over the next few weeks. The loss of his teeth did nothing to stop his biting, though Fluttershy thought he may have suffered some brain damage from the fall. Sometimes he would sit and stare into space, while other times she would be hard pressed to make him stay still. He was also the first alligator she had ever worked on and it made her nervous that she might have missed something.

The other animals soon grew tired of him and left him alone. The pegasus didn’t know what to do with him.

Fluttershy had stopped mid flower pick. Angel hopped around to the front of her. Her hair obscured most of her face, but tears fell to the ground. Slowly, the rabbit edged closer, until he was in her sight range. The pegasus looked up and saw him. Putting the basket to one side, she scooped up Angel and hugged him tight.

The rabbit hugged back. Sometimes she needed a kick in the behind and sometimes she needed love. He was here for both.

----

The sun had passed its zenith before everypony had completed their tasks. Rarity had come into the sweet shop and given Twilight and Pinkie Pie their veils. The earth pony hadn’t wanted to put hers on, so Rarity left it on the table and went to give the other’s theirs. Applejack, after cleaning her hoofs of mud, had come in with a casket on her back. Twilight levitated it off of her and placed it by the cradle. The orange earth pony stared a question at her.

The unicorn stroked her pink friends face until she looked up at her. “Pinkie,” she said softly, “It’s time.” Pinkie’s eyes grew wide again in fear.

“Twi,” Applejack started, but the unicorn waved her off. She had read about grief. One had to come to acceptance. She wanted Pinkie to make it there herself.

Disengaging from her friend, Twilight got up and said, “This is what Gummy will be…buried in.” The words were still hard to get out. “Since he was your…best friend…”

Pinkie looked at the casket. It was a simple wooden box with a lid. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about it in the ground. It would be dark. Gummy hated the dark. The earth pony pushed past her unicorn friend and dashed up the stairs of the shop.

Twilight and Applejack shared a look.

The pink pony came back down the stairs just as fast and almost tripped. In her mouth, she held a flashlight. She walked over to the casket, placed the flashlight in, and turned it on. “Gummy doesn’t like the dark,” she said quietly.

When no pony moved to place Gummy in, Applejack gave Twilight a stern look and started towards the cradle. Pinkie saw her get closer and closer and realized what she was going to do. “No!” she cried and intercepted her friend. The orange earth pony stopped and started to say something.

Pinkie turned to the cradle before she could start. Gently, she reached in and picked Gummy up. He felt weightless. She brought him in for a hug and nuzzled him. “I…love you, Gummy…” Before she could let any more thoughts crowd her head, she turned and placed him into the casket. She was shaking when she stepped away.

Applejack said to Twilight, “We’re ready outside.” The unicorn nodded and the earth pony exited the shop, tears in her eyes.

“Stand behind him, Pinkie,” Twilight instructed softly as she moved in front of the casket. The pink pony moved behind like she was told. Horn glowing softly, Twilight lifted the casket a few inches off the ground. She started to put the lid on but Pinkie stopped her.

“Everypony will want to say goodbye…” she said.

The unicorn nodded and put the lid under the casket. They started towards the door. Twilight had to open it by hoof to keep the casket steady.

Outside, all of Ponyville was standing in silence. They made a path from the doorway to the burial mound. Pegasus crowded the trees and air while unicorns levitated a few feet off the ground to get better views. Every last one of them had been to one of Pinkie’s parties and seen the little alligator. Everypony had known Gummy.

Pinkie looked out on them all and started to tear up. She only remembered seeing so many ponies at her parties. This is Gummy’s last party, she thought.

Twilight lead the casket and pink pony along the path towards the rise between the trees. The earth pony let silent tears stream down her face but kept up. Anypony they passed began to cry with her.

When they reached the rise, Twilight gently let the casket down beside the hole Applejack had dug. She walked past it and stood by her friends. Pinkie Pie stayed by her side, crying eyes locked on her best friend’s still body.

Applejack moved up first and began the tale of how Gummy came into their lives. It was the first time Twilight had heard the story. The earth pony spoke about how the little alligator wouldn’t stop trying to get away until she fed him from a bottle. How he looked up at her with those big eyes and relaxed.

Rarity spoke next. She explained how Gummy had inspired her first ever fashion line. It had landed her a spot on the hottest magazine and was the talk of the town for weeks. Without him, she said, she wouldn’t be where she was today.

Rainbow Dash, reluctantly, stepped forward after her. The accident was hard for her to talk about, but she did not sugar coat it. Because of her mistake, Gummy had been hurt. She never forgot that his pain had been caused by her inattention. She had sworn to not be so inattentive while flying since.

Fluttershy quietly moved up last. She spoke about nursing the little alligator back to health after his accident. About how he would always get into everything and try to bite her even though he had no teeth anymore. About how he never gave up, even when he knew he couldn’t do it. She ended by saying, “I don’t know what I would have done with him if Pinkie hadn’t taken him.”

All eyes turned to Pinkie Pie. She knew they wanted her to complete the story. In her mind, the story had never stopped. Her eyes shut tight as the memory came.

“Welcome!” the pink party pony yelled as her last guest, Fluttershy, arrived. Her other close friends were dancing or drinking punch already. She wasn’t mad at her friend for showing up late. On the contrary, she was happy she could make it!

Fluttershy smiled and shrugged her pack off next to the door, “Sorry I’m late.”

“Oh!” Pinkie said as she tussled her friend’s hair, “It’s alright silly filly! I’m just happy you came!”

Something rustled in Fluttershy’s bag. She jumped with a squeak and ran to hide behind Pinkie. The pink pony cocked her head and stared as the pack’s flap popped open and a little green head poked out.

“Hey!” Fluttershy said, “What are you-”

Pinkie’s gasp drowned her out. She jumped and picked up the little alligator in her arms. “Oohh he’s just what I wanted!” The baby gator stared at the pink pony blankly. “What’s your name?” she asked with a smile. He leaned in and bit her face.

“Oh, no, please don’t do that!” the yellow pegasus said and moved to pull him off her friend. She missed as Pinkie fell back and rolled away, giggling.

“I’m not food, silly!” she said with the alligator still latched on. “You’re just a silly gummy!” Standing up suddenly, she pulled him off her and said, “Is that you’re name? Gummy?”

Rainbow Dash, who couldn’t help but notice the festivities, said quickly, “Uh, yeah! His name is Gummy!”

Excitedly, Pinkie said, “Gummy! We’re going to be the bestest friends ever!” She turned to Fluttershy and gave her a great big hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy! He’s the best gift ever!”

Pinkie Pie just sat there in silence, head down. Everypony waited patiently. The earth pony stayed quiet.

Twilight put a leg around her silent friend in a hug. She couldn’t find her words either. Gummy had only been in her life for half a year. Her life wasn’t as connected to the little alligator’s as her friends. She didn’t know what she could say that would be fitting at that moment. The pink pony in her arms did not judge her for her silence.

No pony in the crowd stepped forward to speak next. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were close by but did not step up.

The unicorn sighed and started the end. She lifted the casket off the lid it was on while sliding the lid out from under it. Everypony stared as the lid came up to hang over its final resting place.

Pinkie began to shake. Twilight held her closer as she lowered the lid into the seal. Using magic, she fused the two pieces together so there was no seem. The pony in her arms stopped shaking suddenly and looked over at her. Her eyes were wide.

“Twilight,” she said softly, “You…you can use magic better than anypony…”

Twilight looked confused, “Not anypony…”

“But!” Pinkie said, louder, “But your magic is the most powerful I’ve ever seen!”

“Pinkie, what does that-”

“You can bring Gummy back with your magic!”

The unicorn twitched like she had been prodded. “Pinkie,” she said slowly, “There’s no magic out there that can do that…”

“But,” her friend said, her words turning into pleas, “You’re magic can do so much! You can lift an ursa minor and change the seasons and-”

“But I can’t do that!” Twilight yelled, tears streaming down her face. “I want to, Pinkie, I want to so much. But magic doesn’t work like that…once someone is gone…they're gone…”

Pinkie seemed to shrink under her friend’s words. She dropped to the dirt and curled up.

Twilight bent and covered her face with a hoof. She felt useless, powerless. Her friends came closer and embraced both her and Pinkie.

The crowd around them embraced their loved ones in silence.

----

Pinkie lay on the ground in a slump, Twilight stroking her hair, while the rest of their friends buried Gummy. The pink pony refused to move. She stared at the dirt falling into the hole onto Gummy. No one could tell what was going on in her mind. Her expression was blank.

When the burial was complete, the 4 ponies involved backed away so others could pay their respects. Ponyville lined up and quietly approached the grave. Some had flowers they placed. A few fillies placed small toys down. Two older colts said a few words softly before departing.

Pinkie Pie watched it all. It all seemed so surreal to her. One day she was just playing with her best friend, happier then she had ever been. And now, everywhere she looked, everypony was crying in sadness.

Why do they care? she thought. They didn’t wake up every morning to Gummy. They didn’t play all day with him. They didn’t tell him their deepest secrets. Inside, her stomach felt funny. She was angry. Angry at herself for hurting Gummy, angry at everypony else for thinking they could feel the same sadness as her.

The feeling in her stomach got worse until she felt sick. The pink pony knew she was going to throw up. Stumbling to her feet in a hurry, she pushed through the crowd to Sugar Cube Corner and rushed inside. Her friends were steps behind her.

Pinkie ran to the kitchen and emptied her breakfast into the waste bin there. Nervously, her friends watched her from the doorway. She leaned against the waste bin as she sank to the floor. It tilted but did not fall.

“I told you we should have waited to do this.”

Her pink ear twitched as her friends began to whisper to each other. Somehow it made her angrier then she had been before. They were talking about her, literally, behind her back. She said, keeping her face over the waste bin, “I’m fine, girls. I just…want to be alone…”

They took a moment to discuss it before they all started to leave. Twilight turned and said, “If you need anything, Pinkie Pie, just come find us.” Pinkie nodded and the unicorn left.

It was the first time the earth pony had been alone in a day. It occurred to her that that wasn’t true. She had always had Gummy with her. She had never been truly alone.

The smell of her vomit made her crawl away from the waste bin. She sat with her back against the island in the middle of the kitchen. Outside, she could hear all of Ponyville making their way back to their homes.

They would go home, eat dinner, sleep, and wake up happy and carefree, she thought. They would forget that Gummy ever existed. How could they do that? How do you just forget someone so important?

How could she do that? Celestia knew she wanted this pain and sadness to stop. Did that mean she would have to forget Gummy and live like he was never a part of her life?

It hurt. Just the idea of forgetting anyone hurt, but to forget Gummy was too much. Filled with grief, her body started to automatically do the thing she always did when she got emotional.

Pinkie Pie started to bake.

----

The Cakes periodically peeked into the kitchen but otherwise kept out of Pinkie’s way. She seemed to be in a daze as she mixed and stirred and poured and waited. Night had fallen. The only light in the kitchen was a single open lantern she had forgotten to close after lighting.

Her cupcakes came out of the oven in perfect condition, like always. She went to set them on the counter to cool but tripped over her own hoof. The sheet clattered the ground, sending the cupcakes flying. Practically the entire spread was ruined.

That’s ok, she thought, I’ll just call Gummy in to clean these up!

----

Mr. and Mrs. Cake rushed downstairs when they heard the sound of breaking glass. The kitchen door was blocked with a toppled cupboard. They called to Pinkie on the other side, but all they heard was crashing. They rushed outside to try the other door to find it equally barred. In a panic, they rushed to find help.

Twilight Sparkle, unable to sleep or write with all the thoughts running through her head, was the first pony they came across walking through the night.

----

Here, Gummy! I added sprinkles to this one!

CRASH

This one I made with banana, you’ve got to try it, Gummy!

CRASH

You’re the best taste tester ever!

The blender was heavy, but she didn’t hold it for long. Across the room it sailed to shatter into a million pieces on the floor. Pinkie bent and grabbed hold of the entire oven across from the island. It was much heavier than anything she had grabbed yet, but she was running out of things to throw. The oven screeched along the floor as she tried to pull it out. The gas line running from the wall held onto it.

“Pinkie Pie?”

With a squeak, Pinkie yanked with all her strength. The gas line disconnected from the wall but the pony couldn’t pull it much further out. It started to smell over there so she went around the other side of the island and started sifting through the drawers.

“Pinkie Pie! Answer me!” It was Twilight.

“Go away!” she yelled as she pulled out a drawer and it smashed onto the floor.

“Pinkie, are you ok? Let me in!”

“Am I ok?” Pinkie stopped and twitched, “Am I ok? No, Twilight, I am not ok! How can I be ok when I can’t see Gummy anymore?!” She grabbed another drawer and dashed it across the floor. All sorts of silverware and cooking utensils cluttered the area around her.

“Pinkie,” Twilight said, less panicky but still shaky, “It’s going to be ok. Just let me in and we can talk about this-”

“I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE!” Pinkie Pie screamed at the top of her lungs. It was so loud. She had no idea she could be that loud. Legs weak, she stumbled back against the wall behind her and sank down.

Twilight was quiet for a while. Pinkie just sat there, fresh tears streaming down her face.

“Twilight,” she whispered, “Everyponies going to forget about Gummy. No pony’s going to remember him…”

“That’s not true,” her friend said back, “No one is going to forget him. You saw those ponies that came out today. Nopony will never forget Gummy.”

Crying, “But…he’s not going to be at any more parties…he’s not going to gum anypony or play any games with us…”

Gently, “That doesn’t mean we won’t remember the fun times we had with him. Gummy was always so happy and fun. What would he want you to do, Pinkie?”

What would Gummy do? she thought. Her watery eyes formed the image of Gummy in front of her. He walked over to a party hat scattered on the floor and started gumming away, not a care in the world.

“He…would want a party…not because it was someponies birthday…or because it was a special day…he would want one…because it was Tuesday…”

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes. How could she be so dense? Gummy wouldn’t have wanted the fun, the parties, the games, to stop once he was gone. He loved those things, but he loved doing all those things because it made everypony happy. And she would continue doing those things because it had made her happy too.

“Oh Twilight…I’m so sorry…”

Relived, “It’s alright, Pinkie Pie. Just move the cabinet and come on out of there.”

The gas reached the open lantern. A trail of airborne flame raced to the gas line.

----

Outside, a small crowd had gathered, including Pinkie’s closest friends. They murmured and waited, unsure what was going on inside the sweet shop. Twilight had told the Cakes to let her try and calm Pinkie down alone, so they let no one else in.

As one, the crowd fell back as the one side of the shop exploded in a massive fireball.

---- To Be Continued…----

Part Three

Smoke.

Heat.

Pain.

She pulled the covers up over her head. The curtains did little to halt the morning sun as it beamed heat onto her. Her leg must have been caught in the sheets because she couldn’t move it. It smelled like the Cakes were burning something downstairs.

It was so hot. All Pinkie Pie wanted to do was sleep.

Something bumped her side and made her look over. Gummy, on the bed with her, stared at her with his big, purple eyes. “Come to bed, Gummy,” the pony said sleepily.

But Gummy didn’t move towards her. He opened his mouth and made the little roar/growl noise he usually made when he was hungry. Pinkie was sure she had fed him recently. She never forgot to feed him.

“What’s wrong, Gummy?” she asked.

The alligator made the same noise again, but this time he started walking backwards, away from her. The pink pony suddenly felt afraid. “Don’t leave!” she cried out. She tried to crawl after him-

Pain shot from her leg to her brain in an instant. Pinkie Pie gasped in shock. The world was in flames.

Smoke halted her vision after only a few feet. She suffered a coughing fit from it all. Tears streamed down her face. It didn’t make sense how this could have happened. Perhaps something about the smell around the oven…

The house groaned. Flames were consuming it wholesale. Pinkie knew she had to get out of there if she wanted to live.

That thought made her stop. Her leg was hurt, though she didn’t want to look down at it. I might be hurt bad, just like Gummy was, she thought. If I stay here…I could see Gummy again…

A more forceful voice, No! Then you won’t be able to see your friends anymore!

The weak, hurt voice, They can come too…Twilight said every pony dies…they can come when they do…

Then we’ll all be happy and have fun and party and-

A noise stopped her thoughts in their tracks. “…Gummy?”

The little alligator stood in the smoke just within her vision. He stared at her, eyes wide. His mouth opened and he made his sound again.

Pinkie couldn’t believe it. Was this some joke her friends had pulled on her? Was it all some elaborate lie?

Before she could ask anything of him, Gummy began walking backwards through the smoke. The pony cried out, “No! Don’t leave me again!” She tried to stand but her back left leg wouldn’t support her. Any weight on it caused her immense pain. Unable to stand, she began to crawl, dragging her wounded leg. It hurt, but numbness soon took it.

Dragging herself forward was the easy part. Smoke still clogged her lungs. Gummy faded in and out of the smoke, just within sight. She had no idea where she was in the kitchen anymore.

Suddenly, Gummy stopped. Pinkie tried to crawl towards him but he growled at her until she stopped moving. He looked her right in the eyes, than fell flat to his stomach with his head as flat on the ground as it would go. She had played with him like this before and knew it was her turn. Down she went, flat as she could go.

Something across the kitchen exploded and sent shards of itself flying over her.

Gummy stood back up and continued backwards walking. Pinkie followed.

----

“Please!” Rainbow Dash yelled and tried to break free, “Let me go in! I can get her!”

Applejack held her down and told her the same thing she had said a hundred times, “Tha’ whole place is gunna come down, you can’t!” Her face was wet with tears. She wanted to let her friend go, wanted to go in with her, but it was too dangerous.

Rainbow continued to struggle until she broke down in tears as well. She screamed, “Where are those firefighters!?”

----

Gummy stopped suddenly and hopped to the left. Pinkie, unable to hop, rolled as best she could with her wounded leg. A support beam along the ceiling crashed down where she had been. She barely noticed it. Gummy had her full attention.

Something had collided with the cabinet that was blocking the door to the rest of the house and pushed it aside. The little alligator lead the pony through the now open doorway into the main shop. The fire had spread into there by projectile already.

Not seconds after Pinkie had crawled out of the kitchen did part of the roof behind her collapse. Falling debris kicked up the smoke and fire and pushed it into the shop. The ground shuddered under the impact as well, sending her hopping painfully forward. Smoke blinded her.

“Gummy!” she cried out as she crawled towards where she had seen him last. Her hoofs knocked into something soft and furry. Twilight Sparkle.

Her unicorn friend must have been standing near the blocked door when the explosion happened. Blood ran down her forehead and her eyes were closed. She was, however, breathing regularly.

Gummy’s noise turned her from her fallen friend. He stood closer now, just out of reach. Fire covered the ground at his feet. “Gummy…” the pony said pleadingly, “What do I do?”

Around the little alligator the smoke changed. Reds flowed into greens and blues until he was standing on a vast field under a grand sky. Pinkie’s eyes went wide. It was beautiful.

Gummy took one step back into that beautiful place and stopped. He invited her in.

Just crawl in, she thought, she knew, Just crawl in and be done with the pain, the sadness. I wouldn’t have to feel anything anymore.

“Is…is that what you want…Gummy?”

Gummy’s eyes came into focus though the smoke between them. In their deep pools she saw herself staring back. Like the coming of the dawn, it all became clear.

Gummy had never said anything to her, had never told her if he wanted a party or what kind of food he liked. Had never told her when to duck or when to roll. She had done that. She had always done that. She had always been in control of her own life, living for today.

Living. Her eyes met Gummy’s. “I…I can’t go with you yet…” She started to cry. “I want to…I want to see you and play with you and have fun…but not yet…”

If it was possible to look both happy and sad, Gummy managed to pull it off.

The window to the shop shattered from the heat. Wind tore through the breach. In a rush of smoke and dust, Gummy and his afterlife drifted away. The wind cleared a straight path to the shop door, left open by Twilight.

Pinkie Pie watched her closest friend disappear. “I will live for you…”

The house groaned. The pink pony crawled under her unconscious friend’s arm and pushed the unicorn on top of herself. She was heavy. The pain in her leg was coming back.

It seemed like she got nowhere as she crawled towards the door.

----

Twilight stirred five feet from the doorway. The unicorn groaned and touched her forehead. Her hoof came away red. She still had enough wits about her to remember her situation.

“Pinkie? Pinkie Pie?”

A small sound came from under her. The pink pony was covered in black, making her hard to see in the smoke. Her blue eyes opened and looked up at her friend. “Morning…”

The ceiling over them screeched as something slid out of place for a moment. Twilight realized they were in a bad spot. The concentration she needed to use her magic wouldn’t come. Her blow to the head had brought on a crippling headache.

The unicorn realized she was moving. Pinkie, running off strength she didn’t know she had, was still trying to carry her to safety.

Overhead, the ceiling started its death wails. Twilight turned and stared up into the falling timbers.

Once, in school, one of her teachers had jokingly told her that fear was the best motivator.

Fear filled Twilight to the brim now. Not fear for herself, but fear for Pinkie. Magic glowed out of her horn. In a flash of light, the two ponies vanished.

----

Sugar Cube Corner fell. The second floor became the first floor in an explosion of dust and smoke. The crowd outside fell back. They stood in silence.

With all eyes forward, no one saw the flash of light as Pinkie and Twilight appeared behind them. The shock of teleporting suddenly scattered Pinkie’s thoughts. Twilight, with no idea where they had ended up, yelled for help.

The earth pony looked up at her unicorn friend, saw that she was safe, and let the darkness take her.

----

Two weeks had passed since what was being called the “accident”. When Pinkie Pie remembered it, she remembered it as no accident.

Rebuilding Sugar Cube Corner was slow. The Cakes had built it long ago when they had first gone into the business. They debated back and forth whether to build it the same or differently. It was becoming a little of both.

They never once blamed Pinkie for the fire. They accepted all of her apologies with smiles, just happy that she was alright.

The pink pony was confined to a wheelchair for the time being. Her broken leg was set in a cast with all her friend’s signatures on it. While her home was rebuilt she had stayed with Twilight, who had only suffered a cut and some burns.

They both sat on the rise now, looking out on the ocean of leaves swaying in the breeze. A tombstone had been placed over Gummy’s grave that forever marked his passing. Pinkie found it a little easier to turn from the grave to the dawn today.

As usual, Twilight sat in silence next to her friend. They had bonded over the past two weeks. Twilight would never replace Gummy in Pinkie’s eyes, but she didn’t have to. Gummy had shown her that no one had to replace him as long as she remembered him and lived for him.

After an hour, Twilight stood up and said, “Pinkie, come on.”

The earth pony looked over, confused, “Where are we going?”

The unicorn had learned to control the wheelchair easily with her magic and had Pinkie walk beside her. “The girls and I made you something,” she explained.

The pink pony just nodded and let her friend take her where she liked. She had smiled and laughed little lately. The pain of losing her best friend would never go away.

Lost in her thoughts, Pinkie didn’t realize where they were until the huge barn doors loomed before her. “Applejack’s barn?” she asked her friend.

Twilight smiled and pushed the doors open. Inside, the barn had been done up with balloons and streamers. A pink banner had been draped across the ceiling. In the middle of the room, her friends jumped up and yelled, “Surprise!”

A surprise it was. Pinkie didn’t know what to think or say. She loved parties. But…

She turned to Twilight with tears in her eyes, “A party? Why?”

Gently, Twilight leaned forward and said, “Because it’s Tuesday, silly.”

The pink pony stared at her friend for a good minute before laughing. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief before laughing with her. Pinkie reached over and hugged her friend.

Twilight didn’t like her hugs too tight. Pinkie remembered.