Ponies claimed Pinkie Pie was immortal.

She didn’t age like other ponies did. Sure, she looked older, and her mane turned gray just like anypony else. But the Element of Laughter never slowed down. She was still just as bubbly and full of energy as always, even a hundred years later. She wasn’t planning as many parties, but that was only because her foals and grandfoals were doing that for her. These days, the only parties she insisted on planning herself were those of her original friends. Much as she loved all of her new friends, their parties were spoken for.

One day, she slid down into her party planning cave and bounced over to the cabinet full of parties yet to come. As it slid open, it revealed itself to be nearly empty. Only three lonely folders filled the space. Pinkie picked up the first one, labeled Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s One Hundred Year Anniversary, and smiled to herself as she looked through it. Inside were pages of notes, detailing all the ideas she had for the party. A full cider bar, of course. A tournament of a half dozen video games, so the mares of honor could compete even at their age, as they loved to do.

With a snap, she closed the folder and placed it reverently into another cabinet, this one simply labeled Cancelled. It was nearly full, but that was alright. It had done its job as well as it needed to.

She pulled up the next folder: Twilight Sparkle’s One Hundred Years of Ruling Equestria Celebration. This one was even thicker than the last. It might well be the biggest party she’d ever planned, and there would be a lot of work to do to make it the best. Twilight deserved it, after all.

Tucking that folder into her mane, she laid her eyes upon the last folder, the slimmest one yet, only a few pages. She picked it up and tucked it away too—it was a much smaller affair, and she should be able to do the prep work for both at once.

She pushed the cabinet closed, and slid back up the slide.

---

The door jingled as Pinkie stepped into Sugarcube Corner. A young earth pony mare with cinnamon fur and shy blue eyes looked up, a smile coming to her face. “Mrs. Pie,” she said. “So good to see you.”

“Hiya, Spice!” Pinkie called as she bounced up to the counter. She put the two envelopes on the table. “I need your help with these! You can’t have a party without pastries, after all.”

“Is that Pinkie Pie I hear?” called a quavering voice from the back, and a moment later an old yellow unicorn hobbled out. Despite her age, her hooves were covered in flour, showing she had not been idle. “Ah, Pinkie Pie,” Pumpkin Cake said with a smile, coming to stand next to her granddaughter. “What brings you by?”

Spice Cake passed her the first envelope, and she paled. “Twilight’s coronation anniversary? Everypony in Equestria will want to come to that. With just the two of us—”

Pinkie shook her head quickly, “No, it’ll be alright! I’m getting a shop in Canterlot to cater the meals. I just need a few dozen orders of Twilight’s favorite pastries! It’s been so long since she’s been by and I bet nothing in Canterlot is half as good as what you make! She must be missing your eclairs.”

Pumpkin Cake looked relieved. “Oh, of course. Yes, that’s much easier. Of course we can do that.”

She turned to Spice, who had picked up the second folder, and was staring at it with wide eyes. “What’s that you have there?”

“Spice Cake?” Pinkie queried, after a moment of silence. “Are you frozen? It’s not cold in here at all.”

Spice finally looked up at her. “It’s…” she gulped, and then gave up, passing the folder to her grandmother.

Pumpkin Cake took a moment to look through it, her smile fading. “This… this isn’t a joke?” she asked quietly.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “It wouldn’t be a very funny joke, would it?”

Pumpkin shook her head. “I… are you sure? I… I don’t know if we can do this.”

Pinkie patted her on the head. “Of course you can, silly! It’s not even that big of an order, and these both need to be perfect. Please?”

Pumpkin swallowed, looking into Pinkie’s wide-eyed, earnest face. Finally, she nodded. “Anything for you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie brightened immediately. “Great! See you at the party!” She jumped, swept the folders up again, and vanished out the door.

---

Pinkie knocked on the door to the strangely two-toned house, and smiled as a dark brown earth pony answered the door. “Oh, hello, Pinkie,” Harmonic said with a smile. “Come in.”

Pinkie bounced inside. To one side, the house was painted in muted browns, and decorated with classical paintings and bookshelves belonging to Harmonic Melody. On the side that belonged to his sister, the house was all purples and blues, the walls plastered with rock posters and electronics. The light green unicorn there looked up and waved before going back to staring into a computer screen.

“Hi Harmonic, hi Record!” Pinkie said cheerily, ignoring that Record Scratch was engrossed in her screen again. “I have a gig for you! Twilight’s anniversary party!”

She held out the folder, and Harmonic took it. He flipped through the pages for a moment, then nodded. “Sweet. I’d love to.” He turned to his sister, and then with a sigh, took one step over the threshold.

“Hey! My side!” Record said, apparently by reflex, as she didn’t look up from her game.

“Pinkie has a gig for us,” Harmonic responded without stepping back. “Pay attention.” He tossed the folder onto the desk.

Record Scratch glanced at it, flipped it open, and her gaze flicked quickly back and forth between the folder and the screen. “Sure,” she said after a moment. There was a pause, and a few mouse clicks. “Yeah, looks cool. I’ve got some new songs I wanted to try out anyway.”

Pinkie smiled. “Oh, good! One more thing.” She pulled out the other folder. “I’d like you at this one, too.”

---

Twilight slipped away from the crowds for the first time in what felt like hours. It seemed like everypony she’d ever met was at this party, and they all wanted to congratulate her. Pinkie had pulled out all the stops, as usual, and she did have to admit she was having fun, even with all the ponies present. But she still needed a break every now and then.

She slid into a seat in a quiet corner of the room, shielded from the view of most partygoers by a large fern. A moment later, a pink face appeared in her vision. “Having fun?” the party pony asked her, a wide smile on her face.

“Oh! Pinkie! You startled me,” Twilight exclaimed. “Yes, of course I am. Thank you, as always.”

Pinkie plopped into the seat next to her. “Good! I tried to make it my biggest ever, but I’m not sure it’s actually as big as all the ‘Congrats on saving Equestria’ parties. There’ve been a lot of them and sometimes I lose track.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s fine, Pinkie. It doesn’t need to be the biggest, so long as everypony is having fun.” She paused, and then said quietly, “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Fluttershy? I was hoping to see her. It’s been a while.”

Pinkie nodded, her voice suddenly less bouncy. “She doesn’t leave the house much anymore. I asked her if she was coming a while back, but she said ‘maybe’. I don’t think she’d miss this, right?” She looked out across the room. “She shouldn’t miss this one.”

Twilight sighed. “I’m sure she’ll come,” she murmured, but she didn’t sound convincing even to her own ears.

Pinkie nodded. “I can go look!” she announced, and before Twilight could say anything, a pink blur had zoomed away.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at that. Pinkie Pie, at least, didn’t change, even when everything else did. She looked out across the room, picking out familiar faces. Velvet Blue, the kirin bearer of the Element of Generosity, Spice Cake by the refreshments, a half dozen members of the extended Apple and Pie clans… all of them her friends, but not the ones she really wanted to see.

A familiar voice carried across to her. “Yes, yes, step aside, Lord of Chaos coming through. Come on now, at least let me get to the drinks.”

She turned, and it was easy to spot the draconequus blazing a path through her guests. A few steps behind stood Fluttershy, just this side of a closing portal. Despite Discord’s words, it was clear that everyone was giving the two of them a wide berth.

Fluttershy was looking around the room with old, but sharp eyes. Her pink mane had long since faded to white, but she still radiated quiet confidence. Twilight was about to get up when Pinkie Pie appeared next to Fluttershy, giving her a hug and then gesturing towards the corner where Twilight sat.

A moment later the two of them were approaching her table, and Pinkie produced a tray full of pastries as Fluttershy slipped into the seat across from her. “Hello, Twilight,” she murmured.

“It’s good to see you, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied. “You’re looking well.”

“Mhm,” Fluttershy acknowledged.

“So!” Pinkie jumped in. “I’m so glad you’re here, Fluttershy! Do you want a pastry? A drink? I can get you a drink!”

“No, that’s…” Fluttershy began, but Pinkie had already zoomed off. “...fine,” she finished halfheartedly.

Twilight looked out across the room. “Does Pinkie seem more manic than usual to you?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.”

Twilight nodded, and they lapsed into silence. Twilight ate one of the pastries Pinkie had left. Shuffled her hooves. Adjusted her wings. Looked across at Fluttershy. “So… how’s life?” she finally ventured, lamely. “It feels like I never see you anymore, after the Council dissolved.”

Fluttershy’s expression dropped, and she turned to face Twilight, her face flat. “You mean after Applejack died.”

Twilight pulled back as if struck. “I… I mean, I guess—”

“It’s fine.” Fluttershy forced a smile. “I have Discord, after all.”

“It doesn’t sound—”

Twilight was cut off as Pinkie Pie reappeared, pushing drinks into both of their hooves. “There! Got you some drinks you should drink them they’re really quite good.”

Twilight took a sip. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

Fluttershy looked away, and didn’t touch her drink. Pinkie's gaze shifted between the two of them, her smile frozen on her face. “C’mon, it’s a party!” she almost whined. “You should be having fun. We should all be having fun. There are games, and snacks, and lots of friendly people. Whatever you want.”

Fluttershy turned back and finally took a sip of her drink. “Sorry, Pinkie,” she murmured. “Yes, of course we’re having fun. It’s a wonderful party.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Great party, Pinkie.”

Pinkie almost believed them.

---

Pinkie Pie slipped once more into her cave. All in all, the party had been a roaring success. Even if it had taken some effort to get Twilight and Fluttershy to participate. Like always, she moved over to her upcoming party cabinet, and opened it up.

Oh. Right. It was empty.

She stared into it for a long moment, and then, slowly, closed it. She’d known it was empty, hadn’t she? So why had that felt so surprising?

Turning, she laid her eyes on that final folder, lying across a table. She stepped up to it and flipped slowly through it. Everything that needed to be prepared had been. It was all ready. There was nothing more to do.

Pinkie Pie never slowed down. She couldn’t, not when there were parties to plan and ponies to make happy. But today, she slipped into bed, closed her eyes, and simply… stopped.

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