Have you ever had to let go of something you really loved? An old toy, perhaps? Well, how about a family member? At first, when they're gone, you feels this huge pang of denial. How could they just leave?
It's New Year's Day, the day I found Pinkie Pie. The day my life changed forever, fifteen years ago. And yet, it seems like only yesterday when she said her first word.
Pinkie and I were celebrating, preparing our own party. Pinkie has gotten very good planning parties and making people feel absolutely great. She's actually gotten to know some of the kids in our neighbourhood, against my wishes of course, but luckily nobody has told anyone major about it. It's not like I particularly ever liked little kids that much, anyway.
Whenever we go out in our street, we never see Josh anymore, and when we do, we don't talk or make eye contact.
I turned 35 a few months ago. Man, I'm getting ancient! Pinkie celebrated my birthday, it was awesome!
My book series didn't work out so well, but I don't care. I'm unemployed, but I'll find a job soon, I know it. I have to, for Pinkie's sake.
This evening, however, Pinkie was busy putting streamers up when I hear a knock at the door. I walk over and look into the peephole of the door to see a tall, white alicorn with flowing, magnificent hair. I break into a cold sweat. It's Princess Celestia. She's come to take Pinkie!
No, she can't! She won't! I won't let her!
I dash into the living room where Pinkie is and pull her away from the window, practically dragging her up the the stairs and hiding in my closet, my arms wrapped protectively around Pinkie. "Mom, what gives?" She asks, slightly annoyed.
"Sh," I shush, putting a shaky finger to my lips.
"Why?" Pinkie whispers.
"Princess Celestia is here," I whisper back, before I hear a loud crash from downstairs.
"PRINCESS CELESTIA IS DOWNSTAIRS??!" Pinkie shrieks excitedly.
I wrap my hand around her muzzle to silence her. "No, Pinkie, you don't understand," I whisper through clenched teeth, hearing loud hoof steps coming up the stairs, followed by many other ones, "They've come to take you away."
As soon as I finish saying this, a golden aura surrounds the closet door and it opens to reveal the tall alicorn glaring down at me. Behind her are the other mane six, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity.
I hug Pinkie closer to me and whimper, "Please, please don't take her away from me!"
"Unhoof her!" Celestia demands.
"No!" I shout back, pushing myself against the wall in desperation.
They can't take Pinkie. Without her, I wouldn't have had all these things in life. I wouldn't have met Josh, I wouldn't have had one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I probably would still be stuck with OCD, no friends, all by myself in this lonely place.
Celestia's eyes flash in anger and her horn begins to glow brightly, almost threatening me with it.
"Wait!" Pinkie shouts, squirming from my grip and standing up in front of the alicorn, chest puffed out with a determined look. "You'll have to go through me to get her!"
Celestia steps back and looks down at Pinkie. She's only half the alicorn's size, and yet she's sticking up for me? Does she really love me all that much? "Why are you so protective of it, Pinkie?" She speaks.
"First of all, how do you know my name? And second, it's a she and she's my Mother," Pinkie says.
"Mother?" All the ponies except Pinkie repeat, dumbfounded.
Pinkie nods strongly. "Yes. Is there a problem?" She snaps, raising an eyebrow, eyes flicking from one face to the next.
Twilight steps forward, her purple mane has a single pink streak going through it. "Yes, there is," she replies, before looking back at me. I stand up to show my full height, which is just a little smaller than Celestia herself. "What is she talking about? Did you do something to her?" Twilight asks, glowing her horn threateningly.
I put my hands up in surrender, shaking my head. "No, no. I wouldn't. I couldn't! Pinkie's my daughter, I love her."
Celestia's eyes wander across the room, holding a silence in the room. "Tell me... how long has Pinkie been here?" Celestia inquires, breaking the silence.
I gulp and glance up at her. I don't want to say it. I really don't want to say it. "How long according to you?" I ask, my voice shaky.
"Just about... fifteen days ago. Pinkie came over to my castle while I was working on a spell. She got in the way and... well, she disappeared. It took me a while, but I finally found out how to increase a spell of finding gems to finding specific ponies... that's how we got here," Twilight explains.
I look slowly from one pony's face to another, before taking a shaky breath, shuffling out of the closet into the middle of my bedroom with Pinkie and saying, "Pinkie's been here for fifteen years," I say loudly.
"What?" Everypony exclaims in unison.
"I found Pinke in a cardboard box, abandoned in an alleyway by chance... I took her in, raised her as my own," I continue, "She's opened up a whole new world for me. She's helped me through tough times, as I have helped her."
Pinkie's mane starts to deflate a little. "You mean... I don't belong here?" Celestia puts a hoof on her shoulder and nods. "But... but..." she stares at the ground in shock, before glaring up at me. "You never told me! You lied to me!"
"Pinkie, I'm sorry, I... I didn't want you to know," I half whisper.
"It's time to go," Celestia half orders.
"No!" Pinkie screams, running over to me and hugging my leg, shaking, "Please," she begs, looking up at me with pleading eyes, her hair getting straighter by the minute, "Mommy, please don't let them get me!" Holy crap, it's just like that dream I had all those years ago, "I know I don't belong here, but I wanna stay here with you! I wanna play Avengers with you and blow out the candles on my birthday cake and count down to midnight on New Year's Eve and... and..."
I kneel down to her height and put a forefinger under her chin so she makes eye contact with me. I wipe away the tears that trickle down her cheeks. "It's okay, Pinks..." I say, but trail off. If I talk any more, I know I will cry, and that's something I don't like to do in front of Pinkie.
She pulls me into a tight hug, and I hug back. "I never want to let go," she whines, crying into my shoulder.
"Neither do I," I half whisper as a tear trails its way down my cheek. Reluctantly, I pull away. "Pinkie," I start, "Thank you... thank you. You have changed me, made me a better person... Thank you."
"No," says Applejack, "We should thank you."
"Me?" I ask incredulously.
Fluttershy nods. "Yes."
"Why, dear, you have taken care of our friend, Pinkie," Rarity smiles sadly, obviously holding back tears of her own.
"You have helped her belong in a world where she doesn't," Twilight says.
"I'd do it all over if I could," I say sadly, hugging Pinkie from the side.
Rainbow Dash trots up to me and pulls me into a hug un expectantly. She whispers in my ear, "I had a dad here who did the same thing. I've been in Pinkie's situation, I know what it's like. So Thank you."
I pull away and look at Rainbow Dash. "It's true?" I query.
Rainbow Dash nods and joins the group. Pinkie turns to me and gives me a desperate look. "Don't let them do this... please..." she whimpers.
I give her a knowing look. "Pinks, I don't want this either. But you have to go back. You belong in Equestria," I say, more tears making their ways out of my eyes.
"I'll keep a lookout for you," she smiles sadly, "I'm on the show, remember?"
I do what I never thought I'd do in a situation like this. I stifle a laugh and look at the ground. "Okay, sure."
The six ponies stand in a circle in the center of the room, Celestia being in the middle. "Shall we go?" Celestia asks me.
"Wait!" Pinkie calls, "I've just got to do a few things, first. I'll only be a minute, I swear." With that, she rushes out the room and runs around the house. After a few minutes, Pinkie comes back into the room. She sucks in a breath and slowly exhales it. "Okay... I'm ready," she murmurs sadly.
She joins the circle of six ponies, making seven. Celestia begins to glow her horn, and I step back. But before they begin, Pinkie dashes out of the circle and crashes into one last, final hug with me. The impact is so big that I fall on my back, but I don't care. We both lay there, crying our eyes out.
"I'm gonna miss you, mommy," she bawls.
"I'll miss you more," I cry.
"I'll miss you most."
"And Pinkie?" I say, looking her in the eye, "If you ever need me for anything..."
She nods. "I know where to find you," she sadly smiles, "Family by bond, not by blood. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
Celestia clops up to me and places the tip of her horn on my forehead. The golden coloured magic spreads all over the room, washes through my body and giving me a tingly feeling. Celestia steps back and looks at me gratefully.
"Now, all the traces of Pinkie Pie ever being in this world are gone. All traces except for what happened within the walls that hold this house. You will not forget Pinkie when she's gone, but you will be the only one," she explains.
I nod. "And Josh?" I murmur.
Celestia winks at me. "Only if you let him," she replies.
With that, she leads Pinkie back into the circle. Pinkie is crying, trying to hold it back but can't. Rainbow Dash wraps a wing around her and pulls her into a tight squeeze. "I don't want to go," Pinkie cries through breaths.
Rainbow Dash nuzzles her head into Pinkie's neck. "I know, Pinks. I know," She says sadly, then looks at me.
"Take care of her for me?" I ask Rainbow Dash, my voice breaking at the last word. Rainbow nods and closes her eyes.
"I will. And I'm so sorry. Thank you," Rainbow Dash smiles, her voice breaking
"Thank ye," Applejack thanks.
"Thank you," Fluttershy whispers.
"Thank you, darling," Rarity says.
"Thank you," Twilight bows her head.
Celestia's horn glows. It shines brighter, then brighter, until it picks up wind, which whistles through my hair and creates a small whirlwind around my room, kicking up around the circle of ponies.
"Thank you. And goodbye, Mommy," Pinkie calls through tears.
The ponies rise into the air. Pinkie's eyes widen, but Celestia looks as calm as ever. I squint and shield my eyes because the light from Celestia's horn is now so blindingly bright that none of the ponies are visible anymore. What's happening?
Suddenly, all sound seems to disappear for a second, then returns with a loud *BOOM* and throws me back against the wall.
"I love you," says Pinkie's hushed voice, which echoes around the room and in my head.
I sit there for a moment, panting heavily, fresh tears forming in my eyes as I try to take in what just happened.
"I love you," I breathe.
Abruptly, I stand up and rush down the hallway, into where Pinkie's room used to be. No toys. No drawings. No bed.
Pinkie is gone. I'm never going to see her again...
It's too much. My knees buckle, I collapse shakily to the ground, pulling myself into a tight ball. She's gone. I'm never going to see her again. I'm empty.
"Goodbye," I speak in a hushed tone,
"My little Pinkie."