As long as others are smiling, it doesn't matter how you feel.
This is what I always told myself. No matter the amount of pain I felt inside, seeing their smiling faces, more specifically her's, made it all worthwhile. The pain I constantly went through.
I hated the times I was alone. Time spent alone meant time to think about everything that's happened. The parties and the visits were when I could forget.
But now, lying awake in bed, all the pain returned to me. I felt sore as I rose to my hooves, head feeling abnormally heavy as I exited the room.
Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Cake was already hyping me up.
"Feeling a bit tired, Pinkie?" Mrs. Cake asked with a warm smile.
"Just a bit. Where's the flour? Ooh, and chocolate!"
Mr. Cake let out a low chuckle, almost dropping the mixing bowl he was holding.
Back to the same bland routine of cheering myself up.
By noon I was already back to "normal". I had planned to meet up with my friends around the block, and as I pushed myself out the door I smiled. Just knowing that I would soon be with her made my heart skip a beat. The fact that she hardly noticed my affections was pushed from my mind as I skipped down the pathway. As ponies passed and they smiled at me my heart warmed up just a bit more knowing that at least I brightened up some days.
They were all already there, and upon seeing me they began walking.
"What're we doing, anyway?" Rainbow Dash questioned, flying above us. She turned in the air, obviously trying to avoid boredom.
"What are we doin', Sugar Cube? This was all of yer plannin', right?" Applejack questioned in her thick Southern drawl, turning her head to face me for an instant.
I giggled.
"I have absolutely no idea! But follow me and something fun is sure to happen, right?"
I skipped ahead to lead the group.
"Dear, not anywhere too dirty, please," Rarity said a bit hesitantly, walking next to Twilight. "And nothing that will take too long. I happen to have a very important dress to begin sewing."
Applejack rolled her eyes, trotting up beside her. "Would ya please lighten up? We don't want yer complainin' ruinin' this whole shebang."
"Complaining?" Rarity asked in a dramatic tone. "I am not complaining! Some of us actually care about hygiene!"
Applejack stomped her hoof, narrowing her eyes. "I'll have you know-"
"Girls, please," Twilight said calmly, looking ahead of her as she trotted along without a care in the world.
"Guys, look!" Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed, landing in front of them and pointing ahead.
A carriage pulled by white ponies, royal guards, were entering Ponyville, heading in our direction.
"It's the royal guards! And that's the Princess's carriage!" Rarity breathed, eyes sparkling.
I stopped bouncing and watched in curiosity, the group stopping altogether, as the carriage came to a stop next to us and Princess Celestia emerged.
We bowed, albeit Twilight trotted up to the Princess with a look of concern on her face. Celestia looked very troubled.
"Girls, please meet me in the castle immediately. I will be waiting."
The Princess also seemed to have more guards surrounding her than usual. Twilight opened her mouth to question this, though the Princess was already riding away towards the castle.
Twilight turned to face them, a look of leadership strewn across her face. "Come on, girls."
We moved briskly, arriving in the castle very quickly. We made our way up the steps, some of us slower than the others, though Twilight was ahead of us due to her utmost concern. I was worried by the fact she was panting heavily, obviously pushing herself too hard, though she didn't seem to care as we entered the room where the elements were kept and Celestia was pacing.
This reminded me of the time Discord tormented Ponyville, and I cringed.
"Something terrible has happened, and I need you all to stop it," Celestia said in a very serious tone, turning to all of us. Even I stopped smiling. The look on her face...
"What is it? Do we need to use the elements?" Twilight questioned, anticipation nipping at her as she anxiously rocked on her hooves.
"I'm afraid this isn't something the elements can stop. You will all have to fight using your talents, without the elements. Far from Equestria, there is a land where soulless, demonic ponies reside. These ponies are referred to as the Ephialtes. These creatures are so terrible that me and Luna agreed to never speak of them. Though they've entered Equestria."
I looked around at the others. They all looked terrified. By the look Rarity gave me I must have looked terrified, too.
"They've already wiped out the Western border of Equestria. It was too late for us to do anything. They're rapidly spreading across the country. I will equip you all with the finest armor and weaponry in Equestria, and you must fight."
Twilight was gritting her teeth. "We need some more information about the Ephialtes."
Celestia nodded, though seemed to be on the edge. The prospect of so many ponies dying was terrifying, really.
"It can start with just one. If an Ephialtes bites you, you are infected. The infection is painless for the first day, then begins to eat you from the inside out. You begin to hallucinate, and go insane. And by the end of the second day, you become an Ephialtes. There is no way to stop the infection. Whatever you all do, do not get bitten." I noticed she was implying that we might die. In fact, looking at it, there was a high chance of us dying. "An Ephialtes is still alive even if all their limbs have been cut off. To kill one, you must behead it, or damage the torso enough to kill it."
Fluttershy was on the verge of tears, and Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around her in a comforting gesture. Twilight looked determined. As much as Rarity tried to hide it, she looked afraid, and with great hesitation Applejack nuzzled her with a warm smile. I stood in the back, trying to look as determined as Twilight did. Though all I could think about was the fear sweeping over me. What if she died... What if I lost her forever?
After opening a locked door using her horn, Celestia led us down a large hallway. Due to it being a hard surface, our hoofsteps echoed throughout the large room in an almost eerie manner. I had never seen the Princess walk so briskly in her life. It was very troubling. Another locked door... Another... One more before we came up to a vault. Twilight, looking over at me, looked concerned by my serious expression. I supposed I was letting my act down, wasn't I? It had been easy during the Discord dilemma to remain bubbly, though this seemed much more serious.
"This is the vault containing the most powerful weapons in Equestria. There are very few ponies who have ever been inside." Leaning down, her horn was inserted into the lock. She muttered a few words, a glowing light surrounding the large door. The longer Celestia muttered the more gears and wheels turned. There was a small 'click', and when Celestia drew back the door opened with a creak.
We must have been underground, for the room looked to be as large as the castle itself. Every weapon imaginable was in here, from tanks to knives. The group tensed up as hoofsteps were heard coming towards us.
"Vinyl Scratch? Octavia?" Twilight muttered in disbelief as the two ponies came to a stop in front of us. They both wore black conductor-style hats, and Octavia's bow tie was absent as well as Vinyl's goggles. "What are you two doing here?"
"They're the weapon keepers, and they happen to be the most talented fighters in Equestria. They will be joining you on the battlefield as well as supplying you with weaponry and protective gear." Celestia told us. She still sounded kind of rushed, and I realized we should probably move quicker.
"Octavia, this doesn't seem like you in the slightest. Since when do you indulge in these kinds of activities?" Rarity question, raising an eyebrow at the brunette pony.
"I've lived her as the weapon keeper my entire life. Though music is still important to me," Octavia replied, turning and walking alongside Vinyl to equip us.
A few minutes later and we were all dressed in black protective gear, including the same conductor-style hats that apparently repelled bullets, and we each had weapons to fit our skill set.
Due to my good aim, I was given two guns [I don't know much about guns, and didn't care to ask, all I know was that they were quite large and they strapped them to my back]. Twilight, due to her quick reflexes, was given a stereotypical shotgun. Applejack and Rarity were given a whip [Applejack due to her knowledge of using a lasso. Rarity controlled hers with magic]. Fluttershy was given a bow and arrow [Surprisingly, she had impressive aim] and Rainbow Dash a gun much more complicated than mine. Octavia used two swords that she was scarily skilled with, and Vinyl used two guns.
We arrived by flying carriage, being sent directly into the battlefield. There was no time for training.
"Good luck, Pinkie," Twilight turned to me, eyes filled with mixed emotions.
I nodded. "And to you too, Twilight."