Title:           Ridi, Ponyaccio
Author:          Anonymous
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/jYBpwHSW
First Edit:      Tuesday 12th of August 2014 01:06:13 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 12th of August 2014 01:06:13 AM CDT

>Pinkie lying on her back on her bed
>her hind hoovsies up in the air
>her front footsies hugging tightly a little white-faced pony doll
>she looks at the ceiling and sobs
 
>tears dripping down and soaking her pillow, her mane
>she didn't care
>it seems the tears won't end
 
>she thought he was doing well
>he just sent her a letter about the clowning school
>they just had a graduation
>he was going to have her give a guest lecture next semester
 
>she opened the morning paper
>she loves reading the funny pages
>the front page was the unfunniest page she'd ever seen
 
> PONYACCI DEAD AT 63
 
>Spike gets the paper
>brings it to the breakfast table of The Crystal Castle^tm
>pulls the funny pages
>like to read Spider-Mare despite how it just rehashes the comic books from forty years ago
 
>Twilight sees the article
>her friendship sense tingles
>(not really)
>she remembers that night at the show
>she knows how important he was to Pinkie
>she almost breaks the sound barrier on the way out the door
 
>tears are past, now only staring at the wall.
>comforting hooves touch her
>comforting words assault her ears
>only noise like the wind
 
>they roll her onto her belly
>Rarity combs her long straight pink mane and tail
>brushes her coat
>Fluttershy pets Gummy
>Twilight talks at her
>Rainbow trying to get her to eat
>Applejack lying next to her
 
>"How can I laugh?"
>they all stop what they're doing
>"How can I laugh when he's dead?"
 
>silence as they look at each other
 
>"Sugarcube, I used'ta wonder the same thing, back when my folks... went ta the Elysian Fields."
 
>sniff
>"Did you forget them?"
 
>"I ran away to Manehattan. Left my baby sister with Granny an' Mac, tried ta forget farmin' an' plowin' an' all'a that."
>"I plum fergot I needed them. Wasn't 'till I saw that Rainboom that I remembered."
 
>more silence
 
>"But no, I never fergot them. An' the' hurt, it never goes away fully."
 
>Pinkie closes her eyes
 
>"Yer rememberin' th' good times, ain't'cha? They feel like nuthin' but dirt now, right? They're hollower than a Jack Lantern on Nightmare Night. They feel like they never meant nuthin' never. Them hopes an' dreams was built on somethin' that was fixin' ta end at some point, an' ya feel foolish fer believin' in anythin' at all."
 
>Pinkie nodded.
 
>"But y'know what, Pinkie? They fill back up again, eventual-like. Them good times get their color back, all th' more precious fer what they mean to ya. I know ya can't feel that right now, an' ya won't fer a while yet, but trust me."
 
>Pinkie found, to her amazement that she still had more tears in her.
>Fluttershy found that she did too.
>Rainbow Dash was suspiciously absent
 
>five ponies and a toothless gator sat in silence for a while
>(Twilight didn't bring Spike because who brings a child to a funereal pick-me-up attempt?)
 
>Pinkie heard the pegasus-door open
>a needle scratch
>a voice from the past
 
>"You've got to be crazy! It's too late to be sane, too late."
 
>it was him
>it was the album from one of his early shows
>back when he was on salt and sugar every night
>back before his shows were suitable for fillies and colts
 
>"You've got to go full tilt bozo... 'Cause, you're only given a little spark of madness... and if you lose that, you're nothing. You're nothing."
 
>silence
>Rainbow Dash grinned
>"Sorry, needle slipped. I'll start at the beginning."
 
>and together they listened
>Fluttershy blushed furiously at some parts
>Rarity at others
>and Pinkie alternately laughing and crying
>but mostly hugging them
 
>and by the end
>she was okay
>not at her best, but okay
>her cheeks were wet
>her mane and tail were joy-filled
>and her friends were there
 
>later, they went for a walk in the park
>and the good times were still hollow
>but not as much
 
>end
 
"Spark of madness" starts at 34:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIh5z7oYyY#t=34m30s
 
Bonus: Dante Basco (voice of Rufio and Prince Zuko) talking about working with Robin, who he considered his mentor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCTEJMth_3I