*Knock, knock, knock*
A young earth filly raised her head from making her lunch for school for the day. Her name was Berry Pinch, she had whitish-pink coat of fur and a magenta mane and tail, each having a streak of light pink cascading along the strands. She looked up at the clock and noted that it was only around half past six in the morning. Thinking to herself, she wondered who could be at the door at such an early hour. She put down the butter knife in her mouth and cleaned up a bit before going to answer the door. As she thought before, Berry Pinch wasn't really expecting anypony to be knocking at the door this early; she shrugged and went to answer the door anyways.
"Oh, hello miss Twilight," Berry Pinch smiled at the unicorn she knew as the Ponyville librarian and a friend of her mother, "If you're looking for my mom, she isn't home right now."
This was really nothing new to Berry Pinch; her mother was known to get drunk almost every other night. Twice as much over the course of a weekend She was at least lucky enough that her mother gave up the bottle for the time during her pregnancy with her. All the books Berry Pinch had read about prenatal child development made her wary about her own health for a time until she discovered that she had not been exhibiting any of the symptoms of alcohol related damage. Speaking of her mother, it was a bit odd in that her mother had not returned from the night before, she usually had somepony to help her home by at least around 2 in the morning. Today when Berry Pinch had woken up to get ready for school, her mother wasn't even in her bed like she normally was. Berry Pinch thought about a little while, but eventually concluded that her mother might have just got taken to one of her friends' house to sleep off the eventual hangover instead.
Coming back from her thoughts and to the present, Berry Pinch noticed that Twilight had hardly spoken if not at all since she arrived. Twilight shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof, biting down on her lip before she spoke in a low, drawn out tone, "Pinchy, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Is..is it alright if I come in?"
Berry Pinch thought it was strange how solemnly her mother's friend spoke, but gave a nod to Twilight to come into the house. Twilight shut the door behind her with a bit of magic and flattened her ears against her head as she thought carefully about her next words. Twilight was at first averting her eyes to anywhere but the filly, but as she did, she couldn’t help but look around the living room she had walked into from the front door. It was humble, simple, and almost plain to a fault. though there were still hints of personal touches here and there. Such as the picture frame beside a lamp on top an arm table next to a couch. The picture inside was simple like the rest of the place, but felt quite personal since it appeared to be the only photograph in the entire room. The only other thing that caught Twilight’s attention was the little toy chest chest in the corner with what looked like the leg of a stuffed animal sticking out between the lid.
Twilight had to shake her head to get her mind on track. "Pinchy, you know how your mom gets...a little funny when she stays out late at night?"
"It's ok Miss Twilight, I know you mean 'drunk' when you say 'funny'." Honestly, Berry Pinch thought, it’s like everypony thought she too young to understand this kind of thing.
"Oh…yes, well…she went to the bar late last night and somepony mentioned that she wandered off about half past eleven."
Berry Pinch wasn't too surprised to hear this. She once found out about a time her mother had wandered off during one of her benders to end up at Mayor Mare's house asking for another 'round' thinking she was still at the bar. After a while of the town's mayor promptly blocking out the drunkard's incessant demands, she was again roused from her slumber by Berry Punch rasping on her bedroom window. The mare soon began spouting off a list of food items like she was at a restaurant pavilion placing an order. The Mayor brought her back home that time, even staying long enough to make sure the drunken mare stayed in her own bed and fell asleep. Berry Pinch got quite a laugh after the entire recount the next morning.
Twilight interrupted Berry Pinch's thoughts by continuing on, "Nopony could find her until a friend of mine, Zecora, found her out in the Everfree forest."
"That's pretty far off, so when is she getting back?" This was a new one that Berry Pinch hadn’t heard before. She couldn’t wait to hear what could have led up to her mother wanting to taking a stroll in such a place.
Twilight shifted uneasily again, wanting to look anywhere except into the little filly's eyes. "…Your mother accidentally woke up a Manticore when she was disturbing its nest."
"Oh my gosh! I’ve read that manticores are extremely territorial,” Berry Pinch gasped, assuming that her mother was at the hospital that very moment, “She'll be alright though, right?"
Twilight shook with a chill after seeing the little glimmer of hope that the filly was giving herself, but told herself that she had to say it…say anything.
Berry Pinch watched as the purple unicorn remained quiet, her thoughts twisting unnervingly. All she asked is if her mother was going to be ok and yet it was taking a lot longer for Twilight to answer than Berry Pinch expected. Soon the uneasiness began to sink into the little filly as the silence continued. She could feel herself begin to lock up with fear as a new realization dawned upon her.
"Tw-Twilight?" Berry Pinch asked in her last bit of control as she choked and became teary eyed.
Twilight hung her head as she had no choice now but to finish, "I'm sorry Pinchy, the doctors said she at least went peacefully."
