Chapters Another week had passed and Twilight was still absent from the shelter of Sugercube corner and to make matters worse, the food left was next to nothing. Pinkie was once again staring at the wall, accompanied by her thoughts.
She'd have to go out and find food, but who would keep Dinky safe? There was always the possibility that Twilight would return, but would she have found food, could they last another week and Twilight may not even be...
Pinkie shuddered at the thought. She turned away from the uninspiring decaying wallpaper as Dinky plodded in, she shivered in her thin pelt of violet fur.
"Pinkie" She slowly said with a weak voice. "I'm so hungry, please can we get some food?"
"I wish we could but it's not like we can just pop to the market, Dinky, not anymore. I wish we could so bad, buy a ton of food, invite all our friends, decorate the place with my best streamers..." Pinkie stared into space and mumbled about parties, cake and balloons as if they were back in the good old days but, alas she was not in a fantasy world where friendship solves all. She snapped back into to reality as Dinky spoke.
"Well why don't we just go, I know the market isn't there but I'm sure we can find something and pretend were shopping and come home and maybe Momma will be back and we can all have a party." Dinky sniffed a little. "Because she promised she'd be back." Dinky started to tear up, she too shared Pinkie's vision of parties and friends and harmony.
After spending another evening Twilight-less, Pinkie had resumed her usual place at the wall. She thought about what Dinky had said, about what her momma had said and about her promise.
"Ditzy please-"
"I have to do this!"
"We'll manage a few more weeks and then I'll go."
"We're starving and your leg will need at least a month to heal!"
Twilight Sparkle stood, wings spread, in front of the door. "I'll be fine, it doesn't matter if one of my legs is broken, I'll manage!"
Ditzy Do stood opposite her, wings also spread wide. "We both know for a fact you won't get two miles and what if there's more zombie trap's? Four hooves are better than two!"
The alicorn puffed out her feathers to make her self bigger. "As your princess I demand you do not go!"
The grey mare glared and stepped towards her so they were eye-to-eye. "Well as a mother, I'll stop at nothing to feed my child." Her tone was low and dangerous. "Even if it means going through you." Twilight lowered her head, she had lost, she slumped away from the door in defeat.
Just as she was about to take her leave Dinky rushed in, tears running down her face, followed by a worried looking Pinkie Pie.
"Momma!" Dinkie buried her face into her mother's soft down.
"Dinkie! your awake? You're meant to be sleeping."
"Please don't go Momma! Please don't leave me!"
Ditzy's looked down at her foal in sorrow, tears started to slowly crawl down her face. "Oh Dinkie! I- I have to-" The tears were flowing freely now as the pegusus struggled to tell her only living daughter what she must do.
"Don't leave my on my own! Please Momma! Can't one of the others go?"
Ditzy embraced the filly in her wings. "I'm sorry, It must be this way but I'll be back before you know it, I promise."
Eventually the two separated, Pinkie walked over to Ditzy and the mare whispered into her ear. Pinkie nodded, Ditzy smiled before turning and leaving the bakery, without looking back.
Pinkie turned her back on the yellow decaying wall for the last time and walked over to one of the table tops, from underneath it she pulled out a worn saddle bag. It was time to keep her promise, she and Dinky would leave at dawn and hopefully they would found something or somepony to help them out.
She went to check on Dinky, who was curled up on one of the seats in the dinning area. The filly shakily breathed in and out, shivering in her thin, dirty, violet, coat. Pinkie found a tatted, slightly bloody apron and placed it over her small companion, it wasn't much but it would keep some of the cold off. The former party-pony lay on a seat opposite Dinky and fell asleep.
She awoke after only two hours of sleep, stretched her cold limbs then woke Dinky. After telling the filly her plan Pinkie went to check the saddle bag when she was certain it contained everything they needed she dropped it on her back the waited an hour-long-eternity for the sun to rise.
"Pinkie?" Dinky looked up at the mare with her golden eyes.
"What is it Dinky?"
"What if Momma and the others come back when we're out? They won't know where we've gone!"
"Don't worry." Pinkie stroked Dinky's blonde mane to comfort her. "We'll leave them a note to say we'll be back soon."
They left a scrap of paper on the front counter then Pinkie went about the task of moving the broken furniture and scraps of wood that were barricading then door.
After a good ten minutes of displacing, the doorway was clear, Pinkie took a deep breath then stepped out. Dinky took a brief look behind her at her home for the last year or so.
"I'll be back Momma, I promise." She whispered to herself then followed Pinkie into a unfamiliar world.
Looking at the faded wallpaper, Pinkie Pie realised how plain it looked, a dull yellow colour. In fact the whole room look plain, save for a few patterns here and there. She had always thought of Sugercube corner as a bright, exciting place, maybe it was the personalities of the customers and staff that made the shop so vibrant. Pinkie had never thought about that before, then again nowadays she had plenty of spare time to think about these things.
The pink earth pony stood from her spot next to the wall and walked over to the cupboards behind the counter. Inside, to her dismay, were a couple of tins of beans and four bottles of water. The supplies were low, surprisingly low.
Twilight had gone out in search of food. That was three weeks ago, she was yet to return. Pinkie ambled into the seating area. A unicorn filly lifted her head.
"Is she back yet?"
"Not yet."
The grey-violet foal lowed her head, her ears drooped.
"Oh"
"But she'll be back soon Dinky, don't worry!" Pinkie smiled widely, trying desperately to get Dinky's spirits up.
"And they other's will be back soon too right? Cause Momma promised she'd be back before I knew it."
Pinkie hated lying but fiction would give Dinky more hope then the truth ever could. "Of course they'll be back soon, your Momma did promise."
Dinky's eyes lit up. "I can't wait! Twilight's gonna to help me use my magic and Rainbow's gonna play 'Go Fish' with me and Momma's -"
"Hey Dinky-" The pink mare's voice broke as she thought of the unkept promises her friends had given the filly. "You wanna sing the smile song with me.
"Ok!" Said Dinky as she momentarily forgot about the future that would not come.