"What do you think, Gummy: chocolate with strawberry frosting, or strawberry with chocolate frosting?" Pinkie Pie held two cupcakes out to a little gator that stood on her bed. The gator just stared at her, not even blinking.

"Well we could take a dozen of both," the mare replied, "but it would mean that I would have leave behind the extra gooey cream cookie fudge brownies." She let out an annoyed sigh. "There's just too many sweets to decide."

"Pinkie?" a voice called from the door, getting her attention.

Standing in the doorway was an gold coated unicorn with a thick, shaggy orange mane and tail tied off with powder blue ribbons.

"What is it, Pumpkin?" Pinkie asked, setting the cupcakes aside and moving toward the filly.

"Is it true?" the filly asked. "Mom and Dad said you're going to The Everfree Forest. Are you?"

"A friend thinks that we can find a way to stop that moon meanie from scary poor innocent ponies," the pink pony explained. "And if it works, then everything will be okey-dokey-lokey again."

"You'll be back, right?"

The grin vanished from Pinkie Pie's face as she looked at the filly. The orange foal was crouching slightly, pulling herself tight. There were signs of tears filling the corners of her big blue eyes.

Pinkie Pie smiled. Not her constant wide and goofy grin that she had a tendency to wear almost at all times, but a genuine, genial, comforting smile. Reaching out, she pulled Pumpkin into a hug and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Hey, don't worry," she said in a more subdued tone. "I'll be fine, really. Just you wait and see. You'll be baking and partying with your Aunt Pinkie Pie again in no time."

"Pinkie Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie pulled out a cupcake (chocolate with strawberry frosting), but instead of sticking it in her eye, she stuck it into Pumpkin's mouth. Grabbing it with her hoof, the filly took a bite before pulling the rest of it away.

"Pinkie... I'm scared." She looked down at the floor and sniffed. "I tried to laugh it away like you taught us, but when I look outside and see how dark it is, I get scared again. I can't be brave like Pound, and I can't just laugh it off like you. I don't know what to do."

"Silly filly. You don't need to be like me or your brother. Nopony wants that. Just be you, aaaand the best you that you can be." Pinkie let the filly go and moved to get up. "I have two very important jobs for you while I'm gone. Okay?"

"What are they?'

"First," Pinkie Pie picked up the gator and held it out, "I need you to take care of Gummy while I'm gone. You know how he gets when I'm away for a few hours."

Pumpkin took the gator, but did not say anything. As far as she had seen, Gummy acted the exact same way when Pinkie was gone as he did now. Basically, he did nothing. Sure, occasionally he would attack something and chew on it, but most of the time he just stood there. As far as she could remember, Pumpkin had never even seen the gator blink.

"Second," Pinkie Pie continued, "I want you to plan my big, fun, super exciting heroic return party for me. Then when I return, we can have a big celebration and be happy as the sun shines in the sky again. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah," Pumpkin replied with a smile. "It might not be a Pinkie Pie Party, but it will be the best Pumpkin Cake Party you've ever seen."

"Glad to hear it." Pinkie Pie stuck a dozen strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting into her saddlebags. "Well it's time for me to get going. Take good care of your parents and I'll see you when I get back." With that, she bounced out of the room.

"I hope so," Pumpkin whispered to herself, holding Gummy close to her chest.