//------------------------------// // Promise // Story: By and by // by Bysen //------------------------------// Pinkie had only been grounded for just over a week but she wasn’t allowed to leave the farm for any reason at all. Well except for the barber visit but that in itself was a punishment. They’d given up trying to fix Pinkie’s messy mane and taken her to a professional. They couldn’t re-straighten it, except for the briefest of moments before springing right back up. The fling sent the iron right back at the mane therapist, burning him slightly. In the end they managed to clean it up at least. It was still curly but it looked neat now. Her father had returned very late that night she’d met Bysen with his rifle and a large rock-lobster. He’d shot the thing out of shear anger but felt bad about killing it. The least they could do was not let it go to waste. He cooked it up and had it for dinner that night. It was a punishment for the whole family seems ponies rarely ate meat. Pinkie didn’t know but her parents had had a very long talk about what to do with her. The fire was understandable and apparently true, not that they’d dis-believed her. At least not at the time. But she’d been given and inch and taken a mile when her mother had let her go get the bag from the road. But she hadn’t made up the reason she’d gone out there for either. Whether she’d planned it and used the gifts as an excuse to go out there or not; they didn’t know. Pinkie still threw that party she'd been planning for her sisters a few days later. Gifts, confetti, cake and all. She was slightly disappointed that neither of her sisters really liked their gifts, but she was happy when she found out somepony else did. She’d gotten the first instrument set for Blinkie but instead Inkie seemed to love it. And while the first aid kit she’d gotten for Inkie wasn’t loved by Blinkie, Clyde said it was a great thing to have around the farm just in case. A few other things had happened since then. Every Friday, her mother would cook dinner as usual but Pinkie would also cook dessert. Cakes, cupcakes, muffins, croissants scones, scones, crepes, danishes, Illegal Danish Super Snacks… you name it, it was in her recipe book, in her head. Pinkie had never had a cooking lesson in her life and nopony knew how she could cook so well. Finally, after two long months, Pinkie was allowed off the farm and could go see her new friend once more. She’d told her family about him; that he had just moved to the forest from the south and that he lit the fire she’d seen the smoke from. She had however neglected to mention the whole, pinning her down and pressing a horn to her neck thing since they’d been scared something had happened to her that day. It didn't bare mentioning. She’d also neglected to mention the horns at all. Or his size, or that he was a buffalo. Pinkie had said she’d met ‘someone’ instead of ‘somepony’ but they simply chalked it up to another one of her new mannerisms. Her father had asked where exactly he lived but seems Pinkie wasn’t allowed to leave the farm and describing the trees along a five kilometre stretch of road wasn’t possible, he’d never gone and met him. After a while, Pinkie stopped speaking about him as the issue of the fire had been forgotten by then, so when Pinkie was finally allowed to leave again her father didn’t think to accompany her. But now, as she came along that stretch of road to the trees she knew meant head into the woods at exactly 'that angle' to find him she did so and went into the woods at exactly that angle to find him. About fifteen minutes later she came to the clearing with the bones. But he was nowhere to be found. Remembering what had happened last time she turned around quickly! But he wasn’t there either. “Worth a try, oh well.” she said to herself as she walked out into the open “Heeelllloooo! Is anybody home?” she called out. The area had been set up much more than it had been two months ago. A few ropes and tree branches weaved together making a shelter between three bones, decorated in what she assumed was tribal wear. But really, the place looked abandoned. There was no sign of anyone being here. It had been two months after all. Maybe he had moved on. It was quiet and far off but she heard a response. “Pinkie Pie?” “Yes, it’s me! Where are you?” she called back loudly, looking around. “I am coming, I will be with you shortly.” “Alright, but don’t call me shortly!” “My apologies.” “N-no, it was a joke, because you said shortly, and I’m short.” “I do not find it humorous, I thought had insulted you.” he said as he walked out of the woods behind the dragon’s skull carrying a rather large log on his back. He rolled it down onto the ground and made a splashing noise. Was it filled with water? He’d made a barrel out of a log, that’s quite impressive. “Sorry, I was just trying to be funny. I’m sorry if I made you sorry.” she said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. “It is alright. I did not expect to see you.” he replied, taking the seat opposite her. “Why not?” “Because you promised you would come to speak with me every day. I have not seen you for two moons and did not expect to see you at all. I was disappointed when I realised that.” “Did I? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset. But I promise I’ll be here every day from now on!” “Do not make a buffalo a promise... if you know you can not keep it. You have already broken one, I do not wish to get my hopes up again.” he said looking away from her. He didn’t want to admit it but he had enjoyed his time with her and was saddened she had evidently not enjoyed their time together sinces she had decided not to return. “Well, I didn’t break my promise.” Pinkie argued. “You broke your promise, do not try and lie. I remember exactly what you said that day. ‘I’ll come by every time I can. I’ll come tomorrow and the day after, and not the day after that, but the day after that I will. I’ll come every day I can, I promise!’. And you did not.” “Wow, how did you remember that?” “I remember everything you said that day.” “Wow! You must have a super-dee-duper memory! Quick, how many hooves am I holding up, I’m going to ask you years from now.” “You are holding up six… wait, how di… nevermind. No, my memory is not as great as you say. I remember what you said because it is the only time I have spoken with another in a very long time.” “Oh, yeah I guess I’m the only pony you’ve seen in the last two months.” “Even longer. I have not spoken with any other for almost a seasons. And the spirits of passed dragons do not tend to speak back.” he joked, though he was actually hurting on the inside quite dearly. “Well, I didn’t break my promise then. If that was what I said, then my promise was to come every day I could, and today is the first day that I could. My parents grounded me so I couldn’t leave the farm.” “Grounded? But you cannot fly?” he asked there was more than a tone of questioning in his voice. He wondered how an earth pony could fly. “Nono, grounded means, um… it means I was being punished for not listening to them. I wasn’t allowed to leave the farm.” “Ah, your elder’s judgement.” “Yeah, like that. I guess. But this is the first day I’m able to come here. But I promise, from here on I will visit EVERY day.” “I do not believe you can keep that promise.” he said flatly, sadness clearly in his tone.