You and Pinkie walked towards the cafeteria before you made the both of you stop and she looked at you in confusion. You looked back at her.
"I'm sorry to ask this Pinkie, but can you wait out here for a few seconds?" You asked. She nodded in response.
"Okay, but don't take too long alright?" She asked with a bit of worry that you'll probably leave her there. You nodded before you walked inside and saw the Rainbooms there. You walked up to them and they noticed you.
"Hey Anon. Is Pinkie here today?" Rainbow asked.
"She is." You said simply. They all instantly gained big smiles on their faces.
"Well what are you waiting for darling? Bring her in!" Rarity demanded. You put your hands up to calm them down and they did so.
"Look girls, I know that you are all very eager to see Pinkie again, but we can't overwhelm her in anyway. So I'm sorry to say that group hugs for now are off the table." They all looked disappointed before you continued. "If we are to help her with healing from this, we need to take it slow with her. She's very sensitive right now, so when I bring her in you can all greet and hug her, but do it one by one. Okay?" They looked at each other for a moment before nodding and putting on understanding looks. You smiled and walked back outside to see Pinkie still standing there like you ordered. She sees you and smiles for a bit before frowning.
"Are you ready to go see them Pinkie?" You asked. She thinks for a moment before answering.
"I am. Let's go." You smile and take her by the arm again and slowly brought her into the cafeteria. Your friends were all looking at her with gentle smiles as the patiently waited for her to approach them. You motioned silently towards Pinkie signaling the rest of the girls to come up to her one by one: First came Rainbow, then Fluttershy, then Sunset, then Rarity, then Twilight, and finally Applejack. They each gently hugged Pinkie while greeting her and saying that they were sorry for what she went through. She responded to them by saying that it wasn't their fault and by saying that it was nice to see them again and that she appreciated their concern for her. They stepped away and took a look at her. Some of them wanted to cry just by simply looking at the condition that she was in. Mostly it was Fluttershy who wanted to, but she did her best to hold it in. Rarity was the first to speak up.
"Darling......you look...….just...….awful. That ruffian Golden Shine doesn't deserve you. You can do so much better than him." Rarity said hoping to cheer Pinkie up. She only nodded in response.
"Yeah Pinkie. You don't need that jerk in your life anymore. He clearly couldn't see how amazing you are." Rainbow said. Pinkie nodded again.
"Look sugarcube, we can't stand to see ya like this. We just want ya to know that we're here for ya and that no matter what we will always support ya." Applejack said. Pinkie nodded once more.
"Pinkie, we were so worried about you. We just want to let you know that we care about you, so much so in fact." Fluttershy said. Pinkie nodded for the fourth time.
"And if you ever need us, we will always answer your call for help. Because that's what true friends do." Twilight said.
"Because you've always made us laugh and smile. Now, it's about time that we return the favor." Sunset finished. Pinkie looks at each of the girls and gets a bit of a smile on her cute face. She finally spoke.
"Thanks you guys. You're the best friends anyone could ask for." She then walked up to them and pulled them all into a group hug which surprised them at first before they happily embraced their saddened friend. You stood there for a few seconds before deciding that they probably needed a moment. You were just about to walk out before you were stopped by Pinkie calling out to you.
"Anon?" You looked back at her to see her looking back at you with a bit of a smile. She motioned for you to join them to which you smiled at and walked over to them and joined the group hug. You all stood there feeling the embrace of each other as your body heat not only warmed your bodies but also your hearts as well. After a moment or two, the hug was separated.
"So, are you feeling any better Pinkie?" You asked while hoping that this helped her in some way.
"A little bit, but I'm still rather upset." She said while looking down at the ground. You walked over to her and took her by the chin and made her look at you.
"It's alright Pinkie. Some wounds take time to heal. But we'll be there for you, I'll be there for you." You said honestly. She smiled a bit at you. You saw what looked to be a flicker of color in her hair and maybe one or two strands of hair that were standing up, but for the most part it stayed straight. You suspected that what you were doing was working in some way, but only slightly. She still was going through a great deal of depression, but you promised yourself, her, and the others that you would bring the old Pinkie back. Even if the process were to take several months, you didn't care. You needed Pinkie to be happy again, and if that's what it took then you would gladly go through it.
After school had ended, you waited outside for Pinkie to show up. You see her slowly make her way through the crowd while some people stared at her with concerned faces. You walked towards her and held your arm out to her to which she accepted. You walked with her for a few minutes before you finally reached her house. She let go of your arm and looked at you.
"Thank you Nonny, for escorting me home." She said while slightly smiling at you. You smiled back and nodded.
"It was my pleasure Pinkie. If you need something don't be afraid to call or text me, okay?" She nodded. You slowly backed away from her. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you Pinkie." You're about to turn and walk away before she called out to you.
"Wait, Anon? Before you go, is it okay if I give you something?" You stopped and looked back at her.
"Sure, what is it?" You asked. She walked up to you and gave you a light peck on the cheek. You blushed from the suddenness of it as she backed away from you while she also blushed a bit.
"That's for always being so sweet." She said before she walked up to her door, looked back at you for a few seconds, and then walked inside and closed the door. You stood there for a few seconds before you started making your way back home. Unbeknownst to you, Pinkie looked through her front window at you. She puts her hand on her heart and felt that it was slightly beating faster than normal.