Disguised Dreams

1 month later

Pinkie sat on her bed, main flat and eyes sad.

Mrs. Cake looked at her with pity. "I'm sorry Pinkie, but you've been awake for days. You need to sleep. Please."

Pinkie didn't even look at her.

Mrs. Cake sighed and shut off her lantern, but it did little to darken the room, for the sun had blazed on all month. She left, still fearful for Pinkie's sake.

The pink mare sat on her bed, still as a statue, until the only noise was the soft buzz of the air conditioner.

Wasting no time, Pinkie threw her blanket off herself and dove under the bed. She pulled out a dull green saddlebag, filled with nothing.

Save a photo of a filly.

Inkie Pie

Inkie pie was her favorite sister. She was so much more in admiration of Pinkie's talents than Maud.

Pinkie shook as she remembered her fate.

Her family had so little food to go around, and they were slowly starving.

Then Inkie disappeared.

Suddenly, there was a hefty meal on the table.

Pinkie had ventured down to the cellar in search of a lost doll when it happened.

knives and cleavers hung from small hooks drilled into the wall, each dull with use.

And in the center, a tiny body, which lay destroyed. Bits of long, gray hair and tufts of a gray coat were in the carcass.

Pinkie remembered losing her final meal.

Taking Maud with her, Pinkie immediately fled from her home.

Maud went to live a safe life with Rose Stone, a friend from her school.

Pinkie arrived in Ponyville a few days after she left. Eventually coming to a bakery begging for food. Of course, Mrs. Cake couldn't bear to leave the tiny, starved foal in the rain.

She remembered the first night she spent at her new home. Sobbing continually, asking Mrs. Cake the most innocent question.

"Why would Mommy and Daddy do that?"

She ended up answering that question herself.

"Of course, hey haven't been very nice lately. They would take most of our meals for themselves, they never really liked my partying, said my talent was a sign I would become one of those " \ravers". They hit Inkie when she discovered her talent wasn't rock farming."

Pinkie thought of all the bad things her mom and dad had done. As the horrific deeds piled up, she began sobbing. Mrs. Cake held her tight, rocking her gently and shushing her.

Pinkie gripped the photo tightly, and dropped it back on her bed.

She plopped the saddlebag onto her back, and opened the door just a sliver. The Cakes were asleep, hopefully. Pinkie crept on the tips of her hooves across the hallway.

Gently, she creaked the Cake's door open. She sighed in relief when she heard the two peacefully snoring.

If the adults were asleep, surely the twins are asleep, Pinkie thought. She didn't see the two tiny, empty cribs.

Pinkie had to be quick, but quiet as she galloped along the darkest alleys of Ponyville. Today, she would leave, and never return. She knew what she was sacrificing.

No more pranks with Rainbow dash.

No more modeling with Rarity.

No more playfully distracting Twilight.

No more adventures with AppleJack.

No more.

Fluttershy was already gone. She was so stunned by Celestia's dark past, she left. She didn't take any of her animals, save angel bunny. No one had seen her since.

As with AppleJack.

At least Fluttershy gave warning when she left.

Applebloom just woke up one morning, and AppleJack was gone.

Her only trace was an open window.

Pinkie knew she was doing the same thing.

She hit herself. No! You aren't doing the same thing, Pinkie! You've been so sad, it's a hint, they'll know.

They have to.

At last, Pinkie had arrived at her destination, the edge of Ponyville, and the entry to the Everfree Forest.

Pinkie took a breath.

Tonight, she would no longer answer to her quirky nickname. But by her real name.

Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Tonight, her party arsenal would be left behind, and in its place would be real weapons.

Tonight, she'd step into the night, leaving Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity behind in the empire.

Once again, Pinkamena breathed.

Just as her hoof was about to step into the darkness of Luna's night, their was a shout.

"Awnty Pinkie!"

He came as a blur, and suddenly, Pinkamena found a little colt firmly attached to her hind legs.

Pumpkin trotted just behind him.

She hugged both foals. "Pound? Pumpkin? You should be at home!"

She picked both foals up, cuddling them both. "We've been waiting for you to leave, awnty. You've been so sad. " Pound Cake pointed out.

"We've been wanting you to take us wit you!" Pumpkin cried.

Both foals begged to come with her.

The Everfree was only a few steps away. Pinkamena looked back and forth between the forest and the foals.

She sighed. "Do you know what you'd be giving up? You wouldn't get to be with your mommy or daddy anymore!"

"We don't mind." said Pound.

"Mommy and daddy never even twy to spend time wit us! You make sure we're happy, you care fo' us mowe den dey ever have!" screamed Pumpkin.

Pinkamena nearly choked as she fought back a wave of tears.

"We wuv you, awnty." Pound said with gigantic eyes .

"Pwease take us. You'd make a good mommy." Pumpkin hugged Pinkamena's leg, beginning to sob.

The mare finally broke. Her throat ached so hard, she could scarcely breathe. Her eyes grew cloudy as streams of her tears fell from her eyes, down to her cheeks, and finally staining the ground. And biting down on her muzzle was all she could do to stop herself from screaming.

But she caved. She set Pound and Pumpkin on her back, and trotted into the dark forest.

Into the The New Lunar Republic.

Two days later

Pinkamena was giddy as she took the quill. Maybe not giddy enough to inflate her mane, but still giddy enough to be content.

The changeling pushed the papers across the desk.

Pinkamena was initially fearful of the changelings prior to discovering they were kind and considerate citizens. She now accepted them.

The young mare dipped the quill in ink.

"Sign here, miss." he said to her.

She wrote her curly signature, with her tiny heart replacing the dot of the "i". The changeling nodded, and filed the papers away.

She teared up a little as she exited the office.

then smiled at the many mares in the room.

AppleJack shook her hoof, and Fluttershy tearfully hugged her.

The twins were busy trying to take down a mare who had been assigned to the many foals that inhibited a playpen. They immediately stopped the assault on the mare to hug Pinkamena.

"Mommy!" They called. Pinkamena couldn't help breaking into a full sob, though it seemed her eyes were wet a lot lately.

Two hours later, she was in the the castle, trotting down the halls to her lavish suite. Two foals riding upon her back, ready to see their new home.

Her foals