For so many ponies it was hard to imagine that Pinkie Pie hadn't always lived in Ponyville, let alone in a converted loft above Sugarcube Corner while having the good fortune (some might even say luck) to work for Mr. and Mrs. Cake, first as an apprentice and later a go-to foalsitter for their children (though in a lot of ways they treated Pinkie as if she were part of the family and made no secret of this belief).
Yet for those who knew Pinkie Pie the closest, the Cakes included, they knew that Pinkie had in fact been born and raised on a rock farm. The exact location was unknown, but it was in a small town named Ponypalooza that was just outside of Ponyville. And the Cakes were the ponies who knew the most about how Pinkie had come into their lives many years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake hadn't opened or operated Sugarcube Corner for more than two years at best when Mrs. Cake had had a chance encounter with an energetic earth pony filly with a beautiful pink coat. Seeing this little filly bring so much joy and happiness to others all day long brought a smile to the plump baker's heart, and when she'd learned that this filly had no place to go for the night Mrs. Cake had extended an offer to let said filly spend the night at the bakery. And with some convincing, Mr. Cake had agreed.
Pinkie woke up the next morning as bright and cheerful as she had been the day before. She was bouncing down the stairs even before Mr. and Mrs. Cake were fully awake, and had waited impatiently as the two prepared breakfast for themselves and their young charge.
It was at breakfast that the conversation soon turned to a very important topic for the Cakes, and it was Mr. Cake who first brought it up. "Pinkie Pie," He began as he tried to convey how serious this conversation was. "You're not actually from Ponyville, are you? I think Cup Cake and I would've heard of you or seen you around if you were."
In between bites of her pancakes Pinkie eagerly replied. "Nope, I'm not from Ponyville. But I love it here! This has to be the nicest town I've ever been to, and the first town I've ever been to that's not my home town."
Mrs. Cake continued. "Well, you also don't have any relatives or family members living in Ponyville, right?"
"Nu-uh," Pinkie shook her head and kept on eating. "We Pies all live in Ponypalooza." The filly suspected nothing and didn't seem to be aware of why that might be a problem.
Mr. Cake reluctantly declared to the pink filly. "That means you can't stay here with us. You have a home, and I'm sure your family is worried sick about you."
The little earth pony stopped eating and swallowed hard, her mane and tail seemed to start deflating ever so slightly from their poofy state (an attempt at brushing that state away had gone nowhere, the mane and tail had reverted to their poofy state as soon as the brush was put down). She seemed to be saddened by the news if the shift in her tone of voice was any indication. "But, I like it here in Ponyville. It's so much more fun than boring old Ponypalooza. I feel like I belong here, like there's something calling out to me!"
Mrs. Cake sighed. She knew she had to be firm with Pinkie even if the plump baker was starting to get attached to that filly. "That's... interesting, Pinkie. But Carrot Cake is right, you need to go home. It wouldn't be right for us to keep you from your family."
"I don't wanna go back home!" Pinkie pleaded in protest! "This feels like my home now! Everypony's so friendly around here, and of course there's Sugarcube Corner. We don't have anything like that back in Ponypalooza. We just have rocks."
Mr. Cake shook his head. "It's not up for argument, Pinkie Pie. You have a family and a home. Unless your family says otherwise we can't let you stay here forever and ever," And he offered. "You're welcome to come back and visit Cup Cake and I as often as you like. And who knows, someday when you're older and ready to live on your own you can come back here?"
Mrs. Cake added. "We'll put you on the first train back to Ponypalooza. We could even go back with you if it'll make it easier for you to say goodbye."
The pink earth pony refused. "Please let me stay here! I'll do whatever you want."
Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake started exchanging glances, wondering if there was more going on than Pinkie was telling them. "Is there a reason why you don't wanna go back to your family and your home?" Mrs. Cake questioned. "Did something happen to your family?"
"No," Pinkie shook her head and confessed. "Actually, I kind of left home on my own even though I wasn't supposed to. I just had to get away! I had to see a world beyond the family rock farm!"
Mr. Cake nearly gasped in surprise! "Pinkie, you ran away from home?! Why didn't you tell us this yesterday?! Your parents are probably looking all over for you!"
But Pinkie explained. "I didn't really run away from home, I left them a note telling them where I was going," And she then renewed her plea. "Please, I'm begging you! I wanna stay here with you guys! This is where I'm meant to be."
Sensing that their pink charge wasn't going to be persuaded otherwise, the baking couple sighed to themselves. "Well, how about this, Pinkie?" Mrs. Cake proposed. "Carrot Cake and I can arrange a meeting with your parents to discuss you moving in with us. And if they give their permission, you can stay."
At that the pink pony leaped up from the breakfast table and hugged both of the Cakes tightly! "Oh, thank you! Thank you so so so SO much!" She was already starting to tear up with joy.
Mr. Cake moved quickly to caution his charge. "That's only if they agree, Pinkie. If," And he then pointed out. "Besides, Cup Cake and I don't know who your parents are or how to contact them."
"Oh, that's easy! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" The filly giggled as she pulled out a framed picture from her mane. There stood a younger Pinkie with a flattened mane and tail and a darker shaded coat, standing alongside three similar looking fillies.
To the left of one filly was a moderate amber coated stallion with a two tone gray mane and tail alternatively styled bushy (for the mane) and straight (for the tail), eyes the most brilliant shade of amber, a cutie mark depicting a pickax, a black stetson hat and a gray collar with a black tie. And next to that stallion was a mare who had a light cobalt bluish gray coat, eyes a peaceful light arctic blue, a grayish opal mane and tail styled like a mop, a cutie mark depicting three rocks, yellow trim glasses with similarly colored bead chains, and a black scarf with white lines and a small gold locket underneath it.
Pinkie pointed to the stallion. "That's my dad: Igneous Rock," And then she pointed to the mare. "And that's my mom: Cloudy Quartz," Pointing to each of the fillies besides herself she said in order. "Those are my sisters: Limestone Pie, Maud Pie, and Marble Pie who's basically my baby sister even though she's only slightly younger than me because we're twins."
"And you know how to reach out to them?" Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake both asked at once.
The party loving filly nodded, winking one of her blue eyes. "Yes indeedy! I'll write to them right away, and you guys can do the talking for me. Oh, this is the best idea I've ever had! Even better than my idea to leave town and head to Ponyville!" And she zoomed away to write her letter.
Pinkie's letter was soon written up and sent away, and a reply came within the day from Igneous and Cloudy indicated that they would agree to meet with the Cakes to "consider" the offer of having Pinkie Pie move to Ponyville.
The parents arrived the next day, looking exactly like they had in that framed picture Pinkie had produced but without any of the other fillies that had also been shown. The exact expressions on Igneous and Cloudy's faces were hard to read since they didn't seem to be smiles but at the same time they weren't exactly frowns.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were unsure of how best to break the ice with the two, having no experience dealing with rock farmers. As such, it was Igneous Rock who spoke up first. "Tis is an honor to be in thy presence, esteemed owners of this establishment. I can see why mine daughter wouldst take up such an interest in a place such as this."
Cloudy Quartz then spoke. "But we did not come to make small talk. We art here to discuss the possibility of thy offer to take in Pinkamina full time."
"Ah, yes... that." Mr. Cake replied in uncertainty.
Mrs. Cake seemed to be a bit more confident in speaking now, as she answered. "Well, we certainly don't mean to take your place as Pinkie's parents and guardians if that's what you're thinking. We didn't know she had sort of run away from home."
Mr. Cake nodded. "Yes. We only offered to let her stay the night here because she had nowhere else to go. We really didn't want to leave her out in the cold," And he pointed out. "It sounds like Pinkie's relationship with you two is... complicated. She loves you both, but not enough where she would be willing to stay on the rock farm with you two."
Igneous appeared to frown. "Tis true, unfortunately. Such is the way our second youngest daughter has been for quite some time. Ever since something we cannot describe, something she insists was colorful and full of magic."
"Because it was!" Pinkie pointed out, interrupting the conversation! "Oh, I only wish I knew what it was and how to make it happen again! I don't think my parties can convey how that... that... whatever it was made me feel on the inside!"
Cloudy sternly brought up a hoof. "Pinkamina Diane Pie, thou shalt not interrupt thy parents before they have finished speaking! Surely we raised thou to be better than that."
The filly shrank back a bit and seemed to blush. "Sorry, I got carried away. Just... go on talking, don't mind me. Pretend I'm not here."
Igneous cleared his throat once his daughter had finished, speaking up again. "Pinkamina has always been different compared to the rest of our daughters," He told the Cakes. "She was born with a most unusual pink coat, and since that one day when she was out in the fields her mane and tail have refused to revert to where they were when she was born. Alongside her new look and cutie mark, we sensed that our daughter was beginning to change."
"Tis like nothing we have seen before. There is no record of it ever happening in our family," Cloudy commented with concern. "Now Pinkamina has wanted to throw parties instead of harvesting rocks, something we shalt not allow."
Mrs. Cake finally found the courage to say something. "Is that why she 'ran away'?"
Cloudy and Igneous both nodded as Cloudy declared. "Tis not surprising that would happen," And then she looked to Pinkie. "Thy note about thy whereabouts was most appreciated, though. Thou shalt not be allowed to leave the rock farm again without permission from thy parents. Thou art not old enough to travel by thyself."
When there wasn't any further comment from anypony in the room, Igneous looked to his daughter and told her in no uncertain terms. "Pinkamina, thy input wouldst now greatly be appreciated if thou wouldn't mind. We shalt hear from all involved in this decision."
Hesitantly, Pinkie answered. "W-well, if you're sure you really want me to," She let out a long sigh. "I love you both so much, Mom and Dad! You're... well.. my mom and dad! And I love my sisters too, all of them! But..." She trailed off in hesitation.
The hesitation didn't go unnoticed by anyone, least of all Pinkie's parents. Cloudy encouraged in a warm and sympathetic tone of voice. "Thou hast nothing to fear from speaking thy mind, Pinkamina. Not when thy own parents have specifically asked to hear what thou has to say."
The pink party loving pony quivered for a moment, before starting to speak more self-confidently. "Ponyville just feels more like a home to me, even though I already have a home. And I feel like I could do so much more here that I can't do if I come back to the rock farm with you."
Mr. Cake spoke up once Pinkie had finished. "Cup Cake can personally attest to how much of a difference Pinkie's already made here. She was the one who encountered Pinkie out on the streets, making other ponies happy all day long with her own little parties. And we'd be lying if we said we hadn't gotten attached to her in the brief time she's been with us."
"We know there's probably not much we can do if you want to insist on taking Pinkie back with you," Mrs. Cake added as she stood by her husband. "But it might be best to consider what Pinkie Pie really needs the most. It's not like she'd have to leave you behind forever, you'd always be welcome to come here or we could go with her to see you."
There was a moment of silence that followed as the rock farming couple considered all that had been laid out before them. Nopony spoke a word, not even Pinkie Pie even though she really wanted to.
The silence was broken once Igneous stood up, cleared his throat and declared. "Pinkamina Diane Pie, after careful consideration thy mother and I have decided that thou should come back to Ponypalooza with us."
Pinkie's mouth dropped wide open in shock and dismay! "What?! You're gonna take me back to the rock farm even after all of this?!" She started to tear up again.
Cloudy quickly moved to interrupt. "Thou did not let us finish, Pinkamina. We arst indeed having thou come back to Ponypalooza with us, so that thou may pack up thy things in preparation for thy move in here with thy other family."
Realization slowly settled in for the pink pony, who burst into tears of joy for the second time in as many days! "Mom! Dad! You didn't have to do this but... thank you! I really mean it! You guys are the best parents ever!"
Igneous and Cloudy allowed themselves to smile as Igneous then clarified. "The arrangement we have set up for thou comes with one condition. Thou art to write to us and visit us often, for we shalt not be able to leave the rock farm for thou on a moment's notice. 'Twas was quite difficult to find a suitable sitter for thy sisters whilst we came here."
"Okay," Pinkie nodded as she ended the hug. "I promise, I'll write to you every day!" Then she realized the difficulty of that task given the reliability of the mail in and around Ponyville. "Okay, maybe not every day. But at least once a week if I can."
"That would be most appreciated, Pinkamina," Cloudy smiled. "Now come along, we must hurry if we art to catch the train back to Ponypalooza and the rock farm."
Author's Note
I'm still not the greatest at writing "Ye Olde Elizabithian English" for Pinkie's parents, but I tried my best to make it accurate after receiving some pointers over a year earlier.
I've already written a fic about Pinkie's first meeting with the Cakes, and I feel like this is a gap in show canon that is ripe to be filled in with so many possibilities when you consider that Pinkie is on good terms with her family and the feeling is mutual (from what's shown in the show and comics they do love her or at least seem to tolerate her unusual behavior).
Ponypalooza is my headcanon name for the town the Pie family rock farm is located in, inspired by the chapter book Pinkie Pie and the Rocking Ponypalooza Party.
