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I’m scared . . . why is he chasing us? How long do we have to hide here?

Everything's going to be alright, This matter is between me and him

What exactly did you do? Why won’t you tell me?

I apologize for dragging you into this mess. It’s difficult to explain everything.

I know you’re out here somewhere, I won’t think twice about killing you in this place.

W-where are you going?

I don’t have a choice, Luna.

I . . . I can’t let you do this!

This isn’t fair well but . . . until we meet again. . .

No wait! I still need to know what's in these! . . wait! I-

“STOP!!! GAHHH!!” Luna jolted awake from the nightmare, her heart racing. She breathed heavily, desperately trying to calm herself. Shaking off the remnants of fear, she got up and stumbled to the table, grabbing a glass of water. “Sigh. . . not that again. Why won’t it go away. . .”

“Sister?” A soft knock sounded at the door. “Sister? Is everything alright? I heard noises.”

Luna quickly flew to the door and opened it. “Oh, sister. I'm fine. It was nothing. Just the same old memory appearing during my dream walk.”

“Again? This is the seventh time this month. Tell me, are you having visions of another crisis within the lands?”

“No.”

“Is the Tantrapus trying to escape from your dreams again?”

“No.”

“Is it Discord, pulling one of his shenanigans?”

“No. There was no crisis, it wasn't the Tantrapus or Discord. . .” Luna paused, looking into Celestia's concerned eyes. “H-He had nothing to do with it. As I said before, it's just an old memory that keeps haunting me.”

“Is it about your banishment to the moon? If it is, you shouldn't dwell on it. It’s all in the past now.”

“That's not it either, sister. . .”

“Then what is it?” Celestia gently lifted Luna's chin, searching her sister's gaze. “You can tell me. What kind of memory is it that has kept you awake these past few days?”

“I've told you, sister, that it was nothing-” She pushed Celestia's hoof away and looked away, avoiding her sister’s probing eyes. “N-Nothing for you to be concerned about. You can leave now.”

“Oh, I see. . .” Celestia turned to exit her sister's room, but paused at the door. She glanced back at Luna, softening her expression with a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t raise the sun for the next couple of hours. How about taking a break from dreamwalking for tonight?”

“Sigh. . . alright, sister. I'll do just that.” Luna smiled back as Celestia closed the door. She turned her gaze out the window, staring up at the vast night sky. “(If only I could tell you what happened that day, sister. . . but I couldn't build up the courage to do so. . .)”

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Days later.

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Another busy day in Sugar Cube Corner! With tons of new orders rolling in, the Cake family is busier than ever. All sorts of desserts are being requested, from muffins to pies, but mostly cakes, all prepared for Ponyville's next social gathering at Twilight’s castle. Everypony is invited and buzzing with excitement about the occasion.

Mr. Cake brought in a tray of muffins to the pie counter. “Here’s another batch of muffins, Pinkie Pie.”

“Oh, thanks, Mr. Cake! I’ll wrap them up in a jiffy!” The pink pony beamed, eagerly taking the muffins and wrapping them in a box. She glanced at both sides, but then slowly took one to snack on.

Without looking back, Mr. Cake could tell that Pinkie Pie's crummy hooves were reaching for one of the muffins. “And stop snacking on the orders, Pinkie.”

“Awww. . .” she replied, giggling. “Okie Dokie Lokie! I won’t-” But as soon as Mr. Cake turned his head, Pinkie quickly snatched a cupcake from the batch and stuffed it into her mouth.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mrs. Cake was decorating the ordered bakes. With Pizza Pie’s help, they crafted unique designs for each order.

“Oh, these are wonderful, Pizza Pie,” Mrs. Cake exclaimed. “As I expect from the Pie family, such decorative skills, especially from another region.”

“Oh, really? Thank you, Mrs. Cake,” Pizza Pie blushed. “I guess this talent is in our blood.”

“I bet. Knowing Pinkie, she mentioned that you’re a spokesmare for your father’s restaurant in Mitaly. Surely, you have some spare time for decorating baked goods,” Mrs. Cake continued.

“That's true, but I started doing it after my cousin's visit. With a lot of practice at home and at the rock farm, I managed to get the hang of it. That also explains how I got the same cutie mark as Cousin Pinkie,” Pizza Pie replied, pride evident in her voice.

“Oh! I heard somepony say my name!” Pinkie Pie chimed as she walked in, pulling a wagon full of freshly packed bakes.

“Oh, cousin! I was just talking to Mrs. Cake about what we have in common,” Pizza Pie said, a smile on her face.

“Do we now? Well, we’re both good at baking, we both love fun stuff, and we look alike! That pretty much covers what we have in common!” Pinkie replied enthusiastically.

“Yup, it sure does, Pinkie,” Pizza Pie smiled back. “Despite how many years it's been, you’ve always been my inspiration to open up to new things.”

“Aww, really?” Pinkie hugged her cousin tightly with joy. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re finally here! Together, we can spread smiles and laughs all over Ponyville or even across Equestria!”

“That’s a long stretch, but I bet we can, cousin.”

The Pie cousins laughed, and just as everything seemed like any other day, they suddenly heard a bell ringing.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Pinkie turned to Pizza Pie while munching the muffin she had snatched earlier.

“It sounds like a doorbell.”

“What? Really? Mrs. Cake, you didn’t tell me we had a doorbell!” Pinkie exclaimed, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“No, Pinkie, we don't—” Mrs. Cake said, but before she could finish, she gently hit Pinkie's hoof, causing her to drop the muffins. “But it does sound like it's coming from the front door.”

“Hmmm. . .”

The doorbell sound kept ringing. Curious, Pizza Pie approached the door to check. To her surprise, there was no doorbell on either side and no pony outside, except for a box that held one of their orders.

“Huh? That’s strange. . .” Pizza Pie picked up the box and brought it inside. “Cousin, did you leave this outside?”

“Uh, no. If I did, I would remember it,” Pinkie replied, shaking her head.

“Hmm. . . I guess someone must've forgotten to pick it up,” Pizza Pie mused.

“Or someone left this just for laughs!” Pinkie added, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Suddenly, an eerie voice replied, “Hmmm, laughs, you say?”

The box in front of them began to float, spinning around before ejecting a brown blob that landed on the floor. The blob wiggled, slowly taking shape until it towered over Pizza Pie, transforming into Discord.

Pizza Pie was startled and quickly stepped back, while her cousin remained unfazed, hopping over to greet him. “Oh, hi, Discord! I haven’t seen you around lately. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much, dear Pinkie. I just got back from my long vacation in the Bahamas. It was quite enjoyable, really, until I remembered something important. I was about to miss my first-ever Ponyville social gathering at Twilight’s castle,” Discord explained, nonchalantly.

“But it won’t start until next week! Today is Saturday,” Pinkie pointed out.

“Exactly! So, I thought I’d stop by to make an order for the occasion,” he replied with a sly grin.

“Well, that’s nice, Mr. Discord, but we’re already booked with so many orders,” Mrs. Cake said, glancing through the request list.

“Oh, nonsense,” he waved a claw dismissively. “I’m sure you can squeeze in one more by yours truly, Mrs. Cake.” He snapped his fingers, and the list magically expanded to fit his name.

“W-Well, I don't see why not. I mean, anything for you, Discord,” Mrs. Cake stammered, still taken aback.

“Wonderful! Now, I’ll have a chocolate fudge cake with vanilla filling and icing. Oh! Let’s not forget the shape. Hmm. . . let's see. . . Oh! I want it to be shaped like a pyramid with a top hat. Don’t ask,” Discord said, grinning mischievously.

“R-Right. . .” Mrs. Cake wrote down his order on the expanded list. “So, that’s one pyramid-shaped chocolate fudge cake with both filling and icing vanilla flavored and a top hat.” She took a second look at the list, then glanced back at him. “Uh... well, I’ll get started on it. Be right back.”

“Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Cake! Oh, do take your time. I just want this occasion to be worth remembering. And with the cake you bake, I’ll be the talk of the social!”

As Discord turned his attention to Pinkie Pie, he noticed the pony standing behind her. The Pizza pony avoided eye contact, hoping she hadn’t caught his attention. Discord looked puzzled at the mare behind Pinkie, then his expression shifted as a memory flickered in his mind. A smirk crossed his face as he approached the Pie cousins.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie,” Discord said slyly.

“Yes, Discord?” Pinkie replied, oblivious.

“I recall you once said there weren’t any more copies of yourself running around Ponyville,” he continued, amusement dancing in his mismatched eyes.

“Oh, Discord, that was ages ago! Besides, if there were more of me, my Pinkie Sense would’ve gone off,” she said, bouncing with confidence.

“Ah yes, your. . . whatever sense.” Discord waved his claw dismissively, but his grin widened. “Then what about that pony behind you?”

“Huh?” Pizza Pie froze, her eyes darting nervously between her cousin and the draconequus. “W-Who, me?”

“Who else am I talking to?” Discord flew up to her and playfully tapped her nose with his claw. “You, of course, with that mane looking suspiciously similar to hers.”

Pizza Pie’s ears twitched as she struggled to find an excuse. “Well, uh. . . it's actually. . .” She stammered, trying to think on her hooves.

Before she could respond, Pinkie jumped in between them, beaming. “Don’t be silly, Discord! She’s not a clone of me—she’s my cousin!”

“Cousin?” Discord raised a brow, intrigued.

“Yup!” Pinkie threw her foreleg around Pizza Pie, pulling her close. “This is Pizza Pie! She used to live in Mitaly, but now she lives with me!”

Discord’s eyes twinkled with curiosity. “Mitaly, you say?”

“Uh-huh! I visited her when I was just a little filly. Back then, she was suuuper uptight, like, no fun at all!”

“P-Pinkie, you don’t need to-” Pizza Pie tried to interrupt, clearly embarrassed.

“Oh, why not?” Pinkie giggled. “There’s nothing wrong with sharing childhood stories with friends!”

Pizza Pie glanced at Discord, who leaned in closer, clearly entertained by her discomfort. She gulped nervously, feeling the weight of his scrutiny.

“Go on,” Discord urged, grinning mischievously. “I’m interested in hearing more.”

“Well, if you say so!” Pinkie took a deep breath and continued her tale. “So, she said she didn’t ‘do’ fun because her papa wouldn’t let her. But me and my sisters threw her a party anyway! She got mad, I got sad, she ran away, then I found her, apologized, and we made up!”

“P-Pinkie. . .” Pizza Pie’s cheeks flushed as she tried to steer the conversation away.

“Wait, I’m not done yet!” Pinkie plugged her cousin’s mouth with a hoof. “After that, we had a sleepover, stayed up all night, and made our first Pinkie Promise! We promised we’d live together one day, and now here we are! And guess what? Now we even look alike and have the same cutie mark!”

“Look alike, huh?” Discord eyed Pizza Pie closely, as if sizing her up.

Pizza Pie forced a nervous smile, her anxiety growing under Discord's piercing gaze. “Th-That's right...” she mumbled, her voice wavering. “Nice to meet you, Discord. . .”

“Oh, please, call me Discord,” he replied smoothly, extending his claw toward her.

Pizza Pie hesitated but reluctantly shook his claw. “Uh, nice to meet you. . . Discord. . .”

“Likewise,” Discord replied, his voice dropping into a lower, more knowing tone. He leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing playfully. “But you see. . . I think we've met before.”

“Wh-What? No! No, we haven’t. . .” Pizza Pie stammered, her heart pounding. “Not that I remember...”

Discord chuckled softly. “Are you sure? Because I recall meeting a pony who looked quite a bit like you. Same color, though her mane was a bit different more swirly, like a scoop of ice cream. And she had quite the. . . uptight attitude, just as your cousin described.”

“Uh. . . T-That could be anypony!” Pizza Pie laughed awkwardly, quickly looking away. “Swirly manes are. . . common in Mitaly, you know.”

Pinkie gasped, her eyes wide with excitement. “No way! Does that mean you've been to Mitaly, Discord?”

“Indeed, Pinkie. Mitaly was a fascinating place. I visited during its early eras, back when it was the most populated region next to Equestria. Why, the last time I was there was with that traitorous Tirek—stealing cutie marks left and right. Except for one pony, of course. . .”

Pizza Pie’s eyes widened in panic. “O-One?” she asked, her voice trembling. “W-Who might that be?”

“An uptight mare,” Discord said, tapping his chin as if lost in thought. “Oh, and she didn’t have a cutie mark at the time.”

“A mare without a cutie mark?” Pinkie tilted her head, pondering the possibility. “That’s super weird! Cousin, do you know who Discord’s talking about?”

“Uh... I-I wouldn’t know. . .” Pizza Pie avoided their gazes, fidgeting nervously. “I-I was in Equestria when all that happened, so. . .”

“Aww, too bad!” Pinkie shrugged. “Well, I hope that pony found her cutie mark! Good thing you got yours with my sisters at the rock farm, huh, cousin?”

Pizza Pie’s forced smile wavered slightly. “Yeah. . . good thing. . .” she mumbled, her mind racing.

“Good for you,” Discord added, his eyes glinting with mischief. “And wherever that uptight pony is now, I hope she didn’t... cheat her way into getting a cutie mark.”

Pinkie blinked, her confusion evident. “Cheating? What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Discord waved his paw nonchalantly. “Just wondering if she tried to be somepony she’s not for approval. But that’s unlikely.” He snapped his fingers with a grin.

The room fell into an awkward silence. Pinkie scratched her head, confused by the strange turn in the conversation. Pizza Pie remained quiet, her face pale as her worst fears seemed to be inching closer to reality.

At that moment, Mrs. Cake emerged from the kitchen with Discord’s order. “Here you go, Discord, one pyramid-shaped vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling, and a top hat on top! Oddly enough, there was already a pyramid-shaped cake lying on the counter. I don’t remember baking it. Strange, huh?”

“Oh, Mrs. Cake, this is just perfect!” Discord exclaimed, shrinking the cake and tucking it into his Fluttershy-shaped pouch. “And not a moment too soon. Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome. Enjoy your afternoon, Discord!”

“I will!” Discord turned to the Pie cousins. “Well, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, I can’t be late for tea with Fluttershy. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Pizza Pie. Let’s talk more at the social gathering.” He extended his claw toward her once more.

“Y-Yeah. . .” Pizza Pie said, shaking his claw awkwardly.

“See you both at the gathering!” Discord snapped his fingers, summoning a pumpkin chariot pulled by mice, and with a wink, he was off.

“Bye, Discord! See you at the party!” Pinkie waved enthusiastically as Discord disappeared in the distance. She turned to her cousin. “Isn’t it exciting? This social gathering is gonna be the best one ever, cousin!”

Pizza Pie stared blankly ahead, her heart racing.

“Cousin?” Pinkie waved a hoof in front of her face. “You okay?”

Pizza Pie blinked, snapping out of her daze. “Oh! Sorry, Pinkie, I was just. . . thinking about something.”

“I said, you’re gonna make tons of new friends at the gathering! You’ll fit right in!” Pinkie said with a bright smile.

“Yeah. . . fit right in. . .” Pizza Pie muttered softly, forcing a smile.

But deep down, her anxiety only grew. Discord knew something he had to. As the social gathering loomed closer, her fear of being exposed became more and more real.

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~ End of chapter 7

Author's Note

The longer you keep a secret the bigger the chance someone will find out. Both ponies were ashamed to open up such secrets from others. Fearing they might hurt the ones they care the most.