Full Friendship's Magic #2 (A Pie's white lie)

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Meanwhile, the Pie cousins continued their cake-eating contest, oblivious to the weighty conversation happening nearby.

"Mmm! Mmmm!!! These cakes are so good!" Pizza Pie exclaimed, savoring every bite. "I’ve never tasted Mrs. Cake’s baking before they were ready!"

"I know, right?" Pinkie said, her face half-covered in icing from the cake she was devouring. "Mrs. Cake’s baking is one-of-a-kind! I mean, I can't bake a cake like she can."

Pizza Pie wiped a bit of icing from her own mouth and gave Pinkie a supportive smile. "Well, your baking is special too, cousin. It’s, uh. . . what do you call it? Your own one-of-a-kind style."

Pinkie’s face lit up. "AH! You're right! Thanks, cousin! Those are the exact words I love hearing from you."

Pizza Pie blinked, a little confused but happy to see her cousin so delighted. "Really? What words?"

"All the nice words that come from you, silly! You may not know it yet, but I have a Pinkie Sense for when you say nice things about me!" Pinkie said, tapping her nose as if it was a great secret.

Pizza Pie giggled and wiped some icing from Pinkie’s cheek. "Pinkie Sense? Like how you knew I was going to burst through the door when you visited?"

"Yes! Exactly! But wait. . . how did you know?" Pinkie’s eyes widened in playful suspicion.

"Oh," Pizza Pie chuckled, continuing to wipe her silly cousin’s face. "I have my own Pinkie Sense too, you know."

"Wow, really?" Pinkie gasped, leaning in with curiosity.

"Just kidding! Cousin Lime told me about it."

"Ohhh, good one, cousin. You had me there!" Pinkie laughed, playfully bumping Pizza Pie with her hoof. "Oh! We haven’t tasted this cake yet!"

Pinkie zipped over to a large cake sitting next to them. She sliced two generous pieces, handing one to Pizza. They exchanged smiles and took a bite at the same time.

"Hmm Mmmm. . . this one’s so chocolaty! I love it!" Pinkie said, savoring the rich flavor.

Pizza Pie grinned, licking some frosting off her lips. "Oh yeah? You love chocolate, don’t you, cousin?"

"Definitely!" Pinkie nodded vigorously. "It’s one of my favorite sweets. Back in Mitaly, though, Papa wouldn’t let me eat too much of it. So, whenever he wasn’t around, I’d sneak out to the candy shop down the street and buy myself a few bars of chocolate. I’d only eat them late at night, though."

Pizza Pie’s face softened as she recalled her sneaky childhood antics.

"Didn’t you get in trouble for sneaking chocolate?" Pinkie asked, looking genuinely curious.

"I only started doing that after you went back home. . ." Pizza Pie admitted, her voice trailing off.

Pinkie Pie tilted her head, her usual cheer dimming for a moment. "Oh. . . Well, you don’t have to sneak chocolates anymore! I’ve got tons of chocolate stashed right under my-" But before Pinkie could finish, her stomach let out a loud growl. She winced, clutching her belly. "Oww . . ."

Pizza Pie’s eyes widened in concern. "A-Are you alright, cousin?"

"I-I’m fine," Pinkie tried to assure her, though her stomach clearly disagreed as it growled even louder. "But my tummy isn’t. Owww. . . I-I’d better head to the little mare’s room. . ."

Pizza Pie stood up, ready to follow. "Maybe I should go with you, just to be sure-"

"No, don’t worry about me!" Pinkie interrupted, forcing a smile through the pain. "You should be having fun tonight and eating cake!"

"But cousin. . ." Pizza Pie began, but Pinkie shook her head.

"Besides, I get tummy aches all the time. But-" Pinkie grimaced as the pain intensified. "Not like this one. I-I’ll be right back, cousin. . . Owww. . . aw aw aw aw. . . Make way, make way! This is a tummy emergency! Clear the path!"

Without another word, Pinkie dashed through the crowd, disappearing into the restroom, leaving Pizza Pie alone by the dessert table. Pizza sighed and glanced around, suddenly aware of how many unfamiliar faces surrounded her. The cheerful atmosphere of the party didn’t help ease the growing tension she felt in Pinkie’s absence.

As she tried to keep calm, she noticed a group of ponies approaching her. They exchanged curious glances, nodding to each other as they drew closer. Pizza Pie’s heart raced, her nervousness returning in full force.

"Hello, are you new here?" A friendly voice asked.

"Huh?!" Pizza Pie jumped slightly, spinning around to find two smiling ponies behind her. She quickly regained her composure. "Oh! Uh. . . yes, I am."

"Really? Nopony told us there was a new pony in Ponyville!" one of them said, clearly surprised.

"I-I've been here almost a week, honestly." Pizza Pie replied, feeling a little flustered.

"A whole week? We must’ve missed you! Welcome to Ponyville! My name’s Bon Bon, and this is Lyra." Bon Bon gestured to the mint-green pony standing beside her, who gave a cheerful wave. "It’s nice to meet you!"

Pizza Pie hesitated, nervously recalling the way she practiced her introduction. "(Okay, Pizza Pie, just like we practiced . . .)" She took a breath. "It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Pizzania-uh, I mean Pizza Pie. I’m-"

"Pizza Pie?" Lyra interrupted, her eyes widening with excitement. "You don’t happen to be related to Pinkie Pie, do you?"

"Yes, I am! I-I'm her cousin, from Mitaly." Pizza Pie replied, smiling despite her nerves.

"Mitaly? Are you serious? Pinkie never mentioned that! That’s amazing!" Lyra exclaimed, turning to Bon Bon in excitement. "Did you hear that? She’s Pinkie’s cousin from Mitaly!"

Bon Bon nodded, rolling her eyes playfully. "Yes, Lyra, I heard her the first time." She turned back to Pizza with an apologetic smile. "You’ll have to excuse her. She gets a bit jumpy after too much sugar." Bon Bon turned back to the table and grabbed another slice of cake. "I told you to take it easy with the chocolate ones!"

Pizza Pie chuckled. "I know somepony else who’s always jumpy too."

Bon Bon laughed along with her. "I bet I know who you’re talking about. So, Mitaly, huh? That’s pretty far from here. What made you decide to move to Ponyville?"

Pizza Pie paused, her mind racing to craft a response. "Well, it’s kind of a long story. You see, I made a promise to Pinkie that we’d live together-" She hesitated, feeling more confident now. "(So far, so good. No one suspects anything. If I keep this up, maybe I can make some friends, so cousin Pinkie won’t worry about me too much.)"

Before she could continue, Lyra raised her hoof excitedly. "Excuse me, I have a question!"

"Of course, what is it?" Pizza Pie replied, trying to stay composed.

"Is Mitaly a great place to stay? I heard stories that it used to be the Alicorns' capital back in ancient times!" Lyra asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Bon Bon groaned. "It’s not a story, Lyra. It’s a historical fact. Even the Princess of Friendship knows about it."

Pizza Pie nodded. "Y-Yes, it is. There are some old ruins in the capital that you can visit, so-"

Lyra leaned in closer, her excitement barely contained. "Which part? Do you have any recommendations?"

Pizza Pie blinked, feeling overwhelmed. "W-Well, there are a few, but-"

"What are the ponies like there? What was your job? Is there a Sugarcube Corner in Mitaly?" Lyra continued, firing off questions in rapid succession.

"C-Can you ask one at a time, please?" Pizza Pie stammered, her nerves starting to get the better of her.

Bon Bon sighed, stepping in. "Uh, Lyra, you’re making her nervous-"

But Lyra was too excited to stop. "Hey, everypony! We’ve got a pony from Mitaly here who just moved to Ponyville!" she called out.

The crowd’s attention quickly turned toward Pizza Pie, and soon more ponies began gathering around her. Pizza Pie did her best to stay calm, but she felt a wave of anxiety rising inside her. She tried to answer their questions politely, but the growing crowd made it harder to focus.

Meanwhile, across the room, Princess Luna noticed the commotion at the table. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the nervous mare surrounded by ponies. She turned to Discord, who was casually waving at Fluttershy.

"Discord?" Luna asked, keeping her voice low.

"Yes, dear Princess Luna?" Discord replied, not looking away from Fluttershy as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Isn’t that the pony you waved at during Twilight Sparkle’s speech?" Luna asked, gesturing toward Pizza Pie.

Discord glanced in the direction Luna was pointing. "Oh, her? Mmm. . . yes, that’s Pinkie Pie’s copycat cousin. . . what’s her name again. . . ah, yes! Pizza Pie."

Luna frowned. "Pizza Pie? Wait. . . what do you mean by 'copycat'?"

"Can’t you tell by looking at her?" Discord smirked, snapping his claws. In an instant, his mane morphed into Pinkie Pie’s signature curls. "It’s easy to mimic Pinkie’s look even I can do it."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "How can you say that’s bizarre? Just because one has the same mane doesn’t mean-"

"Well, how do you explain her cutie mark then?" Discord interjected. "It’s eerily similar to Pinkie’s but with alternate colors. You don’t see that often let alone with family members."

Luna’s expression softened. "Discord, you can’t judge somepony’s destiny based on their cutie mark's appearance."

"Maybe not," Discord said with a shrug. "But judging by her actions, her cutie mark seems more like a. . . decoration, don’t you think? A way to compensate for her insecurity about finding her own destiny. Or perhaps, it’s just a sign that she’s been wasting her time mimicking somepony else."

Luna’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem rather sure of yourself. Have you met her before?"

"You don’t trust me? Look closely and you’ll see for yourself." Discord replied, his tone light but sharp.

Both Luna and Discord turned their attention back to Pizza Pie. The crowd around her had grown larger, and it was clear she was becoming more uncomfortable. Though she tried to maintain a friendly demeanor, her eyes darted around nervously as the ponies bombarded her with questions.

Then, just as Pizza Pie managed to answer one question, she suddenly felt something an eerie whisper behind her ear.

“(How long are you gonna play pretend with these ponies?)”

"Huh?! What? Who said that? I don’t know what you’re-"

“Don’t play dumb. They know you’re lying to their faces. Everypony suspects it.”

“I wasn’t lying. I’m being myself-”

“(You’re even lying to yourself. What if someone figures it out? Figures us out?)”

“Ughh! W-What?”

The ponies around her began to fade into dark silhouettes, their voices becoming muffled and echoing loudly in her head. The ballroom stretched, growing wider, and the ceiling rose impossibly high, making the space feel distorted and hollow. Sweat slid down Pizza Pie’s forehead, dripping onto her drink. She stared at the surface, watching as her reflection changed. Her old mane, her hidden eyes it was her past self staring back.

She blinked rapidly, the image still there.

“(What would our new friends think? What would Cousin think?)”

“You’re not real. You’re not me.”

“(You used to be me. Before we cheated a Pinkie Promise.)”

“That’s not true. . . that’s not true!” Pizza clamped her hooves over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

But the voice only grew louder, cutting through her attempts to block it out. It echoed inside her skull, unrelenting. When she opened her eyes again, the ballroom was gone. Instead, she was back in her old rehearsal room, the world drained of color. Everything was cold, grey, and familiar.

Across the room, a group of fillies whispered and giggled to themselves, their mocking eyes darting toward her. And there, at the far end of the room, was her younger self, huddled alone in silence.

"Hey, isn’t that Pizzaniac Peach Pie?"

“That’s her alright. The mare from Cheesy Round Caters.”

“Hey, you ever notice how she always wears that long robe? Always covering her flank.”

“I know, right? What’s with that?”

“Think she’s hiding something?”

“Must be a really bad birthmark or something.”

“Or maybe. . . she doesn’t have a cutie mark?”

“What?! No way. Really?”

“We haven’t seen her cutie mark once since she started here.”

“Well, how else can you explain the robe?”

“If that’s true. . . I’d die of embarrassment if I were her!”

Their laughter echoed, bouncing around the room, digging deep into Pizza Pie’s mind. Without realizing it, she looked down and found herself wearing that same robe, the one she used to hide under. She was that filly again, vulnerable, scared, and alone. Standing behind the fillies, she could see her current self eyes obscured by her mane, a twisted smile on her face.

"(We could’ve proved them wrong,)" the voice whispered.

“Shut up. . .” she muttered.

'(But instead. . .)"

“Shut up!”

"(We lied our way to get here.)"

“I said. . . SHUT UP!”

Her scream shattered the illusion, yanking her back to reality. Pizza Pie was back in the ballroom, frozen in place. The room was silent, eyes were on her. She stared at the spilled drink on the floor, her reflection showing only her current self. She looked up slowly and saw Bon Bon, Lyra, and the others staring at her, confusion and concern etched into their faces.

“No. . . Don’t look.”

“Don’t look at what?” Bon Bon asked softly, leaning down to pick up the cup Pizza had dropped. “You just spilled your drink, and then you-”

“Stay back!” Pizza Pie’s voice cracked as she slapped the cup out of Bon Bon’s hoof. Her breath quickened, her chest tightening as her vision blurred.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lyra stepped closer, protective of Bon Bon. “Why’d you do that?”

“I-I. . ” Pizza stammered, backing away in panic. “I didn’t-”

“Lyra, I’m fine,” Bon Bon said gently, waving her away. She then turned to Pizza Pie, her tone softening. “Pizza, are you okay? You don’t look good.”

“Don’t. . . look good?” Pizza Pie repeated, mishearing her. She glanced around wildly, seeing the crowd whispering and staring, their words muddled in her ears. “I-I gotta go.”

“Hey, wait!”

But Pizza Pie was already running, weaving through the crowd without looking back. Her mind was racing, heart pounding. "(Why is this happening?)" she thought. "(Everything was going so well. It all started when I bumped into him again! Is he messing with my head? Make it stop!)"

“Pizza Pie, look out!”

“Huh?!”

She opened her eyes just in time to see Fluttershy ahead, waving her hooves frantically. “Whoa, WHOAAAA!”

Pizza Pie tried to stop, but her hooves slipped. She crashed into the punch table with a loud thud, sending cups and punch flying everywhere. The entire ballroom fell silent as everypony turned toward the commotion. Twilight and the others rushed over to help, concern on their faces as they saw the aftermath a soaked punch table, and Pizza Pie and Fluttershy, both drenched in the sticky liquid.

“Are you okay, Pizza Pie?” Bon Bon and Lyra hurried over, pulling her up.

“I-I'm fine. . .” Pizza Pie got to her hooves, but her attention quickly shifted to Fluttershy, who lay upside-down among a pile of cups. “Oh no! Fluttershy, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, really,” Fluttershy said softly as she struggled to stand. “It’s just punch. How about you? Are you-"

“What? What is it?” Pizza Pie asked, heart sinking at Fluttershy’s expression.

“P-Pizza. . . y-your. . . cutie mark.”

“My. . . what?” She followed Fluttershy’s gaze to her flank and her heart dropped. The balloon-shaped cutie mark was smearing, slowly washing away with the punch. “No- No-”

Across the room, Pinkie Pie emerged from the bathroom, cheerfully shaking her mane dry. “Phew! I thought I’d never get out of there! Huh?” She noticed the crowd forming around the punch table. “Oh! What’s going on over there? Did somepony start a conga line without me? Ooh, I wanna conga bomb!” She began bouncing through the crowd, squeezing her way to the front. “Pardon me, excuse me! Whoops, my bad! Now, what’s everypony-"

“P-Pinkie?!”

Pizza Pie froze as her cousin appeared before her. Pinkie’s smile faltered as she saw the mess of spilled punch and the drenched mares, but what caught her attention was something else entirely. Pizza Pie’s mane was soaked, revealing streaks of her tomato-colored hair underneath. But worse, much worse, her cutie mark had almost completely faded, the illusion broken.

Pinkie’s eyes widened in shock.

Pizza Pie locked eyes with her cousin, knowing she was caught. Her mind raced, desperate for an explanation.

“C-Cousin, this. . .”

“. . .”

“This isn’t what it looks like.”

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~ End of chapter 9