By the Moonlight

The Second - Sugar

Far, far away in Ponyville's Sugarcube Corner, a magenta earth pony lay wide awake. In what would have surely shocked her friends, her face was twisted in worry. Not quite sadness- she knew she'd never be able to truly feel that- but Pinkie Pie was quite displeased. She supposed she really oughtn't be upset about her condition- after all, she hadn't exactly chosen to be schizoid- but here she was, awake again and unable to stop hitting herself over what she had done.

Her friends seemed to be completely unaware of what she was hiding, but how could they, the way she had led them on- led the whole town on- presenting herself as the most outgoing, engaging pony the world had ever seen? Balloons, confetti, the sweetest cupcakes and wild parties. Those truly were the very essence of unfeeling. Pinkie reached over, grabbed a lollipop and brought it her mouth. The sweetness rushed over her and she gorged herself on it.

...and her cutie mark- yet another ruse. Even in her youth she'd been eager to show everypony that she was, in fact, just like any other filly you'd meet. Perhaps she had gone too far once, but they had loved it and so her newfound guise stuck.

But every now and then guilt creeped into her heart- the little spirit she had- and Pinkie Pie felt so fake and empty. She wondered if her friends would understand. Somehow she knew they would but instinct told her she would be making a big mistake if she revealed herself. After all, one doesn't just destroy a facade that's been worked on for years and years like that. And once you become something long enough, it shapes you, even if you don't agree with it. So it was that she was now Pinkie Pie, the brightly-colored pony who loved to bounce, pull pranks, party, sing, dance and have a good time with her friends, no matter what life threw at her.

She sighed, exasperated. The grace of sleep was coming over her slowly, and the faint moonlight that was streaming into her room seemed to be getting softer and softer. It wasn't long before she dozed off, any thoughts of reproach mercifully retreating into her subconscious... At least for now.