The sound of the opening traincar door was nearly drowned out by the rattle of metal wheels on track, but Tempest’s eyes still automatically darted up from the widow. And then she saw who was coming inside.

“Pinkie Pie,” she said.

“Hiya, Fizzlepop!” chirped Pinkie. She didn’t quite seem notice Tempest’s flinch at that name, as she took in the empty car. “Where’s this train headed, anyway?”

“The frozen north.” Tempest studied Pinkie, and realized that the mare probably couldn’t stand still if she tried. Pinkie was always in motion—when she wasn’t trotting up and down the narrow hall, she was tapping a rhythm into the wooden floor with a fidgeting back hoof. 

“How did you get on board?” asked Tempest. “This is a military rail.”

Pinkie only shrugged. “Better question is, what’s a cool-as-beans mare like you doing on a train going so far away, Fizzle?”

“Tempest,” she automatically corrected Pinkie.

“But I thought you said your real name was—”

[i]”Tempest,”[/i] she growled, because there was suddenly something squeezing up in her chest. “Just… call me Tempest.”

Pinkie became still. All of the little ticks and the fidgeting stopped, but she still smiled, and she said, “Okay.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Pinkie sauntered over and actually sat in the seat next to Tempest, so close that their sides touched. Tempest recoiled, and it took several moments for her to settle back into her own seat.

The train rattled on in its tracks, but even that familiar sound was made so strange by the unfamiliar feeling of somepony else being so physically close.

“Why are you here?” asked Tempest.

“I get these hunches,” chirped Pinkie. “I call ‘em my ‘Pinkie sense’, and this morning it told me that somepony I wanted to be friends with was having a bad day. So, I kinda followed were it was taking me, some kumquats changed hooves, and—boom!—I’m on a train leaving the Empire!”

Pinkie smiled so much while she talked that Tempest couldn’t help but believe every word.

“So,” said Pinkie, “Are you having a bad day?”

Tempest felt her throat squeeze. She was a strong mare, and strong mares shut the hell up when they felt like this.

But Pinkie was still looking at her, with those wide blue eyes, and Tempest had never seem the little mare sit still without talking for so long. Pinkie waited even while Tempest swallowed at the lump in her throat and cleared it three times even though she didn’t really have to.

“I don’t—” Tempest stopped, because she didn’t like how her voice sounded like a rusty door hinge. “I don’t belong. Not in Equestria.”

Pinkie's posture shifted. She leaned close—so close that Tempest could feel that big mess of a mane tickling at her ears.

“Wanna hear a secret?” Pinkie whispered. “Not even Twilight and all the others know.”

Dumbstruck and confused, Tempest only nodded.

“My name,” said Pinkie, eyes darting across the empty car, “isn’t really Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie smiled again, closing her eyes, and there was a little sadness in them.

“It’s Cordite. Cordite Pie,” she said, her lips fumbling as if they were forming a word that was both familiar and not. “My mom named me that because I was such a bundle of energy. But never liked it. It wasn’t [i]me[/i], because I’m not a piece of rock mining equipment, ya know? So after I started working with the Cakes for a bit, I had my name legally changed. Everypony was already calling me Pinkie anyway.”

“But what happened to Cordite?” said Tempest, brow furrowing uncontrollably.

“[i]I’m[/i] Cordite, silly!” said Pinkie, beaming ear to ear.

“No,” said Tempest. Her throat constricted again, but she fought to keep herself speaking. “I mean, what happened to the pony you used to be?”

“Oh, she’s still there. Really, if you think about it, [i]everypony[/i] used to be somepony else.” Pinkie hopped off her seat, and Tempest’s side felt cold at her absence.

“I’m going to ask the nice Gunnery Sarge to let us off. Will you come back to Ponyville with me?”

“I think so,” said Tempest, even though she wasn’t sure why.

Pinkie giggled and trotted to the car door, but her expression sobered as she opened it.

“Sometimes, it’s still hard, finding my place,” she said. “But I really, really think that everypony can, eventually! Even Cordite did!”

With a wink, Pinkie Pie let the car door close behind her, and she was gone.