Sunlight and Flurry weren't let in on just how much of a problem the little piece of paper they found was. Their curiosity spiked, leading them to do things they wouldn't normally have done. They would sneak around the castle when Flurry visited, trying to eavesdrop on the bigger ponies and hear just what it was. But they tried not to ask out loud, for fear of getting into trouble.

But Sunlight just couldn't help herself. Like her mother, she was so inquisitive about the world around her. Her brain flowed constantly with questions about topics as far apart as horseshoes, saddlebags, and where foals came from. Ah, yes, that was one of the biggest questions she had. Where exactly did foals come from? Her little mind wondered and wondered, but she was nervous about asking such a huge question to her mother or father.

So one day she went to Flurry Heart. "Flurry, you're old enough to know a cacophony of facts. Tell me, where exactly do foals originate from?"

Flurry giggled a bit at her cousin's huge vocabulary, then stopped short. Wait…that's the same question I asked Mom and Dad back when Midnight was born! They looked completely freaked out when I asked it! How do I answer…?

"Uh…" she stammered out loud, "don't you think you should ask Auntie Twily about that?"

"No, Mommy would probably dodge it. But you're my cousin and you know EVERYTHING!" She gave Flurry an extremely adorable look that spoke volumes. Flurry stumbled back a bit, trying to resist it, but finding it impossible. Sunlight's small blue eyes bore holes through her brain. "Ugh, alright, I'll tell you. But you've got to promise not to tell anypony I told you!"

"I promise!"

Flurry then proceeded to explain, in graphic detail, the process of a mare and a stallion falling in love and having foals together. Sunlight's small mouth fell open as Flurry went on and on and on. She gave Sunlight the exact lecture her father had given her on the subject, and Sunlight had about the same reaction to it. Flurry saw her cousin's eyes grow wide.

"So…the stallion and mare…they…really…do that?"

Flurry nodded. "But that seems so…I mean, it's…" Sunlight stumbled over her words. She couldn't believe that something like that could ever occur! Her small mind was completely blown, and she looked up at Flurry. She's so lucky, the small one thought, she's old enough to know about things like that. But I'm sorry I asked. I just don't understand it at all!

"Does that clear things up?" Flurry asked. Sunlight nodded out of sheer instinct. Truth be told, she didn't get it at all and things had never been muddier! She decided she would ask her mother about it when she was a little older. I may be really smart, but I just don't understand how that kind of love works, I guess.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a shriek of fear and anguish. "HELP!" Somepony cried, "HELP! PRINCESS TWILIGHT! PRINCE FLASH! HELP, PLEASE!"

"That sounds like Mrs. Cake!" Sunlight squeaked as she and Flurry began running back towards the source of the sound. They raced around the castle corner to find Mrs. Cake sobbing and pounding on the door with her hooves. Sunlight raced up to her.

"Mrs. Cake! What's wrong?!"

"Oh, thank Celestia you're here, Princess Sunlight! Where's your Mommy and Daddy?! I need them immediately!"

Sunlight nodded and said, "I'll get her!" With that, she raced around the other castle corner and bounded across the bridge to the School of Friendship. She knew that her father was in the middle of teaching his class on the history of Equestrian friendship, so she thought she would go see her mother first.

She found Twilight busily grading papers in her office. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" She squealed as she burst through the door. Her mother dropped the papers and raced to her side. "What is it, Sunlight?! Are you hurt?! Is Flurry hurt?!"

"No, Mommy!" The foal said urgently, "it's Mrs. Cake! She's pounding on the castle door and screaming for you and Daddy to help her!"

Twilight looked up frantically, trying desperately to find somepony to watch the school so she could take care of the problem. Thankfully, Starlight trotted by. "Starlight!" Twilight said, "I need you to watch the school! It's extremely urgent!"

"Alright, Twi, I'd be glad to," her sister responded with a smile. "Thanks!" Twilight said as she put Sunlight on her back and galloped out of the room. They sped across the schoolyard until they came face-to-face with an absolutely insane Mrs. Cake.

"Mrs. Cake! What's wrong?!" Twilight asked, "is Pinkie OK?! What about Mr. Cake?!"

"Mr. Cake's gone to the hospital to fetch more help, but I think it's too late!" She responded, bursting into tears. Twilight stepped over and tried to soothe the sobbing baker. "It's alright, Mrs. Cake. It's alright."

"NO, IT'S NOT!" Mrs. Cake suddenly screamed, "PINKIE PIE IS DEAD!"

Twilight gasped and her eyes welled up with tears. "What?" She asked in shock, "no…Pinkie can't be dead! She just took her lunch break from the school! She just finished teaching her 3rd period class! Wha…I…HOW?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Mrs. Cake wailed in despair. Twilight put Sunlight on the ground and turned to her. "Sunlight, go play with Flurry Heart."

"But, Mommy…"

"I said, go," her mother said sternly. Sunlight backed up and walked sadly over to where Flurry was. What had happened? Was their friend Pinkie really gone? Why had her mother spoken to her so roughly? Once again, she turned to her cousin for answers. "Flurry…did I do something wrong?"

Flurry chuckled. "Of course not, Sunlight. You didn't do anything wrong. But you have to understand that there are times when adults need to do things that foals don't understand and they need to do them quickly. This is one of those times. That's why she spoke to you that way."

Seeing Sunlight's disappointed look, she continued. "I know you wanted to know everything that was going on, but I guess some things you don't need to know about. Still, though, I would like to confirm that what Mrs. Cake said is actually real."

"She was screaming like that and you still wanna confirm it? Plus, why would she lie about Pinkie being dead?"

"I don't know," Flurry said, "it just all seems extremely coincidental. Anyway, I'd just like to be sure. Come on! Let's go check Sugarcube Corner!"

Sunlight perked up and nodded, eager to see everything that was going on. She wasn't trying to disobey her mother's order, but her small mind quivered with excitement. She hardly ever got to go on adventures, and this seemed like an excellent opportunity to spend more time with Flurry. After all, the two of them were best friends, weren't they?

So, with this reasoning going through her mind, she galloped off after her older cousin. They ran along the main street of Ponyville until they got to Sugarcube Corner. They ran inside and up to the counter. "It's so strange," Sunlight remarked, "I'm so used to seeing Pinkie's smiling face on the other side of this."

Flurry nodded silently as she crept around the corner, looking for anything to corroborate Mrs. Cake's story. She stopped and gasped. Sunlight, peering around Flurry's flank, gasped as well. There, lying dead on the floor with blood pouring out of multiple wounds, was Pinkie Pie.