The party pony's pink tongue twirled in circles as she licked up the icing, removing the unique contrast of purple against yellow. Pinkie Pie looked up right into Fluttershy's face, red from embarrassment.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about Fluttershy. I do it all the time." she said, smiling.
"But isn't this kind of, umm... dirty?" asked Fluttershy, her face still flushed, but Pinkie Pie shrugged, "I don't really care. It's fun! Now you just lay back and relax, okay?" she said.
Fluttershy nodded and laid back. She felt a very relaxing sensation and groaned slightly from the pleasure. She still couldn't figure out how it ended up like this, yet she could remember what happened quite clearly...
T'was a clear and sunny Saturday morning. With no plans for any of her friends, Fluttershy thought she could spend the day alone with the creatures that best understood her. Animals. What she failed to realise was that, in terms of out-of-nowhere invitations, her friend Pinkie Pie was the boss.
And so Fluttershy failed to step a hoof outside her cottage door when Pinkie popped out of nowhere, and because of that sudden appearance, the yellow pegasus dropped backwards into her little cozy home.
"Oh... Hi Pinkie Pie... You startled me..." she said timidly. Pinkie started bouncing and hopping around Fluttershy in her usual Pinkie fashion.
"Hi Fluttershy! Say, do you want to help me bake a new batch of cupcakes?" she asked, smiling widely and stopping before Fluttershy, who staggered to her hooves.
"Doesn't Rainbow Dash usually help you with your cupcakes?"
"Yeah, usually she does, but the Bronies think for some reason that she shouldn't"
"Bro-who?" asked Fluttershy, puzzled.
"Nevermind about them Fluttershy. Point is, I'm not allowed to bake cupcakes us- I mean, with Rainbow Dash. And even if I could, she's nowhere to be found."
Fluttershy shrugged. This wasn't the first time Pinkie made no sense in her statements. But that's just how she was, a bit like a mini-amiable Discord, "Why don't you ask somepony better at baking, like Applejack?"
"Oh, she's also nowhere to be found. Just this morning she was seen with Rainbow Dash but suddenly they're gone. They've left a note saying that they'll be back and that we don't worry. I'm wondering what could have happened... But nevermind. Will you help me Fluttershy? Please please please PLEEEEEEEEEASE?" asked Pinkie, making puppy eyes. A critical hit to Fluttershy's Animal Love and Shyness. She simply couldn't refuse.
"Okay Pinkie. I'll help you. Can I just tell my wittle animals?" she said, to which Pinkie hopped from joy and nodded so fast her head seemed to pop off for a brief moment. To that, Fluttershy backed up into her cottage and closed the door.
Out from behind her rickety old couch hopped out Angel, holding a long batch of rope. Fluttershy walked up to her bunny, "Sorry Angel, but I have to go and help my friend Pinkie Pie. I promise I'll come back and then we'll play, but for now, I'm going to help in making cupcakes. Keep this place in order while I'm gone." she said, kissing Angel on the forehead. Angel huffed, but then Fluttershy looked at the bunny, and Angel knew better than argue with The Stare. Unsatisfied, the bunny hid the rope under the couch and walked away. The yellow pegasus smiled. She sure was being more assertive than all of the times before Iron Will's training. Luckily she was also clever enough to figure out how not to pay a single bit to him.
She went out the door and greeted Pinkie again. Then they got into a trot towards Sugarcube Corner.
"Hey Pinkie... Do you have any idea where Rainbow Dash and Applejack could be? I'd be just awful if something bad happened to them." said Fluttershy, and Pinkie turned to look at her.
"I have no idea Fluttershy. The Bronies say that they are being shipped but that's a ridiculous idea. Everypony knows that there are no crates big enough for grown up ponies." said Pinkie, and Fluttershy nodded. It was better not to ask what Pinkie meant and just agree with her. Sometimes she looked in a random direction as if she saw something there but it was just air.
"I just hope that Rainbow Dash returns before next week. That's when all pegasi will be needed in Ponyville." said Pinkie, looking up at the distant silhouette of Cloudsdale. Now Fluttershy just couldn't play along.
"What do you mean Pinkie?" she asked. If it was a matter concerning Pegasi then she should probably know.
"I mean the hur- Oh, Spoilers. I'm sorry Fluttershy. Just forget about it." said Pinkie, knocking on Fluttershy's head twice with her hoof.
"Forget about what?" asked Fluttershy, confused. As far as she remembered, they were just walking to Sugarcube Corner, though it felt as if there was a memory blank in her head.
"Nevermind Fluttershy. Look, we're here. Shall we begin?" asked Pinkie, reaching out to open the door. Fluttershy couldn't understand it, but sometimes everypony got a feeling that they suddenly travelled a long distance with just a few steps, and since it couldn't be explained, everypony figured the best thing they can do is just go along and thank Celestia for such a convenient travel method.
Pinkie flung the door open. Everything was quiet, since it was rumoured that the Cakes left for a little vacation, leaving Pinkie in charge of the shop. A crazy idea, yet at the same time a logical one. Put a cupcake expert in charge of the cupcakes, go on a holiday, do something and get the profit.
The ponies entered the kitchen, and Pinkie hopped with joy as she gathered the cupcake ingredients on the table, "This batch is going to be super special awesome!" Fluttershy quietly 'yay'ed in agreement.
They quickly got ready and Pinkie gave Fluttershy the first instruction - Make the dough. They got about it pretty quickly, and now all Fluttershy had to do is crush the dough and steadily add water to it. As she did, Pinkie trotted around the kitchen in deep thought.
"You know what Fluttershy? It feels like we need a song whilst baking." she said. Fluttershy looked at her.
"I'm not sure... you're the song expert here Pinkie. Do you have any ideas?"
"Hmm... It needs to be something funny and sort of light hearted, doesn't it?"
"Umm..." said Fluttershy, before Pinkie beamed with an idea, "I got it Fluttershy! Here, let me make the dough." she said, giving Fluttershy a time space of about a second to hop away before she somersaulted into place. She quickly started crushing the dough and whistled herself into a tune.
"♫ I am a pony and I'm making the dough. Makey makey dough! I'm making the dough! ♫" she started singing while a light of realisation came over Fluttershy's face.
"Umm, Pinkie? That tune is copyrighted." she said, and Pinkie looked at her in thought.
"You're right Fluttershy, Well, now that I'm making the dough, could you get to making the icing?" she asked, and Fluttershy nodded. Icing was actually pretty easy to make. All she needed to do was add the ingredients and mix them together while Pinkie put the dough in cupcake-shaped trays and those inside the oven.
They worked in silence for a while, which surprised Fluttershy. Usually Pinkie would be very loud and talking non-stop. This was odd.
The oven dinged and Pinkie pulled out the fresh warm cupcakes, "Okay Fluttershy. Now bring the icing over here." she said. Fluttershy nodded and walked towards Pinkie, when suddenly she tripped over a sofa and sent the icing flying into the air and out of the bowl...
And that's how she ended up where she was. She wouldn't even question why the hay Pinkie would put a sofa in the middle of the kitchen. She just laid back and, as Pinkie asked, relaxed. It was a pleasuring sensation. Still, something bugged her.
"Pinkie, what if somepony saw you? What would they think?" she asked. Pinkie stopped licking and shrugged.
"I don't want to think about that. And I don't! I hope you won't tell anypony though. I trust you as a friend. Do you promise not to tell anypony?" asked Pinkie.
"I promise."
"Pinkie Promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Great! Okay, there is still a bit of icing left. I'll be able to take it from here Fluttershy, so just go on back home. We're pretty much done and I know you want to play with Angel tonight, so I'll let you be for now." said Pinkie, smiling, "And don't worry, what happened could happen to anypony, honest. Don't feel embarrassed."
Fluttershy smiled, said, "Bye Pinkie" and left Sugarcube Corner, still feeling the pleasure she felt back at Pinkie's place.
