The First One's Always Free
"What a wonderful day." Fluttershy spoke to herself, smiling as she trotted through Ponyville.
It was, indeed, a wonderful day out. A sunny sky smiled down on this particular spring day. Birds flew overhead, chirping excitedly. Not a cloud was to be seen in the sky, thanks to the cloud busting prowess of Fluttershy's close friend Rainbow Dash. A slight breeze carried the scent of fresh-baked goodies down the main streets of Ponyville.
The source of the wonderful smell also happened to be Fluttershy's destination: Sugarcube Corner. A lovely (if gaudily decorated) bakery run by the Cake family. The only one in town, in fact. Nopony was really sure why, either. All the other bakeries, some of which had been in Ponyville for generations, had all gradually gone out of business after the Cakes moved to Ponyville.
"Hi Fluttershy!" A violently pink mare with an offensively pink mane greeted Fluttershy when she entered the bakery.
"Hi, Pinkie." Fluttershy greeted back the mare with a small smile.
Pinkie Pie was a close friend of Fluttershy's, and the only employee of Sugarcube Corner that wasn't part of the Cake family. The unnaturally energetic pink mare somehow worked at the bakery seven days a week, ran a party business on the side, and still needed to borrow bits to pay bills at the end of the month. There was a rumor that Pinkie Pie was in deep to some sort of hidden criminal element in Ponyville, but that was neither here nor there.
"What can I get ya?" Pinkie asked, grinning widely.
"Just a chocolate cupcake, please." Fluttershy requested, ignoring the offended looks she recieved from a wall-eyed, gray pegasus at a nearby table. The mare in question had a box of muffins in front of her, half of which had already been eaten.
"Okie dokie!" Pinkie Pie disappeared beneath the counter for a moment, reappearing with a chocolate cupcake that could have put supermodels to shame with how perfectly sculpted it was. The treat could have been hoof-crafted by the Gods themselves for all it's complete lack of flaws.
"Oh my..." Fluttershy exclaimed quietly as she began to salivate.
"Yep! I made this bad boy this morning. I've been waiting for you to show up so the plot could continue." Pinkie claimed proudly.
Fluttershy merely ignored the second half of Pinkie's bizarre claims. She'd learned long ago that trying to understand everything Pinkie said would only invite madness. Instead, she stared longingly at the cupcake as she set her bits onto the counter.
Fluttershy's attention was pulled from the delectable delight that would be her snack by a small jar being set next to it.
"What's this?" Fluttershy asked as she stared at a brownish substance. The jar itself sported a simple white cap and a complete lack of any labeling.
"This?" Pinkie asked before looking around the bakery to make sure nopony was listening in. She leaned in close and whispered into Fluttershy's ear. "This is cookie butter. It's super duper yummy. The Cakes said I could give out some free samples to a few ponies in town."
"Oh, well thank you Pink-" Fluttershy was quickly shushed by a pink hoof being thrust into her mouth.
"SHHHH!" Pinkie held a hoof to her mouth, wide-eyed as she silenced the yellow pegasus. "You can't tell anypony where you got this from, especially Mayor Mare! And don't eat too much at once!" Pinkie frantically whispered.
Fluttershy nodded lightly before Pinkie would remove her hoof from Fluttershy's mouth. Fluttershy coughed as air finally rushed back into her lungs. Meanwhile, Pinkie stuffed the cookie butter into a plain brown paper bag and slid it over to Fluttershy.
"I'm gonna just go now Pinkie..." Fluttershy said slowly as she gathered her cupcake and the bagged jar.
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie grinned and waved a hoof energetically, all traces of her secretive side having disappeared in the blink of an eye.
~~~
The cupcake had tasted as good as it had looked. Moist without being too rich, light and fluffy but still able to somehow be filling, and by the Gods the frosting was indescribably orgasmic. Fluttershy had found herself shedding a single tear of bitter joy as she ate what would clearly be the last good bit of food she'd ever eat again. Nothing else would come close to this one cupcake in terms of flavor.
But now, at midnight, hours after that cupcake had been sacrificed upon the altar of flavor, Fluttershy found herself hankering for something sweet. As it so happened she found herself unwrapping the jar she'd recieved earlier, freeing it from it's brown paper prison.
It looked rather ordinary, sitting there in a jar. But it came from Sugarcube Corner. And Pinkie Pie had recommended it. How bad could it be?
Fluttershy carefully used a wing to unscrew the lid of the jar and was immediately hit with a scent of fresh cookies mixed with just a hint of something else. Peanut? Hazelnut? Some kind of nut. She wasn't sure what kind.
Pulling a spoon out of a drawer, Fluttershy gingerly scooped out a small amount, ruining the perfection that was the surface of the spreadable substance. She lifted the treat to her nose and sniffed lightly.
Graham cracker. That's what the smell reminded her of. Fresh graham cracker. Fluttershy did like graham crackers.
She took a tentative bite of the cookie butter and the world was suddenly a better place. Earlier today, Fluttershy would have wagered every bit she'd had that nothing else would compare to that single cupcake. That cupcake's deliciousness had been a lie. A decadent, chocolate lie.
The cookie butter was like nothing she'd ever tasted. Smooth and creamy, but with a light texturing of cookie bits to dance gaily upon her tongue. Yes, actual bits of cookie in the spreadable treat. The taste was something reminiscent of what it smelled of. The sweet graham-crackery goodness was the first flavor to assault her tongue, leaving the poor mare begging for a reprieve from the delight she felt. This reprieve came swiftly in the form of a smooth aftertaste of nutty goodness. Fluttershy found her tongue probing about her mouth, searching longingly for any last morsel of the small bite she'd taken.
After finding no remnants of flavor remained in her mouth, Fluttershy spooned out a larger portion of the cookie butter, smiling giddily as she took a second bite.
~~~
Gone. It was all gone! Fluttershy hadn't been able to help herself last night. Her small snack had turned into the entire jar of cookie butter. She'd woken up twice thinking to have just one more spoonful in her half-awake state, only to enter her kitchen and be reminded that she'd finished off the cookie butter without any help.
Fluttershy knew she had a full schedule for the day, but decided that a quick trip back to Sugarcube Corner wouldn't disrupt things too badly. Celestia only knew what kind of havoc would befall Ponyville if Fluttershy's schedule were as strict as Twilight Sparkle's.
"Morning, Fluttershy!" Pinkie was once again behind the counter, putting freshly baked muffins into the glass case of the bakery. Both Pinkie and Fluttershy knew this meant that there was exactly two minutes and thirteen seconds before the town's mailmare came through the door for her breakfast. "What can I get you?"
"Oh, um... I was wondering if you had any more cookie butter in stock?" The yellow pegasus asked timidly.
"Sure do!" Pinkie disappeared into the back room of the bakery, returning with a brown paper bag that matched the one that held yesterday's cookie butter. "That'll be fifteen bits!" Pinkie smiled widely as she set down the product.
"Oh my... that's pretty steep, don't you think?"
"Yep! But Mr. and Mrs. Cake said that that's the lowest they can go per jar. Something about importations and specialists and something about changeling mules, whatever that means." The pink mare tapped a hoof to her chin in thought.
Fluttershy, however, had tuned out Pinkie about the time she'd said 'lowest they can go...' She didn't really need the treat, per se. Although she had walked all the way from the edge of town and already altered her schedule doing so. It would be a waste of time and energy to have to head back home empty-hooved...
Fifteen bits hit the counter, interrupting whatever rant Pinkie had continued while Fluttershy had been contemplating.
"Oh, thanks!" Pinkie grinned. Fluttershy walked out of Sugarcube Corner, paper bag held tightly between her teeth. "See ya later, Fluttershy!" Pinkie called after her.
~~~
It was about midday before Fluttershy could sit down and take a break. Her trip into town had delayed feeding time for all her animal friends back home. After finally getting to feeding them and cleaning up the remains of the couch Angel Bunny had destroyed in her absence, Fluttershy decided it was now a perfect time to treat herself. And she knew just the treat.
The cookie butter seemed to melt into her tongue, gently caressing Fluttershy's taste buds. Every muscle in Fluttershy's body seemed to simultaneously tighten and relax as the cookie butter flooded her with happy emotions. Any worries that had been lingering in the back of the mare's mind gently slipped out the back door, careful not to ruin this moment of bliss.
Fluttershy found herself breathing heavily as she sprawled across the bed she'd eaten her snack in, an empty jar sitting upon her nightstand.
~~~
Sugarcube Corner was just about to close when Fluttershy got back. She'd hurriedly finished any remaining chores, having put them off due to the fact that she'd fallen into a blissful slumber after her treat. Once her animal friends had eaten dinner and Fluttershy had replaced yet another destroyed couch (she kept them in storage behind her cottage. Angel Bunny seemed to destroy couches at the slightest provocation), she'd flown back into town as fast as her wings would carry her.
"Hiya!" Pinkie greeted Fluttershy once again.
"Yeah, hi." Fluttershy responded rather curtly. "Um, do you have any more cookie butter in?"
"You finished a second jar already?!" Pinkie asked, a tone not unlike horror creeping into the edges of her voice.
"What? Oh, no... Um... Angel Bunny threw a tantrum and ended up breaking the last jar. I was hoping to have a little bit with my desert tonight."
Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she looked at her friend. Fluttershy could feel a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead.
"Okie Dokie, then!" Pinkie disappeared from sight, returning moments later to a neatly stacked pile of fifteen bits waiting for her on the counter.
Fluttershy didn't say anything as she took her purchase and left at a quick trot. Pinkie Pie called goodbye after her.
~~~
It had been a week since Fluttershy had been gifted her first jar of cookie butter. Now she found herself wearing a trenchcoat and fedora as she slipped into Sugarcube Corner just before closing time.
"I'd like a jar of your cookie butter, please." She said in a deep, masculine voice.
On the opposite side of the counter, hidden from view of any customers, was a picture of a cute yellow pegasus with a pink mane. In large bold letters were the words 'Do Not Serve'. The pink mare working the counter smiled widely and slipped into the back for a moment, returning with a brown paper bag somehow clutched tightly in her mane. There were fifteen bits waiting for her on the counter top.
"Here you- hey!" Pinkie started to say. "Fluttershy, you're not allowed in here any more! If the Cakes see you, I could get in trouble!" Pinkie whispered harshly as the bag of cookie butter disappeared into Pinkie's mane.
"I-I know." Fluttershy answered glumly. "I just... needed to see my good friend Pinkie Pie. I figured using Poison Joke to disguise my voice would keep the Cakes from recognizing me long enough to get a little hug." The mare half-asked in her deep voice.
Pinkie Pie frowned.
"Well... I suppose a quick hug would be okay. But then you really need to leave!" Pinkie declared in her same harsh whisper as before. She wrapped her hooves tightly around Fluttershy, who reciprocated the hug with a pat on Pinkie's mane added in. "Just, steer clear of the bakery for a few weeks until the Cakes let you come back, okay?"
"Okay, Pinkie." Fluttershy said softly to her friend. She turned and left without another word, a brown paper bundle hidded in her trench coat.
~~~
"Hiya, Sweetie Belle!" Pinkie greeted enthusiastically. "What can I get ya?"
It was dusk outside the bakery, and most of the patrons from the late dinner rush had dispersed, leaving Pinkie enough room to clean the front of the bakery when a white filly had entered.
"Hi Pinkie. I'd like a vanilla oat cupcake." She grinned widely. "Oh! And a jar of cookie butter."
Pinkie froze halfway through getting the cupcake.
"What for?" The pink mare tilted her head, an inquizitive look on her face.
"Um... Rarity said she needed something..." Sweetie Belle lifted a hoof from the floor and squinted at the bottom of it. "to snack on after dunner. I mean dinner! Then get a cupcake for yourself or something." She placed the hoof on the floor and continued smiling widely.
Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the adorable mare, who remained completely composed under her gaze. This went on for some time.
"Okay! Just be sure to tell Rarity not to eat too much at once, okay?" Pinkie warned as she gave the product and a cupcake to the filly in exchange for the bits owed.
"Okay, Pinkie! Thank you!" Sweetie Belle trotted happily out the bakery and across the street into a dimly lit alley.
"Did you get the stuff?" A yellow pegasus sporting a trench coat and fedora asked harshly.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle replied hesitantly. "But I don't get why you couldn't have gone in and got it yourself."
"You got your cupcake, didn't you?" Fluttershy asked irritably as she took the brown paper bag from Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to respond but closed it again. Frowning slightly she turned and started walking away.
"See you later, Fluttershy." Sweetie Belle called back over her shoulder. She then trotted from view, struggling to comprehend why she felt so guilty.
Fluttershy, however, could have cared less. She pulled the jar of cookie-buttery goodness from it's bag, tossing the bag away without a thought. She hurriedly popped open the jar, trembling as the the white lid landed forgotten next to the bag. As Fluttershy reached in to the jar to satisfy her craving she pulled out not a treat, but a note.
'Fluttershy. We need to talk. -Pinkie'
Fluttershy growled in frustration and threw the jar down the alley where it shattered into a thousand tiny fragments.
"That Pinkie Pie! She makes me so... so... peeved!" Fluttershy cried as she reared up and stomped her forhooves into the ground. Grumbling to herself, she stormed home. The citizens of Ponyville she passed gave her a wide berth.
~~~
"I'm home, everypony!" Fluttershy called to her animal friends. The ones who were still there, at least. Many of them had gradually left in the weeks that Fluttershy had started eating cookie butter. Now, only a stark few remained. She stripped off the trench coat and hung it on a coat rack next to the door. The fedora followed suit.
Angel Bunny, Fluttershy's closest animal friend, hopped up and tugged on a tuft of Fluttershy's grungy fur. The mare looked down at the white rabbit. The bunny could see bags under the mares eyes. She looked frailer than usual, too. Thinner. Her mane and tail were matted down and hung limply. Angel gave another tug on her fur before hopping towards the living room and turning back to look at Fluttershy.
"I know, I know. It's dinner time. I didn't forget today." Fluttershy smiled wearily and followed Angel Bunny into the living room. What was waiting for her there made her heart skip a beat.
All her friends were seated in a half-circle of fold out chairs. Two of the chairs in the half circle were empty. Angel Bunny hopped up into one of the chairs and patted the empty one next to him, indicating that the chair was for Fluttershy.
Fluttershy scanned each of her friends. Applejack had removed her stetson, holding it tightly to her chest. Rainbow Dash clutched a crumpled piece of paper tightly, fretfully looking back and forth between it and Fluttershy. Rarity was quietly crying into a tissue while Twilight Sparkle did her best to console the mare.
"Fluttershy," It was Pinkie Pie speaking. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill down to the floor. The pink mare's mane hung straight, as if the life had deflated from it. Even her normally vibrant pink coat seemed duller. "can you sit down? We need to talk."
