The sun had yet to rise; Luna’s moon still watched over all the ponies of Equestria as they slumbered and dreamed of whatever dreams their hearts desired. The morning light was starting to creep up the horizon, but there were still a few hours until the sun, and ponies, would awaken.
There was one pink earth pony who was already up and about.
Pinkie Pie was rushing around the kitchen in a whirlwind, moving from mixing bowl, to oven, to fridge, and back. Bags of flour sat all around her hooves, cake batter in splashes on the ceiling and walls; her pink curled poof of a mane was a tangled mess of eggs and batter itself, and even her cutie mark was covered in flour and sugar. She almost looked like she was planning to bake herself, and although she agreed that she would be delicious, she didn’t think the oven was big enough for a pony her size, not to mention she didn’t have the time to bake a pony today anyways. Still, she whirled and twisted and spun, doing a dance only a skilled baker could mimic, as she prepared the tasty desserts for the ponies that would be coming to Sugarcube Corner later in the day. Mr. and Mrs. Cake would normally be there beside her, helping get the goods baked and ready, but they had taken the twins Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake off to visit family, and wouldn’t be back until later that evening.
She spun from the fridge so she could pull the fresh lemon zest muffins from the oven, immediately getting them set on a large cooling rack already stacked with other muffins, cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. With another flash of pink she was back by the mixing bowls, a list of what needed to be made for the bakery and what needed to be made for deliveries sitting underneath a fine coat of baking powder and sugar.
“First a cup of flour, then a little something sweet, not sour this time, and just a pinch of salt, oh and a teaspoon of vanilla, can’t forget that now. Mix it up and count to four, then mix it up just a little more, when the batter is so battery that the taste is just shockingly delicious, then we put it in the mold and bake it till it’s nice and gold, with a ding of the timer the yummy treats are done!” Pinkie danced and sang as she prepped the next batch of vanilla cupcakes. With a twirl she slipped the new pan into the oven and closed it with a swish of her tail before turning again to check on the cooling treats. “Just a teeny tiny bite shouldn’t hurt,” she said to herself before taking a bite out of one of the still warm lemon zest muffins. “MMMmmm delicious! This recipe Mrs. Cake uses is just the best!” She mumbled with muffin in her mouth. She polished off the rest of the muffin before turning back to her baking.
Just as she was about to open the fridge to pull out more eggs for the super duper chocolate cookies she was about to prepare, the bell over the door chimed that somepony was coming in for a treat.
But the pony at the door was not anypony that Pinkie Pie expected to see there, at that hour, or looking as frazzled as he did.
“PINKIE! You’ve got to help me! I need the most special cake you could possibly make, and it has to be in the shape of Fluttershy’s cutie mark, with an icing drawing of Fluttershy and I on the top of it. It needs to be a lemon cake, you know, the color of Fluttershy’s coat. And it needs a pale pink buttercream frosting, just like her beautiful… erm I mean, just like her mane. The icing drawing has to be done in… let’s see, I think raspberry flavoured icing would be best for it. Yes, raspberry. And I need it done just before lunch time, and it has to be a surprise so you can’t let any other pony see it, especially not Fluttershy! She will be so excited when I show it to her, and I know you will do a wonderful job making it Pinkie. I hate to admit it, but your baking skills far outshine my own. I could just use my magic to make it appear but that wouldn’t be as special. And knowing that I went to the trouble to get one specially made for her will make her happier I think. Right, Pinkie? Did you get all that?” Discord rushed out, walking, and floating, in circles at the entryway. His body kept float-walking in circle while his head faced Pinkie, causing him to twist up and his head to pop off onto the floor. His body kept walking and ended up tripping over his head, crashing to the floor where his body shattered like glass. Rolling his eyes, he brought all the pieces of his body back together, picking up his head in the process, and putting it back on his neck.
Pinkie started bouncing up and down, a huge smile plastered to her face. “Of course I got it! And I am sure Fluttershy will love it, but what’s the special cake for? It’s not her birthday, or else we would be having a super duper tea party for her like last year, but her birthday is still two months away so what is the cake for? Oh wait, is it your birthday and you are surprising Fluttershy by planning a surprise party for yourself so she doesn’t have to?” Pinkie bellowed, bouncing around Discord.
“Well, no. It’s not my birthday and as you said it’s not hers either. You see, it’s to celebrate the 200th tea party since I was first ‘reformed’ by Fluttershy. As you may know, we have had a tea party every Tuesday since we became friends, because it was a Tuesday when I first realized that her friendship was important to me. Although the tea party we had that day did have all of you ponies there too, it is still a tradition Flutters and I have kept to because… we can. Because we can.” Discord answered, turning away slightly to hide the growing blush on his face.
“Oooh a friendship anniversary party! The cake has to be super special for a super duper special anniversary like that! I can get my party supplies and get a party thrown together in no time for you! I can use my party cannon to deliver the invitations to everyone in Ponyville while you keep Fluttershy distracted out at her cottage. We can have it in the town square with ribbons and streamers and balloons and it WILL. BE. AMAZING!!” Pinkie finished that last bit with a yell only Pinkie could manage.
“As much as I… appreciate… your desire to throw a party for us, this party will be just myself and Fluttershy. Nopony else is invited,” Discord stated, eyeing the strange pink bouncing creature as she bobbed and twirled around him. He couldn’t suppress his grin as he watched her slightly deflate into the floor.
“Aww, nopony else is invited? Why not?” Pinkie whimpered, her eyes teary and her mouth quivering.
“Because it is a special day for Fluttershy and me, and I don’t want to share her… I mean, it is just a special day for us, and I don’t want to be bothered by anypony during our time together. Now, while you get started on the cake I have to go get the rest prepared. I’ll need new tea, flowers, a blanket…” Discord said while turning and walking out the door. He peeked his head back in one last time to look at the pink earth pony, “And here,” he tossed her a piece of parchment, “that’s the drawing I want you to make with the icing.” He then disappeared with a pop in a shower of pink and yellow glitter.
Pinkie looked at the paper and the drawing on it. It was a picture of Fluttershy and Discord… hugging. Pinkie just giggled and rolled her eyes before getting to work on her new order. Since Discord wanted a lemon cake, first she started looking for the lemons. When she looked in the fruit basket, though, all the lemons were gone. She had used them to make the lemon zest muffins, so all her lemons were squeezed into those deliciously tasty treats. Pinkie couldn’t let that beat her down though, she had to get lemons no matter what. This was a super important, super special, super duper friendship anniversary! If the cake wasn’t perfect, the whole thing could fall apart! So, she strapped her saddle bags on, and exited Sugarcube Corner in search of lemons.
First she went to the town market, but since it was still dark, of course no pony was up yet. Pacing around and around, circling the empty space she contemplated, as only a Pinkie could, about where she could possibly get some lemons.
“Oh! I know!” She screamed as she jumped high in the air before she galloped off to a house just a little ways away. “LEMON ZEST! ARE YOU AWAKE?” She bellowed at her loudest as she hammered on the door of the little house.
“Be quiet!”
“Do you even know what time it is?”
“Celestia hasn’t even raised the sun yet! Let us sleep!”
Different ponies in all the surrounding houses shouted out at Pinkie in a cacophony of yells.
“Oopsy daisy! SORRY EVERYPONY, YOU CAN GO BACK TO SLEEP NOW!” Pinkie answered back, yelling through her megaphone that she pulled from within her pink, poofy mane.
“PINKIE! BE QUIET!” All the voices yelled in a harmonious chorus.
Lemon Zest opened the door and asked, “Pinkie? What the heck are you doing so early in the morning?”
“Ooooh Lemony! I love your nightgown!” Pinkie bounced with a joyful squeal when she saw the pink and purple nightdress Lemon Zest was wearing. “It reminds me of cotton candy!”
“Pinkie, stay on track. Why. Are. You. Here?” Lemon Zest practically growled at the pink bouncing mare.
“Oh uhm, do you have any lemons?” Pinkie stopped bouncing for a moment and asked the sleep deprived pony.
“No.” Lemon Zest said before slamming the door in Pinkie’s face.
“Thanks anyways Lemony, have a good sleep!” Pinkie bid Lemon Zest goodnight and turned back to the empty dark street behind her. “Hmm, where can I get some lemons then?” She pondered for a moment before, “Wait! I think Twilight has some!” As she bounced and bobbed down the streets of Ponyville, she began to sing loudly.
“My name is Pinkie Pie
and I am here to say
I need to find some lemons
To brighten Discord’s day
It doesn't matter now
if Lemon Zest was out
'cause making my friends happy
Is what Pinkie’s all about!”
“PINKIE! WE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!” The chorus of towns-ponies yelled.
“Oh yeah, oops,” Pinkie giggled before continuing her trot over to Twilight’s castle.
Once Pinkie arrived at the Castle of Friendship, she was about to bang her hoof on the door, before remembering that everypony was still sleeping; well, except for the ponies she had already woke up who were now trying to go back to sleep. And she didn’t want to wake up Twilight with how late she already stayed up on her own, so instead Pinkie just slowly pushed open the front door and crept inside.
“Now to find some lemons. I guess I should check the kitchen first… But wait! What if she has a book about lemons and when you open it, it magically produces lemons! Or a whole lemon tree full of super duper yummy lemons! I should go check the library first for a magical lemon book, then go check the kitchen!” Pinkie thought to herself out loud as she paced back in forth in the entryway of the castle. With a smile at having made her decision of where to look, she cantered off in the direction of the library.
When she entered the library, there were some already half melted candles burning in sconces around the walls, with a single candle still lit by a desk near the window. Walking up, Pinkie looked at the still open book on the table. The header of the chapter that the book was opened to read: How to ask out a Special Somepony: Staying Calm
Next to the book were multiple scrolls filled with notes and another stack of books with titles such as How to Know if He Likes You Back, and Does Your Special Somepony Like Somepony Else?
Pinkie giggled to herself before walking back off into the stacks of books surrounding her. “Hmm, now how do I find a book on lemons in this mess?” She asked herself while browsing shelves of books on magic, the history of Equestria, and, “Buffalo mating traditions? What the hay?” She said, stopping at one particularly large book whose title had caught her eye. Pulling it from the shelf, she walked it back over to the table; the lemons had been completely forgotten. Putting the book down on top of Twilight’s current research project, she flipped it open and read the first chapter. Pinkie continued to read until the sun started to rise over the distant horizon.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no! I forgot the lemons!” Pinkie shrieked, as she hopped away from the table with a burst of energy. She ran out of the library and down to Twilight’s kitchen.
“Pinkie? What the heck are you doing here?” Spike asked as Pinkie barrelled into him, knocking a cup of tea from his claws.
“Lemons! Now! Need some!” Pinkie squealed as she trotted in place.
“Hold your hooves, I think we have some here,” Spike said, picking himself off the floor, setting his now empty mug on a counter and sighing at the mess he would have to clean up. He walked over to a cabinet, opened it, and stuck his head inside. “Ah, here they are. We have a whole basket, how many do you need?” Spike pulled a wicker basket filled with lemons out. When Pinkie saw them she bolted over to him, grabbed the whole basket, and then turned to run off.
“Thanks!” She said after she threw the basket onto her back, then she galloped out of the castle at Pinkie speed. She zoomed all the way back to Sugarcube Corner, slamming the door open as she huffed, barely breathing. She brought the lemons into the kitchen, removing her saddlebags as she set them on the floor, before she started whipping up the batter for Discord’s cake. “This will be a super yummy cake! I will even give it my Pinkie guarantee!” She smiled to herself. “Hmm, I wonder what that smell is though, it smells kind of like…” Her eyes popped out as she realized she left the oven baking when she left on her quest for lemons. “Oh no! My vanilla cupcakes!” She twirled from the batter to the oven in a split second, and opened it as fast as she could, then she pulled the now charcoal cakes from inside. “Oh fudge pops! I burned them,” Pinkie whined somberly. She placed the hot pain on the cooling rack and sighed, but when she turned back to the cake batter she immediately smiled by thinking about how happy Discord and Fluttershy would be with her cake for their friendship anniversary party.
Looking at the list of what Discord wanted for the cake now that she had the batter done, she looked at what she would need for the frosting. A pale pink buttercream wouldn’t be a problem, she had plenty of butter and sugar still. But the drawing had to be done in raspberry flavored icing.
“I think I still have a bushel of raspberries here somewhere.” Pinkie spun and started looking through all the cabinets and cupboards. Everywhere she looked, the lack of raspberries made her a little more desperate. “I can’t be out of raspberries! I have to go! I have to get more raspberries! RASPBERRIES!” She screamed, throwing her saddlebags back on her back and bolting from the kitchen, back out into the main streets. The sun had risen, so more and more ponies had woken and were out in the street by now.
With a burst of speed, she darted back to the town square and the market, searching for anypony who would have raspberries for her icing. As she passed stalls still being set up, a pony called out to her.
“Hi there, Pinkie. Where’s the fire?” Apple Jack shouted to the sprinting pink flash of pony.
“Raspberries, need raspberries. Have to get them. Need them for cake. Emergency order. Last minute. Out of raspberries! RASPBERRIES! ICING! CAKE!” Pinkie bellowed in a cacophony of screeches.
“Whoa, slow down there sugarcube. What’s this about needing raspberries, cake, and icing?” Apple Jack asked, as she stopped Pinkie with one hoof.
With a deep inhale of breath, Pinkie explained,” I need raspberries to make raspberry icing to draw the picture on an emergency cake that was ordered this morning and I need to have it completely made before lunch time but I am all out of raspberries and I mean all out! I looked everywhere! In the cabinets, in the cupboards, in the fridge, in the oven, even in the sink! THERE WERE NO RASPBERRIES!” She screamed. “I have to have those raspberries! I can’t get the cake done in time if I don’t have the super important, super necessary, super tasty raspberries for the super duper yummy in the tummy icing!” Pinkie fell to the ground, a mess of pink bawling fluff.
“Oh shoot there sugarcube, if that’s all, I got a bushel right here. Was supposed to be for a new recipe Apple Bloom wanted to try, but I can tell that ya need ‘em more, so here,” Apple Jack pulled a small basket of raspberries from behind her apple cart. “Take ‘em. I can pick up some more for Apple Bloom later.” She said as she gave the raspberries to the now slightly smiling Pinkie Pie.
“Are you sure, AJ? Those are for your sister and all, and I wouldn’t want to take away from somepony else who needs them too.” Pinkie asked.
“No worries, sugarcube. Ya can take ‘em, go on and get yer cake baked. Wouldn’t want yer cake to not get finished in time for the pony who ordered it,” Apple Jack smiled, pushing the raspberries into Pinkie’s saddlebag. Pinkie hugged her friend, squeezing her tightly.
“Thanks, AJ. Look at the time! I gotta go!” Pinkie whisked away, turning back to Sugarcube Corner.
AJ stared after her and just chuckled. “Yer welcome, Pinkie!” She shouted as Pinkie leapt her way down the road.
Finally back in Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie practically fell into the kitchen. With a push, she moved up to the counter next to the batter and pulled the raspberries from her bag. Setting them carefully next to the cake batter, she set up another bowl for the buttercream icing, and a bowl for the raspberry icing. Once she had the bowls all set up, she put the raspberries into one bowl and turned back to the cake batter.
“Discord said he wanted a cake in the shape of Fluttershy’s cutie mark. Did he want three butterflies, or just one big one? Or one big one with two small ones on top? Maybe I should make one big one, and put two small ones next to either wing of the big one, that way it looks like her cutie mark and then there’s even more cake to enjoy!” She decided, and began to put the batter into butterfly shaped pans she pulled from one of the lower cupboards. Once the batter was set, she put the pans into the still hot oven to begin baking. “Now! Time for the icing!” With a twirl and spring she bounced next to the raspberries and started to mix up the icing for the picture. Putting in cup after cup of sugar, she got the raspberries set aside and then looked at the bowl for the buttercream icing. “Alright, it needs to be the pink of Fluttershy’s mane. I have pink food coloring, sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla extract from Prince Rutherford’s last visit, wait… where’s the milk? I can’t make buttercream frosting without milk!” Pinkie dashed from Sugarcube corner again, in search for her final lost ingredient.Outside of Sugarcube Corner, however, she ran straight into the exact somepony she needed to find. Or rather, the exact cow she needed.
“Daisy Jo! Perfect! I need some milk, stat!” Pinkie shouted at the white and brown cow.
“Moo, of course Pinkie. I can get ya some milk, don’tcha know.” Daisy Jo smiled. “Don’t suppose ya got any of my favorite cookies back in that there kitchen now, do ya?”
“I have a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies I just whipped up this morning. I know they’re your favorites!” Pinkie replied, as she lead the cow through the front door. Daisy Jo walked back into the kitchen and got the milk ready for Pinkie, while Pinkie walked over and got the oatmeal cookies all put into a basket for her.
“Here ya go, Pinkie! A fresh batch of milk,” Daisy Jo said, a full bucket of milk by her hooves.
“And here you go, Daisy Jo! A nice big basket of oatmeal cookies!” Pinkie bounced over, then she set the cookie basket in front of Daisy Jo.
“Oh my, do those look delicious! Thank ya kindly, Pinkie,” Daisy Jo beamed before she picked up the basket in her mouth and walked out of the shop.
“I better check on those cakes, wouldn’t want another batch of charcoal cooked up. Don’t think that’s what Discord meant when he said he wanted a cake the color of Fluttershy’s coat. I don’t think she would look very good in black anyways,” Pinkie mused to herself with a giggle. With a quick peek at the cakes to make sure they were baking perfectly, she turned her attention back to the icing. “Now I have the milk, I am all set to Make. Some. FROSTING!” She squealed in delight.
“First the butter, then the shortening, and we gotta mix it super fast and get it all creamy, and gotta add the vanilla too!” She threw the first few ingredients in a bowl, and started to whip it all together. Once it was thick and creamy, she started to slowly add a cup of sugar, then beat and whipped it more, and added another cup of sugar, as she repeated the process. After it was well mixed, she got two tablespoons from the fresh bucket of milk and poured those in with the pink food coloring, then finished mixing up the icing until it was light and fluffy. She pulled the whisk from the icing and gave it a lick. “Delicious! I wonder if Fluttershy’s mane tastes as good as this icing!” She said, continuing to lick the whisk.” Hmm, probably not. It probably just tastes like hair,” she shrugged to herself. She covered the buttercream icing up and put it in the fridge until it would be needed, then she turned back to the raspberry mixture she had started.
The raspberry and sugar mix was already turning into thick raspberry syrup, perfect for the icing she would be turning it into. She smashed up the raspberries, then strained the mixture into a separate bowl, so the icing wouldn’t have any seeds to get stuck in anypony’s teeth. As she got the raspberry icing ready, she sniffed the air. “Oh! Smells like the cake is done!” She spun around and opened the oven. The butterfly cakes were a beautiful light yellow, almost the exact color as Fluttershy’s coat, if a little brighter. “These look absolutely-tutely delicious! Discord will definitely like these cakes!” She placed the cakes on the top of the cooling rack. “Now to finish up the raspberry icing and get it in the fridge to chill while the cake cools, then to get back to baking the rest of the sweets for the day and the other orders. I think Twilight needed some scones for late night snacks, and Rarity has those low fat, low calorie snickerdoodles I have to get baked.” Pinkie giggled.
Once she had the raspberry icing finished and chilling, she turned and continued her regular orders, as well as start on the rest of the baked goods to be sold in the shop that day. Every now and again she ‘tested’ the treats to make sure everypony would like them. When the lemon cake for Discord finished cooling, though, she set it carefully on the counter and pulled the 2 bowls of icing from the fridge. With masterful skill, she put the raspberry icing into a piping bag off to the side, with the picture Discord gave her beside it. Then she started scooping up the pink buttercream frosting and spread it along the cake, starting with the crumb layer before moving on to the top layer as she made sure it was perfectly smooth. Once the layers of buttercream adorned the cake, she started work on carefully drawing out Discord and Fluttershy in their little hug with the raspberry icing. Drawing Discord accurately in frosting was a lot harder than Pinkie thought it would be, but when she finished she was proud of her work.
“Ooooh I can’t wait to show this to Discord! It looks perfect!” Pinkie trilled in joy.
“Did somepony call my name?” Discord appeared in a flash of pink, yellow, and teal confetti, flowers, and feathers.
“Discord! Perfect timing! I just finished your cake for your friendship anniversary with Fluttershy!” Pinkie bounded over to him, grabbed his claw and lead him into the kitchen to show off her work. “It was hard getting it done in time, I had no lemons, or raspberries, or milk! But I got it all worked out and it looks AMAZING!” Pinkie bellowed at him as she pulled him in front of her creation.
Discord looked at the pink butterflies, and the drawing of him hugging Fluttershy on the biggest cake. “Wait a minute, why is this the drawing you put on the cake? That isn’t the drawing I wanted!” Discord shouted, confused and… embarrassed?
“Of course it is, silly! Look, this is the picture you gave me to put on the cake!” Pinkie smiled, handing Discord the picture she used for the cake. “See? It’s you and Fluttershy hugging a big friendship hug!”
“I can’t have that picture on the cake! Here is the picture you were supposed to use!” Discord yelled, flourishing a completely different picture for Pinkie to see. It was a picture of Discord and Fluttershy sitting side by side with a tea pot between them and two tea cups with wings fluttering around their heads. “See? THIS picture! If I was carrying a cake with a picture of Fluttershy and I hugging, do you know what everypony would think?!” Discord bellowed.
“That you two look super duper cute together?” Pinkie answered.
“Exactly! That we look cute… I mean no! Not that! They would think we were a couple! They would think that Fluttershy is my special… wait. You think we look cute together?” Discord asked, as he was stopped cold in his tracks.
“Well duh! Just look at how adorable you two are in this picture, hugging and smiling and so very happy! Who wouldn’t think you two look cute?” Pinkie replied with a chuckle.
“Well, I mean of course Fluttershy looks cute no matter how you look at her… wait, that isn’t the issue here! I need you to bake a brand new cake and put the correct picture on it and it has to be done in an hour, so that I can bring it on time to the picnic!” Discord yelled, facing away from Pinkie, hoping she didn’t notice his bright pink, burning cheeks.
“AN HOUR?!?! I can’t bake a brand new cake in an hour! Do you know how long it took me to make this cake?! I only just finished it and I started working on it as soon as you placed your order! I don’t have enough time!” Pinkie clamored, throwing her hooves in the air.
“Is that the only problem? I can fix that in a cinch,” Discord smiled with a slightly chaotic glint to his eyes. “Hold on tight, this might make you feel just a teensy bit… queasy.” He said, grabbing one of Pinkie’s hooves in his paw, then snapping his claw. With a pop and a flash, everything started to spin. The sun through the window started to wind backwards, Daisy Jo walked backwards into the shop and did all of her previous actions in a perfect reverse before disappearing back out the door. With a lurch, Pinkie fell from Discord’s grasp into the pitch black darkness of early morning. “See, problem fixed! It’s now before sunrise again; you have plenty of time to get baking!”
“I spent the morning baking and running around for ingredients! All the things I baked earlier are gone and I have to start all over again!” Pinkie shouted at him, angry.
“Oh don’t worry, I made sure that the ingredients you need for my cake are all here. Down to the fresh milk,” Discord winked, holding up a bucket filled with milk.
“I am not even going to ask where that came from,” Pinkie said, eyeing Discord’s goat parts.
“It’s cow milk!” Discord grumbled, seeing where Pinkie was looking.
“Whatever you say, Discord,” Pinkie rolled her eyes before taking the bucket of milk to the dark kitchen. “If you want this cake done on time, you have to help me out then. Start by getting some lights turned on in here.” Pinkie finished, trying not to stumble.
“Done and done,” Discord snapped his claw and candles burst into life everywhere, brightening the dark and cold shop. “What next?”
“Well, I had originally used all my lemons for the lemon zest muffins, but since those aren’t made yet, I can use them for your cake. But I will still need more for the baked goods needed in the shop. Can you go to Twilight’s for me and get the basket of lemons from the cupboard in her kitchen? Then I can focus on your cake and not make any mistakes.” Pinkie spun around, pulling flour, eggs, butter, sugar, bowls, and other various items from cabinets, cupboards, and the fridge, getting everything ready for the day's baking, again.
“You mean Princess Twilight’s Castle of Friendship?” Discord grinned; and had Pinkie been looking up at him, she would have immediately known it was not a happy, fun with my friends kind of grin. It was a truly mischievous grin that bore the mark of a prankster at its finest.
“Yes, Twilight’s castle. There should be a basket of lemons in the kitchen,” Pinkie said, oblivious. “Oh! Try not to wake any of the towns-ponies, they all want to sleep until after the sun rises.
“Of course, I will definitely be sure not to wake up anypony,” Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared in a poof of glitter.
“Oops, I forgot to ask him to get me that book on Buffalo I was reading earlier, I mean later, I mean… I’ll just ask Twilight for it. Right after I ask about her special somepony,” Pinkie giggled as she mixed the cake batter. “I bet it has something to do with a certain guard pony working with Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire.” She put the batter into the butterfly cake pans before turning and getting started on the buttercream and raspberry icing.
Once the icing bowls were in the fridge, and the cake in the oven, she turned and started to work on the rest of the baked treats she had to get ready for the shop. She made the oatmeal cookies first, and got those put onto a baking sheet. When she had finished getting the cookies set up to bake, she checked on the cakes which still needed a little more time. So she started to work on the first batch of muffins that would go in after the cookies.
With a pop and flash of blinding light, Discord reappeared with the basket of lemons, laughing hard enough that his horns fell off. “Oh you should have seen her, Pinkie! It was the perfect prank!” He continued, falling to the ground when he attempted to pick up his horns, and he instead fell to pieces as he laughed harder and harder.
“Ooooo I love pranks! But now isn’t the time for pranks, it’s the time for cake!” Pinkie laughed at Discord before twirling and pulling the butterfly cakes from the oven. “Mmm these smell just as delicious as the first time I pulled them from the oven!” She exclaimed, loudly. As she set them on the cooling rack, Discord managed to pull himself back together by stitching all his fallen limbs back to his body. “Hee hee hee, Discord! You’re in stitches!” Pinkie giggled, when she looked at the draconequus as he stood up.
“I must say, I think I look much better in staples, but stitches were quicker,” Discord smirked; then he snapped his paw and made all the stitches disappear, and himself reappear as a whole.
“Once the cake cools off, I can get to frosting it for you, and I can put the new picture on it in a jiffy. Then you will be all set!” Pinkie bubbled, rolling her eyes at him.
“Oh goody! I can’t wait to see Fluttershy’s face when she sees the cake I got for her!” Discord appeared from thin air next to Pinkie to look at the cooling cakes. Discord frowned at the butterfly cakes. “Pinkie, don’t you think the cake looks a little… too yellow?”
“They are lemon cakes; even using very little lemon, they will still come out bright and pretty and delicious!” Pinkie stated as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Yes, but Fluttershy’s coat isn’t that yellow! It is a pale, soft yellow. Like a spring day, warm and beautiful,” Discord explained, gesturing wildly.
“Discord, calm down! The cake is perfect and Fluttershy will love it!” Pinkie yelled, bouncing in the air as she grabbed Discord by the shoulders and shook him; but he still seemed unsure. “Discord. I Pinkie promise, cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Pinkie said, crossing her heart with her hoof and sticking an imaginary cupcake in her eye. “She. Will. Love. It. Plus, the cake will be under the frosting anyways, so she won’t even see the color, she will just taste how yummy it is,” she finished.
“Well, I guess you are right. So long as the icing and the picture are perfect,” he said when he turned away from the bright yellow cakes.
“You go make sure the rest of your picnic supplies are ready. Come back in about an hour or two, and I should have the cake ready for you by then with the new picture.” Pinkie pushed Discord out the front door, then waved to him as he started walking and disappeared, this time in a big splash of chocolate milk. “Alright, now to get back to the baking! So much to redo, and so little time!” Pinkie turned around and bounced back inside Sugarcube Corner to get back to all the baking she had to remake for the day.
She got all the muffins, cupcakes, cookies, and cakes she needed made before the cakes for Discord were cooled off enough to ice them. Once they were, though, she immediately set about getting them iced again, and taking super extra careful care to make the new picture absolutely perfect for Discord. Once she had finished the finer details of the wings for the teacups, Discord appeared next to her without a sound, so that when she noticed him she nearly fell into the cake from surprise.
“So is my cake done yet? I can’t wait to see it!” Discord squealed in delight.
“I just finished the last little bit of the icing for the picture. So, what do you think of it?” Pinkie beamed as she showed off her brand new creation to the draconequus.
“Hmm… well it does certainly look delicious, and you got the teacups down to a T,” Discord snickered at his own joke, Pinkie snorting alongside him.
“Teacups… down… to… a… T…” Pinkie tried to gasp for breath between words, but failed miserably.
“Overall, it is a truly spectacular cake! I must applaud you Pinkie, but…” Discord started to say, inspecting the cake to the tiniest of details.
“But…?” Pinkie asked once she regained her ability to breathe.
“I think I prefer the original cake and picture more. Why don’t you remake that one for me?” Discord stated, nonchalantly.
“But… but… you didn’t want that picture! AND I DON’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE IT AGAIN!” Pinkie screamed, as she collapsed to the ground and pulled at her mane.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Discord snickered again as he placed his paw on top of her head, and with a snap of his claws time rolled backwards once more, making all of Pinkie’s hard work become undone. Again. “There you go; you get right on that cake and I will be back in a few hours to pick it up. Ta ta!” Discord disappeared just before Pinkie was able to tackle him, causing her to land head-first into the door.
“Now I have to begin it all over again! Discord, when I get my hooves on you, you Will. Be. SORRY! I PINKIE PROMISE!” Pinkie bellowed into the darkness; and with a sigh, she trudged back into the kitchen to remake the cake for Discord for the third time.
