The sky slowly turns from being a vivid blue to a dark gray-navy colour, clouds blocking the view of the sun rapidly. The clouds begin to darken the sky as a light sprinkle of water starts dropping from them, catching the attention of a young, frail pegasus as she just gets to the centre of a small town.
“Oh dear, it's started already?” The pegasus lifts her head to the sky, staring off into the clouds. The rain gradually drizzles more, causing the pegasus' vivid yellow coat to begin to soak the water from the sky. She stands, conflicting herself as to whether to push on to her friend's house or return home and wait until after the storm.
The pegasus sighs, letting the rain flow down her mane, dampening it quickly. “Looks like Rarity will have to wait another day for a spa,” she laughs at the idea of having a spa in the middle of a storm. The pegasus, becoming more soaked each second, turns back towards the direction of her home. Her soft padding of her hooves being unheard through the town is stopped as she hears a sound out of place. To her right, through the sound of water increasingly falling from the sky and splashing against the ground, is the sound of a creaking. The pegasus lifts her front half of her body, her head turning towards the sound with an ear twitch.
Through a pink, wooden door, an earth pony of a similar coat calls out her name. “Fluttershy! What are you doing out in the rain? You'll get wet!”
Fluttershy giggles a bit and smiles. “I was going to Rarity's for a spa, but I guess the rain caught me short.”
The pink pony looks into the sky and opens the bottom half of the door. “Come inside, then! I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Cake won't mind.”
Fluttershy accepts the pony's offer and heads inside. Her head and body shake a slight bit, excess water dripping down to the floor. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” she sighed, her teal eyes being covered by her eyelids as she relieves herself.
“It's no problem! I'm glad you could come in any way. There's not much to really do today. I think it might have something to do with the weather. You know, other than it raining. I mean, I felt there was something else before the rain started that was keeping everyone in, you know?”
Fluttershy giggles a bit, opening her eyes again. “Yeah. Winter rains aren't that common, either. I wonder why Weather Control decided on rain?”
“Who knows? It could be a mystery for the rest of us. Maybe we can ask Dash afterwords and see what's up?”
“Maybe...,” Fluttershy says with slightly melancholy tone. She sighs, remembering some past occurrences with the rainbow-maned pegasus.
“Why are you standing there? It's much warmer in my room. Come on!”
Fluttershy stood for a few seconds more, taking a deep breath. She and Pinkie headed up the staircase. Pinkie bounced the way up, her tail floating like a cloud, a similar shape her tail has taken on. Fluttershy tried not to stare, as she felt it was wrong to do such. She has a fear of thinking the wrong things, no matter what they may be. As the two equines get to Pinkie's bed, Pinkie is already tearing off the blankets of her bed and getting several towels for her pegasus friend to dry off with.
“Pinkie, what are you...?” She was cut off by an excited pink face staring at her with towels in her mouth.
“Dry off with these,” Pinkie says, her voice still very peppy.
The pink-bodied pony trotted down the stairs, a familiar scent slowly filling the building. The scent of cupcakes. Fluttershy pondered as to why her friend would be making sweets at this time. Regardless, the pegasus dried her mane, coat, and wings thoroughly and gently. A trotting come from the bottom of the stairs as the pink pony returned.
“Good! You're dried off!” The pink pony grabs her blue blanket and wraps it around Fluttershy. “You'll need to warm up. I don't want you getting a cold. You know, in case if that rain could get you one.”
The yellow pegasus stared into Pinkie's deep blue eyes, confused. “Erm.. O-kay?” Before anything else could be said, Pinkie had disappeared from sight. “What could be up with her?” Fluttershy thought. Her ears twitched and her mouth hung slightly open. A wonderful scent had snowplowed their way to her nose. The scent was richer than usual, causing the pegasus' mouth to start drooling. She sucked it in before it fell from her lips.
“I'll be right up there,” her friend called from downstairs. A light trot was heard as the excited pony jumped from the stairs to her pegasus friend. “I made these specially for you!”
Fluttershy stared at the cupcake pan, each one filled with a wrapper, the wrapper filled with what appeared to be a very soft bread-like mix of sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and the likes to create such a miraculous cupcake. Then there was a swirl-styled icing topped upon the creation, beautifully showcasing Pinkie Pie's patience, craftsmanship, and culinary skills.
She swallowed hard, her drool returning and her stomach slightly growling. What were these mix of feelings inside her? Her heart started to pound silently. She looked up to the pink pony, licking her lips.
“R-really? For me?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yep! All six of them!”
“I don't think...” She stopped mid sentence, taking another look at the cupcakes. “Maybe,” she mumbled. She took a long breath and took a single cupcake. With the pink pony staring, she had no choice but to give in. She took a bite, eating about a sixth or the entire cupcake. She breathed in suddenly, her eyes sparkling. These cupcakes weren't just amazing. They were like eternal happiness flooding her mouth. The sugar didn't over-power the cupcake, the ingredients didn't over-power the sweetness, and it all had a sweet milky flavour. The icing tasted similar to a cream, easily being eaten.
“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed, humming with delight. “This is indescribable, Pinkie! Not even 'amazing' would be able to describe it!”
The pink pony blushed very slightly, looking embarrassed. “Oh, thanks! I wanted to get the right balance of ingredients. Not too sweet, not too raw, cooked at just the right temperature, cooked for the perfect time...” She trailed off. “So, uh... Do you like them?”
“If that would even tell you how much I do, then yes!” She proceeded to eating more of the cupcake, the sinking feeling quickly disappearing. “And they're um.. all for me?”
Pinkie nodded, confirming Fluttershy's question. “All of them!”
Fluttershy blushed, it being more obvious through her yellow coat. She took her second cupcake, excited to consume this one as well. Gently, she unwrapped the small cake and bit into it unreluctantly. The smooth, sweet, milky taste of the cake and the creamy texture of the icing sliding smoothly along her tongue continued to excite her. “I'll have to take another batch or two home with me,” she said to herself. Mindlessly, she grabbed her third, finishing off the one she was eating. She didn't want the taste to die out suddenly. Almost immediately as she swallowed the last piece, she bit into the third. Each one seemed to become more and more enjoyable, making her squirm in place.
Pinkie giggled, watching the pegasus continue to eat, eyeing her belly every so often to see if it might begin to bulge. Nonetheless, she smiled, thinking her plan might actually work. For several months now, she has been trying to get the right balance of what to put in the cupcakes. Trying to find the right atmosphere for her to lead Fluttershy to her plan. And trying to find just the right time to execute it. The time was now.
Slowly, Fluttershy grabbed the last cupcake. This was the last one, and she'd eat it to savour every last bite. Gently, a nibble. Then slowly, a bite. She continued eating slowly, the taste almost too great to let go. She swallowed, the taste rolling down from her tongue, her throat, and to her stomach. Calmly, she hummed, her stomach for sure fuller than when she entered, but only as such as when she has a normal meal.
“So? How were they?” Pinkie asked calmly, yet intently. She sat next to Fluttershy as she lied back.
“If I had any words to describe, they'd have to be worth more than what 'amazing' is. Miraculous. Exuberant. Only that of a dream,” she trailed off, lying her head back on Pinkie's bed.
“Thanks,” Pinkie said with a blush. “You're welcome to have more, if you wish.” She smiled, readjusting the blanket around Fluttershy.
“M-maybe a batch or two for the way home?” Fluttershy smiled cheerfully, a hopeful tone in her voice.
“Of course! I can whip you up some right now, if you'd like,” an excited approach in the pink pony's tone.
“Maybe after the storm clears up?” Her coat shined as she looked out the dark window, flashes of lightning striking across the landscape.
Pinkie watched as the brilliant colours of light changed the view on Fluttershy. “Yeah,” she said quietly, mesmerized. She looked intently into the pegasus' eyes, though her friend couldn't see back. The pink pony sat up and watched the lights with her pegasus friend, knowing they'll become dearer.
As minutes went by, flowing into an hour as the two talked, giggling away. The equines shared stories of their mishaps while they were working, gossip they've heard in the streets, old gossip that had finally fated an outcome, and just the simple small talk. Soon, as the hour was flowing into two, the storm lightened, from being a pouring to being a very small drizzle. The two stood up, stretching from sitting for so long.
“So, how about those last batches of cupcakes?” Fluttershy asked hopefully, trying to not sound of that a bother to her friend.
“Right away!” the pink pony raced down the stairs, starting the oven and whipping up some batter, carefully getting the 'perfect amount of everything', trying to 'make it super splendifferous'.
Gently, the yellow pegasus sat down nearby, watching the swift speeds her friend could work out. “Never could I do the same,” she thought. Regardless of her own train of thought, she continued to watch, slowly mimicking the same process the pink, bubbly pony was working at. She smiled as she watch two trays being put into the oven for cooking. A slight churning in her stomach suggested she might not be able to have those cupcakes for long when she gets them.
Pinkie easily took notice of he sound, her ear twitching once, rapidly. “There's some food in the fridge if you want to snack on anything while you wait,” she called back to her pegasus friend. She resumed to stir a mixture for icing as the fridge was opened and closed, some sounds from behind her as objects were set on the table.
The sound came again. This time, Pinkie said nothing. However, Fluttershy proceeded to open a fresh gallon of milk. She poured the milk into a glass, setting the milk gallon down and capping it. Almost immediately, she began drinking. Halfway through, she noticed the milk did not taste as it usually does. Something was off. It was the same milk brand, very fresh from the store, was only just opened... What could it be? Before she could set her tongue on it, the oven made a dinging sound. Fluttershy turned quickly, her nose being filled with the new aroma she smelled earlier.
“Are they done? Already?” Fluttershy asked anxiously.
“Yep! All twelve! I'll get pack 'em up and um.. Maybe we could do this again...?”
“Fluttershy replied immediately. “By all means. Next Wednesday, is that okay?”
Pinkie nodded in agreement. “Next Wednesday it perfect! See you then!” She opened the front door for her friend and watched as she left, a mindless watch on the pegasus' rump, imagining what it could be if her elaborate plan succeeded. This fantasy, however, would have to wait for another day.
The soft padding along the wet dirt road was enough to keep the young pegasus occupied for the trip home. She had some things to look forward to, one of those being some treats her pony friend had made for her. More so, these treats were made specially for her. Not only do their appearance look astonishing, they also tasted of the pure essence of brilliance. Something that was far greater than magic. And she had them—all for herself—thanks to a special friend.
Finally, at the top of a distant hill, the pegasus reaches the front door of her home. With a gentle push, the door swings open. “Angel bunny, I'm home!” A small white rabbit hopped into the room with tired eyes, just waking up after falling asleep during the storm. The little rabbit sat, staring at the pegasus giving her an implied question.
“Oh, well you see, I had originally gone out to see Rarity for a spa as I do every week, but on the way it started raining. Pinkie Pie let me into Sugarcube Corner to stay with her until the storm passed. Then she gave me these amazing cupcakes and let me bring these home. I'm going to see her next week.
The rabbit nodded and departed from the room. The pegasus set down her two batches of cupcakes and stared, almost drooling. In a quick moment, she snapped back to reality and begin planning. “How will I distribute these over the course of the week until Wednesday?” She counted her batches. There were twelve cupcakes. Twelve mouth-watering cupcakes. All to herself. “I guess I'll have two now, then two each day that passes by...” she grabbed the first two and left the cupcakes, heading off to her room.
The pegasus sat at the edge of her bed and bit into the cupcake immediately, regardless of the wrapper still around the small cake. She took the flimsy paper off and set it aside, biting into the milky, sweet cake, thoroughly enjoying each moment of it. A few bites in and the miniature cake was gone, devoured. Without even pausing, she unwraps the second cupcake, eating almost half the entire thing in her first bite. The pegasus put her free hoof on the bed, propping her up as she leaned back. The next bite, and the remaining half is now a fourth of the original cake. She sat for a moment, letting the taste roll down her tongue, and finally the second cake was gone. She lied back, her hoof on her stomach and the wrappers both on the floor. She squirmed a slight bit in excitement.
The pegasus sat up and looked outside her window. It was almost Six, and it was getting dark fast. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
“Fluttershy, it's best to get some sleep. Tomorrow will come early,” she told herself.
The morning rose slowly, sunshine lightly beaming through her window. The walls faintly glowed with orange. The crowing just a short walk from the small cottage woke the young pegasus. With a long stretch and yawn, she slumped out of the bed slowly.
“Day one,” she told herself. “Day one...” With a smirk the grabbed a cupcake, removed its wrapping, and quickly bit into the side. The cupcake oozed its flavour and she quickly became overwhelmed, humming in delight. She finished it off and resumed the start of her day.
With a spring in her step, Fluttershy rushed out the door, humming happily, frolicking with her eyes unwary. With a soft bump, she found she'd run into someone.
“Well, well. I didn't think you'd be so eager for a hug, darling. You should hold out your hooves next time; give a little forewarning?” A white-coated, purple-maned unicorn stood in front of Fluttershy. The two brushed themselves off.
“O-oh, sorry Rarity. I didn't expect you to be up so early.” Her best attempt at apologizing wasn't quite the best.
“Oh, it's quite alright dear. I figured we'd hit the spa a little early due to the events yesterday. I didn't even get a chance to go out before the storm started.” The two mares began to walk as they spoke about recent events.
“I can say the same thing. I was just making my way there and found myself just by Sugarcube Corner when the rain hit.”
“You didn't get soaked, did you? Your coat didn't get dirty? Hooves still as they are?”
“No, no, none of that. Pinkie let me in before it got any worse.”
“Oh? Well how sweet of her. Did you two do anything?”
“Oh, no. Nothing special...” Her voice trailed off as she watched the ground in front of her. The faint clattering of hooves against cobblestone filled in the conversation before they reached the destination of interest. Rarity began talking about her business and various occurrences among the boutique that caused her trouble.
“It's really nice to be out after such work and stress. I can't tell you how many times Sweetie Belle had gone...” Fluttershy was no longer listening, her own mind lost in thought. As she thought more, she slowly drifted into empty staring, everything being droned out by a low hum. Her mind had left her body. She could only ride with the events, though there was nothing to really take her anywhere. The only thing she noticed was the bright ceiling. The longer she stared, the more it seemed to flicker. Eventually the white colour appeared to slowly melt down the walls. Watching in awe as the pale goop covered everything around her, it was then she came to her senses, all the sound rushing back to her. Her head snapped to the side.
“Rarity I--...” She stared, with no one in sight. “Where did she go?” Fluttershy whispered to herself. Turning to her other side, the walls continued to melt its colours. The lights became grey and the room around her slowly faded until a silhouette of two doors were left across the room from her. Looking around, she found herself to be in a hospital bed and gown, clueless as to what happened. The question was more rather “what happened”, if anything. Slowly removing herself from the stiff bed, she took more observance to her surroundings. A cold, checkered floor lied beneath her feet. Beside her was a nightstand with a small stack of brochures and a vase of flowers. She slowly headed to the door and poked her head out.
“Hello..?” Her call had a slight echo, despite the various nurses and doctors strolling through the halls.
“Oh, Fluttershy! I'm glad you're alright!” She was abruptly greeted with a hug. “I was so worried!”
“What happened?” Her voice barely made it out of her throat. It was dry and coarse.
“You sound like you could use a drink.” The two began to walk slowly.
“Yeah, I guess. So what happened? How'd I get here?”
“Well you were lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling when one of the spa girls were putting cream on your face. Hardly a quarter way in, you started losing your breath, gasping, and then...” Tears were forming and rolling down the unicorn's face. “and then... you just stopped. I couldn't see your eyes—they were totally white.” Her words were coming out in gasps now. “As soon as I saw, I panicked and wiped everything off your face and rushed you here.” Fluttershy, too, was crying with Rarity. “They told me you had a seizure and that your heart was straining. I didn't know how to respond and I.. I just...”
“Rarity...” Fluttershy was at a loss for words and simply held her dear friend close to her. “I'm so sorry.” She noticed she was feeling light-headed. “How about we get something to drink?”
“Yeah. That sounds good right now.”
“Yeah...,” Fluttershy whispered quietly. Her pace was quite slower than usual and her head slowly started to throb. “Actually...”
Rarity turned to her side and saw Fluttershy a tad stumbling. “Oh, you don't look well at all, dear.”
“Do you think you could send a drink to my room? I don't think I'm able to carry myself.”
“Of course, darling!” The white unicorn trotted off to the hospital cafeteria.
The frail pegasus quietly walked back to her room. With a small grunt, she heaved herself to her bed, finding her head heavier than usual. Her vision was fuzzy and she couldn't hold her head straight. She stared at the wall until she heard voices outside the door. Rarity slowly walked in, finishing a conversation with another unicorn stallion of similar colours. She pushed a cart to the side of the bed, it holding today's serving and a glass of water.
“Who was that?” Fluttershy asked as she took the glass eagerly, not stopping to breathe as she drank it dry.
“Oh, he's just a visitor. His wife had a bit of an accident. He seems pretty fair, though.”
Fluttershy could only nod. This was typical of Rarity almost every place they went. A sight caught her eye. A certain pony was at the door, trying (unsuccessfully) to conceal themselves.
“Rarity, I'll have to stop you there. I think you should get home. It's certainly not an hour to be at a hospital. And thank you for helping me and coming in to make sure I was okay.”
“O-oh, that's alright, dear. You're welcome.” She nodded and began to trot out of the room. “Be careful now, you hear?”
A section of fluffy hair that was hiding behind the door slowly to reveal the pony it belonged to. The pink mare popped her head and hooves to meet her eyes with Fluttershy's. She slowly trotted in, carrying a small bunch of balloons, a saddlebag on her back.
“Can you believe how hard it is to bring a party into a hospital? I tried bringing much less than I usually would, but they still rejected quite a lot. I mean, I can't bring poppers, candles, or any sort of fun stuff like that. They did let me bring a small cake, though.” Pinkie took out a packaged cake and set it on the nightstand beside the bed, opening it for both of their eyes to admire. “See? Isn't it magnificent?” The pink earth pony lightly bounced around. Fluttershy giggled. “They said you were asleep for a whole day! I couldn't believe it! I hope you're feeling well enough to eat. I'd hate for a cake to go to waste.” She nuzzled Fluttershy's belly, causing the two of them to blush.
“I guess I can have a little...”
Pinkie began to talk about her last two days as they nibbled at their cakes. Not much had actually happened. “Applejack finally accepted going off season. The trees began hibernation and almost all the apples were bucked. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had an increase in demand for fruitcakes, which aren't much of a cake in actuality. I mean, they're called fruitcakes, but they don't taste like either of them! It doesn't even look like I cake! I really ought to complain to the pony who named them; it's ridiculous! Rarity's been doing frequent check-ups with the front desk to see if you were doing any better. Twilight's just been reading. Did you know she's gotten into baking, too? She's been looking at holiday cook books. I think I might want to borrow it from her some time. Everything in there looks delicious! And Rainbow Dash has-... Actually, I don't think I've seen Rainbow lately. She's been so scarce. I hope she's not gotten into any trouble.”
This alerted Fluttershy. She hasn't seen Rainbow in weeks. A pang of guilt surged through her as she empty-mindedly nibbled at her cake. The pink mare beside her noticed and gently nuzzled her arm.
“I know it's hard, Fluttershy, but you'll be okay. I'm sure she's fine. Besides, you've got me here with you. I'll be here to help if anything's ever wrong.” She promptly hugged the soft pegasus, stroking her back as she comforted. This eased her and the two resumed to smalltalk.
“Well, thank you for coming over, Pinkie. It was really sweet of you. I'm getting.... I'm getting sleepy, so I'll see you when I'm let out. Thank you.” With a friendly hug, the pegasus lied down and rested her eyes. The pink earth pony watched as her friend drifted to sleep and slowly walked out of the hospital door.
Heading outside, the sky began to sprinkle with snowflakes. The hospital lights beamed and reflected off the falling ice. It was a night to behold, but to behold it with someone dear. Her hooves made a silent clop with each step against the cobble as she made her way home.
