Celestia’s glorious Sun still hasn’t peaked over the horizon and the citizens of Ponyville weren’t up yet. It was still dark, the last few stars twinkling out for the morning to start. That didn’t stop a certain pony, currently studying friendship under Princess Twilight Sparkle from being outside Sugarcube Corner, pacing with a worried face. She got up from her bed with that same worried face to the gingerbread house-like bakery.
To say that Starlight was nervous for this was an understatement. The urge to run out of town screaming was at the back of her mind. She Pinkie Promised something that she didn’t even remember promising in the first place now that she thought about it. However, from what she learnt from her friends, you never, ever, ever break a Pinkie Promise. From the looks that she got from the other five, Applejack especially, it was something you better heed.
The reason for her being this early? Well, it all started when she ‘missed the point’ of a friendship lesson where she was supposed to hang out with Twilight’s friends and caused a flood in the Castle of Friendship. The cause of the flood itself is something Starlight Glimmer did not want to remember, shame and guilt flooding her whenever she relived that. What was caught in that flood was spellbound Pinkie Pie’s cakes that she somehow managed to whip out at breakneck speed whilst she was away in another part of the castle.
Starlight shuddered. Normal or spellbound Pinkie Pie, her speed at baking is something that a professional pastry chef would like upon and be green with envy. That pink ponies hooves were all in a blur as she whipped up one tasty treat after another. However, those treats were never going to enter some pony’s mouth, as they were washed away by the flood. Pinkie was devastated that her work, spellbound or not, never had the chance to be enjoyed in some pony’s mouth.
This all leads to Starlight’s so-called punishment for the following morning. Pinkie was adamant that she and Starlight would recreate every dessert destroyed in the flood so that the whole of Ponyville, and by the whole Pinkie meant the whole of the town, could properly enjoy them. However, Starlight wasn’t the best at baking. Making a start at Twilight’s kitchen in the castle, she got flour all over herself and was a nightmare to wash it out her mane. What today had installed, she could only dread inside.
“Come on, Starlight,” She told herself, “Pinkie is the best baker in the whole town, maybe Equestria. If she can bake delicious treats, that means I can have a try at baking too.” Sighing, she better get on with the day. Gulping at the front door of the bakery, she raised a hoof to knock. What she didn’t expect was the front door to swing open suddenly, revealing the pink pony she was scheduled to meet.
“There you are!” Pinkie said in her merry voice and a wide smile that didn’t seem normal on any pony but Pinkie Pie, “My back hooves were tickly, so that meant somepony was at the door! Come in! We have a lot to bake!” With that, Pinkie pronked into the kitchen, leaving a bewildered Starlight at the front door.
“Let’s get this over and done with,” She muttered.
It was still dark in the bakery, sunlight was the main source of light that made Sugarcube Corner a lively place. If it wasn’t Pinkie’s endless energy and infectious smile, then Celestia’s sun made the bakery homely and welcoming. Pinkie opened the kitchen door and beckoned Starlight to enter, which she reluctantly did. Pinkie had everything set, including utensils, ingredients and ovens prepped, hopefully not causing a fire which Starlight did at Twilight’s castle. She gave her signature nervous laugh as she awaited what fate had installed for her this morning.
“In honour of those desserts that tragically never got the chance to be eaten and digested by the ponies of Ponyville,” Pinkie said with a dramatic sigh that would make Rarity applaud her acting skills, “We are here this morning to bake in honour of those who didn’t have the chance to be enjoyed and eaten with other ponies in love and friendship. May we have a minute’s silence in remembrance of those tragic bakes.” Pinkie’s bottom lip trembled and her eyes began to water as Starlight watched awkwardly at the display. Once that sad move disappeared, Pinkie brightened up quickly.
“And now, we bake!” Pinkie enthusiastically declared. This was the moment Starlight feared for her life. Something very rare for her.
“Would you like me to sing a song about baking?” Pinkie asked, “It’s fast and passes the time. I have sung it to Applebloom, but she never got the method right.”
“No thanks,” Starlight shook her head quickly, “Just show me how to bake and we’ll go from there.” Pinkie gave her a confused look be shrugged it off.
“Okie-dokie-lokie,” Pinkie said, “Then let’s get baking!”
Starlight raised a hoof in mock excitement and said in a strained smile, “Can’t wait…”
“Aww,” Pinkie cooed, “Don’t be like that. We have the kitchen all to ourselves thanks to Mr and Mrs Cake’s permission. If at first, you don’t succeed…”
“I know,” Starlight sighed and smiled, “Try, try, try again.”
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie applauded before rapidly, “Now repeat after me. Butter, sugar, eggs, sieve the flour, milk, stir, pour into the baking tin and bake!” Starlight right eye could only twitch as Pinkie did the instructions in a blur like when she was spellbound. Starlight looked down at her share of ingredients, then back at the pink pony.
“Go on,” Pinkie smiled, “It’s only a hop, skip and a jump.”
“A-what?” Starlight asked in even more confusion.
“Just ask Fluttershy,” Pinkie shrugged, “Take a breath and bake!”
Starlight took a deep breath, she mentally told herself to ask Twilight about that breathing technique she learnt from Princess Cadance, held the bowl and whisk in her hooves and began adding the butter and sugar. Pinkie watched with a smile as Starlight worked through the process. The odd pile of sugar and butter spilt out, but Starlight focused her look on the bowl. She was given strict instructions not to use magic, as she was ‘magically grounded’ by the party pony as punishment for her crimes against baking. Her trembling hooves reached for the flour and she ripped the paper bag open. A white cloud of flour stained her mane and face.
Pinkie passed her the sieve as Starlight hovered the sieve above the bowl and let the flour sieve, gently tapping the side and watching the flour fall into the cake mix.
“You seem tense,” Pinkie noted.
“What gave that away?” Starlight’s sarcasm dripped through.
“You’re holding the sieve solid,” Pinkie said as if it was the most obvious thing in all of Equestria, “Relax, baking’s meant to be fun. Think about all the ponies’ smiling faces when they bite into these delicious treats.”
“I guess you’re right,” Starlight sighed as she relaxed a little. The tension left her a tiny bit as she managed to find more control in the whisking.
“Spike’s right y’know?” Pinkie noted, “You do miss the point a lot. Baking is all about the journey. The process of adding different things to make something delicious to be shared with everypony.”
“I get where you’re going,” Starlight chuckled.
“Think of it this way,” Pinkie giggled back, “I may not be a unicorn, but I’ve read a few books from Twilight’s library when I’m hiding to know some magic. A complex spell like that messy stuff you pulled on all of us to do your bidding-“
“Please don’t remind me,” Starlight butted in.
“Required a combination of different smaller spells to create the spell you want. You thought it through, mixed it up and Bang! You made the spell that caused the castle to flood!” Starlight groaned inwardly.
“What’s the fun in messing up when you can make something beautiful at the same time?” Pinkie asked. Starlight thought about it and realised Pinkie made a point. That point made a smile more.
“There’s that smile,” Pinkie beamed, “And your whisking had made good work of it, look!” Starlight looked down at her work so far and found that the mix had a good consistent golden colour. No eggshells or lumps could be found. Starlight breathed a heavy sigh that she didn’t know she was holding back.
“And now we pour it in and let the oven do its magic!” Pinkie open the oven with a towel and Starlight poured the mix in. Pinkie jumped over to put it in the oven.
“And remember this from now on,” Pinkie got muzzle-to-muzzle with Starlight’s and her eyes gave a threatening glare that could rival Fluttershy’s Stare.
“Mess with my bakes, and I will mess with your sanity forever!”
Starlight nodded her head furiously in understanding.
“Do you Pinkie Promise on your life?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!” Starlight did the action and vow with great speed.
“Great! I’ll get the next batch of ingredients!” Pinkie returned to her normal brightness and bounced to the fridge. Starlight’s legs couldn’t stop shaking for a while as the oven gave a ding to let the ponies know that their cake was ready. Pinkie got it out and soon the kitchen was filled with the pleasing aroma of freshly baked cake. Starlight and Pinkie let their noses take in the addicting smell.
“A lot better when you were baking at the castle,” Pinkie nodded in satisfaction. Starlight blushed and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.
“You mean covered in flour?” Starlight rolled her eyes.
“I like roses and bluebells,” Pinkie added.
“What?”
“Exactly!” Pinkie giggled, “And now for the piping! Don’t eat all the frosting now!”
“And get a stomach ache?” Starlight asked back, “I think I’ll pass.”
Pinkie demonstrated a simple feathering pattern on the top of the cake, making sure not to apply too much pressure or the bag will explode. Starlight, with shaky hooves, piped along the side, all while trying not to use her magic or mess up. Using magic in Mrs Cake’s kitchen caused her to be in a loop.
When that was done, they garnished with sliced fruit and stood back and admired their masterpiece.
“Just like magic,” Pinkie nudged Starlight’s side. Starlight just groaned.
“It’s all about the process, the adding, but most importantly,” Pinkie turned to Starlight with the fun, “It’s about seeing your work pay off, releasing some stress and being happy that this will go down some pony’s happy tummy!”
Pinkie pronked over and turned to a checklist and ticked off the first box on the top.
“One down, only one-hundred and forty-seven more cakes to bake,” Pinkie spoke casually.
Starlight stood there in stunned silence.
Maybe running out of town screaming like a mad-mare wasn’t a bad idea after all.
This was going to be a long day at Sugarcube Corner.
