**The Candied Lemon: Canterlot's Premier Bake-åsbord and Pâtissieria, Canterlot, Equestria**
**001 Summer CC**
**Lemon Drops**

*knock, knock-knock, knock, knock*

"Huh! Wha-?"

*knock, knock-knock, knock, knock*

There's a knock at the door. It's late -real late.

Buck.

What time is it? Moon looks like a few hours before I usually have to wake up to start the doughs. Sunrise isn't too far off.

*knock, knock-knock, knock, knock*

Why do I recognize that knocking pattern? And why is it coming from the back door?

This better be important.

*knock, knock-knock, knock, knock*

Bucking hooligans.

I slide the peep hole over and see though it a very large, very white pony with oddly wavy mane and tail on the other side of the backdoor of my house-bakery in a clean and over-large trench coat, fedora, and sunglasses which are sporting some outrageous mustache and eyebrows, and even a... a lolipop? Except the sucker is not in her mouth. She has the stick-side in her mouth and the sucker's just hanging out there in the open like that's the way it's supposed to be.

Oh. This. It's one of these. Haven't had one of these in a while.

This pony shows up every now and then. She comes to make purchases long before the shop opens -usually when the Guards change shifts. Maybe this time she'll actually tell me why?

Ah, who am I kidding? She won't.

Slowly, she lifts a forehoof to her mouth, removes the candy protrusion just outside of her muzzle, and blows out like it was an actual 'hay-gar.' I haven't seen one of those in a while... I think my great granddam used to like those.

I should see how she's doing.

Speaking as deeply as she can -obviously not her normal voice- she asks, "Do you have the stuff?"

Time to start the routine, I guess, "Were you followed?"

She says, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I wasn't followed." I can't quite tell if she's sure or if she's being over-confident.

"Pretty sure?"

"Yeah," she says.

Work with me here, mare, "Well, I need you to be 100% sure."

She looks up and down the alley and then up to the sky, "Okay. Fine. I'm 100% sure."

"You're 100% now? What happened to 'pretty sure'?" I know it's snarky to ask like this, but she came over to wake me up early.

One of her forehooves start rubbing the other, and asks with a little less patience, "Look, do you got the 'stuff' or not?"

"'Course I do. Do you have the bits?"

She says, "I always do." That answer is definitely confidence.

I close the peep hole, unlock the door, and crack the door open for her before heading over to my seat. She opens the door and steps into my laboratory.

I wave her in and instruct, "Let's see 'em."

The mystery pony reaches into her coat. She retrieves a bag of bits and tosses it onto my table. It doesn't take very long to inspect before I conclude with a nod.

With my hoof, I give two good knocks to the wall behind me, and a panel the size of my entire wall opens to reveal my confectionary display case.

I remind her, "Same rules as before: only what you can physically carry." I know full well, that this buyer can carry a lot; so, I keep my case well-stocked.

I had to make that rule, because the first time she came by she used some magic and had off with my entire inventory. I don't care how many bits you throw around; I cannot stay open if I don't meet obligations to my other customer.

After the disguised princess leaves, I can't help but heave a sigh.

One of my herdmates, Sweet Shine, enters and asks, "Was that the princess, again?" I suppose me waking up and all the knocking must have awoken her.

I reply, "Yup."

"She pay with Bigs again?" She asks and shakes her head.

It's understandable. Nopony makes little purchases like this with Bigs. Doesn't make any sense. Well, not unless they're looking for a princess-sized wedding cake. But how often does that-?

...

She took my princess-sized display piece. Buck.

With another sign, I nod, "Yup."

"Why does she do this? Doesn't she have her own kitchen in the castle? Or why not just order something like a normal pony?" Sweet has a valid point.

I answer the only way a pony can in this situation, "I don't pretend to know, and I don't wanna know... Now, come here, and give me some sugar."

She giggles, and I can't help my smile widen and tail flick. Thank Harmony, I will never get tired of this pastry-flank. I reach my hoof out towards her to start our ritual when she unceremoniously places a broom in the very hoof I want to touch my mare with.

Without humor, she says, "Clean this place up first. Sugar later."

"Aw~" There has to be a way to save this. We have to start prepping the store in a few hours, and after seeing and scenting her display, I am not sleepy anymore and two mares can take up that much time and more. "Come on, baby. It's my birthday."

She rolls her eyes, "It is most certainly not your birthday."

"Yeah, but can't we pretend it is while we roll around?" Please? I will never say that out loud, but she knows I would get on my knees. For any chance to swim in that Fountain of Wishes, don't think I won't.

Sighing, she looks at me with a twinkle in her eye, "I spoil you."

That's my girl. "You know you love me," and everypony living nearby will re-learn it this morning, too.

**Newspaper article, Equestria Daily**
**Summer CC, Vol. 01 Issue 05**

A few days ago while walking around the castle grounds in the early morning
with some ponies and guards all preparing to begin some pre-breakfast
exercises, there is a rustle in a bush nearby -most likely one of the many
little animals that live on castle grounds. Ponarazzi observed a young pony
in attendance, Mi Amore Cadenza, notice and looks to the bush.

From above, a cake larger than the recently-Cutie-Marked mare slammed into
her flank as her attention was on the critter. Everypony witnesses the young
mare floundering in frosting and sugary dough while weaving a tapestry of
profanity, "-how the bucking bucks bucked-," so grand and intricate, "-sugar
me sideways-," that it can still be seen hanging over the South Luna Sea,
"-cake-eating chicken clucker-," on clear nights, "-think there's cake in my
[mare parts]!"

Many ponies offered to help the flailing filly. While she accepted
assistance back onto her hooves, she repeatedly asked for "the pony with the
thing." When asked for clarification, we found that she was requesting a
medical pony with a 'previously signed non-disclosure agreement.' She was
also deeply thankful and apologetic for her prior outburst. She then led
everypony into a round of genuine, heartwarming, and healthy laughter at
herself.

This reporter could not find most of those words the filly used during this
event in the Equish lexicon, so it may be assumed that the young mare was
expressing great shock for her sudden and unexpected caking with nonsensical
vernacular.

However, the young mare did swear retaliation for the alleged prank with one
of her own and immediately accused her 'Auntie.' Later when asked how she
knew that culprit committed the act, Mi Amore Cadenza answered, "Magic,"
without providing any thaumatological details. She vehemently refused to
comment on just who her Auntie might be. When asked about the language she
used and from who she learned it, she replied with some hesitancy that it,
"is related to [her] area of expertise," as, "ponies say lots of things
during love-events."

Upon deeper investigation, this reporter learned the young mare's special
talent is love and expressed a desire to attend any educational courses she
may provide in the future as her knowledge on the subject seems extensive.
Who wouldn't? She further stated the incident has "generated a remarkable
increase in such requests" as well as foalsitting opportunities from the
more 'marely' mares in Canterlot.

Princess Celestia could not be reached for comment and remains elusive about
the event. The spokesmare for Her Royal Highness claims the princess had no
knowledge of the alleged prank as she was returning from an 'urgent
early-morning errand' in the city and was immediately focused on that
business upon her return. There was a rumor that HRHPC was found later in
the day mumbling such things as, "Know I grabbed the big one," and, "Where
did it go?" Further, the spokesmare emphatically denied any illicit "cake
trafficking," and even if there was, "there is no law against it," despite
receiving no questions on the subject.

-Hot Press, Canterlot

**Dining Room, Canterlot Castle, Canterlot**
**Dinnertime, 001 Summer CC**
**Elbow Grease**

"So..." Princess Celestia and her young alicorn niece have been sitting in silence for a little while now. The food is getting cold.

Little Cadenza has her head on the table cradled between her hooves, "Please don't say it."

"..."

"..."

"... I heard you got tagged?" Wow, Princess, you just went and said it.

"Ugh~ I'm so embarrassed!"

Trying to console the smaller one, the larger pony says, "It's okay, Cadence. It happens." Actually, now that I think about it, it does seem to happen to Princess Celestia more than most ponies...

"Ugh~"

Patting the pink pony's shoulders, Princess Celestia -ever the paragon of tranquility- says, "It could have been worse... by the way, did the doctor manage to," uh-oh, what are you doing right now, Princess? "Um~ that is to say..."

The not-yet-crowned princess turned her head and gave the crowned princess quite the side-eye, "I'm clean now, Auntie, if that's what you're asking."

The while alicorn waited a moment but continued, "To be clear-"

"-please don't say it-" the younger one pleads.

"-Okay, I'll take your word for it-"

Sighing in thanks, Cadence says, "-thank you-"

"-I don't think bakers generally even use leavening yeasts in cakes-" Celestia just keeps going.

"-ng! *gulp* I- aw~ I just threw up in my mouth-"

"-just make sure you keep prioritizing hygiene-" Have mercy on the young filly, Princess Celestia.

Cadence shudders, "-ugh~!"

The Princess admits, "It could have been worse."

Sighing, the filly agrees, "I suppose that is true."

"..."

"..." An awkward but calm silence settles as the two start poking at their food.

"Your first estrus should be coming up soon-" And there it is: Princess Celestia just blurts it out.

"-holy Harmony!-"

"-Do you want to talk about it?"

"I really don't," says the thoroughly embarrassed filly.

"Why not?" Asks the ancient mare, "It's not that bad... fun sometimes... unless you have more than two ovaries, but that's rare and most prominent in pegasi."

The filly flinches. That appears to have been brand new information to her, and she just stares at her meal. "... But I used to be a pegasus..."

"Oh. We might want to get you checked, then." Princess Celestia says that quite matter-of-factly.

Slowly turning to her elder, Cadence asks, "...Why?"

"Huh? Oh, well," the Princess begins to speak in her 'teacher tones,' "ovaries help produce and balance very important hormones for a mare. As you are probably learning in your tutorship, those hormones help regulate a mares' bone and muscle growth and repair, aggression, metabolism..." Then she coughs into her hoof, "*cough* libido. *cough*" And then resumes her biology lecture, "So having more than the standard two can make estrus rather -uh- lively."

"..." The filly is making the most dramatic pout. I am definitely going to make that my new painting muse.

Trying to save the conversation, the elder alicorn says, "Uh, b- but, anyway, it's -well- I'll be here for you... And besides, it's not like you're going to have a super-estrus."

Snapping her attention to her Auntie, "A- a what? Super-estrus? What's that?"

"Hm? Oh, don't worry, niece. It's even more rare than additional ovaries. You see," Celestia continues her teaching, "when a mare loses a foal -a permanent type of loss, and a very, very young foal- her body can go into what is known as super-estrus. It's her body trying to regain what it lost. It doesn't happen every time a mare loses a foal, and it is pretty rare for that type of event to occur with our medical system these days. But the pheromones a mare can put out in such a state can be quite potent."

"..." Cadence gulps nervously as she begins to realize some of the facts of life for a mare.

"... Do you want to talk about it?"

"... Maybe not right now, but thank you for the offer, Auntie," the pink pony gratefully admits but is quite shaken from her revelations and the events from earlier in the day.

"No problem, Cadence. We're family. That's what family does... So~ um~ did they save any of that cake?"

"What?" Asked the filly. Is the Princess serious with this?

"That cake?" Princess Celestia looks like she's starting to regret asking. "Did they save any of it?"

"The cake," the younger one slowly asks, "that they scraped off of... and out of my flank?"

"... Yes?" Sweat starts to drip down Celestia's forehead.

Looking up at her elder without any humor, Cadence says, "No. They didn't save any of that cake."

"Ah. Pity." The Sun Monarch dabs the base of her horn with a kerchief. "That'll make it... difficult... uh- t- to track down that baker, then. 'It- it looked well-made.' is what I mean." Nice save there, Princess. I don't think your niece has been made aware of your sweet tooth.

Both princesses take the silence to resume their meals. After a few more bites, the younger one asks the elder, "Auntie?"

The older mare looks to her niece and smiles at the littler one who seems to want to ask something of importance, "Yes, my niece?"

With foal-like innocence, the little princess asks, "How many foals have you had? What's it like?"

Oh, my. Sometimes little fillies come to Day Court on field trips and ask that.

Princess Celestia understands that Cadenza doesn't know, but I've been working with her enough to know when her smiling face is hiding sorrow. It's not quite as acute as the sorrow she hides around Nightmare Night, but it is no less potent.

She pokes some peas with her utensil before answering the younger one's question. "None."

Confused, the pink pony tilts her head and asks, "What do you mean, Auntie? Surely, you have-"

The Princess shakes her head slowly, "No. Me and my-" she stops herself, "I've tried. Alicorns are just incompatible with anypony." The young princess thinks on this for a while and concludes with a surprise hug for the Day Princess. "Ooh!"

That is another wonderful sight I want to capture on canvas.

They whisper to each other in their embrace and seem to find some solace from the little Love Princess' words given the looks on their faces.

Author's Note

Hay-gar: a magical hay-based inhalant, noticeably larger than a hay-cig.

The Candied Lemon: Canterlot's Premier Bake-åsbord and Pâtissieria
Baker: Lemon Drops
Pâtissier: Sweet Shine
Bake-åsbord - combination bakery and smörgåsbord
Pâtissieria - combination Pâtissier (chef / restaurant who specializes in sweets and baked treats) and cafeteria

Equestrian Currency: Bits
Little Bits "bits" (Rounds) - the most common tender
Slips - large for the average pony such as a full paycheck, shaped like little rectangles
Big Bits "bigs" (Rounds) - for large functions as with small-medium sized businesses, personal home-sized purchases
Bars - for macroeconomic purposes, shaped like bricks for storage and transportation in quantity

The Equestria Daily is a fortnight (bi-weekly) publication, because printing news every day would get both expensive and redundant. Special editions may be published in between, but there just isn't much news-material for daily printings.

HRH - Her Royal Highness

Thaumatology - the study of general magicks, basic magical concepts and theory

Ponarazzi - pony journalists -mostly photographers- who do not utilize standard press events for news-gathering electing instead to observe, capture, and report candid events.

Of all our insights into Princess Celestia's off-duty antics so far in this story, these ones have the strongest probability of being chronologically aligned with Silly's events.