Announcements, Pain, and A Third Thing
Pinkie was very excited. The Mayor had gathered everypony in the center of town, and she never did that unless it was winter wrap-up, something was on fire, or a third thing happened. Since Pinkie was usually the cause of any and all fires, she guessed it was probably some form of competition or something. She knew because her belly was wobbled, her neck itched, and her eyelashes fluttered. That, and the giant unfinished banner saying, "Welcome to the 159th annu-". She decided she was less excited then when she met Twilight, but more excited then when she ate cake.
Mmmm... cake... Oh! She's starting!
“All right everypony, I have very big news! Ponyville will be the location of Equestria’s annual baking competition this year!” She counted down as Pinkie started to vibrate.
“WOO-HOO!” Pinkie screamed, rocketing over the crowd. "This is going to be the best thing ever! Ever ever EVER!” She started bouncing off towards Sugar-Cube Corner, and debated what to make. It didn't take her long to settle on her specialty. “I am going to bake the best cupcakes EVER!”
“Now, there are some rules.” The Mayor explained when Pinkie had left. The crowd turned back to the stage. “One: No taking credit for other ponies work. Two: No sabotaging other deserts. Three: There is a limit of one desert per household. Good luck everypony! And may the best dessert win!”
Pinkie couldn’t fall asleep that night. Her mind was frantic. What am I going to bake? Oh, how about my famous cupcakes! Maybe I could make my cupcakes into a GIANT cake! WOW! MIND. BLOWN.
“PINKIE!” Mr. Cake shouted up. “YOU’RE VIBRATING THE CEILING AGAIN!”
“Oops. SORRY! Wait.” Pinkie shot downstairs. The lights were on and Mister and Misses cake were digging through their recipe books. “Why are you guys up? Don’t you need your rest? Come ON!” Pinkie shot upwards with such excitement she put a hole through the ceiling. She hit the ground with plaster in her mane. “We’re each going to have a BIG day tomorrow! I’m making my cupcakes or maybe my cupcake batter and then making a giant cake out of the batter! I’ll call it…” Pinkies face turned pensive for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “The Cup-Cake CAKE! Or the CCC for short!”
Mr. Cake looked over in his usual worried face. “Pinkie, didn’t you hear the rules?”
Pinkie started bouncing up and down again. “Well, no, but I bet they just say no cheating!”
Mrs. Cake looked up from her recipe book now. Her face mimicked her husbands. “And only one submission per household." She looked over to her husband, and they both nodded. "Only one of us can submit a dessert. Us or you.”
Pinkie finally stopped bouncing. Her playful grin turned into shock. “Well. Um…”
Mr. Cake began digging through his book again. “We need this more then you Pinkie. It could help us get business for the bakery, plus the prize-money could help us buy some necessities for the babies.”
As if on cue, Poundcake started crying. “Oh dear. I’ll get it.” Mrs. Cake started trotting to the twin’s room. Pinkie watched her go and then turned back to Mr. Cake.
“Our point is Pinkie, we really do need for you to sit this one out. I'm sorry sugarplum.”
“Oh… Ok. It’s… fine. I’ll make a desert next year.” She started walking back to her room.
Mr. Cake didn’t even look up as she left. “That’s the spirit Pinkie! We’ll of course need you to stay out of the bakery for a few days.”
And that was the killing blow. I can’t even bake anything? Pinkies poofy hair turned flat and her bright pink fur turned dark. I can’t do anything.
The next day, the Cakes were working hard on their creation. Pinkie resorted to going to her dear friend Twilight for support.
“Now, now, Pinkie. I’m sure it isn’t that bad.” She patted her friend on the shoulder, carefully maneuvering her away from her stacks of books. “I’m sure the cakes will take 1st place and then you can throw a party to cheer yourself up.”
“But… they're frantic. They can’t get the icing right, it turns out just a little bit well done… they’re having such a hard time with the cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes? The Cakes are making cupcakes for their entry?
Twilight realized how much that had to hurt Pinkie. Parties may be her special talent, but cupcakes were her favorite thing ever. To quote Pinkie herself... "Cupcakes are the bestest thing ever and forever and if you disagree then you must like brownies which are also awesome but not as awesome as cupcakes clearly and forever and ever." It wasn't a stretch to say Pinkie's against periods. Or pauses. Or any form of peace and quiet.
“They’re trying out a new recipe or something. They've banned me from the bakery until they’re done.” Pinkie fell into Twilights bed. “It’s terrible. Of all the things that could happen, this is THE. SECOND WORST. POSSIBLE. THING.” Twilight decided not to ask what number one was, and Spike walked in. “What’s going on? Why is Pinkie in your bed? Why is her hair so… flat? Is she..." His face turned to shock. "CURSED?!?!?"
Pinkie raised her head. “Its terrible! The Cakes banned me from making cupcakes for this years competition! They said there’s a limit of, ‘one per household’. Hmph.”
"I'm not sure what to do." Twilight whispered to her assistant. "You know she's upset when she starts using punctuation properly."
Spike was confused. All this for nothing? guh. Pinkie Pie sure is insane. Well, the good kind of insane, but still insane. “Uh… There’s a limit of one per household? So why don’t you guys, I don’t know, work together?”
Twilight put her hoof in Spikes mouth. He was used to it. He started using flavored water whenever he washed her hooves. mmmm, strawberry.
“Because, SPIKE, they… wait a second.” She walked towards Pinkie Pie. “Why can’t you guys work together?”
Pinkie looked sadly at her dear friend. “Because they… oh.” Pinkies hair poofed out again. Her smile returned. “We can work TOGETHER! YIPEEEEE!” She put a hole in the ceiling, a second one coming back down, and bounced straight off Twilights bed and right through her second floor window. Shouting, "I'M OKAY!", Pinkie continued on to Sugar-Cube corner.
“Mr. and Mrs. CAKE! I thought we could work together and I could help you with your” She bounced into the kitchen. It was a complete mess. “…cupcakes?” She decided to question the Cakes on how they got batter on the ceiling later. After all, that was HER thing.
After calling out, a second time, the Cakes finally appeared from under a mound of batter. Ms. Cake cried out to her, “Oh yes, Pinkie, PLEASE! We really need your help right now.”
Pinkie clapped her hooves together. “Lets get to work!”
And, of course, with hard work, diligence, and a montage, they took 1st place.
