On what should have been a normal afternoon, Sugarcube Corner was subjected to an unusual sight. Crammed into a booth by the front windows was a group of five students, each wearing a variation of a reddish-purple uniform that bore Crystal Prep’s insignia. Four of them read through menus.
Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare sat on one side, while Indigo Zap, Sour Sweet, and Lemon Zest were crammed together in the opposite seat. Just months ago, the five of them had hardly known each other, until, ironically, the Friendship Games had brought them together.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet here,” Sugarcoat began, her hands clasped neatly on the menu on the table in front of her.
“Never eaten here before, is the food any good?” Indigo asked, leaning against the window as she skimmed through her menu.
“It is. Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, the Canterlot Science Fair will be in three weeks and we need to finalize our project,” Sugarcoat continued.
There was a collective groan from the rest of the table.
“Let me guess: we don’t have any clue what we’re doing?” Sunny asked.
“We did the wind turbine thing last year,” Indigo said. “At least, I did.”
“We each did our own thing last year,” Sour Sweet butted in. “This year we need to do it together.”
“Right, meaning we need to figure out what we haven’t done yet,” Lemon pointed out. “So… any ideas?”
They were interrupted by the sound of roller skates approaching their booth. Pinkie Pie greeted them with a bright and cheerful grin. “Hey girls! I didn’t expect to see you here!” she chirped, pulling out a notepad and pen from her apron. Sugarcoat smiled at her while the rest blinked in surprise.
“Pinkie Pie? You work here?” Lemon asked.
“I knew we were pretty close to CHS,” Sour grumbled under her breath.
“Yep!” Pinkie replied. “What can I get you girls?”
“Hold up, before any of that,” Sunny said, holding up a hand. “Are… you Rainbooms doing the Science Fair this year too?”
“Sunset and Twilight said they were doing something,” Pinkie replied. “If they need our help, I’m sure they’ll let us know.”
“Right, let’s not take their idea this time,” Lemon said, her and Indigo glancing at Sour Sweet between them.
“It was one time!” Sour exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration.
“Anyway,” Sunny interrupted, flashing a smile at Pinkie. “I’ll have a strawberry milkshake.”
“Fries and one of those Pineapple Dream Team Puddings,” Indigo said.
“A wild berry smoothie,” Sour said, crossing her arms.
“Pink lemonade please!” Lemon chirped.
Pinkie nodded, writing away on her pad and taking up their menus before turning to Sugarcoat. “And you want the usual, sweetie?” she asked, smiling knowingly.
“Of course, honey,” Sugarcoat said, flashing her a warm smile, handing Pinkie her menu.
“I’ll get right on that, girls!” Pinkie said, beaming and rolling away towards the kitchen.
Sugarcoat watched her go before turning back to her friends… and raised an eyebrow at their wide-eyed expressions. Indigo’s mouth was slack, and Lemon’s headphones fell down around her neck.
“What?” she asked with a shrug.
“’Honey?’ ‘Sweetie?’” Sour asked.
“Well, yes. When in a relationship it is often customary to have pet nicknames,” Sugarcoat explained in her usual blunt tone.
She winced at the collective “WHAT?!” from around the table.
“Since when are you dating Pinkie Pie?” Sunny asked.
“Since about a month after the Friendship Games,” Sugarcoat said. “Now, we should really focus on—”
“Nope, uh uh,” Indigo cut her off. “How come you didn’t tell us that?”
“You never asked,” Sugarcoat groused.
“Well? Tell us how it happened,” Lemon said with a grin. She leaned forward with her elbows on the table.
Sugarcoat glanced at the other encouraging looks from her friends and let out a huff. “Well, if you must know, like I said, it started about a month after the Friendship Games.”
The cloudy weather matched Sugarcoat’s mood as she watched a group of pigeons pecking away at the ground. All at once, they flew off and she let out a sigh before continuing to trudge on.
She had decided to take a walk to clear her worried mind. The weight of her latest tests in her backpack felt like cinder blocks as she walked. Aside from crossing traffic, she wasn’t paying attention to how far she had gone.
When her stomach finally started rumbling, she stopped and took in her surroundings. To Sugarcoat’s surprise, she recognized a few of the buildings around her from the bus ride over to CHS for the Friendship Games. And against her poor luck, she found herself outside of a diner called Sugarcube Corner.
With a sigh, she stepped inside. Gratefully, the diner seemed to be sparsely occupied, meaning she most likely wouldn’t be caught here by anyone she knew. Cinch was gone, but reputation still had its value.
Looking around, she opted for one of the booths towards the back, away from the front windows. Just because the diner was relatively empty didn’t mean the streets were. Setting her backpack in the seat next to her, Sugarcoat slumped into the booth’s cushions.
She didn’t have to wait long for a server to notice her. “Sugarcoat?”
Sugarcoat’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. Slowly she looked up to see, sure enough, it was Pinkie Pie. CHS student, Friendship Games competitor, and rival to Crystal Prep. Wearing a waitress uniform and strapped into a pair of roller skates.
Sugarcoat squinted. “Pinkie Pie? You work here?”
Pinkie beamed. “Of course,” she replied. “But I didn’t expect to see you out here.”
“Yeah, well…” Sugarcoat tapered off as she failed to come up with a good enough excuse. Instead, she focused a scowl towards the booth’s table.
Pinkie tilted her head and slid into the seat across from Sugarcoat, surprising the Crystal Prep student. “Hey, is everything alright?” she asked softly.
Sugarcoat’s scowl was joined by warm cheeks as she redirected it towards the napkin dispenser. However, in her periphery, she noticed Pinkie was still sitting there, watching her. With a reluctant sigh, she frowned towards the waitress.
Before she could even open her mouth to say anything, Pinkie beat her to it. “You can tell me,” she smiled a little warmer and a little softer. “I Pinkie Promise not to tell anyone else.”
Sugarcoat’s scowl returned, this time confused. “What is a Pinkie Promise?”
“It’s the most serious promise ever! Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!” Sugarcoat watched as Pinkie crossed her chest, let that hand fly, before sticking what she assumed to be an invisible cupcake in her left eye.
After a moment of silence, Sugarcoat huffed. “If you really must know, my test scores have been… suffering as of late,” she said flatly. “Where I used to get perfect grades with the rare 99... well, 90 has been my best. I’m worried that I’ve been slipping in my studies.”
Pinkie blinked, before giggling. “Everyone has their off days, Sugarcoat. Even me! I know you’ll pull through. Based on what I saw at the Friendship Games, you’re definitely smart enough.”
Sugarcoat blinked. “You… really think so?”
“I know so,” Pinkie said with a firm nod. “And I know what’ll cheer you up: a cupcake on the house. I just put in a fresh batch. Be right back!”
Sugarcoat watched her slip from the booth and zip around the counter and into the kitchen.
It took her a moment to realize that the heat on her face hadn’t gone anywhere. And something felt funny in her chest, like her heart was beating faster. At first, she thought Pinkie might have been messing with her—the Friendship Games weren’t that long ago, after all—but her rational brain dismissed it. Pinkie had been… genuine. And it felt… nice.
Sugarcoat crossed her arms as she sat back and mulled it all over. Her strange feelings, the way Pinkie smiled and giggled, even her weird mannerisms. The fact that her cheeks only burned hotter as she mulled it all over. There was only one conclusion that could be reached.
As Pinkie rolled back over, she didn’t seem to notice Sugarcoat’s red face. “Here you go, Sugarcoat. I even had icing that reminded me of you,” she said, setting a periwinkle-iced cupcake on a plate in front of her.
“Oh, uh, thank you, Pinkie,” Sugarcoat said, before clearing her throat. “I was… wondering if you might like to hang out some time. Obviously, not at school, but… somewhere. We can work out the details later.”
Pinkie blinked, but Sugarcoat noticed a faint tinge to her pink cheeks. “Sure! I’d love to,” the waitress replied. “Enjoy your cupcake.”
Sugarcoat watched her roll away, even faster than before, before turning her attention to the cupcake. Sure enough, the swirl of periwinkle icing did look familiar.
“Just like that?” Lemon asked.
“Yes,” Sugarcoat grumbled. “I just explained it.”
“Huh,” Sunny remarked. “What exactly do you see in Pinkie? I mean, no offense but, she seems a little… weird?”
“Kinda wonder what she sees in you too,” Sour muttered. At the others’ frowns, she elaborated, “What? I mean, our schools have been rivals since forever.”
Sugarcoat huffed, crossing her arms. “Pinkie Pie has some… unusual habits, but I have found that she’s wiser than she seems. A lot wiser.”
Sugarcoat followed Pinkie through the door into the animal shelter. She’d heard a lot about it before, but between her studies and her reputation, she’d been kept from experiencing it until now.
While the smell was somewhat unpleasant and the air was filled with the barks, chirps, and all manner of animal calls, the shelter had a cozy vibe to it. Pinkie lead her towards the back where the kennels and terrariums were located.
Fluttershy was there, helping to settle down a few of the dogs when Pinkie cleared her throat to announce their arrival. With a soft “eek,” Fluttershy jumped and whirled around, only to smile when she saw her friend.
“Pinkie, I’m so glad you came!” she said, pulling Pinkie into a hug. When she pulled away, her eyebrows raised at seeing Sugarcoat. “Oh, and you’re Sugarcoat, right? From Crystal Prep?”
Sugarcoat nodded. “And you must be Fluttershy. I should have known you’d be working here,” she said, adjusting her glasses. When Fluttershy tilted her head, she added, “I gathered you liked animals.”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded, turning back to Pinkie. “You came just in time. Today is Cleo’s birthday,” she said.
Pinkie gasped. “I knew I sensed a birthday!” she exclaimed, racing over to a terrarium full of snakes. “Here you are Cleo, happy birthday!”
She reached into her pocket and produced a tiny party hat. One of the sand-colored snakes lifted its head and Pinkie gently set the hat atop its head. Cleo flicked her tongue in gratitude.
“I’ll need to make more,” Pinkie said, hands on her hips, before she pulled out some construction paper and scissors.
As Sugarcoat and Fluttershy watched her work, the latter turned to the former. “I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised to see you here, Sugarcoat,” Fluttershy said.
Sugarcoat shrugged, placing her hands behind her back and standing a little straighter. “I like animals, too,” she said simply.
“Well I’m glad to have the help,” Fluttershy said. “But aren’t you worried about your reputation? I know that was really important for Crystal Prep.”
“It’s none of your concern,” Sugarcoat said bluntly. Her gaze slid to the floor. If word got out she was volunteering at some animal shelter, she’d be the laughingstock of Crystal Prep. You were supposed to be the best, the brightest, after all. Not doing silly, frivolous things.
Pinkie had just finished setting party hats on a group of parrots when she noticed Sugarcoat’s worried frown. She stepped over and set a hand on her shoulder, causing the Crystal Prep student to jump.
“If you ask me,” Pinkie said with a soft smile. “A reputation doesn’t sound that great if it means you can’t do things you like to do. I think that’s way more important. I mean, I wouldn’t let a reputation stop me from partying.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I used to worry about what people thought about me, but I realized having fun and helping my friends meant a lot more,” she said.
At a puppy’s insistent barking, Fluttershy perked up. “Oh! Coming Snoop!” she called, hurrying over.
As Fluttershy went over to the dog kennels, Pinkie smiled at Sugarcoat.
“And you know what, I’d choose you over some silly reputation,” she declared.
Sugarcoat’s cheeks burned, bright enough that Pinkie surely noticed. “Th-Thanks,” she said softly. She refused to meet Pinkie’s eyes, but she slowly reached up and took Pinkie’s hand from her shoulder and held it in hers. “Perhaps you’re right… maybe a reputation isn’t the most important thing.”
Pinkie beamed, and when Sugarcoat glanced at her, she noticed that ever slight flush again. “That’s the spirit! Now, help me hand out the treats!”
Sugarcoat smiled softly, and a giggle slipped out. “Sure, sounds fun.”
Sugarcoat raised her eyebrows at her friends, expecting some sort of interruption again. Instead she was met by pensive silence. Indigo and Sunny looked out the window, Sour Sweet fiddled with her thumbs, and Lemon Zest seemed to be staring at something on the diner’s counter.
“Yeah,” Sunny finally said. “Man… Cinch really got that reputation thing stuck in our heads, didn’t she?” The others nodded.
“While holding things over our heads,” Indigo groused.
“Pinkie’s right. We’ve never had… fun,” Sour Sweet said.
Sugarcoat nodded. “And, I’ll admit, Pinkie is also incredibly talented. One time—”
“Oh yeah!” Lemon interrupted. “Upper Crust and Suri mentioned she put a freaking Mona Lisa in her cake during the Friendship Games. Like in the cake, not on it. There’s no way…”
Lemon trailed off as she was met by a squinting glare from Sugarcoat, and chuckled nervously.
“Sorry,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. “Continue.”
The sun was just beginning to set as Sugarcoat stepped up to the door to Sugarcube Corner, adjusting the straps of her backpack. A cursory glance at the hours showed they were indeed minutes from closing—unfortunately or fortunately, the diner wasn’t an all-night one.
She took a steadying breath and stepped inside, the little bell over the door jingling to welcome her like it had so many times before. The diner, after all, was the best place to keep track of her girlfriend.
Sure enough, Pinkie Pie was behind the counter wiping it down when Sugarcoat entered. She looked up and gasped, before lighting up and rolling over to greet Sugarcoat.
“Sugarcoat! What are you doing here?” she asked, with that happy-to-see-her energy she always seemed to have. “We’re about to close down.”
“I know, um…” Sugarcoat shifted on her feet, blushing when she felt Pinkie take her hands. “I admit that… I’m better with power tools and chemistry sets than I am baking, but… I was wondering if we could bake something together.”
Pinkie blinked, tilting her head. “You want to bake something together?”
“Yes, that’s what I just said.” Sugarcoat cleared her throat, a small smile forming. “When dating, couples will often do things they like together. I know you like baking—and you’re really good at it—and I like… well, making things at least. But I’m not good in the kitchen.”
“So what did you have in mind then?” Pinkie asked, bouncing on her feet.
Sugarcoat regretfully took one of her hands back to reach into the side pocket of her backpack and pull out a folded up piece of paper. She offered it to Pinkie, who unfolded it and read through it.
“You have really nice handwriting,” Pinkie remarked, and somehow Sugarcoat’s blush doubled.
“Thanks… so, what do you think?” Sugarcoat asked.
“I think it’s worth a shot!” Pinkie declared. “And if you’re good with chemistry, maybe this will be a great experiment!”
“A-Are you sure? I mean, what if it’s not good?” Sugarcoat asked, only to be cut off when Pinkie set a chef’s hat on her head.
“Well, we’ll at least have fun, and I’m eager to try something new. Come on—to the kitchen!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Sugarcoat stumbled as Pinkie dragged her towards the diner’s kitchen. She briefly wondered if the owners would allow it, but seeing as Pinkie was allowed to waitress in roller skates, she brushed it aside.
After all, there was making to do.
This time, Sugarcoat was cut off when Indigo slammed the table with both hands. The napkin dispenser rattled.
“You made the Pineapple Dream Team Pudding?!” she exclaimed, eyes wide.
“No, I made the recipe. Pinkie made it… and helped fine tune the recipe,” Sugarcoat corrected.
“Huh. That sounds a lot like the team up we did with the Rainbooms for the music video,” Sour Sweet remarked, sitting back and crossing her arms.
Sugarcoat blushed lightly and nodded. “Yes. And I’ve been meaning to thank you for agreeing to let the Rainbooms perform at our spring dance on the yacht,” she said.
“How come?” Sunny asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sugarcoat’s blush deepened and she tugged at her collar. “Because… well, how I spend time alone with my girlfriend is my business,” she said firmly.
The other Shadowbolts glanced at one another, each one shrugging in turn. Before the awkward silence could deepen, Pinkie rolled over with their orders.
“Here we go!” she declared, missing the awkward looks. She handed out the drinks and dishes one by one, finishing with Sugarcoat’s: cinnamon and chocolate chip, heart-shaped pancakes and an accompanying syrup dispenser.
“Enjoy!” Pinkie said with a grin, before leaning down to peck Sugarcoat on the cheek. Sugarcoat giggled softly and Pinkie gave her a parting wink before rolling away.
“Pancakes?” Lemon remarked. “It’s like, five in the afternoon, Sugarcoat.” She sipped noisily on her lemonade.
“My comfort food is my comfort food,” Sugarcoat declared firmly with a nod. “Besides, it’s a sign of Pinkie’s feelings, and as her girlfriend, it would be rude to refuse.”
“Cute as this is, we’re way off topic,” Indigo said before popping some fries into her mouth. “Back to the Science Fair.”
Sugarcoat focused back on her pancakes, starting to pour the syrup. The sweet and spicy scents triggered another memory, and her friends’ voices faded into the background—something about a mini particle accelerator.
It was one memory she hadn’t shared because, in all honesty, it was just too weird. Even for Canterlot High School’s standards with magic.
Sugarcoat was taking a big risk, visiting CHS of all places. It was almost two months after the Friendship Games, so she was crossing her fingers for some level of amiableness from the rival students. Normally, she’d visit the diner to meet with Pinkie, but the Cakes, Sugarcube Corner’s owners, had said she wasn’t working there today.
Aside from a few confused scowls, the passing CHS students leaving campus walked past without incident. Soon, the damaged statue was in sight—and her pink target was thankfully leaning against it.
She hurried over. Pinkie had recently gotten in the habit of sneak attacking her with hugs—she wanted to return the favor. She successfully latched her arms around Pinkie’s middle and came face-to-face with her curly pink mane. Bubblegum pink and sweeter smelling than cotton candy, but something smelled off this time.
Shrugging it off, she leaned over to plant a kiss on Pinkie’s cheek—only this time Pinkie’s gaze caught her before she could follow through.
And to her surprise, Pinkie gently pushed her an arm’s length back.
“Whoa there,” Pinkie giggled. “You must be Sugarcoat.”
Sugarcoat blinked, and she was pretty sure even her pigtails drooped further. “W-What?” she asked.
“Oh, right! This is probably going to be confusing,” Pinkie said. “My name’s Pinkie Pie!”
“I know who you are!” Sugarcoat spluttered. “W-We’re dating!”
Pinkie nodded. “Yep, you’re Sugarcoat alrighty. Your Pinkie told me all about you! See, I’m Pinkie Pie from Equestria—which you probably don’t know about, but it’s not around here. Your Pinkie is visiting, so I’m covering for her,” she explained.
Sugarcoat’s arms dropped, releasing… not her Pinkie? She tilted her head to the side.
“Don’t worry, Pinkie will be back soon. She said she wanted to ask the other Twilight—my Twilight—about something. Sounded important,” Pinkie continued.
“Do you… switch places with her often?” Sugarcoat asked, squinting.
“Pretty much, but we’ve never met before, don’t worry,” Pinkie said, flashing a big smile. “In fact, I don’t even know a Sugarcoat where I’m from. But judging from your name, you must be really sweet.” Pinkie giggled, and even though Sugarcoat was convinced this wasn’t her girlfriend, she still blushed.
“Actually… I’ve been told I can be pretty blunt, and grating to some,” Sugarcoat admitted, rubbing her arm. “Not that sweet… Truth be told, I’ve been worried I might be annoying Pinkie at times.”
“Well, that’s alright, too,” Pinkie said, turning her focus back towards the statue. “There’s this neat rhyme I learned recently: ‘sugar and spice and everything nice.’ Well, if you ask me, I think ‘sugar and spice makes everything nice.’”
“How so?” Sugarcoat asked.
“Well, if you have too much sweetness, it gets bland. You get used to it. Same with too much spiciness. But, if you have both, it all balances out,” Pinkie explained, rocking on her feet. “So Pinkie’s all sweet, and you’re all spicy—and you balance out. And that makes everything nice.”
Sugarcoat blinked a few times, studying Pinkie. She finally chuckled and looked toward the statue. “Heh… yeah. I guess that’s a nice way of putting things. You’re certainly wise like my Pinkie Pie.”
Pinkie flashed a grin. “Thanks! Did you want to wait for her here?”
“Yeah,” Sugarcoat said, slowly smirking. “I still owe her a hug.”
Sugar and spice did sound really nice.
End One of Six
Author's Note
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 05/07/24
I hoped you liked this story. I've recently got fixated on the Shadowbolts and I've been plotting out ships for them--as well as a potential redemption story at the very end. So expect more to come!
Pinkie is probably my favorite go-to ship when it comes to villains or the villainous. And I think there's a little irony in a baker and someone named "Sugarcoat," however ironic the name, getting together.
The song I listened to while writing this was actually "ACADECA" from My Little Pony - Equestria Girls: Friendship Games.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
14-1-13-5: 19-21-7-1-18-3-15-1-20
8-15-13-5-20-15-23-14: 23-8-9-14-14-25-1-16-15-12-9-19
3-1-12-12-19-9-7-14: 19-8-1-4-15-23-2-15-12-20 6-9-22-5
16-15-19-9-20-9-15-14: 20-1-3-20-9-3-9-1-14 1-14-4 4-1-20-1 1-14-1-12-25-19-20
2-12-1-3-11 1-14-4 2-12-21-5, 6-12-25 20-18-21-5
