Chapters Pinkie's favors and flavors
Pinkie Pie was tossing in her sleep uneasily all through the night as one thought kept running through her unconscious mind, 'Why has my poor tummy been feeling like it's in a super duper tight knot?' As she dreamed throughout the night, one scenario continuously replayed itself, Celestia looking down upon her and laughing arrogantly.
Gasping with wide eyes and a small amount of sweat on her forehead, Pinkie sat up and wiped her forehead with a hoof. 'Why have I been having these icky wicky dreams lately?' she questioned herself, yet coming up with no clear answer. She then proceeded to hop out of her very poofy and very pink bed, not at all unlike her mane. Giving a most adorable yawn and stretch to fully wake herself after her restless night, she set upon her duty as the happy-go-lucky baking mare that was well-known all throughout Ponyville.
'I have some thinking to do' Pinkie thought to herself for only a few seconds. Once she was ready to begin her day, she trotted over to her somehow limitless gumball machine. She placed her foot down on the small button on the base and out popped one medium-sized gumball. She somewhat somberly took it into her mouth and quietly chewed on it along the way down the stairs toward the kitchen.
Mrs. Cake was downstairs with her very prominent rear slowly bobbing to a tune she was humming and was startled when Pinkie suddenly announced herself with an overly enthusiastic "Hello!", causing the light blue mare to jump suddenly and nervously chuckle as she attempted to slow her racing heart. Pinkie's ears drooped low in sadness as she apologized for her sudden presence. "No problem at all dearie, you simply startled me is all," Mrs. Cake replied, then noticed Pinkie chewing and added, "is there something troubling you? I know that the only time you chew a gumball that you get from your room is when you've got some heavy thinking to do. If you want to talk about it, you know I'll make the time for you dear."
Pinkie thought to herself, considering whether or not she should try to figure things out herself, or allow a little outside help. "Actually, something IS on my mind. These last few days, my belly has been all tingly and feeling all twisty", to which Pinkie twisted her tummy unnaturally into a strange spiral before continuing, "and I've been having these weird dreams involving the princess where she laughs at me and I'm all saddy waddy." Pinkie's mane deflated just a speck by the time she finished her explanation.
Mrs. Cake put a hoof on her chin and pondered for a short while before asking the simple question of, "Pinkie dear, what do you think about Princess Celestia?"
"Well, she's nice, kind, sweet and bubbly, and super duper colorific!" Pinkie replied a little too overly affectionate, even for the hyperactive pony, and Mrs. Cake noticed this. She had a genuinely loving smile gracing her snout when she approached her favorite filly and looked directly into her eyes and simply stated, "Pinkie, I think you have a crush on our fair princess."
When Mrs. Cake took a small step back to gauge Pinkie's reaction, she was met with a pink pony with a gaping mouth and the cutest little blush decorating her face. Once she regained enough composure to form a single thought, she responded with a very nervous and obviously fake giggle, "Good one Mrs. Cake...", to which Mrs. Cake held a proud and knowing smile upon her face. She knew she was right, even if Pinkie didn't know it herself.
Pinkie's favors and flavors
A little over a year ago...
Hearts and Hooves day; a day for many ponies to either finally confess their affection for their possible special somepony, or enjoy their loved one's company and let it become know and congratulated among the townsponies.
On this particular day, everypony was happy, with one exception; Pinkie Pie. She lay alone in her bed, covered up, hoping her blanked would shield her heart from the annual pain, but it was fruitless. She cried silent tears into her pillow. She knew what she felt, but not WHY she felt that way. Jealousy was the only emotion in her poor heart at the time. She was envious of the others, of their happiness, of their loved ones. Pinkie may have been innocent to a degree, but she was far from foolish. She knew her own emotions well enough. She didn't like this one particular day, and her feelings toward it scared and worried the poor pony.
Sure, she loved making others smile, laugh, and hearing their thanks for a job well done, but how many truly returned the favor? At least not to the degree her heart wanted. She was so confused.
After what felt like an eternity, yet was nothing more than two hours at most, she climbed out of bed, shook out her mane, plastered a fake smile, and began the long work of keeping a steady supply of sweets in the confectionery for all the inevitable customers that would buy their sweethearts something to demonstrate their love, whether it be cookies, a cake, muffins, candy, or anything sweet they could think of.
As the day dragged on, Pinkie's work speed slowed down greatly, yet was not noticed by any of the regulars, as their minds were elsewhere at the time. Once a break appeared in the heavy traffic of lovestruck ponies, Pinkie retreated upstairs after placing a "Taking a teensy weensy break, be back in a jiffy!" sign outside the door. Soon after, Mr. and Mrs. Cake arrived to find the sign on the door and an empty kitchen. As they grimaced at each other, knowing it to be unusual for a break on such an important day for the near infinitely hyped pony, they both ascended the stairs.
Pinkie was curled up on her bed, absentmindedly petting her beloved pet, Gummy when Mrs. Cake raised a hoof and gently knocked on the door, to which pinkie mumbled a low "Come in..." Mrs. Cake noticed Pinkie's less-than-happy mood and slowly sat down next to her and wrapped her hooves around the distressed pony.
"Pinkie, what's wrong? You never ever put up the 'Going on a break' sign during a major holiday."
"You wouldn't understand," Pink mumbled sadly.
"You'd be surprised sweetie."
"Well, almost every year on Hearts and Hooves day, I feel jealous. I know it's jealous, just not WHY."
"Can you maybe tell me more about it? Maybe what causes it?"
"I'm happy for everypony, of course, but I see all of them smiling at one another and holding hooves and buying things for their special someponies, but... I don't know why that would make me feel this way."
"Is there somepony you adore? Perhaps maybe even want to be more than friends with?"
"Not that I can think of, no," Pinkie responded after thinking it over for a minute.
"I think you just need a special pony to call your own dearie, and you'll be fine." And with that final statement, Mrs. Cake excused herself out and Pinkie from work for the rest of the day to relax.
'A special pony... for me?' Pinkie thought, and blushed slightly at the sheer notion of her holding hooves with anypony at all. She would have to keep a super keen eye out for her possible soulmate from now on. She Pinkie promised herself that if anyone got her attention, she'd do whatever it would take for them to let her feelings be known. After a well-deserved nap, of course.
Pinkie's favors and flavors
"It's true, I can see it plain as day," said Mrs. Cake to a stunned Pinkie Pie. Now, Mrs. Cake never was one to go 'getting what she could', but she certainly knew young love when she saw it. And from the way Pinkie talked about the princess, the shine in her eyes, and the tone in her voice, she knew Pinkie had a big crush on her.
"But how can you tell?" wondered Pinkie.
"I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes. I won't tell you what you have to do, but rest assured that I won't judge you.
Mrs. Cake gave Pinkie a big, accepting smile and Pinkie gave one back in return before splaying her ears back in worry. "But what if others are unhappy at me for choosing to be with her? On one hoof, I can keep making other ponies happy, or I can be with her, but I don't want if I want other ponies to get mad or upset with me."
"You have to look in your own heart and choose. Perhaps I should ask you, do you think YOU deserve to be happy like everypony else? To have your own sweetheart like others?"
Pinkie took time to mull the question over in her own mind quite seriously. 'I enjoy making others smile and happy, but nopony ever said I had to sacrifice my own happiness for them. I've never even thought about having somepony for myself.'
Pinkie suddenly developed a huge smile and proudly exclaimed, "I'll give it a shot! Nopony said I couldn't have a baking buddy. Oooohhh, maybe the princess likes baking too!" and with that, Pinkie became nothing more than a blur as she shot upstairs to begin planning possible future scenarios between herself and the princess.
Pinkie's favors and flavors
'Okay, I know I have to do SOMETHING to get the princess's attention, but what?' Pinkie pondered, rhythmically tapping her front left hoof on the plush rug that covered her room floor. 'I don't want it to be super obvious, but I want her to maybe get her thinking that somepony likes her.' She scrunched up her snout and poked her tongue out her pursed lips cutely as she wracked her brain for some kind of idea, when it suddenly hit her. 'I think I need to start small. A few assorted treats should do the trick!' And with that, she zoomed downstairs into the kitchen with renewed hope.
A few hours later, she was smiling down at her small rectangular box that held two chocolate eclairs, three candy canes, and five butterscotch hard candies with vanilla cream inside. She was very well pleased with her work. One small problem remained. How to get them to the princess? As she was mulling it over, Derpy the mailmare trotted in and, with a cheery smile, delivered the usual paper, although later than usual and sat down briefly to rest. It was then that Pinkie knew how to get her gift to the princess.
"Hey Ditzy, could you do me a super duperly important favor?" Pinkie asked the grey pegasus. "Sure thing Pinkie, what is it?"
"I need you to deliver this box to the palace gates and tell them it's for princess Celestia please. But DO NOT tell them who sent it." As she finished her sentence, Pinkie's mane and tail fully deflated, and a red glint could be seen within her eyes, reinforcing the fact this was extremely serious.
Derpy, noticing the sudden change in her normally bubbly friend, took an involuntary step back and a single bead of sweat ran down her back, all the way from her mane to her very ample derriere. "Uhhh... Of course Pinkie. I won't forget..." And with that, she suddenly placed the package in her mailbag and flew straight toward the castle. Once Derpy left, Pinkie let out a sigh and felt a little bad about having to be so serious with her friend, but it was very important that Derpy understood.
Derpy arrived at the castle gates quicker than she expected. Fear was a good motivator to go fast. Once she touched down, she announced to the guards at the entrance that she had a package for Celestia that needed to go to her chambers as soon as possible. She made up a small lie about who gave her the package by saying that she had her back turned at some point in the day and when she returned to her bag, it was inside. The guards thought for a second, before taking the package inside and Derpy released a held breath and was hoping all would run smoothly.
