Honey Pie
******
Ponyville’s Park was livelier than usual, that day. As usual, ponies went there to play around with their friends; others sat on benches just to chat and enjoy the view, and little foals would run around, chasing each other, giggling with their squeaky voices. The clear sky and the bright sunshine gave everypony a great reason to come out their houses and gaze upon yet another beautiful day. Seizing the swarm of ponies in the park, several merchants would set up a small shop or stand to sell their goods. The greatest gathering spot, however, was the trademark water fountain, set right in the middle of the park.
The various noises that somepony would commonly hear if they were standing in the middle of the park were nothing but mere background chirping, from where the two fillies were sitting. Quite distant from the park, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had established their own—and first—picnic. Sitting under a tree, two of the three members of the infamous Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at the small straw basket between them. There was no rug under them—or anything else, for that matter; their sole companions were the big, sturdy oak, providing its shade to them, and the grass below them, along with a warm, noon breeze.
“Did you forget the rug, Scootaloo?” Sweetie opened one side of the basket and confirmed her doubts. The most essential item for a picnic was the first thing they had missed. She glanced at Scootaloo with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo muttered as her ears lost their strength and dropped down on her head. “I think I forgot it when I was leaving home,” she said, pressing a hoof against her cheek. “I even told my mom to pack it, but I think she forgot.” Hoping that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t get upset, she sheepishly smiled at her.
Sweetie shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter. We can still have a picnic without a dumb rug,” she claimed and leaned forwards. Her hooves reached the basket and opened it. Inside, there were two small, white plates, and a pink, circular-shaped container. Scootaloo joined Sweetie and opened the other side of the basket, withdrawing one of the plates with her hoof.
“So, uh, is this the pie you said you were gonna bring?” Sweetie pointed her hoof at the container as Scootaloo took it out from the basket and nodded.
“Yup. I stopped by Sugarcube Corner, before coming here. I only had ten bits, though, so this tiny pie was the only one I could afford.” Scootaloo looked at the container and sighed. Maybe if she hadn’t wasted most of her allowance in candies or arcade games, she could have bought a bigger pie. Placing the container next to the basket, she stared at her friend.
“It’s okay, Scootaloo.” Sweetie grinned. “I think this pie is okay; if it was too big, maybe we couldn’t even finish it!”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Scootaloo sighed. Wishing to start with the picnic, she smiled at Sweetie Belle and grabbed the container. “Well, do you wanna eat now?” With a snap, she removed the tape and examined the pie she had purchased. It was just as she had seen it, back in Sugarcube Corner—except for some cream splattered around the walls of the case, thanks to the trip. Regardless, the pie was intact. Sweetie leaned closer and peered inside, looking at the dessert in question; it had a thick layer of cream, along with some mashed nuts on top. It had knife marks, showing that the pie was cut in five slices.
“Wow, it looks delicious!” Sweetie claimed, her tongue moistening her lips. Sniffing, she immediately recognized that unmistakable aroma: honey.
“Sure does,” Scootaloo replied. “I don’t know if it was Pinkie the one who baked it, though.” She noticed Sweetie’s face and giggled. “Ha ha! You’re already drooling!”
“Is it…” Ignoring Scootaloo, she gave one last sniff to the pastry. “Honey pie?” It had to be. Sweetie could recognize that aroma anywhere. Her favorite candy wasn’t ‘Honey Tix’ for nothing. However, honey candies weren’t the only thing she loved; honey cookies, honey ice cream, honey lollipops were on that list, too, and one more thing. “I love honey pies!” she squeaked in delight, bouncing a little on her seat. “Wow, this is great, Scootaloo!”
“Yeah, I know! Mr. Cake said this one was the last honey pie they had, so I was lucky to snatch it before anypony else.” Placing the container down, she pushed the basket aside to make some room. As soon as she reached her hoof to grab as slice, she realized she had forgotten just one little thing. “Uh…” She stared at the pie, then at the plate.
“What is it?” Sweetie blinked. She didn’t need Scootaloo’s answer, though. The moment she decided to grab a slice, she noticed the missing element. “Hey, Scootaloo, did you bring a fork or something to grab the slices?” She checked on the empty basket and sighed. “Guess not…”
“Ah… darn it, I forgot that as well. How are we supposed to eat this? We can’t just grab it with our hooves. We’ll squash the pie!” Scootaloo grunted, softly kicking on the ground with a hoof. The picnic she had been planning for days was getting worse and worse. What else could go wrong? Luckily, there were no clouds above them to answer that question.
“Uh… don’t worry. We can… uh…” Thinking of a solution, Sweetie rubbed her chin with a hoof. Sure, she wasn’t sitting on her thinking spot, back in the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse, but that spot was fine, too. In a matter of seconds, the imaginary light bulb on her head lit. “Oh, right! What if I use my magic?”
“What!? You can use magic already?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she stared at Sweetie, who simply nodded. “S-since when?”
“Well, it was a little after our camping,” Sweetie said. “I still don’t get the hang of it, yet, but Rarity has taught me the basics of levitation. I think I could do something as easy as levitating a slice of pie.” She grinned at Scootaloo, who still had her shell-shocked expression.
“Wow, that’s awesome, Sweetie Belle…” Scootaloo forced a smile, which quickly faded on those last words. It didn’t seem like Sweetie paid any attention to her facial expression, though. Her minty eyes were fixed at the dessert. A single thought ran through Scootaloo’s head. Something about Sweetie being able to use magic bothered her. Shaking her head, she proposed to get back to her previous mood. “Okay, so… do you think you could levitate a slice?”
Doubting of her skills, Sweetie grimaced, like if the motivation she had just seconds ago had disappeared. “Uh… well… I can try,” she muttered. She stared at pie, then at Scootaloo. “Well, Rarity said I have to focus really hard on the object I want to levitate,” she explained, frowning.
“Well, try levitating a slice on this plate.” Grabbing the plate in front of her, Scootaloo held it in front of Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie nodded, and looked at the pie. Now, she had to remember everything Rarity taught her. First, she had to stare deeply at the object she wanted to raise. Then, she had to build up magic within her horn—not releasing it right away. Next, she had to canalize and create a connection between the object and her horn. Finally, she had to release the magic and envelop the object, and focus on her main goal: levitate it.
As much as Sweetie had studied those lessons, it didn’t seem like her horn was willing to cooperate.
“Come on, you dumb horn!” Grinding her teeth, Sweetie tapped her horn, a single spark leaking out. Squinting, she bit her lower lip. A weird sensation ran through her body, ending at the tip of her horn. Scootaloo did nothing but stare at her friend, still holding the plate in front of her. “Almost… there…” Sweetie glared at the slice as if she had the intention to kill it with her stare. Finally, her horn emanated a mint-green colored aura, which also appeared around the slice, remarking the triangular shape and separating it from the rest of the pie.
“All right, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo cheered, now waiting for Sweetie to levitate the slice. This time, she had an honest smile on her face. She leaned the plate closer. “Come on, you can do it!”
As if Scootaloo’s words gave her strength, the slice moved and slowly began ascending. Unwilling to screw up, Sweetie grunted and pressed her eyelids together. Finally, the slice levitated and separated from the pie—perfectly cut as well. Aware of it, Sweetie opened her eyes and tilted her head. “Now… I have to move it…”
Slowly, the slice traced the movements of Sweetie’s head. Finally, she moved her head and levitated the small slice on top of Scootaloo’s plate. “Yes!” As soon as she celebrated her success, the magical connection between her horn and the slice disappeared, leaving it in the air for less than a second, before safely landing on the plate. Sweetie sighed and sat back on the grass. “See? Easy as pie,” she giggled.
“Wow! That was awesome, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo placed the plate down. “Just imagine all the new stuff we’ll be able to do with your magic! Apple Bloom will get so excited!” She could already picture the earth filly’s beaming face. The Cutie Mark Crusaders now had magic in their arsenal, and it would sure come in handy in their quest to get their cutie marks.
“Yep! I will ask mom, dad and Rarity to teach me more, so I can improve.” Sweetie looked down at the pie, which had now a gap where the slice used to be.
“Why not ask Twilight as well? You know, since she’s expert in magic and stuff,” Scootaloo suggested. It wasn’t actually a bad idea; she knew Twilight was the Element of Magic, and that she knew lots of spells. For sure she wouldn’t mind tutoring a filly—and friend—on how to use magic.
“You know, that’s actually a great idea! I’ll go visit her as soon as the picnic is over!” Sweetie squeaked. Why didn’t she think of it before? Twilight was perfect to teach her everything about magic. “Shame Apple Bloom isn’t here. Why didn’t she come, by the way?”
“Oh, well, Applejack grounded her because of the mess we made at the orchard, the other day. I told you that getting our cutie marks in leaf painting was a dumb idea.” Scootaloo recalled the events of that day in her head. Grabbing brushes with their mouths, painting all the leaves from trees, and getting yelled at by Applejack. Maybe she ought to keep her hooves out of the farm for a few days—or weeks.
“Oh, that…” Sweetie giggled, sighing right after. She had gotten paint all over her coat and mane, that day. Not only she got nagged by her parents, but she almost made Rarity faint as soon as she saw her. Luckily, it all ended in a shower and nothing else, unlike Apple Bloom. “Yeah, I think we should have gone with cart painters, as you said.”
“Well, doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s eat the honey pie, already!” Scootaloo got ahold of her plate. “Now that there’s a hole in the pie, it’s easy to grab it with your hoof, so you don’t have to use your magic, again.” As much as she wanted to chow down on her slice, she decided to wait for Sweetie to grab her own.
“Uh, okay.” Sweetie leaned forwards and grabbed her plate with a hoof, reaching to the pie with her free one. Crawling in between the gap, she grabbed a slice and placed it on her plate. “There,” she said. Sniffing, she stared at the slice; it was as big as the one Scootaloo had.
Grinning at Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo bit down on her piece without hesitation. The taste of honey—and few others flavors—exploded in her mouth. “Mmmh,” she hummed, pressing a hoof against her cheek.
Looking at Scootaloo, Sweetie raised an eyebrow. She stared at her slice and gave it a gentle nibble. Her reaction was no different from Scootaloo’s. The honey ran through her tongue, down her throat as she swallowed. The little mashed nuts were a bonus in the flavor. “This tastes great!” she claimed, swallowing down the last of what she had in her mouth.
“Yeah, best pie I’ve ever had!” Scootaloo said, still chewing on her food. Before she knew it, she had devoured her entire slice, already. Sweetie, on the other hand, decided to enjoy her piece, giving it tiny nibbles. “Yeah…” Scootaloo looked at her empty plate; a single thought ran through her mind.
So, Sweetie can already use magic, huh? Scootaloo placed her plate down and sighed. Well, it’s great, of course. But… why do I feel like… like if something’s bugging me? Her gaze shifted towards Sweetie, who didn’t notice the pegasus’ stare. Is it… because I don’t know how to fly, yet? That doesn’t bother me in the slightest; I will eventually learn how to fly. Especially now that Rainbow took me under her wing. So, why does it bother me that Sweetie Belle knows how to use magic? Scootaloo didn’t know what to think anymore. She was feeling something, something unusual, that she had never felt before. The sole fact that Sweetie knew how to use magic was bothersome to her, and she didn’t have the slightest idea of why.
Finishing her first slice, Sweetie licked her lips to eat the leftovers left on her mouth. “This pie is delicious! I’ll ask Rarity to buy me one, someday!” She looked at Scootaloo and noticed the deep stare she was giving her. “Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Huh?” Snapping back to the real word, Scootaloo blinked and shook her head. “N-no, no reason. I just had my head in the clouds, like usual, heh heh…” she faked a chuckle, giving Sweetie a forced smile.
Sweetie shrugged, convinced that Scootaloo was just being Scootaloo. “Uh… okay.”
“Hey, how about if we eat our second slice?” Scootaloo pointed her hoof at the pie, which had now three slices left. She extended a hoof and grabbed a slice, placing it on her plate.
“Okay!” Sweetie nodded and grabbed her plate, ready to serve herself another portion of the scrumptious honey pie.
As Scootaloo stared at a cheerful Sweetie Belle, the weird thoughts came back to her mind. Ugh, maybe I’m just overreacting. So she can use magic, big deal. Every unicorn learns how to use it when they grow up, just like pegasi and flying… A bell rang inside her head, but she didn’t hear it. I bet that when I grow up and get my cutie mark, I’ll learn how to fly, and hopefully, become as cool as Rainbow Dash! The bell rang once again, yet nopony heard it. Once we grow up… and get our cutie marks… The bell rang for a third time, and finally, Scootaloo heard it. Her little eyes widened in realization as she connected the dots. Growing up… getting our cutie marks… Suddenly, it all made sense. We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we’re on a quest to get our cutie marks. But… what’s gonna happen when we get them?
Smiling, Sweetie extended a hoof and grabbed a slice of pie, carefully placing it on her plate. In just a few seconds, she’d taste the sweet piece of love Scootaloo had brought.
Will we… will we still be the Cutie Mark Crusaders after getting our cutie marks? Scootaloo stared at her slice, her appetite fading away. Bowing her head, she took a quick breath and closed her eyes. It was pointless to keep those thoughts to herself; she had to share them, right now. “Hey, Sweetie Belle?” Gathering courage, she raised her head and looked at her friend.
Just before she could lay her teeth on the slice, Sweetie glanced at Scootaloo, placing her plate down. “Yeah, what is it, Scootaloo?” Blinking, she tilted her head.
Breaking eye contact, Scootaloo rolled her eyes and sighed. She dragged a hoof to the back of her head, slowly rubbing it. “Well, thing is…” She quickly glanced at Sweetie, who had an expression of doubt on her face, and shifted her gaze at the grass. “Uh… no, nothing,” she mumbled, softly kicking the grass with a hoof, as if the courage she had built moments ago had left her.
“Huh? Is something the matter? What is it?” Sweetie leaned closer to Scootaloo, who leaned back in response. “Why are you acting so weird, all of a sudden?”
Scootaloo gulped. I… I have to tell her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to build up courage once again. “Have you ever thought about what will happen when we grow up?”
“Huh?” Sweetie blinked and tilted her head, confused. She thought about the question for a second and quickly realized she had never given much thought about it. Why would she ask her that, anyway? Why, in the middle of a picnic, would Scootaloo ask her something like that? Wishing to answer those questions, Sweetie decided to answer with the first thing that came into her mind. Growing up meant they would get their cutie marks, so she could use that. “Well, we will have our cutie marks, right?”
Scootaloo wasn’t exactly expecting that kind of answer, but rather a different one. “I know… I know we’ll get them, someday,” she said.
“Then, why are you asking?”
“I mean… what will happen to our… friendship?”
Both fillies went silent. None of them said a word after Scootaloo’s question. Sweetie simply stared at Scootaloo with a puzzled look on her face. Scootaloo, however, was rather quizzical about the matter. She waited for Sweetie’s answer in what it seemed like hours, but actually were a few seconds before the unicorn’s mouth opened.
“I… I don’t understand. What do you mean, Scootaloo?” Sweetie honestly didn’t have the slightest clue of what Scootaloo was talking about.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right? Our goal is to get our cutie marks,” she stated, Sweetie nodding in agreement. “So, what will happen after we get them? What will happen to the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”
Sweetie was ready to answer, but something stopped her. Something in Scootaloo’s words made her think for a second; she had a very valid point. What would happen after getting their cutie marks? Would the Cutie Mark Crusaders club dissolve? “I… I don’t know,” she muttered, bowing her head. “All this time, we’ve been trying to get our cutie marks, but I never thought about what would happen after getting them.” She raised her head. “But, we’ll always be friends, right?”
“Of course, you, me and Apple Bloom will be friends forever,” Scootaloo replied. “But… what if someone gets their cutie mark before the others? Like… what if I get my cutie mark before you and Apple Bloom? What will happen, then? Will I still be a crusader?”
“Well, yes… of course you will be,” Sweetie said. “I’ll be happy for whoever gets her cutie mark, first.”
“Yeah, I will be, too. Sorry, I just don’t know why I worried myself over silly stuff.” Scootaloo smiled. It was true. What did she have to worry about? Even after growing up and getting their cutie marks wouldn’t change a thing. Everything sounded so silly that even Scootaloo was chuckling. “I was, you know, just worried about the future… about growing up.”
“Oh, I’m worried, too, you know.” Sweetie reached a hoof and rested it on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Rarity has told me that we have to grow up, someday.”
“Huh? So you’re worried about growing up?” Scootaloo was surprised; she didn’t expect to hear that from Sweetie Belle.
Grimacing, Sweetie rolled her eyes. “Well, not exactly. It’s more like I’m worried about leaving all these things behind.” The only answer she received from Scootaloo was a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean? Leave ‘what’ behind?”
“Our foalhood, you know. Playing with each other, going to school, having adventures; things that foals of our age do. When we grow up, we won’t be able to do those things anymore.” Sweetie let go of Scootaloo’s shoulder and stared down at the grass. Before Scootaloo could answer, Sweetie raised her head and looked at her friend with a smile. “But it’s okay, you know? Rarity told me that growing up is part of life, and that we shouldn’t be worried about it.” She looked at what was left of the honey pie and pointed her hoof at it. “Foalhood is like honey pie.”
“Like honey pie?” Scootaloo stared at the container, which had a single slice of pie left, then at Sweetie. “I don’t get it,” she said.
“Well, Rarity used a cupcake to describe it to me, but I think I can make a honey pie version.” Sweetie grabbed her plate, which had the slice she hadn’t eaten, yet. “She says that foalhood is sweet and tasty, like the topping of the pie,” she explained, Scootaloo nodding. “It’s an experience that everypony loves, because it’s the most magical era of our lives,” she paused. “And finally…” Leaning closer, Sweetie took a bite of the slice. “You eat it,” she said, with her mouth full. Good thing that Rarity wasn’t around or she would be getting a lecture about how uncouth is to speak with food in the mouth. She gulped and continued. “You eat it, because the sweetness won’t last forever. When we grow up, we look back at all the fun and joy we had as foals, and we treasure those magical moments, forever.”
Scootaloo blinked. She didn’t expect an answer like that from Sweetie, much less in the way she explained it. She wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, as if she had regained the ability to speak, she opened her mouth. “I… I never thought about that. I guess you’re right. We will grow up, someday, and the only thing we’ll have left from our foalhood will be our memories.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yep, that’s what Rarity told me. But she also told me one more thing.” Placing her plate down, she grinned. “She said that we shouldn’t worry about it. We still got plenty of time to enjoy our foalhood, and enough time to get our cutie marks. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah… yeah, you’re right! What are we worrying about? We’ll be wasting our foalhood if we keep thinking about growing up. Sure, getting our cutie marks is something I want so badly, but if we concern ourselves about the future, we won’t enjoy the present.” Scootaloo stood up from her seat. All the fears and worries that haunted her mind were now gone. “I know that even after growing up, we’ll still be the best of friends, right?”
Nodding, Sweetie stood up from her seat as well. “Yes! We won’t let time to break us apart! We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and nothing will separate us!”
Both fillies shared a laugh together before embracing each other into a hug. The future is inevitable, but there’s no point to grow up, worrying about it. Instead, one should love the present, and be grateful for every single day, from dawn to dusk. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle knew it, and they weren’t going to waste away any second of their lives.
*****
“So, what do we do with this last piece?” Sweetie asked. The noon had become afternoon, and it was time to go home. Both fillies had finished their pie, and played around for hours until exhaustion. Placing both empty plates into the basket, Sweetie Belle grabbed the container with a hoof.
“Well, why don’t we go visit Apple Bloom and give her that slice? I bet she’ll love it!” Tired of lying down on the grass, Scootaloo stretched her wings and back, and stood up. Packing up wasn’t a big deal, considering the only thing they brought were the basket and plates.
“Yay! Let’s hurry, then! I can’t wait to see her face when she tastes the pie!” Sweetie quickly packed the container inside the basket and placed it on her back. Scootaloo joined her and walked together out of the park, towards Sweet Apple Acres.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, for cheering me up.”
“No problem. That’s what friends do.”
“And I’m lucky to have a friend like you!”
“Me too… Hey, last one to make it to Sweet Apple Acres is a rotten apple!”
“Huh what? H-hey, Sweetie Belle, wait!”
