//------------------------------//
// Pinkie Keeners 
// Story: Appledashery Vol. Two 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

"Nope nope noperooni!"  Pinkie Pie twirled from behind the front counter of Sugarcube Corner and slapped down a veritable stack of cake boxes.  "I haven't seen Dashie around in a baker's minute!  Ya see..."  She leaned forward with a wink.  "...that's like a lazy dozen of minutes plus one.  Hyperbole atop hyperbole!  Hehehe!  Ohhhhhhhhh I love being semi-self-employed."

"Uh huh... but..."  Applejack shifted left and right as a random customer leaned in, placed the stack of cakes on his backside, and dropped a hearty amount of golden bits onto the bakery counter.  "Just how long does a 'baker's minute' amount to in reality?"

"Why?"  Pinkie Pie smiled, blue yes blinking innocently.  "Is Dashie being chased down by cake time cops?"

"What?"  Applejack leaned back with a raised forelimb.  "No!  I was just wonderin'—"

"Because that could be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"  Pinkie's pupils shrank to panicked pinpricks.  "If two identical cakes made contact with one another—splorrrrrrrch!—instantly reduced to time cake goo!"  A few blinks later.  "Which—in hindsight—would make for a pretty killer sweet baking challenge!  'Which cupcake with the chronotonic cake goo frosting is the most tastiest?!?  On your mark!  Get set...!'"

Applejack sighed through a freckled smile.  "It's relaxin' to know that at least you haven't changed a bit, Pinkie."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gurrrrrl..."  Pinkie waved a forelimb, winking.  "Relax them withers, will ya?  Sure, Dashie's busy these days... but she's still our Dashie!"

"I can't even remember the last time y'all did one of them crazy pranks of yers around here in Ponyville," Applejack stated.

"Is that an invitation?!"  Pinkie grinned psychotically.  "Are those apples of yours beggin' to be bathed in plaid again?"

"Uh.  Er."  Applejack took a nervous step or two back.  "No."  Her ears twitched.  "But... I reckon it would be swell to see y'all havin' fun once more... like you used to."

"Just us?"

Applejack fidgeted in place.

"Anyways, it was really-really fun engaging in hypothetical baking thought experiments with you, AJ, but I gotta get back to my work orders!"  Pinkie gestured dramatically.  "I've got a mile high request of mile-high-lemon-fudge-surprise-cakes!  If I don't get on that, then ponies are gonna start making their requests in kilometers of lemon fudge!  I'll be royally screwed!  Right fudged, as it were!  Heehee!"

"Well, you get back to that, now..."  Applejack waved and trotted off.  "Ain't nothin' I appreciate more than..."  She exhaled out the side of her muzzle.  "...a good day's work."