//------------------------------//
// Starting Off on the Right Foot 
// Story: Pantheon, the Artisan of Baking 
// by Hawattie 
//------------------------------//

	Bards would sing epic tales about Pinkie Pie's cupcakes for generations to come. The sheer deliciousness brought a single tear to Pantheon's eye as he chewed the majestic baked good. "If in all my years to come," the warrior said, "I make a single pastry which comes even close to a tenth of this cupcake's decadence, I could die a happy man."
Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively at the man's dramatics. "I try to be an inspiration to others."
"You don't just try, Pinkie." Pantheon wiped the tear from his eye. "You succeed."
Pantheon reached for a second cupcake, only to find and empty tray and a nonchalantly whistling Pinkie Pie with bits of frosting stuck in her mane. "Did you even taste those cupcakes when you ate them?" he asked.
"Of course I did, silly!" Pinkie bounced over to the counter and began mixing some more batter. "What's the point of eating things if you don't get to taste their scrumptiousness?"
Until recently, Pantheon had only eaten what he needed to stay healthy. The concept of eating for the sake of eating was still new to him. "I don't know, maybe survival?" Pantheon deadpanned.
"Don't worry, I make sure I eat all four major pastry groups every day," Pinkie assured him. She popped the batter she had started making ten seconds earlier into the oven.
"Pastry groups?" Pantheon asked. "Are those by any chance related to the major food groups? You know, fruits and vegetables, that kind of thing?"
"Of course they are," Pinkie said, pulling a fully-baked and already frosted three-layer cake out of the oven. "But enough about my diet, didn't I give you an assignment?"
Pantheon started, he had completely forgotten about that in the wake of the world's best cupcake. "You did." Pantheon grabbed his equipment and turned for the door. "Do you have any advice on where I could find a residence?"
A paper airplane bounced off his helmet. Pantheon caught it as it fell and unfolded it to reveal a hand -hoof?- drawn map of Ponyville. "Try the town hall," Pinkie said. The town hall was conveniently marked with a bright red circle. "I think they keep the records for available houses there."  A dotted line showed the quickest path to Pantheon's destination from Sugarcube Corner.
"You have my thanks, Pinkie Pie." Pantheon re-folded the map into a more conventional shape and tucked it away safely.
Pinkie beamed over the tray of fresh cupcakes she had just finished. "No problem, Panth!" She made to bounce away, but stopped mid bounce and said, "Oh! You might want to talk to Twilight too, since you're an alien from another dimension and all, you can find her in the library." The pink pony resumed her bouncing and hopped through a side door.
A glance at his map revealed a new location, a building drawn for some asinine reason to look like a tree, was circled. "How did she mark the library without me noticing?" he wondered. Pinkie had been halfway across the room breaking the laws of physics, again, while the map was tucked safely away in his belt. "Did she use some form of magic?"
An unknown voice came from behind Pantheon, making him jump. "Nopony knows how Pinkie Pie does the things she does." The warrior spun to face the newcomer, raising his weapon on reflex. The unknown voice was revealed to be a skinny yellow stallion wearing a striped bowtie.
Upon realizing the stallion meant Pantheon no harm he lowered his spear. The stallion visibly relaxed when the danger of being skewered upon an eight foot long spear passed. "I take it you're this 'Pantheon' fellow Pinkie just told me about?"
"Indeed I am." Judging by the slices of cake pictured on the stallion's flank, Pantheon could guess this stallion was a baker. Beyond that Pantheon had no idea who he was. "And you are...?"
"Mr Cake," the stallion, whose name was apparently Cake, informed him. "My wife and I own this bakery. Pinkie Pie is both our employee and tenant."
"It must be very... interesting living with Pinkie Pie," Pantheon commented. If she acted anything like what he'd seen at night it might be difficult to sleep at night due to the noise.
Mr Cake gave a little involuntary shudder. "You have no idea." The faraway look in the stallion's eyes was enough to discourage Pantheon from continuing that discussion.
"Well it was good to meet you, Mr Cake," Pantheon said, holding out a hand for the pony to shake.
"Likewise." Mr Cake grimaced slightly as his hoof was crushed in Pantheon's powerful grip. "I imagine we'll be seeing more of each other," he said. "Pinkie mentioned something about teaching you how to bake?"
Pantheon nodded. "Yes, it's been a dream of mine for quite some time now." He turned back to the door. "I really must be off now, farewell Mr Cake."
"You too." Mr Cake smiled, shaking his head at the odd friends that Pinkie Pie made.

~~~

Just like the first time Pantheon walked through Ponyville, he attracted stares from nearly every pony he passed. And just like the first time Pantheon ignored each and every look he received. With purposeful strides the warrior made his way to his destination.
Not two minutes passed before the library came into view. The building, which actually was shaped out of a tree, was on the way to the town hall so Pantheon decided to stop there first.
Several muffled voices could be heard from inside the library discussing something. The voices cut off abruptly when Pantheon knocked. The door opened to reveal the white unicorn who had been present at Pantheon's arrival. Upon seeing the warrior's imposing figure the unicorn's eyes widened and she slammed the door shut again.
"It's him!" she squealed from behind the door, voice only barely muffled by the wood.
"Well let him in then!" a voice that Pantheon recognized to belong to Rainbow Dash answered. "I'm telling you, if Pantheon was gonna hurt us he would have done so already."
The door opened again, this time showing an irritated Rainbow Dash. Pantheon saw the white unicorn a bit further in standing next to the yellow pegasus he'd seen on arrival and a purple... horned pegasus? winged unicorn? he hadn't met yet. Judging by her location and the starburst mark on her flank, Pantheon guessed this purple pony was probably who Pinkie had sent him to see.
"Rainbow is correct," Pantheon said, entering the library proper. "If I wished for you to be dead you would be so already."
"So you promise not to hurt any of us?" probably-Twilight asked. Pantheon nodded. "Pinkie Pie promise?" she added.
Pantheon didn't know what a Pinkie Pie promise was, but if it was named after Pinkie, he didn't particularly feel like it was the kind of promise easily broken. "You have my word."
The white and purple unicorns sighed in relief. The yellow pegasus crawled out from under the table she was hiding behind. Rainbow wore a smug look which screamed, "I told you so."
Pantheon walked to the table the pegasus had been hiding under and sat down at one of the chairs. With a dull thunk he dropped both his shield and his spear on the table. The ponies would be more likely to believe he meant no harm if he was unarmed. "Am I correct in assuming your name is Twilight?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm Twilight Sparkle," Twilight seemed taken aback. "How did you know my name?"
"Pinkie Pie told me I should talk to you," Pantheon explained.
"Oh." Twilight paused for a moment, as if unsure of what to do. She seemed to make up her mind, as she straightened her posture and spoke in a tone that sounded much more "proper". "On behalf of my fellow ponies, let me be the first to officially say, 'welcome to Equestria, Pantheon'."