//------------------------------// // Season One Episode Two: Putty // Story: Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This? // by The Big Wasowsky //------------------------------// Twilight had difficulty sleeping that night. Not due to worry, but a bit of anticipation and excitement. Yesterday was the first test of the Cakes’ new microwave oven. Pinkie had somehow lassoed her into testing the effects of various objects being heated inside it. It started out annoying, but ended up rather fun and educational! The alarm clock rang and Twilight shot out of bed. She flew -- almost literally -- through her morning ablutions before putting on a lab coat, four heavy-duty boots, saddlebags and a pair of goggles. She floated another work outfit into the saddlebags, one sized for Pinkie, before vanishing in a burst of light. She reappeared in the back kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. “Pinkie, I’m…” Her words died as she saw Carrot Cake, Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie standing there, preheating ovens and getting their wares ready for the day. Carrot Cake arched an eyebrow. “Anything we can do for you, your majesty?” Pinkie slid up to her side, a bowl of batter balanced on her noggin. “Twilight, might wanna come after the lunch rush,” she said, her tail also whipping up cake frosting with a beater. Twilight’s cheeks burned scarlet. “Sorry, just really hungry.” She slunk out of the kitchen. “I’ll be going, now.” Twilight returned that afternoon, still wearing her labcoat, goggles and boots. She walked into Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen this time, finding Pinkie Pie there with a crowbar in her mouth. She cocked an eyebrow, but let it pass this time. “Okay, Pinkie. First, you’ll need the proper gear for this!” She floated Pinkie’s uniform out of her saddlebags. Pinkie’s eyes went wide. She spit the crowbar onto the floor. “Ooh, pretty!” She slipped into the coat, boots and goggles, grinning widely. “Now, Twilight! It’s time for SCIENCE!” She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a small, off-white tube of a gooey substance. She placed it on the countertop and waved a hoof over it, oohing and aahing all the while. Twilight tilted her head at it. “We’re going to microwave… bread dough?” Pinkie shook her head. “Nonono, Twilight. It’s actually a tube of modeling putty.” She rolled it over, displaying the brand name. “So, ready?” Twilight grinned, the goggles reflecting light. “I’m ready, Pinkie!” She floated the tube of putty into the microwave and closed the door before trotting over to the other side of the counter and ducking down. “So, thirty seconds like last time?” Pinkie looked over from where she was setting up the camcorder. “I’d say two minutes, Twilight. Let’s skirt the edge of the danger zone!” Twilight nodded. She waited for Pinkie to duck beside her before turning the microwave on. “Now comes the educational part!” Pinkie stared at her. “You mean the ‘fun’ part, right?” “Same thing!” The microwave hummed, the interior flashing twice. Suddenly, both pony’s noses wrinkled at an acrid stench. Pinkie gagged while Twilight’s cheeks bloomed and turned green. Twilight’s magic flared and she hit the door button, popping it open and stopping the machine. Her eyes crossed and she dropped to her haunches, cheeks puffing as the full blast of the half-melted putty’s smell hit her right in the muzzle. Pinkie galloped over to the kitchen ventilation and cranked it from ‘off’ to ‘maximum thrust’. The fans turned on, sucking up the odor. She dropped back to the floor, breathing heavily. “Okay… next time, we’ll try something that won’t melt. Okay?” Twilight levitated the putty out of the microwave, floated a trash bag over and tossed it inside. She tied it up, opened the kitchen door and flung it out with all her might. “Sure, just next time I choose what we microwave.” She flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “And we bring gas masks, too.”