Rarity hummed to herself as she held a frosting-coated spatula aloft in her magic. It certainly was not as precise as a sewing needle, but she could make do. She smoothed out the frosting just so. She straightened the lines to a ruler's perfection. All the lettering curled in the most appealing way. Yes, Rarity thought to herself as she put the finishing touches on the decoration, this was a cake fit for a—

“Hi Rarity! What are you doing?”

Rarity yelped in surprise as a pink form suddenly occupied a previously empty space on the other side of the kitchen counter. “Pinkie, dear, you startled me! When did you come in?” She noted with some dismay the big glop of icing on her otherwise pristine cake.

“Just now!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “I thought I'd drop in on the bestest marefriend in the world and see what she was up to, so here I... am...”

Pinkie's eyes fell on the cake. Her ears fell, her eyes watered, and she let loose a horrified gasp. “Y-you're baking without me?”

Rarity shifted. “Well, yes, darling. I sort of wanted this to be a surprise...”

“But Rarity,” Pinkie blubbered, “we're supposed to be baking buddies! Doesn't that mean anything to you?”

“Of course it does, dear,” said Rarity. “It means a great deal to me, in fact.”

Pinkie collapsed into a miserable heap. “Y-you don't wanna bake with me anymore, do you? This is a break-up cake, isn't it?”

“I am almost positive break-up cakes are not a thing,” Rarity said.

“They should be!” Pinkie cried. “If you're going to break somepony's heart, the least you could do is give them something sweet!” She sobbed a puddle onto Rarity's kitchen floor.

“Pinkie.”

“It's okay,” sniffled Pinkie. “I'm s-sure you'll find somepony else. Somepony more fun to bake with. D-don't worry about me. You've got to do what's right for you.”

Rarity sighed and levitated the cake down to Pinkie's level. “Would you please just read the cake, dear?”

Pinkie rubbed her nose and looked at the cake. “Happy birthday, Pinki-icing gloop,” she read. She blinked and looked up at Rarity. “Who's Pinki-icing gloop?”

Rarity giggled and kissed Pinkie on the forehead. “You are just impossible!”

The Prompt: Happy birthday, my love.

This is a thirty minute writing prompt, meaning you have thirty minutes to finish your story from the time you start writing. You may take as much time as you wish to think, plan, or outline before you begin, but once the first word is on the page, the timer begins. When you are finished, post your story to this thread, and, in the tradition of the TMP mods of yore, I will read and give it a comment when I can.

Traditionally, TMP prompts would have a six to eight-hour window in which to submit, but for these legacy prompts, there will be no limit after the prompt is up. Go ahead and post something a year from now, if you like. Just bear in mind that I'm less likely to respond with feedback to anything submitted more than a day after the prompt. Good luck!

In addition, any stories posted before 12:01 AM Mountain Time November 14th (Friday) will be entered into my fanfic contest. Esle, you may protest, are you really abusing your power as the runner of these legacy prompts just to get more people to enter your contest that is basically just a birthday gift to yourself? To which I answer yes, yes I am. Write me some birthday lovin'!

3791816 Well, here's mine, and Happy birthday, Esle!

Legacy Prompt #9: Long Awaited

Rainbow Dash stood outside the room in the Los Pegasus Aerodrome that Spitfire had temporarily converted into her office while the Wonderbolts were in town. She knocked on the door, and at Spitfire’s call, she entered.

“Reserve Rainbow Dash reporting, Ma’am!” said Rainbow, snapping off a salute as she’d done every other time she’d been called up to help with the Wonderbolts as a reserve. Such things usually meant helping behind the scenes, but Rainbow always held out hope that one day, they’d ask her to take part in a performance.

“Ah, Rainbow. I’m glad that the letter reached you in time-this is a bit of an emergency, and to be honest, you were our first call. You’ve performed admirably every other time we’ve called on you, so you’re definitely moving up in many of the Wonderbolt’s books.”

“Thank you ma’am,” said Rainbow, itching to know what Spitfire was going to get her to do this time. Unfortunately, it would be rude to outright ask, and as potential employers and teammates, Rainbow wanted to make a good impression.

“You’re needed in the locker room, Rainbow Dash. Soarin wanted you in there. Likely, you’ll be checking flightsuits.”

“Yes ma’am!” said Rainbow, taking that as her dismissal. With a final salute, she headed out the door. Once she was outside, she looked around, searching for the corridor to the lockers.

‘Okay, it’s just flightsuit checking,’ thought Rainbow, ‘it’s not a flight position, but it’s closer.’ As lost as Rainbow was in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Spitfire come out of her office, and follow behind Rainbow Dash as Rainbow walked towards the locker rooms.

“Rainbow!” called Soarin, as Rainbow Dash entered the locker rooms, “So glad you could make it.”

“Thank you, sir. What did you guys need?”

“Just need you to do a full equipment check right now. You know, make sure that everyone’s locker has the right stuff in it. Once we get closer to go time, you’ll be doing last-minute suit checks. Here’s your clipboard.” Rainbow Dash sighed, took the board filled with the information of all the Wonderbolts rostered to perform that night, and started with her task. She could have been at home right now, celebrating her birthday with Rarity, but instead, she was here in Los Pegasus, and Rarity was in Canterlot, selling fancy dresses to fancy ponies. As usual, the list was in alphabetical order, so by the time that Rainbow Dash got to the R’s, she was almost done with the checks.

“R. Dash,” she muttered, still absorbed in thoughts of missed dinners and birthiverasies with her friends in Ponyville. She opened the marked locker, and seeing the fresh, unworn flightsuit hanging there, “size four, check. Goggles, check. Powder, check.” With the check completed, Rainbow suddenly paused. Her eyes went back and forth from locker to sheet, back to the locker, and finally over to Spitfire and Soarin.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh.”

In the corner, Spitfire smirked, and Soarin groaned as he handed ten bits to his Captain. Spitfire nodded.

“Happy birthday, Rainbow Dash, and congratulations. You’ve earned this.”

****Time****
After the performance was over, and all of her now teammates were congratulating Rainbow on a near-perfect first performance, there was a knock on the locker room door. Spitfire, being the closest, went to answer it.

“Rainbow? It’s for you,” said Spitfire, opening the door to reveal Rarity, who was sporting one of the wigs that had been specially made for Rainbow’s debut.

"Hello, dear. You didn't really think I'd miss my marefriend's first performance, did you?" said Rarity. Rainbow didn’t even hesitate, and launched herself clear across the room and kissed Rarity on her mouth.

“Best Birthday Ever!” said Rainbow, once she’d come up for air, and then she dived right back into exploring Rarity’s mouth with her tongue as she flew off, holding Rarity in her hooves.

----
A/N: It's official. I think I have an OTP. Send help.

(Happy birthday Esle Ynopemos!)

On any other day, Fluttershy might have felt just a little bit silly taking so much care to hide behind bushes and stick to back roads and alleyways as she walked through Ponyville. It was true that Fluttershy was a very skittish and nervous pony, but she wasn't usually so scared of being seen.

But today was special. Today was her birthday.

Not too many ponies knew that. But at least five other ponies in Ponyville did. They were her friends, and they all loved her dearly. One beloved friend in particular.

Fluttershy was very grateful that she had such caring friends. Her life was infinitely brighter and more fun for knowing them, and every day she woke with a smile because she knew that she'd see at least one or two of her friends. But her friends were also very loud, excitable, and gregarious ponies. They loved birthdays and anniversaries, they loved excitement and dancing, and the really, truly loved parties of all varieties, even the very startling and scary surprise birthday party variety.

One beloved friend in particular.

This is why Fluttershy was almost a ghost as she trotted through Ponyville on her birthday, buying food for her animals. Any other birthday, she would have kept herself locked safely away in her cottage, but she couldn't let the little darling animals starve, even if it meant being outside today. Still, every errant hoofstep nearby, and every giggling voice or happy call from one pony to one of their friends sent shivers up her spine.

That barrel over there might not be full of rainwater gathered to spread on Golden Harvest's garden, it might be full of pink mane and tail, waiting to burst forth in a shower of confetti and party horns.

That huge package being carried around (with some difficulty) by the mailmare might not be full of books for Twilight's new castle library, but instead be full of the most excitable earth pony in all of Equestria, ready to rain down cakes and treats and dozens of excited fillies and colts all over the place in a huge, loud explosion of party favors.

Just around that next corner, there might be just a pleasant, quiet alleyway that leads to the next street over, and from there out of Ponyville and back to Fluttershy's nice, calm, secure cottage. Or, it might be a throng of ponies crowded into that same little alley, along with party cannons and dance floors and spotlights and everypony's eyes glued directly on the guest of honor, every pony in Ponyville staring directly at Fluttershy and listening to every little thing she said and noticing every awkward movement of her hooves and embarrassing flare of her wings and--

"Oh, hi, Fluttershy! Happy birth--"

"Eeep!"

Fluttershy's worst fears confirmed, she could only manage to squeeze her eyes closed and shoot of into the sky in a blind panic, blowing dust and fallen leaves all around the little back road between two houses, and leaving behind a very surprised and somewhat confused Princess Twilight Sparkle to finish her quiet congratulations in the empty alley. "...day."

Fluttershy was not a fast flier, typically. But when an animal was in danger, or one of her friends, or when she herself was in danger of being the center of attention, she could manage a speed that couldn't be matched. The thatched-roof buildings of Ponyville blew by her, giving way to a lonely, quiet pathway that lead out to the more secluded cottages and homes for quieter ponies. That pathway blurred as she flew over it in a teary-eyed panic, until that pathway gave way to a small, meandering trail left by only one pony's hooves over and over, to a little cottage surrounded by fences and animal homes, and bordering the dark and gloomy Everfree Forest.

She landed in front of the cottage and quickly bolted through the door, slamming it behind her and leaning back against it. Fluttershy clenched her eyes closed and tried to slow her panicked breathing and palpitating heart. After a few long, tense seconds of nopony knocking on her door or shouting for her attention, Fluttershy finally started to calm down. She was safe here, in her cottage, away from surprise parties and happy, well-meaning pink party ponies.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and the calm from being at home helped her only jump slightly at the sound of a lonely, quiet party horn tweeting in the stillness of her cottage.

The paper tube on the end of the horn made a little noise as it wrapped back up into a spiral, next to the smiling lips of a single pony, alone in Fluttershy's cottage. Pinkie Pie smiled almost nervously at Fluttershy, standing there in front of a little table with a single cupcake in the center. The cupcake held one candle, softly glowing in the dark cottage.

Fluttershy stared blankly a moment, and then smiled.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie lay together on Fluttershy's couch after sharing a small cupcake together, and taking time to feed all of her animal friends, and listen to their congratulations on her birthday as well. Fluttershy found herself happily nuzzling Pinkie's mane, all of her worries from earlier in the day fading away. "Um, thank you for my party, Pinkie."

Pinkie Pie giggled and hugged Fluttershy close, giving a little kiss to the pegasus pony's nose. "You're super welcome, Fluttershy! I wanted it to be the best party for you, but I kept thinking of big surprise parties and how much you don't like those, and I can't be Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's Premiere Party Planning Pony if I don't make the best party I ever could for..." Pinkie's voice caught just a moment, the sound of the words still a little unfamiliar to her. "... for my marefriend."

Fluttershy felt her muzzle burning with blush, and buried her face against Pinkie's mane. The other pony just giggled quietly, and stroked Fluttershy's mane with her hoof. "Happy Birthday, Fluttershy."

3794661 As OTPs go, Raridash is not a bad choice by any stretch. To borrow a bit of Donny's Boy's phrasing, the love of speedy horse and fashion horse is good and right and true.

That's a great birthday surprise. I enjoyed Rainbow's double-take as she went over her locker. Good stuff!

3795054 Have I mentioned before that I love the way you write Fluttershy? You really capture all the little self-doubts, anxieties and things that go on inside.

All that feeds very well into her expectations of what her 'one beloved friend in particular' has in store for her birthday, which makes the surprise all the sweeter when we see what Pinkie actually came up with. Thank you very much for writing.