Discharged

by The_Last_Centurion

Chapter 15

This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.

Chapter 15

Shining looked across the makeshift field at me with a devilish grin before his horn started to glow. I knew something was going to happen, but not what, so I guess I had to rely on reflexes. However, that was tricky, since I never had really used my magic as a need. Only to make pathways or clear the way for my team. I rarely had ever used it offensively or defensively, so all of this was a first. Lucky me......

Shining's telekinetic slap almost threw me from the my hooves, but I crouched down and took the first few slaps, until one somehow go under my chin and threw my head and body skywards. It made me rear up on my back hooves and almost topple over backwards.

I knew from Colt Maga this was possible the worst position I could be in, but I also knew from Colt Maga, that this was when your enemies least expected a counter attack.

I gritted my teeth and found my inner magic flowing with the magic of the earth. I thought up something quick, and decided to act. It wasn't anything big or showy, but I knew I could pull it off quickly, and hopefully it surprised Shining. I channeled my magic to the ground underneath the smirking Shining and let it influence the grass.

The grass all around Shining, especially under him, shot up towards the sky, making it look like the yard had a suddenly grown a mo-hawk in one section. Shining was thrown off by my harmless attack and his telekinetic slaps stopped.

I regained my footing on all four hooves and Shining started laughing.

“That was pretty sneaky!” he shouted from inside the grass. The top half of the grass suddenly fell away, revealing a smug Shining, his horn aglow with a blue aura.

“Nice trick! But you're gonna have to do better than that!” he said in challenge as I started to get batted around again.

This time I was ready though. I crouched down again like before, but I channeled my magic into the earth around me. Since it was topsoil, and not heavy rock, I could control it fairly easily. I made a large sod turtle shell around me, encasing me in darkness, but protecting me from the outside attacks. Each smack made a resounding 'poomf' on the walls of my shield, making it rain a little sod each time. I knew this wouldn't hold for long, so I needed to think up a counterattack quickly. I felt the earth with my magic trying to come up with something. I thought back to the grass. Shining would be expecting something with it though. But maybe if I could distract him.......

I brought down the dome's wall in front of me making up my plan as I went along. Then I used the sod from the wall to make three pillars where the wall used to be before Shining's attacks could reach me. I observed his side and looked at the now half-height grass. Yeah, that plan would work.

“Dropping a wall for bars? What, are you trapping yourself?” Shining asked while strengthing his attacks. I could tell, because each hit made the shell rain more sod than the last.

I had to act and act quickly.

I hoofstomped the ground accidentally after a telekinetic slap created cracks in my wall. Unexpectedly, my stomp made the ground around me rise a little. I tentatively tried it again, and the sod around me raised a little. I smiled. I now knew how to win.

I stomped again, focusing my magic on the pillars, cutting them from the ground so they would be thrown into the air. I laughed as I unleashed a fury of punches and kicks to the pillars, breaking them up into smaller bits that flew at Shining with incredible speeds.

Shining saw this and pulled off all his telekinetic attacks to form a shield in front of him.

“You really think a head on attack will get me? I'm the strongest defensive mage in all of Canterlot!” he said smugly. That was when I enacted my true plan.

While he boasted and caught the sod projectiles on his glowing blue shield, I funneled my magic into the grass around him, influencing it to grow. He didn't notice, but it grew around him, not in a boxy shape like last time, but like snakes twining themselves around his hooves and midsection.

Cadence and Twilight gasped aloud, alerting Shining to what was happening to the lower half of his body.

He saw and immediately dropped the shield and projectiles and struggled to break free. Some of the grass started to rip away from the ground, so I funneled more of my magic into what remained. The grass grew more rapidly, forming large vines and vegetation rope. Shining still struggled and even cut at the vines with magic outbursts, but the grass grew too fast to stop all of it. Soon, Shining was encased in a ball of grass vines. I cut my magic to the grass and panted., letting the sweat run down my face. I was tired, but not exhausted, and I knew I had won.

The grass prison shook for a second, snapping my attention onto it. Then it bust away from its prisoner. Shining was surrounded by a large orb shield, much like the one he had created around Canterlot.

“You had me scared there for a minute.” he said confidently, but I could see he was shaken. “Now it's my turn.” he said dropping the shield and readying himself for offensive maneuvers.

I rolled my eyes at the cliché but I saw a large telekinetic wave coming at me. He was planning on going full out! I rose a large wall of sod and willed it to move. The two fronts collided with a loud 'BOOM'.

I fell to the ground tired and panting and Shining looked over to me.

“You ok Crimson?” he said a little mockingly.

I grit my teeth and rose from the ground, feeling my anger rise. I felt the earth's magic and mine flow together, and I realized something. Earth ponies are creatures of the earth. Our magic is the same as the earth's, so why couldn't I just use the earth's magic instead of mine? I reached into the earth's magic, letting it flow into me instead of my magic flowing into it. I could feel it, the massive amount of power. I felt energized and ready for anything, like I did on that night in the desert, but more importantly, I could feel the will of all the elements in the ground. Apparently, plants weren't the only things that wanted to 'grow'. I could feel the groundwater's want to flow, the rock's want to solidify, even the dirt's want to cover. I took all their wants into account, and I was ready to act.

“Yep.” I replied as I felt the earth around my hooves, alive with it's magic, ready to act.

I saw Shining start another wave of telekinetic energy, but I was ready.

The ground rumbled shaking everypony while scaring them too. A jet of groundwater shot up under Shining, drenching him and stopping his attack. When the water stopped, he looked at me in disbelief for a minute. Then he got a look of determination and his horn started to glow again. Before he could do anything, I stomped the ground, creating a large dust cloud over the field. It cleared in seconds thanks to Shining's magic, but I saw what I wanted; Shining's chest, back, and lower body had been covered in dust. I willed the dust to take on the form it wanted, the form all lower materials wanted to take on, the form of the mighty rock.

Shining attacked be with a barrage of telekinesis, but I didn't notice as I focused on the dust. At first it looked like he was covered in dirty flour, but as it started to dry and coagulate, it started to look like dried paint. But it didn't stop there. The dust coat started to thicken and solidify and Shining became aware of what was happening. He tried to blast the rock away, but it was infused with the earth's and my magic, making every blast ricochet off of it. Slowly, the rock covered Shining's entire lower body and started to grow up his neck. He started to panic.

“Stop! I submit.” he shouted resignedly.

I pumped my hooves into the sky and cut the magic to the growing rock. I felt a rush of exaltation and I smiled widely. And then the 'exaltation' hit me, and I found out it wasn't exaltation at all.

I fell to the ground and bent over, emptying the contents of my stomach all over the ground. I felt burnt out and empty. My magic was totally depleted and with the absence of earth's magic in my body, I felt the full force of what happens when I break my boundaries. I chocked a little and threw up some more, vaguely realizing that somepony was near me. I finished and fell off to the side, away from my vomit and laid in the grass shivering.

Through bleary senses, I felt a horn touch me. I felt a warm wave break through the cold surrounding my insides, but it wasn't enough to completely cast off this veil of sickness. I tried to say 'thank you' to whoever was helping me, but I couldn't open my mouth without being sick again. I focused on just breathing as I felt myself getting levitated off the grass and through the air. I was gently put onto something comfortable and then somepony put a blanket over me, dispelling the cold.

I didn't sleep, but I had my eyes closed and stayed there while I tried to make myself better. What could have caused this? I knew I went a little overboard, but I should have been exhausted, not sick. Was it because I used an energy that wasn't mine? Or was it because I was just too weak?

I opened up my eyes slowly when I felt somepony gently taking off my gauntlets. I found out it was Cadence, slipping the gauntlets off with all the care in the world. We were in the library, and I was on the couch, covered by a nice, large blanket.

“Thanks.” I whispered hoarsely, surprising her.

“I knew something like this would happen, but when those two stubborn idiots get an idea in their heads.......”

I chuckled, but stopped since it made me queasy again. “Where are they anyway?”

“Twilight is currently chipping that dumb stallion out of your spell. That should teach him not to cause trouble.” she murmured as she took of one of my gauntlets a little roughly.

I gave her a small grin. “But he's your dumb stallion.”

She sighed. “Yes. Yes, he is.” She looked at me concerned. “Are you going to be alright?”

“I hope so. I don't know what happened.”

“Maybe Twilight can explain.” she said as we saw Twilight enter the room with her brother who walked quite stiffly.

Twilight rushed over to me. “Are you alright Crimson?”

Shining hobbled over, interrupting her. “That was crazy! That spell! Look!” he said animatedly as he pointed to his legs. His body had been freed from the stone, but his legs and hooves were still somewhat encased. That explained why he was oddly hobbling around.

“Shining, can you show him all that later? I think we should find out what made him sick first.” Cadence said coldly.

“Oh, yeah. Right, sorry.” he replied, looking like a colt who had been scolded by his mother.

“So what happened out there?” Twilight asked, her ever present note-pad floating above her.

I told her about using the earth's magic instead of my own and how much stronger I had become from it. She sighed after the quick recap.

“It's just some magical feed back.” she said. “It's what happens when a mage tries to use a power that is much stronger than themselves. It's pretty dangerous if you're not strong enough.” she admonished.

“Yeah, but why did I get sick?”

“You let in all that energy and released it too fast without having something to replace it. Think of it as making a something out of metal. You need to heat it slowly and then you can mold it as much as you want. But, when you want it to keep it's shape, you need to cool it slowly. If you heat it up really fast and then cool it just as fast, it'll break.”

“So I was basically the metal.”

“You should be glad that you just got sick. You could have 'broken'.” she said said worrying, touching my cheek with her hoof.

I laid back onto the couch and took a deep breath. I felt angry at myself. Not for almost killing myself foolishly, but for making this lovely mare so worried. How could I have been stupid? Why did I even agree to the stupid fight? I chuckled to myself with chagrin. Fighting was my special talent, so it's pretty hard for me to refuse one. My and my instincts.......

I rubbed my face as Twilight stood up and told the couple. “Let's let him get some rest. Come on everypony....” She ascended the stairs with the couple, chatting softly with them.

It was funny watching them go upstairs and trying to be quiet for my sake when every step Shining took made a loud 'CLUMP' on each step. I covered my eyes with a hoof, and started to drift off, knowing there was probably a Pinkie Pie party to attend later today. I grimaced at the thought; I'd need to be in tip-top condition for that.

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I went to Pinkie's party with everypony else around dusk. I was more than apprehensive, but it was for Cadence and Shining.

“Don't worry Crimson, Pinkie promised me she wouldn't pull out the party cannon.” she told me before we left with a reassuring hoof. As much I would have liked to believe her, I remembered who was throwing the party. I knew Pinkie would never want to intentionally hurt anypony, but when it came to parties, I doubted Pinkie could control herself. She was a great friend, but I knew how she was.

Thus, as we walked up to Sugarcube Corner, I tentatively opened the door to an antagonizingly familiar darkness, before stepping off to the side, where I would be safe. Then the lights shot on.

“Surprise!” shouted all the inhabitants of Ponyville and I even heard the two elephants trumpet from inside. I glanced to Shining and Cadence, who were smiling broadly as the entered the house. Twilight followed them and grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, dragging me in with her.

Sugarcube Corner was decked out with steamers and balloons. There was food on every table, cupcakes and other sugary delights. There was a large table with speakers at one side of the room and the host of the party darted around the room and in between the clusters of ponies so fast it made my head spin. She spotted us right after she had a long conversation with the guests of honor and she appeared next to me before I could slink away.

“Hiya Crimson! Twilight!”

“It's a nice party Pinkie. But I have to ask; How did you get the elephants in here?”

“Two hundred sticks of butter and lots of elbow grease. The elbow grease just lets 'em slide right in.....”

Twilight raised an eyebrow before dropping the question she was about to ask.

“So how are you Crimson?”

“Ok, I guess.” I said quietly, and a little upset.

Now don't let me fool you. I could deal with parties. Small parties were a breeze to me, but big parties......well, we don't mix that well. The biggest party I had been to in over a year was the Neighpolian rave I went to with Ditzy and the Doctor. Now that was a huge party. The only reason I could deal with that was because I might have been just a tad bit drunk when I attended it. Without anything to take my mind off the fact I surrounded by ponies I could hurt, I always felt antsy and nervous at things like these. I wanted to get out before something bad happened again.

Pinkie grabbed me and said “Come with me.” I looked to Twilight questioningly, but she just gave me a shrug. Pinkie pulled me through the crowd of ponies and into the large kitchen of the bakery.

The bakery was large and was filled with color. It seemed like every counter was a light blue, yellow, of pink. Other than obnoxious colors, the kitchen was filled with appliances, utensils, and spaces to cook. Counters lined two walls, the large double sink and magic dish washer being built into the one across from the door. Off to the right was the stove, the extra large magical refrigerator next to it, and opposite of that on the left was a wall of four extra-large ovens. In the middle of the spacious room was a large counter that had baking utensils above it, hanging off of racks. The counter was dusted with a light coating of flour, showing Pinkie had used it earlier to make all the snacks outside.

“Pinkie, why'd you bring me in here?”

“I'm going to eat your brain!” she said turning around to face me, holding two bendy-straws in her hooves.

“Seriously Pinkie.” I deadpanned.

“You're no fun!” she stuck her tongue at me. She waltzed over to the counter next to the fridge and stove. She reached underneath, openinig a cupboard and removing a large bowl and a whisk from a drawer. She placed the bowl on the counter and turned around throwing the whisk at me. I caught it quickly.

“Nice catch!”

“Pinkie come on..”

“Ok, ok. I know you don't like crowd and big parties, so I thought you'd like to help me cook up the dessert.”

“Wait, there's a dessert? What about the cake outside?”

“Pffft. Not even close.” she waved a hoof at me.

“Um, ok Pinkie. I'll gladly help you, but I'm not that great of a cook.” I said feeling better.

“Just follow what I tell you, soldier!” she replied in a gruff voice. “Now get over here, double time!”

I smiled and saluted with the whisk. “Sir, yes sir!”

Pinkie pulled a Top hat and a monocle out of nowhere and placed them on herself.

“Now I'm a sir!!!”

I laughed at her antics as I walked over to her. She stepped behind me and opened up the fridge. She was blocked out of my view for a minute as she rooted around in the fridge. When she pulled her head out of the fridge, the top hat and monocle were gone, but now she was carrying two cartons of eggs.

“You get to beat these yolks, I'll go save my folks!” she said as she put the cartons down next to me.

“What?” I said too late. Pinkie dashed around the room humming a song as she pulled random ingredients out for baking. I just shook my head and decided to focus on the eggs. I cracked them all into the large bowl and whisked them until the egg-y solution was ready.

“I'll take over for now. You go wash your hooves.” Pinkie said from behind me. I turned around to find the pink mare balancing all the ingredients in a stack on her head. I just shook my head as to the sink. I washed my hooves while what sounded like a buzz-saw at work was going off behind me. I glanced at Pinkie, who was wearing welding goggles and working on something. I went back to washing my hooves.

“Come on slowpoke!” Pinkie said to me as I dried my hooves with a towel that hung off the sink's facet. She was at the large counter in the middle of the room wearing an apron. She tossed me one, which I put quickly. At her hooves was a large glob of stuff.

“What is that?” I exclaimed.

Pinkie giggled. “It's the dough silly!”

“Oh.” I fixed my apron a little embarrassed. “When I said I wasn't such a good cook, it's because I've never really done it.”

“Don't worry Crimson. Even Pumpkin and Pound love helping me with this part.”

Easy for foals to do? I could pull that off.

I walked up to the counter and put my front hooves on it like Pinkie had done. Pinkie grabbed the gloop and pulled it, stretching it and then broke it into two separate lumps. She passed me one of them and then opened up a white container on the counter. She put her hoof into it and extracted a hoofful of white powder. She dashed it into the gloop and started to roll and mold it.

“Roll the dough around and add some flour if it starts to break apart.” she instructed me.

I started rolling around the gloop across from Pinkie. At first, it was a little weird. The dough was cold and messy and a little wet. But as I kept rolling it around and adding flour, it became warmer and took on a texture that wasn't so gross.

“You know, this is just like playing with clay back in kindergarten.” I said without looking up. I smiled as I molded the dough into a little box.

“FLOUR ASSUALT!” Pinkie cried as she reached into the container and threw a hoofful of flour into my face.

I wiped the flour from my eyes. “This means war.” I said clearing two lines of flour from under my eyes and reaching for some to retaliate. I returned Pinkie's attack with just as much flour, but she must have been expecting it, since she threw another hoofful at me. We circled the counter exchanging flour attacks. Pinkie stopped at where I was just a moment ago and started sculpting my dough with incredible speed. My jaw dropped to the floor as she made a whole castle wall from the dough. Pinkie opened up a small dough window that was right in the center of the wall.

She looked down at me and declared “You dare attack the kingdom of Dough-mainia?”

I pulled myself out of my shock. “Sure.”

“FIRE ALL DOUGH BALLS!”

I was hit from all sides as the dough wall was demolished to create dough-balls that were thrown at me. Thinking fast, I grabbed a rolling pin that hung overhead. I used it as a bat to hit the dough-balls back to Pinkie, who caught them and added them back to the dough on the counter.

Her attack stopped and I took a deep breath. Those dough-balls were thrown fast and in large amounts. I had to work hard to reflect all of them. I looked back to where Pinkie had been, only to find she was missing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something metallic come down at my head. I reacted instinctively, putting up the rolling pin to block the attack. I found out that the metal object was a large stirring spoon.

“Crimson, I am your father.” Pinkie said in a deep voice as she pressed down on the spoon and me.

“No you're not. Pinkie, you are so weird.” I replied as I moved fluidly, letting the spoon slide down the rolling pin. I was going to trap her hoof and take the spoon out of it, but Pinkie jumped away from me.

“I know.”she giggled as she rushed at me.

“Here we go again.” I said, cracking my neck and returning her rush.

We collided and our cooking utensils created a rain of impossible sparks as they clashed together. We fluttered about each other, unleashing a flurry of utensil-play that I didn't think Pinkie could have done. I saw that Pinkie was determined and excited, giving her a strange expression I never thought she could make. But, she was still Pinkie. Every time Pinkie's spoon and my rolling pin hit each other, she would make “bwggss” noises. When I gave her a small push with my rolling pin, she back-flipped, landing on her back hooves and putting her free hoof up.

“What are you doing?” I asked her during the lull.

“It's the force, sillypony! You're supposed to fly backwards....” she said a little dejectedly that this 'force' wasn't answering her call. I shook my head and resumed the battle.

Our swordplay went on until we were both covered in sweat and were breathing heavily. However, neither one of us wanted to be the first to give up. I sluggishly charged in at Pinkie to find she wasn't as tired as she looked. When I came close to her, she blocked my rolling pin with her spoon and kicked out my hooves from under me. I fell down and Pinkie whipped the rolling pin out of hoof and into the air with a twist of her spoon. She caught it in her outstretched hoof, and smiled down at me.

I was shocked and confused. First of all, Pinkie was a master at swordplay. Second, I just lost. It had been over 5 years since I last lost a fight, and I was amazed that this pink mare could do what most couldn't in just a short time. I gazed up at the mare in amazement as she put the rolling pin on the counter and reached a hoof in my direction. I took it and she helped me up.

“Let's go slowpoke! The dough just got a good show, so it'sa ready to go!” Pinkie rhymed.

“What?”

“Oh sorry. I forgot that not everypony knows how to make a super-cake.”

“Super-what?” I asked, starting to sound like a broken record.

“Just follow my lead.” Pinkie said as she replaced her spoon for the rolling pin and rolled out the dough. She started folding it upon itself after she had rolled it out into a sheet, then she rolled it out again. She repeated this process a few times, then put it into a large mixing bowl. Then stopped and bowed to it. She looked at me and motioned for me to do the same. I reluctantly did so, and I heard a loud 'splop!' I looked up to see the dough had turned to batter and had filled the bowl.

“Watch as the matter turns to batter...” Pinkie muttered as we looked at the transformed dough.

“Crimson, could you get me a couple of cake tins?”

“Sure thing.” I said before looking through half the kitchen cupboards to find them. The whole time I was looking, Pinkie was grabbing random ingredients and dashing them into the mix, stirring the whole thing. Some of the ingredients were normal things like sugar and honey, but most were weird things in unmarked shakers. I saw Pinkie add what looked like gem-sprinkles and had to wonder what she was putting into the cake. I really hoped she knew what she was doing.

I brought over the cake tins and put them on the counter next to Pinkie.

“Ok. Now it's time to dance.”

“Why?”

“It's part of the baking process! First, we weld some tasty ticks into the mix. Then we mold fun into the dough, and give it playfulness with a show! After that some respect goes in, then we find ourselves dancing again! Finally we cheer as it bakes in the oven, and we pull it out and eat it with lovin!” she rhymed the little chant, before grabbing me by a hoof, shoving me into the center of the room, and turning off the lights.

The darkness wasn't a problem for me, but I saw a bunch of shapes and things moving about within it, which concerned me. I didn't know what Pinkie was up to, but I was a little apprehensive about whatever she was going to do.

Then a small red ring started glowing in front of me. Then a green one. Next a blue one. Rings of all colors lit up and I found out they were necklaces being worn by Pinkie. Pinkie had sunglasses on for some reason and held up some more glow-necklaces to me. I took them in my mouth and flipped them onto my head.

“Hit it!” Pinkie said, as laser-lights showed up everywhere and a strobe light was flashing from one side of the kitchen. Then a steady, driving techno beat filled the room. Pinkie started dancing around, bouncing off of everything and everywhere.

“Come on, dance! You gotta, or else the cake won't taste good!” she said when she saw me standing there.

“I can't dance to this!” I argued weakly.

“Ok.” She clapped her hooves together and the strobe light and music shut off. Then a different light lit up from the same corner of the kitchen and illuminated a large disco-ball hanging from the ceiling. I hadn't noticed it and when the floor started to light up too, I got a little freaked out. But then the music came back on.

The bass shook the room, showing it was a full-fledged funky beat. I couldn't help but tap my hoof along.

“That's it!” Pinkie exclaimed, still bouncing around without a care.

“Well you can tell by the way I use my walk, I mare's pony, no time to talk........” the music sang. For some reason, I just couldn't help myself. I struck a pose, then I danced with it. My dancing isn't that great, but I didn't care at all as I let my inner disco-pony out.

“Yeah, that's it!” Pinkie exclaimed, copying my moves.

I spun around and stopped on a hoof, then I went on my tip-hooves and slid into a pointing stance. I rotated my front hooves around themselves and pointed out to the non-existent crowd, sweeping out along them. I imagined Twilight was among them, and I motioned for the imaginary mare to come forward. I smiled and did some more disco moves. I ended with a knee-slide into my imaginary crowd, as the song was ending. The room went dark again, and then Pinkie flipped on the lights. I was still on my knees as I looked around the room. It was just the normal kitchen again. No disco-ball, no strobe lights, no speakers. It looked like they all disappeared when the lights came back on. How did Pinkie do that?

She waltzed over to me, still wearing the glow-necklaces around her neck.

“Come on silly, we're almost done!”

I got up and followed her back to the counter, where she started pouring the batter into the eight cake tins. I held them as Pinkie filled them one after another. Then she grabbed one and went over to the ovens and opened up one of them.

The heat spilled out of it, making me cringe. I grew up in the north, a place where cold was common and summers were chilly at their warmest. I really wasn't to suited to the heat, but that didn't stop Pinkie from opening up the three other ovens. The heat wave multiplied itself as Pinkie put in the first cake tin. I handed her the next as she put that into a different oven. We did this process until there was two cakes to each oven. Then to my pleasure, Pinkie closed the oven doors.

However, she rushed to a small pantry and returned in a minute wearing a large sportspony hat, the kind that holds two drinks so that a pony can drink from a tube. She also dragged two folding chairs behind her. I took one of the chairs and followed her lead as she set it up in front of the oven.

'Finally we cheer as it bakes in the oven' I said under by breath as I sat down next to Pinkie. She had found a giant foam hoof with a “#1” on it. She also was waving a flag with a cake on it

“Let's go! Yeah, you bake that! Whooo!” she shouted. She elbowed me in the side when she didn't hear anything from me.

“Yeah. Whooo.” I cheered halfheartedly. Pinkie gave me a shove, that almost toppled me out of my chair.

“Ok, jeez. Just calm down.” I said to her. “LET'S GO CAKE! YOU GOT THIS BABY, YOU GOT THIS!” I shouted at the ovens.

“Put me in Coach! I got this!” I heard Pinkie whisper in a high voice.

“YOU GOT THIS CAKE!”

“I got this Coach!”

“YOU GOT THIS CAKE!”

“I GOT THIS COACH!” Pinkie finished, yelling in her high 'cake' voice.

“WHOOOO!” we both cheered until the timer went off a minute later.

Pinkie quickly got some heat-gloves as I got some hot-pads and put them on the counter. Pinkie removed the cakes, opening the ovens to my despair. She put the cake-tins, each containing a golden tastiness, on the hot-pads and closed the ovens.

We both looked at the cakes for a second in awe, until Pinkie went over to a cupboard and pulled out a very small bottle and carried it reverently over to the cakes. I saw it was made of black glass and filled with some sort of liquid.

“This is Sonic Rainboom Essence.” she told me seriously. “I collect some after every sonic rainboom Rainbow does. It's very hard to get so we have to be careful with it.”

“Take these” she said to me as she removed a pair of sunglasses and welding goggles from her mane. Well that explained one of her mysteries.

I put on the sunglasses offered to me as she put on the welding goggles and hovered the small bottle above the first cake.

“You ready?”

“Yeah.”

She uncorked the bottle and a bright, white light spilled from the top of the bottle. Pinkie pored one drop onto the cake and did the same with the next seven. Each cake rippled when the drop of Rainboom Essence hit it. Then they changed colors with a loud 'clap' sound. There was a red cake, an orange cake, a yellow cake, a green cake, a blue cake, a purple cake, and a shining silver cake.

“Grab a big platter please.” she asked me as she removed her goggles and went to put the Essence back. I looked around for one, and found a big plate. Close enough. I carried it over to the counter and held it as Pinkie placed the multicolored cakes on it in an circle.

“Now, it's time to eat this!”

“'With lovin' right?”

“Yep!” she exclaimed while walking out the kitchen door. I followed her out, carrying the precious cargo on my back.

“Hey everypony!” Pinkie called to the crowd of party goers. It looked like the crowd had diminished while Pinkie and I were making the super-cake. It wasn't surprising that some would leave, but it looked like a big chunk of ponies had left. I glanced around the room until I caught sight of a clock. 11:30?!? We had been in the kitchen for over two hours?!?

“Sous-Chef Crimson Moon and I would like to present,” Pinkie built up, making the crowd watch with expectation. “The Fantastic, the amazing, the spine-tingling masterpiece, that is the cake of the storms!” she said with a flourish pointing to me. I clumsily turned around to allow the crowd to get a better look at the cakes.

There was a lot of “oooh”s and “aahhh”s as Pinkie led me to an open table. I placed the plate of cakes on the table and Pinkie stood behind it with a large pie-cutter. I watched with appreciation when ponies started to line up with plates and hungry looks on their faces.

“So what do you want?” Pinkie asked me.

“Oh no. Don't worry about it, I'm fine.”

“First slice always goes to Sous-chef” she said officially. I realized she wouldn't back down from this.

“Fine.” I sighed. “How a bout a slice of the silver cake?”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Adventurous I see.” She cut a slice and put it on a plate close to her, passing it to before saying “Be careful. That one has quite the kick.”

I shrugged and walked towards the back of the line until I found Twilight, the other mares, and the couple all standing together. They all held plates and welcomed me warmly.

“So now we know where you were all night.” Rarity said.

“That snack looks mighty delicious. Not as good as a good ole' apple pie though.” Applejack said playfully.

“How'd you get it to glow?” Shining asked.

“Trade secret.”

“Come on tell us!” Twilight pleaded.

I looked around, pretending to make sure nopony was listening. “Sonic Rainboom Essence.”

“What? How is that possible?” Twilight asked, astonished.

“Pinkie has this whole contraption. I see her use it after I fire a rainboom off.” Rainbow said nonchalantly. “I think what's the most important now, is how it tastes.”

“Crimson?....”

“Ok.” I said picking up my fork. I snickered at their inpatients. I took a bite of the cake.

It's deliciousness shocked me. Literally. It tasted soft and creamy, but it coursed with power. I felt my mouth buzz. I swallowed the bite and opened my mouth to speak. However, the electricity from the cake had other plans. There was a loud thunderclap as I opened my mouth, and static electricity ran off of me, standing my mane up on end.

“WOAH!” I shouted. The sudden release of the static electricity was more of a rush than the actual taste of the cake.

“Told you!” called Pinkie from the head of the line.

Everypony around me laughed as they looked at me. I laughed along with them.

“Your mane is all poof!!!!” Rainbow laughed, flailing her hooves around to emphasize my mane.

“Dang partner. Ya look like ya been wrestlin' a bear.” said the orange country mare.

“Nah. He wasn't so burnt-smelling last time.” Shining said.

Everypony laughed again.

We all tasted each others cakes when we got slices. The red tasted spicy, the orange was tangy, the yellow creamy, the green minty, the blue cool, and the purple sweet. We dabbled and ate as the other ponies started to leave the party and go home. Eventually, it was just the five mares, the two couples of Shining and Cadence and Fluttershy and Big Mac, and a few other ponies I didn't know so well. We all sat down around a large table and started some idle chit-chat until the door to Sugarcube Corner flew open.

“Are you sure we made it on time?” asked a certain gray pegasi.

“Of course love. I think we might actually be a tad early.” said her time-lord husband.

“Ditzy! Doctor!” I said standing up from my chair.

“Mooney!” Ditzy cried as she flew into a hug.

“Doctor.” I greeted him with a smile as I shook an extended hoof.

“Here guys, take a seat.” I grabbed another two chairs and put them right next to me.

“I didn't know you knew Derp.....I mean Ditzy.” said Rainbow.

“Muffin-head's an old buddy from the battalion.” I said rubbing her head.

“You were in the battalion?!?”

“Buck yeah! Some of the best times of my life.....” Ditzy replied with a smile.

“Der....Ditzy, why aren't you-you know...” Twilight asked tentatively.

“Talking like I'm a moron? Because I'm not. I get bored being the mail-mare, so I like to liven things up a bit.” she said with a mischievous smile.

“So that time you......”

“Yep.”

“And then when you....”

“Yep.”

“But what about when.....”

“Ok, I was a little drunk when that happened.”

“Muffin-head, what have you been up to?” I asked accusingly.

She looked abashed. “Nothing of any sort! How dare you threaten an honest mail-mare!”

“Who just happens to like shocking a certain blue pegasus with lightning.” the Doctor said while looking at a hoof.

Everypony laughed as Ditzy blushed.

“See I'm not crazy! I knew she was always doing it on purpose!” Rainbow said jovially, making everypony laugh harder.

“Well it's not like you're innocent either.” Ditzy said to me. “Remember Las Pegasus.”

“What about Trottingham! The fake zom-pony riot! That almost caused a national incident.”

“Pfft. That was nothing compared to the paint war.”

“Hahahaha! You're so right!”

My laughter made me notice everypony else was silent. I looked around the table and saw everypony was looking at me and Ditzy.

“What?”

“Crimson,” Twilight said. “You know you need to tell us a story now.”

“Awwww, do I have to.”

“YES!” came a resounding shout from everypony at the table.

“About what though?”

“All those pranks you guys pulled!” Pinkie said.

“That don't sound like too bad of an idea.” said Ditsy. “I'll help you out Mooney.”

“Ok, but which story.”

“How about the one that got us kicked out of Hoofston.”

“Oh, that's a good one.”

“SO TELL IT ALREADY!”

“Ok, don't get your bridles all bunched up. This was about a month before the Grand Galloping Gala.......”