Story

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle wandered aimlessly around the town, thinking of new ways to enjoy life. Even though she loved her time relaxing in the Golden Oaks library, learning more about magic, and deepening her knowledge of the true meaning of friendship, she had to admit that she should take a break here and there to keep her sanity in check. After all, since it was a nice Sunday afternoon, she might as well spend some time with her friends, at least.

With each hoovestep, she unknowingly wandered closer to the Sugar Cube Corner, where one of her best friends, Pinkie Pie, worked.

She mentally applauded herself, realising that she, herself, was hungry. The countless hours of reading in her time sometimes caused her to miss out on simple pleasures like eating one of Pinkie Pie’s delicious cupcakes.

As twilight approached the front door, she expected to hear some laughter or even the sound of Pinkie baking one of her famous cupcakes, but to her surprise, she was met with nothing but silence.

“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered.

She opened the front door and entered the shop with a straight face, glancing around to find her overzealous friend.

However, she couldn’t find Pinkie anywhere. The sounds of laughter and chatter that usually filled the place were absent, creating an off-putting feeling for Twilight.

“This is strange,” she mused, her guard on high alert. “Where could Pinkie Pie be? And why is it so deserted on a Sunday afternoon?”

As she stepped further into the bakery, her hooves echoing softly against the floor, she was taken out of her thoughts immediately as she heard an all-too-familiar voice.

“Hey, Twilight, darling, what are you doing here?”

Twilight shook her head, looking over to Rarity, who was sitting down at a nearby table. She smiled at her friend, glad to have some company. “Oh, hey, Rarity. I came over to Sugar Cube Corner to check up on Pinkie Pie, that’s all. And maybe help her with her baking, since I’m in the mood to try something new today.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Twilight! Wanting to help her out by trying something new. I’m truly delighted to hear the news.”

Twilight lightly chuckled at her friend’s enthusiasm. “Oh, thanks, Rarity. Spending most of my time in the Golden Oaks Library does get tiring after a while.” She stated this as she took a seat next to Rarity. “But anyway, enough about me; do you know where Pinkie Pie is by any chance?”

Rarity sighed, leaning against the table, one of her hooves placed firmly on her chin. “Well, I don’t know, darling. I came here earlier for some treats to reward myself for all of my hard work on my fabulous pieces of art, the most marvellous clothes in all of Equestria, and then…”

Twilight raised a brow. “And then what? Did she magically disappear out of existence?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that, Twilight. When I arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, it was none other than a ghost town.”

“That’s strange,” Twilight muttered, finding the situation truly bizarre. A place like Sugar Cube Corner, always filled with laughter and joy, is now deserted in silence. It didn’t make sense, especially with the fact that the shop was open. So there should be at least one person working.

Twilight furrowed her brow, a sense of unease creeping up on her. ‘This is really odd. I wonder where Pinkie Pie could be. Do you think something bad has happened to her?’”

Rarity shook her head, her expression mirroring Twilight’s concern. “I’m not sure, darling. It’s unlike Pinkie Pie to disappear like this. Maybe we should split up and search for her.”

“Like an investigation?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, exactly,” Rarity replied. “We should split up and explore Sugarcube Corner. That way, we can cover more ground in less time.”

Twilight leaned back in her chair and pondered Rarity’s suggestion, weighing the pros and cons of splitting up to search for her friend. She understood that splitting up allowed them to cover more ground quickly, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry building up inside her.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She asked in a nervous tone. “What happens if we stumble across something we aren’t supposed to?”

Rarity shot Twilight a confused look. “Stumble across what? Pinkie Pie’s secret recipe on how to make cupcakes?” She joked, trying to lighten the mood. She stood up from her seat and turned her attention towards the kitchen. “But in all seriousness, I’m going to explore the kitchen. Pinkie might have knocked herself out accidentally, you know, being hyper and all. She might have over-exerted herself and collapsed. It sounds unreasonable, I know, but as someone who spends most of her day working on my fabulous pieces of clothing, I understand a thing or two about overworking yourself to death.”

“That doesn’t make sense, Rarity. Pinkie is always filled with energy. There’s no way she’d collapse from exhaustion,” Twilight interjected. Placing her hoof on Rarity’s back, she remarked, “It’s unlike Pinkie to collapse like that, especially with her boundless energy.”

"Yeah, that’s true, dear; you do have a point there.” Rarity said, slowly pushing Twilight hoove off her back as she began her walk to the kitchen, with Twilight slowly following behind.

Twilight and Rarity ventured into the kitchen, their hooves plodding softly against the floor. The duo’s eyes darted around the kitchen, noticing plates and tubes of strawberries conveniently placed together. As they ventured deeper into the kitchen, the smell of cupcakes baking in the oven filled the room. The warm scent made Twilight’s stomach grumble; she could do with some delicious cupcakes right now. But the thought of her friend’s whereabouts loomed in her mind, causing her to snap back to reality.

“It seems like Pinkie Pie was in the middle of baking something,” Twilight said, breaking the silence. “This means that whatever happened to Pinkie must have happened recently, right?”

“Spot on, Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed. “If Pinkie was in the middle of baking, then she couldn’t have been gone for too long. Thus, there must be a clue in here somewhere that can give us a hint about her whereabouts.”

With a renewed sense of determination, the two of them began to explore the kitchen more thoroughly, checking every nook and cranny for their friend’s whereabouts. After a while of uneventful exploring, Twilight’s stomach grumbled again, reminding her of the tantalising cupcakes in the oven. She looked over to Rarity, who was in the middle of rummaging through a cupboard.

Twilight let out a sigh as her mind wandered back to the oven. Maybe she could have just one cupcake at a time, like this. Besides, Pinkie leaving the oven on could cause a potential house fire, so her simply taking out the delicious cupcakes would be doing Pinkie and the Cake family a blessing.

“Twilight, I know Pinkie’s cupcakes smell and taste simply divine, but we must focus on the task at hand.” Rarity interrupted her thoughts with a smug grin.

Twilight turned back to see Rarity washing the pots. “Really? Says the one who is cleaning the pots and isn’t looking for one of their best friends.”

Rarity’s grin faltered for a moment but quickly reformed. “Well, you got me there, darling. I was only cleaning the pots because I wanted to avoid any unnecessary safety hazards. Plus, these pots need good cleaning anyway,” she said, gesturing towards the crumbs that filled the unwashed plates with ease.

Twilight looked at her friend with an unimpressed look. “Fine, Rarity, you continue cleaning the pots if it’s getting on your nerves that badly.”

She shifted her attention from Rarity and her surprisingly good cleaning skills over to the oven, which at this point felt like it was taunting her. She opened a nearby cupboard and put some oven gloves over two of her hooves since she felt like using magic; almost every chance she got felt like cheating—a crutch. She wanted to get her hooves dirty, and what better way to get her hooves dirty than getting involved in some baking?

With her oven gloves securely placed on her hooves, Twilight carefully approached the oven. She took her time opening the door, but her patience was rewarded with the sight of perfectly baked cupcakes. Their golden tops were beckoning her, the warm aroma filling her senses.

Ignoring Rarity’s bemused expression, Twilight reached out and carefully removed the tray from the oven. The heat seeped through her gloves, warming her hooves. She didn’t pay attention as she placed the tray on a nearby counter.

“Twilight, are you sure you should do this?” Rarity asked, her voice laced with worry. “What happens if Pinkie Pie comes back to find you messing with her stuff?”

Twilight waved off her friend’s worries with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Rarity. Pinkie knows I’m just trying to help. We don’t want a house fire to happen, and besides, I could use a little baking therapy right now.” She said as she took a bite from a cupcake, “Mmph, delicious! Here, try one!”

“Uhh, no thanks, Twilight; I’m not feeling hungry anymore... But thanks for the offer, though.”

Twilight shrugged, understanding Rarity’s reluctance. “Okay then, I guess it leaves more for me! While you are busy washing the dishes, I’m going to continue the search for pinkie pie.”

“That’s probably for the best, dear.”

Twilight left Rarity on her own and went back to the mission at hand. She left the kitchen and searched upstairs, and a couple of minutes later, after checking all the rooms, Pinkie was nowhere to be found. With a reluctant sigh, she walked down the stairs and headed back to the kitchen to see Rarity leaning against the counter.

“Any luck?” rarity asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Twilight shook her head. ”No, I’ve checked every nook and cranny upstairs, and I can’t find Pinkie anywhere; it’s like she’s disappeared into thin air.”

“Maybe we are overthinking things, Twilight, dear; maybe Pinkie is helping out a friend, and that’s why Sugar Cube Corner is a total wasteland.”

Twilight sighed ”Maybe you’re right; it makes a lot of sense, especially since Pinkie Pie is the life of the party and loves being so social with other ponies.” Twilight said as she grabbed herself another cupcake.

Minutes passed as the duo talked about their everyday activities to pass the time. However, in the middle of their conversation, they heard a familiar humming tune getting louder and louder. The duo stared at each other and instantly rushed to the door, expecting to greet Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie entered the shop with a proud smile on her face. She looked around her surroundings and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her, glad to be back home and do what she loves the most, which is cooking and even throwing parties whenever she feels like it.

But her proud smile instantly changed as she looked at the sight in front of her. Pinkie’s eyes darted between Twilight and Rarity, but her eyes quickly glanced back to Twilight’s; they locked against each other, trying to read each other’s thoughts.

Pinkie stepped back and slowly closed the door with her hoof. She then took a step forward and spoke up. “Hey, Twilight! Hey, Rarity!” Pinkie said, slicing through the silence like butter. “What are you doing here at Sugar Cube Corner? And why do you both look so scared?”

Twilight let out a gentle cough before she spoke. “Oh, we were worried about you, Pinkie! We thought something terrible happened to you,” Twilight said, rushing over to Pinkie and hugging her.

Pinkie was surprised at first by the sudden embrace, but smiled as she returned the hug. “Oh, Twilight and Rarity, that’s so sweet! I thought you two were planning a surprise party for me!”

“Sorry, darling, but Twi and I were so busy searching for your whereabouts that the thought of having a surprise party never crossed our minds,” Rarity said as she eyed the ingredients that were lying on the side. A question quickly formed in her mind. “Say, Pinkie Pie, how long have you been gone from Sugar Cube Corner?”

Pinkie gave it some thought. “Um, well, I’m not sure. I left around 10 minutes ago to help Applejack at her farm. She said she needed some strong pony to help her out, and with me being the strongest pony in Equestria, I gladly took time out of my day to help her out, since, as Twilight usually says, the power of friendship triumphs against all evil.”

Pinkie let out a faint chuckle before continuing. “Scratch that, I’m only the second strongest pony out of the group. No one can topple Applejack’s raw power,” Pinkie said with a warm smile, breaking her hug with Twilight and bouncing over to the kitchen, a sense of giddiness evident all over her body.

Twilight turned around and watched Pinkie swarm Rarity with an onslaught of random, ridiculous questions. A small smile appeared on her lips. She was glad to know that her friend was safe and not in some form of danger.

She let out a faint sigh and walked over to her friends. Maybe she overreacted. Maybe it was a bit extreme to jump to conclusions about her friend’s safety. After all, life works in mysterious ways, and even the most organised ponies get caught up with issues that spring up out of nowhere.

“So rarity, why did you come over to Sugar Cube Corner in the first place? Were you hungry for a snack?” Pinkie Pie asked

“Yes, darling, I was looking for something to eat so I could avoid overworking myself again. You know how many times I’ve fallen unconscious from staying up all night working on my clothes? It’s simply ridiculous!”

“Aww, your poor little thing, but don’t worry, Pinkie is here to save the day!” She exclaimed and shifted her attention towards the smell of a certain delicious treat, which, to her surprise, lay on the counter. “I swear I left those cupcakes in the oven before I went to help Applejack on the farm.”

Twilight nervously rubbed her back. ”Well, you see, while I and Rarity were on the hunt for you, I might have gotten a little hungry and eaten some of your cupcakes... I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie. I hope you’re not mad.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened at her confession, her mouth forming a perfect “O” shape. She blinked a few times, trying to process the news.

“Twilight, you ate my cupcakes?” Pinkie asked, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and amusement.

Twilight shuffled her hooves nervously, feeling guilty over eating pinkie food without her permission. ”I’m sorry, pinkie pie. I just couldn’t resist.”

“Yeah, it’s true, dear; she couldn’t resist.” Rarity chimed with an overdramatic tone. ”The worst part, dear, is that I watched it all happen and I couldn’t do anything about it since I was in the middle of giving your dishes a fabulous makeover!”

Pinkies eyes widened trying to process the information, but then a grin appeared on her face. “Well, well, well, it looks like we have a cupcake thief among us!” She exclaimed in a playful tone, ”But you know what they say, Twilight? Sharing is caring!”

“I’m sorry, pinkie pie; I swear I’ll make it up to you.” Twilight apologised as she looked down at the floor, feeling guilty for her actions.

“Don’t worry about it, Twilight! There are only cupcakes; after all, I can always just bake some more.” Pinkie Pie said, her enthusiasm infecting the room.

Rarity chuckled softly. “Well, I must say, Pinkie Pie, you know how to turn an awkward situation into a fun one.”

Pinkie Pie grinned, bouncing in place in excitement. “That’s the spirit rarity! Life is too short to dwell on the little things, especially when there are cupcakes to be shared!” she exclaimed, her cheerfulness brightening up the room.

Twilight felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders. She realized, in the grand scheme of things, that her minor hiccup wasn’t anything worth getting worried about; after all, Pinky’s forgiving nature and positive outlook on life reminded her of the importance of friendship and not getting caught by the little things.

With a smile, Twilight joined in with Pinkie’s excitement. “You’re right, Pinkie Pie! Life is too short to dwell on the little things, and hey, if you are up for it, I would love to help you bake some more cupcakes.”

Pinkie Pie smiled at Twilight’s offer. “Absolutely Twilight! Baking is way more fun with friends, and who knows, maybe Rarity can join us too; the more, the merrier!”

Rarity chuckled “Indeed, pinkie dear, it sounds like a delightful way to spend the rest of my afternoon!”

And with that, the three ponies spent the rest of the afternoon making cupcakes.

Author's Note:

Hey guys! I've never written an MLP fanfic before, so feel free to throw any constructive criticism in the comments below on how I can improve my writing if you want.😀

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