//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Whoops! 
// Story: The Inane Adventures of Hazelnut Latte 
// by Porcelain Mug 
//------------------------------//

It was one day before the Trotter Swift concert and Rarity had managed to get her hooves on two tickets. She knew exactly who she wanted to take with her. She just needed to find the courage. Of course, there was still the problem about not knowing where the pony in question lived. So she wandered through Ponyville, trying to gather her thoughts and her courage. As if her prayers had been answered, she saw the object of her potential affections, Hazelnut Latte, off in the distance. She was moving some large, heavy-looking boxes with her magic, loading them into a bulding with a sign reading 'Sugar Rush' above the door. Hazelnut Latte's saddlebags were so big that they were covering her Cutie Mark. Then there was the matter of the barista's mane. Rarity had only ever seen it straight and this time, it was extremely curly. She would never tell anypony that she curled her own mane, so perhaps Hazelnut Latte didn't want anypony to know that she straightened her mane? The barista pushed a hand cart into the building. A few minutes later, she returned to retrieve a refrigerator with a clear door. Rarity steeled herself and decided to do it before she decided to stop herself. She galloped over to Hazelnut Latte and skidded to a halt in front of her. The words tumbled out of Rarity's mouth as she blurted out, "Willyougototheconcertwithme?"

Hazelnut Latte raised a brow. "I beg your pardon?"

Rarity cleared her throat. In a more dignified voice, the purple-maned unicorn asked, "Will you go to the Trotter Swift concert with me?"

Hazelnut Latte furrowed her brow and gave Rarity a long, hard look. Finally, the barista said, "I'm sorry, but I can't go. I don't know you."

Rarity's heart plummeted. Of course Hazelnut Latte wouldn't recognize her. They had never even had a conversation. Maybe she was just another faceless customer to the lovely brunette. Hazelnut Latte adjusted her black cat-frame Glasses. "I'm sorry, Hazelnut Latte." Rarity said awkwardly. "I don't know what came over to me."

The curly-maned Hazelnut Latte raised a brow. Goodness, she didn't know how... alluring that action was! "Hazelnut Latte?"

The barista then burst into a loud, hearty laugh. Rarity was confused. The brown-coated mare used her magic to remove her saddle bags and moved so the white-coated mare could see her flank. Instead of a latte with a heart in the foam, this pony's Cutie Mark was a wrapped piece of candy with a lightning bolt on it. Wait a second...

The now-mysterious mare eased into chuckles. When she saw the expression on Rarity's face, she smiled and said, "Hey, don't worry about it. This isn't the first time somepony has gotten us mixed up and it probably won't be the last." 

"Well, you're clearly not Hazelnut Latte." Rarity said with a frown. "Who are you?"

The brown-coated mare got a cocky grin on her face as she said, "The name's Sugar Shock. Hazelnut Latte is my twin."

"Oh." Rarity felt awkward. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sugar Shock. My name is Rarity."

Sugar Shock waggled her eyebrows. "Now that we know each other, how about those tickets?"

Rarity frowned and said, "No." She turned and walked away. After a few steps, she turned to look back at Sugar Shock and added, "And not a word of this to Hazelnut Latte!"

"I can keep a secret." Sugar Shock said. "Been keeping a few for a while. What's one more secret, right?"

"Good." Rarity said, still not smiling.

There was a long, awkward silence before the air was filled with a high-pitched buzzing. Suddenly, an orange and purple blur shot past them, shouting, "LYRA HEARTSRINGS WORE IT BEST!"

Moments later, a familiar white stallion with a grey, curly mane and a clerical collar struggling to chase the blur. "Get-" He wheezed. "get back here... you little heathen! There is nothing funny about that mare impersonating a member of the clergy!"

Sugar Shock looked at Rarity and asked, "What the hell was that?"

"That was Reverend Bookbinder." Rarity replied. "He claims to be some sort of religous figure. I presume that the purple and orange blur was Scootaloo, one of the more mischievous local foals." 

"Well, at least I know who not to let into Sugar Rush now." Sugar Shock said with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Scootaloo is a bit of a hoofful, sometimes, but she's not that bad!" Rarity protested. "You can't ban her from your store!"

Sugar Shock rolled her eyes. "I was referring to Bookbinder. Some of the chocolates I make and sell are liquor-infused. In order to buy them, you need an ID card showing that you're at least 18. The little speed demon won't be able to get any." She let out an annoyed huff. "If Bookbinder finds out that I sell liquor-infused chocolates, he'll be on my ass about sin and corruption. Hazel wrote to me about him."

"Well, it wouldn't be fair to not give him just one chance." Rarity said, hoping that things wouldn't blow up in her face.

"Fine, I'll give him a chance." Sugar Shock rolled her eyes again. "Just one chance, though. He only gets one."

The confectioner used her horn to start moving the refrigeration unit. She then said, "Look, if you want to keep talking to me, you're going to have to help me. This stuff won't move itself into the store."

Rarity nodded and assisted Sugar Shock in moving the refrigeration unit. It was the first thing that the proprietress plugged in, moments later filling it with bottles of soda. The two unicorns then spent the next hour or so moving boxes, shelves, and various other things into the building. When they were done, they were both a bit tired. Sugar Shock looked at Rarity said, "Thanks for the help, Rarity. How about a nice, cold soda? It's on the house."

Rarity smiled. "A soda sounds lovely."

The two unicorns then headed over to the refrigeration unit to select their drinks. When Rarity saw some of the unusual flavors, she raised a brow. "Switcharoo Punch?"

"Yeah, you don't want to drink that with anypony else." Sugar Shock warned the other mare. "If two ponies drink from the same soda, their cutie marks and a few abilities will get mixed up."

"Oh." Rarity said. "I'll make sure to avoid Switcharoo Punch for the foreseeable future."

"Well, there's plenty of other flavors." Sugar shock said. She then suggested, "How about Strawberry Habanero?"

Rarity shook her head at the strangeness. She looked at the drinks again. Sugar Shock made another suggestion. "I recommend the Black Forest cake soda."

"You have a Black Forest cake soda?" Rarity raised a brow in surprise.

"Yep." Sugar Shock replied. "It tastes just like Black Forest cake."

Rarity thought about it for a moment before deciding, "Oh, what's the harm?"

Sugar Shock got a Black Forest cake soda out and gave it to Rarity, along with a straw. The confectioner then got out her own soda, a cucumber flavored one, before closing the refrigerator unit's door. The two mares sat on the bench outside Sugar Rush, sipping their drinks. Eventually, Rarity spoke up. "What was Hazelnut Latte like as a filly?"

"Hazelnut Latte wasn't a boring foal." Sugar Shock replied. "She kept trying the strangest things to try to get her Cutie Mark. She didn't get it until she was almost 13, which is a pretty late age. She was in Lacy Ruffles' School for Fillies, a school for fillies from the ages of 13 to 18. She got transferred to a public school when she was sixteen because she was being teased for having a Cutie Mark in latte art and becoming a barista. There were some pretty snobby fillies there, from what I've heard. I've never met them for very because I was transferred to a different school in my first year, the Hard Knocks School for Wayward Youths. Long story. The reason I was sent there was because I slugged the PE teacher's daughter for calling Hazel useless, ugly, four-eyed peasant whose face would send colts running in the opposite direction." Sugar Shock shrugged. "We were ugly ducklings until our mid-teens."

Rarity was very surprised, to say the least. "You went to a school for delinquents?"

"Not delinquents." Sugar Shock corrected the other mare. "Wayward youths. The PE teacher at Lacey Ruffles' was a pillar of the community and had some influence. It was either transferring to that school or being charged as an adult for assault."

"You don't seem ashamed in telling me this." Rarity said observantly.

"Well, I've learned my lesson about controlling my temper and the way I see it, I have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm not going to lie about my past." Sugar Shock looked at Rarity. "Still, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anypony about it because my records were sealed when I turned 18. I'm not ashamed, but ponies tend to make a big fuss about it when they find out that I came very close to being charged with assault. If you're a friend of Hazel's, I can be honest with you because she's generally a good judge of character."

Rarity smiled and nodded. If Hazelnut Latte was a good judge of character, maybe there was still a good chance that they could become friends. As for the concert ticket, she could always take one of her other friends, maybe Applejack if she was interested. 

oooooooooooooooo

"Ya want me to go to the concert with ya?" Applejack was surprised.

"Well, you are a good friend." Rarity replied. "Besides, when's the next time a Trotter Swift concert will be held in Ponyville?"

"Well, you're right about that." Applejack said. "If ya want me ta go, ah'll go with ya. ah'll admit it, ah kind of do like Trotter Swift's music."

"Well, would you like to go?" Rarity asked.

"Sure." Applejack replied. "In fact, ah really want to go."

"Good." Rarity said with a smile. "Here's hoping that we'll have a good time there."

"Ya got that right." Applejack said, returning the smile.

Rarity was quite happy that things were going her way regarding Applejack. The two had become closer than ever, in the same platonic sense that it had always been. The farm pony had been an exceptionally good listener as of late. In the past six months or so, Applejack had also become less unrefined. Rarity wouldn't call Applejack fancy, but she took better care of her appearance. She had even started brushing her mane more often. She hadn't really changed, though. She was still Applejack. The Applejack that Rarity knew was always honest and didn't hide things from her friends. She doubted that the farm pony would ever hide anything important from her friends.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Hazelnut Latte never really knew whether she wanted to go to the Trotter Swift concert or not, but it was too late since the tickets were sold out. She would be working tomorrow night because all of her other co-workers would be at the concert. They had arranged for time off and Hazelnut Latte would be the only one there. She figured that she would get most customers after the concert was over tomorrow night. She looked forward to it with both eagerness and trepidation. Having that much business in one night was not common in Ponyville. She would need somepony to keep an eye on Cocoa Jinx. She didn't really need a foalsitter per se, but Hazelnut Latte would feel safer if somepony was with her that night. That let her with a dilemma. "I really need to find somepony." Hazelnut Latte grumbled under her breath.

"Somepony for what?" A high-pitch voice asked.

Hazelnut Latte jumped when Pinkie Pie appeared next to her, seemingly out of nowhere. "How do you even do that?" Hazelnut Latte asked with a groan. "Are you some sort of teleporter?"

"I'm not a teleporter!" Pinkie Pie said with one of her typical grins. "I'm Pinkie Pie! You said you needed somepony. What for?"

"I can't believe that I'm telling you this." Hazelnut Latte sighed. "I'll be working tomorrow night after the concert and I need somepony to keep an eye on my sister, Cocoa Jinx. She's ten years old and not quite old enough to be left alone at home for that long."

"I could watch her!" Pinkie Pie offered. "I'm reeeaaally good with foals!"

Hazelnut Latte couldn't deny that what Pinkie Pie said was true. She had yet to meet a foal who didn't like the pink earth pony. One would think that someone like Pinkie Pie couldn't be trusted with responsibility, but Hazelnut Latte had heard otherwise when it came to foals. Pinkie Pie's eyes widened adorably and she said, "Pleeeeease!"

Hazelnut Latte sighed and folded. "Fine." She said. "Just promise me that you won't burn my apartment building to the ground."

"I Pinkie promise!" the earth pony replied. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

A cupcake seemingly appeared out of nowhere and Pinkie Pie was about to smash it into her eye, but Hazelnut Latte said, "Smashing the cupcake into your eye isn't necessary. I believe you."

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Pinkie Pie squealed. She then saluted and said, "You can trust me, Hazelnut Latte, ma'am!"

"All right." Hazelnut Latte said decisively. "How does seven bits an hour sound?"

"You don't need to pay me 'cause I love foals, but okay!" Pinkie Pie said with a grin. 

"It's only fair that I do." Hazelnut Latte insisted. "If I don't, I'll feel like I'd be using you."

Pinkie Pie smiled happily. "You're really nice, you know that?"

Hazelnut Latte couldn't help but return that smile. She had gone the entire time she was in Ponyville without Pinkie Pie finding out when her birthday was and she intended to keep it that way, but the pink mare wasn't that bad. She may be a complete pain in the ass, but she was always there when somepony needed her. Hazelnut Latte was quite happy when she said, "If it's any help, you should know that there's no pot brownies in my apartment."

Pinkie Pie nodded. She sheepishly admitted, "After the Brownie Incident was one of the few times in my entire life that I was embarrassed about something."

"Well, now you know what to look for if you smell brownies." Hazelnut Latte replied. 

"Does Cocoa Jinx like brownies?" Pinkie Pie asked. 

"She does." Hazelnut Latte replied. "If you want to make some, there's a box of brownie mix in the cupboard."

Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically. "Pre-made brownie mix! Sacrilege! I must make the brownies from scratch!"

A notepad appeared from out of nowhere. "I'll make you a list of things you need for my brownies." Pinkie pie said.

The pink pony then used a pencil held in her mouth to write down the ingredients for the brownies. She then gave the brown-coated unicorn the list. Hazelnut Latte read the list out loud. "Flour, water, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, baking powder, and macadamia nuts. I have flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and vegetable oil, but I'll have to buy the others. I can do that today at that new general store."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie said happily. "I'll go with you!"

Hazelnut Latte bit back a sigh. "Don't you have more important things to do?" she asked.

"I need to make sure you get the right brands, silly!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

Hazelnut Latte sighed out loud this time. "Fine." she sighed.

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed before breaking into song. 

"I have a friend named Hazelnut, hooray! 
I'm going to go shopping with her today, today! 
And afterwards, we'll have such fun and bake before the day is done, hooray! 
We'll make things with chocolate! 
While we do it, we'll talk a lot! Hooray! 
Sweet baked yummy, in my tummy, hooray!
I have a friend named Hazelnut, hooray!
I'm going to have fun with her today!"

Suddenly, Hazelnut Latte found herself in the general store and they were both carrying groceries in their saddle bags. 

"We'll bake and bake and bake some more!
We'll be better friends than before! Hooray!
Sweet, baked yummies make you smile!
Best brownies in twenty miles! Hooray!

Once again, in a manner that Hazelnut Latte could not explain, she suddenly found herself in her kitchen with Pinkie Pie. They were both wearing aprons and chef's hats.


Sweet, sweet chocolate and some nuts,
Making it takes a lot of guts! Hooray!
I have a friend named Hazelnut, hooray!
On friendship, I have so much to say!
Happiness is give and take!
We have so much more brownies to bake! Hooray!
Oh, we will have fun today!
There's one more thing that I can say!
HOORAY!"

By the time Pinkie Pie was done singing, Hazelnut Latte was staring at her. "What the fuck just happened?"

"Oh, that was just a Pinkie Pie musical number montage." Pinkie Pie said with a wave of her hoof. 

The timer dinged, indicating that the brownies were done. The brownies were removed from the oven and the pans were set on a towel on the counter to cool. Hazelnut Latte was more confused than ever. "What's a Pinkie Pie music montage?" 

"Oh, when I start singing, things happen reeeeaaally quickly!" Pinkie Pie explained. 

"I'll try to pretend that I understood that." Hazelnut Latte said with a raised brow. 

Until then, Hazelnut Latte hadn't realized what an enigma Pinkie Pie was. How did her musical numbers do such strange things? Did she have some sort of strange power to manipulate space and time? Hazelnut Latte probably wouldn't get even close to figuring it out unless she gained some sort of advanced knowledge of quantum theory.