Chapter 2: Cute-Ciñera for Two
Before Twilight and Twinkle could head off to Canterlot, Twilight knew it was right for her daughter to have her cute-ceñera in Ponyville. Twinkle was okay with this, except for the fact that because Zany and her got their cutie marks at the same time, they were to have the same cute-ceñera at the same place. Although she was unhappy with this, she already had a plan- to stay as far away from Zany as possible.
The two foals had gotten their cutie marks so abruptly and out of nowhere that everypony though that their cute-ceñera would have to be the next day, but somehow Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich managed to have everything ready within the blink of an eye. With their Party Palace ready, the cute-ceñera was held there.
Twinkle was in a little pink dress that, at the top, was a full magenta color, with little shooting stars around the ends. After that, the dress was partially transparent, so that her cutie mark could be seen. The area of the dress with the wing holes matched the little alicorn’s wings well. She got to the cute-ceñera a few minutes before Zany did, which meant she got to have some peace with Jewel and Applespike.
She planned just to casually trot over to them, but as soon as her two best friends saw her, they ran over to her to attack her with a hug.
“You’re so lucky to have your cutie mark already!” Jewel said.
“Ah don’t have a clue what mine’ll be, but you’ve already found yours out!” Applespike added.
Twinkle giggled. “Thank you, guys. But I’m sure you will both get your cutie marks when the time is right.”
“Hey, how come you got yours at the same time as Zany?” Jewel wondered out loud, pulling away from her friend while Applespike did the same.
“I’m not sure, actually.” Twinkle replied.
“Is it because you like him?” Jewel asked teasingly.
Twinkle suddenly blushed out of reflex. “I- what?! Why- why in Equestria would make such a- a rash assumption?!”
Apple spike and Jewel giggled.
Applespike told his embarrassed friend, “We meant nothing. It's just so fun… matchmakin’. And with you and Zany catchin’ Screwball’s flower bouquet at ‘er weddin’, it just makes it so much easier. But really, Twinkle, we were just doin’ some good ol’ fashion teasin’ on our friend who… just got’her cutie mark!”
“Yeah! I mean, teasing ponies who we think like each other is an exciting activity, but know I really mean nothing of it.” Jewel added.
“... Alright…” Twinkle said, suspicious of her friends’ kind behavior, “And… uh… why are you two being so nice to me? Apologizing, being friendly…”
“Sorry if that bothers you. I usually act friendly on special occasions, both because I want to look friendly to who that celebration is for, and also so my kind behavior can be rewarded by desserts.” Jewel told her friend.
All three giggled. Suddenly, they heard a voice near them. “You two having fun without me?”
Applespike was the first to answer. “Yeah. You were late, though.”
“Excuses, excuses. It was Mothy that took forever freaking out because he had never been to a double cute-ciñera. He got so worked up that we had to go see Aunt Scootaloo to get him to realize that cute-ciñeras were nothing to worry about. Of course, the hardest part of the whole situation was convincing Mothy to go from the house… err… castle to Aunt Scootaloo’s.” Zany casually responded.
“Wow. If he was that freaked out about a double cute-ciñera, he would not have lasted The Rainboom.” Jewel responded.
“I know, right!” Zany said, “But it wasn't as bad as the first cute-ciñera he ever went to. Let's just say it had to do with ponies who all ended up out cold with cider, five party cannons, and a toothbrush.”Zany replied.
“Ooh! Can ah hear that one?” Applespike excitedly asked.
Then, Applespike, Jewel, and Zany headed over to the food table, leaving Twinkle to herself.
What just happened?, Twinkle thought, Zany just came over and took my friends away! Well, I guess they're his friends too, but that gives him no right to interru-
“Hello, sweetheart.” A voice said.
“Eek!” Twinkle yelped before turning around to see her mother, Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing there. “Uh… hi, mom.”
“I'm sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to celebrate you for your new cutie mark.” Twilight said.
“Haven't you already told me this forty-seven times? Twelve lectures, seven congratulatory hugs and conversations, twenty-eight times of you just congratulating me, and two times when you spent forever trying to figure out why Zany and I got our cutie marks at the same time.” Twinkle replied.
“Yeah,” Twilight Sparkle told her daughter, “But I really want you to know that you're special, especially on such a special event. Getting a cutie mark is like finding yourself. Your true self. And I want to make sure you know you feel important on one of the most important days of your life. You see, a cutie mark-”
“Woah, Mom,” Twinkle responded, “No need to go into lecture mode. You can do that when we get home.”
“Fine. Just… happy cute-ciñera.” Twilight said before leaving to talk with the rest of her friends.
Though Twilight was long out of earshot by the time Twinkle responded, she still said, “Thanks, Mom.”
Twinkle, now alone, headed to the area of the Party Palace where an abundance of noise could be heard. When she arrived, she found that this was the party games section, where everypony was happily playing with their friends and family.
Twinkle thought her entrance, the entrance of the Princess of Friendship’s daughter, who just got her cutie mark, would cause some attention. After all, this was her cute-ciñera. But she did not get any attention at all, for no pony had noticed her. They continued to play games, continued to have fun without notice of a Princess.
In fact, they seemed more interested in watching Jewel, Applespike, and Zany play all the games. She noticed the trio playing game after game together and everypony else was cheering them on.
Of course. Leave it to Zany to steal all of Twinkle’s friends away from her.
“Uh… hi, everypony.” Twinkle said. No pony heard.
“Hello, everypony.” Twinkle said sternly and louder. Still, she was not heard.
“Everypony. I am here. Hello.” Twinkle said with a generally loud voice, again to no avail.
“Sweet Celestia, listen to me!” Twinkle yelled.
Suddenly, they all looked at her. A couple of them said hello before resuming to loudly watching the Chaotic Three.
“Now, now, let’s not ignore her. Miss Princess Twinkle Toes didn’t yell at us for no reason, we would assume. Am I correct, ponies?” Zany said in a teasing manner.
The ponies watching the trio nodded in agreement as the three headed over to Twinkle.
“I do have a reason for yelling,” Twinkle said, trying to compose herself, “The daughter of the Princess of Friendship does not yell like that for no reason.”
“Well then, what is it?” Jewel asked.
Twinkle suddenly snapped. “None of you ponies would listen to me! I tried to get your attention! Apparently you ponies are way more caught up in Zany’s annoying shenanigans than anything else!”
Applespike soon responded, “Yellin’ like that wasn’t necessary for that kinda situation. We just couldn’t hear ya.”
“Well, it does bother a pony when her own friends aren’t listening to her because they’re hanging out with Zany.” Twinkle said angrily, putting emphasis on Zany’s name.
“Hey, it wasn’t my fault that everypony here was interested in my cutie mark. It is my cute-ciñera.” Zany countered, trotting over to Twinkle.
“It’s my cute-ciñera too, you know.” Twinkle replied.
“Yeah, but you’re the youngest pony here who is a child of an Element of Harmony.” Zany said.
“Hey!” Twinkle responded in anger, “You’re not very old yourself!”
“Yeah, but I have lots of friends and you’re Twinkle Toes, the Princess of Friendship’s daughter, with two good, close friends. I have way more friends. And here I am, a draconequus hybrid, with so many close buddies.” Zany told the alicorn.
“Yeah? How many ‘close buddies’ do you have? You really don’t have to name all of them, just… uh…. how about seven?” Twinkle asked.
“I… uh… well, there’s Applespike, and Jewel, and.... The Smooze, and.... uh… Mothball-”
“He’s your brother-in-law. He doesn’t count.”
“Oh. Okay. And… there’s Moonbeam…”
“You haven’t seen her in 17 months.”
“The Tri-Pies?”
“You never hang out with them personally.”
“Uh… Cinnamon Roll?”
“Really? She’s like 12 years older than you and you barely ever see each other.”
“Uh… I give up.”
“And my point has been proven.”
“It wasn’t really you’re point, actually,” Jewel said, “Just Zany picking up a fight with his crush.”
The whole group of ponies there giggled.
Zany began angry, the tips of his brows turning down, eyes burning with fury, his grey fur turning red both in anger and embarrassment.
“I. Do Not. Have. A. Crush. On that petty, annoying, puny princess.” Zany grumbled.
The crowd just giggled more.
“I’m just saying. No reason to get worked up.” Jewel responded.
“You know, jokes like that aren’t funny.” Zany said.
“And ‘ere Ah though you were a pony who loves jokes.” Applespike replied.
“Well, not jokes like this!” Zany said.
“Okay, okay. Ah’m sorry.” Applespike said.
Before Zany could respond, the group of ponies could hear Pinkie Pie’s loud voice echoing throughout the Party Palace. “The hay burgers are ready! Get ‘em while they're hot!”
All of the ponies raced to the kitchen/ dining room area to get their fresh hay burgers at the sound of this.
The foals dug into their hayburgers, though as soon as Twinkle But into hers, she gagged, feeling a something in her throat. When she used her magic to grab the object, she saw a yellow, shiny object in her magical grasp.
“What the hay is this?” Twinkle asked, inspecting the object.
Zany began to giggle from across the table. “Well, you’re cutie mark is a shooting star so I put some of a shooting star in your hayburger.”
“You put a shooting star in my hayburger?!” Twinkle asked in shock.
“Nah. It’s just shiny mustard.” Zany said.
“Shiny mustard? Where the hay did ya find shiny mustard?” Applespike asked.
“Restaurant across the street.” Zany casually replied.
“Ah.”
“What’s the big deal? Are you two trying to poison me?!” Twinkle asked angrily.
“No. Just having a good time.” Zany said.
“Well you’re ruining my good time!” Twinkle replied.
“Somepony’s jealous.” Zany said teasingly.
“I am not jealous!” The young alicorn replied.
“You want everything at your cute-ciñera, which is not what I’m doing. I’m just having a good time with my best friends. It’s not me that wants everything perfect. It’s you. Of course, I should have really expected that from the Princess of Friendship’s daughter. You’re just like her, anyways. Orderly, neat, annoying, petty, and oh-so boring.” Zany told her.
Applespike spoke up. “Uh… Zan- Zany, ya sounded a bit, well, ya know, too angry at Princess Twilight.” He received a death glare, “I mean, no offense, but uh, maybe tone it down when you are talkin’ bad about royalty? It makes ya sound… I dunno, like your dad?”
“What… do you mean?” Zany asked very questioningly with some anger in his tone.
“I don’t mean to cause any anger, but, when you- when you talk bad about a princess in that way, ya know, like that, ya sound like… you sound like your father. Before he was reformed.” Applespike stuttered to get the words out.
“Are you… calling me a monster?” Zany asked, anger in his voice.
“Now, let’s not all start fighting and ruining all of our friendships,” Jewel said, “I don’t believe Applespike was trying to hurt you, Zany. There’s no need to jump to conclusions. And monster may be a bit much.”
“But… he did… he did say I was like my father.” Zany said.
“Ah’m tryna warn ya! Ah don’t want ya to get upset! Your still my best friend! Ah’m not tryna hurt any feelins!”
“Well you are, mean it or not!”
Jewel cut in again. “I’m not quite sure how a small argument against Twinkle and Zany may have turned into a huge fight between best friends, but something that I do know is that this fight accomplishes nothing. I really don’t mean to interrupt, but maybe it would be best if we all stopped fighting.”
“Stopped fighting?” I don’t think I’m done with hi-” Zany began.
“Really. I mean it. This is a special day, isn’t it? Zany did just get his cutie mark. So did Twinkle.” Jewel said.
Everypony turned to Twinkle, who had been watching all this drama fold out in shock.
“Maybe,” Jewel said, “We could just enjoy the fact that two amazing ponies just got their cutie marks.”
Zany rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“Sure.” Applespike said in annoyance.
“Perfect!” Jewel said happily, “Now let’s all get back to eating!”
Rarity, who was in the other room, had heard her daughter trying to break the fight.
“I never knew she was so good at saving friendships.” the proud mother told the rest of the Elements of Harmony and their husbands.
After some more playing around and general mayhem, the group settle down and ponies began heading home.
“Fun day, wasn’t it?” Asked Jewel.
“Yeah,” Twinkle said, “Except for when Zany ’accidentally’ hit a basketball on my head.”
“Aw! He didn’t mean to do it!” Jewel responded.
“Of course he did. He’s Zany.” Twinkle told her best friend.
“Well, are you ready to go to Canterlot?” the young daughter of Rarity asked.
“Maybe.” said Twinkle, “I mean, it’ll be fun and everything, and there will be so many books, but I just am worried I won’t see you very much.”
“I know. I’ll try to see you as much as possible, though. You won’t have to worry about anything.” Jewel responded.
“What if… what if I don’t see you or Applespike for another few years? You two are my only two friends in all of Equestria, even if I’m the daughter of the Princess of Friendship.” Twinkle told the unicorn.
“I’ll try to see you. I don’t want to have to say goodbye, but your mom knows what’s best for you. You’re leaving tomorrow, anyways, I suppose. Not today.” Jewel said.
“Yeah, I suppose I should wait until tomorrow to begin saying my goodbyes to you all.” Twinkle decided.
“Good. I was saving all my tears for later anyways.” Jewel said before hugging her best friend.