//------------------------------// // Wherever You Go... // Story: A New Era // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Within Sugarcube Corner's kitchen, Sugar Belle was hard at work putting together her latest confectionary creation, a set of cream puffs, under the watchful eye of Mrs. Cake. "I think a touch of cinammon would really make them zesty." Sugar Belle mused, as she added the condiment to the cream puffs. "And maybe a dab of strawberry frosting as a finishing touch." "Sounds wonderful, dearie." Mrs. Cake nodded appreciatively. "Well, like they say, the proof is in the pudding... Or cream puffs, in this case." Sugar Belle declared, placing her creations in the oven. "Once they've been baked, we'll know for sure." "I have no doubt they'll be excellent." Mrs Cake assured. "You've come so far since started your apprenticeship. And you were already a great baker to begin with." "Oh, thanks." Sugar Belle blushed. "But I've learned so much from you, Mrs Cake. It's been a real honor to be your apprentice." "The honor is all mine, dearie." Mrs. Cake said fondly. The touching scene between apprentice and mentor was suddenly interrupted by a well-groomed but panicked Mr. Cake rushing into the room, pushing the twins, Pound and Pumpkin, in their two-seater stroller. "Why are you still in the kitchen, honeybun?" He asked. "It's almost time to take the twins to visit my parents!" "Was that today?" Mrs. Cake suddenly panicked. "I thought we weren't going until tomorrow!" "Sorry, but no." Mr. Cake said regretfully. "We're supposed to be there in half an hour." "But we never arranged for somepony to look after the bakery while we're gone." Mrs. Cake cringed. "And Pinkie's working at Princess Twilight's school all day." "Well, we can't cancel." Mr. Cake countered. "The kids have been looking forward to this all week!" "Grammy!" Pumpkin cooed. "Grampa!" Pound added. "And then there's how annoyed Grammy and Grampa will be..." Mrs Cake cringed. "You miss one visit, and they never let you hear the last of it." "Just be glad you never had to do chores for them." Mr Cake sighed. "What are we going to do?" "I could look after the place." Sugar Belle offered. "Are you sure, dearie?" Mrs. Cake asked. "I know things seem quiet right now, but that can change quickly..." "Of course." Sugar Belle smiled. "It's not like it'll be the first time I've run a bakery all by myself. You all go and have your quality family time." "You're a lifesaver." Mr Cake sighed gratefully. "Cup, have I ever mentioned how much I admire your ability to find great employees?" "Not often enough for my tastes." Mrs Cake joked. Moments later, the family were standing before the front door, ready to leave, Sugar Belle seeing them off. "We'll be back in a few hours." Mrs Cake told Sugar Belle. "Good luck." "Say 'bye' to Sugar Belle, kids!" Mr Cake instructed. "Bye!" Pound waved. "G'bye!" Pumpkin giggled. "Have fun!" Sugar Belle waved them off. After her employers and their foals departed for the train station, Sugar Belle looked around. "Look at me, in charge of a whole bakery again." She smiled. "Really takes me back..." As Mrs Cake had noted, things at the moment were quiet at Sugarcube Corner. Not that Sugar Belle was complaining, as it gave her the time needed to allow her cream puffs to finish baking. Moments later, she took her creations out of the oven. "Mmm..." She sniffed deeply, taking in the sweet scent. "Now for the finishing touches..." The eager baker added in the strawberry icing, and placed a cherry on top of each cream puff. "Perfection in confection." Sugar Belle smiled, satisfied with her work. Just then, she heard the sound of a bell, indicating that she had customers. "Ooh, customers!" Sugar Belle grinned. "And what good timing; they can be the first to try these!" Placing the cream puffs on a tray, she made her way out of the kitchen. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner." Sugar Belle declared, as she backed into the main room (to protect her cream puffs, of course). "How may I help you?" "You can start by saying 'hi' to your old pals." A familiarly snarky voice. Taken by surprise, Sugar Belle turned around, and saw three of her old friends from Our Town: Double Diamond, Party Favor, and of course, Night Glider, who was smirking at her little joke. "Hey, guys!" Sugar Belle grinned. "What brings you all the way to Ponyville?" "What else?" Party Favor answered. "Seeing our old friend, Sugar Belle." "Our Town just hasn't been the same without our favorite baker." Double Diamond smiled. "So we all decided to drop by, and see how you're doing." "What a nice surprise." Sugar Belle smiled. "And such perfect timing, too." "I know that look." Party Favor grinned. "That's your 'I just baked something new, and I'd love for you guys to try it' look." "Guilty." Sugar Belle chuckled. "And here it is: cinnamon cream puffs, fresh from the oven!" She offered them the contents of the tray. "Sweet." Night Glider grinned. "Nothing like a Sugar Belle original after a long train ride!" The three ponies each took a bite out of one of the confections. "Mmm." Double Diamond smiled. "Just like old times..." Party Favor grinned. "Is that cinnamon I taste?" Night Glider asked. "Sure is." Sugar Belle nodded. "Thanks for noticing." "Thank you for keeping those baking skills sharp." Party Favor returned. "And nice touch with the cinnamon. I like a little spice." "Don't I know it." Night Glider nuzzled against him. Sugar Belle chuckled. Party Favor and Night Glider had started dating not long before she and Big Macintosh had become an item themselves. And it was good to see that they were just as loving toward each other as they were when Sugar Belle permanently left for Ponyville. "Easy there, you two." Double Diamond joked. "Any more sweet stuff, and I might get a cavity." "Ha, ha." Party Favor deadpanned. "Real funny." "Don't quit your day job, Mr comedian." Night Glider snarked. "Just like old times, alright..." Sugar Belle giggled lightly. The trio finished every last crumb of their treats. "Nothing like a tasty trip down memory lane." Double Diamond declared. "You said it." Party Favor agreed. "Still surprising us, even after all this time." Night Glider grinned. "Nice to see you're still branching out. I remember when you were on that whole 'baking with apples' trip. You baked pretty much every kind of apple treat there is. Not that any of us were complaining..." "Well, I did something of a vested interest in apples back then." Sugar Belle beamed fondly. "How is life back in Our Town, by the way?" "Nice and quiet." Double Diamond answered. "We haven't seen any real problems in Moons." "It helps that we've got a great mayor." Party Favor nudged his friend. "You're a shoo-in for a second term, pal." "Mostly because nopony else has ever run against me." Double Diamond pointed out. "How's my old bakery doing?" Sugar Belle asked. "Not too bad." Night Glider declared. "That cousin of yours has some... interesting ideas when it comes to baking, but sweet treats are sweet treats, so we can't complain." "That's Sugar Twist for you." Sugar Belle said fondly. "After all the good work he did looking after the bakery whenever I was away, I knew he could handle things full-time. Say 'hi' to him for me, won't you?" "You got it." Party Favor nodded. "So how's married life been treating you?" Double Diamond asked. "Yeah, what's it like spending every day with that big, strong, handsome stallion of yours?" Night Glider smirked. "He's not that handsome..." Party Favor pouted. "Don't be jealous, sweetie." Night Glider comforted him. "So far, so wonderful." Sugar Belle grinned. "Big Mac is such a sweetheart. No matter how busy a day he's had in the orchards, he always makes time for me. And his family have been so accepting. I really do feel like a bona fide Apple around them." "Yeah, there's nothing like having a place where you feel like you belong." Double Diamond acknowledged. "What about you two?" Sugar Belle asked Party Favor and Night Glider. "Ever think about... You know, tying the knot?" "Oh, uh..." Party Favor's eyes darted around, as nervous sweat formed on his brow. "Well, the thing about that is-" "We're in no rush." Night Glider stepped in. "We're just taking our time, enjoying each others' company." "Yeah, sure!" Party Favor nodded enthusiastically. "That's it! No rush here!" "You don't have to look so relieved, you know." Night Glider glared sourly at her boyfriend. "Sorry." Party Favor cringed. "What about you, Double Diamond?" Sugar Belle asked. "Meet anypony special recently?" "I'm afraid not." Double Diamond shrugged. "Being in charge of the town keeps me pretty busy. Guess I just haven't had the time to give the dating game a try." "That's a shame." Sugar Belle said compassionately. "After knowing what it's like to find my soulmate, I guess I just don't like the idea of somepony being alone... Especially if it's an old friend." "Thanks, but it's okay." Double Diamond declared. "Like Night Glider said, there's no rush. I've still got a lifetime ahead ahead of me. Plenty of time for me to find that special somepony, whoever that'll end up being." "That's the spirit." Night Glider nudged him. "Nothing wrong with bein' a bachelor for now. Right, Sugar Belle?" "I guess." Sugar Belle admitted grudgingly. "Sorry if I sounded a little pushy. Guess I've just got romance on the brain today." "No problem." Double Diamond said fairly. "Just as long as you don't try to rope me into a blind date or two." "No promises." Sugar Belle teased. The four of them shared a laugh. "Look at us." Party Favor smiled. "Doesn't it seem like a lifetime's passed since we first met?" "You mean when we all gathered together to live a life without cutie marks or special talents?" Night Glider clarified. "Yep." Party Favor nodded. "So much has happened since then. We took back what we have up, became a real town, and one of us found a whole new destiny, right here in Ponyville." "We've all come a long way since then." Double Diamond agreed. "We've learned so much, grown as ponies, and built a true community for ourselves... Even if some of us couldn't stay, we'll always be a part of that community." "And we'll always be friends, no matter how far away from each other we are." Sugar Belle assured them. "If Princess Twilight and her friends can stay close, even though she's ruling Equestria in Canterlot, then I see no reason why we can't do the same." "Hear, hear." Party Favor agreed. "Huh." Night Glider mused. "Guess not everything's changed for us after all." "That's right." Sugar Belle nodded. "And I promise, the three of you will always be welcome over at Sweet Apple Acres, so drop by anytime." "Thanks, Sugar Belle." Double Diamond smiled. Just then, the door opened, to the tune of the bell, and Starlight Glimmer entered the bakery. "Hi, Starlight." Sugar Belle greeted. "Hey, Sugar Belle." Starlight greeted her... Then she noticed the others. "Oh. Hey, guys. What brings you here?" "We decided to pay Sugar Belle a visit." Party Favor answered. "We didn't really expect to see you, too." Night Glider admitted. "Not when you're busy running Princess Twilight's school..." "Well, lucky for you guys, I like to drop by during lunch hour to pick up something sweet." Starlight revealed. "Great to see you all, by the way." "If you can spare the time, we'd love for you to join us." Double Diamond offered. "We were just discussing old times." "Not too old, I hope?" Starlight smiled wryly. "Nah." Night Glider grinned. "Ancient history was never my best subject anyway." "I think I can spare five minutes." Starlight noted, finding a spare seat and joining her old townsponies. "Great." Sugar Belle beamed. "I'll go and fetch your usual." As the Unicorn baker headed over to the counter, the others turned their focus to Starlight. "So what's it like being a headmare?" Party Favor asked. "It's a big responsibility." Starlight noted. "But rewarding, too." "Guess being a leader just comes naturally to you." Double Diamond surmised. "That's one way of looking at it." Starlight smiled. "But I prefer to think of it as giving ponies and other creatures the guidance they need." She frowned lightly. "I used to think guidance needed to be forced, like I did with all of you. But thanks to Twilight and her friends, I know now that it's something to be offered. And something I've been striving to share with the students since the school opened." "We really have all come a long way." Sugar Belle smiled as she returned with Starlight's order, a chocolate eclair, along with some cupcakes for the others. "And even if you didn't have the best of intentions to begin with, you still brought all of us together in the first place." Party Favor pointed out. "We wouldn't have become friends if it weren't for you. That's something we were always thankful for." "At least I accomplished some good back then." Starlight noted, as she accepted the cupcake via her magic. "And I'm glad I could make amends with you all, so we can share moments like this." "I'll snack to that!" Party Favor held up his cupcake. "Cheers!" Double Diamond agreed. The five ponies enjoyed their treats together, United by their shared past. "It's been great catching up with you all, but I should be heading back to the school." Starlight used a napkin to wipe a spot of chocolate off her cheek. "The life of an educator is a busy one, you know..." "We understand." Double Diamond smiled. "Teaching everycreature about the importance of friendship is a big responsibility." "Next time you get some time off, feel free to drop by." Night Glider offered. "I will." Starlight nodded. "And I might even bring some guests. 'Til then, everypony..." With that, Starlight departed from Sugarcube Corner, reducing the group to four once again. "Good for her." Party Favor smiled. "She always wanted to help Equestria, and now she gets to help both it and all the other lands." "And she's still teaching." Night Glider noted. "It's just a different set of lessons." "Those are some lucky students she has." Double Diamond smiled. "And they're good kids, too." Sugar Belle nodded. "They drop by here all the time, and most of them are so polite. Especially Sandbar and his friends." "So you're branching out in terms of customers, too." Night Glider noted. "I just hope they appreciate your baking." "Judging by the lines we get when the school day ends, I'd say they do." Sugar Belle chuckled. "And I'm just glad so many creatures get to try my baking. That's what really matters to me: seeing them happy and full." "Same ol' Sugar Belle." Party Favor chuckled. "Do us all a favor and never change, 'kay?" "Only if you all promise to do the same." Sugar Belle grinned. "Deal." Night Glider nodded. The quartet spent the next few hours talking, reminiscing about old times and discussing what the future could bring (with Sugar Belle taking time out every so often to attend to customers' needs) But, like all good things, their reunion came to an end all too soon. "It's time we were heading back, guys." Double Diamond announced, taking note of the nearby clock mounted on the wall.. "So soon?" Party Favor pouted. "Boy, time really does fly when you're having fun..." "Guess this is goodbye for now." Sugar Belle sighed. "'Fraid so." Night Glider sighed. "But we'll be back before you know it." "Until then, you just enjoy life in Ponyville." Double Diamond added. "You can count on that like I count on dough rising." Sugar Belle joked. The group shared one last laugh as Sugar Belle's old friends headed for the door. "See you soon." Double Diamond grinned. "Keep on baking." Party Favor smiled, putting a hoof around Night Glider. "And we'll keep on enjoying your work." Night Glider pledged. "Bye, everypony!" Sugar Belle waved, as they exited onto the street, and made for the train station. "Bye!" Her old friends chorused. After they vanished from view, Sugar Belle cleaned up their table, the crumbs reminding her of their reunion. "Good times..." She sighed. Soon after, the Cakes returned, tired but content from their day out. Both Pound and Pumpkin were sleeping peacefully in their stroller, tuckered out from all the excitement. "We're back, Sugar Belle." Mrs Cake said quietly (not wanting to wake up the twins). "How were things while we were away?" "Everything was just fine." Sugar Belle smiled. "Better, even. Some old friends dropped by to visit." "That's nice." Mr Cake smiled, as he gingerly lifted Pumpkin out of the stroller. "How did your cream puffs turn out, by the way?" Mrs Cake inquired, as she carefully removed Pound from the stroller. "Beautifully." Sugar Belle answered. "That recipe is definitely a keeper." "Good to hear." Mrs Cake grinned proudly. "I don't suppose you'd mind looking after the place just a little longer? We need to put these two sleepyheads to bed." "I don't mind at all." Sugar Belle nodded. "Fantastic." Mr Cake whispered. The Cakes carried their offspring upstairs, leaving Sugar Belle in charge more. "What a day." Sugar Belle smiled as she wiped down the counter. "What a great day..." As happy as she was with her new life in Ponyville, Sugar Belle still had plenty of fond memories revolving around her old life in Our Town. After all, it was all the experiences she'd been through there, both the good and the bad, which had made her into the mare she was today, the mare Big Macintosh had fallen in love with, the mare he had loved enough to ask for her hoof in marriage. If she had never chosen to live in Our Town, she wouldn't have ended up in her true home, with the love of her life. As she finished cleaning the counter, she saw her reflection in the gleaming surface. "You've come a long way, young mare." She told herself. "Just don't forget where your journey started..."