//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Friendship is Magic (and also cupcakes) // by bahatumay //------------------------------// “It sure is nice of you to get these cupcakes for your friend Spike,” Mrs. Cake said. “Yeah, sure,” Twilight said, trying to not show her frustration with the small talk. “Could you write the card for me? Hoof sprain,” she explained, holding up her crooked pastern. Mrs. Cake’s eyes flicked briefly up to her horn, but her smile never faded. “Certainly,” she said, and she quickly wrote the words. As soon as she was outside, Twilight pulled the card out and compared it with the one she’d found on her table that first night. The writing didn’t match. A brief scowl flickered across her face.  But this wasn’t a dead-end. Not at all. She’d just need to figure out which house to watch next.  A whoosh of air overhead made her look up. Rainbow Dash hovered above her. “Hey, Twilight,” she said. “Rumor has it you’re trying to catch the Birthday Pony.”   “I am,” Twilight said, a little surprised. “Guess word spreads around fast in a little town. My current theory is that she’s a powerful unicorn using teleportation.”  “Yeah?” Rainbow asked. “How does she deliver cakes to cloudominiums?” “Levitation, Rainbow,” Twilight said flatly, demonstrating with a nearby rock. Rainbow blinked. She clearly hadn’t thought of that. Still, she brushed it off casually. “Heh. If you say so. But if you ask me, nopony is going to tell you when their birthday is.”  “Why is that?” Twilight asked.  “Because,” Rainbow said as if it were obvious, “the Birthday Pony knows when you’re asleep. She doesn’t come if you’re awake. If you’re watching, you’re awake, and she won’t come. And if she doesn’t come, no cake.” “That sounds an awful lot like Santa Hooves, who, needless to say, is not real, either,” Twilight said.  Rainbow blinked. “Wait. What?” “Come on, Rainbow. You’re a grown mare. There’s no way you still believe one pony can deliver a present to every single foal in Equestria in a single night.” She glanced over at Rainbow and slowed to a stop.  Rainbow dropped to the ground and sank to her haunches. “I thought I was just a little too naughty for presents,” she said, her eyes wide and unseeing, “but I thought playing pranks was just worth it.” Twilight inhaled through her teeth. Oops?  “If there isn’t really… if it’s… I’m…” She grabbed Twilight. “Have I been being good for nothing?” she howled.  Twilight lit her horn and pushed her away. “There are a lot of ethical questions there that I am nowhere near ready to unpack,” she said uncomfortably as she slowly backed up. As soon as she was out of reach, she turned and ran away.  “What have I been doing with my life?” Rainbow wailed behind her. Shattered worldview aside, Rainbow was right on one count. Now that word had spread that she was trying to find the Birthday Pony, the foals were giving her sideways looks as she walked by, and even the adults seemed to be hesitant to make eye contact, as if they didn’t want to reveal a common secret. Which, of course, only made Twilight want to dig in deeper.  Any detective book, even that tacky and romantic hack Shadow Spade, had a scene where a detective had to stay silent and unobserved to gain some new information. Armed with a newspaper and a hat, Twilight sat on a wall next to the schoolhouse and gave it a try. And she soon hit pay dirt. Spike watched her adjust her hat. “Heading out again?” “I’m going to put this to rest, Spike,” Twilight said firmly. “It’s clearly somepony in Ponyville. Maybe multiple someponies. But there is a simple explanation for this.” “I’m still not sure why you’re so determined to explain this,” Spike said, suppressing a yawn. “Can’t ponies just have fun delivering cakes?” “Because I’m right, Spike,” Twilight said firmly. “And I’m going to prove it.” “Alright,” Spike said, knowing he wasn’t going to win this argument. “Just make sure you’re back before that scheduled storm hits.” Spike awoke the next morning. He glanced towards the window. Rain still poured down from last night’s rainstorm, but it was lightening up. Twilight’s bed was made, so she was either already awake or she hadn’t made it back upstairs. “Hope it’s the first one,” he mumbled as he climbed out of his basket.  But it was the second. He saw a lump covered by a blanket on the couch. Quickly figuring it was not the Birthday Pony crashing for the night, he gently tapped where he guessed her shoulder was. “Hey, Twilight,” he started.  Twilight sneezed.  That answered his unasked question, but he asked anyway. “Guess you didn’t make it back before the storm.” “No,” she said irritably. “I was certain I’d see something before it hit.” She sniffled.  “But?” Spike prompted.  “Somepony tapped me on the shoulder, and when I looked, I didn’t see anypony, but there was a cupcake wearing a party hat.” Spike imagined this, a cupcake with a tiny party hat cocked at a jaunty angle. “Wearing a-?” “Under,” she corrected herself with another sniffle. “And it was just a generic one, so no clues there.” “You’re sick and you’re still worried about finding more clues?” Twilight sat up. “I’m going to figure this out, Spike,” she said, before laying back down. “Once the room stops spinning,” she amended.  Spike nodded. He’d leave her alone for a bit.  Spike was keeping himself busy dusting the bookshelves when he heard Twilight call him.  “Spike? Who did you let in?” Spine looked at the door, which had remained closed all morning. “Uh, nopony?” he said, heading back into the bedroom. “Why?” He realized what had prompted that question when he saw another card on her side table, sitting next to one of their mugs, which was now full of a steaming liquid.  “Well, now she’s just showing off,” Twilight grumbled.  Spike tilted his head to read the card. “‘I do more than just cupcakes!’,” he read.  “And in the same loopy writing,” Twilight mused, wiping her muzzle. Distractedly, she lit her horn and pulled the mug over to take a sip. Her eyes widened. “Oh, that’s good,” she said, taking another sip.  “So that’s it then, right?” Spike said hopefully.  Twilight inhaled the steam deeply. “Not a chance,” she said. “There’s somepony behind this, and I’m going to figure out who.”