//------------------------------// // Sweets // Story: Changing Diamonds // by ShowShine //------------------------------// Rarity stood in Sugarcube Corner, leaning on the counter. This is what she really needed a day in with her bubbly friend. Being in a crowd was just terrible for her…condition. That's how she chose to view it. A condition. She shook her head, ringing the little bell on the counter. “Pinkie, yoohoo! I’m here!” Rarity announced. The kitchen doors swung open, a pink blur shooting from them. She was practically vibrating on the spot. “Rarity!” Pinkie shouted, wrapping her arms around Rarity. “We haven’t hung out since the wedding! And that was, like, forever ago.” As much as Rarity loved Pinkie, there was a reason she hadn’t been around Pinkie. Rarity absolutely adored her, but she knew the mare was overly loving. Rarity sniffed. Her love was strong, smelling of cotton candy and cake. But she couldn’t avoid Pinkie Pie forever, now could she? Pinkie was one of her closest friends! She would just have to endure it. “You know how busy I can be with the boutique.” Rarity hastily explained, slipping out of her friend's love-filled grip. Pinkie quickly nodded. “Mhm! I’m just glad you’re here. Now we can bake cupcakes!” Pinkie exclaimed, cartwheeling over the counter. She continued her cartwheel into the kitchen. Rarity chuckled, following her bubbly friend. On the counters were various ingredients. It looked like far too much to be one type of cupcake. “What type of cupcakes are we making again?” Rarity asked. Pinkie Pie’s eyes lit up. “Today, we’ll be making every. Cupcake. Ever!” Pinkie cheered, waving her hooves around. Rarity chuckled, leaning on the counter. “As much as I’d love to do that, I don’t think it’s possible.” Rarity reminded. “Well, not every cupcake.” Pinkie clarified. “But this is the chance to be creative! I just know you’ll do an amazing job!” She encouraged. Rarity looked back at the ingredients. While Rarity wasn’t typically the baking type, she could push through. Just for today. She attempted to levitate a bowl, but her head began to pound. Rarity nearly fell over, catching herself on the counter. Was not eating love draining her that much? To the point where she couldn’t do a simple levitation spell? Rarity leaned into her hooves, massaging her temple. “You alright? You look a little woozy.” Pinkie asked, gently placing her hoof on Rarity’s back. The white mare jumped back, quickly nodding her head. “Yes, yes, I’m quite alright. I just stumbled, that’s all.” Rarity quickly turned back to the counter, avoiding Pinkie’s confused stare. She needed to get her head in the game. Magic or no magic, she will be making sweet treats. First things first, flour. She wrapped her hooves around the bag of flour, trying her darndest to not let it slip out. Rarity was suddenly aware of how little she used her hooves. The bag just felt so…foreign in her hooves. Being a fashion designer meant she had to sew with her magic. Sewing with her hooves would be simply taxing on her. Rarity looked at Pinkie. She was using her hooves with no problem! If Pinkie could do it, so could she. She huffed, tilting the bag over. Flour poured out, filling her bowl to the brim.  “It looks like you’ll be having flour cupcakes!” Pinkie joked with a giggle.  Rarity laughed back dryly, trying to enjoy her friend’s lighthearted jest. She could feel the annoyance swelling in her chest. The mare shook her head. She could do this. “How have you been? It’s been quite a well since we’ve spoken.” Rarity inquired. Maybe if she got Pinkie to ramble, she could concentrate on baking. It always worked when Sweetie Belle spoke. “Well, Monday, I went to go see Applejack. She had a lot of apples and needed me to help her make nearly a million apple fritters! Can you believe it?” Pinkie began to ramble. Rarity hummed in response, beginning to tune her friend out. The mare began to add in the rest of her dry ingredients, albeit very messily. She knew for a fact that her measurements were off. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that she got the task done. She picked up an egg between her hooves, trying to lightly tap it on the counter. Instead, it shattered, yolk dripping out. She lifted the egg above the bowl, watching the shell and yolk drip in. Rarity grumbled, staring at the eggshells. Maybe the shells wouldn’t be noticed after being baked. She picked up a carton of milk, awkwardly shuffling it in her hooves. The milk overfilled the bowl, spilling onto the counter. Rarity recoiled in disgust, quickly picking the bowl up. “Eugh!” She shrieked in horror. She was nearly at her wit's end. Rarity just wanted to get this done with. She tucked the bowl between herself and the counter. Rarity teetered a large serving spoon in one hoof, plunging it in the mess of a batter. She began to stir, the dough splashing into her pristine white fur. Rarity suppressed a gag. She slammed the bowl onto the counter. Rarity was officially over it. Her fur was a mess, and her cupcakes were going to end up terrible. Rarity stared at her batter in pure disgust. She wasn’t even sure if she could call it batter. It was clumpy and filled with eggshells.  Rarity looked at Pinkie’s batter. It was perfect. No lumps or eggshells. It was even the right color! She looked back at her bowl. It was far too thick, and instead of being a pretty beige, it was a dark, sludgy brown, nearly black. “Oh, Pinkie, how do you do it?” Rarity asked with a tired sigh. Pinkie cocked her head. “Do what?” “Make such perfect cupcakes. I have to say, it’s quite impressive.” Pinkie shrugged, balancing a few trays on her head. “I dunno. I guess I’m just a natural.” She spun the pans onto the counter, sliding one to Rarity. She picked up the ladle with her teeth, shakily scooping up the batter. Rarity attempted to pour it in neatly, but it mostly got on the counter. Rarity annoyedly rubbed her muzzle, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt a plethora of emotions. Rage, sadness, disappointment. Pinkie Pie whisked the cupcake pans away, sliding them into the oven. “Now for the frosting!” Pinkie slid a frosting bag to Rarity. “I’ll make it, and you bag it!” She instructed, beginning to pour the ingredients. Before Rarity knew it, Pinkie was done with the first batch. That mare sure was quick when it came to pastries. “Here you go!” Pinkie slid the bowl to Rarity. Rarity pried at the frosting bag, holding it open with her hooves. She carefully picked the spoon with her mouth, attempting not to spill a single drop. The ladle flipped back, wacking Rarity square on the nose. Frosting dripped from her face. Rarity softly groaned, angrily dropping the frosting bag and the spoon. Why couldn’t Rarity get this right? If she wasn’t a changeling, she could be normal! Her gaze veered over to Pinkie, who happily stirred her next batch of frosting. Pinkie Pie was never the judgemental type. She would be friends with anyone. “Pinkie, would you…” Rarity paused, trying to find her words. “Would you be friends with a changeling?” Pinkie hummed, rubbing her chin. “Well, not a mean changeling, not like the ones at the wedding. They have to be super duper nice!” Pinkie compromised. Rarity bit her lip. “But what if they need to eat love? Doesn’t that scare you?” Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Then I’ll give them all the love I can!” “You saw how weak it made Shining Armor. What if it makes you that weak, too?” “Then I’ll eat more for energy!” There was just no reasoning with Pinkie, was there? She was too nice to even see the potential danger Rarity might become. She could feel Pinkie’s love from across the room, and it was nearly sickening. “Pinkie, you’re so-” Rarity began before she felt an all too familiar feeling creeping up her chest. A deep shudder ran up her spine. “Rararagh!” She hissed, her tongue flicking from her mouth.  She quickly clamped her hoof over her mouth. Great heavens; she hadn’t meant to do that. Rarity stared at Pinkie with wide eyes. Had she noticed? Surely, she had to. To her surprise, Pinkie only laughed. “That was a funny noise! Rararagh!” Pinkie copied Rarity’s stance, letting out a mocking hiss. She continued her giggles, bouncing towards the oven.  Rarity admired her pink friend. Pinkie Pie was the perfect example of a pony. She was strong and fast with her hooves. Raity’s fur was matted with batter, while Pinkie’s was perfectly clean. Rarity was nothing but a changeling. A weak changeling, at that. “Here they are!” Pinkie exclaimed, showing Rarity both trays. Even without frosting, Pinkie’s cupcakes look magnificent. Rarity scrunched up her face at her cupcakes. They were charred black and not fully risen. They look inedible. Despite this, Pinkie stared at them like they were the most amazing things in the world. “Oooo, these look tasty!” Pinkie said in awe. Before Rarity could stop her, Pinkie popped one of the cupcakes in her mouth. “Mmm, these are super duper yummy! You should try one.” She shoved a cupcake towards Rarity. Rarity clamped her mouth shut, edging Pinkie’s hoof away. “No, no, I’m quite alright.” Rarity brushed off. Her eyes went to Pinkie’s cupcakes. “When you’re done decorating, may I have a few cupcakes? I think Sweetie Belle will absolutely adore them.” Pinkie Pie beamed. “Of course! Now let’s get frostin’!” Rarity groaned, thumping her head on the counter.