//------------------------------// // Baking With Pinkie // Story: One Stubborn Mare // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// Sunset stifled a yawn as she trotted down the road of the town with her coffee held in her magic, occasionally taking long sips from the cup. Sunset had been going the last three days with little sleep, opting to focus on getting everything she needed done in time along with honoring her promises to help her friends and the town as well as spent time with Derpy. She still had to visit Screw Loose tomorrow afternoon with Shoeshine and Carrot Top. “Pinkie?” Sunset called out as she entered Sugarcube Corner, her cyan eyes scanning the bakery. “Are you here? I can come back later if needed?” “Hi!” “Gaah!” Sunset screamed and failed backwards as Pinkie hung from the ceiling upside down before dropping onto her hooves. “What the hay, Pinkie? Don’t ever scare me like that again!” “Sorry. Here to start baking bestie?” Pinkie asked eagerly as she pressed her forehead against Sunset’s. “Yes hence me being here. Got anymore coffee?” Sunset asked as she levitated a mop and bucket to clean up the coffee she had thrown when Pinkie startled her. “Yepperoni!” Sunset rolled her eyes and smiled faintly as she levitated a wet floor sign over where she had mopped, pushing the mop bucket back to it’s spot in the corner. “So what are we baking today?” Sunset asked as she joined Pinkie in the kitchen and took a slow sip from her new coffee. “Muffins! Everypony loves a good muffin!” Pinkie proclaimed as she started pulling out bowls, flour and other various baking items. “And besides, I’m bored and we’ve practically gone through my entire book!” “Pinkie, you have damn near ninety baking books,” Sunset pointed out flatly as she yawned again. “I know! We’ve only done one book though and have eighty nine more to go!” Pinkie answered as she smirked. “You need a nap, you look exhausted Sunny.” “I’ll be fine. I’m used to this. So what’s first Pinkie?” Sunset smirked back as she rested her hooves on the table. “And yes, I’ve washed my hooves before I got here so don’t worry.” “Good. Three cups of flower,” Pinkie instructed as Sunset levitated the cup into the bag before dumping it in the bowl. “Alright perfect. Uh baking soda it says.” Sunset paused and gave her a confused look, tilting her head before shrugging. “Kinda weird to put pop in muffins but she’s the expert,” Sunset muttered to herself as she levitated a glass bottle over and yanked the top off, pouring it in the bowl and tossing the bottle into the trash as she stirred. “Blueberries!” Sunset chuckled dryly as she dumped a container of blueberries in before popping one in her mouth. Blueberries were easily one of her favorite fruits in general up there with strawberries. “Chocolate chips!” Pinkie said as she poured an entire bag in and Sunset choked on her blueberry. “Wow that’s a lot of chocolate chips Pinkie. What else do you want in there?” “Recipe calls for wheatgerm,” Pinkie said as she turned away to read the bag as Sunset stared. “Uh okay?” Sunset said as she trotted outside. “Who in Equestria is feeding the muffins to that they want freaking worms inside it?” Sunset scuffed the dirt with her hooves as she gagged at the worms wiggling out of the ground as she levitated them in the air and ignored the weird looks she received. “I’m really sorry about this,” Sunset told the worms as she threw them in bowl and stirred them in. “I bet it looks great!” Pinkie said as she continued reading. Sunset turned green as she looked at the concoction she had created and gagged into a hoof. “If you say so.” “And while the muffins are cooking, I made us banana bread earlier! It’s your favorite after all!” Daisy groaned as she laid on the hospital bed next to a half eaten muffin. A dozen other ponies including some of the weather team like Dizzy Twister, Parasol and Derpy laid in beds around her groaning. “Ughhh,” Bon Bon moaned as she rolled onto her side, Sea Swirl and Flitter sharing her sentiment. “What happened?” Roseluck asked as she and Lily stood next to Daisy bent over a bucket. “Baked goods,” Redheart said simply as she trotted past with a sick looking colt. “Baked bads!” Pinkie called out from a bed in the corner. “Not baked goods!” “Bleugh!” Daisy vomited into the bucket as Lily scrunched up her muzzle in disgust and looked away, patting her on the back as Roseluck gagged. “Who in Equestria did Pinkie have help her?” Lily asked as she glanced over at Sassaflash washing some vomit out of Sea Swirl’s mane gently. “No idea,” Tenderheart said as the blue earth pony looked up from her desk. “Maybe Sunset knows? She knows everything that goes on in the town.” “Oh we will talk,” Roseluck said as she narrowed her eyes. “I’ll be back girls. Feel better Daisy. Trixie is going go to pick up Dinky from school for Derpy.” Daisy vomited again as Lily sat next to her and Roseluck galloped away. Roseluck trotted into Sunset’s office, idly noting Silverspeed wasn’t there to greet her. Shoeshine had mentioned that the pegasus was spending more time helping her with her work after Sunset gave her permission to leave. Roseluck stared at Sunset slumped over her desk snoring loudly with a large stack of papers next to her as Roseluck cleared her throat. “Sunset?” Sunset snorted in her sleep as she smiled, wrapping her forelegs around the book under her head and nuzzled it as Roseluck resisted the urge to aw. Roseluck trotted around the desk and gently shook Sunset with a smirk. “Hmm Roseluck?” Sunset muttered as she opened her eyes. “What’s can I do for you? Wait, what day is it?” “Thursday Sunny. I know you were there baking with Pinkie this afternoon. Daisy and half of the town is currently at Ponyville General sick from eating some baked goods. What in Equestria happened?” Roseluck asked as she wrapped a foreleg around Sunset’s shoulder. “She fed those to ponies?” Sunset demanded as her eyes widened. “She had me put worms and other gross shit in there! I was just following what she said.” “Are you sure maybe you didn’t mishear her?” Roseluck asked curiously. “I saw you this morning and I had to repeat a few words.” “Maybe?” Sunset offered weakly as Roseluck hugged her properly. “I didn’t mean to get anypony sick. Honest.” “I know,” Roseluck said as Sunset hugged her back. “Maybe take a day off?” “Can’t. I’m busy,” Sunset answered as she stifled a yawn. “My work comes first before myself, you know that.” “And it matters if you do it wrong,” Roseluck retorted. “Your career would be over and we both know that. We all respect how hard you work and how much you do for us. And the town so please sleep.” Roseluck waited for a reply as Sunset snored and Roseluck groaned. “That was a damn good speech,” Roseluck sighed as she let go of the sleeping unicorn mare and moved to lift Sunset on her back, grunting as she took a step. “Wish she was awake to hear it. Let’s get you to bed.” Roseluck smiled slightly as Sunset shoved her face into her mane and snored before trotting to the bedroom. “You really need to slow down,” Roseluck muttered as she shoved Sunset onto her bed. “I could use a nap myself.” With a shrug, Roseluck fell onto the bed and flung a foreleg over Sunset. Roseluck yawned as she closed her eyes. “Goodnight.” Roseluck yawned again and fell asleep next to her friend.