“Okay, wait, so we've got Pinkie working on the cake batter-”
“I'm finished with the batter, Mr. Cake!”
“And Autumn Mist told me that Maplehoof told her that she was at a sleepover with Sundrop and Sundrop had totally gotten her Cutie Mark!”
“No way!”
“-Pinkie's finished with the batter, good, so that can go in the oven when the fritters come out- sugarlump, did you pick up the crystallized honey to sprinkle on those?”
“No dear, you were supposed to buy that last night, weren't you?”
“Which means that well over fifty percent of our class has gotten their Cutie Marks before us!”
“I thought you were going to store this morning!”
“I've got the honey right here, Mr. Cake!”
“That's, um... a whole bunch of ponies!”
“Oh thank Celestia, Pinkie has the honey situation handled, dear! So that means we can start working on the sugared oat cakes, then the almond oat cakes, then the cranberry oatcakes, then the cranberry-almond oatcakes, oh goodness-”
“Which is why I'm proposing a comprehensive ten-step plan to ensure we have our Cutie Marks before school starts again. Phase one requires-”
“Woah, did you draw these blueprints yourself? These are awesome!”
“They're not blueprints, they're schematics.”
“Pumpkin, dear, we really need that counter space right now, if you could move all this to the living room-”
“Are you two talking about getting your Cutie Marks? Awesome! Hey, did I ever tell you the story of how I got my Cutie Mark?”
“Only a bazillion times, Pinkie.”
“The fritters are ready, dear!”
“Sweetie, I really need to you to clean all this up, we have a very busy day today-”
“Daddy, you're messing up my schematics!”
“Hey, neat schematics! But where were you planning on finding a trebuchet?”
“I was hoping you could help me with that, Pinkie. Do you know-”
“Fritters coming through!”
“Hey Dad, how did you get your Cutie Mark?”
“Now isn't a good time, son, your mother and I have a lot on our plates- honeybunch, look out!”
One of Pumpkin Cake's many blueprints had fallen to the linoleum floor, and Mrs. Cake's hoof slipped out from beneath her as she stepped on the smooth laminate. Mr. Cake had already rushed around the kitchen island and was able to catch his wife as she fell, but the tray of fritters she had been carrying on her back was sent hurling. All four members of the Cake family could only gape in horror as the gooey treats flew through the air, ready to rain messy destruction upon the entire kitchen.
A pink blur flashed over the countertop, and before any of the other ponies could so much as blink, Pinkie Pie had expertly caught the errant pastries in a large wooden bowl. The foals cheered and the Cakes sighed with relief as Pinkie set down the bowl with a giggle.
“You alright, Mrs. Cake? You almost landed on you keister there!”
“I'm fine, Pinkie. And thank you for saving the fritters. Honestly, I don't know what we'd do without you.” The matriarch of the small family turned her attention to the two foals perched atop stools behind the counter, who cringed beneath her gaze. “Pound. Pumpkin. You know your father and I have a lot of work to do today. I want you to clean up your... project, and move to the living room. Just stay out of the kitchen for awhile, alright, dearies?”
“Yes, Mom,” the two foals mumbled in unison. After Pumpkin and Pound had cleared away the numerous prints and left for the living room, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake began laying out the fritters once more to prepare them for decoration. The two set quickly to their task and Mr. Cake bustled about, continuing down his lengthy checklist. After a few moments, Mrs. Cake let out a sigh.
“I swear, those two get more rambunctious every day. They're at that age, I suppose.” She lowered her voice, leaning in slightly towards her assistant as they worked. “I have to admit, Pinkie, I worry about them sometimes. It can't be easy for them, growing up with earth pony parents. Carrot and I do our best, Celestia knows, but I can't help but wonder if there's things we just can't do for them. I'm sure Pound's told you that we signed him up for flight camp next summer, and just the other day Pumpkin came to me all in a tizzy about starting magic lessons. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can keep up with them.” She gave a chuckle as she absentmindedly touched up the glaze on the last in a row of fritters. “Listen to me ramble on. I'm sure they'll be fine. They just picked a bad day to be so decidedly underhoof.”
Pinkie giggled. “It's okay, Mrs. Cakes. I'm just happy that I'm able to help you guys out. As a matter of fact, why don't you let me take Pound and Pumpkin out to play? I'll help them on their Cutie Mark project and get them out of your manes for awhile.”
“I'm sorry, dear, but we need your help in here today. There's just so much to do for the wedding.”
“Actually,” said Mr. Cake, peering over his list with a look of slight shock, “I think we may be ahead of schedule for once. With Pinkie's help we've got the majority of the baked goods out of the ovens, and all that's left is to finish up the decorating and haul everything over to Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Really?” Mrs. Cakes took the parchment from her husband and looked it up and down, her brow furrowed with skepticism. When she turned back to Pinkie Pie, the pink mare was grinning widely and almost vibrating with excitement.
“Well... if you make sure to get them back in time to take a bath and put their nice clothes on...”
Pinkie Pie made it from the kitchen to the living room in a single bound. As she slid across the floor, Pumpkin's blueprints were sent flying again and began gently raining down on all three ponies.
“Hey kids, we get to go out and play! Oh boy, this is gonna be so much fun! It's been ages since I got to babysit you guys!”
“We aren't babies!” Pound yelled as he shook his head out from beneath a blueprint. “We don't need a babysitter!”
Pumpkin, however, was wasting no time in neatly rolling up her papers. “Excellent. The sooner we start my brilliant and foolproof plan, the better. Pinkie, do you know anypony who has a trebuchet we could borrow?”
“Hmm... nope! But I bet Apple Bloom would help you build one, and that's a filly that knows a thing or three about getting your Cutie Mark!”
“To Sweet Apple Acres it is, then. Come on, Pound, we've got Cutie Marks to earn!”
They made a procession out the front door of the bakery, Pumpkin leading the way with a determined smile and a confident trot, Pound following with an uncertain flutter of his wings, and Pinkie bringing up the rear with a joyful bounce. Mrs. Cake called after them as they left.
“Have fun dears! And really, Pinkie, thank you so much for all your help. It's good to know that the bakery will be in good hooves when we pass it on to you someday.”
Pinkie was halfway out the door, but turned to look back at the couple in the kitchen. “Me? Run Sugarcube Corner? Oh, wow, I can't believe you'd pick me!”
Mrs. Cake chuckled. “Honestly, Pinkie, who else would we choose?”
“It's just such an honor! Would you really-”
“Pinkie! Our Cutie Marks aren't going to earn themselves!”
“Righto! Sugarcube Corner, you're gonna have to wait! Right now, I have two foals who need my help earning their Cutie Marks!”
Pinkie Pie's giggles and the voices of the foals disappeared down the street, and soon the only sounds in the bakery was the clattering of dishes and the clink of utensils.
Ponyville was not a large town, and the walk from Sugarcube Corner at its center to Sweet Apple Acres at its outskirts was not a particularly long one. But as the trio made their way through the sunny village streets, Pinkie Pie stopped to say hello and chat with every pony she saw that she knew, and as she knew every pony in Ponyville, this resulted in numerous detours and delays. Pound seemed content to follow Pinkie around, a look of glazed boredom settling over his features, but his unicorn sister was growing increasingly agitated.
“Pinkie, the construction of a trebuchet is instrumental to phase one-”
“Howdy Cloudchaser! Great job on the weather today. I guess you chased all those clouds right away! Hee hee!”
“-and if Operation: Cutie Marks is to proceed on schedule-”
“Good morning Carrot Top! You coming to the wedding? I know! It's gonna be a blast!”
“-then I really must insist that-”
“Oh look, it's Rarity! And Sweetie Belle! And OHMYGOSHIT'STWILIGHTSPARKLE!”
The two foals turned their heads, startled by the older mare's outburst. Across the street was a small cafe, and seated at one of the outdoor tables were three unicorns, all waving at them. The two light-coated mares were familiar friends of Pinkie Pie's, but the purple pony seated beside them was a stranger. However, Pumpkin gave out a loud gasp when she registered Pinkie's words and realized who it was. Before she could say anything, though, Pinkie Pie was bounding across the street towards the trio, and Pumpkin rushed after her, a confused Pound following in their wake.
The twins reached the table just in time to witness Pinkie Pie almost bowling Twilight Sparkle over with a maneuver that was halfway between a hug and a tackle. Sweetie Belle gave the two foals a wave and a smile, but couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise in the high-pitched babble Pinkie was currently emitting.
“It's so good to see you Twilight oh my goodness I missed you so much how are you doing in Canterlot these days is teaching at Celestia's awesome school super awesome oh hey Pumpkin and Pound this is one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, Twilight Sparkle!”
“Um, hi.” Pound sat down nervously at the table, but Pumpkin had stopped in her tracks, and didn't seem capable of much besides staring at the purple unicorn.
Twilight chuckled as she gently disentangled herself from Pinkie Pie's hug. “Are these the Cake twins? Pound and Pumpkin, right? Gosh, you kids have grown so much!”
Rarity tsked as she magically righted the various glasses and plates Pinkie had upended upon crashing into Twilight. “Honestly, Pinkie, you act as if you didn't know she was coming. Did you really think Twilight was going to miss out on the wedding of one of her best friends?”
“Well, no, but I didn't think I would get to see her until the wedding itself, and that's whole HOURS away from now! Whoops, I guess I made a mess of brunch, didn't I? Don't worry, I'll get you guys a new one! Be back in a jiffy!”
She gave Twilight what looked to be another bone-crushing hug, then bounced into the interior of the coffee house. In the awkward silence that settled in her absence, Twilight turned back to Pumpkin, who was still frozen in her tracks.
“Um. Are you alright?”
“You're TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”
Pumpkin had finally found her voice, and she lost her normal composure as her cracking voice attracted the attention of a number of other restaurant patrons. Twilight glanced around nervously.
“Um. Yes?”
“You are. THE. TWILIGHT. SPARKLE.”
Sweetie Belle giggled as she attempted to salvage the remains of her milkshake. “It looks like you have a fan, Twilight.”
“A fan!?” Pumpkin stomped her tiny hooves on the table, her orange mane waving wildly as she bobbed her head in excitement. “You're my hero. No, you're... you're the greatest hero in Equestrian history! We learned all about you in school, remember, Pound?”
“Um. I might have been asleep that day.”
Pumpkin's breathing was getting heavier. “You defeated the demon Discord! You saved the Crystal Empire from the evil King Sombra! You found the Elements of Harmony and beat Nightmare Moon! You're a legend! You're inspirational! You're... you're...” She sputtered, her massive vocabulary for once failing her. “...you're AWESOME.”
Twilight was simultaneously blushing and trying not to laugh, while Rarity rolled her eyes and magically pushed a few disheveled hairs back into her mane.
“You make it all sound so glamorous,” said Rarity. “What I remember from those little 'adventures' was mostly trekking through some dreadful forest or ghastly cave to deal with some ugly brute with no manners and an even worse fashion sense.” She smiled across the table at her old friend. “Still, I have to say that the company was exceptional.”
Twilight returned the smile, then turned back to the young filly currently staring her down. “And if you really know all about me, then you know that I didn't do any of that on my own. My best friends were always with me, and without them I don't think there would have been a single moment of heroics. Including your babysitter Pinkie Pie! I'm sure she's told you all about it.”
The two foals exchanged incredulous glances. Pound scratched the back of his head, while Pumpkin merely raised her eyebrows skeptically.
“Pinkie?” Pound said, “We're talking about the same Pinkie Pie here, right? The kind of crazy pony who can't pay attention to anything for more than five seconds? She's a hero?”
Twilight was sporting a growing look of confusion. “Of course. Hasn't she told about all that? I'm not surprised you two don't remember me‒ you were still really young when I moved back to Canterlot‒ but I would have thought Pinkie would have told you some of the stories from those days.”
Pound was shaking his head, but Pumpkin's eyes lit up in realization. “Wait! I remember one story. She used to tell it to us when we were little, about her friends and her going into the Everfree Forest to fight someone she called 'Black Snooty'! That was Nightmare Moon, wasn't it?”
Pounds eyes grew wide. “You mean that really happened? We thought she was just making it up!”
A confident smile had returned to Twilight's face. “I can assure you that every word of it is true.”
“Even the part about the space aliens?”
“Er. Well, she may have embellished it a bit. But Pinkie was by my side when we beat Nightmare Moon. And Discord, and the changelings, and... well, the whole time, really.”
Any protests or queries on the twins' parts were interrupted by Pinkie Pie returning to the table with a tray of identical tall glasses filled with a chocolate-colored, whipped cream topped concoction. “So when I got in there, I realized that I didn't know what everypony had been drinking before ol' Hurricane Pinkie here upset everything, so I thought, 'Well, nopony doesn't like Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes!', so you know what I went and did?”
Rarity levitated one of the glasses towards her with a skeptical look on her face. “I'm guessing you got us all Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes.”
“I got you all Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes!” Pinkie exclaimed triumphantly as Twilight passed two of the drinks to the foals, who accepted them cautiously. Everypony set into the sugary drinks, except for Rarity, who stirred her straw with concern.
“Pinkie, how many calories are in this thing?”
“But that's not the only thought I had!” Pinkie barreled on. “I was thinking about how Pound and Pumpkin here were all crazy about their Cutie Marks, and I was like, who does that remind me of? Duh! Sweetie Belle, you and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had that club back in the day, remember? The Cutie Mark Crusaders! I'll bet you know more than anypony about getting Cutie Marks!”
All heads had turned toward Sweetie Belle, who giggled and ran a hoof along the table. “Oh, I don't know about that. Looking back, I think that club was just about having fun with my friends. When I finally did get my Cutie Mark, it sort of came by surprise, you know?”
“Actually,” said Twilight, “I don't think I ever heard the whole story. I got bits and pieces from Rarity later, but what actually happened that day?”
“Oh, it was the strangest thing,” began Rarity, but she was interrupted by a loud gasp from Pinkie Pie.
“That's another great idea! We can all tell the stories of how we got our Cutie Marks! Pound, Pumpkin, did I ever tell you the story of how I got my Cutie Mark?”
“Like a trillion times, Pinkie!” Pound responded, rolling his eyes. “Rock farm, rainbow explosion, random party, blah blah blah.”
Pumpkin spoke up, seeming to regain her usually control. “Wait, I think it would be quite illuminating to hear Sweetie Belle's story. Learning from others' experiences is an important element of the scientific method.”
The other ponies only blinked awkwardly at this, but Sweetie Belle broke the silence. “So... I should tell my story?”
“Yeah!” cried out Pinkie Pie over the murmur of agreement.
“All right. Well, there was this great big storm, you see...”