//------------------------------// // Cakes // Story: Cutie Mark Chronicles Redux // by ColtClassic //------------------------------// ...and there it was!” finished Sweetie Belle, showing off the trio of pink musical notes that formed her Cutie Mark. The table rattled as the gathered ponies stomped their hooves in applause‒ all except Pound, who gave an exaggerated yawn. This earned him a glare from his twin sister. “Pound, that was very rude!” “No offense, Sweetie Belle, but that story was way too girly.” “I thought it was sweet!” “That's because you're super girly too.” “So what?” “It makes me want to barf!” “You're so immature!” Pumpkin practically shrieked, swatting at her brother with her hooves. Sweetie chuckled as she gently pried the two foals apart with her magic. “So you want to hear a Cutie Mark story with a bit more excitement, huh, Pound?” “Um. Sure? I mean, if I'm gonna be listening to stories, I'd like if there were more, like, explosions and stuff.” “I don't know about explosions, but have you heard Scootaloo's Cutie Mark story? It's pretty thrilling, if you ask me.” Pound's ears perked up. “Hey, yeah! Scootaloo has, like, the coolest Cutie Mark ever! I bet that story is totally awesome!” Pinkie Pie had been absorbed in licking up the last bit of ice cream from the bottom of her shake, but at the mention of Scootaloo pried the glass from her snout. “Ooh! You know where I bet Scootaloo is? Sweet Apple Acres! Which is where I just remembered me and the twins were going before we stopped to say hi to you guys!” “I think I'm ready to head over,” said Sweetie Belle. “Let's go find Scootaloo! Cutie Mark Crusader storytellers, yay!” Before the other ponies could figure out what was happening, Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle and Pound Cake were galloping down the road, a cloud of dust rising in their wake. Rarity sighed as she wiped her face with a napkin. “The boundless energy of youth. And whatever mysterious force drives Pinkie Pie. I suppose we better follow them. Will, erm, will you be okay with the walk, Twilight?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “This thing's carried me halfway across Equestria, Rarity. I think I can handle the road to Sweet Apple Acres.” Pumpkin gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves as Twilight rounded the table. For the first time she got a good look at the unicorn, and could only now see that Twilight's right front leg was almost entirely missing. Not far down from her shoulder, the leg ended in a stub, which was strapped into a strange, long and thin metal device that bent as Twilight walked. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Pumpkin staring. “The rewards of Equestria's greatest hero,” Twilight said, smiling sadly as she shook the artificial leg gently. Pumpkin's face flushed. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to‒ it was rude of me to... how did it happen?” “It's alright, I'm used to the attention. And it's all part of Scootaloo's story, so we better hurry if we don't want to miss it.” The three unicorns began trotting briskly down the road, Pumpkin keeping easy pace between the two older ponies. It was a warm and bright late Spring day, and the sounds of Ponyville washed over them as they walked. Many ponies were just starting their lunch breaks, so the streets were filled with the rising sound of the cheerful voices of Ponyville residents walking by. It had been some time since she had last visited, so Twilight was eager to bask in the glow of the small town. But after a few minutes, she turned her attention back to the young unicorn walking beside her. “So, Pumpkin. I've noticed that you're rather, what's the word, precocious?” “Enough to know what that word means,” Pumpkin said, smiling and hold her head up proudly. “Mmhmm. I also noticed that you and your brother were rather, well, skeptical of the fact that Pinkie Pie was my friend.” “Oh. Well, you know. You're so famous, and awesome, and Pinkie Pie's so, well...” Pumpkin searched Twilight's face for agreement or recognition, but only got a look of puzzlement in return. “She's so goofy, Twilight. She tells stupid stories and cheesy jokes all the time, and throws random parties. It just seems strange that somepony as important as you would be friends with somepony like her.” “Pinkie Pie is important too, you know. Haven't you heard of the Elements of Harmony? She's one of them, you know.” “She is? Well, I mean, maybe the Elements screwed up. It's hard to picture Pinkie saving Equestria.” “I think you're being awfully hard on her.” “Well you don't have to live with her! I mean, when Pound and I were little, we thought Pinkie was hilarious, but the older we get, the more it feels like we're, I don't know, outgrowing her. Like she's the one who's still a foal.” There was a long, awkward silence, during which Twilight and Rarity shared a worried look and Pumpkin stared at her hooves. Eventually the two older ponies changed the topic of conversation, with Rarity filling Twilight in on the latest gossip of Ponyville, but Pumpkin didn't put much effort into paying attention. She thought hard about what she had just said. It wasn't anything she had said to anypony before, or even to herself, but she realized it had been growing in the back of her mind for a long time. The perpetually cheerful earth pony had been as much a part of her life as her brother and her parents for as long as she could remember, but lately she found herself being less amused and more annoyed with her old babysitter's antics. Why should that bother me, though?, she thought. Isn't that what growing up is all about? You change, you grow, you find out who you are, you get a silly picture on your butt to prove it. It felt strange enough to be walking down the street with Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies. She didn't know how to feel about arguing about Pinkie Pie with her. Her musings were interrupted when the three ponies crested the top of a hill and Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Pumpkin blinked, trying to make sense of how the farm could have transformed overnight into such a sea of color and activity. Ponies of every breed and color, many with distinctly apple-related Cutie Marks, bustled about the orchard and farm. Bright banners hung from the branches of the trees, and vibrant bouquets of flowers decorated fenceposts, walls and windows. On a hill in the meadow across from the farm a small stage had been erected, and a team of ponies was working to set up a large open air tent in the field below. Swarms of songbirds flew through the air or perched chattering on branches, practicing their music for the upcoming ceremony. Rarity gave the scene an approving smile, and Twilight couldn't help but laugh out loud. “Oh, wow. The Apples really went all out, didn't they?” “Well, it is a wedding, darling. The question is, how will we ever find the others in all this crowd?” Twilight squinted as she searched the grounds. “Isn't that them by the stage over there?” she asked, gesturing across the field with her good hoof. They indeed found Pinkie, Sweetie Belle and Pound seated the foot of the wooden platform, along with Apple Bloom, who was carefully tying garlands of flowers to the white archway framing the stage. She paused in her work to wave cheerily at the newcomers. “Twilight! Fancy seein' you round these parts.” “It's nice to see you too, Apple Bloom. We were just saying how amazing everything looks.” “Well thank you kindly. Ah wouldn't settle for anything less than the best for that brother of mine, lunkhead though he is.” “Hey girls!” Pinkie bounced and beamed, greeting them as if she hadn't just seen them minutes ago. “We were just talking to Apple Bloom about trying to find Scootaloo, but then we got sidetracked into talking about other things, including that trebuchet you wanted Pumpkin, and that was what we originally set out to find out about before we got sidetracked by Cutie Mark stories, so then I tried to set things back on track, but I also wanted to keep things on the track with the stories because those are super cool, and, um...” She stared at her hooves, which were frozen mid-gesture. “Wait, I think I'm confused.” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “Apple Bloom's gonna tell us her Cutie Mark story while we wait for Scootaloo to show up.” “Yeah, that!” However, Applebloom's attention had been diverted to the bottom of the hill. She winced even as she smiled, and announced in a loud stage whisper, “Look out, everypony. Incoming bride.” Fluttershy was a sight to behold as she galloped up the hillside, her wings flared out to either side. Her frantic expression and wild eyes were framed by her billowing white dress, the train of which was being carried by a small entourage of birds trying valiantly to keep the silk out of the dirt. She skidded to a halt at the top of the hill, her breath heaving as she fired off a rapid series of greetings. “Twilight oh my goodness it's so good to see you, I'm so glad you could make it, Pinkie, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Cake foals, thank you for coming out, RARITY YOU HAVE TO HELP ME IT'S A DISASTER.” “Fluttershy, darling, whatever is the matter?” “I'll tell you what's the matter! The wedding is in mere hours and we still need to set up the decorations-” “That's all nearly finished,” said Apple Bloom, gesturing to the field below. “-the catering is nowhere to be found-” “The cakes should be heading over in a bit!” chimed in Pinkie. “-I look absolutely hideous in my dress-” “Now that's just preposterous, dear. I designed the thing myself and it's some of my greatest work to date.” “-and any minute now Big Macintosh is going to realize that he's throwing his life away by marrying a worthless, helpless, spineless pony like myself and walk out on me, and he should do that, I would never blame, but when he does I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself!” Fluttershy's rant dissolved into wordless sobs as she flung herself to the ground, her hovering attendants fluttering to and fro frantically to protect her dress. The gathered ponies shared awkward glances before Pound spoke up. “We're hearing Cutie Mark stories. Got any good ones?” The bride-to-be's tears halted and she sprung back to her hooves. “Stories? I have a story! It's the story of how Fluttershy got so freaked out by her wedding, her head exploded!”