//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Mrs. Cake // Story: She Wants To Know What Love Is // by Elric of Melnipony //------------------------------// Given the scope of the gathering Wintergreen had planned, she knew that at least one part of the preparations would exceed the capabilities of her staff. There was nothing for it; for her plan to work, she would have to resort to catering. It's not that she objected on general principle; she had specific concerns. Bringing in cooks and supplies from Canterlot would have been ruinously expensive even with her personal fortune, and she was less certain of what the locals could do. She knew the baker was talented, but she had to hope he had regained his dignity and would not throw himself at her again. Best to visit him first and get it over with, then. With any luck, Lady Wintergreen would only have to speak to his wife. Twist and her guide Twilight left the boutique. Their next destination would have been described as “the sweetest place in Ponyville” if there had ever been any need to advertise. Sugarcube Corner did fine business based on repeat customers and word-of-mouth; newcomers and visitors to town were drawn by both the building's resemblance to a gingerbread house and the wonderful smells that came from within. The pink earth pony mare behind the counter wasted no time in greeting her visitors. “Hi, Twist! We made good use of all that peppermint candy, and the Cakes are ready to buy more as soon as you feel like making a batch that size again. Hi, Twilight! I hope you're here to try my new invention! What I did was I made a lot of little miniature pies and I just kind of smooshed 'em all together in a regular-sized pie crust. I made sure to keep all the little pies as separate as I could so that they don't just all mix together into one weird flavor, and you can get as many as four or five flavors in a single slice! I was going to call it pie pie, but Mrs. Cake reminded me that lots of new recipes get named after the pony who created them, so we're going to sell it as Pie pie pie! Mr. Cake said maybe I should call it 'pie cubed', but that doesn't make sense because it's not a cube at all, it's closer to a cylinder. Or if you want to get technical (and I know you do, Twilight) it's actually a conic section because the outer surface has a slope and the radius changes according to --” “Pinkie!” “Yes?” “I'll be happy to try some. Is Mrs. Cake here? We were hoping she might have a moment to talk to Twist.” “She was with the twins the last I saw her, but I can see if she's free, or maybe babysit for a few minutes so she can come up front. Before I go, is it true what I've heard about you branching out, Twist?” “I've been experimenting with thpear... spearmint. I really like the results.” “Sounds yummy! Let me go check on Mrs. Cake, and I'll make sure that both of you get to try a slice of Pie pie pie before you leave.” Pinkie Pie disappeared into the back, and Twilight's eyes went out of focus for a moment as she wondered about her friend's familiarity with three-dimensional geometry; normally nopony talked about that sort of thing but Twilight herself! She didn't have long to think about it, though, because she distracted by the arrival of another earth pony mare. Mrs. Cake had a blue coat, and in contrast to Pinkie's frizzy explosion of a mane, hers looked more like soft-serve ice cream. “Hello, Twilight! Hello, Twist! Since the two of you are here together, I know it's not about business. But like I'm sure Pinkie told you, Twist, we'll be happy to buy another batch of candy any time you're ready.” Twist was pleased. “I can have thome done before the weekend is over!” Mrs. Cake led her visitors to a nearby table; there were no customers in the bakery right then, so they were able to sit down with no trouble. “Now, Twilight let me know what's on your mind, and I've been giving some thought to what I can tell you. The first thing to keep in mind is that Mr. Cake and I have been together a long, long time. Some of what was true for us may not apply to young ponies dating these days. Other things I could tell you may not make sense until you're married yourself. There's one lesson that never changes, though.” Twilight was intrigued, but she kept quiet and let Twist ask the obvious question: “What's that?” Mrs. Cake paused long enough to make eye contact with Twist before giving her answer. “Communication. It's absolutely necessary. Always listen to each other. Sometimes you might have to draw him out, because stallions aren't always good at expressing their feelings. Also, be as clear as you can when you want to tell him something: don't assume, don't play games, don't expect him to read your mind. I love Carrot, but he's not always good at knowing what I mean if I don't come right out and say it. Even the smartest stallions have trouble reading mares.” Twilight spoke up. “Sometimes the smartest stallions are the worst at understanding mares. According to several books that I've read, anyway.” Mrs. Cake nodded. “Exactly. Say what needs to be said, and encourage him to do the same. My husband and I communicate, and we've had many happy years together.” As she spoke, a door opened behind the counter; Mr. Cake had coincidentally left the back of the store in time to hear her last sentence. He trotted over without a word, kissed his wife on the cheek, and headed upstairs. “See what I mean?” The Pie pie pie was delicious, and Twist was especially happy to find peppermint flavor making up part of her slice. Twist and Twilight left Sugarcube Corner, and Twist mentioned that despite the tasty dessert she had just eaten, it might be a good idea to get home in time for dinner. Twilight understood, and told her that she hadn't planned any other visits for the day. The mare received a hug of thanks from the filly, and they went their separate ways.