//------------------------------// // Twiley and Two Cakes // Story: Friendship is Shining: Twiley's Return // by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof //------------------------------// "Here we are," Pinkie said as she stopped. Twilight's eyes went wide as she stared at the building. It looked like a giant gingerbread house with a cupcake stuck on top of it. The edging on the roof looked like white icing, and the columns on the side of the door looked like giant peppermint sticks. Twilight licked her lips as she continued to look at it. "I know what you're thinking," Pinkie Pie said. "No, you can't actually eat Sugarcube Corner. It's not actually made of gingerbread. You can still lick it, but it just taste like normal wall." Twilight sagged as her mind went through what she was just told. First there was disappointed. She was hoping she could take a bite, or maybe a lick. Next came relief. If Pinkie Pie knew what Twilight was thinking, then that meant that other ponies had thought the same thing. Maybe even tried. That lead to another thought that made Twilight look at Pinkie Pie again. "Why have you licked walls?" the filly asked. "Well, let's see..." Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin, thinking a moment. "I licked the wall when I first arrived, hoping it tasted like gingerbread but it didn't. I licked another time when somepony asked if it did and to demonstrate that it didn't. One cake thrown by a frowny foal, three food fights, four frosting frustration, and one time when I tried a new recipe and the cake exploded. So... a lot?" She gave a shrug. "Come on. I'll show you around and introduce you." Twilight considered asking how a cake exploded, but decided not to. A bell rang as the door was opened. Twilight followed Pinkie inside and started looking around. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner," a voice called out. Behind a counter stood a pale blue mare with a mane that was two shades of pink and looked like frosting. She gave a gentle smile as she caught sight of the young filly. "Hi, Mrs. Cake," Pinkie said as she popped up beside the other mare. "Twilight, this is one of my bosses, Mrs. Cake. Mrs. Cake, this is Shining Armor's little sister, Twilight." "Hello Mrs. Cake," Twilight said as she walked up to the counter. "Nice to meet you Twilight," Mrs. Cake responded. "Are you here visiting your brother?" "Sort of. My parents are talking to him. I'm hoping they'll let me stay the rest of the summer." She smiled up at the two mares. Her gaze then started to move lower, looking at the display case full of baked goods. Twilight saw cakes, cupcakes and muffins. She saw what looked like mini pies as well as full sized. There were cookies and brownies. There was also something she did not recognize. "What's that?" She pointed at the treat. It was the size and shape of a brownie, but was bright yellow instead of chocolate brown. There was also something white on top of it. "Are they good?" the filly asked. "How much are they? I have a couple bits left over from my allowance." "Tell you what," Pinkie said. "You help me make some later, and you can try the first from your very own batch." "Okay." The sound of hooves on steps started echoing through the shop. Twilight turned to look at the staircase, and watched. Down the stairs came a creamy looking pegasus colt with a chocolate colored mane and tail. He stopped as he noticed the filly staring at him. "Uhm... Hello?" he said, getting a gasp as the purple filly seemed to suddenly be standing in front of him. "A pegaus!" Twilight squealed, "That's near my age. Wow. I'm Twilight Sparkle." "My name's Pound-" before he got the rest of his name out, Twilight was no longer right in front of him. "No cutie mark," the filly noted. She then took a hold of a wing and unfurled it. "Wow. Those look great. Are you able to fly yet?" "Sort of," Pound replied. "I can hover and glide, but actually taking-" "What are you doing to my brother?" another voice asked. Coming through a doorway was a yellow unicorn with an orange mane and tail. Standing behind her was a tall and thin earth stallion with similar colors. "Sorry," Twilight said as she let the wing go. "I've just never seen a pegasus my age before." "Really?" Pound looked at her curiously. "Where you are from?" "Canterlot. All the ponies there my age seem to be unicorns." "Does the mean you never met an earth pony before Ponyville either?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Not my age," Twilight answered. "Apple Bloom is the first one I've met." The filly shifted. "Wait. Did you say brother?" "Yeah?" the yellow filly said, tilting her head. "And that's your dad," Twilight pointed at the yellow stallion behind the filly, "is your dad, Mr. Cake, right?" The orange filly turned to look at her dad. "Yeah, but I don't-" she let out a noise of surprise as Twilight was suddenly in front of her. Twilight reached up to grab the other filly's head, looking at it. "I thought you'd be used to ponies popping up, Pumpkin," Pinkie said with a giggle. "So both your parents are earth ponies," Twilight said as she looked at the horn, "but you're a unicorn and your brother is a pegasus." "So?" Pumpkin growled, pulling away. "So!" Twilight hopped and down excitedly. "This is incredible. I've read stories about two ponies having a foal that was neither of their type, but I've never seen it before in real life. This needs to be studied. Can you use magic yet? Do you have some sort of talent with plants?" "You're weird." "Pumpkin Cake!" Mrs. Cake scolded. "But mom, she is." "Twilight is just excited and curious. This is all very new to her. There's no need to be rude to her. Now apologize." "But-" Whatever Pumpkin was going to say next stopped in her throat when she saw that look on her mother's face. The yellow unicorn let out a sigh and turned to face Twilight. "Sorry I called you 'weird.'" "Sorry for making you upset," Twilight replied. "It's just that everything in Ponyville is so different from Canterlot. Everything seems nice and friendly, and there is so much neat stuff to see." "Well... I guess I can understand that." "So," Pinkie Pie said as she popped up between the two fillies. "Are you two ready to start baking?" "Yeah!" the pair shouted in unison. Twilight then turned toward Pound Cake. "Are you going to join us?" "Maybe another time," the young colt answered. "I'm supposed to help dad with some of the deliveries then pick up some stuff for Fluttershy." "Okay," Twilight said, giving a wave. She watched as Mr. Cake joined Pound and the two of them headed out of Sugarcube Corner. Once the door was shut, she then followed Pumpkin into the kitchen. Pinkie let out a giggle. The noise drew Mrs. Cake's attention. "Is there something funny, Pinkie?" She asked. From what she had observed, Pinkie was one to be easily amused. Sometimes, it was difficult to figure out whether something happened, or the pink pony was just laughing at something in her own head. "Not really," Pinkie replied, "buuuut.... I think Twilight might have a little, itty-bitty, teensy-weensy filly crush." She then bounced into the back. Mrs. Cake watched the three in the kitchen a moment. She then turned and looked at the door her husband and son had gone again. Her mind started to work on the idea of Twilight having a crush on Pound. Before she could get very far in the thought, the bell rang, bringing her back to the present. Smiling, she greeted the customer and resumed working.