//------------------------------// // 57 Cupcakes by Kean // Story: Full Moon Fever: A MoonLight Prompt Collab // by TheLastBrunnenG //------------------------------// Cupcakes by Kean Cupcakes is the continuation (sequel?) of Greed, both of which are prequels to Provocation. “Perhaps I could have the eastern wing?” “I already said that you can’t have a wing.” Honestly, I didn’t know if she was being serious, if she was showing me that she would accept being denied something she wanted without a problem, or if she was playing with me. “You can have a room.” She tilted her head to the side and her ear twitched as if she were listening to someone whisper into it. “Two rooms,” Nightmare said with a grin. Yeah, she was playing with me. “You can have a broom closet.” Two can play at this game. She frowned for a moment, but with another twitch of her ear, her smile returned. “Very well then, a single room is acceptable.” Too easy. I wasn’t sure why she’d need a room here, but if giving her one got her to stop attempting to acquire parts of my castle, then I was happy to oblige. “I shall allow you to return to your duties then,” She said while looking around the throne room with a smirk. Probably at knowing she scared away the few ponies that were here before she arrived. “I think I will search for the proper room in the…“ She trailed off and looked toward the throne room door, ears twitching. “Do you hear that? “I don’t hear anything, Nightmare,” I said after a moment. “If you’re trying to distract me for another one of your games I-“ “Hush,” She whispered, her eyes still locked on the door. “Something is coming.” I listened for a few moments longer. Hearing nothing again, I opened my mouth to speak, only to hear a clack of hooves on crystal. It wasn’t the normal sound of somepony walking; it was as if all four hooves were landing at the same time followed by a pause that got shorter each time, as if whoever it was was speeding up. It took me a second to realize what it was. Oh no… Nightmare turned to look at me then. Either she had heard me gasp, or she had seen the flash of magic when I summoned a shield around myself. “Twilight, what-“ “I’ll explain in a minute. Just, ah, it would be better if you ducked.” ”What is going on? Why-“ That’s as far as she got before the doors swung open with a resounding boom as they met the walls and admitted a pink blur, which just missed plowing into Nightmare. I wasn’t surprised when it shot right for me. I wasn’t surprised when it impacted against my shield, revealing the pony it truly was. I wasn’t surprised to see that Pinkie’s blue eyes were wide or that she sported a face-splitting grin. These were, of course, normal when dealing with her. I was surprised to feel something bump against my hooves. Before I could look to see what it was, she had her forehooves around my neck in a hug. This would, again, be normal when Pinkie was involved. Except for the fact that the shield I had surrounded myself with was solid and made to be non-pliable. But I decided to let that slide – better for my health that way – and it seemed the shield finally realized its mistake, reformed into a bubble around me, and rejected her, throwing her to the ceiling. I looked up to make sure she wouldn’t be hurt. I didn’t waste any thought process on what I saw. She was splayed out, back against the ceiling, all four legs spread and tail straight. An expected position, considering she had been ejected backwards. But she wasn’t coming down; she wasn’t even holding on to anything. It was like she was just stuck and looking down at me expectantly. But I ignored that. I did not clear room in my schedule to weep for the laws of physics and I certainly didn’t come up with fifteen different reasons why what she was doing was just wrong . Nope. Because that would be silly. Turning my attention away from her, I looked down at what she left at my hooves. Somehow, she had managed to get a baking tray with two large cupcakes through my shield – a shield which had stopped me from becoming one with a mountain. One of the cupcakes had my name on it, the other Nightmare’s. They had been baked to be shaped like hearts and in-between them lay a plus symbol. Subtle, Pinkie was not. I dropped my shield and looked to Nightmare, who was staring up at Pinkie with her confusion evident on her face. Pinkie was still lying on the ceiling, looking at me expectantly. “So did you finally tell her ab-“ I cut her off. “No, I was going to before you showed up.” If she cared that I cut her off, she didn’t show it. “Oh! But I had an achy shoulder and a twitchy wrist! If you didn’t- “ She gasped. “Then she-“ “Yes, a few minutes ago,” I interrupted again with a smile. “So that means-“ Gravity took its sweet time realizing something was wrong, but it eventually caught up to Pinkie and pulled her back down from the ceiling. It didn’t last long, though. She arrested her momentum inches from the ground and landed softly on all fours next to Nightmare, whose mouth was moving in attempt to form a question, yet it seemed no words would come. “Yes, Pinkie, she feels the same way.” I didn’t mean to be rude by interrupting her, but I knew what would happen if I allowed Pinkie’s proverbial ball to start rolling. She didn’t seem bothered by it, thankfully, but she was now staring at me, a grin still splitting her muzzle and she was, for lack of a better word, vibrating. She seemed to be asking me a question with only her eyes. I don’t want to say that Pinkie is predictable, but… “Yes, Pinkie, we’ll be there. Sugarcube Corner? In an hour?” She really is, sometimes. With a cheer, she flung herself at Nightmare, wrapped her forehooves around the alicorn’s neck, and used her as a pivot in order to launch herself back out the throne room doors, which closed in her wake. The doors slamming shut seemed to knock Nightmare out of her thoughts. She looked at the doors, and then turned to me. “What, ah, what just happened?” “Pinkie Pie.” I’m sure those two words did nothing to assuage her confusion, but she would have to come to understand that they were the only two words needed. She seemed ready to question it, but shut her mouth before saying anything. She looked between the cupcakes and me for a moment before she at on her haunches. She smiled and asked, “’Finally tell me about’ what?” “Ah-ha, about that, umm…“ I tried to smile, but even without a mirror I know it was sheepish. I levitated her cupcake to her, using that to buy some time. I heard her mutter ‘Moonie?’ as she read the name Pinkie had written on it. “I, ah, may have known I had a crush on you for a while now. Pinkie figured it out, and made me admit it, if only to myself. And she had to keep it to herself, which is why she was like… that. This time, anyway.” “Oh? And how long ago was this?” “After the fifth night we talked.” I winced when I saw her eyes widen. “That was almost a year ago,” She almost whispered. “And then I…” She trailed off before shaking her head and chuckling. “I am a fool.” “Then I’m a fool, too. When you, ah, disappeared and didn't answer any letter I’d sent you, I thought that it was because I offended you in some way, even though Luna assured me otherwise. I should have-“ She moved and cut me off with a nuzzle, which I happily leaned into. “I’m sorry, I should have told you instead of always leaving it for ‘next time’,” I said with a sigh. “No, Twilight, it is I who should be sorry, for running and hiding like a foal.” I smiled and leaned into her. We stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. Of course, all good things must come to an end. “We should get going to Pinkie’s,” I said, pulling myself away. She draped a wing over my back and pulled me close as we began walking. “So… ‘Moonie’, huh?” I asked with a grin as we stepped past her cupcake. With a thought I sent both to the kitchens. “I like it.”