Equestria was such a wonderful place to travel in, as long as one stayed clear of the Everfree. Meadows and forests covered most of the land, filled with pretty and frankly delicious flowers. A peaceful land, where one need not worry about being robbed or attacked. Enough time to just take in one's surroundings.
All the same, it did sometimes get boring and having a little company never hurt. Usually she crossed paths with traders and other such elements. That day, however, was peaceful. Her only company were never-ending trees and a light breeze. A state of affairs that would not last for much longer.
Not too far, an important crossing stood and she needed to start thinking about where her next destination lay. Perhaps a quick hop to Trottingham? Her thoughts were interrupted by an excited, strangely familiar squeal. Her ears perked up, trying to better hear the other travellers:
"Oh, Celestia, this is going to be amazing!"
There was little doubt in her mind who the voice belonged to. Even less when it came to the second one:
"Calm down, Pinkie. We still have at least a day of travel ahead of us."
"I know, that just makes it even more unbearable!"
With a smile, the showpony accelerated towards the clearing. Sure enough, two ponies made their way along the road. A royal princess, complete with a fashionable silver tiara, and what amounted to the physical manifestation of energy, wrapped up in eye-pleasing pink, hopping next to her while also towing a cart. She called out to them:
"Well, well, who do we ha-urk!?"
Where Twilight shot her a smile, Pinkie somehow managed to lose the cart and propel herself like a bullet into a bone-crunching hug:
"Oh my gosh, Trixie!"
"C-can't... breathe."
"Oh, sorry," the iron grip was loosened and the magician gasped for air, "I was just so super-excited to see you!"
The alicorn came closer and after a few more blessed breaths, it was Trixie who became the hug initiator:
"Good to see you, too, Trix."
With the faintest blush, she withdrew and swiftly commented:
"What brings you two here?"
"We are on our own way to Sugarville for the annual..."
"Pastry Appreciation Day," Pinkie pushed herself between the two, "and it's not just annual! It's the fifth-hundredth one! Five, zero, zero! The big, important number!"
"Which is why I'm tagging along. Seems only proper to have a short speech on the spot for the occasion."
"Sounds splendid," she chuckled, "I haven't been there in a while. Mind if I join you for some company?"
Pinkie went into overdrive, performing three somersaults, all the while shooting confetti into the air. As soon as she landed, she launched into another crushing hug:
"Of course! The more, the funner!"
"Ugh, right."
"And so I have seven different types of frosting, on four different designs of cupcake. I'm sure everyone will love them, save for the few lingering doubts at the back of my mind, ready to surface at any moment and shatter my confidence like a flimsy window. Made of cakes."
"Riiight."
Trixie was never quite sure how to respond to the pink mare. Her words seemed to oscillate between over-enthusiasm and deep existential philosophy without reason, though her mood never seemed to change. Always cheerful, always smiling, always hopping along. There was something endearing about her, as if her personality was dangerously infectious. She couldn't help but smile with her.
The day had gone by swifter than Pinkie's dialogue. The moon shone brightly above, almost full, but not quite. Twilight spoke:
"We should find a spot where we can spend the night."
"There's a little clearing not too far from here. We can camp there."
"Leave it to the traveller to know these things."
"Yeah, your memory is super-duper-luper."
"You two give me too much credit."
The camp did not amount to much more than a campfire and some bedrolls, but that was fine by her. She was used to worse and having a few friends nearby was nice for a change. Pinkie had used some of her excess energy to create a small twig house around her bedroll, complete with a leafy roof. Twilight and Trixie set up the fire and its pleasant warmth spread defiantly against the night.
"This is totally great! Like a nature party," she removed a few twigs from her little shed, creating windows. Somehow, the structure still stood, despite the existence of gravity, "except we're making it as unnatural as possible."
"Okay, we need to figure out who keeps watch."
Pinkie waved her hoof in the air like a mane-iac:
"Ooooh, ooh, me! I'm so responsible and so not even sleepy I could..."
Like a critical systems failure, she suddenly collapsed onto her bedroll, snoring slightly and mumbling about cupcakes. The two magical ponies shared a look, followed by a short giggle. Twilight commented:
"She can take last shift, I think. Would you mind taking the first? I'm not really used to travelling such long distances."
The showpony smiled:
"Sure, go ahead. Me and the moon are friends."
She loved moments like that one, when she could just close her eyes and let her other senses roam free. To hear the breeze rustling the leaves of surrounding trees, the movement all around in the grass, the calm, peaceful breathing of her companions. To smell the evening air mixed with lavender shampoo and a cartload of cupcakes.
And then there was the magic. Where usually it was barely even noticeable, a slight ambient infusion that made her horn tingle, that night it was an almost overwhelming sensation. She shot a brief look to the culprit. Twilight slept with a blissful smile, her wings twitching now and again outside of the bedroll. Trixie walked closer and hesitated for a moment. It almost felt like a crime, interrupting such slumber, but she had already caught herself almost dozing off.
She rubbed the princess' cheek as gently as she could. Slowly, two purple gems once again gazed at the real world. Twilight rose with a yawn:
"My turn?"
"Yes."
"Have a good sleep, Trix."
"Thanks, Twi."
The magician lied down, making sure her clothes were neatly folded and secure, then drifted into the land of dreams.
Her best friend hopped excitedly next to her, muttering something at a pace too rapid to follow. From the mess of sign language sent her way, Trixie eventually deduced the fuss was about the poster attached to the wall.
A silhouette of a unicorn mare, her horn shooting stars into the night sky, dominated the poster. Golden letters literally shone along the top and she read them out loud:
"Celestia's Contest for Gifted Duelists?"
"Uhuh!" the dark green filly was still too preoccupied with hopping to form a more coherent response.
Trixie skimmed over some of the much smaller letters near the bottom. Consent of parent or ward required, non-lethal magic only, no forbidden artefacts, bla bla, yada yada. She gasped once she spotted what the grand prize was. Payment of all tuition fees for the remainder of studies. Her mind wandered, imagining how much that could help out her grandparents, before she snapped back to reality with a sigh. Nova stopped hopping, her excited face turned to a frown:
"What's wrong?"
"I don't think it's for me. I've never been good at attack magic."
"Hey," she received a hug, "I'd say you're at least equal with the ponies in our grade, and that is our category."
"And then there's you."
Strike giggled:
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think I was one of the favourites, that's true. But hey, it'll be fun! We can meet loads of ponies from all the other classes. And if someone acts like a jerk, you can then beat him with magic," she suddenly put on a teasing smirk, "and besides, I could always use a cheerleader."
"You'd wish. But okay, I'll join. You make it sound fun."
"Awesome! Come on, the sign-ups are this way!"
Their run turned into a little friendly race through the hallways. After all, what was so wrong about a little competition?
Her slumber was interrupted by the Apocalypse. At least, the scream was suitably deafening to qualify. Birds for miles away rose to the sky in exceedingly dramatic fashion, fleeing from the shockwave. Upon closer inspection using senses other than hearing, she finally located the source of the unholy sound.
Pinkie Pie was screaming, the force of this action enough to make nearby trees sway in the wind. Twilight crept ever closer to the distraught mare and finally got within hoof's reach. A slap ensued, the silence afterwards strangely unnerving. Pinkie shot one of her many trademark smiles:
"Oh, thanks, I needed that."
"What is going on?!" the princess was much less enthusiastic in that moment.
"My cupcakes," she pointed to a now-vacant spot in the camp, "they're gone like the flour I used to make them!"
A dramatic gasp came from the remaining travellers, before Twilight went into investigative mode:
"But how did this happen? You were the final watch."
"Oh, yeah, about that," the baker rubbed the back of her neck, "I may have... dozed off. For just a teensy, tiny smidge of time," they shot her disbelieving looks, "okay, maybe it was an hour. Or two."
"Great," Twilight facehoofed, "how can you be so bad at protecting anything related to a baked product?"
"Nopony's perfect, silly!"
"At least it's not on a moving train this time," she sighed, "well, let's get to it."
Trixie was utterly confused:
"Get to what, exactly?"
"You'll see."
Out of a parallel dimension, Pinkie retrieved a trio of strange, old-fashioned hats. Her own was by far the largest and after she put it on, she completed her look with a few puffs of a bubble-producing pipe. She did that for a few painfully long seconds, before turning to her silly assistants:
"Worry not, Sparkston, I am on the case! And inspector Lulastrade, so good to see you! With our combined skills, the culprit is practically captured already."
Showpony and princess met gazes:
"Just roll with it."
"I'll do my best."
Pinkie was already searching the area with a magnifying glass as big as her head. She walked in circles for a good minute, taking in the surroundings of the campsite, as well as violating several personal space standards. Finally, she came to a halt and screamed:
"Ahah, a clue!"
"What is it?" the two assistants said in unison as they approached. Grass near the camp was flattened from two sets of tracks. One set belonged to wheels, the other to something bigger.
"A perfect silly question, my dears. Tracks, leading into the foreboding depths of," she pointed towards the tree line, "the forest!"
"Well, it's not the Everfree, so it's not that foreboding."
"An excellent point, Sparkston. Now, come! We have a cakenapper to catch!"
Without waiting for a response, she lowered her trusty magnifying glass and followed the trail. With a brief look at each other, Twilight and Trixie followed.
"What sort of creature could want a cart of cupcakes?" Trixie thought out loud.
"I'd love to answer, but there are many possibilities. This may not be the Everfree, but that doesn't mean more unusual animals can't be present."
"Yuppers," Pinkie chirped in, her muzzle still glued to the tracks, "like that giant hydra we ran from in the swamp. Aaaaah, the memories."
"Scary memories. In any case, it could just be a regular animal with a sweet tooth, or something more dangerous. I do sincerely hope it's the former."
"Do you think we're that lucky?"
The princess sighed:
"Nope."
They travelled for a few more minutes, and then finally heard something. A distant snoring. Creeping ever closer to the source, they kept giving each other nervous looks. It grew louder and louder with every step. One could tell it did not belong to any ordinary denizen of the woods. It was, put simply, monstrous, with an innate rasp to it. Pushing past one last bit of undergrowth, they found themselves at the mouth of a rocky cave. A breeze washed over them in sync with the snoring within. The tracks lead inside.
Without so much as a word, the trio entered. Trixie and Twilight, after finally disposing of their bowler hats, illuminated the path. The cave was wide, no doubt to accommodate its owner, and rather straightforward, save for a single bend near the end. Pinkie was the first to gaze around the corner, then immediately covered her mouth to contain a squeal. The other two peeked as well.
The pathway opened up into a rather expansive chamber. Light trickled in through several holes in the ceiling and illuminated the ground. And the beast. Laying there on its modest hoard, its scales shining like sapphires in the morning sun. With each snore, the reptile released a small cloud of smoke. Its breath stank of sulphur. The two hid behind the corner, as well. Twilight whispered as quietly as possible:
"Of course it's a dragon."
"This is NOT okie-dokie-lokie."
"Did you notice, though? It has no wings. It's also rather small. For a dragon, I mean."
Twilight took another peek. The creature did in fact lack wings of any sort. The closest thing to that were two small protrusions on its back. Its size, while still formidable, was also nothing like some of the ones she had seen with her own eyes. Even from a distance, she could tell its head was still a bit bigger than her, which did not help her relax. Finally, she noticed what it was clutching in one of its claws. Their missing cart. She turned back to the combat meeting:
"It must be a young one. Hasn't had time to build its hoard yet."
"And the wings?"
"I don't know. What I do know is that I do not feel like fighting it in the slightest."
"What do we do, then? We need to get my cupcakes!"
The princess smiled:
"I propose an old-fashioned bait-and-switch."
Out of nowhere, a deafening gong sounded within the cave. The owner woke abruptly and immediately stood up on all four of his muscular legs. A tiny creature had invaded his realm, wearing a rather fashionable cape and hat. The sound seemed to be magical in nature, he could feel the ambient sensation on the tip of his tongue. He roared mightily and the pony immediately started running, but not towards the exit.
Turning to pursue the invader, he was suddenly blinded by a flash of violet light. He screeched in fury at the overconfident fly and made a swipe in its direction. After thankfully not hitting anything, his sight was restored. He paused for just a moment, examining the creature. The horn of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus in one? He had seen only one such specimen in his life. Not that he was extremely old or anything, of course.
He rose onto his hind legs and blew with his mouth. The resulting gust of wind knocked the alicorn aside. The other one immediately rushed to her aid and he once again landed on all fours. Such a bother. Suddenly, his tail knocked into something. The cart of sweets was thrown onto its side, though, thankfully, its contents seemed to still be intact. The pink mare that had been towing it seemed much less enthused by that fact:
"Hey! What's the big idea, cakenapper?"
What a deliciously cute phrase. He responded with a deep, booming voice, as was normal for a proper dragon:
"I should ask you the same, pony!"
"You stole my cupcakes, you meanie!"
Perhaps asserting a bit of dominance wasn't out of the question:
"And what are you going to do about it, filly?"
"Oh, you asked for this!"
Her following actions seemed to happen out of touch with their local dimension's time. In several blinks of an eye, the pink one put on a rainbow-coloured helmet, conjured a large, decorated cannon out of thin air, loaded herself into it and fired. Before his brain could even process the impossibility of such a slew of events, she had already impacted his skull like a small, energetic comet, sending him down for the count.
So much for being a proper dragon... as always.
The dragon's fall created a tremor. Pinkie ricocheted off the cave's walls for a few seconds, before finally landing on the ground, her head spinning. They rushed over to her and Trixie was the first to shout:
"Pinkie, are you okay?!"
She stumbled for a few more seconds, then shot a smile in the wrong direction:
"Okie-dokie-lokie!"
A groan came from the beast. All three turned to see his head rise into the air, one claw rubbing the jaw. With an almost desperate voice, he pleaded:
"Okay, I give! I give," his eyes opened again, crimson rubies in contrast to his scales, "by Tiamath, you pack a mean punch, filly."
Twilight put on a perplexed face, while Pinkie just smiled as if the situation was completely normal:
"Thanks! And serves you right!"
"I suppose," he sighed, "and I apologise. Go now, leave a beaten dragon to his everlasting shame."
No silence could come, as the showpony exclaimed:
"Oh, my," she was standing close to the hoard, admiring a bronze statue of a charging knight-pony, complete with a lance, "this one is wonderful."
Twilight could swear the dragon smiled, though it was hard to read its facial expressions at the best of times. A single claw reached out and stroked the statue:
"One of my favourites. Traded it for a few scales when I was younger."
"The pose is really dynamic. You can almost picture it in motion."
"Indeed."
She looked up, absorbed in the moment:
"I've never heard of a dragon with such good taste."
He emitted something akin to a guffaw, then responded:
"Well, I suppose I see things differently from other dragons. How could I not? Where others soar high in the sky, noticing little more than cities, forests and mountains, I am grounded," the two protrusions on its back moved, mimicking healthy wings, "robbed of flight by a rockslide during youth. And as it goes with dragons, if you cannot keep up, you are left behind."
The three sat down and listened intently, Pinkie with a pronounced, sad frown.
"Weren't you ever in trouble," Twilight asked, "being alone and all?"
He continued:
"Ah, no matter my size, few things would dare threaten a dragon. Our scales, after all, protect even against our own kin. Where others searched far and wide for food, be it the delicacy of gems or more simple metals, I was forced to walk, traverse your lands at a comparably slow pace. And seeing your world from up close was positively infectious. The constant cheer, the friendliness. And all this rather lovely art," he pointed to his modest hoard, "of which I have acquired some select pieces over the decades. Most through trade. Some early pieces, by thievery. I could not control my urges as easily when I was younger."
"Wait, wait, wait," Pinkie stood back up, "so if you trade for things these days, why did you steal my cupcakes? Hay, why do you even want cupcakes in the first place? I mean, I know they are scrumptious, I made them, but you know?"
He looked away, as if ashamed:
"It is true we dragons usually feast on gems and metals, like our distant underground cousins. But we are more than capable of eating plants, animals, even ponies," his eyes shot open and he quickly added, "not that I have done anything as vile. I can barely stomach plants. But I have over the years developed what you would call a sweet tooth. And last night, I picked up the most agonizingly wonderful smell," he got up onto his hind legs, "I lost control and took them for breakfast. Even now, the light scent of marzipan you added to about a third of the batch tantalizes me."
"Woah, I don't even know half of those words, but wow, your nose is good."
"I can sniff a gem, or cupcake, from a mile away."
"Well, you should have asked for some, instead of stealing!"
"Are you claiming you would have actually given some to a dragon?"
"Of course," to prove her point, she opened the cart and retrieved one of many boxes located within. As soon as she opened it, the dragon took a deep, blissful breath, "I love it when someone loves the things I bake! Here, catch!"
She threw a couple into the air. Deftly, a forked tongue was extended and wrapped itself around them. They were little more than morsels to him, yet he seemed to savour them to the fullest, chewing as slow as dragonly possible. Trixie and Twilight helped themselves to a few, as well, and chewed happily. He finally swallowed down:
"Och, simply delectable. The slight tinge of mascarpone you added really sets them apart," he bowed his head slightly, "your kindness knows no equal, dear filly."
"You clearly haven't met Fluttershy, heheheh! Oh, also, we totally haven't introduced ourselves! I'm Pinkie Pie, the magician with the cool hat is Trixie Lulamoon and the royalty over there is Twilight Sparkle!"
"Pinkie!" the princess seemed just a bit embarrassed.
"My true name is a bit complicated to pronounce, but you may call me Glint."
"Glint, I like that, almost as much as baking! By the way, you definitely know a thing or two about sweet stuff!"
"I have been tasting it for a long while."
"Yes," Twilight had a mischievous grin, "and I think that gives me an idea."
The other three stared right at her and responded in uncanny unison:
"What do you mean?"
"Let's say I know where you could fit right in."
The day was coming to a close and what a day it had been! After Twilight delivered some royal guarantees and insurances, everyone seemed to calm down and just get into the spirit of things. Pastry Appreciation Day was quite the thing, with hundreds of ponies attending parades and tastings all over the town. And then, of course, there was the main event. The Supreme Pastry Maker Awards, a prestigious prize that any baker worth his sugar desired. Divided into several categories, many hopefuls could already see themselves with a medal around their necks.
Pinkie entered an uncharacteristically nervous state as soon as a loud gong sounded. That marked that the judges had made their decisions. The crowd went silent and gazed as the ponies, and their honourable guest, made their way to a wooden stage in the middle of the crowd. Well, the crowd had to make room for Glint, but it was otherwise working as intended. With nods to each other, the long-time judges turned to the dragon. He took a deep breath, then began, needing no magic or device to amplify his voice:
"Fillies and gentlecolts! We have gathered here today to celebrate a most important anniversary, celebrated by one of Equestria's most popular events! From its humble beginnings to today's massive event, Pastry Appreciation Day has shown us some of the most delicious creations the world has ever seen! The competition this year was especially fierce, with every baker bringing their finest craft! Each of them is already a winner and I do believe they deserve an applause," the crowd erupted into joyous clopping and stomping, "however, there are some that stood out even among the best! And after much deliberation, we have come to a conclusion on who they are! Now, without further ado."
He turned to the judges and bowed his head down to their height. The categories were many and varied, as the initial celebration had grown far beyond its original, literal veneration of only pastries. Cakes, donuts and other utterly delicious creations were on display, shining with every colour of the rainbow. Pinkie rocked back and forth with baited breath, her eyes rolling in opposite directions.
Finally, an orange mare stepped forth, her mane a lovely shade of black, and spoke:
"In the category that began it all, Pastries and Other Delicious Small Bites," a name from simpler times, passed down through tradition, "the process of choosing was long and arduous. The winner, then, is to be seen as an exceedingly talented pony, whose name may one day be synonymous with scrumptiousness. This year's winner," a dramatic pause, "due to the sheer creativity of the design and varied, yet complementing tastes they were able to mix together," and another, "is none other than," several audience members fainted due to sheer suspense, "Miss Pinkie Pie of Ponyville!"
Her smile was wider than her head, her eyes flashing with every conceivable colour. She shot a dozen metres into the air and let out a heartfelt squeal:
"Yipppeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
After some more celebrating, princess Sparkle stepped up on stage and the crowd went silent on its own. The judges bowed to her and she bid them to rise. She assumed her position at the podium:
"Fillies and gentlecolts! The fifth-hundredth annual Pastry Appreciation Day slowly draws to a close. Earlier, our guest of honour, Glint, pointed out just how many fantastic culinary creations have been brought today. What I would like to stress, however, is that it is so much more than that. On this day, we have shown one thing above all. That no matter what may separate us, be it age, jobs, social status, even species," many looked at the scaled attendee, "none of that truly matters, as long as we can find one thing that unites us! So remember this day, as not only a celebration of taste, but also a celebration of family and friendship! Now, scream with me! Hurrah!"
That was her cue. Behind the scenes, Trixie directed several volunteer unicorns and gave them the signal. In unison, they shot out magical fireworks into the sky. In the middle of the display, an illusory alicorn raised its hooves to the sky in triumph. The crowd cheered and the showpony smiled. Another fine performance.
Not having to travel a long distance on one's own hooves was a welcome change of pace. Even better when the thing carrying her was large enough to lie down on comfortably. Glint carried them from Sugarville all the way to the fateful clearing, conversing with Pinkie Pie, who sat comfortably on his upper jaw. Finally, he came to a stop and dropped them off, before bowing slightly:
"This was the greatest day of my life, I have to say."
"Uhhh, duh! It was obviously going to be super-duper! And now you can do this every year, too!"
"I do hope we will meet before then, Pinkie."
"You bet! I go to Sugarville pretty often and I always throw a party! You'll love it!"
"I wouldn't dare doubt your skills. And to you, Miss Lulamoon, Miss Sparkle, a thank you, as well. The three of you have given a beaten dragon a new pair of wings."
"Anything for a friend, right Twilight?"
"Definitely."
With a mighty roar, they parted ways, though it took Glint a while to truly disappear from sight. The afternoon sun shone brightly on the trio as they set destination for Ponyville, with smiles as wide as miles.