Strawberry Pickle Cake

by GivingSpider


Chapter 1

The sun slowly rose over the small tranquil town the way it always had. Its citizens rose to their daily routines the way they would on any other summer morning. The tranquil serenity coated the land the way any well placed half-truth might conceal a secret.

Behind the doors of Sugar Cube Corner, the simplicity of the outside world had no dominion. None of the pleasant deeds that transpired beyond the walls penetrated the insidiously quiet kitchen. What was once a lively domain of rapidly prepared confectionary goods was now the realm of a single cake of mad origin.

On the outside it looked like any other dessert that had graced the counters of the establishment before fulfilling harmless hunger for sweets. It was a small round cake that could comfortably serve four stomachs without any overindulgence. A thin pink layer of buttercream frosting was expertly layered on its surface giving it a smooth appearance. Between two layers of sweet decadence was a thin layer of strawberry jam worthy to be used for a royal meal. Its very existence was a very odd one for never in Pinkie Pie’s life had she dared consider the creation of such a strange pasty.

Underneath the cake’s mask was a strange and almost malicious secret. Several sour pickles had been used to birth the beast.

Pinkie’s thoughts remained fixated on the afternoon where this strange thing would enter her life. It was like any other day, much like how things were beyond the walls of her home on the otherwise fine sunny day. It was only disrupted by the sudden appearance of the misshapen creature the world knew as Discord. He appeared before her without warning; much like he always had. He had a request for something to be made as if it was going to be a normal order.

Alas; to assume that Discord could be satisfied with a simple thing was folly.

The former Lord of Chaos had requested what he simply called a Strawberry Pickle Cake; and gave no instructions on how to create such an unworldly thing. Pinkie labored for hours over her task. Her mind only strayed to consider what inspired the childlike abomination to ask for such an abhorrent cake. What fevered thoughts ran though the mind of a mad god? One could argue that Discord was only being the mindless creature he usually was. Discord was renowned for his wild spirit; wielding an imagination that dwarfed her own. To hear the words from his mouth wasn’t something any of her days had prepared her for.

She trembled at the thought that they had shared a common ancestry; it was the only sane thought that justified her creating the abomination and meeting his expectations. The bizarre creature seemed to be truly happy with the strange fruits of her labor. Discord took his otherworldly desire with him without any incident. There was no harmless joke or insidious prank played on that fateful day. All that remained after he left was one burning curiosity.

How would it taste?

Her stomach churned at the notion of consuming such a contradictory confection. Its existence mocked her as if to say that everything she knew was wrong. And yet it called to her like a siren’s song. Seconds felt like days as she lay awake in bed that night wondering about how anypony could enjoy such a strange dessert. She had to admit that it was Discord and that it would be stranger if he hadn’t enjoyed it but at the same time she was repulsed by what she had created.

The next morning her path was clear.

She was possessed by an almost unholy urge to taste the insane concoction for herself. She labored over the kitchen the same way she had when she made the first born monster. She crafted the cake the same way the first one was forged. She stared into the frosted abyss and pondered her own sanity. Why was she obsessed with sampling something only a Draconequus could devour? Why was she standing on the threshold that separated ponies from eldritch horrors?

She hesitated before carving a thin slice of the second born monster. She set the serving upon a simple plate and found herself captured by the sight of strawberry jam slowly oozing down a deep green confectionary thing that resembled a treat.

She took a deep breath and uttered a few words to justify her actions.

“There can be no bravery without madness.”

The forkful of the most foreign of food entered her mouth. Her teeth seized they prey with reckless abandon as her tongue dared to taste what had entered its home.

Before she knew it, she was cutting a more appropriate portion for consumption. The other worldly cake was the single best thing she had ever eaten. Why would Discord keep this strange concept a secret from her for this long? Why had she never samples from this repulsive yet serene delight? The pink pastry chef began to further enjoy the rewards of her mad quest for knowledge. Another small piece of her wedge had entered her eager maw. The strange mix of flavors sang ethereal symphonies where there should only be a horrendous screech. She continued to eat the product of the misshapen creature’s imagination as if it was just another delicate decadence that spawned from the bakery ovens. Pinkie pondered over having another serving when the door had opened.

Entering the building that was almost forgotten by the town due to the ‘Closed’ sign in the window was one of her longtime friends. The gentle Fluttershy calmly approached Pinkie Pie and her eyes fell on the cake. The yellow Pegasus looked at the Earth Pony and her eyes went wide. She blushed and seemed to fight for the words to say. After a small silence her friend Fluttershy recomposed herself and offered words that shattered her perceptions on the purpose of the Strawberry Pickle Cake.

“Pinkie Pie…are you also pregnant?”