Lance and Cherry walked through Ponyville, heading towards Sugarcube Corner. A few of the market stalls had packed up and were leaving, while a few others were making their last few sales. There were so many different foods there from Apples, Carrots, Celery stalks and colourful flowers too. Looking at them made Lance's stomach twist with hunger. The weak grass they had was horrible, at best. He and Cherry made their way through the market as quickly as possible, and then they saw it. If the market had been hard on them, this next sight was torture. Sugarcube Corner was a house that looked like it was made out of sweets. Gingerbread walls, a chocolate roof, candy cane supports and on the roof was what looked like a giant cupcake with three giant burning candles. Lance later would wonder how they lit them, but right now, all he could feel was his stomach grown in protest. This had to be hurting Cherry Blossom too. Lance cursed silently to himself.
I shouldn't have brought her here.
Lance couldn't help feeling bad, but it would only be for a short time. He just had to find a job.
I just hope that they're hiring.
Lance and Cherry walked inside the sweet shop and even before walking in, they could smell them. The smell of freshly baked cupcakes attacked their nostrils and oh my Celestia did they smell good. The rest of the sweets inside were mouth watering. Cakes. All kinds of different cakes. Big ones, small ones, chocolate cakes, carrot cakes. Never before had Lance felt so hungry. There was a giggle from behind the counter. Lance looked over and saw a pink pony with large pink poofy hair.
“Hey! If you keep drooling like that, we're all gonna need bootsies on our hoofsies!” The pink pony continued to giggle at the expression on Lance's face as he realised that his mouth was hanging open and was watering. Cherry Blossom looked up at her brother and laughed a little. Lance turned back to the pink pony behind the counter but she was gone.
Huh? Where'd she-
Lance's thought was lost as the pink pony appeared right in front of his sister, leaning forward on her fore hooves with unnatural balance. Cherry backed off a step at the rapid appearance of the strange mare.
“Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?” Pinkie Pie had a large smile on her face. She looked extremely happy to see two new customers in her store, especially a filly. Cherry struggled to find her voice after the shock.
“I- I'm err- My name's... C-Cherry Blossom.” She didn't look at pink earth pony while she said it. She just stared at her hooves as she backed off behind her brother. Lance looked up from his sister to Pinkie Pie, only to find her nose to nose with him.
“And what's your name? Huh huh?”
Yikes! Can I get some personal space?
Lance took a step back.
“My names Lance Angelswift. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Pie.”
“Oh Pleeease, call me Pinkie! All my friends do!” Pinkie danced around back to the counter, she was really happy to make new friends apparently. “So what can I get for you two? We just had a batch of cupcakes freshly baked!” She pulled out a tray full of the cupcakes. Each with pink icing and sprinkles with every colour of the rainbow. The heat was still visibly coming off of each one. “So you want some? Huh?” Pinkie was hardly giving Lance time to breath, let alone talk. Each cupcake looked delicious. The hunger came back and this time, it hurt.
“A-Actually Pinkie, we're... we're not here to buy.” Pinkie's ears drooped slowly then instantly perked back up.
“Okay!” Pinkie (thankfully!) put the cupcakes away under the display counter again. “So does that mean you came just to visit lil' ol' me?” Pinkie had a huge playful smile on her face.
“Well, what we're really here for, is this.” Lance reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the letter for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Carrying it in his teeth he placed it down on the counter. “Are either of these ponies here today?” Pinkie's eyes lit up!
“Hey! This is my party invitation I sent them last month! They said they never got it and I wasn't sure why, but now I know! You had it all this time, didn't you! How'd you get it? Why'd it take so long for you to bring it here? Did you get lost? Did you crawl here? Did you ride on the back of a tortoise? Oh my gosh! That must have been so much fun! What was it like? Was it comfortable? Is it outside right now? Can all three of us ride it together? Or did you take a tortoise each?”
Whoa! Wait! What?!
Pinkie's flurry of question came one after the other. Lance couldn't get a word in edgewise. Pinkie kept firing off questions until Cherry Blossom started laughing. Pinkie's questions stopped as she looked down at the little filly. A big smile on her face.
“T-Thats so silly!” Cherry Blossom kept laughing, and now that Pinkie had been silenced for just a moment, Lance told Pinkie about how they just moved into Ponyville and about all the mail that had been incorrectly delivered over the years. Lance hadn't been paying close attention to Pinkie while he talked. If he had, he might have seen Pinkies eyes grow wide as well as her smile. It was just after he finished talking about the pink envelopes that Pinkie jumped up high into the air and floated there for a second before shouting.
“You've just MOVED here?!” Pinkie landed on the ground and then ran behind the counter and grabbed something.
“I... I...” Lance was at a loss for words.
“You know what this calls for?” Lance didn't have a clue what Pinkie was talking about. Instantly shock and horror gripped the ivory coloured pony as Pinkie pulled out a large blue cannon and pointed it at him!
“Pinkie! What are you-?”
“A PARTY!” Pinkie shouted and fired the cannon right at Lance. He only just managed to drop to the floor in time. The cannon didn't make as much of a boom as he had expected. Instead it made a bang and a squeak noise as if a balloon had deflated. Lance looked up and saw confetti and streamers all over himself and Cherry. He turned to where the shot landed and saw a table with a cloth over it, party hats, confetti, balloons and streamers. They weren't there when they came in.
Did she just shoot that stuff out of the cannon? Lance thought.
“I sure did!” Pinkie replied. Lance snapped back to her. “This is what I call a Party Cannon!”
Did I say that out loud before?
Lance felt himself being picked up off the floor.
“We've just gotta have a welcome party for you! I mean you can't move to Ponyville and not have a signature 'Pinkie Pie Welcoming Party!' I mean what would I do? I sure as hay can't let my newest friends not have a party!” Pinkie started getting food out from under the counter. Lance stepped forward and stopped her.
“Wait! I-I can't afford any of-” Pinkie cut him off!
“Ohh silly, you're not paying for them. This is my party for you!” The pink pony took the tray of warm cupcakes over to the table. Lance again had to step in front of her to stop her, but she just bounced around him.
“But Pinkie. I can't ask you to do all this for us. It's all too soon!” Pinkie stopped mid-jump.
“Hmm, you're right!” Pinkie said, looking like she was thinking rationally about it. Lance breathed a sigh of relief. “I still have to invite everypony in Ponyville!”
Lance's heart jumped.
E-Everypony!? Lance thought.
“Yeppers! Everypony!” Pinkie's reply startled Lance for the second time. But before he could question her, she jumped out the door. Just as another two ponies walked in, a mare and a stallion. The mare had a light blue coat, two shades of pink in her curly mane and two large pink pearl earrings. The stallion had a yellow coat with orange ruffled hair under his white and orange hat, and a stripy bow-tie of the same colours. He was pushing a pram into the store.
“Goodness, what's gotten into Pinkie?" The mare said. She then looked around the store and saw Lance and Cherry Blossom stood there in the middle of the store alone. “Oh my, are you two okay there? Pinkie didn't leave without serving you, did she?” Lance had an inkling that he knew who those two were.
“Umm... Mr. and Mrs. Cake?” Lance asked, just to make sure.
“Yes, deary. That's us. I'm Cup Cake and this is my husband, Carrot Cake.” Mr. Cake gave a nod and a smile to Lance. “And how can we help you?” Mrs. Cake said as she looked at the two earth ponies in her store.
“Hi, my name's Lance Angelswift and this is my sister, Cherry Blossom.” Cherry had been lifting her head up to see into the pram from a distance, but at the sound of her name and all eyes looking at her, she squeaked down and back behind her brother. “I brought you a letter that was mistakenly delivered to my home. But apparently it's been there for months and it's a bit late now.” Lance showed the letter to Mrs. Cake. She looked at the letter and recognized it immediately.
“That's one of Pinkie Pie's party invitations.” At this, Mrs. Cake looked around the store and saw the party favours all over one corner of the shop, then she realised where Pinkie must have gone. “Ooh dear, I think I know what's going on now.” Mrs. Cake walked over to Lance and Cherry. “Tell me dearies, did you just move to Ponyville?”
“Yes, we arrived just this morning.” Lance said. “We moved here from, Las Pegasus.” Mrs. Cakes smiled as she saw Cherry Blossom trying again to get a peek into the pram. Mrs. Cake leaned down to the little filly.
“You wanna see them?” Cherry shrunk down as she realised that Mrs. Cake was speaking to her. “Come on deary, it's okay.” Mrs. Cake walked over to the pram as the pink filly just stared after her. Lance nudged his little sister.
“Go on then. Don't you wanna see them?” Cherry smiled and then ran over to the pram, slowing down as she got there. Mr. Cake had pulled back the blanket covering the two foals just a little so that Cherry could get a better look. She could only just see into the pram by standing on her hind legs. Inside was the two foals, a tiny little filly and an equally tiny little colt. Twin foals. But they had a difference that was very clear. The filly was a unicorn, and the colt was a pegasus. Cherry Blossom paid this no mind. The foals were just so adorable that she just wanted to look at them. Lance came over and was about to ask how two earth ponies could have a unicorn and a pegasus for foals, but at that moment the door swung open. Pinkie Pie came storming in and shouting.
“Woohoo! It's time to PAARRR-TAYY!!” Lance instantly look down at the foals, expecting them to wake up and start crying at the loud noise. Instead they just woke up, yawning and beginning to make a fuss, reaching up out of the pram. Lance looked at Mrs. Cake and she was already looking at him. She reached out with a hoof and gave Lance a gentle nudge.
“Ohh, don't worry deary. Pinkie's been with our foals so much that they've gotten used to her wacky antics.”
These foals are only a few months old. Lance thought to himself. I don't think I could get used to Pinkie's "wacky antics" in a lifetime.
Pinkie let a few ponies into the Cake's shop. Lance recognised a few of them as the ponies running the stalls at the market.
Wait. Did she just grab a group of random ponies and invite them to a party she just decided to throw less than five minutes ago?
“Come on everypony! The party is this way!” Pinkie shouted down the street.
Eeeeyep! she did.
Cherry Blossom was still with the little foals ignoring the noise and the swarm of ponies now entering the shop. The tiny little filly reached out and Cherry awkwardly reached into the pram, touching hooves with her.
“Hello,” Said Cherry Blossom. “What's your name?” Mr. Cake leaned in close and whispered.
“This is Pumpkin Cake." Indicating the filly "And this is Pound Cake.” Mr. Cake smiled at Cherry Blossom. She returned his smile and then looked back at the little foals.
“Hello Pumpkin Cake. Hello Pound Cake. My name is Cherry Blossom. How are you doing?” Cherry was still touching hooves with Pumpkin cake. The little filly was using both her forelegs to try and, by the looks of it, pull Cherry Blossom's hoof closer to herself to try and chew on it, but Cherry Blossom was so short that she couldn't get any closer. Pinkie began playing some music, shouting for everypony to shake their 'groove thing'. Lance looked outside and noticed that a large number of ponies were making their way here.
How did Pinkie contact all those ponies? He thought.
Suddenly there was a tray of cupcakes under Lance's nose.
“Come on Lancie! Try one! They're really good!”
Lancie?!
Pinkie was holding the tray full of pink frosted cupcakes under Lance's mussel. They smelled delicious and he could still feel the warmth. His mind protested against his stomach.
“Pinkie, I can't accept all this without offering you something in return.” Lance said seriously.
“Ohh, don't be a silly billy. I dunno what it's like where you come from, but around here friends share! Sooo...” Pinkie took one of the cupcakes and forced it into Lance's mouth. “Now, you enjoy yourself and leave everything to me. Your auntie Pinkie Pie has it all taken care of.” Lance had never tasted anything so good. The cupcake was delicious and Lance didn't dare swallow. He wanted to savor every chew. Finally he did swallow and it filled that hole in his stomach. But that didn't stop him from wanting another one. Or two... or five! Lance turned to see Pinkie had given one of the cupcakes to Cherry as well. Lance then remembered the other letter he had.
“Mrs. Cake. I have another letter to deliver.” Lance opened his saddle bag. “Do you know this Pony?” Lance pulled out the letter to Cheerilee and showed it to Mrs. Cake.
“Ohh, I know her. In fact I think she's right here.” Mrs. Cake pointed over towards the table where a punch bowl had been set up.
When did Pinkie set that up? Lance wondered.
There was a mare earth pony with a mulberry coat and two tones of pink in her mane. Lance thanked Mrs. Cake and headed over to where the mulberry pony was getting herself a drink.
“Excuse me, Ms. Cheerilee?” Lance asked. The pony placed her glass down.
“Yes? Oh hello. You must be Lance... Angelsmith?”
“Er, Lance Angelswift, yes. H-how do you know my name?” Lance asked, confused.
“Oh, Pinkie Pie was running though the streets telling everypony about a welcome party for two ponies who just moved to Ponyville. I'm guessing the young filly over with the foals is your sister? Cherry Blossom, right?” Lance looked over to where Cherry was playing with the foals in their pram while Mr. Cake watched on, laughing as they played.
“Yeah, that's her.” Lance turned back to Cheerilee. “I have something here for you” Lance drew the pink envelope from his saddlebag and placed it on the table for Cheerilee. “This letter was mistakenly delivered to my house a few months ago.” Lance then explained about the large pile of letters that had built up over the years.
“Oh I see. Well, I must thank you for bringing me this.” Cheerilee said with a smile. “It's no good now, but still the fact that you were willing to track me down to bring me this means a lot. We should really learn not to trust the mail ponies here. It's just one catastrophe after another.”
“Ms. Cheerilee, there's something I wanted to ask you.” Lance glanced over to Cherry. “It's about my sister.” Lance turned back to Cheerilee. “She was supposed to join a school back a few months ago but...” Lance didn't wanna go into any details about his father. If possible he'd like to avoid it completely. “T-There was a complication. But well, you are a teacher at the school right? I mean, the letter was addressed for there.”
“Ohh.” Cheerilee said. “Yes, I am. And I think I know where your going with this and of course we would love to have little Cherry Blossom join us at our school.” Lance had a huge smile on his face. That was thankfully easier then he thought.
“Thank you so much, Ms. Cheerilee.” Lance looked at his sister again. She, Pinkie Pie and the twins were all running in circles, and having lots of fun. “I'm really glad we came here.”