Taste Testing

by Autum Breeze


Taste Testing

Taste Testing


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*ding*

Pinkie Pie grinned, turning and bouncing through Sugarcube Corner and into the kitchen. She continued to bounce until she reached the oven.

Opening it, she took out a lovely looking cake, which she took to the counter and, in a blink of an eye that would have any who witnessed the event question their own sanity, had covered the cake in a simple layer of white icing with blueish-purple on top.

This cake was one of several very special cakes she was trying to make. It was one she was making for one of her friends. She had spent several days trying to make the perfect cake for each of the ponies she cared about the most in her life and maybe, perhaps maybe, this would finally be the one. This particular cake was for Rarity.

“Alright, let’s see how this one turned out,” she cheered, bouncing back over to the cake after cleaning the dishes and taking a bite with a big NONM.

Pinkie chewed for several moments, before swallowing and frowned slightly.

“Hmm,” she said, scratching her chin, then pouted. “Nope. Still not right.” She lifted a hoof back to her chin and rubbed it gently. “If I’m going to make cakes based off of my friends, I need to come up with a flavour that represents them.” She pouted in annoyance. “But how am I supposed to figure out what that is?”

It was quite the conundrum, indeed. She needed to figure this out. If she could not find a way to make the perfect cakes for her friends, everything would be ruined.

She couldn’t even call her a baker if she would be unable to figure out this simple, yet all-important, totally crucial factor in cake-making. In fact, this could be the most difficult task any baker had ever encountered throughout the entire history of baking. If she could not figure this out, it could scar the entire baking profession, ruining the enjoyment of delicious baked goods, like cake and pastries for all ponies for all time.

This was an atrociously Pinkamena Diane Pie would not, no, could not ever allow. A world without cake was too horrible an idea to comprehend!

But how? How could she solve this impossible problem? She had to, or else the fate of all pastries were doomed.

Pinkie paced back and forth, going over every idea that could possibly help. There had to be something.

As Pinkie made an about turn so she wouldn’t bump into the wall and could continue her pacing, a piece of her mane, pushed with the momentum of her turn, flipped into her open mouth.

Pinkie spat out her mane, noting how it tasted sweet with a hint of butter.

The pink pony blinked, standing still for several moments, before her eyes widened and a smile blossomed onto her face. Of course! It was so obvious! How had she not seen it sooner?

She turned and left the kitchen. “Ohh, Pinkie,” she said to herself. “You know the answer to this!”

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The air in the back room of Carousel Boutique was filled with the sound of fabric moving and scissors snipping as Rarity worked diligently on her latest design.

After several moments of feverish work, she sighed, deciding to take a break.

As she was setting her things down, the bell to her shop rang, indicating a customer had arrived.

Walking out, she saw a pink Earth Pony wearing a happy smile. “Hey, Rarity!”

The unicorn smiled at her friend. “Hello, Pinkie!” she said, not giving heed as Pinkie kept walking towards her. “What brings you to my—Ieee!” her question turned into a cry as Pinkie Pie licked Rarity’s face, before backing up.

“Hmm,” Pinkie said as she turned and headed out the door, “flowery, minty... Lavender maybe? I can work with that!”

Rarity stood motionless in her boutique for several long moments, before she was finally able to squeak out one question. “What just happened?”

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Applejack and Fluttershy sighed as they finished packing up Applejack’s Apple stand. Applejack had plans to see a play today, so was finishing up early. The Pegasus had been helping the farm pony pack up so as to speed things up and ensure she wasn’t late.

As they turned to head for the farm to take the unsold products back to Sweet Apple Acres, with Fluttershy ahead of the farm mare, a pink pony bounced up onto the path ahead of them.

Before either could respond with more than a friendly smile, however, Pinkie Pie leaned very close to Fluttershy and licked her on the cheek.

“Oh, um, yes,” the timid Pegasus managed, her brain not quite understanding the situation. Despite her answer, Pinkie moved passed her, heading for a suspicious and confused Applejack. “No?” Under her breath she muttered, “Somepony tell me how to respond to this.”

Nopony did, however. Instead, Pinkie licked Applejack's face, something to which the farm mare was none too pleased.

“Ggngngha. Pinkie, what are you doing?” she demanded.

Pinkie Pie did not answer the question. She just smiled and turned, walking away saying, “Mmm. Musky.”

Both ponies stood, watching after where the pink pony had left.

“Hey,” they both turned to see Twilight hurry over, having witnessed the whole odd scene, looking a mixture between confused and worried, “did Pinkie just come by here and—?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy murmured, “that... that happened.”

Applejack gave several snorting sniffs as she tried to figure out just what was going on around here.

“What is that pony up to?” Twilight pondered, putting a hoof to her chin.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I think was headed towards the town hall? Wasn’t Celestia going to be there tonight?”

Both Applejack and Twilight eyes widened.

“Oh no,” Twilight facehoofed.

Applejack pulled her hooves over her face, a terrified look in her eyes. “To see a play put on by my—”

The other two ponies eyes widened in horror.

“Oh no,” Twilight gasped, before heading off at a gallop in the direction of the town hall, her horn glowing. “I have to go,” she cried, disappearing in a teleport.

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Twilight’s teleport ended and she found herself inside the town hall. Remembering where the play was being held, she hurried through the building and into the room to find the princess standing not too far inside, a stunned expression on her face.

Twilight quickly looked around and spotted Pinkie Pie heading towards an uncertain and nervous-looking Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, her tongue already sticking out of her mouth as she leaned towards the yellow filly.

PINKIE, NOOOOOOO—

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Several hours later, Twilight stood outside of a cell in the Canterlot Dungeon, having just finished explaining to Pinkie exactly why she was now behind bars, whilst also facehoofing.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said sheepishly, “I can see how that would have looked pretty bad.”

THE END