Friendship is Magic (and also cupcakes)

by bahatumay

Chapter 2

“First on the list, banquet preparations. Location: Sweet Apple Acres. You know, we could be eating cake right now,” Spike said. “Location: the library. That would be a good way to prepare. Just saying.”

“We’re gathering information, Spike,” Twilight said pointedly. “This is important.”

“I’m just glad you covered it and didn’t just leave it out,” groused Spike. He did not want to let this cake go to waste and he was not about to let this go.

“Well, there’s always a right way to do things,” Twilight said. “Like right now, if we can get through this fast enough, we can go back to the library for more research.”

They made it to Sweet Apple Acres, and their attention was quickly drawn by an orange earth pony kicking trees to knock apples down.

Twilight sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

The farmer’s ears pricked, seemingly sensing a new pony approaching. She spotted Twilight and approached. “Howdy, newcomer! How was your cake?”

“My what?”

The orange pony misunderstood Twilight’s look of suspicion for confusion. “Haha! Let’s just say you’re in for a tasty surprise tomorrow. The Birthday Pony gives everypony a nice Ponyville welcome.” She laughed. “And we here at Sweet Apple Acres do, too.” She gave Twilight’s hoof a firm shake. “I’m Applejack.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight answered.

“Pleased to meet you! We sure do like making friends here at Sweet Apple Acres.”

Twilight pointedly ignored Spike’s nudge. “That’s… nice, but I’m actually here on business. I’m here about the food preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“Yep, that’s us!” Applejack said proudly. “Care to sample some? We’re just about to eat, actually.”

Twilight suddenly became very aware that she had accidentally forgone breakfast this morning. “I mean, if it doesn’t take too long,” she said. Twilight realized too late what she’d talked herself into when Applejack began banging on a triangle and a flood of ponies appeared seemingly out of thin air.

Applejack proceeded to quickly name multiple family members that all had apple-themed names. Twilight hadn’t realized there were so many apple-themed foods in the world, and she had forgotten them all by the time she got to Granny Smith, who was a type of apple and somehow seemed out of place among the dumplings and the fritters.

She glanced around. She had to get out of here, and fast. “Well, I’d say everything’s well-taken care of, so I’ll just be moving on.”

But as she turned, she met the brilliant orange eyes of a little yellow filly.

“Aren’t you gonna stay for brunch?”

---

Twilight swallowed. It really was good, but there was a lot of it. She wasn’t even sure what the name of the apple baked good she was eating now was, and she definitely didn’t want to know how much butter was in it.

“So,” Applejack said, bringing over yet another tray of food balanced on her back and sliding it onto the table, “you got a favorite yet?”

Twilight, who by now couldn’t remember the difference between a dumpling and a fritter (nor how many she’d actually eaten), tried to be tactful. “I… couldn’t decide,” she said.

“Heh, sometimes I can’t, either,” Applejack said modestly. “We aim for top-notch food here at Sweet Apple Acres, for any event.”

“Too bad you can’t just ask the Birthday Pony for help,” Twilight needled.

“The Birthday Pony only does birthdays and move-ins,” Applejack explained.

“But I bet she could! If we could find her,” Apple Bloom added.

“You can’t find her?” Twilight prompted.

“Nopony’s ever seen her,” Apple Bloom said mysteriously. “She arrives in the night and leaves you a cake, like she’s a shadow.”

Twilight was about to say something about how illogical that was when another family member brought something else to their table.

---

“Yeah,” Twilight groaned. “The food situation is just fine.”

“And just think, we have more cake at home,” Spike added.

“How can you think of cake right now? We have a lot of work we need to do, and that’s still not counting preparing for the return of Nightmare Moon.”

A snort made them look up. A pegasus pony with a multi-colored mane and a cerulean coat rolled over from her cloud. “It’s not noon. It’s only 10,” she protested.

“Not noon, Nightmare Moon,” Twilight corrected. “She was banished to the moon for a thousand years, but she’s going to escape, and we’ve got to be ready.”

She chuckled and rolled back over. “Yeah. Sure.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Alright. Who’s next, Spike?”

“A pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash is supposed to be clearing the clouds.” They both glanced up at the cloudy sky.

“Yo,” the pony said, waving a hoof without rolling over.

Twilight drew the connection immediately. “Well, you’re not doing a very good job, are you?” she said snippily.

“I can,” the pony who could be none other than Rainbow Dash said. “I was just doing more important things, like practicing for the Wonderbolts.”

“The Wonderbolts?” Twilight repeated dubiously.

“Ah, I see you’re familiar with Equestria’s greatest flying team,” Rainbow Dash said warmly, now engaged in this conversation.

“I know they wouldn’t take a weatherpony who can’t even keep the sky clear,” Twilight said.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. Then she took off so fast Twilight suddenly found herself sprawled in a nearby puddle. With a frustrated groan, she pushed herself up.

“See?” Rainbow said proudly. “Ten seconds flat.”

Twilight looked up and realized that the sky was clear. But as her vision was currently obscured by wet mane, this was but a small comfort.

Rainbow suddenly noticed what she’d done. “Oh. Sorry about that. Here.” There was another whoosh. “There! My patented Rain-blow dry. Good as… n- new.”

Twilight looked at her flatly. She could feel her mane standing on end and was certain she looked ridiculous.

Rainbow shoved a hoof in her mouth to suppress her laughter, but it didn’t last; she burst out laughing so hard she fell to the ground. Spike quickly joined her.

Twilight shook her head.

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow said, forcibly suppressing her laughter. “Maybe the Birthday Pony will bring you a brush along with your cake.” She started cackling at her own joke.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but found this segue useful. “You believe in the Birthday Pony, then?”

“Sure do. Got a cake delivered in my cloudominium the night after I moved in.”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “It just seems odd to me.”

“Wait. You’re saying you believe in this Nightmare Moon thing, but not the Birthday Pony?” Rainbow asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Twilight said insistently.

“Ok, but the Birthday Pony is real,” Rainbow said slowly. “Cakes don’t just appear out of nowhere.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Twilight said.

“I don’t follow,” Rainbow said.

Twilight shook her head. “Never mind. Go back to your nap.”

“Nah, I’m awake now. Gotta get more practice in. See ya!” And she took off again, bowling Twilight over into the puddle once more.

Twilight shook her head, spraying water everywhere. “Yeah,” she said. “I hate it here.”

“It’s not that bad,” Spike said as he helped her up, trying to sound comforting.

---

“Not bad at all,” Spike said dreamily as the door to Carousel Boutique closed behind them.

Twilight shook her head. Even Rarity had been in on it. “It sounds like everypony believes in this mysterious ‘Birthday Pony’,” she said, making air quotes with her hooves.

“It’s so universal, it almost makes you think that they’re on to something, right?” Spike floated.

“Yes, but consider: all the ponies in this town are crazy.”

Spike wisely did not comment further on this.

They made their way back to the library and Twilight retrieved the cake. She gave it one more inspection and then exhaled. “Well, I guess it’s fine,” she said, and she took a small bite of cake.

“Oh,” she breathed.

It was delicious.

She found herself taking another bite, and then another.

Spike quickly joined in on the other side, and before long, the cake was gone.

But delicious or not, that didn’t change the fact that there was no such thing as the Birthday Pony.

And she intended to prove it.

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