Fire and Brimstone, Book 1

by BluePhoenyx

Chapter 8: The Lunacy

Twilight opened the door into Sugarcube Corner, the bakery Pinkie Pie worked at. The smell of freshly baked goods filled the air as delicious treats, snacks, and deserts lined the shelves all over the shop.

Crimson looked around and sniffs the air. “What is this intoxicating aroma?”

Twilight took a few steps in and looked at Pinkie Pie, who was working on mixing batter. “Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie Pie looks over to her guests.

Crimson looked at Twilight. “This smell is ‘pinkie pie?’ What is this ‘pinkie pie’ you sp-“

“Hi Twilight!” Pinkie said with a smile, but her smoke lightly wore away when noticing the pony next to Twilight. “And creepy guest.”

Twilight looked at the ‘creepy guest.’ “This is Pinkie Pie. Pinkie, this is Crimson.”

“Greetings, Ms. Pinkie Pie.” Crimson gave a courteous bow.

Twilight shook her head at Crimson. “No, no. There is no need to be so formal.”

Crimson’s eyes looked up at Twilight. “Is there no social order in your society?”

“There is.” Twilight replied. “But the ponies of Ponyville lead a rather… informal lifestyle.”

Crimson lifted his head in surprise. “This is madness.”

“Madness?!” Pinkie Pie hopped over the counter towards Twilight and Crimson. Then in a tone that casually gets louder, “This… is…”

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight said, cutting her off while taking a deep breath.

“Pinkie Pie? Well, I guess I am me.” She hopped back behind the counter.

Twilight led Crimson to the bakery counter. “So what did you eat underground?”

Crimson looked at a tower of color and ordainments. “Dried meats, bread, and editable fungi mostly.”

Pinkie Pie looked at Crimson, who was staring at a baked good. “You mean you’ve never had cake?”

Crimson started to sniff the delicious desert. “I do not even know what ‘cake’ is.”

Pinkie Pie happily hopped up and down. “Then you MUST make a cake with me!”

Crimson looked at Twilight. “Go ahead. It’ll be fun!” Twilight said as she jerked her head towards Pinkie Pie.

“As you will.” Crimson said with a bow.

Pinkie Pie led Crimson towards the back of the bakery. “I’ll be back later.” Twilight announced as she turned around and left the bakery.

Pinkie Pie handed Crimson a bowl and some ingredients already measured. She started mixing a bowl of her own as she looked at Crimson. He just stood still, looking at the reagents. “You’ll make the white cake. I’ll make the mint cake. Mix mix mixy mix!” Pinkie Pie said with a smile as she expertly mixed her bowl.

Crimson looked at Pinkie Pie and watched how fast she was able to mix her ingredients in her bowl. Then he started to add the ingredients into the mixing bowl Pinkie Pie handed him. He looked back at Pinkie Pie, then back at his bowl as he starts mixing.

Pinkie Pie took a taste of the mint cake batter she was experimenting with. “Mmmm!” She dipped her face into the bowl and ate the entire bowl of batter iin one lick. The batter was all over her face and mane when she removed her face from the interior of the bowl. She smiled, then bobbed her head in approval. She licked her lips, then looked over at Crimson as he made a small mess.

Pinkie Pie walked over to Crimson with her bowl, batter dripping on the floor. “No, no. Try it like this.”

“Pardon, you-“

She tilted her bowl at him and showed him how to hold the mixing spoon. “Now mixy mix!”

Crimson placed the bowl on the counter and started to mix how Pinkie Pie showed him. He mixed faster and faster until the bowl shattered in his hooves. “Is this supposed to happen?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened as she looked at the living vortex of white cake batter that formed on her counter top. She leaned in closer to watch the cake mix keep the form of the mixing bowl without the bowl itself. Out of wonder, she reached in and touched it with her spoon. The batter exploded, losing its shape. She stood up with a battered face mask with white cake covering her face, and the mint cake batter covering her eyes and mane. She licked her lips so her pink skin showed, making a psychedelic happy face.

Pinkie Pie laughed at the delicious accident as Crimson looked blankly at the seemingly insane pony. Pinkie Pie looked at Crimson. “Why so serious?” She laughed hysterically while she held her stomach. “Get it? Like in the mov…” She looked over at Crimson, who was still looking blankly. “Oh, want to see a magic trick?” She smiled as she noticed she got Crimson’s attention. “I’m going to make this mess disappear.” In one fell gesture of her tongue, she licked off all of the batter from her face and mane. The broken bowl was cleaned up and repaired on the counter next to Crimson. With a victorious smile, she leaned her elbow up and leaned against the counter.

Crimson stared at Pinkie Pie. “Why do you laugh at everything that goes wrong?”

Pinkie Pie looked back at Crimson. “Why don’t you laugh at ANYTHING?” Crimson looked down a little. “Aww, does some pony have a grumpy face?” Pinkie Pie said in a deeper, slower voice. “How about we try again. Oh, oh! We’ll do cupcakes this time!” Pinkie gave a huge grin.

“Very w-“ Crimson looked around as he heard some strange yet subtle rhythmic sounds going on in the shop. “… well?” He looked over at Pinkie Pie, who was bending her knees, standing up, bending her knees, standing up – bouncing all with the rhythm of the strange noise. “What are y-“

Pinkie Pie moved her face next to Crimson’s in a bouncing motion. “All you have to do is take a cup of flour! Add it to the mix~” She threw ingredients into a cup. Crimson took a step back as she somehow teleported to the other side of the shop. “Now just take a little something sweet, not sour. A bit of salt, just a pinch~” Crimson looked at the bouncing pony, who was talking in strange tones, acting out everything she said. He just stared without the slightest clue on what was going on. In a blink, she was spinning a baking pan on her nose while still talking in strange rhythmic tones. “Baking these treats is such a cinch!”

“What are-“

“Add a teaspoon of vanilla! Add a little more, and you count to four.” She sang while throwing ingredients all around the shop. Crimson stood speechless as she continued her lunacy. “And you never get your fill of… “ Crimson blinked in confusion with Pinkie Pie’s brief pause. “Cupcakes!” She appeared upside down in front of Crimson. “So sweet and tasty~” He watched Pinkie Pie as she bounced from one side of the room to the other. “Cupcakes!” She said upside down hanging from the ceiling. “Don’t be too hasty!” Crimson blinked as he realized he has a bunch of pans balanced on his head. “Cupcakes!” The entire floor filled with cupcakes. “Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAAAAKES~~~” She yelled in melody with the strange sound while standing on her hind hooves. Crimson blinked, and now the entire room was filled with cupcakes.

Crimson stood still, making sure the out-of-nowhere pans maintained their balanced on his head. Pinkie Pie went back on all four hooves. “It’s that easy!” She looked at Crimson, who was still not smiling. “You’re no fun.”

Crimson started to carefully take the pans off his head. “This is… fun?”

“Singing, dancing, cupcakes, fun!” She looked over at the stove. “Uh-oh. I need more fire.” The doorbell jingled as someone entered the shop. “Oh, customer! Can you get more fire for the stove while I go up front?”

“As you request.” Crimson bowed as Pinkie focused her attention at the new pony in the shop. He leaned his head forward as his horn started to glow. All of a sudden, black smoke shot out of the stove as it turned red hot as fire shoots out from the chimney above. Pinkie Pie, Crimson, and the entire shop got covered in soot. Not a single glimpse of color was visible anywhere. Crimson looked at Pinkie Pie. “I am sorry for m-“ Pinkie Pie drug her hoof across Crimson’s lips making it look like he was smiling.

Pinkie, trying hard to contain her laughing, smiled while biting her lip. “You do know how to laugh!”

Crimson looked at Pinkie Pie baffled. He reacheed back under his leather cloak and grabed a mirror. He looked at his reflection to see the funny face Pinkie made on him with the soot. Pinkie Pie saw a window to strike as Crimson gave a very small smile his funny looking reflection. Crimson touched his face. “This will take hours to wash out.” Then, Pinkie Pie shoved her hoof in his mouth as she force fed him a cupcake. He choked a little bit, trying to catch his breath. Then, he stopped moving as he starts to chew. He looked up in wonder as he slowly chewed the cupcake inside his mouth. The small smile grew bigger as he looked at Pinkie Pie. “This is superlative!” He slowed his chewing to savor the strange taste. “I have never had anything like this before.”

Pinkie Pie reached from behind her and suddenly pulled out a tray of fresh cupcakes. “Have another!”

“Your generosity will not soon be forgotten.” Crimson started to snack on more cupcakes.

The customer walked in the back and peeked into the kitchen to see Pinkie Pie and Crimson making hoof marks on each other. “Should I come back later?”

Comments

[BluePhoenyx]

Author's Note - Chapter 8: The Lunacy
In this chapter, Crimson and Pinkie Pie spend some time together. With Crimson's serious personality and Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, what could possibly happen?

This was an interesting chapter to write. Though I did basically copy a section in the show and put it in, it's a new scenario so I felt it fit. Needless to say, there were a number of times I was cackling to myself as I was writing.

Thank you for reading. Chapter 9 should be posted around 12/10.