[Ponyville] Visions of Frosting and Terror! [Open]

[SunsetSombra]

Berry pauses as she watches the line for a moment, before realising that she was indeed next in line - her focus had been entirely divided between Pinchys butterfly hunting and the activity of the line behind her, and she'd almost forgotten about the fact that she was the next pony to bravely cross the threshold of Madame Pie's tent and discover just what the mysteries of pony-fate had in store for her and her l'il pinchy.

" [colour=#ee82ee]Well...Come along, Ruby[/colour]! " Berry says after turning in the direction of the tents entrance, eyeing it up for a brief moment and swallowing before trotting off towards it, making her way into the mysteries that lay beyond the opening and into the domain of madame pinkie. She honestly had no idea what she was about to get herself into, but there was an odd feeling that anything that happened inside this tent today, she'd no doubt remember for quite a long time afterwards...

Anyway - unto the breach went Berry Punch, bravely setting forward into the unknown to see just what truths lie behind this mysterious 'Fa'!

[Rosewind]

Pinkie Pie shooed various escaped fireflies off her face. They had seemed to take an interest in her mane, causing her pink locks to light up like she was wearing blinking Hearth's Warming lights. Her tent was a little worse for wear. Actually, it looked like a bomb went off inside. Bits of forgotten pastry were strewn around, Rarity's tablecloth was starting to look it like it might belong somewhere else (like the garbage), and hoof-drawn cards were littered all over the table and shaggy carpet. Pinkie looked up with a smile at Berry. [colour=#ED458B]"OH MY!...Eeek! I mean...oh my!" [/colour]Pumpkin stirred uneasily from her makeshift bed, still sucking her hoof. Pinkie dropped her voice to a hushed, forced whisper. [colour=#ED458B]"How's business, Berry? I'm doing terribly today. I haven't made a single bit giving these free fortunes! It's great to finally see an Earth Pony!" [/colour]She tapped her chin. [colour=#ED458B]"Izat your daughter behind you?! Hiii Pinchy Punchy! Oops! I mean... hiiiii Pinchy Punchy!"[/colour]

She cleared her throat. [colour=#ED458B]"I bet you two are here to ask Madame Pinkie what the future holds, right?! You've got options! We can do a tickle reading, cake-in-the-face scrying, or maybe perhaps we could try a cookie séance to contact desserts of the departed?!" [/colour]Squee grin.

[Imagination]

Pinchy stood by her mother, the biggest most adorable grin anypony could imagine on the filly's face. Finally! She could learn about the mighty Fa! As for the readings... The options seemed to distress little Pinchy, each option eliciting a little whine from Ruby that translated into 'do want', her muzzle gaping wider and wider in wondrous envy. [colour=#ee82ee]"Aww, those all sound so awesome! How can I pick just one?!?!"[/colour] Focus Pinchy, you have a touch decision to make...

Did she want to be ticked to enlightenment? Thrashing with the bellows of hilarious realization? [colour=#ee82ee]"Hmmm..."[/colour]

Cake in face scrying?! She could have her cake AND eat it too? [colour=#ee82ee]"Hmm...?"[/colour]

Cookie seance? She could ask that doughnut she ate earlier if there was anything stuck in her teeth! Or if her tummy stinks. [colour=#ee82ee]"Hmm~!"[/colour]

Hmms and hums... Hums and hmms! She rubbed her chin with a hoof, biting her lip with terrible, dreadful hesitation. How could she possibly pick one? She couldn't! They were all so enticing... So mysterious! So delicious (cept the tickling)! She had to take a gamble. She asked... THE question. [colour=#ee82ee]"Do I have to pick just one?"[/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Berry listens intently to the options on offer, blinking a little at just how bizarre they seemed to be collectively, but paying no mind ultimately to the ponies craziness with her style - she was aware that Pinkie was known for being more than a little...unconventional in her approaches to life as a whole.

It totally made sense to the magenta coloured wine maker that she'd apply such zesty and zany tactics to her hobbies.

She watches as pinchys face screwed up a little in thought, the thoughts seemingly visibly straining the poor filly's ability to make a choice - admittedly, they did all sound pretty intriguing, and Berry would utterly have loved to partake in more than one of these rather unique methods of determining and understanding the future...or at least, how any of them could even possibly achieve such a feat...

"[colour=#ee82ee] Well, I don't...Hmm... [/colour]" Berry says, bringing a hoof idly to her muzzle and rubbing lightly as her own expression matches that of her young'un, her muzzle contorting into a small bundle of focused thinking - Tickle Reading, Cookie Seances, Cake Scrying...ugh, the choice here was clearly going to be a difficult one.

"[colour=#ee82ee] I suppose... [/colour]" Berry starts, deciding that she'd go with the first thought in mind. " [colour=#ee82ee]Well, I suppose I could try the...Uh, Cake scrying, I think you said - and maybe Pinchy would like to choose for herself which of the three she'd like to do herself. [/colour]" She says with a small nod decisively. "[colour=#ee82ee] I'd not want to deny her the chance to make her own choice on such a big decision here, after all, it wouldn't be fair of me[/colour]! "

Welp, that seemed to be just about the best she could do given the circumstances - hopefully that couldn't cause any trouble now, right?

[Rosewind]

Pinkie Pie nodded, smiling. Even though she was facing opposite to Pumpkin, the baby unicorn grabbed an empty ink bottle (while she sleeping!) and threw it. Pinkie ducked as the container flew where her head had been previously, moments before. It hit the side of the tent with a soft plop, clinking to the grass. This event didn't even phase her. [colour=#ED458B]"Oh sure! Pinchy-Pinchy is welcome to choose, too! I'll need a moment to prepare. Can you watch Pumpkin for a moment? She's out like a.." [/colour]Pinkie ducked. Pumpkin had lobbed a pie crust this time. [colour=#ED458B]"...firefly light." [/colour]

The foal dozed. A little, clear snot bubble slowly inflated and deflated around her muzzle. She had one of her hooves crammed in her mouth, the other grasping for more objects to sleep-throw. Pinkie grinned. [colour=#ED458B]"She's a great multitasker, huh?! I'll be back in two shakes of a donkey tail!" [/colour]Pinkie stole from her tent, waving to her line of fortune seekers, and entered Sugarcube Corner. She emerged a few minutes later, her arms stacked with different cakes. They teetered precariously. Pinkie Pie had to trot carefully so they did not topple over. She returned to her tent, leaving speculation to the outside occupants in her wake.

[colour=#ED458B]"Whew! This is quite an armful!" [/colour]She set the pile of cakes on the table. [colour=#ED458B]"Okies! We've got double carrot, pink velvet, chia seed crunch, hay and raisin surprise, cinnamon chili, cranberry oak-nut, and chocolate butterbutterbuttercream! Oh yes, vanilla! Ya can't go wrong with plain vanilla! Oops!" [/colour]Pinkie checked her voice again. [colour=#ED458B]"Cake scrying is a very mystical art. Stack up the cakes in any order you choose, and we'll see what the future holds!" [/colour]She giggled excitedly, looking to Pinchy with an infectious grin. [colour=#ED458B]"While your mommy decides what fate the cake has in store for her, did'ja figure out which fortune method you want me to use on you?"[/colour]

[MidnightBlackhorn]

Midnight was in Ponyville, doing a favour for a friend, when he saw it

the sign

Ask Madame Pinkie!

Fortune and Fa...

[colour=#0000ff]"Oh dear, that......I don't even.....well now my curiosity has been piqued" [/colour]he said to himself. He had no clue exactly what the sign was trying to say, or who this Madame Pinkie was, but he looked in the tent. He saw who he assumed to be "Madame Pinkie"

[colour=#0000ff]"Madame Pinkie, I presume? Hello, My name is Midnight Blackhorn, but you may call me Midnight" [/colour]he said, bowing his head to the pink mare

[SunsetSombra]

Berry kept her eyes on Pinkie during the time the baby unicorn seemingly instinctively threw objects across the room - the wine colored earth pony was all too familiar with young ponies during their early years...Pinchy herself had been very fond of crayons during hers - much to Berrys personal chagrin, and the unfortunate fortunes of her front room floor and walls.

"[colour=#ee82ee] I see you have your hooves full here a little, Miss Pie[/colour]! " Berry says, a little concerned that such a young pony, who was as active and full of such zest for life, was left with such an interestingly 'unlike her' task - although, she supposed, she didn't know how well the pink party pony managed her tasks, which she really couldn't say she was too informed about just from the little she knew of Pinkie Pie..

When Pinkie returned to their sight from the back, Berry blinked a little - she wasn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned for the fact that several cakes were kept out back for such an event...how long had they been out there and for that matter, How fresh were they even?!

Still, now wasn't the time to question what was presented to her...and she took her time to carefully analyse the cakes that awaited...

Which cake was the best one for her to choose - she needed to think hard on this choice!

[Imagination]

After having to mull over her decision for some time, Ruby finally cracked. She knew what she wanted. This had to happen. Not for science, not because it was her birthday, not because she was curious, and DEFINITELY not because the butterfly menace had stuff to do and they could only wait so long.

She had to do this...

So she could know...

If her food liked her tummy.

[colour=#ee82ee]"A cookie seance! I wanna hear my food speak to me! Well... It already speaks to me sometimes! Like when my tummy rumbles, or I burp! But mommy says burping is rude so I try not to but sometimes I just can't help it and then I start giggling and forget to say excuse me *INHALE* but mommy's all like 'Pinchy that's rude' and I totally know it is but I just find it funny when I burp cuz of the silly sound it makes, you know?"[/colour]

Cool story, Ruby. When she was finished, she just stared up at the pink gypsy mare with a big ol' grin on her itty bitty face.

Lets see that the endless depths of her guts have in store, and what the delicious residents within have to say. She DID have quite a few snacks, so she hoped she didn't have to choose just one. Maybe they could all take turns or something.

[Rosewind]

Pumpkin Cake found her empty bottle and crammed it into her mouth, cooing cutely. She suckled on it, looking somewhat frustrated that her milk was gone -- probably in the belly of that strange Apple mare. Satisfied that no more projectiles would be forthcoming from the baby unicorn, Pinke Pie set her headdress back on her head, gritting her teeth. It was gypsy go time. She nodded to Pinchy as she arranged the cakes around the tattered tablecloth. [colour=#ED458B]"Oooh! A cookie séance is a very mystical and ancient art, passed down through Pie generations! Actually, I'm not really sure. Maybe I saw it on the back of a cereal box. But, one thing is for certain...those who have one are changed. FOREVER!" [/colour]

Pumpkin Cake blinked awake for a moment. [colour=#ED458B]"Oops! Oh my! Ahem!" [/colour]Pinkie cleared her throat, breaking into a lullaby. [colour=#ED458B]"Little filly go to sleep, count lots and lots of little sheep, when you wake the sun will shine, until we go to bed next time!" [/colour]Pumpkin conked out again. Pinkie wiped her brow, lowering her voice. [colour=#ED458B]"Whew! Dodged disaster on that one! Pumpkin isn't a morning foal. Or afternoon. Actually, I'm not really sure what time it is." [/colour]Pinkie pointed to the cakes: [colour=#000000]double carrot, pink velvet, chia seed crunch, hay and raisin surprise, cinnamon chili, cranberry oak-nut, and chocolate butterbutterbuttercream, and vanilla.[/colour] [colour=#ED458B]"Okies, Berry! Take those cakes and stack them up in any order. Your fate will be decided by what happens. Try to get them high as you can, the fortune for them falling over isn't a very nice one!" [/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Ruby had been in thought barely a few moments, and Berry was wondering just what her silly little filly was going to choose...there were so many interesting choices on offer, and no doubt Pinkie would have an interesting practice in mind for each one left. Once she had determined that, in fact, she was going to go for the cookie seance, Pinkie took a moment to talk about that with her...and it all sounded so very weirdly intriguing - Talking to food in your belly? Well, that WAS something.

Pinkie once more had to tend to the little'uns - and whilst Berry would offer to help out, she could also see that the young pink pony was handling her job with very patient and determined vigor, and it felt as though anything she might have suggested would simply be out of place...Wasn't her job to tell her what to do, afterall.

And now the time came for her own task...the mystical 'art' of Cake Skrying!

Pinkie outlined the flavors of the cakes, and how such a monumentous task was undertaken - one was to simply pile up the cakes and see where things went from there...it was clearly a daunting task of great importance, and Berry took a short sharp breath and put on her best 'I AM Going to OWN this task face'...which, in all honesty, wasn't looking NEARLY so much as fiercely determined as she intended, although she honestly wouldn't have known as much herself without a mirror.

"[colour=#ee82ee] I got this[/colour]! " She utters aloud, as she seizes her starting point...the cranberry Oat and places that for her bottom choice.

Afterall, from small oats...tall trees would grow, right? At least that was how Berry remembered the phrase, anyway.

[Imagination]

Pinchy wanted to be changed forever! And ever! 5EVER!

But then Pumpkin woke up, distracting Pinchy from her thoughts. How cute! But as she listened to Pinkie's lullaby, Ruby felt herself starting to fade as well, yawning and about to lie down on the floor... So sleepy... OH! But then Pinkie started talking again, luckily little Pumpkin had beat Ruby into dreamland. She snapped awake, shaking her head and reassessing what was going on in this mystical place.

While Pinkie got to work with helping her mommy with the cakes, it gave her time to think about what she was going to ask. One could only imagine what a digesting treat was willing to talk about... If that was how it worked. Would she have to eat a new treat, or could she talk to an old one? For now she assumed the latter, rubbing her belly with both hooves, a determined look on her face. [colour=#ee82ee]"I WILL unlock your secrets, Mr. Doughnut..."[/colour]

She would ask so many questions! Like what it thought about other doughnuts. Did they gossip? Any juicy stories for a doughnut to share?

She started getting all excited again, hopping about with joy. But, Berry started stacking cakes! She sat her silly little rump down and watched, mezmirized. Who knew stacking caked could be so fascinating? Then again, the cakes did look absolutely delicious.

[colour=#ee82ee]"Can we eat the cakes when we're done?" [/colour]she asked the pink pony, almost seeming... concerned! They weren't going to let perfectly good cake go to waste, were they? how would the cakes feel about that? Maybe another question she could ask the doughnut...

[Rosewind]

Pinkie giggled, noticing Pinchy was getting caught in the siren's song of her lullaby. Maybe Berry would borrow it from her! Foalsitting the Twins did have its benefits. She nodded enthusiastically as she watched Berry start to stack the cakes up. She shooed a firefly off her nose, nodding. [colour=#ED458B]"Eat them?! Oh yes, we'll have to eat all the cakes. That's how the reading is done! We have to frost the cakes up and cut into them. We'll taste it, and depending on how delicious it is, we can tell what the future will hold! Cake scrying is a very ancient art passed down from baker to baker, you know! You have to train for years to bake the cakes right, to mix the frosting perfectly, and then you have to cool and chill them deep within a cave for several winters. I didn't really have time to do any of that, so I stole...er...borrowed them out of the bakery case! Heehee!"[/colour]

The crazy pink mare nudged several more cake layers toward Berry, smiling widely. [colour=#ED458B]"You're doing good! Be careful with that cinnamon chili cake, it packs a punch in more way than one!"[/colour]

Satisfied that Berry was stacking the cakes correctly, she pulled a bowl out from under the table. It was filled with large quantities of white frosting, spiked with vanilla and rye flakes. Pinkie stirred the gooey, sticky frosting haphazardly, spilling it over the sides of the bowl, and onto the shaggy carpet of the tent. She pulled out a globby spoonful of the sweet goodness and offered it to Berry. [colour=#ED458B]"Time to frost! Frost it with all of your frosty frostingness! Frost like you've never frosted before!"[/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Berry had never frosted a cake before, at least like this...under the watchful gaze of the pink crazy pony beside her - it was all simply a little bit disconcerting!

with a small shrug and an 'okay', the wine coloured mare set about frosting up those cakes as best she could...taking care to even out all the layers slowly and surely...perhaps catching the odd stray lumps when she could, and fixing them back onto the massively multiple mountain of mildly mouthwatering magnificence!

She took a moment to look over at pinchy, who seemed to be curiously pondering her question in deepest seriousness...

Berry thought for a moment about just what she would have asked any recently eaten foods in her belly...

[colour=#ee82ee]Would the scones she'd had a few days ago have been okay to be frosted and piled up like this?

Should she have served her hay fries with cheese instead of the salad cream she'd gone with on that day?

Just what DID that wine think of itself that she'd tastes and disapproved of a few days ago - what were it's reasons for being so...unenjoyable!?[/colour]

All these thoughts danced around her head for a moment before she shook herself back out of her reverie and giggled a little to herself - it was a silly idea to ask food what it thought, but Pinchy looked like she'd found some profound method of enlightenment, and was trying to seize upon what she wanted to do to make the most of it...the faces she was pulling in her little brainstorming session were adorable, and Berry was instantly glad she'd decided to bring her to this silly little tent of mystery...

She resumes her frosting, although for the most part she was done...well, all except maybe the little parts there. and there. and maybe a little bit on the side...and back!

A determined look in her eye, and a poked-out-tongue in concentration, Berry Punch immediately resolved to complete the rest her task, by hook or by crook!

[Imagination]

Frosting frosting frosting! In her professional opinion (Pinchy's profession being a cake-disposal unit), the frosting was the best part of the cake! Why?

Well, the frosting is often the presentation! Of course, it depends on the cake, but what is it that ponies usually look at? The frosting. The designs! How appealing it is to the eye, how bold it is! Two cake layers plopped on top of eachother? Bo-ring! Add yourself some frosting and you at least have a better-looking foundation for a great cake! At least Pinchy thought so. She always looked at how pretty the cakes were with all the little designs and such the frosting made.

Pinchy should write a book. Maybe the doughnut could give her an exclusive interview on what he(she?) thought of frosting. Some doughnuts were frosted afterall! And powdered. And covered in coconut shavings... Would the frosting be able to communicate? Would it count as a separate treat, or would it be like a... treat accessory? Like a delicious hat? Again she got herself mixed up in curiosities and thoughts... But she truly didn't want to be distracted!

She lifted her gaze to this in-progress tower of wonderful. Her mouth started to water at the sight of it. It was magnificent, and it wasn't even done yet!

[Rosewind]

Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves together. Pumpkin Cake stirred again, and she bit her lip, her large blue eyes wide with worry. She did not want to wake the foal from her nap. A firefly landed on her nose, of course. It tickled as it lit its little butt-lamp, causing her face to light up with an eerie green glow. [colour=#ED458B]"Aaa...AAAA...AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" [/colour]She said, her mouth open wide. Pinkie quickly dug a hole in the ground, and stuck her head in it. The ground shook lightly. She withdrew herself from the hole, dirt sprinkling off her head. An unamused earthworm was wrapped around her ear, clinging on for dear life. Pinkie, of course, didn't notice it. She blew her nose on the hem of her cloak, satisfied that her sneezing business was done for the moment.

Her attention shifted to Berry, busily frosting the Cake of Fate. Dun dun dun! It was at that moment she noticed a little dollop of frosting on her lovely burgundy cheek. It was calling her, oh yes it was! She trotted nonchalantly next to the mare mother, nodding approvingly at her icing work. Her gaze focused on the sweet, creamy icing. It was just a little bit...maybe she would help Berry out? Pinkie stuck her tongue out -- and without another warning -- licked the frosting clear off Berry's cheek. She smacked her lips approvingly, hoping she wouldn't mind too much...or too little. [colour=#ED458B]"Mmmm! Are you wearing perfume, Berry? Whatever it is, it goes great with this frosting! Heeheehee! It looks like you have a few more cake layers to frost, then we can slice it open and divine your future!" [/colour]Pinkie made a wild flourish with her cloak, and her earthworm struck a pose from its perch around her ear.

[SunsetSombra]

Berry looked over her creation with a determined gaze - she wasn't ready, sure, but she'd attack the rest of this cake as voraciously as a mare determined to find out frosting-fuelled future divinations could possibly manage. She may not be as neat with her frosting technique, and she was clearly splattered with cake frosting on various parts of her anatomy, but by luna as her witness, she WAS going to make the best darn cake out of what she had here, even if she was buried under a mountain of sweet frosted goodness by the end of it.

Berry's mind was momentarily shifted from her duty of cake decorating when Pinkie decided quite out of nowhere to lick her cheek - the frosting that had settled there now vanishing as the pink party pony savored it. the Wine mistress mare was left dazed for a moment, a small flush on her cheeks as she tried to focus back onto the task at hoof. Pinkie was certainly a mistress of the art of surprise, and Berry should have known better than to just expect her to NOT rise to the challenge of obtaining the sticky sweet substance that had clung to her, but it had been so disconcerting that she'd almost dropped the decorating knife in her moment of uncertainty.

"[colour=#ee82ee] I'm only using Berry scented shampoo, Miss Pie, I assure you[/colour]! " she says with a small clearing of the throat, managing to regain some composure as she begins to try and get back to her task. " [colour=#ee82ee]It's certainly nothing special at all, really[/colour]! " of course, she wasn't going to mention that there was another pony out there who was quite keen on that scented shampoo she used...afterall, she didn't really need to know such information, right?.

With the moment passed, Berry smiled at Pinchy - the filly was so excited to be here, and her eyes were wide as saucers whilst Berry gave her a quick snug...

Her daughter was always the most adorable thing when she was in as good a mood as this, and the doting mother couldn't help but share a moment with her, regardless of her task!

Turning back to the cake once she was sure that Pinchy was fully hugged-up, the mare sets back to work - focused as ever on creating the greatest dessert she could...

[Imagination]

An earthquake! EARTHQUAAA- Oh, wait, that was Pinkie sneezing. [colour=#ee82ee]"Whew..."[/colour] the filly sighed, glad that panic attack was over. But she had to giggle at the worm still clingign to her ear. [colour=#ee82ee]"Miss Pinkie, t-there's a-"[/colour] Oh my, but then Pinkie Pie went in for the kill! Pinkie was totally butting in on her new pappa's territory! Actually, she wasn't quite sure what to think about that. Pinkie was just getting at some frosting, right? So it was okay! And her mother didn't seem to mind. So she finished what she was saying before, smiling. [colour=#ee82ee]"Miss Pinkie, you have a hitchhiker!"[/colour] She remembered that was what some ponies called little bugs or animals that hopped on carts now and then, and she found the term pretty silly.

Then it was back to the cake. It had been stacked and frosted and OH MY GOODNESS did it look wonderful. It took over ounce of control the filly had to not drool on the ground. Nothing took Pinchy out of a daze like hugs, though. She immediately clinged to her mother and gave her a nuzzle. Horray for love! [colour=#ee82ee]"What do you think your future is gonna be, mommy?! Are you gonna be super rich? Will you live happily ever after? *GASP* Are you gonna be a PRINCESS?!"[/colour] Princess Punch! That sounded kinda cool, actually She had to remember to add that to her list of superhero names when she got home. Princess Punch, a no-nonsense action heroine who was also a princess! YEAH!

[Rosewind]

Pumpkin Cake woke up. The foal blinked her little blue eyes, rubbing bits of tried tears as she yawned cutely. She blinked at the huge cake, her face lighting up. Was it her birthday so soon?! She remembered getting a cake for her monthaversary with her brother Pound, but she didn't get one the following month, or the month after. This cake was huge, so perhaps it was to make up all the cakes she should have got. She wriggled her little hooves at the giant pastry, her mouth drooling.

Pinkie Pie looked to the foal, grinning. Her curly pink mane was lighting up like a Hearth's Warming tree full of lights, as the fireflies gradually found it was a fantastic place to nest. [colour=#ED458B]"Berry shampoo? I'll have to pick some up! I really like the scent! I'm using vanilla cupcake shampoo...actually, it's just frosting, but it's fun to pretend it's shampoo! It's what keeps my mane curly soft and bouncy!" [/colour]She gave Berry's mane another whiff, turning to Pinchy. [colour=#ED458B]"Hitchhiking? I dunno about you, but I want to 'hitchcake' a slice of this cake, and get your cookie séance going!" [/colour]

Pumpkin Cake rolled out of her Pinkie-cloak blanky, hitting the soft grass. The pink mare swiftly pulled the foal into her arms. She looked left and right. [colour=#ED458B]"Oh! Can you hold Pumpkin for a moment, Pinchy? Here ya go!" [/colour]Pinkie dropped the baby unicorn in the young filly's hooves, producing a cake slicing knife from behind her back. [colour=#ED458B]"Don't ask where I keep my pastry knives, I'm not sure either." [/colour]She jumped in the air like a ninja wielding a katana, and sliced at the cake swiftly. [colour=#ED458B]"Hiiiii~YA!" [/colour]Pumpkin's eyes widened as she watched the knife blade dance. She was glad Pinkie decided not to hold her while dispatching the destiny cake. Pinkie set down the knife blade. The cake looked like it remained whole, until it collapsed in one whole second. Each slice was perfect, and stacked high with different cakes and gooey frostings. [colour=#ED458B]"Wow Berry! I think you did a fantastic job decorating the cake! Let's take a lookie!"[/colour]

Pinkie looked over the cake, biting her lower lip. She looked rather worried. Several heavy moments passed. [colour=#ED458B]"Chili cake on top, that means you have a spicy personality once you get beneath the frosting. Hay...chocolate...followed by nut-studded. Yes, oh yes! I see!" [/colour]The pink mare hugged Berry, crushing her in her strong earth pony arms. [colour=#ED458B]"This says you're going to get married! Big surprise, huh?! It doesn't say when though."[/colour]

Pumpkin Cake clapped her little hooves together, giggling. Wait...what did "married" mean?

[SunsetSombra]

[colour=#EE82EE]"What do you think your future is gonna be, mommy?! Are you gonna be super rich? Will you live happily ever after? *GASP* Are you gonna be a PRINCESS?!"[/colour]

Berry can hardly stifle a giggle at her adorable daughters outburst of silliness...she shook her head and patted pinchy gently on the muzzle with a hoof - as much as Berry would probably have relished the opportunity to maybe move on up in the world a little, the role of Princess seemed to be a bit too out there for even her tastes. Nope, she was content just being here in Ponyville with her friends, family, and all of the trappings that came with it...she couldn't really ask for a whole lot more.

Well, there were probably a few things she wouldn't mind, naturally, but edible golden berries were hardly something that were likely to exist anytime soon...shame.

"[colour=#dda0dd] No, no - I'm sure it's not going to be anything quite as gloriously notable as that - and as fun as I'm sure being a Princess might be...I don't really think I'm cut out for it. [/colour]" Berry replies with a chuckle, giving a small clearing of the throat - for a brief moment, she entertained the idea of her being a fantastical superhero of legend...fearlessly saving ponies from the evils that befell them and also proving once and for all that through the magic of her best fruit juices, she could save helpless ponies from the pitfalls that came of NOT having a decent diet!

Pinkies impromptu sniffing once more promptly awakens her from her small momentary daydream and she shakes her mind clear of the vision of Princess Berry in royal attire lording it up in Canterlot, and watches as Pinkie gets to slicing the cake in her rather...unique manner. Honestly, Berry had no idea how on earth this one earth pony managed to achieve so much in so little time with such unexplainable methods, but she wasn't about to complain or bring it up - it seemed to work for the pink mare, and so long as she was doing it well enough, Berry didn't care much..

[colour=#ED458B]"Wow Berry! I think you did a fantastic job decorating the cake! Let's take a lookie!"[/colour]

She had to admit that the added compliments to her cake only served to help her smile widen a little more - she wasn't sure if she'd done that good a job, but Pinkie seemed to be quite confident that her 'work' had turned out pretty nicely, and that was pretty much a great thing for the mare who'd never really done this to any level like this before.

Soon, it was time for the reading...and Berry waits anxiously as Pinkie contemplates the flavours, and speaks out loud.

.[colour=#282828][colour=#ED458B]"Chili cake on top, that means you have a spicy personality once you get beneath the frosting. Hay...chocolate...followed by nut-studded. Yes, oh yes! I see!"[/colour][/colour]

Berry blinks - well, she could be a little hot headed if ponies got on her nerves...but the nuts part wasn't really anything that made sense to her yet.

And then came the much required context soon after!

[colour=#ED458B]"This says you're going to get married! Big surprise, huh?! It doesn't say [/colour]when [colour=#ED458B]though."[/colour]

Berry stands there slack-jawed, looking at Pinkie as though she'd just told her the world was made of marshmallow...this was clearly the silliest thing the pink mare coulda come up with. Afterall, just because she was seeing somebody didn't mean that they'd wind up...well, hitched - right? Berry was sure it was too soon for that.

" [colour=#dda0dd]Are...you sure that's what it's telling you? I mean, 'cause that sounds a little... [/colour]" she reaches for a word, and chuckles slightly. " [colour=#dda0dd]Well, uh...well it's not something I'm thinking about[/colour]! "

[Imagination]

Pinchy so wanted to hitch...cake... the cake. Hitchcaking? Was that a thing? Before she could think on it too long, the baby foal was deposited in her hooves. IT came nearly without warning, as Pinchy was distracted, but it was hard to ignore something adorable suddenly in her grasp. So adorable... So fragile. This foal was now HER responsibility! She was going to let nothing stop her from making sure this foal was happy and cared for!

WITH CELESTIA AS HER WITNESS, SHE WILL NOT FAI-

Ooo! Pinkie just chopped the cake! Pinchy kept hold of the foal as best she could, staring just as wide-eyed as Pumpkin was. To Tartarus with her seance, that was awesome! And now they get to have cake!! [colour=#ee82ee]"Miss Pinkie, can I have a piece? Pleeeease?"[/colour] she decided to hold up Pumpkin to try and gain leverage. If she has an adorable weapon at her disposal, she can't hesitate to use it at a moment's notice!

And what was that about her getting married? That happened when two ponies were in love! Mommy and Miss Lime are in love! She thinks. [colour=#ee82ee]"Is Miss Lime gonna be my new pappa?!"[/colour] she asks ecstatically. Well, she was already calling her 'Pappa', even at her protest.

[Rosewind]

Pinkie Pie leaned on her table cooly, nodding. She picked up a slice of the destiny cake, dollops of frosting plopping onto her shaggy rug. [colour=#ED458B]"Pfffft, duh! This is destiny cake, Berry! It doesn't lie! It also doesn't leave your flank if you eat it, but it's worth every nummy bite!" [/colour]She took a bite herself, which was quite a feat in itself considering the sheer number of layers it had. She chewed thoughtfully, frosting smeared all over her pink features.

Pumpkin Cake in Pinchy's grasp, meanwhile, squirmed around. She had eaten -- and worn -- most of a blueberry wheat pie earlier, but as she was just a little infant foal, her hunger quickly returned. The cake looked good! She stretched her little hooves toward the slice that her foalsitter was carelessly brandishing -- and eating -- as she spoke to Berry. Wiggle wiggle. [colour=#000000]Pinkie looked down, still half-chewing her bite of cake. She spoke, sputtering out bits of cake crumb. [/colour][colour=#ED458B]"Ohph my! Howf cute is that?! Nompf!" [/colour]Pumpkin's horn glowed. Pinkie blinked, startled, for a moment, before her slice of cake was magically whisked from her grasp. Pumpkin outstretched her hoofs to receive cake. Cake splattered all over her. Splat! She giggled, quite happy with the outcome, her little ducktail mane poking up out of a mound of icing.

Pinkie glanced back at Berry, as if nothing happened. [colour=#ED458B]"Yeah, you're definitely going to tie the knot! Soonish! I bet your wedding will be super duper fun pretty and amazing! I'm invited when it happens, right? RIGHT? Oh, I bet you'll need help planning it! I have to tell ya, sister, I love to plan party...er...weddings! It's like my destiny or something!" [/colour]The pink mare fluttered her eyelashes., which were smeared liberally with mascara to fit in with her gypsy look. She glanced to Pinchy, who was probably still holding the cake-covered Cake twin.

[colour=#ED458B]"Okies, little filly! Cookie séance time! Are you ready to commune with desserts of lives past?!"[/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Berry wasn't really sure what to make of all of this - Pinkies insistance that the wedding thing was accurate was something she wasn't sure she was quite ready to think could even BE a thing. Sure, she adored Quicklime, but to get MARRIED so soon?

It all seemed a bit weirdly rushed, and the magenta mare wasn't entirely certain she was really ready to even entertain such a notion as this right now.

"[colour=#ee82ee] Well, I...uh... "[/colour] she starts, not entirely sure if she could totally process this weird attempt of a prediction - deciding instead to turn attentions to pinchy as she tries to tackle holding the baby. It was kinda funny watching the filly doing her best to look after the baby, and Berry couldn't help but giggle slightly at the adorable scene.

" [colour=#ee82ee]Careful, hun - don't wanna wind up hurtin' yourself or the baby, do ya[/colour]? " she says, ruffling Ruby's mane with a hoof lightly, before Pinkie addresses the filly - she had just declared it was now time for the cookie seance, and Berry wasn't entirely sure what exactly to expect, especially since her own cake prediction had gone so oddly...she honestly had no idea quite what to expect of her filly's own 'Madame Pinkie' experience!

[Imagination]

While Pinchy considered this, she was trying to kill two birds with one stone and scrape whatever cake she could off the infant's face to eat herself. But of course she wasn't selfish. It was Pumpkin's cake! She held some out to her as well as she spoke. "I'm ready! I will learn all of the secrets of the pastries! There's so many questions I want to ask! Like what being baked is like, or what the latest gossip is, or-or-or!" She was getting too excited. She stopped herself before she started buzzing around. Can't have that with a foal in her hooves.

She cleared her throat and answered again, putting on a calm tone. "I am ready, Madame Pinkie"

But oh goodness this was exciting! The cake was pretty awesome too GEE WIZZ the cake was awesome, so many flavors and the FROSTIN- Oh boy, maybe she's had a bit too much sugar. No, Pinchy, focus. This could reveal destinies! Maybe. Or the pastries could just say 'it's dark in here' or something like that. Either way, she's never talked to a baked good before. Not where it could talk back, anyway.

[Rosewind]

Pinkie Pie blinked. It seemed like a long time had passed; months and months. The better part of a year, even. But no, the present was the present, and she, as the great Madame Pinkie Pie, had a job to do. She nodded to Pinchy, solemnly pulling out a red velvet bag tied with thick gold rope. "These are my Seance Cookies! I baked them on a cold winter's night during a full moon with flour from a haunted mill. OooooooOOooo!" She cleared her throat and untied the bag, unceremoniously dumping a pile of stale chocolate chip cookies in front of the young filly.

"Okay Miss Pinchy, gimme your hooves! We must sing the cookie seance song! Ahem...Chocolate chip, peanut butter too, ginger snaps and pecan chews! Ice box scoop a cookie too, bake them fresh or they'll come for you! Caramel fudge and butterscotch kale, come here ghosts, please don't moan or wail!"

A sudden gust of wind blew open the flap of the tent, sending a chill over the trio. Pinkie Pie blinked her large blue eyes, glancing to Pinchy with her teeth clenched. "I...I think somepony -- or something -- is here!"

[SunsetSombra]

Pinchy seemed to be enjoying herself, and that thought set Berry at ease...at least the young filly was going to come out of this with a memory she'd enjoy for a long time afterwards - and a delicious feast of cookies concocted by Ponyvilles own Pinkie Pie who, whilst she was occasionally (well, more than occasionally, Berry admitted to herself) one of the most extreme and unusual mares Ponyville had ever been home to, there was no denying that her apparent ability to concoct delicious sweet treats for parties was almost unparalelled.

Speaking of the incourigable miss Pie, it appeared as though she were preparing the next part of the 'act', or whatever it was this particular little gathering was intended to be for ponies - she certainly seemed to be a very keen showmare and entertainer, although Berry wasn't terribly sure of just where this little demonstration of Madame Pinkies power was heading...

" *gulp* - Oh my... " Berry utters as the chill blew through the tent. " Did it just get colder in here or was that just me feeling that? "

Oh dear, this was all getting so very...spookerific even without being entirely intended to be so - Berry found herself unsure what to make of all this malarkey, and so she attempted to calm her nerves a little more with another delicious piece of the cake she had constructed merely moments before but promptly found that, with her nerves rattling as they were, she wasn't really able to enjoy the sweet deligh, as the atmosphere seemed to suddenly become a slight bit creepy...and for the high strung parental mare, that was more than enough to set her on the edge of her proverbial seat!

{ Well, that would be the case if she was actually sat down, anyway... }