“Part of it is that I just don’t want to live down to the stereotype of the filly fresh off the rock farm who can’t handle anything spicier than feldspar.”

“You know I’d have stopped if it ran the risk of hurting the baby.”

She’d made her hot chocolate according to the original recipe, making it more of a drinkable mole sauce. She had added whipped cream, though that had dissolved once it touched the surface.

Sugarcube Corner was closed for the day. All four Cakes were off visiting Carrot’s parents in Tallahorsie.

especially given how he chugged his hot chocolate down to the dregs for courage first

it was in front of a roaring fire three days before the Gift Givers pranced through the sky.

Pinkie looked up from licking up the last bit of rice out of what had been a biryani and gave a thoughtful puff. The flames were a vivid enough pink that they left green afterimages in her sight. “I could probably send a few letters with it.”

Saffron slowly spun a spare one of the white, waxy peppers in her magic, taking in the black spots that suggested a moaning face.

The resulting belch sounded more like a haunting wail, echoing in ways that the Tasty Treat’s acoustics couldn’t account for.

Saffron set a plate of cheese covered in a vivid green sauce before Pinkie. “Not made with actual naga venom, of course, no more than moon pies are made by Luna. But it should—” She blinked at the empty plate.

“Truly, my daughter grows wiser every day.”

So long as she pays for the ingredients.”

my flower

“And you, champion of the Tasty Treat’s annual curry eating contest three years running, think I can help you take your spice tolerance even further?”

The door to the room opened, and a stallion in scrubs sighed. “Princess Twilight? We’ve talked about this, Your Highness. You can leave your vital trackers on your friends, but we really must insist that you follow the usual visiting hours.” He blinked as he took in the rest of the room. “And take Mr. Sandwich with you, please. He should have been out of here hours ago.”

“Then I’m at least calling Grease Fire for a rematch.” Pinkie grinned. “We can make a whole event out of that!”

“Well, I’m Minister of Laughter, and I say we are.”

“Cheese gave up halfway through the hot sauce tasting for the wedding!”

“But I can’t believe that made me miss the whole dang festival!”

“Only the one who tried to make a pass at her and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Mostly stallions. I asked her to keep it mild.”

“You had to get your stomach pumped of more capsaicin than most ponies eat in a moon. You’ve missed the whole cultural festival.”

Pinkie managed to hold back a smile at the awkwardness of her friend’s latest alicorn growth spurt.

Mimolette

The World Atlas of Dairy Products

she’d tried to bite a rosebush, all stinging pain and a coppery aftertaste.

The smell was almost chemical, at least until Pinkie’s muzzle went numb out of self-defense.

exotic griffon dishes out there, the kind that cost less if the customer let some ingredients go unidentified.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Minister Pie.”

rice and spice!”

Zesty Gourmand.”

we kirin have a special link to fire in all its forms, including flavor

spicy or plain?

“Ooh, the daffodil fried rice sounds great!”

seeing nothing but empty seats around the stall. “Really? Nopony’s come yet? This all smells great!”

a name that sounded a lot nicer in Kirinese, a pistachio allergy,

one of the booths staffed by a kirin, who was doing really cool things with a wok and her own angry nirik flames.

Twilight and Rain Shine

Big Important Ceremonies with Big Important Ponies and Big Important Letters.

the games and plays and especially the food stalls that would line the tiers of Canterlot

Lemon Hearts and Winter Flame

In one case, that lasted until Applejack got a rambling postcard one day a few years into the Twilit Era. (Twilight hated ponies calling it that, but she hadn’t exactly offered any alternatives.)

new friends vastly outweighed the unearthed ancient evils,

Pinkie had gotten to shake all manner of appendages, learn of all manner of new holidays, and try all manner of new dishes.

“I mean, that vendor pony did have a point, didn’t they? Your backstory is pretty ridiculous.

Wind Sprint makes you.”

“Does everypony here not read the newspapers? Listen to the radio? Look at a freaking Wonderbolts poster once in a while?”

I could hear you shouting from over here.”

he slurped cola out of a straw.

want a saddlebag charm? If you buy two you get the second one for half price!”

“So you caused a maginuclear winter once because you blew up Cloudsdale’s weather factory because… you were sad about not seeing your pet turtle for a few months?”

I’m actually Rainbow Dash! That all actually happened!”

Scripture. It’s like her holy book, all fables and parables to teach young fillies that it’s not alright to lie or try to scam a working family out of their Celestia-given ancestral farm.”

“But Twilight isn’t?”“Obviously, that’s what I said.”

part of the public domain, like Princess Celestia or Discord.

Lady of the Everfree

but having her just outright run into Twilight Sparkle is unrealistic, even for the series.

The unicorn behind her tapped her glasses knowingly.

“I’m just supposed to believe that there’s some pegasi in the E.U.P special forces that’s faster than all the other pegasi that is capable of doing some sort of magic pegasus super ability and while also being best friends with a princess and also is some sort of ultra special pony chosen by destiny? Come on. You gotta pick a lane, or at least stay thematically consistent.”

I meant—Do you think Rainbow Dash is real?”

bushy-browed unicorn in heavy-rim glasses.

“I’m an actual real pony! I’m not a fictional character.

but pointed to a group of three colts passing by, coats dyed blue and manes stripped in various inaccurate shades.

“Because I am Rainbow Dash!”

“What the hay was that! What does she mean ‘Rainbow Dash costume?’”

“I am Rainbow Dash in real life!”

“You are so lucky. It’s like you were born to almost look like Rainbow Dash in real life!”

“I mean, you got her cutie mark slightly wrong, it goes in the other direction, but everything else is like… top notch.

“How did you get your tail to have the colors so even? Everytime I’ve tried it’s always muddled.”

“Sorry, I was just trying to get to the room for the Daring Do collectible card game?”

Oh Celestia, am I that pedantic?”

Quibble took another bite. “That happens to stuff, right?”

Daring Do let Sisphyus’ boulder go because it was explicitly not magic! It’s not part of the curse, she even says as much!”

horseshoe friends

The Daring Do Temple of Fandom (at the Hayatt Regency in downtown Seaddle) was bustling, and Rainbow Dash was in her element.

Beharona

.l

r