It was a usual sunny day at Canterlot State University, only a few miles from Canterlot High. It was summer, and most to all the students were off doing whatever for summer break. Not me though. I was in my apartment, sitting on the sofa with an expressionless look on my face. Yeah, nothing new there. Why do I bring this up? You see, I’m not was you call...upbeat. I’m more along the lines of apathetic. Nothing’s wrong with me; I just don’t show much enthusiasm about, well, anything. I guess that’s why I’ve never been able to make many friends. Anyway, this particular day, I was dealing with some serious pain. Pain in my mouth that would not go away. It was no mystery to me though; I’ve been through it before. I was dealing with a horrible sweet tooth. Yeah, as absolutely ridiculous as that sounds, it happens to me. Whenever I have a desperate craving for something sweet, my whole mouth starts to ache. So what? I just have to eat some sweets and it goes away right? Normally yes, but for some reason, the pain just wouldn’t go away, no matter what I ate. It had been going on for a couple days and I didn’t know how much more I could take.

Just then, as I sat there, facing the internal struggle that was an aching sweet tooth, I heard a familiar knock at my door; the kind of knock that was the rhythm to ‘Shave and a Haircut’. I knew exactly who it was.

“Come in,” I called out nonchalantly. The door quickly opened, and in she skipped; the most upbeat, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky person I’ve ever met. Her name was Pinkie Pie, and, if you can believe it, she was my girlfriend.

“Morning, sweetie!” Pinkie cheerfully greeted as she skipped into the living room. She bounced over to me and gave me a loving peck on the cheek. I gave a small smile and looked back at her.

“Hey, Pinkie,” I responded.

Pinkie sat on down beside me and looked at me with that bright face of hers. “How’s my favorite guy, huh?”

“Ok, I guess,” I replied. Just then, another shot of pain went through my jaw and I winced, placing my hand over my cheek again. This did not go unnoticed.

“Sweetie?” Pinkie said concerningly. “Is everything alright? Is something wrong with your mouth? Are you in pain?”

Man, nothing could get by that girl! I sighed and turned back to meet her eyes. “Yeah. I’m having a bit of an issue.”

“Oh no!” Pinkie suddenly gasped in shock. “Is it serious? How much time do you have? Oh my poor sweetie!” This outburst was quickly followed by Pinkie breaking into tears. “I don’t think I can handle a funeral! What will I tell your family? I-”

I sighed and placed my finger over her mouth, silencing her immediately. “I’m not dying,” I said. “I just have this incredibly annoying sweet tooth that’s been beating at me for a while.”

Within an instant, Pinkie’s mood quickly changed as her tears instantly, and I mean that literally, disappeared and she started to laugh. “Is that all?” she asked. “Well don’t you worry, sweetie! We just have to fill that tooth up with some sweets!”

“I’ve been trying that, Pinkie,” I said, once again hanging my head, “but nothing I’ve had is working for me. I’ve tried cookies, pies, brownies, candy, and even cake. Nothing is working!” Pinkie gasped slightly when I mentioned the failure of cake. “And what’s worse, this damn sweet tooth is making me miserable! I just don’t know what to do.”

We sat there silent for a few minutes before I heard Pinkie gasp, which was so sudden and loud that I almost fell forward out of my seat.

“I know exactly what you need!” she happily exclaimed.

“A new mouth?” I asked bluntly.

“No, you silly-billy!” Pinkie giggled. “A VACATION! We still have a few more weeks before summer ends, so this would be the perfect chance to spend some time together! And I know just the place to go!” She then reached up into her curly forest that she called hair and pulled out a brochure. How she could store so many things in her hair, I’ll never know. Didn’t surprise me much though. I once saw her pull out a rubber duck. She quickly opened up the brochure to show me the front.

“Come see the Yum-Yum Candy Factory,” I read. “Maker of the Sweetest Candy in the Country, located in scenic Phillydelphia?”

“It's perfect!” She chirped in her usual exuberant way, clapping her hands in almost childish glee. “Just the things to nip that nasty-wasty ‘sweet toothache’ in the bicuspid!” Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, she pulled me close, excitement practically gushing from her face.

I, however, was less than sure.

“I dunno, babe.” I said as I flipped the brochure over, checking out the picture on the back. “It seems real nice and all,” I then casually set the brochure on the coffee table in front of me and sat back again, “but it's not a big deal. I’m sure this sweet tooth will pass on...eventually.”

A sudden shift in her mood was made apparent as I met the gaze of her deep blue eyes. She silently came to stand before me and met my own eyes. Without breaking eye contact, she took my face in her hands and pulled me in until she was within centimeters from me.

“My sweetie. Is. Hurting.” She said cooly, emphasizing each word. Her face and grip still held its tenderness for me, but her features had changed.

“This…” She hissed quietly to me, eyeing my mouth almost menacingly? “sweet tooth,” she practically spat the words, “is daring me.” She then started to stroke my cheek. Base instinct told me not to move an inch. “It tasks me…” she said, her eyes growing hard and oddly distant. “I will seek out and vanquish this blight upon you, my love.”

She was rolling now, best to let her go.

“I will chase this beast around the grandest of cream horns, through the succulent swirl of cinnamon buns, through Marshmallow glazing FLAME BEFORE I'VE GIVEN UP!!!”

At this point, she had pulled me into a full head lock, my head pressed firmly into her ample chest. She smelled of cotton candy and white flour, a soothing combo that almost made me forget the pain in my jaw, and the ancient blood oath that may or may not of happened just then. I peered up to her face and see her eyes were unfocused and her normal happy features replaced with the look for… Damn, I hope not blood.

“Or…” I said, reaching for the brochure once more, “we could just, you know, go to the Yum-Yum Candy Factory for a nice weekend together?”

She then whipped her head back at me with a big smile on her face like nothing just happened.

“Oh sweetie!” she swooned, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, and moving to straddle my lap. “That's a fantabulous idea! Why didn't I think of that?”

“It’s a mystery,” I sighed. I had been with Pinkie long enough to know just to go with the flow with the random “episodes” of hers.

“I've already made the plans for the weekend!” she happily squealed. “We can drive up tomorrow morning and stay at the hotel that is just a few blocks away from the factory! I’ve already made the reservations for both.” She then nuzzles her nose against mine affectionately.

“How did you-” I started to ask how she managed to make reservations before she even came in, but I remembered that it’s Pinkie; don’t question it. “-nevermind. Sounds great, babe.” I smiled a little at her, causing that spot on my jaw to ache a little more. Only that time, I tried to hide it a little better.

It apparently didn’t work as she regarded me for a moment with concern, twirling a bit of my hair in her fingers, as she pulled me into tender hug, which I returned.

“It's gonna be great, sweetie.” She said softly. “I promise; by the time our trip’s done, that sweet tooth will be just a memory!”

“Yeah,” I agreed, trying to sound upbeat for her. “Here’s hoping.”

The following morning was a complete blur to me. One minute I’m sound asleep, when all of a sudden, Pinkie comes bursting into my room playing a bugle, scaring me half to death in the process, and practically throws me and our luggage into the car. The next thing I know, I’m at the steering wheel, driving at 60 mph down the interstate, and Pinkie’s talking my ear off about a dream she had, where she was wrestling with a giant hot fudge sundae in the middle of Manehattan while Don’t Stop Believing was playing in the background.

Yep. Basic Friday morning.

Though after about a few hours of driving, including a few dozen games of I-Spy, Pinkie finally fell asleep. The silence was almost deafening at that point, but not altogether unwelcome. As much as I loved the girl, the moments with her when it was quiet, and there weren't many of the them, were rather serene. We only had a few more miles to go, and a good thing too. My body was stiff from the ride, and the deep fried tortilla filled with cherries she gave me wasn't sitting right. What did she call it again?

After stretching my neck and shoulders a bit, I took a glance at my snoozing girlfriend. Wow. Even after being with her for all those months, it still felt weird to call her my girlfriend. It seemed like only yesterday when we first met. We were both attending Canterlot State University for Culinary Arts. Believe it or not, I was actually more apathetic back then. We were assigned to pair up and make a 7-layer wedding cake. That’s when we first talked. Well, technically, she talked and I nodded nonchalantly. She then told me how I reminded her of one of her sisters. More classes passed, and she continued to be the one talking and I was the one who listened. Then, one day out of nowhere, she just said that she liked me. Took me by surprise. After spending more time together, I had started to warm up to her, and started to talk to her as well. It wasn’t long after that before we officially started dating. That was five months ago, and even though I was happy with her, I couldn’t help but think the question...why? I mean, I could understand going out with me once out of pity, twice if I was lucky, but to stay together for five months? I still didn’t understand it. We were as opposite as north and south. I was apathetic, unenthusiastic, and gloomy. She was peppy, optimistic, and bouncy. That ray of sunshine could’ve picked any white, puffy cloud she wanted, and she went with the gloomy rain cloud? It just didn’t make any sense. Even though I never showed it, the thought still raced through my mind constantly, and even the fear that one day, she would see just how much dead weight I am and leave me.

I quickly shook the thoughts from my head as I saw my exit ahead of me. I veered right onto the exit lane, and within minutes, we arrived at the hotel. It was almost as if Pinkie had a movement detector in her head, because the minute the car stopped, her eyes snapped open and she pressed her face against the window like an excited puppy. If she had a tail, you can be sure that it would’ve been wagging. After checking in and settling our stuff in our room, we didn’t waste any time in getting back into the car and setting course to the factory. It was only a few blocks away, but the entire trip, Pinkie was bouncing excitedly in her seat. She would’ve forgotten to put on her seatbelt if I hadn’t reminded her. Finding the factory was no hard task. There were signs all over the place pointing us in the right direction, lucky for us. Each sign was the same; two happy ponies on the front with lollipops and chocolates surrounding them, and printed in big, colorful letters were “YUM-YUM? YOU BET IT IS!!” Didn’t even make much sense in my opinion, but I was just hoping that the factory could deliver.

Finally, the moment had arrived. As we pulled into the parking lot, Pinkie’s mouth dropped in awe at the 3-story, candy-colored marvel across the road. Taking a moment to look down I undid my seatbelt only to find a rather pink smile pressed against the outside of the driver side window. Double taking, I looked over and confirmed that she was indeed already out of the car, though I am certain I didn't hear the door open, or close for that matter.

“COME ON COME ON COME ON COME ON!!” she gibbered at me through the window. I quickly obliged and opened my door, only to instantly find myself being towed through the parking lot by my cotton candy haired girlfriend. By chance I had looked to our left, only to sharply dig my heels in the ground and tightened my grip on Pinkie’s hand, making her stop right at the curb. She looked confused at first, until a minivan blew through the stop sign in front of us and sped on down the road. I sighed of relief before feeling myself quickly pressed up against Pinkie’s chest with her arms tightly around me.

“Awww!” Pinkie squealed as she snuggled against me. “My hero!”

“Pinkie!” I wheezed as my body was squeezed of all it's precious life-giving oxygen. “I. Can’t. Breath!” With one final squeeze and a giggle, Pinkie let go and I instantly felt my oxygen returning. As soon as I caught my second wind, we were on the move once again.

The entrance to the candy factory was about as hokey as you could get. It was as if a kid had been putting together a gingerbread house but had been nibbling on it the whole time. I could see why, given the typical clientele were children and those “young at heart.” Places like this were rather foreign to me as my parents never really took the time to take me to places like this. I was just lucky if they remembered to buy groceries.

“Don't think about that now!” I admonished myself. “You're here for Pinkie, dammit! You are not gonna put a damper on this for her!”

“Sweetie?” Pinkie said, making me snap out of my trance. “Is everything alright?”

I looked over to her and saw exactly what I didn't want to see. She was holding my hand once again, only this time, she was cradling it gently; a sad, unsure expression etched on her face. I mentally kicked myself again.

“Y-Yeah!” I covered up. “It's just my tooth, babe.” I reassuringly squeezed her hand as I brushed my knuckles on my cheek where the offending molar continued to throb.

This, thankfully, returned her smile. “Well, that's why we're here, sweetie,” she said as she resumed to pull me along. “Prepare to have that ache wiped away with the ever-effective healing power of candy!” I mustered up the most assuring smile I could, which in hindsight was still not that much, as we walked through the automated doors into the foyer. The instant we walked in, the mixed scent of peppermint and chocolate hit my nose like a brick. The walls were dark pink with thin yellow stripes on them, and the floor was green and black checkered. There was already a decent-sized crowd gathered near some double doors at the front that had a sign that read the times for the tours. Pinkie squealed as she led me to the crowd, just as a lady wearing a bright pink business dress and had her black hair up in a bun came through the doors.

“Hello, everyone!” she announced with a big smile. “Welcome to the official Yum-Yum Candy Factory tour! My name is Lily, and I’ll be your guide through this sweet experience. I know all of you are so excited to see how we make all of our most delicious candies, which, is to say, all of them!” The crowd let out a soft chuckle. “We are gonna have so much fun, and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two on the way! Now, before we begin, are there any questions?” Pinkie’s hand quickly shot up. Lily instantly saw her and pointed out her hand. “Yes, miss?”

“Will there be free samples on this tour?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“Absolutely,” Lily happily responded. “You’ll all be able to try our different treats!”

“Good,” Pinkie said as she put her arm around me and pulled me close to her,” because my boyfriend here has a horrible sweet toothache, and only something sweet can cure it!”

Lily giggled. “Well you don’t have to worry, miss. Our candy is known as the sweetest in the entire country. By the time your boyfriend leaves here, his toothache will be just a thing of the past!” Pinkie looked at me with a big smile. I smiled back, but only slightly. “Alright everyone,” Lily announced back at the group, “set your sweetness levels to 10, cause here we go!” With that, Lily opened the double doors and started to lead everyone in. Pinkie quickly grabbed my hand again and gave an affectionate squeeze as she led me with her. I just took a deep, hopeful breath and followed.

“Here’s hoping,” I told myself.

After going through the double doors, Lily led the group down a long hallway with photos on the walls. The photos resembled a timeline of events which was pretty interesting. First was the founder, some guy named Bartholomew Yum, with his first candy shop, then was the first factory, the creation of the creative candies, and so on. Lily spoke of Yum’s history as we walked, but I could feel that Pinkie wasn’t paying much attention. I could tell from the look in her big, light cerulean eyes that she was just in it for the sweets. I smiled softly and shook my head. Typical Pinkie. Finally, the group arrived at the end of the hall, and Lily led us through the big doors into the main factory. As we walked into the open space, a majority of the group, including Pinkie, let out a loud gasp of awe.

“Welcome to the Taffy/Gummy Room!” Lily announced happily. “Here is where we make the chewiest and stretchiest taffy and gummies you’ve ever tasted!” She then led us to the left side of the room, where several machines were hard at work stretching countless strands of multicolored taffy. Oo’s and Aah’s escaped from the onlookers’ mouths as they watched. Lily smiled and continued, “Here, we pull almost 200 pounds of taffy each day. After they are pulled, the taffy goes over here,” she then led up further up where the taffy was being transported to a line of conveyor belts, where large blades cut the taffy into pieces, “where the taffy is then cut and boxed for shipping.” I looked over at Pinkie and couldn’t help but smile again when I saw her entire head following the machines’ movements back and forth, back and forth like a cat following a laser pointer. I quickly snapped her back to attention and pulled her back to the group, who was heading to the right of the room.

“Here,” Lily continued, “is the gummy side of the room. Those huge drums serve as the mixing bowls to make a variety of colorful flavors.” Sure enough, there were giant drums off to the side where thick, syrup-like liquid of all different colors were being poured in and stirred with mechanical beaters. After a mixture was made, the pouring temporarily stopped as the rainbow liquid was dumped into small trays to be taken into the next room. As I looked at Pinkie, I couldn’t help but notice her trying to hold back a snicker.

“What’s funny?” I asked.

“Do you think there are any alligator-shaped gummies?” Pinkie asked with a giggle. I immediately got the joke and chuckled softly, shaking my head.

“Now,” Lily suddenly said, catching everyone’s attention, “who wants to try one of our taffies or gummies?” Immediately, the crowd got excited as Lily directed them to a small table with Free Samples on the side and two trays sitting on top, one with taffies, and one with gummies. Everyone grabbed one and popped them into their mouths. An echo of “Mmmmmm’s” carried through the room. Pinkie followed the choir of yums as she chewed on a green and purple gummy worm, a look of great satisfaction on her face.

“Go on, sweetie! Try one!” Pinkie said to me. I took the initiative as I picked up a blue taffy and popped it into my mouth. It was definitely chewy, and the flavor was...blueberry. I looked up and both Lily and Pinkie were staring at me with big smiles.

“Not bad,” I said nonchalantly. “Very chewy.” Pinkie’s smile widened at my response. Lily’s smile, however, disappeared as she suddenly looked rather disappointed at my lackluster response. She didn’t let it get to her though as she quickly regained her smile and turned back toward the group.

“Well, let’s move on to the next room!” she announced as she led the way through the next set of doors. Pinkie quickly grabbed my hand again and we ventured on, my tooth still giving a sharp shock in my mouth as we walked. So much for taffies helping.

Lily led us into the next room, which was much different than the last. The style of the room was that of a mine. Shiny, multi-colored crystals decorated the walls and buckets that looked like mine carts were scattered around filled with different colored liquids with thin wooden sticks sticking in them. Pinkie’s eyes immediately grew as wide as plates and her mouth fell open. She and I knew exactly was kind of candy was being made.

“This is our Rock Candy Room,” Lily happily announced. “We make over a hundred different flavors from cherry and lime to cotton candy and apple pie. We use the finest sugar for the mixtures and all the flavorings are crafted right here.” More Oo’s and Aah’s filled the room as several people snapped some pictures. I instantly felt my hand getting squeezed hard as Pinkie started to hop up and down excitedly. She was practically on her way to the moon.

“OH MY GOSH!” she squealed. “I LOVE rock candy! Ooo look at all the colors! I see red, blue, green, light green, cyan, orange, yellow, magenta, indigo, turquoise, sky blue, OOOOO is that pink I love pink of course I love pink my name has pink in it OOOO I can’t believe how much is-”

Ok, by this point, I knew it was time to bring Pinkie back to Earth. Without saying a word, I gently patted her hand. She stopped and looked at me and I softly smiled. Pinkie chuckled nervously as she settled down. Another Pinkie explosion averted. Part of her excitement quickly returned, however, when she saw Lily directing everyone to another Free Samples table. Within an instant, everyone was happily sucking on rock candy of all different colors and flavors. Pinkie took a pink one and hummed happily as she licked it.

“Mmmmmmm! Bubblegum flavored!” Pinkie hummed with delight.

Lily handed me a purple one and I took it. She stared intently as I licked the side. Grape flavored. “What do you think, sir?” she asked.

“It’s good,” I said apathetically.

Lily’s smile faded again as she continued to stare, as if waiting for a more discreet answer. “Just...good?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “It’s good. Well done.” At that moment, another shock hit my mouth and I winced a bit. Lily sighed in slight defeat, but quickly smiled again as she went towards the front of the group again. While Pinkie was unfazed by my answer, I started to hear some murmurs from some of the group.

“Yeesh,” one guy whispered. “You think he could at least smile when he responds.

“Yeah,” another responded. “What a downer.”

I frowned and looked at the ground. I wasn’t trying to be a downer. I gave an honest answer.

“C’mon, sweetie,” Pinkie chipperly said as she grabbed my hand again. “We got more candy to try!” I worked up a smile for her as she led me on with the group. Rock candy, no help.

I wish I could say that the rooms that followed offered better results. I would be lying. After rock candy, we went to the Lollipop Room. No good. Next was the Bubblegum Room. Chewy and bubbly, but it didn’t help. Licorice, jelly beans, peppermints, caramels, sours, all the same result. The candy was good, no doubt about that, but none of them helped with my sweet tooth. And with every taste test, I replied honestly and said they were good. Apparently that answer wasn’t good enough for Lily or anyone else but Pinkie. And with every room, I heard more and more whisperings about my attitude. That was just what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to bring down everyone's’ vacation. I just hadn’t found the right treatment for my tooth. At least Pinkie was having the time of her life, and that was enough to keep me going.

After leaving the Candy Rope Room in defeat, it was visibly clear that Lily was trying her hardest to keep her upbeat attitude. She had almost exhausted every candy the factory had to offer. There was just one room left.

“Ok everyone,” she said as she walked us down the hall, “I’ve saved the best for last. This is our most famous room filled with our most famous product. And if this won’t cure anyone’s sweet tooth, then nothing will!” She said anyone, but everyone knew who she was talking to, and I just drooped my head a bit in embarrassment. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…the Chocolate Room!” With that, the doors swung open, and in we walked; into the biggest room in the factory, filled with conveyor belts, buckets, and pans all filled with chocolate. As I looked outward, I suddenly felt something drip onto my shoe. I looked over and saw the source. Pinkie’s mouth was gaped open and drool was practically flooding her dangling tongue. I just rolled my eyes playfully and shut her mouth.

“This is where we, of course, make all our different chocolate candies!” Lily announced. “From bars to kisses, this is where it’s all made fresh. We use the freshest cream, the freshest cocoa, and the freshest fillings to make each chocolate. Besides plain, we have a large assortment of fillings to choose from. Peanut butter, caramel, almonds, rice crisps, the list just goes on.” She then inhaled greatly and let out a sigh. “Do you smell that? I’ve been working here for over six months, and that smell never gets old.”

Pinkie didn’t waste any time in taking in a big whiff herself. When she exhaled, her eyes crossed and her tongue fell out of her mouth. She looked like she just had the orgasm of her life.

“I think I just came a bit,” she sighed. Mystery solved there. After giving us a closer look at some other machines and how they shaped and filled the chocolate, Lily directed us to the exit doors, where a long table of assorted chocolates awaited. As everyone grabbed one and ate, smiles appeared on all their faces as they chewed happily. Pinkie was so eager, she grabbed the first chocolate that she saw. I just watched calmly as she tossed the chocolate up in the air to catch it in her mouth.

Then, I quickly noticed the type of chocolate it was from the identification card on the table. A panicked expression came over me as I zipped toward the chocolate falling toward Pinkie’s mouth.

“NO!” I snapped as I reached out my hand and thankfully, just caught it before it touched Pinkie. Everyone turned to see me holding the chocolate just above Pinkie’s open mouth. I sighed of relief as Pinkie lifted her head and turned to me with confusion.

“What gives, sweetie?” she asked with a pout. I didn’t say a word and pointed towards the flavor card on the table. As soon as Pinkie looked at it, her face turned a shade of red and she turned back to me with an embarrassed smile. Coconut; the one thing Pinkie was extremely allergic to. One touch, and she would swell up like a newly-inflated balloon, and if she would’ve swallowed it, well, it was a bad day to forget an Epipen.

“I think I’ll just have a plain chocolate,” Pinkie giggled as she went over and grabbed one. As soon as she tossed it into her mouth and chewed, her eyes lit up and a big smile came across her face. No doubt she had hit Nirvana with that one chocolate. I chuckled softly as I watched her go spastic.

“Care for one, sir?” Lily asked as she held one up to me with a desperate smile on her face. I nodded a thank you and took the chocolate. I stared at it a second, praying that it would work, before I popped it in. As I chewed, I felt the creaminess hit me right away. The cocoa was not too rich, but not too bland either. Lily continued to look with anticipation as I chewed and finally swallowed.

“Hmm…” I said, smacking my lips, “creamy, chocolatey, sweet…” Lily leaned in more, her eyes growing even wider. I could tell the anticipation was killing her.

“I liked it,” I answered calmly.

Lily’s eyes and smile completely deflated as she leaned back. “That’s it?” she asked. “No other comments or anything?”

I shook my head. I waited for the ache to come back, and for a second, it seemed like it wasn’t. But then, just like clockwork, a sharp shock hit my mouth and I winced in pain. Lily looked at me, utter defeat finally taking over. She had walked into this tour feeling fresh as a daisy and happy as any other day, but all that had disappeared. People around me noticed and the murmurs started back up. Another fail.

“W-well everyone,” Lily finally said as she tried to pick up what smile she had left, “that concludes our wonderful tour. I...hope you all had as much...fun as I had. As you exit, don’t forget to visit our gift shop where you can by all assortment of our candies, as well as other trinkets. Thank you for coming, and I hope you come back soon.” With that, she opened the double doors, and the group exited into the brightly-colored gift shop. Boxes of candies covered the shelves and little trinkets, like keychains and magnets, hung on the walls.

“Sweetie, I’m gonna look around!” Pinkie said happily. Too defeated to respond, I just nodded and she went skipping off toward the boxes of chocolates. As I looked around at all the souvenirs, I suddenly picked up on Lily’s voice in the other room. She did NOT sound happy.

“I swear, I’ve never been more confused in my life!” she snapped to possibly her fellow co-workers. “He didn’t even change his tone when trying the candies. I couldn’t read him at all. Where do people like that even come from? I felt like I was getting depression just by talking to him.”

I hung my head again. I wasn’t being depressing; I liked their products.

“Hey!” said a voice from behind me.

I turned around to see one of the guys murmuring about me before, and he didn’t look happy either.

“I’ve been trying to hold my tongue the entire tour, but I can’t take it anymore. You’re in a candy factory for God’s sake. You could show some emotion. What, are ya depressed or something?”

“N-no,” I mumbled. “I just-”

“That nice tour guide tried to make you happy,” he continued, “but your gloominess just rained on not just her’s, but all of our parade! Did you even like the candy?”

“Of course I did,” I answered. “I’ve just been having this sweet toothache that-”

“You could’ve fooled me,” the guy snapped. “I’m sorry buddy, but I wager you’ve pretty much ruined all these people’s trips. You are such a downer.” I hung my head again. I don’t normally let words get to me, but with the combined irritation of my sweet tooth and the worry that I was ruining Pinkie’s vacation, I couldn’t help but think that he was right.

“HEY!” Pinkie’s voice snapped from across the room. I looked back just in time to see her stomp up in between me and the guy. “Quit picking on my boyfriend!”

“Wait,” the guy said as his voice shifted into shock, “you mean this guy really is your boyfriend?”

“That’s right!” Pinkie replied.

“No offense, lady,” he said, “but you could do so much better. I mean, I’ve seen you on the tour. An upbeat, fun-loving gal like you doesn’t need a gloomy guy like this to bring you down.” It was as if a needle sank into my heart at that comment. Was it true? Was I really just bringing her down? “You deserve a much better kind of-”

The guy was suddenly silenced by a loud SMACK that rang throughout the room. Everyone stopped and looked, some even gasped. I myself looked up just in time to see the guy with a red mark on his cheek and a shocked look in his eyes.

“How dare you.” Pinkie’s voice was softly menacing. I had never heard her so angry. “How DARE you!” The guy quickly backed up as Pinkie got straight in his face and pointed a furious finger at him. “Listen here, buster; I don’t care who you are, nobody, and I mean nobody, talks about my sweetie that way.” She then reached to me and wrapped her arms around me, not taking her eyes off the guy. “He is the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and I wouldn’t trade him for anything or anyone! You, all of you, should be ashamed of yourselves for judging him so cruelly!”

Silence filled the room as everyone just looked at Pinkie and I with shock. After a few more seconds, Pinkie turned me around and led me toward the exit. “C’mon sweetie. Let’s blow this popsicle stand. Candy wasn’t that good anyway.” And with one final huff, Pinkie opened the door, led me out, and slammed the door behind her.

As Pinkie led me out across the street, I couldn’t stop thinking of how this was somehow my fault. She was having such a good time, and I had just ruined it for her. She didn’t even get a box of chocolates. I had just denied Pinkie sweets! SWEETS for God’s sake! I just couldn’t take it anymore. Before we reached the car, I let go of Pinkie’s hand and stopped at the curb. Pinkie looked back with concern and confusion.

“Is something wrong, sweetie?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I answered sadly. “I saw you in there. You were having the time of your life. You would’ve bought the whole gift shop if you had to, and what did I do? I just made you storm out. I ruined the vacation.” As I spoke, I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes, so I looked at the ground. “What if...what if the guy was right? I’m just bringing you down.”

“Sweetie…” Pinkie reached out to touch my cheek, but I backed away a bit.

“No!” I said sharply into her eyes. “I have been thinking about this for a while. It has been five months in the making now. Why are you still with me? We are so different! You’re a happy ball of sunshine, and I’m just a gloomy rain cloud. I try and be like you, but I’m just not good at showing emotion that much. I wasn’t brought up that way. People get weird around me. They don’t know how to read me, so they stay away.” I lowered my head to the pavement again as I felt more tears starting. “I just don’t understand why you would want to stay with me. You could choose any upbeat guy you want. You deserve so much better than-”

“Stop right there, Buster Brown!”

I jumped a bit at hearing Pinkie snap at me and looked back up. Her eyes were staring daggers into mine as she walked up so that she was inches from me.

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I could find someone more upbeat.” At first, I had started to hang my head again, but then she lifted it again and I was met with a soft smile. “But why would I when I have a perfectly great guy right here? I don’t want an upbeat guy. I want you!”

“B-but-”

“No buts, mister!” Pinkie said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Sweetie, when I look at you, I don’t see an apathetic, gloomy gus. Do you know what I see? I see what’s under the gloomy nature. I see a heart that is kind, gentle, compassionate, patient, caring, I could just go on. So what if you don’t show much emotion? I have never met a guy who is as loving as you. Someone who is willing to…” she suddenly stopped as I noticed that tears we starting to appear in her eyes as well. Pinkie quickly wiped them away and continue to smile, her lip quivering a bit. “Someone who is willing to put up with someone like me.”

I had to admit, I did not see that one coming. I immediately straightened up and got closer to Pinkie. We were so close, I could see my reflection in her eyes. “Pinkie,” I said softly, wiping a tear that was working her way down her cheek, “I don’t put up with you. I love being around you.”

Pinkie smiled as she looked at me. “I know. It’s just that a lot of guys I’ve met can only take so much of me before they call me crazy and leave.” She then frowned and bowed her head. “I admit that I can go a teensy-weensy bit overboard at times, but I’ve never been able to hold down a boyfriend because of it. You however?” She looked back at me with a smile and cradled my hand affectionately. “You constantly look after me! You care about my safety. You even know when it’s time to calm me down, and you know exactly how to do it. Don’t you see? You don’t bring me down. You keep me leveled. Your caring nature shines through, and if others can’t see that, then...screw them!” I couldn’t help but chuckle at her shrewd statement, and even she giggled a bit.

“I need you just as much as you need me,” she continued. “I can’t imagine my life without you, sweetie. I...I love you.”

That was it. That was all I needed to hear. I couldn’t take waiting anymore. With a big smile appearing on my face, I immediately took her head in my hands and pulled her into a passionate kiss. When our lips touched, the same sparks I felt the first time we kissed were still there. Her lips still tasted like cotton candy too. Pinkie returned the gesture as she pressed herself against me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Our mouths opened and our tongues jousted as we kissed. We stayed there for what seemed like a minute before we separated. When we broke our kiss, a small strand of saliva kept us connected before finally breaking. We both smiled as we stared into each other’s eyes. I didn’t want to look away.

Finally, I caught my breath and happily replied, “I love you too, my sweetie pie!” Pinkie giggled and we wrapped our arms around each other in a comforting hug. I heard her hum happily in my ear as she squeezed me, and I returned the gesture. Nothing could break the moment.

Except for another shock of pain hitting my mouth. I winced and gave an audible “Ow!” that made us break the hug. I angrily placed my hand on my cheek.

“Still hurting, huh?” Pinkie asked.

I sighed in defeat. “Yeah. I guess I’ll just have to ride it out until it stops. God knows how long that’ll take.”

We stood there by the curb silently for a minute. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud gasp from Pinkie, which once again made me jump.

“I have another idea!” Pinkie happily exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

“If it’s another candy factory, I’ll pass,” I said nonchalantly.

“No, silly-billy,” Pinkie giggled. “This is a simple idea.” She then wrapped her hands around my arm and pulled closer to me. “How ‘bout we go back to the hotel, and have a nice, romantic dinner. We’ll order our favorite dishes and just have a good old fashion time. And after dinner, I’ll fix you a great dessert!”

I eyed Pinkie surprisingly. I had to admit that a romantic dinner sounded nice, but I doubted that it would help my toothache. “I don’t know…”

“Aw, come on, sweetie!” Pinkie pouted. “What do you got to lose? And besides, even if the dessert doesn’t work,” she then gave me a sultry wink as her voice grew soft and seductive, “we can still look forward to a romantic evening together.”

I was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. It was rare for Pinkie to talk romantic to me, but when she did, I just loved how she put her words and her cute little winks. Plus, I couldn’t resist those big, pleading eyes of hers. And with a bat of the eyes, she had won me over.

“Alright, Pinkie,” I smiled. “Romantic dinner it is.”

Pinkie smiled wider and hugged me tight. “Thanks, sweetie! I know that we’re gonna have a great time!”

I just smiled and hugged her back. Despite my aching tooth and whether or not her plan would cure it, I was just happy to be with the one I loved.

After we got back to the hotel, we went to our room and ordered our food from the hotel restaurant to be delivered to us. I ordered the chicken parmesan and she got the spaghetti. I also heard her order some other things as well, but she was trying to be secretive about it. All I heard from her was something about ice cream and whipped cream. I guess it was for the “great dessert,” but I wasn’t confident it would help. I tried to cure my tooth with ice cream before, but it didn’t work. Though I tried to keep an optimistic mind. Whatever she had planned, she was definitely confident it would work. After that, we snuggled on the bed and watched some cartoons for a while before the bellhop came with our meals. As he wheeled the cart in, I noticed a covered bucket that sat on the bottom of the cart, and that when he handed it to Pinkie, she put it off to the side. Once again, I just assumed it was the stuff for the dessert. After the bellhop set up our small table and two chairs and left, we popped open a bottle of sparkling soda, toasted to our vacation, and dug into our meals.

“How was your chicken, sweetie?” Pinkie asked after we had cleaned our plates.

I sat back in my chair and pat my stomach with content. “I have to admit. That was some damn good chicken.” Pinkie giggled slightly. “I’m gonna have to remember this place the next time we come to Phillydelphia.”

“Agreed!” Pinkie gleefully nodded. She then stood up and started to clean up the dirty dishes, stacking them and putting them on the cart. “Now, are you ready for your dessert?”

I shrugged and sat back up. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Good,” Pinkie clapped happily, “cause I’m gonna need you to go into the bathroom while I get it ready.” I raised an eyebrow to her curiously. “It’s a surprise dessert.” Deciding just to go with it, I stood up and went over to the bathroom door. Before I closed it, Pinkie called out, “NO PEEKING!”

“Got it,” I answered before shutting myself inside. The moment the door closed though, I instantly heard the banging of the table and chairs being pushed aside and what sounded like the rustling of...fabric. Curious, I called out, “Pinkie! Can you at least tell me what kind of dessert it is?”

“Let’s just say it’s pie!” she called back.

“If it’s pie, then why is it a secret?” I asked.

“I have to decorate it, silly!”

Eh. Couldn’t argue with that logic. I just leaned back on the sink and waited as I started to hear things like clinging metal, whipped cream being sprayed, and even Pinkie Pie humming to herself. Probably trying to block out the big noises. After a minute, I decided to say something else. “Pinkie, are you sure that this will help my sweet tooth?”

“If this doesn’t, I don’t know what will,” Pinkie responded. She sounded quite sure. I just hoped she was right. Finally, after what seemed like five minutes, silence filled the room. Before I could wonder what was up, I heard Pinkie shout, “Ok! Come on out!”

Taking the initiative, I opened the bathroom door and ventured into the room. “Ok, Pinkie,” I started to say as I turned towards the bed, “where’s this special piiiiiiiiiiiiii…” The minute I looked over at Pinkie, all muscles in my mouth stopped as it just dropped, my eyes grew as large as dinner plates, and I froze immediately.

There was Pinkie, laying on the bed, looking at me with sultry eyes, wearing nothing but a pair of lacy, pink panties, and with her entire torso covered with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and rainbow sprinkles.

Breathless. That was the only word I could think of to describe my reaction. Now, I had seen Pinkie naked before, but never covered in food. This was definitely something new for me. I knew she was spontaneous in thinking of ways for us to get intimate, but I can honestly say that I was not prepared for this. Even so, she looked absolutely stunning. From her slightly, pudgy belly up to her C cup breasts, she was like a sugary goddess, and the addition of the food on her just added to her sweet appearance. I just stood there, my jaw still dropped and eyes glued to the cream-covered beauty in front of me. What could I say to that? When I tried to talk, all that came out was, “Ibagadehdwafo…”

Pinkie giggled at my response. “I take it you like what you see,” she said happily. I could only nod. Pinkie then reached behind her, picked up and spoon and handed it toward me. “Well? Are you gonna just stare, or are you gonna dig in? And...you might wanna hurry, cause this ice cream’s really cold.” I quickly snapped out of my trance and slowly walked over to her. I took the spoon from her and sat down on edge of the bed, my eyes not leaving her body. She then laid down on her back, turned her head back toward me, and gave a smile and a wink.

“Well,” I thought to myself, “Bon appetite!” And I dug my spoon into the scoop of ice cream on her stomach.

Whatever ice cream Pinkie got, it was really good. Creamy, light, some of the best I’ve had. Along with the combination of the whipped cream, syrup, and sprinkles, it was quite delicious. Though the most delicious part about it was where it was coming from. As I shovel more and more spoonfuls of the creamy concoction, I couldn’t help but stare in adoration at the pink cutie before me. Pinkie noticed this and giggled.

“Good, huh?” she asked. All I could do was smile and nod. After a bit of eating, I finally dug my way through to find her luscious, pink skin. I don’t know if it was from the melted ice cream on it, but it was glistening a bit, and it looked damn sexy! I continued to work my way up her body, both admiring her beauty and the taste of the ice cream. When I finally got to her breasts, I stopped for a second to admire so more. The ice cream was starting to melt, and it was running down the sides of her wonderful mounds. My mouth started to water as I reached my spoon out and snatched some cream from the top. That’s when I felt my spoon hit something hard, and Pinkie let out a surprising, lusty moan. I jerked my spoon away in shock.

“You alright?” I asked.

“Y-yeah,” Pinkie answered, regaining herself. “You just poked my nipple is all.”

My eyes grew even wider. From the feel of it, I thought I had hit a rock. Her nipples were that hard? Maybe it was from the coldness of the cream, but judging by Pinkie’s reaction and her face, I started to think that she was turned on; big time! A devious smile curled across my face as I reached down again and poked at her nipple a second time. Pinkie let out another lustful squeak and looked at me. Her face had turned beet red, and her tongue was starting to hang out. Again I poked at her nipple, and this time, she arched her back a bit and moaned even louder.

“Sweetie,” she whined, “stop being such a meanie teasie!”

I chuckled a bit and went back to the ice cream. More and more spoonfuls filled my stomach as I dug as far as I could go, finally revealing her round, soft breasts. After working my way around her breasts and even getting some spots I missed on her belly, I finally sat up and sighed of content.

Pinkie sat up a bit and looked at me with curious eyes. “You’re not done yet, are you?” She then cupped her breasts and held them up. “Look at all that’s left over! You have to clean your plate!”

“Well, I can’t really get anymore with my spoon,” I said. “How else am I supposed to-” I didn’t even have to finish my question as I looked over Pinkie’s messy body. My mouth formed into a sultry smile. Pinkie must’ve seen that I finally understood, because she smiled back and even winked. Nothing more needed to be said. Forgetting all forms of manners, I tossed the spoon behind my back and leaned down toward Pinkie’s belly. As soon as my face was inches away from a spot of melted cream, I stuck my tongue out and gave a long, seductive lick across the area.

I heard Pinkie moan with lustful delight as I continued my tongue mopping across her belly, licking up all that remained of the creamy dessert. After getting her stomach clean, I sat up and crawled onto the bed, positioning myself over my pink beauty. Pinkie smiled as she sat up a bit with her back resting against the wall. As soon as I was in place, I continued my assault and aimed straight for Pinkie’s bountiful breasts. Pinkie gasped as I dragged my tongue around her mounds, planting small kisses in some spots. I would constantly go from one breast to the other, making sure each one had a share of my tongue. Pinkie continued to pant more and more, and when I looked up, her face was even redder, her eyes were closed, and she was biting her lower lip with lust. I smiled to myself and continued. Seeing some whipped cream left over on her nipples, I decided to go a little more daring and flicked my tongue across. Pinkie’s eyes instantly shot open and she let out a loud gasp, resulting in her wrapping her arms around my head and pulling me into her chest.

“Yes!” she moaned. “That! Do that again! Don’t stop!”

Happy to oblige, I started to lick her nipples again, circling around them, and even sucking on them. As I did, Pinkie’s moaning grew louder and louder and she held me against her tighter and tighter.

“Harder!” she whined lustfully.

Taking the initiative, I licked at her nippled even harder, assaulting every part of them with passionate fury. After a few seconds, I decided to take things up another notch, and with one swift motion, I reached out and latched my teeth around Pinkie’s nipple.

Instantly, Pinkie let out a lustful scream as her arms wrapped around me tighter and pulled me down onto her entire body. She held me there for a solid minute as she rode out the rest of her orgasm. After it had died down, Pinkie loosened her grip on me, though her arms were still wrapped around my head. I scooted up to meet Pinkie’s face. She was panting softly as she looked at me with loving eyes. I swear, I could get lost in those eyes forever. We just sat there for a couple minutes, admiring each other.

“Well,” Pinkie finally said through her pants, “I think you got all of it.”

“Not quite,” I said sultrily. Pinkie tilted her head at me confusingly. “There’s one piece of the pie I haven’t eaten yet.” I then looked down towards Pinkie’s nethers and looked back up with a seductive smile. It took Pinkie a second before the light bulb went on in her head and she gasped with absolute delight.

“Sweetie!” she said, happily surprised. “When did you turn into such a devil?”

“Only the best for my girl,” I replied before kissing her lightly on the lips. Pinkie giggled as I worked my way down her body, kissing every inch of her skin, until finally reaching her nethers. I then slowly pulled her damp panties down over her legs and threw them aside, revealing her beautiful, slightly shaven pussy. I took a quick glance back up at Pinkie, who was biting her lower lip with anticipation, her eyes begging for me to start. How could I resist such a cute face like that? Putting my attention back onto the damp and inviting pussy before me, I leaned down and started to lick the outer walls, which resulted in a soft moan from Pinkie. Seeing how good of job I was doing, I continued to lick a bit faster. With every stroke of the tongue, I heard Pinkie let out another lustful moan. More and more I licked before taking another step. Without a single warning, I plunged my tongue into Pinkie’s pussy. Pinkie let out a surprised squeal as she arched her back a bit, but I continued my tongue assault. Faster and faster I penetrated her, making her speed up with her moans which soon turned into soft screams.

“Oh yeah!” Pinkie cried. “Lick it! Eat my naughty little cunny! Oh you are so good!”

The naughty talk turned me on even more, and I started to thrust my tongue even harder. As this continued, I could feel that Pinkie was close. Really close. Time for the finisher. Not even stopping my assault, I reached my hand up and pinched her clit. That did it.

“SWEETIE!!!!” Pinkie screamed as she wrapped her legs around my head and pulled me in again. My tongue stayed inside her as her inner walls contracted around it and coated it with her gushing juices. I gulped down every bit of it happily as she rode out her orgasm, her hips bucking like mad. Her cum tasted like tart candies, and I loved every bit of it. After her orgasm subsided, she loosened her grip on my head. Satisfied with my work, I pulled my tongue out and worked my way back up to her face.

When I reached it though, Pinkie suddenly grabbed my shirt, practically ripped it over my head, and threw it aside.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Pinkie panted as she reached down to my pants, pulling at the zipper. “I need your naughty cannoli inside of me! NOW!”

That was enough to throw me over the edge. I had a raging boner since the beginning, and now it was aching to be released. Her saying that; it made me forget all composure. I nodded and quickly helped her pull my pants and underwear down. As soon as they were out of the picture, Pinkie looked down at my pulsing cock with hungry eyes.

“Please,” she said as she looked at me. “Stick your cannoli in my honey pot!”

Too hot to answer, I nodded and thrust my cock right into her, resulting in a lustful squeal from Pinkie. She then wrapped her arms around my neck and legs around my waist as we looked into each other’s eyes. God how I loved her eyes. As I started to rapidly penetrate her, her lustful moans had turned into screaming, which turned me on even more. I worked my hips as I thrusted in and out of her, grunts escaping my mouth as I worked even harder.

"OH YES!" Pinkie screamed. "YES! YES! YES! OH MY GOD! KEEP GOING! DON'T YOU DARE STOP!"

I looked back at Pinkie and attacked her mouth with my own, thrusting my tongue against hers. Muffled moans echoed into my mouth as we kissed. I didn’t want it to end.

Pretty soon, I could feel myself reaching my limit. I was about to explode. I looked at Pinkie, and she could see what I was thinking.

“Do it!” she cried. “Fill me with your hot cream! Turn me into a walking donut!”

As soon as she said that, I felt my dam break. With one final thrust, waves of hot jizz flooded into Pinkie’s nethers. Pinkie and I hugged each other tight as I filled her. It seemed like five minutes before it finally subsided, and we plopped down on the bed exhausted. We just laid there for a few minutes, me still inside of her, panting like mad. I then found my strength to lay down on my back, and Pinkie cuddled up next to me. Finally, she spoke.

“So?” she asked, hints of pure exhaustion in her voice. “Is your sweet tooth gone?”

I just started chuckling. “Babe, it was gone the moment I walked out of the bathroom.”

Pinkie snorted and started to laugh, which resulted in me laughing along with her. I had never laughed so hard in my life, but it was the perfect occasion for it. I came into this vacation thinking that I wouldn’t be able to cure my sweet tooth. Man, was I wrong.

“I’ll have to remember this the next time,” Pinkie giggled.

I rolled over on my side and stared at my pink beauty. I may have once thought that I wasn’t deserving of such a girl, but now I know that we just go hand in hand.

“I love you, Pinkie,” I whispered.

“I love you too, sweetie,” Pinkie answered.

And with one final kiss, we fell asleep in each others arms and with no sweet toothache at all.

Long story short? Sweetest. Vacation. Ever.