After removing two-thirds of the sugar and butter from the original recipe, the resulting pastries were no different from chewing on wax for ponies accustomed to high sugar and high fat.
However, Pinkie Pie thoughtfully prepared syrups, frosting, chocolate sauce, and other toppings so everyone could adjust the sweetness themselves, and she also put plenty of fruit in the cakes to cater to every pony's taste as much as possible.
"Actually, I think it's quite nice to eat less sweet pastries from time to time."
Rarity tasted a bite of the "Aurora sweetness" cake and felt that, upon closer inspection, it wasn't actually that bad, and she thought she should prepare more of these lighter pastries at home in the future.
"It's healthy, won't make you gain weight, and is a flavor profile very suitable for a lady."
"Isn't it! I suddenly discovered that if you add less sugar, the fragrance and sweetness of the apples are much stronger!"
On this matter, Applejack rarely reached a consensus with Rarity.
After all, most of the ponies here were Foals whose taste buds hadn't been ruined by heavy flavors like those of adult ponies, so they could still appreciate the taste of less sweetness.
"Well said!"
Pinkie Pie said, while drizzling a large amount of hot sauce onto her cupcake, then ate it in one bite.
After all, Pinkie Pie came from a rock farm and grew up chewing on rocks, so her taste was naturally heavier than other ponies.
"I think this flavor is very suitable for Small Animals."
If anyone here would really like these pastries, which to most ponies counted as "sugar-free food," it would definitely be Fluttershy.
She had recently adopted a particularly picky rabbit and named him Angel.
After all, he was just a frail little rabbit who couldn't handle heavy flavors, which led Fluttershy to pay more attention to lighter food.
If it were this kind of low-sugar pastry, Fluttershy thought that even the picky Angel might love it.
"Fluttershy, are you saying that Flying Light is a cute Small Animal?"
Applejack couldn't help but tease Fluttershy, which made Fluttershy blush deeply.
"No... it's not that... I just thought Angel, the little rabbit I'm raising, would also like these pastries."
"Exactly, Applejack, how could Fluttershy think that Flying Light is a cute Small Animal?"
Pinkie Pie smoothed things over for Fluttershy.
Immediately after, she darted to Fluttershy's side and whispered.
"Actually, Flying Light's heart is just like a Small Animal. You must not tell her...!"
Hearing Pinkie Pie's whisper, Fluttershy subconsciously glanced toward Aurora.
Sensing Fluttershy's attention, Aurora smiled at her in a friendly way.
This time, Fluttershy didn't dodge, but responded to the smile with a smile.
Fluttershy felt that although she was the same age as Aurora, Aurora seemed more like an older sister than she did.
When they first met, she had helped her, solving the problem peacefully like a mature pony.
Later, Fluttershy often thought about how nice it would be if she could be like Aurora, but she found it difficult even to speak to a stranger in a normal volume.
"When you have something you cannot give up no matter what, you will naturally become stronger."
These were the words Aurora said to Fluttershy when they first met, and Fluttershy still remembered them, but she felt she hadn't achieved that herself.
'If Flying Light knew I was still as cowardly as before, would she think I'm a pony who doesn't strive for improvement?'
Every time she thought about this, Fluttershy would become nervous and anxious, because she felt no pony would like to be friends with a pony who remained insecure for so long.
"Hey, Fluttershy."
"Ah...! I mean... hey..."
Startled by the sudden conversation, Fluttershy wanted to respond normally to Aurora's greeting, but like a frightened Small Animal, the tenser she was, the less volume her vocal cords could produce, so she could only smile, though even the smile was strained.
She had messed up again.
Aurora didn't mind and took the initiative to start a conversation.
"I heard from Rarity that you became the animal caretaker in Ponyville, is that right?"
"Um, yes..."
Hearing the topic was about Small Animals, Fluttershy didn't feel as nervous.
"Congratulations! I always thought that since you can understand what Small Animals are saying, you would be perfect for this kind of profession. But taking care of so many animals must not be easy."
Aurora remembered that the animals Fluttershy took care of were not limited to common pets like cats, dogs, rabbits, and mice; there were many wild animals, and even species like bears that were completely beyond the category of "Small" animals.
Not to mention the daily feeding and waste management, the animals' body odor and hygiene issues were also a major hurdle to overcome.
It was evident that Fluttershy was by no means as fragile as she appeared on the surface.
"Thank you, this is nothing to me. But at the beginning, doing this well was indeed not as easy as I imagined. Fortunately, the animals are very willing to listen to me, so taking care of them isn't too much trouble."
Fluttershy didn't even realize that she had finished a long sentence in one breath without stuttering.
Ponies are always more likely to show confidence in their areas of expertise, and Fluttershy was no exception.
"Then I'd like to ask, have you taken care of any magical animals so far?"
Seeing that Fluttershy's emotions had stabilized, Aurora asked about the topic she was quite interested in, quite impatiently.
"Magical animals...?"
"Yes, for example, Manticores, Cockatrices, and the like?"
Because Fluttershy had adopted many animals, in order to avoid disturbing the residents and to make it convenient for her to find shelter for the animals, her home in Ponyville was built on the edge of town, near the Everfree Forest.
Aurora felt that Fluttershy should be more likely to encounter magical creatures from the Everfree Forest than other ponies.
Although Sweet Apple Acres also bordered the Everfree Forest, because of the Zap Apple trees, it only attracted Wood Wolves, so the variety wasn't as great as what Fluttershy had seen.
Fluttershy tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"Sorry, I've only taken care of a lone Jackalope. Although I'm very interested in the animals you mentioned, they usually only appear deep in the Everfree Forest, and I wouldn't dare go to such a dangerous place..."
"That's true... Thank you for telling me this."
Unable to get more extensive information, Aurora felt a moment of regret but then let it go.
"I'm quite interested in magic-related things, so I'm also curious about how the special features of those magical animals come about. If I encounter such creatures in the future, can I come to you for help? Honestly, I'm okay with dealing with Small Animals, but I'm not confident when it comes to magical creatures."
"Of course! I mean... sure, please let me try."
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