Chapter 1: There She Goes
A party was being thrown at Sugarcube Corner one evening. Pinkie Pie, also known in Ponyville as the party pony, was the mastermind behind the celebration for her blue pegasus friend, Rainbow Dash. All of the pegasus's friends wanted to thank her for her work and of course Pinkie Pie was going to invite the entire town. Among the ponies that came to celebrate was a blue unicorn stallion.
His name was Pokey Pierce. While he often would attend the parties that Pinkie Pie would throw, he was always a bit uneasy about attending them. He had an uncanny ability of popping the balloons that Pinkie Pie would have decorated around. He had known about this "talent" since Pinkie first moved to Ponyville and threw her first party. Whenever he would pop one of her balloons, she gave a very grim stare to Pokey that seemed like it was stabbing into his very soul. He noted that she only did this to him, and no pony else. Despite the repeated "stares of doom", as he would call them, she continued to invite him to various parties.
Upon entering Sugarcube Corner, Pokey saw two of his friends off to the side. Making his way slowly across the crowded room, Pokey met up with Caramel and Big Macintosh.
"Hey, guys," Pokey casually called to them, as he got close.
"Oh, hello there, Pokey," Caramel greeted his unicorn friend.
"Howdy," Big Mac added with his low voice.
"Glad to see you have made it," Caramel spoke.
Pokey gave a nervous laugh, "Well, it's not really like I have much else to do."
"That's right, ain't it? You still don't have a job anymore do ya?" the red colt asked.
Pokey looked away slightly ashamed, "Yeah, well….I knew it was a temporary job with the postal service. I am just glad the grey pegasus recovered quickly after the awful crash she had into the trees. Poor gal."
"Where are you staying at, by the way?" Caramel asked in a slightly worried tone.
"Oh, I'm staying with Cheerilee right now. I have to admit she has been very generous for letting me stay with her for about a month now," the blue unicorn used his magic to take a cupcake from a nearby table to eat.
"Well, come applebuckin' season, you can stay on the farm if ya need to," Big Mac offered to his friend.
"Thanks, Big Mac. I really do hope my luck turns around. First, my small little home is destroyed by Discord and now I'm jobless again. Well, just got to keep hoping for a better tomorrow," Pokey gave an optimistic smile. His friends knew that he was taking the string of misfortune quite well, but they still were worried about him.
"You know, I think we might be able to put in a good word for you some where, Pokey," Caramel raised his hoof as he thought.
"Really? Where?"
"Well, right here, actually. Sugarcube Corner. Big Mac does do a lot of business with Mr. and Mrs. Cake," Caramel started, "And if we tell them you are quite in need of a job, as well as a roof over your head, I think they might be able to help."
"Eeyup," Big Mac added with a nod.
Pokey was unsure, "You think they would be alright with it? I mean, I'm almost as big of a screw up as you, Caramel."
"Watch it, pal," the tan pony was not amused.
"Ah'll go ask them now. Ah see them over there," Big Mac raised his hoof to point.
"Where?" Pokey quickly turned his head. As his head quickly turned, a small purple filly unicorn was walking and carrying a balloon. Pokey's horn punctured the rubber of the balloon and a loud pop was heard in the bakery. Everypony turned their head to the source, and saw the blue unicorn looking down to the small unicorn that looked like she was about to cry. Pokey raised his head up and saw a pink earth pony giving him her death stare. Pinkie Pie did not look happy toward Pokey. Immediately turning his head back to his friends, he spoke in a hushed tone, "I think I'm going to head out, see you later!" The blue unicorn with the frazzled mane hurried out of Sugarcube Corner.
Outside of the bakery, Pokey was underneath a tree, trying to hide from anypony who happened to see what had happened inside. He was hitting his head against the tree, cursing himself.
"Guh, why did you have to do that to that little filly?" he shouted at himself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He continued to hit his head against the tree until his horn pierced into the bark of the tree. Pokey tried to push himself free from the tree, but to no avail, "Oh, come on!"
Big Mac and Caramel arrived a few moments later and saw Pokey stuck to the tree. The two were silent before Caramel felt a need to ask, "Um....Pokey? What's going on?"
"Oh, you know, nothing in particular. Just hanging out, knocking on wood. You know, nothing special," the unicorn's words were heavily sarcastic, "Care to help me out?"
After a few minutes of pulling and even a few unorthodox methods of trying to free the unicorn, Pokey was free and a bit shaken up.
"Anyway," Caramel continued, "we came to find you because Mr. and Mrs. Cake agreed to allow you to start working at Sugarcube Corner."
"What? Really?" Pokey was visibly surprised.
"Eeyup, we told them you needed a job and they said they needed some extra help as well. Ya start tomorrow morning, bright an' early," Big Mac added, smiling to his friend
"Wow, thanks guys. I owe you guys," Pokey said in an extremely grateful tone.
"T'is nothing," Big Mac brushed it off.
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The next morning, Celestia's sun rose into the sky and Pokey Pierce was trotting through Ponyville Square as he felt the warmth of the morning. He felt very happy and excited. It was a new day and a new occupation for the unicorn and he wanted to do his very best for his new employers. One thing he was taught as a young colt was to be completely dedicated in one's occupation and give an honest day's work, and he still lived by those words to that day.
Arriving at the bakery, he entered to the vacant main room and saw Mr. Cake.
"Oh, good morning, Pokey! Didn't expect you to be here so early," the yellow pony welcomed the unicorn.
"Good morning, sir! And I always feel being early is something that everypony should do with whatever they do," Pokey stated.
"Heh, alright, I like that about you already. If only your co-worker had that same attitude every morning," Mr. Cake laughed, "Anyway, let's get you started!"
Mr. Cake led Pokey to the back where he instructed the unicorn of his job for the day, mixing the muffin mix and loading them into the oven. Pokey understood and got right to work. He was quickly lost in his work and didn't notice a small reptile on a nearby counter staring at him. When he finally realized that the small alligator was on the counter, he paused from his work and trotted up to it to examine it.
"Now why is there an alligator in the kitchen?" Pokey asked to himself aloud.
"Because he likes the smell of banana nut muffins!" a very cheerful answered.
Pokey raised his head to see where the voice came from and saw the party pony, Pinkie Pie, enter the kitchen, "Hiya! You must be the pony who is working with me now! I'm Pinkie Pie, pleased to meet ya!"