"WEEEE!" cried Spinel in excitement as she rode on the back of a giant winged Pinkie Pie. "THIS IS SO MUCH FUN PINKIE!"
"YUP! YOU KNOW IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE FUN WITH ME AROUND!" said Pinkie as she spun her head around 180 degrees to face Spinel.
Spinel smiled at that saying, "And I hope you'll always be around."
Pinkie Smiled at that before suddenly disappearing as Spinel began falling towards the ground and she screamed. Once she hit it though she picked herself up as she noticed dead rose petals falling around her. Before she could say anything she turned to see a figure she couldn't fully make out. It seemed to be a tall pink woman with her back towards her, but any details beyond that where indeterminable. She started approaching the woman but was interrupted as the woman suddenly said, "But she won't always be around." The woman then started to turn to her as she continued saying, "Just like I wasn't."
Before Spinel could see the woman's face she suddenly woke up in a cold sweat as she held tightly to the covers. "Well that was fun... until it wasn't," said Spinel sat up as she tried to calm whatever this weird emotion that had stirred inside her was and got up with a smile. That smile quickly faded though as she looked around and saw she was alone. "It's OK, I'm sure Pinkie just went downstairs for something," she said as she slowly left the room and proceeded towards the stairs while grabbing her arms as if she was hugging herself. "What is this?" she thought as she searched her Gem for information. "My symptoms seem to match up with that of anxiety and fear.... but I can't be feeling that. Spinel's aren't supposed to feel this, we're supposed to relax other people who feel it."
As soon as she reached the ground floor she heard Pinkie's voice humming, causing whatever emotions she was feeling to wash away and her usual happiness to return. As she pushed through the saloon style doors she saw Pinkie humming away with a white chef's hat on her head as she stirred a bowl of something. Pinkie noticed the new presence as she turned away from her bowl and smiled saying, "Oh hi Spinel, I didn't want to wake you since you had never slept before and probably needed it... how was it by the way?"
"Oh... it was fun," said Spinel with a smile as she didn't want to tell Pinkie everything as one, she didn't want her new best friend to think she was weird, in a bad way, and two, she still didn't understand what happened herself.
"Glad to hear it," said Pinkie as she got back to stirring. "I was just making breakfast for us.... and all of today's customers since Mr. and Mrs. Cakes are out taking the twins to daycare."
Spinel wasn't sure what breakfast was, but she did notice a bunch of other bowls beyond the one Pinkie was stirring as she approached saying, "So you have to do all this stuff, by yourself?"
"Meh, it's not so bad. Cooking is fun... speaking of which do you want to try it?" asked Pinkie.
Spinel went starry eyed as she ran up saying, "OH YES PLEASE! I LOVE LEARNING NEW FUN THINGS!"
Pinkie giggled before saying, "Alright, now let's just OH WAIT!" Pinkie interrupted herself as she suddenly dove into the cabinet beneath her before pulling out another Chef's hat and placing it on Spinel's head. "Phew, almost had you working without a uniform, anyway today is Pancake Monday which means that we only to have to be stocked up on Pancakes and anything else we do cook to order. I've already gotten enough batter ready, all we have to do now is thoroughly mix it and then pour it into the pan." She then poured the bowl she had been mixing to demonstrate before pulling out a spatula saying, "Then we cook it for 4.8 minutes on each side and it's good to go."
She watched the batter bubble with the spatula in her teeth as she mumbled, "Whdontchamichwhiliduthiz."
"What?" asked Spinel in confusion.
Pinkie got ready to repeat herself, before realizing the problem as she placed the spatula down and said, "I said, why don't you stir some more of the batter while I flip the cakes. You just got to stir each bowl for about five minutes."
"OK," said Spinel as she smiled excitedly and grabbed the spoon Pinkie had been using.
"OH! Since I can't hum with a spatula in my mouth, well I can but it's not sanitary since it makes me spit... not sure how having the spatula in my mouth is sanitary to begin with though," said Pinkie as she briefly paused in thought before shaking her head clear as she giggled and said, "Sorry, thought too hard about life for a second and realized it doesn't make sense again, anyway do you mind if I turn on the radio?"
"Not at all," said Spinel as she mimicked the motion she saw Pinkie doing as she held the bowl with one hand and slowly stirred with the other.
"Awesome!" said Pinkie as she approached the radio and started going through the stations.
"Pony, Pony, Pony, Ponyville RADIO! We Love Ponyville!" said the voice on the radio.
"Meh, I'm not into news," said Pinkie as moved the dial again.
"Cupcakes so sweet and tasty!"
"Fun... but not what we're making right now."
"Let me pull my carriage into your heart!"
"Too meta."
"Coming up now we got a new song from everyone's favorite green dog!"
"OHHH! I LOVE THIS GUY!" said Pinkie as she turned up the radio and the song began.
They each bobbed their heads to the song as they did their tasks, both smiling the whole time as they took joy in the repetitive work.
Soon though Pinkie looked at the clock as she spit out the spatula in surprise and said, "Shoot, at this rate I won't finish by the time the cakes get back," as a frown crossed her face.
Spinel panicked at that as she thought, "Oh no, if Pinkie's late with her task her bosses might discipline her," as an image of a Holy Blue's whip entered her mind. "I don't want that too happen." She looked around for an answer before she saw the straight line of bowls in front of her as she had an idea and said, "Hey Pinkie, do you have any more spoons?"
"Of course, the're in the cabinet above you," said Pinkie before picking the spatula back up and flipping a pancake.
She turned around expecting to see Spinel try and use a spoon in each hand, but was greeted to much more than that as she saw Spinel stretch one arm around all the bowls to hold them in place and stretched several additional gloved hands out of the other arm as each grabbed a spoon and began stirring all the bowls at once. "WOOWWEEE! Great work Spinel," said Pinkie as her smile returned.
"Thanks," said Spinel with her own smile at cheering up Pinkie.
"Haha, but if you think I'm just going to let you go faster then me," said Pinkie as she then pulled out several more spatulas and pans from the cabinets above her. She then titled her hat down as she said, "Then you got another thing coming," with a determined look on her face.
The kitchen became a lively scene as they each stirred and flipped faster then should have been humanly, ponyly, or gemly possible resulting in all the pancakes being ready to serve within five minutes.
Pinkie and Spinel then sat next to each other looking at what they had made as Pinkie shied in relief and said, "Thanks for all your help Spinel, I couldn't have cranked it into high gear like that without you."
Spinel beamed with pride as she said, "It's no problem Pinkie, it was fun just like you said it would be."
"Indeed, now then to enjoy the fruits, or pastries, of our labor," said Pinkie as she excitedly placed a short stack and knife and fork in front of each of them.
Spinel grabbed the fork and knife as she looked down at the pancakes in front o her in confusion and said, "Um Pinkie I meant to ask you... what are these things?"
Pinkie looked back at her surprised as she said, "WHAT! YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF PANCAKES BEFORE!? THE BEST BREAKFAST FOOD EVER!"
"Fooooodddd?" Spinel repeated quizzically a she tilted her head to the side.
"WHAT! YOU'VE NEVER HAD FOOD AT ALL! NO PANCAKES! NO CUPCAKES! NO CAKE CAKE!" said Pinkie as she began hyperventilating.
"Oh my gosh, are you OK Pinkie?" asked Spinel as she became concerned for her best friend.
Pinkie breathed into a brown paper bag she seemly got from no where for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I'm.... I'm OK. I should have guessed that you didn't need food since you didn't need sleep either. But just like sleep, eating food can be really fun."
"Oh, yeah," said Spinel as she smiled and clapped, while trying to ignore the weird emotions from her sleep trying to come back up again.
"Now, it's real simple, all you have to do is cut off a piece of the pancakes, put it in your mouth, chew it, and swallow," said Pinkie before she did so to demonstrate. She then popped another forkful her mouth and mumbled out, "Easy," before swallowing.
Spinel reluctantly looked down before repeating Pinkie's actions as she hesitantly put a bit of pancake in her mouth, only to instantly go starry eyed as she was greeted by a form of pleasure she had never felt before as she chewed it up and swallowed and proceeded to wolf down the rest of the pancakes before her.
With an animalistic glare she then tried to grab more, before Pinkie stopped her saying, "Woah woah, I'm glad you liked it and all but if you eat as much as you look like you want too, we won't have any left."
Spinel calmed herself as she said, "So-sorry Pinkie."
"It's fine," said Pinkie before she suddenly heard the bell signifying the door opened ring as she said, "OH! It sounds like the Cakes are back."
She then grabbed Spinel's hand and pulled her to the lobby saying, "Come on, I'll introduce you."
As the Cakes entered the lobby, they suddenly heard a noise from the kitchen and turned to see Pinkie with a tall figure standing behind her as she said, "Mr. and Mrs. Cakes, I'd like you to meet my new best friend Spinel!"
Spinel then stepped forward with a bow saying, "A pleasure to meet my best friends employers." She then stood back up saying, "And I promise to do my best to help her remain relaxed and efficient."
"Well uh... that's nice deerie," said Mrs. Cake slightly confused, but still smiling as she was used to Pinkie bringing home odd friends at this point.
"Yes um... it's good to meet you too Spinel," said Mr. Cakes as he reached out this hoof, only to have her grab it and shake not only his hoof but his whole body up and down as she smiled.
Once she stopped Mr. Cakes dizzily said, "Well um Pinkie, since you made enough for the breakfast rush how about you take the rest of the day off to spend with your new friend."
"OH THANK YOU SO MUCH!" said Pinkie as she too grabbed Mr. Cake and shook him in gratitude.
"Y-y-your w-w-w-welcome," said Mr. Cake before Pinkie sat him down.
Spinel then got next to her as she said, "So what do you want to do then Pinkie?"
"OH! We can play board games," said Pinkie.
"That sounds fun," said Spinel with a smile.
"Great... shoot, I left them over at the School of Friendship. I brought them in to play when my field trip was rained out," said Pinkie before moving towards the door and saying, "You stay here and I'll go and grab them real quick."
Before she could take a step though, she suddenly heard a loud, "NOOO!" as Spinel yelled and grabbed her as Pinkie saw anger on her face for the first time since they met, which granted was only a few hours ago but still.
"Oh um... I guess you can come with me if you want," said Pinkie smiling nervously.
"YEAAH!" said Spinel as the anger melted back to her normal smile before she herself could even realize what happened.
As Pinkie started walking while holding Spinel's hand she thought, "Hmm, that was odd, but I guess maybe she's just cranky in the morning or something, I'd be cranky too if I'd never slept before and then had to get up," as her genuine smile returned and she continued walking. She then remembered something as she turned around saying, "OH BY THE WAY, SPINEL IS LIVING WITH US NOW!"
"WHAT!" said the Cakes in unison, only to look and see the two already gone.