“I’ll see you later, Kalinka!" Spirit said as he walked to the door. "I'm going to be at SugarCube Corner if you need me. Have fun at the spa!" he said as he walked out the door. “Alright, let’s go see what Pinkie wanted to show me.” he said, trotting down the dirt road of Ponyville.
Spirit’s walk to SugarCube Corner was an awkward one. It seemed as if the whole town was watching him, judging him. ‘Who could blame them?’ Spirit thought to himself. ‘I did almost kill a well-known and well-liked resident of this town, not to mention that she was also an Element of Harmony.’ he sighed. “But at least the ones who heard the full story are willing to give me a chance.” he said to himself, waving at the mint-green pony Lyra. Lyra noticed the greeting, waving back as soon as her friend BonBon wasn’t looking. ‘At least I have some who I can count on.’
“Will you shut up!?” Yin suddenly yelled, causing Spirit to flinch.
‘It’s always a pleasure to hear your voice Yin.’ Spirit replied, rubbing his head. ‘What, did I wake you up again or something?’
“It’s the only thing I can do besides plotting the ways I’m going to kill you." Yin grumbled.
‘Why don’t you just give up on that? You’re not getting out. It’s never going to happen.’ Spirit said as he stopped in front of SugarCube Corner. “Pinkie! I’m here!” Spirit announced, only to be greeted by a long line of ponies.
“SPIRY!” Pinkie cheered from behind the counter. She leapt over the counter and dashed over to Spirit. “I’m so glad you’re here! I need an extra set of hooves!” the bubbly mare said, grabbing Spirit by the hoof and dragging him into the kitchen, earning him a bunch of glares from the customers.
“Pinkie, what’s-” Spirit attempted to ask before Pinkie wrapped an apron around him.
“No time to explain! Help me take these orders!” Pinkie said as pushed him out the kitchen. Spirit stood dumbfounded in front of the counter, his mind slowly processing what was happening. A harsh cough brought him back to reality, reminding him of the impatient ponies in front of him.
“O-oh! W-welcome to SugarCube Corner! Um….may I take your order?”
***
“Thank Tau it’s finally over!” Spirit groaned as he laid his head on a nearby table. The last customer had just left, taking the last pastry with him. Pinkie turned the window sign to ‘closed’ so she could have time to make more. “I haven’t worked that hard since my days as a scout for the Changeling Empire!”
“You did great, Spiry!” Pinkie Pie giggled, taking off her apron.
“All those ponies kept staring at me! And there were so many of them!” Spirit said, lifting up his head.
“That was actually the least amount of ponies we’ve had all week.”
“The least!?” Spirit exclaimed before laid his head back down. “I don’t know how you do it, Pinkie.” Spirit picked his head up when he heard something being placed on the table. Pinkie stood next to him, a Strawberry Oat smoothie in front of him.
“It’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ for your help. Sorry for dragging you into this.” she apologized, rubbing her hoof.
“Gee, thanks Pinkie!” Spirit said as he proceeded to slurp down the drink. “Didn’t you say that you had a surprise for me?” Spirit asked between gulps.
“Yup!”
“So, where is it?”
“It’s coming! I’m just waiting, that’s all.”
“Waiting for what-” Spirit asked before dropping the smoothie. His vision became blurry as everything started to spin. He looked at Pinkie, who stared back with a wide smile on her face. “P-Pinkie?” Spirit said weakly as he struggled to get up. “Did...you just...drug me?” he said, falling to the floor.
“Don’t worry, Spiry.” Pinkie said as she stroked his head. “This is just part of the surprise!”
“Pinkie….”
***
“Ohhh, my head.” Spirit moaned as he opened his eyes, only to find himself in total darkness. “Huh? Where am I?” Spirit said as he tried to get up. “W-why can’t I move?” he said, feeling something restraining his hooves. He squinted in the darkness, slowly realizing that his body was spread out on a metal table and his hooves were cuffed. “What the buck?”
“You’re awake! Great!” a voice said from the darkness.
“Pinkie Pie?” Spirit said. A light suddenly snapped on, blinding Spirit for a moment. When Spirit’s sight returned, he found Pinkie staring back at him, a small smile plastered on her face. A worn toolbox sat on a table next to her.
"Pinkie, where am I? Why am I strapped to this table?"
"We're in the basement of SugarCube Corner. This place was actually a dentist office before it became a bakery." Pinkie said, opening the toolbox. "The metal table with cuffs is kinda strange, though." she added, pulling out a blindfold. "And I'm giving you your punishment." Pinkie said, wrapping the cloth around Spirit's face.
"Punishment?" Spirit said, his mind still blurry.
"You broke two Pinkie Promises!" Pinkie scowled.
"But it wasn't my fault!" Spirit countered.
"Your fault or not, a broken promise is a broken promise!" Pinkie said, digging in the toolbox. "And now it's time to pay!"
Spirit began to panic, his mind thinking of the worst. "Pinkie! I-I'm sorry, okay?!" he said as he thrashed around. "P-please, let me go!"
"Too late for apologies!" Pinkie said, putting a hoof on his chest. Spirit froze, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Just make it quick..." Spirit said, his tears staining the cloth. Spirit closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen. He felt something soft rub against his side, in an up and down motion. The object quickly picked up speed before moving to his chest. Spirit tried to move away from the object, but Pinkie’s hoof and the cuffs kept him still. “P-Pinkie!” Spirit gasped as he tried to stifle a giggle. “W-what a-a-are y-you-” he tried to say before he broke out into laughter.
“This is your punishment,” Pinkie said as she continued to tickle Spirit with the feather. “The punishment for breaking a Pinkie Promise is being tickled for five minutes!”
“P-P-Pinkie! St-stop! P-please, n-no more!” Spirit cried as his laughing grew louder.
“Four minutes left!” Pinkie said over Spirit’s giggling. ‘It’s a good thing this basement is soundproof.’ she thought to herself.
***
“Aaaaand done!” Pinkie said, taking the feather away from the hybrid. Spirit’s laughter began to die down as he relaxed his body, his sides sore from nonstop laughing.
“I won’t break another Pinkie Promise ever again,” Spirit moaned as Pinkie removed the blindfold. “If it means going through that again.” Pinkie giggled at the exhausted Changeling as she undid the cuffs. “Pinkie,” Spirit said as the pink mare removed the cuffs on his forehooves. “Can I tell you something?”
“Of course, Spiry!” Pinkie said as she started on the last two cuffs. “You can tell me anything! You don’t have to ask!”
“It’s just that,” Spirit said as he sat up on the table. “I thought you were going to….kill me.” he admitted. Pinkie’s eyes widened in shock at the Changeling’s comment.
“I’d never ever ever hurt my friends!” Pinkie said, climbing onto the table. “Why would you think something like that?”
“Well,” Spirit said, rubbing his hoof. “You see, I was born with the power to see into someone’s mind and look through their memories, Soul Searching is what I call it.” he explained. “When I first met Fluttershy, I Soul Searched her to learn a little bit about her. I ended up going through all her memories and learned about her friends, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the Elements of Harmony, and the adventures all of you have been through together. In one of Fluttershy’s memories, you became very angry with Applejack because she broke a Pinkie Promise. Fluttershy was scared to think of what you would do to Applejack. And after you drugged me, I thought you were-”
Pinkie suddenly pulled Spirit into a hug, cutting him off. “I would never intentionally hurt anypony,” she whispered into his ear. “Especially not my best friends. I’m sorry if I spooked you.”
“Pinkie,” Spirit said before returning the hug. “You are the craziest mare I have ever met. But you’re not that crazy. Never change, okay?”
“Okay, Spiry.” Pinkie said as she pulled away, wiping away forming tears.
“You know,” Spirit said, looking up at the ceiling. “I still have some time left until I have to meet Applejack. Would you like me to help make some more pastries?”
“Really Spiry? You would do that?”
Spirit flashed her a smile. “How hard could it be?”
***
“You're making progress, Spiry!” Pinkie said to the floured Changeling as smoke filled the food-covered kitchen. “These cupcakes are less burnt that the last ten attempts!”
*Aether*
“Of all the things Spirit could have inherited, why does it have to be my inability to cook!?” Fazz groaned. Akroma looked at her distraught husband and sighed.
“Well, at least there’s one benefit to being dead.” she said as she focused back on her puzzle.