The Adventures of Spider-Man Season 1

by KrisstheScot

Episode 9 - Cooking by the Book

Episode 8 - Cooking by the Book

It had been a few rough days, but things were starting to look up for the residents of Ponyville. The extra surplus of wood that had been anonymously donated pushed the repair efforts into overdrive. Now that they had the materials, putting things back to how they were seemed possible, as long as they had the numbers to keep up. For Peter, helping out had felt somewhat fulfilling. True, he had no supervillains to battle or a planet to help save, but he was restoring the livelihoods of those around him. It was different, but it felt rewarding all the same. Though today's task felt more like a punishment.

"That smell is driving me crazy! I'd give anything for some freshly baked bread right now."

The smell was coming from Sugarcube Corner, a local bakery. Peter had recognised it from his first night in Equestria, as it happened to be the same place he broke into while looking for someone to help him. And it was now the origin point of his torment, as the enticing scent of baked goods was sifting from every opening in the building, all while he was fixing the roof. And until he was finished, he was stuck there. Maybe he could ask the baker if she could spare something as a thank you. He had only spoken to her once though. And she was… eccentric to say the least.

"Never met anyone as energetic as that. Except Barry of course. And Wally was always the motormouth of the two. Must be a speedster thing."

While focusing on the roof work, Peter could feel a small buzz in the back of his head. Though why his Spider-Sense would give off such a low warning seemed very weird to-

"Hi Peter!"

The sudden appearance of a puff of pink caught Peter completely off guard, causing him to fall back off the ladder. A loud crack could be heard as he impacted the ground, leaving an imprint of his body in the soil. It didn't hurt. Well, not physically anyway.

"I reeeeeally hope no one else saw that."

Fortunately, everyone else in town had their own tasks today and were nowhere near the bakery today, so Peter's pride was left intact. As he propped himself up, that same puff of pink reappeared in front of him.

"Sorry about that Peter. Was your head in the clouds or something?"

She offered a hand which Peter took, pushing himself up as she pulled.

"Not to worry Pinkie, nothing's broken. I'm sturdier than I look."

Pinkie Pie, assistant baker at Sugarcube Corner, and a bit of an enigma. Somehow, Peter couldn't get a read on her, especially with her unnatural ability to just appear out of thin air. Was she teleporting? It didn't explain how he couldn't properly sense her. Not only that, but she might just be the most optimistic person Peter had ever met. She always had a smile on her face, and did her best to make people laugh. Though at times her smile was… unnerving. Maybe a little too optimistic…

She giggled heavily as Peter got to his feet. "Soooooo , I could use a hand with something. While the Cakes are out making deliveries, I'm double timing whipping up fresh orders and looking after the twins. Wanna help me bake?"

A nervous Peter responded. "Me? Baking? That might be a bad idea Pinkie. Last time I tried… we barely stopped the fire."

Pinkie’s giggles only got heavier. "Oh come on! You've got a top notch baker such as myself to teach you. I'll be with you each step of the way. I could really use the help"

It only took one sentence and Pinkie flashing those baby blue eyes for Peter to give. With a sigh he nodded his, causing Pinkie to bounce around with joy. He was surprised by how active she was, given she was a little more on the curvy side. Not that he was staring or anything, merely an observation. The two went inside the bakery, the smell much more rich than what it was outside. Peter took in a deep breath through his nose just to take it in. There was something so simple about the scent.

Behind the counter was the kitchen, simple in its design and size. The counter was already coated with bits of dried batter and clumps of flour. Pinkie clearly had been hard at work the whole morning. Some books had been set up on the counter, with one titled "A beginners guide to Baking". Peter got the feeling that it wasn't for Pinkie.

"Let me guess - that for me?"

Pinkie’s eyes lit up as she turned the pages of the book. "Yes indeed! My friend Twilight once mentioned that some people learn in different ways. Some like to be shown or told, others like to read. This way, we can find out which way works for you!"

The level of thought she had put into this made Peter feel a little more confident about it. In truth, he had never really learned how to bake, or cook at all for that matter.

"I suppose I was always reliant on someone else cooking for me. Guess that ends today."

Before anything else could be asked, Pinkie already had the table set, bowls and other utensils sat in the centre, while all the ingredients sat at either side. How she could do all that in the blink of an eye was beyond him. She must be quite special.

"Okie dokie Petey, time to bake! First off, let's see how you watch the master at work! Watch closely!"

In reality, the speed at which Pinkie was putting ingredients together was manic. If anyone else had tried to observe her, they might have missed all of it. Fortunately for Peter, his perception was a little more attuned for these sorts of speeds. The only thing she was slow on was the stirring.

"Now, you gotta treat the batter with care. If the ingredients aren't mixed well enough, the end result can be all nasty and burnt. Everything has to flow together for the end result to be perfect! How about you mix up a bowl while I work on this one?"

Time to see if he had learned anything. Nervously, Peter began to take the ingredients and place them into the bowl in the same order Pinkie had, and with the same quantities. Pinkie also began to mix a separate bowl, with what looked to be a mix for icing, so Peter followed suit following the exact same steps and mixture. Except for the sugar. One thing Peter had discovered over the years was that his taste buds seemed to be more sensitive to certain foods, with anything that had a high sugar content being one of them. So when adding it to the mix, he put in only half of what Pinkie did.

With both sets of bowls full with their respective concoctions, the two bakers began to stir and mix, Peter following Pinkie's exact movements, all of which were slow and thorough. During the process, Pinkie began to quietly sing a rather familiar song.

"It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake
if the way is hazy
you gotta do the cooking by the Book
you know you can't be lazy!"

There was only one question Peter had on his mind now. "How the hell does she know THAT song?!"

After they spent some time mixing, Pinkie took a small spoon and dipped it into Peter’s icing bowl, using it to take a taste. She immediately detected the lack of sugar, and was confused. “Wait a second! Where’s all the sugar? You can't have delicious icing without heaps of sugar!”

“It's hard to explain. My taste buds are quite… sensitive to stuff like that. Every birthday cake since I can remember wasn't right. It’s like my mouth was on fire. And every one of them was at a surprise party. I never was a fan though. Maybe when I turn twenty I’ll make my own cake now that you’ve taught me how.”

Now those little nuggets of information were one’s Pinkie would definitely remember. Handy for her to know that Peter is Nineteen. Though she was disheartened to hear he didn't like surprise parties. She would have to try and plan around that somehow. But for now, teaching him how to bake like she could was a start. The mixes would do for now. It was the tricky part that came next.

“Now that we’ve mixed the batter to perfection, it’s time to stick them in the oven!”

At least this part seemed the least likely to mess up, at least in Peter’s mind. All they would have to do was put it in the oven for a few hours and wait. At least, that was the thought.

“So we just set the batter in, throw it in the oven and leave it at that?”

There was a silence in the air, like some terrible spell had been uttered. The glare that Pinkie shot could burn a hole through the walls if she tried hard enough.

“Goodness no! We have to keep an eye on them, make sure they cook juuuuuust right. If they don’t cook enough, they’ll be all soggy and battery. But if they cook too long, they BURN! And NOONE likes a burnt cake!”

It felt as if she was reading from a holy book of cake making, and Peter committed a mortal sin by making that suggestion. Faster than he could register, he found two cake tins were now in his hands. Where did those come from? At least this next step was obvious, putting all the cake batter into the tins, its viscous contents dripping slowly from the mixing bowl. It honestly looked good to eat right now.

Both tins were soon filled to the brim with cake mixture, and were now ready to bake. Taking both tins in each hand, Pinkie carried them over to the oven and slotted them inside. A few twists on the dials brought the oven to life, a low humming emanating as the heat began to pour in. Now all they would have to do is wait. But Pinkie had an idea of what to do with the time.

"So, we don't have to just stand around for the full time. That would be silly. In the meantime, we can check on the twins. They should be playing in their room."

It was starting to come back to Peter now - his first night in Equestria, casually breaking into the Cakes’ home to try and find answers. Hopefully nobody knew about that bit, given it wouldn't exactly be a good look. He never did check in on the twins that night, so this would be the first time he’s met them. As they journeyed upstairs, they came to the same door he saw that night, the sign still there with both names - Pumpkin and Pound’s Room.

Before they entered, Pinkie gave Peter a quick warning. “Just so you know, the twins can be a little hyperactive at times, so be ready for them to be all over the place. They can get reeeeeeeally jumpy.”

It must have been some mighty difficult kids if they could get ahead of Pinkie. Peter was ready for the worst as the door creaked open. They both expected loud cries or to get jumped on, or have some unmentionables thrown at them. None of that came though, and all that could be heard was barely audible snoring. To Pinkie’s surprise, the two babies were sound asleep. Pinkie quietly approached.

“Aw, they must’ve tuckered themselves out playing. Hey Peter, could you grab Pumpkin for me and put her in her crib? I’ll get Pound.”

She gently bent down and picked up one of the twins, which led Peter to assume the other must’ve been Pumpkin. He did admit to himself he was nervous. As far as he could remember, he had never held a baby before. Would he be able to handle her safely? For as long as he could remember, Peter had to treat everyone and everything around him as fragile. A baby certainly fell in that category.

What was worse, was that Peter had never held a baby, and was fully inexperienced in how to do so. He looked over at Pinkie, trying to gauge how best to mimic her movements. Even after that, he was still nervous. Being as gentle as he could, Peter tucked his arms under Pumpkin, doing his best to cradle her. She stayed asleep through the whole manoeuvre, only moving to shuffle into Peter's chest. Witnessing the sight, Pinkie couldn't help but find it adorable.

"Aw, you must be comfy. She never does that with me. Neither of them do."

For his first time holding a baby, Peter felt more comfortable with it the more he held Pumpkin in his arms. This little life in his arms. His responsibility. "Is this what you meant, Uncle Ben?"

With both babies safely in hand, Peter and Pinkie laid them down into their cribs, the former still being incredibly careful when easing Pumpkin down onto her pillow. Both were still slumbering. A success for Peter, all things considered. Being perceptive of this, Pinkie couldn't help but inquire.

"You've never held a baby before, have you?"

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at how transparent he was being. "Was it that obvious?"

Pinkie chuckled along with him, the two still being half aware to be quiet due to the sleeping babies. Still, it was a hearty laugh, one Peter needed after these past few days. It was another piece of information for Pinkie, though one that Peter seemed sullen on.

“I never was around kids that much back home. I didn’t have the time. And any that I did hang around with were… pushed for time. Maybe one day I could have had some of my own. But that idea has long since passed.”

As he looked over Pumpkin sleeping peacefully in her crib, Peter began to think of what may have been. Could he even have kids to begin with, being the way he is? He might never know now. Pinkie, noticing that Peter was beginning to look more glum, tried to cheer him up.

“Well, if you keep helping me with baking, then you’ll have plenty of time to see these cutie pies whenever you like! Pumpkin already seems to like you, and she's asleep!”

A fair point. Babies did seem to have this uncanny ability to tell if someone was trustworthy or not. Peter then remembered the first night he spent in Equestria, fighting the Tantabus. If he hadn't been around, could everyone else have won?

“Would the babies have been safe if I wasn't around? Or did I turn the tide? Who knows… Maybe I was meant to end up here.”

The idea brought a smile to Peter’s face, knowing that even though he didn't want to be here, his presence certainly made an impact so far. In some way, it made it worth the struggle he had faced since he arrived. Lost in mid thought, Peter hadn't seen Pinkie swoop in for a hug, one that felt like it would have crushed most people. Thankfully, he was sturdier than most people, and just let it happen, even returning the hug. Though he put much less force into it. As the hug broke, Pinkie began bouncing in place, sheer joy in her eyes.

"While we wait, we might as well clean this place up. Mr and Mrs Cake would appreciate it."

Considering the twins' room was littered with toys, that was probably a good idea.

***
Given the other activities Peter had to struggle with this past week, this was trivially easy. Though he may have gone a little overboard on how he was organising things, which concerned Pinkie just a little. "I mean, good job, but they'll probably just mess it all up again when they wake up."

The realization made Peter think he may have wasted his time. But given that the room was incredibly tidy for the moment, he felt it was worth it. It was odd. Even in a different world with beings that were entirely alien from his perspective, it turned out many things remained the same, especially how kids acted.

"You know, I have no idea when or if I'll have kids of my own. But until then, these two might as well be mine."

It was as if, for a moment, Pinkie's cheery demeanour dropped and she got serious. It was not something Peter was expecting. "How can you feel so responsible for kids that aren't yours?"

"Because I want to. It's my responsibility in the end. And at this point, they might as well be my baby brother and sister."

That sounded very familiar to Peter. "Almost like how Clark saw me. Always wanting to take care of me."

Even more shocking, when Pinkie turned to face him, were the tears welling in her eyes. "When the Tantabus attacked, I was so worried about the twins. If we couldn't win, what would happen to them? I didn't know how to keep everyone smiling. But then something happened, and we won! And we were all happy again. I'll always be grateful for that."

"I never thought about it like that. The fact that I was even there made the difference. I still saved everyone."

Despite being stuck in a world so far from his own, Peter had to acknowledge that he was still being a hero. Even now, he was doing it without the suit or mask. Again, he was thinking if he was doing it all wrong. Was being a hero just as simple as looking after someone else's children?

"You know Pinkie, I think it's amazing that you've chosen to look after them. I know they'll always be safe with you around."

The light in Pinkie's eyes began to flood back in, and she launched at Peter for another hug, which he was ready for this time. It wasn't as crushingly tight this time, but was gentle. As the hug broke, she cleared her eyes of tears. "Thank you. I definitely needed to hear that. Looks like I'm not the only person who can bring smiles. I might have some competition!"

Usually Peter was down for any challenge, but this was different. "I'll leave that job to you Pinkie. You seem to be more accustomed to it than me."

As they shared a smile with each other, a smell began to cycle through the room. It was light, but enticing. It could only have been one thing, and Pinkie knew they had to get ahead of it.

“Come on! Smells like things are going smoothly!”

As the two exited the twins room, Peter carefully closed the door so as not to wake them, and both took care heading downstairs. Though Pinkie still bounced down each step, she was somehow silent with each bounce. A strange ability, but it suited her optimistic nature. Again, it made Peter smile, almost like the baker's joyous energy was emanating around her.

The two returned to the kitchen, with a quick glance in the oven showing that both cake’s, while coming along nicely, had a little longer to go. Looks like they would have to wait.

***

Thankfully, not much time had passed when a *ding* could be heard..

“Aaaaand it looks like they’re ready! Wanna have a look at our hard work?"

As Pinkie pulled the two cake bases from the oven, Peter noticed what she meant by making sure they were cooked properly. Both had a brownish tone on their surface, and a quick poke confirmed they were solid but supple. Perfection. Pinkie was excited for what came next.

"Now we gotta decorate them! Time for the icing!"

From a nearby drawer, Pinkie took out two piping bags alongside their nozzles. Handing one over to Peter, the two began to fill them with the icing they had prepared. Bouncing in place, Pinkie was ready to get started. "This is my favourite part! Now we give the cake an identity."

With no plan discussed, Pinkie began to move the nozzle around the cake's surface like a woman possessed. Every movement was done with extreme precision, with no icing wasted. The final result looked to be a smiley face of some kind.

“Okie dokie Petey, now you try!”

Rather than try to attempt his own thing, Peter instead tried to mimic Pinkie’s design, though his own movements were purposefully slow. It was evident that he wasn't getting the same results, with some parts of the cake having more icing than others.

Soon, the bag squirted empty, with parts of the cake still bare. Pinkie overlooked the result and felt conflicted. “Well… You tried. We still have the taste test, so it's not all doom and gloom yet!”

Nothing like adding the pressure on. Picking up a nearby knife, Pinkie gently sliced into the firm body of the cake, pushing both sides apart to reveal the fluffy interior. It at least looked good. A few more cuts and there were even pieces. The two bakers picked up a slice and tucked in. Pinkie, while enjoying the taste, couldn't handle the lack of sugar in the icing.

“Can’t say I’d have that all the time. It gets a Pinkie pass though!”

Peter on the other hand was in heaven. There was just enough sweetness for him to enjoy the cake without feeling his tongue was burning. As far as he was concerned, this was perfect.

***

After some cleaning up, the baking had been declared done for the day. While not a perfect piece, Peter had made his first cake thanks to Pinkie’s guiding hand. For him, it felt good to have crafted something so simple he had struggled with for years. With a seal of approval, what was left of the cake was placed in the display at the counter. While simple, Pinkie was sure someone would buy it. And as if on cue, the bell rang at the door, Applejack and Fluttershy entering as it did. Upon seeing them, Pinkie jumped for joy.

“Heeeeey girls! What can I do for you?”

The three girls huddled together for a hug, Applejack almost towering over Fluttershy and Pinkie. Though this made the gears in Peter’s head spin, as all three women he had helped over the last week seemed to all know each other on some level. It was quite the coincidence.

After they broke the hug, Applejack looked over to see Peter behind the counter. “Hey Pete, how ya doin?”

Before Peter could get a word in, Pinkie answered for him. “Petey’s been learning how to bake to help me out.”

Fluttershy's eyes widened hearing this news. “Wow Peter, that's incredibly kind of you. It seems like you’ve helped almost everyone in town.”

Rather sheepishly, Peter tried to pass off his good deeds. “I’ve done what I can honestly. It’s been a group effort so far.”

Applejack couldn't help but find this humbleness a little funny. “A group effort maybe, but you’ve done a lot of heavy liftin. Plus, all that extra wood that just so happened to show up has been mighty useful too. I do wonder where that all came from, eh Pete?”

If there was one thing Peter had learned this past week, it was that Applejack had a very good sense of people. She could always tell if someone was lying, and that ability was mostly used on him in the last few days.

“She reminds me of Cap in a way.”

Though Fluttershy was curious about something. “So Peter, what did you bake? I’d like to try.”

Panic began to set it. “Oh no, you don’t want to do that! It… didn't come out so well. Complete disaster. Chef Ramsay called me an idiot sandwich, it's so bad.”

While none of the three girls got what Peter was saying at all, Pinkie took over the conversation and presented the cake that Peter had out of thin air. “This was the one he made. It’s a good first attempt, but the young grasshopper has much to learn. Give it a try!”

All three took a slice of cake (This now being Pinkie’s second), and took big bites. Inside, Peter began to panic, hoping that Applejack and Fluttershy would be merciful in their criticism. Thankfully, they seemed to be enjoying his handiwork. Fluttershy finished her piece first, licking her fingers afterwards.

“It's lovely. just not as sweet as I thought it would be. Taste’s like there’s less sugar in the icing. Nice first attempt though, Peter.”

It could have been much worse, but it now looked like Peter was going to be more involved as a baker from now on, given he was now competent enough to do it. Before he knew it however, all three girls had taken extra slices of cake, finishing it off.

“But I only had one!”

On the other hand, he may as well have taken it as a compliment that they absolutely devoured it. Rather loudly, Applejack licked her fingers clean. “Ah gotta say, that was mighty tasty. But we didn't come here for treats. There’s a bread order we came to collect. We’ve got a lotta hungry folk out there from workin.”

In what seemed her trademark style, Pinkie vanished and then reappeared holding a box containing a pile of freshly baked bread. The smell was very familiar to Peter, as it was the same as the one he smelled earlier. “Huh, so that's what was driving me crazy this morning.”

Now that he was much closer to the source, he couldn't help but salivate at the smell. Wandering over, he tried to sneak a piece out of the box, only to have his hand smacked by Pinkie. “No! None for you! Not yet anyway. Maybe later.”

Applejack and Fluttershy giggled as quietly as they could, with Pinkie close behind. It took a few moments before Peter joined in. His circle of friends in this new world continued to grow. But deep down he began to worry. How long could he keep his secrets in this world?

And what would everyone think of him when they found out?

Author's Note:

Ahoy readers!

So close to double digit episodes, and I couldn't help but notice that the story has reached over 400 views. I truly appreciate everyone's engagement!

Enjoy the fun and wholesome episode!

Comments

[Fluffy-Boi]

Fresh Bread is always and I mean always a treat no matter what

[Progamer]

Good chapter 😊