Chapter 1 - The Cakes' Retirement
Pinkie Pie jumped down the stairs, her cool blue eyes filled with excitement, as always. Her hot pink mane and tail were poofier and smile wider than usual. As she hopped down the stairs, her mane and tail bounced up and down. Precious afternoon sunlight poured through the windows of Sugarcube Corner. It was a beautiful day out, the blue sky was cloudless, and the air was not too warm, but not too cold. It was the kind of weather that Pinkie was usually out in all day long, bouncing around Ponyville, hanging out with her friends. Maybe taking a hot air balloon or riding some crazy contraption to Rainbow Dash's house in the clouds, or being a model for Rarity's latest fashion designs. But not today; today was different.
Pinkie was still smiling as she bounced into the main room, where Mrs. and Mr. Cake were. It was the day. The day where Mrs.Cake and Mr.Cake were retiring, and Pinkie Pie was taking over ownership of Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes' son and daughter, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, were adults now. With no kids to take care of anymore, Mrs.Cake and Mr.Cake were ready to retire and leave the shop to Pinkie, who they both knew was the perfect pony to leave the shop to.
Pinkie was super excited to be taking charge of one of Ponyville's most popular bakery; but at the same time she was sad to see the Cakes' go. They were like family to her, all four of them. She was there the day Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake were born, and the day they left to live on their own. The siblings even called her "Aunt Pinkie." She cried when they left, and now she felt like crying now that Mr. and Mrs. Cake were leaving. Worries crowded in her mind. What if the train crashed on the way there? What if they missed the train? What if the train suddenly exploded on the way there? What if the train took them to the wrong place, and never came back, stranding them? What if they made it there, but..... Pinkie shook her head, clearing the dark thoughts from her mind, and instead focused on helping them pack and get ready to leave.
"Anything you need help with? Packing? Baking? Cleaning? I'll be glad to help you with Anything, anything you need!" Pinkie said to the Cakes' as she bounced around the room. Mrs.Cake looked at Pinkie over her shoulder.
"It's OK Pinkie, we're fine. We just need to finish packing and-" Mrs.Cake was abruptly cut off as pinkie yelled, "Packing? I'll help you pack!" And zipped upstairs and back then started stuffing their things into a small suitcase, her tongue sticking out in concentration She stuffed some clothes and knick knacks into the suitcase, and pushed it close with all her might. The Cakes' came into the room and watched her with worried expressions. Pinkie managed to get the suitcase closed, then smiled and waved her hooves around in a "Ta Da!" kind of motion, at least until the suitcase burst from being too full. Mr.Cake flinched as a pair of pants landed on his head.
"Oh, Pinkie, we're OK, really!" He said. Pinkie's smile faded.
"Oh..... Sorry. I just don't want anything to go wrong, I need you to be happy as can be!" Pinkie replied. She paused for a moment, then said, "So, are you SURE you don't need help with anything? Anything at all?" She yelled with renewed smile and began trying to pack the suitcase again. Mrs.Cake went over to Pinkie and put a hoof on her shoulder.
"Pinkie, it's OK. Really. We have it under control." She said in a soft, reassuring voice. Pinkie nodded sadly. Then a thought hit her; she didn't even know where they were going! No wonder she couldn't stop worrying!
"Where are you going, anyway?" she asked. Mrs.Cake turned, pink eyes scrunched in confusion.
"We told you, Pinkie. Don't you remember? We're going to Rainbow Falls. It's such a beautiful place, we think it's perfect for retirement." she said. Pinkie was surprised; for one, she had no memory of Mrs.Cake telling her this. And second, she had expected them to move to either Cloudsdale or Canterlot.... then again, they wouldn't be able to live in Cloudsdale, being earth ponies and all. Pound Cake had moved to Cloudsdale, and Pumpkin to Canterlot, so she expected their parents to follow. They moved to these places because they had both found great, well-paying baking jobs there. Otherwise, Mr. and Mrs.Cake would've left the shop to them.
"Oh, right. I must've forgotten.... whoopsie!"
At the end of the day, when Celestia was setting the sun and Luna was raising the moon, the Cakes' had finished getting ready. They had packed up their things and were moving to Rainbow Falls, the most perfect and most beautiful place in all of Equestria. Pinkie and them were now at the train station. They had arrived a bit later than planned, but were just in time for the train. Pinkie helped Mr.Cake with his suitcase as the multi-colored train pulled up and stopped with a ch-shsss!
"Goodbye Mrs and Mr.Cake! Don't forget to write! And visit! And don't forget about me!!" Pinkie shrieked as the Cakes' slowly walked towards the train, held up by the long line of other ponies wanting to get on, too. Mrs.Cake lifted a hoof and waved goodbye, her tired eyes shining with tears. She turned and smiled, the dying light of the sun making her blue fur have a golden hue. Shadows cast over her face made her smiling expression darken, and the same with Mr.Cake. The golden hue of the sunset blended in with Mr.Cake's yellow fur, glowing like the sun itself.
She waved until the Cakes' boarded the train, a fake smile plastered onto her face. The train took off into the distance white smoke billowing in the wind. Pinkie's smiled faded and her hair slightly deflated, color darkening some. She bowed her head and a hot tear ran down her light pink fur. The Cakes' were gone. The people whom she treated like her parents, her friends, her family. She longingly stared off in the distance, where the train had disappeared into the dark night, swallowed by shadows.
Pinkie woke up the next morning with a smile on her face. It was the day she was taking charge of Sugarcube Corner! She lept out of bed and opened the curtain of the window, letting in glorious morning light. Another perfect day outside. She pried open the window with her hooves, leaning her head out and taking a deep breath of the fresh, crisp spring air.
"Goodmorning everypony!" Pinkie yelled happily out her window, like every morning. The ponies walking by waved at her, some wishing her a good morning back. Pinkie's grin grew wider, and she pulled her head back inside, slamming the window back down. She then trotted down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen to make a fresh batch of cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and more delectable desserts to sell.
A few hours later, and she had completed baking all the sweet treats, and laid them out in a nice organized manner, and turned the CLOSED sign to OPEN. She hopped over the counter and sat behind the cash register with a huge grin still on her face, anxiously waiting for customers.
A couple of hours had passed before Pinkie realized nopony was going to come, which was unusual. Usually Sugarcube Corner had loads of business! There must be something going on today that I don't know.... is it a holiday? Or a birthday? No, that can't be; I have everypony's birthdays and all the holidays ever memorized.... even the made-up not-actually-real holidays! Pinkie thought. She decided to go out and investigate, turning the sign back to CLOSED.
Ponyville was bustling with busy ponies going shopping, visiting friends or family, talking, rushing off to work, and whatever else ponies do on Thursdays. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary that Pinkie could see. It was just the usual. Berry Punch was passed out, slumped against the wall of her house, drunk with a bottle of some alcohol lying next to her. Rainbow Dash and some other pegasi were clearing the clouds. Rarity was ushering Sweetie Belle off to school, yelling at her, saying she was going to be late if she didn't hurry. Lyra Heartstrings was sitting on a bench in an unnatural position, looking bored, with Bon Bon by her side.... wait a minute.....
Pinkie jumped as she realized Bon Bon wasn't by Lyra's side. She was usually lying next to her. Every day, in fact! Not today, though. She was missing from her usual spot.
"Lyra! Lyra!! Over here! It's Pinkie! Pinkie Pie! Over here Lyraa!!" Pinkie screeched, waving her left foreleg frantically to get the unicorn's attention. Lyra noticed her, all right. Her gold eyes stared into Pinkie's blue ones, but they were filled with boredness and slight annoyance. Pinkie bounded over to her, Lyra's gaze following her.
"Yes, Pinkie?" She asked in a dull tone.
"Where's Bon Bon? She's usually over here, but she's not! And I mean, always here. But nope, not today! And why is that? Why is your best friend in all of Equestria not by your side? Huh? HUH!?" Pinkie screamed into Lyra's ear, much louder than needed. The mint unicorn now had a startled look across her face.
"I... what? Bon Bon? She's.... she said something about getting a job. I think? At a bakery, or something. A new one. She only works at the register, but she said it's well paying, and she enjoys it. Today's her first day.... also the first day that the place opens. A grand opening, you could say...." Lyra said, nervous at the start, but gaining bravery as she went on. She had a good reason to be startled, after Pinkie so abruptly screamed in her face like that.
"A bakery? What!?" Pinkie screeched once more, before zooming off at higher speeds than Lyra thought was possible for an earth pony to achieve.
Pinkie trotted around for a while, asking around for directions to this new bakery. She didn't achieve anything, for different ponies gave her different directions, and most were too busy rushing off to work to answer her. She decided to go to Twilight's castle, where she could see all of Ponyville from.
On her way there, however,she passed a new building. The bakery.
It had white sign above it that read "Surprise!" In swirly, pretty, fun letters with confetti and desserts doodled around it. Pinkie walked closer, and noticed the smell of desserts wafting out. It made her mouth water as she breathed in the sweet smell. Then, she stepped inside, a bell ringing above the door as she opened it.
It seemed as hundreds as ponies were in there, the fairly small bakery was filled to the brim. Most ponies were standing or sitting on the floor because all of the seats were taken. And at the cash register was Bon Bon, looking stressed with all the ponies in line. Pinkie stood in line until it was her turn, and when it finally was, she noticed a little silver bell on the counter. It was normally used for calling the cashier, to tell them a pony was in line. Today, it wasn't necessary; Bon Bon was at the counter all day, never even having a chance to walk away and take a break. But before Bon Bon could say anything, Pinkie decided ringing the bell would be fun, and brought her hoof down upon it many, many times, amused with the sharp Ding! sound the bell made.
Bon Bon did not think it was so amusing, and grabbed Pinkie's hoof when she was about to ring it for the thirtieth time.
"Pinkie, I'm right here. There's no need to ring the bell.... especially not that much. I hear you." She said, dropping Pinkie's hoof.
"Oh... right." Pinkie replied, blushing.
"OK, so what would you like today?" Bon Bon asked, pointing to a menu hanging above her, and motioning to the sweets lined up in the glass case built into the counter.
"Ohmygosh! Look at all of these desserts!" Pinkie screeched, pressing her muzzle to the glass. Bon Bon rolled her eyes, but smiled at Pinkie's adorable silliness.
"You know what? I'll just take all of 'em! I think I have enough bits for that.... haven't bought anything in a long while."
"Really? You want one of everything? That's gotta be over a thousand bits."
"Yep! Everything!"
"OK then. Just give me a minute." Bon Bon said, then walked through a door behind the counter to get all of the many treats that Pinkie bought. When she returned, Pinkie let out a delighted gasp and jumped up, somehow hovering in the air for a few moments. Celestia knows how she did things like that without wings or magic.
Bon Bon handed her bag after bag of treats, which Pinkie stuck into her mane, balanced on her back and her nose. By the time the exchange was done and Pinkie payed thousands of bits to Bon Bon, the other customers in line were very angry, and some had left altogether. But Pinkie didn't care; she had just gotten more delicious donuts, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, and brownies than she had ever imagined.
At about closing time, she had finished every single item she had bought. And somehow, she wasn't sick.
"Excuse me, miss, but it's closing time, so I'm going to have to ask you to...." said female voice from behind her, pausing for a bit. Pinkie looked to see who it was, but there was nopony there. Or so she thought.
"Pinkie?" The same voice screeched from across the bakery. Startled, Pinkie looked around until she saw who the voice belonged to....
"Surprise?"
