'Switchy Pie' Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4
The next morning, Pinkie left her apartment above Sugarcube Corner quickly and went to the Carousel Boutique to buy herself a hat to cover up her horn.

"I think this hat will suit you best, Pinkie." said Rarity showing her a nice blue hat with yellow and pink balloons on it. "I stitched in those balloons for you to match your cutie mark."

"Why thank you, Rarity!" Pinkie said delightedly. "and it's just the right size for me to cover up the horn." She then lifted it with her magic and placed it on her head covering the horn up. She then paid five bits to Rarity for the horn. "Alright, I'd better be on my way now…"

"I sure hope work goes well for you today, Darling."

"I do too, as well as Twilight.  She better not let anyone in the library…"


Pinkie then walked back to Sugarcube Corner to open it up.  She was there a bit early and a few of the workers got there before the Cakes did.  Pinkie had already started working on her treats she had scheduled to make.  The rest of the workers were somewhat amused that she wasn't fooling around this time and was working rather diligently.  She wasn't even the first one to say hi to them when they walked in; she was so engrossed in her work.  They ended up being the first ones to greet her and she greeted them back but quickly returned to her work.  A few minutes after the opening, Mr. and Mrs. Cake arrived to the Corner.  They saw Pinkie with her new hat and that she had already started ahead of everyone and seemed to be working harder than normal.  She was working so hard that she hadn't even noticed them in there yet.

"Well Honey Bun, Pinkie seems to be working rather diligently today, wouldn't you say?" commented Mr. Cake.

"Why yes, Carrot.  That is rather different." said Mrs. Cake.  "I believe this is the first time we've walked in to a rather quiet and studious Pinkie.  Perhaps she took what we said the other day into consideration…"

"Let's go check and see…"

They both walked over and it appeared Pinkie was working on the cherry bunt cake she ruined the other day.

"Oh, Pinkie, you're remaking that cake I see!" said Mrs. Cake.

"Huh?  Oh, hi Mr. and Mrs. Cake!"  Pinkie said looking up quickly. "Yeah, I decided I owe you guys since I ruined it the other day."

"And that's a rather lovely hat you're wearing.  What's the occasion?" asked Mr. Cake.

"Oh, it's just a hat I picked up from the boutique cuz I liked it.  Um……by the way, I wanted to apologize to you two for the way I acted the other day.  I shouldn't have been so selfish and should have just left the treats alone.  But I thought about what you told me and I've decided it's time to buck up and be more responsible.  You guys were right to tell me what you did and I promise I'll be a better worker from now on."

Mr. and Mrs. Cake just stood there rather dumbfounded.  They hadn't expected to hear something like this from Pinkie Pie and almost couldn't believe they were hearing it.  Finally Mrs. Cake spoke up.

"Well……well we're very glad for that Pinkie!" she said. "It's good to know you thought about what we said!  So now you know how to behave?"

"Oh you know it!  From now on, I'll only eat what belongs to me and no confection shall go unharmed!" she said taking out a bag of cherries and dumping them neatly on top of the cake. "There!  And no tasting this time, it's ready to go!  NEXT!!" she called as a coworker brought in a clean tray for her to start the next cake.

"Wow!  You sure have turned over a new leaf, Pinkie!" said Mr. Cake. "I'm proud you've finally decided to take things seriously!"

"Believe me, so am I!  I NEED A NEW ICING TUBE!"

The Cakes walked back to their table and talked amongst each other.

"I didn't think this day would come, Honey Bun!" said Mr. Cake.

"I know, Carrot, she's like a whirling dervish over there!  Well, a different kind of whirling dervish that is……a serious one!"


Back at the library, the door had its "Sorry, We're Closed" sign on it and Twilight and Spike were just sitting in the middle of the first floor.  Both seemed rather unoccupied and miserable waiting for something exciting to happen.  Since the library wasn't being used, Spike didn't need to do any chores and Twilight didn't feel like reading any books since she had a new personality.

"Bored?" Spike asked.

"Yeah." Twilight responded.

They both sighed and kept sitting staring into space.

"So……wanna play a game or something?" he asked her.

"A game?  OOOOH, I LOVE GAMES!!!" she shouted leaning her head over to him.

"WHOA, WHOA, OKAY, I GET IT!" Spike called stumbling backwards. "Alright, we'll play a game.  Let's see what we have here..." He walked over to a shelf that had board games stacked in it. "What do you wanna play?  We have Scrabble, Monopoly, Candy Land, Clue, Sorry…"

"OOOH, TWISTER, I WANNA PLAY TWISTER!"

"Uh, Twilight, I don't think that's such a good idea.  Remember what happened last time we played Twister?"

"Oh yeah………………………………er, wait, no I don't remember what happened last time we played Twister…"

Spike face-palmed, "You got yourself tangled up and you almost broke your left hind leg and after I got you untangled you said to me 'Spike, put that confounded board game away, I never want to get myself almost hurt like that again!'………and you vowed to never try it again."

"Ooooooooh, so that's what happened………LET'S DO IT AGAIN!!!"

Just then somepony knocked on the door.

"We have a customer Spike!" Twilight said rushing to the door.

"What?!  NO, TWILIGHT, WE CAN'T LET THEM IN!"

But it was too late, Twilight had opened the door to greet two ponies there.

"Why hello, Twilight!" said one of the ponies.

"Hey guys, what's up?!"

"Uh……you're not busy are you?"

"Busy?  Nope, I'm fine.  Fine and dandy, hehehe!"

The ponies both looked at each other awkwardly for they never had seen Twilight like this before.

"Uh……can we come in then?  We're looking for the book titled-"

"No guys, we're closed!" said Spike pushing his way by Twilight, "Didn't you read the sign?"

"Oh, we're sorry, we didn't see that?  What's wrong with the library?"

"Well, see Pinkie Pie says that I can't let anypony in cuz I'm-"

"BECAUSE WE'RE CLEANING!!!  Yes, yes, we're cleaning the library!  Cuz, um……it needs to be cleaned.  Okay everypony, bye now, nice talking to you, see ya!" said Spike gently pushing the ponies away and then rushing back to Twilight and pushed her back into the library and slammed the door behind him.

"That wasn't very nice, Spike." said Twilight disappointedly.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but remember, we're not supposed to let anyone in cuz it's closed cuz you're different!"

"Oops..."

"Now listen, if you wanna play Twister, I'm gonna have to go look for it up in the attic cuz that's where you told me to put it away.  So I'll be right back while I go find it right now…"

"Okie dokie Loki!"

"Sheesh, she really is starting to sound like Pinkie!" he mumbled to himself going up the stairs to find the board game.

Suddenly the door knocked again and Twilight forgot all about the closed library.  She went to open the door to see three other different ponies.

"Hey guys, how are ya?"

"Hey there, Twilight, we saw the library was closed today and we were just wondering when it will reopen.  Me and my friends would really like to look for this one book…"

"Closed?  Oh, uh………it's not closed." She said turning the sign around. "The wind just blew the sign the other way.  Come on in!"

"Oh.  Well then, thanks!"

"So, what do you guys wanna do?"  she asked them as they came in.

"Uh…well, we're here to find a book if that's what you mean."

"Oh really?  Cuz I'm kinda bored and I was thinking of throwing a party in here or something."

"A party?  Twilight, since when do YOU of all ponies throw parties?" one of the ponies asked rather confused.

"I dunno, I'm just kinda in a party mood.  You guys wanna help me with it?"

"Well we're only here to get a book.  Do you think you should be throwing a party in the library?"

"Oh sure, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, you're usually a rather tidy pony.  Wouldn't you be mad if we kinda……you know, trashed the place?"

"Nah, Pinkie Pie threw a party in here the first time I ever came to Ponyville and the place is perfectly fine!"

"Yeah, but………you're Twilight Sparkle, you never do that kinda thing."

"Not anymore!  I'm just feeling good today and it never hurts to have fun!"

"Uh……well, I guess it wouldn't hurt as long as it's just a fun little party…"

"Alright!  Now we're gonna need some food, and cake, and games, and music, and…"


Back at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie was doing very well.  She had made several large cakes and dozens of muffins and cupcakes.  She was working very swiftly and diligently and all the ponies were impressed with her progress.  Some of them even forgot what they were doing and left their tables just to go see her work.  They all asked her why she was being such a good worker today and she just replied saying "I've decided to just be a better worker, guys." which obviously wasn't the whole truth, but no one really cared, they were just glad she was making the treats instead of eating them for once.  She was very energetic yet organized with how she made her confections, she even was able to add on to her "Cupcakes" song while making some.


All ya gotta do is take a cup of flower
Add it to the mix!
Now just take a little something sweet not sour
A bit of salt just a pinch!
Baking these treats is such a cinch
Add a teaspoon of vanilla!
Add a little more, then ya count to four
And you never get your filla!
Cupcakes!  So sweet and tasty!
Cupcakes!  Don't be too hasty!
Cupcakes!  Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAAAAAAAAKES!!

Now it's time to bake them in the oven
Cook em till ya hear a beep!
Take em out and let em cool for a while
Cuz if ya eat em hot, you'll weep!
Then ya take some icing and top it good
Add some candy or some cherries!
Put em on a tray, sell em all away
And everypony will be merry!
Cupcakes!  So sweet and tasty!
Cupcakes!  Don't be too hasty!
Cupcakes!  Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAAAAAAAAKES!!


Pinkie worked and worked all day and even decided to work past her hours.  She had made a dozen cakes and around fifty cupcakes and muffins.  The Cakes were very proud of her.

"My Pinkie, I've never seen you this productive before!" exclaimed Mr. Cake looking at all the cupcakes on the trays.

"Yes, you've done even more work than me or Mr. Cake could ever do in one day!" said Mrs. Cake.

"Thanks guys!  I just really felt the need to get my flanks in gear today and do some working!" Pinkie replied.

"And it was awfully nice of you to even stay past your hours to make sure it was all done!" Mr. Cake told her pointing to the nearest clock in the corner.

"Yup, I thought I might as well finish…OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S ALMOST FIVE O'
CLOCK!!!" she screamed realizing that she had ten minutes until the time the spell wore off.  "Oh I am so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Cake, but I just realized I am late for something!  I really gotta go!"

"Oh, well, it's alright dear, you've done quite enough work for today anyhow." Mrs. Cake assured her.

"But where are you going?  Are you sure you're alright?" asked Mr. Cake wondering why she was leaving the actual building which had the apartment above that she lived in.

"Oh, it's something I promised one of my friends I'd do with her this afternoon, and I was supposed to be there after I was done but I lost track of the time!  Oh I really have to get going, but I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay, good bye now!" she said rushing out the door to hurry back to the library before time ran out.

"Honey Bun, do you think perhaps there might be something wrong with Pinkie?" Mr. Cake asked his wife.

"Well, she did seem a bit different, but for the better at least." she replied.

"Yes, but…she seemed a bit TOO different.  How could she change so quickly like that?  I get the feeling we were a bit too hard on her and that she's now trying a bit too hard to please us…"

"Well, she does seem a bit odd.  I do hope she's ok…"


Pinkie was sprinting toward the library and stopped abruptly at the door.

"Oh phew!  I still have five minutes left!  Well, it sure was a good first day of……wait, what's that noise?" she said peering in through the windows of the library.  She saw a bunch of ponies in there dancing to loud music and saw Twilight on top of a table dancing with them. "OH NO NO NO!  I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!!"  she then threw the door open and the music only got louder so she closed it quickly.  All around the library, there were streamers and popped balloons and a bunch of crumbs from half-eaten treats that Twilight had let the other ponies eat.  She recognized a lot of these ponies from some of the parties she had thrown or that had helped her with parties in the past at Sugarcube Corner.  Some of them were even her coworkers!  Spike came rushing up right next to Pinkie.

"PINKIE, I SWEAR I DID NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!  I TRIED TO STOP HER!" he said frantically.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU COME GET ME, SPIKE?!?" she called to him over the music.

"I'M SORRY, THE THOUGHT DIDN'T CROSS MY MIND, I CAN BARELY EVEN HEAR MYSELF THINK WITH ALL THIS CRAZY MUSIC!!"

Just then Twilight did a stage dive and the ponies carried her above their hooves till she landed off the edge of the crowd right in front of Pinkie and Spike.

"OH HEY THERE PINKIE!  WANNA JOIN US?  THE PARTY'S JUST GETTING STA-"

"TWILIGHT, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!?  I TOLD YOU NOT TO LET ANYPONY IN AND KEEP A LOW PROFILE!!!!"

"OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, SILLY ME, HEHEHE…"

Pinkie then rushed over and pulled the plug on the stereo and the music stopped and all the ponies looked around confused.  She ran up on top of the table in the center that Twilight was standing on.

"Alright, alright everypony, the party is over, now go home all of you!!" she shouted angrily.

All the ponies stood there dumbfounded at hearing Pinkie Pie, the most playful party pony in all of Ponyville, say such a thing.  It only took a moment for her to realize what she had just told them.

"Er……uh……I mean……JUST KIDDING!  AHAHAHA!  LIKE I WOULD EVER SAY THAT AND MEAN IT!!"  All the other ponies laughed with her thinking she was serious at first.

"But seriously guys, I think it's time we ended this party, okay?"

"But Pinkie…" said one of the ponies, "…don't you wanna stay and party with us?  You always love parties!"

"Oh of course I love parties!  But I know Twilight has a lot of work to do…" she said while looking angrily back at Twilight and talking out of the side of her mouth, "…and we can always just finish the party some other time, right?"

The ponies all left miserably and Pinkie said bye to them in her best cheerful accent she could to hide her new personality.

"Come again though, thanks!"  She then turned to Twilight after the door had closed.  "TWILIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!"

"I'm sorry Pinkie, I was just so darn bored!  I didn't know what else to do!" Twilight explained nervously.

"Do you realize what you've just done?!  You've basically just let half of Ponyville know what's happened to you!  Now word of this will get out!  But luckily for us, once word does get out, no one will be able to tell!  We're just about to see the spell end cuz it's 4:59 right now!" she said pointing to the clock on the wall above them.  They all waited for less than a minute until the clock struck five, but nothing happened.  Pinkie took off her hat only to find she still had the horn.

"That's strange.  Where's the breaking of the spell?" she asked.

"Um…maybe the clock's a bit too fast?" Spike said.

"Or maybe the spell is permanent." Twilight said.

"Why do I get the feeling she's right…" Pinkie said worriedly.

They waited another twenty minutes and still nothing happened.  The spell wasn't wearing off yet.

"Don't worry Pinkie, sometimes these one-day spells last a little more than a day…" Spike said trying to calm down Pinkie who was walking back and forth anxiously.

"This is not good!  I'm gonna have to look in that book the Princess gave you and see if I can learn that spell and turn us both back!" she said bringing the book over to look at it.

"So does that mean you'll be spending the night?" Twilight asked her.

"Well, I'm going to have to!"

"YAY, A SLEEPOVER!"

"Except I'm not gonna be sleeping Twilight!  I'm gonna stay up half the night and try to learn this spell!"

"Pinkie, why are you in such a rush to break the spell?" Spike asked.

"Because, Spike, everypony will find out about this little fiasco at the library and then they'll find out what happened to me and Twilight and the mayor will probably find a replacement for Twilight and fire her from working here!  I cannot let that happen!"

"Maybe we could just switch jobs, Pinkie!" Twilight said excitedly.

"No Twilight!  I'm not going to have us both switch our lives around completely just because we performed a spell that went wrong!  We're getting back to normal and that's the bottom line!"

While Twilight and Spike were sleeping, Pinkie stayed up reading the book and how to perform the spell.  She even had Owloysius the owl bring her other books that told the basics to performing powerful magic spells, for she still wasn't even ready to use the easier ones.

"Oh Owloysius, I sure hope I can get this spell fixed and bring Twilight back to her normal self!  I would hate for her to get kicked out of here!

"Hoo!" said the little owl.

"Twilight.  You know, the purple pony you help at night?"

"Hoo!"

"Never mind…" Pinkie sighed looking back down at the book.


To be continued...