I turned towards the camera and grabbed it. "You guys are the best!" I bounced in an energetic pronking towards the kitchen to find the other pink pony chef was already there. "Heya! What's the deal?"

He looked up at me with a big smile. "One of the stoves is an older model. I should be able to burn things inside of it and use that to get things going."

I clopped my hooves excitedly. "That's great! Here." I pulled out some random bits of stuff and threw it inside the stove he pointed at, and with the power of friendship, and the even greater power of two pink ponies, we had the oven blazing. It lent a nice flickery light to the room too, which wasn't a bad side bonus. "You know, you've been entrusted to a very important thing."

"I have?" He tilted his head at me. "You mean, being the chef?"

"Well, sure, that's a start, but you also have a better power." I put a hoof at my chest. "You're a pink earth pony chef with the desire to make other ponies happy, which makes you super special. I won't always be here, but I know you'll make some smiles in my place, right?"

"Of course." He started to bow to me, but I interrupted it by pulling up one of his hooves and showing him the happy cloppy noise of hoof vs hoof.

"That's a hoofbump. You should show it to other ponies. It should be safe to do with people too." I tilted my head with a new thought. "Why aren't you rushing to get your fingers back, by the way?"

"My wife wouldn't forgive me if I risked so much for so little." He smiled a little. "You already showed me how to get by with what I have. You've restored hope to me, and no fingers will change that now." He pointed a hoof at our working stove. "We have more ponies than usual to see to, let's get to work."

With renewed spirits on both sides, we got to work. The idea of feeding dozens on dozens of ponies with just one stovetop and nothing else was daunting, but we had each other. While one of us was busy stirring and tending, the other was fetching ingredients. The smells that began to spread drew the attention of other ponies, and we started getting a crowd of hopeful faces.

There wasn't anyway to keep the warm food warm, so instead of waiting for one big setting, we started serving up to people as it was ready. One of the other ponies I showed how to work with their hooves came in, still bearing hooves, and quietly joined us, giving a helping hoof in making and distributing the food out to make hungry faces into happy ones.

If it wasn't for the, uh, surgery sounds, it would have been a perfectly happy time. Even with it, people were in a good mood, and nopony was pushing or shoving. Even the ferals formed a line once shown how and went up one at a time to get food. The trick with them was that plates, and carrying them around confused them. We ended up feeding them more like doggies and setting bowls of food where they could reach it. They'd stuck their little snouts in and got to chomping up with the happiest sounds, but not the cleanest ones.

With the food well in hoof, I took a plate and made my way through the crowd. "Aiko?" I came into the room to find her looking all tired and set it beside her before sitting close to it and her. "You feeling alright?"

"It's exhausting." She sat up and reached for the food I brought. "Thank you. Your food started distracting them away, and I think the screams helped it along. Most of those left seem happy to wait to make sure it's safe before they rush for fingers." She looked over the plate a moment. "Sorry to bother, I know you went through a lot of effort, but could I have a fork or a spoon?"

I pulled out some chopsticks and offered them up. "I have this. Do you know how to use it?"

"I do." She accepted it with a smile, then paused. "With fingers..." Then she brightened again. "Or magic!" She lifted up the wood sticks and began piling food into her snout easily, snarfing up the food with happy noises as pleased as any feral pony. "Mmm, you're getting awfully good at Chinese food."

I waved it off. "I like learning new recipes, and the ponies here were happy to show it to me. I didn't get the hang of those though." I tilted my head at the sticks. "Short of magic, I don't see how any pony could, but they were managing it. I'm so proud of them!"

Aiko smiled back, but went quiet as she finished her food, looking a lot less harried and tired for it.

"Say, what did you mean before, about that 'fire' stuff. Am I on fire?"

She looked at me intently a moment. "Yes."

I brushed down my fur in a sudden fit of panic. "Put me out!"

"Not that kind of fire." She smiled gently. "I'm not really sure what kind of fire it is, to be honest. I think it's the pony disease."

I tapped my chin softly. "Well, if they aren't on fire anymore, that means they can't get anyone else on fire?"

Aiko nodded. "That would be nice, but how do we check that? We'd need a clean human willing to be possibly infected to know one way or the other."

I clopped my hooves together. "The leader's in the basement, remember? We could go ask him. Either he or someone he knows might be up for it."

Aiko nodded slowly. "That may be worth it. I'm just scared of wandering around as ponies whenever the soldiers return in force to pacify things. Here they expect ponies, a floor up or down, not so much."

I saluted sharply. "Then leave it to me! I can get down there and back, no problem, and get our answer."

She squeezed me tightly. "You are simply the best. Thank you for being brave. Ask the soldier ponies if they want to come with you. They're used to the idea of danger, and probably know the leader. I'm sure they'd be excited to see an end to this disease, at least as a disease."

"I would be." The mare that identified as a stallion stepped from the door. "My friends are getting something to eat and are still out of sorts. I'll leave them to guard this floor, but it would be an honor to accompany you, Miss Pie. This is extremely important."

We had a plan!

Author's Notes:

Last Time:
1: Aiko gets swept up changing ponies as she can. 2.34 votes
2: Pinkie decides to go exploring instead, leaving the soldiers to keep the peace in her stead. 0.5 votes
3: The lights, they're back! 1.66 votes
4: Ding? The elevator's working? 2.16 votes
5: It's been a while... What are we eating for dinner? 8.34 votes

I would not have predicted such a strong push for din din, but here we go!

Dinner was served! And a new plan is hatched, but how will it go? What danger do they have to get past?
1: Rowdy ponies too rambunctious to gather the first time through.
2: Desperate soldiers
3: Oh look, they're retaking the building!
4: People in various states of infection in desperate need of help.
5: It's a nice leisurely walk!