Golden

So ended one of the most strenuous domestic quandaries in Ponyville’s history. The Cake couple of Carrot and Cup chose not to officially divorce, but they made use of Twilight Sparkle’s precedence by writing up a binding legal obligation for Carrot Cake to provide full financial and housing support for his illegitimate child and said child’s mother, essentially making him fully responsible for the welfare of both parties until such time that the mother can support herself and her child independently. Should he decide to run off again, the full weight of the law would come bearing down on him, swiftly and without mercy.

Naturally this was quite agreeable to everypony involved, as it meant Pinkie could move back in to Sugarcube Corner to solve the housing matter, much to her immense delight. Cup Cake forgave Pinkie for her hoof in infidelity, who in turn apologized profusely at every opportunity in the first week since returning to her old home. The Cake twins were especially overjoyed to have their father and favorite auntie back, and thus the slow process of marital healing began. Though the lost trust made things between Carrot and Cup lukewarm, the overall mood of the bakery brightened up considerably due to once again being fully staffed with the same familiar faces.

Ponyville’s citizens were quick to notice the change, and upon learning of owners’ resolved quarrel, their collective moods improved as well. And seeing how Pinkie Pie was accepted back into their household, they slowly began to warm back up to the party mare, and in time their opinions of her steadily grew more favorable. There was even well-wishing and help from some of the neighbors in regards to the upcoming birth, though none could match the expertise in foal-rearing as that of the Cakes.

Autumn ended and winter came, and some weeks before Winter Wrap-up, the big day had finally arrived. Weeks of anticipation and unbearable cramping led to an exciting rush to Ponyville Hospital and several tense hours of labor. Though there was a shocking amount of cursing from the mother, with patience and help from old reliable morphine the delivery went by without complication, and a healthy earth colt was born into the world. The Cakes, the Harmony Bearers, and a very weary and doped-out Pinkie Pie gazed down upon a squirming bundle of joy, that sported a darkened yellow coat, with a few small brown patches around the flank and forelegs. His tiny eyes were heavy aquamarine, and his tail and mane coloration composed of both brown and orange streaks. His mane also had the unfortunate puffy aspect as his mother’s, but you couldn’t deny its adorability. Pinkie named him Marble, both after her grandfather and for the interesting swirl of colors in his mane.

Thus Marble Cake was welcomed into the Cake household and Ponyville at large with open hooves. And as Rarity predicted, Pinkie Pie’s baby weight went away in no time and she was back to her usual outgoing, bouncy, hyper self… well, for the most part. Motherhood does have that effect of reigning in the freest of spirits, after all. But Pinkie remained chipper and fun-loving where it counted, while also taking to her newfound motherly responsibilities with proper seriousness. As ponies sought her for parties after many months of avoiding her, she often brought her little giggle bug for inspiration, as well as win the hearts of everypony in town and the envy of plenty of young, single mares.

True to his word, Carrot was there every step of the way for his son. Since Marble’s birth he had helped in caring for him as he did with his other two children, and gave as much unconditional love and attention to him as well. However, the relation between Carrot and Pinkie remained strictly platonic as before, give or take a few passing snuggles. But only out of the love that comes with parenting, and nothing else.

Though unsure what to make of the new arrival at first, Pound and Pumpkin soon became giddy at having a younger brother they could play with and show the ropes in how to excel at infancy. Yet, Marble seemed to take to being a babbling foal pretty well, achieving motion and inquisitive troublemaking in only a month’s time. Then again, what else would you expect from the son of Pinkie Pie?

And so was the way normality held sway over the humble hamlet of Ponyville once more, and there was no better example of it than on one particularly normal day in late spring, more than a year since this tale of familial distress and restoration began. Carrot and Cup Cake had left with their two children to tend to some shopping down at the market, leaving Pinkie Pie in charge of Sugarcube Corner. As the lunch rush had ended, she took the opportunity to do some recreational baking, merrily mixing up some ingredients in the kitchen area while her bouncy ragamuffin watched on in rapt attention from his tabletop seat (as rapt as a baby’s attention can be, anyway).

Pinkie was alternating between stirring up her mixing bowl and booping Marble’s noise when the familiar jangle announced a customer. Moving a few paces on her hind legs, not once stopping her stirring, Pinkie leaned out into the store area and instantly spotted a somewhat scrawny grey pegasus colt with a black mane.

“Hiya there, Rumble!” she called out, catching the colt by surprise. “How are ya, little guy?”

“Uh, I’m fine,” he humbly said. “Just came in here for a cookie.”

“Sure thing! Just give me a sec and I’ll be right out!” And instantly the mare had popped back into the kitchen, out of sight but still yelling out a conversation. “So how are ya enjoyin’ the spring break? I’m surprised not more of your classmates have come in here.”

“Yeah, most of them are out at other places, or camping and stuff.” Feeling a touch of curiosity, Rumble wandered over past the counter and peeked into the kitchen, seeing Pinkie Pie humming and stirring happily to her son’s giggling approval. “Whatcha making?”

“Oh, this?” Pinkie asked, abruptly stopping her stirring as she looked to the intruding pegasus. “Just mixing me up some treacle tarts.”

“Tree-acle?” Rumble said, tilting his head.

“It’s this really sweet kind of syrup,” Pinkie happily explained. “One of Mrs. Cake’s relatives lives in Trottingham and sent over a whole box of them a few days ago. It’s supposed to be great for baking, so I thought I’d give it a try!” She went back to stirring and humming with that winning smile of hers.

“Oh, I see. That’s pretty cool I guess.”

“Hey! I just thought of something neat: how bout I show you how to make it? Give you some culinary practice which you can use to impress the ladies~.”

“Ewww, I’m too young for that stuff,” Rumble objected with a hint of a blush on his little cheeks.

“Trust me, Rumble: fillies like a colt of many skills, and you’ll be grateful for having them when you get older. So whaddya say? Some fun-time baking with your pally-pal Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie cocked her head lifted her eyebrows a few times to better sell her angle.

“Well... okay.” The pitchmare does it again!

“Great! Just come over here and I’ll show you the ingredients that are used, and how to properly stir them into a scrumptious-yumptious mixture. And there’s enough so that we could make one you can take home to your brother, as an apology for that little mix-up I got him into last year.”

“Uhh, I think he’s well over it,” he said as he approached his sudden mentor-for-the-day.

“But you can never pass up free desserrrrrrt! Now let’s get to it.”

With apprentice in tow, and the cutest little critic watching on with glee, Pinkie Pie continued stirring up her treacle-laced concoction. A sweet treat for a cozy day in a very sweet life; none too shabby an arrangement, all things considered.

The End

Author's Note

And that was my foray into the realm of domestic drama. An idea that came up sometime between seasons two and three, though I'd never thought I'd ever write it up. But because I felt especially inspired and found no other stories like this, I went through with it. Thanks to all of you who read this and kept reading it to the end, and apologies to the non-clop lovers for the opening chapter, as well as the clop-lovers left disappointed by everything after the first chapter. A Happy 2015 to you all, and all the best.

Songs That Helped In Composing This Story

Tabi no Tochuu - Spice & Wolf OST
+ID - Megurine Luka
Lonely UFO - Hatsune Miku
Isolation Thanatos - Kagamine Rin
You'll Never be a Man - Elvis Costello
Catastrophe - Hatsune Miku & Yuzuki Yukari
The Show Must Go On - Queen

*An eclectic and random mix, sure, but my thinking's weird like that :P*