Upper Crust

“What’s...huff...going on?”

Clipsy was just about able to muster the question as she chewed on the final snack she had carefully preserved from bag four. Thank Celestia four more bags were about to come her way. At least they would be if they were actually making their way back to the bakery as planned. The cart had stopped.

“Cart jam ma’am.” came the reply from one of the ponies pulling her. “We’re only a block away though.”

The traffic moved slowly. It wasn’t just ponies, the pavements were rather full of ponies too. They all appeared to be queuing. As they rounded the corner Clipsy could see why. The bakery was inundated with customers. Patronage had dropped off a little since they first opened (it always did, ponies bored of the latest new thing in town quickly once they had tried it a few times) but now there was so many waiting outside and queued up for the side window (even regular ponies trying to avoid cramming inside the store) that there was simply no room to move. The cart stopped once more, unable to get through the crowd.

The mares flabby ears twitched, she heard a yell from inside the store above the hubbub of the crowd. Ponies started to move out back into the street and slowly, carts began to move again and the queue dispersed. She saw Cookie finally emerge from within the crowded store to address the line at the window which was still there.

“MARES AND GENTLECOLTS!” her voice boomed. Clipsy had never heard the mare yell before, but she had a very commanding tone to it. Not nasty or anything like that, but you paid attention. “WE ARE COMPLETELY SOLD OUT OF ALL GOODS. PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW!”

There was a small sigh and some annoyed grumbles from the queue, but as instructed, everypony turned around and left. Most likely to go home. The only ones left were the ones using the street. The four ponies parked Clipsy up near the bakery and stopped the cart outside. There was a gentle squish as her blubber rolled up against the sides when it came to a halt. Cookie had vanished back inside at this point, when she returned, Pinny was with her.

“Safe to say it was a success then Mr Rolling Pin?” one of the four pulling ponies asked.

Pinny didn’t say anything at first, there was a pause. “Sorry, I needed a moment to collect myself. They started coming around eleven this morning and just did not stop. Everypony mentioned the cart.” he replied. “So yes, I’d say a success.”

“Good. Well we’re heading home. See you tomorrow, and you Clipsy.” another said. The four vanished. Clipsy looked at both Cookie and Pinny. Whilst she had enjoyed a rather relaxing and easy day the two of them looked like they had been involved in a fight having to cater to all those new customers. Clipsy just smiled.

“Oh right, let me get your payment.” Cookie said, going inside to get the four bags she owed her. It was the only thing left that she had hidden out of sight so none of the customers tried to buy it. Cookie returned, and Pinny levitated the bags into folds near her face. “How was it for you?” Cookie asked.

“Can we...puff...talk?” Clipsy asked. She watched as the two looked at each other, suddenly worried.

“Was there a problem?” Pinny asked.

“No problem...huff...easy work, payment is fine...puff...this is a request.” Clipsy managed to say.

“Uh sure, what request?” Cookie said.

“Can I...huff...stay here?” Clipsy responded. “Can’t fit...puff...into my apartment anymore...huff...too big.”

“Oh uh...well, if you can’t fit into your apartment you’re not going to get in the bakery. Uhm…” Cookie started to say.

“No...puff...the cart.” Clipsy said, pointing at it with a fattened hoof that took a mighty amount of effort on her part. The request clicked for Pinny.

“Oh, she can stay in the cart. That means we don’t have to unload her either. Just parked up overnight in the small yard out back? But...the four have already left. I can’t move her on my own.” he said, perplexion crossing his face as he tried to think of a solution that didn’t involve running after them.

“You built...huff...this strong, right?” Clipsy asked.

“Well...I didn’t, but yes I had it strengthened…” Pinny replied.

“Just guide...huff...the wheels.”

Pinny and Cookie grabbed the wheels, with Pinny magically opened the gate to the back of the bakery. It was only a distance of a hundred yards or so. Pinny wondered what Clipsy was about to try.

Gloooorrrrsshhhhh!

Clipsy shifted her weight, forwards, then harder backwards. Her blubber sloshed about in the cart like contained fat waves within the wood, which surprisingly held up against the sudden motion and stress that was being put on it. The mare was using her immense weight like a pendulum to slowly shunt herself backwards slowly. Every time she did this, the cart moved a little. Pinny and Cookie just remained wordless, only guiding the wheels as instructed.

Slooooosshhhhh!

Bloooooorrrrpppp!

They guided her backwards into the yard under a small covered portion where the cart usually sat unloaded. “You can stop! You’re in the right place!” Pinny yelled. Clipsy’s fat sloshed about for another moment before finally coming to a rest. Cookie laid some chocks under the wheels of the cart to stop it rolling, not that it would.

“Um...this is acceptable for you? You’re basically outside.” Cookie asked.

“I’m warm…” Clipsy said, motioning to her folds. “And fed...puff...I can sleep here until...huff...I go out again tomorrow.”

“Very well...goodnight Clipsy.” Pinny said, he ushered Cookie away who was about to protest but decided right now he was too tired to get into a conversation about all this. They needed to turn their attention to cleaning up and prepping for tomorrow. The inside of the bakery looked as if a small bomb had gone off, the three hardly being able to keep up with demand once the customers had started to arrive. Doughy had cleaned up somewhat, but had left at his allotted time. It was just the two of them. The only plus side Pinny thought was that at least today they were certain he wasn’t sneaking any treats. The young stallion was putting on weight, just like the rest of their customers. It was just that neither of them had gotten time to address the issue again since it had first cropped up.

“We made more money today than we did all last week. I can hardly shut the till.” Pinny said, opening it up to reveal stuffed draws full of bits. “We need to restock and order double everything for tomorrow.”

“Agreed.” Cookie replied, wiping down surfaces. “That was...mad.”

“Yes.” Pinny said, starting to feel waves of fatigue hitting him. Before he fell asleep at the counter, he made sure he got the nightly order ready for Stampy to collect so when they came in the morning everything they needed would be waiting for them. He dropped it in the mail collection box outside and returned to cleaning. Thank goodness there wasn’t an order for Princess Twilight tonight, as chance would have it, she had ordered yesterday.

The two did their best to clean up. Neither of them had any real recollection of how they made it home that evening, collapsing into bed and only waking up when their alarm clock beeped.