Pinkie Pie broke out of the land of dreams, her excitement for all of today's upcoming plans, preparations, and worldly happenings engulfing her as instantaneously as her brain could possibly allow. For her, every day was an exciting day and she never once could wake up and take it slow, as soon as her eyes were open it was time to go, go, go.
But though today she wished she could comply to her urge for activity, lately and for almost seven years now, she'd had to deal in some. . . sacrifices when it came to her hyperactive tendencies. She thought she'd spring out of bed and wake Cheese if he wasn't already, by tackling him and singing a merry morning song; but as soon as she flipped the covers off her, she realized this morning was not one fit for such routine.
Today, curled against her belly, with a fluffy hoof over his nose and his other limbs curled sweetly alongside his stomach and chest, was her baby boy - well, her six-year-old boy, whom she just couldn't admit was so old already, despite how much of a big kid he undeniably had become in all but stature.
Toasted Marshmallow was fast asleep, wrapped in his baby blue cat-ear onesie and smiling in his slumber almost cheekily, as if even unconscious he knew exactly what he was doing and what she was thinking about it.
Pinkie knew it unlikely of him to sneak into their bed on his own, he was never usually bothered with bad dreams or separation anxiety, and if he ever was, he found ways to comfort himself without parental comfort or guidance. Suspicions alerted, Pinkie rolled back to look over her shoulder at Cheese, and just as expected found her other baby boy, Marshmallow's twin, Strawberry Sundae, wearing an identical red onesie and spread out across her lanky husband, the former's curly-haired head rested on the latter's chest. Now this colt was definitely still her baby boy, in all but physical age.
She couldn't help but snort a laugh at how adorable of a sight it made, seeing her two long-legged boys, curly-haired as curly-haired could be, splayed almost in an 'x' across each other, fast asleep and hugging the other tight.
Pinkie ran her hoof through her one in-reach, stubby-pudgy boy's mane, smiling down with a full heart at him: a perfect being made of love, life, and everything sweet. Though it was clear Strawberry had been the one to enter their room in a state of anxious lonesomeness in the first place, Pinkie knew that Marshmallow knew that the younger yet taller twin was always the most comforted when all three of them were in his presence. With his parents and his twin by his side, little Strawberry Sundae's happiness was complete. That was the sole reason the splotchy orange colt had followed his peach-colored brother's lead.
Such a sweetheart, Pinkie thought dreamily, wrapping her hooves gently around her son, pressing him closer to her until his head rested on the threshold between her chest and belly, as if he were still that tiny baby she had cuddled on their first day home from the maternity ward.
Just then she heard a stirring behind her and she glanced over again to see Strawberry's lolling head perk up. His shifting movement against his father in turn woke the cheddar orange stallion, who spread his fore-hooves and blinked down at his son, first in bewilderment and then in subdued acceptance. He hugged him again and sighed, pushing his long muzzle into his mini-me's curly mane and kissing him tenderly on the forehead.
"Good morning," Strawberry whispered, green eyes drowsily opening to blink up at his mother.
Pinkie grinned and slung her unoccupied hoof over to boop his snoot affectionately. "Morning, cute little snuggle-buddy," she purred, passing her hoof over the side of his face and then up to tussle his mane.
Strawberry's rosy cheeks became much rosier and he tried to hide his blush behind Cheese's arm to no avail - despite all this about anxiety and comfort, Strawberry hated when it was pointed out, and didn't like to admit he wasn't as independent as his brother.
"Looks like your awake before your brother," Pinkie realized suddenly. What a milestone! Marshmallow was always up before him.
Strawberry stared at her blankly, face fading back to its natural sundown again. "He's faking," he muttered into his father's fur.
Pinkie looked back down at Toasted Marshmallow to see that his smirk had deepened, and, with her experts eye, she saw the discreet way his long lashes opened the slightest sliver before closing again.
With a rush of amused understanding, Pinkie brought her hoof back to herself and began to trail the tip along the "sleeping" colt's side until she reached his under arms. She then swirled her hoof around at different angles until her stinker of a colt couldn't stop from breaking into peals of laughter, writhing and trying to get away as her other hoof joined her in her tickle retaliation.
"C'mon Sunny, help me out here!" Pinkie exclaimed over her shoulder as she continued. Strawberry looked unsure only a moment longer, before he broke into a delighted smirk and hopped away from Cheese to drape over Pinkie's side and join in.
"I know the good spot!" he exclaimed, aiming his hooves for Marshmallow's head. As his toe connected with the other colt's ears, the giggling victim squeaked and shivered before his laughing became hysterical and he tried harder than ever to escape.
"Nuuu, stop! Truce! Truce!" Marshmallow hiccuped between uncontrollable chortles, ripping out of Pinkie's grip just enough to begin ducking out of the way. "I've learned nothiiiing!" he howled triumphantly as he rolled over the bed's edge, blue eyes glimmering with wild satisfaction.
Pinkie quickly shot forward when he fell out of sight to make sure he hadn't landed incorrectly, only to see him standing there on his hind-legs with a smugly defiant expression, fore-hooves crossed in a truce sign on the bed frame.
"You revealed my secret disadvantage!" he accused his twin, who was peeking over Pinkie's shoulder.
Strawberry stuck his tongue out in a huff. "Can't hide it. Mama's the tickle master, and you're ticklish everywhere!"
As Marshmallow stuck out his own, Pinkie sneakily snaked a hoof up behind Strawberry. "As I recall. . . so are YOU!" she exclaimed, before striking the edge of her hoof down along her second son's neck and bringing the other up to tickle his chest. Strawberry squealed in hysterics of his own, wriggling as she tried to hug him close and have her muzzle assist her attack.
"Sunny! Grab my hoof!" Marshmallow piped up, reaching out a stubby fore-leg as he spidered himself up the too-tall frame and mattress.
Strawberry struck out both fore-hooves and grabbed his brother's. Pinkie discreetly allowed him to slip from her grasp, reaching out a hoof for dramatics as Strawberry was pulled over the edge and safely on his hooves to his helpful twin's side.
"Drat! Foiled again!" Pinkie exclaimed as both twin's gave hoots of triumph and bumped shoulders then both fore-hooves in their signature hoof-shake, bits of colorful confetti exploding impossibly from Marshmallow's two-toned red and hot pink mane.
"Missed us, missed us, now you gotta kiss us!" they chanted together.
"Oh, I will when I catch you!" Pinkie exclaimed, peering over the bed's edge. "And that's a promise!" She silently and threateningly crossed her heart, flapped her hooves, and practically poked herself in the eye.
"Go figure out whatchu want for breakfast! School starts in an hour, kiddos!" she added, rolling back to her earlier position against her pillow.
"Haycakes!" the twins chorused in unison before she heard their little hooves thumping away, chanting as they fled. "Apple on a stick! Makes me sick! Makes my heart go two-forty-six! Not because you're dirty, not because you're clean! Not because you kissed a girl behind a magazine!"
Pinkie beamed at that. It had taken Marshmallow forever to memorize that chant, and now for the first time she heard him say it correctly without stuttering and without mixing up his vowels. They grow up so fast!
She sighed in happiness and rolled to face Cheese Sandwich, who she found was grinning at her mischievously, his eyes squinted and alight.
"What are you planning?" Pinkie asked with narrowed sky-blue eyes, her slow voice dripping with suspicion.
"That seemed an awful lot like Four in The Bed, so I think its only fair to see the game through to the end," he replied. Pinkie widened her eyes in abrupt understanding right before he rolled into her, sending her rolling like a barrel over the bed's edge as well.
She gripped the side of the mattress dramatically with her forehooves, watching as her husband settled down where she had just been, smiling sweetly with half-lidded eyes as he pulled the covers closer and gently waved to her with a hoof.
"Backstabber!" Pinkie yelped before she too slid gently down to the floor, mock shocked and thinking how her Cheesy could be so deceitful and clever, yet so attractive while being so.
"Maple syrup or raspberry jaaam?" Pinkie sing-songed over her shoulder from where she was flipping a mountain of hay-cakes at the stove.
"Syruuuup!" the twins chorused in unison.
Pinkie turned towards the middle island where her colts were propped up on stools, waiting patiently, one singing everything he said which had resulted in Pinkie doing the same, and the other quietly coloring in a book, only occasionally joining his brother to give a songful answer to Pinkie's queries.
Cheese appeared at Marshmallow's side, sliding a plateful of hay-cakes towards him with nothing but raspberry jam. "Yeah, you knew the answer to that, bucko," he said. Marshmallow wrinkled his nose but didn't complain. Pinkie turned away and gave Strawberry his hay-cakes and syrup.
When your kid was prone to logic-defying sugar-rushes, you learned not to give him sugar on a school-day — why, the amount in the jam was bad enough, by the time the macaroni-orange colt had finished he was just a bit more jittery than normal.
"You two excited to learn to read this week?" Pinkie asked as she took their empty plates away in one swift motion.
"Yup!" and "Nope!" Strawberry and Marshmallow exclaimed respectively, grinning all the same.
Pinkie snorted a laugh at their antics before sliding over the countertop to stand between the stools and pulling both her sons to either of her sides. "You're- gonna- have- such a- great- time!" she exclaimed through bunches of kisses to both their cheeks and foreheads.
"Just remember, 'I' before 'e' and talking vowels are the key!" she added as she nudged them towards the door, dropping their saddle-bags on their backs.
"Huh?" was the shared reaction from both twins and Cheese Sandwich alike, all in company confused by the ending of her analogy.
Pinkie watched as her three favorite boys walked out the door, embarking on their journey to Ponyville Schoolhouse. She waved energetically to them, earning exclamations of love and good-byes before the door closed behind them.
She cleaned up after breakfast in no time, getting things done in a few swift motions, as was her way as a freak of earth-pony nature, before she proceeded to the front room, opening Sugarcube Corner's doors wide to open up shop for the day.
Things seemed to go on as normally. Pinkie manned the bakery, no longer alone with newly graduated twelve-year-old Pound and Pumpkin to help, dutifully fulfilling their jobs as employees and earning their keep.
When Cheese returned from drop-off, he and Pinkie worked together to coordinate both their duties in the bakery as well as began planning and scheming on the upcoming parties requested of them.
Soon the time came for the twins school hours to come to an end, and Pinkie, who took responsibility of picking them up, prepared to head out the door, bouncing on her hooves and humming. She didn't notice the magical orb resting on the pavement right infront of the kitchen door, and tripped, practically falling head over heels against it. She immediately poked her head back up, looking down at what had tripped her quizzically before scooping it up in her fore-hooves.
She of course recognized it quick as a spell from Miss Cheerilee's new teachers assistant, Ilumination Midnight, a young dark blueish-purple unicorn with a lighter purple mane of multiple shades, who's primary talent was creating Message Orbs such as this; it was the School's new way of communicating with parents quickly, a summons that Pinkie had heard about from the other parents but never had the fortune of receiving herself.
"What's going on, orby-orb?" she wondered out loud as she rubbed the warmly glowing blue sphere to activate it.
The top split and the spell seemed to disintegrate to reveal a piece of rolled up paper inside, which she straightened and began to read from.
"Miss Cheerilee, calling to inform Mr and Mrs Pie of a suspicion I've gained concerning your son Toasted Marshmallow S'more. As you know, the foals are learning to read and write starting today, but as I assessed the progress of the students I noticed that Marshmallow was not having a good time of it, and upon talking with him about the problem, I have learned something that would suffice to be discussed with you in person, and sooner rather than later. Please come down to the Schoolhouse so we may talk."
Author's Note
I've had this sitting in my drafts for a long time now, and I haven't written a second part as of yet. I will write Part Two and publish it to this story eventually, but for now I thought it wouldn't hurt to show you what I have of it so far, and that is. . . A bunch of fluff! Pie twin antics! Pinkie enjoying mom-life! We'll work on the beginnings of that plot sprouting at the end, later.
You may recognize Toasted Marshmallow and Strawberry Sundae as adults from my story A Better Beginnings, a fic I got completely stuck on and I haven't updated in so long that, looking back on it, I REALLY need to revamp again! It needs better writing, character introduction, and a more cohesive plot, one that preferably doesn't involve Discord doing another stupid thing that he learned his lesson about doing in the series finale and if he ever did again he would realistically lose the trust of pony-kind all together O.o
Anyway, I digress. If this story goes well I may just stick to writing little stories like this about my next gen when they're younger before tackling a big project like A Better Beginnings again, and maybe you'll see me as a regular on this site, I don't know. The sky's the limit and anything could happen! For now though, I hope you enjoyed this little clip, let me know what you think, and I'll talk to you soon!
Toodles~
