Pinkamena Diane Pie glanced around the small office that nestled in Sugercube Corner with trepidation; dull brown colored wooden walls complete with a similar boring colored carpet underneath the three chairs, one of which she currently occupied, and a sizeable gray steel desk on which her forehooves rested on is what naturally greeted her upon entering.
Even she would agree with Rarity Belle in saying that this room was a fashion travesty, as essential documents needed for the establishment, order forms for what products they needed for day-to-day operations, repair invoices, and payroll slips littered the table before her.
However, she knew the payroll slips were mainly for her, considering she was technically the only full-time employee in the shop, not counting the owners.
But, every once in a blue moon, they hired a part-time pony or other creature if they, as well as Pinkie herself, got overwhelmed though the part-timer never stayed long enough to become full-time, whatever their reasons for leaving were.
Pinkie always hated this room; she rarely ventured in unless she needed to request time off or had to make sure her hours and raises were up to date, or she needed to adjust her hours in response to going on a journey to save the country with the help of her friends, even Friendship missions were added to the list, though those were becoming rarer.
The one saving grace among the cage of paper bag brown and remarkably mind-numbing but necessary paperwork for the business was the framed photos of the Cake family and Pinkie herself on the wall in front of her, along with many others.
She smiled sadly as she nostalgically looked up at the images taken over the years, some with just the Cakes and her, others with Pumpkin, Pound, and their parents.
Various celebrations, meetings, get-togethers, Hearts and Hooves days, Winter Wrap-ups, Nightmare Nights, Hearth Warmings, birthdays, saving Equestria from serious threats parties, and other varied pictures nearly covered almost every inch of the walls around her.
Even two new, recent pictures caused her heart to flutter each time she saw them, but in different ways, as the first showed Discord holding Pinkie up in the air close to his chest.
Pinkie Pie was forcibly but intentionally swept off her hooves, the two sharing a passionate and sincere kiss, the first of many, with their eyes closed on Nightmare Night.
The holiday was nearly three months ago.
Pinkie dressed as Gummy for the night, making sure to get his permission in the unique way they communicate, and was over the moon with how Rarity crafted the costume.
It was a keeper, in her opinion, while Discord himself dressed up in a sexy maid outfit before Rainbow Dash called him out on repeating the same costume causing him to gasp in shock while Pinkie giggled.
He dressed as Spike afterward, and the sixteen-year-old dragon himself was honored at the thought, causing the current Pinkie to laugh to herself.
Her baby blue eyes then went to the now-month-old picture of Pinkie, Discord, and his conscious cotton candy, peppermint, grape soda, and chocolate strawberry infused seven-year-old daughter in the shape of an earth pony complete with his chaos magic, though to a much, much lesser degree than the chaos god himself, Screwball.
She was shocked when she learned he crafted a daughter, not believing that he had the patience or selfishness to provide for anyone other than himself, and she didn't know why he kept it a secret from her and so many others.
In truth, she couldn't blame Discord; if she had nothing but enemies after ten billion years of living in the galaxy, Pinkie would have been highly wary of introducing a new form of life and calling the creation her child to anyone else as well.
Especially those who hated the chimera for so many years, a number so high she doubts even Twilight would have been able to count to it.
Her ears dropped down a bit, and her mane and tail deflated like a balloon slowly at the thought of Discord raising Screwball by himself before they started dating; it was early in their relationship, but Pinkie honestly had no issue with the funny, thoughtful, gentle and slightly devious little filly.
She always wondered what it would be like if she was a mother.
The door closing behind the grown mare caused her to snap out of her thoughts, turning her head with a grin, her mane and tail returning to complete, exceptional fluffiness.
Cup and Carrot Cake trotted close to her, greeting her with a tone that made Pinkie suddenly anxious and apprehensive as the two earth ponies sat across from the mare.
Their faces betrayed paralyzing shame and guilt as the two regarded her with a fondness from years of hard work, memories, and genuine love for one they saw as a daughter before it morphed into a much more severe and somber expression.
"P-Pinkie...do you know why we called you into the office today?" Cup Cake asked, her voice wavered, seemingly on the verge of tears, confusing Pinkie herself, who frowned and looked at one of her bosses in confusion, a feeling of dread tightening in her chest.
"I assume to let me know I might have to take a pay cut until Spring, again?" Pinkie answered, happy to make a little less on her paycheck if she could help keep the increasingly expensive bakery afloat and bring genuine joy and memories to the ponies and other races that entered the shop.
Though she was admittedly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to save up for a very well-made, if not somewhat expensive, beanie propeller hat that Rarity was currently selling that she wanted to get Screwball for her birthday at the end of spring.
Pinkie knew she could have just asked the literal god she was dating to borrow the money, make one appear out of thin air, or could have even asked her friend for a discount which she knew Rarity would give her, especially for a gift.
But Pinkie Pie had always been raised to work for what she earned rather than asking for hoof outs.
It was not in her nature to rely on others to get something for her that she could have gotten herself; she was stubborn in that way, and maybe that's a trait she shared with the Apple family.
She gave her full attention to the Cakes, biting her bottom lip softly to hide her frustration as she waited to hear what they had to say.
At times like this, she wished she was a bit more greedy.
"N-no, Pinkie, I'm afraid it's much more complicated than that. I'm so sorry, honey." Cup Cake whimpered, terrified of what they had to tell Pinkie.
"Pinkie," Carrot spoke softly; he was calm even though Pinkie could see in his eyes that he was barely holding it together. "I'm afraid we have to let you go."
Pinkie's eyes shank to pinpoints, her forehooves shaking slightly on the desk while her breathing became erratic, sincerely not believing what she was hearing.
"Y-you're firing me?" She whispered, her voice so quiet the couple almost didn't hear what she said.
"Yes, dear, but it's not because of anything you did; it's just that-"
"I've been working here for almost ten years; I know everyone in this town by name, their preferences for sweets, whether they like a large party or a small one. Without me, I honestly don't think this bakery would have gotten the success that it has, and you have the nerve to fire me?!" She screeched, her past glories overwhelming her, along with her failures, and with a look of anger the Cakes had never seen before from the mare.
"Pinkie, please just let us explain the situation." Carrot pleaded, attempting to soothe the enraged Element of Laughter and ignoring her arrogance, knowing she made a valid point as he glanced at his wife, who let out a tearful sob before releasing the floodgates.
"Pinkamena, we love you. We truly see you as a daughter and want you to know this isn't your fault. You did nothing wrong," He paused before slowly continuing.
"But...Genuine Sweets came to us with an offer to buy Sugercube Corner; we sat down with our lawyer, the legion composed of their own, and the CEO. It's an offer that can easily put us into early retirement, pay for the twins to go to college, and possibly set up our family for life; we don't want to do this forever, so we accepted." He spoke, licking his lips before clearing his throat as Pinkie's mind raced.
She knew of Genuine Sweets; it started as a small bakery much like their own in Baltimare before eventually eclipsing other bakeries in the area and becoming a countrywide staple, perhaps even going worldwide one day.
There were advertisements, endorsements from celebrities, radio sponsors, billboards, newspaper ads, and even plain old word of mouth that made the company into the giant it is today; a pony couldn't walk a mile without seeing something about them everywhere in one of the bigger cities.
She remembered trying one of their chocolate peanut butter brownies.
In contrast to Ponyville, the bakeries lined the city when she went on vacation in Fillydelphia, visiting her family with her older sister, Maud, two years ago.
While the brownie tasted very much as advertised, something felt missing to the twenty-eight-year-old earth pony.
Still, she could never put her hoof on what it was exactly.
It struck her like a lightning bolt at this exact moment, while her world was practically crumbling around her, that what the enormous bakery corporation was missing was the heart and labor in their products.
They pumped out nearly soulless but very well-made pastries, shakes, cupcakes, brownies, cakes, and all matter-of-editable delicacies for the consumer.
Still, at some point, upon their dragon-sized hoards of wealth, they forgot to make their desserts with love, unlike how they no doubt started.
Pinkie Pie was a professional baker; she could taste every ingredient in a sweet as long as she had it more than once.
But Genuine Sweets were growing so large that it was clear that profits reigned supreme over real love from what had once been, perhaps one of the greatest sins one could make against an art form.
Ponyville, while expanding far more than it had in the past, was not, nor would it ever likely become, one of the bigger cities; it's one of the reasons many of the Elements of Harmoney loved it.
Pinkie gritted her teeth, angered at everything and everyone, her rage overtaking her like a giant inferno as she slammed her hooves onto the desk, making those she saw as a family jump in surprise right before the flame died into nothing more than ashes and she began to cry.
"Please. This bakery is all I have. And after what happened with Cheese and starting a new relationship with Discord. I only recently got to know Screwball. I can't just leave everything behind. I don't have anywhere else to go other than back home." She wept, tears running down her face as she sobbed, the pair about to speak before she continued.
"My friends are here, my mate, my pet. Even my older sister. Please reconsider; I'll buy the bakery from you if you need the money!" She wailed, completely losing all matter of logic or reason as it felt as if everything was eroding around her.
"Pinkie, it's not about the money but time. We're getting older, and our kids don't have the interest that we do in baking. We might want to have another child one day, and with what we make just by ourselves and how much we sank into this business," Cup Cake said, her voice so soft from her crying that Pinkie nearly missed her words.
"We simply couldn't afford another child, and we could barely raise Pumpkin and Pound. We want to enjoy life, dear." She finished before she stood, walking carefully around, and hugged Pinkie with all her might as they cried together.
"You'll figure something out, Pinkie; we believe in you. You don't have to go back to the rock farm, that's not what we are saying, but there will come a time when Sugercube Corner will be no more." Carrot uttered, a few tears falling from his face before he wiped them away with a hoof.
"I...I suppose I could see if the new apartments have any rooms to rent and if they allow toothless alligators, right?" Pinkie chuckled into Cup Cake's shoulder while the older mare calmly stroked her back comfortably.
"Of course, dear, you won't have to go anywhere for two weeks. We wanted to give you enough time to find a place and move out on your own; it's one of the conditions we requested before accepting the deal." Cup Cake laughed, knowing how infectious the Element of Laughter was with the mare buried in her shoulder as Pinkie tried to look on the bright side.
"And at least I can come to work for the new company, even though I'm not a fan of some of their more public policies, right?" Pinkie giggled.
She didn't see the couple's sad gaze, Cup Cake slowly released Pinkie to return to her seat.
"I'm afraid that just won't be possible, Pinkie. You see, though, there were a few actual rules that the CEO, Winter Storm, made before we accepted the offer. You being an employee of the company or even entering the building in Ponyville was one of them." Carrot responded, regret and shame lacing his voice before he continued.
"We were seriously appalled at how he spoke of you, how much hatred he seemed to have of you, and were very close to refusing and walking out of the meeting." He finished, his ears dropping in guilt and rage simultaneously.
"But then he added another zero, right?" Pinkie responded deadpan as the two hung their heads, not looking her in the eye.
She took a deep, calming breath and rapt her hooves onto the desk in thought.
"I-it's ok. I understand you're looking out for your family. I can admire that; I'll find somewhere else to work and live. I need a bit of time." She stuttered nervously, feeling Cup Cake place a hoof on her foreleg, taking another deep breath.
"We'll help as best as possible if you need us, sweetheart." Cup Cake whispered, causing Pinkie to give a more genuine smile.
"What about Suger Belle, though? Wasn't she training to be your apprentice, Mrs. Cake?" Pinkie questioned, causing Cup Cake to frown before giving a soft chuckle.
"I made sure to tell her what was going on a few weeks before we chose to tell you, to be honest. She decided to open a new shop a week ago here in Ponyville called Homestyle Treats," She answered before taking a breath.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't seen it because she recently bought the building and is getting a sign made for her shop." Cup Cake replied with a sad smile, somewhat disappointed with being unable to train the unicorn as she had initially planned.
Pinkie could only sigh heavily at the response; it seemed like they had thought this through, though it did sting that she hadn't even considered taking the shop off their hooves after so many years; she would have tried to find a way to get the money, somehow.
But Pinkie Pie knew nothing more could be done with the deal going through all the legal garbage, a daunting task she wouldn't have even known where to begin as she somberly shook her head.
"It'd be nice to know why Winter Storm hates me so much, though?" Pinkie whispered before she removed her hooves and slowly dropped to the floor on all four.
"Was there anything else you needed? Can I go?" She asked; the parents looked at each other and shook their heads.
"You're free to go, Pinkie; we're giving you a free vacation day tomorrow since you were supposed to work so that you won't lose any hours on your last paycheck, along with a generous severance package; you were right. I doubt we would have been as successful in this small town without you." Carrot answered with a grin.
Pinkie smiled before walking around the desk, bringing the two in for a long, sincere hug before releasing them.
"I don't know where I'd be without you two." She whispered as they hugged again, and Pinkie calmly left the office.
As she exited the bakery, memories of the years flashed in her mind with every step before she found herself outside the front door, completely lost with what to do in two weeks or what she would do with her future.
Lost in thought, she didn't realize just how late it had gotten, the sun lowering over the horizon as she bit her bottom lip, questioning to herself just what to do for the night, seeing as the streets were slowly starting to empty of ponies and other species before she spotted Fluttershy flying near her.
"Hey, Shy!" She yelled to the pegasus, who flinched in the air, not expecting to be noticed on her way home.
Fluttershy quickly looked across her right shoulder, seeing Pinkie waving up at her as the Element of Kindness maneuvered herself in the air to land in front of Pinkie, a bit confused about what she wanted.
"H-hello, Pinkie. Is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked softly, her teal-colored eyes paying close attention to her friend's body language, and she slowly waved her tail in thought as the earth pony felt her mane and tail deflate slowly.
"I...you down to go grab some drinks? I could use an ear with the day I had; frankly, I want to get wasted." Pinkie responded, clearly disgruntled, as Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise.
Pinkie loved all her friends dearly, but she also knew their personalities and was keenly aware of how each would have come across the news that she wanted to say.
With Fluttershy Breeze, though, Pinkie knew in her heart that she would have been nothing more than a listening ear, giving advice and speaking from the heart in a way Pinkie admired about the pegasus.
It also helped that she was more than willing to get trashed if she felt it would help out a friend, which is honestly all Pinkie wanted tonight, more than anything.
Fluttershy was saddened to hear that her friend had had such a rotten day, but she was curious about what had happened.
Glancing over her left shoulder, Fluttershy looked toward her cottage before returning to Pinkie.
"Would you mind if I fed the animals quickly and met you at the bar?" Fluttershy asked before Pinkie shook her head with a giggle.
"No, go ahead. I'll wait for you outside the Midnight Jewel." Pinkie chuckled humorlessly.
Fluttershy nodded softly before opening her wings, flapping them, and flying toward her house.
Pinkie groaned softly to herself as she started to walk in the direction of the bar, depressed and with thousands of questions about what she was going to do without Sugercube Corner.
Baking and planning parties were practically all she knew in response to work since she was fourteen.
She honestly didn't know what she would do with her life now, and a terrifying thought ran through her mind and caused her to shiver as she waited for Fluttershy outside of the two-year-old bar.
What exactly was she going to tell Discord?
Author's Note
I have ARRIVED!!!
Shit, it feels good to be back. I'm more motivated to write than I've been in four years, so expect new chapters of this story and a few others from my old stories soon.
Grammarly Premium will edit this story and others, so thanks to that, I feel it will significantly help my stories.
Very eager to write more; I hope you enjoy this story and this pairing; I'm BACK!
