The Pink Temptation

Chapters

CH. 2 - The Dream - by cooopercrisp
CH. 3 - The Distraction - by cooopercrisp
CH. 4 - The Problem - by cooopercrisp
CH. 5 - The Argument - by cooopercrisp
CH. 6 - The Talk - by cooopercrisp
CH. 7 - The Fantasy - by cooopercrisp
CH. 8 - The Kiss - by cooopercrisp
CH. 9 - The Test - by cooopercrisp
CH. 10 - The Suspicion - by cooopercrisp
CH. 11 - The Results - by cooopercrisp
CH. 12 - The Act - by cooopercrisp
CH. 1 - The Deep Fryer - by cooopercrisp

CH. 2 - The Dream - by cooopercrisp

The Dream

Chapter 2: The Dream

A rosy light glowed in the hallway of their home. Carrot Cake rose slowly from his bed without a sound and followed the trail of light to its source. He saw that the light was coming from Pinkie Pie’s room, and so he hesitantly opened the door.

She was lying in a sea of rose petals on her stomach, her rear arcing upward off of the bed. Her curly tail hung down between her hind legs. Pinkie Pie turned her head towards Carrot Cake, and when she saw him she swished her tail and batted her eyelashes at him. Carrot Cake, confused but enthralled, entered the room.

Without saying a word, the pink pony beckoned him to her side, and Carrot Cake wordlessly obliged. When he was lying next to her on the bed, she leaned close to his face and planted on his lips a tender kiss. She then looked at him coyly, seeing how he would react to this invitation.

Carrot Cake leaned towards Pinkie Pie and planted a fiery kiss on her lips, parting them with his tongue and exploring her mouth. He wrapped his hooves around her and positioned her on her back. The rose petals were starting to get caught in his fur. He mounted her and planted rough kisses on her neck, tantalizing her by aiming his kisses further down her body. Pinkie Pie’s leg started to brush up against Carrot Cake’s penis, which was already swelling with blood, and she gently stroked her leg up and down the shaft.

The two connected for another intimate kiss before Carrot Cake lifted off of Pinkie Pie and she repositioned herself on the bed with her rear pointing up into the air. Her tail moved aside to reveal the slick folds of her vagina, waiting for Carrot Cake’s cock to penetrate the cavern they protected. Carrot Cake wasted no time in pushing his penis into Pinkie Pie’s hole. He felt the warm walls of her vaginal opening clenching on him and holding him there, while the hot juices started to drip onto the bed.

Carrot Cake thrust forward once experimentally, getting a feel for how Pinkie Pie’s body would respond. His penis grinding against her inner walls felt so good that he had to keep thrusting to satiate a burning need that had engorged him. He thrust faster and faster as Pinkie Pie buried her face into the bed. She did all she could to help Carrot Cake along by thrusting backward with her body, but it was the stallion doing most of the work here.

Suddenly he felt his loins clench, tensing for his load to build up and shoot out of him. His thrusting became deeper and harder and gained speed. He could sense that he was about to cum and when he did he knew it would bring with it that wonderful feeling of ecstasy.

***

Carrot Cake woke up in a cold sweat. It was still pitch black outside, and his wife was breathing heavily next to him, clearly still asleep. Carrot Cake, out of curiosity, looked beneath his sheets and saw that he had a raging erection. He blushed, hoping his wife wouldn’t wake up and notice.

He remembered the dream vividly. He realized now that there had been no sound in his dream, but plenty of images still haunted his mind. Something about the rose petals bothered him more than anything else; there had been no reason for them to be there, but they had littered the bed and covered Pinkie Pie’s body.

Oh God, Pinkie Pie… If she ever found out what he had been dreaming about, he would quit Ponyville and try to make a living somewhere else. He wasn’t sure if his wife would go with him.

Oh God, my wife… If she ever found out, well, that would be a storm from which his marriage would not recover. The black night had a way of distorting Carrot Cake’s fears in this way. A reasonable mare would not blame him for a dream he had no control over, and Cup Cake was assuredly a very reasonable mare. But to Carrot Cake, it felt like he had cheated on her.

Then came the realization that Pinkie Pie’s presence for the past couple of weeks had disturbed something in him. This must have been the dream he had been constantly forgetting! Well, now he remembered it clearly, and he wished he could burn his memory and never dream of this again.

He was afraid to go back to sleep now, fearing that the dream would return and haunt him with its tantalizing images. How would he ever face Pinkie Pie now, knowing what lewd thoughts lurked inside his own mind? What would Cup Cake think if she discovered he had been dreaming of their tenant and employee?

As the night always did, it squelched Carrot Cake’s thoughts and transformed them into sleep, and the sleep he experienced now was dreamless, so that time seemed to drift in an instant to morning.

Carrot Cake woke up more clear-headed than before, but the memory of his dream still worried him. He glanced over to his wife, who was just opening her eyes herself. Carrot Cake looked into his wife’s eyes as they slowly peeled open, and she blushed and turned away.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said coyly, giggling.

“How did you sleep?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Just fine, dear. How about you? Did you have any good dreams?”

“Nothing important,” Carrot Cake said. “Who’s going to steal the shower first?”

“Oh, honey, we don’t have time to take turns,” Cup Cake said, and Carrot Cake missed the throaty undertones of her voice when she said it. “It looks like we’ll have to shower together this morning.”

“Oh, okay,” Carrot Cake said, finally catching on. This was a welcome change from the past week, where two malfunctioning machines had caused a rift between the two Earth ponies. Cup Cake and Carrot Cake stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, which dripped down their backs as they took turns lathering each other’s mane.

Cup Cake planted delicate kisses on the back of her husband’s neck as she scrubbed shampoo into his mane.

“You’re so tense, dear,” she said. “Are you sure you slept well?”

“I slept fine,” Carrot Cake said, hoping against hope she’d change the subject.

“Why don’t I give you a nice massage?” Cup Cake asked. Without waiting for an answer, she kneaded her hooves into his shoulders, where he always carried the most tension. This was one of Carrot Cake’s most effective stimulants; his wife’s massages always gave him an erection. What accompanied it, though, was a brief moment when he imagined a pink pony doing this to him.

Don’t think about that! Carrot Cake scolded himself. His thoughts returned to those about his wife and the tension that was easing from his shoulders.

“There,” Cup Cake crooned, “isn’t that better? Oh…I see somepony’s getting a little excited…”

“That obvious, huh?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Well, how can I not see it?” Cup Cake asked. “It’s so big…”

“It is not,” Carrot Cake said. This was one of those things his wife always told him that he refused to believe. But he accepted the comment gladly anyway.

“Lie down, honey…” Cup Cake whispered into his ear. Carrot Cake lowered himself onto his stomach, but she shook her head.

“On your back,” she said. Carrot Cake flipped himself over, feeling the tile of the shower floor warm his back. Cup Cake lowered herself so that her face was near his stomach and she began to kiss him gently. She lowered her head as she kissed, making her way down Carrot Cake’s body, and then she placed her mouth over the head of his cock.

Carrot Cake closed his eyes as his wife slowly started to lick and suck on him. He resisted the urge to thrust into her, knowing that if he wasn’t careful he could knock his wood into her teeth. Cup Cake had a fantastic mouth, knowing just how to tease his tip before engulfing as much of his penis as she could. In an instant, with his eyes shut he saw Pinkie Pie sucking on his penis. Carrot Cake opened his eyes and tensed slightly, but Cup Cake didn’t seem to notice. He took a few calming breaths and allowed himself to relax as his wife pleasured him.

Soon he felt that familiar clenching of his loins. As always, he said nothing to his wife, who always liked his cum to come as a surprise. It usually left things a little messier than if he had warned her beforehand, but she enjoyed the spontaneity of it. Another image of that pink pony invaded his mind just as he began to shoot sperm into his wife’s mouth. She gladly swallowed the salty semen and started to lick his tip clean once he had stopped firing his load.

“Honey, I want to apologize for all the fighting we got into earlier,” Cup Cake said. “I’ve just been really stressed out over our finances and I let it get to me sometimes.”

“I understand,” Carrot Cake said. “And that was quite the apology.” But something about his face betrayed his concern.

“Is something wrong, honey?” Cup Cake asked. “You look worried about something.”

“Huh?” Carrot Cake asked. “Oh, no, I’m fine, honey. It’s just…I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, and I guess some of that showed in my face.”

“Well, maybe another day at the shop will help you clear your head. Let’s get washed up so we can open up.”

“Okay,” Carrot Cake said, rising from the tile and reaching for his loofah.

***

With the store now open, Carrot Cake was in his normal spot in the kitchen, handling the orders that came in. There were still a few customers who hadn’t known that the fryer was broken, but those had become fewer and fewer throughout the week, and most of the ponies had nothing but pleasant things to say about the service.

Carrot Cake had indeed been able to drive his worrying thoughts from his mind amidst the bustle in the kitchen and he was baking muffins and other pastries without a hitch.

Then Pinkie Pie walked in.

An image of her lying on her bed with rose petals covering her body, flitting her tail to give him a fleeting look at her luscious pink lips.

“How’s it going back here, Mr. Cake?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Carrot Cake shook his head as if to snap out of a trance.

“Things are fine, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie Pie was going down on him, sucking his cock and lapping at his leaking fluids.

“Well, the crowd’s getting busier,” Pinkie Pie said, “so Mrs. Cake asked me to help you out back here.”

“Did she now?” asked Carrot Cake, glancing around at the blueberry muffin mix that had to be dolloped out and placed into the oven to replace the low stock outside.

“She sure did!” Pinkie Pie said. “And I said I’d be happy to help, and I am!”

Carrot Cake was pounding his cock into her vagina, her fluids lubricating him and making it go in more smoothly.

“I think I’ve got things covered back here,” Carrot Cake said, “but thanks for your help.”

“Oh, but Mrs. Cake insisted that I help you. So, do you have anything for me to do?”

Pinkie Pie was tackling him onto the bed, kissing him furiously, her tongue probing into his mouth.

“Well…those muffins need to be put in the oven while I’m working on these scones. Can you do that?”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie said before bounding over to the muffin mix. Carrot Cake tried to look anywhere but her rear as she poured the muffin batter into the trays.

He returned to his scones, doing his best to pretend that Pinkie Pie wasn’t in the room. His mind wasn’t helping him concentrate, and he knew it was going to be a long morning.

CH. 3 - The Distraction - by cooopercrisp

The Distraction

Chapter 3: The Distraction

Working in the kitchen with Pinkie Pie, away from his wife’s eye, made Carrot Cake uncomfortable, to say the least. While the two of them were mostly facing away from each other, Carrot Cake kept taking chances to look back at the young pink mare. He would quickly turn around afterward, berating himself for his crude mind.

At one point, he turned around just as Pinkie Pie turned to get flour from out of the cabinet.

“Whatcha looking at?” she asked happily.

“Nothing,” Carrot Cake said, turning so as to conceal his blush.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Cake!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Carrot Cake chuckled nervously.

Occasionally Cup Cake would come in to check on the two of them, when there was no line of customers. This made Carrot Cake feel even more awkward, because what if she discovered what he was thinking about that vivacious pink mare? He still hadn’t forgotten the vivid images of his dream, and he had a horrible feeling that tonight he would be reliving his base fantasies.

“How’s everything with you two?” Cup Cake asked.

“Fine, honey,” Carrot Cake said without looking at his wife.

“Everything’s fantastic!” Pinkie Pie chirped. Cup Cake smiled and left the room.

“So how’s life, Mr. Cake?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Huh?” Carrot Cake said dumbly.

“Well, we get so busy, I never get the chance to ask you stuff like that. I don’t even know what you do in your spare time! I usually spend it hanging around with my friends, unless they’re busy, and then I have to find ways to entertain myself, and trust me, it’s not easy to entertain yourself.”

An image flashed in Carrot Cake’s mind of Pinkie Pie rubbing her clitoris with her hoof, sweating and squeaking as she did so.

“I guess it isn’t,” Carrot Cake agreed. “Well, I don’t really get very much spare time because I have to run the shop and help take care of the babies. When I was younger I used to hang out with my buddies, but when I got married and we opened Sugarcube Corner I kind of lost touch with them.”

“That’s so sad!” Pinkie Pie cried. “I hope that when I get married, I don’t lose touch with my friends. You know, before I made any friends, I used to get really lonely and start missing home. Can you believe it, me missing that place?”

“I really can’t,” Carrot Cake said, remembering the time where Pinkie Pie had described living on a rock farm with her strict family. It hadn’t sounded pleasant.

“Well, I can’t either, but believe me, I did. I wanted to go home and see my mommy and daddy and my sisters, but then I remembered how sad they were all the time, and that they made me sad, so I stayed here in Ponyville. And then I met Rainbow Dash!”

“Uh huh,” Carrot Cake said, beginning to lose focus and imagining Pinkie Pie in lascivious positions on her bed. He quickly snapped himself out of it and returned to roll dough with the rolling pin.

“Yeah, she had just moved into Ponyville. I knew that because if I hadn’t ever seen somepony in Ponyville before, they must have just moved in, because I know everypony in Ponyville. So when I met Rainbow Dash I wanted to throw her a party, of course! But Rainbow Dash said she didn’t want a party. She was kind of shy when she first moved in because she didn’t know anypony. But I offered to hang out with her, and at first she wasn’t sure, but then she said yes and we had so much fun pulling pranks on the other ponies in town that she started to open up and become her awesome self again. The other ponies in Ponyville didn’t quite appreciate our pranks, though, so we stopped that after a while.”

“Yeah,” Carrot Cake said, starting to knead the dough and shape it into loaves.

“Are you listening?” Pinkie Pie asked, turning towards him. “You’ve hardly said anything during my story.” She was frowning and looked rather crestfallen.

“Of course I’ve been listening. I’m just not talking because I’m in the middle of baking. I’m not a very good multitasker.”

“Oh, okay!” Pinkie Pie said, perking right back up again.

How does she do that? Carrot Cake asked himself.

“So anyway, one of the ponies we pranked was the owner of the Carousel Boutique, Rarity, and she hated it the first time we did it. She had no sense of humor at all. But when she got to know us she gradually caught on to our sense of humor and she would laugh when we pulled a prank on her. Then we got to talking and learned a lot about her and sometimes I’m still so incredibly amazed at her talents!”

“Sure,” Carrot Cake said, starting to place the loaves of bread into the oven.

“And then one time I was hungry, and somepony suggested trying Sweet Apple Acres—”

“Pardon me for interrupting,” Carrot Cake said, “but I thought you were interested in how my life was going.” Carrot Cake surprised himself with his own interjection. Here he was, listening to Pinkie Pie babble about her friends, and he felt hurt because she wasn’t taking an interest in his life. The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized that he didn’t talk about his life to anypony anymore, especially not his wife. They were either talking about their work at the shop or getting intimate, but Carrot Cake missed that other type of intimacy, one where you could get to know somepony and share your life with them. Was he really hoping that Pinkie Pie would be the one to share his life with? Why not his own wife? The thought bothered Carrot Cake.

“Oh,” Pinkie Pie said, looking awkward and staring at the ground. “I’m sorry for talking so much. It’s just…sometimes when I’m working here I get awfully lonely, and it’s nice to just talk to somepony for a change.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” Carrot Cake said, and he was debating whether he should give Pinkie Pie a hug. She sure looked like she needed one. But he didn’t trust himself to touch her without thinking lewd thoughts about it, so he held back. “It’s just…I get lonely, too, and I usually need somepony to talk to as well.”

“But you’re married,” Pinkie Pie said. “Don’t you talk to Mrs. Cake about all that stuff?”

“Not as much as we used to,” Carrot Cake said.

“What about me?” Cup Cake asked as she entered the kitchen.

“Nothing, honey!” Carrot Cake protested a little too loudly, then turned away to check on the bread in the oven. It was starting to brown quite nicely, so he knew he would have to take it out soon.

“Pinkie Pie,” Cup Cake asked, “were you two talking about me?”

“We were just saying how nice you were,” Pinkie Pie said, “and that we miss you when you’re up at the counter.” Carrot Cake resisted the temptation to face her. Why was Pinkie Pie lying about what they had been saying? Not that he wasn’t thankful for it right now, but he didn’t understand the pink mare’s intentions.

“Oh, well that’s very sweet of you two,” Cup Cake said. “I’ve got to go, there’s nopony around and I’m sure the twins need their diapers changed. Maybe the three of us can go out to eat tonight and take time to catch up.”

“That sounds great, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie Pie cheered. Carrot Cake hesitated before saying that he liked the idea as well.

“Sounds like a plan to me, then,” Cup Cake said. “You two don’t have too much fun without me.”

“We won’t, honey,” Carrot Cake said a little more forcefully than he had intended, but Cup Cake didn’t notice. Once she left the kitchen, Carrot Cake rounded on Pinkie Pie.

“Why did you cover for me like that?” he asked. Pinkie Pie shrank back a bit.

“Um, I just thought what you were saying was kind of personal and I shouldn’t be the one to bring it up. You know how I am with secrets, and this sounded like something you didn’t want to tell her before you were ready.” Carrot Cake sighed and relaxed his face, which calmed Pinkie Pie as well.

“Well, thank you, Pinkie Pie. I really appreciate that.” Carrot Cake turned suddenly and went to open the oven. Hopefully he hadn’t remembered the bread too late. To his relief, it came out looking perfect.”

“Ooh, that looks really good,” Pinkie Pie said. “I almost want a bite.”

“Now now, Pinkie Pie, you know you can’t eat what we’re trying to sell,” Carrot Cake said.

“I know,” Pinkie Pie said, looking like a child who had just been denied a scrumptious treat. Carrot Cake smiled.

“Maybe we’ll bake something just for us sometime,” Carrot Cake said.

“Just the two of us?” Pinkie Pie asked, confused.

“Um…no, no, all three of us,” Carrot Cake said, realizing what his words had sounded like. Pinkie Pie smiled, and Carrot Cake felt an excitement that had been lying dormant start to make his stomach flutter. He tried his best to ignore it.

For a while, the two ponies didn’t talk very much. Once again, Carrot Cake tried and failed to resist taking peeks at Pinkie Pie, although thankfully this time she didn’t notice. One time was reasonable enough to explain; once it started repeating itself, then it would have looked suspicious.

Before he knew it, all of the baked goods they had needed to restock the shop were done, and Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie decided to take lunch. Cup Cake still had to wait at the counter, but it would be Carrot Cake’s turn this afternoon to man the counter. Carrot Cake looked forward to that, because then he wouldn’t be in the vicinity of Pinkie Pie, with thoughts of her clouding his mind. But, he had to admit to himself, those thoughts would probably come anyway.

The two of them went upstairs to their personal kitchen and made some sandwiches before sitting down and starting to eat. Carrot Cake tried hard not to stare as Pinkie Pie chewed on her sandwich. There was something so cute about the way she ate, almost as if she was starving and had to chomp down on as much food as possible. Nopony else he knew ate quite like Pinkie Pie, and it was just one of many unique characteristics about her. But why was he thinking about that now?

Pinkie Pie looked at Carrot Cake and laughed. While half of her sandwich was gone, Carrot Cake had only taken a few bites of his.

“You eat really slowly, you know that?” Pinkie Pie asked with a giggle.

“Are you sure it’s just me,” Carrot Cake responded, “or is it that you eat too quickly?”

“I’m always starving whenever meal time comes around,” Pinkie Pie said. “I don’t know why.”

“Yes, you do have quite the appetite,” Carrot Cake said, remembering a time when Pinkie Pie had consumed an entire cake in one bite that had been intended for Princess Celestia. He still had a hard time believing how that had been possible.

“You know,” Pinkie Pie said through a mouthful of food, “you should really talk to your wife more.”

“That’s not really any of your business,” Carrot Cake said, annoyed that Pinkie Pie was trying to tell him how to conduct his marriage.

“Then why were you talking to me about it?” Pinkie Pie asked, swallowing her food and looking quizzically at him.

“I…well…” Carrot Cake stammered, “I don’t really know. But maybe it’s best if I just keep those kinds of things to myself.”

“I’m not stupid,” Pinkie Pie said. “I know how tense it’s been between you two lately. I know recently it was mostly because the deep fryer and then the oven broke down, but I’ve noticed it even before that. I didn’t want to say anything because I thought it would be awkward. Then you told me you barely talk to your wife about yourself anymore, and it just reminded me of all that, and I felt really sad for you.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Carrot Cake said, though he was touched that Pinkie Pie had it.

“I know,” Pinkie Pie said, “and I’m really starting to butt in so I should just stop.”

“It’s all right, Pinkie Pie,” Carrot Cake said, warming up at the sight of her looking gloomy. “I know you’re only trying to help. You’re a really kind pony.”

“I am? Some ponies think I’m just annoying.”

“Well, I don’t think that,” Carrot Cake said, and for one crazy moment he thought about kissing the pink mare, but he pushed that thought out of his mind. “Maybe I did at first, but when you came in looking for a job I realized you were more than just that bouncy, energetic mare. I saw something really different about you: your willingness to help, your positive outlook on life, your ability to make ponies laugh. I don’t regret taking you in and giving you a job, and I’m sure my wife doesn’t either.”

“That’s really nice of you to say,” Pinkie Pie said, eyes shimmering as she made a small smile. The mood was broken when Carrot Cake looked at the time.

“I’d better relieve my wife now. No doubt she’ll want some time with the babies.”

“Okay!” Pinkie Pie said. “See you later, alligator!” Carrot Cake almost said “in a while, crocodile,” but he decided not to.

As he left Pinkie Pie in the kitchen, he groaned and buried his head in his hooves. Why was he thinking about her like that? Why was he talking to her about his unhappiness in his marriage? He had never been that personal with Pinkie Pie before, and he didn’t know why he was becoming so intimate with her now. He just hoped that the two of them didn’t start exploring the other side of intimacy. Carrot Cake regrettably admitted that he wanted to, he really did.

CH. 4 - The Problem - by cooopercrisp

The Problem

Chapter 4: The Problem

The dinner had gone well enough. Cup Cake told Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie about a belligerent customer she’d had who was very picky about what kind of cupcakes he wanted, and the three of them laughed about it for a little while. Carrot Cake spent most of the dinner avoiding glancing at Pinkie Pie, which Pinkie Pie had not failed to notice. But, all in all, the three ponies had a genuinely good time, and they were so content after the dinner that they vowed to do this kind of thing more often.

Still, there was something too strange about Carrot Cake, Pinkie Pie had convinced herself last night. Carrot Cake never talked to her about his marriage like that, even if he only let one little detail slip. He was usually a private pony, friendly enough, but one who very much kept his personal life to himself. So why had he suddenly started talking about how unhappy he was in his marriage? And why tell me? she thought.

She needed to talk to somepony about it. One of her friends, most likely, only Pinkie Pie couldn’t decide which one. Who would take her concerns seriously? Rarity would probably tell her she was fretting over nothing, or worse, she’d want to hear the gossip concerning the Cakes’ marriage, and Pinkie Pie wasn’t one to spread around gossip. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem the type to care that much, and even if she did, it was impossible to visit her at the cloud she lived in, and Pinkie Pie would have rather not talked about this in the open. Fluttershy and Applejack might understand, but Applejack was always too busy on the farm to talk, and Fluttershy usually had her hooves full taking care of the animals on the border of the Everfree Forest.

So Pinkie Pie had reluctantly decided on Twilight, although she couldn’t imagine how Twilight would help her. This left her puzzled for quite some time until she decided that Twilight was a smart pony, and if she couldn’t help her, then Pinkie Pie knew nopony else who could.

She slept uneasily that night, fretting about Carrot Cake suddenly opening up to her, and then reproaching herself for worrying about it too much. The normally hyperactive pony had usually expended all of her energy at the end of each day, but now she seemed to have energy to spare. She half-considered sneaking out of Sugarcube Corner and visiting Twilight right now, but she knew that would be impolite. At least, she had learned it the last time she had barged into the library while Twilight was sleeping.

But that was important. Those stray parasprites broke into the kitchen! And Twilight was the only one who had a pan flute. Pinkie Pie had never considered what Twilight needed a pan flute for, but she snapped herself out of her tangential thought before she pondered about it any further.

So it was the case that Pinkie Pie was quite exhausted when the dawn came. Now all she had left to do was to ask the Cakes for the morning off. The babies usually slept through the morning, so Carrot Cake could handle the kitchen while Cup Cake took care of the customers. Pinkie Pie crawled out of bed and walked over to the Cakes’ room, hoping that they were already awake.

At that precise moment, Carrot Cake came out of the room, intending to check on the babies. He was surprised to see Pinkie Pie wandering the hall, and he flushed with embarrassment.

“Good morning, Pinkie Pie,” Carrot Cake said.

“Morning,” Pinkie Pie replied with a big yawn. Carrot Cake was concerned; usually the pink pony had more energy than that.

“Did you sleep well?” Carrot Cake asked.

“I slept fine,” Pinkie Pie lied, not wanting to betray that it was Carrot Cake who had kept her up all night.

“So what’s up?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Actually, I was hoping I could have the morning off…” Pinkie Pie said. “Would that be okay?”

“No problem,” Carrot Cake said, eager to give the pink pony what she wanted.

“Thank you!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing cheerily. She bounced back into her room to get ready for the day. Carrot Cake watched her as she did so, and then cursed himself for gawking again.

“I need a shower…” he said, but before he took that he went to check on the twins.

***

Twilight was bored out of her skull. It must have been a sign of the times that nopony wanted to read anymore, because it was the middle of summer and the library was deserted. She had seen maybe two ponies stop by all morning, and she and Spike had had to busy themselves dusting the shelves.

“What’s the point of us even running this library if nopony shows up to check anything out?” Spike asked Twilight from atop a tall ladder.

“I don’t know, Spike,” Twilight said, “but at least it gives me plenty of time to read.”

“You’ve probably read every book in this place,” Spike remarked snidely.

“Not every book,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“You know what I mean,” Spike said.

“You’re right. I do.”

“Hello!” Pinkie Pie cried, suddenly barging into the library. Spike lost his balance and fell off the ladder, bruising his back.

“Warn me next time you’re going to do that,” he muttered. Twilight ignored him.

“Aren’t you usually working at Sugarcube Corner on Fridays?” Twilight asked.

“Well, yes, but I really needed to talk to you so I asked for time off,” Pinkie Pie said.

“You wanted to talk to me?” The two of them, despite being friends, didn’t have that much in common, so it was hard to imagine Pinkie Pie wanting to confide in her. “What about?”

“Um…I kind of want it to just be between us…” Pinkie Pie said hesitantly. Spike rolled his eyes, finally lifting himself off of the floor.

“What are you going to do, propose to her?” Spike asked.

“Spike!” Twilight scolded.

“I know, I know,” Spike said. “Sorry…” Without another word of protest, he left the room.

“So what seems to be the problem?” Twilight asked.

“Well…” Pinkie Pie started, but nerves suddenly froze her and she didn’t know what to say. Twilight looked at her confusedly, trying to discern what was bothering her.

“Is it serious?” Twilight asked, moving closer to her friend.

“I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much…” Pinkie Pie said.

“What’s bothering you?” Twilight asked, now concerned for her friend.

“Maybe I’m just being silly…” Pinkie Pie said, more to herself than to Twilight.

“Pinkie Pie, if you came here and it’s important, then it’s not silly,” Twilight said, realizing how obvious it sounded after she said it. But it seemed to help Pinkie Pie shake away her nerves. Literally, she shook in place trying to clear them from her body.

“It’s about Mr. Cake!” she blurted out finally before it could agonize her any longer.

“Mr. Cake?” Twilight asked, now confused again. “I thought you two got along great.”

“Well, I guess we’re still getting along. He did say I could take the morning off,” Pinkie Pie commented. “But now I think we’re getting along in a different way.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean?”

“Yesterday, he started talking to me about some marital issues,” Pinkie Pie said, whispering the last couple of words as if she was afraid of being overheard.

“What kind of issues?” Twilight asked.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you,” Pinkie Pie said. “It didn’t sound too serious, except he’s usually very private. I’ve lived under his roof for years and I barely know anything about him. It’s super weird.”

“Weird that you don’t know anything about him?” Twilight asked, hoping for clarity.

“No, weird as in he’s suddenly opening up to me kind of weird.”

“Maybe he trusts you,” Twilight said. “You have been their tenant for a few years now.”

“I don’t think so, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around nervously, glancing back and forth. It made Twilight feel uncomfortable; Pinkie Pie was never nervous for anything. “Do you have any idea why he’d tell me all this?”

“I might if I knew what he told you,” Twilight said. She wasn’t trying to pry details out of Pinkie Pie; she was simply trying to understand what Pinkie Pie was dealing with.

“All right, I’ll tell you. I didn’t make a Pinkie Promise not to, so I guess it’s okay.” Pinkie Pie took a breath. “He said he was having a difficult time talking to his wife about how he felt.” Pinkie Pie stopped talking and looked nervously at Twilight.

“And?” Twilight asked.

“Actually, I think that was it. Then I got stupid and told him he should talk to his wife more, and he got kind of angry and said it wasn’t my business. Then I asked him why he told me there were problems in the first place. He didn’t really have an answer for that one.”

“Well, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said after processing everything she had just been told, “I think he’s right in saying it isn’t your business, and if he only let one little thing slip, I think you might be overreacting a bit.”

“Great,” Pinkie Pie said stingingly. “I thought I was going to get helpful Twilight, not ‘you’re only mad at Gilda because you’re jealous’ Twilight.”

“Hey, I already apologized to you about that!” Twilight said.

“I thought you would take me seriously! Don’t you realize how private a pony Carrot Cake is? Maybe he’s been too private, even with his own wife, but why is he telling me about it? I don’t know how to help him. What should I do?”

“Pinkie Pie, I think it’s best if you do nothing,” Twilight said.

“Huh?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“You’re definitely overthinking this, so I would just take a deep breath and tell yourself that nothing bad is happening. Carrot Cake said one thing to you, and he quickly realized he was getting too personal, so it’s not likely that he’ll do it again. Can’t you be okay with that?”

“But…” Pinkie Pie said. “Well, I guess so…”

“That’s better. You should try to relax before you have to go back to work. It’ll do you some good.”

“I guess I can try that,” Pinkie Pie said. “Thanks anyway, Twilight.”

“You’re welcome,” Twilight said, and Pinkie Pie left the library less abruptly than when she had entered. Without being called back, Spike returned to the room.

“How did you know we were done talking?” Twilight asked.

“Um…” Spike said. “I stopped hearing noises, so I assume since Pinkie Pie is usually talking nonstop, that must mean she had left.” Spike glanced at Twilight hopefully while she stared him down.

“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on private conversations,” Twilight said.

“I was not!” Spike protested.

“Spike…” Twilight said menacingly. Spike gulped.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Spike said, “but curiosity got the better of me.”

“Well, thankfully it wasn’t anything personal,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, it was just Pinkie being Pinkie, huh?” Spike asked.

“Yes it was,” Twilight said.

“She is right about Carrot Cake, though,” Spike commented as he started climbing the ladder again. “I’m always at Sugarcube Corner, and I know like nothing about the guy.”

“Yes, it is strange that all of a sudden he’s telling Pinkie Pie about his marriage,” Twilight said.

“But you told Pinkie Pie not to worry about it,” Spike said.

“I did, but it was a bit odd,” Twilight said. “I don’t think it was odd enough to be a big concern, but it was still odd…” Owlowiscious hooted from the bedroom.

“He’s probably hungry,” Twilight said. “Do you mind feeding him?”

“I just climbed this ladder!” Spike complained. “Now you want me to come back down?”

“Please?” Twilight asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

“All right,” Spike grumbled, making his way back down the ladder. Now by herself, Twilight’s mind started to ponder the strange visit from Pinkie Pie. Was this whole thing with Carrot Cake really a problem? Twilight was almost sure it wasn’t, but if he was unhappy with his marriage, then it might become a problem down the road. But what did Pinkie Pie have to do with all this? If the Cakes’ marriage imploded (and here Twilight was going on a wild tangent), what would that mean for Pinkie Pie?

You’re overthinking things again, Twilight, she told herself. She returned to dusting the shelves and refused to give the matter any more thought, despite its numerous attempts to invade her mind.

CH. 5 - The Argument - by cooopercrisp

The Argument

Chapter 5: The Argument

“I’ve been waiting for my cupcakes for fifteen minutes!” a customer complained, and he wasn’t the only one. The shop seemed to be filled with dozens of grumbling customers waiting for their orders. Carrot Cake was manning the counter, and he had to wonder what his wife and Pinkie Pie were doing in the kitchen.

“Okay everyone, settle down!” Carrot Cake bellowed. “I’m going back to the kitchen to find out what’s causing the delay. If you could all just be patient, I’m sure we’ll have this straightened out in no time.” The crowd began to grumble again, and Carrot Cake sheepishly left the counter and went into the kitchen.

He saw Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie working frantically on the orders. Half of them were already done, but they hadn’t been brought up to the counter because the two ponies had been so busy with the rest of the orders. Carrot Cake walked in awkwardly and cleared his throat, alerting the two mares to his presence.

“Is everything okay, back here?”

“Does it look okay?” Cup Cake spat, causing Carrot Cake to wince.

“We’re doing the best we can, but there are a lot of orders today!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Well, let me take up the ones that are already done so you can keep working on the others,” Carrot Cake said.

“Thank you, honey,” Cup Cake said, trying to make up for her snippiness. Carrot Cake began taking out orders one by one.

“Who ordered the half dozen scones?” he asked.

“That was me,” a mare called from the front of the shop. She awkwardly made her way to the counter, paid for the scones, and lifted them away from Carrot Cake. She thanked him before walking out with the scones.

Carrot Cake continued to process the orders in this way until half of the crowd had dispersed. The ponies who remained were starting to get more and more irritated. Carrot Cake apologized for the wait and returned to the kitchen.

“Please tell me you have the rest of the orders done,” Carrot Cake pleaded.

“And…that should be all of them!” Pinkie Pie said, taking finishing off the frosting on the last of a dozen cupcakes.

“Thank you so much, you two,” Carrot Cake said.

“You’re welcome,” Cup Cake said, letting her husband leave with more orders. The last order he handed out was that dozen cupcakes, which went to an irked stallion.

“I’ve never had to wait this long for a batch of cupcakes in my life,” he grumbled.

“Well, I’m sorry we were so busy when you came,” Carrot Cake said.

“Whatever. Thanks for the cupcakes,” the stallion said, setting some bits on the counter and leaving with a humph. Carrot Cake glared at him from behind his back before taking a deep breath. It looked like the rush was over. Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie extricated themselves from the kitchen, flour and frosting stuck in their coats.

“That was quite the crowd we had out here, huh?” Cup Cake asked.

“I haven’t seen anything like it in a while,” Carrot Cake said.

“But that’s good, isn’t it?” Pinkie Pie asked. “We must have made a ton of money!”

“I suppose we did,” Carrot Cake said, but he felt weary. Truth be told, he considered himself more of an artisan than a business pony. He enjoyed making the confections and baked goods the shop was known for, and would rather see his customers satisfied than make a lot of money. Cup Cake was really the more ambitious one, and she agreed with Pinkie Pie’s sentiment immediately.

“Well, we’re closing in two hours, so keep it up everypony,” Carrot Cake said.

“Will do, boss,” Pinkie Pie chirped, bounding back into the kitchen.

She really is full of endless energy, isn’t she? Carrot Cake thought. He briefly lost himself to his daydreams.

“Are you all right, honey?” Cup Cake asked.

“What?” Carrot Cake said. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

“All right,” Cup Cake said, eyeing him queerly. She shrugged it off and returned to the kitchen. Carrot Cake shuddered and busied himself wiping the counters.

The bell at the front of the shop rang, and Carrot Cake looked up to see Twilight Sparkle enter. The unicorn occasionally stopped by to visit, and would order a batch of cupcakes once in a while to take home to Spike, who, by her account, adored them. She didn’t look like she’d be making an order today, though, as she hadn’t brought a satchel with her.

“How’s it going, Twilight?” Carrot Cake asked.

“It’s fine, Mr. Cake,” Twilight said, looking around the shop. “It looks like a tornado came through here. Did you have a big rush earlier?”

“Right as usual,” Carrot Cake said. “I had a lot of unhappy customers waiting quite a while for their goods. You should have seen how many ponies were packed in here.”

“I can only imagine,” Twilight said, returning her gaze to Carrot Cake.

“So how’s Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” Twilight knew she was lying, but she was digging for information.

“She’s just as cheery as ever,” Carrot Cake said. “She never seems to run out of energy.”

“She is quite the remarkable pony, isn’t she?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah…” Carrot Cake said. Twilight watched him carefully, looking for some sign to give away his emotional state. He seemed happy thinking about Pinkie Pie, but not so happy that it would be alarming to her.

“And how are the wife and foals?” Twilight asked cheerily.

“Um…they’re okay,” Carrot Cake said. There was definitely a downturn in his cheery disposition, which struck Twilight as odd.

“Well, I’m quite busy with an assignment from Princess Celestia, so I have to get going. Tell Pinkie Pie I said hi!” With that, Twilight left the shop.

That was a strange visit, Carrot Cake thought. Pinkie Pie came bounding out of the kitchen.

“Did I hear Twilight out here just now?” she asked.

“Yes, she was asking about you,” Carrot Cake said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I wanted to say hi to her.”

“I’m sorry,” Carrot Cake said, frowning. Pinkie Pie watched his entire body seem to deflate.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” Pinkie Pie said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I feel fine,” Carrot Cake said. I’ve got to start hiding my emotions better. If I don’t watch out, she might find out what I think about her…

“Well, we’re still busy cleaning up the kitchen, so I guess I’ll see you later,” Pinkie Pie said, smiling and hopping back into the kitchen. Carrot Cake watched her leave without even thinking about it.

Damn it, don’t stare at her! he chastised himself. He returned to wiping the counter down, and knew that he would have to tidy up the front of the shop. Twilight had been right; it did look like it had been hit by some natural disaster.

Very few customers stopped by in the remaining two hours the shop was open, so Carrot Cake had time to clean up the front end. Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie left the kitchen to help him close, and they were impressed by how neat the storefront looked.

“Great job, honey,” Cup Cake said. “Maybe we should make you the custodian!”

“Very funny,” Carrot Cake said.

“Oh, can I go check on the twins?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Um…if you want to,” Carrot Cake said.

“Oh boy! Pound and Pumpkin Cake, here comes Aunt Pinkie!” With that, Pinkie Pie took off up the stairs faster than the blink of an eye. Carrot Cake blinked a few times to clear his vision of the pink blur that had just shot past. He took a deep breath and slumped down at one of the tables.

“You look beat,” Cup Cake said. “Long day?”

“You try manning the counter when there’s an angry mob up here,” Carrot Cake said.

“You don’t have to get snippy with me. I’m just trying to help.”

“Honey, you know I’d rather be back there making the treats. That’s what got me into this business. That’s how I earned my cutie mark when I was a colt.”

“Trust me, it was no prize working the kitchen today,” Cup Cake said. “I’ve never seen so many orders come in at the same time.”

“Well, I’m tired of dealing with the customers,” Carrot Cake said. “I know that’s a terrible thing to say when you’re the owner of a shop, but being around so many ponies just wears me out.”

“So you’d be willing to just let things go to hell in the kitchen?” Cup Cake asked.

“What are you implying?”

“Nothing. I’m just saying, today’s orders may have been too much for you to handle.”

“Are you saying you’re better at making treats than I am?”

“I’m not trying to—”

“But that is what you’re implying, right?” Carrot Cake asked, his anger beginning to simmer.

“No, honey, not at all—”

“Well, maybe I should just say you’re terrible at helping the customers and taking down orders. Now how does that make you feel?”

“We don’t have to resort to petty insults,” Cup Cake complained.

“You know, sometimes I just don’t believe you,” Carrot Cake said, now standing up and pacing around the storefront.

“I’m unbelievable? You’re being a baby.”

“Don’t even mention babies, please.”

“Why not? Oh, don’t tell me…”

“I know those foals aren’t mine!”

“We weren’t even arguing about this.”

“Well, it’s still sore enough for me to bring it up.”

“We’ve already been through this a million times. Your great-great-great-grandfather—”

“That’s a load of garbage and you know it! I was saying that to cover your hide!”

“Swear to Celestia, I’ve been with you and only you.”

“Then explain how two Earth ponies give birth to a pegasus and a unicorn, and see if you can convince me it’s true.”

“I…” Cup Cake said, thinking. “The doctor said it was a miracle…”

“And do you really believe in that sort of thing?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Who are we to understand how life works?” Cup Cake suggested.

“You cheating liar!”

“You paranoid insecure excuse of a stallion!” Somepony cleared their throat. Carrot Cake and Cup Cake looked up at the stairs and saw Pinkie Pie staring at them through the railing.

“I think I’m interrupting something important, so I should just go and pretend I didn’t hear anything…”

“What did you want to tell us, Pinkie Pie?” Cup Cake asked.

“I was just going to say I put the twins to bed for you, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine,” Carrot Cake said.

“You were having that argument again.”

“What,” Carrot Cake said, “about the twins? Pinkie Pie, we just got mad. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It sure sounded like it meant something,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Don’t mind him,” Cup Cake said. “He’s always thought I was one to sleep around.”

“Excuse me! Can we not bring Pinkie Pie into this?”

“Why not? She heard the whole thing anyway.”

“I really don’t want to get involved. I’m just going to leave…” With tears in her eyes, the pink pony ran up the stairs, trying her best not to cry audibly. Carrot Cake felt like he’d shrunk about three sizes.

“Look what you’ve done,” Cup Cake said. “You’ve upset the poor girl, and she didn’t even have anything to do with this.”

“And your remark certainly helped that, thank you very much.”

“I can’t even deal with you right now. I’m going to bed.”

“Fine! I’ll have a talk with Pinkie Pie, to see if I can sort out the damage.”

“Of course you will.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing. I guess I’ll see you later.” Cup Cake headed upstairs without another word, leaving Carrot Cake fuming. He waited until he was sure she was in bed and then walked up to Pinkie Pie’s room. He knocked on the door and listened. He could hear sniffling from inside the room.

“What do you want?” Pinkie Pie’s muffled voice asked.

“It’s me,” Carrot Cake said. “I want to talk to you about what happened.”

“Sure, whatever,” Pinkie Pie said. Carrot Cake entered the room and shut the door behind him. Pinkie Pie’s eyes were already red, and she had in front of her a box of tissues. Carrot Cake felt like he’d just shrunk another two sizes.

Let’s see if you can fix this mess, he told himself.

CH. 6 - The Talk - by cooopercrisp

The Talk

Chapter 6: The Talk

“Pinkie Pie,” Carrot Cake said, moving to sit on the bed next to the pony. “What’s got you so upset?”

“I don’t like to hear you two fighting,” Pinkie Pie said, “especially about that…”

“I know, and what I said was wrong,” Carrot Cake said, even though he didn’t feel it. “I love my babies, and I should be more trusting of my wife.”

“You said,” Pinkie Pie said, “you said you and your wife haven’t really talked to each other in a long time.”

“Pinkie, that isn’t—” Carrot Cake stopped, gazing at the sobbing pony with a tissue held to her eyes. Now wasn’t the time to chastise her for getting too personal. She deserved to know more about what was going on, especially after what he put her through.

“It’s true,” he finally said. “Cup Cake and I haven’t really gotten to talk in a long time. I don’t know if it’s the stress of running the store or something else, but we’ve lost a lot of intimacy, and frankly, I miss it. Cup Cake used to be so passionate and romantic, but now it’s all about crunching numbers and keeping the business afloat. Not like I don’t need the help, though. If it were left to me alone I’d run the place to the ground with my head in the clouds the way it always is. I’d be more concerned with designs than watching the bottom line. I need Cup Cake to keep me grounded for sure, it’s just…I need more from her, too.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about this kind of stuff with me,” Pinkie Pie said.

“After what I put you through earlier, I think you deserve to know what’s going on,” Carrot Cake said.

“What else do you need from her?” Pinkie Pie asked, her tears temporarily subsiding as curiosity took over her sadness.

“I guess…I need her to wish me a good morning when I’ve had a rough night’s sleep. I need her to listen to my troubles and reassure me that everything’s okay. I need her companionship, her terrific sense of humor, to help me get by during tough times. I guess…I need her to love me again.” Now Carrot Cake was tearing up, and Pinkie Pie let him borrow some of her tissues.

“Thank you,” Carrot Cake said.

“Mr. Cake, she does love you. I just know she does,” Pinkie Pie said. “You two are like the most adorable couple in Ponyville.”

“We may look that way on the outside, Pinkie, but there’s a lot of tension between us. Sometimes I wish I had a way out of it all…”

“But how can you say that?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You two were meant to be together. That’s why you married her, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie, I’m sorry to say this, but you’re quite naïve about that,” Carrot Cake said. “Don’t tell Cup Cake I said this, because if you do then I will deny it, but I’ve been thinking about calling it quits and getting a divorce.” Pinkie Pie gasped.

“But...but you just can’t do that, Mr. Cake, you just can’t,” Pinkie Pie said. “What would happen to you, to the babies? What would happen to Sugarcube Corner? What would happen to me?”

“Relax, Pinkie Pie,” Carrot Cake said. “One of us would have to move out, but you’d be allowed to stay here. Nothing bad would happen to you.”

“So what? Sugarcube Corner would close, I’d be out of a job, and then I wouldn’t be able to pay rent. So I’d be out on the street and then I might have to leave Ponyville and all my friends and go back home to the rock farm and—” Pinkie Pie started to cry again. She took a tissue and wiped her eyes. “Don’t send me back to the rock farm…”

“Pinkie,” Carrot Cake said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, “listen to me. Even if you couldn’t stay here anymore, I’m sure one of your friends would be more than happy to let you stay with them. And I assure you that there’d be other jobs for you in Ponyville. You know practically everypony in town, so you have a strong group of connections. Trust me when I say that that it one of the most important things you need to find a job. You won’t have to leave Ponyville or your friends, and you wouldn’t have to go back to live on that rock farm.”

“I’m sorry,” Pinkie Pie said, sniffling a little. “It’s just…you don’t know what it was like to live with my family.”

“What was it like?” Carrot Cake asked.

“I’m not sure if I want to tell you.”

“Well, I want to know. We’ve worked together for years, and I know so little about you.”

“Well, if you really want to hear it…” Pinkie Pie said. “Every day was always the same. You had to push a bunch of boring old rocks around. My parents were really strict, and we weren’t allowed to have any fun. My mane was always straight back then, before I got my cutie mark and learned what it meant to smile.”

“What happened after that?”

“I threw a party for my family, and for a while, it seemed to cheer them up. But then they went back to being sad again, so I threw another party to try to keep them happy. But the more parties I threw, the more it became clear that nothing would make my parents or my sisters happy, not while we were living on that farm. So I had to wait ten long years before I turned eighteen and was able to leave home. If I couldn’t find happiness there, I figured I had to look elsewhere.

“It was really sad to leave my family, but I didn’t have a choice. They were just too sad all the time, and I don’t blame them. Rocks are boring and no fun. I spent a long time missing them, and despite how bad it was there, I got really homesick.

“I wandered from town to town begging for bits so I could afford some food, but that only took me so far. Whenever I got jobs, I would try to save some money and throw parties for everypony, trying to make them happy. But nopony ever came to my parties, and the ponies that did come didn’t enjoy them very much. So I got really sad and I stopped caring about my work and then I’d get fired from my job and have to look for another one. But by then the town knew I wasn’t a good worker, so I’d have to leave again.

“Finally, I came to Ponyville, and there was something different about this place. The ponies here were happier, and everypony was super friendly to me. It didn’t take me long before I found your shop and applied for a job here. Not only did you give me that job, you gave me a place to live, and the wages were good enough that I could afford to throw parties, which you kindly let me do. And the ponies here really liked my parties, so I became happy again, and I’ve been working and playing here ever since.” For a while silence filled the room. Carrot Cake had been enthralled by Pinkie Pie’s story, and it took a while for him to snap out of his trance.

“Pinkie, I had no idea how hard things were for you before you came here,” Carrot Cake said. “I’m really sorry you had to go through all that.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You couldn’t have known about all that. In fact, you and Cup Cake were the ponies that got me out of the funk I was in. I’ve never told you how grateful I am for that, so I guess what I want to say is thank you.” Pinkie Pie rested her head on Carrot Cake’s shoulder and let out a sigh, a free tear trickling down her face. Carrot Cake wrapped his hoof around her shoulder and held her there for a while with a smile on his face.

“So where do you come from?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I can’t believe I’ve known you for this long and I never stopped to ask that.”

“I can’t believe it either,” Carrot Cake said. “But I’ve always been here, in Ponyville. My parents are both Earth ponies, and they worked for the mayor’s office doing what you’d expect out of government work. So things were pretty boring in my household, too, although I can’t imagine how bad it must have been for you to work on a rock farm. Funny, my parents used to say they’d send me to work on a rock farm when I behaved badly.”

“Really?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Well, trust me, it’s no fun at all.”

“Yes, well, my mom had always dreamed of being a baker, but government work didn’t pay a lot and so she could never afford to start her own bakery. She did bake for us, though, and she taught me how to make pies and cookies and all sorts of tasty treats. I absolutely loved it, and I got my cutie mark pretty early on in my childhood because of it. I think I was the first in my class, actually, and I was the envy of all the other ponies at my school. Well, my mom wanted for me what she couldn’t have for herself, and that was for me to start my own bakery right here in town. It was all a pipe dream until Cup Cake moved here from Trottingham.”

“Why was that?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Well, you see, Trottingham is quite a bit larger than Ponyville, and the folks living there are reasonably well off, so Cup Cake had a lot of money, enough to start a business. She had moved to Ponyville because she hated her parents’ stuffiness and the elitism of Trottingham. So, with her money, she started what was to become Sugarcube Corner. It was called Tasty Treats back then, and as soon as it opened up, I immediately went in to apply to work as a baker. I showed Cup Cake the kinds of treats I could make, and she was so impressed that she hired me on the spot.

“It was a dream come true for me. I had to bake to order, but Cup Cake had a vision for the kinds of treats she wanted to sell, and she constantly asked me for input, recognizing the talent I had for baking. We came up with some very artistic and very good treats, and we became the talk of Ponyville. It was during these profitable times that I suggested we name the bakery Sugarcube Corner, because I knew the Apple family and wanted to incorporate their pet name into the name of the store. Cup Cake agreed to the name change, and the townsponies loved it so much that we were glad of the decision we made.

“Well, it was almost inevitable that we would fall in love. Our relationship was far more than that of baker and employer, which I recognized the moment we started collaborating on ideas for treats. It took me a while to realize I was in love, but Cup Cake told me she knew from the moment she met me. She actually made the first move, asking me to dinner one night. I thought for sure it was merely professional, but she told me how she’d been feeling and I gladly reciprocated. About a year later we got married and I was named co-owner of Sugarcube Corner.

“My parents were thrilled for me, but hers were upset that she had married a commoner like me and infuriated that we hadn’t signed a prenuptial agreement. But soon they faded from our lives, and we lived in Ponyville happily. But the store became too big for the two of us to handle, and we knew we needed to hire somepony to help us out. That’s when you came along and surprised us with your enthusiasm and your joy for baking. And I must say I do not regret ever hiring you.”

“That’s such a sweet story,” Pinkie Pie said, “which makes it really sad when you say you want a divorce. What happened?”

“Well, the novelty of Sugarcube Corner died down, and so did our profits after a while. Cup Cake refused to ask her parents for money, after the way they had reacted to our marriage, so we struggled for quite a while. Hiring you, though it had made sense during the boom, stretched our money even more. I refused to fire you, Pinkie Pie, because you were an invaluable help and had proven yourself quite skilled in the kitchen, even if you had a tendency to eat the goods we were supposed to be selling.” Pinkie Pie chuckled and sniffed.

“Well, things quickly grew sour between the two of us because the business wasn’t doing as well as we had hoped and the spark we shared in our younger years was beginning to fade, as it always does. There was a brief moment of happiness when we found out Cup Cake was pregnant, because we’d been trying for a while to have kids without success. Truthfully, I think the reason we wanted kids was to help save our waning marriage.”

“Really?” Pinkie Pie asked. “But it hasn’t helped?”

“It helped for a while, but now I know that having kids causes as many problems as it solves, and as you heard during our argument, I wasn’t even sure if they were mine. So that brought more resentment, and now, I don’t really know what’s in our future.” Silence filled the room again as Pinkie Pie thought about Carrot Cake’s story.

“Well, I really hope things work out between you two,” Pinkie Pie said. “I love Sugarcube Corner, and I don’t want it to go out of business.”

“Me neither, Pinkie Pie, but we’ll have to wait and see. I hope you at least understand a bit more about what’s going on. I certainly learned a lot about you tonight.”

“I learned a lot about you, too, and I think I do know what’s going on a little more now.”

“Okay then. Well, it’s getting late, and my wife’s probably wondering what I’m up to, so I should probably go. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“I think I’ll be fine,” Pinkie Pie chirped. “Good night.” With that, Pinkie Pie squeezed Carrot Cake in an unexpected hug. Carrot Cake returned the hug nervously and quickly made his way for the door the moment Pinkie Pie relented.

“Good night, Pinkie Pie,” he said, leaving the room and shutting the door gently behind him.

CH. 7 - The Fantasy - by cooopercrisp

The Fantasy

Chapter 7: The Fantasy

Carrot Cake slinked toward his bedroom, opening the creaking door ever so carefully, unsure whether his wife was already asleep. The sliver of light that peeked into the room revealed Cup Cake lying on her side, breathing deeply. Carrot Cake figured she must have been asleep, so he crept in and shut the door quietly behind him. He stumbled slightly in the dark but eventually found his way to the bed. He climbed in carefully next to his wife so as not to disturb her. Especially after the talk he had just had with Pinkie Pie, he didn’t want Cup Cake to ask him any questions or stir up the arguments they’d had earlier.

Carrot Cake shut his eyes, but images of the pink pony refused to leave his mind. He felt a thrill in his stomach about how closely he had bonded with Pinkie Pie, about how much he had learned about her past, and about how much he had shared about his. He also kept imagining himself leaning into a passionate kiss with the young mare, rolling about on the bed only to have her turn around and spread her hind legs for him. He then thought about taking his elongated shaft and pressing it into her folds, letting the slick fluid within her coat his penis as it entered her body. He pictured thrusting back and forth on the creaking bed, her screams of ecstasy being muffled by a pillow so that his wife wouldn’t hear. He imagined pressure building in his cock until his semen burst from its tip and filled Pinkie Pie up while she writhed under an intense orgasm, shrieking his name into the pillow. The thought brought Carrot Cake’s hoof to his shaft, and he began to softly stroke himself until his penis rose to attention. Feeling the erect member in his hoof, he knew he had to give himself a chance to release his passions and relieve the intense energy his imagination was fueling.

As quietly as he had climbed into bed, Carrot Cake climbed out and walked slowly over to the adjacent bathroom. That door opened with a creak, too, and he turned back to see if he had woken his wife. She mumbled to herself and turned over, but started to breathe heavily again. Carrot Cake slipped into the bathroom, shut the door, and then fumbled for the light.

Once the light was on he could see his reflection in the mirror. He looked very tired, as if thinking about Pinkie Pie and his forbidden desires was sucking the life out of him. Let me just have my fantasy, and then maybe I’ll stop thinking about it. He walked over to the toilet and sat on it.

His shaft, which had shrunk a bit on the way to the bathroom, quickly became erect again as he started to stroke it. In his mind, Pinkie Pie coyly looked at him with reddened cheeks, as if he had just proposed that he loved her. She then confessed her own desires and leaned forward to kiss him. The wild mare no doubt would play with his tongue while they were making out. Carrot Cake began to pump his shaft harder when he imagined lowering himself onto her bed, holding each other close as they kissed, moaning whenever they got the chance to catch their breath.

Carrot Cake started to pant a bit as he worked his shaft with heated fervor. Once again, he saw the pink pony spread her legs for him nervously, as if she wasn’t quite sure if what she was doing was right. Then again, that it was so wrong made it all the hotter. The pink pony squealed with delight as Carrot Cake’s penis plunged into her depths. He imagined the tightness the spry pony would almost inevitably have given her young age. He imagined the heat radiating from her lips, coating his shaft with a humid blanket of fluid. Carrot Cake started to groan as he began to buck his hips forward while his hoof tugged at his cock in earnest.

Just before he felt ready to release, he heard the bathroom door creak open. He looked up to see his wife standing in the doorway, her face cast in shadow from the dark bedroom. She looked away and blushed as she realized what her husband was doing.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said. Silence pervaded as Carrot Cake looked at his wife guiltily. She didn’t seem to notice, however, as she had turned away. Carrot Cake could already feel his shaft shrinking from the lack of stimulation, and he wanted to say something just so his wife would leave him alone, but he could think of nothing to say that wouldn’t be a rude dismissal.

“I guess I should let you finish,” Cup Cake said. She suddenly turned to her husband with a pleading look in her eyes. Carrot Cake couldn’t figure out why she was looking at him in that way, but he couldn’t look away as she continued to stare at him. It made him blush in shame, and when she noticed him blushing her eyes started to shift around. Carrot Cake could almost see her spirit deflate in front of him, and he wished he could find a way to console her, but he didn’t know what was making her so sad. Finally, Cup Cake closed the door and left Carrot Cake alone with his thoughts.

Carrot Cake looked down at his penis, which at this point had gone soft from disuse. Thoughts of Pinkie Pie came into his head, but now they were shadowed by his wife’s pleading eyes. Carrot Cake thought that he should have been fantasizing about his wife, or, under better circumstances, been making love to her directly. But when he thought about his wife, his passions fell flat and he couldn’t bring himself to masturbate. His fiery thoughts about Pinkie Pie had been effectively suffocated, like when a candle is covered by a glass object, and all that remains of the flame is a tuft of smoke. Realizing that he couldn’t bring himself to return to his fantasy, Carrot Cake sighed and lifted himself off of the toilet before slumping out of the room and back to his bed. He thought his wife had fallen asleep again, but as he settled under the covers she spoke out to him.

“I didn’t hear you flush.”

Carrot Cake winced, understanding the implication. He sighed again and replied.

“I don’t want to discuss it.”

“I didn’t say there was anything to discuss.”

“Well, good, so we finally agree on something.”

“I guess so. Good night.”

“Good night.” Both ponies closed their eyes, but sleep evaded them for the longest time. Once they finally began to slumber, it seemed like no time at all before the morning sun shone into their room. They woke up exhausted, but neither of them wanted to admit why.

“You go first,” Carrot Cake said. Cup Cake nodded and went into the bathroom.

Carrot Cake rubbed his eyes and groaned.

***

Rarity had been working on outfits all morning, so that lunchtime had arrived much quicker than she had expected it to. As always, she made herself a half sandwich and complemented this with a strong cup of jasmine tea. She always ate on the living room couch, even though she was constantly reproaching Sweetie Belle for eating snacks out there. It was just so relaxing to recline in the couch while she sipped her tea. It was exactly the thing she needed to help her unwind and prepare her for the second half of her hectic day, as the days always were. An interruption, however, presented itself as the sound of a knocking door.

Rarity sighed and set her tea and sandwich on the coffee table before walking over to the door. She despised customers coming during the lunch hour, especially since most of Ponyville knew not to disturb her during that time unless there was some kind of fashion emergency. Her disposition changed entirely, though, when she opened the door and found Twilight Sparkle standing outside.

“Twilight, darling, you surprised me,” Rarity said.

“Sorry for disturbing you during lunch, but I didn’t want to interrupt your work and I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Oh darling, it’s no imposition. I’m always willing to help a friend through her troubles.”

“Well, trust me, it was troublesome enough getting here with Spike begging to go with me to see you. Normally I’d let him tag along, but what I need to discuss with you is a bit too mature for his young ears.”

“Oh my, is this about a stallion, perhaps?” Rarity couldn’t contain her excitement; she was always itching to discuss her friends’ potential love lives.

“Sort of, but it’s not about me. Well, can I sit down? There’s kind of a lot to explain.”

“Oh, of course, darling, come in. How rude of me to leave you standing in the doorway.” Rarity stepped back to let her friend inside the boutique and shut the door before returning to her couch and levitating the tea cup up to her muzzle.

“So, if this isn’t about you, then who are we talking about?” Rarity asked.

“Well, Pinkie Pie came over to the library one day and started telling me that Mr. Cake was having marital issues and she’s not sure why he would suddenly start telling her about all this.”

“Um…what? Okay, let me see if I get this. Carrot Cake told Pinkie Pie about his marital troubles, and this is unusual because he never talks to her like this. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“But what does that mean, darling?”

“Well, it means he’s trying to get closer to Pinkie Pie.”

“And this is a bad thing?” Twilight was taken aback a bit.

“Oh wait,” she said, “I don’t think I’ve told you the whole story. I went to Sugarcube Corner the next day and I talked to Carrot Cake about Pinkie Pie and then about his family. He seemed really happy when I mentioned her, but when I asked about his family he didn’t seem so happy.”

“Well, that must have something to do with his marital troubles.”

“But why would he open up to Pinkie Pie about all this? According to her, he’s been a pretty private pony in all the years she’s known him, so why is he becoming so intimate? What if he likes her and—”

“Twilight,” Rarity said, holding up a hoof, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop you there. You’re definitely overthinking this if you think Carrot Cake has any designs on our Pinkie Pie. What made you jump to that conclusion?”

“Well, Pinkie Pie was feeling really uncomfortable and so I kind of assumed something was going on that she might not be telling me.”

“But we don’t really have any evidence to back this up, do we? As far as I can tell, Carrot Cake is having some troubles and his going to Pinkie Pie is a sign of the trust she’s been earning all these years of living there. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Remember, also, that you have a tendency of reacting strongly even when the situation doesn’t warrant it.”

“Rarity…”

“Sorry, darling, but you know this to be true.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“So we agree that there’s nothing to worry about?”

“Sure.”

“Good. Just out of curiosity, though, why did you decide to come to me about all this?” Twilight looked up at Rarity and started to shift awkwardly in her seat.

“Well, I thought if Carrot Cake liked Pinkie Pie, then you might be the right mare to talk to about such intimate feelings. A lot of stallions seem to like you, so maybe you’d be able to recognize the signs if you went to Sugarcube Corner and studied Carrot Cake’s reactions to Pinkie Pie.” At this, Rarity actually laughed, but she quickly caught herself.

“Darling, you flatter me! Sure, a few stallions have given me a second glance, but I don’t have colts crawling all over me like you seem to imply. And even if I did, I don’t think I’m that knowledgeable about what a stallion looks like when he likes a mare. And it would be very uncouth of me to probe into a problem that, in all reality, is between Pinkie Pie and Carrot Cake. You understand, don’t you?” Twilight gave her a sheepish grin.

“I think I do,” she said. “Well, thank you for talking some sense into me. I was going crazy worrying about Pinkie Pie. Next time I see her I’ll tell her not to fret so much.”

“That sounds good, dear. Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?” Twilight glanced down at her hoof.

“Not really,” Twilight said.

“All right, then. I would ask you to stay for lunch, but I’m horribly busy at the moment and I really need to get back to work. We’ll get dinner some time and catch up properly. Doesn’t that sound nice?” Twilight smiled.

“Yes, it does.”

“All right, then. I’ll see you later, Twilight.”

“Goodbye, Rarity.” Twilight left her seat and walked out the door considerably calmer than she had been when she walked in. Rarity decided to steal a few more moments with her tea before going back to work.

CH. 8 - The Kiss - by cooopercrisp

The Kiss

Chapter 8: The Kiss

Today, business at Sugarcube Corner was not so busy. Apparently, the rush had been satisfied for a while, so nopony saw the need to come back. There were a few occasional customers, but not enough to cause quite the chaotic scene that had occurred yesterday.

Carrot Cake was alone at the front of the store while Pinkie Pie was managing the kitchen. Cup Cake was playing with the babies upstairs. The lull in business left Carrot Cake alone with his thoughts, which nowadays was not a good thing. He kept thinking about that mare and shuddering to himself.

The bell at the front of the shop rang and in stepped Twilight Sparkle again. This time it looked like she was here to buy something, as she had her satchel on her. She scanned the shelves of candy at the sides of the store, pondering what she wanted to purchase. Carrot Cake cleared his throat.

“Can I help you find something?” he asked.

“No, just browsing.”

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” Twilight scanned the shelves for a while longer before finally picking out a package of caramels.

“I think Spike will enjoy these,” she said to herself before walking up to the counter. She placed the candies on the counter and Carrot Cake rang them up.

“Five bits,” he said. Twilight used her magic to levitate the bits up to him. Carrot Cake smiled; that mare used magic for just about everything.

“Is Pinkie Pie free?” Twilight asked. “I just wanted to say hi.”

“Oh, right. Yesterday she was upset that I let you leave without telling her you were here. She’s just in the kitchen. Pinkie Pie! Your friend wants to see you.”

“Oh goodie!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounded to the front of the shop.

“Twilight! It’s super-duper fantastic to see you!” Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a bone-crushing hug. Twilight smiled; she was used to this type of affection by now, though it had certainly caught her off guard the first few times she nearly suffocated under Pinkie Pie’s hugs.

“How are things, Pinkie?” Twilight gasped with what little breath she could exhale. Pinkie Pie finally let her go, and Twilight sucked wind.

“Great!” Pinkie Pie said. “Business is a little slow today, and that’s boring, but after yesterday it’s a good break. You should have seen it!”

“Carrot Cake already told me. I’m glad to hear things are better now.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. You really helped me out there. I didn’t know who to talk to when I was feeling upset the other day, but I’m glad I saw you.”

“Um, what are you talking about?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Nothing!” Pinkie Pie said, tensing up.

“Well, I’m always there if you need someone to confide in,” Twilight said. “Anyway, I have to get going. Spike will kill me if I don’t get these back to the library soon. Have a nice day, Mr. Cake. Bye, Pinkie Pie.” And with that, Twilight left the shop, the bell ringing as she made her way out the door.

“What was that all about?” Carrot Cake asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, I was just feeling a little down in the dumps a few days ago, that’s all,” Pinkie Pie replied.

“You? Down in the dumps? I can hardly believe it.”

“Yeah, even I can get sad sometimes, you know. But it’s nice to know I can talk to you also.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, like last night, remember, silly? After that big fight, I was really upset, but after you talked to me I felt better and I slept well, which is why I’m so perky today. So, thank you.”

“Um…you’re welcome.” Carrot Cake stared into space after Pinkie Pie went back to the kitchen. It was then that Cup Cake came back downstairs.

“I put the twins to sleep,” she said, “so if you want, I can take over up front.”

“It’s really no trouble,” Carrot Cake replied. “Business is kind of slow. Why don’t you take some time off to relax?”

“Don’t be silly. I get bored when I’m not working or taking care of the babies. And you told me you liked working in the kitchen better.”

“Um…okay, then.” Carrot Cake left the counter to go back to the kitchen without so much as touching his wife. He wondered why she was being so generous today, but maybe she was just trying to make up for that ugly fight. Though he knew she meant well, this meant more time to be spent with Pinkie Pie, which Carrot Cake wasn’t sure he could handle. He was sure that, sooner or later, he would do something dumb that he didn’t intend and completely destroy the dynamic the two now seemed to have.

“Oh, hi, Mr. Cake,” Pinkie Pie said. “Did Mrs. Cake take over up front?”

“Yes, she did.”

“I thought I heard her voice up there. So I guess all we have to do is keep waiting for orders.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie stood around in silence. Carrot Cake looked down at the floor, at the oven, out the window, anywhere but at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie, however, was looking straight at Carrot Cake, and she didn’t quite know why.

“You look distracted,” she finally said. “Is everything okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah, everything’s fine.” The look on Carrot Cake’s face betrayed him.

“I know it’s not any of my business, but I think you should apologize to Mrs. Cake for that fight yesterday,” Pinkie Pie said.

“And why should I do that?”

“Because I think you really hurt her feelings, and it’s the right thing to do.”

“And how do you suppose I do that?”

“Well, what’s her favorite treat?”

“What are you getting at?”

“If I got into a fight with my friends, I’d bake all sorts of things to help me apologize to them. Nothing cheers you up more than a tasty treat from Sugarcube Corner, as I always say.”

“You never say that.”

“Well, maybe it’s time to start.”

“Okay, so her favorite treat…um…let me think…uh…I think it’s apple strudel. She’s always going to Sweet Apple Acres to get some, I think.”

“So why don’t we make her some apple strudel?”

“Pinkie, we can’t use our ingredients for personal consumption. What if we run out of apples and someone orders an apple pie? We can’t let the customer down.”

“Oh, don’t be such a stick in the mud. You’re doing something nice for your wife. Isn’t that more important? I mean, one apple strudel couldn’t hurt.”

“I don’t know. It seems stupid.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid…” Carrot Cake looked up at Pinkie Pie and saw dismay in her expression.

“All right, fine, I’ll do it, though I don’t remember the recipe.”

“I’ve got it right here!” Pinkie Pie dug through one of the cabinets and pulled out a cookbook.

“Where did you get that?” Carrot Cake asked.

“At the bookstore. Where else would I get it?”

They spent the next twenty minutes preparing the apple strudel. After preheating the oven, they took six layers of phyllo dough, one on top of the other, brushing each layer with butter before adding the next one. Once that was done, they combined the Granny Smith apples, some raising, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Carrot Cake enjoyed the taste of cinnamon, so he and Pinkie Pie agreed to add it. They then spooned the filling down the side of the dough and folded the dough to cover the filling. To enclose the filling, they rolled the dough along its side. Finally they sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar mixture and put the strudel in the oven to bake. As the apple strudel was baking, Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie smiled to each other.

“Feel better?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Yes, much better, actually,” Carrot Cake said. “You know, I’ve always known you were a great employee at the shop, but I never really got the chance to know you until now. Now I can say that you’ve become a really good friend.”

“Really? That’s sweet.” Carrot Cake couldn’t take his eyes off Pinkie Pie now. He was enraptured by her smiling face, and the smell of apple strudel was so mouthwatering.

“Now that I’ve gotten to know you,” Pinkie Pie said, “I’m glad to say that you’re a good friend, too.” All the pent up emotion that had been building inside Carrot Cake for the past couple of weeks seemed to be coming to a head, and his stomach was roaring at him to act on his impulses. But Carrot Cake restrained himself, knowing full well this bond he had with Pinkie Pie would shatter if he decided to make a move. Oh, but she just looked so beautiful with the sunlight shining on her through the kitchen window. If only he weren’t married, he’d jump at this situation in a heartbeat.

“Is everything okay?” Pinkie Pie asked. That look of concern on her face. She really did care for him. His stomach was now screaming at him, but he kept telling himself not to do it.

“Mr. Cake?”

Just tell her how you feel, you dolt! Don’t pass up this opportunity.

But my wife…

You’re practically divorced already. She’s just being polite to you now, but she knows the same thing you do, that your marriage is over. You didn’t think of her when she was making love to you in the shower. You thought of this young mare standing in front of you. Don’t leave her hanging! She’s worried sick about you! Just say it!

“I love you.”

Pinkie Pie looked confusedly at Carrot Cake, wondering why he had said that. She didn’t hear it as intended, however. In fact, the Cakes had been so kind to her, quite the opposite of her own parents, who were too depressed to nurture Pinkie Pie or her sisters in any form. So, although she had never admitted to herself, Pinkie Pie thought the Cakes were the parents she wished she’d had growing up. It was in this vein that she started to form her response.

“Well, I love you, too. To tell you the truth—” That was all Carrot Cake needed to hear. He jerked forward and planted his lips on Pinkie Pie’s, immediately sending his tongue to explore her mouth, which was still open from trying to talk. It was a second of pure bliss while Pinkie Pie recovered from the shock of the kiss, but then she pulled away and stared at Carrot Cake with confusion. One look at Pinkie Pie’s face and Carrot Cake knew he had made a terrible mistake.

“I’m so sorry,” Carrot Cake said in a whisper. “Please don’t tell my wife about this.”

“Why did you do that? How could you do that? I thought we were trying to make your wife feel better. This isn’t going to make her feel better. That’s not what I meant when I said I love you. What were you thinking?” Pinkie Pie was starting to raise her voice in excitement.

“Be quiet!” Carrot Cake whispered harshly. “She’s just outside at the counter.”

“Sorry,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’m so confused…”

“Pinkie, I misinterpreted what you said and I wasn’t thinking straight. Please don’t take it to be anything more than a simple mistake.”

“But why would you even think to kiss me? Are you in love with me?”

“Yes. I mean, no! I mean…I always thought you were something special, and I guess I got kind of confused.”

“I think you have to tell Mrs. Cake about this.”

“No! This was nothing, I swear. I was intoxicated by the scent of apple strudel. I swear to you it won’t happen again. Please don’t tell Cup Cake.”

“I didn’t say I would. But if you won’t do it, then maybe I should…”

“Pinkie Promise that you won’t tell her.”

“And why should I?”

“Because…because, I swear to you, it was just a misunderstanding. I love my wife, and I am so sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable. Please, I’m just so very confused right now, and I don’t know what I’m doing. I just need you to keep this a secret.”

“But what you did was wrong, and I don’t think it’s fair to ask me to keep this secret for you.” Carrot Cake looked distraught, and he looked directly into Pinkie Pie’s eyes when he next addressed her.

“Pinkie Pie, I’m scared, all right? What’s going to happen to the business if my marriage ends? What will happen to me? I won’t have any money left; we signed a prenuptial agreement at the demand of her parents. I know I’m unhappy in my marriage, and I took it out on you and I’m sorry. But I have to stay in this marriage to survive in this world, and that means I need you not to tell Cup Cake what happened. Do you understand?” Pinkie Pie sniffled.

“I understand,” she said. “It won’t happen again?”

“Never. I Pinkie Promise.”

“You have to do the motions.”

Carrot Cake sighed.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Is that better?”

“Yes, and I promise I won’t tell Mrs. Cake. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Is everything all right back here?” Cup Cake asked. She had just entered the kitchen to find out what all the whispering was about. She hadn’t been able to make out what they were saying, but she figured it was something serious. Carrot Cake froze in fear, wondering what, if anything, his wife had heard.

“Nothing’s wrong, Mrs. Cake,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Have…have you been crying? Your eyes are red.” Cup Cake asked.

“I got flour in my eyes when a bag fell on me. I cleaned it up and put it back, but my eyes still itch.”

“Oh, all right. And what’s that smell? Are you baking something?”

Carrot Cake finally recovered his senses.

“That was supposed to be a surprise for you,” he said. “I wanted to apologize for the fight we had yesterday, and I’d figure I’d make your favorite treat.”

“You shouldn’t be doing that with the shop’s ingredients,” Cup Cake said. “But that’s sweet. You remembered that I liked apple crisps?”

“I thought it was apple strudel.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Well, that’s a nice gesture anyway,” Cup Cake said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Carrot Cake replied. Cup Cake left the kitchen.

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” Carrot Cake said, smiling.

“You’re welcome,” Pinkie Pie replied.

CH. 9 - The Test - by cooopercrisp

The Test

Chapter 9: The Test

Carrot Cake laid awake in his bed, horrified at what he had done. His heart was racing and he was taking very shallow breaths. He had been panicking like this ever since that kiss. Pinkie Pie had blessedly not made the situation any worse; in fact she seemed quite levelheaded about it, if a little unsure about being near him. But Carrot Cake knew how unforgivable his indiscretion had been, and he was deathly afraid that his wife would discover what he had done. It just so happened that his panic almost gave him away.

“You seem awfully upset,” Cup Cake said, turning her body over to face him. “Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine, honey,” Carrot Cake said.

“I can hear you breathing, you know. It sounds like you’re having an asthma attack. And look.” She placed a hoof on his heart. “Your heart is racing. Did something happen today?”

“Everything was just peachy.”

“Are you sure? Because I know I’ve been treating you awfully lately and I understand if that’s made you a little scared.” Carrot Cake sighed in relief, finally finding some excuse to jump on.

“I’ve treated you badly, too,” he said, “and it isn’t okay. We’re supposed to be bonded for life, through the good and the bad, and I’m sorry for forgetting that.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Cup Cake snuggled against Carrot Cake and rested her head on his shoulders.

“Maybe I shouldn’t bring this up again,” Cup Cake said, “but I want you to know that I never cheated on you. And I know you would never cheat on me.” Carrot Cake’s heart was racing again, but he did his best to keep his frightful state from showing on his face.

“I’m sorry for accusing you, then,” Carrot Cake replied. “I should have trusted you from the start. Those twins are a miracle, and I don’t want to think for a second that they don’t belong to me. That would be too painful.”

“I know, honey. At least we definitely know they’re mine.” The two of them chuckled.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired,” Cup Cake said. “I think it’s time to hit the hay.”

“I’m right with you.” The two of them laid their heads on their pillows. Cup Cake quickly fell into a slumber, but there was a nervous feeling in Carrot Cake’s stomach that kept him from sleeping. Those babies…were they really his? Had there ever been nights where Cup Cake was away around eleven months before the twins were born? Carrot Cake couldn’t recall; he supposed that with the hubbub of running a shop, the days bled together, so eleven months was no different from two years ago.

In reality, there was only one way to really know. And he had just the time to do it, as he had the day after tomorrow off from work. Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie had graciously offered to take over the shop to give Carrot Cake a well-deserved break. But Carrot Cake wouldn’t be resting or relaxing. His intent was clear.

I need to get a paternity test.

***

Carrot Cake wasn’t the only one who was having trouble sleeping that night. In her room, Pinkie Pie was lying awake in bed, staring at the dark ceiling.

That kiss…it had been so sudden. It happened so fast that she hadn’t had time to think about it. But now that she was alone in her room, it was the only thing on her mind.

Of course, it had reviled her as soon as it happened. Carrot Cake belonged with Cup Cake, and anything that threatened that was harmful in Pinkie Pie’s eyes. But that wasn’t what was bothering her the most.

Did I…did I like it?

It had only been for a few seconds, and on the surface she had been repulsed. But deep down, she had felt her heart flutter the moment his lips made contact with hers. It was a brief flash of excitement that was now haunting her.

No, no, I couldn’t have liked it that way. Mr. Cake is like a father to me.

But he’s not your real father, is he?

Well, no, he isn’t. But I’ve never thought of him in that way.

You never really knew him before. But he opened up to you, and you opened up to him. Don’t you think that can lead to something more?

But…but I shouldn’t have liked it! Mr. and Mrs. Cake belong together.

They’ve been having trouble for a long time. Didn’t you listen to what Mr. Cake was saying? He wants you, and why shouldn’t he? You’re a beautiful mare.

But I don’t like him…do I?

I don’t know, do you?

Pinkie Pie didn’t have an answer. She finally decided that since it was never going to happen again anyway, that it was a waste of energy to worry about it. She was finally able to fall asleep.

***

“Are you sure you want to bring the babies with you on your day off?” Cup Cake asked. Carrot Cake had them in the bag on his back, their heads sticking out of the deep pockets.

“Of course. This way you’ll have one less thing to worry about. Besides, I love my foals, and I want to spend as much time with them as I can.”

“Okay, honey, whatever you say.”

“Bye, Mr. Cake!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Enjoy your day off!”

“Will do, Pinkie,” Carrot Cake said. Now that the shock of the kiss had passed without any further untoward advances, Pinkie Pie had visibly become more relaxed in the past couple of days. Now she seemed to be her cheery self, and the horrifying act was quickly becoming a fading memory.

Carrot Cake had a long walk to the doctor’s office. He had set up a meeting for 10:00 the day before at the doctor’s office. They had been more than happy to accommodate him, for in reality they didn’t see much clientele. He would be seeing Stethoscope today, and he trusted the doctor, for he was a good pony at heart and had been very kind to him over the years.

Still, as he was headed for the office he began to have his doubts. What will I do if I find out these aren’t my foals? Do I leave her and become broke, living the rest of my life barely making ends meet? Or do I stay, knowing that our marriage is a lie and letting a burning resentment fester for the rest of our days?

And what will I do if these are my foals? I’m still left feeling nothing for my wife, and I will have no reason to leave her. Besides, I don’t think I could make it on my own. I don’t have the business skills she does. All I have is a passion for baking, but that can’t get me anywhere if I don’t have any money smarts.

Oh, what a mess I’ve made for myself! It seems I’m damned if I am the father and damned if I’m not. I just hope Cup Cake doesn’t find out about this. If she found out I didn’t trust her, she’d be devastated.

Carrot Cake was so lost in his thoughts that he bumped into a pony and knocked her over.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Oh, hi Twilight.”

“It’s all right, Mr. Cake. I was just on my way to get some quills.” Twilight helped herself off of the ground. “What are you doing outside the bakery?”

“It’s my day off, and I wanted to spend it with the babies for a little father-foal bonding time. I’m going to the park.”

“How nice of you. The bakery was actually on the way, and I thought I’d run into you there, but it was nice to see you here instead. Take care!”

“Bye, Twilight.” Carrot Cake walked onward, realizing about a minute too late that the park was over on the other side of town.

***

What’s Carrot Cake up to? Twilight thought. He’s not heading towards the park, so that means he lied to me. Why would he do that? And what do the foals have to do with it? Twilight turned around and saw Carrot Cake walking off in the distance. She immediately started to walk in the same direction, being sure to keep her distance.

What are you doing following him? It’s really none of your business.

I want to know what he’s lying about. I just know this has something to do with Pinkie Pie.

You’re just overthinking things again! Haven’t you learned your lesson yet? Does Princess Celestia have to drill it into your skull with her horn? Twilight let that image rest in her head for only a second, and then quickly shrugged it off.

Just remember, Twilight, you’re doing this for Pinkie Pie. Twilight didn’t have to follow much longer to find out where Carrot Cake was going. He entered the doctor’s office at the far end of town, glancing around before walking into the threshold.

What could this mean? Why would he lie about going to the doctor’s? And again, how does this have anything to do with the twins? Twilight knew this couldn’t be a simple checkup, or Carrot Cake would have had no reason to lie to her. She ran through the list of possibilities in her head.

Maybe one of the twins is sick and he doesn’t want to alarm anypony. But then he would just bring that one with him, and I doubt both of them are sick. And surely Cup Cake would be accompanying him if it were that serious. So why would Carrot Cake take the twins with him to the doctor’s that’s so bad that he would lie to me about it?

It took about a minute before the horrible epiphany sank in. Twilight immediately turned around and trotted quickly for the bakery. She entered roughly and bumped into a few customers trying to get to the counter.

“Hey, you have to wait in line, lady!” one of them called.

“I’m not ordering anything!” Twilight called back. She saw Pinkie Pie at the counter and walked up to her.

“Pinkie Pie, as soon as you close down the shop I want you to come to the library. I have something important to tell you.”

“Um…okay,” Pinkie Pie said, looking a little scared. Satisfied that she would come, Twilight left the bakery as quickly as she had come in.

What does Twilight want to tell me? Oh well, no time to worry about it right now. I’ve got customers!

***

Carrot Cake waited awkwardly in the waiting room, avoiding eye contact with the other ponies in the room. Hopefully they would think this was just a normal checkup, as Stethoscope was also in charge of pediatrics. One of the ponies had bandages wrapped around her head, and Carrot Cake didn’t want to begin to think about why they were there.

After about twenty minutes of waiting and fretting, one of the nurses stepped into the waiting room.

“Carrot Cake?” she asked. He stood up and walked briskly to the door. The nurse led him to Stethoscope’s office, where he sat for a little while longer, this time by himself. It wasn’t long, however, before Stethoscope walked into the door.

“Hello, Carrot Cake,” he said. “Good to see you again.”

“I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to judge or ask too many questions. This is an awkward procedure for everypony that comes in here, and I find it best to keep all personal quandaries out of this office. Does that help you feel better?”

“Actually, a little bit.”

“Good. I’ll just need to extract your blood and then the blood of each of the twins. Have they been vaccinated yet?” The vaccinations were handled by the nurses, as there were not enough doctors to handle the influx of young foals needing protection from certain diseases.

“Yes, they’ve gotten their shots. Pumpkin was an angel, but Pound was fussy about it.”

“And how do you feel about needles?”

“Squeamish, to tell you the truth.”

“Well, it’s best not to look while I’m drawing a sample of your blood. I promise it will be quick.” Stethoscope had three vials set up waiting to draw the blood. He started with Carrot Cake, who looked away and closed his eyes. He winced as the needle went into his leg, but it was only a few seconds before the blood had been drawn. Stethoscope reached for a small bandage, but Carrot Cake shook his head.

“No no, that’s all right,” he said.

“I don’t want you to get infected.”

“I’ll be fine. And the babies will be fine also. We keep a clean house.”

“Whatever you say,” Stethoscope said, taking a vial over to Pound Cake.

“We’ll get the fussy one over with,” he said. He injected the needle into Pound Cake’s tender leg and he began to cry. The needle was out in no time at all, and Carrot Cake took Pound Cake in his hooves and patted his back in an attempt to soothe him. While he was doing this, Stethoscope drew Pumpkin Cake’s blood with no trouble at all.

“Well, we’re all set here,” he said. “We’ll have the results ready in a couple of weeks. How would you like us to deliver them to you?”

“Oh,” Carrot Cake said, thinking hard. He hadn’t figured out how to keep the paternity test a secret from his wife. “Just mail it, I guess,” he finally decided. Note to self, remember to always check the mail.

“That’s reasonable. You have a good day, sir.” Stethoscope opened the door and beckoned for Carrot Cake to step out of his office. Carrot Cake left the doctor’s office feeling more apprehensive than he did when he went in.

CH. 10 - The Suspicion - by cooopercrisp

The Suspicion

Chapter 10: The Suspicion

“What are you doing back here?” Cup Cake asked her husband.

“Well, while I was taking the day off I started to think about the shop more and more, and I realized instead of worrying about it, I figured I should just come back. So, here I am.”

“Well, that’s quite noble of you, honey. Perhaps you can take over up front?”

“No problem. I’ll just set the twins down upstairs first.” Carrot Cake did so and returned to the front of the shop. Cup Cake retired to the kitchen and saw Pinkie Pie haphazardly handling a bag of flour.

“Pinkie Pie, you’re adding too much flour for the cupcakes,” Cup Cake said. Pinkie Pie blinked and stared at the dry mixture in front of her.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, returning her gaze to the recipe card to see where she could correct the mistake. Twilight’s assertion that she wanted to talk had been troubling Pinkie Pie, making her lose her focus.

“Why aren’t you up front anymore?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Carrot Cake came back from his time off and graciously took over up front.”

“Oh.” Pinkie Pie looked down at the floor, feeling a tense wave of worry wash over her.

“Is everything all right?” Cup Cake asked.

“Everything’s fine.”

“You seem distracted.”

“I’m just having an off day.”

That kiss was still bothering Pinkie Pie. It had seemed to come out of nowhere, and seemed totally reckless for Carrot Cake to even attempt. Why in the world had he done that?

“Well, we’re about to finish up for today,” Cup Cake said, “so maybe a good night’s sleep will help you. Oh, but you’re going to Twilight’s after this, aren’t you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Any idea what that’s about?”

Pinkie Pie had a hunch that it was something to do with Carrot Cake.

“No idea.”

“Okay.” The two returned to their tasks. Carrot Cake popped his head in to see if everything was okay. He saw Pinkie Pie look at him with trepidation, a quivering lip and fearful eyes, and his stomach squirmed with guilt. There had to be a way to make it up to her. The longer she felt this way, the more likely it was that Cup Cake would catch on and start asking questions.

“Are we still good back here?” Carrot Cake asked.

“I think so,” Cup Cake said.

“Okay then.” Carrot Cake popped his head back out. Cup Cake turned to Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be staring off into space.

“Pinkie Pie?” Cup Cake asked. Pinkie Pie shook her head and blinked at Cup Cake.

“Yes, Mrs. Cake?”

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Cup Cake’s gears were turning in her head. She latched on to an idea.

“Is there something wrong between you and my husband?”

Pinkie Pie froze, beginning to stutter, not knowing what to say. She started to feel clammy and avoided eye contact with Cup Cake.

“It is, isn’t it? Did he do something to you?”

“Not at all, Mrs. Cake.”

“Then why are you so upset with him?”

“He…”

“He what?”

Pinkie Pie started shifting her eyes, but then finally chose to just dive headfirst into the preparation of her batch of cupcakes.

“He got angry at me for messing up a wedding cake that was almost finished,” Pinkie Pie said. “He shouted at me and threatened to fire me before I started crying. He apologized, but things have been kind of squirmy ever since.”

“I don’t remember anypony ordering a wedding cake.”

“It was on your last day off.”

“Oh? That’s odd. Usually Carrot Cake would tell me about an order that important.”

“Well, I guess this one slipped his mind.”

“Very well. Sorry for pestering you.”

“It’s all right.” Pinkie Pie breathed a sigh of relief, having fended off Cup Cake’s scarily suspicious questions. She hoped she wouldn’t have to do any more of that.

So focused was Pinkie Pie on her work that she was surprised when Carrot Cake announced that they were closing the shop. She cleaned up the ingredients and went to the front of the shop to tidy up. Cup Cake and Carrot Cake were out there too, but none of them talked to each other, each choosing to focus on their work instead. The three of them worked efficiently, and the shop was in tip top shape after only twenty minutes. Pinkie Pie excused herself to head toward the Golden Oaks library, where she would find out what Twilight wanted to tell her.

Pinkie Pie’s head buzzed with the possibilities during the short walk there. She couldn’t think of anything in particular that seemed realistic, though, so she was unsure of herself when she knocked on the library door. The door sparkled with a purple aura and opened to reveal an anxious-looking Twilight.

“Come in quick,” Twilight said, stepping away from the door to let Pinkie Pie in. Pinkie Pie entered and sat on the couch next to Twilight. Twilight wasted no time in delving into her news.

“I saw Carrot Cake with the twins outside at around noon today,” Twilight said. “He said he was going to the park, but he was heading in the complete opposite direction.”

“He was?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Yes. So, I figured if he was lying to me about where he was going, he must be up to something suspicious. So I started to follow him, and—”

“You followed him?”

“Well, yes. I had to find out what he was up to.” Pinkie Pie chuckled nervously.

“No, you didn’t,” she said.

“What? Why not?”

“Sorry, Twilight, but I don’t think you should be poking your nose into other ponies’ business.”

“But he’s been treating you so weird lately and I thought—”

“What did you think, exactly?” Pinkie Pie asked, staring uncomfortably at her friend. Twilight squirmed in her seat and leaned in close to whisper to Pinkie Pie.

“I followed him to see where he was going, and he went into the doctor’s office. I think he was taking a paternity test.” A dead weight plummeted in Pinkie Pie’s stomach. The only reason Carrot Cake would do that would be to find out if his wife was cheating on him. And what if she had? Carrot Cake would no doubt be angry and further disconnect from her. But what would that mean between him and Pinkie Pie? And then there was that kiss to think about. If he couldn’t stand his wife, would he come after her? The thought made her heart race and her limbs tremble, and she started to take short, rapid breaths.

“Are you all right?” Twilight asked. Pinkie Pie took a few deep breaths and chose to ignore the question.

“Twilight, I think you’re going way overboard on this,” Pinkie Pie said. Twilight looked into Pinkie Pie’s eyes and saw her trepidation. She sighed and turned away.

“I was just trying to help…” she said. Pinkie Pie placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled at her.

“I know you mean well, Twilight, but you can’t go following ponies like that. It’s a silly thing to do and it could get you in real trouble. I was following you and the others while you were planning my birthday party, and I almost ruined the surprise for myself.”

“That’s not the same thing at all.”

“You get my point. I’m just saying that you don’t have to watch out for me. What’s going on between Mr. Cake and I is just between us. I don’t want you to get involved.”

“All right, then I won’t. But has anything happened between you two that I should know about?”

“Twilight…” Twilight sighed and lowered her head into her hooves.

“Sorry, I know I’m being too nosy for my own good. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“Twilight, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“All right, Pinkie Pie. I believe you.”

“Thank you. Was there anything else you needed to tell me?”

“No, I think that was it.”

“Then I’ll see you later. Thanks for trying to look out for me. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” Pinkie Pie let herself out of the library. Twilight laid herself on her back and stared at the ceiling. Pinkie Pie had reacted quite badly when she had told her about the paternity test. There must have been something going on between her and Carrot Cake that Twilight didn’t know about. What could have happened? Was he hitting on her? Did he confess that he had feelings for her? What if they kissed? Twilight gasped, and covered her mouth with her hoof.

No, no, no, Twilight, you’re reading too much into this. Pinkie Pie said you shouldn’t get involved, and so you shouldn’t get involved. There must be something more productive you can do with your time. But Princess Celestia hadn’t sent her any assignments lately, and you could only re-shelve the library books so many times. Maybe Spike would have some ideas.

Relax, Twilight. Pinkie Pie said she’ll be fine. Just let it go…

***

Carrot Cake laid in bed next to his wife. She touched his cheek with her hoof and smiled at him. Carrot Cake returned the affection only halfheartedly, but Cup Cake did not notice this.

“Why did you come back to work? You deserved the time off, and Pinkie Pie and I were doing just fine.”

“Well, the twins were getting cranky so I needed to put them to bed, and I figured I might as well go back to work if I was coming back here.”

“That’s not exactly what you said earlier.” Carrot Cake averted his eyes.

“That was part of it, too. I guess I’m married to my job.”

“No, silly, you’re married to me.” Carrot Cake chuckled.

“Pinkie Pie said you had an altercation with her over a wedding cake the last time I was out. Is that true?”

Where did that come from? Carrot Cake thought. He decided he needed a bit more context about why this absurd story had come up.

“What did she say was the problem?”

“She said she had messed it up somehow and you shouted at her and threatened to fire her. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it, but she was really out of it today because it was bothering her so much. I had to pry it out of her, though. At first she wouldn’t tell me what happened. She didn’t even say it was you until I asked.”

If Cup Cake is already asking Pinkie Pie about me, then I’m in trouble.

“Well, it was a pretty big mistake, and it really delayed the order, so I got frustrated and I snapped. I would never fire her though, and I hope she knows that.”

“I think she does, deep down,” Cup Cake said. “You were the one that fought to keep her, after all. Does she know that?”

“I have told her that. I’m sorry, I know it doesn’t make you look good, but she was wondering about it and I had to tell her the truth.”

“I understand.” Cup Cake stroked Carrot Cake’s face and looked into his eyes. He was still looking away from her.

“Do you still love me?” she asked. Carrot Cake looked directly at her with terror in his eyes.

“Of course I do, honey. Why are you saying that?”

“You won’t look at me when I’m talking to you. I feel like you’re barely there when I’m with you, or if you’re present it’s because we’re fighting. I don’t want to keep living like this.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize it was bothering you so much.”

“It’s all right. I’m just being my usual paranoid self. I guess I can still trust you.”

This is bad…

“I’m glad you still think that, honey,” Carrot Cake said. Cup Cake kissed Carrot Cake on the cheek, and then on the lips. When she pulled away, she eyed Carrot Cake lasciviously.

“I don’t really feel like it tonight,” Carrot Cake said. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” Cup Cake looked like she was about to cry, but she held it in. “Good night, then.”

“Good night.”

CH. 11 - The Results - by cooopercrisp

The Results

Chapter 11: The Results

For the next couple of weeks, Carrot Cake made it a point to stay at the front of the shop so that he could get the mail as soon as the mailpony delivered it. Cup Cake noticed and asked him about it one day.

“You seem to be working up front a lot. I thought you didn’t like it.”

“Well,” Carrot Cake said, “I’m getting used to it. It’s nice to see my customers and chat with them. It makes me feel connected.”

“Whatever you say, dear. And I appreciate you getting the mail for me, too. That’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

“Don’t mention it.”

So Carrot Cake had assuaged his wife’s suspicions and kept himself in the clear.

Well, it just so happened that the day finally came when the test results arrived. They were in the form of a manila folder and the return address was the doctor’s office, so Carrot Cake knew immediately what it was. With no customers in the shop, he rushed upstairs and hid the results under his bed, vowing to check them over the lunch break.

As he stood at the front of the shop, he was a nervous wreck. His mind kept wandering to the space beneath the bed, and he kept questioning whether or not he was the father. Having the answers at his hooves and still not knowing was driving him berserk, and he had half a mind to rush upstairs and check the results now. But he knew he couldn’t leave the front of the store for more than a couple of seconds, and so he waited.

When lunch time finally came, Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie went out to get some sandwiches. They asked Carrot Cake to accompany them, but he told them he was perfectly content with making lunch here. The two mares left without questioning it, and once they left Carrot Cake bolted upstairs to look at those results.

His hooves fumbled trying to open the tab on the folder, so he used his mouth to rip open the top of the folder. The results slid out onto the bed. Carrot Cake snatched them and glanced them over, but they were complicated, using a lot of medical jargon that made little sense to him. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at them more meticulously, only to find in black ink on the bottom that he was not the father.

Carrot Cake dropped the papers in shock, and it seemed like his brain shut down. Everything he thought he knew about his wife had been a lie. She had slept with at least one other stallion. She had become intimate with someone other than himself, letting him fill her with his semen, probably having an orgasm that he hadn’t been able to give her for so long.

I’m not the father of my foals… The thought haunted him. So upset was he that he completely forgot to eat his lunch, and the sound of the bell ringing reminded him that it was time to go back to work.

Carrot Cake saw Cup Cake and Pinkie Pie heading to the kitchen. When his eyes caught sight of his wife, he had half a mind to scream at her, because now his shock had subsided and he was boiling up in anger. He tried to contain it and maintain a friendly rapport with his customers, but he ran into trouble when a particularly impatient Earth pony demanded where his scones were.

“I’m starving,” he said. “Do you know how long those scones are going to take?”

“I’m sure they’ll be out soon,” Carrot Cake said.

“They better be. I expect fast service here; at least, that’s what I’ve always gotten in the past.” There was silence as the pony continued to wait for his order.

“Seriously,” he said, “I’m starting to get annoyed. What’s taking them so long?”

“Listen, you little punk. You’ll get your damned scones when you get them, do you understand me?”

“Wow…unbelievable. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.” And the pony left just as Pinkie Pie was bringing out the scones.

“Oh,” she said, “did he change his mind?”

“Something like that,” Carrot Cake griped. “Give me one of those.” Having not eaten lunch, he was starving, so the extra food was a blessing in disguise. Sure, they lost some valuable business, but at least Carrot Cake wouldn’t have that gnawing hunger in his stomach. The only thing gnawing at him now was the terrible betrayal he was feeling.

As the afternoon dragged on, Carrot Cake’s anger subsided to bitterness, but then he thought about all the good times he’d had with Cup Cake back when their love was still passionate. When he remembered the summer evenings on the hill, the romantic dinners at the bistro, and the little gifts they’d get each other for Hearts and Hooves Day, he realized just what he had lost and an overwhelming feeling of sorrow overcame him. The pain started leaking out of his eyes without warning, and this started to happen right in front of a customer.

The mare waiting for a muffin looked away awkwardly as Carrot Cake tried to hold back his tears. When he started sobbing, she finally took pity on him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Carrot Cake took a deep breath as tears streamed down his face.

“It’s a personal matter,” Carrot Cake said. “Don’t worry about it.” At that moment, Cup Cake brought out the muffin.

“Here you go,” she said, and the mare thanked her and left. Cup Cake turned to look at her husband and saw his tear-stained face.

“You’ve been crying,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“We need to talk after we close up shop,” he said.

“But can’t you at least tell me why you’re upset?”

“I don’t want to bring it up while we’re still open.”

“All right, we’ll talk later.” Cup Cake returned to the kitchen worried for her husband.

The hours seemed to drag on as the prospect of confronting Cup Cake about her infidelity loomed nearer. Carrot Cake had never been more anxious in his life, not even before the twins were born. The twins that aren’t mine, he reminded himself. Just thinking it made him sick to his stomach. Who was that damned stallion that had dared to touch his wife? What sick man would take advantage of a married mare? But then Carrot Cake remembered that it took two ponies to make an affair, and at some level Cup Cake had wanted it, too.

Carrot Cake then started to question his performance as a husband. Had he not been kind enough to her? Was the relative lack of sex a factor? Did he not love her enough? Despite growing apart from his wife, he was still stricken by the pain of her betrayal and he wondered how he had failed to please her. Maybe he would find out when he discussed it with her. That’s if I don’t rip her head off first.

Finally, closing time had come and past and the shop was spic and span. There was nothing else left between Carrot Cake and his looming confrontation. As he walked up the stairs with his wife, his nerves almost paralyzed him. He had a dread filling his thoughts that this confrontation would not be pretty; in fact he was sure of it. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened.

When they got into the bedroom, Cup Cake noticed the document lying on the bed. Carrot Cake said nothing as she walked over and looked at it. After poring over it, she rounded on him.

“You got a paternity test?”

“You’re kidding, right? You cheated on me and you’re the one who’s yelling at me?”

“What made you even think to get one? You didn’t trust me?” Carrot Cake stepped closer, a wave of rage washing over Cup Cake like a bad aura. She took a step back and ran into the bed.

“Who was it?” Carrot Cake asked, his voice dangerously level. “Who is the father of my foals? Or I should say your foals, because they certainly aren’t mine now, are they?”

“Don’t do this, honey—”

“Don’t call me honey!” he yelled, making Cup Cake jump. “How dare you betray me! How dare you start seeing some other stallion! Was I not good enough for you?”

“It has nothing to do with that—”

“Bullshit!” Carrot Cake shouted. “We’ve been growing apart ever since those damned foals were born, and apparently even before that because you were off fucking some other colt. Who was it?”

“You weren’t there for me when I needed you,” Cup Cake retorted, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I always tried to open up to you and you would barely listen to me. I tried to get intimate with you and you pushed me away. I loved you, and you didn’t have the heart to notice or even care.”

“Why did you do it? Why not just throw me on the streets and let your squeeze move in?”

“Because I would feel guilty leaving you with no money. Believe it or not, Carrot, I still care about you.”

“Fuck you! I can’t believe you have the gall to say that to me. You obviously don’t care about me all that much or you wouldn’t have run off being a whore!”

“Honey, please! You’re hurting me.”

“Well, you hurt me! I know I haven’t been good to you, but that’s no reason to cheat on me. We could have talked about it. We could have worked it out. Instead, you ran off to your little fuck buddy!”

“He’s not just some fuck buddy. He cares about me. He takes time to listen to all of the torment you put me through. And he can actually get me to cum!”

“That’s disgusting!”

“It’s true, and I hope it hurts, because you have no idea how much you’ve hurt me over the years!”

“Don’t you care about how much I’m hurting now? You saw me crying up in front of the shop today. Doesn’t that show that I still care about you? Or are you too insensitive to give a damn about me anymore?”

“Of course I still care about you,” Cup Cake said, attempting to move closer and touch her husband, but he batted her hoof away.

“I can’t believe you can even say that. And how does he feel about not raising his own goddamned foals?”

“Stop calling them that—”

“Answer the damned question! We’ve had these foals for almost a year now, and not once have I seen hide nor hair of this stallion. If he cares about you so much, how come he won’t see his own foals?”

“He never wanted kids. We decided that it was best to let you think you were the father.”

“And you thought I would never find out, right?” Carrot Cake asked. “Did you think you could keep this a secret forever? I can’t believe what an idiot I was for not figuring it out sooner. I hope you’re happy! You fucking fooled me!”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“Don’t tell me what to do you bitch!”

“You call me a name again and I will throw you out of the shop,” Cup Cake warned him with a low voice.

“It’s as much my shop as it is yours, and since you actually have somepony to run to, I suggest you get out. Pinkie Pie and I can run the shop without you for a few days. Go off and be with him for a while, and take the twins, too! Celestia knows he should see his foals at least once in his life!”

“You know what?” Cup Cake said in a high voice. “Fine. Just fine. You see how long you can keep this shop running without me. Don’t expect to ever see me again, either.”

“I’ll see you in court.”

“I…” Cup Cake left the room, trying to hide her sobbing. She gathered Pumpkin and Pound Cake in her satchel, and walked out of the shop, slamming the door on the way out. The bell up front rang and then there was silence.

Carrot Cake collapsed onto the bed and finally started to cry without restraint. As far as he knew, his marriage was over, and that meant he’d have no money. He had lost the love of his life, and for all he knew, he deserved it for the way he had treated her. His sorrow was galvanized by intense anger for his wife, and he was in a state of rage when Pinkie Pie tentatively walked into the bedroom.

“I heard shouting and saw Cup Cake leave the house with the babies,” she said. “What happened?”

“See for yourself.” Pinkie Pie looked at the paternity test, which was now lying on the ground. When she read it, she showed no visible reaction. She just stared at the document lying on the floor.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Carrot Cake took a deep breath. His anger started to subside.

“Maybe we should just talk about it,” Carrot Cake said. He sat up and gave Pinkie Pie a spot on the bed.

“Where do I even start?” he asked.

CH. 12 - The Act - by cooopercrisp

The Act

Chapter 12: The Act

Carrot Cake allowed himself to cry while Pinkie Pie stroked his back. She gave him time to talk, remaining silent so as not to pressure him to speak. Seeing him this vulnerable made Pinkie Pie feel special. It was a side of Carrot Cake she had never seen before, which made the moment all the more personal. This must be what Cup Cake used to feel like...not like I like him like she does!

Finally, Carrot Cake took a breath, indicating that he had stopped crying and was now ready to speak. Pinkie Pie stopped stroking his back and faced him in earnest, ears perked up so she could be as attentive a listener as possible.

“I suppose I should’ve seen it coming,” he said. “In some ways, I let it happen.” Carrot Cake lowered his eyes and sniffled.

“That’s not true,” Pinkie Pie said, lifting his chin up with her hoof. “You loved Cup Cake with all of your heart. Do you still love her?” Carrot Cake pulled her hoof away from his chin and set it on the bed.

“I still care about her, yes,” he said, “as a business partner and a good friend. But do I love her as my wife...? It’s hard to say for sure. Can you really love somepony else who has betrayed your trust?” Carrot Cake looked at Pinkie Pie pleadingly, as if her answer would restore his sanity. You would never leave me... He no longer flinched at the thought.

Pinkie Pie stared back, gazing into each eye successively. He looked like a broken pony who desperately needed affection and didn’t know where to find it. Her mind went back to that kiss, that fleeting moment that she had first balked at but had blossomed inside her mind. I could do so much to make you smile again...

How could you think that, Pinkie? You don’t even like him that way.

Don’t I...? Pinkie Pie suddenly noticed that a long time had passed since either of them spoke. She tried to answer Carrot Cake’s question.

“I’m not really sure, Mr. Cake‒–”

“Please, call me Carrot.” Pinkie was befuddled, but went along with it.

“Okay, Carrot...I think that once you love somepony, you love them no matter what. Even if they do horrible things, you find a way to love them anyway. Rainbow Dash pulls a mean prank on me sometimes, but I still love her as one of my best friends.”

Leave it to Pinkie to use an example like that, Carrot Cake thought.

“Pinkie, your life view is, dare I say...optimistic. But real life doesn’t always work like a fairytale. Sometimes, there is no princess ready to ride away with her prince. Sometimes, there is no happily ever after, but a happily until...” Pinkie Pie turned her head away. It was clear that Carrot Cake’s heart was in a dark place, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying to cheer him up.

“Do you think you could ever forgive Mrs. Cake?” Carrot Cake blinked.

“Right now? No. With time...? I can’t be sure. It’s harder to take this knowing I’m the reason why she left.”

“Why would it be you?” Carrot Cake looked up at Pinkie Pie.

“I was distant with her, always getting into fights. I didn’t cherish her like a husband should cherish his wife. I took her for granted. I allowed the stress of the business to bleed into my intimate life.”

“But it was her choice. You didn’t make her leave you. She did that herself.” Carrot Cake sighed.

“Maybe so, but if I had been a more caring husband, she never would have thought to leave at all.”

“There’s just got to be a way to bring you two back together again,” she said with a stern tone, as if commanding it would make it so. Carrot Cake shook his head, his shoulders slumping lower.

“That would never work. She doesn’t even love me.” Pinkie Pie gasped.

“How could you say that?”

“No wife who loves their husband leaves him for another stallion. That just doesn’t happen.”

“How did you two leave it, before she left?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Cup Cake has this habit of saying things she doesn’t mean when she’s angry. She said I would never see her again, and that probably means the foals, too. Not like I ever need to see them, as I’m not their father. I told her I would see her in court, and that seemed to upset her, because she was crying when she left.”

“See? That’s just it.” Pinkie Pie straightened up with new conviction. “If she really didn’t love you, leaving would have been easy. If I’m at a party and there’s a pony I don’t like, when I leave I don’t feel anything. Leaving somepony you love is hard.” Pinkie Pie’s voice gained more excitement, and she spoke with a bouncy cadence.

“And I know being left by somepony you love is hard, too. When Dashie left us to go to the Wonderbolts Academy, I missed her a lot. I checked the mailbox constantly waiting for a letter from her, and I was always sad when there was no letter there. And, well, just look.” Pinkie Pie grabbed a mirror from the end table and held it in front of Carrot Cake. He immediately recognized the streams of tears down his face, the bags under his eyes, the pain in his glance.

“If you didn’t love her,” Pinkie Pie said, “you wouldn’t look like this. You’d be happy that she was gone.”

“I...I love her,” he said, and for a moment he smiled and let the feelings of old warm his heart. But his thoughts quickly turned to despair, as sad thoughts do. “But what good does my love do now? She’s with the father of her foals now. She has somepony to care for, and who cares about her, sick as that makes me. But what do I have? Nopony to love, nopony who loves me...” Carrot Cake collapsed onto the bed, allowing a wave of depression to smother him. Pinkie Pie’s heart started to race as ways to cheer him up flew through her head. I know you love me. I could be there for you now.

Pinkie Pie lied down next to him, stroking his mane. Carrot Cake winced at the touch, but his pain gave way to comfort as she ran her hoof through his hair.

“I think I know a way to help make you feel better,” Pinkie Pie said, her tone suddenly throatier. She cleared her throat, thinking that something might have been caught in it.

“What is that?” Carrot Cake said as he exhaled.

“Oh, but it would be so wrong...” Pinkie Pie stopped stroking his mane and rolled over, facing away from Carrot Cake. She began to tremble, her mind racing. What are you doing? You can’t really be thinking of doing that...

“What’s wrong about comforting a friend?” Carrot Cake asked. There had been something deep about her offer, but he couldn’t place what. Weak as he was feeling, he was willing to accept any help he could get.

Don’t even bring it up, Pinkie Pie thought. Just let it go. There are other ways.

“It would mean...cheating on your wife,” she said. She felt a surge of excitement course through her veins, and an anxiety at having made the suggestion. Every second Carrot Cake hesitated to answer made Pinkie Pie more tense, more conflicted. When he finally spoke, it was like she could release her anxiety like a burst of steam from a tea kettle.

“You can’t possibly mean...Pinkie, I know I kissed you, and you know that and that’s why you think I would like to...but I couldn’t. I would never want to hurt you.”

See? He’s saying no, he doesn’t even want you to do it. Now you can think of something else.

“I...” Pinkie Pie turned around to face Carrot Cake. Her eyes were shimmering and she was still shaking. “I think I want you to...” No! Why would you say that? You can’t possibly like him that way.

But I do. This epiphany released all of her tension, all of the confusion that had been born from the kiss and had grown like twisted vines through her mind. With clarity came a buzzing sensation that heightened her sense of excitement. Carrot Cake was the one trembling now.

“You...you can’t possibly mean that. You’re just saying what you think I want to hear to make me feel better. Oh, Pinkie Pie, you can read me so well.” His voice took on more heft, strengthening along with his emotional outpouring. “You know how deeply I am attracted to you. In fact, I think this attraction was what was keeping me so distant from my wife. I’ve seen you in my dreams. I’ve hungered for you. But now that the offer is laying in front of me, I cannot accept. You are a young mare with your whole life ahead of you. I would never want to take away your precious innocence.”

“But Carrot,” she said comfortably, holding his face in her hooves, “that innocence is meant to be taken. It can’t last forever. And who better to take it than the stallion who has taken care of me, who offered me a place to stay when nopony else would give me a job, who has recently opened up to me about his life? Oh, I didn’t think that when you kissed me, but it’s been driving me bonkers ever since, making me all confused. Only now that I can admit how I feel do I understand. I love you, Carrot Cake.” Carrot Cake stared at her in shock. Her eyes...there was a fire burning within them, a hunger almost. Those eyes made him believe every word she said.

He remembered talking to his father about Cup Cake, admitting for the first time that he had feelings for her. His father had given him advice he had never forgotten.

“Son, when you see something or somepony you want in life, reach out and take it in your hoof! You never know when it will come your way again.”

Carrot Cake placed his hoof on Pinkie Pie’s and gazed into her eyes.

“I love you, too.” Slowly, delicately, their faces moved closer. They each felt a thrill in their stomachs at what was about to happen, an anticipation that held them like a drug. It took an eternity for their lips to connect.

The kiss was electric. Soon, long-repressed passions took over, and they kissed earnestly. Pinkie—who, to Carrot’s knowledge, had never done this before—probed his mouth with her tongue. His tongue eagerly rubbed against it, and he tried to explore her mouth with it. Pinkie pulled her mouth away, and started to nip at Carrot’s neck, enhancing the sensation with playful bites.

Carrot took a deep breath and exhaled. Here was the mare of his dreams, confessing her love for him in a way he could never have imagined. Was this better than a dream? As Pinkie began to kiss his belly, he knew the answer.

Slowly, but determinedly, Pinkie moved her kisses down his body, until she finally stopped and took in the sight of his engorged member. The tip was slick, and when she played with it in her hooves, she could feel how rigid it was.

“Now I understand what Rainbow Dash was trying to tell me about an erection,” she said. Carrot laughed.

“Do you know what to do with it?” he asked.

“Let’s see...” Pinkie gave the shaft a gentle kiss. Carrot recoiled a bit and giggled.

“Pinkie, that tickles!”

“Should I stop?”

“Oh, for the love of Celestia, don’t stop. I love it.” So Pinkie continued to kiss his shaft. She stroked it with her hooves as well, liking how hard it felt. She could already feel moisture gathering between her legs and she knew what this meant. If there had been any doubts left of how she felt about Carrot Cake, they were dashed now.

Pinkie soon became curious about the tip. She wrapped her lips around it and licked the shining liquid from the top.

“Salty!” she said. Carrot’s head was thrown back.

“Keep doing that,” he cried. Pinkie sucked on his tip more and then soon engulfed more of his penis into her mouth. The sucking made her feel so good that she increased her pace steadily.

Carrot felt a tension in his loins with which he had all too much experience. Amidst his ecstasy, he became wary of how Pinkie would react when he came.

“Pinkie, keep going, but listen.”

“Hm?” Pinkie voiced, her mouth currently occupied.

“You’re making me very excited. Soon, a stream of my semen is going to shoot out into your mouth. You might want to finish me off with your hoof instead.”

“Hm?” Pinkie didn’t quite understand, but soon it was too late. A hot river of Carrot’s gooey seed burst into her mouth, and she recoiled from it and started to cough. The white fluid leaked out onto her sheets, and Pinkie wiped some of it from her mouth. What had entered her mouth she finally managed to swallow, and it felt warm trickling down her throat. When her coughing finally subsided, she scooched up on the bed at eye level with Carrot.

“That was amazing,” he said, kissing her gently on the forehead. He then started to kiss her tenderly on the neck, which made Pinkie giggle.

“W-what are you doing?” she asked. Carrot Cake looked up to her and smiled.

“Returning the favor.”

CH. 1 - The Deep Fryer - by cooopercrisp

The Deep Fryer

Chapter 1: The Deep Fryer

Carrot Cake woke up groggy and alone, his sheets strewn about from his late night tossing and turning. He was sure he was having the strangest dream, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember what it was. As his eyes became used to the early morning sunlight, his ears picked up the sound of a running shower coming from the bathroom. This all but confirmed where Cup Cake was, so he figured while he was waiting to use the shower he would try to catch a few more winks of sleep.

Just as he was closing his eyes, however, the shower turned off. It wouldn’t be long before a properly toweled off Cup Cake would be returning to the bedroom. Carrot Cake spent the time waiting for this trying to recall what the dream had been about. He still had not gotten anywhere with this by the time Cup Cake had entered the room.

“Good morning, honey,” Carrot Cake said, greeting his wife with a kind smile. She just glared at him and turned her head aside.

“How long have you been up?” Cup Cake asked.

“Only about five minutes,” Carrot Cake said. “You were in the shower, so I figured I’d just wait until you were done before getting ready for the day.” Cup Cake shook her head and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. Carrot Cake stared at his wife, confused.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked.

“Huh?” Cup Cake said, turning to face him. “Nothing, nothing…I’ll just go open up the shop.” Carrot Cake watched her walk out of the bedroom, muttering to herself. He was concerned, but he wasn’t curious enough to breach the subject any further. He entered the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Carrot Cake was far more curious about what that dream had been about. He seemed to remember a bit of excitement, which made him more dismayed with his inability to remember anything else. His thoughts wandered while he went through the repetitive motions of washing his fur and mane.

When he decided he could make no headway on this dream, he returned to wondering why Cup Cake had been upset with him. The only clue he had was her question of how long he had been awake. What does that matter? Carrot Cake asked himself. All Cup Cake had been doing was taking a shower. He didn’t see a need for him to wake up any earlier than he had.

With both inquiries leading nowhere, Carrot Cake stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off. He looked into the bathroom mirror as he was doing so and noticed the bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept well in weeks, and lately he had to admit that with the stress of running the shop, taking care of the twins, and containing the ever excitable Pinkie Pie, he had not been able to properly rest in quite a while.

However, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. He could hear the twins crying in the nursery, so since Cup Cake had said she would open the shop, he figured that he would tend to the babies. A black thought crossed his mind concerning the twins, but he chose to set it aside without even acknowledging it. He went into the kitchen and poured some baby formula into two bottles. Capping them both he carried them into the nursery and saw the two crying twins in their crib. When the twins saw him, though, they stopped crying and instead reached for the bottles.

“I guess you little guys were hungry, huh?” Carrot Cake said as he gave the babies their bottles. Pound Cake held the oversized bottle in his hooves, while Pumpkin Cake used her magic to levitate the bottle in front of her. Carrot Cake was always impressed when she performed feats of magic like that. He didn’t know too much about the growth of unicorns, but he was pretty sure most unicorns that age did not have a mastery of levitation. Maybe Twilight would know more about that, Carrot Cake thought.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a pony galloping through the hallway. Carrot Cake turned around and saw Pinkie Pie rush into the room.

“Uh, Mr. Cake,” Pinkie Pie said, “you might want to head downstairs. Something’s wrong with the deep fryer and the doughnuts don’t look so good…” Knowing Cup Cake didn’t have a clue about repairing the machinery in the bakery’s kitchen, Carrot Cake resigned himself to taking a look at it himself.

“Can you keep an eye on the twins while I take a look at that, Pinkie Pie?” Carrot Cake asked.

“Absolutely!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, giving Carrot Cake an exaggerated salute. The excitement in her voice stirred something in his memory, but he couldn’t place what. He shrugged it off as unimportant.

“At ease, soldier,” Carrot Cake said with a warm smile before rushing off to handle the issues with the deep fryer.

When he went downstairs he found a slew of customers waiting in line, wondering why none of the doughnuts were being made. They were starting to stir, and one pony left in a fit, tired of waiting and late for work. When Carrot Cake came into view, the ponies began to start asking him what was taking so long for the doughnuts to be made.

“I’m getting right on that,” Carrot Cake said repeatedly before ducking into the kitchen. Cup Cake was there, pacing and fretting.

“There you are!” she cried when she saw him. “What took you so long?”

“I came down as soon as Pinkie Pie told me what happened,” Carrot Cake said.

“Well, I’ve got an angry line of customers waiting in the shop for some doughnuts, and we need to deliver, so I need you to figure out what’s wrong with this thing,” Cup Cake said.

“All right, dear,” Carrot Cake said, moving past his wife to look at the deep fryer. Nothing immediately struck him as broken, so he went in for a closer look. He looked into the vat of oil and saw the doughnuts looking lumpy and uncooked. Shaking his head, he fiddled with some of the knobs to see if the machine would respond. The machine did nothing.

“I think something internal has gone wrong with this thing,” Carrot Cake said. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“You what?” Cup Cake asked.

“I said I can’t fix it. I don’t know how to fix a deep fryer if its inner mechanisms have gone haywire. We’re going to have to call the manufacturer in Canterlot to send a repair pony.”

“But what will we do about the doughnuts?” Cup Cake asked.

“Tell the customers that the machine is broken and there won’t be any doughnuts today,” Carrot Cake said.

“I don’t believe this,” Cup Cake said. “You are useless!”

“Hey, don’t look at me! I didn’t break the thing.”

“No, but you have no idea how to fix it either. You’re impotent.”

“Whoa, getting a little fancy with your language, are we?”

“You know what I mean,” Cup Cake said.

“Now, look,” Carrot Cake said sternly. “Somepony’s going to have to tell the customers we can’t sell any doughnuts.”

“Well, I certainly don’t want to do it,” Cup Cake said.

“Well, if you don’t want to tell them, then I will,” Carrot Cake said. He returned to the counter of the shop and addressed the line of waiting customers.

“I’m sorry to say that something’s gone wrong with our deep fryer. We won’t be selling doughnuts again anytime soon. However, we have plenty of other treats for breakfast, like scones and freshly baked bagels.” Despite the pitch, most of the crowd left, grumbling to themselves. Carrot Cake knew exactly why; Sugarcube Corner’s doughnuts were considered the best in the area, and they were a staple of many ponies from all around Ponyville and the surrounding villages. Carrot Cake hated to send customers away like that, but there was nothing he could do. With no customers in sight, he returned to the kitchen, where his wife still looked displeased.

“How many of them left?” she asked.

“A lot,” Carrot Cake said. “Look, I know this looks bad, but we’ll find a way to fix this. I’ll call for the repair pony and we’ll see what he says.”

“You do realize this is cutting into our already slim earnings this month,” Cup Cake said. “It’s going to be hard to keep Sugarcube Corner in the black if we’re spending this kind of money to fix broken machinery.”

“Yeah, but I thought we had an emergency fund set up for equipment malfunction,” Carrot Cake said. “Is that money not there anymore?” Cup Cake suddenly tensed up, glancing nervously around. What is that all about? Carrot Cake thought.

“Well…we didn’t save enough for a brand new machine, now, did we? Money’s tight right now.”

“Well then, don’t blame me for the machine breaking down when you didn’t bother to save enough bits to fix it!”

“You’re trying to make this my fault? Some nerve you have!”

“Look, there’s no point in arguing over it now. Let’s just see what the repair pony says. Can we just do that?” Cup Cake turned away.

“I guess…” Carrot Cake placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“We’ll pull through, somehow,” he said.

“All right. I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

***

As time went on, more and more of Sugarcube Corner’s machinery started to malfunction. The oven overheated about a week after the incident with the deep fryer, and this set them back for three days before Carrot Cake was able to fix the problem. For those three days, they couldn’t sell any baked goods, so they had had to ride on their confectionary sales to make up the difference. That hadn’t worked too well.

Then when the repair pony arrived to look at the deep fryer, he dove into the inner workings of the machine before coming out with a grim expression on his face.

“With the kind of repairs this thing needs,” he told the Cakes, “you’re better off just buying a new deep fryer.”

“Well, it has to be done,” Carrot Cake said. “Doughnuts are our primary seller during the breakfast hours. We can’t afford to go any longer without selling them. About how much would a new fryer be?”

“I’m not the pony to ask,” the repair pony said, “but I’d say you’re looking at a grand, maybe more.”

“That would definitely cut into our earnings,” Cup Cake said.

Right, Carrot Cake thought, because for some reason we don’t have enough emergency funds. I swore we had at least a grand in there... Carrot Cake sighed.

“I know,” he said. “I get it. Look, I know this is stressing you out, so I’ll go out to Canterlot to purchase a new one.”

“No need,” the repair pony said. “We now run a catalog, so you can just mail in your order and it’ll come within five business days. Although for an order from Ponyville, I say it shouldn’t take more than three business days to get here.”

“Thank you,” Carrot Cake said, “that’s actually very helpful.”

“And convenient,” Cup Cake added, but her tone suggested dismay.

“Look, you’ve been very helpful,” Carrot Cake said. “Thanks for at least taking a look.”

“Don’t mention it,” the repair pony said, “it’s my job. Take care, you two.” With that, the repair pony left the shop.

At that point, Pinkie Pie came bouncing into the kitchen.

“I just put the babies down for a nap,” she said upon entering. “I figured you could use my help down here.”

“Can you man the counter for us?” Cup Cake asked.

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie said, before bouncing back out to the counter.

“Do you have things covered back here, honey?” Cup Cake asked.

“Um…I guess,” Carrot Cake said. “Why?”

“I need a break,” Cup Cake said. Carrot Cake said it was okay, but looked with ire when his wife walked away. No doubt she’ll be fretting over the bill. Worrying about it is useless! It has to be done, or we don’t sell doughnuts. But I can’t be thinking about this now…

Maybe tonight will be the night, he thought. Every morning since he’d first had the dream, he had been struggling to remember the contents of it. Something told him that it was the same dream, because he was starting to recall vague patterns and they all seemed to be similar. He wasn’t sure why this dream was confusing him, though, as there was no need for it to be doing so. But something about that dream was calling to him, and something told him he needed to find out what it was.

As it turned out, tomorrow morning, he would finally remember the dream with vivid clarity. And when he did, it would begin to haunt him wherever he went.