Pound My Pumpkin

1. Seeing Pink

Pinkie walked happily down the main street of Ponyville, smiling and waving at everypony as she passed them by. Everypony who saw her was happy to see her after her three year trip, taking her song and dance routine around Equestria to try and make even more ponies smile and laugh, expanding her horizons. However, most couldn't begin to grasp what really went on behind that huge grin and shining eyes. While she seemed to be giving everypony she saw her full attention, she had in fact hooked her smile, voice, and motor functions to her internal Encyclopedia Ponyville and memories, and set the rest of her mind free to float. After all, despite the joyous homecoming, she had a lot to think about.

"I don't understand," she said in her mindscape, which she liked to envision as the inside of a giant cake. "Why did I react so badly to what Pumpkin said? That's...that's not like me. I...I don't like being like that."

A white pegasus with a blonde mane stepped out of the side of the cake, taking form in Pinkie's mindscape. From the other side, an image of herself straight maned stepped out as well. This was a mental exercise she'd learned from Twilight a few years back. When ordinary thought couldn't reach a conclusion regarding motivations, it sometimes helped to argue the point out in her head, and she used these two images to represent the different points. She called these two images she used Surprise and Diane.

Surprise, the pegasus, spoke up. "I shouldn't have been so antagonistic over it. If not for Twilight's calming spell on Pumpkin, she'd probably have burst into tears. I was just making things worse."

Diane blew a bit of her mane out of her eyes. "Please. After what happened in Manehatten, can you really blame me for being concerned about anything involving...that?"

Pinkie lowered her head. "Yeah..." She didn't like remembering what had almost happened that day. It was why she no longer felt comfortable being around a stranger stallion she was unsure of...or being the only mare in a group of stallions, especially if alcohol was involved. If Trixie hadn't heard her scream...

Surprise suddenly spoke. "I can't judge all ponies based on what a few did! After all, I used to think Trixie was a meanypants, and she saved me and helped me through it!"

Pinkie smiled as she remembered. Trixie had taken her back to her new trailer and just held her, letting her cry herself out. After that, Trixie had even offered to let Pinkie travel with her, so they could both feel safer on the road and maybe put together some impressive shows.

Surprise continued. "Just because something seems bad, doesn't mean good can't come of it. I shouldn't rush to judgment on this. Okay, Pound and Pumpkin being a couple was an idea that caught me off guard, since I helped raise them, but maybe they'll be okay. I mean, I don't even know for a fact that they will BE a couple. Maybe Pumpkin doesn't feel the same way."

Diane shook her head. "That would be logical. Since when has Ponyville been logical?"

Surprise hesitated. "Well, maybe things won't be so bad. I mean, the ponies of Ponyville are pretty accepting. Maybe they won't have any problems."

Diane let out a bark of laughter. "Pretty accepting? I remember Zecora. I remember Luna. I remember Spike and Rarity. Whenever Ponyville encounters something new, the first reaction is ALWAYS fear and hostility."

"But..." Surprise hesitated. "...but the ponies I've known for so many years couldn't possibly be that cruel or hateful..."

"Remember what happened in Mareabama, because we were earth pony and unicorn? Remember what happened in Germaney, because we were two mares? And that other town we'll never return to, because we were different colors?" Diane stalked forward, hate oozing off her in waves. "Ponies can be very cruel, very hateful. It doesn't even have to be a whole town of haters. All it takes is a bunch of ponies who aren't sure what to think...and one charismatic bigot." Calming down, Diane shook her head. "I don't think that could happen here in Ponyville...but I love Pound and Pumpkin. I'm their Auntie Pinkie, like a big sister to them. I couldn't stand it if something happened to them."

Surprise shook her head. "But I handled it the wrong way. They need me to be there for them through this, to be somepony who isn't judging them, especially if things do go bad for them."

Diane nodded. "I need to come up with a backup plan, something to do if things do go bad, some way to protect them."

Surprise bounced into the metaphorical air happily. "Maybe they could move to San Prancisco! That place is very progressive. As long as they acted like lovers instead of siblings, nopony would think they were siblings."

Diane smirked. "Maybe they could go to Frock Ridge. That entire town has the same surname, after all."

Pinkie smiled at the two manifestations of her thought process. "I guess...I have changed. But now I know I can be there for those I care about. Guess it's time to get back to myself." Closing her eyes in her mind, she opened them to the world around her.

Remembering the walk through town she had just done, she thought about how many new pony couples there were, how many new foals, and sighed. She still wished she and Trixie hadn't had to part ways. But Trixie wasn't sure she would be welcome in Ponyville after everything she'd done, even if Twilight and Pinkie had forgiven her, and Pinkie had to return to her friends. So they'd parted, hoping to meet again.

Pinkie perked up as she approached Sugarcube Corner. She had to think positive about all this. Bonds of friendship always stayed strong, and would bring them together again someday. In the meantime, she needed to check on Pound and Pumpkin. She opened the front door, ignoring the 'Closed' sign.

She found the twins in the kitchen. They both had their eyes closed, Pound had one wing wrapped around his sister, and their heads were nuzzled together.

'Well, at least they've fixed what was broken between them,' Pinkie thought to herself. Noticing how they both seemed to be 'glowing', she sighed. 'And so much for logic.'

Speaking aloud, she addressed them. "Good to see you two have made up. That's a load off my mind."

'And another one added,' she added silently.

Pound smiled up at her. "Aunt Pinkie!" he cried happily, bouncing forward to hug her. Pumpkin rapidly followed.

Pinkie couldn't help but return the embrace, smiling at the two siblings. They stayed like that for a time, just embracing, sharing the bonds of family, as strange as that family may be. "So, how's the bakery?" she asked at last as they stepped back from each other.

Pumpkin smiled. "Business is booming. I get good practice with my magic each day keeping supply up with demand."

Pound smiled. "Since she always gets so busy, I thought I'd help out this week, since it's Spring Break at school." He raced over to the freezer. "And I came up with a new treat we could sell. It's not exactly baking, but it's a good idea as the weather gets warmer." He opens the freezer.

Pinkie glanced in. "Creamsicles? Those are always good in hot weather, but it's not exactly new."

"They aren't finished," Pound said, pulling a small pot from the recesses of the pantry.

"What's that?" Pinkie asked, pointing to it.

Pumpkin giggled. "That's my special honey," she said, giggling wickedly when Pound blushed at her phrasing.

Pound glared at her for a moment, then smirked. He removed the lid of the pot. "We're making honey creamsicles. Once the creamsicles nice and hard, you dunk it in the honey pot." He proceeded to dunk the creamsicle into the pot, looking at Pumpkin with a grin as she blushed. "Then you stir it around, making sure it gets a nice coating of honey. Once it's fully coated, you repeat with another." Taking the fully coated creamsicle out of the honey pot and putting it back in the freezer, he repeated the process with each successive one, grinning widely as Pumpkin's face continued to get redder and redder. As he finished the last creamsicle, all that was left in the small pot was a melted mix of honey and cream, to thin now for another creamsicle. "And once you're finished comes the fun part of making them, licking what's left out of the pot." Raising the pot to his mouth, he began to lick the pot suggestively. "Mmm...delicious."

Pinkie found herself beginning to blush. 'Where did Pound learn to be so suggestive?'

As Pound finished licking the honey pot, Pumpkin leaned in and licked a bit off his face, causing him to blush. "It's always so delicious," she said quietly. She took one of the completed honeyed creamsicles out of the freezer. "But it's just as fun to eat it, I think. I mean, it tastes so good." She licked the creamsicle suggestively as she stared at Pound through half lidded eyes.

As Pound's wings snapped to extension, Pinkie began to feel a bit uncomfortable. It was one thing to decide that she was going to be supportive of them. It was quite another to deal with the awkwardness she'd felt when she walked in on Rainbow Dash giving Twilight 'preening lessons'. There were some sounds she didn't need to hear from her best friends, even if they were happy sounds.

Pumpkin continued to lick the creamsicle. "You gotta lick it all over though, to make sure you don't drip too much." She licked the bottom around the stick, then dragged her tongue back up to the top. "Of course, you can't just lick the honey. Gotta get through to the sweet cream filling." Popping the tip of the creamsicle into her mouth, she began to suckle on it a bit, looking - there was only one word for it - seductively towards Pound.

'Good grief!' Pinkie thought to herself. 'When did my cute little silly-filly niecykins turn into a full blown naughty-hotty?'

Pound, apparently, could only stare, his breath shallow.

Pumpkin continued to suck on the creamsicle as she stared at Pound, slurping sounds plainly audible in the silence.

Pound let out a low, throaty moan as he continued to stare.

As Pinkie stepped forward, ready to stop this before they started going at it right here in the kitchen - not that she'd have a problem with them going at it as long as she wasn't in the room at the time, but in the kitchen wasn't hygienic - Pumpkin popped the creamsicle out of her mouth. "Of course," she said cutely, "eating it this way gets you all sticky, so I prefer to just do this." CHOMP!

As Pumpkin bit the top inch or so off the creamsicle, Pound winced visibly, his hind legs clenching involuntarily as his wings dropped flat. "You did that on purpose," he whispered to Pumpkin.

Pumpkin grinned at him. "And the bit with my honey pot wasn't?" she asked, her voice somewhat wicked.

Pinkie sighed to herself. "Well, I can see you two have everything well in hoof," she said happily. "I'll just be going, Twilight's offered me a room till I get my own place-"

"What do you mean?" Pumpkin asked, her voice sad. "Aren't you going to move back in here, Aunt Pinkie?"

"Huh?" Pinkie asked, surprised. "But, I've been gone for three years, and so much has changed..."

Pound smiled. "We all left your room just the way you left it. And we've been taking care of Gummy like you asked us to."

A sudden sensation of soft pressure on her mane accompanied by a snapping sound drew Pinkie's attention to the toothless alligator, his jaws clamped happily on her mane. She couldn't help but smile as he continued to gum her, moving along her body to her hoof. Leaning forward, she nuzzled the gator happily. "Aww, you guys..."

"Besides," Pumpkin said, "we've all missed you. Mom and Dad, too."

Pinkie smiled. "It would make me so happy to move back in...but I think I should wait until your parents are back." She looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think they're going to be coming back to a big enough shock as is?"

Pound and Pumpkin stared at her in confusion for a time. Then their eyes slowly narrowed to pinpricks, and they turned to stare at each other in fear for a moment before turning back to her.

She blinked at them. "You hadn't even thought about how your parents were going to react?" They shook their heads at her in synchronous. "Or what you were going to say to them?" Another head shake. She sighed. "Well, this can hardly end well..."