Pumpkin never wanted to be like her brother. So impulsive, so dim-witted, not thinking of the consequences, but here she was. She had done the most impulsive and dim-witted thing a business mare could ever do: she married her business partner. “Limestone Cake'd On, My Lime Cake...” She breathed. It hit her, it finally hit her. This stallion is my husband, we’re more than just two proprietors, we’re family running a business. Together... She put emphasis on that last thought. Why did he want me? Why did I say yes? I could have said no. She looked over at the sleeping onyx, gray coated Thestral stallion. She had married this bat wing pony. This thought made her smile.
She reached over and started to play with his close, cropped, hunter green mane. This caused his black, leathery, wings to twitch slightly, the claws at the point opening and closing. No, no I couldn’t have said no. Stupid as it may be... we are each other’s world. She looked at the new ring she wore, meant for an Earthbound or Pegasus to wear on one of their front hooves. The ring was simple, but so was their love. Looking at the ring, she remembered last night.
She was kneading the dough and Lime was pouring the ingredients into the mixing machine, everything was going well, until the mixing machine made a strange noise.
The Thestral looked down into the vat. Pumpkin could hear his wing claws scrape at the wall. “Oh, looks like something caught in there,” Lime said. “Pumpkin, could you be a dear and use your magic to remove it?”
“Can’t you get it with your wing claws?” She made a slight huff as she glanced back at him.
Looking like a miserable colt, he answered. “But you have your magic,” He whinnied at her with his cat like aqua green eyes wide and dejected.
“Fine, I’ll get it. Move aside.” Pumpkin grumbled, and using her telekinetic grasp she pulled whatever it was out. It felt heavy and it was metal, but it wasn’t from the mixer. She cleaned it off, It was a metallic circle.
The Thestral smiled at her with a mischievous look on his face. “It couldn’t be.” Pumpkin breathed. She turned around, a look of utter surprise on her face. “Lime, what in Celestia’s name is this?”
Lime bent down on one knee. “Pumpkin Cake, I love you. I have for a long time and I don’t think any other mare will make me feel the way I feel now with you. I know that it won’t always be easy, but I feel that as long as you’re by my side we can do anything. So Pumpkin Cake-”
“This is... This is crazy, Lime! We came to Appleloosa to get our business started! We can’t just jeopardize that!” she interrupted him.
“But I’m not! We’ve lived together, working together to make this business successful for a whole year before we came to Appleloosa. All that time together, I found that you were an amazingly talented, intelligent mare with an equally amazing talent for baking magic. I especially like your marvelously cute, cutie mark.”
She looked down at it. It was a pumpkin cupcake topped with brown frosting and a cookie sticking out the side. “You’re not perfect, but I even love your flaws. So, Pumpkin Cake, will you marry me?” Lime was holding back tears.
“You’re slow and whiny, but I have to admit that you are one kindhearted and...” Her crystal blue eyes met his eyes. All the reasons for her to say no we’re gone. “Ho, yes, yes Limestone Cake I will be your wife. When, when will we get married?” She smiled at him. She let her magic place the magic on her front hoof.
“Tonight, the Notary and Justice of the Piece are still awake. It’s all we can do right now. I can’t give you a proper wedding or honeymoon, but Luna sake I promise that I will. Someday I promise by Luna’s Moon I will give you a proper wedding and a romantic honeymoon.”
“You don’t have to do that. My parents did the same thing and they still haven’t had one but they don’t really care, neither do I.” She embraced her stallion and nuzzled his neck.
It was simple as that.
Leaving her new bed room Pumpkin head down stairs to the bakery back room. It was obvious to her that she would move into Limes upstairs apartment it was larger, with it’s own bathroom a place for him to take off and several other rooms that he had not used at all. It was made to fit a small family… She paused at that thought of a family. What would they be like if I had foals? Unicorn,? Earthbound? Pegasus? Maybe a Thestral? The picture came into her mind a little Thestral filly playing with her father’s ear as a earthbound colt rested on her back. She blushed, and pushed the thought aside. she knew it was too early to be thinking about foals but it was a nice thought.
The buttercream, yellow colored unicorn with her pumpkin, orange mane done up she was ready for work. She trotted down stairs to the bakery and quickly put on her Sugar Cube Corners’ Pink and White apron, tying back her pumpkin, curly orange mane back she went to work mixing a new batch of muffin batter.
“Hola, señora Cake. Buenos días!” Two voices sang in unison.
Without turning around. “Morning to you too, Roja, Blanca. How are you doing?”
The twins, Roja and Blanca Vainilla haba. They were identical, mocha colored fur, bright yellow eyes and even their cutie marks. Yes, quite identical except for their manes and uniforms. Roja’s burnt red mane with matching tail that was finally curled and a frilly apron. Blanca’s was white with streaks of yellow her mane mimicked her tail and was finely banded giving her a rugged hard worker look, which also was reflected with a plain apron she wore. They were just as zany and unpredictable as her Auntie Pinkie Pie. They were also very reliable, hard working party planners and bakers.
“Por qué are you down her?” Roja asked
“Sí your husband is upstairs. You should be enjoying his company.” Blanca continued.
“Now girls we still have work to be done.” Pumpkin said flatly.
“That’s right, we may be married now but no rest for the wicked am I right sugar truffle.” Limestone Cake broke into the conversation.
Pumpkin smiled at her bat stallion, the Thestral made his way down into the kitchen. He was wearing the same pink and white uniform complete striped bow tie, and with a fetching bakers hat. A tiny pin affixed to his collar it a half nightscape sculpted on one side and a dayscape sculpted on the other, the night side was facing up. A pair of leather goggles, with orange tinted glass that covered his real eyes. She spied his cutie mark, it was a slice of green cake with white frosting, it made her smile. He reminds me just like daddy, but does that mean I’m like mom? She thought to herself, as a strange wave of pride hit her.
“Honey you don’t have to get up.”
“Nonsense. Yes, I did. You have a meeting this morning.” Limestone flashed her a sweet smile before delivering a kiss on the cheek. He took over the mixing for her and the twins resumed their duties. With clipboard in hoof she started to head out of her bakery but stopped to wave the twins goodbye and blow Limestone a kiss before exiting.
She stepped out into the dry and sandy air. Appleloosa differently from her home of Ponyville. Ponyville seemed stopped in time, it never seemed to change or grow at all it just was. Appleloosa was different, new building kept going up old one being replaced or repaired, their always seemed to be work somewhere and the Apple Family farm always expanding pushing and growing. When the Apples grew so did the rest of the town. It was not just a small settlement any more, but not a bustling metropolis either.
Her foal hood home was full green lush plants, trees and cute animal bounding around, while Appleloosa had a lot of space, desert like area with large sandy cliffs and jutting natural stone structures, the only trees belonged to the Apple family.
Her eyes looked at all the new building that were made this years. The buildings in Ponyville were multistory and oddly shaped while all the Appaloosa buildings looked Squared and uniform.
Appleoosa had grown from it’s early days but it still held on to its just settled look. Her home was different, it was shaped like a candy in crusted gingerbread house with a muffin sitting on top. It looked like it was covered with what looked like fluffy brown chocolate, in truth it was colored cloud that bound to the physical part of the building. One of the many spells she came up with that not only work with her and Lime’s treats but the rest of the world too.
She Trotted along the wooden planks that made up the sidewalk leaving the dusty, dirty street clear for heavy traffic. The streets of Ponyville, well there were really now streets pre-say. The other citizens went about their own business.
All the Appaloosas trotting around in clothed from head to hoof. Another difference from my foal hood home. She thought. She herself had put a set of boots on as she still wore her Sugar Cube Corners apron and hat. In Ponyville ponies wore clothes to show themselves off, advertise their business and lastly for the weather, but in Appleoosa clothing protect the ponies from the harsher environment. Unexpected storms, blazing sun, sandy, harsh winds, poisonous bug and snakes.
“Well how’d Mrs. Cake.” Turning slightly she saw a gray earth bound stallion with a brown vest with a silver star on it. He tilted his Cowboy hat towards her.
“Why thank you, Sheriff Tin Star.” She greeted him
“Glad you and Limestone finally got together.”
“Long time coming if you ask me!” A pony pulling a carriage shouted at her. “You two were made for each other.
Another pony shouted. “Yup’ers couldn’t happen to a nicer couple!” Pumpkin only smiled and blushed.
“Well, Thank you all.” She chuckled. “But how did you know so soon?”
“Small town, remember?” Sheriff Tin Star said.
She entered the town hall that doubled for the church. The pews were move to one side allowing for the main area to be opened up. She trotted to the back of the building where the offices were found.
First door in the back belongs to the mayor. Pumpkin said to herself as she used her magic to open the door. “Mayor Tumble Weed I’m here for the meeting.” She called as she entered the office.
A gray, dusty, yellow mare was behind a makeshift desk looked up at her. “Oh,” The mare said adjusting her round glasses. “Mrs. Cake? I thought you would be with your new husband this morning.”
“Sorry mayor,” Pumpkin giggled slightly. “No rest for the busy.”
“You mean wicked, don’t you?”
“You said it not me.” Pumpkin giggled some more.
“Well take a seat we have to talk about preparations for the annual Buffalo Stampede Through the Orchards.”
Before the two could begin the door twisted open and an orange earth bound pony with a green vest came rushing in with a piece of yellow paper in his teeth. “Mr. Zip?” The mayor asked.
He dropped the paper onto the floor. The stallions breath was labored. “Sorry...(Huff).... to interrupt your...(Cough)... meeting but...(Hack, Hack)... I’ve got something...(Wheez)... important for Mrs. Cake!” He collapsed on the ground.
A light blue aura wrapped around the yellow paper and it was lifted to her hooves. Pumpkin started to read. The mayor watched as the color drained from the unicorn’s’ face. The look she had was one of fear and terror.
The mayor was getting worried. “Pumpkin are you OK?”
“Sorry Mayor Tumble Weed, I need to go!” She said hollowly.
“What’s wrong?” The Mayor asked.
“My dad’s in the hospital!” She bolted out back to her home to pack. I have to get back to Ponyvillle