Pumpkin Cake sat down with her cup in front of her. Having already set out her brother's cup across the table from her. He wasn't due to be back for a little while but that was ok. The barbarian preferred to let his coffee cool. Pumpkin rolled her eyes good naturedly as she took a sip of her own coffee, the only proper way to drink Folgers was piping hot fresh out of the pot, of course. Smiling, Pumpkin relaxed back in her chair to reminisce fondly about her and her brother's lives growing up, and now running to Sugar Cube Corner together. Even if he had had some hairbrained idea to galivant off to Zebrica, he promised he'd be home in time to open presents on this, Jinglemas morning, and boy, in their house there was a very strict time to open presents, as she could well remember.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake ran around as the two newborns tried their best to break the family rules. Mr. Cake was busy using a broom handle to keep Pound Cake at bay as he tried to dive under the tree, able to avoid his father's grasping hooves with his wings, leaving Mr. Cake with no choice but to play defense. Mrs. Cake's problem was the opposite, she had her daughter, Pumpkin, and was running around as a trail of presents followed them, surrounded by unicorn magic. The two children didn't really understand the concept of "presents" but they did understand big shiny boxes that made very fun "rrrrrrppppppppccchhhhh" sounds when they were pulled on.
One might wonder why Mr. and Mrs. Cake were going to such extremes to keep their kids away from the presents. Everyone was awake, everyone was present, and it was Jinglemas morning. But they had made an agreement on when presents were to be open and they were a pair of ponies that kept their word, no matter how hard it was. As such they were currently trying to keep their word, in defiance of their own children. Though on the bright side, the exercise was certainly good for them, especially Mrs. Cake, who might have enjoyed her own profession a little more than was strictly healthy for her.
They were doing well until Pumpkin got a little craftier, though purely by accident. She pulled one of the presents out in front of her and her mother, and Mrs. Cake didn't see it in time. Luckily, her husband did. Launching himself through the air Mr. Cake made a leap that would have been the envy of a stallion ten years his junior. With a twirl he not only grabbed onto his son but he spun, and with his broom hit the present careening right for Pumpkin out of the air and into the far wall. A moment later he cringed and looked to his wife. "That... Was one of the stuffed animals, right?" Mrs. Cake only had the time for a quick nod before she had to start running away from the presents coming behind her, and Mr. Cake had to focused on keeping his son trapped in his legs now.
The battle continued for another fifteen minutes before the clock finally struck ten and Mr. and Mrs. Cake collapsed as their two children descended on the fund paper sounds that the pretty boxes made. More to their delighted surprise was that there were toys inside of the fun ripping sounds. While Mr. and Mrs. Cake smiled fondly, though exhaustedly at their foals, they did, together, turn a baleful eye to the corner of the room. An indignant Mrs. Cake admonishing the source of their ire. "You could have helped, Pinkie."
Pumpkin snickered at the memory. She couldn't really remember it that clearly from her own memories. But she had tons of fun watching the home videos that Pinkie Pie had made. She had to disagree with her mother, she was very glad Pinkie was filming instead of helping. She grinned as she looked at the clock then frowned. Sheesh, time sure was moving slowly, then again, it always did when you were waiting on something. Like waiting on a cake to bake...
The kitchen was a flurry of activity. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and Pumkpin and Pound all running around as they tried to get all the holiday orders in order. There wasn't much time left before they were supposed to be closing up for the holidays, but ponies who had left their plans until the last minute weren't the most understanding bunch. There were disgruntled mare's and stallions who just didn't seem to understand baking a cake took time, and them being in a hurry didn't change the fundamental laws of reality.
Though Mr. and Mrs. cake did still help in the kitchen they'd mostly taken a step back and took the orders or managed the register while their kids did the cooking. The two were excellent bakers. Though Pumpkin had the advantage over her brother in the baking, getting her recipes that tiny bit, indescribably more perfect than her brother, he got her back in the decoration department. After the two had just finished up the last cake and brought it out to let Mr. and Mrs. cake to give to the customer and close the store up. The twins took those few moments to sigh and catch a moment of fun, with a flour fight! The white substance flying over the kitchen. When Mr. and Mrs. Cake finished up and came into the back, they joined right in the fun.
Pumpkin shot to her feet as the door clammed open and Pound rushed through the door, opening her mouth to greet her brother he barreled passed her with a leg full of presents and he shouted as he ran by "no time! Presents time!" Pumpkin rolled her eyes good naturedly, picking up her brother's coffee and following him into the living room where the tree was, for a nice, hopefully calm, Jinglemas morning.