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// 9: No Good At Foalsitting [Romance] [Slice of Life] 
// Story: Party Every Day 
// by Esle Ynopemos 
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((Prompt: Pinkie has to watch the Cake twins again, but this time it’s Pinkie’s special somepony that bears the brunt of the twins’ wrath.))

The chime rang as the front door to Sugarcube Corner swung open.

Mrs. Cake looked up from what appeared to be an inventory list of some sort. “Oh, there she is,” she said. “And Rarity, too. Hello, dearie!”

Rarity smiled in greeting as Pinkie spoke up. “Hi, Mrs. Cake. Is it all right if Rarity helps me watch Pound and Pumpkin tonight?”

“Of course,” she said. “Carrot, dear, are you about ready?” she called up the stairs.

“Just about,” he replied, emerging at the top. He was in the midst of fiddling with a tie. “Hello, Rarity. Did you two have a good time out last night?”

“It was lovely,” Rarity said, drawing a little nearer to Pinkie and her smile growing a little warmer. “Pinkie was quite gallant, and her... enthusiasm at the play did not go unappreciated.” Pinkie grinned at this. “I do hope you have as good a time yourself.”

“We will.” Mr. Cake helped his wife put on a pearl necklace and they headed for the door. “Thank you for taking care of the twins tonight.”

Pinkie bounced. “No problem!”

“Have fun,” Rarity called after them as they left. 

Her smile remained on her face as she shut the door, but faded as soon as the latch clicked. “All right, Pinkie, spill.”

Pinkie Pie already had the twins climbing over her. She giggled. “There's no need for the flour trick right now, Pound and Pumpkin are already happy!”

“That's cute, dear,” Rarity said, “But you and I both know I'm about as much help with the foals as the first creature you would come across in the Everfree.” She lifted her hoof and curled her lip as a drooling, gurgling Pumpkin Cake crawled toward her.

Pinkie picked up Pumpkin and set her on Rarity's back, much to the mare's protest. “That's not true, Rarity!”

Pumpkin wiggled and nearly fell off, but Rarity shifted her weight to keep her balanced. “I've all the maternal instincts of a pit viper, darling. Either you suffer from a case of extremely poor judgment, or when you asked me to help you with the foals, what you really wanted was to talk.” She put her hoof to her chin. “On second thought, a pit viper probably wouldn't complain as much about the smell.”

Pinkie sniffed. “Ooh, good catch, Rarity! Smells like somepony needs a fresh diaper!” She grabbed Pound and carried him over to the changing table. “Rarity? A hoof?”

Rarity suppressed a shudder. “What do you need, darling?”

“Just give me the baby powder and a fresh diaper from over there while I have my hooves full.”

“Oh,” she said, relieved. “That's it?” Rarity levitated said objects to her marefriend.

“Mhm,” Pinkie said, flinging the old diaper into the garbage bin. Pound frowned a bit at his fresh diaper.

Rarity shared his frown. “Darling, I think you put it on backwards.” Her horn lit up, and the diaper readjusted itself. With a thought, she added a ribbon. “There. Fit and snug, and as dapper as a diaper might be.”

Pound babbled and stomped his hooves on the floor happily.

Pinkie grinned. “Okay, now it's time to put them down for a nap.” She gathered a squirming Pound into her hooves, and Rarity followed her up the stairs with Pumpkin still on her back.

Pinkie took both the foals and tucked them into their crib. “Could you sing to them, Rarity?”

“Me?” Rarity frowned uncertainly. “Darling, you have a much better singing voice than I do.”

“I'm good at singing songs to cheer ponies up,” Pinkie said, “but I'm no good at lullabies. Please, Rarity?”

Rarity glanced at the foals, who stared back up at her with wide eyes. She took a deep breath. “Very well... Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head...”

A few minutes later, the twins snored softly. Pinkie covered a long yawn with a hoof. “You were right, Rarity, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Rarity sat by the crib, peering down at the sleeping foals. “What did you need, love?”

Pinkie nuzzled into her side, a content smile on her lips. “I want to know if you think we should adopt foals for ourselves some day.”