Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #173: Better Than The Alternative

“We don’t need a foalsitter, Mom!” cried Pound Cake

“We can totally look after ourselves for two nights!” Said Pumpkin Cake.

“The last time you two said that, you set the kitchen on fire,” said Cup Cake, as she dragged her two young foals towards the crystal castle at the edge of Ponyville.

“You are at the very least going to be watched over by Pinkie while your father and I are out of town for the Great Bake-off.” The twins quietened down. At least Pinkie Pie would be fun.

*****

“Did you say that you’re unavailable?” asked Cup Cake, and Pinkie offered an apologetic smile.

“I was just about come and find you, Mrs. Cake. Important friendship business in Canterlot. Seriously serious business, can’t put it off.”

The matriarch of the Cake family looked over Pinkie, and let out a sigh.

“All right, I suppose that it can’t be helped. We’ll just have to find somepony else. Good luck with your friendship problem, Pinkie.”

“Okie dokie loki!” said Pinkie, snapping up a hoof into a salute. The minute Mrs Cake left, Pinkie pulled out a thick folder, and flipped it open.

“Now, Princess Celestia’s surprise party has to go perfectly, or Twilight’s never going to let me throw another one ever again...”

*****

“So I guess that means that we don’t need to have a foalsitter, right mom?” said the Cake twins in near perfect unison, several hours later, and a few fruitless requests to the rest of Pinkie Pie’s friends.

“Well, I guess since no one else is...Rainbow Dash!” exclaimed Cup Cake, spotting the colourful tail of Ponyville’s resident Wonderbolt.

“Yeah?” asked Rainbow, gliding down to hover just above the baker, as the twins groaned.

“Could you look after the twins here for a few nights?”

“I dunno. How many nights is ‘a few’?”

“Two nights. Myself and Carrot are heading out to Manehatten. We’ll be back for Monday morning.” Cup cake waited with bated breath as Rainbow Dash looked up at the sky, thinking.

“Yeah, I can watch ‘em,” said Rainbow, “Basic stuff, right? Make sure they go to bed on time, don’t burn down the building, yeah?”

Cup Cake nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure how good a foalsitter Rainbow Dash was, but surely she couldn’t be that terrible?

******

Early Monday morning, the train rolled back into Ponyville station with a hiss of steam, and the squeal of metal on metal. The minute that the doors opened, Cup and Carrot Cake hurried out of the carriage and looked down the main street of Ponyville to see that Sugarcube Corner was still standing, and in no way on fire.

Once they got back to their bakery, they were confronted with Rainbow Dash hovering in mid-air, in the middle of some elaborate tale about flying with the Wonderbolts, with both twins completely enraptured.

“...and then Soarin’ makes a dive for this pie, right, and oh hey Mr and Mrs. Cake.”

After the twins had greeted their parents again, Cup Cake leaned into Rainbow Dash.

“I didn’t expect you to be so good at foalsitting, Rainbow.”

“It’s not really my thing, but knowing how to put my hoof down so they can’t argue is something I’m kinda good at. They just got a little taste of Drill Sergeant Dash, is all. They were pretty chill the whole time, though.”

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #173: "Last Resort"

The prompt: Rainbow Dash the foalsitter