Chapter 8: Apple Pie?

As Pinkie entered Sugar Cube Corner for the first time in weeks she didn't expect to be walking into a surprise party for herself. When the shock had worn off Pinkie was able to tell who was there. Applejack, Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, the Cakes, and...

"Braeburn?!" Pinkie shouted as she looked at the last pony in the line, who simply smiled back at her as the other ponies circled around her, "I thought it would be impossible for you to come all the way here!"

"It would have been, but Twilight was able to get me here thanks to the Princess" Braeburn said with a nod to Twilight, who smiled happily.

"But, why are you here, what about your farm?" Pinkie asked, knowing that running a farm was hard work, especially an apple farm in the west.

"I'm here because of you, you matter more than the farm Pinkie" Braeburn said as he stepped forward a bit, just enough so he could offer Pinkie a hug, which she happily took. When the two of them hugged the other ponies sighed happily, making Pinkie laugh. Eventually Braeburn joined her in the laughter, and soon enough, everypony was laughing with them. After they broke the hug Pinkie gave Braeburn a quick kiss on the snout, which made him turn almost as red a Big McIntosh was.

"So you guys threw a party for me because Braeburn is here?" Pinkie asked, noticing the congratulatory banners that were hanging on the walls.

"Well, him showing up was a last minute thing, but yeah you could say that" Rainbow said laughing as she thought about it. Rarity sighed loudly, making everypony look at her, causing her to freak because she had been sighing over the kind of cupcakes the Cakes had made for the party.

"Sorry, I was just hoping for a more..." Rarity paused as she tried to think of the right word, "Refined flavor?"

"What are you talking about, quadruple chocolate cupcakes are the best!" Pinkie said happily as she scarfed down entire cupcakes one by one, much to Rarity's dismay. She watched in mock horror as Pinkie managed to eat the entire platter of cupcakes, leaving nothing but a few crumbs, but she quickly fixed that by licking the plate and her mouth clean.

"How could you manage to stomach those things?" Rarity asked as Pinkie went to eat the other platter.

"It's simple, I just put them in my mouth, chew, and then swallow!" Pinkie said as she picked up a cupcake, doing just as she had said, making everypony but Rarity laugh. Once Pinkie had eaten all of the cupcakes she belched, making Rarity whine. Braeburn laughed as he walked over to Pinkie, putting a hoof on her shoulder to make her stop eating long enough for him to talk to her.

"Hey Pinkie, can you come with me?" Braeburn asked, nodding his head towards the stairs.

"Sure!" Pinkie replied happily, taking a few cupcakes the cakes had just brought out for the short trip up the stairs. She followed Braeburn while happily eating them, not noticing him stopping, causing her to bump into him and splatter a cupcake across his cutie mark.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?!" Braeburn asked quickly as Pinkie attempted to lick the bit of cupcake off his cutie mark, making his face turn about as red as it could get.

"I'm getting the cupcake off of your cutie mark, duh" Pinkie said as if what she was doing was normal in any way. Braeburn sighed as she continued to lick the cupcake off, humming happily when she had gotten it all. When Braeburn was sure she was finished he looked back at her, seeing her smiling happily at him.

"So, about why I asked you to come up here..." Braeburn said as he lightly tapped his hoof against the floor, making Pinkie cock her head to the side.

"What is it?" Pinkie asked innocently, making Braeburn become even more nervous about what he was there for.

"Um, it's about..." Braeburn slowly lifted his hoof up to point at her stomach, which was now quite large, "That"

"My belly?" Pinkie asked before she remembered that she was pregnant, "Wait, you mean the foal?"

"Yeah" Braeburn said, "See, where I'm from we just don't let mares raise foals by themselves, not when they know who the father is at least" Pinkie nodded to show that she understood what he meant, and after he collected himself he continued.

"But the thing is, I can't leave Appleloosa to be here with you" Braeburn paused so he could remember what Twilight had told him, "And you can't move to Appleloosa because you have to stay here"

"Why do I have to stay here?" Pinkie asked, never having been told the reason why she would have to stay with the Cakes in Ponyville.

"Twilight said that because you're an element of harmony you have to stay here, just in case there's another disaster like when Discord came back" Braeburn explained, "Because Appleloosa is so far away you wouldn't be able to fulfill your duty as an element"

"Awww..." Pinkie said sadly, her smile quickly turning into a frown. She was sad that she couldn't be with Braeburn, and she didn't quite know why. It could have been love, or it could just be because she's carrying his baby, she didn't know. Braeburn sighed sadly, sharing in Pinkie's depression for the time being, but when a small purple dragon came running up the stairs so he could use the bathroom Braeburn got an idea.

"Hey Pinkie, do you know if Spike could easily send messages to me?" Braeburn asked after Spike shut the bathroom door.

"Yeah, all he has to do is think of you, why?" Pinkie asked, not quite catching on to Braeburn's plan yet.

"Well, what if we sent messages to each other through him?" Braeburn said happily, "We could have a long distance relationship!"

"Really?!" Pinkie shouted as she thought about the possibility, "That would be awesome!"

"Ok, when Spike comes out of the bathroom we'll ask him, okay?" Braeburn said, but Spike had already come out of the bathroom and was currently giving them a confused look.

"Ask me what, exactly?" Spike asked, his eyes darting between the two of them.

"Could you, um, send letters between us?" Pinkie asked shyly, making Spike give her an even weirder look.

"Yeah, I guess I could" Spike said lazily before he started to head towards the stairs, being stopped by Pinkie as she gave him a giant hug to say thank you. He grunted in embarrassment before Pinkie let go, his cheeks flushed as he went back downstairs.

"So, how is the foal?" Braeburn asked while he put a hoof up to Pinkie's stomach, feeling a small kick as he did, "Wow, that's a strong kick"

"They're good" Pinkie said with a calm smile, "I go to see Doctor Stable tomorrow"

"Well, from what I can tell they're doing fine" Braeburn said as he felt another kick, this time strong enough to make Pinkie jump slightly, "You must be an amazing mother"

"I think they're just excited to see you" Pinkie laughed, joined in quickly by Braeburn, who thought the idea was cute and funny.

"Well, I'm excited to see you now too" Braeburn said as he gave Pinkie a kiss on the snout, making her blush, "How about we go back to the party now?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, I'm starving!" Pinkie said before she ran downstairs, leaving Braeburn behind while he laughed at her response. The two of them spent the rest of the party by each other's side, making the mares downstairs smile happily as they watched the new couple play with each other.