Chapter 10: Party Popper

Mrs Cake watched as Pinkie slowly waddled to the front counter  from the stairs, her growing stomach making working impossible, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. After Discord arrived, causing her to shatter a plate in shock, Pinkie was suddenly refilled with energy, eager to work no matter what. To make matters worse, Pinkie wouldn't take no for an answer and her mood swings have fun the bakery even more than if she was missing.

"Pinkie dear, why don't you let me handle the counter today?" Mrs Cake asked, remembering an incident a few days ago where Pinkie snapped at a customer because he wanted a type of muffin that they only had once a year, and that time was not now. Pinkie ended up chewing the poor stallion out and almost jumped at him when he began to argue back. They didn't know for sure, but they were almost certain that the guard that arrived a hour or two later was sent by the pony she decided to fight with.

"But Mrs Cake, I can still do work..." Pinkie whined, her bottom lip popping out in an effort to persuade Mrs Cake to sit down again, but it wasn't going to work on her this time around. With a stern look an a unhappy grunt she managed to get Pinkie to stop working, but she looked around eager to do something else today. A loud crash could be heard coming from the kitchen, and before Mrs Cake could say anything Pinkie was gone, leaving nothing but a very tired Mrs Cake behind.

"What's going on Mr Cake?" Pinkie asked happily as she looked around, seeing bits and pieces of chocolate chip cookies scattered across the floor.As her eyes finally settled on Mr Cake she saw him getting run over by the twins, who had also been the reason why he was sprawled out on the floor in front of the counter with his head down.

"Pinkie, I hate to bother you but..." Mr Cake began to ask weakly, raising his head just a bit, right in time to get whacked by the cookie tray that Pumpkin was tossing around with her magic. Pinkie giggled quietly and moved over to Pumpkin, who happily latched onto her leg as if she was a magnet. After a few minutes of searching she found Pound, who did the same thing, making it almost impossible for Pinkie to walk now, but she was still going.

"Okay, off you go" Pinkie said as she shook her legs out one by one, forcing the twins to plop onto the ground with confused looks on their faces. They were used to playing with Pinkie for a couple hours when she would normally take them upstairs, but today she just dropped them off and locked them in. The twins looked at each other in confusion before Pound noticed the open toy box in the corner of the room, and soon enough their room was a minefield, with toys strewn about haphazardly. However, outside the room was a different story, as the only thing strewn about was Pinkie, as she had suddenly collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

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"Hello Pinkie" Discord said happily as the dream world materialized around Pinkie and him, as he had been waiting for her to dream eagerly ever since he left the bakery a few days ago. As he had explained to Pinkie before he left, the deal was that he would get to spend one week out in the world, and one week in the statue, until he proved himself to be a changed pony, then he might get to stay out permanently. The deal has now been going for over two months, and with it has come a change in how Pinkie acts.

"Discord?" Pinkie asked confusedly, not sure why she was in the dream world so suddenly, but she was happy nonetheless. Pinkie loved ever moment, real or dream, that she spent with Discord, even more so now that her due date was rapidly approaching.

"Is everything okay my sweet pie?" Discord asked as he got up, slowly making his way over to Pinkie. She looked down at the ground and thought about everything that had happened up to her entering the dream world, and her eyes grew wide.

"I passed out after dropping the twins off in their room..." Pinkie said slowly, her voice suddenly becoming very distant. When she looked around she saw the dream world disappearing, a solid white ceiling replacing it...

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"Oh, she's waking up" a strange pony said, his voice sounding muffled at first but it quickly cleared up. Pinkie sat up slowly, her head feeling like somepony had hit it over and over with a baking tray, and when she looked around she found herself surrounded by the Cakes, her friends, and a doctor she didn't know.

"What happened?" Pinkie asked groggily, shaking her head slightly to try and wake herself up a bit more. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and when she moved a hoof to it she touched a large bandage they had placed there.

"Pinkie, dear, you collapsed at the bakery" Rarity said, an extremely worried look on her face. This would be the first time Pinkie has spoken to her in over two months, and she was surprised that her, and the others, would show up now over something like that.

"So, why am I in the hospital?" Pinkie asked, confused as to what made this time special. She had collapsed before, but usually the Cake would just put her in her bed and let her sleep until she woke up again. Mrs Cake coughed so that Pinkie would look at her, and then she spoke up.

"Sweetie, you almost went into labor" Mrs Cake said sadly, making Pinkie raise an eyebrow. Before Pinkie could ask what she meant a nurse came by, reminding the doctor and everypony else that visiting hours are over for today. Once everypony said goodbye the doctor came to her bedside.

"Miss Pie, you will be staying here overnight, just in case you do go into labor early" the doctor explained, using his magic to put a button that he had on the nightstand, "If you do, try and hit this button, ok?"

"Ok..." Pinkie said quietly, her eyes focused completely on the bump that was still in front of her. After a few more seconds the doctor left, turning off the light as he did. Now that Pinkie was in complete darkness she broke down, the thoughts of going into early labor and losing the foal coming to the front of her mind. For almost and hour straight Pinkie sobbed, not wanting it to happen now, not wanting her first and only foal to be in danger...

*Kick*

"Ow" Pinkie said quickly as her stomach kicked, and hard.

*KICK*

"OW!"

*KICK*

"O-" Pinkie stopped, a wet feeling coming from around her flanks. Within a second Pinkie was reaching over, her hoof slamming down on the button as hard as it could. A few short minutes later the room was filled with nurses and doctors, all of them responding to the button press. When they came in their eyes grew wider than Pinkie had ever seen before.

"Miss Pie..." one of them said, "You're in labor"