"Now we even, sis." Pound said that night, it hadn't taken his sister long to get the potty off her head.
"You wucky Mommy's taking you fow a check-up tomorrow," Pumpkin replied, still a bit furious. "You do that again, and you might just wake up with a dirty diapee on youw head."
Pound laughed at his sister's threat. "How you gonna do tat if you nevew even use youw diapees?" he asked with a smirk.
"I might just make an exception fow night time if you give me any weason to tink you'll pwank me again!" Pumpkin warned. "What if my potty hadn't been cwean when you dumped it on my head?"
"I pwobably wouwd've waited fow it to be cweaned," Pound replied softly. "Now, if you dun mind, I want to sweep. Mommy says I have to get up earwy tomorrow to go see the doctor. I just hope I dun have to get a shot."
Pumpkin said nothing more, because she knew that if her brother was getting up early, the same would be true for her. But in her mind she was wondering something. "Who is Mommy gonna leave me with while she takes Pound to the doctor?" she thought to herself.
It wasn't long after she awoke next morning, that Pumpkin's question was answered.
"I hope Princess Twilight will be available to foalsit on such short notice," Mrs. Cake said to herself, as she started packing the foal care supplies. "Of all the days for us to run low on flour sacks, it had to be today."
A short time later, Mrs. Cake trotted up the path to the crystal castle that the young Princess of Friendship called home. She knocked on the castle doors, and just seconds later Twilight came trotting out.
"Hello, Mrs. Cake," Twilight greeted with a warm smile. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh, everything's fine, dearie," Mrs. Cake replied. "But I need to bring Pound Cake in for a check-up, so I was wondering if you'd be able to look after Pumpkin Cake for me?"
Twilight nodded. "I'd be happy to," then she added. "I assume Pinkie Pie was unavailable for some reason?"
"Apparently we just found out last night, that we're running low on flour sacks," Mrs. Cake explained, a small sigh escaping her lips. "So Pinkie and Carrot Cake are shopping for more."
"I see," Twilight replied, and carefully enveloped Pumpkin Cake with her magic, pulling the unicorn toddler away from her mother. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure Pumpkin and I will have lots of fun together. Won't we, Pumpkin?" Pumpkin didn't reply.
"I shouldn't be gone for more than two or three hours," Mrs. Cake told Twilight, hoofing her a saddle bag. "This bag contains all of Pumpkin's foal supplies. Oh, and one more thing," Mrs. Cake then hoofed a plastic pink potty to Twilight. "Pumpkin's old enough for potty training, so make sure she uses her potty if it looks she has to go."
"Not a problem," Twilight replied, and scooped up Pumpkin with her magic. "Say goodbye to your mommy, Pumpkin!" she instructed in a sweet tone.
"Bye-bye Mommy!" Pumpkin called, waving to her mother until she was out of sight.
Once Mrs. Cake had departed, Twilight brought Pumpkin, her supplies, and her potty inside the castle. "I know you've already met my student, Starlight. But I can't wait for you to meet Spike, he's my number one assistant and best friend," Twilight told the young unicorn. Then, once the princess had stored Pumpkin's potty away in the bathroom, she asked. "So, what do you like to do for fun?" As she brought the toddler to the throne room, so she could keep an eye on her young charge.
Pumpkin racked her brain, trying to think of a good answer. There were lots of things she liked to do at home for fun, but she had never been to Twilight's castle before.
"No ideas, huh?" Twilight noticed, to which Pumpkin shrugged. "Well, that's okay. I've got tons of fun things we can do together, just you and me!" Twilight then started rambling off ideas. "How about reading?! I've got a ton of great books in the castle library! Or maybe we could try a science experiment?! It wouldn't be anything really dangerous! Ooh, or maybe we could see about doing makeovers with Starlight?! I think she'd love to see you again!"
While Twilight was rambling on about various activities, Pumpkin's eye fell on a small stuffed animal that she had never seen before. It looked kind of old, with its hair that looked like an old mop, and one of its button eyes looking like it was ready to pop off. "What would a grown-up like Princess Twilight be doing with a stuffed animal? Mommy and Daddy don't sleep with any stuffed animals, do they?" Curious as to what the stuffed animal was doing, Pumpkin trotted over to it, which was resting in a corner of the throne room. She hugged it, and immediately took notice of the texture. "Fluffy!" she happily exclaimed.
That remark caused Twilight to snap out of her rambling. "Huh? Fluffy?" she asked, before she looked down at her hooves to see Pumpkin crawling over to her, holding a familiar doll in her hooves. Twilight smiled, she was grateful that Big Mac had returned Smarty Pants to her after her old home was destroyed, but at the same time she hadn't been sure what to do with her childhood snuggle and study buddy, until now. "Oh, you like her, huh?" Twilight asked Pumpkin, who happily nodded. "Good, because there's a lot of things we can do with Smarty Pants! I'll even let you bring her home with you, if you use your potty like a good little filly. Okay?"
"Otay," Pumpkin nodded, she'd have no trouble keeping that promise. This "Smarty Pants" had the potential to replace her rubber chicken as her favorite stuffed animal, and she'd make sure to never leave it unattended. "Fluffy!" she happily exclaimed, hugging the doll tighter.
The time flew by faster than either Twilight or Pumpkin would've liked. Before either of them really realized it, two and a half hours had flown by.
As Twilight and Pumpkin read a book together on the floor of the castle library, there came a knock at the door. "That must be your mother," Twilight said to Pumpkin. "My goodness, isn't it amazing how time flies?"
Sure enough, when Twilight opened the doors of the castle, Mrs. Cake was standing there. "Thanks again for looking after Pumpkin on such short notice, you're a lifesaver!" Mrs. Cake happily exclaimed.
"Oh, it was no trouble at all. She was an adorable little angel the whole time," Twilight replied with a smile, as she gave Pumpkin, her supplies, and her potty, back to her mother. "I'll be happy to foalsit her or Pound Cake again whenever you need me to."
"Fluffy!" Pumpkin exclaimed, showing her mother her new stuffed animal.
"I see you made a new friend, Pumpkin! Who is she?" Mrs. Cake asked, even though she was certain she'd seen that particular doll before.
"That's Smarty Pants, and she's going to be going home with Pumpkin," Twilight explained. "She's earned it."
Mrs. Cake smiled warmly at Twilight's generous gift. "How very kind of you, princess," then to Pumpkin she instructed. "What do we say when somepony offers us a gift?"
"Tank you." Pumpkin replied.
Mrs. Cake smiled again. "Exactly, now come on, let's get you home."
"You two take care now!" Twilight called, smiling as she saw Pumpkin holding on tight to Smarty Pants. "I was considering giving Smarty Pants to Flurry Heart, but I think Pumpkin Cake will like her just as much." Twilight thought to herself. A part of her was sad to see what had unofficially been her first friend leave, but it was outweighed by the happiness she felt knowing that Smarty Pants was getting a new home and a loving owner.