Chapter 6: The Verdict
-o~A few minutes ago~o-
Love Tap threw open the door to her house with all the grace and subtlety of a rhino on a raw coffee bean-fueled rampage. Although her coat as well as some bruises on her body showed the tell-tale signs of battle, she galloped down the blue carpeted hallway at full speed. “BUTTTON! SONATA!” She shouted loudly. “ARE YOU TWO HERE?!”
Aria trotted in after Love Tap, looking much worse for wear than Love Tap. Wincing with each step, she reached for the doorknob and slowly closed the door until it made a ‘click’. With a satisfied smile, Aria collapsed onto the floor right in front of the door. “Ow… Everything hurts...” She flicked an ear and cringed hard. “Even things I didn’t know could get sore hurt…”
“BUUUUTTTON! SOOOOONAAAAATAAAAA!” Love Tap hollered into the house.
“Honey?!” Chip hollered back. “Is everything alright?”
“No!” Love Tap answered. “Have you seen Button and Sonata?!”
“No… I’ve been designing our expansions ever since Princess Twilight left.” Chip said, accompanied by the sound of somepony walking about upstairs. “I didn’t know they were even gone!” Chip soon appeared, walking down the stairs and into the hallway. “When did—What the heck happened to you two?!”
Still lying on the floor, Aria examined her forelegs noticing that several spots were even more purple than normal. “Each other,” she answered simply.
Love Tap rushed up to Chip and placed her forehooves on his shoulders. “Just some mother/new daughter bonding sparring.” She began to shake Chip causing his head to flop back and forth. “NOW WE NEED TO FIND BUTTON AND SONATA!”
“Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…” Chip placed his forehooves on his wife’s shoulders and ceased the shaking. “OKAY! Just… calm down for a second! What happened?”
Love Tap sighed. “Sonata jumped out the window with Button on her back.”
Chip chuckled. “Out the window…” He gave his wife a loving look. “That takes me back.”
“Focus, Chip!” Love Tap cried. “We need to find Button before he gets seriously hurt!”
“Or mentally scarred!” Aria added. “If he’s with Sonata there’s no telling what might happen.”
Chip winced. “Is she really that bad?”
“She once took a buncha kids to Disneyland,” Aria informed.
“… What’s ‘Disneyland’?” Chip asked.
Aria sighed. “It’s an amusement park! Keep up with me pony-peeps!”
Love Tap knotted her forehead in confusion. “Wait, I thought you said she was bad with kids.”
“No… You asked how good Sonata was with watching kids! I just gave you a look as if the question you asked was incredibly stupid because it was incredibly stupid!”
Love Tap grit her teeth. “Okay, well if she took kids to an amusement park, what happened?”
“Well, it was sort of during school hours,” Aria said, “and none of the kids’ parents knew their kids were going to Disneyland… Or their teachers… or anyone at the school really. Also Sonata didn’t know any of the kids… and they didn’t know they were going to Disneyland that day either… I mean… I guess you could technically say she kidnapped them.”
“… WHAT?!” Love Tap and Chip exclaimed in unison.
“Yeah… See, Adagio and I didn’t want to go with her, but she didn’t want to go alone, so she hijacked a bus and wrote ‘FREE TRIP TO DISNEYLAND’ on it, and then drove it to a school where—”
“WERE THE KIDS ALRIGHT AT LEAST?!” Love Tap cried.
“Well… no one needed to go to the hospital, if that’s what you mean.”
Love Tap and Chip let out a sigh of relief.
“But like… I’m not sure watching Sonata brutally beat up the park’s mascot and then break out a lighter where she—”
“OH MY CELESTIA!” Love Tap cried. “WHAT?! WHY?!”
Aria sighed and began explaining as Love Tap and Chip’s expressions became more and more horrified the longer she continued. “Well she submitted an entire storyboard for this House of Mouse episode where the villains take hostages and threaten to kill them unless their demands are met, but then it’s taking too long so they start executing the hostages all Jigsaw style… Like… there was a part where a buncha the characters were stuck in a freezer and the only way to stay warm was to use that talking wooden puppet who…” Aria’s forehead tightened. “Wait… ”
Chip swallowed. “Wait, what?” Chip he asked.
“I think… I think that puppet turned into a real boy at the end of his movie… And… and… even that beast guy turned into like… a handsome prince dude at the end of his? Also his talking clock and the french candle dude and the tea set and stuff should have been human too… I’m starting to think that show was messed up even without Sonata’s help.”
“Never mind!” Love Tap snapped. “Just… Just WE NEED TO FIND BUTTON!”
“Do you know where they might have went?” Chip asked.
Love Tap closed her eyes hard and tapped the side of her head with a forehoof. “Right, right… Uh… Sorry. Took a few blows to the head but Button said something about—”
“They could still be here, you know?” Aria said.
Love Tap and Chip gave Aria a blank look.
Aria continued, “Sonata sometimes likes to play hide and seek… and then forget who’s hiding and who’s seeking… I mean… this is a thing that has happened… Several times. Hell… sometimes she doesn’t even tell anyone she’s playing hide and seek and just goes missing for a few hours or days even.” Aria sighed wistfully. “Those are the best days.”
Chip pulled out his mustache. “Button would find a hiding spot and stay there for a looooooong time before he realized no pony was coming…”
“I’ll check upstairs!” Love Tap exclaimed as she rushed down the hallway towards the stairs.
“I’ll check the basement!” Chip cried as he rushed down the hallway, threw open a door, and bolted down a set of stairs.
“I’ll check the floor,” Aria said as she made no attempt to move. “Oh look, they’re not here!” she said to the empty hallway. “Well, guess I’ll just stick around in case they show up.”
“WAIT A MINUTE!” Love Tap cried as she suddenly came galloping back down the stairs. “If they were here, why didn’t they answer when I called them?”
Aria shook her head. “Sonata wouldn’t respond if she was hiding… You kinda have to call out for her and listen for a giggle.”
“Well, what about Button?”
“How the heck would I know?! I just met him today!”
Love Tap let out a frustrated sigh as the basement door suddenly opened and Chip walked out with a thousand-yard stare on his face.
Love Tap turned to him with an inquisitive expression on her face before wincing. “Gibson and Adagio are still down there…”
Chip nodded, closing the basement door behind him to block out the sounds of ecstatic moans floating out from the room. His eyes still pointed far off into the distance. “Thankfully all I saw was a massive orange blob of a moist mane flying out in all directions. What I heard, however…”
“GHAH!” Love Tap cried in frustration. She rushed up to her husband and placed her hooves on his shoulders “Chip! We need to find Button! I promise after we find him, tonight I’ll do plenty to make you forget all about the basement.”
Chip’s Amber eyes suddenly focused on his wife’s steel blue ones. “Your proposal is acceptable.”
Love Tap turned to the purple earth pony laying in front of the door. “Aria!” she snapped.
Aria sighed. “Do I need to do something?”
“YES! Get up!” Love Tap’s brow wrinkled into a ‘V’ to form an appropriately vexed expression. “I just remembered something Button said... And in any case, I just might need your help with Sonata.”
“Tch!” Aria uttered with a smile, her legs shaking as she got back up on her hooves. “‘Might’?”
Love Tap made a mad dash for the door, throwing it open as she looked back into the house. “Okay, so if they’re not back, they must be still—”
“—fun?”
-o~ Fast forward back to now…~o-
“Pushing?” Love Tap said in an angry dark tone as she stared down the wilting pegasus in front of her.
Standing next to Aria, Chip glanced at his son and then stared off into space. “Dislocated shoulder, huh? That also takes me back…”
Aria raised an eyebrow and pointed at Love Tap. “Was she a troublemaker too when she was younger?”
Chip let out cheerful scoff as he grinned. “‘Troublemaker’ is a huge understatement! And I mean… I’d like to say she’s causes less trouble now, but—”
Love Tap turned to growl in a warning tone at the two ponies still in the house who clamped their mouths shut. She then turned back to Sonata and went back to staring at her with a violent intensity. “You were saying…?”
“Wa-well, I me-mean…” Sonata stammered out. “You see what happened was I kinda forgot Button was an earth pony and—“
Love Tap let loose an animalistic, angry snarl as she rose to her full height. Sonata in turn lowered herself onto her stomach as she stared up fearfully at the rage-filled mare above her.
“… Mom… ?” Button called out in a questioning tone.
“Not now, sweetie!” Love Tap said through clenched teeth. “Mommy is seething with blinding, nigh-uncontrollable fury.”
Sonata glanced at Aria with a pleading look on her face.
Aria smirked and shook her head. “Sorry Sonata, you’re on your own for this one. And take it from someone in the know… You’re going to have a bad time.”
Sonata let out a frightened whimper.
“Honey?” Chip called out.
“NOT NOW, DARLING! AGAIN, RIDING THE MOTHER OF ALL WRATHFUL WAVES ON A SURFBOARD MADE OF ANIMOGANY WOOD RIGHT NOW!”
“HONEY!” Chip said forcefully.
Love Tap shot Sonata a furious sneer and turned towards her husband. “WHAT?!” she snapped.
Chip nodded towards Button. “Look at what our son is doing, or rather not doing.”
Love Tap tightened her brow in confusion then turned towards Button, examining him closely. She felt her rage boil up inside her as she saw his limb dangling out of place, her eyes going up the dislocated shoulder to his inquisitive face were… were…
…
Realization hit Love Tap like a massive tree that had just fallen out of the sky. “Button! Why aren’t you crying?!”
Button smiled. “Sonata said if I cry the world wins!” he answered cheerfully. “So right now I’m beating the world!”
Love Tap shot a confused glance at Sonata for a moment. “What?”
Aria let out a scoff. “Sonata, don’t tell me you told the runt that same thing Adagio tells you when she wants you to stop crying.”
Sonata narrowed her eyes at Aria. “I will tell you that, because that’s exactly what I did!” she said, punctuating her statement by sticking her tongue out at Aria.
“Huh?” Love Tap said. She turned towards Aria. “Wait, what’s this thing that Adagio tells Sonata?”
“Oh, it’s like… The world is out to get you and need to not cry to show that you’re better than it or something…” Aria shook her head. “Personally, I like to punch the planet or like… slice up a shrub to remind the world who’s boss.”
Love Tap turned back to Button, the anger on her face having disappeared at this point. “And that… that worked?”
Button nodded. “Yeah, mom! I mean… my leg feels weird and hurts a bit, but I right now I’m winning at life!”
“Uh-huh…” Love Tap said. She looked down at Sonata. “Sonata?”
Sonata threw her forelegs over her face as she began to quiver on the ground. “OHGOD, PLEASEDON’TKILLME!”
Love Tap smiled warmly at Sonata. “Could you take Button inside? We need to get that shoulder back in place as soon as possible.”
“YES, NEW MOMMY!” Sonata said hastily as she scrambled inside, Button holding on as tightly as he could to her back as she practically bolted behind Aria.
Love Tap chuckled to herself, walked inside and closed the door.
The group walked down that hallway and into the living room as Chip examined Button’s dislocated shoulder. “I guess I better get some ice…”
“And ice cream!” Sonata said excitedly. “That’ll help!”
“Uh… sure,” Chip said as he turned and began trotting away. “Why not?”
“Yaaa-Owww!” Button said cheerfully as he attempted to wave his forelegs around.
Aria gently grabbed Button with her forehooves and put him on the floor. “Hey little dude, let me fix that leg for you.”
“Okay, bigger sis!” Button said cheerfully.
Aria smirked and raised an eyebrow as she reached for Button’s limp leg.
Love Tap’s eyes widened in surprise and concern. “Aria? Are you sure…”
“Yeah, yeah… Gentle right?” Aria replied.
“Ye-yeah…” Love Tap replied in an unsure tone.
Sonata smiled at Button “Remember Button! Don’t cry~!”
Button smiled back at Sonata. “I won’t, big sis!”
“Uh…” Aria gently wrapped a forehoof around Button’s leg. “It’s alright to cry sometimes, lil dude… I mean… this is really going to hurt.”
Button frowned slightly then smiled again. “Okay, but Sonata said that ice cream would—”
With a quick jerk, Aria pulled on Button’s leg which responded with a sharp ‘snap!’
Button let out a startled, pained yelp, then bit his lower lip, tears coming to his eyes.
Love Tap cringed then rushed to her son’s side.
“There,” Aria said simply. “Good as new.”
“Button…?” Love Tap asked in a tone marinated in motherly concern. “How do you feel?”
Still biting his quivering lip, Button looked down at his previously dislocated leg and slowly placed it on the purple carpeted floor of the living room. He let out a sigh of relief and looked up at Love Tap with large, glassy, smiling eyes and a matching look on his lips. “I feel alright, mom!” he said in a slightly strained voice. He turned towards Aria with the same happy look on his face. “Thanks, bigger sis! It’s starting to feel a lot better.”
Aria chuckled and shook her head. “Dang, lil’ dude. You got some huevos on you.”
“Uh… Thanks?” Button replied. “I think?”
“Sure, dude,” Aria looked up at Love Tap. “I wonder where you got those from?” she said with a knowing smile.
Love Tap narrowed her eyes slightly as she smiled back at Aria. “I’d be offended right now if I knew what that word meant, wouldn’t I?”
Aria nodded. “Probably.”
Love Tap chuckled and shook her head.
“Honey?” Chip called from the kitchen. “Uh… The door to the fridge is just lying on the ground. I’ve been staring at it dumbfounded for like a minute now,,,”
“It’s fine!” Love Tap called back. “Just grab some ice and ice cream… The freezer door should still be intact.”
“Alright!” Chip called back.
Love Tap looked over Aria and Sonata. “Could you two give Button a bath?”
“What?!” Button protested. “Mom! I’m not a baby!”
Love Tap shook her head. “I don’t want you straining that leg of yours, besides”— She looked Aria and Sonata up and down –“I think your new sisters could use a good cleanup themselves.”
Sonata’s face lit up. “FIRST ONE THERE GETS TO BE THE DESPOT OF ALL THE RUBBER DUCKIES!” she exclaimed as she bolted out the room and towards the stairs in the hallway.
“HEY! WAIT!” Button called as he began trotting after Sonata, adding a little “Ow” with each step of his right foreleg.
Love Tap rolled her eyes and looked at Aria. “The bathroom is on the ground floor. First door as you come inside,” she informed.
Aria nodded. “Gotcha so, uh… Are we cool?” she asked in an unsure tone.
Love Tap chuckled. “We’re cool,” she answered. “For now…” she added with a sly smile.
“Heh. Fair ‘nuff,” Aria replied.
“Could you grab Button and take him into the bathroom? I think he’s trying a little too hard to beat the world right now.”
“Sure,” Aria said as she trotted out the room and caught up to Button. “Head’s up, Runt!”
“Ow. Huh? Head’s-WHA!” Button exclaimed as Aria got up alongside Button, placed her head under his stomach, and then lifted her neck, causing Button to slide onto her back.
Sonata suddenly bolted down the stairs and rushed after Aria. “Hey, no fair! No one told me where the bathroom was!”
“Tch,” Aria replied as she walked into the bathroom, Button on her back. “Not my fault you’re too stupid to ask someone where you’re going before you take off.”
“Yeah well… YOU GOT BEAT UP BY A GIRL!” Sonata cried as she galloped into the bathroom.
“Uh… big sis?” Button interjected. “You almost got beat up by the same girl… and a much smaller but probably no less scary girl today, too.”
“HAH!” Aria called derisively. “Betcha Button had to save you that time too!”
“Button!” Sonata called out irritably. “No fair! You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“I’m sorry, big sis,” Button replied. “I was too busy ruling all the rubber duckies to pay attention to you just now.
“WHAT?!” Aria protested. “Hey! I technically was in the bathroom firs-WHY AM I ARGUING ABOUT THIS?!”
Love Tap let out a mirthful laugh and shook her head as she walked out of the living room and into the kitchen where she witnessed as Chip carefully added a small scoop of brown, white, and red ice cream to one of seven bowls. Once the scoop was added, Chip tilted his head and stared carefully at the bowl, comparing it to the others that already had scoops of ice cream added.
“Got it all figured out there, honey?” Love Tap asked, the laughter apparent in her voice.
Chip turned and smiled. “As best as I can with my eyes. Maybe I should break out the kitchen scale.”
Love Tap chuckled and walked up to Chip so she could drape a foreleg over his neck and lean her head against his. “So what do you think?”
“About the girls?” Chip asked. “Well, I guess it’ll be a bit more active around here, but I don’t really care about that.” He shook his head. “Then again, I spent most the day drawing up blueprints for all the extensions to the house and cackling madly to myself.” He gave Love Tap a concerned look. “You’re the one who’s been dealing with them for the better part of today. What do you think?”
Love Tap opened her mouth for to speak but was cut off by several ‘knock’s against a heavy wooden surface. “Hold that thought,” she said with a smile as she kissed Chip on the cheek and removed her foreleg from around his neck. She trotted out of the kitchen and into the hallway where the sounds of running water and child-like giggling could be heard through a cracked open door. Smiling to herself, she trotted past that door to the front door which she opened.
Twilight Sparkle stood on the front door step sporting the mother of all apologetic looks.
Love Tap smiled. “Oh, hi Princess Twilight…” She gave Twilight a sheepish look. “Er… Sorry… Am I supposed to bow, or—”
“It’s fine!” Twilight said raising a forehoof. “Look, I came to apologize for earlier today.”
“… Apologize?”
Twilight nodded. “It was really unfair of me to put you in that position. Compensation or not, I didn’t give you any time to think about all your new responsibilities, or what you were getting into. Additionally, I especially didn’t give you time to think about the changes and impacts this would have on your family. And I’m really sorry. That was… that was just a very unprincess like thing to do!”
Love Tap chuckled. “I suppose it was. Thank you, Princess Twilight.”
“Please just call me Twilight.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” Love Tap said earnestly. “Apology accepted.”
Twilight let out a relieved sigh. “Okay… Well… er… How did your first day with the girls go?” Twilight’s eyes shot opened as if she finally took note of the condition Love Tap was in. “And what the heck happened to you?!”
“Hmm?” Love Tap looked down at her coat and forelegs, noting some discoloration from bruises. “Oh, right! Aria and I had a little brawl… that sort of wrecked a bit of the Everfree forest.”
“WHAT?!” Twilight exclaimed. She swallowed. “I’m… I’m afraid to ask, but… but… Did they do anything else?”
Love Tap nodded. “Sonata dislocated one of Button’s legs.”
“OH MY CELESTIA! I’MSORRY,I’MSORY,I’M—”
The door to the basement flew open. “Moooom! Daaaad!” Gibson called out. “Can I get like… a blanket? Or… Do we have a tarp? … Adagio? Blanket or Tarp?!”
“Tarp!” Adagio called back. “My hair is just soaked in fluids and I’m not even sure a comforter is going to cut it at this point!”
Love Tap glanced upwards as if just remembering something. “Oh! And Adagio deflowered my teenaged son.”
Twilight’s jaw unhinged as she let out a continuous, scratchy groan like a scream that was somehow stuck in her throat.
Love Tap turned back into the house. “CHIP! CAN YOU BRING ADAGIO A TARP? I’M TALKING WITH PRINCESS TWILIGHT.”
There was a brief pause. “… OKAY! BUT ONCE I GET IT, I’M WALKING OVER THERE WITH MY EYES CLOSED!”
“YOUR PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTABLE, DEAR!” Love Tap turned back to Twilight. “I’m sorry. You were saying?”
Twilight shook her head from side to side hard turning back towards Love Tap with the grandmother of all apologetic looks. “Oh. My. GOSH. I’m just so, soooo sorry! Look! Just… keep the money! I’ll take the girls and figure something else out where you won’t—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Love Tap said with a smile.
“—ever, ever, ever have to—” Twilight did a double take. “Excuse me?”
“It’s fine, the girls can stay,” Love Tap said.
“I…” Twilight looked at Love Tap in disbelief. “You’re sure. Like absolutely sure?”
Love Tap nodded her head. “Like you said, I’m really good with children.”
“Alright, but the girls aren’t—”
From inside the house there was the sound of sloshing water followed by shouting.
“SONATA! BUTTON! STOP SPLASHING!” Aria shouted.
“NEVER!” Sonata cried. “ME AND MY LOYAL BAND OF DUCKIE PROLETARIATS REJECT THE BUTTON BOURGEOISIE! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!”
Button laughed maniacally. “YOU’LL NEVER OVERTHROW THE MASH DESPOTISM DUCKTATORSHIP! HA HA HA!”
“DUCTATORSHIP?!” Sonata cried. “Awwww, man! How are we going to overthrow the stratocracy when it has a name like that?!”
“BOTH OF YOU STOP MAKING UP WORDS!” Aria cried.
Love Tap’s face turned beet red as she turned and looked into the house.
Twilight peeked past Love Tap to glance into the house. “No really… Are you sure you’re okay with the girls staying?”
“Oh my GOSH!” Love Tap cried as her lips curled upwards. “I didn’t… I didn’t think the girls would actually get into the tub with Button! That’s adorable!” She turned back to Twilight. “Yes, I’m sure the girls can stay.”
Twilight gave Love Tap an unsure smile. “Okay… Well… in addition to everything you and your family asked for, if you need anything else—”
“SERIOUSLY, YOU TWO!” Aria cried. “CALM—”
Preceded by a metallic ‘crunch’, the noise of highly pressurized water shooting into an open space sounded out from the bathroom.
“SEE WHAT YOU TWO MADE ME DO?!” Aria cried.
“‘AHHH!’ Button cried out in alarm. “DUCKIES! SAVE YOUR LEADER! YOUR DUCKTATOR DEMANDS IT!”
“Wait…” Sonata said from the bathroom. “Don’t you need to be a duck to be a ducktator, or is the fact that you dictate over a bunch of ducks mea-WHARRGARBLE!”
Love Tap turned and looked into the house, watching with Twilight as water poured out of the bathroom and began flooding the hallway.
“Uh… Mom?! Dad?!” Gibson called from the basement. “I’m not sure if either of you are aware but the basement is sort of filling with water here?”
“You know what?” Adagio added. “This is fine. I mean… I can at least roll around on the floor and rinse my hair that way.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “As I was saying, if you need anything, like a plumber for instance, just let me know.”
Love Tap turned to Twilight and nodded. “You know, I think I could use a plumber kinda soonish.”
Twilight nodded her head up and down. “I know a pair of brothers who are really good with pipes…”
“Oh! And would you mind just going to Hayburger’s and ordering like… two of everything and like a bucket of hayfries?”
“Oh, like a Princess Twilight special?”
“… That’s… that’s an actual thing?”
“Yep!” Twilight replied.
“So… what exactly is a ‘Princess Twilight special’?”
“It’s exactly what you just asked for.”
Love Tap chuckled. “Fine, and uh… Could we get a new fridge tomorrow maybe? The door sort of got ripped off our old one.”
Twilight stared at Love Tap blankly for a second.
Love Tap smiled. “It’s been quite the day.”
Twilight glanced past Love Tap as Sonata floated out of the bathroom, upside-down and covered with suds and a soapy Button on her stomach as well as a dozen or more rubber duckies sitting on her outstretched wings. Love Tap once again turned to see what Twilight was watching. “Yes, I don’t doubt that,” Twilight replied to Love Tap as she stared into the house.
“Hi, new mommy! Hi, Purple Smart,” Sonata greeted cheerfully as she floated down the hallway.
“Hi, mom! Hi, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Button said.
Button of the S.S. Sonata and his duck crew floated down the hallway just a bit until the water current took them partway into the basement, Sonata’s wings stopping them in the doorway.
“Hi, Gibson! Hi, biggest sis!” Button greeted cheerfully.
“Uh… hey, squirt?” Gibson replied.
“Biggest Sis?!” Adagio cried. “That better be reference to the amount of hair I have and not my weight!”
“Hi, Adagio! Hi, uh… music pony?” Sonata greeted.
Gibson sighed. “Really? Button just said my name!”
“… Is it ‘biggest sis’?”
“HEY!” Aria shouted. “I CAN USE SOME HELP IN THE BATHROOM!”
“… What kind of help?!” Gibson shouted back.
“… SERIOUSLY?!” Aria cried. “YOU NEED ME TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU?!”
“… Yes?”
“OH, COME ON!”
Adagio lent her voice to the cross-hallway discussion. “GIBSON ASKED YOU A QUESTION, ARIA!”
“FOR THE RECORD, I HATE YOU ALL!” Aria exclaimed.
“… Even me?!” Button called out in a slightly saddened tone.
“FOR THE RECORD, I HATE YOU ALL EXCEPT THE RUNT!”
“YAAAAAA-OW-AAAAAAY!”
Chip suddenly walked into the hallway and then literally into one of the walls of the hallway, smacking right into it with his eyes closed and a folded up blue tarp over his back. “Ow! Okay… I don’t know why the carpet is suddenly wet but this seems like even more reason not to open my eyes!”
Love Tap turned back towards Twilight.
Twilight was still staring into the house, but now with a slightly glazed over expression. It was as if she had long since gone past disbelief and her mind was now in a place far, far away from the reality her body was forced to participate in.
“Twilight, would you excuse me?” Love Tap said. She pointed behind her into the house with a forehoof. “I have a bunch of things that are probably going to need my attention pretty soon here.”
Twilight shook her head. “Right… right… I’ll just… get that food for you… maybe order a second Princess Twilight Special…”
Love Tap chuckled. “Meeting at the castle with the other Elements of Harmony, are you?”
“Huh? Oh, no. It’s just me and Spike tonight.”
Love Tap gave Twilight a blank look. “And Spike’s a heavy eater?”
“Well, gems, sure!” Twilight replied. Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened as she forced an awkward smile to her face. She pointed behind her with a forehoof. “I’m just… I… I’m just going to go now,” she said in an embarrassed, half-whisper.
Love Tap smiled and waved. “See you soon, Twilight!”
“See you soon!” Twilight said with a smile as she turned and took off into the sky.
Love Tap chuckled to herself and turned. Noting Button and Sonata were no longer in the basement doorway, likely having gone into the basement, she walked inside.
“Really, though!” Adagio cried. “Why am I ‘biggest sister?!”
“More importantly,” Gibson chimed in. “Can you two stop treating the flooding basement as a pool and maybe help me save all the amps and instruments down here?”
“NEVER!” Sonata cried. “HIS DUCKTATORSHIPNESS HAS CLAIMED THIS AND EVERYTHING IN IT! ALL THIS STUFF NOW BELONGS TO HIS MOST HIGH QUACKYNESS!”
“‘Most high quackyness?!’” Button exclaimed. “Does that mean I’m a space duck?”
“STILL REFUSING TO OPEN MY EYES!” Chip shouted as he stumbled blindly through the hallway, bumping off one wall then the other.
“OH MY GOD!” Aria cried. “SERIOUSLY?! NO ONE IS GOING TO HELP ME TRY TO PLUG THIS HOLE?!”
“Right, forget the instruments,” Gibson said. “I just want upstairs into that bathroom at this point.”
“Not before me you don’t!” Adagio cried.
“RIGHT! EVERYONE NOT BUTTON IS OFFICIALLY DEAD TO ME!”
“I’M SPECIAL!” Button cried happily.
“Oh yeah?!” Sonata replied. “I’ll have you know I’ve personally been told by some very reliable sources I was made special!”
Adagio sighed heavily. “Would these sources happen to be vegetables, Sonata?”
“Talking vegetables!”
“AGH!” Chip called out in alarm. “PLEASE TELL ME WHOEVER JUST KISSED ME ON THE MOUTH WAS MY WIFE!”
Love Tap let out a mirthful laugh. “Oh, it most definitely was!”
“OH, THANK CELESTIA!”
“YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE! I’M JUST GOING TO SEE HOW LONG I CAN KEEP MY HEAD UNDERWATER FOR BEFORE I START DROWNING! ‘KAY THANKS, BYE!”