//------------------------------// // The Cream Of Ice // Story: The Child In Me // by Zamairiac //------------------------------// Not too certain what made me want to pick this dead fic up again, but whatever. Guess I've missed writing lighter stories, or sort of anyway. This story is random and apparently amusing to most, so I figured I could squeeze out something for it while I have some free time. BTW – Lack of free time = No updates for Mated For Life, sorry. I will try to update it soon, but work leaves me bloody exhausted. Anyway, here's to some lovely Mommy Luna, enjoy. Begin! The Cream Of Ice It was bright outside. Mom was all but skipping as we made our way to the park, the promise of ice cream being far too tempting for my childlike instincts to complain about. That didn't mean I liked being carried around in that damned foal pouch, no matter how comfy Mom made it. And buck is it Faust damned comfy… It was like I was being carried in the silkiest silk ever invented, the fact that I was also being nuzzled every few seconds might have maybe, perhaps, kind of, sort of added to that. Possibly. "My son, we are almost at the park now," she said softly, smiling warmly down at me. "Dost thou know what thou wish to purchase?" "Um, well if they have hazelnut that'll be ni-" "Strawberry and cream it is then!" she exclaimed, nuzzling me and laughing happily. "Just like thy mother, oh how alike we are. It makes mommy very happy Art-Oliver, very happy indeed!" Could have been worse, she could have picked lemon and pickles…can't believe that's an actual flavour here. We arrived at the park not a few moments later, to a line so long that it seemed to lead out of the park and into the city itself. And although I understood the value of being patient for trivial things like this, that annoying foal-like part of myself didn't, and forced out a sigh of complete and utter sadness at seeing the queue. Right on cue, mom picked up on my unhappiness in a Faust damned heartbeat, instantly picking me up out of the foal pouch and holding me face to face with her forelegs. "Oh dear, thou art unhappy mine son," she crooned, ears down and eyes shining with some emotion I didn't dare try to comprehend. "Tis the line yes? Well no matter, we are Princess of Equestria and our son shall not be denied his cream of ice!" "Mom, no it's fine!" I replied quickly, shaking my forelegs for added emphasis. "These ponies have waited a long time for this, we should do the same. To push in front would be rude." At my words her eyes seemed to shine even more, unshed tears of happiness clinging to the edges as her lips trembled slightly. "Thou art so noble and kind, a proper Prince! Thou shall wield thy title with love and dignity one day…but today, today you have made mommy very proud of thee!" She pulled me close and hugged me tightly, my vision starting to go red as oxygen was forcibly ejected from my lungs. But unlike the many times previous, she relaxed her grip and only continued to snuggle me, kissing the bridge of my muzzle with a form of affection I was still unfamiliar with. "But tis no trouble to push ahead today Oliver," she whispered lovingly, placing me back in the foal pouch and, as she said, skipping ahead of the queue right to the ice cream…wagon? No one seemed to mind that she did so, the majority were too busy bowing and gasping in awe at mom to consider complaining. The stallion at the wagon seemed to be a friendly sort. He had a bit of a belly but had a large smile that the child in me seemed to find quite pleasing. "Ah, good morning Princess Luna," he bellowed happily, grinning widely and bowing for a brief moment. His accent was…strange, I couldn't place it exactly, it sounding vaguely Italian though. "And good morning little Prince, how can this one help you today?" "Good morrow to thee too!" Mom shouted right back, the force of her voice actually pushing the stallion away somewhat, though at the lowering of my ears she quietened down considerably. "We would like to purchase two creams of ice. The flavour strawberry and cream for both, if thou would." The ice cream salesman smiled at the order and went straight to work, his horn alight for but a few bright seconds before two ice creams floated before us. "That'll be eight bits Princess!" "We thank thee," Mom said, smiling as she took the two ice creams and floated over the money. "Thy service is most excellent; we shall inform our sister of thee when we return to the palace." "You humble this poor stallion," he said, his already bright red face steadily getting redder at mom's praise. Mom giggled at his reaction as she walked away, waving at the merry salesman. "He was nice, wasn't he," I mumbled, which of course mom picked up easily. "That he was, my son," she agreed, smiling. Mom walked up a small hill before stopping and taking out a large blanket from her knapsack, laying it out on the ground. She smiled and laid down upon it, taking me out of the foal pouch and placing my ice cream in front of me, floating in the air. Instinctively, I went right in, nibbling at the delectable dessert swiftly and eagerly. But as all children who eat ice cream come to know, eating too fast can give you quite the bucking headache. "Thou should have eaten it slower Oliver," Mom scolded lightly, her expression stern for a mere moment before a patient, loving smile appeared on her face. "Come to mommy, we shall warm thy frozen brain." "It's called b-brainf-freeze m-mom," I stammered, clutching at my poor head in agony as the pain tore through it. Mom wasn't even listening, her attention completely on me and me alone as she threw her own ice cream into some sort of black void and pulled me closer with her large wings. The moment I was against her plush fur and warm body, I immediately found myself fighting back a yawn as sleep evidently tried to make itself known. But as usual… "Art thou sleepy Oliver," she whispered soothingly, pulling me against her even more and kissing my head softly. "Thou can sleep. Mommy will keep thee safe and warm…" I felt her embrace begin to soothe my childlike mentality into a slumber, my real personality following suit as a consequence. Oh this isn't fair; I don't want to go to sleep. I didn't even get to finish my ice cream! And like someone, somewhere was actually listening to me for once… "AUNTYYYYYY!" The nasally voice, the overly noble accent, the overwhelming arrogance. I'd heard this voice before…many times. It snapped me right out of my almost-slumber with a start, causing me to stare into the narrowed eyes of one Prince Blueblood the something or other. I could actually feel one of mom's eyes twitch, the force of it rippling through her body as she stared at her nephew and glared angrily. "Thou hast awoken mine son from his slumber, Nephew!" she snapped irritably. "What dost thou want?!" The apparently suicidal Prince ignored mom's words and moved closer, walking on the blanket without some much as a thought to ask first. See, that mom could and likely would have actually let go. But then the bucking idiot actually went the extra mile and made it worse, much worse. How? Well, my unfinished ice cream was floating in the air, still very much edible. But before I could squeak up a request for mom to let me slowly finish it…Blueblood, instead of sidestepping it, slapped it away…because it was in his way. It left mom's magical grip due to surprise I think, and landed on the grass where the unfinished ball rolled out with a light splat and became one with the earth. … I sniffed once…twice…three times. Despite my resistance, my refusal to let such a small thing bother me, a single tear trailed down my cheek. And then I let out a pathetic little whimper. ... And then the powerful scent of a ticked off mom filled up the air. That and the way her eyes became draconic slits. "Blueblood…thou art…thou art…IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"