30: Mother of Five (1/2)
Loving Bud
A teacher at Manehattan Academy and mother of Nebula and Artemis.
Summer Lazuli
A coach at Manehattan Academy and a close friend of Loving Bud.
Loving Artemis
Loving Bud’s son, who is the reincarnation of Princess Luna.
Loving Nebula
Loving Bud’s daughter, who is the reincarnation of Nightmare Moon.
Loving Hope
An owner of a daycare center at Baltimare who is the jolly mother of Loving Bud and grandmother of Nebula and Artemis.
Tenure Grace
A social worker and nanny of Nebula and Artemis. Due to the choker around her neck, she is forced to follow Gold Jaeger’s influences.
Loving Hope witnessed the sun dawn the sky and shed its light upon her bedroom as she woke from her slumber. Without a sigh, a yawn, or even an irk, she hopped off her bed and neatly tidied her sheets. She then gazed from the opposite of her bed and gazed at the end of the wall, where she saw a small mirror that showed a reflection of herself.
She was taken aback from much she had aged, at least until she remembered her life. Of what she has experienced and gone through. That past she briefly remembers being a part of is now only a remnant. That line of her life was long behind her now. She’s now a caring mother that runs a daycare center.
A chuckle escaped the mare as she patted her head. “Old habits really do die hard.”
Hope walked to her dresser where a framed picture was propped atop of. The picture held an image of her and foal-aged Loving Bud in her hooves. At Hope’s side stood a teary-eyed white stallion that marveled at the sight of Bud.
“When will my senses finally catch up,” Hope said. “You probably would’ve made this a lot easier for me, Gambi. You had a way of making everything so sappy. You always found ways to make things awkward, but also so endearing at the same time.”
Hope grabbed hold of the framed picture and rubbed her hoof on the image of the stallion. "I wonder how you feel about how our lovely little bud has grown. You’d no doubt be crying tears of joy and she and I would have to console you for hours. I really miss those moments.”
Gambi always envisioned them living out the rest of their days at a normal home, unwinding to a sweet mediocre life they could call their own. Hope had long dismissed the possibility, but that quirky stallion managed to swoon her into hoping for those blissful times. However, fate always has a penchant to be cruel to those who greed for too much.
Their past was plagued with so many wrongs and dangers. It was foolish to think that something so hazardous could easily be swept away for an innocent dream with him. Still, she would always wonder if things could have ended differently if there was an answer that they could have followed that brought them together where she stood now...
Hope noticed frown coming upon her and slapped both her cheeks. “None of that,” she told herself. “Accept and live on. That’s what he wanted from us.”
On that note, Hope decided to begin her morning with a soothing shower and grooming her mane to a bun. Collecting a towel, she dried herself with, she tossed it into the hamper in her laundry room.
She then went through the hallway where she passed by her daughter’s room. Hope remembered the countless days where she would burst excitedly into her daughter’s room and wake her for school. That filly would always run frantically through the house to prepare, leaving Hope to always keep close to ensure she didn’t skip over any of her morning rituals. Good times.
But now that Hope was alone in this house, there’s an uncomfortable amount of free time that she had always invested in her daughter. If she weren’t attending her daycare center, Hope would be helping Bud with her homework, go shopping together, or share in their personal rituals. It was honestly a bit of a struggle for the mare to figure out what to do with herself nowadays. So, Hope tapped her chin and thought about how she should spend the rest of her morning.
Perhaps she could go out and check on the neighborhood...no, she’s already done that yesterday. Oh, she could enlighten herself by going to the museum...no, she’s been there a hundred times with her daughter. Well, maybe she could...
Hope hummed to herself as she strode to the living room. There, she looked at a picture frame propped on a table. It was a picture of Bud with her foals. It was during the day of Chiffon’s wedding where Hope took shots of them in their dress. Her grandfoals were so adorable in their outfit that she had a hard time not giving in to her temptation and took them away for a personal modeling shoot. But she’ll get her chance, eventually.
“Nebula,” Hope said as she looked at her devilish grand filly. A very violent one that one is, but also bears a frighteningly cute side that’s apparent in her rage. Hope wondered if all thestrals are that way but immediately concluded that none could compare to her granddaughter.
Hope remembered receiving a letter a few days ago about how Nebula finally recovered from her illness. It let off a huge burden on Hope’s mind as the event had tormented her on every course of her days. If not for her job, she would have immediately rushed her way back to Manehattan and nursed Nebula herself.
“I should bake a cake for my lovely little bat,” Hope said. “She deserves a big treat for being a strong fighter.” Hope strode to the kitchen and dug through her pantry for ingredients. “That settles it,” Hope decided. “I’m going to bake her favorite banana cake.”
Despite how much Nebula would like to deny it, Hope noticed that her granddaughter bore an insatiable desire for bananas. Hope dared to test how far this infatuation went when she baked a banana cake when she joined her back to the apartment from the wedding. Defiant as the filly likes to make herself, a sampled taste of Hope’s creation made the filly as docile as her brother.
Hope played calm music from her small radio on the counter. Without the rowdiness of a certain pair of mares, she needed something to rid the quiet.
Time was fleeting as she hummed to the music. The music had a remedy in making her forget things for the moment. Thoughts like how so much has changed ever since her daughter had left that had made her just as fearful as it made Bud. However, Hope knew that things could never stay the same. Change is inevitable and necessary for every pony, herself included.
Hope pulled the cake out of the oven with a pair of mittens and placed it atop the stovetop. Its sweet fruity aroma soothed Hope’s nose as she proudly cast upon her creation.
But before she could comment, she heard her doorbell rang. Hope turned away from the cake and said, “I wonder who that could be.” Taking off the mittens, Hope made her way for the front door.
What she found behind her door surprised her. “Oh, my,” Hope voiced. “I didn’t think I would see all of you so soon.”
“Hi mom,” Bud greeted her mother. Between them was a carriage that held Hope’s grandfoals that idly gazed upon her. Artemis cheered at the sight of her and stretched his hooves for her while his sister observed Hope as if she were waiting for Hope’s reaction.
Standing behind Bud was her good friend and roommate, Summer Lazuli, and the trusted nanny, Tenure Grace. Hope was befuddled by the hint of anxiety on their face, displaying a glaring concern on their face. In fact, Hope’s daughter appeared to share the same sentiment as well.
“What’s with the lot of you?” Hope questioned. “I figured I would at least get a happy reception from you all.”
“Um,” Bud started while she tapped her hooves. This angst her daughter was showing was starting to make her worried. “First, I want to start off by saying that I’m really sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to forget...”
“Forget what? You’re going to have to be a bit more specific, sweetie.”
“She's talking about the holiday,” Lazuli voiced. “You know, the one we missed a few days ago.”
“Hm... Oh,” Hope now realized. “You meant Mother’s Day...what about it?”
“What do you mean what about it!?” Bud voiced astonishingly. “It’s a holiday that means a lot to both of us! Shouldn’t you be upset that your own daughter forgot about something so important?”
“And why wouldn’t you?” Hope questioned. “Our sweet little bat was sick, wasn’t she? I should be the least of your concern at the time.”
“But that shouldn’t be an excuse, Bud argued. “I know there was at least something I could’ve done. Maybe give you a gift or at least a mention in the letter I sent you. It makes it worse that I only realized this only yesterday.”
“You’re honestly fretting over nothing,” Hope waved her hoof and then pulled the stroller inside the house. Artemis was now leaning out the basket of the stroller as he tried to reach for his grandmother. Hope was more than obliged to do so as she used one of her hooves to lift the colt out of the stroller and lay him on her back. Artemis wasted no time going for Hope’s ear and nibbled upon it. A chuckle escaped Hope, but the odds of him earning a squeak from his grandmother was nonexistent. “Now come inside. I just baked a cake for our little trooper here.”
Hope pushed the stroller further inside the house as the other mares hesitantly followed behind. They stopped inside the living room where Hope settled Artemis and then Nebula on the couch. “Be a dear and keep an eye on them for me real quick,” Hope advised the mares as she gingerly made her way back to the kitchen.
“Well,” Lazuli started. “She’s really taking this whole thing pretty well.”
“As I initially thought she would,” Grace said. “You two certainly gave me a scare thinking she would be furious with us. You should learn not to exaggerate things.”
“I’ve never missed a Mother’s Day with her though,” Bud said as she sat near the couch. Artemis was about to leap off of it and most likely chase after Loving Hope until Bud held him back with a hoof. He began to nibble on his mother’s hoof, which he allowed as long as it kept him preoccupied. “Every year we would go to the plaza together to collect ingredients and try to bake one of the wildest things from Auntie Blueberry’s recipe.”
“I thought Chiffon was the one with the crazy designs?” Lazuli wondered.
“Who do you think she gets it from?” Hope said. “It was something that my mom wanted for us to do. And though our attempts mostly ended up in a messy failure, those moments were still so fun and memorable. I can’t believe that it didn’t cross my mind.”
“She’s already forgiven you, Bud,” Grace said. “She understands the stress that you were going through. She’s a mother herself after all.”
“Still…”
“You still want to go through with this,” Lazuli sighed. “Don’t you?”
“I at least owe her this at least,” Bud said.
“I still don’t get why you gotta drag us into it,” Lazuli argued.
“You’ve already consented to her request,” Grace pointed out. “Don’t think you can cower out of it now?”
“Who’re you calling a coward!?”
“I’m back,” Hope sang as she set a cake on a platter atop the table. Nebula and Artemis marveled at the cake but then the filly quickly averted her gaze when she noticed Hope’s gleeful face.
“I knew you would like it,” Hope cheered.
“Why are there so many pictures of you, Bud?” Grace asked when she noted the gallery of frames posted across the room.
“Let’s just say Bud’s mom has an addiction,” Lazuli said.
“It’s a hobby,” Hope corrected as she sliced a piece of the cake and waved the piece before Nebula.
Nebula’s snout wiggled at the sweet scent of the cake but shook her head and glared at Hope. “What game are you trying to play here?” Nebula said. “You think I will swoon for it like some cuddly puppy? You fail to forget who you are standing before—” Nebula failed to realize that her body had already lunged and bit a morsel of the cake before she registered the sweet taste in her mouth. Her moment of shock was brief before she lost herself to the delectable flavor of the cake.
“You’re so cute even when you’re trying to put up a fight,” Hope cooed.
Nebula failed to notice Hope's hoof as her grandmother cradled her with the bitten banana cake dangling above the filly's head. "Will you stop goading me and just give it to me already," Nebula protested. Any sense of pride she tried to retain was tarnished as she constantly sprung for another bite of the cake."
Hope's ears then perked to the whine of her grandson as he tried to reach for the whole cake. But took it upon herself to slice a piece for him to gobble in his leisure.
“Mom,” Bud started. “I know you’re just trying to be nice by forgiving me, but I still want to make it up to you.”
“Is it really giving you a heartache that you forgot some silly holiday,” Hope chuckled as she patted on Nebula's back when the filly coughed. “Slow down now, it's not going anywhere."
“Mom,” Bud continued. “We talked it over and decided to treat you to whatever you like today.”
Hope paused and then grabbed a rag from the table that she used to sweep the crumbs of the cake off of Nebula's lips. “Care to expand on that,” Hope requested.
“Just for today, We'll do whatever it is you like to do. Pick whatever and we'll do it.”
“Here we go,” Lazuli mumbled, earning a confused face from Grace.
“Well,” Hope tapped her chin with a wide grin. “Since you’re offering, it would be wrong as your loving mother to turn down your gift.”
“No pony would fault you for it,” Lazuli voiced. “I mean, we could always just buy you a gift.”
“What’re you doing?” Grace asked. “Didn’t we already agree to go along with this? Why are you trying to back out of it now?”
“You only say that because you don’t know,” Lazuli said.
“Oh no,” Hope voiced. “I couldn't possibly turn down my daughter's request. When will I ever get this kind of opportunity?”
“... opportunity,” Grace raised a brow.
“Oh Celestia,” Lazuli groaned. “You better not be implying what I think you are.”
“My home is like a gallery, Lazuli,” Hope said. “It carries the memories of every creature I hold dear. Wouldn't you agree that it's in need of some new ones?”
“But that’s Bud’s thing,” Lazuli complained. “I’m not supposed to be roped into that sort of thing.”
“You’re not insinuating that my daughter is a liar," Hope eyed at Lazuli. "Are you?”
“No, but…”
“It’s okay Lazuli,” Bud gave her friend a smile. Something that Lazuli could do without right about now. “We’ll be right by your side.”
“How’s that supposed to make me feel any better?”
“For Celestia’s sake,” Grace grunted. “You made a promise to comply with whatever Ms. Hope wishes for. So, quit your complaining and stay true to your word.”
“Ooh,” Hope was amused. “When did you get so feisty? I like it.”
“You’re seriously going to eat those words when you realize what she’s going to have us do,” Lazuli sighed.
“Oh please," Grace rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine it being anything worse than what I've experienced."
“Come now you guys,” Hope voiced. “You have to really get into the persona. It’s easy, just bow like you’re presenting yourself before your master.”
“I can’t do this!” Lazuli voiced with a flush of red over her face. “This is too much.”
“I fear I may have underestimated the gravity of your warning,” Grace said as she shamefully dawned upon the garment upon her.
Never had Grace regretted something so fast as when Hope escorted the group into a boutique within the city. At first, Grace merely chalked it down to Hope wanting to buy new dresses for the foals. She had heard from Bud that the mare purchased frilly dresses for the two of them for a wedding.
But when the seamstress of the shop presented numerous costumes that appeared too big for the foals, Grace grew weary of what was to become of her. And that fear was immediately confirmed as the Hope and the seamstress guided the group to the stage.
Grace, along with her friends and the foals, uncomfortably stood before Hope and the seamstress. Lazuli couldn't even grasp the courage to look up from the floor to meet their eyes. Who was she kidding, neither could Grace contain her composure in this maid outfit? Of all the things this mother would ask for, why would she ask grown mares to doll themselves like this?
"I bet you wished you took my side now, eh?" Lazuli grumbled.
"Relax you two," Bud said. "It's not as bad as you think. Try to look at the positive here."
"You mean how I'm dressed for my part now," Grace sarcastically said. "I never figured I would ever see myself in this getup."
"You should be more like Artemis," Bud pointed to her son, who dozed his sights around the boutique. With the maid dress and headdress, her son looked like an adoring mini maid. A description that Nebula did not appreciate as she leered at her outfit.
"How far will you mud ponies go to demean us?" Nebula growled. "Why would you dare to dress us in the attire of a servant?"
"My," the seamstress voiced. "That little filly appears upset. And yet, she looks so much more adorable."
"I know, right?" Hope agreed.
"Do not make light of my fury!" Nebula roared, well, she tried but instead voiced a high-pitched groan.
"Don't think too hard about them," Bud said as she pulled her daughter to her side. "Just think of it as trying out a bunch of new clothes. You might find something you like."
"You honestly expect me to play along to that mare's whims and allow her to make a mockery of us?"
"You agreed to this too," Bud reminded her.
"I only did so out of respect for the holiday," Nebula said. "But now I have come to regret this choice."
"That's it," Nebula heard her grandmother. "Just like that." Looking at Hope, Nebula saw her take an elegant looking bow. It felt surreal that a mare with such moxie could look so graceful. However, that compliment was rescinded when she noticed Artemis mimicking his grandmother.
"Luna," Nebula voiced. "You are a pony of high caliber. Do not lower yourself like this."
"Let them bond, Nebula," Bud said.
After Hope took numerous embarrassing shots of them, their trial continued with them being garnered in punkish outfits that made them look like soft ruffians.
"Never thought I would ever see myself in this either," Grace remarked.
"It brings out the rebellious soul," Hope commented. "Come on now, show me that feistiness you had earlier.
"Ms. Hope, surely you understand how inappropriate that is for—"
"That's Mama Hope," Hope corrected.
"Excuse me?" Grace shockingly voiced.
"She's on mom mode," Bud informed her. "Just go with it."
"You know," Lazuli started as she examined the spiked bands on her legs. "I always wondered if this would look nice on me."
"That's right my child," Hope grinned. "Give in to your temptations."
"Stop that!" Lazuli demanded as Hope took a picture of the mare's commanding energy.
That energy however died and fluttered sweetly when Lazuli witnessed Bud in a wedding dress. The others wore their own as well, but Lazuli's eyes were transfixed on only Bud.
Lazuli must have imagined Bud in a gown countless times, but to see it before her eyes surpassed everything she had imagined. The sight of Bud in her white feathered gown was so intoxicating that it left Lazuli breathless.
“My,” Hope voiced. “If only I could see you walk the aisle with that on. It would bring tears to my eyes.”
“Don’t tell that’s the reason you had me put this on?” Bud sighed. Her attention shifted to her son who was struggling to walk in his dress. Anxious of him falling, Bud cradled the colt in her hoof.
“Not much experience with long dresses is he,” the seamstress commented.
“Give him some time,” Hope said. “My Arty is a fast learner.”
“This is too much white for my taste,” Nebula said as she frowned upon the small gown she had on. A flash suddenly erupted as Nebula then glared at her grandmother.
“That expression was so beautiful,” Hope commented. “Do it again. Mama has to have more of that.”
“Bud,” Grace whispered in Bud’s ear. “I think your mother is going to the deep end.”
“Don’t worry,” Bud assured her. “This is natural.”
“For you perhaps,” Grace remarked. “But that savagery from her ears makes her no different from a predator marinating its prey.”
“That’s a rather odd comparison,” Bud raised a brow.
“Are you telling me that you’re not seeing it?” Grace pointed at Hope, who was flashing more pictures of Nebula. And then to Grace’s dismay, Hope’s carnivorous eyes set upon them.
“You three,” Hope voiced. “Yes, the three of you bunched together makes you look like a white angelic peacock.”
“Aren’t peacocks multi-colored?” Bud wondered.
“Not mine,” Hope sang. “And that makes them so much more special.”
The last set was finally upon them as Hope and seamstress dressed the group in an array of angels and devils. Hope, Artemis, and Grace resigned to Hope’s demands in their angel costume while Nebula and Lazuli eyed the grandmother in their devil costume.
“It’s not every day I get such a lively group of models,” the seamstress commented. “I’m so glad you brought them here, Hope.”
“Aren’t they just wonderful, Prim,” Hope cooed at them to Lazuli and Nebula’s annoyance.
“I have learned a lot about myself today,” Grace said. “And of Ms. Hope that I wish to never see again.”
“Figures you would,” Lazuli groaned. “Ugh, I can’t let Passion Touch ever find out I ever did this. I’d be a laughingstock of the school.”
“You’re overreacting, Lazuli,” Bud commented as she lifted Artemis’s halo to prevent him from chewing on it. “I’ve done this my whole life and you don’t see me fretting over it.”
“That’s because it was only you. I was completely fine with watching from the sidelines.”
“You were always the tease,” Prim said. “Ever since I laid eyes on you, I had concocted countless designs to dress you in, but you would always brush my hooves away. It was so infuriating that I couldn’t have you as my star model. Oh, if only I knew this day would come today, I would have prepared a whole assortment of designs.”
“She’s certainly a stubborn one, isn’t she,” Hope commented. “But that pride of hers is so easy to take advantage of, I could’ve wrapped her into this at any time I wanted to.”
“My oh my,” Prim was astonished. “Then I wished you could have done so sooner.”
“I did not figure your mother to be manipulative,” Nebula spoke to Bud.
“I mean,” Bud started. “She can when she wants to be. But she has her morals. Besides, we’re the ones that offered this to her.”
“Perhaps she knew this would happen if she’d stayed silent about the holiday,” Grace guessed. “There are many benefits to those who remain patient.”
“This only happened because the stupid plebe failed to mention the fine details of what wench would have us do,” Nebula retorted. “And what’s with the idea of dressing me as a devil? I may be a creature of the night, but I am far from some satanic menace.”
“Your personality certainly fits the part,” Bud said. “But, if it makes you feel better, a devil costume would suit mom as well.”
“How is comparing her to me supposed to make me feel better,” Nebula growled. “At least we are in an agreement that she’s no angel.”
“I mean, not entirely. I know mothers like to dress their children up every now and then, but I can admit that she really pushes the limit.”
“A limit you could decline if you truly wished for it,” Nebula retorted. Don’t lay the blame on her addiction when you’re the one enabling it.”
“Aren’t you the little devil,” Bud commented.
“Pettiness is unbecoming of you,” Nebula remarked. “Then again, what should I expect from some plebe.”
“Hey mom,” Bud called to Hope. “You should get a picture of this.” Before Nebula could respond, Bud had swept the filly off of her hooves and proceeded to nibble her teeth upon Nebula’s ears, showing her embarrassing squeaking face to the camera.
“I always wanted a picture of this,” Hope said as she repeatedly shot pictures of the squeaking filly. “That reaction of hers is so adorable that it just makes me want to explode!”
“You shall do no such—” Nebula shouted but was forced into her squeaking again when Bud nibbled again upon her ears.
“I now have so many to pick from to put in my house,” Hope said. “Hmm, but where should I put them?”
“Wait,” Grace voiced. “You seriously mean to post these provocative images in your house?”
“Hush that pretty face of yours,” Hope shushed her. "These are by no means provocative.”
“My designs are the epitome of beauty and trails swimmingly with the trends of the time,” Prim said. “I intend to publish an article about these said trends in the coming days. Can you believe how some ponies are oblivious to feathered sleeves? I must remedy this disaster.”
“I didn't know you do journalism,” Bud wondered.
“It’s a very distinct passion,” Prim said. “I wish to participate with the critics of fashion. I believe with the experience I’ve gained; I can find the next big designs and give them the exposure they deserve so that everypony will be fabulous.”
“That passion of yours is so infectious,” Hope commented. “Now I feel we have to finish this off big. Oh, I know, how about I join in for a big family picture.”
Hope rushed into the dressing room and came out in devil costume. Hope hopped onto the stage and pulled the group in, mushing their faces together. Prim chuckled and used the camera Hope left behind to take a shot of them.
“Don’t we look like a big happy family,” Hope gleefully voiced. “I’m so happy we did this.”
“…You think I’m a part of this family,” Grace was awed by Hope’s words. She appeared completely baffled and then what came to follow was a stream of tears. She touched her face when she noticed something wet on her face and was alarmed to find herself crying.
“Oh dear,” Hope voiced as she released the group from her hold. She came to Grace’s side and swept the tears off of her.
“I’m fine. Don’t let me get in the way of this,” Grace tried to prod the motherly mare away, but Hope inched closer and pulled Grace in for a hug. “I’m telling you, it’s fine.”
Her words were ignored as Bud suddenly joined and hugged Grace from her other side. “I’m sorry if we pushed you too far,” Bud apologized.
“What do you mean?” Grace asked. “You’ve done nothing wrong. All of you have only been nice to me. Even, when I don’t feel like I deserve it.”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Hope said. “You don’t get to choose who loves you. We made that choice, so now you’re stuck with it whether you like it or not.”
“You guys…” Grace’s voice cracked. Grace tried to hold the gates, but cracks only grew until it finally flooded out.
Lazuli and the foals watched from aside as Hope and Bud consoled the tearful mare. They watched in confusion as to the professional mare they came to know flooded so many tears before them. As embarrassing and mortifying it was to Grace, she felt as though she was having a breath of fresh air in what felt like a long time ago.
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So, this was originally supposed to be the bonus chapter for Mother's Day. But since I took forever to make this, I just decided to make it a regular chapter instead.
I mean, you're right, but it's most likely gonna be something really embarrassing
It seems to me that this statement is not true regarding Artemis. A son dressed in a dress can be very embarrassing
"Bud"
I am suspecting that this one was supposed to be "Bud" as well.