Denounced

The following morning was unlike anything Button’s mother had experienced in a long time. When the first rays of sunlight struck her face, she reluctantly opened her eyes. Never in her life had such a simple task become so daunting and tough. Even moving her head to the side, as to avoid those blinding rays, was a challenge in her current state.

Outside of her window, the birds were chirping happily, just as they did every morning. Their high-pitched conversations blasted into the ears of Button’s mother, creating the very beginning of a terrible headache. Lying in her bed wasn’t as nice and comfortable as she remembered, yet she didn’t make any attempt to move. She laid there, with her eyes stuck to the ceiling, and contemplated nothing.

Not even when the door to her room opened did she move. Her ears caught the creaking and the sound of hoofsteps, yet nothing compelled her to look. It was simply an open door, after all. Doors had been opened and closed many times before. There wasn’t anything new nor interesting about it this time; it was just a door.

“Mom, do I have to go to school?” Button asked quietly. He stood in the doorway with a slight frown on his face, watching his mother in her bed.

“No, you don’t.” His mother’s response was ragged, almost a sigh in itself. “Stay home if you want to.”

“Can… Can I lie in your bed for a bit?” Despite all their previous escapades, Button couldn’t help but blush slightly at the sound of his own request. Even though he just wanted to lie down and nothing more, it felt odd to play the role of the initiator.

“Sure,” the tired mare responded meekly. Even when she felt the bed rustle as her son climbed into it, she kept her eyes firmly planted on the ceiling. Her body rocked gently as he stepped forward, which made it that much harder to keep her eyes open.

However, when her son’s body pressed itself against hers under the blankets, she couldn’t help but smile weakly at the blank ceiling. Smiling at the sight or physical presence of her son had almost become a reflex. Even when he defied her wishes or misbehaved, he was still her son. To her, there was nothing more precious in the entirety of Equestria. If given the choice, she would gladly sacrifice the world itself for her son.

“Mom?” The colt spoke quietly, just barely loud enough for his mother to hear.

“Yeah?”

“Why are you just laying here?” A slight hint of worry was present in her son’s voice. His words seemed to stumble out of his mouth, trembling as they soared through the air.

Button’s mother pondered the question unenthusiastically for a minute. “I don’t know.”

The question lingered in her mind, presenting itself time and time again. No matter how much she focused, no matter how much energy she put into answering, not a single reason appeared in her thoughts. In the end, she mentally shrugged and decided the bed was too comfortable to get out of, which wasn’t untrue.

“You should get up,” Button said while gently poking his mother’s side. Her belly was quite good poking material, being so soft and squishy as it was. In his past, Button had spent countless hours using it as a drum, much to his parent’s amusement.

“Why?”

Button furrowed his brow and looked up at his mother’s face. It was still pointed straight into the air, and her eyes hadn’t moved in the slightest. His mind desperately attempted to find an answer to her question, yet nothing came to him.

“Because…” He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face. “Because… Because I don’t like it when you’re sad.”

For the first time since her awakening, Button’s mother removed her gaze from the ceiling. She slowly turned her head to the right until her son’s big, blank eyes came into sight. Another weak smile crawled onto her lips, and she reached out with a hoof.

“I’m not sad,” she whispered before putting her hoof onto Button’s cheek. “I’ve got you, remember?” As she looked her son in the eye, the faintest hint of warmth began spreading in her body. Her eyes became more inclined to stay open, and she felt just slightly more energetic.

“I’m just… tired, that’s all.” She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “Tired of it all.”

When she reopened her eyes, her son bore a proud little smile on his face. It was a joy to see, especially because of the horrible reminder that was his blue eye. Although it had grown better, it was still swollen and discolored. At least the colt could use it once again.

“Sweetie?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, mom?”

“I think…” The words got caught in her throat as they frantically tried to stay within her mind. “I think you and I need to go on a vacation.”

“Vacation?” he replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, vacation.” His mother nodded gently in front of him. “Just the two of us. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“But what about dad?” Button asked instantly.

“Don’t worry about dad” – Button’s mother ruffled his hair – “or your brother. I’ll take care of all that.”

A quiet, almost inaudible, whimper escaped the colt’s throat. “But you have a job, and, and I need to go to school.”

Mustering all the strength she could, Button’s mother took a deep breath before speaking. All of her focus was spent on keeping her body steady and mind clear. Not once did she take her eyes off of Button’s, for she so dearly wanted him to simply accept her words.

“Hey, mommy always takes care of things, right?” Her son looked down for a second before nodding slowly. “Don’t you worry, sweetie. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

“I wish everything was normal again,” Button mumbled. Not even the loving, caring hoof running through his mane could brush away the uncomfortable hollowness inside of him. Where the world had once been colorful and joyous, he now felt a sense of dread when thinking about the outside.

“I know, sweetie.” Button’s mother leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her son’s forehead. “It’ll be fun, though, won’t it? Me and you on an adventure? We could go anywhere. You’ve always wanted to see Phillydelphia; we could go there.”

“Do we have to leave right now?” he asked quietly. “I like Ponyville.”

“No, we… we don’t,” his mother sighed. “Not today. I have some things I need to take care of. But tomorrow morning we will. You and me, sweetie. We’ll do whatever we want. Just you and me.”

“If you say so.” Button got up and looked at his mother with wet eyes. She was a good mare, and a good mother, but he couldn’t help feel a stab of sadness in his heart. Everything seemed different now, and it frightened him greatly.

“Don’t forget to pack a bag,” his mother said as Button walked to the edge of the bed and jumped down. “You can bring whatever you like, okay?”

“Okay.”

When the little colt was finally out of the room and walking down the hall, his mother finally got up. It took all of her strength, in addition to a grunt, to lift herself up and out of the bed. Despite having gotten plenty of sleep, her legs felt like pudding beneath her. It was almost like being young and drunk again, simply not as fun.

What she needed to do, however, was more important than shaky legs. She would not let herself be held back by the incapability of her own body. Exhausted groans filled the bedroom as she slowly walked towards the desk underneath the mirror. Once she reached it, she slumped onto the small, wooden chair in front of the desk with a whimper.

Although she hadn’t yet begun, she could already feel her throat twisting itself around and her heart growing cold. She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry, but now that she was actually sitting there in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection, it was impossible. A depraved, vile mare stared back at her, looked her right in the eye and laughed.

Under the roaring laughter of the mare in the mirror, she pulled open the drawer and grabbed a piece of paper along with a quill. With a heavy heart, a mind filled with mocking laughter, and a trembling body, she put the quill in her mouth and began writing the note for her husband to see upon his return.