Cloud grumbled as she clopped down the hall to her daughters room, her wings fluttering at her sides in agitation. As she walked, she wished early would come later in the day so she could have gotten a few more hours sleep, the mentality of a soldiers early rise lost in the haze of being half asleep. Yawning, Cloud opened the door to her little fillies room. Like her dam, Bunny enjoyed a neat and orderly room, an unusual plus in Clouds book. Over Bunny's bed, a photo of her family hung, and on the nightstand next to it, a letter from her uncle lay, a pair of ten piece bits laying on top.
Seeing the money, Cloud rolled her eyes. Ezekiel seemed Tartarus bent and determined to spoil his niece rotten. Sighing, Cloud walked up to the bed, and looking down, immediately felt the usual warm and fuzzies she got whenever she saw her little girl. Curled under her blanket, wings twitching in her sleep, Bunny lay in the repose of the innocent, young face clear of any of the worries or troubles of adulthood. Around her neck, a bandage was wrapped, and as Cloud clapped eyes on it she winced, her breath catching for a moment.
Biting her bottom lip, Cloud regarded the floor under her hooves. The day the diagnosis came in had nearly killed the usually stalwart mare, the word cancer turning her insides to water as Fluttershy clung to her, hysterical. Thankfully, the doctors had caught it early enough, and after various procedures and surgery, Bunny had been made whole. In fact, today was her check up, and the day her bandages came off, Cloud reminded herself. Looking back up, she smiled, and leaning forward, giving the filly a gentle nudge. While in many ways her dam, Bunny did take some characteristics from her sire. Her looks, a rather endearing if at times infuriating stubborness, and of course, an intense dislike of early mornings.
Blearily opening one eye half way, Bunny regarding Cloud crankily, her muzzle scrunched in childish annoyance. Chuckling at the look that spoke volumes (most of it "fuck off, I'm sleeping") Cloud kissed the top of Bunny's head.
"Mornin' kiddo. Sleep well?"
Blowing a rasberry, Bunny covered her head with a wing, curling up further under her blanket as she did. Taking a bit of the blanket between her teeth, Cloud yanked it off, then tossed it over her back. Looking back at the filly, she grinned in the face of now two slightly blood shot eyes and the cutest scowl in all of Equestria.
"Now don't you act pissy. Told you last night you had the doctors, and you needed your sleep. But no, you probably spent all night with your nose in a book."
Grin widening, Cloud reached up, and booped the fillies nose, the act making the face Bunny had fall and be replaced with a smile and a giggle. Pushing the hoof away, Bunny coughed slightly, rubbing her throat. Making a sympathetic noise, Cloud asked "Still hurts?"
Nodding, Bunny, lowered her hoof, then made her way off the bed to the floor, her stomach making its rumble of need as she passed Cloud. Snickering, Cloud turned back to the door, and went out of the room with the filly in search of the morning meal.
.....................
After a quick breakfast of oatmeal and sliced apples, Cloud and Bunny sat in the living room, both noses in a respective book. As her sire brushed up on their clans founder, Bunny had chosen a picture book Fluttershy had gotten her, enjoying for the tenth time the tale of the two sisters.
"Major Cloud."
Both sire and foal jumped slightly as the voice cut through their morning, and turning their heads in eery similar movement, both regarded their unexpected guest. A purple coated mare walked silently into the room, her face seemingly set in a frown, the right part of which was covered with a jagged scar that made its way down the ponies cheek to her muzzle. While otherwise flawless, even beautiful, the mare had a no nonsense way about her, and a coldness that gave even Cloud and her fellow Kickers pause. Still, she was a friend, even if she had a problem with personal stuff. And locks.
"Major Twilight. Don't remember giving you permission to enter my home. Or giving you a key for that matter."
Eyes narrowing, Twilight walked into the room, her tone its usual neutral self.
"Neccessary, I'm afraid. You've been dodging me, Cloud.
Frowning, Cloud stood, working the kinks out her wings.
"Not dodging. On leave, as you well know."
"I don't have time for this, Major."
Tilting her head back to gesture at her saddle bags, Twilight continued "As I said yesterday, there's a matter we need to discuss. In private."
Sighing, Cloud nodded.
"Fine. Just let me get Eepy."
Raising a brow, Twilight mouthed the name as Cloud left the room. As she rounded the corner, Twilight turned back to the foal, giving her an appraising look as she sat down in front of her.
"So... your their little one, hmm?"
Smiling uncertainly, Bunny gave a nod. Tilting her head, Twilight said softly "Big world out there, my dear. Full of all sorts of ponies. What about you, what kind of mare will you be?"
"Hopefully one that's not you."
Head jerking up, Twilight turned to the sound of the voice, a scowl across her face.
"Excuse me?"
Fluttershy stalked into the room, an uncharacteristic frown across her muzzle as she made her way to her foal, her words soft yet still full of anger.
"I know you, Major. Westmarch, the Badlands, what you did to those bandits."
Blue eyes blazing, Fluttershy drew up to her foal, and teeth bared, drew the filly close.
"Don't you dare... dare ever talk to her again, Sparkle, or I swear I'll..."
"Fluttershy!"
Running up to her wife, Cloud put on her shoulder.
"Not here, Eepy. Not in front of kiddo."
Eyes still burning, Fluttershy gave a nod, then herding her foal out of the room, left the two majors to their work.
....................................
Bunny regarded her mother nervously as they walked down the road. She'd seen her sad, disappointed... but never angry. The filly never thought the usually soft spoken mare had it in her to be curt, never mind threatening anyone, least of all another guard like Cloud.
"Hey, Flutters!"
Stopping up short, Fluttershy looked towards the voice, and giving a slight wave and smile, said "Oh, good morning Gilda."
As the wren fluttered down, Bunny drew close to her mothers side, her eyes widening as the gryphon made her way to the ground. While she had met the wren on trips with her mother through Ponyville, the gryphon had always frightened her. Grinning, Gilda nodded towards the foal.
"So hows the hatchling doing."
Looking back, Fluttershy giggled.
"Oh, she's just a little shy. Come now, Bunny. Don't be rude."
Stepping away, Fluttershy nudged the filly a bit forward.
"Say hello to Ms. Gilda."
Giving an uncertain smile, Bunny gave a little wave, then dodging behind her mother once more, regarded the wren warily. Chuckling at the childs expense, both adults turned their attention back to each other.
"So, Gilda, hows the weather team."
Giving a slight shrug, Gilda replied "All smiles and no teeth. Still need a bit of work, along with getting used to me in charge."
As she spoke, a pegasus stallion with a silver mohawk fluttered down, tapping the wren on the shoulder, handed her a clipboard. Regarding it a moment, Gilda scowled.
"Not again! Thunderlane, get that studly rump of yours in gear and get to Cloudsdale! And tell those whiny pissants on the Board if they try to skimp out on us again, I'm gonna activate their dental plans!"
Giving a salute, Thunderlane lept up into the air, and as he left, Gilda looked back to Fluttershy, and sighed.
"Well, duty calls Flutters. Later mate."
Looking down at Bunny, the yellow pony frowned.
"No using pissant. Understood?"
And with a solemn nod, parent and child continued on.
..............................
Nurse Redheart opened the door to the office, and poking her head in, said cheerfully "Fluttershy? Doctor Gabriel will be in in just a moment."
After recieving a nod, Fluttershy turned back to her magazine as her daughter turned the page of her book. Looking up, the mare said "Hear that Bunny? A human , just like your uncle. Isn't that exciting?"
Before the filly could respond, a knock sounded, the door knob turning. As the person opening it walked it, both mares stared, stunned beyond words. Arms hanging low to the ground, the biped walked into the rooms, the nostrils on his somewhat short snout twitching as hey sniffed. Two fangs jutted up from his lower jaw over his upper, his eyes slanted, the irises blue with slitted pupils, similar to a cats eye. Both ears perked, and giving the occassional twitch or turn as though taking it all in, the doctors body under the white coat of his proffession was covered in grey fur.
"Mrs. Fluttershy, I presume?" the diamond dog asked, his voice a deep baritone.
"Doctor Gabriel?"
Nodding, the dog walked up to the examination table.
"The very same. You must be Bunny then."
Leaning back slightly as the dog drew closer, the filly gulped. Looking down at his chart, Gabriel carefully wrote on the page clipped to it, his paw writing surprisingly neat.
"A few pounds heavier then most fillies your age..."
Looking up, Gabriel smirked as the filly blew a rasberry, her muzzle scrunched. Behind them, Fluttershy covered her mouth as she giggled. Taking out a thermometer, Gabriel said "Now, be a good pup. Say aww."
Crossing her forelegs across her chest, Bunny gave a petulant shake of her head. Still smirking, Gabriel responded "Open up your mouth, or I'll put it a place you wont be able to spit it out."
Bunny opened her mouth as her mother fell into another fit of giggles.
.......................................
Bunny sucked noisily on the straw of her drink as her mother tapped her hoof in time to the music playing. At the restaurant they decided to eat at, a local grey furred earth with a treble cleft cutie had set up, and serenaded the patrons with her music. Finishing her set, Octavia set herself back down on three legs, the forth still holding up the instrument as she bowed to the hoof stomps and cheers. As she put the instrument away, Fluttershy and Bunny made their way to her, the pink maned mare throwing a few bits into her case.
"Oh, Miss Octavia. That was wonderful!"
Looking up, the pony gave a nod, then turned back to her work. Somewhat put out, Fluttershy turned towards the restaurants exit, then gave a slight gasp. A human walked through the door, a human she knew.
"Ezekiel..."
Author's Note
After getting the call an hour ago, the event of which inspired, and in its own, required the poorly written word to work through, this one shot is done in honor of a friend who got the clear from the doctor after a bout with cancer. He's not out of the woods, but it looks good. If you can, please donate to the Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Arizona Cancer Research Center, or any other reputable and trustworthy organizations.
And as I said below, keep all comments respectful. God bless. I'm off to bed!
