“Jackie, where are you!? If you let the water get cold, I’m goin’ tan that hide.” Buttercup lifted up the cover of her bed softly, eyes glancing underneath in a stern manner filling with annoyance.
Large hoofsteps echoed behind her as she lifted upward, turning around with a small frown atop her muzzle gazing to her husband. He would only chuckle in return his coat soaking wet, mane frazzled and moist from an epic battle earlier.
“Still can’t find her?” Bright spoke up doing his best to stifle a laugh.
“No luck yet, how did Mac take his bath?”
“Took a bit of rustlin’ but that boy is clean for another day at least.” Bright smirked and shook the water from his coat, splashing his wife who gently swiped a hoof at him playfully.
“Jackie, did you hear that!? Your brother was big enough to take his bath, now come on out young lady!”
“He wasn’t big! Just slow…” The muffled voice of a filly echoed from inside the walls of the old farm house.
Buttercup softly shook her head side to side in defeat, a hoof gently rubbing up and down upon her temple. Bright Mac gazing to his wife in a bit of shock, placing a ear against the wall slowly before hearing the skittering of tiny hooves within.
“Oh sweet apples! She’s in the wall again.” Buttercup let a loud sigh escape her lips.
“Now Apple of my eye! You listen here, come on out of the wall and take yer bath!” Bright spoke up in a stern voice, eyes narrowing to the wall awaiting a reply.
“Nuh uh! I’m goin’ live here forever!”
“You don’t even have food!”
“I brought a bag of apples, pssst.” The sound of a blown raspberry echoed from inside the wall.
“Now Jackie! I taught you to respect yer elders, you will come out now and apologize!” Buttercup could feel her muzzle scrunch up cutely, stomping hooves over to the wall in growing anger.
“I’m sorry...that you both are too fat! Too fat to get in here hehehe!” The giggling of a filly mockingly traveled out of the wall.
Buttercup gave a sigh before undoing her long auburn hair from its ponytail, her mane cascading down her backside before she walked over to a corner of the room. Lifting a hoof up she bucked a large hole into the wall, eyes narrowing in anger as she limbered her body up.
“I’m goin’ in, that hide is mine!” Buttercup slid down onto her belly, slowly squeezing into the wall with a bit of work.
“Honey, you better get out of there! Yer Ma is coming for that tail, I’m tellin’ the truth!” Bright gently tapped the wall with a warning, using his other hoof to slick back his wet mane.
“Yer lyin! I’m not...ahhhh!” A shrill scream came from within the wall, as the sound of tiny hooves trying to skimper off filled the room.
“Gotcha by the tail!”
“Noooo! Let me goooo!”
“Stop bucking!”
“Ahhhh! Ahhhhh!”
“Grrrr! She’s spitting up chewed apple!”
“Help! She wants to bathe me!”
The wall started to creak aloud inside the parents room, Bright was quick to back up from the cracking lines spreading across the wall. The sounds of a struggle grew louder before the wall gave way, Buttercup crashing onto the floor holding a defeated filly in her hooves.
“ ‘Cough’ No!” Jackie was covered in dark brown dust, down from her mane to her hooves.
Buttercup lifted the child into the air for her husband, her own coat now a murky bronze color with all types of debris in her once silken mane. Bright sighing with a chuckle, scooping up the filly and smiling down to his wife.
“My sweetest thing, you are just a fighter!” Bright leaned downward, his lips meeting Buttercup’s as they shared a tender embrace.
“Mmmhmm. I have to, with that wild child.” Buttercup gave a weak smile upward, taking a few moments to catch her breath.
“Ewww, Daddy why kiss mommy? Don’t you know that is how cooties are spread?” Jackie made a small gag noise, her tail swishing side to side as her dad carried her off under his right hoof for a bath.
“I do declare, that girl will be a wildfire!” The mare lifted off her backside, walking downstairs to the kitchen for one last bath time.
Maybe then she could enjoy a nice long soak herself, walking into the messy kitchen on this bright cozy sunday afternoon. Pale blue eyes falling to the high chair next to the old oak table, her last child guaranteed to be the easiest.
“Who wants a bath in the sink…” Buttercup let her eyes widen in sheer fright, a fine layer of dust wafting off her mane as she noticed Bloom was gone.
Tiny skittering of hooves echoing from the ceiling high above, as the mare let her ears fold down in a beaten fashion. Shaking her head to the side slowly, leaning up against the kitchen sink far beyond flustered.
“Mac, Ma needs you!” Buttercup softly yelled into the living room, her son drenched to his hooves walking inside.
His coat flat and still covered in some bubbly soap, looking pretty much like a drowned rat at the moment. His eyes locking onto his mother lovingly, her muzzle forming into a small smile.
“Yes Ma?”
“Do you remember when your Pa had you catch that racoon in the ceiling?”
“Eeyup, used a pillow case and an apple.”
“Get the case and fish out your baby sister, before she builds a nest in there.” The mare gazed up to the ceiling slowly, not knowing if she should laugh or cry.
“Ok, do I club her too?” Mac asked with a stone face expression, his mother giving a blank stare in return.
“Bright, I’ll be in the ceiling with a pillow case!” Buttercup simply pushed past her son, eyes tracking the movements within the ceiling.
Mac gave a shrug in place just happy his bath time was over, those large green eyes gazing outside in cheer. Galloping out into the bright sunshine to enjoy the nature around him, mud splashing over his coat while he vanished into the horizon through some puddles.
Today was indeed a relaxing day.
