Berry Punch

I sighed as I leaned on the bar, sliding a drink down the wooden surface to the waiting stallion. This job didn’t pay well but I had a filly so I did what I had to do.

I tugged a bit on my work shirt and winced a bit. At least they provided a shirt that covered up my bruises my coltfriend gives out whenever he’s mad. At least he never hit our daughter because he would end up dead.

“Hey Berry,” my boss Moonlight slid up on the bar next to me. “Busy shift?” I forced a smile and shrugged.

“Oh you know it!” I chuckled and accepted some bits, putting them in the register and waving goodbye to a randomly stallion. I always tried to be friendly to our customers, might get promoted to manager and make more money. “Hearts and Hooves days is always busy. Especially for the single stallions and mares.”

“Got that right,” Moonlight laughed as he poured him a glass of whiskey and drank it in one go. “Listen, why don’t you head on home? Star Shine is coming in shortly. We’re giving out holiday pay, so you got some extra bits coming your way.”

I smiled at the thought of being able to hopefully buy my daughter some more school supplies, maybe some actual toys that weren’t donated or tossed on the street. Maybe some actual saddlebags so she didn’t have to carry everything on her back.

“Thanks boss,” I nodded and trotted my way to the double doors, pushing them open. I winced at the bright light and covered my eyes at the bright sun.

Baltimare was a, not surprisingly, a busy town. I originally came out here to get away from my strict parents and to find fame and fortune. Instead, I got a daughter that I love, no fame or fortune and an abusive partner.

If it wasn’t for Ruby, I’d have left him years ago. He’s good to our daughter, just not to me. Apparently it’s all my fault his acting career died. I don’t have the heart to tell him his acting sucks.

I trotted down the strip and inhaled, taking in the smells of the city before taking a quick glance at the street signs. As bad a rep this city gets, it’s actually pretty good.

I pushed some doors of a rundown apart building and trotted in. I sighed and stared up at the staircase as I pushed open the doors to them.

My forelegs and hindquarters burned by the time I reached the top. I read off the apartment numbers as I reached my apartment, fumbling for the key before it slid in and I opened the door.

A mulberry blur that matched my coat attached itself to my foreleg and I smiled down warmly.

“Hi mom!” Ruby exclaimed happily as she squeezed my leg harder. I rubbed her mane with my other hoof and sighed.

“Hey love. Have a good day at school?” I asked as I started trotting with her attached to my leg.

“Yeah! We learned about the various weather patterns today.”

“Is that so?” I snickered as she finally let go and I leaned down to nuzzle her. “What did ya learn?”

“About cumo-cumula-” Ruby grumbled as she rubbed her chin in frustration.

“Cumulonimbus?” I suggested as we worked our way to kitchen and I sighed. Looks like asparagus and potatoes again because Golden didn’t get groceries again.

“Yeah that!”

“Okay. What’s a cumulonimbus then?” I asked curiously as I got down a pot.

“Cloud forming a towering mass with a flat base at fairly low altitude and often a flat top as in thunderstorms,” Ruby recited as I filled the pot with water and tossed the asparagus in it.

“Good work!” I stomped a hoof down approvingly.

“What’s all that racket?” Golden demanded and I groaned internally.

“Ruby go to your room,” I instructed and pointed a hoof. Room was being kind. It was just our closet with the door taken off. “Now.”

Ruby nodded nervously and galloped off up the stairs and hopefully went to her room. Golden stumbled into the room and I instinctively stepped back as I smelled alcohol on his coat. We both may have a drinking problem, his a bit worse than mine.

“Hello,” I forced a smile. “How was work?”

“Shit.”

“I’m sorry,” I said and inched forward the stove.

“Your daughter is hungry by the way. We had a good day. Went to the park, watched the fish.”

“Our daughter,” I corrected with a frown as I stirred the asparagus. “You forgot to get groceries by the way. We agreed that we switch weekly who does it.” I gasped as a hoof slammed into my back, wincing.

“I don’t care! You were on the way home from work. You should have stopped and got stuff!”

“I didn’t know!” I shouted angrily at him. “You really wanna do this again? Our daughter is upstairs, our neighbors can hear this. Do you really want the police ponies here again?”

“Your daughter! I never wanted her!” Golden snapped as he glared at me and I glared back.

“You helped make her last I checked. It takes two of us. You were so excited to have her years ago, what the hell happened to you?” I demanded as I turned the stove off.

“She ruined my acting career! If I knew having a foal would have ruined that, I would never have had her!” Golden shouted as I growled. It didn’t really help that we were both earth ponies. We were naturally stronger than the other tribes.

“Your acting sucks!” I screamed as he raised a hoof and Ruby jumped in front of me. “Ruby, back to your room.”

“Leave mom alone. Can’t you two get along?” Ruby asked as she hugged my leg. Golden shoved her aside and faced her with a hoof raised as my eyes widened. Ruby stepped back nervously as I inhaled and tackled him.

“You can hit me all you want but you won’t dare hit my daughter in front of me or ever hit her,” I snarled as I pressed a hoof against his throat. “Am I clear? I will kill you if you do.”

He weakly nodded as I released him and he stumbled to his hooves, staggering to the living room and I heard the sound of him falling on our old couch.

“Ruby go pack your bags. Quietly. When he is asleep, I’ll come get you. Deal?”

“Deal. Are we going on a vacation?”

I chuckled and rubbed her mane.

“You could say that. Now get a move on my little filly.”

Ruby nodded as she bounced up the stairs quietly. I had my own bags to pack but first, I needed a drink.

Author's Note

Jumping right into the action, fuck it lol. Hopefully you guys (and girls) enjoy. I have a lot planned here.