Cutter and Darling

"I really must urge you to reconsider, Admiral," Bay Leaf huffed as he trotted along beside me up the road to my house. He skipped ahead a few steps to fix me with an uneasy frown. "The council is expecting your report to, well, come from you." I huffed hard as I immediately pulled off my boots the second my feet touched the path leading to my door.

"Then they should probably clarify that in our charter," I grunted as I marched on, hurling my footwear to the side. "'Cause I spent plenty of time reading it and it just says they need a report from me. Nothing about me being the one to deliver it." I waved a hand at him as he wilted, allowing me to stomp up the stairs to my front door.

"Now off with you," I ordered, fixing him with a weary frown. "I'm fucking exhausted, and if one more thing keeps me out of my house, I swear to your silly pink-haired god-" The door slammed open, violently snapping my attention forward just in time for me to get slammed in the chest and sent sprawling onto my back.

"Papa! Papa! Papa! Papa!" Lily squealed as she frantically pranced on my chest. I coughed and sputtered as I reeled from her sudden assault.

"Hey, wha-" I wheezed before she knelt and nuzzled my neck.

"OkayIloveyoubuhbye!" She chirped before spreading her wings and shooting back inside, leaving behind a faint orange trail. I stared at the open door in wonder before Bay Leaf cleared his throat.

"Well, I leave you to it, then," he declared before trotting away. Suddenly, through the door, I heard a crash and then rolled to my feet before leaping inside. There, I saw the faint orange trail signaling Lily's passage as she zipped overhead. As I marveled at the sight, Blood Orange suddenly came flying into view.

"Lily!" She cried before noticing me and tumbling in the air to stop herself and fix me with a nervous smile. "Oh! Hey~."

"The fu-" I choked when she furrowed her brow. Nodding, I corrected myself throwing a hand up at Lily as she zipped over her head again. "The funny happened?" Orange scrunched up her muzzle before considering the high-speed filly and then sighed and landed right in front of me.

"Okay," she sighed before shaking her head at me. "But you can't get mad at me." I recoiled for just an instant before scowling.

"What'd you do?" I demanded.

"It's not my fault," she argued, holding up a hoof.

"What. Did you do?" I pressed as Lily squealed overhead again, pausing above us to do a three-ringed spiral and then vanishing again.

"She! Insisted!" Orange spat, jabbing her hoof at me.

"She. Is seven," I spat back, jabbing a damning finger at her with every word. "What. Did you. Do?" She scrunched her muzzle again and shook for a moment before grunting.

"Okay," she huffed, slowly nodding. "You know those special grapes I get imported?" I held my furrowed brow for a moment and glanced to the side in thought.

"From Prance?" She added, causing me to gasp aloud and hard.

"No," I begged, shaking my head and looking at her in horror.

She reared up against my leg and fixed me with a teary-eyed pout. "She wanted to try one! She begged!" I slapped her hooves off causing her to stumble.

"You're sleeping outside tonight," I spat before spotting Lily's trail and taking off after her. "Lily!"

As I pursued our rogue filly, I found the house staff all cowering under display tables and in closets, peeking out with terrified eyes at the shattered plates and vases decorating the floor. Finally, I found her in the dining room, standing on the table and-

Just sort of. Vibrating.

I cleared my throat and slowly held out both my hands. "Lily, come here please," I urged. She beamed in response.

"Hi, Papa!" She chirped. "I feel really good!"

I beamed back as I slowly crept closer. "Great! Why don't we-" I recoiled with a murmur when she snapped to a low stance and spread her wings, fixing me with a determined grin.

"And fast!" She added. I took a shaky breath and took another step.

"Lily. C'mere," I begged.

"Nuh-uh!" She challenged, scraping her hoof against the table. "Come get me." I grunted and took another step.

"Okay, okay. Just-" I leaped at her but my hands swept in and grabbed only air, causing me to slam into the table. "Damn it!"

"Bad word," she chirped, appearing behind me and gently popping me on the head before shooting away with a giggle. Orange flew in through the door and took off after her to no avail. She continued zipping in a progressively narrow circle until, suddenly, she came to a quite literally screeching halt and slowly fluttered to the ground with a wide-eyed expression. Orange and I shared a look, but before we could move to grab her, she suddenly gagged and then puked all over the floor. I hissed and hummed at the sight before Lily coughed a few times and sniffled before huddling on the floor and holding her stomach.

"Ow," she squeaked. I gently scooped her up and cradled her as I made for the door, shooting Orange a venomous glare as we passed her. She retorted with a bashful grin before trotting on after me.

"Come on. Let's get you to the doctor," I sighed as Lily sniffled and hugged my arm.

I sat on the edge of Lily's bed, helping her sip the last of the medicine the doctor prepared for her. Once her glass was empty she slowly settled back against her pillows with an uncomfortable whimper. I set the glass aside and pulled her blanket up over her.

"There, how's that?" I asked as I tucked her in. "That help your belly?"

"Mhm," she murmured in response. She made a weak and weary sigh before closing her eyes, at which point I reached over and snuffed the candle providing light to the room. As I stood up and moved to close the curtains, I paused with a scowl at what I saw.

Outside and up against the window was Orange, who fixed me with a watery-eyed frown. Snapping the curtains shut solved that issue easily enough.