New Moon (My Little Pony)

17 Tenure Grace (2/2)

Bud's walk back to her apartment was an unpleasant trek for her. Her conference with Hawk Inkwell left her in low spirits, muffling her with self-reflections that she rather not deal with so soon after finding clarity with her previous dilemma. It's like the world refuses to give her a moment of peace.

Bud stopped herself at the door of her apartment and tried her best to empty her mind of these troublesome thoughts. She can't falter anymore in front of her foals. She needs them to know that she is their sanctuary despite how much her daughter would spout otherwise.

Recollecting herself, Bud finally opened the door and all of her fortitudes shook off when her daughter immediately planted her body over Bud's face. Bud stumbled back at her daughter's sudden pounce as Nebula was swift to crawl her body behind Bud's head.

"Nebula," Bud voiced. "What in Equestria did you do that for?"

"Because you took too long to return to your duties," Nebula retorted das she started grinding her small fangs on Bud's mane.

"Stop trying to bite me," Bud said. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't that bad."

"By the stars," Nebula swore. "Are you really that much of a dunce? That foolish hag you call a mother had overstepped her bounds on countless occasions. Despite my assert of authority, that mare continues to have the gall to breach the grounds we have set between each other."

"She's a fast one," Bud perked at her mother who emerged from her apartment. "She disappeared out of my hooves the moment you turned the knob. I think she really missed you."

"Do not trust the words of this succubus," Nebula retorted as she pointed accusingly at Hope. "Clearly, her aim is to eradicate the little dignity that I have left."

"What did you do mom?" Bud sighed.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Hope answered. "She's just determined to resist my love."

"Have you considered that you might be coming on too strong on Nebula?"

"Oh just come inside," Hope said as she stepped aside from the entrance to the apartment. "We don't want to disturb our neighbors."

"You mean my neighbors," Bud corrected as she entered the apartment.

"You shouldn't get so territorial," Hope said as she followed behind Bud. "It'll only embolden Nebula's very own."

In the small living room of Bud's apartment, Bud found Lazul on the floor with Bud's son, Artemis, raised in the air at the end of Lazuli's hooves. Artemis cheered with a high pitch as he swung his hooves outwardly as if he was swimming across the air.

Lazuli turned her sights toward Bud after hearing her hoofsteps. "Heh, figured it was you. Who else would Nebula jump out for."

"I did not miss her!"Nebula shouted as she spread her wings. "All of you will cease this denouncement of my character and treat me with the respect I deserve."

Perching atop Bud's head was Nebula's attempt to assert her dominance by appearing larger than she actually was; however, a strong argument can be said that it had the opposite effect. She came off as a pompous cutie the way she flexes herself atop her mother. If anything, it's like she was begging to be teased, which Bud inevitably proceeded to do when she grabs Nebula within her hooves and cuddled her cheeks to her own. "Well I missed you," Bud said as she brought Nebula and herself to the small couch in the living room.

At the sound of Bud's voice, Artemis immediately cried and flailed toward his mother's direction. Lazuli lowered him to her pectoral and said, "Want to see your mama, eh? Well, maybe I'll be willing to let you go if you--oof." Before Lazuli could finish her playful demand, Artemis leaped off from Lazuli and awkwardly rushed his way to the couch Lazuli rose on her hind and complained, "You could at least let me finish."