Buttons's Boutique

It’s that time of year again where I spend an hour and a half making my kids wear a tiny Santa hat.

If you remember, here they were last year.

Merry Christmas from Abby, Jazzy (she still hates this so much), Tiddles, Elijah, Izzie, Ted, Koda, and our newest member Kai!

The train was certainly an impressive sight, made with steel and powered by coal and steam. As they boarded into their private cab, Written began spinning tales for his daughters, “You know, the train isn’t really powered by steam. They actually have a team of dragons beneath the floor. They use the coal to make strong gouts of flame to power the wheels. So if you ever hear a crunching sound, or hear air rushing past, that’s the dragons making us go.”

It wasn’t a very long trip, but it gave ample time for the unfortunately busy father to catch up, and play with his twin daughters. At one point in our trip, someone had opened the door to complain that we were being too noisy. Normally, this would be fine, and they would quiet down.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Written questioned his daughters, before spending a good ten or so minutes trying to get them to laugh as he made impressions of the rude stallion. This is what he’s been missing, time with his family, laughing and playing. No wonder he had started to feel unhappy, he was too busy working to spend time with the one thing that brings him the most joy:

Buttons relaxed into the seat with a smile on her face, her lilac eyes closed as she cradled a sleeping Thimble to her chest in a bundle. The girls laughed along with their father with Cotton sticking her tongue out at the passenger who told them to settle down.

An hour later, the train lurched to a stop at the large city of Canterlot. The expensive-looking decor of the train station was much more grand than the small station back in Ponyville. Buttons woke and stood up excitedly at the closed train doors. 

“Canterlot station!” the conductor pony shouted. The doors swished open and several ponies boarded and exited the train. Among those boarding was none other than Stitches. The young unicorn looked much bigger. He carried a dark brown saddle bag and wore his signature grey and white bow tie. 

“Oh, my handsome colt!” Buttons cried, happy tears beginning to track down her face as she wrapped her son in a tight hug, careful not to squish the now awake foal. 

Stitches chuckled, his voice obviously deeper. “Moooom,” he groaned playfully and somewhat embarrassed. “I missed you too but you’re going to suffocate me.”

Buttons let go with a laugh and wiped her tears away. The girls took their turn and gave their older brother a hug. 

“You look fatter,” Cotton teased. 

“Yeah, well you’re still short, shorty,” Stitches returned playfully, tousling her mane with his hoof. He stopped and placed a kiss on both Cotton and Ribbon’s cheeks as well as Thimble’s head. He turned to his father and wrapped a leg around his neck.

It was rare that he would talk like that about his editor, but he wasn’t wrong. He was a nervous, anxious, angry mess, but a very good editor. That stallion really needs a vacation, too. “And this one… Is from the number one stallion in your life!”

“This is absolutely fantastic,” she said, her chest swelling with the increasing excitement of getting a vacation and getting to see her son again. “I suppose we should get everything ready to go. We should take the train to Canterlot, pick up Stitches, and head out from there, I think.” The pegasus mare walked into the kitchen, baby Thimble still asleep in her wings, and began to prepare breakfast. “Would you get the girls up and ready?” she asked her husband. After the burners on the oven were ignited and ingredients were placed on the counter top, Buttons trotted over to Written and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ran her hoof lovingly down his face.

“Cotton, darling, it’s time to get up.” Written whispered quietly to the small pegasus, his quill gently tickling her nose as they walked. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so… Excited to be awake! It couldn’t possibly have been the wedding… Was it? That was going to need to be fixed.

“I can’t wait to get going and see Stitches again,” Ribbon said. Her sister groaned again and slid off of Written’s back to stand. The two fillies gathered their belongings that were packed into their suitcases the night before and dragged them out into the living room.

Buttons had prepared buttermilk pancakes with plenty of maple syrup and apples on the side for breakfast. The mother set the table and served everyone a hearty portion so they could have enough energy for the long journey ahead of them. The girls did the dishes after breakfast while Buttons and Written gathered up everybody’s bags to take them downstairs. Ribbon used her magic to bring what was left down the stairs to meet their parents at the door to the boutique.

Buttons turned the sign over to a yellow sign with blue, cursive writing that read “On Vacation! Back in 2 Weeks!”

A cab cart and drive stallion waited out front of the boutique to take the family to the train station. With Thimble in Buttons’s saddle carrier fast asleep, the couple helped their daughters into the carriage and secured themselves in as well. The stallion reared back and began galloping toward the train station.

It was rare that he would talk like that about his editor, but he wasn’t wrong. He was a nervous, anxious, angry mess, but a very good editor. That stallion really needs a vacation, too. “And this one… Is from the number one stallion in your life!”

“This is absolutely fantastic,” she said, her chest swelling with the increasing excitement of getting a vacation and getting to see her son again. “I suppose we should get everything ready to go. We should take the train to Canterlot, pick up Stitches, and head out from there, I think.” The pegasus mare walked into the kitchen, baby Thimble still asleep in her wings, and began to prepare breakfast. “Would you get the girls up and ready?” she asked her husband. After the burners on the oven were ignited and ingredients were placed on the counter top, Buttons trotted over to Written and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ran her hoof lovingly down his face.

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, darling,” Buttons said, draping her forelegs over her husband’s shoulders to lean her head on him. “We could all certainly use a vacation. And maybe a week in a tropical paradise will help you get past this writer’s block of yours to produce your next masterpiece.”

The mare gave Written a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and calling out the door. 

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I got an actual vacation,” Buttons spoke up. “This is going to be the best week I’ve had in such a long time.”

After bags were packed and everybody had calmed down later in the evening, the family settled in for the night. The television was on in the living room with the two fillies lying next to each other on the loveseat. Cotton lay upside down on her back watching the cartoons with her sister. On the opposite couch, Thimble was asleep in his mother’s hooves after just having eaten.

Cotton and Ribbon soon felt a rather familiar feeling as their father’s magic wrapped around the two of them, lifting them off of the couch and draping them across his back, “Alrighty, time for bed! We’ll be leaving bright and early tomorrow, and you two will want to be fully awake on the trip! Equestria’s plains, groves, and lakes make for an incredibly beautiful sight!”

“Ughhh, fine. Can we just leave now?” the pegasus filly complained, not wanting to wait until morning to get their trip started.

Buttons rolled her eyes playfully and scooped up the sleeping Thimble in her wings. She followed Written into the fillies’ bedroom to tuck them in, giving them both kisses and promising to see them in the morning for their trip.

Back in their bedroom, the pegasus placed their sleeping baby into his crib, kissing him lovingly as well and tucking him in. Buttons crawled into bed next to her husband and snuggled up against him.

“I am definitely ready for bed. Better get all the rest we can get, because this next week is going to be fun yet exhausting,” she said with a laugh. 

Sleep came easy to all in the boutique apartment and morning soon came. Sleep was interrupted by a knock on the boutique door. 

The unicorn stuck his head out of the window, smiling gently, “Ah, yes, thank you! I’ll be right there.” He pulled his head back in, and slowly shut his window. He made his way downstairs, combing my mane and putting a tie on as I went, stopping to use my magic once more, picking up an unconscious Cotton, who must have escaped to watch some more TV.

With the return of the stallion back upstairs, Buttons had woken and stood in the hallway groggily rubbing the sleep from her eyes with baby Thimble cradled in her wing. She let out a huge yawn.

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, darling,” Buttons said, draping her forelegs over her husband’s shoulders to lean her head on him. “We could all certainly use a vacation. And maybe a week in a tropical paradise will help you get past this writer’s block of yours to produce your next masterpiece.”

The mare gave Written a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and calling out the door. 

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I got an actual vacation,” Buttons spoke up. “This is going to be the best week I’ve had in such a long time.”

After bags were packed and everybody had calmed down later in the evening, the family settled in for the night. The television was on in the living room with the two fillies lying next to each other on the loveseat. Cotton lay upside down on her back watching the cartoons with her sister. On the opposite couch, Thimble was asleep in his mother’s hooves after just having eaten.

Cotton and Ribbon soon felt a rather familiar feeling as their father’s magic wrapped around the two of them, lifting them off of the couch and draping them across his back, “Alrighty, time for bed! We’ll be leaving bright and early tomorrow, and you two will want to be fully awake on the trip! Equestria’s plains, groves, and lakes make for an incredibly beautiful sight!”

“Ughhh, fine. Can we just leave now?” the pegasus filly complained, not wanting to wait until morning to get their trip started.

Buttons rolled her eyes playfully and scooped up the sleeping Thimble in her wings. She followed Written into the fillies’ bedroom to tuck them in, giving them both kisses and promising to see them in the morning for their trip.

Back in their bedroom, the pegasus placed their sleeping baby into his crib, kissing him lovingly as well and tucking him in. Buttons crawled into bed next to her husband and snuggled up against him.

“I am definitely ready for bed. Better get all the rest we can get, because this next week is going to be fun yet exhausting,” she said with a laugh. 

Sleep came easy to all in the boutique apartment and morning soon came. Sleep was interrupted by a knock on the boutique door. 

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, darling,” Buttons said, draping her forelegs over her husband’s shoulders to lean her head on him. “We could all certainly use a vacation. And maybe a week in a tropical paradise will help you get past this writer’s block of yours to produce your next masterpiece.”

The mare gave Written a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and calling out the door. 

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I got an actual vacation,” Buttons spoke up. “This is going to be the best week I’ve had in such a long time.”

After bags were packed and everybody had calmed down later in the evening, the family settled in for the night. The television was on in the living room with the two fillies lying next to each other on the loveseat. Cotton lay upside down on her back watching the cartoons with her sister. On the opposite couch, Thimble was asleep in his mother’s hooves after just having eaten.

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, darling,” Buttons said, draping her forelegs over her husband’s shoulders to lean her head on him. “We could all certainly use a vacation. And maybe a week in a tropical paradise will help you get past this writer’s block of yours to produce your next masterpiece.”

The mare gave Written a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and calling out the door. 

The apartment was sparkling, and the stallion had never seemed more alive to the two girls than today, “How was school today? Your mother and I have some wonderful news to tell you about for the next two weeks!” He stands up quietly, walking over to Ribbon, placing a small kiss on her forehead, then offering a hoofbump to Cotton. My magic shifts the colt from my head to my back as I begin to move.

“What do you think it is?” Cotton asked.

“I have no idea,” Ribbon replied.

In Buttons’s room, the pegasus stirred with a sleepy smile at her husband’s kisses. She begrudgingly opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Her yellow hooves rubbed the sleep away from her lilac eyes.

“Time to get up already?” she asked with a joking pout before hopping up out of bed and following her husband out into the living room where her daughters sat in anticipation.

The twin fillies looked at each other in excitement. 

“We’ll need one moment of your patience,” Cotton said, turning her sister around. Unintelligible whispers could be heard from the two. A few seconds later, they turned around with their decision.

“We’ve uh...never been to the beach,” Ribbon said with a smile.

The apartment was sparkling, and the stallion had never seemed more alive to the two girls than today, “How was school today? Your mother and I have some wonderful news to tell you about for the next two weeks!” He stands up quietly, walking over to Ribbon, placing a small kiss on her forehead, then offering a hoofbump to Cotton. My magic shifts the colt from my head to my back as I begin to move.

“What do you think it is?” Cotton asked.

“I have no idea,” Ribbon replied.

In Buttons’s room, the pegasus stirred with a sleepy smile at her husband’s kisses. She begrudgingly opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Her yellow hooves rubbed the sleep away from her lilac eyes.

“Time to get up already?” she asked with a joking pout before hopping up out of bed and following her husband out into the living room where her daughters sat in anticipation.