Secured in a harness, Piña waited. Behind her, Bucky sat in a small sleigh, a sleek double seater that was light and quick. Grinning, Bucky looked up at the blue sky and decided that today was a good day for a nice trip.

When Bucky was certain that Piña wasn’t looking, his horn flashed and the sleigh became noticeably lighter. He pulled his hood up over his head, slipped into partial shadow to make himself lighter, and then gave a high pitched whistle.

Piña Colada took off, straining against the harness, her hooves scrabbling over the crusted ice and snow. After a moment, she found traction and the sleigh lurched forward. As she pulled, as miserable as she was, Piña could not help but to have a miserable smile.

This was much easier than she thought it would be. She was stronger than she thought she was. She almost started to run, but decided to pace herself. Pulling forward at a steady pace, Piña began the trek to Ponyville.

Feeling a sense of pride, Piña came to a halt outside of Carousel Boutique. The cold air burned in her lungs. Her head felt clearer, she had been able to think the entire trip into town, and she didn’t feel so down in the dumps.

She felt the harness slip off from around her.

“Coming in?” Bucky asked.

Piña, unable to look her father in the eye, nodded while keeping her head low.

“Well, come on then.”

Rarity and Coco were miracle workers. The gown, already nearing completion, needed to be fitted and finished. Bucky, walking on three legs, hobbled around the dress form and looked it over, nodding as he studied it.

“How did you do this so quickly?” Bucky asked.

Rarity shook her head. “A lady never tells her secrets.”

The gown, a dark olive green, had accents of dark blue and purple. Onyxes studded the collar. It was form fitting, sleek, with a flowing train that draped down the rear. The front sleeves were ruffled.

Coco tittered and covered her mouth with her hoof. “You are going to be the belle of the ball.” The earth pony blushed and looked away from Bucky. “Is it wrong that I really want to see you in that gown?”

“I bet my wives are going to want to see that gown rumpled up at the foot of the bed.”

Coco inhaled, a sharp quick intake, and a creeping pink tint took over her body. “Oh dear… its warm in here. I think I need to step outside for a moment. Do excuse me.”

“Darling… you must stop doing that,” Rarity said as Coco stepped out the door. “When she recovers, she becomes so needy. It makes it very difficult to get any work done.” Rarity watched the door close and then turned to look at Piña, who was looking at foal sized gowns and dresses. After watching Piña for a moment, she looked at Bucky. “Why are you always in bandages or in various stages of healing?”

Shrugging, Bucky blinked at Rarity, saying nothing.

Rarity rolled her eyes and wickered, almost chuckling. “Come… I shall try to make this as painless as possible, we need to make sure everything fits properly.”

Mindful of Bucky’s flesh, Rarity slipped another pin into a tucked bit of fabric. She gave a pull with her magic, then a tug, and then, after shaking her head in frustration, she gave a yank.

Coco, working on the sleeves, tried to make sure that the ruffles on each sleeve were balanced and equal on both sides. She poked and prodded the fabric with her hoof, fluffing it out, and seeing how draped.

“Ladies… I have a question.”

“Yes?” Rarity asked.

“I cannot help but notice, but the… uh… well there is a part of the dress along my belly that is very tight and form fitting. How do I… uh… er… use the little fillies room?” Bucky replied.

“Oh dear, I hadn’t thought of that.” A worried wrinkle appeared on Rarity’s muzzle. “When us little fillies need to use the little fillies room, we can… um… with a great deal of care and perhaps some assistance, just lift up the back and take care of business.”

“I have to straddle the bowl.” Bucky’s eyes locked forward and he stared at a picture of a vase upon the wall.

“Oh dear, this is a design challenge. We needed to add the support system right along there so it would cling to your graceful form.” Coco dropped her head, stuck it under Bucky’s belly, tilted it upwards, and had a look up at Bucky’s groin. She froze, mid stare, realising what she was doing.

There was a soft demure gasp.

“I… -ahem- I need some fresh air.” Coco excused herself and hurried out the front door of Carousel Boutique once more.

“She did that to herself.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed.

“That vase painting is… rather interesting.” Bucky did his best to pretend that nothing had happened. This was the sort of problem that would go away if ignored. His gaze shifted and he looked at Piña. She was almost smiling, humming to herself, and looking at a display of ribbons. He felt more tugging around his middle and then a section of fabric rubbed over a very ticklish area. He bit down upon his lip to keep from laughing.

“I think we’ll go with a few high strength buttons that can be undone. That should allow access to that area. Being a unicorn, it should be no problem buttoning up and unbuttoning the gown when you to use the little fillies room.” Rarity kept her head high and made no move to have a look down below.

“I can deal with buttons.” Bucky, looking at Piña, smiled as she looked herself over in a full length mirror. He watched as she circled, trying to see herself from all sides, and then she flicked her tail around to see how it swished.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” Bucky asked

Rarity turned to look at Piña and watched as the filly looked herself over. Piña raised one foreleg, held it up to her barrel, and then stuck it out, striking a pose. “You’re going to be a very busy father… she is going to grow up and be a stunner… like Fluttershy.”

His eyes narrowing, Bucky peered at Piña. “Yes, I suppose you are right. Little colts are going to have to know the rules.” He gave Rarity a sidelong glance. “I feel bad for her. Little colts are going to have to understand… her daddy is the bogeypony.”

“Now now, there is no sense in being an ogre,” Rarity said in a chiding voice. “A little protection is appreciated. Love and support are wonderful… but if you are overbearing, she will grow to hate you… or worse, go out and do something dreadfully stupid as a form of rebellion.”

“How do you and your dad get along?” Bucky asked.

“My daddy is wonderful. He chased away a few colts that were, indeed, bad for me. I found out later that my daddy was right… he had good instincts. I was angry with him for a time, but I grew up and matured a bit.” Rarity patted Bucky on the side. “You can be the bogeypony with those ones that raise the hair on the back of your neck.”

Humming, Rarity returned to the task of making sure that everything was perfect.

Reading her menu, Piña Colada had no idea what to get. There was a list of soups, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, hot entrees, cold entrees, combination lunch specials, there were too many choices to even begin to figure out where to start.

If she had to make a choice, why did there have to be so many?

Faced with far too many choices, Piña went with something simple. “I’ll take the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo.”

“Hmm,” Bucky replied.

“Can I get a slice of cherry cheesecake?” Piña asked.

“No.” Bucky looked up from his menu. “You are being punished.”

For a moment, Piña wanted to pout, but then realised that she was having too nice a time to pout. It had been fun spending time at Carousel Boutique. Coco had offered a few tips to help her look pretty. Rarity had shown her a few tricks to help with her mane. Her daddy had a pretty gown. Instead of pouting, she smiled.

“Hey daddy,” Piña said.

“Yes Piña?”

“What is the battlecry of the berserker cheese makers?”

Bucky looked at the pink foal sitting across the table. “I have no idea.”

Unable to contain herself, Piña snorted and let out a giggle. “Make whey.”

Forced to hide his face behind a menu, Bucky tried not to laugh. Piña was being punished after all. He feared that his eyes would betray him. “Piña, that was terrible.”

“I know.” Piña bobbed her head.

Dropping her head down, Piña got a drink of water, slurping it up through her straw. When she lifted her head, a waiter was standing beside the table.

“Two grilled cheese and tomato soup combos,” Bucky said as he looked at the waiter.

As the waiter turned to leave, Bucky cleared his throat. The waiter turned, raised one bushy eyebrow, and waited.

“Also, two slices of cherry cheesecake.”

“Very good, sir,” the waiter replied, and then departed.

“I thought I was being punished,” Piña said.

Bucky cleared his throat. “You are.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Piña, Berry Punch was standing just outside of the kitchen, down the hall a ways, listening to everything being said. She watched as I got the sleigh ready and got you harnessed.” Bucky went straight lipped. “Haven’t you had a rotten enough day already? I mean, come on. This day had been downright awful for both us. So we’re going to have a nice lunch, spend a little time together, and when we go home, you are going to do that whole sad act that you do so well for Berry and tell her what sort of horrible monster I am… maybe tell her that you wished that you have never been born.”

Piña’s jaw dropped.

“You had better do what I say. If you blow this, we’re both dead, do you understand me? You and I have to stick together. But you have to stop using the feckin’ f-word you little hooligan.”

Stunned into silence, Piña was unable to respond.

“On the last stretch home, I want you to run. I want you to be winded, miserable, and sucking air when we get home… if I get into trouble because of you, I am taking you down with me, am I making myself clear?”

Piña’s little pink head nodded and her mane spilled down around her eyes.

“I am your father. For good or for ill, I am here for you on good days and bad days. If you screw up, I will be hard on you. But I want you to remember that I am also your friend and I need for you to trust me, even if you are angry with me. Understood?”

A tear rolled down Piña’s cheek and she nodded.

“Now stop crying. We’re trying to have a nice day,” Bucky said, levitating his napkin over to Piña’s face to clean it up once again.

Author's Notes:

Has it ever been mentioned that Bucky is treacherous?

Take a typo to lucnh.