Spring Cleaning by DCFTEF (Candy Mane/Babs Seed)

Spring Cleaning by DCFTEF (fimfiction.net/user/Dangerous_Creature)

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Candy Mane grumbled as she looked at the clock.
>"When I get my hooves on that little filly..."
It was the day after Manehattan's Winter Wrap-Up, the traditional family spring cleaning day in Candy Mane & Streamline's household. Everypony was there (even Creme Egg had come to help despite the fact that she didn't live at home anymore), everypony but one.

Babs Seed had been trying to get out of this job for weeks.
>"Hey Mom, do ya'z think I could go visit cousin Apple Bloom around Wintah Wrap-Up time?"
>"Babs, you know perfectly well that's when we do our big family spring cleaning."

>"Hey Dad, ya think I could go to this show on da twenty-furst a'March? It's educational."
>"Twenty-first of March eh? Seems like you already have an appointment on that day...with a feather duster."

>"Eh, Mom, is it awright if I go on a campin' trip with my Crusada's Chapter...like, right around Wintah Wrap-Up time?"
>"Babs, I'm getting a little tired of you trying to get out of Spring Cleaning Day. It's only one day a year, it isn't foal abuse to ask you to to a little cleaning up. You certainly do your fair share of messing the apartment up."

Candy Mane couldn't understand why her youngest wanted out of this so desperately. Spring Cleaning Day was always fun...the whole family pitching in to get the apartment fresh & sparkling. But Babs had reached an age where she considered any manual labor a terrible burden. Creme Egg and Score Card had gone through this phase too...but they'd never been this bad. Young Babs was pushing her luck and probably didn't know how close she was to earning a spanking.

Now Spring Cleaning Day had arrived and Babs had given her the slip. Candy Mane had to blame her husband as well; he'd allowed their daughter to escape.
>"She just told me she had to run out for a few minutes to tell her friends she wouldn't be able to make it to their Cutie Mark meeting. She'll be right back."
And he fell for that?
>"Streamline! She's been trying to get out of this for weeks! Why did you let her go?"
Ugh...stallions could be so dense sometimes.

Candy Mane gave her daughter the benefit of the doubt. She'd give Babs an hour...if she wasn't back by then there would be trouble.
>"What's got Mom in such a bad mood?" asked Creme Egg.
Her younger brother Score Card spoke in hushed tones;
>"Babs skipped out this morning...she's trying to hide out and not help."
>"Is she crazy? Mom is gonna throw a fit!"
>"Yeah, Babs oughta know better."
Creme shrugged her shoulders and continued vacuuming around the sofa.
>"Well, it's her rear-end that's gonna pay the price."
But Score Card saw things differently;
>"When Mom's in a bad mood everypony is in danger."
An example of this immediately presented itself. Eager to make use of his burgeoning adolescent strength he lifted an end of the sofa so his elder sister could vacuum underneath it. Mom didn't like that one bit;
>"Score Card, put that down this instant! Leave the heavy lifting to your father! Creme Egg why are you letting him do that? Do you want your little brother to get hurt?"
>"Sorry Mom" they both muttered in unison.
Score was right...Babs transgression was making things tense for everyone.

It was now 10am and Babs Seed had not returned. Candy Mane's patience was at an end.
>"Alright, she's had enough time...that little filly is in big trouble now."
Score Card stepped up, genuinely trying to be helpful;
>"I know where her club-house is...I could go get her."
But frustrated Mom took his offer the wrong way;
>"Oh, so you can disappear too? No...your father can go fetch her."
With his wife in a foul mood Streamline briefly considered disappearing to the tavern for a few hours himself.

With directions provided by his son Streamline had no difficulty finding the Manehattan Cutie Mark Crusaders' club house. Down an alley near the loading docks, it was a rickety looking collection of discarded packing crates, pilfered pallets and wood scraps hammered together into something resembling a building. Above the front door (more like a front curtain) hung the familiar Cutie Mark Crusaders emblem, designed by a Unicorn pal of his own niece Apple Bloom. Respecting the sanctity of their club, Streamline knocked rather than just pulling up the door curtain.
>"What's the pass word?"
>"I'm sorry, I don't know the pass word. I need to speak to Babs Seed."
Surprised by the sound of an adult voice a little white Pegasus filly with pink mane poked her head out. She froze when she saw it was indeed an adult knocking at their door. That usually meant somepony was in trouble.
>"Are-are you Babs' daddy?"
Gently, without a hint of anger in his voice Streamline answered;
>"I am. Is she here?"
The Pegasus filly turned to a yellow Unicorn colt who was watching from the window and said;
>"Go get Babs, will ya?"
The Unicorn colt hurried off, disappearing into the labyrinth of boxes that made up their club-house and leaving his Pegasus friend to converse with a potentially angry grown-up.

>"Is Babs in trouble?" asked the filly, nervously.
>"Well, she had a family obligation this morning which she seems to have forgotten" replied Streamline.
The little Pegasus shifted her weight nervously and asked the question that was burning in her mind;
>"Are you gonna give Babs a spankin'?"
Streamline shook his head.
>"Not right now. I'm just here to bring her home."
It was obvious that the filly was worried about her friend, so Stream did his best to put her fears to rest.
>"Your name is Moon Glow, right? I've heard Babs talk plenty about you."
>"Yes Sir."
>"Well, you sound like a good filly, but I'll bet you still get in trouble sometimes, am I right?"
The Pegasus blushed and admitted sheepishly;
>"Sometimes."
Streamline continued;
>"But your parents still love you, right?"
>"Sure Mister...I know that, even when they hafta give me a spankin'."
>"Well it's that way with Babs. Her momma & I might be a little upset with her right now, but she's gonna be just fine. Is that alright?"
The worried filly managed a small smile and answered;
>"Yeah, I suppose so."

Just then Babs appeared, with a look on her face twice as worried as her friend.
>"Eh...umm...Dad...w-what brings you here?"
Streamline lowered his voice to an intimidating rumble.
>"Young filly, you know perfectly well why I'm here."
Babs pretended to be surprised.
>"Aww shoot! Spring Cleanin'! Sorry Dad, I totally forgot!"
>"Yeah, I'll bet. Come on...every minute you stall your mother is just getting angrier."
Babs cringed.
>"Is she really sore?"
>"I'd worry more about how sore you're going to be. Now hurry up!"
Her head hung low with worry, Babs departed. Just before he turned to follow her Streamline gave a glance to Moon Glow and winked. The young Pegasus still felt bad for her friend, but at least she knew everything was going to be okay.

On her way home Babs tried her best to mitigate the trouble she was in;
>"Dad, could ya maybe tell Mom I wuz already headed home when ya found me? Please?"
Streamline felt bad for his filly, but letting her off the hook would do her no favors. He had to be stern.
>"Babs, you're already in enough trouble, don't make it worse by lying."
She dropped the suggestion without any more begging. Trying to skip out of a chore was bad, but lying was a serious transgression that carried severe consequences. Babs didn't even want to think about that.
>"We're here" her father announced, as they arrived at their apartment building, "for your sake I hope you have a good explanation for your mother."

Babs Seed dragged her hooves a few times on the stairs, but a gentle nudge from Streamline let her know he wouldn't tolerate stalling. The instant she stepped in the door the filly felt the heat of her mother's anger.
>"I expect you think that was pretty clever, young filly?" snapped Candy Mane.
>"I'm sorry, Mom! I just went out ta tell my friends I was gonna miss our meetin' and I got side-tracked!"
>"That's not a very good excuse, missy, even if I did think it was the truth. Everypony has been here doing their share while you were hiding out."
Babs looked around the room for help but found none. Creme Egg and Score Card watched her plight with sympathy but obviously weren't sticking their necks out to get involved. Babs already knew how her dad felt...she was on her own.
>"Honest, Mom, I'm sorry! I'll get right to work right now! I'll do twice my share!"
>"You certainly will, but we have some business to attend to first."
The blank flank gulped. This was the moment she feared. There would be no promise that could save her from a sore backside.

>"Dear, could I have a word with you?"
Dad unexpectedly threw Babs a reprieve.
>"I'm a little busy dealing with YOUR daughter right now, dear."
>"Candy...a moment, please?"

Candy Mane understood the urgency in his voice, and relented.
>"Babs, wait for me in my bedroom."
With a self pitying whimper she trudged off to her place of execution.
Streamline took Candy Mane aside to the kitchen, where their three offspring could not hear.
>"Candy, dear, are you okay?"
>"Of course I am, Stream."
>"You just seem a bit angry. Would you prefer that I do this?"
Candy Mane understood her stallion's concern and took a deep breath. She was angry...maybe she did need to calm down a bit before she gave Babs her spanking. The mare took a few deep breaths and counted to ten.
>"I'm upset with her, but I'm okay, I'm in control."
>"You're sure? She's just an 11 year old filly who made a simple mistake. She got a little lazy...it's nothing worth getting crazy over."
Candy nodded.
>"You're right. I'm okay to do this. Thank you Stream."
He kissed her on the muzzle and joked;
>"I know you'll do the right thing. Now go light her little rump on fire."

Babs paced back and forth in her parents' bedroom. Walking toward the window was okay...cool fresh air, freedom. But when she turned around and walked toward the dresser she could not take her eyes off the terrible hairbrush.
>"Oh please oh please oh please don't let it be that today!"
Her backside tightened in fearful anticipation of what was surely coming...she prayed to Celestia, or Luna, or anyone who was listening to please show mercy on her.

And then Mom entered the room.

>"Momma, I'm sawwy, I weally, weally am!"
Sometimes when she was really stressed, Babs' voice slipped back into a sort of foalish baby-talk that slurred her r's into w's. Candy Mane saw this and spoke softly to calm her frantic filly down.
>"Sorry for getting side-tracked, like you told me at the door, or sorry for intentionally trying to skip out of work?"
Poor Babs was stuck. Telling the truth now seemed like the best course to avoid the terrible hairbrush, but that meant admitting that she'd lied when she first came in. Apple family honesty won out; no matter how much trouble it got her into Babs had to tell the truth.
>"*sniff* I knew'ed what I wuz doin' wrong...I wus tryin' to get outta my fair share of cleanin'. I'm really sorry...please don't use..."
The weeping filly was too scared, she could not bring herself to say the word 'hairbrush' out loud, but Candy Mane could see where her youngest was looking. She considered things for a moment before saying;
>"I see. Well at least you know you deserve a spanking with the hairbrush,"
Babs began trembling and crying in earnest.
>"but maybe you don't need one."
>"Oh please, Momma! I swear I'll do more than my share! Please don't use it! I'll work harder than anypony!"
Candy held up a hoof to stop her.
>"Babs, you understand that I'm going to hold you to that promise, right? And you're not getting completely out of a spanking...it's too late for that."
The tan filly looked scared but honestly contrite. She nodded.
>"I unda'stand, Mom."
>"It's still going to hurt, and you're going to cry...a lot...but if I let you off with just a hoof-spanking you're not going to fight me or struggle, right?"
A few tears fell, but Babs Seed agreed.
>"Yes, Momma."
>"That's good" said Candy Mane, giving her frightened foal a hug, "that's my brave young mare."

Candy went directly from the hug to drawing the filly across her lap. Babs was terrified...getting a spanking was the worst possible thing that could happen in the limited experience of her 11 years, but she'd promised not to fight or struggle.
For her part Candy Mane did not prolong her daughter's misery by dragging this out. As soon as the sobbing filly was in position over her lap she brushed Babs' tail aside and began the punishment.
*SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK*
>"AAAAOOooooowwwWWWOOOWWwwwWWHHAAAAAHHH!"
No matter how many times Babs Seed got her bottom spanked those first few smacks from her momma's hoof were always a shock. The reality hurt so much more than mere memory, and despite her promise not to fight or struggle the unfortunate filly was soon writhing in pain, desperately trying to twist her backside out of reach. It was a futile effort; Momma had complete control by now...the 11 year old did not stand a chance.
>"WHHHAAAHHHH! I'm sawwy! I'M SAAAAWWWWWWYYYYYY!"
There was no doubt that Babs was indeed sorry, but it didn't change things. Candy Mane intended to deliver the spanking her daughter had earned and richly deserved, not sparing a single smack out of pity.
*WHACK* *WHACK* *WHACK*
Poor Babs' bottom was the victim of years of experience. Techniques pioneered on Creme Egg's disobedient backside and polished on Score Card's naughty rear end were now used with perfection on Babs Seed's misbehaving fanny. Her mother applied most of her spanks to the tender bottom portions of her daughter's rump, bringing the wailing youngster to the limit of agony before giving a tiny respite by directing a few slaps to her upper cheeks and thighs. As soon as the sensitive 'sit spots' had cooled down though it was right back to business.

>"BWWAAAHHHH! Momma, please, PLEASE NO MORE! WHAAHHHH!"
It was hard for Candy Mane to hear her youngest baby in such suffering...even harder to know she was causing it. Like any mother it pained her to see her foals in any distress. She instinctively wanted to protect them from any harm or heartbreak; bandage their scraped knees, nurse them when they were sick and give a goodnight kiss that magically protected them from the monsters under the bed.
But being a mother wasn't all hugs & kisses. Babs had a lesson to learn today and it was Candy's job to make sure she remembered it.
*SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK*
As all three of her offspring knew, Candy Mane was very good at these kind of lessons.

When she determined Babs' had endured enough Candy delivered a final salvo of hard, fast stingers. Moaning and sobs turned into sharp screams...but that was the end of it. Momma wasted no time in sitting her wailing daughter up and wrapping her in a reassuring hug. It had not been a particularly long, or hard spanking, but it had certainly gotten Babs' attention.
>"I'm s-sawwy Momma...*hic* I ain't never g-g-gonna be *sob* b-bad again..."
She petted her youngest foal's mane and rocked her back and forth, letting Babs cry it out until she'd regained composure. When the little tan filly was back in control Candy let her down to her hooves and led her into the bathroom. There she wiped her daughter's face with a cool washcloth, cleaning way the tears, drool & runny snot from her muzzle.
>"There, does that feel better?"
Babs nodded.
>"*sniff* Yeah...it does, Momma."
Good. Time to drop the other horseshoe.
>"Well then take a look around, young filly. You said you were going to work twice as hard to make up for being naughty...this is your job. The whole bathroom, all by yourself."

Poor Babs' jaw dropped open wide.
>"Da...whole thing?"
>"Yes, the whole thing. The sink, the toilet, the ring around the bathtub, the floors...and don't forget the window."
It was a tremendous amount of work for one little filly.
>"B-but..." Babs stammered.
>"Young filly, the only butt around here is going to be getting another spanking if this bathroom is not as sparkling as the Crystal Empire by bed-time...and that spanking WILL be with the hairbrush, am I understood?"
Babs Seed cringed in genuine fear.
>"Y-Yes Momma! Absolutely sparkling! I promise!"
>"Good."
And with that Candy trotted out, leaving Babs to her monumental task.

In the living room waited Streamline, Creme Egg and Score Card. They had obviously been listening the whole time. All three looked very concerned.
>"Dear, were you serious about that? The whole bathroom?"
Creme was worried as well;
>"She's only eleven..."
Score Card looked like he wanted to say something too, but as the only other member of the household still in peril of getting a spanking he was nervous about opening his mouth...especially after hearing his younger sister get punished.

They had nothing to fear;
>"I figure I'll let her work alone for about 45 minutes. By then she'll be really feeling sorry for herself and wish she had some help" explained Candy Mane "and we can step in and give her that help. She'll learn to appreciate how much easier & nicer it is when everypony pitches in."
Streamline nodded in approval, and the two younger ponies sighed with relief, their confidence in Mom's wisdom & kindness restored. For the moment though Babs scrubbed alone...sorry for her misdeed and wishing she'd just helped when her family needed her. But she would not scrub alone for long because soon her family arrived when she needed them.

THE END