Chapter 10: Orphaned Feelings
DATE: 5 Tertious, 1002 C.S.
So, I was out for my morning constitutional today, and happened upon the schoolyard. Cheerilee was watching the students in between reading the Ranger Manual that I had given her (my only other copy). I leaned on the fence and observed, as I often did when I had a few spare moments to realise I'm in a world of ponies. Today, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had come up sick. Nothing serious, just a little cold (I had a shopping list in my pocket that included fresh chicken, for chicken soup). So, that left Scoots all alone..
I watched her as she played by herself, seemingly content in buzzing around the schoolyard, in the dirt, on her scooter. Cute little thing. Then, I watched Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara giggling over on the side. Before I could say anything, they'd tossed a small rock in Scoot's path. She didn't see it in time, hit the rock, and went flying, right into a bigger rock.
Scoots: *OW!* "That hurt!" She rubbed her head.
I leaned over the fence, brushing my leather coat aside, and patted her helmet.
K: "You're tougher than you look, kiddo. You'll be alright." I gave her a smile and nod.
That got a smile out of her. Having things to pick up, I started to depart. I looked back to see if Cheerilee had seen the whole thing, and while she had (and was scolding Silver and Diamond), what I saw that got to me was Scoots examining her Scooter. One of the axles had broken in the crash, and she was about sobbing over it. I lowered my head, and frowned. Poor kid. Though, I was sure her parents would get her a new one.
I didn't know any better.
After a few tours around town, collecting what I needed, I ended up meeting up with another pony that I rarely got to see - Golden Harvest. She was in her "uniform shirt" today (Rarity was working on Militia uniform shirts, but in the meantime, I asked they wear their Winter Wrap-Up armbands, reversed, with their insigna on it, if they had one), though she was doing decidedly less than Militia duties..
K: "Captain Harvest! Knock-off that fratrenizing!" I said, playfully. She was kissing up on Written Script, the Milita's Quartermaster Sergeant.
Golden Harvest: "OH! K! I-I.." She blushed deeply.
K: "Looking to get something from the Quartermaster, are we?" I teased. "I don't think what you're after, is in the supply list."
Written Script: "Uh-y-yes.. I-I mean, no!" *Embarrased cough*
K: "Oh, relax, you two." I smiled.
I put an arm around them both. They relaxed some, but I could tell they were.. well, I had Celestia's authority in a lot of things, especially in this whole Militia deal. Ponyville was my experiment for it. As it was a success, I was going to have training teams sent out to the other cities in Equestria to raise Milita units.
K: "No, really, I'm glad you two are getting along so well.. better than I thought, but still, interpersonal relationships can have a profound effect on the performance of one's duties. Plus, you two make a cute couple." I wiggled my eyebrows to them both.
Golden Harvest: "OH! Oh, well, thank you." She blushed again.
K: "It's nothing. Say, have you seen Scootaloo's parents around? I figure, since I'm in town, I can replace her scooter for her. She broke it, playing in the schoolyard today." I shrugged.
Written Script: "I.. you know, come to think of it, I don't remember meeting them?" He looked at Harv, a bit confused.
Golden Harvest: "Me, either.. you should ask Pinkie Pie. She has an incredible memory for people." She shrugged, dismissively.
K: "I'll do that! Carry on, you two.." I gave Written Script a bro-nudge and a smirk. He flushed a little as I was walking away.
I didn't know any better.
It never ceased to amaze me how easily I got along with the Ponies. They, it turned out, were a lot like very happy people that just happened to walk on four legs. Very happy people indeed. It brought a real light to my heart to be around such positive spirits. But, anyhow, I was on my way to Pinkie's in short order. The Cake's place - another stop of mine, actually. I entered and Mr. Cake already had my order ready.
K: "Hello, Mr. Cake.. is the cake ready?" I peeked in.
Mr. Cake: "Sure is, here you go. I don't understand why you want an apple cake, though.." He shrugged, but, hey, my coins were legal tender...
K: "It's a surprise for my dear lady. Uh, mare. Special Somepony - whatever you guys call it when you're trying to be sly and suggestive." I chuckled a bit.
Mr. Cake: *haha!* "Ah, yes, young love. I remember when I was courting my special one.." He blushed a bit.
K: "Mister C, no offense, but I think I'm older than you are." I looked over the rim of my glasses.
Mr. Cake: "OH! Right, sorry. Ha! Still.." He shrugged.
K: "Yeah, if I was back home and working, I'd be doing the same thing for my.. human wife. Get her something special, just because." I gestured casually with one hand.
Mr. Cake: "No wonder she took you off the market!" He beamed a grin.
K: "Uh, yeah, I get that a lot. Is Pinkie in? I have to ask her a few questions." I was a bit embarassed by my.. desirability?
Mr. Cake: "In the back, baking, of course." He nodded.
K: "Got it. Thanks." I'd pre-ordered, but I tipped him 5B anyway.
And into the kitchen..
K: "Pinkie!" I held my arms open.
Pinkie: "K! GREAT to see you!" She gave me a quick hug.
K: "Great to see you, too. So, how's things?" I examined her work.
Pinkie: "Good!" She was mixing a batch of chocolate brownies.. they smelled really good.
K: "Say, can you tell me where to find Scoots' parents?" I tilted my head, fishing for my notepad, just in case.
Pinkie: *Pregnant pause* "Uh.." Her face is perplexed.. and I took a swipe at the brownie batter, only to get my hand idly smacked away. "I.. I.."
K: "You okay, Pinkie?" My brow quirked.
Pinkie: "I've never met them!" She seemed.. VERY surprised to realize this.
K: "Say what?" I was confused, as well, and my voice showed it.
Pinkie: "Scootaloo's parents. I've never met them. Actually, I've never met anyone from her family." She got into The Thinker pose, and tapped her head.
K: "Don't you know everyone in Ponyville?" I shook my head in disbelief.
Pinkie: "I.. thought.. I.. did.." More confusion.
K: "Where does she live?" I up-nodded to her.
Pinkie: "I.. I don't know that, either." She looked at me, confused, and a bit worried.
K: "Pinkie.. do you even know if she HAS a home?" I leaned in, my human experience imagining the absolute worst.
Pinkie: "But.. but everyone has a home!" She blinked.
K: "I mean more than in the 5th and 6th mental wall sense." I narrowed my eyes at her.
Pinkie: "..no, I don't." She lowered her head, in defeat.
K: "Well, thanks anyway. Have a cupcake on me." I should NOT have said that!
Pinkie: "OKAY!" She beaned me in the face with a cupcake.
I so asked for that one.
K: *Flatly* "Tasty." I picked it off my face and licked the frosting.
Pinkie just giggled to herself.
Again... I didn't know any better.
So, off I went. I was now in "worried parent" mode. I'd helped raise my nephew, so, I had that parental instinct thing going on. Something didn't feel right, here. I went back to the farm and dropped the things off - I had Applebloom hide the cake in her room (and I deliberately didn't ask her painful questions about Scoots) - and returned to the school. I caught them just as they were taking a test. Knocking gently on the window, I got Cheerilee to come out, after telling the students to behave while she was gone.
K: "Cheerilee, have you ever met Scootaloo's parents?" I asked in hushed tones.
Cheerilee: "Uhm.. you know what? No! I never have! I've never had a reason to.." She pondered this a moment.
K: *Sigh* "You don't have parent-teacher conferences in this world, do you?" I pinched my index finger and thumb over the bridge of my nose.
Cheerilee: "Why would we?" She looked at me like 'The Monkey Say Strange Thing Again'.
K: "Never mind. School gets out soon, right?" I cocked a brow.
Cheerilee: "Yep! And Derpy has some maneuvers for us today." She nodded.
K: "..would you mind if I walked Scoots home?" I gestured to the classroom.
Cheerilee: "I don't see why you have to ask me, but, alright." Again with the look.. Cheerilee would probably never understand human caution and social paranoia, but I was glad for it.
K: "Because back in Humanland, it's considered improper for a non-family-related adult male to escort a young girl to her house." I phrased that as.. pony-like as I could muster.
Cheerilee: "Such strange customs!" She seemed... entertained by the oddness.
K: "Yeah.." I wasn't about to tell her what a child predator was.
So, I waited for school to get out. And when it did, I saw Scoots, still dejected, walking from the schoolyard. So, I followed her. She seemed lost in her own little world - sad and alone. Unable to bear the thought of a little filly crying, I walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
K: "Hey, Scoots!" Cheerful demeanor.
Scoots: "Oh.. hey, K.." She was very sad, though.
K: "What's the matter?" I asked, nonchalantly.
Scoots: "My scooter broke." She sniffled a bit.
K: "I can see that - going to get your dad to fix it?" I asked, with an air of hope.
She said nothing, and kept walking.
K: "Or.. your mom?" Still hope, not as much.
Again, not a word.
K: "Can I walk you home?" I said, comfortingly.
Scoots: "Uh! N-No, that's alright." Now, she was nervous.
I got suspicious. Call me crazy, but I suspected something was up here. Still, Ponies are easy to fool.
K: "Alrighty! I'll catch you later, Scoots!" I put on an air of joy and flowers.
Fooled her right good, it did.
Scoots: "Okay! Uh, thanks." She blinked, and kept walking.
And off she went. I waited a bit, and followed her covertly. She walked out of town, to near the edge of the Everfree Forest, and turned up a small, unkempt dirt road. It terminated at a somewhat shabby house I'd never seen before. The condition of the house got my attention - no house in Ponyville looked like this. I watched as she went inside, and I could hear nothing. No 'Hello, Scootaloo! Welcome home' or anything. I waited a few more minutes before I infiltrated and started snooping around, looking in the windows.
What I saw, shocked me.
Scootaloo was alone in her house, sitting at the table and doing her homework, fighting back tears. No one else was there. This was unheard-of, and I was frankly stunned. So, I started looking around the property. What I found about crushed my heart into little pieces. It was a grave. A single, solitary grave. 'Merry-Loo - Mother'
K: "She's all alone.. and no one saw it.." I said to myself.
I didn't know any better. But now, I did.
I walked back to her house, and opened the front door. There she was - and she looked up at me, shocked.
Scoots: "K! Wh-What are you doing here!?" She asked, terrified.
K: "Where's your father, Scootaloo?" I asked, my tone somber.
Scoots: "..I never.. I never met him.." She seemed to know the jig was up, her voice crestfallen.
K: "What happened to Merry-Loo?" I nodded to her.
Scoots: "She.. she called it Cancer. Blood cancer." She was sniffling, on the verge of full-on tears.
K: "Lieukemia.. oh, my god.." I went over to her and hugged her tightly to me. "Why didn't anyone do anything? Why didn't you say something?"
Scoots: *Sobbing* "I was SCARED! I didn't know what they'd DO with me! I dun wanna live in Cloudsdale! I dun wanna go away from my freinds, from Dash.." She cried into my shoulder.
K: "Oh, darling.." I rubbed the back of her little head, tears rolling down my cheeks. "..this one isn't my fault, but I'm going to fix it, I swear. I promise."
Scoots: "DON'T LET THEM SEND ME AWAY!" *Loud sobs* "MOMMY'S HERE! I CAN'T LEAVE HER!" Her grip was tight around my neck, like I was the only thing in the world she thought she could even BEGIN to trust.
K: "I won't let.. I won't let them send you away, Scoots, I promise." I pulled back a little. "I can't have one of my Junior Rangers removed form the squad, now can I?" I asked, my face screwed up in anguish, but holding that hope out to her.
An hour later, I was at Golden Harvest's little apartment. It was a trifling thing, to be honest, not the sort of place fit for the Town Milita Commander, but that gig didn't exactly pay the big bucks, and her normal job as a vegetable seller wasn't the most lucrative job on the market (ha-ha). I knocked on her door.
Golden Harvest: "Yes, K?" She answered the door, with half-moon glasses on her snout. "Oh, hello, Scootaloo!"
K: *Flatly* "We need to talk, Harv."
And, after a bit of explaining..
Golden Harvest: "You mean to tell me.. she has no parents? Nothing?" She was absolutely dumbstruck.
K: "Apparently, she's been living off of what her mother left behind for the last two years. She didn't know what else to do - her mother was an Earth Pony, she never met her father. And she was terrified that she'd be taken away from here.. from her friends, from her hero." I shrugged.
Golden Harvest: "I.. don't know what to say! I've never HEARD of anything like this before!" She shook her head.
K: "Makes two of us, Harv, I didn't know cancer existed here." I said.. really, I didn't know any better, but I was going to MAKE it better...
Golden Harvest: "It's very, very rare, but, yes, it happens." She nodded.
K: "She got a bad draw of the cards.. and you, you're not exactly swimming in Bits, are you?" I nodded to her.
Golden Harvest: "No.. I.. I rather needed the Militia Commander job to help make ends meet during slow months. I usually picked up extra work from the shopkeepers.." She trailed off.
K: "I don't know what the laws are here about kids, but, the Milita needs a proper headquarters. Her family home has a barn out back that's not being used, and you could use a better house.. why don't -you- take responsibility for her, and in exchange, Scoots, she can use your barn for the Milita?" I nodded.
Scoots: "I-I guess so.. I know Momma owned the place, it belonged to her daddy." She shuffled her little hooves.
K: "Harv?" I looked to her.
Golden Harvest: "I.. I don't know what to say!" She hugged Scoots. "I can't tell you how much it means to me.."
K: "You wanted a kid, didn't you, Harv?" I smiled, warmly.
Golden Harvest: *Tears* "More than you can imagine.." She sniffled.
Scoots: "Thank you, Golden Harvest.." She hugged her back.
Golden Harvest: "You can call me whatever you like.. Mom, Auntie, Big Sis.." She hugged Scoots again. "I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. I know I can't replace your mother, but.. I'd like to try and be a substitute.."
Scoots: "Okay!" She was laughing and crying at the same time.
That night, over dinner, Applejack asked me what I'd been doing all day. All I could tell her was that, while it started out bad, it had been a very happy day in the end.
Oh, the cake? She loved it.
{End of Chapter 10}
