Chapter 10
Finalities
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Spike was awoken by a knocking downstairs.
He slowly opened his eyes and sat up, stretching.
He looked around the room and noticed Twilight was not there.
Glancing down, he saw a note lying by his basket with his name on it.
Spike picked up the letter, unfolded it and read:
Spike,
Went to get some more supplies. I’ve decided we should go see my parents the day after tomorrow. I have also sent word to Cadence and Shining to let them know we’ll be there so they can see their nieces.
While I’m out you’re in charge. I’ve left a bottle of milk for Sunset in the fridge, just heat it up a little before feeding her (this is if she wakes up before I get back).
Scootaloo will be an easier matter, since she drinks formula. Follow the directions on the back of the can and thing’s should be fine.
Will be back soon,
Twilight
Spike put the letter down and gulped. He wasn’t ready for this. He’d never had to watch both fillies before, only Sunset. Could he handle this?
The knocking from downstairs got louder and Spike headed down, so whoever was knocking would stop and not wake up the girls.
They were almost always cranky if you woke them up, which he understood. Sleep was a wonderful thing. Having it interpreted was very unpleasant.
Spike opened the door just as another set of knocks, even louder than the others, started.
Standing outside was an Earth Pony stallion with a grey coat, with a brown mane and green eyes. His cutie mark was a form of some kind.
“Can I help you?” Spike asked, being polite as one suddenly woken up less than a minute ago can be.
“Is Twilight Sparkle here?” the stallion asked gruffly.
The way he spoke triggered something in Spike’s mind he didn’t quite understand, but put him the slightest bit on edge.
“Yes,” he nodded slowly. “She’s out right now, by I’m her assistant. How can I help you?”
Didn’t I ask that as soon as I opened the door?
The stallion glared at Spike for some reason. “I am Firm Hoof. I run the orphanage just outside of town.”
Spike nodded. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, or why somepony form the orphanage was making a house call, but it had to be important, right?
“It has come to my attention that Twilight Sparkle found one of our runaways several days ago and has yet to return her.”
Something clicked in Spike’s mind. Scootaloo. This pony was asking about Scootaloo.
“Well, yeah,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “She’s been taking care of Scoots since then. Does that really matter?”
Firm’s nostrils flared. “Does it matter? Does it matter? I don’t care that she is a princess. She has to follow the rules, just like the rest of us.”
Spike’s confusion grew at this response, but Firm Hoof went on.
“While I do not have any wish to bring a filly who obviously will never be adopted back into my care, she is in my care and the law states she is my responsibility!”
Spike’s confusion skyrocketed. “What in the hay are you talking about? Twi adopted Scoots days ago. She sure hasn’t said anything about sending her back and never would. She loves Scoots.”
“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe, dragon,” Firm gave Spike a “I So Do Not Believe You” look, saying “dragon” as if it was an insult, “but I would know if one of the brats in my care was adopted that long ago. Especially one as worthless as that filly.”
Spike felt a small burst of rage at hearing somepony call his niece/little sister worthless.
“Well, she has been adopted, so you can go,” Spike said through clenched teeth, beginning to close the door.
Firm pushed it open, knocking Spike back. “Out of my way, dragon. I’m getting what I came for.”
Spike felt a little dizzy from his scrape. When Firm had forced the door open he’d tumbled and hit his head on one of the bookshelves.
He shook his head when he heard hoofsteps going upstairs.
Getting up he hurried after Firm, grabbing his right-hind leg when he reach him, trying to pull him back.
“You’re breaking an’ entering! Stop!”
“Pike?” two small voices called from the door just a few metres in front of them.
They entered the room and Firm looked around, trying to find Scootaloo. When his eyes fell on the crib, he kicked Spike off of his leg, making him smack into the wall and walked over to the crib and looked in.
Sunset was sitting in front of Scootaloo, glaring, while Scootaloo was cowering behind her little sister from the stallion looking down sternly at them.
Firm turned to Spike, who shook his dizziness away and glared at him. “Why is Scootaloo a foal? How did that happen?” His voice was angry.
“Long story short, Discord,” Spike said, trying to run, but wobbling from his internal balance still not back to normal from two smacks to the head in a period of two minutes.
Firm grunted. “Great. Another foal to feed. Like I enjoy changing diapers.”
He leaned into the crib, gently pushing Sunset out of the way and picking up Scootaloo by the scruff of her neck and lifted her up.
Both fillies screamed, Sunset reaching through the bars of the crib, her eyes brimming with tears, Scootaloo flailing, trying to break free of her captor's grip.
Firm walked out before Spike got a hold of his balance.
Once his balance was back, Spike got up and scurried down the stairs to find Firm several hooves away from the door, which must have closed in the wind while they’d been upstairs.
Spike latched onto the same hind leg as before, trying to hold Firm back a bit longer. He’d use his fire, but now he might hit Scootaloo and he couldn’t risk her getting hurt.
“Let go, you fiwfy dragon!” Firm shouted, his words muffled by the filly flailing around in his teeth’s grip.
The door opened on its own. “Spike, what’s all the nose—?”
Twilight stopped, her eyes wide at the scene before her.
Spike could imagine how this looked. A strange stallion in her house, Scootaloo in his mouth and Spike holding onto one of his hind legs.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Just what are you doing with my daughter?”
Firm blinked. “Yer daher?”
“Told you,” Spike said, keeping a grin of satisfaction off his face due to the atmosphere of the situation.
“Yes,” Twilight nodded, her tone firm. “My daughter. Who are you and why are you here?”
“He says his name is Firm Hoof,” Spike stated, since he knew Firm wouldn’t be able to pronounce properly with Scoots in his mouth and he had to make Twi see exactly what was going on before Firm Hoof tried to leave again. “He says he’s from the orphanage Scoots came from and is here to take her back.”
Twilight’s attention snapped so fast to Firm, Spike felt him flinch.
“Put my daughter down, now, Mr. Hoof,” Twilight said, her voice even, but her tone menacing.
Before Firm could respond, Twilight’s horn glowed. Scootaloo vanished in a flash of purple light and reappeared on Twilight’s back, where she clung tightly to her mother’s neck.
“Hold it right there!” Firm shouted, taking a step forward. “I don’t care if you’re a princess; you can’t just go taking a filly out of my care and get away with it!”
“I legally adopted Scootaloo several days ago, Firm Hoof,” Twilight glowered at the stallion, her eyes narrowed to slits. "She is my daughter."
Firm scoffed. “Your slave tried to fool me with that same lie. Do you think I came down in the last rain shower?”
Spike bit down on Firm’s leg, creating a loud scream from the bitten pony, but was then kicked off. He managed to stay upright this time and glared at Firm, his fangs bared.
How dare he call him Twilight’s slave? How dare he?
“Spike is my assistant and practically my own son, Firm,” Twilight’s voice was full of rage. Her horn glowed and a piece of parchment appeared in front of the stallion’s face. “And, as you can see from this legal document, Scootaloo is indeed my daughter and if you try to take her away I will charge you with kidnapping a member of the royal family and have you arrested!”
Firm Hoof spent several seconds going over the parchment, the glared at Twilight. “I still don’t believe you about this being a legal document and what in tartarus do you mean a member of the royal family? That brat’s an orphan we took in several years ago and has proved to be nothing but a waste of space all her stay.”
Twilight’s mane almost ignited like it had the first day she’d been in Ponyville. Spike could just see the ends of the hairs sizzle.
There was a flash of purple light and Twilight teleported right in front of Firm Hoof, their muzzles up against each other.
“First of all, don’t curse in from of my daughter!” she snapped, her eyes boaring into his. “Second, since I am a princess, as my daughter, Scootaloo in turn becomes a princess herself! Leave now, Firm Hoof, before I have you arrested from breaking and entering, disturbing the peace and attempting to kidnap my daughter and a member of the royal family!”
Any and all toughness Firm Hoof had had before vanished in the close glare of Twilight and he ran out as fast as his hooves could carry him.
Spike stomped over to the door and slammed it shut.
He turned back to see Twilight comforting Scootaloo, who’d peed herself in fright, no doubt thinking she was going to be taken from her family forever.
Before the dragon could say anything however, the sound of wailing from upstairs reminded him; Sunset was still up there and, as far as she knew, her big sister had just been taken away from her.
Twilight seemed to read Spike’s mind, because she flapped her wings and flew upstairs, Scootaloo held in her forehooves.
When Spike got upstairs and into Twilight’s room, she was still comforting Sunset, who was in an embrace with Scootaloo, both with tears streaming down their muzzles.
Spike sighed and hoped Twilight wouldn’t leave him alone to look after the two for a long while. This first time had been an absolute disasters and sure as Celestia didn’t want to ever repeat it again.
So how long till Firm Hoof gets fired?
Preferably out of a cannon.
i am glad that Scootaloo was not taken away from Firm Hoof and oh yeah if Firm Hoof ever try to take Scootaloo away from her family again i will hurt him and send this to him
Either Twilight Sparkle happened to improperly file the paper work ( 'cause that's in the realm of possibilities) or Firm Hoof is not only a giant douche, but the most grossly incompetent orphanage runner ...ever.
Twilight should still report this I think
this chapter really pissed me off... I'm not saying I hate the chapter, just that mother fuckin Firm Hoof, I really wanted to kill him, my bloodlust ran through the roof at this chapter because of what he said and did
Here's my big problem with it-Spike has very strong jaws.
Firm Hoof should have been limping on three legs at some point very early on, because Spike BIT through the leg of a pony that was threatening his lair, Twilight Sparkle, and the foals.
I killed the last Orphanage Owner that acted like that. (Skyrim)
Firm Hoof, you'd be wise to leave Scootaloo alone if you know what's good for you.
4075517 wouldn't be first incompitant orphanage headmaster, won't be the last
I think mush would be a bit better. They both got teeth, so why not use them?
Good chapter. I really enjoyed it!
wowsers, intense chapter.
Oh man, have all four Princesses pay Firm Hoof a visit at some point, all of them break out the Royal Canterlot Voice as they yell at him, then BANISH THE FOALNAPPER TO THE MOON!!!! Get someone who actually cares about the foals in charge of that orphanage ASAP!!!!!
For the moral of this Chapter, see my comment/moral for Chapter 8.
Awesome Chapter. Go Spike! Bite that Bd in the leg.
LET ME AT HIM, ILL TEAR HIM APPART!!!
Says that right before proving that her pony daughters are the important ones, since they get legal definition and constant attention. He wasn't adopted, not a prince, not legally anything other than her employee maybe. She says it right in this line: He's her assistant first and "like family" second. Which is the position that slaves had in a kind household. Maybe he's more like a live-in-servant than a slave, though, since presumably he isn't restricted from becoming educated or anything, or from obtaining the means to leave if he so desired. Except servants like that usually had a family at some point in their lives, and Spike did not.
I'm kind of peeved at the Twilight adoption fics where the author isn't particularly interested Spike (so far at least most of them) so it just means that even though Twilight has this life-changing family experience, Spike does not, and he's just the same as he was before, except now he helps with childcare in addition to library and study duties. "Like family" without being family, or having one really. Normally, in regular canon ish fics, this is just following the functional dysfunction of their relationship (usually without acknowledging it as that), but giving Twilight a big focus on family and then changing nothing about how she interacts with Spike is... well I don't like it.
I haven't finished catching up though, so perhaps it is seriously addressed in future chapters?
geez is Firm Hoof dumb or just plain stupid? Ever heard the phrase hell knows no fury like a mother scorned?
Spike should tell twilight what firm hoof said about the children in his care, he is unfit as a caretaker.
Firm Hoof does not deserve to work at the orphanage! He doesn't deserve to live!
5620435 Damn Straight!!
5620435 ditto on the first part *pulls out a metal baseball bat with the words "divine punishment" on it* and if you or anyone needs me me and form hoof are going to have a little "chat" in hope he learns a thing or two
6340388 Mind if I join you in that discussion
6619586 count me in as while
7264234 And me too!
7388199
Same I have a 'surprise' for him
I like Firm Hoof. I think he's great.
I would like him even more if Spike/Twilight/Sunset had lit him on fire.
Because fire is great, and two great things should go together.
Meanwhile im the streets "heres Meeeeee!" Said me as Firm Hoof was stabed with a light saber "gunshot" just to be sure
7916356
Why would you pollute a perfectly good fire with garbage like that? Deep space is good for disposing of things you never want to see again (because why pollute a perfectly good moon, either?)
And that would be the reason why I hate orphanages and also the s***-faced bastards that run the damn hell holes
Though I myself have never been in an orphanage I can safely say without a shadow of a doubt being in a foster care home sucks and equally as bad of s***-faced assholes that really don't give a damn
my only question is how Spikes teeth Did not Draw Blood, Those bad Boys can Bite into Diamond, and Dragons are predators, So the Teeth much have been Digging in Really well, tho if thats is the case Spike will need alot of mouth clear to get the taste of bad meat out of his mouth
FIRM HOOF!
Since I am a vampire I'm just going to drain him dry and tear his heart out and crush it with my strength