//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: Siblings 
// by Undermine 
//------------------------------//


Siblings


Chapter 8




Scootaloo scratched the wall with a piece of chalk in her mouth. Winter had given it to her during one of his passes. It wasn't much, but it gave her something to do besides nothing.

The day, or days for that matter, was taking its toll on the fillies. Not because they were toilsome but because of the fact that they were incredibly boring. They hardly talked to each other and there was nothing to do except sleep and, until recently, draw on the walls.

They did take great pleasure in Winter's frequent walk-byes. He would stop and say hi to the girls with a smile and they would get up and smile back at him. His stops consisted of telling the girls a joke, giving them pieces of candy, or giving them all hoofbumbs and hugs. He had to be quick, though. He and the girls knew that the other guards weren't going to be too keen on their interactions. Still, that didn't stop him from cheering them up.

Scootaloo felt more attached to Winter each time he passed by. He treated them as if he was their father, obvious experience from having a family, no doubt. Scootaloo recognized this kind of compassion. Where someone she barely knew went to great lengths to make her happy. Rainbow Dash instantly came to her mind. She realized how little she knew about her and yet how much of an impact she's had on her. 

She paused her drawing and let out a heavy sigh. Thinking about Rainbow Dash made Scootaloo's heart ache. I really hope my sister's coming for me, she said to herself. She spat the chalk out. Dammit! She's not your sister, Scootaloo! Get that thought out of your head! She turned her head and saw Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom staring blankly at her.

"Sorry, girls," said Scootaloo, "I didn't realized I was getting upset."

"Upset? That's a word I don't like hearing." said Winter with a smile as he approached the cell. Scootaloo beamed up and ran to the entrance.

"Hiya Winter!" she said.

"Hey kiddo." he replied. He looked at the three fillies with a frown. "So, which one of you is feeling down?" Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo. Scootaloo looked at the graound.

"Me, Winter." she said solemnly.

Winter leaned down and said, "Hey, what's eatin' you? You never look like this when I'm around."

Scootaloo looked up at Winter. "It's just, you know, homesickness. Missing the folks back home. The usual."

"The 'usual', huh? Well, anypony on your mind particular?"

"Yeah," Scootaloo took a moment to before finishing, "my sister."

"Your sister?"

Apple Bloom looked at her confused. "Ah thought you didn't have a sister." she said.

Winter looked equally confused. "What?"

"Hey, she's not really my sister, ok?" Scootaloo needed to find a way to not sound weird. "She just, you know, she...she..."

"She's a sister to you at heart."

Scootaloo looked up at Winter again. "Y-yeah. She makes me feel like I'm her sister." Scootaloo gave a pathetic look as she said that. It was as if she gave away a huge secret.

"Hey, don't worry. I understand completely." Winter put his hoof through the bars and touched her check. "Just because you aren't connected to somepony through blood doesn't mean you aren't connected to them in any other way." Scootaloo smiled and placed her hoof on his hoof. She closed her eyes and felt blissful again.

"Yo Winta!" came a shout from the hall. Winter's hoof left Scootaloo's cheeck and he motioned the three of them to back away. "Whatcha doin', Winta?" came the voice again. A chill went up Scootaloo's back. The other guard came in front of the cell. She instantly recognized who he was. It was Thunder Hail. The asshole.

"Just checking to see if they're breathing," he said nonchalantly. "Harder to tell with young ones." Scootaloo could tell that Winter has obviously played the role of the tough guard on duty before.

"C'mon Winta, you don't need to worry yourself with these little bastards anytime soon. Besides, I gotta get my money back from you from last night's blackjack," Thunder said with a crooked smile on his face.

Winter did not smile back. "I'd prefer if you'd not refer to them like that in front of them." Winter spoke in a deep, cold tone. Scootaloo almost felt intimidated by his change of voice, but she was comforted by the fact that he was standing up for them.

"What? These little buggers? Oh, don't tell me you're warmin' up to them, too!"

"My interactions with the prisoners does not need to be your concern."

"Oh, trust me, it won't concern me. It's the boss you hafta be worried about. He says all this metaphysical bullshit about treatin' the prisoners, remember. You need to be extra careful when you start bein' friendly to the likes of these little bastards."

"I told you not to call them like that in front of them." Winter said raising his voice. There was a small echo that came off the walls.

Thunder rolled his eyes and turned away. "Whatever, Winta. Go do what'chu want. It won't be my blood that spills when the boss finds out you've been playin' dolly with the prisoners."

"Just stay outta my range of sight, asshole." 

This made Thunder stop in his tracks. He turned back towards Winter. "What did you just say to me?" Scootaloo looked at Winter. She can tell that he regretted saying that.

"I beg your pardon, Thunder?"

"I just heard you call me an asshole. Now, might I ask why you're callin' me an asshole?"

Winter looked at him straight in the eyes and said, "Because we both know that you're acting like one."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Because your calling these kids names that you shouldn't be calling them by."

Thunder pushed Winter's chest, taking him back a step. "It's always about the kids, isn't it? Dammit Winter! You gotta stop stickin' your neck out for these little bastards!"

"I told you not to-"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Thunder, "I'm gettin' tired of this bullshit you keep pullin' off. I keep needin' to remind you of why it's dangerous to be acting all nice and shit to the prisoners!"

"Thunder, I'm warning you, don't continue-"

"I will continue! I wanna let these shits know!" he slammed a hoof on the cell bars. "You keep forgetting that the boss takes everything into the fate of chance, remember? He doesn't think like you! He's always considerin' the chance of someone not paying their ransom! He's always considerin' the chance that we'll have prisoners with nopony to go home to! And, he's always considerin' the chance that we'll have to throw them out in the woods and let them starve to death!"

It took a half second for Thunder to see Winter's left hoof raise up, but he couldn't react fast enough before it punched hard against his snout. Thunder staggered against the wall in the hallway. Scootaloo looked at the two in bewilderment. Already she could tell from Winter's face that he would regret this as well.

Thunder held the back of his hoof to his nose, which was bleeding profusely. His head was down but his eyes stared up at Winter intensely. "You just fuckin' hit me in the face," he said darkly.

"Thunder, look, I-"

"No. Don't say a single word. Nothing that you can say can get you out of this one." Thunder turned and walked away. "I'm goin' to the boss. Say goodbye to your sorry ass, and to your pals, too."

Winter stood motionless as Thunder's hoofsteps faded away. Winter's face looked grave and pale. "Oh no," he whispered, "what have I done."

Scootaloo slowly stepped foreward. "W-winter? Are y-you gonna be ok?"

Winter's eyes were beginning to water. He held it back and looked at Scootaloo. "I don't know kiddo."

Scootaloo was beginning to tear up as well, only she wasn't able to choke it back. "Winter..."

Winter knelled down in front of the cell. "Hey, Scootaloo, look at me and hold out your hoof." She did so and Winter placed both hooves on her hoof. "I don't know what's gonna happen in the next few hours, but I want you to remember something important. Don't lose hope. No matter what happens to me or you, just remember that. Do not give up hope. I don't care what Nimbo or Thunder will say to you. Just don't give up hope."

"Winter..." Scootaloo said in a sob. She put her head in between the bars. Winter pressed his forehead against her own.

"I'm gonna go and try my best to fix this. But remember what I said. Remember. Please remember." Winter pulled away from the cell. Scootaloo looked at his face. She saw two tears had trickled down both of his checks. "Sweetie Bell. Apple Bloom." The girls got up to the front of the cell. Winter put his hoof around each of their shoulders through the bars. He let go and turned to leave. He looked back one last time, then turned and quickly made his way through the hallway.

Scootaloo backed away from the bars. She got to the center of the cell before falling down. She buried her face in her hooves. She didn't sob, but she was shaking uncontrollably. Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom huddled around her. They too were shaking. They knew just as well as Scootaloo knew. Nothing will end well for Winter Storm.