I flew to Cloudsdale. Seeing that the Wonderbolts were stationed in a giant building, I figured it wouldn't be the hardest place to spot. Walking in, I requested a visit with Scootaloo. The person at the front desk looked at me, but still told me which room she was in. I walked all the way to her room, hoping that she wouldn't hate me. I knocked on the door, making sure my blindfold was still on. She opened the door. She was wearing Rainbow Dash's old pajama bottoms and a orange t-shirt. Her purple hair was unkempt, but put up, as if she had just been sleeping. "Who're you? Another higher-up coming to give me money after my parents died?" Her voice seemed void of emotion and life. She wasn't the same girl I'd raised, she was a shell of who she used to be. "Well, I don't want anymore. I'm sick of their fucking pity! I just want to be alone for a little while, is that too hard for you people?"
I put a hand on her shoulder, "I was trying to get the moment right, but fuck it, you need this now. It's breaking my heart to see you like this." I took off my blindfold. Sighing, I said, "Yeah, I know, I'm an asshole for dying and leaving you alone like that..."
She stared, "I can't believe this... You just try to walk back in like nothing happened? You had a bullshit accident! My mother went insane and shot my baby sister! That same mother killed herself due to guilt! And you were just kickin' it for three fucking years, while I was accepting pity money just to get an education when the Wonderbolts weren't on tour. If you weren't gonna be here for me back then, don't bother coming back now! Get out of my room, you poor excuse for a father!"
"Listen, I didn't expect you to accept this, and it's fine. You're a grown-ass-woman now, make your own decisions..." I turned around, and walked out the door, "Make the decision for yourself, okay?" She slammed the door in my face. I put the blindfold on and walked out into the hallway.
I saw Soarin' and Spitfire in the hallway where I was walking. They looked at me, "I see things didn't go so well with your 'daughter'."
"Yeah, so what?" I said, tired of the facade I was putting on for myself.
"It's sad that you fucked up that bad. Not even an orphan can love you..."
I tried to walk past, but they stood in my way, "It's a shame, really. Had you not done what you did, we would have soul in this team."
"Is that all you really cared about?" I heard a voice. The same one that was just yelling at me.
All three of us looked to see Scootaloo, wearing a blue aviator jacket and black jeans. Her hair wasn't tied up anymore, and she had ditched the punk rocker look that she used to wear. Now it was straight down. It was medium length, and it capitalized on just how pretty she was. She walked past me, getting close to her superiors' faces. "All those times you let me stay with you, when my mom was out of her mind. When I was plagued by endless nightmares of my sister dying, begging for help, and you told me that I could sleep on your couch in your room. Did you really care, or did you just want to win, and keeping my mental state well was the best way to do so." She looked at me, "You said I can make my own choices. Well, I'm done here. You guys can win on your own, fucking assholes..." She tossed her hair, and walked back to her room to pack up.
I followed her. I closed the door behind me, and began to speak. I couldn't even get the sound out of my mouth before she attacked me with a tight hug. She kissed me on the cheek as she cried. We broke the hug, and she stared into my eyes. Then she slapped me, "Now, I can forgive you. Let's go."
We walked out.
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After we got settled in at Darkside's house, (Fluttershy wasn't around, again) I told them to get acquainted with Darkside and Dark Storm. I had one more person to apologize to. My mother.
Making my way to Canterlot, I feared the worst. I hoped my mother hadn't done anything drastic. Landing on the balcony, I unlocked it using the spare key that was under a plant there. Walking inside the royal chambers, I heard faint crying. I walked in further, and saw my mother sitting on a wooden stool. She got up on it, and then I noticed a noose. She slipped it over her head, and was about to walk off the stool to finish the job, when I threw my sword at the length of the rope to cut it from the ceiling. She looked in surprise to see who had saved her, when she got a glomp from me. She wrapped her arms around me tight, and cried into my shoulder. We sat there, hugging and rocking each other for a long time. "It's fine, Mom. I'm right here..." I whispered in her ear. We cried for what felt like hours, when I heard a scream. I looked to see Katherine standing in the doorway, her jaw on the floor. She ran and joined in our hug, and she seemed legitimately happy for the first time. We all were.