//------------------------------// // the Other Side of Forgiveness // Story: You're Wanted // by SciWriter //------------------------------// The day after the therapy visit. Two pm came and off to Sugar Cube Corner I went with my new daughter. Scootaloo had brought her scooter on this trip. Yes, SCC is about fifteen minutes from my house, but we wanted to hang out a little. Scoots hopped up on her scooter and zipped down the street at top speed. “Race me!” she shouted. Not knowing the destination of the “race” I just accepted the challenge of keeping pace with the slow filly who thought she was fast. The “race” ended and we argued about who won, because I SO won. In the street we met Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom. “Hey guys!” Scootaloo shouted. “W’r’ going crusadin’ ‘n a bit,” Apple Bloom said. “W’r’ gonna try yoldilin’.” “Just yodeling?” I asked. “Rarity talked us out of doing it underwater,” Sweetie said. “Sorry guys, I’m gonna go see daddy today- Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo. AB then shook her head. She then did her best to force a smile. “New plan Sweetie,” she said slowly. She looked at me. “Wr’ comin’.” “Lllll… o-kay” I said. I had to remember Apple Bloom wasn’t as ready to accept Purple Cloud as me last time they saw each other. “It’s just her dad-“ Sweetie started, but the look she got from Apple Bloom could have wiped out an entire cockroach infestation all by itself. She backed away from AB. “Okay, you’re right, it’s a big deal.” “Guys, I can deal with this,” I said. “Go ahead and crusade if you want.” “What if you have ta fight him? Who gets Twilight r’ whatever?” asked Apple Bloom. “Pinkie?” I asked. “I mean, we’re just going to Sugar Cube Corner, so she works there and all. She’s pretty quick Apple Bloom. Faster than you I’m pretty sure. Don’t worry about it.” Apple Boom bit her lip. “Ah’m worryin’ and ah’m comin’.” “If you’re gonna be mean to my daddy-“ Scootaloo started to put in, but Apple Bloom shut her down. “It’s what he deserves! He hurt you!” Apple Bloom shouted. “That was a long time ago!” Scootaloo said. “Yer not bein’ realistic. He could still be bad-“ “He’s not a bad pony, he’s my daddy! I swear if you-“ “Scoots,” I stopped her. I needed to be the adult… Celestia help them all I had to be the adult. “Apple Bloom, you can come, if you promise to give Purple Cloud a chance.” “Oh ah’ll give him a chance. A chance ta run-“ I gave her the best disapproving raised eye brow I could manage… maybe it looked authoritative? “Fine, ah’ll give em’ a chance. Don’t mean ah’ll like im’.” (***) A few minutes later we were in Sugar Cube Corner. I wasn’t sure what to expect to happen when I saw Purple Cloud for the first time. We entered the restaurant and even as Apple Bloom tried to stop her, Scootaloo scrambled across the floor to her father. “DADDY!” She jumped up into his chest and gave him a hug, him closing his eyes and returning it. I smiled warmly at the two as Apple Bloom- shook with rage. Her expression eventually changed to one of concern, but I wasn’t sure which was better. Pinkie came by too and her expression- was just one of confusion. “Hey Pinks,” I said, her jumping to hear me. “Oh hey Dashie… um… I guess I should take everyone’s orders…” she said. “He’s her dad,” I said. “The one that hit her?” she whispered. I hesitantly nodded. “I want to grind him up and put his guts in-“ “Pinkie,” I interrupted. “She’ll hear you.” “I don’t understand why we should work with him at all. You adopted her, you’re the mom now.” “Didn’t you love your dad growing up?” I asked. “He never hit me!” she said, still trying to whisper, but Scootaloo heard that one. She plopped down on the ground, looking at us all with pleading eyes. “Guys, please give him a chance.” Pinkie sighed. She then grinned and looked distinctly at everyone EXCEPT Purple Cloud. “What would you all like to order?” she asked. “Raspberry pie with lemon ice cream?” asked Scootaloo. Those pies with ice cream were getting expensive, but… one more time. I nodded. I needed to stop indulging her so much… “Ah don’t have money right now,” Apple Bloom said. Sweetie levitated some bits out of her saddle bags smiling at Apple Bloom. “Banana strawberry smoothie.” “Raspberry shake,” Sweetie put in. Pinkie looked at me expectantly. “Blue berry?” she asked. “Not really hungry right now…” I said. She looked at me with a surprise. “I thought your sweet tooth had a sweet tooth Rainbow,” Pinkie said. “That would be you Pinkie,” I replied. “Suuuure it is,” Pinkie didn’t leave. I sighed. “Fine… got any liquorice?” Pinkie’s eye brows lowered. “No Dashie, of course I don’t have Twilight’s favorite candy… okay normally that would be sarcasm, but she cleaned me out.” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “That filly doesn’t know how to handle the bits that come with being a princess. Oh well. Least we’ll have snacks next time we’re over. C’mon though, just liquorice?” Pinkie pulled a tray of cupcakes from-somewhere. “Blackberry…” she said, waving them in front of me. I started going weak in the knees. I needed to set a small example for my kid at least… but blackberry, they’re really good… no… but she was already eating pie, and this was Pinkie’s baking- “Just one?” Just one… who can have just one? Ten minutes we were all seated in a booth, everyone had their treats… I had three cupcakes- don’t judge me. Scootaloo was sitting next to her father, his wing on her shoulders. Scoots dug into her dessert, I savored my cakes, Purple Cloud had never ordered, Sweetie was taking forever with her treat, spending too much time talking, and Apple Bloom- had barely touched her melting smoothie. “So like I was saying, daddy is pretty fast too Rainbow Dash, you should totally race him some time!” Scootaloo almost shouted, so excited by this point. “I’ll think about it,” I said. “Beat Rainbow Dash?” asked Sweetie Belle, “You’re kidding right? I’m pretty sure Rainbow could beat Celestia in a race-“ “But that would be awesome to see!” Scootaloo threw in. “Rainbow Dash, do you think you could get Celestia or Luna to race you?” I chuckled. “Girls I’ve never heard of Celestia bragging about her speed.” “Just to see you beat her though?” Scootaloo asked. “Well… a while back I would’ve said no way in heck would she “consort” like that- but I know her better now… hmmm… I could ask.” “SWEET!” Scootaloo shouted. “Rainbow Dash-“ “MOM!” Apple Bloom shouted. “For crying out loud, she’s your mom. Why do you never call her mom!?” Scootaloo was suddenly quiet. “WELL!?” “I… um. Why does it matter?” asked Scootaloo back. “I’m working on it-“ “No yer not!” Apple Bloom shouted back. “Yer not even catching yerself. Yer just… yer just… pretendin’. Yer pretendin’ that ya got a good dad, but he beat ya, yer pretendin’ Rainbow Dash is still yer sister an’ does that mean… in yer mind…” Apple Bloom pushed away from the table on the bench, then she crawled over Sweetie Belle out of the booth and stormed out of the restaurant. Pinkie practically appeared in my field of vision. “Apple Bloom?” she asked. “What happened?” “I’m not sure,” I said. I looked at the rest of the children and Purple Cloud. “This visit with Scoots’ dad is supposed to be supervised. I doubt that means I can never leave to go to the bathroom, however I don’t know how long this could take. Can you stick around for a bit? Just stay in ear shot? I gotta go see what this is all about.” Pinkie shrugged. “Go ahead, I’ll just stay watching the counter for a bit.” (***) I met Apple Bloom outside. “Kiddo? Hey c’mon Bloom I-“ She looked at me in alarm. “Who’s watching them? He could be beatn’ her again an’-“ “In front of Pinkie?” I asked. “Not sure if she can fight all that well, but trust me, the whole town would know something was happening in three seconds flat.” She kept looking at me with concern written on her face. “Now what’s wrong?” She glanced back at the restaurant, biting her lip. “Yer part of this. Ah thought… ah thought…” I moved in front of her to see her face again. “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TA SAVE HER!” she shouted. “You were supposed ta make it all better. You were supposed to get her out of all this. What ‘r’ ya doin?” Apple Bloom started panting. “But yer lettin’ her go on playin’. Playin’ like she has a good family. Her family was terrible, we’re her family now. That’s how it works right?” “I… don’t think so Apple Bloom.” “But you only get one family, just one, ONE! When one is gone that’s it, isn’t it?” “Who’s family are we talking about here? I know it hurts to say this, but you can’t visit with your dad because he’s dead, Scootaloo’s is-“ “A HORRIBLE MONSTER!” she shouted over me. “They are not the same. This is NOT about ma’ parents. This is about you lettin’ her be with a pony who put her in the hospital five times.” My eyes grew at that line. “What? She’s ma friend, course ah looked into it. Ah snuck a look at some a’ Twilight’s case notes while at her castle the other day.” She looked down. “Broken bones, missin’ teeth, she couldn’t see straight- the whole time sayin’ she just fell off her scooter or whatever. He hurt her an’ then made her cover up what he did an’ she- she just wanted ta cover it up. She wanted to be with him. She still saw him as her daddy. Ah… ah have never had a daddy, that’s true, but no family is supposed to treat ya like that, no family. That’s not a family.” “So why’d you come out here?” I asked. “You weren’t gonna fight me in there?” “Why… ah don’t know. She loves ‘im. If ah said what ah wanted ta say about that… what she calls a daddy, she’d hate me.” “Apple Bloom, he’s turned around,” I said. “You aren’t giving him a chance.” “Why should ah? Well? Why?” “Because he’s her dad.” “No he’s not. Apple Jack says if ya hurt yer child ya don’t have the right ta call em’ yers. Ya callin’ her wrong on that?” “Well… that’s sounds right but-“ “But what?” “It’s not that simple.” “He gets to be her dad again?” I shook my head. “I suppose biologically he always will be. But to be fair, he only has supervised visitation, and I doubt he’s ever gonna get more than that. He’s never really going to be her dad again, just a glorified friend. She calls him “daddy” but-“ “Then she should just call ‘im Mr. Cloud an- an- and she should call you mom. But she calls him dad and you Rainbow Dash. It’s just so wrong. It’s like she doesn’t understand what happened.” “Apple Bloom… maybe she doesn’t.” Apple Bloom blinked. “Imagine if you were in her hooves. A few weeks ago, she was living on her own pretty much, and now, she has a new mom, her old mom is going to prison and her dad just walked back into her life. To top it all off, she had no real control over any of it. I wouldn’t blame her if she had a little whiplash from the shock ya know?” “He should be out of her life, out fer good. But he’s back. How am ah supposed to deal with that? Ah thought maybe ah could just watch, wait for him ta do somethin’ wrong, hope he never does but… -She loves him Rainbow! As much as she loves you, maybe even more. If he does something, she won’t say anythin’, we both know that. That’s scary. We would never know.” “That’s why he’s being supervised. Kid, don’t you believe folks can change?” “Maybe? Ah hope? Ah don’t know.” Apple Bloom swallowed and gritted her teeth. “So what… what am ah supposed ta do? Yer her mom now, what do… ah don’t know.” “Just be there, just be a friend.” I said. “I don’t know. Remember what we’ve learned. Ask questions, keep your eyes open. Don’t just leave.” “Ah… ah would never leave… ah never will… ah promise.” She looked to the side. “How long have ya’ll been standin’ there?” I looked in the same direction. Sure enough, the entire group, including Scootaloo had been watching us. Not really surprising considering the racket Apple Bloom had been making. “Scootaloo… please don’t hate me ah’m just worried like crazy an’-“ Scootaloo ran up and hugged her bow wearing friend. “How ‘r’ we supposed ta do this?” Scoots then pushed Apple Bloom away and smacked her across the face. Apple Bloom stood there stunned as Scootaloo glared daggers at her. “I don’t know,” Scootaloo said. “Just don’t leave me. I don’t know what to do. I just know I need you.” Apple Bloom shook her head a few times. “Ah… ah… ah’ll be right here.” She gave a slight smile. Scootaloo looked at her, then at me. Then she looked back at Purple Cloud. She then ran back to the monster that hurt her and hugged him. If ever I have had to second guess a decision, it was right there, in that moment. Did he really deserve a second chance? Could I really chance it? How dangerous of a game was I playing here?