//------------------------------// // Ordinary Day // Story: You're Wanted // by SciWriter //------------------------------// A lot of time passed since, some… things happened… things I’m not supposed to talk about. In light of those things, I guess I can’t think of anything I’d like to write about more than just an ordinary day. I do have those. I woke up, a music CD from Vinyl practically pulling me from bed. It basically shook the entire room… and since Scootaloo was normally up before me anyway, I let it play, because Manowar is AWESOME! Don’t care that I don’t understand all the lyrics, or that I’m still trying to figure out how Vinyl got ahold of something from another universe-whatever. I threw open my door and let the music take over my now rather small home. Scootaloo laughed watching me, and quickly joined in as it came to the chorus. “Brothers everywhere, raise your hands into the air, we’re warriors, warriors of the world!” We belted out the lyrics, both of our no talent voices blending together to create a kind of anti-harmony. I had forgotten that Scootaloo had a sleep over with a few of the CMC that day. Forgotten until Lightning Strike, a small yellow pegasus filly with freckles on only one side of her face, and Dusk, a blue earth pony colt with a yellow highlight in his dark mane, and Apple Bloom shot into the room as well. Lightning started singing with us, Dusk doing a kind of loud river dance that I didn’t recognize… probably made it up on the spot. Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes and laughed at the display. Yes, the morning was put on hold until we had all proclaimed we were warriors, and the world had better look out! Scootaloo returned to her room to get out of her jammies, and give me a break if I say, those things are adorable on her! The other foals were already out of there PJs so Apple Bloom and Lighting shot down the stairs of my home. Dusk just walked after them at his own pace. I decided to walk by the colt, myself not quite that awake anyway. He was moving more at my pace. “Hey little buddy,” I said. “Sleep well?” I asked. He slowly nodded his head, moving down the stairs with me. I looked down to check him, but he smiled at me, indicating he was fine. Scootaloo shot between me and the colt, turning on the stairs. “C’mon Dusk!” Scootaloo shouted. “You can sit by me if you get down here fast enough." Dusk actually looked up to Scootaloo like she looked up to me. His eyes went wide with excitement and he shot down the stairs, me losing my only companion for moving slow. I nodded my head, a smile coming across my lips, remembering that Apple Bloom normally cooked when she was over. It was much better than my cooking, that was for sure. I was looking forward to eggs or pancakes today… or whatever she had mind. She loved cooking. I walked into the kitchen hearing the sound of eggs breaking and flour being poured. Apple Bloom was pretty quick, being trained by her sister, one of the best cooks in Ponyville (not sure who was better, Pinkie or AJ, but one simply did not miss out on the cooking of either one). I sat down with the excited foals. Dusk sat between Scootaloo and his sister Lightning. Lightning started pounding her silverware “Food, food, food!” she started chanting. Apple Bloom laughed at this as she continued, laughing harder when I joined in. I eventually decided to “be the adult” and tell Lightning to knock it off and be grateful someone was cooking for her, instead of hurrying her. To this, Scootaloo, Dusk and Lightning all said “thankyou Apple Bloom!” in unison. Yea, it was a great morning. Don’t get me wrong, parenting can be tough, but there are moments that make it feel worth it. Apple Bloom stacked our plates high with what she made and we all chowed down. All except for Dusk, who never really seemed to have as much of an appetite as his sister. He ate one or two pancake and gave the rest to his sister who scarfed them down as well. Lightning hugged him for giving them to her and he smiled. I remembered what the therapist said, and had Scootaloo do what she could to clean up the mess, along with her friends. Dusk was pretty much the only pony who didn’t have much to do. He said he wanted to help, but at six, we were kinda worried he would break things and get hurt by the hot water, besides he was much slower and smaller than the rest of us. The colt looked disappointed that the others weren’t letting him help. He got down and slowly started to walk away from the table. I sighed watching him and decided the others could do the dishes by themselves. I walked beside him into the living room. “Hey kiddo, I know it’s not fun being left out,” he slowly got on a couch and watched the others doing something I’m pretty sure didn’t look like fun, but still, it was the principal of the thing. “We just don’t think you’re ready to do some things. I’m worried you’ll break a dish, or get burned by the water. We don’t want to leave you out, really.” I sat down next to him. “You wanna hang out with me for a bit?” I asked. I was pretty happy this was a weekend. It looked like I would be needed. He nodded. “What do you wanna do?” “Well…” the three girls charged into the living room, Lightning holding up a box of the game Parcheesi. I looked behind them, seeing the wet dishes just stacked on each other to the side of the sink, cleaned but still soaked. Why? Why did I need to be so mature now? Before I would have called that good and just put them away at the end of the day. However now I had to set an example. I nodded. “Okay girls, set it up, I’ll be back. Dusk will be playing too right?” Lightning looked at me. “Of course!” she replied. She waved for her brother to join her. Dusk got down and watched as the girls set up the game. Well that drama was averted fast. I shrugged, put away the dishes and joined the girls- and Dusk- for a game. (***) The game ended and the next potential drama soon entered my home. A knock came at the door and Scootaloo dropped the dice from her turn, she gasped happily, knowing exactly who was supposed to be coming today. I answered the door and there he was. “Here for your weekly visit?” I asked, hating to sound business like, but there was a routine to this and… I still wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing. “I wish it could be more than visits,” Purple Cloud said back. I let him come in, keeping an eye on him. When her father entered the home, Scootaloo bounded across the living room like I had just got her a new scooter. She jumped into his forelegs and hugged him tightly, him hugging her just as tightly. Lightning and Dusk just smiled to see this and a small grin creeped across my lips as well. It wasn’t until I saw Apple Bloom trying so hard not to watch… yea, I knew where she was coming from too. Each time he visited, I had to keep my own emotions about what he had done, in check. I had pressed for this to happen, I had to see it through. Still, if he hurt her… “Everyone want to go flying?” he asked, putting Scootaloo down. “Maybe we can even have a bit of a race.” “You’re kidding right?” I asked laughing. “What was your job again?” “Landscaper.” “Yea, that’ll help you beat me.” I looked over at Lightning Strike and Dusk. “Heck I bet you couldn’t even beat her,” I said, pointing a wing at Lightning. Suddenly several eyes were looking at me. Exactly why I had decided to single out a child in such an insulting way… Lightning looked down for a minute, then her head bolted up. “I get to race you and Rainbow Dash?” she asked. “No I just meant beating you would be- absolutely!” I grumbled to myself “I make her cry Vinyl will kill me- not to mention her dad.” Scootaloo shook her head at both of them. “Love you dad, and Lightning, you can be pretty quick, but no way either of you is beating Rainbow Dash.” Lightning shot across the room and flew over Scootaloo, demonstrating her speed. “That so?” Lightning said. Scootaloo had a cocky grin. “Loser has to eat one pound of Brussel sprouts raw?” Scootaloo nodded. “Apple Bloom, you want in on this?” Lightning said, spinning around a looking back at her. Apple Bloom wasn’t looking at them. The spot light on her she looked up quickly. “Ah, well ah… ya’ll see, uh… sure. Ah’ll uh… bet on Lightnin’.” she slowly replied. Lightning grinned. Scootaloo looked at her with a raised eyebrow, “You sure?” she asked. “Uh… yea, sure.” Apple Bloom was floundering, her head obviously somewhere else. “Ah mean, in ah sprint at least.” Apple Bloom shook her head and pushed past Purple Cloud, moving toward the door. “We’re gonna go fly let’s head out.” Lightning shot over head. “Not everyone here can fly… actually we have a split. I’ll carry Dusk, Rainbow will carry Scootaloo,” Scootaloo smiled to hear this, “And Scootaloo’s daddy can carry Apple Bloom.” Purple Cloud smiled and approach Apple Bloom. I was about to object when well- “DON’T YA DARE TOUCH ME!” She spun around and smacked Purple Cloud’s hoof as he reached out to her. The stallion backed away. And… yep, this was happening. Scootaloo shot between her father and her friend. She glared at her friend, “Apple Bloom I’m warning you-“ “An ah am warning you, ya’ll can tolerate him as much as ya’ll want. He better not touch me or ma’ family. In fact, Dusk, Dusk is only six, ah’ll protect him too, ya understand?” “He’s not evil, you don’t have to protect-“ Scootaloo started. “He hit you!” Apple Bloom shouted back. Both fillies glared at each other. “He don’t touch me, he don’t touch Dusk, got it?” Scootaloo snorted and leaned back, her wings spreading to bolt at her friend. Purple Cloud quickly put a hoof on Scootaloo’s tail. “Whoa there fire wheels,” he said. “It’s okay, I’ll just carry you, that alright?” Scootaloo sighed, nodded and turned, slowly smiling at him. I watched utterly lost. I had initiated these visits so I couldn’t side with Apple Bloom, but not for a minute did I not see her side of this. In fact I had almost bolted at him myself when he grabbed Scoots’ tail just there and… could I really let him have her for a flight? Finally I had to side with what I knew was the law on this matter. “No Scoots, I can’t let him have you unsupervised, it’s the law and he agreed to it,” I said. Apple Bloom stuck up her nose, sniffing the air. Scootaloo glared at me. That… that was the first time Scootaloo had EVER been angry with me that I even remember. I was her god and I had just been de-throned. “I want to fly with my dad- you fly with yours!” Scootaloo shouted. “Her dad was a good daddy, he never hit her!” Apple Bloom shouted. She was right of course. “He apologized, you all just don’t want to forgive him, I hate you two… Lightning, Dusk, daddy, let’s go-“ “I can’t be alone with you,” her father repeated. “You can’t let them do this to us!” Scootaloo demanded. She tried to plead with him with her eyes, but he shook his head. “FINE! Dusk, Lightning, come with me!” Lightning and Dusk looked at each other. Both foals held Scootaloo on a bit of a pedestal, they followed her over Apple Bloom all the time. Confused, both foals ran after Scootaloo as she shot out of the house. Both Purple Cloud and Apple Bloom turned to follow her, but I waved them off. “I’ll keep an eye on her… sorry Purple, can we resume your visit later?” I asked. “Can I join you?” he asked. I shrugged. I ran out of my home and shot into the air, guiding overhead as my child shot away from the home in anger, Purple following in my wake. I watched from the air. Scootaloo took off, running fast as she could, Lightning having to carry her earth pony brother so they could keep up. Scootaloo stopped running in a field not far from home and started slamming her hooves into the ground in fury. Her yellow filly friend hovered overhead and dropped off her little brother. Dusk quietly watched her as she screamed. When she stopped, he put a foreleg over her shoulder. I thought she would throw him off, but she didn’t, just sighing as he tried to reassure her. Eventually Apple Bloom caught up. There was a lot of shouting, Lightning and Dusk not at all sure what to do. Finally Scootaloo screamed “Fine! I’m out of the CMC, I’m not your friend anymore you hear me!” “Ah’m just tryin’ ta-“ “NO! It’s over!” Scootaloo threw her CMC cape to the ground. “GO AWAY! Leave me alone. You are not my friend!” Apple Bloom jumped back, Lightning zipping back and forth between them, shouting for them to stop. I couldn’t watch this. I flew in. “Scootaloo!” I shouted. She turned to me, tears streaming down, so much anger in her eyes. Purple stayed in the air. I couldn’t blame him, this was about him so… what exactly was he supposed to say? “I know how hard it can be to get along with your friends sometimes, but you can’t throw them away.” Apple Bloom looked at me, then back at Scootaloo. “Ah just wanna protect ya Scoots. Ah don’t like Purple ya… ah guess you cn’ ah just… ah can’t ferget what he did.” “He didn’t do it to you, he did it to me!” Scootaloo shouted back. “That’s ma’ point! That’s why ah’m angry. Yer ma’ friend, no one hurts you-” “I forgave him, you have to forgive him too, or you’re not my friend. That’s how it works.” “Ah can’t accept im’…” Apple Bloom bit her lip, looking at Scootaloo. Scootaloo turned away from her. Lightning flew above them shouting “NO! You can’t do this… please don’t!” She shot over to Apple Bloom. “C’mon Apple Bloom can you… I don’t know.” Apple Bloom just started walking away, crying to herself. “Apple Bloom… C’mon I…” Lightning grabbed her and flew her in front of Scootaloo. Apple Bloom threw the small pegasus off of her when she landed. “LIGHTNING!” she shouted. Lightning held her head down, eyes pleading. “Please…” Lightning said. Dusk joined his sister, quietly watching them too. “Look… let’s go get ice cream at Sugar Cube Corner. Or maybe you all come to Vinyl’s with me and we listen to some music.” “Either you like her or me,” Scootaloo demanded. Lightning backed up again. “Don’t do this you two,” Lightning begged. “C’mon Vinyl got some new music… country, you like that Apple Bloom, and a little metal like you like. C’mon, let’s go check it out…” “Well… what does she have?” Scootaloo asked. “How about Thousand Foot Krutch?” Lightning asked. Scootaloo smiled. I actually knew that group and they were a fave of mine too. Lightning jumped up. “Smack Down?” Scootaloo grinned and nodded. “Ever hear Masquerade?” she shook her head. She looked over at Apple Bloom, “How about Gretchen?” Apple Bloom looked down. “Some ponies look down on me…” she quietly sang. “But I don’t give a rip…” Lightning replied. Apple Bloom paused. She smiled. “HELL YEA!” Lightning motioned with her head for them both to follow. (***) Well this was an interesting turn of events. Vinyl and I knew each other, much better after… certain events… anyway, yea, she had the music, she always does. The three girls and one boy, hung out on the side walk, playing their music just below a volume that would cause the neighbors to complain. Vinyl was actually pretty good about respecting the laws on that issue. Vinyl bobbed her head, smiling, watching the kids with me. I loved Thousand Foot. There was another group called Sabaton and… I kinda liked them too. Scootaloo and Lightning rocked out, Lightning shooting around the air and singing horribly along with the lyrics. Scootaloo meanwhile sang a little better, but she also was able to make up a few rather decent dance moves. I would love to report that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom left their differences in that field but… they came for the music not each other. Apple Bloom shook her head through the metal songs, just waiting for the country hits. Don’t know how she can stand that stuff but, it’s her choice. When the country CDs finally came out Apple Bloom attacked them, immediately going for Redneck Mare, a favorite of hers. She quickly put it in a player. Some of the lyrics, I wasn’t sure Applejack would have liked for Apple Bloom to hear but… screw it, there was no reason she had to find out anyway. Dusk joined Apple Bloom in the midst of the speakers. He started to tap dance to the song and… it worked with the music somehow. I had actually learned about Dusk’s tap dancing talent a while ago. It was cool, but it didn’t hold my attention anymore. I wasn’t into the music really. I leaned over to Vinyl. “Hey can I, ya know, raid your fridge a little?” ‘My stuff is on the right side,’ Vinyl wrote to me. ‘Touch my sister’s stuff and I won’t protect you when she kicks your butt.” I chuckled walking into the house. I heard Shania playing in the background… oh goody. AJ was probably gonna kill me if Apple Bloom repeated those lyrics… I searched the fridge. Vinyl actually wasn’t on a very good budget, so I made a mental note to replace anything I took, even if I was permitted to do it. I pulled out a soda and popped the top, drinking, letting the cool liquid settle me down a little. Sometimes when I had a minute to reflect, I would think back on how I had it before. I remembered how right about now I would have been hitting the track again. I looked at my belly… was I putting on a few pounds- naahhh- and that totally wasn’t denial. I looked around, noticing even Vinyl had a few pieces of Wonder Bolt merchandise. I sighed. Was that dream really gone for me? I wanted to be a bolt so bad but now someone else’s dreams were more important. I smiled. What did I have to be disappointed about? I was still the only pony alive to do a sonic rainboom in Celestia knew how long. I had also been an element of harmony bearer and beat monsters. I’d done things most ponies could only dream of and more importantly, I had rescued a little filly. I looked out at the sky outside. It was getting closer to dinner time. Were we to eat out or would I press me luck with the Apple family? I couldn’t cook that was- what happened to the music? I turned my head. The kids sure got quiet fast. I started to walk to the door when I heard Lightning scream. “DUSK!” Scootaloo screamed, Apple Bloom shortly joining her. I dropped the soda and shot to the door throwing it open, ready for a fight. If anything was attacking my Scootaloo and her friends- I would have known better how to handle it if someone was. I came out and saw Dusk, the six year old colt who just a few minutes ago was dancing and showing off to Scootaloo and the others, laying completely unmoving on the ground. Lightning kept screaming at him to get up while Vinyl used her magic to pull the filly back. Apple Bloom stood there in shock. It was a normal day… it was not going to be a normal evening.