The Sons of Barricade. Part 1. Cooper

by Askre

Chapter 4. Meeting Barricade.

Chapter 4

Blaring music assaulted Junebug’s ears when she entered a gym called The Barricade, deep in Hoofington Manehattan. All around were ponies exercising, lifting weights or working on machines. The mare found this place strangely appropriate to find the father of her son.

Applejack had provided her with the info where to find Barricade, even offered to come with her and Cooper. Junebug accepted, however, she felt she needed to do this bit alone at first, make sure Barricade was like he was portrayed in the letter. So the apple-farmer and Cooper stayed behind in Hooflyn were Applejack’s relatives lived.

Junebug almost jumped when a big greenish opal earth pony mare appeared right in front of her. The stranger’s white and dark greenish mane were braided up and on her flank was a barbell. The pony gave her a friendly smile.

“Hello and welcome to The Barricade, you here just for the day or want to try for a membership?” the mare asked.

“Uh no…” Junebug was a little taken aback, this new mare looked rough and tough. “I’m actually here to look for Barricade, I was told he’s here during the day.”

“Oh, you need to see the boss, what’s it about?” the mare asked curiously.

“Can you tell him that Junebug is here to see him,” Junebug said, causing the other pony’s eyes to bulge out in shock.

“Wait… you’re Junebug?” the opal pony asked hesitantly and cringed when the yellow mare nodded.

“Come with me, I’m Barbell by the way. I’m Barricade’s wife,” she then introduced herself, causing Junebug to raise her brow a little.

He’s married? Junebug couldn’t say she was expecting that. Barbell took her to an office door further inside the gym, knocked and opened it to look inside.

“I’m busy,” a voice said that caused Junebug to grimace a little, she hadn’t heard that voice in a long time.

“Pull your head out of these bills, somepony here to see you,” Barbell said and backed away from the door, gesturing Junebug to go inside.

Inhaling deeply, the yellow mare slowly entered the office. She hesitated when seeing the big dark gray unicorn sitting at a desk, surrounded with papers, some held up in his magic aura. Barricade froze, his jaw dropped and the paperwork he was holding up dropped, scattering around.

“Hey, Barricade,” Junebug whispered, the office door was closed behind her. She couldn’t believe she was now alone with him, after all these years.

“J-June… what are you doing here? Didn’t you get the letter?” Barricade asked and looked about ready to dive out of the window behind him.

“Oh, I got it.” The mare reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the letter to show him, then returned it back into the bag. “I… had to come… see if it was really true.”

“It is,” Barricade nodded and looked down, he used his magic to start picking up the scattered paper. “I am really, really sorry for what I did.”

“What changed?” Junebug asked, still feeling unsure about all of this. But so far Barricade was keeping his distance and that made her feel a little safer.

Barricade sighed and finished stacking up the loose papers. Then he glanced at two picture frames that were on his desk. The unicorn grabbed them with magic and turned the frames so Junebug could see. One was a picture of Coal and the other was of her sister, Cara a grayish brown pegasus filly.

“I got my senses knocked into me and I realized that those two needed a better father,” he said, he picked up a third frame from a shelf, this one had Dinky on it. “I’m still getting to know Dinky all over again, was even worse father to her. I had to change for my little girls. Cara almost got hurt because my past caught up with me.”

“But Cooper?” the mare wondered and sat down, looked like she wasn’t going anywhere for the time being.

“I decided to continue to stay away, because I was just too scared to approach you and apologize,” Barricade confessed, arching his brow a little when Junebug had to hold her mouth as a giggle almost escaped from her mouth.

“Look, I treated you very badly. When you sent me a notification that you had born a child, I was a very different pony and didn’t really care, but figured I had to be the father, no use questioning it. So I just started paying the foal support I owed. Then as I said, I felt I should just stay away, the boy didn’t need to meet the pony who hurt his mom,” the unicorn explained and placed all three frames down on the desk.

“He didn’t need to meet the pony you were before…” Junebug shifted a little, then she frowned. “Wait how many kids do you have?”

“Five, Cara is the oldest, then comes Cooper, Coal is few months older than Dinky and then there is finally a boy named Chisel. I’ve not met him either, all I know his that he and his mother live in Vanhoover, obviously to stay as far away from me as possible,” the unicorn shook his head. “Yeah, I know, I got around when I was younger.”

“Five, how are you paying for all this foal support?” Junebug looked around the sparsely furnished office, the gym clearly had customers, but this didn’t look like the ritziest place either.

“Almost all profit I get from the gym goes into that. I help run an apartment complex to makes end meet. Although, dad has been helping me with the support after the two of us started talking again,” he told her. “Of course, I don’t have to pay support for Cara since I have custody of her, but I don’t bother her mother about paying support.”

“You really have changed,” Junebug said and looked at Barricade who just shrugged.

The mare wasn’t sure what to think, part of her had expected this all just to be a ruse. Yet the way he talked and behaved, this sounded so different from what she remembered. Junebug wasn’t even sure if she was talking with the same pony at all.

Finally, she reached into the saddlebag and pulled out the photo album. Junebug rose up, album held in her mouth as she walked closer to the desk and placed it on top of it. Then she looked at the unsure unicorn with a solemn smile.

“Pick a few, you’ve left me and Cooper alone all these years… I think you deserve them now,” she said and gestured to the photo album.

Barricade eyed the album. Then carefully lifted it up in his magic aura and opened it. He began on the first page and slowly worked his way through, a smile slowly crawling on his lip as he did. He turned the book to face Junebug, he had reached the one with the broken window.

“Dare I ask?” he chuckled.

“He was playing with his soccer ball and kicked it right through the window, even if I had told him not to kick towards the house,” Junebug explained, giggling a little herself. “He claims the ball took a live on its own.”

“Yeah, that sounds like my kid,” Barricade laughed, he looked at Junebug who seemed puzzled at this statement. “Oh, trust me, mom can tell you stories for hours of all the excuses I made when I was caught doing something.”

I guess it makes sense that something from him is in Cooper. Well at least the good parts, the mare shrugged, then again all parents could usually spot something in their kids that made them recognize something from themselves.

Barricade flipped the book back to himself, then he went back to the beginning and started to select a few pictures, five in total. Junbug noted he had decided to take the broken window one. The mare didn’t mind, she still had the negatives.

“So uh, now what? I don’t want to assume anything,” Barricade wondered and gave the album back to her.

“I’m going to accept your apology, I’ve never hated you, I was just scared of you. But I see I have no need to be,” Junebug sighed as she put the book back in her saddlebag. “I loved you, you know.”

“Yeah… I kind of gathered that back then,” Barricade nodded. “You sure it wasn’t just a teen crush?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. After you, I just put all my focus on Cooper, never looked back,” the mare muttered, silently admitting that she wouldn’t have minded knowing this Barricade instead of the other one.

Junebug expression turned more neutral, that was probably not going to happen. Apology or no, this was still the stallion who had hurt her. However, he hadn’t harmed Cooper.

“Cooper is here in Manehattan too, he’s with Applejack’s family in Hooflyn right now. I felt I should come here first, make sure things were different as your letter indicated. I think I’m ready to allow you to meet him more officially,” she said, once again Barricade’s jaw dropped.

“You really don’t have to,” Barricade said but fell silent when Junebug raised a hoof.

“If you were still the old Barricade, I would definitely not want it to happen. But I think Cooper can meet the Barricade I’ve been now talking to for the past half hour,” she stated and now smiled. “He’s your son and he does want to meet his father.”

“Oh boy,” Barricade muttered, already feeling nervous.

---

Junebug and Cooper got seated at the outside area of a café. The mare got herself a coffee and cake, while the colt got an apple pie slice with ice cream and some hot chocolate to drink. Applejack had opted out being present after hearing that Junebug’s initial meeting with Barricade had gone well.

“So, I have four siblings, this Cara, Dinky, Coal and somepony named Chisel,” Cooper counted up as he thought over what his mother had told him on the way to the café.

“That’s what Barricade told me,” Junebug nodded.

“And he’s going to meet us here?” the colt glanced around.

“Yeah, since we dropped in a little unannounced, we figured a brief meeting at first then a more proper visit later,” his mother told him. “We’ll just see how it goes for now.”

“It’s a little weird, just few days ago I didn’t even know if my dad was still around,” Cooper muttered and scooped up some ice cream.

“Well, to be fair, I wasn’t around,” a voice addressed them, arriving at their table was Barricade, he seemed more composed now than when Junebug first met him in the office. “Hello again, Cooper.”

“Hi,” Cooper said, little unsure how to feel. Not surprised, since he had already met the stallion, maybe a little wary. Even if the unicorn had apologized, he still remembered his mother’s account of how she met him.

“I will just go to another table and let you boys talk,” Junebug said and grabbed her refreshments and quickly trotted to another table not too far away. She really wanted to be next to Cooper during this, but realized he needed to meet his father mostly alone right now.

“So,” Barricade had been about to protest but Junebug was already gone before he opened his mouth. The unicorn sat down on the opposite side of the colt. “Heard the news and all that.”

“Yeah…” Cooper slowly nodded, then he frowned a little. “You were not joking when you said you were sorry you missed the game in the park did you?”

“No, I knew who you were the moment Dash introduced you. Wouldn’t have minded seeing you play,” Barricade said and smiled sadly. “However, I had decided to just stay out of the way. I didn’t want to just suddenly step in if your mother didn’t want it.”

“Why were you so mean to mom, or well any of the moms?” Cooper asked and took a bite from his pie.

“Whoa, that’s a loaded question,” Barricade whistled and cringed a little. Then he rubbed his forehead for a moment, trying to think of the right words.

“I was a messed-up pony. I was angry at my parents for sending me to a military school, angry at the world, I just wanted to lash out at everything. I was stupid, just saw others as obstacles to get what I wanted,” he started explaining, feeling embarrassed when he remembered all of this.

“Your mom and the others got caught in the crossfire. There is no excuse for what I did, sadly they suffered for my selfishness and childish temper tantrum,” Barricade sighed and shook his head. A waiter arrived and the unicorn just ordered some coffee.

“I used to wonder who my dad was, but never really wanted to ask, because every time I saw other ponies ask, she got upset. Now I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to know.” Cooper looked down.

“Look, kid,” Barricade leaned forward, resting his front legs on the table, staring pointedly at the boy. “I’m not the best father, I fully admit that. Dinky can tell you things about me for sure. If you don’t want me to be your father, that will be that, end of story. I will accept that.”

“If you hate my guts for what I did to your mom, then well, can’t say I blame you. If you want me out of your life, consider me gone. I won’t even address you when I visit Dinky in Ponyville,” the unicorn told him and he looked down at his legs, he was fighting back tears. “I’ve burned many bridges in my messed-up life. I have to accept there are some I can’t rebuild.”

“But I still want to tell you, that I’m really proud of you and what you have already accomplished. If you managed to make Dash proud, then that’s saying something. You’re the only one of my sons I’ve met and might be the only one I will meet, even if this is the only time,” Barricade raised his head again, a tear did manage to break through and trickled down his cheek.

Keep it together moron, no running away. Face the music, he has every right to be angry at you, he thought as the unicorn watched his son who still stared at him with a thoughtful frown.

“Actually, I have overheard some of the things you did when Dinky ranted about you with her friends,” Cooper confessed and glanced towards his mom’s table, Junebug was really trying to appear she was just enjoying her coffee and cake and not listening in at all.

“Yeah… I’m not surprised,” his father smiled weakly, then with a grunt wiped away the tear, still stubbornly holding the rest back.

“But hearing Dinky talk about you now, I guess you really are trying.” The colt turned back to him. “I mean even Coach Dash likes you and I know she can hold a grudge.”

Cooper silently groaned, finding it really difficult what to decide. He continued with his meal for a moment, he felt like everything hinged on him. The colt eyed Barricade again who was sipping his newly arrived coffee.

“I really do not like what you did with mom and it might take a while to forgive you that,” Copper finally said. “But Dinky and Coal said they decided to give you another chance with them and they look happy. I think I want to give you a chance with me.”

“I can’t really ask for more,” Barricade said and hid his relief. “When is your next game?”

“Next Saturday in Ponyville, we are playing the Appleloosa youth league,” Cooper told him.

“I’ll be there,” his father promised him and produced a smirk. “Small steps?”

“Sure,” Cooper nodded satisfied with that.

---

Applejack regarded the two ponies sitting in front of her in the train car. Cooper looked contemplative and had been mostly silent since the meeting at the Café. Junebug appeared almost relieved like some heavy baggage had been lifted off her.

Mother and son had met up with the apple-farmer at the train station, the plan had been to head back to Ponyville once the meeting was over. Applejack had been rather glad she hadn’t been really needed this time, Junebug seemed to have handled everything well.

“So, Ah take it Barricade is being given a chance?” Applejack asked, they still hadn’t really given her any details on how things had gone.

“Yes, we are starting small. He said he would be at the game next Saturday,” Junebug responded and eyed her son. “Cooper did very well.”

“You alright there. Cooper?” the apple-farmer turned her attention to the boy.

“Yeah, I guess.” The colt shrugged a little. “He sounded like somepony I want to meet again.”

“But?” Applejack furrowed her brow. Junebug put a hoof on her son’s back.

“I know he apologized, but he did hurt mom.” Cooper turned to look at his mother, she smiled.

“Yes he did, honey. But I saw a completely different pony in that office of his. I don’t know what happened, all he said was that he had his senses knocked into him. But I just couldn’t fear that pony, he didn’t try or say anything that made me feel unsafe, kept his distance and seemed ready to accept whatever I decided,” Junebug told him and took a deep breath.

“I’ve lived in fear for so long over what he might do if he found out where we lived, but he’s known for months now and even then nothing happened.” Her smile became happier. “I think I’m finally able to put it behind me.”

“You have forgiven him?” Cooper asked unsure. His mother chuckled and pulled him into a hug.

“Maybe forgive is too strong a word, that might still take a while. It’s more that I don’t resent and fear him anymore, I’m ready to see how much he’s changed, then maybe later I will be able to forgive him fully,” she explained to her son. “I just want you to be happy, that’s all that’s important to me. For all the things Barricade did, he still gave me you and you are the best thing that happened to me.”

Applejack looked pleased, this sounded much more like the Junebug she knew. The apple-farmer had been very worried about her since the yellow mare had knocked on her door yesterday, crying and upset.

Cooper looked happier now too, it just didn’t seem right to see the colt so serious. This had been quite a weekend for him, learning about his father and the pain Barricade had caused his mother.

The farmer was also glad for Barricade. She had used to resent that pony for a long time after what he did to Derpy. But having seen him break down in Manehattan, tear through Hoofington to search for his daughter and showing clear signs that he was changing his tune, Applejack felt he deserved a new chance to at least try to rebuild some of these bridges he had burned.

Looks like you aren’t so bad at building bridges after all, eh Barricade? she thought, recalling her exchange with the unicorn months ago, where he had told her he was far better at blowing them up.

End chapter 4