//------------------------------//
// The Unexpected Visitors 
// Story: Mask Not the Eyes 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

The next day Rumble was standing outside of the abandoned villa and  went over on how rundown it was and started making a list of how to fix  it. Ever since they were fourteen years old, Rumble and Scootaloo would  go to this place and practice their swordfighting of course now it was a  way to prevent themselves from taking it too far in their relationship  though they came very close last night.

Rumble could remember it  took all his willpower to not give into the temptation for he had been  planning on the side to officially ask for his love to marry him but  first he needed the means to provide for her and between his training  throughout the years he did small jobs here and there to raise enough  money. He was almost there, now he was just figuring out how much it  would take to fix the villa so that they can have it when starting a  life together.

Thunderlane in his Navy uniform came up to him and questioned, "Thinking of buying your own place little brother?"

Rumble smiled, "As much as I like living with you bro, I can't stay forever, you know how it is."

"Sure.  And if I am being honest I would like for you to leave because with all  the young ladies I've been courting for some time now eventually I'll  find the right one and will want to settle down."

"Understandable, Thunder. Since I too want to settle with the mare of my dreams."

He smirked, "Let me guess, Scootaloo?"

"Well duh! Who else?"

He  chuckled, "I'm just messing with you, you know that…" then he went  serious, "But Rumble, don't you think you're too young to be thinking  that?"

"You're kidding right? Do you realize how many ponies younger than us have gotten married due to an arranged marriage?"

"Yes,  that's true but we don't think like that. If anything it's better to  enjoy your youth instead of getting marry until the moment is right."

"But  what if that moment is right despite our age? Thunder, you know that  Scoots and I have a connection that goes back to when we were young,  everyone knew it."

"Yes, I know that but are you ready to handle such a huge responsibility?"

"You be surprised."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Ever wonder what I did with the money I made over the years?"

Thunder's eyes widen, "You mean…?"

"That's right. I never once spent a penny because it was all for her and our future together."

The stallion sat on his haunches in disbelief, uttering, "You… you did that?"

He nodded, "That's right. So still think I can't handle it?"

Thunder shook his head, "Bro, I swear…"

"Hey, I like looking ahead."

"Oh really? I  seem to recall you dreading your future when you looked into that orb  seven years ago. You hated the idea of becoming something you were force  into."

"That was then, now that I know what my future is, I don't  fear it anymore and having Scootaloo with me helps. So I'm hoping by  next year, I'll have the house ready and propose to her."

Thunderlane beamed in pride toward his brother and put a hoof around him, "You're a good kid, bro."

Rumble smiled back, "And I want it to stay that way."

The older stallion let go and started moving away, "I got to get back to the academy now, see you for dinner."

"See you then." he waved him off.

Once  Thunderlane left, Rumble went back to his planning when suddenly he was  bombarded by his friends with Button grabbing him and ruffled his mane.

"Rumble! Come have a drink with us!" Pip exclaimed.

Skedaddle mentioned, "Yeah, you been gone all summer let's get you back into the swing of things!"

"Okay-okay-okay! Just get this jerk off of me!"

Button laughed and nudged him, "Come on don't be like that, we're old pals after all. We go way back."

Rumble  rolled his eyes, "Yes, I can never forget our days on the island but  you know I don't like it when someone touches my mane!"

Pip teased, "Right, only his marefriend can do that."

"Hey!  Leave my girl out of this! You don't see me making fun of you and Apple  Bloom." he turned to Button, "Or with you and Sweetie Belle."

Skedaddle  motioned, "I could never make fun of your girls, they're the ones who  helped me find my cutie mark after all in knot-tying." he displayed his  knot cutie mark.

The trio lovingly sighed, "Yeah…" with Pip commenting, "They're just that special."

Then  Rumble had a smirk on his face and he used his wings to fly up taking  them by surprise as he called out, "Race ya to the tavern!" and flew  ahead.

Button yelled, "Hey! No fair!" and ran after him followed by Pip and Skedaddle.

Rumble taunted them as he looked back and did not see a rushing carriage coming at him.

The guys however did see it and gasped and Skedaddle shouted, "Rumble! Look out!"

The  pegasus turned at the last second and was able to air flip out of the  way before dropping to the ground as he shouted, "Watch where you're  going pal!"

The carriage halted and the door opened as a bulky  gray stallion with sleek golden hair and eyes dressed in fine clothes  came out. He faced Rumble with a frown and stated, "How dare you speak  to me like that, miscreant! You're the one who should be watching where  he's going!"

Pip objected, "But you were the one that was going too fast! You could have hurt our friend!"

"Well it would have served him right!"

"WHAT?!" the guys gawked, hardly believing they heard that right.

"As it is, I am Don Gold Digger and I am an important stallion compared to riffraff like you."

"RIFFRAFF?!" they angrily shouted.

"Yes,  riffraff that serve no significance in our world and therefore it would  not be so horrible if this stupid boy had gotten hurt."

Rumble was fuming, "Why you…" and was on the verge of attacking the pompous jerk and the boys were about to do the same.

Meanwhile up the street the CMC saw what was going on and quickly rushed over stopping the boys from instigating violence.

Scootaloo held her boyfriend off and told him, "Rumble calm down!"

"No way! That arrogant snob insulted me! I have the right to restore my honor!" he struggled to get pass her.

Gold Digger scoffed, "Your honor? Where would that be? In the mud where you belong?"

Scootaloo  gasped this time and retorted at the stallion, "How dare you! I'll have  you know that he is more of a stallion then you ever hope to be!"

"Says the tramp that defends him."

There  was a giant gasp and Rumble shouted, "That's it! I challenge you to a  duel! For it's one thing to insult me, but to insult my love, that's  going too far…" his eyes burned with fire in them.

"I accept. Maybe then I can teach you the proper respect to one's superiors."

Suddenly a female voice from the carriage called out, "Husband please no! Let them be!"

"Stay out of this, wife!"

Then the mare came out of the carriage and with a share gasp by her and Scootaloo, the younger mare said.

"Aunt… Aunt Holiday? Is that you?"

The group was stunned by this as Holiday exclaimed, "Scootaloo? Can… can it really be you?"

The two stared at each other in disbelief for the longest time before they broke down in joyful tears and hugged.

Both Rumble and Gold Digger were shocked and looked at each other awkwardly.





Holiday  and Gold Digger soon found themselves in the Dash household where  Scootaloo brought her family up to speed while Rumble and the rest of  their friends watched uneasily as they were still taken aback by the  recent development of Scoots reuniting with her long-lost aunt.

Rainbow and Soarin couldn't believe it either.

Scootaloo  explained, "When Mom and Dad died I thought I had to make my own way  and I didn't even know if Aunt Holiday was still around so yeah, I  basically did everything I told you when we first met, Mom before coming  into your care."

"But you should have told me that you had family  out there we could have… could have…" but even she wasn't sure if she  would have parted with Scootaloo then after bonding together.

Holiday  said, "It was just as well that Scootaloo ended up with you, when I  heard the news of the Storm King invading the island my brother and his  family were on and killed everyone I couldn't bring myself to go and  look at the carnage. But now, I see with great joy that my darling niece  survived all along…" she smiled and touched Scootaloo's cheek, "Oh  you've grown so much since I last saw you… You look almost exactly like  your mother…"

Scoots' eyes welled up, "Really? You really think so?"

Holiday nodded.

There  was sniffling in the background with the boys but Rumble letting out  tears making Button whisper to Pip, "I'm not crying, you're crying."

Sweetie shook her head, "You're both crying."

Rainbow  while happy for Scootaloo to receive such a compliment at the same time  she couldn't help but feel a little jealous given Scootaloo wasn't her  real daughter.

Gold Digger then proclaimed, "Well now that we know  that Scootaloo is alive and well after all, that means she can inherit  her fortune."

"Say what?!" Dash and Soarin exclaimed as everyone gawked.

Gold indifferently expressed, "That's right. My wife's niece is an heiress to the Stutter estate in Califoalnia."

Holiday stated, "It's true. My parents left a vast fortune to my brother and it belongs to Scootaloo now."

Apple Bloom pointed, "Holy apples, Scootaloo! You're rich!"

"But… but Papa never told me that…"

Holiday  sadly smiled, "Oh he wouldn't. He… wasn't exactly on the best terms  with your grandparents due to a falling out they had."

Gold  commented, "A bit foolish if you ask me, he was supposed to take over  the rancho for them but instead he wanted to throw it all away and  travel around the world. He didn't realize how good he had it."

Holiday looked like she wanted to add on to that but decided not to.

Gold  then said, "But I suppose it was just as well, since my wife and I have  been able to handle the rancho much better than he could. From what I  remember of my brother-in-law he always had a one-track mind and that is  something you don't want when running an estate."

Pip uttered to Rumble, "And you tell us this why?"

Rumble  rubbed his chin in thought, he did find it odd that Scootaloo's uncle  would so poorly mention her birth father like that. In fact the stallion  just rubbed him the wrong way ever since they met this morning, there  was something he didn't like about him and he was going to keep an eye  on him from now on.

Gold then said, "But it as I said, Scootaloo is to inherit her fortune and to do that she must return with us to Califoalnia."

"WHAT?!" the entire house sans Holiday and Gold shouted in surprise.

Scootaloo  motioned, "But I don't want to go! All my friends are here, my purpose  is here! And…" she looked to Rainbow, Soarin, and Rumble, "My family is  here…"

Holiday was about to reply when Gold interjected, "But are  we not your family? Your aunt and uncle who thought you for dead? We  only wish for you to come home with us as it is where you belong."

"It certainly would be nice…" Holiday sadly uttered out.

Soarin suggested, "Would it work if she visited you on occasion instead?"

Gold bluntly replied, "Certainly not! We are her true guardians and therefore we should have full custody!"

Rumble argued, "She's not some object you can claim!"

"You  will hold your tongue boy! Since I have not forgotten that incident  from this morning and you have no right to speak regarding my niece's  affairs!"

"And yet you're not letting her have her say in this! She just told you that she doesn't want to go!"

"She  doesn't have a choice! It is in the law for legal guardians to take  full responsibility of their kin! If you don't believe me you can look  up the bylaws and see for yourself!"

Scootaloo's eyes widen and asked her parents, "Is… is that true?"

Rainbow and Soarin exchanged looks and Dash said, "I… I'm not sure… We'll have to look into it."

Gold Digger said, "You better or else we will have to take our case to the king and I'm sure you don't want that."

Both  Soarin and Rainbow frowned at this with Soarin saying, "I would be  careful if I were you on making threats. As it so happens we're close  friends with the king, so don't be surprised if the king decides that  Scootaloo stays with us instead."

For a moment a look of fear  flashed on Gold Digger's face before he scowled and stated, "If that  would be the case then I would have no choice but to tell my good friend the Califoalnian Magistrate and then we'll see who would win then!"

He butted heads with Soarin and they struggled until Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs with tears running down her face.

"STOP! Just stop it! I don't want anyone to fight over me! Look if the law says I have to go I'll go!"

This  made everyone in the room except Gold thrown in dismay as he exclaimed  and moved to her, "Excellent! Good for you my dear showing some common  sense." he patted her head, "I have some business in town I need to  finish within two weeks, so until then prepare your belongings and we  will come for you. Sound good?"

She solemnly said and hung her head, "Yes, Uncle…"

"Perfect!" and turned back, "Come Holiday, we leave now."

"Yes, dear…" she quietly said and made a quick hug to Scootaloo who sadly returned it as she went with her husband.

Gold  made a bow at the door, "A pleasure meeting with you all, well some of  you more than others…" making a distasteful look at Rumble who returned  it, "Farewell."

Then when they had gone Scootaloo and the girls  broke down and got into an embrace and Rainbow joined them while the  boys looked at them sorrowfully. But Rumble wasn't crying, no, he was  downright furious as he ran out of the house.