Unwelcome Visitor
Carnival of Lies part 1
Blaze and Scootaloo had left the graveyard around midnight, but a shadow continued to linger about, watching the two pegasi. As the younger was ushered onto the elder's back, the shadow bit back a curse while the two flew peacefully into town. “I will have to take care of one of them... but which one?” The shadow contemplated this for but a moment. Stifling a yawn, the shadowed pony began it's trek to a nearby farm. “I will figure that out in the morning.”
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The morning sun rose over the horizon to bath Ponyville in it's warm glow, but not all were so welcoming of this day's light. The rays of the sun passed through the second-story window of a house near the eastern most edge of the town. Instead of flooding the room with light, it was stopped by a pair of thick curtains, a small parting caused the light to narrow into a thin band that rested high upon the wall. As the sun climbed further into the sky, this small band grew in length creeping downward. The light soon touched the cheeks of a small orange filly, resting peacefully in a dreamless sleep. Soon the warmth of the sun roused her from sleep, long enough for her to turn and place her back to it. Now the warmth hit the back of her head giving rise to a moan of protest and more shifting from the young filly.
Rolling one last time, the blanket covering Scootaloo slid off her body and fell to the floor below. With one more groan, she pawed the edge of the bed for her covers but found nothing. Opening her eyes slowly, she groggily looked upon the bed. “Wait... that's my bed. Where is my blanket?” Casting her half-lidded eye down. “Oh there it is, on the floor... Wait, my bed's over there. I'm over my blanket that's on the floor.” Her eyes shot open and glanced behind her, her wings were folded at her sides. Flailing legs and a soft thwop onto the floor became Scootaloo's final wake up call. With one more groan, she raised herself to all four hooves and surveyed the room. Her eyes first fell upon the bed, and to the wall above it hung posters of the Wonderbolts. To the left of the bed was her desk and two floor pillows. On the desk were papers filled with drawings of Rainbow Dash and herself flying through clouds. Another had Dash doing a sonic rainboom but the colors were off. On the other side of the bed was her closet, which normally held her helmet, scooter and some protective gear for when she did some of her more dangerous stunts. It was bare and a small amount of dust had settled inside.
Scootaloo wondered how she ended back at her old home. She had caved in and went to stay at the orphanage almost a year ago. A faint smell reached her. It was light and the most distinctive aroma was that of cinnamon. Moving to the door, the scent grew in strength, and upon nudging it open, the smell became more defined. Vanilla, there was vanilla among the growing perfume. Leaving her room, she trotted to the top of the stairs and took a big whiff of the pleasant fragrance. With careful steps, she made her way downstairs and a new smell greeted her. “Is that... Hash browns?” She rounded the corner that partly hid the stairs and entered the living room. There lying on the sofa was her mother, her purple mane wrapped in a white bath towel. Her teal coat showed signs of having left the shower not too long ago. Her right wing hung loosely at her side, a scar near the joint told of how the limp wing came to be.
“Mom?” Scootaloo's voice came out like a squeak, but still got the attention of the older mare who smiled sweetly at the little filly.
“You're up awfully early today. Did you sleep well?” The teal pegasus' voice was like the soft pattering of rain, her smile was bright and loving. But yet the scars across her body told of her painful encounter years ago.
Scootaloo nodded in reply, unable to make herself speak. All she could do was stare at her mother in disbelief. Caught between fantasy and reality, Scootaloo was torn with emotions of both love and loss. She so desperately wanted to run across the room and hug her mother and never let go, but she knew that this was a lie, a play of hope that everything that had happened was just a nightmare.
“That's good to hear.” The teal mare spoke again as she slipped off the sofa and let loose her slightly damp mane. “I was thinking, why don't you invite your friends over to dinner tonight? I can make that three bean salad that you love.” She mussed with her mane for a bit, shaping it into her normal style that Scootaloo mimicked every day.
Scootaloo stood still, unable to believe that what she was seeing was real, but wishing with all her heart that this was. The past two years had made the little filly pine for the good days. The days when her mother would pick her up from school and help her with homework. How she would tuck her into bed, kiss her forehead and say, “You'll find your cutie mark tomorrow.”. The day she lost a tooth to an accident while crusading, she was there with a smile and warning her to be careful next time. A smile that a mother gave to her foal to say without words that they loved them very much. That's all Scootaloo wanted, her mother looking at her with that very smile.
“What's wrong, Scootaloo? Are you alright?” Concern washed over the teal mare's face when the young filly didn't answer. “Please, tell me what's wrong?” Taking a step forward, the color in her coat began to drain. The shine of her recently washed mane dulled and grew bleak.
Scootaloo's eyes went wide with fear, she knew what was happening now. Her heart began to beat frantically, it was the nightmare again. Giving herself a quick pinch and a painful one too, but resisted the urge to cry out. She looked back up to the mare who had now walked around the coffee table, all her color lost save for the blood that dripped slowly from her nose, and trail of the crimson fluid ran from the sofa up to the undead mare.
“Please Scootaloo, tell me what's wrong?” The once soothing voice now was a winded raspy tone. Taking a few more steps, blood started to run from her ears in a slow trickle. With every step, one of the scars on the mare's body opened up and added more blood to the growing crimson mire. The grinding of bone on bone echoed through the room as each step brought the undead closer to the frightened filly.
The fear growing in the young filly caused her to step backwards, away from the nightmare that lumbered to her. The hoof steps that met wood were accompanied by small splashes, as the floor became covered with the crimson liquid as did the nightmare cadaver. Scootaloo backed herself into a wall, fearful tears rolling down her cheeks as the colorless visage of her mother shambled to her. Closing her eyes and drawing breath, she prepared to scream.
“Horse feathers!” The sudden outburst made Scootaloo's eyes snap open. The living room was back to normal, the sofa, floor, coffee table were all clean, not a speck of blood. The undead image of her mother gone as if carried off by the wind. “Well, I guess I can eat that one. Some extra syrup will cover the burnt taste.”
Scootaloo relaxed. The breath she held turned into a sigh of relief. Her heart slowed to a normal rate as she shakily made her way to the kitchen. Peering into the room that held both the dining room and kitchen, what she saw she was not ready for. In the kitchen half of the room, her father was trotting back an forth, placing pancakes on a serving platter, chopping fruit and dropping them into some yogurt, setting plates and silverware on the table, and pouring a glass of juice for her and a cup of coffee for himself. “Dad?” The word seemed so foreign, yet as she spoke it, she remembered yesterday's events.
Blaze stopped and looked to the sound and seeing his daughter trot into the room. A smile beamed across his face as she gazed upon the slightly disheveled filly. “Good morning, Scootaloo. Did you sleep well?”
She stopped midway through the archway, remembering the words of the ghastly horror mere moments ago. She shook her head to quickly clear her mind. She didn't want to look weak in front of her father. That would be totally uncool. “I slept alright, but how come we're in my old house?” Scootaloo did want to know how he managed to get the very house she and her mother lived in for so many years.
“Oh, that should be obvious. Your mother and I bought this house before you were born.” Blaze said in a matter of fact tone. “Even though I haven't lived here in nearly ten years, this is still my home...” Grabbing one plate with his teeth and sliding more onto his wings, Blaze made his way to the table.
Scootaloo couldn't help but think that her father wasn't giving her the whole story. But that would have to wait as her gut gave a low growl, a sign of how hungry she truly was. She nudged one of the chairs out from under the table and leaping onto it. The sight of the food placed in front of her made her mouth water. Vanilla cinnamon pancakes, topped with butter and maple syrup, a side of lightly cooked hash browns, a small lilly salad, and a glass of orange juice. All this food combined with the fact that the orphanage only stocked the blandest of oats for the foals left Scootaloo with only one thought, eat! The pancakes were first to go. They were light and fluffy, despite being bathed in syrup. There was enough vanilla to muster a strong presence, but left the cinnamon to take a back seat on her taste buds. The hash browns were a bit over-cooked for her taste, but were good nonetheless. Then came the salad, a light tangy dressing coated the lilly and romaine leaves. Scootaloo looked to the final item, the glass of orange juice. Grabbing the glass with both fore-hooves, ignoring the discomfort in her midsection, she drank the juice in one gulp.
Blaze watched as his little filly ravaged her breakfast with mild shock, as he slowly ate his own thinking to himself. “Is this how she normally eats? I'll have to ask Big Mac about that. Whoa, she's on the salad already! What does the orphanage not feed the foals enough?” *SLAM* Blaze watched his daughter drain her glass then fall, painfully, to the floor. Pushing back his own chair and walking around the table to see Scootaloo lying on her side, her hooves cradling her swollen belly. “I don't remember ever seeing a pony eat that much food so quickly. Did that orphanage not feed you or something?” He asked with a soft chuckle.
Scootaloo moaned from the near painful swelling of her midsection. She dared not move lest the pain become more intense. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw her father stand a wing's length away. With growing discomfort, Scootaloo pushed herself onto her hooves. “Oh, they fed alright. The most blandest of bland oats, hay and flowers. I never want to go back there again,” She said with an angry huff.
Blaze stifled another chuckle in favor of getting the day moving. “Okay, Scootaloo, I'm going to finish eating and in the meantime, you should go brush your teeth. When were both done, we can go pick up your stuff from the orphanage and get ready to leave for Hooffington.” The little filly jumped to her hooves, gave a salute, and scampered off, all with a cocky grin of a filly ready for action. Blaze moved back to his seat to finish his meal. “So full of energy, how in Celestia's mane am I going to keep up with her?” Laughing at himself for thinking such a thing. “Oh come on, like I was any different. If she is anything like me, I'll be just fine, but she gonna have some of her mother in her too. I think that's where my problem lies.”
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The visit to the orphanage went better than Scootaloo expected. What she planned on dealing with was more foals calling out embarrassing names, making faces, and taunting her into fights, but none of that happened. Probably because her father came decked out in his full flight gear. Most of the orphans that didn't have school today were here gawking, looking between her and Blaze in a state of near shock. She couldn't help but grin with pride as she loaded her small saddle bags full of her stuff. Crayons, rolled up Wonderbolts poster, her Rainbow Dash fan club wig, her scooter helmet, a small bag of bits she had earned from helping Applejack on the farm, and finally her scooter. During her collecting, she noticed her father idly gazing around the room looking slightly imposing.
On the way out, they went to the orphanage's director so she could say her last goodbyes to him and the staff. The only one Scootaloo truly was going to miss was Ms. Bright Heart, the orphanage's personal doctor. She had been the only staff member who seemed to know what Scootaloo was going through. The ever present smile the doctor held made her feel at ease when she was pestered and bullied by the other orphans. Even though Scootaloo knew she was not the only orphan being picked on, it was always done out of ear shot of the adults. Worse yet, as the doctor told her, they were doing it because they were scared and hurt themselves. It never made any sense to Scootaloo why these other orphans would do that. It was far easier to hide the pain than it was to lash out. Despite all the taunts, all the verbal jabs at her shortcomings, and all the nights spent feeling truly alone. Scootaloo had endured to see this day, the day she finally walked out of this dreadful place.
Looking up to the sky Scootaloo breathed in the crisp air. She took one last look back at the orphanage and saw a line of colts and fillies that had harassed her in the past. Each one of them had a look of either bewilderment or confusion plastered across their faces. She relished the fact that some of them had been turned down because of their brutish nature, and others because they were just prissy.
Blaze cleared his throat to garner his daughter's attention. “Hay, Scoots, let's see how fast you are on that thing!” His voice rose just enough to be heard by the other orphans while giving her a wink. “First one home, cracks open the ice cream!”
A roguish grin crept across Scootaloo's face. She wouldn't turn down any challenge given to her, not from Dash and certainly not from her father. “You're on!”
Crouching down with half open wings, Blaze looked to the filly. “Ready... Set... GO!” With the fluttering of tiny wings, Scootaloo shot forward into the early afternoon. Blaze was running behind her muttering. “Darn, she's faster on that thing then I thought she'd be. Well, that should teach me to underestimate my own child.” With a hearty laugh, Blaze picked up speed, closing the gap between the two racing ponies.
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The race ended with Scootaloo finishing first, her father hadn't made it easy. For every twist and turn she made, he was right on her tail. Every bump or dip slowed her down, making the once sizable gap at the start shrink. She had pumped her wings harder then ever before, the extra weight from her saddle bags made it worse. When she had stepped off her scooter, her wings burned fiercely. It felt like her back was replaced with red hot coals. Her breaths came and went with great heaves of her diaphragm. She had only pushed herself that far once before... a year ago, when she was trying to impress Dash with a new stunt that ended with Dash saving her, but being that close to her idol made that failed stunt worth it.
However, this was the first time some other pony pushed her to that limit. Her gaze lifted so she could stare at her father, the very stallion who was never around to raise her. Her thoughts ran to a few other classmates and foals that only have one parent. Berry Pinch only had her mother, Berry Punch the wine seller, Key Lime only had her father, who works as a farm hoof for Applejack; Lemon Daze had her mother, though Scootaloo never asked what her mother did, and Rumble didn't have any parents, but did live with his older brother. Then her thoughts strayed back to the orphanage and all the foals there that had no parents themselves, and how up until two weeks ago she was just like them. No mother, no father, and no other relative come to claim her. For two years, she felt alone. She had her friends who supported her, but it wasn't the same. But in a matter of two weeks, her whole life had changed, leaving her wondering how much more would her life would be altered.
Pushing herself onto her hooves, she gave her father a cocky grin. “Beat ya.” Her smile turned to a frown as she noticed her father showed no sign of fatigue. “You let me win.” She deadpanned.
Blaze gave a sigh. “But it pushed you to your limit, and doing that will help your wings grow stronger.” Blaze had been asked to train young pegasi, whenever he stayed in a town that were to far away from flight camps. “Now, how about some ice cream before we head out?” The scowl his daughter had eased into a smile as they made their way inside.
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The flight to Hooffington left Scootaloo exhilarated. Unlike last night, where they were barely above the tree tops, they were flying amongst the clouds. Zooming past the white puffy masses, Scootaloo and her father shared a moment that she would never forget. She cheered, whooped and hollered as Blaze did a few loops, spins, and dives to entertain his daughter. During the lapse in tricks, they talked about other things. Scootaloo told of the many adventures she and her friends had. She carefully omitted the story of the cockatrice, not wanting her father to fear that she was too wreckless in her attempts to grain her cutie mark.
Blaze himself, eager to learn more about his daughter, said very little. Having her on his back, Blaze had remembered the one time he needed to take Raindancer back to Cloudsdale. It was after she had recovered from the Trottingham attack, she needed to resign as Ponyville's lead weather pony because of her crippled wings. Brushing off the memory, he resumed his flight and focused on the tales of his daughter, and her complaints about being covered in tree sap.
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Landing in Hooffington just an hour away from sunset, Scootaloo marveled how a town in mid-summer could be this cool. An image of Ms. Cheerlee popped into her head and a lesson of Equestria's northern territories, explaining how they are normally colder than Ponyville or Canterlot. The crisp air filled her lungs and then, she thought about how little she was allowed to travel. She had been to Canterlot twice, but no other town or city. After hearing about Applejack's cutie mark story and listening to her describe Manehatten, Scootaloo wondered what other town and cities were like. Traveling from town to town, meeting new ponies, and seeing things others only dreamed of. That idea had been squashed early, due to the fact she'd have to leave Applebloom and Sweetie behind. They both had families that cared fiercely about them, whereas she herself didn't have one... at least, not until recently. Scootaloo glanced up at her father, watching him take deep breaths of the northern air with a weird grin on his face.
Blaze, on the other hoof, was in near bliss. The cool air reminded him of flying higher than most pegasi, how he dared to climb so high, that the lack of air threatened to make him blackout. The thrill of danger was like a beast needing to be tamed. Yet, every stunt was made to be dangerous, but liveable. Ever since he found his special talent, he had made it a point of his life to push the limit, much like tomorrow's performance. Usually, the cries of fans after going through some minor stunt was enough, but tomorrow night, he would have his daughter watch one of his more daring stunts. The thought of it alone, made him almost giddy as a school colt. He could almost feel the adoring eyes of his daughter watch with awe and wonder. Snapping himself out of his daydream, Blaze's gaze fell upon Scootaloo. “We're going to be staying at a hotel near the fairgrounds. Let's go drop our bags off, then I'll introduce you to some of my team. Sound good?”
Scootaloo nodded firmly, but her eyes grew wide as her stomach made its displeasure of being empty known. “Hehe. Can we get something to eat before hoof?” She gave an embarrassed chuckle.
Blaze giving a light laugh himself. “Right, some of the restaurants are still open. We'll grab a bite, then go see the team.” As the two walked to the hotel, they were oblivious as to what had happened back in Ponyville.