'Ugh,' Drift groaned. 'My head. What happened?'
He felt groggy, a little dizzy and weak, but he was alive and kicking – just really tired. But, why though? He tried to open his eyes but he couldn't. 'Ngh', he grunted in slight pain. Did opening his eyes just hurt him? But not just his eyes. His entire left side was hurting, but not to an extent where it had him crying; just felt uncomfortable. He tried moving his hind legs, but they never responded. Not a twitch or anything. He tried to move any other part of his body to get some form of life for himself. Yet, nothing. He was alive, but he wasn't moving.
'W-What's going on? Where am I?' his voice echoed, floating in a vast void of darkness. 'Is anyone there?' he called out to anyone who could listen. 'Vinyl? Filthy? Scootaloo? ...Fluttershy?' but there was no response. He was all alone. And he couldn't remember what happened. He started to worry and fear for the worse.
'Is this limbo?' he asked through deaf ears. If it was, were the gods just waiting to decide what to do with him? If that was the case, he was unsure of what they had planned. He couldn't remember what happened, but he remembered the names of the ponies he knew and cared for. Fluttershy and Scootaloo were strong in his thoughts. He couldn't remember what happened earlier today or how he got here, but now all he could think of was then – his family. Or, were they his family? He and Fluttershy made Scootaloo but... he wasn't there from the start. Fluttershy's pregnancy, Scootaloo's birth, helping Fluttershy raise their daughter; he wasn't there. When they finally reunited and he finally got to see his daughter, he thought for sure they were gonna hate him for the pain he caused on them – especially Fluttershy. How he hurt her the way he did made him want to shun himself. He was a coward! A child running from responsibility. How could he face the mare he loved knowing she would hate him; heart and soul. But, that didn't happen. He reunited with them and they took him in with open arms like nothing ever happened. As if the pain he inflicted was nothing but a scrape. Why? They had every right to angry with him. He didn't deserve their kindness or sympathy.
'Fluttershy, Scootaloo, I... I'm so sorry,' he said under guilty breath. He didn't feel like he was a part of the family. He still had something left to fix. His clouded mind shrouded him from figuring it out. If Fluttershy could hear him, he had to say it, 'I'm sorry I was never there, Fluttershy. I'm sorry I ran away. I didn't run away and leave you thinking you meant nothing to me.' He didn't get a response, but he kept going. He didn't know if Fluttershy thought that, but he had a suspension she did at one point. 'I was not ready to be a father. I was fooling around with you, but we made a filly anyway. I ran from our responsibilities and I shouldn't have done that,' he started to tear up. 'I blame myself. For everything. You putting Scootaloo in that orphanage. Becoming a single mother. It was all my fault… Not secretly being there for her like you did. I'm so sorry. If I ever see you again, I just wanna tell you – ' his lips quivered as tears dropped from his cheeks '– I love you!'
His voice echoed the last part of his redemption speech, but his answer was still the ambiance of the void he floated in. He said what he said and he still felt hurt. What else could be missing?
It wasn't until a pressuring pain suddenly engulfed his body and another hard force smashed against his back. He was caught off-guard by that and nearly panicked.
He could hardly breathe, but he kept his cool and tried to collect his thoughts. It felt like something heavy had him pinned. But what? He started to panic. Is this what limbo was like? No! Something was off here. Whatever had him 'pinned' he wasn't gonna let them get the opportunity to do more. He still felt weak but was gonna say to Tartarus to that. He struggled and managed to open his eyes.
… He wished he hadn't.
"No, no!" he said through choppy breath as he stared up at the form of a large dark, nightmarish entity resembling a manticore. Glowing red-eyes beamed back down at him. "Marabunda!" he said out loud as he looked around and saw Ponyville reduced to rubble with bright flames dancing over them. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ponyville was destroyed. No other pony in sight.
"Fluttershy! Scootaloo! Vinyl!" Drift called out as Marabunda kept him pinned. He groaned from the weight of the monster's paw on top of him and stared back at him with hate and rage. He feared the worst may have happened and he lost it all. He took everything from him. Then it all came back to him in one fell swoop; the fight with Marabunda. Everything they threw at him. Was it all for nothing? Did they fail? Did he fail? He heard the roars of the flames and the growl of Marabunda ring in his ears. He was the only one alive and the others were missing. Why the torment? He glared his last rageful daggers at him and lashed vengeful words as tears start flowing in his eyes. It's all he could do while he assumed Marabunda was waiting to do the inevitable. No more.
"You won, Marabunda!" Drift shouted venomously at the dark manticore who stared down at him, his white eyes slowly fading to red and back to brown, yet he seemed to be humoring the pony by letting him speak. "You hear me! You blood-thirsty monster! You took everything from me!" his tears rolled down as he vented, but the monster still would not budge. "You show up to cause havoc to us! You took away one of my friends! Because of you, I lost my job! You traumatized me and my friends! Gave me this scar! I thought I was finally gonna get away from what had happened, finally get away from you! But now?" He sobbed but never stopped his irate rant.
"Now you took away my family! You took away Vinyl – my stepsister! You took Fluttershy, the one mare I loved with all my heart, away from me! And you took my daughter away!" Drift snarled as Marabunda leaned his head down close to him shining those reddish-brown eyes down at him like they were spotlights, softly growling but keeping silent. He sobbed a bit but yelled up at him in fury for his actions – for leaving him for last after taking everything else. "Why take them?! Why not me?!" The flames around them were intensifying. Their muzzles were almost touching as his scarred one sniffed Drift's, as if to get one last whiff of his prey's scent.
This was it. He was gonna do it. Drift waited but still, he spat out the last of what he needed to say to the murderous monster, "Burn in Tartarus, you psychopath! You demon! You've killed so much. Now, do it!" He glared up at him as his tears ran down in flows.
Yet the manticore seemed to be frozen, blinking slowly down at him as if he was being curious for the first time. Drift yelled to him, "You've won; you wanted to end this so badly – then go on, do it! Kill me! Kill me now!" he panted heavy breaths as he glared up at Marabunda. He used up all the energy he had left and so he waited. Waited to join his loved ones. "Just do it..." his lips quivered and closed his eyes as he looked away, crying lightly under his paws. He didn't care what happened to himself; he just wanted the pain to end. What more did he have to lose?
"Relax yourself, Drift." A calming voice sang soothingly in his ears, and it came from right above him. "Your worries only blind you."
Drift opened his eyes again. Where did that voice come from? He gazed around to find where the voice came from until he called out to it, "Who said that?" It wasn't until he saw the flames suddenly die down that he looked up to find Marabunda now had blue, almost comforting eyes and what looked like a pitying and comforting frown on his muzzle.
Marabunda seemed to slowly let his arms go before he looked him right in the eyes, and he actually spoke to him in a deep, powerful, calm yet sorrowful voice… "I am… sorry…" before he quickly disintegrated in front of the stunned Drift, never to be seen again.
And in his place stood a dark alicorn mare that had him pinned instead. Drift blinked a couple of times and looked at her, very puzzled. The dark blue fur, crescent moon cutie-mark, the luminous mane that resembles the night sky, and the dark crown. There was no denying who had him under her hoof and save him from that horrible nightmare.
"P-Princess Luna?" Drift said, happy and relieved she made the save, but was also confused why she was here. "What are you doing here? Where's Marabunda? Where are Fluttershy and Scootaloo?"
Princess Luna smiled gingerly down at Drift and removed her hoof from him. The scarred stallion felt all his energy return to him and he could feel his body, again. He sat up and looked at Luna like a confused colt.
"I'm here because of your nightmare, Drift Velocity," Luna said, easing his stress by letting him know what was happening to him wasn't real. "I was alerted right away and came as soon as I could."
The lunar princess had unbelievable timing. But it did help him ease the burden of stress on him, "It was... all a dream?" Now it all made sense! He was only dreaming! "That's a relief." He looked around to find the burning ashes of Ponyville changed to an icy tundra where the Northern Lights could be seen dancing above them. This environment sat a good, easy feeling to him and the sudden feel of slight pressure hugging his body felt warm despite being in a cold area. "Perfect."
But, then he paused himself in realization at what just occurred. A faint blush reddens his cheeks slightly as he looked at Luna sheepishly, "Um, if what happened wasn't real and it was all a hallucination, was I yelling at you the entire time?" He hoped that wasn't the case, because he'd throw himself six feet under tons of concrete and steel if anyone found out an idiotic stallion yelled at one of the royal sisters for no good reason. Life in Equestria would turn into Tartarus real quick for him.
Luna chuckled lightly and understandably, but she shook her head and reassured him with a calm look of midnight beauty that actually put his soul at ease. But that didn't stop her from internally laughing at how he was behaving right now. He was acting like such a colt, "Of course not. I happened to show up right as ye got done with your spouting. One simple spell and I was able to take the place of that shadow creature and fix the damages." And that put Drift at ease. The last thing he needed was to have an angry princess under his belt. Luna was very understanding – he appreciated that.
Then Luna looked around. The area Drift picked even impressed her. Of all the dreams she had been in, not a single pony ever once dreamed of something like this. And it seemed like a perfect spot to answer more of his question, "Marabunda has been slain. Twilight reported to Celestia and I about what happened. You and everyone involved tried your hardest to take this creature down and I must say: you all did outstanding." The story told from Twilight seemed like it was from a movie or folktale. But, she had to see the creature to believe – even though what Twilight said was very convincing. "And Fluttershy and Scootaloo are alright."
This news brought a pleasant smile back to his face, "So, we did it after all. Marabunda is finally dead and our nightmare is over." He felt at peace knowing Marabunda won't cause any more havoc to anyone around him. But, then what Luna said made him nod, "Good to know." Now his fallen friend can rest in peace.
"So, what about the others?" Drift asked, curious to know. He had a hunch some certain ponies were gonna get an alligator-pressured flank chewing from a mama-bear angered friendship princess.
His hunch was right on the market. Luna nodded, confirming, "Right now, Fluttershy and the others are talking to Filthy and his horrid wife," Luna said with a small snap. She's had a previous encounter with Spoiled Rich before and the approach was not a pleasant one. "Disguising herself as a flank-kissing mare to get me on my good side? I won't tolerate it."
Hearing that made him chuckle a little. Even Luna despised Filthy's wife. You know you've done goofed when you got one of the royal sisters hating your guts. Nice to know she was on his side, "Heh, ain't that the truth. I have no idea what ol' Moneybags sees in her." But, love is a mysterious force. Makes him wonder what Cadence was thinking – or was she involved in that? Probably ask her if he sees her.
The lunar princess then smiled softly again at him, "And Scootaloo? Well, she's closer than you think." she winked, giving him a hint of where she could be.
Drift took a moment to think, but was quick to get some ideas, "Heh, that's my girls." But, then he frowned and looked away, feeling uneasy and doubting himself.
Luna picked up the guilt Drift was thinking and placed an assuring hoof on his shoulder, giving him remorse similar to how she felt with her past, "Drift, you don't need to cling to this guilt anymore," Luna said trying to ease him again, but he turned and looked at her with tearful eyes full of sorrow and guilt.
"How can I, Princess?" Drift asked. "I put Fluttershy through so much. I ruined her life by giving her something that she wasn't ready for – something that I wasn't ready for." Though the nightmare was over, the guilt still weighed him down. And he couldn't figure out how to get rid of it. "They found me and I feared they hate me, but --"
"But they didn't," Luna interrupted, surprising Drift. "They accepted you back into their lives. Took you in as if you've always been a part of the family. And you don't understand why they won't hate you?"
"Y-Yes," Drift wiped the tears from his eyes. "H-How did you know?"
For the first time for him, he made Luna chuckle in a warm matter. He was caught completely off-guard but the night princess explained as she revealed to him, "Because when I was free from Nightmare Moon's grasp, I feared that no other pony would accept me for the things I've done." it was a long road to recovery for her, but she knew that no one held her faults against her for what she did; even her sister forgave her for the things she did. And for that, she'll cherish that moment until the end. All the ponies in Equestria forgave her – all but one. And it was high time she learned the one very important lesson...
"And I was wrong. All my friends forgave me, but I didn't. It took me a while, but I had to forgive myself," she took her hoof away from his shoulder and smiled. She said with wisdom like a great teacher, "Forgive yourself, Drift. If you wish to heal what's broken, learn to forgive yourself first."
That lesson sunk in and Drift was left pondering. She was right. The moment Fluttershy and Scootaloo found him, they were over the moon. What he thought was going to be a slap across the face turned out to be a soft, angelic kiss to the lips from Fluttershy. Fluttershy forgave him and Scootaloo was so excited to meet him. It was a tender moment and he couldn't be any more happier. He wiped another sliding tear and smiled wholeheartedly.
"You're right, Luna. I should forgive myself," Drift looked at his hooves. "I need to let go of my past and focus on what I have now." he looked at Luna, feeling confident and ready. "Thank you, Princess Luna."
Luna nodded, proud of that answer and confidence. Luna could see the resemblance between Scootaloo and Drift; both were ready for anything that came their way. It was almost uncanny, "You're welcome. I cannot fathom how great of a father you'll be to her."
Drift blushed a little at that compliment and smiled dorkishly at her. He hadn't done a whole lot to warrant a compliment like that, but he already had shown to others he would try his best. He was already trying to prove to Fluttershy he was good father material for Scootaloo, but he hoped to try that again once he wakes up.
But then it dawned on him. There was something he once thought about telling Princess Luna one day if they ever crossed paths with one another. As a colt, he always wanted to tell her, "Oh, Princess Luna, I almost forgot. There was something I wanted to tell you if I ever got the chance to meet you." He then rubbed the back of his head a little awkwardly because he didn't know how well she'd take it. But, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he had to take it.
Luna tilted her head, perplexed by this sudden moment, "What is it?"
Drift took a long, slow inhale and gently breathed through his muzzle, trying to calm his heart before telling her. He had no intention of making things awkward for them, so he had to let her know right now before she would leave, "I always thought your night was very beautiful." Luna perked up, surprised. "Comparing to Celestia's day, I prefer your night because it felt comforting, in some way. How the moon always lights up any area for ponies to see what's around them; basking the view from where ever they are or if they want to stroll at night. I love it." He smiled sweetly at her, letting her know that there were other ponies out there that enjoyed the night sky; not all ponies slept throughout the night. Most of them wanted to see and experience the gentle ambiance the moon gave them.
To hear this from him and to know other ponies loved her night brought her so much peace to her heart. She almost teared up from it. She didn't know what to say, either. She felt good knowing this and it made her smile ever so positively, "Thank you, Drift. That means so much to me." She looked over the horizon and noticed the scenery shake just a bit.
Drift noticed this, too, and looked up, "Am I about to wake up?" he asked her.
"Yes, it won't be long now. So, I must take my leave." She nods, but his touching words about her night have definitely made her visit very happy.
As Luna and Drift stood, Drift couldn't help but lunge up and hug Luna for all she did. Luna was almost thrown back by this, but with a warm smile, she hugged her subject in return. If this was an opportunity to form a friendship with her, he earned it. Much like he earned the family he made with the mare waiting for him and the filly waiting for him.
"Take care, Drift. Until we meet again," Luna waved. "And tell Scootaloo I said hi."
"You too, Luna." Drift waved as Luna flew away and blinked out of his dream.
Drift watched on as the scenery began to fade and he'd soon awaken. Whatever was out there, he'd be ready for it. He was ready to reunite with his daughter and Fluttershy. Reunite with his friends. No worries about Marabunda. Life would begin anew.
***
Drift groggily cracked his eyelids open. He looked around but saw darkness yet again. He didn't know if this was another dream or back in the real world. If this was another dream, then Olympus forbids he ever had a nice life. He could barely think straight but he was awake enough to know he wasn't being tortured by some demonic imp.
So far, he had feeling in his body, again. And he felt the soft touch of a comfy blanket over his body and a gentle pillow in the back of his head. Was he back home? He wasn't sure. He opened his eyes fully to find his eyes adjusting to the darkness around him. It didn't feel like his room and it seemed nicer, too.
He blinked a few times to try and wake himself up before letting out a soft yawn as he sat up – or at least tried, too. His body ached like he just got out of a gym made for Minotaurs. He managed to stretch a little but a sharp sting of his hip caught his attention.
"Ngh," he grabbed his side and felt something off. He grew a little concerned and looked around for any light source. As he did, he felt a small tint of pressure on the left side of his leg. He didn't know what it was, but it grabbed his attention. Where ever he was, he had to know. If only he could find a light somewhere-- that was until a faint crack of light began to reveal itself to the right side.
Drift looked and reached out, placing a hoof on rather thick fabrics. 'Curtains?' Drift thought. Now he realized this was not his room. This was not his home. He weakly sat up and felt over the curtain before he could grab a hold of the left edge of it. One pull and he finally had light shine into the room he was in.
Drift smiled tenderly as he watched Celestia's sun begin to rise, "Perfect," Not quite as cozy as the dream he had, but it was a close second. And from when he woke up, Luna must've left right as her sister woke up. Coincidence, really. He chuckled to himself before gazing over to his room, only to find an adorable surprise on his bed.
Drift smiled and cooed, nearly shedding a tear. Though the morning sun gave him sight to know he was in a hospital room, his focus was not on that; not anymore. Instead of focusing on the where, he was now focused on the who.
And who grabbed his half-asleep attention was none other than his own daughter all curled up and nestled like a puppy on the end of his bed; fast asleep and snoring softly. She looked so peaceful like that. He smiled, so blessed and glad, but puzzled and curious. Was Scootaloo with him the entire time while he was out like a light? If it was, then the doctors and nurses were very kind to let her stay during the night. He would wake her, but something in him forced him to hesitate on that. She looked so adorable asleep like that; he didn't want to wake her.
This little conflict annoyed him a little, but he had to at least try. He had no idea what was going on with him, yet he had to know what happened while he was asleep. Luna did give him some answers, but he needed to know more than that.
He softly tried to call to his daughter, trying to wake her. "Scoo--" but before he could Drift sharply looked to his left as the door ahead of him opened. A pale-white earth pony with a red cross cutie-mark came in with a soft smile and calming approach.
"Oh good, you're awake," Nurse Redheart said as she approached Drift relieved he was alright and not in any pain. "I was beginning to think you were going to be asleep a little longer."
Drift smiled a little but grew a little concerned, wondering something, "How long was I out?" he asked in a soft tone that Red Heart could hear but wouldn't wake up Scootaloo. He was curious to know, but he also wanted to know what occurred when he passed out. He asked calmly to her without showing a sign of agitation and discomfort, "What happened while I was out?" That dream he had with Princess Luna was enough to convince him to not freak out because of the fact Marabunda was dead, but he had to know just what happened to everyone else in the real world.
Red Heart appreciated Drift for not being hastily and being very calm and collected despite just waking up; it made her job a little easier. Though she was not part of the operation, she had a clipboard explaining everything thanks to her lead doctor, "Well, you were out for eighteen hours; much longer than a regular pony should." Obviously! No wonder he felt heavy and weak. Sleep like that would mess his body up, kind of. When he finally gets back on his hooves, he'll no doubt be well-rested enough to do what he can.
Red Heart continued, but she was a bit hesitant to explain, "I do have some good news and bad news, though--" something Drift wasn't partially thrilled about but he didn't cause a scene to stir things up "--Bad news: when the doctors operated on you, it seemed that Marabunda's poison had more of an effect on you than they originally thought."
Drift was thrown off-guard by that, "Wait, what?" From what Spike said during the fight, Marabunda's venom was so weak, it barely fazed Spike. What changed? "So, what happened? And how did you know Marabunda's name?" He asked, though it might've been obvious who told her, but he was barely awake to realize that. Heck, just happy some of the mental cogs were functioning.
But, Red Heart complied happily, anyway. Drift had every right to know what happened during his deep sleep, "Fluttershy told me what happened. Name of the creature and all. But, anyway, there was a piece of Marabunda's stinger that got lodged into your skin. He said it wasn't a difficult procedure, but it came at a risk."
Drift looked to Red Heart, uneasy. He then recalled the moment Marabunda struck him. He expected the venom to die down in about an hour, but apparently not. Drift silently growled to himself. Even in death, Marabunda had a way to get at him. Monster. He then mentally chuckled confidently, 'Joke's on you, Marabunda, I'm still alive.' With that knowledge present, Drift had the last laugh. It did puzzle him to figure something out, though.
"So, it worked like a bee sting, then?" Drift asked, confusing Red Heart.
"I beg your pardon?" She looked to him for an explanation.
"What I mean is that piece had a little more venom in it and when the doctors tried to get it out it leaked more venom, right?" Drift hypothesized, getting the confused nurse even more confused before she looked at him astonished as it soon clicked.
"Yes. That's exactly it. But –" she smiled softly, happy to inform him "-- Good news is, we made an anti-venom from the severed tail that was given to us by Fluttershy." She still gagged that Fluttershy carried it in her mouth instead of putting it in a bag. For a very sweet mare, that was a hardcore move – but also smart, too.
Drift smiled tenderly and appreciatively at Fluttershy for doing that. That girl had a lot of guts for doing that. He made a mental note that even timid ponies can have a tough side – no wonder she dealt with him all those years ago. "And?" he asked, eagerly.
Red heart continued, happy to tell him, "The anti-venom worked, we patched you up and you should be fine." She then looked to Scootaloo who was still fast asleep on the bed. She smiled softly at the filly's loyalty for her father, "And she never wanted to leave. The whole time she was here, she wanted to be by your side." It surprised her to no end how determined Scootaloo was to wait for her father to wake up. She had no idea why, but she could make some guess – but that wasn't her business to pry.
Drift perked up and looked at his daughter, surprised. Scootaloo wasted her whole time waiting for him to wake up? He didn't know what to say or what to think. He thought back to his nightmare and remembered how much he felt so disgusted with himself for abandoning his family. He had a small seed of doubt growing in his mind making him think that any of his friends and family members would take the time to be here by his side when he woke up. Nor did he ever thought if they'd stick around. Vinyl, Filthy, Pinkie, Fluttershy... but, he never expected it to be his own flesh and blood. He felt so moved, so delighted, so happy. He reached out to try and wake her up, but Red Heart stopped him before he could.
She shook her head at him, warning him as she pointed to his side, "I wouldn't do that. You've got stitches closing that wound from your surgery. Any rash movement could open it back up."
He looked down at his injury and carefully moved his blanket to see what she was talking about. It was good he didn't rebel. One bad move and the bandages around his midsection would be tainted red and he'd be in more pain than he already was. He looked at himself cautiously then nodded to Red Heart. "Good call, nurse. I didn't see this, at all."
And he wouldn't. He still needed some time to wake up from being in such a long sleep. She was glad to catch him before he could've made a wrong move. But, seeing that he wanted his daughter awake, she went up to Scootaloo and gently nudged her while he watched, "Scootaloo, time to wake up." she said in a soft tone, not much like how Fluttershy did it but it was enough to wake her up.
Like a little piglet, Scootaloo snorted softly and lifted her head up like she hadn't slept in a week. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Nurse Red Heart, but due to the sleep in her eyes, it was all fuzzy and she groaned, groggily, thinking she was still at home, "Five more minutes, mommy."
Drift and Red Heart tried not to laugh, but they couldn't resist a little snicker while the nurse had a slight blush on her cheeks from the understandable mistake. Half-asleep and she had already forgotten she was at the hospital. Kids can be funny. But, Drift had to pitch in this time. He knew Scootaloo was still awake, or trying to wake up and was failing, so how was he gonna get his little girl up? 'Hmm', there was one idea he had in mind, "Breakfast will be ready in five minutes."
As if it was a secret button to start up an engine, Scootaloo shot up like an energized rabbit and widened her eyes as if she was given gold for the first time in her entire life, "Breakfast? Where?"
And the urge to hold in a laugh could not be any higher. Drift and Red Heart smiled, tickled that was what woke Scootaloo up. Drift, however, snickered out loud and caught her attention, "Knew that would work." Why wouldn't it? No pony passes up breakfast. Though, saying that, he hoped breakfast was made at this time. He looked at Red Heart curiously as the nurse mare got the implication rather easily.
"Yes, breakfast has been made. I'll have someone come by when you two are ready."
Drift was happy to hear that. He nodded to the nurse then looked to his daughter and asked her, "Hey, Scootaloo, I bet you – huh?" he was caught off-guard when he noticed Scootaloo sitting there with a groggy, surprised look. He expected her to be happy breakfast was coming, but he should've expected this instead. He had a gut feeling she was thinking she was either dreaming or hallucinating – neither of which was true.
He chuckled softly and looked to Red Heart, "Think you could give us a moment?" He asked politely. With how things were going right now, he knew he had to have a moment with Scootaloo. The poor filly looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. He saw the tears well up, yet she was trying to be strong so she wouldn't seem weak in front of another pony.
Nurse Red Heart noticed how Scootaloo was behaving and how hard she tried to prevent the dams from breaking. There was no denying a request like this and without hesitation for Drift, she understood and nodded to him, walking away and leaving the father-daughter duo to themselves as she gently closed the door behind her so she could go get their breakfast.
Despite his covered injury, Drift thanked Red Heart in silence. He had a feeling he could handle the rest because this was gonna be a rather sensitive moment between them. Now with Red Heart gone, Drift could talk to Scootaloo in peace and hoped he could calm her down. He paused, suddenly. There was just one problem: he had no idea what to say to her! He didn't think that one through. Not to mention this was the first time he got to have a one-on-one talk with her which made it slightly awkward for him. Dealing with friends, getting a home, dealing with trophy animals were a lot of things to deal with in his life, but of all the conundrums he's been through in his whole life this was one part of his past he didn't think would make him think so much; he could've sworn he had a headache coming in. It was still hard to believe that this little filly was his daughter. All the things he missed out on in her life. Her birth. Raising her with Fluttershy. Molding her into what could've been either a mini him or a mini Shy. This was all bizarre to him and he had no idea how to handle it. If he had stuck around with Fluttershy while she was pregnant and not have been such a coward, maybe he'd learn something from, well, any pony who was a parent – heck, his own parents would've helped!
Then a thought occurred to him: what if he stayed? What if he stuck around and supported Fluttershy? Would Scootaloo come out different? Just the mere thought itself brought in such a gargantuan butterfly effect that it raised more questions than offering answers. During Fluttershy's pregnancy, He would've likely told Fluttershy if they were gonna have a son, that would've been something great for his family tree because a son would bring easy tension and not cause that much drama – or so he was led to believe.
Yeah, he was glad that didn't happen. If he told Fluttershy that, she would've likely looked at him confused and annoyed he'd chosen a son over a daughter; he'd make himself look like a total jerk. Somehow, it felt like the Cosmos answered a question to that whole 'butterfly effect' thing he never knew he asked until now. Funny how that stuff works -- and ironic considering the butterfly cutie-mark Fluttershy had. Okay, now he felt like he was thinking too hard about this. The last thing he needed was a headache.
Butterflies and a risky headache aside, he still had no idea why his own dad raised him to think having a son would be a good thing. From what he's seen growing up from other ponies or other different species, neither gender would bring an easy tension to any family – some kids would be spoiled, little demons, or just all-around brats who treat their parents like garbage. Just seeing that made him wonder why his dad would think one gender was better than the other; it really wasn't. Then again, he was told he was a good colt by his parents, so maybe he wasn't seeing the picture here.
Either way, with how today's parents are, he'd be surprised if he didn't find other parents who believed that bogus stuff like his dad did – it was weird, but he was just relieved Vinyl didn't grow up have that mindset, too. But now, time and life gave him a kid of his own and -- the joke was on his father – he had a daughter the whole time. So, the idea of a son was out the window and buried under piles of mud. And knowing this made the surprise unexpected and even more special. If his dad was here with him to see his granddaughter, it probably wouldn't compute and he'd just power down.
...he made a mental note to introduce Scootaloo to his dad later just to see what his reaction would be. He was looking forward to that.
But, still, when they met before, they talked as casual strangers having no idea who one another was and just talking like it was no big deal. Now, it was different. Here they were again, now knowing each other as blood relatives... and he never felt so awkward about it. He didn't know what to say. It was so easy to talk to her before and when Fluttershy was around, but she wasn't around and now he was alone with his daughter. He felt like he was gonna botch it up, bad. No! He had to say something to Scootaloo to let her know he was alive and kicking.
He took a calm inhale through his muzzle and sighed softly before calmly saying to Scootaloo, "Morning, Scootaloo. Did you sleep well?" A good start for sure. He smiled softly but then he noticed tears in Scootaloo's eyes started to well and then dripped down her cheeks. "S-Scootaloo?" he was worried. He tried to reach out to her to bring her close and hug her.
What started off as a surprised shock turned into ungodly relief. Scootaloo hoped she wouldn't wake up to find her father still asleep. A peaceful smile loomed and her heart could rest. She didn't want to leave his side, no matter what anyone else told her. Yes, she still had Varan, but he's being tended to by Doctor Fauna. It was tough on her when she realized what she needed to do. She could've stayed at home with Discord, stay with Varan at the vet's, stay with her aunt at Drift's place or stay with Drift at the hospital – she did not hesitate and chose to be with her father; thankfully, Fluttershy, Discord, and Vinyl understood and granted her just that. Wait for him to wake up and be there when he did. It was a hard choice and she cared for both of them, but... "D-Daddy, y-you're awake," she said, choking up. Everyone, other than her mother, Discord, and aunt, tried to convince her to go home and stay where it was safe, thinking she's been through enough and seeing loved ones in hospitals would hurt her even worse – same lectures went at Fluttershy, too, but she would not have it with them. She was in no mood and she needed to be with her friends to talk to the ones responsible for all the trouble they gave them. The least they could do was grant their wishes. And Scootaloo chose to be with her father; Fluttershy had no issue with that. She could intervene and would've happily made the decision for her, but she felt like Scootaloo was in control and Fluttershy decided not to step in; she knew her daughter needed to be with her father. And Scootaloo proved that her determination was that powerful and her stubbornness led to everyone else's downfall. There was no way she was gonna go home without her family – her whole family. To Tartarus with that! She missed her father so much. She finally found him after so long and then he was almost taken away from her?
"Daddy!" Scootaloo said in utmost joy. Her small wings buzzed so fast, she jumped in the air and glided right over to him faster than she could think. She hugged him close, ignoring the bandages for a moment. She smiled happily, relieved to see her dad was awake.
"Whoa," Drift caught Scootaloo in his arms and held her close, letting her snuggle her head on his shoulder. Even with those little wings, she was able to glide to him pretty fast. He felt so proud of her, but he had to calm her down so they could chat. Like Scootaloo, he had a lot of questions, too, "Easy there, little torpedo," Drift teased his daughter. "Careful of the bandages. Daddy's still recovering."
"Oh, sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to," Scootaloo said, "But, I couldn't help it. I thought you'd never wake up."
Drifted chuckled a little, tickled she was so excited to see him up. And so moved she cared so much about him. She really was like her mother in that aspect. It was so uncanny, "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," he playfully boasted to lighten the mood and try to make his little girl crack a smile. "Your old man is not gonna go down that easily." he acted tough for a moment just to get a reaction out of her. If he was gonna be a good dad, getting his kid to either laugh or crack a smile would be a good start.
He chuckled softly and waited for Scootaloo to make some kind of response, but got something else instead. What he wanted to hear was happy giggles, but the sound of light sobbing was what he heard and the feel of small wet patches touched his shoulder. He paused for a moment and looked to his daughter. She was crying. Her hug got a little tighter, too.
"S-Scootaloo, are you alright?" Drift asked, worried about her. She seemed so happy at first, but now she was crying. "Why are you crying?" He didn't understand what was wrong. He was awake like she wanted. What else could be wrong?
Scootaloo lifted her head, tears rolling down her cheeks and her eyes stained red from crying. She almost wanted to cry out loud, but she had to keep it together, for him. Be strong like he was when he faced that monster, "I…I…" or she tried to keep it together. Yes, he fought hard but seeing him out cold on the ground... "…I thought I lost you."
"What?" He gently spoke, shocked.
Scootaloo sniffled and tried her hardest to tell him, but she spoke through heavy, unsteady breaths that it sounded like she was about to panic, "I thought I lost you, again. I... I finally found you and I thought I'd lose you, again." The pain in her eyes was too much and she crushed them, but that didn't stop the tears from coming out. "I thought you weren't gonna wake up. That you were gonna leave me and mom and never come back." She started to sob, again, feeling like her life just couldn't catch a break and that her patience was all for nothing.
Drift winced and quickly shook his head at what Scootaloo said. That was not true, at all, and he was gonna make sure that it wasn't, "Oh, baby girl, I'd never do that. Ever!" He reassured her that he wasn't going anywhere this time. "Please, don't cry. I'm awake and here for you." Luckily he had tissues next to him on a table and he reached out to get on then wiped the tears away so Scootaloo could see him. With a calm, reassuring smile, he tossed the tissue away and reached out to her, bringing her in for another warm, loving hug. "The last thing I'd want is to have you cry around me." He knew she was scared. Scared of what happened and scared of what came after. It was all a nightmare and they knew it; they all knew it.
"Then Diamond and her mother came and ruined it all. They tried to take everything from me. You, Varan, Harry, they tried using that monster to take it all," She said in such an angered tone. She was slowly turning into an emotional wreck and it showed.
"Hey, hey, baby girl, calm down now," Drift had her look him in the eyes and very gently, but firmly, told her, "It's alright now. Those two are being scolded and they are not here to bother us," At least, that's what he was told, or guessed, from what Luna implied. "It's alright now. Now follow my lead: breathe in and out, slowly." He slowly took in some air and lightly breathed out. "Just like that." Some breathing exercises were always enough to help him ease his stress – if only he would do that more often.
And Scootaloo did. Slowly, she inhaled as much air as she could and exhaled a long, calm breath. Drift motioned a hoof for her to do it a few more times so she can be stable. As she did, Drift could tell she's been through so much in her life. He was aware of the orphanage and how bad it was; much to his delight that she was out of there. It made him wonder what she went through before finding him and her mother. If what he dreamed of meant something, then he could only imagine the nightmares she went through. Well, she was not going to experience that anymore.
The whole time, he thought his family would not accept him back and assumed he was a deadbeat dad like most other families. Shun him away for abandoning them. It took but his daughter's tears to make him see that was not the case. His anxiety, stress, and worry faded away when his own kin was here, frightened by the thought that she'd lose him. A new feeling bloomed over him and his soul felt rejuvenated. He promised himself he'd be a good dad and now he made it his goal.
"Scootaloo?" Drift said, getting her attention. She looked like she was still hurting from what happened, but he was going to change that. He brought her back in for another hug, "I won't go anywhere. You and your mother mean the world to me and... and --" he started to tear up himself, lips quivering. He pulled himself together as best he could and not choke on his words "– I'm sorry for leaving you the first time." If Scootaloo was thinking that, she had every right to know.
Scootaloo was confused at first but she never moved in her father's hold, "Daddy?" Hearing that last part, Scootaloo wondered. "Why did you leave mommy?"
The question was asked and it was time to remove the bandage. The tears started to roll and he almost choked up, "Be-because.... because your father was a coward. He left your mother because he wasn't ready." Scootaloo looked up to him, wide-eyed and confused but didn't say anything when she saw the sorrowed, pained look in his eyes. "I-I... I left your mother because I wasn't ready. I was a c-coward and ran away." Looking back at those memories hurt as much as when it actually did happen. But he had to get through the pain of the past to get to the serenity of the present. And he saw the shocked look on his daughter's face, but still went on, "When I left, I thought I'd never see her again. I thought she'd hate me for leaving. And because of my cowardice and stupidity, I never went back to find her." He sniffled and hiccuped. "I missed so much and I'm so sorry. Could you ever forgive your old man for what he's done?"
Scootaloo didn't know what to think. Her dad was scared to raise her with her mother and that made her mother put her in the orphanage. It was something to take in and she would be upset, but... she couldn't. He's done so much and said what he said to her that convinced her he's been through a lot, just like her. And now, seeing him like this made her feel better.
There was a brief pause between father and daughter. Scootaloo thought about it for a moment, but her answer was crystal clear. Her heart could not take it anymore and she smiled at him, accepting his apology as fast as Rainbow Dash's flight record, "Yes. I forgive you, Daddy."
Drift smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks, "Thank you, baby girl. Thank you." He felt at peace. All he ever wanted was to be accepted and his daughter took him back without any hesitation. He didn't have any words left. All he felt was happiness and joy to be reunited with his child.
Scootaloo smiled again before getting the tissue box as she came up with a little idea, "Once mom gets back, we can start over and hang out, again, without interruptions."
"Yeah," Drift grabbed a tissue and wiped the tears and snot from his face. "You're right, we can –" he paused "– wait, say that again, please?"
Scootaloo looked at Drift oddly, but complied with his request, "We can start over?"
Drift smiled, again. He recalled what he said back at Sugarcube Corner and hoped he'd start things over with Fluttershy. Yes, he can still do that. He can start over! That's how he can fix it. "Start over." He looked to Scootaloo excitedly. "Baby girl, you're a genius!"
Scootaloo didn't know what the heck he was talking about, but she'll take this compliment and brush her hoof against her chest fluff, "Well, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but..." she playfully pretended to pull on a string to a train horn. "Toot, toot." She giggled sweetly as Drift laughed a bit along with her.
Until the faint sound of two stomach growls caught their attention. Both of them blushed embarrassingly as they looked at one another, with Drift remembering that Redheart was getting their breakfast.
"Heh. Let's get our breakfast first before we see everyone else, shall we?" Drift said.
"Yeah. I'm starving." Scootaloo smiled up at Drift.