Ponyville
-Hoover
I was in the bathroom of the train, too busy shitting bricks to think. It was CEDRIC. AND APPLEJACK. Jesus. Motherfucking. Christ. I need to get out of this bathroom. I stepped into the compartment again, and sat down.
"So Hoover... How's life?" he asked, awkwardly.
"Doin' good. Married, now." I put my arm around Tavi's shoulder.
"...this the guy that had the crush on me...?" Applejack asked under her breath to Cedric. He slowly nodded.
The ride was filled with an awful silence. Eventually, Tavi and AJ started a conversation. Cedric joined in, and Tavi made me. She intentionally got major details of certain stories she was telling wrong, just to get me to talk. She knew I was OCD.
By the time the train ride was over, Cedric and I made up for past mistakes. We went our separate ways, and Tavi and I made our way to our new house.
-----
Two stories, but the second story was more of a platform. There was an incline off to the side for Tavi. The outside looked very German, and the inside as well. She loved it here, and that made me happy. The next day the moving truck came. It was small, because we didn't have much. Thankfully, the house came with a nearly full set of furniture.
-----
Two months later, we were long since settled in, and knew the ponies around town. Berry Punch owned a stall across the street, Rose was selling flowers next door, Carrot-Top was in the central market (which was about three blocks down from our house), and Pinkie Pie worked Sugarcube Corner, which was outstanding at making cherry pie. Applejack had shown us around to her friends. So far, I knew Twilight, Rainbow Dash, R...Rority, was it? Fluttercry, or something, and of course, Pinkie, the mare at the bakery.
Ponyville is very old-fashioned. I like it. There are almost no computers, vehicles are scarce, if not non-existent, and the town has this thing for clocks. I don't know why, but everypony has, like, fourteen clocks In their house. There's an old carpenter down the street, he supposedly makes the clocks. But he's the only one.
Tavi's been talking about having a kid... I'm not too sure about it, but she's wanting to adopt. I'm good with that, because we could potentially skip the whole process the foal takes to get used to the world. You know what I mean, the spitting up, diapers, breastfeeding, all that stuff. Thankfully, there's an orphanage here. We've been a few times, and a certain filly has caught our eye...
Two weeks later, we signed up for adoption. sometimes it takes months to get chosen to adopt. We're prepared to wait. In the meantime, Octavia is playing her cello like a boss. I've given her cello a name, but she's yet to accept it. Its name is Ezekiel.
Chance came over two days later, and he brought us... A clock. Apparently, the clock thing grew on him, too. We set it on the mantlepiece, sat down in the living room, and talked for a good two hours.
-----
A letter came about a month later, letting us know we were next on the list to adopt. We were to pick the filly up at 4 o'clock that afternoon. We had a spare room, unintentionally, but this was the only house that was small enough for two. But it could comfortably fit three.
On the walk there, Tavi looked uneasy. I put my arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
"Maybe this was a bad idea..." she said to herself.
"It'll be fine." I said, secretly nervous as well.
We turned the corner, and saw the orphanage. Tavi seemed to be relaxing a bit, which made me relax, too. We opened the doors, and walked in to pick up our new kid.
-----
The walk home was fun, in a slightly exhausting way. This filly seemed full of a calm, ordered energy. It's... Hard to describe. But she's pretty awesome, so far.
"So what'd you say your name was again?" I asked, knowing the answer, but asking for the sake of keeping the conversation going.
"Scootaloo." She said in her tomboyish voice.
"Scootaloo. That's fun to say... Tavi, you haven't said a word, and we just got a kid."
"There's not much to say, all your conversations have been about is completely out of my interest."
"Well, what would you like to discuss, Miss Octavia?" I asked, in a ridiculously clear voice for me.
"..."
"You gotta have something to say, I mean, you can't just think about NOTHING... What about music?" I asked Scootaloo. "You do anything with instruments?"
"Umm... Not really..."
"So what do you do with your time?" I asked.
"Normally, I'll just hang out with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. But other than that, not much. I draw a little bit, but not a lot."
Tavi stayed quiet. Until we got to the house. I showed Scoots to her room, and she was awed at the size of it. She set her backpack down, and followed me through the house. The kitchen, dining room, and master bedroom went by quickly, but when we got to the living room, oh man. You gotta hear this.
She had seen my Ponyfield 3 case on top of other games I had by my seldom-used Xbox 360.
She gasped, "You have Ponyfield 3!?! I love that game!!!"
"Oh my God, no way!" I said in bewilderment. I saw Tavi shake her head and turn back to her music notes.
"You've played that before?" I asked.
"Hay yes, I have! Oh man... Wow." she stared at the case. "We had one of these at the orphanage. Only the older ponies were allowed on it, but I snuck on at night. And Modern Warfare 3!?!?!"
Even though the games were rated M, I said I'd let her play them. All except Mafia II, which is one of the only ones she didn't notice. I slipped it under the sofa, where I would take it back to our bedroom later.
When dinner was ready, we all gathered around the round table, and Tavi served the soup. Potato. Freaking. Soup. My favorite dinner. Plus, it being winter doesn't hurt.
It was strange having three at the table. A good kind of strange. Tavi and Scootaloo started talking more. Each suggested a conversational topic, but seeing as they were opposite in nearly every way, not much was said. But at least they tried.
It was early December. It seems strange, I haven't had an actual Christmas in years. Now we have Scootaloo, and it'll be nice to take a holiday.
-----
Tavi and I were talking that night. Scoots was so exited to have a room of her own, and was eager to settle in.
"So how do you like Scootaloo so far?" I asked.
"She's... It'll take some getting used to." she smiled.
"...Is it hurting again?" I asked, concerned about her paralysis.
"It's moving up my back..."
There was nothing to say. We could only hope for a miracle now.
-----
The next day, while Scootaloo was at school, Tavi and I went for a walk. I rolled her around town, and we checked out the market. I saw Applejack at her stand, and across the courtyard, I could see the spot I sat at two years ago. I rolled Tavi over to AJ.
"Hey, AJ!" I called.
"Howdy! Can I help y'all?"
"I was wondering if you could let us know where Fluttershy might be this time of day."
"Sure! Um... She's almost always at her cottage, and if not there, maybe around town."
She gave us directions to Fluttershy's cottage, and I rolled Octavia there.
-----
I knocked on the door, and it slowly opened. A cream-colored mare with long pink hair showed her face in the 1-foot opening of the doorway.
"Um... Yes, can I help you?"
"Fluttershy?" she nodded. "Applejack told us about you. We were wondering if you might have time to talk, maybe get to know each other."
"Oh, um... If you know Applejack, then okay." She opened the door to let us in.
-----
"If I may ask, what happened?" Fluttershy asked after a half hour's conversation.
"We were in a car wreck, and her legs were paralyzed."
"Oh my, that's terrible!"
"Yes... But it's started to spread up my back." Tavi said.
"You should really see Princess Celestia about this."
"I'm sure it's not that serious-" Tavi started.
"Oh, but you must! Nopony in Ponyville has a disability such as yours."
"Isn't there a mental institution just on the other side of town? Why hasn't the Princess helped them?"
"Oh, that's a bit different. She can't simply cure something having to do with mental health. But she has been known to help cure diseases while she visits. Right now, you're the only pony I know with a physical disability. I insist."
-----
We thanked her, and left to pick up Scootaloo from school. When we got there, class had been dismissed for about ten minutes.
"Oh, oh, mom, dad! Could I go hang out with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle for a while?" she asked, radiating energy. Tavi looked up at me, smiled, and nodded.
"Yes, but be home by 6."
Annnnd... Off they went. Like monkeys from a box. Tavi and I went to see Twilight about the Princess.
"...Never been called dad before."
-----
"Hello! May I help you?" she asked at the doorway.
"Yes, Fluttershy said you could help us with something." Tavi said.
"Oh, of course! Come in!"
"So we heard you Princess Celestia's student?" I asked.
"Personal student."
"Fluttershy said the Princess might heal ponies of sickness on her visits. Tavi, well..."
"I have paralysis. It seems to be spreading, and rapidly."
"Oh! The Princess has told me about her previous healings. Of course! I'll try and get her to make a visit soon."
After a few minutes, Twilight got back to us.
"Oh... It seems the soonest she can make a visit to Ponyville is next month."
"That's alright," Tavi smiled. "Thank you."
-----
That night, I went to pick up Scootaloo. When I came back, Tavi was sitting in the kitchen, with a worried look on her face.
"It keeps spreading. I think it's affecting my front hooves now."
We needed Celestia. Now.
Unfortunately, since she IS the Princess of all Equestria, she must have a busy schedule, so when she said she'd come down, she would. Also, there must be bigger problems than a spreading paralysis. But it would be nice if she could drop by soon. Like, right now.
I took Scootaloo to her room, and came back to talk to Octavia.
"It's spreading?"
"Yes, quickly."
"How long do you think it'll take before it spreads to your whole body?"
"I don't know, a few weeks, maybe."
"...Well let's try not to talk about in front of Scoots, okay?"
She nodded.
-----
It was Saturday morning, a week after that conversation took place. Scootaloo and I were on the xbox, which was now more frequently used, now that we had a reason. Tavi was unable to move her left hoof, and remained on the sofa, watching us. She was wrapped up in an old quilt her mother had given us.
It was a dark, rainy day. The constant sound of the water hammering down on the roof was soothing. I love the rain. Canterlot doesn't get much, mostly because it's above the clouds. Eventually, I offered Tavi my computer. She eagerly accepted the offer. I went and got it, and brought it back to her.
Later on in the day, I could see snow start to drift down outside. It wouldn't stick until tomorrow, if it fell that long. But the sight was comforting.
I was in the kitchen, attempting to make dinner. Tavi was constantly making sure I had the measurements correct, and whatnot.
When dinner was ready, I called Scootaloo over, and went to get Tavi's wheelchair. Once at the table, we said the blessing an ate.
"...Anypony care to comment?" I asked.
"It tastes like fish." Scootaloo said.
"What does?"
"Everything."
I sighed. Maybe cooking just isn't my thing. After dinner, I took Octavia back to her sofa, and dismissed Scootaloo, while I stayed back to clean up. In a week and a half, the Princess would arrive. Precisely on Christmas Day. How convenient. Cheesy, but convenient.
That night, in bed, I was thinking, as I always do. Tavi was asleep, and I was gently stroking her mane. If her paralysis keeps spreading, will it affect her mental health? How fast will it spread? Can we afford to wait another week? Only time can tell.
----
It was Christmas Eve, 8 o' clock at night, and Tavi wasn't doing too well. She could no longer move any of her legs, and was having trouble with her neck. Scoots was getting ready for bed, and we decided to, also. Waiting seemed unbearable. The Princess would come tomorrow, and hopefully then, she could- Somepony knocked on the door.
"Yes?" I answered, once at the door. It was Twilight.
"How is she?"
"She's not good. Her body is completely paralyzed, and she's having trouble with her neck."
"I've written to the Princess, and she said she's willing to heal her."
"If she could get here soon, I'd be grateful."
"Well, the thing is..."
"...What?"
"I thought I'd drop by early." Another voice spoke.
When I saw who it was, I immediately bowed. She motioned me to stand, and to get Octavia. When I came back, the Princess's horn was glowing. Scootaloo had come downstairs, too, and was standing beside me. Princess Celestia touched her horn down on Tavi's head, and their bodies radiated a light purple aura.
"Stand." The Princess said, stepping back.
I could see the nervousness in Octavia's eyes as she slowly leaned forward. My heart thumped furiously, vibrating my whole body with each beat. Tavi's hoof brushed the top of a snow drift, and hovered over it for a while. She squeezed her eyes shut, and slammed her hooves on the ground.
She immediately tried to stand up, and collapsed. The Princess caught her, and I rushed to her side.
"Walking will take some getting used to, but you CAN walk now."
Tavi's eyes were getting redder, and I could just barely see tears forming. I thanked the Princess, and so did Octavia, rather excessively. Eventually, she bade us farewell, and left with Twilight to go around town.
That was so freakin' cheesy. But in a good way. I guess it's just my opinion.
-----
It was Christmas Day, and Scootaloo was sitting on the sofa, with a small heap of wrapped presents sitting in her lap. That face... It's indescribable.
She mercilessly ripped through the cheap wrapping paper, marveling at each surprise after another. After she was finished unwrapping, she jumped over to us, giving us a five minute hug. At one point, it seemed like she had fallen asleep. But then she sprang back up. I couldn't help but smile at her infinite energy.
Tavi was practicing maintaining her balance, as she stumbled across the living room carpet. In an hour, she was walking again. She no-longer needed the wheelchair, could now see the upstairs more often, and it wasn't a pain in the ass when we came across three stairs in the middle of the sidewalk outside.
Scootaloo gravitated towards us no matter where we went, thanking us individually multiple times. Eventually, she caught on that it was getting old, and stopped.
That night, we feasted. Yes, feast is the perfect word for it, as the portions were intimidatingly plentiful. We watched a movie and a half, half is when Scoots and Tavi were both asleep. I gently picked the orange filly up on my back, and walked her to her room.
Her slow, calm breathing soothed me. When I laid her down on her bed, I looked around. She had a poster of Rainbow Dash, whom she idolized. I looked on her shelves, and saw a small collection of drawings, messily stacked, all of a Pegasus in mid-flight.
I stroked her hair absent-mindedly, and realized how soft it was. It was then that I realized that this energetic young filly was my daughter, and I had to raise her right. So far, I guess I was doing alright, but I could do more. But now, I smiled down at her, watching her small body expand with each breath. I tucked her into her bed, kissed her on the forehead, and headed downstairs. Before the door closed, I heard her stir.
"I love you, dad."
"...I love you, too."
Damn it feels good to be a dad.
-----
Ponyville has treated us well, given us a daughter, given Octavia the ability to walk again, and has given us lots of clocks. Life here is a lot cheaper than in Canterlot, and a helluva lot more colorful and artistic. Scootaloo has grown on us, and is doing very well right now. I'm thinking about teaching her how to fly sometime soon. I've gotten to know the ponies of this town better, and Tavi has, too. Ponyville's a great place to be.