Baker and Light left Derpy’s home much happier then they were when they arrived. It was late in the afternoon and most ponies were finished their shopping. The streets were mostly empty as ponies had gone back to work or to visit friends. Applejack was minding her stall so Baker bought a fritter to share with Light while the two wandered around looking for something interesting. Light was having a fun time giggling and bouncing up and down. As he turned a corner on to Pokey Lane he saw Scootaloo buzzing by on her scooter. This wouldn’t have been noticeable except neither Sweetie Belle nor Apple Bloom was with her. Baker shrugged and pressed his hoof gentle on to Light’s back stopping him from bouncing. Raising his hoof to his lips, Baker motioned towards Scootaloo and Light smiled and stopped laughing. The two stealthily followed the orange filly ducking into alleyways and hiding in bushes when ever possible. Scootaloo made her way out of Ponyville and headed north. Staying in the woods and lifting Light on to his back Baker followed Scootaloo to a clearing and watched her set out a tablecloth, and pull a picnic basket from her scooter. Out from the basket came three sandwiches, three bottles of apple juice and three slices of pumpkin pie. Baker crouched down and was about to shout surprise when he saw two dots appear from the sky. The dots began to get closer and closer until you could tell that they were two pegasus ponies coming in to land on the grass. One had a yellow coat and a flaming orange mane while the other had a blue coat and a darker blue mane. Scootaloo immediately hugged both of them and it was clear that they were hugging back.
Knew it.
Spitfire began to talk with Scootaloo while Soarin’ dug into his slice of pie. Baker smiled and looked down to see Light sit down then get a scrunched up face and start to cry. Baker lifted Baker and started to rock him while humming soothingly to him. He looked and saw a small thorn stuck in Light’s flank, using his magic he plucked it out and stroked his mane. Light stopped crying and tried to wiggle out from Baker. Once he reached the ground he rushed out towards the picnic. Baker smiled and pushed through the rest of the bushes smiled and waving to Scootaloo. Scootaloo turned a light shade of orange and got a panicked look on her face. Baker just smiled and waited.
“Ah, Ah this isn’t what it looks like, I won a raffle and got a day with the Wonderbolts, yah that right it was a raffle I won”
Baker just nodded and walked towards Spitfire who was staring at both of them.
“You must be Scootaloo’s mother, now I know why she is so awesome”
Spitfire laughed and Scootaloo’s eyes got bigger and she clearly became even more panicked.
“No no there is no need to assume that Baker. Please don’t tell and one you saw this, please”
“To be fair Scooty, I kind of suspected this long before I saw either of them appear here. If you look carefully all the clues are there” admitted Baker with a shrug.
‘Wait what? What do you mean you suspected before hand, how did you know who my parents were?”
Baker just smiled and winked. Light meanwhile had managed to get between Soarin’ and the last remaining piece of his pie. Soarin’ was shocked but just pulled back and laughed as Light swallowed his pie and flashed his toothy smile.
“Glad to see you are not alone in the world Scooty, life is so much better with a caring family around you”
Spitfire just grabbed her daughter and gave her a hug “and I do love her that much is true” then her eyes narrowed “So what were you doing cowering in the bushes like that?”
“Well I saw Scootaloo going about with out her friends and clearly trying not to be seen, so I that I would follow her and see what she was trying to hide” said Baker with a shrug “Maybe not the best idea, but it seemed like something interesting to do at the time”
Soarin’ and Spitfire stared hardly at Baker who began to feel uncomfortable with their judging eyes. He tried to look away but he was caught in their stares of doom. He began to sweat, shiver and sneeze and then the stare stopped and they smiled.
“I guess that makes sense” said Spitfire.
Baker collapsed from relief and just laid on the grass relishing to softness of the ground, Light came over a nudged hum a few times before going back to the picnic area. Baker took a deep breath and stood up again, shock his mane free of anything that might be caught in it and smiled again.
“So Scooty, these are your parents eh? Any particular reason why you went so far to keep it a secret?”
“it’s not that I am embarrassed of them or anything, they are awesome, I just don’t want anyone to see me as the child of the Wonderbolts”
“Oh yah, that’s right your parents get paid to fly all fancy like” said Baker waving his hoof up and down.
Scootaloo, Soarin’ and Spitfire all stared at Baker before the parents burst out laughing. Spitfire raised a hoof to her mouth to try the stifle the laugh but it was not very successful, Soarin’ just laid on the ground and laughed into the soil. Baker smiled and watched them enjoy themselves.
“I like your parents Scooty, they know how to find joy, and you definitely got yourself a good pick”
“So you really don’t care who my parents are?” asked Scootaloo in shock.
“Not really, but then again I don’t really know you, them, or the art of stunt flying” said Baker with a shrug “You might want to think about telling your friends before they find out some how. I assume they might feel a little hurt if they find out you’ve been keeping such a big secret from them”
“But what if they stop being my friend or treat me differently when they find out who my parents are”
“If your friends treat you differently because you happen to be the progeny of two Wonderbolts then they are not really good friends, but knowing them they will not treat you any different except maybe wanting to meet your parents, not because they are the Wonderbolts but because they are your parents. At least that what I think would happen”
Baker nodded to Spitfire and called Light away before he could eat another piece of someone elses pie.
The walk back to Ponyville was quick since they didn’t have to conceal their hoofsteps. As Baker and Light turned a corner and went back to the park to play for a little while Baker saw another thing that brought joy to his face. There sitting on a bank of the river was Berry Pinch, and there watch over her like a chicken was Berry Punch. When Light went over to make another friend Berry Punch slipped in front of her daughter.
“He is not going to bit you know, although he might give her a hug” called out Baker.
Berry Punch just stood there for a second before dropping her stance and stepping out of the way. Light went over to play near the water with Berry Pinch while Baker went over to Berry Punch to join in the watching. After a few minutes Berry Punch looked over her shoulder and laid down on the grass beginning to relax. From behind her came Cheerilee carrying a apple in her mouth. Baker smiled at Cheerilee and sat down to get more comfortable.
Cheerilee came over to the group and sat between Berry Punch and Baker. She ate her apple and turned to Baker. “Why hello Mr. Baker what brings you to the park today?”
“Just making sure Light properly integrates himself into the village. You can never to be to young to start making connections after all”
“Well he sure does seem to be having a lot of fun with Pinchy over there”
“Yes he does have a way of making quick friends. Speaking of Light how early does school start. I need to know so I can start planning his education”
“Ponies tend to enter when they are seven years old. But can enter earlier I they develop faster then they are expected to”
“Good to know, amd do you expect to be teaching when it becomes time to send him to school. If so I am going ot have to formally introduce him to you”
“Well Ponyville’s school will be expanding next year, splitting the classes in half, I\ll be staying with the older kids and a teaching assistant well cover to younger ones”
“Well I’ll still have to introduce you to him” said Baker called Light over to me the mare.
Light trotted over with a smile one his face and his mane wet from the lake water. Shacking himself dry he moistened both Baker and Cheerilee, but neither one of them minded. Baker nudged Light towards Cheerilee who smiled and greeted him with a pat on the head. Light smiled right back and bobbed his head a little. After a few minutes Baker looked up to see that the sun was beginning to get low in the sky so with a goodbye to the mares the two went back to the Books and Branches to find some dinner.