Chapter 2: A Glimmer of Hope
The day after the ordeal in the market, Tinder found himself in an orange suit, with cuffs around his hooves. He was standing awkwardly outside a courtroom, accompanied by his lawyer and young Felicity, both of whom were waiting solemnly for the session to start. Tinder’s lawyer, a slowly speaking pony wearing a black coat and tie, broke the tense silence. “Your situation is quite simple, Mr. Lightheart. We shouldn’t have any problems getting you out of here in a timely fashion.”
“Good. I need to get back to the orphanage and let everyone know I’ll be okay.” Tinder replied.
“That isn’t what I meant,” his lawyer corrected. “I mean, this looks bad for you. And this is why you should worry: I cannot guarantee your reinstatement as the supervisor of the orphanage. Due to the circumstances of the incident, you may be forced out of the job.”
Tinder went pale. His eyes began to mist up and his hooves started to go numb. He couldn’t believe his ears. “But everything that I did was a result of occurrences beyond my control! You told me earlier to tell the honest truth and that everything would proceed quickly!”
“I did not lie. However, quickly and optimally are not synonymous. The fact that Felicity was in your care when she was taken has added the charge of ‘child negligence’ to your case. And that’s why your ultimate fate rests in the hooves of the jury. What you say will make or break this for you, Mr. Lightheart, and I can’t stress enough that even the slightest hint of ignorance or bad behavior will cost you the case. All you can do is tell the truth, and I’ll do what I can to help.”
The courtroom doors opened and the trio was escorted inside. Tinder’s front hooves were cuffed together, so he had to be carried by the magic of the unicorn guards. They set him down next to a long table where both Felicity and the pony in a black coat were seated, the latter of whom looked over at Tinder and grimaced. At that moment the judge entered the room from the side door. As he did so, the guards asked the room to stand in his honorable presence, and the court case was again underway.
“Mr. Lightheart,” the judge boomed in his deep stallion voice, “come forward to the stand.”
Tinder moved his hooves but made no forward progress, as he was still cuffed. The guards eventually caught on and moved him to the podium. The judge waited patiently for the guards to return to their posts before proceeding. “Tinder Lightheart, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Of—” Tinder stopped short bit his tongue. “Yes, I do.”
The prosecutor trotted forward to the podium from his table. He smiled wryly at Tinder and spoke with a very slow, meticulous drawl. “Mr. Lightheart, can you tell us what happened yesterday in the market square?”
“I can, sir. I had just finished supervising a playdate for the fillies at the orphanage, and I was escorting them home. I had to make a quick stop by my brother’s stall to get some groceries, paid for by my sister’s wages as a mail pegasus. During the transaction, one of my fillies, Felicity Gardens, was ponynapped.”
“Let me stop you there, Mr. Lightheart. You said this occurred while you were purchasing goods?”
“Yes.”
“How could somepony sneak up behind you, take one of the fillies under your care, and leave without anypony noticing? Surely you brother would have seen something, or perhaps one of the other fillies?”
“Well, it’s entirely possible she was taken before I arrived. I wasn’t paying—”
“—attention?” the lawyer finished. “Sounds to me like child negligence. Thank you, Mr. Lightheart, you may step down.”
Tinder was in shock. He had been up there for less than a minute and had succeeded in making his case even more hopeless than it already was. Everything in him wanted to argue further, but he knew in his heart that it would only make his situation worse, so he allowed the guards to escort him back to his table without a complaint. The judge called the ‘next witness’ forward and Felicity sulked to the podium, her eyes wide and full of worry. It was obvious she had been waiting a long time, and had maybe cried once or twice. When she arrived at the podium, she was given a stack of books to stand on so her head could be visible over the front.
“Felicity Gardens, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Yes sir.” Despite her appearance, which betrayed her true feelings of sorrow and unease, she remained calm and level-headed. Tinder wished for a fraction of her bravery.
The other lawyer spoke up. “When were you separated from Mr. Lightheart?”
“When we were nearing the stall where Mr. Warden works.”
“And no pony noticed you were missing?”
“I had been at the back of the line. Somepony just came up behind me and put a hoof over my mouth so I couldn’t talk. Then he ducked behind a stand real quick and tied me up.”
“So they gagged you first, and then tied you up. And then what?”
“Then they took me away,” she replied, gesturing into the air with an exasperated hoof. She was young, and didn’t understand why she needed to repeat the story if they already knew what had happened.
“So you couldn’t talk or move?”
“No, I already said that. I tried to wiggle free, but they tied it really tight.”
“I understand. Now, where did they take you?”
“To the warehouses. One of them had a key.”
“Let the record show that one of the ponynappers in question had a key to a private warehouse.” The unicorn secretary next to the judge began scribbling a note on her parchment. “Now, Felicity, how did Mr. Lightheart rescue you?”
“I’m not sure how he found me, but he used magic to hurt them. He threw a bag over one, and smashed the other with a big box.”
“Very well, I’ve heard enough. The prosecution rests.”
“Ms. Gardens, take your place next to Mr.—” The judge hadn’t even finished when he noticed Felicity was standing next to Tinder. “—Lightheart. Err...Bring forward the final witness. Mr. Dainty?”
An unhappy earth pony, well on in years, meandered up to the podium from behind Tinder somewhere. The judge waited patiently for the newcomer to get comfortable, then said, “Mr. Dainty, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Yep,” replied the elderly pony. “I do.”
Tinder recognized the witness as a friendly old salespony who had run one of the stalls in the market. He didn’t know the pony personally, nor did he understand his presence at the court hearing. The prosecutor began his questioning. “Mr. Dainty, you own and operate a stand at the marketplace, do you not?”
“I do, sir.”
“Were you at your stall the day Mr. Lightheart”—the lawyer motioned to Tinder with a hoof—“knocked it over?”
Tinder’s eyes widened.
“No sir,” Mr. Dainty said. “I came by to check on my newly hired employee, and found my stall in shambles. All of those snow globes were on the street, and some of them were smashed.”
“Do you blame Mr. Lightheart for this?” the judge asked. “Would you say it’s fair to have him repay you the cost of the damaged merchandise?”
“Objection, your honor,” Tinder’s lawyer interjected, “Does Mr. Dainty know the full story? The circumstances of the incident were far beyond the control of my client.”
“Objection sustained. Mr. Dainty has been informed of the situation,” boomed the judge.
“I know what happened.” Mr. Dainty confirmed before he addressed the prosecutor. “I don’t blame him for trying to protect the young filly, but the destruction of my stall is undoubtedly his fault. Even if he didn’t do it himself, someone does need to pay for the damages.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dainty.” The older pony stepped down, returning to his seat behind Tinder. The lawyers, both Tinder’s and the prosecutor, started off on equally lengthy tirades about how both sides of the situation needed to be carefully analyzed. One one hoof, Tinder had undeniably toppled over at least one stand’s worth of merchandise, and had trespassed onto private property to save Felicity. However, the fact that she had been ponynapped seemed to, in his mind, justify his actions regardless. Tinder’s lawyer pushed for a mere fine, while the other pony reassured the judge at every interval that not even a hero of the day was above the law, and deserved punishment. Almost a half an hour in, both lawyers finally gave their closing arguments.
The judge turned to the panel of ponies that had been observing from the side of the room. “Has the jury reached a verdict?”
“We need a moment, your honor,” said a tall stallion in the jury. For a few minutes, they conferred, until finally the murmuring ceased and he stood again. “Your honor, we find the defendant, Tinder Lightheart, guilty of the charges of trespassing, child negligence and vandalism.”
“Very well,” the judge said stoically. “Then I hereby sentence him to pay for the merchandise lost and for the repairs to the property destroyed. His duty as a civic worker is to be revoked as well. You are relieved of your management of the orphanage, Mr. Lightheart.”
“WHAT?!” Tinder burst.
“Case closed.” The judge pony exited the room, his secretary right on his heels. Tinder’s lawyer was shaking his head in dismay, saddened by the turn of events. Felicity looked up at Tinder, who was staring at the judge, and could swear she saw a single tear roll down his cheek.
-~-~-~-~-~
Two days later, the Lighthearts found themselves packing their belongings as they prepared to leave their home. Tinder lifted the picture frame of him and his siblings off the shelf in his room using his magic and held it at eye level. The three of them had been smiling stupidly at the camera, trying their best to look happy. That period of time, immediately following the death of their parents, had been one of great sorrow, but somehow they had found hope and support through their work at the orphanage. Only when the funds they obtained through that line of work ceased to meet their needs did Airy and Warden begin searching for others, leaving Tinder alone with the orphans. He didn't want to leave: he couldn't picture himself working anywhere else, as though this framed photo was proof of that fact.
Warden came into the room without knocking, trying to check on his brother. When he saw Tinder staring into the photo he held in the air, he sighed heavily. “This isn't helping you.”
“What else do you want me to say, Warden? That I'm okay with leaving the orphanage? You want me to lie?”
“No, lying isn't the answer. In fact, that's what I'm implying. Stop lying to yourself.”
“About what?! You seem convinced that nothing's changed!”
“I know things will be different, but things will get better. They always do.”
“Not this time.” Tinder stuffed the picture into the bag he'd been filling with his few earthly possessions. When the family lost their claim to the orphanage, they had been given three days to leave the staff apartments, but since they were the only residents, it felt like they were being evicted from their own home. They had to move, and even in the short time they'd been searching they had failed to turn up a new location to take residence. “We have nowhere to go, Warden.”
“That may not be true.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” Warden began, “I reviewed our parents’ will. There was a part that referenced a letter mom and dad had written to us that they had left in a vault. Airy told the post office manager, and he went into the back and found the letter. It had been given specific instruction not to be delivered until we were forced out of the orphanage.”
The Lighthearts had operated the orphanage since Tinder was a foal. Their parents, before they died, had been in charge, whereas the siblings had more or less inherited it. The process had been written into their parents' living will, and it saved a lot of paperwork and training to let ponies familiar with the job take over. “And?”
“And, read it.” Warden took a letter out of his bag and held it out for Tinder, who levitated it to himself and opened it gingerly. He read every word carefully as though it would burst into flame if he touched it.
Our dearest children,
If you're reading this, we're long gone. We want you to know how much we love you and how proud you three make us. On a more serious note, this letter was also specified not to be delivered until you were done with your stay at the orphanage. If so, we are very sorry for that. Whatever your circumstances are now – whether you have found a new home and work or not – they will get better. If you need somewhere to stay and a place to work, a friend of ours can help you with that. We left the address at the bottom of this letter.
Warden: We love how strong and loving you are. Your gentle spirit is what makes you so appealing and adorable. Even as a colt you were tender and caring. Never give that up. We hope you will be like a father to your siblings, and that they will love you as much as we do.
Airy: You have very sturdy wings and are an excellent flier, and it would be a shame to see that talent go to waste. *hint hint* We are so proud of our daughter, and wish nothing but the best for you. Whoever your future husband turns out to be will be a very lucky pony.
Tinder: The one part about our relationship with you that we hate is that you are too young to understand how much we love you. If any of these words could convey our feelings, it would be these: any time you feel alone or hurt, simply remember that we still love you, even after we're gone.
We hope you three have a blessed and wonderful life.With all the love in Equestria,
Mom and Dad
Following that was the address of their contact. Tinder had done his best not to cry for the last couple of days, but now, after all that had happened, the tears finally came rolling. Their parents were still taking care of him, even after they had been dead for almost two years. Warden moved forward to comfort Tinder, and the two joined in a sorrowful, brotherly embrace. Only after Tinder stopped crying did either of them speak.
“Where's this pony?” Tinder asked, still a tad misty-eyed. “I don't recognize this street.”
“That's just it,” Warden replied slowly. “It's not in Yearlingdale.”
“How do you know?”
“I had Airy make an inquiry at the post office. It's the address of the mayor of Ponyville.”
“P-Ponyville?!” Tinder stammered. “We're moving to Ponyville?!”
“Yes, Tinder. We are.”
“But that's, like, a quadrillion miles away!”
“No, it's about a two day journey. Less, if we fly.”
Tinder tilted his head in confusion. “We're flying?”
“Yes. We rented a pegasus-drawn carriage. It'll cost the last of our money after we finish paying off these debts we owe, but it'll get us there quickly.”
“Yeah...okay, fine. But I don't want to leave the city. I like it here!”
“You'll like it there, too. It's quaint, and I've heard that it's less chaotic than Yearlingdale.”
“How can you be so sure?!” Tinder insisted. “This isn’t fair, Warden!”
The older brother was at a loss for words at that point. As bad as he wanted to, he knew nothing but time would placate Tinder’s temper. It took him a moment, and the smell from downstairs, to remind him of the real reason he had come to Tinder’s room in the first place. “Come to the kitchen with me. I need help making dinner. It’s your favorite, by the way: daffodil sandwiches and lemon meringue pie.”
-~-~-~-~-~
The five fillies in the orphanage had waited for a long time. For the last three days they had cried together, played as hard as they could, and said all of their goodbyes to one another, because this would be the last time any of them would see each other again. Felicity's fate was the last one to be decided, as all four of the others were to be moved to other orphanages across Equestria, and the establishment in Yearlingdale would be shut down until new ownership could be found. It was a sad day for the filly friends.
“I’m gonna miss you girls...” Feather said solemnly.
Maple was in the corner, crying her eyes out. None of them wanted to leave: they all loved each other, and they all loved the Lighthearts. The very thought that none of them would see Tinder again was enough to make them bawl. None more so than Felicity, who was sitting in the center of the room, crying softly as she indulged on one of the cookies she had stolen a few days ago.
“Girls,” Felicity said quietly, trying to be brave. “This isn’t goodbye forever. Just...for a long time.”
“Felicity, give it up. We ain’t never seein’ each other again.”
“Shut up!” she screamed, throwing a cookie at Feather. It shattered into crumbs on impact with the her flank. The room was quiet except for Felicity, who had taken over the job as primary filly in hysterics after Maple stopped to see what had happened. A knock on the door a few seconds later hushed the entire room as Tinder entered the scene. All of the fillies had either red eyes or fresh tears, and he was obviously not happy either.
“Girls...It’s time to go,” he said slowly. He had a lump in his throat that, no matter what he told himself, would not go away. As each one of the girls he cared for walked by him, down the stairs and into the carriages that awaited them, he couldn’t bear to look at them. Instead he focused on Felicity, who wasn’t moving from her spot. His heart was already broken, and he had no reassurance that her future was secure. Every one of the fillies had been claimed by another orphanage, save her. All they could do was wait for the messenger to arrive with news of her fate. “Felicity, come outside.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“Be a big girl for once in your life, sweetie. Sitting there isn’t getting anything done.”
“I don’t want to leave, Tinder!” she cried. “I don’t want to go to some other home! I want to stay with you!”
That statement clicked in Tinder’s head. Somehow, everything made sense. “Felicity, have you been purposely sabotaging your chances of adoption just to stay here at the home?”
She nodded slowly, tears still streaming down her minty cheeks.
“You really wanted to stay with us that badly?”
Another nod.
“Felicity...” Tinder couldn’t find words. “I...we love you so much...but...”
“Tinder!” came a cry from outside. It was Airy. “Come out here! Bring Felicity!”
The unicorn remained still, trying to find his voice again. Finally he put up a fake smile and tried to be an adult.“Come on, you silly filly. It’s time to grow up and face the future. This hasn’t been easy for me, either.”
“No!”
This is getting ridiculous. “Felicity, I will drag you outside, even if it kills me to do it.”
“I’m not moving!”
-~-~-~-~-~
The front door of the orphanage swung open and out walked Tinder, levitating a thrashing, screaming Felicity over his head and carrying a sack of her belongings in his mouth. Airy and Warden, along with two other pegasus ponies he didn’t know, were standing in confusion as the scene progressed in front of them.
When Tinder finally subdued Felicity and set her bag down, he looked up and smiled wryly. “That wasn’t as painful as I thought. Now, let’s hear it.”
“Well,” said one of the pegasus, “I arrived first with orders from the judge. He says that no home nearby could accept Felicity. She needs to get a place to live, and if one isn’t found in a certain amount of days, she’ll be taken into foster care.”
“I, on the other hoof,” chimed the other, “have a priority letter from a one Dr. Gardens addressed to Warden, Airy and Tinder Lightheart regarding his daughter.”
“And?” Tinder asked hurriedly.
“He says to do everything in our power to keep her safe,” explained Warden, the letter on the pavement in front of him. “He’s terribly sorry about some ‘incident’ and will meet us in two weeks to take his daughter home.”
“But we leave for Ponyville today,” Airy pointed out. “We can’t let Felicity be taken into foster care. We have to take her with us!”
“Why?” Warden countered. “If she’s in foster care, she’ll be easy to locate.”
“And easily adopted. Her father will be devastated.”
“Can we just take her like this?” Tinder said nervously. “I’d prefer to go through the necessary channels to avoid any more court hearings. I’ve had enough for one lifetime.”
“PLEASE LET ME GO WITH YOU!” Felicity pleaded to Warden.
The oldest pony was torn. He didn’t want to see any of the fillies taken from him, despite four of them already having left. Felicity was all they had left of the orphans. They also had an unspoken agreement to Mr. Gardens, whom they’d never met, to keep his daughter safe. If she was in foster care, they couldn’t protect her, now could they?
“A promise is a promise, I suppose,” he finally conceded. “One way or another, the filly stays with us.”
The pegasus messengers nodded and took flight, heading back to the post office. Airy and Tinder converged to discuss their plan, and Felicity jumped in between them to listen. “So now what?” she asked excitedly.
“Let’s just not go to Ponyville,” Tinder offered. “We can find work here.”
“Not likely,” Warden said. “We’re guaranteed a new home if we follow mom and dad’s advice, and a job will take second priority to a stable home.”
“Plus I hate the city,” Airy commented. “Just sayin’.”
“Well I for one would rather not risk the trip. Who knows what that backwater town is like! It could be filled with boring ponies that do nothing but watch the sun rise and set every day! I’ve heard stories of how truly plain Ponyville is compared to the city.”
“It’ll be an adjustment,” Warden admitted, “but we can’t turn down help when it’s offered. If it means avoiding living on the street, I vote we go to Ponyville and at least request the Mayor’s help. Who knows? Maybe this will be the change of pace we need to finally get our hopes up.”
“Our flight leaves in fifteen minutes. Are we going or no?”
Tinder wanted to fight it, but he knew he was overruled. “Yeah, I guess. But if we get turned down, we’re coming right back here.”
“Very well. And what of Felicity?”
The little filly’s eyes were large and her lip was pushed out in a show of pitiable sorrow.
“Of course we’re taking her with us,” Tinder said. “No question.”
Her eyes lit up and a smile broke across her face. Felicity started jumping up and down next to Tinder, giggling happily at her fortune.
“Yeah, I think we established that,” Airy said dryly. “What do we do about her food and boarding situation? We can’t really afford to feed another mouth.”
“We have in the past,” Warden pointed out. “We’ve actually been spending all of our extra money on food for the orphans. Remember how we budgeted for that one year when the home was full, and the city council cut funding to our merry band for a couple months?”
“I guess.”
“There’s been a lot of guessing and thinking going on,” Tinder commented. “Now is a ‘let’s get this over with’ kind of moment.”
“I concur. Let’s do our best not to miss our flight, and go from there.”
-~-~-~-~-~