//------------------------------// // Ch. 2 // Story: Pony Life // by JetWave Wavewind //------------------------------// About a week passed since me and Lemon Wedge brought Scootaloo in from the rain when Helga left her out there. She found out about it a few days afterwards but couldn't do really anything since Lemmy and all the other girls had been taking care of her the whole time. She still refused to take care of her though, even though it's her job.. Speaking of jobs, I got a part time one over at Guy's Equestrian Kitchen and Bar to help take care of the little filly's needs like formula, foal toys, and diapers. Sweet Celestia, the diapers... Luckily I wasn't the one who had to change them but I saw the after effects and it sure made me glad that I didn't. Anyways, life has been a little better lately. Definitely less-Oh! Customers! "Welcome to Guy's Eques-Flash?! Is that you?!" I said as I saw my best friend walk in with the two ponies that adopted him. "Ive! Long time no see!" He said as we brohoofed each other. "What're ya doin' here? Did Helga start punishing you with no breakfast?" "Nah, Guy got me a job here so I could help take care of a foal that somepony left on the doorstep. Don't ask, it's a long story." "Alright then, oh! These are my parents!" He said, gesturing to the two ponies behind him. I have to admit, I was a bit sad at first that Flash was the one they picked that day we found Scootaloo. But seeing how happy he is now that he's out of that prison camp of an orphanage makes me happy too. "Hello there, I'm Ivory Blossom. Me and Flash here were the best of friends back at the orphanage." "Ah yes, I remember you. You came running up with Flash that day didn't you?" Flashes father said. "Yep, me and Ive here were inseparable!" Flash said as he threw an arm around my neck. "Got into a lot of trouble too" I added. "I can imagine," Flashes mother said with a chuckle. "My name is Dewdrop Wintermist. And this is my husband, Arthur Wintermist." "And I'm Flash Wintermist!" Flash added with a joyous leap that rivaled how high I could flutter. "So how's life? I bet you're bored out of your mind without me there." "Not really, I've been hanging out with Lemon Wedge a lot lately and helping take care of Scootaloo." "Oh? So she finally told you?" "Told me what?" "Never mind." He said with a chuckle that said he knew something I didn't. "C'mon bro, what is-" "HEY! What's tha hold up?!" I looked back and saw that a decent sized line was forming with quite a few irritated ponies waiting in it. "Just a second! Guess we should catch up later, don't wanna lose my job on my first day." I said as I showed Flash and his parents to their table. ~<(^)>~ It took me awhile to tend to the other ponies that had accumulated in line while I was catching up with Flash. And right after I got the last one seated the lunch rush came in and I was busy for another 2 hours. Flash had stopped me to say they were leaving and that I was welcome to come visit anytime I wasn't busy. "Whatdya think of your first day so far?" Guy asked when I took a seat at the bar once things had finally calmed down until supper time. "It's hard, but worth it since I got to see Flash again." I said as I propped my head against my hoof on the counter. "How's that rascal doin'? I saw him earlier but was too busy at the bar to go say hi before they left." "He's doing great! His parent's are super nice too, he's practically living in the royal palace compared to that crummy orphanage." "I believe it," He chuckled. "I'd imagine a run-down shack's a step-up from that place." "It probably would be!" I said, causing both of us to laugh. "Hey, looks like you got a customer over there" He said, pointing over to the entrance. "Aye, I'm on it." I said as I made my way over there. "Welcome to Guy's Equestrian Kitchen and Bar, right this way please." After the Supper rush, I hung up my apron and said good night to Guy. When I walked outside, I saw Lemon Wedge waiting for me with Scootaloo in her saddle bag. "Hey Lemmy. Hi Scoots!" I said as Scootaloo giggled when I came out. Lemmy had one of the warmest smiles I had ever seen when she saw Scootaloo so happy to see me. "Shes been looking around for you all day, it was really adorable." Lemmy said as we were walking back to the orphanage. "Hehe, wish I could've seen it." "Abauafu! Hahaha!" Scootaloo cooed, as I nuzzled her mane. "I-it's a good thing we went out that night.. Who knows what would've happened to her if she had stayed out in the rain like that." "I don't even want to think about what could've happened to her if we hadn't gotten back when we did!" I said as I looked over to the filly that was drifting off to sleep in her little pouch. "It feels good doesn't it, Lemmy?" I said, causing her to squeak. "W-what?" "Knowing that you're an important pony in another ponys life and you play a special role in it." Her eyes seemed to sparkle when I said that. "I-Ivory.. I feel the same way!" She said, almost lighting up her horn in joy. "Haha, I hope so! Cause I think Scoots here looks up to you as her mom." "O-oh, yeah.. That..." She said with a sigh. I was about to ask her what was wrong when I felt a raindrop hit my snout, remembering what I had overheard one of the customers said about the weather tonight. "Uh oh, we better hurry. I think the Pegasi have a doosey planed for tonight." I said as we increased out pace to a fast trot. By the time we got back the rain was coming down like crazy and most everypony else had already gone to bed. We got Scootaloo cleaned up and ready for bed and then we got ourselves clean. As we went towards our own bedrooms, scootaloo was whining about wanting to go with me instead of Lemon Wedge tonight. I said that it would be fine and placed her on my back. "'Night Lemmy." "Goodnight Ivory, Goodnight Scootaloo." "Aha, Ivowee!" She cooed, causing both of us to D'awww before we went into our own bedrooms. "Ah.. 'Night Scoots." I said as I draped my wing over her and drifted off to sleep. ~<(^)>~ The next morning I woke up to an orange foal nibbling on my ear. "Hehe, mornin' Scoots." She didn't answer me of course, just kept nibbling on my ear. Then she bit down particularly hard on it. "Ow!" Wait, that shouldn't have hurt. I sat up and opened her mouth to see a couple of teeth already coming in. "Wow Scoots, yer already getting teeth!" I said in amazement. "You're growing up so fast" I thought to myself as I got up. It was still a few hours before Helga came around to wake everypony up for "Breakfast". She hadn't gotten any better at cooking, but at least she was more relaxed about getting us up in the mornings and didn't pull out the whip on anypony who overslept. I walked over to the girls bedroom to get Lemmy to help open the fridge so I could get Scootaloo a decent breakfast. When I walked up to her bunk, she was mumbling in her sleep. "..vory, there's somth.. I want to tell yo..." "What is it Lemmy?" I asked, genuinely interested in what she was going tell me in her dream. She smiled at the sound of my voice in the real world. "I.." Then her eyes started to flutter open and she saw I was standing right next to her bunk with Scootaloo on my back. Instantly, her eyes became pin-pricks and she jumped up and hit her head on the bunk above her, causing Scootaloo to giggle. "Ivory!" She started in a panic. "H-how long have you been standing there??" "Not long. I need your help to open the refrigerator before Helga wakes up, Scoots is hungry." "Oh! Ok." She said as we walked downstairs to the kitchen. "D-did she wake you up by nibbling on your ear?" "Yeah, why? Did it leave a mark?" I asked, trying to look at the ear she had been nibbling. "No, why would it? She doesn't have any teeth yet." She said as she opened the door of the refrigerator with her orange magic. "No but she will soon, look inside her mouth." I said as I fluttered up and grabbed her formula. I was getting better and better at flying by the day. "Wow! She's already getting her molars!" Lemmy said as she set Scoots on her back. "Yeah, wait. If it didn't leave a mark, how did you know she woke me up by nibbling my ear?" I asked as we walked into the living room. "How do you think I've been waking up all week." She chuckled as she sat down on the couch and gave Scoots the bottle she was now holding in her aura. I had the day off today so I spent it playing with Scootaloo while Lemmy did chores that had been assigned to her. About mid-afternoon, we heard the bell on the door chime as somepony came in. All the ponies that had finished their chores and were playing with me and Scoots got up and went to see who it was. I didn't pay it any mind though, ever since Scoots showed up I haven't really cared whether I got adopted or not. All I wanted was to do my best to make sure she was a happy and as safe as she could be in this- "Oh! She is, Precious!!" "Huh?" I was snapped out of my dream world by a high pitched mares voice that was about 3 frequencies beyond tolerance. "I told you she was a doll!" I looked up and saw Helga standing behind a WAY too tan earth pony with an afro as big as the moon. Before I could do anything to stop her, she scooped up Scootaloo and started squeezing the life out of her. "Oh, my, GOODNESS! You are so cute I could just eat you up!" She said as she made fake nomming sounds on her neck. "Eua?" Scootaloo cried as she looked at the pony like she was the craziest mare in Equestria, which she probably was if she thought she was gonna be getting Scootaloo. "Awww, look at that. She likes you!" Helga said, obviously too happy about what was going on, though that wasn't saying much considering this other mare was WAY more ecstatic than her. "Ahhhh!" Scootaloo cried, reaching out for me. I was about to grab her out of the arms of this crazy mare and run all the way to Guy's, but a dagger filled glare from Helga stopped me in my tracks. "Oh! I'll be here first thing tomorrow to come pick her up!" "Tomorrow?!" Me and Helga said at the same time, though for very different reasons. "Why tomorrow? Why don't you go ahead and take her now? The more time you spend together the better! WHY?!?" "OH! BELIEVE ME, I want to just take her with me right now but I have to go get my apartment ready for her first. But believe me, I will be here first thing in the morning for her!" She said as she put Scootaloo down, who quickly ran behind my legs; and left. I was just left standing there, speechless as the final jingle of the bell sounded more ominous to me than it ever had. "Oh well, I was really hoping to get rid of the little brat today but first thing in the morning is fine too" Helga said as she walked off. If it hadn't been for the cowering foal under my hooves I probably would have taken Helga's whip out of its secret spot right then and beat it across her flank until that stupid cutie mark of hers had worn away. But I had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment, like calming down the shaking Scootaloo at my hooves. I picked her up and started rocking her in my forehooves, causing her to bury her face in my shoulder. "Shhh.. Shhhh.. It's ok, don't worry." I cooed, doing my best to calm her down. Lemmy was a lot better at this. "I'm not going to let them take you." ~<(^)>~ That night, after everypony had gone to sleep; I got up and started packing my saddle bags with all things that I would need, trying to fit it all into one side. There was a flashlight, a compass, a survival knife, about 10' of rope, and a map of Equestria with a small town circled on it. I had everything I thought I would need for the long journey I was about to take. Except.. I creeped down the hall into the girl's bedroom and walked up to Lemon Wedge's bunk, where I saw Scootaloo curled up inside her arms. Man, this is the one time I wish I was a Unicorn.. I gingerly lifted Lemmys arm up and grabbed Scootaloo by the scruff of the neck with my teeth, placing her in the saddle-bag I left empty, slipped them on, and left a note I had wrote earlier today for Lemmy in her hooves. As I turned to leave, I heard a small rustling sound behind me. I turned to see Lemon Wedge sit up and glance at the note in her hooves, and then at me. "W-what are you doing..?" She asked, her eyes starting to tear up. "...Leaving."