Scootaloo smiled to herself as she walked home from her time at the Clubhouse. She and the other Crusaders had spent a full afternoon and late evening crusading for their cutie marks. It was now quite late, and she was buzzing her wings happily as she sped home on her Scooter. She had, of course, promised Applejack to use her flashlight to guide her and Sweetie home from the farm, and had dutifully shone the flashlight as she pulled Sweetie behind her to the Boutique, where she was staying with her sister. However, as soon as Scootaloo was out of sight of the Boutique, she switched the flashlight off. She saw better at night without it, not that she wanted anyone to know that.
She recklessly maneuvered her way through town, easily evading each obstacle presented, deliberately coming as close to them as possible without touching. In the dark, this was so much more exciting. It was a pity she couldn't share this with her friends yet, but there were some things she kept to herself for a very good reason. Someday she could share it...but that day hadn't come yet.
Eventually, she arrived at her house, putting her scooter into a skid up a ramp as she flipped through the half closed window without touching either glass or frame. She then came to a landing on all four hooves as she slung her scooter over her shoulder. She started to turn towards her room, but she paused. The air in the house felt subtly different than normal. A huge grin - the sort that would put Pinkie Pie to shame - split her face as her wings buzzed happily. Her father was awake.
Dropping her scooter, she raced into the kitchen happily, nearly flying from the sheer force of her joy. "Dad!" she cried happily, charging forward and wrapping her forelegs around the long, thin leg concealed beneath the black cloth. She nuzzled eagerly at the knee just above her head.
The figure leaned down to scoop her up over the kitchen counters into a tight hug. "There's my little dark angel," the figure said happily, swinging her around a bit.
She nuzzled happily into his chest, sighing happily as his hand came up to pet her between her ears. "How long are you going to be awake for this time?" she asked curiously. "I miss you when you're in the deep sleep."
"Yeah, I'd miss me too," he said with a chuckle. "But don't worry, I'm sick of the sleep anyway. Starting tonight, I'm back bitches!"
Scootaloo squealed happily as she nuzzled into him again, ignoring his vocabulary. She didn't know why he always called out to Winona like that, or what his thing about Diamond Dogs was all about, but she didn't question. She loved him too much.
"I made you dinner!" he said happily, presenting her a plate. "Hayballs and pasta in red sauce...or at least that's what we'll tell your mother it is, right?"
Giggling, Scootaloo dove into the plate, devouring the food with eagerness, easily recognizing the 'red sauce' by taste. "Does this mean I'm going to be able to do cool things like you do soon?" she asked, her head rising as her eyes sparkled happily with a red shine.
Her father leaned down, licking a bit of blood from her muzzle that didn't make its way into her mouth. "Don't worry, little hellion. Soon you'll be raising Cain just like your old man, and teaching those prissy prats to suck dingleberries. Now, how was your day?"
Scootaloo smiled. "Well, school was okay. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were teasing me and my friends about being Blank Flanks again, and my still being ground bound."
"Someone was picking on my dark angel?" her father demanded in outrage. There was the click of a cocked pistol. "Want me to take care of them?"
Scootaloo thought for a time. "Nah, too much trouble. Besides, I know what you'd do with what was left, and Mom says we're not supposed to eat spoiled food."
Her father cracked up laughing. "That's my girl! Go ahead and eat up!"
Smiling, Scootaloo finishes her meal. "After school, me and my friends were crusa- I mean, trying to find our cutie marks."
"Oh, go ahead and call it crusading. It's not like those papist pricks ever caught me! Spent to much time looking in little Timmy's pants!"
Scootaloo shook her head. She never knew what her dad was talking about half the time, but that didn't matter. She knew he loved her, and she him. That was enough. Still, she stuck by her mom's rule to not repeat anything her dad said that she didn't know what it meant. She smiled up at her dad. "So what do we have planned for tonight?"
He chuckled. "We? You, little lady, have a bedtime last I checked."
Scootaloo pouted. "Aww..."
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter how adorable you are, I'm not crossing your Mom. If I do that, I won't get any."
Scootaloo blinked. "Any...what?"
Her father grinned widely and started to open his mouth. However, a sparkling dark blue wisp of magic smacked him in the back of the head. "Aww, you're no fun anymore!" he shouted at the air. "I'm going for a walk!"
Scootaloo smiled. "What kind of walk?"
Her father grinned widely, showing his pointed teeth. "The enthusiastic kind in...the Everfree." He turned and opened the closet. "Where the fuck's my trench coat?"
Scootaloo ran up to her room, followed by her father. She pulled a large, red trench coat out from between her blanket and sheets. "It helped me feel close to you," she said, floating it over to him on black and red wisps that dissipated almost as soon she managed to conjure them, "since you were asleep for such long stretches of time." She then grabbed a red wide brimmed fedora off a hat rack, hoofing it to him as well.
Smiling widely, he donned the coat and hat before tucking her into bed. "Sleep well my little dark angel." He kissed her on her right cheek. "Be good for your mother." He kissed her on her left cheek. "And be bad for me." Leaving the happily dozing filly in bed, he headed out into the night when he felt a buzzing at his hip. "Huh, I didn't know I still got reception way out here." He pulled his cell phone out and flipped it open. "Yello!" He pulled back from the earpiece as rather loud bitching could just barely be made out through the receiver. "Damn it, Integra, I thought I'd blocked your number! What's it take to have you get the message I quit? Get the police girl to do it!" He promptly hung up before storming off into the Everfree Forest. "This walk is going to need to be very enthusiastic." He grinned as he patted the holsters at his hips. "Should be quite fun."