//------------------------------// // Claw Machines and Baseball Bats // Story: How to be a Parent // by Mattricole //------------------------------// “Scootaloo Maria Rich, you get away from that claw machine this instant!” Diamond Tiara yelled, glaring at her adopted daughter. “But, Mooooom, I really want that Rainbow Dash doll!” Scootaloo whined as she held onto the claw machine as if her life depended on it, though in her mind her life really was on the line. “Scootaloo, darling, you already have enough Rainbow Dash dolls, you don’t need it,” Diamond Tiara said, trying to stay calm so she wouldn’t cause a scene at the market. The last thing she needed was some soccer mom reporting her for verbally abusing Scootaloo again. “But I do need it!” Scootaloo cried, her eyes becoming moist, a tell tale sign she was about to cry. “This Rainbow Dash doll is 20 percent cooler than half of my other ones! And it has life like wings and it has an Equestria Games flag in her mouth! I want it!” Scootaloo screamed as she began banging against the claw machine’s glass. “Alright, fine!” Diamond Tiara yelled as she walked up to Scootaloo and gave her some bits. “Play the stupid claw game, but this is coming out of your allowance, young lady!” Diamond Tiara said, causing Scootaloo to smile. “Alright! Thanks, Mom!” Scootaloo giggled as she put a bit inside the machine. Navigating the claw just above the Rainbow Dash doll, she pressed the lower button, causing the claw to descend and grab onto the doll. “Yes!” Scootaloo yelled in triumph. *plop* The doll quickly fell out of the claw’s grasp, landing on several other Rainbow Dash dolls. Scootaloo stared for several seconds, and Diamond Tiara quickly covered her ears, sighing at the inevitable headache she was to receive. “Moooooooom!” Scootaloo cried, tears pouring down her eyes as she turned to Diamond Tiara. “T-the claw machine chea-ea-eated!” Scootaloo quickly wrapped her hooves around Diamond Tiara, crying into her shoulder. “There, there, Scootaloo,” Diamond said gently as she patted her daughter on the back. “You still have a few bits left, just play a couple of more games!” Diamond Tiara suggested. After another minute of silently sobbing, Scootaloo let go of Diamond Tiara and nodded, turning back to the evil machine. Oh, dear Celestia, please let her win! Diamond Tiara begged, not wanting to listen to her daughter’s whining. Scootaloo was becoming a big baby, and it was all because she was spoiled rotten. “O-okay,” Scootaloo sniffled as she inserted another bit, once again going after the Rainbow Dash doll. “Almost...got...it….” Scootaloo mumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, and groaned when the doll slipped from the claws grasp. “MOOOOOO-” “NO! YOU ARE NOT PLAYING AGAIN!” Diamond Tiara shouted as she ignored her crying daughter. “You wasted exactly two-hundred and thirty five bits. Do you hear me? TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE BITS!!! That’s enough to buy you a hundred Rainbow Dash toys!” Diamond Tiara yelled as she rubbed her temples in irritation. “B-but I want this one,” Scootaloo sniffled, causing Diamond Tiara to groan. “Scootaloo, you’ve wasted enough of our money! Do you realize how angry your father is going to be?” Diamond Tiara asked, causing Scootaloo to shake her head. “Ugh, she’s going to be furious! You know how stingy she is!” Scootaloo turned towards the vending machine, gazing sadly at the Rainbow Dash doll. Resisting the urge to cry she silently nodded. “Good, you finally understand,” Diamond Tiara said with a smile and began walking away. “Come on, Scootaloo, I’ll buy you some ice cre-” “Yeah, I understand,” Scootaloo grumbled, causing Diamond Tiara to turn around, annoyed she was interrupted. “I understand... you don’t love me!” Scootaloo cried as she quickly hugged the claw machine. “Scootaloo, you know that’s not true!” Diamond Tiara yelled and attempted to yank Scootaloo away from the claw machine. “I love you very much, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to waste any more money on this stupid claw machine!” “If you love me than you would get me my Rainbow Dash doll no matter what!” Scootaloo argued, glaring at her mother as she held onto the claw machine even tighter than before. “Gah! Fine!” Diamond Tiara yelled as she let go of Scootaloo, who was now glancing at her in shock. “You want the Rainbow Dash doll that badly?! Fine!” Walking away, Diamond Tiara walked over to the store that owned the claw machine. “I want to speak to your manager!” she yelled at a random employee, who nodded in fear. “Uh, yes ma’am!” he replied as he ran into the back of the room. It only took a few seconds until the manager of the store came out. “Yes, lil filly, how may I help you?” he asked with a smile. “I have a question for you, my good sir,” Diamond Tiara said with a smile. “How much would it cost you to fix your claw machine’s broken glass?” “Uh...I don’t know, I’m guessing maybe eighty-five bits?” the manager asked with a shrug, causing Diamond’s smile to widen. “Good, here’s two-hundred for the glass, baseball bat, and Rainbow Dash doll,” she said as she hoofed over a bag of bits and walked away, being sure to grab a baseball bat before she left. The manager simply tilted his head in confusion, and turned to his employee. “Uh, wha-” he was interrupted by the sound of nearby glass shattering, followed by the happy squealing of a nearby filly. “...Oh, now I get it,” he said with an annoyed look on his face. Eh, oh well, at least I’m already compensated for the damage, he thought with a shrug as he left the store and quickly ran to his claw machine. “Diamond, we gotta talk,” Apple Bloom said as she sat next to her wife, who was knitting a scarf for Scootaloo for the coming winter months. “Sure, what about?” Diamond Tiara said, not even bothering to look up from her work. Scootaloo was busy upstairs playing with her new Rainbow Dash doll, introducing it to her other Rainbow Dash dolls that numbered in the hundreds. “Diamond, we can’t just go and spend hundreds of bits on Scoots just because she whines! We gotta be more strict with her,” Apple Bloom suggested, causing Diamond Tiara to groan. “I know, and I’m sorry, Apple Bloom! But I just didn’t know what to do!” Diamond Tiara sighed, leaning on Apple Bloom’s shoulder. “What are we going to do? She’s getting out of control.” “Hmm...maybe we can’t do anything,” Apple Bloom said as she scratched her chin in thought. “So what? We just give up?!” Diamond Tiara asked as she pushed away from Apple Bloom and glared at her. “N-no! Celestia, no!” Apple Bloom quickly shook her head, fearing her wife’s wrath. “What ah’m trying ta say, maybe we can’t do anything, but somepony else can!” Apple Bloom said, earning a questioning glance from Diamond Tiara. “Maybe, and hear me out on this, maybe we could adopt another foal!” “No, absolutely not!” Diamond Tiara dismissed with a wave of her hoof. “But that does give me an idea, what if we teach her responsibility by getting her a pet?” Diamond Tiara asked. “Hmm, that’s a good idea actually,” Apple Bloom muttered with a smile. “Alright, fine! Tomorrow, we’re going to Fluttershy’s cottage and getting our little girl a pet!” Apple Bloom declared, earning a giggle from Diamond Tiara. “Scootaloo is going to absolutely adore her new pet!” Diamond Tiara whispered, hoping Scootaloo wouldn’t overhear them. “Ah know, and best yet she’ll think we’re the best parents ever,” Apple Bloom whispered back, earning a nuzzle from Diamond Tiara. Tomorrow Scootaloo would have her very own pet, and it was going to be the best pet money could buy.