//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Final Goodbyes // Story: Wings, a Horn and Hooves // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 3 Final Goodbyes _____________________________________________________________________ Lyra walked into Bon-Bon’s and saw her wife just finishing a deal with Filthy Rich. He left; his butler pulled a wagon filled with several different jars of candy, including, of course, the store’s trademark, bon-bons. Bon-Bon smiled at her wife as she walked up to the counter. “What can I get for you, miss?” “How about a sugar tongue?” Lyra asked, giving a coy smile. Bon-Bon lowered her eyes seductively. “You’re in luck, ma'am. We have one left.” The two mares kissed, holding it for several seconds before pulling away. “So, why’d you come, Lyra? Or were you just here to get a smooch from me?” Bon-Bon gave her a sly sideways smile. Lyra chuckled, then her face fell a little. “No, Bonny. I came because of Scootaloo.” Bon-Bon stopped playing around and leaned on the counter. “What about her?” Lyra sighed, looking down. “I went to the hospital to check on her aunt.” “And?” Bon-Bon asked quietly. Lyra shook her head. “The doctors told me she’s not likely to last to t’night.” Bon-Bon gasped, covering her mouth. “That’s horrible. Poor Scootaloo.” Lyra nodded. “Can you finish early, before school gets out?” Bon-Bon nodded. “One of the advantages to running your own store. But why?” Lyra sighed, then looked right at her lover. “We’re gonna pick Scootaloo up from school and take her to see her aunt. She deserves to be with her aunt before it’s time.” Bon-Bon nodded, tears in her eyes. “What’s... what’s gonna happen to her afterwards?” she asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper. Lyra bit her lip. “They’ll send her to an orphanage.” Bon-Bon’s eyes widened. “They can’t do that. That’s too horrible.” “The orphanage isn’t that bad,” Lyra said, shaking her head. “I grew up there, remember? Actually, for an orphanage, the one here in Ponyville’s more like a long-term day care, they take such good care for foals.” “That doesn’t mean it’s right to send her there!” Bon-Bon said fiercely, slamming a hoof on the counter. “After everything she’s already been through that would be the worst thing for her.” Lyra nodded. “Um, Bonny? What would you say if there was a way we could keep her out of there?” “I’d say let’s do whatever it is before she gets hurt any more than she already has been,” Bon-Bony said firmly. Lyra smiled. “So you wouldn’t mind if she were our daughter?” Bon-Bon stopped, her face going blank. “What?” “Adopting her,” Lyra said matter-of-factly. “That’s the only way we can keep her out of the orphanage. If we don’t adopt her, we can’t legally keep her, even tonight. Plus, we did kinda tell her she’d be staying again. And you can't say we didn't enjoy having her around this morning.” Bon-Bon’s face blushed so red that if she’d stood by some of the red candies, her head would have vanished and her face would’ve been looking out from the jars. “M-me, a mother?” she stuttered, putting a hoof to her mouth. “Lyra, do you think I could do that? What if I mess up? What if I can’t take care of her properly? What if the store goes out of business and we end up on the street and I can't provide for her? What if—?” “You wouldn’t be alone in this,” Lyra chuckled. “I’d be her mother too. We’d both take care of her, Bonny. And, besides,” she leaned forward and nuzzled her mare, “I know you’ll make a great mother.” Bon-Bon returned the nuzzle, a contented sigh leaving her lips. “I’m glad you came back when you did.” Lyra nodded. It was a very good thing she’d come back when she did, or Scootaloo might’ve ended in the orphanage anyway. She’d have only been able to hide out in that clubhouse for so long before Foal Protective Services would have gotten to her and taken her there. _____________________________________________________________________ “Hey, Scoots?” Apple Bloom asked, glancing to the orange Pegasus. School had just ended and they were leaving, along with their fellow classmates. “Yeah, what?” Scootaloo asked, turning to the youngest of the Apple family. “Why’re Lyra and Bon-Bon standin’ over there and waving to ya?” she pointed and sure enough, Lyra and Bon-Bon were standing not too far away, waving to Scootaloo. “I’ll explain later,” she said, and turned in the two mares’ direction. “See you girls tomorrow.” With that, she hurried towards the mares kind enough to take her in, not noticing the bewildered expressions on her fellow crusaders’ faces. She stopped in front of the two mares, smiling. “Hey, why’d ya come and pick me up?” Both mares looked at each other, an uneasy expression coming across their faces. Scootaloo went cold. She’d seen that look before. It was the look the doctors her worn before they told her and her aunt that her aunt had cancer. “Come on, Scootaloo,” Bon-Bon said, wrapping a foreleg around her small body. “We’re going to the hospital.” Scootaloo felt tears fall down her face and buried her muzzle into Bon-Bon’s fur. She felt Bon-Bon wrap her hooves around her and then Lyra joined the embrace too. After a few moments, they broke apart and headed for the hospital, Scootaloo knowing in her gut that this would be the third worst time she’d been to one. _____________________________________________________________________ They walked down the clean white halls of the hospital, not saying anything. Not much had been said on the walk to the hospital. Wasn’t much to talk about anyway. Lyra had tried to tell her something, something about an orphanage. Scootaloo hadn’t bothered to listen. She knew what was going on. With her last known family member gone, she didn’t have anypony left to look after her and, therefore, was going to have to live in an orphanage. She didn’t blame or feel she could be mad at either of the mares. It wasn’t their fault. They’d had no idea her last guardian would be leaving soon and had honestly thought they could offer her a place to stay for a while. Still, she couldn’t ignore how much it hurt that, after they’d promised she could stay with them, she’d now be going to an orphanage. They reached the door Scootaloo had visited so often. Though she’d kept her head down the entire time, she’d been to this room so many times her body had known where to go by instinct. Lyra opened the door with her magic. The sight they met wasn’t pretty and they both gave sharp intakes of breath. Scootaloo’s aunt was a Pegasus with a yellow coat that looked very faded and her body was unhealthily thin. A small picture on the night stand showed her with a bright blue mane and tail, standing next to an Earth Pony mare with a deeper yellow coat and an orange and red mane. The mare in the bed, however, had no mane at all, no doubt a side effect of the medicine she’d been taking for her cancer. She had tubes in her body; an IV in each of her forelegs and one up her nose. Scootaloo slowly walked up to her aunt’s side. The doctor tending to her, a grey unicorn mare with a blue mane, brown eyes and a stethoscope Cutie Mark, looked down sadly at her. “She doesn’t have long.” She headed towards the door and nodded to the two ponies standing there, who moved aside to let her pass. She paused at the door and looked back. “I’d suggest saying your goodbyes and making peace.” With that she left, leaving the four ponies to their own devices. Scootaloo put her hooves on the thin hoof of her aunt. “Aunt Lofty? Can you hear me?” The mare stirred, her voice sounding like it was gravel in a blender. She opened her eyes and turned her head. A small smile played across her face when she saw the small filly. “Hey, there, Scoots,” she said, her voice eerily quiet. “Didn’t expect to get a visit from you t’day.” Scootaloo gave a weak smile. “Hey, I promised I’d come everyday, didn’t I?” The older mare gave a small nod, a weak grin playing across her face. “That strange Pinkie Promise from that party mare, if I recall.” Scootaloo smiled sheepishly. “That's a Pinkie Promise. It means I can’t break it, even if I wan’ed to.” She nodded and turned to her left. “Excuse me,” she said to Bon-Bon and Lyra. “Could one of you nice mares get the parcel out from that cupboard by my bed? I’d do it myself, but—” She was interrupted by a large coughing fit. It last for several seconds, while Scootaloo patted her aunt’s back to clam her down. “D-don’t worry, Miss Lofty,” Bon-Bon said, her voice quivering slightly as she moved towards the small door on the bedside table. “I’ll do it. Y-you don’t have to strain yourself.” “Th— cough, thank you, dear,” Aunt Lofty said, leaning back against her pillow, but not lying down. “I’m not as spry as I use ta be.” Bon-Bon took a small blue box with crystal on it out and gave it to Aunt Lofty, who looked to Scootaloo. “Now, no matter what anypony ever tells, you Scoots, I’m never going to leave you.” She leaned a little down and put a hoof on Scootaloo’s heart. “I’ll always be right here, just like your mother and father and Holiday.” Scootaloo sniffled. She didn’t like her aunt talking like this. She didn’t want her talking like this. Why couldn’t the doctors have found a way to make her better, for Celestia’s sake?! She sat back up and opened the box, taking out a small necklace. It had some bead and jewels and a few yellow feathers on it. At first Scootaloo was taken in by how beautiful it was. But then she noticed the feathers. They weren’t any ordinary feathers. She moved her head to looked behind her aunt at her wings. Almost all the feathers were gone, including... Scootaloo sobbed as her aunt put the necklace around her neck. “Now, whenever you’re wearing this, I’ll be close to you, Scoots,” Aunt Lofty said, a warm, weak smile on her face. Scootaloo leaped up and hugged her aunt tightly. She didn’t want her to go. She didn’t want it. Why couldn’t she get this one thing? She’d never wish or ask for anything else again as long as her aunt stayed. They remained that way for a long time, neither saying anything, just holding each other. Her aunt was so cold. She missed her aunt’s warmth. She needed that warmth. Suddenly, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up to see Lyra and Bon-Bon standing behind her, solemn looks on their faces. “Come on, Scootaloo,” Lyra said quietly. “We should go.” “No,” Scootaloo whispered, tightening her grip on her aunt. “You said we could stay til... til...” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. “Scootaloo,” Bon-Bon said, her voice cracking a little. “She—” she sobbed. “She’s already gone.” It was at that moment Scootaloo heard a sound that had not been in the room when they’d entered and the absence of another. When they’d entered the room, there had been a gentle boop... boop... boop. But now, she couldn’t hear it anymore. In its place was a long, never ending beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. She looked at her aunt’s face. It was smiling... but she wasn’t breathing. “NO!” Scootaloo screamed, shaking her aunt, trying to wake her up. “Aunt Lofty! Please! Wake up! Please wake up, Aunt Lofty! Don’t leave me!” There was no response. Her aunt remained still and silent. “NO-HOOO!” Scootaloo wailed, burying herself in her aunt, tears streaming down her face. “Wake up! Please, please wake up, Aunt Lofty! Plea-he-heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!” She poured her sorrows onto the now lifeless body of the only member of her family she had left. She felt somepony hold her and she whirled around and grabbed whoever it was. The lack of a candy scent told her it was Lyra. She wailed and wailed, soaking the mare’s coat with her pain. Bon-Bon’s scent made itself known, meaning she’d started hugging Scootaloo too. _____________________________________________________________________ Lyra and Bon-Bon held the distraught filly, allowing her to pour all her sadness onto them. They didn’t know how much time passed before Scootaloo had calmed down enough for them to talk with her. “We know this probably isn’t the best time to talk to you about this, Scootaloo,” Bon-Bon began as she stroked the poor filly’s mane. “But, about you going to an orphanage...” Scootaloo’s sobbing turned into whimpering. “It won’t be happening,” Lyra said firmly. Scootaloo looked up at her, her face stained with tears, snot dripping from her nose. “What?” “We came here while you were still in school and talked to your aunt,” Bon-Bon said, rubbing her back. “We asked her something very important and she said yes.” Scootaloo looked from one of them to the other. “Said “yes” to what?” Lyra smiled. “She signed some papers with us. We’ve adopted you, Scootaloo. You won’t have to go to the orphanage.” Scootaloo looked from one of them to the other. “You— hic, you mean, I can stay...?” Lyra nodded. “Yes, Scootaloo. You can stay with us. We’re your new mothers.” Scootaloo’s tears burst forth anew and she hugged her two mothers tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered. The two mothers held their daughter, comforting her in her time of need. It would be a long time before Scootaloo would get over this loss and she'd never truly be able to get over it. It would always be there, deep inside. But at least she had two mothers that would do everything they could for their new daughter.