Sacrifices

by silverthorn

Chapter Two

SACRIFICES – CHAPTER TWO

Four Days Later

Swift blushed, a little embarrassed that her squad leader, Straight Arrow, had noticed that she kept on volunteering for patrols near the hospital.

“Still worried about the kid?”. Swift looked at Arrow and nodded.

“She would have been killed if I hadn't landed where I did. I guess I feel responsible for her”.

Arrow smiled, her tail swishing as she put a hoof on Swifts shoulder. “How often are you looking in on her?”.

Swift smiled. “I time my patrols so that my break happens when I'm close enough to stop in for a minute or two”.

“What's going to happen to her, Scootaloo is it?”.

Swift frowned. “Yes, she's most likely going to go to a orphanage until foster parents are arranged. I guess it's the best thing but she's been through a lot for somepony that small”.

“Have you considered fostering her?”.

Swift smiled. “I've considered it but I'm living in guard housing. Would she want to live in a small apartment like that, I don't even know if Foal Protective Services would let a single mare in a dangerous line of work foster her”.

Arrow smiled. “You know Brass Flanks, he looks after my brood. I think he would probably look after Scootaloo as well while we're at work” She hugged Swift. “What harm is it going to do if you ask. Just don't tell her, Scootaloo, in case it doesn't come through. You should be able to move to off-base accommodation if that application for the Royal Guard comes through”.

Swifts face fell. “It's not going to happen, you need a faultless record to stand a hope in Tartarus of getting into Celestia's personal guard. I got a dis-commendation for being out of uniform when I flew Scootaloo in”.

Arrow grinned. “You know something, apparently Iron Heart forgot to put the dis commendation in your record. I think old Iron Balls may have a heart after all”.

Swift was more than glad that Arrow had ordered her to take some paperwork to the castle with the added bit of information that “FPS is just across the road if you feel the need to go there. I would go in your best uniform if I was you”.

The paperwork had been handed in and Swift had crossed the road, feeling more nervous than her first morning at boot camp. She knew that Guard aren't supposed to get emotionally involved in cases but she had grown to like Scootaloo after the time she had spent with her in the hospital.

She took her helmet off as she stepped into reception, looking around as she tried to work out if she was doing the right thing. A silver furred Unicorn looked over at her and smiled. “Can I help you, officer”.

Swift smiled, the queasy feeling in her stomach increasing by the second. “I'd like to enquire about fostering a foal”.

The Unicorn nodded. “Is there a specific foal”. She smiled. “You can relax, Officer”.

Swift hadn't even noticed she was at attention, she relaxed with a slight smile as she handed the Unicorn a bundle of paperwork. “Her name is Scootaloo. She was assaulted by her father and the paperwork we could find suggests that her mother died in childbirth”. She glanced down and forced her hooves to stop fidgeting. “I would like to foster her”.

The Unicorn motioned for Swift to sit. “Why would you want to take care of Scootaloo”.

Swift looked at the Unicorn. “I guess there are probably better ponies to look after her but I, I don't know how to put this. My mother keeps telling me that there are some ponies who want foals, I thought I didn't but Scootaloo makes me feel like I want to help her, to protect her”. Swift looked down again. “Her father did horrible things to her and I want to be the pony she can rely on not to hurt her”.

The unicorn nodded. “I think I understand”. I will need to ask you some questions to determine your suitability for fostering”.

The questions had taken four hours. Four hours where Swift had been convinced on five separate occasions that she had blown it. Three of those occasions had left her crying like a filly herself. Regardless, at the end of the inquisition Swift had been given probational custody of Scootaloo, on the proviso that the filly agreed with the idea.

It was decided that, if Scootaloo was willing, Swift would be able to take her out of hospital and bring her to FPS that evening to sign the final paperwork. All that left was three hours of patrolling while her fears gnawed at her like a hungry Timberwolf.

As soon as her shift was over Swift flew faster than she could ever remember back to the hospital. The nurse at reception grinned as she asked to see Scootaloo, something which intrigued her but didn't stop her gallop down the hall to Scootaloo's door.

She stepped inside and grinned. “Hey, little one”.

Scootaloo grinned and sat up. “Hey, Swift. Did you bring me anything?”.

Swift laughed, she had brought a colouring in book and a stuffed dragon and apparently Scootaloo was starting to expect something. “No but I have news. You're getting out of here tonight”.

Scootaloo backed up, fear plastered across her face. “I'm not going back there, am I?”.

Swift walked over and sat on the bed. “No, you'll never see him again. I have a question for you. I've made some enquiries and if you want to, but only if you want to. I'm not trying to force you to but I want you to live with me”. She smiled as Scootaloo grinned. “Listen to me, this is important. I need you to think about this. You know how I'm with the Guard”. Scootaloo nodded. “What you don't know is that I live in a small apartment. The thing is that if you don't want me to do that I'll quit the guard, fly away. I want you to think about if you want me to take care of you but I really want you to think about if I should stay in the guard, okay”.

Scootaloo moved over to Swift and hugged her. “I want to stay with you”. Swift smiled as she hugged her back “If you're not in the guard what would happen to the next little foal you were supposed to help like you helped me?”. Swift kept quiet, enjoying the feelings she was feeling. Scootaloo shook her head. “I don't want you to stop being a guardspony but I want to live with you”. She looked up and frowned. “Why are you crying?”.

Swift looked down and nuzzled Scootaloo's face. “It's happy tears, little one”. She sighed. “I better tell the doctors that we're ready to go”.

It took twenty long minutes to finish off the paperwork and for Scootaloo to be released. Scootaloo insisted on walking out of the hospital so Swift led her by hand. “We have to go to Foal Protection Services to make sure that you can stay with me, okay. Then we'll go and get something to eat”.

Scootaloo nodded then yelped as five pegasi landed in front of them. Straight Arrow, leading most of her unit tried to look deadly serious before smiling. “Who's the squirt, Swift?”.

Swift looked down at Scootaloo, who was hiding behind her leg. “It's alright, little one”. She lifted Scootaloo up into her hooves and pointed at the ponies in turn. This is Silver Spear, Copper, Straight Arrow, Diamond Hoof and Black Fire. They are the ponies who keep me safe so that I can keep you safe”.

Black Fire looked away, something suddenly in his eyes that he felt like he had to hide. “Oh sweet Celestia's furry fetlocks, don't do this to me Swift. I'm supposed to be hard-flank of this unit”. Copper seemed to have the same thing in his eyes.

Swift laughed as she hugged Straight Arrow. “What are you guys doing here?”.

Arrow grinned. “We wanted to see what kind of filly had brought out any kind of maternal instincts in you. Where are you going now?”.

“We're going to FPS to make everything definite and then I think we'll go and get something to eat”.

Arrow nodded. “So, a couple of hours then”.

Swift frowned. “Yes, at least”.

Arrow smiled before turning to the rest of her unit. “Okay, my little ponies. You know what to do”. As a unit they took off, heading back to base.

Scootaloo looked at them as the disappeared over the hospital. “What was that about?”.

“I have no idea”.

By the time Scootaloo and Swift had finished the questioning and paperwork and ate hay burgers and fries Scootaloo was almost exhausted and Swift had to carry her most of the way home. She opened the door to her apartment and frowned as she saw Straight Arrow sitting on the couch. It took her a moment to realise, There isn't a couch in my apartment. “Arrow, what's going on?”.

She grinned. “I used that spare key you gave me so that me and the guys could make some alterations while you were out with the squirt”. She pointed to her bedroom. “There's a bed for the squirt and I've moved your weights and all that into the store room. We moved the desk that passes for a office into here”. She motioned across the room to where the desk was. “We also cleaned up”. She walked over to Swift and tickled Scootaloo. “You do realize that you will be living with a pony who we're convinced is part pig”. Scootaloo was too busy giggling to bother defending Swift's honour.

Swift looked around, unsure of what to say. “Thank you. Where are the guys?”.

“They're in the Watering Hole. Apparently Black Fire was worried he might have to show he was not an emotionless rock again”.

Scootaloo yawned as she turned and buried her head in Swifts fur. Swift smiled. “I think I had better put her to bed”. She hugged Arrow. “Thank you for all of this. Tell Foamy to put a round for all of you on my tab”. She smiled as she looked down at Scootaloo who had fallen asleep. “And tell him I'll be in tomorrow to pay off my tab. I've got more important things to worry about now”.

Arrow smiled. “We paid off the tab before I came back up here. What else was I going to do for my best wing-pony”. She backed away from the two ponies. “Brass Flanks says that he'll look after the squirt when you're working. By the way, I checked and you're due three weeks leave. I'll drop in when you need to come back to work. I'll probably be back before then to see the squirt though”. She walked out and shut the door behind her.

Swift walked over to her bedroom and noted there was a second, smaller bed next to her own. “Oh, you guys”. She walked over to the small bed and put Scootaloo in before making sure she was comfortable. Swift kissed Scootaloo on the forehead before smiling. “Good night, little one”.