The Life Returns

by Dress72

004 Life's Arrival

004

Jake and I had arrived in Canterlot at oddly the same time that Pinkie Pie, and company arrived with the cake that Mr. Mrs. Cake created, although it had transformed dramatically. I decided that I didn’t want to meet them right now, or rather Rainbow Dash, so I stayed overhead, and went to the castle instead. Upon arriving, however, I immediately ran into a guard, who seemed suspicious of me. Upon asking where I could meet and talk with Princess Celestia, we introduced ourselves.

“I am called White Wind. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. …” I let my voice trail as to let him introduce himself, and felt that Jake was waking up.

“My name is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. Under the orders of Princess Celestia, you are hereby under arrest for fraud, and destruction of half a forest, and harm to the animals that were within.” At this point, Jake was fully awake, and propped his head on top of mine.

“Daddy, are you in trouble?”

I lifted Jake off my head and set him down next to me. Crouching down to meet him eye to eye, I said, “No, my little Red Wing, I’m sure that this is a misunderstanding, and can be cleared up.” Standing up, and addressing Shining Armor, I asked, “Now what are the penalties for each?”

“Truthfully, the charge of fraud is ten years in prison, while the destruction of the forest, if a 2000 bit fine, and the harm to the animals are a fine for the care of them to recover.”

“And why am I being charged for fraud?” I asked once more.

“I was not told the reasons, I was just told charges.” Shining Armor clarified.

“I would think that the Captain of the Royal Guard would be informed of the reasons for the charges, otherwise, when I am arrested for them, the charges would be baseless, and there for, meaningless,” I ranted, and looked down at my son, who was in slight awe at my speech. Still looking at him, I continued my speech, so that Jake realized that I was addressing this just as much to him, as the guard before us, “However, I will go with you, as to not teach my son here to resist authority, even if they are hassling you.”

Knowing that I taught my son at least two important lessons, I followed the guard to the prison, my son in tow. Almost at the prison, I told Shining Armor something, “I would still like to talk to Princess Celestia. I also believe that Twilight and her friends are here, so they can probably help speak on my behalf.”

“Twily is here!”

“If you are talking about Twilight, then yah.” We had arrived at the prison, and a cell door was being opened with magic. Looking in, I saw a bed, on the ground, with a single blanket, and pillow, and a toilet. The door now open, I whispered a request to the guard that had brought us here. “Could you please take the whole bed setup out, and put it against the wall just outside the cell? I don’t want my son to have to be uncomfortable. Or if there is a place that you can take him where he can be comfortable and safe, while I’m here, then do that. Although it’s up to him what he wants to do.” With this request out there, I turned to Jake, “Would you like to go with Mr. Shining Armor here to a place where you can be comfortable while I get this sorted out?” I asked.

“No!!! I want to stay with Daddy!” Jake refused the offer ever so bluntly, but I think that it helped Shining Armor feel sympathy. In any case, he did as I had requested and moved the bed out of the cell and against the wall.

I moved into the cell, and Jake tried to follow me still. “I’m sorry my little angle, you can’t follow me into the cell.” Jake began to protest, but I refused him. “I don’t want you to be in a prison cell,” Crouching down once more to eye level with my son, I continued, “Please stay out here?”

Jake reluctantly gave in, and as I walked into the cell, I could hear a dragging sound. The cell door locked behind me, and turning, I found that my son was dragging the bed closer to the cell bars. Shining armor chuckled a bit before picking it up with his magic, moving it over to the cell for Jake, and leaving. I called out to him once more, “Don’t forget to get Celestia! I would like to clear these charges as soon as possible!”

Jake lay on the bed, next to the bars, and I sat against the wall, close to him. “Let’s play the animal game while we wait, I’ll go first: Hippopotamus.” I was trying to get Jake’s mind off the current situation.

“Snake.”

“Elephant.”

“Toad.”

“Dragon.”

“That is a mythical animal,” Jake complained.

“Key word: Mythical. And they do exist, here at least. Now come on, an animal that starts with an ‘N’.”

“Fine, Newt.”

“Tarantula.”

“Alligator.”

“Rat.” Jake and I both turned to the new voice. I don’t know what Shining Armor told Celestia, Twilight, and her friends to make them come so quickly, but down the hallway, about 20 feet from my cell, the seven ponies were walking towards us.

“Toucan!” Jake continued eagerly, excited to have a new player. I laughed a little at his continuance.

“It’s nice to see you Princess Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.” At the sound of my voice, Rainbow Dash flew quickly the rest of the 15 feet to the cell, causing the others, aside from Celestia, to run as well.

“Dude, what happened?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“This and that, I should be able to clear it up. Pinkie Pie, I have something that I would like to tell you, but you must keep it a secret.”

“I cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Pinkie Pie said, while doing the motions as well. She then leaned in so I could whisper it to her.

“My son’s birthday was yesterday, and I would like you to plan the party for him. You can tell every other pony though. I just don’t want my son to know about the party.” When I was done whispering to Pinkie Pie, I spoke up to everypony there, “Everypony, I would like you all to meet my son, Red Wing. His birthday was yesterday.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you, my name is Red Wing.” Jake said politely, standing up.

Fluttershy actually tackled Jake down, and started nuzzling him. “Oh you are so adorable!”

“Um, Fluttershy, you realize where you are, and what that looks like, right.” I said, teasing her.

Fluttershy looked at where she was, and found that Jake had been on a bed, and that, because of her tackle, she was on top of him, and was still on the bed. She blushed intensely before stammering, “Oh, um… I-I-I’m terribly sorry, I, um… Oh dear, I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry.”

I chuckled softly before saying, “Red.”

Jake got the hint and accepted the apology.

Celestia chuckled, “So you did have a son. Here I thought that it was a lie that you told Shining Armor to get me to come.”

“If it was a lie, then riddle me this: Have I lied to you before, Celestia?”

“No, you haven’t,” Celestia admitted after several seconds of thinking.

“So, tell me the charges as to why I’m in here.”

“I believe you have heard them from Shining Armor already, Mr. White Wind.”

“I have, but don’t think that six of the ponies here have,” I countered.

“You have been charged with fraud, destruction of half a forest, and harm to the animals that live there. The penalty for fraud is ten years in prison, for destruction of half a forest, 2000 bits, for harm to the animals, payment for the care for them.” Celestia listed the charges, and their respective penalties.

“Okay, just one more question: Why am I being charged with fraud?”

“You are being charged with fraud because of the scamming of ponies, with the prospect of Paragliding lessons, then disappearing.”

“If that is all, then I believe that I am being falsely held here. I have six witnesses here today, that can testify against the fact that I committed fraud.”

“Wait, so you had my brother ask us to come down here for your own selfish desires?” Twilight asked to clarify.

“Yes and no. While yes, I did have him ask you six down here with Celestia, so you can provide witness against what I suspected the reason for the charge of fraud, I could have very much as well had Celestia confirm that I have not committed fraud by investigating the ponies within Ponyville. Although she has been wanting to put me here for quite a while now, so I’m not sure if she would investigate, just at my word. And no, it was less for me, as it was for my son. I don’t want the day after his birthday to be known by him as the day that his father was put in jail and taken from him for ten years.” I took a wild swing at emotions there, because from the looks I got from the six before me, I could tell that they didn’t like being used. A few people, or in this case ponies, do like to be used, but these six where not those ponies. It’s not like I don’t repay the favor for ponies I use or help me out, but they didn’t know that.

My gamble with emotions did not pay off, however, “I don’t know what he is talking about,” Twilight said. My mood turned from a calm one to a slightly disbelieving one.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you, I’m much too busy,” Rarity. My mood was turning sour at this point, but my face showed that I was remaining calm.

“Well, you see…” Rainbow Dash let her voice trail and there was a short pause before the silence was broken by Applejack.

“Well, Ah ain’t saying anything.”

“I, um, would like to say,” Fluttershy began but was interrupted by Pinkie Pie. Sounded like she was going to vouch for me as well.

“OO, OO, He was in the town square, and when people started yelling at him, he left!” Pinkie Pie technically didn’t lie, but she did leave out some key information, like me making a deal with the angry citizens, clearing their accusations.

“Um excuse me, I would like to say that…” Fluttershy tried to get their attention to make a statement, but was interrupted once again.

“Well, you six are trust worthy ponies,” Celestia said, “I don’t believe that I to investigate this matter further.”

My expression finally matched my feeling, of, what was at this point, anger. I was about to say something, but Jake beat me to it. “Daddy isn’t a bad person! You guys are being bullies!”

“JAKE!” I nearly yelled, but somehow was able to keep my voice calm, albeit slightly shaky. Calling my son Jake confused the ponies there, as he was introduced as Red Wing, but it helped Jake understand the weight of the situation currently, and to be quiet.

Author's Note:

Two chapters being released today. A reward for the wait.