Rest of Their Lives

by babyuknowme13

The Sweetie Bell Rings

Chapter 5: The Sweetie Bell Rings!

Her parents had indeed arrived while Rarity was away. Luckily they had been found and informed of their impending trial before they’d been able to find her. Steady Hoof promised that they wouldn’t let her parents get to her, but Sweetie wasn’t sure that was very reassuring.
She kind of wanted to talk to them. She wanted to hear their side of the story, get some kind of explanation.

But Rarity and Steady Hoof were right when they said her parents had done bad things, and would continue doing bad things if they could. Sweetie Bell didn’t really want to risk breaking her promise just because she wanted to believe her parents really loved her.

“Come on, Sweetie Bell, cheer up!” Scootaloo urged her. “Come on, we’ll play whatever you want!” She tried to bargain.

“Yeah, tea party, dress up, you name it!” Applebloom agreed.

“I don’t really feel like playing.” She shrunk back.

“Is there anything that will cheer you up?” Scootaloo sighed, stumped.

“No.” She turned away.

“Sweetie Bell, talk to us.” Applebloom laid a hoof on her shoulder. “We’re your friends, we hate seein’ ya all hurt like this.”

“We could go to Sugarcube Corner? Come on, I’ll buy!” Scootaloo tried again.

Sweetie was incredibly glad she had such good friends. The crusade for their own mark might be over, but they had a bright future full of helping other ponies ahead of them. They’d even started redecorating the clubhouse to symbolize this.

One of the walls of the clubhouse was now dedicated to Success Stories, ponies they’d helped with their marks and destinies. Trouble Shoes was there, and now so was Diamond Tiara. Sweetie was excited to find out who they’d help next.

“Okay,” She relented. “Sugarcube Corner does sound good.”

“Alright Crusaders, to Sugarcube Corner!” Applebloom whooped. They ran out of the orchard, laughing and smiling.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders!” They skidded to a halt outside the Rich Family General Store. Diamond Tiara trotted over to them quickly, a smile they were still getting used to on her face.

“I’m glad I found you so quickly, there’s someponies here who want to talk to you!” She informed them.

“Talk to us?” Scootaloo gasped in joy. “Maybe they want help with their cutie marks too!”

The Corner all but forgotten, they followed Diamond Tiara into her family’s store.

“They were trying to buy something on credit, but daddy doesn’t accept credit accounts without a bank statement to tell him they’re good for it.” She explained as they wound through the aisles towards the grocery customer help counter.

“But dad recognized them and said he was surprised to see them back in town, then he told me that they’re your parents!” She finished just as they rounded the corner.

Sweetie Bell gasped in shock. Her mother and father were both there, staring back at her.

“Uh-oh.” She heard Scootaloo mutter. “Uh, Diamond Tiara? You didn’t know so it’s not your fault, but there’s some trouble with Sweetie Bell’s family right now.”

“Sweetie, darling!” Her mom scooped her up before Sweetie could decide what to do. “Look at you, so big!”

“We’re glad you’re here, dear.” Her father sighed in relief. “Seems your sister’s been making mountains out of mole hills again.”

The mention of Rarity shocked her out of her stupor. With a cry of rage her horn lit up and she pushed her mother off her.

“Mole hills?!” She demanded. “You think spending my sister’s money so you can go on your stupid vacations so you’re never home is a mole hill!?”

“D-Did I do something wrong?” She heard Diamond Tiara whisper.

“Not your fault.” Applebloom reassured her. “But do us all a favor and find a guard pony, NOW!”

“When I was sick with the Red Fever you two couldn’t even get jobs to help me! You blackmailed Rarity so she could help me!” Sweetie Bell was not in the mood to be calmed.

“There were things going on you wouldn’t understand!” Silver Bell tried to reason with her.

“The last time you were here you didn’t even stay for a full day before leaving again!” She screamed. “Do you have any idea how many nights Rarity has stayed up trying to make back the money you spent going sight seeing?”

“Hi, glad you’re here!” Scootaloo sounded oddly panicky but Sweetie Bell didn’t turn around to see what the problem was. As far as she was concerned, it was right in front of her and named Silver Bell and Copper Trim.

“Our friend has a restraining order on her parents and they tricked our other friend into bringing us here!” Applebloom rushed to explain.

“Sweetie, that’s enough! Can’t you see you’re blowing this out of proportion?” Copper Trim tried to quiet her.

“What’s going on here?” She thought she heard Diamond Tiara’s dad show up.

“Silver Bell and Copper Trim, I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the foal.” A new voice ordered.

“This is preposterous!” Silver Bell cried. “Why should I be barred from seeing my own foals? What lies has my daughter been spreading?”

“Rarity isn’t a liar!” Sweetie thought her voice might crack if she screamed any higher. “You’re both horrible and I never want to see you again!”

She turned around and galloped as fast as she could away from that scene.

If her eyes hadn’t been clouded by tears she might have noticed that her parents were strangely covered in produce due to the accidental magic she’d used.

“Sweetie Bell, wait up!” She heard two voices calling after her. They were the voices of two ponies she knew she could trust with anything, they would never let her down.

“How come..pant…You never move that fast in gym class?” Scootaloo’s sides were heaving when they caught up to her.

Sweetie Bell burst into tears.

“I didn’t mean it!” Scootaloo back pedaled.

“I-I-I w-want Rarity!” She sobbed into her hooves.

“It’ll be okay, she’ll be back tomorrow.” Applebloom said softly, nuzzling her. Scootaloo folded a wing protectively over her flank from the other side.

When she calmed down a little they went back to Sweet Apple Acres. This day had turned into a disaster that no amount of cupcakes could fix and she just wished it would end already.

Applebloom and Scootaloo had to explain what had happened to Big Mac and Granny Smith. The old mare had been thoroughly disgusted by the actions of her parents and Big Mac had gone into town to find out what was being done about it.

“C’mere, poor foal.” Granny Smith swept her into a warm hug. “Everything’s gonna be alright, y’hear? Yer sister will be back tomorrow afternoon and we’ll make sure those ponies don’t hurt ya.”

“Yeah, you’ve got nothing to worry about, Sweetie Bell.” Scootaloo promised.

“Granny Smith?” Sweetie Bell sniffed and wiped her eyes. “They’ll leave again after the trial, right? Even if they don’t have money for their trips anymore?”

“They will if they know what’s good for’em.” The old mare scowled. “By end of the day the whole town’ll know what sorry folks they are.”

“They will?” She gulped. She hadn’t thought about that. Everypony was going to know about her parents?

“Come on, Sweetie Bell, it’ll be fine!” Applebloom reassured her.

It was definitely not fine. It had taken Applebloom ten minutes that morning to convince Sweetie Bell to come to school, but they were now five minutes late already because everypony kept stopping them and telling Sweetie Bell how she didn’t have to be afraid because her parents had been put on house arrest.

They hadn’t even passed Sugarcube Corner yet! Ms. Cheerilee was going to be so upset!

“Oh, Sweetie Bell!” She flinched as Mrs. Cake’s voice stopped them.

“For the love of Celestia!” Applebloom angrily muttered beside her.

“Poor dear,” Mrs. Cake swept her up into another hug. That was sixteenth hug Sweetie Bell had gotten today. “Don’t worry, as soon as that trial’s over those mean old ponies won’t be able to bother you or Rarity ever again!”

“Okay, thanks for your concern but we’re kinda late, gotta go, bye!” She and Applebloom raced for the schoolhouse.

“Oh, Sweetie Bell!” She flinched as Derpy’s voice stopped them.

“Not again!” Applebloom groaned.

“Hey, are you doing alright?” The gray mail-mare asked. “I heard about your parents.”

“Everypony has.” She mumbled.

“I just wanted to let you know if you ever need anything, even just to talk, I’m all ears!” The mail-mare flew off again, thankfully without giving Sweetie her seventeenth hug for the day.

“Let’s make tracks!” Applebloom shoved her. “Ah don’t wanna be any later than we already are!”

“Hold up there Sweetie Bell!” Both fillies groaned.

“Applebloom, Sweetie Bell,” Ms. Cheerilee greeted them as they came in. “Given the circumstances I’ll let your tardiness slide just this once, but please try not to make a habit of it.”

“Yes ma’am!” They nodded frantically.

“Oh, and Sweetie Bell, would you please stay in for a few minutes of recess?” Sweetie Bell flinched.

“Yes ma’am.”

Even when class began again there was no reprieve. Notes fell like snow over her desk as everypony asked the same questions over and over again. Was she okay? Were her parents scary? Did they ever hurt her? Only Diamond Tiara’s was different, it just apologized for yesterday.

Sweetie didn’t feel like she’d learned anything by the time the recess bell rang.

“Ms. Cheerilee, you wanted to speak to me?” She gathered all her courage, though it was starting to feel like it was in short supply.

“Yes,” The mare sat down so they could have a serious conversation. “How are you taking all this?”

“I wish Rarity didn’t need to go to Canterlot.” She sighed. “I also wish everypony would quit stopping me on the streets!”

“I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time.” Her teacher offered. “All these changes must be pretty rough on you.”

“It’s not that bad.” She fidgeted, unsure how to explain herself. “I’ve always mostly lived at the boutique with Rarity, once they leave this time it’ll be for good, and Rarity won’t have to work so hard anymore.”

“What bugs me is that everypony is treating me different!” She admitted.

“The foals of Equestria are precious to us.” Ms. Cheerilee lifted her chin. “To hear of one of them being abused brings out the herd instinct in all of us.”

“Herd instinct?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“You don’t usually learn about it until your final year, but herd instinct is actually a big influence on Equestrian Society.” She explained. “Ponies are by nature a herd species, that’s why there are so few colts born compared to fillies, and why we tend to group together unlike the Dragons or Gryphons who prefer traveling alone most of the time.”

“Our first instinct is always to take care of the herd, the group.” She lectured. “When one of us feels threatened, the others come in rearing to defend them.”

"Sometimes herd instinct can work against us, provoking us to avoid those we see as different.” Sweetie Bell was reminded of Zecora. “Since we are a prey species our first reaction to any threat is to run away or avoid it, but that only goes so far.”

“When one of our foals are threatened, that instinct makes us very aggressive towards the threat and protective of the foal.” Ms. Cheerilee took out a diagram from an older class. “This is because ancient ponies weren’t able to outrun the dangers if they had foals with them, so they had to focus on eliminating the threat.”

“So everypony is acting different because of their herd instincts?” She clarified.

“That’s part of it, yes. That’s really only one aspect of herd instinct, but I think the rest can wait until you’re a little older.” Ms. Cheerilee smiled at her. “Now, I’ll bet your friends are waiting for you outside. There’s still plenty of recess left.”

“Thanks, Ms. Cheerilee!” She ran out the doors, eager to share with her friends what she’d learned.

“There you are!” Scootaloo noticed her first. “What did Ms. Cheerilee want to talk to you about?”

“Do you girls know what herd instinct is?” Sweetie asked.

“A little,” Applebloom shrugged. “Applejack said it’s what drives family to stick together.”

After she’d repeated everything Ms. Cheerilee had said they all sat down to think about it. The girls had heard mentions of herd instinct before, but they’d never considered it to be important. It was an adult thing, they thought. They hadn’t known that all Equestrian society was based on it.

“Some ponies still do herd marriages.” Scootaloo reminded them. “One stallion marries a bunch of mares at once and they have foals together and stuff.”

“Ya know, Crusaders,” Applebloom hummed. “Looking just at the playground, there sure aren’t a whole lot of colts are there?”

“What’s your point, Applebloom?” Sweetie asked. That was the way things were, more girls than boys.

“Well, if it takes a mare and a stallion to make a foal, then how come there are so many foals when there aren’t a lot of stallions to go around?” She quizzed them.

They’d never considered that before. They knew, thanks to Applebloom’s farmer wisdom, how foals came into existence, but they’d never thought more of it than that.

“Uh, the stallions sire lots of kids?” Scootaloo guessed.

“But not everypony is brother and sister.” Applebloom shook her head.

“Maybe they use magic to get a foal inside them if they can’t get a special somepony?” Sweetie suggested.

“I don’t think so.” Scootaloo rejected that idea. “Twilight said unicorns can’t create new life, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” She frowned. This was turning out to be a pretty big mystery.

“You three are talking about foals?” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked up to them.

“Yeah, we can’t figure out how there’s so many foals when only one colt is born for every five fillies.” Applebloom informed her.

“Oh!” Silver Spoon lit up. “I know that!”

“You do?” Scootaloo perked up. “Tell us!”

“It’s called ESC, Every Stallion Contributes.” She explained. “My mom explained everything to me when I asked why I didn’t have a father like Diamond Tiara.”

“ESC is a law that says every stallion has to sire at least two foals to keep Equestria’s population up.” She continued. “There are special places in big cities where mares go when they’re in heat and they have to fill out a bunch of papers before they pay for a service stallion, a stallion who’s job is to help mares have foals.”

“When a stallion sires a foal he has to file it with the mare to confirm it for his ESC, that way the government knows he did his part.” She finished.

“Huh, so that’s it.” Applebloom rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “So that means I’m guaranteed to get at least two nieces or nephews from Big Mac! Cool!”

“Wait, so it’s possible for everypony to have half-brothers and sisters that they don’t even know about?” Scootaloo asked incredulously. “They might go their whole lives without realizing they’re family!”

“If you want to find out if you have half-siblings just ask your mom who your dad was,” Diamond Tiara suggested. “Then you just need to look up his records to see if he sired anypony else.”

“Huh, yeah!” The pegasus filly beamed. “I’m definitely gonna ask her when I get home today!”

“Ah know who both my parents are, even if they’re not around anymore.” Applebloom frowned for a minute before shaking her head. “Do you think Twilight and the others know their daddies?”

“I know Twilight does.” Sweetie spoke up. “I saw her parents at Shining Armor’s wedding.”

“I don’t know if Rainbow Dash does, I’ll ask her when she gets back from Canterlot.” Scootaloo said.

“Didn’t Pinkie say she grew up on a Rock farm?” Applebloom asked. “I think she mentioned her parents in her cutie mark story.”

“So that just leaves Fluttershy, I don’t think I’ve ever heard her mention her parents.” Sweetie said.

“Silver Spoon, do you know who yours is?” She asked the silver filly.

“I know his name is Finder and he’s an Earth pony like me.” She nodded.

“Ah wonder if the other ponies in our class all know who they’re daddy is.” Applebloom turned a speculative eye on the rest of the class.

“We could ask.” Sweetie Bell suggested.

“Yeah, we can do a survey!” Scootaloo quickly pulled out some pencils and paper from her saddlebag.

They five of them each chose a hooffull of their classmates and raced off. Peppermint Twist didn’t know her father, Snips and Snails were half-brothers by Wild Streak and knew it, Lazy Susan didn’t know, Funny Frankie didn’t know, Sugar Plum knew her father was named Blue Moon, Pipsqueak’s dad was married to his mom and was named Tiny, they were expecting another foal soon, Dinky didn’t know who her dad was but knew her sister Sparkler had a different one.

By the end of recess they knew which of their classmates knew their dad and which ones didn’t.

“So…Why did we do all that?” Scootaloo asked as they trotted back inside. “It’s kinda cool to know this stuff, but what do we do now?”

“A lot of the foals said they were interested in knowing if they had brothers or sisters.” Applebloom pointed out. “Ah say we go to Town Hall and look up the birth certificates of the ponies that don’t know their dads, then we can find out how many other foals they had.”

“That’s a great idea!” Sweetie Bell cheered. “But I don’t think we should do it today.”

“Why not?” Scootaloo asked as they sat down.

“Rarity and the others will be back soon.” She reminded them.

“You’re right, we haven’t even asked Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy about their dads!” Applebloom considered. “You can go to your sister, Scootaloo and ah can handle them.”

“Alright, tell me how it goes tomorrow.” She agreed.

Rarity was waiting for her at the school gates when class let out.

“Sweetie Bell!” She latched onto the filly with a grip that promised to never loosen. “Oh dear, I heard everything from Steady Hoof! Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine!” She groaned. “Everypony keeps asking me that!”

“So sorry, dear.” Rarity set her down. “Well, it won’t happen again, I can assure you of that!”

“See ya tomorrow, Sweetie Bell!” Applebloom and Scootaloo waved as they ran off to find their targets.

“Bye girls!” She waved back.

“Well then, dear, tell me everything.” So Sweetie Bell launched into a re-telling of the last two days’ events.

Author's Note:

I'm back, have a chapter as an apology, followed closely by another chapter.