Unwelcome Visitor

by The desert brony

Chapter 9 The Truth?

Unwelcome Visitor
Chapter 9

Having woken to a screeching alarm clock at three thirty in the morning, the Mayor somberly trudged through the cool early morning towards the town hall. “I should have just taken them last night before I left.” Her words ended with a stiff yawn, still hating herself for rushing home to simply drink herself sleep again. Coffee, yet another thing she had forgotten with the ever mounting stress of her life. “I... I'm not a bad pony.” The memories of her earlier years were now more of a pool with in her mind, still showing glimpses of her youth. “I've just made bad choices. I don't know how I managed to hide it all from my parents.” At these words another memory came to the fore of her mind. One of her regulars was in need of pleasing a business partner and wanted him to have an experience. She invited the stallion over to her home... The Mayor quickly slapped herself before the image could fully surface. “Now is not the time to dwell on the past. I love my life as it is now and I can't let that mare just trot all over me...” She trailed off as she wondered how she was going to deal with that Celestia be damned mare.

The town hall came into view and the Mayor picked up her pace. “I swear my life can't get any worse.” Unlocking the door she pushed past them and into the main lobby. With a quick glance around she noted that nothing was out of place. With a soft click she let the door fall shut and left her alone in the bleak light of the setting moon. Passing by the grandfather clock which read four twenty five, The Mayor made her way behind the desk that her secretary sat at to a door marked “Annex” in yellow gold letters. “Okay all I need to do is grab those files, break a few laws on top the ones I've already committed, take them home, and then let that blackmailing mare take them. All at the cost of a little filly's future and my own dignity.” Pushing past the doors she trotted through the dimly lit annex, her hoof fall echoed ominously around the room. Turning down one marked set of cabinets and stopped dead in her tracks. Before her lay an open metal cabinet which had fallen open during the night, its lock rusted beyond repair. The Mayor didn't feel her rump hit the floor when her back legs gave out, her jaw hung just as wide as the cabinet. Several minutes passed before something on her cheek roused her. She touched the side of her face, as she pulled he hoof away it glistened with moisture. “I'm crying?” the Mayor stated as she brushed more of the tears away, but they didn't stop. “Why won't they stop? I'm not-” her voice hitched. “I'm not sad, I'm okay. The files are gone and I- I- I'm so fucked.”

“What was that my dear?” The Mayor froze. That voice was no longer the ever snide and uncaring tone that the mare behind her usually carried, no this time it held an overflowing malice poorly hidden under a calm demeanor. “Did I hear you correctly when you said the files are gone?” The Mayor still had tears running down her face, her body shook as she felt her future wither and die right before her. The mare behind her waited for an answer, but when she received none the words out of her mouth were spoken to spite. “You know Neo Pink; I liked it better when you were my whore.”

The Mayor twisted her body to face the pony behind her, the tears hadn't stopped but now her face was contorted with rage as she yelled at the mare. “How dare you call me that! I left that life behind me as well as you. I trusted you to keep me safe and what did you do. Supplied me nothing but drugs and stallions that had no intentions of using a wrapper! I got pregnant because of you! I had a miscarriage because all you sent me was a load of stallions who liked to ruff me up! Why don't you stop hiding behind that stupid cloak and face me like a mare!” Too bad the Mayor got what she asked for. The sight of her old dealer and pimp had sent her skin crawling once more. The sight of her yellow coat, thick curly orange mane, her olive green eyes and her cutie mark of four carrots with one half eaten. “Golden Harvest,” she spat “if I hadn't spent so much of my youth with you I would have called you Carrot Top.”

Harvest scoffed at the Mayor. “Please, most ponies can't even tell there's a difference between me and my twin. In fact, you are only one out of a few who know. As for your past problems I wasn't the sole cause of them. You came to me wanting to make some bits, I told you what to expect and you didn't listen. You can blame me all you want but I told you 'Once you start down this path, I own you.'” Harvest had been unfazed by the Mayor's outburst. In fact she had expected it. “Now answer my question. Where are the files?”

The Mayor stepped to the side and waved a hoof to the empty box. “You tell me. I had this whole place under lock and key since it was built to house all those files. I came to get them for you like you demanded only to find a rusted lock and no files.” The Mayor had ceased her crying, feeling sorrow now was just wasted energy. “Even if a pony did break into this place, all they would find if financial statements of Ponyville going back to its founding. If by any chance they did search through this whole area, it would have taken them the entire night just to get half way through it.” The Mayor was babbling now. She still feared this mare over more than a few photos. Harvest had a temper, a real mean one. “I bought that cabinet two years ago and only I have the key. That lock couldn't have rusted like that without magic. So you tell me where they went, because Celestia knows I don't.” This had been the wrong thing to say.

The Mayor knew what hit her, she had felt it many times before as her body fell to the floor. The back of Harvest's hoof was like a lightning strike across her cheek and muzzle. Many times she had felt this mare abuse her when she didn't please a client or had stolen drugs to stop the withdraws. But even with her history the Mayor felt her fears take the reins. Quickly she got to her hooves but years of sitting on a cushy bed and plates full of food had dulled her reflexes. Harvest was on top of her as if she was still twenty years younger. The Mayor felt blow after blow crash down on her head and withers. The strikes didn't cease when she pulled her hooves of cover her head. This however had left her chest and belly open for attack. Harvest, upon seeing this, became relentless in her strikes to the undefended area.

Blow after blow rained down until the Mayor was nothing more than a quivering heap. Golden Harvest was panting, a sign that she hadn't had the pleasure of beating a pony for some time. “You are as useless now as you were then Neo Pink. I'll finish this myself, and unlike you I won't fail. Should you try to stop me, I'll make sure all of Equestria knows who the best whore to come out of Manehatten is.”

After Harvest left, the Mayor lay there for time unknown. The pain she was in had brought back the memories she had so longed to forget, of the beatings she suffered from Harvest and violent clients. After nights of being used and abused she would crawl into bed and cry herself to sleep, much like how she wished to do that right now. If she been aware of her surrounding, she would have heard the cry of shock as her secretary Quick Note discovered her. It wasn't long after that she felt a few hooves lift her up and carry her out into the morning. She felt drained; the pain had been pushed into the background of her mind along with everything else. Her ears twitched as she heard shouting from somewhere. Half of her sight was covered in darkness; the other half was watching ponies around her looking worried. She was vaguely aware that they were asking questions but it didn't matter anymore. One last tear rolled down her cheek as she gave herself to the void.

^^^
~Later that day~

Golden Harvest sat at the table with her twin sister Carrot Top, eating a salad before they both had to tend to the small carrot farm. The carrot farm itself was about one-fifth the size of the apple family's, enough to grow their crop for themselves and the town of Ponyville. The size of the farm put the twins in no place to compete with the apple's in selling across Equestria, that was a fact that made Harvest grumpy every time some pony brought it up. She was noisily crunching her salad irritated with the Mayor's incompetence. That was until her sister cleared her throat.

“I'm sorry to disturb you sis but when I opened up the stall today I overheard more than a few ponies talking about something that happened this morning.” Carrot Top had a softer voice then her twin, but subtlety so. Harvest raised an eye at her to say 'I'm listening.' Carrot pecked at her food before allowing herself to continue. “Sis I know you fancy walks in the evening or in very early morning, but this morning the Mayor was attacked!” Harvest stopped munching and lifted her head to listen to her twin. “The word is right now that it was a burglary that the Mayor walked in on and she was beaten! Beaten, Harvest! What kind pony would ever do such a thing?”

Harvest closed her eyes and placed her hooves over her muzzle. Carrot took this as a sign of shock but the truth was far from that. Harvest was wondering how she was going to spin this away from herself should the Mayor spill the beans, but for now the burglary would stave off any question coming her way. She had gotten sloppy, so much so that it looked to her that any pony could link it all together. Then a thought crossed her mind, a question rather. “Carrot, is the Mayor going to be alright?”

Carrot slumped just a fraction, she was one of the Mayor's biggest supporters and thought highly of her. “Last I heard was that she was still asleep, I think the word on the street was that the doctors may believe she's in a coma. Quick Note is dealing with all the problems including helping the investigation. Even with the royal guards here I don't feel safe.”

Harvest stopped cold and lowered her hooves to the table. “Why would the royal guards be here, in Ponyville of all places?” She hoped that her sister hadn't heard the slight panic that escaped.

Carrot shrugged. “I'm not sure sis; all I know is that one of the pegasi that Quick Note flagged down was a guard who was visiting his family. He was also with a few guards that were also off duty, and from what I heard one flew back to Canterlot to report what happened.”

Harvest cursed her luck. She didn't need any more complications, loose ends or factors she couldn't control. If the royal guard were truly here and doing their own investigation, that meant it was all over. All the work she had put into this plan now down the outhouse pipes. The guards would discover who was behind the attack; they would go back even farther to Manehatten where she slung drugs, prostitutes among other things behind the backs of her family. “Sis, could you tend to the crops today? I think I could use a walk around town, maybe go see if the Mayor has improved.” Carrot Top gave her a nod, took their bowls to the kitchen before heading out to the fields. Harvest trotted out the door and headed to Ponyville, her mind revolving around the words her twin uttered.

^^^
~The Market~

Scootaloo rubbed her ear from where Cheerilee had pinched it after catching her snoozing behind her math textbook. Her friends had done their best to keep her awake throughout the day but the little sleep she had finally caught up to her. After being embarrassed in front of the entire class, she was treated to a long lecture after school about sleeping during times of learning that almost made her fall asleep again! As Scootaloo trudged through the market she thought about Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. The two had apparently got caught trying to sneak out of their respective homes. Applebloom had been caught by her brother, he had stayed up late for some reason and when he saw her try to leave he grounded her on the spot, so said Applebloom herself. Sweetie Belle had been over at her sister's house, but was foiled when she tripped a magical alarm that Rarity put on the door. Who knew Rarity was the paranoid one. As for her, getting out of the house was easy when your father is in a medication induced sleep.

Scootaloo didn't want to head home just yet. She figured her father would be awake and roaming around the house. Thinking of her father her thoughts drifted back to the events over the weekend; Sunbright kissing her father after the meeting, Blaze pushing Sunbright off the platform, the two of them arguing in the middle of the performance. The image of her father and Sunbright posted on a tabloid, and that one was what made her family spit apart. She was close to the truth she had been looking for, she could feel it. After much searching through the documentation she “stole” Scootaloo finally located the diary, right before she realized the time. She had wanted to read even a little bit of it before school, but time had been against her.

So lost in her thoughts Scootaloo hadn't been looking where she was trotting and ran into another pony. Glancing up to meet the orange locks of Ponyville's resident carrot seller. “Sorry Ms. Top, I wasn't looking.” Scootaloo moved to the side to continue on but was stopped by a yellow hoof.

Harvest looked down on the orange filly, her boiling hatred for her held behind a mask of concern. “It's okay Scootaloo, but what has you so down that you won't even ride your scooter?” She spoke, her tone only hinting at the distaste of talking with the young Pegasus.

Scootaloo turned her head down and to the side, a small sigh escaping her lungs. “It's nothing Ms. Top.” She was about to excuse herself had the mare in front of her remained silent.

“It's about your father isn't it?” Harvest was mildly amused at Scootaloo's reaction. Her head snapped up, with the look of both longing and surprise. The little filly was stuttering but Harvest thought if she was going down, she might at least cause a little more pain. “It's not that hard to figure out Scootaloo. Your mother dies and for the last two years you’re stuck in an orphanage. Then bam some pony finds your father and he comes in to take you under his wing, it's too good to be true and you think... why wasn't he here in the first place?” Scootaloo nods slowly as she listens to her words. “The sad thing is Scootaloo I don't want you to hear this second hoof. The only pony who knows why your father left all those years ago is none other than your teacher, Ms. Cheerilee.”

Scootaloo recoiled when she heard this. Her teacher had known all this time, and never told her. Her eyes darted from Harvest to the ground and back to Harvest, one question now at the forefront of her growing list of questions. “Why didn't she tell me?”

Golden Harvest shook her head. “Probably because she thought it wasn't her place to tell you, Cheerilee probably thought your mother would tell you when she thought you were ready. But I think you need to talk to Ms. Cheerilee, she knows and it's better for you to hear the truth from her.”

Scootaloo stood there for only a second before racing off. With a shout of thanks over her withers, she sped down the road back to the schoolhouse to get the answers she deserved. Harvest cracked a smile. “Maybe I should have done this from the start. Had I realized that she didn't know about her father's past I would have. No matter, I said I would finish this and even if I can't get what I want I'll, at the very least; destroy her dream of a happy family.” Harvest set after the brash filly, wanting to see her face when the truth hits her.

^^^

Blaze opened the door to his home and strode in a little stronger than yesterday. Big Mac trailing behind him took a look around. “Did ya clean this place up?” Macintosh having seen the state it was in yesterday.

Blaze headed into the kitchen, his wings free from bindings but still bare of feathers. “Mostly, just some dusting and making sure the furniture wasn't rotting away. Not having anything to do I get bored and I'll start doing anything, you know how I am.”

The large farm pony knew all too well. He remembered one year where Blaze had broken a wing. If Raindancer hadn't suggested he work on the farm till his wing healed, he was certain the Pegasus would do something crazy like hang gliding or some other dangerous hobby.

“Hay Mac, isn't school over for the day? Shouldn't Scootaloo be home by now?” Blaze was in the middle of making sandwich and gestured if Mac wanted some.

The farm stallion declined the offer for food. “Eeyup, though Applebloom won't be crusading today. I found her try`n ta sneak out last night, some`m about getting her cutie mark fer find`n lost things. So she may be with Sweetie Belle right now.”

Blaze finished making his sandwich and moved back into the living room. “Ah, I guess I shouldn't have expected her to ditch her friends just to hang out with her old stallion.” Flopping down on the couch, Blaze waved a hoof to a chair for Big Mac to sit and relax.

Mac denied the offer again. “I gotta get back to the farm, but if ah see Scootaloo ah`ll let her know that ya wanted to spend time with `er.” The large red pony moved to the door and stopped when Blaze called out.

“Mac, if you do see her just let her know I wanted to have a nice dinner with her.” Blaze simply waved his old friend goodbye, being a tad lazy as well as knowing Mac didn't mind seeing himself out.

“Eeyup.” Mac called over as he let the door swing shut. The farm pony that he is, Mac had a lot to do and the time he spent with Blaze was bits out of the coin purse for his family. The fact that his old friend was back in town, meant a few good rounds of hard cider and stories to share in the future.

Blaze watched as the door to his home close, separating him from his old friend. He munched on the simple snack of bread, mustard, lettuce and tomatoes, his thoughts revolved around one question; How to tell Scootaloo the true reason he left. “Dust is right, if I delay telling her it's only going to hurt worse. Will she even listen? More importantly is will she believe me? … … I need to do something!” Rising from the couch Blaze made his way upstairs. Passing by Scootaloo's room he paused to see the door slightly ajar. “She's already going to be angry about the reason I left, no need to stack 'invading her room' to the list.” Pushing on Blaze turned into the guest/storage room. Most of the items kept in here were extra furniture or boxes of holiday decorations. It also doubled as a guest room but was mostly used by Berry Punch when she was too drunk to head home. Those were some fond memories; Berry having stumbled around Ponyville would be caught by Raindancer and brought here to sleep off her intoxication. Most of those nights ended with Berry puking all over the bed in her sleep, or falling off of it. That was until she was able to properly hold her liquor. The bed in question was now buried under a small mountain of boxes. Each box was crudely marked with black marker identifying its contents. A low whistle escaped Blaze’s lips as he noted multiple boxes marked Hearths Warming Decorations that had not been there before he left all those years ago. “I should have known she’d go and start buying all this holiday stuff.” Blaze shook his head as he looked into each box and moved them to one side of the room. After moving only a few, Blaze was forced to open the window as the dust danced around the room. “Ugg, I wish I still had my feathers.” Blaze stopped and chuckled to himself. “Raindancer always hated that I used my wings as a duster.” He chuckled again as he set his eyes on the next batch of boxes. These were marked with little smiley faces and pictures of crudely drawn ponies in crayon. “I guess Scootaloo got in here when she was little. Oh look I think this one is of Rainbow Dash.” His smile grew wider as Blaze rotated the box and finding more coloring, distorting the original markings. This whole side was of a teal pony and an orange pony both with purple manes. The drawing depicted the two flying through the town; each building was marked with the name of a pony like “the Cakes” or “Mayor.” With part of the bed now uncovered, Blaze sat down and opened the colorful box.

A peek inside had caused Blaze to lose his breath. Extending his hoof, he pulled out an old cracked pair of goggles. “I thought I threw these away long ago.” The goggles in hoof Blaze turned them around, being mindful of the cracked glass. The goggles were made of formed maple wood and a rubber strap. The Rubber had become dry and brittle which had broken off from disuse. The maple wood was scratched in places from repeated crashes and the lenses had spider web cracks from a crash that Blaze would never forget. “Wow, she kept them. All these years she kept them.” With a smile and a shake of his head, Blaze placed the goggles down and reached into the box again. This time he pulled an unmarked envelope discolored yellow with age. “What in Equestria is this?” Opening the pouch Blaze dumped two ticket stubs into his hoof. The envelope fell to the floor as Blaze stared in mild shock; the stubs identified an event that two ponies went to dated nearly twenty years ago. Blaze broke out into laughter clutching the stubs close to his chest. “How could I have forgotten that? Oh dear Celestia I made such a foal of myself that day.” Placing the stubs next to his goggles, Blaze reached into the box and pulled a book out. It was longer then it was tall and the cover was simple black imitation leather. Blaze placed the book in his lap and opened it to the first page. His laughter echoed through the room once more; the first pages were filled with pictures. The very first picture depicted Raindancer in shock, her eyes wide and wings flared as she was lip locked with a young Blaze at what appeared to be a carnival. The next showed the teal mare furious, her hoof connected with Blaze’s snout; this having been taken just moments after the first. Turning the page Blaze took a trip to the past, pictures of him and Raindancer. Dates that the two went on, shenanigans that they were caught in, even pictures of the wedding.

Nearing the middle of the book one page of the album made Blaze stop. Three pictures were all that covered this entry. The first was of Blaze and Raindancer sitting on a park bench eating some ice cream with Dancer having a dollop of the sweet dairy on her nose. The second showed Blaze licking the offending cream off with a mildly shocked Raindancer. The last was the two of them in a passionate kiss; the photographer with her two toned pink mane had turned the camera to herself, showing Cheerilee giggling at the two love birds.

Sounds of foals playing outside drifted through the open window, but the noise was lost on this room’s sole occupant. Blaze sat on the guest bed, surrounded by memories of the past. Days filled with laughter and joy, days filled with sorrow and pain; days where nothing mattered but the pony at his side and nights of showing that love to her. The next page in the album made Blaze’s heart sink. It was a picture of Raindancer in a hospital bed holding a small bundle of cloth. Inside was a sleeping orange Pegasus with a purple mane. In the lower left corner of the picture, the words “To Blaze, your daughter Scootaloo” were written. The next photo was a baby Scootaloo standing shakily on her own, at the bottom “our daughter’s first step” had been penned in. Flipping the page over Blaze was greeted with an orange foal, her face deep into a small cake. At the top of the picture “Her first birthday” had been scrawled in. The next showed Scootaloo splashing playfully in a tub, Bath-time had written on the left side. Blaze noted that the pictures were out of order from here on, but it made no difference to him. First mane cut, first lost tooth, first scooter crash. The pictures went on and on, each marked with a little note from Raindancer to describe the events surrounding the little orange foal. The last page was a picture of Scootaloo on her first attempt to fly. At the sight of this Blaze clenched his eyes shut as salty tears rolled down his face and dropped to the pictures below.

Blaze closed the photo album and placed it back in the box. “I’ve made the worst mistake of my life.” He spoke almost devoid of emotion, save for self-loathing. “I left the one pony who I love more than anything else, all because of a misunderstanding. That one choice cost me something I never knew was coming.” Blaze launched himself off the bed, landing on three hooves the fourth raised in the air. “I lost the opportunities to make memories with my daughter, but I’m going to make sure she can be proud to call me her father.” Slamming his hoof to the floor, Blaze moved from the room and down to the living room. “And that starts with me telling her the truth.” Grabbing his saddle bags on the way to the door, he opened the portal to the outside world. “I’ll tell her over dinner, I pray that I haven’t waited too long.” Locking the house Blaze set out to grab ingredients for the best meal he knew how to cook.

^^^

Inside the schoolhouse Cheerilee was at her desk grading the history exam that every foal took earlier that day. Most of them had scored rather well; Featherweight was doing the best out of the whole class, but the young filly Dinky was barely passing for reasons Cheerilee had no clue to. She had just set the last of the papers in a neat pile when the door burst open and slammed into the wall, startling her so that she knocked the papers all over the floor. Cheerilee jumped from her desk and took the poll that held the National Equestrian Flag from its holder, brandishing it like a spear at the pony that had startled her.

Scootaloo hadn’t meant to kick the door so hard, now she stood in the doorway baffled at her teacher who was on her hind legs holding onto the flag pole like it was some sort of weapon. “Umm… I’m sorry about the door Ms. Cheerilee.”

Cheerilee regained her composure as Scootaloo walked into the class room. “Oh Scootaloo, you startled me. Please just knock next time.” She heard the mumbles of an okay from her young pupil. “Please sit down, tell me what has brought you back?”

Scootaloo ambled over to the other side of the desk as her teacher replaced the flag. This was the one pony who would finally tell her the truth. It was now or never. “Ms. Cheerilee, I need to talk to you about something.”

Cheerilee sat back down and eyed the little filly with a smile. “If you’re worried about your history test Scootaloo, you will just have to wait till tomorrow.” ‘She couldn’t possibly have known I finished grading them just a moment ago… could she?’

Scootaloo sighed; she needed to stall only so she could find the right words to broach this subject. “No Ms. Cheerilee. I overheard a few ponies talking as I was passing through the market.” Right now she needed to keep her teacher talking.

Cheerilee sat in mild shock as she felt she knew what the little filly overheard. “I’m afraid what you heard was true Scootaloo.”

The orange filly froze. Could ponies truly have been talking about her father? Scootaloo gazed into her teachers eyes. They were full of kindness and worry.

“Now Scootaloo; I was asked to make an announcement tomorrow but I could tell you today as long as you don’t tell any pony about it for now.” Cheerilee had a false half smile on her lips. The same one she used to make fillies and colts less fearful of the news to come. “It’s true; the Mayor was attacked this morning and is now in Ponyville hospital.”

Scootaloo was taken aback at this. She had expected something about her father, not the mayor. “Wait. Who would want to hurt Mayor of all ponies?”

Cheerilee placed one hoof on the desk. “I don’t know Scootaloo. But a few off duty royal guards helped the Mayor and are volunteering their time to investigate. Don’t worry little filly, Ms. Mayor will be up and about again soon.” This time a genuine smile crossed the teachers face.

Scootaloo released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Who would want to hurt the mayor? Maybe after I’m done here, Applebloom, Sweetie and I can get our cutie marks in investigation!” “Ms. Cheerilee… Do you mind if I ask what you were doing before you became a teacher?”

Cheerilee stifled a laugh at the innocence of the question. “Not at all Scootaloo, I spent my days much like yours; spending time with friends, finding new and interesting things to try. I even went on a tour of all the major cities in Equestria.”

Scootaloo saw her chance. “Even Manehatten?”

Cheerilee beamed at the filly before her. “Yes even Manehatten. In fact I remember a lot of fun things I did in that city.”

“Like spying on my dad?” Scootaloo hadn’t meant to say it quite like that. But now that it was out there it was time for her to get the answers she came for.

The hoof Cheerilee had on her desk retracted as if she had just been bitten by a snake. “I’m sorry Scootaloo, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A nervous smile stretched across her features. ‘Oh dear sweet Celestia please don’t ask about that day. I’ll pass every filly and colt in my class just please don’t have her ask about that one day.’

Scootaloo squinted at her teacher and placed both front hooves on the desk. “I think you do. You knew my mom and dad before I was born. Something happened between them and you know what it was.” Scootaloo huffed in frustration, but she wouldn’t back down.

All the thoughts about tomorrow’s lesson plan were forgotten. She stared at the Pegasus filly for a good moment, baffled at how she had known and what she may know. The questions only mounted in Cheerilee’s mind before she sighed. “What do you want to know Scootaloo?” She hadn’t meant to sound so defeated but she needed to know how the Pegasus found out.

Scootaloo sighed in relief, the answers to all her questions was finally willing to be revealed. “I first want to know how long you have known my father?”

“Over twenty years. He was young and playful and got along well with other colts and fillies, and got them riled up for the entertainment that was for the celebration of Ponyville being recognized as a town.” Cheerilee had been one of foals that was eager to see the show and had begged Raindancer to join her.

Scootaloo gave a curt nod to the older pony. “You knew my mom for much long right.”

Cheerilee was happy to move away from the topic of Blaze but knew it would come back. “I was your mother’s best friend, and by extension your father as well.” She was less than pleased to speak those last words.

Scootaloo nodded as if this was the right answer. “Ok next question. Are you still friends with my father?

Cheerilee flinched at this. “No Scootaloo, I’m not.” She almost spat “Your father has been a stallion of his word, if he made a promise to a pony he kept it. But he broke a promise one day, and I won’t forget it.”

“In Manehatten before I was born right.” Scootaloo blurted out. “What promise did he break?” In a round-about way this was the question she had been longing for.

Cheerilee placed one hoof over her eyes and sighed. ‘I really shouldn’t be telling her this.’ “He made a promise to your mother that he would be faithful to her. The one night in Manehatten I found him walking into a sleazy hotel with his captain. The smell of alcohol was thick around the two of them and I knew what he was doing. I didn’t waste any time, I rode the first train back to Ponyville and told your mother. He came back to Ponyville a week later only to be confronted by your mother.”

“Wait.” Scootaloo held her hoof up to halt the story. “What about the tabloid from the New Mare Times? It said the same thing but was retracted because it was falsified.” She had never before wanted her teacher to be wrong, but today was all about the truth.

Cheerilee felt the puzzle finally coming together. “Scootaloo, that article was retracted because your father and his captain threatened to press charges for slander. They have had bad press on them since the day their group was formed. If well-known members of a group were fooling around when one of them was married, the scandal could have ruined them to the point that no city or town would want to hire them.” Cheerilee paused for a brief moment to gauge how the young pegasus was taking all of this.

Scootaloo lowered her hoof as the words of her teacher passed through her mind. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of her father going so far to cover up a mistake he had made. She raised herself up and headed for the door.

“Scootaloo, where are you going?” Cheerilee called out the young filly. The face of the young pegasus was blank and emotionless. The mauve teacher hadn’t seen her ware this mask since before she became friends with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.

As for Scootaloo, she took one look at her teacher as if her eyes would convey just how obvious the answer to the question was. She was going home.

^^^

Blazewing was moving around the kitchen stove stirring pots of various boiling liquids. One was filled with tortellini that danced in the heated water, gracefully rising and falling amidst the chaos of bubbles. The second was filled with a rich red concoction to which Blaze was dumping a healthy amount of herbs and spices into. The last pot was covered but the steam spread the aroma of mixed vegetables though the home. A short ding passed through the kitchen and Blaze took a step back and opened the oven. The scent of fresh bread, garlic and cheese mixed with the other aromas of the room as he placed the bread off to the side and turned his attention back to the pots.

Had he been paying attention, Blaze would have looked behind him to find an orange pegasus filly staring at him like he was just another stallion in the background; a stranger who claimed to be her father. Scootaloo stood there in the doorway eyeing the stallion she had once thought of as a good pony, a pony that cared about her. She took a step and hit a creaky floorboard deliberately calling his attention to herself.

Blaze twisted his head and a smiled at the little filly. In his own mind he was praying to Celestia that everything went well. “Scootaloo welcome home kiddo, dinner is almost ready.” He spoke a bit too cheerfully, ignorant to the storm that started to brew.

Scootaloo didn’t make a sound as she crossed the room and sat at the table waiting for the right moment. All she thought about as she was heading home was the image of Blaze and Sunbright trotting into a rundown motel to do what adult did behind closed doors. She watched him like a griffon does a mouse as he drained the pasta and portioned it for the two of them.

Blaze felt oddly empowered at the fact that he would come clean with what happened all those years ago. He would finally be telling the whole truth, not just what he wanted in order to save face. “I hope you like veggie tortellini, parmesan garlic bread and steamed greens.” He wondered if he was being a bit too enthusiastic as he presented the meal.

Scootaloo sat and poked at her food, taking a bite here and there as she didn’t feel hungry in the slightest. Blaze was eating merrily across from her as if the past had never happened and this was just a normal day.

Halfway through Blaze set his fork down and cleared his throat to grab the attention of his little filly. When she didn’t look up he proceeded anyway. “Scootaloo there is something I want to tell you.” No reaction from her so he pressed on. “I-”

“Cheated on mom.” Scootaloo had cut him off.

Blaze felt like he had been bucked in the gut by Big Mac. He sat in shock as his daughter locked her eyes with his. The burning hatred that danced within her had stopped him cold. They were the same eyes that Raindancer gave him that day. “Wa-what-”

Scootaloo glared at her father, finally seeing him for what he truly was. “A week before you came back from Manehatten nine years ago, you slept with another pony. I know all about it.”

Blaze flapped his jaw a few times as his mind overloaded and derailed as the poisonous words from his daughter left him scrambling for words. “But I-”

“Couldn’t help it! Is that what you told mom!” Scootaloo screeched “You thought that you could have some fun and head home like nothing ever happened.”

In his mind Blaze scrambled to think of how to calm her down and find a way to explain “No I-”

“Only like Pretty mares, mares that aren’t covered in scars and can fly!” She spat back some old words that had made her cry the first time she was bullied.

Blaze felt his anger rise at the accusation of his daughter. “Your-”

“What? I’m what; wrong, just a little filly who doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You went and had fun with your captain while mom was here and you thought she would never find out!”

If there had been a spike poised over Blaze’s heart, those words were the hammer driving it in. Only now the pain was compounded by the fact that she had learned before he could properly tell her the truth. Those eyes full of hurt bore further into him than he was prepared for. “Scootaloo please I can ex-”

“You never wanted me; that’s why you left, isn’t it!?” Scootaloo screamed as loud as she could. “Mom told you she was going to have me and you left! I hate YOU!” With that last shout Scootaloo jumped from her chair and ran out the door.

Blaze was in shock but still ran after her, had he not tripped over his own chair. “Scootaloo wait!” He cried as he removed the offending chair and dashed out the door. Blaze was met with the receding dust of his daughter’s scooter. Wasting no time he galloped at full speed after her. ‘I could have avoided this whole mess if I had just told her sooner!’ Despite his larger stature and ever constant training, Blaze had soon lost sight of Scootaloo in the maze of streets that Ponyville had become to him.

“Oh dear me what is all this ruckus about?” A calm eloquent voice rang out from a door way. A snow white unicorn with a curled purple mane was trotting out to the street to inspect the commotion. “Oh my Blazewing is that you?” Rarity inquired to the featherless Pegasus.

Blaze let his head fall in defeat; the dust trail that marked Scootaloo’s location was gone. He was now outside Carousel
Boutique and the proprietor of it, who he had met only a few days ago, now stood with him in the diminishing light of the setting sun. “Oh hello Ms. Rarity, I’m sorry about the disturbance.”

The seamstress was befuddled at the state that Ponyville’s most recent addition had come to be. She had learned from Sweetie Belle that Blaze had an accident and was grounded for some time. But to see it up close she felt conflicted on allowing him to wear such bland white bandages. “Oh it’s no trouble but what ever seems to be the matter darling?”

Blaze glanced at the unicorn before lowering his head in shame. “Scootaloo got angry over something I did and ran off.” As much as he wished to spill the whole truth, Blaze felt that would just make everything worse.

Rarity nodded her head as if she understood. “I know how it is; sometimes Sweetie Belle and I are so at odds with each other that we end up shouting and saying some rather nasty things. But after some time when we both have cooled off we come to realize how foolish we were being and forgive each other. I’m sure Scootaloo will come back when she’s ready. It will all turn out fine.” She smiled at Blaze as he took her words.

‘As much as I wish I could believe that, I don’t think she’ll ever want to see me again.’ Blaze lifted his head and turned to the unicorn. “Thank you, but I need head back home and wait for her.” Blaze bowed to her and trotted off back home but not for the reason he stated.

Unknown to the two adults a pair of young ears had caught the conversation and took off to the far side of town where the aroma of apples filled the air.

Comments

[Shadow_Wolf]

And the plot just keeps getting thicker...keep up the good work!

[The desert brony]

2660735 Thank you very much. This will all come together soon

[Shadow_Wolf]

2661800
Can't wait