A Cog in the Machine

by Zoom zoom

Memories

It was another long night for you and your dad. He had gotten you to help with selling off some of his “items” and you were catching on. You couldn’t believe how stupid you were. Your own father was using you to steal and lie to ponies. And to make things worse he was lying to your mother about it too. There was something your mother called such ponies, scum. She had told you how such things are below ponies of her family line.

“Hey,” came the deep voice of your father, “Something wrong?”

“We,” you started, but soon you closed your mouth back up. Why should you bother? This stallion was just going to spin you some yarn about why. But in the end, a crime is a crime. That’s what your mother said. It’s what she lived by being an officer of the law before she had you.

For now you just had to swallow it. If you confronted him now you’d only get him to run. It was best to tell your mother and have him arrested. He could rot there in jail.

Then again you were also a criminal now weren’t you? Even if you didn’t know what you were doing. It would mean you would go to jail too. Just as well, with both of you out your mother wouldn’t have to bother worrying about your dead weight; and when your time was spent, by the law a few months to a year because of your ignorance till this point.

You were so lost in these thoughts you found yourself running into your father’s hind legs. You took a deep breath as you looked up at him. That warm smile, the kind eyes, they must be just as much lies as everything else, a false persona to show you to get your agreement.

“Look I’m sorry I had to keep you so long with helping sell stuff today. It is late, but how about tomorrow I make it up to you. We’ll get a nice pizza at and Karma’s, and with this much of a haul we could get you a little something from the toy store.”

You tried to return the smile, but you were not as good at lying as this stallion.

Your father frowned, but scooped you up in his hooves and bounced you onto his back. “Now come on. I know mom’s been sick and I don’t make as much since I had to start scavenging, but you know it will pass. One day I’ll get a new job, then I can repay all the debts we have.”

“I thought you just said we could afford a toy for me?” you countered. “I don’t even want one anyway. Save it for mom or something.” That was it, just keep things civil.

“Well that is too bad,” he said in a sing-song tone. “Because…” He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a figure: a cruddy looking Timber Wolf toy. It looked horrid compared to some of the toys in the store, but very sturdy even if it was made up of some string to keep the parts there. “I had the string enchanted. A carriage could hit that thing and it would be stay in one piece. I didn’t have enough to make a full on puppet, but you are a unicorn so I figure you can use magic on it anyway.”

You were speechless. But after a long stare at it, a small thing that escaped your muzzle without any control from you as you felt your mouth grow score from smiling so wide. “Thank you.”

Your father chuckled as he trotted further; your moment of happiness taken from you as you were reminded as to who had just given this to you. He was a filthy thief, one that you could not bring yourself to cut off your connection with. You did love your father, but how could some small bobble make you forget for even a moment that you had to condemn him. It is for the best, you told yourself as you lay onto his strong back. Closing your eyes, you tried to focus on remembering this one last feeling while he would still like you.

---

“Get your hooves off my son,” your father growled as he put you on his back.

“It’s better this way,” your mother said coldly. Your body shivered in her arms as you spat out globs of water. “I will not have such scum pass on any further in the bloodline. Cog even agrees with me on this. I can’t have children anymore, all will be right.”

Your father swore and it shook you, “you are sick Merry. You need help. He had no idea what you were doing. So just pass him to me, I’ll get him to a hospital.”

You felt so tired. Most of what was happening was escaping you rapidly as it went on. All you could get were somepony saying “You will never change.”

---

Your breathing was heavy as your mother kissed your horn. You could hear the knife being raised, but you didn’t care. It was your fault. If you had not been out of line, Dilly Dally would not have thrown you down the stairs. And she would still be alive as well.

You really were just scum, a murder just like your mother. The sound of sirens and the knife dropping came to you in the back of your mind as you wept. When it became obvious your mother had fled, what was done was done. It was time to fix this before more damage was done.

---

The memories were flooding but you couldn’t lose focus now. Your heart was racing and your body was weak, but you knew what would happen if you allowed that to get the best of you. This mare, she would take Scootaloo just as she did… no, how could you have forgotten?

“Sweetie,” sang your mother with a smile. “Is something wrong?”

Out, you had to get out and tell somepony. You had to get away from her.

“Oh,” she said looking at your face. “And here after I had to keep that poor red-head, now you have another girl. Just like your father, he’d flirt with mares all the time before I corrected that behavior.”

“Um Cog,” said Scootaloo doing the closest thing she could to hugging you. “Is that r-really your mom?” She was shaking. Your mother’s malice hit all your other senses and was so transparent with one to call out to it was like you could smell it too.

Something snapped as you heard her tone. You had to get out of this. A familiar feeling overcame you as you allowed it access. You even focused to put even more into it. The energy released as you closed your eyes. When you opened them, you were back in the bakery kitchen. Scootaloo was still in your sight, she had landed further but had still gone with you.

While she seemed to be getting her bearings, the feeling of blackness took you again. It was easy to see where this was going to lead. So speeding it up was needed.

Your mother had Applebloom. This was the most clear part that was hidden. Blocked because you couldn’t handle the fact your mother was around, but luckily still alive. But for how long? That was the question. How long was Applebloom gone and how long could she have.

It is for that reason you needed to rest your body. It is for that reason your mind needed to shut down and think so fast that time itself slowed and an hour for you would become a few minutes out here. It was the reason I could see where it was going. And it is for that reason I’m summoning you to have a little chat.

Author's Note:

Welcome to the final arc of the main story.

Keep in mind I do still plan on doing the side stories if you guys are interested.

right now though I'm trying to get some Les Miserables out of my head, or use it to make a one shot. Whichever comes first.

Comments

[Kingyorri79]

Oh god, didn't see that coming.

[DigitalChaos]

This can only turn out well /sarcasm

[Kingyorri79]

2779905
You are right, I don't read the blogs. I don't like spoilers much. This came as a happy twist to the story. I can't wait till the next chapter.

[chicken in tree]

can't help but notice the description says three fillys but the pictures are only applebloom and scootaloo

[Zoom zoom]

2779925

Because I skipped the part that focused on sweetie and featherweight, I dropped them from the tegs.

[Silentpegasus]

Shits about to go down!

[CORRUPTED-DATA]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDD. THE BITCH CAME BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY OH THE BITCH CAME BACK I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GONNOR BUT THE BITCH CAME BACK SHE JUST COULDN'T STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!