The Sons of Barricade. Part 1. Cooper

by Askre

Chapter 2. Parental confessions.

Chapter 2

“Seriously, if the boy had a horn and dark gray coat, he would be a near spitting image of me,” Barricade sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. “And he has his mother’s emerald eyes.”

Barricade lay on a bench in an office, nearby sat a blue pegasus with a candy cane colored mane. The mare smiled at him sympathetically, then she lifted a clipboard closer and jotted down on the paper fastened to it.

“You’ve always stayed away from Junebug and Cooper I understand, this was the first time you ever saw him?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah, first because I just wasn’t that interested and later… because man… I treated June bad, she was still practically a filly, still in trade school. Then she fell in with the group I was in, working for Caballeron, I did my usual charms on her…” Barricade sighed even deeper. “I didn’t really care at all; she was just convenience to… ugh I don’t want to even say it. And this was just a year or so after what I did to Fuzzy Cloud.”

“You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to, you at least understand what you did to her,” the pegasus said gently.

“You don’t mind me barging in here, Dew Doe, wanting to talk?” Barricade looked at her. “I mean it’s the weekend and all.”

“I told you already, Barricade. Foxy and I are now helping you and whenever you need to talk, our doors are open. So, no I don’t mind,” the pegasus smiled, then she gestured him to go on.

“I just had to come… I mean I knew about Cooper, I didn’t even ask questions, just started to pay support. Then seeing him there, living a happy life, he’s a rising star in his soccer team. Junebug gave him a pretty good life. One part of me is sorry I missed it, the other part keeps telling me if I had been involved, I might just have ruined it, like I nearly did with Dinky and Coal,” Barricade shook his head.

“Oh Celestia, I hope Junebug didn’t see me in Ponyville.” The stallion suddenly cringed as he realized the mother would naturally be around there as well.

“Would that be so bad?” Dew Doe asked carefully. Barricade looked at her sadly.

“Look, the way I treated Foxy and Derpy… seriously, I treated them like queens compared to Fuzzy and Junebug… or…” The stallion grimaced, his voice lowered. “Sunny Daze.”

“Sunny, that’s Chisel’s mother, right?” Dew asked and received a nod in confirmation as a response. “You’ve never met either of your sons.”

“Nope. Probably wouldn’t have met Cara if Fuzzy hadn’t dumped her in an orphanage that later delivered her to mom and dad. Yeah, I just stay away from Sunny and June. Chisel and Cooper do not need to meet the pony that hurt their mothers,” Barricade muttered then groaned as he realized that technically, Cooper already had.

“It is good that you now recognize the damage you did and the potential damage if you were to force them to allow you to meet your sons. It shows how far you have come, Barricade, I’m impressed,” Dew said with a smile.

“Yeah, getting knocked around by King Sombra certainly helped,” Barricade grunted and winched a little as some unpleasant memories surfaced. “I’m still getting nightmares. I’ve never felt so helpless before, even when you guys stopped me from doing stupid stuff.”

“King Sombra was very good at that, making his victims feel helpless. You’ve always had an aversion from being controlled, haven’t you?” the pegasus asked, again Barricade nodded.

“It was bad enough in that military school I was sent to, I hated taking orders and being punished if I didn’t obey them instantly. I just felt like I wasn’t allowed to be myself. It makes me sick seeing royal guards and think I was almost brainwashed into that blind obedience,” the stallion grunted then closed his eyes. “Yes, yes, I know it isn’t really like that, it just…”

“Feels like that to you,” Dew Doe finished. She had heard this before from Barricade during previous sessions. This had finally solved a long-standing mystery in his family, why Barricade was so uncomfortable with the royal guards. He associated them so strongly with being controlled it had managed to work into a fear.

“Then that smoky jackass comes along and what does he do? Makes me into a blindly obedient sentry,” Barricade shuddered.

“Your worst fear,” Dew said, her smile turning more sympathetic. The unicorn looked at her, glanced towards the floor then nodded. This was old talk, but she had a long-standing rule of just letting her patients talk, just let it all out and Barricade tended to ramble when he was uncomfortable. What was important was that he was being open and honest. She could already see why Barricade had switched to this subject instead of, the mares he had hurt and all the children that he had.

“You want to see Cooper again, don’t you?” she asked, Barricade started to look really uncomfortable.

“Yes, when Rainbow Dash started bragging about him, how he got his cutie-mark, the game…” Barricade sniffed, stubbornly held back a tear. “I was so proud of him. My son is accomplishing something he clearly loves. And I don’t dare take part in it, because his mother obviously does not want me in his life.”

“Well you do have certain legal rights…” Dew Doe started but wasn’t surprised at the glare she immediately got from her patient.

“I’m not forcing Junebug into anything. I messed up; I made this bed. I’m sleeping in it,” Barricade grunted, arching his brow when Dew was still smiling.

“I was going to say that, those rights aside, we could still work something out if Junebug was willing. She would not have to meet you, but you could still see Cooper,” she continued, Barricade still glared not very sold on this idea. “However, we won’t do anything, without your consent.”

“We?” Barricade scowled.

“When we first learned that you were Dinky’s father and knowing already about Cara, we looked further into your history and learned about Cooper and Chisel. Your parents and Private have been keeping subtle tabs on them, without interfering with their lives,” Dew Doe explained. “It was mostly done at first if you tried anything like what you did with Derpy, so we could intercede more quickly. Then when you started to change, we’ve more been waiting to see if you were ready.”

“Well, I still think I best stay out of the way, Cooper is happy, I hope Chisel is happy?” Barricade hesitated, since he really didn’t know that much about this younger son.

“I have it on good authority that he’s not living a bad life,” Dew Doe chuckled.

“Good enough for me,” Barricade claimed firmly.

“Perhaps you should stay out of the way, but you have been apologizing to a lot of ponies you have hurt in the past. You don’t always have to apologize in person,” the pegasus smiled now knowingly. Barricade slowly raised one eyebrow.

---

Cooper sipped on his smoothie, deep in thought. Yesterday he had noticed his mother was acting a bit odd, like she was worried about something but trying to hide it. He couldn’t recall seeing her like this before, at least not in a long time.

There had been times when he was younger, when ponies asked who his father was that Junebug would get a strange look and just say she left him before Cooper was born. The boy had never really worried that much about who his father was, he was happy enough with his mom.

That hadn’t stopped Cooper to wonder sometimes, but he never really dared asking, not when remembering the strange look his mother got when other ponies asked. Nobody in Ponyville seemed to know, then again, how could they? They had moved here when he was four.

The colt was roused from his thoughts when seeing Dinky, Coal and Tootsie sitting down at a close by table in front of the diner. He remembered hearing that the violet filly had some trouble with her dad in the past, but everything seemed fine now. He had even arrived yesterday to deliver Coal. Cooper couldn’t help but feel the fillies were very lucky to know their dad.

“Well I think it is a good idea,” Dinky declared with a huff.

“You always think your ideas are good,” Tootsie grumbled, she stole a glance to Cooper’s table.

“I think we need an impartial judge.” Coal nodded smartly. “Someone not biased by a familial connection.”

“Hey Cooper!” Dinky turned in her seat to address the colt. Tootsie’s eyes bulged out in shock.

“Yes?” the colt looked at them, having stopped paying attention to the fillies shortly after they sat down.

“We need an impartial judge about an idea I have to surprise Sparkler, her birthday is coming up,” the violet filly explained to him, Tootsie was sinking in her chair.

“Sparkler doesn’t like surprises,” the opal filly peeped, avoiding eye contact with the colt.

“And the last birthday we held kind of ended with Ponyville cursed. Not directly our fault but we don’t want to take any chances,” Coal remarked with a grin.

“Uh okay, what’s your idea?” Cooper shrugged, he might as well play along, keep his mind off things for now. He rose up when Dinky waved him over to their table and he moved to sit with them.

Dinky didn’t quite get a chance to tell her idea just yet, a waiter arrived and Coal ordered three juices for her and her sisters, paying with money Barricade had given her. When the waiter was gone, the attention turned back to Cooper.

“Sparkler loves to organize, so I was thinking we should ask Fluttershy if she can ask Discord since they are friends, to rearrange her room so she can organize it all over again,” Dinky said with an eager grin.

“We’ve already pointed out the many flaws in that plan,” Coal said with a sigh, Tootsie was silent.

“But it’s the perfect gift, we don’t have to buy her something new and hope she likes it. She gets to do what she loves,” Dinky protested, flailing her hooves as she did.

“Um,” Cooper blinked. Like many in Ponyville, he was aware how mischievous the unicorn sisters could be, but this sounded a bit too much, even too him.

“I think that would just make Sparkler mad,” he finally said. Dinky folded her legs and harrumphed. Tootsie grinned and Coal just shrugged.

“Yeah that’s what we figured, though I was on the fence at the off chance it might be funny. But yeah, I think it will just make Sparkler mad,” the black filly said and gave her grumbling sister a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Cooper said and took a sip from his smoothie.

“Oh, no you were very helpful,” Tootsie said smiling warmly at the colt. The juices arrived and the three fillies started sipping their drinks.

“So uh, your dad, Barricade, he looked pretty cool,” the colt mentioned, figuring since he was now sitting at their table he might as well ask about the unicorn stallion from yesterday.

“Yeah he’s pretty good, especially when he stopped being a jerk.” Dinky nodded, Coal agreed.

“He didn’t used to be like this, visiting like that unannounced or well do anything with us. But he changed, we gave him another chance and he’s stuck by it,” Coal added in.

“He’s not my dad, but he still gives me presents if he gives Dinky presents,” Tootsie mentioned, her sisters smiled.

“He doesn’t want you to feel left out,” Dinky told her.

“So, wait. He was with your mom and your mom?” Cooper furrowed his brow as he realized that the fillies had different mothers. The girls nodded in confirmation.

“He was with my mom first, but he was a super jerk with her so Uncle Private chased him out. Well okay, he was not with my mom actually first, there was Cara’s mom, but dad doesn't like talking about her,” Coal explained as she thought this over.

“Then he came to Ponyville and lived with my mom, but he left before I was born. He was pretty mean to mom as well,” Dinky sighed and shook her head, then resumed her smile. “But he’s apologized and he’s a much nicer dad now.”

Cooper frowned a little in thought, Barricade certainly had gone around. He was about to comment on that, but fell silent when thinking the unicorn in question was approaching their table. But this one didn’t look right, he had blue eyes, his mane was longer and bit messier and there was a book on his flank. He also didn’t seem as fit as Barricade.

“Uncle Private!” Dinky waved enthusiastically to the arriving stallion. Coal jumped from her seat and rushed over to hug her uncle, who never changed his neutral looking expression. Tootsie waved as well.

“Derpy told me you girls would be here,” Private said, his voice dry and quiet, but there was a small crack of a smile on his muzzle.

“Just brainstorming ideas for Sparkler’s birthday next week,” Coal explained and returned to her seat. Her uncle just nodded, then he looked at Cooper. The colt could have sworn there was recognition in his eyes.

“This is Cooper, Tootsie and I know him from school,” Dinky introduced the young earth pony.

“Hey, nice to meet you,” Cooper greeted the stallion.

“Hey,” Private greeted him, the fillies glanced at each other unsure.

“Wait, did Uncle Private just greet somepony he’s meeting for the first time audibly?” Dinky whispered to Coal. The fillies were far more used to their quiet uncle just nodding or grunting a greeting to strangers.

“Well, I gotta go, uh nice meeting you, Private,” Cooper said, his smoothie cup empty by now.

The colt jumped off his seat and tossed the cup in a nearby trash bin, the fillies said goodbye and even Private did, causing the girls again to look at him oddly. Cooper then trotted off, figuring he should go and find some of his friends and hang out before heading home.

---

Applejack opened the front door of her home and was mildly concerned to see the yellow mare standing on the front porch, tears streaming down her cheeks. Without another word, Junebug stepped forward and grabbed the orange mare in a hug.

“S-sorry, didn’t know where else to go,” Junebug cried softly.

“Hey, hey it’s alright Sugarcube, come on in,” Applejack gently assured the mare, patting her back. The farmer then gently led her inside and took her to a nearby couch.

Applejack kept a leg around the upset pony, allowing her to cry. Patiently waiting for Junebug to calm down to tell her what was wrong. The noise did catch some attention, Granny Smith came out from the kitchen.

“Here now, what’s all this hubbub about?” the elder asked, frowning in concern when seeing Junebug.

“Ah don’t know yet, Granny, Junebug was just arrivin’,” Applejack explained to her grandmother.

“I’ll go make some ginseng tea, that should help the youngin calm down, was just puttin’ the kettle on anyhow,” Granny offered and slowly returned to the kitchen.

Applejack returned her attention to Junebug who kept crying. The orange pony wondered if something had happened related to Barricade, recalling how scared the upset mare had been when seeing him. Eventually Junebug did start to calm down, the sobs began to die down and finally she freed herself from the apple-farmer’s leg and sat upright.

“S-Sorry… it’s just…” Junebug sniffed and wiped her wet cheek.

“It’s alright, Sugarcube, Ah told you to come to me if you needed any help,” Applejack told her.

Granny Smith arrived back from the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea. The old pony offered it to Junebug who accepted with a quiet thanks and carefully sipped her drink. The yellow pony felt a little embarrassed having come here to cry her eyes out.

“There now, that’s better. Now why don’t ya tell us what is bothering you?” Granny asked and got seated in her rocking chair.

“I was scared. I just realized that the foal support payments are coming directly from Manehattan, instead of being forwarded from Baltimare by my friend,” Junebug whispered, closing her eyes tight.

“Barricade knows where Cooper and I live.” Her voice got even lower.

Applejack blinked then grimaced slightly, realizing this was probably her fault. She of course had no idea that Junebug was getting her support payment through a different address.

“Barricade? Wasn’t that the young hoodlum who lived here some years ago and treated young Derpy Hooves like some third-grade sack of corns?” Granny Smith asked, scowling slightly.

“The same, but he’s been changin’, Granny,” Applejack told her, then she looked apologetically at Junebug. "Ah’m mighty sorry, Junebug, Barricade knowing where y'all live might be my fault.”

“W-what do you mean?” Junebug asked surprised.

“As Ah told you yesterday, when the Crusaders and I went to Manehattan several months ago, we met up with Barricade and saw how he was changin’ his ways. Before we left, Ah asked him how many foals he had, he mentioned Cooper and Ah was so surprised, Ah asked if it was your Cooper and he confirmed it,” the farmer explained and sighed deeply. “Guess he must’ve corrected the address he sent the payments when Ah confirmed y'all lived in Ponyville now.”

“Well… that explains it then,” Junebug hung her head. She didn’t even have energy to be mad at Applejack over this.

“He met Cooper yesterday,” she then whispered, sipping her tea. Applejack looked alarmed, but Granny just raised an eyebrow.

“At the park, where he was playing soccer with his friends. Rainbow Dash introduced him, is Rainbow really his friend?” Junebug asked, glancing at Applejack.

“Uh, sort of. They were both captured by King Sombra back when Ponyville was cursed by him. Starlight told us Rainbow and he helped the rescue team get the rest of the prisoners away,” Applejack explained. “Rainbow has referred to him as her ‘kickin’ King Sombra’s rump’ buddy.”

“Yeah, Rainbow sure likes hangin’ out with them rough and tough types, like that Gilda girl,” Granny retorted and rolled her eyes. Applejack tried not to chuckle; her grandmother was no doubt remembering that mean prank the griffon had played on her quite a while ago.

“Ah,” Junebug just nodded. She was feeling a bit better now and continued to drink the tea. “Barricade apparently didn’t say anything to Cooper about being his father. I just can’t help wondering if he showed up to try and meet him.”

“Maybe, but Ah don’t think it was. Dinky does live here and he’s trying to be a better father to the girl, he probably just decided to drop by to surprise her. Ponyville is a small town, he was bound to run into Cooper at some point,” Applejack told her.

“I suppose,” Junebug sighed. “But now what… I’ve never sent Barricade pictures of Cooper. Told him nothing about him. Just accepted the support payments. Now Barricade knows how he looks like. What if he wants to see him?”

“If this was the old Barricade, Ah’m not sure. The new one? Ah don’t think he will, not without your approval,” the apple-farmer said confidently.

“Well, what does little Cooper want?” Granny asked, prompting Junebug to look at her startled. That hadn’t even occurred to her to consider.

“It be none of my business, tellin’ y'all what to do. But little Cooper, he ain’t going to be little for very long, growing like he is. If he ain’t askin’ already, he will one day, wonderin’ about his kin,” the old mare said, smiling warmly at the younger one.

“Granny has a point, what does Cooper want?” Applejack wondered.

Junebug cringed as it dawned on her. She had been so focused on just giving her son the best possible life, she hadn’t even entertained the thought that he might want to know who his father was. Cooper had never asked, but what if he was afraid to ask?

“I… I don’t know,” she swallowed nervously.

End chapter 2

Author's Note:

I have written the Apple siblings plenty of time, but I think this is the first time I write Granny Smith.