• Published 18th Sep 2021
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Friendship is Failure #22: Pride and Punishment #2 (Family Unties) - DakariKingMykan



Twilight and friends try to help a separated family reconicle.

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Act 2: Mad Ramblings

ACT TWO

After the guards went back to work, Twilight and Applejack walked down the road still talking about what they had learned.

“Restrain against his family? Dumping all his friends?” pondered Applejack “That is really sounding messed up.”

Twilight agreed, “…But messed up or not, we’ve got to get to the bottom of this. Sticker doesn’t want his parents fighting all the time.

For that matter, I don’t either.”

She already had some inkling of why Scribbler would act so mean and commit such actions, but the only way she’d get it out of him would be to talk to him herself.

Applejack then remembered Sticker’s story of how Scribbler was like Father-of-the-Year to him, and Ruby pushed him out.

“Maybe I should talk with Ruby about this. No one understands family better that Ol’ Applejack.”

Twilight believed her, coming from a loving and caring family that always looked out for each other.

“Okay, you talk with Ruby. I’ll see if I can talk with Scribbler.”

Applejack agreed. “We’ll meet back at the castle tonight.”

Then they went off in their own directions.

Applejack waited at the patio restaurant until it began to get dark. It was almost 8pm by the time Ruby showed up because her work finished later than she thought, and she looked famished.

“Oh, so you’re here too?” she asked.

Applejack brushed off the cobwebs that formed on her while she waited and straightened herself out. “I still want to talk to you on behalf of Princess Twilight.”

Ruby sighed. “Fine… but not too long. I have to prepare for a conference tomorrow morning, and I have to make sure Sticker has been fed and put to bed.”

Already Applejack could see this would be a rough one. She figured she’d probably have to get a little bit tough if she had to.


As for Scribbler, he got off work at eight exactly, and headed home.

He lived in a quaint little cottage a few blocks down from the market… which had a “For Sale” sign out in the front of the yard.

Little did he know that Twilight had been secretly hiding nearby and had been spying on him all day, and she had followed him to his home.

She waited until he went inside, and then she waited a few more minutes to make herself look less conspicuous.

“Okay, here goes.” she whispered to herself.

She took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Ugh!!” Scribbler growled, but he answered the door anyway. “You again?!” he thundered, and he was about to slam the door shut in her face, when Twilight used her magic to freeze the door in place.

“Please, forgive me for this, but I really need to speak with you.”

Scribbler lost his patience and called out, “GUARDS…!! GUARDS…!!”

Twilight cringed nervously, but she quickly teleported herself and Scribbler away, just as the guards came by.

“There’s no one here.” said one of them

“But I heard some-pony call us.” said the other.

All they could find was Scribbler’s open door, and they shut it, figuring that’s what someone called for.

“…That’s careless to leave it wide-open like that.”

“Very careless…”


Twilight had teleported herself and Scribbler up high onto a cloud, and she kept him afloat within her magic aura.

“Oh, brilliant!” grumbled Scribbler.

Twilight sighed in relief. “Look, I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I’m not letting you go until we talk things over.”

“Did my ex-wife put you up to this?” asked Scribbler, “Because if she did, I am going to sue the both of you for this harassment, and I hope they throw the book at you!”


Twilight kept her cool, and spoke gently to him, and she told him that Sticker had come to her.

“He misses you very much, and yet you’re pushing him and your ex-wife away.”

“Yes… I am.” Scribbler insisted. “That’s why I’m moving away from Equestria, as far as I can go so they, and ponies like you will never find me, and I can finally get some peace and quiet!”

“But why?!” cried Twilight “How could you do this, to yourself, and to your son?”


Knowing he would never get out of this unless he explained, and seeing as he had nothing more to lose by doing it anyway, he spilled all the beans.

At the very same time, Ruby told Applejack her own version…



Just as Sticker had told them, Scribbler was often shunned, mocked, and ridiculed for his writing, and no major industry would buy any of his scripts out of distaste, but Scribbler wouldn’t quit.

It was revealed then that he didn’t wish to ever have an actual job because he never liked working in a sense like that.

He wanted to make money off his scripts and that was it, which did seem rather risky and self centered, but then again he did enjoy being a family pony and he didn’t mind cooking, cleaning, and taking care of his loved ones.

He especially loved spending time with his Sticker, and he felt it was a good arrangement too.

Ruby made more than enough to support the family, so with her making the income, and he himself being a house-husband and father, what was there really to complain about.

He was starting to never mind if he ever sold a script, because with the love and joy he shared with his family, he didn’t think he could want anything more.

It’s not like he was really being lazy and good-for-nothing. He was happy, the kid was happy, but it wasn’t good enough for Ruby.

While Scribbler was able to take the mocking and ridicule, Ruby wouldn’t. As a professional and work-a-holic business pony, she wanted to keep her image nice and clean, and that was when she started pressuring Scribbler to get a job.

Despite his protests that he didn’t have to, and it would mean no one would be there to care for Sticker, and it would cost more money to hire sitters, and it meant he’d be away from both his folks, Ruby wouldn’t hear of it.

Scribbler still refused to get a job, and the arguments began to pile up to the point where Ruby filed for divorce.

Everything was history up to the point where Scribbler was ordered by the judge to get a job and his own home within three months.

So he started working in the market, and he also gave up on script writing due to the endless amounts of grief he had gotten.

Scribbler succeeded, and became a well-to-do pony with a job and a stable home, and when he was called to court again to hear the judge would award him joint custody of his child…

…He refused to sign the document to make the order official, and stomped off in a huff.

When the judge and Ruby called to him demanding an explanation, Scribbler revealed.

“Look what you’ve done to me!

Everything was just fine. There was no reason to divorce, force me into a job that I don’t like and don’t want.”

Ruby, the judge, the entire court were flabbergasted by his outrage and attitude.

“Mr. Scribbler.” sneered the judge. “I have granted you the ability to see your child.”

“I don’t care, your honor.”

The judge was livid.

Ruby marched straight up to him. “How can you say that…?! How can you even think of abandoning our child?”

To which Scribbler sighed and stated good and clear, “…What part of “I… Don’t… Care…” don’t you understand!”

Ruby nearly lost her temper.

“You got a job! You make an actual living now! You’re a well-to-do pony, and you contribute to society, which I’m sure is grateful for your services.”

“Which means nothing!” snapped Scribbler, shocking everyone so deeply.

“You ponies took away from me everything I loved, just to make me into a pony I never wanted to be.

-You ridiculed my attempts at writing.
-You put me down just because I didn’t sell or have a job.
-I took care of our family just as well as you provided for us, and this is how you repay me-- by divorcing me, taking my kid from me, just because I don’t meet your standards?

Well, you can just keep those standards, because I want nothing to do with you, the kid, or any pony, and from this day forth, any creature who tries to make nice with me, is going to get more than they bargained for.”

The judge looked cross. “I hope that you are not planning to do anything illegal, because if you do--”

“…Nothing of the sort.” said Scribbler “Just that things were taken from me, and my life ruined, and I want every creature to know how it feels to have your pride and joys taken from you.”

So he walked out, and the judge re-ordered full custody of Sticker to Ruby.

From that day forth, Scribbler made good on his promise.

He continued to pay alimony, until it no longer had to be, but he refused to have any contact with his ex-wife or their son.

He pushed away all his friends, wanting nothing to do with them either.

He stopped writing scripts, or engaging in any active social life; preferring to keep to himself in his home.

Any pony or creature who tried to be nice to him, or offer him friendship, he bluntly and coldly turned it down, and those who kept trying to “Help him” or make him change his mind about the way he was going… he ignored them completely.

Ruby would try and reason with him every chance she got, even bringing up Sticker and how he missed his father and wanted him in his life… to which Scribbler only became further infuriated to the point where he took out a one-hundred foot restraining order on her and the boy for constantly harassing him.

…Their punishment for his “ruined life.”


He would especially ignore others who called him out for ditching his son and his ex-wife, but Scribbler wouldn’t budge.

The only place where he acted as civil as he could was at work; helping customers and employees; earning himself the position of manager.

He still loathed and detested his job, and only kept it for the money to keep his home and support himself.

He was doing nothing illegal, just being a rather unpleasant being, and despite all this, he could not be committed into any psychiatric hospital seeing as he was able to take care of himself and posed no real threat to anyone.

“They’ll pay!” he said to himself “They’ll all pay! Every creature should feel my anger!”