The Last Cleanup

by Harrison Sparrow

5. The Truth of Greenhoof

After a heartwarming talk with Carter, Sunny decided to play a game of frisbee with Lily in the garden.

"Okay, Heartshoe! It's earth pony versus unicorn in a best-of-three!"

"I bet you can't handle the heat, Starscout!"

"Oh no, I'm FEELING it! GO LARGE!!!" She threw the frisbee to Lily, who jumps and catches it with ease. "Nice catch!"

"Too easy. Now, let's see you try catching... THIS!!" She threw the frisbee very hard with her magic.

"Whoa-whoa, hey, that's too high!!" Sunny yelled.

The frisbee flew into the woods, and just then, it landed on someone. "OW!"

"Huh? Who is that?" Lily asked.

It was revealed to be Phyllis, who was still looking for Sprout. She came out from the bushes in a doozy, and frustratingly brought out the frisbee. "For Celestia's sake, will you please watch where you throw this silly frisbee of yours!?" She threw the frisbee back to Lily.

Sunny was surprised. "Phyllis?!" She said in shock.

"*gasps* Sunny!"

"Wait, you know her?" Lily said. "Well, this day's got a lot more interesting."

Sunny ran up to Phyllis. "What are you doing here!?"

"Oh, it's terrible! So, so terrible!"

"What's going on?"

"It's Sprout! He's missing!"

"What?! Do you know where he went?"

"No! We looked everywhere around Maretime Bay, and all we found was his jacket! Nopony has seen him since he destroyed your house."

"So you're still trying to find him?"

"OF COURSE I AM! What else do you think I'm doing!?"

"Wow, this is some kind of plot I'm hearing." Lily said.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" Phyllis asked her.

"This is Lily Heartshoe, my new friend." Sunny said.

"I made her sleepover with me last night." Lily smiled.

"And don't worry, Phyllis. We'll go and find Sprout together."

"But it could take forever. I've only searched about nearly a tenth of the map!" Sunny and Lily stared at her. She thought about giving up. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, since I'm not his birth mother anyway." She said softly, as she was turning away.

Sunny raised her eyebrows on what Phyllis said. "Wait. What did you just say?" She asked her.

Phyllis stopped, and turned her head shyly. "It doesn't matter?"

"No, what you just said after that."

Phyllis was silent, but she breathed deeply and spilled the words... "I'm not his birth mother."

Sunny was shocked, and she got mad. "Are you serious?!" Phyllis felt ashamed. "So, you knew all that time, and you never told me, Dad or Hitch?!! *scoffs* I can't believe you kept this from me!"

"I know I should've told you years ago, but I never wanted to hurt his feelings! I was just trying to be a good mom. But then, I realized I wasn't good enough. Sunny, what he did, with all that 'Canterlogic junk', I am so sorry. I tried to stop him."

Sunny understood what she said. "I don't blame you, Phyllis." She said warmly, but then, she thought of something. "Unless... it was his fear."

"What are you saying?"

"His fear! It must've taken control of his mind that made him attempt to attack the unicorns and pegasi with his machine."

"Sunny, that's crazy! He just lost his mind, it can't have been his fear!"

"Well, I'm sure of it. He may not have been the Sprout I knew from my childhood... but he is my friend. We can't give up on him, Phyllis. We should forgive him and move on."

Phyllis looked up to her and smiled. "You're right. Everypony makes mistakes."

"So, do you think you can remember where you first found him years ago?"

Phyllis nodded. "I will do my best."

Sunny turned to Lily. "Lily, you go out every night, right?"

"You know that's what I do!"

"Then, how would you like to go on an adventure with us? And find Sprout?"

Lily couldn't believe it. "*gasps* You really mean it?! Oh, YES-YES-YES!!" She hugged Sunny and Phyllis tightly.

"Okay, this feels... kinda exciting." Phyllis said through her teeth.

"Right, if it's gonna be a really long adventure, which I really hope it is, then we'll need... lots of camping gear."

They went inside the house to get loads of camping gear. Once they were finished packing, they left the house and started journeying together to find Sprout.

---

A couple of days later, at night, Sunny, Lily and Phyllis were still searching for Sprout. But at one point, they came up to an old tower, and they found him sitting on top of it alone.

"*gasps* There he is! Oh, look at him... All alone..." Phyllis said in a soft, worrying voice.

"So that's Sprout? Up there?" Lily asked.

"It sure is." Sunny replied.

"I have to go and talk to him." Phyllis said, but Sunny stopped her with her hoof.

"No. Let me do it."

"Sunny, he's my son."

"And he's my friend." Sunny said, and she went into the tower whilst Phyllis and Lily waited outside it. She looked up and saw Sprout. "Sprout?"

Sprout turned to see her, but he turned away in a miserable mood. "What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing. Everypony's worried about you."

"It doesn't matter. Your friends have their magic back, end of story. Now, go away!" He got up and moved to the other side, out of Sunny's view.

Just then, Sunny looked at a few drawn marks on the wall. She then climbed up the ladder to the top, and Sprout was sat down facing away from her. "Phyllis told me she wasn't your birth mother. Is that true?"

Sprout raised his head a little, thinking that Sunny found out about his past. He sighs and drops his head again. "My real last name is Greenhoof."

Sunny raised her eyebrows after hearing this. "Greenhoof?"

"It was before she founded and adopted me."

"Then, what do those marks on the wall mean?"

"My dad left me here when I was a filly, so I started counting them after he went."

"So, you were here alone for that many days?"

Sprout was getting emotional. "He said I was strong and brave enough to be on my own. *sniffles* I just stopped after a while because I... I wondered if he changed his mind... and that he would come back. But I get it. He's better off without me. You are, too."

"Sprout, that's not true."

"Yes, it is! You know what's right and wrong, so you're the good pony..." Tears came out from his eyes, and he began weeping. "And I'm just the dumb pony that ruins everything... I just wanted to be a good sheriff, but all I do is make things worse..."

Sunny tried to cheer him up. "But, being a great deputy at Maretime Bay, and being Hitch's partner? That's something you should be proud of, right? And, playing with my toys-"

"JUST STOP, OKAY?!" Sprout shouted, and Sunny felt a little shocked. "Look, none of this would've happened if you and I were never friends!"

Sunny got even more sad. "No... No, please don't say that."

"Get outta here, Sunny! Go back to Maretime Bay." He breaks down again.

Sunny felt so bad, she wanted to leave. So she turned around and started walking away, but she stopped, as she didn't want to abandon Sprout in the same way she abandoned her friends. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Why wouldn't you...?"

"You're right, Sprout. We could've avoided this... but it was your fear that controlled you and made it happen."

"How do you know that?"

"When Izzy came to town, she never wanted to scare you. She had no magic back then. I knew that when she showed me. Look, I know you didn't mean any of this... and I forgive you."

Sprout turned to face her. "You... you do?" Sunny nodded with a smile. "Okay, I-I didn't expect you to forgive me, but... but I swear, I will build your house back up. I know it's-"

"Sprout! The lighthouse doesn't matter. Caring about my friends and everyone else is what matters. And, even though you broke some of my father's possessions and could've hurt me or my friends... I didn't want you to leave."

"So, you really don't care about that anymore?"

"I also don't want to hold any grudges. And like I said, I choose friendship, the same way the guardians did. I think you should, too."

Sprout started to cheer up and began smiling. "I... I can't believe you're giving me a second chance."

Sunny smiled back. "And I am so happy to have my old friend back."

After a few seconds, Sunny and Sprout embraced each other. Just then, Phyllis and Lily climbed up to see them.

Sprout opened his eyes and was surprised to see his adoptive mother again. "Mom? You came, too?"

Phyllis took a look around, and she wasn't happy. "*sighs* I never wanted to come back to this place again. You scared me, sugarcube..."

"Can I ask...? Why did you decide to adopt me?"

Phyllis was about to cry. "Because... you were a lonely little boy. I wanted to take care of you and be a good parent. A better parent than your dad ever was."

Sprout felt proud of what Phyllis did. "I understand now. I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Phyllis began tearing up. "I know... *sniffles* But you don't belong here, Sprout... Please come home..." Her voice choked.

Sprout teared up as well, and after chuckling softly, he and his mom hugged in reconciliation.

Lily started sobbing whilst she was watching them. "Oh, this is so emotional..." She said.

"Lily..." Sunny said, as she comforted her.

"I'm sorry, it's just... it's just too much for me to handle."