45 - Aftermath Part 1
I stumbled back a few steps and sat heavily against the school wall. I beckoned Scootaloo to come to me. She hesitated for a moment, but finally galloped to me, putting her little forelegs around my neck. Her warmth became my world.
Once I get home, I’ll have a hot bath. I think I’ve earned it.
As I held her, I felt a lump growing in my throat. There was something I had to confess. “Thank you so much for saving me. A man couldn’t ask for a better daughter than you.”
She looked at me in confusion, “W-what do you mean?”
I stifled my tears and chuckled, “I mean, you reminded me that I’m not a monster, that what I was doing was wrong. If I hadn’t stopped, I would have… I wouldn’t be the same person. And for that, I want you to know that I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It’s not often a parent can be indebted to their child like this.” I placed my left hand on her unbruised cheek. “I’m sorry if this is… weird or too much or...” I trailed off, surprised at my little girl smirking at me.
"So that's what mom meant when she said you ‘throw it all out there’. I just wanted to keep my awesome," a huge grin formed on her lips as she savoured the next word, "Dad." She hugged me gently and whispered, "You were changing and..." She sniffled back a tear. "I'm just happy you're back."
The only thing I could do was to be her father. I held her more tightly and told her her daddy loved her.
My back ached from the cold stones of the school wall and recent exertion. My right hand throbbed, the stitches in my left arm were torn and stung, the three jagged wounds in my side burned, and every brush of her fur on my open wounds stung. Even with all of that, the warmth of my little girl hugging me made all my aches and pains fade.
I heard the soft footfall coming from the front of the school. A gruff yet humble voice spoke with deference, “Alpha?”
I quickly stood and drew my knife as I pushed Scootaloo behind me. My right hand was on fire, but I still gripped my weapon hard enough for my knuckles to turn white.
The Alpha, that beaten creature lying in the blood-speckled grass, raised its arm and croaked, “Me yield...”
The two dogs, the lieutenants, took a step back and raised their hands in supplication. The taller, leaner one spoke, “We surrender. Me Roughbone, new leader of eastern forest pack. Me accept offer. One week, we come back, we fix things, we regain honour.”
I nodded, and then the new Alpha grew sad, took a deep breath and let out a low, mournful howl. It spoke of loss and shame, but also of hope for a future with dignity. Soon, similar howls replied.
I sheathed my blade and sat back down heavily.
He spat at the fallen leader as he walked past him, “Stupid bitch.”
I suppose that means the Alpha is female.
“Why you try do this? We said no do this. Bad idea.” He looks down on her with disdain, “You welp bitch lucky be rabbit skinner.” The new leader glared at her, the menace in their voice palpable, "If you come back..."
I spoke with authority I knew I didn’t have. I figured solve them all and let Celestia sort it out. “I think you should head to town hall now. It’s that way,” I gestured. “That’s where there will be some authorities to talk to. Tell them our agreement. If they don’t like it, tell them to take it up with Alex Roberts.” Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. “Also, make sure they send some medical help.”
“Do what you want. She failed as Alpha. She nothing to us.” With that, the two trudged unenthusiastically toward the centre of town. The Alpha simply turned its head away from me and sighed.
Before they left, I repeated myself, “I said, send medical help. We have other injured and they’ll also need some attention.”
At my words, they stopped and turned to face me. The new Alpha bowed his head respectfully, “As you command, pink monkey.” His duty done, he turned and trotted away, quickly followed by the other diamond dog.
After enjoying a few moments of silence, I started hearing pony voices in the distance, barking commands. It sounded like they were starting to round up the dogs, but it was just a guess.
A mare spoke shakily from my left, “Mr Alex Roberts? Are you alright?”
I turned my head to see the teacher peeking around the corner, the worry and motherly concern on her face changing to shock. I raised my right hand and started to rub my forehead, grunted in pain, and quickly rested it on my leg. “I’m sorry, I was a little distracted when we met a moment ago. You’re Miss Cheerilee, right?”
She smiled worriedly, “Yes, that’s right. I’m Scootaloo’s teacher.” She started to babble a bit, “Miss Sweetheart said you and Miss Rainbow Dash were in the process of adopting her. I’m so glad she will have robust parents taking care of her.” She stopped then peered quizzingly at me, “Are you alright? Your hoof, or paw, I suppose, seems tender, and… Oh my! Is... is that..." she gulped, "blood?"
“It’s a minor wound. It stings and, sure, there is a little blood,” I winced at my own bald-faced lie, “but nothing to worry about. To change the subject for a moment, how is the young colt who was hurt? Is he alright?”
Happy to have her focus pulled away from the wound on my side, she latched onto the new subject like a drowning mare. Her quick answer held a grateful tone. “Do you mean Steelskin? He’s quite resilient for such a young pony. He wasn’t hurt at all.” Her nervous giggle at the end was hard to miss.
There was a worried colt’s voice from above me, “Is she okay? Is Scootaloo okay?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, “I’m down here, Steelskin.” I chuckled at her silly nickname for the colt. “I’m fine, don’t worry. My dad saved me.”
I suddenly recalled the other pony, “What about the gentlecolt who was in the room with you? Is he hurt?”
Her voice took on a dreamy tone, “His name is Dusty. He was knocked down, but I think he’ll be just fine. He did his best, but there were three of them.” She sighed, “He was so brave.”
I smirked, “I’ll make sure to remember him in the official report. Can I ask you a favour?”
“Of course. What can I do?”
“Could you escort the kids away from here and to the town hall, where they’ll be safe?”
Scootaloo’s expression was stern and her ears stood at attention, “Oh no you don’t, Dad. I’m not leaving here until Mom or the Princess says I have to. You’re hurt, and you need protection.” For the first time, I saw how dark her cheek and the corner of her mouth were where she was struck.
I gave her a thin smile. “It’s been a long day, pumpkin. Please don’t make me use my daddy voice. I just want to make sure you’re safe, and things get cleaned up as fast as possible. Anyway, you’re not supposed to be in contact with me, remember.” I got Cheerilee's attention, “And I would appreciate it, ma’am, if you didn’t mention anything.”
“How could I possibly have seen anything out there, Alex Roberts? I was in here with the children.”
“Thank you.” I turned my attention back to Scootaloo, “Now, young miss. Please, go back to your teacher.”
She frowned in irritation and looked down, “Yes, Dad.” She took a few steps with her head down, then stopped. She brightened up as if struck by a sudden realization. She looked back at me with a happy smile and joy in her voice, “Yes, Dad.”
I sat quietly, my eyes closed, back to the wall, trying to ignore my hand and all the aches and pains I had. I dreamed of a hot bath soothing my mind and body. I was grateful I was only lightly injured, nothing broken and nothing that wouldn’t heal. I heard a general murmur from the town but no screams or panic sounds. Good. Cheerilee was organizing the kids to get them to the town centre, guarded by Dusty. While I was sure all of the children would be met by their loving parents, I felt guilty I couldn’t be one of them.
In that quiet moment, with only the steady breathing of the Alpha to be heard, I pondered how chaotic situations like this were so hard to remember accurately. I could recall flashes, scenes, and disjointed images, but I was unable to recall details like how I got from A to B.
It seemed like, despite all this ensuing chaos, I was manoeuvring through it with ease. When I was in a spot where I should have been overwhelmed, there was just the right pony with just the right skills to save my sorry ass. And at other moments, I was at just the right place where I could make a difference.
Was it dumb luck?
It was moments like these when I wondered if I was just a fictional character like so many I had met. Had my writer just been lazy and just left out the boring details? Over the years I had spent many hours sitting in front of a campfire pondering this very question. I had decided very long ago it really wouldn’t make a difference. It was like that old scientific hypothesis, ‘The Simulation’. In the end, you had to behave like you were real.
“You whelp bitch strong.” The sudden croaking statement made me tense up a little and grunt in pain. Fictional or not, I was damn sore.
Her voice drew an image in my mind of Scootaloo being dragged away, begging to be let go, being beaten by the slave driver, and a menagerie of similar horrors. I fought to keep my voice neutral, “You mean my daughter, right?” Remembering something Mrs Cake said, I smiled with savage pride, “Yeah, she’s a real firecracker, alright.”
The Alpha seemed to be speaking to herself, “She like my daughter.” She slowly made a fist and weakly pounded the grass. Through her broken teeth and battered mouth, she lamented, “Pink monkey, this was supposed to be easy. We take pony whelps, sell back for gems, we buy enough meat for winter. No pony hurt. Pack have enough to eat. Everyone happy.”
Except for the terrified children, you hypocrite. I knew I was in a position of power, but I was tired and really didn’t give much of a damn what she said at this point. Still, I felt some compassion. Given her position and culture, would I have done any differently? “You know, you could still end up with what you need. Just not the way you envisioned it.”
She continued, not seeming to listen. “So easy. It going to be so easy. Ponies weak cowards. One run, all run. One kneel, all kneel. Why these ponies not ponies?”
“Oh, don’t make that mistake. They are ponies. And you’re right, they follow. The thing is, this town is full of leaders, full of heroes. But, if you knew what the ponies in this town had been through, you would have thought twice before raiding it," I explained. "While they are followers, just as you say, if they can see one example, just one single example, they will all follow. This town is full of those examples. You were doomed the moment you committed yourself to raid this place.”
I sat in the cool shade of the school, daydreaming about the first meal Dash, Scoots, and I would have as a family. I’m thinking individual pizzas. Pasta, maybe? Then again, Dash might accuse me of trying to make her fat with all my high-density human food. On the third hand, Dash knows how to take care of her body, and she’s never complained about my food yet. Still, might do a salad or veggie stir fry or something. Dash and Scoots always liked my stir-fries.
My thoughts were broken by my right hand throbbing. I heard hoof steps, and a rough, feminine voice addressed me, a lot like an older Dash. “Your paw looks pretty swollen. Here…” There was the familiar snap-crack of teleportation, and I felt the cold of an ice pack being gently placed on my hand.
I opened my eyes and looked up at a sadly smiling unicorn mare with a dark grey coat. She wore what looked like a helmet made of black beaten iron with a crest, like bat wings. She also wore body armour made of similar material with a similar bat and darkness motif. But her most striking feature was her eyes. Bright green with slit pupils. Her fearsome appearance was in direct contrast to her actions and expression.
I could see behind her a couple of unicorn medics dressed in similar gear, tending to the Alpha. They looked young, and their unease was easy to see. I’m not sure which unnerved them more, the huge diamond dog lying limply in front of them or the smaller creature who had done the beating.
I hear one of them swear and then say, “Cap, this is above our pay grade. She needs a real doctor.”
The mare sighed, “Okay. Doc E is in town. Get the word out that he needs to get his flank here ASAP.”
With relief that she had a task she could accomplish, she replied, “You got it, Cap.”
She sat beside me, holding the ice pack in place. “It never gets easier, does it.” I opened my eyes, and my expression must have matched my confusion. “Hurting a pony, or anyone really. No matter the reason, no matter who you’re protecting, it always hurts you more than it hurts them.”
I grunted in agreement. After a few moments of sitting in silence, the throbbing in my hand steadily being replaced by the numbness of the ice, I spoke quietly. “Thank you for the ice. It’s really helping.” I suddenly realized I was being rude. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I’m Alex Roberts.”
“Alabaster Nightshade,” She smiled, “Captain Nightshade, if you want to get all formal.” She gave a little chuckle, “And no need to apologize. We’re technically the same rank.”
I snorted and gave her an incredulous grin, “How in the heck do I rate that?”
She was taken aback, “What? You thought you would be my boss?”
I sighed. “No, ma’am. I knew I had some kind of standing but not an actual rank. As far as I can tell, being a Paladin is a… a pet project of the princess. Some kind of off-the-cuff reward for-” ‘not killing myself’, I thought sourly. It was at that moment I realized how long it had been since I had seriously thought about ending it. She must have noticed my pause because her expression became worried. I waved my good hand dismissively, “Never mind, it doesn’t matter what I think.”
“You, sir, sell yourself far too short.” One of her saddlebags glowed, and a thick folder floated out. “I’ve read your dossier and-”
I interrupted her, “Wait a minute, you're telling me that Big Sister is watching me? Like someone out of 1984?"
I could see the confusion on her face. "Nineteen-what? The bureau was renamed back in 984. Is that what you mean?"
My pile of look-into-it-later was getting bigger. “Moving on.”
“I want you to rest assured it was gathered with full oversight of the Bureau of Information Gathering By Responsible Operatives Through Heuristic Encryption Requirements. Of course, we had to do in the space of a few months what we would normally have taken years to do. We know a lot about you, Alex, so we know you’re safe. You’re harmless, really.”
“But… where did you get the information? And besides,” I pointed at the Alpha, “you call that harmless?”
She winced a little, “Well, mostly harmless. No worse than what you did to Coins the night of the Derpy Hooves and Caramel wedding, really.” She looked at the fallen Alpha for a moment, “Okay, maybe a little worse.”
She sighed and removed her helmet. Her eyes changed to more normal pony eyes, but the irises were the same green. Her messy silver mane cascaded around her shoulders. “I suppose it’s only fair if I tell you where we get our information. We coordinate reports and observations from any ponies who care to make them, throw in a little postcognition magic to fill in the blanks, and we can build an accurate picture of who you really are. I guess the term you would use is ‘data mining’?”
I was stunned. I knew this society loved its paperwork, and I guessed that having a herd mentality would mean privacy was less important, but still, I never expected this level of intrusion. Frankly, I just wasn’t sure how to react.
“By the time you were invited to an audience with Princess Celestia, we knew you were unlikely to be a danger to her. The fact no one had to ask you to leave your weapon at home pretty much confirmed what your dossier was telling us. For a complete stranger from a completely different species, you showed yourself to be very kind. Putting yourself in danger multiple times, usually for no personal gain.” She leaned towards me a little, “You represent what we strive for. Always looking for a way to give redemption to anypony who needs it.”
She leaned back, closed her eyes and slowly rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh. “You know, the biggest change that happened when we got our Princess back was that we went from the part of the Royal Guard only fit for the misfits, the screwups, and,” her expression became sad, “the drunks, to a respected part of the Guard. I know it’s selfish, but that was… nice.” She looked around at the guard ponies with pride, busy at their tasks. “At the end of the day, we all serve Princess Luna. Redemption is a big deal for all of us; the Princess, the night guard, and me, personally. I know it’s important to you.”
“If it is so important to me, why did I almost kill the Alpha?” I rested my head on the wall, “I mean, under different circumstances, my ‘bravery’ would have been considered a crime.”
She rested her hoof on my thigh, “Give it time, Alex. You just came off of a series of intense emotions. Now everything is crashing down. Just give it a few days, and you’ll see you did the right thing.” Nightshade looked up. “Ah. Ms Dash is coming.”
I heard her a moment before I saw her. It was like a freight train crashing in front of me. Dash landed with enough force to dig a small crater, throwing gravel and small stones all around. As the dust cleared, she stood in front of me, wings flared and body language aggressive. She glared her hurricane of anger at Captain Nightshade, who, with a slight look of panic, promptly removed her hoof from my leg. When Dash didn’t stop looking at her, Captain Nightshade quickly moved away from me. Dash then directed her emotions directly at me. I’m not ashamed to say I flinched when she spoke. “Alex Jean-Paul Roberts. You’re lucky you’re still alive because so help me I’m going to kill you.”
Not a normal greeting for a pony, but this one was engaged to marry me. I suppose I’ve been a bad influence on her. I think I’m about to pay for that. “I told you to stay in the library. I told you to keep yourself safe and look what I find. Your hoof is all busted up, your shirt is ripped to rags, and you’re covered in… blood!” Her eyes went wide with nauseous horror as she lifted the side of my torn shirt with a hesitant hoof. “Celestia, you’re bleeding!”
I turned myself so that the side with the slash was away from her. “They’re not as bad as they look, sweetheart. Just a little blood from the cut. Heck, it barely got past the dermis.” I smirked and with a jaunty British accent said, “Tis but a scratch.” She looked at me with a deadpan expression. I looked again, “Okay, and maybe… wow, that is a lot… but it’s mostly from the diamond dogs.”
Her eyes flicked between my eyes and the wounds on my side. “You’re not helping, Alex Roberts.”
Well, at least she dropped my middle name.
She looked down and muttered angrily to herself as the tears ran down her face, “I promised myself I’d never let this happen again. I’m such a bucking idiot.”
I stood and did my best not to grunt, wince, or make any negative or pain-related noises. My task complete, I wobbled and stood straight and tall. My head swam, and I was doing my best not to fall over. I smiled sadly at her, "Now, when did you promise anything like this would never happen?"
She sniffed and looked up at me with such fierceness, "When I decided you already had too many scars.” She gave me a small tearful smile, “That’s when I promised."
I didn’t know what to say. For one of the few times in my life, I didn’t have a clever comeback or witty remark. I finally managed to shake my head a bit, “Don’t you beat all.”
I was rewarded with a smirk, “Yeah, well, I am the best.” The smirk turned to a frown, “Stop trying to distract me, darn it. I’m still mad at you, Alex. I mean, you’re barely standing, and you’re hurt. But you know what the worst part is?” Her fierce eyes were moist, her chin showed the slightest quiver, and her voice cracked. “You’re acting so apple-bucking flippant about the whole thing!”
I took a wobbly step closer, doing my best to give her a charming smile. The effect is ruined when I grimace from the pain of my side. “Okay, maybe a little. But, well, I’m safe, if a little banged up, Scootaloo, our daughter, is safe, the Diamond Dog Alpha is down, and the rest fell into line. The day’s been saved. I think all that’s worth a few scratches.” I looked at my increasingly swollen hand, “Anyway, I’m sure my hand isn’t broken.” I winced despite my best efforts. “Well, fairly sure. I’ll be fine in a couple of days, a week or two tops. May need help opening peanut butter jars…”
She wiped her eyes, that storm of anger rising again. “You think you’re clever, don’t you.”
I was tempted to quip, ‘Yes, I am.’ but decided against it. There was a crack of fear in her voice I had never heard before.
With a tone that was part wail of anguish, part roar of anger, she yelled at me. “You could have died, Alex. Have you thought of that? Do you know what that would have done to me? To Scoots!?”
I stumbled, and she caught me, carefully steadying me, but her expression was no less angry. I was tired, and I knew she could do this all day. I also knew every word she had said was true, but I was selfish and could only think of my own point of view. I spoke softly, not making eye contact, “As opposed to me watching you fly out of the house, fighting the monster of the week? Wondering if some crazy chaos god will turn you inside out, or some demented moon goddess will rip out your mind, or like today,” I spoke the next words softly, “when you left me at the library. Who knew what might happen to you.”
She moved closer, trembling with anger, “I’m starting to wonder if we can even have a relationship.” She squeezed her eyes shut, turned her head away for a moment, and stifled a cry. She looked back up at me, her eyes begging for forgiveness. “No, I don’t mean that. I… darn you, Alex. You’ve been hurt enough, and I’m starting to say stupid things.” Her ears were down, and her eyes downcast. “Just let me take the risks. Let me carry you, you stupid lug.”
Dash had called me a ‘stupid lug’. That was a good sign. “Dash, you are the fastest and most talented mare I know, but even you can’t be in two places at once. If we’re going to be together, I need to carry some of the load, too.” I placed my left hand under her chin and turned her face up to mine. “Besides,” I looked down, our eyes locked, “I guess I was just being selfish and went ahead to get our baby girl.”
She snorted with an angry smirk, her beautiful eyes blinking away her tears, and then she spoke softly, “I guess that makes me the bad parent.”
“Hey, now. While you were busy saving lives, bucking dogs, and keeping them busy, I used the opportunity to save our daughter. It was a team effort. You and me, beautiful. You,” I put my aching right hand on her cheek, “and me. Together. Body and soul.”
Dash’s ears folded forward, a smile on her lips. She whispered, “You goof,” then she fluttered up, and our lips met. She stayed there for a few heartbeats. It was not a passionate kiss, but it was full of ardour, relief, and love. I felt tears of joy welling up. I was so happy this person, who was so important to me, was unharmed and here. I was also full of joy that my daughter was not being dragged to some god-forsaken pit as chattel to be bartered with.
I pulled away to see such a loving expression beaming back at me. I wiped her cheek with my thumb, “I think Scoots is still with Cheerilee. Why don’t-”
She pulled away with a grin, “Why didn’t you say she was here!” She braced herself to take off, then looked at me sheepishly, “She’s inside the school, isn’t she.”
I simply nodded.
She rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself, “I’ll be right back.” Then, in true Dash style, she bolted through the broken window above me.
A surprised Scootaloo exclaimed, “Mom?”
Dash’s voice was a little distorted and dripping in relief. “I was so worried.” Her voice became clear, “Come here, squirt. Let me take a look at you.” She let out a relieved breath. “Well, aside from your war wound, I think you’re ok. So, how did you get it?”
I imagined her puffing her little chest in pride as she told her tale. “So, after Saphire’s dad walked us to school, it was a regular school day. At least, it was until these Diamond Dogs burst into our classroom. Mr Dusty came galloping in, but the big one just smacked him down. I knew you guys would come and get me, so I wasn’t scared. It took Dad a while, and there were other doggies that would come in, and the big one would tell them what to do. After a while, they stopped coming. I guess they all got their orders or something. Anyway, the big one just looked at us and said something about how we were the keys to a better life or something like that.”
“That’s when Dad slid into the room. He then holds his hoof up and gets everyone to just wait a sec. It was awesome. Those big diamond dogs just shut right up and didn’t say a word. Dad gave them a chance to give up, and then the big one sent one of the little ones to beat him up, but Dad used his knife-y thing and, wham! Out cold. He even gave them a second chance to give up, but the dog just told him off. That’s where I got this bruise after I told him exactly what was going to happen. I told him my dad was going to beat him up.”
Scoots’ voice became cautious, “Then, the big wolf knocked Steelskin out of the way and then he hit me.” Again, with that nickname. I started to wonder what his real name was. “Then, Dad got scary. I mean, the puppy was so much bigger than him, but he tackled it right through the window. And then he started hitting it, and he was screaming at it. Not words just sounds like a wild animal. And just kept going, and going. And… I remembered how you said he gets all emotional about stuff, and I thought maybe he was so mad because it had hit me. And I didn’t want him to change, Mom.”
Dash spoke quietly, and I couldn't help but notice the pride in her voice for her daughter. “So, what did you do?”
“I ran outside and tried to stop him. I yelled at him, but he didn’t hear me, so I grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked confused for a second. When he turned around and looked at me, he looked so scared, like he was afraid I stopped loving him or something. That’s crazy, right mom?”
There was a pause, and then Dash’s voice was awestruck, “Wow, kid. That was awesome.” There was a strangled little throat clearing that sounded like Cheerilee. Dash continued in a much more motherly tone. “I mean, you should be more careful young lady.” Dash’s voice got a little softer, “You’re lucky your dad was there to keep you safe- oof!”
This time, it was Scootaloo’s voice that was a little distorted, “Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you two made up. I was a little worried there.” Scoots must have given Dash one of her ballistic hugs.
“Are you kidding? Me and your dad may argue, but we love you and each other to bits. Don’t ever worry about that. Now that I know you’re fine, I’ve got to go get some help for him.” Dash stage whispered, “And Cheerilee? You didn’t see me.”
Cheerilee returned the stage whisper, “You know, I don’t believe I saw you or Alex.”
“What do you mean, I’m standing right-” She stopped suddenly and let out a relieved chortle, “Oh, right, never saw us. Got it. Thanks, Cheerilee.”
Dash sailed back through the window and landed beside me. She sniffed and chuckled. “Okay, you big lug,” she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Normally, this is where I’d buck you for being a flank head, but you’re already beat up. On the way here I caught up with Twi and she said Doc Emerald is a top-notch stitch hide. Stay here, I’m gonna get him and bring him right back.” Her expression grew determined, “I’ll carry him back if I have to.”
Dash helped me down, assisted by Captain Nightshade, and back to the school wall. “Stay. Here. I’m not kidding. Sit right there and rest until I get the Doc.” She smirked and said, “Siiiiit. Good boy.” She patted me on the head, kissed me on the forehead, and then flew off with her usual burst of speed.
As Dash went out of sight, I saw the good doctor, flanked by a pair of night watch guards, trot into the field toward the school. His crisp accent was as haughty as it had been when I first met him about an hour ago. My gut reaction to his voice, combined with the oddity of his lines, made me uncomfortable. But, I reasoned, everyone else who mattered was alright with him, so why should I be any different?
Still, for some reason, my hindbrain did a Wilhelm Scream when I saw him.
He dismissed his escort, “Thank you, gentlecolts. Now, what… Oh blessed Luna, what in Tartarus happened here?” He stared at the Alpha, compassion and fear evident. He mumbled to himself, “The guards said she had been ‘neutralized with extreme prejudice’, but this… this is barbaric. Quickly, get the screens up. No one else needs to see this.”
Two guards carrying light wood and cloth screens started setting them up. One of the guards whispered to the other, “That’s a fancy way of saying he nearly killed the bitch."
The other gave a deadpan whisper in reply, “Yeah. He beat the fleas right off of her back.”
My opinion of the good doctor increased a little when his head snapped in the guards’ direction. “If you are quite finished, you may want to review your night watch oath, especially the section on compassion for friend and foe alike.”
They sheepishly returned to their work, setting up the screens to block the view and give the battered Alpha a modicum of privacy. The screens were positioned so I could see him working, but the battered Alpha was otherwise hidden from view.
Doctor Emerald turned back to me with a mixture of fear and disgust, “I suppose... as long as you kept the children safe.” He turned to the Alpha, “Now, let me get you stabilized and free from pain. I’ll make sure you get a full and proper follow-up later, alright?” A green ray burst from his horn at a right angle to the Alpha’s throat.
Soon, Cheerilee trotted back with the children in tow. I waved weakly at Scootaloo, and she waved back. The colt, who I assumed was Steelskin, trotted behind Scoots, eyes glued to her cheek, a worried expression on his face.
As they walked by, I heard Scootaloo’s voice full of pride. I turned my head to see a smirk full of satisfaction, "He’s the one who saved us, and he's going to be my dad."
I noticed Cheerilee looking around, her expression becoming increasingly worried, bordering on panicked. “Dusty, did you see Sapphire? Did you see her anywhere?”
He squared his shoulders and started shouting. “Sapphire, darlin’! Where are ya?”
Without looking up from his work, Emerald sighed and raised his voice, “She has sequestered herself in the broom closet, which is the most defensible location available to her. She went there when the diamond dogs burst in.” There was a long pause as his horn glowed, “She’ll be out momentarily.“
Soon, there was a little unicorn filly, very meekly peeking around the corner of the doorway. She seemed startled to see me but came directly to me. Her little head came close to me as if to nuzzle me.
Emerald cleared his throat, “Sapphire. Get… Please, let him be until I check on him.”
Her head snapped in his direction, her mouth distorted in a scowl. She made her intentions clear in that odd way she communicates. Daddy, he helped us! I want to thank him.
Emerald’s tone became very controlled, with an edge of anger. “Sapphire, I said to step away from that bru…” He turned away slightly, “Sapphire, dear, please step away, alright? He’s hurt and may not appreciate your presence.”
She turned back with a bright smile. Thank you, Mr. Scootaloo’s dad! You saved my friends! She then gave me a little hug then skipped off. Daddy, please treat him.
Emerald’s expression became wooden as he started turning away from the Alpha. I licked my lips and spoke carefully, “Doctor Emerald, I really think you should finish treating the Alpha. I can wait.”
Sapphire stopped, looked at me curiously, and then smiled. I’m sorry, daddy. Mr Scootaloo's dad is right. Finish healing the puppy.
Emerald turned and continued treating the Alpha as if nothing had happened. I made a mental note to investigate this later, just one more thing on the Scooby-Doo pile. But not right now. I was beat.
I must have dozed off for a second because the first thing I saw was the Alpha’s arm grasping Emerald’s shoulder. Emerald tensed as his head snapped to the massive clawed paw. I started getting up, about to call a guard, hoping to do something, but her expression stopped me. It was easy to recognise a grateful smile, and Emerald obviously recognised it, too. He patted her paw, “It’s all right, my dear. Everything will be just fine. Alright? Very good. Now, Miss Cheerilee, please line the children up over there, injured first.”
Scootaloo headed the line, wearing her injury like a badge of honour, followed closely by Steelskin like an overprotective puppy. The rest of the fillies and colts looked shaken up but uninjured. Dusty stood behind them, his swollen eye clearly visible.
I muttered to myself, “Huh. Three injured plus the dogs.” I spoke just loudly enough so Emerald could hear me, “I guess it pays to be a barbarian.”
Emerald turned to me for a moment and glared, but I was sure I caught just a hint of a smile. He then returned to the task at hand. His horn glowed with almost neon-green energy. He touched it gently to her cheek, and the glow softly spread over Scootaloo’s bruise. It took a few moments for the swelling to fade, leaving only a slightly darker spot. It reminded me of Twilight’s heal spell she did on the poor colt I almost gelded back in Canterlot.
The Doc continued with Steelskin. He quickly seemed satisfied that the little colt was fine. The rest of the kids were quickly evaluated and dismissed with a kind word.
He came back to me, “The children are doing well. I shall recommend a follow-up with a Miss Introspective, of course, but otherwise, they are all doing quite well.”
The ex-Alpha slowly stood, running her huge clawed paw on her jaw. She was quickly manacled and led away by a pair of Night Guard ponies. She stopped, turned, and looked at me. There was no animosity, but there was hope in her words, “One week, you help pack. You help me welp. You keep word.”
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We are always watching you Mr. Roberts.
Sincerely,
The Equestrian Government.
B.I.G.B.R.O. !!!! I love it.
Damn, I wanted to make a comment about B.I.G.B.R.O.
Oh well.
Nice little filler chapter. I call it that because there's not much new here, other than seeing other ponies' reactions to what Alex has done.
It's been awhile. I had actually forgotten where we left off, fortunately there were enough clues here to help me remember.
I actually stumbled across something interesting relating to the story that you may or may not know... in your universe, Aluminum is described as being magic sensitive, and if mined using magic, is tainted, so pure Aluminum is rare and valuable. (The implication is that if that was not a problem, it could be mined en masse.) Hence Alex having a stockpile of the stuff turns into a windfall for him.
Since reading this story, I discovered Aluminum is actually a rare metal, and used to be priced roughly the same as silver, until a cheap way of producing it via a chemical reaction between two other materials was discovered, and it became super cheap.
I can't find the exact story but Wikipedia has a similar version:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum#cite_ref-50
So I thought that was sort of interesting.
Yay, update.
Also you may want to fix this sentence, cause it doesn't really sound right to me.
P.S. Can someone explain the "B.I.G.B.R.O." to me.
takethepiss.com/community/attachments/i-see-what-you-did-there-fry-jpg.8862/
3868215
Bureau of Information Gathering By Responsible Operatives
B.I.G.B.R.O.
BIGBRO
BIG BRO
Big Brother
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four)
get it now? did i go a bit overboard?
YES! Finally! How did I not see this sooner!
This was literally thee first fanfiction work I read on FanFiction.net and now its here on
Fimfiction!
No amount of words can express how excited I am, now that I can read it here instead.
Did enjoy the BIG BRO thing.
HOW THE HECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HAD ALMOST THE SAME FRIGGIN' IDEA! AT LEAST TO BEGIN WITH!!!!!!!!! OMG HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!
The differences for me are that I've been around for thousands of years jumping around depressed w/ a friend too. I'm all depressed cause I just run around helping people, but I made myself strict rules including not getting too emotionally attached and make no deep friendships except w/ my buddy because I always leave with in 5 years and otherwise I'd have gone insane long ago. Oh yeah, and it would be a third person thing where it can tell about everything, not just my perspective. AND I ALL THE JMPERS ARE STILL IN THERE ORIGINAL FORMS! I haven't deiced either they are all human like creatures or f I'll have alien like things too...
Wait am I referring to the character as me? Well, he'll have my first name, but I changed the last name (no stalkers) and his early life is based off of mine to make a realistic character (I know me better than any one else).
There is going to be an Alex jumper too, but he was a rouge jumper (Jumpers are going to be an organization of them, like a bunch of interdimensional time lord police/S.W.A.T., except I never knew they existed until some new jumpers arrive in Equestria). Alex is a rouge one and evil, but not under his own control, a corrupting dark magic thingy. At first, the protagonist's name was gong to be Alex, but I changed it to my first name...
The whole thing for me started as an RPG with a friend last summer where we ran round and did stuff, then I wanted to write a book out of it and have been brainstorming ever since, and a little writing.
Well, this is an awkward rant w/ plenty of spoilers...
this if I ever even get around to finishing chapter 1instead of brainstorming and doing so much homework... 
Great minds think alike?
*note: this is al just based on a quick look, but still all the same... very odd similarity, too close... OKAY NEVERMIND, I MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIGN ABOUT AT ALL, I NEED TO READ MORE FIRST!
Oh yeah, and when I saw this in the top stories, that's what finally connived me to make an account, to make this rant... aw... its already gone...
I guess no that I think about it, there are a lot of differences, but still similar
IMPRESSIVE!
Dayum. I know she took it back right away but...
Ouch.
3868215
Big Brother is watching you...
It's a way of talking about the government interfering in our lives, specifically spying on us.
3868371
What?
What's wrong with me and WolfGear?
My mind is now at rest, except the fact that I have more longerto wait for another chapter that is. lol
Why is there not a double like button on this?
Wait. B...I...G...B...R- Heh, I see what you did there.
3870963 No, an OVER NINE THOUSND LIKES! button... they really need to make on of those
Am I the only one who noticed a Monty Python reference and commented about it?
"'Tis but a scratch." - The Black Knight
3872797
Around 1:31
ah, an update, hopefully a few more will be finished soon, Alex's story is far too exciting to leave undone for too long.
>>Spiritus Arcane
Oh yeah, your writing that Lyra story based off of this
3868377
Thank you kindly.
3876206
Haven't heard anything about this, though I've never actually spoken to Spiritus Arcane, but nothing about this has been mentioned in the group by anyone as far I know.
The only person I know of writing a Lyra story for the memverse is KMCA, who technically "owns" Lyra in this group.
Ha, it looks like Alex was right that this guy is being watched by Big Brother anyway. Well I'm glad he escaped the fury of Rainbow Dash a bit, but it's better that the two of them at least work and fight together as a team. I mean would love to see a team up fight between our rainbow Pegasus and our warping hero against some bad guys once he gets better.
3889814
Spiritus Arcane's Journal of a Reality Drifter
"Based on Techogre's wonderful fic The Memoirs of a Reality Jumper. As well as including characters and concepts from KMCA's spinoff Jumper" (Spiritus Arcane, the description of his story). Hope that helps
3896982 ...I'm going to assume you were referring to Lydia, the jumper in his story then?
3889814
3879853
I really hope it gets written, because if KMCA doesn't do it, I might.
3897421
so I am still confused... I haven't read it yet, just read over, too much homework an such
Points for the Hitchhiker's Guide reference, assuming that it was intentional. I love that the ponies are all about the data mining. Good intelligence goes a long way.
3909289
What's this "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" of which you speak? Look, just Don't Panic. Be a hoopy frood and have a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster to relax. And here's a towel. <Techogre tosses djthomp a nice fluffy towel.>
Hey, if Techogre went to the trouble of giving us the whole thing, I think I should post it in congratulation of epic silliness.
Bureau of Information Gathering By Responsible Operatives Through Heuristic Encryption Requirements
It even makes sense, if you squint your eyes and tilt your head just so...
Thanks for a heartwarming tale. This is quite fascinating. Do go on, if you would.
3919996 Can I has towel too? Extra fluffy?
3929312
Right. I've got some "Zaphod For President" towel in the back. Help yourself.
3928350
Well, I was thinking of throwing in the towel, but you've changed my mind.
If you haven't already, you should really check out some of the other Memverse stories in the memverse group: http://www.fimfiction.net/group/197151/memverse
3931637 WHOOOO!!!! Worst dressed sentient being in the universe! Far out man!
The word you're looking for is gelded. Gilded means to cover something in gold.
Yeah... the Alpha said she was going to kill Cheerilee... sorry I feel no sympathy for her. Alex should have finished the job when nobody was looking.
5033159
Only took 9 years to make that correction. Thank you for spotting that.