Prologue
Beep… Beep… Beep…
A slow, high-pitched beeping filled the air. The beeping was coming from a room that was void of most anything except for what appeared to be a sleeping pony. His chest moved up and down as he breathed slowly. This pony was an orange coated pegasus pony, his dimming light blue mane appeared to take a light grey color with the light of the early morning sun. With the light hitting him in the face, the orange pony began to rise from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes only to immediately close them shut from the intensity of the light that was shining upon him. He turned his head away from the window and tried again, this time succeeding in keeping his eyes open with the first thing he saw being the a vase of white, 6-petaled flowers. He stared at the flowers for a while, he was never very into flowers but it was a beautiful thing to see as he woke up.
When he finally looked away from the flowers he realized that he wasn’t in his bedroom. The walls were a soft shade of yellow. The floor was made of what looked like white marble. And the bed that he was laying in was white. The blanket was white, the pillows were white even the soft bed spread was white. He then noticed the slow beeping in the back ground and turned to the source of it only to find… a heart monitor. He followed the cable and found where it stuck onto his upper forehoof.
He… He was in a hospital. Why was he in a hospital? He didn’t remember ever being rushed to the hospital. In fact the last this he did remember was-
“Oh! I see you have finally woken up, Mr. Perfect.” He was cut off from his train of thought when he heard a voice.
The pegasus looked to where the voice was coming to find a young looking mare. She was silver-coated unicorn mare with a syringe and a stethoscope as her cutie mark. She was wearing pink scrubs and was floating a clipboard in her magic.
“Uh… Hello. Who… Who are you?” He asked, wanting some answers to what was happening.
The mare took a few steps towards him grabbing another clipboard that was hanging at the foot of his bed. “Well Mr. Perfect it-“
“Please. Just call me Picture. The whole Mr. thing makes me sound old.”
“Alright then, Picture, it says here that you’ve been a coma for quite a while.”
“A-A coma?” Picture Perfect was shocked when he heard that. “H-How long?”
“Let’s see…” The nurse flipped through the pages on the clipboard for a couple of seconds. “It says that you were brought in last month about 3 years ago.”
“3… 3 years ago?” The stallion was even more shocked. 3 years! 3 years of his life that he’d missed out on. 3 years that he’d never get to experience.
“Yes. We believe it was caused because you had an amnesiatic spell holding on to a few of your memories, but it appears that you were able to brake hold of the spell and the magical force exerted from that threw you into a coma.” As the nurse explained Picture listened with both shock and understanding. But even so…
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Perfect could hear the sound of the heart monitor getting faster as his shock became more apparent to himself. Alright Picture, you need to calm down. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Just breathe. Breeeathe… Good, good. There ya go! Now you’re thinking straight! Now me thankful that it was only three years and not life. I mean, you can make up for three years of lost time. You’re Picture Perfect! If anypony can do it, it’s you! So buck up and smile boy!
“-Mr. Perfect?”
Picture was brought out of his daze by the concerned nurse who was softly shaking his shoulder to get his attention.
“Huh? Oh! S-Sorry ma’am. I was just thinking, is all.” He replied.
The nurse pony quickly looked him over. “Are you sure? Would you like me to get the doctor?”
“No. Thank you but it’s alri-“
CRASH!
The pegasus was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. He looked over to where he heard the come from. There was, what used to be a vase that held fresh water and more of those flowers from before shattered across the floor leaving the flowers in a broken pile, soaked by a puddle of water. Standing above the puddle was a tan unicorn mare with a cherry red mane and equally red eyes. Her face showed nothing but shock and disbelief. She took a few steps towards him as tears began forming in the corners of her eyes.
“Picture?” She asked, her voice filled with longing.
He smiled. “Hey MJ. What’s up?”
She laughed at that. “What’s up?... What’s up?!” Her smile disappeared. “You were in a coma for THREE YEARS! and the first thing you say to me is ‘What’s up?!’”
She was mad.
“Uh… Sorry?... Th-Thanks for the flowers.” Picture Perfect knew this mare very well. It was one of his closest friends, Musical Joy, she was a Broadway pony and he knew that when she got angry, you better not be in her way. Unable to move much at all he opted for the next best option… change the subject!
“Well at least you’re somewhat grateful. Hmph!” She turn her head up and away from him and closed her eyes. His plan had miraculously worked! Or maybe she took it easy on him. Probably the latter. After a few silent seconds she lowered her head and opened her eyes but still looked away from him. “Are… Are you alright?” She said as a light blush formed on her face.
Picture’s smile returned to his face. “My throat’s dry, I’m hungry and I can’t get myself out of bed… I feel good. How… How ‘bout you?”
“Hmph. I’m annoyed, my hooves are filthy and I’m late for work…” She paused for a moment. “I’m glad you’re back, Picture.”
“Me too.”
It took Picture Perfect a few days to gain enough strength to be released from the hospital. He was told not to fly for a few more weeks but other than that he was free to do as he pleased. So he did the first thing anypony that came out of a coma would do, he went home.
When he arrived back to his suite he noticed that it was just how he always left it, albeit a lot cleaner. Probably the maid service doing their job. He’d have to thank them later.
“You’re lucky you had enough saved up to keep this place after 3 years.” Also, Joy had decided to take the day off to help him had he needed it. He didn’t but he was still grateful that she was there with him.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. As it turns out, I’m the long-lost heir of one Lord and Lady Treasure.” Picture replied with a non-challan tone to his voice.
“Wait, does that mean you found your parents?!” She asked in shock and surprise.
Perfect chuckled at that. “Yeah. I took a blood test and I apparently inherited everything they owned. Sucks I couldn’t meet them though.” His smile faltered slightly.
“Wh-What do you mean?”
The stallion remained silent for a few seconds. “They… They died shortly before I got the chance to meet them.” His smile had completely disappeared from his face.
“Picture I-I’m sorry I-“
“No. No, it’s alright I promise. It’s just… I never got the chance to meet them before and now… now I’ll never get that chance.” He sighed. “But enough about that for now, I have to pack.”
Joy was confused. “Get packed? Get packed for what?”
“I’m gonna go find my family!” He said from a closet down the hall.
“But you just said your parents were dead!”
Picture ran down the hall until he was right in front of Musical. “Do you know how that amnesia spell the doctor said I had was broken?”
“Well, no. I didn’t study mind-affecting magic, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Something –or rather somepony made me remember and I’m gonna go find her!” He excitedly replied.
“Find who exactly?”
He walked back to the closet as he replied, “My daughter!”
Joy’s eye twitched. “I’m sorry. I think I was hearing things. What did you say?”
“I’m going to go find my daughter! Wanna come?”
Joy was speechless. She had known Picture for quite a few years and out of all the ponies in the world he’d be the last pony she’d suspect to be a father. It just didn’t make sense to her. Just where and when did he…? And with who?!
“MJ! Hello~! Ground control to MJ! Come in MJ!”
“Huh? Wha?”
“Would you like to come with me?” Picture was sitting in front of MJ, starring at her while he waited for her answer.
Musical huffed, as she always does, before she sternly answered. “Fine. But only to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. You’re still underweight you know!”
“What do you want me to do?! I ate like to hay burgers on the way here alone! I mean come on MJ! Cut me some slack here!”
“So when do you plan on leaving?”
“Hm? Oh, I don’t know. I was hoping right away.”
“Well you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’m going to have to tell the director that I won’t be available for a while. I’ll see you tomorrow then!” She said as she left.
“Yeah. See ya tomorrow!”
“So why are we in Baltimare?” Joy asked as both she and Perfect walked down a neighborhood sidewalk.
“This is where I grew-up. Down the other way is the orphanage I stayed at.” Picture pointed proudly.
“Then why are we walking away from the orphanage?” She was starting to get annoyed.
“Because we’re not going to the orphanage.” In all honesty, he probably said that with way more sass then he meant but it still got the same reation.
“Well then where are we going?!” She was getting mad again. Luckily…
“Here!” Picture turned on the spot and pointed to the house across from him.
Joy had to stop suddenly to avoid crashing into the adult-colt of a stallion that was Picture Perfect. “…What’s so special about this place?”
“You’ll see” was all he said before he walked up to the door and knocked.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Be right there!” A voice came from behind the door. After a few seconds, a middle-aged unicorn mare who had a very light grey coat, a fading, soft-pink mane tail with the latter tied up near the end with a somewhat clear magenta ribbon that matched her eyes opened the door. When she saw the stallion her eyes widened. “Picture?”
“Hey Pastel. It’s been a while.”
The as fore mentioned mare embraced the stallion in a near bone crushing hug. When she released him from her grip she went into a series of nostalgia. “Picture it’s been so long! Oh dear, look at you! You’re all grown up now! How’s life been treating you? I heard you moved to Manehattan! How is it over there? Did you become a big time photographer like you always wanted? Oh, it’s so good to see you again!”
“It’s good to see you too, Pastel and yes, I’m the biggest photographer in all of Manehattan last time I checked.” Picture skewed his face for a moment as he tried to remember. “Probably should’ve checked before I came here. I was in a coma for the last three years so I don’t know if my title of “Best Photographer in all of Manehattan” still stands.”
At the mention of the coma Pastel became immediately concerned. “A coma. Oh my dear. Are you alright?”
Picture just smiled. “Oh yeah. I’m peachy. Just a little underweight is all.” He then realized something important. “Oh! I almost forgot.” He stepped to the side to reveal the unicorn standing behind him. “Pastel, I would like to introduce you to Musical Joy.” He then looked to the musical mare. “MJ, meet Pastel Light. Best interior decorator this side of Equestria!”
“Oh, Picture you flatter me.” Pastel then looked to the younger mare. “Hello Miss Joy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise, Miss Light.”
“Tell me. Has Picture here been treating you well? I’d assume he is considering he’s able to get a marefriend as lovely as yourself.”
Joy just broke. She mind couldn’t respond to what the elder mare said. “Wh-What?! Me?! With him?! Ahah! Ahaha! That… That would NEVER happen! I can barely stand this colt! Let alone go out with him!”
Pastel’s response to that was a smirk and an all knowing “Mmhm! Sure sweetie. Whatever you say.” She then moved her attention over to the stallion. “So Picture, not that I don’t appreciate you coming to visit but what brings you to Baltimare? Surely you didn’t come just to tell me you were in a coma.”
The stallion nodded. “You know me too well, Pastel. Yeah, I was wondering if about three years ago you were visited by Princess Twilight Sparkle and a little filly named Scootaloo.”
“Hmm.” Pastel had an odd look on her face. “Yes they did. I remember they were looking for somepony.”
“Were they looking for Rainbow Dash?”
Pastel’s eyes widened at that. “How do you-?”
“By the look on your face I can tell that she told you about the amnesia spell. The coma I was in was caused by that very same spell breaking after I got a visit from that little orange filly.”
“Yes but how did you-?”
“I was the one that named her.” Picture took a breath before he explained, “Before we went to the hypnotist Rainbow Dash let me pick out a couple of names. If it was a boy, it was going to be Pitch Slider, but if it was a girl-”
“You’d name her Scootaloo.” Pastel understood what had happened… and she was so happy about it. “You want to find Scootaloo, don’t you?”
Picture just nodded and smiled.
Pastel smiled proudly. Picture Perfect might not have been her son but she still cared for him like a mother would their child. “Why don’t you two come inside? I still have a little bit of packing to do.”
“No. Pastel. You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to.”
The elder mare just smiled. “Oh dear. That’s not why I’m packing. I was invited to her birthday party later today and the train leaves in a little over an hour.”
Picture was stunned. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. “It’s… It’s her birthday?”
“Alright you two. I’m going to head inside now. Feel free to come in when you’re ready.” With that said, Pastel Light made her way to the door of Sugar Cube Corner, opened it and went inside, the door closing behind her.
Picture just stared at the gingerbread themed bakery, frozen in place. Joy was first to break the silence that had formed. “Well. What are you waiting for? She just right through those doors, correct? Just go in there already.”
Picture didn’t respond.
“Look Perfect, you were put into a coma for three years because of this filly. You dragged me across half of Equestria because of this filly. Now all you have to do is go inside and finally talk to this filly.”
Still no response.
“Are you just going to stand there and do NOTHING?!”
Yet again, no response.
“Oh that is it, you overgrown colt!” With that said she picked up the motionless stallion in her magic, placed him in front of the door and knocked, getting out of the way as she took a position to keep him from fleeing.
After a few seconds, the door opened and reviled a cyan-coated, rainbow-maned pegasus mare. She stared at him in shock for a moment before she forced a smile and spoke. “H-Hello. C-Can I help you?”
Picture’s only response was to remain frozen for a few more seconds before he responded with, “Hello, Dashie.”