Marco2o -Thank you and you're welcome. Here's your update!
Guest - Here you go; one update, hot off the presses!
khdudeable - Thank you, I'm glad you like my little contribution to the MLP fanficdom. Though there are plenty out there that I consider better than mine. The Lost Element by XD-385 is an example of one, and he's one of the writers I hold as a role-model to my own writing.
SonofDeath - Unfortunately, that's just how the 'privileged' elitists tend to think; that those like themselves are superior to all others simply because they are.
Zelfra1234 - What can I say? I like keeping my readers guessing, not only does it keep you interested, but it's fun for me to write the twists and turns and read your thoughts on where they'll lead.
- Thanks for the well wishes, and I actually have some good news about that, but I'll go into more detail in the Author's Note. Which reference would that be? I actually don't remember putting a DBZ reference in the chapter, at least not intentionally. As for chapter length, I apologize if they seem short, but I do that for pacing reasons; it lets me get out a chapter a week without burning myself out or eating up all of what little free time I have.
Shodapop98 - I actually drew on one of my own life experiences for that scene, though I was in the old lady's shoes when it happened to me.
link1able - I found it; I was looking for it on this site, I didn't think to check FIMFiction. Lol yeah, I like Luna's cheeky side, I just wish you got to see it more often in the show. I've always thought Scootaloo was awesome, and if I ever have a daughter, I can't say I'd mind if she was like the fiery filly.
KillerWow - I'm flattered to be your first. Who knows, maybe my story will continue the cycle and inspire you to write your own fanfic. ;)
HYBRID BATTLESHIP INFINITY210 - I gotta say, I love the enthusiasm! Yeah, please don't slap the adoption agency personnel; they're just trying to do their jobs, it's not their fault. They need to make sure that living with you is going to be in the child's best interest (gotta make sure you're not the next Charles Manson or a cannibal or something). Plus, I think they're technically government employees, so that would land you in prison for, y' know, forever.
A/N - Wow, ten reviews last chapter alone, that's awesome! That's the first time I've ever gotten double-digit reviews for a single chapter. And now, with that bit of excitement out of the way, for news: The doctors said that there doesn't seem to be any serious tendon damage and the nerve damage isn't as bad as they were afraid it would be, so rehabilitation should only take a few months instead of a year or more, if ever. I still won't be able to use this hand to type for awhile yet, but I found a decent speech-to-text app for my tablet that helps make up for that. So that means that I won't have to slow down on updates after all! Don't forget to follow/favorite, review, and most importantly, enjoy!
We were seated almost as soon as we got to the podium by a cream-colored unicorn mare. Since Scootaloo seemed intrigued by the scent of the fish, we opted not to get a table in the scent-blocking area of the restaurant. "So Blake, what is that smell? I kinda wanna try whatever it is." Scootaloo asked after the waitress had taken our drink orders and left.
"Well, to put it bluntly, it's fish. Though I'm not sure what kind exactly."
Her face paled slightly. "You mean ponies actually kill and cook living beings?!" She asked, obviously distressed.
"Well, if you think about it, they do that no matter what they eat." I told her matter-of-factly.
"Wh-what do you mean? I've never done that!
"Well think about it Scoots, aren't plants alive too?" After a moment, her eyes widened and she nodded. "Well, fish are no different. They're not exactly intelligent; they're driven by instinct and impulse, just like plants are. The only real difference is that their bodies are more complex than a plant's."
She took a long moment to consider this. "So what about bigger animals like cows?"
"Here, they're different. You could walk out into Applejack's pasture and hold a conversation with one, heck they might even give you a run for your money at chess. But where I'm from, they're little different than plants or fish. Just think of it this way: in order for one being to live, another must lose its life. Even grass gets its nutrition from this cycle, whether it be from decaying leaves that trees have shed or some unfortunate creature that lost its life outdoors. People where I'm from commonly call it the 'Circle of Life'; an animal eats a plant, then another animal comes along and eats the first animal, then that animal dies and feeds the plants, and the cycle continues, like a circle."
Her expression changed several times, from revulsion, to contemplation, and finally, acceptance. "I think I understand… i-if it's ok, I… I think I'd like to try some fish."
I stroked her shoulder warmly. "Sure thing kiddo, though how about I order the fish and you order something else? That way, you can try some of mine, and if you don't like it, you're not stuck with it."
"Sure! That sounds like a great idea!" The little filly beamed.
After offering her a smile, I turned my attention back to Luna, who had been listening to our talk patiently. "You seem to be a natural with young ones." She said with a bright smile.
"Well, I've always loved kids." I said brightly, my mood turning somewhat more somber after. "I've always wanted to have a child of my own, to raise and care for it, to watch it grow from the day it's born and guide it on its journey through life… though I suppose I'll never get that chance now…" I didn't want that mood to prevail. "But y'know what? That's alright, because that means I can make a difference in another child's life instead." I said as I glanced over to Scootaloo.
"That is truly a heart-warming sentiment Blake." Luna said in a tone that made it easy to tell she'd been touched by my words. "I have something I wish to tell you, but not here, it shall have to wait until later."
The waiter arrived moments later and took our orders. Scoots ordered a hayburger and some onion shoes off the foals menu, I ordered a breaded catfish filet with cottage cheese and mashed potatoes, while Luna had a fruit salad.
As it turned out, Scootaloo was a burgeoning pescatarian, quickly offering to trade me her hayburger for my fish filet. I declined her offer, instead cutting my filet in half and setting it on her plate. This earned me a huge grin from her, right before she devoured the offered food and moving on to her own. Luna and I shared a good laugh at her enthusiasm.
All too soon, the dinner was over and we headed back towards the palace. It didn't feel like it had been long enough for it, but by the time we left, it was time for Luna to fulfill her duty and raise the moon.
Once we returned to the palace, Luna walked us to our room and we bid each other a good night before she departed. "Hey Luna!" I called to her as she walked down the hallway. She looked back at the sound of my voice. "Come visit me once I wake up." She smiled brightly and continued her way down the hall.
I turned back into the room. "Well Scoots, we've had a long day, so I say it's just about time for bed."
She nodded with a yawn. "Me too…"
She followed me into the bathroom and we both brushed our teeth for the night. After, I scooted her out into the main room while I changed into an A-frame shirt and a pair of boxers to sleep in. When I walked back out into the main room, Scootaloo was already snuggling into her bed, tiredly pawing at the covers. I walked over and pulled the blankets up, tucking her in. "Night Scoots, sweet dreams." I whispered as I planted a kiss on her forehead.
As I turned to make my way back to my bed, Scootaloo whispered something that I barely heard, something that made me freeze in place. "I love you…"
"I love you too, Scootaloo." I whispered back, ignoring the tear of happiness that dropped as I said it.
After winding the watch Twilight had given me, I laid down in my bed and quickly fell asleep. All those hits to the feels had been exhausting.
There was a soft knock at the door as I was beginning to wake up. I got up and answered it to see Luna standing on the other side. "Morning Luna." I greeted.
"Good morning Blake. Am I too early?"
I yawned. "Well, I kinda need a shower at the very least, but that'll only take a few minutes if you wanna wait. After that, we can do whatever you wanna do."
She nodded and shooed me off with a hoof and a smile. While I was in the shower, a thought occurred to me. Once I was out of the shower and dressed, wrote a quick note for Scootaloo in case I wasn't back before she woke up. I motioned Luna to follow me out into the hall, and we left, closing the door as quietly as possible.
Once we were walking down the hall, I allowed Luna to lead. "So Luna," I began, wanting to ask her about what I'd come to realize in the shower. "I thought you were supposed to be resting during the day since you guard the night, but we always seem to spend time together during the daytime. Am I cutting into your sleep?"
She shook her head. "It is quite alright, I have been casting an invigoration spell upon myself, giving me an effect similar to drinking an… blast, what do you call them? Ah yes! An energy drink."
I frowned. "You know that's not good for you, right? I'd hate to see you get sick from something like that."
Before she responded, we stopped in front of a door. She opened it with her magic and stepped inside, beckoning me to follow. "I know." She said with a sigh once the door was shut behind us. "I cannot help it, I enjoy spending time with you, and this allows me to do so." I glanced around the room as she was talking, realizing that this was another bedroom, similar to but more ornate than the one I shared with Scootaloo.
Ignoring that for now, I walked over to her. "I understand Luna, and I appreciate it. I want to spend time with you too, but I don't want to see you harming yourself to do so." She looked up to me and gave me a small smile.
Without another word, Luna walked over to the window of the room. "Blake, I want you to know something…" She said after a moment of silently staring at the night sky. I was immediately alert, having heard the sadness in her voice. "I know that herding is a strange concept to you, and courting a different species is even stranger, so I want you to know that if you decide that this is all too much for you… I understand." She finished in a pained whisper.
"Luna, what are you saying?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
She turned around and walked over to me. "I am saying that if you wish to end our courtship, I w-" She wasn't able to finish her thought as I leaned down and, placing a hand on her cheek, kissed her. I did my very best to put all the emotions I felt towards her into the kiss.
I became worried that I might've made a mistake as she didn't respond for several moments. Then, I felt a shaky hoof brush past my own cheek and come to rest on the back of my neck as Luna began returning my feelings with her own. I felt damp lines in the fur of her cheeks as we kissed, telling me that she was crying, though I could tell that they were happy tears. I could taste a faint sweetness on her lips that made our first true kiss all the better.
Eventually, the kiss was broken and we pulled back slightly from one another, staring into each other's eyes. "I love you Luna," I told her truthfully. "And I would never do something like that to you, especially not for so petty a reason as it being new to me."
She responded by rearing up and wrapping her forelegs around my neck and reengaging our lips in another passionate kiss. A moment later, I could feel her pushing against me, and I could tell that she was trying to guide me. I allowed her to do so, trusting her as much as I had ever trusted anyone. Moments later, her destination became clear, though I had guessed it already, as the backs of my legs made contact with the soft mattress of the bed. I allowed myself to fall onto the bed, wrapping my free hand around the small of her back to gently pull her down with me.
I was somewhat surprised when I felt Luna's mouth open slightly and her tongue lightly brush against my lips. I opened my mouth as well, feeling a warm, tingling sensation throughout my body as our tongues met for the very first time. I could tell she felt it too when she shuddered above me. It was obvious that she was inexperienced at this, and I took the lead, with my tongue leading hers in an ever more intricate dance that led from the inside of her sweet mouth to mine and everywhere in between. We kissed like that for what felt like hours and seconds at the same time, neither of us paying any attention to anything besides the one in our embrace.
Eventually, she pulled back and looked deep into my eyes while I caressed her cheek. "I love you as well, Blake Marshall." She said with a loving smile before resting her head on my chest, panting lightly. "About what I wished to tell you at the restaurant…"
I placed a finger lightly over her lips. "Ssh. There will be time for that, for now, let's just enjoy this moment." I felt her nod lightly.
We lay there for a long time, Luna resting her head on my chest while I ran my fingers through her mane. It was a strange sensation, as it felt like I was running my fingers through strands of silk that were somehow insubstantial, like each strand was both a solid object and a mist at the same time.
I looked down to Luna to ask her about it, but it seemed she had sensed my question as she looked up to me with a smile. "There has never been an explanation for why an Alicorn's mane feels as it does, that is simply the way it is." Her horn lit up momentarily, and due to the sunlight peeking around the curtains, I could only guess that she had just lowered the moon.
We lay like that for awhile longer, until I noticed Luna's breathing change, telling me she had drifted off to sleep in my arms. As much as I wanted to stay with her like that, I knew I needed to get back to Scootaloo, this was a strange place after all, and I didn't want her to feel like I abandoned her.
I gently scooted my way out from under the beautiful princess above me and gently pulled the covers over her. "Goodnight my beautiful Luna, please sleep well today." I whispered as I gently caressed her cheek one last time.
"I will, my love." She whispered back as sleep claimed her.
I crept out of the room and closed the door quietly. The short walk back to my room was peaceful, not a guard or palace staff in sight. I reopened the door to our room and peeked inside to see Scootaloo still curled up in her bed, the tuft of her purple mane sticking out from the top of the sheets. I walked over to the bed and placed a hand gently on the filly's shoulder and began rocking her gently. "Hey Scoots, it's time to get up." I whispered.
She grumbled and rolled over under the sheets. "Jus' five more minnez."
"Sure thing Scoots."
Five minutes later found me once again rousing the tomboyish filly from her bed. This time, she sat up with a huge yawn and began rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What're we gonna do today?" She asked groggily.
"Well first, I think we should grab some breakfast, then I get to spend the day with those stuffy ponies we met yesterday, while you get to decide what you want to do. That is unless you want to sit there and listen to me try and teach them stuff that's probably gonna be over your head for the next decade or so."
"Don't worry about me Blake, I'll think of somethin'!"
As we were heading towards the palace gates to get breakfast in Canterlot, we passed a room that caught my attention. I stopped Scoots for a minute and walked over to the half-door with the top opened that led into the room. On the other side appeared to be a daycare, with fillies and colts of all ages running around and playing, with friendly looking mares watching over them and even joining in their games.
"What's up Blake? What's in there?" She asked as she trotted up next to me.
"Looks like a daycare… seems like everypony's having a blast too."
"Y-you want me to go to a daycare?!" She asked incredulously.
I shrugged. "It's just an option; there are plenty of fillies and colts around your age to play with in there." An idea then popped into my head. "Plus, it looks like plenty of them are missing their Cutie Marks… The CMC has a Manehatten branch, why not a Canterlot branch? And who better to start it than you?"
She looked hopeful, but still apprehensive at the same time. "I dunno… what if they're all snooty like the ponies we saw yesterday?"
I knelt down to her level. "I doubt they'll be like that, this looks like a daycare for palace staff and guards to leave their young ones while they work. I'll bet that most of them are just as much fun as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom." She still looked slightly nervous. "Tell you what; why don't we both go in and I'll stick around for awhile and let you meet a few of the other foals, and if you don't like it, we can go. Sound like a fair deal?"
She nodded her head. "Ok, let's give it a shot." She said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
I raised up her head to look me in the eyes. "Scoots, I'm not trying to force you into this, but I think you'd have more fun here than just about anywhere else, so if you really don't want to, we don't have to go in."
She sighed. "I know, it's not that, it's just… I guess after everything that happened yesterday, I just don't want to be away from you."
"I know Scoots. Yesterday was pretty rough for both of us, and I don't wanna be away from you either, but unless you want to sit there and be bored to tears all day, we need to find something for you to do." I told her as I gently stroked her cheek with my thumb.
She looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Could… could I maybe go with you today and we could try this tomorrow?" She asked, almost pleading.
"Sure thing Scoots. If they have a problem with it… well too bad, they'll just have to deal with it." She gave me a huge grin and we headed off towards one of the smaller cafés in town for breakfast.
Once breakfast was over, we headed back to the palace to begin the first day of meeting with the council ponies. The meeting went about as expected, with the various mares and stallions doing their level best to drive me insane with inane prattle and constant questioning of the legitimacy of what I was trying to teach them. Scootaloo fell asleep fairly quickly, likely from sheer boredom. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the session was over for the day and Scoots and I left the meeting room, the little orange Pegasus trotting groggily beside me. "So Scoots, what do you wanna do now?"
She yawned loudly and smacked her lips a few times. "I'm hungry; can we go back to that one restaurant that serves fish again?"
I grinned at her and we made our way to the restaurant to enjoy the first dinner we'd had for just the two of us. Though it wasn't official yet, it felt nice to think of it as a father and daughter outing.
After an enjoyable dinner with Scootaloo telling me about the interesting things she's seen and done in her young life, we headed back to the palace for the evening.
As we were walking down the main road towards our destination, a familiar rainbow blur landed in front of us. "Hey Blake." Our rainbow friend said, though I sensed something off about the way she said it.
"Hiya Rainbow Dash! What brings you to Canterlot?" Scootaloo asked with the usual enthusiasm she showed when her idol was around.
"Not much squirt." Dash replied as she tousled the filly's mane playfully. "I actually need to talk to Blake for just a sec, just me and him."
Scoots quickly took the hint, though seemed fine with it as she trotted off to a nearby wall and began humming to herself. Dash and I watched for a moment before she turned back to me. "Listen, I've been kinda unfair to you since you've been here." She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.
""What do you mean? Aside from that misunderstanding at Fluttershy's house, I haven't really seen a problem."
She sighed. "Yeah, I know, but that's because I was faking. I wasn't sure what to make of you… and to be honest, I didn't trust you. But I've realized that it wasn't fair for me to judge you like that before I even got to know you"
I was silent for a moment. "I see. I was wondering why I haven't seen nearly as much of you as I have of the others. So why are you telling me this now?"
"Well, I've heard about you from our other friends, and I got to thinking about how I'd been acting towards you. It made me realize that I had no reason to be distrustful of you, especially with the way you've been treating Scootaloo. I guess what I'm trying to say is… can we start over?"
"You mean a clean slate?" She nodded tentatively. "Well, I can't say I'm happy to hear that you've been basically lying to me, but as long as you're willing to make amends, I'm willing to give you a chance."
Her ears shot up from their position pinned to her head and she grinned. "Awesome! I got us tickets to the Wonderbolts derby the day after tomorrow; I was hoping we could go see it together as kind of a… I dunno, a peace offering I guess."
I thought about her offer for a moment. She'd talked about the Wonderbolts before, but aside from being some kind of aerial aces, I only had a vague idea of what they were. "Well to be honest, I was never really a fan of races, but that was back on my world where most of them took place on the ground. Who knows, it could be fun." I glanced over at Scoots, who was still humming happily. "Though what about Scootaloo? She's been through a lot the past few days, and I'd feel bad if I went and left her behind."
"See! That's why I'm saying I misjudged you; you have a huge heart, just like Twi says." She said with a big smile. "Don't worry about her though, foals don't need a ticket to see the derby, they just get a hoof-band when they go in. Plus, she loves the Wonderbolts!" She looked over to the filly in question. "Hey Squirt, you can come back over now!" She called out.
Scootaloo dashed back over to where we were standing. "So, what'd you guys have to talk about?"
"I, uh… I'll tell ya later kiddo, right now; I gotta jet back to Ponyville!" She said hastily before giving Scootaloo's mane one final tousle and taking off into the sky.
"But you just… got here." Scoots exclaimed as her idol took off and disappeared into Canterlot's evening skyline.
Don't worry Scoots, we'll see her again the day after tomorrow. And guess what else?" I asked her with a grin. She tapped her chin with a hoof for a moment before shrugging. "She's taking the both of us to see the Wonderbolts derby with her!"
Scootaloo's face instantly lit up. "Really!? I forgot there was a derby this week! That's so awesome, I can't wait to go see it with you two!" She exclaimed as she pranced excitedly around me as we continued our walk back to the palace.
It wasn't quite late enough for bed just yet, so we decided to take a tour of the castle. "Hey Scoots, want a ride?"
She looked at me quizzically. "What do you me- whoa, hey!" she yelped as I picked her up around her midsection and set her on my shoulders, with one leg going to either side of my head as I held her by her ankles. "Whoa, this is awesome! I bet you can see everything from up here!" I could feel her looking around at everything from her new vantage point as she held onto my head loosely with her little forelegs.
We explored the castle as much as we were allowed, both due to time constraints and from certain areas being off limits to the general public. We didn't see either princess on our walk, with Celestia likely retired from her duties for the night and Luna likely getting ready to begin her own.
We made our way back to our room and I set the dozing filly down on my bed and went into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. By the time I had finished and made my way back into the main room, Scootaloo had crawled her way under the covers of one side of the bed and appeared to be sleeping soundly. Not wanting to wake her, I decided to let her sleep there for the night and crawled into the other side of the bed.
Once I had finished the painstakingly slow process of situating myself, I leaned over and kissed the side of the sleeping filly's head. "Night Scoots, I love you." I whispered softly as I leaned back over to lie down and go to sleep myself.
"Love you too daddy."