Chapter 2

Puff Tart trotted through the orphanage playground the curls in her hair bouncing with every step. She was in an exceptionally good mood. Her mother had given her permission to roam the orphanage and keep an eye on what was going on while she was downtown visiting her boyfriend, Officer Chaser. Basically she had a free ticket to abuse the inmates of the lovely institution. She didn't believe her mood could increase beyond the point where it was now, her hair was all prissy and clean, her eyelashes straight and long and a playground full of parentless foals just waiting to be insulted. It was a glorious day. That was until she noticed that strange, blue haired unicorn standing in the middle of the grounds with a crooked smile on her face. Puff Tart's mood skyrocketed.

“Hello Blood Eyes,” Puff Tart taunted as she trotted up to Scratch, stopping directly in front of the white unicorn. “Didn't expect you to be outside. Why don't you go play with the others? Wait never mind, that is a bad idea. You will just get in the way. You really are useless.”

Scratch continued to smile and Tart's good mood lessened.

“Why are you smiling? Are you deaf too? Hello?”

Scratches eyes suddenly opened, revealing her ruby eyes to the startled Puff Tart.

“Boo,” Scratch growled.

Ditzy fidgeted with the can of bright red paint as she sat quietly on the small cloud hovering over the orphanage grounds. Scratch had smuggled the paint out of the janitors closet shortly after breakfast. Her friend stood motionless below her as the other foals silently moved past, giving the unicorn a wide berth. Several of the foals stared curiously at Scratch, she rarely came outside during playtime, and they wondered what she would do. Interest in the unmoving unicorn soon dissipated and they left her to play games elsewhere. The chilly winter wind tugged at her unkempt mane and she shivered. She had learned how to fly only weeks ago and her journey up to the cloud in the wind, while carrying a can of paint, had pushed the gray pegasus to her limits.

“This is a bad idea,” Ditzy whispered to herself.

But it was to late to go back on the plans now because just then Puff Tart exited the building and made a beeline strait toward scratch. Ditzy crouched down deeper into the cloud and readied the paint. She couldn't hear the words exchanged but she knew the sign that Scratch would give. She didn't have to wait long. Scratch's eyes opened and Ditzy tipped the paint over.

It sounded beautiful! Scratch listened to the sound of the paint falling through the air, the sound of it splattering on the ground and all over Puff Tart. The paint landed on her too of course, the unpleasantly cold liquid dripped down Scratch's skin chilling her to the bone, but that was a small price to pay in order to hear the horrified screams of the snobbish unicorn in front of her.

“My mane,” Puff Tart screeched, “my beautiful mane! What have you done! You stupid orphan! How could you do this to me?”

Scratch just stood there smiling, red eyes glaring at her screaming victim. Puff Tart rushed off, leaving a trail of paint behind her. Ditsy flew down from the cloud and landed next to her friend, the paint can hanging from her mouth.

“That was funny,” the pegasus said as she dropped the can. She noticed the paint spattered across Scratch's body. “Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to get any on you.”

Scratch had her eyes closed once again and smiled.

“It's okay,” she ruffled the Ditzy's mane. “I sort of expected it.”

“Scratch!”

'Fun is over,' thought Scratch.

Madam Puffeltop glared at the white unicorn from the orphanage entrance. A look of pure rage and hate emanated from her eyes. Ditzy squeaked in fear. The orphanage matron stormed toward them.

“Back so soon ma'am?” Scratch sneered.

“How dare you dump paint on my daughter!” Madam Puffeltop slapped her right hoof across Scratch's face, knocking the white filly onto her side.

Scratch was in shock, her face throbbing. She could feel tears welling up but she refused to let them show. Never had Madam Puffeltop hit an orphan, not even Scratch. She felt herself be magically lifted off of the ground and carried into the orphanage. Ditzy watched as they disappeared into the building, shaking in fear and expecting Madam Puffeltop to return and enact the same punishment on her. But after several minutes it became evident that she would not be receiving any repercussions for her involvement in the prank.

Scratch was harshly tossed into the orphanage basement. A cold damp room that smelled of mold and rats. The large steel door slammed shut and locked behind her. Scratch stood and hobbled over to the far corner, her spot, and slumped heavily to the ground. The wall that her corner was the warmest place in the whole room. The wall was adjacent to the boilers and what little heat made it through was a welcomed relief from the chill of the basement. Scratch sighed heavily and rubbed her cheek with her hoof.

“Here I am again.” She scrunched closer to the wall, soaking up the heat as best she could, “back in this dungeon.”

She laid down on her back and stared blindly at the ceiling and listened to the faint hisses and thumping’s of the boiler next door. The paint was starting to dry and made Scratch itch but she tried her best to ignore it.

“At least it was worth it,” she laughed.

Her mind wandered to Ditzy, alone once again, without Scratch there to be a big sister to her. There was supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight and Scratch bit her lip in worry.

'Was it really worth it?'

She decided to apologize to Ditzy when she got out of her prison. Whenever that was going to be.

Scratch listed to the rhythmic thumping of the boiler and decided to make up a song. She had been in there for two days and she needed something to distract her from the growing pain in her stomach.

“There once was a mean mare

who had ugly orange hair

she locked foals in boxes...”

She struggled to find an appropriate word that rhymed with boxes.

“And she fed them to foxes? Sure,” Scratch continued with the song.

“And she fed them to foxes

One day she will die

they will bake her in a pie? Whatever. I give up. Time for a new song!”

“Good morning Scratch,” Madam Puffeltop said pleasantly.

Scratch awoke and turned her head toward the mare standing in the doorway. Her ears twitched nervously from side to side as if they were searching for a faint sound.

“I think after five days of being down here you have learned your lesson, so I am letting you out without making you do chores.” Puffeltop continued, “go to the cafeteria and get yourself something to eat. There should be plenty of leftovers from today’s breakfast.”

“Okay,” Scratch moaned weakly.

“What?”

“I mean, yes Madam Puffeltop,” Scratch replied in a stronger tone.

“Good. Oh, and get yourself cleaned up. That paint makes it look like you have blood on you. Though, it does match your eyes.”

Scratch headed to the cafeteria first. Her rumbling stomach and dry mouth begging her to move faster, but she was to weak to move in any hurry. She stumbled through the halls and even tripped down a flight of stairs but she kept going at the same tenacious pace. She finally arrived at the cafeteria where Miss Butterheart was busy cleaning the counter top. The smell of food nearly made Scratch crazy as she made her way up to the mare.

“Well hello Scratch,” Butterheart said pleasantly “I see that Madam Puffeltop let you out finally. Take a seat at a table, little one, and I will get you something to eat.”

Scratch complied and sat at the nearest table which was still covered with the remnants of the messes from breakfast. She sat impatiently and listened to the faint sounds of orphans playing in other parts of the building.

“Here you go deary,” Butterheart placed a large assortment of food in front of Scratch who promptly started gorging herself, “slow down dear, you don't want to choke. I will go get you some water.”

Scratch continued eating at the same pace. Butterheart returned with a pitcher of water and set it down in front of her along with a glass. The starving unicorn ignored the glass and went strait for the pitcher, brought it clumsily up to her mouth and took large gulps, spilling water all over. Butterheart shook her head, left the filly and continued cleaning. Scratch quickly cleared her plate, thanked Miss Butterheart and left the cafeteria, she was feeling more energized but was still weak.

After taking a quick shower in the wash room she made her way up to the sleeping quarters where she expected to find Ditzy and maybe get some real sleep.

“Ditzy?” she called out as she entered the room.

No answer. Scratch shrugged.

'Maybe she is out playing,' she thought.

Scratch decided that it wasn't something to worry about, She slid into her bed and quickly fell asleep.

Scratch woke several hours later for lunch. She entered the cafeteria expecting Ditzy to come trotting up to her or hear some form of greetings from her friend but there was no sign of the pegasus. She sat down at the empty table, confusion and anxiety growing in her mind. She decided to ask somepony where Ditzy was. A foal trotted past her.

“Have you seen Ditzy?” she asked.

She heard the unknown foal pause, then continue walking.

'What did I expect.'

There was only one pony she trusted to give her an answer and surprisingly it was Madam Puffeltop.

“Hello Scratch,” Puffeltop said callously as Scratch entered her office an hour later “what brings you here?”

“Uh,” Scratch stuttered, “I was wondering if you could, um, tell me where Ditzy is? I can't find her anywhere.”

“Oh,” the matron said, faking surprise, “didn't you hear? Ditzy was adopted two days ago. A family from Ponyville stopped by and they instantly fell in love with the little cross eyed, clumsy filly.”

Scratch was in shock.

“She, she is gone?”

“Yes,” she smiled cruelly, Puffeltop knew how much the little pegasus meant to Scratch. “Why, are you not happy for her?”

“I-I am happy, I am,” Scratched croaked through rising tears. She turned and rushed out of the room.

Puffeltop sat back and chuckled softly.

It was raining again that night and Scratch sat on her bed listening to the drops hit her window. The melody of the water played a sad tune as tears streamed from the ruby eyes of the unicorn. She pressed her face against the window, feeling the cold, misty glass on her skin.

“Goodby Ditzy,” she whispered. “Goodby little sister.”

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I am sorry if I made you sad.
I do not own MLP:FIM so don't think that I do.
Please leave a comment.