Chapter 3

Madam Puffeltop glared at the adolescent unicorn who sat impassively in front of her desk. Scratch was hunched over, her face pointed down and long mane draped over her closed eyes like a blue curtain.

“I need to find a new way to punish you,” the matron said as she leaned forward and rubbed her forehead with the bottom of her hoof. “Locking you in the basement doesn't work, neither does making you do chores or anything I can legally do to you.”

Scratch remained unmoving but muttered from behind her mane, “then don't do anything. It will just be a waste of your time.”

“You set Mr. Pedagogue Wise's desk on fire!” Puffeltop exclaimed. She waved her hoof violently through the air, temptation to slap the orphan growing. She soon regained composure, slumped back into her seat and continued talking. “Now I will have to buy a new desk for the orphanage teacher's classroom. You need to be punished. If not to teach you a lesson, because we both know you will learn nothing from it, then to prevent the other foals from becoming dissidents like you.”

“Hmm,” was Scratch's reply.

Puffeltop ground her teeth and continued.

“Ever since that friend of yours was adopted five years ago your behavior has gone beyond simple pranks to outright vandalism and a disregard for other ponies. You are becoming nothing more than a criminal Miss. Scratch, a criminal. If it was up to me you would be sent to the Manhattan prison to be looked after by my husband. Locked up behind bars! But to my despair you are still to young for any form of adult punishments. Well, in four more years when you turn sixteen I will be kicking you out into the street. I wait longingly for that day.”

Madam Puffeltop paused and thought for a moment, the slight smile on her face betraying her hopeful prospects for the future. She abruptly returned her attention to the filly in front of her.

“So, what should I do with you, answer me that?”

“The usual couldn't hurt none,” Scratch lifted her head, eyes still closed and hidden behind her hair. A crooked smile spread across her mouth.

“Very well,” Puffeltop huffed. “Three days in the basement. At least it will be three days without you running around ruining anything.”

Scratch slid out of her seat and faced Puffeltop with an impatient look on her face.

“What are you waiting for? Are you going to take me down there?”

“Are you in that much of a hurry for your punishment? Then I best not keep you waiting. But let me say this, and I know I have said it many times before. Scratch, if you keep up this behavior you will never be adopted. Nopony wants a daughter that acts like you.”

“Nopony wants one that is blind either,” Scratch replied sharply, her tone harsher than she intended it to be.

Scratch's time in the basement was just like the hundred or more times she had been in there. She slept, made up songs and thought up new ways to get under Madam Puffeltop's skin. The three days flew by and Scratch was soon out and ready to start more trouble. She made her way up to the sleeping quarters after a replenishing meal when two adults aproached her followed by one of the orphans. She could tell who they were by the sound of their hoof steps. The orphan was a earth pony colt named Pitterpat, only five years old and overly curios about everything. Scratch would have liked the kid more if he didn't ask so many questions about her eyes. One of the adults was Miss Butterheart and the other an unknown mare.

“Thank you again for adopting,” Butterheart was saying as they walked past. “I am sure you will be an excellent mother to Pitterpat.”

“Oh I hope so,” the mare said happily. “I instantly fell in love with the little guy, he is just the most precious and perfect little thing.”

“Perfectionist,” Scratch hissed as the hoofsteps and voices faded away.

She stood in the hall silently fuming over what the mare had said. Every time somepony visited and adopted they were always looking for certain traits, a perfect example of a son or daughter. Scratch failed their tests every time. They never gave her a second glance.

Her anger abruptly dissipated and sadness took over. She rarely thought about it but Madam Puffeltop was right. Scratch would never be adopted.

'I am worthless,' she thought to herself.

She heard other orphans approaching around a corner and to prevent them from seeing her cry the filly slid into a nearby broom closet and closed the door. Scratch slumped to the floor and let her emotions pour out as silent tears.

Scratch smelled something that reminded her of spring flowers and freshly cut wood as she made her way to class one morning. A month had past since she cried in the closet and her mood had quickly returned to mischief making. Scratch was just about to enter Mr. Pedagogue Wise's room when the pleasant smell suddenly wafted around her. She quite liked it and the pony soon found herself following the scent, sniffing the air like a curios puppy. She quickly arrived at Madam Puffeltop's office. Scratch was about to turn and leave, thinking that the new smell was nothing more than Officer Chaser visiting, when the door swung open and the filly found herself under the surprised eyes of Madam Puffeltop and an unknown stallion.

“Oh,” Puffeltop said after a moment of awkward silence. “What are you doing outside my office?”

“Uh...” Scratch trailed off.

“Well hello there young lady,” exclaimed the stallion, his voice was strong and formal, but to Scratch's surprise, didn't sound snobbish. The stallion's cologne distracted her from the immediate situation. She found her mind wandering the pleasant smell and long forgotten memories of days when she played outside during the spring with Ditzy.

“Scratch, say hello back,” Puffeltop chided.

Scratch snapped abruptly back into real life.

“Uh, hi,” she squeaked.

“Run along dear and go to class,” Puffeltop said pleasantly but Scratch could hear a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

Scratch opened her mouth and prepared a stark reply but decided against it. For some reason she liked the unknown stallion and didn't want to give him any cause to dislike her.

“Yes Madam Puffeltop,” Scratch replied kindly. She cantered away from the two adults.

When the orphan had left the stallion turned toward the mare next to him.

“I thought you said there was no orphans above the age of eight? That all of the older ones had been adopted long ago?”

“Yes I did, all of the adoption worthy ones at least.”

“Adoption worthy?” the stallion tilted his head, puzzled.

“That was Scratch. She is twelve years old but is quite a rebel and a trouble maker. I doubt that you would want her.”

“She is twelve?” The stallion sounded ecstatic. “That is the same age as my daughter!”

“Don't tell me you are seriously thinking about adopting her.”

“I am serious. I have been searching everywhere for a sister or brother for my daughter. She lacks friends so I came up with the idea to adopt a foal to give her company.”

“But Scratch is, well... Scratch is different. She would not make a good daughter,” Puffeltop pleaded. “Why not chose a foal that is younger and more suitable for-”

The stallion cut her short, “Madam Puffeltop, I insist that Scratch come live with me. I think all she needs is a good home, and trust me, I have a good home.”

“But she is also blind sir,” Puffeltop reasoned with him.

“Why should that prevent her from being loved?”

“Plants require sunlight to grow,” Mr. Pedagogue Wise stood behind his makeshift desk and magically held up a picture of a leaf with yellow arrows representing sunlight pointing at it. “The process in which the leaf converts light, air and water into energy is called photosynthesis.”

He looked around the room. “Does everyone understand the lesson so far?”

There was only three foals in the room, all but one stared back at him with looks of interest on their faces. Scratch slept soundly with her head on the desk and a small steam of drool dribbling down the wooden surface. Mr. Wise didn't bother to wake the unicorn and continued with the lesson.

“The plant builds up energy and when we eat them the energy is-”

“Excuse me Mr. Wise,” Madam Puffeltop whispered from the doorway, cutting the lesson short. “Sorry for interrupting but I would like to see Scratch in my office. Could you send her up when you get the chance. Thank you.”

Puffeltop walked away and Mr. Wise stared thoughtfully at the snoring foal. A sly grin slid across his face and he quietly made his way to Scratch's desk. The other two ponies watched expectantly as he leaned forward until his face was inches away from her's.

“Wake up!” He screamed. “Madam Puffeltop wants to see you!”

Scratch's eyes exploded open. She flew backwards in her seat and landed with a loud thud on the floor. The unicorn lay bewildered and motionless for several seconds before rising to her hooves and muttering what sounded like, “buck you shit face”.

Before Mr. Wise could yell at her for making such a comment she trotted out of the door and down the hall.

'What did I do now?' She thought angrily 'I have been good lately.'

Scratch reached Puffeltop's office but before she entered she noticed the same pleasant smelling cologne wafting out from the cracks in the door and the filly suddenly became nervous for unknown reasons. Scratch hesitantly pushed open the door.

“Hello?” She said quietly.

“Hello Scratch,” said the stallion, his voice pleasant and warm. “I am Mr. Orchestratus Maxim. How would you like to be my daughter?”

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you thought it was too short don't worry, the next one will be longer.
I do not own any part of MLP: FiM. Nothing, nothing at all.
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