Chapter 4

Scratch didn’t know if she should squeal with joy, jump up and down or fall over laughing at the ridiculousness of Mr. Orchestratus Maxim's proposition. What she actually did was stand there with her mouth gaped open and looking rather silly. The room remained quiet for several seconds with Mr. Maxim smiling expectantly at the filly. Madam Puffeltop was the first one to break the silence.

“Are you going to say anything Scratch?”

“What?” She said slowly, each letter drawn out.

“Are you going to reply to Mr. Maxim?” An edge of irritation growing in the mare's voice.

“It's okay Madam Puffeltop,” Mr. Maxim said pleasantly. “Give her time to allow the news to sink in.”

“Are you se- serious?” Scratch's voice cracked. She could feel the excitement quickly building but repressed it until she knew that this wasn't a ruse.

“I am very serious.”

Scratch found no hint of falseness or sarcasm in his voice. She allowed the excitement to erupt out of her in a high pitched squeal of joy. Mr. Maxim turned to Madam Puffeltop, a look of 'I told you so' glinting in his eyes. Scratch was about to start jumping up and down when suddenly she got light headed and fainted. A slight smile still played across her face as the filly lay peacefully on the floor. Mr. Maxim jumped to his hooves and helped Scratch stand back up.

“I-I don't know what to say.” Scratch wrapped her hooves around his neck in a shaky embrace, emotions running wild and tears streaming down her face. She breathed in the sweet smell of his cologne and instantly felt more stable. “Thank you!”

The bag Scratch held in her mouth was filled with what little possessions she owned. A small hairbrush that she rarely used, toothbrush and the small green blanket that she was wrapped in on her arrival at the orphanage all those years ago. She trotted out of the orphanage entrance and toward a Trotillac carriage where Mr. Maxim was waiting patiently.

“You ready to go?” He asked as she placed the bag in the back seat.

“Been ready my whole life.”

Madam Puffeltop watched from the orphanage entrance as the carriage pulled away.

“Lucky brat, I bet she doesn't even know who that is,” she huffed with a smile before returning to her office.

As the entered the empty country street Scratch inhaled deeply, savoring the new smells the rushed up to meet her. Wildflowers, apple orchards, corn fields and of course her new favorite smell, new carriage smell. Mr. Maxim remained silent, watching the filly with a curios expression. Eager to start a verbal relationship and get to know her better, Maxim struck up a conversation.

“So...” At the sound of his voice Scratch turned her full attention to him. “What kind of music do you like?”

“Um,” she bit her lip in contemplation, her ears twitching “I don't know? I didn't get to listen to that much music in the orphanage. What kinds are there?”

“Well, there is rock, rap, jazz, classical, orchestral, country, I would be rambling off the different types of music for close to an hour. How about when we get to my house we listen to some music and you can decide what you like?”

“Sounds good!” She smelled something sweet but refused to let it distract her. “Where do you live?”

“In a nice house outside of Fillydelphia.” Scratch could tell he was being modest about something as he continued talking “plenty of land for you to roam and play. You will be sharing a room with my daughter until we can get a better sleeping location set up.”

“How big is your house and land?'

He remained quiet for a moment.

“Twenty acres.”

“Are you, like, a farmer or something? Is that why you have so much land?” Scratch exclaimed.

“No,” Maxim chuckled. “I am a musician.”

“Are you rich? How big is the house?”

“I am, as you say, rich.” He shook his head and his smile widened. “My house is three stories tall, has three bathrooms, five bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen, two sitting rooms, wine cellar and attic. Are you hungry?”

Scratch remained silent, disbelieving her luck. Her stomach rumbled, snapping her out of the trance.

“Yes, I am hungry.”

Maxim turned his attention to the two stallions pulling the carriage.

“Pull in to that pizza place, please.”

“Aye boss.” They diverged from the road and pulled up in front of a quaint pizzeria named The Alfalfa Slice.

They stopped and all four of them, including the carriage ponies, entered the building. Scratch's mouth started to water from the sudden onslaught of ambrosial smells.

“My name is Stringycheese and I will be your waitress today,” said a young, thin and pale earth pony as they walked in.

“I never had pizza before,” Scratch said to the waitress as they were led to their seats. The carriage ponies sat across the isle from Scratch and Mr. Maxim already deep in conversation about sports teams and derby races.

“Really,” the waitress replied. “How come?”

“They never served it at the orphanage.”

“That is so sad.” She perked up with an idea. “Today you can have a free pizza on the house!”

“Oh, that won't be necessary,” Maxim shook his head and smiled. “I wouldn't mind paying for it.”

“I insist!” The waitress beamed. “What would you like on your pizza?”

Scratch sat there thinking for a moment. “What can I put on it?”

“Just look through the menu silly, there is a list on page two.”

Scratch's mood suddenly darkened.

“I'm not hungry anymore,” she groaned.

Maxim and Stringycheese stared at the filly with confused looks on their faces.

“I am sorry about this,” Maxim said quietly to the waitress then turning to the two carriage ponies. “Do you two want to stay here and eat while we go for a walk? I will come back and pay for your meal.”

“Sure,” one of them replied.

“Was it something I said?” The waitress chewed her lip.

'Yes,' Scratch growled mentally.

“No, it's alright,”Maxim reassured the young mare. “She is just a little sensitive about her blindness.”

“Oh-oh my, oh my I am so sorry, I truly am.” Stringycheese scrambled for words. “I didn't know, oh my, is that why her eyes are closed, oh oh my. Please forgive me!”

“It's okay,” Scratch's mood cooled but she still didn't feel like eating.

“Is there any stores nearby where we can go and wait until these two are done eating?” Maxim stood along with Scratch.

“There's a uh... there is a Fashion and Accessories store just a block away.”

“Thank you.”

They left and walked down the street in silence. Scratch magically picked up a stick and used it to feel around her unknown surroundings.

“This is the first time I had to do this in years,” she said quietly.

“First time you had to do what?”

“Use a stick to feel where I am going” she waved the stick around to emphasize her point. “I had memorized every part of the orphanage so I didn't need to feel around anymore. It was almost like I could see.”

“Just think of it as a good sign,” Maxim said, optimism abundant. “Whenever you find yourself in a place where you need to use a stick, just think of it as an opportunity to learn more about the places you are visiting.”

“What is the use of visiting anywhere when you can't see any of it?”

Maxim smiled. “There is more to life than the things you can see.”

“Welcome to Fashion and Accessories,” said a well dressed mare behind the counter as they entered. Scratch thought her voice was to high pitched and irritating. “Holler if you need anything.”

“Would you like me to buy you something,” Maxim asked the filly sulking next to him. “I will buy you practically anything.”

Scratch couldn’t resist the opportunity to get whatever she wanted. All the years of receiving nothing the majority of her life would be partially made up for today. But when she opened her mouth to ask for something her mind remained blank.

“What do you think I should get?” She asked timidly.

He looked at Scratch for a second then reached out his hoof and lifted the long hair that covered her eyes which remained clamped shut.

“I know one thing that I am getting you, a hair cut,” he laughed, then in a sweeter tone. “May I see your eyes?”

She hesitated for several seconds before revealing them.

“I think they are beautiful,” he said softly. Scratch smiled, this was the first time anypony had complimented her eyes.

“Ooh,” she suddenly squealed “I know what I want!”

“What?”

“Sunglasses!”

“Very well,” he trotted up to the mare at the counter. “Do you have any designer glasses by the company Celestial Waves or by the designer Mirror Dent?”

“Sorry honey,” she said. “The only designer glasses I have are Crystal Lens.”

“Okay,” Maxim said as she pulled out a rack of ten different Crystal Lens glasses. “I think dark blue and red would look good on you.”

“I like purple,” Scratch said sliding up next to the stallion. “It was Ditzy's favorite color. The color of blueberries after they had been baked into a muffin.”

“They don't have purple,” he replied after a quick check.

“Oh,” Scratch was disappointed and she didn't refrain from showing it. “I guess blue works.”

He gave her the glasses with blue lenses which she promptly put on.

“How do I look?”

“You look lovely.”

“They are not very comfortable but I like them.” Scratch adjusted them on her nose.

“Yeah,” Maxim said as he gave the cashier the money. “That is the problem with Crystal Lens, they focus to much on the lenses and not on how they feel. That is why I like Celestial Waves and Mirror Dent's glasses better.”

“They are good enough for me!” Scratch smiled and hugged the stallion. “Thank you again for making this the best day of my life.”

Scratch was glad to be back on the road. The new sounds and smells that they past kept her mind active as they bumped down the empty street. The rocking of the carriage soon started to lull her to sleep and Mr. Maxim soon felt a pressure in his right side. He looked down and found the filly snuggled against him fast asleep, her glasses glinting in the sunlight. Realization popped into his mind and he started to worry how his daughter would react to the newest addition to the family.

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