Chapter 7

The clean chemical smell of the hospital stung Scratch's nose as they entered Symphonia's room. Her hooves clattered loudly on the tile floor as she searched for any sound of either Maxim or Symphonia with her ears twitching back and forth nervously. Octavia hesitantly followed behind the unicorn with Mr. Bramblebrims at her side.

“Hello girls,” Maxim said without looking up from his sleeping wife. The stallion sat hunched over and unmoving, watching the labored breathing of the mare. “Symphonia, the girls are here.”

The mare's eyes cracked open and looked lovingly at the two fillies.

“Mother?” squeaked Octavia.

“Hello my dears,” she gasped painfully. “How was your day?”

Maxim stood and allowed the two fillies to walk up to her bedside, all the while adverting his eyes from the girls. Scratch was the first to reply.

“I-I got my cutie mark today,” she said forcing a smile.

“That's wonderful.” Symphonia weakly ruffled the unicorn's mane. “May I see it?”

Scratch turned sideways and the mare admired the mark approvingly with glassy, violet eyes.

“That is lovely.” She was thrown into a coughing fit that passed after a few seconds.

“Mother?” Octavia was shivering with fear. “Are you going to get better?”

“Don't worry about me my love,” she cooed. “I want to hear about your day and see you smile.”

“I learned a new song.” Octavia forced a slight smile that quickly dissipated when her mother started coughing again.

“You should play it for me sometime.” Symphonia closed her eyes and smiled as if she was listening to a sweet song.

“What is wrong mother? Why did the coughing get worse?”

Symphonia's eyes reopened. “Oh, there was this new medicine that we wanted to try and I guess it reacted badly in my body and is making me sicker. Don't worry my darling Octavia, I stopped taking it and I should start getting better soon.”

Neither Octavia or Scratch believed her but they forced themselves to hope that what she said was true. They remained at her side for the rest of the day and long into the night. Scratch fell asleep in a seat next to Maxim who had yet to say a word since they arrived. Scratch knew he felt guilty about something but could not bring herself to speak to the stallion. Mr. Bramblebrims remained standing at attention in the farthest corner, his face etched with sorrow. After sleeping for around an hour Scratch was woken by the fearful cries of Octavia who was still by her mother's side.

“Mother?” She touched Symphonia's shoulder. “Mother...mom! Mommy! Mommy please wake up!”

There was no reply from the mare who remained motionless on the bed, a peaceful smile set across her lips. Scratch felt like she was going to be sick as Octavia continued to scream. Maxim stood and tried to comfort the wailing filly who now had her face buried into the mane of her mother.

“Mommy,” Octavia cried like a young foal. “Mommy don't go. Don't go...don't go, don't go, don't go...”

Scratch wished deeply that she was deaf as well as blind.

Scratch had always loved the sweet smell of freshly dug dirt but as they set the coffin into the grave she hated the earthy smell with a passion. The birds chirped happily in the trees, the sound clashed with the quiet whimpering of Octavia next to her. Her sister had barely spoken since Symphonia had died three days ago. When she did talk it was usually just one word replies like yes, no or maybe. The heartless clunk of the casket hitting the bottom of the grave made Scratch unexpectedly angry. It wasn't fair, Scratch's life had been taking a turn for the better. She had a home, a family, and now a purpose in life. But now it all seemed to pale in comparison to the dark days she found herself in now.

Octavia blamed Maxim for the death of her mother. She refused to even talk to him or even look at him. Maxim's heart was broken, his usual playful and optimistic self shattered and replaced by a downtrodden and weary looking stallion. Every day leading up to the funeral all the music scratch heard him play was of sorrow and pain.

Scratch fiddled with the rose before throwing it into the grave, hesitating to try and find something suitable to say.

“Goodbye.” That was all that came to her mind.

Scratch waited to hear what Octavia would say as she tossed her rose into the pit, but the filly said nothing. After the congregation left, the four of them remained behind and stared thoughtfully at the tombstone.

“Symphonia Harmony,” Mr. Bramblebrims read the stone aloud. “A loving wife, caring mother and good friend. She had a voice that rivaled the songs of the phoenixes.”

Maxim placed his hoof on the granite top, whispered some indiscernible words then turned and left.

When they had returned home Octavia retrieved her cello and made a beeline to her favorite spot on the lake's edge. Scratch decided to stay with Maxim inside the house. The stallion sat at the kitchen table, his face in his hooves.

“She hates me,” he sighed. “I don't blame her. I hate myself too.”

“It isn't your fault,” Scratch tried to comfort him as Bramblebrims nodded in agreement.

“It is partially,” he replied. “It was my idea to give her the untested medicine.”

The unending sorrow of the stallion was contagious and Scratch found herself becoming even more depressed than she already was.

“Sir,” Bramblebrims cut in. “She agreed to it. Please stop blaming yourself.”

Maxim gave no reply. Scratch decided that any further attempts to cheer him up would prove fruitless. She left both of the stallions and sought out Octavia. Scratch followed the emotional sound of somepony playing a cello forcefully. Octavia made no sign that she noticed the unicorn’s approach. When she finished the song Scratch took it as an opportunity to talk to her sister.

“Hey sis, how are you feeling?”

Octavia immediately started another song without replying. Scratch wasn't going to give up. She was going to mend the family as best she could even if it meant dragging her sister out of her silence.

“C'mon sis, you can talk to me. You need to let your emotions out and I can listen.”

Octavia continued playing.

“Sis, you can't blame your father for what happened to our mom-” Scratch immediately wished she hadn't said anything.

“She isn't your mother and you are not my sister!” Octavia turned on the unicorn, her voice radiating hate. “You will never be my sister and your real mother is dead! Just like mine!”

She leaped off of the rock and made her way toward Scratch as the cello clattered into the water. The white filly backed up on shaky legs, painful emotions rapidly rising.

“You are nothing more than a guest to this family. A leech feeding off of my parent's good will!”

“You-you don't mean that!” Scratch struggled to prevent the tears that were spilling out from behind her glasses.

“Just go away!” Octavia was now in Scratch's face. “If you want to make everypony feel better then run away and never come back!”

“No, I-I- I just want-”

“Leave!” Octavia spun around and kicked Scratch hard in the face with her back, right hoof. Scratch felt her glasses shatter as she crumpled to the ground, tears and blood streaming down her cheek. Octavia turned and retrieved her cello from the lake, walked past the stunned Scratch and back toward the house.

Scratch rocked back and forth reflecting over everything Octavia had said. After a few minutes she stood and ran. She didn't stop running even when her legs burned, lungs ached and tears had dried up.

Octavia regretted everything she had said to Scratch. The earth pony sat in her room drying off her cello and wishing she could take it all back. She decided to apologize after the guilt became too much for her to bear. After searching around the house and yard for nearly half an hour and not finding any sign of the white unicorn Octavia's heart dropped and she decided to confront her father about what had happened. She found him in the front room writing a piece of music. Octavia silently walked up next to him.

“Father?”

Maxim jumped at the sound of her voice. Internally he was overjoyed that his daughter was talking to him but that joy quickly faded when he saw the look on her face. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong but the filly spoke first.

“I did something terrible,” she cried.

“What are you talking about?”

Octavia recounted everything she had said and done to Scratch as Maxim's face rapidly became that of fear and disappointment.

“I think she ran away.” Octavia was openly weeping now. “I am an idiot. A selfish idiot!”

“You are only a selfish idiot if you don't try to find her ask for forgiveness,” Maxim reassured his daughter, disappointment still strong in his voice. “Come, lets go find her.”

They retrieved Bramblebrims and set out in different directions. Bramblebrims searching the countryside and Maxim and Octavia making their way toward Fillydelphia. They searched the busy streets of the city asking anypony and everypony they met if they had seen Scratch but to no avail. The sun was quickly going down and hope quickly fading when they finally found her hiding in an alleyway crying uncontrollably.

“Scratch!” Maxim called as he galloped up to her side.

She turned her head toward the stallion, face dirty and mane littered with trash and leaves. Before she could say anything he scooped her up into a warm embrace and nuzzled her nose affectionately.

“I was afraid that I lost you too,” he sobbed.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” She dug her face into his neck, smelling the pleasant cologne that he always wore. Joy and a sense of belonging suddenly returned. “I wanted to come home but I got lost and-and I was so afraid!”

“It’s alright now.” He looked her in the eyes. “No matter what, always remember that we love you. You are my daughter and part of this family, nothing will ever come between us.”

Octavia timidly made her way up to her family. Scratch heard her approaching and she looked sadly at her sister. The unicorn opened her mouth to speak but Octavia cut her off.

“I am so sorry sister, I didn't mean any of what I said.” Octavia wiped away her tears and stared down at the ground. “I am sorry. Please forgive me.”

Scratch reached out her hoof and pulled the other filly into the hug.

“I forgave you the moment you found me,” She whispered in Octavia's ear. “You called me your sister.”

“I know,” Octavia replied.

“This is the first time you have ever called me that.”

“I love you sister,” Octavia said back. “I love you.”

They remained in their hug for over a minute before Maxim spoke.

“Come,” he said softly. “Lets go home.”

____________________________________________________________________________________
I do not own MLP:FiM.