Chapter 3

The orphanage loomed over her and though Scratch could not see it, she could feel its presence pushing on her mind like the memories of a bad dream.

“I really appreciate you coming with me,” She said to Thyme. “Never thought I would come back here.”

The stallion looked at the building and didn’t understand her fear. The building actually looked rather homely, well decorated and like a rather nice place.

“It appears the orphanage has changed since your were there,” Thyme stated as he looked at the building. “From you and your father’s descriptions of the place it appears they actually made it look nice.”

Scratch raised her eyebrow in surprise. “It’s still an orphanage right?”

Tyme looked at the green, brass plaque. “Yep, still says it’s an orphanage.”

“Well,” she shrugged. “Time to go inside and see for ourselves.”

Thyme pressed the button above the sign and waited. Shortly a voice replied through a speaker system.

“Hello? How can I help you today?”

Scratch knew the voice, and memories started to flow back to her.

“Hello, we are here to visit the orphanage,” Thyme replied.

“Oh how wonderful! I’ll be out shortly to let you in.”

They waited for a minute until a pony opened the front doors and trotted gleefully up to them. She reached the gate but stopped abruptly.

“Scratch dear,”She exclaimed excitedly. “Is that you?”

“Hello Mrs. Butterheart,” the unicorn replied with a smile. “Didn’t expect you to be working here still. How have you been?”

“Most splendid! Well come on in,” she looked at thyme. “Handsome husband you got there, didn’t hear about you getting married in the magazines though.”

Scratch and Thyme blushed, the white unicorn quickly replied. “Oh he isn’t my husband. He is my father’s butler.”

“Oh, so sorry!” Butterheart laughed. “Follow me and I’ll take you to the main office.”

They entered the orphanage and Scratch got a tight nervousness in her chest. It had been almost eight years since she had been there but the events of her foalhood still felt fresh in her heart. She could hear foals playing outside and the place no longer felt like the terrible place it had once been.

“Mrs. Butterheart,” a colt called as he trotted up to them. “Fickle Wing fell off of the swing set again!”

“Was that silly filly trying to fly again?” Butterheart asked.

“I think so.”

The mare sighed. “You two don’t mind going on without me to the office, do you?”

“I don’t mind,” Scratch replied with a smile.

“I will talk with you later Scratch dear.” Butterheart rushed away leaving the two younger ponies in the hall.

Scratch took the lead causing Thyme to feel a sense of irony in having to follow a blind pony. The unicorn cantered down the still familiar halls until something stopped her.

“Somepony is playing my music,” she said to herself.

“That is not surprising,” Thyme stated. “You are a little famous.”

Scratch turned to him and rolled her eyes but the stallion didn’t notice due to her thick glasses.

“It just seems,” she searched for a proper word. “Strange. To me at least.”

As they neared the office the music grew louder. They stopped outside the door just as another song started. This one had vocals to it and the voice of a familiar pony sang along with Scratch’s. The two ponies listened for a while then entered.

“Hello Puff Tart!” Scratch sang. “Long time no see!”

The room became silent, the only noise bing the DJ Pon3’s music . A pink unicorn stared at Scratch with an open mouth and bulged eyes.

“I never knew you were a fan of my music,” Scratch continued, relishing in her foalhood nemesis’ surprise. “How is your mom doing?”

Puff Tart continued to stare and Scratch continued to smile. Before Vinyl Scratch could continue with her one sided conversation, Puff Tart gave a form of reply.

The pink unicorn let out a garbled moan and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

“That was not the reaction that I expected,” Scratch said passively.

“Let me just start by saying how sorry I am for the way I treated you,” Puff Tart said sincerely before taking a sip from a glass of water. She still sat on the floor, propped up against the wall. “I have regretted it ever since your music changed my life. I can’t believe you came back!”

“How did I change your life?” Scratch asked critically.

Tart shrugged innocently and smiled. “You gave me inspiration and hope. I always wanted to be more than an orphanage matron’s daughter. But I never thought it was possible for me to become anything. I dreamed of becoming a dancer. When you became the DJ Pon3 it made me realize that I could become something amazing too. Thank you Scratch, thank you.”

Scratch smiled. Then something nagged at her mind and she opened her mouth to ask a question but decided against it. Puff Tart knew what she wanted to know.

“You are wondering why I still became the head of this orphanage, aren't you?”

“Yep,” Scratch replied.

"Well,” she said slowly. “It’s hard to be a dancer when you can’t walk.”

“You can’t walk?” Asked a disbelieving Vinyl.

“Yep,” Puff pointed at her lower legs and sighed. “Got into a carriage accident nearly two years ago.”

Scratch was speechless. Thyme was the first to give some form solace.

“I am very sorry to hear that,” he said kindly. “Was anypony else hurt in the accident.”

“Thankfully not,” she replied with a small smile. “Do you mind helping me back into my  chair?”

“I don’t mind at all.”

Thyme helped Puff Tart back into her seat and the orphanage matron became more business like.

“So Scratch,” she asked happily. “What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“I was actually interested in adopting, though probably not right now,” Vinyl replied with a smile.

Puff raised an eyebrow. “Really? That is wonderful! But why are you not interested in adopting now?”

“I haven’t been able to buy a proper house,” Scratch replied sheepishly. “All I have is an apartment in Manehattan that is empty except for a bed and stove.”

Puff seemed surprised at the simplicity of Scratch’s living conditions. “I would have expected you to be better off.”

“I was too busy,” Scratch chuckled. “But now that my tour is done I can finally focus on more important things.”

“Well then,” Puff said cheerfully. “Come, I will show you around. It will also be a big treat to the foals to have a pony like you visit.”

Scratch tried her best not to blush as Puff Tart called for a pony.

“Swift Dancer, can you come in here! And bring my wheelchair please!”

A pegasus colt around the age of seven soon emerged from a side room pushing a wheelchair. He helped Puff Tart transfer herself into it and she gave him a quick hug before turning to her guests.

“This here is my son, Swift Dancer,” the pink unicorn beamed. “Ever since he came here three years ago he has been a personal helper of mine, and when I got into the accident he became like a son. So I ended up, in a sense, adopting him and now we are both happy.”

“How did you lose your parent’s?” Scratch asked him.

“I never lost them,” he replied quietly. “My parents gave me up when I was an foal. They are most likely still alive but they couldn't’ afford another child I guess.”

Scratch again was at a loss for comforting words, but she tried her best. “Maybe some day you can see them again.”

“Maybe,” Dancer replied with a small smile.

A bell rang throughout the orphanage causing Scratch to jump with surprise.

“Oh, that is the new bell we installed a few years ago,” Tart chuckled. “The foals should all be heading towards lunch now. Shall we head down there and say hello?”

“Sounds good to me,” Scratch nodded her head excitedly.

They made their way through the empty halls towards the cafeteria. Scratch could hear the voices of a few dozen foals chattering amongst themselves as they drew near.

“How is your mother doing?” Scratch asked Puff Tart, there was a taste of disdain in her voice.

“When I took over here my mother and stepfather were more than happy to pack up and leave for a retirement in the Haywaiian Islands,” she replied bitterly. “They have yet to come back for a visit since they left. Though they do send letters.”

They arrived at the doorway and Scratch paused.

“I was at Haywaii a few months ago as part of my tour,” Scratch said pleasantly. “If I knew they were on the islands I would have said hello.”

Puff Tart laughed awkwardly as they moved into the room.

“Everypony,” the orphanage matron sang. “We have a visitor! The Deejay Pony!”

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Sorry for the short chapter. Been busy lately. Next chapter will be longer and more eventful.