Chapter 4

All eyes snapped to Scratch as the room became deathly quiet. She could feel them watching her and occasionally she would hear them whisper though she could not tell what they were saying. Eventually a filly stood up and yelled.

“Sapphire Shores is better!”

“You wish!” Scratch retorted with a laugh.

The tension in the room suddenly gave way and the foals rushed around her eager to get a close look at the music legend.

“Wow! Youre so cool!”

“Can I have an autograph?”

“They say that I sleep by the same window that you slept by!”

“I love you music!”

“I want to be just like you when I grow up!”

“Can I touch your mane?”

“I have a pair of sunglasses just like yours! I made them myself!”

“My favorite one of your songs is ‘Into the Morning Sunset’!”

“You smell like flowers!”

“I love you!”

“Is that guy your stallionfriend?”

“Everypony settle down!” Puff Tart called over the clamor. “Don’t suffocate her!”

The foals backed away and waited anxiously for Scratch to speak.

“That was quite a reception!” the white unicorn laughed. “There is no need to attack me. I will speak to you all you want.”

Scratch spent the next hour speaking and playing with the orphans as they finished eating and headed outside to the playground. Scratch paused in the middle of the grounds and smiled at Puff Tart.

“Hey Puff! Sorry for dumping paint on you!”

“It’s okay,” the matron sighed as she remembered the day. “I deserved it.”

“Wait,” a colt chimed. “That story was true? You really did dump paint on Ms. Tart?”

“Yep!” Scratch tousled his mane.

“Wow!”

Scratch heard a pair of foals whispering nearby.

“Go ask her,” one filly said.

“But what if she gets angry?” Replied the colt.

“She wont get angry. She seems nice.”

“How would you feel if somepony asked to see your eyes if you were blind?”

The filly replied quickly, “I think it would be cool!”

“Thats because you like attention too much,” the colt retorted.

Scratch followed their voices and snuck up behind them. She raised her sunglasses and whispered, “boo.”

Both foals spun around and found themselves staring into Scratch’s blood red eyes. Both screamed and fell backwards onto their flanks. Scratch started laughing and the foals joined in.

“You are so much funner than most grown ups!” The colt exclaimed.

“Funner isn’t a word,” hissed the filly.

“You ain't funner,” Scratch smiled at her.

The filly blushed, then she jumped up in excitement. “Could you ever bring your sister here with you? I like her songs oh so very much!”

“If I'm ever able to drag her out of Canterlot,” Scratch replied with a chuckle. “That girl is super stubborn.”

The filly squealed with joy. “Please oh please bring her!”

“I’ll try,” Scratch promised.

Scratch continued to talk and play with the foals. Eventually though they had to go inside for classes and Scratch was left alone with Puff tart and Thyme.

“Shall we go inside?” Puff tart asked.

Scratch was about to agree when she heard the sound of somepony sitting on the squeaky swing set. She could tell from the way the pony was slowly swinging that they were upset.

“I’ll be right back,” she told Puff Tart and Thyme.

Scratch made her way to the swings and sat down next to the pony.

“Hello,” Scratch said cheerfully. “Are you not going to go inside?”

The pony continued to slowly move back and forth on the swing, the chains squeaking and in need of oil.

“Are you okay?”

“She doesn’t talk to anypony,” Puff Tart said as Swift Dancer pushed her closer, followed by Thyme. “She came here nearly two years ago and has yet to say a single word. “She doesn’t go to classes because the teachers can’t get through to her.”

Scratch stared blindly at the filly. “I know how she feels.”

“If I remember correctly,” Puff Tart said hesitantly. “And forgive me for bringing this up, but didn’t your parents die in a fire when you were just a newborn foal?”

“Yep,” Scratch nodded. “But my true family is still alive.”

Puff tart smiled, but her expression quickly saddened. “Her family died in a forest fire when she was seven. She probably remembers it all too vividly.”

Scratch and the filly sat in silence for a few more moments with the three other ponies watching them. The only sound being the squeak of the swings and the occasional gust of wind.

“What does she look like?” Scratch asked Tart. “And more importantly, what is her name?”

“Oh-uh, well.” Puff Tart suddenly felt uncomfortable. “She is a pegasus, a very light blue, almost white. Her eyes are a, uh, deep blue and her mane and tail is a mix of dark and light purple. Her name is Anemone. Anemone Reverie.”

“You sound very pretty,” Scratch smiled at the now motionless filly. “I’ll talk to you later Anemone.”

They left her and headed back into the building. After the encounter with Anemone Reverie, scratch found herself in a much more depressed mood. After a while of simple conversation, Thyme noticed the sad attitude that had befallen her.

“Are you okay Vinyl?” He asked her as they relaxed in Puff Tart’s office.

“Huh?” Scratch muttered as she was pulled out of her thoughts. “Oh, I was just thinkin’”

“You seem upset.” Thyme watched her with a sincere look in his eyes.

Scratch was silent for a moment then smiled. “It’s nothing. So Puffs, what are we doing next?”

“Puffs?” Puff tart asked. Her eyebrows furrowed questioningly.

“I give nicknames to everypony,” a wide smile cut across Scratch’s face.

“She calls me Thymie sometimes,” Thyme sighed.

“Are you two sure you aren't dating?” Puff Tart asked with a sly smile.

Scratch faked a laugh. “No. He’s my butler and somewhat of a friend. Nothing more!”

Thyme raised an eyebrow and stared at Scratch critically. “Somewhat of a friend? And technically I am your father’s butler.”

“See,” Scratch smiled triumphantly. “There is nothing between us.”

“Sure,” Puff Tart replied. “Whatever you say.”

“New conversation time!” Cheered Scratch. Her cheeks were starting to turn red.

“Okay then,” Tart chuckled. “But I will need to help Butterheart tuck the foals into their beds in a little while.”

“It’s already night!” The deejay cried with surprise.

“Yes,” Thyme said flatly.

“We've been talking like old friends for a few hours now!” Puff Tart giggled.

“Wow!” Scratch put her hoof to her forehead in wonder. An idea soon formed inside her mind. “Do you need help tucking the foals in?”

“If you don’t mind?” Puff tart replied with a smile. “I have a hard time getting the fillies to sleep if you want to help me get them in their beds. Butterheart can handle the colts.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“Then let's get started!” Puff Tart magically moved her wheelchair towards the door. Swift Dancer had fallen asleep on a small couch and Puff Tart didn’t want to wake her son just to have him push her around. Vinyl Scratch and Thyme followed close behind.

The voices of restless and excited ponies filled Scratch’s ears as they neared the sleeping hall. Puff Tart magically pushed the door open and the phillies fell silent. That was until Scratch stepped in. the room erupted into a roar of excitement.

“Tell Mrs. Tart to not make us go to bed,” One pleaded.

“I know how it feels to not want to sleep,” Scratch slowly walked down the aisle dividing the beds. “But Tart is right. You girls need to sleep.”

“Aww,” the chorused sadly.

A small filly spoke up. “Miss Deejay, could you sing us a song?”

The room was filled with a conconfinay of fillies demanding the same. Scratch rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Fine,” she chuckled. “How about I sing you a nice, short and soft song. I need practice on those.”

“We want to hear one of your cool songs!” Another filly protested and others cheered in agreement.

“First of all, my music isn’t as good without my equipment,” Scratch sat down on the small filly’s bed. “Second of all, I’m trying to get you to fall asleep so hush it up, listen and start feeling sleepy.”

The room fell silent and Scratch took a breath. She struggled to come up with a song untill she remembered one that Symphonia and Maxim once sang to her and Octavia.

“Sleep and dream little ones

Close your eyes and drift away

On the spring breeze of our love

To a place where tears don’t rain

As you sleep my little ones

With no cares left from the day

Cary our hearts with yours

Remember that we love you always”

Scratch had quieted her voice until it was barely a whisper.

“Always and always

Forever and forever.”

She sat there in silence for a few minutes, deep in thought and trying to hold back tears, as the fillies around her continued to sleep. Unknown to Scratch, a filly still sat in her bed watching her intently. She continued to stare at her as Scratch eventually stood and left the room followed by Puff tart and Thyme. When the older ponies had closed the door, filling the room with darkness, did she lay down and start to cry heavily into her pillow.

Scratch ambled down the hall with the others in tow. Unexpectedly, she collapsed against the wall, curled up and started to cry uncontrollably. Thyme and Tart rushed to her side and tried to comfort her.

“Scratch, are you alright?” Puff Tart pressed.

The white unicorn continued to cry. Her sunglasses had fallen off and tears streamed down her cheeks. After several minutes the sobbing lessened and she sat there staring at the floor.

“Take me home, Thyme,” she said through the tears. “Take me home.”

Scratch was silent the entire ride home. Thyme would have thought that she was sleeping if it wouldn't have been for the occasional sniffle or whenever she wiped away a tear. When they arrived, he and Maxim helped Scratch into her room and tucked her into bed.

“Are you alright my dear?” Maxim asked his tired looking daughter.

“I’m okay now,” she smiled drowsily. “I just got overwhelmed by the memories and knowing that each of those foals must feel how I felt when I was there. With nopony to love them like a family.”

Scratch took a unsteady breath. “I have the urge to love and care for them like you have for me but I can’t! I’m only one mare! Only one, useless mare that can’t be there for all of them! They need me! They-they, I-I need to-”

Scratch started to cry again. Maxim leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. Her tears quickly stopped.

“That is why I know you would be a wonderful mother,” he whispered affectionately. “You have more love inside of you than you could possibly ever give away.”

She smiled back at him and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Tell me if you see any mistakes. Thank you- Altoid.