Background Pony #DE7D
“I have a special surprise for you, today!” Cheerilee says. Her classmates begin to chatter excitedly as Scootaloo stares out the window, as she often does during Family Appreciation Day. Normally she would have been scheduled to present today, but her mother was busy and her father was away. Same story, every single time. She gives a little sigh through her nose.
As the noise of the class dies down, a little time passes. Scootaloo notices that the teacher hasn’t started talking again to explain the surprise. Looking up, she nearly jumps back when she notices the teacher standing right in front of her desk. She wears her special, genuine smile, looking down at her.
“Are you ready, Scootaloo?” Cheerilee asks.
“Uh…” Scootaloo looks around nervously, hoping that she didn’t miss some important information as she was daydreaming.
However, instead of getting upset with her for not listening, Cheerilee giggles. She turns to the door and pounds her hoof on the ground twice.
That’s when Scootaloo notices that somepony is standing just outside the classroom door. Slowly, the door opens, giving the creaking noise that it had become known for and the folly of her many attempts to sneak into class after the bell rang.
Behind the door is a well known sight to most ponies. A brilliant white fur underneath golden armor that belonged to no other than one of the royal guards.
Some of the children gasp, while a few others go ‘Oooh…’. A little excitement even begins to build up in Scootaloo. Is the princess going to visit and give a talk?
But as the guard walks in, it’s evident that he is here alone. After another exchange of whispers between foals, Cheerilee takes a couple steps back. The guard’s stance is perfectly straight, his walk precise, and the wings at his sides unwavering until he comes to a stop. His head turns towards the class. He looks over each and every one of them before his eyes stop on the orange filly in the corner.
The two of the lock gazes. There is something in the back of Scootaloo’s mind that starts to buzz. It’s almost like the feeling she gets when she’s about to make a leap off a particular big ramp on her scooter combined with the dread that she had forgotten a particularly important school project until the night before it was due.
After a couple seconds, the guard smiles at Scootaloo. A little slouch appears in his posture as he sits on his haunches. No longer, the formality in his form when he takes off the horseshoes on his front hooves, revealing a muddy brown underneath.
He reaches up to his helmet and lifts it off his head. Instead of the vibrant blue that was expected of a royal guard, the mane that spilled out is a disheveled and dull red. As he sets aside his discarded armor, he looks back at Scootaloo with a bigger smile than before.
Scootaloo just stares.
Her brain tries to process what’s in front of her, but it cannot. It is seemingly impossible, like eating a thousand cupcakes in a row. So ridiculous that her mind rejects the possibility outright. Still, her breath becomes shaky as her little hooves begin to shake.
“Hey, Scoots,” he says, his voice warm and inviting unlike the normal gruff guards are known for.
Scootaloo begins breathing deeper and faster, her little wings starting to flutter. Her vision becomes blurry through the tears welling up in her eyes, making it easier to accept the reality in front of her.
“D… D-Dad…?” is all she can manage to say.
He nods. A simple up and down motion of the head that makes that buzzing in Scootaloo’s mind to burst into a mix of elation flowing through down to the very tips of her hooves and feathers.
He stretches his forearms out towards her. Adrenaline makes Scootaloo’s body move on its own, jumping from her seat and sprinting towards the stallion she hasn’t seen for so long. Far too long.
Tears flow freely down her face as a few threaten to escape from her teacher and a few of her friends. She leaps into his arms, her hooves wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing as hard as she can. He returns the embrace as she puts her head in the crook of his neck.
Some classmates cheer. Some classmates clap.
The father and daughter don’t notice. Right now, there is only each other, and the years of separation released as joyous laughter.
As the noise of the class dies down, a little time passes. Scootaloo notices that the teacher hasn’t started talking again to explain the surprise. Looking up, she nearly jumps back when she notices the teacher standing right in front of her desk. She wears her special, genuine smile, looking down at her.
“Are you ready, Scootaloo?” Cheerilee asks.
“Uh…” Scootaloo looks around nervously, hoping that she didn’t miss some important information as she was daydreaming.
However, instead of getting upset with her for not listening, Cheerilee giggles. She turns to the door and pounds her hoof on the ground twice.
That’s when Scootaloo notices that somepony is standing just outside the classroom door. Slowly, the door opens, giving the creaking noise that it had become known for and the folly of her many attempts to sneak into class after the bell rang.
Behind the door is a well known sight to most ponies. A brilliant white fur underneath golden armor that belonged to no other than one of the royal guards.
Some of the children gasp, while a few others go ‘Oooh…’. A little excitement even begins to build up in Scootaloo. Is the princess going to visit and give a talk?
But as the guard walks in, it’s evident that he is here alone. After another exchange of whispers between foals, Cheerilee takes a couple steps back. The guard’s stance is perfectly straight, his walk precise, and the wings at his sides unwavering until he comes to a stop. His head turns towards the class. He looks over each and every one of them before his eyes stop on the orange filly in the corner.
The two of the lock gazes. There is something in the back of Scootaloo’s mind that starts to buzz. It’s almost like the feeling she gets when she’s about to make a leap off a particular big ramp on her scooter combined with the dread that she had forgotten a particularly important school project until the night before it was due.
After a couple seconds, the guard smiles at Scootaloo. A little slouch appears in his posture as he sits on his haunches. No longer, the formality in his form when he takes off the horseshoes on his front hooves, revealing a muddy brown underneath.
He reaches up to his helmet and lifts it off his head. Instead of the vibrant blue that was expected of a royal guard, the mane that spilled out is a disheveled and dull red. As he sets aside his discarded armor, he looks back at Scootaloo with a bigger smile than before.
Scootaloo just stares.
Her brain tries to process what’s in front of her, but it cannot. It is seemingly impossible, like eating a thousand cupcakes in a row. So ridiculous that her mind rejects the possibility outright. Still, her breath becomes shaky as her little hooves begin to shake.
“Hey, Scoots,” he says, his voice warm and inviting unlike the normal gruff guards are known for.
Scootaloo begins breathing deeper and faster, her little wings starting to flutter. Her vision becomes blurry through the tears welling up in her eyes, making it easier to accept the reality in front of her.
“D… D-Dad…?” is all she can manage to say.
He nods. A simple up and down motion of the head that makes that buzzing in Scootaloo’s mind to burst into a mix of elation flowing through down to the very tips of her hooves and feathers.
He stretches his forearms out towards her. Adrenaline makes Scootaloo’s body move on its own, jumping from her seat and sprinting towards the stallion she hasn’t seen for so long. Far too long.
Tears flow freely down her face as a few threaten to escape from her teacher and a few of her friends. She leaps into his arms, her hooves wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing as hard as she can. He returns the embrace as she puts her head in the crook of his neck.
Some classmates cheer. Some classmates clap.
The father and daughter don’t notice. Right now, there is only each other, and the years of separation released as joyous laughter.
