Waiting isn’t fun for me, it isn’t nice or peaceful. Sethi at least had the good will to play some music for me while I was trapped by her. With whatever this drug was I didn’t sleep, or rather I was already asleep, or sort of.

The first few days was the realization that I couldn’t just sit up or speak. Yelling wasn’t helping or even increasing my heart rate. Being locked in my body was one thing, it was another when the nurses had to clean me or had me use the bathroom.

The shame was a thing of nightmares, I wasn’t shy about my body, but that was fueling my rage. Though that wasn’t the worst thing, even when the memories played in my head hit me hard, they only forced me to focus more.

Of all that, the worst thing was that hell had trapped me in my own head, and all the ponies and monstrous things I did feasted on my existence, torturing me in ways I knew Master would be jealous of. They filled my room screaming at me and ripping me apart a million times a second making a single minute feel like an entire week. Even trying to face those monsters did nothing, every thought only fed their rage.

On the second week of my eternal hell, Sethi made the mistake of being away for just a few hours more than the dose she gave me was good for. It allowed me to twitch a muscle. Now while twitching a muscle might not seem like a big thing, it was. I was able to move even under the drug. It as an amazing achievement for me. Even when she came back and turned back up the dose, I was able to start mapping out every inch of my body, figuring out ways to move them, strengthen them by tensing up.

Under the complete dose, I was able to control my muscles down to an inch of my body, pushing them to their limit and beyond. With my wings, I had learned I could rip the muscle if I went too hard, luckily, I kept that limit in mind while figuring out my body.

Now while muscles were one thing, the biggest thing I had managed to learn to control was my heart. Making it beat was the most important thing I could’ve ever learned. It allowed me to burn through the drug at twice the rate, and even figure out how to close my veins with my muscles.

Weeks went by, but every second was an intense training camp in hell with every second of my training being ripped apart, hammering my need to be free every time my muscles even thought of needing a response from my brain. I learned the lesson that I was a demon and I should die here, but I refused to give up my foal’s life for the dead. I may be sinful, my foal is however not! I no longer cared, my heart couldn’t hear the dead, and my actions were without a drop of shame.

As the time slipped by with me still in the hospital I couldn’t just pop up, Sethi would be sure to stop me and I wouldn’t be close to strong enough to stop her from putting me right back. I needed to be in public, and my chance came.

“Damn them,” Sethi said next to my bed fiddling with something. “I really hate Princess Luna. She demanded that you be taken to trial with your fucking mother. No matter how much I protested, she still wouldn’t let up the notion that since your fate was decided, you needed to be there. Oh she’s just in a coma and doesn’t need help breathing anymore. Does that bitch even know how hard it is to maintain you in this state?!”

Finally, if I could smile without giving myself away, I would have.

Time slid by and I was moved to another bed and taken from there to some kind of transportation and to what I assumed was the court house. The only thing I could tell was the rough feel of wind, smells and sounds from other ponies. With my eyes closed, I could feel, smell and taste everypony’s still beating hearts. Every quiver, noise, drop of sweat was within my reach, within my bubble of perception.

“The Court is in session!” a male voice called. At this point I was inside the courtroom, with Sethi still next to me. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be proceeding over the trial, all raise!” What sounded like a crowd of ponies stood up, and two sets of hooves came into the room sitting down with every pony else at the same time.

“Welcome everypony, seeing as there is about thirty-six claims to Scootaloo, I will be going over what I’ve decided to be the ones with the most right to claim Scootaloo. As the pony which claims the legal rights over Scootaloo will also be in control of Jerard’s estate and foreign belongings, this trial will not be taken lightly as it will affect at least twenty separate countries and many other matters around the planet. Scootaloo’s mother, you may come up first and explain your case since you are the only pony here blood related.”

“Thank you Princess Celestia,” my mom said.

“So why do you believe you should have control of Scootaloo?”

“I’m her mother, she’s still a filly, and Jerard killed my husband.” There was a small murmur in the crowd. “I have full legal right to take care of my daughter.”

“And if you gained control of her, what would happen to Jerard’s estate?”

“I’d turn that over to Equestria, well short of taking care of her medical bills, none of that matters to me.”

“I see, however seeing as Scootaloo has the only family member of the High Bloods, his estate is attached only to her and cannot be transferred to another pony or government. So if you were to be willfully toward his estate you could not be granted control over her as it would cause a large war and decay of a lot of governments. However, you’ll be taken into consideration if you’d agree to managing his estate with Scootaloo’s best interests.”

“I, yes, I’d manage his estate if it meant I’d get Scootaloo, but why is his estate attached to only her?”

“Many of Jerard’s accounts can only be unlocked by a pony of the High Blood name. She is the only pony in the world of that name and with that foal’s—blood. His will was set to have her to inherit all of his estate. It has to be followed because of magic constants. He was very precise in his will.”

“Fine, just give me back my daughter.”

“You may sit in the back, I will need to go through the rest of this before I make my ruling. It’ll take probably a few hours, but I will call you back once we have made a decision based on Scootaloo’s best interests.” My mother got up by the sound of her hooves and went back.

“Next is Spoiled Rich, come up.” Hoof steps went where my mother I assume was standing at before. “Why do you believe you have claim? You are not related to Scootaloo, or have any ties to Jerard.”

“My daughter was forced into slavery by Jerard to be a servant,” Diamond’s mother started to say. “I’m making a claim to his estate to be—”

“Stop right there,” Celestia said interrupting her. “I should make this clear, but Scootaloo is not Jerard. Anything that he did or had forced her to do is not something she can be penalized for, and since his estate is locked until she wakes up, or along those lines no bits can be taken or used from the accounts. You will have to wait for her to wake up and try your case again then. Since she owns the hospital, she does not have any medical bills either. So there is no flow of bits to take from.”

“But what about treatment for my daughter? If I wait any longer she’ll get worse and she might not be able to be fixed! She’s still trapped in that damn mansion!” Diamond’s mother plead becoming angrier.

“May I speak your honor,” Al said, and there was a shuffle.

“Is it important to this claimant?” Luna inquired.

“Yes.”

“Come up and speak.” Hoof steps followed coming close to where Diamond’s mother was, or assumed she was. “You may speak.”

“Diamond Tiara signed a contract as well as her father for bits. She was made fully aware of what she was signing, her father was as well. She is still legally in service to Scootaloo at the High Blood household. Her contract is another nine years and eight months. She is physically and mentally healthy. Her contract can be bought up for three hundred and ninety three thousand gold bits, as her contract was set up as a loan for Diamond to pay back after her father had incurred debts he could not pay back.”

“I did not give consent for him or her to do that!” she snapped.

“I have it here, and if you would allow, I’d like to be allowed to defend against any claims. I have been a High Blood service member for basically all my life. I know everything about the estate and contracts.”

“Very well, you may defend the estate so long as you realize Scootaloo is the owner of it and all contracts,” Celestia said.

“I understand that completely.”

“Very well, you may. As for the contract, as Al has said. If you wish to buy the contract, you may.”

“I don’t have that kind of bits anymore!”

“Then you can attempt to sue at a later time.”

“You are dismissed,” Luna said, and Spoiled Rich grumbled leaving.

“Next,” Celestia said. At this point I started to increase my heart beat very slowly, but a beeping made it noticeable just barely. “What is that beeping?”

“Sorry Princess Celestia,” Sethi said, clicking a button and turning off the sound the monitor made.

“Next is—”

I tuned out the trial after that, forcing my body to awaken. At the hospital, I had managed to move my limbs and even sit up, everything short of getting off my bed and walking around. That was something I needed to do here and badly.

The dose of the drug had probably been turned far up, but I had gotten so familiar with my body that it made little difference as I burned through it causing my foreleg to clamp down on the veins to slow the flow.

“Next is Sweetie Belle, please come up,” Celestia said, making me pause.

“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said as she went to the spot.

“You made a claim to Scootaloo. You’re not related, so why are you claiming for Scootaloo?”

“She’s my friend.”

Celestia waited a moment for her to say more, but she didn’t. “Is that all?”

“Yes,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Not a claim on the estate or anything?” Luna asked.

“Nope, we just want Scootaloo to come back home.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t claim Scootaloo, however since there are only two after you, she may be going home with her mother.”

“Really? Alright, so long as she goes to her mom,” Sweetie Belle said, and got down going somewhere.

“Next up is.” Celestia paused. “Sethi, go to the stand please.”

“Thank you Princess Celestia.” She moved away from my bed finally. This would be the perfect chance.

“Explain,” Luna said sternly.

“I believe I am the best choice to take control of the Estate and Scootaloo. I am a doctor and I know all of the workings of Jerard’s estate foreign and local. I am more suited to taking care of Scootaloo than her mother is because her mother also gave up right to Scootaloo some time ago, she no longer has legal right to Scootaloo as a parent.”

“That is true, you would be able to provide the best care for her and manage all of the estate,” Luna said.

“Wait!” my mother shouted.

“Sit down!” a male voice ordered.

“I also intend to see to the fact that Scootaloo has her foal, whereas her mother would see to her aborting it. I have guards to verify that she would.”

“That foal needs to be protected at all costs, very well, you have made a very good case for yourself, you may—” Celestia stopped mid-sentence as I sat up on the bed, making everything in the room go dead silent.

Slowly I opened my eyes to see my body. My left side that I had lost was barely furred and the feathers on my wing were very tiny. An IV was hooked up to my foreleg, I reached down and pulled it out of my right foreleg, holding down the spot with my left hoof.

“Scootaloo!” my mother shouted breaking the silence. I looked up to see her running down rows of seats. Al was to my right and at a table, a stand was to the left with Sethi, both in front of a low wall separating the seating area of the courtroom. Luna and Celestia were behind me, but there were at least a few hundred ponies in this courtroom, the second floor was packed to the brim with ponies and other creatures. This trial probably was the most important thing happening in Equestria.

Before my mother could reach me, I flapped my left wing sending me through the air in a blur ending up behind her in a flash. My mom stopped confused. With being forced to control my body down to the veins I had managed to push my muscles to the point where I could rip them from how much power I’d force out of them. Forcing my muscles past any kind of limit was painful, but that was a joke for me at this point.

Terror went across Sethi’s face as I did it again seeming to teleport in front of Sethi, standing on her podium an inch from her face. “You ever keep me asleep like that again Sethi.” I went up to her ear whispering. “I’ll fucking eat you.” She swallowed falling back onto the ground. Her body trembled.

“Scootaloo, you're awake,” Celestia said.

“Wait, did you just say Sethi was keeping you asleep?” Luna asked.

“Yes,” I answered, my voice whisping in the air.

“Guards! Restrain that mare!” Luna ordered and five guards rushed grabbing Sethi up from the ground. “Take her to jail until further notice.”

“Understood,” a guard said taking away Sethi.

“It looks like this trial is now pointless seeing as Scootaloo is awake. All these cases have been completely dismissed.” My mom ran over and hugged me. Tears were falling down her face onto me as I hugged her back.

“Everypony please leave,” Princess Celestia said, and got off her judge seat going over to my mom and I. Guards began having ponies leave. “Scootaloo, it’s good you’re awake. Come with me. We have important matters to attend to.” Her magic wrapped around my body lifting me into the air away from my mom.

“HEY!” my mom shouted, two guards went in between Celestia and my mom, stopping her from attacking Celestia. “What are you doing?! Give me back my daughter! You have no right to do this!”

“Mom, stop,” I said, and she looked at me. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“But I only just got you back,” she cried.

“Mom, go home, I’ll come by once I’m done.”

“Al, come,” Celestia said taking me with her out of the room and to a private room. A few bookshelves were on the walls, a desk with a large chair and one large window that she shut as she sat me down on a chair in front of a desk as she sat down herself. The room seemed pretty much what I imagined a judge quarters to look like. Al closed the door and moved a chair for himself so he could sit down.

“Scootaloo should see a doctor first, she just woke up,” Al said.

“I know, but we need to have a very serious talk.”

“What would be more important than her health?”

Their words faded as I looked at my wrist. The drug was still in my system and I had been closing my veins for too long, I could feel it slowly killing my foreleg. I bent down and bit into my wrist pouring out my blood with the drug.

“SCOOTALOO!” Celestia screamed standing up, her magic wrapping around my wrist quickly.

“This blood is tainted with that drug, I need to bleed it out.”

“That isn’t, fine.” Celestia sighed releasing my wrist, floating over a first aid kit for me to stop the bleeding, Al helped me patch up my wrist.

“What do you need to talk about?” I asked looking at her, she flinched a small bit as I stared at her. Her aura told me she was a bit afraid of me as I looked at her, why would Celestia be afraid of me?

“First I need to explain a few things to you. I’m sure Al will be able to do it much better than me as he knows far more than I do, but we need to talk about Jerard’s estate and having you take control quickly. With his death, the last few weeks have caused countries to start arming for war. I need you to unlock Jerard’s accounts so that a war doesn’t break out in the next few days because of it.”

“I don’t understand, why would a war start?”

“I’ll explain,” Al said, and I turned to him. “Jerard was a very big influence on several nation’s military, he basically footed the bill for their military as to allow a greater level of security in those nations, maintaining peace. But there are millions of soldiers which won’t get paid for a second month in a row. If they aren’t paid, then they are likely to revolt against their peaceful governments. War will break out. Equestria is able to support itself fine, but many others are not able to.”

“I don’t know how much that costs or anything about that. Master never explained any of that.”

“I will instruct you in his business dealings later and how his flow of money affects so many, but for now, you should authorize these funds,” Celestia said as she held out a piece of paper, it looked like some kind of check with a lot of small writing under it.

“How do I know this is what Master would do? And I’m not just giving you all his money and property?”

“I wouldn’t allow such a thing,” Al said, looking at Celestia. “But even if that were the case, the vault cannot be traded so simply. A large portion of Jerard’s belongings including gold, gems, and other valuables are locked away. Those are not in some bank account. Only you are able to access it, nopony else can, you can’t even give them permission unless you are the blood of High Blood. You can’t give permission to others in fact, only your foal will be able to, and he or she can’t do that till they’re of the age of knowledge.”

“As much as I would like to access that, I’m not trying to cheat you Scootaloo. I care only for peace. I was in fact the one that instructed Jerard to do most of he’s done over his life, that includes many of his questionable acts. Why do you think I never intervened or acted against him?” Celestia asked.

“So you let him have me?”

“I hope you don’t take offense, but yes. I would have done anything to keep him happy within reason. I even took away the Elements of Harmony so Twilight couldn’t use them against him. That was.” She sighed. “A false hope as he still was killed, I also underestimated Cloudsdale and how the Pegasus would react to you being held captive by an abusive unicorn. It seems there is still a resentment that I did not account for. Several threads that hold this nation together were not as strong as I hoped even after so long.”

That almost made me want to smile, but Cloudsdale wasn’t the most important thing, Celestia didn’t know Master was alive, which meant he was probably hiding. “I see now. Then I’ll give permission to use these funds.”

“Sign.” I signed the paper and it disappeared in a small flash of gold dust. Celestia let out a breath, relaxing. “Good, Al I’ll give you Scootaloo. I know you’ll be able to teach her all that she needs to know. If you need anything, ask. And Scootaloo, once you’ve gotten better and learned what you need to, I’ll be having you take over Jerard’s job for me. I’ve made you an official dignitary princess of Equestria.” A golden plaque appeared in front of me. “I’ll expect great things from you Scootaloo High Blood, just like I did of Jerard.”

“Thanks?” I asked, confused as to what had just happened. “Al take me home, I want to see where Master died.”

Al took the plaque, and floated me onto his back. “We’ll stop by the hospital first, then go home.”

“Fine.” We left the room and he teleported us to the hospital. I sighed as he had me checked out by a few different doctors at the same time to make sure none of them did anything questionable.

Once that was done he took me home. The wall had been repaired where Twilight and them had broken. The spot where Master’s body had been was cleaned spotless. It made me smile, this was probably of Master’s doing, not a trace to be left. I jumped off Al’s back and he followed me as I went over to the spot looking down at it for a few seconds. I had no idea where Master was, but I’d find him.

“I know he did horrible things to you Scootaloo, but please do not hate the dead.”

“I need to go to my bedroom.”

“As you wish.” Al eyed me a small bit, but he put me onto his back as we went to Master’s bedroom. Getting off his back I walked over to the closet and opened it. A grin spread across my face. A stand clearly marked by a golden plaque as “Scootaloo’s Pillow”, had an empty spot for my feather pillow I’d given Master. Al had a confused look on his face as to what I was looking at, I closed the closet.

“Al, I’ll be honest with you, but only you. I don’t want other ponies to know this.” A bubble appeared around us, and I looked at him, his horn was glowing.

“Speak freely.”

“Master isn’t dead.”

Several emotions went through Al, he doubted me. “How do you know this? And what makes you know this?”

“You wouldn’t understand a lot of it, but Master’s body, did you ever feel it?”

“No, I was not able to.”

“His body felt like it was made of stone and was cold. Tell me, should a fresh body feel like that?”

“No, it shouldn’t, but you were also missing a leg, could you have gotten the feeling confused?”

“Believe me, I know Master.” I smiled. “I know when he is and isn’t there, and that thing that was broken into pieces wasn’t him. He’s just in hiding. He knows he can’t come back to Equestria, but other ponies can’t know this.”

“You love him, even now?”

“I do, I can’t live without him. Master is more than my world, he’s what I exist for, nothing else. Not even this foal is worth more than him. Even if it takes me years, I’ll find him one day.”

“Do not forsake your foal for that goal.”

“I wouldn’t dream of that. This foal is half Master, I’ll treat it like the most important thing in my existence, because it is. If I allowed this foal to die or anything bad to happen to it, then Master would be angry, I can’t do that. I first though, need to learn how Master did everything and keep it going just as he did, and quickly.”

“Very well, I will assist you as I can, and I have everything ready for you to learn all of his dealing. It will take some time, but once we’ve finished, you will be fluent in all of the tasks.”

“Good.”

“And what of Canterlot University? You were accepted to it.”

“When is that?”

“Since you're pregnant, I’d suggest the year after next.”

“I might go later, but first I need to get Master’s life sorted out. War will make going to school pointless.”

“I’ll inform them. Come, we have much to do.”

Author's Note

Editing done by wubsy mcwubsington