Over the years the pitter patter of tiny excited hooves across the wooden floors of the musician's apartment were replaced by the heavier hoof falls of the now fourteen year old Evaline. She had grown into herself over the years and the two musicians did a sterling job in her upbringing. At this point she looked more like Vinyl that Octavia. She had fashioned her red mane in a similar fashion and had soon donned similar glasses.

But she managed to retain her other mother's grace and elegance, preferring conversations about the complexities of life and history to parties and friends.

It wasn't that she was antisocial, not that at all. But... school and friends had been a problem for her since day one.

The class had ambled inside in their own time, the young ponies everywhere set up a bright sea of faces just waiting for her. All the children had their parents with them, their moms and dads proudly escorting their little learners. Some were more protective of their children, understandably so (according to Octavia at least) and others, like Vinyl, were more than ready to set their children upon each other and watch as friendships blossomed. Evaline quite happily made her way into the crowd of kids, keeping her parent's advice in her head. “Just be yourself” they had said “Friendly ponies are the most fun to hang around.” And so Evaline approached the closest pony, a small clot with a short mane and brown fur. “Hello” The conversation began. And that was the beginning of her troubles. Evaline got along so well with her new classmates it was unreal, she spoke vibrantly about living with musicians and about how her mother once beat up a guy in their own house. She had begun drawing a crowd and Vinyl and Octavia watched with amazed pride. Right up until the crowd demanded to meet the parents. Evaline led the foray of small bodies through the parents and in a straight line to her parents.

“Here! Meet my moms!” Evaline exclaimed loudly for all to hear. Some older ears pricked up and turned to face the two parents as the crowd of children watched, confused. One raised a hand.

“Which one is your mom?”

An awkward silence from the adults.

“both of them” replied Evaline cheerfully.

This only seemed to confuse the colt even more.

“But... where's your daddy?”

Evaline opened her mouth, then shut it. She turned and faced her parents,a s if she was noticing for the very first time, then she turned to look at everyone else's parents, then back at her's, then at the crowd. And then she looked back at her mothers.

“Where 'is' my daddy?” she asked.

Neither Evaline nor her parents forgot that day, nor the hurried half baked explaination that they gave. They tried telling the truth over and over again, but as the children got older, the nastier of the bunch began to spread rumours about them to their parents. And the seed was placed. Despite every attempt made by the three ponies to quell the rumours they did not die down.

That day they had taken Evaline home and tried to explain things to her.

She had so many questions and her moms were keeping tight lipped on the subject. Why wouldn't they answer, all through the walk back home they remained silent, staying a several feet away from each other and letting their daughter walk between them. And as they did Evaline began to notice the others. The other ponies who were glancing, every so subtly at the family as they passed by. She had never noticed before, and if she had, she never would have guessed the reason why. Even now she wondered about it.

Once they had finally arrived home her moms sat her down and began to talk.

It was awkward at first, with neither parent knowing where to start, or who should start, so Evaline started for them.

“Where's my daddy?” She asked again, her high childlike voice punctuated with a desperation that neither parent could ignore. They both spilled out at once.”

“We don't know” Said Octavia.

“You're adopted” Said Vinyl, not knowing what else to say.

The small filly looked confused as she asked another question.

“What's adopted?”

Both parents were stunted. Their faces flabbergasted, if either of them had ever expected this conversation to happen, they obviously had not expected it to happen for quite some time. Octavia began, delicately.

“Adopted... is when a mommy and... and a daddy have a little baby. But, they can't look after the baby and so they let someone else look after it instead.”

“So you aren't my mommies?” Evaline asked, innocently, although the growing hurt in her eyes was becoming more and more apparent. Octavia came over to her and embraced her tightly.

“We will always be your mommies. Just because we took you in doesn't mean we love you any less.”

“It means we love you more than anyone else, because we choose to have you all to ourselves” Vinyl added, having found her voice again. She felt so unsure about this, and she felt as though the words coming out of her mouth, true as they were, were being spoken by another.

“So... When a mommy and daddy don't love their baby...” Evaline began but both her mothers cut her off.

“No no no. Of course they loved you” Or at least that's what Evaline thought she heard through the mixed voices of her parents. They always spoke at the same time when they were nervous.

“Then why didn't they keep me?”

“Well” Octavia began.

“Because they couldn't give you everything you needed to be the best pony you could be.” Finished Vinyl. It was a mantra she had been told many times before in the orphanage.

“So... after the Mommy and Daddy give away the baby... two mommies then look after her?”

Her parents shared a look.

“Not always. No.” Began Octavia once gain.

“You see” Vinyl tried to help her friend. “Your mom and I share the house. And someone put you outside our house and... We thought it would be best for us to keep you and...”

“Here we are.” Octavia finished. It was the honest truth. She and Vinyl had grown into strong friends over the last few years and, despite the rumours that had begun spreading, they continued on with their lives.

And Evaline had carried on with hers. Her classmates had seen her some somepony strange and she had started to withdrawn from social events and birthday parties but she was never unhappy. And as she grew she began to make friends, keeping her social circle small with friends who didn't think of her as an oddity at all. No one seemed bothered that she was adopted and they grew to accept and love her mothers, who had become so good with kids. They had become the go to foalsitters for parents out of town. Octavia's responsible and caring nature made the parents feel safe with leaving their kids behind and Vinyl's enthusiastic, not to mention childlike, view on life kept them all entertained.

Finally, when it was time to send Evaline to high school, Evaline had settled into a happy routine that nothing could ruin, until the first day when she filed into class, viewing her classmates and their teacher asked them to stand and state their full names.

One by one the ponies rose to speak, and one by one they did, but when it got to-

“Evaline” She said and her teacher looked at her with eyes rolling; probably thinking oh great. First smart arse of the year

“Your full name please.” Said her teacher.

Evaline took in a breath.

“That is my full name.”

The teacher narrowed her eyes sceptically.

“I need your surname as well young lady. You know... your parent's last name?”

The sarcasm was so heavily emphasised in the end of her sentence it managed to incite a few snickers.

Evaline let out her breath and spoke.

“My mom's have different last names. I don't know which one is mine.” She said this honestly enough. Their family had come to that conversation every now and then and they had always said it was Evaline's choice but... Both of her parents seemed uncomfortable at that point, as if... They were afraid at not being chosen. So Evalin just stopped trying to choose.

The teacher raised an eyebrow.

“Your moms?”

Evaline nodded.

“Yes, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody.”

“How interesting” Her teacher said with a sly, not so friendly, smile.

“Well then Miss Evaline seeing as you are clearly so desperate to make yourself stand out from your classmates you can sit right here in the front and you can remain here after class until you give me a full name.

Evaline opened her mouth to protest but her teacher cut her off by continuing with the other students. Evaline looked down at her desk, she pawed it with her hoof gently and pushed her purple shades higher up to her eyes. A hoof was placed on her shoulder from behind, she jumped slightly at the contact and turned around to see a black stallion with a neat white mane. It was Venence, who had been a friend of hers for the last few years. He smiled at her supportively and she returned it. She stood up and moved to the front seat. She pulled out a small book and, levitating the pencil, she wrote her name on the front;

Evaline

But Evaline who?

Scratch or Melody?

Author's Note

Part 2 has begun. A new year as begun and so this new part must begin as well. ENJOY!