Heart Of The Pit (A Hearth's Warming Tale)

December 24

Pony View

"Your replacement car is ready, sir." One of the workers from Manehattan Car Repair boomed. It was the only one of its kind.

"Thank you."

I hopped inside an old white car and drove out of the garage to my home to the west. The investigation of the looters was already underway... but I was too focused on one of my students to care. She said loudly and clearly that Pony Claus hated her. I knew her what it was now. Her parents can't afford anything and I'm willing to guess that one or both are complete flankholes.

The more I drove, the more I though about it.

Buck it. I needed to do this. I turned around using an elaborate series of illegal turns and got back on the highway east towards my district headquarters. I entered into the middle-of-the-road municipality and was immediately stopped by the traffic. Not a single car was moving. I decided to park in a public garage and walk to the office building.

"The price is twelve bits."

"Twelve bits, that's dou-"

"It's because of the Hearts Warming midnight sale about to happen."

"That holiday's too hyped up. I mean I like the story and the happiness and all that good stuff... but I hate all the shopping, and the movies, and the... and the holiday... and I hate it."

"Yeah, I feel ya."

I payed and started to role around and, if by a force from Celestia, there was a wide open space on the ground floor. I tucked all of my possessions into deeper places not wanting to get looted for the second time in the same day and locked the car. I walked out of the garage and into the blizzard where shoppers from all over Manehattan it seemed were lined up outside all kinds of stores.

How could I be this stupid?

This was the Fashion District.

I started to shove my way north to where my district headquarters slept when a bored and loudly complaining voice echoed through the fog. I paused to listen.

"For the last time, Rarity, we already saw like twenty stores. It's getting late and I'm so bored." A bright blue pegasus with the wildest rainbow mane and tail yelled at her friend who attempted so dearly to keep her eyes in their respective sockets.

"I still haven't found anything for Sweetie Belle for Hearts Warming Day yet! You wouldn't dare cop out on your own sister... hehe... that is, if you had one." The white unicorn named Rarity tried to stay angry but tripped when she mentioned sister.

"I wish I had a sister. It gets boring without any family."

"I know, I'm sorry."

This was perfect.

I approached the two shoppers head on. I didn't want to come across as... well, as a predator, "I'm sorry if I might be interrupting your conversation... but I have a solution for you." I stared at the rainbow mane pegasus.

"Who are you. I don't know you." She responded.

"Relax, Rainbow Dash, this stallion is not like the other brutes on the street. What ever do you need, darling." The other one, Rarity, stepped in front.

"I know a young pegasi filly who is most likely in need of a family. Her name is Scootaloo... and..." I held back tears. Dear Celestia. I was beginning to realize how weak I really was. "Well she's never had any presents before... ...she is poor to say the least. Not like your sister Sweetie Belle."

Rarity got angry. "So... you overheard us."

"Yes... but not for very long. If you accept, you have to come with me... ...I promise, I'm not like these street ponies."

"I don't trust him." Rainbow Dash said... it was a fitting name for her mane and tail.

"I know Kung-Fu." Rarity spat. I swear, the seemingly delicate ones are tough.

"Look. You are a pegasi and you are a unicorn... that can do Kung-Fu. I'm just an earth pony and I'm weak... my name is Mr. Little Liner for Celestia's sake. If you say no... that's fine... but you'd be giving up on this little filly, Rainbow Dash." I boomed a bit louder than usual and then I mumbled to myself. "I'd be giving up on her."

Rainbow Dash seemed to think deeply for a moment. "Yes. But no funny business mister."

Omnicorn View

The door to the dragon's lair was locked and the lights were shut off.

"Damnit it's locked. Sorry Rainbow, I can't get-"

"Janus Aperi." Rarity mumbled. The door swung open.

"They're weren't any security cameras or none of that was there?" Little liner whined a little.

"Of course not." Rarity said eloquently.

"What's the point of us even being here?" Rainbow Dash complained.

"I have to get a list of the ponies I subbed today to get the address." Little Liner said as he sifted through the piles of paperwork to find said list.

Rainbow got irritated. "I though you said she had no family. I don't like where this is going, Little Liner."

"She basically doesn't have a family... but she has some sort of pony to look after her, I'm guessing. I'm guessing she has her parents. Either their too poor, too abusive, too neglectful, or a mixture of all of those. Damnit, just trust me." Little Liner started to become anxious.

"Calm down, we'll stick with-"

"Aha." Little Liner picked up the list and ran my hoof down to Scootaloo's name. "Apt. 25, 12th floor, 429 North 24th Street."

The three all thought the same thing: it was right smack in the middle of The Pit.

Pony View

The car monitor read ten o'clock.

"Are you still up for this?"

"If you turn the heater on, I'm freezing so badly, my mane might fall off."

"She exaggerates if you can tell."

"I can." But I also turned the heater on and pulled out of the garage. The replacement car lurched onto the highway carrying us three straight into The Pit... back into the action. The smog rose into the sky where it melted into the overcast clouds. The smog was a disgusting yellowish color and it mixed with the grey snow to form the most depressing picture I had ever seen in my life.

The apartments were bleak and they were poor... but hey, at least they're weren't any ponies on the streets. The cheap, white replacement car wouldn't be a target like my black Folks-Wagon. We swung the plain glass doors open and walked inside.

"We three are looking for the apartment number of Scootaloo." I already knew what it was but I needed the lobby pony's clearance.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Scootaloo and her parents left for the hospital. Her mother is in critical condition."

Crap.

"What hospital might I ask?" Rarity asked.

The attendant contorted her face into a smug smile no doubt laughing on the inside. "You ponies must be from outside The Pit. There's only one hospital around here: Kringle Medical Center."

"Thank you." I said as we hurried out of the lobby. I actually knew where that was... it was North near the Galloping Gar Barracks... and the gate to pony hell: Belle-Noir High School. Ten-thirty.

"She does have a family, Little Liner. You keep lying... and they're not abusive or neglectful or any of that... they take care of each other, the father called an ambulance, how's that neglectful?"

"You have to trust me-"

"-I don't trust you." Rainbow spat.

Rarity didn't like the development either, "Don't you make up some cheep-lip excuse, Scootaloo doesn't need help finding a new family, it sounds like."

"Well then, can you just humor me? I mean it's just a short drive up there and... and I don't want to risk it. I know it's more for me but-"

"No, Liner, I'm sorry. Best case scenario is a little filly's crying 'cause her mother's in critical condition. I have to do this now." Rainbow Dash stared at me from the front seat.

Rarity and all of her bags claimed the back.

I nodded and turned the key making the weak engine come to life and the lights to snap on.

Omnicorn View

"Sir, your wife remains in critical condition, we fear that severe bruising has caused damage to parts of the lung already damaged from the vinegar. She can breathe whilst connected to a machine but unless the surgeons can stop the blood flow... there is little we can do." One of the nurses said to Scootaloo's father.

"I am not her husband."

The mare noticed the amount of beer bottles and decided to shut up and retreat back inside the ER.

Eleven o'clock.

Scootaloo took the news just a little bit more seriously. She balled up onto a chair and cried audibly... her mother was her only friend.

"Oh will you shut the buck up, kid." Luckily for the father, they were the only ones in the waiting room. A television in the corner was broadcasting a stallion dressed up as Pony Claus.

Have a very merry Hearts Warming Day.

"Liar!" Scootaloo shouted at the television.

"You putrid bucking little shit, shut the buck up." And with that, her father slammed her head down onto the floor with his fist. "My babe is gonna die 'cause you."

The door into the waiting room opened and Little Liner, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash casually walked in onto the scene. Scootaloo's head and mane were covered in blood and her father stood over her with his hooves shaking with strewn bottles in the background. All three of them learned how to do math when they were Scootaloo's age.

"Back away from her." Rainbow Dash yelled.

"Mr. Liner, you're here?" Scootaloo said in amazement... but weakly.

"I'm sorry for what I said, I should've helped you when you said Pony Claus hated you. Instead I did nothing." Little Liner's heart spoke.

"So it was you who talked to this kid." The father yelled.

"Yes and I believe when you say 'this kid' you mean Scootaloo. We're hear to offer her a new family... a new life away from you. We can call the po-" Liner was hit over the head with a heavy plastic chair and fell to the floor.

Rarity lept up and sent a flying kick into the chest of Scootaloo's father. He stumbled but he didn't seem fazed all that much and when Rainbow tried to attack, he grabbed one of her wings and pulled. He was trying to dislocate it... just like he did to both of Scootaloo's when he was drunk that night two years ago... the day before Scootaloo got that awesome poster of the Wonderbolts.

Rarity chopped the stallion's hoof and he let go of Rainbow's wing... no damage was done. Hospital security and police bust through the door and seized the father without a word. They must've seen the fight through the security cameras... and his filly abuse, and his alcohol, and his yelling.

Pony View

"Well, Rainbow Dash, it's all you." I said.

Rainbow Dash knelt down to Scootaloo's level and stared at her teary eyes flooding comfort in a not so supernatural way. Rainbow cried a little too. "Hey Scootaloo."

No response.

"Well it looks like both of your parents won't come back... but I can take you under my wing." Rainbow Dash started to really choke now. "I'm like your new big sister. We can move away from this city and live happy lives. And you can HIC get presents, trust me, Pony Claus loves you. Do you know why?"

No response.

"Because he sent your substitute teacher and I to save you. Look, Mr. Liner bought you a Hearts Warming Day present... it's me."

"I wasn't gonna give up on you, Scootaloo." I said.

"If you come with me, Pony Claus will love you just the same. You'll have new friends like Sweetie Belle," Rainbow motioned to Rarity, "You'll have a good teacher Ms. Cheerilee who'll live with you until you can fly. I'll teach you how to fly. You can live in Ponyville, in happiness where ponies love and tolerate each other. Please, Scootaloo, do you accept all of these presents?"

Scootaloo's mangled body churned and after the longest time: "Yes."

It was over. A nurse came into the waiting room to help heal the gash on Scootaloo's head, Rainbow Dash kept talking about all of her friends and the Wonderbolts, and I noticed a song being sung on the television as my world finally gained meaning.

From the lowest place in Equestria,

came a song of tidings and joy;

Many years ago they did sing:

May the heart of the pit

let our sad divisions cease

...

and be our own prince of peace.

Completed 9 December 2014