Touch

"Mother?" Paper Scribbles asked. Lemon Flower was currently gritting her teeth, frustrated because she was trying to get something to go in — exactly what, Paper had no clue of — she didn’t know much about the things her mother used. Lemon lifted her head up from trying to force closed one of the compartments in her jewelry box, and turned to face her adopted daughter, blushing yet giving her a warm smile. She was glad of the interruption from her little project.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Lemon Flower responded, smiling caringly at her daughter. The blind unicorn lowered her head to face her hooves that were on her lilac bed sheets as she let out a sigh. She really didn't want to ask her mother this particular question, she was quite nervous. The yellow mare frowned at her daughter. She needed to get whatever was on her daughter's mind out of her mouth before the filly started to worry too much.

Lemon was constantly worried for Paper, especially since she was blind, unable to see anything but blurs, and had to attend the regular public school in Ponyville, a small town with no schools for foals with special needs. She was worried about bullying, but at the same time she was also afraid of being a bad mother by being overprotective.

At least once she started school, Paper would have Speed Drill to look after her. Speed Drill was a young mare that Lemon had also recently fostered, and now worked as an apprentice teacher. The little filly had quickly bonded with her almost grown-up ‘sister’.

A single tear rolled down the light brown filly's cheek. Lemon Flower immediately caught sight of this, and spread her hooves wide, beckoning her for a hug. Sensing her mother’s offer, she immediately jumped into her mother's arms and started to cry into her chest, sobbing her heart out. Now the yellow mare was extremely worried. Many thoughts ran through her head, but one thing stuck out: her painful past — it must be scaring the poor filly! That seems the most likely explanation. You can never know what's going on in that mischievous little filly's mind, she thought to herself, trying to stay as calm as possible. Lemon didn't want bring up her past emotional pain and make the situation worse.

Finally, she decided to let it all out. The green-maned mare jolted forward and held her daughter closer, Paper Scribbles accepting the warm embrace. They sobbed into each other, Paper crying deeply, her emotional scars coming back to her. Lemon Flower wasn't crying for the sake of making her daughter feel better, but about her own past. Her head laid atop the younger unicorn’s head, just above her horn, she nestled into her pure white mane, closing her eyes tightly, not wanting to ever open them or end the loving embrace the mother and daughter.

Eventually, they broke their embrace. They stared deeply into each other’s eyes — Paper’s usually beautiful and glistening lilac eyes were red and puffy, fresh tears still escaping them. Lemon Flower held out a hoof to her face and wiped the stream of tears from her daughter's cheeks, and sniffing herself.

Then, out of nowhere, they chuckled. Then those chuckles turned into giggles. Just before they could burst into a fit of laughter, a loud bang came from below them. Immediately knowing what was happening, they stopped. By now, their eyes had become frozen like their bodies.

"Hey! Slave Flower! I'm back from work! Get your lazy flank down here right now and put the kettle on!" It was Shadow Wing, Lemon Flower's abusive colt friend. Shadow did not know who Paper Scribbles was — he didn’t even know that Lemon had an adopted daughter since the beginning of their painful relationship.

But Paper knew who he was. She grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil and crawled under a desk, quickly writing down all she could — a small tale, you could say.

"So, umm...." started the yellow mare, staring at the ground that was directly in front of her little cottage in Ponyville. "Shady, I—" she started, only to be interrupted mid-sentence as the stallion supposed to be her coltfriend pushed past her into the house.

“Do me a favour, sweetie, and shut your muzzle, then make me a nice cup of coffee, would ya?” Shadow Wing blurted out, demanding something Lemon Flower something couldn’t take seriously at all. She laughed in response. Shadow turned to face her, a look of supreme anger in his eyes.

“What are you laughing at, you crazy mother-bucker?!?” he screamed at the top of his lungs, releasing the words straight into her ears.

She gasped. Shadow had never used such language and tone on her! “Shady… I–I’m… I’m sorry!”

“No need. I don’t want to hear another peep out of you!” he finished the conversation with pure anger, as he back-hoofed her around her face, leaving her face paralyzed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He’d never been this cruel. She was so glad she’d never introduced him to Paper: the mare didn’t want her precious child getting hurt after all she’d been through in her short life.

The torture continued for many days, and Paper Scribbles was left to starve, fending for herself…

Paper shook her mother, as she snapped out of a daze that had seemed to last many hours. Lemon shook her head, regaining her composure, and leaned over her filly — she knew the worst was yet to come.

Before Shadow Wing entered the room, the yellow mare whispered three simple words to the filly she held in her hooves. “I’m sorry, baby…”

That was it. Shady had found where they resided to hide from his return. He bucked down the cheap, wooden door, shattering it into splinters. His eyes widened at the sight of her crying, sheltering the shivering little filly below her. This just gave him more thoughts about what to do. His feigned look of shock started to transform into a smirk.

“I see you're hiding a little something from me, sweetheart. Care to explain?” The smirk on his face only grew.

“Nothing that concerns you, Shadow Dusk Wing. Just leave me and my precious baby alone,” she scowled her tone exuding a confidence she didn’t really feel inside.

Shadow laughed. “Addressing me by my full name now are we? Someone’s had a little too much to drink last night. Hah! That’s probably where that little kid came from: I’ve seen you’ve been hanging with a lot of other stallions lately at the pub.”

Lemon Flower was disturbed by his comment. “They’re my god dang brothers!” she screamed in response to his accusation, covering Paper Scribbles ears in the process.

Since all the young unicorn could see was blurs, and she wasn’t paying much attention sight-wise, she jolted at the touch, but soon realised it was the soothing touch of her mother. Only moments later, she shivered at a completely different touch. She squealed. Her mother’s touch had gone. Lemon had been knocked out by the stallion, the one who was now touching her.

“Hush now, little filly, all I’m doing is taking you back to where you belong,” he laughed, and Paper could hear the evil in his voice.

The filly sighed and gave up squirming, attempting to escape his tight grasp — she had almost passed out. A door slammed; voices were heard; but she didn’t care anymore. But then there was one voice that she recognized: the stallion who abused her in the orphanage. As she was being taken away, many different and rude things were spoken, all directed at her — a lot of bad language.

She heard a loud shout, coming from somewhere not so far away. “Give her back to me now! She’s been through too much!” screeched a voice that seemed recognisable.

Paper heard a bang; the sound of a gun being fired close; a crash; the sound of hoof steps behind her. She sensed the stallion's head turn and she made a run for it. It looked as if finally it was over. She was dropped to the floor as the boisterous noise faded away and a familiar face nuzzled her. She was finally reunited with her mother, after all they’d been through.

When they arrived home, before Lemon made two calls before snuggling down to have a long and well-deserved sleep with her adopted daughter. She called the shop to take some time off work. And she called the police about Shadow Wing, filling them in on all the details and his current location, as she had managed to tie the strong stallion down. She’d never called them before, being too scared of the consequences.

Lemon Flower was stronger than most ponies though. Don’t judge people on looks, because they could have a lot of strength inside…

Paper stood in front of her class and her teacher, Speed Drill, and presented her homework. When she was finished, a bright flash appeared on her flank: her cutie mark. Speed Drill looked at it and smiled at her younger sister. “It’s an orange paw print with a pencil across!” she told the filly.

Paper Scribbles knew what it meant. The paw print represented her love of animals, whilst the pencils represented her passion for writing. Her mother would be so proud…