Father of the Night 20: Chance Run-In


                                            =Father of the Night 20=


                                            >Hmmm... Wheat Bites or Sugar Lumps?

                                            >You hold the two boxes in your hands and read the nutrition labels.

                                            >Wheat Bites had less sugar but the Lumps had a prize inside...

                                            >High in fructose vs kinda shit taste...

                                            >Would Dinky even want the toy?

                                            >Would she even be here long enough for it to matter?

                                            >You shake your head and look at both boxes again.

                                            "Fuck it."

                                            >Into the kart they go as you toss them over your shoulder and continue down the aisle.

                                            >Not like you didn't have the money to spend.

                                            >You continue down the aisle gathering any food you were short on at the house. Sugar, flour, grapes and ham.

                                            >Dinky being over last night had exacerbated your already short food stores . You and Bruce ate like...well, horses.

                                            >You pause to grab some extra supplies from the front. A phone book, a map, and some extra toilet paper. Two to help find Dinky's mom and the other to make sure everything would work out if you couldn't.

                                            >You head up to the register and see a familiar mare standing behind the counter.

                                            >"Hello again, sir!"

                                            "Hey there."

                                            >You fiddle with your coin purse as she rings your items up. "How's your little one?" you hear.

                                            >You look up and arch your eyebrow, she shakes your boxes of cereal.

                                            >"No one buys this much cereal if they don't have mouths to feed."

                                            >Nodding slowly, you put some bits on the counter.

                                            "Rambunctious, and they're always hungry."

                                            >"They"?" she asks.

                                            "Yeah, we have another one living with us right now."

                                            >The service-mare swipes the bits and puts your food in bags for you. "Well I hope they keep eating good!"

                                            >You nod and walk away. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Yeah, thank you."

                                            >Well she was a lot nicer than the last ti-

                                            >Over your shoulder you hear a hushed "Can't believe they still let him keep foals."

                                            >Ah...there it was.

                                            >God, fuck teenagers.


                                            >You push your cart through Ponyville's streets towards your place on the hill.

                                            >Mac had taken Dinky and Bruce to school and with the two of them out searching, you were completely out of things to do today once you got back. You were taking your time walking home to think of things to do.

                                            >So far all you had was "Alphabetize the library. Again."

                                            >And that would suck royally.

                                            >You're walking along so lost in thought that you don't notice the stall in front of you until it's too late.

                                            "GAHFU-"

                                            >You run your cart into the wooden stand and knock a few of the contents of it into the ground and knocking the wind out of your gut.

                                            >Oh shit.

                                            >You pull yourself off the cart and get down to pick up the wears.

                                            "I'm really sorry about this, I wasn't looking where I was going a-"

                                            >It's only then that you get the first apple in your hand and know what stall you hit.

                                            >You sigh.

                                            >"Daydreamin' again?" a voice asks.

                                            "Maybe."

                                            >"How many times does that make it this month?"

                                            >You stand.

                                            "...Three."

                                            >"And was it about them water skippers y'all told me about?"

                                            "First off they're called Jet Ski's and second off, they're awesome."

                                            >You put the apple back on the stall and look at AJ.

                                            "Look, sorry, I wasn't paying attention, okay? I had my mind on what I'm doing when I get back home."

                                            >AJ follows you as you get back behind your cart. "Whoa now, don't you got two little kids to watch? Why aint they keepin' you busy all night?"

                                            >Damn cart. You yank it clear of the stall and get back on the path.

                                            "Nah. They're out looking for...someone. It's just me tonight."

                                            >AJ trots alongside you and calls back. "Big Macintosh! Applebloom! Keep sellin' them pies! I got something I gotta take care of!"

                                            >You look down at her.

                                            "Something"?"

                                            >"I figure I owe ya for last night and I also know how you get when yer bored. C'mon now."

                                            >With that AJ trots ahead of you down the path to your house.


                                            >You turn your key in the lock and jiggle the handle a bit before letting you and AJ into the house.

                                            >Fucking locksmiths, can't make a human sized lock to save their lives.

                                            "Welcome back to Casa De Anon."

                                            >AJ raises her eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

                                            >You shake your head and push your cart inside. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Nothing AJ, just something from back on my home."

                                            >The two of you enter into the kitchen and you start putting away the food.

                                            >"...Huh." AJ says walking around.

                                            "Whassup?"

                                            >"Just noticin' how...empty this house of yours is with just you in it."

                                            >You nod.

                                            "Yeah, there's more activity here with a kid. Wait till they both come back, we might move our way into 1/8th of what I might even call "bumping"."

                                            >Applejack turns and looks at you. "Say what?"

                                            >Nobody gets your jokes...

                                            "Nothing AJ. So what are you gonna do now that you're making to up to me and coming over after I handled the situation last night?"

                                            >She walks back over to you. "That's what I wanna know, Anon. Do y'all really know how to handle this situation?"

                                            >You put the cereal away and look at her.

                                            "I mean...maybe? I don't really know right now, AJ. But I didn't really know when Bruce came here and look how that turned out."

                                            >"A buncha Diamond Dogs invaded the town and y'all got beaten up, if I remember." she says sternly.

                                            >A long silence fills the room.

                                            "...Yeah but it's not like I -invited- them..."

                                            >AJ rolls her eyes. "Ya got an answer fer everything...don'tcha?"

                                            >Well...shit.

                                            "Hey...sorry, I guess. This is just how I cope with things."

                                            >"Cope?"

                                            >You nod a bit more frantically than you should.

                                            "Uh, DUH? I can barely handle one kid, no matter how weird he is! Two is out of my pay-grade!"

                                            >AJ smirks. "Now didn't ya say the same thing when I asked you to carry two apple buckets back to the barn when ya used to work for me?"

                                            "Yeah, and it was out of my pay grade then too. Seriously, you should consider paying your hands more."


                                            >After the groceries are stowed away, you and AJ decide to relax on the back porch with some drinks.

                                            >You sip your water as AJ nurses her mug of cider and look over the back yard at the setting sun.

                                            >Applejack fidgets next to you. "They ought to be gettin' back soon, right?"

                                            "He goes out in the dead of night, AJ. Sunset shouldn't be too hard for him."

                                            >AJ looks over the yard. "I'm givin' them fifteen minutes before I go out looking."

                                            >Shit, you'd give him ten. It -was- a school night.

                                            "I'll be right there with ya."

                                            >You take another swig of your drink and notice Applejack looking at you.

                                            "What?"

                                            >"The Anon I know used to drink so much he mighta put Big Macintosh under the table, when'd he move to water over cider?"

                                            >You raise your bottle. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Get got sniped by Equestrian Social Services to have to take care of a little boy, and I don't want to piss off the inspector when they come around by having a liquor cabinet."

                                            >AJ chuckles. "Nice ta see somethin' makes ya act responsible."

                                            "Hey, I was always on time at the farm."

                                            >"'Cept for when you overslept." AJ says flatly.

                                            "That only happened once and you know it."


                                            >From behind you both, the sound of the front door opening and closing gets your attention.

                                            "Shit, that them?"

                                            >And with three minutes to spare.

                                            >"C'mon! Let's hustle!" Applejack says hopping out of her seat.

                                            >You toss your drink and follow her into the foyer, Bruce and Dinky are hanging up their things looking kinda beat.

                                            "Hey kids, how'd it go?"

                                            >"Are y'all alright?"

                                            >Bruce's ears swivel and he looks up. "Oh. Hello Miss Applejack. What are you doing here?"

                                            >"Uhh...had some spare time and Anonymous here invited me over for a drink." she says.

                                            "Wait, hang on, you followed m-"

                                            >You're cut off as AJ sets her hoof down on the front of your shoe.

                                            >GAAAAAAAHCHEEKYBITCH.

                                            >Bruce and Dinky approach. "Well, you are of course welcome to stay for as long as you need."

                                            >You ignore the splitting pain in your foot and head into the kitchen.

                                            "So how was the search? Did you guys find anything?"

                                            >Dinky, surprisingly smiling, answers you. "Yeah! The post office said my mom got sent to deliver a package in Canterlot!

                                            "That's awesome, Dinky!" you exclaim.

                                            >AJ joins you with a "Real good news!"

                                            >Bruce nods. "Yes, all we have to do is narrow it down to WHERE she was sent and we can begin searching."

                                            "Are you gonna go tonight?"

                                            >Bruce shrugs. "Time -is- of the essence..."

                                            "Because I was gonna make pot roast."

                                            >His eyes go wider. "But...leaving unfed and un-rested would be bad, right?"

                                            >You chuckle and nod.

                                            "You got that right."

                                            >Boy couldn't resist pot roast.