Flash and Freedom were as still as a statue as they stared at each other. Rainbow walked over to Fluttershy and sat next to her. He looked over and asked, "Do you think this was a good idea? I mean they haven't seen each other in years."
Fluttershy looked over at her cyan friend. "I hope so; if I was in their position I would be extremely happy. If I had a brother that just left one day I would love seeing him."
Flash was the first to speak. "F....Fre....Freedom? Is that really you?"
Freedom looked at the ground, looked back up, and sighed. A tear started to fall from his blue eyes as he looked up at his brother.
"Flash I never meant to hurt you, I just needed to find who I really was. I'm sorry."
As Freedom finished his sentence, Flash started laughing. He walked up to his brother and gave him a hug. After their embrace he smiled and simply said, "Welcome home."
After their reunion, Rainbow stood up and walked over to the two brothers. She smiled at Freedom and said, "Hey, I guess I’m your sister in law. I'm Rainbow Dash. Would you like to come back to the house and meet your nephews and your niece?"
Freedom perked up at that, and enthusiastically followed. Fluttershy got up and joined them.
________________________________________
When they got in the house, Fluttershy and Rainbow sat at the table as Blaze and Starlight swarmed their uncle with questions and stories of their lives. Jet started crying from his crib, so Flash went to go get him so he could introduce him to Freedom. When Flash walked back into the living room with Jet in his arms, Freedom almost fell out of his chair.
"Holy shit! He's an alicorn!"
Flash looked at his brother and sighed, knowing he had to tell him the story. He looked at Rainbow, who made an excuse for her and Fluttershy to get out of earshot of the story. It was still a sensitive subject for the both of them.
"Yeah, but he's not mine. I was sick, and couldn't go to one of our Wonderbolt celebrations, so she went alone. She got drunk, and ended up sleeping with Soarin. And then a short few months later, bam. Here came Jet."
"That doesn't explain why Jet’s an alicorn."
"Well, she represents the Element of Loyalty, and due to being one of the Elements of Harmony, she is capable of having an alicorn with her soul mate. We had a lot of fights, but… We realized that we belonged together and didn’t care that destiny said otherwise."
Freedom smiled at the young foal.
"He sure is as cute as a button."
Rainbow and Fluttershy walked back into the room and sat down on the couch. Rainbow gave Flash a concerned look.
"While me and Fluttershy were outside it started storming really badly. I think it would be best that her and Freedom stay here until it passes."
That set Blaze off.
"YES!! Uncle Freedom gets to sleep in my room!"
Then Starlight jumped in with him. "Then that means Fluttershy gets to sleep in my room!!"
Rainbow gave them a stern look.
"Now kids, you know you would keep them up all night. And anyway we kind of interrupted their date, so why don’t you guys go to bed so they can be alone for a bit?"
They both groaned, but obeyed their mother’s orders. Rainbow grabbed Jet from Flash and went to get him fed and put back to sleep. Flash looked at the two and said, "You guys can have the guest room at the end of the hall. There’s a bathroom in there so you won’t have to walk all over the house in the middle of the night. Goodnight, and have fun."
He laughed as he left the room. Fluttershy and Freedom sat alone in the living room, the only sounds coming from their breathing and the pitter patter of rain on the windows. Freedom turned on the T.V. and started a movie. Then he broke the silence.
"Hey Fluttershy, if you were a pirate would you rather have a parrot on this shoulder?" He put his hoof on her shoulder closest to him. "Or this one?" Then put his arm around her. She blushed and said, "Oh, definitely the one it’s on right now." She snuggled up to his side.
Halfway through the movie Fluttershy had fallen asleep snuggled close to Freedom's side. He yawned and carefully stood up, careful not to wake her, and stretched.
"Sweet Celestia, she is really beautiful." He thought to himself. "I can't just leave her here alone."
He walked over and shook her, lightly waking her.
"Fluttershy, let’s go get some sleep. It's really late."
She looked up groggily and said quietly, "Carry me?"
He smiled as she fell asleep before she got done saying "me", so he picked her up on his back and carried her into the guest bedroom his brother had told him about. It had a bed and a couch, so he carefully lied her down on the bed and then walked over to the couch and got comfortable. He fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in years.
To be Continued…