It was late afternoon when I was cleared from the hospital. All I had were minor bruises from the chains, some minor blood and feather loss, and a case of malnutrition. The staff wanted to keep me in longer, but I insisted that I would be absolutely fine, though they insisted that I "take it easy".
Because of my lightweight structure from malnutrition, I easily got knocked over when three fillies tackled me. Scootaloo landed on my stomach and started pounding on my chest in frustration. "Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot! Why would you say such things? Why did you keep everything to yourself? Why?!" Her pounding got slower and weaker as she started sobbing.
I sigh and shake my head. "Because I’m weak. I understand if you three hate me for avoiding you like that..."
"I told you to stop saying that!" I look over and see Fluttershy giving me a frustrated look.
Applebloom whimpered. "But... why didn't ya tell us anything?"
I look away, partially in shame. "If I did tell you, you would of hated me anyways."
Sweetie Belle gave me a worried look. "No we wouldn't! We could of helped you find a way to make up for it!"
"You say that because you listened to that tape-player. Think about it; how would any of you felt, before hearing that, if you knew I wronged your older sisters and their friends?" The fillies looked at each other.
Scootaloo sighed. "I... suppose you're right." She glares at me. "I thought I told you not to do that ever again. This time, I want you to Pinkie Promise not to do it ever again!"
I shoot a confused look at Fluttershy. "Pinkie Promise?"
I hear a gasp from my other side. "I forgot to tell you about that!" I look and see Pinkie facehoofing. "It's what Rainbow Dash did on 'that' day. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." she went through the motions before looking at me expectantly.
"C-cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-- ow." I poke my eye with my hoof.
The fillies giggle as Pinkie shakes her head in amusement. "Twilight did the same thing, so I'll let it slide. Just remember, breaking a pinkie promise is the fastest way to lose a friend--" She zips up beside me with a menacing look. "-- FOREVER!"
"I-I get it, even though I thought I already lost everypony as friends."
"That's beside the point." She suddenly dashes off, leaving all of us confused.
I shake my head as the fillies get off me and I stand up. "I suppose I should go see Cloud Conduct over my situation. I'm not sure if I'm still the wind manager."
Fluttershy gives me a worried look. "Are you sure you're fit enough to fly to Cloudsdale? You only just got out of the hospital."
"I should be fine, the feathers I'm missing aren't that important to my flight and I feel rested enough." She looked unconvinced but gave me an affectionate nuzzle anyways.
Scootaloo was about to gag when Applebloom cut in. "Hey, I've seen Applejack doing that to Big Mac whenever she's worried about him."
Sweetie Belle deadpanned. "The nuzzle from a worried little sister to her older brother? Wait, could that mean..?"
Fluttershy and I look at each other before I nod at the fillies. "We've just recently found out but yeah, Fluttershy's my sister."
This caused Sweetie Belle and Applebloom to squeal with delight while Scootaloo deadpans. "And here I thought you two suddenly became lovey-dovey with each other."
"Wha-- I assure you that is NOT the case." My outburst got a giggle out of Fluttershy.
"There's the stallion I've been waiting for!" I look up and see Rainbow Dash flying right above me with a glare. On instinct, I crouched in fear.
Fluttershy gave the rainbow-maned pegasus a glare of her own. "Rainbow, give him a break. I thought you--"
"I'm not mad at him for THAT, not anymore anyways." She narrows her eyes at me. "I'm mad for a different reason. You, mister, have been holding out on me this whole time!"
Seeing the looks of confusion the fillies and I bore, she rolls her eyes and jabs my side. I yelp as all four of my wings spread much to the surprise of the crusaders, Scootaloo especially. "I... uh... I can explain!"
"No need, Harpsong filled us in on why you hid your second pair. That still doesn't change the fact that I want a rematch, except you're using all FOUR wings this time."
This surprised me. I thought she, somepony who prides herself on her flying as a normal pegasus, would hate a 'cheating freak' like me. "Y-you don't mind...?"
Rainbow rolls her eyes again. "Harpsong asked the same thing, and Pinkie answered for all of us; you're you no matter what you look like. I'm more irritated at you for holding back on me despite you always giving me flack for holding back."
"B-but what about the rest of the town?"
She sighs. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I want you to get back up to speed with BOTH pairs, then we'll have our rematch. Until then, see you around town." With that, she flies off.
"That... is... AWESOME!" I give Scootaloo a surprised look when she shouts like that. "Er... not as awesome as Rainbow Dash, but you essentially have double the wing-power you originally let on."
"Are you girls... fine with this?"
Applebloom gives me a questioning look. "Will it change yer personality if they aren't hidden?"
I shake my head and Sweetie Belle smiles at me. "Then you have no need to worry."
I breath a sigh of relief, glad to finally be wrong about how some ponies would treat me. "Well, I need to head over to Cloudsdale to get something straightened out. If I can, I'll play with you three tomorrow after school." They nod and run off.
"You are very kind to those three, aren't you?" I look at Fluttershy with a nod and she shakes her head. "But I'm coming with you to Cloudsdale. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you on the way there."
Day one of having a little sister and she's already trying to look out for me...
I shrug and spread my primary wings to fly. I had trained myself to fly with only one pair, yet I've mostly forgotten how to use my secondary pair. Taking off, I hear Fluttershy take off with me.
Apparently word travels fast from Ponyville to Cloudsdale. Cloud Conduct had heard about my situation, and she already had a replacement called in. Seeing as that I still needed to recover, she wouldn't cancel the replacement in order for me to rest. It included temporarily giving up my house, but I understood. Plus, Fluttershy thought of everything; she had my house key from the get-go and had already moved all of my personal stuff into her house.
Before we took off, she tugged at my wing to get my attention. "W-would you like to see... dad?"
Oh no... I almost forgot... again.
"What about mom... I mean... my biological mom."
She slumped on the ground with a sad look. "She... passed away ten years ago." Despite only remembering three years with her, this devastated me.
I let out a shaky breath. "Then let's go see... dad."
It's going to be weird having a dad... and so awkward.
When we landed in front of the cloud house, I went to knock, but hesitated and looked back at Fluttershy. She gave me an encouraging nudge and I knocked.
There was silence for a bit before a soft-male voice called out, "Wh-who is it?"
Fluttershy spoke up, "It's me dad."
"Flutters?" The door opened and I see an indigo stallion with dark-red hair. "What's going on sweetie--" He stopped dead when he saw me with a look of pure shock. "It... can't be..."
I smile nervously. "Hi... dad..."
Next thing I knew, I was being squeezed... well it felt like he was trying to squeeze me, like he was afraid I would disappear again. "I-I thought we lost you... sixteen years ago. I can't believe it... you're alive!"
"I must of caused you, mom, and Fluttershy a lot of grief. I'm sorry..."
He breaks the hug to look at me. "W-well... after you disappeared, your mom and I were... scared to let little Fluttershy out of our sight as I lamented your apparent death. Poor Fluttershy took it the hardest in a way; she lost her memories of her early fillyhood from the pure shock of losing you."
I gave a surprised look before turning and nuzzling my sister, who hummed at the contact. "I... wish I could see mom..."
"She held fast to the belief that you were still alive, even on her deathbed. Her instincts as a mother were always spot on, even though I sometimes had doubts." Dad shakes his head. "I'm willing to bet she's happy just knowing you returned to both of us."
I nod before hugging him. "In truth... somepony in Manehatten took me in as her own son when I myself lost my memories. If not for her, I probably wouldn't be here."
He smiles. "Is that so? I would like to meet her and give her my eternal thanks. Would you like to come in and see your old room?"
"Sure." He leads us into the house. Outside of the cloud materials, it was similar to a middle-class house in Manehatten like the one my adoptive mother lived in.
When I stepped into my room from sixteen years ago, something washed over me and I just stared.
Fluttershy must of noticed my somewhat dreamy look. "Big brother, what's wrong?"
"... Nostalgia... unchanged..."
It looked like the room you'd expect a five year old colt to have plus a layer of dust.
Dad spoke up. "Your mother kept your room tidy until her death. It was one of the ways she showed knowing you were still alive."
I simply nod as I let the memories I had once lost wash over me. I took notice of a Wonderbolt poster and chuckled. "Guess I did want to become a Wonderbolt at one point. Spitfire will have a fit if she finds that out."
Fluttershy gives me a surprised look. "You know the captain of the Wonderbolts?" I nod and she giggles. "Rainbow would have your head if she knew."
"That sounds like her." I turn to my dad. "I think we should head back to Ponyville. It was great seeing you for the first time in... well, ever."
He hugs me. "Don't be a stranger, son. It feels so... surreal to be saying that now, but in a good way." I chuckle at that statement. The sun was starting to set when we exited the house, so we flew straight to Fluttershy's cottage.
By the time we reached it, it was night-time. When we entered, the rabbit I saw before gives me a scrutinizing look before looking at Fluttershy in confusion with the rest of the animals. "Don't worry, Angel. He's my brother and he’s staying with us for a few nights." He gives me a surprised look before nodding with a smile. he chittered something to the other animals, who nodded before returning to their resting places.
As Fluttershy prepared dinner, I looked through my belongings quick. My wind harp was still there and--
Oh no, why didn't I notice that cake stain on my suit before?
I sigh and made a mental note to visit Rarity tomorrow, even though I still felt like I didn't deserve anything done for me.
"Dinner's ready!" Putting my harp on the floor beside the couch, I head to the dining room. Fluttershy had made a simple salad, but it was enough to get a grumble out of my stomach, making her giggle. "Somepony hungry?"
"I... actually haven't eaten in a few days."
That got a gasp out of her. "No wonder you look famished. Eat as much as you can, you're going to need it." I nod, knowing she wouldn't let me have it any other way. Despite the initial awkwardness, we managed to talk about what happened in our lives ever since our separation, including how we got our cutie marks. It seemed like she missed something, but I decided not to prod.
"So that's why Pinkie said "you're special to us." that day..."
She nods. "Yeah, that rainboom eventually brought us together as friends. It was just the six of us originally, but then you came around."
"And then I messed up the whole composition."
That statement earned me a jab to the shoulder. "Stop being down on yourself, you're not to blame for that."
I beg to differ.
We continued talking, even when I helped her with her duties, until it was time for bed. Fluttershy told me about the spare bedroom during dinner, so I started heading there when I noticed that she followed me into the room. "What's the matter, Shy?"
She stutters a bit at me using her nickname from sixteen years ago before recomposing herself enough to talk. "I-is it okay if you... sleep with me tonight?"
I deadpan as I remember when she would always crawl into my bed whenever she was scared when we were foals. It was fine back then, yet now...
"Aren't we a bit too old for that now?"
"I-I know but... I just want..." She didn't finish as she gives me a worried look.
She's afraid I'll disappear on her again.
I sigh. "I guess I could..." She gives me a soft smile as I follow her into her bedroom, which looked fairly simple all things considered.
It wasn't long after I crawled into the bed when she started snuggling up beside me. I drape two wings over her and she hummed as she started falling asleep. Her fur tickled my secondary wing, but I didn't mind as I fell asleep myself.
Fluttershy cracked open an eye and saw Zephyr sound asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed from everything that has happened.
She wanted to sleep with him not only because she was afraid of letting him out of sight with how he’s been acting, but also because she wanted to reconnect more with him.
Fluttershy remembered when she was a filly and when thunderstorms or nightmares scared her. At first, she always crawled into her parent’s bed, but both of them were too deep of sleepers to really provide much comfort to her.
One night she accidentally stumbled into Zephyr’s room, much to his surprise. When he saw how scared she was, despite being scared of the thunder himself, he offered her room in his bed for the night. He did his best to comfort her, despite his own fears.
Tonight though, she wanted to be there for him.
“I love you… big brother.”