A family at heart

by Babycord

Good to be back.

What is a home?

For HeartFelt and his sisters, their home consists of a small three-bedroom house near the edge of town. Of course with a family as big as theirs it wasn't exactly an easy fit. With that said it was the only place that they could afford at the time. Plus while it was small, it also had a basement that ended up becoming another room entirely.

Under normal circumstances, they would end up sharing a room in pairs of two. For example, one room was shared by Rarity and Rainbow Dash. The second room on the left was shared between Fluttershy and Derpy. The one on the right was Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The basement meanwhile was split among Apple Jack and HeartFelt. However nine out of 10 the orange woman would end up passed out on the couch. Having been too drunk to walk down the stairs on numerous occasions.

Staring up at his so-called home Heart smiled fondly. Moments among him along with his sisters come into mind. Despite it looking old and pretty much run down the memories gained from its structure are practically unforgettable. Five long years of happiness, pain, struggle, and discovery were all found within its confines. To most, it looked to be disgusting if not a vile place to live in, but to him, nothing felt more safe and secure. Of course, that isn't to say that the home itself didn't have any flaws. For instance, plumbing was a near-constant issue. Not only that but often than not the heating would be poor. So poor in fact that on most winter nights they all would gather in the living room to sleep. Piled on top of one another in a clear attempt to sub-stain warmth. Even Rainbow Dash who didn't exactly favor closeness would often partake in the event. All be it with a deep blush that turns her face crimson.

"You ready their Champ?" The cyan woman asked. Using a nickname that Heart hasn't heard for a long time. In response, the youth puts his hand under his chin in apparent thought.

"That depends" he began slowly. "Can you survive without me for long periods without getting bored and doing something drastic?"

"I got this far" Rainbow pointed out. A light smirk on her face.

Heart grinned.

"I'll take that as a no."

Rainbow scoffed before rolling her eyes, and they say that she's the one who always likes to boast. "I'll let you know that my life doesn't rotate around you". That alone wasn't exactly a lie however it isn't exactly the real truth either. In essence, Felt was one out of seven people that kept her centered. Without him or the others, Rainbow would have ended up in a far worse place in life. It was no secret that she was reckless. Hell, it was something that Rarity berates her about daily. While that said recklessness was a part of her personality, but It was also because Rainbow couldn't find it within herself to care about what happens to her and her alone. It was something that Rainbow struggled with her entire life. It wasn't that she thought little of herself or anything else similar to that. Nor was it due to anything that was done towards her or around her in the earlier stages of her life. Rather it was just another aspect of herself that the cyan woman inherited since birth. This alone was one of the main reasons that she was abandoned as a child. Her parents didn't want to deal with a kid who seemingly throw self-preservation out the window. Well, that and the financial issues that come with bearing a child. In the end, Rainbow was sent to an orphanage. That alone was both the best and the worse part of the women's life.

Dash watched as Heart Felt turned his attention back towards the house. His expression is a mixture of longing and nervousness. Upon seeing this she raised a brow in confusion.

" what's up with you?"

Heart shrugged trying to look as relaxed and unbothered as possible. "Oh, not munch".

"Liar."

He sighed. Felt knew that when it came to something the cyan woman wanted to know she would stop at nothing to find out. Personal space and or boundaries be damned.

"Im just...nervous".

Rainbow's brow went a tad bit further.

" it's just I haven't seen them in a whole year, what if things changed? What if something happened that was somehow my fault and now they blame me for it?"

Rainbow held back a snort.

"Im serious!" He snapped. A second later anger gave easily into doubt. "They could be upset at me or what I've done or-"

A blue hand covered his mouth.

Confused by this sudden action Felt looked up. Only to see his big sister staring down at him.

"Look I know you can be crazy paranoid and all, munch like Twilight".

His confused look turned into a glare,

" but believe me when I say that you're seriously overthinking this, If something did happen don't you think that I would have already told you?"

He blinked.

Well, when you put it like that.

Upon realizing that she got through to him she removed her hand from his mouth.

"Now then" Rainbow began. Putting both hands over her head as she turned towards the house. Heart in turn did the same. Only he didn't quite look as relaxed as she did. Mainly, because of how loud his thoughts were. Furthering his already nervous state of mind. Fortunately, Dash managed to get him to calm down. At least somewhat. The cyan female on the other hand had a knowing smirk on her face.

"Let's get this party started".

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"Has anyone seen my flippers?"

A young woman with almost bleached white skin, long purple hair, and a set of soft blue eyes asked. The look on her face was that of clear frustration as she walked down the stairs.

"Have you tried looking under your bed?" Twilight asked. The sixth youngest sibling's focus seemed to be mainly on the computer in front of her. Twilight herself was a purple woman with long dark purple hair and a pair of moderate amber eyes. She wore a pair of reading glasses as she stared intently at the screen before her.

Rarity sighed.

"That's the second place I looked."

"What was the first?"

A scowl formed on the white beauty's face.

"Under Rainbow Dash's bed."

"Judging from the fact that your still looking I think it's safe to say that it wasn't there?"

"Indeed."

Twilight shrugged. That shrug alone told Rarity that her answer was the best she was going to get. At least while the woman herself was too busy with whatever she was doing.

Speaking of which.

"What are you doing dear?"

Twilight's answer was quick and to the point.

"Looking at how one goes about recreating ancient dark rituals.

Rarity blinked.

Well, at least she wasn't trying to hack into the pentagon for the fourth time.

"Good luck dear."

In response, she received a lazy thumbs up.

Walking into the living room Rarity was met with the usual sight.

Apple Jack currently snoring on the couch. A near-empty bottle of cider in one hand and a blunt that looked practically finished in the other. Sitting close beside Apple Jack while on the floor were Fluttershy and Derpy. The former looked to be hard at work at drawing something Rarity couldn't see. Derpy on the other hand was busy watching what Rarity believed to be a show called Kevin universe. Laying in the middle of both Derpy and Fluttershy was what looked to be a massive purple dog. Said dog looked to be lean and muscular. When it yawned it showed off several razor-sharp teeth that looked capable of crushing bone. Beyond that, however, the way it rested its massive head-on Derpy's lap made it look more like a cute puppy rather than a vicious guard dog that it was bred to become.

"Hello Derpy" Rarity greeted with a smile. The grey youth turned to look at her. The speed at which she did so had a good part of her face covered with blonde hair. Frowning Derpy took a moment to push her mane aside. Doing so revealed a pair of golden yellow eyes. Eyes that shined with childlike innocence.

"Hey, Rarity!"

The purple-haired woman smiled in response.

"Have you seen my socks anywhere?"

Rarity watched as Derpy knits her brows together in concentration. For her part Rarity waited patiently. The grey youth always had problems when it comes to her memory. This issue came apparent ever since Derpy fell off a swing when she was but a toddler. Ever since that day, the girl's mind wasn't the same. concepts such as math and reading were alien to her since she kept forgetting about how one goes about mastering them. You could teach her how to read and write just as you would any other kid, unfortunately once a certain amount of time passes the memory of how she was taught would vanish. This effectively made her unable to do things that others could around her age. However, even with that said she is capable of remembering an item or people's names once she was around them for a long period. It took her an entire year to effectively remember Rarity's name without mispronouncing it or forgetting entirely. It took her even longer to remember anyone else's. Fortunately Derpy was more than capable of remembering faces and her interactions with others. However, with that said there would forever, be a severe limitation to what she can and can't do.

That alone meant that Rarity wasn't surprised and or upset when Derpy finally answered.

"Nope!"

She smiled softly in thanks.

Upon glancing over and seeing the look of absolute concentration on Fluttershy's face as she drew Rarity wisely decided not to interrupt her. Not unless she wanted to come face to face with angry Shy.

No one comes back from angry Shy.

"YOU SHOULD ASK PINKIE PIE!" Derpy exclaimed loudly before pointing. Seemingly forgetting the fact that a certain someone was sitting right beside her. Fluttershy for her part looked unphased. Even though her ear was tilted ever so slightly towards Derpy's general direction. Either the yellow caretaker was that deep in concentration or she was more than willing to ignore any wrongdoings done by her grey sister. At least to a certain extent.

Rarity who rarely if ever seen the two the apart suspected the former.

Following Derpy's finger Rarity spotted the pink-colored woman herself. Pinkie for her part was too busy staring at the door to notice her. Her eyes wide and unblinking.

Upon seeing her sister in such a state a worried look fell onto Rarity's expression.

"Pinkie dear are you alright?"

No answer.

"Pinkie?"

Silence.

Biting her lip Rarity's concerns began to grow from the lack of verbal response from the usual talkative individual before her. Her first assumption was that that Pinkie might have consumed too much Black Moondust. Too much of the substance could leave one spacing out for minutes if not hours at a time. However, the pink party machine was always mindful of the amount used. Whether it was her or another one of her siblings. Plus judging from just how long she's using it the risk of that happening was probably low due to long-time exposure. Pinkie Pie was many things, but a lightweight wasn't one of them.

"Haven't you heard?"

The low, almost unfeeling tone that came out of her mouth caused Rarity to pause, and she wasn't the only one who noticed either.

Dead silence fell as six pairs of eyes fell upon the duo.

"Heard about what dear?"

Instead of answering Pinkie simply stood. Her eyes transfixed on the door.

By this point, panic began to slowly sheep into Rarity's core. However just as the purple-haired woman began to reach out towards her sister Pinkie turned. As she did so Rarity along with nearly everyone else with the sole exception of Apple Jack saw the massive smile on her face. Said smile was so wide that the fact it managed to fit on the pink woman's face was almost otherworldly.

"He's here."

Pinkie whispered her expression unchanging. Rarity gulped before managing to get out a sentence.

"Wh-who's here?"

However, before the pink woman could answer the door opened.

"What's good bitches?!"

Rainbow Dash strolled in,

And behind her was someone that Rarity along with everyone else thought they would never see again.

"HEART FELT?!"

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Heart Felt couldn't breathe.

That was mainly due to having six bodies pressed against him. While the embrace was long overdue, it also made it extremely difficult to gather much-needed oxygen into his lungs. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before his vision began to blur. However, before panic settled within Heart's soul an orange hand reached over before grabbing him by the collar. A second later Felt was pulled out of the embrace and was instead settled right next to a now awake Apple Jack.

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted. The look on her face was similar to that of a very displeased mother. This had the effect of calming everyone down almost immediately.

A moment later words of apology were uttered with looks of intense guilt. After all, it didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, especially if you take into account the way Heart Felt was gasping for air. Rainbow however was too busy laughing her ass off. Munch to Apple Jacks' dismay.

It was only when the one-eyed youth was fully recovered did she allow them to approach. All be it with a stern almost motherly gaze.

"I missed you so much!" Derpy yelled. A few tears of happiness fell down her face. Upon seeing this Heart gestured for her to come closer. Once she was in range he began to gently wipe the tears away. Placing a tender kiss on each side of the grey "girl's cheek. This was how the two communicated thier feelings. Instead of simple words, they relied on touch and expression. In response to his gesture, Derpy plants a big sloppy kiss on his forehead. This action received ewws and awws from the crowd around them. The ewws being from mainly Rainbow Dash herself

After this, it was Fluttershy's turn.

Getting on her knees she pulled Heart in a gentle, wordless embrace. Of course not that the teen expected anything less. It wasn't like the yellow woman suddenly could speak. She was born a mute after all, forever cursed to keep silent in a world that was always screaming. Upon feeling a pair of fingers gently rubbing his back Heart smiled.

"I missed you two Fluttershy".

The speed increased ever so slightly before slowing, moving at a speed that was much slower than before. After a moment he snorted.

"Oh trust me the place was an utter hell hole, only strictly boiled down to PG 13 content".

Fluttershy laughed.

The laugher itself was dead silent. The only indication of it transpiring in the first place was the way her face moved.

After giving Fluttershy yet another hug the two departed. Next up on the list was that of Twilight Sparkle. After approaching, Twilight took the time to examine her brother's features. She took in every little detail. From the apparent eye patch to the way his cheeks moved as he smiled up at her. Staring into his remaining eye Twilight saw the emotions that she too was feeling. There was happiness, excitement, a sense of belonging, and fear.

Fear of being rejected. Fear of being alone with nothing but the clothes on his back.

"I take it that you're release wasn't due by any legal means?" She inquired. At this Heart shook his head. "Naw, they basically let me out for good behavior, stupid of them am I right?'

At this Twilight nodded.

"Well since you've returned I hope that we can spend the time necessary to strengthen the bond we already share."

The one-eyed youth smirked. Having figured out what Twilight was trying to say. "I love you too sis."

In response, she blushed.

Rarity was next up on the list.

"Oh, my darling that suit looks all dirty ".

Confused he looked down at his outfit. Only to roll his eyes upon realizing that he was still wearing the jumpsuit. Not that it bothered him to munch. However, what bothered Rarity was the few stains that were on his shirt. If there was one thing he knew she pride herself on it was being clean. Not only that but Rarity more or less forces others to follow her example. Of course, once upon a time, the young woman had different ideas in mind. Unfortunately that all but simply faded upon realizing just how difficult it would be to achieve her dream. Especially considering that as of now she lacked the materials or income necessary to turn her thoughts into a reality.

"sorry Rarity, I'll be sure to change my outfit later".

Rarity for her part nods before giving him a quick peck on the cheek

With Rarity out the way, Apple Jack or AJ as most call her decided to jump in.

Wrapping an arm around the teen she then pulls him into a one-sided embrace. The expression on her face was that of relief. "I can't tell ya how worried I was". The smell of weed and liquor assaulted Heart's nose. However, this didn't stop him from embracing her in turn. For a long moment, the two stayed that way. No words needed to be said. Instead, they simply took in the joy of being in one another's presence.

At least until Pinkie Pie decided to intervene.

In one moment Heart was on the floor held in an embrace, and in the next, he was being twirled through the air as if he weighed little to nothing.

"Ohmygoshimissedyousomunchithoughtaboutyoualmostallthetime!" The pink menace said. Having spoken so fast that her words sounded like a jumbled mess. Heart to his credit merely laughed at his sister's antics. Only to laugh harder as the party girl began planting rapid kisses all over his face. When she appeared satisfied she set him back down. However, not before shouting the words, Rainbow Dash was just waiting to hear.

"You know what that means?! It's time for a party!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth" Rainbow muttered.

What transpired next was a party for the ages. Music was played, drinks were passed around, blunts were smoked, bets were made, and Moondust was inhaled. In the end before passing out one thought ran through Heart Felt's mind.

Man, it was good to be home.