Ultra Combo: Brother, Gamer, Pony

by UltraCombo

Along Came a Mailmare

Destroyed.

That's the only word you could use to describe Ultra's family over the days following his mother's disappearance. Ultra had never felt like this before. The sheer weight of the situation was enough to completely break him down. For the following week, he didn't sleep, he didn't eat, he didn't even speak to anypony. All he did was work and help the search team any way he could.

At day seven, Ultra was getting ready to leave to help the team, when his father, Steel, stopped him in the doorway. He had kept his distance from Ultra, thinking that he needed his space to calm down, but it was becoming apparent that wasn't going to do. "Ultra...we need to talk about this."

"No. No we don't." Ultra tried to move around him, but his father was rather large, and stopping Ultra wasn't trouble for him. Ultra groaned and backed up into his room.

"Ultra, the team has been called off. Its been a week." Ultra's face twisted with a hybrid of anger and surprise.

"WHAT?!"

"Official regulations state that after a week, a search party is to be called off if the missing person is not found." Steel explained calmly to Ultra, "There's nothing we can do."

"We don't need them! We can do it! Mom's friends will help, and I'm sure Joy will-"

"ULTRA." Steel bellowed. Ultra shut up quick. His father always had an overwhelming force over him. Steel was an ex-royal guard, and served in the Equestrian Army, leading a squadron into battle in the Pony-Griffon war 20 years ago. He and Blue Print met in the military, her helping coordinate attacks for his squad, and fell in love immediately, the two marrying right after the war ended. It pained him more than anything to see her gone, but he learned over the years that, sometimes, you have to learn to accept and move on.

"First of all, Mom IS NOT coming back." Steel almost regretted saying that, but he knew in his heart it was most likely the truth.

"You don't know." Ultra's voice stabbed like a extra-sharp knife.

"Yes I do. She wouldn't be gone this long if she could come back. Second of all, DON'T bother your sister."

Ultra scoffed. "Joy is treating this like its any other week. She SHOULD be taking this-"

"ULTRA, SHE IS THREE BUCKING YEARS OLD!" Ultra backed away as his father bellowed at him. Steel took a deep breath and continued. "She has no idea how to act. She's dead inside right now, Ultra. I can see it. Its the same look I saw the eyes of my friends in the army who lost loved ones," he said, approaching Ultra and putting a powerful hoof on his shoulder. "And it's the look I see in your eyes."

Ultra's eyes began to moisten as he turned away. "...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me." Ultra fought it back as hard as he could, but it was useless. He began bawling, digging his muzzle into his father's rough coat, sobbing profusely. He didn't remember how long he and Steel sat there. It could've been an enternity for all he cared. It felt infinitely better than what he felt before.

---------------------

"COMBO!!!"

Ultra almost jumped off the girder he was standing on. He had been zoning out whilst working on the site, completely forgetting about his work. He had been like this the whole week, always getting lost in thought. Luckily, Big Mover was there to wake him up with a large slam to the girder. "OH!" yelped Ultra, standing up and going back to hammering in supports with his hooves, "Sorry, Mover. I was just-"

"Never mind it. I need you to do something for me."

Ultra stopped working, stood up, and dusted himself off. "Yeah, what's that?"

"Some necessary supplies didn't show up. They should've been delivered an hour ago. I want you to stop what you're doing and head down to the post office to see where the hay my supplies are."

Ultra sighed. "Alright. I'll be back in a bit." He took off his belt and made his way towards the post office.

Ultra's job was a thankless one, for the most part, working for a contracting company, helping build houses, as well as other establishments around town. He received a solid paycheck, and he was keeping his hooves occupied, so he couldn't complain. This time, it was some new restaurant. Ultra couldn't remember the name. It was definitely occupying his time, though, cutting into his time with Joy. Luckily, he had a friend he could trust now, so before leaving, he drew Joy a map to Sweet Apple Acres, and left her a note saying he would be there shortly.

I wonder if she made it there okay... he thought to himself as he made a soft landing in front of the post office, ...I'm sure she's fine. I laid out the directions perfectly. No way she could've gotten lost.

Dingaling!

The bell above the door rang as Ultra entered the post office and approached the pony behind the reception desk.

"Hi! What can I help you with today?" asked the pony behind the counter cheerfully.

"Um, I'm working at the construction site for the restaurant across town, and we were supposed to get some supplies delivered about an hour ago. Any idea where those went?"

"Oh! Well, just give me a moment, please." The pony behind the desk got up and went into the back for a bit while Ultra waited. Eventually, she returned, holding some papers. "I think I see your problem."

"And what would that be?" responded Ultra with a raised eyebrow.

"Derpy was in charge of delivering it."

"Oooooh boy..." Ultra groaned, running a hoof through his mane. Ultra didn't know too many people in Ponyville, but he sure as hay knew who Derpy was. She was the second person Ultra ever met upon arriving in Ponyville, and she hadn't changed since that day. The mailmare always either mixed up his mail with somepony else or didn't even deliver it at all. "Is she here right now?"

"She's in the back. I can fetch her if you'd like."

"Yes, please do..."

The receptionist pony returned to the back, and was followed by several sounds of crashing behind the wall before Derpy came through the door. She had a gray coat and a blonde mane, but that isn't what drew his attention. He remembered her for her wall-eyed expression, one eye pointing in one direction, one in the other. This resulted in her being rather clumsy, along with her not being the smartest of ponies in town, to say the least. "Oh hi, Ultra! Why are you wearing a hard hat?"

"Derpy," Ultra said sternly, "did you make a delivery to a construction site? A big package?"

"Umm....." Derpy thought hard for a time, and after thinking for a good minute, she had already forgotten what Ultra asked her, and was contemplating what she would have for dinner that night.

"DERPY!" Ultra barked, snapping Derpy out of her trance.

"OH! Big package? Yeah, I dropped it off down by the site. The big hotel going up. Why? Was there a problem with it?"

Ultra brought a hoof up to his face and sighed. "Yes, Derpy. Yes, there is a problem."

Derpy gasped. "Oh no! Well, what is it? I'd like to fix it."

Ultra looked at Derpy with a irritated look on his face. "That wasn't our site."

Derpy's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red. "Oh..." Ultra thought he heard somepony in the back start to laugh, and Derpy's gaze left his face and moved to the floor, embarrassed by her mistake. Ultra sighed and walked over to her, putting his arm around her. "Look, its fine, Derpy. You can just take me down to where you brought it and we can get this all sorted out." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"YEAH, DERPY! BETTER GO UNSCREW WHAT YOU SCREWED UP, STUPID!" yelled the same voice in the back that laughed at her before. Derpy's smile faded and her eyes met the floor once again. Ultra's head snapped back to see a gray earth pony having a good, hearty laugh over his comment.

"HEY!" Ultra shouted at the pony, causing him to immediately shut up, "Didn't your mother teach you to treat mares better than that?" The earth pony scoffed and walked off. Ultra turned back to Derpy, who's head was still hung low. "C'mon, let's go Derpy."

The two exited the post office as Ultra patted the saddened mare on the back. "You okay, Derp?"

"...Yeah. I've been through worse. Besides, I've gotta be the strong one. I've got a filly to raise." Derpy smiled at him. "Well, the site was in this direction." The two started off towards the hotel site.

"I didn't know you were a mom, Derpy!"

"I never told you? Huh. Must've slipped my mind." Derpy chuckled.

Ultra had a question growing within him for a while, and he felt Derpy would be good to answer it. "Hey, Derpy?"

"Yeah, Ultra?"

"...Is it hard being a parent?"

Derpy slowed her pace and trotted along next to Ultra. "Um, why do you want to know that?"

"Just, you know, curious."

Derpy giggled at him. "Well, yeah. It's definitely hard. Sometimes the pressure is really bad, but you just have to pull through. I AM supporting a foal, after all."

Ultra nodded and sighed. That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. Derpy raised an eyebrow, but didn't question any further. She didn't even know him that well, and she wasn't the smartest pony in Equestria, but she knew when to stop pestering ponies about certain subjects. So, they both walked into the site in silence, as Ultra worried away in his mind after hearing Derpy's comments.

----------------------

Well, if I've learned ONE thing today, it's that my brother cannot write a map. Thankfully, I didn't get completely lost.

Joystick had been wandering around town for a half-hour, trying desperately to interpret Ultra's crude map to Sweet Apple Acres. Reading the map had taken her all over town, to the Town Hall, the boutique, down by the hospital, the schoolhouse, the market, and FINALLY she had found her way to Sweet Apple Acres by following the sign in the market.

Well, she thought to herself, at least I got some valuable sight-seeing time in today!

Joy smiled as she reached the top of the hill, bringing Sweet Apple Acres into view. She saw an orange dot in the orchard which could only be Applejack, and dashed towards her. As she approached, Applejack welcomed Joystick with her friendly smile. "Well, hiya, Joystick! Yer lookin’ just as spry an’ energetic as y’all were yesterday!”

"You bet! My brother is still finishing up some work, so he sent me here. He'll be here in a bit. That's okay, right?"
Applejack patted Joy on the head. "Of course. Y'all are welcome anytime!"

"Great!" she replied. Joystick started scanning the farm excitedly, searching for her new friend. "Is Apple Bloom here?"

Applejack shook her head. ”Right now Apple Bloom is at school, but she won’t be there for too much longer if’n ya want to wait it out here for her.” Applejack decided to take a break from her work to entertain and spend some time with the little filly, sitting down next to a big apple tree, offering Joy the spot next to her.

"Okay!" Joystick trotted over to the tree and took a seat next to AJ. They sat there quietly for a minute before Applejack decided to break the silence.

”So what does yer brother do at work?" Applejack asked, turning to the little filly, "I reckon he told me yesterday, but ah can’t remember what it all meant right this moment.”

"Well," Joystick said, staring up at the clouds rolling overhead, "right now, he's working in construction, mostly because he's fond of keeping his hooves working." She stretched out her legs. After walking for such a long time, they were very tired, and she was glad she could finally rest them. "He's really good at it, too! He can build all kinds of things! He's even trying to build himself a house, and really super cool one, too! You know, with lots of gizmos and gadgets built in! He loves that stuff."

“Ah’ve gotta admire a pony that enjoys that type of lifestyle, since mine’s pretty much just that!” she said, giggling a little. ”Seems like we got a bit in common, except fer the gizmos and whatchacallits. Ah’m not one fer anythin’ too fancy like that…though if he knows what he’s doin’ it’d be a sight to see, fer sure!”

"Yeah, he's pretty great. He's the best brother a filly could ask for!" Joy giggled weakly, laying down on her back to look at the clouds passing overhead. "I wish he was still at home though. We used to do cool stuff all the time. But, ever since he moved away..." A sad frown briefly went over her face, but her bright smile soon returned. "But, hey! As long as he's happy, I'm happy for him."

Applejack reached up and frazzled Joystick's mane slightly as she laid down next to her. ”Ah can imagine what that’s like fer ya, not bein’ able to do everythin’ with yer bro like y’all used to…” she said with a sigh, remembering back to earlier times when she was young. ”Same thing happened with Big Mac an’ mahself growin’ up. What matters though is how the time with y’all is spent together, not fer how long yer doin’ it fer.” she smiled, looking over to Joystick.

"I guess you're right, AJ." Joystick smiled. "Thanks, you're awesome."

"Ah'm happy to oblige." Applejack replied, messing up Joy's mane again and chuckling. "Now, let's relax and wait fer your bro."

"Sounds like a plan!" Joystick turned her eyes back to the sky, and let herself get comfortable. The two remained on the grass, relaxing and looking up at the sky, only breaking the silence every once and a while to point out what the clouds looked like.

Comments

[P!nR!ght]

sweet bro.