Venny awoke the next morning wrapped in a big, fluffy quilt. Perry was right next to him, snuggled up close for comfort. Kai had picked them up from the guard station and brought them to an inn. It wasn't a large room, but the trio didn't care. They were all together, and they would be home tonight. They had seats reserved on the first train to Ponyville. He climbed out of bed and made his way to the ensuite bathroom. Everypony else was asleep, so now was the opportune time for a shower. He was filthy.
Perry was awoken by the cold that flowed under the quilt when Venny left. He caught a glimpse of his brother going into the bathroom before he let out a yawn. He rolled over to see Kai on the other bed, snoring softly. He looked ragged, as if he'd been flying around for two weeks. The joints where his wings attached to his shoulder were lightly swollen, and a bit red. He smelled of sweat, as if he hadn't showered in a long time. There was a bandage on his leg, indicating an injury he'd received while out here. Perry would later find out it was a large bite, but for now it was just a bandage.
Kai had been out looking for them since the day they went missing. He'd been all over the place, apparently. The mud on his cloak, which had presumably been dust a few days prior, had many different hues to it. Reds and yellows blended together, there were sand particles in the pockets, and several fresh examples of plant life were stuck to the bottom. The most recent addition to his tail was a leaf from a crystal berry bush. Kai's journey to find his sons had spanned the entire western half of Equestria, and the northern section of the east side.
Kai woke up shortly after Venny returned from the shower and Perry had gone in for his own. "I'm glad you boys are alright," he smiled, hugging his son. "I was so worried about you."
"We were scared you wouldn't find us in time," admitted Venny, returning the embrace. "We were being chased, so we had to stay hidden at night. We knew you'd come looking for us, but you weren't the only one."
"How did you manage to make your way here?"
"Hanzal found us in the woods and brought us out here. He fed us, too. We couldn't find any plants we recognized as edible. So we mostly just ate fish."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "How'd you manage to cook fish? Unless you're telling me you ate it raw?"
Venny smiled wide. "Perry can breathe fire now! It's really cool!"
Kai chuckled, a bit shocked at the news. "Is that so? I'd love to see him do that." He leaned back. "I've actually been wondering why he's been incapable of doing so up until now. Midas and Somber didn't have quite this much trouble. Then again, Somber had Sil to help him, and Midas is homeschooled."
After a few more minutes, Kai left Venny to sit on the bed, stepping out to fetch breakfast. When he came back, he carried with him a bag of custard-filled doughnuts, dusted with confectioner's sugar. Perry was out of the shower by this point, so before Kai settled into his breakfast, it was his turn to wash up.
Smelling much better than they had last night, the trio left the inn and made their way to the train station. On the way, Perry demonstrated, with a bit of coaxing from Venny, his ability to create flames with his breath. Kai, impressed with his son, mentioned in passing having Perry trained in fire safety in the near future.
The train ride back took most of the day, with Perry sitting on Kai's lap for most of it. This gave him time to reflect. He'd thought that Kai would be proud of him for rescuing Venny, then he thought Kai would be angry with him when Venny was injured, and even worse when he was malnourished. In the end, it was Hanzal who had rescued them, and despite that, Kai was stroking Perry's mane as if he'd done everything right. He felt sick to his stomach, and he considered himself a failure. Left in his care, Venny had almost died too many times.
Kai very much wanted to ask what happened in the woods, but he held his tongue. He knew their mother would want to hear it, too, so that would have to wait, probably until the next day. Tonight would likely be focused on welcoming them back home and making sure they were alright. She was probably already cooking carrot pancakes for dinner, with applesauce to go over the top. There was probably a large tub of ice cream in the freezer, too.
Sure enough, that was exactly what awaited them on their arrival, following big hugs and a shower of kisses for each of them. After dinner, they were given another bath, had their manes and tails brushed clean for good measure, and they finished off the night reading from Venny's favourite book.
When they fell asleep, Kai carried them upstairs. In their bedroom, there were two beds, one for each of the boys. Venny was tucked into his, and then Perry into his own. After a forehead kiss from each parent, they were left alone for the night.
Halfway through the night, Venny woke up. It was nice to be back in his own bed, but through all the trials and tribulations that had lead them back home, it was harrowing to wake up alone after spending so long with Perry by his side. Standing up from his bed, he moved over to where Perry was supposed to be sleeping. Looking down, he saw Perry looking back up at him. He was having trouble sleeping, too.
"You couldn't sleep, either, Per?"
Perry shook his head, pulling his covers tighter to him.
"Me neither. Do you mind if I lie down for a bit?"
Perry shook his head again, lifting his blanket to invite Venny in. He climbed in, lying down next to his brother. With their arms wrapped around each other, they fell right asleep. For Venny, it was the warmth from Perry's lightning metabolism. For Perry, it was the feeling of having arms wrapped around him. He'd wanted to earn Kai's love, but now, he could rest easy. He had a brother that loved him. He had a family.