//------------------------------// // Radiantly, Benevolently, Courageously Kera // Story: Odrsjot // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “You certainly gobbled that up quickly,” Golden Happenstance said with a gentle smile in the torchlight. “Did you want a second plate?” “Hmmm?” Kera swallowed the last of her meal without thinking. He glanced up at the elder, then at her plate. “Oh. Uhm… huh…” Belle chuckled. “There’s no shame in asking for seconds, Kera.” “I-I don’t know where it went…” The filly shrank back in her seat. “It was… uh… pretty good for rice.” “Blame it on the seasoning,” Hap said as he sat besides Belle and Pilate at their end of a table. “Trade Lerris secret.” “Well. Uhm. It’s good. I didn’t really expect it to be… but…” “It’s actually a very common meal,” Hap said. “Undoubtedly something Radiant Moon and Benevolent Blue prepared everyday, like most folks around here. That’s probably where you grew a taste for it, even if you don’t remember.” Belle snuck a glance at Pilate. Kera bit her lip, fidgeting in her seat. “You guys really cared about them, huh? My foster parents, I mean.” Hap slowly, slowly nodded. “My sister meant a lot to me. Her husband was a very good stallion too. Their compassion and warm hearts aren’t easily forgotten.” “Do… Do you know how they died?” Hap tried not to wince. He placed his fork down and leaned back in his seat. Pilate shifted uncomfortably. Bellesmith leaned forward. “Kera, darling, this may be something to discuss when we aren’t enjoying the meal they’ve prepared for us--” “No, she has every right to know,” Hap said. A weak smile. “The child has a lot of Radiant in her. Radiant Moon was never one for pretense. Above all else, she appreciated the truth, no matter how disturbing.” He turned to gaze at the filly. “Your foster parents, Kera, were accosted by the same ponies who abducted you from your home. They put up a struggle, from what we can tell. Before the strangers took off in their airship and flew west, they brought Radiant and Benevolent out behind their very own house… and shot them several times with manarifles.” Belle grimaced. “Blessed Spark…” Pilate muttered. “I… wish I could say that the attackers were good marksponies. Truth is, they did not perish quickly. Radiant was luckier. She… was unconscious by the time that we discovered what had happened. Benevolent Blue was still able to speak with us. He lasted for about an hour before his heart gave out on him. When he wasn’t describing to us the faces of the ponies responsible for the atrocity, he was… expressing his deepest and most sincere affection for you… and f-for Radiant…” He cleared his throat and clenched his jaw shut at the end of that. Kera stared up at him, dry-eyed. “Did Benevolent… I mean…” She squirmed in her seat. “Did my foster dad seem… angry that I brought those bad guys upon him and my foster mom?” “Oh, child, no…” Golden Happenstance sniffled, leaning over from where he sat with a tender smile. “They cherished you far too much. And if you feel doubt in your heart, know this. My sister was a strong and responsible mare. But she wasn’t foolish. She knew the potential risk there was in being a Ledomaritan who adopted a pony with tattoos in this part of the world. She was respected and loved by everypony in Lerris, but she knew full well what would have happened if the Xonans moved in and discovered her with you or the likes of Beau.” “You say that as if she’s adopted a Xonan kid before.” Golden Happenstance merely smiled. Kera did a double-take. She was nearly breathless when her voice cracked, “You m-mean I have brothers and sisters?” Hap chuckled slightly, blinking his eyes dry. “Most of them have moved out of the village, and the only one you’re old enough to remember is Beau. But Beau was more of a nephew to Radiant and Benevolent. The ponies who primarily raised him live on the outskirts of the village. They’re sitting on the other side of the courtyard, if you would like to talk to them. They know a thing or two about your foster parents as well.” “You guys seem… well…” Kera shrugged. “You’ve seen some nasty stuff, and yet you are so calm about it n’whatnot.” “Hmmmmm. It’s a learned talent, and not one that one adopts to easily,” Hap said. “I must say, you’ve adjusted quite well yourself, darling.” “But…” Kera fidgeted. “I… I-I really don’t remember much…” Hap blinked at that. Before he could think of something to say, a bunch of high-pitched voices murmured nearby. He glanced behind his chair. So did Kera. “Whoah!” Kera scrunched down and hid behind her chair. Three tiny ponies flinched as well, staring at her with wide, bright eyes in the torchlight. There were two fillies and a colt. One of the fillies had several lines etched in her coat. “Uh… h-hi there,” the colt said, waving a hoof. “What… what are you?” Kera muttered. Belle smiled. She patted Kera’s mane. “They’re foals, Kera. Just like you.” “Yeah… but…” Kera peaked her head out from behind the chair. “What are they doing here?” “What else?” Hap chuckled. “They live here.” “I wasn’t aware there were children here,” Pilate said. “What you see is what you get,” Beau said as he stepped up and placed his hooves on two of the foals’ shoulders. “Well, except for the twins that belong to the Greenspires uplake. But they couldn’t make it tonight.” He squeezed the ponies’ shoulders. “What’d I tell you, guys? She’s just a guest. Let’s give her some space, alright?” “Awwwww…” “But she’s got tattoos like me!” “She seems fine to me!” Kera glanced up at Belle. Belle smiled. With a devilish smirk, Kera glanced back at the foals. “Hey! Can any of you do magic?” Two of them--the colt and the tattooed filly--blushed beneath their stubby horns. “No…” “Daddy says that I should spend more time learning fishing than magic.” “Pffft. That’s stupid. Check this out.” Kera tilted her head towards her part of the table. The empty plate lifted up, twirled around, and spun in the torchlight. “Whoahhhhhhhhh…” the three foals stammered. Beau whistled. “She’s a natural, Hap! Why didn’t you tell me?” “I… uh…” Hap scratched his gray mane. “I wasn’t aware, quite frankly.” Pilate smirked. “We never meant to boast.” “Well, I sure can!” Kera tossed the plate straight up, pivoted around in her chair, and caught it just centimeters from crashing into her tattooed face. She leaned back and pretended to balance the floating thing on the end of her glowing horn. “Ta-daaaaaa!” The foals whistled and clapped their hooves, smiling wide. Hap glanced at Belle. The mare was already nodding. “Beau…?” “Hmm? Yes, Uncle Hap?” “I do believe there’s no need to pull on the children’s ears. They’re only curious. I suspect so is our guest.” “Hey!” The colt leaned forward, smiling wide. “They’ve got cinnamon sticks being passed out tonight! You wanna try some?” “Hey, I was born to do two things!” Kera hopped down from her chair. “Kick flank and eat cinnamon!” “Maybe you could show us some more of your cool magic?” “Hmmmm… maybe.” Kera was already waddling out as she glanced behind her shoulder. “Pilate? Belle?” “Go on, darling. But don’t leave the courtyard without telling us.” “Sure thing!” She scampered off with the other foals, rambling into an awe-inspiring tale of one sort or another. The children stumbled after her, jaws dropped in the torchlight. Beau glanced back and winked. “I’ll look after ‘em.” He followed at a distance. “Well, that’s nice,” Hap said. “The kids around here don’t often see visitors their age. I quite honestly didn’t know how that would go.” “Mr. Happenstance, thank you for being such a kind… understanding guest,” Pilate said. “As you can obviously see, Kera is certainly not one to cut corners.” “One cannot fault her,” the old stallion said with a sigh. “And, if I may be so bold, I can tell that the two of you are a great deal more cautious about things than her.” “We can’t help it,” Pilate said. “We’ve been through a lot. We tend to get paranoid.” “As healthy parents ought to be,” Hap said. Belle stirred slightly. “Mr. Happenstance, we obviously know about how Kera’s time with her foster parents ended. Perhaps you would be so kind as to… tell us more.” She smiled bravely. “So we can be better prepared to inform Kera herself.” Hap nodded. “I would be happy to.” He leaned forward and began speaking as Belle and Pilate listened in. High above the courtyard, on an outstretched crossbeam jutting out from the top of a three-story building, Rainbow Dash was perched. She loomed above the torchlight and the many, many heads of the ponies--both villagers and outsiders. Her ruby eyes darted between her two best friends and the little filly who was giggling and weaving tales before the children she had just met. With a deep sigh, Rainbow Dash leaned forward, resting her chin against her crossed forelimbs. She blinked into the night, and as the minutes dripped by while she gazed intently, her eyes grew glossier and glossier.