//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Brothers and Sisters // by Alphacat //------------------------------// Canterlot The Blind Rat was known for good beer, good food, and good company. Founded as a nyctan pub, it had long been welcoming to all species, and thus the rumble of conversation was filled with neighs, squwaks, and growls. Lucky broke into a wide grin as he stepped inside the dark, noisy pub, gesturing with a hoof. “So, I tossed off my saddlebags and ran right at the river.” Rose and his family filed in with a mixture of groans and laughs. Rose tried to hide a laugh behind a wing. “Oh, Lucky. Tell me you didn’t.” Lucky stomped his hooves to shake off the extra snow. “Yep. Jumped the fence and dove right into the river.” “The Canterlot River?” asked Slip. “That’s fed by the mountain runoff. Do you know how cold it is?” “Yes,” deadpanned Lucky. “Yes, I do.” “So then what?” “I dragged the kid out and gave him CPR until a medic came. They had to treat him for hypothermia, but he was fine after.” The bar was lit by candlelight, reflecting off of the dark wood furniture filling the room. There was already a crowd present, filling the room with a pleasant buzz of chatter and laughter. Comet and Lily were both seated at an empty table, and they waved the group over. “Lucky,” said Comet with a disbelieving shake of his head, “you’re crazy, you know that?” “Crazy awesome, maybe.” Comet rolled his eyes. “You should be a pegasus pancake.” Jetstream and Evengale pulled a second table over to the first, and took a seat. Gale shot her husband a questioning look, but the stallion only shrugged. “Hey, Comet. Hey, Lily,” said Slip as he pulled up a seat. “Hey Slippy.” “I want a rematch, squirt. I’ve been practicing.” Slip nodded. “Sure. Did Lucky tell you I’ve been working on a triple thunderhead cloud?” Comet scoffed. “Yeah. And I’ll believe that when I see it.” With a smile, Slip shrugged. “Sure. Suit yourself.” “Good morning, everyone,” said Glimpse from the door. A meran unicorn with a pale purple coat leaned tiredly against Glimpse, yawning as he gave a wave. “Hey, everypony.” “Glimpse, Peppy! Great! You guys made it.” Lucky waved them over. “Grab a seat.” The couple stepped through the door, and Glimpse gestured to someone outside. “I think we have another guest.” Pinkblush stepped cautiously through, peering about the bar with wide eyes. “Pinky!” Lucky reached the door with a single flap of his wings, pulling the mare inside. “Glad you could make it!” “My Ma almost had a conniption fit when I told her where I was goin’.” She pulled a strand of mane from her face. “But I held firm.” “She’ll come around. Or she won’t. Don’t worry about it.” A gruff voice shouted from the door. “Lucky! Good to see you, lad!” Pinky turned and froze with a quiet whimper as she saw the tall gryphon standing in the doorway, shaking off flakes of snow. “Gordon! Perfect! I want you to meet Pinky here. She just started working at the castle.” “Oh? Well, it’s a pleasure to meet such a bonnie lass!” Gordon gave Pinky a sharp, beaky grin, holding out a clawed hand. “Put ‘er there!” Pinky dropped her head to stare at the talons, slowly holding out a hoof. With a hard swallow she forced herself to stare into the gryphon’s eyes. Gordon grabbed the hoof and shook it vigorously. “Och, we got a brave one here. “W-well…” “Hey Lucky, make sure you get some water for the lass here. Filly’s a bit too young for the hard stuff.” Pinky cleared her throat. “I beg your pardon, but if my father taught me one thing, it was that I should never let anypony—anybody insult my ability to hold liquor.” Gordon laughed and threw a wing over Pinkblush, pulling her over to the table. “Good lass! You got a bit o’ pluck in you after all!” The mare gave Lucky a panicked look, but he just waved her off. “You’ll be fine! I’ll get the drinks.” Lucky approached the bar, calling over the counter into the kitchen, where an earth pony rushed back and forth. “Hey, Barley.” “Mornin’ Lucky. What’ll it be?” “I’ve got a big table, so let’s do a few sampler plates and some chili cheese hay fries. And a couple pitchers.” “Sounds good. I’ll be up front in a sec.” “Thanks.” Lucky settled onto a bar stool. He propped his cheek on a hoof and watched all the people chatting at his table with a content smile. Evengale caught his eye and slipped away from the table, taking a seat next to him. “Quite the group you’ve got here.” “Yep. Always room for one more at the table, you know?” Gale reached up and affectionately ran a hoof through her son’s mane. “My little ambassador.” Lucky rolled his eyes, but was still smiling as he batted the hoof away. “I’m just a pony, Mom.” “And you’ve turned into a magnificent one.” “Aw, jeez.” Lucky scratched his cheek to hide the warmth growing in it. “You’re being all sappy.” Evengale chuckled softly. “I’m allowed a little sap every now and again.” Barley deposited two trays on the counter, loaded up with pitchers and glasses. “Need a hoof with that?” “Nah, I think we got it.” Lucky slipped a wing underneath one tray, lifting it up. “C’mon,” he said as he trotted back to his family and friends, “It’s gonna be a great night.” Manehattan The living room lay still and silent. The only light was the dancing of a warm flame in the fireplace, the only motion the slow rise and fall of Slip’s chest as he lay curled up in front of the fire. Lucky sat next to his brother, staring into the flickering flames as he thought. Two empty mugs sat before the fireplace, and a poetry book lay open in front of them. Lucky’s eyes grew heavy, and he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. The pageant had been… He wasn’t sure. It hadn’t been bad, but it hadn’t kindled an enthusiasm for the holiday. He doubted it ever would; it just wasn’t a Nyctan celebration. They had their own traditions. But when he thought about sharing a laugh with his classmates around the table, being with his family, or even just watching Slip sleep by the fire, his heart felt lighter than it had in a while. He had to admit that, despite his misgivings about the holiday and the pageant, he had had a good time. He had enjoyed himself more than he had expected to. He knew he’d never be able to forget what he had done to Slip, but he’d keep trying to put it right. He owed his little brother that much. Lucky stood up and stretched, working the pins and needles out of his limbs. He retrieved a blanket and carefully draped it over his younger brother’s sleeping form. “Hey, Lucky?” The older colt smiled and gave his brother a quick nuzzle. “Go back to sleep.” Slip’s eyes were still closed. “Did you enjoy the pageant?” “Yeah, Slip. I did.” “You know what my favorite part is?” “What?” The smaller colt opened his eyes and turned to look up to Lucky. “My favorite part is when all the ponies had to apologize and forgive each other for all the mean things they did.” Lucky ruffled Slip’s mane fondly. “You know, I think I like your version of the pageant better.” Slip smiled and closed his eyes again. “Good. ‘Cause I forgive you Lucky.” Lucky waited for the younger colt to fall asleep again. He pulled the blanket up to Slip’s chin. “Maybe someday I’ll earn it.” He walked slowly into the kitchen. His parents were cozied up together, sharing a kiss. Lucky rolled his eyes. “Ugh, get a room.” Jetstream broke from the kiss briefly to comment, “We got a whole house.” The colt shook his head and sat at the table. “Yeah, yeah. Can we talk?” The two adults carried on for several moments before Gale gently pushed Jetstream away. “Mmm. Later, dear. There’s plenty where that came from.” Jetstream grinned. “I’m holding you to that.” He kissed Gale’s nose, and then turned his attention to the colt. “What’s up, Lucky?” “So… Everypony has a special talent, right?” Lucky pushed and pulled at the tablecloth with a hoof. “And mine’s flying, and I don’t ever wanna stop doing that, but…” Gale laid her head against Jetstream’s chest. “Are you having second thoughts about going to Cloudsdale?” Lucky shook his head. “No, not really, but… What if I’m meant to do more than just fly and be awesome? What if I’m meant to help other ponies with my talent?” “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help your fellow ponies,” said Jetstream. “Mom, if I said that I thought that I could be a protector, would that be okay?” Gale smiled. “That sounds great, sweetie. We can talk about it more tomorrow.” “Okay. Night, Mom. Night, Dad.” “Good night, dear.” “Good night, son.” Lucky slipped away from the table and back into the living room. He carefully threw another log onto the fire, watching it flare up before replacing the grate. He curled up in front of his book and kept reading until his eyes drooped and he could no longer lift his head. For the first time in a week, he slipped into a deep, restful sleep.