It was with high hopes that we continued that evening. Our dinner together had been wonderful, and I'd hoped the bar would only serve to cheer Dusky up further. Instead, the night had been oddly sobering, even for one who doesn't drink. The weight of where we were, and why we were here was heavy on us all.
In the end, it was Dusky who'd broken the silence, humming along with a song playing from the corner. The others joined in quickly, likely looking for any reason to be merry. I couldn't help but marvel at Dusky's resilience, for all she was facing and all that had to be on her mind, that she was able to keep going.
Spirits raised, or at the very least, not crushed, we decided to quit while we were ahead. I walked with Dusky back through the lobby and up to her room. I stood at the door awkwardly and offered her a smile.
"It's been a lovely evening. Thank you, Night." She stepped forward and offered a short hug, that I quickly returned.
"N-no... thank you, Dusky. For everything." Another moment I didn't want to let go.
She held on to that hug longer than I dared believe before she finally unwrapped her hooves from around me. "Good night, Night Light."
"Good night, Dusky." I waved a wing slowly as she headed into her room.
She gave me one last smile through the door as she closed it behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the hallway.
---
When I woke the next day, I felt amazing. The sea air that pervaded everything had a familiar scent, not like when we first arrived, and the sound of the ocean was welcome. I stretched my wings carefully before I slipped out of the room. Mahogany was still buried under a pile of blankets sleeping off the party.
The night before we'd tried to make Myrtail feel like home and failed, but now I wondered to myself what it would be like if it was home. Not in the hotel, obviously. It was the idea that I could move to Myrtail and start a new life, if I needed. I'd done it before, to Ponyville, and surely I could again. Especially if Ponyville wasn't safe anymore. Not safe for us, or simply not safe for Dusky.
I stepped out into the hallway without much of a plan except to exercise my legs and maybe my wings. The beach remained an incredible, wonderful thing to me, so most of my thoughts drifted to taking it all in once again.
A door shutting to my left made me jump, and I stopped to stare but no pony was present. I turned back towards the elevator and found myself facing Terrabona.
She grinned, and rushed forward. "Flurry! You look like you just saw a ghost."
I turned my head back down the hallway, as if I expected somepony to poke their head back out of their room to apologize. "Um, nope. Just uh, somepony shutting their door a little too fast, I guess."
She glanced over my shoulder to check as well. "Huh. Weird. Well, in any case, where are you headed, eh?"
"M-me? Just the beach, I guess... I dunno." My stomach rumbled. "And uh, maybe find somewhere to get some breakfast."
"Breakfast! There's gotta be someplace in this city that sells good pancakes! I'll treat!" She grabbed my hoof before I could really protest, and down the elevator we went.
She whistled some random tune as we descended, one hoof tapping a different beat entirely. Catching me watching her, she stopped and grinned wide.
"You um... alright?"
Terra rocked a bit on her hooves. "Sure, sure, sure. Just, bleh." She glanced about and gave a shrug. "Fancy crap, you know?"
I'd been hearing enough of it to get some idea, though hadn't really gotten the story. "I um, guess I don't. It's all so new to me, I hadn't really considered it to be something, well... bad."
The elevator pinged and she led the way through the lobby. "It's not. I just don't like it. I don't want to live like this, or even get used to it."
I pursed my lips, considering my own thoughts this morning, on how comfortable it was getting here, and how easy it was to think of leaving Ponyville behind. "I... think I can understand that. It's just... hard to consider going back, after what happened."
Terra stopped and shook her head. "It's not hard to consider. It's home. I don't get wanderlust like I used to, like Dusky does."
My ears perked up slightly. "Wanderlust? L-like... Dusky?"
"Yeah. You know she travels, right? For months at a time, she'll pack up and go. I can't do that anymore. I miss my shop. I miss the bar." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she stared ahead. "I miss Aster."
Wanderlust. I'd known that Dusky traveled, though I hadn't realized the duration was quite so extreme. It was hard to think about getting to know her so well, only to have her suddenly disappear on an extended trip. I made a note to myself to ask her about it, but at the moment it was Terra’s last statement that drove me to distraction.
"Aster?" The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Certainly no one who came to the bar with us.
"I was going to help her make a garden at home. I insisted, I promised her I'd help, and then I just disappear? What is she gonna think of me? I was trying to be a good role model!" She sighed and slumped.
I watched her as we walked, trying to get some read on her. She wanted to be a good role model? I admittedly didn't know her well beyond the setting of the bar, so that made it hard to judge. "So, Aster. She uh, a good foal then?"
She picked her head up, smiling slowly. "Yeah, well, no. I mean, she's a hoofful. But I think she's got a good head. Just needs a little guidance."
"And uh, you mean your guidance?"
"Well, she listens to me. I can make a difference and I ca—" Her eye twitched. "Oh Celestia, I'm doing it again. I miss her, and I want to be there for her. And... and I need a drink." She suddenly sounded drained as she turned mid-step and aimed herself straight back towards the hotel bar.
"Wh-whoa, wait, what?" I rushed to cut her off. "Terra, it's barely morning! I don't even think they'd be serving this early. And what about pancakes?" I forced a smile, completely unsure what was going on in her head.
She just stared at me, then shook her head and returned to our original course, away from the bar. "Yeah, alright. But I don't wanna talk about it anymore, alright?" Her head whipped back towards me, and a mischievous grin replaced her previously dour look. "Besides, you owe me a story about you and Dusky, anyway."
Her sudden shift caught me off guard. "I... do?"
"Yep! You two were late coming to the bar last night, and you came down together, but didn't enter from the entrance nearest the elevator. Dusky's mane was all made up too, and then neither of you ate anything in the bar and Mahogany swore he could smell pasta on both of you. So, tell me, Flurry. How was your dinner with Dusky?"
I almost missed a step as I stared at Terra. "I, ah... wh-what? Are... are you some kind of mind reader?"
She cackled. "Not at all. But you're an open book. And Dusky thinks she's hard to read, but I'm finally starting to get her vibes."
"Her vibes?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are... you sure you're okay? Maybe we should go to the bar."
"Nonsense, Flurry!" She reached a hoof around my neck and guided me out of the hotel. "We are on a quest for pancakes! They will be fluffy with a crispy edge, soaked in butter and syrup. They shall be numerous and delicious!"
It was like she was a completely different mare, though I still wasn't sure what was going on with her. I let out a sigh and smiled, at least she seemed to be feeling better, and if it got her mind off of whatever was bothering her for the morning, then I suppose that would be as much as I could do for now.
---
We found a little diner not too far from the hotel. Terra ordered a couple of stacks of pancakes, and then began with her more detailed interrogation. “Where’d you go? What did you order? What did she order? Was there music playing? Did you kiss?”
I nearly choked on my breakfast at the last one, but sighed as I answered each of her questions in turn. “A um… pasta restaurant. Pasta. And um, more pasta. I don’t think so? Um, n-no.”
She continued to ask questions in that vein until apparently she was satisfied with whatever she was trying to find out. “Excellent. You did good, Flurry.”
“I um… okay?” I raised an eyebrow at Terra's questionable criteria. “I had a good time. I… I was just trying to be sure Dusky did too.”
“That’s why you did good. Keep that up, and you’ll do alright.” She gave me a quick hug, and once we made it back to the hotel, she split off to go wander the beach, though I suspected she wanted some time along as much as anything else.
Once again on my own, the ocean pulled to me as well. For much of the rest of the day I found myself walking the beach or flying over the ocean as far as I dared while keeping the beach in sight. I needed some exercise, some time alone as well, just me and the open skies held aloft in that special communion between a pegasus and the world above.
The descending sun was a signal that I'd probably been out too long. I headed back to the hotel, hoping no pony had worried about me during my absence. Beyond the noise of the ocean, the beach seemed rather quiet. I looked back over my shoulder at the bright orange sun sinking through the sky.
Sitting at one of the hotel tables on a raised platform, Dusky watched the sunset. Her tail lazily swished back and forth.
I stopped myself from staring, clearing my throat carefully. "H-hey, Dusky, um... mind some company?"
Her ears twitched, and she peered back over her shoulder and smiled. "Oh, hi, Night. Not at all. Come have a seat."
The bench at the table was wide, designed for several ponies to sit at it at once. I hesitated, looking down its length. I pulled myself onto it and sat, leaving plenty of room between us. I didn't want to sit too close, in case that made Dusky uncomfortable.
Dusky raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
I glanced over at her, trying to make sure there was still plenty of room. "I... um... n-no. I... s-sorry. Just, well..." I sighed. "I'm not very good at this."
"It's okay, you'll get it figured out." She patted a hoof into the space between us. "In the meantime, come sit beside me. I won't bite."
Scooting closer, I met her eyes and smiled back. "I just... I keep thinking I'll do something wrong."
"You probably will." She giggled, but before I could process that, she was already nudging me gently with her muzzle. "And so will I. The important thing is that we learn from the mistakes when we do."
I let out a deep breath, shifting slightly to get comfortable. "That... actually makes me feel a lot better. I mean... I'm far from perfect."
She shook her head. "No one is perfect. And I've certainly learned there's such a thing as trying too hard."
"Trying to hard..." I let my gaze pass over the ocean. "I've been doing that for a long time... I... I'm sorry. I want to try my best, Dusky. But... I'll try not to um... try too hard."
"Believe me, it's easier said than done." Her voice shifted, getting distant as she looked out over the ocean. "But I'm happy you're willing to try."
My thoughts turned over in my head, back to what Terra had said. Thoughts of Ponyville and long trips, and of the shadows that seemed to follow Dusky. "You... you do a lot of travelling, right?"
She nodded, her expression brightening. "Every summer, give or take."
I pushed forward, trying to frame my own thoughts as I questioned her. "And you always come back to Ponyville?"
"To put it simply, after a while, I start feeling a little homesick." She tilted her head towards me, keeping an eye out towards the ocean. "And Ponyville is my home."
"Home?" The word had a strange weight behind it. First Cloudsdale, then Ponyville, though the attachments I had to those places had never felt terribly strong.
"I spent a lot of time growing up there." Dusky suddenly seemed far away, and I wondered if she was thinking of home even then. "As much as I like seeing the big cities and all the wonders of the world, some peace and relaxation is often just as nice."
My heart sank. "B-but... what if it's not so peaceful anymore? I mean, w-what if it's not safe for you there?"
She let out a sigh. "I've considered that, but I'm not ready to give up on Ponyville just yet."
"I... I'll stand with you, Dusky. At home, or... or away." I took a deep breath, and turned back to the sunset. "There's so much I've missed. So much to see in this world."
"You've still got plenty of time." She leaned against me just lightly. "Plus, I can be your tour guide."
I blinked. "Y-you would?"
She giggled. "What, you think I'd just leave you to wander a far off city on your own?"
Flustered, I felt my face redden again. "I um... I guess not. But... still, I can't think of a better way to see Equestria, than by your side." I shifted slightly to lean back against her, not putting my weight into it, just returning her own gesture.
"I'm happy to hear that." She was so warm, the closeness between us was electrifying in a way I'd never felt before. I wanted the moment to stretch on forever.
A third voice interrupted the moment, mumbling out a greeting from behind us. "Oh, um... excuse me, you two um... I mean, h-hi, Night."
The voice burned with a painful familiarity, like hearing Spring again, only this voice was more painful. This was the voice of a pony I'd hurt far more than Spring had ever hurt me. I didn't want to turn my head.
Without missing a beat, Dusky nudged me once again, then pulled away. "Hi, Mint Creme."
"M-Mint?" How could Dusky know her?
Mint's voice was clearly unsure, quieter than I think I'd ever heard her. "I, um... yeah. Hi, err... how you doing?"
I slumped down, my eyes following the wood grain of the table. "What... wh-what do you want, Mint?"
She sounded hurt, painfully so. "Aw, horse feathers, Night... I... I don't want anything. I just thought I’d say hi to my favorite brother. I... I'll go."
"I... I'm your only brother." I tried to blink away the sudden tears.
I glanced up at Dusky. She was watching me with some concern, but I managed a smile. "D-Dusky... I'm sorry... can you excuse me for a moment?"
She nodded, a gentle smile answering my own. "Take your time."
I looked across the hotel balcony at my sister. Somehow, she looked just as I remembered her, with a light green coat that was topped by a sun yellow mane tied back into a ponytail.
She was backing away towards the door into the hotel, shaking her head. "I... I shouldn't have interrupted you two... I... th-this was a bad idea, I'm sorry."
"M-Mint. Mint, wait." I rose from the table and started walking towards her, hearing my own hooves echo loudly on the wooden terrace.
She raised a hoof, then lowered it. Her mouth opened as if she were about to respond, but couldn't find the words.
I felt much the same, not sure what I could even say to her after so long. I stopped a leg's length away, about to say something, but my words failed me. Instead, I closed the gap and pulled my sister into a tight hug.
She seemed to hesitate, then her own hooves wrapped around me. Her voice was choked as she broke into tears. "W-we've missed you, you know."
My own tears fell, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "I... I guess I missed all of you as well."
Mint laughed back. "You guess?"
I gave her a squeeze before I pulled free. "I... I've been thinking about you a lot, lately."
She disentangled herself, raising a hoof to ruffle my mane like she used to do when I was just a colt. "Y-yeah, me too."
I smiled at my sister, wiping the tears away again. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Mint. I never meant to break my promise."
Her hoof raised up to my side. "No, Night, I'm sorry. I never wanted to lose my brother, not for any promise."
I glanced back at Dusky, still struggling to keep myself in control. "D-Dusky, this is Mint. My sister."
Dusky smiled widely. "We've met."
"Oh, umm... right." I raised an eyebrow at Mint. "You've met?"
My sister grinned guiltily. "There was an incident, and well, she thought that maybe I was a spy." She shrugged.
My eyes went wide. "A... spy? Mint? What?"
She flailed a hoof, ears dropping back a little. "Well, I wasn't! I mean, I guess I was. You know, for Dad."
"Oh, right." I sighed, "Sorry about that, Dusky."
She waved at Mint, still smiling. "We figured it out."
Mint stepped up besides me, ears still hanging back. "Dad said I was the only one he could trust with this. I didn't want to upset you, Night, so I tried to stay hidden. I... I didn't know if you'd want to see me or not."
I'd spent five years away from my family, keeping my distance because I didn't want to upset them. Hearing Mint say the same about me felt like she'd kicked me in the heart. I fell to my haunches. "Mint, I... I really did miss you."
She hugged me again. "You're still welcome at home, Night. Mom misses you. Me, Spring, Sun and Diamond, we all miss you."
"Mom..." They were better off without me, weren't they? "D-diamond... doesn't she hate me?"
Mint laughed sadly. "Do you really think that?"
I wasn't sure what to think now, but old beliefs died hard. "W-well, yeah. After everything she did? She must hate me."
"Sun and I have talked about it, and Diamond really beats herself up over it. She blames herself, though in fairness, we all took some of the blame." She sighed, pulling away to look me in the eyes. "Night, just... promise me. Promise me you'll come home, at least once. Let Diamond say her piece, and let Mom know you're alright."
For Mom, and for Diamond, but surprisingly, for myself more than any of them, I needed to do this. A door I thought shut forever had opened, and it hurt how badly I'd missed it. "I... y-yeah. I promise, Mint. I promise."
Mint sniffed. "I'll hold you to this one, Night."
There would be no promise breaking this time, not if I ever hoped to mend this rift, not if I ever hoped to speak with my sister again. I wouldn't break her heart. "Th-then I'd best live up to it."
She glanced over my shoulder. "It's later than I thought. Night? Dusky? I'll see you two around, right?"
I nodded dumbly. "Y-yeah, of course. Of course, Mint."
Dusky came up beside me and nodded to Mint. "It’s not like we’re going anywhere anytime soon."
Mint blinked. "Oh uh, right. Right. Sorry! I'll catch up with you, then. You two... enjoy the rest of your night." She smiled and turned, glancing back at the two of us before slipping into the hotel.
With a sigh, I gave Dusky a sidelong glance. "We missed another sunset... sorry."
She giggled. "That's okay, we'll have more chances, I'm sure."
"Yeah." I grinned wide, feeling like I'd just cast off a heavy coat of rime from my wings. "So we shall."