Siblings at the Edge

by Westphalian_Musketeer

Into the Nova

Katna flexed her jaw up and down as she stared at Ivan’s flank. She looked up to his eyes. “Iva--!” She glanced around at their group, then to the surrounding street. “You got your cutie mark!”

Looking again to their group of rescuers, Katna saw them all joining her in looking to Ivan. Stitch held a matronly expression, Stretcher nodded approvingly, while Salve was grinning widely like Katna.

Mikhael’s brows pulled upward as he nodded. “Impressive. Looks like you know how to spin a tale.”

Ivan blushed, tucking his tail between his legs as he glanced over to Katna.

“What’s wrong?” asked Stretcher.

“Uhh…” Ivan looked over his shoulder as they turned a corner. He looked back to Stretcher and flexed his jaw. “Salmon doesn’t like it when I lie,” he said quietly.

Stretcher nodded. “Well, we can talk about it more when we get back to Nova Kakhovka.”

Salve gasped before nudging Stitch in the side. “And make plans for his cuticineara!”

Stitch glanced over to the pink pegasus, who smiled exuberantly. “It’s a big occasion in his life, and I think we could do with a celebration before winter sets in.”

“Uh… what’s a--” Ivan clamped his mouth shut, looking about again.

Katna held up her hoof then cleared her throat. “It’s a party to celebrate when you get your cutie mark.”

“A party?” Ivan’s mouth moved soundlessly. “I… You would do that?”

Salve nodded. “Of course!” She gave a massive wink. “There’s no reason for you not to have a cuticineara just because you’re not in Equestria!”

“Uh… thanks.”

The group turned another corner, arriving at an empty lot. There a group of ponies milled around a blue but rusted city bus. The front bike rack had been replaced with a wooden harness in which two earth ponies were bound with thick padded ropes and harnesses.

Katna tilted her head, inspecting the vehicle. “You pull the bus?”

Mikhael strode forward. “With earth ponies around it ends up being cheaper than continuing to pay for fuel. We’d get one that works with electricity, but we’re still working on our generators.” He turned around to face the group. “Here is your ride to Kakhovka. Had a group from the transition clinic coming back from some classes.” He walked around the group of ponies and entered the bus, taking the driver’s seat.

The group of ponies looked over to the new arrivals. A green earth stallion walked forward. “So these are the ones you went over to pick up? Where were they? They seem kinda young.”

A blue unicorn mare stepped forward, a pie cutie mark on her flank. “Oh goodness! The filly is just so cute!” She walked around Salve and Katna, clicking her tongue. “You are just going to have to stop by my home so I can make you a nice wholesome meal!” She leaned in close to Katna, inspecting her sides. “Thin as a bone! Don’t worry, you’re in excellent hooves now!”

“Thank you for the offer, Mariya. Though the colt got his cutie mark recently, so we could definitely do with planning out food for a party.”

Mariya reared up, pressing her front hooves to her mouth as she squeed. “Oooh! I’ll make sure and think of something.” She set her hooves back to the ground and looked to Ivan. “Interesting, very detailed. How did you earn it, dear?”

“It’s a long story,” said Ivan.

Stretcher stepped away from the group crowding around the foals and headed towards the bus. “Alright, they’ve been through a long day, and I’m sure you all want to be able to make it to Kakhovka without being any later.”

A few ponies broke away from the group and followed Stretcher. The others allowed Swift Salve and Swift Stitch to guide Ivan and Katna to the bus, with the group following them in.

Where Katna expected seat she found a series of low-set upholstered benches separated by stalls, all wooden and bolted onto the existing interior of the bus. The mix of plastic, metal and wood made it appear as though a renaissance fair had been set up there. Going to the back Ivan sat between Salve and Stitch. Katna slid off of Salve’s back and then nestled herself between her and Ivan. Stretcher sat across the aisle on another bench.

Glancing over to Ivan’s wing, Katna poked it with her muzzle. Ivan looked over, smiled and stretched his wing out to press it against Katna’s back. The bus lurched forward as the ponies gathered inside talked and discussed the day’s events, occasionally looking back to the foals.

In the driver’s seat Mikhael assisted with steering, turning the wheel towards where the earth ponies aimed. He also pumped the brake pedal when there was a need to stop. Soon they were outside of the town of Kherson, rolling down the empty highway.

Ivan leaned over to Swift Stitch. “Gleb told us about you before the police found us.”

Stitch nodded, continuing to look ahead. She leaned over and whispered. “Yes, Father Nazar was able to get a message to us as well.”

“Does that mean you know our real…”

Stitch nodded, leaning to Ivan’s ear. “Ivan and Katna; it’s okay if you don’t want to tell us your last names.”

“And you three used to be human. What were your names?”

Stitch raised a hoof to point at herself, then Salve, then Stretcher. “Larisa, Alla, and Adam.”

“And you’re all doctors?”

“I was a surgeon up in Dnipropetrovs’k, while Salve and Stretcher were ambulance workers here in Kherson.”

Ivan’s ears perked. “So did you know Father Nazar before?”

“Only a year before I came down here. I performed the surgery that removed Gleb’s augmentations when I was still human. A little later I found out my sister, Salve, had been laid off alongside Adam, and had ponified. I came down to visit, and the town needed some more people with medical knowledge. Eventually I ponified, and have been training under a Doctor Stable from Equestria since then to learn about pony medicine.” Stitch sighed, turning her hoof over and looking at its frog. “It’s wonderful.”

“Can we stay with you?” asked Katna.

Stitch, Salve and Stretcher looked to the salmon-colored filly, their brows and lips varyingly conveying concern.

Salve stretched out her wing, joining Ivan in hugging Katna. “Absolutely! We’ll make you a nice warm supper, set up another bed for you two…” Salve looked over to Stitch. “Hey sis, do we want to get them a check up with Doctor Stable?”

Nodding, Stitch smiled to the two foals. “That sounds like a good plan. For tomorrow.”

“There’s plenty more for getting you two settled in your new home,” said Stretcher, looking over the aisle. “Bath and grooming, getting you well fed, introducing you to the town’s school teacher Mr. Evra--”

“Planning your cuticineara!” Salve craned her neck to peck Ivan on the cheek with a kiss.

Ivan blinked a few times, staring ahead.

“That too,” said Stretcher. “By the way, can you fly or do magic?”

Ivan shook his head. “No, I haven’t learned to fly, but…” Ivan coughed, “... but Salmon can pick things up with her magic.”

“That’s wonderful.” Salve leaned over to Katna and rubbed her cheek against the filly. “I think you’ll love having Stitch take some time teaching you what she knows about magic.”

Katna reciprocated the gesture of affection, wrapping her hooves around Salve’s withers and hugging her. “That sounds great!”

“And Salve and I would be more than happy to teach you to fly, Cirrus,” said Stretcher.

Ivan looked to Katna; she was staring at him, awaiting a response. Ivan then focused on Stretcher. “Well, I am a pegasus. And if we’ll be staying for a while I might as well learn.”

Nodding, Stretcher turned to look out the window. Yellow lights set among the dark outlines of a building ran alongside the bus before it slowed and turned to the right, reaching Nova Kakhovka.

“Well, we’re almost there. Get a little bit of rest before we have to get off.”

Katna nodded, leaning against Salve and closing her eyes. Ivan shifted his legs, locking his front knees, and then closed his eyes to rest.

---

A cornflower blue earth mare stepped off the bus, leaving only the Swifts, Mikhael and the foals remaining inside.

Mikhael stood up from the driver’s seat and walked towards the back of the bus. “Well, we’re here and there isn’t too much of a crowd. You can take the kids to your place.” His eyes panned over to Katna, who lay curled up against Salve’s chest, her ribs visible as her sides rose and fell. “Make sure to get something in them before bedtime though. They look famished.” He turned and exited the bus, before poking his head back in. “We can talk more about this tomorrow, Stitch, Stretcher.”

Ivan grunted as he unlocked his knees and began clambering out of his seat. Stitch used her magic to float Katna onto Salve’s back, and Stretcher led the way down the aisle to the bus door.

The rest of them followed out the door, where they spotted Mikhael speaking to a lilac unicorn mare and a man, his portly frame held within a set of grease stained overalls. Both the man and the mare had sets of duffle bags slung over his shoulders and her back.

The mare looked over and smiled as she saw Stitch. She walked over as Mikhael and the man continued talking. “Stitch! We haven’t seen each other in a long time!”

“Miss Pelech! Too true!” Stitch stepped forward and lay her neck alongside Pelech’s.

“Mrs. Pelech. I owe my husband that much, God rest his soul.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, Mrs. Pelech.”

Mrs. Pelech reached up to her deep violet mane and flicked a wayward lock back into place as she pulled away from Swift Stitch. “Don’t go beating yourself for it, now.” Mrs. Pelech’s horn glowed an iridescent purple that encased the bag on her back. Ivan’s eyes widened as he recognized the cobbled-together towel, sweater and bungee-cords of his saddlebags.

Mrs. Pelech glanced over to Ivan and smiled. “I take it this is yours? We were able to find Gleb’s boat hidden at the river shore a bit of the way upriver.” She pointed with her horn to the man Mikhael was talking to. “Jacob here was able to get it back to town. We saw some of the bags and figured they belonged to the foals.” She placed the bag across Ivan’s back. “I take it you’re Cirrus, and that positively adorable filly that Salve has on her back is Salmon?”

Ivan blushed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh goodness, I haven’t been called ma’am by a young one in a long time! Manners like that and you’ll be making mares swoon when you grow up!” Mrs. Pelech reached a hoof to Ivan’s cheek and cupped his jaw, wiggling her hoof so she squished and shifted the skin on his face.

Ivan pulled away from the contact, scrunching up his face. Mrs. Pelech chuckled and nodded to Stitch. “You take good care of the colt and filly now.”

“We will, Mrs. Pelech, and thank you for the foals’ things.”

Mrs. Pelech backstepped as Jacob looked over to her, holding out Katna’s bags. Mrs. Pelech took the bags in her magic and set them on Stitch’s back. With that Mrs. Pelech, Mikhael and Jacob made their way down the road, shouting farewells and goodnights.

Ivan looked up to the darkened sky above, flecked as it was by white stars shining. “So this is where ponies live?”

“Among others,” said Stretcher, walking to Ivan’s side.

Ivan’s brow creased as he looked to where Mrs. Pelech, Mikhael and Jacob had gone off. “Mrs. Pelech mentioned she used to have a husband. How old is she?”

“Seventy four,” answered Stretcher.

Ivan’s jaw dropped. Looking between Stitch and the empty space where Mrs. Pelech had resided, he shook his head. “Wait, no, that makes no sense. How old is Stitch?”

“It’s rude to ask a mare her age!” piped up Salve.

“Thirty four,” answered Stitch. Salve looked to her sister and scoffed, while Stitch stuck her tongue out at her rambunctious sister.

“But they both looked the same age.”

Stretcher nodded, extending a wing to Ivan and guiding him across a field towards a cluster of houses in the distance. “If they looked the same, why’d you ask about Mrs. Pelech’s age?”

“Because she was acting like an old woman,” Ivan responded.

Stretcher nodded. “She was born before Ukraine was even independent of Russia. Now as a pony she is looking to at least another century and a half of life.”

Ivan’s ears perked. “Princess Celestia and Luna are over a thousand years old…”

“And there are dragons that are even older,” Stretcher responded.

“Wow, Salmon and I hadn’t gotten to that part of the guides.”

Stretcher laughed as he guided Ivan down a trail towards the cluster of houses, a few with yellow light leaking out into the night from their windows. “Ponies just normally don’t think about how long they live.”

“So that’s why the history mentions a thousand years of banishment like it’s nothing.”

“Hmmm, that’s one possible thing that explains.” Stretcher stopped in front of one of the houses. It was an old decrepit husk of a suburban home, buttressed and held together by fresh timber, with plywood on hinges serving to cover the windows. “Well, here it is, your home for now.” Stretcher walked to the door and turned the knob with his mouth, pushing the door inwards as he did so.

Behind Ivan Katna yawned atop Salve, smacking her lips together. “Where are we?” she asked.

“We’re home,” cooed Stitch, walking into the house with her horn aglow, casting the room in a dull pink glow. The floor was clean, and the walls were as well, although the drywall was chipped and was marked by poorly removed wallpaper. Stitch lifted Katna and Ivan’s bags and floated them to a closet where she put them. “We can go over your stuff in the morning. For now let’s get you something to eat.”

Katna lifted her head and blinked. “Our bags?” Her ears folded downward. “I wish I had left my phone with the bags.” Her stomach growled, and she focused on Stitch. “What was that about food again? What are we having?”

“How does tomato soup and hay cakes sound?” Stitch bounded in place, keeping the filly safely cradled between outstretched wings.

Katna felt an illusory rush of warm liquid filling her stomach and an approving smile of Sister Klara. “Tomato soup sounds wonderful.” Her stomach growled.

Giggling, Stitch walked to an open doorway leading to a kitchen as the others followed. A fireplace lay dormant near the sidewall, hemmed in by a series of metal trash cans welded together to form a chimney. Two coffee tables, the perfect height for a pony to dine at without a chair, sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by six pillows. A counter rimmed the room on the right side, providing shelves and a large sink, but no fridge, stove or dishwasher. Stitch’s hooves clopped on the linoleum floor.

“Here you go.” Stitch lifted Katna off Salve and lay her on one of the pillows by one of the tables.

Katna yawned again. “Sorry.”

Salve kissed Katna by her horn. “Don’t be, it must be well past your bedtime.”

“I don’t have a bedtime,” said Katna. “Ivan and I just sleep when we’re too tired to travel.”

Salve looked over to Ivan, eyes scanning him.

Katna blinked for a few moments. “Cirrus!” she gasped. “I meant Cirrus and--”

“Shhhh.” Salve pressed her wingtip to Katna’s mouth.

“You’re safe here, you can use your real name if you like,” said Stitch.

“Unless it’s Butthead.” Salve leaned down to Katna’s face to look her in the eye, her stone face the image of seriousness. “No filly as cute as you gets called that while I’m around.”

Katna laughed at the expression, and soon Salve’s face split into a massive grin as she reached a hoof and tried tickling Katna’s belly. The little unicorn rolled onto her back, flailing her hooves as she giggled.

Ivan walked to a pillow opposite from where Salve, Stitch and Katna lay. Stretcher soon joined him.

Turning to Ivan Stretcher’s ears focused on the colt. “She raises a good question. What would you like to be called?”

“Uh…” Ivan looked to Katna as Salve pulled away, his sister still squirming as tears rolled down her cheeks and her laughter subsided. He looked to Stretcher and nodded. “I guess I don’t really mind either way.” He glanced over to his sister.

Katna sniffed. “What would I like to be called? Umm...” Katna looked to the ground, blinking a few times. “Well, I’m a pony, with parents with pony names, in a town that’s just full of ponies. And I do like the new name. I chose it myself with Ivan and Gleb’s help. I think I’d like to be called Salmon Spring on a regular basis. That’s an okay name for a pony, right?”

“Of course it is!” Salve tousled Salmon’s mane.

Ivan gulped, looking to Stretcher. “Well, I don’t see a point in being the odd one out. I’m okay with you calling me Cirrus Stripes.”

Stitch walked off to some of the shelves, pulling out bowls, tomatoes, onions and spices.

“So, do you want to talk about how you got here?” asked Stretcher.

Cirrus looked to Salmon, then back to Stretcher. “Ummm, not now…”

Salmon coughed, drawing Cirrus’ gaze back to her. She raised eyebrows and nodded to Stretcher.

“Oh…” Ivan cleared his throat. “Ummm… Swift Stretcher. We can stay here?”

“In our home with us.” Stretcher extended his wing and patted Ivan on the back. “Of course. As for not telling us how you met Nazar, you can take your time.”

Stitch looked over to Salve. “Sister, get me some milk from the storehouse for the soup while I prepare the base.”

“Got it, Sis.” Salve nodded and trotted out the door while Stitch diced up the onions and tomatoes.

Looking over to the two foals, Stitch smiled. “We can’t exactly use beef or chicken stock for soup, so we figured out pretty soon that some creamy milk works a lot better than just plain water.”

“Sounds delicious,” said Cirrus.

Salmon, left alone on her side of the tables, walked to Stretcher’s side and sat beside him.

Stretcher leaned down. “Can I help you with anything?”

“How did you convince the police to let us go early?” asked Salmon. “He said that because we didn’t have our papers, they could hold us for a whole day.”

“Oh? That? Well, that’s complicated.”

Salmon cocked her head to the side. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Salve returned with a jug of milk tucked under her left foreleg. “By putting their butts to the grinder over holding two children, and making a voluntary contribution to the Kherson police retirement fund.”

“Huh?” Salmon looked to the returned sister.

“How we got you out. The stick and the carrot?”

Salmon pursed her lips and shook her head.

“She means that they made noise and paid off the police to let us go early,” said Cirrus.

“Yep!” Salve released the jug of milk as Stitch floated it over to herself, mixing in the contents into a pot and then placing it on a grill over the fire.

“So you bribed the police to make sure we got here safe,” said Cirrus in an even inflection equal parts question and statement.

“We did,” said Salve, sitting next to Salmon and embracing her with a wing. “You two are probably the most expensive arrivals to date.”

Katna looked downward. “You should have gotten Gleb out.”

“He was charged with trafficking. Getting him out would be bail, and that would still mean he’d likely end up in jail once he has his trial.” Salve used her other wing to lift Salmon’s chin. “But if we take our time, we can put together a defense for him when he goes to court.”

Sniffing, Salmon’s eyes met with Salve’s. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Oh…” Salve wrapped her wings and forehooves around the filly, rocking back and forth. “I know it’s a tough decision, and it just isn’t right in the first place that he’s in prison, but I don’t want to think about you stuck in some jailhouse.”

“We’re not exactly something a court would know what to do with,” said Cirrus, earning a look from the adults.

Salmon looked to him, eyes inspecting his features.

Cirrus scrunched up his face as his sides shook. “If y-you’re going to be taking care of us, you should know how we got here.” He looked up to Katna and gulped. “All the truth.”

---

“... and that’s when the officer pulled up and after some questions I gave him our fake names, and he took us in with Gleb.” Cirrus leaned down to lick the last dregs of his tomato soup, the spicy and salty paste going down his throat and making it water from the luxurious taste. He breathed out with a shaking sigh. He looked to the door feeling like he needed to bolt from the house. Grab Salmon and run for the hills once more. He breathed, waiting for some sort of response.

“Well, you’ve gone through a lot to keep you and your sister safe,” said Stretcher. “But now that’s behind you. You’re with us.”

Cirrus gave a twisted, doubtful smile. His heart tugged between the life he knew and the life he could have, with his sister, and… whatever these ponies were to him. “Thank you.”

Salmon let out a huge yawn. “‘m tired,” she pouted, rubbing her head against Salve’s chest and belly.

“Oh dear, I recognize that tone of voice.” Salve looked at Cirrus and the others. “I’m going to tuck her into our bedroom. If I waste any time she’s going to start getting cranky.” She stood up and guided Salmon down the hallway that led off from the kitchen. Salmon’s head bobbed up and down as she hobbled beside Salve.

Stitch floated the dishes from the tables into the sink. “We should all be getting to bed, come on.”

Cirrus followed Stitch and Stretcher down the hall that Salve went down, reaching an open door by their right. Inside Salmon lay on her side on the floor while Salve pushed three mattresses together, grunting.

“How does… Nggh! Three double mattresses… sound?” Salve looked up to see her work, smiling at the three mattresses dominating half of the room.

Stitch floated Salmon onto the central mattress before laying down beside her. Stretcher lay beside Stitch while Cirrus and Salve took their positions on Salmon’s other side.

Stitch craned her neck and ran her lips through Stretcher’s mane. The stallion leaned into it and shut his eyes.

Cirrus tilted his head and his ears swiveled about as he cocked an eyebrow.

“What is it?” asked Salve.

“Uh… nothing?” offered Cirrus.

“Oh! The grooming…”

Cirrus turned to Salve, who was licking her lips.

“Uh… ever play with your hair when you were a kid?”

Cirrus shook his head. “No, but my mom did.”

“Well…” Salve lifted up her hooves. “These aren’t much good for that. So ponies use their mouths.”

Nodding, Cirrus licked his lips. “I used my mouth to sew together our saddlebags.”

“Yeah, like that,” said Salve. She leaned over and nuzzled Cirrus on the side. “I’m sure there’s still a lot about being a pony for you two to learn.” She pulled back with a grin on her face.

“But we’re honored to be the one’s to help guide you through it,” said Stitch.

“Tomorrow, though,” said Stretcher. He opened his mouth and let out a loud yawn.

Stitch giggled, laying beside Stretcher and shutting her eyes.

Cirrus smiled. “Again, thank you for everything.”

Salve’s wing stretched out to cover his muzzle. “Shh, bedtime.”

Laying his head down, Cirrus obliged and shut his eyes.

Comments

[L0rd0f7hund3r]

1…
2…
3…
D'AWW! This was a cute chapter, with Kat and Ivan settling in with the Stitches. I'm surprised that Ivan let down his guard to tell them about their travels. Given his cutie mark, I half expected him to make up a story. I can't wait for for Cirrus' cuticineara!

[ferret]

[Bast]

Love this story

[Ocean Breeze]

Moooorrreeee.

4527084
On a side note, I will always believe that ferrets are the equivalent of retarded little cats.

[Noctua6]

WHERE'S THE REST?! I'm addicted.

[Mix-up]

I hope there will an update on this soon, it's a great story

[Celefin]

Damn, this just keeps getting better :)
I like how you seamlessly lost their human names along the way in this chapter without making any show whatsoever out of it.
Now I just wonder about the complications of having a cutiemark showing that your special talent is deception. Heh... and cutiemarks amplify the talent, don't they?
He's going to be a diplomat.