Twenty-Five Years Later

“-but Lucky~” Angel Feather whined.

“No ‘buts,’” the purple stallion told her. “Mom will be home soon. We can play a game together until then.”

“But you always win!”

“Would you rather play with Uncle Hot Head?” Lucky smirked at his friend.

“But Lucky…” he whined, “She always wins!”

Lucky sighed, smiling between the two as he floated a deck of cards to Angel. To Hot Head, he said, “Just for a few minutes. You can maintain your dignity after Amber gets home.”

Hot Head grumbled to himself, moving slowly into the semi-circle Lucky and Angel had formed. For the next ten minutes, the three held themselves with laughter and tears between their separate games.

By the time that Hot Head was ready to throw in the towel, the sound of a door opening interrupted them all.

“I’m home!”

“Momma!” Angel Feather yelled, jumping up to greet the mare. Hot Head and Lucky grinned at each other and got up to join her.

“There’s my baby girl,” Amber said, popping the tan filly up onto her back. “Did you have fun with the boys?” Angel nodded quickly.

Amber smirked at them, “And did you two have fun with your sister?”

Lucky chuckled much to Hot Head’s dislike. “Amber.” He said.

“Yes~?” she teased him with the Devil’s grin.

“No.”

Lucky and Amber laughed as Hot Head glared at her. All the while, Angel just nuzzled Amber with a foal’s love.

It was a little past six in the morning. Being the middle of summer, and Amber working afternoons, there was little reason for the household to be up at the time.

Angel awoke to the sounds of murmuring. It sounded like a single pony, like they were talking to themselves right outside her window. She paid it no mind, quick to try and get back to sleep.

The problem was, it never stopped. The pony kept talking. They were gradually getting louder. Truthfully, the little filly started to get scared. Silently, and as light as a feather, the pegasus filly slid down from her bed and rushed to Hot Head’s room.

She poked her head in innocently. “Uncle Hot Head? There’s a pony talking outside my window and he won’t go away.”

Hot Head sat up slowly. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before walking over to the filly. “Okay. I’ll go check it out. Go wake mommy and Lucky up.”

With the prompt on the filly, Hot Head walked downstairs. He noticed from the kitchen window that it was raining outside. Grumbling ever so slightly, he grabbed an umbrella and propped it under his wing as he walked outside. Turning to the other side of the house, he found whom he was sure caused Angel’s distress, and sure enough; he was mumbling to himself.

“Hey!” Hot Head yelled, getting the stallion’s attention. He jumped, quickly turning to him. Hot Head saw immediately that he was a decently aged earth pony. “May I ask what you’re doing out here? You gave my little sister quite the scare you know.”

The stallion’s eyes drooped and his expression fell, “Oh, I-I’m sorry. You see, I was looking for somepony's home, but I didn’t have the patience for the rain to stop.”

Hot Head sighed, “Who were you looking for? If they live in Canterlot, I might be able to help.” His thoughts told him to get the old coot away as quick as possible.

“I’m looking for a Miss Amber Lily. From what I’m told, she lives around here, somewhere…”

Hot Head played that back in his head for a moment. Finally it clicked. “Oh! Well, she lives right here,” he said, “But, was there any reason you didn’t just knock on ponies’ doors?”

The old stallion coughed, “It’s so early, I was afraid of waking anypony, especially the elite of the city who would never help me anyway.” He looked at Hot Head, “Either way, may I come in to see Amber?”

Hot Head narrowed his eyes at him. “First, tell me who you are.”

He shrunk back, “I-I’m an old...friend. Well, maybe not now, but I knew her from when she was younger. My name’s Herb.”

Moments passed as Hot Head contemplated the situation. Eventually, and with a sigh, he gave in. “Fine. But I’m watching you.” Turning around, he started back towards the front door. Herb was quick to follow up. Before stepping in, he quickly shook himself as dry as possible.

Coming inside, Hot Head noticed Lucky and Angel on the couch. “Who’s this?” Lucky asked.

“This is Herb. He says he’s a friend of Amber’s. Came lookin’ for her, but didn’t want to wake the snotty nobles of Canterlot.” Hot Head told him. He looked around. “Is Amber up?”

“No, but if you’ll go wake her up, I can keep check on Herb.”

Hot Head nodded and started towards the stairs. Lucky turned to Herb. “You’re not really an old friend of Amber’s, are you?”

Herb’s eyes widened. “H-how’d you-”

“Lucky guess.”

Herb sighed. “No, I’m not a friend of Amber’s. I’m someone that wishes to see her at least once more in my life before I disappear for another unnecessary amount of time; likely for the last time.”

“Why Amber?” Lucky asked, walking over to him. “Isn’t there other ponies more important to you, like your family?”

The old stallion looked into Lucky’s eyes. All Lucky could see was pain and regret. Herb spoke with sorrow. “I wronged her. I did something to her at a time when she needed nothing more than love and care. In my own selfish desire, I denied her what she needed most.”

Lucky thought for a moment. He looked over Herb thoroughly. His eyes widened as he pieced things together.

“You said it’s been twenty years since you last saw Amber?”

“It’s been more. Twenty-five from my last count.”

Lucky’s mind raced. A quick, faint memory passed in his mind, and it all made sense.

“What’s going on?” the groggy voice of Amber spoke from the stairs. Lucky stared at her, his mouth agape

“A-amber.” Herb moved slowly towards her. She blinked rapidly, turning to the stallion. As she looked at him, the breath caught in her throat. “Amber, is that really you?”

Hot Head, whom had just come downstairs, looked at her. “Amber, are you crying?”

“Uncle Lucky?” Angel tugged on the unicorns tail, “Why is momma glowing?

Amber slowly stepped towards Herb until the two were face-to-face. She stared into his eyes as if searching for the answer to some unsaid question.

Eventually, after a minute of silence, she uttered a soft, single word. “D-dad?

Herb quickly wrapped his hooves around Amber as tears streamed down his face.

“W-where were you...all these years?” Amber managed to choke out.

“Everywhere,” Herb mumbled, “I never stopped traveling. I feared that when I did, I would break down and be unable to do anything.” He sighed, “And I was right.”

“What do you mean?”

Herb looked into Amber’s eyes. A long removed feeling found it’s way into his heart. “For nearly ten years, I went forward without thinking of any reason to stop.

“The first time stopping even occurred as a thought to me was when a train I was riding went past the Crystal Empire. I saw the graveyard in the distance and I felt so lost all of a sudden. However, I kept going. I kept doing my work. It wasn’t until recently; within the last few weeks; that I realized the mistakes I had made.

“I was staying in Hoofington. A mare whom had been doing some field work with me for a small bit had let me stay at her home while I was sick. Later in the evening, when I had finished taking a nap, I went downstairs to find her making dinner. I greeted her and took a seat at the table. She smiled and returned the greeting, and just went on cooking.

It was about five minutes later that a filly walked in, putting some saddlebags on the kitchen table. She walked up to my friend and said, ‘Mommy, what’s for dinner?’ I was a bit in shock, since I didn’t know she had a foal. She answered the question, then looked to me. ‘So sorry, Herb. I forgot to mention her, didn’t I? Herb, this is my daughter, Tea Leaf. Tea, this is my friend and colleague, Herb.’ I remember her saying to us.

“Tea Leaf looked at me with such enthusiasm. ‘Do you have any foals of your own? I'd love to make some new friends!’ she had asked. As you can imagine, thousands, nay, millions of flashbacks of you and your mother came to me. I broke down on the spot, unable to contain two decades’ of sorrow. The filly panicked and ran to her room as her mother comforted me. I explained everything. From Isis’ death to my departure from you. She gave me this stern look and said, ‘Fix this. Now.’

“So I set out to do so,” Herb sniffed, “I got on the first train out of Hoofington and started riding out to Ponyville. After I learned of where you lived, I immediately came here.”

Amber couldn’t contain herself. She collapsed into Herb’s hooves and started bawling. Lucky smiled at the lovely scene as he comforted the also-crying Angel Feather. Hot Head was left to fare on his own.

Herb ran his hoof down Amber’s back, “There there, Amber.” He pulled away from her, “Enough tears, we’re reunited. Why not show me that Crystal Pony brand happiness.” Amber sniffled, but smiled irregardless. The shimmer remained present, ever more noticeable as time had passed. “I’m not going to leave again. I’ll get a house here in town and just get a random job. No need to delve into the forest when I could see my daughter every day.”

“But dad,” Amber’s smile fell slightly, “You don’t need to give up your job as an herbalist just for me.”

“I would love both, but the closest forest is the Everfree. I’m not too certain the train staff would appreciate it if I had random plants coming on the ride with me,” he chuckled, “Especially the Everfree variety.”

“If I may say something,” Lucky stepped forward, “We could maybe work something out. We have plenty of friends in Ponyville we regularly visit. Maybe with their help, we could build a home for you.”

“Yeah!” Amber smiled at Lucky and Herb, “Then I can just take the train to Ponyville and see you every week or so. Then you won’t have to give up your job."

Hot Head stepped up to Herb, “Why not go one step further? You could always set up a shop in Ponyville for sales and make money that way too.”

Herb looked between the three of them. He smiled and sighed. “Fine. We’ll work something out.” The trio smiled. “But first, something needs to be cleared here for me. Who are these three, Amber?”

Hot Head backed up slowly and Lucky coughed. Angel just smiled over the back of the couch. Amber shot Hot Head an evil grin. “These are my kids!” An exclamation tried to fish it’s way out of Herb’s throat but was cut off by a violent cough. Amber laughed as her father fought to compose himself.

“Run that by me again,” he smiled at her, “The full story this time.”

She went and wrapped a hoof around the two stallions, “These are my best friends, Hot Head and Lucky. We were all friends at the Ponyville Orphanage from day one. I was the oldest by a couple years, so they had some time left when I was free to go on my own.” She hugged the two, “But I couldn’t bear to leave them, so I filled out the paperwork and adopted them as my sons.”

Herb smiled, “Well met, boys. Hope to see the great-grandchildren from you two very soon.” The three all gaped at the middle aged stallion.

“Did he just-?” Amber asked.

“I don’t want to think of it,” Lucky muttered.

“I feel old…” Hot Head said in horror.

“And what about this little bundle of joy here?” Herb asked, smiling face-to-face with Angel. She just booped him on the nose and giggled.

“Also my daughter,” Amber smiled, stepping over to them. “She was abandoned by her parents, so I nursed her back to health and adopted her a few years later. I was the one who named her.”

“I just ignore it!” Angel smiled, “I got a momma anypony would be jealous of to make up for it.”

“Right.” Herb smiled. “Well, I’ll be looking forward to the move. For now, though, let’s just enjoy what we have here.”

“Together,” Angel jumped on Amber’s back.

Amber brought everyone in for a hug. “As a family.”

Author's Note:

I like to imagine that Angel treats Hot Head as an Uncle since he hates being referred to as Amber's son, while Lucky is much more accepting of it for Angel's sake.

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