Fate must be Cruel only to the Kind

by Fluttercheer

Epilogue

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Epilogue

On his trainride home, Crackle Pop was quiet. In fact, he had been quiet since he left the hospital this morning. Opposite of him sat his big sister Derpy and his two nieces Dinky and Sparkler. All three of them were occasionally making attempts to start a conversation with the young colt, but nopony of them was successful with this endeavor. The reason for his silence was in his hooves:

A beautiful, blue ribbon with a white “1” in the middle of it.

Or rather, it was in one of his hooves. His left forehoof was carefully holding the ribbon in place on his lap, to prevent it from falling down on the floor of the train wagon they sat in. His other forehoof was bandaged and tied up with a sling that was hanging down from his neck.

As it had turned out, the accident during the first race had inflicted a slight bone fracture on his right forehoof. It was not a dramatic injury, but his hoof had to stay tied up for a few weeks to heal. It would make certain activities a bit difficult for a while and swimming was off-limits until his hoof was properly healed, by medical prescription of the doctor in the Ponyville hospital. The doctor also scolded him for ignoring the injury for so long. Apparently, the main reason for his collapse after the race was because his body couldn't cope with the strong pain in his hoof anymore, something the doctor called a “neurogenic shock”, if he remembered correctly.

After his treatment was over and his hoof all patched up, he wanted to leave the hospital immediately and return to Rainbow Falls to bring Chirpy the ribbon as fast as possible. But the doctor insisted on it that he stayed in the hospital over night, to rest up and for medical observation.

All of this, though, was not important for Crackle Pop right now. What counted now was just the blue ribbon in his hoof and that he could finally give it to his little sister, in hope it would help to soften her heartache over the missed chance and her ruined dream.

Overall, his trip to Ponyville was a very huge success. He got a ribbon for fastest cart for Chirpy and, on top of that, could make a very nice acquaintance during his day in the small town.

After his collapse, his rival until the end, Apple Bloom, became interested in it why he wanted to win the race so badly that he was even willing to endanger his health for it. Derpy explained his reasons to her and also told her about his special talent and cutie mark. The filly was even more interested in it what his sister told her about his often unfortunate talent and so, she visited him in the hospital later. Apparently, she and her two friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, had understanding cutie marks as their own special talents. They were calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Apple Bloom had offered him to find a solution for his problem with the help of her fellow crusaders. Crackle Pop had agreed, of course, and so Apple Bloom had promised that they would visit him in Rainbow Falls soon to help with his cutie mark problem.

Now he was on the way back from this successful and exciting trip to Ponyville and Crackle Pop couldn't be happier about the outcome of everything. And all he had eyes for right now was the ribbon he had won for his little sister. He looked at it and smiled, while he was already imagining how Chirpy would react once he gave it to her and told her all about the exciting day that lied behind him.

The only voice Crackle listened to during this trainride, was the voice of the conductor when he announced their arrival in Rainbow Falls. Immediately, the young colt began to move as he heard about the arrival. With care, he put Chirpy's ribbon into her saddlebags, hung them over his back and cantered out of the train, not being able to wait any longer to show his little sister what he had done for her yesterday.

As he arrived at home, his mom wrapped him up in a hug in the very moment he opened the door and entered the small house.

“Crackle! Where have you been so long?” she scolded him. “Your dad and I were worried sick when you didn't come home yesterday!”

“It's a long story, mom,” he answered. Then he grimaced. “Can you please let me go now? You're hurting my hoof, mom.”

Irritated, his mother retracted from her embrace. Only now she saw the sling and the bandage around his hoof. It only deepened the worry in her face. “Oh, Crackle, what happened yesterday?”

“I explain everything later,” he replied, avoiding a direct answer. “I need to see Chirpy, right now. Is she awake, mom?”

Before she could answer, her eyes fell on the three ponies that entered the house behind him. “Derpy, Dinky, Sparkler.....” she said surprised. “What brings you here today?”

Derpy explained. “After we heard from Crackle that Chirpy is sick, we thought we could accompany him home to pay her a visit.”

Dinky at her side nodded, wearing a smile.

“Oh, Derpy, you are such a kind mare!” her mom said with glee. “There is not one moment that passes without me being proud of you!”

Blushing, Derpy looked away and pawed with her hoof at the floor.

With Derpy being unable to answer, Sparkler took care of it for her. “Don't mention it,” she said, smiling. “It's a matter of course to come and visit if somepony in our family is sick.”

Nimble gave her granddaughter a smile in return, then she turned her attention back to Crackle. “Did you get the ribbon for your sister?” she asked him expectantly, a glimmer in her eyes.

Proud, Crackle nodded. “I did and I need to show her right now, mom! Is she awake?” He repeated his question from earlier.

“The last time I was upstairs she was still sleeping, but go and try it. Just don't be too loud. Her fever is still very high and your sister needs all the rest she can get.”

Understandingly, Crackle nodded, then he quietly trotted up the stairs and into the shared bedroom of him and his sister. As he entered the room, he could see that Chirpy was indeed still asleep. As quiet as possible, he approached his little sister in their bed. Her breath was going more steady now, apparently the result of some medicine their parents had given her, he guessed. Chirpy's face was pale, though, a sign for it that the sickness was wearing at her. On her head was a bag with ice.

“Hi, sis.” Gently, he placed his left hoof on the blanket that was spread over her body. It was a different one than the one they woke up with yesterday. He smiled at her.

After a few more silent moments where he just watched his sister sleeping, he slowly took her saddlebags off his back and opened them. He took out the ribbon and placed it on his sister's chest. “This is for you, Chirps,” he whispered. His lips turned into another smile. “I hope this makes you less sad over it that you couldn't participate.”

Suddenly, his little sister was stirring a little. A moan left her mouth. A second later, she opened her eyes. For a moment, she just looked at him confused, her from fever plagued brain clearly trying to process his sudden presence.

“Crackle? You are back?” she finally asked. A slight cough left her throat.

“I am.” He nodded happily. “How do you feel, Chirps?”

“Better,” she answered weakly. “A little..... But yesterday wasn't a nice day. I was always dreaming about the race and every time I woke up, I had to cry.” Her face broke a little in sadness again.

“I think I have the right thing now to dry your tears, sis!” He grinned at her, then he lifted up the ribbon and held it in front of her face so that she could see it.

Chirpy's eyes widened as they beheld the ribbon. “Is this..... Is this the ribbon for fastest cart in the Applewood Derby?” she asked unbelievingly.

His grin was growing even wider and he nodded.

“Y-You really won it for me?” Now his little sister was tearing up.

Another proud nod.

Without saying another word, she sat up, ignoring the ice bag falling from her forehead and landing in her lap, and reached out for her brother. He inched a little closer and then she put her hooves around him. Quietly, she cried into his coat.

“I did everything to get it for you.” Crackle wrapped his hooves around his little sister as well. “Do you feel happy again now?” In between a few sobs, she nodded. A relieved smile formed on Crackle's lips.

For two or three minutes – although neither of them could really tell, time didn't matter in this moment – the two siblings remained in this position, then Crackle pulled away gently and lied his sister down again.

Chirpy gasped as she just now noticed his bandaged hoof. “Did you hurt yourself?” she asked worried.

Carefully, he put the blanket over Chirpy again and returned the ice bag on her forehead. Then he addressed her question. “I did, but don't worry about it. It's harmless and in the end, it was all worth it!”

On the expression that was in his sister's face now, Crackle could see that a thousand questions went through her mind. Questions that he would gladly answer.

“You have no idea what an exciting day it was and how hard it was to get the ribbon! Ponyville has a lot of talented cart racers.”

He placed the ribbon on Chirpy's chest again, then he sat down on the floor at her side and began to tell his little sister everything that had happened on the day before.....

Author's Note:

And with this, "Fate must be Cruel only to the Kind", the first fanfiction for Crackle Pop, has come to an end.

If you read until here, please take some of your time to give me a little feedback.
How did you like it to read about a completely new background pony and to see how the life of this pony might be? And if you didn't like that, why not?
Please let me know your reasons either way. I would like to do this more often in the future and it would be helpful to hear opinions about it. Do you like to read stories about newly introduced background ponies?
Thank you for reading!

Comments

[Maverick Cloud]

i just think his interactions with his sister should be bigger, but besides that it was a great story and i wished i could do as good as you do :)

[Fluttercheer]

7732694

Welcome back to my humble little background pony fic!
And for Crackle Pop and Chirpy's interactions, I can see what you mean. The story was intended to have Chirpy out of the picture quickly and to not give her much "screentime" right from the get-go, because it's mainly a story for Crackle Pop and Chirpy is the secondary main character, but I can also see that the interactions between them (as well as the whole family dynamic) are one of the strong points of the story and that they came out particularly well.
So..... ask and you shall receive. I will write more for them that shines a bigger light on their life in Rainbow Falls and their relationship as siblings. I have hinted on a sequel anyway, in which I just might be able to do that and if not, I'm writing something else involving them (not necessarily in the universe of this story, bust most likely).
I don't know when exactly and how, but I will write more for them! Thank you for reading, I'm overjoyed you enjoyed my little piece!

[Matthewl419]

I have reviewed this HERE.

[DexThePony]

Nice story, it pleases me to see people didn't forget about that grey pegasus colt who partnered with Derpy in the Applewood Derby

[Fluttercheer]

8876699

Thanks.^^ It makes me happy to see that there are apparently a few more than those who commented and upvoted who enjoyed the story.^^
I even asked for feedback in the Author's Notes^and what my readers think of me writing stories for entirely new background ponies, but did not receive a response on that question, which made me, in comparison with the low views, a little bit insecure about how it was received.
I'm very glad you like it.^^

Edit: And thanks for the follow too.^^