Because You Are My Sister

by Maverick Cloud

Chapter 8 - Finale

"So you're gonna move to the Crystal Empire?" Breeze asked her daughter.

It had been two days since the birthday celebration. The Royal Family had already left Ponyville, while Flash elected to stay behind and manage the arrangements for his sister’s big move. It would be a radical change for Lightning, both in sharing a place with her brother and starting down the path towards a new career. She was going to be tested and -- hopefully -- be accepted as part of the Royal Guard.

"Yeah. Don't worry,” Lightning assured. “Flash told me his place has enough room for two."

Flash smiled. "It’ll be pretty cool to have you as a roommate. Now I have somepony to divvy up the chores with."

Lightning deadpanned. "Thanks for reminding me, idiot." Not only would she have to train, but now she had to do half of the house cleaning. He knew very well she hated chores — Lightning was the most disorganized of the bunch. Now that she planned on living with him, she had no choice in the matter.

"I'm just pulling your feathers, sis. I'm gonna save you the trouble so that you can focus on your training. Just remember what the captain said about getting cocky." Flash playfully booped her nose. "I suppose not getting cocky will be your biggest challenge, am I right?"

Breeze watched on, her eyes growing misty. "My babies, they are growing up so fast I can't even see it."

Flash grew concerned and rubbed her shoulder. "Mom? What's the matter?"

"I'm so worried, dear. Ever since you enlisted I have been worried. After seeing you returning home it always gave me some fresh air. And now Lightning will enlist too, and..." Breeze held her son's hoof, "Seeing both of you serving in the Royal Guard fills me with so much pride and fear at the same time. Ever since those scars on your face, ever since your father died..."

"Mom, you don't have to worry about anything. I'll keep an eye on Lightning. We'll be okay, you have my word."

It was Lightning's turn to comfort their mother with a dose of reassurance. "And I'll keep an eye out for Flash, too. Please, Mom. Stop worrying so much. You'll end up making us more worried about you."

Breeze hugged her children. Maybe she was worrying too much. Flash and Lightning knew how to take care of one another ever since they spoke their first words. At that moment her pride for her children outweighed the worries over the dangers they could face.

"Please visit me, okay?"

"Oh, we're gonna visit pretty soon." Lightning shot a mischievous smirk towards her brother.

"Why is that?" Breeze asked.

"I assume Flash will want to see his princess as soon as possible. I doubt he'll be able to stay a day away from his lovely mar —OW!" Lightning nursed the back of her head.

"Oh... So that's why she blushed when she started talking about you, eh Flash?" The older mare bumped her shoulder on her blushing son.

Flash’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "How the heck did you find out?"

"The girls told me everything, Gallant." Lightning just loved to embarrass her brother. To get on his nerves even more, she put on her best theatrical voice. "Oh Twilight, you're the most kind pony I've ever met."

"Shut up!" Flash said back, his embarrassment never leaving him.

---

It didn't take long before the train arrived in Ponyville Train Station. The siblings said their goodbyes to their mother before entering the wagon.

Lightning waved. “Tell First we said ‘bye’ when he gets back from camp, okay?”

Breeze waved back. “Of course.” She watched the door close and the whistle blow to signal the train’s departure, uncertain of what the future held for her children. All sorts of emotions were rushing through her mind as she watched the train shrink to a pinprick, then nothing, on the horizon.

She needed a drink and a handsome bartender to make her worries disappear.

In the wagon, Lightning tried to snag a nap on the ride home -- her new home. Her head still ached from the crazy night, but no matter how much she tried to ignore it, the dull pounding in her skull just wouldn’t leave her be.

She soon gave up with a sigh. A glance at Flash revealed him to be gazing out the window,. He always held an appreciation for nature. Being in the Royal Guard, it would make sense for him to treasure what a world without conflict would look like.

Beautiful. Peaceful. Perfect.

Her eyes fell to the scars on his cheek. Lightning had meant to ask Flash about that during their time in Ponyville, but due to the party and other circumstance it slipped her mind more than once. Since they had a few hours before reaching their next destination, there seemed to be no better time than now to ask him.

"Hey, Flash.”

"Yeah?" Flash stopped gazing out the window.

"Where did you get those scars?"

There was a pregnant pause as his hoof instinctively brushed at the marks on his cheek. "It's a long story." Flash turned the other cheek, apparently trying to hide the scars.

"I still wanna hear it," Lightning persisted, steepling her hooves in adamant interest. Her brother could tell her anything. He had her back, she had his, plain and simple.

"Well... okay then," he conceded. “It started on my first diplomatic mission with Sunburst, in Zigeria.”

---

"All I'm asking is that the dragon be allowed to restore your village, then Sergeant Sentry and I will escort him back to the Dragon Lands where he'll be punished according to dragon law." Sunburst suggested to the leader of the village

"And allow him to leave after our honor has been disgraced?” The tribal chief questioned. “I will not allow that! We fight night and day to keep our land safe!"

"I know you're angry, Chief Zalven. Trust me, not even the other dragons can stand him. At least that's what I heard. But if we don't reach a compromise, the relationship between zebras and dragons will be very strained." Sunburst said, worry tinting his voice.

Zalven slammed his hoof on the wooden desk. "Our village defeated a dragon with ease. If they desire war, then they will be appeased. Our strength is enough to send them a ways with their tails between their legs."

Sunburst’s hoof twitched out of anxiety. If a war happened, non-combatants, zebra and dragon, risked being caught in the crossfire. Not to mention that if Equestria chose to support either Zigeria or the Dragon Lands, one alliance would be shattered. Retaliation for the ponies’ transgressions would follow, and Equestria would have mortal enemies again.

He took a patient breath. "With all due respect Chief Zalven, think about what you're saying. You managed to defeat one dragon. Now you want to start a war with a nation of dragons because of an isolated incident? Even if you do win, you risk the lives of thousands of zebras in the process.”

“We are warriors. We fight, whether with wisdom, chants, or might.”

“So you’re willing to sacrifice many for the needs of the few? As their leader, you must do what’s best for the people, not for yourself.”

Silence fell over the hut. The flames of the fire pit cast shadows over the chief’s face, giving his already serious gaze a more intimidating quality. His breathing, while steady, grew heavy as if suppressing anger.

Sunburst suddenly felt a little hot under the collar, and it wasn’t because of the flames.

Light poured into the hut when a zebra hastily pulled back the cloth to the entrance. He was gasping for breath as if he ran marathon. "Chief Zalven, awake! The beast rampages near the lake!"

"What? What destruction has he wrought?"

The villager shook his head. "None. The others hold the beast at bay, but only just. We risk losing the fishing house. Act quickly, we must!"

Zalven turned to Sunburst. "You!" The wizard jerked at his call. "Come with me! There is a battle we must see."

With haste Zalven and his entourage plus their wizardly guest, departed to the nearby lake, kicking up clouds of dust behind them. While he feared for the villagers, Sunburst also feared for Flash. He had never confronted a dragon before, and spirits above only knew how long he and the others would last against an angry one.

The lake was surrounded by plains with a few sparse trees and boulders. A fishing house and a few docked boats stood as the only signs of any equine civilization. The scene when the entourage arrived was one of intensity. The blood-scaled dragon.was encircled by his former captors, who made threatening displays with their spears, shields, or crossbows in attempts to herd him back into his fireproof cage. The dragon would have flown out of the circle, but the Royal Guard hovering over him, his own weapons at the ready, put such thoughts to rest.

Of course, the dragon adamantly resisted. "Get outta my way, you stupid zebras!" he demanded.

One of the zebras aimed down the sights of his crossbow. "Get back to your cell, freak! There is no more destruction for you to seek!"

"As if!” The dragon made a move to rush at the zebra. However, the zebra made his own threatening gesture, that being the tip of his arrow a hair’s breadth away from the beast’s snout. The dragon’s eyes narrowed. “Are you tone deaf and stupid? I said outta my way. Or do we need to heat things up a bit?”

"Hey, fire-breath!" Flash called out from above.

“It’s Garble!”

“Fine. Garble,” He gestured to the zebras. "Take a serious look around you. You're outnumbered and surrounded by the best warriors in the village. They took you down once, they’ll do it again if they have to. So you may want to rethink your strategy and do as they say if you know what's good for you."

This only made the dragon more frustrated. "Ugh, even without talking about feelings and pony hugs, you and these zebras are just as lame."

"Yeah. So lame they still locked you up in a cell."

There was no getting around Garble once Flash noticed his claws clench tight until the knuckles popped. Fearing the worst, Flash aimed down the sights of his crossbow, praying in silence the Dragon Lord would forgive him for ering on the side of caution.

"My brothers, drop your weapons!" Chief Zalven commanded as he approached. All of the zebras -- and Flash -- lowered their weapons as commanded. The villagers parted the circle to allow the chief entrance. "Submit, or face our wrath for your transgressions."

Garble answered by lunging at the chief, claws outstretched.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, yet transpired in the blink of an eye. Flash’s defensive instincts kicked in. With reflexes true to his name he arced downward and slammed into Zalven’s side. Such selflessness did not go unpunished, as it put him in the path of Garble’s attack. There was no way to dodge now -- the claws came down and cleaved a trio of gashes down Flash’s cheek just below the eye.

A cry of pain followed.

Peeved at missing his target, Garble roughly grabbed at the bloodied pegasus and tossed him into the ring of zebras. As a dragon, he had strength on his side, and such strength was plenty enough to send Flash careening through the ring of zebras and into a boulder with a very audible smack.

The villagers rushed Garble. Sunburst was moving before he realized it, driven by anger and fear. From within his cloak he magically procured a yellow gem, then lobbed it into the brawling mayhem. “Clear the area!” he shouted as the gem landed beneath Garble. He watched as the villagers vacated the spot just as quickly as they had come. The gem then discharged bolts of electricity that danced over Garble, bringing him agony in which he writhed and wailed until he could bear no more.

He collapsed in a heap and the shock gem expired. The villager swarmed over his stunned form like hyenas over scraps, letting out native cries of victory.

Meanwhile Sunburst rushed to his friend’s side. "Flash!” His face paled upon closer inspection. There was Flash, unresponsive and unmoving, his face smeared with dirt and blood. Sunburst did his best to rouse his new friend, but to no avail. Terror iced his heart. “W-we need a healer right now!"

“Quickly, my brothers! Take him to the shaman!”

Zalven’s entourage did as he commanded, one carrying Flash while the others escorted them with haste back to the village. He and Sunburst hurried alongside them, the latter never keeping his worried eyes off his injured friend.

Taking notice of his new ally’s concern, Zalven matched Sunburst’s pace. Over the rumble of their thundering hooves, he assured, “He will heal your friend, so that he may live to fight again.”

"You're gonna be okay, Flash. Don't worry."

---

"What was his name again?"

"The dragon? Garble."

Lightning’s amber eyes seemed to glow with ire. "Remind me to rip him open a new one next time we see him. I wanna make him regret ever touching you."

Flash had forgotten how protective she could be. Not that he minded; she was protective in a way that he loved, always there to give the bullies who messed with him the what for. Just as he would have Lightning’s back if one dared mess with her.

Mess with one, mess with them both.

---

"So, you enlisted?” The overseer leaned back in his chair, surprised. Since she started her tenure at Baltimare’s weather factory, he never anticipated Lightning to amount to much else beyond an excelled worker. Taking leave to come back with news of joining the Royal Guard on the other hand proved to be quite a shock. “Wow, Lightning. I mean, I never thought you would go that far.”

Lightning nuzzled her brother. "I wouldn't have done this without my brother, Boss. He helped me every step of the way here."

"It ain't gonna be easy to find a replacement." He smiled wryly. “They call it ‘two weeks notice’ for a reason, though I bet you expect some slack because of royal intervention and all that.”

When Lightning didn’t respond out of fear of giving a wrong answer to a trick question, as experience with previous employees offered him, he chuckled. “I’m just yanking your wing, kid.” Her boss opened a desk drawer and retrieved a small sack. “Here -- your bonus for the year.”

“Well, isn’t everyone being generous lately.” Flash snarked.

Lightning ignored him, accepting the sack of bits. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s been a pleasure having you around.”

They shook hooves, another chapter in the company closed. The siblings left his office, the next item on Lightning's to-do list being to find Hydro and Xenon.

As luck would have it, as she closed the office's door, Xenon arrived on the scene to assault Lightning with an asphyxiating hug. "You're back!"

“Whoa, knock it down a few decibels Xenon.” Hydro teased.

Upon hearing her comment, Xenon hastily succumbed back to his usual self and allowed his friend to have more breathing room. "I mean, you found your brother. I'm glad things ended up as you expected."

Lightning waited until enough oxygen entered her lungs before she could respond. "Yeah, um... this here is my brother Flash Sentry. Flash, these are my friends Hydro Jet and Xenon Blow."

"Hello there.” Flash greeted with a cheeky smile.

Hydro was the first to approach him. "Well well, Lightning told us a lot about you--" She began to lean towards him, using her hoof to massage his chest, "--but she never told me how much of a looker you are. That Royal Guard training is paying up really well, I'd say."

She continued to make her moves on Flash, wearing a seductive smile saved just for stallions she wanted to have her way with as she took note of his fidgeting wings. "You know what they say about wingspans. Maybe we should test that theory out."

Lightning could tell that her brother was feeling a little uncomfortable with Hydro’s flirting. "Cool your jets, Hydro." She stepped between her coworker-cum-friend and her brother. "He's taken."

"Oh." It was the only thing that escaped Hydro's mouth. Then her eyes lit up in what appeared to be realization. “Oooh. I didn’t know. I mean, I knew you two were close, just not that close.” She shrugged. “But hey, the heart yearns for its desires, right?”

The others just stared at her in exasperation. “What?!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Hydro’s lips then curled in a sultry smile. “Except about your stud of a brother.”

"Flash ain't the kind of stallion you just have your way for an hour or two, then get bored with.” Lightning gave Hydro a terrifying look that made her shiver. “Just ask the last mare why she’s so... bent out of shape." In truth Lightning only left said mare relatively unharmed save for a bent nose, but revealing that would only be counterproductive.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Geez..." She said afterwards. Maybe that what's Lightning meant by 'you'll end up burned with this'. The thing is, Hydro didn't want Lightning Dust to be the one using the flamethrower.

Lightning felt satisfaction at dissuading Hydro from bedding her brother. "Good. Anyways, I need to ask you guys to meet me at the train station in an hour. Is that okay?"

"Why?" Xenon asked. Part of him already knew the reason.

Her reply came out less enthusiastic. "I'll explain once you get there. I want this moment to be... memorable."

"Well... okay. If it's that important to you, we'll be there" Xenon assured, though he wasn’t entirely happy either.

He didn't want her to go.

"Thanks, guys. I'll be waiting."

---

At her now old apartment, Lightning had just finished with her last bag and gave it to her brother to hold. Flash thanked the heavens that the furniture was included with the apartment, otherwise Lightning’s move to his place would take even more time.

Having said her goodbyes to Brick Seal, and not without his blessing, Lightning and Flash made their way towards the train station and waited for the weather ponies to show up. Lightning needed them to be the last to receive her goodbye; Hydro and Xenon had supported her when nopony else would. That's why she wanted the moment to be special.

"That Xenon guy..." Flash began after he placed his sister’s bags on the wood floor, garnering her attention.

"What about him?"

"You two seem pretty close."

"Yeah, we get along. He said I was the reason he grew more sociable and all." Lightning looked to the cloudy afternoon sky, as if it were a reminder of the first days. "Honestly, If it wasn't for him and Hydro, I wouldn't be here right now.”

Flash raised an eyebrow, still curious about Xenon. "You haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with him?"

It was Lightning's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Um... no?"

"Xenon was ecstatic when you came back. He seemed disheartened when you told him to meet you here, like he already knew you're moving. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s angry that somepony he cares about so much about is going to live far away from him."

Of course!

Lightning had always thought that Xenon saw her as more than a friend, but she never thought it would go far. Whenever Lightning laid eyes on Xenon, she was reminded of her brother. Did Xenon see her the same way?

Her thoughts raced when she saw him and Hydro arriving. When Xenon saw her bags, he stopped almost immediately and suddenly found the wood floor to be very interesting. Lightning felt guilty -- Flash may have been right all along.

"Oh... Where are you going?" Hydro didn't seem all too concerned why Lightning had several bags with her.

"Crystal Empire. I enlisted."

She went bug-eyed, taken aback by the last sentence. Lightning Dust? The troublemaker? Enlisted? She expected a transfer to another factory, not to be a Royal Guard out of all things. "Are you serious?!" Hydro grabbed Lightning by her shoulders in hysteria. "That's so cool! From a weather pony to a freathering guard! That's insane!"

"I'm not a guard yet -- I need to pass training,” Lightning corrected before adopting a smirk, “Which won't be all that hard since I have some experience with the Wonderbolts and my awesome bro here to give me some tips" Lightning said, patting her brother on the back.

"Wow. Well, either way, congratulations. Really, I hope you do well.” Hydro sighed as her eyes fell to the ground. “Doing pranks will never be the same without you."

"Thanks Hydro. And don't worry, I’m sure Xenon would love to be along for the ride. That or you'll end up busted."

The mares shared a brief moment of laughter until they heard the train whistle in the distance, signalling its impending arrival. Lightning asked her friend to call Xenon for her and Hydro did exactly that. Xenon seemed more nervous than sad now. He needed to get whatever beleaguered him off his chest.

"Xenon... before I go, I just wanted you to know that you shouldn’t look down on yourself." Lightning gently placed a hoof on his face. "I can see the kindness in you. You may not see it, but I can assure you it’s there. You looked after me when nopony else would, and that's only one of many attributes you have."

Xenon smiled at her words. "Lightning Dust, I also have something to say before you go."

Lightning nodded expectantly. "Yes?"

"Those things you just said to me, I think nopony else would ever say." He seemed more relaxed. "That's why I care about you so much: you made me realise that I'm not just a pony with few words. You made me feel confident with who I really am. That's why I'll always care about you, even if you are so far away."

The two shared a hug. Xenon opened his eyes to see Flash Sentry moving his eyes as if prompting him. After they broke away, Xenon still felt the he needed to speak the truth. The real truth.

And he needed to right now.

"Well, the train is here. Gotta jet. Take care, guys." Lightning grabbed a few of her bags while Flash took care of the rest before boarding the train.

"Uh...” Xenon shuffled his hooves anxiously after a few moments. “Lightning, wait!"

He desperately rushed to the wagon's door. Lightning met him at the entrance, grabbed hold of the back of his head, and, much to his surprise and elation, met his lips with hers.

From inside the wagon, Flash raised one of his eyebrows at the scene. He does look decent enough, I don't think I should worry, he thought.

Hydro regained control of her slackened jaw. "I KNEW IT!"

The two ended their intimate moment. Xenon never felt so relieved in ages. He couldn't be any happier at the moment. They heard a voice saying something, then realized the train would be departing soon.

With a content, loving smile, Lightning said, "Please write me, okay?"

Xenon slowly nodded.

And then the door closed. Lightning sighed and took a seat next to her brother. She sensed Flash looking at her with his left eyebrow still lifted.

"What?" Lightning asked in her typical bored tone.

"Oh nothing, just thinking on how the poor bastard will handle his work away from his loved one.” he ribbed.

She matched his jestfulness. "At least I'm not ashamed to admit having the hots for somepony."

Time passed and they both eventually were lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sounds of the train. Neither knew what future held for them, but Lightning Dust and Flash Sentry knew that they would keep aiming to give their best and honor their father’s name. Now, as members of the Royal Guard, they would give their lives protect those whom they held dear. A challenge for sure, but not one to back down from.

After all, it's in their blood.

Author's Note:

And that's it, folks. Finally another story featuring my most favorite headcanon of all. Don't forget to visit the editor 621Chopsuey. it was thanks to him that this story could go through.

As for the future? I plan on returning to write about this headcanon in April or May.

Once again, thank you all so much

Comments

[Whinifree]

Burst read the story from start to finish. It moved a little fast, has some grammar/spelling and formatting issues but I’d say those are minor. It’s mostly story and character I look for and this had it enough that I enjoyed it.

I actually really like this headcanon of Flash and Lightning being siblings, and this story gave a very plausible explanation as to why LD behaved the way she did in the Wonderbolts Academy episode. I say kudos to you, the author.

[edrodriguez]

I so love this chapter and looking forward to more. Oh happy Holidays, as well as a happy New Year.

[Maverick Cloud]

8621448
you too, homie

[Ze1a7in]

9731228
Author confirmed in a reply comment it was a Resident Evil reference.

[Nightflight406]

"Where did you get those scars?"

You wanna know where I got these scars?