Sunset

Icarus smiled faintly as he walked the streets of his hometown, the towering buildings so familiar to him. Each step was filled with purpose, and took him closer to where he wanted to be. The faces of those Icarus passed were the same blank facades as always, but that didn’t matter. In a city like Manehattan anonymity was the status quo, and being recognized was a sure fire way to start a problem. The tiny alley into which Icarus turned was the same as it had always been, the familiar dumpster hiding the small door that led to the bar beneath the bistro. It was cleverly named after it’s location, The Bar Beneath the Bistro.

Icarus slipped inside silently, as all good patrons of the bar do. It was a hospitable place, but often wary of newcomers. Icarus and Scabbard had been frequent visitors during Icarus’ heyday, but now, a couple of years later, and he was less than confident of his standing. The barkeep gave him a familiar nod, along with a half smile, and Icarus felt the tension drain from his body, at least somewhat. If Crusty Mug recognized him, there was still some level of hope to be had. The table that Icarus was heading to had a single occupant, and the familiar hairstyle sent a shiver up Icarus’ spine.

Without a word, Icarus took a seat opposite the figure, waiting a few long moments before finally speaking. “Been a while.”

“Yes it has. Two years, by my count.”

“Just a bit more than that, yeah.”

The figure finally looked up, his eyes cold and hard. “And yet you didn’t send a single letter? Not even a postcard?”

“Scabbard, man, I couldn’t. The laws... But, really how the hell have you been?”

“How have I been? You leave for two years, and you act like it’s been a couple days?” His voice had a bitter edge to it, and Icarus wasn’t quite sure how to react. “Things have sucked, Icarus. Without your help I couldn’t keep up in what studies I had to do for Guard Training. Three times I tried to make officer, and every time I got turned down. All because I couldn’t figure out the intricacies of the guard systemology.”

“Look, Scabbard, I’m sorry. It’s...”

“Not your fault? Lie to someone else, Icarus. You may lie to yourself, but you won’t lie to me. For once in your life, take some Creator damned responsibility.”

Pinkie bounced along the road as she went about her daily errands, mostly cheering up any of the denizens of town who were anything less than their usual ecstatic selves. Each bubbly conversation she held only served to raise her spirits, and the spirits of those around her. She felt ecstatic today, and it was for good reason. Icarus, after the vacation, and a long chat with Spike, finally decided to take a trip back to Manehattan. He’d expressed some strong reservations about it for a few days following the trip, but after talking about it with Pinkie, and the other girls he’d wooed, a conclusion was reached. Today was the day he was due back, and Pinkie hadn’t been able to sit still back home.

Thus, she’d taken to spreading her good cheer as far and wide as she could manage. The other girls had been pleased with the news as well, but they, unfortunately, had to work today, so Pinkie was left with welcoming duty. Not that she minded. For her, it was just going to be a private party between the two of them. A party that would, hopefully, end with Icarus, Pinkie, and maybe a couple others in bed together. A tiny thrill ran through her body with that thought, and she added it to the list of things to suggest when Icarus got home.

As the day progressed, and she saw no sign of Icarus, she began to grow just a bit concerned, and her usual energy seemed to be running lower than normal. She found herself walking through town, rather than bouncing, and, as the sun finally touched down on the horizon she felt herself growing concerned with what was happening. It wasn’t too out of character for Icarus to be late, but Pinkie was concerned nonetheless. Just as she started thinking to contact Twilight, Rarity, or Lyra, she spotted a familiar form walking through the town. Eager to see if it really was the man she was interested in, she dashed towards him.

A flare of disappointment burst in her chest when she saw that it wasn’t him, but when she heard a familiar voice call her name she turned in place, a smile coming to her face, and vanishing just as quickly when she saw the look on Icarus’ face. Without a further word he took her hand in his, bringing her wherever he decided to go. Pinkie was glad that he was back, but the sadness on his face made her own innate happiness begin to waver. The walk was a brief one, and soon the two of them were on the outskirts of town, just a short walk away from Icarus’ house.

The pair took a seat atop a small hill, and Pinkie just leaned into Icarus, offering what little comfort she could. As the sun was about halfway set Icarus finally spoke. “It’s always nice to head back home. A chance to see things, and to see how much they’ve changed.”

“Icarus, what happened? I know you. Sometimes, I think, better than you know yourself. Something happened in Manehattan.”

“To you, Pinkie, what’s a friend?”

Pinkie was about to belt out an automatic response, but she bit it back, knowing that Icarus would want her to think about it some. “A friend... A friend is someone who you can tell your biggest secret to, and know that they won’t share it. Someone who you can talk to for hours and feel like not a moment was wasted. Someone that’ll be there through thick and thin.”

Icarus seemed satisfied by that answer, and for some time he was silent. “And what if that friendship is left alone? What should happen between two friends if they stop talking to each other?”

“A real friendship is one that can endure that kind of separation. It shouldn’t matter if you’re apart for weeks, or years, or anything.”

“But what if it does matter? What if that separation caused them hardships, and they blame it on you?” Pinkie remained silent, and Icarus sighed. “It means that they weren’t really your friend, Pinkie. And that makes it harder to endure. But, what I want to know, is why it hurts as bad as it does.”

Pinkie kept quiet for a long time after that question, her mind fighting to put together the things she already knew, but couldn’t say. When, at last, she knew what she wanted to say, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and she turned to see Lyra with a frown on her face. Icarus wasn’t aware that she was there, and a tiny jolt leapt through him when Lyra sat herself down beside Icarus, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug. “We missed you, Icarus. You were supposed to be back several hours ago.”

“I know. Sorry.”

Pinkie waited for the embrace to end before she did as Lyra did, pressing herself against the wingless pegasus. “It hurts, Icarus, because it meant something. At some point, to you, that relationship had some special meaning. And, now, seeing it gone makes you see what it meant to you. And losing it took something out of you. Something you can’t get back.” Icarus remained silent, his frown growing in size some. “But, that doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. Even though you lost something, it only made you better while you had it. It may have taken something out of you, but it only gave you things the rest of the time.”

Lyra finally decided to speak up. “Friends are special, Icarus. They come and they go, each time taking a little bit of who we are, but giving even more. Experiences and memories will last a lifetime, and only make us stronger. It’s sad to see them go, but it’s better to move on and make new friends.”

Icarus looked between the two beautiful women, his emotions finally settling. “Sursum Aeternum, girls. Ever upwards. To a better and brighter future.”

Author's Note:

A thought turned into an idea, turned into a tale. I hope that you enjoyed it.

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Lucky424

Lucky424 #1 · Jul 3rd, 2013 · · ·

Sorry dude, but I like the Fireflies universe too much. Seems like a good story, but I don't want it associated with the 'Sad' tag. Hope it does well regardless.

Father Pie