"Brother of Mine"
Equestria Noir
Side Story
“Brother of Mine”
I held the basket handle in my teeth. I was too wet and cold from the rain to carry it with my magic. I used my head to shelter the contents from the rain. I didn’t know what to do…As I walked Manehatten’s streets I became more and more torn over the decision. I walked to the steps of the orphanage and set the basket on the steps. The overhang kept the rain off the contents of the basket.
I gently moved the blankets in the basket and saw my little brother smiling at me. He was only born a month ago but he still somehow managed a toothless smile at me. His big blue eyes looked up at me as if I was Celestia herself. For a month I was the only face he really saw.
I raised him myself in the garden shed. I smuggled food and diapers to him when my father wouldn’t keep him. Dad insisted I get rid of Tailspin, that my little brother was somehow responsible for my mom’s death. I shook my head furiously, no, my dad was just looking for somepony to blame! When he couldn’t face the mistake he made in forcing mom to take mandrake he tried to get me to cover up his mistake.
I came to this orphanage only once before. It was that day a whole month ago when Tailspin just entered the world. Right now…I was going to leave him for different reasons.
Dad found out about him…he kicked both me and Tailspin out of our own home. He didn’t even look back at me as I left with Tailspin in this very basket. I carried him all the way to the orphanage in order to have my brother grow up somewhere safe.
I looked at Tailspin and smiled at him “Hey little guy…you’re going to stay here from now on…”
I didn’t know if Tailspin could understand my words but he could sense how I felt. He started crying and wailing. I covered my ears at this and looked down at him. Sadness gripped me just like it did the day I tried to leave him the first time. He kept crying, I tried to shush the crying colt with my hoof. He kept crying to the point I knew somepony was going to hear him if I didn’t do something.
I picked Tailspin up in my forelegs and looked him in the eyes “Alright Alright, hey it’s okay…big brother Private is here…”
Tailspin stopped crying when I held him to my chest. He curled up into me, I was safe and warm. He didn’t want me to leave him behind…I was his only friend. I shook my head. I was fourteen! Barely out of middle school! I could barely take care of myself let alone a colt that needed constant attention.
I held Tailspin out in front of me “I can’t keep you Tailspin…”
Tailspin reached out with his hoof and touched me on the nose. He then smiled and giggled. I didn’t get the joke but I guess in his baby mind he was telling me to shut up. It was then I saw just how much he looked like mom…
Take care of him Preventus…he’s your baby brother…
He didn’t have her eyes; I got that part of the genetic pool. He did have her coat, her mane color, and him being a pegasus. He was cute I guess…I couldn’t leave him. Not after the promise I made to mom. Even as she lay dying on the hospital bed all she thought about was the foal she worked so hard to give birth to. I couldn’t let her sacrifice go to waste. I set Tailspin back in the basket and tucked him in with the wet blankets.
“I’m not going to leave you little brother…” I said wiping tears from my eyes. It was stupid to cry over something like this but I couldn’t help it. “I’m going to take you somewhere safe…”
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I knocked furiously on the back door to Roll’s Pizzeria. The door opened to reveal a rather plump tomato colored earth pony stallion. He was my age with the beginnings of a mustache and a short brown mane that was under a workers cap. He smiled widely upon seeing me “Private! Itisa great to see you my friend!” He spoke with a heavy Bitallion accent.
I smiled at him “Potso, I came to ask you a favor…”
“Well don’t standa out there my friend! Come in before you catch a cold in this pioggia Dannazione” He opened the door and beckoned me in.
I nodded and entered the Pizzeria. It was small but had apparently gained a huge following in recent years. It was family owned by Potso’s family the Rolls. I set the basket down on a nearby counter and Potso looked at it.
I sighed “Thanks for providing shelter…I’ll get out of your mane in an hour or so”
Potso shook his head “What’s going on here Private? My friend you have been leaving school early a lot lately. Me and Raiden are getting worried about you il mio amico”
I slowly unwrapped Tailspin like a magician would a disappeared mare. Potso’s eyes grew wide upon seeing Tailspin. I looked at my best friend and spoke softly “This is why…Potso this is Tailspin…he’s my little brother”
Potso smiled at the little colt and gently let Tailspin grab at one of his legs. Tailspin wrestled with Potso’s hoof, his tiny legs grabbing at it and playing with my friend’s leg. “He is a cute one Private; you never told me you had a fratellio. He’s awfully small”
“He was only born a month ago…”
“Wait…your madre was pregnant…I had heard the rumors but…”
I nodded solemnly “Yes…She died giving birth to Tailspin”
Potso had Tailspin let go of him. He walked to me and put a hoof on my shoulder in comfort. “My friend…I am sorry to have brought it up with you”
I shook my head “Potso I’m fine, it’s my little brother I’m worried about”
Potso looked back to Tailspin who was sucking on his own hoof. Potso looked then to me “What are you going to do?”
“Dad won’t claim him…I was thinking of going around to some relatives or something…”
Potso shook his head “I have met your relatives Private! They don’t give a merda for you. You can’t seriously believe they’ll take him in”
I snapped at my friend “What do you want me to then!? Have him tossed out in the streets?! Locked away in some orphanage where there is a very slim chance they’ll take him!?”
Potso gestured to Tailspin “What couple wouldn’t take your brother in!? He’s cute and little! He won’t be much trouble-“
“Yes he will!!” I yelled. I lifted Tailspin so he sat up. Potso gave a small gasp as he saw Tailspin’s small and mangled wings. “He can’t fly! He can’t walk without help! You seriously think anypony would just take a crippled pegasus!?”
Potso’s blue eyes looked at me with understanding “Mi dispiace amico…I didn’t know…”
I sighed and set Tailspin back down in the basket. “No I should be sorry…I just don’t know what to do…” I sat on my rump in frustration “This whole damn situation is too much…”
Potso didn’t speak for a long time. Then when he did it was enough to shock me out of me stupor “You can stay here….”
“What?” I said looking up at my friend.
Potso looked directly at me “You can stay here, I will tell my genitori will let you stay and work here”
I shook my head “Potso I couldn’t ask you to do this…”
He smiled “That’s why I’m not asking, I’m demanding that you stay here and have a roof over your head and a job to provide income”
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Mama Roll a plump green earth pony stallion opened the door to a guest room. “You can staya here piccolo, there’s plenty of room for you and Tailspin”
I set Tailspin down on the nearby bed and looked at Mama Roll “I can’t thank you enough for this…Anypony else would’ve tossed me and Tailspin out on the streets”
She shook her head, her brown mane not moving from the bun she had on. “You don’t worry your head over it piccolo. You helped our son…me and Papa Roll agreed that you are responsible enough. You can stay here until you are old enough to provide for Tailspin on your own”
I smiled at her “I won’t let you down!”
She smiled a warm smile at me “You ara part of the famiglia now. Make yourself at home Private”
She turned to leave. I turned back to Tailspin who giggled happily at my approach. He sat on the bed we would have to share for a while. I got to the bed and picked him up in my forelegs. “We’re going to stay here Tailspin…we have a home now”
He reached up and touched my nose with his hoof. He smiled and giggled again. I didn’t get the joke but I think it’s just the way he shows affection. I couldn’t help but smile and hold my little brother. I knew he would never be able to fly or walk like any other pony. But so long as he was my little brother…I would fight and protect this little Pegasus with every fiber of my being.
Tailspin began squirming in my grip. I set him down in the basket and he looked at me with those big blue eyes of his. I smiled and began to sang the lullaby that Mom would always sing to me.
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed…..