Vapor Trails

by ashes_fall

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Slice of Life, Sad, Dark, Romance
Length: 13812

The sequel to "A Darkened Heart"

Cinder and Flitter have been together for a couple months now, and life is good for the two.
The two have fallen deeper and deeper in love as their lives keep taking turns for the better.

A stallion dressed in black attire visits Cinder at his home with a crushing letter from his hometown, forcing him to come home and see what has happened. What he finds will test his emotional morale to its limits.

Disclaimer: Cover picture by Google Images and original website. I own nothing.
Proofread and Edited by R8FallingDash

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-08 20:36:43 UTC

Chapter 1: Fast Time In The Skies

Prologue

“It’s true what they say. Now you’re even cuter,” Flitter said nose to nose with her coltfriend.

They exchanged a nuzzle and settled back down for the rest of the movie, and Cinder could not have been any happier than he was at that very moment.

He was surrounded by friends, found a new home and even found love once more.

And this time, he was never letting go.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Two months later

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter I: Fast Times In The Skies

Cinder flew through the sky, the team of weather ponies following closely behind him. Rainbow Dash was at his side as they formed a “V” formation and soared to their designated location. Rainbow had appointed Cinder her assistant weather manager, and her direct subordinate, meaning that if she was away, he was the pony to talk to. This meant increased money flow for Cinder, which was a great thing. His little apartment was getting cramped now that Flitter was living with him. He loved her with all his heart, and she knew it.

He and Cloudchaser had grown very close as well, often hanging out when Flitter was away on deployment with the weather team. He had grown bolder around Ponyville, going out on nights on the town with Rainbow and her bunch of friends, which he had formed bonds with as well. He’d even befriended the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The group touched down at their destination, Rainbow and

Cinder turning around to face the group. He caught Flitter and Cloudchaser’s faces in the crowd, but kept a cool attitude, surveying the group. It was made up of Flitter, Cloudchaser, Raindrops, Cloudkicker, Thunderlane, his little brother Rumble and a couple other ponies that he did not know.

Ever since he landed this job a month ago, his life was getting better and better. Flitter was the loving mare that he had dreamed of and life was getting better with every passing day. The ash colored colt smiled, the wind rushing his through his mane. He had allowed it to grow out slightly, which Flitter loved. Rainbow was giving the listings of jobs that needed to be done for the day.

Usually, he always went with her to discuss matters or take on harder tasks, since the two were powerful flyers. Since his encounter with Spitfire a couple months back, he had been working daily to keep his wing power numbers high. The fiery mare had returned a couple weeks ago to clock him officially.

And the number was staggering.

16.6

This number meant that he considered one of the fastest ponies in Equestria, with Rainbow’s WP number being 16.5 and Spitfire’s being 16.9, which was the Equestrian record. No pony had ever beaten that number, and anypony who got close had a huge chance of joining the Wonderbolts.

Cinder’s train of thought was derailed by a bop on the shoulder by Rainbow Dash. She was smiling at her close friend, a look of love and affection was in her gentle, magenta eyes. The cyan mare had been so happy for Cinder and Flitter when they finally settled down, and she had even been happier when he finally had gotten used to Ponyville. The two had grown very close to each other, like a brother and sister. Cinder & Flitter went out often with Rainbow and her friends; to the bar, to sporting events or whatever they felt like. It warmed her heart that she could finally see one of the best friends be happy.

And happy he was.

“You ready for today’s list,” she asked, still smiling at the ash colored colt standing next to her. Cinder returned his gaze unto her, his deep crimson eyes glowing in the midmorning light. Even Celestia herself had marveled at the beauty of his eyes, saying that they were “like a pair of rubies glowing under the sun’s light.” Normally he would feel uncomfortable about this much praise, especially from a princess. Another gust of wind went through their manes, and as Cinder glanced around, he playfully bopped Rainbow on her back, a wry grin on his face.

“Always RD. What we got for today?” Cinder was confident in cloud busting and storm managing, which were his primary duties. He worked alongside Rainbow so much the two were practically one force, moving storms and cloud busting like pros.

He looked over the cyan mare, admiring the sleek physical form. This was the mare who came to him when he first arrived in Ponyville; broken, sad and alone. And she had revived his heart, guided it and helped it to come alive once more. For that, he could never repay her.

“Well, while the others are off cloud busting, I thought you and I could look over the plans for the coming storm that is supposed to happen next week. Cloudsdale gave us a doosee for this one, since autumn is in full swing and we need to keep the grounds nice and moist,” she said, her rainbow mane flowing gently in the breeze.

Although Rainbow was a practical joker and a renowned prankster, when it came to business, she was always dead serious.

“Also I want to take a look at the rain logs for Canterlot. Princess Celestia sent me a letter a couple days ago how they need some rain. I thought you and I might go up to Canterlot either later today or tomorrow,” she remarked as she reached into her saddlebag, pulling out three scrolls of parchment: one containg the order documentation and authorization for the storm of Ponyville, the second a personal letter from Celestia herself, the third the Canterlot Rain logs. The princess rarely sent out personal letters to anypony, but since Cinder was close friends with the Elements, it was obligatory. The young colt was used to getting big orders for rain from cities like Fillydelphia or Manehatten, but not Canterlot.

Rainbow put the letter back in her saddlebag, and unrolled the next two, revealing complex and intricate drawing, giving instructions for the coming storms. The rain logs showed the last month of Canterlot’s rainfall numbers, and Rainbow’s suspicions were true.

They had had light drizzles here and there, but no recent major occurrences or storms.

Cinder raised an eyebrow when he saw the numbers as well. Walking to Rainbow’s side he glanced over to his left, seeing the other ponies hard at work busting stray clouds. He caught sight of his marefriend, busting a nimbus with Cloudchaser. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes ran over his figure. Her body was dripping with sweat, almost glistening under the sun. Her wings were flapping strong and powerful, holding her gentle body above the ground. She was beautiful, and she was his. He was extremely grateful to have such a caring mare at his side. When he had nightmares about his home, she was there. When she had trouble with life, he was there for her. It wasn’t the type of love that was popular nowadays.

This type was rare.

His day dreaming was snapped out of focus by a friendly tap on the wing by Rainbow, who was smiling widely.

“She’s something isn’t she,” the cyan mare said as she walked up to Cinder, her rainbow mane blowing in the breeze.

“Yep,” Cinder replied. “I can’t thank you enough Rainbow.”

She giggled and gave Cinder a quizzical look. “How so?”

The colt turned to face Rainbow Dash straight on, staring into each other’s eyes. “You showed what it’s like to love and laugh again.

And for that I’m grateful,” he said cooly, hugging the cyan mare tightly, feeling her return his embrace. They had shared many of their darkest secrets together, often relying on each other when life got hard.

“You don’t need to thank me Cinder. It’s mutual,” she said with a smile. C’mon, we should get going.”

“Where?”

“To help the others with cloud busting! They’re looking pretty tired already. And we’ve still got an entire sky to clear,” she said with a smile, extending her wings and flying into the sky. Their wings beating in unison, flying together in almost perfect harmony.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

They rejoined the big group, catching Flitter’s attention. She smiled when her eyes met her coltfriend’s, but contained her emotions of her wanting to rush over and kiss him. Both were on the same weather team but maintained a professional sense unless in private. The couple were so madly in love that they were practically inseparable. Flitter’s eye caught Cinder’s, he saw her emotions flare immediately, popping over to them with a cheerful grin on her face, her body glistening with sweat.

So sexy … Rainbow is right. I’m one lucky colt.

His musings were cut short by a peck on the lips from his marefriend, who was looking directly at him. An “Awwww” ensued from the other ponies in the group as Cinder returned the kiss. Cloudchaser eyed the couple, a smile creeping over her face. She was so happy for her sister to finally settle down with a colt.

“Alright guys, looks like Rainbow and I are gonna join you. Hope you left some for us,” Cinder said, eyeing each of the ponies in the group, even his marefriend who blew him a flirty wink. The other ponies in the group were also dripping with sweat from the hard work that was cloud busting. Rainbow and Cinder got into formation, and set off, flying towards a bank of clouds that had not yet been touched by the group. The two ponies broke formation, each banking around the clouds, their manes and tails skirting the mass. Then Cinder broke right, soaring slightly upwards, away from the clouds. Making a sharp 180 degree turn, he headed straight first for the bank. His wings folded against his body as his speed increased.

The ash colored colt disappeared into the massive cloud bank, zig zagging through the clouds, kicking them as he went. Condensation was forming on his face with a mixture of sweat, as he worked his way through the clouds.

He resurfaced on the other side; mane and tail covered in mist from the clouds, giving his coat a shiny, glistening look to it. He was breathing moderately heavy as he approached another group of clouds, Rainbow on his left side ready for the next approach. They two ponies blew through the next batch of clouds faster than the previous. His muscles were starting to ache from the high speed flying coupled with sharp turns. Spotting a place where the group had landed on the ground to take a break, he and Rainbow descended to join them, bodies panting from the work.

As Cinder scanned the group, he caught the sight of his marefriend, relaxing in the grass. He flew to her side.

“Hiya Flit. What’s up?” Cinder trotted over to his marefriend, who greeted him with a gentle kiss followed by a nuzzle. She sat back down on the grass beckoning Cinder to come sit with her. Which he did. Nestling up close to her beloved colt, she sighed, and relaxed her wings to a point where they sort of draped to her sides.

“Hey Cinder. I’m already tired, heh. But not of watching you do all the work,” she said, batting a wing playfully at her coltfriend.

“Hah, it’s not easy babe. Stuff’s hard to bust through, even for me and Rainbow,” he replied, tossing his head to the side, flicking a stray bead of sweat from his face.

She shook her head and stretched her beautiful sleek lavender body, in full view of Cinder. His eyes wandered over her figure, from her cutie mark to her wings all the way up her back up to her eyes. She was beautiful in every way possible. Her eyes met his, faint stars twinkling in her eyes, like the night she had decided to be with him. He loved that about her. Luna herself could have marveled how the night sky seems to reflect through her.

She blushed.

“Heh Cinder, you better be careful. You don’t wanna get yourself in trouble,” she said with a wink. She was right. Rainbow didn’t mind having them on the same team, but she expected the two to remain professional as long as they were the clock.

Fifteen minutes passed and their break came to a close. With Rainbow sounding the whistle to get back to work, the group congregated around the large piece of parchment. It entailed complex instructions and maneuvers that were needed in order to create and maintain the storm. Cinder was most interested in this, although he had been cloud busting for the last two months or so, he had always wanted to create a storm, and this one that Rainbow was detailing was his first big one.

The cyan mare was rattling off instructions to the group, now separated into teams of 2. Cinder and Flitter were working together as they normally did. They were a great team and performed well under stress of weather conditions. Flitter was more than capable of holding her own against rain, sleet, or even tornadoes. She was a seasoned weather pony, and Cinder was lucky to have her as his partner, and his marefriend.

“Alright, Flitter and Cinder. I need you two to go north to the dam and make sure all the wildlife is tucked away safely. This storm is gonna be a big one. We don’t want any little bunnies getting hurt. Also, when you’re done with that, find me. I need to chat with you two about something,” she rambled on with a professional tone in her voice; she sounded very level headed, serious and down-to-earth. This was the complete opposite of what she usually was. But, Rainbow too her job as weather manager very seriously.

“Of course Rainbow,” replied Flitter, her wings fluttering next to Cinder.

The colt nodded silently in agreement.

With that Rainbow turned and set about her managerial duties, leaving the group with their assigned errands. Cinder and Flitter made for the North Dam above Ponyville. It wasn’t that long of a flight, but long enough that they would need to pace themselves. Cloud busting takes a lot out of a pony.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The two ponies had been flying for roughly 15 minutes when the dam came into view. It was old, had many cracks in it, from various events. One which Flitter remembered all too well.

The ash colored colt glanced to his left, seeing a couple birds landing in their nest. To his right, a bear was walking away from the stream, carrying his lunch.

Everything is so peaceful up here¸ he mused. No wonder this is a renowned hangout spot.

With their destination in sight, the couple landed, and continued on foot.

The silence between them was unusual, and Cinder broke it.

“Hey babe, is there something wrong? You’re being unusually quiet.”

Flitter giggled, took a step closer to her coltfriend, and nuzzled him on his cheek. She always was one for affection, and she had no problem showing it in public.

“Oh, it’s nothing Cinder. My mind is just elsewhere,” she replied with a fluff of her tail. She paused, a sly grin coming across her face. She pounced on her coltfriend, sending him toppling along the ground, until he came to halt, her body resting on top of his.

He felt her long, mint green mane fall in his face, as she giggled and wiggled on top of him. She went in for the kiss. It was passionate and wet, the kind she loved.

He giggled as he felt her warm body press into his, her wings fully extended. Returning the kiss, he felt his heart that had long been dead and silent come alive with love and life. It beat faster as he felt he forelegs wander up his chest and around his neck, embracing him tightly. The colt’s heart skipped a beat when he felt her head slowly lower until it rested just beneath his, a sign of deep love and fondness. Cinder let out a sigh, and nuzzled his marefriend, who was now lying in the grass next to him.

“What…what was that for babe,” he said in between breaths. His heart still fluttering as she pecked his cheek once more as she smiled and stood up, leaving him panting in the soft grass.

She giggled, tossing her head to the side, letting her mane fall naturally.

She is so beautiful when she didn’t try to be, he mused, their eyes still locked.

Maybe I should tell her what I’ve been thinking about.

“What? You’re so adorable I just had to kiss you, because you’re all mine,” she said with a heavily flirtatious voice. “C’mon, we should get going,” she added, turning and trotting up the route to the dam.

The two were madly in love. Anypony in town could see that. However, it was not the “flash in the pan” type of love. It was true, honest, wholesome love. And that was rare.

Cinder chuckled, ascended to his feet, and followed Flitter up the trail to the dam.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Upon reaching the dam, they found an assortment of wildlife, including beavers, a bear and ducks floating and bobbing around looking for food. It was a lovely sight to see, how different kinds of animals can live in harmony with each other. Cinder saw Fluttershy among the creatures, talking to them about something, what it was he could not make out. Her gentle blue eyes met Cinder’s and she smiled.

“Oh hi Cinder, Flitter. What brings you guys up here?” Her voice was timid and small, but Cinder and Flitter knew better than to make her angry. The Gala was a great example of this. Her small but powerful body was an off yellow color with her long, pink mane flowing in the breeze. She was the shyest out of all the ponies he knew, but she was a kid soul none the less.

“Hiya Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash sent us up here to make sure all the critters are prepared for the coming storm. We’ve got a real big one planned for next week,” explained Flitter. Her professional tone had returned to her soft voice, making her sound like the seasoned weather pony that she was.

“Yeah,” Cinder added. “Since we didn’t have a drizzle last week, Cloudsdale sent us a real doosee to make up for it.”

“Oh, of course!,” the yellow mare replied, her smile was as warm as Flitter was when she was cuddling him. She sauntered over her creature friends, asked them a couple questions. This was followed by an assortment of noises, chirps and chortles from them. Fluttershy nodded her head in satisfaction, and returned to the couple.

“They say they are ready to go,” she said. “But they wish to know what to be prepared for.”

“It’s your typical heavy storm,” Flitter replied. “Heavy rain and high winds. I don’t know how long it will last per say, but it will be sizable.”

Flitter’s explanation had drawn an audience of adorable critters; from bears to chipmunks, they were all listening.

“Furthermore,” added Cinder, “This storm is not to be taken lightly. Notice that we’ve had big storms in the past, and it always ends up with collateral damage. I hope you all have a plan to stay out of harm’s way.”

A chipmunk chirped and pulled at Fluttershy’s mane, asking for her attention. While Cinder could not understand animals to the extent that she could, he could make out basic behavior.

“Uh huh.. Oh I see… That sounds perfect!” She stood up and faced Flitter and the colt.

“He says that they already have a plan ready to set in motion.”

Flitter smiled widely. “Excellent! Well, our job is done here. Shall we head back?”

“Sure. We’ll see you later Fluttershy!”

The peeked yellow mare smiled back and simply nodded.

With that, the ponies turned and took to the sky, their wings carrying them back to Ponyville.

Chapter 2: A Heart's Wings

Chapter II: A Heart’s Wings

Upon reaching the grassy field outside Ponyville, the couple landed softly, touching down a few feet away from the rest of the group. They trotted over to rejoin their weather colleagues. Everypony had reported back to Rainbow Dash with successful results, which was a good sign. It seemed that everyone in Ponyville and all the little creatures that were surrounding it were ready for the storm.

All around, smiles were spread across the ponies faces, including Rainbow Dash when she had heard everypony’s news.

“Good work everypony,” the cyan mare said with a swish of her tail. “There’s nothing left to do today, so everypony gets the rest of the day off.” With that statement, the group cheered and started to break apart, leaving Rainbow, Cinder, Flitter and Cloudchaser together. Flitter let out an excited yelp as she nuzzled her coltfriend once more. She didn’t mind showing her affection in public, but some things they could only do in private. Cinder had no idea what the time was, but judging from the Sun’s position, he guessed it might be somewhere around 3pm.

Hard work sure flew by when he wasn’t paying attention. No pun intended.

He exchanged a glance with the mare standing next to him, then Cloudchaser then Rainbow. Each thought was on the ponies mind.

What to do for the rest of the day.

“Are you guys as bored as I am,” Cloudchaser asked, her heavily styled mane blowing in the breeze. She was right. Cinder was bored. He hadn’t much free time given his job.

“Yep,” chirped a cheerful Rainbow Dash, her wings extended for no apparent reason.

“Hey I know!,” she added, “Why don’t we go by the school? I heard the Crusaders are doing something weird today.”

“Weirder than their usual antics?” Cinder flicked his tail once, curiosity peeked.

“Apparently so,” replied Rainbow. “Scootaloo told me that me that they were doing something special.”

Cloudchaser rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Those fillies always get into trouble.” She closed her eyes and giggled, remembering her filly days.

Cinder has spent a little bit of time with Scootaloo and the other Crusaders since he and Flitter had started dating. Scootaloo idolized Rainbow Dash from what he saw, and she knew it. The little filly looked up to her like a big sister, and it warmed the colt’s heart to see that.

“Alright, let’s go! School’s about to let out anyway,” Flitter announced, taking to the skies and flying towards the school, leaving the other three behind.

“Hey, wait for me!” Rainbow and Cloudchaser followed suit.

Cinder took a slow breath and closed his eyes, before taking to the sky, quickly catching up to the three mares.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The group of four soared through the sky with grace and agility, with Cinder chasing Rainbow through a cloud obstacle course for fun. Flitter and Cloudchaser flew together and giggled at the sight of them chasing each other. Cinder and Rainbow were evenly matched in the sky in terms of speed, but Cinder had a tad more agility, able to take corners slightly faster than her. The field was about a five minute flight from the school at speed, and just as it came into view, the bell rang.

Cinder was being as random as he could possibly be, doing barrel rolls and backflips all while flying in mid air. He wasn’t trying to impress anypony, he was just being random.

Cinder was flying upside down, derping around for no apparent reason, but glanced to the school at the sound of the bell. Righting himself, him and the three mares made the descent onto the school grounds. He smiled to see all the young ponies pour out of the school with smiles on their faces, ready for the weekend. He caught sight of the three fillies, Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell trotting along together, diverting from the group and heading for a picnic bench.

“There they are,” Rainbow said enthusiastically. She made a sharp descent, aiming directly at the three fillies, Cloudchaser and Flitter following her path. Cinder arced above them, going vertical, and then free falling for a bit, his wing grazing the top of a tree. He headed back to the other mares, which had already landed and were talking to the fillies, Scootaloo’s eyes wide with excitement.

Her eyes caught sight of Cinder looping around lazily in the sky, who was flying upside down, again for no apparent reason.

“Hey Cinder!!” Her voice was high and enthusiastic.

He smiled and made his final descent, dropping right next to Flitter, his hooves kicking a small cloud of dust as he landed.

“Hiya kiddo, what’s up?” Scootaloo had a lot of nicknames, ranging from Scoots and Squirt from Rainbow Dash. Cinder had thought up kiddo.

“Eh, not much. Just got out of school.. UGH it was boring.” She literally bounced around Cinder as she continued to talk. She stopped in mid air, and turned to him, her body arced.

“Hey where’d you learn to fly like that?”

“Huh?” He gave the orange filly a quizzical look.

“Those things you were doing. Those were so cool!” Her wings were buzzing like a bee as her eyes grew even wider.

“Oh those? Heh, I just made those up. Pretty cool huh?” He was so amused by the filly’s energy and enthusiasm he couldn’t help but smile. She reminded him of a filly version of Rainbow Dash.

His eyes glanced over to the picnic table, catching Applebloom and Sweetie Bell looking at him. Sweetie’s eyes were too, full of wonder, while Applebloom wasn’t impressed.

She’s definitely like her sister, he thought with a smile.

Just then, two mares came into view from the road. Applejack and Rarity had come to pick up their younger sisters.

Their eyes immediately brightened when they saw the others there. They finished their journey with a trot, Rarity stopping next to

Cinder. “Hello darling, good to see you again.”

“Hiya girls, how was school?” Applejack had found her sister, giving her a noogie through her red mane.

Sweetie Bell giggled as she continued to stare at Cinder. He knew exactly what was going on.

Cute little crush…

Flitter booped Cinder on the nose to snap him out of his daze. Shaking his head, he peered down at the energetic ball of orange fur that was literally bouncing around the mare. He smiled, failing to hold back a small chuckle. Her level of enthusiasm and energy was almost toxic, getting Sweetie Belle excited too.

Scootaloo was off talking to Rainbow Dash about something regarding to flying, which wasn’t unusual. She was a late bloomer, meaning she couldn’t fly when ponies her age already could, but Cinder thought that she would be a better flyer than most other ponies.

Applebloom had disappeared home with Applejack and Rarity was talking with Rainbow, leaving Cinder and Flitter by themselves.

A mischievous look grew in her eyes, and Cinder knew exactly what was going through her mind

Time to run!

Cloudchaser caught what was going through her sister’s eyes. She shot a glance to Cinder that said one thing and one thing only.

RUN.

The colt gulped as his marefriend turned to him, eyes burning with desire. He shot to the sky, heading straight away. However, it wasn’t in fear. But playful flirting.

Flitter grinned sinisterly and took off after her colt. She was just a bolt of lavender chasing the ash colt.

Cinder had only gotten a little ways away from the group when Flitter tackled him, sending him flying along the ground. He wasn’t hurt, just surprised at the force she could create. She was normally such a timid and gentle mare. To see her exert this much force was…. Unnatural to say the least.

Panting, her eyes wild with emotion, she held him against the ground. Then he felt her lips graze against his, gently. Her wings extended fully again, her eyes opened to meet his, glowing in the late afternoon glow.

“I love you Cinder,” she said, pressing her lips against his again before he could utter a reply. He felt his heart soar as he wrapped her in a tight embrace. He didn’t care who saw or where they landed, but all that mattered was that he was with her. Little did the two know that Cloudchaser and Rainbow were watching their little act, with smiles on their faces.

“Those two are adorable together,” Cloudchaser said.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, standing next to her friend.

“Yep, you got that right Cloudy.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It was 10pm by the time Cinder and Flitter got back to their apartment. They had been out on the town with their other friends; Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight and Vinyl Scratch, mostly chatting for the most part.

Flitter was exhausted and her body showed it. Her coat was slightly dirty and her wings needed some care. Cinder smiled wryly at his marefriend who just got out of the shower, her mane wet and body gleaming from water that was left over. Her wings were draped lazily at her sides, as she continued to walk back into the bedroom, where Cinder was relaxing on the bed. It was comfortable and fluffy, soft to the touch and big enough for the both of them.

The couple had a long day, and they deserved some alone time.

Flitter had finished brushing her mane, slowly walking towards the bed then hopping up and snuggling up close to her coltfriend, her wings still lazily draped at her sides. She had a misty look in her eyes, the same kind as when they first met. She didn’t say anything, but let out a loud sigh and she relaxed on the bed with her coltfriend.

“Hey babe, your wings need some preening,” he said gently, nuzzling her on her cheek. She let out a soft moan, and turned her body so she was half facing him, her back pressing again his stomach.

“Oh you think so,” she replied with a hint of tired on her voice. “Well do you want to help me?”

Cinder smiled widely. Preening your special somepony’s wings was the most, if not boldest show of affection. Although it was frowned upon in public, preening a pegasus’ wings was not a display of huge trust, but basic wing care. Flitter moved her body so that she was facing Cinder off to the side, and extended her wing so that he could help her.

The first thing that came over Flitter was a huge blush. She had been the only one to touch her wings and the only pony she trusted with them was Cinder. She was amazed at how gentle he was with her, making sure every feather was either pulled or maintained.

He moved and kissed her gently on her right cheek, making her jump slightly. She turned her head and returned the kiss, their hearts flying high again.

Having finished preening Flitter’s wings, she moved to help him. Her touch was gentle and smooth, since she knew exactly what she was doing. He felt a slight tug on his right wing, as she removed a tattered feather from his wing. Her eyes wandered up his body where they met his, as she continued to scan his wing for any problems. They never left eye contact, as Cinder’s heart skipped a beat twice. Her eyes glowed with the candle’s light at their bedside. She moved to his left wing, gently scanning it to make sure her coltfriend was taken care of. Her eyes never left his, their hearts beating as one.

Princess Luna was right. Cinder followed his heart and now he could not be happier.

“Hey Cinder?” Flitter had finished preening his wings and was now getting ready for bed as she climbed back in front of her coltfriend, her eyes still glowing full of love.

“Yeah?” Cinder turned off the candle at their bedside, and scooted down under the blankets.

“I love you,” Flitter said as she curled up against him, her body was warm and silky.

“I love you too. And I always will….”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The sun was starting to peek through the bedroom curtains when the two ponies finally woke up. They had slept like rocks, cuddling each other for warmth in the late September days. Autumn was fully in swing around Ponyville, which meant the nights were longer and the days were shorter and cooler.

Cinder looked around his bedroom in bliss. His eyes scanned everything, from the curtains on his right, to his dresser straight ahead to the still sleeping mare that was on his left. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, her mane falling naturally over her head. She was still sleeping, a gentle snore escaping her. Doing his best not to wake, he slid out of bed and made for the shower.

The warm water cascaded over his body, releasing tension from the past few days. It felt great, he closed his eyes and let his wings unfold slightly, relaxing the muscles. He let reality slip away from him for a while as he pondered what his life was right now.

He had a marefriend that loved him with all her heart; he had a group of friends whose bond was unbreakable and a comfortable home. His mind continued to wander until he heard something shuffle out from the bedroom. No doubting who that was.

He turned off the shower and dried himself, his mane popping into a fluffy pillow before returning to normal. Cinder sauntered downstairs to see Flitter busily making breakfast. Her right ear twitched as Cinder came in.

“Morning my sweet,” she said cooly.

“Hey babe. Did you sleep alright?” Cinder reached for the coffee pot and poured his first glass.

“Yeah actually, you’re really comfortable to snuggle with,” she replied with a giggle. Breakfast was served and was uneventful for the most part. It wrapped up as quickly as it started, Cinder hopping up to do the dishes.

“Oh you’re fine babe. I’ll do these,” he said with a smile.

“All right all right. I guess I’ll have a shower then.” She kissed him on his cheek and wandered into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Cinder happily continued with the dishes, humming a tune to himself. He was just wrapping up when a knock sounded at the door.

He glanced at the clock. It’s 9 in the morning. Who could that possibly be?

Upon opening the front door, he was greeted by a stallion, dressed in funeral attire, oddly enough. He was well kept, mane brushed and expertly styled, all the way down to his cufflinks, a silver eagle.

“Mr. Cinder Blackstone?” Hi voice was calm and soothing, although there was something behind it.

“Yes? How can I help you.”

“My name is Silverwing. I work at the Las Pegasus coroner’s office. I wish I could be here under more pleasant affairs… but... you need to have this letter.”

Cinder’s eyes went wide with shock as his mind put together the pieces.

Coroner’s office….Las Pegasus… More pleasant affairs… Oh sweet Celestia…

His hoof trembled as he accepted the letter from the stallion. As he read it, he felt his heart stop, and his body go limp. Tears started to well in his eyes, and he sobbed softly at his door. Like a flash Flitter was beside him, only to have her eyes widen with shock as she read the letter as well.

“On behalf of the Las Pegasus Coroner’s Office, I would like to offer my condolences, Mr. Blackstone. The train leaves this afternoon at 11.”

Cinder heard every word of the off-white stallion, but didn’t acknowledge it.

“Oh baby…. I’m so sorry….” Flitter choked between sobs, still holding Cinder tight.

He let the letter fall to the floor as Silverwing turned and departed. The two ponies held each other in a silent embrace. For how long, nopony knows.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Cinder Blackstone,

I wish to have delivered this letter myself, however I’ve been tied down again. First off, I’d like to give out personal condolences to you and anypony in your immediate life. Three days ago, a large house fire enveloped the place of stay of your parents, a Midnight Blaze & Moonstar. They were pronounced dead by me personally yesterday. Your younger sister however, Daisy Flare is unharmed except for a few scratches and burns. She’ll recover.

Words cannot express the anguish you must feel right now, and I completely understand. Being a coroner is one of the most unforgiving jobs.

We did recover a letter sealed and ready to be mailed to you personally. It is waiting for you here. Your sister needs to see you as well. In this case, I’ve booked a train to Las Pegasus, all expenses paid. If any trouble is given, just show them this letter.

Again, my personal condolences to your loss. I await your arrival.

Sincerely,

Rainchaser, Las Pegasus Coroner’s Office.

Chapter 3: Broken

The loneliest are the kindest, the saddest smile brightest, & the most damaged are the wisest ~Anonymous

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3: Broken

It was a full ten minutes of silence before either pony spoke. The apartment was deathly silent, filled with the occasional sob.

It was the first time Cinder had ever openly cried with somepony. Flitter held him tight, her wings wrapped around the two, the letter was still lying beside the door.

Cinder finally broke the eerie silence after 12 minutes.

“Is... is this… is this really happening?” He could barely speak, choking out words between sobs. Flitter didn’t respond right away.

She was still shocked at the news that had just happened. The mare couldn’t possibly understand the pain that her coltfriend was enduring.

“I really don’t know what to say Cinder… But yes this is real,” she replied.

How am I going to tell the others, she thought, still holding the sobbing colt tight. She hadn’t had to deal with a death in the family for the longest time, and she forgot what it felt like. The colt had finally regained his composure and looked into his marefriend’ eyes.

The sparkles in his eyes were gone, the deep crimson color accompanied by a shade of grey. They stayed locked for a few moments that seemed like an eternity.

“Are you gonna be ok babe?” Her voice had hints of concern.

Cinder made a heavy sigh, and closed his eyes, lowering his head. His wings were snapped to his side, his face wet with tears.

“I’ll…I’ll be fine...eventually. C’mon. I need to see my little sister.” His voice was very shaky, and unsure. But he was right. The train left in roughly an hour, which gave him plenty of time to try to heal.

He glanced out the window as he saw the sky clouding over, preparing to rain. He felt his heart start to ache again, the same feeling that he had suffered through when he found Ember.

He shuddered at the thought, dismissing it as he arrived in his bedroom, looking around. Flitter was at his side, the tears long since dried up. Cinder put on his favorite scarf, a black one with red stitching. It was warm and brought him some comfort, along with Flitter’s presence. He felt his heart aching, silently mourning for his parents. He could not be more thankful that his little sister was alive.

He turned to see Flitter, her eyes still full of concern for her partner. She smiled meekly, and trotted over to give her coltfriend another hug.

“It’ll all be ok Cinder. Let’s get going.”

The pair made their way out of their third story apartment, taking the stairs instead of flying out.

Cinder locked the door behind them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Cinder arrived at the train station by himself, since Flitter had broken off to go tell the others of what had happened. No pony was

going to take it well; not Rainbow, not Twilight, not Cloudchaser, nopony. But they had to know.

A cold wind was blowing through the busy train depot, ponies were bustling around trying to get to their trains. He watched as a family boarded a train for Canterlot, and another came off one from Appleoosa. Nopony questioned why the colt looked so miserable.

His breaths were long as deep, controlling his emotions the best he could. However this time, he had support from Flitter and his other friends that he could lean on. Last time, he had to deal with it alone.

The sun was pale, the cloud suffocating it with their presence. It was a bleak setting. Ponyville seemed blander or a few touches greyer.

Looking over his right shoulder, he saw Flitter coming towards him, their friends in tow; a throng of worried and concerned faces.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Wait, WHAT??!” Twilight’s eyes were wide with shock as she heard the news from Flitter, who had trouble saying it herself.

As she surveyed the library’s room, she saw mixed reactions. Rarity had fainted from sheer shock, Applejack holding her, wearing her own worried expression. Rainbow Dash’s mouth was agape, eyes wide. Pinkie Pie’s mane had gone flat, her eyes full of concern. Twilight however, had one hoof to her mouth, eyes watery. Cloudchaser was looking at her sister with concerned eyes.

“Is he… is he ok?” The question came from Pinkie, who was abnormally calm and collected. She knew what it was like to lose somepony close to you.

Flitter sighed. “He took it pretty hard, as anyone would. What worries me most is that he didn’t say much afterwards.”

“I hope he’s ok… poor guy,” cooed Rainbow, her hooves planted on the ground instead of floating like she normally did.

“Where is he now?”

“At the train station. It leaves in 20 minutes.”

Applejack turned her head to the left, giving Flitter a quizzical look. “Does he… want us to come with ‘im? Ah’ll gladly come if’n he needs tha support.”

The other mares nodded fervently in solemn agreement.

It really did humble Flitter so see how much they cared for Cinder.

Fluttershy finally spoke, her tiny voice clearly audible in the deafening silence.

“I’ll gladly come too. I mean only if he wants it of course.”

Flitter smiled meekly again. “I’m sure he’d love it girls. The last time he had to do this was by himself… and from what he tells me... it wasn’t pretty,” she explained.

The mare’s curiosity was peeked, and Flitter reluctantly explained the “Ember” incident.

Their eyes went wide again except for Rainbow, who was already aware of the situation.

“C’mon girls, we should get going. The train leaves in 10 minutes,” Twilight piped up, trotting for the door, the other mares falling in behind her. Only Rainbow Dash stopped Flitter before she left.

“You sure he’s ok?” Her face was full of concern.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine given time to heal.”

The library’s door closed behind them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Heya bud. You doin’ ok? Flitter filled us in,” a subdued Applejack remarked as the group collected around Cinder & Flitter.

He glanced around, seeing everypony’s face had the same expression; concern and caring for their friend.

Before he could utter an answer, Rainbow Dash stepped up and hugged the ash colored colt tightly. This was rare for Rainbow, as she only showed her sensitive and emotional side to a select few friends. For Cinder it was the first time.

Her hug was warm and comforting, as some of the other mares joined in a group hug, consoling their broken friend.

They stayed like that for a minute until a shrill call from the conductor interrupted it.

“All aboard for Las Pegasus!”

The group broke their hug and filed onto the train, the stallion checking their tickets. He glanced at Cinder’s letter which had the City of Las Pegasus seal on it, and simply nodded him on.

Cinder sat with Flitter.

He was not looking forward to going back to that city. It was his hometown however, and this was a special, however dark, occasion. And he had friends to back him up, and he more grateful for them in that moment that he had in his entire life.

The train lurched into life, and began to pick up speed, flying along the tracks.

Mom, Dad… Daisy… I’m coming home.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The train ride was quiet for the most part, apart from some small talk between everyone. Cinder’s mind however, was going at a million miles an hour. He hadn’t been home in two years. How much changed.

No pony talked about the matter when others could hear, seeing as Cinder’s nerves were still fried. They could see that the young colt was wrestling with his emotions, but still no pony spoke about it. They made small talk among the group, but Cinder mostly stayed removed, eyes staring out the window at Equestria as it zoomed by. It was a beautiful country most of the time; only on days like this did it seem to be de-saturated of color. The clouds that were hanging overhead weren’t rain clouds as far as Rainbow Dash could tell, it was just overcast. The grassy fields gave way to a half desert look as they got closer to Las Pegasus. The colt must have dozed off and on because the trip was going by very fast. The next time he opened his eyes, everypony was asleep, night had fallen over Equestria and the car was quiet. He glanced to his left, seeing Flitter asleep at his side. Smiling he left his eyes fall, darkness taking him away from the real world.

*****

Cinder’s eyes snapped open as the train changed pace, getting faster. They must have entered the Great Reigns, the flat interior of Equestria. Meaning that they were close to Las Pegasus. Slowly getting to his hoofs so as not to disturb Flitter, he made his way out of the coach and onto the roof. The night was crisp and refreshing, his mane blowing back in the breeze. It was clear and the stars were clearly visible, making for a beautiful spectacle. He looked out beyond the train to see the gleaming lights of Las Pegasus in the distance, barely visible but unmistakable. He closed his eyes, feeling the cool night air rush over him as he sat on top of the train. Little did he know that somepony else was up there with him.

“Lovely night isn’t it,” Rainbow said, her face with a slight smile as she walked to sit next to the colt. He cracked a smile and a muffled chuckle, as the cyan mare sat down next to him.

“Yeah it is...” What are you doing up so late? Or should I say early,” he replied. A blast of cold air made the pair shiver, but only for a moment. Cinder had glanced at the clock which said 1:15AM as he went outside of the car.

“Sorry if I woke you up,” he added. The cyan mare raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Nah you didn’t. I wasn’t asleep anyway. Don’t know how ponies can get sleep with something like this coming… speaking of which, how are you holding up?”

Cinder shrugged. “I’ve been better Rainbow… I seriously have. To be honest, I did not see this coming, and I’m not prepared for it.”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof on his back, just above his wings. It was comforting, to say the least.

“Believe me, I know what it feels like, and we’re all here for you if, and when you needs us,” she said looking straight into Cinder’s eyes. The sparkles had returned, but were dimmer than they once were.

Cinder simply reached over and hugged the mare, who returned it almost right away.

Only a simple “thank you” was uttered before they turned their attention to the glowing lights of the teeming city that was ahead, getting slowly closer.

“You ever been to Las Pegasus?”

“Nope.”

“Heh, you’re gonna have fun.” The comment was sarcastic and dry, leaving a giggle between the two.

“C’mon, let’s try and get some sleep,” Rainbow chirped as she made her way back down to the coach. Cinder waited for a bit, taking one last look at the lights in the distance before descending into the sleeper coach. Rainbow was already curled up in her spot, eyes shut but ears following Cinder as he made his way back to his spot next to Flitter.

He carefully positioned himself in his original spot so that Flitter wouldn’t stir, which he succeeded.

The colt’s eyes slid shut as night cast its warm shadow across Equestria and the train, bound for Las Pegasus.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Cinder was shaken awake by Flitter, who gently planted a kiss on his forehead as the colt lifted himself upright. Glancing at the

clock it read:

8:53AM

The train was due at 9, so she had woken him at the perfect time. Cinder yawned and stretched, every muscle in his body tensing and relaxing.

“Morning sleepyhead,” Twilight said calmly, glancing over at the colt from her book. Cinder gave her a smile and looked outside the window. It was sunny, with a few clouds in the sky. But the world still looked a tad bit too grey, like someone had sucked part of the life out. He closed his eyes, and let his mind wander temporarily, thinking of how he was going to handle the day. It was good that his friends decided to come along with him.

“Well, somepony’s finally awake,” Applejack chortled coming back from the breakfast cart. She wore a smile on her face which warmed the ash colored colt’s heart. As he glanced around, all the other ponies in the coach were up and talking amongst themselves. Even Rarity and Fluttershy were discussing something that he couldn’t pick up on right away.

Even so, Flitter booped Cinder on the nose and threw a glance out of the train window.

“We’re here,” she announced very flatly. All eyes shot to Cinder for a second, who let out a deep sigh, and closed his eyes. He was ready to face this.

The train pulled into the station and with a screeching halt, it stopped. Ponies began to pour out, going every which way imaginable. Cinder, Flitter and their group stayed together as they filed out, their heads on a swivel as they marveled at the sights of the city. Cinder sights were set dead ahead, as he continued walking until he was free of the train station, everypony else following suit.

“Welcome to Las Pegasus everypony.”

Eyes were wandering around and soaking in every detail of the massive city, its loud bustling streets and buildings gleaming with lights all bellowing the same message.

Go on! Business, business, business. Go on! Get rich!

And it’s why Cinder hated it.

A jet blue stallion stood in the middle of the square, and was advancing towards Cinder and the mares. The colt gave him a quizzical look, glancing over his form. He was well dressed, very athletic and extremely well built.

He stopped just short of Cinder, facing the colt.

“Cinder Blackstone I presume?”

“Yes?”

“Greetings. I’m Rainchaser with the Las Pegasus Coroner’s Office... I see you got my letter.”

Cinder’s body sunk from its original rigidness.

“…Yes I did.”

Flitter had practically materialized at his side the moment she had seen his change in posture. The others stayed back.

“My condolences to you, Cinder. I know how hard this must be for you,” he added. His tone was professional and level. His eyes wandered over to Flitter.

“And who might you be,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m his marefriend, Flitter. Those ponies back there came here with him for support.”

Taking the queue from Flitter, the others advanced forward.

A warm smile spread across Rainchaser’s face. “I see.. you’re lucky to have such caring friends. Come, somepony needs to see you.”

Cinder’s head snapped up as he followed Rainchaser down a busy street, with Flitter at his side and the others in tow.

“How is she doing?”

“Just a few scrapes and bruises. She’s a fast healer, Cinder. In other words, she’s fine. Just badly shaken up. Also she’s been wanting to see you… quite badly I might add.”

The one thing Cinder regretted about leaving Las Pegasus was his little sister, Daisy Flare.

They continued to walk down the busy street, ponies seemingly stepping to the side as they saw Rainchaser trot down it. He was a well known doctor around these parts, and when he was escorting a group of ponies, it usually meant someone had died.

Rainbow trotted up to Cinder’s other side, now keeping pace with him.

“You ok bud?” She offered a bleak smile as support for her statement. He retorted with a smile, small in stature, but huge in emotion. His eyes twinkled with the lights of the big city. They came to grey, single story building without a label. Cinder knew exactly what it was.

While it was blending in around with the other subtly colored buildings of the city, Cinder knew that this single one stood out.

It was the coroner’s office.

As Rainchaser went in, the colt stopped and took a deep breath. Flitter put her hoof on his back, letting him know that she was there for him. As he looked behind him, all the other mares shot him nods and winks, showing their support as well. He closed his eyes, faced forward and entered the building.

Flitter shot the other’s a glance to stay back, which they agreed to. She followed her coltfriend into the establishment, the swing doors closing behind them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing Cinder noticed was the smell. It smelt of pleasant rain water and roses, which was not unusual for a coroner’s office.

It was trying to keep a front in helping mourning ponies cope. The second thing he noticed was that no pony else was there. It was empty.

Rainchaser was behind his desk, shuffling some paperwork around, but shot a glance at the colt and mare as they approached the desk. He smiled warmly, and gestured to a pair of doors.

“She’s waiting for you.”

Cinder looked at his lover silently, but what she heard was all too loud.

Please let me go alone for this.

She simply nodded, and stepped back. She watched her lover disappear through the doors, and turned her attention to a humbled Rainchaser.

“I can see you two are meant to be together. I’ve rarely seen such communication and love,” he praised.

This caused Flitter to blush heavily as she backed up and relaxed for the time being.

“He is my special somepony after all”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The sight on the other side of the doors was typical. It was a morgue, with rows of compartments. Full of bodies no doubt. But one room caught his eye. It was singled out from the others, he guessed it to be a waiting or medical room. As he walked closer to it, his jaw hung slightly open at what he saw. He felt his heart start to give way as a flood of emotions came over him. What he was met with was her; Daisy Flare.

His younger sister.

She was a tiny, pegasus filly with a white coat, red mane and sky blue eyes. She did not harbor a cutie mark on her flank yet. She was in a sense, the complete opposite of what Cinder’s coloring was.

As soon as her eyes met his, her jaw dropped and her eyes began to flow with tears. The two ponies stood there in silence for a few moments, until the filly literally threw herself at Cinder. She buried her face in his neck, as the tears began to flow. He sat down on the cold floor and his sister tight, tearing up as well. The two held each other in a tight, silent embrace.

Wow, she has grown, he silently mused to himself as he stroked her deep red mane gently.

Time seemed to stand still and fly at the same time before either sibling said something.

“It’s been too long, Daisy.” Cinder’s tender voice as enough to make the tiny filly break into tears again. He held her tighter, feeling her tears run through his coat.

“Shhhh…shhhh….It’s ok sis. I’m here now. Let it out,” he cooed, still stroking her mane.

Her cries turned into sobs, and then into whimpers, then she fell silent, with the occasional sob.

“Are they…. Are they. .. rr.really..g..g..gone..gone?” She could barely form a sentence much less talk about their parents.

Cinder took his time in forming response. He had to choose his words carefully with his little sister.

“I’m afraid so sweetie. But you shouldn’t be scared. I’m here now and that’s all that matters now. Are you doing ok?”

She lifted her head away from Cinder’s neck, now soaked and looked at her brother, her bright sky blue eyes ablaze with emotion.

She had grown so much since Cinder had last seen her. She was 12 now, the same age as Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell.

Daisy simply nodded her head slowly. “I’m..I’m scared bro,” she managed to squeak out. Her voice was silky and smooth.

“It’s ok sis. I’m here now and we’ll help each other through this. But for now, let’s get you out of here. I have a few friends I want you to meet.”

At the sound of those words, her emotions flipped a switch, her entire body perked up and she smiled.

“Ok.. Let’s go. But big bro.. Can I ride on your back?”

Cinder chuckled, and lifted his little sister gently onto his back.

“Of course.”

The two siblings walked for the lobby door, Cinder setting out at his normal pace.

“Thank you for being here big bro. I still love you…,” Daisy faltered before pecking him with a kiss on the cheek. Cinder felt his heart jump when she said those words. He stopped and nuzzled his sister.

“I love you too Daisy. Now let’s get through this,” he said with a bleak smile.

“Ok,” she replied. She curled up on his back and settled in as the colt trotted towards the double doors.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“I wonder when he’s coming out,” an unusually emotional Rainbow Dash remarked, standing in the lobby. Flitter had gone to let the other ponies in and explained the situation. The other 6 ponies nodded in agreement at what she had suggested.

“Now remember girls,” Twilight interjected. “Be very cautious and careful with Cinder’s little sister. We don’t want to upset her. So no mentioning…you know.”

The other mares nodded in unison in silent agreement. It had been an emotional couple of days for everypony, and they were exhausted.

Just then, the double doors broke and Cinder appeared between them, inching his way out, with a little white ball on his back. Daisy Flare was curled up, and to be frank, it was adorable.

Flitter felt her heart melt as she saw the tiny filly uncurl, her big blue eyes stare at the other mares.

“Girls,” Cinder said before throwing a glance at all of them.

“This is Daisy Flare. My little sister.”

Twilight and Rarity’s eyes fell on the snow white filly, as she returned their gaze.

“Hi Daisy…it’s nice to meet you. My name is Flitter,” the lavender mare stated as she cautiously walked up to the filly. “I’m umm your brother’s marefriend,” she added. This was answered by a wry look from the filly with a raised eyebrow, then her eyes shot back to her brother.

“Finally settled down huh,” she said dryly, poking her brother in the back of his neck.

Daisy Flare was never usually this quiet. She was usually very outgoing and easy to get to know. Her flying skills were impeccable, just like her brother’s, only she didn’t fly that often. The tiny filly preferred to walk, as it made her feel like a normal pony and not standing out.

Her remark sent a chuckle through the crowd.

“Anyway sis, this is Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight. They’re all friends of mine,” he said with a chuckle. Believe it or not, Cloudchaser had tagged along on the trip, but hadn’t said anything yet.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you all,” the white filly said.

“Charmed.”

“Hello.”

“Howdy.”

“What’s up.”

“Hello there.” (1)

Daisy smiled, and uncurled slightly from her brother’s back, but staying put. Her wings were now in full view, as they were immediately under close examination by Rainbow Dash.

“You like flying squirt?” Rainbow asked the filly, who responded with a wide grin.

“Oh yeah, I love it! It feels so awesome. Big bro here taught me how when I was a foal,” she replied with a goofy grin. This made Cinder blush.

Rainbow chuckled, and took a step back. She was controlling herself quite well.

“Good to know.” She made a mental note that Daisy’s wings were in desperate need of some care, but didn’t say anything.

“Darling I must say, your coat is absolutely stunning! I’ve never seen a purer white,” Rarity beamed, admiring her own white coat.

A rosy blush came across Daisy’s face.

“Awwww thanks. I love it too.” She was still curled up on her brother’s back, happily chatting among the others. Cinder turned his attention to his marefriend.

“How’s she doing?”

Cinder shook his head slightly. “Rainchaser is right. She’s pretty shaken up. But she seems more relaxed now that I’m here. I’m glad I got here so fast.”

He felt a push from his back as Daisy jumped down from her brother’s back, landing perfectly and continued talking to the others. Glancing back, he smiled then returned his attention to an approaching Rainchaser, who was holding the sealed envelope in question in the letter.

“Hello Cinder. I’ve been told to give this to you. It is for you and Daisy’s eyes only, for now.” The deep blue stallion sat back and smiled as he caught a glance of Daisy, casually socializing with the other mares.

“She seems to have brightened up since you got here. When she got here, she hardly said anything.”

“I could understand that,” Cinder replied, taking the letter from the stallion. “I’ll wait to open this until I’m back in Ponyville.”

The stallion bowed his head in agreement. “Of course. It was nice having you here Cinder. Please stop by sometime.”

The group made for the door of the establishment, Flitter leaving just before Cinder. He motioned for Daisy to jump on his back, which she readily agreed to. Poor thing must have been emotionally strung out.

“Thank you for all you’ve done Rainchaser. I leave my parents trust to you.”

The stallion bowed his head again, before retreating in the double doors.

With that, Cinder turned and exited the office, and onto the street with Daisy clinging on.

The group walked in relative silence down the sidewalk, until Daisy broke it.

“Hey bro, where are we going?”

Cinder chuckled. “We’re going to Ponyville, sis.”

Daisy’s eyes widened as she looked around her. He could tell she wouldn’t miss the big city at all.

“Ok bro. Lead the way,” she replied, curling her red tail around her body. He smiled and nuzzled her on her cheek, which she happily returned. This gave an “Awwww” from the rest of the group.

Flitter stuck by her coltfriend as they made for the train station. Daisy’s head was on a swivel as she took in the last few sights and sounds of Las Pegasus. She didn’t say anything, but her actions were loud.

Cinder looked at Flitter, and smiled and stopped walking when they reached the platform. Daisy had her full attention on her big brother, as he smiled and looked back, reflecting on his experiences.

She reached down and hugged her brother’s neck, nuzzling his cheek again, knowing that she was safe.

Wow…after all she’s been through she still smiles. Now that’s the little sister I know.

Their train arrived right on time, and the group boarded, with Daisy sitting happily on Cinder’s back.

They made their way to the center car, a sleeper coach since the ride home was going to be a long one. Everypony took their

seats, Daisy sitting between Flitter and Cinder, nestled against her older brother.

And as the whistle blew, Cinder looked down at Daisy to see her eyes wide with excitement.

“All right everypony,” he announced to the group, everyone’s attention gravitating towards him.

“Let’s go home.”

Chapter 4: Resolute

Chapter IV: Resolute

The trip home was much more joyous than the one going to Las Pegasus. Cinder was engaging in idle chat with everypony, of which were floating topics. Daisy was sitting comfortably and her big brother’s side, putting in her opinion only when prompted. It seemed that was she was being very in control of herself, which was the antithesis of what she usually was.

My, my, she has grown up.

Cinder laughed at a remark Rainbow made, shaking his head slightly afterwards. He knew she was doing her best to lighten the mood, and it was half way working. Rarity and Applejack were squabbling about something related to fashion, Cloudchaser and Fluttershy were discussing birds, Flitter was chatting with Daisy and Twilight was reading. Cinder’s mind began to wander as he reflected on the past two days’ events.

He closed his eyes, breathed a deep sigh, and cracked a slight smile. While it was extremely traumatic for Cinder & Daisy, they tried to make light of it the best that they could. But a looming thought kept poking at the back of Cinder’s mind.

Now that they were gone, he was Daisy’s only family left and that meant that he was deemed her caregiver. Even though he was her brother, he felt a little nervous bringing her home to Ponyville. She was a strong filly, more than capable of holding her own when it came to arguments, but she wore a fragile heart under her tough exterior. He wondered how she would react to meeting the Cutie Mark Crusaders or Diamond Tiara.

The colt shuddered at that thought, dismissing it completely. He didn’t want his little sister to meet Diamond, because he was almost certain that she would be immediately teased for her lack of a cutie mark. Either way, they had to stand tall and fight through it.

He threw a glance at the clock mounted on the opposite side of the train car.

12:17PM

The train wasn’t due into Ponyville until late tonight, although it might be delayed until tomorrow in case it needed to stop for fuel.

Either way, Cinder was excited to get back to Ponyville anyway. He yawned, stretching his wings and cracking his back, glancing out the train window again. He felt a nuzzle on his neck as his little sister looked up at him, her sky blue eyes full of energy.

He smiled. While his mind was still elsewhere, he was amazed that his baby sister was able to feel cheerful and happy in this dark time of their lives.

So memories were coming to the surface of the young colt’s mind, of a different time in his life.

Ruffling her red mane, he pulled her close without saying a word, letting his wing fall over his sister. This prompted her to snuggle up close and let her eyes fall.

Cinder did the same, slowing slipping away from reality.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

He stirred, and lifted his head from the window sill. It was night, the stars twinkling in the sky. He glanced around, seeing that everypony else was asleep as well. Even the little white filly at his side was gently snoring.

The colt had to fight the temptation off of gently kissing her on her forehead. It was just too cute. He slowly got out of his seat, stretching again. He caught a glance of the clock as he strode for the exit.

9:54PM

He chuckled silently to himself. He’d been out for about 8 hours, and if the train arrived in Ponyville that night, he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He’d be up all night.

As he walked from his car to the next, he looked inside. All the other passengers were sleeping as well. He chuckled and climbed the ladder to the roof of his car. He walked softly, making sure that his hoofs would not wake everypony below him.

Looking along the train, his eyes scanned the Equestria that was flying past him. They were back on the Great Reigns and the night sky didn’t have a cloud in it. Feeling the wind rushing through his black and white mane, he took a breath of fresh night air. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander. Many things had been plaguing his mind recently.

His family, how Daisy would adjust to Ponyville, whether he should tell Flitter it’s time to find a house. After all, the apartment

Cinder was using was already cramped with the two of them in it. It would be hard to accompany Daisy’s energetic lifestyle in such a small space. A house would be a suitable upgrade, and the couple had been saving bits for a while now.

The scenery of the crystal clear night whizzed by, Cinder casting his gaze onto the distant mountains. There was a a dirt grassland on all sides of the train, running resolute on the tracks. He sighed. It was so picturesque.

“Lovely night, isn’t it babe.”

His ear twitched to hear his lover’s voice and hooves drawing slowly closer to him. Her mint green mane was flowing in the night’s breeze, and her eyes seemed to glow with love for her colt. She sat down next to him and gave him a nuzzle on the cheek. Neither pony said anything for a while, soaking in the surreal silence accompanied by the droning of the train as it sped along the tracks.

Flitter was sitting close to Cinder, like always, mostly for warmth, but she could sense the colt needed some comfort as well.

“Do you wanna talk?”

The lavender mare was looking at her coltfriend with an expression of love worn on her face, with hints of concern. Anypony would be concerned for someone who had just lost a loved one, let alone two.

Cinder smiled and opened his eyes, meeting his mare’s gaze. He snorted, continuing to smile.

“What’s there to talk about Flit?”

“You’ve been really quiet since we left. Everything ok?”

She knew everything wasn’t ok. He had a lot to cope with and she could almost immediately tell he was emotionally strung out.

He shook his head slowly, turning to face her. “No everything’s not ok. I’m scared to be honest with you.”

“About what?”

Cinder shrugged. “Daisy is the only family I have left as of now, and I’m concerned how she’s going to adjust to Ponyville life. I just want to make her happy…” his voice trailed off as he spotted a cactus flying by.

The mare nodded in agreement. “I have to agree with you, I’m concerned as well. But not about her. I’m worried about you, babe.

You showed some much emotion when you first got the letter, but now you rarely react to anything. What’s going on?” The mare scooted closer and took her coltfriend’s hoof, her velvety fur brushing against his.

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

“I…I just don’t know what to feel Flitter. I feel sad because of my parents, but angry that I couldn’t be there for them. I’m glad that my sister is safe, but frustrated that she has to go through all this…” His voice was stopped by a gentle hoof on his mouth.

“I can understand Cinder. I lost my mom when I was just a foal. It felt horrible, like something had sucked the life out of me and I needed my friends to help me through it. That’s what we’re here for.”

He caught her by surprise with a tight hug, his head draped over her back. Flitter swore she caught wind of a sniffle, but she returned the embrace, holding him close as the rise and fall of his chest comforted her, prompting her to nuzzle.

“Thank you Flitt, for everything. I love you,” he said, leaning in for a kiss while still holding her hoof.

“I love you too, and never forget that,” she replied returning his kiss. The two sat there in silent embrace for a short time.

“There is... one more thing I need to ask you,” he added nuzzling his mare. “I’ve been thinking. The apartment we have is getting a bit cramped now that you and I are living together, and I think it’s time we upgrade.

A surge of energy went through the mare as her eyes seemed to light up. Her eyes seemed to light up with enthusiasm as her mind chewed over what her coltfriend had said. He was right. They needed to find a house if Daisy was going to live with them.

Cinder chuckled as the returned their attention to the fast moving landscape as it passed them. It was whirling past them at an alarming rate, a constant plume of smoke above their heads. It almost looked like something out of an artists’ depiction of beauty.

Cinder had always loved the night and darkness, because he found comfort in it. Flitter didn’t fully understand, but she tried her best.

Not responding verbally to his thought, she nodded and hugged him again.

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The two had no idea what time it was, all they knew was that Luna’s moon was high in the sky, and there were still no clouds to be found. They continued to sit, talking about small things for the most part: errands they had to run when they got back to town, how Daisy would adjust and just life in general. It was small talk really, anything to do to pass the hours.

It was 12:16AM the next time Cinder left to check the clock, and both ponies were wide awake. They knew that they were going to be up for the entire night, which would throw off their internal clocks. It didn’t bother the colt as much; he was used to staying into the early hours of the morning.

Looking around, he allowed his mind to wander yet again, thoughts coming and passing like herds of buffalo. He felt a yawn coming on, and couldn't stop it. This caused Flitter to giggle.

“Tired?”

The colt nodded.

“Let’s go down and get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us”

The colt didn’t say anything in return, rather smiled and got up, Flitter close behind him. They walked into the car, everypony else was still asleep. Coming to their seat, Daisy Flare was still quietly snoring, curled up in a little white ball. It was adorable to say the least. Flitter had to stifle a chuckle as to not wake everypony up. They hopped up onto their seat, Flitter curling up after giving Cinder a kiss. It took the young colt a couple minutes to get comfortable, for his mind was still moving. All the thoughts and emotions that were brought up in the last two days were suddenly coming to fruition. Now all that was running through Cinder’s mind was how he was planning on getting through it.

I know I did the right thing, he mused feeling a shuffle as Daisy felt for Cinder. But why does it feel like I’m missing something…

He eyed the still sealed letter that Rainchaser had given him, tempted to open it then and there. But, he refused to do so. He made a promise to the coroner that he would not open it until he and Daisy were in Ponyville. And that was one he had to keep. His mind continued to wander as he felt his body grow heavy.

Maybe all this happened for a reason. It sounds horrible, but maybe it was just supposed to happen. I don’t know what’s in that envelope, but we’ll find out tomorrow.

He used the term tomorrow loosely, as it was 12-something in the morning, so technically it already was tomorrow. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. The young colt’s body grew heavier, as his eyes were beginning to slip shut. The thing he remembered before he fell asleep was a nuzzle from Daisy, as she repositioned herself close to her brother, his wing falling around the filly. Darkness fell as he slipped from reality.

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He opened his eyes to see a familiar sight. Princess Luna was off to his right, a warm smile on her face, but with flashes of concern. Her gentle eyes greeted the ash colored colt’s, a smile spreading across his muzzle.

“We meet again, Princess.”

The dark mare nodded, closing her eyes. “Indeed, but here call me Luna. I am in your dreams after all.” She reached out with one of her hooves, gently touching the colt under his chin.

“How are you coping child? I saw much pain in you when you first slept. I didn’t visit because I didn’t wish to disturb you. You seemed damaged enough at that point.

Cinder looked down at the fluffy clouds they were standing on. She was right. He had felt emotionally damaged at that period of time, his heart numb from the intense pain.

“I feel much better now Luna, now that Daisy is with me. She and I have had each other to lean on recently.”

Luna nodded. “I can understand, child. Loosing somepony who is close to you is never easy.” She shuddered slightly as old memories resurfaced.

“Does it ever get easier?” Luna lowered her head, nuzzling Cinder on his cheek.

“No,” she said bluntly. “There will always be trials in a pony’s life, some bigger than others. To overcome these trials, now that’s a show of true resilience.” She smiled, beckoning the colt to walk with her.

They walked along the cloudy landscape for a few moments in silence, before Luna’s gentle voice broke.

“Have you thought as to what are the contents of that letter, Cinder?” The colt gave her a quizzical look, his mind snapping when he realized what she was talking about.

He closed his eyes and bent his head down. “Honestly Luna, I don’t want to. I know it’s going to be emotional for me and Daisy when we open it, and I’m not ready for that yet. A pony’s heart can only take so much pain…” His voice trailed off. Glancing at the princess, her smile was still present, eyes beaming in the soft light.

Luna nodded. “Fair enough young one. Your friends are also there for you when you need them. Trust me when I say that they will be a great asset to helping you get through this.”

Cinder smiled, nuzzling the Princess as the dream world started to fade, his shoulder and neck beginning to ache.

“Remember child,” her voice echoed across his conscience. “Experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want.”

The world fading faster now, he closed his eyes, ready to greet the real world.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

His eyes slowly slid open, to be greeted by a tiny white filly, her blue eyes wide with excitement.

“Wake up wake up bro! We’re almost there!” She hopped off of him, rubbing his eyes and stretching his wings.

He glanced at the clock.

8:46AM

The train was due at 9 in Ponyville, which meant they had stopped for fuel. Daisy was darting around the train car, chatting with the other ponies. Twilight was fascinated with the filly’s energy, asking casual questions, which were met with a simple nod of shake of the head. Her big eyes were wide with wonder, always eager to explore and learn.

The young colt smiled & chuckled at his younger sister, as she flew around the train car for Rainbow, who was scrutinizing her wings, body posture and other aspects. Landing in front of the cyan mare, her mouth wide open in a huge smile, eager to hear her input.

“Well squirt, I can say you definitely take after your brother,” she said. “However, has anypony ever taught you how to preen your wings?”

The filly blushed, and pawed at the train floor with her hoof.

“No not really. Big bro & Dad used to do that for me, I guess I never learned how to myself,” she responded with a giggle. Rainbow’s picked up movement from Cinder, as he hopped off his seat and sauntered over to the pair.

“Morning sleepyhead,” she said with a playful wink at the colt.

The other mares caught Cinder’s eyes as well, who was met with warm grins and smiles.

“Hiya girls, what’s up?”

Twilight stepped forward, her bright purple eyes meeting his. “Heh, we were just chatting with your sister. She’s quite the energetic one...”

“And a good flyer at that!” That remark caused the filly to blush. Rarity stepped forward, batting her eyes twice at the colt.

“Darling I must say, as a friend, you look irresistibly cute with your mane that length.”

“Ah’ll say,” piped up Applejack.

He blushed, running a hoof through his mane. He allowed it to grow out, long enough that it was allowed to flow in the breeze.

“Thanks girls, but I think I need to get it cut when we get back home.”

Rarity nodded and raised an eyebrow. “Oh of course! I might suggest keeping the length and have it tidied up just a bit.

“I agree Rarity. He’s quite the handsome colt,” a voice added. He turned his head to see Flitter hopping off the seat as well, joining in the conversation.

His blushed deepened as the mares shared a collective giggle, as Flitter came to his side and nuzzled him.

Their antics stopped when the conductor came into the car.

“We’re approaching Ponyville. Please take your seats.” He then exited.

The group proceeded to do as instructed, Daisy joining Cinder and Flitter. To add, she jumped on his head, looking out the window. He cast an annoyed look at his sister, who stuck her tongue out as a retort. The siblings giggled as the train entered Ponyville station.

The colt glanced out the window at the gleaming town, ponies casually walking every which way.

He smiled and plucked his little sister off his head

“Welcome home, sis.”