What Does Family Mean?

“Son, you’re not gonna make it with your so called ‘talent.’ Do what your kind is good for, labor. Leave the music to us.” The tall, red unicorn said to the young blue colt. The colt’s mane was a mess of green curls and untamed cowlicks and he sat there misty-eyed as he stared up at the stallion.

That poor colt, he had just got his cutie mark and now he was being told he was worthless. It wasn’t fair, but that was also the streets of Manehattan, or at least, the part where the colt lived.

“All… All I was trying to do… was make people happy,” the young pony stammered up.

“With what, that crummy old cello? I’m surprised it can even make noise in that condition, let alone one that is pleasant in any way.” The unicorn said, obviously belittling him. He scoffed and huffed as he turned away. “I truly pity you. It is a shame that you can do nothing better than a so called ‘musical talent,’”

“You’ll see… I’ll make it to the top.” The colt mumbled somberly, as if talking about a long forgotten friend and not an aspiration.

The colt pulled out the few bits passersby had tossed in his case and placed his cello in. Then he placed in his breaking bow and gingerly placed the bits back in on top of his instrument. He pulled the case onto his back. It weighed him down substantially, and his stomach growled. Still, a few bits would be enough to buy his sister and his mom dinner for tonight, maybe.

It was hard having a sick mother, and he had no other siblings old enough to help provide. He would love to be able to leave Manehattan and start somewhere else, to make a life for himself, but it was a hopeless dream. He had a sister and mother that depended on him, and he couldn’t let them down. He had to keep doing whatever he could to make it by, even if that meant going against his true calling.

“Mom, Elli, I’m back.” The blue colt said as he looked at the one room apartment they called home. The building had been foreclosed ages ago, but the bank hasn’t come to kick them out or knock the building down yet, so they figured it was safe.

“String!” The small grey filly cheered as he came in the doorway. The blue colt, known as String, set his cello case in the nearest corner by the door. He smiled down at Elli and nuzzled her. He never got tired of his sister’s enthusiasm.

“S-String…” His mother said weakly. He took a few quick steps over to her bed, which was just a mattress on the floor. She was curled up as she squinted at him. String knelt beside his mother.

“Yeah, Mom?” he said, looking at her and her weak expression. She was getting worse everyday, and there was nothing they could do. There was no way they could afford the medicine she needed, and the illness just kept spreading.

“My… you’ve gotten so big. I remember when you were first born… they thought you were a filly you were so small.” Mom said, but she wasn’t looking at String anymore. She was just staring off into the distance. “Then I brought your sister home, and you promised to make her life better because Dad wasn’t around.”

“M-mom, what’s… what’re you talking about?” String asked. This sounded like a last words kind of speech, and he didn’t like it.

“Keep that promise, String,” she said, clear as day. She went into a fit of coughing, closed her eyes, and said hoarsely, “I love you, both.”

She was gone.

String stared at her, not wanting to believe it. His mother was actually dead. His eyes started to well up, but then he remembered his sister, Elli was already sobbing deeply.

String pulled her close and rubbed her back soothingly. “It’s okay, Elli, she’s in a better place now.”

After that night, String had vowed to never let Elli be sad or experience any of the hardships they were actually going through. He knew she could be strong, but String didn’t want her to have to be. He would be strong enough for the both of them. I guess it was from one yoke to another then.