//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 
// Story: Those Distant Sisters 
// by Rettro 
//------------------------------//

Resonance sighed as she watched her husband chatting excitedly with a scrawny white-coated colt. Sonority has managed to find the one scientist wandering the gardens at this hour, and was talking about doing something with a radio and an observatory tower. Resonance couldn’t really follow all that technobabble, so she was especially happy to see her sister trotting up beside her, bearing an immense grin.

“Somepony’s happy. I’m guessing it’s not the sleepless nights and explosions in the woods though.” Resonance joked, managing to express her own stresses while complimenting her sister on getting over hers. Evanescence shook her head and chuckled. 

“Oh, I just met the most interesting couple.” She took a seat next to her sister, oblivious to Sonority and the scientist walking off towards the now napping princess. “They went by Lyra and Bon Bon, and they taught me something very interesting about life in this country.” She went on smiling like a giddy schoolfilly as Evanescence thought about what she had just said.

“Hmm… There are a lot of genderless names in Hearth… including both of ours I may add… but that’s still odd. Aren’t those both mare’s names?” Resonance turned towards her sister and caught a strange look in her eye. 

“Exactly.” Resonance was a bit taken aback. “Lyra and Bon Bon are a pair of gay, married mares. And, to top it all off, nopony even noticed! That sort of thing is so common here, they didn’t get a single odd glance from anypony but me. They told me that as long as I’m here, I can be myself. Isn’t that amazing?” 

Resonance frowned, looking down at the ground beneath her. Her sister didn’t seem to notice the change in her mood, but she couldn’t help but worry. 

“Evvy… That’s great and all, but you know we’re going back home at some point.” Her sister finally looked her in the eye. “And we’re not completely separated from Hearth anyway.” Resonance got up, placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. 

“Oh. Him.” The sisters may have been happy, but they had kept Evanescence’s mindset a secret even from those closest to them.

“Speaking of… we should find where he’s gone off to. That colt can really get himself into trouble when he wants to and I’m fairly certain our princess escort has gone to bed.” Resonance led her sister toward the castle, the sudden reality check having dampened her mood to a more normal level as the summer sun’s bright rays began to heat the gardens.