//------------------------------//
// Sister, Sister 
// Story: Destination Darkness 
// by Aragem 
//------------------------------//

Apple Bloom shrieked as she clung to the edge of the sled with both hooves as it cut through the ice.  Sweetie squealed behind her with both forelegs around her waist.  Hitched to the sled, Scootaloo wings buzzed as it propelled them over the ice as if she had an orange propeller on her back.  The sled down the hill so fast their scarves flew behind them as a trio of flags. 
Scootaloo slid to a halt with her breath going ragged.  The sled bumped into her rear pushing forward into the snow.  Her passengers giggled as they tumbled off the sled to dig their friend out of the snow drift.  “Ya okay, Scoots?”
“I’m fine . . . wanna go . . .  again?”  she asked through each gasp of air.
“I think you better rest for a while.”  Sweetie Belle secured her fancy new scarf around her neck, knowing if she lost it while playing, her sister would go crazy.  “Lets go get some hot chocolate.”
“Good idea!  Ah think Chocolate Swirl has his stand set up.”  Apple Bloom brushed the snow from her mane and shook it from her tail.
The three friends made their way back to the streets of Ponyville.  They had to leave sled behind some snow covered bushes as it was too big it encumbered them as they weaved through the crowd of ponies.  The food and drink stands were close to City Hall, but that was where most of the activity was as ponies hurried to get in lines for midday meals. 
Apple Bloom caught a glimpse of green and blue moving through the crowd ahead of them.  She darted forward so quickly her hooves nearly slipped on a patch of ice, but once she steadied herself, she saw Jelly up ahead.
The mare walked with her head down cast downward as if she carried a heavy weight on her back.  Apple Bloom trotted forward calling to her, “Jelly!  Miss Jelly Jam!”
The mare stopped and turned to the filly, “Hey, Apple Bloom, how are you?”
“Ah’m fine . . .”  Apple Bloom kicked at the street with a hoof.  “Is it . . uh . . .time for . . .?”  She put a hoof against her eye while her other eye gazed up at her hopefully.
It took a moment for Jelly to understand and then she shook her head.  “Sorry, not yet, but soon.  Please be patient.”
“Oh.”  Apple Bloom washed away her disappointment with the anticipation of hot chocolate and Winter Welcome.  “We’re gonna get some hot chocolate!  Wanna come?”
Before Jelly could answer, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo caught up with their friend and the unicorn raised a hoof toward Jelly’s flank.  “She has a cutie mark!”
Apple Bloom turned her eyes to Jelly’s backend and saw for herself a red heart wrapped in bandages.  Disappointment, excitement, and envy cascaded through her heart before she managed to offer up a gleeful smile.  “How did ya get yer cutie mark?”
“I . . .I don’t know.  It just showed up.”  A faint blush touched Jelly’s cheeks as she spoke.  She never had so much attention paid toward her rear. 
“You had to be doing your special talent!  What were you doing?”  Scootaloo insisted as she stared at their lifelong goal. 
“I don’t remember.  I’m sorry I can’t say more than that.”  Jelly offered them an apologetic smile.  She had heard how much these three fillies desired their cutie marks and how hard they have strived to earn them and it shamed her that she so easily obtained hers.
“It’s alright.  You don’t have to apologize.  You’re going to have a cute-ceanera, right?”
Yet again, Jelly made a mistake of showing her ignorance of the pony culture.  “What’s a cute-ceanera?”
All three fillies gasped with widening eyes and open mouths.        
Jelly instantly realized her mistake and flushed.  “Uh . . . I’m from the north?”  It was her only offer of an excuse.
“You don’t have cute-ceanera parties in the north?  That’s must be a horrible place to live!”  Scootaloo was astounded. 
“Scoot!  That’s mean!”  Sweetie Belle admonished her friend. 
“No, no, it’s okay.  The north is a dull place.”  Jelly wanted to move the topic off cutie marks and cute-ceaneras.  “Let’s go get hot chocolate!”
“Yay!” 
She felt as if she dodged a bullet as she followed the Cutie Mark Crusaders to City Hall.  As they drew closer, the smells of cooked food and sweets caressed their noses drawing them closer with hungry stomachs.  It was almost enough for Jelly to forget about her disastrous lunch with her mother. 
The meal ended sooner than she would have liked and she was no closer to breaching the wall that Victory carried around her heart.  From the beginning, she knew it would be difficult and hurtful, but it cut deeper than she expected.  Maybe later, when the pain lessen, she could try again and invite her mother to come with her to Winter Dance, if she would come that is.  Likely, she would just get an insult for all her trouble.
But the heartbreak lessened as she drew closer and closer to the food stands.  A blue stallion with a chocolate bar for cutie mark was mixing cocoa powder into warm milk behind a stall where a short line of ponies waited. 
Thankfully, it wasn’t a long wait.  Soon both Jelly and the fillies were sipping sweet chocolate from mugs with a large loop handle big enough for a hoof thread through.  Again, Jelly was amazed at how wonderful the food and drink this land had to offer.  If she didn’t watch herself, she would likely leave this mission having to wear a pant size larger.
“Do you think your special talent is nursing?  Or being a doctor?”  Sweetie Belle asked her while she took a swig of chocolate. 
“I don’t think so.  I haven’t been very good around injuries.  I mean, I can help out if it’s a cut fing . . . cut hoof or a bumped head, but anything more serious than that and I’m in a panic myself.” 
“Maybe it means that you help ponies.”  Scootaloo offered.  She was looking disappointed at her empty mug after she drank the last drop.
“Maybe. . .”  Jelly held out her mug to the orange pegasus.  “Here, you can have the rest.  I shouldn’t drink too much chocolate.”
As Scootaloo happily finished off Jelly’s cocoa, the green unicorn glanced up at the clock.  Two hours before the parade would start.  She had to hurry and find Twilight Sparkle.
“Girls, I have to go find Twilight Sparkle.  I’m helping her put together the parade.”  Jelly set Scootaloo’s empty mug on the counter next to the stall where a mare, likely Chocolate Swirl’s wife was washing mugs to be used again. 
“Can we go!?  Mebbe we can help!”  Apple Bloom offered as she set her mug on the counter also.  “Mebbe we can get our cutie marks for parading.”
“I don’t see why not.  I’m not too familiar around the town as I would like so some guides would be nice.”  Jelly was pleased to have them tag along with her.  They helped her forget her pain.
As Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo led the way, chattering about the decorations and the games, Apple Bloom hang back to walk with Jelly of whom she casted a sidelong glance at.  The green unicorn glanced back and asked, “Something wrong, beautiful.”
“Ya called me beautiful, ‘fore,”  Apple Bloom said quietly.
Jelly thought for a moment, “Yes, back at the boutique.”
“Naw, ya called me beautiful ‘fore that.”  Apple Bloom paused for a moment, bringing Jelly to a slow stop next to her.  “Ya don’t know what cute-ceaneras are and ya talk weird and ya don’t know that eatin’ flowers don’t hurt ya none.”
“I . . . I live in the north . . .”  It was all Jelly could offer.
“How far north?”  Apple Bloom furrowed her brows and her eyes studied Jelly’s face.
The green unicorn was silent for nearly a minute, and then she said, “Very very far north.”
“Hey, are you guys comin’ or not?’  Scootaloo called to them, breaking the intense gaze the unicorn and the filly were sharing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warm air blew on them as the door to the library opened and Spike wearing a thick purple jacket with white wool trimming opened the door, “Brrr, c’mon in, ya lettin’ the cold in.”
Jelly made certain to stomp her hooves on the welcome mat to shake off any snow, unfortunately, the fillies weren’t as considerate and to Spike’s disdain they galloped inside leaving behind trails of snow and water. 
“Sweetie Belle!”  A cultured voice called and the white unicorn filly skidded in her tracks as she recognized her sister’s voice.  Rarity stormed over and Jelly took this time to admire the fashionable snow hat she wore with a matching scarf that was elegantly wrapped about her neck.  Also her mane and tail looked whole and untouched by flame, though she was able to see that there were patches of bandages on her legs and flank where she had received burns.  “When we visit ponies’ homes, we wipe our hooves before we enter or we leave ghastly messes on the floor.  Now you and your friends made a mess and you have to clean it up.  Spike will show you were the mop and towels.”
“Aw, but Rarity . . .”  Sweetie started to protest, but Rarity raised an eyebrow which silenced her complaint.
The three fillies dejectedly followed Spike to collect the cleaning supplies.  Jelly stepped into the main round room of the library, “Is Twilight here?”
“Over here,” a voice called from behind a stack of books atop a wooden table.  Twilight’s face appeared around the edge of the stack and offered her a small grin, “Sorry, I was just doing some last minute studying.”
“And I keep telling her that she needs to put the books away.  Winter Welcome has started and we need to go out there and have fun before we have to get ready for the Winter Dance.”  Rarity gave the books a vulgar look as if they were forcing Twilight’s attention onto them.
“I understand, in light of recent events, I think we should be prepared.  We all have had weird visions and what is Discord up to?  And that red comet I saw before Apple Bloom disappeared!  It’s all connected, I know it, but I can’t figure how.”  Twilight’s magic flipped through the pages of a tome as if she could hastily find the answer there.
Rarity put a firm hoof on the pages, halting the page turning.  Twilight looked up with strained eyes at her friend and Rarity softened her gaze.  “Twilight, the Princess herself said in her letter not to worry and enjoy Winter Welcome.  If there any need for you to worry, she would have said so.  And Discord hasn’t done anything since he disappeared.  He doesn’t seem the type to hide away and watch.  And those visions we all had, they were just that visions.  Remember all the foolery he put us through last time that nearly destroyed our friendship.  He’s trying it again and letting them scare us is just giving him what he wants.  He’s gone and he’s not hurting anypony right now and if he does come back; we have the Elements of Harmony.  And a red comet is simply a comet that is red.  Would you be any more worried if it happened to be blue, green, or purple?  Come now, darling, you are usually the logical one here.”
The lavender unicorn looked as if she was going to say something, but then closed her mouth as she digested her friend’s words.  She shut the book with a hard thump and stood, “You’re right.  You are totally right.  I am letting worry and fear dictate my actions.  I am going to have a good time today because I worked hard to make this Winter Welcome happen and then tonight we’ll have a Winter Dance and then in a few days we can all go to the Winter Ball.”
Jelly was silent throughout this exchange, her thoughts frozen when Twilight mentioned seeing a red comet.  And it was before Apple Bloom went missing?  Was she talking about seeing the ship landing?  It could easily be mistaken for a red comet if viewed by someone who has never seen a ship entering the atmosphere.
“What’s wrong, Jelly?  You looked as if you’ve seen a ghost.”  Spike appeared at her side startling her.
“Oh, I’m just cold.  I just came in from the cold.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       
“Sister, you are worried . . . as is your usual state these days.”  A dark alicorn with stars in her name hovered in the air.  “The foals have been found and returned to their parents.  They are celebrating that down below along with Winter Welcome and you should be part of that.”
Celestia, the Sun Goddess of the Ponies, stood at her bedroom balcony gazing out over the city celebration.  The midday sun glowed through the thick layer of clouds place there in preparation for First Snow.  The snow storm created by Discord didn’t reach Canterlot so it was still free of ice and cold.  The grey clouds hiding the snow matched her mood perfectly. 
The lovely alicorn turned to her dark sister and offered a small smile, “I know my companionship has been less than pleasant and I apologize.”
“You stewards are looking for you.  You left before the speeches.”  Luna landed on the balcony near her sister and folded her wings against her sides.    
“Do you sometimes wonder why our ponies put so much stock in fancy speeches and status when there is much more to life?  Why waste their short lives on useless and mundane things?”  Celestia tilted her head to look up at the sky as if the answer was there.
“I don’t know.  I’ve been away for a thousand years, remember?”  Luna offered a tiny smile at her own joke. 
“Discord left.  He fled as a rat fleeing a sinking ship.  He’s no longer on this world.”  Celestia took a shuddering breath that shook her sides. 
“And this is not a good thing?”  Luna inquired with raised brows.  “I thought for sure when we felt his release that he would cause havoc all over again.”
“But he didn’t.  He used his energy to take himself off this world.  Why?  Was there something here he was avoiding or is it part of a bigger plan?”  Celestia turned away, her hooves firmly tapping on the marble floor as she returned to her bedroom. 
Luna followed, beginning to share in her sister’s concern.  “Twilight’s vision.  The one she had when she attempted a memory spell, that is what has you worried?” 
“When Discord awakened, I had believed that he was the malevolent being in Twilight’s vision, but now I have my doubts which have been confirmed by his leaving.  Discord, as villainous as he may be, is not a being of hatred.  He could perform untold damage with his powers, but restrains himself to folly and tricks.”  Celestia paused by the tray of fruit and Petal Juice sitting cold in ivory jug.  “No, this thing is not of Equestria.”
Luna paused in mid-step as a tremor of fear touched her heart.  “You believe that the source could be something beyond this world.”
“Yes, something we cannot see and we have no power over.  Something, you and I with all our powers cannot stop.”  Celestia turned to her sister, fear reflecting in her lovely eyes.  “Sister, your power allows you to see beyond this world and in your thousand years on the moon, you must have seen many things beyond this small world.”
“I have seen many things that could easily threaten this world.”  Luna sat heavily on the floor as images of terrible things flitted through her mind.  “Most of them I can ward away, but there are other things out there that will not be so easily swayed, but I feared them not because they are so, so far away and busy about their own conflicts.”
“And if they should bring their conflict here?”  Celestia murmured.
Luna swallowed, “Then it could very well end Equestria.  For I have seen them.  I have seen them with such power that can tear apart worlds.  I have seen them destroy all life on a world just to collect the resources without hindrance.”
Celestia shuddered, looking ill at the thought of such disregard for life.  “Sister, I fear for my little ponies.  Eons of peace are wonderful, but it has ill prepared them for conflict or any war.”
“I will return to the moon.”  Luna stood, a firm set to her eyes and ears.
“What?  No!  Sister, no, no, you don’t have to go back.”  Celestia laid her ears back in shock as she shook her head making her mane waver.  “I just got you back!”
“Celest, I can see further on the moon than I can on Equestria.  If this threat is truly from beyond this world, then I have to be where I can see it coming as soon as possible.”  Luna put a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder to calm her.  “And I won’t be trapped there this time.  I’ll come down to visit often and I can still raise the moon and stars from there as well.  And this is not a permanent arrangement.  This is only until the danger has past or we’ve dealt with it.”
“There is . . .another option that you haven’t considered.”  Celestia whispered.  “Mama Grey . . .”
“No!”  Luna’s voice boomed in the Royal Canterlot Voice.  Her wings unfurled as her hooves left the floor.  She hovered in the air proclaiming, “Approaching Mama Grey always hath a price!”
“Sister, sister, voice.”  Celestia raised a hoof and lowered it slowly in indication of how Luna’s volume and body should go. 
Luna coughed loudly, before dropping back onto the floor embarrassed.  She swallowed and said in a normal tone, “No, going to Mama Grey always has a price attached.  You know that.  And why would she help us anyway.  Discord is her . . .”
“I am quite aware of that, but one thing you forget about her.  Mama Grey is as much a part of Equestria as we are.  If Equestria should fall, so would she,”  Celestia said gently as she stroked Luna’s mane to calm her.  “If any being would know what has happened, is happening, and what will happen is her.  And I don’t plan on going to her now.  There is too much to do with Winter Welcome and the Winter Ball.  If the threat is real, I don’t believe it’s immediate so we have time.”
“If you go, then I’m going with you,” Luna replied firmly.  “No buts or excuses.  I won’t let you go and pay her price yourself.”
“Alright, agreed.  Let us just hope that it doesn’t come to us having to go to her,”  Celestia said so softly, it may have been a prayer.