Sunny With A Chance Of Rain

by Cloudline Dasher

Ch. 2: A Good Night To You Mom

In the matter of minutes, the sun would be completely behind the horizon. The sun turning the sky into an array of pink and tinges of fading blue. None of the stars up above had yet appeared, but the moon certainly had made itself known. Barely peaking out from behind a few stray clouds up in the sky. Hums of street performers played the faint tune of random instruments. Not too many a pony glanced their way as most were heading home to their loved ones. It was hard walking the streets of Zephyr Heights without getting attention from passerby's, especially when you had two princesses and an alicorn walking the streets. Admittedly, the streets seemed much less packed even during rush hour since pegasi now had all of the sky in between buildings to fly. Though, at the end of the day, some were just too tired to fly home, choosing to calmly walk instead. It was also heartwarming to see the random earth pony or unicorn wandering the streets.

“This is the first time the gang has split up since the return of magic, isn't it?” Pipp woefully whimpered, her voice traced with dramatic flare, “It's a shame that business be the thing to separate Hitch and Izzy from us! To think Business would stab us in the back like that? I love business! Performing for crowds of thousands! Showering us with diamonds!”

Zipp merely rolled her eyes, continuing her trot back towards the castle, “Sis, that's 'your' business. Hitch is a sheriff, and Izzy... Wait, what does Izzy do again? Professional crafts or something... Either way, neither have to 'perform' on stage. And since when have you ever been showered with diamonds? Other than that commercial anyway...”

“The Bridesmare Collection!” Pipp's smile absolutely beamed, ending her fond memories with a soft giggle, “That was a wonderfully fun sponsor, for sure.”

“So Pipp?” Zipp lightheartedly chuckled, but didn't manage to hide a tinge of nervousness as she broached the subject, “I know this is a touchy subject and all, but...”

“Oh?” Pipp rose a brow, already half knowing where this was heading, she hadn't exactly been subtle with her distaste with Moon Mist. It didn't help that Zipp was pretty awesome at reading her, “And what would that be, Zipp?”

The expectant and harsh tone that came from Pipp made Sunny shudder, but Zipp didn't seem to miss a beat, “Want to explain your gripe with Moon Mist? I mean... you managed to be friendly enough in the end, but even she could feel the um... lack of enthusiasm on your part.”

“I simply don't believe her sincerity is all.” Pipp stated quickly, flatly, and to the point.

Sunny and Zipp slowed their pace to look worriedly to one another, so Pipp took the opportunity to walk up ahead of the two. Zipp quickened her trot, to bring herself back to Pipp's side, “That can't just be it, can it? You can't just assume the worst in a pony.”

“Can't I?” Pipp hissed her words, rolling her eyes, “She monetized on our suffering, even if her words were sincere, it doesn't change that fact, now does it? Actions speak louder than words after all.”

“N-no... but, I can't hardly blame her for it, either. Ponies gotta pay the bills and all that.” Zipp weakly laughed, but honestly didn't know what to say to drive it home, “Just seems a little harsh is all.”

Zipp and Sunny nearly tripped on themselves as Pipp stopped in her tracks, whipping around to glare her sister in the eyes, “I'm a forgiving pony, Zipp... and even with my concerns, I'll be civil with Moon Mist, but...” Pipp lowered her gaze, her eyes shuffling as if searching for the right words, “But when I found out she was Sunny's sister, with Sunny being an alicorn no less! Who's to say she wont use her, our friend, to her advantage?”

“So that's the actual reason then?” Zipp gave a true to heart chuckle of relief, feeling as if it was all figured out all of a sudden, “It's less about Moon Mist and more about you being worried for Sunny?”

“I don't know how I feel!” Pipp nearly yelled, making a few passerby's jerk their attention to the princess, but she paid them no mind as her eyes remained on her sister, “I do worry about Sunny and her being used, but there is more to it! I've seen my fair share of derogatory streamers, you have to be careful of smaller creators using you just to build their own channel. All I'm saying is, I don't trust her, and I'm going to be keeping my eye on her. I can't promise I'll ever become friends with her, but I will try to remain civil... okay?”

When Zipp didn't reply right away, Pipp snapped her whole body back into a full trot. Hastily leaving the two behind with bewildered looks for a moment.

“Pipp, wait up!” The two called as they nearly took to the air to catch up.

After saying their good nights, Sunny groaned as she started to pull the door to her room closed. Her ears flickered as she heard familiar voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was clear it was Moon Mist and Sky Liner. The curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly stepped back into the hall, taking a sharp right. The voices became distinctly louder as she came to a stop by a door. The rooms seemed to be noticeably sound dampening and it was clear at least one of them was raising their voice at the other. Without thinking better of it, Sunny found herself instinctually pressing her ear at the door.

“All this time, mom! I had a sister and you never said anything!” Moon Mist's words growled out in anger. It was clear she was distraught, her voice wavering in an emotional mess.

“I told you, sweet heart...” Sky Liner's voice was low and calm. She sounded almost, defeated. In a way, it sounded as if she had been at this conversation for awhile, trying to convince Moon Mist, “It was the agreement Argyle and I decided to keep you and Sunny safe... A promise to one another. I never wanted to split up our family, but if the Queen at the time had found us...”

“Buck the Queen!” Moon Mist pretty much barked out, “Argyle... dad... is dead mom... do you not understand that? Your secret... stopped me from ever knowing him... If not for Sunny reuniting the ponies, I possibly never would have known her either. Were... were you just going to keep them secret from me forever?”

Sky Liner remained silent, her ears splaying back against her head. Sunny's breath wavered as she tried to keep it light and soft as to make sure they didn't hear. The emotions in the air and in her throat made it hard to stay quiet and calm. Sunny took a few steps back from the door. 'She feels a little like me towards dad...' Sunny's heart sank at that realization. She too had felt it, the tad bit of... hate. Sure, that felt harsh, but that anger was boiling deep down silently within her gut. The feeling of betrayal from not only her father, but from her newfound mother. 'I wonder if I would have reacted the same if dad was alive? Yelled at him... been angry with him...'

“I hate you!”

Sunny blinked in surprise. Had Moon Mist really said that?

“Moon Mist!” Sky Liner's voice softly called out. It remained gentle, laced with hurt and maybe a bit of understanding, “I'm so deeply sorry... I never meant to hurt you... or Sunny”

“Drop it!” Moon Mist yelled out, her voice no longer level due to the emotion behind it, “I don't want to hear another word!”

Moon's hoof steps could be heard nearing the door, making Sunny scramble to turn away. Only places she saw were random doors that led to other bedrooms, most likely to other ponies chambers. Or possibly rooms that remained empty for guests use. Her eyes landed on a table that had a table cloth and vase atop of it, darting behind it just in time to hear the door slam after Moon Mist ran down the hall. For a moment, Sunny waited to see if Sky Liner was going to go after her but the door never opened. Glancing between the door and the hall where Moon had went, Sunny decided to go after her. Taking off to a full gallop as she attempted to catch up to the emotionally distraught mare.

Moon's heart rapidly beat almost painfully in her chest. Her eyes landing to a balcony, slowing her gallop to a hasty trot before throwing her forehooves up to the balcony balustrade railing. Her wings jot open, splaying her wings to the whole world the blue that faded to bright pink feathers. She took to the air, only giving Sunny a glimpse of her pink tail disappearing from the balcony. Sunny turned the corner and skidded into the railing.

“Moon Mist!” Sunny called out, but to no avail. She was hastily going higher and higher.

Luckily for her, Moon Mist didn't go far. With a gentle flap of her wings, Moon Mist landed on a cloud up above the castle. The only thing being seen was her long bright pink tail drooping off the back, along with the faintest sounds of sobs. Sunny groaned at herself, 'I haven't learned to fly yet...'

The sudden flight that she achieved from her ascension had been a sudden assist of the excitement and power that came from becoming an alicorn; or so she assumed. Ever since, she couldn't do as much as glide, let alone go up toward where Moon Mist was. She decided on calling out once more, “Moon Mist! It's me, Sunny!”

Nothing...

Sunny gave out a defeated groan, her ears splaying back against her skull. Glancing over the railing, Sunny swallowed seeing just how high up they were. Not only were they high up in the castle, but this side overlooked the mountain side. If she failed to stay airborne, she would surely plummet all the way down. Despite her better judgment, her wings twitched at her sides. Slowly opening and closing as if daring her to jump. Surely she could just glide down if all failed. Sure, she would have a long trek back to the castle, but...

“Sunny!”

“Eep~!” Sunny fell backwards, her flanks smacking the floor before continuing her descent onto her back.

Looking up to the figure, it was Moon Mist. Even though she still had tears trickling down her face, she outstretched a hoof, “C-can you not fly yet?”

A bit of red flooded her cheeks as Sunny took the hoof, being gently pulled to a sitting position, “I... uh.. haven't learned yet, no...”

Moon Mist let out a wavering breath, unable to keep it steady as she spoke, “D-did you hear me yelling?”

Gently nodding, Sunny grasped Moon's hoof before it could fully leave her, “Yeah, are you okay, Moon?”

“I... I don't know...” Moon Mist admitted, red filling out her own cheeks. She tightly squeezed her eyes closed, her wings flaring to life at her sides, “But I don't want to be anywhere near mom at the moment!”

Letting out a small breath, Sunny tugged at Moon's hoof, motioning her to follow, “You can stay in my room.”

“I don't... want to be a bother...” Moon Mist's heart sank at bothering her new sister like this. She already made a fool of herself, yelling like an idiot at their mom. What was Sunny to think, that she was prone to emotional outbursts? Not that she regretted her choice words with Sky Liner. At lease, for the moment.

“You're no bother.” Sunny pleaded, tugging Moon's hoof once more before letting go, “You need a safe place to cool off. Not on a cloud in the middle of the night!”

That managed to get a small giggle from Moon Mist, making Sunny grin softly. Moon remained silent as Sunny led them to her room. Moon Mist sat near the foot of the bed as Sunny pulled the door closed. She could feel Moon's eyes on her as she quickly went over to her photograph and straightened it.

“What was he like?” Moon softly spoke, barely above a whisper.

Sunny turned to look to Moon, only to find she still had the faint tear trail down her cheeks, landing gently at the floor by her hooves. Eyeing a nearby vanity, Sunny made haste pulling a tissue and going to Moon's side. She lifted the mare's chin with one hoof, before gently wiping the tears from the pegasi's blue cheeks. Moon Mist's eyes widened at Sunny's sudden actions. Her hooves slowly went up to touch her cheeks. Surprised at the loving gesture from her new sister.

Sunny noticed the look, making her own cheeks flush a tad, flustering her a bit, “I uh... Dad... Argyle Starshine. He was a great dad. He was always playing pretend with me, telling me stories of the mane six and how all the ponies used to play and have fun together. We would bake and play games. Even Hitch would join in at times with us.”

“I'm not sure you went into detail. What... what happened to him?” Moon Mist choked out her last sentence. She had calmed down a lot thanks to Sunny, but she still wasn't quite there yet. Her mind still flashed back to her mom and her chest would flare with anger all over again.

“Not entirely sure...” Sunny admitted, looking to the photo once more of her dad and her.

“What... do you mean?” Moon quizzically rose a brow.

“It was several years ago. Dad was always heading out to some far off place for his research. He even brought me to a few of them. When he didn't come back on one of the missions, a party set out to find him. Later on, the sheriff at the time, before Hitch, he sat me down and told me my dad was dead. That... a large dragon swallowed him whole before his very eyes.”

Moon Mist's eyes slowly went half lidded, she let out a shaky breath before asking, “D-do you think he suffered... going out like that?”

Luckily some of both her dad's and her research led her to know a bit on the subject of dragons. Both to her benefit, and dismay, “Dragons normally eat gems. Their stomach is basically lava and magma, so if he truly was eaten, he would have died instantly.”

Remaining still for a moment, Moon Mist slowly spoke, “You don't sound so sure, Sunny.”

“I didn't believe him for a long time, Moon Mist. I was just a teenager at the time. I wanted to go after and try to see for myself, but didn't know where to look. After about a year, it kind of just... hit me. He was dead, Moon. No amount of hope is going to fix that. And he never came back... and he never will...” Sunny's eyes misted over, slowly breathing to fend off the tears.

“I wish they told me... told us... I could have been there...” Moon Mist gave out a small sound like a whimper, inhaling suddenly as she was about to break into tears again. She pulled Sunny into a weak embrace, her chin landing on Sunny's shoulder. Her hooves lazily wrapped around Sunny's forehooves.

“You should forgive her... Forgive our mom, Moon.” Sunny softly spoke, reaching up to embrace her sister.

Moon pulled away, her eyes glaring, her brow turned down with a rather hateful look, “Why? Why should I? She betrayed my trust... our trust!”

Pulling away, Sunny pulled the photo from the wall, walking back over to Moon. Moon gently took the picture, a small smile forming as she ran a hoof over the glass. She couldn't help the happiness from seeing the gleeful smiles on Argyle and Sunny's face. Feeling the sorrow and longing of wishing she was part of the picture.

“She's our mom... It could just as easily been her that was dead...” Sunny's eyes lidded slightly, before she looked down to the picture in Moon's hooves, “I'll admit... I'm angry at him. Angry for keeping a sister from me. Keeping a mother from me. Making me live in that big light house all alone after he left. But you know what?”

Moon Mist cutely tilted her head, her nose scrunching up. She had more tears in her eyes, but they hadn't fallen quite yet, “no... what?”

“I forgive him. He's our dad and I love him. He wouldn't have kept it from us without good reason. I believe that, that's why I forgive him, and that's why I'm going to forgive mom too.”

Moon fell quiet at that. Part of her knew Sunny was right. She should forgive her mom, but a part of her stubbornly held on to that feeling of betrayal. Her heart ached when her mom would cross her minds eye. Sunny scooted forward, pulling her sister into a firm embrace. Moon's breathing wavered as she let out an unsteady breath.

After a few moments more, they broke apart, Moon offering the most sincere smile she could muster, “I'll try... I think I need some time, but I'll try to forgive her.”

“Good.” Sunny smiled back, nuzzling her cheek against Moon's.