She believed her. She really did. After all, she'd never been given a reason not to.
The week hadn't been kind to poor Pinkamena. She had never seemed quite content to just work on the farm, but it was easier back then. Back then, it was all she knew. She had no clue what she was missing by going on with her usual routine, and barely had an idea that she was missing anything at all. Now, she had experienced true happiness and joy, found her life's purpose, and gotten used to her new path in life. And then, in one swift moment, it was all gone. One couldn't even say that everyone had gone back to the way it was, because there was one vital, glaring difference. Some ponies, waxing poetic, would say that to never know happiness would be preferable to finding it and having it taken away, and such was the case with the poor pink filly. It was evident in everything she did. Her work suffered, she would often keep silent even when allowed to speak. She'd still sing her part of the sisters' song for their parents just fine, but her heart clearly wasn't in it.
Octavia was the only one who would see her happy at all during that week. Each night, she would wait for their parents and Aquarina to fall asleep before sneaking out of her room to join Pinkamena in hers. Each night, she would poke her head into her sister's room, and Pinkamena's face would instantly transform. Away went the gloomy haze that surrounded her, replaced by the sweet, cheerful grin that Octavia had become used to since the day that the rainbow exploded in the sky. It might not have been as big, as glowing as it was when she would throw her own parties, but it was there nonetheless, and that was all Octavia wanted. At first, she was surprised that she was even able to coax it from her. Octavia was no master of throwing parties, and truthfully, her slumber parties, in her opinion, sometimes didn't even really deserve the "party" moniker. In Octavia's limited experience with parties, she knew them to be loud and raucous, two words which certainly could not appropriately describe what Octavia was doing for her sister. Their parents and sister would certainly be woken up by any loud noise, and that was not something that they could let happen. Octavia was also no good at coming up with activities for the two. Most party games, from what she knew, involved more than two ponies. Octavia's ideas were usually limited to minor things, such as telling fairy tales to each other. Sometimes she wouldn't even have an idea at all, and they would be stuck just sitting there and talking. Regardless of how boring Octavia thought her ideas were, though, Pinkamena would always give her her most appreciative smile, hug her tightly, and thank her before the two drifted off to sleep. Truthfully, that was all that Octavia could ever want. Her sister had promised to always be there for her, and she wanted to make sure to do the same for her.
She was as surprised as anything after that seventh night of doing this when she woke up to find Pinkamena not in the room. The two of them, since starting this, had been waking up a few minutes before the family, so Octavia could sneak back to her room without anypony finding out what they'd been doing. The gray filly searched every corner of the room, in case her sister was hiding and waiting to surprise her or something, but found no trace of her. She checked the bathroom, only to find it unoccupied. She even checked her own room, though she could not think of a reason for Pinkamena to have gone there. She was starting to get very worried, and despite the risk of waking her family, decided to head downstairs and see if she had perhaps snuck down for a bite to eat. Quickly, yet still quietly, she scampered down the stairs, only to find that her efforts at stealth had been for naught, for there were her parents and Aquarina, gathered around the dinner table. Octavia skid to a halt, looking like a deer in the headlights as her family turned to look at her. She expected looks of anger, or at the very least disappointment, so her surprise upon finding them with sad looks on their faces was palpable.
"...Has anypony seen Pinkamena?" Octavia asked tentatively. Pickerton sighed a heavy sigh, then motioned for her to come join them, which she did without hesitation. She looked around at her family. Even Aquarina seemed down.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Octavia asked, afraid of what the answer might be. She'd never seen such a look of sadness shared by her entire family before, and it was making her very nervous. Her parents gave each other a look, before passing a sheet of paper over to their youngest daughter. Her small hoof received it, pulling it closer to have a read. She already knew who it would be from, but the pink stationery that it had been written on would have made it evident if it were not already.
Dear Family,
By the time you read this, I will already have left, as I cannot continue to stay here under
these conditions. I don't blame you for this at all, as I know my behavior made things hard for you,
and that it was the only decision you could make. I've decided to go out on my own to follow my
destiny. I still love all of you very much, but in the end, I think it's better for all of us if I leave.
Octavia stared at the note in silence, unable to find words appropriate for the situation. Her parents sensed her sadness, and Pickerton rested a hoof on her back, but she swiftly pushed it away.
"Why didn't you stop her?!" Octavia shouted. She had never raised her voice to her parents before; doing such a thing was strictly forbidden. It was all her mind would allow her to do, though. "You could have stopped her from...from..." She shook with sorrowful rage, unable to continue. Both Goodie and Aquarina wore expressions of shock, but Pickerton simply sat there.
"I couldn't have stopped her if I tried, Octavia," he answered, a hint of sorrow to his tone. "With the way things were, it was bound to happen. Despite her obsession with partying, Pinkamena is old enough and mature enough to make her own decisions." He moved in to place his hoof on his daughter again. "I'm sorry, Octavia. We miss her too." Once again, his hoof was shoved away by the confused, hurt gray filly. She opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't speak around the sobs that threatened to show themselves. In a flash, she slid from her chair and ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her. The Pie family patriarch let out another pained sigh, as his wife placed a hoof on his.
Octavia cried in her room for what felt like an hour, although she wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed. Why didn't anypony stop this from happening? How had she not even heard Pinkamena leave? She wasn't exactly a light sleeper, but surely that would have been enough to wake her up. And why didn't Pinkamena even wake her up to say goodbye? She was risking getting the both of them in trouble by setting up these slumber parties for her sister each night; the least she could do was give a proper goodbye. But there shouldn't have been a goodbye at all. Octavia's sorrow began to give way to twinges of anger and frustration. Pinkamena had said that she would always be there for her, and despite her flighty behavior ever since discovering her cutie mark, she had believed her. And now she was gone. Gone, without a trace. No hint on when or if she was coming back. Not even an address to reach her at. Just gone.
The gray filly looked up as her bedroom door opened. She expected one or both of her parents, but was met with the face of her remaining sister instead. She rubbed her eyes and sniffles as Aquarina approached, hopping up onto the bed with her.
"I'm sorry, Octavia," Aquarina said softly, patting her on the back. "I know what it meant to have Pinkamena here to be there for you." Octavia whimpered, moving closer to Aquarina as she opened her forelegs for a hug.
"I-it's not fair..." the gray filly whined as she was embraced by her sister.
"Shh, shh," Aquarina whispered, stroking her sister's mane. "I know. It isn't fair at all." Octavia closed her eyes tightly, letting her sister comfort her. It was rare to see this side of Aquarina, uncommon to hear her voice in a soothing tone, rather than a demanding or even mocking one.
"I-I can't believe it..." Octavia continued, shaking a bit. "She didn't even leave a way to contact her..."
"I know, I know," Aquarina cooed, hugging her tightly. "It wasn't right of her to abandon her family like she did." Octavia looked up at the word "abandoned." She mouthed it, her voice box not seeming to want to use it in reference to Pinkamena. It just didn't seem to fit. And yet...
"But I'll never abandon you like that, Octavia," Aquarina whispered, giving her a sisterly nuzzle. "I always told you that Pinkamena was irresponsible. I'm just sorry you had to figure it out this way. But don't worry. I'll be here for you." With that, she let go of the hug and slid off of the bed. "You just come back to my room whenever you need me, okay?" She gave Octavia a smile, then exited her room.
Octavia sat there, letting this all sink in. Maybe Aquarina was right this whole time...she'd never have believed it before, but then again, she'd never have believed that Pinkamena would...abandon her. She felt her chest tighten up, feelings of sadness and depression fading, replaced by feelings of resentment, thoughts of betrayal. How could Pinkamena do this to her family...to her? Did she even care about them? No, of course not. If she had, she never would have abandoned them like this. Small gray hooves threw the first thing they could reach: a little twig diorama that Pinkamena had made for her of the two of them during one of her "Celebrating Sisterhood" parties. She watched the memento careen across the bedroom and hit the wall, breaking in two, separating the two stick ponies in an accidentally appropriate fashion.
She had believed her. She really had. After all, she'd never been given a reason not to. Clearly, she'd been wrong in doing so.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Absolutely not."
Two words that Octavia had hoped not to hear, but expected all the same. After all, she hadn't seen Pinkie since she left home, and had nothing on which to base a sudden change of opinion towards her. She looked quietly at her sister, who sat across from her. The years had changed Aquarina quite a bit. Of the three sisters, she was the most well-built, having taken on Pinkie's part of the physical work once she left and Octavia's after she decided to devote her time to her music. After their father became ill, she slowly started taking on his work as well. She had welcomed her destiny of working on the farm, but her sister could still see the resentment in her eyes from time to time. Resentment of Pinkie for leaving, just as Octavia had once harbored, and perhaps even resentment towards Octavia for going down her own path. If that existed, though, she'd never said a word to Octavia about it. Once Pinkie had left, Aquarina had admittedly been a model sister. Her bossy nature still showed, but she had shown a new, kinder side to accompany it, something that Octavia had really needed after Pinkie's departure. She lent her an ear to listen to her problems, a shoulder to cry on, and anything else she could want within reason. Forgiveness for Pinkie, however, seemed to fall outside that realm.
"But why, Aquarina?" Octavia asked, even though she knew the answer. She tried to continue, but Aquarina's rising voice cut her off.
"She left of her own volition," Aquarina hissed, her brow furrowed. "She could have stayed here with the rest of the family, but she left. She abandoned us, Octavia, and I don't have time for somepony who doesn't have time for us!" She accentuated this by pounding a hoof on the table that separated them, causing a small, jagged fissure to form from the point of impact. "Don't forget, you felt the same exact way about her until now!"
"You don't understand, Aquarina," Octavia responded, trying to keep her own temper down, away from the levels to which her sister's had already elevated. "I spent the last couple of days with her, and she's really changed a lot. I mean, she's still a crazy party animal, but she's definitely matured since she left."
"It's hard NOT to mature from the way she was acting before she left!" Aquarina retorted, crossing her forelegs. "And mature or not, that still doesn't change the fact that she doesn't give a flying feather about her family!"
"But that's not true!" Octavia answered, her own voice beginning to raise despite her efforts to level her tone. "She was happy to see me, and as soon as I told her about Dad, she wanted to help! She organized an entire fundraiser in Ponyville to raise money for us! How is that not caring for her family?" Octavia took a deep breath. She didn't like to shout, but she couldn't help it. She watched her sister for a reaction, hoping for one of resignation. Her spirits lifted as Aquarina sat there, looking as if she was trying to contemplate Octavia's point. It wasn't long before her bravado returned, albeit a bit diminished.
"Well," Aquarina asked, "if she wanted to reconcile so badly, then why didn't she come here with you? Why do you have to drag me all the way to Ponyville?" Her tone had softened a bit, as if she was trying to pose the question not only to Octavia, but to herself.
"She was helping to organize the fundraiser," Octavia answered.
"And another pony couldn't do that?" Aquarina responded. Octavia sighed.
"For some reason," she told Aquarina, "she was convinced that you and our parents wouldn't want to see her." Octavia sat back, waiting for Aquarina's snappy retort. After a moment of silence, she looked at her sister curiously. Aquarina was a bit of a loudmouth; it wasn't like her to not offer any form of comeback. In fact, something definitely seemed off in general about her demeanor. In the years since Pinkie had left, Aquarina had really stepped up as a support for her. Like their father, she rarely showed signs of weakness, so much that Octavia had practically forgotten what it was even like to see a crack in her armor. Yet she sensed something in Aquarina now, something that she was desperately trying to hide.
"...Aquarina?" she asked tentatively. The blue mare sat silent, staring down at the table.
"...I'm sorry, Octavia," she finally said, her voice showing the slightest signs of shaking.
"No, I understand that you're still upset," Octavia responded. "But if you just..."
"That's not what I meant," Aquarina interrupted. She looked up, confusing Octavia with a pained expression.
"Then what?" she asked. Aquarina let out a deep sigh, and the floodgates opened,
"I was always jealous of what you and Pinkamena had," Aquarina admitted, trying but failing to keep herself composed. "You always looked up to Pinkamena, always followed her around...and I wanted that. I wanted to be the one you looked up to, but it was always her."
"Aquarina...that's not true..." Octavia answered, taken aback by this revelation. "I looked up to you too."
"But it never felt like it," Aquarina responded, the shakiness in her voice growing. "I know I'd often come off as bossy, but I just wanted to be the responsible one. But you always went with her and her silly ways, and it just...it really hurt. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, but..." She couldn't finish her thought, too choked up to continue. Octavia could barely find words herself. Aquarina had never spoken a word of this to her, or to anypony else as far as she knew.
"...But why are you telling me this now?" she asked softly. Another deep sigh from her sister.
"Wait here," Aquarina said, and headed upstairs. Octavia did just that, racking her brain to try. And figure out what it was that Aquarina could have gone upstairs for. She wasn't left much time to think, though, as her sister returned, carrying with her a small piece of stationery. She sat back down, placing the paper on the table.
"I'll understand if you hate me after reading this," she said, refusing to make eye contact as she slid it across the table. Octavia took it in her hooves. She instantly recognized the worn pink stationery as she started to read.
To Aquarina: we've had lots of differences, but that doesn't change the fact that I'll always love you. To
Octavia: I'm so sorry that I broke my promise to always be there for you. I just hope you can forgive
me. Please keep up the cello playing and follow your dreams. With your talent, there's no way you can
fail. If anypony wants to reach me, I'm heading to Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville. I've heard they're
looking for an apprentice. I'll understand if you don't want to write, though.
Love always, Pinkamena Diane Pie.
"It was a two-page letter," Aquarina said, having lost all semblance of trying to keep her emotions in check. "I woke up early that morning and found it...I was just so angry that she left, and resentful that she wrote more to you than to me, and that all combined with the jealousy ...it was too much. I took the second page and hid it, then woke our parents up and showed them the first page." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I thought it was a great idea...that it would finally make me feel like you looked up to me, and let me be the good, responsible sister that I wanted to be...but all it did was make me a terrible sister to you, and to Pinkamena too. I'll understand if you never want to speak to me after this...I deserve it."
Octavia sat there, stunned. No, stunned wasn't the word. Hurt. She thought back on all the years that she'd spent stewing over things, letting her feelings of anger towards her estranged sister fester, and worse yet, having those feelings validated by Aquarina. All this time, Aquarina had reminded her of a betrayal that was more severe than the reality of the situation, used it against her to fulfill her own needs. She wanted to be mad at her. She wanted so badly to leave the farm right then and there, to make her feel the pain that she'd had to deal with all these years because of her. As she looked into her sister's eyes, though, she realized that she just couldn't do it. Their parents had always taught them that two wrongs did not make a right. Even though what she did hurt, in some fashion, she had done it to get closer to her. Aquarina's methods were flawed, but in truth, even though Octavia wasn't quite as at fault, she also could have been better to Aquarina. She could have shown her some more respect than she did before Pinkie had left. Maybe if she had, none of this would have happened. She watched Aquarina sigh and get up, and realized that she had stayed quiet for too long.
"Aquarina, wait," Octavia called to her. She watched as her sister turned to look at her again. Despite her tough exterior, Octavia looked at her and saw a little filly who just wanted her sisters' admiration.
"You don't have to say anything," the blue mare said. "I did a terrible thing to you and our entire family."
"What you did was bad," Octavia responded, trotting up to meet her. "But you're still my sister, and I still love you. And while we might not be able to fix what was done, we can do our best to make up for time lost by it." She embraced her sister, who wrapped her in a tight return hug. "I love you unconditionally, and you've got another sister in Ponyville who does as well." Aquarina nodded her consent.
"I guess it's about time for a reunion."