//------------------------------// // Chapter 124 - Sister // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// “Sweetie Belle” Spike shared his dream with me and my friends. It was about him, where he found himself in a clearing within a forest. He said that he saw Jay, or Jay saw him. It wasn't really that important though, he told us. Anyway, the scenery were changing rapidly for him to understand what was going on. There was a scene where Jay stared quietly at a tomb stone, and then on a bed, and then on a dungeon, and then outside a house. For a dream, it was too confusing to understand. I've had weird dreams before. That's not unusual, but Spike explained that it was weird because he really felt like he was really talking to Jay. “Well,” I spoke, catching my friends' attentions. “I did hear about special kinds of dreams where somehow, you can be inside the same dream of somepony you really wanted to talk to...or something like that.” I've tried that before though. Being a unicorn, you can use your magic to help you with almost anything. Anyway, I called it dream magic. Every time I try and go to sleep, I always try and use my dreams to seek out my parents. ...I couldn't reach any of them though... They disappeared one day... I couldn't really remember exactly when, but I guess it was when I was still a small filly. The war back then was pretty scary. There were also times when I tried to reach out for my big sister, but her dreams were...uh, never mind. I could count the times I tried reaching her through my dreams though, but I always quickly end the connection. Her dreams were... “Why are you blushing like that?” Scootaloo asked, but her grin spoke something else. I tried glaring at her. “I just asked you how those special kinds of dreams work, but I guess I got my answer,” she snickered. “N-no! It's not like that!” I blurted out, “you got the wrong idea!” “Suuure...” she snickered, and Bloom joined her. Ugh, these two are horrible! “What are they talking about, Sweetie Belle?” Spike asked, blinking at me. Is he really this innocent? I find that hard to believe though. He could stand his ground on the battlefield, so I thought that he's old enough to know these kinds of things. I guess that's what makes him...cute... “Uh, Sweetie Belle?” “I'm fine, I'm fine!” I replied hastily as I looked away to hide my blush. I heard my two friends snickering back there. Ugh, those two...! The rest of the travel was spent by pointless teasing here and there, and some small talk about random stuff. And oh, Spike got another mail. It was from Jay this time, which gave him a really cute smile. Anyway, the pegasi stallions landed on the castle ground of the Castle of Unicornia when he was about to reply. We jumped out of the carriage and went towards Princess Twilight and Prince Shining Armor. The latter was staring at us neutrally, while the former was glaring at Spike, who was looking down on the ground. I wanted to say something, but uh... “Spike,” Twilight spoke icily, her voice felt colder than the calm snow falling down from the sky. “You left the castle without informing me. Care to explain?” “Um...” Spike slowly looked up, and met Twilight's glare with his gaze. “...Jay needed...help...?” The air was quiet for a few seconds before Twilight sighed, closed her eyes and rubbed her head with a hoof. “Figures...” Twilight murmured as she turned around and trotted inside the castle. I turned to Shining Armor, who was looking at Twilight entering the giant double doors of the castle. When she was gone, he sighed and smiled. “Whew, glad that went well than expected...” He then faced us with that same smile. “Anyway, Twiley will be expecting the four of you in the library.” He nodded, and I noticed his smile went wider than it's suppose to be. “You seem to be so happy,” Scootaloo pointed out, “it's good being a stallion again, huh?” She snickered. Shining frowned and his ears drooped. I turned and glared at my pegasus friend. “Not meaning to be sexist,” Shining spoke with closed eyes, “but I'd rather be a stallion. Thank you very much...” He then turned and followed Twilight. “Phew...” Spike sighed in relief. He took a few steps forward and turned, giving us a smile. “Well, we have the heart. Let's go and ask Twilight of how we should send it to Jay.” “She was here a moment ago,” Scootaloo pointed out. Spike stared at her flatly. “Didn't you notice how angry she looked?” He shook his head slightly. “Anyway, let's go!” The three of us nodded. Spike turned and led the way, but after a few steps, I heard a familiar voice from the opposite direction. I stopped and looked, and I saw my big sister was talking with a few unicorns at the castle's gates. “Sweetie Belle,” I turned and saw Apple Bloom and the others were already by the castle's door. “You comin'?” “Um...” I bit my lower lip as I glanced back at my sister. It has been a really long time since I last talked to her. I vaguely remember why we grew distant though... “I uh... I'll catch up with you guys...” When I turned back at my friends, I caught their gaze was on my sister merely seconds before they looked back at me. Apple Bloom smiled at me and nodded. Scootaloo frowned and her ears drooped. “It's okay. We understand...” Apple Bloom nodded again and turned. Spike looked at me curiously, so I smiled at him and nodded. He smiled and trotted inside the castle. Scootaloo sighed again and followed Spike and Apple Bloom. Oh, right... Rainbow Dash... I think I need to come up with something to cheer her up again. I mean, it's not like I wanted her to feel like that again. I just...miss my sister, I guess... I turned and took slow steps towards Rarity. Her coat was almost as white as the snow covering the ground. Her bluish-purple mane was falling straight down, as well as her mane. I guess she just recovered from the Poison Joke incident. As I got closer, I caught a few of her conversation with a few unicorns. “—and don't forget to check the houses around the base of Unicornia.” My sister said, and the four unicorn mares wearing saddlebags nodded. “I heard that there are a few unicorns living there, for reasons beyond my knowledge. Anywho, please be on your way. Princess—er...Miss Sparkle would want every unicorns recovered within an hour.” I stopped a few hooves from her when the four other mares nodded and trotted out of the castle's vicinity. “Oh?” Rarity turned to me and gave me an awkward look. “Um, hi Sweetie Belle...” “Hi...” ...and then we went dead quiet... I sighed. “Look, Rarity,” I looked down at the snow-covered ground. I never would have thought that it would be this difficult to talk to her. It feels so...awkward... “I uh...miss you...” I slightly looked up, and I saw her mouth hung slightly open. I think she wanted to say something, but I guess I took her unprepared for what I just told her. She sighed as she hung her head low. “The war really separated the two of us, hadn't it?” I nodded. I doubt she could see it though... “...and things got a little awkward between us...” “W-well...” I stammered as I looked elsewhere to avoid her curious gaze, “m-maybe more than just a little...” I took a glance, and I saw that she had a small smile. “Well, yes, probably more.” I faced her, and she smiled. “I missed you too, Sweetie Belle.” She then frowned. “Where on Unicornia had you run off too for all these years?” Oh... I shyly looked away. “We-well, you know...” “Minus the time that you took off with your, um, companions, the last time I saw you was during that fire training you had with that cruel Starfall.” “He was being a jerk, and you weren't...you weren't there to help me that time...” I said in whisper, but she still heard it. Rarity's slightly angry look became a sad look as her ears flattened. “Believe me, Sweetie Belle... I realized too late of how he treated you fillies,” she sighed. “Yes, it was training, but he shouldn't have acted to be so cruel to you.” I blinked. Y-yeah, I guess that part was true, but... She sighed again and stared at me with a sad frown. “B-but it was my fault as well... I should have been there...” That was true as well, but... “...it was also my fault. Instead of telling you, I ran off...” “To Unicornia knows where...” she sighed and I winced. She then flashed me a small smile. “So, shall we...start over...little sister?” “Y-yeah,” I smiled warmly at her as I took a step closer. “I'd...I'd love that.” Even though I'm a young mare now, there's still a small and longing filly deep inside me. I woke her up and let her hug her dear sister that she missed for years now. It felt so...strange, but it feels safe, somehow... “But I don't want to talk about stallions and sex and stuff...” I spoke while we were still in a sisterly embrace. Rarity chuckled sadly. “Aw... You just had to get rid of the fun things we could talk and do together...” “Rarity...” She chuckled nervously, and rubbed my head down to my mane. “I was kidding, Sweetie Belle...” “Sure you were...” I teased.