//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Sweetie Belle's Big Sister // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// Rarity stood between herself and the demonic puffball, scolding the both of them. "...and I don't want any more fighting from either of you!" Rarity finished, huffing angrily. She nodded, a fake smile plastered across her face, then looked down at the white horror. 'Next time, she won't be there to intervene, then we shall duel again' she thought, already planning her next battle with the so-called 'pet'. Her chasing of the white beast resulted in the demise of several plates sitting out on the counter, as well as a pitcher. 'A splicer would make a better pet than that thing...' Rarity left, and the two glared at each other, before each heading their separate ways. She disregarded anything more to do with the 'cat', finding she hated the furry thing with every fiber of her being. (She was also quite happy to avoid it whenever possible). The battle would be long and great, the battlefield bloody as the two fought endlessly, claiming honor and glory as- A soft tapping at the door interrupted her, and on instinct, she went up the stairs, annoyed that she needed to keep herself out of sight. But based on the sound of the knocking itself, it sounded like the yellow pony with the wings had come calling, for whatever reason. In hindsight, she really wasn't aware of what the colorful ponies did (save Rarity) when they weren't frequenting the boutique. The 'pegasus' seemed fond of small animals, the three butterflies impressed upon her flanks only proving to strengthen her theory. Perhaps the annoying purple one would know... She shuddered. Nothing was worth that. She and the unicorn had their differences, as you can imagine. Sitting boredly in the hall just beyond the stairs, she heard the sound of another voice, as well as another set of hooves on the show floor below. Holding her ear to the door, she listened intently, hoping to find something worth listening to. "I suppose darling, as long as she's alright with it" "Oh, of course" replied the voice of the quiet pegasus "I wouldn't dream of harming her" 'What're they talking about?' she wondered, sitting back as the clop of hooves against the wood flooring grew closer. Her suit made no small amount of noise as it scraped against the floor in her attempt to scramble down the hall. She bit back a laugh, here she was, trying to escape from a talking pony, no higher than her knees. "Oh goodness!" the quiet thing yelped, rushing to her "Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?" 'Well, she cares,' she thought, letting the pony's hooves touch to her forehead 'a lot like...' She gulped, forcing some sort of emotion down her throat. '...a lot...like...Tenenbaum...' Memories suddenly surfaced, images and short instances of the kind woman and her actions towards her sisters and herself when they were young. She loved the woman dearly, like a child would a parent- the connection had faded overtime, still there, yet remained in tact just the same. She remembered the safe place, where she slept, ate, and played with her sisters. She miraculously saw herself on that first day- cold, alone, her daddy gone, and no idea where he went. 'I didn't even get to say goodbye...' she thought bitterly, suddenly realizing something wet was running down her pale face. Wiping the back of her hand over her face, she came to find that it wasn't blood, as she was expecting, but rather, tears. 'I'm crying...' she thought, hating the clear liquid on her hand. Big Sisters don't cry- she wasn't a child, she never cried, maybe when she was younger, but now was certainly not acceptable. 'Why am I crying?' More of the drops continued spilling from her tearducts, confounding her further as she did her best to wipe them away. Her eyes locked onto the pegasus, who was staring back at her with a comforting look in her eye, her hoof outstretched. "Wh-wh-at do y-ou wa-n-t?" she asked, surprised to find her voice at a tremble. "You just looked so sad...I just want to help" She stood shakily, rubbing the last of her tears away as she stepped over the pony, making a beeline for her room. "D-don't need help, f-fi-ne on my-my own-" The pegasus nodded sympathetically, then left the hall, heading back down into the shop, leaving the Big Sister to herself. 'My burden to carry, my burden to carry' she repeated inwardly, heading into her room and locking it behind her. "Her memories seem to be returning to her," the stallion commented, stepping away from the window. "So it seems," the mare replied "then again, you can't find something you never lost" "A fair point" the stallion conceeded. "Though, perhaps our judgement was a bit...nearsighted..." "Oh?" "They've constructed a bond faster than we'd imagined," the mare explained "that will make things a bit more difficult, down the road" "It all depends on which path one chooses on that road" "Possibly" The two continued trotting down the main thoroughfare of Mane Street. "But perhaps the real question would be- will the path matter, when it all circumnavigates to the same place?" "Well shall see, I suppose" "..." "Quiet for once?" "You wound me, brother," she replied sarcastically, not a bit of it showing on her face "but no, things might go a bit...sour...if things do not go well" "Things will go well, they have gone well, and they'll continue to go well," he replied "things get set in motion at specific times and places, everything happens for a reason" "Not everything is able to be explained straightaway," she said "but, progress is progress, I suppose..."