//------------------------------// // Unexpected Reunion // Story: Beyond Sisters Love // by Harmony Split //------------------------------// Chapter four: Unexpected Reunion The next days were short, but quite enjoyable for the siblings. They managed to get the second bedroom shaped and furnished. It looked much like Cloudchaser’s, but with decor that was more to Flitter’s taste. The only thing still missing from the house was the cloudshower, the frames, and the doors, but they doubted that they would ever get that shipment from the factory after what had happened. On the day of the trial both pegasus ponies were almost unbearably nervous. Celestia had promised to send a chariot to pick them up when it was time. They paced around in their living room, stealing glances through the window. They had no idea when the chariot would arrive, so in order to not incriminate themselves any further they kept a healthy distance from each other. But putting a distance between themselves only served to make the whole situation feel worse. Flitter wanted to lose herself in her sisters wings. In those feathers she could forget her stress and everything that might come. She could let loose all of her nervousness and simply relax. Cloudchaser felt the same way — she wanted to cuddle up and kiss her sister so that her mind could calm down. A loud grumble interrupted their restless minds. Flitter turned and stared at her sister when yet another noise came from her direction, or more precisely, from her stomach. Cloudchaser smiled sheepishly back at her sister, somewhat embarrassed. “Maybe we should eat some breakfast while we still have the chance? After all, we don't know when they will be here,” Cloudchaser said, earning an approving nod from her little sister. There would also be another benefit to them going to the kitchen. All the windows in that room faced north and provided no line of sight to where the small dining table stood. As such, there was no risk of being seen by anypony flying by. Cloudchaser walked into the kitchen, slowly followed by Flitter. As her elder sister sorted through the cabinets looking for something she could quickly make, Flitter found her eyes glued to Cloudchaser’s flank — it seemed to be begging for her attention. Celestia knows she tried, but she couldn't hold back any longer. They had been pacing and worrying for over three hours — three hours that had brought them nothing but misery and grief. Flitter walked up and drew her wings around Cloudchaser. She turned her around in a soft embrace before leaning in, and pressing her lips against the soft ones of her sister. Cloudchaser was surprised at first, but quickly leaned in, enjoying it deeply. As they broke, they shared an long loving glance into each other’s eyes. “Sorry, I needed that,” Flitter said sheepishly. Cloudchaser gave her a quick sensual lick up her muzzle before pressing their foreheads together. “So did I. Do pancakes with apple syrup and some strawberries sound good?” Flitter nodded eagerly and sat down at the dining table, letting her big sister prepare the food. This was a show she could watch forever: her big sister never ceased to amaze her with every little action she did. Cloudchaser was everything she needed and more. She was the love of her live. Most would say it was far too early to say something like that, but she knew, in her heart, that it was the truth. Cloudchaser enjoyed it almost as much as Flitter did. It took her seconds before she noticed her little sister’s eyes upon her. With a smile she would overexaggerate bending down to reach for a pan. She would purposely put a little more sway into her hips, and even swish her tail back and forth a little more than was necessary. She would never consider herself an exhibitionist, but if it was for her sister, well, that didn’t count. “Do you think that the princess will be able to help us?” Flitter asked. Cloudchaser flipped a pancake before pausing to ponder her sister’s question. “I don't know, my love. She is bound to the law, so she might not be able to do very much for us.” Cloudchaser sighed. Flitter winced. She knew it would be hard, but without support they would lose everything. She just hoped that the defender Celestia chose was good enough to help them. Her frown turned upside down as she caught sight of her sister's smile. A smile that cut through any doubt in her mind. As long as she is at my side, we can manage anything. Besides, totally worth it. Flitter smiled as that thought calmed her down. There was still a high chance that they would lose their case and be punished, but in Flitter’s opinion, it was worth it — no… Cloudchaser was worth it. If there was anything worth fighting for, it was love. She would fight for their love, she would fight for them to stay together, and she would fight to be allowed to love the mare of her choosing, the only one that meant anything to her: her sister, Cloudchaser. “Breakfast is ready.” Cloud smiled and carried a big plate of pancakes on her wing. Placing it on the table, she gave her sister a kiss followed by a small nuzzle, then sat down and grabbed several, putting them on her dish. Flitter gave her an amused gaze and she blushed. “What? I’m hungry!” She tried to defend her stack of pancakes with a pout. “You’re cute,” Flitter replied before loading her own dish. Just as they were about to dig in to their food, a loud knock sounded from the door, startling both mares. They shared a gaze before Flitter went to the door. As suspected there was a royal guard standing on the other side of the door. “Good day, miss. Princess Celestia sent us to make sure that you arrive on time for the court. Would you please inform your sister and meet us outside in ten minutes? I also have a letter for you that the princess wanted you to read before you come with us.” He passed her a small scroll with his wing before saluting and returning to his chariot. Puzzled, Flitter went back to the kitchen and slumped down next to her sister. Seeing Flitter’s worry, Cloudchaser stopped stuffing her face with pancakes and went to her side. She lightly rubbed her sister’s shoulders while Flitter unrolled the scroll and begun reading aloud. To Cloudchaser and Flitter, I know you might be worried about the contents of this letter, but please, rest easy. I simply wanted to inform you that the guard that gave you the letter will escort you directly to court, mainly for your protection. It saddens me to think that a group of my little ponies rose up in protest of you over these accusations. But please don’t do anything rash — even if you can’t place your trust in others, have faith in me. Once you’re inside the castle, I have personally selected a defender to meet with you and go over some last minute preparations. With best regards, Princess Celestia of Equestria The siblings looked into each other’s eyes with worry. This was it — this was the moment that would decide their future in Cloudsdale, possibly in Equestria. If things went bad, they could be locked up; they could be exiled. If she had to choose between the two, Flitter hoped for exile, because at least that would mean they could stay together. With a gulp, Flitter broke the silence. “We should finish eating quickly and get going. I don’t think they will look kindly on us if we keep the princess waiting,” Flitter said and her sister nodded before returning to her pancakes. They hadn’t had anything else to eat that morning, yet she still found herself without an appetite. “Cloud, for me, please.” Cloudchaser looked up at her little sister and saw the one thing she never wanted to see in those eyes: Flitter was crying. This… this was taking everything from them and they hadn’t even been to court yet. She knew that the pancakes didn’t really matter — Flitter just wanted this, she wanted this last meal she knew she would have with her sister. It was at that realization that Cloudchaser felt a trail of liquid running down her own muzzle. She wiped the tear off with a hoof and looked down at the stack. Moments ago they were the greatest thing in the world, now they represented something else, something that mattered to her more than anything else in the world. They represented the last meal the two sisters might ever share. If she didn’t want to eat them before, she definitely didn’t want to now. She wanted to freeze them in a magical stasis bubble, to keep this moment for all of eternity. Like if she could only keep this meal going forever then they wouldn’t have to face what came next. They could be happy as long as the pancakes were still around. “Please.” She sighed and picked up her fork in a hoof. One bite at a time the stack started to disappear. With each and every bite she felt like she was losing something important… she felt like she was losing her sister. It was the worst breakfast she ever had, but one she always knew she would remember; thanks to her sister. When the plate was empty, she looked up to see her sister was no longer sitting across from her. She felt a pair of wings wrap around her and tears falling onto her coat. “Thank you,” Flitter whispered. Cloudchaser started sobbing at that moment. “You know, it’ll be bad if the guard catches us right now.” “I don’t care,” Flitter said as she nuzzled into her sister’s neck, seeking what warmth she could. Cloudchaser felt her sister’s tears, each and every one of them. She also felt her sister’s love for her as she started to kiss her neck. If this truly was their last breakfast together, Flitter wanted to show her sister what she meant, and words were never enough. Her kisses started to make their way up her sister’s neck at to her ear. Lightly she took a small part of it in her mouth and started to nibble on it. Cloudchaser started to coo at her sister’s touch when there was another knock at the door and a voice outside called out, “It’s been ten minutes!” “We’re coming!” Flitter called and wiped a tear from her eye. She went to grab their scarves when Cloudchaser caught her hoof and brought her in for one last kiss in their house. She didn’t care about getting caught; she didn’t care about some law that thought it had some right to tell her how she could live her life. They weren't hurting anyone — they were simply two ponies that loved each other with all their hearts. How could that be wrong? She latched onto her sister’s lips like they were the last source of pleasure in this world. As if, were she to let go, all the good in the world would simply vanish; all the harmony in Equestria would shrivel up and die if she were to lose contact with those lips. Cloudchaser wrapped her sister in her wings and dipped her low. Never once did she let her go. Flitter lost herself in that embrace. It was everything she loved about Cloud, her Cloud, augmented by the horrible, abhorrent knowledge that this might be their last kiss ever. The paradoxical nature of these two opposing thoughts fought for dominance in her mind. She both swooned and cried at the same time. There was another knock at the door, this time far louder. “We have to go. You have five more minutes before we have to come in and take you out.” Both sisters ignored it for now. Only one thing mattered to them — the mare that they held in their grip. Flitter only opened her eyes when she felt something wet hit her eyelids. Without breaking contact, she looked up to see her sister staring down at her. There were tears falling from her eyes. At last, they pulled apart. Flitter had never felt so loved in her life. Somehow, someway, that kiss meant more to her than anything else they had ever been though. It carried more weight than even the first time they had physically expressed their love for each other. She lightly brushed a tear from her sister’s muzzle. “I love you, Cloud,” she said the words, hoping, praying that Cloudchaser would read into them her true feelings, the true way she felt about her. Love was a cheap word, a four letter word that tried to convey emotions that it could never fully represent. However, it was the only one she knew that even came close. She just had to hope her sister understood what she meant. She did. “I love you too, my darling Flitter,” Cloud said back with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Another shout came from outside. “You have ten seconds before we break down the door!” “As if I care,” Flitter said with a laugh. “If things go badly we’ll never return to this house; if things go well, we can fix it together.” She ran a hoof across her sister’s muzzle. Cloud pressed her muzzle into that hoof, enjoying the feeling of her sister’s touch. With a smash the door broke apart. The guard from outside stormed in to find both mares standing side by side, staring at him. “It wasn’t locked, you know,” Flitter said with an annoyed look on her face. “Yeah, some stallions just don’t understand the concept of fashionably late,” Cloudchaser said with a smile. “Funny,” the guard spoke in all seriousness. “I thought you two had fled.” “Fled? Where would we run too? This is our house, you know.” “Let’s go,” the guard said as he gestured for them to head outside. Both sisters took one last look around and headed out the door. It was unspoken, but they both agreed that this was their house. If they couldn’t be together here then the house meant nothing to them. They would either come back together or they wouldn’t come back at all. They hesitated for only a moment, one look at the other gave them all the courage they needed as they stepped into the chariot. The guard that knocked down the door nodded to his companion and they both took their place in front of the chariot. Cloudchaser noticeably shivered as the chariot started to move. They left their home for what might have been the last time, on a journey what would seal their fate. Flitter raised her hoof and rested it on Cloudchaser’s cheek for just a moment. That small action stopped her sister from shaking. “Everything will be alright as long as we’re together,” she whispered into her sister’s ear before lowering her hoof. Cloudchaser smiled at her with all the warmth she could manage. “Thank you, little sis.” “No problem, big sis.” Both of them found the journey nerve-racking in the extreme. Several times Flitter thought about grabbing her big sister and flying away to parts unknown. They passed several different mountain ranges — while it would be an extreme measure, they could hide in one of those and be left alone. The only thing that gave her the strength to continue was having the pony she loved by her side. Before long, Canterlot was in sight and they were forced with no option but to continue. Flitter felt her sister’s coat press up close against her. She smiled at that — Cloudchaser was her strength, she was her sister. As the chariot landed upon the paved gravel road in front of Canterlot Castle, they nearly lost it again, tears welling up in their eyes. The castle was the last place they wanted to be, but they couldn’t enter anyway — a huge crowd of ponies blocked their path. A red maned mare started to shout and soon the others joined in. “There they are! Incest is illegal and disgusting! Take your perversions and get out of Equestria!” Flitter shivered even more and her ears dropped. The guards climbed out of the chariot and gestured towards the castle. “Stay beside us; we will protect you until you’re safely inside and we deliver you to the defender.” The guards flanked the sisters as they made their way through the crowd. No face was friendly; every single one was filled with fear, disgust, and even hate. The guards increased their pace and soon they were at the entrance. The two unicorn royal guards at the front doors opened them with their magic. With spears drawn, they slammed the door shut once the sisters had made it inside, preventing the mob from following them. Their escort led them through various corridors to a large door at the end of a long hallway. The guards nodded and positioned themselves beside the door while the sisters gave each other one last glance before moving to open it. What they saw inside the room shocked them. Inside the room was a table with a chair at one side and two chairs on the other. On the lone chair sat a white pegasus with a cerulean mane, cyan eyes and a lightning bolt cutie mark over a dark cloud that neither of the sisters could ever forget. “Mom?”