"You want us to do what?!" Double Diamond gasped.
"SHHH!" Night Gilder, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor shushed him.
"We don't want to wake up Starlight to know what we are doing!" Sugar Belle urged.
"Come on, DD! It's the least we can do for Sunset. Her birthday is coming up and you know she's begged Starlight countless times to let her explore the outside world." Night Gilder pointed out.
"I promise I'll be back in three days, tops!" Sunset pleaded. "Please, Double Diamond, you've got to help me out… I know you'll get in trouble because of me, but that's why I'll come back. I can't leave you guys with her. I won't abandon you the way my parents abandoned me…"
The trio looked at the white earth pony to see how he would respond. He gave out a sigh, "All right… but you have to be back in three days. I don't think we'll be able to stall her any longer than that…" He suddenly got tackled by five ponies squeezing him in a hug, which made him accidently bump a ladle that flew across the kitchen and onto a stone pony attached to the fireplace. The ladle landed on the pony's nose, which made its head tilt and a secret staircase showed itself in the floor.
The group gaped at the stairs.
"That's new." said Party Favor.
"You mean…? None of you knew about this?" questioned Sunset.
They shook their heads.
"I wonder where it goes…" Night Gilder motioned.
"There's only one way to find out…" Sunset started making her way down with the others hesitantly following behind her.
Once Sunset reached the bottom, she found a room full of things that were used for storage.
"Looks like no pony has been down here in a while…" Sugar Belle noted.
They started looking around before Sunset opened up a trunk and found a little yellow box that matched her coat color. She opened it and music played.
"That's a nice tune." commented Night Gilder.
"I wonder what song is that?" said Party Favor. "What do you think, Sunset? Sunset?"
But Sunset Shimmer had drowned out all voices speaking to her and focused solely on the music playing. To her, it sounded familiar as if she had heard it before… The words began to escape her mouth, "Constant as the stars above… Always know that you are loved… And my love shining in you will help you make your dreams come true… Will help your dreams come true…" She stood there while the ponies behind her gave confused looks.
When the music started to fade, she looked in the box to find a chain with half a heart attached. There were three words on it that said, 'SIS'. Then, she examined the box and found at the bottom her name 'Sunset Shimmer' etched in.
"What…?" Sunset was surprised to see that.
"Oh, my…" said Sugar Belle when she saw what Sunset was seeing. "It has your name on it."
"Which means that the music box rightfully belongs to you." said Party Favor.
"But… why would Starlight want to hide it down here if it's Sunset's?" questioned Double Diamond.
"If you ask me, the whole thing seems very suspicious." pointed Night Glider.
"That the music box is suspicious or the fact Starlight kept it hidden down here away from Sunset is?" Party Favor asked.
"Obviously, Starlight is trying to hide something from Sunset and refuses to tell her. Why does she always keep her here when Sunset requests that she wants to leave?"
"Those are good questions," said Sunset, "and here's another: why would this necklace have only half a heart and the word 'SIS' on it?"
The ponies just shrugged, unable to answer that.
"Well, I'm going to find out, cause you're right: Starlight has been hiding this from me and I want to know why. I'm going to Canterlot tomorrow to find out."
Night Glider saluted, "You can count on us."
The rest of them nodded and they all got into a group hug.
As nightfall was draping over Canterlot castle when Luna raised the moon, the kids were still too excited and playing in one of the castle rooms. Their mothers then walked in and Applejack said.
"Okay, time for bed!"
There was a huge groan as the kids stop playing.
"But we're not…" Apple Jewel yawned, "…sleepy…"
"Yeah, we want to keep playing." said Screw Ball.
"Can we?" questioned Gemstone.
"Please?" they all pleaded with big eyes.
Rainbow gestured, "Ah, sorry, but we need our rest and so do you."
There was another groan.
"Tell you what?" said Twilight. "We'll teach you a special song your grandmother used to sing to us when we were young…"
"What was it?" Cotton Candy asked.
"Yeah, what was it?" Whirl Wind asked, too.
"For this, we're going to need special aids." said Pinkie.
Rarity motioned, "We'll be right back and don't even think about resuming playing." They quickly went off and then came back, each carrying a small box that each had their coat colors.
"What are those?" Dignity questioned.
"These were gifts that your Grandmama and Grandpapa gave to us when we had turned one year old." explained Fluttershy.
"They had one made for each daughter." Twilight clarified.
"But what is it that they are for?" Fire Spark asked.
"For singing, of course!" Pinkie beamed.
The kids said, "Huh?"
Twilight smiled, "Don't worry. You'll see what we mean, but we'll have to sing the first part without music because your grandparents have the music to it. So, ready, girls?"
"Ready." they replied.
Then, Pinkie blew on a harmonica to start them off, and the girls began to sing to their children. Elsewhere, their husbands were wondering where their wives were with the kids. They managed to find them in the room and listen in at the doorway with their wives being unaware of them, "Constant as the stars above… Always know that you are loved… And my love shining in you will help you make your dreams come true… Will help your dreams come true…"
Twilight nodded to Fluttershy, who opened her bright yellow box and it started playing. She sang alone, "The lamb lies down and rest its head on its mother's downy bed… Dolphin plays in the moonlight glow…"
Rarity opened her white box and took over, singing, "And butterfly dreams of a violet rose… Dreams of a violet rose…"
Applejack opened her orange box and sang, "I'll cradle you in my arms tonight as sun embraces the moonlight…"
Rainbow opened her blue music box, "The clouds will carry us off tonight…"
Pinkie opened her pink box, singing, "Our dreams will run deep like the sea… Our dreams will run deep like the sea…"
Then Twilight opened her purple music box, singing out, "Constant as the stars above… Always know that you are loved and my love shining in you will help you make your dreams come true… Will help your dreams come true…"
They looked at their kids, only to see that they had just sung them to sleep. Suddenly, they heard slow clapping and they turned to see their husbands smiling.
"Uh… How long have you been there?" Applejack questioned.
"Long enough." answered Discord. "Pray tell, what was that charming melody?"
Twilight shushed him and pointed back to the sleeping fillies and colts. She whispered, "Let's get the kids to bed first…"
They agreed and each couple took their child (or children) in embrace or magic. Once the kids were all tucked in the beds of their guest rooms, the parents met in a separate room where they could talk without disturbing their kids.
Twilight spoke while holding her music box, "To answer your question, Discord, that was a lullaby we sung to the children. It was a song our mother sung to us when we were little just before going to bed." A memory came to her, recalling being led to the bedroom she and sisters shared by her father on his back. They walked in with her mother singing the whole song that the girls just sang to their little ones. Then, Sombra put young Twilight in her bed and Celestia, still singing, came over to kiss her cheek. The parents went to the door and she told her daughters 'good night'.
She shook out of the memory just as Rarity was explaining, "It was a song that only our parents knew and they taught it to us. As their daughters, it was only passed down to us and no one else knows."
"We each hold a lyric in the music boxes they give to us on our first birthday as a way to help us sleep." enlightened Fluttershy.
"Ooh, a secret song. How unique." Discord wrapped his lion paw around his wife, "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I guess… because it was a secret between me and the girls that I didn't need to tell you… Are you mad?"
"Nah," Discord waved his talon nonchalantly, "but I admire how you kept it a secret for so long."
"Gotta admit, I'm impressed, too." Cheese looked at Pinkie, "You tell me just about everything, but tonight, I learned something new from you."
"Oh, come on, Cheesy! You must have at least one secret that you haven't share with me either."
"Well…" Then, he blushed beet red, "it's nothing!"
Discord smirked, "Ooh, that usually means there is…"
"That's right," Pinkie grabbed her husband by the shirt. "Now spill the beans, mister!" She offers him a can of baked beans.
Sweat rolled down his face as everyone stared at him, "I… Um…" He quickly pointed up, "Oh, look! A big red balloon!"
She turned her head, "Ooh, where?!"
Cheese then made a dash for it and she turned back and shouted, "Shoot! I fell for the red balloon trick, again!" She called out, "Cheese Engelbert Sandwich, you tell me your secret this instant!" She dashed after him.
Discord couldn't help but snicker, "Engelbert… I'll have to remember that one…"
Fluttershy patted his arm and said, "I think we best get to bed now, honey…" Then she squeaked when she got lifted up.
"I couldn't agreed more…" he twitched his eyebrow at her, causing her to blush, "Well, night, y'all!" He snapped his fingers and they were gone.
Spike stood and stretched, "Well, best we get to bed, too."
Applejack yawned, "You said it." They took their leave as well.
"I, for one, need to get my beauty rest. Good night, darlings." waved Rarity as she and Fancy Pants bade good night.
"Come on, Dash. We better get to bed, too." Soarin' helped his wife, who was starting to droop.
"Night, Twi. Night, Flash…" Rainbow said wearily before going.
"Good night." they both said, realizing they were the only two left.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Well… I would, but I need to show you something first." She magically got her box and opened it while the music was playing, but then, she took something out. It was a chain with half a heart and on the heart was the word 'TER'.
"Wha…?"
"It was like this for as long as I can remember. I asked Mom what this necklace was and she told me she couldn't remember. She thinks that two of my sisters must've gotten into a fight and somehow, the other half of the heart must have broken off in the squabble."
"But it doesn't look like it's broken off. In fact, it looks custom-made…"
"I think so, too, but I'm not sure."
"What does the 'TER' stand for? You know?"
"I have no idea."
"Do you think maybe it's related somehow to your dream?"
"I don't how, but honestly… I think you're right… This necklace is just mysterious as that dream. What do they both mean?"
"Not to mention that the dream comes around close to your birthday and this music box was also a gift for your first birthday and so was that necklace. They're both connected to your birth."
"Yes! What does it mean?!"
Flash could only shrug.
She sighed, "Well, I guess I have to worry about it later. Tomorrow, I have to focus practicing shooting a flaming arrow through a ceremonial ring, which will happen on the eve of my coronation."
"Just what is the point of the flaming arrow?"
"It's symbolic for lighting my own eternal flame. My father did it for his coronation and his ancestors before him, so naturally as his heir, I must carry on the tradition."
"Nervous?"
"A little. Thankfully, I get to practice with non-flaming arrows first."
"That's a relief."
They made it back to their suite, but just as they made to their bedroom, they were surprised to see Starling sleeping under the sheets.
Twilight thought glumly, So much for one night…
Flash and Twilight knew then they were going to have a problem.