Rainbow groggily opened her eyes, groaning at the prospect of having to wake up, and face a new day. She rolled over, and sunk her face back into her cloud pillow, determined to get back to sleep.
Just another day. She inwardly grumbled. Another day of having to go to work, bust a few clouds, then... Her eyes shot open as she remembered just exactly what today was. She jumped out of bed and let out a happy cry. "Today is when mom and dad drop off Skyla!" She exclaimed, eager that, after three years, see would finally get to see her little sister again. Without sparing a second, she shot off to work, determined to get the day over with.
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A purple pegasus filly, no older than ten, sat on a train headed towards Ponyville, looking at the setting sun. Her carefully braided rainbow mane resting peacefully on her right shoulder, wearing an expression somewhere between happiness, and nervousness. She was overjoyed that she would finally see her sister again, and rather nervous about being apart from her aunt, and uncle for three weeks. It wasn't that she didn't trust her sister, it was that this was in a way, the first time in living memory, that she would be apart from her parents for more than a few hours.
"Sky?" A female voice interrupted her thoughts.
She looked towards her aunt. "Yes?" She asked nervously.
"I know you haven't seen her in a while, but listen..." Her aunt began. "You know Rainbow. She'll take good care of you, and if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to send us a letter, okay?"
Skyla nodded, slightly reassured, but still nervous. She felt a hoof land on her shoulder, and turned around to look into the eyes of her uncle. He gave her a small smile. It was his reassuring smile. The kind of smile you couldn't help but smile back at.
Next stop: Ponyville Station. The announcer's voice came out loud and clear.
This is it! Skyla thought to herself, excitemet taking over her body. I finally get to see Rainbow again! She quickly put on her saddle bags, and, as the train screeched to a halt, and the doors opened, she stepped out, into the air.
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Rainbow stood at the Ponyville Train Station, excitement coursing through every fiber of her body. Today, after three years, she would finally see her sister again. She held her breath as the train slowly stopped, and opened up the doors. The first pony that stepped out was a purple filly, no older than ten, with a rainbow mane. All of the ponies around Rainbow looked from the filly, to Rainbow, each noticing the similarities, with an expression of shock on their faces. Upon seeing her, the filly gasped, and an expression of pure happiness crossed her face. "Rainbow!" She cried, jumping at Rainbow, and tackling her to the ground in a fierce hug. She buried her face in Rainbow's chest, earning her a small chuckle from her sister. Rainbow smiled affectionately at her sister, and happily returned the hug.
"It's been so long, Sky." Rainbow greeted.
Skyla unlocked herself from the hug, and looked into her sisters eyes, neither of them caring about the ponies around them, who were staring at this interesting set of events. All that mattered to her, was that she finally got to see her big sister again.
"It's been so long." Skyla said, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. She then wrapped her sister in a hug once again. "I'm so glad I get to see you again, sis."
Rainbow hugged her back, albeit a brief one this time, then freed herself from her sisters hug. The both of them stood up, ignoring the ever present stares from the other ponies, and turned to walk out of the station, towards Rainbow's cloud house.
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Skyla deposited her saddle bags onto the couch of Rainbow's house as she made herself at home.
"I'll get a room set up for you!" Rainbow called out to her sister.
"Okay! Thanks, sis!" Skyla called back.
She proceeded to wander about her sister's house for the next few minutes. It was quite large, unlike her parent's apartment in Trottingham. There were posters of all of the wonderbolts, trophies, and pictures of other mares whom Skyla didn't know. One was a unicorn, two others were Earth Ponies, one was a pegasus, and the other one was... Princess Twilight?! Skyla looked at the picture in shock. She knew all to well of the new princess who had achieved alicornhood just over a year ago, but why did her sister, of all ponies, have a photo of her? At just that moment, Rainbow cane walking into the room Skyla was in.
"Okay, I've got your room set up now." Rainbow cheerfully said. "I'll get your saddle bags, and put them in your room, okay?"
"Rainbow?" Skyla began, "Why do you have a photo of Princess Twilight? Do you know her or something?"
"Huh?" Rainbow asked as she walked over to where her sister was. She followed her sisters gaze to the pictures of Twilight, and the rest of her friends. "Oh, that! Yeah, she's my friend."
"You're friends with the princess?!" Skyla nearly shouted in disbelief.
"Yeah. I am." Rainbow stated plainly, a smile on her face. "I can take you to her if you want. She lives here in Ponyville."
"She does?" Skyla gasped in delight. "That's awesome! Can you take me to her?"
"Sure." Rainbow giggled at her sisters reaction. It was always every filly's dream to become a princess, so whenever one had an opertunity to meet a princess, they would totally loose it. Even Rainbow couldn't deny that she would have been like that when she was a filly.
"Yay!" Skyla exclaimed, jumping up and down in happiness. Rainbow giggled once more, and gave Skyla a wide smile.
"Sky, has anypony ever told you how cute you can be at times?" She asked.
Skyla stopped jumping for a second, and looked at her sister for a few seconds. After deciding that it wasn't a trick question, she gave a small "No.".
Rainbow looked at her in confusion for a moment, and gave her a big hug.
"Then let me be the first." Rainbow began, still holding Skyla. "You are the cutest thing in the world, you know. It's really adorable."
"So..." Rainbow continued, removing herself from the embrace. "How about going to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
Skyla gasped in delight once more, and without saying a word, raced towards the door, Rainbow calmly following her, and chuckling all the while.
"Let's go, then." Rainbow said once she got to the porch of her cloud house. She spread her wings, her sister doing the same, then the two of them took off towards Ponyville.