//------------------------------// // Story Time // Story: Her Sister // by femikol //------------------------------// Twilight was sitting at her desk, her muzzle buried in her books, as usual, when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up. "Come in!" She called out. The door opened, and a small, purple with a rainbow mane rocketed into the library, before noticing Twilight. Twilight could see the filly's eyes scan all over her, then come to rest on her wings. The filly suddenly let out a gasp, her eyes widening in excitement as a huge smile appeared on her face. "It's her! Rainbow! It's her!" The small filly shrieked in excitement, causing Twilight to drop her book in shock. "I know, I know." A familiar voice chuckled. Twilight looked at the doorway just in time to see her cyan blue friend enter the library, behind the filly. "Hey, Twi!" Rainbow said when she caught sight of her friend. Twilight's eyes flew to the mysterious filly's rainbow mane, then to her friend's mane, her brain attempting to make a connection. Does Rainbow have a sister?! Twilight asked herself. Now that she thought about it, Rainbow had never really talked about her family, or her past, for that matter. The most Twilight knew about Rainbow's past, was that she had gone to a flight school, and pulled off the legendary Sonic Rainboom. She had never talked about her family, or her past that much, so it came as a shock when the nameless purple filly with a mane exactly like Rainbow's had come barging through the door, and started squealing in delight at the sight of Twilight herself. Twilight attempted to suppress her shocked expression, and attempted a small smile. "Hello, Rainbow." She began, her eyes darting back to the small filly, who had now scampered over to her, and was looking up at her with a look of pure admiration on her face. Twilight broke her gaze, and turned her attention back to Rainbow with a look of confusion. "Is this your sister?" "Yes." Rainbow said, in a surprisingly happy tone of voice. "Her name's Skyla. She's staying with me while our parents are on vacation." Twilight raised an eyebrow at this piece of information. "Why didn't you tell us, Rainbow?" She looked back down at Skyla, who had started to check out her cutiemark. "That's a cool cutiemark, Princess!" Skyla said happily. "Skyla?" Rainbow called to her sister. Skyla stopped her thurough examination of Twilight's cutiemark, and turned her head back towards Rainbow. "Yeah, sis?" She replied, her happy expression still on her face. "Why don't you go find a book? I need to talk with Twilight for a few minutes. Okay?" Rainbow explained. Raimbow's tone of voice intruiged Twilight. It didn't sound commanding of forceful at all. It sounded like Rainbow was asking, which surprised Twilight. It was about as common for Rainbow to ask something, as it was for Celestia to raise the sun two minutes late. But then again... Twilight considered. She is apparently Rainbow's sister, so I could see where she would be kinder to her. Twilight watched Skyla eagerly run off towards the filly's section, and pick out the first book of the Hoovebbit series, and eagerly jump on a couch for a spot to read. Twilight smiled. The Hoovebbit was her favorite book series as a filly, thanks to her dad for reading her the first book. "Yes, Twi." Rainbow's voice snapped her back to reality. "What, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, a bit confused. "I was answering your question." Rainbow giggled. "She is my sister. Though you probably already knew that, once she called me 'sis'." Rainbow directed her gaze back to her sister, with an almost motherly look in her eyes that Twilight had never seen before in her headstrong friend. "She's actually been dying to meet you, ever since you became a princess. You know how fillies are, sometimes." Rainbow continued. "You give them a chance to meet a princess, and they completely loose it." Twilight giggled at that last statement. Even she couldn't deny that. She remembered that, back when Shining Armour had been promoted to the captain of the royal guard, and her family got to done with Celestia in celebration, Twilight hadn't been able to stop jumping for the whole day, until the dinner with Celestia had arrived. "Uhhhh... Twi?" Rainbow's voice came, derailing her train of thought. "Hmm? Oh, yes, Rainbow?" Twilight muttered, still remembering how the dinner with Celestia had ended with her hiding in Celestia's bed chambers. "Skyla and myself came here so she could meet you." Rainbow began, gesturing over to Skyla with her hoof. "I kinda had to talk to you, but, now that I'm done, she's all yours." Twilight looked at Rainbow in shock. Rainbow wasn't usually this considerate towards ponies, but since Skyla was her sister, Twilight pushed it to Rainbow being in a 'big sister mode' or something related to that, however, Twilight was quite interested in Skyla, and she was quite curious to see just how much of her big sister had rubbed off on her. Twilight watched Rainbow hover over to a shelf, and pull out a Daring Doo book, and proceeded to sit down on a sofa, to read it. Shaking her head, Twilight walked over to Skyla, who noticed her arrival. Just like that, Skyla put down the book she was holding, and moved over, to make room for Twilight. "Thanks, Skyla." Twilight said, as she sat down in the space Skyla had made for her. "You really didn't have to move, you know. I would have just pulled up another chair." "It's okay, Princess." Skyla cheerfully said, her gaze on a Twilight. "You can call me Twilight, if you want, you know, Skyla." Twilight hastily said. "Okay." Skyla cheerfully replied. Twilight blinked in confusion. It seemed like Skyla, and Rainbow were quite different. Skyla seemed to pay attention to titles, and she was kinder than her egotistical sister. Nevertheless, Twilight really liked her. "So, Skyla," Twilight began hesitantly. "what do you Rainbow do in your spare time?" Skyla blinked at her. "You mean like once when she visited us, or before she left?" She inquired. "You mean she was different before she left?" Twilight asked in confusion. Skyla looked away from her, her eyes' energetic sparkle Twilight had grown accustomed to, in the brief time she had known her, now gone. "A b-bit." Skyla mumbled softly. "But I'd rather not talk about it." Twilight sensed she had touched a very sensitive subject for Skyla, and instantly backtracked. "Oh, sorry, Skyla." She apologized. Skyla looked back at Twilight, the sparkle in her eyes back. "It's okay." She said, the slightest touch of sadness still in her voice. "So, then, what about when she came to visit you?" Twilight asked, determined to change the subject. "When she came to visit us..." Skyla began. She looked up at the ceiling of the library, as if it held her memories of when Rainbow had come to visit her. "She had come with a few books. When it was time for bed, she read some to me, until I fell asleep." Skyla turned back to Twilight, her happy expression back on her face. "She's the best big sis ever!" She exclaimed. Twilight was slightly taken aback by this interesting piece of information. Rainbow read books to Skyla? But, she barely reads! Hay, she didn't even read the Daring Doo book until she had reached the pinnacle of boredom! Twilight concealed her shocked expression, and instead, patted Skyla on the head. "I know, Skyla. She's actually a great friend, so I can easily imagine her being a great big sister." Twilight said. She had to admit, though, the thought of Rainbow reading a book to anypony, even her sister, was hard to picture, regardless of the circumstances. "What kind of books did Rainbow read to you, anyways?" Twilight inquired. The fact that Rainbow would read to her sister, made Twilight curious as to what type of books Skyla enjoyed. "Any kind." Skyla happily replied. "When she came, she had brought one or two books of each kind. Like science fiction, history, or fantasy. The only ones she didn't bring were horror stories. I would pick out a book from the ones she had brought, and she would read it to me until I fell asleep." "Interesting." Twilight replied, determined to find out all about Skyla's book preference. "So what kind of books do you like?" "Hmmm..." Skyla mumbled before answering. "Adventure is my favorite kind, but I really like fantasy, and historical fiction." It seems like Skyla has Rainbow's love for Adventure stories. Twilight decided, when another thought occurred to her. "What about romance?" She inquired. "Do you like romance books at all?" Skyla contemplated Twilight's question for a second, before responding. "They're okay." She decided. "But they can be a bit slow at times." Twilight felt like she had to agree with Skyla there. Twilight enjoyed a romance from time to time, but she felt that sometimes, they could be a bit slow. "Skyla!" Rainbow's voice called out from the sofa across the room. Twilight, and Skyla dropped their conversation, to both look over at Rainbow, who was looking back with a smile on her face. "Look outside." She said, pointing out the window with her hoof. Twilight and Skyla both looked outside, to see the sun starting to set. "It's getting late." Twilight commented. "Yeah, it is." Rainbow said. "Sorry, but I need to pull Skyla away from you. I don't think she's even eaten yet, have you, Skyla?" Twilight looked at Skyla, who had looked back towards Rainbow, her head hung low. "No." Skyla muttered. "Okay, so then let's get you home, and I'll cook something up. Okay, Sky?" Rainbow offered in her cheery voice she seemed to use around Skyla. "You'll be able to visit Twi tomorrow. It's not like she's going anywhere." Skyla's cheery air returned to her, and she lept out of the couch, skidding into a halt in front of Rainbow. "Okay, then. Let's go!" She exclaimed happily. "One second, Skyla." Rainbow walked over to where Twilight, and Skyla were before, and picked up the Hoovebbit. "Can I borrow this?" Rainbow inquired, showing Twilight the book. Twilight nodded silently. She guessed that Rainbow was going to read it to Skyla until she fell asleep, like Skyla claimed Rainbow did before. She watched with a smile, as Skyla, and Rainbow took off towards Rainbow's house, then Twilight picked up the Daring Doo book Rainbow had cast aside, and put it back in its place. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Okay Sky, I'll get some food going." Rainbow said warmly, as she pushed open the door to her house, and gestured for Skyla to walk in. "Okay!" Skyla said happily, walking over to the table, and sitting down. After a few minutes, Rainbow handed Skyla a daisy sandwich, and took one for herself. "I know it's not much, but I'll read you a book after this, okay?" Rainbow asked. "Okay!" Skyla happily said, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Once they were done eating, Rainbow walked over to the kitchen counter, and picked up the book she had tossed aside. She walked over to the couch Skyla had sat down on, and sat down beside her. "Okay, do you want to hear this?" Rainbow asked, holding up the Hoovebbit. "Sure." Skyla said happily, causing Rainbow to smile. "Okay then." Rainbow said, opening the book. "Let's start at the beginning, then." . . . After about a half hour of reading, Rainbow stopped, and stole a glance at her sister. Skyla had fallen asleep, her head lolling on Rainbow's shoulder, her chest rising and falling in time with her breathing. Rainbow gave her sister a big smile, and placed the book beside the couch. She snuck her wing behind Skyla, allowing her to rest on it, then gave her sister a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Skyla." Rainbow whispered to her sister. She then laid her head to rest gently on top of Skyla's, and let sleep overtake her.