//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: The Phoenix Tear // by CartoonNerd12 //------------------------------// Sunset lied on her bed like a bump on a log. She would not eat, she would not sleep. Her friends tried to cheer her up, but it was no use. "She's been like that for the last two days. What could be wrong?" Sugar Belle said while they were the kitchen. "I don't know," shrugged Party Favor, "and Starlight Glimmer doesn't even care. She's actually giving Sunset time to get over what's bugging her. She even lifted her punishment so she's free to roam about the house again, but Sunset refuses to leave that tower now." "It's so weird." said Night Gilder. "And it all started when the princesses had to leave abruptly." said Double Diamond. "What do you suppose happened?" Sugar Belle questioned. "Sunset looks like she's in a lot pain when I try to bring up the subject. She just does not want to talk about it." They all looked up at the ceiling to where Sunset's tower was and at that moment, Sunset was on the bed heavily sulking. Her coat was paler and her eyes displayed emptiness in them as she stared at the wall. Suddenly, she heard a chirp filling the room and she slowly turned to see a phoenix coming over to her and nudging her head. "Philomena…" Sunset said, barely audible. Philomena chirped again. Sunset started to gently stroke the bird's head, "You seem to be the only one I can talk to these days… You obviously have no idea what your owners have done… Especially since… their mother…" she found it hard to say 'our mother', "…had given up on me and didn't love me…" Philomena chirped sadly. "But you care, don't you?" she stroke the phoenix's feathers. When she remembered fully well she was the Queen's pet, she sulked again, "And that's all I'm going to get, aren't I?" Philomena chirped again, took something from underneath her wing, and held it out with her beak. Sunset gave a puzzled expression and then realized it was her half of the necklace that said 'SIS' on it. She arched her brows and Philomena went towards the window. Sunset followed and found Philomena landing on a purple alicorn that was on the ground. Twilight told Philomena, "Good girl. Now go join the others." The bird did her bidding and flew off as Twilight looked up and met Sunset's gaze. Sunset frowned and said bitterly, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave me alone…" Twilight gave a determined look, "I did, but I realized a friend was in trouble, so I've come back to help." "I don't need your help!" "Sunset, whatever you've been told is a lie!" "You're the lie!" "Wrong! If I was the lie, then that would make you the lie, too! Because it's true, Sunset, we are twins! Sisters!" "Of course we're twins! You knew that along!" "No! I didn't! I didn't find out until you told me!" Sunset bellowed, "If that's so, then why did our parents give me up, huh?!" "They didn't give you up! You were stolen from us!" "Yeah, right! That's pretty pathetic, Twilight!" "It's true! I can prove it to you!" Sunset was genuinely surprised and whispered loud enough for Twilight to hear, "Can… Can you really?" "Yes, I was a given a potion that allows me to see into the past. I saw everything, Sunset. It makes sense: why we have the same dreams every year before our birthday… I think it's because deep down inside us, we've been desperately trying to find each other again…" her eyes started to glisten, "Sun-Sun…?" Sunset gaped, "Sun-Sun?" She could vaguely remember somepony calling her that a long time ago. She looked down to see that Twilight was crying and that caused her to shed a few tears as well, "All right… show me this potion that can look into the past. I want to see for myself if what you're saying is true…" Twilight beamed as she started flapping her wings and landed in the tower. She used her magic to summon the potion she had taken before. She handed it to Sunset as the latter used her own magic to take it and look at it curiously. "You know, I think I've read something about this before. If it can really look into the past…" she exchanged a glance with Twilight, who nodded. She took a breath as she braced herself and took the potion in one gulp. "Nothing's happening-" She was cut off as her eyes glowed white and then she found herself in a nursery where a majestic king and queen were looking at a crib. Pretty soon, events unfolded before her and she was in awe. She started singing, "Is this my past here before me? Is this my story unfolding? It's all here to discover… Everything that I am… Can this be what I've been seeking? All my life I've been waiting for this and now these memories…Will they make me see more? Ooo, I want to know where I belong… I want to know where I came from… I want to know the reason why I'm here… The way I am, feeling the things I feel… Is this my family? Can it really be them that I see? My father and mother? And in her arms can it really be me? All these emotions I can barely control… 'Cause the family I had is not the family I know… Ooo, and I've got to know where I belong… I gotta know where I came from… I gotta know the reason why I'm here… The way I am, feeling the things I feel…" At that point, Twilight joined her in song, "These spirits calling me… Familiar voices haunting … Disappearing, taunting me…" Sunset resumed singing on her own, "This is the choice, I must make... 'Cause I know where l belong, I know where I, I came from… I know the reason why I must decide and leave here the mare I am inside… The future is clear for me to see… To be the mare I'm meant to be… Like my sister with my head held high… Standing tall and proud of all that I am…" She said under her breath, "I'm a princess…" Once they came out of the trance, they stared at each other for a bit before they both broke down and wrapped their hooves around each other. Once they calmed down, they took the two necklaces they had and put them together, showing the word 'SISTER'. "They loved me… They really loved me…" Sunset muttered. "They did," Twilight assured. "They were just forced to forget you all these years…" Sunset felt a burning rage rising inside her as she shouted out, "SHE KIDNAPPED ME! SHE LOCKED ME AWAY FOR ALL MY LIFE! 'PROTECTION,' SHE SAID! 'OBEDIENCE,' SHE SAID! SHE WAS LYING RIGHT TO MY FACE! SHE WANTED TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD SO I WOULD NEVER FIND OUT THE TRUTH AND FOR ANY PONY ELSE TO FIND ME AND BRING ME BACK TO MY RIGHTFUL FAMILY!" "Hear! Hear!" said Rarity as she and the other girls, including the four servants, walked into the cramped room. "Golly, sugar cube… I'm really sorry she let us take our memories like that…" Applejack apologized. "Yes…" Fluttershy somberly said. "I hope you could one day forgive us…" She was on the verge of tears, but was surprised to receive a warm hug. "No, it wasn't your fault. You were far too young to know what was going on at the time… Starlight is one who's at fault…" she gritted her teeth. Then she went to the music box, which was still on the floor, and gently picked it up. She opened it up as the tune began to play, causing her and her sisters to sing. "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… The lamb lies down and rest its head on its mother's downy bed… Dolphin plays in the moonlight glow… And butterfly dreams of a violet rose… Dreams of a violet rose… I'll cradle you in my arms tonight as sun embraces the moonlight… The clouds will carry us off tonight… Our dreams will run deep like the sea… Our dreams will run deep like the sea… 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…" It was then that Sunset knew she belonged. She looked at every one of her sisters, including the ones who came after her and Twilight. Even though she could not remember them, she knew deep in her heart that she was meant to be with them. This was her family. After years of feeling lost and wondering, she finally found them, and she was never letting them go ever again. They embraced each other for a while until Rainbow started to yell, "Let me at her! It was bad enough she stole memories from our parents and sisters, but for her to steal our baby sister too, she's got it coming to her!" she smacked her hooves together. "Yes, but you must be careful of how you'll approach her…" Sugar Belle warned. Sunset proclaimed, "Oh, I got an idea, but I'm going to need all of your guys' help…" She had them huddled up as she told them the plan. Once Troubleshoes came to a stop at the manor, Starlight got out of the cart with her head held high and thought to herself, Ah, everything is going as planned. Sunset Shimmer has made sure that she never wants to see her friends - or so-called sisters - again … Sunset will never want to rejoin with her family and life will go on just as it always was… And once she is ready to do chores again, I will then give her and the others extra things to do as punishment for thinking they could get away for having additional help around here… She made a tiny giggle as she stepped into the large house. When she got in, however, she noticed that none of her servants were there to greet her and that the main hallway was dark. Suddenly, the door behind her shut on its own. She looked back in confusion when a voice said. "You know… you really had me fooled there for a second…" She turned back to see Sunset on the stairway, glaring straight into her soul.