> A Sister's Love
>  by Warvyn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky was a shade of orange and red, the sun casting a beautiful sunset across the sky. The setting itself was possibly the most wonderful sight anypony could ever see. At least, that was in Flitter’s opinion.

The pegasus was flying to her house from work, basking in the warmth of the sky. Often times she wondered how unicorns and earth ponies could live without the ability to fly. Then she thought that none of them had actually flown before, so they must not have known what they were missing.

She picked up the pace, and flew a little bit faster. She wanted to get home as soon as possible. There was only one pony in all of Equestria she loved more than anypony else, and that was her sister, Cloudchaser.

They didn't get to see each other much, not during the day that is. Their work shifts were during opposite sides of the week, with Cloudchaser taking up the first three days, Flitter working the next three, and then having one day off afterwards. It slightly bothered the pegasus that she couldn't have the same shifts as her elder sister, but the manager for the Cloudsdale weather team said there was nothing he could do about it.

After a few more minutes of flying, Flitter could finally see her house coming into view. Her heart started to beat a little faster as she tried to speed up again. Flitter was never the fastest flyer in Cloudsdale, but she wasn't known for a lack of endurance. Everypony would admit that she could outdo some of the best fliers on the team because of how long she could soar in the air.

Landing on the soft cloud that held up the home, she took a deep breath. Today was the last day of work for her, which also meant that both her and Cloudchaser had tomorrow off.

She knew Cloudchaser wanted to spend more time with her. The older sibling always had something to do for them on their days off. It usually consisted of them just walking around Cloudsdale, randomly picking stores to shop in or places to eat out.

Flitter trotted towards the door, pushing it open with a light push of her hoof. It was a real quiet place, though that wasn't unusual. Her parents were always either traveling to some city on the other side of Equestria, or taking a month long vacation. As much as Flitter hated to admit it, she didn't really feel too strongly for her parents. She didn't hate them, but she didn't really love them either.

As the pegasus walked through the living room, she could hear a soft humming coming from the kitchen. Her sister was likely cooking. Either that, or putting together some kind of junk food on a plate and calling it ‘dinner’. It was her way of being lazy, though Flitter didn't mind.

When she got closer to the kitchen, she could smell the aroma of food getting stronger. It started to make her stomach growl, desperate to finally eat something.

Trotting into the kitchen, she slowed down. If there was one thing Flitter always loved to do, it was to sneak up on her unsuspecting sister. It was always hilarious to see Cloudchaser jump at the sudden motion.

Slowly, she reached her sister, and quickly sprang on her, her own forelegs wrapping around the pegasus in front of her, quietly saying “Gotcha.” into her ear.

At this, Cloudchaser jumped and elicited a small yelp of shock, trying to wriggle out of the grip of her captor, only to find its grip tighten.

“Flitter! Why do you always have to do that?” She sighed, trying to hold back a giggle. “I’m trying to cook you know.”

“I know, I know. Its just always so cute to see you get so scared,” Flitter laughed.

“I wasn't scared! I was surprised! There is a difference.” The spiky maned mare retorted softly. “And I’m not cute...” She added, barely audible.

“You were totally scared! You should have seen the look on your face. It was priceless!” Flitter replied, trying not to giggle. Unfortunately for her, it didn't work. She soon broke out into a loud, laughing spasm, trying to calm herself down. Her sides felt like they were on fire, and her breath got harder and harder to catch.

“Seriously, I'm the older one. I should be picking on you, not the other way around,” Cloudchaser reprimanded. It was more to herself than her sister.

“Oh, come on, I was just being playful,” Flitter started, wrapping her forelegs around her sister again. “You know I love you more than anypony else.”

“Yeah, yeah. I love you too, Flitter. Dinner’s almost done though, so go wash up and get ready to eat,” Cloudchaser said.

“Okay, okay, I'm on it. Just give me a few minutes, alright?” Flitter said as she turned and left the room. The mare walked down the hallway and stopped at the bathroom. Walking up to the sink, she quickly turned it on and washed her hooves, splashing water in her face, and then took a quick short shower before heading back to the kitchen. As she entered the room, she heard her sister speak up.

“So, how was work today, sis?” She asked.

“It was okay. We didn't do anything too exciting. We had to set up some thunderclouds in Cloudsdale though. It was pretty funny when Thunderlane got shocked by a small bolt of electricity,” Flitter replied, laughing a little. She could still imagine it now, the stallion trying to buck the cloud, but hitting it at a slightly odd position, which caused a tiny, albeit powerful, shock to light his body up.

“He isn't hurt, is he? We’re already short on staff as it is,” Cloudchaser stated. It was true, even for a place like Cloudsdale, the weather team was smaller than it should have been, which surprised many ponies. It was the city of pegasi after all.

“No, he was just a little shocked, that’s all. He won't be going back to work until the day after tomorrow though,” Flitter assured.

“Well, okay. As long as it isn't anything major. That Thunderlane though, he really needs to be more careful. Always trying to impress the mares, but always failing at it,” Cloudchaser joked.

Thunderlane was a cool stallion, Flitter would admit that. She didn't understand why he needed to try and act so tough around the other mares. Although she herself didn't feel like that towards him, she was sure he could have as many marefriends as he wanted.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don't understand why he does it though. He doesn't really need to. I always notice half of the mares on the team staring at his wings anyways. Even some of the stallions too,” Flitter said. She didn't understand why he was so popular, but he was.

“Really now?” Cloudchaser asked. “And just how would you know that?” She played.

Flitter’s face turned red. “Because they aren't very good at hiding it! And sometimes it takes out of our work. Today’s job took two hours longer than it should have.” She retorted.

“Mhm. Believe what you want! Speaking of that, how is your little crush thing going?” Cloudchaser asked casually. Flitter sighed in response. She knew this would come up sooner or later today.

“Its... its going okay, I guess.” She lied. Her sister somehow found out she was in love with a pony a month ago, and kept tormenting her about it, trying to find out who it was.

“Now really, just tell the stallion you like him. I'm sure the worst that can happen is he says no,” Cloudchaser stated.

Flitter thought for a moment. Her sister knew she was in love, but not with whom. She never told anyone she was into mares instead of stallions, not even Cloudchaser. Now might be a good time to get it out in the open, if only to see how she reacted.

“Actually...” She started, “It’s not a stallion that I like. It’s, um, it’s a mare.” Flitter meekly said, looking up to her sister.

“Mares huh...well, guess that shouldn't be unexpected. Equestria seems to be full of colt-cuddlers and fillyfoolers,” Cloudchaser admitted with a light shrug. “You didn't have to hide something as silly as that from me you know.”

This worried Flitter. She didn't like keeping secrets from Cloudchaser, but there were some things she didn't want to tell the pegasus.

“I was just scared for how you would react...” She said. She felt foalish for thinking this. Flitter knew she should always trust her sister no matter what.

“It’s nothing terribly uncommon. For all we know, half of the empire probably loves ponies of the same gender,” Cloudchaser said, pausing for a second before continuing. “So...who’s the lucky mare?” She asked expectedly.

This is what Flitter feared the most. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell Cloudchaser, because it was her that she was in love with. Even though she knew the feelings were wrong, they grew almost everyday. At first, she thought it was only deep admiration, but eventually, as her thoughts drifted to more intimate aspects, she knew it was more serious than that. The only thing that stopped her from confessing was the possibility of losing her own sister.

“Um, Flitter? You still there?” Cloudchaser asked, waving a hoof in front of the distant pegasus.

“Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm sorry, I was just thinking...” Flitter said with a light blush. “What are we eating anyways?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

“You can change the subject now, sis, but you can't avoid it forever. Knowing you like mares now gives a whole new level to this!” Cloudchaser enthusiastically exclaimed. “But just this once I won't bother you about it,” She added, which relieved Flitter a little. “And it’s just some sunflowers made to be a little more crispy. Not exactly healthy, but it tastes good!”

Flitter smirked at this. “One day you’re going to get sick from eating like this.”

“I know, but I blame healthy food! It doesn't taste very good,” Cloudchaser stated matter-of-factly. “Besides, it isn't like I eat like this all the time. It’s just more often than not...”

“Alright, you win. Just give me the food so I can eat. I'm starving,” she begged. She didn't have much of a chance to eat during her lunch break at work, and she realized how stupid it was to miss it.

After Cloudchaser finally prepared the plates, she trotted over to the table, Flitter sitting beside her, and set down the food. For the rest of the meal, they talked about anything that came to mind, laughing or giggling at everything the other sibling said. After a good ten or twenty minutes, Flitter finally stood up.

“I think I'm going to bed,” Flitter said after finally finishing her food. Her stomach was full, and it was getting pretty late. “What are we doing tomorrow?” She asked.

“Aww, already?” Cloudchaser teased. “Nothing much. Thought we could go out to eat for a bit. Adding your last pay to mine gave us a nice amount of money, and even after paying for all the necessities, we still have about fifty or so bits left.”

“Fifty!?” Flitter said, shocked. Usually they only had around ten or twenty bits if they were lucky. Their jobs didn't exactly pay well. “How did we manage that?” She asked.

“Well, remember those nights I came home a little later than usual last week?” Cloudchaser hinted. “I worked a bit of overtime to have some extra money left over. I wanted our day off to be special for once,” Cloudchaser said.

“You didn't have to do that you know. I'm just fine with how everything turns out, as long as I spend the day with you,” Flitter said sweetly.

“Aww, how cute!” Her sister teased. “But you see, I did have to. We don't ever get to do anything over the top, so I figured we should spend tomorrow doing just that. Besides, we both need a break after working at that job so much. I don't mean anything bad to the Cloudsdale weather team, but they aren't exactly the ponies I want to be around all the time.”

“I guess I see your point. Just don't try to do anything too fancy,” Flitter said with a quick wink. “Anyways, I'm going to bed now. It’s getting pretty late, and work has been rather busy lately.” She added.

“Okay...” Cloudchaser said dejectedly. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night, sis.”

“Night!” Flitter called back, already walking to her room. There she laid on the bed, trying to get as comfortable as possible. Work had tired her tremendously, and all she wanted right now was to sleep.

I sure hope that wherever Cloudchaser takes us tomorrow, it will be fun... Flitter thought. But then again, as long as I'm with her, it doesn't matter what happens.

All the mare wanted was to spend time with her older sister. She knew that Cloudchaser would never love her more than just family, and tried not to let that get to her. It didn't help. Anytime she thought of the pegasus, her mind would wander into fantasies and often distracted her.

I just can't let that get to me. She told herself. It was her sister after all. Just being able to live with her was good enough, wasn't it?

As she kept asking herself the question, she slowly drifted to sleep.
> Chapter Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wake up!” An excited voice came from Flitter’s doorway. “Today is our day off, so get up sis.” Cloudchaser continued as she walked over and nudged the sleepy mare.

“Alright, alright. Just give me a few minutes, okay?” Flitter groggily replied.

“Ok, just hurry. Today is going to be great! I have everything planned out.” Her sister said enthusiastically as she trotted out of the mare’s room.

That pony. I swear, sometimes I don't know how I can stand to live with her, Flitter thought to herself as she rolled off the bed. She might as well get ready now, as there was no way Cloudchaser would let her go back to sleep.

Flitter slowly made her way to the bathroom so she could take a nice short shower. All the warm water did was make her feel even more sleepy.

After the shower, she dried herself off, and slipped back into her room as she started to brush her hair. It didn't take her long to finish since she never really styled her mane or tail. Once she felt satisfied, she put down her brush and lightly put on her bow.

“Hey, sis! You ready to go?” Cloudchaser asked from the hallway.

“Yeah,” Flitter replied as she exited her room. “So, where are we going?” She asked curiously.

“Well, I thought we should go out to eat. It won't be anything fancy though, because I still wanna go other places too,” Cloudchaser replied.

“Where are we going to eat then?” Flitter questioned with a raised eyebrow..

“Nowhere in particular. Just some unnamed place in the middle of Cloudsdale. I thought of going somewhere more appealing but then I made more plans for us.”

“I see.” Was all Flitter could say. She was very curious as to how today would turn out. Most of the time, they didn't have all that many bits to spend, and couldn't afford to do anything special. But now that her sister had worked a bit of overtime in the past week, they had enough to make the day at least worth while.

“But don't worry about that. Come on, lets go!” Cloudchaser practically shouted.

With that, the two sisters trotted outside, spread their wings, and took off towards the distant clouded city in the sky.




--





It didn't take long for the pair to reach the small restaurant. Just like Cloudchaser had promised, it definitely wasn't anything fancy, though it wasn't a horrible place either. It actually made Flitter feel comfortable.

The two mares were already sitting down at a table, staring down the menu to see what they wanted. Not much time past before a waiter then came and took their orders, only to set back off again.

“So,” Cloudchaser started. “Ready to talk about that mare now?” She teased.

Flitter began to fidget. “N-no. I don't wanna talk about it.” She huffed.

“Oh come on, Flitter, I’m your sister! You can tell me anything. I won't hate you or anything,” Cloudchaser said in an attempt to comfort her.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Flitter replied, trying to avoid the conversation. She really didn't want to tell Cloudchaser, and if she had to, she would prefer it wasn't in front of a crowd of ponies.

“But I want you to tell me now,” Cloudchaser said, trying to fake a pout. “I’m your sister. You’re not supposed to have any secrets you can't tell me...or do you not trust me.” She continued, putting on her best hurt face.

“Now you know that won't work on me sis. I won't fall for your traps this time,” Flitter countered. She was not going to tell her sister she loved her. Not now anyways. She didn't exactly plan on telling her, but with her feelings building, it sometimes felt as if she would burst like a dam.

“Fine. Be that way. If today wasn't our day off, I would bug you so much right now,” Cloudchaser teased.

“Seriously, and I’m supposed to be the younger sister? You act like a foal sometimes, you know that?” Flitter played while trying not to giggle. She couldn't help it though, it was fun to tease her older sister sometimes.

“Excuse me for intruding, but here are your meals, madams.” A waiter politely interrupted as he set down two trays of food and drinks. The lunch didn't look like much, but it certainly looked better than what the pair were used to eating.

“Thank you,” Flitter directed to the waiter, who kindly smiled before turning and trotting to the next table.

The mare look across the table at her sister as she ate. She knew it was weird, but she couldn't help but stare. To her, Cloudchaser was the most beautiful pony she had ever seen. It wasn't like she never had crushes before, but with her sister, it felt more like a burning desire, like something that she couldn't ignore even if she wanted to.

“Um, something wrong Flitter?” The pegasus in front of her asked.

“N-no! Nothing at all!” Flitter replied hastily, turning her head away, hoping her sister wouldn't notice the crimson red staining her cheeks.

“Are you sure? You’ve been spacing out a lot lately. Is it because of work? Are you tired? Or maybe you’re sick?” Cloudchaser kept asking, concerned.

“I’m fine, I promise. I’ve just been thinking a lot lately,” Flitter said.

“About?” Cloudchaser pushed.

“Just...well, everything, I guess. Its just...” Flitter paused. “I’ve been trying to think about how to tell the mare I like about my feelings.” She sighed. Even if she couldn't directly talk to her sister about it, she still felt it necessary to at least tell her something.

“Well, that's something you’ll have to think of on your own. I don't know the first thing about romance. Never really cared for it,” Cloudchaser replied nonchalantly.

Flitter laughed. “Oh really now? What, is it ‘too cool’ for you?” She teased.

“Of course! Nothing’s going to slow this pony down!” Cloudchaser boasted. “Besides, I have you to look after, so I don't have the time to do all that mushy stuff.” She added in a more serious but gentle tone.

Flitter couldn't help but blush at the statement. She wondered how hard it must be being the oldest of the two. It wasn't like she couldn't take of herself, but Flitter knew she was nothing like her sister. Cloudchaser always took care of everything around the house, worked longer hours than herself, and even made sure all the bills and other needs were paid. She felt bad for making her sister look after her. Seeing the mares expression, Cloudchaser spoke up.

“Hey, it isn't like I look out for you because I have too. I do it because I want to. You’re my sister, you know, and I wouldn't spend my time with anypony else but you,” Cloudchaser comforted, trying to cheer up the gloomy mare. It seemed to work as she could see a smile creep across Flitters face.

“Thanks sis, I love you too,” Flitter replied. In a way, she envied her sister; She was always determined, and wanted to get the job done, but she still understood the ponies around her, and never thought twice about helping somepony. She was strong and hardworking, but also gentle and calm.

“Good. Now that we got through that, hurry up and eat.” Her older sister said with a smile. “I still have something else planned for us today.”

Flitter smiled at her sister and finally started to eat. She hoped the rest of the day would be as nice as this.





--





Flitter was following her sister blindly. The pegasus refused to tell her where they were going, and had been leading them across the town for what felt like hours.

“C’mon, sis, why can't we just fly?” Flitter asked in annoyance.

“Because if we did, you’d easily spot where I was taking you, and I want it to be a surprise,” Cloudchaser countered. “Besides, its a nice day outside, and the streets aren't as crowded as usual. Even pegasi need to stretch out their legs sometimes.”

Flitter huffed. She just wanted to get off the streets as soon as possible. Her legs were beginning to tire, and she was becoming sleepy.

“Alright, we’re here!” Cloudchaser finally said as she came to a slow stop.

Flitter just sat there for a few seconds. It was one of those places that ponies usually go to make themselves look pretty. Was was the name of it? She couldn't remember the exact name, so she decided to refer to it as a barber shop. It was close enough right? They did cut hair.

“I figured it wouldn't so bad to try a new look. Not to mention, it would make you look absolutely beautiful, and might help you gain some confidence.” Her sister said with a light nudge to the shoulder. “I also thought it might help you win over your crush. Who knows?” She added with a shrug.

Flitter thought for a minute. This wasn't exactly the kind of surprise she was expecting, but her sister did it because she wanted to help. That made it special enough to her. She walked over to her sister and slightly nudged her back.

“Thanks,” Flitter whispered.

“Ahah, no problem. I know its not the most exciting thing in the world, but it can't harm you, right?” Cloudchaser said as she trotted inside the building. The inside wasn't much. It was like your regular old shop, just with a bit more decoration than usual.

As the two walked up to the desk, they were greeted by a young pegasi with a red coat and a maroon colored mane. She wore one of the widest smiles Flitter had ever seen, and couldn't tell if it was real or forced.

“How may I help you girls today?” She asked in a cheery tone.

“I’m Cloudchaser, and this is my sister Flitter. I dropped by yesterday to make an appointment here.” Flitter’s sister replied.

“Hmm...alright then, sit right here. One of the stylists should be with you in a moment.” The pegasus told them. Now that Flitter was sitting with a better view of the place, she looked around. It felt strange because the building was very spacious. Almost all the clients she could see were spread out with a small distance between them.

It wasn't long before a different pegasus walked towards the pair and took them off to different parts of the building. Cloudchaser got a seat near the front of the building, while Flitter had to sit almost at the very back. The only positive aspect the pegasus could find about this was the lack of other ponies near her. She usually loved it when everything was quiet.

The pegasus who had taken Flitter was a beautiful pony with a dark pale blue coat, a light blue mane, and regular blue eyes.

“So.” The stylist started, “Is there any specific style you want to go with?” She asked, readying her various styling tools.

“Not really.” Flitter said sheepishly. “I was kinda dragged into this by my sister...”

“Hmm...alright then, don't worry about it. I know just the thing to make you look even more beautiful than you are now.” The pegasus said as she hoofed through a few supplies on a counter to her right before playing with the Flitter’s mane. Not much time went by before the mare spoke up again.

“You’re so quiet. Most of my customer talk up a storm here.” The pegasus played.

“O-oh. I like it when its quiet though. It makes everything feel...peaceful. I was never very good at making conversation anyway,” Flitter said.

“A quiet mare, huh? I’ll change that then.” The stylist smiled. “So how about you tell me your name?.”

“I’m Flitter. And you are?”

“My name is Raining Sky, but you can just call me ‘Sky’. I don't really like my full name, much less being called by it.” The mare informed. “Not that I don't think it sounds good.” She quickly added.

“Its a nice name though. Mine isn't anything special, just plain,” Flitter said. She wished that her name sounded unique or beautiful, but it didn't. Not to her at least.

“It may not be special, but it isn't plain either,” Sky told her. “Your name sounds wonderful to me.”

Flitter blushed slightly. “I guess so, but I don't see why.”

“How about work? What do you do for a living?” Sky prodded.

“Oh, I work with the Cloudsdale weather team. It isn't the most exciting thing in the world, and we don't have as many ponies as we should, but the pay isn't too bad,” Flitter replied. At least they changed topics.

“The weather team? That sounds wonderful. I would give anything to be able to fly out in the open all day,” Sky said with a hint of envy. “But instead, I’m stuck in here. I don't hate it though, it is what I do best anyway.”

By now, the stylist had already removed Flitter’s bow and let her hair down, starting to wet it. Her hair began to stick to her coat and made it look a shade darker.

“I suppose it is. I love flying. Its just that the team is small, not to mention we have ponies who like to show off from time to time and get hurt,” Flitter said, thinking back to Thunderlane’s accident the day before. “And most of the time, the ponies aren't paying attention and somehow screw something up.”

Sky let out a small giggle. “Must be nice to be around such active ponies all the time. Most of the workers here just keep to themselves, and only talk to each to borrow supplies or such. So, its usually quite boring here.”

“It sounds like we should change places then,” Flitter joked. “But nah, I don't think I’d be able to stay cooped up in here all day.”

“Yeah, I guess. It’s not so bad, really. I get to meet new people all the time, and learn about things I would never have heard of if I weren't working here.” Sky said as she began to brush through the mares hair. Flitter let out a soft sigh. Usually she would let her sister do her hair, mainly because it felt nice to have somepony elses hooves run through it, but also because it let her spend some time with the elder mare.

The two pegasi didn't talk as much after the stylist started working on Flitter’s hair. Sometimes one would speak up or try to stick to a topic, but most of the conversations ended fairly quickly. At least, until Sky decided to pick a sensitive subject for the mare.

“So, do you like somepony?” Sky asked. Flitter went through her mind for a minute or so before answering the question.

“Yeah...” Flitter replied nervously.

“Oh? Well, who is it?” Sky asked with genuine curiosity.

Flitter thought for a minute. How do I get out of this one? I can't tell her I'm in love my sister...then again, she must have a lot of conversations with other ponies, so maybe she’d understand?

Not wanting to risk too much, she came up with an answer.

“It’s with another mare,” Flitter stated. It didn't seem to faze Sky at all though, which was relieving.

“I see. Guess it isn't the first time I’ve heard something like that.” Sky said. “Actually, now that I think about it, it seems pretty common in Equestria. As far as I know, most of the ponies who are colt-cuddlers or filly foolers seem pretty open about it.” She added.

Again, Flitter had to stop and think for a second. She never noticed so many ponies like that around her. They all seemed more or less normal. Out of all her friends, she only knew two other ponies who liked the same gender, and that was Cloud Kicker, a fillyfooler, and Green Gem, a coltcuddler. Both of them were fairly open about it.

Flitter herself, though, had not told anyone except for Raining Sky and her sister. It seemed less than normal to her to like another mare, not to mention a bit embarrassing.

Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about it. It seems like everyone is fairly tolerant of ponies like us. The only problem is who I like though, not her gender... Flitter thought to herself.

“You still haven't told me who it is,” Sky interjected, interrupting Flitter's thoughts.

“It doesn't really matter,” Flitter started, “She wouldn't like me back anyway.”

“Now don't say that,” Sky said in a reprimanding tone. “You’re a very beautiful pony. I'm sure whoever it is they would simply fall head over hooves for you.”

“I really wish that were true...” Flitter sighed in the barber’s chair. “But there are complications that help with the reasons of why she wouldn't want to be with me.”

“Like what?” Sky asked as she leaned towards her.

“Um...” Flitter thought. “I don't really wanna talk about it.” she said.

“Please?” The stylist pleaded. “I won't tell her or anything, I promise. I probably don't even know the pony.”

Flitter sank. She never did good under pressure. She always caved in. It was surprising that Cloudchaser hadn’t used that against her yet.

“I-its, um,” Flitter stuttered, then lowered her head a little before letting out a defeated sigh. Maybe she should just get it off her chest while she could. Besides, the mare was only one pony. What was the worst that could happen? “It’s with my sister, Cloudchaser.” She finally said, pointing to the oblivious pony on the other side of the room.

Just as she expected, the mare’s face wrinkled a bit. “Your...your sister? Thats, umm...thats kind of...odd,” Sky admitted.

“Now you know why it can't happen. It’s not like I wanted to fall in love with her you know. It just kinda happened. She always looked after me whenever I needed help or had trouble,” Flitter tried to reason.

Sky stopped for a second before speaking up again. “Well, I guess you can't help who you fall in love with.” She said. “It may be weird, but, who am I to judge?” Flitter let out a sigh of partial relief. At least the stylist didn't seem to completely hate her for it.

“Anyway, we’re done now. Do you like it?” Sky asked.

Flitter looked into the mirror in front of her. At first she expected a small change, nothing major. But as she stared, she noticed a few differences. Her hair was highlighted at the bottom, though it wasn't anything drastic. It was actually hardly noticeable. It was also cut a tiny bit shorter, another small difference that was hard to notice.

Another thing she noticed was that her hair was styled a bit different. It was parted in the middle and almost fell to a complete straight stop at the end. Although not a huge change, it did make Flitter look and feel more stylish.

“It’s great!” Flitter admitted.

“I’m glad you like it,” Sky smiled. “And listen, if you ever wanna talk about, well, you know, anything, just drop by. I wouldn't mind the company.” She added in a bit of a hushed tone.

Flitter stopped for a moment. “Thanks, I’ll do that sometime.”

Standing back up, Flitter turned around to find her sister. She wasn't anywhere to be seen though. The mare trotted to the front of the building trying to find Cloudchaser, only to meet her at the complete front... but what she saw made her heart skip a few beats.

Cloudchaser looked stunning. Her hair was completely down instead of being in its usual spiked state. Her hair was two-toned, with a light blue color at the base, but slowly changing to a more light color as it reached the tips. It also had a bow on the back. Her tail was done in almost the way, just without the bow, and still had a few spikes in it.

“What do ya think?” Cloudchaser asked as she did a slow twirl. All Flitter could do was gawk at her sister. She looked absolutely beautiful to her, and soon became lost in her looks.

“Flitter?”

“Oh. It looks great. You look beautiful, sis,” Flitter eventually choked out.

“Aww, thanks. You look stunning yourself,” Cloudchaser complemented bad, causing Flitter to blush. “Anyway, we should go home now, its getting pretty late.” She added.

“All right,” Flitter responded. Before the pair trotted out of the building, Cloudchaser paid for the service, giving a small tip to both of the mares who did their hair, then took flight back to their house.

The way back was followed with an uncomfortable and awkward silence. Flitter wasn't sure if something was wrong with the mare or if she just had other thoughts on her mind. Either way, she decided not to try and press anything.

It wasn't long before they got home. Almost immediately Cloudchaser stated she was tired and going to bed. Flitter decided to do the same. Her problem, though, was sleep didn't want to meet her. All she could think about was how beautiful her sister looked earlier. Her heart tightened at the thought. Back in Cloudsdale she had wanted to hug the pegasus badly, and even worse, she had wanted to kiss her sister.

No Flitter. You can't do that, especially in front of everypony. the mare thought. I really wish I could tell her. It’s not fair to be in love with someone I can't be with... She sighed to herself. It wasn't her fault she had these kind of thoughts, but regardless, she still had them.

It doesn't matter, its all just fantasy anyway. She told herself. Fantasy. That’s all it was, and all it will be.

Deciding to leave it at that, Flitter closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep again.
> Chapter Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flitter lazily opened her eyes. She hadn’t slept much the previous night, and her head felt like it was being pounded with a blunt object. Slowly, she slipped out of bed and headed down the hall, making her way to the kitchen. As she neared the room, she could hear the light clang of objects hitting each other. Poking her head through the door, she caught sight of Cloudchaser, but not in a position she expected.

The mare was bending down, searching the cabinets for, well, who knows what. Her flank was raised in the air, with her legs spread slightly apart. At first all Flitter could do was stare. After all, she had never seen her sister in a position like that before. It took her a bit to unscramble her thoughts, and audibly cleared her throat.

Immediately Cloudchaser spun herself around, startled at the sudden noise. Noticing the source of the noise, she calmed down a bit.

“Oh, hey sis. You, uh, you kind of startled me,” Cloudchaser stated. “I didn’t expect you to be awake already.”

Flitter smirked. “So you admit to being scared this time? I'm surprised.”

The older mare’s face flushed red. “I wasn't scared. Startled. There’s a difference,” Cloudchaser tried to counter, only earning a giggle from the lilac mare.

“Whatever you say, sis. Anyway, what are you doing? You were making quite a bit of noise, you know. Are you looking for something?” Flitter asked with a slight tilt of her head at the ransacked cabinets.

“No. Well, sorta. I was wanting to make something to eat before I had to go to work.” Cloudchaser replied with a slight sigh and a shrug. “I have go soon, though, so it looks like I’ll just have to eat later.”

“Okay. Then I’m going back to bed. I wasn't able to get much sleep last night,” Flitter admitted.

“I guess should be going anyway. I’ll see you later, sis. Love you,” Cloudchaser said before trotting over and giving the younger mare a small peck on the cheek, which made Flitter’s face turn a deep scarlet red.

“I-I love you too,” Flitter stuttered, looking away in hopes her sister wouldn't see her face. “I, um... I'm going to bed now.”

“All right. I need to go anyway.” Cloudchaser said in reply before turning around and trotting out the door. Flitter watched her go until she was out of sight, then slowly making her way back to her room.

C’mon Flitter, it was just a tiny show of affection. It isn't like she actually kissed you... She thought. Maybe I should just get some sleep.

Slipping back into her bed, she closed her eyes. But it wasn’t sleep that met her. Instead, her mind raced with images of her sister. It wasn't anything too intimate, but most of the mare’s thoughts made her face flush and body heat up.

Calm down, calm down. Just try and distract yourself with other things. She tried to think of anything else, something to possibly take her mind off of Cloudchaser. It didn't help much, as everything that came to her mind somehow found its way back to the pegasus.

Flitter let out a sigh. The mare only had about two hours of sleep, if that. As tired as she was, her thoughts of Cloudchaser kept her awake. She tried shifting around a bit, tossing and turning every now and then, but it took the pegasus a while to finally find a comfortable position and for her mind to slip into a land of dreams.




--




It wasn't until a few hours later that Flitter woke up. Gazing out of the window in her room, she could tell it was already somewhere past noon. Deciding that she’d slept enough for the day, and that she was hungry, the lilac mare slipped out of her bed and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat.

After a bit of searching through the cabinets, she found nothing of interest. As she was about to give up on food, a plate on the table caught her eye. On it, there was a few rose petals engulfed in two slices of bread.

Cloudchaser... how in Equestria did you manage to make this without me noticing? Flitter thought to herself. She couldn't remember seeing it on the table when she woke up, and she watched her sister fly away. Oh, well. It was still thoughtful of her.

Eating the sandwich her sister made for her, she tried to think of what to do for the rest of the day. She was sure most of it would revolve around doing a bit a cleaning and minor chores. Cloudchaser usually did everything around the house, but Flitter tried to help when she could. She didn't want her sister to think she couldn't handle herself, after all.

Finishing her food, the pegasus decided to try and take her mind off everything by cleaning. It helped at first, but soon her mind began to wander back to her sister.

Maybe I should just tell her already. What’s the worse that can happen, aside from her possibly finding it weird or abnormal, and avoid you for the rest of your life. The thought made her cringe a bit. The last thing she wanted was for Cloudchaser to hate her. Why couldn't I just be normal like all the other ponies? Why can't I just fall in love with a stallion? Even another mare would do, but why my own sister!?

Flitter was starting to feel flustered. It wasn't her fault that she felt this way. Cloudchaser always made her smile when was sad, happy when she was mad, and even laugh after she would cry. What started out as just mild admiration became what felt like a heart-aching love. It didn't take her long to notice she was involuntarily staring at her sisters flank, or getting lost in the mare’s eyes.

I wish I could talk to somepony about this... Flitter silently wished. It seemed as if whoever she could talk to would be against her. Being in love with the same gender may have been tolerant in Equestria, but she knew that incest wasn't. If anything, it was despised, though she wasn't exactly sure as to why. It just was.

Come on, Flitter, there has to be something you can do about this!

After a bit of thinking, the pegasus found an answer. Sky... she told me I could come back to talk to her. I wonder if she would listen?

Somehow, the thought of the stylist pony cheered her up. Maybe she could even make a friend, something that she lacked and could definitely use.

A friend. That sounds nice. I could use somepony else other than just Cloudchaser to talk to.

Finally able to cope with her own thoughts, Flitter made her way around the house, finding something, anything to do to pass the time. When it came close to Cloudchaser returning, the pegasus walked to the kitchen to make dinner.

What should I make? She asked herself as she opened the fridge. Oh, Celestia. She bought a bunch of junk again. Well, lets see what we have... Well, I can't make anything with most of this stuff.

Letting out a sigh, she moved to the cabinets, grabbing the few things that she had bought. It was always up to Flitter to make sure they ate something at least slightly healthy every once in awhile.

With the food she had grabbed, she decided to make a salad using carrots, lettuce, and a few flowers to help give a bit of flavor to the meal. It wasn't something that took long to make, and so she was done within minutes, just in time to hear the door open and close. After another few seconds, her sister happily walked in.

“Hey, Cloudchaser. You seem really happy, something good happen?” Flitter asked upon noticing the happy pegasus trotting into the kitchen.

“Not really. Work was easy today. It didn't take nearly as long as it usually does to get the clouds out of the air,” Cloudchaser started. “And Thunderlane is back. It was kinda funny to watch him try and be all careful around the clouds.”

Flitter tried to imagine the stallion being careful. It would be quite the to sight see as he always tried to act so cool around everypony else. The thought even made her giggle a little.

“Well, it’s nice to know he isn't hurt anymore. After seeing him get shocked, the whole team worried about him.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s good. Anyway, what are we eating tonight?” Cloudchaser asked with a glance at what Flitter was working on..

“Just a bunch of stuff I put together, like a few carrots and such. Pretty much a salad,” Flitter replied simply, which made her sisters face scrunch up a tiny bit.

“Something healthy? Come on, Flitter, you need to lighten up on the food, or at least make something that tastes good.”

“Just eat it. It isn't like it will be the end of the world if you do, and you have to eat something healthy at least once a week. Besides, you’re going to get sick if you keep eating the way you do. I'm surprised you aren’t already,” Flitter argued.

Cloudchaser let out a sigh. “Fine, but only for you... don't expect me to eat like this all the time.” she warned.

Flitter slid the plates she prepared off her wings and onto the table before sitting down, her sister following behind her.

“That’s fine with me, as long as you eat when I make it,” Flitter happily agreed. Admittedly, she didn't like eating healthy either, but she knew she had to. Getting sick didn't sound too appealing to her. “Anything else happen at work?”

“Nothing important. Even though today was a fast day, though, the manager said we’ll have more work to do tomorrow. Some of the ponies aren't going to show up, so it’ll be a small team of us working instead of how many there usually are,” Cloudchaser replied as she took a mouthful of the vile vegetables.

“For the city of pegasi, our weather team sure is lacking. We’re small enough as it is, and now even more ponies are leaving?” Flitter sighed. More and more pegasi kept leaving Cloudsdale for who knew what, and it caused some problems in the city, seeing as only pegasi—and in some cases, unicorns—could live in it, which meant there was less of a population.

“We might have to move soon and find another city to live in. I love Cloudsdale, but we’re getting overworked for what we’re paid,” Cloudchaser noted. “There’s a small town called Ponyville I’ve heard a bit about, and the weather team there sounds well worked.”

Flitter thought for a few minutes. She had lived in the floating city for as long as she could remember. Having to leave would make her sad, but her sister was right, they were having to work longer with the lack of pegasi. Maybe it was for the best.

“I hope it doesn't come to that.” Was all Flitter could reply with as her thoughts raced.

“Me too, but it doesn't hurt to have a plan just in case,” Cloudchaser said as she finished her food and washed her plate. “Anyway, I'm done for tonight. I'm going to try and go in a bit early tomorrow. Night, Flitter.”

“Good night, sis,” Flitter said, finishing her own food. After the meal, the two took turns using the shower before finally going to their own rooms to sleep.

Flitter couldn't help but dwell on her thoughts from earlier. Going back to see Sky so soon made her feel a bit nervous, but she needed someone to talk to, and hopefully the stylist would understand. Deciding to worry about it when she got there, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
> Chapter Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flitter let out a sigh as she stared at the tall building in front of her.

Maybe I shouldn’t bother her... She thought. But I need someone to talk to, and Sky is the only pony who might listen.

Taking a deep breath, the pegasus walked through the doors of the large shop and up to the front desk. Sitting there was an orange pegasi mare, lifting her head from whatever she was reading as Flitter approached.

“May I help you?” She asked. Flitter fidgeted with her hoof for a brief second before answering.

“Is, um, is a pony named ‘Sky’ here?”

The mare stared at her before turning around and saying, “I believe so. Give me a minute, I’ll be right back.”

The lilac pegasus sat in one of the waiting chairs for what felt like minutes before the colorful mare returned. “She just happens to be getting off. Wait here please.”

Flitter waited again, but instead of using one of the waiting chairs, she stood near the middle of the room. She felt nervous about talking to a mare she hardly knew, but in the short time she had talked to her Sky had seemed supportive enough. After a short minute or two, the blue pegasus she’d come for walked into the room.

“So who was the pony that wanted me?” Sky asked before setting her gaze on the mare in front of her. “Oh, Flitter! I didn't expect to see you so soon. Is something wrong?”

“N-no. I just...needed someone to talk to, and you’re the only pony I know that I can trust,” Flitter sheepishly answered. “It’s about my sister.”

The blue mare smiled for a second. “I see. Come then, we’ll talk about it over lunch, ok?”

Flitter nodded before the two pegasi walked out of the building. She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake talking to Sky.

As soon as they were outside, they spread their wings and took off. For the most part, Flitter stayed behind Sky to follow her, and neither of the mares talked, which made her feel a little awkward. After only a few minutes, both pegasi landed near a small cafė in the middle of the city.

When they sat down in one of the seats, Sky began to talk. “So, what did you wanna talk about? Your sister, right?”

The lilac mare nodded. “Yeah...I couldn't think of anyone else who could help. Most ponies are disgusted by incest, but you didn't seem to mind the other day.”

“Well then, tell me what’s wrong,” Sky smiled, ready to hear what Flitter had to say.

Flitter took a small breath before speaking. “Ok. I was thinking about telling Cloudchaser how I feel, but what if she hates me when I tell her? It isn't normal for family to love each other in this kind of way. And even if it doesn't bother her, what if she doesn't feel the same way? I don't know what to do. There are too many ways that this can turn out, and almost all of them lead to her rejecting me...” She finished with a downcast look at the table.

Sky sat in thought for a minute. “She’s your sister, I doubt she would hate you for something as silly as that, even if it is a bit uncommon.”

“But what if she does? I don't want my sister to hate me. It makes it even worse with how I feel about her. If it were any other pony, it wouldn't be as hard, but since it’s Cloudchaser, not only can I lose her as a possible marefriend, but as a sister too. The pegasus said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Sky put a hoof under her chin. “When you two came in the other day, you said your sister was always there for you, right?” She asked. “Don’t you think there might be some reason as to why?”

Flitter opened her mouth to object, but she understood what Sky meant. It is a possibility, and could explain why she acts so affectionate sometimes... She mused.

“Besides, like I said earlier, I doubt she would hate you. If you asked me, I’d say just tell her. Either she feels the same and returns the feelings, or she rejects the feelings but still loves you as a sister.”

Flitter let out a sigh. Sky was right; She needed to tell her sister how she felt, if only to get it off her chest, and to know how Cloudchaser felt.

But when should I tell her... She asked herself. It would be better to do it sooner than later, but...I still feel nervous about it. No, it has to be done soon. I’ll tell her tonight, during dinner.

“Thanks, Sky, you’ve really helped me,” Flitter finally said with a smile. “I think I’ll tell her after she gets off work.”

“It was nothing,” Sky grinned. “And if things don't work out, come talk to me anytime. I'm sure we could find you another mare easily. Of course, I do hope it doesn't come to that.” She added.

Letting out a small giggle, Flitter replied: “Thanks again, though I guess I should get going. If I really do tell my sister how I feel, I'm going to have to mentally prepare myself. Sorry for leaving so soon.”

“Don’t worry about it, I understand. I'm sure I would feel the same if I were you right now.”

Thanking Sky one last time, Flitter took off into the sky, flying at a steady pace to her house. Looking at the streets, she could see how empty Cloudsdale had looked now. It still puzzled her as to why so many ponies were leaving the city, but there was nothing she could about it. Taking a peek at the sky, she noticed some of the pegasi from the weather team working. Seeing that Cloudchaser wasn't among them, the pegasus let out a small sigh of relief. She also noticed how the team was a bit smaller than usual.

Approaching her house, Flitter began to lower herself to the clouds, landing on her hoofs and opening the door. She had already cleaned everything before she had left to visit Sky, so she didn't have to worry about that. The only thing she could think of doing was prepare dinner.

Since Cloudchaser ate everything yesterday, I guess I should be a little easy on what I make today. She told herself as she trotted to the kitchen and opened some of the cabinets. She grabbed a bag of hay fries, a loaf of bread that hadn’t been opened yet, and some apples they bought a few days ago. It didn't seem like much for dinner, but the mare felt tired and a little nervous.

Letting the hay fries heat up, she peeled and cut the apples into slices, then took pieces of the loaf of bread to make a few sandwiches. Taking some of the apple slices, she covered them in caramel. At least it was something easy to make, so if they were still hungry afterwards, she could just make more.

As Flitter waited, she made their plates, and soon heard a click at the door as it opened. Not much later, Cloudchaser walked through the door of the kitchen, taking a seat at the table.

“Hey, sis.” She greeted. “How was your day?”

“It was nice, I guess. I cleaned up the whole house, and the food just finished cooking,” Flitter replied.

“What are we having?” Cloudchaser asked with curiosity.

“Just a sandwich, some hay fries, and a few apples covered in caramel. It isn't much, but I felt kinda tired and wanted to have everything done by the time you came home.” She said as she sat the plates down.

Taking her own seat opposite of her sister, Flitter started eating. There was a silence for the first couple of minutes, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She would occasionally glance at Cloudchaser, only to look away seconds later. Eventually her sister noticed.

“Is something wrong, sis?” She asked, concerned.

Flitter opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. I have to get this over with and just tell her. Just say it.

Flitter took a deep breath. “I-I love you, Cloudchaser..”

Cloudchaser smiled and let out a small laugh. “I love you too, Flitter.”

“No, not like that,” Flitter confessed. “I mean, I love you. Not just as a sister or family, but more. You’ve always looked out for me and taken care of me, and I’ve always admired you for it.”

Her face flushed red as Cloudchaser simply stared at her. Her sister wasn't speaking, and it left an awkward silence in the room, leaving the mare worrying on what was going through her sister’s mind. What was she thinking about? A way to reject her? To accept her? Or would she just brush it off like the conversation never happened?

“I love you too, Flitter,” Cloudchaser finally spoke, adding a more serious tone to her voice.

Flitter let out all the air she was holding in. For a few short seconds there was a small silence as her sister let her words sink in. Before Flitter could regain her thoughts, she felt a pair of hooves wrap around her.

“I love you too, Flitter.” She repeated. “I always have. And how cute you look when you blush, and how easy it is to pick on you, and how you always try to take care of me, even though I’m the older one,” Cloudchaser said before quietly sighing.

Flitter’s face turned scarlet again. She wondered if her sister had as much as a hard time as she did with her own feelings. It made her feel like a foal for not confessing sooner.

Cloudchaser slowly leaned in, letting their lips touch. The contact made Flitter feel as if electricity was running through her body, making her shudder slightly. All too soon, her sister pulled away, leaving a thin strand of saliva bridging the slight gap between them.

As Flitter felt herself coming back to reality, she noticed Cloudchaser had a sly grin and slowly motioned to the hallway, enticing her with a seductive smile.With Flitter following close behind, Cloudchaser walked to her room and plopped herself down on the bed, patting the mattress with her hoof.

The moment Flitter sat down, Cloudchaser almost immediately locked lips with her again. Melting into it, she fell onto her back as Cloudchaser gently pushed her back, holding the kiss the entire time. She was fully on top of Flitter now, both of them savoring every second of the intimate act. Flitter’s wings exploded out from beneath her on the bed and hovered at her side, as was reflected by her sister’s wings above her.

Flitter’s wings reached up and lightly wrapped around the mare above her, while Cloudchaser gently slid hers under Flitter and slowly broke the kiss. They both stared into each others rose colored eyes for a while, never bringing their wings back to their sides.

“I’ve waited so long to do that,” Cloudchaser finally whispered, breaking the silence. Flitter smiled and landed a quick peck on her muzzle, bringing another smile to both their faces. After a quick peck back at her younger sister, Cloudchaser slowly slid her body and laid her head down so it was just under the other mare’s chin.

Flitter looked down to me pegasus sprawled on top of her and couldn’t help but look on as her smile threatened to tear something.

“Cloudchaser?”

“Hush, let’s just enjoy this,” Cloudchaser contently sighed and buried her head even deeper into her sister’s chest.

Enveloped in each other’s comforting grasp, the two mares lied down in silence, embracing each other. Flitter wanted nothing more than to just hold her sister like that forever, but eventually Cloudchaser shifted her head to face the mare.

“Flitter?” She asked.

“Yes?”

“Can... can we keep this a secret? I’m sure you know why most ponies wouldn't approve of us... Are you sure you can handle that?” She asked.

Flitter briefly thought about it before responding. “I don’t mind as long as I’m with you, sis.”

Cloudchaser gave another quick peck to her sister before looking at the clock next to her bed. “It’s getting pretty late. Do you... do you wanna sleep with me tonight?” She asked, a noticeable blush covering her face.

Flitter smirked. “You know, you look really cute when you blush, sis.”

“I told you, I'm not cute!” Cloudchaser quietly huffed.

“Okay, okay, you’re not cute.” The mare giggled. “And yes, I would love to.”

Cloudchaser shifted her body into a more comfortable position, letting her fur lightly brush against her sister. Flitter’s face turned scarlet. The feeling sent a small wave of warmth through her body.

As the two closed their eyes, Flitter whispered in her sister’s ear, “I love you, Cloudchaser.”

Before they both fell asleep, she heard a muffled: “I love you too, Flitter.”