DON'T POST:
~Multiple chapters of stories as separate stories.
Technically this hasn't happened yet. So I'm good rite?

The trapdoor to the attic heaved up then thumped onto the dry floorboards, disturbing the untouched layer of dust carpeting it. Tiny white hooves hauled up the larger bulk of their owner in what could only be described as a distasteful play of purple prose. The adolescent unicorns face held inquisitive eyes which scanned the cluttered area so uncharacteristic of their home, this place was dirty. Rarity would have a fit.

She took a ginger step into the darkness then paused as her hoof sunk into the layer of dust contained within "eww" she shuddered, yet glad that her older sister wasn't around to dictate her every move. What was up here exactly that warranted a lock and expressent forbearance towards entering. Her young mind conjured up many things, from ghosts to gremlins and even old mannequins, yet ultimately her mind had settled on a bunch of early dresses. Still, what children couldn't have they would always covet the most, and so here she found herself, alone in a dark and dusty attic that had been off access for as long as she could remember.

Lavender eyes scanned the room, she initially struggled to make out the blurred figures in the inky darkness but over time her eyes grew accustomed to the black. Surrounding her were what appeared to be two items of furniture covered with tarpaulin, her gaze wondered past them to the haphazardly boarded up window casting a thin strip of light onto the room. The only sound around was her own breathing, soon her curiosity overcame her apprehensive skittishness and she took another more confident step forward into the now decipherable black.

The sudden creaking of the floorboards roared in her ears and made her jump, she drew a bated breath before she remembered where her sister was, the library. She breathing relaxed and she continued on despite the caking of dust now surrounding her hooves until she stood in front of the long covered object of furniture in front of the window. Her eyes lingered for a second before she pulled the material away and stood mouth agape in surprise. There was a bed in the attic, a simple thing, what surprised her was that the colourful blue fabric quilting it.

Her mouth worked open and closed uselessly, how come rarity had never told her they had a spare room in the attic, this would have been perfect for club sleepovers, that lone window which had always piped her curiosity from outside gave a perfect view of the whole poniville. Pushing the protective cloth aside she collapsed onto the unmade bed, presumably left as it was found she reasoned. She fought the counter productive urge to facehoof as she realized the dust caking her hooves had now become smeared over the unmade bed, good thing her sister never ventured up here.

A sigh, "Rarities going to kill me if she ever finds out about this..." she lamented. Aside from the bare flooring and walls covered in flaking paint, she felt... right here, just right. The area seemed to emit an aura of privacy and freedom she scarcely had the chance to enjoy in the lower levels of the house, where there were no doors except that of the bathroom, and any random stranger could just waltz into their sitting room to make an order.
She let herself sink into the blue fabric and relaxed, focusing on her breathing, perhaps if she asked really nicely her sister would allow her to move up here to the place which had the very qualities she craved so dearly. It was worth hoping.

While she was considering her options her lavendered orbs had idly drifted over to the other clothed object sitting in the darkness, the sight of which brought her out of her ponderings. As the cloth drifted to the floor at the behest of a hoof, she jumped when an object clattered to the floor and rolled a short distance before coming to a stop. Rolling to glance over the the edge of the bed, she beheld a blue yoyo that's insides were rusting with the passage of time. Undeveloped magic gripped the metal ring out of curiosity but the frayed coils of twine merely snapped upon being jerked.

Disregarding the broken toy with a frown she turned her attention back to the aged wooden dresser, laying face down on it was a picture frame,this perked her attention. Without really thinking she picked it up and carried it under arm to the center of the room where the cracks in the wood boarding shone through the derelict window. Squinting she her eyes lit up in recognition, a much younger version of their parents stared back with wide, innocent smiles. Her fathers kind eyes free from wrinkles stared slightly off from the camera, upon his head was his trademark hat, now brand new and completely unfrayed. Just out of arms reach was his wife, her mother, with long flowing locks as opposed to the out of date beehive hairdo. Sweeties eyes widened in amazement as some strange sort of unknown nostalgia overcame her.
Eventually her eyes wondered to the two foalish figures sitting in between her parents, one was her very sister, yet she looked about her age. She still had the same hair style, and her face displayed a joyful smile full of innocence and happiness.
She paused, there was a stranger in her family photo, a off-pink haired colt with brown mane, hooves and chest marred by patches of dirt, yet smile identical to that of the younger rarity. He stood slightly taller than her sister, looking quite radiant, in his hooves he clenched a worn out hoofball. They sat side by side, with each parents forehoof slung around their shoulders in a display of affection.

For the longest time she stared at the image, trying to rationalize what she was seeing. But in the end the only explanation she was coming up with was that this colt was somehow, impossibly, her sibling. But how... why had nopony ever mentioned that to her, that she had a brother. Her brow furrowed, she had a brother... so where was he now.

It suddenly dawned on her, much to her horror. "....That must have been why" she uttered in barely a whisper, realizing why her sister had been so utterly opposed to her venturing into the attic. Her brother must be dead. She clenched her eyes at the sudden revelation, she had a brother and he had died, and she'd come into and messed up his room, desecrated his things and dirtied his bed. She swallowed, feeling sick, throat dry. She had to get out of here, get out of here before her sister came and saw what she had done, all in the sake of curiosity. It wasn't worth it.

When rarity finally ventured home, she found her sister sobbing under the sheets. Upon questing sweetie-belle she received no answer.

The next day at school passed even slower than was usual, with a glum looking white unicorn slumped in her seat. The school bell rang out and the room was quickly emptied of pupils who dashed out with abandon, knocking into desks and otherwise making lots of noise, as little fillies are apt to do. Yet sweetie-belle lagged behind lethargically, taking an uncharacteristically long time packing her things away, unsure if she even wanted to go home right now.

"Sweeti?" she paused, then turned back curiously to regard her teacher, who's own concerned gaze came down upon her.
"Is everything all right? you seemed a bit... subdued in class?"
The automatic response came naturally "I'm fine miss cheerilee" yet her voice was sombre.

The lips of her mentor curved downwards, "...are you sure?"

Sweeti opened her mouth to reply but stopped before any sound came out, she stood wordlessly for a few sconds before glancing towards the floor, trying to ignore the troubling gaze of her tutor.
"actually... was there ever a little colt that came here"

Her teacher concerned gaze formed into one of confusion and perhaps worry "a colt?"

"yea..." she continued in a cracking voice. "he had a brown mane and pink hair..."

The frown on cheerlies face deepened while her eyes softened into a state conveying profound sadness and realization. yet quickly as it happened the truth only lasted for less than a mere second before her eyes hardened and her mouth straightened into an uncharacteristically thin line.
"No, never." And with that she went back to marking test scores.

Sweetie waited until eventually, standing alone with no further explanation she awkwardly left the room.

Across the room sat what she reckoned to be the kindest, most understanding stallion the world had ever known, her dear old dad. The older man sat with his signature straw hat, supposedly a dear present from an old friend, with his eyes glued intently to the news paper. His eyes suddenly became hazy, his head lolled forward as if being bushed by some invisible hoof and his eyes closed gently. Then came a hacking cough, the very kind that filled her with a faded sense of dread if only because of the frequency of their occurrence. He'd been sick for as long as she could remember, his breathing was bad and his joints ached, yet he was always there for her, had always walked her to school when she was younger and he was still employed as a journalist.
She was proud of her father and loved him dearly, he never made a big fuss out of his condition and always just got on with life she supposed, to the absolute best of his ability. But she had taken notice, he seemed to be getting more frail lately, she supposed it had been old age.

Suppressing the ache in her heart she ambled up to the aging stallion and forced a smile onto her face to cheer him up. He was never happy unless she was happy, never.

The paper was roughly dumped on the desk as the stallion enthusiastically turned to face her with a smile on his face "Hey sweeti, how was my little angels day at school?" he studied her with rapt attention.

"Hi daddy" she replied, slightly less enthusiastically then usual "it was fine, I-" her smile faltered for a fraction of a second-"I- learned some cool stuff about the crystal empire and-"

"whats wrong sweetie?" her father interjected, face having instantly lost it's gleam upon noticing the minute changes in her facial structure.

She sighed, remembering why she had come to talk to the only pony who she could trust to not overreact in any way, although she shuddered to think of how he imparticular would react to such questions.'did I have a brother' she imagined herself callously asking, only for him to burst into tears. She was definitely beginning to have second thoughts.

Swallowing she replied "n-no, i'm fine dad, it's just"

"it's just what? ...come on you can tell me whats wrong? I won't shout, promise" He winked and made a gesture across his chest.

His concern deepened when his daughter didn't relax or crack a smile.

"it's nothing" she said, eyes glancing at the floor towards a particularly interesting corner of the room.

"... what's the matter, please?" he asked, now sombre.

The white filly gulped and turned to meet her fathers sad eyes, "I- it's just.... I mean..." she stammered, unsure of how to say this.

The stallion swiveled his flank in the chair to face her and rested his forelegs on his knees.
"what is it? you know you can talk to me about anything sweeti?"

Her mouth went dry and for the longest time she seemed to just stand there "I-....I... went into the attic" her face went pale and she chewed her lip, why had she said that. she shouldn't have said that, what was wrong with her.

Meanwhile her father took a sharp in hail of breath as if stabbed by some icy implement "w-what"

Her eyes clenched shut "I'm so sorry daddy! I-I didn't know, I just wanted to find out what was-" she froze on the verge of sobbing as her father held up a hoof too quiet her, then ran the same hoof slowly down his face, letting loose a long and mournful sigh.

She was shaking, why had she ever told anyone about this, let alone her dad. She'd made her daddy upset. The thought made her eyes water profusely. The white filly couldn't even bare to look at him, the mere sight making her weepy.
"I'm so sorry daddy" she sobbed. She froze up in shock as her dad lept from the seat and raced towards her, she half expected him to hit her, she would have deserved it too. she closed her eyes.

What she found instead a warm embrace and the stallions own tears staining her back.
"No, no sweetie, I could never be mad at you" he gasped, wheezing. They held each other for minutes until sweetie had calmed down considerably.

The stallion sat staring at the opposite wall in deep thought, daugter cradled in his arms. "you found out about your brother?" he asked rhetorically for lack of a better place to start. His offspring nodded her head. He sighed.
"did he...is he..." she whimpered only to be hugged tighter.

"No, never" he uttered. He had dreaded this day would, the day all parents had to go through, a horrible day he had already been through on two separate occasions. He'd have to give his precious youngest daughter The Talk.
An explanation into why every young able bodied colt was drafted into celestias army to serve and protect the realm, to keep the war out of it's boarders, why her big brother and his son had disappeared at such an early age and why he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. More tears dropped onto the carpet.

Author's Note

I owe pascal 40 pence for this commision.

This is rated NSFW for a reason.