The Forgotten Family

Rarity watched Twilight sleep, amazed at how well things had gone with their developing relationship in the past few days. She contemplated how strange it was just how close they had grown in so short a time. Of course they had been friends for years but, still it was strange, she thought.

She looked at her hoof where her rubber band was. She still refused to take it off except to sleep. It was a reminder for her, for no matter how bad these past few days had been, Twilight was the one thing holding her together. She smiled as her marefriend snuggled closer, still unconscious with a small smile playing across her lips.

Rarity looked out the window and sighed as she realized the Crystal Empire was finally in sight. She would need to wake Twilight soon. She looked at the back to the back of the car, shocked to see a pair of emerald eyes staring at her intently. The eyes did not waver or look away when they made contact with her own.

Rarity hurriedly looked back to Twilight and began to shake her gently. "Twilight," she said. "we're almost there."

Twilight mumbled something about the "mathematical sequencing between the dimensions of theoretical dimensional teleportation" before opening her eyes, blinking herself awake. "Rarity?" she said. "What are you doing in my lab?"

Rarity laughed before pointing a hoof out the window, trying very hard to ignore the gaze she could feel boring into the back of her head. "We are almost to the Crystal Empire."

Twilight blinked before smiling at her. "Can't wait to see my BBBFF."

"Honestly, I really think you should try to wake up a bit before we arrive." Rarity said.

Twilight shook her head. "I'm awake, sorry." she said. "I just organize my thoughts better when I sleep."

Rarity was curious but, she did not want to pry. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it silently several times. Twilight looked at her from the window and smiled. "I suppose you're curious about what I needed to figure out?" Rarity nodded. "I was trying to figure out if it was possible to teleport between alternate dimensions."

"Why?" Rarity asked.

"Because of that spell we saw yesterday. It's an extremely advanced anti-dark-magic spell set in a rune style. It's formed from the inert light in a pony's heart but, it takes extreme magical talent to manifest that light. The only pony I know who could cast a spell that advanced would have to be extremely talented and have personal training from somepony just as powerful, or plenty of experience in that type of magic." Twilight said quickly. Half of the lavender alicorn's words were lost on Rarity but, she nodded anyways. "The only pony I could think of who could do that without standing out in a crowd would be Sunset Shimmer. I don't think it was her though. First, she has no idea what's going on and wouldn't be able to help anyways. Then I was reviewing the mathematical sequencing required to break through the barriers between dimensions, and I couldn't find anyway it would be possible without several years of intense study on the portal at the very least."

Rarity did not understand almost anything Twilight had just said. "So," she said. "you don't know who could have done that then?" Twilight nodded. "Well whoever it was, I'm grateful for it."

The train began to slow. Twilight stood up and began examining the holes in the train car. "Whoever it was, they'd have to be a very good pony." Twilight said. "That particular spell is based off the kindness in a pony's heart." she smiled.

Rarity smiled as she began gathering their saddlebags. "Perhaps we should ask Shining Armor about it," she said. "maybe he'll know somepony like that." Twilight turned around to smile and nod.

As the train finally came to a stop Rarity and Twilight exited. They both immediately began to walk towards the massive crystal castle in the center of the city. Rarity's worry grew with every step they took towards the castle. All of the answers would, hopefully, be in that castle. Still, she was unsure she actually wanted to know the answers. Her parents had stolen all memory of her brother from all of Ponyville, the hid them away for ten years before just deciding to tell Rarity he existed. She was worried that he really was dead, that all of this was for nothing.

Twilight spun around suddenly before planting a kiss directly on Rarity's lips. Rarity, while surprised at first, leaned into the kiss closing her eyes. She reveled in the feeling of her lips pressed against Twilight's. Twilight's breathing was heavy when she pulled away. "Sorry," she said. "I just wanted to get it out of my system. I want to tell my BBBFF, but I thought I would keep the affection to a minimum. I just don't want to make him uncomfortable."

Rarity laughed before nodding. "Quite alright, I wouldn't want to bother him." she said. They finally arrived at the castle and Rarity took a deep breath to steel herself before opening the door.

They could hear loud arguing from the throne room down the hall. Twilight laughed slightly before heading towards the noise. As Rarity walked behind her marefriend she could hear very loud yelling from familiar voices.

"WE TOLD YOU SO!" definitely Princess Luna, yelled. "YOU MADE AN OATH TO PAY US IN THE SPECIFIED MANNER, NOW SHINING ARMOR WE DEMAND YOU DO SO!"

"I still don't believe it," Shining Armor said, just before Twilight opened the door to the throne room, Rarity caught his next words clearly and blushed. "Twily would have to walk in and kiss Rarity before I'd believe it."

As they entered the room all of the occupants quickly grew quiet. Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadence had all been staring down Shining Armor, the former three wearing smug grins as they noticed the newcomers.

Rarity blushed even more intently as she realized they were all waiting expectantly. Rarity looked to Twilight, who to her credit, looked just as stoic as she always did. "Well," Twilight said "I believe we also had a bet BBBFF." Twilight looked back at Rarity before kissing her quickly on the lips. Rarity honestly did not believe that a blush could grow quite as hot as hers had.

Shining Armor's jaw dropped. "Please, tell me that didn't just happen," he said. "I really don't want to do it."

"Twilight?" Rarity asked. "You bet your brother that we would start dating?"

"No," she said. "I bet him when I was six that I would never date a stallion."

Rarity laughed loudly. "And the rest of you?"

Princess Cadence laughed as well. "I bet him that she would start dating you, Princess Luna bet him that she would start dating another mare, and Princess Celestia just came to watch him pay up." she said.

"How much did you bet?" Rarity asked him. Shining armor just sighed dejectedly and shook his head.

"I didn't bet money..." he said cryptically. "I'll just get them all out of the way now." He walked to Princess Luna and said "You are always right about everything and I'm not."

He then approached Princess Cadence his voice growing monotone. He then proceeded to sing every line of "I feel pretty" while tap-dancing. Rarity raised an eyebrow, wondering just why the princesses would have him do these things.

Lastly he approached Twilight, then hugged her tightly. "I'm proud of you..." he said quietly. "I promised, that if you never started dating a stallion that I would always be honest with you, and that's probably the most honest thing I can say. I'm proud of you and I love you little sis." Twilight had tears in her eyes when she pulled away from the hug.

"Love you too, BBBFF." she said.

Pop!

"Um, Rarity? What's with the rubber band?" Princess Cadence asked. Twilight just shook her head which made Rarity realize she had never told her marefriend.

"It's nothing really, just a memento now." Rarity said happily.

"So why are thee here, child?" Princess Luna asked. "We did not know you had planned a trip here."

"We needed to have a talk with Shining Armor," Twilight said. "he's apparently been in contact with somepony we've been trying to find."

"Yes," Rarity said "We believe you know how to find my brother." Shining Armor's jaw dropped slightly. "His name is Mythic."

"That's impossible." Shining Armor said. "He told me he doesn't have a family anymore."

Rarity's heart skipped a beat. Her brother was alive. "Where is he?" she asked.

Shining Armor hung his head and sighed loudly, causing Rarity to deflate slightly. "I don't know." he said. "He doesn't tell me where he stays, we just meet every few weeks. He just kinda appears, hangs out for a while, then disappears again." Rarity wondered if he meant that literally or not.

"But," she hesitated "he is alive, right?" Rarity looked to Shining, her heart ready to shatter.

He smiled and nodded before laughing slightly. "Oh yeah, I don't think anything can kill him."

Rarity smiled and looked to see Twilight smiling just as brightly. All this had not been for nothing. "When did he last show up?" Twilight asked.

"It's actually been awhile." Shining Armor said. "Knowing him he should roll in any day now, if nothing else has caught his attention."

"Whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked.

Shining laughed again. "Sometimes he gets the desire to just go on an adventure. It's kinda weird but, that's just part of who he is, I suppose."

Rarity felt a little pang of sadness as she realized that Shining Armor knew her brother better than she did. "What's he like?" she asked suddenly, Twilight giving her a pained look as she realized Rarity's train of thought.

Shining Armor for his part just looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "He's your brother I thought you'd know him better than me."

Rarity began to tear up surprising everypony in the room (including herself). "I should, should I not?" she asked. "I just can't remember." Twilight moved closer to Rarity and draped her wing over her. Rarity had become very accustomed to this gesture and appreciated the closeness with her marefriend. When Rarity felt the soft down covering her she began to calm slightly. "Please, Shining Armor, anything you can tell me about him."

Shining Armor opened his mouth to speak when the sound of fighting outside the doors to the throne room floated in. Everypony in the room stopped to stare at the door. None of them were concerned about the combat, probably because the five most powerful ponies in Equestria were all in the room.

As the sounds of fighting started to die down the door slowly opened revealing a large unicorn. He was slightly taller than Princess Luna, with a snow white coat and long purple mane. The style of the stallion's mane looked very similar to Rainbow Dash's, although his mane and tail were one color. As he walked past Rarity she could see his cutie mark.

Rarity gasped loudly as she saw his flank. His cutie mark looked just like Twilight's, only it had a sword in the center of the largest star. She knew who he was now. His emerald eyes scanned over the room before settling on her. His brow furrowed as he spoke, his voice a lot less menacing than she would have thought. "Who, pray tell, are you?" he asked.

Rarity shook her head, trying to discern if this was a dream. "Mythic?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Shining Armor!" he yelled. "One would think you had learned your lesson by now. These ponies cannot be who they claim to be."

"And why is that?" Twilight said, her voice betraying the building anger within her. "I assure you that I am Twilight, and that is Rarity." she indicated Rarity with a hoof.

"That can't be, little one." Mythic said. "She can't be Rarity."

"Why not?" Rarity asked.

Mythic looked at his little sister, pain crossing his expression. "Because, I killed you eleven years ago."

"What?" six voices asked simultaneously. Mythic looked back at Rarity his eyes red ringed like he was about to cry.

"You died."