The beads of rain hit the windows, leaving a constant pitter patter. It was an ordinary hospital room with a single bed, a table, chairs and the heart monitor. The room was well lit, but for whatever reason, the lights flickered on and off every so often. The cold winter air could be felt even inside such a snug room. Almost like the talons of an ice spirit scraping against the door. The bland floor tiles were just something to stare at now, and the various magazines on the tables were just decoration. A figure sat in a chair next to the bed with one hoof on the bed and the other wiping her eyes.
Her orangy-yellow fur helped reflect the light to the rest of the room, giving the space around her a slightly orange tint. Her red and yellow mane drooped in a way where it seemed like it hadn’t been cared for in weeks. The figure in the bed, however had the same shade of fur as the mare sitting in the chair, but was dimmer. Duller, like her very soul was washing off her with every breath she took. They both were unicorns, and shared the same shade of light green as their eye color.
The young mare who sat in the chair was Sunset Shimmer, the top student in Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lying in the hospital bed in front of her was her older sister, Nova Breeze. SInce birth, Nova has had trouble breathing, and over the years her condition had worsened until it was deemed unsafe for her to leave the hospital.
“Sunset? Is that you?” Nova said, being barely audible. Sunset Shimmer raised her head after hearing her sister’s dim voice.
“Nova! You’re awake!” she said excitedly, but in a whisper. She leaned forward and kissed her sister’s cheek.
“Hey there. How are you feeling?” Nova asked her sister. “I heard you graduated top of your class.”
“Y-yeah! I did it for you.”
“That’s great, Sunset. I’m really happy for you.” She paused to cough violently before saying, “By what I know, you get to become Princess Celestia’s personal student now. Right?”
“Oh, yeah. I-I am! I was supposed to meet her today, but I decided to come see you instead.” Sunset said as she looked at the floor.
“Sunset, you didn’t need to do that for me. You should have gone to see the Princess. It’s a great honor, you know?” Nova said, looking at her. She coughed again and then laid her head back onto her pillow. “You don’t usually visit me. Why today?”
“Because I wanted to tell you that I graduated top of my class.”
“Is that all?”
“...”
“If it is, then I’m really happy for you! I promise to buy you a little something as a graduation gift. How about tomorrow? I can ask the doctor for a chaperoned leave. We can to together and buy yo-”
“Stop.”
“Huh?”
“P-Please. Please stop.” Tears welled up in Sunset’s eyes. “Don’t give me any more. You give me everything, even if you can’t afford it.”
“Sunset, I-”
“No, let me finish. You give me so much, and I don’t give anything back. I’m sorry.” Sunset Shimmer wiped her tears away with a tissue.
“You don’t need to say sorry. I give you things because I love you!”
“That’s exactly it! You give me your love, but I never pay it back. My selfishness is causing your sadness. You give me things so that I’m happy, but in return, you only get sadness.”
“What are you talking about? Making you happy makes me happy! I do wish that I didn’t have to stay in this room all day. I wish that I could spend more time with you and that would make me truly happy.” Nova said comfortingly.
“No, ever since mom and dad left, you’ve been working your flank off to get me into Celestia’s school. You worked in that coal mill to help pay for it, but you ended up damaging your lungs too. I’m sorry Nova. I’ve been a terrible little sister to you. I asked for too much. I’m sorry.” Sunset’s tears ran freely down her face. Her throat felt strange and she choked back more tears.
“Sunset, it’s okay. I did it for your best interests. I liked seeing you move forward in life, but I knew that eventually, I’d only be able to watch from this room. There’s no favor for you to return. You did your best, and look where you are now. My little Sunset Shimmer is going to be the Princess’ personal student.”
“...” Sunset attempted to say something, but the words didn’t come out.
“You were a naughty filly, but I knew that you’d be special. I knew that one day, you would do something that the world has never seen before. I watched you grow up from being that little filly that stole out of the cookie jar and getting muddy in our backyard to now, where I see you all grown up. And that makes me truly happy. I’m happy that I was given the chance to raise somepony like you. I’m so happy that I was blessed with you as my little sister.”
The lights in the room flickered again as thunder and lightning struck outside. The rain smacked against the windows in little assaults. A rhythm that will never be captured again. The sweet music of nature. The wind sang a beautiful song as the rain kept a steady beat. Nova reached out and planted a hoof on Sunset’s face.
“Look this way will you? I want to look into your eyes.” Sunset turned and looked into her sister’s eyes as she cried. “Don’t cry. It’s okay. Have I told you that you’re growing into a beautiful young mare?” Sunset stayed silent. All that could be heard was the pitter patter of the rain, the ceiling light flashing and the heartbeat monitor, which gradually slowed between beeps.
“Nova, I’m still so sorry that I couldn’t give you my love. I’m trying now. I’m trying really hard.”
“Why? You’ve given me all that I need. I’m proud to be able to call you my little sister.” Nova closed her eyes as she felt her heart slow to a stop.
“Nova? Why are you closing your eyes? Nova?”
“Don’t worry, sis. Just remember. I love you no matter where I am.”
“No! Don’t leave me! Please! I’ll work even harder to make you happy! Please open your eyes!” Sunset sobbed. Her chest heaved as she looked at her sister.
“I love you Sunset. Be strong for me. Be strong.”
Nova’s hoof fell from Sunset’s face. The light of the hospital room died out, leaving Sunset Shimmer in the dark. She lifted her sister’s hoof and placed it back on her face. Then she heard it. The heart monitor flatlined. She’s gone. Sunset hugged Nova one last time before leaving to get a doctor.
“I’ll be strong. For you, sis. I’ll be strong.” She swore to herself. With her head hung low, she walked out of the room for a final time.
The heavy rain dripped of of the side of Sunset’s face while she sat under the large tree in the hospital courtyard. The wind raged and whipped at the branches above her. The storm was getting worse by the second. Lightning lit up the sky every once in a while, allowing Sunset to see her warped reflection in the large puddle in front of her. She couldn’t differentiate her own tears from the pouring rain. The brutal onslaught of wind whipped and lashed at her ears over and over again. Her heart pounded in her chest, not of sadness, but of anger. How could her only family be taken away from her like this?
Sunset screamed with all her might into the pouring rain. She was still drowned out by the thunder and the loud slaps that the rain made against the concrete. A small ball of light emanated from her horn while she screamed almost inaudibly compared to the storm around her. Spark after spark shot out of her horn as she clenched her teeth. She jumped forward, out of the protection of the great tree and onto the solid cement floor. There was a characteristic in her eye that was difficult to place. Sunset’s eyes dilated and her mane flew wildly against the wind.
“STOP THIS!” She shrieked at the sky, shooting a beam of electric blue into the clouds. At first, the beam was weak, but as every second raged on Sunset’s determination pumped ever harder and the beam began to spiral into a twister of magic. Sunset closed her eyes as the droning sound of the magical twister resonated. The dark grey clouds began to slowly circle around the spiral of raw emotional energy. They spun faster and faster until a funnel appeared at the bottom of the cloud formation right above the spiral of magic.
The funnel grew and grew until it was being completely sucked in by the magical twister. The hospital building groaned under the high velocity winds and the snapping of the branches and tree bark behind her. Lightning attempted to strike, but was sucked in my Sunset’s field. She let out one final scream of frustration before the sky was instantly cleared. The sun sat low in the sky, getting ready to set, but not a single cloud could be seen.
“Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset jumped at the familiar voice behind her, but couldn’t place who it was. She turned to see a large white pony standing behind her. She was almost twice as tall as Sunset and had both a horn and wings.
“Princess Celestia!” She said as she bowed her head. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that, I didn’t want my sister to go away on a stormy night.”
“It’s okay, Sunset. I’m sorry for your loss.” The Princess said with an emotionless face. Her horn lit up and a golden aura covered Sunset. She could feel a certain warmness, but then it was gone. “There you go, you’re all dry. Better?” She asked, in a motherlike fashion.
“Yeah, T-Thank you Princess.”
“Don’t mention it. You are my student after all.” She smiled, but after seeing Sunset’s face, it vanished. “Sunset, dear, is there anything you would like to talk about?” She asked in a warm tone.
“Yes, I suppose I need to talk to somepony.”
“Okay, what would you like to talk about?”
“Um, if it isn’t too much to ask, can we leave this place? I don’t want to be here right now. It’s, it’s too much to handle.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
“How about we have a nice warm dinner together? Just the two of us. We can talk about anything you like, for as long as you like. Does that sound okay to you?” Princess Celestia asked Sunset, putting a wing around her in a loose hug.
“Alright.”
