Ever since that fateful Sisterhooves Social, Rarity had prided herself on maintaining a good sibling bond with Sweetie Belle. She tried her best to be there for her little sister, whilst also giving her space and time to be her own pony. It wasn't easy, but few things in life were. And over the years, the fashionista had watched as her little sister had slowly but surely grown. Now the filly not only had her cutie mark, but was also serving as a cutie mark counselor. Ponies and other creatures were coming to Sweetie Belle for advice. Rarity couldn't be prouder of such developments if she tried.
Yet it was now that the elder unicorn's thoughts were drifting towards more recent events. So much had unfolded so quickly over the span of just a few days. Equestria had very nearly fallen, all the bonds ponies had cherished for so long had nearly been irreparably broken. At first glance, there was nothing to indicate such events had taken place, Equestria had recovered fast. And all focus was on the fast approaching coronation of Princess Twilight as Equestria's new sovereign ruler.
Rarity knew better than to assume everything was back to normal, however. Personal experience taught her that some wounds, particularly emotional ones, took longer to heal. She and her friends had all talked it out amongst themselves, checking in on each other as needed to make sure all were doing well. And it was during one such meeting that Rarity had first considered the well being of her little sister.
Sweetie Belle had of course refused to dwell upon the topic when it was first brought up. "I'm fine, Rarity." Was all she bothered to say, and had trotted off looking quite content. And it was the same response with each subsequent attempt to shift conversations towards the topic. On the surface at least, Sweetie seemed unshaken.
Rarity thought and suspected otherwise. She kept thinking about it even whilst occupying herself with her usual work sewing and making dresses. "Sweetie Belle, you really shouldn't try to put off talking about what we've been through," She thought with a frown. "I know you think you're being brave, and maybe you are. But you're really not helping yourself if you avoid talking about such things. They can't be put off forever."
The fashionista had no idea how she was going to convey such sentiments and concerns to her little sister, however. If Sweetie didn't want to talk about it, it seemed there was nothing her older sister could say or do that would change the filly's mind.
So it was that another day came and went with Rarity keeping an occasional eye on Sweetie Belle, but otherwise opting not to say anything to her. No sense trying to force a confrontation, that would not help either sister at all or get them to say what needed to be said.
What would it take to get Sweetie to open up? Rarity didn't know. All she could do was hope for a change to come soon.
Night time came, and the fashionista prepared herself for another good night's sleep. She'd barely even had time to work on the dress for Twilight's coronation, so busy was she in keeping up with the backlog she'd accumulated as a result of her adventures. Plus, with all three of her boutiques back in business, ponies were once again flocking to them in droves, eager to go on living as if nothing had happened.
Yet just as Rarity was about to strap on her sleep mask and pull the covers up to her neck, her trained ears picked up a faint sound that was unmistakable to her. It was the sound of sniffling, light sobbing. And it was clear where and what the source was: It was coming from the guest bedroom Sweetie Belle so often frequented when spending the night at Carousel Boutique.
Her big sister instincts immediately kicked into gear as the elder unicorn rose from her bed quick as a flash! Sleep could wait, her little sister needed her now more than ever! She immediately yet carefully trotted down the hall from her bedroom to the guest bedroom and slowly pushed the door open.
Sure enough, there was Sweetie Belle sitting up in bed and looking quite shaken. Her eyes were stained red with tears as she just lay there, clearly too distraught to even think about sleep. Yet upon noticing that Rarity was now in the bedroom too, Sweetie hastily dove beneath the covers and tried to hide.
It was no use, of course, Rarity effortlessly pulled back the covers with her magic and moved to sit down next to her troubled little sister. She gently ran a hoof along the length of her sister's back, hoping it would have a soothing and calming effect on the filly. She also hummed a little tune from the back of her head to try to set the mood.
Slowly but surely, Sweetie's sad sobbing ceased. Yet her overall posture remained unsteady and uneasy. Whatever it was that was preventing her from sleeping quite clearly troubled her to no end.
The fashionista flashed a gentle smile, speaking slowly and calmly. "Sweetie Belle, it's okay. I'm here for you. Now let's have a little talk."
Sweetie sniffled and again shrank from Rarity's gaze. "It's nothing, Rarity! This is so silly and ridiculous!"
Rarity shook her head from side to side. "It's not ridiculous, Sweetie Belle, darling. It's perfectly normal to feel the way you're feeling after all you've been through. Nopony would blame you, certainly not me or your friends," She scooted closer, taking hold of her sister with a hoof. "You know that as well as I do. Now come on, you know what we need to discuss. You've been putting off this issue for long enough."
"I'm not putting it off! I don't want to talk about it! I said I'm fine!" Sweetie Belle growled and grumbled in a low tone, kicking her back legs in protest. "After all I've been through, I shouldn't be acting like this."
Rarity's smile grew brighter ever so faintly, her tone of voice becoming soft and gentle. "Nonsense, Sweetie Belle. You are still only a child."
"But I'm not a scared little kid!" Sweetie bitterly protested.
"Whoever said it's a bad thing to be scared or frightened? Even I get scared sometimes," Rarity pointed out. "It's natural to feel that way. And pretending otherwise only makes it worse."
The unicorn filly just remarked. "That's easy for you to say, Rarity. You've been through so much more than I have, and yet you seem to be perfectly fine. Everypony's acting the same way: Like nothing ever happened. Like we didn't see what we saw," She groaned. "And I hate feeling that way! I hate feeling like nothing's wrong! I know I'm supposed to be happy that everything worked out okay in the end! But I can't help but think about what happened when it looked like it wasn't going to work out okay. Think about what could've been." Once again, she shuddered and shook, conveying more than words how unnerved she was.
The fashionista, for her part, simply continued to stroke her frightened and frazzled little sister with a hoof. And all the while, she spoke in a tone of voice barely above a whisper. "Oh Sweetie Belle, stop being so silly. Just because I don't show it outwardly doesn't mean I'm not bothered or worried about what happened or what might have been. Everypony has their own way of coping after being through a traumatic or frightening experience. Some just do a better job of coping with it or hiding their feelings," She looked her little sister deep in her sap green eyes as she added quite firmly and sternly. "And that's not who you are. We both know that."
"Then what am I supposed to do?! What am I supposed to feel?!" Sweetie complained aloud as her tears returned with a vengeance. She promptly buried herself in her older sister's chest, sobbing anew as she lamented. "After everything I've been through, why is this the one thing I can't stop thinking about?! Why can't I let myself be happy that all's right with Equestria again?!"
Rarity remained silent for a bit, allowing for her little sister to cry her heart out. She felt it best to let such emotions flow freely rather than try to tell Sweetie to suppress them. She was certain her sister would feel better once she'd had a chance to vent and freely express herself, letting go of all that she'd tried so hard to keep bottled up inside. Now it was time to let it all out. A time when nothing mattered more than one's own well being.
At last, Sweetie Belle lifted her face and wiped her eyes as her crying stopped.
Rarity smiled again as she looked at her younger sister. "See? Don't you feel better now that you've gotten that off your chest, Sweetie Belle? Isn't that better than trying to go on pretending that you're okay even when you're not?"
The still somewhat frazzled filly nodded ever so slowly. "I... I think so. I just... didn't want to be a bother to anypony. Nopony else seemed troubled or bothered, so I thought I shouldn't be either. I'm supposed to be somepony others can look to for advice or guidance."
"And you still are," The fashionista reassured Sweetie. "That hasn't changed after all you've been through. But you're not perfect. You have your own problems. And you can't be a help to anyone who might need your guidance if you're refusing to deal with your troubles," She held her sister close as she went on to add. "It's very brave of you to try to push on and pretend like nothing's wrong. But sometimes, the bravest thing you can truly do is admit that you're not okay. Sometimes, it's okay to think about yourself. When you've been through a frightening or traumatic experience, it helps to talk about it with somepony you trust."
"Like you?" Sweetie Belle asked even though she knew she probably didn't need to.
Rarity nodded back. "Yes. And not just me. It's why you have so many friends. They're always there for you, just like you're always there for them. I'm sure if you talk to them, you'll find that many of them feel the same way you do," She concluded by saying. "Above all else, Sweetie Belle, you should remember that you're still just a pony. Sometimes you're going to feel scared, or anxious, or upset. And when you feel that way, it's important not to try to pretend otherwise. Doing so can lead to disastorus consequences. Do you understand?"
For a moment, Sweetie was silent, thinking over her big sister's words. Then, she managed to nod and smile. "Yeah... I believe I do," She leaned wholeheartedly into Rarity's embrace and nuzzled up against her. "Thanks for having this talk with me, Rarity. I thought I didn't need to have it, but it turns out I really did. I feel... better now... I think. It feels like... something's been lifted from me."
The fashionista sweetly replied as she slowly rose from the bed. "Glad to hear it, Sweetie Belle," She patted her little sister gently on the forehead. "Now, do you think you can get some sleep so that I can stop worrying about you and get some sleep myself?"
"A-actually, Rarity," Sweetie sheepishly asked, trying hard to keep from blushing. "Could I... sleep with you, just for tonight I-I think I'll feel better and sleep better if I know you're right there if I need you."
Rarity was happy to oblige the offer. "Of course, Sweetie Belle. I was wondering when you might ask. I think we'll both find it easier to sleep if we both know we're right next to each other." She then kindly waited for her sister to get out of bed, and ushered her out of the guest bedroom. All in all, this conversation had worked out better than the fashionista had hoped for.
Author's Note
As cliche as it may be, there's a reason why we say "It's okay to not be okay". Anytime you're going through a tough time in life, it's important to recognize it and to admit when you need help. As brave as it may be to pretend you're fine, it can be even braver to accept that you're not fine.
Besides, who doesn't love a feel good story involving the best sibling dynamic of FiM?
