I Love You Too...
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.
-Anon
Pre-Read: ShadowFlash
Edited: MasterFrasca99
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At Peace
***
A large snow storm was raging outside a small humble home, which was being warmed only by a brick fireplace. The house was quiet and dark, the fire's heat providing a heartwarming atmosphere.
Sweetie Belle sat near the fire, alone with her head hung low. After a few brief moments she turned towards the many family photos on the fireplace, sitting idly upon her haunches.
She had grown a lot over the years into a fine mare bearing an uncanny resemblance to Rarity. Starting to sob, she turned from the photos to gather herself.
The winds shook the house as she turned to the window with her tear-glazed eyes, voices echoing through her mind as she stared into the whiteout. Closing her eyes, a scene filled her mind. A memory from her youth as she saw her younger self opening a present, Rarity looking to her with a smile.
"I'm sorry if you don't like it; I... didn't have as many bits as I usually have around this time of the year," Rarity said with a frown, anticipating a negative reaction from her younger sister.
"Thank you big sis. This is the best gift ever!" shouted Sweetie Belle ecstatically, closing her eyes as she rubbed the sweater over her face. Rarity looked to her with a joyful expression as a tear ran down her face, happy that her little sister was excited.
The young little filly bolted across the room, the two embracing as Rarity started to cry tears of happiness.
"Don't cry sis. Because if you do, I'll hug you until you stop," Sweetie Belle said, looking up to her sister, joy still in her eyes. Rarity moved a hoof through the young filly’s mane, tilting her head as she brought Sweetie closer to herself. Rarity lowered her head as she planted a kiss on Sweetie Belle's forehead, causing the little filly to giggle.
The scene started to fade as the clopping grew closer and more vivid with each passing moment, Sweetie Belle turning her attention from the window towards the hallway.
“Sweetie Belle, I made you some coco.” said a gentle voice.
A pink elderly Unicorn mare entered the room. It was her mother who, upon looking at her daughter, gave her a sympathetic smile. Sweetie Belle wiped the tears from her eyes with her hooves as she turned back to her mother.
“Sweetie... it’s alright to cry,” the pink mare said, trying to sympathize with her daughter, quickly using her magic to levitate the coco to her daughter.
The fire from the fireplace grew slightly as a white stallion entered the room. He slowly approached Sweetie Belle, placing one hoof upon her back using the other to stroke her mane.
"We know it's hard. She was always so proud of you," said the white stallion, smiling to her as tears also formed in his eyes.
“I know... I just can't stop thinking about her though. She was always there for me and I just... I just wish I was there for her,” Sweetie Belle cried, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sipped the hot beverage. Her parents looked to her with expressions of grief, giving her a moment of silence.
After a few more sips, she used her magic to place the cocoa atop the fireplace mantle as the winds outside starting to slow down.
“Well, we have a surprise for you.” Sweetie’s mother said softly, moving slightly closer to her husband. ”I know you opened the gifts from your mother and I, but there's another. It was dropped off last week along with a letter saying it from someone we loved more than anything else in this world," her father said, turning his attention to the pink Unicorn. Sweetie Belle looked at the oddly packed parcel as her mother used her magic to levitate it from the next room, placing it in front of the anxious mare.
Sweetie looked at the tag, sniffling as she read it to herself.
From: Rarity, I love you dear sister. More than anything in all Equestria,
There was a moment of silence as they all looked to the parcel, the howling winds still churning outside. The white mare started to move her hooves towards the box, quickly stopping as she lowered her ears.
“I don’t think I shou-...” Sweetie Belle started to say, looking to her parents with an expression of uncertainty as she pulled her hooves back reluctantly.
“Open it. It's alright,” said the elderly white stallion, looking to his wife, as tears slowly ran down both their faces. Sweetie Belle used her magic to tear the wrapping, delicately removing it as a black box was uncovered. Using her magic once more, she lifted the lid slowly as she approached the box, peering into the darkness of the container.
All three of them looked into the dark void of the box as Sweetie Belle levitated a golden necklace from its depths to her eye level. She started to tear up as she reached out, using her hooves to grab the necklace.
"Don't ever leave me big sis," echoed Sweetie Belle's past self through her mind, causing her to pull the pendant closer to herself.
In the blink of an eye, the apparition of Rarity appeared, embracing her younger sister, although invisible to their parents. Sweetie closed her eyes, sobbing while she continued to hold and embrace the specter as it ran its hooves through her mane.
"I promise... I will always be there for you," said Rarity's apparition, nestling her head further into Sweetie's mane. Sweetie closed her eyes as she took everything in for a brief moment.
The phantom vanishing as she opened them to look at the necklace. The white mare slowly opened the small gift, her pupils scanning the short message inscribed on one half of the neck-piece.
While she read the little message on the pendant, a smile formed upon her face, memories starting to flood through her mind once more as she looked towards the picture on the other half of the necklace.
Her eyes grew watery once more, continuing to smile as she closed them. With a deep breath, Sweetie Bell let out a sigh and opened her eyes, turning towards one of the portraits of Rarity along the side of the room.
“I love you too big sis…” she said embracing the necklace, rocking it in her arms while she looked at it. Her parents approached her, embracing one last time as the necklace hung open, revealing a picture of Rarity nestling her head against Sweetie Belle who was only just a foal at the time it was taken.
