“Starlight?” A young voice squeaked In a darkened room. “Starlight, are you there?” The voice said again, sounding weak and frail.A unicorn trotted out from the darkness and lit a candle in the center of the room. “Hey, little sis, How are you holding up?” His words were soft and quiet, His light blues eyes providing comfort to the young voice. He walked further into the newly lit room. It was empty besides a mattress and some sheets in the middle of the floor. There, on the mattress, lay a small yellow filly, her Innocent, green eyes followed the unicorn as he sat down beside her.
“ My hoof still hurts, and my eyes have started itching” The filly replied, scratching her eye with her hoof as she spoke. The unicorn froze, staring at the wall. Starlight knew that his sister was in the final stages, and that there was nothing he could do. “ Don’t worry, It’ll pass by soon.” He said, reaching down to stroke his sister’s mane as he looked her deep in the eyes. He was kicking himself inside. He knew his words weren't true, no matter how much he wanted them to be.
Creeping death. That's what they called it. A disease with no cure. Once you were infected, you were a dead pony walking.
“Starlight?” The young filly asked again softly.”Yeah?” came the response, Starlight’s voice was a little above a whisper.
“I’m cold”
“Here. Let me get you tucked in”
Starlight used his magic to pull the blankets over his sister. He Stared into his sister eyes, gently stroking her mane. He placed his hoof on his sister body. She was shaking profusely. Starlight fought back tears in his eyes. His sister need somepony strong by her side right now.
“I remember the day you were born. When i was allowed to see you you were fast asleep.” Starlight began” Mom picked you up and gave you to me, I held you in my hooves, and you opened your eyes and looked at me. Those big green eyes staring right at me. and you just...Smiled and went back to sleep.”
Starlight was trying hard to fight back the tears as he spoke. He couldn't let his sister see him crying. Not now.
“remember that day when you drew all over the walls, and we thought mom would be mad as hay?” Starlight asked the little filly. “Yeah. and she came home and just started laughing!”
The two of them giggled at the memory, although starlight couldn't be sure if he was just laughing to mask the pain. “ We had so much fun that day!”
“Where are mom and dad?” The filly asked. “ They’re at work.” The unicorn replied. “ Don’t worry they’ll be back soon.” He said, trying to reassure his sister.
Starlight stooped down and locked his sister in a tight embrace. Looking down he noticed small black spots on the filly's neck, He knew she didn’t have long left. He gave up holding back his tears.
“There’s something I need you to know.” He said. “And it’s that I’ll always love you, no matter what.” Streams of tears were falling onto the filly’s neck. “Starlight, are you crying?” He pulled away and wiped his eyes. He was lucky the room was so dim, it made it easier to hide his tears. “ No, There’s just something in my eye” He looked down at the filly again as she laid her head down, falling asleep again. Starlight sighed and walked out of the room and into the lounge. He Sat down and stared at the four walls for what seemed like eternity, letting all manner of thoughts loose in his head, cluttering up his mind and causing him to lose track of time. “ I need some air” He said quietly as he got up and walk out of the house. He wandered around the park, it was fairly quiet, only a few couples sitting by the lake. He found an old bench on a desolate side of the lake, it looked familiar to him. He walked over to look at it closer, noticing that it was covered with graffiti and engraving, he read through them, hoping that it would take his mind off things, Graffiti is, after all, usually amusing. As he cast his eyes over, he couldn't help but recognize a certain engraving.
It was a picture of two, all be it badly drawn, unicorns. as he looked at it closer, the memories came flooding back to him. He read the words written underneath quietly, as if playing them over in his head. “Starlight and Sunshine. brother and sister for ever! “ He said it over again, over and over, every time refusing to let the words sink in. Tears welled up in his eyes once more, his hooves shaking. He’d been strong for so long now, he hadn't had the time to consider what he would soon be losing. He fell to the ground, letting out loud sobs as he cried. He didn't care who saw him now. “ Why!! Why, Celestia!! What have I done to deserve this!?!” He cried out, causing some of the other ponies to turn their heads.
He continued to cry, his mane and coat already matted from the tears as a pony put a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up at her, his eyes red and bloodshot. She looked back down to him, her eye’s providing both comfort and sadness. She was a tall alicorn, her white coat and flowing, white mane almost glowed against the moonlight. Her flank was void of a cutie mark, and she wore no royal emblem. “ Come now, Starlight. You need to be strong, more than you ever have been” Her voice was soft and elegant, she smiled as she spoke. Starlight got up and sniffled “Wh..who are you? How d..do you know my n..name?” She simply smiled and began to walk out of the park towards Starlight's house, her tail flowing gracefully in the breeze “ All your questions will be answered shortly “
Starlight followed her to the house, walking inside and towards his sister’s room. She walked beside the bed, smiling down at the sleeping filly “Sunshine, such a beautiful name.” She looked up to Starlight, tears still in his eyes “I know this is hard, but her time grows near. When it does, she will not see me, only you. You’re the pony she will spend her final moments with, Starlight. It is up to you what you choose to do, whether you go back to your room and sleep, or whether you stay with her, by her side.” Starlight looked back at her, a small pool of tears forming by his hooves. “ Please... Please give her back. She’s the only thing in my life that I've ever loved with all of my heart. I promised that We will never be apart. Please... Don’t make me do this” He spoke, his voice nothing but a whisper. The alicorn simply smiled once more before vanishing from sight.
Starlight was once again alone with his sister. He looked down at her, his heart aching. A few of his tears fell onto the filly’s face, Causing her to stir. She opened her eyes and looked up to him “ Starlight? It’s getting dark.” He knelt down beside her, stroking her mane “ It’s okay Sunshine. Everything is going to be fine, just close your eyes. We’ll see each other again soon” Sunshine did as she was told, she closed her eyes and laid her head back onto the pillow. “Starlight? Will you sleep with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone. “ He laid down in the bed next to her and kissed her on the cheek. “ Don’t worry, Sunshine. Tonight, I’ll stay”