Sky led Accident up the tallest hill in the whole park, stopping every so often so that the young filly could admire the occasional daisy or dandelion. She stopped and bumped each one with her muzzle, fascinated by the sight and texture of something so bright and colourful. Accident was enthralled by everything around her, tail wagging excitedly as she learned for herself just how wonderful flowers could smell.

“Wow, you really haven’t been out of the house before, have you?” Sky asked, cocking her head as she watched the little pony try to pick every flower in the park.

“Nope!” Accident beamed, tucking daisies under her wing for later. “Mum never ever let me go outside, especially to a place like this! I mean, I’d read about parks before, and how flowers smell, and how the grass feels on your hooves, but...but…” She stopped, shivering as she experienced a sensory overload.

“Did she ever say why?”

“Well, she said it’s because I’m an Accident, so I guess she was just worried that I’d trip over my great big wings a whole bunch!” Accident shrugged.

“I guess she said the same stuff when you wanted to meet the rest of your family, huh?” Sky pressed, coming to rest at the top of the hill and picking daisies of her own.

“Well, I asked over and over again to go and see the rest of my family,” Accident said, “but Mum always told me that they were busy or that they were out of town.”

Sky spotted Accident’s ears twitch a little out of the corner of her eye. Letting out a soft sigh, the elder pony lay down in the shade of the big oak tree atop the hill, patting the ground next to her.

“Kid, come here,” she said quietly.

Accident sauntered over, laying down and curling up in front of Sky. She gazed up at her with her bright green eyes, watching the big white pony’s expression carefully.

She doesn’t look very happy… Accident thought to herself, frowning.

“Look...I...I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.” Sky said slowly.

“Sorry? What are you sorry for, Miss Sky?” Accident asked, tilting her head confusedly.

“I’m sorry that the world’s not a better place.” Sky replied. “I’m sorry that you don’t have a mum and dad anymore. I’m sorry that you got left out on the street. I’m sorry that your so-called parents thought you were something to hide because you were...different…”

Sky stopped as Accident placed a hoof to the mare’s lips.

“Don’t be sorry.” Accident smiled. “I’m not sorry. My big wings are still super-special, even if Mum doesn’t like them!”

“But you were so excited to see her again, and when you did…” Sky trailed off.

“I know…” Accident nodded, ears flopping down, “but there’s a good side, too! I got to meet a pony who’s super-special! I’ve made new friends, and been on adventures, and...it kind of feels better.”

Sky said nothing, knotting daisies together into a little chain as she watched the young filly.

“So...you’re not sad at all?” she said, finally.

“Nope!” Accident giggled. “I’m having too much fun to be sad! My Mum’s always going to be the best Mum I’ve ever had, but you’re my best friend and you never tell me that I can’t hug you! I like that about you.”

“Well...I guess I like your hugs.” Sky chuckled. “Yours are probably the best hugs in the whole world...and the only ones I’ve had in...well...ages…”

Accident watched Sky work on her daisy-chain, thinking carefully to herself. The fan club, the song, the way she’d talked to her own mother - to Accident’s mother, come to that...things were finally starting to make sense.

“Sky?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re all alone out here, aren’t you?” Accident asked, staring.

Sky stopped, looking down into Accident’s eyes. Her ears flattened against her skull as she met the filly’s patient gaze, pawing the ground uncomfortably.

“I...er...I don’t know what…” Sky began.

“Don’t tell fibs.” Accident warned, cutting her off.

“Well...er…” Sky snorted, looking away, “I’m kind of alone...actually, I’m alone a whole lot of the time, but...it’s...better that way…”

“Why?” Accident inquired. “I don’t think I could stand to be all on my own without Scruffy...or you.”

“Well...my work’s pretty dangerous.” Sky said. “I mean, it’s cool going on adventures and stealing stuff, don’t get me wrong,” she shrugged, “but I’m not exactly in the kind of business where you’re allowed to make friends or...have a family.”

“Did your mum throw you out, too?” Accident whispered.

Sky bit her lip, looking at everything but those huge green eyes. Her fluffy white ears twitched and swivelled as she tried to come up with an appropriate answer.

“Well...er...you see…” Sky finally managed, “my mum...was…er...she kind of didn’t like me for the same reason that yours didn’t like you...because of my wings…”

“But your wings are so pretty!” Accident protested.

“Yeah, but...they’re kind of...weak…” Sky admitted, holding one of them up for inspection. “I never really lost my filly down. My wings are pretty damn warm, but I can never ever fly as fast as everypony else. Besides...Mum hated the idea of having a foal without a horn. She was just waiting for an excuse.”

Shadow looked down at her hooves for a while. “You talked to my mum like she was yours.” She observed. “Why?”

“Well...er...funny thing…” Sky chuckled, scratching the back of her head. “She used to be mine, a few years back. She’s the one who threw me out of the house, and...I guess she had you a few years later.”

“You mean...we’ve got the same mum?”

Sky nodded, finally winding the daisy chain into a little circle.

“That means we’re…”

“Sisters.”

“So...you are my family?” Accident asked, frowning and flapping her wings as she tried to process all of this.

“Well...yeah.” Sky smiled. “You’re my little sister and I’m your big sister...course, I’m not that big…”

“You’re pretty big…” Accident said absent-mindedly. Sky drew a wing over her belly out of self-consciousness.

“Sky?”

“Yeah?”

“If we’re sisters...does that mean you’re gonna take care of me forever?”

“Well...forever is a pretty long time…” Sky said doubtfully.

“It’s a really long time if you’re alone.” Accident observed.

Sky stared at the little ring of daisies, avoiding the filly’s eyes once more. For just the tiniest little moment, Accident could have sworn she’d seen a tear drip from the mare’s eye onto the grass.

“Yeah…” Sky muttered quietly, “it is…”

“Well...you know, we don’t have to be alone. I mean, you’ve got me and Scruffy to take care of you, and you can take care of us, right?” Accident offered hopefully.

“Look, kid, I appreciate it, but…” Sky muttered.

“But nothing! No excuses, young lady!” Accident blurted out. “When you took care of me and let me choose a super-cool nickname, I went with Shadow because I wanted to be by your side and never ever leave you. That’s why I’m here right now. That’s why Scruffy’s gonna be waiting for us when we get back home/ That’s why I started learning how to be a real burglar!”

Sky stared at Accident for what seemed like ages, only able to offer the occasional shocked blink. Finally, with shaky hooves, she set the little ring of daisy’s on the filly’s head like a flowery coronet.

“You know what, kid? Your mum’s a fucking idiot.” Sky said with a shaky smile, “I can’t believe that you grew up so wonderfully even though you had to live with a bitch like that. How the hell did you end up so sweet and kind and special and...and…happy?”

Accident looked up at the crown of daisies, extracting her little flower collection from under her wing and feverishly trying to make her own daisy chain.

“Well...how did you manage it?” Accident asked.

“What do you mean?” Sky frowned, cocking her head.

“I mean, you’re the only pony in the whole city who’d pay attention to me when I was all alone. You even took me in and made me feel better, and you gave me cookies!” Accident squeaked with a big toothy smile. “You’ve been all alone ever since Mum made you leave as well, and you grew up into the best big sister a pony could ever wish for!”

Sky went bright pink, looking away again.

“Please,” she scoffed, “you’re ten times the pony I am. You’re a sweetheart and nothing seems to get you down, and you’re cute and funny and loving and caring and...and…”

She stopped once more, freezing in place as Accident lowered a crown of daisies onto Sky’s head, too.

“...and you’re just like me,” she finished for her. “Please don’t be sad, Sky. I’m your little sister and I’m gonna be here for you forever! You don’t have to be lonely or afraid or upset anymore!”

“Wow,” Sky said simply, looking up at the crown with misty blue eyes. She seemed unable to come up with anything more.

Accident’s eyes widened as she started to panic. “Oh no, did I mess it up? I’m sorry! This is the first time I’ve ever made a flower hat! I didn’t mean to…”

Sky interrupted her, looping a foreleg around Accident and pulling her into a great big tight hug. She wrapped both of her downy white wings around the filly, engulfing her in feathers and fluff as she started to cry.

“Thank you…” she mumbled, shaking like a leaf.

“No! Don’t cry! Don’t cry!” Accident whimpered, snuggling into Sky’s grip and shivering herself. “Don’t...otherwise...you’re gonna...make...me...cr...cry...too…”

And with that, the two little ponies burst into tears, hugging each other as tightly as they possibly could. Though they each bore a great deal of pain from their abandonment, they couldn’t help but feel just the tiniest bit comforted in each others’ embrace. It was good to have a sister.

In time, Sky and Accident calmed down, wiping their eyes on their wings as they held each other tight. Sky rocked her new little sister from side to side, nuzzling her cheek and waiting for the choking little sobs to stop.

“S...sis?” Accident asked after a while.

“Yeah?”

“How do you feel better when you’re sad?”

“I...er…” Sky paused, blushing a little, “I...like to sing…”

“Oooh, you sing songs?” Accident asked. “What kind of songs do you sing?”

“Er...well...I kinda...sing about how sad I am, sometimes…”

“That doesn’t sound like it helps…” Accident said doubtfully.

“It really does! Check it out…” Sky insisted, clearing her throat.

Accident looked on as Sky set her down on the grass. The little white mare stood up, looking out over the park and clearing her throat.

She froze as Accident cut in.

”If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hooves!” Clap, clop.

“Shadow…”

”If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hooves!” Clap, clop.

“That’s not…” Sky tried.

”If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hooves!” Clap, clop.

Accident stopped, flopping back down onto all four legs and staring at her big sister.

"Shadow, do you mind?” Sky asked patiently. “I'm kinda trying to have a moment to myself."

"Can you have a moment to yourself with me?" Accident offered, cocking her head and smiling a hopeful little smile.

"You weren’t even going to sing the same song! You were just singing Happy And You Know It!"

"I like my song better!" Accident countered.

"Yeah, well...it doesn't fit how I'm feeling, okay?" Sky huffed.

"I bet it's because you're not clapping your hooves!"

Sky deadpanned at the young filly.

"Okay, what if I sing my song over here, and you sing yours over there?" Accident asked, wagging her tail a little

And with that, Accident trotted off to carry on singing. The lyrics were comparatively simple, yet as Sky listened to the young pony's song, she heard something incredible; even through all of the horrible things that had befallen her, Accident really was happy...and she knew it, too.

Sky watched her for the longest time, her own song long forgotten as she listened to her younger sibling sing her little heart out. Sky didn't try to join in, or call Accident on singing off-key, or anything of that ilk. She just sat and watched, enthralled by what she recognised as pure happiness incarnate.

"You know," Accident called out, "I could use use a backup singer!"

"Yeah?" Sky replied, "and what happens when you can't sing Happy And You Know It anymore?"

"Well," Accident shrugged, "if I had a best friend or a big sister with me...we could sing Pat-A-Cake instead! Would that be okay?"

Sky caught Accident's hopeful expression as the filly eagerly beckoned her over, and for the first time in forever, Sky caught herself smiling a real smile, full of genuine happiness and love.

"Kid," she beamed, trotting over to join her little sister, "it'd be my pleasure."