Looking back, I’m proud of what I did. I always have been. Amethyst will always be my little sister and I want her to have every chance she possibly can.

Yet I still can’t shake the feeling that I made a mistake. Knowing how things went for Trixie, understanding what she’s doing at this very moment… did I do right by her? I mean, I know it’s at least partially her own fault. You couldn’t keep that pony in one place if you nailed her hooves to the floor and coated them in concrete. It always bothered me, her incessant need to ramble.

I always tell myself that I’m being dumb. I’ve been telling myself that for years. Who am I to judge Trix? My job has me travelling all over Equestria and the world on a regular basis. Sure, I spent more time with Amethyst than Trixie, but what am I supposed to do about it if she’s not home when I am?

It doesn’t feel like much of an excuse. I say I’m their sister but, legally speaking, I was responsible. Should I have stayed at home more often? Gone on fewer tours? Ignored a request or two? I thought I was helping them out, but…

I’m sorry, Trixie. I should have been there more often.

—Vinyl Scratch, Book of Shadows XLVIII

May 23, 1007

The atmosphere was tense. Dry Eyes sat at her desk, a stack of papers set before her. Vinyl sat opposite her, entire body taut with pent up energy. By the door of the office, Trixie and Amethyst slept together on a couch. The younger buried her muzzle beneath the elder’s foreleg.

The two adults didn’t look at one another, nor did they look at the papers. They watched the clock on the wall as its second hand ticked a slow, infuriatingly steady rhythm. Closer and closer it climbed, and it was all Vinyl could do not to scream in frustration. Thirty seconds.

Twenty.

Ten.

She licked her lips, stomach churning.

Five.

Her horned shined.

One.

The minute, hour and second hands moved in unison, aligning neatly to display that long-awaited time: midnight. Vinyl turned her eyes to the paper and signed, her quill scribbling out a barely legible name. The air fled her lungs the moment she finished.

“Happy birthday, Vinyl.” Dry Eyes offered a warm smile and took the papers, placing them in a large manila folder. “Congratulations.”

For a time, Vinyl could only stare at the desktop, mind empty. Then she broke into tears, a trembling smile forming on her lips. “It f-finally happened.” She turned to stare at the two sleeping fillies, her eye lingering on Amethyst. “I have her. She’s my sister.”

“Well, legally speaking, she’s your daughter.” Dry Eyes chuckled as she stuffed the folder into a filing cabinet. “But you can call her what you want.”

“Dry Eyes, I…” Vinyl’s hooves shook. She didn’t dare stand for fear her legs wouldn’t support her. “Thank you. Thank you for making sure this would happen. And f-for watching them and… and…”

“Hey.” The headmaster wrapped her in a tight hug and spoke with words caressingly soft. “No need to thank me. Just take it slow, give it a moment to sink in.”

In the privacy of the small office, Vinyl let go of all pretense; she held Dry Eyes close and buried her face in the pony’s shoulder to muffle her sobs. Images of the last four years played out in her mind, images of Amethyst laughing, of comforting the filly at night, of sharing their dreams. Protecting her from the misguided bullies who passed in and out of the orphanage, showering her with praise as she helped Trixie, worrying over how the world would treat her bloodline. All the work to create, the days travelling, the nights performing.

All of it, for her.

Vinyl had never felt more fulfilled in her life. She doubted she ever would again.

At last she sat back, rubbing her eyes and grinning like a madmare. “I am so glad those two weren’t awake to see that.”

Dry Eyes chuckled and stepped back. “Your secret’s safe with me. For now.”

“It better be,” Vinyl replied with a smirk, “or else I’ll tell all the foals you’re boning the gardener you hired last year.”

“Oh, so threatening.” The headmaster rolled her eyes. “Honestly, they all know we’re dating.”

Vinyl’s wry look didn’t fade. “Yeah, but then you’ll have a small army of underage foals demanding to know what ‘boning’ means.”

“Knuckling the head with an elbow.”

It took a moment for Vinyl to process what she’d just heard, and even then she could only stare. “What?”

“That’s what ‘boning’ means… as far as the kids know.” Dry Eyes gave a cheeky wink. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, Vinyl. I’ve had escape routes set up before you were even born.”

“Ah, horseapples.” Vinyl laughed, her entire body going slack. “This is great. It’s literally a dream come true. I just wish Trixie could get in on it.”

“I know.” The headmaster shifted her gaze to the filly in question, who fidgeted in her slumber. “It’s a shame that there’s a limit on adoptions. There are so many potential parents who are willing and actually capable of taking care of these foals, and they have to wait five years between adoptions? It’s ridiculous.”

“Well, at least I can be her guardian.” Vinyl perked up at the thought. “That’s something.”

“Just make sure she checks in here at least once every three months,” Dry Eyes said.

“Yeah, I got it.” Vinyl stepped up to the fillies and watched them sleep. Amethyst’s ear flicked and her leg reached up to rest on Trixie’s shoulder. “Goddess, they’re cute together. I don’t want to wake them, but…”

“I know.” Dry Eyes stood next to her, beaming upon the fillies. “Imagine their surprise if they wake up in their new home?”

“I know, right?” Vinyl turned parallel to the chairs and dropped to her knees. “Put them on me? I’ll carry them home.” She giggled at the last word. “Home.”

Dry Eyes said nothing, instead working to carefully separate the two fillies. Vinyl watched from over her shoulder in quiet anticipation, just waiting for one of them to wake up. The headmaster’s touch was gentle and careful, and before long Amethyst was resting between Vinyl’s shoulders. Trixie proved much trickier, being a heavier pony, but with some work they were able to drape her over Vinyl’s back.

“You better get going,” Dry Eyes whispered, opening the office door for Vinyl. “That doesn’t look comfortable. Trixie could wake up.”

“Yeah.” Vinyl took a moment to nuzzle her cheek. “Thanks, Dry Eyes. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Now go on, birthday filly, some of us would like to get to bed.”

“Yeah, bed. With a certain gardener, I bet.”

Dry Eyes knocked her on the head with the back of a hoof, albeit gently. “Hush, you. Off you go. And Vinyl?” She waited for Vinyl to look her in the eyes and offered a warm smile. “Congratulations again.”

Vinyl nodded, delighting in the energy that coursed through her. Despite it, she trudged slowly, making her way out of the orphanage and towards her new home. The going was slow and the heft of the two fillies on her back didn’t help matters, yet Vinyl stepped with care. She moved in as gentle a manner as she could to make sure neither of them were jostled much. The night wore on and she grew steadily more and more exhausted, but she refused to change tactics. Just the thought of their faces when they’d wake kept her going.

She stopped to rest only once, while in the park where she’d met Trixie. The stars shimmered in a clear sky and a waning quarter moon hung low on the horizon. The Mare in the Moon gazed back at Vinyl, seeming to almost smile at her. That seemed a strange image – Nightmare Moon wasn’t known for her kindness – but it still left Vinyl with a sense of comfort. She couldn’t care less who watched over her and her foals, so long as they provided blessings instead of curses.

Realizing that she was at risk of falling asleep if she remained idle for too long, Vinyl forced her weary legs to work and continued her journey. It was well past two in the morning when she finally reached the right neighborhood.

The building loomed over her like a sleeping giant, peaceful and calm. Vinyl’s hooves fell upon soft, fresh-cut grass that felt delightfully cool in the nighttime air. Heart hammering, she rubbed a hoof along the had brick wall by the door. It was so unfamiliar, so new, so… welcome. ‘Home’, she had to remind herself. She’d not spent a single night here, determined to do so only when Amethyst and Trixie were with her. That first night had to be shared.

Hanging her head low to keep her glowing horn from waking the fillies, Vinyl extracted her key and opened the door. Slowly, making sure to keep the clop of her hooves as silent as possible, she entered the house. Her eyes roamed the fresh sight, taking in the new furniture that had been delivered only a week ago. Her furniture. So many things happening at once...

She climb onto the big blue couch in the middle of her new living room. That alone proved an exhausting chore, and she congratulated herself on not taking the stairs. She took a moment to re-position Trixie and Amethyst into more comfortable states on the opposite side of the couch, then rested her head on one of the big, fluffy cushions and closed her eyes.

She smiled in anticipation of the coming day.

Something pushed against Vinyl’s side. She shifted and turned her back to it. “Five more minutes…”

“C’mon, Vinyl, wake up.”

That was Trixie. Vinyl smirked and covered her face beneath a hoof. “Nope. Sleeping. Can’t hear ya.”

Seconds passed, and for a moment Vinyl thought the filly had left. She relaxed and prepared for a few more hours of blissful unconsciousness…

“Amethyst’s gonna burn down your shiny new house.”

“That’s nice.” Vinyl smirked… then paused to think on that statement. “How?”

“She’s trying to bake.”

Vinyl’s head whipped up, her eyes going wide. “No.”

Trixie, standing by the couch, nodded with a small smile. “Couldn’t stop her.”

In one leap, Vinyl cleared the filly and landed near the kitchen door. She rushed inside, panic filling her at the potential consequences of what she might see. “Amethyst, step away from the oven!”

In her defense, the kitchen was a mess of flour and dough and cracked eggs. No flames in sight though, and on the table before her sat an actual cake. It leaned sideways and the icing appeared to have been thrown on at random, but Vinyl was reasonably certain that the object was a cake. And there, covered in flour and with icing hanging off one ear, was a grinning Amethyst.

“Happy birthday, Vinyl!”

Vinyl stared at the scene for some time, jaw hanging loose as she took in the chaos. But then her eyes settled on the filly beaming before her. “Wow.”

“Were you surprised, huh?” The filly bounced in place, each landing sending a puff of flour into the air. “You are, I knew you would be!”

“I tried to stop her,” Trixie said from the other room, “but she insisted.”

“I was very surprised.” And briefly terrified. Vinyl swept in to give her little sister a tight hug. “You didn’t have to go through all of this for me, Little Sparkler.”

“Uh-huh.” Amethyst giggled and nuzzled her. “When we woke up and realized where we were, we just had to do something for you. This is the best day ever!”

Trixie stepped into the room and examined the two of them. “It took everything I had to keep her from bouncing on you to wake you up three hours ago. The cake was the compromise.”

“And I appreciate that.” Vinyl set Amethyst down and hugged Trixie. “I’m glad you were there, Trix. I feared we’d get a repeat of Amethyst’s last attempt at baking.”

“Hey, I got better!” Amethyst puffed out her chest. “I didn’t burn the cake, did I?”

“Speaking of…” Vinyl cast a curious glance at the mess of a kitchen. “Where’d you get all the baking supplies? I haven’t stocked this place yet.”

“Oh… um…” Trixie tapped her hooves together with a sheepish smile. “I kinda raided your coin bag to get them. I’m sorry, I just really thought you deserved to sleep and I had to distract Ammy somehow.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Eh, that’s okay. It’s not like I don’t have the bits.”

“Cake!” Amethyst began bouncing once more. “Come on, try the cake!”

“Okay, okay.” Vinyl’s chuckle was short lived as she approached the table. She looked upon the cake, one side of which was taller than the other. It seemed as though Amethyst had attempted to make up for the fact by slathering a ton of icing on the smaller side. The words ‘Happy Birthday’ were scribbled in what appeared to be chocolate icing.

Vinyl hesitated before using her magic to slice up the cake. It didn’t fall, and the inside at least appeared okay. She made sure to take a piece of the big half, fearing the other would be burned. The slice hovered before her lips and she paused, preparing her mind for whatever torment was to come. Perhaps she could fake it? She glanced at Amethyst and nixed the idea, as she was being watched too closely.

At last she succumbed to inevitability and took a bite.

In that moment, the world fell into place. Vinyl thought she could see the future as it would be in crystal clarity. Her career taking off, Amethyst growing up to live a happy life, Trixie never being afraid again. A happy family, sparked by a connection she’d never imagined finding a few short years ago. There would be many cakes, many birthdays, many happy, normal mornings. Amethyst and Trixie would go to school, she’d go to work; they’d have their daily complaints and gripes and tell one another about their trials.

Every day, a day of normalcy.

The cake was dry, crumbly and too sweet.

It was the best cake she’d ever tasted.

Vinyl adjusted her denim jacket against the chill wind, watching as the foals left the school grounds. There were a lot of parents there, mostly for the younger children. She examined their faces, taking in the different emotions that came with this daily ritual. Cheer at seeing the kids, annoyance because of some other thing on the minds of foals and adults alike, indifference. That last one always bothered her, for what did it say about the relationship the parents had with their foals?

Vinyl understood the annoyance. There were days when she wanted to hurry home to finish work on a song, or had somewhere important to be. It was usually work-related.

Far more common for her was cheer. After all, the fact that she came to school every weekday meant that she had foals under her care. It meant she was a responsible adult. This mundane, everyday chore proved that she was right where she wanted to be. How could she be unhappy about that?

A flash of purple caught her eye. Amethyst waved to her school friends before approaching at a canter. Vinyl couldn’t resist a smile at the sight; the fact Amethyst even had friends at school indicated a huge improvement to how things had been only a year ago. She leaned down to accept the filly’s nuzzle. “Hey there, Little Sparkler. How was your day?”

“Okay. Ms. Blot Spot said my writing is lots better, and Ms. Dry Tome taught us about changelings. Did you know they’re all gone?”

“Sure did.” Vinyl scanned the crowd, but saw nothing of her other charge. “Celestia wiped them out a loooooong time ago.”

Amethyst flinched. “Yeah, she’s real scary.”

The hesitation in her voice caught Vinyl’s attention, but the filly hurried on before she could offer any sort of response. “Mr. Incal…” She paused, face scrunching as she worked her tongue around the name. “Incalculable gave me this, told me to give it to you.” Her horn shined and a letter rose from Amethyst’s saddlebags.

Vinyl cast one more glance at the dwindling crowd and scowled; still no sign of Trixie. Filing the annoyance in the back of her mind, Vinyl opened the letter and read its contents. Her frustration faded quickly as she realized what she had before her. “Amethyst… this is great!”

Amethyst cocked her head and reared up to try and see the letter’s contents.“It is?”

“It is! Your math aptitude is off the charts. He wants to advance you a few courses.”

“Oh.” The filly’s lips curled in a lopsided frown as she thought on this. “So he wants to me take classes with the older foals?”

“That’s right.” Vinyl pulled her in for a tight hug. “It means you’re doing real good. I’m proud of you! It’s way better than I ever could do in school.”

Amethyst giggled and rubbed her head against Vinyl’s neck. “Told ya I’d do better.”

“And I knew you would.” Vinyl’s high faded slightly as she looked to the near-empty schoolyard. “Where is Trixie?”

Amethyst hesitated. “Umm…”

“She skipped school again, didn’t she?” Vinyl groaned and set Amethyst down. “Well, come on. At least she’s predictable.”

“Don’t be too upset.” Amethyst’s voice was quiet and pleading. “Cinder and Juice were picking on her again.”

“That’s no excuse.” They trotted out into the snow-covered street. Vinyl shivered against a cool breeze. “We’ve talked about bullies before.”

Amethyst’s head hung low as she walked alongside her sister. She kept quiet for a long time, and Vinyl devoted the walk to thinking on how best to right the current situation. Amethyst was doing so incredibly well, but Trixie…

“Why doesn’t Trixie have any friends?”

Vinyl stumbled as a knife pierced her heart. She looked to see Amethyst gazing at her hooves with a pathetic frown. It was hard to keep the strain out of her voice. “Surely she must have some?”

The filly shook her head. “I asked once, and they said she’s ‘broken.’ What do they mean by that?” Amethyst raised her head to give an imploring gaze. “Trix isn’t broken, is she?”

Though her heart throbbed, Vinyl forced a smile to her lips. “Of course not. She’s just…” Just what? Slow? “Just different.”

Amethyst sighed and kicked at the ground. “Then why can’t she use magic right?”

“Trixie’s horn is just fine.” Vinyl turned her eyes forwards to the park at the end of the street. “She hasn’t had the education everypony else has, that’s all. She’ll get there.”

“But her cutie mark says she should be good at magic,” Amethyst pointed out, confusion laced in her tone.

“I’m not sure that her cutie mark is directly related to magic, Little Sparkler.” Which was true enough. Trixie’s cutie mark, earned when she got into a fight earlier in the year, mystified Vinyl to no end. She wished she’d been there to see the moment, it might have clarified things.

“Why can’t Trixie be happy?” Amethyst pouted and kicked at the grass as they entered the park. “I can’t be happy if she’s not. I want the bullies to stop.”

Times like these left Vinyl feeling… helpless. She knew all about bullies, or so she thought. In her experience, once you stood up to them they would back off. That was the advice she’d given Trixie, and the result was a fight, Trixie earning a cutie mark, and the bullies continuing their frustrating work. The last part was the most troubling. Vinyl understood fighting, she didn’t mind if it was for the right reasons. Cutie marks were always a good thing, of course.

But the bullies? Vinyl had no idea what to do about them. When fighting and trickery did nothing, what else did she have?

“Vinyl?”

She shook her head free of such troubled thoughts and forced a smile for Amethyst. “It’s nothing, kiddo. Just thinking.”

“Oh… okay.” Amethyst kept her head down and her eyes averted. The sight broke Vinyl’s heart, but she could think of nothing to say.

Their ears perked to the familiar cries of a magician hawking her talents. Vinyl turned to a well-known gazebo, where a small crowd had gathered. There, showering the group with fireworks, was Trixie. She reared back in a triumphant pose as the colorful flashes streaked through the cool air, but Vinyl could only scowl. Hadn’t the park authorities warned her enough times about using that spell?

“And now, gaze in awe at the Amazing and Inspiring Trixie as she performs feats beyond imagination!” Trixie pulled out some playing cards, which she sent flying from hoof to hoof over her head with a grin.

“Not this again,” a stallion in the crowd shouted just as Vinyl and Amethyst closed in. “Don’t you have anything new, Clumsy?”

The filly’s eyes went wide as she turned in the direction of the voice. “Excuse me? I’d like to see you do that.”

“And I’d like to see you use your horn for something other than fireworks,” a mare called out, tone mocking.

Trixie flinched, but recovered quickly. “You doubt me? Let’s see you laugh when I display my good old-fashioned rope trick!” A long rope, one Vinyl recognized, began to float in the air.

“What, that old thing?” A few ponies broke into laughter. “You’ll never climb it. Why do you keep trying?”

Indeed, why? Vinyl watched from the back of the crowd as the rope hung high in the air. Her lips slipped into a pursed frown at the height of it… and it kept going higher. Should she interfere? If Trixie pulled off climbing to the top, it might shut the crowd up. On the other hoof, a fall from that height would be no laughing matter.

“My magic has only grown stronger over the weeks!” Trixie grabbed the rope in one hoof and did a twirl on her hind legs that Vinyl had to admit looked tricky. “Just watch me, you simple-minded foals!”

“Stop!”

Vinyl blinked and looked down; Amethyst was nowhere to be found. That had certainly been her voice, though. Cursing under her breath, Vinyl began pushing her way through the crowd.

“Don’t climb it, Trixie,” Amethyst pleaded. “It’s too high, you could get hurt!”

Trixie stared at what Vinyl could only assume was Amethyst. “Ammy? What are you doing here? You’re getting in the way of my act.”

“You don’t have to climb the rope,” Amethyst said. “You don’t have to prove you can do it. I know you’re great. Isn’t that good enough?”

“I… uh…” Trixie’s cheeks burned a bright pink, her eyes shifting about as she visibly struggled for some kind of counter. “Amethyst, they challenged me. I have to climb it now.”

“Yeah,” somepony in the crowd shouted, “let’s see her try! Bet it’ll be good for a laugh when she falls on her rump.”

Trixie’s expression grew firm and she grabbed the rope in both forehooves. “Just you wait, you’ll see! I’m gonna—”

“Hold it right there, Trixie.” Vinyl at last pushed her way through the crowd. “The show’s over. Put the rope down.”

Trixie groaned and rubbed a fetlock across her forehead. “Great, just what I need. Don’t you have some music to mix?”

“I leave on tour in a week.” Vinyl grabbed the rope in her teeth and jerked it from Trixie’s magical grasp. The whole thing fell to the floor in a loose circle, and she spat the end out. “Is this the responsible filly I’m leaving in charge of watching Amethyst while I’m gone?”

Trixie sat her haunches and crossed her hooves with a hmmph. “I was just trying to practice some tricks. It’s not a big deal.”

“And you skipped school to do it!” Vinyl paused upon realizing that the crowd hadn’t dispersed. “What are you ponies looking at? Go on, git! My sister and I are having a private conversation, if you don’t mind.”

The ponies grumbled, but steadily began to wander off. Vinyl held her tongue and her temper until she was reasonably sure that the three of them were alone. When she at last focused on Trixie, she found the filly with her back turned. “Oh, come on, Trix. Don’t be this way.”

“Be what way? Independent?”

“Independent? Trix…”

Amethyst stepped between them, her face marred with concern and frustration in equal measure. “Please don’t fight. Please?”

Though it required no small amount of willpower, Vinyl stilled her tongue. She closed her eyes, counted to ten and thought of some peaceful music. When she opened her eyes, Trixie had turned back to her with a face full of guilt.

“Sorry, Ammy.” Trixie patted Amethyst’s shoulder. “I’m causing trouble again.”

Vinyl studied Trixie, who wouldn’t meet her gaze. Keeping her voice as even as she could, she asked, “Trixie, why’d you skip school?”

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “You don’t understand, Vinyl. I can’t learn there.”

“You just—”

“It’s not about me being behind.” Trixie tapped herself on the head. “It’s in here. I tried to tell you that before. Everything the teachers are saying doesn’t click. The textbooks are gibberish to me.”

Vinyl opened her mouth, then closed it once more. No point in reminding everypony that Trixie had only just learned how to read. “So you just… gave up?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I want to learn.” Trixie sighed and stared off to the horizon. “But I can’t do that here.”

Amethyst gasped, her ears folding back. “Y-you’re not leaving, are you Trixie?”

Trixie’s response was hurried. “No. No, Ammy, I’m not leaving. I’m just…” She looked between Amethyst and Vinyl. “I guess I’m just getting tired.”

She’d leave. Vinyl fidgeted and tried to think of a stalling tactic. “Besides, she’s got to look after you while I’m on tour. Trixie wouldn’t leave you all alone, would she?”

“Yeah.” Trixie gave a hesitant nod. “Somepony has to look after you.”

Amethyst studied Trixie with a solemn frown. After a while, she walked forward and pressed her forehead to Trixie’s chest. “Right,” she whispered. “So don’t go anywhere.”

Trixie cringed, but wrapped a leg about the filly in a light hug. She looked to Vinyl with concern in her eyes, and a question.

Vinyl didn’t care for the expression. “Trixie, you know I just want you to succeed, right?”

With a sigh, Trixie nodded. “I like you better when you act like a sister. We’re way too close in age for you to be my mom.”

“I guess that’s true.” Vinyl kicked lightly at the floor. “So if you’re not planning on going to school, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Trixie admitted. “The ponies in this town just aren’t entertained by my act, so maybe I should try somewhere else?” She tightened her hold on Amethyst when the filly let out a small whimper. “But not yet. I still need to figure out how to handle my horn.”

Amethyst nodded, and the conversation died. Trixie still wouldn’t meet Vinyl’s gaze, and the silence lingered into awkwardness. A chill breeze made the ponies shiver.

“Come on.” Vinyl turned away from them. “Let’s go home.”

As they walked in silence, Vinyl pondered on Trixie. The pony had just turned fifteen – at least, that was true as far as Trixie could guess her birthday – and she was already thinking of leaving. She’d not even been with them for two years. Vinyl had thought she’d given the filly a home, but every day it felt more and more like Trixie didn’t want one.

The thought disturbed Vinyl to no end.

Vinyl stepped into an empty house, letting her saddle slump to the floor and kicking the door closed. She glanced around, noting how the lights were out. Curious, considering it was early afternoon. Perhaps Amethyst and Trixie had left somewhere for the day?

That was her hope, at least. Vinyl fought down the dread that had been building in her ever since the ride from Canterlot had started. Instead, she forced a smile to her lips and tried to relish the fact that she was home for the first time in months. She could always surprise her fillies when they got home.

The house seemed so pleasant when there was nopony around. Through her work, Vinyl had built a reputation as something of a noisemaker, but when not on tour? The quiet did wonders. She paced from room to room, taking in the sights and relishing the fact that the entire house was hers. She couldn’t help wondering if she’d feel this sense of appreciation every time she came home from a tour.

It wasn’t until Vinyl passed the door to Amethyst’s and Trixie’s room on the second floor that she realized she wasn’t alone. Backtracking, she peered through the partially-opened door. There she saw Amethyst sitting at her jewelry desk, gazing solemnly out the window with her hooves to her cheeks. Though her face wasn’t visible, her slumped shoulders and folded ears told a story Vinyl didn’t want to hear.

She pushed the door with her muzzle. When it creaked, the filly spun about in her chair so quickly she nearly fell off, legs waving wildly for support. Vinyl hurried to catch her in her magic, smiling at the foal’s enthusiasm. “Whoa there, Little Sparkler.”

“You’re home!” Amethyst leapt from the chair and bounded towards Vinyl, slamming into her at full gallop for a hug. “I thought you’d never come back!”

Vinyl laughed and pulled her into an embrace. “Hey, squirt! How’s my little sister?”

“I’m great now that you’re home!” Amethyst’s typical response made Vinyl’s heart swell, as always. “Why do those tours have to be so long?”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Vinyl ruffled her mane with a grin. “I missed you, kiddo. But hey, I’m home for the next few months at least, so we need to celebrate. Where’s Trixie?”

Amethyst deflated, sagging against Vinyl and burying her face in the mare’s chest. “Umm… she… Trix is…”

Vinyl’s heart sank as she took in Amethyst’s fretful tone. At first she could offer no words, and a silence lingered between them. Vinyl held her sister close and examined the room. Trixie’s bed was immaculately made, a true rarity, but some of her things were missing. Vinyl’s eye lingered on the corner of the wall where only one travelling saddle hung.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?”

“I’m sorry!” Amethyst’s words came out as a wail. “I tried to stop her, I really did! I begged and offered her all the gems I found, all of them! I told her you’d be mad, th-that I was too young to be left alone, that—”

Vinyl set a hoof to her muzzle, bringing the tirade to an end. “Look at me, Amethyst, okay? This isn’t your fault. I’m not mad.”

“Y-you’re not?” Amethyst rubbed tears from her cheeks. “But we’re supposed to be a family. Trixie’s my friend.”

“We are family.” Vinyl offered a warm smile and tightened her hold on the filly. “And I’m not mad. Trixie’s just… different. It was her decision, and while I don’t approve of her leaving you on your own, I think we should respect her choice. How long ago did she leave?”

“Umm… a month ago. I think.”

Vinyl blinked. “You mean you’ve been living by yourself in this house for a whole month?” At Amethyst’s nod, Vinyl felt a fire burning in her gut. Her shoulders shook as she pondered the best way to kill Trixie when she found her. Amethyst was only seven, for buck’s sake!

Yet she forced herself to calm down, taking a few slow, long breaths. She rocked back and forth, keeping Amethyst tucked to her shoulder as she whispered curses to herself. As soon as she felt she could speak without giving away her frustration, she said, “That won’t happen again. Somepony's gonna be here, Ammy. That or I'll bring you with me on the tours.”

“Really?” Amethyst’s eyes practically sparkled at the thought.

“Really.” Vinyl managed to smile for her. “And when Trixie gets back, I’m gonna make her listen to nothing but opera for a whole week.” Amethyst’s horrified gasp made her chuckle and dimmed the fire within just a touch. “But I’m really impressed with you. I didn’t know you had what it takes to stay by yourself for that long, and the house looks outright spotless.”

Amethyst beamed at her. “It was easy! You left enough bits to buy food, and Trixie only took a small amount. And I didn’t use too many rooms, so I didn’t have to clean much.”

Vinyl was more impressed that Amethyst had actually considered cleaning in the first place. “You did great, Little Sparkler. But surely you didn’t just stay cooped up in the house the entire time?”

“Nope, I went to visit Miss Dry Eyes sometimes, or go to the park. And I still had school.” She sat and rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. “Sometimes I didn’t go, though.”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Did you keep your grades up?”

“Yep!” Amethyst hurried to her desk and pulled some slips of paper from a drawer. She used her horn to float them before her while she pranced back. “See?”

Vinyl took the papers and saw they were report cards. She went through each one and saw consistently high marks. By this time her anger had disappeared entirely, replaced by an all-encompassing pride. “You’re one amazing kid, you know that?”

Amethyst bounced a few times. “I’ve gotta be responsible, right? Nopony ever took over a mine without that!”

Vinyl blinked yet again. “Take over a mine? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, right. Hold on.” Amethyst trotted back to the desk, this time pulling from the top of it a page from a newspaper. She hurried over to Vinyl and set the paper flat on the floor, then tapped on it. “See?”

Vinyl took a moment to skim the paper. What she saw made her eyebrows rise with alarm. “Why are you reading about the Rape of Sīṃgakh?”

“Oops.” Amethyst grabbed the paper in her magic and flipped it over. “This one!”

Sighing with relief, Vinyl took in the contents of the article. From what she could tell, it had to do with how a large mine was being run into the ground financially due to terrible safety standards. “Uh… okay?”

Amethyst attempted to give a frustrated growl. It only made Vinyl smile. “The name! Look at the name.”

Doing as she was told, Vinyl scanned the article again until she spotted the name of the mine. “Jewelstone?”

“Once owned by Jewel Hoof.” Amethyst stared intently at Vinyl, as if expecting her to form some conclusion. When Vinyl offered only a shrug, the filly huffed. “My daddy!”

“Your…” Vinyl looked from the article to the filly and back, the gears in her head slowly grinding to a conclusion. “You mean Jewel Hoof was the name of your… Oh, so this mine belonged to your family!”

“That’s right!” Amethyst clapped her hooves. “And it’ll be mine someday.”

“Uh…” Vinyl stared at the newspaper article. “Little Sparkler, do you have any idea how much a mine costs?”

“Nope.” The filly shook her head, but her determination didn’t falter. “Doesn’t matter. That mine is mine. It belonged to daddy and they took it, so I’m taking it back even if I have to wait until I’m as old as you are!”

Vinyl scratched the back of her head while she worked to process this news. “You’re a little young to be worrying about stuff like that, kiddo.”

But Amethyst only grew more determined. She stared at the article, lips set in a grim frown and eyes shining. “I know I’m just a little filly. I know, but I remember. The nightmares came back after Trixie left. I can’t forget. I…” She leveled a gaze far too harsh for her age upon Vinyl. “I have to do something for mommy and daddy.”

The focus in those eyes pierced Vinyl. Should she be proud of this, or worried? The idea of Amethyst setting such a huge goal at such an early age – and being absolutely serious about it – bothered her. Seven-year-olds should be carefree and happy, not focused and responsible.

With a sigh, Vinyl reached out to pat Amethyst’s head. “I wish Trixie were a bit more like you, Ammy.” She lifted the article and studied it for a couple seconds. “If this really means that much, I’ll help.”

Amethyst’s jaw dropped. “You will?”

“Yeah. I’m making enough bits, I can fund whatever you need. But,” —she leveled a hoof at Amethyst— “there’s a lot that’ll need to be done. You’re going to have to make great grades and study hard even after you finish school. You can’t just buy a mine, there’s a lot of legal junk you gotta fight over. It’s not going to be easy.”

“I can do it!” Amethyst puffed out her chest. “You’ll see, Vinyl, I’ll work as hard as I have to!”

Those words hurt, but Vinyl only nodded. “You prove to me that you can do it, and I’ll help in whatever way I can. But you’ve got to prove it to me first, alright?”

“Alright!” Amethyst gave a little shout. “I’ll prove it to you, Vinyl! And to Mommy and Daddy!”

Vinyl rolled the newspaper up and used it to pat the filly on the head. “But it’s going to take a long time,” she said in a more soothing tone. “Don’t be in a hurry. For now, just try to be a filly, okay?”

That made Amethyst cock her head. “But I am a filly.”

“And you should be focused on filly things.” Vinyl smiled and tossed the rolled up newspaper on the bed. “Don’t worry about that for now. It’ll come later, when you’re much older. For now, you know what you should be concerned with?”

Amethyst, her eyes wide and attentive, leaned close with bated breath.

Vinyl chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Cookies.”

The filly gasped and began to bounce, all seriousness lost in an instant. “Cookies! Are we going out?”

“We’re going out!” Vinyl grinned and pulled her little sister into a hug, then set her on her back. “We gotta celebrate me coming home. You didn’t even plan a proper welcome home party for me.”

“I didn’t know when you were coming home, silly!” Amethyst giggled.

“No excuses!” Vinyl tapped her on the muzzle with a faux-glare. “Thanks to your laziness, I have no choice but to go all out today. Tons of cookies, you hear me? Tons! It’s all your fault.”

Amethyst gave something between a cheer and laughter. “Sorry! I’ll try to eat my fair share, okay?”

“You’d better!” Vinyl struck a pose and pointed at the door. “Onwards, to cookies!”

“To cookies!”

And so they left, the two grinning at the sweets to come. Yet even as they did, Vinyl couldn’t resist a glance back at the corner of the room, where a lone saddle remained. She couldn’t help but wonder where Trixie was just then. Despite her earlier anger, she could only hope the filly was okay.

“Who is it, Vinyl?”

Vinyl paused at the foot of the stairs and looked up at Amethyst. The filly looked about as tired as she felt. “Stay up there. I don’t know yet.”

Waiting until Amethyst sat on the top step, Vinyl turned back to the front door. She approached slowly, glancing at the clock on the wall as she did. Three in the morning. Who the buck would be knocking on her door at three in the morning? Waiting until she was beyond Amethyst’s site, she grabbed the iron poker from the fireplace, hovering it just over her shoulder as a precaution.

Another knock resounded in the darkness. Vinyl bit her lip and somehow managed not to jump at the sound. It seemed unusually loud in the quiet darkness. She paused a safe distance from the door. “Who’s there?”

The wait seemed to last forever. Vinyl grimaced and readied her makeshift weapon.

“V-Vinyl? It’s me.”

Vinyl nearly dropped the iron poker. She jerked the door open to find a blue pony sitting before her with head hanging low. Mane a mess and body coated in dirt, the teenager merely stared at the doorstop in shame.

“Trixie?”

Trixie flinched at the sound of her name. “Y-yeah, it’s me.”

Time passed, punctuated by the ever ticking clock. Vinyl awaited some explanation, but Trixie’s eyes remained rooted to the floor and her lips sealed. At last, Vinyl lowered her makeshift weapon and gestured. “Come inside. Quietly.”

“Who is it, Vinyl?”

Cringing, Vinyl pressed a hoof to Trixie’s chest before turning for the stairs. “It’s nopony, Amethyst. Just some teenagers playing a prank. You go on to bed, okay?” She waited, ears perked in case Amethyst decided to come downstairs anyway.

It was some time, but Amethyst finally responded. “Okay. But come up soon, alright?”

“I will, promise.” Vinyl waited until she heard the foal’s door close to turn back to Trixie.

Trixie had tears streaming down her cheeks. “So I’m nop-pony now?”

Her heart twisting, Vinyl pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted to have a chance to talk to you before Amethyst latched on. Once she does, she won’t let go. She missed you.”

Trixie’s legs came up gradually, shaking like her voice. “She did? Really?”

“We both did.” Vinyl offered a warm smile. “Now come on, let’s get you something to eat. You look famished.”

They entered the kitchen, Trixie trudging into the room like a felon awaiting conviction. She stood in the corner while Vinyl pulled out a few leftover sandwiches from the refrigerator. When Vinyl noticed her manner, she rolled her eyes and pointed. “This is your place too, you know. Go on, sit. I promise not to blow up on you.”

Trixie looked to her, then to the table. With the caution of a mouse expecting the trap to snap, she settled down in her usual cushion at the table. Vinyl used her magic to warm up a pair of sandwiches before placing them before her surrogate sister.

For a long time, Trixie just stared at the food. Then, she picked one of the sandwiches up in her hooves. Vinyl, standing by the table, watched in grim uncertainty as even the act of taking a bite required an eternity from the teenager. Finally, Trixie did as was expected, chewing the first mouthful slowly.

A sob wracked her before she could even swallow. “It’s just a sandwich,” she whispered. “J-just a sandwich, but… but I…”

Vinyl held her. Trixie’s muffled weeping bled into her ears, making her feel miserable in turn. She rubbed the pony’s back and hummed, not knowing what else she could do.

“How can you be so nice to m-me?” Trixie squeezed a little tighter. “After I ab-bandoned you like that? After I left Ammy all alone?”

“You’ve got to ask?” Vinyl pulled back to offer a warm smile. “I admit, I was pretty peeved when I learned what you did. But Trixie… you’re family. A pony should always have someplace to call home.”

“Home.” Trixie spoke the word as if it were holy, fresh tears streaking her cheeks. “I… I’m home.” She rested her forehead on Vinyl’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. For what I did. For being not doing what I said I would. For leaving. For… for being me.”

“It’s okay, Trixie.” Vinyl patted her shoulder, feeling far better about this situation than she’d anticipated. “We’ll have a much more focused conversation about it later. For now… welcome home.”

“It’s g-good to be back.” A smile, frail but hopeful, at last formed on Trixie’s lips. “It really, really is.” Her eyes lit up as she looked to the ceiling. “Ammy. I… I want to see her.”

“Hold on.” Vinyl pushed her down before she could properly stand. “Sit. Eat. No sibling of mine is going to bed hungry, not under my roof.”

“Right.” Trixie obediently grabbed the sandwich, but paused before taking another bite. “Thanks, Vinyl. Really. You can’t imagine how scared I was to come back like this. I half expected you to slam the door in my face.”

“Now what kind of sister and role model would I be if I did that?” Vinyl’s smile faded quickly. “But Trixie, we’re not done. We are going to have some serious words. I’m okay with this, but you can’t just up and leave like that without some kind of consequence. You get that, right?”

“I do. It’s worth it.”

Trixie finished her meal in silence, then excused herself for the stairs. Vinyl remained in the kitchen for some time, feeling at once anxious for the future and proud of her decisions. She’d always known that Trixie would be a hard case.

Yet right now? The happy cry from the ceiling made it all worth while.

Author's Notes:

Frankly, I consider this chapter... sloppy. I got hit with a time crunch and had to hurry to meet my timeline, and that meant my pre-readers/editors didn't have the time they normally would to focus on the story. So yeah, this chapter could have come out better.

I'll just have to make up for it with the next one.