"Shhh," I whispered, albeit rather loudly, to the vanilla colored earth filly besides me. I took a step further down the staircase, and peered over the railing to the mess hall. The whole house was quiet and still. Perfect.

Blossom shushed me too, vainly trying to stifle her light giggles.

Whipping my blue and white mane from my eyes, I turned to face my sister, who's mouth was drawn into a smirk. I gave her my best glare, and motioned zipping my lips shut.

Her response was a mocking eye roll, and this time it was me who had to try to stop laughing.

I pulled Blossom down the rest of the stairs, stepping as lightly as possible to avoid the surprise creaks.

My heart was beating excitedly, and I smiled for the first time in days. Taking my sister's hoof against my own, I stepped quietly onto the landing.

I swept my lavender eyes across the long table shining, perfectly polished, in the early morning light.

"Okay," I giggled, bringing my hoof up to Blossom's chest. "Are you ready?"

The smaller filly's eyes lit up with an excited light, and she grinned. "Very ready, sis," she answered in a hushed tone.

I took a deep breath, and leaned back. "You're it!"

Without even waiting for Blossom to react, I dashed away, and slid on my back underneath the hall table. My little sister squealed behind me, but I was on the other side. "Hey, that's not fair!" she exclaimed, but I could tell she was already giving chase.

I peeked over the edge of the table to see Blossom leaping right on top of the surface, rattling the candels and dishes that were set out. I gasped, scrambling back on my flanks.

"Stop it, Blossom! You're gonna get caught!" My shrill whisper seemed to cause the other foal to hestitate. She jumped down onto her hooves, glancing nervously at the staircase.

But then Blossom shrugged. "And Mother's not gonna find us doin' this?"

She seemed to take my grumbling as a satisfactory answer.

"Alright then, Miss Luluamoon! If you want to escape the wrath of the horrible Blossom, I suggest that you.....run!" Blossom bared her teeth in her most evil grimace.

I stumbled to my hooves, and raced against the wall to the large double doors. My pursuer was pretty fast, I had to admit.

She was coming! I squeaked in 'fear' and shoved against the heavy doors with my whole body. Before Blossom could reach me, they gave way, and I flew out into the hall.

It was exhilirating!

The empty hallway and unrestricted speed; I would never get used to that!

I skidded around the corner, and turned to the main entrance, hearing Blossom's panting from behind me.

"You're never going to catch me, silly filly!" I called out, completly forgetting about being quiet. Our hooves pounded on the carpet.

I swerved at the end of the hallway, wheezing and breathless, but grinning wildly. My sister galloped toward me, laughing hysterically despite herself, and that's when I realized.....I had nowhere to go!

I pressed my ears against my head, and backed against the outside doors. I couldn't dare leave the building.

"You have no where to go! Surrender, child!" she called.

"Never," I spat, with as much venom a foal could muster.

But I needed to get away, or the dreaded Blossom would surely capture me!  

I felt a strange sensation tricking at the base of my horn, like liquid lightning building up. And then suddenly with a blinding flash, I was standing at the opposite end of the hallway.

My knees gave out and I collasped into the floor, my mind feeling like a muddled mess, and my thoughts going in every direction. One question that kept coming up however was:

What the hay just happened?!

A pain was screaming inside my head, and my eyes were squeezed shut. I heard hoofsteps rush to my side as the ground tilted.

I moaned, and rolled onto my back.

"Trixie?! Are you okay?" My sister brushed the hair from my face with her hoof, breathing heavily. I pushed away and managed to sit up, hunched over.

"What was that, Trixie? It was.....amazing!" Blossom voice grew whispery in awe, and she clasped my forelegs.

Moaning, I shifted my gaze to her light purple eyes and bit my lip. "I have no idea Blossom, really. But you're right- it was amazing! Well, until I think my head died...." I giggled half-heartedly, and rubbed my throbbing horn.

Blossom still looked troubled. "Oh, gosh, we are so gonna get it, sis," she said quietly.

What? What was she talking about?

I turned my head to the side, and noticed a pile of broken pieces lying in front of a stand. My heart skipped a couple beats, and my mouth went dry. "Did...did I do that?" I whispered to the earth filly besides me. She nodded solemnly.

"You didn't seem to notice it, but when you appeared over here, you crashed into the table....and broke the vase." Her lip trembled, and her face paled.

I pulled Blossom into an embrace, and brought my hoof through her short azure mane. "It's okay, sis," I mummered, although I didn't really believe it myself. "We can do this, Blossom. Mother will never have to know."

She leaned back and sniffed lightly.

Then the 7-year-old cocked an ear. "But how?" she asked, voice cracking in panic.

I furrowed my brow, and massaged my head. "We'll hide it! Yes! Come on, Blossom, help me clean this up!" The younger filly seemed wary, but she joined in gathering the largest pieces in her arms. I tried not to imagine the consequences, and took them all up in my hooves with shaking arms.

"Let's go find a trash can," I said to Blossom, trotting into the kitchen area. The usual smells and heat were gone, left with an empty, large room of ovens and knives. I grabbed the pieces, and with Blossom's help, tossed it into the trash bin.

Turning slightly, I noticed the filly shaking a little bit besides me, and she grasped my hoof. "Mother's going to notice, Trixie, and you know it!" A glare formed on her face, not a look of spite, but of worry.

"I'm sorry, Blossom- it's all my fault, really it is! But it'll be fine-trust me," I insisted to the filly, and managed a small smile. "And I think it's time for us to head back to bed." Lying was not my greatest skill, but it seemed to fool my sister.

Blossom nodded vigorously, blue tresses shaking in agreement. She gulped audibly "I-I'm scared, Trix." Her eyes wavered with shiny tears, and Blossom pressed her ears back to her head.

  I am too, I thought. Mother could be so awful. But I didn't show it on my face. I pushed her furry coat from the kitchen, and motioned up to the stairs, my big sister instinct kicking in. At nine years old, I was the boss. "We only have a couple more hours before meal time, so we need to get to bed before anyone gets up," I instructed, and started to climb up the cold steps.

Blossom scampered after me, her vanilla fur shining like gold in the dawn light. My heart was pounding out a drum beat, but I fought my fear, and stepped up to the second floor landing with my sister in tow.

"Okay, quiet now." I brought my blue hoof up to the door, and slowly turned the weathered knob to the girls' dormroom. We were greated with a heavenly silence, to which I breathed a sigh of relief.

I pointed my sis to the far side of the room, where the little fillies slept. Blossom gave me an anxious glance, but she made her way between the small beds to her own. I smiled as she scrambled under her covers and pulled them up to her chin.

Sighing, I climbed under my own thin sheets, and turned onto my side. There was no hope for sleep.

Suddenly, a heard a bed creak. I sat up, pulse thundering, and whipped my head to the cot besides me, which gasped.

"Annie," I muttered, prodding the filly in what I guessed was her shoulder. "Are you awake?"

The white face peeked out frim her moth-eaten blakets, and gave a sheepish grin. Her rats' nest of amber curls followed.

"I saw you and your friend, Blossom leaving the dorm. What were you doing?" Her green eyes shone in the light from the shuttered window. I gulped, and leaned back against my bed post.

But I knew I could trust Annie, after all. "Well, she's my sister, Ann-Ann, and you would do well to remember that." My pet-name made the older filly scowl slightly.

The 11 year old huffed dissmissidly. "Nah Trixie, she's your honorary sister, thus; friend."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. Annie apparently wasn't done. "So," she said, leaning forward on her forelegs. "What did you do?"

My cheeks burned. "We were playing...tag," I mumbled to the filly, who chortled. Why had I done such a foolish thing?

"You were playing tag!" Her voice was getting dangerously loud. "You fillies could of been caught, all for a game of tag?" Annie's cheeks puffed out in barely contained laughter.

"Yeah," I muttered, twisting the blankets up in my hooves. "But I-I just wanted to do something fun, ya know? Mother, she's been driving me a little crazy lately, and I wanted to prove that I-we, can still stand up against her. I've just been sad a bit, that's all...." I trailed off.

Annie had quieted, and she sniffed. "Yes, I know about Mother, she can be....cold. But she better not hear you saying that, or you'll have to go in the basement for 2 hours."

I shuddered. The basement was so awful, and dark, yet I've been there more times than I can count.

With a murmer, the white filly rolled onto her back, hoofing the silver necklace always clasped around her neck. "Do you ever wonder about your real parents?"

The question caught me a bit off guard, and I bit my lip. Annie was always fantasizing about her so-called "awesome" parents.

Taking a deep breath, I brought a hoof through my hair. "Yes, Annie, I have, and I do. It's nice to wonder what a place outside the orphanage would be like, without Mother to order us around, and to be loved by a family. But, Annie, I've gotten over it."

She stiffened, and her teal eyes widened slightly. I winced, but didn't add anything else.

Already feeling utterly melancholy, I flipped over on my side, away from Annie.

From her silence, my previous thoughts began flooding my mind. What had happened with my magic? It had....somehow teleported me! Was that normal for unicorns? My heart started to pound. Could I do it again? Would I?

I groaned. But what if Mother caught us? Me? I would get punished for weeks because of that vase! What if Blossom took the blame?

My troubled worries were interupted by Annie's  gentle, melodious voice softly lilting out her favorite song.

Know your safe, and know your loved

with your child wonder.

the world is yours, so be a star

that shines brighter than all the others.

hush now, never fret

quiet now, to sleep.

don't you fear, for you are fine

now rest your head, my dear

Before I knew it, my eyelids at grown heavy, and I was welcomed in the darkness of sleep.