One of the advantages/disadvantages that came with living in a small town like Ponyville is that news from within the town spread like wildfire. Therefor by noon the next day the news of the fates of Rarity's and Sweetie's parents was common knowledge. Concerned for her friend Twilight Sparkle rushed over to Rarity's boutique almost the second she heard the news waiting for her were Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo and of course Spike had accompanied Twilight.

"They haven't been down all day" Applejack told Twilight.

"Sweetie Belle wasn't even in school today" added Scootaloo.

"Ms. Cheerilee didn't get a note or anything" Apple Bloom added.

"Sounds bad let's go in they need us" said Twilight.

The seven ponies and one dragon searched the house for their friends. "Sweetie Belle isn't in the guest room" called Apple Bloom.

"And Rarity forgot to feed Opal" said Fluttershy looking in the kitchen where Rarity's cat was looking into her empty food dish.

"They must be In Rarity's room" said Twilight.

"Well they're defiantly in there" said Applejack as they stood outside Rarity's bedroom door the sound of the sobbing sisters filled the air.

“Are you ok Rarity?" Twilight called through the door.

"Go away!" came Rarity's shrill yell.

"Ummm Sweetie Belle are you in there we brought you your homework" said Scootaloo not knowing what else to say.

"I said go away!" Rarity replied even louder.

"Yeah go away!" Sweetie Belle added her voice was not as loud as her sisters but sounded more hurt than angry.

"The door is unlocked" Twilight noticed.

"Then let’s go" said Rainbow Dash.

The floor of the room was dominated by used tissues and the two unicorns were still in bed having apparently never left since the previous night. "I told you to go away" said Rarity moving for the first time in hours her mane was a tangled mess and her face was stained with tear strained eye make-up.  

"Rarity we just want to help" Fluttershy assured her.

"Can't you all see we want to be alone" said Rarity.

"But Rarity we understand but the way you're mourning can't be healthy" said Twilight reasonably.

"I just need to be alone with Sweetie Belle" said Rarity pointing a hoof to her sister who was still crying not even acknowledging the other pony’s presence.

"But Rarity......" Applejack began before Rarity cut her off.

"But nothing Sweetie Belle and I are now........" Rarity paused before finishing "the only family we have left". The seven ponies looked at each other and realized there was nothing they could do right now.

"All right we'll leave you alone" said Twilight.

"What are we going to do we can't leave them like this" said Twilight to the concerned friends once they reached her library home.

"They'll go crazy" said Pinkie Pie.

"Maybe we should just let them get over it in their own way" said Rainbow Dash.

"But they're not getting over it they're just stuck on the fact that their parents are gone they need to get out of that room or they'll never be able to move on" said Twilight.

"So what do we do?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Well we need to remind them of the good times" said Twilight before pausing to think.

"Doesn't Rarity have a collection of old pictures in her basement?" Twilight asked to no pony in particular.

"She do's I know it" said Fluttershy happily but when every pony turned to look at her, her voice became more hushed "I mean.... I think I saw them..... One time.... maybe" she said shyly.

"Ok here's the plan" said Twilight.

"Fluttershy you need to sneak back into Rarity's house and get those photos" said Twilight.

"Ok" said Fluttershy quietly.

"Girls" Twilight continued pointing a hoof at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo "we need a blank notebook".

"On it" the two fillies said enthusiastically.

"Pinkie Pie do you have any art supplies?" Twilight went on.

"No problem" said Pinkie running over to the wooden horse head in the center of the library Pinkie then pulled of the statues back mane and reaching in pulling out paint brushes, crayons, markers, synthetic glue, paint, paint stamps, and colorful paper.

"Let me guess" said Twilight "you have art supplies stashed all over Ponyville in case of art supply emergency?" she asked.

"How did you know?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight giggled and replied "call it a hunch".

"What about us Twi?" asked Applejack referring to herself and Rainbow Dash.

"I need you girls here to help me find a few things with me and Spike" said Twilight.

The next few hours found these ponies (and dragon) drawing, pasting, cutting, drawing, and writing when finally their creation was completed and they made their way to Rarity's once again.

"Rarity" Twilight called from outside the unicorn’s bed room door.

"Go away" responded Rarity.

"We just want to give you something" Twilight told her.

"We don't want it" said Sweetie Belle's voice.

"Come on we worked hard on this the least you could do is........." Rainbow Dash rather harshly began before Applejack quickly stuffed a hoof in the Pegasus mouth.

"Please just open the door for one minute so I can give it to you Rarity" Twilight pleaded.

"Oh all right" said Rarity cracking her door open with her magic she then she magically lifted the parcel and floated it to the bed "thank you girls" said Rarity before closing the door.

Rarity looked at the gift it was a notebook wrapped in a ribbon. "Hmmmm what is this supposed to be?" Rarity asked herself as Sweetie Belle crawled out from under the covers out of curiosity. Rarity looked down at the cover it was marked with a picture of the nine ponies and one dragon huddled together and above the drawing was the title "Diaries of Sisterhooves" written in yellow crayon.

"What is it?" asked Sweetie Belle wiping her face clear of mucus and tears.

"I don't know" said Rarity as she flipped the notebook open. The first page of the book displayed a photo of young Rarity in her mid-teens laughing and hugging her delighted mother as her father ruffled her mane. Rarity giggled "I remember when this was taken that was the night mother told me she was expecting" said Rarity.

"Expecting?" said Sweetie Belle curiously.

"A baby darling" said Rarity.

"A baby?" said Sweetie Belle before realizing and smiling "oh me".

"That's right dear" said Rarity turning the page. The next photo was of Rarity's mother lying in a hospital bed looking very tired but happy and Rarity was next to her holding a small bundle of pink blankets and wearing a saddle sack. "Oh that was the day you were born" said Rarity.

"Really?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Yes I remember it well I had just come home from school........." said Rarity.

*FLASHBACK*

"I'll show her" said a teenage Rarity as she walked through her parent’s front door. "I'm home" she called however no response came.

"Hello" said a pony slightly older then Rarity with a white coat and a red cross for a Cutie mark.

"Who are you?" asked Rarity stepping back a little. "I'm a nurse at Ponyville General I was sent here to tell you that your mother went into labor earlier today" said the nurse.

"You mean she had the baby?" asked Rarity excitedly.

"Yes" said the nurse earning a squeal of delight from Rarity. "Yes well I was sent here to take you to the hospital" said the nurse. The walk to the hospital was more like a hop for Rarity because she was jumping for joy and by the time they arrived at the hospital Rarity literally ran to her parent’s room once receiving the information on the location.

"Where's the baby?" was the first thing Rarity asked when she barged into the room.

"She's right here" said Rarity's mother handing her a bundle of pink blankets. Rarity looked in eagerly inside was a sleeping foal with a white coat and a small nuzzle of a pink and purple swirled mane.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Rarity excitedly.

"It's a girl dear you're new little sister Sweetie Belle" said Rarity's mother as she spoke the foal began to fidget in the blankets.

"Oh I think she's waking up" said Rarity as the foal's eyes began to flutter open. "Hi Sweetie Belle I'm your big sister Rarity" said Rarity in a gentle voice Sweetie Belle looked confused for a moment however in an instant her face split into a smile.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

"Then what happened?" asked Sweetie Belle eagerly.

"Oh father took the picture then he and I went home so you and mother could get your rest" said Rarity. The next few pages of the notebook contained pictures of Rarity and or Sweetie Belle playing together, enjoying holidays, and going through the highlights of late teen and foal life.

"Hey Rarity what's going on here?" asked Sweetie Belle pointing to a picture of Rarity wearing a red dress and sniffing a bouquet of blue flowers enthusiastically.

Rarity's ears dropped "oh that's me when I was trying to get into design school at Canterlot University" she said.

"Really what happened?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Moving on" said Rarity quickly turning the page to a picture of Rarity joyously taking a "For Sale" sign from the yard of what would one day is her boutique.

After flipping through the section of the note book containing picture of Sweetie Belle's early fillyhood the two sisters came to a hoof drawn picture of Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight each one wearing a necklace or in Twilight's case a diadem facing a midnight blue unicorn with wings. "The day we faced Nightmare Moon" said Rarity. The next few pages were of the highlights of the last year including the founding of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity's Gala designs, the talent show, and other such things. The notebook ended with a copy of the letter that Sweetie Belle and Rarity had sent to Princess Celestia about being sisters. Rarity flipped back through the book to the family picture of the two unicorns and their parents. "I suppose that even if they're....." Rarity struggled to continue before managing "gone we always have our memories".

"And we're still a family right?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Of course we are" Rarity assured her younger sister. "Sweetie Belle I think it's time to get out of bed and move on with life"

said Rarity.

"Ok" said Sweetie Belle lacking enthusiasm.

"Dear is something wrong?" asked Rarity.

Sweetie Belle began to cry as she spoke "it's just that I still miss them" she said.

"Sweetie Belle dear there is nothing wrong with that I still miss the as well" said Rarity placing a hoof around her little sister. "We always will miss them but we can't let that stop us from living our lives" Rarity went on. "Besides they wouldn't have wanted us to do that" Rarity added.

"You are right Rarity" said Sweetie Belle. "But what if I always miss them?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Rarity smiled and put a hoof on her sisters shoulder "then we'll miss them together" she said. Sweetie Belle smiled and hugged her sister.

"You can come in now everyone" said Rarity opening the door with her magic the seven ponies and dragon walked in.

"So are you guys going to be ok?" asked Twilight.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and smiled. "We will thanks to all of you" said Rarity using her magic to put the notebook on her nightstand.

"It was out pleasure" said Twilight.

"Oh.... Ummm Rarity I..... Found this downstairs" said Fluttershy handing (or hoofing) Rarity the sealed envelope from the previous night.

"Oh yes the mayor dropped this by when she delivered the news" said Rarity opening the envelope and looking at the

papers inside.

"What are they?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Oh nothing just a bit of paper work for me to fill out" said Rarity flipping through the pages. "It says here they left the more important things like their house, the family heirlooms, the bits in their bank accounts, and the family albums to me" said Rarity.

"They also asked that I would take over guardianship of Sweetie Belle which of course I will" Rarity continued.

"Do's this mean I'm gonna be living with you now Rarity?" asked Sweetie Belle curiously.

"Yes dear it also means I'm going to be your legal guardian" said Rarity.

"What do's that mean?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"It means you safety, well-being, and happiness are my responsibility" said Rarity.

"Ok" said Sweetie Belle with childish ignorance. "Which room do I get?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The guest room" said Rarity.

"Come one girls let’s go have our crusader meeting in my new room" said Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle shouted out "Cutie Mark Crusaders" in unison together before running off.

"Don't think I forgot about that homework mentioned earlier" Rarity called. Rarity's five pony friends chuckled Spike only

resuming to stare at Rarity lovingly.

The next morning Apple Bloom and Scootaloo waited for Sweetie Belle outside the school. "You think she's coming?" asked Apple Bloom.

"She seemed fine when we left last night" said Scootaloo.

"There she is" said Apple Bloom pointing a hoof up the road where Sweetie Belle was walking with Rarity at her side.

"Are you sure you want to go to school today I could write you a note if you want" Rarity offered for the tenth time.

"No I'll be ok" said Sweetie Belle.

"All right but would you like me to sit in for a while?" asked Rarity.

"No Rarity I'm a big pony" said Sweetie Belle stubbornly stamping her hoof down.

Rarity giggled and ruffled her sister’s mane like her father always would "All right have a nice day I'll see you after school" she said turning to leave.

"Wait Rarity" said Sweetie Belle.

"Yes dear?" asked Rarity.

"Could I have a hug good bye?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Of course" said Rarity wrapping her hooves around her sister.

That day in class was going rather well for Sweetie Belle considering she had recently lost both her parents. Until the class bully Diamond Tiara told her "tell your sister her fashion career is over".