It had been some time now since Sky had seen her sister, and she was getting worried. She could have sworn that just a few days prior she’d seen her wake up, had held her in her hooves and berated the young filly for scaring her so damn much. Shadow had been weak, but alive. Sky knew that she was okay. The job had gone to shit, but at least the two of them still had each other. It hadn’t been a complete bust, though she knew that Shadow was going to be out of action for a few weeks at least.

Sky clambered off of the sofa and trotted around the living room, as if expecting to find her hiding behind a piece of furniture. Shadow’s favourite game was, after all, hide-and-seek. The poor kid was probably going a little stir-crazy from being cooped up inside for so long.

“Shadow?” Sky ventured quietly, her hoof-falls on the wooden floor nearly silent as she spread her wings. “You know, if you’re looking for something to do around here, you and me can bake some cookies together.”

Nothing answered her. Sky was alone in the house, the only sound that of a ticking clock hanging on the wall.

“And...and then we can make some hot chocolate and sit down to read a book together.” She added hopefully. “Come on, I’ll even let you choose the story!” Sky heard her own voice growing quieter, a little more pleading with each word. “Even...even if it’s one with loads of sound effects and funny voices...we can read it together…”

Sky glanced around at the empty house.

“Pl...please?”

The little white pony was given pause as she caught her own eye, reflected in the mirror that hung over the fireplace. She sighed, trotting over to inspect the damage. Anything to ward off that growing feeling of numb panic that was gripping her heart like a vice.

A lot of Sky’s body was bandaged, all manner of blankets and clothes repurposed as makeshift wrappings to cover her many lacerations. It wasn’t the first time she’d sailed through a plate glass window and torn herself up, nor, she guessed, would it be the last. She had minimising damage down to an art by now, though from the state of her body right now you wouldn’t know it from looking. Nonetheless, her wings were still in pristine, relatively undamaged condition.

Well, at least I still have that… She thought to herself, spreading them. Aside from the slash wounds, she looked just as she always had done, a relatively small pony with slightly downy white wings and noticeably powerful back legs. The only other thing amiss was her face. Her cheeks were weirdly sunken, with tear-tracks running down them from her bright pink eyes.

Weird… Sky rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. She couldn’t remember crying, though it looked recent. Maybe she’d gone to a really crazy party and been fucked up on something or other. It wasn’t the first time she’d been on the receiving end of weird mind-altering stuff without her knowledge. She was, after all, a pretty good-looking mare who hung out with some really shady types.

That had to be it. She must have drunk something weird and messed herself up, and Shadow was probably passed out in her room getting some sleep. She’d definitely earned it.

“Come on, Sky. Don’t go disturbing her.” She said to herself, rubbing her eyes again and blinking groggily. Though she shook her head to clear it, there was a strange dimness to her vision, a fuzziness, as if reality itself was warping around her. The things that Sky was certain of...that Shadow was safe and sound in her bed upstairs, that everypony was safe and they’d both be okay in a few weeks...suddenly seemed so much less real than they had done mere minutes ago. The dull pressure in her chest began to grow, freezing her legs in place as that ever-present panic took control of her body. Sky’s wings flapped out of pure reflex as her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, but there was nowhere to run to, no dart that she could load into her crossbow to make it go away. She couldn’t run from or fight the swirling melee of doubt and delusion that her mind had become.

“Maybe...maybe if I just peek inside for a second. She wouldn’t mind that, right?” Sky muttered. Her hooves felt like they were covered in molasses, refusing to budge without a conscious effort on Sky’s part. The little white mare was overwhelmed by something far more debilitating than a few cuts and bruises. She was experiencing a fear unlike anything she had ever felt before, not for herself but for her little sister.

Sky glanced down at the coffee table, where a massive stack of papers covered in heist plans sat. Atop it all was a map of Canterlot Palace, the target of their most recent job. As Sky’s eyes passed over the two little plastic model ponies that were meant to represent herself and Shadow, the little white mare felt a horrible tremor across her whole body, as if her heart had broken right then and there.

This doesn’t make any sense, though! She thought to herself, trying to force herself to be rational as she clambered up the stairs. Shadow’s safe! I saw her! Sawblades saved her and she came home with me! All I’ve gotta do is go upstairs and see her sleeping and everything will be okay, right?

Sky found herself twitching and shivering as she ascended the stairs, her own body dragging her down. It was as if some hidden, incomprehensible part of her psyche knew something she didn’t consciously know, and was trying to protect her from it. Each step became more difficult to take as she trod down the hallway, her panicked state forcing her body to shut down.

She stopped outside of the little wooden door. Block letters had been nailed to its surface, spelling out Shadow’s name. Sky didn’t want to knock, partially because she didn’t want to wake Shadow up, but mostly because there was a part of her that didn’t want to know the truth either way. Not just yet.

Sky shook her head again, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps that left her light-headed. She reached out with a shaking hoof as a darkness crept in around the edges of her vision, gripping the door handle and pulling it open.

“Oh, no…”

It was in that moment that the dam did indeed break, that tension that had been building up ever since she’d gone to Sawblade’s place only a few weeks ago. It was a feeling of horror-stricken emptiness, a feeling of abject terror born from week after week of doubt.

Shadow was missing.

“Fuck…” Sky backed up, forcing her legs to respond to her dull terrified brain. “No...shit...this isn’t right...Shadow? SHADOW?” She looked around desperately, fighting her own body as she spurred herself into action. Sky had to find her. She had to know that her little sister was okay. She wouldn’t be able to cope if anything had happened to her, especially not because of that horrible fucking job.

As Sky looked down the hallway again, she saw that same bright white light, all-consuming, sterile and lifeless. It obliterated everything, catching up with her even as she wheeled around to try and gallop away from it.

“No! Wait!” She yelped, her heart dropping into her stomach. “Wait, I don’t wanna go yet! Shadow? SHADOW!”

As the white light consumed her as well, Sky beat her wings, lost in oblivion with her sister nowhere to be found.

Shadow sighed, slumping down and resting her head on the counter as she watched her sister sleeping. She and Rat had long since slumped against one another, and they were now snoring as peacefully as ever. Of course, between that and the unconscious Fox in the corner of the compartment, Shadow was bored as hell.

“Ugh…” She mumbled, running her fluffy little hooves though her mane and flicking her ears. She briefly considered doing something horrible to Sky while she slept, or even waking her up, but she was the only thing keeping Rat from slumping hilariously to the floor. She was tempted…so very tempted...but she couldn’t do that to her sister. That pony needed her sleep.

Shadow’s hoof closed on her bow, giving the yew wood a gentle squeeze as she watched her big sister sleep. It was a comforting feeling, as if she was standing watch over Sky’s psyche, protecting her from the things that messed with her while she slept. Shadow was the last pony in the world who’d refer to herself as a guardian angel, but for her big sister that was exactly what she was. It wasn’t even simply out of a feeling of being indebted to her for effectively raising the little filly on her own. Shadow loved Sky, and she knew she didn’t say it enough. It was one of those things that you couldn’t say enough.

Her ears perked as Fox started to stir, burying his head in his soft forehooves.

Weird...he looks a hell of a lot more fluffy than I remember… Shadow thought, before violently banishing the thoughts from her mind. A pony her age shouldn’t be thinking about how cuddly a colt looked. It was sinful.

At least he’s been tenderised… She rolled her eyes, steepling her forehooves and fixing a bemused expression on her face, like he was wasting her time just by being in the same room as her.

“Hey Fox.” She said dully. “I didn’t damage your brain any more than usual, did I?”

“What...what was that for?” Fox mumbled, getting to his hooves and rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t even do anything that time.”

“Don’t touch my tummy.” Shadow glared. “You should know better.”

“You’re crazy…” Fox muttered. “One second you’re all cuddly and the next minute you’re kicking my ass for nothing. What the hell’s wrong with...did you just say “tummy?””

“Stomach.” Shadow corrected herself quickly. “I know what you were doing, Fox! You were testing to see if I’m ticklish!”

“I wasn’t!” Fox shook his head, eyes widening. “I was just trying to get close to you, that’s all! I mean, my hoof must’ve slipped, and...and...wait, are you ticklish?”

“No!” Shadow yelped, shuffling back into the corner of the compartment. She’d answered that question a little too quickly.

“Oh Celestia, you are!” Fox giggled, hopping up onto the bench next to her and shuffling closer.

“No! I’m not ticklish! Fuck off!” Shadow’s eyes widened as he came closer, horn flaring up all of a sudden. “I’m not ticklish! I’m too tough for this sort of….don’t you dare come any closer, dipstick-head!”

Her ears perked again as she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Sky, it seemed, was fidgeting in her sleep a little more than normal, kicking out with her hind legs with her wings twitching. She was having another nightmare.

“Okay, seriously Fox, fuck off!” Shadow rolled over onto her back, kicking out with both of her back legs and catching him in the gut. As Fox doubled over in pain with his magic fizzling out, Shadow vaulted the counter and pushed Rat off of her little sister, taking Sky’s cheeks in her forehooves.

“Ugh...you could’ve just said…” Fox gasped. “Wha...what’s up with her?”

“There’s nothing “up” with her, asshole. She’s perfect.” Shadow stuck her tongue out at the colt before going back to attending to her sister. “She just...has nightmares sometimes…”

Fox took a few moments to regain his composure, watching as Shadow held the elder pegasus’s head in her hooves like a mother cradling a rather oversized child. Sky was whimpering in her sleep, her damaged wings spreading and flapping desperately. She looked like Rat did whenever he ran from guards in his sleep, but more...urgent...more serious…

“What does she have nightmares about?” He asked, crossing his hooves on the counter in front of him and laying his head down.

“None of your fucking business.” Shadow grunted.

“You don’t have to be so mean…”

Shadow made a noise that could only be described as adolescent. What kind of upstart asshole had the right to tell her how to behave! She’d made ponies disappear for less than this! Still, he seemed earnest enough…

“Ever had a job go bad?” She asked after a while.

“Every burglar has.” Fox nodded.

“No, I mean, like, really bad. Like, Mare-phy’s Law bad. A job where literally everything got fucked up?”

Fox frowned. “Yeah, I guess Rat and I have had a few. I guess that’s what she’s dreaming about?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Shadow whispered. “It kinda...hit her hard. She still dreams about it sometimes.”

“Sounds rough.” Fox commented. “How...how long’s she been dreaming about it?”

“I dunno. Years now.” Shadow shrugged. “Come on sis, wake up…”

“Years? Haven’t you thought to, like, get her help or something?”

“She doesn’t need help, Fox. She needs a cuddle.”

“Well, your cuddles do feel pretty great…” Fox said sheepishly.

“My cuddles are the best in Equestria.” Shadow nodded without thinking.

Fox sighed, smiling a little at the little filly. “Hey, Shadow?”

“What?”

“How can I help, then?”

That gave Shadow pause. She gave Sky another little shake, glancing around at Fox. ”You wanna help?”

“Sure! You two are really nice ponies and you deserve to be okay.” He beamed back with a little squee.

“Oh...wow..” Shadow whispered, her ears splaying back. “Um...well...I don’t suppose you can hug her, too?”

“What, you’re actually asking me to hug somepony?”

“Look, either hug Sky or hug a fucking cactus. Are you in or what?”

“Am I!” Fox vaulted the counter too, wrapping his hooves around Sky as well.

“Fox?”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t say you could hug me, too.”

“Oh...erm...oops.” Fox shuffled over, pulling his hoof away from the filly and trying not to touch her wing. Still, this felt like a big step forward for him. She hadn’t even hit him!

“Sis?” Shadow whispered softly. “Come on, wake up. You know none of this shit is real. I’m still here. We’re both safe, you big dumb pony.” She closed her eyes, bumping muzzles with her big sister. “Everything’s gonna be okay…”

Sky’s eyes flickered open, full of tears. She looked around in confused panic for a moment before finally catching Shadow’s gaze. The two sisters stared into one another’s eyes for the longest time, Shadow giving the tiniest little smile to let her know that everything was alright.

“You’re…” Sky muttered.

“Right here. Always have been, always will.” Shadow winked, grinning. “Oh, and there’s some conehead touching you, too. You might wanna have a wash after this.”

Sky looked from Fox to Shadow, the last vestiges of confusion and fear dying away as she took in the two most adorable teenagers in the whole wide world. A little shaky smile crept across her face as she wrapped the two of them in her wings, pulling them closer. Shadow made a rubber-duck squeaky noise as her cheek was pressed against Fox’s own. He gave her a sidelong look as if to wordlessly claim innocence.

“Thanks, guys.” Sky whispered, letting her tears fall freely as she embraced the two little ponies as tightly as she could.

Any other time, Shadow would be pulling herself free of Sky’s grip as long as other ponies were watching the two of them, but she knew full well that Sky needed her right now. Besides, while she wouldn’t openly admit it, she liked moments like this, the quiet ones where she was allowed to cuddle with her big baby of a sister. This was the kind of moment that she loved very much indeed, and there wasn’t a thing in the world that could spoil it.

Fox, tempting fate to an admirable degree, took Shadow’s hoof in his own as he hugged the two sisters, too.

Not one...single…fucking...thing…