Those Distant Sisters CH06

Ch6:

The sun was just setting over Ponyville as the eight mares entered the town. The world was blanketed in the blues and purples of twilight, but had yet to take on the chill of night. As the group approached Twilight Sparkle's library home, the door swung open and a small purple figure appeared.

"What took you guys so long? You all just ran out without saying anything!" Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie filed past the doorman before he caught sight of the new arrivals. "Oh, I see you brought home some new friends. I'm Spike. What.." Spike was interrupted by a scream from the two new arrivals as they both dove into the nearby bushes. Twilight pulled apart the foliage with a tug of magic and stuck her snout in to check on the sisters.

"What's wr…ah!" Twilight wasn't able to utter two words before she was hauled bodily into the bushes.

"There is a whelp in your house Twilight! How do we know a whole brood hasn't set up shop in this town by now?" Twilight couldn't tell which of the sisters was speaking due to the darkness of the underbrush and the harsh whisper they spoke in. Considering her options, she decided to pull the entirety of the bush apart, They needed replanting anyway, revealing the trio hidden there to the young dragon.

"This is Spike. He lives here, with me. No brood to speak of." Twilight's matter-of-fact tone combined with Spike's smile convinced the sisters to (reluctantly) agree to enter the library - dragon and all. The two immediately sat down in front of the fireplace which Spike had lit in anticipation of the coming night.

"Aha! You lot act like you don't know anything about the hearth but here it is right in your own home! Now why would you have a fireplace if you didn't believe?" Resonance seemed rejuvenated by the flame, temporarily forgetting her woes over being essentially trapped in a foreign land.

"Uh, it gets pretty cold at night, for one." The sisters looked at Rainbow Dash inquisitively, for the moment more interested in what she had said than the fact that she was hovering just above the floor. "You know, sun goes down, nothing to warm us up anymore, so it… gets… colder?" The sisters exchanged glances, then returned to staring blankly at Dash. "Well the ground isn't just gonna warm itself up!" Dash exclaimed, slightly annoyed at the confusion over something every foal learned in school – the sun is hot the moon is not.

"Why not?" Evanescence chimed in, earning an equally confused expression from the Ponyville residents of the crowd, Spike included. She continued, "In Hearth at least, and I'm guessing it's a little different here by the way you all are staring at me… Uh, the ground keeps itself warm. There's big pockets of lava trapped under thick sheets of incredibly dense stone under most of the country - a gift from the flame to us to keep us safe and warm no matter where we are." A wayward breeze chose that moment to enter through the still open balcony window where the telescopes lay, causing Resonance and Evanescence to both shiver.

"We really are a long way from home if the gifts of the flames have left us…" This time Resonance spoke, the somber tone returning to her voice. Spike yawned.

"I think it will do us all some good to get some rest." Twilight said, earning the attention of everyone in the crowd. "You two are welcome to stay upstairs with us; I have enough bedding to make everypony comfortable." The two declined the offer, choosing instead to stay by the hearth for the night. After showing them where the library's stock of firewood was kept, Twilight led her friends upstairs. "Spike, can you come with us for a minute? I need to write a letter to the princess." Evanescence began to question who Twilight was intent on writing to, but was silenced with a short "don't worry about it" as the purple mare carried Spike up the stairs. One by one the other ponies followed, with Rainbow Dash taking up the rear, floating gingerly up the risers.

"Six mares, maybe the one they're writing a letter to will be the seventh sis-" Resonance began to ask her sister before turning around and catching a glimpse of her eyes trailing Dash up the steps and out of sight. When Evanescence's attention finally set back on her sister, she was greeted with a smile spread from ear to ear across the azure mare's muzzle. "You think she's hot don'tcha?" Evanescence shrunk down behind a forehoof, trying to hide her blush.

"That mare saved my life today, it's perfectly reasonable for me to appreciate her efforts." Evanescence was speaking into her leg, making her exceptionally well-chosen words sound muffled and rushed. The odd exchange would have seemed downright cruel to anypony who was an only child, but between close siblings such exchanges were easily understood. The sisters were so close, in fact, that Resonance thought she could push even further.

"I bet that's not all you appreciate about her, huh Evvy? Some flank eh?" The comment elicited a shrill squeak from the older mare, who chose to hide herself even more behind her mane and forehooves. Gotcha sis, let's see how far I can take it… "Not my fault you like her, Evvy. I have a colt and flames know I tried to find one for you too before you told me what you really want." Resonance laid down beside her sister in front of the fireplace, playfully nudging at her exposed shoulder.

"I think we should just go to bed for now, okay? Big day tomorrow, new land new ponies new everything right?" Evanescence squeaked out before pretending to fall fast asleep in front of the fire. Resonance chuckled before cuddling up against her sister, preparing for a night colder than either of them had ever felt, yet somehow completely unremarkable to the magical land of Equestria.