Sunlight Dawn ran around the castle, hot on the tail of her cousin, Flurry Heart. "I'm gonna get you!" She squealed happily as their impromptu game of tag continued. They had been playing hide-and-seek, but Flurry refused to admit that Sunlight had caught her. This led to a laugh filled wrestling episode, followed by the current pursuit.

"Oh, no you're not," Flurry called back. In the three years since Sunlight had been born, the love that Flurry had for her had only grown. The pair were completely inseparable. When Flurry and her family had to return to The Crystal Empire, the two would hold each other and cry and tell the other one how much they would miss them. But then Flurry, who was now much older and could ride the train by herself, would return to Ponyville and Sunlight would leap into her arms when she came.

The two dashed around a corner and nearly knocked over Twilight. The Princess of Friendship stumbled back a bit and then gave her daughter and niece a stern look. "Sunlight, what have I told you about running in the castle?"

"Sorry, Mommy," Sunlight responded, her ears drooping. She loved her mother very much, and she hated seeing her disappointed or upset. She always did her best to follow the rules her parents set for her, but it wasn't always easy. Sometimes she was pushed into doing things she knew were wrong.

"I'm sorry, Auntie Twily," Flurry said honestly, "it was my fault. I egged her on."

"It's OK, Flurry," Twilight said, "it's nothing major. I just don't want things getting broken, and your running could cause that. Now, has Sunlight done her magic lesson for the day?"

"Yes, Mommy, I did it."

"Good, then let's see it."

So Sunlight fired up her small horn and shot a magic blast at a nearby piece of paper. She quickly turned it into a small flower. "Very good, Sunlight!" Twilight said as she gave her daughter a hug, "I'm impressed. Now, remember what we've said. A good unicorn or, in your case, Alicorn knows when to use magic and when to keep it suppressed."

"I know, Mommy. I've been very careful."

"Yes, darling, you have. Now, run along and play with Flurry Heart some more. But remember not to run in the castle."

"Yes, Mommy," Sunlight said happily as she trotted off with her cousin. The two fillies went outside and began goofing around on the castle grounds. "I bet I can shoot a magic blast further than you can," Flurry challenged.

"Do you really think we should? I mean, Mommy just got through scolding us."

Flurry looked at the ground. Sunlight could tell she was deep in thought. She wondered if her Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining Armor set the same sort of rules for Flurry back in The Crystal Empire. "I guess you're right," Flurry finally said, "after all, the rules are meant to be followed and I wouldn't want to get you in trouble again so soon. I guess we'll have to find something else to do."

They walked around the grounds for a few minutes, stopping to admire the freshly bloomed roses in the garden. Flurry decided to test Sunlight's knowledge a bit. "Sunlight, where do you suppose flowers come from?" She asked.

"Well, Flurry, there's a seed that's planted there, and that seed grows into the flower you see."

"How does it do that?"

"Well, I don't know the entire process, but I do know that it takes a lot of water, sunlight, and tender, loving care on the part of the gardener."

"That's right," Flurry said, "my goodness, you're getting smart. How did you do on your Mom's last math test?"

"I got them all right. Exponents are particularly frustrating, but doing common algebra is becoming easier."

Flurry smiled. Sunlight had inherited her mother's brain, and it showed. For being a three-year-old filly, she was extremely intellectual. Her mother had taken to homeschooling her almost from the day she brought her home. The things she had learned about the world were incredible, and she was making some discoveries on her own, as well.

"Flurry?"

"Yes, Sunlight?"

"Why did you ask me that?"

"Oh, come now, Sunlight. You know I enjoy asking you questions about things and putting that big brain to the test."

"Oh. I figured you'd asked me that expecting some kind of metaphor about life."

"Well, maybe there is a metaphor in there somewhere. Like, if you plant a seed and don't nurture it, then it will die, or if you nurture it incorrectly, then it will grow into something that's ugly and twisted."

"Like my sister…" Sunlight said as her voice trailed off sadly. Flurry pulled the young one close and held her gently. It had been four years since Midnight had died, and Sunlight still didn't understand just why her mother had to do what she did. Flurry saw Sunlight shed a few tears and held her closer.

"I know," she said softly, "I know it hurts. But Midnight was an evil, vicious filly and she had to be dealt with."

"But, Flurry, I still don't understand why! I mean, I could've had a sister!" Sunlight wailed as she finally broke down. "Why did Mommy have to kill her?! Why couldn't she have just thrown her in jail?!"

Flurry ran a soothing hoof through Sunlight's purple mane. "Putting Midnight in prison wouldn't have changed her. For some ponies, prison does change them. But for Midnight, only the grave was a suitable punishment."

"You say that like it's no big deal! It's a huge deal! I want my sister back!"

Flurry realized that her tone of voice made it seem like it wasn't important to her. "I'm sorry, Sunlight," she said, "you're right. It is a big deal for you. But that doesn't change the fact that Auntie Twily did what had to be done to save Equestria."

Sunlight buried her small face in Flurry's flank and continued weeping. She loved her mother so much. She just couldn't comprehend her being so harsh, especially to her own daughter. Her weeping intensified and Flurry did what she could to comfort her. She was worried that Sunlight would begin causing herself harm if she continued.

"Sunlight, you have to calm down! Please! You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep carrying on like this."

"I don't care!" A distraught Sunlight wailed, "I want my sister back!"

"I know, but that just can't be done. I have yet to hear of a magic powerful enough to raise the dead. I'm sorry, but…it's just the way it has to be."

Sunlight turned and looked into her older cousin's kind face. She had always wanted a sister, and Flurry was almost like that. After all, when Flurry visited, the two of them never went anywhere without each other. Whether it was the store, the school, the castle, you name it, they did it together.

"Flurry?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I…could I consider you my big sister?"

Flurry chuckled, "if you want. We are kind of like sisters, aren't we?"

Sunlight beamed. She threw her forelegs around her cousin in an embrace born of warmth and love. "Thank you…big sister," she said.

"You're welcome…little sister," Flurry replied, going along with Sunlight. "So, Sunlight, what do you wanna do now?"

"Let's go out by the forest and see if we can spy any quail! I hear there's one or two nests back there."

"Alright, let's do it."

So the two fillies, happy in their newfound, albeit fake sisterhood, trotted towards the back of the castle grounds. The cool green grass of spring spoke of the new life that Equestria had been experiencing over the past two years, and it felt good under their hooves. "Ah," Flurry said, "I just love new grass, don't you?" Sunlight nodded as they walked along, but remained silent. Flurry noticed her eyes darting this way and that. She's looking for those quail nests, she told herself.

Suddenly, Flurry stopped as they emerged from the grassy field and found themselves on the dirt path that led through The Everfree Forest. Sunlight knew better than to go in there, so she turned and made her way along the edge. Then, she stopped again. Flurry, not paying attention to where she was going, ran into her rump.

"Sorry, Sunlight," she said, "are you alright?"

Sunlight didn't respond, but stood there with her mouth open. She bent down and picked up a small piece of paper sitting next to some hoof tracks. Flurry came up beside her and they both peered down at it. "What do you think it is?" Sunlight asked. "I haven't the foggiest idea," Flurry responded. Sunlight quietly used her magic to open it and they scanned through it.

"It's all the names of Mommy's friends!" Sunlight exclaimed

"Yeah, but there's bit totals across from them. Look. 'Applejack….40,000 bits. Rainbow Dash…50,000 bits.'"

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know, but we'd better show this to Auntie Twily right away. Look! She has the highest bit total of all!"

Sunlight's mouth dropped open even wider than before. Her mother was valued on the paper at 50 million bits. She didn't know what the paper meant, but she was definitely worried. She and Flurry turned and began racing back to the castle, determined to show the paper to Twilight and solve this mystery.