It all started on this one faithless day. The day that Sapphire Jewel became Sapphire Ruby and her life changed forever.
Sapphire Jewel and her sister, Ruby Jewel, had been on their way to school when a pegasus caught up with the unicorn sisters. She brought with her grave news. Grave indeed ,it was, for their patends had been killed by a fire that had started a few minutes they had raced out of the house to get to school. Everypony thought that it was a fast-spreading cooking fire. Sapphire and Ruby both came to tears at the news of their parents.
"I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you. You're parents were such good ponies. I have an idea." The Pegasus said. "How about I get you two something to make you feel better, okay?" She asked.
Sapphire nodded at the pegasus. "O-okay..." sapphire swallowed painfully. She pulled her sister close to herself and sniffled. She had closed her eyes, but opened them again at her little sister's voice.
"A-are they really gone?" Ruby asked. She was just a little red unicorn filly of nine with a magenta mane and eyes to match Rainbow Dash's.
"THere's... only one way to know..." Sapphire said. She was about twelve years old. She was a teal unicorn with a light and dark blue mane and light blue eyes. SHe stood up from her sitting position and looked to her sister. She picked her up with her magic and placed her on top of her back, over her saddle bags.
Ruby wiped an eye as she sat on her sist'er back, watching as they neared a cloud of black smoke that was further downtown. "I-I don't want to..." Ruby said, knowing that it was true as her heart beat furtiously from pain. Sapphire could feel her heart beating hard as Ruby wrapped her legs around her chest and neck lightly.
Sapphire stopped, she knew it was true too. She turned away from their once beautiful house as a tear fell from her cheek. She placed her hoofs firmly on the ground and took a deep breath. It is my turn now to take charge. I must protect my sister at all costs. But I... I need their help... I can't do this alone... SHe thought and fell to her knees, crying.
Sapphire and Ruby made it to the Ponyville schoolyard and found that they had about three minutes left. Sapphire opened the door to the school and noticed the same pegasus from earlier talking to Cheerilee. She let Ruby in before she moved to her own desk. She watched Ruby take her seat and looked to Cheerilee came up to them. She held sadness and a look of sympathy in her eyes.
Cheerilee looked to the teal unicorn with a saddened look. "I am so sorry for your girls's loss." She said.
"Don't be... It wasn't your fault..." Sapphire said, looking down to her desk. A tear ran down her face as she looked to her own flank. It was still blank, much like Applejack's. That is why she hung out with her, because everypony always made fun of her for not having her cutie mark yet at her age. But this day was different. Nopony made fun of her, nor did they look at her. They all heard the story from the pegasus and couldn't bring themselves to apologize or even talk to her. All except one.
Applejack moved to the two and stood next to Cheerilee. "Ah'm mighty sorry fer what's happened... Ah know how it feels... Ma dad, he was killed by a flling tree, and my mom died of depression. She got sick and didn't live through it." Applejack said, as if it hardly phased her, except for the look on her face.
Sapphire was about to say something comforting when Applejack looked up and smiled. "But that was a long time ago. We should do somethin' after school ta make ya feel better." She said, then hugged Sapphire.
Sapphire felt like crying when Applejack hugged her. She didn't want to look like a weakling in front of her whole class though, so she kept her stoic expression. "Sounds fun. I guess we could do that... After school..." She said, her voice slightly quavering. She tooka breath and listened to the morning bell ringing.
"You sure you'll be okay, Sapphire?" Cheerilee asked, then looked to Ruby. "Ruby?" She asked.
"Yes, I'll be fine. We'll be fine." Both of them answered at the same time.
"Okay. Well, Fillies and colts, let's get this lesson on the road, shall we?" Cheerilee asked. She went to the front of the classroom and started her lesson.
"Thanks, Applejack." Sapphire said, nuzzling her friend as she finished the hug.
"Aw, there ain't no need fer that, besides, ah owe ya fer that one time, remember?" Applejack said.
"Yeah..." Sapphire said. She looked to Ruby, who was staring at the front of the classroom and was listening to the newest lesson of the week. She looked back to Applejack, who took her seat in front of Sapphire and smiled before she looked to the board as el. Sapphire follwed example, but her thoughts were too scrambled and unorganized for her to pay attention.
After school got out, Sapphire and Ruby waited for everypony to leave. Ruby looked up to her sister. "So... Where are we going to live?" She asked.
"I already figured that you would have asked that. We are going to live in the windmill near the town hall. It's the only place that we can go. I don't want to have to live with anypony else because Idon't want to get attatched to anypony again." Sapphire said, then looked to Ruby. "Except for you. I know you aren't going anywhere." She said, smiling. She hugged her sister and looked up to the windmill, as they had reached it by the time that she finished her sentence.
Ruby smiled and nuzzled into her sister's chest as she was hugged. "I don't care, as long as I am living with you." She said, then looked to the windmill. "So, are we going to make a house atta this or not?" She asked, bouncing up and down, then opening the door. School had taken her mind off of her parents for now. And that she used to play in the windmill with her sister all the time.
Sapphire couldn't help but giggle at her sister's optimism in the situation. She was about to move inside the house when she was stopped by the pegasus from that morning.
"Hey! Sapphire!" THe pegasus yelled out, flying in her direction. She landed next to her and started. "I said that I was going to get you something to make you feel better, so I did. I brought you... These." She said, taking out a couple of covered cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner. "I hope you feel better after these." She said, handing the cupcakes over to Sapphire, who magicked them up and put them in her saddlebags. She had to fit them in with her book that was in her bag. It was rather large and took up most of the space in one side. The other was full of her homework and ssignments.
"Thank you , Daisy." Sapphire said, then hugged the pegasus that had been so nice to her throug the day.
"You're welcome. If you ever need me, just ask, okay?" Daisy said, hugging Sapphire back. She put her hoof down on the ground, but found that Sapphire held her tighter. "Um... I just can't stay now... My cousin needs me, she is sick. Besides, she might end up knocking over her food table that I set up next to her bed." Daisy said, getting Sapphire to release her.
"Promise?" Sapphire asked.
"Yes, I promise." Daisy said, reverting to the topic before.
"Okay, well, I'll see you around sometime then." Sapphire said.
"Yeah, see ya then." Daisy said. She opened her wings and remembered something. "Oh, and there was a storm pscheduled for today. It had to be today or the clouds would start to storm on their own and end up destroying things. Hope you're ready." She finished, worry showing on her face. She flew off before Sapphire could ask.
Sapphire sighed and looked to the door, which was open. "Ruby, I'll be right back, okay?" She asked.
"Okay, I'll be right here." Ruby said, running up and down the stairs.
Sapphire walked to Sweet Apple Acres and knocked on the doors. "Applejack? Big Mac?" She called.
Applejack answered the dor and saw her friend. "Hey sapphy, where's Ruby?" She asked.
"She's still in the windmill. She's having fun. Anyway, the reason that I am here is because we need a pillow and a blanket or two to keep warm." Sapphire said.
"Who is it, Applejack?" Big Mac asked.
"It's just Sapphire. IT ain't Carrot Top or nothin'." Applejack answered. "Anyway, ah have a couple of blankets and pillows ta spare. Just give me a minute and ah'll be right back with 'em." She said, then left up the stairs. She ecame back after bout a minute and a half. with two blankets and two pillows. "This okay?" She asked.
"Perfect. Thank you, you're suc a good friend." Sapphire said. Shse magicked up the pillws and blankets. "I'll come back if I need anything else. And sorry for the trouble." Sapphire said.
"No problem. Come back any time if ya wanna ask somethin' or ya need anything, kay?" Applejack asked.
"Will do. Thanks." Sapphire said, then made her way back to the windmill.
Ruby saw her sister coming up with the blankets and smiled. As Sapphire came in, she looked out the window to the town mayor. "Sapphire, the mayor wanted to talk to you. She said that it was something important and that you were the older one so she would talk to you. I don't see why nopony ever talks to the younger one." She complained. She plopped herself on the ground and looked up to her sister when she heard her beautiful soft voice switched with a playful and roughish voice.
"Hey, think fast!" Sapphire called, hucking the pillows and blankets at Ruby, toppling her sister with the soft materials. She let out a laugh, then went out to meet with the mayor. "Yes?" She asked, standing in front of her.
THe mayor looked to Sapphire with a saddened look. "To start off, I am so sorry for you. It was such a terrible time to have them pass on. I can only imagine the pain you are in and what you must be going through. YOu know the storm tonight?" The mayor asked, getting to the point now. "Well, I can only let you take shelter in the windmill for tonight. We can't have ponies living in there. It's bad for our reputation, I am sorry. You will have to find someplace else to look. That is all. I wish you the best of luck." she said, nodding towards Sapphire. She then went off to do her work at the town hall.
Sapphire had been holding her breath when the mayor had been talking. She felt dizzy and almost forgot tobreath. She took a shaky breath and a few tears threatened her eyes. "Why? Why are we being denied two homes in one day?" She mumbled to herself and felt like crying. She wiped the tears away and looked inside the windmill and sniffled. She tooka deep breath and walked in the door. "There's going to be a storm tonight... You'd better be ready." She said to Ruby.
"A s-storm!? I-I hate storms..." Ruby whimpered. She put her hoofs on top of her head and seemed to shiver like Fluttershy would.
"I know, I hate them too." Sapphire said. "But I have grown used to them, as they are necessarty for maintaining the weather." She finished.
"I know..." Ruby sighed. "I just wish that they weren't..." She complained.
"Same here." Sapphire said abruptly. She set the blankets up in a mini bed and laid down in the blankets. She megicked out the book she had and began to read.
They sky was now dark and Sapphire required a candle to read. Ruby had tried a few glances, but every time she did, Sapphie would snap the book shut, even if she tried from behind. Sapphire finished her sentence when the first boom of thunder came after the flash of lightning. They both jumped and the book nearly flew out of Sapphire's hoofs.
Ruby was hiding under the blanket and shaking violently in fear. "Saph, I'm scared..." Ruby said.
"It'll be okay, Ruby. Nothing is going to happen." Sapphire assured her, still reading the book.
"What are you reading?" Ruby said, pausing as another flash of lightning was accompanied by another loud crash of thunder. "And why won't you let me see it?" She asked.
"I am not telling you because you aren't allowed to. I checked this book out for a reason..." Sapphire stopped and listend to another defening roar. "Okay, maybe I took it from father's library. But I am happt that I did when I did..." Sapphire said, her heart lurching at the thought of their father.
"Ruby sighed and laid on her side under the covers, cuddling close to her sister. "Well, I am going to sleep now..." She said in a quavering voice.
"Okay, you have fun with that." Sapphire said, still reading the book. After another five minutes, she was repeatingsomething over and over. Her horn was lit up, but nothing was happening. She sighed and she put the book down. The rain outside was horrible with the winds and lightning. Sapphire had just closed her eyes when a lightning bold struck at the base of the mindmill. The windmill quickly caught on fire and started it's way up quickly.
Sapphire jumped as she felt the bolt shake her insides. Her vision was blurred from the vibrations of the bolt. Ruby had woken up, but she was just as dazed as Sapphire. Sapphire's focuscame back and she immediately recognized the fire. She quickly magicked up her book in a panic and put it in her saddlebags. The wooden widmill had started to cave in and she barely dodged a falling chunk of wood by jumping out the window, shattering it all over the wet ground. Her mind was now in a panic mode and quickly thought of ways to put the fire out, then she remembered her sister in a flash of fire. The flames licked out towards her and she had to shield herself from it. She ran to the other window as the one she was at was blocked. She looked inside and saw her sister. She was traped by the fire. By now, there was a growing crowd of panicking ponies. Ruby's screams could be heard from inside the windmill.
"SAPPHIRE! WHERE ARE YOU!? HELP!" Ruby Screamed for her sister as she was blinded by the smoke. She started to cough and wheeze as she was breathing in the smoke. She lowered herself below the smoke so that she could see.
Sapphire found her sister through the smoke. She kicked the window in. "Ruby! Over here!" She called over the roar of the flames.
Ruby started to make her way to the window when a rafter fell from above and hit another burning piece of wood and smaked into her back. She fell to the ground and her fur caugt on fire. She screamed through the pain of the flames licking at her skin. She got up slowly and painfully as her skin started to melt off of her back and her legs. Her whole body started to catch fire as she was surrounded by the fire. She limped towards the pindow, putting her hof up on the window It was burnd and her skin had melted away, leaving only her burning muscle. Her screams could be heard from the other side of the town now.
Sapphire couldn't bare it any longer. "I am sorry sis." She said with tears in her eyes. Her horn lit up with a black and evil light. She started to mutter something, then got closer to her sister. "Althought the parting hurts, we shall always be together. I shall see you again, sis." She said. She began to finish her spell. "From your death, I gain much, from the power to the knowledge. You shall be part of me in your eternal hell." Sapphire said in a weak and sobbing voice. She pulled her sister up and tapped their horns together. There was a dark flash and the magic began to attack Ruby. her eyes melted and began to bleed down her body, followed by her remaining fleash and musle. Her organs spilled out as bloodb oand her body began to melt. When noting but bones were present, her body began to sompletely disappear and turn to dust. The last noise she ever made was the loudest scream of pain, terror, and all her last emotion let out into the air, then silence as the fire started to go out. Ruby's blood and dust all turned to dark magic, then entered Sapphire's chest violently. Sapphire felt a thrust in her chest, then nothing. She began to cry and fell to her knees in the icy rain. She ignored the fact that the ponies started to gather around her and murmered to themselves. the only audible thing to her were here sobs.