Mozart laughed mockingly as he flew in the air above his sister, Color Palette. She scowled in annoyance.

“Face it, Colly. You will never match me! I can fly!”

“You wanna bet, Moz? I got magic, I could easily grab your tail with it to stop you from going anywhere.” She continued to frown as Mozart’s grin widened with his immediate response.

“You’ll have to catch me first!”

And before Color could speak, he was gone. She groaned, starting to gallop down the hallway. She hated tag. But Mozart loved it. But what was even better…Hide and Seek. Color Palette had no idea Mozart was thinking about the game as he dashed through the halls.

There was a door on the ceiling which he greeted with a grin. The attic. If he was quiet, she would just waltz past like a baby foal—clueless. He pulled down the unneeded ladder and bolted upwards, thanks to his wings. Color Palette trotted impatiently down the halls and began to yell for her brother. Mozart snickered when he heard her in the distance, a couple halls down.

He let out a breath, looking around the room. Most things occupying the space seemed like junk or garbage, so he paid no mind to what he threw around.

Until he saw…writing?

His mother had supposedly loved to paint, and having seen so many of her pictures, he recognized her signature. So it caught his eye when he saw her name on a small box reading: “To My Family – Paint Swirl”. Mozart was frozen and didn’t hear his sister end up in the hall he was above.

Color Palette’s brow furrowed in annoyance. She took in another breath to yell for him until she heard a thump. It was soft and gentle. She wouldn’t have heard it if she wasn’t listening carefully for her brother. She looked up and saw the attic door. She rolled her eyes, bringing the ladder down with her magic, She struggled getting up, falling onto the attic floor when she arrived.

“You know, you’re not good at hiding. Or listening! I searched the entire house! You completely ditched me, you-”

She paused, looking at her brother with sudden concern. He was shaking.

“M-Mozzy?” She spoke softly. Her voice was something her father often said was similar to her mother’s when she was worried or wanted to help someone.

“L-letters….” Mozart stuttered, his breath heavy.

“What?” Color questioned, resting a hoof on his back. He looked up at her with the sudden touch, looking both horrified and depressed.

“I think….these are letters…for us.”

*****

Roy stared at the box before him, a sharp pain of unknowing in his chest. Feather sat close behind him, her hoof cradled comfortingly on his back. He inhaled shakily as he lifted the letter with his name up to his face. Feather pulled his shoulder back so he could see her face.

“I can read it for you, Roy. I understand if it’s too hard and you can’t-”

“No.” He replied firmly, the sadness clear in this voice. “I need to do this.” Unfolding the letter, he began to read aloud.

“Hello, Roy,

I know that when you’re reading this….I have passed away. But I needed to tell you just how much I love you. You are my best friend. My partner. My love. Please don’t blame yourself, sweetie. I chose to pick our children’s lives over my own. And as I am writing this, I do not regret it. I do wish that I could be there….watching our children grow and live happy lives. But I believe in you, Roy. You can stay strong. For them. For me. I know it’ll be hard without me there….but in my memory, please, tell them about their mother. Please don’t let my children forget me, darling. I want them to accept my death and move on. I want that for you too. I want you to be happy. I want them to be happy. You know that we have friends and family that we be there and that can help, Roy. Don’t shut them out, please. I know it’ll be hard. And….I’m so sorry that I had to leave. But it’s a must, my love. For our lovely twins. They will grow up to be amazing ponies. Because they have your heart, Roy. Please, don’t lose that. Don’t lose sight of who you are. Continue to love, Roy. I love you.”

Roy dropped the parchment and his breathing heaved. His backside began to shake with loss and shock. His tears fell like rivers, bright and filled with pain. His large sapphire blue eyes looked to Feather with sadness.

She glanced down at her letter, her own eyes gleaming. She felt her heart beat faster at the recognition of Paint’s writing. Not now. She would read hers later. She met her gaze to Amethyst and Airbrush.

Amethyst gulped, unsure and hesitant. She was the oldest and thus had a responsibility to uphold but….she couldn’t. She had to do it on her own time. Amethyst felt the burn in her throat as she resisted the urge to cry. She reached over to Airbrush, lying a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. At the action, tears fell from the pegasus as her voice quivered.

“I…I can’t.”

“It’s okay, honey.” Roy spoke softly with a smile, tears still streaming down his face. “This is something we all have to do for ourselves and come to peace with…with your mother. But…we’re family. And we’ll be here for each other through this. But you can all do it on your own time if that’s what you prefer.”

The twins, Mozart and Color Palette had been sitting quietly the entire time. They felt so…out of place. They never met their mother. They didn’t know what she was like. Sure, they were told stories but…there was always this internal sense of guilt. Would their family be happier if they didn’t make it but Paint Swirl was still alive? They never doubted their family loving them. But they couldn’t help but feel like this was their fault. They sighed, glancing at each other and agreeing to read their letter together.

“Hello, my little darlings,

Oh my twins. I wish I was there to hug you and see your faces. Sadly….I’m not there, I know. I wish for so many things that will never happen. But…I do have a request for you two. Live. Be happy. Grow. Love, learn, live your life! Please don’t waste a second of it being scared or filled with sadness. It’s okay to be sad and it’s okay to cry, just don’t let it overcome you, my children. And please, never blame yourself for what I chose. I would sacrifice anything for you. My life over and over again. Because you two are worth that and so much more! You both have pieces of me in you! I will be by your side through everything difficult in life. Not physically, but by memory. And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that’s me, loving you and loving being you. Because you’re going to be something extraordinary. Take care of them, Mozart and Color. I love you.”

And they cried. They all cried. But they stayed by each other’s sides, comforting one another and through the letters, there was a sense of…fulfillment. Perhaps they could move on. Keep Paint in their memory…but move on and be…happy. They could be happy. Finally.