A Secret of Friendship

Chapter 1

Well?" Echoed Spark yelled, stamping his hoof on the stone floor of the cave, "Is there anything else you've hidden from us over the years? Anything else you've lied about?"

Eclipse crouched on the ground, nervously looking back and forth between the two stallions. The blue-gray batpony's ears were more sensitive than her brother's, and she hated how loud he and their father, Storm, were yelling. She was used to Echoed being rather temperamental, but it had never gotten this bad before.

Eclipse silently crept away from the conflict before she could get dragged into it. Her leaving the cave didn't go unnoticed however, as her grandmother, Swift Smoke, came up behind her.

"Is everything alright, Eclipse?" The dark gray batpony asked calmly. She always had a way of knowing when something was bothering Eclipse.

The younger mare rolled her green eyes and let out a long sigh. "Why do you always do that thing where you clearly know something's wrong, and yet you leave it up to me to say it?" Swift Smoke said nothing, but cast a knowing glance at Eclipse, making it clear she wasn't willing to change the subject. "Alright, fine. Daddy and Echoed are arguing and it's scaring me."

"Oh? And what are they arguing about?" Eclipse knew full well her grandmother could hear the argument clear as day, but played along anyway. This was Swift Smoke's strategy to get Eclipse to be open about her fears.

"It's about something Daddy hid from us. Something abo-" Eclipse was cut off by Echoed Spark trotting over to her, resting his hoof on her shoulder. 

He sighed and turned to face Swift Smoke. "Sorry to interrupt, but, Eclipse and I need to talk... alone." Their grandmother calmly nodded in understanding, and left the two siblings alone to talk. 

Echoed led his younger sister out of the cave, continuing to walk further and further until he was sure they were out of earshot. He turned and looked Eclipse straight in the eyes, casting her the same look he had every time he'd made a decision he could not be persuaded out of. Eclipse knew that there was no turning back from what Echoed had chosen.

"We're leaving." 

"What?! Why?" Eclipse took a step back, completely taken aback by what she just heard. "We can't leave! This is our home! We've been here our whole lives!"

"And somehow, father lying to us about our mother is okay??" Echoed retorted. "I don't think you understand, Eclipse. She's an alicorn, and they're immortal, which means she's still out there somewhere, and he kept that from us! He kept that from us for fifteen years, Eclipse! Do you really believe I'm just going to be cool with that?"

Eclipse flinched, startled by her brother's outburst, especially seeing that a magical aura was flickering around his horn. Taking a deep breath, she collected herself, and chose her words carefully, knowing she was on thin ice with the gray unicorn's current state.

"No, you're right. It's not okay that Daddy lied to us, but," Eclipse paused, looking deep into her brother's eyes, "is that really worth running away over? We don't know what's out there, and the only times I've been away from the territory are when Void was with me. Can we at least find him first, I'm supposed to be meeting with him later anyway."

Echoed Spark hesitated, but saw no reason against stopping by Eclipse's coltfriend's house. He knew Void would go looking for them anyway if he showed up to find Eclipse and Echoed missing. It would be easier to just go straight to him, and see what happens from there. Letting out a small sigh, he reluctantly nodded.

"Fine," the unicorn stallion said, "Do you know how to get to his place from here?" 

Eclipse nodded, flashing him a small smile that quickly faded once she realized this meant she was agreeing to leave. She looked back at the cave, her mane blowing around in the snowy wind. 

"Eclipse?" Echoed called. Eclipse turned back to see that her brother had walked a few paces already. She hurried to catch up with him, and they continued walking further and further from the only place they knew as home, starting the journey to Void's house, and potentially beyond...