>As always, it was dark in Luna’s bedroom
>Which was only what made sense; seeing as the room was located in the basement, there wasn’t much of a way for any natural light to filter in, and Luna felt that too much bulb illumination hurt her eyes
>Luna herself sat in the room’s corner, wrapped in a thick wool quilt and nestled in a mound of pillows
>Down here, away from the rest of the house, it got cold
>Real “see your breath” cold, in the dead of winter
>She read by the grayish light of the room’s TV set, which was muted and displayed only a noise pattern
>Luna’s mother often complained that her daughter would go blind one day, from reading this, and Luna had simply replied that, if that were the case, she’d learn to read brail
>Eventually, Luna found herself reading the same sentence over and over, not really processing any of it
>Focusing on the book had proved impossible, so Luna shut it and plopped it onto the floor next to her bed/pillow-throne, where it joined the dozens of books piled in circles around her, all of whom were simply dwarfed by the overflowing shelves that lined the rooms
>Aside from the TV, a basic dresser, and pillows (if pillows can be considered furniture), Luna’s bedroom contained no furniture aside from roughshod bookcases, each of which sagged under the weight of the volumes that had been stuffed into them over the years
>If you were to glance in Luna’s bedroom, you’d get the impression you were looking in the room of someone who did little else besides lounge in the corner by themselves, reading weird, postmodern shit
>And, well, you’d be right
>Luna rolled off the pile of pillows, staying wrapped in her blanket as she crawled across the floor like a worm
>She pulled open the bottom drawer of her dresser, and rooted through some folded socks and faded jeans until her hand touched the metal locket that lay beneath some mundanely concealing clothes
>In the dim light cast by the flickering television set, she opened the locket and admired the picture it contained
>There, between two semi-circles of false gold, a faded photo of her older sister smiled back at her
>Luna held the locket against her chest as she sank back into the pillows, heaping them atop herself to shut out the brittle cold

>”Lulu?”
>Luna’s mother rapped on the door, stirring her out of the half-sleep she had fallen into
“Hm?”
>Luna’s shivering made her voice shaky as she answered
“What is it?”
>Her mother opened the door, peaking her weary head inside
>”Celly’s getting here at ten tomorrow.  Make sure you get to sleep soon, okay?  I want you awake to meet her.”
“Of course I’m going to be awake,” Luna said, her voice taking on the condescending bite it so often did lately
>Seriously, did her mom honestly think she would miss being there to greet Celestia?
>She’d planned to wake up an hour early, just to make sure everything would be perfect; she had plans, after all
>”Well, you should probably go to bed now.  It’s late.”
>Luna rolled her eyes; who seriously considered eleven o’clock late?
“I will.  Soon.”
>Her mother nodded, glancing around the room
>”Are you *sure* you don’t want us to get you a bed?”
“I prefer to sleep like this,” Luna replied, gesturing to the nest of soft objects that surrounded her
>”Okay.  Remember, ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll remember,” Luna said, her voice as stilted and verbose as ever, but still soaked with teenage disappointment
>She meant it, though
>There was no way she’d allow herself to sleep through tomorrow morning; it would be her first time seeing her sister’s face in almost six months, and Luna had been dreaming about their reunion daily

>To say she loved Celestia would be an understatement
>As a child, Luna had practically worshipped her older sister
>Celestia was one of those people who seemed to brighten you with her very presence
>For her, everything came easily: athletics, making friends, school, relationships with boys…
>She could do anything, but that in itself wasn’t all that special
>Luna had seen plenty of people who “could do anything;” it really wasn’t that rare of a gift
>What made Celestia so special was that she made you feel like *you* were the one who could do anything, and her smile made you feel like the single most important human being on the face of the earth
>And for awkward, plain, reclusive little Luna, the girl who talked funny and the other kids avoided, that smile had been life-support
>It was the kind of thing she’d never been able to explain to anyone, not even Celestia itself

***(Eight Years Ago)***

“I am not going to go,” Luna said, curling into a ball in the back seat
>The family had pulled into Canterlot Elementary’s parking lot, and their car idled in the drop-off lane while other kids mozied toward the building’s entrance
>Her mother sighed, clearly exhausted
>”Do you have to do this every year?” she asked
“There isn’t any reason for me to go.  Nobody here likes me.”
>”Sure they do.”
“No, they don’t.  I’ve heard the way they talk about me.  Even Celly has.”
>Luna’s mother looked towards Celestia, who sat next to her up front
>Celestia sighed, brushing her shimmering hair over her shoulder
>”They’re really not very nice to her.”
>”Well, if you have to, talk to someone.  Tell the principle.  Tell your teacher.  Tell me.  But you’re going.”
“I am not,” Luna said, crossing her arms
>Her mother looked angry enough to drag Luna out of the car if she had to, and opened her mouth to shout something
>However, Celestia unbuckled herself and reached into the back seat, placing her hand on Luna’s knee
>”Hey.  Look at me, okay?”
>Luna lifted her head, finding her sister smiling at her
>Something inside of the young girl gave way, and a gentle warmth flooded into her
>”I know… I know it’s hard.  But I promise, there are kids in your class who’ll like you.”
>Luna shook her head
“There’s none.  All of them hate me.  Nobody talked to me all last year, unless they had to.”
>Celestia winced
>”Lulu… I’m so sorry.  But please, don’t give up, okay?”
>Celestia reached a little further, and gave her sister’s shoulder a squeeze
>”You’re a really great kid.  And I bet there’s someone in your class who deserves a friend like you.”
“I don’t think so…”
>”Well, will you try to find them, at least?  For me?” Celestia asked, a faint glimmer of hope touching her eyes
>Luna could never have said no to that smile
“I can try.”
>”Thanks, Lulu.”

>Together, both sisters got out of the car and made their way towards the main entrance
>Luna’s fingers twitched; in the past, she’d held Celestia’s hand when the two walked into school
>But she was old enough now to realize how badly that would embarrass her sister
>After all, Celestia was in the eighth grade now, way too old to be seen holding hands with a little second-grader
>But her older sister must have noticed Luna’s nervousness, because Celestia took hold of Luna’s hand without needing to be asked, and gave it a gentle squeeze
>”Lulu?”
“Y-yeah?”
>Luna looked up at her sister’s radiant face, feeling slightly breathless
>”I want you to remember something, okay?”
“What is it?”
>At the front door, Celestia knelt down, getting on eye-level with her younger sister
>”You’re a wonderful, sweet, clever girl, and I love you.  Eventually, someone else is gonna see that too.  But for now, just remember that I think you’re the best, okay?”
“Right!”
>Luna threw her arms around Celestia, trying not to cry
“I won’t forget.  I promise, I promise.”
>”Good,” Celestia whispered, pleased
>She placed a quick kiss on Luna’s forehead, then walked her the rest of the way to her classroom, holding her sister’s hand the entire way

>Of course, making friends was not as easy as “just believe you’re a good person”
>Even as a seven-year-old, Luna understood that
>But she kept her promise; never in her life did she forget what her sister said to her, in that brief hug at the school doors
>She wrapped the words together in a bundle, holding them like a warm lantern against her chest
>And in the years that would follow, there were many times when Celestia’s love was all Luna had to guide her

***(Five Years Ago)***

>”Happy Birthday, Lulu!” the cake read in flowing, blue-icing script
>It was a gorgeous cake; too gorgeous, to the point where it was clearly store-bought
>Luna sighed
>A pile of wrapped presents sat next to the cake; judging by the shapes, they were all either books, Lego sets, or comfy sweaters
>Both of which were things Luna loved, but she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed she’d be enjoying them alone
>Her parents had apologized up and down, and promised she’d have a real party soon
>And Luna had accepted their apology; they both worked as lawyers, and the demands of work were constant and hellish, yet they put up with all the late-night calls and endless meetings, all to provide a good life for their daughters
>And Celestia had received an invitation to a party at the Blueblood estate, the kind of invitation you couldn’t refuse, lest you commit utter social suicide
>So, Luna was alone on her birthday
>It wasn’t anyone’s fault, and she wasn’t angry with anyone for leaving her here
>But that didn’t make the empty kitchen any less lonely
>Her mom had left her a packet of candles, but Luna didn’t think there was much point in putting them in
>Luna opened the cake box, hoping some sweets would improve her mood, when she heard footsteps at the backdoor
>She twisted around just in time to see Celestia step inside, brushing snow from her jacket as the kicked off her shows
“Celly?”
>”Hey, Lulu!  Sorry I’m late!”
>Celestia crossed over to Luna and patted her on the head
>”Happy birthday!”
“T-Thanks!  Were you not, um… going to Blueblood’s?”
>”I did.  I spent thirty minutes there, just long enough to say I came.  Then I left.”
“You left a Blueblood party?” Luna said, incredulous.  “What did you tell them?”
>”That it’s my little sister’s birthday!  What do you think I’d tell them?”
“Well I… I didn’t think I was important enough to…”
>”Not important?  Lulu, c’mon.”
>Celestia didn’t bother with a chair; she just sat on the table, facing Luna and chuckling at her sister’s awkwardness
>”I could never choose a pompous airhead like Blueblood over my favorite sister!  I’ve only been home for forty-five seconds, and this is already *way* better than that drag of a party.”
>Luna could feel a smile creeping into her own face as it dawned on her that her and Celestia would spend her birthday together
>She started plunking candles into the cake; it just felt right to have some
>Celestia turned off the lights before lighting the candles, and their flickering light caught in her hair, coloring the sparkling stripes of green, blue, and pink with little flecks of brilliant gold
>Luna found herself unable to look away, captivated by how simply gorgeous her sister was
>”Lulu?  Earth to Lulu?”
“Huh?  Yes!  Yes, what is it?”
>Luna shook her head, flustered, and forced herself to stop staring
>”I got you something.  I know it’s not much, but I think you’ll like it.”
>She handed Luna a package, wrapped somewhat clumsily in blue paper with tiny crescent moons on it
>Luna smiled; apparently, wrapping presents wasn’t one of the seemingly infinite things her sister was naturally good at
>Her fingers shook somewhat as she pried the paper off, revealing a small, leatherbound journal and a ballpoint pen
“Whoa…”
>”I’ve seen some of the stuff you write.  Thought you might like something better to store your work in.”
“Y-you saw my writing?’
>”Only a little,” Celestia said with a wink.  “A lot of it’s really good!”
>“I disagree.  That poem you wrote about the lonely bride who marries the sun?  I almost cried!”
“Y-you read that one!?”
>Luna hoped that the candlelight hid how hard she was blushing
>That poem had been somewhat blatantly about her sister
>”Sure did.  Why’d you throw it away?”
“It… it was not as good as I hoped.”
>”Aww.  You gotta save more of your work, even if it’s not perfect!  I thought it was really sweet.”
“Thank you… you too.”
>”Me too?”
“Ah!  I meant to say you too… meaning you are sweet as well… for complimenting my writing…”
>Luna trailed off, collapsing into an embarrassed little mess
>Celestia just laughed
>”Aww, thank you, Lulu.  Now let’s dig into this cake!  All I had were some hours d’ouevres that tasted like cardboard.”

>That evening was everything Luna could have asked for
>The two sisters ate healthy portions of cake (specifically Celestia; an uncontrollable sweet tooth was one of the few flaws that could be ascribed to her), then spent hours just lounging on the couch, complaining about how full they were while watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Luna’s favorite show at the time
>Eventually, with a little bit of puppy-dog eyes, she even convinced Celestia to play a few rounds of GoldenEye co-op with her
>The two’s parents didn’t return until well past one in the morning and, when they did, they found both sisters passed out together on the couch, with Luna wrapped in her older sister’s arms

***(Four Years Ago)***

>May hung soggy and gray around Luna, and sodden brown leaves stuck to her shoes as she walked back home
>Nobody was home, as usual; Celestia was probably still practicing with her debate team, and her parents will still at work
>So Luna discarded her backpack and shoes by the door and tramped downstairs to collapse into her pillow-pile
>A stack of unread Dragonlance novels lay near her right hand, but she couldn’t muster the motivation to read
>Luna stared at the ceiling and tried to nap
>That didn’t go particularly well either

>”Lulu?  You in there?”
>A few hours later, she heard Celestia’s voice outside her door
“Of course.  Where else would I be?”
>”Very funny,” her sister said sarcastically.  “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
>Luna glanced around, feeling slightly embarrassed at how much of a disaster she’d allowed her room to become
>Dirty clothes, books, old homework, and piles of balled-up paper were littered across the floor, to the point that the carpet shone through the garbage only in rare, island-like patches
>Compared to Celestia, who was now weeks away from graduating high school, and had come into her own as a gorgeous, mature—
>Luna forcibly cut herself off, scooting aside on the pile of pillows so there would be room for her sister to sit next to her
>Celestia took awkward hops from one patch of floor to another, trying to avoid stepping on any of Luna’s stuff, and settled in next to her sister
>There wasn’t exactly a ton of space on the tiny mound of pillows, so they ended up sitting with their shoulders pressed together, both sisters staring at the floor
>”So…”
“Did I do something wrong?  I’m sorry,” Luna said, interrupting her sister
>That got a chuckle out of Celestia
>”No, no.  I’m worried about you, Lulu.”
“About me?  Why?”
>”I feel like I don’t see you anymore.  You’re always shut up down here.  And you seem… upset.”
>Celestia wrapped an arm around Luna’s skinny shoulders, pulling her sister against her side
>Luna’s head came to rest against Celestia’s chest, finding it warm and smelling of vaguely of sunflowers
>She closed her eyes, trying to etch that sensation permanently into her memory
“I have had some things on my mind,” Luna said plainly
>”Like what?”
>Luna couldn’t bring herself to tell her sister the truth
>How could she?
>Every day, the realization that her sister would soon be moving out soon hung a little heavier over her, and she worried that it soon would be the only thing she could think of
“Just… normal things.  School things.”
>”Aw.  I’m sorry, Lulu.”
“Do’t be!” Luna said, perhaps a bit too loudly
>She could feel a blush rising into her cheeks, and turned to bury her face against Celestia’s chest
“Please do not feel bad for me.  It’s not your fault.”
>”I know, but… you deserve better friends.”
“I don’t want friends,” Luna whispered.  “I want you.”
>”What’s that?”
“Nothing.  I apologize, sister.  I’m… in a mood.”
>Again, Celestia gave that silver-bell laugh
>”Well, I’m glad you’re honest about it.”
>She went silent for a moment, thinking
>”I have an idea!  Let’s visit Charles.”
>That certainly got Luna to perk up
“Could we?  The zoo is probably closed by—“
>”They’ll let us in.  Mrs. Shy can’t say no to me, right?” Celestia said with a wink

>Thirty minutes later, the two girls were strolling through the Canterlot City Zoo’s main entrance, after a few minutes of pleasant chit-chat between Celestia and Mrs. Shy
>Luna, of course, couldn’t quite focus on the animals, as she was a bit too busy marveling at how cool her sister was
>She seriously just talked them into a free, after-hours trip to the zoo!
>In the center of the park, they found Charles
>The old, whiskered manatee was where he always was, bobbing lazily in a heated tank with crags of artificial rocks circling around him, leaving only a few gaps for zoo-goers to peer through
>Luna sat at the edge of the tank, mesmerized
>Charles turned over, slowly paddling over to his only two visitors, gave them a quick, curious glance, then went back to sleep
“Whoa…” Luna muttered
>She looked up at Celestia
“Did you see that?  He looked at us!  That’s so cool…”
>Her sister beamed
>She leaned against the glass, placing her hand atop Luna’s head
>”I remember coming here with you when you were really little.  There was one time you made us stay for almost two hours, just so you could watch the keepers feed him.”
“It was worth it.”
>”How would you remember?  You were like three years old!”
“No, I completely remember.”
>Luna pressed her hand against the glass
>In the murky reflection, she got the weirdest sense her reflection was actually a much younger Luna, staring back at her from years ago
“It is somewhat strange to me, sister.”
>”What is?” Celestia asked
>Her fingers were intertwined with Luna’s hair now, fidgeting playfully with the blue strands
“I first came here as a baby.  And I’m here now.  So much of me has changed, but Charles is always the same.  It is…”
>Luna found herself smiling as she watched Charles’s gray, flippered form drift along the water, somewhere by her reflection’s right shoulder
”It is a good feeling.  Very peaceful.”
>Celestia’s hand stopped patting Luna’s hair
>She knelt down next to her sister, folding her hands in her lap
>”It is.  It’s nice to know that, no matter how much changes… there’ll always be those things we love, the really important things, that stay the same.”
>Luna met her sister’s eyes, and smiled
“Yes.  It is nice to know.”