“Luna, it was just a dream!”
The small blue lump on the bed only pulled the woollen blanket tighter around herself, her shaking head barely visible, even to her sister’s worried eyes.
Feelings of helplessness growing by the second Celestia glanced back at the door. ‘What had she done wrong? What demons could plague her sister so?’
“It’s alright Celestia.” A small brittle voice broke the silence. “You can go if you want to.”
Celestia blinked in confused hurt. “What do you mean Lulu?”
Blue eyes faded to a cloudy grey. Her little sister’s back straightened into the perfect posture Celestia had painstakingly taught her for all the dinners and balls she could never attend in person.
“You don’t have to keep pretending. I get it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You can stop lying to me now.” Luna’s voice hardened as her eyes turned to cold hard pieces of flint. “There’s no need to spare my feelings. It is obvious that all the deception is making you uncomfortable.”
“Luna?”
Stunted wings burst open in rage. “Just admit it! Admit the truth! You never loved me! You just pretended to.”
“That’s not true!”
A dark brow raised in mocking question. “Isn’t it?”
“No!” Celestia shook her head fiercely. "I could never..!"
Luna's jaw clenched. "Why not? Don’t you ever wish you had a normal sister? One you could show off to your friends. One with whom you could practice magic. One who could read?”
Celestia hesitated.
“Get out.”
“Luna.”
“I said GET OUT!”
A buffet of wind knocked Celestia back. Stumbling backwards into the stairwell she reached out to grab the bannister to steady herself.
A moment later the door slammed behind her.
Hearing the quiet shaking sobs of her sister begin in earnest, Celestia began the long helpless climb back down the stairs.