//------------------------------//
// Chapter 21: Secrets: Part 2 
// Story: Aftermath Of The Formal 
// by Shimmeringsun 
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The students, teachers, and staff sat among themselves in the assembly hall waiting for Principal Celestia to enter the stage. The call to assembly had been a chilling one. Curiosity and anticipation had seized the students' interest in the sudden summon. Principal Celestia wasn’t one to sound stern or be as openly poignant unless something dreadfully serious had happened.

A few moments later, the clock struck nine, and Celestia stepped up on stage. Maintaining her grace, she walked towards the lectrum and overlooked the entire assembly. The students had all turned to her before she even reached the microphone. Members of staff, including teachers, occupied the rearmost row of seats. Luna sat straight across her sister, next to Raven Inkwell who held her hand, and a worried look.

Celestia tapped the microphone; the murmuring quieted down. There was a fire in her eyes, and about her was a soberness that could turn alcohol into salt. A facade that cracked for a split second when she saw Luna’s stern and pained gaze. She knew she had to do this, for her sister, for Chrysalis and Sunset. She had to be the strong one.

Before she began, Celestia took a breath. “Good morning everyone, thank you all for attending our meeting. We have something important to address.” Celestia once more overlooked the assembly and took to heart every face. None among them was clueless about why they were there. They all knew from the heavy air. Celestia saw Sunset’s friends holding hands, the only other ones in the know. She met eyes with Applejack and gave the farmer girl a reassuring nod and smile. Rainbow Dash was sitting with her arms crossed, looking away, and clearly had her hand forcibly held by Fluttershy. Celestia’s reassuring smile turned into a concerned frown before she spoke up again.

“Yesterday, we had a terrible, terrible incident at our school involving one of us. One of our students.” Celestia paused and braced herself. “One of our students had wilfully jumped off of the roof of this very school building,“ Celestia clenched her teeth for a breath and a heartbeat, ”with the intent of,” she gulped. Her breath caught on those words. Those words that made her question what blemish of commission or neglect stained her soul. Her own invisible shortcomings forcing those cursed words from her mouth. ”The intent of ending her own life.” Her heart sunk at the reminder that through Sunset’s transformation, she had been revealed to herself to not be who she thought she was, and instead had to become someone new.

With that weight she paused. The students immediately took to looking in the crowd with great concern, urgently finding all of their friends safe and sound. The rabble rousing grew louder. Relaxation befell the principal’s pose. Her features softened, and the lines in her face evaporated. Grateful she could yet bless after cursing, she continued. The murmurs died down again.

“Thankfully,” she said, “miraculously, she survived without injury.” The crowd sighed in relief all the same as she did. “A heroic bystander had rushed to the scene and had caught her at the risk of her own life, and ended up with her arm breaking in the process. She too is doing well… enough… given the circumstances.”

Celestia turned her attention to her sister, directing her words at her without a mention.

”She is an absolute boon to every single one of us, and I cannot ever thank her enough. I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t been there. She has saved one of you, the students my sister and I treasure so dearly. We can all learn from her, and from the conditions in which we find ourselves.”

Luna was surprised and honored by Celestia’s recognition of Chrysalis’ value and dignity. She wiped away a tear. If only Chrysalis could have been here. If only she heard more acknowledgements like this, then perhaps the struggles underlying fights like the one the night before could finally be laid to rest.

Celestia turned again to the crowd and began her address.

“If you allow me, if you may have me for a while, I would like to ask you to let me speak to you not as your principal, not as your colleague or teacher or even as a friend, but as someone who’s heart bleeds red, and aches like any other.” She put her hand on her chest. ”I am just a human being, and I want to speak honestly, and from my heart.”

“Luck, or fate, separated our assembly today from a funeral later this week. Had our student not seen another tomorrow, not felt another heartbeat, we would not be sitting here.” Celestia looked to Pinkie Pie and Sunset’s other friends. ”Instead, her friends and family would be in tearful mourning and either in their deepest grief, or in a nightmare they cannot believe.” She looked back over the crowd. ”I would have been here six o’clock this morning, putting up black flags. We would put our flag up half mast. We would be out there in the courtyard as it was being raised in any weather. Moving forward, we would all miss our dearly beloved, even if you did not particularly like this student. Sooner or later everyone will think ‘Goodness me, a life so full of potential was cut short so tragically.’ “You too will one day have a child in your life and then look back on this day, grateful for yesterday’s miracle.”

Some teachers at the back held their hands together, or wiped them dry on their pants. Some were sitting with their arms crossed, but unlike Rainbow Dash, they held their focus on Celestia. She was well aware some had faced their tragedies. One teacher was looking into one side of his wallet. Two others were finicking with their jewelry. Luna fidgeted with her feet, a nervous tick she developed when she was under stress or on the verge of breaking down. Raven gave Luna’s hand another firm squeeze, letting her know she had support, and to help her gather herself together.

“The sadness would hit us all like dominoes. We are all connected. Maybe you do not know or like her, but you do know or like her friends or their friends.” Celestia turned to her friends again, ”And if you do know or like her, God help you find your peace.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. ”God help us all.”

Celestia noticed more students were holding hands, who were wondering ever more who it was that had jumped. When the most collected person in charge calls for help, it sheds light on how dire the situation really is. Since concern had grown, so Celestia took a more uplifting turn.

“I am thankful that today, we only need this heavy talk. Thankful that we do not need to plan a funeral. It is still tragic. It would have been better if it had not happened. It is terrible and horrible and I will have restless nights of hurt and self doubt and thoughts about all the things I may have done to harm her, and all the ways I neglected to help her.”

She looked at the students in the crowd and the teachers in the back. In them sunk their fear of that monstrous suffering which had only just grazed them. Finally, her eyes met Luna’s and she knew she may have said a few things too painful for Luna to hear. Words that pierced right through her love for Sunset, touching those memories of Chrysalis loving embrace after she had almost done in herself. Celestia smiled however. And in her smile Luna found the light of redemption shining upon her own made deathbed, and on her failure as a mother to be. A door had opened. Celestia continued.

“But thankfully, she and I and all of us, we all get another chance to do right by her, by ourselves and by one another. Nobody is ever the same after having buried their classmate or student. Thank goodness we’ve been spared that fate. Thank the woman who saved her life, and who allowed us to live on like this. And who are we: to have put her on the roof and not stopped her from ending up there?” She lightly pounded the lectern in a confused emphasis. “Who are you?!”

“Who am I?” she said with a tremor in her voice.

A lot of students were looking at themselves, even as their gaze remained on stage. Their lives were flashing before their eyes. Their minds were examining their history to find out who they had wronged. How they had wronged them. 

There was an organic moment of silence that brought out ever louder the ticking of the clock, ringing like the hammering gavel that sentenced every heart.

The principal took a deep breath and managed to ground herself. “It takes very little.” Celestia put her palms close together, as though holding a small box. ”It takes so very little to make someone’s day better, even if just a little. Nobody knows what someone else is going through. If it is a rotten thing to do at their expense, that little something can push them closer to that edge.”

”Nobody needs drama. Life is difficult and it is tragic enough as it is. There is more to do than can ever be done, and suffering will come to each and every one of us. Maybe not now or even soon, but one day, tragedy will strike. A day like yesterday, where nobody saw it coming. It is coming. Have no doubt that days like that are ahead. And when they come for you, for your loved ones, your friends or family, can you carry on with those you love on your back? Can you rely on them to carry you? Or will you have wasted your days on heinous bullying and petty revenge? Will you drag the world down into hell?”

“How many times has something small meant something to you? When was the last time someone did something that bothered you the rest of the week, like lie or cheat or steal? When was the last time you fell asleep delighted because someone complimented you, or blessed you that day? You don’t know what someone might be going through.”

“And there is that kind of love that is so much easier.” Celestia looked to Luna. “It really is. It is not a heavy and painful burden to carry, unlike hatred or a grudge. It is not a duty to fulfill, but answering a call from happenstance. Pray for that opportunity, and prey upon it, because a love forced is not genuine.”

”Love is truth. Love is a lot of things, and takes many forms. Love is seeing someone having a  day you would not want for yourself and fixing what you can to make it not a complete catastrophe. Love is being happy for someone’s success when they’ve earned it, even if they feel as though they have not. Let them know you are happy for their success and what it may mean for their life and future.”

“Love is listening to someone’s pain so they don’t have to carry that all by themselves. Love is sharing your blessings with the friends you know would celebrate good things happening to you.” Celestia looked to Luna again. The room may as well be empty but for them. ”And strange as it may sound, love is sharing your own pain with those who love you too, so you can let them carry some of your weight. So you can let them love you.”

Luna heard the things said between the lines. Celestia’s apology, regrets, pain and invitation and commitment to do better in the future. How she hadn’t been there for Luna in the past but can be here now and in the future. All the same as Luna could’ve let Chrysalis be there for her. How Sunset could’ve let her love her. Let Luna be a mother to her. A pang sounded in Luna’s skull. Everything collapsed when she realized she is Sunset. She is Celestia. She is Chrysalis and she is yet herself.

Overwhelmed, uncertain of which pain was first or worst, she got up without a sound. She silently reassured the teachers next to her she would be alright but had to leave. They gave no pursuit. She swiftly found her way to the exit without looking back, and then made her way to her office.

Catching a brief glimpse of her sister’s sudden departure, Celestia paused and gulped her words. Worry invested in her mind, wondering what she might have said to upset Luna. The urge to chase after her was strong, yet she couldn't force herself to do it. She had already made up her mind of following through with this meeting. It wouldn't be long before she could speak with her sister privately. Celestia had enough faith in her sister to know she would be able to handle herself alone for a few minutes. She shook her head and cleared her throat before unabated to address the school again.

“And more than that,” she continued, “Love cascades. If you feel good enough about yourself to love another, they may just do the same. If my day is going well, I smile with my sister and we sit for tea and talk and daydream. We will have a good time with others with whom we share those days and so on. When someone moves, we all move. Even years later.”

“That is why every day we face after our loved ones leave us, everyone dies. The world comes to an end. We unwillingly fall into that new world with strangers who have changed as much as we have.”

“I remember when the parents of a friend of mine passed away, he came to live with his grandmother. She had always been cranky with him. She was rather helpless physically since she needed new hips. He suddenly had to keep the place tidy and neat, which was something he could never have imagined doing. His grandmother had been surprised because her view of him had been mistaken. At least of who he had become. She was not ungrateful, and so she took a liking to him. They carried on in grace where they could have fought every single day in an unkempt house in filth and disease and anger and wrath.”

She paused to let the story find some ground.

“They carried on in grace. All they had to do was love the easy way: small and spontaneous. Pick up that little bit of mess here, do some dishes there. Pay the bills for your grandchild, for as faulty as he is, he is doing his best to earn his keep and love you too. He could not replace her hips. She could not buy him a house or grant a scholarship. And they had no need. This was enough.”

“The first few months had been rough on him. He would visit his parents’ grave often. When he would come to his new home he would smile again. I would always appreciate his kindness when I came to visit. He was a good host.”

“Isn’t it exceptional, how I now get to tell you all this story? Pardon the little detour but is that not exactly how their love has reached you all through me? You never met them, they do not know you, and yet here I can stand with a smile after a tragedy like yesterday. What stories will your friends tell of you? What love do you bring into the world that others may notice and spread into the future?”

Celestia sighed a deep sigh, sinking back into bleak practicality.

“Yesterday, death had almost had its way with all of us, just by taking one of us. In light of that, I would like to ask you all to find your loved ones today and spend some time with them. To really be there with them. To this end, I will allow our afternoon classes to be moved down to later this week in a study hall. Take the afternoon and spend some time together.”

“Ask them if they’re doing alright, and listen if they’re not. Speak if you’re in pain, so the people who love you can listen in turn. You’re not a burden if the other person wants to help. Trust them to let you know what they think of the situation you find yourselves in. Trust them they’ll let you know when they can take no more so you don’t strain your friendship.”

“There will be a test on this,” Celestia said. The crowd groaned. Celestia chuckled. “But it’s not part of our curriculum. The test is life.” In a serious tone, she followed up. ”This could be the last day to ask that one person in despair, or to reach out to your supportive friends and family. This may be the chance our fallen student’s friends and family had left untaken. Please, let this assembly be the last of its kind. Never let a fellow classmate carry a coffin.”

Celestia checked the clock and the time to start the next class was drawing near.

“Classes today will stop at noon. That way you can be with your loved ones during lunch, which is a good opening occasion. Think about why it is you have some time off and use it wisely. As for right this moment, your next class is about to start. The meeting is adjourned. Please follow your teachers to your next class.”

The teachers rose one by one and led out their classes in an orderly fashion. The quiet commotion accompanied an excited yet self reflecting student body, away from the bittersweet atmosphere and back into their routines.



 

Luna’s legs buckled the moment she entered her dull office. She placed her hands against the door frame and let out a deep shaky breath. Her body gradually inched down in despair, hitting the floor with a bump. She pulled her knees into her chest and held them close. Salty drops fell from her chin, drenching her purple blouse. She couldn’t care about her appearance. All she focused on was the sudden pain that overpowered her. Perhaps, these were the tears of all of her failures, of all of her wrongdoings she has caused upon Celestia and Chrysalis. How she failed as a sister when she caused the incident where she ruined Celestia’s fertility; destroyed her every opportunity to mother naturally. How she failed as a girlfriend to Chrysalis when she decided to take her own life and leave her to suffer by her lonesome, forever lost to know her part in that. All she had to do, then, was talk. Let Chrysalis listen if for no other reason than to get it off her chest.

There was a tremble in her chin and a whimper in her voice at each thought she had about her sordid past with Chrysalis. All those cruel acts she pulled on her lover came staring back at her. She shivered. It reminded her of all those self-torturing nightmares she had, but unlike those ones, this was real and she was facing it. She recalled how Chrysalis spent a week sleeping on the couch, not wanting to be with Luna for costing her job. How could she have nearly made them homeless? All the stress Chrysalis was under to meet that month’s payment, was only made worse when she decided to turn off the alarm because she wanted a morning snuggle.

How did Chrysalis ever love her? For what she put her through: why did she never kick her out on the streets where she belonged? What did Chrysalis see in her to have stayed with her all that time? It had taken too long for Luna to realize every meal Chrysalis made her began to lose its smile. With every labour of love ending in the trash, Chrysalis’ frown etched a little deeper into her face until it stuck. The moment the ink touched Luna’s death note, she knew what exactly she was doing. She knew her last ‘I love you’ ever written and spoken would’ve scared Chrysalis’ heart forever. All she cared about was to end her suffering the only way she knew.

With those pills, Luna had made a brutal, one-sided call to take from Chrysalis the one she loved the most. If someone would have taken her Sunset, there would be no chance of forgiveness. She bit her lip, knowing this is what she had done to her lover, and that this was what Sunset had done to her. She didn’t want to ever forgive herself for putting Chrysalis through that, and yet she could not be angry at Sunset for having done the same. She wanted to love Sunset so much more to save her from her torment. Could she ever tolerate Chrysalis to be like that for herself, knowing what she had done to her? Could she let Chrysalis love her?

Luna tightly clutched onto her arms. She pressed her head against herself once more and began bawling her heart out unceasingly. Celestia’s speech was beginning to make sense. Little by little, she was starting to piece things together of what her sister said about love. Had she allowed Chrysalis to carry some of her burdens, then perhaps she could be proud of the things she could do. If she had appreciated Chrysalis taking time out of her night to bathe her after a long shift, Chrysalis would’ve acknowledged her own self-worth instead of questioning herself during last night’s fight.

Bittersweet memories of her teenage years flooded her mind. There were times she remembered how in love she was with Chrysalis. The moment Luna met her, she was mesmerized by the way she carried herself with confidence. Whenever Chrysalis entered a room, no matter where she was or what she was doing, she would make the place so much brighter just by being there. She thought back to the night Chrysalis made her first move by kissing her under the starry moonlight. Luna brushed a finger along her lips. She could still taste Chrysalis’ sweet vanilla scent upon hers. She recalled the first time she shared a bed with Chrysalis. How she would hide under the covers, too scared and nervous to show any part of herself to her, but Chrysalis took everything with care and patience. She smirked through her distress. Remembering Chrysalis would sing upbeat songs in a fun way of encouraging her to embrace her sexuality. Chrysi dancing around the room, always made her laugh. 

Luna subconsciously rubbed the side of her hip, placing her hand on the spot she knew where the mark was. Underneath her layers of clothes, there was a tattoo she had gotten years ago with Chrys. Some friend of theirs did it for free at a house party, and while she knew that getting her girlfriend’s initials tattooed on her skin might’ve been a bit extreme, she never thought about getting it removed. She kept it there for what could’ve been. A reminder of the good times she shared with her lover. A reminder of the one who loved her most.

What happened to them? Luna found herself asking that one question. They were so close when they first started dating. Not one day did she go without seeing her Chrysi. She remembered she would show up at Chrysalis’ house during the night unannounced and upset after another fight with Celestia. No matter how late it was, Chrysalis never denied her. She took her in and allowed her to stay over for as long as she needed. Hugging her close when she cried, giving her kisses, and protecting her with her life.

Where did it go wrong? She gulped back a lump in her throat when she realized she was the problem. She imagined what their life would’ve been like had she chosen Chrysalis over death. She wondered if she allowed Chrysalis to love her the easy way, allowed her to be there for her, Chrysalis might’ve stayed in the relationship. Had she spoken to Chrysalis about her guilt over Celestia, Chrysalis would've listened. She would've been able to help Luna carry some of her weight. Had she done this, life for them would've been very different.

The more Luna reflected on her own past and her relationship with Chrysalis, the more insight she found herself getting into her current situation with Sunset. From the girl’s odd mood swings to the sulking around in her room all day and not wanting to spend time with her and Chrysalis, Luna began to see her old self in Sunset. Luna recalled locking herself in her and Chrysalis’ bedroom some days for hours on end, refusing Chrysalis to be anywhere near her and refusing Chrysalis to touch her. She remembered Sunset being the same way whenever she tried to give the teen a cuddle or comfort her. Especially during the first couple of weeks when she took her in, Sunset would flinch away and deny any affection from her. 

Luna gripped at her blouse, feeling a pain tightened around her heart. She shifted uncomfortably in her place. It wasn’t the first time she felt this gut-wrenching pain. She recognized the same sensation when she found out Sunset was harming herself. And when she ran to find Sunset on the school’s roof, standing close to the edge, ready to say her final words to her. 

She took in a breath to steady her next dreadful thoughts. Yesterday had been a close call. Her little sunshine, the light of her life, was almost lost to her for good. Had Sunset failed to take another breath, another heartbeat, Luna would've followed her. Living a life without her Sunny, was a thought that made Luna’s stomach turn violently. Her mind was disturbed with visions of having to plan a funeral for her most precious, had Chrysalis failed to save her. She couldn't muster the strength to think the only time she would’ve seen Sunset was visiting her grave. That was a nightmare Luna was thankful she didn't need to face. 

What had been her hand in putting Sunset on that roof? She wondered with a grimace. Who was she to have put her there? It took some time for Luna to realize she had been stalling by not telling Sunset about the adoption plans until last night. If only she had been truthful with her feelings from the beginning, Sunset would've known how much she cared about her. Had she acted more of a mother when Sunset needed one the most, would she have jumped? Knowing she had Luna’s love, Sunset might never have made her first cut. She wouldn’t have felt that need to bleed, had she saved her from her misery.

How could she have not noticed Sunset’s suffering when her eyes were the ones staring right back at her? She remembered the times when Sunset was just another troubled student in her office, getting a lecture because she bullied another student. Had she made herself more relevant and spent more time with the girl during those times in her office, she could’ve got Sunset to open up. If she taught her, guided her, she could have shown Sunset there was another way instead of acting on vengeance. She should have realized it long ago Sunset needed her just as much back then. Had she realized this, she would've done so many things differently. She would have been more caring towards Sunset during those times she was yelling down her neck. Had she shown Sunset more love, Sunset might’ve never felt she was alone. She would've had Luna. She would've had the mother she deserved to have.

Before Luna could lay her head against the door frame in defeat of her thoughts, there was a slight jerk with the handle twisting. Her whole body shifted and by the second, she rolled out of the office. She yelped when her head landed between Celestia’s shoes. Through sullied eyes, she bashfully looked up to her sister.

“Luna?” Celestia stared in astonishment, seeing only Luna’s mouth peeking out from under her dress. “What are you doing down there?”

“Envying your lush and full carpet,” Luna said in a deadpan, still looking up. She sighed. “I’ve got it smooth in my place. Smoother than linoleum.” She felt the floor of her office.

“I thought you liked it smooth down there?” Celestia asked, quite sure this was not the crying matter; the cause of the sobs before she opened the door. “You look like a mess… do you want to rest your head on my ‘lush and full’ carpet instead?”

“No,” Luna said, getting up. “I wouldn't want to stain it.”

With that final comment, Celestia helped her sister get back to her feet. She closed the door behind them, sitting Luna down on her seat and pulled a chair over for herself. Celestia frowned when she saw Luna rub the back of her head. 

“Are you sure you’re okay? I can call the nurse if you like?” Celestia asked with her motherly instincts kicking in. 

Luna moaned like an annoyed teenager. ”Tia, I'm fine. If it's sore, Chrysi will kiss it better.” 

”You’re not fine. You’ve been crying.” Celestia observed, noticing all the tears stains through her sister’s blotchy makeup. She folded her arms, clearly not amused by Luna’s remark. ”LuLu, what’s going on? You ran out of assembly and I’ve found you tumbling out your office just a second ago. Did my speech upset you?” 

”T-Tia, everything’s fine.” Luna stuttered through a fake smile. She put her hand up, wiping her nose and eyes. ”I just needed a moment to myself, that’s all. There's nothing to worry about.” 

”Luna, you know that act isn't going to work on me,” Celestia began sternly, ”If you're going to suffer, please don't do it alone.” 

Luna’s gaze refused to meet Celestia’s. She peered over to her desk and studied the framed photo of her, Chrysalis, and Sunset at the ice rink intently. She sighed an enormously rueful sigh when thoughts crossed her mind about her dreams and hopes. Dreams of them becoming a family. Her dream of becoming a mother. She curled her arms around herself. The hope to fulfill those desires was taken from her all too soon.

Celestia clasped her hand into Luna’s own. “I’m here for you, LuLu. Please, talk to me.” She pleaded softly, giving her hand a squeeze to let her know she was here to support her, whatever she was dealing with. 

Luna chewed the side of her mouth and thought for a moment, she knew Celestia was right. If she wanted to change, if she wanted others to open up to her then it works all the same way. ”I’ve failed, haven’t I?” Her doleful green-blue eyes peered upon Celestia’s soft ones. “I’ve failed as a mother, I’ve failed as a girlfriend, and a sister. Hell, I’m not even a mother and I still failed!” She sucked in a sob and closed her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know if Sunset will ever see me as a mother now.” She croaked out, her voice wobbling ever so slightly. ”I’m such a lame excuse.” 
 
Celestia reached over with her thumb to wipe Luna’s eyes. ”Why do you think you're a failure, Luna?” She asked calmly.

”Isn’t it obvious?” Luna chuckled bitterly. ”Look at me, Tia, I’m currently held up in my office with no lights on. Crying to myself pathetically, wondering what I've done wrong. Why is it that every person I care about, I always have to do something to mess it up?! Why can't I get anything right?!” She motioned her hand in the air, frustrated at herself. She brought it back down, and turned to the pink woman. ”What’s wrong with me, sister?”

Celestia placed her hand on Luna’s knee. ”Whatever you feel is wrong with you, I am confident enough you, Chrysalis, and I can overcome this.” She gulped her tears away, gazing into Luna’s doubtful eyes with a worried look on her own.

Luna took in a shaky breath, trying to seize all the stress she was feeling. ”What if I can't? It took your speech for me to realize how much of a failure I am!” She motioned a hand to herself. ”Everything you said, I failed! I failed to open up to you, and I did the exact same with Chrysalis. I was never truthful with either of you and I drove you away! Chrysalis left me, Tia. She left me all because I couldn't give her what she needed. I couldn’t give her the love she deserved.” A single tear fell down her left cheek, she stubbornly wiped it away with her free hand. ”And then I failed Sunset by the moment I lent her a hand on that roof. What does that say about me? How can I possibly be worth anything in her life if I fail to even keep her alive?!” She let out an anguished wail. “I don’t deserve to be her mother...” She wept.

Celestia bit on her lip and frowned deplorably at Luna. She kept her magenta eyes on her sister, studying her every feature. Her face had morphed into a deep set of despair, there was a look of hopelessness behind her beady eyes. Almost as if she had no way of pulling herself from it and was pleading with Celestia to do everything in her power to save her. She could see each individual stress line on her forehead, including the dark circles and puffiness under her eyes that came to the surface to show how exhausted her younger sister felt. 

Celestia sighed softly. “Luna, the intent of my speech wasn’t to make anyone feel like they're a failure. Quite the opposite, actually.”

Luna straightened her back and clasped her hands together. She stared confusingly at Celestia with her head tilted to the side. “What do you mean, Celestia?” 

“What I meant,” Celestia began, she closed her eyes to think for a moment, “what I wanted everyone to take away from it is the importance of loved ones. I wanted to show by talking to those around you, you wouldn’t need to feel so alone. It was to instill hope, and purpose. If Sunset had opened herself up instead of pushing people away, maybe things could’ve been different for her. If she had talked to us, we would’ve been able to carry some of her burdens.” She took in a breath. ”Luna, we were so lucky yesterday. We were blessed that Chrysalis was able to catch her because now we get to have a second chance with her. She’s alive, and we're able to show her that she isn’t alone like we all should have done in the beginning. You get a second chance to show her that she is important to you. That’s what I wanted everyone to learn. That’s hope. That’s purpose.”

Luna ran a hand through the streaks of her sapphire hair. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes began to water again. “What if I can’t help her, Tia? What if I just cause her more harm? I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I were to hurt her. Sunset is better off without me.” 

Celestia narrowed her stern eyes at Luna, she pursed her lips together and shook her head. ”You seriously can't be thinking that Sunset is better off without you!” She spoke in a firm voice, her chin jutted out, and her brows furrowed in deep fury. ”Do you realize: if you were to leave that girl, she would be hurt even worse? Sunset needs you more than ever right now. How could you afford to think that she's better off without you?!” She scowled, not liking what Luna was saying. “How dare you think like that!”

”What good am I doing in her life just now?” Luna spat with grief in her tone. She breathed in through her teeth. “I’m starting to think that I’m no better than that Princess of hers,” she paused, sniffing, “in fact, no, I’m probably worse. At least she didn’t try to kill herself when she was with her!” 

Celestia massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Luna, would you listen to yourself right now?!” She shouted, clenching her jaw and fists together. “Sunset may not have tried to kill herself, but she did leave their world forever. And I'm not one to judge so quickly which is the worse way to go.” She stood up. ”I think you need to take a good hard look at yourself, sister, and remind yourself that Sunset is your responsibility. She became your responsibility the moment you signed those guardianship papers and the moment you allowed Sunset into your home! Did you suddenly forget about that? You do not have a right to decide that she is better off without you. You have a duty to see to it that she’ll succeed in life! Do you want to be another person added onto that list of people who have already given up on her?”

Luna’s eyes darted between Celestia and the other objects in the room, though her vision was blurry, she could still make out that Celestia was furious from hearing her sister’s increased breathing. She backed away from her, lowering her head in shame and disgust at herself. “Of course, I freaking don't, Tia!” She screeched with a crack in her voice, daring herself to glance up to meet Celestia’s infuriated eyes. “But, I just don’t know anymore, okay? I don’t know if I’m good enough for her! I mean, would she really want a mother like me? What could I possibly give her, huh? She grew up in a castle, for crying out loud! She had everything, what could I possibly compare to that? I’m nothing but a failure.”

“She didn’t have everything.” Celestia recalled with sternness in her tone. ”She never had a family who loved her before. You're giving her that, Luna! Isn't that enough? Isn't that more than what she had in the past? The way you care about Sunset, the way you love her, is more than anyone has ever given her. You’re giving Sunset what she needs: A mother. That’s more than what the Princess ever gave her.” 

Luna stood up from her seat and pushed her full body weight onto her tiptoes. “But, Sunset already rejected me, Tia!” She cried, she sat back down and chuckled mirthlessly. “That says it all, doesn't it? No matter what I do, or say I can't get through to her! She just pushes me away.” She buried her head into her hands and closed her eyes, feeling the tears sliding down her cheeks once more, soaking into her palms.

Celestia raised an eyebrow, curiously. ”Wait a minute,” She put her hand up, ”I’m not quite sure if I understand. Rejected? What do you mean?”

Luna huffed. She lifted her head back up to look at Celestia. Sniffing before speaking, ”I told Sunset about the adoption plans last night.”

Celestia scooted her chair closer to Luna. ”What did she say?”

Luna glanced over to her desk again. Then, she turned back to Celestia. ”She freaked out, and not in a good way. She panicked, all because of stupid old me.” She shook her head in disappointment and ran her fingers down her face. ”I don't know what I was thinking, I built my hopes up too much. What if she accepted, would we have been playing happy family?” 

Celestia smiled weakly at her. She rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. ”Luna, you do realize throwing something like that onto Sunset would have been overwhelming for her. You have to remember she's been through a lot, and she’s never had someone show her love the way you do before. It’s confusing for her, so the best thing you can do is give her time to figure everything out. It doesn't mean she's rejected you.” 

”How do you know that?” Luna asked in a flat tone. Through glassy eyes, she stared at Celestia. ”What if she’ll second guess everything? What if she doesn't want me?” 

”Would you blame her for thinking things through?” Celestia promoted. ”Sunset hasn't had an easy past. She’ll take everything into consideration to avoid getting hurt again, Luna. If becoming her mother is what you want, you've got to work really hard to prove that to her. You've got to do everything you can to gain her trust. While you will have Chrysalis and my support, it's up to you to help her. She should be your number one priority right now. Nothing should get in the way.”

”How can I help her, though? She hasn't exactly accepted me in the past.” Luna wiped her sweaty hands along her trousers. ”Last time I tried, it was a colossal failure on my part.” 

”Yet, you seem to think giving up on her now is the right way to handle this situation. Do you think that’ll help her? Because it won't.” Celestia leaned back on her chair, crossing her legs. ”If you decide to give up on Sunset, not only will you fail yourself, but you'll also fail her.” She said in a calm matter. She knew saying those words might’ve been harsh on her little sister, but sometimes Luna needed some tough love. Celestia clasped her hands together. ”Luna, do you realize how incredibly lucky you are right now? There are parents in this world who had buried their children after they've committed suicide, and now they've got to carry on without them. Those parents would kill to be in your position. They would give anything to have another chance with their kid, if only they could. You have that. Do you think it would be fair to give up on Sunset? What about the other people around you, do you think that’s fair on them too? What about Chrysalis? What would she think? It’s not about just you, or Sunset. It’s not entirely your decision to make when so many of us are involved. It’s not just something you should choose to do: it is your duty.”

Luna muffled a gulp, her mouth becoming so dry she could barely manage to be vocal about what she was feeling. Celestia was nailing her right on the teeth. Luna rubbed her sore neck and blinked a few more tears away. Celestia grabbed her hand.

”Luna, I might not fully understand what you're feeling right now, but wouldn't it be so much more rewarding if you can help her when she needs you the most? I know it might be hard, and I know this will be rocky for both of you, but if she can't find you to be the one to hold her through her tears, I'm afraid she won't get anywhere. Neither will you if you want to be a mother to her. You can't exactly claim that title until you show her how much you do care about her. You need to show her you'll listen to her no matter what her issue is. Show her you are willing to make everything open for discussion. She needs a safe place so she can vent and let everything out. Be the comfort Sunset needs you to be. If you keep this up, she’ll start to see it more, and she’ll trust you. Your actions speak louder than words, sister. Remember that.” Celestia finished, pointing to her head.

Luna cleared her airway. ”... Do you think I’ll be able to do it?” She asked with unabated hope, peering up to Celestia for reassurance. 

”I have faith in you, Luna, and I know Chrysalis does too.” Celestia nodded, resting her hand on Luna’s cheek. ”You need to do this, so you can believe in yourself that you can.” 

Luna shifted forward and wrapped her arms around her sister. She rested her head against Celestia’s shoulder. ”Thank you, Tia.” She whispered. ”Thank you for everything.” She pulled back from the embrace and reached into her desk.

Celestia scrunched her face. ”What are you doing, LuLu?”

”Getting my phone to call Sunset,” Luna answered, ”I need to tell her something.”

Celestia smiled and handed a box of tissues to Luna. She got up from her seat, making her way over to Luna’s coffee machine. ”Why don't we get you cleaned up first? She’ll be able to tell you've been crying, and she’ll tell Chrysalis. You don’t want them to worry, do you? You can talk to her once I make you a nice cup of coffee, how does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect, Tia.” Luna hummed, beginning to wipe her face and re-do her makeup.





The Rainbooms were held up in the music room. They decided they would meet up after class to go over some of their songs. However, with Sunset not being there, the girls found it hard to stay focused without wondering how she was doing. From hearing Celestia’s speech this morning, each member reflected on themselves differently. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie spoke honesty about how they felt. Fluttershy had said a few things out of nerves, but she tried her best to conceal her real feelings on the matter; for all her morals, and what she stood for, Fluttershy was in no hurry to discover she had failed a friend. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash never spoke a word about Sunset and used this time to take her mind off things.

A few songs later, practicing had gone a flop. None of the five girls were in high spirits to sing their usual cheery songs about friendship. How could they after almost losing a dear friend? All the lyrics began to lose their meaning the moment they all realized what they had done, and what they hadn't done to be more of a friend to Sunset. What was the point in trying if their songs served no purpose anymore? 

“Ah reckon we should call it a day, girls. This is the tenth time we’ve gone over this song ’nd every time we do, we just keep gettin’ worse!” Applejack announced after the song finished, placing her instrument down on the floor.

Rainbow huffed. “Aw, come on! Just one more try, AJ? None of you are even putting any effort into it!” She frustratingly threw her hands up in the air.

Pinkie scoffed from the back. “Well, I would have if it wasn't for you mumbling! I got lost halfway through because I couldn’t make out what you were saying.” She grumbled, resting her arms over her drum set. 

“Pinkie, you didn’t even play the beat throughout the last three times.” Rainbow turned round to glare at the pink girl, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in irritation. 

Rarity massaged her temples. “Ugh, darlings, please can we not argue? It’s not doing any good for my stress lines.” 

“Ah agree with Rares.” Applejack said, trying to ease the tension. At this point, the air between them was so brittle, Applejack feared the space between them would crumble. ”We shouldn’t be bitin’ off each other's heads. It’s the last thing we should be doin’ right now.” She expressed, looking on in worry at her friends.

”Ugh, fine,” Rainbow relented with a groan, ”we'll pack up then if that's what you all want.” 

“It’s not that, dear,” Rarity replied with compassion, “It’s just well… how do I put it? It’s not exactly fitting. After what happened with Sunset, and with what Principal Celestia said this morning, these songs don’t mean an awful lot right now.” She shook her head. ”Who are we to have put her on that roof?” She quoted Celestia. “I simply cannot shake those horrible chilling words.”

”But, they're our songs!” Rainbow raised her voice a little higher, ”Of course they mean something to us!”

”Not without Sunset, they don't.” Rarity remarked, putting her hand on Rainbow Dash. 

Rainbow turned her gaze towards the other side of the room, silently mulling over Rarity’s words. ‘And not without us either.’ She thought darkly to herself after she realized what Rarity meant. She sighed.

With that, all the girls started putting their equipment away and tidied up the room in silence. When the job was finished, Pinkie Pie was the first to speak up. She turned to the others and grabbed their attention. 

”Shouldn't we stop by Vice Principal Luna’s office before we go?” Pinkie Pie suggested, standing near the exit.

Fluttershy shrugged, she shuffled in her place. ”I’m not sure Pinkie, I think Vice Principal Luna would like to get home to Sunset as soon as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already left.” 

Rarity turned to face Fluttershy. ”Yes, but don't we at least owe it to our friend? And pay our respects to Miss Luna as well? She didn’t seem like herself today.” She recalled with worry in her tone. Usually, with her level of human intuition, Rarity had quite a skill to read people well. Although, from the odd occasional trip to Luna’s office, or dealing with Luna as a customer. Rarity noticed Luna always had her guard up. She reckoned it was because she wasn't close to her. She realized, then, that wasn't her Vice-Principal sitting in the assembly, wiping away a tear. It was a mother, in mourning, and going through their deepest grief for their daughter.

Rainbow cleared her throat, pulling Rarity from her thoughts. ”I would, guys, but I need to get to soccer practice.” She grabbed her bag, strapping it around her shoulder quickly, and tried to make a run for it out the door.

”Is there a reason why you don't want to check on your friend first, darling?” Rarity pressed, walking over to Rainbow.

Rainbow cursed under her breath. Her gaze fell to the floor. ”There isn't any need for all of us to bombard Vice Principal Luna’s office, she might not even want us there.” 

”I think she’d appreciate us coming round to see her like Rarity said: it's about showing respect.” Pinkie stood next to Rarity, her arms folded. Frowning slightly at Rainbow’s remark.

”It’s not that I don't want to,” Rainbow put her hand up, she sighed, ”look, guys, you know that soccer is important to me. I can't be late.” 

”Then let me drive you,” Fluttershy placed her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. She smiled. Not for her friend, not for helping her, but for having found an out from having to face Luna and her own failing. Such luck that Rainbow Dash would present her such an opportunity.

Rainbow looked over to her friend. ”’Shy, you honestly don't have to, if you want to go with the other’s then go. I'll be fine on my own.” She protested. Hoping that Fluttershy would agree with her. She wanted nothing more than to be alone after today. Practice had been enough of a chore as it was. Unfortunately for her, Fluttershy didn't take no for an answer.

”I insist.” Fluttershy linked her arm between Rainbow’s and turned to the other three. ”Plus, Rainbow does have a point too. Not all of us need to be there. Put yourself in Vice Principal Luna’s position. Would you really want five girls asking you questions? We all saw her in assembly. Us all going might be too much for her.” 

”So much for being loyal,” Pinkie called out with a scoff, ”just abandon your friend when she needs you the most why don't ya!”

”Pinkie!” Fluttershy barked back. ”That’s not very nice!”

”Well, it's true!” Pinkie threw her hands up in the air. ”She would rather go to soccer practice instead of checking up on a friend! Some friend she is, and so are you for doing the same!”

Fluttershy flinched. ”I’m trying to be there for Rainbow! Unlike you, I'm actually being kind to my friends instead of being nasty.” 

”That’s you being kind?” Pinkie glared with closed fists. ”Pfft, I’m sure Vice Principal Luna would think differently.”

Applejack put her hands up. ”Girls!” She yelled, stepping in between Pinkie and Fluttershy. ”Quit it!”

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy recoiled from Applejack's stern voice. Fluttershy looked to her left, noticing Rainbow had loosened herself from her grip and was making a run for it out the door. 

“Now, look at what you’ve done!” Fluttershy hissed at Pinkie. ”Rainbow Dash, wait!” She called and took off without another word, not caring about the other three. 

”I-I didn't,” Pinkie mumbled in shock at herself. She shuffled her feet. 

Rarity placed her hand on her shoulder. ”I know, darling, and as much as I am angry at them for leaving, you do owe Rainbow Dash an apology too. Fluttershy was right, that wasn't very nice, or the right way to call Rainbow out like that.” She said, wrapping her arm around Pinkie and sharing a concerned look with Applejack.

”Come on, let's get goin’ y’all. We have no time ta waste.” Applejack urged as she walked out the door.

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had no interest in engaging with any conversation. They silently walked through the halls until they reached the Principal's office. Luckily, for them, they managed to catch Luna before she left. The door opened on their arrival, and out came their Vice Principal. However, it seemed as though Luna was too focused and distracted to notice the girls. She was busy fishing in and out of her pockets, trying to find something she needed, to no avail.

Frustrated and flustered, Luna huffed heavily. She bent down to search her handbag. “Oh, they must be here somewhere...” She mumbled to herself, still not realizing she wasn’t alone. She ruffled through her messy bag, pulling items out. ”I swear, I had them earlier.”

“Need any help, Vice Principal Luna?” Pinkie Pie asked innocently.

”Gah!” Luna’s shoulders jumped at hearing the sudden voice. She threw her hands up in the air. 

”Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” Pinkie Pie blushed, rushing over to help her. 

”It’s quite alright, Miss Pie.” Luna assured, getting up. She fixed herself and collected her bag. ”I just wasn't expecting you girls to be here. I thought you'd all be home by now.” 

”We wanted to come by to see how Sunset was doing, Miss Luna.” Applejack clarified, giving Luna a helping hand too.
 
“Unless this is a bad time?” Rarity asked. ”We do apologize, Vice Principal Luna. We don’t mean to be a bother. We can come back later this week if that would be more convenient?”

Luna darted her eyes between the three girls. She quickly realized not all of them were there. ”Not at all, Rarity. I always have time for you girls. I see that Rainbow and Fluttershy aren't with you.” She questioned. ”Are they alright?”

“Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ran off together,” Pinkie Pie said, crossing her arms, ”probably getting up to who knows what.” 

Applejack glared at Pinkie, then turned back around to speak to Luna. “Actually,” She said, rubbing her neck. ”Fluttershy is driving Rainbow to soccer practice, Miss Luna,” She responded with a slight wince, ”but they send their wishes.” 

”I appreciate that.” Luna smiled with a nod. ”Well, won’t you girls come inside?” She signaled towards the door. 

Applejack waved her off. “We don’t want to be takin’ yer time away from Sunset. We knew ya probably want ta get back to ‘er.” The farm girl stated.

”Girls, you aren't taking me away from Sunset. I understand you all care about her as much as I do, and you are worried about her. I appreciate you all coming round to check on her. It means a lot to me and to her. More than you think.” Luna spoke softly and from her heart. She walked back inside, gesturing for them to follow her.

Luna switched the lights back on and shut the door. Her eyes widened when she noticed her keys were on the other side. ”Luna, you absolute balloon.” She announced suddenly, shaking her head. ”How in the world did I even manage that?” She grabbed the keys, pocketing them. “Sunset’s going to love this one.” She smirked, talking to herself. 

The girls stood next to her, looking at her with utter confusion. 

Luna blushed when she turned to them. ”Oh, sorry, girls. I'm terrible for losing my keys and for leaving them in stupid places.” She walked over to her desk and plonked herself down in her seat, putting her bag between her shoes. ”Last week, Sunset hid my car keys to teach me a lesson. I think even she was growing sick of me forgetting them all the time, so she hid them next to my vanity, where I get ready every morning. I've got to admit, she is too smart and too observant for my own good.” She laughed. ”Out of all the places in the house, it was the most obvious one!”

All three girls stood in front of her, they laughed along.

”She’s definitely one ta watch.” Applejack commented with a smirk.

”Oh, she most certainly is.” Luna clasped her hands together and chuckled like a proud mother. ”Our Sunset is quite the little devil when she wants to be.”

”So, how has she been?” Rarity asked once the laughter died down, making full eye contact with Luna. ”What about yourself? You seemed upset in assembly today.”

Luna put her hand up. ”I can assure you I'm doing well… enough, but thank you for your concern.” She said stoically. She sighed and slumped back into her chair, losing her usual elegant posture. ”As for Sunset, she’s doing… okay too.” When talking about loved ones, Luna was never able to mask her emotions well. Especially, if it was about her baby girl. The mention of Sunset in this type of light pained Luna to a great extent. ”I spoke to her earlier on the phone. She's spending the day with my friend, Chrysalis.” She cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands. ”She’s helping us out while I'm at work.”

”She seems like a good friend.” Pinkie waggled her eyebrows and grinned, noticing Luna’s use of the word ‘friend.’ She snorted slightly. “The type who’ll keep rock-paper-scissoring you until you’re hot, sweaty and exhausted.” She winked.

Applejack caught on, but not nearly as soon as she wished she had. “Pinkie Pie! What the hay!” She squealed in a high pitch. She pulled down her stetson, almost lighting it with her blush. In front of the Vice Principal no less!

“What?” Pinkie Pie asked. “You know,” she put up a fist and shook it three times, revealing “scissors”.

Applejack dared a glance, and sighed in relief. “Oh, heh, Ah see.” She chuckled, and copied Pinkie’s gesture, also revealing “scissors”.

Regret sank in immediately, as she felt Pinkie Pie push her pair into her own, letting out a “Boop!” Had she held a drink in her mouth, she would’ve completely soaked Pinkie.

Luna blushed so hard she was nearly sweating blood. She looked away, red as ever, but also wanting to engage in Pinkie’s little game. Sneakingly she wanted to trip Pinkie up. With determination she looked back, while it lasted. ”Actually. F-French kitchen really wets her appetite. When I was your age,” she looked into those curious blue eyes, ”I warmed her up to eating out, it was my treat since I already liked doing that.” Pinkie Pie got a little pinker. Luna went for it with a smirk, and a low, slow, suggestive voice. ”Really got her into mulling something moist, sweet and soft around with her tongue.” Applejack’s blush had turned her a disownable shade of orange. Rarity damned her curiosity for silencing her sense of propriety wanting to end this madness. ”And now,” and Luna continued in a whisper, ”no matter where we do it, even right here in my office, her favorite is 69.” She paused, brushing her finger along the table. ”You know, eating out, at restaurants. For dessert she likes to eat pie, nr 69.” She deadpanned. ”The place around the block has some poppin’ cherry pie.” 

Pinkie Pie sat with her mouth slightly agape, and after a brief pause, uttered a “How did you get so good?”

“Years of experience,” Luna said, arms crossed and chin up high. “That, and knowing how to please Chrysalis.” She winked.

“Can you be my teacher?” Pinkie Pie asked in awe. “Can you teach me to be just as good at that as you?”

Luna appreciated the admiration of her skill at punny innuendo’s, and decided to continue just to show off. “Of course,” Luna said, “but you’ll have to come to my office after hours. Plus, there will be lots of training, and,” she raised her index finger to highlight her point. “A practical exam. Since it’s not an actual course, you’ll have to please me to pass.”

”Ahem,” Rarity decided to take over the conversation in a manner most dignified, despite her temporary natural rouge still showing. She clasped her hands together and stood in front of Pinkie. ”While you two have enjoyed your little ... bout of madness.” She said, motioning her hand between Pinkie and Luna. ”We wanted to talk about Chrysalis with you. We wanted to honor her after what she did yesterday, and we were wondering if you and Sunset would like to do us the honor of being our esteemed guests.” 

Luna thought for a moment. She didn't see anything wrong with their plan. Actually, she found it quite heartwarming to see her students wanting to do something nice for her partner. Perhaps, if they celebrated something like this, Chrysalis might be able to see her worth to those around her. Not just to Sunset and Luna, but to friends of theirs and others still.

“Sunset and I would be more than happy to come along, girls.” Luna beamed with a slight tear in her eye. ”Here’s an idea, how about we have it over at my place? I could get Chrysalis and Sunset out of the apartment for the day. We can decorate it and when they come home it’ll be a surprise for them.” 

All three girls shared a look with each other before nodding. 

”Ya sure ya don't mind?” Applejack asked, her eyes twinkling in hope.

“Of course not, Applejack, I feel like this could be good for Chrysalis and Sunset,” Luna replied wholeheartedly, ”and well, Sunset needs to be around her family and friends right now. More than ever.”

”Oh, a party!” Pinkie bounced in the air, suddenly perking up in excitement after Luna accepted their offer. ”I can organize the streamers and banners! And I can make cakes! You know, perhaps I can make some cherry pie for Chrysalis since she likes that so much.”

Applejack patted Pinkie on the back. ”I’m sure Miss Luna has that one covered, Pinkie.” She said, winking.

Luna facepalmed, regretting the comment she made earlier. She knew too well Pinkie would never let this down now, and it wouldn't be much longer until Sunset found out about it either. With a grunt, she collected herself together and addressed her students. ”I’ll let you girls know about it by the end of the week. Please, make sure it is okay with your parents or guardians first. I’ll be happy to assist you with it, and I'm sure my sister will be as well. I hope I'm not being selfish, but could I ask for you to give me some time to get things organized? I want to give Sunset some time to settle too.”

“That’s okay, Miss Luna.” Applejack gave her an understanding smile and nod. “We get that ya wan’ some time with ’er too. Ah was goin’ ask if ah could invite ‘er over ta Sweet Apple Acres sometime. Granny Smith said it was okay but had ta ask ya firs’.” 

”Oh, I wanted to ask if she wanted to come to the Boutique too. A fit figure like hers shouldn’t go to waste.” Rarity chimed in.

Luna nodded respectfully. ”Girls, those all sound like wonderful ideas, and I'll be sure to ask Sunset when I get home. It depends on how she is feeling, but I'm sure she would love to see you all.” 

”Thanks, Vice Principal Luna!” The pink-haired girl said. ”I think it's time we better let you go. Can you make sure you give Sunny a hug from us?”

”Of course, I will, girls. I must say I am quite looking forward to give her some well-needed snuggles myself tonight,” Luna smirked as she stood up from her desk. ”Though, before you go I have to ask.”

All three girls stopped in their tracks and locked their eyes with the Vice Principal. Surprised by hearing the sudden authority in Luna’s tone.

Luna spoke up again after she got their attention. ”Are you all doing okay and taking care of yourselves? I know that yesterday must’ve been hard on you, and I want you to know if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open.” She looked around her office, taking in the three girls’ facial expressions with concern. Applejack looked more neutral and stoic, Rarity gulped, trying to fiddle with her jewelry to distract herself from Luna’s gaze, Pinkie Pie grimaced at the question.

The girls shared an unsure glance, not wanting to tell Luna how it’s been from them.

Applejack took over and gestured a hand to herself. ”Ah spoke with Granny Smith ’nd Big Mac last night about it when Applebloom had gone ta bed. That’s when Granny suggested for Sunset to come over. I want ta apologize ta ’er not bein’ there when she needed us.”

”Yeah, I spoke with Maud about it too,” Pinkie Pie followed up, sighing. 

Luna gave them a genuine smile. ”I’m glad you girls have people to talk too but, please don't forget that my sister and I are always here if you don't feel comfortable talking to your parents about something. We want to help you too, and we all have to be there for each other and for Sunset. Also, can you let Rainbow and Fluttershy know about the plans, and could you ask them to stop by my office tomorrow morning? I would like to check in with them too.”

“I’ll text them later.” Rarity nodded.





Morning spent at Chrysalis’ house had been a productive one. Sunset lent the woman a helping hand with packing up some of her belongings to move into Luna’s apartment. A good few hours spent loading the car back and forth made the two work up quite the appetite. Without any objections and two hungry stomachs, they decided to make a quick pit stop at the Diner place they enjoyed for some lunch. 

Once inside, Chrysalis guided them to a booth at the near end of the shop. She wanted them to have a quiet spot to chat without anyone listening in. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before a waiter showed up to hand them their menus. Chrysalis put down the menu so she could peruse it with her healthy hand, and went straight to the latter half.

Sunset was taken by surprise, skipped ahead, and got to the same section.

“Chrysalis, wouldn’t you rather have lunch first instead of pie?”

“You know what I like when eating out?” Chrysalis asked with a mischievous grin. She pointed to an item on the menu.

“Dessert?” Sunset asked. Chrysalis shook her head and pointed to the item again. ”Pie?” Sunset questioned once more.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and said: “Duh, but no.” Before vigorously pointing to the number of the dessert, which read 69. She had a sly and expectant look, completely befuddling Sunset.

“Sixty-nine?” She asked.

“Bingo!” Chrysalis cheered. Her excitement died down when she noticed Sunset’s confused look. “Sixty nine. Get it?”

“Um…” Sunset stared into Chrysalis’ eyes. “What’s sixty nine got to do with eating out?” She asked with pure innocence in her tone. 

Chrysalis almost choked on her saliva. After she managed to recover to just laughter through a coughing fit, she briefly told her to ignore it. “Never mind that, Sunset. It’s an inside joke with Luna and me, and it has an ancient history behind it. You’ll learn someday.” 

The fit had drawn the attention of their waiter, who asked if she’d like a drink of water, but she kindly declined. In a way he showed up just in time, since they had a brief moment to seque their conversation. A nice moment to place an order. 

Moments passed, the waiter returned with their food. He handed Sunset her veggie burger and fries, and a glass of water. Then, handed Chrysalis her pie and energy drink. 

A child-like grin plastered across Chrysalis’ face after the waiter left. She glanced down at her plate, picked up her fork, and began to eat away at her heavenly dessert. ”S-So good.” She mumbled around a mouthful of pie. ”You’ve got to try this, Sun-bun.” She said, tapping the plate.

”A-am okay,” Sunset replied, eating at her fries.

Chrysalis moved the plate forward. ”Just try it, I can assure you this will change your life forever.” Chrysalis cut a small slice for Sunset, lifted her fork in the air, and leaned forward to feed her. Sunset hesitantly took a bite from her, Chrysalis watched her gulp it down. ”So, what do you think?” She asked with eagerness.

”Mmm.” Sunset said with a slight hum. ”’Sho good.”

”Told you so,” Chrysalis chuckled, ”you can take more if you like.” 

Sunset shook her head. ”It’s okay, I’ve still got all of this to go through.” She motioned to her plate. ”Um, you want some?”

”No, thank you, I would rather have you eat it.” Chrysalis said, and began to trail off. ”So, there was a reason why I asked you out today.” 

”What do you mean?” Sunset questioned. ”I thought you just wanted me to help with packing?”

”Yes, I did, and you did a great job with that, by the way. I couldn't have done it without you. When we're next out, or if you want to go out with your friends, I'll give you some allowance to treat yourself.” Chrysalis praised Sunset with pride. ”Although, that wasn't the whole reason. Packing was just an excuse to get us out of the apartment for a while, but I actually wanted to check in with you, you know, talk about things.” 

Sunset swallowed some of her burger and stared at Chrysalis with apprehension. “W-What things?” She asked in a strained voice. 

Chrysalis took in Sunset’s sudden tension with concern. Her gaze and voice got softer. “Don’t worry, it’s not anything bad.” She assured her. She sighed. “I’m just worried about you, Sunset, and I wanted to know how you're feeling today?” She asked, taking a sip of her soda.

Sunset exhaled wistfully and put down her burger. She wiped her hands with her napkin. “I’d like to say I’m doing okay, but I don’t know.” 

Chrysalis went silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “What do you mean by that?” She tilted her head. 

Sunset shrugged half heartedly and peered out the window, she watched a family of four step outside the car. A mom and a dad helping their little ones. The kids were cheering and laughing away merrily. A tinge of envy pierced at her heart. She remembered she was a happy filly once too. In the castle. With Princess Celestia by her side. Now though, she was a broken soul desperate to feel anything but pain. 

“Sunset?” Chrysalis reached over with her good hand to place on top of Sunset’s. Pulling her away from her trance.

“Sorry,” Sunset flinched back from the touch, ”I’m just confused.”

“About what?” Chrysalis questioned, though if she had to guess she would know what exactly Sunset was meaning by that. 

Sunset hesitated, she wanted to say something, anything, but her mind had argued against all the possibilities of opening up to someone. She had her trust for those she cared about shattered once. Who's to say if she opened up to Chrysalis, would she find the confidence to speak to her about her true feelings? 

Chrysalis kept her caring and nurturing gaze on the timid girl, observing every ounce of anxiety Sunset showed with a great deal of solicitude. “You can talk to me, Sunset. I’m listening.” She spoke in a delicate tone, being careful not to miss a beat.

Sunset closed her eyes and composed herself, which took a few moments to steady her breath. “I don't know.” She retorted in hopelessness. ”What am I supposed to do? Where do I even go from here?” 

Chrysalis frowned. However, it quickly vanished once her face began to soften again. ”Sunset, what’s really worrying you? It's the adoption, isn't it?”

Sunset sighed remorsefully. ”Yes… No?” She grunted, playing with the straw in her glass. ”I don't know, It’s just all too much. I mean, we both know what I did yesterday, and then Luna blurts out that she wants to adopt me. That's the last thing I expected to happen!” She raised her voice with a hint of frustration, slumping further into the booth.

”Sunset,” Chrysalis moved her empty plate to the side and reached out again, ”Luna didn't mean to put any pressure on you last night. All she wants is for you to know that you're loved. I'll admit when Lu is emotional, she lets them run wild, but she meant every word she said. I should know, Lu has kept this in the dark for a while now, and she wanted to wait for the perfect time to tell you. She asked me to write the papers then once they were finished, she was going to surprise you with them.” 

Sunset’s eyes dilated in shock. ”Wait, you knew this whole time?” She asked with a gaped mouth. ”But, why would you even do that? Why would you agree to this?”

Chrysalis looked out the window for a second before turning to face Sunset. She sat up straight. “I want you and Luna to be happy, Sunset, that’s why I agreed. You both deserve happiness in your lives, and I want to play a part in that. I’ll tell you something, when you came into Lu’s life you changed her into a completely different person. She was never one to be maternal, but since she took you in, all she’s been wanting to do is nurture and care for you. She’s much happier from her old days, and I know you have something to do with that. I see the fondness in her eyes when she’s around you. I feel the love she has for you when she kisses you goodnight or when she hugs you close. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to let you go. She loves you, Sunset. Probably more than life itself.” She chuckled wholeheartedly.

”Why does she love me, though?” Sunset studied Chrysalis’ eyes. Trying to find any answers of the unknown to keep her mind at peace. ”I’m nothing special.” There was a pregnant pause and she began to sniffle. ”I don’t understand why she wants... me?” She asked in the most subdued voice Chrysalis has ever heard Sunset speak. “I don’t even want me.”

’Does this poor girl really think she is incapable of being loved?’ Chrysalis wondered with her heart beating inside her head. She gazed into Sunset’s dreadful, miserable teal eyes. Catching a glimpse of Sunset’s hurt, her pain for those who rejected her, and those who made her feel unloved piercing back at her. Carving into her own heart and tearing it apart. One child, one poor fragile kid having to carry those burdens of never feeling wanted. Never feeling good enough. Never knowing what the feeling of what it is like to be loved was too much for Chrysalis to bear. Whoever had damaged Sunset like this, she was sure as hell going to make them pay. She seized a hand to her trembling lips, trying to prevent a sob from escaping before she could even get her words out.

“My dear Sunset,” Chrysalis rasped out, she narrowed her head to meet Sunset’s lacrimal eyes, “you are special sweetcheeks. You heard Lu last night: you have more value to her than anything in this world. She loves you for who you are, without condition. If I had to guess why she loves you, it’s because she sees so much of herself in you. I too have noticed the similar traits you share, your personality for one. Perhaps that is why I've grown attached to you. I’d say you’re witty and sarcastic like me, but your sweetness and curiosity are Luna all round. I can still remember the first day we met, and the moment Lu introduced me to you. Your shyness reminded me so much of her when I first met her. She was so timid of me, she couldn't look me in the eyes or mutter a single word.”

”You’re telling me, Luna was shy with you?” Sunset commented, she leaned forward and rested her arms on the table.

”I know, hard to believe, right?” Chrysalis smirked in amusement. ”But, It’s true! Though, I managed to get through to her with my charm, of course. By the end of the night, I couldn't get rid of her.” She laughed. “I remember she went on and on about this one video game she was obsessed with at the time. I listened to her for hours, and you know what? I loved every minute. Seeing her face light it up brighter than the sun, she was the cutest! There was so much passion in her voice and eyes...” She smiled, thinking for a second before continuing. 

”You know, she can be a very passionate person when she loves something or someone. She does the exact same when she goes on about you. She always tells me how well you do in school and that you are top of your class. I’ve never seen her look so proud! Remember that time you came home with an A-plus on your chemistry exam?” 

Sunset bit down on her straw. ”Yeah, what about it?” She questioned, not giving much thought on why Chrysalis brought that up. She continued sipping her drink.

Chrysalis grinned proudly. ”I remember she went on about it for a whole week! She told me how much effort you put into it, spending all those hours at home studying and getting her to question you. She never stopped talking about it, practically beaming with pride and joy. That's how I know she loves you. When I mentioned earlier about the look she gets in her eyes when she's around you? I noticed it every time I'm with you both, especially last night. With her pushing her own feelings to the side and focusing on you. How she comforted you, and don't forget you two had a tickle war after mines and Lu’s fight. She wants to make you feel safe, comfortable, and loved. She wants to have a home with you, wants to be a mother and us to be a family. Why do you think Lu revealed the adoption plans last night?”

Sunset chewed on her thumbnail, peeling the cuticle away nervously. She wasn't too sure what to feel with Chrysalis’ statement about Luna’s love for her. The idea felt completely foreign and she found herself thinking Chrysalis was talking about some stranger rather than her. Who would want a sixteen-year-old? Moreover, who would love a defiant sixteen-year-old like her? How could she believe Chrysalis if what she was saying about Luna was true? Did Luna really love her or is it all just some act?  

”I don't know why Luna wants to adopt me, to be honest.” Sunset shrugged, rubbing her hand along her jacket. ”I thought last night she was only saying those things because she wanted to give me pity.” 

”What?” Chrysalis' voice and face dropped. ”No, honey, that's far from the case. Luna’s intentions weren't because she pities you. It’s because she wanted to let you know how much you mean to her. We got a big scare yesterday, and I think Lu realized she left telling you about the adoption plans too late. She wanted to tell you because she’s terrified she’ll lose you again. If I hadn't caught you, I don’t know where Luna would be. I know she wouldn’t have been able to cope without you. She would be so devastated, Sunset, I don't think I could blame her if she tried to kill herself again. Everything Luna does for you is all because she loves you. That's why she wants you to be her daughter. The whole reason she wants to adopt you is so you know she wants to be in your life forever.” 

Sunset pressed her mouth into a thin line. She wrapped both of her arms around herself tightly and spoke in a small voice: “I’m sorry, Chrys, but I don’t know if I can believe you.” She frowned, her voice getting higher as she ranted on. “How do I know she won’t get tired of me one day? Everyone does! No one ever wants me around long enough. For my whole life, I’ve been shown that I don’t mean anything to anyone. If I do something wrong, they decide they don’t want me anymore and kick me out. Who’s going to want a daughter like me when they realize how worthless I am? I’m complete trash!” She dropped her head down, trying her best to hold back her stubborn tears.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Chrysalis’ eyes flashed red, and she growled in enough anger to make Sunset recoil back with fear. Had Sunset slumped any further into the booth, it probably would’ve sucked her in by now. She slowly watched Chrysalis steady herself up and slide in next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. 

“Now, you listen here, young lady.” Chrysalis' voice was stern but still shared an underlying softness to it. “I don’t want to ever hear you speak so lowly of yourself like that again. Do you hear? You are worth so much more than that, babes. You are so beyond important to Luna and myself. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, you could do wrong that would make us question our love for you. We love you because we want to love you. We have no intention of ever leaving you, Sunset. It’s why we want to sign those papers and why we want to adopt you. To show you how serious we are.”
 
Sunset arched her brow, curious as to why Chrysalis changed her terms all of a sudden. “W-Why are y-you saying things like ‘we’ C-Chrysalis?” She stuttered out with a shaky voice. Chrysalis’ firmness was something Sunset was still getting used to, Luna being strict on her was one thing, but hearing the sharpness in Chrysalis' tone made her skin crawl.  

Chrysalis inhaled a thick breath. ”I’m included in the adoption papers as your godmother.” She revealed, becoming silent to let Sunset register what she just said.

”WHAT?” Sunset shrieked incredulously, shooting up from the table.

Chrysalis grabbed onto her arm, lowering her to sit back down. ”Sunset, please if you calm down, I'll explain.” 

Sunset obeyed and focused direct eye contact onto Chrysalis, she continued.

”When Lu asked me to write up the adoption papers, she also asked me for another favor.” Chrysalis began, clearing her throat. ”She asked me to become your godmother. I agreed because I thought I could've shown you I care about you just as much as Luna does. I want to be someone important in your life, not just known as Lu’s girlfriend, but someone who you would see as another mother figure. I want to be able to teach you as my own. Show you the love you deserve to have and be there for you when you need me. I want to be able to comfort you the way Luna does. The way she loves and holds you, I want to do that with you too because I see you as a daughter just as much.”

”Surely, you're joking.” Sunset’s jaw hung slack, she chuckled nervously. ”This is one of your weird pranks you pull, isn't it? You aren't serious that you want to be my mother too?!” 

”Sunset, I am deadly serious.” Chrysalis said, quipping her eyebrow slightly. ”I’m sorry for not making myself clear in the past, but Sunset, I do love you. You've changed my life just as much as you've changed Lu’s. You know, if someone were to tell me I’d get a chance of raising a kid with my Lu, I'd probably laugh in their face, but now that we have you? I've never wanted anything more, to be honest. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to have a family to call my own, or to have Luna back in my life. Seeing the way Luna is with you, it brings joy to my heart, and it makes me wish how much I do want us to be family. We might not be related by blood, Sunset, but that doesn't matter to me. I still love you as if I've carried you myself.” 

Sunset rubbed her forehead and puffed her cheeks out. ”You don't want me, Chrysalis.” She replied in a tone of disbelief, allowing a tear to fall down her cheek. “You even said last night, you weren't sure if you made the right choice with saving me, and now you're saying you want to be my mom? If it's a daughter you want, I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong one.”

’Is that what she thinks?’ Chrysalis flinched at her thought. She swallowed back the lump in her throat and blinked away the tears that stung in her eyes. ”Sunset, no! You're getting the wrong end of the stick here.” She said, sucking in a sob. ”What I said last night was never about you. I don't want you to think I would regret saving you because that's not true.” She placed her hand on top of Sunset’s head, running her fingers through her hair. ”You matter so much to me, and I want you to be a part of my family. I would do everything I could to protect you with my life. You’re one of the best things that have ever happened to me, and I would much rather risk my own life to save you. No matter how many times you may fall, you can for sure as hell believe I’ll be the first person to catch you. You're mine and Lu’s kid, Sunset, and I’d be damned if I ever lost you.” She placed her hand over where her heart is. ”So, please, don't think I would think that about you. What I said was more about me.”

”What do you mean, Chrys?” Sunset asked with confusion and concern in her tone. She moved closer to the upset woman, trying her best to give her comfort. 

Chrysalis bit down on her lip, taking a few moments to think what to say next without upsetting Sunset too much. ”Yesterday was a new low for me, Sunset. I failed you, I failed myself, and I failed Luna. I’m supposed to look out for you, be a friend to you when you need me, but I didn't do my job. Meaning, I failed, and for that, I paid the price.” She looked at her broken arm with a frown. ”Last night, I said I don’t know if I did the right thing, because so much had led up to… yesterday’s events. Had I done the right thing, maybe I wouldn’t have needed to save you. Because maybe you wouldn’t have tried to take your own life at all. You're supposed to come to me when you need help, yet you couldn't. What does that say about me? Who am I to have made you feel like you couldn't have talked to me? Since last night I've asked myself: Am I doing enough for you? For Luna? How can I be if I've almost lost the two closest to me to suicide? How can I be worth anything, if the two people I love most don't want to be around me?” 
 
”Chrysalis,” Sunset’s voice cracked, ”I don't know if I believe either of you, to be honest, but I do think you didn't fail Luna, or me.” She said, brushing her fingers along the table. ”When Luna phoned me earlier, she mentioned Celestia honored you during assembly. She thanked you for saving me. I think that was really great of the both of them.” 

Chrysalis’ fiddled with her cast on her arm. Tears formed at the thought of her girlfriend and Celestia recognizing her worth and value. ”...They did?” She asked, dumbfounded by Sunset’s comment.

Sunset gave Chrysalis a tentative nod. ”I think that shows you have a lot of worth to her,” She said, taking a sip of her soda to soothe her delicate and sore throat, ”and it shows she and Celestia are both grateful for you saving me. You mean a lot to Luna, and I think that's why she got so upset with you last night.”

”I know I upset Lu last night,” Chrysalis sighed and glanced down to the floor, ”but I hate it when Luna blames herself for what happened. Not all of it was her fault, you know? I'm much to blame too, and I don't know if Lu sees that. She’s the type of person who would pile the blame onto herself rather than seeing who else is at fault. A relationship works two ways, Sunset, and I failed her the moment she took those pills, and then I did it again when I left her. How she doesn't hate me for that, I'll never know.” 

”Why don't you talk to her about how you feel?” Sunset suggested. ”I’m sure if you both sit down somewhere and chat, Luna will listen. I can ask to go to one of the girl's houses or something if you both need time alone.”

Chrysalis patted Sunset’s shoulder. She gave her a soft smile. ”Sunset, that’s sweet of you, but if Luna and I talk about what happened, it’ll end up in another argument. Last night was bad enough as it was. I don't know if I can take another, and I don't think Luna can either. We've got more important priorities right now, that's what we should be focusing on instead.” 

”You and Luna will need to talk about it at some point, Chrys.” Sunset said. ”You can't exactly avoid it forever. It's going to end up tearing you two apart. I don't want that for either of you.” 
 
”I know, I know.” Chrysalis grumbled with an exasperated sigh. ”I’ll talk to her about it at some point, okay? But, I just need some time to figure it all out.”

”You promise you’ll talk to her, though?” Sunset asked, looking up to Chrysalis with puppy eyes. 

”Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Chrysalis said, motioning her hand. ”That’s the saying, right?”

”Yeah.” Sunset giggled slightly. ”How did you know that?”

”Luna taught me it a while ago, and it sort of just… stuck.” Chrysalis shrugged her shoulder. 





A few quick errands and some paperwork completed, Luna was finally on her way home. After the emotional day she had, she couldn't wait to see her favorite girls. She pulled up to a space near her apartment complex and beamed when she came into the view of her living room window. The thought of seeing their faces made her heart race with excitement. She stepped out of the car and practically bounced with anticipation and enthusiasm to get to her loved ones.

Entering her apartment, Luna swung the door open. ”I’m home!” She exclaimed cheerfully. Feeling the tension in her shoulders being released by the relaxing scent of lavender drifting past her nose. 

Chrysalis walked over to greet her. She placed a kiss on her cheek. ”Hey, babe.” She smiled, trying to help Luna with the bags as best as she could. ”What took you so long?”

“Hi, love.” Luna kissed her back. ”I’m sorry.” She said with a guilty expression. ”I got held up at work, then Tia and I stopped at the mall for a few things. Tia went all out, literally. You should see the things she’s bought for Sunset! The room is coming along really well. I can't wait for her to see it!”

”I swear, Tia’s going to have her more spoiled than us.” Chrysalis chuckled. ”Where is she now? I thought she would've dropped in?”

”She’s at home. She wants to make sure the room for Sunset is completely finished.” Luna said, moving to hang up her jacket. She quickly slipped off her shoes and placed them by the door next to Sunset’s and Chrysalis’. ”l did offer to help, but she told me to get home to you two. Also, she asked if she could take Sunset tomorrow after work. So, I was thinking we could have a date? You know, dinner or something? My treat.”

Chrysalis grinned. ”If it's your treat, I certainly can't say no to that.” She reached out with her hand and wrapped Luna around her waist.

”Good,” Luna smiled, ”because it's been a while.” She said, giving her another peck on the lips. She released herself from Chrysalis’ grip. ”Anway, what’s my baby girl up to? She's pretty quiet.” She asked, peeking behind Chrysalis’ shoulder to see if she could spot Sunset.

”She’s sleeping on the couch,” Chrysalis answered. She stepped to the side to let Luna move in further. 

”Has she been okay with you today?” Luna questioned, she glanced over to the sofa. Her face softened when she noticed the slumbering Sunset, curled up with the blanket she bought her. 

”That’s something we need to talk about, actually.” Chrysalis whispered in a serious tone as she walked Luna to the seating area. 

Luna’s first instinct was to sit down next to her wayward child. She gave Sunset a motherly smile. She reached over with her hand. Fixing up the falling strands of Sunset’s orange and red locks, tucking them behind her ear, and caressing her face. With a slight lean forward, Luna placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She pulled the blanket up to her neck, and patted each side inwards to make sure Sunset was snug as a bug. Chrysalis watched her for a moment before raising an eyebrow.  

“Luna, will you stop fussing over her?” Chrysalis groaned, taking a seat on the recliner. ”I know you've missed her, but she's exhausted. Let her sleep for a bit, okay?” 

“Sorry,” Luna moved back, “I just want to make sure she’s comfortable.” She glimpsed over to Chrysalis. ”... I feel so guilty for not being here today. She needed me and I wasn’t there.” 

Chrysalis gave Luna a sympathetic smile, understanding what her girlfriend is feeling right now. She felt the same way whenever she used to leave Luna in the old apartment to go to her shift. ”Lu, I get what you’re saying, but don't feel bad. We both understand you have other responsibilities. Look at it this way: you have to work to be able to provide for Sunset. Plus, it’s why I’m here, remember? I’m here to look after her while you go to work. So you don't need to worry.”

”... I just feel like I should be doing more.” Luna sighed wearily. She paused, thinking. ”... How has she been feeling? She didn't tell me much on the phone. The most I got from her was ”I’m fine”, and about a dozen ”Uh-huh’s.”

”She’s been okay,” Chrysalis said, ”quiet, but she’s been good company. We had a little chat at the Diner.” 

Luna clasped her hands together to stop herself from fighting the impulse to fuss over Sunset again. “What did you two talk about?”

Chrysalis sighed heavily. She began to tell Luna everything Sunset said from start to finish. Not leaving one thing out, and telling her how she reacted when Chrysalis told Sunset about wanting to be her godmother.

Luna's eyes began to well up after hearing everything Chrysalis said. ”... She really questioned why I love her?” She murmured in monotone and slouched her body weight into the couch.

Seeing Luna’s anguished eyes filled Chrysalis up with compassion, she gave her girlfriend a comforting and gentle smile. ”I’m sorry, babe. I know this must be really hard for you to hear. You have no idea how much I wish for Sunset to see how much we love her. Seeing her like that today, it broke my heart. No child deserves to feel like they are unlovable, and I promise you one thing, Lu, I will make sure she knows she is loved.” She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her own tears coming to the surface. 

Luna brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. ”Why doesn't she believe us, Chrys?”

”She seems to think we're only saying we love her because we feel sorry for her.” Chrysalis explained.

”That isn't the reason, Chrys, and you know it.” Luna lowered her head down with the feeling of remorse hitting her. She allowed a few tears to fall. She stubbornly wiped them away and quickly glanced over to the sleeping girl, her heart stung for her. How could Sunset think her love wasn’t genuine? Anger rose within her mind when thoughts crossed over about Sunset’s past with the Princess. She couldn’t help but think the Princess had something to do with Sunset reevaluating her worth.  

Chrysalis sensed something wasn’t right when Luna went silent all of a sudden. She walked over to the other side, where her partner was. She sat down on the coffee table and placed her hand on her knee. ”You know what, here’s a suggestion, I think you should talk with her. You should take her out on the weekend. Just the two of you. Take her to the mall or even the spa. I don’t know, a place you would think that would make her comfortable. I think both of you need some time together. I’ve noticed she is still very hesitant when she gets the tiniest bit of affection, and she is still unsure of her place. You need to be clear with that, Luna. Tell her what you want, what plans you have for her future. You’ve already set aside a bank account for her, right? And you’re putting her on yours and my will? She needs to know this information. Otherwise, when she turns eighteen. She’s going to think that she’ll have to start on her own again, and she won’t have a family to come home to. Let her know you're in this for the long run. No matter what happens.” 

Luna sniffled. She thought Chrysalis’ comment through for a moment before nodding in agreement. ”... I guess you're right, Chrys.” She glanced at her girlfriend with puffy eyes. ”Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?” 

Chrysalis gasped and pretended to faint dramatically. ”Oh, no, how will I possibly ever? A few hours without my Lu? The tragedy, my heart can't possibly take it!” She bent down to her knees and clung onto Luna for dear life.

Luna rolled her eyes and gave Chrysalis a sly look. ”You can't get through a day without sending me a text.” She chuckled, wiping her eyes.

”If I don't text, you panic.” Chrysalis smirked, noticing Luna finding her amusing. She grabbed her hand. ”Seriously, though? I’ll be fine, you need your time with Sunset. It’ll do you both good to get out of the apartment for a while. I can meet up with you two afterward.” 

”You’re the best, love.” Luna praised Chrysalis with genuine affection. She twiddled her thumbs shyly, looking towards the window and going quiet again.

”Luna?” Chrysalis picked up on Luna’s nervousness with concern. She got up and focused on Luna. ”What’s wrong?” 

Luna turned her head around and sighed. ”... Can you hug me for a little bit, please?” She asked in a small voice. ”Like you used to when we were teenagers? I-I just need you right now.”

Chrysalis’ eyes softened. ”Aw, babe. Come here.” She stood up and plopped herself down on Luna’s lap. She extended her arm for Luna to snuggle more. ”You don't need to ever ask for a cuddle from me.” She said, placing a kiss on her forehead. ”Afterall the years we've known each other? You should know by now you get unlimited Chrysi snuggles.” She nuzzled Luna’s nose with hers. 

Luna’s chin vibrated against Chrysalis. “I don’t deserve you.” She mumbled, leaning more into the touch. She wrapped her arms around Chrysalis’ waist, being careful not to hurt her arm. ”I really don't.” 

”Luna…” Chrysalis lifted her chin. ”Don’t think like that. If I could give you the world, I would, because it's what you deserve, babe.” 

Luna’s lip trembled, tears began to fall at hearing Chrysalis’ soft words. She pressed her head into Chrysalis’ chest and sobbed quietly.

Chrysalis tightened her grip, not caring about her broken arm. Seeing Luna in pain was much worse. ”Hey, Lu.” She softly soothed. ”It’s alright. Don't get upset, babe.” She stroked her hair with care. ”Everything’s going to be just fine. Sunset’s going to be fine.” She kissed Luna’s temple. 

“I hope so,” Luna closed her eyes and sniffed, “I never wanted any of this for her, Chrys, and it hurts knowing she’s going through what I did.”

“Neither did I, but on the bright side, she has us to help her.” Chrysalis said, resting her hand on Luna’s head. “We’ll get past this, Lu, like everything else we've dealt with. It will work out, as long as we keep faith.” 

Luna hissed, feeling pain at the side of her head the moment Chrysalis rubbed over the spot she injured this morning. Chrysalis recoiled her hand and looked at Luna in worry. ”Wait a minute, did I just hurt you?” 

”N-No, no.” Luna stuttered with a wave of her hand. ”Just my imagination.” 

”Luna,” Chrysalis sternly reacted, ”Where are you hurt, and can you tell me what happened?” 

Luna sighed. ”I had an accident at work, but it's nothing! I swear! Just banged my head, that's all.”

”How did you bang your head?” Chrysalis asked with growing concern. ”Why didn't you phone me, or tell Sunset when you were speaking to her? How sore is it? Do we need to take you to the hospital, because I will right now.” She panicked, shifting from Luna’s lap to get up.

Luna grabbed Chrysalis’ waist. ”Chrysalis, calm down. You'll wake Sunset.” She said in a firm whisper. ”It’s just a small bruise. It’ll heal in a couple of days. Nothing to panic over.”

”Still,” Chrysalis replied, ”phone me next time, okay? Doesn't matter how big or small it is, I'd like to know you're okay.”

”Stop worrying,” Luna kissed her lips, ”I’m fine.”

”As long as you're sure, I’ll drop this matter for now.” Chrysalis said. ”How about you rest up for a bit? I can get you a blanket if you want, and you can lie up with Sunset. You seem pretty exhausted.” 

”I have too much to do, Chrys.” Luna said with another drowsy sigh. ”I’ve got to prepare for dinner, and get Sunset sorted for the night. And not to mention my other chores too.”

”I can do that for you.” Chrysalis was quick to answer. ”If you want to go for a nap, I’ll wake you up in an hour.”

”It’s okay, I’ll do it.” Luna responded, still reluctant to give in. ”You've been busy all day with Sunset, Chrys. That's not fair on you either. I don't want you putting too much strain on your arm.”

”I didn’t give you a choice.” Chrysalis placed her finger on Luna’s lips. ”And before you argue, you’ve been at work most of the day, and you were sleeping on a chair last night watching over our girl. I think you deserve some time to rest.” She said, getting up from Luna’s lap.

Luna pouted, reaching out to grab Chrysalis’ arm. ”Where are you going?”

”I’m going to the storage cupboard to get you a blanket.” Chrysalis said, trying to walk away.

”No, don't go yet,” Luna looked up, ”stay, please.” 

Chrysalis rolled her eyes playfully. She sat back down on Luna’s lap. ”One more snuggle, then it's sleep, alright?” 





The household was finally settled for the night. Chrysalis, Luna, and Sunset had retrieved to the living room after being fed by Luna’s delicious home-cooked meal. Chrysalis had helped Luna prepare beforehand, and Sunset assisted Luna with clean up. Now, they were huddled up on the sofa with the tv mumbling in the background. Though, instead of them having their eyes glued to the big screen, all three sets we're focused on photo prints of Chrysalis and Luna when they were teenagers. Chrysalis had brought them through after she took a shower and scattered them across Luna’s oak coffee table. Searching through them one by one. 

Luna sat at Sunset’s right side with a smile on her face. It was weird and nostalgic to see herself as a teenager again. She was no more than Sunset’s age and was madly in love with Chrysalis when these photos were taken. ”I have to say Chrys,” Luna began, ”I thought you would've burnt these a long time ago.” She said, looking through her own pile and passing them over for Sunset to see.

Chrysalis scratched at her ear awkwardly. ”Nah, babe. I couldn't part with them.” She blushed. ”I mean, you and I, we made some pretty good memories, you know? I couldn't exactly throw that away.”

Luna glanced over to her. ”Yeah, we did, huh? Say, remember those times you used to collect tokens and badges for me? I still have those. Even that little teddy bear you won on our second date.” 

”What? The little blue one? The one we called… What was it again?” Chrysalis thought for a moment. ”Oh, Sunshine?!” 

”Yeah, that one.” Luna nodded and gave Chrysalis a shy smile. ”Like you said: I couldn't part with it, it was too special to me. And you always said: I was your Sunshine even on your bluest days.” 

Chrysalis gave a hearty chuckle. ”You always will be.” She grinned broadly.

Sunset rolled her eyes teasingly. ”You two are so cheesy sometimes.” She grumbled. Though, if she had to be honest, the warmth, atmosphere, and affection of her carers brought joy to her heart. Seeing them interact like that, made Sunset feel safe and secure within her surroundings. For the first time in forever, she felt protected, and she knew these two people between her would cause her no malice for enjoying herself.

Chrysalis playfully jabbed Sunset’s hip. ”Well, I'm allowed to be cheesy to my loved ones. Which means, you too, my little Sun.” She nuzzled Sunset’s head, fluffing her hair up a little.

”I think I'm gonna barf.” Sunset mumbled and pretended to gag.

Chrysalis clutched her t-shirt. “Ouch, you teenagers just wound me.”

Luna laughed at the two, Sunset proceeded to blow raspberries at her.

Unexpectedly, Chrysalis interrupted the chat. ”Oh!” She shouted. Luna and Sunset turned round to face her. She pointed to a polaroid photo with a much younger-looking Luna printed on it. ”This photo always reminds me of Sunset. Your styles are so similar here.”

Luna’s hands held the photo in question. She gasped. “Actually, I do see it, Chrys.” She studied it for a second longer and then glanced over to Sunset. Imagining her in her clothes. As a teen, Luna’s style was more on the alternative side and mostly consisted of ripped jeans, a t-shirt of some nineties band she was into at the time, and her signature leather jacket. Much like Sunset wears now.

”Luna, why are you looking at me like that?” Sunset cut her off from her intent stare. 

”Sorry, here.” Luna cleared her throat and flinched back. She handed the photo over to Sunset. 

“Oh, hey Luna, neat jacket.” Sunset remarked. ”Chrys is right, this is something I would wear, actually.” 

Luna placed her finger on her chin, thinking for a second. ”Can you two give me a minute, please? I need to go find something.” 

Without another word and a plan in mind, Luna got up from her seated position. She started to walk down the hallway to her bedroom. Chrysalis and Sunset chatted among themselves, waiting for Luna’s return. 

Chrysalis was the first to notice Luna entering the room again, and had something draped over her arm. She took a good stare before realizing it was her old leather jacket. She blinked twice in surprise. 

”You have got to be kidding me!” Chrysalis announced with her mouth gaped open. ”You still have that? I thought you lost it for good!” 

”So did I, at first,” Luna petted it as though she was petting a dog, ”but Tia kept it all this time. After she moved out of our parent's house, she took some of my belongings that had meant something to me. Including this,” She held up the jacket, ”It was quite the shock when Tia handed it back to me. I never thought she paid attention to any of that stuff.” 

”Wow,” Chrysalis shook her head in amazement, ”It’s so weird to see it in person again. I never went a day without seeing you in it.” She smirked. “You even wore it in winter when it was freezing!”

Luna chuckled. ”Oh, yes. I remember the: ‘You’ll catch a cold if you keep wearing that thing.’ Very well.” She gave Chrysalis a sly look.

”Huh, so, that's where you get that from.” Sunset looked up to Luna with a smirk of her own. She turned to Chrysalis. ”Luna doesn't let me leave the apartment, not unless I've got about a dozen layers on.” 

Chrysalis snorted at that statement.

Luna rolled her eyes playfully. ”You’re exaggerating and plus, a few layers is better than getting frostbite!” She motioned one of her hands in the air.

”It hasn't even been that cold yet, Luna.” Sunset quipped up. ”Plus, I would need to be out in the cold for ages to get frostbite.”

”Hey! You’ll be thanking me when you're older, little miss ’I don't need a jacket. I think I'm immune to the cold weather because I'm a teenager.’” Luna replied with sarcasm and folded her arms. 

Sunset pulled a mock face, Chrysalis giggled at the two bickering at one another.

”What?” Both Luna and Sunset said in sync, turning to face Chrys. 

”It’s nothing,” Chrysalis waved them off, ”you two just make me laugh when you are like this.” 

Sunset and Luna looked at each other and shrugged.

”Anyway, back to what I was saying.” Luna began again. “When Tia gave my jacket back to me I literally cried for about a week straight. I'm not kidding. It was so touching that she would do such a thing. This jacket was basically a part of my teenage years.” She smiled. ”Sadly, it’s not doing much in the back of my closet, and since Chrysalis brought it up.” She turned to Sunset. ”I was thinking you would maybe want it, Sunset?” 

The sudden suggestion made Sunset’s eyes widened in shock. She stiffened. ”Luna, I can't accept something like that.” She put her hands up in an attempt to make a protest.

”I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want you to have it, Sunset.” Luna replied. “Why don’t you try it on?”

Sunset pulled an unsure face. ”I don't know, Luna. You said it yourself that your jacket is special to you. Why’d you want someone like me to wear it?” 

Luna shared a concerned look with Chrysalis before turning back to Sunset. ”Well, I know that you like leather jackets too. And on the plus side, I know that it will be going to someone who is special to me, and who will take good care of it.” She shook out the jacket. “If it fits, it’s yours for the taking.”

Sunset stood up hesitantly and huffed. ”Okay, fine. I’ll try it.” She dragged herself over to her guardian.

Luna helped Sunset put her arms into the sleeves and fixed her up. She gave Sunset a proud motherly grin. ”Yay!” She clapped her hands. ”It fits perfectly!” She squealed in excitement, standing in front of Sunset. She twirled her around to show Chrysalis. 

Chrysalis beamed, putting her hand on her cheek. ”D’aww! She's like a mini-you, Lu!”

Luna smiled. ”Chrys, can you bring me my phone over, please?” She asked politely, still fussing over Sunset and the jacket.

”Sure, my dear.” Chrysalis took Luna’s phone off charge and handed it over to her. ”Here you go.”

“What are you two doing?” Sunset asked with panic and dread building up inside of her. Noticing the look of mischief on both their faces.

”Can you stand over at the wall?” Luna used her finger to swipe through her phone, preparing the camera. “I want to take a picture of you.” 

“No way, absolutely not.” Sunset backed away, trying to hide from her in the corner. 

“I’m only sending it to Celestia.” Luna positioned herself, standing a little further back.

“Luna, I look a mess! And I'm in my pajamas!” Sunset whined frustratedly, motioning a hand to herself in a dramatic fashion.

Luna walked over to her. ”Sunset, you do not look a mess.” She caressed her face. ”You are absolutely beautiful the way you are, my sweet baby girl. No one can tell you differently.”

Sunset scoffed a little. ”How can you say that? Look at me, I'm ugly!” She shuffled, looking down at her feet. 

Luna bent down to Sunset’s level, putting her arms at each side of Sunset’s elbows. ”Baby,” She began softly, ”talk to me, what is it about yourself that makes you feel ugly?” 

”Well, everyone at school thinks I'm an evil, ugly, raging she-demon, and the thing is I can't blame them. Because every time I look in a mirror, that's what I see too.” Said Sunset, in a sullen tone. 

Luna focused her worried gaze on the stressed-out teen. ”Sunset,” She used her thumbs to rub Sunset’s arms, trying her best to be careful with this, ”I understand you may not feel good about yourself, but you aren't a demon. I remember when I was your age, I used to feel the same way as you. I hated my appearance. People used to say to me I looked hideous because I wore too much black, or that I was the ’ugly duckling’ out of Tia and me, and I should ask my sister for tips on how to look better. However, from my experiences, I've learned you shouldn't listen to what others think of you. I know that seems obvious, but trust me when I say, what matters most is what you think of yourself. Not to those who say you're ugly. Whatever people say about you doesn't define the person you are. Those are just words. Not who you truly are. Now, I may sound like I'm being biased, but through my eyes, you are such a beautiful, kind, smart, loving girl, who makes me very proud of the young woman you are blossoming into.” 

Sunset’s eyes began to well up, she shook her head violently and in disbelief. ”How can you be proud of me? I'm not even proud of me!” 

Luna shared a worried look with Chrysalis, then focused on Sunset. ”You make me proud in many ways, my child. When I first watched you apologize to your friends for your past wrongdoings, that made my heart burst with pride. Even the time you apologized to me, when I already forgave you, I knew you changed then. I admired the way you showed me compassion and empathy when I told you about my past last night, and that is something I always knew you had in you. You aren't the bad person you think you are. I can tell you want to change, Sunset, and I can see it. Do you think I don't notice the way you help around the house and the school? Or the way you've been helping out Chrysalis today? You may not realize this, but as you are right now, standing here with my old leather jacket on, brings me so much pride and joy. You have no idea. I am proud of who you are as a person and how far you've come. I don't want you to change who you are, or your values for anyone, because that’s what makes you unique. Your uniqueness is what makes you beautiful on the outside and inside. Stop caring about what others think about you, and start being proud of who you are.” Luna gave her shoulder a squeeze. ”Because my little Sunshine, you are worth so much more than their words.” Luna got up and placed a soothingly kiss on Sunset’s nose. 

”She’s right, you know.” Chrysalis walked over to place her healthy hand on Sunset. ”Words are just words until you give them power, then they affect you. Luna and I may not fully understand how you feel, but we can relate to you. As teens growing up, we had every horrible word thrown at us because we didn't live up to society’s ’standards.’ There was a time in our lives, Lu and I couldn't walk down the street holding hands without someone yelling at us. Telling us we should rot in hell, we even got eggs thrown at us a few times, and we were labeled as ’dykes.’ It was a tough time for us, and it made me angry because Lu was starting to feel bad about herself. I remember a straight couple once came up to us on the street and spat the most hateful words. Luna was in bits over it. From there, I realized some individuals can be self-centered and narrow-minded when it comes to a person being gay. When I realized their opinions about me meant nothing. I laughed it off and told them to check themselves before they started saying anything about Luna and me.”

”I had no idea you two had to deal with that, and I'm so sorry people were nasty to you.” Sunset said with sympathy. ”I don't understand why people couldn't just let you be. It’s not like you were harming anyone? So, what's it got to do with them? It's your relationship, not there's.” 

”Not everyone has the same view as you do, kiddo,” Chrysalis sadly answered with a sigh, ”I wished it was like that, but even now, there are many people in this world who still view people in a relationship with the same-sex as disgusting. Luna and I have fought for years, we've gone to protests, pride events, even fundraisers to fight for our rights. It’s been hard, and while some things have improved over the years, there’s still a lot that needs to be done. That’s why I say Luna and I have an understanding of how you feel, and we want you to know you should never give in to what people think or say about you. That’s what they want you to do. You have to jump above that, kid, and let them know their words don't affect you. Even if their words may hurt a little, and you may want to act on it, never let it consume you.” Chrysalis stroked Sunset’s hair. ”I told Luna this advice years ago when she was struggling, and I'm going to teach you the same thing: Be true to who you are, and speak what you feel because those who mind don't matter, but those who matter don't mind. Who cares if those people think you're a she-demon? Or if they say you're ugly. You know that isn't true, and so do we. If I were to ask you right now, at this very moment, what you think about yourself, would you tell me you think you are a she-demon? Standing in front of me and Luna, do you truly see yourself as what you've described you feel? Or are you choosing to believe it because that’s what others say to you?”

Sunset sniffed. ”Um, I guess not? No?” She looked at Chrysalis quizzingly.

”Exactly, and that’s my point.” Chrysalis retorted. ”You aren't a demon, Sunset, and you will never be. Instead, what I see is a sensitive, kind-hearted, wonderful teenage girl with a sweet personality. Despite what you've been through, you’ve managed to sit with me and Luna tonight and laugh. You've done amazing today, Sunset. Even if you don't think like that, you've accomplished a lot just in one day. You got out of bed, helped me with packing, ate well, and don't forget, you're one day clean from cutting. I know saying that may seem small, but those are great steps! Luna and I can see how hard you're trying. We know you're doing your best, and that is all we can hope. As your guardians, we just want you to be the best you can be. That’s what will make us proud.”

Sunset was so stunned, she had to take a minute to sit down on the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself. ”Chrys, Luna, that means more than I can say, to be honest,” she said with teary eyes, ”but if it helps any, I think you and Luna are great, and I support the both of you, and when you go to another pride event, I want to come with you.”

”Oh, Sunset,” Luna smiled and moved to sit down with her. She rested her hand on Sunset’s knee. ”Chrys and I appreciate you saying that, and we would love to take you. We want you to know we are proud of you and we love you no matter what you feel about yourself. You will always and forever have our unconditional love, sweet one, and whenever you start doubting yourself, always remember that you have us. You can count on us because we are a team. We will get through this. Together. We’re family, and family means nobody gets left behind.”

”I think,” Sunset smiled and wiped her eyes, ”I think I'm ready for that picture now.” 

”Are you sure?” Chrysalis questioned. ”You don't have to if you don't want to.”

”No, you can take it.” Sunset said, fixing herself.

Luna hugged Sunset. She gave her a kiss on the cheek. ”I’ll let you see it once I take it. Then, maybe, I can show you how beautiful you are.” She said, getting up to help Sunset.

After the picture was finally taken, Luna danced giddily in her place. ”Oh, Tia’s going to love this!” She said in a euphoric tone of voice and walked over to show Sunset. ”See? Look how beautiful you are, Sunset. Your natural curls, and your freckles. You look so pretty!”

Sunset’s eyes went wide. ”I-Is that the jacket?” She asked in awe, pointing to the screen. 

”Sure is!” Luna beamed. ”How about you take a look in the mirror?” Luna steered Sunset to the mirror next to the door. She stood behind her, watching her charge checking herself out. ”Well, what do you think?”

Sunset’s eyes twinkled. Despite the jacket being leather, it gave her a cozy fuzzy feeling inside. There was a sense of solace that came along with it, and she loved it. However, that still didn't stop the guilt pitting in her stomach. ”Are you sure you want me to have this?” She asked with skepticism in her tone, turning round to stare into Luna’s loving, warm eyes. 

Luna placed her hands upon Sunset’s shoulders. ”Yes, Sunset. I’m one hundred percent sure I want you to have this.”

”I-I just feel like this is too much, Luna.” Sunset sniffed, still trying to comprehend why her guardian would pass something this special down to her in the first place. It was the nicest thing someone has ever gifted her. 

”Don’t be silly,” Luna wiped Sunset’s face with her thumb, ”this is just me showing you how much I love you. There aren't enough words to describe how special you are to me. This jacket is a symbol to show you that I'll always be with you, even when I'm not there physically.”

Sunset wrapped her arms around her guardian’s slim waist. “Thank you so much, Luna. I promise to take good care of it.” She buried her head into Luna’s chest. She sighed in contentment when she felt Luna wrapped her arms around her shoulders. 

Luna gently squeezed her. She rested a hand on top of Sunset’s head, allowing Sunset to be pushed closer to feel her warmth. She leaned her head forward and placed a kiss on Sunset’s. ”You're welcome, my beautiful girl.” She smiled over to Chrysalis, who was wiping a tear away at the sweet scene.