//------------------------------// // 26 - Special Holidays - Luna // Story: Sunset Shimmer - Six Friends One Heart // by Babroniedad //------------------------------// Luna Later that afternoon, Luna finished up her paperwork, looking forward to spending the evening with Sunset and her friends. Looking over her desk, Luna nodded. Everything was caught up, reports filled out, requisitions signed and approved. Contented, she placed the completed work into a purple folder and locked it into the cabinet she shared with Raven, her and her sister’s assistant. Another day’s work completed. Stepping out from behind the desk, she moved to the coat rack in the corner of her office, removing her purse and coat. The purse was a small and simple affair, dark purple, almost black in the dim light of her office, with a crescent moon emblazoned on its front. Luna had always had an affinity for the symbol, and found ways to incorporate it into her life whenever the opportunity presented. Stepping out of her office, she called out to her assistant. “Raven, I’m heading out. Has Celestia finished for the day?” “No. She’s still in a meeting. Shall I tell her you left?” replied Raven, not missing a beat as she updated student reports from the sheets on the desk beside her. “Yes, please. Still in there with Detective Armor I take it,” said Luna as she crossed through the central office on her way to the door. “I don’t know why you two don’t just call him Shining. It’s not like everyone doesn’t know he’s marrying Cadence this summer - they already sent out the invitations. I know I’ve sent my RSVP,” responded Raven, still typing. “Just trying to stay professional. Appearances and all that my dear Raven. We have to keep up appearances,” responded Luna, stopping at the door. Turning back for the moment, she added “Yes. Please let Celestia know I’ve already joined Sunset and her friends at SugarCube Corner for their celebration. Thank you Raven. Have a pleasant evening.” She then stepped out and closed the door behind her. The bakery was crowded, though that was expected. Besides Sunset and her friends having their celebration in the back corner of the bakery, there was the usual gathering of students enjoying the time away from school in the company of friends, surrounded by the familiar pleasant ambiance of the bakery. And of course the heavenly scent of the baked goods that had earned the bakery a fair bit of notoriety. Succumbing to the delightful temptations presented in the display counter, Luna ordered a fresh croissant, with dark berry jam, and a tall dark roasted coffee with honey, hazelnut and fresh cream. Once served, she headed over to the both where Sunset and her friends were gathered. “Hello Sunset, Princess. Hello girls. Have room for an overworked Vice-Principal in your festivities?” greeted Luna as she approached the group. Looking around, there wasn’t a seat in sight. They had pretty much taken over that section of the bakery. Pinky Pie popped up, and bounced over to her. “No problemo, Vice-Principal Luna! I got this! I’ll find a chair for you, one sec!” She bounced past, and through the service door to the bakery itself. “I don’t know where she gets her energy,” observed Luna with a wry grin. “It’s one of life's little mysteries.” laughed Rarity. “So glad you could make it Vice-Principal Luna.” “Please, just Luna here. We prefer to keep things less formal away from the school grounds and activities,” replied Luna. “Yes, of course Ms. Luna. Uhm… Luna. Sorry that just seems.. I’m not used to being this casual. Sorry Ms. Luna,” responded Rarity with a frown. “Any friends of Sunset are friends of mine. And my sister,” Luna smiled at Rarity. “We consider Sunset family. She is dear to us, and holds a special place in our hearts. And as her friends, so too do you. So please, off the school grounds, no titles. Just Luna,. Or Ms. Luna if you must, whatever makes you the most comfortable.” “Ah… of course. Yes, thank you Ms. Luna,” smiled Rarity. At that moment, Pinky reappeared, chair in hand. “Okey dokey lokey. Here you go!” She placed the chair at the table, next to Sunset and Twilight, then with surprising grace bounced and flipped over the back of the both to slide back into her original seat, tucking into the treat still melting where she had left it. Smiling at her antics, Luna took her seat, and enjoyed a sip of her aromatic coffee. Luna turned to Sunset. “Celestia is still meeting with Detective Armor. I imagine he will want to speak with you at some point as well. Don't worry though. He’s an extremely nice person, a true gentleman. You’ll like him, I am sure.” Twilight turned to Luna, latte foam hanging from her chin. “Wait, Armor? That wouldn’t be Shining Armor would it?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Yes, the very same I infer from your query you know him?” replied Luna, spreading her berry jam over her croissant and taking a small bite. “Know him! Know him? He’s my BBBFF!” gushed Twilight. “Or, I mean, he’s my brother's other. My other’s brother? My counterparts BBBFF? Yeah. That means he knows my counterpart. Oh! Oh oh oh. Have you met her? You know my counterpart? What’s she like? Where does she go to school? Is she here? Can I meet her?” A manic glint formed in Twilight’s eyes. “Ah, know of him… Indeed. Yes dear. We know Shining Armor’s sister. In truth, we thought you to be her when you first appeared. It seemed odd that you would be here at the time, when you were enrolled elsewhere. But then after the incident at the Fall Formal, when the whole ‘portal to another world’ thing was revealed, it was clear to us you were not her.” Luna sipped her coffee. “I would love to meet her. Can I meet her? Will she be here too?” Twilight enthused. “Down girl!” laughed Sunset. “Sorry!” blushed the Princess. “I just really would love to meet her. We could compare notes, and discuss the difference between our worlds. Just think of the discoveries we could make! We could advance science! And who knows…” Twilight got a distant look in her eyes and she zoned out, staring off into whatever distance she was imagining. “And she’s off…” snarked Sunset. “Equestria to Twilight… come in Twilight!” Twilight continued staring off into space with no answer, causing a chuckle from Sunset and Luna. “So glad you could make it. Thank you for coming” Sunset smiled. “I am so thankful for everything you and Celestia have done for me. I don’t know where I would be without you two. I really, really am grateful.” “And so are we Sunset. So are we. You’re more than welcome into our home, and our lives. Please know you will always be welcome.” Luna smiled back, taking another bite of her croissant. “Mmm. These really are heavenly. I should come here more often.” Luna moaned softly as she took another bite of the croissant, which she had almost completely eaten. “So flaky. So delicious.” “Thank you Ms. Luna!” chirped Pinky, appearing suddenly beside her. “I baked those this morning before school! They are delicious, that’s a fact! It’s an old Cake family recipe! The secret is in rolling out the layers of butter in the dough.” She looked quickly from side to side. “But it’s an old family secret… can’t let just anyone know about it.” She mimed zipping her lips shut, locking them, then throwing away the key. Sunset laughed, while Luna looked at Pinky askance. “Okayyyy,” responded Luna, drawing back slightly from the smiling teenager. Twilight suddenly turned to face the counter at the front of the bakery. “I know that voice,” she said. Moments later, Principal Celestia approached the gathering, Detective Shining Armor in tow. “Shining?” questioned Twilight. Shining turned to Celestia. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. She looks just like her!” Pinky twirled between them. “Two more seats, coming up!” she cried out, and with a bow, disappeared again through the door at the back of the bakery. Shining’s eyebrows raised. “Um, who was that?” he asked. Sunset laughed. “That’s Pinky Pie. And that was just Pinky being Pinky.” Twilight grinned, “You get used to it.” Shining Armor extended his hand to the Princess. “Shining Armor, as you figured out. So wow, okay. You’re my sister’s counterpart! Or she’s yours? However that works. Whatever. Pleased to make your acquaintance Princess. Princess right? Do I call you Princess? Or Princess Twilight. Or Your Highness. Highness? That’s right, right? Or maybe your Royal Highness?” Shining got flustered. “Just Twilight, please,” smiled Twilight. “Sweet Celestia, but you sound exactly like my brother.” Shining laughed. “And it's uncanny how much you look exactly like my sister. Hair is different. Maybe a tiny bit taller. But if I didn’t know better I would swear you were her.” Just then, Pinky reappeared, two chairs in tow. Placing the chairs behind them, she chirped “Make yourselves comfortable and stay awhile! The partys just getting started!” She then slipped under the table and popped back into her seat, tucking into her now very melted and messy strawberry banana split with extra everything. “What just happened?” asked Shining. Twilight laughed at his confused expression. “Like I said. You get used to it. Pinky being pinky, am I right?” She turned to Sunset with a grin. “Pinky being Pinky,” Sunset nodded back, smiling at her friend. “Okay... Noted.” said Shining, pulling the seat up to the table and joining the girls. Smiling, Celetia pulled her own seat forward and joined them. “Greetings sister, Detective Armor. Delighted you could join us,” commented Luna. Turning to her sister with a grin and snarked. “I see you found the cake. “Stuff it Luna...” responded Celestia between bites. After the party, they parted ways. Shining Armor made his apologies, needing to leave to pick up Cadence from her shift at the radio station. The girls and their sisters accompanied Twilight and Sunset to the portal at the front of the school. Twilight crouched before Sunset, and took her hands in her own. “Sunset…” she looked down at their hands. Sunset gave her a squeeze. “It’s okay Twilight. Really. It’s not your fault.” Looking up and into Sunset’s eyes, Twilight’s eyes misted. “I should’ve brought the journal with me. If I’d taken it with me, if I’d read it, and responded to your messages…” “And if and if and if, yada yada yada… Twilight. What happened, happened. You’re here now. That’s what counts.” Sunset pulled her closer. “You came. As soon as you could, you came. And stayed until you found me. And went through some crazy adventures… Seriously, girl. You are a magnet for crazy, you know that right?” She laughed. Twilight laughed with her. “Yeah. Yeah, I know. One of the many things we have in common. You do it too, you know.” Sunset gave her a wry grin. “Don’t I know it.” They hugged, then the girls took their turns. Twilight bid them all farewell, promising Sunset to stay in touch through the Journal. Sunset promised to contact her if she needed anything, even if it was just somepony to chat with. With a final wave, the Princess passed through the portal, returning to Equestria. The girls made their farewells as well, their sisters in tow. Rainbow took Scootaloo, promising to walk her home to her Aunts. With everyone gone, the Royal sisters and Sunset made their way to the faculty parking lot. Luna helped Sunset into her car, and placed the chair in her trunk. Her trunk, that was considerably more spacious than her sisters - one of the advantages to driving a sedan, instead of the sportier but significantly more cramped vehicle her sister favored. ‘Comfort over Style’ was Luna’s motto. As they made their way home, Sunset turned to Luna. “Thank you again for taking me into your home. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate all that you and Celestia are doing for me. I really am grateful for it, and for both of you.” “And we are grateful for you Sunset. It’s our privilege to share our lives with you. Thank you for saying yes and coming into our home and our lives. We consider you family Sunset. You’re part of our lives now, and family is forever. You don’t have to be alone any longer, not if you don’t want to,” Luna replied as she navigated their way home. She was loosely following her sister, but considering her sisters aggressive driving habits, was really not putting much effort into keeping up with her. Let Celestia have her fun, she thought with a grin. “I’ve been alone enough thanks. I think I’ve had my fill of ‘alone’ for a while.” “I understand completely,” replied Luna. “I too have spent time in solitude, and know the heartrending pain of being forgotten in loneliness.” “What? How? I’m sorry, not my business. I didn’t mean to pry....” Sunset looked away. Luna reached over and took Sunset’s hand. “Sunset. I would not have mentioned it if I felt you were ‘prying’. It’s fine,” she comforted. Turning to face her, Sunset gave her a hopeful look. “When were you ever lonely? I’m sorry to ask, it’s just that you and Celestia seem so close. I can’t even imagine you two not together.” “We are close. I do believe we would die for each other, if it came to that. We certainly live for, and with, each other.” Luna said with a smile. “But, it was not always that way. There was a time, when we were younger, where I let jealousy and hate cloud my heart. I felt my sister had abandoned me. She was always more outgoing, and popular, and never seemed to have difficulties finding and making friends. I was more introspective, and quiet. We drifted apart, though in my immaturity I saw only her abandoning me, not seeing my own actions in pulling away. My thoughts grew dark, my heart was clouded, and my visions turned inward, seeing only my pain and suffering.” Sunset's eyes grew wide in surprise. Luna continued. “After a time, having pulled away from her, and thinking only of my heartache, which I blamed completely on her, I decided I would punish her. One night, I followed her to a party she was attending with her friends, and snuck into the house they were in. I stole the keys to her car. I was planning to steal it and leave it with the keys in some disreputable part of town, hoping someone would take it. It was her favorite thing, so I figured perhaps by losing it she would feel some of the loss I was feeling.” Sunset squeezed her hand. Luna continued. “It was a foolish endeavor. She saw me sneaking out of the house, and followed me. I rushed to her car, entered and started the engine. She placed herself before the car, hands on the hood, and called out to me to come out and talk.” A tear fell down Luna’s cheek, and Sunset’s eyes misted as well. “What happened? Was she angry with you? She was yelling at you then?” “No Sunset. Not at all. I thought she was angry. But she was only calling to me out of love. She was worried, not about her car as I assumed, but about me, about what was wrong. She wanted me to come out so she could talk to me, to find out what was wrong, and why I was acting so bizarrely. But I only saw her yelling, bent over the hood, and I saw red. I decided to give her a good scare, and revved the engine hard. But in my anger, as I jerked my hand up to express my feelings to her with one of my fingers, my cuff caught on the shifter. In my rage I tried to pull it off, and wrenched my arm down. I accidentally threw the car into gear. It lurched forward, knocking my sister down and lurched over the top of her. I screamed, threw the car into park and ran to her.” Sunset was crying profusely. Eyes wide, she gripped Luna’s hand tightly. “It was horrid, Sunset. My sister was wedged beneath the car, blood everywhere. I tried to pull her out, screaming my head off for her not to die. Some of her friends with cooler heads pulled me away, and held me aside while they called emergency services.” Luna was crying profusely too. “They jacked up the car, and carefully lifted her out from under it. They took her away in the ambulance. She didn’t move the entire time Sunset. Not a twitch. I was so scared! I thought I had killed her. I thought I had killed my sister. The police came, they cuffed me, read me my rights, and took me away. I was in a daze. I don’t remember much of any of it. All I could think about was Celestia. All I could see was her face, covered in blood, moving only when the board bounced as they carried it to the ambulance. I lost it Sunset. I completely lost it. I howled in grief and screamed in the back of the cruiser on the way to the lockup. At one point I remember being tased as they tried to get me to calm down. It barely even registered. They left me in a cell alone to ‘cool off’. I couldn’t tell you how long I was in there. I didn’t even care. All I could think of, all I could see was my sister’s bloody face, dead before me. They brought me food, but I never even noticed. I didn’t touch it. I didn’t move. I just sat there, silent, lost in the memory of what I thought was my dead sister. “Eventually, I was transported to another jail. They realized I was a juvenile, and given my apparently psychotic actions, decided I should be placed on something I believe they called a ‘psych hold’. I was moved to the psych ward of the juvenile corrections center. The doctors came in, did some examinations, treated the few scrapes I had from trying to climb under the car, and the burns from the taser, but I never spoke. I barely acknowledged their presence. “Our parents came to see me. I didn’t acknowledge them either. At some point, I finally realized our mother was saying Celestia was alive. I finally turned to her. ‘She’s alive?’ I asked quietly, and she answered yes. I turned away then, back into my fugue. They left eventually, and that was the last I saw of them until the trial. I thought they had abandoned me too, but they were actually spending all their time with Celestia, sitting by her bed, waiting for her to wake from the coma she had slipped into. “She was in a coma for six weeks before she awoke. When I revved the car and knocked her to the ground she hit her head. The trauma caused bleeding and swelling in her brain. It was only an act of Harmony herself that she suffered no permanent deficits. Save one. Save one... “Her lower abdomen was crushed when the car ran over her. Her uterus was so damaged they couldn't repair it. They had to perform an emergency hysterectomy. My sister can never have children, Sunset. I did that to her. I took that from her.” Luna sobbed as she drove. “I took that future from her, with my selfish actions. With my blame. With my hate. I was her worst nightmare.” Holding tightly to her hand, Sunset sobbed as well. Several moments later she was able to speak again. “What happened then Luna? Were you alright? What happened to you?” Luna continued. “I was right where I belonged. The therapist came, and with my lawyer present, they explained what had happened, and what would happen to me. I plead guilty to everything, not even bothering to ask for leniency, though my attorney did ask on my behalf. I felt I deserved whatever they threw at me. I wanted to suffer for what I had done to my sister. I did not feel worthy of any mercy. I felt I was beneath that dignity. “The judge sentenced me to 1000 days, including time served. I served most of that in the psych ward, until the psychiatrists felt I was fit to return to the general lock up. Even there, I didn’t speak with anyone unless I had to, and only then the bare minimum. I made no friends, I isolated. I stayed in my cell and kept to myself. My parents came to visit, but I never talked and eventually their visits became more infrequent.” Luna pulled into the driveway, and turned off the car. She turned to Sunset. “I was released when my sentence was served. Our parents came to pick me up. They brought me home, but I was silent the entire time. I felt horrible, and didn’t feel like I was worth their kindness. As soon as we got home, I went to my room and locked myself inside. For the next few weeks I only came out to use the bathroom, to clean up, and to eat the food they left for me in the hallway. In hindsight I don’t know why they didn’t just knock the door down and drag me out of there… but I guess they had more patience than I gave them credit for. “Celestia had come home. After she was released from the hospital, she went through months of rehab. Then she went off to school to get her teaching credentials. She figured that even if she couldnt have children, she could at least spend her life helping children.” Luna paused there, then started shaking. Her body wracked with the strength of her sobs. Eventually the sobbing passed, and Luna continued. “That was always her way Sunset. My sister has a pure heart. She’s always finding a way to give, even when she’s hurt. Even when she has lost something precious. Even in her darkest moments. She inspires me Sunset. I want so much to be like her. To have that fire that lights her darkness. To have that love, that compassion that moves her heart to tenderness, even when others can only see pain and hurt… “She finished her education. I had enrolled in adult education, and earned my high school diploma. Celestia was hired by the district, and given a teaching job in the local grade schools. She invited me to come live with her, and our parents encouraged me to move in with her, hoping it would help me, help us, to heal and move forward from this horrible mess I had bequeathed my family. “I accepted Celestia’s invitation. I moved in with her - we shared an apartment near her work. She encouraged me to go back to school, to move on with my life, not to be stuck in my past. I decided to follow in her footsteps and become an educator. I enrolled in the program at the local college, and on the strength of her recommendation, I was accepted. I threw myself into my studies, and Celestia was there for me every step of the way. “She never once blamed me, or raged at me for what I had done to her. I expected it - I would have welcomed it! I felt I deserved it, deserved her hate, her scorn, her anger. But she never felt like that. She was happy. She was overjoyed that we were together again. She was delighted to have her sister back in her life. Eventually her love broke through my broken heart, and lit the way for my recovery. I owe her so much Sunset. I own my sister my life. “While I was working my way though my program, our niece Cadence came to live with us. Her parents had passed, and she needed somewhere to stay while she completed her education and got her feet on the ground. With three of us, we needed a larger place to live, so we looked for a house. Celestia had already advanced to being an assistant principal at one of the local grade schools, so she felt we could afford to purchase a place of our own. We found this house. When she purchased it, she placed my name on the deed as well, even though I had no job and was in no position to contribute anything to the purchase. “The three of us lived here. I completed my teaching certificate, and was hired by the district as well. Cadence completed her schooling and entered a trade program, interning at a local radio station. The program manager liked her attitude, and gave her a shot filling in for a late night program they had open. She did so well they gave her her own program and moved her into a better time slot. She and Shining got engaged. Now have their own place and are getting married this summer. “Celestia eventually was put in charge of CHS, and requested me for the Vice-Principal position. So here we are, and here you are. And now, you’re one of us. Sunset, welcome to our family. We know pain, we know heartache. But we know love and acceptance too. And you are welcome here Sunset. You are home here. You are family.” She reached over and gave Sunset a tight hug. “Welcome home, Sunset Shimmer.”