//------------------------------//
// Canterlot 
// Story: My Sister 
// by fallen starr 
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Spike had never hated the castle in Canterlot more than he did at that current moment. He hated the tapestries, he hated the guards, he hated the cold stones and the soft carpets. He hated the servants and the staff. He hated everything about the castle with every ounce of his being. What he hated the most, however, were these stupid, colorful, stained-glass windows that Celestia seemed to insist on having made. The morning’s bright, cheerful sunlight flooded through them,  the colors dancing on the floor as if there was something to revel in. His footfalls were loud, echoing through the hall, giving more than enough warning to anyone in the hall of his approach as he stomped his way to the room. 

He hated the way the guards just opened the door for him and the looks they gave him. He didn’t want to be in this castle or in this town or around any of these ponies. He just wanted to be home, two weeks ago. He wanted to be in the kitchen, fixing Twilight tea while she ran frantically around trying to find this book or that reference article. He wanted to be back with her, and not in some stuffy, old, drafty castle that no one in Equestria even liked. 

Finally, he reached his destination. He didn’t look up, even though he knew Twilight would be highly upset with him for not doing so. He just didn’t care anymore. He was not happy, and he was prepared to make it a well-known fact. He hopped up into a chair and sat, glaring at the table as if it were all the wooden structure’s fault that he was currently sitting there. He ignored all the words said, not even bothering to see if any were directed at him. He was required to be there, but he wasn’t required to do anything else. 

At least, not until he heard a broken, wavering voice. Spike didn’t know that voice could hold that amount of pain. “Please listen, Spike. This is important.” Spike blinked, but leveled his gaze at the white unicorn stallion sitting in front of him. “You can come live with us in the Crystal Empire, or stay with Celestia and Luna here, or…well, if you want something else, I’m sure it can be arranged.” 

Finally, Spike took in the scene around him. Cadance was gripping Shining Armor’s hoof tightly, her fur wet where near literal streams of tears rolled down her face. Spike had been comforted when Cadance and Shining Armor had surrounded them when the news first hit. They had babied him, he knew, but he had appreciated it. He was allowed to just be sad, just like everyone else. And then it had seemed it wasn’t okay to be sad anymore. A brave face and a stiff upper lip had been expected of everyone from the castle. Cadance was special for Spike, though. In the nights, when he wasn’t able to sleep, he went to the old rooms he and Twilight used to share in the castle, before she had the large research observatory. It seemed Cadance had the same idea. He had walked in while she had been sitting on the bed, stroking the pillow while loud sobs had shook her entire body. When she had noticed Spike, he had held him close, nearly too tightly, and they had been sad together, even though they weren’t supposed to be. 

Luna had surprised Spike. He knew she and Twilight were friends, of course, but the Princess of the Night had simply shaken her head and expressed how sad it was that such young ponies should die, but that had been it. Spike’s stomach twisted into angry hot knots as his eyes fell onto her. He understood that she had lived since at least the dawn of Equestria. He understood that she had lost many friends and loved ones through and to time, but that didn’t mean that Twilight deserved less. No, she deserved the best. She was a better unicorn than Starswirl, and he knew a lot about Starswirl. Taking his eyes off of her as quickly as he could, he looked at Celestia. 

This hurt is heart.  The Princess’s mane wasn’t flowing in its ethereal wind. The soft, kind glint her eye was gone. The slight, ever-present smile that let all of her little ponies know they were loved and cared for could not have torn through the harsh set of her lips. She sat, looking ahead at seemingly nothing. It was as if she wasn’t really in the room, despite her body being present. It was almost like a place holder for something that had been. 

Spike took a deep breath, tearing his eyes away from Celestia before more tears sprang to his eyes. “What I want is to go home,” Spike said, looking directly into Shining Armor’s red-rimmed, blood-shot eyes. “I want to go back to Ponyville and be Twilight’s number one assistant. I want—“

“Spike,” Luna said sharply. “She is dead. That is not changing. You have been presented options. As a dragon, you will lose many, many of your friends. I suggest you learn to move on.”

It took all of Spike’s willpower to not shout at Luna right then and there. As it were, Cadance was on his side. Her voice was worse than the broken sound of Shining Armor. Her voice, normally music to anypony’s ears, scratched worse than a hoof on a chalk board and was so low, it was almost like a ghost of a voice. “He is a kid, Luna. Let him grieve his sister. Goddess knows we all need to. We aren’t all as heartless as you!”

Even though he was watching, Spike didn’t see what happened. One second, Luna was sitting in her chair as they had the discussion, and the next, she wasn’t. Anguish crumpled Cadance’s face as she put her face in her hooves, sobs wracking her body. He couldn’t be completely certain, but Spike would have sworn he heard her trying to speak through them. 

Shining Armor placed a hoof on his wife’s back. “Cadey, sweet heart, she will forgive you. Everyone’s stress level is high. Come on, don’t…”

“Let her be, Shining Armor,” Luna’s voice came from the doorway. She slowly stepped in, several boxes held afloat in the glowing blackness of her magic. Hearing the voice, Cadance looked up, blubbering incoherent words. Luna sat the boxes on the table, and stood beside of Cadance. “Shhh,” Luna said, bending down to press her forhead to Cadance’s. “I understand, dear niece. We all have our own ways of grieving. Blueblood had sunk himself under strong drinks. Everypony who works in the palace has shown such support and honor, wearing the black bands of cloth. My dear sister…” she trailed off, looking over to Celestia. “She has gone nearly catatonic. I believe she would rise the vile villain who did this time and time from the grave, if she could, just to ensure their suffering was greater than what was faced.” If Celestia knew she was being spoken about, she showed no sign. Taking her seat, Luna placed the first box on the table. “These boxes are full of Twilight Sparkle. Letters she has written. Papers she has written. Pictures. Drawings and diagrams.” Luna moved another box onto the table. “Filled to the brim with her old possessions and forgotten pursuits.”

Luna turned her gaze to Spike, and for the first time, he saw pain in her eyes. “To go through these might make you feel better for a time. Feel free, but know that these things are just that. They will not bring her back. Perhaps they will recall memories.” Luna lifted the lid, placing a piece of parchment in her sister’s line of sight. “These memories might serve to comfort you. For me, Twilight Sparkle does not exist in these things. She exists in what I do. Showing friendship to others, striving to do what is best for those around you, not because it is your responsibility as a princess, but because that is what a friend does.” She swallowed. “It is the lessons I’ve learned and the love I’ve felt that will forever allow Twilight to live within me. These boxes are not yet completed, but I fear I may have held out too long, trying to fix the perfect box for each of you.”

The rest of the boxes floated onto the table, in front of each person present. With a sigh in Celestia’s direction, Luna opened her box for her. “They are your most precious memories with your student, sister,” she murmured. “The letters she sent you, pictures of the two of you together.” 

Spike wanted to look into his own box, but he watched as Luna tried to get Celestia to react to something. Finally, Spike crawled onto the table and toward Luna and Celestia. He rummaged through the box, finding exactly what he was looking for. He looked at the sheet of paper. Drawn by a filly that couldn’t have been older than six, the picture would never hang in Maresonian. A purple unicorn foal  and a large white Alicorn sat on a rug with a book between them, a small purple blob labeled SPiKe sitting next to the unicorn. A read heart floated above them, with the carefully formed words ‘CeleStiA AnD TwiliGHt TiMe’ written across the top. Along the bottom were the words ‘I Will lOVe YOU fOReVeR!’. 

Spike held the picture up into Celesita’s line of sight and watched as her eyes slowly focused on the picture. Slowly, more slowly than he had ever seen the Princess move, she reached her hoof up and grasped the picture, holding it close over her heart. He watched as her eyes filled with tears, even as she looked at it again and again. She stroked the small purple unicorn, her breathing becoming choppy as she looked up everyone seated in the room. When her eyes eventually landed on Luna, she fell into her younger sister’s open hooves.

Spike watched as the fur under Luna’s eyes became darker as well. Walking over to his own box, he opened the lid. Maybe he did hate this castle right now. Maybe he wanted nothing more than for Twilight to be back. Maybe he could eventually accept that she wasn’t going to come back.

For now, he had his box and these wonderful ponies who were trying to do what Twilight had always done. Look for the best in the situation and find the way out of it. Most importantly, stick by those who love you, and those you love.