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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
It Never Changes
Celestia smiled so big that it spread far beyond her face. She clapped her hooves together and peered down at the little wriggling bundle in her lap. So small! And so perfect.
“Meet your new little sister, Celestia! We’ve named her Luna,” Mother said. The grumpy little pony struggled to free her wings from the swaddling wrap and yawned.
Celestia couldn’t help staring, and no matter how long she looked, she felt like she could never see enough of her. She pulled Luna against herself and hugged her.
“Not too tight now, Celestia,” Dad said. “She’s not big enough yet to take a filly-sized hug.”
“I know.” That mane… Full of stars, shimmering, waving. Like her own mane. Did she…? Under her parents’ watchful eyes, Celestia slowly undid the swaddling. Mom’s smile only grew more.
First, she pulled the cloth away from Luna’s horn. Then Luna cooed and stretched out her unconstrained wings. And finally… a cutie mark! At birth! Just like her…
A crescent moon in the dark of night. Celestia hugged her again, careful not to hurt her. “Do you know how much I love you, Luna?”
Celestia knocked on the door to Luna’s bedroom. Soft crying emanated from within. No answer, but she went in anyway.
“What happened, Luna?” Still no answer. Luna only sat, facing out the window and looking up at the stars.
Celestia slumped her shoulders. “Those fillies again?”
Luna nodded and sniffled. “Because of… my horn and wings.”
Wrapping her sister in a hug, Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but… how to get a child to understand? Luna shouldn’t have to understand. “I could talk to them. Or their parents.”
“No,” Luna said, wiping away her tears. “You’d only make it worse.”
“I’d say to ignore them. I’d say they’re not worth listening to, so why bother with them?” Celestia gulped at the lump in her throat. Some truths were hard to swallow. “But it’s different for us.”
“I know,” Luna said. “We have to love them. We have to love all of them, because of what we are.”
A child, huh? Celestia hugged her tighter and stroked her mane. “Do you know how much I love you?”
Luna stared blankly at the headstones. If only Celestia could tell what was happening inside that mind. As guardian of the night, Luna had a unique perspective on death, but never before had any happened so close to her heart.
“Do you want to be alone, Luna?”
“No,” she answered. A fact. Nothing more.
At least that’s how it was supposed to appear. Celestia knew better. She unfolded a wing and curled it around Luna. “Do you know how much I love you?”
A slight nod. If Celestia hadn’t known to look for it, she would have missed it. She nuzzled Luna’s neck.
Wind whipped at Celestia’s mane, and she gritted her teeth. Dodging another magic bolt, she turned to face her attacker. Dust and smoke and pain swirled around her, but those hadn’t caused her tears.
She squeezed her eyes shut and brought her magic to bear. It hurt. Not the dull ache of an overspent muscle, like when she’d simply cast too much of it in too little time. But this hurt, right through her heart and straight into her soul.
She levitated her own three Elements, along with the three she’d stolen—yes, stolen—from her sister. They circled around her faster and faster, drawing on her resolve and righteousness. Her nonexistent resolve and righteousness. And as such, they demanded a price. The only thing Luna had ever done wrong…
The twisting vortex tore her sister away. And tore a piece of her away, too.
“Do you know how much I love you, Luna?” she screamed into the empty air. She didn’t care who heard.
A quiet moment, at long last.
Celestia’s faithful student had performed admirably. After so long, nopony even remembered who Nightmare Moon actually was, but they’d immediately cheered and draped a garland of flowers over her. Whether they remained that accepting…
But that was for another day. Celestia stood on a small, private balcony and lowered the sun. Beside her, for the first time in a millennium, her sister raised the moon. During the entire ceremony, neither spoke—they didn’t need to. Just the feeling of that warm, familiar soul next to her.
“Luna,” Celestia finally said, “do you know—?”
“Yes,” Luna replied with a knowing smile. “But do you know how much I love you?”
“Meet your new little sister, Celestia! We’ve named her Luna,” Mother said. The grumpy little pony struggled to free her wings from the swaddling wrap and yawned.
Celestia couldn’t help staring, and no matter how long she looked, she felt like she could never see enough of her. She pulled Luna against herself and hugged her.
“Not too tight now, Celestia,” Dad said. “She’s not big enough yet to take a filly-sized hug.”
“I know.” That mane… Full of stars, shimmering, waving. Like her own mane. Did she…? Under her parents’ watchful eyes, Celestia slowly undid the swaddling. Mom’s smile only grew more.
First, she pulled the cloth away from Luna’s horn. Then Luna cooed and stretched out her unconstrained wings. And finally… a cutie mark! At birth! Just like her…
A crescent moon in the dark of night. Celestia hugged her again, careful not to hurt her. “Do you know how much I love you, Luna?”
Celestia knocked on the door to Luna’s bedroom. Soft crying emanated from within. No answer, but she went in anyway.
“What happened, Luna?” Still no answer. Luna only sat, facing out the window and looking up at the stars.
Celestia slumped her shoulders. “Those fillies again?”
Luna nodded and sniffled. “Because of… my horn and wings.”
Wrapping her sister in a hug, Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but… how to get a child to understand? Luna shouldn’t have to understand. “I could talk to them. Or their parents.”
“No,” Luna said, wiping away her tears. “You’d only make it worse.”
“I’d say to ignore them. I’d say they’re not worth listening to, so why bother with them?” Celestia gulped at the lump in her throat. Some truths were hard to swallow. “But it’s different for us.”
“I know,” Luna said. “We have to love them. We have to love all of them, because of what we are.”
A child, huh? Celestia hugged her tighter and stroked her mane. “Do you know how much I love you?”
Luna stared blankly at the headstones. If only Celestia could tell what was happening inside that mind. As guardian of the night, Luna had a unique perspective on death, but never before had any happened so close to her heart.
“Do you want to be alone, Luna?”
“No,” she answered. A fact. Nothing more.
At least that’s how it was supposed to appear. Celestia knew better. She unfolded a wing and curled it around Luna. “Do you know how much I love you?”
A slight nod. If Celestia hadn’t known to look for it, she would have missed it. She nuzzled Luna’s neck.
Wind whipped at Celestia’s mane, and she gritted her teeth. Dodging another magic bolt, she turned to face her attacker. Dust and smoke and pain swirled around her, but those hadn’t caused her tears.
She squeezed her eyes shut and brought her magic to bear. It hurt. Not the dull ache of an overspent muscle, like when she’d simply cast too much of it in too little time. But this hurt, right through her heart and straight into her soul.
She levitated her own three Elements, along with the three she’d stolen—yes, stolen—from her sister. They circled around her faster and faster, drawing on her resolve and righteousness. Her nonexistent resolve and righteousness. And as such, they demanded a price. The only thing Luna had ever done wrong…
The twisting vortex tore her sister away. And tore a piece of her away, too.
“Do you know how much I love you, Luna?” she screamed into the empty air. She didn’t care who heard.
A quiet moment, at long last.
Celestia’s faithful student had performed admirably. After so long, nopony even remembered who Nightmare Moon actually was, but they’d immediately cheered and draped a garland of flowers over her. Whether they remained that accepting…
But that was for another day. Celestia stood on a small, private balcony and lowered the sun. Beside her, for the first time in a millennium, her sister raised the moon. During the entire ceremony, neither spoke—they didn’t need to. Just the feeling of that warm, familiar soul next to her.
“Luna,” Celestia finally said, “do you know—?”
“Yes,” Luna replied with a knowing smile. “But do you know how much I love you?”