A/N: Now this particular chapter has been my absolute favourite thing to write among all the scenes involving Luna and Luan that I have ever written thus far. Except maybe 'Warm Hearts'…that one stays in my mind for some reason. I liked this so much that I almost considered cutting it out and making it a separate story all on its own, but decided against that in the end. Hope you enjoy it too! Though fair warning: I'm not a hairbrush expert, so if this seems inaccurate here or there, my early apologies.

Little handy 2-cents now. Given that Luna has actually only said Luan's name twice in all 3 and a half seasons, I try to remain faithful to that. Just another little tool I deploy to smooth out my writing and keep my characters in line with the canon stuff as best I can.

It also makes for a good indication for when serious talk is about to begin.

In other news, 'Warm Hearts' was generously added just a while back to the Fics of Legends community collection by animeman12 to join alongside 'Mission Accomplished'. Thanks a ton guys!

Part 2 – What Sisters Are For

With stars as bright as freshly refined jewels dotting the skyscape in a pattern that would make the official American flag envious, bedtime fell upon the Loud House, as all activity simmered down and, one-by-one, the family members began to retire to their designated bed to refuel their mental batteries for the upcoming challenges of the day upcoming. Most nights would find Lisa trying to sneak a few more hours of worktime into her schedule to continue with her necessary studies and most confidential research projects. Aside from Lori and the parents, no one usually bothered to battle Lisa for the sleep that a child of her age clearly needed.

In many ways, a good night's rest can be like a wonderful vacation. Peaceful. Relaxing. Simple. But for Luan, sleep was the last thing that she wanted to do. As the moon shone its brilliant light down upon the face of the earth and the harmonic chirps of crickets echoed through the night, the aspiring young comedienne of the faithful Loud establishment had very much in her thoughts.

Presently, she was dressed in her plaid yellow pajamas and sitting on her stool before the large vanity mirror set upon the wooden dresser, gazing at the reflective surface while her own face gazed right back. She was fond of this old thing, as it not only served her with the basic function that a mirror was expected to provide, but its large bulbs and the various bottles of makeup that lay scattered on the dresser surface always seemed to fuel her with visions of being in the backstage of a grand performance hall, and she was one of those big time professional actresses running through the final checks of makeup and wardrobe in preparation to going out on stage to perform before the eyes of millions who had globe-trotted just to see her. Dreams like these often filled Luan's mind as she sat before this mirror, applying touch-ups to her decorated clown face or giving herself a thorough inspection as she tried on her various comedy attire and theatre costumes, assessing her resulting appearance to ensure she was suitable for whatever event she would be performing at. But tonight, such fantasies were not occupying her mind, nor was she trying to see the final effect of a costume worn by her person. Having just left the shower for Luna to use, she was merely brushing her long damp hair with a well-used hairbrush and using the mirror for exactly what it was: a mirror.

That wasn't to say that her mind wasn't busy at work though, no no. While a hot shower had relaxed her body, there was much for her to ponder and contemplate upon. She recounted the day's unfoldings, from the initial bomb of the protests to their later success of the fundraisers. She remembered Flip's surprisingly-decent performance when he tried his grubby hand at acting on stage. But most dominating of all, she was wondering how and when she was going to go about telling Luna the news. This was a thought that was far less pleasant than the rest.

"Can't keep putting this off," she muttered darkly, her powers of thinking devoted so much to this matter that she was leaving very little thought to the running of the brush through her mane of hair. "Gotta do it soon...before it's too late."

Then all at once, the brush stopped abruptly in her hand, the sudden jerking motion that followed painfully yanking her hair, sending a sharp sting at the roots of her head. She was barely able to contain her yelp of pain, managing to reduce it to an annoyed little moan instead, though her brain was shrieking otherwise. The hairbrush had met a tight knot in her hair, and now it was firmly stuck. Try as she might, she just couldn't rock the tool free without sending additional sears of discomfort up to her head, no matter which way she maneuvered it, not to mention the arcing angle she had to twist her arm around wasn't helping either.

"Ow, ow, ow, OW…ow…"

With the pain gradually subsiding, she let out an exasperated huff and swiveled herself around on her stool to see if she could find a better view of the brush's tight spot in the mirror, though without much success; her arms were already stiffening with soreness from being oriented in this new, uncomfortable angle. Before her frustration could have a chance to rise any further, Luna strolled into their room, clad in her purple bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her hair. Her clothes were bundled up in her arms, which she tossed into an open drawer in their second dresser. As she wandered to the windowsill where her phone was charging, her eyes crossed over to Luan, who still had her arms raised to her head, and the sight of this made her stop what she was doing. Luan looked helplessly across the room at her, now feeling like a complete idiot to have been caught in such an awkward position. She knew what she had to do; she didn't like to do it often, but it was clear that this stubborn hairbrush was going nowhere unless she gave in. Despite being filled with her personal sense of self-worth and independence, she permitted herself to reduce down to a needy little girl who required the helping hand of her big sister. Accepting defeat, she slumped in her seat and put on a great big pouty face.

"Lunaaa…" she whined in a most pitiful voice.

Luna smirked at her little sister's predicament, fighting back the urge to rib at her. "I'm on it," she responded, draping the towel from her head over the closet door. Before going to assist her sister in need, she retrieved her phone from the windowsill and typed something, the exact input, Luan would not know...yet. Even if the old device was cracked and semi-reliable, Luna was confident that it could at least perform this little request that she had just sent in. Knowing her sister was still holding the jammed hairbrush in her hair, she quickly finished typing and dutifully made her way over, phone in hand. She placed in on the tabletop of the dresser and relieved Luan of the handle, during which Luan caught an earful of the sounds emitting from Luna's phone. The melodious sounds of smooth jazz were wafting carefree from its speakers, filling the room in a lazy tuneful haze. What she did not know was that Luna had selected one of those five-hour long instrumental videos that students like herself often played when in the need for some background music while studying for finals. Whatever it was, Luan couldn't help but be swooned by its calming saxophone and harmonizing keyboard as Luna pressed her hand to her scalp. But she was too upset to notice.

Despite having much less of a need for such a hair tool anymore, Luna expertly began working the brush out of Luan's hair, gently detangling it free from its restraints as she stood behind her the whole time. Luan, still feeling downright childish for needing her sister's help with such a minimal task, simply sat there with a grumpy expression plastered on her face and winced slightly every few seconds, though the jabs she was feeling now were biting at her significantly less compared to when she had been trying to free herself. Thankfully, Luna wasn't just providing a pair of eyes in a better placement suited for the job; her fingers were firm, yet gentle. Playing all those instruments had done wonders to her dexterity and proved the advantages that lay outside of making music.

Luna, noticing the clear vexation etched all over Luan's slumped state, knew that some soothing music was only going to pay half the bill to relax her little sister. She spoke calmly to the pouty girl as she continued with her hair.

"Someone's sure been knotty tonight. And I'm the one who's supposed to be jamming in this family."

If Luan wasn't sulking, she probably would have laughed. But instead, she shot Luna's mirror reflection a look of disgust, knowing that she, the master jokester of the family, had just been punned good. "I hate you," she grumped. "And likewise, you're supposed to leave the puns to me, dude."

Luna just laughed. "You know, they say it's better to brush your hair before you soak in the shower," she told her as-a-matter-of-factly.

A huff of annoyance escaped Luan's lips before she muttered, "I forgot."

She heard Luna chuckle at her again. "Hush now, baby sis," she cooed in a voice so kind and compassionate. "Luna's got you."

Luan scowled, yet felt content to let Luna tend to her. What an odd mixture. While she didn't exactly consider Luna to be all that much of a hairstylist, she knew that the family musician hadn't survived all this time being a big sister of eight by just her music. Luna was well-versed with all of her family's particular needs by this point.

Out in the darkened hallway, all was as silent and dead as a late night's atmosphere could possibly be. But inside their bedroom, all was very much alive as the slow steady vibes of the smooth jazz enveloped the girls in a musical glow. Anyone who knew Luna Loud would undoubtedly associate the choker-donning, torn thread, skull-bearing girl with nothing else but music belonging to extreme rock, but those who really knew her were fully aware that she had no trouble in switching music genres whenever and wherever the situation warranted. She was an expert at setting the mood to help those around her feel most comfortable; it was just one of the many reasons why most people enjoyed basking in her company. Luan was certainly no exception.

At last, Luna raised the previously imprisoned hairbrush like some kind of sword pulled from the ancient stone. "All right, you're free," she announced. Rather than handing it back and heading off to finish her own night routine, Luna then proceeded to brush the rest of Luan's hair. The comedienne didn't object to this, instead choosing to sit contently, letting her sister finish the job she had started. Little by little, her initial reluctance to come off as a vulnerable child began to ward off in exchange for the waves of comfort that her sister was bringing to her, with both the gentle touch to her head as she groomed her and the soft little hum she was making in time to the music. Luan couldn't help but crack a tiny grin at her older sister's unique quirk; Luna was never quiet. She bore her surname with pride and reason, always singing to her vocal cords' maximum volume or keeping the entire neighbourhood awake with her guitar, but most often making a big loud mixture of it all at once. In the category of quiet, she sometimes whistled a soft chime-like tune or hummed to herself like she was doing right now. Whether she was doing this out of absent-minded habit, or intentionally as to sooth her little sister, Luan felt herself beginning to loosen up and relax comfortably under the peaceful atmosphere held within the walls of their room. She let out a contented sigh and watched Luna off of the large mirror, meeting her gaze when the latter looked up at their reflection.

"You did good today, brah."

Luan smiled softly at the face of Luna. "Thanks. But really, you were the head baker with all that dough we made. Get it?"

She laughed and the musician just rolled her eyes. "Same ol' Luan," she said, though she said this with only mild annoyance and more tender fondness. Luan was only complementing her after all.

Luan suddenly frowned. "Hey, what were you and Benny talking about before I swung by?" she demanded, a glimmer of begging in her high-pitched voice.

The older girl smirked, choosing her words with caution. "Nothing important, sis. Just chattin'. I've never really met this dude before, so as your big sis, I gotta check him out and make sure he's a good match for my baby sis."

The comedienne snorted and stuck out her tongue at Luna's reflection. "I know he's a good match, idiot. Why do you think I've been after him all this time?"

"I used to wonder…but not anymore. He's a good lad. Well-spoken and with a weird sense of humour, and a complete dork inside and out. You and him make a perfect pair."

"Hey!"

The music from Luna's phone was mixed with the sounds of the owner's amused laughter; Luan wanted to pout, but somehow it just wasn't in her system anymore. She felt oddly calm inside, a very different status from her previously agitated self.

"Sorry I got so mad at you and Lori the other day," she suddenly mumbled.

She felt a hand give a relaxing stroke to her hair, followed by Luna's assuring voice. "Hey, hey, it s'alright, Lulu. You're just passionate about what you really love, just like I am. Honestly, I'm the one who should be sorry here."

Luan stared at the mirror. "What? Why?"

Her sister continued to brush, but she spoke in a grave tone with what she said next. "Well, I'm the one who started this whole shanag', dude. It was me who set up the protests and set off this wild chain of clashes that took out the school wall. Even worse is that I dragged you, Lori, and all our buds into this mess. All these rifts in friendships were because of me and my great ideas."

The girl in yellow could hear the regret interweaved through Luna's voice. She reached her hand up to touch the one gently resting on her head. "But it worked out in the end, didn't it? We raised enough money to save all the clubs and fix the school."

"I know, but…if me and the band had held a fundraiser right at the start, we could've avoided all that whack," Luna explained. "Honestly, the more I think about it, the more it boggles my mind why we didn't do that."

The hairbrush was currently at the end of Luan's hair, such that its owner was able to twist her head around just a little bit to try and face her sister. "Luna, we all make mistakes, especially when we're not thinking straight. I didn't think of doing a fundraiser with the theatre club. Don't beat yourself up like this…you know I hate it when you do that."

Luna paused in her stroking motions, taking the time to look down at her younger sister. She then looked away as her mind began to wander, taking her back to a cool spring evening just a few months ago when Luan had told her a similar thing. It was a difficult memory to revisit, for she could quite distinctly remember the pools of regret that had drowned her insides following her mistreatment for her little sister on the day when the latter had discovered a tiny pimple on her face. Luan had come looking for her in the late evening before the day was through and had reassured Luna of the unconditional love that she had hidden in her heart for her big sister no matter how many times Luna messed up. Despite the pain that this memory brought forth when looked back upon, it also filled Luna with a great hope and promise between her and Luan. And right now, it somehow gave Luna reason to smile. She resumed brushing.

"Yeah, you're right, sis. I'll def' remember that the next time I'm in need for some green."

With one final stroke down the length of brown, the job was complete. Luna set the hairbrush down and then gazed at her handiwork through the reflective glass. Luan did the same, just looking at her own hair, so loose, so free. She rarely let her ponytail go, much less walk about in public with her hair down, all long and straight with a distinct curl at the very tips of each individual strand. Unsure of the exact reason as to why she secretly felt so self-conscience about her hairstyle, perhaps because letting it fall down the back of her neck without any means of control made her feel vulnerable or exposed to the eyes of strangers, she just knew that there was a peculiar and unexplained sense of security that she drew out of the little yellow scrunchie responsible for keeping her mane all in one place every day. Of course, right now, she felt completely at ease. She was in Luna's sole company, after all, who would never judge her with genuinely malicious intentions.

With her eyes still glued to the mirror, she raised them and met the brown irises belonging to her sister. Luna smiled sweetly when they locked their gazes and slowly crossed her arms around Luan's shoulders and chest, hugging her from behind while resting her chin atop of her head. Luan finally gave in and subconsciously let herself lean back slightly into Luna's warm body, the soft, fuzzy material of her bathrobe meshing comfortably with her head and making her mind go blank for a few seconds. Some nights just called for a blissful evening of doing absolutely nothing.

She inhaled a deep breath of air. Even after showering and using the same soap and shampoo as the majority of their family, including herself, Luna still held a distinct scent, so familiar to Luan after years of sticking close to her side. Luna gazed down at her fondly and then back up at them in the mirror.

"Heh heh, look at us. A couple of weirdos, am I right?"

Luan giggled at Luna's statement and pulled a ridiculous expression, one that was not uncommon at many of her birthday parties and occasional comedy gigs. "That's us, all right. A Luan-tic and a Luna-tic, always ready to knock your socks off…if we can't make you laugh, we'll just blast you away with music!"

Laughter from both girls now filled the room; a common sound centered in Luan's primary circles, though mixed with Luna's music, somehow seemed even more special. Luan then felt Luna give her an affectionate squeeze.

"You know, Lulu, you really do look good with your hair set free. I really don't think you got anything to worry 'bout."

Luna had always had that knack of reading people's minds. Even so, Luan sighed wistfully. If anyone else would happen to take the slightest interest in her lack of hairstyle variety and furthermore made the effort to inquire her about it, she would probably just dismiss the topic as 'something she never really thought about', and then leave the conversation at that. Luna, however, was well aware of Luan's insecurities regarding her hair's appearance, specifically when it was not being held up in some way. And with Luna, she felt no need to shy away from the discussion or to mask her fears behind jokes and puns. "Maybe…I dunno, Lunes, I just don't think I look right with my hair all over the place. I'm so used to having something keeping it up."

Luna stroked Luan's sides, still encasing her sister in her hold from behind. She breathed softly upon her head, providing her with a little bit of warmth. "It's not a bad idea to change things up every once in a while, dude. As long as you stay true to yourself. Promise me you'll give it a chance one day, just to see what it's like now that you're older. If you hate the look after one day of trying it out, you can go back to the ponytail, feeling proud that you at least gave it a shot. Al'right?"

The girl in yellow pajamas gazed carefully at her reflection, pushing a damp strand away from her face. She still felt those ancient doubting thoughts and feelings about her appearance, but since Luna would never lie to her, she decided to take up the challenge…one day.

"Oh, fine. Just because you asked nicely."

Luna smiled, then suddenly formed a smug gleam in her eye. "I'll bet Benny would love this look."

Now those feelings intensified three-fold. "Do you think so?" she asked worriedly, her heart pounding against her chest like a timebomb.

"Totally, brah. You and I both remember what he said to you on your first date. You're still you. But…I'll bet on Mick Swagger's golden release album that he'll flip to the sky if you look this way on your next date."

Luan blushed heavily and felt her insides swirl with a bright fluorescent glow. "Thanks, Luni-Tunes," she murmured gratefully as she pressed herself a little deeper into Luna's cozy robe. She felt so warm.

The older girl just smiled. Her old love for being Luan's big sister, which had only just reignited a couple years ago following her return home, had only grown stronger since.

Then she changed the subject. "Now…how's about you tell me what's been nagging your mind these last few days?" she said lightly.

Luan blinked and felt her insides freeze when Luna said this. She tilted her head back to meet the latter's eyes, not from the mirror, but from Luna's own freckled face. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively.

Luna frowned accusingly. "Don't act all innocent with me, dude, 'cuz I know you better than that. I can tell that something's on your mind and you need to tell me your heart's desires."

The undying, constant drawing strength to seek sanctuary within the arms of her protective big sister compelled Luan to sub-consciously lean further into Luna, looking down at her bunny slippers. "Am I that obvious?" she asked, feeling disappointed with herself.

"Not really. You do a pretty fine job in hiding your emotions. But it takes someone who knows you real well to see those heartstrings lying beneath. I noticed that you've been like this for a few days now, but I wanted you to talk to me when you felt ready to. Since you never seemed to want to, I thought maybe I should just break the ice first. I wanted to ask you at Yesterdayville, but decided to let you enjoy your blissful R&R."

She caressed Luan's side and inhaled her sweet-smelling hair. "You have my attention right now, luv," she whispered gently, though one could easily pick up the glimmer of encouragement laced in her tone. "And it's just you and me here. So, how's about you tell the Lunes what's got your mind in a tizzy?"

Luan said nothing. Truthfully, she was beyond grateful that her sister knew her so well; it had saved the pair quite a lot of trouble when opening up to each other over their years spent growing up together. It didn't mean revealing her thoughts was any easier for her though. Regardless however, Luna had made a good point. They were both here. They were alone. And now, Luna was aware that something was bogging her down. And it was also clear that neither of them was going to let this day end before she told her. But even with all the elements in their proper places and the stage all set for her to make her performance, Luan was faced with the very last thing that every actor and actress known to the entertainment industry wanted to encounter:

Stage fright.

Thankfully, Luna's instincts came into play once more. Sensing that Luan was feeling a little uneasy for whatever reason, she came up with a new idea. She tilted her face down and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her sister's head. "Tell you what. How 'bout you bunk with me tonight? We'll make ourselves comfy first, and then you can tell me what's troubling you. What'cha say? Sound cool?"

Luan caught her gaze and produced a small smile. Luna always had a way of making anything sound inviting. "Okay."