Hey there,
Rather short chapter once more (700 words or so). And this time, a bit of Luna's feelings. Be prepared for more heartbreak! (and get ready, because it will only worsen~).
To my two reviewers: thanks for dropping a word! It's fully appreciated :) I thought I had said the titles were lines from Lullaby for a princess, but...I forgot. Well, now you know now.
On a side note, I make pictures for each chapter (I basically take pictures on google and mix them together) but i can't show you here, so you can go to Quotev to see (same story name, same author name) I'll put a link in my profile.
Enjoy~
...And grew only darker as days and nights passed...
"It went completely off path. A bit like thunder. Except it wasn't thunder, it was the Moon. You said it would get better, but it's not! I'm tired as hell whenever I finish, to the point that I must sleep the night away! Not that I mind, because I get to spend the day with Celestia, but still! And I-"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Sister?"
"…Zzzzz….."
Luna sighed for maybe the hundredth time that night. She'd risen early in hope of having a chat with her sister concerning the Moon –and her difficulties- and while the elder had looked overjoyed to spend a moment with her, now she was…asleep. Dead to the world.
She hadn't even been speaking for five minutes!
Luna felt a painful ache in her chest. Part of it was her fault, she knew. Because she couldn't fulfil her duties yet, Staria had taken them over, and her sister's exhaustion was proof of that. Duties were important, the kingdom was important; but was it more important than her sisters? Than their well-being? Their bond? No, it wasn't. But it was sad to think that, for her sisters, it was. After all, why else would Staria prefer to be dropping of exhaustion by the end of the night rather than spending time with her sisters, even if she had to leave a small part of her duties unattended to for just one night? Surely the kingdom wouldn't crumble to pieces if she did –once in a while!
But Staria obviously didn't agree with her, and the realisation sent a painful jolt through her chest, a burning hurt that nothing seemed to soothe and erase. Her head dropped to the ground. Was it because she wasn't good enough? Because she was too young? Did she resent her for not fulfilling her duties? Or did she just like doing them more than she liked being with her sisters? Luna was a princess, too; one of Equestria's three rulers. By all means, she should understand what her sister thought, what she was going through. But she'd steadily been changing over the past few weeks, ever since she had taken the crown. She had become like Celestia in their younger days, back when the elder had transitioned between a playful filly and a responsible mare. Luna had heavily disliked the change, and Staria had, , she seemed to be doing exactly the same.
She no longer had time for her. The last time they'd watched the stars together was before they were crowned. The last time they had played together, even before that. She did not want to lose Staria like she had lost Celestia; they'd done their best to still coax the elder out to play with them, but eventually she'd stopped, said she was too old for these games. She'd already lost a sister, and she was about to lose another.
But what what could she do alone? Back then, it was Staria who had reassured her at night, Staria who had yelled at Celestia for abandoning them, Staria who had thought of ways to get the playful Celestia back. Without her, Luna didn't know if she could do for her sister what Staria had done for Celestia. She wasn't as strong as she was. But she would try, at least. Celestia was still there, after all; she had changed, but she was still her sister.
The young alicorn gazed longingly at her sister, gently putting the elder in bed. In her exhaustion, she had fallen asleep against the wall, it had to be uncomfortable. Staria emitted a soft sigh as she was lowered on the mattress, immediately snuggling under the covers. The display reminded the youngest of the nights they'd spend cuddling in the same bed when the thunder scared her as a filly. She realised grimly that her sister wouldn't even wake anymore if she were to seek the protective embrace of her hooves.
Heavy disappointment settled in her chest. Her sister was never there for her anymore.
In the dead of the Night, faced with her sister's unconscious form, Luna felt more alone now than ever.
Review~