Luna

Tuesday morning, the chatter in the halls of Canterlot High was louder than usual. Rumors about Cadence’s arrival were everywhere, and when I finally saw her for the first time, I understood why everyone was talking about her.

She had just walked into the principal’s office, her calm smile and confident posture drawing every gaze. Her pink hair was perfectly styled, and she wore a simple yet elegant dress that looked straight out of a fashion magazine. I wondered if she had dressed like that on purpose to impress or if it was just natural for her.

When the principal called me in to introduce me to Cadence, I felt my stomach tighten.

“Luna, thank you for being here. This is Cadence, our new student. You’ll be her guide for the week.”

Cadence smiled at me, extending her hand. “Hi, Luna. Thanks for helping me.”

“Hi,” I replied, shaking her hand. She seemed kind, but part of me couldn’t help thinking she was too perfect.

That evening at the reading club, my notebook lay open in front of me, but I couldn’t focus. The image of Cadence kept popping into my mind. She was everything I wasn’t: bright, confident, admired by everyone.

I tried to shift my attention back to my story. I wrote:

“Selene watched Venus speaking to the kingdom’s subjects. Every smile, every word her sister spoke seemed to light up the world around her. Selene, on the other hand, was a shadow, invisible to everyone. Yet, the darkness within her began to whisper: ‘You can be more.’”

“Are you writing something new?” Rose’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said, quickly closing the notebook. “I’m still working on Selene and Venus.”

Rose smiled. “I love how you describe Selene’s emotions. She feels so real.”

I didn’t respond, but deep down, I knew that Selene was more real than Rose could imagine.

The next day, I found myself walking alongside Cadence in the hallways, showing her the classrooms and main areas of the school. She listened attentively, asking questions now and then, but I still felt tense.

“This seems like a great school,” Cadence said with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s… nice,” I replied, not too enthusiastically.

When we reached the club area, I noticed the hallways were full of flyers and colorful posters. Cadence looked at them curiously.

“There are so many clubs! Which ones are you in?”

“Reading and theater,” I said, lowering my gaze.

“Theater? That sounds fun. I’d love to try it.”

Her words surprised me. She didn’t seem like the theater type, yet there was something sincere in her tone.

We stepped into the fashion lab, where Celestia and her group were working on new sketches. When Celestia saw Cadence, her face lit up.

“You must be Cadence!” she said, approaching her with enthusiasm.

“Yes,” Cadence replied, shaking her hand.

Celestia looked her up and down with an admiring smile. “You have incredible style. Would you like to join our club? We’re working on costumes for the next theater production.”

Cadence smiled. “That sounds interesting. I’ll think about it.”

The girls from the fashion club crowded around, introducing themselves and drawing Cadence into their conversation. I stayed back, silent, feeling like an outsider.

Celestia turned to me for a moment. “Luna, isn’t it great that Cadence is thinking about joining the clubs?”

“Yes,” I said softly, but my voice was drowned out by the general chatter.

When we left the fashion lab, Cadence looked at me. “Your sister is really nice. It’s clear she’s very good at what she does.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

“You know,” Cadence continued, “I was a little nervous about transferring here. At Crystal Prep, everyone always expected the best from me. Sometimes it’s… suffocating.”

I looked at her, surprised. For the first time, I saw something beyond her perfection. Maybe she had her own insecurities too.

That evening, as I thought about Cadence, I realized that her presence made me feel insecure, but perhaps it wasn’t fair to judge her so quickly. Like Selene and Venus, maybe Cadence also hid something behind her light.