The Last Star

"Save the star," the words echoed in Luna's ears. She murmured before feeling herself open her eyes. Sitting before her she saw a peculiar woman. She was tall, slender, and bearing a silver necklace. Simultaneously Luna grabbed the necklace on her neck, running the ridges of the star outline on her thumb. A family heirloom, the star necklace was gifted to her by her grandmother Celestia. "My necklace? Save my necklace?" Luna whispered before staring at the mysterious woman once more.

"Save the star," the woman spoke again. Before Luna had the chance to observe her any longer, she woke up to the sound of her brother falling down the stairs.

"Orion! Stop playing with your new nebula hovercraft and get down here for breakfast!"

Luna heard Orion laughing before hearing footsteps retreating up the stairs. Luna smothered her face with her pillow, letting out a loud grunt before she sat up. She yawned, reaching over to her end table and staring blankly at it.                        

"That's weird.." Luna mumbled before slowly reaching forward and scooping up her necklace. "I never take this thing off."

Unclasping the chain, she reached over and put it back on her neck before wandering to her bathroom. The concrete on the basement floor made her shutter as her bare feet walked across it, sighing in relief when the carpet in the bathroom saved them from their certain demise. She stared in the mirror and smiled. There was no reason to be insecure, for everyone who resided in the Pinnacle of Solara had better things to worry about. Besides, Luna knew she had her beauty.

She grabbed her brush and hummed softly, slowly lifting it to her head. With a press of a button, the hairbrush started to brush and curl her hair.

Her hair; a cascade of midnight black, reflected the depths of the night sky. It flowed freely, framing her face and occasionally catching the subtle light like moondust. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of deep indigo, held the light of the cosmos. Luna's skin was fair but carried a faint luminescence, reminiscent of moonlight. Ethereal and graceful, she moved with quiet confidence. These are things she knew because that's who she was made to be.

As she pondered about what to do with her day, grabbing the small remote next to the mirror she scoffed. Her parents had set another parental lock to keep her clothing more "mature." After picking out a black top that was too big, and grabbing a pair of shorts she had hidden away and getting dressed; she heard her father beckon her to come home stairs. As she walked up she couldn't help but feel a bit weary from her dream. Sitting down at the breakfast table she smiled at her family. They were a small little bunch, but it was enough.

Her father Alistair was at the stove, typing in the breakfast for the day, his hand gripping onto the citadel marks in the savings jar as he plopped a coin in every minute he was on the app.

Alistair was a distinguished astronomer, before the accident. He was a funny man with silver-streaked black hair, worn proudly as a badge of his wisdom. His deep blue eyes mirror Luna's, reflecting a shared understanding of the family's conditions. Her father had always been known for his calm demeanor and unwavering dedication to helping the lower classes.

Alistar's wife and Luna's mother; Seraphina, was anxiously watching him push each coin in. Knowing that they'd both have to work overtime just for breakfast. Seraphina was an artist with a spirit as vibrant as her auburn curls. She still does art, but ever since the unions got put into place, she can't make citadel marks from it anymore. Her hazel eyes hold a gentle warmth, coinciding with her warm heart that held the family together.

Orion, her younger brother, was chugging the glass of orange juice that her father handed to him. Orion was known for being a spirited and curious individual. His mischievous grin complements his hazel eyes. Luna and he rarely got along, he was too "immature" for her. He didn't understand the position the Thorne family was in, and Luna was afraid he never would. "With time," they would tell her.

Luna knew that her parents wouldn't be able to scrape enough work up to afford dinner today. "It's okay Dad, I'm good on breakfast, I need to get down to Crest today to help Aegis with his homework." Her parents smiled before sighing in relief. With that, Luna stood up and walked out the door.

She breathed in deeply as she closed the door and looked out to the sky. She could have taken a quantum portal, but she wanted the fresh air, and she was never spoiled enough to get a new fancy hovercraft for her birthday. The only form of transportation she had was her Glactix bicycle but it was rusted and too outdated for a girl of her age.

The world of Valeriax was uncannily dystopian. The world was divided into 5 unions. Next to the Citadel, there was the Luminal Cross; "the glue holding everything together." They were the most wealthy, considerably, compared to the other unions. They tied everything together like a pretty bow on shitty wrapping paper. The town glittered with wealth, and the banisters on the light posts representing the Citadel made all the other unions laugh. They were so into kissing the Citadel's ass that they didn't realize how much they were being played. Half of them didn't work because they invested in so many Citadel marks they didn't have to. They got paid for electricity, and housing, and got free food. All they had to do was keep the middle class from wanting to become lower class. They fed the pigs, and they loved being farmers.

Prismatica was the third most wealthy and one of the most important unions. Luna had no respect for the residents in Prismatica, granted they were the only faction that kept everything peaceful. Prismatica handled all the legal disputes, siding with Luminal and helping the rich stay rich; but helping the lower class enough to where it doesn't seem sketchy. They didn't go out of their way to help the poor, and Luna never understood that.

Luna's hometown, The Pinnacle of Solara, was filled with graciously humble residences and communal spaces that dominated the landscape. The structures were designed with functionality in mind, yet each building incorporated modifications to help the environments for all the unions. Community centers and gathering places were adorned with murals depicting Solara's biggest achievement, building a school on the edge of the Crest for children to have an education. Unbeknownst to the Citadel or Luminal.

Astral Crest, the hometown of Aegis; Luna's best friend was the worst of them all. The town looked like it had been in a war for years. Trash strung through the street lamps, bystanders screaming up at windows. Glass shattering in the distance was something Aegis grew up to love. Aegis was different than any of the people Luna had met in Solara or Prismatica. He was humble, yet noble; wise yet foolish. She loved him in a way she could not yet describe. Aegis possessed a striking figure, with a presence that seemed to command attention. His tousled chestnut hair and warm hazel eyes conveyed both approachability and a hint of mystery. Taller than average, he moved with a confident yet gentle demeanor. Luna thought it complimented her grace nicely when they would be out together.

Aegis understood Luna in a way most didn't. It went beyond the surface; as she was there for him when nobody else was, and he gave her the understanding she needed. Aegis would sit by the edge of town, trying to throw rocks at the Citadel, but failing each time. Luna knew how much he hated anything to do with the upper class, recounting him stating many a time;

"you would never catch a representative of the Citadel near the Crest, for fear the nuclear waste would stain their shoes."

Luna walked gracefully down the road, as she walked into town she couldn't help but notice a group of young Crest boys begging for food at the bakery. She smiled softly to herself as a humble old woman handed out blueberry muffins free of charge to the three boys.

As she hummed a tune to herself, staring at the ground she heard a group of men laughing down the street. Instinctively she looked up, accidentally meeting eyes with a boy from the Prismatica Union. He was short and stocky; his blonde hair shining in the sun like a plastic hard hat, sticking out like a sore thumb in contrast to his black suit. His icy blue eyes stared blankly through her like she was invisible. Turning his nose to her, he continued to chat with the men standing next to him; and Luna kept walking.

    She wondered to herself why someone from Prismatica was in Solara, but just as she pondered the question she gulped hard. She heard sirens and saw a crowd of Solara citizens screaming at someone in a police car. Luna ran up to the crowd, pushing and shoving her way through, curious as to what was going on. As humble and caring people can be, disaster is an odd beauty not many can look away from. She gasped in shock as she realized someone from Astral Crest had murdered a Luminal resident. Luna quickly backed away, running back to the street. If there was a murder, that meant someone from the Citadel and Prismatica would be coming to assess the situation; and Luna couldn't be there for that.

    As she continued down the road, she reached the border between Solara and the Crest. There was a huge gap between the two unions, a huge ravine separated all the factions. Luna couldn't hide her smile as she looked around her to make sure nobody was around. She then uncovered a small box and took her necklace out from underneath her shirt. As she bent over, she pressed the outline of the necklace in the star-shaped keyhole and it opened with a soft thud. She smiled again before taking out the small grappling hook from the box.

    She took a few steps back, eyeing down the small ledge Aegis carved in the rocks 10 years ago. As she winded her arm back, she tossed the grapple hard, the loud clank echoing throughout the ravine. She tugged hard, satisfied with the resistance on the other side she took a deep breath and jumped. The muscle memory kicked in as she leaped off the edge of the cliff. Her stomach dropped and turned as she became weightless. She blinked hard and bit her tongue as her body slammed into the side of the cliff. Rocks digging into her side. She let out a sharp yelp before wincing and breathing hard.

    "Damnit!" She cried softly before shakingly grabbing the rope. As she climbed up the rope, her arms shaking slightly, she felt a pebble hit the top of her head. Pausing instinctively like a kid being caught stealing an extra cookie out of the jar; she felt her heart pounding in her throat. She knew what she was doing could get her in trouble, the Prisma-narcs would ask her why she didn't just use a quantum portal if she had business in Astral Crest. Before she started to worry too much, she heard a familiar giggle coming from above her.

    "Sorry if I scared you, I saw you shit out on that jump and wanted to make sure you were okay." Luna smiled. It was Aegis.

    "Well, don't just stand there," Luna laughed and looked up, meeting Aegis's gaze.

"Help me!" She said with a huff.

    As laughter was heard echoing throughout the gap. Luna gripped onto the ledge of the cliff and breathed harshly. As she pulled herself up she let out an annoyed grunt.

    "I thought you said you were going to wait for me at the school, you didn't ditch again, did you?" Luna stared at Aegis as she put her grapple back in the box, setting it down in a hole she had dug months before, setting a large rock on top of it.

    "No, I went; but a fight broke out because someone brought a knife." Luna frowned. She hated the crime rates in Crest, but she understood them. Without another word, Luna hugged Aegis and they began to walk to the school.

    As they got closer, Luna's smile beamed brighter. It brought her so much joy to see the kids of Astral Crest enjoying the school she and so many other people helped build. As she and Aegis approached a small bench, Aegis stopped suddenly. Putting his arm out to stop Luna from going any further, he put his hand to his lips and pointed to a group of men. She stood confused before moving her eyes to the direction he was pointing in. She couldn't see what he was talking about, but just before she could say anything; she saw it. A group of Prismatica peace protectors were approaching the school. Aegis grabbed Luna's arm and they hid behind a small bush. Screaming started almost instantly, as one of the protectors grabbed a flame thrower. Luna's eyes widened as she went to stand,

"YOU BASTARDS-" Luna screamed, Aegis grabbed her softly and held her as he covered her mouth gently. As the building began being torched Luna burst out in tears.

"Shh, Luna its okay." Aegis said with uncertainty in his voice, but Luna could see the tears swelling in his eyes. She grabbed onto his arm, holding back tears as she started gripping it tighter. Letting her, Aegis petted her head, pushing her hair behind her ears and resting his hand on top of it. "Come on Luna, let's go. There's nothing here for us anymore."

Both of them stood up and slowly walked away. The flames from the school burned brighter than three moons combined. They walked back to the border of Crest and sat down at the ledge. Aegis grabbed two large rocks and threw them as hard as he could toward the Citadel. Missing by a long shot he screamed. The rage in his voice sent shivers down Luna's spine, as her skin broke out in goosebumps. She stared at the long drop, watching the radion raptors stalking down below for prey to eat. She sighed softly and looked over at Aegis. He was too, looking down at the raptors.

"I'd rather be one of them," Aegis promptly stated. "They never have to worry about the Citadel." Silence overtook the air, sticking to Luna's lungs like rich smoke. "No you wouldn't," Luna spoke softly, ending the awkward tension. Luna lifted the rock she had hidden her box under, grabbing it from the soil. She opened it with her necklace again and held the grappling hook in her hand. "You know my parents would take you in..." Luna whispered.

"But they wouldn't be able to take care of me Lune, and you know that. They can barely afford to take care of you and Orion." Luna clenched her jaw, she knew he was right; no matter how much she wished it wasn't true.

"In the dance of celestial fate, until our steps intertwine again," Luna said softly staring at Aegis with a cocked smile. Aegis couldn't help but return the smile, "As long as the stars bear witness, my friend, every cosmic turn is another chance for shared adventures."

With that, Luna cast the grappling hook. Aegis waved her goodbye, and Luna headed back towards Solora. She had to speak with her father to tell him what happened to the school, and she was angry.