Chapter 1
Silver linings

Its not easy being the black sheep of the family, but in my case, my family wishes I was the black sheep. My name is Luna Sylver, and my parents never grew out of their emo phase, and neither have my siblings, so yeah, its rough being a happy little sunshine girl in a knockoff version of the Addams family

I really do love my family, my older twin brothers Lucien and Damien, who are identical in every way, mostly just for the creepy factor, I hear them practicing their synchronization in their room sometimes, I usually just call them both Ien, because calling them both by their own names takes too long. Then theres me, the second, or third oldest I guess, if you count Lucien and Damien as two different people. My brother Crowley is a year younger than me, and has finally started applying his own eyeliner. Two years younger than him is my sister Raven, who has long dyed black hair and plans to cut it super short soon, but shes been saying that for the past 3 months. Then theres my youngest brother Alistair, 12 years old, who was blessed with naturally black hair, and just got his first spiked choker.

Our unhappy little household is lit purely with fake candles, chandeliers, and lanterns, all the walls are painted blood red or some dark shade of gray, and my parents have a coffin themed bed. Sufficient to say that my parents were furious with me when I got some paint from a friend (something rarely seen around our family) and tried to paint my room pastel colors. I had to share a funeral parlor of a room with Raven for a few weeks before all the fumes were finally gone.

So yeah, thats my introduction to this, Im a floral pattern crop top in a family of fishnets, and it isnt fun in any way.



Luna woke up early (or late, by her familys standards) as it was her first day of school and she had a normal sleeping schedule unlike the rest of her family. She put on a bright pink crop top and a cute white skirt, though she grabbed a large black hoodie to cover up the clothes her parent abhorred.

*Hello mother, no need for breakfast today, Im going to get a bagel on my walk to school* Luna tells her mother, who was wearing a black Victorian nightgown as she brewed some tea *and no, I do not need an umbrella today* Luna told her mom before the woman had a chance to ask. Black umbrellas were carried by almost everyone to avoid sun exposure so they could keep their pale complexions.

Luna quickly stepped out of the house after bidding farewell to her mother, and took the black hoodie off as soon as she was out of eyeshot of the house. She stuffed the hoodie in her backpack as she walked, and was soon as the corner of her street.

*Hey Sylver, whats up?* a friendly boy asked, Lunas best friend, Rhys Amberosa, a cheerful boy who had known her since she moved to Kalo Cay earlier in the summer. *Plain bagel, just like you asked* He handed her a brown paper bag.

*Thanks Rhys, heres the money for it* she repaid him, and they started walking to school together.

*Any more weird dreams?* Rhys asked her. Luna had recently began having odd dreams, they felt like Lucid dreams, but there was just something different about them.

*Rhys, every day is a weird dream with my family* Luna scoffed, opening the bag and taking a bite of the bagel. *But yeah, last night I was in this big Victorian goth castle, like my parents dream house, and I walked into a room and then I was in a normal bedroom and there was a boy sitting on the balcony, and he just turned to me and said Can you see the stars? Theyre beautiful, Im so sad that theyre gone* Sylver recounted her dream *Then he asked me who I was, and he told me his name was Cody, and where hes from the Stars dont exist, and then he sprouted wings and flew into the sky and I left the room and then I woke up* She finished talking about the dream.

*Man, your dreams are always so surreal, they almost sound real sometimes, except the part about him flying... and why did your brain make up some guy named Cody? Did you ever know him?* Rhys asked

*Well no, but like, I swear Ive seen him in my dreams before, my brain has the same few imaginary friends that I see sometimes... well, we can talk about it later. Were here* Luna pointed out the school. The two walked into the building in awkward silence and parted ways to find their first classes on the schedule.

Chapter 2
Light Pollution

Fun fact: in large cities, theres so much light that you cant see any stars. Ive always seen them in movies and read about them, but Ive lived in a big city my whole life, and Ive never gone anywhere else, so all I can do is try to imagine that outside my small two bedroom, theres a sky full of brilliant stars. For now though, I settle for the little glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of my bedroom

My name is Cody Beckson, I live in Rever city, and life is always moving forward here, if you fall behind the flow, you get trampled, no one stops for you, and you cant do anything about it except for never falling behind or looking back. Thats the way life is here, so I just have to accept it.



*Cody, up here!* Amara was called him over from where she was sitting on the rooftop of the high rise apartment building. He turned his attention away from the girl in his doorway as she vanished, and he sprouted large wings from his back, flying up to meet his friend.

*Amara, I was getting worried that you werent coming tonight* Cody sighed, relieved as he perched next to his friend. Amara was a strange girl who had been showing up in his dreams for a while now. He knew he was getting a little too old for an imaginary friend, but she wasnt exactly imaginary since she only showed up in his dreams.

*You really think I would miss this view? Your dreamscapes are my favorite, honestly. The way you imagine the stars is second to none* Amara mused, looking to the sky, laying on her back. The top of the building was made of sand, which is another one of Codys many city boy desires- go to the beach.

*Thanks Amara... what do you mean by my dreamscapes though?* Cody asked, his wings dissipating as he laid in the cool sand.

*Well, Ive been to a lot of peoples dreams before, but Ive always enjoyed yours the most, of course, I prefer my little dream forest, but hey, thats because its my dreams, Im biased* Amara chuckled at her own joke.

*How do you go to other peoples dream- what do you mean your own dreams... can I visit your dreamscape sometime? But seriously, other peoples dreams... are you like some sort of shared imaginary friend who only visits dreams? Or is night just the time I get to see you like some sort of shared custody-* Codys rambling was cut off.

*Wait, Cody, slow down a sec, weve known each other for months, and you think... Im an imaginary friend? Cody, Im a real person, this- ugh, its morning, its time for me to wake up... Ill explain everything tomorrow night* Amara looked perplexed- what wa she talking about? Was she seriously real or was he just having some insanely weird dream.

Cody was like up to complete silence, Amara woke him up just before his alarm could go off.