//------------------------------//
// 201. Colt. 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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Luna knew there was something wrong with her beloved little Colt; she'd known it from the very moment she'd birthed him. At first, everyone - her midwife, her nurses, the royal physician and her sister - had been terribly worried because, from the moment he'd come into the world -- he'd never cried. Never. Not the way all young foals do, at least. He'd made noises, yes, of pain when hurt, of frustration when angered -- but such things were rare. Most of the time little mottled-brown Auryn stuck close to his beloved Mother, stopping only to look around, look at himself, look at his body -- as if he was confused and didn't know where he was.

Although the Princess sent for many educators whom tried to school her son in those subjects he needed in life -- none were able to get through to Auryn; he sat there as they droned on, and on, or spoke with enthusiasm, or demonstrated -- lost in his own little world. Luna herself even tried to teach him -- then he seemed interested, yet his eyes were still glazed over and he spoke with backwards, garbled speech; a combination of very limited Equestrian and some other language unidentifiable and untranslatable. Her frustration boiling over, poor Princess Luna did the unthinkable; she shook her beloved Colt, she yelled at him -- and then, realizing immediately what she'd done, she burst into heart-wrenching tears, rocking her little Auryn gently, apologizing to him over and over and over... That was, until slowly, he turned his head to look at her, his gaze focused, and he began to sing to her, in the sweetest, most pure Equestrian.


"A falling star fell from your heart 
And landed in my eyes
I screamed aloud, 
as it tore through them, 
and now it's left me blind"


Luna had heard many, many songs in her life, but nothing, nothing like this! The song spoke of her stars and moon being blown up, of being lost in darkness -- and of being found again. She didn't know what the song was called -- but that wasn't important! What was important was that somehow, through that song, her little Auryn was talking to her, communicating to her for the very first time -- he was telling her that he knew of her, of her past as Nightmare Moon, and--and...


"I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you."


Sobbing gently, Luna held her little one close and rocked him. He wasn't a bad colt -- not a nightmare's son as some awful nobles called him -- just different. Softly, soothingly, still crying, Luna sang to him -- and now he focused, his gaze snapping towards her. Luna sang of herself, her sister, their ponies, harmony -- Auryn answered with more songs, of war, of peace, of people trying to get by. Joy singing in her heart, Luna sought out her sister -- told her what happened -- that she'd had a breakthrough with little Auryn -- and then said colt snapped his head towards Celestia, and...


"I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I'm sure
And I just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door
Now every time I go for the mailbox, gotta hold myself down
'Cause I just can't wait 'til you write me you're coming around

I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
And don't it feel good"


Laughter bubbled up from within Celestia that day -- a great heaving belly laugh that left her breathless -- and that's when things truly began for little Auryn; now instead of boring teachers, Luna sought out the greatest of Equestrian Composers, song writers, and masters of music and song -- they taught Auryn, but the young colt in turn taught them -- they marveled at "Joy to the World" and wept like foals at the choral version of "Adagio for Strings." Events, objects, and even meeting ponies often made Auryn lapse into song. Princess Cadence sobbed openly upon hearing "She's Out of my Life" and Shining Armor stiffened, then got misty-eyed at "A Soldier's Memoirs" and "As the Band played Waltzing Matilda." Soon, it became clear to all that Auryn was hearing, channeling, music never before heard in Equestria, music from somewhere else -- and soon, a pair of master composite scribes were assigned to accompany him at all times that his wondrous music might be recorded. 

As he gained more focus, Auryn oversaw his music performed live on stages throughout Equestria -- and other composers who worked with him became somewhat miffed at his arrogance and diva-like attitude when he often rewrote parts of songs that according to him didn't sound right -- or when he fussed over the exact notes, sound, tone, or even the very make of an instrument -- but soon, for those composers and makers of music, everything 'clicked' -- Auryn wasn't a diva; he was, like them, a perfectionist who wanted ponies to experience the music as he himself heard it in his head.