Those who see a different kind of Light

by Lazydrill


Nothing is set in stone.

The room was silent. Even the wind had quieted down for the Princess of the Night, not daring to provoke her ire. Blue torches illuminated the room together with the white light of the moon in the sky. Fog had never witnessed such silence in all of his life, it was almost terrifying how everypony sat in silence as if they were statues, not even the slightest movement could be seen as Fog looked around him. That one pony, a Princess, could get this many ponies to be silent simply by requesting it.

"My children, I thank all of thee for thine undivided attention."

Fog heard the gentleness in her voice, as if she was consulting a foal who had a bad day. He looked up to her, noticing some of the ponies around him gave very small bows with their heads. Fog simply returned his gaze back to his new mother, who stood up from the throne she had sat upon. Her wings remained folded as she strode to the steps with grace only a Princess could emit. Looking at her eyes, he could see she was looking briefly at everypony individually, she even glanced directly back into his eyes for a second before moving on.

"My children, I bit thee all a good night on this day of joy and remembrance. Now, as thou all might already be aware of, We have found a lost son among the cold back alleys of this once great city. It is without a doubt our youngest we have ever taken under our care, but we art fain with him amongst us. Fog, would thee please rise if thou likest and join us?"

Fog suddenly felt a sense of apprehension creep over his spine, he was asked to come forward and stand in front of all these ponies. He was never comfortable with big crowds, especially if they gave him their attention. However, Fog sighed, taking in a deep breath through his nose he steeled himself. Looking around, he noticed some of the ponies were glancing at him with supporting looks while the others kept their eyes on the Princess.

As the young pegasus stood up, he spared a glance at the Princess, noticing she kept her motherly gaze upon him. Feeling more encouraged by her, Fog took the first few steps and made his way past the sitting ponies and to the throne's steps. His legs were shaking lightly at the nervousness that welled within him, but he managed to pass by all the sitting ponies, some of them scooting out of the way to let him walk past them easier.

His eyes were cast down to the ground as he walked closer to the throne with a slow pace, and yet, nopony ushered him to hurry up, they all sat there, patiently waiting for him to stand next to the Princess. As his left hoof made first contact with the stairs, he glanced up. She was still standing there, Princess Luna, looking at him with her caring and supporting gaze, patience radiating off her for the young stallion.

Fog went timidly up the steps, fully aware his brothers and sisters were following his every step. His hooves felt heavy, with every step he took they were harder to lift up by the tiniest bit, but it was noticeable. After a few times of raising his hooves and putting them down on the adjacent step, he reached the last. As his left hind hoof finally landed on the top of the pedestal, he looked from the ground up, seeing the empty marble throne, adorned by red and gold cloth, a big cushion laying on it.

He felt her presence, glancing to his right, he noticed she was sitting on her haunches, her teal motherly eyes looking at him with care. He turned on the spot to face her completely, even when she sat down and he stood, she was still a muzzle bigger than him. It was slight eerie, but at the same time, it was comforting, to have somepony as big and powerful, yet caring and loving to look over him.

"Fog, please take a seat."

"Y-yes Princess."

Luna gave an approving nod as Fog sat down in front of her, but her eyes looked sadly as the colt responded to her, she could hear the fear and uncertainty in his voice, the emptiness in his hearth, the sadness of having his family been taken away by some unfair event he had witnessed- and behind all that, a deep wound in his soul, one she hoped she could help heal over time.

The Princess took a gentle and deep breath, her eyes closing for a second before reopening again. She never wanted any of this for her little pony, for none of them. She spared a glance to all her children that sat in the room around her, she knew all of them by hearth, and wouldn't ever want to trade them for anything. It hurt her, more than she ever wanted to show them, how she watches every night and day over her ponies, seeing the hurt, the loss, the cruelty...

It had always pained her to see them in such a way, but such was her duty, to look out for her ponies, her children. There was a time when the pain and suffering and gotten to her, she turned into a Nightmare. Not because of what history tells them, but because of what she had felt for her ponies back then. No book nor tale, had ever described truly why happened when it did. That pain, of living an unnatural long life, seeing the hurt and unfairness being brought upon her ponies throughout generations- centuries of watching little foals grow, to stallions, to grandfathers, then die again. And those were the lucky ones, the ponies that got to live a full happy life.

Now, in front of her, was a little pony that was stranded in the streets of a country ruled and looked out over by her, stranded, lost, forgotten... abandoned. He is one of the many reasons why she turned into a Nightmare back then. She had met her breaking point- for a moment, she couldn't take it anymore and lost it all.

But now that she had returned, she noticed how much her ponies needed her. If she wasn't there to care for them, where would this colt go, who would have take care of him and his brothers or sisters? When found they were, and still are, in so much pain. The only one that can lift them from those dark times was her, a guiding light when all others had faded.

She had accept the pain that came with her duty and long life during her time on the moon. From then, she would not let it overpower her, instead, she would try and use the feeling to fuel her devotion to each pony of her nation, to make sure that she would try her best to give them healthy and good lives, far from pain.

"Fog, please look at Us, We wouldst likest to see thine eyes."

Fog looked up and into the Princess' eyes, seeing care and gentleness radiating from them. But besides that, he felt some kind of... some kind of old fury, something he was not supposed to see behind her features.

"Fog, my child, thine eyes art shining with that much pain..."

Her voice felt strained, like she was holding back something. And yet, what the colt heard clear as day, could only be described as sorrow combined with care. But why would she want to look into his eyes? She told him she already knew of his past, so she knew his pain.

Fog cast his eyes down again, his mind going back to darker times as the Princess remained silent. His ears flicked into the Princess' direction as he heard her hooves shuffle over the red carpet. Glancing up again, his eyes grew wide as he saw the Princess, her left hoof lifted against her chest, her right hoof stretched out in front of her touching the floor, her head bowed down. Was she bowing for him?

"My little pony, could thee find it in thine hearth to forgive us? To forgive us for being neigh there when thou needed us? For neigh being there for thine family at the time? For being away from Equestria for a thousand years?"

Fog was stunned, frozen in place as the Princess of the Night was apologizing to him openly, almost pleading to him for his forgiveness. Deep inside, he felt a surge of justification about her asking for his forgiveness, but at the same time, he felt, and he knew deep inside, that there was no need for her to apologize to him. Time and time again, whenever he was in her presence, he felt that he was safe and wanted, how could he possibly hold her accountable for not being there when she was on the moon? Even so when she returned, he could only imagine how it was for her to return. How could he truly blame her for not being there for him at the time?

"I forgive you."

"I forgive you, too."

"I forgive you as well."

Fog looked about the room to the voices, all of the ponies gathered gently voicing their own forgiveness. All of them said the same; they forgave her. But could he forgive her as well? Could he find it in his hearth to forgive her for those years? Fog looked to the Princess, who was still bowing low in front of him, not having moved the slightest bit.

"I... I forgive you, Mother."