//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: New Home 
// Story: The Warden: Part 3, Dream of the Warden 
// by FortressLegacy 
//------------------------------//

A few seconds later, both Luna and the Warden found themselves on another street.

It was still Halterburg, but their surroundings were much more affluent. There were streetlamps, cast iron fences, lush shrubbery, and large homes lining the cobble street on either side.

Clearly, this was the high district.

Luna glanced up towards a nearby street corner, and sure enough, there was a street sign that said 'Stirrup Street'. She also noticed that it appeared to be much later in the day, and that at least a couple of hours must have passed between the previous event and this one.

The princess glanced around for a moment, before looking at the Warden indirectly. He was also looking around, and Luna could feel a sense of nostalgia beginning to arise within him. She didn't have to ask if he remembered this place, for he most certainly did.

Then, young Casemate came walking around the corner that Luna had looked at earlier. Like her, he looked up at the sign, noticing that he was in the right place.

Beyond being on the right street, though, that was about it. The colt looked up and down the thoroufare, seeing the rows of larger, more fashionable houses along it. He had no idea which one was the one in which he would find his aunt.

He stood there on the corner, looking back and forth. He had come so far from his home, having survived a journey many miles through remote wilderness and an encounter with Sweeper. That being said, he understood that he was within sight of the end, at long last.

Casemate seemed to straighten his stance, lifting his head in a determined manner. He was not going to be intimidated by the dozens of homes to pick from.

He picked a direction, and began to walk, examining each house that he passed, trying to see if he could find the correct one.

Princess Luna began to follow, her metal shoes clinking on the stones beneath her hooves as her mane and tail flowed gracefully.

The Warden also began to follow, walking alongside the princess, carefully watching his younger self marvel at the massive and well built homes.

After a few moments, Luna felt herself drift into her thoughts. Once again, her mind seemed to dwell between Casemate and his wife.

It had just occurred to her that if it weren't for her intervention in young Casemate's dream, he wouldn't have escaped to Halterburg. If he hadn't made it to Halterburg, he wouldn't have met his future wife.

This fact resonated within her mind. Was she responsible for giving the Warden what happiness he had?

"Luna."

Her thoughts were immediately brought to a screeching halt.

She already knew who it was.

There were numerous puddles in the street, presumably left over from a fairly recent rain shower. As Luna looked down into the nearest one, she saw Nightmare Moon looking back up, appearing stern.

The princess felt some anger kindle within her. What was Nightmare Moon trying to do in order to derail her now?

Ensuring that the Warden was not looking at her, Luna scowled and looked back out ahead. She was not going to acknowledge her. The princess continued onwards, trying to focus on young Casemate, who was still wandering down the street.

"Luna?"

She heard her dark personality call out again. She glanced angrily down at another puddle, and saw the same two eerie eyes looking angrily back at her.

"Stop ignoring me, Luna."

Luna's heart rate increased as her anger began to intensify. She suppressed the urge to say something, not wanting to clue off the Warden. Instead, she looked away once again, and kept walking, leaving the second puddle behind.

"You cannot ignore me forever, Luna." Nightmare Moon's voice said menacingly in Luna's mind. "Just do your little time stopping parlor trick if talking with me in front of him bothers you that much."

Luna sighed, feeling a bit defeated. Her darker part was right. If she didn't acknowledge her, she would just keep calling out.

The anger within her still burned against Nightmare, however. Luna didn't want to give in and give her the pleasure of having another discussion. But she also couldn't see any other recourse. She needed to focus on watching what the Warden wanted her to see, and she wouldn't be able to do so with Nightmare distracting her. The best thing to do would be to appease Nightmare, or at least acknowledge her as much as Luna despised the idea.

Just as she did back in the first sequence, Luna's horn glowed as she halted the passage of time in the Warden's dream.

The Warden stood frozen in place, as did his younger self. Several birds that were flying overhead now hovered, held in place by nothing more than the complete absence of the passage of time.

The princess took a breath, and walked back to the puddle that she had seen Nightmare Moon in last. Sure enough, Luna's reflection on the water's surface was replaced by the visage of Nightmare Moon.

"What is it?" Luna asked impatiently. "Speak."

"Just checking in." Nightmare Moon said with mock innocence, her sharp teeth shining as she spoke. "I'm curious whether or not you are still deluding yourself. Judging by your hopefulness, I would imagine so."

"This is no delusion." Luna retorted strongly and quickly.

It felt good to use such a tone when talking to her darker personality. Why hasn't she talked like this to her more often? This question arose in Luna's mind, but not for long, for she knew why.

Her guilt and shame had often contained her anger, leading her to believe that she was in no position to ever use such anger against anypony, not after her failure and fall.

But if that was the case, why was she talking so strongly now?

Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon clicked her tongue.

"You're joking, right?" She asked. "I know we possess the ability to sense the feelings and emotions of those ponies whose dreams we enter. Surely you have felt his resentment, especially after the last sequence."

Luna did her best to hide it, but Nightmare's words rang true. She did feel resentment from the Warden earlier. 

She didn't blame him, though. She did make the mistake of allowing Nightmare Moon to become dominant, which was a mistake that she was actively seeking to avoid now.

Luna didn't respond verbally, but she knew that Nightmare Moon was listening to her thoughts on the matter anyway.

"So with that being said, do you think that by the end of his little game, he will resent us any less?" Nightmare Moon asked pointedly.

"It is not friendship nor tolerance that I am seeking." Luna replied sternly. "It is forgiveness. All I need is to know that he doesn't hold my failings against me."

It was a bit of a stretch saying that, but Luna was beginning to grasp tightly onto what hope she had.

"Ah, but his emotions certainly don't seem to suggest that he is just going to let what we did slide, Luna." Nightmare said with a flick of her hoof. "Like I said, he has already made up his mind. He's just going to watch your hopes crumble into dust."

"You say that as if he is a cruel, unfeeling stallion." Luna retorted coldly.

"He is."

Luna blinked once, her eyes widening a bit.

"Have you not been paying any mind to the things that he has shown us?" The princess asked incredulously. "He is not cruel or evil!"

She looked away from her dark reflection to gaze upon the Warden, and his younger self. The stallion had been through so much, especially as a child. Yet, he wasn't twisted or evil. He wasn't even mean, despite his tendency to lash out when angered. Luna understood all too well how potent anger could be.

She remembered how helpless Casemate seemed in his dream, and how he just wanted to face his destiny on his own terms and with some loving family by his side. She also remembered how he didn't go out of his way to start the fight with Sweeper, although he certainly finished it. There was also the compassion he showed to his future love, not confronting her at all and showing consideration to her fears.

"He has undergone so much…" Luna murmured with a more saddened tone. "Just look at his younger self. After what he has suffered, he is not evil. What he has shown us is his most genuine self."

Nightmare Moon glared angrily for a moment, having to take a moment to calm herself.  

"True." She said after a moment's silence. "But this was before we turned him into who he is now…"

Luna’s ears dropped.

Of course, the Warden has changed since he was a child, and Luna already knew that what Nightmare Moon did by separating him from his loved ones is perhaps the single most changing and traumatic moment in his whole life.

But he still saved Apple Bloom and expressed remorse for attacking Celestia and Luna.  He wasn’t cruel…

Right?

"Granted, we hurt him far more than I hope to ever conceive." Luna said in a softer voice. "But he is still good and noble of heart."

She looked up at the Warden again, continuing after taking a breath.

"He risked so much to bring young Apple Bloom back to where she belonged, and he showed her what lay beneath his anger and bitterness."

Luna recalled her conversation with the filly weeks ago, and how she recounted her experience with the Warden.

"The Warden is courageous, kind, noble, and caring towards those whom he counts as friends. We are the evil ones, Nightmare. Not him. He is a good pony, far better than either of us. He deserved far better than what we did to him…"

Luna sighed, her heart aching after making this admission.

Both she and Nightmare Moon remained silent for a while, each looking at the other. Then, Luna's darker personality spoke, sounding irritated.

"So be it. Keep fantasizing and wasting our time, if you wish." She said with a chilling tone, her piercing gaze sending shivers up Luna's backbone. "You are only making this more difficult for the two of us."

Luna blinked once, and gave a slight start once she saw that Nightmare Moon had gone, replaced by Luna's own visage.

The princess closed her eyes and exhaled shakily, her stance becoming far more relaxed as she allowed the tension that had built up within her during the exchange to dissipate.

She raised her head, and looked to the Warden and his younger self, still frozen in time.

Within her, she knew that the only reason why the Warden was so bitter and resentful was because of her own failure, not out of any cruelty or evil in his heart. He had far too much good in him to think otherwise.

Even so, this fact alone guaranteed nothing. The Warden still had to find it in his heart to forgive her, and let go of the past.

Considering who he lost, that was not going to be easy.

The Princess gave a heaving sigh, her eyes shimmering with regret as she continued to look at him.

In any case, the only thing that she could do was carry on, and see what this experience will bring forth from the Warden. She was determined not to give up. That would be an act of defeat in favor of  Nightmare Moon, and Luna was done with willingly giving her any more victories.

The princess positioned herself where she was at the moment when she halted time, and with a flash of her horn, she allowed the passage of time to resume.

The Warden resumed walking, as he was before, unaware of Luna's conversation with her other personality. The princess followed him, also following his gaze, which was still fixed on his younger self.

Young Casemate was walking along the street once more, examining the large homes that he was passing, still seeking out the one belonging to his aunt.

This went on for a few minutes, with the colt still striding along and searching all the while, with his two observers following close behind.

Luna began to wonder if the colt was beginning to feel discouraged. Thus far, there had been no evidence of his aunt anywhere.

That was, until they arrived in front of a multi-story brick home.

Young Casemate stopped for a moment, his gaze fixed on a mailbox that was built into the high brick and wrought iron fence that girded the perimeter of the lawn, next to the front gates.

Luna felt her curiosity arise. What was it?

As she gently strode closer, she saw.

Underneath the mailbox, bolted to the lower brick portion of the fence, was a metal emblem that matched the Warden's cutie mark, the symbol of his family.

The colt looked closer, as if he didn't quite believe what he saw. But it was there, clear as day.

Luna felt a bit of pleasant surprise. This had to be the right place.

Young Casemate stepped back a bit, looking at the wrought iron gate leading through the fence. He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes for a second.

He was almost there.

He opened his eyes, and pushed on the gates.

…

It didn't budge.

…

He pulled on them.

…

They still didn't open.

…

The colt gave an annoyed grunt, and rattled the gates slightly, confirming that they were locked. He could see a lock with a keyhole where the gate halves met, and immediately he understood that unlocking it was out of the question.

Luna and the Warden watched as the colt stepped back, looking up at the fence more closely than before. The princess could already see what he was thinking, and she found herself hoping that he wouldn't hurt himself.

As if affirming her suspicions, the colt looked over each of his shoulders, checking if anypony could see him. Although he had spotted a few ponies walking around earlier, there were none who were near him now.

Then, confirming that he was unspotted, Casemate began to clamber up over the fence.

Although she knew that foals were often avid and accomplished climbers, the swiftness of young Casemate impressed Luna. Once again, it was clear to her why the Warden was so swift and precise as an adult.

Still, as she watched him climb up towards the top, she couldn't dispel all of her worry for the colt's safety. If he fell, he could hurt himself. Of course, it seemed a little silly to worry about something like that after watching him win a fight that any other colt would have lost, but Luna couldn't help herself.

She silently drew in a breath as Casemate reached the top of the fence, and gingerly crossed over the pointed ends of the iron bars constituting the fence.

Then, without much hesitation, Casemate jumped down the other side of the barrier, from what looked like nearly ten feet!

Luna gave a quiet exclamation as her heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily took a step forward.

But with a grunt and a well executed roll, the colt landed on the lawn and stood up, unharmed.

Luna's fear for his well being instantly gave way to relief once she saw him unhurt and looking around.

Yet again, it also occurred to her that in spite of his harshness, Bastion had passed on a lot of good skills to Casemate. If he hadn't, the colt would not have gotten nearly this far.

It was an odd mixture of feelings, knowing that without Casemate's suffering, he would not have survived to find a better life.

As these thoughts were going through Luna's mind, Casemate began to walk up the brick pathway leading to the front door.

Wishing to follow, Luna opened her wings, and with a few beats, she gracefully sailed over the fence and landed gently on the other side.

She began to follow after the colt, but then heard a grunt behind her.

She turned around, confused for a split second before realizing that she had forgotten the Warden.

He was beginning to scale the fence, but he was clearly slower and less agile than his younger self. Luna felt a bit bad seeing him like this, although she knew that he could probably do it on his own, given enough time.

She felt an urge to help him, nevertheless. It was the very least she could do for him.

Without a word, she closed her eyes and focused her immense magical ability and her mind solely on the Warden.

With a flash of magical light, the Warden simultaneously disappeared from outside the fence and reappeared inside, having been teleported by Luna.

He blinked a few times, processing what Luna had done. Then, his eyes locked on hers for a second. Luna could see a flash of anger within them, as if he didn't want or need the assistance.

She cringed internally, and she looked away and downwards, her ears drooping. Perhaps she should have asked first before taking hold of him like that.

But then, against her expectations, the Warden's gaze turned less harsh, and he looked away from her and towards the house.

"...Thank you." He mumbled quietly.

Luna had to do a double take. Did he just thank her? After all that she had done, he thanked her!

Her eyes widened a bit, her ears became erect, and her mouth opened slightly in realization, as newfound excitement and joy swirled within her. This was a good sign!

This moment of euphoria only lasted for a brief moment, however. She checked herself, quieting her heart and her hopes.

All he did was thank her for making it easier for him to observe what was happening before them, instead of letting him struggle. He probably understood that all she was doing was out of a sense of kindness and debt to him, and he decided to have the common courtesy to at least thank her. It still didn't mean that he was sure to forgive her.

Still, the fact that he did thank her resonated with Luna more than she probably thought was necessary. It did mean that he was kind enough to acknowledge her gesture and that he knew that she did so out of her own kindness.

After her encounter with Nightmare Moon a few minutes ago, it was very much relieving to see that she was right to defend him.

"What?" The Warden asked gruffly, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Luna blinked and stuttered, having realized that he had probably seen her expression.

"Uh, I-I just…"

As she tried to summon an explanation, she was interrupted by the sound of knocking. Both she and the Warden turned towards the front door, witnessing young Casemate knocking on it.

Luna and the Warden both turned towards each other momentarily, and he spoke.

"Well… Pay more attention. I want you to see this." The Warden said curtly, beginning to walk towards his younger self.

Luna sighed, nodding. "O-of course. My apologies…"

She followed the Warden along the brick path leading up to the front landing. The landing itself was quite posh and classy, even if it was made out of bricks. The door itself was quite large, and it dwarfed the colt.

The Warden stopped a few feet behind young Casemate, and Luna strode up beside him, her metal shoes clacking on the bricks as she took each step.

They watched as the colt looked expectantly at the door, awaiting a reply of some kind to his knocking. But as the seconds began to pass, there was no response.

Casemate sighed, and rapped his hoof on the door yet again, this time louder and longer than before.

Luna could hear and see a bit of desperation behind his actions. She just knew that he was wondering if all his efforts to get away from his father were going to be for naught if nopony answered the door.

Once again, there was no response or signs of life from within.

"Come on…" Luna heard the colt say, his tone revealing a rising amount of stress.

Once again he knocked, this time practically pounding on the door.

This time, an irritated shout came from within.

"For goodness' sake, I'm coming!" Cried out a stallion's voice.

Luna felt both relief and apprehension. At least Casemate finally got somepony's attention.

Young Casemate stepped back a bit, looking unsure. It definitely wasn't his aunt.

The door opened to reveal an older stallion, dressed very nicely and looking quite perturbed.

He looked around confusedly for a few seconds, not looking down. Evidently, he had been expecting an adult. After a moment, he looked down and finally noticed the haggard blue colt looking up at him with an expression that spoke volumes about his growing unease.

"Wh- Who-? What are you doing?" The stallion said at last, his expression giving way to annoyance. "What do you want, urchin?"

Young Casemate hesitated for a moment, collecting his nerves.

"Uh, I am looking for Parapet Fortress." He replied. "She is my aunt, and-"

"A likely story, scamp." The well dressed stallion interrupted, looking at the gates, which were still closed and locked. His brow lowered further. "If you weren't looking for handouts, you would have waited until she came back." He said with a scowl.

Casemate's eyes widened. "Wait! I'm telling the truth! Hightower was my grandfather, I swear-"

The colt's frantic effort to explain himself was cut short when the stallion lunged forward and caught him in his forelegs.

"That is quite enough out of you!" The stallion said angrily, scooping the colt up and beginning to walk towards the gate. "Get out, and don't come back! This is not some sort of safe haven for street children!"

Young Casemate kicked and thrashed, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Hey! Stop! Please! I don't have anywhere else to go!" He shouted.

The stallion tightened his hold, having almost lost his grip on the colt. "This is not your home, nor do I take kindly to thieves breaking into the home of my masters." He grunted.

All the while, Luna has been keeping astride the struggling pair. Her heart was beating faster than before. He was so close to getting where he needed to be! Yet now it seemed that his journey was being put in jeopardy!

Young Casemate stopped his struggle for a moment, then let out a shout.

"I AM NOT GOING BACK TO MY FATHER!"

Then, with a swift kick, he delivered a blow to the stallion's gut. The old stallion let out a pained gasp and hunched over, but still maintained his grasp.

"Cufflinks?!" A mare's voice cried out, coming from outside the gate. "What in the sun's light are you doing?!"

Luna, along with the Warden, the old stallion, and young Casemate, looked at the source of the sudden cry.

There, standing on the other side of the gate, was an elderly earth pony mare. She looked thin and tall, had pale rusty fur, a white curly mane and tail, and green eyes like Casemate's. Her cutie mark was of the staggered top edge of a castle wall, with two crossed roses superimposed over it.

In a moment, Luna already knew who this was.

The mare pulled out a key and unlocked the gate, opening it effortlessly.

As the mare began to swiftly walk towards the two struggling ponies, the Cufflinks began to speak, albeit with some difficulty.

"My- Ugh… Sincerest condolences, Madam Parapet." He said, still holding on to young Casemate, who had stopped struggling.

The colt's eyes grew wide as he heard the old mare's name, as did Luna.

The mare was his aunt…

Parapet strode up to within a few feet of Casemate and Cufflinks, an expression of alarm and confusion written clearly by the lines on her face.

"What did he do?" She asked, gesturing at Casemate.

Cufflinks sighed. "This scamp broke in, claiming that he is your nephew." He said, frowning and looking down at the colt. "I was just removing him-"

"Hup! Quiet!" Parapet interrupted sharply, her eyes narrowing as he gestured for the stallion to fall silent, which he immediately did.
She took a few steps closer, her eyes becoming locked upon Casemate's. When she was right before him, she kneeled with a groan, before looking even more deeply at him.

As her eyes darted up and down, examining the colt's appearance, he looked right back at her, both in disbelief and hopefulness.

A few tense seconds passed, and Luna's mind was racing, wondering what Parapet would say. She would have her answer soon enough.

"Young stallion," The elderly mare asked, her tone firm, as if she expected an immediate answer to her upcoming question. "did you tell my butler that I am your aunt?"

Casemate nodded.

"Then who is your father?"

Parapet's face took on a suspicious expression as she asked this, and Luna knew that her question was clever. If Casemate wasn't her nephew, then he wouldn't be able to answer her question.

Fortunately, he was her nephew.

"Bastion Fortress." Casemate replied, giving his answer.

Parapet's face instantly turned from that of mild suspicion to that of shock. Her eyes widened, she gasped, and she sat right down on her haunches.

Cufflinks looked alarmed.

"Madam, are you well?"

Parapet didn't answer, instead uttering: "By the celestial lights…"

She finally blinked once, and her expression began to turn emotional.

"L-let him go, Cufflinks. Now." She stuttered, looking up at the astonished butler.

The butler looked at the colt, then up at Parapet. Then, with a reluctant expression, he released Casemate.

Parapet sighed heavily, putting a hoof to her face for a moment.

"I don't believe it…" She said quietly. "My brother's grandson…"

She put her hoof back down, and she motioned for the colt to come closer.

"Come." She said with what little command she could muster.

Casemate obediently walked up to her, looking at her with hope and awe.

Luna could practically sense the tension leaving the colt's body as he came to realize that he had finally made it to the safety that she had promised him in his dream.

Parapet placed a hoof on one of the colt's shoulders, gazing at him still.

"What is your name?" She asked quietly. "Nopony ever told me about you…"

The colt inhaled shakily. "Casemate."

His aunt smiled, her eyes beginning to shimmer a bit. "It fits with the family theme." She murmured.

The ponies remained where they were for a moment or two, and Parapet's expression gradually began to change to that of concern.

"Why did you come here to find me?" She asked. "Did you come all the way here by yourself?

Casemate looked away, looking uncomfortable. Luna could see that he didn't want to bring up his father.

"Casemate, why did you shout that you were not going back home to your father?" Parapet asked tentatively, her tone making it clear that she wished for an answer.

The colt understood that his aunt knew that something was amiss. There was nothing left to do.

"M-my father…" He said faintly, still looking away. "He was trying to force me to become the next Warden…"

One of his aunt's ears drooped questioningly.

"How so?"

"He makes me train every day!" Casemate replied loudly, his tone revealing the pent up strain within his heart. "He demands perfection and punishes me for making mistakes! I don't want to become the Warden that my father wants me to be!"

Parapet caught her breath, seeming to be amazed. Luna wondered if she would believe him, hoping that she would.

"And- You ran away? You came all the way here to find me?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Casemate nodded, sighing shakily.

"I was hoping that I could live with a family that actually loved me, and-"

His voice trailed off as it was choked off by the rising emotions within him.

Parapet's mouth curled into a determined frown.

"Cufflinks, help me up please."

Her butler immediately walked to her side, and helped her to her hooves, looking somber and apologetic.

Luna watched as the older mare walked up to the colt, and looked down at him with a saddened expression.

Then, she wrapped a foreleg around Casemate, pulling the colt close.

"Then you shall have nothing more to fear, young one." Parapet said. "You shall be here with us."

Casemate looked a bit taken aback by the embrace, as if he had no idea how to react or had no expectations of it happening.

Luna recalled how foreign the concept of a hug seemed to the young colt when she first embraced him in his dream.

But, just like then, the colt breathed deeply, giving in and leaning into the embrace.

Luna felt like her heart was about to burst, and she couldn't help but allow a bit of her own emotion to surface for a few seconds.

He made it. He had gotten away from his father, survived the journey to Halterburg, won a fight, and finally arrived at the home of a family that would raise him like he was one of their own.

The princess glanced away for a moment, wiping away a tear that had formed, before turning back to the three ponies before her and the Warden.

Parapet loosened her embrace, allowing the colt to step back.

"Come along." She instructed Casemate, gesturing to the front door. "Let's get you fed and washed."

As she gently guided the colt up the path to the front door, she spoke to Cufflinks.

"As soon as he returns, inform my husband about this." She ordered. "I'll see to my nephew's immediate care myself tonight."

"It shall be done, Madam Parapet." The butler replied, opening the door for the pair.

The three ponies walked inside, and shut the door, leaving Luna and the Warden.

Luna glanced downwards, her thoughts swirling.

She felt no small amount of relief. The Warden's younger self had finally found the place that he was meant to be.

But this begged the question: What next?

Obviously, the Warden didn't remain in Halterburg forever. There was also the matter of his future wife…

What lay next for him?

Despite the uncertainty, Luna still felt a degree of happiness in her heart now that the immediate problem got resolved.

She looked up at the Warden, wondering when he would instruct her to see what came next.

He too, looked like he was in deep thought, though. He was gazing up at the house, his face bearing a soft expression. Luna could feel no small amount of nostalgia and warmth coming from his soul.

It didn't take a genius to know that he loved his aunt, even when he was much older and she was long gone.

Indeed, Aunt Parapet did seem to be very caring. The moment she discovered that Casemate was her nephew, and that he was in need of a loving home, she didn't hesitate to provide comfort and acceptance, even though she had no idea beforehoof that he even existed.

If there was a role model that the colt needed, it was his aunt, not his father.

"Did you find what you needed here?" Luna asked, putting an end to the silence.

The Warden nodded, still looking towards the house.

"Yes. Aunt Parapet and her husband took me in." He explained. "They saw to it that I was not forced to become a vengeful killer, like my father wanted."

He took in a breath, sighing before resuming.

"They helped me to socialize, they gave me encouragement instead of condemnation, they enrolled me in a good school… They gave me the stability and support I should have had from the beginning…"

Soon, the Warden finally glanced at Luna, his green eyes showing less harshness than she was used to.

"Next one." He said plainly.

Luna nodded, ready to see what came next. She cast her spell, and the scene around them began to fade and swirl around them as it prepared to reorganize into the next sequence.

As she carried this out, Luna felt more at ease than she ever had thus far. Between warding off Nightmare Moon, seeing glimpses of the Warden's kindness, and witnessing a pivotal meeting between Casemate and his aunt, the princess' soul felt hints of peace.

Of course, worry and turmoil were still dominant. She had not forgotten the tragedy that she had placed upon the Warden.

Still, despite the knowledge that there was a chance that he would not forgive her, there was still hope within her. From what she had just witnessed and experienced, there was no guarantee that he would not forgive her, she knew this.

For now, until she found out what he would do, all she could do is continue to fulfill the Warden's wishes, and carry on to his next defining moment…