Some days sleep will not come. I do not begrudge its absence only that time passes all the slower without it. I cannot help but wait at the doors to Celestia’s throne room even as the line of petitioners goes by me. I have already heard offers from ponies to have me take their place in line but I make this appointment at the end of the day for a reason. However this may end neither Celestia nor I will have any desire to go back to the business of ruling again.
They fear me. I am not as skilled at reading a pony’s emotions as Celestia yet I cannot help but notice that each stallion places himself between me and his kin and each mother keeps her foal hushed and away from me.
In jest I tried to reassure one mother that I only eat foals on Nightmare Night but she only seemed more afraid even as her filly giggled. Almost everypony has regarded my reform with suspicion. It is the foals alone that believe in their innocence that the monster in me is truly gone.
One filly whose parents are not so wary wanders up to me. She hands me a small box and asks if I would like to play while I wait. To my surprise it is a video game condensed so that it fits in a filly’s hoofs. It must have been a strange sight indeed to see a princess and a filly talking excitedly and passing a virtual block stacking game back and forth.
Eventually her parents came and groveled before me, begging forgiveness for their daughter. It took some time to convince them that I was not angry with them in the least. To say goodbye the filly wrapped her entire body around my muzzle in a hug and even her frightened parents laughed at the sight as I returned her to them. Even as my time came and I went to Celestia’s throne I had to remind myself to be angry with my sister and not smile at the memory.
-L