A knock sounded at the door to the chamber. After a few moments, a small crack appeared, and a dark blue eye peered out from amongst the shadows.
“Tia, why did you wake me?” A glance at the clock revealed that it was two o’clock in the afternoon. “You of all ponies should know that this is the peak hour of my slumber.”
“I apologize, Luna. I know full well not to wake you, but somepony has a message for you in the main hall. He refuses to leave without speaking to you.”
“Can he not wait until dusk?”
“He insisted on seeing you before his shift; he is on duty tonight.”
“One of the guards?” Luna let out a harsh sigh. “Very well. I will be out momentarily.” Shutting the door, Luna shook her head. Why must my guards be so serious? I have told them countless times, they may speak with me while they are on duty…
About ten minutes later, Princess Luna passed her sister and descended the stairs to the main hall, bleary-eyed, but presentable. A lone unicorn stallion stood by the door, a thick envelope hovering in his aura beside him. The princess instantly recognized the red-coated messenger running a hoof through his blue-and-yellow mane.
When the Princess approached, the stallion dropped into a bow. “Good day, Your Highness. I apologize for waking you, but I was instructed to give this to you personally, and I have my usual early shift tonight.” He offered the Princess the envelope.
“Ah, Aegis Spark. How lovely to see you off duty.” Luna accepted the offering with a slight glare. “Although, as I have told you before, you are allowed to speak with me during your shifts.”
“I understand, Your Highness, but this is a personal affair. You know how I feel about discussing personal affairs while on duty: if I refuse that right to my company, I cannot do it myself.”
“Yes, I am aware.” Luna sighed. “You really must lighten up once in a while, Captain.”
Luna glanced at the writing on the outside of the envelope, which read: ‘Urgent! For Princess Luna’s Eyes Only!’
“‘Urgent,’ you say?” The Princess smiled, recognizing the hoofwriting. “While it is certainly a change from ‘Important,’ your mother is still quite predictable.”
The Princess did not receive a smile in return. “Actually, Your Highness, this is urgent.” Aegis Spark’s stoic facade faded as he bowed his head. Luna’s light-hearted expression faltered as she opened the envelope.
Dear Princess Luna,
The time I have been dreading has finally arrived: my shining star has passed on.
The first line of the letter caused the Princess’s eyes to widen as she brought a hoof to her mouth. She shot a quick glance at her captain, his eyes still downcast, before she continued reading.
However, I am pleased to say that it was not in the manner I feared. The doctors said that it was not due to any medical complications; it was simply his time. I still believe it was too soon, but any mare would say that when she loses her husband. At our age, it is simply a waiting game.
I have started making preparations for the funeral— when they are complete, I will send the information to my son and have him deliver it to you. If it is at all possible, we would be honored if you would attend, if only to make a brief appearance.
Before he passed, Crimson told me that he had spoken to you fairly recently. He said he could tell his time was coming, but decided not to inform you— I apologize for that. He never liked breaking bad news to others; he usually avoided it whenever possible. But never in my dreams did I think he would, or could, hide something so crucial from you.
Speaking of dreams, I hope you do not tire of hearing this, but I truly must thank you for keeping in contact with Crimson for so long. I know you two frequently communicated by mail for literary reasons, but his dreams were where he felt his strongest, and he told me often how pleased he was to be able to speak with you when he could always be at his best. I believe it was your influence that kept him with us for so long. After all you have done for him, and for our entire family, he did not want to disappoint you.
Luna smiled. And he never has.
While I know I have seen you face-to-face quite a few times, it has always been an honor when I do, especially on the particularly special occasions. I am still incredibly flattered you presided over our wedding. (Again, apologies for the lamp in the Royal Gardens on that other special night. I can’t believe you saw that! You taught me well— maybe a little too well!) I would like to thank you for visiting my dreams also, however infrequently. Every time Crimson went back to the hospital, I always feared I would lose him too soon. Over the years, you helped me avoid succumbing to those fears. Had it not been for you, I probably would have lost my sanity years ago, along with my beloved husband.
There is something I would like to show you. Apparently, on top of everything else he has written, Crimson also wrote a book that he kept secret from us. He finished it recently, and revealed it to me before he passed. Somehow, I feel like he intentionally timed it that way…
In the book, he discussed a variety of topics, but most of it was related to his battle with cancer. There were many mentions of you, and how you helped him through his rougher patches. A few excerpts from the manuscript are enclosed with this letter— with your permission, I would like to publish the book. A friend of mine is an editor at Manehattan Publishers Inc., so I reached out to her for some publishing information. Thanks to Crimson, and his father, I have all the funds required. My friend is ready for me to give her an application for the manuscript once I have your permission; she even offered to proofread it. If it is accepted, I would donate any proceeds from book sales to the Shining Stars Foundation.
I hope I have not taken too much of your time. However, there is one more thing I must tell you: Crimson wanted to give you something very dear to him. It was his wish that you have it, for all that you have done for us. Unfortunately, I cannot have the Captain give it to you directly (I STILL love being able to say that! My Little Spark, the Captain of the Royal Guard— it makes my heart soar!). I do not know exactly when it will arrive, but it will hopefully be within the next few weeks; another letter should be accompanying it. It would be an honor if you accepted this gift.
You have my utmost gratitude for everything you have done for us, Princess (My apologies— after all these years, it’s still too strange to address you solely by your name, even in writing). Crimson lived a long, happy life thanks to you. He was honored to be able to call you a friend. While his passing is upsetting, it gives our family solace to know that it was peaceful; he had no regrets. As the love of my life, the father of my son, and my best friend since as long as I can remember, he will truly be missed.
Your Loyal and Grateful Subject,
Tesla CoilPS: The photograph (you know the one) has been on his desk for as long as I can remember. We spoke of that night frequently and fondly. Thank you for helping to make it possible.
Luna shook her head ever so slightly. ’Twas none of my doing.
She found more sheets of paper behind the letter, but decided to read them later. As she returned the papers to their envelope, Luna brushed a tear from her eye. She looked back at the captain, whom she caught doing the same.
“Captain Spark, I offer you my sincerest condolences. It has truly been an honor to know your father; I am proud to have called him a friend.” The Princess walked towards him and gave him a soft embrace, a gesture which he gladly returned.
“…Thank you, Your Highness. It only happened last night— it still hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”
“I understand.” She put a hoof on Aegis’s shoulder. After a brief pause, she smiled. “Would you like to take the night off, Captain?”
His eyes went wide. “Your Highness! I— thank you for the offer, but even under the circumstances, I have a duty to my company! They—”
“Does your company know what has happened?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then they will understand. You are relieved of duty tonight, Captain. I will inform the night guards when your shift begins. In fact, why don’t you join me in the royal dining hall tonight at eight? While I have kept a fair amount of contact with your father over the years, I can only assume that there are things about him I still do not know. I will need as much information as possible if I am to write a proper eulogy.”
Aegis took a moment to contemplate the Princess’s words. “Your Highness… I…”
“That is alright, is it not?”
“Of… of course!”
Princess Luna smiled. “Excellent. Please inform your mother of this development so she does not book somepony else.”
Aegis Spark gave a teary-eyed salute. “Will do, Your Highness!” he said, before turning to exit the main hall.
“One moment, Captain.” He whipped back around to face the Princess. “I have another message for your mother.”
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“Tell her that her ‘Little Spark’ does his kingdom proud with his leadership. Had he been able to, I am positive that Prince Shining Armor would have passed the torch to you himself. While I feel that Princesses Twilight and Cadance may disagree, I believe you are the best captain to have graced Equestria with his service. You just may end up with your own statue in the Gardens someday.” Luna flashed him a little smirk. “T’would be rather appropriate, considering your family’s history in there.”
Though it could not be seen under his coat, Aegis blushed. “Th-thank you, Your Highness. I will be sure to tell her.” Just before he turned for the exit again, he caught the Princess staring at him. She let out a soft sigh, then shook her head just so. The Captain crooked his brow and asked, “Something else, Your Highness?”
The Princess raised her brows slightly as she said, “I expect you are tired of hearing this, Captain, but you truly are the spitting image of your father. Except for—”
As if by routine, Aegis finished, “My horn— I have my mother’s horn.” His muscles relaxing, he softly chuckled as the Princess nodded. He glanced behind him at the shield, crested by three circling lightning bolts, adorning his flank— one of the few other attributes he inherited from his mother. “Anything else, Your Highness?”
“Yes, Captain.” The Princess smiled. “You may drop the formalities when you join me in the dining hall later tonight. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my chambers and rest if I am to fulfill my royal duties at sunset. I refuse to be at less than my best when I am on duty.”
Aegis smiled back. “As you wish… Luna.”
The Princess glared at him. “I said later, Captain.”
He instantly reassumed his stoic expression and gave a sturdy salute as a small bolt escaped the tip of his horn. “Apologies, Your Highness!”
The glare softened as she said, “Accepted… Aegis.” Luna winked at him as she let a smile play upon her muzzle. “Please give my regards to your wife and little ones. And watch those bolts— we’ve had to change enough lamps on the grounds as it is due to your family’s antics.” With a barely audible chuckle, Luna turned around and ascended the staircase.
“Absolutely, Your Highness.”
As soon as the Princess was out of sight, Aegis dropped his hoof. Thank you, Princess. My family owes you more than I can ever explain. But maybe I can try tonight…