It was another night in Ponyville, and much like every other night, the residents were retiring into their houses for some well deserved rest. For Applejack, even though a week had passed since the funeral, it still felt very strange to have Rainbow Dash back in her life again. It was still a good feeling though, no longer having to think about how empty she had felt inside for so long. Another strange feeling to her was that they were once again staying in Twilight’s library; somewhere three years ago she would have sworn she would never set foot in again, and just over a week ago wouldn’t have ever imagined to be sharing the room with Rainbow Dash again.
With another round of apologies, Twilight had welcomed Rainbow Dash back in almost immediately. Dash had been unsure of staying in the library again. Aside from the bad memories from the night Applejack had left Ponyville, Dash also had the extra emotional baggage left over from the year she spent with Twilight. Despite accepting all the apologies, and even finding herself very happy for her friend now that she was with Rarity, she couldn’t help but to look back on that time with some disdain. However, Dash knew Twilight was still her friend, and since things were improving, she wanted to try and leave the past where it was.
And now it was eight in the evening, and Rainbow Dash was just coming in from grabbing a few items from the market in Ponyville Square. She nudged the door into the room slowly open, and looked in on the most beautiful mare she’d ever known. Her eyes locked with Applejack’s green glinting eyes as she walked in. A rustling next to her made Dash glance down, as the cutest filly she’d ever laid eyes rolled over next to her mother and laid flat on the bed, staring up with her own pair of big green orbs.
“No luck getting her to bed?” Dash asked, realizing how obvious the answer to the question was.
“This lil’ one ain’t sleepin’ fer nothin’,” Applejack said and smiled as the cyan filly rolled over onto her back and swung her legs back and forth as if trying to run on the air.
“Maybe Twilight’s got a book we can read ta her,” Applejack said.
Rainbow shrugged, deciding it couldn’t hurt. Applejack climbed down from the bed, then reached out her hoof and scooped the little filly off the bed, placing her gently on her back. The cyan filly began to playfully tug on her mother’s mane as she trotted into the library, Rainbow following closely behind her. Twilight was still up, studying some sort of text given to her by Princess Celestia.
“Applejack! I thought you had gone to bed already,” Twilight perked up at the sight.
The purple unicorn walked over to the mother and daughter, and put her face close to Apple Blitz’s. Blitz stared back with her wide eyes, seeming to analyze every little bit of Twilight that she could. Twilight lit up with the biggest grin. Even Dash couldn’t help but grin at how adorable the filly could be.
“She’s just too cute, Applejack!” Twilight exclaimed, “I can’t get over it.”
“Yeah, Ah know,” Applejack blushed a little, “Say, Twi, Ah was lookin’ for a certain book to read to the little one here tonight.”
“Oh? What was it called?” Twilight asked, especially curious as she couldn’t remember Applejack having ever checked out a book from her, now or from the days before she left Ponyville.
“Ah think it was called “A Pony’s Requiem” or somethin’ like that,” Applejack told her, “Ah used to read it ta Applebloom when she was just a foal too.”
“Of course I have that one,” Twilight bounded over to a shelf of books, and began scanning the spines for the right one.
Applejack continued to wait as Twilight went from shelf to shelf, trying to remember exactly where she had last seen it. Meanwhile, Apple Blitz got herself tangled in the braids of Applejack’s hair. AJ laughed, and sat down to begin pulling the filly out from the golden strands. Apple Blitz began to whimper as she tried her best to free herself. Dash lifted herself into the air, and pulled Apple Blitz up by her red-streaked mane, freeing her from the remaining tangles, and sitting her gently on the floor.
“Success!” Twilight exclaimed, making Applejack jump a little bit in surprise.
Twilight levitated the book from its hole on one of the high shelves, and sat it down on the table. Dash clamped the book gently between her teeth, and fluttered back towards the bedroom.
“Many thanks Twilight,” Applejack said happily.
Twilight shut her eyes and grinned from ear to ear. She walked over to them again, and stroked Apple Blitz’s tiny mane, admiring the bright red streaks that ran through the mane that otherwise matched her mother’s, pulled back into a small ponytail and all. Giving Applejack a hand, Twilight levitated the little filly, who looked a bit surprised to be almost flying, back onto her mother’s back for the trip back to the room. With another happy look, Twilight watched as they retired back into their room for the rest of the night.
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Moments later with the covers pulled down and pillows neatly arranged so the little filly wouldn’t roll off of the bed during the night, Applejack laid down next to her daughter while Rainbow Dash laid at the foot of the bed, ready to read her a bedtime story.
“Your Aunt Applebloom loved this story when she was a filly,” Applejack said softly to Apple Blitz, who was sitting on one of the fluffy white pillows next to her mother and staring at the cover of the book.
“Are you sure you want me to read this, AJ?” Dash asked
“Ah’course Sugarcube,” Applejack said sweetly, “If ya’ll wants to be part of our lives, ya gotta learn ta do things like this.”
Applejack knew Blitz was too young to even begin to understand the book, and would likely fall asleep at the sound of anypony talking after a while, but she liked the idea of reading again since there had come a time when Applebloom didn’t think it was cool to be getting read bedtime stories anymore.
“Alright,” Dash began, “This is the story of Zev…”
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Sometimes things happen without warning, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sometimes even the most unwilling pony can be thrown into a situation they never dreamed they’d be a part of. For one pony, such a situation came upon him nearly a thousand years ago, on the eve of Nightmare Moon’s rise.
The city of Canterlot appeared even larger than the teal-maned pony had expected. He’d been surprised when he’d received a letter from the royal pony sisters, asking him to perform his music at this year’s Summer Sun Celebration. He really hadn’t expected to have such an honor bestowed upon him, but as it turned out, while visiting Maresfield on one of her annual trips, Princess Celestia had seen him play his guitar at a small eatery that one of her students had invited her to, and while he hadn’t had interacted with Celestia personally, he must have made a good impression on the sun princess.
With his guitar slung over his back, the charcoal colored pony strolled his way into the city. Several brightly colored fillies ran by him, flowing streamers with bright yellow suns drawn on them clutched firmly in between their teeth. The pony smiled as he continued on, headed for the large castle at the heart of the city.
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His name was Zev, and despite the length of time it’d taken him a long time to obtain his quarter rest cutie mark, he’d known nearly all his life what he’d wanted to do. He knew that this could be the defining moment in his life, the point where everything turned around, and he finally received much wider recognition. He’d been practicing for weeks since he’d been invited, and he was sure that he couldn’t be more ready.
Now he was standing at the gates of the Canterlot Castle, ready for his night to begin. Zev trotted up through the main gate, past several guards clad in golden armor that glinted brightly in Celestia’s warm sunlight. Many other ponies were crowding in as well, ready for the all night party that would end at dawn, when all of Canterlot could witness Luna bringing down her moon, and Celestia bringing the sun up for the new day. Zev could hear them talking all around him, each pony talking about something they wished to take part in over the course of the celebration. Zev only wanted to find the pony in charge of the entertainment.
After a few moments, Zev chanced asking one of the guards if they had any idea where he was supposed to go. The guard was nice enough show him to a smaller entrance, usually only used by the guards and servants to the princesses, and soon Zev was inside the castle, waiting on a silver-maned unicorn levitating a clipboard in front of his face to give him his info.
“Hmmm, Zev,” the pony said, turning over page after page, squinting his eyes at each row of words written on the papers. “Ah yes, here you are. You’ll be playing on the main stage at five a.m., last act of the night before it is time for Princess Luna to lower the moon. “
Zev thanked him for the information, and decided to head back outside for a bit. He wanted to find a nice place to relax for a while he waited for night to fall. He glanced around for a moment, then noticed the castle gardens, which drew in many a wild animal, but not many ponies seemed to be interested in seeing. Zev made his way towards them quickly, avoiding much contact with anypony else.
Once inside, he searched around for a nice place to rest. It didn’t take long before he found a large tree, crawling with all varieties of small, furry animals. It felt right to him, so he plopped down into the soft grass, and gently swung the guitar case from his back, and placed it beside him.
As an earth pony, he’d become quite proficient with his hooves on making sure his guitar was finely tuned, and so there he sat, making sure his guitar would sound perfect, and relaxing in the cool summer breeze. Before long, he passed out under the warm summer sun.
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When Zev awoke, Luna’s moon was high in the sky. He wasn’t entirely sure what time it was, so he packed up his belongings and got ready to head to the party that was already in full swing. Before leaving, Zev turned back to the tree he’d been resting under. He craned his neck to reach his saddlebag, and pulled a small knife out with his teeth. Gently, he carved his own name into the bark.
“For when I’m gone, some ponies will still be able to remember my name,” he said to himself with a smile before putting the knife back and heading toward the party.
When he arrived back at the front doors leading inside the palace, he noticed a large clock that told him the time was one-thirty; he still had a few hours before his set. After walking inside, he saw several large rooms, each decorated with banners and streamers of warm colors where ponies of all colors and sizes were participating in a variety of activities. He knew he was to play on the main stage, which was set up in the main ballroom; a circular room surrounded by columns that separated various hallways which lead to many of the castle’s other chambers. It didn’t take him long to find it.
He walked around, looking at all the regal ponies and more common ponies alike, some talking of a variety of topics, others dancing to the music being played by the group of ponies that were currently on stage. However, as Zev went fromroom to room, he quickly noticed that something seemed to be missing from the festivities: the Royal Pony Sisters. He was surprised that neither one was seen mingling with their subjects.
He found a guard that was stationed near one of the castle stairwells, and got in close to the Pegasus pony.
“Hey, uhm, Mr. Guard, any chance you know where the Princesses might be tonight?” he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“That is private information!” the guard snapped, making Zev stumble back in surprise.
Zev didn’t bother pressing this particular guard further. For a moment he considered why he would even care, but he realized that after receiving such an honor as to perform during the celebration, he’d be a little disappointed if neither of Equestria’s rulers were able to see his performance. Before Zev could continue to think on the matter, his stomach began to rumble, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since arriving in Canterlot earlier that day. He decided that maybe he’d see what the finest Canterlot chef’s had prepared for the occasion. First though, Zev decided to head backstage and drop off his instrument and bags.
It didn’t take long for him to find a spot for his things, and soon he was munching down rose soufflé, mini-bluegrass sandwiches, and dandelion ice cream. He sat all alone at one of the few empty tables in the dining hall of the castle, enjoying each passing moment as his stomach became fuller and fuller. When he was finally finished, he clasped a napkin between his hooves, and wiped away the bits and pieces that had fallen onto his charcoal colored coat. He sat for a long while, lost in many thoughts. He found it hard to believe he wasn’t the least bit scared of performing just before Celestia’s big appearance, and yet the fact neither Royal Sister had shown up all night made him feel strangely uneasy. Still he wondered if he was just being paranoid, as he hadn’t heard the issue spoken of amongst the crowds of other ponies.
He continued to think for a long while, letting his mind run free with the best and worst scenarios he could think of. He’d finally managed to get his food from the royal buffet at around two, and by the time he finally snapped back to reality, it was just turning four. Realizing the time, he tossed his trash into a bin near the entrance to the dining hall, and headed back for his things. When he got there, he quickly began tuning up his instrument and started to strum out a few chords, making sure he had everything perfect. His guitar was very different from the one’s most ponies played. Too many musical ponies were unicorns who had the advantage of magic to aid them, but Zev had modified his own so that the strings were spaced well enough to accommodate his hooves, while not sacrificing a bit of the quality any other version of the instrument would have.
Putting the princesses out of his mind, he began to worry that his music wouldn’t be as well liked as any of the other artists that had gone on before him. Maybe everypony was tired of the entertainment by now, ready to see Celestia finally raise the sun. What if he had a technical problem halfway through his set, or what if something happened to him? All these thoughts swam through his mind, making him more and more paranoid before his performance. He already knew hundreds, maybe thousands, of ponies came from all over Equestria to take part in the festivities when they were held in Canterlot, so he couldn’t help but think he would have a lot to live up to.
Zev took a deep breath and held it for a few moments. He exhaled and tried to calm himself, trying to put his mind at ease. He knew that regardless if any of his fears were true, if he went out on stage in such a state he’d likely put on the worst show of his life regardless. He closed his eyes, and propping the guitar between his forelegs, he began to play one a song that always seemed to get the best response from his crowds. He called it “Do I Deserve a Requiem When I’m Gone?”, and despite the somber nature, his crowds always seemed to love it.
After running through it entirely, Zev opened his eyes, refreshed and relaxed. His confidence returning, he began to strum out another one of his tunes.
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Not long after, the group that had been onstage came walking through the back, each pony smiling and chatting about the cheers and applause they’d received from the audience. A pegasus dressed in formal attire followed them, finding Zev at the ready to head up to the stage.
“Last show of evening,” the formal pony said, “Zeke, Zurg…what’s your name again?”
“Zev,” he replied cooly.
“Well Zev, I’m going to go announce you, and then you come up and be ready to start. Princess Celestia should be beginning the ceremony at six, so you need to be done before then. No exception!”
Zev nodded, and watched as he trotted back through the stage entrance. Zev waited anxiously until he heard the announcer calling him to come out. Claps and a few cheers preceded his entrance, giving him hope that this wouldn’t go too badly after all. He pulled up a chair to the front of the stage, and sat on his flank, with his feet dangling to the ground as he held his guitar between his forelegs. It was a most unusual way for anypony to sit, but it felt natural to Zev. He decided not to address the crowd, and slowly took one more deep breath. He exhaled, and began to play.
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Dash looked up from the book, glancing over at Apple Blitz, who had long been asleep. She smiled at how cute the little filly looked curled up on her own little pillow, and was amazed by how loud she could snore at such a young age. She then glanced over to Applejack and got ready to close the book, but Applejack reached out a hoof and stopped her.
“Keep on readin’ hun,” Applejack whispered, trying to keep from waking her daughter.
“But she’s already asleep,” Dash replied. “Plus, this is probably the longest time I’ve ever spent reading anything that wasn’t a comic book.”
Applejack chuckled, trying to restrain herself from making too much noise.
“Ah know, but I just like to listen to ya.”
Dash blushed, her face becoming as red as the streak in her mane. Quickly she tried to act cool about it, and dug her head back into the book. From there she continued reading.
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When five-forty-five rolled around, Zev was finishing his final song, the one he’d played to calm his nerves not long before. When he was finished, he looked up at the crowd, who took no time in erupting into cheers. His audience had grown significantly from the time he started, as many other ponies had begun to filter in from the other rooms, knowing Celestia was set to address everyone from the main stage before it was time to raise the sun. Zev stood, and took a small bow, before exiting off stage. Other ponies that had performed that night were also back stage, and congratulated him for putting on such a wonderful performance. He nodded, not one to let himself get carried away too much by the praise.
He quickly found the rest of his things again, and carefully put his guitar away, then slung his bags back over his back. He wasn’t sure he wanted to stay and watch the sunrise. After all, despite getting to watch Princess Celestia use her magic, it would still be the same sunrise everypony in Equestria would see every day. With his belongings now loaded up, Zev decided to head for the main hallway leading to castle doors that would get him on his way out of Canterlot. As he started to leave, he noticed another clock that had been set-up for the artists waiting to go onstage, that told him it was now six in the morning. Seeing the time, he decided that he may as well stick around to see the princesses.
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By six-fifteen, many of the ponies in the ballroom were getting anxious. Luna’s moon was still high in the sky, and there was no sign of Princess Celestia yet. Suddenly, a massive blast rocked the castle, sending several of the guests into a frenzy. Before anyone could leave ; however, the castle doors swung open with great force, startling many of the ponies nearby. Zev could not see this, but he could hear the cries from the main hallway. Soon everypony had turned to watch as a tall, dark figure marched its way down the hallway towards the ballroom. They moved back in fear, creating a path straight to the main stage for whomever was coming to walk down.
Reaching the light of the ballroom, everpony’s gaze fell upon a tall black alicorn wearing blue armor, who had the strangest teal-colored eyes. She glanced around at all the different looks she was getting from the guests. She arrived at the main stage and flew up onto it, the regal Pegasus who’d been announcing the musical acts scrambling away before she landed.
“Do none of you recognize me, now that I have become the true mare I was meant to be?” she asked, and nopony offered a response. “Surely you don’t recognize your dear Princess Luna? However, that is no longer my name!”
Gasps escaped from the crowds at hearing this had been the smaller alicorn that had stood beside her sister for so long.
“You may now all call me Nightmare Moon! And I am here to bring an end to the wretched sunlight that poisons the minds of ponies everywhere! When can any of you say you truly looked up and appreciated the beauty of my moon in the night sky? You will all appreciate it now. And where is my sister you ask? She has fled from Canterlot, too afraid of the power I have gained to stand against me! Surely nopony else would dare to try and stop me?”
Soon the ballroom was in a panic as ponies began to flee in every direction, Nightmare Moon laughing loudly over the cries of the ponies. Zev found himself caught up in the chaos, unsure of which way to go. He began to move back towards the main hallway to try and make his way out through the front. Meanwhile, a squad of Pegasus guards flew over his head, ready to stand against Nightmare Moon. Whipping her starry mane back and forth created a great wind, which sent the pegasi flying backwards and crashing through several of the palace windows. Nightmare Moon continued to laugh in triumph.
Soon, Nightmare Moon began to glance around through the mobs of ponies trying to squeeze down the hallways towards the exits. She wanted to find a pony to toy with, to show them the extent of her powers so that they would spread the word about just what Nightmare Moon was capable of, and what she would do if they didn’t start appreciating her beautiful eternal night. Amidst them all, she saw a teal mane against a charcoal coat, and decided to levitate that pony to her.
Zev felt the magic begin to wrap around his body as he was pulled out of the throngs of gueats that were slowly cramming their bodies into the already jammed hallway. He struggled with all his might to free himself, but whatever magic was being used was far too strong for an earth pony like him to break through. Soon he was face to face with Nightmare Moon.
“Ah, a musician. An admirable profession, especially for the less talented Earth ponies. Tell me your name,” Nightmare Moon commanded.
“Zev,” he said weakly, trying to not show any fear as he stared into the slits that were Nightmare Moon’s pupils.
In reality, Zev had never been more terrified. Being held so close to the alicorn, he was sure she was going to murder him very soon. Nightmare Moon released the magic she was using, dropping Zev to the ground on his hooves, and looked down upon his unchanging expression.
“You don’t seem to fear me pony,” Nightmare Moon observed out loud, “Are you not afraid of what I could do to you?”
“No,” Zev stated, again trying to seal his fear away.
He was sure if he showed any sign of weakness against the alicorn she would surely destroy him without hesitation.
“Hmmm, play me a song musician,” Nightmare Moon commanded of him.
In a flash, Zev had tossed his guitar case from his back, and was pulling the instrument out in no time. Since he’d just played it less than an hour before, he didn’t bother trying to tune it. He didn’t figure the alicorn would give him long anyway. Just as he began to play, a starry blue cloud of magic formed around his guitar, pulling it from his hooves and began to wave it wildly in the air. Nightmare Moon cackled as she whipped it back and forth, finally sending it down with a sickening crack against the hard castle floor. The instrument shattered into a hundred pieces in front of Zev’s icy-blue eyes. In his mind, he was sure the loud crack he’d heard was his own heart, watching the one thing he loved most shatter before him.
Nightmare Moon continued to laugh as Zev stood motionless before her. He couldn’t speak, he could only stare at his life on the floor. A hatred he’d never felt before began to bubble inside him, flowing through his chest and surging across the rest of his body. He turned towards the alicorn, a new fire burning inside his soul. With all his might, Zev charged at Nightmare Moon, lowering his head and bracing for impact. He struck her hard in her ribs, sending her toppling off stage as she let out a cry of surprise. Zev stood tall on the edge of the stage, panting from the energy he’d manage to unleash upon her. It didn’t take long for Nightmare Moon to regain her balance, looking no worse for wear.
“You foalish colt, how dare you even think to touch the royal form of Nightmare Moon?!” lightning struck around her as she spoke, nearly missing Zev by inches.
Before he could try and attack again or make an escape, Nightmare Moon transformed herself into a black cloud of smoke, which quickly whirled around Zev, lifting him from the stage and bringing him high above the castle floor. The smoke began to speed its rotation around him, faster and faster, until it flung him with excessive force against on the castle walls. Before he could plummet to the floor below, it caught him in mid-air, performing the same tactic and slinging him across the room, through a statue of the Royal Pony Sisters, and into the opposite wall. As he collided with it, Zev could taste the pool of blood that had begun to pool in his mouth. Then down he fell, but was again picked up by Nightmare Moon and thrown again, this time sending him crashing through one of the remaining windows. As he tumbled through the air he could see the castle getting further and further away, soon seeing a large amount of green coming closer and closer.
He landed hard in the castle gardens, not far from where he had napped hours before. Many of the curious animals that lived there began to poke their heads out to look or scamper toward Zev to find out why a pony had fallen there. Suddenly the black smoke whooshed into the field, sending many of the animals back into hiding. Zev tried his best to look up as the black form of Nightmare Moon once again towered over him.
“You were very brave to attack me musician,” she said honestly, “But it is a mistake that could not go unpunished. Surely you wouldn’t dare to pursue this little vendetta any further would you?”
Zev lay against the ground, his flank and hind legs sticking upwards toward the sky, his head and front legs limp. He said nothing to the black alicorn. He didn’t want to speak to her. His mind was already flooded with memories, from the first time he’d laid hooves on his guitar, to when he’d finally been able to make the modifications he wanted, to his first live performance. He’d never felt such love for anypony or anything else as he had his guitar, and the mare standing over him had taken it all away. Truly, he was sure he no longer cared what she did to him, any threat she made against his life was nearly hollow, as he had already lost what was most precious to him. Slowly, he lifted one of his front legs and tried to stand.
Pain shot through his side as he tried to steady his weight. He was sure he had some bones broken somewhere, but the pain was of little concern to him. He gritted his teeth and stomped his hoof with his good leg, ready to challenge Nightmare Moon again as he rose. Finally, standing as tall as he could, Zev tried to gallop head on at the alicorn once again. His legs however did not cooperate, and he found himself crashing head first into her legs. The hit did not phase Nightmare Moon yet again.
“Tsk tsk, little pony. I guess I can’t make you learn. Oh well,” and with that her horn glowed, and Zev was soon sent spiraling through trees and shrubs, slamming into birds nests and beehives, and breaking through several branches until he finally slammed hard into a very large tree.
His back began to throb from the hit as he once again fell to the ground. His vision blurry, he tried to get a glimpse of where he was. He found himself able to make out a single word carved into the tree he’d collided with: Zev. He’d been thrown into the tree he had napped under not long ago. He realized he might be sleeping even longer under it very soon. He tried to move, but not one part of his body would cooperate. His gaze began to get worse, everything going dark and coming back to him in rapid succession. A pounding in his head stopped him from hearing the sound of hoofsteps as the black mare approached him from the woods. His vision leaving, and then again returning he saw her standing over him, a look of anger on her face. His vision blacked again, just in time for him not to see the hoof of Nightmare Moon slamming quickly down towards his head.
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Dash shut the book.
“Gosh, Ah can’t believe Applebloom loved that book so much,” Applejack said, “It ain’t very happy, that’s fer sure.”
Dash nodded. In her mind, she imagined Zev, a cool pony like herself, only he was what she might have been if she hadn’t been able to help harness the Elements of Harmony. It was quite a sad story.
Applejack had kept Dash reading to her for over an hour since Apple Blitz had dozed off. There was more to the story, Princess Celestia returning to the castle with the Elements of Harmony that had been taken from their old castle in the Everfree Forest, the site where the sisters had fought Discord long before. And then the story followed the traditional “Mare in the Moon” story from there. Regardless, Dash had picked a good point to stop, as both mares were beginning to find themselves very tired.
Dash pulled a blanket and a pillow down to the floor, letting Applejack share the bed with Apple Blitz, and got ready to lie down. Before she could however, she felt a hoof poke her in the chin, and pull her back up to eye level with Applejack. The orange mare leaned in and kissed Dash passionately. It was one of many they’d shared over the past week, but it always felt amazing. They held it long, neither wanting to break away, both wishing such a moment could last forever. Finally Applejack pulled back, her face glowing with happiness. Dash leaned back in and kissed her on her freckled cheek, before sliding back down into the floor. Applejack curled up next to her tiny filly, and kissed her on the head. Before long, Applejack was snoring right alongside her daughter, and Dash was sleeping peacefully nearby.
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It may have been coincidence, something that in a world of magic such as Equestria does not happen often, that Princess Luna was taking a walk through the Royal Gardens outside her palace. She’d come to spot she hadn’t visit in over a thousand years. A large tree grew from the spot, now the biggest tree in the gardens. On it was inscribed a single word. A name; Zev.
Luna stared at the spot for a long time, lost in her thoughts. Before long, Celestia came to join her.
“We hate what we did to him, sister,” Luna said sadly as Celestia wrapped a loving wing around her.
“Things were different then. Something made you different. It’s not your fault Luna,” Celestia said in a comforting voice.
Using her magic, Celestia picked a rose from a nearby bush, and laid it under the tree as a small memorial. With her magic, Luna carved the shape of a guitar, one nearly identical to the one the pony was known for playing, into the bark below his name. Luna managed a smile as Celestia pulled her away, leading them back towards the palace, and leaving behind the testament that a pony named Zev had tried to stand against Nightmare Moon, and that despite everything he lost, he did get one thing he always wanted: to be remembered forever.