Chapter 4
Night of Redemption
By Rated Ponystar
Edited by Elric of Melnipony and TimeLord_Whooves and ugugg93
With permission from Mayhem Darkshadow
***
Nightshade had been nervous about going into a graveyard ever since Uncle Spike told him about zombie ponies last Nightmare Night, which earned Uncle Spike a few scoldings from Aunt Rarity and both his mommies. Still, the young alicorn colt wasn’t going to miss a chance to finally see his grandpa, especially with how much Grandma Velvet, Uncle Shining, and both his mommies talked about him. Mommy Luna always said that Grandpa Night Light was watching above in the stars after he died, and so Nightshade sometimes talked to him at his bedside, hoping that he would listen.
He had never visited where his grandpa was laid to rest all those years ago and had been hoping to see him one day. Now he was finally going to meet the stallion who he was named in honor of for the first time. Or at least his grave.
“We’re almost there, sweetie,” his mommy, Princess Twilight, said as she guided him through the fields of the dead. It made him feel a bit uneasy, knowing that underneath him were corpses and bones, but his mommy reassured him they wouldn't go into the the tomb itself.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a bright silver tomb. The crests of the Royal Sisters and Crystal Empire were decorated on top, showing that the pony who rested in this tomb was once a member of the royal family. On the door that sealed the tomb, Nightshade saw what he assumed was his grandpa’s cutie mark on it, along with a dozen other stars on the side. Flowers from old friends and family were lying next to the entrance as Nightshade walked over and read the words on it:
Here lies Night Light
Born 974 C.R - Died 8 S.R
A true father who redeemed himself
in the eyes of his family and friends.
A stallion whose heart still lives in us all.
May he watch over his family in the stars above.
“This is where he is, huh?” asked Nightshade, looking at his mother. She had a sorrowful look in her eyes despite the small smile she gave him.
“Yes... this is where your grandfather sleeps,.” whispered Twilight as she walked over to the tomb and gently laid her hoof on the entrance. She closed her eyes and began to whisper something that Nightshade couldn’t hear. She then turned to him and asked, “Do you want to say something to Grandpa Night Light?”
“Um, what do I say?” asked Nightshade, rubbing his forelegs together.
“Anything you want, sweetie.”
Nightshade nodded and walked over to the tomb, gently touching it and closed his eyes in prayer. However, he noticed a word on the tomb that he turned around and asked his mother, “What does ‘redeemed’ mean, Mommy?”
Twilight frowned a bit but soon sighed and lowered her neck to nuzzle her son. “It means to be forgiven. Daddy... your grandfather, did something very bad. Something that hurt me and the rest of the family.”
“Was he sorry?” asked Nightshade.
“Oh, he was very sorry,” nodded Twilight, who looked back at the writing on the tomb and sighed. “But not everypony believed him, and he was very hurt. So he went away, regretting what he did until he... he came back and did something that made everypony love him again.”
“Mommy Luna says he saved your life,” mentioned Nightshade as he saw tears stream down his mother’s face.
“Yes, he did... he saved me by giving me his heart... his heart which held so much love... and because of that love I got to live... marry Mommy Luna... and have you,” whispered Twilight as she embraced her son in a warm and strong hug. She pressed her son’s ears against her chest. “Can you hear that? That is your grandfather, beating inside me. Each beat I can hear him say the words, ‘I love you’ to me. And now he says the same to you, my son.”
Nightshade closed his eyes, hearing the heart that beated inside. He soon yawned and looked at his mother with a smile. “I hope to be as brave as Grandpa Night Light was, Mommy Twilight.”
Twilight nuzzled her son and whispered, “I know you will be. Now head back to the carriage. I’ll join you soon.”
Twilight watched as her son nodded and began to trot away from the tomb until she was sure he was far enough. Nopony knew she did this, but she had done it every year and she was going to do so now. With a small use of magic, Twilight slowly forced the tomb of her father to open, allowing her access inside.
Inside it was warm with torches that provided an endless flame that would keep it as such for eternity. Small statues of angels were on the walls, lifting their hooves to the heavens as to help guide the soul that had been inside. And there, on the altar, was her father’s coffin. In traditional unicorn style, his dressed up body had been preserved in a magically sealed glass-top coffin. Inside she could see him, looking more relaxed than she had ever seen him in her life. His gentle smile and closed eyes made it look like he was only sleeping on the bed of flowers that hadn’t aged a bit.
“Hello Daddy,” said Twilight as she let a few tears fall from her eyes. She never got over how peaceful he looked, laying there with his hooves folded against his chest. “I’m sorry it’s been so long… I still miss you and...” She rubbed her eyes and placed a hoof on the glass covering. “I just wish... I just wish you were here...”
Slowly, she levitated the letter, the last letter of her father, out of her dress and read it just like she did every year:
My beloved Twilight,
If you are reading this, then I am long gone. No doubt you are torn knowing that just a few moments ago, you saw me for the first time in five years. Seeing you, even in that accursed sick state, was worth all the suffering I’ve had to go though since the day I was exiled. I know you are hurt, angry, and you want to hate me or mother or brother or even yourself. Do not blame them, do not blame yourself. I choose to do this out of my own free will because I love you.
One day, you will become a parent and you will know how I feel right now. All the love I have ever had for you in all the years I have raised you all amounted to this one moment. This moment where I earn my forgiveness for hurting you all those years ago. This one moment to save your life, like any real parent would do for their child. This one moment to be a father once more.
Even though I am going to die, this was the best day I’ve had in a long time. I got to see you and our family once more. They forgive me, Twilight. Even Shining has. I can die with no regrets knowing that you will be safe, alive, and loved by those who surround you, especially Luna. Luna will love and protect you, Twilight, in my place as she has earned it. I only wish that I wasn’t stupid back then to see how amazing she was for you.
I do not know what awaits me on the other side, but know that a part of me will always be with you. I will be there, beating, keeping you alive and well. I will be by your side through the remaining years of your life, both good and bad. I will look down upon you from the stars we use to watch together when you were a little filly. Whenever you look up, I will be looking down and shining in the night sky.
All I ask, Twilight, is that you live a full and happy life. Marry Luna, have children, and go on amazing adventures. I will be there right by you forever. And when we can meet again in the world beyond this mortal plane, I will want to hear it all from your mouth as we spend Eternity together with all of our other loved ones.
Remember, Twilight, I love you. Nothing will ever change that fact. I do this because I love you. Always remember that. I love you. I love you. I love you, my little star.
-Your father,
Night Light
Twilight wiped a tear from her eye as she looked down upon the peaceful face of the stallion who loved her like no other father could. “I love you too, Daddy.”
She kissed his glass covering and as she put away the treasured letter, she pulled something out of her dress. She closed her eyes and lit up her horn, transporting it from outside the casket to the inside, where it lay between his hooves.
Twilight slowly left the tomb, leaving it and the sleeper alone once again. Now with a new decoration added.
In between the folded hooves of the deceased Night Light, lay a picture of his family.
All of them full of happiness.
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*claps*
*many claps*
*all the claps*
gaaaah my feels
and its hard to make me tear up too thats a testament to how good this was have all the mustaches 
I may not be a fan of TwiLuna, but this was a wonderful, wonderful story, thank you for everything you put into this.
Simply... FREAKIN BEAUTIFUL!
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120228224010/mlp/images/e/ec/FANMADE_Twilight_Clapping.gif
Great story. A real tear jerk. I can't wait for your next story.
Sigh
for the third and final time.
. But, I guess I can take some sad stories every once in a while. 
Well, what can I say this was really depresing
Anyway this was a good story Rated. You did a wonderful job.
Whelp, my feels just got punched again. Beautifully done good sir
This chapter is nothing but a poop machine.
I guess I'm the other white meat then?
Brilliant chapter though. Can't believe it's finished now. Thanks so much for offering to do this it is so much better then my own ending to the story. Now if you would excuse me
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/064/a/5/pinkie_pie_and_rarity_cry_by_the_lexus_guy789-d4rrs9o.gif
4138470 If by that, you mean it turned everyone that read it into crying infants, then yes.
EDIT; 10 minutes later, I'm still crying.
10/10 would sob again. Great job though, I really enjoyed it!
Well done on another sad story.
4161713
It's fine you're entitled to your own opinion thanks for reading the story
4161683
I don't get it.
Why tag me with that comment?
~Skeeter The Lurker
4161928
Again, I really don't want to come across as a prick... I'm sorry if I seemed to brash. And its not a bad story, not by a damn sight. I just disagree with it on a moral level
4161986
Sorry...
4162150
Erm... Ok?
Apology accepted?
~Skeeter The Lurker
4162155
Just informing you that others did in fact have words for this story
4161713 You're not alone on that. I think this is an excellent story, and agree that Rated Ponystar is an excellent author, but like you I am bothered by the behavior of Twilight's friends and family.
I've skimmed the original this story is based on and truthfully, I'm not a fan of it, due to characterization, concept, and overall execution. I do like this story, but it does bother me how self-righteous Celestia / The Mane Five / Shining Armor are, particularly when you consider "Canterlot Wedding", my personal most hated episode. Granted, I pretty much cover this in a previous post, but I digress
I haven't read "To Love a Mare " (maybe once my "Read Later" list is gone), so for what it's worth here are my thoughts:
This has one of my pet peeves in MLP fiction (homophobia existing in Equestria) but everything else was well written enough that I didn't mind. I felt bad enough for Night Light that I almost wanted Celestia to reveal that they had been faking the whole thing to test him.
Only other complaint: How exactly did everypony stop Twilight from visiting her father? Surely they can't watch her 24-7.
Even if I hadn't read the original story, I had skimmed through the description and gotten the gist of it. It's pretty common knowledge, but love is by far, one of the most powerful emotion to exist. It makes us do crazy, stupid and irrational things, but we do it anyway.
The way Night Light was so dead set into sacrificing his own life for her daughter, had me choking up more than once, and I'd be the first to admit that I had shed a tear or two.
I'm envious of you, RP. You seem to be able to write anything, anything at all, very well. I am so glad I found this gem. This fic deserves way more likes than it already has. I know it's not much, but have my thumbs up.
There's already a tag fot Twilight Velvet & Night Light. It would be great if you put it here... If that's what you want.
bawling my eyes out cause of this so sad.
so much fells I cried my eyes out
It's not unusual for me to get emotionally charged by a story, but very rarely does a story actually cause me to get choked up, with actual tears brimming in my eyes. I applaud you're brilliant writing. Even if I personally find everypony (sans Twilight) to be kind of HORRIBLE HORRIBLE UNFORGIVING TWATS, you're writing style just...gosh, it hits where I bet it was intended to hit. I've already read this story three times to day alone. Just great job entirely. (It occurs to me that I have no idea how old this story is, so...still good
)
I just found this story and It is so well written and I cried while reading it. The pain and suffering he went through and the love he still had in him after all that. You conveyed those emotions very well in the story.
found this story today and read it all, i cry my eye out, so sad,
Im going to go cry in the corner now
Loved it but I didn't need to be crying this hard this early
Now I need to read happy stories now and watch funny videos
This succeeds where so many have failed: make me cry on the outside.
What does C.R and S.R mean?
Also great story, although I hate it but also enjoyed reading it. I guess in a way, it's a happy ending.
I don't think I'll ever cry as much as this story did in the rest of my life.
But by the end of the day, I think I might have finally found it. The most emotional story that has yet to exist on this site even over a decade later (by a couple weeks). If there is a more emotional story than this, I have yet to find it.
Keep up the great work.
Comment posted April 11