Libero

by Discombobulated Soul

Praeteritus

"The first few days went about as well as we'd expected,"

Bon Bon Heartstrings began, warming her hooves with the teacup she cradled between them. Across from her, Starlight Glimmer nodded sagely, still casually laying down and attempting--with only moderate success--to look as comfortable as possible.

"He didn't acclimate quickly and was understandably distressed from waking up in such a strange location."

The speaking mare's wife, Lyra Heartstrings, sat next to her at just the right distance to offer support but not encroach too much. She held her own cup of chamomile in a golden aura, unable to use her hooves. Those were rather preoccupied at the moment.

"But I'd say things have gotten better since then; he's gotten quite used to us, and us to him."

Darkest Knight, the unicorn colt currently sandwiched between the mares, clutched harder around his mommy's barrel as he tried fruitlessly to smoosh himself yet further into both the couch's back and her tender embrace. This strained the family's positioning and they simultaneously wriggled about to settle into more comfortable poses. Lyra's chin ended up resting on her wife's shoulder while that selfsame earth pony grunted softly under the weight of two cuddly unicorns.

This left Knight practically buried underneath the two, but from his soft giggle and content hum, they figured he didn't mind too much.

Starlight seemed to struggle quite hard to resist fawning over them, instead gathering herself up and, with moderate effort, making her reply:

"That sounds amazing, Bonnie. Do you mind if I call you that?" A small shrug was her answer, which jostled Lyly from her position enough to warrant a displeased expression. Bon Bon sent an apologetic side-eye her way, silently promising to be a better pillow, and that seemed to appease the mare. "Excellent," then, "can I ask when the bonding truly started? Do you think there was perhaps a moment you can pinpoint, or was it gradual?" Knight's fearful shivering was beginning to make a return at the questions, but luckily his momma's gentle stroking of his mane kept that at a minimum.

"Definitely the first one. And the moment was probably when Lyly comforted him after the break-in. I'm told it was much like the befriending process those months ago, if more involved." Bon Bon glanced again at her wife, but didn't receive much in the way of confirmation from the minty unicorn, preoccupied as she was by staring fondly--and quite vacantly--at her son.

Knight seemed to settle, letting out a breathy sigh as he was continually besieged by loving strokes from all sides. It'd been mildly off-putting at first, how much he liked being pet, but the three of them had quickly gotten used to the mutually-pleasant sensation.

"It seems to be working quite well. Could you please tell me if there's anything odd you've noticed? Behaviors that perhaps don't match up with what we know?" Starlight was clearly trying very hard to sound as little like one of her station as possible, but while that was helping, it wasn't enough; the colt let out a tiny whimper every time she spoke, and the tremors resumed with vengeance the second either mare's ministrations waned even the slightest bit.

We've got our work cut out for us. The former agent noted as she pondered the question, dutifully stroking her son's mane and giving his shoulder a soft squeeze of reassurance. All four of us. I wonder what could have scarred him so badly that even somepony talking a certain way sets off these responses. Just how bad could it have been?

---

"I can not ever begin to thank you three sufficiently for this. Truly, I am forever in your debt."

Darkest trailed behind his saviors, continuously spouting words of gratitude as he rushed to keep up with their fast pace. Around them, Canterlot's nightlife was in full swing, with parties in seemingly every other building and drunken nobles stumbling into and out of bars. The youth found himself often gazing straight up at the night sky to appreciate the new angle, but a swift tug from one of his liberators always reminded him to continue rushing through the city.

He did not especially know what the cause for such a hurry was; the danger and evil was behind them, after all, and they only got further away from it. The colt decided, however, that those who had saved him couldn't possibly mean any harm, so he accordingly followed along with their commands.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep up, kiddo. We are almost there." The gruff, stockier stallion spoke as he jerked his head in an impatient gesture. This pony's figure and coloration was achingly familiar, but he could not possibly be one of the workers; he had saved Darkest! Even the ever-dormant Knight popped up to agree that none of these ponies harbored any ill intentions whatsoever.

It was with abrupt spontaneity that the colt was yanked into a nearby alley, with one of his savior's fetlocks placed speedily over his muzzle to muffle his yelp of surprise. Darkest watched with wide eyes as an armored pony stalked through the street, wielding what he recognized as a spear quite effectively. Those hurt and stab at long range, he remembered, but they are significantly less dangerous up close. I would simply need to close the distance and weave around the assailant before making my swift escape.

"We are hiding because there is still danger out here. Broken's workers could be anywhere at all, and it is with great intensity that they desire you back in their hooves." The mare's murmured words dampened many of Darkest's questions and he nodded vigorously as she crept around to stand in front of him. "Remember, though, that the alleys are safe. Nopony can see or catch you in here, got it?" More nodding was her answer and she gave him a pleased smirk before waving to the stallions. "The way is clear, now. Let us proceed."

The group trudged on through darkened streets, their way lit only by the moon above them, adorned as it was with the silhouette of a horned mare's head. Darkest kept silent for a few minutes, doing his level best to both take in the scenery and keep up with the hurried pace. I dislike this architecture. Even in the flattering night's light, it manages to remain utterly atrocious and quite bland. An errant question soon arose, though, one that, curious as he was, the colt could not help but ask:

"If you mind not mine inquiry, where is it that we are destined, exactly? Answers have not quite been forthcoming." The lankier, as-yet-silent cloaked stallion shot him an annoyed glance and he withered in apology, but the mare responded before a reprimand could be given.

"You need not worry about such things, Darkest. We are almost there, and only good events shall greet us upon our arrival." She shot her gaze over to the colt in time to catch his tremulous smile and hesitant nod of assent. Having fallen behind slightly once more, the foal scampered up to her legs, edging yet closer as faint sounds from behind jostled his nerves. A soft grunt of disapproval and light swat with her tail bade him create more distance, which he did with no small amount of reluctance.

She knows your name.

Knight--as the strange voice in the back of the colt's head liked to call itself--surfaced just long enough to make a helpful observation before returning to the far section of his mental scape. That is peculiar, Knight, agreed Darkest, for I do not recall ever introducing myself. Perhaps she overheard HIM say it?

The group of unicorns came to an abrupt stop in front of a rather unassuming building whose sole distinguishing factor was its relative small size compared to those around it. Darkest surveyed the structure with an eyebrow raised as he caught his breath. The bulky stallion stepped forth to grace the door with a few sharp knocks before turning to him.

"Alright, kid. Listen up: We are taking you to see a therapist, and he is going to help set your mind straight. You need to do everything he says and answer every question he asks, or else. Understand?"

Any questions the youth might have had were immediately shut up upon his hearing the threat and he violently nodded, cowering back and raising a hoof in defense as he did. The building's front door slammed open, further startling Darkest as a shortish bespectacled stallion beckoned him inside. The colt glanced around, expecting his saviors to take the lead, but when no such intention became apparent, he gulped nervously and trudged into the building.

Just before the outside world faded from view, the mare leaned forward to offer one parting piece.

"Just remember, Darkest: It is therapy, and you will need to go through it very, very often. To get help. You see?"

A sense of faint terror began to settle on Darkest as he took in the grave expression on her face, that being the last he saw before the door suddenly shut and the therapist brought him deeper into the building.

---

"Wait, wait. You mean you guys sleep...together?"

So surprised was Starlight when she made the inquiry that she was scarcely able to stop it from becoming an exclamation. Bon Bon raised a confused eyebrow, gesturing over to where Lyra had taken to laying on her side, facing the couch's back with Knight nestled against her belly.

"Yeah? You can see for yourself how comfortable we've gotten with each other. Is it really such a surprise?" The therapist shook her head at this, absently waving a hoof as she finished the last sip of her fourth cup of tea.

"Yes, Bonnie, it is. Cuddling while you're awake and aware of danger is all well and good, but trusting someone enough to sleep in their presence is completely different." The lilac unicorn risked a glance at the colt in question, almost entirely hidden from sight as Lyly hummed a tune directly into his stilled ears. "Can you describe how you three sleep? I'm assuming there's a particular position?"

At the earth pony's incredulous look, Starlight rolled her eyes and returned with a rather pointed expression. "Yes, I'm asking. Yes, I'm serious, and yes, it is important. Crucial, even. There's a very real chance you're moving too fast or doing something incorrectly or even worsening things. Please don't make me ask again."

Bon Bon nodded, feeling appropriately ashamed at the thoughts that had been running through her head. Of course it's not like that, and of course she'd only ask if it matters. I should definitely know better by now. Still doesn't make this any less awkward, though.

"There's not much to it," the cream-colored mare began. "We sleep on the couch, of course. This one right here." She gestured vaguely at her current seat, finally depositing her now-cold teacup on the coffee table she'd dragged there around half an hour ago. "We lay down, side-to-side, with Sugar in the middle, of course." Knight's ears began to twitch, but the as-yet unfinished melody being sung into them managed to soothe his worries. "Most of the time we tend to twine our tails together, I guess."

Starlight Glimmer's eyes bulged and she somehow stumbled from her laying position, nearly falling right off the couch as she reeled in shock. Her horn flared to life as she conjured an extra quill, one that flew back behind her to join its brother in frantically scribbling lines of notes on her pad. Bon Bon shifted idly in place, feeling quite disconcerted at the continued look of shock and concentration on the therapist's face. Knight twitched and pressed himself back against his mommy's barrel, but, thankfully, he didn't have any other reactions and Lyra simply continued, unfazed.

"You don't realize the significance of that, do you?" The lilac unicorn, now seemingly recovered from the surprise, stared earnestly straight into the former agent's cerulean eyes. The mare in question merely shook her head, desperately grasping at any potential explanation for this behavior.

Starlight smiled patiently and waved a reassuring hoof, to which Bon Bon let out a deep sigh of relief. So it's not anything bad we did, then. Thank Faust. "Let me put it this way: People with Knight's past experience tend to be very particular about their tails, seeing as they're the last and only barrier between the world and...well...that which has been so wickedly stolen from them."

It was only a fraction of a second before both Bon Bon's and Lyra's eyes blazed with sudden understanding, soon followed by horror. The former's front hoof shot to her muzzle as she let out a gasp of realization, while the latter simply clutched at her treasured son's form all the more. Knight, for once, seemed relatively unaffected by this, aside from the happy squeak he let out as he wiggled deeper into Mommy's bone-crushing hug.

"You said you entwine tails most of the time? So there's nights when you don't?" The cream-colored mare gave a hollow nod in reply, numb with the shock that came from realizing that what she'd thought had been an innocent gesture was instead a blatant display of indescribable trust. "Alright. That could be a sign of any number of things. I'm going to need you to do a few things on the nights where he doesn't let you get that intimate. First off..."

---

"Right, then. Let's get started, shall we? Would you mind telling me your name?"

The unicorn colt fidgeted nervously, running his hoof across the length of the couch's armrest as he glanced around fearfully. The adjacent window caught his attention and he calmed ever-so-slightly upon sighting the expanse of stars in the sky. After pondering the question for a bit, the youth softly shook his head, ducking shortly after in expectation of the reprimand to follow.

"Alright, that's okay. Would you like to begin by talking about something else?"

Another, longer pause followed this inquiry, but was eventually interrupted by a nod from the seated colt. The bespectacled pony across from him let out a low hum, but he couldn't watch for long before his gaze was brought back to the sky outside.

"I really like the sky. It's pretty neat during the daytime, but my favorite part is when the sun sets and the stars come out. Do you like the sky, too?"

This time, the colt made an internal decision and grimaced accordingly before the tiny, shy sound of his own voice echoed across the small room.

"Y-yes."

A glance up revealed the pony giving him a serene, friendly smile as she tilted her head, sending locks of greying red mane waving slightly.

"That's wonderful. You know, I can't quite remember all of the constellations. Do you think you could reteach them to me? I'd really appreciate it if you did."

The colt sat up at this, tapping his hooves together as he considered the request. He knew every constellation, of course, seeing as astrology was but one of his many favorite subjects. History, physics, geology, thaumaturgy, equish, and many others were also among that number, but it was very prominent, regardless. Feeling emboldened by the opportunity to teach somepony curious as he had before, the colt finally decided to share and see what happened.

"Um, th-there's Ursas major and minor, Aeo, Pseudocles, Faren, The Four Tribes, Ramdar, Kiranus, Grifan, Hypodren, and Arcanus."

He recited, stuttering only slightly as his confidence grew thanks to the mare's beaming expression and grateful nod. It wasn't strong enough yet to stop him from fidgeting or hiding behind his orange mane, but he had ceased glancing about the room and settled his stare on the pony opposite.

"Ah, thank you. You must be very talented to remember all those names!"

The colt flushed, thoroughly unused to praise, but found himself nodding along regardless.

"Let's see if you can remember one more, hmm? I'm Specialist Goldenfeather, but you can just call me Goldie. All my best friends do."

The pegasus winked conspiratorially, humor and a great deal of mischief shimmering behind her glasses as she absently fluttered her wings.

"Now, do you think you'd be okay with sharing your name with me? It's still perfectly okay if you don't."

Emboldened by the friendly gesture and feeling daring, the unicorn adjusted his own spectacles and nodded, doing his best to stamp down the remaining nerves.

"M-my name is...S-Sunburst."

---

"So then, on another topic, how have meals been going? Is food an issue?"

Bon Bon hummed in thought, taking a sip from her cup of fresh tea as her eyes roamed over to where Knight and Lyra had moved to the floor some distance away. The minty mare laid on her back, clutching the colt to the bottom of her barrel while he held onto her forelegs. Both unicorns' faces were overtaken by pure bliss as they basked in the other's presence. Lyly had decided to move them there some time ago, and the small increase in distance from Starlight was doing Knight wonders.

"No, I wouldn't say so. He eats whatever we put in front of him with no trouble. I suppose we had to be more sneaky about it in the beginning, but that's not a problem anymore." As if to demonstrate, Lyra proceeded to levitate a candy from Bonnie's newest batch over to the colt, who merely opened his mouth and let her drop it in, all without moving from his position or even opening his eyes. "I'm sure it helps that he enjoys my cooking so much." Starlight smiled once more and the faint sound of quill on paper increased slightly as her hidden writing picked up speed.

"To be fair, Bonnie, it's fairly hard not to enjoy your treats. Whatever blend of alchemical agents you use to enhance the sugar, it works quite well." The earth pony waved a dismissive hoof, carelessly brushing away the compliment, but the therapist continued before she could refute it further. "What would you say is his favorite food?" Bon Bon smirked, shifting in her laying position to gesture with the raised hoof.

"Oh, he doesn't really play favorites. As I said, he'll eat whatever we give him, with no problems. Sugar doesn't discriminate." Yet another step they'd taken to make the colt more comfortable with the situation was to talk about him in vague terms, as though he wasn't sitting mere feet away. The former agent didn't care to ponder the psychological reasons this helped so much, though; anything that helped her son feel safe around her was good enough without an explanation.

"Can I ask about that nickname? It seems new and this isn't the first I've heard it. Is there a particular reason for it?" This was asked more out of passing curiosity than a piercing search for issues, Bon Bon could tell. So she's finally leaning into the whole 'casual get-together' thing. About time. I have to wonder what her work-life balance is for her to be so reluctant to act like a regular pony.

"Not especially. They're both sweet, magically potent, white, and other things. I pointed out how many similarities they share and he seemed to like the idea of being called something he enjoys so much." Starlight nodded sagely and beamed, risking another wistful glance at the subject of their discussion as she replied.

"I can't put into words how wonderful it is that you're so casual with each other. It almost reminds me of Sunburst and myself." The therapist grew distant at this, staring out the window with acute musing.

"What's he like?" Bonnie dared, partly out of genuine interest and partly to see how comfortable she could make the unicorn. It amused her somewhat, deep down, to have to work so hard to put a therapist at ease instead of the inverse, but that was neither here nor there.

"Dorky, socially inept, and annoyingly intelligent at the best of times. It's a wonder somepony like him can do our job at all, let alone well." Starlight's grin became yet wider the more invested she got in her thoughts, and the earth pony recognized the unmistakable look of pure love in her eyes, being well acquainted with it herself. "That's why I love him, though." It was Bon Bon's turn to perform a sagely nod, observing her wife out of the corner of her vision.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." Lyra snapped out of her blissful expression long enough to gift the former agent with a faux indignant frown, briefly sticking out her tongue in a small raspberry before resuming as though nothing had happened. "Let's hope he can come soon, eh? I'd love to meet him." Starlight nodded her agreement, though was still unable to break out of her absent, dreamy stare through the window.

"I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

---

"What is your name, colt?"

The unicorn stallion stared imperiously down at Darkest from his imposing desk as the door slammed shut and was locked by a fiery red glow. The foal ducked away from the noise and scooted backwards, but due to the small size of the room he was unable to get more than three feet or so away from the therapist. He blinked rapidly in attempts to clear his head, muddled as it was by the light shining straight into his eyes from behind the other pony.

"I am called Darkest Knight, good sir. 'Tis a most humble name, but it has served me quite well so far." The colt let out a nervous laugh, glancing about the space and noting its rather intimidating décor. The jagged, abstract paintings hanging from the walls, ripped black carpet beneath his hooves, and large shadow cast by the desk--the only piece of furniture in sight--served only to increase his feelings of trepidation.

"And what is your age, Darkest?"

The way this therapist said his name made the colt's skin crawl, but he powered through even despite breaking into a cold sweat. Mine rescuers did indeed claim that this is for my own good. Surely, they must know best!

"I am not precisely certain about that, sir, but insofar as I know, I am about eleven years of age." The bespectacled stallion leaned forward at this and seemed to frown--not that Darkest could be sure, seeing as the only source of light was behind the pony--before beginning to firmly tap the wooden surface with a hoof.

"Tell me how you feel."

Danger?

Inquired Knight, to which Darkest internally shook his head in denial. Nay, it cannot be. I left any peril behind at HIS manor!

"Relieved and grateful, good sir, for having been rescued. My life until now has not exactly been pleasant, you see, and I am exceedingly glad to be freed." These words were honest enough, but the colt politely concealed the full truth of his emotions, in particular just how intimidated he was by the therapist's actions. Apparently, this was not the response the stallion desired, seeing as he scoffed irately and slammed a hoof on the desk.

Anger.

"And? What else are you feeling, Darkest? Do not dare to hide things from me."

The colt whimpered and flinched away from the sound, beginning to shake rapidly as the leer intensified.

"Ah, well, good sir, I suppose it is possible that I feel the slightest bit...er...frightened by your actions." The therapist chuckled deeply at this and leaned yet further, absently shredding papers in his red aura.

"So you find me scary, huh? What makes you think you have the right to be scared?"

Darkest's eyes bulged and he frantically waved a hoof in the air, shaking his head in abject denial.

"Nothing! Nothing! I have no rights to anything!" This caused the stallion to let out a pleased hum and back off just the slightest bit, letting the foal breathe and attempt fruitlessly to calm himself in the suddenly-sweltering room.

"And why do you say that?"

The white unicorn heaved in gaping breaths, forcefully powering down his horn when it tried to activate and cast a certain spell. It is not as though I am any good at casting it anyway, so it very likely would not be of assistance.

"It is quite obvious, sir: I am lowly, worthless, and undeserving of anything save the worst possible treatment." Darkest yelped as he was abruptly grabbed in a rough red aura and brought inches from the therapist's snarling muzzle.

"Correct, colt. And be sure you never forget it."

---

"How have things been, Lyra?"

The minty mare gulped nervously, absently tapping her hooves together as her gaze darted every which way. An errant glance at the adjacent loveseat calmed her, especially her wife's smile of encouragement. Starlight had asked that the couple switch places so she could interrogate ask Lyra about things for a change of pace. The swap had gone fairly smoothly, all things considered, and Knight's current position testified to that.

"Er...good. They've been good! So very good. So good in fact that they're...uh...really good!" Lyra cringed, cursing her inexplicable anxiety with figures of authority. I didn't feel this way with Luna! Come on, brain! Luckily, however, the therapist merely gave a patient smile.

"Good, good. Is there anything in particular you'd like to share? Perhaps concerning your son's mental state?" The musician's unease swiftly turned to confusion with this inquiry and she accordingly tilted her head, to which Starlight's smile broadened. "You heard me. One of the reasons I decided you were so fit for this responsibility is your talent for reading ponies. I was hoping we could compare notes." Lyra squinted, taking a few moments to compose her thoughts before responding.

"Well, I found five distinct voices in Sugar's head. I don't know any of the psychology behind it," the mare sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, "but they all have their own desires and methods that vary in effectiveness." Starlight nodded thoughtfully, tapping her chin as her gaze drifted over to the loveseat.

Darkest Knight lay cuddled up to his mother in utter rapture, from what little they could see of him. He had started off merely laying up against the side of Bon Bon's barrel, but quicky migrated from there. Now, the front half of his body was poking out from under her chest floof, with her foreleg resting against his side and her curly tail draped across his lower body, hiding it completely. Only his face was left visible, and even that was occasionally concealed by the mare's mane whenever she leaned down to affectionately rest her head on the top of his.

"Fascinating. I noticed much the same, if less clearly. I'd thought his condition was very different from D.I.D., but now I'm not so sure." This, the counselor said mostly to herself, though it wasn't as though Lyra would have understood the jargon in the first place, her recent studies notwithstanding. "Doesn't it seem to you that two of the personalities are linked?" The minty mare nodded, finally calming as she settled into a more comfortable state.

"Yes, yes it does. Do you happen to know why that is?" Starlight hummed, her purplish eyes wandering upwards in pondering.

"I have a few theories."

---

"So then, Sunburst, let's talk about feelings. Would you be okay with that?"

The light orange colt nodded hesitantly, glancing once more at the cheerily-furnished room. Bright, happy colors made up every conceivable surface, with pictures of rainbows and groups of smiling ponies--all of which seemingly drawn by artists his age or younger--hung on the walls, and flourishing potted plants placed in each corner. A gentle yellow light illuminated this, sourceless-yet-evenly-spread as was typical of magical lighting, though not so much so as to interfere with the window's view.

"Wonderful! I'll start: Let's see, I feel excited by making a new friend, thankful for being taught the constellations, and awestruck by your amazing talents." Goldie beamed back at his surprised expression, nodding earnestly as she let him take stock of the genuineness of her words. "Do you think you can share, now? I'd really like it if you did, but it's okay if not."

The colt scrunched his face, overcome by anxious energy and directionless thoughts. His hooves tapped and rubbed away at the armrest in some vain search for release, but what stimulation he gained from the action was woefully inadequate. The pegasus mare, seeing this, rose from her seat and strode over to a nearby cabinet, reaching into a drawer to retrieve a curious wooden item.

"Do you need something to fidget with, Sunburst? I can understand that; I get pretty antsy sometimes, myself." The golden-coated mare approached, carefully watching for signs of increased agitation at her proximity and sighing in relief when she found none. "Here, try this. It's a little prototype I've been working on to help. It's great fun to mess around with!" Goldie outstretched her wing with the toy on top, and Sunburst--with no small degree of trepidation--levitated the wooden curiosity over to himself.

The colt began fiddling with the buttons and switches, immediately gasping audibly at the incredibly satisfying feel and sound of the device as he did so.

"D'you like it?" Asked the reseated mare, who giggled musically at his wide-eyed vigorous nodding. "I'm glad. Can you tell me how you feel, now?" Moments passed as the unicorn foal actively appreciated the toy, but his fiddling soon faded to the background as his mind was finally allowed to wander elsewhere.

"Worried," was his soft response, to which the pegasus nodded sympathetically.

"You're worried about your situation, then? I can understand that. It must be very confusing for you." To her surprise, though, Sunburst shook his head, his stare seemingly fixed on the toy in his hooves but in reality somewhere far different.

"No. I'm worried about Starlight. I haven't seen her since last week. I hope she's okay..." Goldie hummed thoughtfully at this, allowing the two to sit in silence for a few minutes as the colt stewed in anxious thoughts.

"Hey Sunburst, can you look at me?" Nervously, the unicorn brought his gaze up to meet hers, taking in the beaming, genuine smile he was beginning to associate with her. "Your friend is going to be okay. She's in good hooves. If you're still worried, though, I'll pull a few strings and arrange a playdate for you two to meet back up. Does that sound good?" Sunburst lit up at the possibility of seeing his best friend and fellow escapee again, nearly dropping the wooden toy as he shot to his hooves.

"Yes! Yes, please!" To which Goldie giggled again, the sound just as musical and pleasing to the ear as last time.

"Wonderful."

---

The late afternoon's light was shining down through the window when the meeting finally drew to a close. It couldn't have been more than two hours or so since it began, but to all four ponies in the house, it'd felt like much longer.

Starlight Glimmer stood and stretched before hopping down from her spot on the well-worn sofa, greatly surprised by how little cramps and pain in general she was feeling. The lilac unicorn took a few steps toward the door, having already said her final piece and arranged another session, but stopped in her tracks when a pang of deep longing struck her like a freight train.

"Actually," she began, turning to face the family with her eyebrows creased in thought, "I'd like to try something with Knight. I won't take long, and I promise I'll back off if it gets too bad." Bon Bon squinted at her with a face that was somehow thoroughly unreadable even for the trained therapist. Feeling a sudden stab of desperation, Starlight stared deeply into the candymaker's eyes, somewhat surprising herself with the forlorn plea that followed. "Please?"

The mother stared back for several tense seconds before easing up and giving her permission with a single soft nod. Starlight approached, slipping into a meek, threatless posture as she did. Knight peeked out from between the earth pony's legs, fearfully eyeing her with trepidation that grew until she stopped some feet away.

"Hello, Knight," the lilac unicorn practically whispered, "it's me. Your friend. Starlight Glimmer. Do you remember me?" The colt's mind swiftly became a chaotic maelstrom of emotions that even she couldn't begin to read, but some part of her held onto a desperate, impossible hope.

Something Starlight wasn't even aware of ached deep within her, stabbing painfully as the foal turned away with a fearful whimper. The mare nearly clutched at her chest when she reeled back, her eyes brimming with tears as she felt an amount of emotional pain that took her by complete surprise.

Warm forelegs wrapped around Starlight's shoulders as she let a single sob escape, though she thankfully was able to hold in the rest.

"It's hard, I know. I felt the same way at first," Bon Bon muttered before pulling far enough away to gaze strongly into her eyes, shaking the unicorn slightly for emphasis. "But it gets better. He'll learn to trust you again, and it will be every bit as glorious as you remember. You hear me?" The lilac mare clenched her eyes shut and nodded before being pulled into another hug, one she reciprocated readily enough.

I suppose I've gone too long without proper emotional support. She mused, absently.

Soon after, the mare left the building and headed on her way, with one dominant thought filling her mind completely even as she traveled home through curious townsponies and a certain incessant Private.

It'll get better.

Comments

[Cold Philosophy]

Always a pleasure to see another chapter of this pop up.

I love the cuddles Darkest is getting, and that he seems to be about as "on the mend" as its likely possible to be at this point. But now you've got me concerned about the tail thing.

Interesting to see the therapy that Sunburst went through as a colt compared to the 'therapy' that Darkest suffered through, though I do have to wonder why Sunburst's experience and not Starlight's as we've barely seen Sunburst up until this point. I think there was a magic mirror call with him and Starlight a few chapters back, but that was it. Not complaining by any means, just curious as to why.

Good chapter, keep it up! I look forward to the next installment!

[FIygon]

I'm not one to review every single chapter of a story, as for me that feels disingenuous. I don't always have something to say about every chapter, and it would be simply forced. But for this story in particular? I couldn't force myself to stop reading to even write a comment on any single chapter.

So I will now start off by saying just how absolutely fantastic this entire story has been from the beginning through to where it is now. Darkest Knight, or Sugar (which is an adorable nickname), is an absolutely fantastically written character. He somehow manages to be so many different things at once, and they all just work perfectly together.

You start off the story thinking he's just a quirky young colt with an overly verbose dialogue and inner monologue, but he evolves into so much more. You've made a character that no matter how far you get into the story, you still feel like you're understanding him just a tiny bit more. It's one of those stories that hits even harder if I were to reread it, I'd assume. So many things click into place after you get to know him a bit more. Not only is that a terribly hard and impressive thing to do, but you do it masterfully.

And following through with the inner workings of his mind and how they make him paranoid? Excellent. You can practically feel the exact same way that he does in almost every scene. He convinces the reader as well to believe him about every one of his worries (almost like you're one of his many personalities in a sense, but maybe that's reading into it too much). You've perfectly crafted the confusion that he feels at even the slightest hint of what he assumes to be uncouth behavior. The dread he portrays in every interaction with others is both relatable and also makes you sympathetic and invested in his actions. And... ahhhh, man, I just really like the layers of him that unfold the more and more you read; it's super impressive.

Darkest Knight honestly deserves a whole comment detailing his absolutely fascinating characterization. And his shield magic? Super cool, but obviously tragic at the same time.

Jumping around a little. Starlight's character is great, which makes her so much more interesting overall. She's a really good example of what happens when you take more sidelined characters in the original publication and transform them into a fully realized character. I like her characterization so much more here that I can firmly state that it's better than the actual show.

Bon Bon and Lyra... Best mothers, bar none. I've never been so satisfied when reading a fic where a character is adopted to this degree. Those two both deserve a golden plaque of praise. Not only do both have distinct personalities that help them relate to and connect with Darkest, but they do so with such a healthy portrayal of love that it's infectious. I could read another 100k words of just them partaking in their role as parents, and I'd be beyond satisfied.

The corruption in Canterlot is both horrifying and completely believable. And the absolute helplessness of every character that knows of Darkest is heavy. Not only is it horrifying that someone that bad was living so freely with so much power. But that he had so many others working for him. It's perfect for keeping you on your toes for so long. And when that scumbag tells him how many spies he has in Ponyville? You don't know whether it's a lie or if he's telling the complete truth. And that wraps right back around to just how intriguing Darkest's character makes this story.

So, after singing praises, I want to give my very mild criticisms, which there aren't many of.

Initially, when I read the story, my main complaint was going to be how overly verbose and hard to understand it could be at times. But whether you changed it on purpose or accidentally, the writing became much smoother the longer I read. (Forgive me if I sound crazy here.) And I'm not sure if it's intended this way, but the reason it cleared up in my head was that Darkest's worldview was being challenged and shattered, and slowly the real world was slipping in. Because as the story progressed, it became much easier to read, and I've assumed ever since that it was an artistic choice rather than accidental. (Forgive me if this was also supposed to be an obvious writing trick; I've just never seen this done or executed in this way.)

If it was an artistic choice? Bravo! It was absolutely magnificent. If it was an accident? Congrats! You have me stumped LOL.

The only actual criticism that I have is that I've noticed a couple of times where it slips between third and first person in a rather... confusing manner. But they're really only minor hiccups, and the story brings me right back in regardless. But I didn't exactly keep track; it only happens a few times.

Also, your short and long descriptions are too vague! Or maybe too... philosophical? I guess? And your cover art isn't enough!

Yes, that's another criticism. My point is, your story should be so much more popular than it is, man! I refuse to believe my two dumb stories have garnered as many likes and comments as they have because of my writing. Because yours is so much better than mine, I mean it! Seriously, reading your story makes me feel like an amateur. Which makes me believe that the only reason your story hasn't exploded is due to a failure to portray it accurately.

I don't exactly want to give a whole rundown of what could be changed, but I do feel that a potential rebranding of this story would do wonders. Libero is a fine name, but when people read your short and long descriptions, they don't exactly get an idea of what your story is about. And your cover art doesn't help, as it's very simple. Heck, when I first started on this site, I saw this story but skipped it due to its vagueness. It was only after your comment on my story that I decided to check yours out. And if I'd had any clue what the story was like, I would've read it in a heartbeat!

I know this sounds painful, but sometimes you have to spoil your story a bit to capture people's interest. I've been there. Back when I wrote a ton on Fanfiction.net, I would write descriptions that were too vague because I didn't want to spoil anything, and they always flopped. I kicked myself for being a bad writer when it was simply branding. So if you do take some of my advice on this, throw a couple of things in there. You don't have to say "Darkest Knight is an abused and traumatized colt with irreparable mental damage that gets adopted by Lyra and Bon Bon after a long and tragic misunderstanding". But you can certainly push your story and its points better than the current descriptions, which just ask a lot of questions.

Of course, I'm not promising any of this will have an impact on your ratings. I just find this story criminally underrated, and those are the things I think of first when I wonder why. 1.8k views for this story is shocking, considering the effort put into it. Heck, I like this story so much that I'd be willing to draw you a cover art. Or at least try!

My immediate advice would be to get the short and long descriptions to be more inviting and precise, give people hope for things later in the story. Maybe get a cover art your happy with. And then after that, add it to the appropriate groups to garner more traffic. And I'd be willing to help you if you'd like. That's everything that I would personally do; call me stupid if you disagree lol.

And well, I'm tired, and that's all my opinions on this story for now. It's time to return to reading stories and procrastinating writing my own because I have performance anxiety. Keep writing; it's a great story. I hope to see more!

[Discombobulated Soul]

11617950
What a glowing review! I can't say I ever expected something of this magnitude, let alone from one of your standing. I thank you for the kind and validating words, even if my insecurities prevent me from believing them fully.

I always figured the view count was due to the story's rather niche appeal. The common user of this fine website is more interested in comedic slice-of-life than heart wrenching drama and tragedy, at least as far as I know. I'm actually quite okay with that, seeing as I held (and still hold, for that matter) low expectations for the performance of my writing in general. I never expected to breach one thousand reads, going in, though I've been glad to be proven wrong.

That said, if it really is merely a matter of inadequate 'advertising', I'd be happy to rebrand things! The only issue being that I have no idea where to start such an excursion, and until now I've been quite satisfied with the current state of the story's appearance. Advice and guidance in this would be immensely appreciated, as I have scarcely any clue what I'm doing wrong.

Gosh, I thought the cover worked well enough, but a drawn one would be utterly incredible! That's quite the offer to make! I can't begin to imagine what it'd look like, but the very idea makes me quite giddy.

[Discombobulated Soul]

11617812
I mainly used Sunburst to foreshadow his imminent appearance and because his situation more closely resembled the protagonist's. It's understandable for you to not exactly remember, as it was many chapters ago, but Starlight's abuse came in the form of her father not allowing her to mature properly (or at all), whereas Sunburst suffered physical mistreatment that'd be more relatable for Knight.

Thank you again for the kind words! They've become a reimbursement of sorts for my expended effort, as well as something to look forward to with every released chapter.

[BleuBlooms]

11618414
Im pretty good with summaries if you want to chat?

Feel free to read some of my summaries to get a vibe for my work (particulary, the later ones stories.)

Ps. I was assuming that sunburst was abusing Darkest.

[Anotherrandom]

11617950
Yup, this about summarizes my feeling about this absolute masterpiece of a fic. Honestly its a shame more people haven't read it.

[Numinos]

What an amazing story indeed : ) My thanks to Flygon for mentioning it.