Princess Luna’s Anthology of Final Wishes

by Drunk Luna

Midnight Charm

Luna frowned as a sleeping newborn Pegasus filly, whose umbilical cord was still attached, suddenly appeared in the Sacred Hall. Most very young foals arrived awake, but this one lay peacefully curled into a fluffy, dark purple and white ball. Confused, Luna opened her window to the waking world, where the foal lay motionless in her crib. Luna could tell from the cleanliness of the nursery and of the foal herself that this little one was clearly very much wanted and loved, unlike most of the foals that Luna received, and somehow, this only made the situation all the more tragic; SIDS was a cruel disease. As she carefully cradled the tiny foal in her hooves and gently stroked the filly's cheek, Luna caught sight of a name sewn into her swaddling blanket: Midnight Charm. The foal began to stir and opened her mint green eyes, stretching and yawning. Luna sighed and nuzzled the foal's forehead, forcing a smile.

"Well, hello there, tiny one," she cooed. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here." Midnight Charm cocked her head inquisitively, her hazel eyes searching Luna's face.

Do I really have to take this one? Luna silently pleaded with whatever deity was listening. Let me spare this little one, please. There is nothing wrong with her. She's healthy and happy, she's perfect, she isn't suffering, she is only just beginning her life. Please, don't make me take this precious, innocent soul from this world. Send me to the nursing home; there are plenty of incoming elderly ponies who need to be escorted. The only response Luna received was silence.

A flood of anger rushed through Luna's veins, and she screamed. Frightened, Midnight Charm began to cry, and Luna instinctively cuddled the filly against her chest, rocking her gently. The foal's cries quieted as quickly as they had begun, and she giggled as she looked up into Luna's eyes. A wavy lock of dark purple and white mane fell into the filly's face, and Luna lovingly brushed the unruly strands out of Midnight Charm's eyes. She knew there was nothing she could do to save this little one; Luna was now Midnight Charm's final mother, and she could only provide love, comfort, and warmth for the foal for the little remaining time that she had. Sighing again, she changed their surroundings to the "final nursery," in which she prepared every foal for his or her passage into Heaven. There, she gave Midnight Charm a warm, soapy bath, which the foal absolutely loved. Then, she dried the filly off and laid her on the nearby changing table, where she put a new diaper on the foal. After changing Midnight Charm's diaper, Luna leaned over to give belly blasts to the filly, which made Midnight Charm squeal with giggles.

"Let's find you an angel gown," Luna said in a singsong voice, carrying Midnight Charm to the huge wardrobe that was used far too often. She chose a beautiful white smocked dress, magically put it on the filly, then lifted her off the changing table and held her in front of the mirror.

"You are going to be the most beautiful little angel in Heaven," Luna told Midnight Charm, tickling the filly's neck. Midnight Charm responded with a giggle, flapping her tiny wings excitedly. Luna closed her eyes and wished that she could take the foal's place. She didn't even have to ask for the foal's final wishes; Midnight Charm told Luna exactly what she wanted with her eyes. Nodding, Luna cast a spell that made Midnight Charm recognize Luna as her mother. The filly instantly cooed happily and began to giggle, then her face scrunched up, and she cried. Luna smiled, recognizing the sound to be a sign of hunger. She magically conjured a bottle, and right away, Midnight Charm began to suckle ravenously.

Luna smiled at the sweet little sounds the filly made as she ate, then she allowed her mind to wander for a moment as Midnight Charm began to relax in her hooves. Taking care of newborns, preparing to take them to the other side, had always been difficult for Luna, but never more difficult than when her own fillies were newborns. Luna remembered coming home after leaving the dream realm and immediately hurrying to Neoma's and Cassie's cribs to make sure they were still breathing. She would wake them for their midnight feedings, and every time they fussed because their slumbers had been disturbed, Luna would chuckle lightly and kiss them, inhaling their scents, reveling in their sweet little coos and suckling sounds, and cuddling them close as they nursed, telling them how much she loved them over and over again and thanking fate for allowing her babies to stay with her.

Luna's thoughts were disrupted when Midnight Charm stopped eating. She removed the bottle from the foal's mouth and lifted Midnight Charm to burp her, at which time the foal promptly spit up on Luna's chest.

"So messy," the princess tutted softly, giggling as she cleaned the filly's face and her own coat with a cloth. Midnight Charm's diaper became heavy, and Luna changed her quickly, wiping every trace of meconium from her tiny body and dressing her in a fresh diaper.

Suddenly, the dreamscape lapsed, rippling like the surface of a calm pond disturbed out of nowhere by a tossed stone. Luna's heart sank, and for the billionth time she wondered if there was anything she could do to save this tiny foal's life. Midnight Charm began to cry, sensing Luna's sudden uneasiness.

"Ohhhh, there, there," Luna cooed in a soothing voice, cradling the filly in her forelegs once more. "It's all right. Oh, but please forgive me for what I must do, little one. Please know that I would happily give up all of Equestria without a second thought if it meant I could spare your life. Please forgive me, precious one." Tears filled the princess' eyes as she rocked Midnight Charm and began to hum a lullaby. The gates of Heaven appeared, and Luna took a step forward, then another, silently cursing herself, cursing SIDS, cursing the duty that she had to perform. A voice--Nightmare Moon's?--began to tell Luna that what she was carrying out was no act of mercy; Midnight Charm was a beautiful, healthy newborn, so full of promise. Luna wanted to take the foal and run, but she knew she was powerless. If she did not deliver this little one to Heaven now, Midnight Charm's death would be far more difficult, scary, and confusing for the tiny filly. For the trillionth time, Luna reminded herself that she was not taking Midnight Charm's life; this foal was certainly going to die, but her transition to the afterlife would be exponentially easier and more peaceful now than it would be if she were not in Luna's care.

"This is an act of mercy, and you have no power here!" Luna hissed at the invisible demon. Heaven's light became brighter as Luna continued to carry the foal towards the gates. An angel stepped outside and extended her hooves to take the tiny filly. Luna released a sob as she stopped in front of the angel.

"D-do I have to?" she stammered, clutching Midnight Charm against her chest. "P-please, don't take her. She's... she's so... so very small... so... very... little.... Is there anything that can be done to spare her? Look at her; she's beautiful, she is perfectly healthy. Why?" Luna's final word was a barely audible squeak. The angel gave Luna a sad smile.

"I don't know why these newborns are chosen," the angel said, "but I can tell you that she is going to be loved immeasurably here. You don't have to worry about her; she is just like all the other ponies that you have brought to these gates. Her passing was inevitable. Please don't blame yourself for this. She will never cry again, she will never need food nor warmth, she will only know love and happiness." Luna nodded silently and looked down at Midnight Charm, who was now sleeping peacefully in her forelegs. With a sob, Luna gently passed the filly to the angel, who covered Midnight Charm with her wing and carried her through the gates.