A child's love
It was a quiet night at Canterlot Castle, and all is peaceful within its beautiful stone walls. All within begin retiring to their beds or preparing for their nightly rounds and the night guards take up their posts, as it should be.
Deep within the royal wing, Princess Luna was retiring to her chambers as she returns from a successful meeting with her sister and the captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor. The Guard shall now be incorporating training techniques utilized by their allies in Saddle Arabia and the crime ring that had been menacing Fillydelphia has finally been shut down. All in all, it was a good night for her. Her spirits where high due to their accomplishments, raised further as her beloved husband will be returning tomorrow from his trip to Yakyakistan.
Indeed, it has been a week since Luna had last seen Phoenix Fire, and the prospect of having him home puts a spring in her step. After all, it is her husband; her lover, and the father of their first child.
Blue Moon. The best son Luna could have ever asked for. Seven years old and smart as a whip.
Down the hall from her quarters, as Luna was passing her son’s room, she began to hear quiet humming coming from within. It was so quiet that the normal person wouldn’t be able to hear it. Luna’s senses were anything but normal and her sharp hearing easily picked up the melody emanating from her child’s bedroom. She recognized the tune as an old song she would sing to Blue Moon from time to time. It was a song sung to her by her own mother back when she was still a little girl, so many years ago.
Blue Moon should be asleep. The humming points to the contrary.
The princess of the night quietly opened the door to her son’s sanctum and peeked inside. The room was dark, but her eyes could easily spot the large empty bed by the left wall, sheets strewn about, and devoid of it’s intended occupant. The bookshelf stood along the opposite wall containing all that Blue Moon enjoys reading, from stories to text books. The dresser next to the door contained all of his clothes and picture frames stood atop it's wooden frame. The room was also equipped with an open-air balcony, the doors leading onto it were wide open, and the humming was coming from beyond. As she stepped through the doors, she quickly found her beloved child sitting cross-legged on the floor, gazing at her night sky.
“Blue Moon?” Luna called out gently as not to startle her son.
The boy in question stopped his humming and looked back to see his mother standing by the balcony door. He graced her with a warm and loving smile.
“Hello, Momma.” He greeted her in his quiet voice.
“My dear, why are you still awake at this hour? You need your rest.” Luna crosses her arms around her waist as she questioned her offspring.
Blue Moon looked away before replying, “I’m sorry, momma. I couldn’t sleep so I wanted to see your pretty stars.”
Being the princess of the night, Luna was gifted with the abilities to control the moon, raising the satellite after every sunset in order to begin the night, allowing the world the chance to heal and recuperate from the struggles of the day.
Being the lunar princess also meant being the guardian of the night, looking after her beloved subjects as they laid their heads, and making sure they are not cursed with dark dreams and nightmares as they slept. Every night she raised the moon, Luna always put in the effort to make sure her subjects have a beautiful night sky to comfort them during their time of vulnerability.
“I see.” Luna responded. The fact that her own son appreciated her work like this brought a loving smile to Luna’s face. Taking a closer look at her son, she noted that he was hugging an object to his chest, though what it is, she could not tell.
“Tell me, dear, what it is that you are holding in your arms?” She asked.
Looking back again to his mother, Blue Moon visibly hesitated before turning around and cautiously handed her the object in his hands. Luna came closer and picked up what appeared to be a book.
Luna’s brow furrowed as she read the title on the cover.
Predictions and Prophecies
She was getting an eerie feeling in her as her curiosity drove her to open the book. She flipped through it quickly, a sense of dread building with each page. She had soon reached a page that had been bookmarked by her son, and when she read the chapter title, that sudden sense of dread culminated into fear, as her son found something she had been trying to keep from him until he was older. She looked back at Blue Moon. He was looking away from her with a sad expression. Luna looked back at the book as she silently cursed its existence, cursed the legend…...
Cursed herself for being the cause of it.
She reread the title.
Matron in the Moon
The legend of how she allowed jealousy to get the better of her, how she let the darkness taint her heart, how she became NIGHTMARE MOON.
It was the worst time of her entire life, as she had lost everything because of that demon spawn of Tartarus.
She looked back to her son and asked, “How did you find out? Who told you?”.
“Aunt Celestia.” Came the quiet reply
CELESTIA!?
“Why?” She was shocked her sister revealed her darkest secret to her beloved son.
Blue Moon looked at his mother, hesitating before he spoke. “I was reading a history book. It always says Aunt Celestia did a lot of good things, but it didn’t say anything about you. I asked her why you weren’t in the history book and she said you weren’t there. Then I asked her why, and she gave me this book and told me the story.” His head hung low as he finished.
Luna stepped back in utter shock. She couldn’t believe it. Celestia told him the story. He knows what happened to her. He must think that his mother is a cold and heartless monster now. Faust above, this cannot be happening. It was terrible enough when it was only her subjects a millennium ago. If her own child rejects her……
Swallowing once, Luna asks the question she dreads to ask now.
“Are…. Are you afraid of me?” She braced herself for the answer. But what she received, she did not expect at all.
Blue Moons eyes shot back to his mother as a look of shock and horror crossed his unblemished features.
“What!? No! No momma I don’t!” He jumped up quickly and ran to his mother. Luna was surprised as she dropped to one knee and received her child into her protective arms, while Blue Moon threw his arms around his mother and held on tightly, not daring to let go of her.
“I’m not afraid of you! I don’t hate you, momma!” His eyes began to well, “I’ll never hate you! Aunt Celestia told me how everyone was mean to you! She told me that a long time ago, they said hurtful things and ignored you and your beautiful night! She said it turned you into......something you’re not.” His voice cracked, “She also said she had to send you somewhere far away so the monster doesn’t hurt anyone. She told me you were alone for a long time.” The tears began to flow, “I don’t want you to change, momma! I don’t want you to go! I don’t want you to be alone!” He was begging now, “I like your night! I like your beautiful moon and pretty stars! I won’t let anyone say mean things about you again. I promise, momma…... I promise.”
He finally broke down and began to cry in his mother’s arms, terrified about what happened to his mother. His mother, who loved him, who took care of him, who gave him nice dreams and made him feel safe at night.
Luna was floored. The princess of the night was utterly speechless. Her son, her beautiful, loving and adoring son was not afraid of her, but was afraid of losing her. He clearly hated what happened to her more than a thousand years before his birth, hated the fact that she did not get the appreciation he believed she deserved. He was afraid that Nightmare Moon would return and that she would be banished again, because then he would never see his beloved mother ever again.
Luna felt tears cloud her vision and roll down her cheeks. She tightened her embrace on her son. The fear of her son’s hatred towards her was unwarranted. It appeared her son’s fears were far worse. She shifted her position and sat down on the ground and seated her son on her lap.
They never released their hold on each other as she did.
They just sat there in each other’s comfort as Blue Moon continued to pour out his fears and sorrow. Eventually, the tears came to a conclusion for both of them, but still they remained as they were.
In what seemed like an everlasting silence, Blue Moon finally spoke, his voice hoarse from his crying but peaceful.
“I had a bad dream. You were crying. You were telling me how everybody hated you, including me. I tried to tell you I didn’t but you couldn’t hear me. Then you started changing into this monster. I tried to save you but I couldn’t move. I was so scared. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.” When he finished, Luna took a moment to collect her thoughts before she finally spoke in a gentle tone.
“I want you to listen to me carefully, Blue Moon. What happened to me happened a very long time ago. I have long since been cleansed from the evil that corrupted my soul. The people of our kingdom have learned the value of the work I do for them. There is no need for you to fret, my dear, because I have everything I could ever ask for. I have the love of our people, I have an amazing sister, and loving husband. But do you know what the greatest thing in my life is?” Blue Moon shook his head. “I have the most beautiful little boy anyone could ever ask for. He is smart, kind, generous…. the most perfect son a mother could ever have. I love you, Blue Moon, and I will never leave you alone. I promise.”
“I love you too, momma.” Blue Moon replied as he snuggled into his mother.
A few moments later, a small yawn cut through the silence as Blue Moon’s eyes began to droop.
“It is time to put you back in bed.” Luna giggled at her son. Blue Moon didn’t argue; he was exhausted after such an emotional night.
Luna Laid her son back on his bed, tucked him in and gave him a kiss goodnight.
“Now rest, my dear. You had a trying night. You’ll need your energy for when your father comes home tomorrow.” Luna said.
“Papa’s coming back tomorrow?” Asked the little prince in exhausted enthusiasm.
“Indeed he is. Now sleep.” Replied the Lunar princess as she caressed her son’s head.
Luna stayed by Blue Moon’s bed until he was fast asleep. Looking at her son a moment longer, she gently laid an index finger on her child’ forehead before slowly removing it. By doing so, she removed a string of energy from her son’s head with it before it disappeared into oblivion.
“Rest well my dear and have a good night, you shall no longer wake from your dreams with a fright.” She whispers soothingly to the young boy now sleeping peacefully in his bed. By the hand of his mother he was no longer at risk of nightmares.
Standing on the balcony again, the princess of the moon and stars took a moment to contemplate the night sky. ‘The day had already come and past… but it wouldn’t hurt to do it again.’
With a smile, Luna raised her open hand and blew across her palm. Sparks of magic flew from her hand as they drifted towards the moon. After completing her alterations, Luna turned around and headed back inside, closing the balcony door behind her. She had left Equestria with a small yet rare view.
The sight of an Equestrian blue moon is truly a rare event. But to see the beautiful, blue tinted satellite twice in one year was unheard of. It had left many breathless that night. Truly something special. Almost as special as the blue moon that lay resting within the walls of Canterlot Castle, experiencing nothing but the sweetest of dreams, all thanks to his loving mother.