Tears of Gold
The night was silent. It was peaceful. It was a calm presence, a warm light, and a sanctuary for the lost. It was everything that existence required of it... yet it held nothing; It was nothing. A night without the stars? No glorious reflections of the sun? An elegant shadow to play across the moonstruck ground? The night was beautiful and breathtaking, as it had always been; yet it held nothing.
A wistful breeze fluttered through Canterlot castle. It smelled of maple trees, freshly cut grass, and other disregarded treasures. The proud wind slowed for nothing as it flowed through the empty halls. The moon was overflowing with light, left to cradle the tears and indulge in the laughter of those below. Stars glistened, an eternity away from death, yet remaining so far from life. The night was omniscient and poetic, yet it held nothing.
Owls hooted, rivers flowed, and branches danced in a symphony of profound chaos. Ponies slept, or trudged along, each taking for granted their every fragile breath… for who can be thankful for such things? Without knowledge of nothing, they cannot fear it. To them, the night was perfection. Fragile as glass, yet stronger than a thousand years, it remained. To them, it would always be so.
But it held nothing… it was missing something… somepony.
The warm hug of the summer breeze sifted through an ethereal mane, gently stealing away her tears, and dropping them off the crumbling balcony. Luna’s eyes glistened and winked out of focus with the distant stars, and her mane flowed a nebulous amidst the void. An ancient crown rested daintily upon her head, ignorant to its own crushing weight, and only deafened by the iron sandals upon her majesty's hooves. They shined brilliantly in the moonlight, proclaiming their bearers glory… yet she, in truth, held nothing.
Luna gazed down upon the world. Taking in the flowers, and their thorns alike. She had crafted the night, and painted it upon the virgin sky, as she always had. Her love, desire, and profound emotions were engraved into every shadow and faded sun… yet it lacked something. Somewhere behind the heartbroken princess lay a broken throne, an abandoned sword, and far too many nameless graves. Each held its own significance and lorded it over the miserable mare.
Luna leaned farther into the railing, her tears never ceasing, and the wind endlessly taking them away. It had been a week. A very long week. Every soul, whether strong or delicate, was thrown into disarray. Luna watched the birds gliding past, envying their freedom. She could have been that way once, though in her foolish youth, refused such a gracious offer.
A tear managed to roll lazily over her lip, and the princess was tempted to wipe it away. Yet she was lacking the resolve. Let it fall. Who was she to live in the world as it is? Her mind wandered to terrible places. She even caught herself spiraling into regret, a pointless approach to grief. Luna did blame herself, that was established, and would forever be written into history… but that did not mean that she would accept it.
“Get it into your hard head! You cannot give up. Ponies like us, we need you… and if we’re not worth fighting for... then you’ve been lying to yourself from the start.”
The motivational line repeated itself in her head, an eternal reminder of who she lost, and who she was still fighting for. The bat pony’s voice was smooth yet sharp as a double-edged sword. Her words were repeated with conviction, and nothing less than unrelenting love and unhindered loyalty. A perfect daughter. Not a soldier, not simply a friend, but truly Luna’s flesh and blood.
The princess gave her old friend one last longing gaze before she turned towards the hollow castle. There was one room, laying in wait. Past the dusty hallways and innocent memories, it waited. Luna’s tail dragged across the hard floor, leaving trails of starlight and glistening stone in her wake. Wherever she went, the glory of the moon followed. What a burden it was, such a curse.
Luna ignited her enviable horn, and with the utmost reverence, opened the door. Her hooves known for their obnoxious regality were soft and silent. No chirp of a bird nor wisp of wind dared to disturb the princess. Her head hanging low, and her eyes dreaming of a thousand tears, she approached the table. Upon the table rested a single picture. A young bat pony mare, and a naïve, yet guiltless Lunar Goddess, consumed the frame. True blissful smiles were painted upon their faces, lighting up the picture with more warmth than any fire could produce. It was whole. It held so much.
Luna removed her sandals, and gently lifted her prized possession into her hooves. Her eyes wrapped the picture in affection. Crescent Shock, or as Luna enjoyed calling her, Harmony, was the perfect bat pony. She was not perfect in the sense of never making a mistake, but more in the way of love. Her dark mane and coat, her leathery wings, and those mischievous fangs that tended to destroy the royal kitchen were all the song of Harmony. The time was coming yet again, for the memories to flood. No doubt, Luna would remain awake for hours, and time would stop.
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“Dearest one, why have wandered abroad at such a late hour as this?” Luna questioned, staring with royal concern above her lost child.
“Oh, y-your m-majesty! I am s-so very s-sorry! I went out to fly and got lost.” The adorable filly couldn't meet her hero’s eye’s and instead elected to examine the grassy ground. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble… but I really had to fly… very fast… and away from everypony.” Her soft voice trailed off into a mumble as she got more nervous. Crescent Shock ruffled her wings, and pawed lightly at the ground, turning up small patches of dirt.
“I understand that you have caused quite some trouble as of late. I cannot help but wonder, young one, if that is why you are here.” Luna lowered herself into a seated position, her execution more majestic than any swan.
“Well… I may have gotten into a little bit of trouble, I guess. But they had it coming!” While Luna had expected the filly to tell her everything, the last sentence caught her slightly off guard. She opened her mouth and prepared to clarify when the little bundle of energy jumped back into action.
“I was just doing my work like I was told! And then these bullies came by and knocked over my friend's workbook! So I was like, ‘Hey! You can’t do that! Apologize to Datura!’. And they were all like, ‘No! We didn’t do anything.’. And I was thinking in my head that they were just jerks because they were into the Night Guard Academy and all! But then, they had the audacity to come back every day and harass us!” The filly took a moment to inhale deeply, before charging back into her story.
“And they didn’t just knock over books! They stole our lunches, pushed us over, and even…” Luna stared blankly at the filly, hardly processing the high-velocity wave of words assaulting her. She had attempted a polite cough, in hopes of interrupting what would obviously be a long story that she was already aware of… but it failed.
“And then, I was so fed up with their nonsense that I hit one of ‘em! After that there were a couple of fights and other stuff…” She began to mumble again, and seemed to lose her train of thought. That was the Princess’s moment to strike, but she was occupied being impressed with the child's advanced speech. She was only a filly after all. “So, I created a genius plan that would make them leave us alone forever! I used our science book to mix up a bunch of weird chemicals and put them into their water bottles! They were throwing up gallons!” She grinned like a madpony and had completely lost her fear of the princess. “After they got better, they gave me a weird look, so I flew away as fast as I could… so now I’m lost.”
While Crescent awaited Luna’s response, she was trying as best as she could to catch up.
“That is quite the story Crescent.” The filly’s eyes went wide as saucers when Luna used her name. “And I do believe that we must discuss this story with Mrs. Primrose.” The filly lost her innocent smile and gained a guilty grimace. She looked away and asked the first of many important questions.
“Did I do something wrong?” Luna, who had begun to unfold her wings, turned to gaze lovingly at the filly. She had time, didn’t she? Luna couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had last spent time with her ponies. With a scholarly tone creeping in, the Princess of the Night began to teach. She led the bouncing filly into the castle, and into an abandoned room.
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Luna wept softly, all alone. A deathly silent room. A laughter-filled classroom. Why did things change? She glanced at the door. The same one she had trotted through a million times, the same door that had brought Harmony so close to her. Dust billowed, the moon reflected upon the glass, and time carried on. It shouldn’t. How dare they move on, when such a pure pony had passed. Time is cruel… yet it is not.
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The sounds and smell of stealth filled the classroom. Luna sat upon a chair, eyes shut tight, as Crescent Shock glided and slithered around the room. Her shoulders waved back and forth, and like a predator, she stalked her prey. It had been around a month of… whatever this was, and both the Princess and Crescent were obsessed with it. The shadowy bat filly seemed to settle into the perfect corner, her fangs gleaming from beneath her tight lips. The time to pounce had arrived.
“Left corner, next to the stool, pounce position.” Luna recited, pinning the filly’s location, and plan of attack.
“Awww. You never let me win, Luna!” The filly sat down with a thump, and pursed her lips in a childish pout.
“If I let you win, you learn nothing. As you lose, you become stronger, and a better sport at that.” Luna, who bore none of her royal garments, winked at her little friend.
“Mmmm. If you say so.” The filly shot a nervous glance at the clock, and then attempted to hide her discovery.
“Yes my dear, it is time for you to depart.” Luna’s voice was calming and betrayed none of her own disappointment.
“Please! I don’t want to go home! It’s boring! And they never let me do anything besides basic house chores and homework.” The filly ran up to Luna and hugged her fore-leg tightly, looking up with puppy eyes and a depressingly sad smile.
“I’m sorry. You insisted on keeping this ‘secret club’ strictly between us, so I need to make sure you are home before your parents start to worry.” Luna looked down at the ball of leathery fur, and gently poked at the top of Crescent’s head.
“But we never get to play during sunrise! Late games are best!” Luna gave her a sad smile, and that’s when the mischievous little filly got an idea. “If I have to go, then can you just answer one question for me?” She looked up once again, meeting the shining eyes of her Princess.
“Of course. I cannot deny you a question of farewell.” Only one question.
Many hours later, Luna wondered how she had fallen victim to such a simple ploy, or allowed it to happen more likely. The filly was a troublemaker, an intelligent one at that. She would have to be more careful in the future. The Princess began to lower the moon, while gently stroking Crescent’s mane. The sleeping filly cuddled closer, letting out a content sigh. She did not fall asleep at home for a long time.
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Though she was still crying dry tears, a smile fought its way forward. She remembered, and it was wonderful. All those questions she answered for Harmony, she could no longer answer for herself. Luna rose slowly from her pitiful place in the dust, and strode regal and alone to the balcony. She let her wings fly in a torrent of blue stars and navy magic. Her head raised high, she launched into the night. She resented its beauty, and how it could still shine so bright. Yet, it may hold the answers. She held the answers. It was just going to take one more push from Harmony, and she might see the stars for what they could be, instead of what they were.
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“I don’t understand Lula. How can you love me, and everypony else? I thought I was special?” Harmony stared heartbroken at her Princess, her pitiful question almost knocking Luna off her cloud. They had been talking about ruling and somehow, sometime, Luna had said she loved all her ponies, as she truly did. But this left the filly in an awful state of confusion.
“I do love all of my ponies, that is true. But things are not as simple as they might first appear.” Lula shifted off of her back so that she was facing Harmony. The nicknames still made the Princess smile. “I can love you, and them, can I not?” she questioned, hoping to push the filly in the right direction.
“Well, I guess you can… but what makes me special then? If you love everypony, then I am meaningless.” Her face was hurt, but her tone remained the same. She was too strong of a pony, even at this age, to give in to her emotions. Luna sat for a moment, glancing from the clear night sky, to Harmony, and then back once again.
“Look at the stars Harmony, and tell me which you love and which you do not.” Luna drew her crystal eyes from the sky and rested them upon her secret prodigy, quietly awaiting her response.
“I see thousands of stars. Some brighter than others, and some farther away. They are breathtaking, all of them.” Harmony continued to examine the night, relishing every moment. Even in times of uncertainty, her love for Luna and her glorious creations was unwavering.
“Now tell me, because some are brighter than others, do you love them more or less?” Luna rested her head upon her hooves, allowing her mane to flow into the thick cloud.
“Well no… but they are different. Some are more colorful and others are brighter. But no, I don’t think that changes anything.” Luna nodded her head in approval, her scholarly tone increasing as she neared the conclusion.
“So tell me, all ponies are different. They can live simply like farmers, or crave the spotlight as celebrities. So do you love either of them differently because of how they live, or because of who they are? Do you respect them as ponies?” Harmony finally forced her eyes from the night sky and looked curiously at Princess Luna.
“I see where you are going with this… and I don’t want to ruin your analogy or anything, but this still doesn't answer my question. I now understand why you love all of them… but I cannot comprehend how you can love me the same.” Her eyes flashed with the pass of a shooting star, and she shifted closer to Luna, their bodies now touching. Imagine her surprise when Luna broke out into laughter.
“Oh, Harmony, how I love thee. I do love all my ponies, but of course, I cannot love them the same.” Harmony gave a cute head tilt, and never blinked as she followed the graceful dazzle that was Princess Luna.
“I cannot love a farmer the same way I love a noble.” Luna used her waves of magic to gently adjust Harmony’s mane. “If I gave a thousand barrels of seed to a farmer, they would rejoice. If I gave the same gift to a noble, they would simply cringe in disgust.” Harmony fluttered her ears and looked down at their cloud in thought.
“Everypony requires different types of love because nopony is the same.” Luna touched a hoof to her chin, a thoughtful line pursing her lips. “If I am truly honest, little one, I also cannot love in the same amounts either. I am a goddess, yes, but I am also just a pony. In the sky full of stars, you would be the Sun.” Harmony who had gone through a roller coaster of emotions gave a simple sigh before nuzzling into her Lula.
“That's good enough for me. No more long analogies and deep conversations. Tomorrow, can we finally fly out to those abandoned caves?”
“Yes, my dear. Anything you would like… as long as you practiced shadow dashing as I told you to.” Luna looked down at the filly, who was quickly pretending to sleep. She smiled and lightly shook her head in amusement. The two stayed floating in the night sky, gentle winds and their own breaths of life the only sounds.
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Luna stood upon her cloud. The night was glowing and alive as ever. It was missing Harmony, that's what it was. Yet, it held so much. Thousands of ponies below were enjoying the brilliant light of the moon, the cool distant breeze, and the aura of peace that surrounded all of Equestria. Harmony was gone, but she would never be forgotten. Luna had always thought of herself as the teacher, but oh how the tides had changed.
Luna raised her face towards the sky, and breathed. Peace abound. Harmony was a part of the night, a daughter who gave her life to save all that she loved. There it was. The reason to continue was not for herself, it was for others. Those who passed like the seasons, and for those who had yet to arrive.
The moon began its descent, it held so much. Ponies loved the moon, the stars, and everything in between. So Luna would protect it, she would protect them. A holy mission, reinvigorated for a thousand years and more. Sure, the roses had thorns, and stars would flicker out and die, but such is life. To love is to lose, but in loss, you gain. The destination is nothing without the journey.
The night faded into the day. Luna remained above the sky, her power flowing for all the world to see.
“For Harmony,” Luna whispered. A final tear fell.