Rigor Mortis

I was born in Canterlot just between winter and spring. The birthing procedure was long and difficult for my mother, but she was a strong mare. It took several hours before I was born, and the doctor directly took me into another room. He could not tell my mother that she had had a stillbirth, not after such a hard birthing. And I had been dead for a while. My body was already in a state of rigor mortis. The doctor believed that I had suffocated at some point during the birthing. My father was called into the room to see my body. The doctor reasoned that he could tell my mother the horrible news. What he did not think about was that my father was a headstrong person, and instead of breaking down he had noticed what nopony else had noticed.

My chest heaved up and down. Slowly, yes, barely noticeable, yes, but nonetheless moving. It was this, that he saw my tiny breathing, and his action thereafter, that saved my life. His action that granted me the greatest gift there is. The gift of life.

It took months, months that my mother, Candle, and father, Psalm, stayed by my side at the hospital, slowly watching me recover. The doctors that followed the procedure were speechless. I should not be alive, not after being in a state of rigor mortis. They believed me touched by the sun goddess, believed me granted life by the eternal ruler herself. Celestia visited my father once, and I can fleetly remember seeing her looking down at me, a curious and concerned frown over her muzzle.

But in the end I was allowed to leave, I was deemed as healthy as any foal my age. Barely a month later, my father named me during the summer sun ceremony in Canterlot temple, the naming performed by Celestia herself. Rigor Mortis. That was the name I was given at that ceremony, a name with the origin of the state which I was born in.

My family lived in a house slighter larger than the other houses in the neighborhood, only a brief walk from the Canterlot Temple where my father worked as high priest and my mother as assistant. I did not learn to walk before the age of two, could not, or did not, talk before the age of eight. The doctors said that it was natural, that after such a birthing it was only to expect that it might take years for me to evolve properly. I had, after all, cheated death at birth. My body might think that it was dead, seeing that I was of small growth as well.

Every night, when my father lifted me into bed, he stayed by my side, his low praying voice rocking me to sleep as my mother sat in his embrace, softly humming on a song. He prayed to Celestia that I should grow into a strong stallion, prayed that I should bring glory to our family.

I took my first steps during one of the ceremonies in the temple. My mother, who always took care of me as my father lead the ceremony, sat perplexed as I walked over to my father, smiling all the way. As I reached my father, and started to tug on his robe, wanting to be carried by him, he went silent, abruptly stopping talking in the middle of a sentence. He looked down at me and I sat down on my haunches, stretching my hooves out to be carried by him. His muzzle shone up in a smile, tears started to form in his eyes, as he started to praise Celestia, gently lifting me up and showing me for everypony in the church. He thanked Celestia, the eternal goddess and ruler, that his son had walked. As he hugged me I returned the hug, giggling with glee. I had gotten my will through, being picked up by my father, and nothing could destroy that happiness that I felt. The rest of the ceremony I sat on my father’s back, rocked to sleep by his voice, as he continued the ceremony, tears still running down his cheeks.

At the age of three my father started to teach me about the Solstice, Celestia’s holy book. It was with this book I learned to read, and it went quickly. Barely a month after my father had opened the book to learn me read had I devoured it. This reading opened a new door to me, and I quickly devoured every book I could find. From sunrise to sunset I sat in my father’s study, reading through every book he had. After years of reading I said my first words.

“Daddy, who is Luna?” I asked my father who sat in an armchair in front of the fireplace in the study, slowly reading a book. The night had fallen outside, the moon shone through the window, and I had just been placing the book I had read back where I had gotten it when the question I had had in my mind during reading the strange book, named Eclipse. My father had frozen in place, his eyes wide open in shock. He was either shocked by the question or the fact that I spoke at all, I believe the believed me as mute.

I could hear the sound of his glass shattering as it hit the floor, and he slowly turned around to stare at me. “Luna, Mortis?” he asked me unsteadily after a little while.

I nodded. “It stood something about her in this book, that she is the goddess. But you have said that Celestia is the goddess, and the Solstice never mentions another goddess.”

He sighed slowly as he walked over to me. “Forget that you ever read that name, my son. Luna is long since gone, and our great leader doesn’t like when you mention her aloud,” he said as he kneeled down to hug me.

“But she was mentioned in this book,” I said, pointing at the place where I had placed the book. My eyes went wide as I realized that the book was not there.

“What book?” my father asked me, crocking an eyebrow.

I looked around the study, my eyes going wider as I realized I could not find it. “It… It was here only a second ago!” I shouted out.

“Now son, you know that you should not lie,” my father scolded me. “A book is not just disappearing.”

“Yes father,” I said, slumping slightly. “No father.”

He nuzzled me lightly. “I think it is way past your bed time anyway son, tomorrow is a big day,” he said, his eyes widening. “You… Talked?” he asked, realization finally hitting home.

“Some sentences,” I said, smiling lightly at him.

“Oh, son,” he said as he hugged me once more. “I’m so happy to hear you talk. And with such a good timing as well, seeing that your first day of school is tomorrow.” His smile widened.

I could not help but smile with him at this. He had spoken so warmly about this “school”, a place full of learning. And tomorrow would be my first day there.