Author's Note
“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”
- Leonard Nimoy
Part 1
“Oh! Princess Luna! What a surprise!” Nurse Redheart greeted as the navy alicorn entered the Ponyville Hospital. Through the glass door she could see the Princess’ two guards settling into their post at each side of the entrance. Walking towards the princess, she took a bow, but was stopped when she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
Luna shook her head as she smiled. “Please, no need for such formalities here… I’m just here to visit a dear friend of mine,” she said as she looked around. “Pray tell, which room is Pinkie Pie in?”
“She’s in room forty two, just over there…” Nurse Redheart pointed to a separate hallway leading to a number of rooms. “You just missed Twilight Sparkle and the others. They kept vigil while she was in the operating room.”
I still don’t know what the operation was though… “Was it serious?” Luna asked Redheart, frowning a little, concerned for her friend’s well being.
“Oh, it was just an appendectomy. Nothing too serious. She’ll make a full recovery. Though, she’ll be pretty sore for a few days,” Redheart replied as she giggled, remembering Pinkie’s ashfallen expression when she received the instructions.
“Very well then,” Luna said before she walked to her destination, giving a brief wave to Nurse Redheart. In just a few steps she was at the desired room labeled number forty two. The alicorn used her magic to turn the handle, allowing her entry. Once she peaked her head inside, a soft smile formed on her face when she saw Pinkie turn to her with a beaming smile.
“Oh hi Luna!” Pinkie greeted as she waved, wincing a little as pain shot across her gut from the sudden movement of her hoof.
“You should take it easy Pinkie,” Luna replied to the earth pony as she made her way to her, noticing a mixture of gifts and get-well cards on the side-table next to the bed.
“I see your friends and family have sent their regards to you…” she trailed off when she noticed one of the cards was from Cheese Sandwich, with a picture of him and his signature fedora and pancho blowing a kiss to the camera. She also noticed the plushie doll of the said stallion right next to the her friend. “And more…”
The earth pony mare giggled as she blushed violently at the comment. “He said he was going to visit me soon,” Pinkie replied coyly, tittering to herself as she glanced away from Luna. I can’t wait for him to be here with me…
“By the way, I got you something too,” Luna said. Her horn glowed with a parcel soon apparating in front of her. The gift floated towards Pinkie, and soon rested in her lap. Luna nodded when she saw Pinkie looking at her, to see if she could open it.
Pinkie carefully opened the parcel and smiled at the present, that was a nightgown. As she lifted the dark blue nightgown, she noticed its resemblance to the night sky, with stars and other heavenly objects plastered on it. What made it even more mysterious was that it felt alive, shimmering and the stars were blinking in and out with the touch of the earth pony’s hooves.
“Wow! It’s so beautiful! Thank you so much!” Pinkie kept staring at the strange material the gown was made of. It was clearly hoof-stitched, but still she has never seen anything like it. Not even in Rarity’s boutique. She couldn’t hold it in, had to ask: “Princess, what is this made of? I have never seen anything like it.”
“Oh, it’s just an enchantment I used on a gown I purchased from a Coco Pummel. She said she was a good friend of Rarity’s,” Luna replied as she dismissed her magic. “And I do think Cheese Sandwich will find it quite alluring,” she said, teasing Pinkie with a grin, and tittering when she saw the red cheeks of the earth pony. Her laughter stopped when she saw her friend look downwards, with a sudden faint somber look emitting from her. “Is something wrong?”
Pinkie shook her head, trying to force a smile. “Oh it’s…” she sighed as her ears drooped and her eyes became moist with her hair becoming eerily straight. “With the way I am at the moment, I can’t hold onto a certain promise I made to a colt.”
“Oh? What kind of promise?” Luna asked, cocking her brow as curiosity overcame her.
“Well, I like to help out with the foals at the hospital. Helping out with wishes,” Pinkie paused for a moment her smile beginning to waver. “You know… when they don’t have that much time to--” she was cut off by Luna raising her hoof. When the alicorn lowered it, the pink mare opened her mouth again.
“Anyway, there’s this really nice colt that I wanted to grant a wish to… and today is his birthday, but now I can’t,” she looked down to her belly, where the hospital robe was covering her stitches. “That’s why, I was wondering if you could fill in for me, please?”
Me… fulfill a wish to a foal? “Well, I…” Luna gasped inwardly when Pinkie presented the saddest puppy eyes she had ever laid eyes on.
How does she do that? Luna couldn’t pry her gaze away from the irises of the earth pony, that were still moist even without blinking. The alicorn sighed in defeat. “Very well…” she submitted to the request of her friend, who grinned in a blink of an eye.
“Yay!” Pinkie wanted to grab hold of Luna to hug her, but winched when she felt pain on her side. She tenderly rubbed the wound, tearing up a little as the pain slowly dulled, only to stop when the alicorn reached to perform a hug of her own. Once the elder pony released the younger, the latter cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes clean. “Willow’s room is just opposite of mine, it’s a private room.”
“Verily,” Luna replied as she made her way out the room, taking one last look at Pinkie. “I shall attend to the wish of Willow, and I will see you again very soon… my friend,” the alicorn bid the earth pony farewell, closing the door behind her. What she didn’t see was the somber smile on Pinkie’s face.
I just hope Luna can handle Willow’s wish…
This must be it…
Luna stood in front of the closed door that lead to a separate and private ward. Just as she was about to touch the door, Nurse Redheart came around the corner and paused as she saw the princess. “Oh, Princess Luna… have you finished your visit with Pinkie already?”
“Indeed,” Luna replied, removing her hoof from the door. “I was just about to visit another patient on her behalf.”
“Willow…” Nurse Redheart said, barely audible as she lowered her gaze from Luna. “Are you going to see to his wish?” she asked the princess when she raised her head, knowing full well Pinkie was the one to originally fulfill the colt’s wish. Receiving a nod from the alicorn, she sighed as she smiled. “That’s very kind of you… he hasn’t had many visitors aside from Pinkie and her friends.”
“What about his family?” Luna asked, intrigued that a colt would receive so few visitors.
Nurse Redheart shook her head as she thinned her lips. “He’s an orphan; admitted to the hospital a few months ago.” Nurse Redheart hung her head. “Nothing we could do for him, even though I wish we could,” she said, taking a few steps past the princess. “I have to go see to my other patients. I’ll leave Willow in your hooves.”
Looking back up, Redheart met Luna’s eyes. “And stars bless you for it.” Saluting Luna with a nod, she turned and left Luna alone outside the door.
‘And stars bless you for it,’ Luna echoed the ancient blessing in her mind. How long had it been since she heard that? Suddenly finding the need to steel herself, Luna took a breath before reaching for the door.
Here we go… Luna finally opened the door, expecting to see a young pony attached to life support machines and IV drips attached to his arm. What she saw however was a brown unicorn colt with a greyish mane reading a book in his bed. Though he had bags under his eyes and looked so thin that one could mistake him for a soul who hadn’t eaten in a year; he didn’t look particularly sick. Still, Luna’s stomach lurched. The absence of those machines spoke volumes more than their presence. They spoke of things like “quality of life” and “making them as comfortable as possible.”
Collecting herself, Luna inspected his body thoroughly. She notice a few faded scars on his arms that were most likely where the IV needles had been placed, and she noticed the white tips on his ears and a few freckles on his face. Even though Luna had just seen him for the first time, she couldn’t help but admit that he was adorable. Only when the princess closed the door behind her did the colt’s ears flicker and turned his attention to the visitor.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you…” Willow greeted the princess, closing his book and placing it on a side table. “You’re Princess Luna, right?”
“I am,” Luna responded as she took a seat next to him. “You must be Willow?” she asked him rhetorically, emitting a sincere smile at the colt. “What were you reading there, if I may ask?” she took a peek at the book’s cover, seeing the image of Daring Do on it.
Willow presented the book to Luna, being as careful as he could to not let his bookmaker fall out of it. “Daring Do and the Star of the Phoenix,” the colt replied to her. “It’s about Daring Do looking for an artifact that can bring a pony back from--” The colt abruptly stopped his sentence as a series of coughs rattled him.
Grabbing a glass of water for him with her magic, she placed it near his lips. As he drank greedily from it, she looked to the book’s cover. She had seen it mentioned several times in the papers; a highly anticipated release not due out till late next month.
Sighing with relief, the colt cast his eyes to the far side of the bed. “I’m sorry…”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Luna replied as she used her magic to remove the glass from his grasp. “Is that better?” she asked him, a little concerned when she saw him wheeze again with a hoof to his mouth.
“I’m okay,” he finally answered her after a few seconds of silent wheezing. “Is Pinkie okay?” he asked Luna curiously as he looked up to her.
“She is fine, just recovering now…”
Willow smiled weakly at the reply. “That’s good to hear. I guess she won’t be able to grant my wish for today then…” Trailing off, he looked at the table at the end of the room where a small chocolate cake with a burned-out candle on top of it was sitting. “Her friends did leave me a nice cake though.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Luna said as she reached out a hoof to place it under his small chin, raising his head to face her eyes. “I’m here to grant your birthday wish today.”
“Really!?” Willow beamed as best he could, blinking numerously in disbelief. His smile soon diminished a little though after a few moments. “Well… my wish that I really want is, well it’s a really silly wish. I don’t think anypony would do it for me…”
Sitting at his bedside, Luna caressed his cheek as she looked at him with a demure smile. “Have you ever heard the saying ‘nothing is impossible’?” she asked him and cleared her throat, not waiting for a response from him. “A wish is never impossible to grant to anypony who deserves it, especially one such as you, my little pony.”
After what seemed to be an eternity of gazing up in awe at her words, Willow fidgeted his hooves as he shifted his eyes from one side to the other. “Well, I really wish I had…” he mumbled to Luna, who’s ears did not pick up on his words.
Luna leaned her head closer to the colt’s, furrowing her brow as she spoke. “Pardon?”
“I wish I had a mother...”
Nurse Redheart hummed as she walked out of the foals’ quarters, having checked up on them and meeting their families who came to visit. Her eyes caught the glimpse of Luna walking out of Willow’s room, with the said colt on her back. The white earth pony paused for a moment, not sure as to what she was seeing. “Princess Luna?” was as articulate of a question as she could ask.
“Ah, just who I was looking for,” Luna answered.
Luna’s horn lit, and Redheart’s ears rang with absolute silence.
“It is a privacy spell, so that young Willow can not hear us,” Luna said, her voice the only sound in the world. “It is my understanding that he is in, end of life care; is that correct?”
“Yes.” Redheart jumped at the sound of her own voice as it seemed to come from all directions. “There’s nothing we can do now, but make him comfortable.”
Luna’s eyes went soft as she nodded her head. “Then I wish you to release him to me for home hospice. He wishes for a mother and a home, I will see that it happens.”
“I’ll... go get the release form.”
With a nod, the light on Luna’s horn extinguished and the little sounds of the world came flooding back. “We’ll wait for you by the front desk,” she said to Nurse Redheart, making her way past the earth pony to the front entrance of the hospital.
“What was that about?” Willow asked, curiosity etched to his face when the sound of the princess’ voice came back to his ear.
“Just boring adult stuff, paperwork and taxes.”
Willow scrunched his nose, the explanation being enough to not want to know more. “Okay, so what are we going to do now… Mom?” he asked Luna, having paused for a moment before uttering the last word in a playful, experimental way.
Mom… Luna smiled, blinking as the title stirred her heart. In all my years, he is the first to call me that… She gave Willow a soft nuzzle as she craned her neck to her back where he was straddled on. “In a moment, we shall depart this hospital for our home. Tell me Willow, have you ever flown before?”
“No...”
“This should be a treat for you then,” Luna tittered as she lit her horn, with a thin transparent aura surrounding Willow until it completely enveloped him. “That's just for the wind that might blow in your face,” she informed the colt as he looked down his body as though he were about to sprout another pair of limbs.
Luna snickered and moved towards the information desk of the hospital, where Nurse Redheart was already waiting for the pair of ponies. Once the alicorn princess stood in front of the earth pony mare, the latter presented a clipboard with the release papers for Willow.
“Just sign here, please.” Nurse Redheart offered Luna a pen and pointed to a section where a signature was needed by a legal guardian. Once the princess finished scribbling on the paper, the clipboard was returned to the nurse. “Everything seems to be in order… well then, I hope you have a good day today, Princess…” she paused as she looked over the alicorn’s shoulder. “And you too Willow,” she spoke to the colt, her voice nearly breaking when she saw the happiness the colt was radiating.
Willow nodded as he beamed at the elder mare. “Thank you for everything, Nurse Redheart… I’ll miss you,” he replied to the kind nurse. Nestled between his adoptive mother’s wings he waved good bye to her as they left.
“I’ll miss you too.” Nurse Redheart bid Willow farewell, a stray tear escaping from her eye as she smiled fondly at the departing colt.
The two guards standing vigil outside the entrance of the hospital turned when they sensed their Princess’ pressense. One of the Lunar guards cocked his brow when he saw Willow on Luna’s back. “Princess,” he said with a customary bow.” We did not expect you were bringing company,” he said as he stared at the colt with his good eye - the other socket hidden by the eyepatch he had earned the name Deadeye from.
“T’is alright, Deadeye… he is a very special pony to me,” Luna replied as she looked back to Willow as he hid underneath her enchanted mane. “This is young Willow, I’m bringing him home from the hospital; he shall be my son, and live in the castle as such. As he wished for…” Luna eyes glistened as she uttered the words, something her guards had rarely seen form her.
Deadeye’s expression turned somber for a heartbeat; understanding exactly what kind of wish the Princess was talking about. Blinking with his one eye, he released a sigh. “Well then, Prince Willow… please allow us to escort you and your mother.”
“Th-Thank you,” Willow replied, a little flustered by the guard addressing him as royalty.
“Willow,” Luna called out to her newly adopted son; craning her neck to face him. “Make sure you hold on tightly to my mane, understood?” she instructed the little colt, who slowly nodded in response. “Good.” The alicorn unfurled her wings, giving off a powerful flap and lifting herself up from the ground.
Luna rose slowly into the air, with her guards following suit and flew in the direction of Canterlot. “What do you think of the view?” she asked Willow, her eyes focused on the shining city atop the mountain.
Behind her, Willow let out a weak squee of joy as they soared through the skies. “No wonder Miss Rainbow Dash loves flying so much!”
Gold and marble passed beneath Luna as the rooftops of Canterlot zipped by. She normally didn’t fly this low, but Willow was giggling at every tower that rushed by, so she had no problem in humoring him with a little barnstorming.
Pulling up in a gentle arc, Luna came to a hover just above the castle. The day was yet young, and it seemed a shame to go home so quickly.
“Deadeye,” Luna called, looking over to her guard. “I’m not yet ready to retire. Could you suggest a way for us to pass some time?”
“Hmm...” The stallion scratched his chin as he looked every direction. “May I recommend the royal hot spring,” he suggested.
Both Luna and Willow laughed at the guard's silliness. “A wonderful recommendation,” Luna answered. Sliding through the air, she began to glide towards the ancient cave.
Long before Canterlot was a capital, it had been famous for its hot springs. It had been a destination for the wealthy and the sick, a place of relaxation, meditation, and healing. Luna knew well the balm of the hot spring wouldn’t cure Willow’s disease, but it could bring calm to his mind.
Landing outside the cave, Luna dismissed the spell shielding Willow. “My sister and I have visited this very hot spring since before Canterlot existed,” she said to the foal on her back. Stepping into the cave’s shadow, she passed into its darkness till, a dozen steps later in the serene silence of shadows, she again emerged into light.
“Wow...” Willow breathed in the hot, moist air as they entered the cave. “Where’s the light coming from?” he asked. She could feel him looking around as they descended into the mountain.
“A spell my sister cast a very long time ago. There is forever dawn’s light in the cave.”
Willow wiggled on her back, looking every direction as the narrow cave gave way to the underground cavern. The steaming pool wasn't visible from this chamber, but the distant trickling of water gave the space a surreal nature.
“Oh, Deadeye, Moon Strike,” Luna called back to the two guards who were still present. “You two are dismissed for the afternoon and night. Just see to it that Willow will have a room ready for him. The one across from my own should do.” she informed both her personal guards, who smirked at their Princess’ words.
“Thank you very much, Princess…” Deadeye replied, taking his departure with Moon Strike by his side.
Once they were gone, Luna smiled as she cantered towards the warm pool ahead. It’d been a few weeks since her last visit, and the warm water was very inviting.
Rounding the last bend, she paused for a moment when familiar voices echoed through the cavern. The princess tilted her head as she walked forward, finding another alicorn with company present.
A grin stretched across Luna’s muzzle as she stepped into the massive central cavern. Before her a steaming pool occupied most of the space, and within that pool Twilight Sparkle and Spike were frolecking like foals.
Both Twilight and Spike were splashing water against each other, in what appeared to be a water war of sorts. The lavender mare’s ears perked when she heard hoofsteps, causing her to stop her assault on the baby dragon and look to where Luna and Willow were.
“Oh!” Twilight waved at the navy alicorn. “Hi, Luna!” she called out to the other princess, only to frown when a wave of water crashed into her face. She sharply turned to Spike, who smiled sheepishly.
“I did not know you knew about these hot springs, Twilight…” Luna said as she walked closer to the pool, stopping at the edge just before her hooves met the water.
Before Twilight could speak, Spike’s jumped in to answer. “Princess Celestia told me about these hot springs years ago. And I thought I’d do something special for Mo-Twilight,” the little dragon corrected himself quickly, a faint blush left on his cheek from his words. He was soon brought into a hug by the lavender alicorn, who nuzzled him afterwards too.
As she felt Willow climb a little higher on her neck to better see, Luna strode forward into the spring and submerged herself in the warm water. “Well I hope you two don’t mind us being here for today…”
“‘Us?’” Twilight tilted her head until she saw the colt who was barely visible thanks to Luna’s mane. “Oh hi Willow, nice to see you--” the lavender alicorn paused abruptly as her eyes widened. “Willow!?” she blurted out as she stared at the colt. “What are you doing here?!”
“He’s been released from hospital and I thought I’d take him to a special place, as I want to spend some quality time with my son.” Luna answered, the last word being pronounced with a playful smile as she rolled her eyes to try and see the colt that was practically sitting between her ears now.
Willow began to say something, but before he could form the words, Luna used her magic to lift Willow from her neck. An “Eep,” escaped the colt, but any other protest was cut short when she placed him in the steaming pool. It was a carefully chosen spot, deep enough for him to properly soak, but shallow enough for the colt to touch bottom with his hooves.
“Ooo... this feels nice...” Willow cooed, feeling goosebumps form under his coat as he relaxed within the water’s warmth.He looked up to his mother and he watched as she settled into the shallows, where she could lay down but keep her head above the water.
Half walking, half swimming, Willow moved to a shallower spot where he could imitate her pose.
Spike looked at Willow and then to Luna, confusion wrinkling his brow. “You adopted a foal, Princess?” the young drake asked the navy alicorn, who nodded in return with a bright smile on her muzzle. “That’s so awesome!” he said swimming closer to the colt.
Willow seemed unnerved by Spike’s serpentine agility in the water, but whatever hesitance Willow had melted as soon as Spike stood to greet him with an eager hoofshake.
Not long after names were exchanged, the conversation turned to comic books, then to swimming. While Spike and Willow played, Twilight sat next to Luna. Both guardians settled into the steaming water as they overlooked their little ones splashing around in the water. “He looks so happy…” Twilight trailed off as she stared at Willow and Spike playing in the spring, remembering how void of life the colt recently seemed when she and her friends came by to visit him in the hospital.
Amidst a game of splash-tag, Spike dove beneath the water and swam to the deeper part of the pool. Few ponies would ever guess Spike was a powerful swimmer, but in the warm water, he was as agile as a dolphin. More correctly, a crocodile, but Twilight preferred the analogy of a dolphin. She’d expected Willow to stand in the shallows and merely watch Spike swim away, but the colt paddled after him laughing the whole way.
“Willow is a strong swimmer,” Luna said aloud, a hint of surprise in her voice. “I wonder if he could have gotten his mark in it.”
“Difficult to say, but perhaps...” Twilight answered. A frown creased her muzzle as the implications of the statement sank in. “Did they tell you, how long?”
Still smiling, Luna watched Spike teaching Willow how to swim beneath the water. “I did not ask, but I assume we count the hours: not the days.”
Turning to face Twilight, her expression faded to somber. “I will need a friend after those hours, but till then.” A devilish grin flashed across the navy alicorn’s muzzle as her magic flashed, sending a wave towards the other alicorn. “We are all alive.”
Still trying to shake water from her ear, Luna stepped back into the summer sun. What was left of it anyway. From high atop the mountain, she could see her sister’s sun caressing the horizon; casting long shadows across the world. Soon her moon would be aching to rise.
Settling down on a soft patch of grass near the cave's entrance, she looked to the little colt beside her. “Willow.”
“Yes, Mom?” he answered sleepily.
“Would you like to help me raise the moon?”
Drowsiness was replaced with elation in the small colt, "Sure!" he chirped, his white tipped ears eagerly focusing on his mother.
Lighting her horn, Luna touched Willow with her magic. “Can you feel it?” she asked, allowing Willow to share her perception.
Willow squirmed. “She wants to see.”
“Very good,” Luna said with a nod. Summoning her magic, she nudged Moon to the horizon’s edge, letting her sister know it was time for day to become night. “Now tell her it’s time to come out.”
“Moon, it’s time for night now, you can come out!” Willow said in the loudest voice he could muster.
Smiling wide, Luna shared the sensation with Willow as her magic loosed the moon onto its nightly path.
Willow giggled, then coughed, as the moon lurched into view. “She’s pretty.”
“Indeed.” Letting her magic fade from Willow, she moved further away from the cave’s mouth. “The air will chill soon. I think we should be getting home.”
Willow nodded, then settled into his place between Luna’s wings.. “Home sounds nice.”
Willow sniffed at the air when Luna opened the door to the royal suite.
“That smells yummy,” he said, leaning so far forward that she feared he’d fall off her back.
“We’re home!” Luna announced before looking back at Willow with an eager grin. “It seems Celestia has decided to cook her famous soup.”
“Good timing,” Celestia answered back. “It’s just coming off the stove.”
Walking into the kitchen, Luna found a rather domestic-looking Celestia tending to a large pot over the suite’s stove. She noticed the dining room table was already set for three: salad and rolls waiting, and a booster seat placed between Luna and Celestia’s usual seats.
“I get to eat with you and Princess Celestia both?” He asked breathless.
Smiling, Luna lifted Willow with her magic. “Of course you’ll eat with your mother and aunt,” she said, sitting him gently in the booster seat.
Celestia hummed sweetly as she delivered three bowls of hot soup to the table. “It’s important that family eat together,” she said, taking a moment to scuff his mane before sitting down. “Now dig in.”
Smiling ear to ear, WIllow picked up his spoon. Luna watched Willow from the corner of her eye as she dished herself out some salad.
“Mmm!” Willow hummed. Lowering his spoon her greedily took up another spoonful.
“Mother used to make this for us,” Celestia said, smiling at the hum of approval.
“When we were sick,” were the words she left out. The broth soup was a recipe older than Equestria. A small cup packed more calories than a plate of food, and there was something about the spices that opened the sinuses and settled the stomach. Their mother had taught them both how to make it, but there was some fay touch to it that only Celestia had mastered.
Willow found appetite for most of his soup and even a bit of the buttered roll as the day's stories were shared between the three. Soon though, the busy day and warm belly began to weigh heavy on his eyes. Luna and Celestia shared a smile when he almost nodded off in his soup bowl.
“I’m sleepy...” He confessed reluctantly.
Tucking Willow into bed, Luna looked around the room. She was going to have to give a special thanks to whoever had converted the guest room into a picture-perfect colt’s room.
“Comfortable?” Luna asked as Willow snuggled into the blankets.
“MmmHmm...” He answered as a long yawn escaped him.
Smiling down at him, she moved a lock of mane from his face. “Sleep well,” she said before turning to leave.
“Mom?”
Luna stopped by the room’s door and looked back at the sleepy colt. “Yes?”
“Would you read me a bedtime story?”
A crooked grin stretched across Luna’s muzzle, “I’d be happy to. I’m sure there’s something interesting in Celestia's study; I’ll be right back.”
Stepping into the hall, Luna walked the short distance to the study. It struck her that the suite seemed too quiet. Where were the voices, the gostling of hooves, the laughter? A home shouldn’t be so quiet.
Luna cleared the dower musings from her head as her hoofsteps were muffled by the study’s Arabian rug. Studying the library shelves for a moment, she stepped closer to browse a small selection of foal’s books. After a moment, she picked out one that seemed appropriate for a young colt—an adventurous tale that would lead to present dreams of exploring magical meadows.
Book in tow, Luna returned to Willow’s room. She entered with quiet steps, not sure if he’d fallen asleep already. Rather she found him far from asleep, propped up against his pillows he stared out the bedside window with unnerving focus.
He hadn't noticed her enter the room, unlike when they first met, and she was grateful for the time it gave her to simply stand in her son's doorway. Time memorize each and feature of his face. As she stood watching though, she noticed the look on his face. He had a look of contemplation that spoke of an understanding of things a foal should never have to understand
Striding through the room, Luna rested her weight against the bed before speaking. “What has you pondering so deeply, Willow?”
“They say the dead hear what people think about them,” Willow’s eyes never moved as he spoke, his voice almost seeming disembodied as he focused on some point beyond even the stars, “But what if nopony ever thinks about you?”
Opening her mouth, Luna tried to speak, but no sound came. Closing it, she gathered her words before trying again. “That... is not something you need to fear. You have touched more lives than many twice your age.”
Turning from the window, Willow’s eyes met hers. They were not the eyes of the foal she had spent the day with. She’d met these eyes before, but on stallions scarred by war. “Will you remember me?” he asked.
Luna nodded. “I will.”
A smile turned up the corners of Willow’s muzzle. The answer seemed to give him a profound piece; his eyes softening back to the sleepy eyes of her little foal. Wiggling back under the covers, he looked up at her expectantly.
Now remembering the book, Luna opened its pages as she made herself comfortable by the bed. She cleared her throat and read the words with a lullaby tone, “The year that Buttercup was born, the most beautiful mare in the world was a Prench scullery maid named Bissonnette...”
