Statuesque

by Pascoite

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Princess Luna, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Bat Pony
Length: 1077

Long ago, a batpony made a promise to stand by his princess faithfully. It was the only mission he failed to complete. He can never make that up to her, but maybe he can ensure that she has a friend awaiting her return.

Long ago, a batpony made a promise to stand by his princess faithfully. It was the only mission he failed to complete. He can never make that up to her, but maybe he can ensure that she has a friend awaiting her return.

Bronze medal winner in the Writeoff Association's "Cold Comfort" event.

Entry in the Bat ponies and Thestrals 2017 contest

Thanks to Present Perfect for prereading.

Published 2017-10-31 02:20:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-31 02:20:06 UTC

Statuesque

In duty solely I persist,
But dreams we tryst—I tarry, twist,
Until I calm my heart, enlist
Impassive heavy stone.

With midnight fog my cheek is kissed,
To feel your mist, to feel you’re missed,
On fervent hopes and dreams subsist,
My thoughts of heavy stone.

But would my armor, bound in place,
My heart encase, My Heart; in case
I fail the station of my race,
O Moon of heavy stone.

Your beauty flows in fluid grace,
Your lovely face, my love efface,
Forsake my mind without a trace,
Unyielding heavy stone.

My courage fades at close of day,
To shy away, too shy, away
From tempting thoughts in duty stay,
With will of heavy stone.

But heedless would my passions stray,
To you, they pray, on me, they prey
And bid me longing to betray
This mask of heavy stone.

My scattered thoughts I cast aside—
I’ve too much pried, I’ve too much pride.
Your bat-winged army unified,
A wall of heavy stone.

And I in training, you my guide,
Your patient stride, your patience tried,
At last a warrior by your side
With strength of heavy stone.

Thus armed with righteous silv’ry light,
And I, Your Night, and I your knight
Would streak unerring to the fight
On wings of heavy stone.

’Til I must face the Nightmare’s might,
Your heartless rite, your heart less right,
But tearful, stricken down in flight,
I fall like heavy stone.

In battle to remove the blight,
A sister white, a sister wight
Grow blurred within my failing sight,
Upon this heavy stone.

Too weak to aid you in your plight,
Your pow’r a fright, your pow’r affright,
I now embrace eternal night
In vault of heavy stone.

Your gaze unending from the sky,
And watchful eye—and watchful, I
May serve you as in times gone by,
Unmoved like heavy stone.

Although your subjects may decry,
Their words be lie; my words belie
The hidden heart that would untie
This tongue of heavy stone.

So chisel sharp and sculptor fair,
My feelings pare, my failings spare
That I may through the eons swear
An oath in heavy stone:

To keep my heart within its lair,
My soul too bare, my soul to bear;
To you, my liege beyond compare,
I bow on heavy stone.

My comrades mourn, forgo repast,
In my stead fast, but I, steadfast,
Will stand on guard until the last,
My post of heavy stone.

The learnèd scholars, I outlast,
The sages passed, this age is past,
To prove devotion unsurpassed,
Like timeless heavy stone.

Yet time erodes and passions flare,
My heart a-wear, my heart aware—
You soon return, no more despair!
A crack in heavy stone.

From crack to crumble, if I dare,
’Tis nighttime, nigh time, know I care!
Your faithful guard awaits you there,
In halls of heavy stone.

And lo, what I risk dreaming of:
To court, my love, to court my love.
May armored greave hold satin glove
With hooves of heavy stone.

Your moonlit aura from above,
A light alighting like a dove,
But shines more brightly in your love,
My heart of heavy stone.

And so I stand before the throne.
Hear here, dear heart, you’re not alone,
But cursèd be this flesh and bone,
This heart of heavy stone.

A note in silence, hear it drone:
My song, a tone, my song atone
For failures that are mine alone,
Inscribed in heavy stone.

Documents

Documents (Text Version)

Royal Museum Inventory, Form 820B

Catalog No.: 8573
Cataloging official (typed / signature): Rococo / Rococo
Date: 14 Sept, 2 AotS

Title: Tungsten, Captain of the Lunar Guard
Artist: Bronze Bust
Category: Sculpture

Provenance:
Commission submitted by Tungsten on 27 Dec, year 1 Age of the Sun (AotS).

Commission accepted by Royal Sculptor Bronze Bust with Princess Celestia’s approval. Statue completed 13 Sept, year 2 AotS, and taken into custody of the Royal Museum 14 Sept, year 2 AotS.

Location (If more space is needed, attach additional sheets.):
Held in primary storeroom, cellar level 1, floor grid D4, pending repairs to Castle of the Two Sisters.

Royal Canterlot Museum Inventory, Form 820C

Catalog No.: 1319
Cataloging official (typed / signature): Watercolor / Watercolor
Date: 6 Apr, 129 AotS

Title: Tungsten, Captain of the Lunar Guard
Artist: Bronze Bust
Category: Sculpture

Provenance:
Original provenance is detailed in the previous catalog form 820B from the Royal Museum, attached. Piece transferred to the Royal Canterlot Museum 6 Apr, year 129 Age of the Sun (AotS), along with all surviving material from the Royal Museum in the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Location (If more space is needed, attach additional sheets. All transfers must be signed and dated by current cataloging official.):
Placed in royal throne room, Canterlot Castle.
—6 Apr, year 129 Age of the Sun (AotS) Watercolor

By request of Princess Celestia, statue was relocated to Tower Street storage facility, floor grid R21.
—16 June, year 999 AotS Silk Tapestry

By request of Princess Luna, statue was relocated to the guard post outside her bedchamber.
—22 Nov, year 2 Age of the New Equinox (AotNE) Silk Tapestry

Notes:
Statue depicts Tungsten, Captain of the Lunar Guard for 17 years. Awarded Medal of Honor for valor in combat against Nightmare Moon. Mortally wounded in the fight, he died 6 days later. 2 days before his death, he commissioned statue of himself and wrote inscription for pedestal.
—6 Apr, year 129 Age of the Sun (AotS) Watercolor

Princess Celestia suddenly requested removal of statue from throne room and placement as far back in storage facility as we had space. She would not say why. Research reveals little history of Lunar Guard. Presumably they existed as a Day Guard counterpart to stand watch after sunset, but they disbanded after Nightmare Moon’s defeat. Batpony elders claimed no knowledge of it. Princess Celestia discouraged continued investigation.
—16 June, year 999 AotS Silk Tapestry

Princess Luna found statue while browsing old inventory. She was not seen in public for 4 days afterward. Marks only time in recorded history the moon did not rise for more than a day (18-21 Nov, year 2 AotNE). On 22 Nov, she asked to have statue relocated to guard post outside her room.
—22 Nov, year 2 Age of the New Equinox (AotNE) Silk Tapestry

Research turns up “Tungsten” derives from Scandineighvian words meaning “heavy stone.”
—3 Jan, year 3 AotNE Silk Tapestry