Angel of the White Winter
It was winter, near the lovely day of Hearth's Warming. Where the ground was overwhelmed by frost, snow, and piercing verglas; close to the snow-covered trees, rime-layered bladed grass, and shaking shrubs struck with hoarfrost, lay a little colt shivering in the icy breeze surrounded by nature.
He was out on his own, frustrated with life and angry at himself for forces that were out of his control. He wasn't a brat or snot-nosed outlaw, but a misunderstood youth; a small fledgling trying to not think about the cold. His anger stemmed from neglect and truth; he was a mistake, an oversight, created from an unholy union of fools who threw him away, cut from their lives. He was found by a mare running an orphanage who took him in out of pity and not out of love, for he was thrown out shortly after for being needy.
Once again out in the cold the little colt took refuge near a freezing bush and cried out his woes; he cradled his head and screamed into the freezing, tumultuous gale. He was so angry and miserable. No pony wanted him, and no pony needed him until something extraordinary happened. With every misfortune lies a glimmer of hope, no matter how paltry or insignificant. He felt something rush through his tiny body and the snowflakes that fell covered the colt's vision in a veil of white. Then in a flash, there she was, towering over the little colt in lingering silence with deep, wonderful cyan eyes that looked as if they could see what lay within his very heart.
A pleasant aura emanated from her, simulating a calm breeze that seemed to disperse the chilling winter cold and wrapped itself around him like a blanket on a warm, soft bed. Her imposing figure dwarfed the young colt into immediate prostration, but also, he felt fatigued, and when she had appeared before him it had sapped what little strength the young colt retained, and he fell against the sea of snow.
It was a stark contrast; the dark blue color of her coat stuck out like a bright light in a dense fog. Her illustrious wavy mane flowed with mystical magic that mimicked the stars in space and her tail mirrored the redolent splendor. She adorned little riches that included: a black tiara, and a large black collar imprinted with a crescent moon that was the same as her cutie mark. She had a horn and wings; she was an alicorn!
This captivating creature stood undaunted against the frozen tumultuous storm as if it wasn't even there. She did not shiver once, nor did she attempt to shield herself from the bitter winds. To her, it did not matter; the storm was nothing to her, just an insignificant fly that could be flicked by a tail. She was strong and resolute, and the aura proved it; the colt felt an invisible weight burden his shoulders.
He was in the grace of an entity far more powerful than the cruel force of Mother Nature, and the young colt thought that if that alicorn desired, she would dispel the storm without batting an eye, but as it stands, he believed that such an action was beneath this daunting figure, a waste of magic and energy.
Strangely, the colt had begun to admire this dominating alicorn. The way she presented herself, how she stood unperturbed amongst the freezing winds; he found himself respecting this creature with a silent reverence he had not held another pony to before.
But there was a question niggling at his mind: What was she doing here? Why would she, an alicorn that seemed to embody the very cosmos within her starry mane, stand before a colt that considered himself a mistake, tossed away like trash, and abandoned to the icy waste?
"You are fractured; shattered," the mysterious alicorn proclaimed, her hauntingly beautiful voice seeming to echo amongst the howling blizzards. "Those similar of your ilk stray little, young colt, and they are nigher than you imagine. Those who're as fragmented, toiling to find the scattered pieces of their glass heart to reconstruct them whole again. They discover each other and see how one another's pieces connect."
Captivated by this gorgeous alicorn, the young colt could not think of a single word to say to her. What would he say that would have even a shred of significance to this higher being; whatever he would say be paltry in comparison, so it would be prudent to remain tight-lipped.
The alicorn's cyan eyes, which were like chips of ice, pierced the young colt's pelt like it was nothing; he wondered if she could see anything and everything within his mind, his heart.
She narrowed her eyes. "You are without purpose; you meander through this world of white by your lonesome," she told the young colt tersely. She stepped closer to him, and the young colt could feel every muted step she took. "I know what ails you. I have witnessed your suffering, so much akin to mine own, yet you have no absolution; your dreams are harrowing. An act of clemency is to reprieve you from your dire straits; I can offer you absolution."
Was it true? The colt believed so, how else was he supposed to think otherwise? He was damned from the start and no matter what he did, everything got worse. Did the alicorn speak the truth, about him being fractured? Yes, she was.
He tried to reach out a shaken hoof toward the alicorn as if trying to grasp something, but he failed. He felt embarrassed to see this mystical creature witness his struggles. He wanted to close his eyes and shut out everything if only for a little while to feel some semblance of belonging.
"Although your struggle differs from mine, we are akin to one another; one once fueled by spite and envy while the other gave into bitterness and despair, both containing an overabundance of heartache and pain," the alicorn spoke coldly. She opened her long, extravagant wings and surrounded the young colt with them. "I have prevailed in solemnly abjuring this arduous endeavor, one I had firmly believed could not be achieved, through the aid of dear friends, and you can if you desire; I can aid you.
"You are on the cusp; the edge of no return; the more grief you covet the more you'll slip into the cold darkness, akin to me in the past, yet this time you can be saved before all goes awry. However, you must want it. I will not subjugate you if this isn't of your volition. You make the decision, and I will deliver. What say you, young colt?"
The bitter wind of the storm was harried by her dark blue wings. The young colt stared at her with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. From what he could understand of her difficult words, she is giving him the option of something different. But of what he did not know, however, he felt that he could trust this alicorn's words, and he felt closer to her when she concisely explained how they were similar to one another. She spoke about their troubles as if they were kin; a family, one that could empathize and understand one another, and this alicorn understood him perfectly right down to his feeble heart.
Belly down in chilling snow, the young colt crawled weakly to the alicorn's forelegs and cradled his delicate body around her right foreleg, clutching onto it as if for dear life. The scent of her comforting fur relaxed the bubbling anxieties within him, and for as long as he could remember the young colt felt wanted.
"Please," he pleaded feebly, his voice cracked and dry from lack of use. "I want to believe you...that you can save me. I want you to want me, truly, and hope that you aren't lying." His baggy, exhausted eyes glistened with tears welling inside them, threatening to escape. "Take me away from here... I don't want to be here anymore. Please, take me..."
The alicorn was silent for a few moments as if considering the veracity of the young colt's pleading words. Without a word, she scooped him up gently with her wings and set him on her back using her magic. She made certain he was firmly, yet comfortably, tucked meticulously between her wings and turned away. There was a forest near her position and the alicorn traveled inside to find a cave and ventured within. For a while, it was dark, with each step from the alicorn echoing off the cave walls until she came to an open space; a cavern had made itself known and the alicorn continued forward.
The young colt, who has been looking over the alicorn's shoulder was stricken with awe and confusion. "What are we doing here?" he asked the alicorn quietly.
"To perform a magic spell," the mare answered coolly. "In receiving my aid, it is now my sworn duty to act upon your absolution. This is all for you, little one."
"For me?" the young colt said, embarrassed. "What spell are you going to do?"
"One that will bind yourself to me for an eternity," she said as the colt held in a gasp. "You will be with me, and I will be with you; I shall conjure a spell that will establish a bond between us as close-knit as kin; a family."
As the silence grew between the two, the alicorn trekked onward until she was met with a chamber that housed an old, rocky, ethereal platform in the center.
"We are fortuitous to be near an area where these ancient tiles persist," the alicorn commented.
She set the young colt gently on the platform and cleaned his snow-laden coat with a swift brush of her wing. The young colt looked unsure and meek, huddling into a ball, but with the alicorn's calming words and assurances, he became a tad more comfortable. She treated him like she was his mother, a first experience he wanted to repeat time and again.
He witnessed the alicorn's horn glow a brilliant blue and felt the mystical energy flow through him in a small spiral. His coat prickled as the spiral whirled around him, captivating the young colt. He gazes at his savior and saw a slightly bigger spiral dancing around her figure. She looked back with a kind, benevolent smile that made the young colt blush.
Then, a type of shackle appeared between the young colt and the alicorn; a ghostly chain of cobalt arose from the ground and swung itself around the two willing participants' necks. The touch of the chain was cold, but the young colt could barely feel its chilling touch. He thought that he should be afraid, but he knew with this alicorn, there was little to fear; he trusts her.
The alicorn stepped forward until she stood over the young colt with an admiring glance. She lowered her face until it met his. "The spell is nearly complete, little one," she said with an airy whisper. "I hereby vow that you, little one, will be in my care and protection for eternity. You will be bound to me by this destiny chain, binding our lives to one another as kin until all cease to exist. I will become your mother, little one. I will love and cherish you as if I conceived you myself, as my flesh and blood. All that is left is your answer. Once this spell is completed, there will be no shattering this yoke. Do you accept me?"
The young colt faced the alicorn with the widest eyes imaginable. This was his chance to become something more. The choice was obvious. "I do," he said, holding back tears. "I want to be your son."
A sparkle appeared in the alicorn's eyes as she pressed her nose to his. A sensation flowed through the young colt's body, and he suddenly felt lighter and more resistant to the bite of winter. Together, the two comforted one another like family until they parted.
"You are now my son," the alicorn told the young colt. "My name is Princess Luna, and you have been given a purpose, as my wonderful son."
What a beautiful name: Luna, a word that instills not only grace but mystery and intrigue. A name special only to her and her alone.
"You require a name that befits you, little one; an identity to instill into your new life." She continued. "How does the name Nightfall sound to you, little one?"
A name. Something that for once in his life could be his. He'd have an identity that was not given to him by his birth parents. It was something he could truly be proud of, one of the first true steps to having a life that was ripped away from him. And he could have this name and be with Princess Luna. His mother.
"I love it," he whispered hoarsely, too racked up with emotion to speak clearly. "I want to be called Nightfall."
"Then it shall be so, Nightfall," Princess Luna said. She stood straight up and turned her gaze toward the exit of the chamber and back to Nightfall. "Would you like for me to carry you, or would you rather tread on your hooves?"
Nightfall inspected his legs and the strength he once lost was suddenly regained. He shook his head, saying, "I want to walk beside you, mother."
Princess Luna gave a respectful dip of her head and beckoned Nightfall to her side. "Then let us depart from this place and to your new abode, Nightfall."
Together, side by side, the two ponies left the chamber behind. Nightfall awaited his new life with open hooves, not even bothering to look back; the future lies ahead and that is where his gaze will stay forever, beside Princess Luna, the angel of the white winter.
