The Enlightened Horn

"%I - The Last Request%"

Orion was particularly fond of the winter season. He enjoyed the longer nights as they revealed the beautiful sight of the heavens above. And why wouldn't he; him specifically? After all, he aspires to become an astrologist. At least he was fond. Nowadays, he cares not to absorb the glories of the celestial patterns, instead, only feels the darkness of the night sky consume him in an aura of a melancholy gloom. And why would he not? Since being given word of his ill mother, slowly descending into death, he has felt this way. Despite the best efforts of his friends, professors, and family, they could not seem to distract him from the coming, inevitable fate that shall take his mother and essentially us all.

This winter's night, however, Orion knew not how to feel while he packed his things. Twas one week ago that he has received a letter hand delivered from the nurse of the doctor who has been tending to his mother. He read it as followed:

My dearest son Orion,

I write to you now for a very important manner. I implore you to not worry or exaggerate this over my current condition. I only ask that you follow my instructions as you read on, as you always have as my little colt. I need you to come home within the next month. I have only that and two weeks left in my life say the doctors. I have enclosed a train ticket that should take you here whenever you have the time, though I suggest to come as soon as possible. You should remember where my room is as I wait for the passing. I also ask that you tell no one of this letter or these strange instructions; only that you are to visit me in me in my last few hours. Your presence is all that I want now. You are my final request. As always, I love you Orion, and I look forward with great anticipation for your arrival, my love.

Love always,

Mother

"She always loved to see me in this vest. I suppose I should bring it to make her happy." Said Orion who followed it with his head in his hoof. He began to leak out his emotions no matter how hard he attempted to suppress the tears for he believed in always having a positive attitude, especially in his mother's case. "Why must she suffer, why must it end? She doesn't deserve this kind of end." He lets out a whimper of struggle trying harder now to seal these thoughts of pessimism. This time he has successfully collected himself and continued to pack. Still the thoughts lingered, naturally as they would in the mind of any other sane pony, creature, entity, or any being with a hint of intelligence and emotion. Yet the primordial question he has pondered since the letter still remained. "Why me? Why would she want me as her final request?" Of course he knew the reason of her love towards him, and he didn't mind to see her in her last moments of life. The mysteriousness of it all, or least to him, was why send a letter? He would have gone to her without the request. His reasoning derived the sense of an underlying reason, and he would be a fool to think otherwise. He's an intelligent stallion, and a hard one to et by so easily.

That one question still remained, though. That one baffling question. "Why? For what reason?"