Auto-imported from (1438403)

Velvet Shade sighed as he walked through the Canterlot Corridors beside Moonstone. He had a very terrifying experience with a couple mares in the streets of Canterlot only a few hours ago, and was still pretty shaken. As he walked, his looked up to the stain glass windows. He stared at one that had his father in it. He had never known the stallion- and despite him vowing his life to reuniting his mother and him, there were times he wondered why he was doing it. Moonstone on the other hoof was staring up at a glass window of Princess Luna. She was banishing her living nightmare in the dream realm, the Tantabus.


“She truly is amazing.” Moonstone beamed. “I am truly lucky to have such a legend as a teacher. “ She glanced over to Velvet, and rolled her eyes. “But then again, I doubt you would get that would you?” She hit his shoulder playfully. “I mean, you are the son of one of the most powerful alicorns in Equestria. You were born into power. And royalty. Which is probably why those marees were trying to nab at you. Little selfish, greedy, hor-”


“I got it Moony.” Velvet interrupted, not taking his eyes off the stain glass window. She huffed, slumping down on the scarlet carpet.


“Don’t call me that.” There was a moment of awkward silence between the two as they sat. Moonstone coughed, hoping to break the tension.


“Moonstone, could you leave me alone for a bit? I need some time to… think.” Moonstone blinked, looking at him with surprise. He had never told her to leave his side. He had made excuses to leave himself, but he never deliberately told her to go. She was speechless, and not sure on how to respond.


“Uh, um. S-sure. I think I had a lesson with Princess Luna today anyway. Um, I'll see you later?”


“Sure.” Velvet said, and Moonstone left, her head hanging low. He stared at the window, searching for anything, anything that would give him a sign. But the window of his father taking the darkness out of the alternate Celestia and Luna did nothing. It simply showed his own reflection, and for a moment Velvet thought he saw his father instead of himself.


“What do you want me to do, Dad?” He asked the window. “I just need something. I need a sign. A sign of anything . I just need-” Velvet paused, almost contemplating his next words to the window as it were alive. “Hope.” He sighed, walking to his room. He looked through his bedroom window, looking over the ponies of Canterlot. A confusing sense of guilt waved over him, as he looked down at a picture of his father and Princess Celestia underneath a sort of tree with strange pieces of paper. Why anypony would do that, Velvet didn't know. He gripped the picture, and with a shout of anger, threw it at the wall. He charged, stomping on the picture, ignoring the pain of glass ripping at his hoof. There was loud crash at the door as one of his servants bust through the door. It was of course, Cobalt Gust, who was not just a servant to Velvet Shade, but one of his closest friends.


“My prince!” Gust yelled, running over to Velvet and shoving him away from the glass. His horn shined as he quickly pulled the glass out of his hoof, causing Velvet to flinch in pain. “Whatever happened?” He asked.


“I lost my temper.” Velvet lied, looking away from the picture on the floor. Gust rose an eyebrow. He knew one of Velvet’s oldest habits. If he was lying about something, he would look away from it. Gust looked over at the picture and gasped. “I'll get some bandages for that hoof and your mother.”


“No! Gust! Please!” Velvet shouted, but Gust was already gone. Velvet sighed in frustration. He glanced over at the picture, levitating it in front of his face.


“I'm sorry. I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorry Mom. I'm sorry everypony.” He looked at his bleeding hoof, that looked worse than how it felt. Only a moment later, Princess Celestia and Gust burst through the door.

Velvet looked up to see his mother crying. But before she could hug her son, Gust stepped in front of her to wrap his hoof in bandages.


“How did this happen…?” She asked, looking down at both Gust and her son.


“Your son claims he lost his temper.” Celestia saw the picture with the broken glass on the floor.


“I see…” Gust finished wrapping the hoof and stood up. “Gust, thank you, but could you give my son and I a minute?” Gust nodded his head, making his way to the door.


“Of course, your majesty.” The door clicked when Gust and Celestia sat up on Velvet’s bed while he stayed sitting in the floor and leaning against the wall.


“It's not that I don't believe you, but why don't you tell me what really happened?”


“It is what happened. I lost my temper.”


“And why did you lose your temper?”


“Because I was mad.”


“Velvet.”


“Mom.” Celestia sighed, kneeling down beside her son.


“Did something happen when you went out? Or did somepony say something to you, or, did I do something wrong?” Velvet looked at his mom with sad eyes. He hated it when she blamed herself for things.


“N-no! Of course not! It's just..,” He sighed, causing Celestia to lie on if her hooves in his shoulder.


“It's just what, Velvet?” Velvet stayed silent, not sure on what to say. Celestia’s eyes darted around the room until it reached the picture that had broken. She held it for a moment with her magic before it sparked and was magically fixed. “Did I ever tell you about this picture, Velvie?” Velvet looked over his shoulder at the picture he had broke, but was now shimmering.


“Uhhh, no?”


“No? Well this is a very important picture.” Velvet slumped at the sentence in shame. “When your father and I first started to fall in love, his ponies were so happy for a new chance that they made a wishing garden of sorts. I however, did not find out about it until much later. We both wrote wishes for each other, and had our picture taken to remember the moment. I came back to Equestria, only to have the portal closed behind me. I was devastated. My world was crushed when Starswirl the Bearded shut the portal down. I had later managed to reopen it… but at that moment I realized how much I loved your father. How much I loved his world. I loved everything about him. As he loved everything about me. That garden we both wrote down each a note for each other. And I still have it to this day. Along with a piece of the mirror.” She looked down at her son, raising his head with her hoof. “You look like him so much sometimes… and you act like him… talk like him… You smile like him…” Velvet gritted his teeth as he stood up and walked to the other side of the room.


“That's just it, Mom.” Celestia stood up, her head tilted. “I’M NOT HIM!” Velvet shouted, tears streamed down his face. “I never even knew him! I never saw him, talked to him, or anything! I just have pictures of you and him! And you expect me to believe I'm just like the stallion who engulfed the darkness from the tyrannical rulers of another realm not only to save his true love, but both worlds?! I'm nothing like that! And with everything you’ve done! How am I supposed to measure up to that?!” Velvet cried. Celestia stared at her son with sad eyes. She walked towards him, pulling him into a hug.


“I'm so sorry if I made you feel that way. Your father was a great stallion, and I've been in my times as well, but I never want you to feel like you have to measure up to anything.” She stood up tall and regally, walking towards the door with a gentle smile. “Follow me.” Velvet Shade walked closely behind his mother down various corridors before reaching Canterlot Garden.


“Why are we here?” Velvet asked with a raspy voice. Celestia said nothing, continuing to walk forward through the garden. Slowly fear enveloped Velvet as they walked through parts of the garden he had never been to because it was dark and terrifying. There was deep bush above them as it slowly began to walk through something that looked like a nature building. They stepped into a large area, and Velvet’s eyes widened. In front of him was large and beautiful area of tree and moss. But straight in front of him lied a tree with multiple small notes over it. Celestia smiled at her son’s reaction.


“Quoting Luna, “If one is willing to walk through fear and horror of something, they will find true beauty.” Do you believe that?” Celestia asked her son, and he nodded, pointing at the tree.


“Is that the-”


“The actual tree? No. But in honor of your father, I believed my subjects deserved a Wishing Garden as well. Why don't you write one?” Velvet blinked, before stepping forward to tree.


“Behind the disappointing truth, I wish for Beauty and Hope to show its will.” He scribbled, reading it aloud to his mother. She nodded, resting her wing upon his back.


“You are my son. Not your father. And though I still haven't fully moved on, I know I could never completely forget him. I want you to know, that I am proud of you, and you should never feel like you need to measure up to me. To either of us. I love you.” Velvet smiled.


“I love you too, mom.” Celestia bowed her head, standing up to leave. “Wait.” Velvet grabbed his mother’s hoof. “Could you just stay here for a little bit?” Celestia smiled softly.


“Of course."

Upvotes at import: 24 | Stars at import: 17
Posted previously at: 2017-05-17T00:32:33