FSE

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(A/N: This chapter is from a third-person perspective. Usual 'in-head' approach continues next chapter.)

She stared at the note with bemusement the only remaining response. The disbelief, incredulity, and even annoyance had all run their course and been forgotten. It was the exact same request from the exact same earth pony stallion seeking a private audience with herself and her sister. He had sent them weekly, all properly respectful and by protocol, for the past four years.

He was not of noble birth, nor high rank in their army. No exemplary events or actions complimenting his otherwise spotless record of dedicated service. No unique talents that made him stand out. Just a weekly request for a private meeting. Not one week missed, even when he was away from the capitol with the army.

And again here he was filing a formal request for private audience with the royal sisters themselves with a note that said only that he would not stop politely asking until he could meet with them personally for a private conversation and no mention of why. Luna had lost count how many times she had seen the hoofwritten request.

She turned her gaze to her sister sitting at the table with her for the evening meal, "Tia...he has sent us yet another request for audience."

Celestia hardly reacted as she finished her bite of bread, "And why do you even mention it? He has given us no reason to see him, despite his persistent effort."

"Because all else aside, we are tired of receiving this request. This not knowing what in Equestria he could be so determined to say. Had things continued as normal, we'd have given it no further thought but the cancelling of that ball so suddenly after we actually thought it would succeed has left us an opening in our schedules we have yet to fill. Perhaps granting the audience will offer us a fresh diversion different from our usual endeavors. What do you say?" Luna said a bit flatly, a touch of annoyance escaping her.

The reagent of the sun paused a moment, then shrugged her wings briefly, "We suppose there is nothing better to do with the time. At least we shall finally learn what has driven him so long."

***

They watched the earth pony stallion as he approached their thrones in a manner that felt strange compared to the usual. The sisters even went so far as to glance at one another because of what practically rolled off him in absence of the usual. Neither could fathom seeing such depth of something they'd not seen from their subjects in what felt like ages.

Genuine reverence without any fear.

He was wearing the standard issue armor, complete with the usual enchantment upon his coat and mane and tail. A little taller than average, his body was firm from military life. His hoofsteps were muted by a softness in his step even with the crispness of a trained soldier guiding his motions.

The stallion bowed low as any servant when he reached the appropriate distance, the fur of his chin grazing the floor below with closed eyes and waited.

Curiosity and mild left the sisters momentarily distracted before Celestia spoke, "You may rise, my little pony. You have sought this audience for quite some time. Speak what you have come to say."

He straightened but kept his head low as a hoof rose to the gem in the chestpiece of his armor. A moment of deactivating the enchantment revealed a rich green coat, and as he silently removed his helm and set it down, it revealed his yellow mane with a stripe of white. Something about it almost exuded fierce independence, complimenting his character overall.

After setting down his helm, his head still low and eyes still closed in his partial bow even after being told he could rise, he spoke in a voice full of conviction, "Your highnesses, though I am only a humble soldier, my family has served you with unquestioning devotion for seven generations. We have served and performed our duty with pride and dedication. I have come desiring to voice a concern and to make a humble request."

Celestia and Luna glanced at each other again, each catching the faint irritation being felt. There had been occasional dedicated ponies that spent ages trying to get an audience with one or both of them to make requests of one kind or another. It had never gone well before, so they were less than optimistic at this point. Still, they had granted the audience and would at least hear him out politely.

"Very well, my little pony. We are listening." Luna intoned evenly.

When he opened his brilliant hazel eyes that were filling with tears, the royal sisters were suddenly at a loss for what to expect.

The stallion's head raised and he looked between the two of them equally, "My Princesses, I have watched the two of you the whole of my life. Heard the stories from those in my family before me. My father and his father, as with many others in my family feel great sorrow in what we have seen. For years, we served dutifully and ached to find an answer to the question of what to do. After so long and so much thought, none of us could come up with answers until I chose to undertake the bold course I have chosen this day.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, please forgive me as I know I speak out of place. My family has watched the sadness you both try so greatly to hide. The event we shall not name was unfathomably terrible, yes, but I cannot see any reason for you to receive the nervous fear in return for working so greatly to protect us ponies over which you rule." Celestia and Luna watched as the tears simply began to flow freely down his cheeks, "Over the course of years and from what I can gather, even over generations, you have withdrawn ever further from us while you try your best to guide us as lovingly as possible. I know you hurt each and every time one of your subjects shows fear of you. That you bear it silently and carry forward is but testament to how much you love us all. My family is not alone, but one of many that has been able to understand you are our protectors. More devoted to us than we can really take in properly. Unlike when so often us ordinary and simple ponies fall prey to having ulterior motives when we express most forms of love for one another."

He paused, closing his eyes briefly with a sniffle but made no move to wipe his eyes before looking up at them again, "Above all, I wished to remind you that you are loved dearly by many, even if we are unable to speak with you personally to tell you. Your highnesses, if I have not made myself too much an arrogant fool to speak with you in this manner, I have but one humble request, if you will hear it."

Silence rang loudly as he finished speaking and gave them a faint smile of open devotion. Luna was struggling to catch her breath while Celestia had tears in her eyes. They had been forcing themselves through each day, feeling the weight a little bit more with each one that passed where one of their subjects could not control their fear. All too often, even the most devoted servants at the castle had moments of obvious fear even when the poor ponies had done nothing wrong and the royal sisters were never harsh with any of them.

Once they had a chance to calm themselves, Celestia spoke in a steady voice only a thread from turning shaky, "We have...heard your words, my little pony. What is your request?"

"My Princesses, I have no wives or foals. I wish to divest myself of all my worldly things, all titles and wealth of my family that I am proper owner of. I will not hesitate to accept gelding as further proof of my devotion to you both. Even sleep in the smallest, barest of rooms or upon the very grass outside beneath the beautiful stars. I will gladly even abandon my own name if you ask it of me, so I might live in obscurity with no chance at fame. It is my singular hope you will accept me as a humble bondservant so I might serve you directly for the rest of my days and ensure not one day goes by so long as I live, not one day more is allowed to pass without seeing and hearing one of your subjects tell you that they love you." The stallion spoke in a soft tone, lowering himself into another deep bow as tears continued to roll down his cheeks through his closed eyes.

He trembled softly when they stopped before him on each side. It had taken only moments behind a sound shield to agree.

Luna was barely able to maintain her silence as Celestia managed to force out the words, thick and heavy with feeling alongside a doubt that would not leave, "We have listened to your request, my little pony. If you are willing to prove your devotion, then here are our instructions. Tomorrow, you will sell everything you own except for one small sack. Whatever profit it brings will be donated to the Royal Orphanage, taking only a receipt of the transaction to be carried in that sack around your neck. After this is complete, shave your mane and tail. You will then go directly to your commanding officer and turn in your armor and the rest of your equipment. Once all this is done, you will come to us in the throne room and we will accept your service if we are thus satisfied. Speak not one more word to us and depart until tomorrow. You are officially dismissed from this audience."

They watched him leave in silence. As soon as the great doors to the throne room were closed, both alicorns collapsed in emotional heaps. Neither of the royal sisters could quite believe there was such devotion among their subjects. Finding themselves unable to quite believe they would see the stallion again, nor quite decided if they really wanted to.

In many ways, it had meant the world to both of them just to hear his conviction.

***

"It is almost time for court to close for the day. We are not so sure he will be coming after all, sister..." Celestia sighed quietly behind a sound shield, feeling more disappointed than she anticipated.

Luna's voice was a bit terse, "Perhaps we hoped for too much. We are unsure if it was even worth the audience yesterday."

It was one of their last hooful of audiences for the day when they heard his name to their utter disbelief and saw the shaved head and tail of a green earth pony stallion with a small sack around his neck. No longer in armor, his cutie mark was shown to be what looked like a pillar made of clouds. They watched him stride forward no differently than the day before. Reverence without fear. Not even realizing they had begun to move, they were soon standing to either side of him as he bowed low with his eyes closed.

Turning to one of the throne room guards, Luna spoke firmly, "Guard! We are closing court for the day. Clear the throne room so we may speak with our subject in private."

The guardspony saluted smartly and went about his duty with rapid movement, calling out directions to his fellows. Hardly any time passed and it was just the three of them left.

After a long silence, Celestia finally found her voice, "So...have you done as we asked of you?"

Still bowing as before, he replied readily, "Yes, your highness. The whole of what I own is now this small sack, within which is the receipt of my donation to the Royal Orphanage. I shaved myself as requested and immediately turned in my armor to my commanding officer. My sincerest apologies that I was so delayed in getting a reasonable price and best maximize what I could give to the orphanage. I felt you would be displeased if I did not give my best effort at making the most of aiding them and refused several low offers for my former home. In the end, I simply donated it directly to the orphanage instead of selling it and humbly apologize if the change is not to your liking."

Celestia simply sat upon her haunches before the stallion, no longer able to contain the tears in her eyes. A glance at her sister showed she was in a similar state. After another pause, Celestia was able to speak, "Y-you may rise, my little pony. We accept your s-service and thank you for your devotion..."

***

They were quiet again when he coughed, a mournful wheeze from age-weak lungs. The grayed and wrinkled green stallion was in his last minutes. The two alicorns could sense it coming as they wept at either side of his bed. Their sad smiles belied the joy of memories crossing their minds.

It had been a wondrous journey. Not long after accepting him as a servant, they began accepting him as a friend. Weeks and months passed, bringing the depth of that friendship into levels they had all but forgotten apart from in each other. Almost two years of his service and, though it was kept only between the three of them in private, admissions of love had become more than just words as they had taken him as their consort. The first since they began their rule many centuries earlier.

Over seventy years had he been faithfully devoted to them. The royal sisters stopped feeling tormented at the fear saving their subjects had caused. It had become tolerable. Something they no longer felt weighed down by. He helped them remember parts of themselves that had felt like they were fading into oblivion. Gave them back the strength to carry the burdens of rule and still remain themselves.

And now they knew they had to say goodbye.

His smile was tired after the coughing stopped, but still full of the same reverence he first met them with, alongside the love that had grown in his time with them since, "Lulu, Tia...are you really going to do such a thing just for me?"

Luna's voice was choked but still tender, "Yes, you foolish stallion. How many times must we say it before you accept it? Of all our little ponies, you have done more for Equestria than any other. Perhaps more than any ever will. Restoring us is no small feat."

Another cough escaped for a moment before he could speak again, "Just remember you are loved. Even in my short life, I can see how things have changed a little more. Gotten a little better. They will remember how they truly feel in due time. I have not ever feared you and never needed to."

"We are still grateful you chose to take such a chance and approach us so directly. You have made an impact that will last the length of our lifetimes." Celestia nearly whispered, tears flowing more freely as the moment neared.

The Lunar and Solar diarchs each kissed the aged stallion on the cheeks and smiled through the tears for all he had given them. His wheezing breath was fading now as he closed his eyes and spoke softly, "Just remember they love you. I love you. You will always be loved even when other things get in the way.

"You are...loved..."

***

Once they watched Twilight and Vojin leave, Celestia and Luna walked out into the nearest gardens and settled themselves on the grass, eyes turning to the starry night sky. For a time they were silent, needing no words.

Eventually, Celestia spoke in a near whisper, "It has been a long while since I even thought of that time. Or felt glad that even we still can fall prey to things not so differently than our subjects. That we can still understand them on the same level and realize mistakes. Improve ourselves."

"Indeed, Tia. I know I have not asked since my return, but could you still feel it while I was gone?" Luna asked.

A wisp of a smile crossed Celestia's face, her eyes still on the sky, "I could. It carried me through the worst times. Losing you nearly undid me..."

A dark blue wing lifted and settled over a back of white as they leaned against each other.

"As it was for me. Though I lost my way so much I was beyond even it of all things, I fear I might not have been redeemable after so much time entrapped if it was not there. Giving me gradual solace even while on my moon. It is unfortunate these modern times would never permit things to take place the same again." Luna added, remembering the stallion they alone truly knew about. Though they never gave less than the truth when scholars asked for confirmation if he had been their consort, they offered nothing not already known. If only they knew the whole story.

Another minute passed in silence. Celestia took a deep breath of the night air and hummed softly before getting to her hooves, "I suppose it is time to rest. We must to begin the summit tomorrow as it is. And you have a particular dream to visit."

Luna rose with her sister, stretching her wings a moment before both of them looked at the special star they had forged together so long ago with some of the very essence of one who meant so much to them both. It was faint but it still radiated the same love he'd shared with them, for them alone, that was so much more than just a speck of light. A secret only the three of them knew about and one of them now partly a seemingly normal bright star in the sky. Something the two sisters always had to fall back on during hard moments.

Both murmured faintly to that special star before turning to leave.

"Goodnight, Gentle Strength."