<ins>Fall of Azure Glide: Excerpt from For The Love of A Mother</ins>

After another hour of fighting, the changelings resolve was broken and a retreat was ordered. Shortly after, the remaining invaders left and all was silent at the castle. Many were wounded and a few were not so fortunate. As Celestia regained consciousness, her eyes beheld a ruined throne room, littered with a few pieces of rubble and still bodies of the enemy. The only thing that stood out was her son, clad in armor, exhausted, and hooves trembling.

Just before he collapsed, she rushed to his side and cradled him in her hooves. To her horror, she saw him bloodied with arrows embedded in him. She gasped, shocked to see her son so gravely wounded. She couldn’t bear to see such a heartrending sight.

“Mother,” Her gaze was snapped to him as she heard Azure struggling to breathe. “Y-you’re s-safe.” In a haste, she used her magic to remove the arrows from his body and heal his wounds. Try as she might, her healing magics couldn’t close the wounds.

“No!” Gasped Celestia as her efforts were proven fruitless. “Why is this happening?!” Then, she felt the weak hoof of Azure gripping hers. His eyes locked on hers and they spelled fear and pain.

“Green Spider Venom.” Azure weakly answered. Upon the utterance of those words, Celestia knew what he was talking about. Green Spider Venom was magical in nature. As rare as it was, even the most potent of healing magics couldn’t cure it or mend any wound contaminated with it. With that knowledge, she knew that she was the intended target. Then and there, she knew her son was doomed.

“Why?” She sorrowfully asked as tears developed. “Why, my son?!”

“Because…” Azure spoke, wincing from the burning sensation of his lungs “a son would do anything for his mother. You gave me life all those years ago when you brought me in, treating me as if we were kin.” Coughing and wheezing, his body grew weaker and weaker. “Does it truly matter whether or not we’re related by blood? You’re my mother and I’ll do anything to protect you, the mare that gave me hope.”

In that moment, Celestia experienced a flashback from dozens of years ago. It was of a young Azure when she first met him. Doing his mock drill and ceremony with a broom, it was the first time he displayed his courage. Here, he displayed it in full, not just for the princess he was sworn to protect but for the one he considers family. For the first time in millennia, there wasn’t anything Celestia could do. The best she could do is comfort him while he still drew breath. Holding him tight, Celestia rocked him back and forth.

“Mom,” Gasped Azure, placing a hoof on her cheek. “Can you… sing for me? That lullaby from when I was young?”

It didn’t take the sun goddess long to know what he meant. She remembered first singing it to him when she brought him to the palace. Hearing it always lulled him into a peaceful sleep. Knowing how it always brought him peace as a colt, it was the most she could do to bring him peace with what little time they had left. Emotionally bracing herself, she began to sing the tune.

_Rest now

It’s time to go to sleep

Let those heavy eyes relax

And let yourself drift off to slumberland_

_Wind down

When the sun brings forth the morn

And the birds chirp their song away

Then come the time to run and laugh and play._

Breathing deep, all was silent. Azure laid in his mother’s hooves, silent, calm, and clinging onto life. His face drew a smile and did she in return.

“Did I… do… good…”

His legs went limp and his body grew cold. The beating of his heart slowed down to nothing as he drew his last breath. All was silent and all was still. Azure Glide, Guard and adoptive son of the princess, was no more. Celestia could only but silently weep. Unbeknownst to her, a duo of guards observed the scene in shock of seeing their normally stoic matriarch grieve. Throughout her long life, Celestia yearned for the joys of motherhood. But, the fear of outliving her offspring turned her away from those aspirations. After finally seeing her wish granted, it was taken away from her after two decades. Such is the price of immortality.

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