Hey everypony, im back from the dead! Not really, but I am back to writing again! I have had so much going on in life and... suffice to say that I have neglected my stories for a fair bit of time. But I am back and will hopefully be updating once every week or two. So I hope you enjoy this story. Also, if you see any mistakes, please send me a private message. I will try to fix it as soon as I can. And as always, don't forget to make smart choices and stay safe everypony. -Asianpon3-
Rain. The soft and rhythmic sound of water cascading down from the heavens above littered the landscape to its entirety. Dark grey clouds adorned the skies, reflecting the most somber of moods. As I sat only a few feet away, I couldn't tear my eyes from the scene in front of me. The rain continued to pelt me with all the ferocity of the gods themselves, but to which I gave no response. Motionless I sat, watching, waiting, and thinking about everything that had led up to this moment. Once a final prayer was spoken, I watched with unwavering silence as a large, Oak-crafted casket was slowly lowered into the depths of the ground.
Light cries of sadness had befallen the crowd as we all watched the casket reach its final resting place. All the while, a gentle song echoed through the air, only adding to the melancholy that everyone felt. Once the song was finished, nothing but silence resonated through the crowd. The rain continued to batter the umbrellas and suits of everyone who attended.
It wasn't until a good five minutes passed that the first person stood from her seat and departed. Everyone else soon followed, but not before offering me their condolences as they made their way past the grave and paying their final respects. But what could they offer me to ease my heart, a few sincere words or memories of the past? Or perhaps an offer to help in any way they can? But in the end, words are just words, nothing more and nothing less. To me, such empty words hold no more value than ones used in everyday conversations.
The crowd of beloved family members and friends were soon dispersed, leaving only a few close family friends and associates. I knew who these people were without having to give them any of my attention. They were the same people who informed me of my mother's passing. The same people who now decided my fate.
"Hey Dustin. How you holding up?" a voice softly asked, his tone seeping with concern and sadness.
"Have you and the others decided on my arrangements?" I coldly but calmly replied, not bothering to even grace the man in front of me with eye contact. The young adult male let out a heavy sigh before kneeling eye level with me. It was then that I couldn't help but give this man my attention. I knew who he was just by the sound of his voice, Galvin, a family friend who I have known for the last few years.
"Dustin, I can't say that I know what you are going through, because you know I would be lying. Your mother was an amazing woman and mentor in which words can't even begin to describe. We all feel her loss in this world and many others. We have truly lost a great friend," the man spoke. At this point I was on the verge of tears. For Galvin to state what I already knew only helped to dampen the somber mood I already felt. Though for my mother, and myself, I had to stay strong.
"Thank you Galvin," My voice spoke, albeit with a bit of shakiness. Galvin seemed to smile at this though, before proceeding to answer the question I had previously asked.
"As for what happens now I cannot say. Your mother had a will that in the event she died and you were not of age, a guardian would be assigned to you. Though as of this moment I do not know who she has appointed to be your guardian." Galvin finished before standing from his kneeling position in front of me. I gave one final look towards my mother's resting place before standing from my seat and motioning towards Galvin. I was soon met with the familiar sensation of Galvin's left hand upon my shoulder. I knew what was coming next, but it still didn't help that I despised the feeling afterwards. With a quick snap of the man's fingers, the entire atmosphere around us began to ripple. It was like seeing visible sound waves resonating from the source of a speaker, which happened to be Galvin and me. The scenery around us began to ripple with more intensity until I could no longer make out where we were. After a few seconds, the ripples of air became less violent before dissipating completely. I dropped to a knee and quickly grabbed my stomach like I was on the verge of vomiting. Galvin only smiled at the scene in front of him before giving me a hard pat on the back, which did not help to relieve the nausea I was feeling.
"Welcome to the Society of Magic and Technology main branch office," Galvin eagerly exclaimed.
"I know where we are. You may be forgetting, but I have been here before," I plainly stated before slowly standing up from my kneeling position as I finally recovered from my previous feeling of nausea.
"My apologies Dustin. Though you must know why we are here then?" Galvin asked, his voice toned with neutrality and concern. I slowly nodded my head with the same plain expression as before.
"Yeah, so someone can read my mother's will and get my whole guardianship thing taken care of," I replied, looking around the large open area we were standing in. If I had to guess, I would say this building was several thousand years old. Stone pillars supported the outdated, domed ceiling design, while large marble slabs were used as tiles. Old paintings lined the walls of the circular room, accompanied with the occasional stone sculpture. If it were not for the recent upgrade of electric light fixtures, I would swear that this place was just a well-maintained Aztec temple.
"Alright Dustin. Follow me and we will get everything taken care of," Galvin stated, his mood transitioning from concerned to serious. It was a bit unnerving actually. My mother and I had come to know Galvin as a sarcastic and smart-ass type of person. Very rarely did we ever see him serious, which in turn worried me. I knew that my heritage was... questionable, and hoped that it would not play any biasing factor in how I was treated here.
"Ok," was all I managed to say. Though I did manage to hide most of my concern.
After a few minutes of silently following Galvin, along with admiring a painting from time to time, we came upon a narrow hallway with several doors lining the walls. It was either the fifth or sixth door along the way before Galvin stopped and turned his complete attention to me.
"This is it Dustin. Unfortunately I am not allowed to enter. This conversation will be held between you and whomever it is that your mother entrusted her will too." I looked towards Galvin before giving a slight nod of my head and entering through the door.
To my surprise and somewhat disappointment, I was met with a familiar scene. It looked like every other office I ever had the misfortune to stumble into. A large wooden desk was the centerpiece of the room, with a few filing cabinets lining the walls. A prehistoric computer adorned the wooden desk and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it still used dialup.
"I know they me be lacking in the times, but come on. Have a little diversity when it comes to decorating an office. It feels like a prison in here," I thought. My attention however, was quickly averted from the accessories of the room and towards the new presence that entered.
"Please forgive me for my tardiness, but I did not expect you here this early," a feminine voice spoke before coming into view. Now standing in front of me was what I could only describe as a hybrid between a human, unicorn, and Pegasus. Purple hair covered the woman's body, accompanied with purple-feathered wings and a horn protruding from the middle of her forehead and through her black hair. A black tail with a pink and purple highlight protruded from her backside as well. She was adorned in casual business attire, a black skirt with a white button up shirt and heels.
The, equine, as I soon learned, didn't even bother to meet my eyes before she sat down behind her desk and began to rummage through her files. I patiently waited in silence as the mare continued to search for the document that held my mother's final wishes. After a minute or so, the mare had finally managed to locate the document she was looking for.
"Alright, here it is. Mrs. Renovamen's will," the mare spoke, opening the file and looking at the section that was dedicated to me.
"You are the son of Mrs. Renovamen? Is that correct?"
"Yes," I responded, the mare looking up at me for the first time before shifting her eyes back down towards the document.
"I am sorry to say that there isn't much she has left you. However, you have two letters addressed to you that are from her. I do not know what the first letter contains, for she did not tell me. She did however instruct that you should not read the letter until your eighteenth birthday. Protocol dictates that your guardian will be responsible for the letter until then. As for who your guardian will be, that is covered in the second letter. She also instructed that you were to read it in my presence, though the reason she did not say," the mare in front of me finished. I nodded in understanding as I was handed the letter before gently opening the seal.
My dearest Dustin
It is never easy for a mother to say goodbye, especially to a son that she loves deeply. If you are reading this, then my time on this Earth has come to an end. Please, do not mourn me Dustin. A mother never wishes to see her kin sad. I know these next few months for you will be very trying. For that, I am truly sorry.
I have included the name of your guardian at the bottom of this letter. She is a very close friend of mine and I know she will treat you like her own flesh and blood. We have already discussed if something like this were to happen, so she should be expecting you. If you are in the presence of Miss Twilight Sparkle, she will know how to contact your guardian and arrange a transport.
I'm afraid that is it for now. I am sorry I cannot offer you more Dustin. Just know that no matter what happens, I will always be in your heart. You mean the world to me and as a mother, I couldn't be prouder of the son I have raised. Goodbye Dustin, I love you.
For around three minutes, not a sound was uttered throughout the room. It took me all of my self-control and mental resolve not to break down. Though my body was visibly shaking, I held myself together. Trying to quickly clear my mind of my mother's farewell, I looked towards the bottom of the page and at the name of my guardian. After reading the name a few more times and racking my brain for any memory of this person, I drew the conclusion that I had never heard of this woman before. It was strange to be honest. I must have heard of this woman before somewhere and just couldn't remember. Adding the fact of everything that has happened over the past couple of days, it would be understandable to have no recollection of a name I may have heard only once.
"This must be why this person was entrusted with the will," I thought to myself, averting my eyes from the letter and towards the trustee of the will.
"Excuse me. Is your name Twilight Sparkle?" I asked, watching as the mare looked up from a pile of folders before nodding her head.
"Yes. But how did you know that? I don't recall introducing myself to you?" the equine commented.
"Well, I think I know why I was supposed to open this letter in your presence. It says that you should know my guardian and should be able to get me in contact with them," I said, receiving a gentle smile from the mare.
"Well I will do my best. So what is the name of your guardian?" the mare curiously asked, watching as I looked down at the letter one last time before looking back up at the mare.
"Princess Luna."