Author's Notes: Whew! After nearly 9,000 words, all of which were a struggle to write, I finally finish the second-last chapter for Magic...and the longest chapter I have EVER written! Sorry for the slight delay, everyone, hopefully the sheer length of this chapter makes up for it.

Once again, the response I have received from the last chapter has floored me! The fact that you all want Starfall to have his happy ending so badly, when he is a character of my own creation, is the highest form of praise I could ever ask for, and I can only hope that any work I do in the future contains characters you are just as attached to.

Which brings me to the point that yes, Magic is almost over. Chapter 53 will be the final chapter...whether I work on a sequel or not I am still deciding, but I have some ideas in mind. I will likely wait until the end of Season 3 before making any decisions, however. I may, if my muse is in the mood for it, write a couple of one-shots after I'm finished with Magic...I have a couple of ideas for them.

Anyways, we're getting off-track. Thank you once again for all the reviews (which is now approaching the 650 mark), faves and alerts. The attention and support you all lavish this fic with just makes every feel so that much better when I look at the statistics. Even all those who have merely read, without leaving any feedback, still have my thanks!

Read on...the end is almost here...

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Chapter 52

Recognition

It was a very nervous Starfall who once more stood in the entrance hall of Canterlot Castle, trying to settle his shaking nerves...and hooves, all while resisting the urge to fiddle with his new suit, identical to the one he had worn that fateful night. He was constantly reminding himself to take deep breaths, and that this was not as big a deal as his mind was making it out to be, but it did not seem to be helping all that much.

It did not help Starfall's cause that this was his first venture into society since that fateful night where the fate of Equestria had hung in the balance...and where he had almost been killed. It was a little over a week since that night he would never forget...a week he had spent confined to a hospital bed, kept for observation while doctors kept an eye on his physical and mental health.

Starfall's memory of the night itself was patchy and vague, many details, especially of what happened after he had dived in the way of Cosmo's final spell, being lost to him, only recalled thanks to what his friends had told him. He could remember being in and out of consciousness for most of it, and recalled snippets of weak conversation with Luna. He did not, however, remember Luna's desperate use of the comet's magic to heal him, having been on the very edge of death at the time.

The doctors at Canterlot's finest hospital had been amazed at the way the mysterious magic...which they were not told about...had healed what they could tell had been some severe magical injuries. All his internal and external injures seemed to be gone, his body functioning as it normally should. They had insisted on holding him for a week, just to watch for any possible side-effects, but after all this time, they had found nothing, and had finally conceded that, at least physically, there was nothing wrong with him.

His psychology had been an entirely different matter, however, and the main reason he had been restricted to the hospital for the whole week. When Starfall had first woken up, and received the news about the loss of his left wing, his reaction had been pretty much expected by everypony; stunned, disbelieving shock, following by crushing grief and despair. Pegusi as a race took extreme pride in their wings, the thing that made them unique. Even Starfall, who was not the strongest flier, had a certain sense of pride in his ability, and had enjoyed the occasional, casual flight.

A pegasus who had lost their ability to fly was an extremely rare thing, and most who suffered that cruel fate were quickly abandoned by pegusi society, unable to reach the cloud cities their society called home, and often shunned and ostracised by their peers. In a sad bit of good fortune for Starfall, his previous experience being a loner, and being all but disowned by his own family, meant this was not a big of a blow as it could have been.

Still, the loss of a limb, especially the one that is every pegasus pony's pride and joy, is a traumatic experience, and Starfall had been an emotional wreck for the first few days. He was only at Canterlot Castle today because the psychologist giving him counselling to help him accept and adjust to his new disability had cleared him, deeming him mentally stable enough to return to society for the day, though she stressed the need for him to stay as relaxed as possible, and to return for more counselling that evening.

However, despite being cleared, Starfall was clearly still not himself, sighing as he looked at his left side. There, somewhere beneath the suit, was the scar that would remain with him for the rest of his life...all that remained of his left wing. His right wing was currently hidden under his suit shirt and jacket. Starfall asking Rarity not to account for his wings in her redesign, not wanting to draw attention to the wound. He was still coming to grips with it, and having the general public pointing, whispering and asking questions was not what he wanted to deal with, today...or ever, if he thought about it.

Today was not about his wounds, or his current condition...for Starfall, today was hopefully a chance to begin moving on from the trauma of that night, to allow him to start looking to the future. Today, Princess Celestia intended on handing out awards to not just himself, but to Twilight and her close circle of friends, too, for their roles in averting the disaster that had nearly destroyed Canterlot.

The very thought of it made Starfall's nerves rise up again. He did not want this...he did not want the attention and praise, to give everypony in Equestria another excuse to spread gossip and rumours about him. But Twilight and her friends deserved the awards, and while he was not a braggart or egotistical, he understood that he, too, deserved this in some form. All the same, he did not want it, and was only doing it in the hope that the ceremony today would bring some closure for himself.

Beside him, similarly waiting in the entrance hall, were Twilight, and her five heroic friends...the six secret bearers of the Elements of Harmony. While in hospital, Twilight had told him all about their deepest secret, seemingly glad to finally have somepony outside their group who knew the secret. Starfall understood her need for secrecy, likely on Princess Celestia's orders, and her relief at finally being able to tell him.

He did not hold it against her in the slightest, but was amazed that, with the way Princess Celestia seemed to publicly honour them every time they saved Equestria from a new threat, be it the scheming of a newly freed Nightmare Moon, or the insanity of a deranged chaos god, Discord, that the secret of them wielding the power of the Elements had remained just that; a secret.

In the end, Starfall had to reason that it was an ingenious bit of forethought on the part of Princess Celestia. By congratulating and publicly rewarding Twilight and her friends, there was no kind of cover-up for conspiracy theorists to pounce on, and since no mention of how the evil of the time was defeated, and absolutely no mention at all of the Elements of Harmony, nopony suspected it, or even thought of it. Everypony assumed the six mares had simply stood strong in the face of danger, and the Elements of Harmony were left to hide in obscurity, forever remaining nothing more that a foal-hood legend...an ancient myth that few truly believed in any more.

As Starfall gave one last glance around the room, he caught Twilight staring a him briefly, though the second his gaze flickered in her direction, she looked away, jumping into a conversation Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were engaged in to distract herself.

The odd behaviour made Starfall sigh to himself. It was not just Twilight...all of her friends were also being rather quiet and distant towards him at the moment. He could always feel their stares on his back, but they always averted their gaze when he looked at them. It was especially prominent today...even Twilight had said few words, despite the fact that she was usually the first to try and calm his nerves.

Starfall knew the reason for this behaviour, though...once more, it all came down to his lost wing. Twilight, and all her friends, were well aware that he was still coming to terms with it, and had likely been warned that, although he had been given permission to attend the awards ceremony today, that his emotional state was still fragile. As such, they were all giving him his space and privacy, and while Starfall was grateful, all it did was remind him of the painful loss he had suffered. He missed the casual sense of normality they had shared, and wished that, just for a moment today, he could have that back.

Part of him actually wanted to approach Twilight, to say something to her, try and draw up a conversation. But at the same time, he was worried that her knowledge of his current pain would make her overly careful. A forced conversation was not really a conversation, to him.

Regardless of his worries, the decision was made for him before he could approach Twilight, hearing a fanfare of trumpets start up an uplifting celebratory tune in the castle lobby, making him jump slightly, as Twilight looked over his way. "That's our cue, Starfall. Come on," she said softly, gesturing with a hoof as she and her friends all formed two lines on the carpet towards the doorway, Starfall cringing as he noticed Fluttershy in the centre of the line down the back, on her own, the front right space, next to Twilight, being left free...they wanted him up the front, where everypony's attention would be on him.

Sighing, not really in the mood to argue, Starfall walked up next to Twilight, who gave him her patented, friendly smile as the trumpets swelled, Starfall falling into step with the others as the doors to the lobby opened, the procession stepping through, Starfall trying to remain as calm and controlled as possible.

Unlike the Coronation Ball, which seemed to have been a slightly more exclusive event, it appeared that most of Canterlot had turned up for this awards ceremony, along with half of Equestria. The main lobby was packed with ponies of all kinds, shapes, colours and backgrounds, while the ever-present, ever-serious Royal Guards patrolled in and around the crowd, making sure nopony tried anything foolish. After the security breach with Cosmo, they seemed to be taking their jobs even more seriously than usual, probably trying to make up for their perceived failure that night.

Starfall sighed as he was reminded of Cosmo. He honestly was not sure what to make of the young unicorn that had almost taken away everything he had known. He had not been able to visit the prison cell where Cosmo was being held, pending the investigation and trial into his actions that night, but both Twilight and Princess Luna had passed on their information of his state and possible future.

From what Starfall had heard, Cosmo was more or less a broken unicorn, now. While he had always been bitter and resentful of Starfall since the disaster at Stratos Crossing, and the death of Nocturna, he never appeared to have had any genuine intention of hurting him, or the Princesses, over it until he had found that dark gemstone. The stone had made him act on his darkest thoughts, do things he would never have done otherwise. Now that he was free from the stone's influence, however, he seemed to have retained all his memories of what he had done.

From what Luna and Twilight had told him, Cosmo was a psychological wreck, his time spend in the holding cell alternating between uncontrolled sobbing, where he seemed to cry for hours on end, and distant stillness, where he would simply lie on the bed in his cell, staring at the wall and failing to respond to anypony's attempts to get his attention.

Starfall could only guess as to what Cosmo was thinking, but knew that, from the behaviour that was being described to him, the young stallion knew he had committed a terrible wrong. Neither Twilight, nor even Princess Luna had been able to get through to him long enough to at least get him talking, but Starfall knew that it would not matter.

Cosmo's life was all but over, now. Even if he had not committed those horrific crimes willingly, the fact was that he had discovered a dangerous artefact, a source of dark magic, and used it...all by his own choice. The best Cosmo could hope for now was that he spent the rest of his life in a special care facility that would hopefully try to treat the mental instability he was currently suffering from.

Starfall honestly was not sure what to think of that, though. It was a strange conflict...Cosmo was his friend, once, but at the same time had at some point thought about this scheme to derail Equestria, and whether he had discovered to dark gemstone by accident, or deliberately sought it out, he had still used it, rather than throw it away at the first opportunity.

Starfall was still debating just how much Cosmo was actually to blame for what had happened...but the young pegasus did know that Cosmo had to take some of the blame...which would likely see him removed from society for the rest of his life now. All that remained to be seen was where Cosmo ended up...prison, or a mental facility.

Despite the horrific falling-out he had gone through with Cosmo, Starfall still felt sorry for the poor unicorn. No matter what, Starfall knew that there a good pony hidden somewhere beneath the troubled, broken exterior, and that, because of a few bad decisions on the black unicorn's part, his life was more or less over, while he was still so young. That, he realised, was the true tragedy of what had happened that night.

He was snapped back to reality when he realised that their little procession had made it out into the Canterlot Gardens...a raised platform sitting in the middle of the clearing where it had all happened. The platform was accessible by a small set of stairs, the bottom of which was guarded by none other than Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, both of whom gave the group warm smiles. Starfall noticed Twilight resist the urge to wave, but did give a smile to her older brother.

Starfall, however, could not bring himself to do so...this day, this location...it was reminding him too much of the horror of that night. Of what he had lost, of the lives that had been destroyed or cut short in the disaster that was only just barely averted. He could not smile in the face of such tragedy and horror...not right now.

He did, however, turn his gaze up onto the makeshift podium, where the two regal Princesses stood, looking down at the seven ponies gathered there. Princess Celestia had a warm, gentle smile on her face, looking like absolutely nothing was amiss. She had recovered rapidly from the exhaustion of the night, though Starfall had been informed that the night had been rather longer than normal after the disaster. It had taken the combined efforts of Celestia and Luna together to raise the sun the next day, and even then, it was a few hours behind schedule. Things had been back to normal by that evening, however, and nopony had really paid it much heed.

Starfall, trying to keep his focus on the here and now, turned his gaze to Princess Luna, catching her glancing his way. She held his gaze for a brief moment, Starfall catching to subtle softening in her expression, before she recomposed herself and turned away, focusing her attention on the crowd...though Starfall could see her gaze flicking back in his direction every now and again, even if she was being rather subtle about it.

A couple of days ago, the Princess had come to his ward in hospital, requesting some time alone with him. It had taken the nurses watching over him a bit of convincing to leave him unattended, even with the Princess of the Night, but she had put her hoof down, and gotten a chance to talk to Starfall alone...about them, and their relationship.

By this point, there had been no point in hiding anything. Starfall had let it all out, how his crush on her had lingered, as much as he had tried to suppress it and hide it. He confessed that, in the days leading up to the Ball, he had made the epiphany that he was in love with her, and how, despite that, she still did not want to tell her. He had been so convinced her earlier rejection had been the final word, and did not want to annoy or trouble her with further annoyances about his own aching heart.

In turn, the Princess of the Night had also confessed her own troubles, about how, during their time in Ponyville, she came to regret being so hard on him, and she learned more and more about the modern world, and how views upon romance and social status had changed in the last thousand years. Starfall's revelations about Stratos Crossing, and the abandonment of his family, had been the big turning point for the Princess. She had realised that she and Starfall shared a lot more than she had initially thought. She admitted that, as they spent more time together, she tried to fight her own feelings, still not sure what to make of them.

Finally, however, she could no longer deny it to herself, and had talked to Celestia during the Ball, trying to figure out what to do. In the end, Celestia had been cautious, seemingly suspicious that Luna might be over-analysing the situation, and Luna, against her sister's wishes, decided that she had to tell Starfall, and planned to during their dancing, before it was rudely interrupted.

Despite having vague recollections of Luna's admission during what everypony was certain were his final moments, in the aftermath of the disaster that followed, hearing it confirmed there, when he was fully conscious and coherent, had floored him. He had hidden his feelings from her, when all this time, she was starting to slowly fall for him, as well. Even here, now, at Canterlot Castle, he was still trying to assure himself that he was not dreaming.

But that still left the question; what now? They both knew that liked each other, but how did they progress from here. Starfall had little to no experience with relationships at all, and Luna's continuing adjustment to the modern world meant that, in the times she knew, such a relationship would have been forbidden in the first place. The fact that she thought so dearly of Starfall that she would knowingly break those instinctive traditions said a lot about how close the two of them had actually gotten.

In the end, their private discussion had come to a simple conclusion: Since they were both inexperienced and new to relationships, they would take their time, work things out one step at a time. They had also come to a quick agreement that only a select few would be made aware of this...if the public learned that Starfall and Princess Luna were an item, the media and gossip circles would have a field day, and neither of them wanted that kind of attention.

As Starfall once more returned to the present, he looked around slowly, noting that every single pony who knew that Starfall and Luna were now officially dating was right here in this room. Princess Celestia, naturally, had been the first to know, and had been surprisingly quiet over the matter. Starfall got the feeling that, while she accepted Luna's choice, and had given the two of them her blessing over the relationship, she had some reservations. If she did, though, she refused to voice them, and Starfall did not want to ask, and risk losing this immense blessing he had been given.

Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were also aware, and seemed very happy for the both of them. Princess Cadance in particular seemed eager to offer her congratulations on the two of them finally getting together, but then again, she was able to sense the affection both of them had for each other, and likely wanted their love to bloom into something truly special.

Twilight and her friends were also surprisingly supportive, Twilight in particular making a point to congratulate them both in private. Starfall had noticed that Rarity seemed to behave a little strange...almost dejected, when the subject was brought up, Applejack quickly reminding him of the tale of her crush on Prince Blueblood, and how disastrously that turned out. But all in all, they were all supportive of the relationship, and wished the best for both of them.

But everypony else in Equestria had absolutely no clue that their relationship had progressed beyond that of a friendly student and mentor interaction, and Starfall intended to keep it like that for as long as possible, as he went still, making another effort to settle his jittery nerves as Princess Celestia cleared her throat, her horn glowing with it's familiar golden aura, her recovered magic amplifying her voice slightly so everypony gathered in the gardens and the lobby could hear her.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! We are gathered here today to recognise the actions of several courageous, heroic ponies. Were it not for their actions on the night of the Coronation Ball, Equestria would be facing an age of darkness none of us can possibly comprehend."

The Princess paused to let this sink in, the expected murmurings starting up, as those that were there that night passed information on to those who had not witnessed the spectacular, and destructive events of that night. Soon enough, the entire crowd was talking amongst themselves, Starfall ducking his head, trying in vain to hide himself, knowing the entire crowd would soon know all about what happened that night.

Princess Celestia never asked for quiet...she simply continued speaking, and let her voice silence the crowd faster than any direct attempt ever could. "During the celebration of the induction of Princess Luna and myself onto the throne of Equestria, we were subjected to an attack, a dark plot of revenge by a pony who had been corrupted by dark and twisted magic."

The ponies who had not been present that night had various looks of surprise and horror, many also sporting looks of comprehension as the silence wore on. They had obviously made the connection between the arrest of a young unicorn stallion, who was apparently facing very serious charges, and what Celestia was telling them. The stallion that had been arrested was the unicorn behind the plot against Equestria.

"It was thanks to the ponies we are about to recognise here today, that this plot against Canterlot...and all of Equestria...was stopped. Their awards, and the gratitude we give to them today, are just a small token of the debt we all owe them." Celestia continued, her pause this time being met with respectful silence. Her heavy words seemed to be a sobering reminder to everypony of just how close Equestria had come to catastrophe that night.

Starfall once more felt incredibly self-conscious, which was not helped by the fact that his missing left wing was currently giving him ghost sensations, drawing his attention towards it. He really hoped nopony else noticed the slight looseness of his suit on the left side, the last thing he wanted was even more attention.

Starfall's nervousness was given a chance to ease slightly, however, Princess Celestia getting the ball rolling at long last. "First, would the captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, and his wife, Princess Cadance, please step up?" she called. Both Shining and Cadance blinked and looked at other. Apparently, the Princess of the Sun had sprung this on them with no warning, but both took it in stride once they realised what was happening, stepping up onto the platform together, never leaving each other's sides in an unconscious display of their unity.

"Princess Cadance...Shining Armor..." Celestia's words now took on a new tone, one full of hope and pride. Pride in her distant niece, along with one of her most trusted guards-ponies. "The both of you displayed a courage that night above and beyond what anypony could have expected of you. You went above your separate callings as Princess and Royal Guard, respectively, and resisted the threat to Canterlot, even when your own safety and lives were in danger. Your actions gave those around you a chance to stop the darkness threatening to overwhelm Canterlot, and for that, we are, all of us, in your debt."

As both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance bowed in humble respect and recognition of Princess Celestia's words, the eldest alicorn's horn glowing once more as she levitated two objects from somewhere behind her, letting them hover in front of her for a moment, so the whole crowd could see them.

The simple golden medallion was one Starfall vaguely recognised. The embossed design of the sun, Celestia's cutie mark, cradled in Luna's crescent moon, was simple, but easy to see for what it was. It was the Royal Canterlot Medal of Honour...a physical sign of the highest award the common pony could ever be gifted with. The silver ribbon it hung from was soon placed over Shining and Cadance's necks, the medals hanging against their chests, showing them to be the heroes they were.

As Princess Celestia thanked them one last time, however, Starfall shuffled nervously, resisting the urge to flutter his remaining wing underneath his suit. If Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were being given this award for their role, than that could mean that he, along with Twilight and her friends, must be receiving the same thing.

But Starfall was not able to dwell on the full implications of this, as the young couple, their awards received, made their way back down to the base of the podium, standing as a guard of honour once more, as Princess Celestia gave the crowd a moment to stomp their hooves in applause, cheering for the royal couple Equestria seemed to adore.

"I now call upon the six mares at the base of the stand to make their up here for their award," Princess Celestia called once the crowd had quietened down. Starfall was left once more relieved that his own moment was being delayed, as he stepped aside to let Twilight and her friends passed, the six mares ascending to step the gather in front of Princess Celestia.

It was clear that Twilight and her friends knew the routine, not a single one of them looking terribly uncomfortable. Even Fluttershy, was Starfall figured would normally suffer from terrible stage fright, seemed to be unusually calm, cool, and collected, though she did not look terribly happy to be the centre of attention, either. Since learning that Twilight and her friends wielded the Elements of Harmony, he knew, without having to be told, that this was not the first time they had used the Elements, and this was not the first time they had been publicly recognised for standing up in the face of incredible danger. This was probably not the first time they had received the Medal of Honour, either, he realised as Princess Celestia once more spoke up.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy...and Twilight Sparkle." If anything, Princess Celestia's voice displayed even more pride than before...it had always been clear that the Princess was fond of Twilight, as her personal student, but now, it was there for all of Equestria to see...along with the fact that she also held a certain care and affection for all of Twilight's friends as well. "Once again, Equestria owes these six young mares so much. They have once again stood tall in the face of dire peril, their resolve and bonds of friendship instrumental in eliminating the dire threat Equestria faced that night. Even as I stand before them, these awards feel like a woefully inadequate representation of the honour, respect and esteem these ponies deserve. The debt Equestria owes these young heroes can never be repayed...all we can do is show our undying gratitude and appreciation for all they have done...for all of us."

Once again, the gardens were filled with the sounds of stamping hooves and cheering voices as each of the six young mares lowered their heads, an identical medallion to the ones Shining Armor and Princess Cadance received soon adorning their necks, all of them giving the Princess a humble, honoured bow, before once more turning and retreating back down the stairs, the cheering dying down as they disappeared out of sight of the vast majority of the crowd.

As they walked passed Starfall, who was getting more and more nervous, Twilight stopped beside him, whispering so only he could hear her. "Relax, Starfall. Just enjoy the moment, and let everypony see you for the hero you are," she encouraged him softly, before trotting after her friends once more, the six of them sitting down a short way behind Starfall, waiting for Princess Celestia to speak up once more.

"Lastly, I would like to call upon a young stallion who was at the heart of the struggle for the whole night. Starfall, would you step up, please?" Princess Celestia called, looking down at him with an encouraging look, Princess Luna also turning her attention on him, an almost imperceptible move of her head showing that she was gesturing from him to come stand before them, too.

Starfall glanced back at Twilight and her friends one last time, swallowing nervously, before slowly making his way up the steps. The crowd gave various small murmurs, some clearly recognising him as Princess Luna's student, and the pony that had briefly danced with her at the Coronation Ball.

All Starfall could do was shut out and ignore the staring and murmuring as much as possible, focusing instead on the two Princesses before him as he finally reached the top of the stairs, standing directly in front of Princess Celestia, who gave him another soft smile, before looking up, addressing the crowd as she spoke up once more.

"This young stallion deserves special attention, fillies and gentlecolts. Of all the ponies we are recognising here today, Starfall was the least experienced in handling dangerous, threatening situations. He had every right to turn and leave, to protect himself, and his own safety. Instead, he put his life at risk, working hard to protect us all from disaster, even returning to the castle after the darkness seeking to destroy Canterlot threw him aside."

Starfall ducked his head, blushing at all the praise and attention being heaped upon him, but Princess Celestia was far from done. "Not only did he resist the forces conspiring against Equestria with a courage and dedication he should be proud of, he used his own body as a shield to protect those who were at that moment finally pushing the evil threat back, nearly sacrificing his own life. Starfall displayed a courage and selflessness I have never witnessed in a pony before."

As Princess Celestia paused once more, Starfall fought back his self-consciousness long enough to look up at the white alicorn, just in time to see her lift up yet another medallion...his very own award...the highest honour the Princess could possibly bestow upon him. "Starfall...I can think of no other pony who deserves this award more than you. A sentiment I am sure my sister agrees with. Your actions that night saved Equestria...saved my prized pupil...and saved my little sister. If there is anything troubling you, or anything at all you desire, the aid of the Canterot Royal Family will always be available to you."

The sincerity and gratitude in Celestia's voice floored Starfall. In truth, he had not entirely thought about what he had been doing at the time he had dived in the way of Cosmo's spell. Luna was in danger, and he could not allow her to come to harm. The fate of Equestria, and even Twilight, had not truly been on his mind at the time. He had done what he thought was the right thing, and now Princess Celestia was lavishing him with the highest praise and honour a pegasus could ever dream of.

But as he looked up at the medallion, hovering in front of him, Starfall hesitated to lower his head to accept it. Something did not feel right, like something was missing. He looked at Celestia, but saw only a kind, caring smile, nodding her head, as if to remind him that this was his award. As he looked over his shoulder, Twilight and her friends were similarly transfixed on the events occurring up on the podium, nothing seeming out of place.

He glanced back over, looking at Luna, seeing her also smiling at him, waiting patiently for him to accept the award. But as he looked at his new, secret marefriend, he paused, his uneasy feeling suddenly clicking into place as he realised what was bothering him.

He glanced back at the award, hesitating for another moment. Everything suddenly seemed off, and wrong...a subtle injustice was being unknowingly committed, one that had been allowed to fester for far, far too long. Starfall's self-conscious side wanted to stay silent, especially with the recent loss of his wing...but with another glance at Princess Luna, he took a deep breath. Somepony had to do it...and since nopony else had ever stood up before, he knew this was something he would have to do himself.

"I...I'm sorry, Princess Celestia," said softly, knowing this would generate a reaction from everypony gathered here. "But...I can't accept this."

Silence. Absolute, total silence greeted Starfall's refusal of the prestigious award. Nopony in the crowd made a sound, seeming to need the moment just to confirmed that they were not in the midst of a complicated illusion. Even Twilight and her friends were silent, Rainbow Dash's jaw hanging loose...clearly, the refusal of an award was unthinkable to the rash pegasus.

Even the Princesses were floored by his statement. Celestia could only stare at him in shock, while Luna appeared more puzzled than anything else, considering his behaviour unusually out of line. Starfall caught her eye, his gaze softening slightly, watching as Luna's face froze, comprehension dawning on her features.

Princess Luna, in the end, was the first speak up. "Pray tell, Starfall...why is it that you cannot accept this grand honour being offered to you?" she asked. Despite the earlier comprehension, her confusion was still evident. Starfall gave a small smile as he realised that, while Luna knew that whatever he was up to had something to do with her, she did not know exactly what he was doing.

But Starfall did not draw out the suspense...he doubted his already-wavering courage could handle it. "I can't accept this because there is somepony else here today who deserves it just as much as I do, who is being ignored," he replied, his gaze focused on Celestia, who appeared just as confused as everypony else. "A pony who fought with the darkness threatening Canterlot directly, and who risked her own life to save mine when I was as good as dead that night."

By now, Princess Celestia, and Twilight and her friends, were sporting looks of comprehension, while Luna looked at him, slightly stunned, barely managing to get a reply in. "Starfall, what are you doing?" she asked, sounding a little uncomfortable with being put on the spot in this manner, even if she was used to attention.

Starfall looked over at her, smiling softly. "A wrong has gone uncorrected for more than a thousand years, Princess Luna. It's time it was corrected," he said softly, too quiet for the crowd to hear, before turning back, stepping forward so he could talk directly to the crowd. He could feel his throat going dry, every nerve in his body screaming at him to stop, to get shrink back into the shadows and away from the spotlight, but he resisted it all. This was for Luna's sake, not his...he had to put his own feelings aside, even if just for a moment.

"Of all the ponies who put in an effort to stop the threat against Equestria that night, only Princess Luna's is not being recognised here, today," he said, making several ponies pause, murmuring in puzzlement at each other. "The Guardian of our night, even when she was consumed by the darkness seeking our destruction, did not give in. She displayed an inner courage and willpower today that I could only dream of copying, and as her student, I am somewhat disheartened that her actions are not being recognised today."

"If I may interject, mister Starfall," a mare called from the crowd, her accent clearly identifying her as one of the prim and proper Canterlot elite, even if Starfall could not pinpoint her among the sea of faces around him. "But is that not precisely the problem? No offence to Princess Luna, but she succumbed to the darkness. Nightmare Moon arose that night, and her actions were what caused the disaster to come after us in the first place! Why should we reward the very pony who nearly doomed us all?"

Starfall grimaced as several other ponies gave murmurs of assent, the crowd as a whole seeming to agree with the mystery mare's words. Starfall had expected something like this, but that did not mean the mindset hurt him any less. He glanced over at Luna, noticing that, while she was trying to keep her stoic mask on, her head was bowed ever-so-slightly, her eyes betraying her hurt and shame. Every comment from the crowd stung the Princess, but what worried Starfall the most was that she appeared to believe them. She was still feeling guilty and insecure about that dark side of herself she clearly detested.

The Princess' clear pain made Starfall pushed through his own discomfort...he needed to get these ponies to see the truth, to understand what he saw in the Princess of the Night. Turning back to the crowd, he faced the general direction of where the earlier voice had come from. "You might have a point, ma'am," he said slowly, making everypony blink in surprise, especially Celestia and Luna, before he pushed on, his expression turning a little harder. "But only if you consider Princess Luna and and Nightmare Moon to be the same pony. I believe they are not."

The mysterious pony, clearly the only one willing to speak out, was not convinced by this. "How do you come to that conclusion?" she asked, though the superior tone she was adopting made it sound a lot like a demand, instead. "The Princess can turn into Nightmare Moon...they share the same body, the same mind, therefore they are the same pony!"

Starfall was not deterred, however, shaking his head. "I believe you are wrong. For one, while Luna and Nightmare Moon do share the same mind and body, their personalities are so different from one another that not even some kind of magically-induced split personality could account for it. Let me ask you a question, all of you," he called to the crowd, calling up enough courage to level them all a hard stare, clearly wanting an honest response. "How many of you know Princess Luna?" he asked, elaborating as he saw several upper-class ponies attempting to answer. "I mean really know her? How many of you have spent time with her, stood in her presence, tried to find out what she likes, hates, and does with her spare time? You all know the Princess, but how many of you know the pony underneath the title?"

That did the trick. The entire crowd fell silent...nopony had a retort to that, exactly as Starfall had expected. Nopony had ever given Princess Luna the chance to show her true self, always basing their behaviour and opinions based on their preconceived notions. Since those preconceived notions saw ponies generally avoiding her, if not outright fleeing in terror, nopony had ever given Luna the chance...until he had come along.

But then Starfall saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and whirled around, ready to confirm exactly how this pony had gotten to know Princess Luna, only to freeze as he saw who it was; Twilight Sparkle. Starfall smiled, remembering how she had told him about that Nightmare Night where Luna had come to Ponyville. Luna was taking her first steps into the modern world, and Twilight was the first pony to make any kind of attempt to help her. Of all the ponies gathered here, aside from Princess Celestia and himself, Twilight was probably the only pony would could actually claim to know the alicorn, beyond her titles and public appearances.

"I probably do not know her as well as you, Starfall...but I have seen what the Princess is really like to some small extent," Twilight said, making sure none of the crowd could see her, before flashing him a quick wink...she had caught onto what he was doing, and intended to back him up and help him out. "And I, for one, agree with you. I saw what happened to Luna that night, the transformation to Nightmare Moon was done against her will, and I know that any attempt to fight off the influence of the dark magic that had changed her would require enormous willpower and courage."

Starfall nodded, giving Twilight a small, appreciative smile. "And that, right there, is the point I am trying to make," he said, addressing the crowd as a whole once more. "Nightmare Moon is a side of Luna that only appears when she is controlled by dark, twisted magic...magic that none of us would be able to fight off, were we the ones caught in it's hold. Princess Luna could very easily have just given up...have allowed Nightmare Moon to consume her completely, which would have certainly reduced our chances of stopping the disaster in time. But the Luna I know, the real Luna, is better than that. She has the best interests of Equestria at heart, and would do anything to protect us...even when we so carelessly cast her aside and condemn her to the shadows time and time again. Equestria doesn't deserve a Princess as bold and courageous as her leading us and watching over our night...but I for one, am very glad she does."

For a few moments, there was silence. Starfall seemed to finally be knocking some sense into the crowd, he just needed one more thing...one last piece of proof to show them that the image of Nightmare Moon was not what Luna should be known for.

"But if the Princess who watches over our night can so easily succumb to the temptation of dark magic, why should we reward and trust her?" the mare asked, clearly not about to give in. Despite this, Starfall suppressed a chuckle, even as he shook his head in exasperation. The mare had actually just dropped the answer right onto his back.

"Then why does she watch over our night?" Starfall asked, getting a few confused looks. "You all say Luna should not be trusted, yet you place your trust in her every single night." Seeing that most ponies were still looking confused, he pressed on. "Every night, you retreat into your homes, tuck yourselves, and your families, into your beds, and succumb to sleep. Who watches over the night, and all of Equestria, while you sleep? Who observes and watches over your dreams, your nightmares, while you lay there, blissfully unaware of the world around you?"

One by one, Starfall could see the faces in the crowd adopt looks of comprehension, as they all realised what Starfall was alluding to. Princess Luna guarded the night, watching over Equestria while its residents were at their most vulnerable. Seeing that he had their attention now, he pressed on. Now that he had got them thinking, he had to steer their minds away from the more horrific implications of what he was saying.

"If Princess Luna really was the same pony as Nightmare Moon, and if she was a susceptible to the dark magic that triggers her transformation as many of you believe, I very much doubt she would have let you sleep on in peace. If Nightmare Moon was around, able to infiltrate and influence your dreams, I think we all would know about it," he said, seeing a few scattered, but slow nods. He seemed to be finally getting through to them.

"But Princess Luna is not Nightmare Moon. Instead of terrorising us in the night, she watches and protects us. Instead of plaguing our sleep with horrific nightmares that never end, she watches our dreams, intervening and gently trying to subdue the worst elements of our nightmares. The Princess Luna I know is a pony who should not be feared, but rather respected and thanked for all she does to protect us when we are at our most vulnerable." Starfall took a deep breath, realising that he was getting a little forceful and emotional, needing a moment to calm down.

His unusually passionate speech, however, seemed to have floored the crowd, most were left looking between him and Princess Luna, who he noticed was also staring at him, completely stunned by how vigorously he was rising to her defence. He gave her a sheepish look, fighting back the blush that threatened to creep up onto his cheeks. He had to tread a fine line, now...get too passionate, and ponies might start to suspect his feelings for Luna, and possibly discover the relationship they had just started. But at the same time, he was desperate to show these ponies that Luna was not a Princess to be feared, but instead to be admired and appreciate like Celestia was, even if she was not as much of a fan of the spotlight as her elder sister.

Taking a deep breath, Starfall once more spoke, making one last attempt to get his message across. "The Princess of the Night was forced, against her will, to do unspeakable things that night...she was forced to give up her body and mind to Nightmare Moon. To then fight back, resisting the dark magic consuming her so hard that she eventually defeated it, is a display of willpower and determination we should all strive for. Not only that, but I owe her a personal debt...she saved my life, that night, at the risk of her own. That a Princess and alicorn would go out of their way to save me, a common pegasus, even if I am her student...that takes courage and kindness beyond anything I have ever seen from any pony in my whole life."

Starfall once more paused, taking a few breaths as he looked around at the crowd. All throughout the audience, he could see ponies with their heads bowed, deep in thought. Some appeared to look guilty, as if they were a little ashamed of their past opinions and attitude towards Princess Luna. But many were now staring a Luna, a strange look on their faces...seeing the Princess of the Night in a new way. He had done what his speech had set out to do...maybe now, Equestria would start seeing Luna for who she really was. Maybe now, more ponies would show just a little bit of appreciation for the beautiful night she worked so hard to give to them.

His job done, he turned back to Princess Celestia, giving her a bow. "I mean no disrespect, Celestia...you have honoured me more than you can imagine...but I cannot in good conscience accept the award with a pony far more deserving of it standing right here. It just would not feel right," he said softly, waiting for the alicorn's response.

None ever came. Princess Celestia was silent, staring at him in shock. She had obviously been completely taken by surprise by his impromptu speech, and emotional defence of her little sister. Starfall was not even sure whether she had even heard his last sentence to her, but either way, she could not muster up a response.

Starfall turned around, ready to leave the podium, when Luna's voice called out to him. "Starfall, wait." Her tone was hesitant, and soft...still sounding a little shocked at his earlier words. Starfall did as she asked, and was suddenly aware of the total silence. Everypony had gone quiet and still, as if the whole crowd was holding their breath, waiting to see how Luna would react to Starfall's words, and refusal of the award.

As Starfall turned around to look at the Princess of the Night, he saw her take a step towards him, close enough to read the finer details of her expression...usually the only signs of what she was feeling when she was in public, and signs that Starfall knew he was one of a very select group of ponies that could even understand her subtle expressions. What he saw there, in the very slight way the corners of her mouth were raised, and the gentle gleam in her eyes, told him that his speech for her had more or less humbled her.

"Starfall..." she began, her voice showing that sense of gratitude and humility in her voice, something the crowd must have picked up on. "Never, in my long life, has anypony ever spoken of me in such a kind, passionately caring way. To know that there is somepony out in Equestria who not only appreciates my night, but has the courage to stand and try to spread this appreciation, warms my heart more than words can ever express. To know that this pony is the pegasus I chose to be my personal student only makes me even more confident in my choice to take you under my wing."

Luna paused, giving Starfall a beaming smile. To the crowd, it simply looked like the Princess was showing the pride and gratitude she held for her student. Only Starfall could see the deeper feelings within the smile, her look telling him that if they were in a more private setting, she would probably be giving him a loving hug instead.

"I am proud of you, Starfall, as both my student, and as a pony of Equestria," Luna continued, her smile only growing wider as she brought her horn to life, a blue glow surrounding the medallion Celestia was still levitating, the younger alicorn gently prying it from her sister's magical grasp, continuing to speak as she made it hover her way. "Your display just now, in trying to promote another's accomplishments over your own, which were in no way insignificant, has strengthened my own resolve. While your efforts to bring my own actions to light are noble, and something I am thankful for...as the subject of those efforts, however, I believe you will listen to me when I say that you deserve this award far more than I do. Please, Starfall...you made your point, and your words are the only reward I could ever ask for. Take it," she said, holding out the medallion.

Despite Luna's assurances, Starfall still hesitated. Part of him still disliked that Luna was not being rewarded like they were, as he looked around, trying to see what everypony else, though. Princess Celestia seemed to have regained some of her senses, and was now smiling at both Starfall and Princess Luna, clearly wanting Starfall to take the award. Down below them, Twilight, along with all her friends, including Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, were also looking up his way, variously expressing their own opinion that he should take the award.

But it was when Starfall looked out at the crowd that he finally made his choice. Despite the fact that he was supposed to be the centre of attention at this point in time, he could see that many ponies had their gaze locked on Princess Luna, and those that were focused on him were flicking their gaze to Luna in brief bursts. He had done what his speech had aimed for...for once, Luna was no longer being confined to the shadows. All the work she did for Equestria was finally being seen and recognised. If even a few ponies took his message to start, and started appreciating Luna's night a little more, than Starfall could be happy, just as he was happy with the results he was getting now.

Sighing, Starfall turned back around, taking a deep breath, before ducking his head, kneeling before Luna as she placed the medallion around his neck. Now that Luna had gotten some of the recognition she deserved, his conscience was satisfied, and he could take the award in good faith, knowing that, as weird as it was to admit it, he did deserve it, and that everypony else who deserved recognition for that night had gotten it.

As Luna's magic faded, Starfall rose back to full height, hearing the crowd break out into another round of cheering and applause, though he ignored, his gazed fixed on Luna. Out there, in the middle of the crowded Canterlot Gardens, the two ponies shared a secret smile, missed by all but themselves...a shared smile full of of kindness, care...and love. A smile that promised so much more to come...in both their futures.