Got it Memorized?

by Flamer_Brony

First published 16th of March, 2013

Number VIII, Axel, the flurry of flames, faded away saving his friends and the worlds that exist in the stars. But where does a Nobody go when they fade? Do they dissapear, or do they go to another realm? Like Equestria.

Number VIII, Axel, the flurry of flames, awakes in Equestria after saving his friends by sacrificing himself. Axel tries to find a way back home, to help save Sora and his friends, in this magical land. But his plans are stopped when he finds out that he is not the only Organization member in Equestria. Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaus, Zexion, Saix, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene have also appeared in this realm. The members break into three different sides, each one with a different goal. But who will win, and will Equestria be forever shadowed in an everlasting darkness?

Special thanks to Timaeus for editing this, to Perpetual Motion for editing this, to thepinkparty for proofreading this, and to BioChemicalWolfGear for helping me get the plot line made.

And new special, super awesome, thanks to my buddy Card Shuffle for becoming my newest editor. (Nicest guy you'll ever meet.)

And another new thanks to Uber_Shy for becoming the newest member on my team of editors! Thank you guys for editing this! It makes it SOOOOOOOOO much better.

Edit: Featured on March 16th, 2013. What the hell guys.

Edit: If you haven't gotten past the Betwixt and Between realm in Kingdom Hearts II then WARNING SPOILERS!

I. The Name's Axel...

Sora an enthusiastic boy who became the hero of worlds and the chosen wielder of the KeyBlade , the legendary sword that could purge darkness from the worlds, looked towards the on approaching Nobody army of Dusks.

His grip tightened around his weapon as the Dusks got closer and closer. Sora looked at their ranks, seeing wave upon wave of the Nobody shells that longed for a heart of their own. His gaze stopped at one, its zippered mouth open, and the dark face within giving a mischievous smile to the KeyBlade wielder.

By Sora's side, his two best friends, Donald and Goofy, were preparing themselves for the battle of their life.

They had been at Sora’s side since they started their journey across the worlds, searching for King Mickey and finding the answer to the riddle that was Organization XIII. Through each world they visited they found the darkness of the Heartless, making hearts of light fall into the darkness, only to become another amongst their own ranks. Sometimes they left an empty shell behind, a Nobody, to follow orders from its new masters of the Organization.

The only thing defeating them was the KeyBlade our hero held in his hands. It could free the hearts stolen by the Heartless, and it was Sora's duty to defeat all darkness.

But that was all along the answer to the Organization’s riddle. They desired hearts of their own, and to do this they brought the Heartless to the worlds, to let their darkness grow and let them be slain by the KeyBlade wielder. The more Sora freed hearts stolen by darkness, the closer it brought the Organization to its goal; Kingdom Hearts.

Hearts that were freed grouped together into the enigma that was Kingdom Hearts. The Organization would use this legend to give themselves hearts of their own, and be whole once again.

The Organization was darkness unleashed, and as the KeyBlade master’s duty, Sora had to defeat them. He journeyed to their headquarters, The World That Never Was, through the realm that he and his companions were now trapped in. Betwixt and Between, a vortex of nothingness that would drive any man insane if they stayed too long. Sora had to cross this place to accomplish his goal, and it was here that he felt true, undeniable fear.

The Dusk army had appeared out of nowhere, blocking the heroes' path forward. They were all trapped, soon to be in the middle of a battle that would only end with their defeat.

Out of sight from the three heroes a portal of darkness appeared. From it came a man, taller than any of the three, wearing a black overcoat that went down to the tip of his shoes, the coat of an Organization member. The member that had walked out had red spiky hair, and markings below his turquoise eyes. The only difference between his original and Nobody form.

Number VIII, Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, master over fire. He always found it coincidental that he was a master of fire with red spiky hair.

He looked over at the mess Sora had gotten himself into and laughed. You always know how to find trouble don’t you Sora? He thought, looking as the Dusks continued their slow approach towards the group of heroes.

“It’s no use!” he heard Sora state over the army of Dusks.

A smile appeared on the Organization member’s face as he summoned his weapons in a flash of flames.

His weapons, two chakrams that he had mastered over the years of being a Nobody, were given the title of Eternal Flames. A title they rightfully deserved.

Guess I’ll have to save your sorry butt again Sora. How many times is it now? Too many to count I say. Axel thought to himself as he prepared to jump into the fray of the battle.

Bending down, Axel soared through half of the Dusk army, being carried by his momentum, “Don’t stop moving, or the darkness will overtake you!”

The words spewed from Axel’s mouth as he jumped the rest of the distance to get to the front lines of the Dusk army.

Besides where he had landed was a Dusk, preparing itself to attack the KeyBlade master. Axel took this window of opportunity and raised one of his Eternal Flames, ripping through the creature as if it was paper.

The Dusk disappeared in a brilliant flash of light after Eternal Flames had struck its foe down with a single attack.

That was the problem with Dusks now; they were too easy to beat.

Huh, I guess that’s why we have so many of them. Axel concluded to himself as he threw his other Eternal Flame at another Dusk close to the one he had already slain.

The chakram hit the Dusk square in the chest, making it disappear much like its counterpart.

At least they die with style. Axel thought as he commanded his weapon to fly back to his open palm.

The three heroes looked over in surprise. Well, everyone but Donald. He looked over with a hatred bearing in his eyes at the sight of Axel. For understandable reasons, given the man had done some bad stuff to them in the past.

Axel turned towards the three, still in battle position, preparing to fight the rest of the Dusk army by himself, even though he knew it was suicide, “Get goin’!”

The three heroes calmed themselves out of battle position.

“Why?” Sora asked; puzzled as to why Axel was helping him after everything he had already done.

This kid just doesn’t get it. Axel got out of battle position and held his Eternal Flames firmly in his grip. “Don’t ask. Just do it!” he ordered once again, but just like the last time, they didn’t move.

Before Axel could try to convince them any further, a Dusk had sneaked up behind him and struck him in the neck, causing him to crash down to the invisible floor with a hard thud. The Dusk gently landing on top of him, ready to give the final blow.

Dying to a worthless Dusk, go figure. Was all Axel thought, not caring that much that he might actually die. He was just worried he wouldn’t go out with a bang.

From the corner of his eye, Axel saw Sora's form dashing over to his aid, KeyBlade in hand. The boy gave one powerful slash, cutting through the Dusk on top of him, and another close beside it, both dying in a flash of light.

Oh, that was good Sora, you’ve gotten better.

“You okay?” Sora said as he extended his hand, concern clear as crystal in his voice.

He really is Roxas. A small chuckle escaped Axel’s lips. Well of course he is. Roxas is a part of him; they are pretty much the same person, except Sora has more of a personality with being real and all. I guess it’s time to apologize though.

Axel looked up to Sora, small pieces of regret showing through his eyes.

“I kidnapped Kairi, but she got away from me,” Axel flicked a hand in the air as he spoke, “After that, Saïx caught her,” the hand soon fell to the ground, “He’s a member of Organization XIII. Saïx. Got it memorized?”

Sora gave a quick nod of his head. I knew you were always a quick leaner Sora. I even told you that when we met in Castle Oblivion, not like you’d remember.

“Now go save her!” Axel finished his apology and he felt… lighter, like a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulder.

A Dusk appeared behind KeyBlade wielder and instantly charged at him. Before Axel even had the chance to warn the boy, Sora turned with cat-like reflexes that reminded Axel of his old comrade Larxene, and cut the Dusk in half with his KeyBlade.

Getting back into battle position he yelled to the Nobodies, “Leave us alone!”

Axel stood up from the ground he was thrown to and summoned his Eternal Flames to his hands, getting into battle position as the others did the same.

Really Sora, you’re telling the Dusks to leave us alone? They only follow orders from their masters. Huh, I guess I don’t count as one of their masters anymore. The thought made him chuckle. But who wants to be in a group of bores? It got really dull when Roxas left.

Roxas…

The thought of his old, best friend brought a pang of sadness to the heart Axel denied existence to.

The sounds of the Dusk army approaching snapped Axel out of his trance. He saw Sora looking at him, concern in his eyes. The red haired man gave a smile before spinning Eternal Flames in his hands, “What are we waiting for?”

With those last few words said the battle had begun.

Donald used every spell he knew, defeating Dusk after Dusk with fire, ice, and lightning, while Goofy threw his shield at his enemies to cut through them with ease. A few Dusks had the misfortune to be crushed under Goofy and his shield. His skill with the defensive weapon was impressive, but not as much as Sora’s own.

Even though he was just a boy, he was well practised with his KeyBlade and had defeated hundreds of Dusks in mere minutes. Though, every time he slashed through a few enemies, he left himself wide open for an attack.

Dusks would hoard towards him in the hope that they could take this opportunity to defeat the KeyBlade master. Usually a chakram would cleave right through them, whizzing towards them with incredible speed Other times Axel would summon several balls of fire to charge towards them, burning them on impact.

To Axel the battle was fun and amusing. He danced around the battlefield with a grace that only skill and practise could provide. His chakrams would leave his hands for an attack, reappearing moments later as if they had never left

Hundreds of Dusks had been defeated, but it looked as if not a dent had been made in the army.

Axel and Sora jumped back-to-back after defeating double the amount of Dusks they had just a minute before. Axel looked across the battlefield, no longer able to see Donald or Goofy.

Walking slowly and strangely, the Dusks approached the two. Okay, this is harder than I thought. Axel thought to himself, beads of sweat starting to form on his brow.

“I think I liked it better when they were on my side,” Axel said to Sora, as he looked at the Dusks in front of him.

Sora went partially out of battle position and turned towards his fiery haired companion. “Feeling a little… regret?” he asked.

Yeah, I’m feeling regret about trying to turn you into a heartless. Axel chuckled under his breath, eyes scanning at the waves of Nobodies that were slowly approaching, as if they had already won.

And I thought I was arrogant. “Nah… I can handle these punks,” Axel turned his head to Sora, realizing that there were more Dusks than he thought Xemnas had even commanded.

Seeing that there would be only one way for them, at least for Sora to survive, he would have to use his final technique.

At least I’ll go out in a bang! Axel thought, a smile crawling upon his lips, “Watch this!”

He jumped through the air, his Eternal Flames glowing red with energy.

He landed in the midst of the army of Nobodies, his chakrams falling out of his grip and floating around him.

Charging his power they began to spin faster and faster around their master. Flames formed around them, strings of darkness flowing about Axel. The heat rose to unbearable levels, the Dusks cringing away in pain.

After moments of pouring all of his essence and strength into his final attack, Axel released it all at once, creating an explosion of fire and light that filled his vision. He even closed his eyes at the surge of light.

Mere seconds after the light and fire had blinded him it was gone. It took his eyes a while to adjust to the change in light, but after a second or two, Axel saw an amazing sight.

All the Dusks were gone, defeated by his attack. He couldn’t believe that he had done such a deed.

He could hear Sora’s amazement from the attack he had done.

Axel lay there on the floor, feeling great joy from what he had done. He had saved his friends, and did it in style the whole time.

However, that joy quickly disappeared and was replaced by an empty feeling that was consuming Axel’s essence. Not the empty feeling of not having a heart that he had almost always felt, but a feeling as if he didn’t exist.

I guess this is what fading feels like. Huh, I always thought it would be different. Maybe feel a little cold, but I just feel…nothing. I guess that’s what happens to Nobodies when they die.

Lying on his back, Axel looked up at the blue part of the vortex overhead. He was reminded of a clear, summer sky.

From the corner of his eye he could see the three heroes running towards him, with Sora taking the lead. You always were a fast one Sora. Just like Roxas.

Eventually Sora got to where Axel lay and spoke with a sadness he didn’t expect from the energetic hero, “You’re… fading away…”

Axel would have laughed had he the strength, “Well, that’s what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?”

“Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings… right?” His voice faltered as he spoke, “Anyways, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh almost forgot… Sorry for what I did to her.”

Sora looked at his friend with tears in his eyes. Though that didn’t falter his voice, he was just as calm as ever, just with a little bit of sadness in his voice, “When we find her, you can tell her that yourself.”

You just don’t get it kid, do ya? Axel thought to himself, vision blurring from the withering of his strength.

Deciding just to give up on trying focusing on Sora as he spoke, Axel let his head turn back towards the non-existent ceiling.

“Think I’ll pass. My heart just wouldn’t be in it, you know? Haven’t got one.”

He managed a laugh that surprised him. Maybe I’m not that weak. Axel thought before his vision blurred again. Nope, still fading.

Sora, looking over Axel’s fading shell of a body, asked, “Axel, what were you trying to do?”

Guess its truth time. Axel thought as Sora finished his question.

“I wanted to see Roxas,” Axel answered, strength ebbing away from him at an alarming rate.

Sora was taken aback by his answer, realizing how much of a friend Roxas was to Axel. I swear Sora if you are going to cry at my death I’ll come back and haunt you for the rest of your life.

“He… was the only one I liked…” Axel explained to Sora, his vision starting to blacken. Pausing for a minute to swallow a lump in his throat Axel continued, “He made me feel… like I had a heart. It’s kind of… funny…”

Axel turned his head towards Sora, even though he knew it would only take more of his almost non-existent strength away, “You make me feel… the same…”

As his essence was near to nothing he realized he did not have long before he fades completely. I have to end this now, he needs to save Kairi and stop Xemnas. “Kairi’s in the Castle Dungeon. Now go.”

With what remained of his strength Axel opened a portal to The World That Never Was. There, done. Ha, I guess I’ve turned into a hero. Axel thought to himself, feeling a great accomplishment.

From all that he had done he felt…calm. As odd as it was, Axel felt calm about his death. He had saved his friends, and made jokes along the way. What more could he ask for.

Roxas…

“Axel,” Sora said as he watched his friend fade away.

Axel, however, could have sworn it was Roxas who said it.

As he faded, Axel became surrounded in darkness. He could see his hands, legs, and even a piece of red hair that fell in front of his eyes, but he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t feel. He tried to make a sarcastic comment about this place, but no words came out of his mouth.

Well this is great, I’m going to be stuck here forever and I don’t even get to joke about it. This is going to be boring with a capital “B.” Can I at least walk here?

Axel lifted his foot in the darkness and took a step forward. I guess that answers that. Now, where to go?

A faint light flicked in and out of existence in the ongoing distance. That way it is. Axel agreed in his mind, guessing that the light must mean some way to get back to the real world, maybe even save Sora, again.

As he started walking towards the place where the light had been shining, Axel thought over everything that had just happened. His wonder to what will happen to Sora and his friends. Will he ever find Kairi or Riku? Will he ever see Roxas again?

After a while he decided to give up on the thoughts, seeing that they were not really important at the moment. He simply continued his walk forwards.

You know, this is actually kind of calming. Yeah I’m dead, but I feel as light as a feather. Well I guess you’d feel as light as a feather when your essence is gone. Man, I wonder how long it’ll be like this. Will I just be here in darkness with only my own thoughts and memories for the rest of time? Or will this place change? Man this place is almost as boring as Xemnas’ personality.

Laughing silently Axel continued his train of thought. Sora would have loved to hear that one, maybe if I get back I can tell it to him. He’s always in the mood for a good laugh. At least he’s more alive than Roxas was when we first met. That kid was such a zombie, glad I finally snapped that out of him.

After another pang of sadness from the mention of Axel’s old chum, he decided it would be best to figure out what that light was first before continuing his chain of memories.

Minutes of walking in the dark nothingness passed with Axel only wondering what that light was. Was it his imagination? Or did he actually see it?

It didn’t really matter. He hadn’t seen it again its first appearance, and it didn't look like it was likely to appear again anytime soon. But that’s where he was wrong.

He saw the bright light flash in and out of existence again, closer this time though.

I’m getting closer to getting out of this place. I could use for a good change of scenery. Axel’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a bird tweeting.

Was that… no, it couldn’t have been real. I don’t see any birds around. Axel thought as he looked around for any birds in the darkness.

He heard the tweeting again, closer as he continued to walk. Okay, that is real. Now where is it?

His question was answered when a blinding flash of light that appeared when he took a step forwards, shattering the darkness around him as if it were glass.

When the light had faded he looked to see he was on a cylinder platform. It had the appearance of a stained glass window. In the centre of the platform was a symbol of the sun and moon rotating around each other, like Yin and Yang.

Six points protruded from the symbol, going out towards six other symbols around the edge of the circular platform. All were encased within six circles.

The symbol directly opposite to where Axel stood was a symbol of a purple gem. To its right was a symbol of a light-pink butterfly and to its left was a symbol of an orange apple. The irony in the colour choice made Axel laugh, except this time he heard himself.

“Finally! I can talk. Not being able to talk just made it even more boring than before. I couldn’t even enjoy listening to my own voice.”

Axel returned his attention to the symbols and saw to the left of the rather ironic orange apple was a pinkish-purple eight-pointed star with smaller white stars coming out of it. That one seemed to be the most powerful and important of the symbols he had seen so far he'd seen. He'd even begun to start sounding like Vexen for a minute.

Pushing the notion of his Vexen-like actions to one side, Axel continued on. To the right of where he stood was a symbol of a blue balloon that he couldn’t help but smile at.

I think that’s my favorite so far.

The symbol brought back happy memories of hanging out with Roxas on the clock tower eating sea-salt ice-cream and laughing.

Leaving the symbol Axel looked back at the centre and followed the last point that protruded from the centre to a symbol he was standing on. He walked off of it and turned to see what it was, without the obstruction of his own body. To his surprise it was a red lightning bolt.

“A red lightning bolt, eh? I guess red is pretty cool here,” Axel smiled and placed a hand on his hip, “Oh I can get used to this place.”

But you now have to leave.

Axel spun around on his heels, summoning his Eternal Flames in a flash of fire. When he saw no one there he became confused. He stood with a straight back and started talking to whatever it was that had just spooked him.

“Come out and play, I won’t bite.”

You couldn't see me even if I tried. But I have come to tell you that you shall be given a new chance to live.

Axel heard the words but couldn’t believe them. This was one of the few times he was unsure of something, “So you mean you’re going to send me back to save the day, right?”

You are partially right. But you are not going back. You are going forwards.

After the voice spoke, Axel only got more confused, “What the heck does that mean?”

Enough questions Flurry of Flames. Sleep, sleep.

“I’m not slee-py,” Axel became drowsy and tired all of the sudden, slowly starting to lose consciousness. What… what is happening?

All your questions shall be answered old friend. But for now you must sleep.

Whatever you say, I could use a good nap. Have been too busy to sleep for the past few days, with saving Sora and betraying the Organization you know?

Axel fell into a deep, dreamless, slumber as his body toppled backwards and hit the circular platform.

He thought of nothing as he slept, but felt the air return to his lungs, and the ability to breathe once again.

When Axel awoke, he beheld a beautiful cloudless, blue sky. How’d I get here? Axel thought, starting to remember as to that strange voice that spoke to him. Well this must be the forward part of the deal. Now, where am I?

Axel picked himself up, for the second time that day, and looked around at his surroundings.

It was certainly the most colourful scenery he’d ever seen. It was a good change from the darkness. The thought of the dark realm that Axel decided to call the void made him shudder, but he continued looking around.

To his left was an orchard of apple trees that had dozens and dozens of apples that all seemed ripe for the picking.

Axel looked ahead of him and saw a flat clearing that went into a dark, gloomy forest.

“Well that just ruins the view,” Axel stated, a hand on his hip and the other towards the forest, his palm facing the clear sky, “This place would have been a great place to live. Too bad.”

As Axel continued his search of the area, looking at the path of flowers he woke up in, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard screams of three children coming from the dark forest behind him.

“Oh?” Axel turned around to see three miniature pastel coloured horses that were about knee-height running away from what seemed to be a giant wolf made out of wood that was about a head taller than him.

The strange thing about the horses though was that one with a white coat and pink and purple mane had a horn coming out of its forehead, one with an orange coat and purple mane had wings, and finally, one with a yellow coat, and red mane with a pink bow tied into it screamed, “HELP!”

Usually people would be surprised by seeing a unicorn, Pegasus, and miniature horse that could talk. But for Axel, it was just another day.

I’ve seen talking animals before, but this is a new one. Now the question is should I help them or not. Hmm, well I’m guessing that wolfy here won’t help me, so I guess that leaves me one option.

With his decision made Axel summoned his Eternal Flames once again and jumped through the air, throwing his chakrams at the beast. A smile appearing on his face as his weapons sailed through the air towards their destined target.

They struck the wooden wolf dead-on and knocked it to pieces.

The three small horses turned at the sight, and watched as Axel landed in front of them, catching his chakrams as they made their way back to his awaiting hands.

“Well that was anti-climactic,” Axel said, relaxing out of battle position.

He could hear the nervous voice of one of the fillies behind him ask, “Who… who are you?”

Axel turned to face them, about to answer when the three fillies screamed. Behind him, Axel could hear pieces of wood hitting each other.

He turned to see the wooden-wolf rebuild itself, and growl at him. The red haired man quickly shifted back into his battle stance, spinning his weapons within his hands, “So wolfy wants to play some more?”

Axel smiled, looking out of the corner of his eyes at the three scared little fillies, “Shouldn’t keep him waiting then should we. Oh, almost forgot. The name’s Axel,” gripping his Eternal Flames for dramatic effect, Axel continued, “Got it memorized?”

Author's Notes:

Okay! I fixed some stuff in this chapter that you guys have pointed out, if you still notice any mistakes please notify me. I have no clue when the next chapter will come out, I have a bunch of other stuff to do with this story and I'm thinking of juggling this with a couple other stories, so just to warn you guys I'm not going to be constant with updates for this.

Anyways, thanks for reading this story (even though it isn't that great ) and thanks for the comments! Seriously, they have made my day multiple times. So yeah, wish you blokes a good day and if you are a Jak and Daxter fan I recommend one of my editors stories, Jak: Adventures in Equestria.

Cheers mates, and happy reading!

- Flamer

II. The Embers Burn

Applejack galloped through the streets of Ponyville, her powerful hooves kicking up the dirt road behind her as she ran. Her emerald eyes darted around their sockets, grazing every inch of the town she called home for the slightest sign of her baby sister and the remaining two Cutie Mark Crusaders, now on their new and most dangerous quest for their Cutie Marks, hunting monsters in the Everfree.

The honest farmer kept hope, telling herself that she would protect the three fillies from the forest, whatever the cost. But that did not stop the dark thoughts that clouded her mind. The smell of fresh baked sweets wafted through the air, snapping Applejack out of the mental trance she had fallen into. Her stomach grumbled and protested from the smell, yet Applejack would continue on nonetheless.

She looked forwards through the obstruction of her Stetson hat to see the frosted roof of SugarCube Corner. Applejack gave a silent prayer, begging all and any gods listening that her sister was still in SugarCube Corner, preparing with her friends for their newest crusade. She no longer cared if Apple Bloom was going to do this stupid monster catching nonsense or not. All she wanted was her baby sister once again safe in her hooves, so she could repair the bonds that she had broken between the two.

But the dark thoughts that had clouded her mind started to gain control,, showing Applejack her darkest fears. It conjured up a horrifying image that would make any pony sick to the bones. It was of her baby sister, helpless on the forest floor of the Everfree, blood seeped from wounds that adorned her body. Her pink ribbon, now a blood red colour as it lay tattered in shreds beside her, tears falling down her eyes as she shouted and pleaded for help, for somepony, anypony, to save her from the vile monster of the forest that now made its slow approach to the small filly for its killing blow.

She felt tears at the rims of her eyes, those wicked thoughts repeatedly telling her that it was her fault, that it was what would happen because of her actions. It took all of her will power to hold her tears back. However, holding those tears back soon became her downfall. Applejack felt her hooves stumble and her legs give out underneath her as she tripped. Her body flew through the air and landed on the ground she had run upon time and time again. An audible crack was heard by the farmer and she felt the tears she had held back for so long now fall down her face and onto the dirt road she had tripped on.

Her eyes blurred as memories of what happened but a few hours ago filled her mind. The actions she had done that caused this entire mess, playing over and over again in her mind. They played again and again, twisting the knife in her heart.

---

“But Applejack,” Apple Bloom pleaded, she looked up at her sister with big doe eyes. Her Cutie Mark Crusaders crusading cape sprawled out next to her on her bed.

“Ah said no! Ya’ll ain’t going anywhere near that dang forest, especially trying to catch some monsters!” Applejack yelled at her sister as she scolded her for ever thinking of going into the Everfree to catch some monsters for her Cutie Mark. One of Applejack’s fore-hooves stomped the hard wood floor beneath her, “You know what’s in that forest!”

“It’s not fair! You go in it all the time!” Apple Bloom protested to her sister, the slightest hint of malice in her voice as an ember of hatred towards her sister kindled in her heart. “Why can’t Ah!?”

“Because it’s too dangerous for a filly to go into the Everfree all by herself!” Applejack answered back at her sister, as she leaned forwards slightly to look her sister in the eyes, and what she saw in those eyes, was an ember of a kindling fire.

“But Ah’m not going alone! Scoots and Sweetie are comin’ with me!” Apple Bloom yelled, as she tried to match her sister’s gaze, eventually she averted from her sister’s gaze, unable to compete with Applejack’s, instead she looked towards her pillow, the place she hid the photo of their parents under, before they…

Returning to the conversation, Applejack yelled back at her sister, “And they shouldn’t go either! None of you should do this stupid monster catching quest to see if ya’ll get your Cutie Marks!”

“It’s not stupid!” Apple Bloom shrieked at her sister, the kindle of fire in her heart turned into a raging inferno in front of her sister’s eyes. Fueled by anger and spite all towards her sister, the one pony she cared for the most and the one pony that cared for her the most.

Applejack cringed backwards at her sister’s outburst, but soon regained herself and took a step closer to the young filly, “Going into that forest will only get you hurt!”

“I’ve gone in there dozens of times and I’ve never been hurt!”

“You’ve been doin’ what!?”

“I’ve gon’ into the Everfree dozens of times with Scoots and Sweetie and we’ve never been hurt!”

“You’ve been goin’ behind my back into the Everfree!?”

“We’ve been goin’ into the Everfree tryin’ to get our Cutie Marks! And Ah’m goin’ into it again to get my Cutie Mark!”

“No you’re not! Ah’m not losing anyone else to that forest! Ah’ve already lost ma’ and pa’ to it Ah’m not losing you too! You’re grounded young missey!”

“But this could be my Cutie Mark!”

A sigh escaped Applejack’s lips and she walked closer to her sister, putting a comforting hoof on her sister’s shoulder, “Ah already told you you’d get your Cutie Mark someday sis, but it’s not worth riskin’ your life over it.”

Apple Bloom swatted Applejack’s hoof away before she continued the flamed argument between the two. “How do you know!? Maybe Ah am supposed to be a monster catcher, maybe that’s what Ah’m supposed to be! If Ah don’t go Ah could be a dumb old blank flank for the rest of mah life!”

“Apple Bloom goin’ into the Everfree after some monster’s will only get you hurt or-“ Applejack swallowed a lump in her throat, as her mind wandered into darker thoughts that pained her to imagine, “Worse.”

“You just want me to be a blank flank forever don’t you!?”

“No, Ah want a living breathing sister!”

“So you want me to be a blank flank forever!”

“That’s not what Ah said.”

“It is too!”

“No it’s not.”

“IT IS TOO! You just want me to stay here forever as your little blank flank sister forever instead of being a grown mare with a Cutie Mark!”

“That’s enough!” Applejack yelled at her sister at the top of her lungs, silencing her sister.

“Apple Bloom I know getting your Cutie Mark is important to you, but you’re just not thinking straight and only hurtin’ yourself and making yourself crazy about getting your Cutie Mark! You’re thinking of riskin’ your life because you may get your Cutie Mark!” the orange cowpony grunted in agitation, her eyes looked up at the spinning fan above before she continued her tirade, “All of this would never have happened if you didn’t create that little group with your friends! Ah knew that group would only get you into trouble! So Ah’m sayin’ now that you’re banned from ever goin’ crusadin’ with your friends ever again!”

Applejack finished her rant, and saw to her dismay what her words had done to her sister.

“Wh-what?” Apple Bloom blurted out between quick breathes, in hopes to hold back the tears that started to form in her eyes.

Applejack felt like screaming at herself for what her words had done to her baby sister. She wanted to fix the situation, to listen to her heart and mend the bonds she had just broken between them, but instead she let her brain take over and hold to what she had said, even though every word she had said pained her enough to create tears of her own.

As Applejack tilted her Stetson hat over her eyes, to prevent the tears she had to be shown to her baby sister, she said in a low hushed voice at the verge of cracking up, “You heard me. You’re never goin’ Crusadin’ again.”

The tears that had started to form in the rims of her sister’s eyes now came down as rain. Staining the white sheets she sat on with their sorrow.

Applejack knew what her words had done, and for once she was unable to face the truth. The older mare turned away from her sister and walked slowly out of her sister’s room. She kept up her guise she had made to keep her calm and not show to her sister how the words that had pained her had also pained her big sister. That guise though, began to quickly slip away. The tears she held started to stream down her face slowly, much like how her own hooves slowly scraped along the wooden floor as Applejack walked out of her sister’s room. To let the small filly vent out her sorrow by herself. She deserved that much.

Applejack walked away from her sister’s room and down the old wooden stairs of their home to the lounge area down below. The quick breathes her sister had been doing, trying to stop the tears that came down her face, soon became cries of anguish. Soon those cries became wails of sadness that resounded through the entire house. It brought an aura of sadness and gloom to the once joyful residence.

As the grief stricken cowpony reached the end of the stairs, out of sight and earshot of her sister, she finally let the emotions she had bottled up inside of her out. She crouched down to the wooden floor, her tears coming out with short ragged breaths as she leaned against the adorned wall for support.

Applejack told herself that it was all for her sister’s own good, that her words that banned her sister from crusading with her friends were for her best, that they were to protect her. Yet Applejack knew them all as lies she told herself to make her actions seems just in some way.

She stayed there for a time, she heard her sister’s cries from her spot, and she began to realize how wrong her actions were. They may have been to protect her sister, but if to protect her sister was to make her sister hate her for the longest of times, Applejack would not let it sit.

She stood from her spot. Her salty tears left her eyes red and glazed, and made her slow trek towards the kitchen. Where she would do the one thing that may fix what she had done.

Applejack opened the pantry doors and took out range of fruits and vegetables, flour, and a few other ingredients for one of her sister’s favorite meals.

She walked over to the oven and set the temperature to a good enough one to make a pair of apple fritters, known as her sister’s favorite pastries that she would devour within minutes they were set on the table. Applejack then got out a pot large enough for a small amount of celery tomato soup, and started to cook her sister’s favorite lunch; a bowl of celery tomato soup and an apple fritter on the side.

Applejack cooked carefully and with the speed faster than that of the Cakes when they’re late on an order. She continued to cook for almost two hours; finally she stopped when she took out the two apple fritters she had made for her sister and herself.

Careful not to burn herself as she took them out, Applejack placed the fritters on clean, white plates that she then placed on red trays with the celery tomato soup she had made. As she placed the two trays onto her back with some extra napkins in her mouth for her baby sister, she always was a messy eater.

Applejack walked up the old wooden steps again to her sister’s room, and finally she took notice of the silence in the house. She thought it no more than the possibility her sister had cried herself to sleep and continued her ascent without pause. The creak of the stairs accompanied and signalled her ascent, and Applejack walked beside the door to her sister’s room.

Applejack placed an ear to the door only to hear an eerie silence; she didn’t even hear the slight snore of her sister sleeping. Applejack still paid all the signs no mind, and with a shaking hoof she slowly opened the door to her sister’s room.

“Apple Bloom?” she silently called, in hope to wake the filly from her rest.

On the bed, underneath the covers, was the form of her sister. The window in her room open, the wind from the breeze outside blew the curtains around. Applejack thought it as nothing and walked over to her sister, “Apple Bloom?” she called again in a soft, gentle, voice.

Still with no answer, Applejack lifted the covers off of her sister quietly.

The trays Applejack had on her back fell onto the floor at what she saw. The bowls of soup spilled their contents on the wooden floor boards as the plates fell, fritters first, and squished the pastries flat beneath the plates.

Underneath the covers at what she thought was her sister, was a stuffed bear, around it were some of her sister’s clothes, made to look like the filly herself sleeping beneath the covers. No.

Applejack dashed over to the window and saw sheets and clothes tied in knots that trailed down the window and onto the ground below.

Applejack, stood there, rooted in place as her brain still took in what she knew her sister had done. She finally snapped out of it as she realized what her sister was now going to do.

Applejack whipped around and ran out of the farmhouse, she galloped towards Ponyville, she ran at top speed to the famous sweet selling store SugarCube Corner in hopes that her sister was still there in the store with her friends as they drank their milkshake before their next crusade, this one, however, was the most dangerous the fillies could ever do. She ran in hopes she could stop her sister from getting herself hurt.

As she passed through the apple trees, all of them soon ripe enough to be bucked off, one thought shot through her head. This is all my fault!

---

Applejack picked herself up from the ground. She wiped the tears from her eyes. As she lowered her foreleg, she saw everypony staring at her. Their expressions showed their question and concern to what had just happened.

Applejack looked forwards towards her Stetson hat, walked over to it, and with a single flick of her hoof, flipped it back onto her head. It landed in front of her red eyes, shielding them from the eyes of the other ponies that wished to know what had just happened to the tough cowpony, “Ah’m fine, Ah just tripped is all.”

With those words said everypony slowly returned to what they were doing before, some gave skeptical glances from the corner of their eyes. Others looked for a bit longer before they returned to what they were doing before as everypony else already had.

Now with no eyes focused on her, Applejack resumed her journey at a much slower pace than before, the pain from her hurt ribs slowed her down as she ran. But she didn’t care as she gave another look towards the sweet selling store, hope shined in her eyes as she saw how much closer she came towards the sweet selling store with every step she took.

Minutes passed by slowly, fear’s cold grip started to tighten around the orange cowpony, the sweet selling store fully in sight, the doors to it closed as usual, as Applejack came not but five feet from the door.

Applejack burst through the doors of the store, giving no notice to a white sign on the store’s windows as she looked around the store.

Empty tables littered the place, yet the smell of the baked goods still wafted in the air. Applejack looked towards the store counter to see the Cake parents with their two little foals, Pound and Pumpkin, who looked over at the orange cowpony, surprise clear on their faces.

As they realized who came in through the store doors, Mr. Cake put a grin on his weary face, “Hi Applejack. Surprised to see you here, if you wanted to buy anything I’m afraid to say we’re closed for the day.” He said as he turned back to the Pegasus colt he held and tickled the colt’s belly. Laughter came from the colt as he tried to squirm out of his father’s grasp.

“Have either of two seen Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked the two as her eyes quickly glanced into the open kitchen doors. Behind them Pinkie stood, she bounced up and down, her cotton candy like mane bounced with her as she jumped up and down. She seemed extremely excited about whatever it was beyond the closed oven door.

Applejack looked back at the married couple, Applejack felt her heart drop as she saw both of them slowly shake their heads, “Can’t say we have.”

Applejack looked down at the floor, more tears swelled in her eyes as she knew she had failed her task. She didn’t stop Apple Bloom from going into that forest. She may now be dead for all she knew. And she may have lost another pony she cared about to that damned forest, and it was all her fault!

Applejack felt ready to give up, she couldn’t stop her sister from going into the Everfree with her friends, and there was nothing she could do.

Oh for cryin’ out loud! Stop beating yourself up and get off your flank and go save er’! Applejack yelled at herself. The faces of her parents flashed before her eyes as she remembered them, even though it brought her pain to remember the two she had already lost to that forest. I’m not goin’ to lose another pony I care for to that forest!

Applejack snapped herself out of her depression and reared around to save her sister from whatever the trio had gotten into.

As Applejack turned she was confronted with a unicorn mare with a white coat and purple mane, looking around the shop just like Applejack herself had done but a few moments ago. “Applejack, please tell me you’ve seen Sweetie Belle. I can’t find her anywhere.”

As Rarity spoke, Applejack realized that Apple Bloom wasn’t the only one in danger. Ready to tell Rarity everything she should have already told her, she was soon interrupted by a certain cyan Pegasus who swooped through the building doors.

“Hey! You guys seen Scoots around anywhere, we were gonna have a flying practice together but she never showed.”

A gasp escaped Rarity’s lips. Applejack would have done the same if she hadn’t already known why Scootaloo hadn’t been at their flying practice.

Both of Applejack’s friends look over to her as sweat began to cover her body, “You okay AJ?”

Applejack hung her head, and then told the two about the crusaders plan and how Applejack had “handled” the problem. As she finished her tale both mares looked at her with wide eyes.

“Applejack, I cannot believe you didn’t tell us!” Rarity shrieked.

“Yeah, I mean, you couldn’t spare five minutes to get your flank over to tell us about this!?” Rainbow joined in, anger seething through her at the thought of her number one fan in danger, and Applejack forgot to tell her.

“Ah’m sorry Ah didn’t tell you, but I was busy with mah sister! And it doesn’t matter now, we gotta go!” Applejack reminded them, momentarily averting the two mare’s anger away from herself and onto another more important topic.

“But where do we start? The Everfree is a big place; we could be looking for them in there for months!” Rarity asked.

Fear’s hold on the alabaster unicorn making her thoughts jumble around and look towards the darker thoughts in her mind, but she was right, the chances they had of finding the three crusaders in the Everfree was slim to none.

“Ah don’t know, but we gotta try,” was all Applejack said before she darted out of the store and back into the streets of Ponyville with Rarity and Rainbow Dash soon on her tail as they raced towards the nearest entrance to the enigmatic Everfree.

Minutes passed without a word spread among the three. They raced past numerous shops, bazaars, even the town hall.

As they came closer to the forest, the first few spindly trees of the forest just in view, they saw the cloaked figure of Zecora at one of the herbal stores she visits on a monthly basis.

“Zecora!” Applejack heard Rainbow yell as she dashed over to the stripped Zebra, “Please tell me you’ve seen Scoots!”

Applejack rushed over to join the cyan Pegasus, asking her own question as well, “Or Apple Bloom!”

“Or Sweetie Belle!” Rarity chimed in as she joined the three.

Zecora looked at the three surprised by their sudden appearance. After she took a moment to recompose herself, she answered the three mares in her calm, rhythmic voice, “I have seen the three. They were walking into the Everfree.”

“Could ya’ tell us where?” Applejack asked.

“They headed towards your home, but to the place that the Timber Wolves now roam.” Zecora answered in her usual rhythmic tune, pointing a hoof eastwards, towards the Apple Family Farm.

But Applejack knew that it wasn’t to just any part of the farm. It was towards the clearing between the apple farm and the Everfree, usually about this time of year the Timber Wolves roamed around there in hopes of catching some food before the long winter started again, and now they have three fillies walking right into their paws.

Applejack didn’t need to tell the two mares where the three crusaders were, they knew of the place Zecora spoke of, and without a word said between them they spun back around towards the farmhouse and made their way towards the clearing the crusaders had gone to.

“I’m gonna fly ahead!” Rainbow shouted to the two as she zoomed past them at sonic speed. The grass beneath her swaying to their sides as the cyan bullet torpedoed towards the clearing, she turned upwards and went into the endless blue sky above, a rainbow trail behind her as she flew out of sight.

Applejack continued along with Rarity at a breakneck pace that the cowpony didn’t even know the extravagant unicorn could maintain. Applejack was even surprised she could maintain the pace, her sides screamed and burned with pain that could only have been gained by the moving of broken bones.

Both of them prayed in silence for their sister’s safety, sweat dripped from their forms. Ponies moved out of their way before being blown away on to the ground by the two as they made their non-stop journey to the clearing. Neither of them gave indication of a breather or a slower pace. They just ran.

---

The fiery headed man looked towards his opponent, a gleam in his eyes that shined like the fires he controlled.

Neither he nor the wooden monstrosity that stood before him made a move, they both waited for the other to make the first move. Something that Axel would never do.

He’d never attack first, he could easily underestimate his foe and be defeated. So he waited for the wolf to move.

Minutes passed, the only sound heard was that of the wind that blew across the clearing. Axel soon became bored and stood out of his battle position he had been in for minutes since.

“Are we going to stand here all day or are we going to fight?” The flurry of flames mockingly asked the wolf in front of him.

The foul stench of the beast’s breath made Axel’s nose cringe as its yellow eyes became narrow slits as it stared back at him.

“You could at least take a mint, your breath is killing me.” Axel said as he yet again mocked the beast. He waved a hand in front of his nose to mock the beast even further, and that is when he tipped the creature over the edge.

The wooden wolf lunged at him, its paw swung through the air as it smashed into the ground that Axel stood upon.

Dust formed around the creatures paw as it gave what could only be guessed as a smile. It lifted its paw to see Axel squished under its paw, but saw no trace of him. It looked around the clearing confused as to where its foe had gone.

The wind whistled beside the wolf, it looked to its side to see the fiery haired man it had tried to crush in midair. His chakrams glowed with energy as he threw them towards the beast. Pillars of flames formed to and fro between the chakrams as they bashed the Timber Wolf on the side. Flames licked and spread across the wolf’s body. “Get Back!”

The wolf soared through the air for a few seconds before it crashed into the trees of the gloomy forest beside it. It rose from the crater it had made and shook off some of the wood and vines it had gathered on itself from its rather destructive landing.

Axel saw the creature rise from the crater it had made and smiled. It was tougher than he thought.

He dashed towards the beast at one of his fastest speeds, as he came in front of his foe he bashed its head to the side with one of his Eternal flames. He threw the one he held in his other hand at the creature’s open chest and smiled in glee as a howl of pain emitted from the wolf as its wooden flesh was ripped off and flames from the blazing chakram took its place.

Axel jumped back so he was far away from the creature. It thrashed about as it tried to put out the fire that had grown on it. It rolled on the grass as it still tried to stop the fires that wouldn’t relent its assault on the creature until either the wolf or the fire’s master had been destroyed.

The coated man looked at the creature that rolled around in the grass and slumped out of his battle stance. “That was too easy, even the Dusks put up more than a fight than you. Oh well, I guess being made of wood has its down sides.”

The wolf looked at Axel, its eyes pleaded for him to let it go, yet both knew that wouldn’t happen.

“But I guess you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”

The wolf stood from where it lay, the fires on its underbelly still burned brightly as it continued to eat away at the wood wolf. The wooden monstrosity looked back to the forest it hailed from and back at Axel.

“You’re off the hook.”

The three fillies who watched this whole ordeal looked towards the fiery haired man, fearful at what he will do next.

The Timber Wolf lunged towards the forest in hopes of escape, and almost stopped in midair as it heard Axel’s fingers snap.

Flames consumed the wooden wolf, it howled in pain one last time before the flames turned what was once one of the greatest predators in the Everfree forest into a pile of ash in the span of a few seconds.

Axel looked back over his shoulder at the pile of ashes and laughed slightly. “That never gets old,” he whispered to himself as he turned once again towards the three little fillies. The three of them holding onto one another out of fear of the Nobody assassin.

Axel walked towards them, his steps the only sound in the whole clearing. With every step he took the three fillies held onto each other tighter and tighter. He stopped a few feet from the fillies and asked his question, “Could you three tell me where I am?”

He waited for a response from the fillies, but only received mumbles of words that he could barely make out. Must have over done it. Oh well. Looks like I’ll have to find out for myself.

Axel then stood there in the clearing, the three fillies still looked at him with fear in their eyes as to what he would do next, something he did not even know himself.

As Axel began to formulate his plan, an odd but almost familiar presence appeared behind him. He guessed that whoever it was, was trying to sneak up on him, so the man decided to do something that they would probably not expect.

“And who would you be?” The Nobody asked as he turned around to confront his man of the shadows.

But what he saw as he turned made the once cocky Nobody turn into a speechless drone.

In the crater that the wooden wolf had made where it landed, now stood no pony, but a hooded figure wearing the coat of the Organization. The one thing that had surprised Axel was the height of the figure… he was the exact same height as Roxas.

Axel stood there stunned at what he saw, could his best friend really be back, could he have also been dragged into this weird world along with Axel?

Unable to bare the silence anymore Axel called the name he believed the person owned, “Roxas?”

The figure said nothing, with his face hidden by the drawn hood he wore. He looked at Axel for a moment longer before he turned around and went into the eerie forest the wooden wolf came from.

Axel stood there for a minute, before he dragged himself out of his stupor and ran after the figure into the forest he had entered.

Behind him, out of his sight, the three fillies he had so scared, fainted as his form became lost in the dark forest.

Author's Notes:

Woohoo! Finally got it out, it only too me more than two months... Wow I really need to work on that. Anyways, here's the second chapter, if you notice any mistakes still, please tell me, and I'd really appreciate it if people could give some feedback about the fight scene, because I have only a slight clue on how to write one.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that since the end of the school year for myself is coming up, and final exams are coming up, I'm going to be unable to writer anything else until their finished. So don't expect much from me for a while, afterwards, however, I will be making chapter three of Got it Memorized? and also starting my other fic, my BlackWarGreymon crossover, which I really should make a name for. Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Cheers mates!

III. No Turning Back

The Flurry of Dancing Flames ran down the path of the murky forest after the hooded figure. The more he chased after him the more his assumption that this hooded mystery man was Roxas seemed to ring true. Not only did his mysterious target wear the coat of the Organization, but he was also fast. Faster than anyone he had ever seen, maybe except for Sora and Roxas.

“Hey, Roxas, can we quit this game of cat and mouse already!?”

Axel gained no response from the hooded figure ahead of him. He didn’t even bother to look back at the fiery headed man hot on his heels. The only thing he paid any attention to was the path that he ran down.

Knowing that he couldn’t catch up to Roxas, Axel thought of summoning and throwing one of his chakrams, but decided against it. He didn’t want to start a fight every reunion.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames saw his mystery man start to slow down, much to his own confusion, and as they continued their fast pace, he heard his breathing turn harsh and ragged. A sly smile touched Axel’s lips as he began to gain on him, yet he still remained skeptical about Roxas. When did he tire this easily? Maybe… Axel’s thoughts were disrupted as his target turned a sharp corner and disappeared from view behind the trees of the ghastly woods.

Forgetting about the scenery, Axel darted after his chase through the undergrowth, cutting the corner that his hooded friend had so politely taken. Pushing low hanging branches, bushes, and other such vegetation, he appeared on the other side where the hooded figure should have been, but saw no one in sight. He looked to his left to where the character could have gone and saw nothing aside from a few more of the weird trees of the forest.

Axel scouted ahead through the foliage, and spotted something past the trees. The Nobody walked past them to see a trail that led deeper into the forest. Looks like I’ve found your secret path Roxas. You should really have learned by now to hide these things better, Axel thought as he ran down the path, it was less than a minute before he pushed a branch out of the way to see a long wooden bridge, hanging over a vast, clouded abyss. He gave a glance to the other side of the bridge to spot an old, ruined castle, vines and an odd couple of plants growing on it with rubble of the building itself dotted around the grounds of the castle.

Halfway across the ancient bridge stood the figure, staring at Axel underneath the darkness of his hood.

“You know, if you wanted to run, you should have kept on running! But then again, you’d only stop if you wanted me to follow! Isn’t that right, Roxas!?”

Axel’s smile only widened as the hooded figure stared down through the planks of the bridge. Moments later - after letting a silence linger between the two - the hooded figure turned and continued to run for the ruined castle. It must have been Roxas, Axel thought. Only he would be affected by those words.

With hope in his non-existent heart, Axel sprinted for the castle, crossing the bridge with caution. The bridge was worn with ancient age and appeared ready to collapse under his weight at any given moment. Although it had held his old friend’s weight, Axel was less sure if it would hold his own for very long. The planks did creak and groan, but they held.

When Axel came off the bridge, he took a single moment to look at the ruined castle at a closer view. “Talk about a fixer-upper.”

The castle was in worse shape than he thought; the windows had long been shattered and the stone walls looked ready to collapse.

Why would Roxas want to go into a dump like this? I know the kid has more style than this, well, unless he’s acting all serious again, Axel thought, looking through the grand doors of the citadel. Brushing off the confusion of his hooded friend’s choice of scenery, he gave a small laugh and summoned his chakrams, just to be safe. One could never be too careful. Shouldn’t keep him waiting though. The kid always hated it when I was late at the clock tower.

Now ready, Axel darted through the doors of the castle and investigated around at the inside, which was not much better than the outside. Tattered tapestries hung from the walls and broken artifacts cluttered the floor along with rubble and debris.

The black coated man fiddled his chakrams in his hands, spinning them on the tips of his fingers as he scanned the room, prepared to let them cut through anyone who’d try to give him a surprise attack, but saw nothing.

Heck, there weren’t even any bats in this place, only the ruined stone and fabric of the castle’s inside. Softening his form, Axel stood in the center of the room and searched for any sign of where the hooded figure had gone. He observed the dust on the floor to see if they could tell where his target left, but saw only his own prints with no other trace to follow.

Sighing, Axel let his Eternal Flames disappear as he drooped down at the floor. A deep sadness filled his eyes, but not a single tear was shed from the Nobody. “Still don’t trust me, huh, Roxas? Fine I see how it is.”

Axel looked up at the ceiling, holes dotted everywhere on it as vines and other plants held it all together, though that hold wouldn’t last long. It would last for a few years, maybe even a dozen, but at some point they’re going to snap apart and let the ceiling fall down and collapse on itself.

The Nobody glanced through one of such holes to see the orange glow of a sunset. Stepping outside, Axel watched as the sun shined its beautiful colours through the forest trees.

Memories of times at the clocktower with Roxas came flooding back to his mind, a smile crept on his face as he closed his eyes and remembered laughing with his old friend. Opening his eyes, Axel watched the sunset until darkness took over the forest, smiling the whole time as if he was still at the clocktower with Roxas.

The master of fire thought of checking throughout the castle to see if his hooded friend was still somewhere inside, but Axel let that plan get thrown out the window as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

He peered back through the looming doors of the ruined castle and decided to catch some z’s instead of tearing through the castle for his long lost friend. Turning around, he stepped back into the castle, searching for something he could use as a bed. Sadly there was barely anything he could use. Sighing, Axel leaned on one of the stone walls of the castle, thinking of his old bed in The World That Never Was.

Then a thought occurred to him and he gave a slight laugh from it. So far, in the whole time he’d been here, he had yet to think of using the RTC to go back to the Castle and see how Sora was doing with his quest to stop Xemnas. He could have even helped him with it!

Figuring he was more tired than he thought, Axel gave the place one last look before he opened the portal to darkness. Raising his hand to open it, the darkness started to form as it began to take shape to fit his body and bring him to his destination. But before completing, the portal began to quiver before disappearing entirely.

The fiery-headed man gave the place that should have been his ticket out of this dump a look of puzzlement and attempted to summon the portal again. A few sparks of darkness appeared where the portal should have opened and soon died away like the last one. He studied his hand curiously. Well it looks like I’m not going anywhere, he thought, remembering the odd journey he took to get here.

But where was here? He still didn’t know. That wasn’t a great sign, usually he’d know almost everything about a world in the time he’s been here, and all he had to go on was that there are talking ponies, unicorns, pegasi and giant wooden wolves that were highly flammable.

Shrugging off the notion, Axel started building a makeshift bed out of a few things he gathered from the rooms he could enter.

Stripping down one of the tapestries for a pillow, Axel lied down on the poor excuse of a bed and closed his eyes for the sweet embrace of sleep that hopefully would still come, even with the uncomfortable mess he laid on.

One last, unexpected thought crossed his mind before he fell into the realm of dreams. I wonder how those fillies are doing. Oh well, not my responsibility to look after them.

---

A rainbow trail appeared through the sky as the prismatic pegasus flew towards another of the clearings that she prayed the Crusaders were in. A twinge in her wings signaled that they started to cramp from a lack of stretching before flight. Rainbow Dash cursed as she realized she had to find the fillies soon or she’d hoof it. Ignoring the shooting pains in her wings, she continued to scan the ground below for any sign of the crusaders.

The wind whistled past as the rainbow mare broke through everything in her way without even noticing it. Pegasi clearing the sky and clouds that were idling around or ready to be moved were both knocked away as she dashed by.

Her nose cringed as the smell of smoke polluted the air, and she spotted the source of the smell. She was drawn to one of the multiple clearings between the Everfree and the Apple Farm. In the clearing, the three crusaders laid on ground, motionless, across from a dirtied pile of soot and ashes. Rainbow Dash froze in midair as she saw them. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”

She zoomed down and landed next to her biggest fan. “Scoots, wake up!” she yelled to the orange filly, shaking her in her hooves.

Rainbow Dash gained no response from Scootaloo and began to panic. A thousand thoughts started running in all directions in her head, most of which were saying that the little filly she treated as a sister was now gone. Tears began to form in the cyan mare’s eyes as she tried to push away the truth as she held the filly tight in her hooves, closing her eyes tight and forcing the tears back.

“R-Rainbow Dash?” the young voice squeaked.

Her eyes snapped open and the prismatic mare looked down at the filly she held to see her eyes start to open, revealing the amethyst orbs underneath. Wrapping her hooves around the small filly once more, Rainbow Dash brought her into a tight hug.

After knowing that the small filly was safe, Rainbow allowed a single tear of joy to fall down her face.

---

Muffled voices were the only thing the small filly heard. A small groan escaped her lips as she turned slightly from where she lay, wishing to just rest a little longer. Underneath her she felt something soft; was it the grass? No, it was too soft and warm. It felt like a bed. Her eyes flickered open slightly, yet the only thing she saw was a blinding light that assailed her eyes and a shadowy figure watching over her. Before she could point out anything else, her eyes drooped down and closed once again. “Apple Bloom!” a voice called. It was so familiar, was it her sister?

She wished just to stay asleep but she had to know if her sister had finally come. “Applejack?” the young filly called out, her voice barely a whisper.

Apple Bloom felt herself drawn into a tight hug that made her eyes snap open, waking her sleepy state. At first the light blinded her, but as her eyes adjusted to it, she was able to make out some more distinct features. Unlike before, she wasn’t out in the open, but instead in a room with a blue tiled floor and a white ceiling. The rest of the room was near impossible to make out from the two turquoise curtains that were drawn on both sides of the bed she laid on. There was a single door in the room, as far as Apple Bloom could tell, that was directly in front of her bed. It was then that the small filly realized she was in a hospital.

“Apple Bloom, you’re okay! Ah thought ah lost you!” Applejack hugged her sister like she was life itself, and Apple Bloom could feel her sister’s tears fall onto her coat.

She desperately wanted to ask why her sister was crying, but she already knew all too well what the answer was. Tears of her own started to form in the eyes of the small filly. Everything was her fault. Her eyes drifted down to the covers on her bed, but immediately she wished they never had, for she spotted something that only made the filly feel worse. She saw the bandages on her sister’s barrel.

Apple Bloom was stunned for no longer than a minute, looking at the bandages, thoughts scurried around in her mind, all yelling and screaming at her for what she had done to her sister. The small filly could only blame herself for this. Breaking out of her daze, the words slipped from her lips without her realizing it.

“Sis’, you’re hurt!”

“Ah’m fine, but are you?”, the apple farmer said, her voice soft and caring for the small filly, yet still shaken by her tears.

The creak of a door brought the attention of both sisters to the doctor who started walking into the room, a stethoscope around his neck and a clipboard hovering in front of him by his magic.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything,” he began, “but I must ask you Miss Applejack to please return to your room and get some rest so your bones can heal.”

“Bones!?” the small filly shrieked.

“Ah said ah’m fine,” her sister reassured her, looking at the doctor with a pleading expression, “Could you please just give us a minute?”

The doctor studied the two sisters skeptically before sighing and shaking his head. After turning around, he glanced at them from the corner of his eye, “As you wish.” The doctor left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving the two sisters alone again.

Apple Bloom stared sheepishly back down at her covers. Her sister was injured because of her, Scoots and Sweetie were probably also in the hospital, and the Timberwolf… died because of her. She still remembered the fear in its eyes; how terrified it was of the fiery-maned creature. A tear fell from the filly’s face onto the covers, soon joined by two others, “This is all mah fault.”

“No it’s not,” her sister reassured as she wiped some of her tears away with a hoof.

“Yes it is. You wouldn’t have been hurt sis’ if Ah hadn’t gone, and that timberwolf wouldn’t have had t-... have had to…”

“Calm down, it’s all okay.”

As much as Apple Bloom wanted to believe her sister, she knew it was her doing, “No, it’s not. Everything that happened is because Ah was stupid and went into the Everfree Forest.”

Shapes became hard to make out from the tears in the young filly’s eyes. She began to sniffle and sob, but through that she heard another familiar voice, “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just your fault.”

Apple Bloom jumped slightly when she heard the voice, she looked over to one of the curtains to see a cyan hoof pull them away to show Scootaloo, rubbing away the sleep from her eyes. Rainbow Dash, her biggest idol, sitting beside the young filly as she woke up.

“Yeah, I’m actually sure it’s all of our fault,” said another familiar voice. Apple Bloom looked at the other curtain to see a magical aura gently pull the curtain away to show Sweetie Belle and Rarity.

As happy as Apple Bloom was to know that her friends were all okay, she still stared down at her sheets, “Y’all wouldn’t have gone without me, and if Ah didn’t come then none of this would have happened. You wouldn’t have been hurt sis’ and,” Apple Bloom felt tears fill her eyes once more and saw tears start to fill the eyes of her friends. “And that big Timberwolf w-wouldn’t have had to d-di-die.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up, what happened to the Timberwolf?” Rainbow asked.

Apple Bloom glanced over to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo who nodded their heads to the younger filly, signalling her that she should be the one to spin the tale of their quest for their Cutie Marks.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Apple Bloom answered Rainbow’s question. “T-the Timberwolf died because of us.”

“Died? How does a Timberwolf die?”, questioned Rarity.

The young filly gripped the blankets with her hooves. Her guilt ridden-mind giving her no peace, she continued, “It was burned to ashes.”

The three mares of the room gave skeptical looks at each other, accompanying their concerns.

“Are you sure about that Apple Bloom?" the apple farmer asked her younger sister.

“She’s telling the truth. The Timberwolf was b-burned,” Sweetie reluctantly answered.

Apple Bloom saw her sister was about to say something, but then the mare held her tongue, seemingly thinking about how to respond, “Ah’m not saying you’re lying, but how could the Timberwolf have burned? There wasn’t any smoke or we would have found you earlier.”

“There wasn’t any smoke because that, th-thing, turned it to ashes in three seconds!” Scootaloo countered.

“Thing?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, the g-guy with the b-bl-ack coat,” Sweetie Belle added, understanding where Scootaloo was going with it.

“You’re saying a pony did that to a Timberwolf?” Rainbow asked.

“He wasn’t a pony, he was some...thing. He had these two really weird wheels with spikes on them,” Sweetie confirmed, her voice cracking every now and then with teary eyes as her sister put a comforting hoof on her. From the corner of her eyes, Apple Bloom saw her sister and Rarity share a questioning glance before all three mares had centered their attention back to the young fillies, completely lost in what they were saying.

Apple Bloom looked to the other two crusaders through teary eyes. They looked back to her and nodded through their own tears. Apple Bloom then began to explain everything that happened, she explained to her sister and her friends about the weird creature, and through deep shaky breaths told the three mares about how he had saved the three crusaders from the giant Timberwolf, and how he then proceeded to turn it into a pile of ash before their very eyes before he fled, leaving the three crusaders behind.

As Apple Bloom finished, she waited for the inevitable and for her sister and her friends to start saying, “You must have been imagining things,” or, “That’s impossible,” telling her that she was just lying to them. She waited and waited, wanting to just get it over and done with, but instead, when she glanced up from her covers, she saw her sister nod her head to the other two mares.

“Are you sure about that sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

She looked up at her big sister and nodded, a tissue was levitated in front of her by Rarity’s magic and Apple Bloom thanked her silently before taking the tissue and wiping her eyes of their tears.

“There was a pile of ashes there,” Rainbow commented.

“Maybe we should get Twilight. I’m sure she’d know of such a thing,” Rarity said, receiving a nod from the other ponies of the room.

“Alright, Ah’ll go get Twi, you two stay here and watch these three here,” Applejack said, giving her sister a kiss on the head before trotting towards the door of the room.

“Hey AJ, as much as I know you want to get Twi yourself, I think you should actually do what the doctors said and take a break,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Rainbow Ah said Ah’m-“ Applejack’s eyes closed slightly and she fumbled backwards slightly as a hiss of pain escaped her lips when trying to look up at the rainbow pegasus hovering above her.

Applejack stared at her friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders through one eye before sighing in defeat. Her ears splayed back on her head, “Fine. Rare’ could you watch over Apple Bloom for me until Big Mac and Granny get here?”

“Of course darling. What are friends for, after all?”

“Could you also look after Scoots while I’m off getting Twilight?”

“Rainbow Dash, you didn’t even have to ask.”

“Thanks, be back before you know it!” Rainbow Dash stated as she flew out through the window.

Rarity brushed some dust off of herself that was blown onto her by the rainbow mare who just flew by, scoffing slightly, “I wish she would use the door for once. Using the window is very un-lady like.”

Applejack gave a wry grin before opening the door to the room. As she was about to leave, Apple Bloom looked up at her sister through teary eyes, “Sis’…” Her sister stopped in her tracks at hearing her sister’s cracked voice, “Ah’m sorry, for everything.”

Applejack turned her head around and gave a ghost of a smile, “Ah’m sorry too.”

With that she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Apple Bloom felt her eyes droop and she pulled the covers over her form as she began to fall back asleep as she wanted to before, wishing this all just a dream she could wake from.

---

It was a nice quiet day in the Golden Oaks Library. Spike slept soundlessly, for once, which gave the whole place a feeling of serenity. No noise, no ponies to borrow books, nothing. It was just her and her book.

Twilight sat on the couch, basking in the sunlight that beamed in through the windows. It was a beautiful day outside, a perfect day for reading.

She flipped another page of the latest Daring Doo book, trying to finish it before Dash started begging her for it. As much as she loved Rainbow’s passion for reading adventure books, mainly Daring Doo, it sometimes became a little… irking.

Laughing slightly, Twilight turned the page of text again. “Chapter Nineteen, The Hunt Begins…” she said to no one in particular.

Page after page she read, enjoying the book just as much as she enjoyed the lemonade she had made just for the occasion. Taking a sip of the refreshing lemonade, Twilight flipped to the next page.

Right as she was about to finish the chapter she started, a certain cyan Pegasus came flying through the front door, “Twilight!?”

Twilight looked up from her book towards the rainbow pegasus, “Oh, hi Rainbow. What’s up?” She began hiding the Daring Doo book away slowly, in hopes that her prismatic friend wouldn’t see it.

“Some weird creature appeared out of nowhere and we need to know what it is and-“ the cyan pegasus gasped and zoomed over to Twilight, picking up the new Daring Doo book, “Oh my gosh! Is this the new Daring Doo!? So awesome!”

The cyan Pegasus began reading page after page of the Daring Doo book, completely forgetting whatever she was talking about. Twilight watched, peeved, at the rainbow mare, grabbing the book with her magic she began to pull on it. Rainbow Dash continued to hold the book in her hooves even as the magic pulled it away until it finally slipped out of her grasp, floating down to its true owner and sending Rainbow Dash flying into one of the library walls. Rainbow smacked it dead on and sent a few books falling down onto the ground.

“Ow, Twi that hurt.”

“Sorry Rainbow, but what were you saying about a creature?”

“What, oh yeah, some weird creature stopped and killed a Timberwolf that was chasing Scoots, Sweetie, and Apple Bloom.”

“Wait, what did you say? It killed a Timberwolf?” Twilight asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, it apparently burned it to ashes in like, three seconds flat. We were hoping you knew something like that,” the rainbow mare asked, brushing some books off her body that fell onto her from her ‘crash landing’.

The lavender mare began pacing back and forth at Rainbow’s question. What creature could produce fire like that? Only dragons and ponies are known have the ability to create and control fire. But no pony could turn a Timberwolf to ashes in three seconds; not even the most powerful of spells could do that. Not even dragonflame could do that; it would take at least ten minutes with the hottest of dragonflame. This had to be a joke, trying to get a laugh out of her again. Well this time that’s not going to happen.

Twilight gave a small laugh before walking over to one of the windows of the library. “Nice try Rainbow, but I’m not falling for any prank this time.”

“Come on Twi, this isn’t a prank,” Rainbow Dash reassured, but Twilight still had her back turned to her. Twilight heard the flapping of wings and soon her vision was enveloped by the upside-down face of the cyan pegasus who had tried to fool her.

“I’m not pulling your leg Twi’, I’m serious!” Twilight stared at the rainbow mare with a deadpanned look, in all honesty though, she didn’t know what to think. Rainbow Dash could be serious, but it could still be a prank. She was puzzled as to what to think of her friend.

Before she could find an answer though, Rainbow Dash sighed and landed back on the ground. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said, doing the actions along to the Pinkie Promise, a promise that could never be broken, and it wasn’t something to be tossed around kindly, unless you wanted an enraged Pinkie Pie chasing after you for the rest of your days.

“You believe me now Twi?” Rainbow Dash said to Twilight, rolling her eyes.

Twilight gaze lowered down to the floor in thought, her eyes moving from left to right as if she was still reading her book. “What did the creature look like?” she asked, looking back up at the cyan mare.

Rainbow Dash told Twilight everything the three crusaders had told her, Rarity, and AJ.

“That’s it?” Twilight asked, leaning forwards slightly after hearing her friend’s description of the ‘creature.’

“Word for word,” she answered in return.

“A creature that stands on two legs, has the capabilities of speech, who has barely any fur with a red spiky mane on the top of its head,” Twilight began to analyze with a hoof on her chin groove, unaware she was doing so aloud, “a creature who wields two weapons in the form of spiked wheels and can summon fire at will, wearing a black coat over its form and some sort of gloves on its odd fore-hooves.”

With each word she said, Rainbow Dash began to become more impatient. Twilight saw from the corner of her eye that she picked up the Daring Doo book and began reading. Usually, the librarian would be slightly irked or angered that Rainbow Dash would do something like that, but right now she didn’t care. She was facing a real problem. “There’s not any type of animal or civilized race in all of Equestria like that, unless…” Twilight practically jumped with joy as a sudden realization of another possibility, “Unless it’s a new species!”

She could barely contain her excitement, she dashed over to Rainbow Dash’s side, knocking the book out of her hooves, “You’re sure that that’s what they said!?”

Rainbow nodded her head and Twilight began jumping with joy. She could be known throughout all of history as the one who had discovered a new species! The feeling was amazing!

Just imagining it, giving a speech to dozens of ponies about a new species, ponies clapping and applauding her presentation as the Princesses came up to congratulate her on her newest discovery.

“Twi? Twilight? Twilight!?” Rainbow shouted, snapping the lavender mare out of her stupor.

“Oh yes sorry. Spike!!!” Twilight yelled, awaking the young dragon from his slumber.

“Yeah?” the dragon groggily said.

“I need you to write a letter the princess,” she answered. The excitement, she knew, was evident on her face. Regardless, Spike obeyed and took out a quill and paper, ready to begin.

---

Princess Luna walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle, headed towards the throne room.

The sun began to set its beautiful colours as it made headway for the night to take over and settle over the peaceful land once again.

Since her return, Luna had seen that there was an equal adoration for her night as was for her sister’s day, and it made her happy to now see ponies out and about during her night.

But something had been weighing down on the Princess’ mind for days now, something that, ironically, made the Princess of the Night unable to find the sweet embrace of slumber. It was a dream, a dream that haunted her, a dream she hadn’t told a soul about. She knew she should have told her sister at least when it started to appear every night. But she did not, for she feared that it could be much more than a dream.

Luna paused, gazing out one of the many windows of the castle, calming herself before she faced her sister and finally told her of her foul dream.

She broke from the window and continued to the throne room, a bellow of laughter echoing throughout her mind. The Princess of the Night knew from whom the laughter came from, and she wished for her own sake, and the sake of all their little ponies, her dream was nothing more than a dream because of it.

The clink of metal snapped Luna out of her daze and she raised her eyes from the ground to see two guards saluting her, both fully clad in armour. Behind them was a set of two giant doors to the throne room she sought.

The princess stopped in her tracks, now realizing she had walked her way to the throne room without noticing it. She inspected the way she came to see the stained glass windows that told of many of the historic events of Equestria.

Luna sighed and shook her head. How could this one dream bother her so? Shrugging off the notion she walked through the doors opened by the two guards and met her sister’s kind gaze. Every time she looked at her sister’s eyes though, she saw the pain and regret that hid underneath them. Luna did not know the reason for her sister’s pain and regret, though she did have a few good guesses, she knew it would be wrong of her to ask. It would be similar to poking at an old wound. If she wanted to tell her something she would. Much like how Celestia must have seen how the dream had been bothering Luna, and waited for her to tell her what troubled her so.

Taking a deep breath, she continued towards her sister. “Hello Lulu,” she greeted to her younger sister who became slightly irritated at hearing her ‘nickname’

“Hello sister, how hast thou been faring?” Luna asked.

Her sister, as always, gave a slight laugh at her, “I’ve been fine Lulu, what about you?”

Luna glanced around the room nervously, her ethereal mane blowing into her face making her look like a mimicry of her sister, “Sister we have something to tell thou.”

A wisp of smoke shot through the window just as the Princess of the Night was about to speak her mind. It unraveled into a letter, no doubt from her sister’s faithful student.

Celestia picked up the letter in her magic and looked towards her sister, she smiled and started levitating the scroll away. “Sister, it does not bother us if you read your letter from young Twilight.”

“Are you sure Luna?”

“Yes, sister. We are sure,” the Princess of the Night responded, relieved slightly from not having to tell her sister her dream quite yet. But as her sister read the letter, she saw her eyes turn a bit harder.

“What is the matter, sister?”

“A creature of some sorts has appeared in Equestria. It burned a Timberwolf to ashes and made three fillies end up in the hospital,” she answered, some of the kindness in her voice lost by this sad news.

The Lunar Princess gasped. “It says here that, from the information my faithful student has gathered, that the creature is unknown to Equestria and is intelligent enough to speak,” Celestia continued on, her face as hard as stone and giving no expression, unlike her sister who appeared as if she had just seen a ghost.

“The creature is said to wear a dark coat and-“

“And stand on two legs, with a blue mane on the top of its head and orange eyes, a scar made in the shape of an X on its face. It has no visible hair on its body aside from its mane and it carries around with it a great claymore,” Luna finished. Fear taking hold of the Princess, her entire being shaking just the slightest, unnoticeable from afar, but as clear as day when close.

“Except it has a red, spiky mane with bright emerald eyes, carrying around two spiked wheels as weapons,” Celestia corrected. Giving her sister a chance to release the breath she had held.

The Princess of the Night looked up at her sister again, who stared back at her curiously.

“Luna, do you have something you wish to tell?”

Luna bit her lip, shifting uneasily on her hooves. “Sister, we have had a dream…”

Author's Notes:

Well, took me long enough. XD

Finally I present to you the third chapter of Got it Memorized? Sorry if I kept you guys waiting, a bunch of stuff happened in the lives of me and my editors, but we're back on track now, I already have the fourth chapter written, I just need to edit it, and I am half-way through the fifth chapter. So expect more updates from me in the next month. :D

Oh, and I have a new editor, Card_Shuffle. Awesome guy, best editor ever, in my opinion, and if you are wondering why the grammar just improved greatly suddenly, it's because of him and Perpetual Motion.

If you guys see any errors or mistakes, could you please tell me so I can fix them. Thanks!

And, I have something else to tell, I've been thinking of submitting this to Equestria Daily to see if it'll get accepted (which for some odd reason I don't think would happen) or be told the mistakes I have in this and be declined (which I see as a more realistic reaction). I don't know if I should or shouldn't submit it to Equestria Daily, so I'm asking you guys what you think. Should I submit it or shouldn't I? Tell me in the comments, and I'll be seeing y'all around.

Cheers mates!

~Flamer_Brony

IV. A Chance Encounter

The dark mist swirled around her, whispering to her promises of power and glory. Promises she had heard before.

If she covered her ears it wouldn’t have mattered, the whispers would never stop, she’d always hear them; constantly promising that she’d be adored more than anypony in all of history. She would be the true queen of Equestria that everypony would love.

A bellow of laughter echoed throughout the realm of darkness, silencing the whispers. The mist that swirled around her began to wrap around itself, twisting and turning. Haze turned to black fur and aero armour. A head started to form from the darkness, a long horn protruding from it, wrapping around itself like a boa constrictor around its prey.

She knew what it was turning into, and strained to act brave in front of it, but no matter how hard she tried. A part of her feared it.

“Well, well, look at what we have here,” the mass said, dark mist gathering around to create legs and an ethereal tail that mimicked her night sky.

Two masses shot out from the back of the shape-taking mist, at first they appeared as bat wings, but that likeliness ended as feathers began to take place on them. Two white orbs appeared on the face of the creature, soon turning into dragon eyes to match the toothy grin it gave to her.

The sharp fangs it had begun to shrink and turn into normal pony teeth, making the toothy grin turn to a pony’s smile, “The little foal came crawling back now?”

“We would never return to thee, foul witch!” Luna screamed staring at the horrendous monster she once was.

“I’m hurt Luna. I thought we were friends?” Luna’s alternate said, raising a hoof over her chest where her heart would have been, if she had one.

“We would never be your friend! Thou hast no idea what real friendship is!”

“Oh? And don’t friends help each other get what they want?” the dreaded form of Nightmare Moon asked, one of her eyes arched at the Lunar Princess, her head cocking to the side.

“That is never what we wanted!” Luna hissed, bending down, ready to skewer her embodiment of envy.

“You wanted to be noticed didn’t you? You wanted ponies to love your night? That’s what I did,” Nightmare Moon inclined, taking a step towards the lunar princess as her head swayed to the side.

“Thou hast forced it upon them! We wanted them to love the night for what it is, not to force them to love it!”

“You should have been clearer about that earlier then, but I guess a part of you always wanted to be a real Princess,” Nightmare Moon said, walking towards the Ruler of the Night, “not a Queen.” She straightened herself, towering over Luna as she walked.

“What does thou mean?” Luna asked, slowly stepping backwards as her envious alternate ego approached her.

“Think about it Luna, with me you could become Queen of all Equestria, no one would be your equal. You’d be the center of all attention, the one everypony would love. A master of both night and day.”

Luna stopped as her alternate continued to talk, she gazed down at her hooves, trying to ignore what her foul other was saying, yet she couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the offer.

Luna felt Nightmare Moon’s breath on her ear, but she did not stray, “Join with me and we would rule all of Equestria.”

Nightmare Moon raised her head above the Lunar Princess who peered up to meet her gaze. On the dreaded nightmare’s face was a smile that would allure any unwise stallion, most likely to their grave. “What do you say?”

Luna stared back down at her hooves. She couldn’t betray her sister, but she could and then she’d be the true queen…

No! Her sister always loved her no matter what she was. She’s already felt enough pain because of Luna; no more!

“Dost thou think us a foal to be played with? We shall never join with thee again!? Now return to whatever hell thou comest from!”

Luna glowered at the monstrous Nightmare Moon, her horn glowing as a bolt of pure energy began to gather, ready to tear through the vile abomination that tried to tempt her to betray her sister’s trust once again.

On her dreaded other’s face was a look of surprise, which gave Luna some pleasure in knowing she had bested her, but it quickly vanished and returned to her alluring smile, “Well, well. Looks like the Princess of the Night decided to continue to be the puppet of the Sun.” Nightmare Moon began to laugh, thunder and lightning crashing around the two as Luna started to pour more energy into her attack, “You do not deserve the title of ruler over the night. That title deserves a better owner, and I think I’ll take it!”

Several wisps of her ethereal mane shot towards Luna. However, Luna did not flinch, she knew they could not harm her here, nor could Nightmare Moon afford to kill her. Without Luna there could be no Nightmare Moon.

The wisps bounced off her body as if she was made of solid stone, “Thou wouldst need me to do such actions, and we shall never accept thy influence again!”

Luna should have felt rejoiced that she had managed to do such a deed when she could have so easily succumbed to her nightmare, but it was overlooked by the feeling of shame that the Lunar Princess felt. She almost accepted Nightmare Moon again, she almost forsaken the world she had regained. Forfeiting her sister’s trust once again and hurting her more than anypony else could.

Tears began to well and fall down her face as more and more power was poured into her attack.

She expected Nightmare Moon to start further tempting Luna or begin mocking her, but instead, to Luna’s surprise, she laughed. “You think you’re the only one I have in my service. I think you’ll find yourself poorly mistaken,” Nightmare Moon told Luna as she began to pace away, her body turning back to the dark mist it once was as her laughter echoed throughout whatever realm they were in.

When the final part of the wicked mare disappeared and her laughter ceased along with the whispers of the mist, Luna gave herself the permission to let her spell fade away and collapse onto the floor, or at least what she thought was the floor, to cry. She almost betrayed her sister again! How could she ever face her now!?

Dare we break our sister’s heart once more!?

The sound of heavy hoofsteps filled the air; the Lunar Princess took no longer than a moment to quickly jump from where she lay. Landing a few feet away, she turned to see her newest nightmare through her teary eyes, but what she saw shocked her beyond belief.

It was a large two-legged figure, a black coat engulfing its entire form, in its right fore-hoof it held a claymore, a size Luna had never seen before. It glowed in her presence like the moon in her night sky.

The creature stopped a few feet before her, looking down at the Princess of the Night.

Instinctively, Luna spread out her wings, trying to intimidate it, but it seemed unfazed by her threat.

It reached out its other strange claw to the hood it wore, taking it off to show the face underneath.

A long blue mane fell down onto the coat it wore, a scar on its seemingly fur-less face in the shape of an X was the first thing that caught Luna’s attention, then she saw the two orange eyes that looked down at the Princess that held no emotion at all. As if staring into nothingness, Luna felt her soul being pulled from her the longer she stared into those lifeless eyes.

The creature lifted the claymore into the air with a single claw, something Luna thought to be impossible, and pointed it at her.

She stumbled backwards unconsciously at the great display of strength and heard it say a few words before charging her with the massive weapon, “You… are not my Queen.”

---

“…And that’s it Luna?”

Luna nodded her head, unable to look at her sister for what she almost had done. “Luna, what you described to me was a simple nightmare. I don’t see why you should be so worried about it,” Celestia said, her voice soft, soothing almost.

“Sister… we have had dreams like this before…”

“Yes Luna, you told me you have had this dream for weeks now. And I’m glad you came to talk to me about it, but it’s nothing more than a dream,” Celestia reaffirmed, but Luna knew it to be otherwise.

“No sister… thou doest not understand. We have had these type of dreams before…”

The silence that claimed the scene broke as quickly as it began, “When?”

“Before Discord was released and before…” Luna didn’t want to say it, after the dream she just had she never wanted to mention that thing again.

“Before what Luna?” her sister’s voice rang as she walked down towards the younger alicorn, putting a comforting wing around her.

Luna said nothing for a while, just wishing it could all just go away. She knew she had done horrible things and she had learned to forgive herself for them. She learned that her past doesn’t make her who she is now… but that didn’t stop the fear she felt.

“Luna?” She cringed as her sister asked again. She had to answer.

“It was before… we became Nightmare Moon,” Luna finally said, hanging her head in shame.

“…Why haven’t you ever told me these dreams before Luna?” her sister asked, her voice weighing heavy with concern for the younger alicorn she held under her wing.

But to the question she had asked, Luna had no answer. “We do not know.” Shaking her head, Luna’s ears pinned down against the sides of her crown.

“Then could you tell me this Luna; why are you so scared of this dream?”

Luna was surprised by the question. Out of everything her sister could ask her, why this?

Regardless, Luna still had her answer to it, “We were afraid that this creature would turn us back into what we once were.”

“Luna, I don’t think you ever have to fear of turning back into Nightmare Moon.”

Luna’s ears perked up and her head rose from the ground to look at her sister.

Celestia wore a comforting smile that warmed Luna’s heart and gave her a sensation of hope, “Luna, from what you’ve told me, you have already shown the strength to do what you know is right. And I don’t think you have anything to be envious about anything anymore, from what I’ve seen, just as many ponies enjoy your night as they do my day.”

Luna pondered over her sister’s words for a while, absorbing everything they said. She had denied Nightmare Moon, even when she was tempted, she swore she’d never be a part of her again. Minutes passed as Luna realized her sister was right, she always was.

“I thank thee sister. Thy words hath lightened the weight on our mind.”

“I’ll always be here for you Lulu,” Celestia said, nuzzling her sister’s neck. “Now I think it’s best for you to handle this creature.”

The Protector of the Night was astonished by her sister’s words and peered up to her sister’s once again kind gaze. “This creature could be a serious threat to Equestria, and it is soon going to be dark. Soon your night will come over Equestria, and I believe it is best that you go to Ponyville to aid Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Together you can bring this creature to justice.”

What she said made sense, soon it would be night and her sister already looked worn from the day’s events.

“We shall go post haste then,” Luna said to her sister.

Celestia gave a small smile before levitating a quill, inkwell, and a piece of paper from a small table.

She gave indication for Luna to leave and prepare herself for her exploration as Celestia continued writing her response to young Twilight. Luna did so after thanking her sister once again and walked out of the throne room, holding her head a little higher.

---

Night had soon claimed the peaceful town of Ponyville, ponies slept peacefully in their homes or wandered around outside under the beauty of the night sky. It warmed the Lunar Princess’ heart to see ponies enjoying her night, but she had business to do here, and she couldn’t get sidetracked by the few wondering ponies of the small town.

Her chariot flew across the sky towards the town so she and the Elements of Harmony could depart into the Everfree forest to find the creature that had caused so much woe.

Luna studied Ponyville to see the five shapes of young Twilight Sparkle and her friends, all gathered in the center of the town with saddlebags adorning their backs.

The Princess landed in their midst and walked off the chariot, glancing around the town to see ponies of all kinds wave and bow to her. Luna couldn’t help but smile and wave back to a few of the ponies before she turned towards the five Elements in front of her. She looked through them to see the Element of Honesty missing from their ranks, “Where is young Applejack?”

“Ah’m right here!” the southern voice of Applejack hollered as she came rushing towards the group, the saddlebags on her back poorly hiding the bandages underneath. “Sorry Ah’m late Princess, Ah just needed to get some stuff and make sure Apple Bloom was okay.”

Luna studied Applejack’s bandages carefully before shifting her gaze back to the Bearer of Honesty. “We appreciate thy’s enthusiasm Applejack, but the Everfree is a dangerous place, and thou art in no condition to be searching through it.”

“Yeah AJ, no offence or anything, but you’re kinda in pretty rough shape,” Rainbow Dash added to Luna’s comment, receiving murmurs of agreement from the rest of the mares.

“Look Ah’m fine, Ah can handle myself,” Applejack argued, being as stubborn as a mule, Luna believed the saying was.

Sighing, she walked towards the apple farmer, “Applejack, we do not ask thee as a Princess, but as a friend, to rest thyself and let whatever injury thou hast endured to heal.”

Applejack was about to defend her case, but no words came from her mouth.

With her ears splaying against the sides of her head, Applejack admitted her defeat, “Fine, but Rainbow,” the prismatic mare in question straightened at mention of her name, “give that fiery headed creature an extra wallopin’ from me, alright?”

“I’m on it,” Rainbow confirmed, saluting Applejack.

“Um… If you don’t mind me asking… what creature?” Fluttershy squeaked, her small form becoming even more compact as she became the center of attention.

Twilight groaned and hung her head to the ground, “Pinkie, I thought I told you to tell Fluttershy about everything with the new creature?”

The cotton candy mare giggled with a smile that Luna had yet see disappear from her face, “You only told me to get Fluttershy and bring her here with things to go into the Everfree forest, you never said anything about telling her about the creature that burned that Timberwolf. Silly Twilight.”

“B-b-b-burned!” Fluttershy shrieked, dashing off to the nearest bush to hide in.

Princess Luna sighed much like all of the others, but to be honest, she was quite impressed by the timid mare’s speed. However, this situation was of great importance and couldn’t be postponed no matter what. The lives of her and her sister’s little ponies may very well hang in the balance.

With the help of young Twilight and her friends, they managed to coax Fluttershy from her hiding spot to hear the details of their most important mission.

“Now that we are all here,” Luna began, glancing at the timid mare whose cheeks reddened under the Princess’ gaze, “We may tell thou of our mission.

“As we are sure some of you know, a new creature has appeared in Equestria. It is highly dangerous and, from information gathered from the three fillies who first encountered it, is highly intelligent. Already it has burned a Timberwolf to ashes in a span of a few seconds after stopping it from eating the three fillies known as the, ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders,’ who have been hospitalized from the trauma of the horrific event they witnessed.” The Princess of the Night saw Fluttershy cringe and hunker down slightly as she spoke, but she did not run away like before. Luna was quite impressed by the sudden courage Fluttershy had somehow gained, however, it soon disappeared as she saw the magical aura emanating from Twilight that held her friend in place.

Ignoring what young Twilight had to do to keep the Bearer of Kindness from running away, again, the Lunar Princess continued, “Our mission is to track down this creature in the Everfree and determine whether it is a threat or not. Doest thou all understand our task?”

All the ponies nodded their heads except for Fluttershy who instead silently asked, “Do we have to?”

“Yes Fluttershy, we have to. If we do not innocent ponies may be hurt by this creature.”

“B-b-bu-but, I’m scared,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Come on Fluttershy, you were able to overcome your fear of dragons, you can do this!” Twilight reassured her friend.

“Yeah but a dragon couldn’t burn a Timberwolf into ashes in a few seconds.”

“Hold thy conversation, the event of which thou speak of was when thou were forced to speak to a sleeping dragon to relocate correct?” Luna asked the lavender mare trying to encourage her scared friend.

“Uh, yeah,” Twilight responded, obviously wondering what importance this question held.

“Then we believe we have some news that may ease the situation for thou, young Fluttershy. We shall not be confronting the new creature and speaking with it, it would be highly dangerous to do so. No, instead we are to study the creature as you would an animal, from afar.”

“Oh! Like how Twilight was studying me when she found out about my Pinkie Sense!” Pinkie Pie commented, jumping up and down on the ground. But to Luna, her words were nonsense, Pinkie Sense? It would have to be something she’d ask her when they returned.

“Oh, um… I guess that’s okay then,” Fluttershy said, Twilight’s magic leaving her body, letting her rise from her hunkered position.

“Then let us waste no more time.”

Walking off towards the Everfree, the sound of metal clinking against metal graced her ears, which was then she realized something. She couldn’t allow her guards to come with her.

Should the creature discover their presence, it could deem her guards as a threat. It would not only put one of the monarchs of Equestria into peril, but the Elements of Harmony as well. She settled that as her reason for them to stay and turned to tell them, but she was aware to another truth.

Celestia had calmed her mind, yet the words she spoke to Celestia were only half of the reality. The nightmarish dream still plagued her by the questions drawn from it, how much of her dream was true, if any? Does this new creature, an almost perfect replica of the one depicted in her dream, know the answers to her inquiries?

Is it more than a coincidence that this creature appeared after her foul nightmare?

She could not tell yet if this creature, were they to find it, could give her the answers she sought. They would either bring havoc amongst Equestria, or conclude to her that her dream was nothing more than that.

To prevent the possibility of chaos, she deemed it best to be kept a secret between the fewest amount of ponies as possible until she knew the truth about her suspicions. That was truly why she wanted them to stay, and even though it was not honourable, she knew she had to.

“Thine bravery is admirable, but we ask for thee to stay in Ponyville until our return,” Luna asked of her guards. Both of which stopped in their tracks and looked to the Princess for reason.

“As dangerous as the Everfree has been known to be, this creature has proven it is far superior to anything within the dark forest. If it were to ever discover our presence it could take your armoured appearance as a threat and attack. To avoid such confrontation, thou shalt both stay in Ponyville.”

Both guards were about to protest against her decision, yet stopped short in their tracks; they had been given their orders, and if they were to protect the princess and the Elements of Harmony, as is their duty, they could not object.

In their place, Luna heard Twilight raise her concern, “Um… Princess, are you sure that’s the best idea?”

“Yes, young Twilight, we will have to communicate to this creature that we mean it no harm, happen it find us,” Luna answered as she turned her gaze to the Everfree Forest, a dark shadow standing on the horizon.

She knew that they would all be concerned with her decision, but she hoped they would still follow it nonetheless.

Starting off towards the forest, Luna glanced up at her night sky, the thousand lights of her stars shining down onto Equestria. They had been called many things, and calming was one of them. Yet tonight it did not seem so, for it reflected her tired mind. She sighed and returned her attention to the dark forest that began to crawl closer to them every step they took.

Would they find this creature? Only fate would know.

---

The sound of voices stirred Axel from his sleep. He got up from his terrible excuse of a bed and looked to the looming doors of the ruined castle from which the sounds emanated. Sneaking over to the two giant doors, Axel peered around them.

At first he saw nothing, but the longer he scanned the forest, he soon began to find slight movements in the bushes and undergrowth across the bridge.

From the undergrowth came a group of six ponies, two of them were unicorns, two of them were pegasi, and one of them was one of the ponies that actually looked like a normal pony. But the sixth one was something new; this one was taller than the others and had both wings and a horn. He ducked behind the doors as the tall one’s gaze shifted to the castle.

Axel waited for a few minutes before peering back around the doors, this time, he saw all of them building up what could only be a base camp behind a couple of trees and bushes. One of the unicorns, lavender in coat colour, levitated a pair of binoculars from the saddlebags it wore and began looking for the correct place to see from them in their base camp.

The others began to hide in the camp, one by one they went into it, trying not to be seen by the fiery headed man they must’ve been after and probably saw. Why else would they make their base camp here?

A pegasus with a pink mane began walking slowly to the hiding spot, watching the castle Axel hid in. Underneath her hoof Axel heard a branch snap and saw the pegasus’ eyes go wide as she screamed and ran into the hiding spot she was walking towards.

Laughing, Axel turned away from the door; were these ponies serious? They were trying to do his job. Well, one of his jobs. And as far as he could tell, they were doing pretty horrible.

Axel joked about it for a few minutes, eventually stopping as he began thinking on what to do next. He could easily attack them, but fighting an opponent you know nothing about is a rookie move; he could give them the slip, but then he’ll still learn nothing. He pondered over the thought until a smile crept on his lips as a plan began to form. I guess I’ll give them a bit of a show…

---

Twilight couldn’t believe it! They’d found the creature already! She thought it would have taken them days, maybe even weeks to find it in the Everfree, but after Pinkie’s suggestion of going to The Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters to look, they found it before an hour even passed!

Double checking that her binoculars were in working order, Twilight began studying the castle to see if they could find the creature again. But it was true! It was all true! The creature really did exist! There was a new species in Equestria and Twilight could study it! She would be jumping for joy right now hadn’t they been trying to keep quiet, not to attract the creature’s attention. Though, Fluttershy almost blew their cover after freaking out over a branch that snapped underneath her own hoof! Sometimes that pony is just so – Oh my gosh! There it is! Twilight thought, focusing her binoculars to the entrance of the castle, the creature in question striding out of it.

“Do you think it knows we’re here?” Twilight heard someone whisper to her, though, obviously it wasn’t Princess Luna; Twilight would’ve recognized it if it was Luna.

“I don’t think so, it doesn’t seem to be interested in where we’re hiding,” Twilight whispered back, keeping a trained eye on the weird creature. Everything that the Cutie Mark Crusaders described was true! It did stand on two legs and wear a black coat. She wondered where it got the materials to make it, and how it made it for a matter of fact. But she ignored those questions as she took out a quill, inkwell, and paper and began scribbling down notes about this creature.

“Alright, time to show this guy who’s boss,” Rainbow said in a hushed voice, starting to dash out of the hiding spot, trying to ruin the mission already.

Twilight didn’t see Rainbow Dash come out of the bush and glanced back to see Princess Luna holding Rainbow Dash in her magic, not even allowing her to speak. “We understand the vengeance thou desires, Rainbow Dash, but now is not the time! The lives of ponies may hang in the balance, and if we’re not careful, we could forfeit their lives!”

The magic that held the prismatic mare’s body lessened and Twilight saw her shoulders slump down. The rainbow mare gave a nervous laugh under the stone gaze of the Princess, “Yeah sorry. Wasn’t really thinking there.”

Twilight dismissed the apology and looked back at the creature through her binoculars, watching every motion it made.

Walking around the castle grounds she saw it observing the palace, testing the walls and studying each detail on them. The creature did so for about thirty minutes before returning to the dark recesses of the old kingdom, appearing throughout windows of the castle until it came out onto one of the few balconies that hadn’t fallen apart.

It began doing the same thing it did on the outside grounds, testing the few standing walls and studying the castle from a higher view. Just like the last time it did so for about thirty minutes before going back down through the castle and studying the outside again, about fifteen minutes longer than the last time. It journeyed back up through the castle and studied from the balcony again for about three quarters of an hour.

The creature repeated this time and time again, each time it came back to the outside of the castle it stayed a bit longer before heading back to the balcony. Hours passed and soon yawns of multiple tired ponies began to distract Twilight and she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

She turned to see that the hoof belonged to Princess Luna who had bags under her eyes just like everypony else, “We’re afraid that our time is up young Twilight,” she said, “it is almost dawn and we have neglected our nightly Royal Duties. Thou may stay if thou wishest, but we must leave for now. Fair thee well, young Twilight Sparkle.”

Princess Luna began walking to the back of the camp, stopping as Fluttershy appeared before her. “Um... If it’s okay with you… Could I, um, come with you?”

“Oh, could I come to? My eyes need a rest from this garish forest,” Rarity added in as she trotted over to Luna. Both of them wished to escape from the forest, and Luna couldn’t hold them back.

“Fine, thou may come. We would most enjoy thine company,” Luna responded, smiling at the two mares before exiting the Everfree. Both of the mares trotting to catch up to the Princess as they made their way back home.

Twilight looked at the two friends who stayed, “Did you also want to go? I’m fine if you just want to leave.”

“Are you kidding, the last time you were alone in the Everfree you became a statue,” Rainbow argued, keeping her voice in a low hush.

Originally, Twilight was a little irritated at Rainbow’s words, but the more she thought on them, the more she realized how much loyalty her friend truly had. It was in moments like these that Twilight remembered how much her friends cared for her, “Alright Rainbow, I hope you’re ready for a long day ahead,” she said, giving a smile to her friends. But her words did seem to ring true, the day did seem terribly long.

Night began to hide for shelter as the approaching dawn made its way up into the sky, in the time it took, it felt like a day had already passed. Twilight felt sore, well, everywhere! Her eyes drooped every now and then and she had to force herself to stay awake. The others didn’t seem to fare any better.

The energetic Pinkie yawned and started to fall asleep on her hooves, snoring slightly and Rainbow began fidgeting around, unable to stand still much longer. And the entire time they were there the creature just did the same thing it had been doing for hours before, currently it was checking on the outside of the castle from the ground.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she lay beside the lavender mare; she began watching the creature with Twilight about an hour ago. She tried to strike up a conversation a couple of times but gave up as Twilight’s only response was, “Uh-huh.”

“Oh my gosh! It’s already four!” Pinkie hissed.

Twilight turned her head to see Pinkie jumping frantically on the tips of her hooves.

“Something wrong Pinkie?” Twilight asked as she watched the cotton candy mare.

“I Pinkie Promised the Cakes that I’d have a part for Pound and Pumpkins birthday! But I can’t leave you two here alone, I wouldn’t be a good friend then!” Pinkie stopped in mid air, somehow, and gasped as her eyes brightened up like a light bulb had been lit in her brain.

“I know! I’ll ask Zecora to stay with you while I go back to prepare! Don’t worry girls! I’ll get her here in a giffy!” Pinkie pronounced as she put a rubber chicken, streamers, cake and pie, and a sombrero into her bag.

Rainbow Dash yawned beside Twilight, “Twi’, I know you want to study this thing and all, but I think we should go with Pinkie and catch some shut eye back in Ponyville.”

“Oh, that’s an even better idea!” Pinkie commented in a low hush, flipping the saddlebags she had crammed her ‘necessities’ into onto her back.

Twilight mulled over Rainbow’s words, it probably would be a good idea to go back before she fell asleep in the Everfree, but then the creature may disappear! Yet she couldn’t risk staying out in the Everfree for much longer.

“I’ve stayed up for longer than this,” Twilight said, sidestepping the question as she began to yawn as well and rub her eyes, “but, yeah. I think that would probably be the best idea. Spike will be worrying like a madpony if I don’t get back soon.”

Rainbow stood from where she lay and stretched her sore limbs. Flipping her saddlebags onto her back, she began to walk into the Everfree with Pinkie.

She paused and looked back onto the unmoved Twilight that still lay in hiding from the creature. “Uh, Twilight?”

“Just give me a minute to finish this sentence. I’ll catch up to you later,” Twilight said, waving a hoof to her friends as she continued to jot down notes.

She heard the sounds of hooves fading away in the distance and gave a sigh of relief, grateful now for the serenity of not having two ponies hanging around her as she tried to observe the creature.

Twilight finished her sentence, and continued to write more and more as she saw the creature do something different than it had for the previous hours before. It stared out into the forest and began to walk to the bridge, testing the planks.

A snap diverted Twilight’s attention from the creature and she scanned through the dark forest around her. Twilight gulped; maybe it would have been better if she had left with her friends.

The forest now seemed to creep around her, trying to grab her in its branches and vines. The librarian shook off her foalhood fears and looked back to the creature, but it was gone!

Vanished, it wasn’t there anymore! Where could’ve it gone! Did it go back into the castle!? Twilight frantically searched through her binoculars trying to find it. Then a hoof or paw of some sorts grabbed her from behind and a shriek escaped her lips.

She jumped into the air hitting her head on a low hanging branch and falling onto her back, pushing her hooves through the dirt trying to get away from whatever monster of the forest around her that just tried to make her its breakfast. But she then heard the most vexing thing; laughter?

It was a male laugh and at first Twilight thought a stallion had snuck up on her and scared her for fun. But as Twilight opened her eyes, she saw it to be the creature she had been so eagerly studying holding one of its weird fore-hooves to its chest laughing at her instead. “Oh, that was worth every minute of waiting. You ponies are hilarious!” the creature said, it said!

It could talk! Twilight doubted it could make any form of intellectual communication after watching it look at the castle for all that time but this was… wait, did it say that was worth every minute? Twilight thought, rubbing a spot on the back of her head that she hit on the branch.

The creature continued to laugh for a while longer before calming itself down, “I haven’t laughed like that in a while, almost made me feel like I have a heart.”

At first, Twilight didn’t know what to think, but then the pieces began to fall back in place in her mind and she had her first question prepared, “How’d you sneak up behind me!?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” the creature arrogantly responded, “now who are you then?”

Recomposing herself, Twilight stood from the dirt and held out a hoof in greeting, “My name is Twilight Sparkle; I am the personal student of Princess Celestia.”

“Nice to meet ya Sparkles,” the creature said, the name of the Princess obviously carrying no meaning to it, “oh, you’re probably wondering what my name is? Let me introduce myself. Who am I? My name’s Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said, unable to form together her thoughts as she talked to it.

“Good, you’re a quick learner. Well, catch you later Sparkles!” the creature, uh, Axel said, turning its, uh, his back to the lavender mare, waving a hand to her as it walked back into the eerie forest.

Twilight watched it disappear into the trees of the forest, once it left and Twilight’s thoughts came together again, she finally said her mind, “What just happened!?”

Author's Notes:

Hey everybody!

Long time no see, it's only been a few months... yeah I need to work on my timing.

Sorry for not getting this out sooner, but a bunch of stuff has been happening to me lately which has made it really hard to do any writing. My cat died, my great aunt died, and then I had school and a bunch of projects on top of that. Happy fun times, right?

Because of this I'm actually thinking of taking the long hiatus to figure out what I'm doing with this crappy story a chapter early to take a break from writing while I figure everything out.

Aside from all of that, I want to thank my newest editor Uber_Shy for joining my new team of editors (I have a team of editors, SO AWESOME!), and as usual if you guys see any mistakes in this chapter, or find any ways I could improve my writing, that would be greatly appreciated.

Let's see, am I forgetting anything else?

...Oh yeah, so I got the new Pokemon games, Pokemon Y to be specific, and I am having a blast playing through it, and I'd probably be much farther in the game, but I've been playing a lot of League of Legends lately, mainly ADC Twisted Fate.

If any of you guys want to play a game of League with me, I'd be down with that, just don't expect a good player.

And today is both the season four premiere of My Little Pony and is the day of the Doctor. I'm going to be watching both, hopefully, and I'm still nerding out a bit that David's coming back to Doctor Who for the 50th.

I think that's everything now, yeah. If I forgot something I'll say it in the comments.

Welp, if you find any mistakes or ways I can improve my writing I'd be very grateful (didn't I already say this? Ah well), and I hope all of you guys have an awesome day and an even better Christmas! (Or whatever you celebrate!)

Seeya next time, and where's the Tylenol?

Cheers mates!

P.S. Sorry for mistakes in this author's note, just woke up a while ago.