//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Nightmares 
// Story: Rainbow in the sky 
// by Shiron 
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Darkness surrounded Shiron while he was running through the forest. He knew this place because he had lived here for several months, but somehow the forest was different this time. Shiron didn’t know why, but he was afraid. Something wasn’t right. There were no sounds of animals, just darkness. He was running away, trying to find his friends, but the forest just disappeared, merging with the darkness. 

Then he was standing at the edge of a cliff. The ground behind him started to collapse and soon everything, except the spot he was standing on, had turned into a giant and bottomless hole. Cracks formed on the ground under him but when he tried to fly away, his wings just didn’t move. He tried to use magic to teleport but this also was useless. No matter what he tried, he wasn’t able to escape. 

Somewhere in the distance he spotted his friends having a picnic. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy played with a ball, Rarity was relaxing on her couch and Twilight was reading a book while Rainbow and Applejack ate some sandwiches and drank cider. It was a happy day for them, not knowing what was happening to him. 

Shiron called their names, but his friends didn’t listen to him. Instead they just continued to have fun. When the ground under his hooves collapsed, Shiron finally was able to spread his wings, but after a few flaps something started to wrap around his hind legs. 

The darkness seemed to be alive and shadows started to swallow him up. The more of his body was swallowed up, the less Shiron could feel. It felt, as if he was just disappearing. He tried to use magic once more but shocked Shiron realized that his horn was missing. It didn’t just disappear; it looked as if he always had been a Pegasus pony, not an alicorn. 

For a moment it seemed, as if the darkness stopped to grab him, but then Shiron started to fall. Giving up, he just closed his eyes and accepted his defeat. While the darkness swallowed the world up, his friends just continued their picnic, not caring for his fate.





Heavily breathing Shiron awoke with a start, his body wet with sweat. Half asleep, he quickly put a hoof on his head and was relieved that his horn was still on his head. He was shaking in fear when he tried to get up. Looking out of his window he was able to see the moon. It still was night but he knew that Celestia would soon raise the sun. Somehow, he always knew when the princesses raised the sun and the moon. He almost felt their magic.

Trying to clear his mind from his nightmare, Shiron slowly went into the shower. Walking pass his mirror he noticed that he just looked awful; a messy mane and bags under his eyes. Somehow, he should have got used to his nightmares by now, having them almost every night, but it only got worse. He didn’t know why he was hunted every night. His whole life had changed after he had saved Rainbow Dash that night.

After a long and lonely year he finally got friends. He had learned what kind of pony he was and Celestia and Luna even offered him a family. It felt weird and wrong to call them by their names without using their title - they were princesses after all. How could he, a pony who wasn’t even able to control his magic, be worthy of calling the princesses of Equestria by their names? Not to mention to casually treat them as his big sisters.

Shiron shiver with cold when he was walking toward his shower. His room was at the right temperature but somehow it felt as if his room got colder - even his mirror started to fog up. A hot shower, that was what he needed right now. When the warm water ran down his mane, he slowly started to feel better. It wasn’t the first time he felt cold for no reason but maybe it was also some kind of alicorn thing. He should ask the princesses about it next time he sees them.

As the water warmed him up, Shiron thought back to the past few days. The Winter Moon Festival had been a huge success and the ponies started to get used to having Luna as a second princess. Her speech had been recorded and shown in almost all of Equestria. Finally Luna was able to live her life without her past as Nightmare Moon. At least he hoped so.

Moreover, despite their kiss, his friendship with Rainbow Dash gladly wasn’t damaged. He still didn’t know what exactly had leaded to their kiss, but Dash assured him that it just had been a silly prank by Pinkie and Rarity. Believing that she would only act with the best intentions, he had accepted her explanation; even if he knew that there might have been a different reason behind everything. Dash would never willingly hurt a friendship and if she actually made up the whole prank story, then she had her reasons.

However, he had noticed that something had happened between Rainbow and Pinkie and Rarity. Did they have a fight because of the prank? He never got an answer but since things got better after they had talked things out, Shiron didn’t pay more attention to it. After all, the three ponies still were best friends, so it most likely wasn’t something serious.

Drying himself off, Shiron left his shower. This week Dash was doing the inspection flies so she already was awake. Yawning, Shiron left the shower and was about to go downstairs when he heard something. It sounded, as if someone was singing. Not one of the usual songs ponies liked to sing out of nowhere but something different. Something like a melody you hum for your children. Following the sounds, Shiron walked downstairs. It was a beautiful, calming melody that made his heart feels warm. A gentle and heartwarming melody. That voice, was it…Rainbow Dash?

He opened the front door and there she was sitting. A few birds sat next to the cyan Pegasus pony, listening to her melody. Behind the strong and cool face she was always showing was lying a gently and caring side. An innocent and kind pony, much more sensitive and vulnerable then he had ever thought. He didn’t know why she was hiding it before others, but Shiron felt awful. It was, as if he was invading Dash’s privacy. If she wanted it to be a secret, then he wouldn’t hurt her trust in him. However, when he was about to sneak back into the house, the birds noticed him and flew away. Dash turned around and looked at him.





For a few moments, Dash was looking at her alicorn friend. Those few moments before your mind screams at you, telling you to hide your emotions and act cool and confident. She hated it; she was so tired of hiding a part of who she was before everyone except Fluttershy. She was the Element of Loyalty after all, but hiding a part of herself felt like not trusting her friends. It felt, as if she was betraying them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy” he apologized to her. He always was so nice and friendly. Maybe everything would have been different if she had met him before Cloudburst. Those sweet moments she thought, right before she instinctively put up the wall around her again. She couldn’t fight it. Too long was she wearing her mask.

“No need to apologize, I was just thinking about a new, awesome flying trick. Yep, just me being awesome and … stuff” she lied while faking a laugh. Rainbow was so sick of lying and looking at Shiron, she knew she messed this one up. Now he was going to laugh at her. “Ok, ok, you got me. Go on, laugh at me” she said with her head hung.

“Why should I laugh it you?” he innocently asked instead. She looked at him standing next to the door of her home, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to come closer. Just once I want to share again she thought, signaling him to come closer. She didn’t know why she did it. Maybe she wanted at least one more pony next to Fluttershy to actually know who she was deep inside. Just one last time…

“That was a beautiful song” Shiron said, sitting down next to her. Together they looked at the sky. Light spread on the horizon; signs of sunrise. Silently, they sat next to each other, watching the sunrise.

“Thank you” Dash said, not only referring to what he just said. “My mom always sang it for me when I was young” she added. As embarrassing as her parents were, she loved them. To her, they were the most awesome ponies.

Dash looked at Shiron, the ruby in his necklace reflected the sunset in a magical red. He was just looking at the sun full of melancholy. She resisted the wish to hug him with one of her wings. “Are you ok?” she asked instead.

“Yes, I just” he started, still looking at the horizon, “didn’t sleep very well.” His eyes were full of sorrow. Was it really just because of a bad night? No, she knew him long enough to know that there was more.

After their beach party he had actually changed. He was more outgoing, he laughed and had fun. Shiron had actually started to come out of his shell. They all knew that there still was something that depressed him, something other than his amnesia. It was, as if he didn’t want to remember. What had happened to you, she silently asked him. It hurt her to see a friend suffer and she wanted nothing more than to help him. However she knew that, if she would try to find out what was wrong, he would once again start to isolate himself. When he felt that the time was right, he would come to them and they would be there for him.

“Could you please…” Shiron quietly asked“…sing you song again?” It was the first time anypony asked her something like that. Probably, it would also be the last time she would allow someone to see behind her wall.

She closed her eyes and soon her melody filled the air again. Dash didn’t know why she didn’t escape like usual. Yes, she actually was a brave and confident mare, she always had been, and she liked who she was. She was the awesome and daring Rainbow Dash. However, she was usually also living a lie, hiding a part of herself. Except of her family and Fluttershy, no one she had shown her true self had stayed by her side. Silverwing, Cloudburst and even her old best friend Gilda; all of them had left her one way or the other.

After a few minutes, Dash felt something on her wing. Looking to her side she saw that her friend had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful, as if it was the first good sleep he was having in months. Blushing, Rainbow spread one of her wings and put it on her sleeping friend. Without stopping her song, she looked back at the rising sun.

Maybe, just maybe, it won’t be the last time she thought, almost wishing.





As the sun slowly rose above Equestria, the golden aura around Celestia’s horn started to fade. It would be another beautiful day for her beloved subjects. Standing on her balcony and looking down to Ponyville in the distance, she was wondering how her fellow alicorn was doing.

It had been two months now since she had met him. From the day she and Luna had become the princesses of Equestria until the day they met him, she had always thought that there only meant to be two alicorns. Of course, there had been a few chosen ponies who earned their right to ascend to become alicorns themselves, just like her adopted niece Princess Cadence, but those ponies had been turned into alicorns, not born as one.

One could think that Shiron also had been something else and then was turned into an alicorn but that wasn’t possible. His magic had exactly the same feeling as her own and Luna’s magic, so he actually was a born alicorn. He hadn’t told her where he came from and she wasn’t even sure if he knew it himself. She had tried to follow his hoofsteps back to the meadow where he had woken up. It hadn’t been difficult because he never learned how to control his magic, so she just had followed the magic traces back to their origin.

When she had finally found the place, she was south of Vanhoover and in the undiscovered west of Equestria. Only a few smaller villages were here and nopony had been able to see her. She was just lucky that Luna agreed to hide her absence from their subjects. They both needed to found out why another alicorn had appeared now. Was it because of the return of her sister or was it just coincidence? They needed answers. For the first time ever recorded there now were three alicorns alive at the same time.

Sadly, the meadow hadn’t given Celestia an answer but more questions. She had visited the exact place where Shiron had woken up; she still was able to feel the magic. There had been traces of a powerful teleportation spell; a long distance teleportation. However, that was all she had been able to figure out. Teleportation was an advanced spell and a long distance teleportation was even more difficult. Since she still had been able to feel the magic of the spell, it must have been very powerful; too powerful for everything Shiron was currently able to do. Her investigation had leaded to two possible options.

Shiron could have used the spell to defend himself; it wasn’t unusual that unicorns used spells they didn’t know when they were in danger or scared. Magic was more than just learning, it was a part of what they were. So their body and mind reacted on their own and, in order to escape or to save someone dear to them, they instinctively used an unknown and powerful spell. Especially parents had this power when their children were in danger. Same worked for earth ponies and pegasi, just in a more physical way; unleashing strength they didn’t know they have.

The second option was that someone else had used the spell on Shiron. However, that would lead to the question who was behind the teleportation spell and why it was used. Moreover, where was that someone now and did Shiron know about it?

Since the spell was already older than a year, Celestia wasn’t able to extract any information from it and had returned to Canterlot. Although she hadn’t found the answers she was searching for, she at least knew that Shiron had told her the truth. Not that she thought that he was lying to her, but she needed to be sure. She wanted to help him but she also needed to find out the truth.

Signing, Celestia returned to her room. Luckily it was Saturday and for the first time in weeks she didn’t have any appointments or meetings. Seems like I actually have a free day Celestia thought when she laid down on her bed. However, no matter what she did, she couldn’t forget what Shiron had said. If they really want to fear me, then I’ll give them a reason to fear me!

Almost the same words Luna had used thousand years ago. The same eyes full of sadness and bitterness. The magic he unleashed, it had felt like a storm…a storm? Without realizing it, Celestia had closed her eyes and fell asleep. Back to a dream she had gotten used to. Once more she had to relive all of those memories.





Celestia was standing in her old throne room; back at the castle of the two sisters. She was a young alicorn again, looking out of the window. A storm was raging outside and she still could feel the magic her sister had used to raise the moon. As if it was yesterday, Celestia remembered that the nights had become less and less beautiful and Luna, once a cheerful pony that loved to laugh and play pranks, had become a quiet pony shrink into herself.

Of course Celestia had seen this changes but she had hoped that Luna just needed some time before she would talk to her. They had been sisters after all and every time when one of them had problems they had helped each other. They had also helped each other when their friend Discord had turned evil and they had to turn him into stone. However, this time it had been different.

Luna hadn’t come to Celestia and Celestia had decided to make the first step. In all her life she had never seen her little sister like this. Standing in front of her little sister once more, hearing the same words again. Luna said that her subjects would hate her and her night and that they wouldn’t accept her as a princess.

Celestia tried everything to make her sister feel better but when she looked into Luna’s eyes she was able to see sadness, anger and bitterness.

Remember my words Celestia Luna said, for the first time calling her by her full name and not a sisterly name like Tia or Celly. If these ponies can’t accept me and my night, then they’ll fear me. Soon my night will last forever! With these words Luna left the room. Celestia tried to follow her little sister, just like every night, but Luna had already used her magic to teleport herself. Despite it being a dream, Celestia still searched for a way to change what had happened. However, no matter what she tried or said, it always ended the same way. The memories continued, unable to change their outcome.

For the first time, the sun didn't raise in the morning and the ponies became nervous. Celestia tried to find Luna and bring her back to their castle but being an alicorn herself Luna was able to hide from everypony, including Celestia. Make it stop Celestia begged her mind, knowing what would happen next, but the dream just continued.

Some days had already passed and the night had continued. Luna had been able to block Celestia’s magic every time when she had tried to raise the sun. Please, stop this she desperately tried to end the dream.

Once more the scene changed. Luna was standing on a balcony inside their castle, crushing the handrail with her front hooves. Then she transformed into Nightmare Moon. A hard battle begun and against her will Celestia had to fight her own sister once more.

She tried to talk to the evil mare but Luna’s personality had been buried in Nightmare Moon’s darkness. No, I don’t want to see this again she thought. Without another option left, Celestia’s horn called the Elements of Harmony for help. However, the Elements were too strong for Celestia, who was a young pony again.

Instead of saving Luna from Nightmare Moon the Elements went out of control and in the end they had banished Nightmare Moon and Luna forever to the moon. It broke Celestia’s heart when she realized what the Elements had done once more. The royal castle was destroyed and its beautiful forest had turned into the Everfree Forest.

As the scene changed once more, Celestia had already forgotten that this was a dream. To her, she had just banished her little sister to the moon. She saw her subjects starting to build a new castle, Canterlot, next to the cliff side of Equestria’s most magical mountain, but like always Celestia wouldn’t leave the ruins of her castle. She used her magic to control the sun and the moon but despite this, she stayed in her chosen exile. She just couldn’t forgive herself.

She somehow remembered that her subject were worried. They brought her everything she needed but they weren't able to cheer her up. Why do I have this memories?, she asked herself. Reality felt strange, as if her life was running on fast motion. Is this real or have I gone crazy? 

It had taken some months and the words of a young filly until she recovered from her grieve. Slowly, the sun princess started to rule again and Celestia decided that she would somehow save her little sister. Caught between reality and dream, Celestia just lived her life on fast motion. This was how reality felt after all, wasn’t it?

Years had passed since the banishment of her sister, Celestia had trained all her abilities, she saved her subjects from many threats and she had gained the control over the Elements of Harmony, at least for a short time. Although she hadn’t been able to bring Luna back she had been able to shorten her banishment. Instead of an eternal banishment, Celestia had created an own spell to shorten the banishment to thousand years. Although it still had been very long, Celestia hadn’t been able to shorten the banishment even more.

Celestia made a vow that she would never ever allow that one of her friends or her subjects will feel cut off or alone and in the following thousand years, she had helped many of her subjects and made them feel better. She remembered their faces and their names; all of her future friends and subjects.  

All this memories repeated in Celestia’s mind again and again. Night after night she dreamed about the worst mistake of her life, trading her happy life with the fake reality of her dreams. Night after night she reminded herself what she had done to her own little sister. Although she finally got her little sister back, she just wasn’t able to forgive herself.

When Celestia finally awoke from her dream, Luna was standing next to her bed with a worried look. “You had a nightmare again, hadn’t you sister?” the moon princess said. However, before Celestia was able to answer, Luna sad down next to her sister, put a wing on Celestia’s back and said “It’s time that we talk about this.”





Shiron felt bad that he had fallen asleep during Dash’s song but somehow she didn’t seem to mind. Despite the initial shock Dash had shown when he had seen her, it looked as if she was happy. He didn’t know why, but it made him happy, too. She was full of energy today, smiling and laughing as if she just found a barrel full of Sweet Apple Acres’ cider.

It was already pass noon when he had woken up with a blanket on him and a cloud pillow under his head; Dash really cared for her friends. After they ate together, Rainbow wanted him to show how to fly properly. He didn’t know what she meant with that. He was able to take off and land without crashing, he was able to do a few tricks and he also was fast. Of course, not as fast as Rainbow Dash, but he was a good flyer, wasn’t he?

No, he wasn’t. Despite his abilities, he quickly realized that he still had a lot to learn. He never really had paid attention to his own flying style. However, now that Dash mentioned it, he noticed the difference. Unlike Dash, or any other older Pegasus pony, he was flapping his wings like a foal. Dash always needed only a few flaps to fly higher and almost no flaps when she was going deeper. She was using the wind to her advantage while he always tried to fight it. He never realized how much energy he had wasted in doing so. Not to mention that Dash was also using thermals to carry her. He really had to learn a lot and he didn’t even start to learn how to use his magic although Twilight offered to teach him; more than just once.

“I’m still amazed that you actually lived in the Everfree Forest” Dash said when they made a break.

“It wasn’t that bad” he responded. He had heard many stories of the Everfree Forest but to him, they were all exaggerated. “You wouldn’t believe what wonders you can find there” he added with a smile.

“You mean, except poison joke and pony eating monsters?” she asked skeptical. “Thanks, but I pass.”

He knew ponies were afraid of the unnatural forest but he knew better. Then he got an idea. With a grin he looked at Dash “Sounds like you are too afraid to let me show you what the Everfree Forest has to offer.”

"I’m not afraid of anything” Dash said as brave and confident as possible. “Show me what you’ve got.” It seemed that she accepted the challenge.

“I will, but we should wait until it is dark” he said, smiling. “I’ll show you one of my favorite places.”

“Oh come on, why waiting for the dark?” Dash complained. She really hated to wait.

“Because you can only see it during night” he answered.

“Fine” she sighed, “but first we’ll practice some more. I want to turn you into an even better flyer after all”

Shiron winced at that. Dash really had a good heart but he was sure that, by the end of the day, his wings would fall off. It was going to be a very long day for the soon to be unicorn.





“You know that you can’t run away sister” Princess Luna patiently said while following Princess Celestia. Now she was chasing her big sister for almost the whole day, trying to talk her. Even before she had left her bedroom Luna knew how stubborn her big sister could be. Some things never changed, not even after a thousand years.

“I already told you that everything is fine Luna” the sun princess answered annoyed. Luckily, Luna already had a plan B. It was time to duel.

Since Celestia didn’t know the truth, Luna still was in play. “You know that I’m the princess of night and dreams, right?” she asked as convincing as possible. When Celestia stopped dead in her tracks, Luna knew her plan could work. “I know about your dreams already” she bluffed, while walking pass her sister

It was true that she was able to visit the dreams of her subjects, including her big sister, but since she was freed from her other side, she still wasn’t able to use all of her powers. Rising and lowering the moon was easy, that was her special talent after all, but entering dreams was more complex. However, Celestia didn’t know about this little secret and Luna just had to seal the deal.

“Well, if you already know about my dreams, then there is nothing to talk about” Celestia countered. It seemed that this was going to be like one of their old chess games and Luna had to prepare her next turn.

 “The only reason I want to talk about it in person is because you are my sister” Luna made her next move. It was a risky one but she knew her sister better than anypony else. There only were a few things that could cause Celestia to have nightmares. “but if you prefer, then we will just continue tonight in your dream.”

Both sisters continued their way to the throne room. They both were adults now, so the cause of the nightmare weren’t because of the homework Starswirl gave them. Equestria also was a very wealthy and peaceful kingdom, so the well being of their subjects neither was the cause. That only left two options; Shiron and the moon princess herself.

“You know that ponies inverted dream catchers, right? That way I can lock my dreams from you” the sun princess said.

That really was a weak move Tia Luna thought. “I know about them and although they are meant to protect you from bad dreams, they don’t work” she cornered her big sister. She knew it was true because if they would work, then the Tantabus wouldn’t be in her dreams anymore. Not that it could work anyway. After all, she had created the Tantabus for herself as a punishment for what she had done as Nightmare Moon. However, that was a different story.

When they both entered the throne room, Luna gave the guard ponies a signal to leave them alone. Quickly the two royal guards left and the two sisters were alone again. The guards shouldn’t hear or see what would happen here soon. Nightmare Moon Luna thought, knowing that this was the most likely cause for her sister’s nightmares.

Unlike Celestia, Luna hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Shiron but it was unlikely that he was the cause of the nightmares. Well, at least not the main cause. The moon princess thought back to the storm he had created by his emotional outburst and the magic he had unleashed. Who knows what would have happened if Celestia wouldn’t have been able to get through him during that moment. However, he was now living in Ponyville, so it was unlikely that this would happen again. His friends would be able to heal his wounds.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than bothering me?” Celestia said more offensive that she wanted. Luna already expected something like this and she already prepared herself for the following.

“You are the most important pony in my live. There isn’t anything better I can do than helping you” Luna calmly said. The look in Celestia’s eyes changed. Checkmate Luna thought while making her last move. “Please tell me what is actually bothering you” she added, preparing for the impact. She didn’t have to wait for long.

“Tell you what? That I have been a horrible sister? That I’ve stole you thousand years of your life. That I took everyone and everything you’ve had away from you?” the sun princess angrily exploded. Tears started to form in Celestia’s eyes and Luna knew that her sister was fighting with her options; trying to escape or staying and talking things out.

Letting her head hung, Celestia chose the latter and sat down on her throne. With a glowing horn, she lowered the sun while Luna sat down next to her, a wing on Celestia’s back.





Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to expect. She had been to the Everfree Forest a few times already and all she had found was a sun stealing alicorn princess, poison joke and a monster that wanted to treat her to dinner with Dash as the meal. Of course she also had found two friends in there, Zecora and Shiron, but all in all, the Everfree Forest was just creepy. At least it was a cloudless night this time.

“Are you really sure there is something good in here?” Dash asked Shiron while she was following him. His horn was glowing in a bright light as they were walking deeper and deeper into the forest.

“Of course there is. I hope you aren’t scared” he asked her.

“Me? Scared? Come on, you are talking to the bravest Pony in all of Equestria” she said full of confidence. A growl in the distance however made her walk closer to Shiron.

“There is nothing wrong with being afraid” Shiron responded “I know I was when I first entered the Everfree Forest.”

“Sooo, what do you want to show me?” Dash asked, hoping to change the subject. Brave or not, she didn’t want to show when she was afraid. It just didn’t fit the image of the awesome Rainbow Dash everyone knew and loved; especially the younger ponies of Ponyville.

“That’s a secret, but I’m sure you will love it” Shiron responded to his curious friend.

As much as Dash liked surprises, she preferred to see them at safer places with more light and less monsters. Speaking of safe; Rainbow always wondered how Shiron had been able to survive in this place. Sure, he had wings but he didn’t really know how to use magic. Nevertheless he was able to cast a spell to fight these creatures.

“Hey Shiron, how did you learned that spell?” she asked her alicorn friend. “You always try to do things without magic.” Even after two months she couldn’t understand why he rarely used magic. If she would be an alicorn, then her flying tricks would be even more awesome.

“I don’t really like to use my magic. I prefer to live like a Pegasus pony” she wasn’t able to see his face when he answered her. “However, I figured this spell out by coincidence during my first week here. Just like you, our little wolfie over there attacked me too” explained, pointing to a moving shadow in the distance. Dash knew that shadow all too well and moved closer to Shiron.

“Don’t worry; he only gets aggressive during full moon. The rest of the month he is mostly passive” he tried to calm her but Rainbow still didn’t want to find out if that thing actually was passive right now. “When he attacked me, I wasn’t really able to escape. Then, out of nowhere, my horn started to glow in a bright light. I kind of remembered that feeling and trained to use it. Later I used it to help ponies who were stuck in here.”

“You saved many ponies with that spell” Dash said while resting on of her wings on his back “and that includes me.” Before he was able to play down what he did, Rainbow quickly added “and don’t even try to say that it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Ok, you won Dash” he answered defeated “I guess I should be a bit more confident because of that.”

“Yes, you should” she said, patting him on his back with her wing. She loved to win.

“Ok, here we are” Shiron said, stopping the spell he was using. “It’s safe here, so we don’t need that spell anymore” he assured when he saw that she got nervous.

Rainbow Dash glanced around and noticed that they were at a clearing. Before them was a big and clear lake with many flowers. However, all the flowers were closed instead of being fully in bloom. The more she learned about the Everfree Forest, the weirder it seemed.

“Just sit down. It’s almost time” Shiron said quietly, sitting down close to the lake. She didn’t know what he meant, but she sat down next to him.

For a few moments they just sat there quietly; Dash really hated to wait. When she was about to ask Shiron what was about to start, the moon appeared above the trees. As soon as the light of the moon was reflected by the lake, the water started to glow in a soft green. However, not only the lake was influenced by the light of the moon. All the closed flowers slowly started to open and soon they all were fully in bloom. She didn’t know what this was, but she was speechless. Tiny yellow lights came out of each of the flowers and filled the air. Hundreds of lights maybe thousand, no even more, filled the air, flying around. The light of the lake and numberless fireflies filled the clearing. Dash already has seen fireflies, but never that many. It was just stunning.

“This is just…wow” Dash whispered to Shiron. Now she understood what he had meant. No matter how unnatural or scary a place like the Everfree Forest seemed, there always was something special to discover. When she looked at Shiron, he once again had a look full of sadness.

This time, she just had to talk to him, even if it would ruin this beautiful moment. “You know, if something depresses you, you can talk to me” Rainbow softly said to him. “I’ll always be there for you.”

“I…” Shiron started; it seemed as if he was fighting with himself. “Maybe we should go to a different place first. Another place that always made feel better” he said. Was he finally going to tell her the truth?

Shiron stood up and walked toward the lake. With his magic he was carefully picking up a flower. An aura of magic surrounded the flower for a short time and then the light disappeared. “It’s a spell I read about in a book. No matter what happens now, this flower will never wither” he explained, showing her the beautiful red flower.

Using his magic, he carefully placed the flower in her mane. She didn’t know why, but her heart was beating faster. “It looks beautiful on you” he said and Dash felt her face getting warmer. What was happening?

“I…thank you” she said. What the hay is happening? Why can’t I make a clear sentence?, Rainbow Dash thought. It didn’t make any sense to her.

 “I think we should get going now” he said and together they left the most beautiful place Dash has ever seen. She would visit this place again someday.





Celestia and Luna were both sitting on the balcony of the throne room. Stars filled the sky and the moon shone down on them. Although she already knew the answer, the sun princess still tried her luck “You won’t stop to follow me until I tell you everything, will you?”

“I think we both know the answer, sister” Luna answered, letting Celestia sigh. Sometimes she understood why ponies complained about their younger siblings. Not that she would trade her little sister for anything in the world but Luna was stubborn sometimes.

She can be as stubborn as me Celestia though with a smile. “Fine, you won” she finally said while she saw Luna grin.

“So, you still feel guilty about all that happened?” Luna asked and wondered how long it will take them both until they finally can forgive themselves.

“Yes, I certainly do” was the answer. “Since the day I had used the Elements of Harmony, I always relive that day in my dreams. I tried to figure out if there was something I could have said or done to prevent it but I failed.” The sun princess looked at the moon as if it would hold the answers she was searching for.

“Sister, we already talked about this” Luna began, trying to sort her thoughts. “I know how much you had done for me and I’ve even heard your words when you tried to reason with my other self, but nothing could have changed what happened.”

“So you want me to believe that it was our destiny to fight each other? You can’t be serious” Celestia responded doubtfully.

“No, what I meant is, that I had chosen my way on my own” Luna tried to explain. “There had been a part of me that just wanted more. More love, more respect, more appreciation for my work as the princess of the night and dreams.” Luna looked at her big sister.

“I always knew how much you love me and now, thousand years later, I even kind of understand why our subjects treated me the way they did. It wasn’t because they hated me or my night. They just hadn’t been able to see the night as something different as the end of a day of hard work. It just had been a different age and they needed to learn to see the night as more than just the time to go to sleep.”

“Even if you are right then it should have been my duty to help you” Celestia insisted.

 “No sister, I am the princess of the night. I should have been the one to do something but I just wasn’t ready to admit it. Even now I’m not sure if I would be able to teach out subjects to see the night as more” Luna disagreed with her sister. “You on the other hoof had changed the thinking of our subjects. You helped to create wonders of the night I never thought to be possible.”

“It wasn’t easy and I had many ponies that helped me” the older alicorn said, looking at all the light of Canterlot. Even now ponies were playing and having fun although it was night. “However, it still doesn’t change what I have done. If I wouldn’t have found an old spell Starswirl created, you still would be on the moon.”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked confused.

“You know that we always had used the Elements of Harmony together. However, when I had to fight Nightmare Moon, I had to use them on my own” tears formed in her eyes. “I wasn’t able to control their power and banished you on the moon forever.”

 “Sister, I…I had no idea” Luna started but was interrupted by her big sister.

“I’ve searched for years, maybe even decades, for a way to save you. Purely by chance, I had discovered a secret lab of Starswirl” the sun princess continued, not even listening to Luna. “That’s when I had figured out a spell to use the magic of the four night spirits to create a spell to let Nightmare Moon escape. I had hoped that I could find a way to save you until then, even after I had lost the connection with the Elements of Harmony…”

“Stop it sister” Luna tried to calm her hyperventilating sister down. “I didn’t know what you have endured to save me but it worked. You finally have to forgive yourself.” Using her hoof, she wiped away the tears of her big sister.

“Luna, I…” she started, but then was shaking her head “you really are the best sister a pony can ask for” she said with a smile.

“I love you too, Tia” Luna responded, hugging Celestia.  Her little sister was by her side again and Luna had forgiven her. Maybe it actually was time that Celestia forgive herself. However, there was still one thing she had to know.

“You weren’t able to visit my dreams, were you?” she asked but her little sister didn’t answer. Well played Luna, well played.





She didn’t need to ask Shiron where they were going this time. She knew this place all too well. Here she and her friends had learned about their destiny.  Inside this building they had fought their first villain and they had freed Princess Luna from her other side. It was the castle of the two sisters.

Shiron hadn’t said a word since they had left the lake and Dash wondered what he was thinking. He seemed, as if he was fighting with himself whether he should tell her what was bothering him or not. She knew that a part of him actually wanted to ask her for help but she was worried about his other part. The same part that always assured that everything was fine even if it wasn’t. This time, she wouldn’t accept that excuse.

“I don’t know why, but this place always felt special to me” he finally broke the silence when they entered the castle. The statue where they had found the Elements of Harmony still was there although it looked somehow wrong without the five stone balls on it. “It almost felt like some sort of home to me.”

“The castle of the two sisters had once been the home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna” Dash said. Maybe, if this place wouldn’t have been abandoned for a thousand years, there still would have been alicorn statues or pictures in here. Everything could have been different for him. “It was abandoned after Luna had been taken over by Nightmare Moon and fought her sister.”

“The old home of the princesses” he said, lost in thought. “I had been so close to found answers without even knowing.”

Together they went deeper into the castle. Rainbow Dash wondered how often he had been here already. So close to all the answers he had been searching for and yet so far away. She didn’t even want to think what would have happened if she wouldn’t have heard Zecora’s voice that day. Would he still live in his cave? Would she and her friends sooner or later have tried to solve the mystery of the guardian?

The two ponies entered a big room with broken windows and a collapsed balcony; the last remaining of a once beautiful room. The light of the moon filled the room and Dash knew she had to be the one to make the first step, “You said that you haven’t slept very well.”

“Well, I hadn’t have a good night in…I can’t even remember” he confessed while he was standing next to her. “It’s the same dream, night for night.”

“What kind of dream?” she asked. The wall he had build around him finally showed cracks and it was time to crush it, once and for all.

“I…” he started but still was fighting with himself. It was now or never and Dash preferred the first option.

She put a hoof on his back “You can always count on me; you just need to trust me.” She could almost see the hole in the imaginary wall he had created around him. He let out a sign and told her about his nightmares. How he was trying to escape the darkness with magic, with flying or asking them for help. How the darkness always catches him and how he always ended up alone. The darkness most likely represented his loneliness.

“It seems like not matter what happens in my life; I just can’t escape the darkness. It’s like I’m falling and there is no way out” he said, letting his head hung.

“I know how you feel. There are times when you just want to give up and let your fears and doubts get on your nerves” she confesses, knowing that feeling all too well. She put a hoof under his chin and gently lifted his head so that he was looking her into her eyes “but there is one thing that always helps; my friends. No matter what happens; if you’ll ever fall, I’ll be there to catch you. Got that” she confidently said. “I’m always there for my friends”

“Rainbow Dash…I” he looked her straight in the eyes but she still could see his doubts.

“Just think of me and crush those nightmares” she said, using one of her fighting poses to crush an invisible wall. She knew how awesome she looked.

“It’s not just the nightmares” he responded, turning away from her “it’s everything else.” Now we are going to crush the source of your problems she thought.

“One year…you have no idea how that felt.” He was walking a few steps away from her and looked out of the broken balcony. There only were trees as far as the eye could reach.

“Then tell me how it was. I want to help you” she almost begged. She wouldn’t let him get away anymore.

“What do you want to hear?” he angrily asked her, not even looking back. “I’ve searched for a whole year for a place I could call home and a friend or two. That’s not too much to ask for, isn’t it?” he asked but Dash wasn’t sure if he asked her or himself.

“However, all I’ve found was loneliness and isolation at the only place where no one would judge you by your look.” For some reason Rainbow Dash shiver with cold as if the room got colder. “But hey, luckily me, I’ve learned that I can breathe underwater and it seems I’m also immune to poison” he bitterly added, only implying how hard this one year loneliness actually had been for him.

Dash didn’t need to ask what he had meant, it was obvious, but hearing what he actually had tried almost broke her heart. If he wouldn’t have been an alicorn; she would have never met him at all. In hurt her deep inside when she realized how close she was to never meet one of her best friends.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to fit in; finding a place I could always return to but they’ve kept me from it” he almost whispered. Dash’s eyes grow bigger. “Maybe it would have been easier to become what they’ve seen in me” he quietly added, starting to cry.

It was this moment when Rainbow Dash realized the truth. You do remember about your past, don’t you, she thought but didn’t dare to ask. Shiron was just sitting there with his head hanging and his back to Rainbow. Even after all the time Rainbow knew Shiron this was the first time she saw this part of him. No hiding behind a happy face, no fake smiles and no affirmations that everything was alright - just a broken pony with a hurt soul.

Dash didn’t say anything when she walked toward him. While she was hugging him they didn’t need any word, Rainbow just hold him in her hooves to make him feel that he wasn’t alone anymore and that he could always trust her. She just was sitting there, holding her weeping friend.





As the sun slowly started to rise over Sweet Apple Acres, Shiron felt, as if someone has lifted a burden from his shoulders. He felt warmth in his heart he hasn’t felt like forever. He had actually told someone how he actually felt and instead of turning away from him, Rainbow Dash helped him to feel better. He knew that it was time to tell her everything. As soon as she would come home, he would tell her the truth about his memories. Although she had wanted to stay, he had asked her for some time to think about everything.

The person he had been all the years ago was long gone. It had drowned in an ocean of their hate. He had had to choose between one of two ways and both of them had been terrible. Since he hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone by becoming the monster they had seen in him, he had chosen to run away. Even after he had somehow arrived in Equestria and had lived in his cave he tried to escape everything including life but his immortally had saved him.

However, now Shiron changed the way he had chosen all the years ago. He had friends and he had Rainbow Dash’s friendship and respect. He was finally able to choose for the life he always dreamed of and he got his desire to live back. Shiron was sure that Rainbow would understand his reasons for lying. There was only one thing he wasn’t sure about.

“Howdy, partner” he heard Applejack’s voice behind him.

“Good morning Applejack” he answered, trying to figure out if he should also tell Dash about this one last thing.

“Is everythin’ alright?” the farm pony asked concerned.

“No…I mean yes” he quickly corrected himself. Applejack raised her eyebrow and Shiron knew he had to tell someone. At least he knew AJ would never tell anyone about his secret “Promise me to not tell anyone” he said, looking at his friend.

“I Pinkie Promise that I’ll keep it a secret” she answered, making some kind of dance. The same one Pinkie Pie always did when she was making a Pinkie Promise.

Looking for any signs of his other friends he let out a sigh. Everything would become much more complicated now “I think I’ve fallen in love with Rainbow Dash.”