//------------------------------//
// Lunar Revival 
// Story: Midnight Shadow (Outdated) 
// by Orzo Pasta 
//------------------------------//

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When  I came to my senses, I was lying on the ground. My head was spinning,  and my vision was crooked. I knew that teleportation was disorienting,  but in that moment, I felt almost like I was lying on the ceiling. Slowly, my thoughts cleared, and I could see well enough to look around.
I  was in some sort of cave. The entrance, in front of me, was obscured by  a heavy mist. Turning around, I surveyed the interior. Along the sides  of the floor grew several lily pad-like  plants, a few of them holding pink flowers on top. Embedded in the  ceiling were several large purple gemstones. Light seemed to shine  through them, illuminating the giant tree in the center.
It  was the same tree I had imagined while imprisoned by the Lunar  Uprising. It looked like it consisted of crystal instead of wood. Its  roots spread across the open center of the cave floor.  From its branches hung several glowing orbs, suspended by blue vines.  Five of the branches had large imprints on them, seemingly intended to  hold something. On the point where the several branches converged, there  was a symbol of a six-pointed star. Below this, on the trunk of the  tree, were symbols of the sun and moon. At the base of the tree, strange  black vines were poking out of the ground, a few of them wrapping around some of the smaller roots of the tree.
I wondered how I could have imagined it perfectly without ever seeing it before. Am I dreaming? The  tree did seem surreal enough to be the product of a dream, but I still  doubted that explanation. It looked too real. I could feel a light  breeze blowing in from the cave entrance.  I could feel the stone beneath my hooves. I could hear the sound of  small drops of water falling from the cave ceiling. It was all too  vivid, too real, to be a dream.
I  had fully recovered from the teleport at that point, and I stood up. I  approached the tree cautiously. It was truly unique, and yet I had never  heard any mention of it. Surely if it had been discovered, it would  have been famous across Equestria. Is it undiscovered? And, ifso, where is it? Did the teleport spell malfunction?
I reached out a hoof, touching the trunk of the tree.
"Shadow..."
It was a voice, coming from everywhere around me. I tried to take my hoof off of the tree, but somehow, I couldn't.
"Shadow..."
I had no choice. "Who's there? What's going on?"
"I  have something that must be said. In the near future, you will stand  against a mighty foe. If you stand alone, you will fail. Stand with  others, and your victory is guaranteed. Now, go. You are needed  elsewhere."
The  sound of rushing wind filled the cave. Looking behind me, I saw that  the mist had cleared. My hoof left the trunk of the tree, as I walked  out of the cave and into the ravine beyond.
There were stone stairs carved out of the ravine wall. I climbed them slowly, still not fully comprehending the events that had transpired.
Was that tree talking to me? What did it mean? Where am I?
I  reached the top. There was still a lot of mist there, so I couldn't see  where I was that well. A broken rope bridge hung from the edge of the  cliff. I had no way of repairing it, so that direction was out of the  question.
In  the opposite direction, a trail led off into the mist. In every other  direction, there were trees. All things considered, there was only one  possible way to safely go.
I started walking down the trail, hoping to find a town or something.
I didn't have my blueprints, or my horn, or the library. Wherever I ended up, I would basically be starting from scratch.
Once I figure out where I am, I can return to Canterlot.
But  I saw what's left of the library. There's nothing left in that city for  me. I would go live with my father, but by this point I'm old enough to  make a living on my own, and I bet my father isn't  doing too well. Losing mom, then me, would surely have taken a toll on  him. Even if I came back, it's likely that he won't get better quickly.  The kind of treatment he'll need is expensive, and he won't be able to  work during it. He might have enough money in the bank to do it alone,  but if I had to stay with him it's likely that he wouldn't. Any job I  could get wouldn't be able to cover the cost, so it's probably for the  best if I lived on my own until things are sorted out.
I  can't believe things have come to this. Ten years ago, I didn't have to  worry about things like this. I had pretty much everything I could  want, but the Lunar Uprising had ruined everything, taking it all away.  And for what? What were they even trying to accomplish?
That's a good question. I know they want Celestia  dethroned, and they'll go to whatever lengths they think will lead them  to that, but that's all I know. Did Desert River intend to take the  throne himself? In the vision I had earlier, I heard him mention  something about a Princess of the night. Were they trying to bring someponyback from the dead? I've read a few reports of attempted resurrection spells, but they always failed.
I  had been walking for a while. Trees lined the side of the path, and  both directions were cloaked in fog. It was dark, almost too dark to see  the trail in front of me.
The mist was clearing somewhat. Eventually, I could see the outlines of small buildings in the distance. A town.
I figured that I could figure out where I was if I could just find out what town it was. It was definitely a more rural community, judging by the small buildings and rural architecture. As it came into view, I realized what town it was.
The teleport spell hadn't been far off. There, in front of me, was the small town of Ponyville.
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Standing  in one of the town's streets, I looked around the small town. Most of  the buildings were stores, with residences likely on the upper floors.  One particular building caught my eye; a large meeting hall at the  center of the town square. It was much taller than all of the other buildings, its total height being around four stories, perhaps even more. I figured that if Celestia was anywhere in this town, she was there.
It looked as if some sort of event was being held inside. A huge crowd filled the room, probably the  town's whole population. Banners hung from the ceiling, depicting  images of the sun as well as several other symbols that commonly had  life-giving connotations.
I blended into the crowd, surprised that nopony  had noticed my entrance. Looking through the glass ceiling of the hall,  I could see the moon, with the familiar pattern of craters forming the  head of a pony. Four stars around the moon seemed to be getting closer  to it, and eventually they reached it. The pattern of craters  disappeared.
What? How is that even possible?
My attention was drawn to the stage on the other side of the room. On this stage was a pony, who had been speaking to the crowd. "And now, it is my great honor  to introduce you to the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us  the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer  of harmony to all of Equestria..." The curtains on the second-floor balcony drew back. "Princess Celestia!"
She wasn't there.
The  crowd gasped. One pony, a white unicorn with a purple mane, who had  opened the curtains, went to check for her backstage. "Remain calm, everypony," the speaker said, trying to keep the crowd from panicking. "There must be a reasonable explanation..."
The white unicorn came back out. "She's gone!"
Another gasp came from the crowd.
I couldn't believe it. Princess Celestia was missing.
Then,  something strange happened on the stage. A cloud of dark blue smoke  began to appear, swirling around until it formed the shape of a pony.
Her coat was jet  black, like mine. She wore a helmet, greaves, and something like a  necklace, all made out of a blue metal. A large horn, much longer than  most unicorn horns, extended from her forehead, through a hole in the  helmet. Two wings spread out from her sides, feathered but vaguely  bat-like. On her flank, there was a symbol of a moon, on a dark purplish background. Her mane looked like it was made out of the same dark aura she had appeared from.
"Oh,  my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious  little sun-loving faces." Her voice was threatening, yet not aggressive.
"What did you do with the princess?" a pegasus in the crowd shouted. She began to fly towards the menacing Alicorn, but was held back by another pony.
"Why, am I not royal enough for you?" She said. "Don't you know who I am?"
A pony started speaking from the crowd but was quickly muffled. I couldn't see who it was, nor hear what they were saying.
The Alicorn turned to a yellow pegasus  who had been conducting the choir of birds to the right of the stage.  "Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a  thousand years?" As she said this, she took a few steps towards the pegasus, who responded by shrinking back in fear, covering her face with her hooves, still suspended in the air.
The princess of the Night. She was the one they were trying to summon. Could she have been the ruler of Equestria before Celestia took the throne? What did she do with Celestia? Is she going to try and take the throne back?
"I did," a pony in the middle of the crowd said. "And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!" The crowd gasped.
Nightmare Moon smiled. "Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here."
"You're here to... to..." The pony trailed off, clearly nervous. She sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't place it.
Nightmare Moon chuckled. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" She laughed menacingly, as her dark aura filled the room, lightning strikes coming from the blue cloud.
Okay, I think she might be a problem.
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"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!" the speaker shouted. The Royal Guards who were standing by leapt into action, the pegasi among them flying up towards her.
"Stand back, you foals!"  A few bolts of lightning struck the air near them, causing them to  fall. In response to this, Nightmare Moon laughed wickedly, then  transformed back into a cloud of black smoke.
She flew out the open front door. The pegasus who had challenged her earlier, a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, gave chase, but couldn’t keep up with the dark cloud.
A  pony bumped into me, seemingly in a hurry to get somewhere. She ran out  the door at full speed, completely ignoring me. Then, I realized who  she was.
Twilight.
It had been ten years since I'd seen her last. I started running after her.
It wasn't long before the pegasus  started running alongside me. She had landed on the ground and was now  chasing after Twilight, her magenta eyes locked forwards. Her cutie mark  was a cloud with a tri-colored lightning bolt coming from it. I had certainly never seen her before.
"Hey, you," I said, trying to get her attention.
"Not now," was her response. She sped up slightly.
"Why are you chasing Twilight?"
She glanced over at me briefly. "I could ask you the same thing."
I heard four more pairs of hoofsteps from behind me. Sure enough, there were four ponies following close behind, some of which I recognized from the meeting room. The white unicorn and yellow pegasus were among them.
"I'm an old friend. I need to talk to her, and quickly. It's urgent."
The rainbow-maned pegasus rolled her eyes. "Well, duh! There's a pony trying to end the world! Why wouldn't it be urgent?"
We were approaching a library. Twilight was probably there; after all, libraries were her favorite, and if there was any place she expected to find answers, it would be there.
I looked back at the group of five that was also chasing Twilight. Remembering the cryptic message I had received from the tree in the cave, I wondered if this was what it was referring to. Are these the ponies I'm supposed to stand with? Is Nightmare Moon the foe?
We had reached the library. I could hear crashing sounds, as if Twilight was throwing books on the floor. That isn't like her. She'd usually insist that they be read with the utmost care to avoid damage. Why she would be haphazardly throwing them around was beyond me.
The rainbow-maned pegasus was the first to get there. She opened the door, surprisingly quietly.
"Ugh! How can I stop NIghtmare  Moon without the Elements of Harmony?" It was Twilight, speaking to  herself. Hearing her voice, I identified her as the one who had called  Nightmare Moon by name at the meeting hall earlier. I couldn't believe I  didn't recognize her voice sooner.
The blue pegasus flew right into her face. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony?" she shouted. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy?"
That  made no sense. "Calm down, whatever your name is. If she was a spy for  Nightmare Moon, why would she be trying to stop her? If she was a spy  for Celestia, she'd be on our side. And there's nopony else she could be a spy for." She backed off, seeing the flaws in her logic.
Twilight's eyes widened. "Shadow?"
I smiled. "I know it might not be the best time for a reunion, but yes, it's me."
"Wait, y'all know each other?" It was one of the other five ponies, an orange earth pony with a blonde mane,tied in a ponytail, and green eyes. Her cutie mark consisted of three apples.
I nodded. "Yep. It's kind of a long story, but she probably thought I was dead for ten years."
Twilight was just standing there, staring at me. After a moment, she managed to get a single word out.
"How?"
I  sighed. "Listen, I promise I'll explain it later, but right now we have  a bigger problem. You said something about a way to stop Nightmare  Moon?"
Twilight shook her head. "I... I read that some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only way  to stop her, but I don't know anything about them. I don't know what  they are, where to find them; I don't even know what they do!" Her speech had returned to normal by the end of her sentence. The shock of seeing me again for the first time in ten years had lost out to the necessity of the situation.
"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide," one of the other ponies, a completely pink mare with a messy mane and sky-blue eyes, said, reading the title of a book off of the shelf. Twilight's head immediately perked up, and she rushed over, knocking the pink mare aside.
"How did you find that!?"
The  pink pony was already on her feet, and she was hopping across the room.  "It was under 'E'!" she said, in a sing-song voice. I found it off how  she could act so happy in the midst of such a crisis.
"Oh." Twilight opened the book. "There are  six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter,  Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery."
Great, just what we need now; we don't even know what all of the things we're trying to get are.
"It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters."
I thought for a moment. "I've heard about that place before, somewhere. But, isn't it in the middle of the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight gulped. "Yes, but it doesn't seem like we have much of a choice."
The rest of the group exchanged nervous glances.
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We set out for the Forest, walking slowly. Nopony  was too eager to get there, despite the immediate threat. I decided to  take that time to learn about the members of the group. After all, I figured that, if we were saving the world together, I should at least know their names.
I started with the blue pegasus. "I'm Midnight Shadow. What's your name?"
She smiled. "I'm Rainbow Dash, best flyer in Ponyville!" Despite out situation, she still felt the need to brag. I made a mental note of this.
"So, how do you know Twilight?"
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "We... 'bumped' into each other earlier. Literally. You should've seen her mane, it was hilarious!"
I  had no idea what she was referring to, but I kept on with the  conversation. "Bit of a weird question, but has anything major happened  in Equestria in the last ten years?"
Rainbow seemed somewhat confused. "Not really, except that one fire in Canterlot. That's an oddly specific question. What, have you been living under a rock all that time?"
I  figured that she'd be confused about that. "It's kind of a long story,  and one that I'm not too keen on talking about just yet."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, how do you know Twilight?"
I  was prepared for this question. "We met when we were foals. We were  friends for a while, but then something happened, and..." I looked away.  "I don't really feel comfortable talking about this, after what I've just been through."
I didn't think Rainbow would have any more questions, but she surprised me. "What's with your weird leg?"
I looked down at my metal leg. I figured it'd only be a matter of time before I'd have to explain it.
"Well, I was born missing that leg, and I lived without it until I figured out how to make one to replace it."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure."
That surprised me. "You don't believe me?"
She didn't respond. I guess the story would seem pretty outlandish to somepony  who hadn't lived their entire life knowing it to be true. I walked over  to the orange earth pony, given that she was the next closest to  Rainbow Dash.
"Hi, there. I'm Midnight Shadow. What's your name?"
"Mah name's Applejack." Applejack was speaking with a distinctly rural accent. I guessed she was probably from around Ponyville.
"If you don't mind me asking, how'd you meet Twilight?"
"Well, she came down to the farm yesterday, sayin' that she was supervisin'  the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Ah was supposed to be  in charge of the food, before this whole thing went south like a flock a' birds in the winter." She looked over at me. "Say, what's with that fancy contraption a' yours on your leg? I ain't ever seen a pony wearin' one of those before."
"Oh, my leg? Well, that's actually  the leg itself. It's made of metal, you see." I explained why I needed a  metal leg, despite how the story hadn't gone over so well with Rainbow.
"Gee, Shadow, ah reckon it was hard getting' around places without your leg. Why, if ah lost mah leg, ah don't know what ah'd do!"
"Yeah, I had to have somepony push me around in a wheelchair. I guess I had kind of gotten used to it after a while."
Applejack sighed. "Ah'd never be able to work the farm if ah didn't have all four legs. Ah'd be as useless as a broken plow during harvestin' season! It's definitely somethin' to admire, how you dealt with all that."
I  looked away. "Well, when it came down to it, all I had to do was put  together a few springs and gears. I don't really see it as my greatest  accomplishment, although it was, and still is, very helpful."
Applejack shook her head. "Ah'd never be able to do somethin' like that, and ah reckon most ponies are the same way. You got a real talent there, you really do."
"Thanks,  but really, it's nothing compared to some of the other things I've  made. If I had my blueprints, I'd show them to you, but I... I lost them."
"And how'd you go about losin' somethin' so important? Ah would've kept them on me all the time if ah was you."
I  sighed. "I... I don't really want to talk about it." I flashed back to  the dark, cold room. I shuddered. "Too many bad memories. Let's just say  somepony took them from me, and I never got them back."
"Well, that's a shame, it really is. Ah hope you get 'em back someday."
I looked off into the distance. "Me too, Applejack. Me too."
She  didn't say anything else, so I moved on to the next member of the  group. She was the white unicorn from before. I got a closer look at her  as I approached. She had light blue eyes, with long eyelashes extending  out from her upper eyelid. Her mane was curled at the ends, as well as  her tail. On her flank was a depiction of three diamonds.
"Hi. I'm Midnight Shadow." I was certainly making a lot of introductions.
"Oh, well, hello there, darling. My name is Rarity, perhaps you've heard of me?"
I shook my head. "Afraid not, although that isn't saying much. There are a lot of famous ponies I don't know."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm still glad to make your acquaintance."
"If you don't mind, could you tell me how you met Twilight?"
"No,  I don't mind at all. Twilight had come to check in on the decorations  for the Summer Sun Celebration. You should've seen how she was wearing  her mane; it was hideous! I just had  to help her, give her a much-needed makeover." She looked down for a  moment. "Now that I think about it, I'm not too sure she was happy with  the results. I think she would've preferred me to leave her alone, but I  simply couldn't allow such a crime against fashion go unresolved!"
She looked back at me. "Wow, that thing you're wearing on your hoof certainly is a..." She cleared her throat. "...bold  fashion choice. It's really... unique... or, something like that..."  She was clearly trying not to hurt my feelings, but I understood what  she was saying.
I smirked. "It's funny. Applejack thought I was wearing something on my hoof too. This is my actual leg, and it's intended to be practical, not look good."
She looked again. "Sweet Celestia, you're right! How in Equestria did that happen?"
I explained the story, once again.
"Good  heavens, that sounds dreadful. Having to live your life with only three  legs, I can't even imagine how horrible that must have been!"
"Actually,  it wasn't as bad as you might think. I was still able to read, which at  the time was pretty much the only thing I cared about, so I guess I was  okay with it. I mean, I always wished I could have four legs, but I  knew that it was impossible, so I just accepted it. Well, until I got  the idea for this, anyway."
"Well,  I guess I can see that. If I lost one of my hind legs, I'd probably  still be able to sow, even if it would take longer." I got the  impression that she was a fashionista. She sounded almost like a Canterlot pony in her speech and word choice.
I heard the sound of somepony jumping up and down. Looking back, I saw the pink mare from earlier, jumping instead of walking. She made her way over to me.
"Hi there! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?"
I didn't know how she got the energy to keep jumping like that. "Midnight Shadow."
"Well, hi, Shadow! It's so super fantastic to meet you! I love making new friends! Don't you?"
I looked away. "Well, Twilight's really the only friend I've ever had, and..."
Pinkie gasped. "You're telling me that in your whole entire life, you've only made one friend? That's awful! I'm gonna have to throw you a friend-making party after this."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. I have bigger things to worry about after all this is over."
"But  having friends is the most wonderful thing in the world! Well, that and  frosting." She began to salivate, looking off into the distance.
"Um, Pinkie Pie?" She snapped out of it.
"Oh, sorry. But seriously, how can you turn down a friend-making party when you only have one friend?"
I sighed. "Okay, fine, maybe. We'll see. Now, please stop asking." I was getting annoyed with her.
She seemed happy about my response. "Okey-dokey-lokey! I'll start planning it as soon as we save the world!"
I sighed. "I said mayb- You know what, never mind."
I  looked at her. It was hard to tell what her cutie mark was, since she  was bouncing instead of walking like a normal pony, but I eventually  made out that it was three balloons, two blue and one yellow. Her mane  was a darker shade of pink than her coat, and it was curled in a unique,  poofy way. Her tail matched this as well.
"Hey, what's up with your leg? Is it made of metal or something?" I figured she would ask about it soon enough.
"I was born with a missing leg, so I need a replacement one to walk around."
She  stopped jumping, her head drooping down a bit. "That's super sad."  Then, she perked up. "I guess that just means I have to throw you an  even bigger party!" She started jumping again.
I sighed, walking towards the last member of the group. A yellow pegasus with a pink mane, three butterflies as a cutie mark, and teal eyes. Her mane was combed over so it covered the right half of her face.
"Hi  there." She jumped as I said that, letting out a high-pitched squeak.  "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask your name."
She shrunk down, almost to the ground. "I'm Fluttershy..." She said, rather softly. I could still hear her, though, and noticing her shy nature I lowered my voice just a tad.
"Well, hello, Fluttershy. I'm Midnight Shadow. Nice to meet you." She seemed to be a bit more comfortable with me being quieter.
"Oh, well, hi." Her head raised just a bit.
"So, how did you meet Twilight?"
"Well,  I was rehearsing with my birds for the Summer Sun Celebration, and she  came by to see how it was going. I was too afraid to talk to her, but  then I saw her pet dragon."
"Pet dragon? You mean Spike?"
"Oh, yes. How did you know?"
"I used to know Twilight, and I remember she had a baby dragon. I didn't see him much, he was too young to even crawl, but I knew he was there. I don't think he'd even recognize me."
"Why not?"
"Well, I haven't seen him, or Twilight for that matter, in quite a long time. It's... a long story."
"Oh, okay." She was quiet then. I was surprised that she hadn't asked about my leg. Maybe she just saw it as impolite to ask?
I looked back at the group. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. I wasn't sure what I made of all of them quite yet, although they seemed nice for the most part. I made my way forwards, walking next to Twilight. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk with her in ten years.
"So..." I said, trying to start a conversation. An awkward silence filled the space between the two of us. "How've you been?"
Her eyes were locked on the path ahead of us. "Fine."
More  awkward silence. Maybe I hadn't seen her in a while, but I could tell  something was bothering her, and it wasn't Nightmare Moon. I didn't have  to think very hard to figure it out.
"Listen, Twilight, I really wish I could tell you everything, but I just..." I paused. "...can't. Not like it's something Celestia would want me spreading around anyway. I get the feeling like I know more about this than even Celestia herself."
She looked over at me, a confused look on her face. "Why is that?"
I sighed. "I think... I got thrown into something I should've had no part in. Got into some trouble, might've gotten locked in a pitch-black room for ten years. You know, normal things." I laughed nervously.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Let me guess, your dead mother broke you out?"
I took a few steps away from her. "Okay, now that was uncalled for!"
"Then tell me the truth, Shadow."
I  sighed. "I guess I should've been prepared for you not to believe me.  It's the truth, but if you don't believe it, then you don't believe it. I  don't exactly have any solid evidence, so you can believe what you  want. Just, don't be so harsh about it."
She looked forwards again, silent. Of course she wouldn't believe me. What am I, an idiot? Nopony would believe that story.
And yet, I have no other stories to tell. I know that's what happened, but nopony else believes me. This is so horribly clichéd, I'm starting to wonder if my life isn't some sort of book or something.
"We're here," Twilight said, stopping the whole group in its tracks.
Sure enough, we were standing directly on the edge of the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous areas in Equestria, and yet it was our only hope to save the world.
For a moment, nopony moved. "Whee! Let's go!" Pinkie Pie said, already starting to walk into the Forest.
"Not  so fast," Twilight said, stopping Pinkie just before she crossed the  border of the Forest. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really  rather do this on my own."
"No can do, sugarcube." It was Applejack, who had started walking towards the forest entrance. "We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple." The rest of the group followed her, crossing the Forest's border.
Pinkie  Pie lagged behind. "Especially if there's candy apples in there," she  said, to which Twilight and I responded with strange looks.
"What? Those things are good." She followed the rest of the group.
Twilight, who hadn't moved yet, glared back at me. I saw an unidentifiable negative emotion in her eyes.
She turned around and followed the rest of the group.
I was standing all alone. I had lost everything, my life, all of my work, and now my only friend. The only thing I hadn't lost was myself, and if I wasn't careful I'd lose that too.
I had nothing else to do; nowhere else to go. Taking a deep breath, I crossed the threshold, entering the Everfree Forest, facing almost certain death to save the world.
I had no other choice.
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