//------------------------------//
// This Dark and Dismal House 
// Story: What Memories May Come 
// by Saffron Panther 
//------------------------------//

	Jump ahead.

One of the royal palace guards glances up at the magnificent magenta glow of the forcefield looming overhead. He lets out a low whistle, wondering what kind of threat is about. In the glow, the stars look like shiny cherries or winedark eyes looking down at him. It’s a clear night with a great view, no clouds for any trespasser to hide behind. The guard fights back a yawn, trying to keep up the always-attentive persona the Canterlot guards are trained to have. The last thing he needs is another reminder to keep up appearances.
“Wonder what the Princess wanted the forcefield up for this time?” he wonders aloud. “I hope it’s not those Changeling beasts coming back. I hated dealing with my own reflection trying to kick my flank while another sneaks up from behind. That was horrible-”
“The Princess’ orders are the Princess’ orders,” another guard walking from the side answers, his helmet reflecting a magenta forcefield sun in the center. “She ordered that the forcefield be maintained and that’s what we did. Now, keep focused!”
“I was just wondering. The Princess seemed very worried earlier when she returned. Something about a gray colt in Ponyville with a sun like hers as part of her mark. If it’s something big-”
“Focus!” the other guard retorts.
The first guard shakes his head, putting on his serious face while his wings set back against his sides. He glances back up towards the magenta forcefield and winedark starry sky, expecting to see some kind of aerial invader. He thinks back to the chunks of the conversation he had overheard with the Princess. A gray colt in Ponyville drawing her attention that she would leave Canterlot immediately to find him? What can this all mean? 
Perhaps the gray colt was some Changeling agent of that diabolical queen coming back? Or the queen herself in another of her wicked disguises? Hard to say but given that Captain of the Guard Shining Armor and his beautiful bride are in the castle, it’s a possibility. Nevertheless, no aerial invader is going to attack the palace. Not on their watch and certainly not on the watch of Princess Luna in the tower. That is certain.
Focus! The guard reminds himself in a mental voice sounding like the other guard. Just keep focus! Captain Shining Armor can handle himself. He wouldn’t let that Changeling monster dupe him again. Just keep on the task at hand.
Speaking of the Captain, Shining Armor stands on the balcony of the tower, overlooking the premises as his forcefield spell keeps functioning above his guards below. The wind passing through shifts his deep blue mane a little as he arches his head to the winedark stars. A dull magenta glow glistens over his eyes focused on the possible threat to come. He lets out a small sigh, remembering Cadance’s reassurances that everything will be alright. But for now, he keeps attentive to the duty at hand.
Something blurs past the apex of the forcefield, catching the Captain’s eye as it crosses the field of winedark stars.
Shining Armor and his guards turn their attention towards the blur as it passes by again like a fly plotting to land. The guards ready their lances, wings tensing in anticipation of the seeming aerial invader. The pondering guard squints, trying to get a better glimpse at the figure if it matches the Changeling Queen’s appearance.
The blur returns, gaining a familiar equine shape as it slows down, hovering just above the apex of the forcefield. With its massive wings and horn, the pondering guard thinks it might be Princess Luna. But why would Luna leave her post and go outside-how could she when he saw her at the tower? Was Luna-
All thoughts are cut short as a beam fires directly from the mysterious alicorn’s horn into the apex of the forcefield. Magenta sparks fly, scattering the winedark stars as the energy flies down in a heavy rain. Shining Armor stumbles backwards in the recoil, collapsing against the balcony’s edge. His guards duck and dodge as the energy collapses in shards, stirring up their instincts to avoid the debris even as it dissolves into the open air. The pondering guard and his associates prepare their wings to take off when the alicorn vanishes.
Shining Armor gets back on his hooves and tries to pull restart the forcefield spell when something cracks below him. Gazing down, he sees a lower spire slowly dissolving into nothing. Two guards within tumble forth, one tossing his helmet to the ground as it too dissolves like an extinguished flame. He refocuses to send out the forcefield spell when another sound erupts in the distance.
The pondering guard readies his lance as an explosion erupts above his head, scaring him out of his wits. Expecting to see stone chunks falling towards him, the pondering guard is surprised by the lack of debris, instead seeing a white void forming along the edge of the tower. It climbs like spreading ivy, veins of glowing white eating away at the tower. Inside, someponies are screaming and several pairs of wings flutter to escape through the nearest window.
Cadance stirs from her bed, running her hoof next to her to see if her husband is back. Not sensing him, she wakes and slides out from under the covers. She almost calls out her colt’s name when something erupts outside. Worried, she runs to the open-door balcony, seeing Shining Armor frantically searching for something in the sky. Yells and calls echo around outside, prompting her to run towards her spouse.
Seconds later, a shot of white void splatters against the tower’s edge beneath them. The balcony caves in as Shining Armor realizes too late, hooves tossing into the air. Warm front legs wrap around him with wings slowing his fall. He looks above, seeing his mate’s worried expression and the collapsing tower behind them. It plummets into the valley below the mountainside, smashing into pieces at the bottom.
A piece of intact stone collides with Cadance’s back. 
He throws himself under her. Cushion her fall as the ground nears. But Cadance turns, holding Shining Armor against her chest as they land, her back shrieking in pain from the collision. Shining Armor’s helmet flies from his head into the path of two guards coming to their aid of their Captain.
The pondering guard and the others maneuver, trying to follow the quick path of the aerial attacker as more blasts of energy form white voids along the ground. The pondering guard panics as he nearly slides hoof-first into a void stretching at his feet, nearly losing his helmet over his eyes.
“Captain! Captain!”
“We have a visual on the intruder! Prepare for attack formation!”
Shining Armor helps Cadance to her hooves, feeling angry at himself for not shielding her from the fall. He’s about to apologize when she pulls him to her, nuzzling his cheek. 
“Captain! The attacker has landed!”
Shining Armor gently brushes Cadance away and turns to the landing strip where Princess Celestia’s chariot would take off on and return from business affairs. “Get behind me,” he tells his wife.
“Shining Armor, I’ll be fine. Please-”
“Please, just stay behind me, my love.” 
Cadance follows as Shining Armor makes his way down to the landing strip, lined with guards coming to his side. At the very tip of the strip, the dark alicorn rests its hooves atop the stone. The wind dies down as the alicorn approaches the edge where Shining Armor stands with Cadance. The two look on.
The pondering guard and the others ready their lances and form twin lines along the strip, watching the attacker. He gets a closer look at the alicorn as it walks down the strip, almost in the same fashion as the Princesses’ royal gait. The alicorn is almost as tall as Princess Celestia but completely blackgray with winedark irises. He catches a glimpse of the mark on the mysterious alicorn’s flank, a bleak and blended circle warped and curving downwards like a twisted heart, half-black, half-white. Two blurs hang within the warped circle but he can’t make out their shapes.
The alicorn pauses and stares down at the pondering guard who freezes in place, his lance slipping from his hooves. Others draw out their lances but fall back when the alicorn turns away to face Shining Armor ahead once more. The pondering guard shrinks back, feeling as if the energy is almost completely sapped out of him.
Shining Armor and Cadance keep their stance as the alicorn finally reaches the end. The Captain of the Guard turns his head and sees Princess Celestia approaching them. She maintained her stare which the attacker reciprocated, almost as if they were old friends. Celestia passes by her niece and nephew-in-law, not breaking her eye-to-eye gaze with the mysterious alicorn. She stops as soon as her front hooves are only a few centimeters from the other.
“Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor starts to ask as Cadance hushes him.
Celestia’s eyes narrow as she gazes into the unflinching poker face of the blackgray alicorn and his winedark eyes beneath the onyx helmet, looking like a shadowy, corrupted version of those worn by her royal guards. The lances remain drawn, readying themselves for the expected assassination attempt on the Princess. Celestia hopes to herself that they will not have to fight.
“Why are you here?” she asks.
The alicorn tilts his head a little and surveys the damage done behind her, particularly looking over the white voids’ handiwork and the hole of the missing tower. Instead of the sadistic smile of a mad magic user admiring his work, he maintains the poker face. Then, with the grace of a loyal subject in the court, he bows before her, reaching the tip of his horn to the ground near her hooves.
“Answer me!” Celestia growls, taking a step towards the intruder while maintaining her gaze.
The alicorn rises and stares directly into her eyes. For a moment, the winedark eyes fade into jade. In a moderately deep voice, he answers. “Did you think he would dream forever, Celestia?” Deeper, returning to the winedark eyes. “Even you can’t banish our kind for all eternity.”
The guards tense, weapons extender further.
Celestia falters for a moment before answering as the memory comes back to her. “I’m sorry, Gareth. I did what I had to do. It hurt, old friend, but I just couldn’t-”
“Then you will understand that I must do what I must do,” “Gareth” replies in the deeper voice, winedark eyes glowing. “Zero Wing is your savior.”
Before Celestia can move, Zero Wing charges her head-on, sending the Princess backwards onto her side. The guards move ahead, lances drawn for the attack.
“NO!” Celestia calls out.
Winedark aura builds around Zero Wing’s horn and spreads in a forcefield shot surrounding him. In an instant, the guards are thrown back and their lances soar into the air, clacking against the stone. They try to stand but collapse, eyes barely open and energy sapped. Behind, the pondering guard struggles to stand up, nearly tripping over his fallen lance. He fails, sliding onto his side as exhaustion overtakes him. The other guards follow suit, feeling all energy sapped from their body.
Shining Armor and Cadance watch in horror as the repel attack takes its toll on the guards. Angered, Shining Armor charges ahead with his horn readied for any number of spells to launch. Directly at the one the Princess called Gareth, he aims-
Zero Wing wastes no time in firing another winedark forcefield shot that flies into Shining Armor’s path. The Captain of the Guard fires his own forcefield spell, puncturing the winedark field with a magenta energy spear. Stunned, Zero Wing seems to step back as Shining Armor lunges once more with another shot. Zero Wing blurs alongside him, dodging the magic blast that disappears over the heads of the fallen guards. Shining Armor curves around. 
The winedark aura snaps back and dives right at the unicorn, colliding into Shining Armor head-on. For a moment, the Captain of the Guard soars into the open air, hooves weakly extended towards Cadance in the distance. After the second strike, he tumbles along the strip and lands on his side, his armor slapping against his torso. His wife screams his name.
Celestia rises into the air as Zero Wing takes off, preparing for another spell attack. She counters, launching a bright sunlight gold mass of energy in his direction. It clashes against the winedark aura firing from his horn, pushing against the other beam. It crackles and explodes, throwing both alicorns back a bit. 
Zero Wing swoops, hitting Celestia from beneath and throwing off her next planned shot.
“Don’t do this!” she calls out, regaining her balance on the air. “Gareth!”
The other alicorn disregards Celestia and takes off into the space above her. Not time to deal with your old friend Celestia yet, Zero Wing moves through Gareth’s mind. You must start again. End all suffering. Start eradicating the meaningless existence. All of it. Now. Now, while we’re awake.
She hears the panicking voices of the castle guards and residents running as another tower falls, its midsection dissolved away by a void shot. Telekinetic spell sends debris flying in her direction, shattered around her by quickthought spells. When the dust of the broken stones clears away, she’s lost all sight of Zero Wing curving around the other side of the castle.
Below them, Cadance runs to her fallen mate while any remaining guards move through the premises, yelling for all occupants to evacuate as the battle goes on. She holds Shining Armor to her, brushing his mane with her front hooves. Around her, the collective moan of the energy-sapped guards drones on. She looks up into the sky, seeing Celestia frantically searching for the attacker.
“Shining Armor…” she says quietly, holding her husband’s head to her chest.
Zero Wing blurs around the castle and swoops onto a handful of royal guards searching for the intruder. He fires a shot of white void energy directly at their feet, nearly engulfing them just like with the others. They take to the sky and extend their lances, trying to strike at the alicorn’s underbelly. The winedark aura builds up around him and the guards plummet from the sky, hitting the fragments of ground not swallowed up by the voids encircling them.
Less to suffer. Finish the job.
Zero Wing sees the pink alicorn on the landing strip and briefly examines her, wondering if he’s seen her before. No. She isn’t familiar like Celestia. Is she another of their kind pulled into this meaningless existence? He sees her hanging onto the body of the Captain of the Guard he incapacitated and considers what he must do. Swooping in lower, he trails towards the pink alicorn, wings extended and horn readied for the next attack. Winedark aura prepare.
Cadance feels his presence and turns around on him, staring angrily at the alicorn. Her expression melds into confusion when Zero Wing oddly pauses. He hangs on the air, staring at the alicorn and her mate, his formerly emotionless face shaped into fear with his winedark eyes dimming slightly. Unseen to Cadance, a memory flashes before his eyes.
“…Sunny?” Zero Wing breaths in the lighter voice.
“GET THY HEAD DOWN, CADANCE!”
Taking advantage of his distraction, Luna soars down and directs a bolt of energy at Zero Wing’s body, sending the dark alicorn reeling into the air.
You let yourself get distracted. Forget Sunny. Forget them all. You know what you must do.
Zero Wing recovers and turns, only to clash horns with Luna as the midnight blue alicorn rushes him. Cobalt and winedark energies collide, shooting off sparks and embers. For a moment, Luna throws him off, pelting his chest with a flash of cobalt. She readies for another shot as Zero Wing blurs away, vanishing around her like a lost memory.
Where-
A winedark aura fires directly at Luna, throwing her off. Unlike the guards below, Luna is mostly unfazed aside from the pang exploding in her head. Clutching her face, Luna falls back, giving Zero Wing another opportunity to fire.
Cut short.
Celestia strikes Zero Wing from below. For a moment, their eyes meet as Zero Wing curls around. Another strike into his chest sends Zero Wing backwards. In a moment, he falls to the earth, his wings slowing his descent. Collapsed, the attacker lets out a heavy breath as Celestia and Luna surround him, Luna preparing to attack if needed. Surprising her, Celestia moves cautiously towards the dark alicorn, a worried expression on her face.
“Please, stop this now. You’re in there, I know it,” Celestia bows her head before Zero Wing. 
Luna pauses, confused by what she could mean.
Zero Wing seems to regard Celestia for a moment, staring up at her. The same winedark aura emerges but weakly expands into a flash of light. Luna watches curiously as a mental image of a dark gray alicorn with a charcoal mane flashes into place over them. The savage-looking alicorn replaced by a cleaner alicorn of the court, bowing respectfully before Celestia. Somepony she knew in the time before Nightmare Moon.
Suddenly, Zero Wing lashes out against Celestia, striking her in the chest with the winedark aura. The image of the dark gray alicorn in the court shatters as Zero Wing rises to his hooves and glares onward, kicking the dirt and stone debris behind him.
“Perhaps, I must show you just how meaningless it all is,” Zero Wing utters, eyes glowing. 
Luna readies herself to come to her sister’s aid but Celestia raises her right leg to push her to the side. Winedark aura shoots outward, hitting Celestia head-on. She winces but is otherwise unfazed. Luna shields her eyes, feeling a slight burn against the underside of her front right leg. Around her, the wind picks up as normal. Luna searches for the attacker and runs to her sister. In the distance, Cadance calls out Celestia’s name. 
When the pain in Celestia’s eyes and head clears and the bright light fades, Zero Wing is gone.
“Sister!”
“I’m fine, Luna…” 
“Sister, who was that insolent attacker?”
Celestia frowns, not looking at Luna. “It’s Gareth, Luna. Or it was.”
The midnight blue alicorn pauses and is about to speak when Celestia cuts her off.
“Please, see to Shining Armor and the guards, and to anypony that’s hurt. I don’t want any casualties.”
Luna nods. “Understood.” The midnight blue unicorn moves down to the landing strip to meet up with Cadance. The two pull up Shining Armor and begin carrying the weakened guards back towards the mostly-intact castle. Luna recalls the flashback to the image of the dark gray alicorn in the court before Celestia. That monster…couldn’t be?
Her sister disappears for a moment into the damaged castle. A few seconds later, Celestia takes off into the sky and scans for any trace of Gareth/Zero Wing. Much to her horror, a trail of winedark energy heads towards Ponyville...


***


Jump back.

Gray Moon moves to the corner of Twilight’s library, huddled away with the thought that he might just vanish into thin air for all the trouble he’s caused. Voices call outside, asking Twilight about why the Princess would just show up. They keep it up for the next few hours, trying to ask Twilight twenty questions before being ushered out. Fluttershy turns to Gray Moon in the corner, trying to offer some kind words but he disregards her, covering his face.
Twilight thinks back to what she saw in the memory projection with the voids and the destruction. She ponders over the where, what, when, and why but just draws a blank. But why would Celestia come and interrogate Gray Moon like this? And who was “Gareth”? Did he have something to do with all of this?
So many questions but maybe there’s answers!
Twilight begins sorting through the books in her “History of Equestria” shelf and perusing each volume for information. “Anything about settlements with an alicorn? No! No! No!” Four going on five books pile up behind Twilight, open to unhelpful pages. Surely, she has to have something!
Gray Moon lowers his head to the floor, feeling the stress of the memory projection coming back to him. Fluttershy moves towards him, brushing his mane with a comforting hoof. He doesn’t bother pushing her away this time, crying into his front legs.
“Gray Moon, it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry. I just wanted you to be alright. I’m sorry, but please don’t blame yourself.”
Twilight reads over a seventh book, finding nothing about the dark alicorn or anyone with the name “Gareth”. The eighth book hovers in its purple hold near her head, opening to several pages concerning early pony settlements in Equestria. Nothing about a settlement with any Gareths of note. Frustration.
As she continues, Gray Moon looks towards Fluttershy, wiping away some of the tears with his right front leg. “I’m…sorry…didn’t…mean to…”
Fluttershy keeps up the reassuring smile. “Please don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
Gray Moon rises to his feet, stretching his legs and brushing remnant tears from his eyes. He shakes his head, as if to dislodge the mental images of the nightmare/memory projection from his mind. He turns back towards Spike giving him the suspicious glare like the rabbit back at Fluttershy’s house. Guess it isn’t unreasonable after all that’s happened.
“Is…there anything…I…can do?” the gray colt speaks up after a bit.
Fluttershy thinks as Twilight goes through the twelfth history book. “Well, is there anything else you remember about what happened? Do you remember where that place was in the memory?”
Gray Moon shakes his head. “I just…have that…nightmare…the giant horned shadow…becoming…like…your Princess…but angry…and those voids…” He bows his head, trying to see if anything else comes up. “Sorry…I don’t…remember…much else…”
“Thanks anyway, Gray Moon.”
The gray colt nods.
Twilight groans, tossing the thirteenth book aside and sighing in resignation. “I’m not finding anything on this Gareth or anything from the projection. There has to be something!”
In the cheapest Deus ex Machina available, a book falls from the shelf and lands open to a set of pages before evidence of missing torn edges. Twilight stares at this revelation, seeing the title of EQUESTRIAN TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS, 500 YEARS TO THE PRESENT.
“Sorry about that,” Spike apologizes. “I didn’t see that one there. Guess I dropped it.” The dragon looks down and sees the damage. “I didn’t do that! Honest!”
Twilight disregards the dragon’s comments and looks over the pages before the torn edges. Her eyes roll over the words. “Listen to this…”

One of the more peculiar incidents in Equestrian history happened in the earth pony settlement of Legacy’s Reach, a proto-settlement in the same vein as that of Ponyville that mysteriously vanished overnight in what was reported as a series of flashes. Legacy’s Reach, named in the honor of its founder Legacy Ray, had survived a massive flood that destroyed its orchards but also provided enough nutrients in its soil to permit re-growth. For a time, Legacy’s Reach had a reputation for its jams and related products akin to those made in Ponyville and Applousa. By the time of the settlement’s disappearance, there had been a total population of at least, going by the few census records remaining from the time period, two hundred and fifty-five ponies.

Another distinctive quality of this location was its leadership under a generation of gray colts succeeding with the name Gray Moon. Despite never having any foals of their own, the Gray Moon succession continued with family members from various parts of Equestria, following their predecessors after their respective deaths. (Some theorize that “Gray Moon” may have been a collective pseudonym for all of the colts assuming the position. Further evidence is needed.) Allegedly, a text was composed chronicling the various methods and laws set forth by the Gray Moon succession but no evidence of its existence has been found aside from anecdotal pieces of the period. However, the Gray Moon line seemingly came to a close shortly before the settlement’s disappearance, suggesting that Gray Moon too was possibly a casualty of the disaster that led to the disappearance of Legacy’s Reach.

Legacy’s Reach disappeared during a massive eruption of bright lights that was enough to attract the attention of

“Darn, the passage ends there,” Twilight moans, resenting that this lead came to a close.
“The book mentioned a family of Gray Moons,” Spike notes. “Maybe our Gray Moon here is a descendant of theirs.”
“It’s possible, I guess, but it seems kind of unlikely if they disappeared along with Legacy’s Reach. Besides, there’s probably been hundreds of Gray Moons throughout history.”
Spike gives a yeah-yeah wave.
“Legacy’s Reach. I don’t think I’ve ever come across that town before when I was studying Equestrian History back in Canterlot. But it does strike me as odd that it wouldn’t be showing up in any documents or history books.”
“Maybe it’s a coverup?” Spike suggests.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Spike. I wish I could find another copy of this book with the missing pages. Maybe there’s more answers. But who else might have a copy?”
Fluttershy taps her hoof against the floor as Twilight and Spike search through some other books in the Equestrian history shelf, just to be on the safe side. The yellow Pegasus takes an aside glance towards her right wing, still bothered by the projection of it dissolving. It flaps and moves perfectly. She turns to Gray Moon who stares at his front hooves, mulling over the information found in EQUESTRIAN TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS, 500 YEARS TO THE PRESENT. 
“Gray Moon…family…maybe…I came…from them?”
Fluttershy shrugs. “I suppose unless the last Gray Moon really did disappear. But it’s like Twilight said, there’s probably been hundreds of Gray Moons.”
“Yeah…maybe…”
“In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay with me if you want. Since Celestia says we should keep an eye on you. Don’t worry about Angel. I’m sure he’ll be nicer to you.”
“You’re…very…kind…”
Fluttershy smiles.
Twilight looks over another volume for extra reference as Gray Moon lifts his head to face the ceiling. He thinks over the mental images from the previous night, trying to pull something out of memory that might help. Horned shadow. Treeshadows. The striped equine in the cloak. Treeshadows. Rocks. Cave.
“Wait…a cave!” Gray Moon calls out, startling Fluttershy.
Twilight looks up from another tome, taken by surprise. “Come again?”
“I remember…I was in…a cave…when I woke up…rocks and stones…the shadow…I was in a cave…” Gray Moon tries to explain, the words coming as they may. “A cave…in the…forest…over there…”
The gray colt runs towards the window and points in the direction of the Everfree Forest, although neither mare has to see what he means.
“I woke…up in a cave…rocks all around me…from the forest…I remember all the trees…”
“Well that explains why he doesn’t know Celestia,” Spike muses. “He’s been under a rock the whole time!”
Twilight shoots a glare at the dragon and closes the tome between her hooves. She walks towards the window next to Gray Moon as the gray colt concentrates on trying to determine where in the collective of green trees resides the cave. “If you did come out of the Everfree Forest, I don’t know if we could find this cave. It’s a big place and Fluttershy told me you came around her house late at night. Do you remember the path you took to get here?”
Gray Moon rubs his head with his left front hoof. “Sort of…but I was…running from…that shadow…”
Twilight nods. “I understand. But if you can think of the path, then maybe we can-”
Gray Moon perks up unexpectedly, the hairs in his mane standing on end as if in invisible electrocution. Confused, Twilight moves to the side as Gray Moon moves towards the door, almost as if in a trance with his hooves smacking against it. Opening the door, Gray Moon frantically runs outside, nearly knocking over an earth pony couple carting supplies.
“Where’s he going?!” Twilight calls out, following out the door. 
“Uh,” Fluttershy looks around for a moment and follows suit. Before crossing the threshold, she pokes her head back in. “So, um, Spike, just hang around here, alright?” The yellow Pegasus shuts the door behind her.
“Fine by me,” Spike shrugs, pulling out a small ruby to gnaw on.
Outside, Gray Moon passes through the center of Ponyville, drawing the brief attention of the shopkeepers and customers as he goes by. The gray colt’s mind keeps picking up on the energy coming from the Everfree Forest as a radio signal hooked to his brain. But getting to the source has to wait when Gray Moon’s path is cut short by a hyperactive face and a hyperactive voice.
“Hey there! I’ve never seen you here before!” the pink pony shouts into his face, getting unnervingly close. “Where are you off to in such a big hurry, Mr. Runner?! Ooh! Ooh! Maybe you need someone to show you around?! I can do that!”
Gray Moon backs away and tries to pass the pink pony who jumps right back into his path, still retaining the too-interested smile on her face. 
“Ooh! Ooh! So maybe I should introduce myself! My name’s Pinkie Pie! I’m always happy to meet new ponies! Welcome to Ponyville! Have you met my friends yet?!”
Twilight and Fluttershy follow down the trail, trying to keep sight of Gray Moon as he heads towards the Everfree Forest. They finally catch up with the gray colt as Pinkie Pie continues her hyperactive welcome speech against his will. He backs away some more as she follows. Pinkie notices them rather quick as Gray Moon tries to duck away and shouts.
“Oh! There’s Twilight and Fluttershy!” Pinkie hooks Gray Moon by the neck and pulls him back towards the unicorn and Pegasus. Gray Moon drags his hooves to no avail. “Hey, Twilight! Fluttershy! Have you met the new pony yet? Oh, I didn’t ask your name! Hey, what’s your name?” she turns to Gray Moon desperately trying to cling to the ground to pull himself out of her grasp.
“Pinkie, let go of him,” Twilight says, noticing Gray Moon starting to lose breath. 
Pinkie looks down, seeing the gray colt’s face starting to turn deep purple in her grasp. “Oops! Sorry, Mr. Runner!” She releases, Gray Moon collapsing to the ground and gasping for air. She bows her head, meeting him at eye level. “So what’s your actual name, Mr. Runner?”
“His name’s Gray Moon and he’s been helping Fluttershy and me with some important history research,” Twilight explains, nudging Pinkie away from the gray colt. “He just thought he saw something but he’ll be alright.”
“Nice to meetcha, Gray Moon! Say, would you like to try one of my scrum-diddily-umptious cupcakes? They’re mmm-mmm-good!”
“Uh…no…thanks…” the gray colt responds, looking towards Twilight for help.
“That’s alright, Pinkie. Maybe some other time. Right now, we have some business to attend to,” Twilight comes to Gray Moon’s rescue, helping the gray colt to his hooves. “Thanks anyway, Pinkie.”
“You’re welcome! Come by Sugarcube Corner sometime, Gray Moon! I’ll whip you up a batch of my wonderful, scrumptious cupcakes! I bet you’ll just love them!”
“Duly noted,” Twilight ushers Gray Moon ahead. “We’ll just be going now.”
Pinkie stretch-smiles and gallops away, passing Fluttershy in her gait. “Hey, Fluttershy! That Gray Moon sure seems like such a fun pony, doesn’t he?!”
“Um, yeah,” Fluttershy moves aside, following Twilight’s come-on gesture. “I’ll, uh, see you later then.”
“Bye!” Pinkie waves before disappearing around a corner.
Gray Moon shakes himself, breath catching after feeling the slight abrasion against his throat. Fluttershy moves alongside him. “It’s all right, Gray Moon. Don’t think badly of her. Pinkie Pie’s just excitable. She means well, Gray Moon.”
“If…you…say so…” the gray colt chokes a bit.
“Anyway, it’s good we caught up with you,” Twilight says, placing a hoof on Gray Moon’s back. “You can’t just run off like that. Look, Fluttershy and I want to help but-”
The signal kicks back in, prompting the gray colt to pick up speed once again. Twilight groans as she continues chase. Fluttershy follows, wondering what’s gotten into him.
Above the chase in progress, a rainbow-maned Pegasus contently naps atop a pony-sized cloud. She turns, stretching her back and extending and tucking her wings to relax herself into a comfortable position. Letting out a sigh, she opens her eyes for a moment and yawns, stretching her front hooves to the sky. Looking down, she sees a gray colt blurring across the grass. She rubs her eyes for a moment and looks again, seeing nothing. Shrugging, she falls back into her nap, completely missing the purple unicorn and yellow Pegasus following beneath.
“I have…to find…the cave…energy…” Gray Moon pants as he reaches Fluttershy’s house. “Twilight…Fluttershy…no, keep going…”
Angel chews on a carrot stick, wondering when Fluttershy will return with the hope that horned shadow did not get to her. He happens to glance through the window just as Gray Moon passes through the yard. The rabbit drops the carrot stick to the floor and runs towards the window for a closer look. The gray colt stops for a moment to scan the entrance to the Everfree Forest behind the house and picks up speed once again, as if led by some invisible force. Angel watches on in confusion, suspicions resurfacing. Before he can move outside though, the gray colt vanishes beyond the trees.
A few seconds later, Twilight appears, panting a little as she nears the house. Fluttershy lands next to her, stretching her wings. The unicorn searches the entrance of the Everfree Forest for any signs of the gray colt, seeing some hoofprints scattered along the dirt and a few broken sticks. 
“Alright…he’s gone in there. Come on, Fluttershy!”
“Um, are you sure about this? I mean, we don’t even know where he’s gone,” Fluttershy says cautiously, glancing between Twilight and the Forest entrance.
“Fluttershy, we don’t have time for this! The Princess asked me to keep an eye on Gray Moon and I have to find him!” Twilight answers, turning back towards the entrance. She runs ahead, disappearing among the treeshadows looming ominously. “Come on!” 
Fluttershy pauses for a moment in consideration and swallows the lump in her throat before following Twilight. The yellow Pegasus ignores the feeling of dread spreading over her like a sinking veil as she crosses the threshold. The treeshadows build up around her, rising in spiky glass shard fashion in a crown of shades. She concentrates on the path ahead, finally seeing the shape of her friend in the distance.
Twilight crushes a few fallen leaves and sticks in her way, jumping over the tree root trying to unearth itself. The unicorn paces herself over other obstacles manifesting along the path. She dodges the rocks sticking out of the dirt and other tree roots partly by treeshadows blanketing the ground. Glancing back, she sees Fluttershy catching up, shaking her head back and forth as if something would lunge from the edges. The yellow Pegasus nearly collides with her friend as she comes to a stop.
Something yells up ahead.
Twilight shushes Fluttershy’s startled yelp and gestures for her to follow. The Pegasus nods, holding back the sound in her throat. Treeshadows flicker and blur along their way, shade veils shed and drawn with each step. The sun breaks into the canopy, scattering the treeshadows into anteumbra clusters. A tree root rises and recedes into the dirt, nearly catching Twilight’s front right hoof. She pulls back and steps over, making sure neither of her back hooves slides into the hoop. Fluttershy follows suit as the two approach a slope leading down into a corona of penumbras.
The gray colt stands in the center, transfixed in another entranced gaze with the winedark aura forming a corona atop a newly-formed horn. He inhales deeply, throwing out a distraught wheeze.
-Amber Mist, don’t worry about it just-stop worrying please, Morning Star, please-MORNING STAR!-Sunny Ray, please let me help you-Lily, what did he do to you? What did he do to you?!-
Gray Moon stares as the voices transcend his mind, projected into the environment around him. Voices bounce off the trees with flashes of images of faces from times before but Gray Moon can’t grasp the exact names or dates.
Twilight and Fluttershy cautiously approach the gray colt in the corona, Fluttershy nearly jumping as the voices emanate through the trees. The unicorn halts in place as a vocal memory projection bursts above her.
A mare speaks, with an accent like those of the Apple family members. Ah told you to stop fussin’ ovah me, Gray Moon! Ah can handle it! Ah may be sick but Ah’m not dead yet! Ah have my duties! Ah have my jobs! Ah can’t let them all down!
Another mare, sounding a little like Twilight herself. You’ve been pacing at night again. Come on, Gray Moon. What’s wrong? Please talk to me.
Another voice, quickly recognized as the Princess herself. Gareth, please don’t do this! I know you’re in there! Fight it!
Gray Moon flails, throwing the winedark aura of his newly-developed horn around and stumbling onto his flank. Twilight and Fluttershy move into the corona, thrown back by the memory projection reshaping itself. The scene changes to a yellow-orange mare lying atop a bed, coughing slightly, a little blood forming around her lower lip. She turns to face them, offering a little smile. Her cutie mark bears a simple sun with concentrated rays of light directed towards her hind legs.
Ah’ll be fine, she says. Ah’ll be fine. Please don’t get all upset ovah me. She coughs, spitting up a little blood.
The scene cuts to floodwaters ravaging the plain. A light green mare disappears into the distance, hoof extended over the surface. An emotionless manifestation of Gray Moon’s face explodes into the scene, eyes a dull winedark color and voice much deeper. You’ve watched them all pass on while you’re still go on, just to repeat the cycle. Do you still think it’s worthwhile?
The colt’s face breaks away, revealing a shot of the settlement lined with white voids and the dark alicorn hovering in the sky. The scene blips and blurs, collapsing into static forming around the alicorn’s body, shattering the aura into winedark stars. In the center, Gray Moon shudders violently as the winedark energy shoots off into sparks. The gray colt collapses to the ground, the final winedark aura exploding above him as the projection cuts off.
Fluttershy moves to the fallen gray colt, raising a hoof to his chest to ensure he’s still with them. Twilight on the other hand goes to inspect the colt’s newly-developed horn, confused by the transformation. But he was an earth pony before, how could he have hidden a unicorn horn the whole time?
“That’s so strange. He didn’t show any signs of being a unicorn before,” Twilight muses before she tenses up. “Does this mean that Gray Moon might be a Changeling?”
“No, I don’t think he is,” Fluttershy replies. “I mean, wouldn’t he have tried to replace us or something?”
“Fair enough,” Twilight notes as Gray Moon stirs. “Gray Moon, is there something you want to tell us?”
The gray colt opens his eyes and slowly meets Twilight’s suspicious look. His eyes roll up towards the horn sprouted from his temple. Back to her gaze.
“…Did I…have a horn before?”
“No, you didn’t have a horn before. And that’s very interesting. Have you been able to do magic this entire time? That’s very interesting. So tell me, Gray Moon-if that is your real name-are you a Changeling? Or did you deliberately try to hurt Fluttershy and me during the memory projection?” Twilight narrows her eyes and steps towards the gray colt. “What are you up to?!”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy calls out. “Stop it!”
“…What?” Gray Moon’s ears fold against his head.
“Fluttershy, he was hiding his horn the whole time. That means he’s been able to use magic. And we don’t know what he’s up to!”
“Yelling at him isn’t going to solve anything! He’s afraid and only remember so much! When he came around my house last night, he was scared!”
Twilight glares at Fluttershy. “You’re way too trusting. What if he was trying to hurt us earlier when we were both caught in the memory projection spell? He could have just amplified it while we were caught inside! Or did you forget about seeing your wing dissolve into thin air?”
Fluttershy winces. “I remember but please, stop yelling at Gray Moon. He’s scared enough without you attacking him.”
Gray Moon stares at his front hooves as the argument builds, thinking back to the memory projection. The images of Twilight and Fluttershy fighting and being attacked by the massive horned shadow turned dark alicorn return to him, making him shudder immensely. Taking in Twilight’s words, the colt wonders if he had indeed tried to trap them inside. But did he-
“So the voices I heard were real./Tell me, Twilight, what is the deal?”
The two unicorns and the Pegasus turn and see the zebra standing at the top of the slope, her hood drawn back to reveal her face. The gray colt takes a few steps back, remembering her from the previous night. She offers a reassuring smile, remembering how quick he was to scare. The zebra briefly glances around, should the horned shadow be found.
“It’s the gray colt from the night before./What brings you back to the Forest’s floor?” the zebra walks down the slope towards Gray Moon. She stops a few feet from the gray colt’s front hooves. “And you now possess a horn./All this time, were you a unicorn?”
“You know him, Zecora?” Fluttershy asks.
“I crossed paths with him last night/While he was running, filled with fright,” the zebra answers. “As you are no longer under attack/Why, gray colt, have you come back?”
Gray Moon shudders. “I…there’s something…something among…these trees…have to find…the cave…for Twilight and Fluttershy…energy…”
Zecora moves to get a closer look at Gray Moon’s taijitu cutie mark, eyes widening a little upon confirming the shape. “I’m glad you’ve come so soon,/Now that I see you, Gray Moon.”
The gray colt jumps back.
Twilight and Fluttershy stare confused as Zecora examines the cutie mark further. “Yes, I know your name and the alicorn dark/And Gray Moon and Zero Wing’s cutie mark./Now, please come with me/For I have something you will want to see.”


***


Although Twilight still holds some suspicions regarding the truth behind Gray Moon’s newly-developed horn, she walks into Zecora’s house with Fluttershy and Gray Moon following behind. The gray colt briefly hesitates, disturbed by the idea that somepony knows more about him than he does. Not to mention the guilt over enraging Twilight so. He brushes a hoof against the horn, wondering if it’s fake. No, it’s real, much to his growing confusion.
Inside the hut, Gray Moon glances around the contents-the various jars, vials, pots, ceramic bowls, and vases holding medicinal flowers and herbs. The currently empty cauldron sits in the middle of the main room, just waiting for the next brew to be prepared. Gray Moon sits, the signal flashing in his mind again, but his legs remain still against the floor. Fluttershy sits next to him, placing a hoof on his back.
“Sorry about that,” she tells him. “Twilight didn’t mean what she said. I know you didn’t try to trap us. Please don’t blame yourself for what happened.” She offers another reassuring smile.
Gray Moon returns a weak smile.
Twilight follows Zecora to the small bookshelf in the corner where she retrieves a book with the title EQUESTRIAN TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS, 500 YEARS TO THE PRESENT. She flips through the book towards the final pages, passing the book over to Twilight. The purple unicorn recognizes the page describing the mysterious disappearance of Legacy’s Reach. Her eyes scan the following page, seeing the replicated scroll image of a pink and sea foam green-maned alicorn caught in a beam war with a blackgray alicorn over the wreckage of a settlement. Beneath, the classic script bears the legend THE PRINCESS ENGAGES ZERO WING OVER THE REMNANTS OF LEGACY’S REACH, 500 YEARS PRIOR.

the Princess Celestia. According to some accounts collected from Legacy’s Reach residents that left the settlement, as well as a classic Canterlot document referred as the Legacy’s Distress Scroll, the disappearance of Legacy’s Reach resulted from a confrontation between Princess Celestia and a mysterious entity referring to itself as “Zero Wing”. Following descriptions from the Legacy’s Distress Scroll, the Princess had been summoned by an emergency contact residing in Legacy’s Reach concerning matters of a “vicious aerial attacker, colored like the night and demonstrating the ability to create empty voids from its horn”. The description matches that of the Princess, only with a blackened body and assumed to be male judging from accounts of the few spoken words of the assailant, claiming that “Zero Wing is [their] Savoir”. Strange as it was, Zero Wing also matched descriptions of a winged unicorn of the court who acted as a mediator and enforcer for all affairs on the Princess’ behalf before his disappearance several centuries before. This has sparked some debates as to whether or not there is a correlation but due to lack of evidence, it is generally considered a dubious comparison at best.

By other accounts, Gray Moon had vanished during the chaos. His wife Lily-of-the-Valley reported his absence as the last time she had seen Gray Moon followed an attempted robbery on their estate by an unnamed colt described as having a scar across his left cheek from a previous struggle with authorities. Although Lily-of-the-Valley was unharmed, the event nevertheless caused incredible distress in her husband. Gray Moon had left the estate, Lily-of-the-Valley assuming that he had gone out to seek out their assailant to punish him for his actions. But two accounts describe Gray Moon as having transformed into the monstrous Zero Wing although these accounts were deemed dubious at the time, particularly by Lily-of-the-Valley who denied such claims. Nevertheless, Gray Moon is assumed to have disappeared during the destruction of Legacy’s Reach and was likely a casualty of Zero Wing’s attack.

Beneath the passage, Twilight observes the illustration in better detail, seeing the classical design similar to those she had seen in old scroll drawings of Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon. Turning the page reveals two more page-length scroll illustrations. The left portrays another battle between Celestia and Zero Wing, far more intense with Zero Wing collapsing beneath her. THE PRINCESS SUBDUES ZERO WING IN THE BATTLE. The right shows Zero Wing collapsing into a cave with Celestia inducing some kind of flowing energy around his head. THE PRINCESS USES A SLEEPING SPELL, ENTRAPS THE VILLAIN WITHIN THE CAVE.
Zecora nods as Twilight looks up. “The day the Princess did save,/Didn’t Gray Moon say he’s from a cave?”
Twilight slowly turns behind her, seeing Gray Moon freeze in place as the thought dawns on him. The horned shadow. The dark alicorn. The voids. The memory projections, The anger. The thoughts of destruction.
“Gray Moon, are you alright?” Fluttershy asks. 
Setting the book aside, Twilight slowly approaches the gray colt. “So you are Gray Moon. But how could you have survived this long?”
Gray Moon inhales and exhales rapidly, shuddering as the information comes to him. His horn glows with a winedark aura sparking into the open air. Before anypony can react, his eyes begin to glow and his body flings into convulsions. Twilight runs to him, extending her hoof just as

her vision comes into focus. Twilight glances down at her hooves, seeing a pair of gray legs before her. She mentally jumps back for a moment as the scene fully sets itself, showing a settlement like the one she had seen before. Legacy’s Reach manifests into view, scattered houses and ponies moving along. No voids. No flashes. No shots.
No, this can’t be. It’s just another memory projection, Twilight thinks. I don’t see Fluttershy, Zecora, or Gray Moon anywhere. Okay, I just need to break out of this.
She tries to fire off a spell that might cut off the memory projection. Although she feels the magical energy flowing through her body, nothing happens. Instead, she finds herself being pulled along, the gray legs walking along a house. Inside, a voice beckons her, sounding a lot like her own.
“Please calm down, Gray Moon. He didn’t hurt me. Please come inside.”
Twilight feels her head shaking with her sight focused on her front hooves. She stomps and kicks up dirt under her hooves. A mare comes into her view, a pale whitish-purple with a lavender mane, her flank marked with the symbol of a star within a lily in bloom.
“Gray Moon, listen to me. Please,” Lily-of-the-Valley moves into her view, nuzzling against her. “I’m fine. Please come inside.”
Twilight pushes her aside. A masculine voice answers through her mouth. “No.”
Lily-of-the-Valley frowns and calls out the name of Gray Moon as Twilight finds herself walking down Legacy’s Reach’s main street. She shakes her head, a single thought running through her-his mind-something that digs at her from the inside. A thought that simply questions Is it still worthwhile?
Down the way, the swing doors of a house fling open, revealing a dark green colt shambling into the main road. Twilight finds herself stopping as the dark green colt stumbles, klutzy and butchering the words of a local song as he tumbles. He turns to face her, bearing a creepy smirk on his face. Twilight winces as the dark green colt comes near her, placing a hoof on her side. Breath stinks horribly of too much cider. Eyes glint with some devilish intent.
“So…it’s the bigshot Gray Moosnh,” the dark green colt says. “How’s your wife doing? Lily’s her name, right? Nice mare, very nice mare.”
Twilight feels a growl building in her throat and resists the urge to strike the dark green colt down with her front hooves. Thought of trampling his head in seems very tempting.
“Yesh, Lily’s such a great mare. Very nish placesh. She’s amazin’!”
Twilight lets out a disgusted “Indeed.” Thought of trampling his head in becomes more tempting.
“Yesh, and your place is quite nish too. I mean, I don’t need a fanshy estate all to myself but I could always use anotheh thing o’ two, you know?” The dark green colt tilts his face, showing a scar across his cheek. “After all, I think we all could use lifes on easy street, right right? I mean, you do, right right? Right right?”
Twilight tenses, feeling a surge of anger building in her like never before. The scar. Lily-of-the-Valley mentioned a scar. Trample…
“I mean, it’s not like I didn’t manaje to get tru your estate! Such a nish placeh, such a nish placeh! Whoops, I didn’ mean to scru up, you know?”
Twilight shudders as the dark green colt laughs, spitting cider drops into her face. She backs away as the dark green colt kicks up dust around him, laughing more and more. But Twilight gets a closer look at the shadow around her feet. Her legs grow, like a snakeskin shedding to reveal another form beneath. The gray fur disappears, dulling into a blackgray color like burnt wood or rotting flesh as a winedark aura forms around her.
You know what you must do. A deeper voice passes through her mind. 
A dark blue and brick red pony couple freezes in place as Twilight grows into a massive figure, her anger dulling into something void. The winedark aura intensifies but the dark green colt does not notice, still caught up in his cider revelry. The couple step back a little until they freeze in place, petrified by the sight of Twilight rising far above their heads. But there’s no anger. No anger at all. Just seeking order. Nothing more.
The dark green colt falls on his side, throwing his hooves into the air as he rolls up the dust and drools cider residue down his lip. Flash of Amber Mist from years before, dragging her broken leg across the field. Flash of Morning Star reaching out in the flood, spitting up water. Flash of Sunny Ray from years before, seeing the little bit of blood leaking through the edge of her mouth. Sunny Ray vanishes, replaced with the colt once again in his cider revelry.
He turns on his back, eyes narrowing at the sight of the growing alicorn, shadow extending over his form in the winedark aura. Flash to Morning Star smiling to her from the bed, leaning in for a kiss. Flash to Gray Moon’s reflection in the floodwaters as they part. Back to the dark green colt getting to his hooves and eyes widening in fear as Twilight raises her hooves to bring them down onto the colt’s head.
Twilight closes her eyes, hearing the dark green colt’s screams echo around her in addition to the shouts and confused calls breaking into cacophony. No! No! she clenches her shut, feeling her hooves soil and her horn fire a shot. Twilight screams against the barrage of noises of panicking ponies, refusing to open her eyes as the first void extends beyond her.
Zero Wing is your savior.
“NO!” Twilight yells, her horn shooting off a purple haze that shatters the image of a couple screaming in fear, falling to the legs. “No! No! No! NO!” Around her, the image of Legacy’s Reach dissolves into a galaxy of winedark stars against the ominous glow of an expanded void. No memories of mates from the past. Nothing.
The purple unicorn floats in the void, her hooves suspended but still movable. She tries to throw out another spell to shatter this image but the shot of purple energy disappears. Around her, a deafening silence flows.
Do you understand now?
Twilight shakes her head and scans the infinite whiteness for the source of the voice. On a flinch-memory, she gazes at her hooves, relieved to see them still intact. A blackgray entity blurs across her line of vision, streaking through the white voidscape in yang fashion.
He abandoned his post over a thousand years ago when the stress built up, as his duties rose following Princess Luna’s banishment. He changed his appearance and started anew among your kind.
 It stops alongside her, the air from its wings beating down on Twilight’s back.
But after all the years of serving the Princess in her court, after all the years of leadership as Gray Moon, after all the years of helping a pony settlement to come together, it all was for nothing. Amber Mist, dead of natural causes whom we outlived. Morning Star, dead of flooding despite our rescue efforts. Sunny Ray, dead of illness despite all our efforts to heal her. Lily-of-the-Valley gone, disappeared and dead long after our Princess forced him into slumber.
Zero Wing blurs across her line of vision again, this time leaving a winedark trail in his wake. The alicorn kicks into the open voidscape. He speaks again, still lacking any emotion in his voice.
Despite everything, everyone died while we continued on. He fell in love again and again and again despite the pain he felt again. We learned that everything is meaningless. Just as it always will be. For us. For the Princess. For you. For all.
Twilight counters. That’s not true!
Zero Wing manifests directly in front her, staring into her eyes. Twilight doesn’t flinch, glaring at the alicorn before her. Despite her anger, the alicorn still doesn’t emote, instead bowing his head.
I will do what must be done. Zero Wing says, the tip of his horn emanating the winedark aura. You need not concern yourself.
A face appears behind Zero Wing’s for a few flashes, the face of a sorrowful dark gray alicorn staring at her with dull jade eyes. He strains for appear a little longer. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…Celestia…Luna…Amber Mist…Morning Star…Sunny Ray…Lily-of-the-Valley…everypony…
The other alicorn stretches his mouth into a silent scream as Zero Wing overtakes. He will not hold me back any longer, Zero Wing says as the other alicorn’s face is submerged. He knows what must be done.
Enraged, Twilight lunges forwards, firing a purple energy shot directly into the alicorn’s face. Taking advantage of the voidscape, she throws herself back as Zero Wing expands his wings and blurs towards her. Another shot. Purple and winedark energies clash and explode, hurling Twilight into the open. As she falls back, a series of mental images is extracted from her mind. Twilight with the Princess. Writing letters. Life at Canterlot. Sight of a route between Canterlot and Ponyville. Her friends.
Zero Wing blurs again, appearing behind her with his head bowed and horn directed at her. I am your savior.
The unicorn drops down, avoiding the winedark shot firing above her head. Taking advantage of her position, Twilight readies another purple spell, the energy directed into his torso. The shot barely registers with the alicorn that blurs ahead into the voidscape towards a forming image of Ponyville.
Twilight falls, hoping that Fluttershy and Zecora

watch in horror as Gray Moon mutates before their eyes, two massive alicorn wings growing from his sides, breaking flesh and fur before melding. They stretch, showing off darker gray feathers. Letting out a scream, Gray Moon’s eyes spark winedark energy, sending off a wave that shatters and scatters the herbs, spices, medicines, and remedies lining Zecora’s shelves. Twilight stands before Gray Moon, transfixed. Eyes caught with a winedark glow. Horn caught too.
“Twilight! Get out of there!” Fluttershy screams.
Just as Fluttershy moves to pull Twilight from harm’s way, Gray Moon fires a shot, striking just above Twilight’s head. The purple unicorn flies back against the wall, sliding down as her head lulls, a half-pained, half-fearful expression on her face. Fluttershy runs to the wall, pulling Twilight with her as the dazed pony returns into the waking world.
Gray Moon screams, his transformation near completion with newly-developed horn and newly-developed wings brushing his sides. The gray colt falls onto his shins, tears sliding down his face as his body finishes. The wings flap wildly, unaccustomed to their owner before falling slack at his sides. Twilight runs to him, passing Fluttershy and Zecora.
“It…hurts…Twilight…” Gray Moon manages to find the words as the mare nears, blinded by tears webbing his eyes together. “It’s…all…my fault…”
Twilight places her hooves on Gray Moon’s head, holding the colt to her. “No, it’s not…it’s not your fault…”
Gray Moon flinches, throwing her off and convulsing. He moves outside Zecora’s door and runs into the open.
“Gray Moon! Stop!” Twilight yells, following him.
Fluttershy follows, expanding her yellow wings against the now-night sky. Despite her worries, the Pegasus takes off among the treeshadows, catching up with Twilight. The purple unicorn continues her chase as the treeshadows flicker around them, dodging the upturned rocks and tree roots in her path. Fluttershy keeps close, looking ahead for Gray Moon.
In another corona of penumbra, Gray Moon stands, staring into the canopy of trees not far from where he once came. Twilight comes to a stop just before the corona is broken by exposed moonlight reaching down towards them. Fluttershy lands beside her.
Gray Moon looks back at them once, tears in his eyes and wings frozen against his body. Scratches and sores materialize onto his legs just like before. Averting his gaze, he stares into the sky as a dark spirit descends towards them. Twilight and Fluttershy stare transfixed as the flesh and blood Zero Wing descends to the ground, kicking up his front hooves to throw off rocks in the path. The memories of the final projection return to Twilight, the image of the dark alicorn blurring across her field of vision with its winedark aura in tow. Gray Moon’s legs freeze as his eyes meet with those peering from beneath the onyx helmet.
The gray colt steps back, nearly tripping over his newly-formed wings in the process. The dark alicorn doesn’t respond, maintaining his gaze over the frightened colt. For a moment, the alicorn glances down at the gray colt’s flank and sees the expected taijitu cutie mark despite its hazy shape.
“So the vision was true,” the dark alicorn notes, stepping towards the fear-paralyzed colt. “You share the appearance, despite the wings and horn, to the disguise he took during his time among the mortal. Yet you are incomplete. I expect as much from him.”
Gray Moon looks to his sides and temple as if his new appendages will become ticking time bombs. “What…am…I?” His self-investigation is cut short as Zero Wing approaches.
Zero Wing is your savior.