//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - Long Way Down 
// Story: Paw and Ring 
// by Teotle 
//------------------------------//

After a long walk through the Everfree Forest, everypony managed to make it back to Ponyville. From there, they made their way to the Castle of Friendship, where they stopped at the throne room, where the map lay in the center.

Scarlet put the Arc on top of the map and said, "Ok, lets get started."

"Are you sure about this?" The Arc asked. "If the projections do, in fact, become corrupted, the possibility of catastrophe is very high. I may not be able to stop Shadowflame from coming back from the lingering memories." As the pony who suggested taking the mission, Luna stepped forward, as she said "The answers to the questions I have been seeking have remained unanswered for far too long. I suggest that we proceed with the plan."

The Arc noted what Luna had said, and followed through with projecting the memories onto the map. The picture was bright, and shone with great reflection for several seconds, then dimmed to reveal a doorway that had appeared in front of the map. After this was complete, everypony stared for several seconds at what seemed to be an illusion of a doorway. The Arc, who was patiently floating above the map, said with a giggle "what are you all waiting for? Let's get to it!" Determined to learn the truth, Luna opened the door with no further delay and entered. She was followed by Celestia, then Twilight, and Scarlet, last but not least.



After everypony came through, they found themselves in a shimmering white void, that resembled a blank canvas, that has yet to be given a muse. The lighting was almost unbearably bright, and seemed to continue endlessly. After a few seconds, however, the light stopped, and everypony found themselves back at the old castle, only everything wasn't as run down as expected.

Suddenly, the main entrance slammed open, and was shut with a loud "bang." Everypony watched with attention as a projection of a younger Luna rushed to her bed sobbing uncontrollably. Celestia asked her sister "you remember this, correct?," to which Luna replied a moment later "yes, this is the moment after you told me no about having a child." Celestia cleared her throat as they continued to watch the events unfold.

The projection of Luna took what appeared to be an old diary of sorts, and threw it against the wall in anger, bending the spine of the book. Twilight took a closer look at the book that was thrown, and realized that it was the same book that was found in Shadowflame's hidden bedroom. It took several seconds, but it eventually clicked with Luna that this was the night Shadowflame appeared through the eclipse.

All of a sudden, a loud crackling roar came from outside the bedroom window, presumably thunder. The young Luna raised her head from her bed, and slowly made her way towards the windowsill, looking out of it with curiosity. With this, a blinding flash came from out of nowhere, and as she looked up, she witnessed some kind of spiral, swirling from the eclipse. Although it was just a vision, Twilight jumped back about 5 feet, though managed to get back up.

Scarlet walked up to the window, next to the envisioned Luna, and with that, they both saw a blue flare-like fire shooting out of the spiral, and landing in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Twilight, having only some idea of what happened, asked "What was that?," to which Luna replied "that's him..."

The Arc announced "the time for this segment is almost terminated! We must prepare for the transition, which will happen right about now-" With that, the bedroom became Shadowflame's crash site, in the Everfree Forest. The whole area within a thirty-foot radius was demolished; trees were struck over and uprooted, while others being hundreds of years old, snapped clean in half. In the center of the crater, lay Shadowflame, who was subject to third-degree burns, with exposed bone and cartilage.

Scarlet observed the burns and bones, and discovered something shocking. "Twilight, you have to see this!" Twilight trotted over in response, and took a look at the bones, along with Shadowflame. She realized that Scarlet was talking about the symbols engraved on the wolf's skeleton, which resembled the same symbols as the ones seen on Teotle's X-ray.

Before Twilight said anything else, they heard a brush of wings in the distance, moreso behind them. When they turned around, they witnessed younger Luna once again, who stared at the area with shock and disbelief. The Luna in the projection then landed a few feet away from the crater, and started approaching the center slowly and with caution. It didn't take long for Shadowflame to begin howling for help. The young Luna covered her own mouth to prevent any screaming, not to mention she didn't know what Shadowflame was. She got even closer, and was able to see the crying cub. They both locked eyes, and stared for some time.

Twilight went to Luna and asked if she was ok, for Luna was holding a hoof to her head. Twilight looked into Luna's eyes, and saw something beyond her imagination. It simply couldn't be described, words could not do justice, the only way of describing what Twilight saw was something a mother would see the situation at hand.

Shadowflame began to rise from the crater, despite the injuries he sustained, and moved closer to the young Luna. With that, the young Luna leaned towards the cub and asked with kindness in her voice "are you ok?" The cub began to wag his long tail in response, and the young Luna took that as a somewhat-yes, lifting him into her hooves. It was only then that the older Luna said "I shouldn't have turned into Nightmare Moon when I did... How much I regret that decision..."