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// Six: Can a Shadow be...Reformed? 
// Story: I Barely Know Me 
// by Trinity Copper-Fox 
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The next morning in Ponyville was pretty uneventful. I sat most of the morning on the steps of town hall as Discord told me all about the time he’d made the town the Chaos Capital of Equestria. He even demonstrated a small amount of the chocolate milk rain, which I had to admit was delicious. Of course, I already knew how the story ended, but he described being turned to stone.
It sounded terrifying and I cradled my injured hoof closer to me.
“I couldn’t imagine being frozen like that,” I muttered. “Trapped inside your own head, screaming without hope of being heard…” Something in the back of my mind seemed to twinge at my words, but the thought vanished before it could fully form.
“Hmm, yes, ponies do tend to lack the imagination for such things,” he replied, waving his claw. “Most couldn’t imagine the state you’re in, even. Ponies tend to shy away from the less clean aspects of life.”
“Well, I think I’m a testament to the fact that there are plenty who are perfectly comfortable with those aspects.”
Discord’s sigh came from right next to my ear and I felt him rustling around in my hair. “That is true.”
I was about to respond when the clock tower began to chime, declaring it to be midday, and Prince Shining Armor and the Mayor approached. I slipped a scroll and quill out of my saddlebag, standing to meet them. Dusty Geode arrived just a moment after the others assembled with me.
Dusty was carrying a set of maps, one showing the entrances into his bunker scattered around town. The other showed the layout of his bunker, tunnels spreading out beyond the borders of Ponyville proper. Discord stayed perched in my mane for a while as we looked over the maps and organized a plan for evacuation.
As we worked out the details, Dusty kept sidling up close to me, making me shift away. My wings hurt from holding them so tightly against my side. After this happened five times, Discord huffed in my ear, suddenly appearing between us. I looked up at the draconequus to find him glaring at Dusty. Dusty, on the other hoof, stopped crowding in my direction, focusing back on the plan.
Within the hour, we had planned to evacuate the orphans to the bunker before the end of the week and make sure each household knew where the nearest entrance was.
“This looks great,” Shining Armor said, straightening up with a smile. “I’ll show this plan to the princesses.”
“I’ll call a town meeting immediately,” the Mayor responded, making a note of her own. “Lunar Rainbow, you’ll be able to explain the plan to everypony then.”
“We should make up duplicate maps to give out to the citizens,” I told her, tapping my hoof on the map of the entrances. “That way everypony will know which entrance is closest to them in case of evacuation.”
“Dusty Geode, may I take this to copy?” she asked, turning to him.
“Sure,” Dusty answered, nodding. “I have all of the entrances memorized.”
The Mayor rolled up the map and trotted into town hall as Shining Armor went on his way. Dusty made no move to leave, just rolled up the other map.
“I can’t thank you enough for providing the bunker to our efforts,” I told him as Discord draped himself over my back. “I’m sure the evacuation plan will remain in place after this situation clears up.”
“Yes, well, a good evacuation plan should be the standard for all of Equestria,” Dusty replied, smiling slightly.
“That will be all,” Discord grumbled, waving his paw at him. Dusty huffed but turned and trotted off.
“Doesn’t Princess Twilight want you to be friendlier to ponies?” I teased, surprising myself. He didn’t respond, but I sat on my haunches so he slid off my back.
“So, Lunar, I’m curious,” Discord said suddenly, popping up suddenly in front of my face. “There was a letter in that box of yours.”
“What about it?” I muttered, nudging him out of my way.
“Oh, I was just wondering who it was for. Your past lover?” He was teasing, but his laugh came out a little sharp.
“No, I don’t remember having any…lovers.” I glared at him. “If you must know, I was going to make an inquiry at the Department of Cutie Mark Registration.”
“Cutie Mark Registration?” He gawked at me. “What is that?”
“The Cutie Mark Registry was created as an aide to the Equestrian police and has also been used as a Missing Ponies alert system. Inquiries can be made to find the history of a particular pony. I was going to make an inquiry to determine my own history, but…”
My voice trailed away as I remembered what had happened when I’d been on my way to mail the inquiry.
“Get her!”
“I decided against it,” I finally murmured, shivering.



The town meeting was brief, but it went well. I joined the Mayor and Pinkie Pie in giving out the maps after explaining the plan. The citizens filtered out slowly, stopping to chat amongst themselves on the way to our table by the exit. Relief flooded me as I observed the calm way everypony approached, smiling to show their confidence in their leaders.
I should have been scared to be included in those smiles again, but I wasn’t.
As the last citizens left, movement caught the corner of my eye. Princess Luna was sitting at a distance from the other princesses, gazing out a window. Without planning it, I strode over to her and sat by her side. Something about sitting there felt familiar, but she shook the thought away.
“This is all my fault,” Luna murmured, not bothering to look her way. “I forgot my own creation. My…child.”
“That did start all of this,” Discord agreed, having appeared on my other side.
“I’m not so sure,” I interjected, looking down at my hooves. “You aren’t responsible for the actions of other ponies.”
“I could have saved her when I was saved. She could be sitting beside me, if I had only…”
“Why didn’t you?” Discord probed, leaning into her face. I nudged him disapprovingly, only to receive a raised eyebrow from him.
“I thought…when I created her, I didn’t know if I was creating a real pony or just a shadow pony. When I remembered her, I was convinced it was the latter. Nightmare Moon’s plans shouldn’t have been halted if she’d survived. But it is clear now that she did.”
“And what do you plan to do about her now?”
“Discord,” I hissed, pushing him out of her face. “Really?”
“I can still save her,” Luna stated firmly. “There’s a real pony inside of her. I just need to find a way to bring Midnight Fractal out.”
“Midnight Fractal?” I murmured, looking up at her.
“It is the name I wish I’d given her,” she admitted, a sheepish look diffusing her expression. “The name I will give her when I have my daughter back.”
The others had begun to gather around us and the brash voice of Rainbow Dash rang out, shocking me.
“What if you can’t get her back?”
Luna surged to her hooves, turning to face the ensemble, glaring. “What if nothing!” she snapped. “I can do it!”
“Ah’m sure ya can, Princess,” Apple Jack cautioned, “but we really should have a backup plan.”
“Well, we can’t harm her, that’s for certain,” Discord interjected, standing beside Luna. “Lunar Rainbow would be injured as well.”
“None of us want that,” Celestia reasoned, reaching a hoof out to her sister. “And a peaceful resolution is ideal. However, the matter is sensitive, Sister. Surely you know that?”
“What do you expect me to do, Sister?”
“If we can’t separate her from the shadows, then maybe…” Twilight muttered, considering with a glance at Discord.
“Maybe what?” I asked, finally feeling the need to join the conversation.
“Maybe…there’s a spell to turn a pony to stone…I could unfreeze her when we have access to the Elements of Harmony again…”
“But what would happen to Lunar Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked, looking at me worriedly.
No one responded as all eyes turned on me. Ice shot through my veins at the same time as a calm settled over my mind.
“I would be turned to stone, too, right?” I breathed. Even as I said it, I tried to imagine it. Discord’s description ran through my head. Would it be so scary if I knew it was coming? Would it hurt if I didn’t fight it?
“Absolutely not!” Discord growled, stepping in front of me. “Out of the question!”
“We are working on a counterspell to Nightmare Light’s enchantment,” Celestia responded, stepping into his face. “We will refrain from acting until that is complete. However, we cannot rule out our options.”
“Sister—”
“Luna, I understand your reluctance. We are going to try your way first, but we must prepare for an undesirable outcome.”
Luna gazed imploringly up at her sister but relented. “You are right, Sister.”
“Twilight, you should learn the spell. Just in case.”
“Of course, Princess Celestia.”