//------------------------------//
// But not Quite There, Either 
// Story: TiM: Gone, not Forgotten 
// by Twidashforever 
//------------------------------//


Radiant Star’s Bedchambers


“My Lord‽” 

Radiant's eyes shot over to the two crystal guards that barged into his room. Both of them had worried looks on their muzzles. He knew, without being told, that he must look a mess. That his appearance would match how he felt. 

What he didn’t know; what he had no way of knowing, was what he felt. 

But that was something he could figure out later.

“I’m fine, it was just a dream,” Radiant said as he wiped one hoof over his face and waved the two guards away with his other.

“My Lord, you look…”

Radiant looked up. “What?”

“You look… different, Lord.”

“How so?” Radiant asked as he floated a mirror over to his bed to gaze at his reflection. “I’m a bit soaked but a bad dream will do that.” In truth he couldn’t actually say the dream was ‘bad’, but it was a reasonable excuse given the cold sweat he’d woken up in.

“You look… younger, Lord.” 

Radiant stared at the guard in confusion before returning his gaze to the mirror. He squinted and glared at his reflection, trying to see what they saw. To him, to the ruling Prince of the Crystal Empire, he just saw himself. He saw the same, tired muzzle staring back at him, the same baggy eyes, and the same matted mane. 

It wasn’t until he pulled the mirror back that he saw what the guards had seen. He did indeed look younger, about five years if he had to guess. 

“Huh…”

“New rejuvenation treatment?”

Radiant chuckled at that. There were some of his family that would just love to get him the spa, to try and ‘magic the age away’ as Aurora might say. He’d politely refused, and then less-politely refused when they started to get annoying. The stallion had said that growing old was a sign of wisdom, that it was a privilege. 

In truth he saw it as a mark of the passage of time, a sign that he was one day closer to seeing her again. But he would never tell them that, they’d never understand, they’d try and ‘fix’ him. There was no fixing him. He was half a soul, half a being waiting patiently until the day he would be reunited with his other half. 

“New diet, must be working,” Radiant lied as he waved a hoof again, dismissing the guards. 

“You’ll have to share the details one day, my Lord. I know my wife would love to know what your secret is,” one of the guards said with a chuckle as they turned around to leave. 

“Heh, maybe one day,” Radiant replied as he placed the mirror down on the bed and went to stand up. The feeling of his hoof hitting the ground was paradoxal, his hoof felt both strong, stronger than it had in years, and shaky, like it’d fallen asleep on him. 

Testing it several times, he followed up with a second hoof, then a third, and at last the fourth. All four hooves felt the same, at first. He shook his head as he finally regained his footing. 

It’s like I just got off a ship, Radiant thought, the difficulty standing reminding him of the last cruise he’d been on. Based on the amount I sweat last night that might not be too far from the truth.

The last time he’d seen his bed this wet Flash had dumped a huge bucket of water on him while he slept, something he’d been egged on to do by his brother, Blaze. 

Memories of his sons played through his mind, which inevitably led to thoughts of where they were now, or more specifically, who they were with. Between the special some ponies his two sons had found, Radiant was most off-putted by Flash’s. Vela, the hippogriff, was—technically—family. Vela’s grandmother was the brother of Flash’s grandfather which made them second cousins if Radiant did his math right. While nopony could ever cast doubt on how happy the two were being together, the looks they’d share, the smiles they’d steal, the way they made each other better, Radiant couldn’t quite put that factoid to bed, not fully anyway. 

He resolved years ago to let them have their happiness. Such a thing was rare enough as-is, he’d never get in the way of that, not when it was as true as theirs was. Shaking his head, Radiant looked back at the mess he was leaving behind.

The maids are going to think I wet the bed, he mused, not really caring what they thought one way or another. But what was that…

Please find me, my idiot.

She’d said that to me…? I… I remembered her voice. I… after two years, I… I remembered her voice. Why? 

Radiant found himself shaking again, shaking at his thoughts, at his memory of her, of Firestar. Every moment of the dream came rushing back like a raging river. Her smell, her touch, her breath, her feathers, her fur, her mane, her eyes, and even… her voice.

Radiant cried again. He let the tears fall freely as he remembered her voice, a voice he’d thought lost, forgotten forever to the passage of time. 

Seconds were lost to minutes before the stallion recovered himself enough to carry on with his day. He knew not what had caused the dream, if it even was a dream, but there was nothing to do about it now. 

While it hadn’t happened in a long-long time, it’d not been the first time he’d dreamed of her. And those dreams, just like this one, had left a mess. 

Albeit then it had been a different kind of mess. 

He sighed and walked into the bathroom. There was no way he’d step outside his chambers looking like he did. 





Boredom, adjective, the state of feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity.

Radiant Star, the seventy-two year-old Prince, Son of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, Nephew of Princess Twilight Sparkle, was used to being bored. Bored was the standard M.O. across all of Equestria, at least for ponies in his position. 

Other ponies, they lived their lives, they went to their work, raised their families, and made friends. Radiant, he did not. Sure, he had a job, per se, but not really. Everything ran itself here, and elsewhere. 

There were no major decisions to make, no crises to solve, no major threats to be dealt with—at least not in the last decade—and as such there was nothing to do. No decisions he made mattered. 

His job—if you could call it that—was to sit upon a throne, listen to pompous ponies jabber on, spending words like they were foals with a bag of bits at the arcade, all the while saying absolutely nothing, with Radiant expected to smile and nod the entire time. 

He’d lost track of the number of ribbons he’d cut or foals he’d kissed. The years of ceremonies, dedications, promotions, royal galas, balls, and millions of other events he’d attended blurred in his mind. All that was standard, normal, boring. 

He was used to being bored, he welcomed it even, but today… today he felt something… something different. It was a feeling similar, yet different. 

“Get on with it,” Radiant said, sighing, loudly, as the pony currently in the center of the court rambled on about a land deal. 

Gasps filled the chamber as every pony, both nobel and servant, turned their gaze upon the prince. 

“My… my lord?” the crystal earth pony asked, shocked.

Radiant realized what he’d said far too late to take it back, to stop the words from coming out of his muzzle. “Sorry, I mean… if you could…”

“What our Prince means is that today has been rather tiring, if you could… expedite what you need that would ensure he can get his rest,” one of the royal advisers said, stepping forward in an attempt to help. 

Radiant nodded at him, grateful but also confused himself, What is his name again? In truth it was his advisers that ran the Empire, his job was just to stamp his hoof upon the paperwork and play the figurehead. When did I lose track of things like that? 

The pony in the center nodded in understanding and continued on, off put but getting to the point. For Radiant’s part, he paid no more attention then he had before. His eyes darted to the ponies around him, taking in their faces as if it was the first time he’d seen them. 

I know these ponies… I’ve worked with them, I trust them, why is it I don't know what their names are? Why can’t I… did I ever know their names? Did I ever care to learn them? He started to adjust his sitting position, unable to find a comfortable spot no matter how hard he tried. 

Am I losing my memory? Radiant began concentrating on what he knew, on who he knew. He started by going over the—rather extensive—list of ponies he was related to. Next he went through all the events that occurred over the years. Finally he walked himself through Blaze and Flash’s life, from the moment of birth to current. 

He got to the moment when, as a prank, his kids had shaved Cadence's mane before his adviser intruded. “My Lord, let’s take a recess. It looks as if you might need to stretch your legs.”

Blinking away the memories Radiant replied, “Y-yes, that sounds like a good idea. Old age and all. Thank you, Mr...” 

It was a lie, in truth he hadn’t felt this good in years, but his mind just wasn’t in the mood for all this, it was… elsewhere. Worse his body matched, he felt nervous, jittery, and this just felt tedious. 

“Fair Play, Lord,” the adviser said with a smile as he offered a hoof to help his prince off the throne. 

Radiant didn’t need the help, but he knew that it’d go a long way to sell the lie. After all, if you’re going to use your age as an excuse to get out of work, it helped to look the part. “Fair Play, yes, I trust you can handle the rest of today’s schedule?” Radiant asked as he took the hoof and slowly got up. 

When the unicorn nodded in agreement Radiant smiled back at him, “Old bones and all, tomorrow I should feel better. I just need to work out some kinks and get a good rest.”

“Did you not sleep well, my Lord? Bad dreams?”

Radiant paused at that. The dreams, the experience, her… they all came flooding back. “My… dreams? My dreams were fine, it was just a restless night.”

“Would you like a new bed, L—”

“NO!” Radiant shouted, a little more forceful then he meant to. Seeing the eyes of those left in the throne room turn towards him again, he forced himself to be calm. “No, no thank you. I’m sure tonight will be fine.”

He’d never get rid of his bed. He’d die in it if he had the choice. It’d been his marriage bed after all.

Fair Play nodded. “As you wish, Lord.” 

With that Radiant turned and left. Not knowing or caring what else would happen in the throne room that day. In truth, if put to the test, he couldn’t recall a single thing discussed in there in the last ten years. As such, while it nagged on him that he was basically in dereliction of duty, he was easily able to move past it.

There or not there, it doesn’t matter. This Empire will be just fine when I’m gone. The thought brought both sadness and happiness. He was happy with how the Empire functioned, with how, well, everything was really. There or not there his ponies were going to be just fine either way and that’s all any leader could ask for. 

He’d heard it said more than once that the mark of a good leader, a good ruler, was one that made themselves irrelevant. And while Twilight, Luna, and Shimmering Night would never claim something akin to that—after all, the sun and moon wouldn’t raise themselves—he could. And that was something he took pride in.

His sadness came from knowing his sons wanted nothing to do with picking up after their old man. Neither of them would rule when he was gone. Flash had flat out said as much. “Just let them pick their own leaders,” his words echoed from the past. “My place is here.”

Flash had found his new home in Warclaw, capital of the Griffin Empire. He’d went there years ago with Vela and, save for vacations, random visits, and holidays, simply never returned. Radiant recalled the last time he visited his son. Vela and Flash were racing through the sky, play fighting with real weapons. The two were, beyond a doubt, happy. If home is indeed where the heart is, Flash had truly found his home by Vela’s side. 

The two even had a foal of their own with another on the way. Flash had confessed that he was nervous about that, after all their first took way too much after Vela, he doubted he could handle three of them, even with all the help in the world.

Aurora had called it the mother’s curse. Twilight, Rainbow, Shimmering Night, Taz, Nighttide, Luna, and Dayspring Gleam had laughed at that. That wasn’t something Radiant found funny.

Blaze, well… he was never an option. 

Radiant loved his sons, both his sons equally, but if asked, with enough drinks in him, he’d be forced to admit that Blaze simply wasn’t born to rule. 

Blaze was born to play pranks, to joke, to laugh, and to make others laugh. He was energetic, bouncy, a jokester through and through, but a ruler he was not. That pegasus couldn’t be serious for a minute if you put a sword to his neck. 

He had found his love too, a colt by the name of Grilled Cheese, said to be the grandfoal of the legendary Cheese Sandwich. The two were making quite a name for themselves all over Equestria and beyond.

Radiant was proud of him. The ability to make others laugh, the ability to bring levity and humor to any given situation. That in and of itself was a gift. 

They’re my gift to you, the last bit of me that you have.

Firestar had said those words to him in Tartarus. And, for the first time in two years, he remembered them in her voice. 

That had been the last time he’d ever expected to hear her voice. That is until…

Please find me, my idiot.

“Lord?”

Radiant looked up in surprise at where he was. Somehow, lost in thought and with no real direction to go in, he found himself heading to the workout arena next to the Crystal Palace. A crystal pegasus guard was looking his way.

“Are you hurt, my Lord?”

“I—” He paused, noticing that the tears had started up again. “Just a walk through memory lane, that’s all soldier.”

“Good memories I hope?”

“Some of the best, and worst.” Radiant didn’t know why he was sharing so much. It was very unlike him.

“Worst?”

“What’s your name, soldier?”

“Bright Guard, Lord,” the pegasus said, snapping to attention.

“And, Bright Guard, how long have you been a soldier?”

“Three years, Lord.”

“You can drop the Lord title, Bright Guard. I haven’t been a Lord in decades. Right now I’m just an old pony.”

“But my Lo— Radiant,” he quickly corrected himself when he saw the look of dissatisfaction upon Radiant Star’s face. “You’re a hero to many in the Crystal Empire. I could never think of you as nothing more than an old pony.”

“A hero, huh?” Radiant chuckled a little at that. “Tell me, what do they say about me?”

“Lo— Radiant, you’re the hero of Stalliongrad, you were instrumental in defeating the titan, you returned the Crystal Heart, you helped end the scourge of the Demon God Red. You’re the son of the Crystal Princess. The ponies love you, we all do.”

Lies and half truths, they see me as a legend and the reality is, at best, I was nothing but a bit-player in those events. My Dad, he was the hero, he’s the one that saved the empire, that saved his family. He’s the one who gave his life for his people. Me… I just got lucky, I survived when my wife… All these years Dad, and I’m still chasing your shadow. Firestar… she just caused me to forget that.  

“You didn’t see any of those things happen. How do you know they’re real? That they happened the way they said they did?”

Bright Guard looked as if Radiant had asked how he was sure that the sky was blue. “Lord?”

Radiant shook his head and walked away, knowing that he was pressing too far. A part of him didn’t care, it wanted to stamp out this legend Bright had in his mind, to tell the truth, to let it be known so he could be judged for what he truly was. I’m nothing but a failure. I couldn’t even protect the most important pony in my life. If I hate myself, why shouldn’t they?

Even getting revenge had changed nothing. What did it matter that he’d cut Mindsink, and the decaying body of Tartarus, in half? She was still dead. And nothing could change that.

He ignored that thought, pressing it far down. If they thought he was a legend, if that was his role, he’d play it. After all, they weren’t fully wrong, per se, it was simple exaggeration of events. A common phenomenon when larger than life things happen. 

Survivors tend to be remembered as legendary heroes, as noble ponies that stood up to defeat the evil because it was the right thing to do, because of their natural heroism, because no matter the cost, they couldn’t allow such villainy to succeed. 

The reality, of course, was nothing of the sort. Survivors, they’d just gotten lucky. They fought, not because of any grand idea, but because they didn’t have a choice. They fought to save their lives, or the lives of those around them. The few, the lucky few to call themselves such, they’d simply rolled the dice and gotten boxcars.

Many, most, they rolled poorly, or even just above average. They didn’t survive. 

Radiant had survived. He’d survived over and over and over again. Each roll of the dice, each flip of the coin, and he’d come out on top, again. 

Regardless of how much he might wish otherwise. 

Firestar, you deserved to survive. You should be here, not me.

The old unicorn paused, noticing something odd. I’m not… I’m not crying anymore?

He’d expected the tears to flow again, to finally break down in a sobbing fit in front of everyone. But nothing came, there were no more tears to cry. Rather he found himself angry, angry at the loss, at the words Bright Guard had spoken, at the so-called legend he was supposed to be. 

Buck it.

Radiant started running. He ran down the last flight of steps and onto the training field. His loss, his anger, his memories, his life, they all bounded together for the strangest reaction. They caused him to run. 

Needless to say, it attracted the attention of every pony and griffin in the training field. Several guards ran up to him, catching up to him easily. “My Lord‽ What are you—”

That only served to piss him off even more. “Get out of my way!” The two guards gave each other a look at that order and slowed down, not letting him get too far away but also staying clear of his eyesight.

“Isn't he like... a hundred?”

“This can’t be safe…”

“Should we… should we call someone?”

“Who?”

“I’m going to go get a medic. Just in case.”

“He’s probably just pent up. Does anyone know how long it’s been since he’s gotten any exercise?”

“Dude, no one here is that old.”

Radiant overheard more and more comments from the random ponies he ran past. Each one only served to drive him on further, faster. Or at least as fast as his seventy-two year old legs could take him.

The two guards directly behind him didn’t even break a sweat holding pace.

Round and round the track he went. Radiant completed a full three laps before he felt his energy start to wain. He pushed through, forcing himself to bear it, refusing to listen to anyone that tried to stop him. 

He wanted this, he wanted to run, to force himself to the brink, to know what that felt like one more time. No one would stop him. 

“Oh, who you running from uncle? Or is this a chase? Maybe it’s those two guards? Do you want me to take them? I bet I could, I’d rustle their fur so badly they wouldn’t be see-through for a month! Are you exercising? I’ve never seen you exercise before? Do you want me to keep track? How many laps have you done? Can you beat me? How fast have you gone before? How—”

Radiant almost tripped over his own hooves as a mint-green bat-pony with a mane that sparked like stars at night in five different shades of blue that merged into purple flew upside down over him while launching a barrage of questions he had no chance in Hades of answering. Her clear, golden eyes were almost hypnotizing to look at.

Nightshade landed on Radiant’s back, her light frame barely noticed by the unicorn. Her words though, that was something he took heed of.

“Don’t worry uncle, I’ll get them!” Nightshade shouted as she launched herself from Radiant’s back, with more force than he expected, directly at the two guards that had been keeping pace.

He quickly came to a stop and spun around, worried that the two might hurt her in some way. What he saw showed that he worried for nothing.

Nightshade was crawling all over one of the earth pony guards that had, up until this point, simply been keeping pace with their prince. The little bat-pony used a combination of wings and teeth to try and playfully maul him.

In Radiant’s opinion, she looked like a kitten attacking a hoof with all its might. 

“Leave my uncle alone, evildoer!” Nightshade said with a growl as she sank her teeth into the pony’s ear and hung from it. 

For his part, the guard stoically took it.

Nightshade lost her gip and fell right on her rump. The little mare rubbed her butt before looking up at the guard in a pouty face. “Hey, I got you!”

The guard’s deminer broke, “Ah, my training never prepared me for the deadly assault of such a vicious thestrial. I’m down, avenge me!” He fell to three hooves, then two, then rolled over onto his back, playing dead.

“Against such fearsome attacks? I must sound the alarm, the Empire doesn't stand a chance!” The other guard yelled out before turning around and running away.

Nightshade turned around and stuck her chest out in pride. “Ha, I got them for you, uncle!” 

For what felt like the first time in forever, Radiant Star smiled. It wasn’t forced, it wasn’t because he was supposed to, but because he felt joy. Because, looking at this little miracle directly in front of him, this gift of pure heart, of pure kindness, he simply couldn’t do anything else.

Given that the Element of Kindness had chosen her as its bearer before she was even born, that came as little surprise. 

“The wrath of Nightshade has been felt in the Crystal Empire. Stories will be told of this day.” A voice came from behind Radiant. One he recognized all too well. 

Turning his head to look at the newcomer, Radiant asked, “Dayspring, brother, how could you bring such a horror to my Empire?” The two weren’t literal brothers, but that didn’t stop them from sharing the bond of brothers.

“I’m not a horror, that’s mean!” Nightshade yelled in protest. Her ‘victory’ all but forgotten at Radiant’s words.

“Oh little one?” Dayspring said as he walked towards her, “I disagree. I’d say you’re a horror of adorkable proportions.”

“That’s not even a word!” Nightshade huffed out in denial at the unicorn.

Radiant laughed. “Yes it is. And I think it perfectly describes you.”

“Indeed,” Dayspring nodded. 

“What’s it mean‽” Nightshade asked, still unsure if they were playing with her.

“Adjective, unfashionable or socially awkward in a way regarded as appealing or cute,” Dayspring said with enjoyment in his voice. Teaching was something he always took pleasure in.

“Adorkable horror?” Nightshade asked as if she were testing the term on her tongue. 

“The most,” Dayspring said with a smile as he nuzzled her with his muzzle. 

Five silent seconds passed as the two unicorns watched the bat-pony roll the term around in her head. Her decision reached, she shot up ten feet into the air. “Crystal Empire beware! I’m the Adorkable Horror, Nightshade!” 

The two laughed as she shot away to the nearest pony, play attacking them just as she’d done the first guard. 

“Soldier, what is your name?” Radiant asked the guard still playing dead on the floor. 

He shot up and to attention. “Strong Heart, Lord.” 

“Watch her for me,” Radiant said. “Not a hair on her head is to be harmed.”

“Yes sir!” Strong Heart saluted and turned to run.

He was stopped when Radiant gave a final warning in a much more commanding voice. “Not, a, hair.”

Strong gulped a little as he ran off faster than before. 

Dayspring looked over at Radiant. “Is that a worry?” he asked in disbelief. He couldn’t imagine anypony anywhere in Equestra actually harming Nightshade. Maybe a stern talking to, Luna knew it wouldn’t be her first, but harm?

“No, I just wanted to make him sweat for making me look bad,” Radiant replied with a chuckle. 

In spite of himself, Dayspring took one last look down the field just to make sure. He saw that the newest Adorkable Horror was already making a name for herself. Nightshade was leaving a trail of faux corpses in her wake as she leapt from pony to pony, attacking each in much the same way she’d attacked Strong Heart.

Dayspring chuckled and knew that—at best—they’d have five minutes to talk. Nightshade quickly took up new activities, but tired of them easily. When that happened she’d be back. “Speaking of looks,” Dayspring said in an almost lecturing tone. “What in Tartarus were you doing anyway?”

“What do you mean?” Radiant asked defensively.

“Don’t give me that. Running, at your age?” 

“I’m not that old,” he lied.

“You’re in your seventies. Exercise, fine, heck I approve, but you weren’t exercising, you were running. Sprinting even. I fully expected you to fall on your muzzle and break something when I saw you.”

“You never needed to just… run?”

The deadpan look Dayspring gave him told Radiant all he needed to know. 

“Okay, maybe not you, but I’m not like you. I’m used to being physical, to keeping my strength up.”

“Why are you bucking lying to me?” Dayspring asked in a tone that said he wasn’t buying any of it. “You haven’t trained in at least a decade.”

Radiant glared at him, a stare that Dayspring matched point for point. 

It was Radiant that broke first. He knew it was pointless, that Dayspring saw right through his facade. He was right, and Dayspring was impossible to argue with when he knew he was right, something made worse when you knew he was right as well. Radiant sighed and sat down on his flank. “Fine, no I wasn’t trying to exercise. Now wipe that smug look off your muzzle. ”

“So what the buck where you doing?” Dayspring asked as he sat down on his stomach, enjoying the feeling of the soft, cold grass on his fur.

Radiant recognized the tactic instantly. Dayspring had established dominance over him with his forceful questions and glare, then when compitulated too, he got down lower than him, putting Radiant at a high plane of eyesight and thus at ease. 

You’re as manipulative as ever, but damn if it doesn’t work, Radiant thought. “Something happened last night, I’ve been feeling… ancy? Fidgety? Like I have ants in my fur... It’s like my skin wants to leap off my bones.”

“That’s not too uncommon. Is this the first time you’ve been out of the castle in a while?” 

“It’s not cabin fever,” Radiant said, already knowing where Dayspring’s mind was going. “My mind too, I’ve not been able to concentrate on anything today. I keep drifting off.”

“Sounds like cabin fever.” 

“It’s not! It’s… I don’t know. I’ve been… ugh…”

“Ancy, pent up, frustrated, unable to concentrate. Knowing you, overworked, not taken a day off in months, too concerned with duty and keeping appearances.” 

“You’re an ass.”

“Uh-hu. And you’re still…” Dayspring paused, considering his next words very carefully. After a few pregnet seconds he practically whispered,  “You’re still missing her, you’re still blaming yourself, aren’t you?” 

“Firestar! You CAN say her name around me, you know‽”

Dayspring stood up to his full height. “Can we? Look how upset you get when you say her name.”

Rage returned to the white unicorn. “I should buck your teeth out for that.”

Power started to build on Dayspring's lavender horn. “There was a time, in your prime, you could do just that. But we both know that, right now, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me. You’ve gotten soft, lazy, old.”

A sword flashed into existence behind Radiant. “Shall we test that theory?” 

“Go ahead, prove me right.”

The staredown lasted longer than Dayspring thought it would before the sword vanished. Radiant huffed and sat back down on his flank. “I bucking hate you some days.” They both knew that there wasn’t another pony in all of Equestria who’d talk to Radiant the way that Dayspring did. But that was a double-edged sword. 

“I know you do,” Dayspring replied. “But I think my point was proven anyway.”

“You’re not as smart as you think you are.”

“Yes I am. Sure, that pisses ponies off sometimes, but I’d like to think that the good outweighs the bad.”

“The bad being your ego.”

Dayspring laughed at that. “Coming from The Greatest Swordstallion in all of Equestria, I’ll take that as a complement.”

“Luna, I really did call myself that, didn’t I?” 

“Well, you weren’t wrong. Although I’m pretty sure that Vela could take you these days,” and with a quick glance over Radiant’s frame, Dayspring added, “and quite easily at that.”

It was Radiant’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, she probably could. Those days… I was something else. We were something else, weren't we?”

Dayspring glared over at him. “What’s this ‘we were’ business. I AM something else.”

“Sweet Luna, could you give it a rest?”

“My wife doesn’t rest for anything.”

“You know what I mean.”

Dayspring chuckled. “I’m just messing with you. In truth, I feel it too. Even with the years I skipped.”

“Bit unfair, you know. You were born a year after me, yet now you’re what? Ten-twenty years younger then you should be?”

“Oh don’t you start, Aurora gives me enough shit about it.”

“Really? She looks younger than you do.”

“Yeah, but she’s pissed that she has to work for it.” He paused, “Speaking of age. You look…”

“About five years younger than the last time you saw me?” Radiant said, already expecting where Dayspring was going.

“Yeah, so about ten years older than you should look.”

“Funny,” Radiant said.

“But seriously, wha—” 

Dayspring never got to finish his sentence as at that moment a mint-green bat-pony all but slammed into him. Nightshade hugged her uncle with all her might. “Uncle! I saw a crystal pegasus, a crystal unicorn, and a crystal earth pony, and then this crystal guard started to chase me around, but I fought them all off!” 

Dayspring glanced down the field at the ‘corpses’ she had left in her wake. He was impressed, Nightshade had managed to down every pony she’d found, even if some were starting to get up and return to their tasks. The only pony that hadn’t been mauled was Strong Heart who was galloping back as fast as his legs could carry him.

Radiant saw him too and smiled, his small revenge for earlier complete. 

Only Rainbow Dash had the speed necessary to keep up with this filly’s energy, a random earth pony? Even a trained guard? He never stood a chance. “Strong Heart, thank you. You’re dismissed.”  

Completely out of breath, Strong only had the energy to salute before turning and running away with whatever strength he could manage. Fear that Nightshade would take off again and he’d be sent out after her granted the stallion a fresh surge of energy.

A loud ‘PFFT’ was heard as Radiant turned back to Nightshade. The filly blew the guard a raspberry as he left. “That meany wouldn’t fall down like everyone else.”

“Really?” Dayspring asked in surprise.

“That might have been my fault. I gave him an anti-adorkable shield,” Radiant said.

“Ohh, that explains it. But why did you do that?” Nightshade asked, looking slightly hurt.

“Someone had to give you a decent fight, no?” Dayspring asked as he picked the filly up with a hoof and placed her on his back.

“Yep, that makes sense, everypony else went down like chumps!”

Radiant laughed at that. “Young one, you are a gift, do you know that?”

“Yep! That’s what everyone tells me!”

“It’s true,” Radiant replied as he nuzzled her ever so softly. “Having you around is always a gift to me.”

“I like that,” Nightshade replied.

“Like what?” Dayspring asked. 

“Giving gifts to ponies,” Nightshade said matter-of-factly. “It’s the best thing I know. It’s better than getting gifts myself.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Radiant asked.

“Because when I get a gift only I’m happy, but when I give a gift everyone else is happy, and that makes me happy too, so everyone is happy.”

Dayspring was practically beaming with pride when he next spoke. “Out of the mouths of foals.”

“Is there something in my mouth?” Nightshade asked, suddenly concerned. 

“The wisdom of the ages,” Radiant said as he playfully cuffed her mane.

“I don’t remember eating that,” Nightshade said as she made a point of pulling away from Radiant’s hoof and fixing her mane. 

Both Radiant and Dayspring laughed at that. Nightshade gave them both her ‘angry face’ before Dayspring turned his head as best he could to look at her. “Ready to go see the Crystal Heart next?” Dayspring asked, breaking her concentration and causing her smile to return.

“Oh, is that what brought you two here? And here I thought you wanted to see me,” Radiant said with a faux hurt look on his muzzle.

“Oh shut up,” Dayspring said as he cut his niece off. “You were the first thing she wanted to see. But her first trip to the Crystal Empire would be wasted if she only saw you.”

“No it wouldn’t, I love uncle Radiant!” Nightshade said in protest. “But… he doesn’t come down often.”

“So the one thing she wanted for her birthday was to come see you. She said, and I quote, ‘if Uncle Radiant is so busy at work, he must need a break, and I want to give him one.’ So I volunteered to bring her. Called it a learning experience, even said I’d show her around. Although I did warn her that you might be too busy to spend time with us. She’d said that she’d take whatever time she could with you, no matter how little that might be.” 

Dayspring’s words were like a sword plunged into Radiant’s chest over and over again. The worst part was the ‘out’ he’d left him. Dayspring had given him an excuse, all wrapped up with a pretty pink bow on top, if he wanted it. 

“I sent a gift.” Even though ‘he’ wasn't the one that picked it out, he knew that somepony would have sent one in his name, especially as Nightshade’s birthday just happened to be on Hearth’s Warming Eve. But the excuse sounded weak even before the final word left his mouth.

“I know, and I liked the crystal pony figurine you got me, but I… I just wanted us to be together for my birthday, as a family. Everyone came, everyone, but you,” Nightshade said with tears starting to build up in her clear golden eyes.

Radiant Star, Prince of the Crystal Empire, had faced down Gods of Death, Titans, and even a Dark Revenant-Possessed Twilight Sparkle. But not even he could bear to hold Nightshade’s gaze for more than a second. “Work, it…” Radiant found himself at a loss for words. In truth he couldn’t remember what he did yesterday, or any other day in fact. He hadn’t even known it was Nightshade’s birthday. Not truly, he’d just knew that one of his advisers would have made excuses for him and sent something in his name. 

“I think we’ve given the Lord of the Crystal Empire a hard enough time, don’t you?” Dayspring asked his niece.  

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad Uncle Radiant,” Nightshade said, her own sadness forgotten at the thought of Radiant being upset. 

He looked up at her. There was a look of genuine worry on her face. She’s concerned that I’m upset, he realized. That I feel bad. Radiant found himself flabbergasted, again. He’d been a jerk, he’d been the one to deny this young filly the one, completely unselfish, thing she’d wanted for her birthday. He’d not even remembered that it was her birthday, and yet she’d been the one to apologize to him.

“If that’s why you’re up here, then I must absolutely insist on something,” Radiant replied with all the authority he could muster. 

“What?” Dayspring asked, although the look on his face showed that he already knew the answer.

“That I give the tour, personally.”

In a mint-green blur, Nightshade leapt from Dayspring’s back and almost tackled the old pony to the ground. The strength of her hug surprising the old stallion. “You mean it? Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

Radiant hugged her back with all the strength he could muster before looking up at Dayspring. “You wanted to see me too, didn’t you?” 

“You’re my best friend. It’s been seventy years, and we’ve been through several lifetime’s worth of events, but that’s one fact that’s never changed, nor will it,” Dayspring replied, smiling. His smile faded as he added, softly, “We’ll talk later.” His last words said that talk wouldn’t be any fun, although, as with everything Dayspring did, it would be needed.

“Sure, when she’s asleep,” Radiant replied as he helped Nightshade climb onto his back. Her lack of weight again coming as a surprise to the stallion. “Until then, I think this one deserves the royal tour!”

“Onward and upward!” Nightshade shouted as she pointed a hoof at the Crystal Palace in excitement. 

“We’ll end the tour there,” Radiant replied. “Let’s show you around the town first. I know a wonderful pie shop that I’m sure you’ll just love.”

“Onward to pie!” Nightshade exclaimed at the top of her little lungs.





“And we’ll end our tour here. This, young one, this is the pride and joy of the Crystal Empire. An artifact of immense power, the Occulous of the God Eros, the Crystal Heart.” 

“It’s sooo pretty,” Nightshade said with wide eyes as she started to walk towards it, entranced by the blue energy coming off the heart. “Can I touch it?”

Two spears came down directly in front of her, blocking her path. Dayspring glared in anger at the two crystal unicorn guards that had dared raise their weapons against her. For his part, Radiant simply placed a hoof in her path and gingerly pushed her backwards. “Like I told you before we came to this chamber, no one is allowed to get near the heart, not until the Crystal Ceremony.” 

“Not even you?” Nightshade asked as she looked up at her uncle. 

“Nope, not even me. These two guards right there. They’re part of an elite cadre of crystal ponies that I had created called the Heart’s Guard. They’re tasked with the protection of the heart at all costs. Not even I can override their orders.”

“If they raise their weapons against my niece again…” Dayspring growled. 

“They’re just doing their job, Dayspring. It’s nothing personal.”

Dayspring conceded the point. He didn’t like it, but he understood. 

They both looked on in surprise as Nightshade leapt over Radiant’s hoof and walked up to one of the guards. The crystal pony stood tall, resplendent in his specially designed armor, one that made him immune to all but the most powerful spells. He looked down at her, but as she wasn’t approaching the heart, he made no move against her.

“Thank you for protecting the heart, Mr. Heart’s Guard,” Nightshade said with a smile as she hugged the unicorn. 

To everyone's surprise, the stoic unicorn hugged back. “You’re welcome.”

Radiant found himself about to tear up when he noticed the strangest thing. A blue wave of energy was coming off the heart and going to Nightshade. It was small, slight, but still noticeable. It looks like… like it did in my dream, with… Firestar.

The day he’d had, the unexpected meeting with his brother, the pie, the inevitable cleanup afterwards, the tour of the town, it had all taken his mind off his dream. It served as a good distraction for the last few hours, but now the dream was back, fresh in his mind.

The mood changed when Nightshade returned to her two uncles, something Dayspring took notice of. 

It wasn’t anything major, just the way Radiant carried himself from then on. It was small, slight, but noticeable to an old friend. Sure he still smiled and laughed at Nightshade’s jokes, but there was a heaviness to him, like a weight far greater than the little filly laid on his shoulders. “Nightshade, it’s getting late. How about we go to sleep?” Dayspring asked as they finished the tour and made their way into the throne room of the Crystal Palace.

“But I’m not tired, uncle,” Nightshade said, pouting a little. Dayspring knew it was for show, the two of them had been up for almost fifteen hours, he was feeling it, and so was she.

“You may not be,” Dayspring continued. “But your uncles are old, we need our sleep.” 

Radiant looked over at Dayspring, confused. After a few seconds he nodded in understanding. It’s time for our talk, isn’t it? 

“Okay, but… we’ll hang out more tomorrow?” Nightshade asked as she ran up to Radiant and pleaded with him. 

“Of course,” Radiant said as he nuzzled her muzzle. “I’m yours as long as you’re here.”

“Yeah!!!” Nightshade shouted as she ran out of the room and up the stairs.

Dayspring and Radiant looked at each other, counting down the seconds. They got to ten before hearing her run back down the stairs. “Where am I sleeping again?”

Radiant chuckled as Dayspring smiled and turned to her, “I’ll show you. I trust you won’t mind if your favorite niece takes one of the royal suites?” he asked Radiant. 

“I’d be upset if she slept anywhere else,” Radiant replied.

“That’s mean, you shouldn’t have favorites!” Nightshade said in protest as Dayspring led her upstairs. 

Radiant jumped up onto his throne and sat down. The weight of the day finally taking its toll. “Now that, my dear niece, would be impossible,” he said to himself as he waited for Dayspring to return. 





That wait turned out to be just as long as Radiant expected. He suspected, quite correctly, that Nightshade would browbeat Dayspring into a story, and then another, and another. He also suspected, again, correctly, that Dayspring was more than willing to give in to such demands just to see the smile on her muzzle. 

After twenty minutes Radiant started kicking himself for not joining them. At thirty he jumped down from his throne to do just that, only to be stopped as soon as he saw Dayspring round the corner. “Can we talk here?” Dayspring asked.

“Yeah, I made sure the room is clear,” Radiant said, sighing as he jumped back up on the throne.

Dayspring watched, and, without a moment’s hesitation, walked over and jumped up on the throne right next to his. 

Her throne.

“Brass balls,” Radiant said, eyeing him.

“I did get some of mother’s attributes,” Dayspring replied as he settled onto a throne that hadn’t had a flank parked on it for decades.

Radiant huffed as he looked away.

Dayspring simply watched him, waiting for the white unicorn to say something. When nothing happened, he made the first gesture. “If it bothers you I can get down.”

Unwilling to admit that it did, Radiant replied in a tone that said the exact opposite of his words. “It’s fine.” 

“Well, if that’s how you feel I’ll stay put. It’s quite a comfortable seat.”

Several more seconds past, each filled to the brim with frustration and anger for Radiant. Finally the tension snapped. “Why do you go out of your way to piss me off?”

“Because you’re only ever honest when you’re mad,” Dayspring replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“I don’t lie to you,” Radiant replied before adding, “much.”

“True, but you lie to yourself all the time.”

“Like what?”

“Like with how miserable you are.” 

“What? How am I miserable? Give me one example!”

“I’m supposed to give you an example? Of what, the act you put on in front of us?”

“It wasn’t… an… act.”

“You were around Nightshade today, Radiant. She could make Tartarus smile like a filly. Also you were with me, your lifelong friend. That today, that was an act, that was how you wanted us to see you. That wasn’t how you are, that’s not you.”

“You know a lot about me.”

“Isn’t that my job?” Dayspring replied.

“Spying?”

“Concern,” Dayspring corrected.

“That depends on your point of view.” 

“My point of view is that of a friend, a best friend. What’s yours?” Dayspring asked.

Radiant looked at the floor before replying, “Ass.”

“Dick.”

The two chuckled.

“She’d hate what you’re going, you know. What you’re doing to yourself.”

Radiant looked over, “You didn’t even know her.”

“Am I wrong?”

“...”

After a few seconds, Dayspring added, “Thought not.”

“It’s not always about being right, you know.”

“True, but it does help.”

“What does Luna see in you?”

“Someone who’s usually right.”

“And that doesn’t piss her off?”

“She’s old enough to not care anymore who’s right or wrong, she just wants what’s best for her ponies. In truth I think she just wants to make her sister proud. It doesn’t matter to her if she has the right answer or if it comes from someone else, just so long as we get it.”

In spite of himself, Radiant whistled, “You found yourself quite a mare. Firestar was… not like that.” 

“Pretty sure being over a thousand years old will mature you.”

“True that.” 

“So tell me, honestly, how are you doing?” Dayspring met Radiant’s eyes when he asked that question. 

Radiant closed his eyes for a long second before opening again. He didn’t turn away from his friend as he said, “Not well.”

“Go on.”

“I’ve been… I’ve been a ghost. I haven’t been living my life, I’ve been surviving it. The exact opposite of what I… of what I promised her.”

“Your promise to her in Tartarus?” Dayspring asked. Of all their family, he’d only told Dayspring the full story of that event. 

Radiant nodded, too afraid he might cry again if he spoke.

“You were doing good for a while. The fight against Typhon, the year after. But then you stopped.”

Again Radiant nodded.

“It was tough for you when Flash and Blaze left, wasn’t it?”

“They found their happiness. I wouldn’t…”

“Nor should you have. But I’m not talking about them, or any other. I’m talking about you.” Dayspring laid a hoof on Radiant’s hoof. “You live up here in solitude. I thought you needed space, that this was what was best for you. Maybe it was, in the beginning, but now I think it’s killing you.”

Radiant withdrew his hoof. “This is my responsibility.”

Dayspring gave him a deadpan expression. “Another could take it over.”

“Who?”

“Taz and Nighttide.”

“The fuck-bunnies? No.” When—based on the look Dayspring gave him—the usual insult proved to be ineffective, Radiant added, “Besides, they’d take Nightshade with them and then you and Lunar Light wouldn’t get to see her every day.”

Dayspring conceded that point, but added, “Ataxia and Shimmering Night.”

“Ataxia, up here? She’d melt the empire to the ground during the first winter.”

He conceded that point too before his mind thought of the perfect rulers to take Radiant’s place, “Echoside and Starlight.”

“I… They’re too young.”

“You know that’s BS. Starlight was born to rule, she’s more than ready and willing.”

“I…”

“You’re just trying to come up with an excuse not to leave. You know damn well that you’d be better off down in Canterlot with the rest of us. You’d be happier too. You’d be able to enjoy your life again and spend your days playing with your nieces and nephews.”

“Dayspring Gleam, let me make this as crystal clear as a crystal pony. I’m not leaving. I live here and I will die here.”

Even Dayspring was taken aback by the rage in Radiant’s eyes. But that didn’t stop him from seizing on the opportunity, “Why?”

“Because this is where we were together. I lived here with her, I’ll die here with her.”

“But she’s not here anymore. This is just a land, just a castle, just a flight of stairs, just a chair, just a table, and just a bed. The her you still hold on to, the her you made a promise to, she’s in your memories. And you take those wherever you go.”

“That’s not true,” Radiant said without meaning to.

“How so?”

“She… I’d…” Radiant struggled to find the words, he was losing the argument and simply couldn’t think of the words to make Dayspring understand. In the end he gave up and simply hoped he could convince him with the unabated truth. “I’d lost her, Dayspring. I’d lost her voice.”

Dayspring paused. The tears in Radiant’s eyes coming as a surprise to him. 

“I couldn’t remember her voice. I’d just… I’d lost it.”

“Voices are the first thing to go, the first thing the memory forgets.”

“I’d held onto it for all these years, and two years ago, it just…”

Dayspring reached for Radiant’s hoof again, something the white unicorn denied him. “But last night it came back to me. I remembered her voice all over again. It came to me in a dream.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. It’s like my looks. How I look younger. That happened last night too. You weren't the first to comment on it.”

“So let me get this straight. Last night, out of the blue, you dreamed about Firestar, and then just happened to wake up looking five years younger this morning?”

Radiant nodded. 

Dayspring’s horn glowed as he scanned the room, the palace, and then the empire itself. 

“What are you looking for?”

“Somepony that has a deathwish,” Dayspring reliped as he continued his scan.

“You think somepony attacked me?” Radiant asked.

Dayspring paused in his scan with a ‘no duh’ look upon his muzzle. “And you don’t?” His tone was of somepony who knew from experience that such ‘gifts’ came at the worst costs. 

“Well, if this is an attack they have a different definition of the term then I do.”

“You’re not that dumb. Nothing comes for free, Radiant. The younger you would be just as concerned as I am.”

Radiant rolled his eyes at that and waved a hoof for Dayspring to continue. Dayspring closed his eyes and powered his horn, returning to his work.





Luna this is boring. Radiant thought as ten minutes had passed. He knew Dayspring would be thorough. He could feel it, the skill, the power radiantating from the light purple unicorn. If he focused he could even track what Dayspring was doing. 

That got old after five minutes. Dayspring started with a generic scan, then a specific localized scan, then a pony-by-pony scan. By the time he was done every single pony in the Crystal Empire, and some in the neighbouring counties, would have had their privacy magically invaded against their will.

Not that they’d have known. Radiant knew because of his proximity to Dayspring, and because he knew what to look for. While the Prince of the Crystal Empire’s skill with the sword might have dulled in his old age, it appeared that Dayspring’s skill with magic only sharpened as he got older.

As such he let it happen. In truth Dayspring’s concern weighed heavily on him. After everything they’d faced over the years this incident should have threw up every red flag Radiant had. Yet he hadn’t even considered the possibility that an evil force could have caused it. 

“Nothing,” Dayspring said as he got up and stretched his hoofs.

“This really didn’t feel like an attack,” Radiant said camly. 

“Still, I should probably tell mom about this.”

“Twilight? Why?” 

“She could scan further then me. Night could even look into it. Just in case.”

“So you’re going to what? Send Twilight a message saying I had a dream and appear to be a little younger?” Radiant asked as he raised an eyebrow to Dayspring.

“Yes.” 

“And completely ruin all their plains, causing everypony to swarm the Crystal Empire for days looking for something or someone not even you couldn’t find?”

“Yes,” Dayspring replied in his usual matter-of-fact tone.

“Meanwhile they’d prod me for as much information as I can remember, forcing me to tell them everything, all my deepest secrets no matter how much I’d wish otherwise.”

“Y— It’s for your safety.”

Radiant stood up while glaring at Dayspring. “Forcing me to talk about her, to everypony. Ones that would want to help me in their own—special—way.”

“...”

“The obvious always escapes you, Dayspring.” 

“Fine, you’re right. I won’t do that to you,” Dayspring said as he stood up to match Radiant's height. “On two conditions.”

Radiant sighed. This was the Dayspring he remembered all too well. Yes his friend was a smart-ass, one that was usually right. But few saw his other side, his all-too-eager willingness to concede to a better idea but then immediately run with it in a direction you never saw coming. 

“Fine, name them.”

“You let me scan you.”

Radiant’s face betrayed his shock, “You didn’t already?”

Dayspring shook his head. “You’re my friend, I wouldn’t do that without your permission.”

“And the second?” Radiant asked.

“You tell me everything. All of it. And not just the dream, but everything that’s happened in the last ten years, everything you’ve kept to yourself.” 

“And I assume if I say no, you’ll send that message to Twilight?”

“It’s for your safety. I’d rather be wrong with you hating me then be right standing over your grave.”

“You really are a manipulative bastard,” Radiant said as he sat back down on his throne, getting comfortable. 

“Not really, my parents were married.”

“Shut up and… get on with it.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“Yes,” Radiant said with a long drawn-out sigh as he saw Dayspring’s horn power up. “Everything stays between us though, right?”

“It’s a pinkie-promise,” Dayspring said back as he began the scan.





Dayspring performed the scan with all the thoroughness he did everything. Which is to say he left Radiant feeling violated on a molecular level by the time he was done. The light purple unicorn had taken his time, scanning every cell in Radiant’s body for the smallest amount of residual magic he could find, be that unicorn, alicorn, demi-god, or full-fledged god.  

“I want dinner and a movie after that,” Radiant said as he shook off the lingering effects of Dayspring’s power. 

“Funny, it wasn’t exactly a pleasurable experience for me either,” Dayspring relied.

“Bullshit, I’m sure you learned tons. And learning for you is always pleasurable.”

“Violating my friend’s privacy isn’t,” Dayspring replied with sad eyes.

That comment gave Radiant pause. An empty silence filled the chamber, one that quickly grew awkward before he found words to fill it. “So… what did you find anyway?”

“Well you’re completely unhealthy and out of shape. Your fat to muscle ratio is incredibly high, and you have the heart of a seventy-five year old.”

“Nothing new then?”

“And the cells of a sixty-five year old.”

“Wait, so it’s not just a one-time thing?” Radiant asked. “This isn’t just an off day or something?”

“No,” Dayspring replied as he sat back down. “Radiant you’ve gained between five and seven years, permanently.”

“By gain you mean?”

“De-aged.  You’re physically younger. It’s no wonder you felt like you were jumping out of your skin today. Your body isn’t used to this energy, your lifestyle isn’t used to it.”

“How?” Radiant asked in disbelief.

“That’s where things get interesting. Your cells are brimming with excess energy, excess magical energy. Energy that’s far beyond my pay-scale.”

Radiant huffed at that. “Great, Gods again? Which one?”

“Well… yes. But that’s another conundrum. It’s not just one.”

“Huh?”

“It’s energy similar to Eros’ but mostly... Gaia’s.”

“Twilight?” Radiant asked in total disbelief. 

“Yes.”

“Twilight’s screwing with me?”

Dayspring shook his head. “No, I said it’s similar. As in close, but not the same. Besides mom wouldn’t do that. Or at the very least Night or I would have noticed if she’d tried.”

“You’re going to message her anyway, aren’t you?” The involvement of God energy raised the stakes more than either of them felt comfortable with.

Dayspring thought about it. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “Tell me what’s happened with you since Firestar’s passing, tell me what happened in your dream. Everything.”

Radiant sighed, loudly. He found himself conflicted, part of him, a large part, didn’t want to share a thing. His memories of her were his. Another part was screaming at him to tell Dayspring everything for the sake of his kingdom. It saw the dangers of this event, of what this could mean for more then him. He didn’t truly know what part was bigger. 

Finally the unicorn came to a realization. Another part, bigger than the other two, wanted to tell, everything for his own wellbeing. It wanted to spill his guts out at least once before he died. And, it reasoned, there was no pony else who he could tell. Radiant wanted this, he needed this.

So Radiant told Dayspring everything. Everything he’d felt for the past decade. He told Dayspring about how he’d taken the news, how it’d broken him on the inside. How he’d even thought of killing himself immediately after. He told his friend how even his sons being around, their wellbeing, had done nothing to convince him otherwise. How he’d only carried on to seek revenge against Mindsink during those times.

He relived the events around his revenge, his last goodbye, and the promise he’d made Firestar. He emphasized how he’d promised to live a life that she’d be proud of, that’d show her he was worthy of spending all of eternity with her when they were finally together again. 

Dayspring said nothing as he listened. He watched as his best friend in the world poured his heart out to him, and his tears. He felt his heart break a dozen times over for his friend’s suffering. Suffering he’d gone through alone.

Radiant confessed how he’d been the year after. The ‘role’ he’d tried to play, how he really did try to live up to his promise to Firestar. He told him about his life after Flash left for Warclaw. How he’d handled that. Then five years later, how it’d been when Blaze left.

Then he told him how his life truly was. How everything had become harder, how it felt like he was walking through water the entire time. Radiant told him how, two years ago, he’d forgotten her voice, and with it, any pretext to trying to keep his promise, how he’d given up on actually living his life. How he’d just wanted to die, how he was waiting to die, how he was still waiting to die. 

It was at that moment he felt Dayspring’s hoof wrap around him pulling the two old ponies into a tight embrace. Radiant’s tears fell on Dayspring’s back and visa-versa. 

“I’m so sorry,” Dayspring said.

“What are you sorry for,” Radiant all but choked out the old colloquialism. 

“For being a bad friend,” Dayspring responded. 

Radiant chuckled. “You’ve been a great friend.”

“No, no I haven’t. You’ve been hurting and I’ve only suspected… I left you up here all on your own and did nothing.”

“Dayspring, you have your own family, your own life to live.”

“When something, when someone matters to you, you make time for them, not excuses,” Dayspring said as he pulled back to look Radiant in the eye. “You matter. I should have made the time.”

“That sword cuts two ways,” Radiant replied. “I didn’t even make time for my niece’s birthday.”

“We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it so we do better tomorrow.”

“Always the teacher.”

“And the student,” Dayspring replied with a sad smile. 

Radiant rubbed his face with his hoof, the toll of telling the story weighing heavily on his old frame. “I guess I should tell you about my dream now.”

Dayspring returned to Firestar’s throne and leapt on it. He settled in and nodded for Radiant to continue. 

“I didn’t know I was dreaming. Not until I woke up. I was just lying in bed, just like any other day when suddenly, I smelled her.”

“Smelled?”

Radinant nodded. “Her scent came out of nowhere and faded just as quickly. It was like I’d just walked out of a room and caught a faint trace that she’d just walked down the hallway. I thought I’d imagined it at first. I even closed my eyes to try and get some sleep. And then it happened again.”

Dayspring simply nodded for Radiant to continue. 

“Tracing the scent, I ran to the window and looked out. There was this… this light coming from the center of town. It reminded me of the Crystal Heart actually, with the blue magical waves to match. I teleported down and ran to it.”

He paused, choking up on the next bit. “She was there, Dayspring. Firestar, she was standing right there, right in the middle of the light. I stood, flabbergasted as she walked out of the light, right to me.”

“What happened next?” Dayspring asked.

“She… she… she kissed me. We kissed for the first time in a decade. I felt her lips, her breath. I started crying as she pulled back and nuzzled me. She even rubbed my back as I fell to the ground like a little colt, crying.”

“She just held you?” Dayspring asked as Radiant’s story broke down into sobs. He knew this was hard for the old stallion. Radiant wasn’t the crying type, but today he’d shown a side of himself that he’d never let anyone else see. 

Radiant just nodded until he could regain his composure. “We stared into each other's eyes for the longest time, until… until the sun rose in the background. It almost blinded me with its brightness.”

“Did that cause her to disappear?”

“No, not at first anyway. She started to fade with the sunrise. But before she left she spoke to me. She said ‘come find me, my idiot.’ And then… then I woke up. Sweating more than I have in years, but I was in my bed. Like this,” he gestured to his hoof, referencing his age. “Her voice, it was just like I remembered it, before I, you know, forgot it. Ever since, I’ve been able to remember it all over again.”

Dayspring didn’t reply. He took it in, processing the data just like a computer would. 

“What do you think it means?” Radiant asked, unable to keep the hopeful tone that this was somehow good news, or at the very least, that Dayspring might have the answer, out of his voice.

“I… I don—”

“Maybe she wants you to find her?”

Both heads shot to the door just in time to see a groggy mint-green bat-pony walk through it. At that moment, with the ‘cuteness’ succumbed by sleep, with the way she walked, the small tear falling down from her eyes betraying just how much of the story she’d heard, Dayspring couldn’t help but see his niece in a different light. 

Why do you remind me so much of Aurora? He was forced to admit. The mare Nightshade would grow into, she’d be a thing of beauty, with a heart and brain to match. 

The next words out of her mouth reminded Dayspring that of those three attributes, Nightshade’s looks mattered the least.

“That’s what she said in your dreams, right? That she wanted you to find her. Maybe that’s why she came back to you. Maybe you lost her, and she found a way to help you remember. That’s what I’d do if someone lost me. I’d try and help them find me again.” 

Radiant sit up on his flank and invited the little pony to join him. When Nightshade jumped up on the throne he hugged her tightly. “What if… what if I don’t know how to find her?”

“Well, I doubt she’d only try once. Maybe she’ll come back to you with another hint tonight?”

Radiant kissed Nightshade on the top of her head and then looked over at Dayspring who merely shrugged and said, “It’s hard to argue with that logic.”

Radiant hugged Nightshade close to him and said, “I might just try that. But enough about me, what are you doing up, little one? It’s past your bedtime.”

“I was sleeping,” Nightshade protested. “But then this pegasus came into my room and said that you were sad. She asked me to cheer you up.”

Taken aback by that, Dayspring asked, “A crystal pegasus asked you that?”

Nightshade shook her head. “No, she was tan with a cutie mark of a comet shooting across the sky.”

Both stallions were left speechless. The color, the cutie mark, they’d been Firestar’s.

“It was weird though, when I got out of bed she was gone and my door was shut.”

Radiant hugged her even tighter as he asked, “Are you sure you didn’t dream it?”

Nightshade nuzzled into Radiant’s fur as she shrugged and said, “Maybe.” She then looked up at Radiant and asked, “Can I have a cookie?”