Some alleyway in Canterlot, not far from the Palace...
A young pegasus slowly came to. He looked around, wondering just where he was. And for that matter...
Who he was.
He shakily rose to his hooves, which he noticed were a nice black, as was the rest if his tiny body. The colt slowly trotted over to a puddle, left over from a recent storm. Upon gazing into it, he learned the color of his mane and tail, a royal blue, along with the outer tips of his wings. He also noticed his eye color was different for each eye. His left was a rich forest green, while his right was the color of his mane and tail. Unsurprisingly, his hair and hide were filthy, but of course a puddle could not fix that, so the colt finally chanced a peek outside of his alleyway.
The colt was amazed by the sheer number of ponies that cantered by, each seeming to be moving in the direction of a very large and awe-inspiring building. Some looked eager, others emotionless, while the majority kept glancing to the bright circle in the sky, clearly distraught. The Sun was in the process of beginning the process of actually setting. A few of the ponies picked up their pace, though for what reason, the colt did not understand. But, these ponies had to be going there for a reason, so maybe he should to.
After a quick minute of deliberation, a second minute to make sure he would be able to survive the crowd, the colt worked his way into the sea of ponies. Unfortunately, his tiny legs did not carry him nearly as fast as he needed them to, and he was soon being 'accidentally' pushed and shoved forward, along with the crowd. On more than one occasion, the colt barely avoided being stepped on, only to have to try to avoid another. This was quickly turning into the worst moment of his half-hour long life.
Eventually, the writhing mass of ponies formed a single file line, the colt standing in between a earth pony with a pitchfork and a unicorn who was too buried into her book to notice anything other than the line moving...and the position of the soon to be setting Sun.
"If I'm late to the princess' open court, so help me..." The cerulean unicorn complained under her breath, finally lowering her book enough to notice the colt in front of her. "Oh...hello there little guy!"
"Um...H-hi?" the colt shyly responded, a bit surprised to hear how higher pitch his voice was compared to hers."Is he your father?" The unicorn asked, gesturing to the farm-pony in front of them. The colt slowly shook his head, confused as to her reason for the question. "So you're all alone?!" she yelped, resisting the urge to just scoop up the colt, her maternal instincts kicking in. The colt nodded, with one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Why are-" the unicorn started to ask, before one of the many pegasi guards cleared his throat, as the Sun disappeared beneath the horizon, to be replaced by the nearly full moon. "Princess Celestia's open court has come to a close. Princess Luna will now hold her open court." the guard announced. "Oh no..." the unicorn cursed, before everypony who had been waiting in line suddenly turned on their hoof and started galloping away from the palace.
The colt tried to avoid as many of the stampeding ponies as possible, but it was even worse than the trip To the palace. The colt had just nearly dodged an earth pony's comparatively huge hoof, before he was slammed in his side by a similarly sized hoof, knocking him to the cobblestone ground, out of breath and hurting. Before he could regain his hoofing, he was knocked right back down, wincing at the uncomfort of laying on his wing. He quickly slid the feathered appendage out from underneath his tiny body, just in time to feel to feel pain explode across his entire left wing. The colt couldn't even scream, the pain was so excruciating. Right until a third hoof came in contact with the side of his head...
Eventually, the stampede dwindled to a few three or so ponies leisurely trotting back home. A guard noticed a small black form laying on the ground, not that far away from him, and decided to investigate. After, making sure nopony would try to get past his station of course.
The guard trotted over to the form, now noticing what it truly was. "Hey. Kid. Are you okay?" he asked in a gruff, but not negative voice.
After receiving silence in response, he carefully bit down gently on the scruff of the colt's neck, before carefully lifting up and placing the colt on his back. The guard walked up to the only other pony who witnessed the event, the guard stationed with him. "Mind keeping an eye on things?" guard #1 asked. "Of course. It's protocol." guard #2 agreed. The first guard nodded, and entered the palace.
After passing through the foyer, with only a few stares, the guard entered the throne room, after being 'royally' announced. "Good evening...Princess Luna." he greeted, bowing only his head as to not risk dropping the colt.
"Good evening. Please state your business." The princess replied from her throne. "Princess, I wish to inform you about a matter concerning the change to protocol three months ago." The guard said, easily maintaining his neutral expression. "Which one would that be?" Luna asked. "Regarding ponies that are injured during the change in the Princess holding open court." the guard answered.
"A pony has been injured again? Why did you not bring them in?" The princess asked, a touch of anger in her voice. "I did your Majesty." the guard quickly answered, turning sideways to reveal the colt.
The Princess immediately turned to the guard next to her throne. "Send for the royal doctor." she ordered, before turning back the first guard. "Bring...the pony here." The princess ordered, unsure of the gender of the colt. "Yes ma'am." the guard complied, carefully trotting up to the throne.
"Lay them down." The princess ordered, lowering her voice. The guard nodded, before carefully removing the colt and doing as the princess had said. "I found him just outside the palace. Unconscious." The guard informed her. "Where is that doctor?" The princess asked impatiently.
A few minutes later, the unicorn himself came galloping in through a side door of the room, his coat flapping behind him. "I'm here Princess! What's the problem??" he yelled, before skidding to a halt in front of the trio. "Doctor Anesthesia, examine this colt. He was trampled earlier during the change of the courts." The princess answered. "Trampled?! Oh dear oh dear oh dear..." the doctor mumbled, beginning his examination of the unconscious colt.
"Princess, this young pegasus has a broken wing, some bruising and minor head trauma. He should be able to make a full recov-...wait...hold on...what's this?" the doctor started to relay, before noticing something he had missed. "What is it Doctor?" the Princess asked. "This colt...his mane looks like it's been singed. Magically." The doctor answered. "Singed?! How can that...no. Doctor, just repair his wing. When he wakes up, we will be able to question him." The princess said, forcing an air of calm. "Yes Princess. I will be back shortly." the doctor complied, before galloping out of the throne room.
After a few minutes, the Princess turned back to the silent guard. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" she asked, inquisitively. "I am relieved he will recover, but I am wondering why this colt was all alone in the first place." The guard answered, maintaining his formal voice. "Yes, I am as well. Except when it comes to myself, I would have believed that most ponies would have been concerned about a lone colt, wondering the streets of Canterlot no less." the Princess agreed.
Doctor Anesthesia returned, a small basketful of medical supplies in his mouth. He set the basket down next to the colt, only briefly contemplating his course of action. "Mister guard, would you be so kind as to assist me with this procedure?" he asked, looking up at him.
"Oh! O-of course Sir." the guard nervously agreed. "Something wrong?" the Doctor asked, noticing the momentary stutter. "No Sir. I just have no medical experience whatsoever." the guard answered, his calm confident voice returning. "Good. Because you don't really need any. I just need you to hold his wing while I put the cast on. Well, it's more like a brace...but that's beside the point." the Doctor told him, before pulling the cast/brace out of his basket.
The pure white apparatus was made to go around the colt's torso, with a hole for the uninjured wing, while still completely encasing the broken wing.
"Now, I need you to grab the tip of his wing, as carefully as you can." the Doctor instructed. "And then what?" the guard asked. "Pull. As gently as possible. The bones must be set correctly or they won't heal properly." the Doctor answered. "Ok Sir." the guard agreed, before ever so gently biting the tip of the colt's wing. "Now...pull..." the Doctor added. The guard complied, tugging gently.
Until a loud series of sickening pops were heard.
The guard instantly let go, backing up from the colt, in fear that he had injured him further. "Good job. That's exactly where it should be." the Doctor informed him, smiling as he attached the cast/brace to the colt. "Doctor, even I believe that was a little...what was it Twilight's friend had said...'messed up'." the Princess told him. "Sorry Your Majesty." the Doctor replied, bowing his head, hiding a small smile.
"There! Done. He should be healed in...six to eight weeks." the Doctor announced, having finished with the cast/brace. "What should be done with him during that time?" The guard asked, having regained his 'calm' again. "Leave him with me for now. I will decide once he wakes up. Doctor, I will send for you if I require you, or once he has healed. Guard, what is your name?" the Princess asked, as the Doctor left the throne room. "Captain Steel Shield." he answered proudly. "Captain, I will send for you as well if I feel I need your assistance. I believe I owe it to you after your involvement thus far. Until then Captain, you are dismissed. Return to your post." The Princess ordered. "Yes Your Majesty." Captain Shield responded, bowing and turning to leave. "Captain, one more thing. Send in Miss Lace on your way out." The Princess added.
"You requested me Princess Luna?" a pink unicorn asked, entering the throne room. "Yes, I did. Please go fetch a large pillow for my impromptu guest." Luna replied in a kind voice, gesturing towards the colt at her feet. "Yes Ma'am!" Lace complied, exiting.
Minutes later, the unicorn returned, levitating a fluffly blue pillow behind her. "Awwww, he's a cute little filly." Lace commented, placing the pillow next to the throne, before carefully doing the same to the colt. "Thank you Lace." Luna smiled, mostly for the unicorn not asking questions about the brace. "Of course Princess." Lace replied, bowing and exiting.
Princess Luna sighed, getting comfortable on her throne, once again bored out of her mind due to the lack of ponies to ever attend her court. She thought back to all the courts of the last month, remembering that nopony ever walked through those ornate doors until tonight. With a frustrated huff, she stood up and started to leave the room.
"Oh! The colt..." Luna just remembered as she was about to open the doors. Her horn started to glow it's starry blue light, before the same happened to the pillow. Without disturbing the colt, the pillow was levitated across the room to hover next to the Princess. Next, the door handle glowed, pulling the door itself open long enough for Luna to stuck her head out.
"I am ending court early. You may depart." she informed the guards in the foyer. "Yes ma'am." they replied in chorus, before exiting to return to the barracks.
Luna sighed, before closing the door and leaving the throne room via a third door. After walking through the halls for a few minutes, the duo arrived at a tower, and more specifically, it's doors. Like every other important door in the palace, it had two guards standing on either side.
Despite years of training and a rational fear of the Princess, both guards' eyes went wide in surprise upon seeing the colt. Luna sighed as they opened the doors. "Before you two start hypothesizing, are there any questions you want to ask? I will not hold it against you." Luna asked.
"Princess...a-are you going to...Uh..." the guard on the left started to ask, obviously nervous. "To what?" Luna pressed, glaring. "Gobble him up?" The guard on the right fininshed, clearly more confident than the other. "No. You need to stop listening to or reading whatever gave you that idea. I do not 'gobble up' ponies. In any way, shape or form." Luna answered, forcing herself to not yell as she entered the tower.
Before the guards could say anything else, the doors glowed blue and slammed close behind her. "Sometimes, I wish the next few generations would pass. Maybe then ponies wouldn't be so...so...frustrating..." Luna mumbled, if only to herself. Then she re-remembered the colt.
Princess Luna lit a candle in the pitch black, revealing the large, luxurious room she called her own. She slowly trotted over to her bed, laying the pillow on top, before climping on.
After a long, thoughtful glance at the moon, Luna gently nudged the colt. "Time to wake up...little one." She said as soothingly as she could. The colt didn't respond. "Come on, wake up." Luna pressed, nudging him again. The colt groaned a little, causing a big goofy smile to spread across Luna's face.
"Wake up..." she repeated, nudging him one last time. The colt's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing his oddly colored irises. "U-um...hello?" the colt shyly mumbled.
"Hello. I am Princess Luna. Who are you?" Luna asked. "...I'm...Me?" The colt sheepishly guessed. "No, what is your name?" Luna rephrased, trying not to laugh. "...Um...I don't know..." the colt answered, looking at the ground, which turned out to be the top of the bed.
"You...you don't know your own name?!" Luna stammered. "No, miss Princess Luna..." the colt quickly answered, wincing. "Alright my little filly...why were you found at the entrance to the palace?" Luna asked, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I...woke up not to far from there...and I followed a crowd of ponies...then I was taking to a really nice unicorn...and then everypony suddenly turned around and...and...started galloping...and...I couldn't get out of the way...and...m-my wing..." the colt explained, getting more emotional as he spoke, before frantically turning around in circles, trying to see his injured wing. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a starry blue glow, which forced him to stay still. The colt was turned back around to face the Princess, a few tears sliding down his muzzle.
"Your wing will be fine. Just a few weeks and you'll be perfectly normal. Now, can you please explain why you 'woke up' where you did?" Luna asked, magically wiping away a tear. "I...I d-don't know..." he sniffled. "You don't remember?" Luna guessed. "No..." The colt answered, tears starting to form again. "Ssssshhhh...it's okay." Luna told him, as reassuringly as possible. "This nicety is really beginning to wear on me..." the Princess thought with a quiet sigh.
"M-miss Princess Luna?" the colt sniffled. "Yes?" she asked back. "I'm s-scared..." He whimpered. "Why? Did I do something?" Luna asked, sounding annoyed. "N-no!" the colt quickly answered. "Then what's wrong?" Luna pressed, her annoyance being fueled by his reaction. "I-I...I don't know...and that's what scares me...I don't know...anything..." the colt answered. "Oh..." Luna mumbled, realizing her fault.
"Then I will teach you." Luna said after a moment. "Huh?" the colt sniffled. "You don't know? So I will teach you. I will help you 'know'." Luna added. "B-but...how can you teach me who I am?" The colt asked, confused. "I will help you learn who you are. Obviously I can't 'teach' that. But! I do know of some ponies who would be no doubt willing to help." Luna answered with a smile.
"But 'sadly', it is the middle of the night. Nopony is awake at this hour." Luna sighed, climbing out of the bed and walking out onto the balcony. "Why not? It's so nice out here." the colt asked, jumping down and following. "You really think so?" Luna asked, not believing him. "Yes. Why wouldn't I? The moon...stars...everything...it's just so calming...there's even a nice breeze." the colt answered, smiling for the first time as he sat next to the Princess. "You are amongst a minority. Almost nopony appreciates my nights. They are all too busy 'frolicking' in the day, and then sleeping through it all." Luna told him, smiling only momentarily.
"Um...miss Princess Luna? How are they 'your' nights?" the colt asked, confused again. "My little filly...you have so much to learn. I am the Princess of the Night. I raise the moon and lower it for the sun. I create the stars and constellations. I create the night. My older sister Celestia reigns over the sun and daytime. And by default, 'Day-to-Day' affairs. While we both hold court to address the issues of Equestria...that is what this nation is called...most ponies attend her court, and avoid mine like a plague. That is why everypony suddenly stampeded when the courts changed, and why you were brought to me. Ponies do not just avoid my court, they avoid me if at all possible." Luna lengthily explained. "Ummmm.......why do they avoid you?" the colt asked, just deciding to accept everything else. "In short, Everypony seems to be possessed by the belief that I am evil, banishment-prone, and for the strangest reason, inclined to 'gobble up' fillies." Luna answered, her voice holding a bit of venom. "W-why? You don't seem like any of that. From what I can tell." the colt asked.
"That is a story for another night my little filly..." Luna sighed, looking away. "Um...ok Miss Princess Luna..." the colt mumbled. At this, Luna laughed a little. "The 'Miss' is not necessary. You can just call me Princess Luna, Your Majesty, Your Highness...etc." Luna corrected with a smile. "Yes ma'am O' Great One of many names." the colt joked. "I will have to add that to my list of names I will banish ponies over." Luna told him with a completely straight face. "W-Wha?!" the colt stammered tearfully. "Can nopony take a joke once in a while?" Luna asked, her smile returning. "O-oh!" The colt stammered, laughing a little. "In all seriousness, please call me Princess Luna. Not too formal, not too personal." Luna added. "Okay Princess Luna." the colt agreed, smiling.
Later...
"My little Filly...for lack of a better name...my Sister will awake soon. I must inform her of what has occurred tonight. Afterward, we may depart for Ponyville. Celestia's 'most faithful student' resides there. She has been studying the magic of friendship and is one of the wisest ponies I know. She may be able to help you...integrate into society. Speaking of society, everypony has a name, which means you need one as well. I can't call you 'My little filly' all the time. So...I will write the letter to my sister, and send it as soon as the sun has risen." Luna informed the colt, as a page of parchment and a quill levatated to her. "Yes ma'am..." the colt mumbled automatically.
Dearest Sister,
I wish to inform you of the events of which transpired last night.
A young pegasus was injured during the change of courts. This colt seems to have amnesia, and does not remember anything before awaking near our palace. I have taken it upon myself to temporarily care for this colt, until more permanent arrangements are made. For example, if his parent(s) come looking for him. In which case, he will be immediately returned to them. I wish, also, to introduce him to you, and with your permission, your student Twilight Sparkle and her friends.
Your beloved sister,
Luna
"There. The letter is complete. Now, for the sunrise." Luna announced, leading the colt back to the balcony.
The Princess gestured to a taller tower, as a large pure white pony with flowing, pastel rainbow mane and tail, stepped out onto a similar balcony. "Who's that?" The colt asked, in awe. "My sister, Princess Celestia. Keep watching." Luna answered, smiling a bit. Princess Celestia spread her wings, as her horn glowed a warm golden light. The colt turned to Luna, just noticing the fact that she too had both wings and a horn, which was glowing as well.
The moon started to sink, making way for the bright sun. Both seemed to touch the horizon at the same time, allowing both to be in view for only a short time, before the moon slowly disappeared.
Once all was said and done, Luna turned to the colt. "So how did you like the sunrise?" she asked. "I was...um...paying more attention to the moon..." the colt answered sheepishly. "It is that same reason that I have not really seen the sunrise in a very long time." Luna giggled, before turning and re-entering the tower.
"Now for the letter." Luna announced, as the parchment in question floated over to her. She unraveled it, quickly proofreading, before taking the quill and making a single change.
"There. NOW it's done." Luna added, before the letter disappeared in a puff of smoke. "W-where'd it go?" the colt asked, amazed. "Princess Celestia of course." She answered with a smile.
Meanwhile...
Just as Celestia herself had re-entered her tower, she heard the familiar sound of a letter arriving. "What could Twilight have possibly learned this early in the morning?" Celestia cheerfully asked herself, as she levitated the letter in front of her. The parchment unraveled...revealing the sender was in fact, not Twilight, but Luna.
"...her friends.
P.S. He truly appreciates my nights.
Your beloved sister,
Luna." Celestia read, smiling.
"Well then Sister, I believe a reply in person is in order." She added, before stepping back onto her balcony.
Meanwhile...again...
Princess Luna and the colt were sitting on the bed, patiently awaiting Celestia's reply. Then both heard four clops in rapid-succession...from the balcony. Luna looked up and out the door, to see none other than Princess Celestia.
"Good morning Sister." Luna greeted. "Good morning to you as well Luna. And to you too." Celestia replied, nodding towards the colt. "G-good morning...Y-Your Highnessness..." he stammered back shyly. "You may call me Princess Celestia if you like." she calmly reminded him. "You received my letter Sister?" Luna asked. "Yes, I did. And I believe that is a great idea. He could learn so much from the six of them, especially with their knowledge combined. Also, Luna, I wish to speak to you, privately." Celestia told her, before nodding towards the doors that lead out of the tower. "Of course Sister." Luna agreed, before turning to the colt. "We will return shortly."
Both Alicorns exited the tower, the doors glowing and shutting behind them. "Guards, you are dismissed for now. You may return in a few minutes." Luna ordered, before turning back to Celestia. "Luna...I know we had this discussion a couple hundred years before your...before Nightmare Moon's banishment...so I'll refresh your memory. Please do not become too attached to this filly. I know he might make you happy for now...but once he...moves on...I just don't want you to end up being sad for a hundred years afterward. I don't want you to be sad Luna..." Celestia told her, unable to look at her sister. "Sister...it is not your place to decide who I may or may not become 'attached to'." Luna argued, forcing eye contact. "I know...I'm just trying to look out for you..." Celestia feebly countered. "I can take care of myself Celestia!" Luna almost yelled. "I know..." the elder sister replied, looking away again.
The two Princesses re-entered the tower room, both a little surprised to see the colt almost completely buried in a massive pile of books, which seemed to have formed a nigh-impenetrable cube around the colt, the main function seeming to serve as a temporary jail cell.
"H-Hi..." he sheepishly mumbled. "What happened here?" Celestia asked, while Luna barely managed to suppress a giggle. "I believe I can explain." She answered, as a few books glowed blue and replaced themselves on their shelves. "Please do dear Sister." Celestia continued, smiling at the colt. "I have a certain spell on my bookcase. If anypony other than myself attempts to read any of my books, the entire collection will become that pony's prison until I can deal with them personally." Luna explained with a sly grin, as the last of the books were replaced, revealing a very nervous colt. "I'm really s-sorry..." he quickly mumbled, staring at the floor.
"Alright Luna, he is your responsibility. 'Deal' with him." Celestia teased, smiling as she layed on Luna's bed. Both Sister's heard the colt whimper quietly, clearly terrified of whatever punishment he might receive. "Alright my little filly...I will be lenient...this once. Your punishment is...banishment..." Luna told him, her face devoid of emotion. "Huh? To where?!" Celestia asked surprised, as the colt seemed to be unable to register what she had said. "You are hereby banished from this room...for the rest of the day." Luna finished, a sly smile spread across her face. "Oh..." Celestia sighed, relieved. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Luna asked the colt, still smiling. "Y-yes ma'am..." he quickly stammered before galloping as fast as he could out of the room. Both Sister's could tell he was both relieved and saddened at the same time.
The moment the colt was in the hallway, the tower doors closed behind him. "Banished eh?" one of the guards asked, smiling. "Y-yeah?" the colt sadly replied. "Ah don't worry kid. At least it's only from the room and only for the duration of the day. Could be much worse." the other guard chimed in. "Could've been Twooo days." the first guard teased. "H-hey!" the colt whined, trying not to smile. "Cheer up kid. They'll be out any moment to continue on with their days. No doubt you'll be able to tag along with one." Guard #2 added. "R-really?" the colt asked, hopeful. "Yes. He is right my little filly." Luna answered, poking her head out of the doors.
"First order of business. We will travel to Ponyville. There, you will be introduced to the unicorn Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. A letter has already been sent, informing her of our visit. Afterward, I'm sure she would love to start teaching you everything a modern pony needs to know." Luna informed the colt, as they traversed the halls of the palace. "Everything?" the colt asked, a little worried. "Everything she deems necessary. Maybe we will be able to decide upon a name for you. My sister suggested a few things, but I do not think you would agree with any of them. Moonlight is not a good name for a colt." Luna continued. The colt shook his head in agreement. "As for myself, I was never the best at the naming of anything. Much less ponies. Which is why consulting with 'modern' ponies might be a good idea." Luna finished, as the duo arrived at a outside balcony, which served as the runway for the royal chariot. Two guards were already hitched to said chariot, completely emotionless as (almost) always.
Luna and the colt stepped onto the chariot, the latter a bit more reluctantly than the former. Within moments they were in the air, on the way to Ponyville. The colt peered over the edge, amazed by the ever-changing view. "Careful. Do not fall." Luna warned, as her magic enveloped the colt and sat him next to her. "Yes ma'am..." he sighed, trying to get comfortable once again.
The trip lasted a few hours, each seeming to take every second to pass. As the chariot landed just outside a well furnished looking tree, complete with windows, a door and a balcony.
"This is the public Library. Twilight lives here, and runs the establishment. She and her friends should have already arrived. Although, they should be unaware to your existence." Luna informed the colt, before calmly knocking on the door.
Hearing the approaching hoofsteps, the colt instinctively moved as close to Luna as he could be without actually touching her.
The door swung wide open, revealing a purple unicorn, with a darker purple mane and tail, with a pink streak through them. "Good afternoon Princess Luna, please come inside." she greeted, steeping aside to allow room for her to enter. "Good afternoon to you as well Twilight Sparkle. And to you all as well." Luna returned the greeting to the five other bowing ponies in the main room, one holding a hat to her chest at the same time.
"It's mighty fine ta see ya again yer Highness." An orange earth pony greeted, also the one with the hat. "Hiya Princess!" a rainbow-maned cyan Pegasus confidently added. "Good afternoon, Princess." a fancy-looking white unicorn continued, brushing some of her luxurious purple mane out of her face. "Hello Princess!!!" a bouncing pink earth pony excitedly exclaimed. "Um...h-hi...Princess..." a timid yellow pegasus nearly whispered, almost hiding behind her long pink mane. "Greetings to you all." Luna returned, smiling.
"Not to be rude or sonethin', but who's yer shadow Princess?" the orange hat-wearing mare asked. "Shadow? Oh!" Luna asked, before realizing the source of the confusion. The Princess stepped to her left, leaving the colt in full view. "H-hi..." he nervously greeted. "This colt is the reason I have come Twilight Sparkle. He has amnesia and does not remember much before he was delivered to the palace, injured. Hence the brace. My Sister and I have decided that he needs to be 'caught up' on modern necessity's. Which is why I would like to personally ask you, Twilight Sparkle, to tutor him. While I fully intend to care for him, I simply do not have the time to teach him everything. Plus, interaction with non-royalty will do him some good. So Twilight, do you accept this responsibility?" Luna asked. "Of course Princess. I just have a few questions." The purple unicorn replied. "Yes?" Luna asked. "You said this colt had amnesia earlier. Which means he has forgotten who he once was?" Twilight asked, double-checking. "Yes Twilight." Luna answered, humoring her.
"So, what is your name?" The pink pony asked the colt. Luna immediately winced. "I...don't know..." the colt answered. "Oh...right. Sorry." she mumbled sheepishly. "I was hoping you and your friends could help us think of a suitable name." Luna added. "Earlier, Ah asked who yer shadow was. Maybe tha could help? Shadow?" The orange mare suggested. "Shadow...Shadow sword...Shadow shield...Shadow moon...Shadow feathers...Shadow cloud..." Twilight shot off. "OhOhOhOhOh!!!! Black Snooty!!! Black Snooty!!!!" the pink mare yelled, bouncing wildly. "No Pinkie." Twilight dismissed. "How bout Shadow Wing? He is a Pegasus after all." the cyan Pegasus suggested, hovering. "My little Shadow Wing. I like it. What about you?" Luna tested and asked the colt. "Uhm huhm!" he hummed, nodding happily. "Well he was 'ShadoWing' you." the white unicorn added, laughing slightly at her pun. "Which is perfectly normal for young, scared or nervous fillies. Stay close to pony you trust the most." Twilight unnecessarily explained. "In his case, Princess Luna."
"Ain't tha' righ' Shadow?" the orange mare asked teasingly. The colt didn't answer. "Shadow?" She asked again. "Huh?!" the colt quickly asked back. "It'll take some time for him to get used to the name." Twilight informed everypony present, smiling. 'Shadow Wing' nodded awkwardly.
"I am sorry to say this, but I must return to Canterlot. I am usually not awake at this hour, and for good reason. So, my little ponies, Shadow, I must bid thee farewell. I will return in a few days, or upon receiving a letter from you, Twilight. Goodbye..." Luna announced, turning for the door. Shadow tried to follow but was met with a blue glow enveloping his body. "No Shadow, you're staying here. Twilight agreed to tutor you, remember?" Luna asked with a playful smile as he was levitated next to Twilight herself. "Y-yeah...but..." Shadow mumbled. "Maybe she'll teach you to be more confident too." Luna said with a laugh as she stepped outside. The door glowed and closed behind, and the sounds of a chariot taking off could be heard.