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Chapter 2

"So, welcome to Ponyville." Twilight broke the silence, smiling. "OhOhOhOhOhOh!!! You know what that means!!!" Pinkie declared, ecstatic. "A 'welcome to Ponyville' Party?" The orange mare knowingly asked, rolling her eyes. "EXACTLY!!!!" Pinkie yelled, before galloping out of the room.

"That's Pinkie Pie fer ya." the orange mare smiled. "Oh! We nearly forgot introductions!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Ah'm Applejack." the orange mare was the first to speak.
"I'm Rainbow Dash! The fastest flier in Equestria!" the cyan Pegasus not-so-modestly declared.
"I am Rarity." the white unicorn eloquently stated.
"I'm...Fluttershy..." the yellow Pegasus shyly mumbled, barely audible.

"Hi..." Shadow mumbled back, forcing a smile. "There's one more you have to meet Shadow. Spiiiike! You can come down now." Twilight yelled. "Coming!" came a rather young reply.

Moments later, a green and purple scaled reptile scurried down the stairs, stopping right in front of Twilight. Nopony noticed Shadow go stock still. "You called?" the reptile asked proudly. "Yes Spike. I would like you to meet Shadow Wing. I'm going to be tutoring him for awhile." Twilight answered, gesturing to the colt. "Cool! Hiya, I'm Spike." The reptile greeted, holding out his clawed hand.

The second Spike had entered his eyesight, Shadow froze. All of his muscles painfully tensed up, making movement impossible. His head felt like it was splitting open, and terrifying images flashed through his mind.
Fire, razor sharp teeth and claws, glistening scales, smoke, giant red eyes with slitted pupils...And all these images transferred onto Spike.

"Uh...Twilight? Is he okay?" Spike asked, withdrawing his hand. "Yes Spike, I think he's just amazed to see a dragon." Twilight replied, intentionally. "Really?!" Spike asked, flashing a fanged grin.

...razor sharp teeth and claws...

Shadow never ran faster in his life. At least that he remembered. He quickly dived behind a couch, not even daring to check to see if he was safe. He covered his head with his hooves, basically making himself into a little trembling ball.

"Shadow?! What's wrong?!"

"Ain't it obvious? He's terrified of Spike."

"What? How can anypony be scared of him?!"

"Hey! I can be pretty scary!"

"Not. Helping."

"I think we should..."

The arguing faded from Shadow's mind as he felt two legs wrap around him and pull him into a very gentle hug. "There there...everything's going to be just fine." A soft voice, barely above a whisper told him, as one of the two legs began to stroke his mane.

"What is she doing?"

"Again, isn't it obvious? Shadow's terrified. Hurt. Can't fly. He's tiny, adorable, and defenseless. That's more than enough criteria for Fluttershy." Twilight's voice of reason answered.

This was the first time he had really been close to anypony after waking up eighteen hours ago. Such a long time ago...and he hadn't slept since. It was all too easy for him to slip into unconsciousness...

"...adow...Shadow.......wake up....time for breakfast...."

"Huh?" the dazed colt mumbled, slowly opening his eyes to see...wood. He sat up, scanning his surroundings, realizing he was still in the library, except he was in a bed, and seemingly upstairs. There was another bed across from his, with a purple blanket. He looked down at the bed he was occupying, observing the white blanket and sheets.

Shadow slowly climbed out of bed, before making his way down the stairs. He was quickly greeted by the smell of pancakes. As if sensing the proximately of food, his stomach growled like it hadn't been filled in days. Which is almost correct. Shadow hadn't eaten since he woke up...the night before last.

"Do you like syrup? Butter?" asked the voice from earlier. "B-both..." he answered, following his nose into the kitchen. Here, he noticed Twilight at a stove, a pan glowing purple, occasionally flipping the pancake inside. "Good morning Shadow. Sleep well?" she asked. "Y-yes...how long did I sleep?" he asked. "Oh about nineteen hours." Twilight easily answered, smiling at him. "Th-that long?!" he stammered. "Yes, and it shows." Twilight giggled, as a mirror levitated in front of him.

His mane was sticking straight...sideways. "I haven't seen worse bedhead since...well, me." Twilight told him cheerfully. Shadow was doing his best not to laugh at the mental image of Twilight with horizontal hair. "Alright Chuckles, your pancakes are ready." Twilight announced, as a plate full levitated to the table. "Thank you Twilight..." Shadow practically drooled, as he was enveloped in magic and levitated to the chair in front of the plate. Just as he was sat down, a dash of syrup and butter were expertly placed upon the pile of pancakes. "You're welcome Shadow, it's the least I can do after what happened yesterday. Speaking of which, Spike will be staying at Rarity's for the duration of your stay. Oh, and don't worry. It's no trouble." Twilight told him, as a second plate of pancakes floated to land across the table from him, before the unicorn responsible for it all sat down as well. "Go ahead and eat Shadow..." she teased, as a floating glowing fork went to work on her pancakes.

Shadow grabbed his fork, immediately digging into his stack. After one pancake had been devoured, he allowed himself enough time to ask a question.

"Princess Luna said you were going to be tutoring me?" he quietly asked. "Yes I am." Twilight answered, once her mouth wasn't full. "On what exactly?" Shadow asked. "Broadly speaking...everything. Although, history may make up the majority of our lessons. Oh! And I know just the book to start with!" Twilight exclaimed, clapping her front hooves together, excited that she was actually going to officially be the teacher instead of the Faithful Student for once. "Uh...okay..." Shadow mumbled, before starting on his second pancake.

Once breakfast was over, and the dishes clean, both ponies entered the main room of the library. "Now where did I put that book..." Twilight asked herself, as a few volumes glowed and removed themselves from the shelves that housed them, to slowly circle around her.

"Ah. Here it is. 'The Legend of Nightmare Moon'." Twilight announced, piling the rest of the books in a corner to be resorted later. "That sounds...scary...and if it's a legend, then how is it history?" Shadow asked. "Sometimes they are the same." Twilight vaguely answered, trotting over to the couch. Shadow followed, sitting next to her.

The book opened, as Twilight began to read.

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon...and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

"Any questions?" Twilight asked. "Yes. Is there really somepony stuck on the moon?" Shadow asked. "No Shadow, not anymore. But there was. She was released not that long ago." She answered. "But...she was banished 'generations' ago..." Shadow added. "Yes. The two sisters are immortal. Still alive to this day." Twilight agreed. "Then why do Princess Celestia and Princess Luna raise the moon and sun, instead of the sisters? Did they just get tired of it or something?" He asked. "Shadow...Celestia and Luna ARE the immortal sisters." Twilight said with a chuckle. "Oooooooh....wait, then that means...Luna had been banished to the moon? But she's not Nightmare Moon...I'm confused..." Shadow tried to work out, rubbing his now aching head. "Luna was banished, yes, and she Was Nightmare Moon, but not anymore. Now she's Princess Luna. You shouldn't let this change your opinion of her. Nor believe anything anypony may say about her. Most are still a little apprehensive about her return...to put it lightly." Twilight answered/warned. "But...Luna's not evil. She's really nice!" Shadow argued, getting defensive. "I know. You don't have to prove it to me. I've known her longer than you." Twilight gently told him. "Oh...r-right...sorry." he mumbled. "It's okay...lil'Wing." Twilight told him, laughing a bit at her new nickname for the colt. "So...what now?" he asked, smiling. "Starswirl the Bearded!" She declared.

Hours later...
Shadow was mentally exhausted, unable to even think about anything, without some no doubt obscure tidbit of pony history coming up as well. His head ached, as did his tired eyes.

"Ready for bed lil'Wing?" Twilight asked, after dinner had been finished. "Yeah...I mean yes ma'am miss Sparkle..." he answered, historic manners suddenly surfacing.
"Ow..." he winced, as if a string in his head suddenly twanged. "Maybe we over did it a bit..." Twilight sheepishly suggested. "A bit?" he asked, rubbing his head. "Yeeeaaah...time for bed." Twilight announced, as she enveloped the colt in magic and carried him up the stairs, before placing him in his bed. "You know I can walk on my own, right?" he asked, laughing a little. "Yes. I know." Twilight smiled, as she crawled inti her own bed. "Goodnight Twilight." Shadow called. "Goodnight Shadow. Sleep well." She replied.

Shadow dropped off into unconsciousness the moment his head hit the pillow...

"Wake up my little Shadow..." came a familiar voice. But not Twilight's...
The colt instantly sat up, looking around as he realized he was back in Luna's room in Canterlot. "P-Princess?" he asked, not seeing her anywhere. "Over here Shadow..." the princess answered from behind him, but she sounded different. "Princess? Is something wrong?" he asked, turning around to see her shadowy form...well...in the shadows. "Nothing is wrong...nothing at all..." She answered, a creepy laugh following. "P-Princess...you're kinda scaring me..." he stammered. "Oh I'm scaring you? Tell me Shadow, just how am I scaring you?" the princess asked, stepping out of the shadow and into the moonlight.

It wasn't the Princess that Shadow knew. This 'Princess' was taller, darker, her mane much more misty. And then there was the armor.
"Y-you're n-not P-P-Princess Luna!" Shadow squeaked out, terrified. "Oh but I am. And she is I. We are one and the same. And yet, most ponies still refer to 'me' as...didn't the little foal Twilight teach you that earlier?" she taunted. "Y-you're not Luna...Y-you're...you're...N-Nightmare Moon..." Shadow just barely managed to answer. "That I am dear Shadow, but there is one thing you still don't seem to be able to fit inside the foolish head of yours. Luna and I are the same Pony. Like two sides of a coin. Luna just has the fortune of being seen. But she can't hide me forever...I will prevail eventually...right now, you two are sharing in this dream. Though she watches through my eyes, I control what she hears. Tomorrow morning, she will no doubt return to Ponyville to retrieve you, fearing my return. As she should. You will not remember any of this dream...but tomorrow night, back in Canterlot, with your Princess Luna, you'll learn the true meaning of 'Nightmare'!" Nightmare Moon manically monologued, before her misty mane shot out at him. It obscured his vision, as everything began to fade, leaving him in a dreamless sleep.

Shadow felt something or somepony nudge his side, seeming to be avoiding his mending wing. "Huh...Wha?" he slurred, slowly opening his eyes.
He was met with two black eyes staring back at him. "Hello?" Shadow mumbled, confused. Then the creature barked. Shadow yelped in surprise, shooting into the air, with only his good wing stick straight out, causing him to corkscrew on his slowed descent.

"Winona! Ah said ta let him be!" A familiar accented voice yelled from downstairs. The dog's ears pinned back, before heading downstairs. Shadow decided that this was a good a time as any, and followed.

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