> Those who see a different kind of Light
>  by Lazydrill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Cold Night.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                                  Cold Night


Monstrous lightning flashed over the cold, and in the night shrouded city of Canterlot. Raindrops pouring out of the sky with no chance of stopping soon.  The streets, that were always filled with ponies of all three kinds, were now found abandoned. Except for one worn out pegasus colt. His two blue shaded mane slumping over his eyes. His grey coat soaking wet by the heavy rainfall. 

The small saddlebag on his back, although it was almost empty, it felt like all the worries he carried were hanging onto it. Even so, he carried on, slowly making his way through the empty streets, the streets that used to give him feelings of joy, of happiness. But those feelings seemed so far away now, so far, it felt almost like he never had felt them to begin with.


  "Why am I still here? Why can't I finish this?"



The grey pegasus colt's hooves tapped the wet cobblestones of the street with an air of depression, slowly, with his head hanging down and his eyes closed, he passed by small shops and cafés. There was a time that he would feel happy to be around these kinds of places where everypony could have a good time together. There was.

Those feelings are a thing of the past for him, seeing these buildings now only makes him feel more regretful. Regretful for what he had lost, for what he never would be able to witness and feel again. Regretful... for he now carried these old feelings ones more, the feelings he tried so hard to lose and forget, in the hopes that he could move on, or so he hoped he could.


"Why am I still here? Why can't I move on from this?"


Thoughts were always lingering in the back of his mind, always there, not able to vanquish them or lose them. Being stuck in this circle wasn't new for him, he has been through these thoughts for the past four years. Thoughts and questions that lingered on without a clear answer to them. For there were no answers to these questions for him.

The pegasus colt stopped walking and sighed in slight acceptance. He turned left, making his way off of the main street and into a small dark alleyway, in the hopes to get out of this storm before he would get sick from the cold. Entering the seemingly empty alley, the colt slowly raised his head and looked about where he stood.


"Its good to be home... For now..."


The young pegasus made his way to a small flattened carton that was splayed out over the ground against a green, old and rusty dumpster that stood against the brick wall of the home of somepony. Everypony would normally stay away by only the pure smell that came off of the big trashcan, but not him. Why would he? There was nothing for him besides this filth, and even then, how long could he stay here before he would be chased off again by the ponies who lived here? He didn't know himself, but he knew this home wouldn't last for long.

He reached the flat carton with a sigh and fell with his side onto it. The rain stopped dropping on him by the out sticking rooftops of the buildings he resided in the alley of, giving him only the tiniest amount of relief. His stomach began to growl loudly at the lack of food he has had today, and any day before that. He clutched his left hoof around his stomach and gritted his teeth in slight pain.


"...It hurts... but I cannot eat right now... I mustn't eat... "


His stomach began to hurt more the longer he didn't eat, after a while of trying to resist it and hoping that it would go away... he gave in to his needs. Sighing, he rolled onto his belly and brought his muzzle to his right saddlebag. Opening its flap with a nudge of his muzzle, he looked in it to see what he had left. His ears drooped down at the sight that greeted him.

He closed in to one of the two fruits that he had left and grabbed the small stick that was attached to the fruit with his teeth. Pulling the fruit out of his saddlebag, he brought it in front of him and putted it down in onto the old carton. He turned his muzzle back to his bag to inspect his last reserve of food, only to look at dismay as the fruit looked rotten and unfit to be eaten. Picking up the last apple, he swung it towards the dumpster where it fell into.


"It is not like I needed the food anyway..."


Glancing back to his last bit of food with dismay, he hesitantly took a bite out of it. Chewing on the small bites of the apple made his stomach feel at ease, but not his mind. His mind went on with repeating questions; How would he go on now? Would he survive tomorrow? Will he still be in the streets next week, or in the dungeons of the castle?

He didn't know the answers, and he would probably never know them, not as long he would stay where he was now. But he couldn't leave for the same reason as why he was still there; he didn't know anything else. His life for the passed four years has been nothing but the same routine; Wake up among nopony, try to find food, try to keep the food, flee with the food, stay hidden, survive and repeat. He never wanted this to happen, he just rolled into it. The rest of the pieces that would fix his life into this routine fell into place quickly after. He only wanted to help.


"Now I'll need to look for food again... I'm so sorry..."


Tired out by the daily events and the heavy storm that hit Canterlot this evening, he slowly closed his eyes with an apple core standing at the edge of his carton bed. His breathing came in slower and more steady, his body relaxing, his muscles unwinding. Leaving Equestria for the time being, his mind brought him to a place of tranquility and silence.





We all have dreams. Dreams that helps us escape reality, brining us to a world where everything can be good and will be good. While most see dreaming as a good thing, some among us see it very differently. They fear it, don't want it, don't need it. Or so they say. Nothing is more true than the other, since they all come down to the same thing; Escaping reality.





Opening his eyes, he found himself in the all too familiar location. Looking up, he found the dark, night sky. Stars were accompanying the crescent moon as it lit the sky with its comforting light. The light touched down onto the coat of the pegasus, as if trying to tell him something. The colt just sighed and casted his eyes down from the moon and its light. Why would he look at it? He had seen it almost every time he went to sleep. His dreams were as much routine as his life is on Equestria. 

Instead of looking at the moon, he found himself looking once more at the soundless twinkling stream of water that was passing him by. He was laying on his belly with his legs tucked underneath him, his ears halfway to the side. Again he was here, unable to get out of it, unable to avoid what was coming.


"I know what... or rather... who is awaiting me... I'll not let them get to me, I've not shed a tear for them for a while now, tonight will not be different."



"Tonight will be different for thou, mine child."


The colt's ears perked up to the strange, but soothing voice. Breaking his gaze away from the stream, he hesitantly raised his head to look where the voice came from. Across the small river stream, stood a big darkened shadow. Even while the moonlight was lighting everything around, the mysterious figure was overshadowed, making the colt unable to see any color that the shadow would have otherwise.

Our pegasus didn't say anything in return, his eyes looked the figure up and down repeatedly, trying to find anything that might tell him who this shadow could possibly be. After glancing the mysterious pony over, he could only make out that it was a pony, a quite big pony if he estimated correctly, and possibly female, if her voice was any indication of that.


"Who... who are you? Why and how are you here? What do you want?"



"Mine child, my identity is no concern for thee. Rest assured, we art here to help thou."


Her voice was more soothing than the sweetest lullaby, making him feel... different, different from other times. He felt an air of comfort wash over him as she said those simple words. His mind went silent, for the first time in years, his mind had no thought, only rest, something he longed for for so long. His banished thoughts made way for questions, no questions about the next day, but about the pony figure in front of him.

His eyes were fixated on the form of the pony, while his head calmly set questions out for him, questions that he didn't need answers to, but questions he wanted to know for the sake of just knowing them. He had never thought that his mind would be at peace again.
There was something about this pony that melted all of his worries and thoughts away, something he never thought that would be able to happen.


"We feel that thine mind is at ease, and even so, thou still hast questions for us, questions we will answer to our wishing."



"I...I... I do have questions... How do you know? Can you read my mind?"




"To answer thine first question, nay. We cannot read thy mind, but we can feel thine tension and curiosity towards us, which made us guess that thou weres't afraid of us, but curious as well, aren't thee?"



"I... I am..."



"Good, thou shalt be a fool not to fear the unknown. And yet, thou hasdn't run away, nor hasdn't thy made any stance of aggressiveness towards us. Tell me, mine child, why hasdn't thou?"



The pegasus colt sat in silence as he weighed her question. Why hadn't he run? Why didn't he prepare to fight her? This was a dream, so why wouldn't he flee or fight? He got two questioned answered, only to be greeted by more questions than he got answered. What was it with this mare that didn't let him do all of these things; not fighting, not fleeing? He was simply frozen on his spot, gazing at a shadow like pony with a soothing, motherly voice.

Was it the dream that made him stay like this, unable to move or respond accordingly to this sudden turn of event? But it was his dream... so why couldn't he? He controlled the dream, right? Or did he...?


"D-Do... do you control this dream?"



"Thou art quite intelligent. We dost control this dream, but at the same time, we don't. We can travel in its boundaries, change small things, but total control is beyond us."



This pony, or, being that looked like a pony could shape dreams. So she could've done this to him, how he reacted, how he felt, everything. Maybe even the questions he asked were this creature's doing. The answer that this 'pony' gave him, it made him distrust 'her' to the point where he became very hesitant to let his mind even think.

She could be controlling his thoughts right now, making him think this, so 'she' could manipulate his mind, but how would he think about this then? Wouldn't that mean that he was thinking now what 'she' wanted him to think? His brain went into overdrive with conspiracy and doubt now that 'she' had answered him, which he regretted to some point.


"Thou dost no need to fear us, mine child. Thine thoughts art thy own, so thou can rest thy mind. We art not here to torment thee, we art here to help thou."



"Help me? How? And why?"



"We have seen thine dreams, more than once, mine child. We art concerned for thy well being. We know of thine past, and what hast happened in the recent years with thee. We art now here, to offer thou a chance, a chance to redeem thine honor and fight for the good."



"You've seen my dreams? And you know about my past as well? How? And why?"




"Mine child, it ist our duty to look out for our little ones and takest care of them. As we said, we have seen thine past, know of thy dreams, we know what thou hast lost and how. We... we remember a time wherest things were better, a time wherest our children didst have to live thine life's like this. We wish to bringest these times back, but for that to happen, we need thy help as well."



"My help? Aren't there more suitable ponies to help your cause? I'm nothing but a pest that lives on the street of a city that lost to care for each other long ago."



"Fog, mine child, thou art more suited for this than thy would believe. Thou hast seen the wrong in thy fellow ponies, thou hast felt the pain wrong ponies can do to thee and thine loved ones. Thou hast felt and seen what the night brings out onto the streets of our nation. Tell me, mine child, wouldst thou want this to stay like it is? Or help us to change this?"


Her question took the pegasus by storm. She wasn't wrong about him... he had seen things that ponies did, which he never thought could happen in Equestria, and yet, it happened to him and those he cared about. Now he had to answer 'her' question; would he let Equestria be like it was? Or help her make it better?

For most the answer was obvious, but not for him. Why would he help? Why would Equestria, the land that he ones loved and now had turned its back to him, deserve his help? What has Equestria done for him but take his loved ones away and leave him shivering in the gutters of the once so proud capital? Why would he help? If he was left to rot, why wouldn't the same fate fit to the rest of Equestria?


"Fog, thou needs to think carefully before giving me thine answer. For when thou hast chosen, it cannot be undone. Think about thy choice, what would thine parents and sister wants thou to do?"


She was right... He needed to think again about this. He needed to think without his negative thoughts cluttering his mind. He knew what his parents and sister would want him to do, one of those things, was not staying in the same routine as he had done in the passed few years. They would want him to fight for the good in ponies, to change Equestria for the better. 

They wanted to be proud of him about what he would have accomplished if not for their early demise. Now he had a chance to make them all proud of him, and more. He would change Equestria in the name of them, and fight for the good. The same good they showed him since he was born, where he grew up with before this all happened.


"I... I accept your offer."



"We never doubted thine answer. Please, step closer, mine child, and we will give thee thine needs to find us."


The pegasus stood up, his muzzle now looking determent and strong. He took steps with a sense of purpose, an air of responsibility swirling around him as he closed in on the shadow covered mare. As he walked closer, he could almost feel the mares' eyes staring at him, a feeling of expectance washed over him as he felt her stare.

He reached the small water stream. He needed to cross it, normally he would fly, but something told him that that was not what she wanted to see him do, something told him to keep staring back at her, and simply walk to her without any doubt over what she said. So he did what his mind felt was best, and kept walking without hesitation. He reached the stream and set his first hoof on it, and nothing happened. He did step for step without stopping or thinking about what was happening. He could feel her gazing at him with a sense of approval.

He reached the other side of the stream without any droplets of water on his hooves or his coat. He continued to go towards her, but as he did, her form did not change, and her body remained hidden in the shadows. The closer he got to the mysterious mare, the bigger she seemed to get. From where he was now, she was at least one head higher than him.


"Mine child, halt in thine steps."


Her voice was commanding, firm, strong and unforgiving. But at the same time, her voice was concerned, soothing, gentle and comforting. The pegasus stopped as she told him to do, standing not far away from the mare. There was a pony length distance between them, and yet, he still couldn't see any colors except for the shadows that covered her form.

Right now, the colt had accepted whatever she had planned for him. No matter what would await him, he would see it through till the end, he owed his loved ones that much, and more, much more. He owed much for what he had done in the years since their demise, going through with this till the end, was the least he could do. It is the least he could try for spending his life like he had done until this point.


"Prepare thy self, mine child. What we art about to do to thee wilt require thine full determination, once done, thy will be bound by thine oath."




"I'm ready. I will succeed."



"Very well. Be strong, mine child."


The colt began to notice a faint blue aura surrounding the shadow. The aura could be felt from where he stood, while he was no unicorn, and had no big understanding of magic, there was no doubt in his mind that the mare was gathering very strong magic, so strong, that his feathers from his wings were tingling slightly by the energy that pulsed off of the aura.

The mare stepped closer to the pegasus, he didn't change stance or hesitated as she got closer, he knew that this needed to be done if he wanted to make Equestria better and his loved ones proud of him. The shadow was now only a hoofstep away from the colt, he could feel the aura slightly touching him, but unlike before, the aura felt comforting and welcoming, it was greeting him. The mare stepped back slowly, but the aura remained floating where her form stood not long ago.


"Step into the aura, mine child. Then, thine trial shalt commence."


The pegasus gave a firm nod. He focused his gaze onto the aura hanging in front of him, and stepped towards it. His hoof fazed through it like he was stepping into water. The aura didn't hurt him in any way, it was comforting. It wanted him to enter. The pegasus colt's head went through the outer layer and entered the magical shroud, he was instantly greeted with a calming sensation that passed through his mind; all worries faded away like snow in front of the sun.

Although it felt soothing, he didn't let his guard down so easily, seeming that this was the trial that would determine the outcome for the rest of his life. His tail ventured after his body into the magical aura, the shroud of energy now surrounding him completely. He felt warm and comfortable, but there was no doubt that it was part of his trial. Steeling his mind, and trying to ignore the comforting calls the magical energy was whispering into his ears, he focused on one thing, the very reason he did this; to make Equestria a better place and to make his loved ones proud of him.


"Thou art holding up quite well, mine child. But thine trial is far from over. This ist just the beginning of thine new life, thou shalt be faced by more along this path."



The aura started to fade into thin air, releasing its soothing grip on the young colt and leaving him with small questions which he ignored, for there was no reason to truly answer those. While this stage of his trial seemed passed, he didn't feel different in any way, not that he could notice. His eyes fixated once more onto the shadow form that stood in front of him. 

Her form and stance didn't change, nor did the feel her gaze gave the young colt as he felt her looking at him. An air of silence surrounded them both, nothing was being said, yet, there was a small kind of understanding between them where words were not needed to be said. That was, until a small tingling feeling graced the base of his left wing. Turning his muzzle to the sensation and spreading out his wing to see what the tingling was, he noticed a small silver bracelet had formed around his wing base.


"Mine child, now thou hast the means to find us. We shalt be waiting for thee, together with thine brothers and sisters."



"How do I know if I'm going the right way?"



"Thou art going the right way, thy only need to stay on this path."


Her voice was almost like a lullaby being gently whispered into his ear. The world around him began to slowly fade out of existence, the grass he stood on turned into blackness. The stars and moon that were lighting the dream with their comforting rays began to extinguish like candles. One by one the stars died until the moon remained. The moon slowly darkened as if it was being covered by a veil, gently fading into black with the rest of the world.

Normally our pegasus would fear this sudden change of his dream, but now, with what he just had witnessed, what he pledged to himself and to others, he faced this change with open hooves. Welcoming the change and accepting that it would happen. The shadow form of the mare that was in front of him, was still there, unseeable by the eye, but he could feel her presence still in this dream.

He felt himself becoming weightless, his eyes growing heavy, his hooves on the verge of collapsing. It felt like he hadn't slept in days. He crouched down, not able to resist the calling of sleep. A soft flute began to play in harmonic tones, sounding like a lullaby into his ears, pulling him over the edge, and making him closing his eyes.



"Sleep now, my child. Mine Soldier of the Night."  





  
> Sense of Purpose.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  
Sense of Purpose


The grey clouds which had hidden the night sky and poured down rain with no end had passed. The sky was clear and open once more, thousands of stars filling the dark void, with the full moon hanging high up in the center of it all. The light that the univers emitted
shined down upon the city Canterlot, just as our pegasus awoke from a quite particular and odd dream, but doing so with a new sense of direction, a new way of seeing things, a sense of purpose.

As the pegasus awoke, he found himself in the same ally where he began his slumber, the apple core standing in front of him just as he left it, the flattened carton mattress formed to his body of how he fell asleep. His eyes were open, but his thoughts brought him back to his dream with the shadow covered mare, her tale of better times in Equestria, how she remembered that and how she wanted to bring those times back, with his help. But how would that unfold? How could he help her make Equestria a better place?


"I can think about this as long as I want, but staying here doesn't help anypony. Not even me."


He stood up with firm hoof steps. His eyes open, but not paying attention to what was in front of him, his eyes were looking further than that, they were looking how Equestria could become if he would be able to truly help the mysterious mare. Before he knew it himself, he found that he was on the main road of Canterlot city, the road leading up to the castle, the home of the two most powerful beings in Equestria; Princess Celestia... and Princess Luna.

Princess Celestia has been the ruler of Equestria for many generations, his ancestors also lived their lives under her rule, to the very founding of his family. But Princess Luna became co-ruler together with Princess Celestia about three years ago. Stories were told that Princess Luna was the guardian of the night, the watcher of dreams, the keeper of visions, the angel who protects everypony during dark times. She was the sentinel between the ponies of Equestria, and everything that would try to harm them.

They say that Princess Luna returned about four years ago from her in prisoning on the moon where she spent a thousand years of her life alone. Ponies said that she turned into hatred, went mad, became a servant of evil through living in the shadow of her sister, who also send her to her confinement; Princess Celestia. Old lore teaches us that Princess Luna turned into a monster called; Nightmare Moon. But never was accurately described, nor told, why that happened. It as always the same vague reasons, it was always said to be 'jealousy' that was the main reason, jealousy of her sister because she shined brighter than her.

While there is nothing claiming that anything else would be the reason of her changing, our pegasus always thought it to be quite 'unbelievable' in terms of becoming evil just by emotion, there had to be more to it then simple jealousy for somepony to change like that. Ponies adored Princess Celestia for raising the sun back then, and they still do. They see her as their leader, which she indeed is. But that is all she is; a leader. In the eyes of ponies like our pegasus, Princess Celestia always was to busy running the country to actually see how her ponies were doing. With one of the two princesses gone, running a country becomes a lot harder, especially when the night time arose.

With nopony to watch over the ponies during the night, nopony to take care of them during those darker times, and the only remaining princess overlooking those who need her because she can't spare the time, the night became something to be feared when alone in the streets. Fear that had been growing for centuries in the time of Princess Luna's absent. The night became the time where ponies who wanted to do harm would come out, since the guards of the solar sister would be more tired and less in number than during the day, it was their time to go onto the streets and do whatever harm they could. The same harm he felt only a few days before the return of the Princess of the Night, something that haunted him until this night.


"Is there any truth to all of this? Her banishment, her jealousy of her sister, that she became a monster, a servant of evil, all through raw emotion? Somepony, an Alicorn no less, who was... is so concerned of her ponies, so care taking of us, looking out for us... How can she turn evil by emotion just like that? There has to be more to it than we are let known, I'm sure of that." 


Our pegasus took an deep inhale with his nostrils and letted it out through his mouth, creating a small condense cloud which disappeared as quickly as it was created. He knew where to go, he now knew who that shadow covered mare was; Princess Luna. At first in his dream he couldn't think of her, since it didn't make sense to him at the time of happening. But as he thought about the royal sisters as he glanced at the castle that looked over Canterlot, it clicked. She watched his dreams, she knew of better times when ponies like him didn't have to live their lives like this, it was her duty to look out for her ponies.

But then he remembered something, she gave him a bracelet around his left wing base in his dream. He remembered her telling him that he now had the means to find her, or them, she also said his 'brothers and sisters' would be waiting for him. He has... or rather... 'had' only one true sister. But she was taken from him by force, long before her time was supposed to be. He began to walk towards the castle, thoughts and questions filling his mind as to how and why everything had let up to this point. The point where he became the one able to help the Princess of the Night with rebuilding Equestria, helping her to make it better.

Reaching the walls surrounding the castle of the royal sisters, our pegasus saw two guards standing at attention in front of a large, well crafted and closed gate. He wanted to approach but hesitated in doing so, he didn't know how it would turn out if he did. A lowlife pegasus colt coming in the middle of the night towards the castle while looking unkept, asking if he could see the Princess of the Night, for what? Because she told him too in a dream? He didn't know how to approach this without being turned away where he came from, or being thrown into the dungeons should he try to go inside even when the guards told him not to.


"Hold right there. State your reason for approaching the castle of the royal Princess."


The guards both had their eyes fixated on him, their spears held by their wings aimed at him in defense of what he might do. He halted in his tracks, looking in slight fear as the guards could charge at him any moment. As he stood frozen, his mind wandered back to what one of the guards said; 'the castle of the royal Princess'. He said it like there was only one princess, he probably meant Princess Celestia. But why would he say it like that? It is publicly announced that Princess Luna was the co-ruler of Equestria and also living in the castle, so why call it only for the solar princess?

He casted down his eyes and planted his lifted hoof back onto the ground. How would he approach this? The guards seemed to be like the so called 'Solar Enthusiast', those who claim that Princess Celestia is the one and true ruler of Equestria, and refuse to accept Princess Luna's return. Brining up Princess Luna would probably make him a traitor in their eyes. He fought inwardly with himself; would he mention Princess Luna? and risk of being called a traitor and possibly end up in the dungeons? What was the wise decision? What would he do?


"Citizen, state your reason now, or turn away. Else we will take you into custody for trespassing." 



"I... I'm here for the Princess of the Night; Princess Luna." 



"Citizen, we don't know what you're talking about, there is no 'Princess of the Night'. Please come with us, we will escort you into the castle for questioning." 


For questioning? About what? And why couldn't the questioning be done here in the open? Why was he being brought in for questioning? For mentioning Princess Luna? He looked at the guards as one was walking with his spear towards him while the other guard went to open up the gate. What were they going to do to him? He had heard rumors going on in the poorer parts of the city, that somepony would be pestered by one or two guards, they would question him or her about unnecessary things, and wound them if they didn't answer correctly. Was that going to happen to him as well? They wouldn't truly do that, would they?

He felt a sharp pain in his right hind leg, probably by the guard that moved towards him with his spear, ushering him to move. So he did just that. He started walking to the open gate where the companion of the guard behind him was still standing, his eyes fixated on him and his spear in an aggressive stance. Hoping that this was the right choice to make, he walked onward without stopping, clinging to his pledge to help Princess Luna and Equestria while he passed through the gate. The guard behind him followed him up the long steps towards the castle while his companion stayed behind and closed the gate.

He could feel a warm stream drip down his hind leg where he felt the pain not so long ago, likely bleeding because of the spear tip. Even so, he didn't waste time asking to be bandaged for that, the guard would probably ignore him or laugh it off if he would. Then something changed, not the world, but his feeling. He stopped in his track as he felt one more set of eyes looking at him, it made him freeze and feel slightly uneasy. The guard stopped right behind him, probably not sensing the extra set of eyes that gazed at them.


"Why do you stop? Move it citizen, we don't have all night."


While the guard ushered him to move, he couldn't. Something was telling him to stay there, that 'something' felt as if it was coming from the roof of the castle. Just when he wanted to look up, he felt more eyes staring at them both from up there, making him feel tense, making him brace himself for unknown reason. Slowly looking up towards the castle roof tops, his eyes widened as there stood four shadows watching him.


"What are you looking at?"



"I... D-don't know..."


The solar guard came standing next to him, his muzzle looking at the worn pegasus before joining in gazing to the rooftops. But just as he wanted to do that, the shadows all unfurled their what looked to be weird shaped wings, and took off with light speed into four trails of dark smoke as they leapt into the air and disappeared in the sea of darkness in the sky. Our pegasus never saw anything like that, the closest that came to look similar, were the skill and the trails of the Wonderbolts he saw when he was younger.


"You're quite the odd pony. You claim that there is a 'Princess of the Night', and you stare at rooftops while there is nothing to look at. Maybe we need to bring you to a 'mentally unstable institution'?"


The guard was mocking him, but he paid no attention to that, for there now were standing more than ten shadow figures on the edge of the roof looking down at them. He could feel each of their gaze looking at them, but something told him that it weren't looks of hostility, or at least, not towards him. The guard stabbed the pegasus lightly once more, making him move and break his gaze away from the shadowy figures, just as some took off into a trail of black smoke, just like the four before them.

Nearing a big double door, the guard told him to stop in front of it and don't make a move, so he did that. The guard walked over to the door and raised his hoof to knock, but he didn't. Our pegasus could't see what was happening in front of the guard, but something made him step back and bring his spear in front of him in defense of whatever was making him step back. He could see the guard's fur standing up, his armor slightly clinking as he shivered. 


"What is happening to him? It looks like he has seen a ghost or something..."


The pegasus began to understand why the guard was stepping back, black smoke was seeping underneath the door, making the hooves of the guards and his own feel like it was freezing. But that was the least of his worries, black smoke was seeping through the door, not only through the edges of the frame, but through the wood itself. Black smoke was coming through the wooden surface. And out of the black smoke, a pair of narrowed slit golden orbs were starring back at the guard. The guard stepped back even more as through the door and out of the smoke, a shadow covered pony came stepping out of it slowly.

The pegasus couldn't think about what he was seeing as the shadow figure continued to step out of the smoke and revealed himself. The shadow figure looked just like a pony as it stepped out of the smoke, slight dark tentacle like trails seeping off of his armor that he wore. The smoke where he passed through in the door faded as his tail slipped out of it. The pony that now stood in front of the solar guard would be fearing for anypony to see him, but somehow, in some way, our pegasus didn't have that. It was the opposite, he felt relieved seeing this pony close to him. He did't know why, but he felt like this figure would take an arrow for him any day.


"You're out of line, Sphere. Go back to your post and leave this pegasus colt to me."


The pony that just arrived... his voice was deep, strong and merciful, it demanded respect of the one spoken too. Our pegasus noticed that this pony was not like any other, he wore dark, what seemed to be, obsidian armor. His fur was a dark grey, his eyes were slit like that of a cat, his ears seemed to be more sensitive in someway. But the most standing out of all, was that this pony had two sharp fangs, and what seemed to be bat wings. He took everything in about the dark shaded pony as he stood taller than the solar guard, taller then himself, not by much, but it was enough to notice the height difference between the two.


"Y-you're the one out of line, Onyx! This colt trespassed the castle grounds! He's in our custody!"



"He was. He's now under my care. Leave... now, before you bring more shame to you and your kind.


The solar guard trembled under the stern gaze he was given by the dark armor wearing guard. He backed off with trembling hooves before turning tail and trotting back down the path towards the gate. The young pegasus had never seen something happen like this. It had always been him or other ponies who would tremble and flee under the solar guard's strong gaze. The young colt's eyes followed the fleeing guard until he went passed the gate and disappeared out of sight. 


"Are you okay, kid? You're Fog, right?"


The pegasus turned around at the sudden voice. His eyes widening as the dark armored pony now stood in front of him, and he was half a muzzle bigger than him. While he feared him for his sudden appearance, it didn't last long. His fear melted away quickly once he noted the concerned look the guard was giving him. He felt relieved, happy even. Something he hadn't felt in a very long time.


"Uhm, yeah, I'm Fog. How do you know? and... thank you for helping me."



"Hey, Fog. As you heard from the other stallion, my name is Onyx. Princess Luna told us a new family member would be adopted, and by the looks of it, that would be you. We look out for each other here, so don't mention it." 


The guard gave Fog a nod and a warm smile, it made him feel welcomed... wanted. Was he now... adopted? Did he hear that right? Princess Luna did mention him as her child, and that his brothers and sisters would be waiting for him. Was he part of a family now? A family that wanted him to be among them? A family that takes him in just like that off of the streets? His thoughts were once again drowned in questions and speculations, until a gentle touch reached his right shoulder. Focusing on the sudden feeling, and tracing the hoof back to its owner, he found Onyx's friendly and warm gaze.


"Come with me, Fog. I'll show you the rest of the family. But first, we need to see Princess Luna. She would want to have a word with you, and so do we."


Not a moment later, Fog's ears flicked as he heard multiple sounds of landing hooves around him, together with the sound of folding wings and the clinking of armor. He looked around him, seeing multiple ponies like Onyx standing in a circle around him, not only stallions, a few mares as well. They all glanced at him with warm gazes, all of them giving him a welcoming feeling. A feeling of being wanted. 


"Welcome home, brother."


    
    
  
> A new circle.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    
A new circle.



It felt different than Fog expected, walking through the castle of the Princesses. He expected it to be a feeling of joy and amazement. While amazement was one of the feelings he felt, it wasn't in the way of being a good feeling. It was amazement towards the solar guards which were posted on either side of the hall every few meters, how cold their looks were as he passed by them. Not all of them had that, however. Some solar guards felt not like most of them, they felt more welcoming, but most of them felt like the 'Solar Enthusiasts' that were posted by the gate outside.

He couldn't shake those feelings off, it was a feeling he feared. He was uncertain what that one solar guard wanted to do to him should he be in the 'questioning' room. That same uncertain and fearful sense he felt about the most of them. He didn't know what these guards would do to him, were it not for his new found brothers and sisters walking together with him through the hallway. Onyx walked next to him, his muzzle looking forward with unrivaled determination and confidence. The others formed a protective circle around him and Onyx of about ten ponies, all of them wearing close to the same facial expression as Onyx.


"Stay close to me and your brothers and sisters, Fog. We have a history with our solar counterparts. They will try to get you now that you're still new to the family."


Fog didn't hesitate at his words and moved a little closer to Onyx, who gave him a reassuring nod in the short time he took a glance at him. As he moved closer to Onyx, the circle shrunk slightly with him, as if the whole group was adjusting to him, protecting him as much as they could, while still keeping some space between them for reasons he did not fully understood. While he still feared the solar guards as they passed them, the warm and reassuring feeling he got while being surrounded by his new family... it calmed him. It calmed him to the point where he 'knew' that his brothers an sisters would protect him from the solars, and that he didn't need to fear them as much.

Fog closed his eyes and breathed out deeply, trying to calm his nerves a bit. Opening his eyes again, he decided to look around a bit, in the hopes of easing his mind. The walls in this part of the castle were decorated with banners of the two sisters, their rightful cutie mark on the side were the sister of the heavenly body was displayed. It was good to see that the banners inquired equality between the two sisters, even when some, or most, ponies in Equestria were not seeing it like that. In his sightseeing, he noticed that the amount of solar guards that were posted at the sides of the hallway, appeared fewer and fewer in numbers the further they went inward.


"Well... well... Looks like the 'mutants' have a new addition."


Fog looked forward where the mocking voice sounded from. A group of solar guards stood further down the hallway, with probably no intention of moving out of the way. He feared what was about to come, so far the solars letted them pass, but it seemed this group had other plans in mind for them, or him. But what surprised him, his group did not react. They simply kept moving at a steady pace, while Fog was certain that the circle where he was in the middle of shrunk to a much tighter formation.

The solar ponies started their walking towards Fog's group, he could feel the tension rise from his brothers and sisters. Fog felt a gentle push on his right shoulder, halting him in his steps. Glancing to Onyx, he saw that his eyes were narrowed, dangerously even. Onyx shook his head and pushed him a bit back, probably inclining that he should stay back for now. Fog gave an hesitant nod and took a few hoofsteps back, until he was hold in place by two of his group. He looked to the two ponies who held them in his steps, both of them giving him reassuring gazes.

Onyx moved up to the front of the group, taking four of his brothers with him to meet the solars halfway. The remaining four joined the two ponies who were already with Fog and made a protective circle around him. It was odd to Fog to be protected like this, in the streets there was nopony looking out for you. Back there it was either you fight, or you flee. In Fog's situation it was often fleeing, since he didn't know how to defend himself, he would be surely beaten should he choose to fight.


"Don't worry, Fog. Our brothers will handle this."



"She's right, they will handle this with no problem. This is not the first time the solars look for trouble, we've had trouble with this group of solars before. They usually appear when a new family member is adopted."


The mare to his left reassured him with a warm smile, which he wanted to return, but found it difficult to do so due to what the stallion on his right said. They have encountered these ponies before? And these solars do this each time a new member arrives? Fog looked ahead, passed the two ponies who closed the circle around him, and to Onyx and his brothers who were now close to muzzle to muzzle with the solar guards in the middle of the hallway. He was told that they would handle this, but how? From what Fog could see, his brothers were outnumbered with two to one, which made winning this fight, if it would get to that, close to impossible. 


"Let us pass."



"That is too bad, Onyx. You'll need to go through us."



"You never learn, do you Comet? You always try this with your squad, and you always lose."



"This time will be different, we have trained much since the last time. As well that we are with more."



"You do close to no training, so I doubt that would be of use to you. And numbers do not necessarily mean that you've the upper hoof." 



"We'll see about that then, won't we?"



"That depends on you, Comet. You don't have to do this, there is nothing to prove, nor gain by trying to beat us."



"We don't need to prove anything. We just want some fun. Ready yourself... 'mutant'."


Mutant? Why do they call Onyx a mutant? Is that because of his appearance? That would likely be the case. How they looked like... they would be considered to be mutants since they are half pony, half... bat? How did they come to look like this? Now that Fog thought about it, it was odd that they were looking the way they did. But then that feeling came back, the feeling of acceptance, of being wanted by these ponies. No matter how they looked, he felt that these ponies would be the ones he wanted to be around with, no matter how bad the times would get, no matter what they looked like.


"If you truly want to fight... then their is nothing I can do to stop you."



"Stop talking!"


The sudden talk got Fog out of his mind and his eyes swirled to the spot where the two sides would clash. The solar guards took aggressive stances, ready to go at his brothers. But Fog was confused by what he saw, his dark armored brothers didn't take aggressive, nor defensive stances. They stood there, calmness swirling around them. They seemed to be awaiting the solars move before doing anything, but Fog wasn't so sure if that was wise.


"ATTACK!!"


The solar guard named Comet screamed with vigor as he began to run at our pegasus' brothers. From that point, everything seemed to slow down for Fog. His five brothers who were facing the solars directly, their armor began to seep out black smoke trails. The gold armored ponies trotted closer with every passing second, while Onyx and his brothers kept standing where they stood, smoke coming out of their armor with greater intensity.

In an instant that was almost too fast for Fog to see, the outer two of his brothers zipped with high speed into the air, leaving a smoke trail behind them that began to fill the whole hallway where the two groups would clash. Fog's field of vision was almost completely blocked by the thick smoke trails that were now filling the whole hallway.


"Brothers! Now!"


Fog could hear the distinctive voice of Onyx yelling through the smoke. Not long after, the air was filled with grunts and what could be heard as hoof to armor clattering. Fog was trembling at the fear that his brothers would get hurt by the solars who outnumbered them. They seemed to know what they were doing... But they could still get hurt by the others. They had the numbers, and they wanted to fight. Fog was certain that his brothers would get wounded by this fight. He wanted to help. And he was not the only one. He could feel his brothers and sisters around him tensing and wanting to jump in to aid Onyx and the others. But why didn't they? Fog didn't because he knew that he would be of no use, he didn't no how to fight with the smallest bit, let alone fight against guards who have training in that. It would be a lost cause for him.


"Had enough... Comet?"


Fog's ears perked in the direction of the smoke that was beginning to clear up, what he saw when the smoke faded completely, shook him to the core. His brothers... they were unharmed, they didn't show any sings of even being touched. All the golden armored guards were laying on the ground, motionless. Except for one, the one which was leading the charge, the one called Comet. He was in a defensive stance, breathing heavily, while he seemed to also have taken a few hits to odd places around his exposed body.


"Y-you're... Lucky that it is the middle of the n-night... Otherwise it would be different..."



"Night, or day. It wouldn't matter. I ask you again, had enough?"



"NEVER!"


Comet charged with everything he had at Onyx. But Onyx did something Fog had never seen, he sidestepped it with ease, almost like he glided over the floor without the use of his wings, slight dark trails in his wake as he slid to the side. Comet flew passed Onyx, Comet's face indicating that he knew he had made a mistake, and he did. He flew passed Onyx, and in less than a second, Onyx placed his left hind hoof behind him, thrusted his right front hoof forward, his body fully twisting in with his hoof that hit Comet on the exposed side of his neck, just below his jaw joint. As soon as the hoof made contact with the skin, Comet fell to the ground just like his fellow squad mates who were being looked over by the other four that went with Onyx, most likely to see if they were staying down.


"...You never learn... do you? You solars have nothing to gain by doing this. All the hurt you try to inflict on us, all the pestering, mocking... What do you gain from it? Nothing but shame."
 

Onyx sighed and turned to Fog, his four brothers joining him in walking back to the circle, leaving the solars laying peacefully and silently on the ground. Fog was glad his brothers were alright, but he was worried about the ponies that had been taken down. They seemed to be badly hurt, almost as if they were dead. Onyx walked into the circle and stood eye to eye with Fog. The others forming back into the protective circle they started off with.


"Don't worry about them, Fog. They are not dead, just unconscious." 



"B-but how? They look like they are badly injured..."



"Thrust me, they are not. We didn't hurt them badly, we just immobilized them, which only feels incredibly annoying to those who feel it, but that is about it, they'll wake up in a few minutes. I'll explain you more about it when the time comes, but for now, we need to make our way to Princess Luna's tower. We are already enough behind schedule thanks to them."


Onyx brought his right hoof on Fog's left shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. Fog knew Onyx spoke the truth, these guards were not as wounded as they seemed to be. But Fog couldn't help but be slightly worried about them. Did they do this often? Onyx and Comet mentioned that they did. And they always lost... After this short display of what his brothers did, it was clear why they lost, even with the greater numbers. His brothers had been trained in what seemed to be various sorts of PMA. Something Fog never considered of doing since he never wanted to hurt others, not even if it was in defense of himself.

Fog was brought out of his thoughts as he was lightly pushed by two ponies' wings, making him step forward. He took the hint and began to walk again with Onyx at his side. They reached the ponies that had been immobilized, Fog felt a twitch of guilt as they passed by them, without helping them. He could see their torso's expand and contract in gentle motions, proving to Fog that they indeed seemed to be not hurt as badly as he initially thought. He glanced over his shoulder as the group passed the downed solars, seeing that behind them were a few other golden armored guards had appeared and were beginning to tend to their downed members.

The pegasus sighed. He glanced onward again, noticing that now no more solar guards were posted along the sides. This part of the castle seemed to be emptier, and slightly darker as well, but seeing as who they were going to meet, it would be fitting to have it less lit around these parts. But that didn't explain why there were no guards posted, at all.


"...Onyx? Why are there no guards posted around here?"



"There are. Not many, but there are guards stationed here."



"But... I don't see any..."



"That is meant to be."


Fog glanced around again, but he spotted nopony anywhere, except for his circle of brothers and sisters. He looked down to the ground and began to think. There are guards here that are not meant to be seen? I can see the advantage of that, if they are not visible, possible intruders, no matter their numbers, could be taken by surprise and be overwhelmed in quick hits. But that was concerning as well, to get this idea, there must have been an incident that lead to this decision. Fog wasn't sure if he liked his theory behind this safety precaution.

They neared a large double door which had a full white moon carved into the wood. As they reached it, the doors opened by themselves, giving them entrance to what presumably was Princess Luna's part of the castle. They walked through the open doorway and enter into yet another outstretching hallway. When the group was passed the doors, they fell silently shut behind them. It became very dark in the corridor, so dark that Fog had to squint his eyes to look ahead. Out of nowhere, various torches along the side of the hallway ignited on their own with calming blue flames. 

Fog jumped slightly at the sudden appearing of the blue flames, but was calmed quickly by their gentle color. How did these ignite on their own? Do they feel somepony's presence? It is likely magic that ignites them... those torches are probably enchanted to do so. Fog let his eyes wander around the hallway as they passed by various crossings and windows made of lead with ponies depicted on them, like they were telling a story from long ago. Fog couldn't see what the glasses were telling, he didn't have enough time to look at them thoroughly since the group kept going to Princess Luna's tower where he would meet her. He made a note for himself to take another look at these windows when he had more time.


"Fog."



"Huh? Yeah?"


Fog looked at Onyx as he heard him calling. Onyx stood still at a larger door where a telescope looking towards the stars was displayed. This would be the observatory then? But he was going to Princess Luna's tower, no? Or maybe this is her tower? Maybe the decoration on the door meant 'watcher of the night sky'? 


"Princess Luna's tower is beyond this door. You'll need to ascend it until the top, she'll be waiting for you."



"Okay. Won't you all be coming with me?"



"Sorry, brother. We may not ascend the tower yet. We'll join you and the Princess when we are being called. Until then, you'll have to face this alone. Don't worry, we are never far away, may something happen."

> Means to Ascend.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Means to Ascend.



The door shut gently behind the pegasus, leaving him alone to ascend the tower of the Night Guardian. He was standing in what appeared to be a spiraling staircase, most likely leading directly to the upper room in the tower. Fog was shaking lightly, slight fear for the unknown and uncertainty for what was awaiting him one he reached the upper part of the tower. Taking a deep breath through his nostrils, and letting it out through his mouth, he gathered calmness and courage. Lifting his right hoof from the ground, he brought it back down again on the first step of the spiraling stairs.

Ascending the stairs was... strange. While going up, the walls were empty of everything, except for the occasional blue enchanted fire torch and a window every few steps, illuminating the walls with the moon's and star's rays of guiding light. It brought an empty feeling, something he couldn't explain, it was strange to know that you would be meeting a Princess in a few seconds, while not feeling anything, while at the bottom of the stairs, he felt tensed and unsure.


"...Why do I feel so... empty? I don't feel anything... no warmed, no cold, no air, not even any emotion... only the drive to continue ascending the tower and meet Princess Luna. But why is this?"


It was difficult to even think about what was happening. Fog was beginning to doubt if this was a good idea, maybe he should go back? Maybe this was a mistake? Maybe he should descend the stairs and leave the castle and go back to his old life... No. He was going to meet the Princess, no matter how he felt, he would need to push through this, he needed to push passed the odd sense of emptiness, and focus on what he promised to his loved ones.

His loved ones... His family... There are ponies who say that those close to you never truly leave you behind. Fog wasn't certain about that, but he wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that his parents and his sister would be forever at his side, and maybe, just maybe, they are... but he just doesn't know that. But it is also something that pained him more... To know that they would see him doing all the things he did since their demise, just to try and stay alive, to live from day to day, for what? Nothing. Just trying to avoid death, while further doing nothing.

Despite these negative thoughts that floated around deep in his mind, he found solace in the fact that he would be able to make them proud. He would be able to get their forgiveness for all the bad things he had done in the recent years, and maybe... just maybe... he would finally be able to forgive himself for it all.

How does somepony find forgiveness in him or herself when nopony else can forgive them? When they are not worth the forgiveness of others, how can they forgive themselves for their crimes? They cannot. Fog had been giving the opportunity to grab somepony's hoof to held onto, somepony who would help him find forgiveness from others, and hopefully, himself. While it would still be a long road on the way of healing, he knew that if he would give it his all, he would be able to close this chapter of his life, and start a new chapter, with a blank page, a page that was not written for him, but written by him.

His mind was away from the present, but was unexpectedly brought back as his hoof stepped into thin air, making him gasp as he suddenly fell a bit towards the floor. Adrenalin pumped instantly through his body, his wings spread wide in instinct and he breathed heavily, only for him to notice that he had reached, what appeared to be the top floor of the tower. He looked around him, and it confirmed his assumption, there were no more stairs leading up, there was only a relatively large wooden door.


"...I guess I've arrived at the top of the tower. But... what now? Should I go in? Should I knock? Or should I wait here? I doubt I can just walk in there... It is the Princess' quarters after all, or... I think it might be..."
 

The pegasus sat down on his haunches, accepting his thoughts that it would be inappropriate to just walk in, or to knock on the door, and disturb the Princess in whatever she might be doing. Not long after he sat down, the door opened inward and two obsidian armored ponies stepped towards him. While their appearance was the same as of those he met downstairs, he noticed their helmets were... different. The helmets his brothers wore downstairs were more open around the muzzle, while these guards' helmets were completely surrounding the muzzle, with only a small horizontal gap were two piercing golden orbs could be seen looking through.

Seeing these guards sparked slight fear inside the pegasus, but also a sense of... Amazement? Respect? The guards stepped next to him and looked down on him. Even though Fog felt the slight fear from them... there was again that same feeling of trust he felt towards Onyx and the others downstairs, that they would protect him, even if they looked as fearsome as they did.


"...Brother, you don't have to fear us."



"We are glad to have you."


Their voices were deep and slightly echoing because of their closed helmets. The fear inside of Fog diminished by the tiniest bit by their words, but the appearance they kept still made him shake deep down. The guards looked at one another before glancing back at the shaking pegasus. The guard on Fog's right took gentle steps towards him and sat down. Fog glanced up at the guard with his ears halfway to the side. The guard lifted an armored hoof to Fog's shoulder and held it gently. Fog looked shortly to the cold touch of the armor before glancing back at the guard that held him. 


"Come, brother. Don't be afraid, the Princess is expecting you."



"We'll stay here, next to the entrance. What she is about to say to you, is between you... and her."


Between him and her? What did he mean with that? He knew the Princess was expecting him, but why did he mention this? Fog thought about it for a bit, until the guard let go of his shoulder and stood up. The pegasus looked at him in confusion. The confusion did not last long however, the guard offered him his right hoof, most likely wanting him to grab it. Fog extended his left hoof slowly, and grabbed the hoof of the guard. The obsidian clad pony pulled firmly onto Fog's hoof, brining him to stand on three hooves again before releasing his hoof.

The guard mentioned with his right hoof to the door behind them. Fog gave a nod in conformation that he understood the meaning. He slowly made his way passed the guards and towards the door, only darkness visible beyond it. The guards took position next to the door, Fog standing in front of it. They didn't say anything as he stood there, they just... stood there, like they were petrified. Fog gulped lightly, taking a deep breath, he set his first step into the darkened room. As he traversed into the void, the doors shut gently behind him on its own.

But somehow, it didn't scare him, or made him jump in surprise. He now stood in darkness, nothing emitting any light. Fog glanced about, but couldn't see anything through the shadows. Not knowing where he was supposed to go, he sat gently down onto his haunches, closed his eyes, and breathed. Simply breathed. It was something he picked up in his foal years, a book that was called; The art of Silence and Solace. It peaked his curiosity, and the book explained deeply into the training of the body and soul. Meditating was one of the biggest and most common subject to be brought up in the book. It described that through meditating, ponies of all races could train their mind and soul, training them to relax and let go of negative thoughts, whit a steady and gentle breathing pattern that eased the body.


"Thou art meditation we see. Quite particular for a pony of thine age and race."
  

Fog opened his eyes, which went up slowly as a tall dark blue coated mare stood in front of him, her gentle voice sounding exactly the same as the shadow in his dream. Following her legs up to her chest, she wore a dark colored royal armored plate with a crescent moon in the middle. Going further up, he came eye to eye with nopony else than the Princess herself; Princess Luna.

Her eyes carried a pool of knowledge and understanding beyond his years, glistering as they glanced back at the frozen pegasus. He felt his mouth open slightly as he beheld the Guardian of the Night, her presence emitting gentle comfort and an aura of trust and patience. Fog sat in slight awe as he looked at the Princess, her transparent, dark blue and star glistering mane that moved gently on a wind he could not feel nor see, her welcoming smile as she looked back into his eyes. Fog stood up slowly and bowed deeply as he fully understood in which pony's presence he was.


"Thee may rise to thine hooves, mine child."


Fog rose slowly to his hooves, but he kept his gaze to the floor, not knowing if it would be rude to look into the Princess' eyes. His doubt was lifted, just like his chin as it was suddenly being held gently by a silver clad hoof, and lifted up to meet the Princess' gaze. Fog's eyes looked at the Guardian of the Night with mixed feelings, uncertainty being among the most apparent. His eyes locked with the moon lit eyes of Princess Luna, and he started to feel a sense of reassurance washing over him as she held his chin up. He started to feel strange, like there was somepony else with him, a second presence who was inside of him.


"We sense thine uncertainty and fear... Uncertainty of what would become of thou, fear of thine past and what thee have done. Thou art afraid of our judgment of thee, aren't thou, mine child?"


The soothing voice of the Princess echoed gently through his mind, as if it was played by an harmonious flute and a soft breeze in spring. Fog remained speechless as he listened to the echoing words of Princess Luna. She can sense his uncertainty and fear? And she was in his mind right now? What should he say? Should he say anything at all?


"Thou don't need to speak... thou need see the truth about thine self. We request of thee, may we hear of thine past through the voice of thee? While we know of thine past and what thou hast done, we request that thee would speak to us in thine own words what happened in those troublesome time thou faced." 


She wanted him to tell her about his past in his own words? Why? She said herself she knew of his past and what he had done, so why ask him to tell it himself? Was this a test? Or did she just wanted to hear it coming from him? But he knew that sharing his past wouldn't help anypony in any way. He would rather keep it to himself and forget it, and try to find forgiveness for those things he had done, without bothering anypony with it. The past would only hurt more than it would do good if it was to be brought up.


"I'm... I'm sorry, Princess. But I don't want to tell it. It will not help anypony if I share it, it would only weigh upon other ponies' shoulders if they would know."



"We respect thine decision to not share it with us. But know, mine child, that thine past will only weigh down upon thine own shoulders when kept to thyself. Sharing the past with other ponies often helps thyself with time. Thy must know we speak the truth, for we kept our own past to ourselves when we returned a few years ago. Since then, we've had family and close friends to help us face our own past, and we haven't regretted it. If thee so desire, thou don't have to tell us. But we request of thee, that thee will share thy past with those who's thou feel close to. The ones that art closests to thee, will help thou face it, and accept it. Thou even may find forgiveness in thyself." 


Fog thought about what Princess Luna said to him. A part of him doubted her words, but... on the other hoof... he somehow knew she was right about this. He would need to get it off of his chest someday, but that was something for in the future. For now, he would need to focus on what the Princess of the Night would say to him, and what the upcoming time would have in store for him.


"Fog, my dear child, thou art not alone with thine doubts and fears. Thy newfound brothers and sisters share with thou the pain of the past. They, like thou hast now, have been struggling with the memories of their own. They have found rest, peace and comfort in one another. Thou must try to strife for the same thing. Only then, will thou be able to forgive thyself."



"I... I don't know if I can do that..."



"In due time, thee will able to do even more than that. Thou will be able to reach higher than most ponies ever will be able to go."


Fog glanced up, and stared straight in to the teal eyes of Princess Luna who was looking at him with a comforting smile. All the while, Fog didn't realize, that the chamber they were both in just before, had transformed into a grass covered hill in the open night sky. Thousands of stars lighting the dark void of the universe with the full moon climbing the skies from the horizon. Fog, being still lost in the soothing gaze of the Princess, never noticed the sudden change. However, he did feel a soft breeze passing through his feathers, making him questioning why he felt it.

He glanced down to his right wing, noting the wind made his feathers wave the slightest bit. But he was inside the tower of the Princess, how was there wind inside of it strong enough to make his feathers move? Looking around, Fog noticed the endless field of grass from the hill he and the Princess resided on. His eyes where wide open as he witnessed the sudden change.


"P-Princess? Where are we? How did we get here?"



"Slowly, my child. There is no need for thee to be frightened. We art safe. Thou art as safe as a pony can be."



"B-But... where are we?"



"Thou art now in thine own dreams. Thy surely has not noticed it, but thee hast fallen asleep in our chambers. We created this dream scene for thou to ease thee. As we said before, thou art as safe as anypony can be."


Fog found himself starring in disbelieve at the Princess of the Night. How could she transition between the real world and the dream world so smoothly that it was unnoticeable to him? He didn't remember that he had fallen asleep. He had felt drowsy not that long ago, but that was before he went to the castle. How could sleep take him over just like that?


"Thou, like many of our subjects, underestimate the power of thine own mind. When thine thoughts are somewhere else, sleep will succumb thee easily. And almost always without thee ever knowing. Thou fell asleep as we told thee about sharing thine past with thy brothers and sisters. From there, we created this dream for thou, so we could continue the subject. But it seems thee desire to rest. We will continue tomorrow night, thy will have a busy day when thou wake up."


Fog suddenly felt that his legs started to get heavy, his eyelids slumping down repeatedly without him wanting to. He tried to shake it off, wanting to ask the Princess more, his curiosity driving him to try and stay awake, but to little avail. The Princess stood up and walked slowly towards him until she was right next to him. He found himself quickly leaning against her side for support, maybe she wanted him to stay awake?

His assumption was quickly cast aside however, when he felt her right wing gently unfurling over his back and she pressed Fog against her side. She lowered herself to the smooth grass, Fog following her movements, not being able to do anything else but go with her motions. His eye threatened to close as he was now on the grass with his belly, his legs tucked underneath him and Luna's warm wing curled gently around him. He tried once more to ignore the calling of sleep, but was quickly subdued to his body's demand as again, just like before, the same gentle and harmonic tones from a flute started to play.


"Dost not resist the needs of thine own body, my child. Tomorrow, thee wilst feel refreshed and rested, but thou must want it.


Fog's eyes closed at words of the Princess who still held him close to her side, making all the worries he ever held fall off of him like water. There was never a moment, where sleep came so unwanted, but felt so good when it washed over him, taking him down the river of reality, and into the world of dreams beyond dreams.


"May the Moon and Stars shine thine way to better times, my child. Thee deserve rest now, and we will make sure thou will get everything thy need. Sleep now, my child. Sleep."


Her soothing voice echoing through his mind was the last thing Fog knew before sleep succumbed him completely.
> A new dawn.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A new dawn.


Silence. This was all Fog was met with as his conscience slowly started to return to him, rousing him gently from his dreamless, yet, fulfilling sleep. With his eyes still closed, he felt more rested than he had been for the past four years. While he felt rejuvenated, it seemed like he only slept for ten minutes to him. He stirred slightly as the wings at his side felt stiff, something he never felt before after a nights rest.


"It seems our newest edition is coming back to the land of Equestria. I wondered how long he would be sleeping..."



"He really needed his sleep and the rest. I've spoken with Onyx briefly about him... but he did not want to tell everything at that moment. He found it more fitting to wait, and let him tell about himself when he's ready. He did mention though, that he has to be the youngest we've ever seen here."



"Hhmm. He does look a bit young, indeed. Did Onyx mention anything else?"



"No. He did talk with the Princess recently. I believe it was about him. But when Onyx came back, he seemed to be... conflicted about something. I did not ask why, though. It felt unfitting to disturb him at the time."


Fog's ear twitched at the sound of the voices, one was clearly a mare while the other was a stallion. They sounded close to him, but somehow, it made Fog feel at ease. Their voices were not loud, they were slightly hushed and gentle sounding, almost caring. His mind slowly went over what, what sounded like the mare, said about the time he was resting. Did he really slept more than he assumed? It truly felt to him like he only slept for five to ten minutes. And what was it about Onyx not wanting to tell the others about him? And what about his talk with Princess Luna, did they really talk about him? And if so, what for?


"Should we fully wake him? Or let him wake up at his own pace?" 



"While I'm struggling against it, I'm afraid we will have to. You heard the Princess, we needed to wake him up if he showed signs of awakening from his slumber. Sleeping more in this state would do him no good."



"Aye. Lets wake him then."


Fog could hear a set of hooves landing onto the ground close to him on his right. An another set of hooves could be heard approaching from his left with gentle clip-clops of hooves. He felt a hoof touch the right side of his chest, gently rocking him from side to side to shake the sleep off of him. Fog, at first, tried to grab onto the sleep that was starting to fade away, but something else beside the hoof on his torso ushered him to open his eyes, the same thing that started to wake him form his slumber in the first place, but he could not say what that was. As he slowly opened his heavy feeling eyes, he was greeted by the pair that was likely talking before.


"There you go. I was afraid for a second that you were going to sleep again, you did resist a bit."



"Can we blame him, Sulfa? It is not like we had it easy ourselves the first time."



"I know. I didn't mean anything by it, really. I just wanted to make sure he would feel more at ease."


Fog looked straight at the pony who had their hoof on him, it was the mare he heard, a pegasus mare. She had a light brown mane with a dark yellow streak that was braided and hung gently next to her head. Her eyes were a deep violet that went well with her dark blue coat. She retracted her hoof and smiled gently at him and then she glanced to the other side of the bed. Fog followed her gaze and turned his head to his left, meeting a pair of brown eyes that belonged to a yellow coated stallion. His white spiked mane was standing upright into the air, but unlike the mare, this stallion had no wings, or a horn, so this had to be an Earth pony. Fog felt... warm inside... he felt warmed radiating off of them and it was aimed to him. It felt welcoming.


"Hey there Fog. My name is Rain. Welcome. And the nice mare to your right is Sulfa."



"Indeed. Welcome Fog. I know you have'll have many questions you would want to ask, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. First, we'll need to escort you to the throne room, the Princess wants to have a word with you."



"She... she wants to have a word with me...? Why?"



"We don't know. Nopony knows. Except maybe Onyx. What she wants to speak to you about, is purely meant between you, and her."


Fog couldn't help but feel doubt creeping into his mind; What will she say? Did he do something wrong already? Did she change her mind and wants to tell him he's no longer needed? However, he felt the reassuring touch from the mare again, but this time, he also felt the hoof of the stallion on his left side. He felt the doubt slip away from his mind, and being replaced by determination and ease. The mare offered her hoof while Rain took the blanket Fog lay under, and pulled it off of him, folding it at the end of the bed. Fog, hesitating at first, raised his right hoof and placed it on the mare's. She gently nodded and pulled Fog into a sitting position. Fog felt a bit sore, but thinking back at what the two ponies said about him sleeping, he chalked it down to sleeping longer than he thought. He stretched his wings wide, and arched his back a bit, feeling muscles all over his back come loose and relax. 

With his body no longer tied to the bed, and his back muscles easier to manage, he briefly looked around where he actually was. He sat on an average looking bed in a circular room. The room's walls and floors were made out of some kind of sand colored slabs. Around the room there were bunk beds placed every few meters away from the other. Doing a quick count of the beds, Fog quickly found that in this room, there was place for up to fourteen ponies to sleep. He noticed that each bunk had a nightstand next to it with at least one candle, while the nightstand next to him was empty, he saw that the others had different items on them; picture frames, papers, flowers, pencils, lockets. It seemed every nightstand had a pony's personal belongings on them.

He glanced shortly to the middle of the room, where it seemed the light was coming from. Fog's eyes went up towards the ceiling as he could not spot any torches or light bulbs in the room that were lit. As he looked up, he saw the room's roof was like a dome. The walls all went up and made a bulging-out round roof, with in the middle crystal clear windows with the moon shining directly down into the room, illuminating it completely with gentle and cooling rays. The rays touched down onto a circular dark blue carpet with a crescent moon on it that was laying perfectly under the dome.

After he looked around the circular structure, Fog realized that, while it was different than anything he had seen, it felt... like home. It felt like he could stay there and be safe from the ponies who would do harm to him, or anypony else. Why did this feeling come so easily to him? Why was he so quickly to feel safe here?


"It feels like home, doesn't it? We all have that... some felt it on the first glance, like you. Others, like Rain over there, it took about two days to accept the feeling of safety."



"You could say I was not a fast adjuster to new surroundings... It... felt alien to me. Being suddenly here... it paralyzed me for a long time. When I finally accepted the change of life, it was indeed some time later."



"You... you both feel the same towards this room?"



"We do, Fog. We do. All of us. Come, we'll bring you to the Princess. Knowing her, she'll have noticed that you've awoken and wonder why we haven't brought you to her yet."


Fog nodded his head to the mare, climbing out on the right side of his bed. They all feel the same way towards this room? Why is that? And why does he feel that as well? He had always been going around the streets... looking every night for a different place to call his bed. And now... now he has... a home? a place to stay? Questions flowed in like the tides of the sea through Fog's mind, question after question appeared. And when he thought he had the answer to one, it only spawned more questions out of the answer. Fog sighed inwardly, deciding that it would be best to save these questions to the only pony that would be out likely to answer them; Princess Luna. Without the sleep interfering his talk with her, he hoped that she would allow him to ask everything that was on his mind. And maybe, just maybe, something more.

Fog followed Sulfa in her steps as she made her way to the middle of the room where Rain was already waiting. Fog noticed Rain staring up at the moon as he and Sulfa closed the distance on him. Fog could have seen it wrong, but he was almost certain that there was a small tear going down his cheek. He could... feel Rain... his sadness... uneasiness... doubts. Fog couldn't help but feel sorry for the stallion, he wanted to help him, comfort him somehow, but he didn't know why he felt it, nor why he could feel the emotions of the Earth pony.


"Rain... Don't cry. We've been here before, don't take that path. We both know how it will end..."



"I... I know. Sorry that I went there again. It... it slowly came flowing back when I saw him. I c-couldn't stop it from appearing."



"I know... I had it for a moment too."



"It will never get easier... will it?"



"I'm afraid not. At least, it will take long to accept it, and even longer to forgive."


Fog looked with surprise, but also with compassion as Sulfar, out of nowhere threw her hoof around Rain and hugged him closely. Rain's tear left as quickly as it had appeared, and so did the doubts and uneasiness. Although, Fog could feel that the faintest bit of sadness still remained inside of Rain. As the two ponies let go of one another, Rain had a grateful smile on his muzzle. The two ponies nodded and turned their attention to Fog. The mare motioned with her hoof to come closer. Fog slowly stepped closer to the two older ponies until he was under the glassy dome, the moon spreading calmness over him as he felt the soothing rays washing over his coat.


"Can you fly, Fog? We can walk if you want to, but flying is much faster."



"Uhm... I can fly... it will be not as good though... I haven't used my wings in a long time for flying..."



"Oh... that is almost unheard of... have you heard anything like that before, Sulfar?"



"Well... no. I use my wings on a daily basis. I don't think I could even not use my wings for one single day."



"We'll just fly at a slower pace then for Fog. Shouldn't be a problem."


Sulfa's words stung Fog more than they realized. He indeed hadn't used his wings for flying in a very long time... but he had his reason for doing so... a reason he was uncomfortable with to this day. But maybe it was time to put it aside, and start using them again. Fog slowly unfurled his wings to their full span and gently flapped them a few times. Sulfar looked over Fog's wings, her expression shifting between confusion and sadness. Fog did not see her changing features, but he did feel her slightly shifting emotions that were coursing through her.

Fog's attention was caught, however, as Rain stepped on the middle of the carpet and deeply inhaled through his nostrils. Fog's eyes went wide as Rain's coat and mane became grey and his eyes became golden and slowly turned into slit, cat like, pupils. Black smoke seeped from different parts of his body and swirled around his chest, hooves, legs and his muzzle. The smoke became an even darker shade of black as the swirling stopped and the smoke was sucked into armor pieces that were now placed over his body. 

Fog couldn't believe what he witnessed. The golden coated Earth pony was completely replaced by a thestral pony with dark purple armor, fangs as white and glistering as the moon, his slit eyes putting the orbs of dragons into nothing with its gaze. But what shocked Fog the most, was that the pony now also had black leathery looking wings resting at his sides.


"A strange thing to see, isn't it?"


Fog faced his right side, towards the voice, expecting the pegasus mare, but was stunned to find her replaced by a Thestral pony, also adorned with dark purple armor. Her eyes were turned to gold and were slit like that of a cat. Her ones feathery wings transformed into leathery bat wings. She stood in front of him with pride radiating off of her. Rain came standing beside her, facing the young pegasus colt that had never seen this before in his life.

Fog took a step back in surprise, but found himself quickly brought at ease by the inner emotions the two thestrals in front of him were radiating towards him. How is that... every time Fog wanted to flee, turn around, or rethink his decisions, that these ponies were able to calm him down so fast and without actually doing anything?


"All your questions will be answered soon. Please, come with us."


Fog nodded reluctantly at the mare thestral. Sulfar spread her leather wings wide and black smoke started to seep out of the edges. She started to flap her wings as she looked up towards the dome window and flew upwards. Fog looked with shock and slight curiosity as Sulfar passed through the glass without it changing shape or breaking, the black smoke that trailed behind the mare dissipating over time into thin air. Fog glanced down with his mouth half open as he looked to Rain.


"Now it is your turn Fog. Follow after her, I'll be right behind you."



"B-but won't I break the glass...?"


Rain shook his head gently with his eyes closed. Fog gulped heavily as he stared at the glass, but moved to stand underneath it anyway. He slowly spread his wings wide and started to flap them, lifting him off of the ground. He approached the glass and his instincts were telling him to stop going up and glide down to the ground, but nevertheless, he went up. He closed in on the window and closed his eyes while bending his neck downwards, anticipating the moment of him hitting the glass or it breaking.

Fog opened his eyes after ascending for some time. He never hit something, nor did something sound as if it broke. He looked down and saw the window underneath him still intact. It did not break...? How? His questions were pushed aside as the remaining thestral faced through the window as well, a smoke trail marking his flight pad until Rain was next to him. The smoke dissipated into nothing and Fog focused on the thestral flying in front of him with more confusion than he had before.


"H...how did we faze through that?"



"Lets go, Fog. There will be time for questions later."


Fog turned his attention to Sulfar as she tapped his shoulder and flew off. He shook his head lightly and followed Sulfar as she flew towards the castle that was in the distance, Rain following Fog closely. Fog looked around as he kept flying onwards, seeing his shadow passing over a large field of grass. Glancing quickly over his shoulder to where they flew away from, he saw a tower that was attached to the mountain of Canterlot. The tower was not big, long, or large in any way. It seemed to be a simple design, and from what he saw on the inside, purely to house guards.

The tower was made of simple looking stone slabs, the top off the tower ending in the dome-like shape. At the bottom Fog saw two big double doors made of a dark colored wood, blue banners with a crescent moon adorned the sides. The tower seemed to be isolated from the rest of the castle, as no path on the ground went towards it, nor did the walls connect with the structure. Although, a bit away and to the left of the tower itself, was a smaller structure that stood out by its design. The building itself had a dome just like the tower, but unlike the larger structure, the smaller of the two structures was open and had a small path leading up towards the side of castle, the path was painted in a blue hue from torches that were placed every few meters, with the small structure having two lit torches hanging beside the entrance that had no doors for some reason.


"Rain, what is that building next to the tower?"



"My apologies Fog, but I'm not worthy to tell you about it. Princess Luna or Onyx will be most likely the ones to tell you."



"Not worthy? What do you mean by that?"



"None of us are worthy to speak about it yet. Only a few are found worthy to explain the others about it."



"Rain is right, Fog. It is best to let it be for now."


Fog glanced from Rain over to Sulfar as she suddenly flew only a small distance in front of him. She looked, in a way, sad... just like Rain when Fog asked about the smaller structure. Why were they unworthy to explain him about it? What was so important that they were not allowed to say anything regarding the building? Curiosity and questions once again filled his mind as he followed Sulfar towards the castle, his focus on his inner thoughts while is body kept following the thestral pony by its own accord.

He felt himself descent as air passed through his feathers differently than before. He glanced up, seeing Sulfar gliding to the right with Fog mimicking her movements. Fog looked around and below him, noting they were descending to one of the castle side entrances. Why didn't they take the entrance that was connected to the smaller structure? Was it too because they were unworthy? Or was there a different reason why they went to this entrance in particular?


"Don't wander, Fog. Keep close to us."


Fog shook his head from side to side at the words of Rain behind him, noting that he himself was indeed not close to Sulfar anymore. He adjusted his wings in order to get him behind Sulfar again. In short time, all three ponies landed quietly onto a cobblestone path leading up to a set of large wooden doors that would lead into the castle. What Fog noticed, was that the thestral ponies made no sound as their hooves landed on the path, not even with their armor on.

Fog felt something soft pushing him from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Rain pushing him with his right wing. Fog started walking, tracing Sulfar as she approached the giant doors. While he followed after her, Fog's mind went back to when he saw Rain pushing him. He swore that he felt some kind of anger radiating off of him and that his eyes were narrowed severely, but it was not directed to him in any way, no. It was to something, or somepony else. But to who?


"Fog, listen closely."



"What is it?"



"When we enter the castle, it is of the uttermost importance that you stay between Rain and me. Understood?"


Fog felt a cold sweat trailing down his neck as Sulfar gave him instructions. He could feel the anger from Sulfar as well, but again, it was not aimed at him. Instead, he felt concern radiating off both of them. Concern about him. Sulfar turned herself to the door and pushed the right side door open. Sulfar walked inside with Fog following close behind her.

The inside of the castle was dimly lit by torches and the larger chandeliers that were hanging from the high ceilings, illuminating the solar guards that were standing at attention every few meters. Fog could hear the door shut closed behind him as his hooves stepped onto the red stretching-out carpet. He could feel the tension rise from Sulfar and Rain, almost to the point where Fog began to shiver in anticipation of what could happen any moment.


"Oh look, it are the fruit suckers."



"Watch your tongue, Copper! Your orders are to guard these halls, and not pester the Lunars!"



"What? You actually like these mutants? They'll slit your throat when you're sleeping if given the chance, Dust."


Fog felt Sulfar and Rain's anger even more apparent than before. But he himself felt... hurt? Angry? At the words of the first two guards that were stationed next to the support pillars on the side of the large hallway. Fog couldn't help but feel uneasy as he saw that the hallway was full of solar guards, expecting them to be the same as the first.

The trio of ponies walked with a firm pace onward, passing by more and more guards as they made their way through multiple corridors and rounding corners. All the while, Fog could feel that most of the guards stationed here were not happy to see him nor Sulfar and Rain, he could even feel some of them having murderous intend. As they went deeper into the castle, the amount of guards begin to lessen. After all they have walked through, Fog was happy to have Sulfar and Rain close to him. Who knows what the guards would do if he was alone?


"We're here."



"Finally."



"indeed."


Fog came out of his thoughts and brought his attention to the voices of Sulfar and Rain, both of them standing now in front of two massive wooden doors. Fog guessed that this would be the throne room, but if that was to be the case, where were the guards? At first they were everywhere. And now, there was none. Not next to the doors, not in corridors behind him. Where are they? Fog felt something touch his shoulder. Bringing his head back around, he saw Sulfar standing there in her armor, but looking like her original pony self. Her coat blue again and her eyes back to their deep violet.


"Fog, we are here. We cannot be with you beyond this point. What happens behind these doors is strictly between you and the Princess. Understood?"


Fog nodded in understanding and sighed. Sulfar patted him lightly on the shoulder to reassure him. Rain did the same, briefly putting his hoof onto Fog's shoulder, while also looking like his normal self again. They shared a look with Fog before lowering their hooves to the ground and walking to the sides of the hall. Fog watched after them as they walked towards the walls, only for his eye to expand and his ears to drop as Rain and Sulfar both disappeared into the darkness and left no trace behind them, leaving Fog alone in front of two giant doors.

Fog gulped lightly as he stared back at the doors. He had come this far, he would not turn away now. Fog inhaled through his nostrils and let it out through his mouth. He focused his eyes on the door and walked towards it. He raised his hoof up and pushed the right-hoof door slowly open, not knowing what would be waiting behind it.

> Glinsters of the past, hopes for the future.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Glinsters of the past, hopes for the future.




Fog carefully opened the big door with his right hoof. Uncertainty and fear flooded him as the door swung open silently with only darkness on the other side. As soon as the door was far enough open that he could walk through, his ears perked up with curiosity as suddenly a piano and a violin started playing.

While it surprised Fog, he wasn't scared by it. If anything, the music that entered his ears almost felt as if it was telling him a story of old, it sounded like a gentle melody to ease him, or any other pony that would happen to listen. As he set hoof into the throne room and peaked around the corner of the door, he saw one pony illuminated by rays of moonlight that entered through an open standing double balcony door.

The pony that was lighted sat on a small chair and was playing a large piano with care. The pony was wearing the armor that the Lunar guards wore, signifying that he or she was part of his new family and Fog had nothing to fear of him or her. The pony's grey mane and tail waved gently in the wind that came from the open balcony doors, not disturbing the pony in the slightest, he or she even enjoyed it with small swings from side to side with the head.

As the violin started again, Fog's eyes were caught by a familiar pony. The pony emerged from the balcony, a violin pressed gently against her long and slender neck and held by a blue aura. The same aura moved the bow of the instrument softly over the strings, making the tunes that entered the colt's ears. Fog traced with his eyes over the pony's body, seeing her horn emit the gentle blue magical aura. Her eyes were closed as she took soft steps, closing in towards the piano and the pony who was playing it. With each movement of the bow over the strings, the mare swung her head tenderly, seemingly all caught up in the music.

Fog took careful steps into the room, making sure he didn't interrupt the two playing the instruments. Sitting down a bit away from the two, Fog  remained silent while the soft tunes eased his mind. Glancing to his newly found mother, something slowly became clear to him, Fog realized that he wasn't looking at her as a Princess, but as something else... Fog's face churred up sightly as he thought about what he was feeling now; He was looking at the Princess of the Night with a heavy heart, he was given a second chance by her, and all this time there has been nothing but doubt and fear swirling through his mind whenever he was alone. 

He looked up again to her, she was facing the open balcony doors, the moon's rays lighting up her features. Fog saw a faint glimmer coming from her cheek while she kept playing the violin. Fog couldn't help himself at seeing his new mother like that, he stood up and made his way carefully over to her, his very being now wanting to soothe her pain however he could.

However, as he closed the distance, Luna's eyes opened gently. Fog slowly came to a halt a few steps away from her as he noticed. Luna kept playing her violin but turned her muzzle to the young colt. Her eyes made contact with that of Fog, and his ears drooped down as he noticed that dried up streaks were on Luna's cheeks, with small glisters building up in her eyes. Fog was at a loss for words, he opened his mouth multiple times with no words escaping him. How does a small pony like himself consult a Princess? Whatever he had witnessed would be nothing compared to what she would have experienced in her life...   

Fog sighed through his nose and let his wings slowly dangle to the floor, lacking the mental strength to keep them in their place. He felt her pain. Her pain... he didn't know why, but he knew that her pain was immense. Her pain however, was only light compared to her sorrow. Fog's eyes dwindled to the floor, he dared not to look into her deep teal pools, those eyes that would calm the mightiest of raging dragons and minotaurs... Now, they had a sense of sorrow and pain in them that Fog could never understand or even witness in his entire life. But despite that all, he found the courage to look back up to his new mother and look her straight into her caring eyes;


"P-Princess... why are you crying? Is there anything I can do?"


Luna said nothing to answer his question, instead she closed her eyes and focused back on her violin, leaving Fog to sit on the floor. He lowered his head again, fearing he might have made a mistake by speaking out of turn. As soon as he deflated and started doubting himself, a sudden sphere of gentle blue light appeared in front of him, making him look up in curiosity. The sphere floated silently above the ground in front of him. Fog noticed a faint trail of blue magic going from the sphere, following it, he followed it back to Luna's horn, which was letting out several strains of the same magic into the air in separate ways.

Luna turned away from Fog and back to the balcony, her horn still emitting the magical energy. Fog stayed still as the sphere became a bit bigger and began to take a shape. The ball of magical energy became transparent- and formed four stumps underneath it while a second ball grew out of the sphere with a bit of magic connecting it with the original. The second sphere grew what seemed to be a mane while the first one in the back grew a tail. The four stumps formed legs and hooves with the main sphere forming wings on the side as well. 

Fog couldn't believe what was happening in front of him as the the sphere began to fully take shape of a small filly that was half of Fog's height. The muzzle's features began to take shape, making Fog's eyes widen at the sight. He couldn't believe it... He didn't want to...


"It can't be... I..."



"It has been some time big brother..."



Fog's eyes filled slowly with small tears, both of joy and sadness, his breathing came in faster and more sporadic at seeing the small filly he hadn't seen in years. As the magical energy that formed his younger sister stood in front of him, he remembered the other strings of energy that Luna emitted from her horn. As if on cue, the filly in front of him glanced to the Princess as well. Fog trailed the other many strings of magic which were at least more than thirty as they traveled through the room and phased through the walls and disappeared. The colt's eyes followed one of the blue trails down to the pony who was playing the piano. He was stunned to see a transparent mare sitting next to the armored pony, as they both played the piano together. They seemed to play in absolute sync, as if they were one pony. Fog gazed back at his little sister that was still in front of him, his eyes full of disbelieve;


"M-Mist...? Is it really you...?"



"It is me, Fog... Not really me, but as much as Princess Luna can help me with appearing in this world..." 


Fog was shocked, overjoyed, sad and confused at the same time. His sister saying that she could visit this world thanks to Luna's input filled him with mixed emotions, but what he felt above all was sudden appreciation for his new mother...


"I...I don't know what to say... What can I s-say..."



"You don't have to, brother... Seeing you now tells me everything you want to say. I'm proud of you. Mom and Dad are, too."



"H-huh? Proud of what...? What did I do?"



"You have changed. I can see your doubt and fear flashing though you, but you're doing something good, and will certainly do great things." 



"How do you know I will?"


Mist said nothing as she simply took a step to the side with a gentle smile and Princess Luna came into Fog's view. She was still playing the violin with the strings magical energy shimmering through the air from the tip of her horn. It slowly dawned to Fog that Mist was referring that Luna would guide him and stay at his side through everything that would be thrown his way. She would aid him, take care of him...


"As long as you'll have Princess Luna to care and watch over you, I've all the confidence in Equestria that you'll be up for anything."


Fog heard the pride and determination in his little sister's voice, and couldn't help but stretch his hooves to hug his sister. Only for his ears to droop together with Mist's ears as his arms went through her. He remembered that she was not actually in his world anymore... He sighed as he put his hooves back to the ground and resigned his attempts he had to embrace her.

He felt a tingling on his shoulder in time with a shimmering in the corner of his right eye. Looking there, he saw the transparent hoof of his sister. Fog raised his own hoof and tried to hold it, but again, it phased through it and landed on his own shoulder. Brining his hoof back to the ground, he ruffled his wings and looked into her eyes.


"I'm sorry, Mist. I'm sorry that you, Mom and Dad aren't here anymore... if only I... if only..."



"Ssshhh- Don't blame yourself Fog. There was nothing you could've done that would have changed what happened. The only thing that could have changed was that Equestria had lost another pony..."



"But... I could have done something... anything..."



"You can do something now, and you are. Remember, you can help make Equestria a better place. That is the truth."


Fog's eyes were carrying small tears, but he refused to let himself cry in front of his sister that showed such fate in him. He could not let her nor his parents' fate in him be misguided. He sniffed and looked determined up into his sister's eyes. Mist, looking back at him with care, smiled happily. No words were spoken as an unspoken conversation took place between them.

Fog's ears flicked as the sound of violin and piano stopped and was replaced by the distinct sound of clip-clopping hooves that came closer. His sister let go of his shoulder and stepped aside for Fog to see behind her. The Princess was slowly walking towards them, her horn still emitting the tendrils of magic. Her horn shone a bit brighter and the violin that was hovering in her magic faded in to thin air.

As the Princess walked ever closer, she bowed her head gently to Mist, who in turn bowed low for Luna. Fog's eyes let go of the tears they both held, the small droplets flowing over his cheek, only to be caught by a silver horseshoe.


"'Tis, mine dear child, is why we shed our tears."


Fog leaned into her caring hoof, looking with his own eyes in to those deep pools of teal which were filled with motherly love and compassion. He nodded absentmindedly, knowing in the back of his head what she meant. A single tear flowed down Luna's cheek, leaving a tiny trail of damp fur behind. The pegasus, while hesitating, slowly raised his bare hoof and gently wiped the tear of his new mother away. The Princess gave a slow nod with closed eyes before she rose to her full hight again.


"We art afraid that thine time in this world has come to an end, our dear Mist, for now."


Mist stood up from her bow and gave a sole nod. She then turned to Fog who sighed at hearing Luna's words, however, hope rested in his chest knowing she said that it was for the time being, meaning she would be able to come back again in the future. But Fog was still distraught at the mention that their short time of being together had ended, but at the same time, an invisible weight had fallen off of his withers, knowing that is family was proud of what direction he was going and watched over him. Fog managed a weak smile towards Mist;


"Thank you sis - you, Mom and Dad, for having fate in me."



"Stay strong brother. Know that we will always be at your side when it gets rough. Besides, a sister needs to look out for her big brother, doesn't she?"


Fog couldn't help but laugh softly at the teasing in her sister's voice at the end. Laughing... How long ago has it been that he laughed even the smallest bit like that? Months? Years? He couldn't even remember. He knew however, that he missed it dearly. And this little bit was enough to encourage himself to press on.


"Mist... we art afraid 'tis truly time. Bid thine brother farewell for now."



"I have, Princess. I'm ready."


Luna gave Mist a gentle nod and closed her eyes, her horn starting to glow brighter. Fog sat with a sad look on his muzzle at seeing his sister slowly fade away, the tendril of magic that was attached to her slowly becoming thinner. Mist turned one last time to her brother, giving him a reassuring smile before finally disappearing. The thread of magic that came from Princess Luna slowly returned to her horn, just like the other streams of magic that she had conjured. Fog glanced over to the pony that had played the piano together with the spirit, seeing the pony him or herself sitting next to the piano instead of on the bench that stood in front of it.

The pony's ears were splayed along side the helmet the pony wore. Fog wanted to head over to him or her and try to see if he could help, but before he could, the pony stood up, it's ears perking up again. The guard turned around and made its way to Fog and the Princess, the steps the guard took to them were slow and gentle, almost as if he or she was slightly reluctant to come closer, but went on anyway. The pony stepped into the rays of moonlight, surprising Fog as the moon revealed the stallion. 


"Onyx...?"




"Hey Fog. My apologies for the sudden intrusion between you and the Princess."


Fog wanted to say something but remained silent as suddenly multiple sounds of clip-clops were heard throughout the room. His ears flicked in multiple directions, making him turn around quite franticly as he became afraid. Then... then that feeling washed over him, that feeling of being wanted... that feeling his brothers and sisters gave him when he was around them. Fog slowly calmed down and breathed steadily through his nostrils.


"My children, thy know thou art forgiven. Onyx, we thank thee for accompanying us with thine melody, thou art gifted in the ways of music." 


Fog looked to Onyx who gave a respectful nod to Luna. Luna's horn began to shine bright and a few seconds later a couple of blue flames ignited around the throne room, revealing Lunar guards spread throughout the room. Fog's eyes went wide as he saw all of the guards sitting on their haunches, their eyes all following the Princess as she walked with grace to the throne. Fog couldn't count them all, but Fog estimated that there would be at least forty guards in the room.

A gentle hoof landed on his right shoulder, making him turn his attention to the source. The hoof that touched his shoulder was a dim shade of white. Following the hoof, Fog met the deep brown eyes of a mare that was maybe three years older than him. She had a braided mane consisting of largely blue with a silver streak running through it. Fog's cheeks flushed at the sudden eye contact and avoided her gaze by looking at the ground. He was never good with fillies, and never had any courage when it came to talking to them.

However, his ears heard the soft clangs of armor as the mare stood up and went to sit next to Fog. He peaked at her as he felt her tail brush passed his legs and she lay it around her haunches. He was still blushing, and he was sure she could see that through his coat as has been said to him multiple times.

"Hi, I'm Summer Waves," she introduced herself while extending her hoof to Fog. He looked up to her and into her eyes. The mare smiled gently with her hoof towards him, waiting for Fog to do something with it. Fog hesitantly raised his right hoof and gently bumped it against that of Summer Waves. As Fog put his hoof back on the ground, Waves looked pleased at what he did while she brought her own hoof to the ground. "You are Fog, right?"

Fog nodded slowly as his eyes were glued to Summer Waves' eyes, making her giggle a bit with a blush of her own, "Uhm, I... yes, my name is Fog." He gulped almost audible as he finished talking. His ears perked up that around him the other guards that had appeared also had started talking idly.

While his ears flicked about at the random conversations his brothers and sisters had, his eyes were on the mare next to him. "Sulfar was right then, you are the youngest. I was the youngest before you came, you know?"

Fog tilted his head to the side, "Really? You were the youngest?"

"Yup." Summer said with a happy nod. "I've been told you are sixteen now, is it true?"

Fog lowered his head a bit, old memories resurfacing slowly as he thought about his age, "...yeah."

Summer's ears drooped down to the side of her head and she looked apologetically at the younger pegasus, "So young..." Summer stood up, her armor's plates shuffling over each other as she stood up and sat down closer to Fog. Fog tried to scoot away, fearing he might be in her personal space but was unable to as he was suddenly pulled into a warm hug, "I'm sorry Fog, I didn't want to stir up bad memories." 

Fog's cheeks were burning as he felt Summer Waves' arms wrapped around him, pulling him gently and comforting against her armor. He was stunned and didn't know how to react to her hug, should he hug back? Should he pull away? Should he say something? And how did she know it resurfaced bad memories of his past?

"Don't worry brother, you are safe now." Summer released Fog and gently placed her left hoof on his shoulder, Fog glancing at her with mixed feelings, "Know that we will always be at your side Fog. We all will. We are now brothers and sisters, children of the night and Princess Luna." Fog began to smile at her words. 

She washed his doubts away and answered his questions that had lingered around his mind. He now had a new family. He had new brothers and sisters that would take an arrow for him, and deep inside, he felt that he would do the same for them any day.


"Our children, mayest we have thine attention if thou will?"


Fog's ears perked up at the motherly voice of the Princess who sat now atop of the throne and looked over everypony in the room. As the young pegasus' eyes left that of Summer and glanced over to the Princess, he noticed that all guards had their helmets off and looked like, what Fog assumed, their natural self. Every race was seated in the room; unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi and even a few thestrals Fog thought. As soon as Luna requested the attention of all, everypony quiet down gently and gave their undivided attention to the alicorn of the night.

Fog sat in silence with his family as they listened to what the Princess wanted to say. He felt something inside of him, something he never felt before for anypony...


Devotion.

> Nothing is set in stone.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room was silent. Even the wind had quieted down for the Princess of the Night, not daring to provoke her ire. Blue torches illuminated the room together with the white light of the moon in the sky. Fog had never witnessed such silence in all of his life, it was almost terrifying how everypony sat in silence as if they were statues, not even the slightest movement could be seen as Fog looked around him. That one pony, a Princess, could get this many ponies to be silent simply by requesting it.


"My children, I thank all of thee for thine undivided attention."


Fog heard the gentleness in her voice, as if she was consulting a foal who had a bad day. He looked up to her, noticing some of the ponies around him gave very small bows with their heads. Fog simply returned his gaze back to his new mother, who stood up from the throne she had sat upon. Her wings remained folded as she strode to the steps with grace only a Princess could emit. Looking at her eyes, he could see she was looking briefly at everypony individually, she even glanced directly back into his eyes for a second before moving on.


"My children, I bit thee all a good night on this day of joy and remembrance. Now, as thou all might already be aware of, We have found a lost son among the cold back alleys of this once great city. It is without a doubt our youngest we have ever taken under our care, but we art fain with him amongst us. Fog, would thee please rise if thou likest and join us?"


Fog suddenly felt a sense of apprehension creep over his spine, he was asked to come forward and stand in front of all these ponies. He was never comfortable with big crowds, especially if they gave him their attention. However, Fog sighed, taking in a deep breath through his nose he steeled himself. Looking around, he noticed some of the ponies were glancing at him with supporting looks while the others kept their eyes on the Princess.

As the young pegasus stood up, he spared a glance at the Princess, noticing she kept her motherly gaze upon him. Feeling more encouraged by her, Fog took the first few steps and made his way past the sitting ponies and to the throne's steps. His legs were shaking lightly at the nervousness that welled within him, but he managed to pass by all the sitting ponies, some of them scooting out of the way to let him walk past them easier.

His eyes were cast down to the ground as he walked closer to the throne with a slow pace, and yet, nopony ushered him to hurry up, they all sat there, patiently waiting for him to stand next to the Princess. As his left hoof made first contact with the stairs, he glanced up. She was still standing there, Princess Luna, looking at him with her caring and supporting gaze, patience radiating off her for the young stallion.

Fog went timidly up the steps, fully aware his brothers and sisters were following his every step. His hooves felt heavy, with every step he took they were harder to lift up by the tiniest bit, but it was noticeable. After a few times of raising his hooves and putting them down on the adjacent step, he reached the last. As his left hind hoof finally landed on the top of the pedestal, he looked from the ground up, seeing the empty marble throne, adorned by red and gold cloth, a big cushion laying on it.

He felt her presence, glancing to his right, he noticed she was sitting on her haunches, her teal motherly eyes looking at him with care. He turned on the spot to face her completely, even when she sat down and he stood, she was still a muzzle bigger than him. It was slight eerie, but at the same time, it was comforting, to have somepony as big and powerful, yet caring and loving to look over him.


"Fog, please take a seat."



"Y-yes Princess."


Luna gave an approving nod as Fog sat down in front of her, but her eyes looked sadly as the colt responded to her, she could hear the fear and uncertainty in his voice, the emptiness in his hearth, the sadness of having his family been taken away by some unfair event he had witnessed- and behind all that, a deep wound in his soul, one she hoped she could help heal over time.

The Princess took a gentle and deep breath, her eyes closing for a second before reopening again. She never wanted any of this for her little pony, for none of them. She spared a glance to all her children that sat in the room around her, she knew all of them by hearth, and wouldn't ever want to trade them for anything. It hurt her, more than she ever wanted to show them, how she watches every night and day over her ponies, seeing the hurt, the loss, the cruelty...

It had always pained her to see them in such a way, but such was her duty, to look out for her ponies, her children. There was a time when the pain and suffering and gotten to her, she turned into a Nightmare. Not because of what history tells them, but because of what she had felt for her ponies back then. No book nor tale, had ever described truly why happened when it did. That pain, of living an unnatural long life, seeing the hurt and unfairness being brought upon her ponies throughout generations- centuries of watching little foals grow, to stallions, to grandfathers, then die again. And those were the lucky ones, the ponies that got to live a full happy life. 

Now, in front of her, was a little pony that was stranded in the streets of a country ruled and looked out over by her, stranded, lost, forgotten... abandoned. He is one of the many reasons why she turned into a Nightmare back then. She had met her breaking point- for  a moment, she couldn't take it anymore and lost it all.

But now that she had returned, she noticed how much her ponies needed her. If she wasn't there to care for them, where would this colt go, who would have take care of him and his brothers or sisters? When found they were, and still are, in so much pain. The only one that can lift them from those dark times was her, a guiding light when all others had faded.

She had accept the pain that came with her duty and long life during her time on the moon. From then, she would not let it overpower her, instead, she would try and use the feeling to fuel her devotion to each pony of her nation, to make sure that she would try her best to give them healthy and good lives, far from pain.


"Fog, please look at Us, We wouldst likest to see thine eyes."


Fog looked up and into the Princess' eyes, seeing care and gentleness radiating from them. But besides that, he felt some kind of... some kind of old fury, something he was not supposed to see behind her features.


"Fog, my child, thine eyes art shining with that much pain..."


Her voice felt strained, like she was holding back something. And yet, what the colt heard clear as day, could only be described as sorrow combined with care. But why would she want to look into his eyes? She told him she already knew of his past, so she knew his pain.

Fog cast his eyes down again, his mind going back to darker times as the Princess remained silent. His ears flicked into the Princess' direction as he heard her hooves shuffle over the red carpet. Glancing up again, his eyes grew wide as he saw the Princess, her left hoof lifted against her chest, her right hoof stretched out in front of her touching the floor, her head bowed down. Was she bowing for him?


"My little pony, could thee find it in thine hearth to forgive us? To forgive us for being neigh there when thou needed us? For neigh being there for thine family at the time? For being away from Equestria for a thousand years?"


Fog was stunned, frozen in place as the Princess of the Night was apologizing to him openly, almost pleading to him for his forgiveness. Deep inside, he felt a surge of justification about her asking for his forgiveness, but at the same time, he felt, and he knew deep inside, that there was no need for her to apologize to him. Time and time again, whenever he was in her presence, he felt that he was safe and wanted, how could he possibly hold her accountable for not being there when she was on the moon? Even so when she returned, he could only imagine how it was for her to return. How could he truly blame her for not being there for him at the time?


"I forgive you."



"I forgive you, too."



"I forgive you as well."


Fog looked about the room to the voices, all of the ponies gathered gently voicing their own forgiveness. All of them said the same; they forgave her. But could he forgive her as well? Could he find it in his hearth to forgive her for those years? Fog looked to the Princess, who was still bowing low in front of him, not having moved the slightest bit.


"I... I forgive you, Mother."