> Shadows Within the Light
>  by Oddling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 - Well... This is New
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Four twenty-six… there were still a few more minutes left before his shift was over, but things had died down for the day. Mathew looked around the empty hardware store. He had been idly picking through little tasks for the last hour to keep himself busy. It was a little surprising how slow it was, even for a holiday weekend, but that was how things went for a town of 1,537 people.

He stopped wiping down the counter and pondered what he would do after work. All of his friends were busy, well, until later in the day when it was time to get the parties started, but that still left him with hours to fill in until then. Last weekend he had hung out by the pond. The week before that he went to the movies. He was not entirely sure what he was in the mood for at the moment.

His nose suddenly caught the scent of spring as his boss entered from the side door. The old field came to mind. His father used to take him there all the time when he was younger, and even at the age of twenty-two, Mathew loved that place. The field was close to home and was spread out over eighty acres, filled with rolling grass and flowers of all kinds. His mind was made up – he was going to go enjoy the sunset atop his favorite hill in the field.

The moment his shift was over, Mathew hopped into his truck, turned up his stereo to rock out to his ‘Feel Good’ mix, and drove down to his relaxation location. In no time at all he arrived and parked his truck at the top of the hill. He set up an alarm on his cell and reclined for a quick nap. His windows were down, letting a cool Spring breeze pass over him, and his mix CD was keeping him in a zone of perfect content. This was just one of the things he enjoyed the most in life.

After a satisfying nap, a snoozed alarm, and a wicked stretch beneath the glow of the setting sun, Mathew dropped the tailgate and sat down on the back of his truck. His eyes watched as the golden yellow from the sun’s rays melted to orange on the bellies of the few clouds in the sky. In that moment, he knew that there just could not be any better way to end a day. Then… the world was sucked away… and Mathew started to fall...



~~***~~



Princess Celestia and her sister, Luna, stood on the outer edge of a large room. The room had dark, almost black, marble floors. There were no windows, but many magical torches lined the walls of the ten-sided space. The air was thick with the humming of uncontrolled, chaotic energies. At the center of the room… placed atop an alabaster podium… a pale blue crystal, twice the size of a pony hoof, hovered in the air.

Celestia’s eyes had been fixed onto the floating gem for nearly half an hour. She had only, briefly, looked away once Luna had joined her in the room. Her stern glare toward the gem had piqued Luna’s attention from the very moment that she entered the room. She had already been curious about why her older sister had requested her presence in the magical containment ward.

Luna eyed the strange gem in the air. Something about the blue crystal gave her an unwanted familiar feeling. She just could not seem to put her hoof on what it was, exactly. Luna turned her attention back to Celestia. “Sister, what… what is that unsettling object? I do not like the feeling it gives off. It’s… well, for lack of a better word, it’s creepy.” she said, hopeful that Celestia could help ease her growing concern.

Celestia, never breaking her gaze from the gem, nodded her head slightly. “Indeed, sister, I have been watching it for some time now… the magic emanating from it is very unsettling. It was discovered in the Everfree Forest, just this morning, by a group of archeologists. Apparently… it was found in some ruins of unknown origin. However… I’m sure you recognize the feeling, this crystal harbors a dangerous power within it.” Celestia said.

Luna looked back to the mysterious crystal. She narrowed her turquoise eyes and gazed at it critically. She focused on that familiar feeling, trying to pin down the source. Then it struck her, it was the same feeling she once had within her – the powers of Nightmare Moon. But… the feeling from the crystal was not exactly the same. The dark energy within the object had distinct similarities to her old powers, but something was noticeably off. There was no hate or malice within the crystal.

Luna turned to Celestia again. “It seems to share a familiar magic as Nightmare Moon’s, but something is not right. The longer I feel the magic from it, the more I notice… something.”

Celestia nodded. Then, for the first time since she, herself, had entered the room, Celestia pulled her gaze away from the crystal and gave a wary but firm look toward her younger sibling. “Luna… I’m afraid that I’m at a loss as to what should be done with this object. Part of me wants to be rid of it, simply to deny any possibility for Nightmare Moon to dwell among us again – I could not bare to have you harmed by that presence again…” she said and sighed with hints of regret of what she had done in the past. “But… another part of me wishes to try and gain knowledge from this gem. Though it is uncertain what truly happened to Nightmare Moon, I do not feel the same threat from this strange magic. I can’t help but think that we could learn something of value from it.”

Celestia smiled faintly as she held her gaze with Luna. “Luna… I cannot make this decision, alone. Tell me… what would you have done with this crystal?” she asked Luna. “I will take to heart anything you have to say about this… since you know it better than I ever could.”

Luna was shocked for a moment. Her mouth opened to respond, but her answer was still caught between her mind and mouth. She closed her lips and took another long, hard look at the crystal. Indeed, there were differences between Nightmare Moon and that unusual gem, but it still made her fur crawl to feel that power again. On one hoof, if they did keep it they could possibly learn a way to counter Nightmare Moon, should she find a way to return to Equestria. On the other hoof, however, the gem could be a trap – one that would help to bring back the Queen of the Eternal Night. There were other possibilities to consider as well, but the risk of becoming the brash Queen again was just too great a risk for Luna – and it would be worse if Nightmare Moon took over somepony else.

Luna shut her eyes and took a calming breath as she turned back to her older sister. She opened her eyes, steeling her resolve, and looked right into Celestia’s bright violet eyes. “Dear sister… ‘tis our wish to seal such foul magic away. The threat of Nightmare Moon’s return is far too great to ignore. For all we know, this artifact could be a trap. I think it best to quell any possible avenue for her to harm us again.” Luna stated firmly, leaving no doubt to her words.

Celestia nodded and smiled warmly for her dear little sister. “I understand. Though we may not know if she is truly gone, so long as we have the Elements of Harmony she will not be able to strike us, or our precious little ponies.” Celestia said. She gently leaned forward and lovingly nuzzled Luna’s cheek, Luna returning the gesture just as affectionately. They both turned their gazes back to the gem.

“Let us be rid of it then.” Celestia said. “We will seal the magic within so that it may never be used against Equestria again.”

Luna nodded and hummed in agreement. The two alicorn’s moved to opposite sides of the room and faced the center. “Are you ready, Luna?” Celestia asked as her horn began to glow with the golden might of the sun. “Yes, my sister.” Luna replied as her own horn lit up with the silvery-blue elegance of the moon.

The floor of the room came to life as the combined magic of both princesses activated a magic circle engraved into the dark marble. The room-sized circle glowed brightly with a brilliant white light. Celestia’s multi-colored mane, as well as Luna’s dark star-speckled mane, billowed rapidly in the flows of the growing magical power. Their magic reached a peak and both their eyes lit up in bright white light in perfect synchronization.

In flawless coordination, something that the two sisters had always been able to do from when they were children, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna unleashed their sealing spells. Beams of gold and silver streaked across the room to collide in the center. The crystal instantly reacted to the two powerful magics… and ignited in a maelstrom of violently swirling waves of pale blue energy.

Celestia and Luna immediately knew that they were in trouble. They switched to compensate for the massive burst of unstable power. Sealing the crystal had become a near impossibility at that point, the only thing they could hope to do now was to contain the energy and prevent an explosion. The sisters grit their teeth and focused on channeling more of their power into a containment spell – centered around nullifying the rampaging energies that could potentially lash out with unknown degrees of danger.

The power of the crystal continued to rise, spilling forth from within like a cracked bottle of soda struggling to withstand the pressures after a Scotch Mint, or five, had been dropped inside. The energy that leaked from the crystal grew into a large orb around the gem. Luna started to grunt and groan as she strained to keep up with the rising magical surge. Celestia, too, suffered for her efforts, but she did everything she could to hold up against the crystal’s power.

The swell of power started to level off. The crystal stopped pumping out its power. The energy around the gem started to shrink. Both Luna and Celestia started to feel that the end was near and that they had managed to prevent a catastrophe. That was… until the shrinking energy started to swirl and glow brighter and brighter as the seconds dashed past. The sisters grunted and pulled out the deepest reserves of their power they could muster to bulk up the strength of their containment magic.

The orb of power grew smaller and brighter, brighter… brighter and brighter! Eventually Celestia and Luna had no choice but to shut their eyes or they would surely go blind from the intense glow. Then, without warning, the light gave off the brightest flash – so bright that it even burned through their tightly shut eyelids to make them flinch. Luna lost her focus from the flash and the following explosion of power from the flash made the combined containment spells falter.

Celestia and Luna were flung back from the rush of power. They slid into the walls behind them, hard enough to stun them, but not too hard that they were knocked out. Luna groaned from her sore body. She had used up a sizable portion of her magic and the recoil had begun to pound away at her entire body. She lifted her head up from the floor and blinked a few times to clear her vision. Then, upon hearing her sister gasp through the dead silence of the room, Luna whipped her hear to look.

Luna’s eyes went wide. Her vision had locked onto a form that she had never seen before. Hunched over on the floor, in the very spot that the crystal had just occupied moments ago, was a creature. The being had four long legs. The two in the front looked like they bent back in the opposite direction, toward the knees of its back legs, and were slimmer. The back legs ended in odd looking, black, stretched hooves… while the front two legs ended in flat pads with five long protrusion spread out on the floor. Its mane was a very dark brown, almost black, and kind of short by pony standards, but stopped just above broad shoulders.

Luna then noticed that the creature had strange thick skin on its body. The back legs were a deep blue, up to its hips. The torso changed to a deep black with odd symbols on the chest. The front legs and head of the being seemed to have a much smoother skin, with a fine coat of very tiny hairs, and were a very pale peach color. Before Luna could consider the odd color pattern or textures of the creature’s skin, she spotted the most shocking part of it; it had a face.

Luna inhaled deeply as she looked upon the being’s face. It had two eyes and, though one was hidden by part of its mane, she could see the golden brown color. Below the eyes was a strangely pointed nose that rested above its mouth. She absently noted the weird flat ears on the sides of the head, but the one thing she took in the most was the fact that the creature had an expression of utter shock on its face.

Celestia had reached the same conclusion as her little sister. Somehow, they had stopped a great explosion from the crystal, but now a life form that nopony had ever seen before had replaced it. Celestia slowly rose to her hooves and warily watched the thing as she stood. She did not know what the crystal had done, but the fear that the creature in front of them might be an unwanted gift from Nightmare Moon firmly tugged at her mind. Just what had she and her sister unleashed?



~~***~~



Mathew stared across the room. His heartbeat had hit new records in his chest as his mind clawed at the last shreds of his sanity. What the hell just happened? He thought as he tried to piece together the last thirty seconds. One moment he was taking in the glow of the setting sun on the underside of the few clouds in the sky… the next moment he had been yanked through some prismatic tunnel only to fall forward onto a hard dark floor. For a moment he swore he was just in a dream. That faded into reality when he noticed how much the cold smooth floor had stung and made his knees throb from his graceless landing.

His attention was suddenly drawn to a rustling sound and a few soft knocking noises to his right. Mathew turned his head slightly to look toward the source of the sounds. His breath caught in his throat. A horse, of some kind, with a bright white coat, a long spiraled horn, and wings… wearing a gold tiara and an ornate gold neckpiece of some kind, was getting up. Mathew had heard of unicorns and the mythical Pegasus from random works of fiction and old movies, but he had never heard of a horse with both wings and a horn before. He found it weird… but not as weird as the fact that it had royal attire on it… aaand not as weird as the fact that it’s face held an actual expression AND had a mane and tail made of a flowing rainbow of four colors and… was that a tattoo of a sun on its butt?

Mathew was positive that the horse was suspicious of him. It eyed him like it was ready to defend itself, should he move to attack it. Not like he would in the first place, what with him being confused to the point of punching himself to wake up from something that he knew was all too real but almost completely unacceptable for sanity sake.

He watched the horse carefully. After a few glances, he noticed that it was looking to something behind him. Mathew was hesitant, but he slowly turned his head and stole a quick glance to his left. He took a double take. Lying on the floor on the other side of the room was another horse with wings and a horn. It was much like the white one, but it was a dark blue color (almost like the deep blue of night during the twilight hour) and wore black royal decorations. The mane and tail on it was strangely beautiful… like a perfect glimpse of a starry night that flowed from it. He also noticed it had, what appeared to be, a splotch of black that cradled a crescent moon shape tattoo on its own rump.

The darker horse stared at Mathew with a similar look of shock on its face, which would have been a little funny to him if he had not been close to losing his mind. His eyes shot open further a moment later as his understanding of reality met the brick of surprise that came from the darker horse. It turned to look at the white one… and spoke.

“Sister… what is going on?” Luna asked in utter disbelief.

Celestia shook her head, holding her gaze on the strange creature. “I do not know, Luna. Never have I set eyes upon such a strange being – it’s a complete mystery to me.” she said.

As the two sisters talked, they noticed the creature’s head turn to them slightly. It had become more surprised when they had spoken and it even seemed to visibly jump at their words. Meanwhile, Mathew lost his grip on reality and commenced his unforeseen plan to freak out on the inside.

Holy shit! They TALK!? That’s impossible! This can’t be real! There’s no way a horse can talk! Well… okay, so they have horns, wings, and blowy manes that defy physics, but still! Talking animals is where I draw the line! I need to find a way out of here – I need… Mathew’s thoughts were halted as he heard a particular part of the conversation between Celestia and Luna.

“… Think the spell might have brought it here?” Luna asked.

Celestia shook her head faintly. “There’s no way to be sure. The crystal is nowhere to be found. The gem vanished and this being now rests in the exact spot it once was. The reaction from the crystal was incredibly powerful… but all traces of its magic have vanished.”

Luna was about to inquire further on the matter, but she paused as she noticed the thing had focused intently onto their words. She could tell that something they had said had caught its interest. A few seconds passed until she looked to her sister. “Sister… I think it understands our language. It’s paying attention to what we were just saying.”

Celestia’s eyes widened for a moment before she narrowed her gaze upon the human. She took a tentative step closer toward it. Just as she had wanted, it looked at her and gave her a questioning look – the faint hint that it was thinking about moving gently shining in its striking brown eyes. She tilted her head toward the thing and gave it an inquisitive look. “Do you understand what we’re saying?” she asked. A moment later, Celestia took another step toward it.

Mathew had gained a small level of control over his confused brain. The mention of magic had given him a little building block of rational thought. If they had knowledge of magic, then there was something to be used to gain a better idea of why he had wound up there. Though his understanding of magic was limited to quick draw movements and optical illusion, he still accepted real magic as a reasonable thing – since it could generally be used as a temporary filler for how horses could talk.

The moment the white horse took another step toward him, Mathew let instinct take over and he stood up and took two steps away. His action startled both sisters. He stood up nearly as tall as Celestia and his movement showed he was quicker than they had expected. Tense silence lingered in the air while Mathew eyed the white horse. He was not yet ready to just start talking to the mythical magical equine. Deep down he still pleaded with any celestial being from on high to wake him from his madness.

Luna noticed the being’s reaction to Celestia. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and she did her best to give it a reassuring smile to try and calm it. “Please, do not be frightened by us. We wish no harm upon you, but… we too, have just experienced something new and strange. Perhaps we can help one another to figure out the reason for all that has just transpired? Please speak with us if you understand our words.”

Mathew relaxed, ever so slightly, and turned his attention toward Luna. The expression she held was strange to him… but it did show a certain amount of genuine feeling. He sighed through his nose quietly and straitened his posture before he replied to her. “I do understand you… and I speak the same language you do.” he said pointedly.

Celestia let out a tiny gasp of shock, but allowed herself a mild reprieve from her caution as she looked to her sister. It seemed that, for some reason, Luna had a better grasp of how to gently coax the thing into conversing. She gave Luna an encouraging nod and hinted for her to continue talking with it.

Even without seeing Celestia, Luna knew that the ball was in her court. The being understood them and had shown willingness to talk with them. She was relieved, to say the least. After a brief few thoughts, Luna decided that she would begin with the basics; an introduction. “It is good to see that thou understands us, allow me to introduce myself, I am Princess Luna. My older sister, there, is Princess Celestia. Prithee, might you grace us with thine own name?” she asked calmly.

Mathew was a little baffled by the way Princess Luna spoke, it had been a while since he had heard such olden terms, but he knew what she had said. “My name is Mathew Reese.” he said. For the time being, Mathew’s goal was to let Luna lead and he did not want to jump head first into the many questions he had, yet. He could get answers eventually, but the situation was still too uncertain for him to feel comfortable barraging the two… princesses… with his questions. Maybe after Celestia stopped giving him that hidden death stare would he venture into gaining answers.

Luna’s smile spread a bit more and she gave a nod in appreciation for Mathew’s reply. She then took on a more regal demeanor before she continued conversing with him. “It is a pleasure to meet thou, Mathew Reese. We are sure that thou hath many a question to ask, but please bare with us for the time being. There is much to discuss, but first and foremost… we must learn more about thou. For starters, doth thou remember how thine came here – anything at all?” Luna asked.

Mathew brought a hand up to his chin and his eyes narrowed as he recalled the strange event. “Well,” he began, “I had finished my shift at work, which was around four in the afternoon, and I drove around to relax near one of my favorite leisure spots. I spent the next few hours taking a nap while the cool breezes carried the smell of the sweet flowers through the air – it’s very calming during this time of year. I woke up to watch the sunset and then… I was suddenly yanked into something.”

Luna’s ears perked up in interest. “Yanked? In what way?” she inquired. Celestia, too, was eager to know. The two sisters had only the slightest ideas of what might have brought the creature to their world. Anything they could learn from it would aid in putting the puzzle together, or clear the fog of uncertainty, at least.

Mathew nodded to Luna. “Yes, it was like my mind… or maybe even my soul, had been jolted and rapidly pulled. I can’t say which direction, but at some point I regained an idea of self-awareness. When I started to process where I was, I noticed that I was falling, face first, through some kind of tunnel. All around me I watched as every color imaginable just swished past me… even through me, at times. Then I found myself hitting the floor, here. I was so confused… I still am, but I have no doubt that this is real. Now I’m just uneasy with… well… sorry if I offend you, but I’ve never seen any animal that could talk, like you, in all my life. In fact… I’m kind of at a loss as to what you are…”

Mathew trailed off at the end. His expression gave off telltale signs that he truly did not want to offend or anger the two princesses, but he felt the need to know just what he was dealing with. Luna sympathized with him. She, too, wanted to know what Mathew was. It was a chance to start clearing the waters between the two beings. “I see… well, my sister and I are Alicorns. We are the combined magics of three pony races; Earth Pony, Pegasus and Unicorn. Our strength and magic ability is far greater than any of the other three pony races and we are immortal. My sister and I also act our parts as royal princesses and perform our duties to raise and set the moon and sun. Now… might we ask what form of being thou art? We have never seen anything such as you – even given our centuries of wisdom.” Luna said, her regal expression slipping to one of curiosity.

Mathew was definitely taken back by Luna’s explanation. Having found out what they were was one thing; finding out that they were immortal was just incredible. He cleared his throat and blew out a sigh of astonishment before he answered her. “Well, I’m a human. We’re… evolved from primates, like monkeys and such, and… we have no magic, and our lifespan is about an average of eighty years. Some of us have managed to live past a hundred, but it’s not a common thing.”

Luna nodded, taking in every detail, though there were only a few. She knew of monkeys, which started her mind on a short run of comparing the ‘human’ to the small furry things. There were some similarities to be seen, but it was clear that the humans had changed drastically in their evolution. Then something clicked in her head. A thought sparked and she felt the need to address it at that moment. “Mathew Reese… have thou, per chance, heard of our lands, Equestria?” she asked.

Mathew cocked a brow and frowned slightly while he shook his head. “I’ve never heard of that. Is that the name of the place I’m in?”

Luna nodded. “Indeed. ‘Tis the land that my sister and I have ruled over and protected for many centuries.” she said, and Luna thought, Celestia longer so than I, of course. She hid her minor twinge of heartache.

Mathew shook his head again. “Yeah, I’ve never heard of such a place. I guess that means I’m not in my world. Where I’m from, we have a handful of major powers, USA, Russia, Japan, Korea… but Equestria was never on any map I saw.” he said.

Luna nodded again. So they now had proof that they had somehow summoned Mathew. The next step was to find out how they had done so. She began to ponder on what to say next, but something caught her attention. She focused on Mathew. It was slowly starting to grow more noticeable… his breathing had become more rapid and increasingly labored.

Mathew, of course, had noticed it as well. His body was getting warm. His heart had picked up in pace, along with his breathing, and a cold sweat started to spread across his body. He was starting to feel like a fever was quickly attacking him. His vision blurred for a moment and he brought his hand up to grasp his forehead. “Ugh…” Mathew moaned. “I’m sorry… all of the sudden I’m… not feeling very well.” he said and swayed into a slight stumble to the side. He took in a deep breath to try and relieve the clenching feeling in his throat, but that did nothing for him. “I really don’t feel good. What’s the heck is wrong with m-“ Mathew’s mouth froze. His eyes went wide and his hand slipped down to clench beside his throat. A pulse shot through his body and it felt like his lungs were about to collapse and explode at the same time.

Celestia’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at Mathew. Ever so faintly, she could feel something coming from him, but it was not the same feeling she got from the crystal. It was definitely a magic that she felt from him, but that should not have been possible if what the human said was true – that his kind could not use magic. A deep feeling of dread started to tug at the bottom of her stomach. Celestia stepped closer and started to prepare for anything, but she stopped short when Luna dashed forward in concern for the human.

“Mathew! What is the matter – what’s happening?” Luna asked, worriedly. She watched as Mathew’s eyes looked at her, only to lose focus a moment later. His complexion paled and his hands clenched tighter as each second passed by. Celestia was worried about the human, too, but she worried more for Luna, who seemed oblivious to the building magic within Mathew.

Celestia stepped closer and called out to her sister. “Luna! Be careful, there’s a strong magic coming from within him!”

Luna glanced at her sister in surprise. She then turned her gaze back to Mathew’s body. At that moment she felt it – the power of a new and unknown magic taking shape inside of his chest. Suddenly, Mathew tensed and he yelped painfully. A pale blue mist started to seep out of his skin. Luna gasped as she saw the mist, then she saw a brief flash and found herself standing beside her sister. A part of her was utterly shocked that her sister would have used a teleportation spell for no reason, then she realized why.

Luna’s eyes were drawn back to Mathew’s body as a pulse of magical energy lashed out around him. It was frightening to think that she might have been struck by it. Especially since it was an unknown magic that could have any number of consequences, should it touch anything. Her fear, though… could not match to the pity she felt when she noticed the expression on Mathew’s face.

Mathew was in pain. With each beat of his heart, his body felt like it ripped into a hundred pieces and fused back together with the aid of a searing hot welder. His face was twisted in agony and it would be any moment that his tear soaked eyes would be forced to shut. In mere moments, Mathew slammed his eyes shut and grit his teeth while his pain escalated to record heights. Nothing had hurt him that much before – not even the time he had slipped and crashed through the thin ice of the pond outside of his grandparent’s house one winter.

Without warning, his body felt a rush of unrelenting force from within. His voice ripped through his throat in a blood-curdling yell and he crashed to the ground, clutching at his chest in a pathetic attempt to find and stop the cause of his agony. He could not take it any longer. With the last of his strength, Mathew called out to any god or deity that would hear his plea. “GOD, PLEASE, HELP ME! PLEASE!!! MAKE IT STO- … please make it sssSSSTOOOOOOOOP! I BEG OF YOU!!!!!” he cried out at the top of his lungs.

Sadly, nothing could help him. Even the two Alicorn princesses could only stare in horror. Suddenly, Mathew’s cries came to an abrupt halt. His face went blank and his eyes opened to reveal pools of pure white light. The pale blue mist solidified slightly and Mathew’s body lifted off the ground by a few inches – hovering like some magician’s levitation trick. In a quick flash of light, his body jerked and curled into a fetal position before every trace of magic vanished and he dropped to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Celestia and Luna stood like statues. Their eyes were wide and their mouths hung open in shock. For the first time in over a thousand years… they were dumbfounded. They could only assume that the power that had come from Mathew had something to do with the mysterious crystal that they had wanted to seal away. Their fears had come true, only… the victim was a poor human from another world that had to pay for their actions.

Just what had they done? How had it happened? Could they fix their mistake? But more than that… could the human ever forgive them for what was about to happen to his life?
	
> 2 - A Long Way From Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew’s eyes slowly opened. He immediately hated his life. His stomach was swimming five ways from Sunday, his brain felt like a jagged railroad spike was lodged through it, and every nerve in his body buzzed – like when his foot fell asleep, only ridiculously spread everywhere from his neck down. With a long groan, overflowing with his bountiful annoyance, Mathew rolled onto his side.

His eyes focused a bit more and he realized that he was on a bed. The sheets were incredibly soft and were a vibrant red color with white and gold accents along the edges. The room was quite the sight, as well. Each wall was painted in two tones of light lavender with borders of cream. The bed also had an elaborate eggshell colored curtain on the three sides – pulled back and tied to the posts to let the light of morning in.

The rest of the room was decorated with carefully crafted end tables, stands, and a chest of drawers. It gave the impression of money well spent for the best of comforts for guests. Mathew never really liked fancy things, though. The room had the effect of adding salt to iced tea… it left his bad mood with a lingering aftertaste of meh. A soft click suddenly drew Mathew’s attention.

Luna entered the room. She seemed to hold her breath as she looked at Mathew. He could tell that something had given her pause, but he was not sure what it was. The last thing he remembered, before waking up in the soft bed, was – oh it was enough to make him shudder – the extreme pain and suffering he had gone through before losing consciousness. He wondered what had happened to him after that.

For Luna, the experience was a bit more unsettling. The human’s appearance had changed after the magical outburst. It was amazing that he had even survived the ordeal – since he had coughed up a lot of blood shortly after he had lost consciousness in the containment room. It had taken numerous spells to keep his heart beating (it had stopped multiple times before he stabilized). Once Mathew’s heart had regained the strength to keep beating… a troubling development began to take effect.

Even now, Luna had trouble looking upon the poor human. She could tell that he had just awoken, since she had placed a trigger spell to activate once he woke up, and rushed to him immediately. He had no idea that his hair had changed; turning to a silvery grey with light blue highlights mixed in and it had become much coarser than before. His eyes had also turned into the same pale blue as the mysterious gem, while the rest of his body had stayed the same (from what they could tell during the examination from the royal physician).

Luna closed the door behind her with a small touch of her magic. “How art thou feeling?” she asked. 

Mathew, having watched her every move, noticed that she held a deeper concern for his health than she wanted to show. He sighed gently and gave her a slight grin in a small attempt to relieve her of worry. “I’m not in as much pain, now. I don’t feel normal yet, but I think it’s a big improvement over what happened in that big room I ended up in.” Mathew said. “Although… I can’t recall anything after that. Can you enlighten me as to what happened to me – if it isn’t too much trouble?” he asked with as much consideration as he could.

Luna had sighed in relief when she heard he felt better, but after he asked about what happened she cringed on the inside. She knew she had to tell him… but with him being an unknown species, it was not easy for her to decide on the best way to go about explaining things. She did not wish to offend him or cause unneeded stress. “Well,” she said after a few moments of careful thought. “You lost consciousness after some form of magical interference. We are still unsure how it happened, but you had a reaction to the… um… the object responsible for bringing you here.”

Mathew’s curiosity perked up from that. “So… what did bring me here?” he asked.

Luna took a breath before revealing the crystal’s existence, as well as what they had tried to do. Much to her relief, Mathew seemed to understand their reasons for trying to seal the thing away. He even smiled and said that he probably would have done the same to something potentially dangerous to an entire country. Of course, since he did not know much about the subject, Mathew wound up asking the inevitable question, “So who, or what, is Nightmare Moon, exactly?”

“Nightmare Moon…” Luna began, “was a mistake. When I was younger, that is to say, a little over a thousand years ago, I allowed myself to fall victim to my own childish selfishness. I gave in to my inner darkness and… started a short but drastic conflict with my sister, Celestia. Nightmare Moon was my desires made manifest and I nearly succeeded in plunging Equestria into an eternal night.”

Luna paused for a moment and lowered her eyes to the side, feeling the shame of her past. She had found the strength to forgive herself for her poor decisions in the past, thanks to Twilight and her friends in Ponyville, but it still stung just a little to be reminded of such faults. “My sister prevented me from accomplishing the eternal night… exiling me in the moon for a thousand years.” she said, but a warm smile spread across her face as she got to the next part. “Of course, upon returning from my exile, I encountered a group of ponies that helped me turn back into my true self. They used powerful elemental gifts, the Elements of Harmony, as we call them, and rid me of Nightmare Moon’s influence. So… to answer your question, you could say that Nightmare Moon was a part of my darkness and jealousy, but I still do not know exactly what or where it came from.” she said with a regretful shake of her head.

Mathew eyed Luna curiously for a moment. He had been summoned by an item that possibly had a connection to Nightmare Moon, and learned a surprising story of the Alicorn’s past, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind. He tilted his head and asked, “What happened to me back in that room? Why was I in so much pain?”

Luna’s eyes widened slightly, but she calmed herself quickly to reply. After all, the human did need to know what they had thought about his predicament. “We do not have solid proof of it, but we believe that your body was changed by the gem. We… we thought that you would… not survive… at first. After the magic had subsided and you passed out, you began to cough, quite violently, and a lot of blood came out. By the stars, you lived through the ordeal, but… there is magic within you now.” Luna explained.

Mathew was surprised to hear that. It was one thing to know that magic existed, but for him to have it within himself was… well, almost absurd. Magic was supposed to be nothing more than a gimmick, smoke and mirrors or slide of hand, simple entertainment for people who wanted to be impressed. He was skeptical and it showed in his raised eyebrow.

“I know it seems like a mere jest, but I assure you that it is truth.” Luna said when she noticed Mathew’s look. “We were quite shocked about it, but I can feel it within you. In fact, from what we can tell, the magical energy is what allowed you to recover so quickly. Even with healing magic, our physician said that your body should have taken days to recover – yet you have healed almost completely in mere hours.”

Having heard that, Mathew’s skeptic expression shifted to stunned. Had he been that bad? It seemed he had gotten pretty lucky, considering everything so far. Seconds passed in silence. Much as Mathew did not want to really believe it he was still stuck in a foreign world. He sighed heavily and looked to the canopy above the bed, slowly sinking deeper into the pillow.

Luna tensed. The absent look on Mathew’s face and the deep sigh made her think that she had upset him. She quickly lifted a hoof in concern. “O-oh, forgive me. I am truly sorry for all that has happened, I-“

Mathew chuckled and shook his head. “No, it’s not that I’m upset.” He assured her. “It’s just a lot to take in. I mean… reality, as I know it, has been flipped upside down and redefined. I just need… time.” Mathew sighed again, not as heavily as before, but still enough to show his stress. He turned a tired gaze back to Luna and smiled weakly. “Is there anything else I should know?” he asked.

Luna sank slightly. She was not thrilled to see his reaction to what she had in mind, but she felt it was best to say it then rather than leave it for Mathew to find out later on. Her ears drooped back on her head and she gave Mathew an apologetic glance. “Well… there is something else you should know about. You’ll see it in a mirror the next time you look at one, but your appearance has been changed… in a few small ways.” she said.

Mathew rolled his eyes and sighed. He knew he was about to regret it, but hearing those words gave him a reason to push himself into his first steps forward. He sat up. His head throbbed a bit more, but it was tolerable. He went to remove the covers from the rest of his body, but stopped when he realized that he had been stripped of his clothing. Mathew turned his head toward Luna, ready to panic about his newfound dilemma, but it occurred to him at the last moment that his pony acquaintance had no idea about the nudity taboo for humans.

His cheeks turned a little pink and he cleared his throat. “Um… Princess Luna?” he said awkwardly.

“Yes?” Luna replied, noticing the blushing expression on his face.

“Uh… what happened to the clothes I was wearing?” he asked.

Luna cocked a curious brow. “Clothes? Does thou mean the strange cloth that you had covering your body?”

Mathew nodded. “Yes.”

Luna inclined her head, glad that she knew what he was asking about. “Oh, they had been stained with your blood. I had the castle staff take them to be cleaned. We were unsure as to what they were at first, since we know next to nothing about your race. I had a feeling it was a type of clothing, but I wasn’t sure why you would wear so much of it.” she explained.

Mathew smiled awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably under the sheets. He cleared his throat again and forced a brief laugh as he thought of how to explain why his kind wore clothing. “Well, you see… humans are a bit funny when it comes to being seen without clothing on. There are a few different reasons for it, but many humans are very embarrassed if we’re seen without clothes on… it’s like a taboo that’s engraved into us right after we’re born.”

Luna’s stare had grown wider over the course of Mathew’s explanation. She even started to blush, having realized that she, her sister, and the medical staff had unknowingly put the human through such an embarrassing thing while he slept. “I- I… W-We beg thine forgiveness! We knew not that such acts were so frowned upon by your race!” she stammered and averted her eyes away from Mathew.

Mathew chuckled and waved his hand in front of him. “Oh, no, don’t feel badly about it. Honestly that sort of thing really doesn’t apply to me. I don’t have a problem with being seen without clothes… I just wanted to bring it up to make sure it wasn’t a huge deal for… ummm… your ponies. Is that how I should call your race – as ponies? Horses? Or…?” 

It seemed that the tables had shifted and now Mathew was the one to be alarmed at offending Luna. She paused for a moment, realizing the ironic change between their points of view. She suddenly felt that there was some good within the human and that, if he could feel the same kinds of feelings as she did, they could get along. She brought her hoof up to cover a slight smile. “Ponies, please. There haven’t been any horses in Equestria for a very long time. Ancient lore hints toward the possibility that ponykind may have descended from them, but nothing substantial has been found to confirm or deny it.”

Mathew sighed and thanked Luna for clearing that up for him. He was grateful, to say the least, that the lunar princess had gone through the trouble to help him, even though he was still an alien to her world. His feet slipped down to the floor and he was preparing to stand, but Luna quickly ran up and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Be still, you shouldn’t try to walk just yet.” she gently advised.

Mathew stopped, but he could not suppress a small sigh as he looked Luna in the eye – a hint of unease in his eyes. “I need to see what I look like.” he said softly.

Luna kept her hoof on his shoulder, but only lessened the pressure of her touch. She nodded her head in understanding and turned her head toward the chest of drawers along the wall. Above it hung an ornate mirror in a silver frame. Her horn glowed and the mirror was wrapped in her silver-blue magic. It floated over to the side of the bed, but she kept it faced away. She pulled her hoof away and asked Mathew if he was prepared to look upon his altered body.

Mathew nodded and took a deep breath. Luna mirrored his action and then turned the mirror around for Mathew to see himself. His breath halted as his new look was absorbed into his eyes and etched onto his memory. It was a shock at first. Yet, it did not take long for him to find his new look slightly more appealing.

When he was satisfied he looked back to Luna and thanked her for showing him. Luna was glad that he seemed to take the change rather well, but she still felt sorry for him. Mathew laid back down and Luna floated the mirror back to the wall. They were silent for a minute. Eventually, Luna decided the time had come to end her visit. “I shall take my leave. Should you require any assistance, you may address either of the two royal guards outside your door.”

Mathew nodded and sank back into the bed. “Thank you, Princess Luna.” he said softly.

Luna eyed him for a moment, fighting with herself on whether she should try to comfort him. She eventually decided against it and walked toward the door. She paused just before it and turned her head back toward Mathew. “I’ll visit you again when my duties no longer require my attention… if you do not mind.” Luna said.

“I don’t mind.” Mathew replied as a small smile crossed over his lips. He was thankful for the intent behind Luna’s offer.

Luna bid him goodbye and exited the room. Her face managed to stay calm, but her heart fell when she took one final glance at the look of defeat on Mathew’s face, just before the door clicked shut. She sighed through her nose, keeping a regal look about her in front of the two guards to the sides of the doorway. She told them to keep an ear open in case the human needed any help. Then she was off. She new Celestia would want to hear of her visit with the human.




~~***~~




Celestia sat on her favorite cushion in her private quarters, slowly sipping on a cup of tea. It was one of her preferred flavors, an earl grey with a dash of lavender for a calming aroma and sunflower petals for a delicate flavor that warmed her like the sun on the inside. Given the events over the evening she really needed the perks, if only to keep her from acting on the fearful impulse bubbling in the back of her mind.

She was unsure of the human. He had been summoned to Equestria by a mysterious crystal that had traces of Nightmare Moon’s power within it. She knew nothing about his race. Why had something related to the dark entity brought the human to her world? Were humans dangerous? Could he be trusted? Were her little ponies going to be safe with such a strange being among them? Was he innocent in all of this, or was there a purpose for him in some, yet, unknown plan preconceived by the dreaded Nightmare Moon?

There were so many questions, and few of them were pleasant for the sun princess. She sipped at her tea again, only to find the cup had been emptied. She sighed disappointedly and lowered the cup to the saucer. She lifted her head to call for another cup of the relaxing brew. Just before the words could leave her lips, Luna walked into the room.

Celestia smiled, she was so relieved to see her beloved little sister back and unharmed. Although, it was clear that something had happened that lowered Luna’s spirits. Celestia had seen that kind of sad thoughtful look on Luna’s face before. “Luna, it’s good to see you. How was the visit with the human? You seem to have something on your mind.” she said with a gentle smile. She had her worries, but she dared not make them know to Luna just yet.

Luna gave her big sister a small smile, but it faded when she acknowledged her sister’s question. “Mathew seems to be recovering from his injuries quite well. I must admit that it was surprising to see him handle the news as well as he did. He seems to have a good heart… but…” Luna trailed off as she thought about Mathew’s last expression as he gazed weakly at the ceiling.

Celestia leaned closer to Luna, her face just a bit more concerned than before. It was hard to tell, most of the time, what she was thinking. Being Equestria’s ruler for over a thousand years had given her near perfect control of her facial expressions. She had the ideal poker face for any situation with a smile that could never waver. “But what? Did something happen?” Celestia asked quietly.

Luna looked to her sister and gave a pitiful sigh. “Well… yes, and no. I told him about the crystal and how we believed he was brought to our world.” she informed Celestia. She told her older sister about the conversation with Mathew and how he reacted to everything. Though it was still embarrassing, she even talked about the issue of his nudity, which made even Celestia blush a little since it was her decision to have the clothing removed to begin with.

By the end of it, Celestia had relaxed a little. She felt that, for the time being, the human was not a danger to her little ponies – or her sister. Sadly, she still felt a lingering doubt about the one thing that kept her uncertain. She turned to Luna and let her smile flatten out. “Luna… what about that magic within him. Did you notice anything about it that might connect to the crystal?” she asked softly, yet seriously.

Luna sighed long and deeply. Her sadness seemed to grow more in her eyes. “Sister… it is difficult to tell. We both know that the power of that crystal had to have gone somewhere. It may be the source of the magical energy I sense within his chest. You were there, too, when the physician said he had found something strange fused to Mathew’s heart. It could be that it has combined itself to him in such a way that removing it may… may kill him.” she hated to say the last part of that sentence. The very thought of losing an innocent life to something she had allowed to enter Equestria made her heart ache.

Celestia sympathized with Luna. She, too, did not wish for such a fate to befall the human. She valued life and, different species or not, she wanted to protect any life she could. But she could not allow Nightmare Moon to hurt her little ponies again – especially her beloved sister and precious student and recently appointed princess, Twilight Sparkle. She offered Luna another warm smile in an attempt to reassure her. “I know, Lulu, it would not be fair for him to have to suffer, but we must still do what we can to help him. I will make sure we use every resource available to free him from this burden. However…” 

Celestia’s smile wavered, but she knew she had to say what she had on her mind – if only to ensure that Luna was prepared for such an event. “Luna… I know that you feel guilty about what has happened to him, believe me, I feel the same way, but… if any of Nightmare Moon’s influence becomes noticeable, we must be prepared to strike. It pains me to think of it, but if she is able to return…”

Luna shook her head, frowning deeply from her sister’s words. “I am well aware, sister, but I refuse to think that such a thing will happen – I will not permit it! Too many have suffered because of what I brought to our world. I shan’t let that foul thing get away with tormenting us, or anypony else, ever again. This I swear!” Luna declared firmly. Then her expression softened as her eyes looked up into some distant place. “I pity Mathew… we may not know anything about his kind, but I see a poor soul that has lost the way. Tia… I saw how fragile he truly is. Even if Nightmare Moon is behind this, I can never turn away from him. I had to deal with her influence on my own… but things may have been different if I had found someone to confide in. I’ll be there to support him through this. He deserves that much at the very least.”

Celestia was silent as she took in her sister’s words. She knew that the matter was more personal for Luna than for anypony else. Luna was adamant in her resolve. She would respect that decision, but Celestia would not allow herself to think along the same line of thought. To keep her sister safe, and the rest of Equestria, she would keep her senses alert. If the human was pure, then he could be saved… but should he become another tool for Nightmare Moon to use… Celestia would make sure to rid the world of her foul presence… once and for all.
	
> 3 - Anchor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rays of the morning sun reached into the bedroom. Sensing the change, Mathew began to stir. His eyes slowly crept open and lazily trailed over to the clock on the nightstand. It was a little past six twenty. He took a deep breath, enjoying the faint traces of cool mist in the morning air of Spring, with the slightest hints of the flowers from the garden outside of Canterlot castle.

It was another pleasant morning, compliments of Celestia. Mathew had come to enjoy the subtle beauty of Equestria, even though he had been confined to the castle grounds for health reasons – the doctors did not want him wandering too far from aid, in case he had another magical surge. He felt that the real reason had to do with the fact that he might have a part of a dangerous enemy within him, but accepted the little lie just because it made things less problematic for him.

The faint sound of gently fluttering feathers drew Mathew out of his morning haze. It was a welcome sound. He sat up in bed and turned to the open window. He did not have to wait long. Luna soon flew in through the window, landing softly on the plush violet carpeting. The lunar princess turned her head toward Mathew and the two shared a smile, exchanging friendly morning greetings.

Mathew was relieved to see her, and a bit happy. Luna had gained quite a few points on the friendship scale with him over the past week. Despite the rough and awkward start between them, the two opposite beings had found enjoyment in the company of one another. For Luna, she had a new friend with vast amounts of mysterious and exciting tales of a far away world. In Mathew’s eyes, Luna had been very kind and honest to him, which helped him warm up to her. He appreciated her efforts to keep him comfortable, as well as ease his mental struggles with adapting to his, for the time being, new home.

However, the thing that really made Luna stand out as a good friend, was how she could get Mathew to laugh. Much to each of their surprise, they both had a wide range for their senses of humor. Their first side splitting moment had come from one of their conversations about the anatomy of their races. Luna had remarked on how interesting it would be to walk on two legs, like a human, and be so agile. Mathew had pictured the equine in such a pose and, without even thinking, said that she could do it if she wanted to.

Luna had raised her brow at Mathew’s words, but, since he had taken the step in that direction, felt it might be interesting to see how convincing he could be in his point. He told her that humans all were born helpless, eventually growing strong enough to crawl around on all fours. Humans could manage to walk on two legs by the time they were a year old – all it took was practice and help from the parents. To further prove his argument, he said he could demonstrate how humans could move on all fours and get up onto two legs.

Luna had held doubt, but when she watched Mathew get down on the floor and walk around, quite ridiculously, on all fours, she started to give Mathew the benefit of the doubt. Mathew struggled to keep his amusement in check during the whole display. He hoped that Luna had known that he was just pulling her leg, but when she went to lift her front hooves off the ground and balance on her back ones, the poor guy could not help but clamp a hand over his mouth.

Luna had been focused on the task, and only when she looked at Mathew for approval did she see the err in her judgment. She would have been upset that he had fooled her, but even she could not help but laugh when she realized how ridiculous she looked. The moment she let her own giggle slip past her lips, the avalanche of laughter gave way until they had tears in their eyes. Mathew apologized in the end, but the moment had sparked a small competition between them to best the other in subtle jokes.

Fortunately for Mathew, they usually waited until after breakfast before letting their humor war commence. Mathew slipped out of his bed, shaking his leg to get the pant-leg to slide down from being bunched up under the sheets. He had been grateful to Luna for his new pajama bottoms, as well as the other clothing she had ordered to be made, the silver silk fabric was divine.

As Mathew stood, he gave Luna a slight bow of his head and grinned. “So, what’s on the schedule for today, Luna?” he asked playfully.

Luna hummed and smiled a pinch wider. Though she did her best to hide a mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes, she knew Mathew could tell she had something planned. One of the many mysteries about him had been how he seemed able to read the expressions of everypony around him. Still, she held onto her role and remained secretive about her intent. “Oh, I thought I would surprise you this morning. There are not as many royal duties for me to attend to this day, so my schedule was a bit open,” Luna said. She put a bit of effort into nonchalantly turning her gaze to the side, acting as if she had not been planning the upcoming day. Of course, she did struggle to keep a smirk from growing on her face as she continued her playful antics.

Mathew lifted one brow and gazed at her curiously. Oh he knew she was up to something. It was her turn to pull the next prank, after all. He decided to play along, getting into his own character by getting mildly excited and placing his hand up to his chin. Rubbing in mock thought he said, “Oh, really? So does that mean we have the whole day to spend together? If I didn’t know better, I’d start to think that you were proposing a date with me?”

Luna’s jaw dropped open and her eyes went wide. “I-I- That was not our intent! We simply wished to show thou something new and fun this day! It was merely our hope that thou could enjoy a gift from us!” she stammered.

Mathew chuckled and grinned widely. “Don’t worry, I know. It’s just so cute when you get nervous – you slip into that adorable way of speaking and it’s too good to pass up a chance to coax you into it,” he teased. Then his grin turned to a friendly smile. “And I’d love to receive your gift. I look forward to seeing it and thanks for thinking so highly of me. It’s an honor that you tolerate me enough to be so generous.”

He continued to smile as he watched Luna’s shocked expression simmer into a smirk. It was hard to be too upset with him, since she also found the little tick of hers to be slightly funny. She had gotten much better over the years, only slipping into her old Royal Canterlot way of speaking when she was formally addressing others or nervous. At least she no longer slipped into the loud booming voice anymore.

Luna sighed with a smile and she turned to the door. “When you are ready, you may follow me. I shall wait for you outside.”

Mathew nodded and, once Luna had left the room, proceeded to change into the proper attire for an outing. He went with his new grey jeans, a white shirt, and sprayed his body with a substitute deodorant – which was essentially a perfume that smelled like cinnamon apple cobbler. For the sake of his pride, and masculinity, he picked it simply to avoid smelling like a girl with the other various flower-scented perfumes.

He then slipped on his socks and shoes and proceeded to join Luna in the hallway. As usual, Mathew politely greeted the two guards that stood outside his room, receiving the usual grunt in response. Mathew could not blame them, they were on duty after all, so he simply shrugged it off and followed the lunar princess. He tailed her through the grand halls of the castle until they reached the large dining hall.

The smell of freshly made salad, hot bread rolls, and perfectly prepared eggs greeted his nose as they entered the room. Mathew and Luna wasted little time and took their seats at a smaller table, one that seated ten ponies. Within moments, waiters entered the room and swiftly placed the assortment of food down, only for them to vanish after.

Mathew had found the occurrence quite odd the first time, but had since grown used to it. He took in a whiff of the breakfast and smiled contentedly. “Smells as good as ever. Your chefs are really good at their work,” he stated as he reached for his fork.

Luna smiled and nodded. “I agree, I think they may be trying to impress you… especially with the compliments you keep giving about their cooking. Especially Quick Whisk, I think you made his day when you said how good the cheesecake was.”

Mathew chuckled as he took a bite of the light and perfectly crisp pouched egg. There was no way to deny, the ponies had insanely good cooking skills. He was even shocked by how sweet and crunchy the tulip sandwich was, the other day. Mathew swallowed the bite of food and gave a satisfied smile. “You can’t say anything less about this food, it’s really the best every time. I’d be a liar if I said this wasn’t the best food I’ve ever had in my life,” Mathew said.

The two finished their breakfast, enjoying the flavors as well as the good company. When they were done, Mathew asked Luna where they were going to go next. Her answer was not what he had expected, but still one that he was happy to hear. Their next stop was the castle gardens. Mathew had only caught glimpses of the gardens through the windows of the castle a few times. The big grin on his face showed just how pleased he was with the idea.

Mathew walked alongside Luna, through the grand halls of the castle, and out through a set of large pristine white doors. The warm rays of the sun welcomed him as he exited the castle. It was a gorgeous morning. He came to realize that he had come to a stop when Luna’s soft giggle redirected his attention from the morning’s beauty.

“Looks like my sister’s sun has gained another fan,” Luna teased.

Mathew chuckled and briskly caught up to Luna. “Nah, it’s not just her sun, this whole place is nice. I’ve always liked this kind of natural beauty. Even with the huge white castle here, everything is just crafted in a way that it all compliments together quite well,” he said with a warm smile.

Luna smiled as well, happy that their outing had started off better than she had hoped. Mathew walked with her, well… as best as he could while taking in the pretty views of the large garden. He noticed that they seemed to be heading toward the high arch that led into a maze hedge. The confirmation came when he caught a sly glance from Luna as they neared it.

Mathew stopped just outside of the maze, Luna doing so after a few steps into it. She turned back to him with a curious smile and the glint of mischief in her eyes. “What is the matter? Have you never been in a maze before?” she asked playfully, with the faintest bit of a teasing tone hidden beneath.

Mathew simply cocked his head slightly and glanced around the opening of the hedge. He also gained a playful grin as he looked back toward Luna, meeting her turquoise gaze with his light blue. “I’ve been in a few mazes. This is the first one that’s higher than eight feet, though. I hope you don’t plan to try and get me lost inside,” he said.

Luna chuckled and shook her head. “Were it some other time, I might, but for now… the gift I have lies within,” she assured Mathew, but could not help but find the thought of getting him lost inside very entertaining.

Mathew laughed a little and gave a playful bow. “Lead the way. I’m even more intrigued to find what it is you have for me – in a maze of all places,” he said and gestured for Luna to lead with his hand.

Luna led Mathew through many winding turns and paths. He made sure to count off the turns as they went, mentally keeping track so he could retrace his steps if Luna had intended to prank him. All the while he started to feel Luna’s excitement – her star-filled mane had even started to billow more in that unseen ethereal wind. Then, after taking another left turn, Luna stopped and flared out her wings.

Mathew stopped right behind her and raised an eyebrow at her. She turned her head to him and, with a seemingly fearful look in her eye, spoke to him ever so softly. “This, that I’m about to show you, is something that I hold very dear. You will not find anything like it outside of this place… I hope you like it.” 

With that said, Luna dropped her wings and moved to the side. Mathew’s eyes popped open and his mouth opened slightly as he saw what had been behind Luna. Pure white flowers, like a mix of rose and lotus, adorned every wall. In the shadow of the hedge, he could see that each flower had a faint glow to them as well. The flowers were gorgeous. Mathew had no words as he approached a cluster of the white beauties that grew from an ornate stone pot. He leaned in and took a tentative sniff of the buds. His eyes popped open as he realized he had smelled the same scent before.

Mathew turned a good-humored eye of suspicion toward Luna. “These smell like you. And they are breathtakingly beautiful… they remind me of the moon. What are they called?” he asked.

Luna had a faint blush, realizing that Mathew had picked up on her scent, but she was more pleased that he seemed to like the surprise. She walked to a flower and smelled it as well, smiling as she did so. “These are Lunar Roses. They are my favorite flowers. I used to have a whole field of them… before I was banished to the moon. I was overjoyed when Celestia showed me this place. She had saved as many as she could for me. On some nights, I’ll come here just to enjoy their soft glow and relaxing aroma. They remind me of joyful days, when I was young and so much happier,” she said as a pure and genuine smile of happiness filled her features.

Mathew suddenly held a whole new appreciation for the flower filled space within the maze. Luna had shown him one of her most precious treasures. The weight of such an act was not unnoticed by him, even though he was guilty of being dense to this sort of thing normally. He turned to Luna and smiled more warmly than he had ever done for her, thus far. “Luna… thank you for showing me this. I’m honored that you let me see something so precious to you. I’d like to come back… to see what it looks like under your night sky. I bet it would be just as pretty,” he said.

Mathew turned back to the flowers and reached up to gently touch one of the petals. Luna noticed the act, but was too late to warn him. His fingers brushed against the soft petals and were cut by the leaf beneath them. He jerked his hand away, hissing from the sting of the wound. Luna rushed to him and grasped his hand in her silvery magic. Mathew let her inspect the wound.

Luna sighed with mild relief. “Good, it doesn’t look like you have any barbs from the leaf in you, they can make the wound hurt more – eventually leading to infection, but…” her voice faded and she leaned in closer to the bleeding hand.

Mathew looked at her, wondering why she had trailed off. He looked at his wound again and saw what had caused Luna’s pause. His cuts had stopped bleeding and were already closing. There was a faint pale mist seeping out as the cuts sealed shut. Once they had sealed completely, the blood simply turned black and flaked away, leaving his hand as good as new.

Mathew shared a look of surprise and slight uncertainty with Luna. “Well… that was strange,” he said in a near whisper.

“Indeed…” Luna agreed. “Healing magic is rare in Equestria and takes a lot of concentration to perform. It would seem that whatever magic lies within you has given you quite a rare gift to your regeneration. I wonder if the few lessons you’ve had in basic magic practice has anything to do with this,” she said, slightly fascinated by the idea.

Mathew was impressed by what he just saw, but there was still a feeling of unease about it. It was still unreal to see his flesh mend like that, let alone having succeeded in catching on to using magic. He could already levitate objects as heavy as books, but he resisted actively using magic. It was still too unnatural for his human instincts. If anything… he was afraid at how quickly he had caught on to using magic.

Suddenly, Luna realized she had touched on the landmine. She had spoken with Mathew about his discomfort with his magic, and only then realized that she had been careless about her praising him just then. She took a breath to apologize, but Mathew’s hand stopped her, his fingers gently touching her lips. He shook his head and gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll get over it. You don’t need to feel sorry about that. It was kinda cool, to be honest.” he said to her, keeping his voice calm and using a warmer tone to get his point across.

Luna nodded, returning the smile. They spent a few more minutes enjoying the flowers before they decided it was time to head back to the castle…




~~***~~




Mathew and Luna exited the maze about ten minutes later. She had taken him a different way, showing him a few other nice spots within. As they left the hedge, Mathew felt an urge to look up. His gaze wandered across the sides of Canterlot Castle. Within moments he spotted the multi-colored ethereal mane of Celestia; she was standing on one of the balconies.

Mathew knew instantly that she had been watching him, for how long he could not tell, but he knew her eyes were fixed on him. He pulled out a smile and waved up to her. “Hey, there’s your sister, Luna,” he said. Luna turned to him and followed his gaze to spot her big sister outside of her room, standing on the balcony. She smiled and nodded to her sister.

Celestia nodded back, letting a warm smile take over her features. The smile faded once she was sure Luna had looked away. She kept her eyes on Mathew as he followed Luna back into the castle. A little while ago she knew she had felt something amiss. Mathew’s unique magic had flared for a moment and it had done so outside of the castle. She had not been all that pleased that the human could use magic.

She still worried about the unknown magic within the human. To make her worries worse, Luna had grown very close to him over the week. If it were under any other circumstance, Celestia would have been delighted to see her little sister making a new friend. Sadly, she could not be happy, not with the fear of Nightmare Moon’s mysterious plot remaining an unknown.

The final piece of information, that had solidified Celestia’s mistrust in Mathew, had come from one of the times Luna had shared the human race’s history. They were intelligent, inventive, and capable of war… very capable. Humans had carved out their place on Earth by subduing all other forms of life on their world. For Celestia, that news had made the human a bigger threat in her eyes.

Unfortunately, Celestia’s warnings had fallen on Luna’s unwilling ears. She could not convince her little sister to give up on her time with the human. In fact, Luna had become more determined to be with him, saying that Celestia could not see the gentler side of him because she had let herself be blinded by doubt. There was nothing more to be done for Luna, so Celestia settled on having the human under constant watch instead.

Thus far, nothing had been out of the ordinary, but Celestia would wait for another thousand years if she had to – she would go to any lengths to be rid of Nightmare Moon…



~~***~~




A few days had passed since Mathew had been to the maze with Luna. He was focused on the words of the tan unicorn at the front of the room. It was another magic class, the subject was on regulating the flow of magic during spell casting. Mathew had been a bit uncomfortable, since he had managed to get into a more advanced class for his knack for magic, but it was fortunate that the other unicorn students around him were paying rapt attention to the professor.

Mathew had been listening to the professor speak about how the proper usage of magical power would change the strength of the spell. It was a little bit past what he had already heard in basic magic, with the differences being in exactly how each change in the magical flow would alter a spell. The current example had to do with a barrier. Adding too much magic to the spell would create a weak barrier, easily broken. To counter such a weakness, adding additional power to the spell during the duration, rather than during the initiation of the spell, would give the barrier strength.

Oddly enough, Mathew had already figured out that much, and on his own to boot. Though it was a bit rude, Mathew allowed his thoughts to wander. He really did not want to do magic anymore. The only reason he had accepted to do so was because Luna had made a very valid point. He needed to know just how far his magical power could go. There was no known way to get him back to earth, but new spells were being created every other week, on average, so he might be able to find the way on his own.

Still… he hated magic. The way it felt as he used it was just so… repulsive. Every time he tapped into the magic within his body he would feel such a thrill from it. The sensation was almost as good as climaxing with a lover, but in a twisted way. The best way he had found to describe it was: it’s like I’m getting sadistic satisfaction every time I cast a spell – as if the power could tear apart everything in my way and feel incredibly good to do so. 

It took quite a bit of time, each day after his classes, for him to calm himself afterward. It was another reason why he enjoyed Luna’s company. She was the only one who could find the right gestures and words that would ease Mathew’s troubled mind. He wondered what she was up to, just then. He also wondered if he could ever get Celestia to stop looking at him like he was some criminal. She had not been to see him since the first few days after he had recovered – instead she always stayed at a distance with her piercing eyes watching his every move.

“Ahem!” The sound of the professor’s voice suddenly brought Mathew back to the class. Two of the young colt unicorns were standing at the front of the class beside the professor. Mathew suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He had missed something and the entire class had their eyes on him. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, Professor Glint, I was lost in thought.” he said, sincerely sorry for not paying attention to the lecture.

The professor chuckled. “I’m sure you have plenty on your mind, Mathew, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t lose track of my teachings. I asked if you’d like to join these two in a demonstration.” The old stallion asked, the small spectacles on the end of his muzzle shifting with his smirk.

Mathew nodded and stood. The majority of the class consisted of young colts and fillies, barely higher than his knees, so seeing him rise always made them gaze in awe. Even the professor had to admit that is was a sight to see, since the only one taller than Mathew was Celestia – by a mere four inches.

Mathew joined the other two students. The three of them had been faced toward the rest of the class. “Now,” Professor Glint started. “For this demonstration, I’d like the three of you to perform your own barrier spells. Use what you know and make the sturdiest one you can manage.” he told the three of them.

The first colt flared his horn. His bright green magic gently flowed from his horn and formed into a transparent sphere around him.

The second colt’s magic flowed out a little faster, forming a yellow sphere, but his wasn’t as perfectly shaped.

Mathew’s turn came. He lifted his hands and, to make sure he did it right, he went through the steps briefly within his mind. He calmly set his thoughts into focusing on the feeling of his magic. His hands started to glow with a pale blue aura, signaling a flawless tap into his power. Then came the initiation of the spell. He pictured what it was he wanted to create and allowed his magic to mold to his thoughts. Then, the application of the spell, letting his magic flow out to conform to his will.

So far, the spell had gone as he wanted it, but the professor had asked for the sturdiest barrier they could make. Mathew took his next step to finalize his spell. He added a second spell to the barrier; a solidification application to add more stability to the barrier. With that in place he added the final component to it, more magic, with a clockwise rotation to make the barrier more resilient.

He felt satisfied with his work and looked over to the teacher. Mathew was a bit shocked to see Professor Glint’s mouth hanging open. For a second, Mathew thought he had done something wrong. Professor Glint’s gaping expression soon shifted to a gleeful grin. “Now THAT is a superb barrier! Take a good look class, this is exactly what I was telling you earlier.” he said as he moved to the first colt’s barrier. “Our first example, it is a solid cast of the spell and follows the steps perfectly, but it lacks the power behind it to stay up against a simple buck. Our second example shows what happens when you don’t use the proper balance of magic in the initiation of the spell. The result leaves you with a weak barrier that will crumble on its own in a matter of minutes.”

The professor then walked over and stood in front of Mathew’s barrier. “And this, class, our third example provided by Mathew, is how a near perfect barrier should be cast. He applied the perfect amount of magic to give the spell its form and then applied his magic a second time after the application of the spell to give it the stability to last for hours.” He then turned his attention to the class, a smile plastered across his face. “But Mathew did something else, which I am surprised to see he knew how to do it. He added a third layer to the barrier spell. He gave it a spin. Does anyone know what happens when you add a spin to a barrier spell?” he asked, scanning the students for any who might know. The lack of hooves raised made him smile a bit more; he enjoyed having this kind of a leg up on his classes. “A rotation, the application of magic to cause the energy to move continuously in a specific direction, causes a repulsion effect. Simply put, the spin makes it difficult for any physical or magical attack to affect the barrier’s matrix. It gives an additional layer of protection, allowing the barrier to withstand up to six times more force than a stationary barrier.”

The class was struck with the incredible feat they had seen. Sadly, they had not heard the last of the amazingness yet. “To put this example into a better point of view, it would take a very powerful spell to get through this barrier, probably a spell strong enough to leave a crater fifty feet wide – one in the range that only our Alicorn princesses are capable of.” Professor Glint’s words rang out into the room.

Suddenly, Mathew realized he had gone too far. The way he had made the barrier was simply due to what he had learned, then estimated through small experiments, and put together in the most efficient way he could imagine. Much to his immediate horror, though he did his best to keep his expression calm, he had created such a powerful spell without knowing until it was too late.

Though the class was in a state of awe, and the professor elated to see such a wonderful example of magical ingenuity, Mathew had had enough of the attention. Plus, he really wanted to find somewhere to freak out in solitude. He cleared his throat loudly, cringing as he let some of his nervousness slip through it. “Um… Professor, I’m not feeling well. May I be excused?” he asked, desperately hoping that Glint would not try to push any unwanted praise into the situation.

Professor Glint looked back toward Mathew. He saw the sweat beading on the human’s forehead and decided that it might be a good idea to let his student take a break. He nodded his head. “Yes, very well done, Mathew. Be sure to get plenty of rest.”

Mathew thanked his teacher and went to dispel the barrier… but there was no response. He tried again, going through the steps that should have canceled the spell. Still the barrier held in place. Professor Glint’s smile had started to turn to an expression of concern as he watched Mathew’s struggle. He got right up to the barrier’s edge and looked at Mathew in the eyes. “Mathew, what’s wrong? You can end the spell and go rest.”

Mathew’s expression started to turn to one of frustration. He grunted and tried to get his magic to do as he wanted, but it would not yield. “Professor, I can’t get it to stop. It’s… it won’t respond to me. I’m going through all the steps to stop the spell, but nothing is working. Am I missing something?” Mathew knew there were many ways to cancel a spell, but after he had tried twelve different methods, he wanted another opinion.

Professor Glint removed his spectacles and lit his horn in magic. He felt around Mathew’s barrier, searching for weaknesses, but soon shook his head. “Mathew, I’m afraid this one is above my ability to dispel. We’ll need one of the princesses to aid you, but that may take time. How is your magic feeling? Are you using up too much to maintain the spell?” he asked Mathew. He was doing his best to remain calm, but he was deeply worried about the strain the magic might be putting on the human’s body.

Mathew took a few moments to check his inner flow of magical energy. To his surprise, he was not losing any magic to his spell – it was somehow self-sustaining. Nothing was going the way it normally should, and with his limited knowledge, Mathew’s stress had begun to reach the limit. He looked at Professor Glint and shook his head, sighing heavily. “No, my magic is fine, for the time being. Is there no other way to get out of this?”

Professor Glint thought for a moment. He had a few ideas, but most of the spells were above Mathew’s current education. However… he had faith in Mathew’s ability to process one of the spells without trouble. He fixed Mathew with a firm gaze. “Mathew, listen very carefully, it might be risky to try this, but it’s well within your ability range. If you want to get out of this, you need to find a way to pop your barrier.” he started to say.

Mathew listened to Professor Glint’s every word. The spell he described was a focused beam of magic. The idea behind it was to hit the barrier from within to work against the natural curve to force the magical matrix to warp out and collapse. The risk was minimal, but there was the possibility of having the beam bounce around within the barrier should the power not be strong enough to punch through.

Mathew had reached the point where he wanted to get out of his predicament as soon as possible. If he had to sit inside that barrier for too much longer, he would crack under the pressure and retreat into a sobbing mess. He hated magic and now he had taken his first dose of having a spell backfire – and in a bigger way than he had wanted. He accepted the knowledge for the new beam spell and started testing his magic in preparation for the new cast.

The basics were there for him to easily grasp. Mathew’s only concern was how much power he would need to put into the spell to break through his own barrier. Based on what he knew so far, it would take much more magic than he had used in the past. Once he had a rough idea of how much power to put into the beam, he waited for Professor Glint to finish evacuating the class. The risk of injuring others was there. Too much power behind his spell and Mathew would probably punch a hole through the side of the building.

The classroom was soon empty, save for a few teachers, Professor Glint among them. The teachers combined their magics and created a dampening field of power to absorb Mathew’s beam, should it be too strong. If anyone had learned from the human, it was the fact that their pony-based estimations did not apply to the unique bipedal being. Creating such a powerful barrier after only having magic for no longer than a few weeks had blown any estimation of his progress out of the water – the teachers could only guess as to the exact level of magical potential Mathew possessed.

With a few nods, the professor and company were ready. Mathew took his cue, tapping into his magic again. He formed the base nature of the spell, charged up his power to his estimated requirement, and then… he had a thought. What if this is too much magic? I might hurt them…

He faltered, and the spell activated.

Having lost the focus needed to direct the spell properly, the magic went off randomly. Three beams shot out in different directions, each one pushing through the barrier like a knife through an apple. The two spells reacted and a bright flash of light blinded everypony present. The fading light was then accompanied by a heavy thud on the floor.

Professor Glint was the first one to recover, and he turned to see of Mathew had succeeded in freeing himself from the barrier spell. His eyes shot wide and, with a yell full of terror, he bolted forward to the human’s aid. Mathew was on the floor, cringing in pain, and desperately grasping the bleeding stump that used to be his right arm.

After gathering their thoughts, the rest of the teachers reacted to help Mathew. They only knew basic medical spells, such as numbing ones to relieve pain and minor spells to stop the bleeding, but they knew they had to do something. They started to flare their horns, but suddenly their eyes became fixated on something incredible. Mathew’s injury had begun to glow, swirling white magic engulfing his stump. In mere seconds, his arm had regenerated by an inch, and the blood had evaporated into nothingness.

The teachers all watched in amazed horror as Mathew’s arm mended in front of their eyes… but little did they know that Mathew’s battle for life had only just begun…
> 4 - Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew’s eyes opened slowly. Everything around him was darkness, a void of lightless mass, with his body simply aloft like a single spec of glitter in a snow-globe. For a few moments he thought he might have died, until something began to shift in the darkness. Like lightning bugs, small orbs started to pulse intermittently around him. One of them flashed closer to him and he reached out to touch it.

*Hey Matt, check this out, dude! Can you believe this? It took me months, but I finally got that Legendary sword from the quest-line! Pretty sweet, huh?*

It was a memory! That one had been when he was younger. His middle school friend, Tim, had been part of a big MMO, one with some kind of conflict between an alliance and a horde. Mathew had never been into online gaming, simply because his family could not afford to pay for the subscription, much less the game.

Looking around, it was clear that there were a lot of memories around him. One of them, however, looked different. Mathew floated, without even realizing he could do so in the first place, over to the odd orb. As he floated closer, he noticed that it was more of a window. Through it, Mathew saw his body, laying in a cloud of blue-ish vapor and surrounded by his teachers. To his relief, it seemed his arm was no longer missing, but his shirt had been ruined and singed.

He watched with a strange sense of wonder. If what he saw was real it meant that his body could heal from almost anything. Suddenly, a chill filled the space around him… and a voice whispered from somewhere in the void. “Well, well, well… the human finally came to my domain.” Spoke a very distinct female voice. It was a tone that one would expect to come from a devilish villain. It was even followed by a snobbish humming laugh.

Mathew narrowed his eyes and turned around a few times to try to spot the voice’s source. Only darkness greeted his seeking eyes. Though he hated to do it, he had no choice but to use the most cliché response in the book. “Who’s there?” he asked.

Another amused laugh came from the darkness. “Oh, you poor little creature, one such as I has had many names over the millennia. But… you’re aware of one of my names. Care to take a guess?” the voice asked and Mathew could swear it was smirking at him.

Mathew crossed his arms and thought for a moment. He felt that the situation was too predictable, but nothing else would come to mind, so he went with his first idea. He sighed through his nose and eyed the darkness. “If my assumption is anything to go by, you’d be the one called Nightmare Moon.”

The voice hummed in approval. “Indeed, that is a name I once used. Tell me, young one, how do you like the gifts I’ve granted you?” Nightmare asked.

Mathew’s face twisted into a glare of disdain. “Your gifts are more like curses. As much as I’m sure you’d love to play your mind games with me, I’ll have to decline. Get to the point and tell me what you want with me and why you chose me,” he stated firmly. His anger was threatening to boil over, having met the real reason why he had been brought to Equestria, but Luna’s stories about the shadow being gave him the necessary focus to avoid making the wrong moves. Nightmare Moon fed on negative emotions and used them to her advantage.

Nightmare Moon was quiet for a few moments. It was as if she had not expected such a reaction… or maybe she was simply testing Mathew’s patience. “You would be wise to choose your words more carefully from now on. I did indeed pick you, but I’m not in a position to allow any disrespect, especially from an inferior being like you. Alas, you do have a point… time is short, so I’ll waste no time with this meeting. I want your body. From what I learned, thanks to dear little Luna, a pony body is too weak for my needs. Your human body is more resistant to the harmony of Equestria. Not only that, your mind is more complex, which will prevent another mistake – one Luna made me realize all too late,” she explained.

Mathew shook his head and glared at the void. “So you wanted a new tool to use. You still didn’t answer the other part of my question. Why… ME!” he yelled! His anger had reached new levels and he had no desire to waste the chance to get the real reasons for what Nightmare Moon was up to. He had seen this kind of pointless dancing around the topic in too many movie plots, he was going to get his answers even if he had to use his own body as a bargaining chip. “Stop avoiding it, I know you have more behind these petty and vague words. Show me what you look like, look me in the eyes, and explain to me what made me so special and what your end goal is. If you don’t do that… I’ll just have to expose you again and then get rid of the body you’re after.”

Nightmare moon started to laugh. The shadows started to shift around and a darker black form took shape in front of Mathew. The form became highlighted by a soft pale green glow. Then bright turquoise eyes, with slits like a snake’s, popped open and stared into Mathew’s. He took in the black Alicorn’s appearance. It was just like the depictions he had seen in a few books he had read – after Luna had shared her stories about the dark entity.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrowed and her fangs glistened in the dark as she let a grin spread across her muzzle. “Oh? So how would you get rid of your body? I’ve made it immortal, you know. There is no way for you to get rid of it,” she said and her grin grew more as she felt victorious.

Mathew stared at her, his expression turning to un-amused. “You seem to be under the impression that I’m unaware of the little fact that all I need to do is purge my body of all magic and it won’t be able to regenerate. After I cut myself the first time, I repeated the process later on. After properly analyzing the event I figured out that I could drain my magic completely if my body was injured enough.”

Nightmare’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You wouldn’t da-“

“Oh, yes I would!” Mathew interrupted. “The ponies in this world value life greatly, but my kind are very capable of making exceptions to the preservation of life. Self-sacrifice is actually an honor, especially when it’s done with the right intentions. Don’t push your luck! Now answer my questions or else,” he demanded, confident that his little partial bluff would put him in more control of the situation.

Nightmare Moon’s grin turned into snarl and her eyes lit up in anger. Then she shut her eyes and grit her teeth as she struggled to bring out her rebuke. Without even noticing it, her mane began to form behind her dark form. It looked just like Luna’s, only being a lighter shade of night blue and having a few more prominent stars. Then, she let loose a heavy sigh and slumped. “You know, human, I could offer to send you back to your world.”

“And I wouldn’t go for it. I’m not foolish enough to ignore the unspoken terms of a deal. You want any form of cooperation with me then you’ll need to put all of your cards on the table – even the ones you have hidden up your sleeve,” Mathew said, cutting Nightmare off in her attempt to persuade.

Nightmare Moon sighed again and gave Mathew an irritated glare. It was then that he noticed her façade had slipped. In those intimidating turquoise slits was the faint hint of emotion. In a way, it reminded Mathew of the hidden emotions behind Celestia’s gaze. Before he could ponder more about it, Nightmare spoke, her tone was far more suppressed than before, too. “Mathew… how much do you know about the way Luna and I met?” she asked.

Mathew tilted his head slightly. The sudden change in her voice and mannerisms was a bit unexpected, and he failed to see exactly how that question was relevant, but he decided to humor her. He explained that everything he had learned summed up to Luna becoming irrationally jealous of her sister and giving in to her inner darkness.

Nightmare held her gaze with Mathew’s while he explained what he knew. Her eyes only let faint hints of her sadness slip through as he spoke. When he had concluded his part, she closed her eyes and took in a breath. “I will tell you now,” she said before slowly opening her eyes halfway. “What Luna remembers is only part of our story. Her mind was… altered when she accepted my power. She remembers the important parts, I suppose, but the rest is easily overlooked. I saw her wandering that dark forest that night. I had been watching her for a long time by then. I offered to lend her my power…”

Nightmare paused for a moment. Something was nagging at her. If Mathew had any idea as to what, he would have guessed it was her emotions being troublesome. It was just like Celestia; the most important thing for a ruler was to remain calm and collected at all times. He waited patiently, though he still felt angry, since he believed this was the right way to address the situation. “What nopony knows,” she continued. “Is that the Nightmare Moon that Luna became was not because of me. She took on my appearance, gained some of my power, and then… she became consumed by her own heart. Deep down she is a good pony – one could even say she’s the best. But the power of emotion can be terrifying. Her jealousy and hatred warped my gift to her into a literal nightmare. Of course, she’s done her own part since then, I’m sure you heard about the Tantabus.”

Mathew nodded. It was one of the few secrets that Luna had shared with him, if only recently, and it was a little funny. She had a habit of letting herself get caught up in what others saw her as, but the end of the story was a pleasant one. He was happy that she had found peace when all of the ponies of Ponyville had shown her forgiveness and then showed that they wanted nothing more than for her to forgive herself. Of course, he had not wasted the chance to tease her a little about how trivial it was in hindsight.

Nightmare Moon allowed a slight smirk that faded into her calm expression a moment later. “That was just another example of how she was able to alter the part of me I lent to her. Like the Tantabus, my gift was fed by her emotions, eventually becoming something it was never intended to be. I never wanted her to start a war with her sister and threaten the entire world with eternal night. I only wanted to… to offer her a helping hoof.”

Mathew caught it. In that last part, there was the thing he knew was hiding from him. There was the truth. In her slip, he knew he saw a very distinct expression in her eyes. “Nightmare Moon… did you care about Luna?” Mathew asked. He flinched, realizing that was supposed to only be a thought, but it was too late to take the question back. He hoped that it would not undo the meager progress he had made with the dark being.

To his surprise, Nightmare Moon shifted her gaze to the side, only letting herself remember something for a short moment. “Is it so wrong?” she asked, not necessarily to Mathew, before she looked back to his pale eyes. “What would you have done? If you, having watched a young filly grow up, become a beautiful young mare, a mare with such an honest, loyal, playful, wonderful personality, and see her feel alone and hurt with nopony else to lean on for support in her darkest of thoughts…” she looked away again. “Is it wrong of me to care for her? Is it really such a terrible thing for a mother to care for her child?”

Mathew’s eyes shot open. He knew a lot about the dreaded Nightmare Moon, but either she was the greatest actor in the universe or the tears that faintly shimmered in her green glow were genuine. Then again… it made sense, when he put everything together. Except, there was still something he could not quite figure out. “Why don’t Celestia or Luna know that? If you’re really Luna’s mother, why doesn’t she know?”

Nightmare’s eyes lowered further. She made no attempt to stop her emotions from gracing her face with how much that question hurt her.
“There are some truths that are just too painful to be made known. But…” she hesitated for a moment, “but you wanted to see all of what I have to offer, so I’ll grant you this… if only to make you see that all I want is for the best for my child.”

Nightmare took a long calming breath before she continued. “Luna does not share the same mother as Celestia. Their father was an old god, and the creator of much of the world of Equus. Celestia’s mother, who happens to be the one responsible for all life on Equus, was a goddess. She and I used to be great friends… that was, until we learned we had both given birth to the offspring of the same male. He had played with us.”

Nightmare paused again. It was clear that what she had to say next was not the easiest of events to retell. Still, she found her voice again and looked Mathew in the eyes. “Luna’s father took to me as his favored. I knew it was just a ploy to get the goddess angry, but I could never have imagined just how upset she would become. She… convinced herself that I had betrayed her trust. In all my life, that was the only time I had ever felt that I could be killed. It was the single most frightening experience of my existence. Even though I had no desire to do it… I somehow struck her with a fatal blow. Had I known that my power was one of her few weaknesses… I truly wish things had been different.”

Mathew listened to her words with his full attention. It was almost a surreal experience, hearing Nightmare Moon’s history being told. She had killed Celestia’s mother, tried to get revenge on the god behind the conflict, failed to catch him before he escaped to worlds unknown, and then took it upon herself to watch over Equus and her daughter. The incredible reality of the truth he now knew was beyond anything he had ever hoped for.

He finally had everything he would ever need to ease Celestia and Luna’s fears of Nightmare moon, but something else had crept up in his mind, that somehow felt like it was more important to him. He took a breath of his own before he asked, “So how did I play into this? If everything you’ve done has been for Luna’s sake, what would you have needed me for?”

Nightmare sighed, a smile finally gracing her face. “I told you before. Your body and mind are not affected by the magic of Equus. Well… not by any magic outside of your control. But to add to that, I needed one with the insight that you have. I’ve watched you for some time now. You can read others through their eyes… one of the reasons I was not inclined to speak with you face to face, at first,” she said.

Mathew nodded. He was aware of his little knack for seeing through people. He was often teased by his friends that it was also what made him get lost in natural beauty, whether it was in the world around him or in one of the models that he rotated through as the background of his cell phone.

Nightmare Moon continued, “There were many humans I could have used, but you had just the right balance I sought. And, as I’m sure you noticed, Luna has opened up to you quite quickly. You have the natural ability to let others connect with you. Even though you simply see it as ‘going with the flow’ it is part of what makes you unique. My original intent was to use your body to finally… speak with my daughter. I’ve caused her so much pain, I even hurt her sister, and I wanted to be able to… to apologize properly to them.”

Mathew noticed the slight tremble of Nightmare’s eyes at the end there. He let a small smile slip onto his face. “You wanted to try being a mother to her, didn’t you?” he asked. She stared at him for a moment, but eventually nodded and sighed.

“I’ve always wanted to be by her side. It’s only natural for a mother to want to be with her child. I’m no goddess, but my physical form would cause disruption to the harmony of Equestria. It is the reason why the Everfree Forest is so untouchable… I had placed a part of my core in that place after Luna had been lost to her emotions. Just as I had hoped, your body canceled out that effect…” Nightmare’s voice trailed off. Her eyes were suddenly heavy with the signs of regret.

Mathew became aware of his own heartbeat at that moment. He placed his hand on his chest and looked at her with a hint of fear as he licked his lips. “That crystal was your core… and that part of you has fused to my heart. You and I are connected permanently… aren’t we?” he asked.

Nightmare simply nodded, closing her eyes and frowning as she berated herself inside.

Mathew sighed, then he allowed a small smile to cross over his face. “Don’t worry about it,” he said.

Nightmare’s eyes shot open and she stared at Mathew with disbelief. “But… I’ve changed you forever! And if it were to be removed, you would…”

Mathew let a small chuckle slip out. He shook his head and let a warm gaze settle upon Nightmare Moon. “You know… I think I know where Luna got that obsessive attitude when she can’t accept forgiveness from others,” he teased her. “Besides, I could think of worse things to have happen to me. This isn’t so bad… once you get used to it. Honestly, I feel better about everything now. I was afraid of having magic before, but now that I know why I have it… I think I can relax a bit more,” he paused for a few moments, seemingly in deep thought.

Nightmare Moon watched him, slightly curious as to what he might be thinking, and also happy that he had not been as upset about being bound to her. Then she realized she still had to find a way to get her feelings to Luna… and Celestia. Suddenly, she felt the space around her warm up pleasantly. Mathew was looking at her with a warm grin.

“Nightmare Moon… I’ve got a proposition for you. Are you interested in hearing it?” Mathew asked.

Needless to say, Nightmare Moon was surprised by his question. Just what was the human thinking? She tentatively nodded her head, eyeing Mathew with slight caution. He held his gaze and kept up the grin as he proceeded to put his offer on the table. “In exchange for my help, you’ll put all of your power under my control. You will do everything I say, leave any and all decisions to your plan up to me, and you will be rewarded in the end. I know you want to have a relationship with your daughter, but I’d prefer to keep my mind and body as my own, we’ll find a common ground in this. You can’t use me, but I will do everything in my power to give you what you want. What do you say?”

Nightmare Moon only stared at Mathew. In no way was the proposition equal, in fact, if it had been at any other time she would have let loose a mighty booming voice of her disapproval. She knew it was one sided, but the genuinely warm expression on Mathew's face reassured her that he would not do anything ill natured. Though it had been well over five thousand years since the last time, she felt she could trust in another. Still… she had to say one thing before she accepted his terms. “Promise me… please promise me that you’ll help me be a good mother.”

Mathew smiled wider. Then, to make sure he did it properly, he placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head. “Under pain of death, I give you my word that I will do everything I can for you and Luna. I owe her a lot already, and I think you both deserve a chance to be family. Everyone deserves another chance to be better… er, everypony, in this case,” he said, grinning sheepishly at his little slip near the end.

Nightmare Moon smiled so genuinely that it almost captivated Mathew. There was no evil in the Alicorn in front of him. No monster of the dark, waiting to pounce on poor helpless prey. There was only a mother, brimming with a joy that no other could hope to compare the feeling to unless they had a child of their own. Then, doing her best to hold back her tears of happiness, Nightmare Moon nodded enthusiastically. “I accept your terms. You may use my power as you desire, but please be careful with it. Both Celestia and Luna know my magic… should they sense it being used, they will come for you,” she warned him.

Mathew shrugged and smiled softly. “I’m not taking your power to use it for myself. I want to study it first, and then I want to work together with you to try and find a way for you to be able to meet with Luna. I’m pretty sure it’ll take time, but I know we can figure out something. If my body has the key to keeping your powers from affecting Equestria then maybe there’s hope for you to have your own body here. After all, magic is always changing in this world, so we might discover something new.”

Nightmare Moon could not believe it. She had thought of something similar before, but never would she have thought she’d meet anything that would willingly want to help her – especially after learning about her past. Her heart fluttered happily as she felt the warmth of hope spread through her. She nodded her head and turned her gaze off to the side.

The subtle hint she gave was enough to make Mathew look in the same direction. The window from before, where he could see his body, floated closer to him. He wondered what it meant, but then realized that he could feel himself being pulled toward it. He was about to wake up. His head spun around to look at Nightmare Moon.

She smiled for him, nodding sagely. “I have kept you here long enough. When you have recovered from your injury I will meet with you again. Don’t tell Luna about our meeting… not yet. Please rest for now, Mathew.”

Mathew smiled back. He let the darkness slip away and he lost awareness for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he took in a quick breath. He was back in his body. The teachers around him froze, their eyes fixed on him in a state of shock. Professor Glint stepped forward to stand beside Mathew. He had a look of concern, but also held slight admiration. “Mathew… are you feeling alright?” he asked.

Mathew looked at the professor. He let a small smile slip through.
“Yeah…” he whispered. “I think I could really use that break right about now,” he answered and turned his gaze to the doorway.

Six castle guards, dressed in their polished gold armor and bearing their spears, charged through the doors. The force of their charge was a bit excessive in Mathew’s eyes, but he knew the reason why they were so forceful. Even though it was an accident, the guards had been informed of an abnormal event regarding the human, so they were merely following their orders. Orders that stated that the human be placed under their charge should anything happen and to do so as swiftly as possible.

Mathew sighed. He knew he was in for a fair bit of questioning. His body was sore, and all he wanted to do was go to his room and plop onto his bed, but he would have to wait for that. He hoped it would not take long… but he had a feeling things were about to get worse.

> 5 - Undertaking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew fell onto the bed. His body did not ache as much as before, but he was still tired. It felt amazing to finally feel the soft blanket beneath him. He had wanted to lay down for the past few hours. It still amazed him how many questions the pony guards had to ask him. It was a little more surprising when he saw that Celestia had personally shown up to observe the interrogation, though Mathew knew he should have expected it.

The sun princess was always watching him. Of course, now he had a better idea as to why. He had learned a lot from his meeting with Nightmare Moon. Celestia seemed to hold a deeper hatred for the dark queen than any other. Part of Mathew felt that she might have known more about Nightmare Moon than what she let on. If that was the case, it would mean, possibly, that Celestia knew about what Nightmare Moon had done to her mother.

Mathew had little proof behind his theory, but it was one that made sense, at least. He would have to fish for clues at some point, but it would take time before he got the chance, since Celestia avoided him most of the time. The size of his quest had begun to make itself known and Mathew sank deeper into the fluff of his bedding. He never really wanted to waste the energy to go through things that were difficult.

Still, remembering the smile he so enjoyed seeing on Luna’s face, he strengthened his resolve to do what he needed to help them. He sighed, satisfied with that, and closed his eyes. Sleep soon took him and he found his dreams among the pleasant times he had spent on the banks of a river.




~~***~~



Mathew awoke sometime after the sun had set. He felt refreshed, more so than he had in years. His eyes flicked around the room. It took him a few moments, but he soon realized that the odd magical glow upon everything in the room had to do with his eyes. Seems Nightmare Moon has already started giving her powers to me, Mathew thought.

He soon became aware of a soft source of warmth nearby. He lifted his head and looked toward his legs. There, resting her head on the side of the bed, was Luna. A slight pang of guilt hit Mathew. She must have been so worried about him. He sat up slowly and reached a hand to touch her ear. A few gentle tickles later, Luna’s eyes fluttered open. She let an adorable yawn slip out as she sleepily looked at the one who woke her up.

Her eyes widened and her ears shot up as she saw Mathew. She bolted up and moved closer to him, concern filling her face.
“How are you feeling? I heard that you had a terrible accident and were hurt.”

Mathew smiled gently and playfully bopped her nose. “Easy there, I’m just fine. I just lost focus while trying to get out of a barrier. On the plus side, I think I might be more like you and Celestia than we previously thought. I accidentally blew off my arm when I lost focus on my magic, but it grew back and I’m still alive. So it looks like I’ll be alive until I run out of magic.”

Mathew’s smile lessened a little and his eyes softened. “Sorry for worrying you, Luna. I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

Luna smiled and shook her head. She inched closer and nuzzled Mathew’s shoulder. “You fool, you had me scared to death. I’m just so glad that you are alright,” she said sighing with relief.

Mathew stayed still for a few moments, but it started getting awkward when he realized that Luna was still nuzzling him. He cleared his throat and wrapped his arms around her neck. The embrace caught Luna off guard, but she quickly relaxed in it. Mathew thanked her for being nice enough to care about his wellbeing and then slipped away.

Before anything else could pass between them, Mathew’s stomach decided it was time to make its own needs known… and quite loudly. Mathew’s eyes met with Luna’s, a moment passed in silence, and then they let loose their laughter. Once they had regained control over their giggling, Luna stood up and gestured to the door with her hoof. “Shall we get something to ease your grumbling tummy?” she asked.

Mathew lifted a brow. “Tummy? I’ve suddenly been struck by the sheer elegance of such a sophisticated word. Give me a moment while I bask in this moment,” he joked.

Luna’s cheeks tinted pink and she looked to the side. Mathew was reminded of a new acquaintance and a warm smile crossed his lips. He reached a hand out and pat her head softly. “Sorry. It was too cute for me to ignore. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Luna leaned into his hand and sighed. “I’ll forgive you if you pet me some more… it’s really quite enjoyable with your hands,” she said, closing her eyes and smiling.

Mathew could only grin at her while he pet her. He finally remembered one of the things he had come to realize about ponies. Humans were only physical with each other during intimate situations, mostly, but the ponies of Equestria were always more direct with their expressions. His human nature had been giving him the wrong impressions about the closeness Luna had been showing him.

Though he still felt a tad bit awkward about being more touchy with her, Mathew knew that the comforting nuzzling, and his gentle stroking of her head, was a sign of their friendship. He knew she had been worried about him and he truly felt bad for anything he had caused her to miss because of his blunder. The best way to show how sorry he was, was to express it through touch. So he slowly, gently rubbed her head, scratching behind her ears a little, and actually enjoyed the tingle her mane gave his fingers.

The two lost themselves in the bonding experience for quite some time. The only reason they stopped was because, after hearing it for the fifth time, Mathew’s hunger had really started to demand satisfaction. The two friends soon wandered to the dining hall where, much to Mathew’s surprise, Orange Zest had been waiting. She had heard about the incident and wanted to make sure that someone would be ready for when Mathew recovered.

The generous act was almost too much for him, so without holding back, Mathew gave the orange mare a big hug, thanking her profusely for giving her time just for his sake. Orange Zest had been shocked at first, but she returned the hug and nuzzled her favorite patron, giving him just as much thanks for always giving her a reason to be happy when preparing something to eat.

The three wound up enjoying the late night meal together. They made small talk, laughed at a few jokes about some of the guards, and had a very pleasant evening. Mathew, though he had thoroughly enjoyed the time with them, had been a little preoccupied by something else. His thoughts constantly shifted back to how he would get Luna to meet with Nightmare Moon.

By the end of their little chat, Mathew had come to one conclusion. He needed more time… and a lot more information. In order to get the later, he would need to find a way to get onto the subject of Nightmare Moon and how much Luna could remember about certain specifics. The trick was to do so without raising suspicion… but he would get to that eventually. For now, he was content that things had finally seemed to be getting better for him.

Eventually they had to part. Luna had become quite tired, finally feeling the effects of her earlier stress, and Orange Zest had been ready for bed a few hours ago. The three went their separate ways after saying their goodnights. Mathew was still quite wired and, after thinking on his options, decided to pay the library a visit.

The human made his way, leisurely through the castle. Having found some time to himself, aside from the occasional Night Guard patrol, Mathew had decided to explore his new vision. From what he could tell, light was not an integral part of his sight. Instead, his vision was normal in the light, but in the darkness his eyes would pick up on ambient traces of magic. With Equestria being a land full of magic, he saw everything in an astral-like glow, with the normal colors looking more faded.

Once his curiosity was satisfied, he went strait for the library. There were more important things for him to figure out, and the vast archive of literature within the royal library would help him get an idea of what his next moves would be. To his surprise, there were a pair of guards standing outside of the library as he caught sight of the doors. They spotted him as soon as he did them.

Mathew slowed his approach, but did not think there would be any problems with him passing by them. He was wrong. When he was within four ponylengths away, the two guards stiffened and opened their wings to block the way into the library. The action was definitely a surprise to Mathew, so he stopped and gave the two a questioning look.

After a brief moment, Mathew recognized one of the guards. He turned his eyes to that one and cocked a brow.
“Hey, Copper, what’s up? I thought the library was open through all hours,” he inquired.

The Night Guard in question gave a brief sigh and lowered his wing, a slightly apologetic look tinting the Thestral’s golden slitted eyes. “Apologies, Mathew. The library is off limits for the time being. By Celestia’s orders, we can’t let you inside,” he said.

Mathew’s shoulders sank slightly. He had been looking forward to learning a few things about Nightmare Moon and the two princesses. Not only was he being denied that, but he felt that his incident earlier had caused part of the increased restriction. He sighed, but gave Copper an understanding smile. “Alright, thanks for letting me know. Sorry for… any trouble I caused. Have a good night,” he said, and lifted a foot to turn away.

Suddenly, the doors to the library opened and a very peculiar pony took a few steps into the hall. Mathew froze. He knew he had just walked into an awkward situation. The shocked expression on both of the guard’s faces told him that the reason he was not allowed into the library had just walked out. His eyes locked onto the purple pony.

The purple pony had paused just outside of the library doors. The thought to close the doors behind her had come to a complete halt as she laid eyes on the tall bipedal creature ahead of her. She had never seen anything like it before. She was frozen in place, fear and curiosity raging a fierce battle in her mind.

Mathew held his gaze with the purple unicorn… no, Alicorn. She was shorter than Celestia and Luna, but the horn and wings were still there. It took him only a moment to connect the appearance with a name that Luna had mentioned to him before. Twilight Sparkle was in front of him… and he suddenly realized he was going to be in trouble. Celestia’s personal student, and the Princess of Magic, was one of the ponies that he should not have been seen by.

The poor guy felt that he was about to wind up in a very long discussion with the sun princess, but what was done could not be undone. He then noticed how long the silence had gone on for, and decided it was time to break the ice. He forced the best reassuring smile he could, which wound up looking more awkward than it should have, and bowed slightly.
“Uh… good evening. You must be Luna’s friend, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight stared at Mathew for a few long moments. Her eyes had widened when Mathew spoke, but that was about the only reaction from her. Mathew’s eyes were locked with hers, and for a moment, he thought that she had stopped all mental functions. That was, until he noticed an odd twinkling in her eyes. He felt a wave of fear swim down his spine – fear that he had just sealed his fate to a very long and painful series of events in his near future.

The fearful sensation increased when he saw Twilight’s eyes widen even more, which was incredible since they were already so wide, and her open mouth curved into a smile. “What… are you?” she asked, utterly fascinated by Mathew.

Mathew had heard about Twilight’s obsession with learning, especially if she encountered something completely new. He instantly regretted not learning how to teleport… or running away at the least. Too late to escape now… he thought with morbid amusement. “It’s a bit of a long story, but to put it simply; I’m a human that was accidentally brought here by Princess Celestia and Luna. You can call me Mathew,” he said, trying not to let his nervousness show.

Twilight’s smile grew wider and she inched closer to Mathew. He quickly glanced a few times toward Copper and the other guard… only to see them fighting back smirks of amusement. There was no way he would get help from them, so he focused back on the purple princess. Much to his surprise, a quill and parchment had appeared from seemingly nowhere. He let out a quiet sigh, internally groaning.

Twilight walked up and stood right in front of him, getting a closer look at his body, structure, posture, and proportions. “This is incredible…” she said as she circled around him. “So what is a human, exactly?” she asked. “Where did you come from? What is your home like? Is it similar to ours? It is different? How did the princesses bring you here?”

Mathew sighed again, not hiding it that time and he turned right to her. He bent down and put his face right up to hers and gave her a sly smirk. Twilight was not prepared for such a close encounter and paused in her questioning – her quill also stopping in mid-stroke. Mathew chuckled quietly and then tapped her nose, gently. “Relax. I’ll tell you more, but only if the princesses are alright with it. I’m pretty sure that you weren’t supposed to see me… but it seems that now we’ve encountered one another, so you’ll have to go through the ones responsible for me first. For now… I think you might want to get back to what you were doing before you saw me. If you’re lucky, you may just see me again,” he said, standing back up and heading back to his room.

Twilight seemed to get the message, since Mathew did not hear her following him – a fact that he was quietly thankful for. The bombardment of initial questions had been as rapid-fire as Luna had said it would be. Having avoided the interrogation, he counted it as a small victory… if only to make his next encounter with any of the princesses seem less painful. He really was not looking forward to hearing about it from Luna… even less from Celestia.

Still, with the library out of the question, and his hunger properly sated, there was almost nothing left for him to do. Then he had an idea. How much had he recovered? Or rather, could he contact Nightmare Moon? The sudden thought came to an abrupt halt. A new question brought itself to the front of his mind. Had he actually seen her real self in that brief encounter… or was it a trick?

Mathew shook his head, his face expressing a distinct displeasure in his thoughts. He could have been fooled, but until he found reason to think otherwise, he would hold to his end of the deal. For some reason, that made him feel better; knowing that he could stay true to the path – even though the task was more troublesome than he would have liked. He let a pessimistic smirk cross his mouth.
“I really am a rotten person sometimes… I should change that…” he whispered to the darkness of the empty hallway.

With a drawn out sigh, the melancholic young man decided that he wanted to relax. He walked through the halls, exiting through the doorway near the gardens. He wandered around, not knowing where he really wanted to go. His thoughts started to drift to his old home. He remembered his father, the old man had turned fifty-seven a few months back. Mathew wondered how the old fart was holding up… since they were the only family left for each other – even if they weren’t blood related.

A small smile found its way onto Mathew’s face as he remembered the fun times he had spent with his father. He never knew his real dad, since that slacker had won the chance to bed his mother through lies and stolen gifts. His mother had gone through the pregnancy, as best she could, as a single mother. Eventually though… she lost her battle with depression. Her self-loathing from falling victim to such a terrible man and birthing the unwanted child had been too much for her, emotionally.

Despite not having real parents, growing up in an orphanage from the age of three, he was eventually adopted by his father. For Mathew, that had been the best thing he could have ever had happen for his ninth birthday. Alexander was the greatest dad in the whole world, as far as Mathew was concerned. When he was younger, he had periodically thought what his life could have been if his mother had not abandoned him. But after growing into a healthy young man, at the age of twenty-two, he had come to grips with the knowledge that nothing would have been better than his life with Alex.

The sudden soft glow of many lights caught Mathew’s eye. He turned his head, realizing that he had somehow wandered into Luna’s special flower garden. The view was breathtaking. Each flower looked like the most delicate of stars – full of life and otherworldly beauty. Mathew walked closer, stopping just near the middle of the space, and then dropped to his knees. Tears slowly fell from his eyes. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but he was so alone in that moment that the warmth in his heart struggled against the icy chill of isolation.

For those lonely moments… Mathew really wanted to be back home. He wished, almost more than anything, that he could have shown the view to his father… the one who showed him how to see such wonders in the first place. Mathew's heart could only ache, as his tears left his eyes while he sat in the stillness of the night…




~~***~~



The soft glow of dawn brought Mathew out of his thoughts. He had stopped crying hours ago, but the feeling of being alone in Equestria had continued to hit him. There was little about it that surprised him, though; he had actually been waiting for his emotions to snap. Deep down he knew that his sorrowful time spent was exactly what he had needed. It just took longer because of all the distractions around him.

His thoughts had been dwelling on the fun times he had spent with his father. The bitter sweet melancholy providing him a level of calm, keeping him content enough that his heart no longer felt torn. Mathew had the sudden feeling he was not alone and he turned his head toward the entrance to the lunar flower garden. Luna stood at the entry, her eyes carefully examining Mathew’s form. It was clear that he had been upset, since he was sitting on the ground, leaning against a stone flowerpot.

Mathew sighed and gave her a weak smile. She took a few tentative steps closer to him, lowering her eyes. “You… seem to be quite saddened this morning. Is there anything I might do to help?” Luna asked quietly.

Mathew’s smile became a pinch more genuine and he took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “You already have. I was just thinking about how much I miss my father. I hope he’s alright without me… but I still fear that he might have just died from my disappearing. He really wasn’t the type to handle the loss of family very well.”

Mathew then turned his head toward the sky. “I miss my world… my home, but I think I can move on. At least I have a few friends in this world, so I’m not completely alone. Thank you for that,” he said, turning his gaze back to Luna.

Luna lifted her eyes to Mathew and gave him a warm understanding smile. They shared that quiet moment, silently speaking to the other through their expressions. Mathew eventually decided it was time to get up, and he slowly got to his feet. “So… what brought you out here at such an early hour, Luna?” he asked her while he dusted himself off.

Luna suddenly realized why she had sought him out in the first place and her eyes widened for a second before she looked to the side. “Ah, yes, I was looking for you. You see, one Twilight Sparkle paid my sister and I a visit this morning. I’m sure you can figure out the rest,” she said, trying to hide a smirk.

Mathew sighed and hung his head. “Right… so how much trouble am I in? Please tell me that Celestia isn’t going to send me to the sun.”

Luna chuckled at that, then she gently shook her head. “Oh, I think it’s worse than you might think. You see, my sister actually wanted to avoid you meeting her pupil until she was more comfortable with you. Since Twilight made it a point to explain exactly how she found you, not only was Celestia’s anger pacified, but it would seem that she found amusement in how you avoided the encounter. She’s made a decision for you already, but she wishes to meet with you to explain it in person – to make it more official,” she finished with a sly grin on her lips.

Mathew knew he was not going to like what the sun princess had decided. In fact, he was sure that it involved turning him into Twilight’s personal lab rat. The twinkle of mischief in Luna’s eyes was all the proof he needed to back up that thought. He let loose a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders. “Do I at least get some time to write out my last words?” he asked with pouting lips, aiming to try and pull off the sad puppy look.

Luna lost control of herself, laughing at the poor attempt to tug at heartstrings. She shook her head and turned away from Mathew. “You may contemplate to your heart’s content as we walk, but I don’t see your life being in danger… yet. Come, my sister wants to pass the sentence quickly, lest her student hasten the decision out of impatience,” she teased.

> 6 - Welcome to Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A wide grassy expanse spread out in all directions on either side of the train tracks. It was quite the sight to see. Canterlot was just a small pristine image on the side of the high mountains behind the train. It would not be long before the train reached the little town of Ponyville.

Mathew had thoroughly enjoyed the scenery as the train traveled. He had spent most of the trip looking out through the window. The rest of the trip had been spent talking with Twilight Sparkle. She had been on a near endless quest for knowledge, asking numerous questions about Mathew and the world he came from.

The highlight of his day had been when Twilight had asked him about the reproductive nature of his race. He had been waiting for such a colorful topic to be brought up and wasted no time in giving her the most outlandish of responses he could think up. As amusing as it would have been for human males to dress themselves in their own excrement, decorate their heads in a dazzling display of flowers and colorful feathers, and serenade their partners with crackers in their mouths, all while standing on their heads, the simple truth was that they were very similar in their courtship as old fashioned pony traditions. Twilight had not been as amused as Mathew, though.

Mathew had also taken a few opportunities to learn some things from Twilight, as well. He had managed to distract her with a question about the town they were headed to. According to records, Ponyville had been around for a few generations. It held a population of around thirty-five hundred ponies. The general populace was very friendly and outgoing and it recently gained Twilight’s castle, which was a large tree of crystal and magic.

Mathew also asked her about her friends. He had to admit, they were quite the interesting combination. He was most intrigued by Twilight’s friend, Pinkie Pie. When she had gotten around to explaining all the things the pink earth pony did, which defied the laws of physics left and right, as well as her encounter with the inexplicable "Pinkie Sense," it had gotten Mathew’s mind going on its own trail of finding ways to exploit Pinky for some good fun experimentation. He was always up for getting people to enjoy themselves, and the possibilities were vast with Pinkie as a partner in humor-filled crime.

The train started to slow down shortly after Twilight had gotten a bit of insight on the politics of human society. She put her questions on hold for the time being, knowing that she had to give Mathew a brief explanation of how they would address the issue of him exiting the train and being seen by the citizens of Ponyville. “Alright, Mathew, we’ll be arriving at the station soon so let’s go over the plan one more time. I’ll have you stay here and we’ll make sure most of the other passengers get off first. When we have less of a crowd outside, I’ll come back and bring you out. Since we lost a day, we’ll only be able to meet my friends, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow dash. Applejack and Rarity are busy with their respective businesses and Fluttershy got a request from a family to check on their pet turtle. You’ll get to meet Spike when we arrive at the castle. With any luck you should be able to blend in as a visitor here in Ponyville and the others won’t run away… I hope they don’t. Any questions?”

Mathew chuckled and shook his head. He remembered how much fun he had when they were trying to get him to the train unseen. The whole day had been lost thanks to his natural magic nullification. Twilight had tried to cast a transformation spell on him to make him appear to be a pony. The effect had lasted for all of two seconds before poofing him back to normal. Mathew had enjoyed each and every following attempt by the young magic genius. 

By the time she had exhausted herself she finally realized the problem. The rest of that day had been spent exploring the exact levels of magic nullification that Mathew’s body possessed. As it turned out, Mathew’s body made it so that, in order for a spell to work normally on him, it required at least twenty times more magic. Mathew had even laughed at his own joke that he had been turned into a mage’s worst nightmare if he were to be a game character. “None. I hope no one gets scared of me, though. I’d feel bad if I made them all run in fear. My experience, so far, has mainly just gotten ponies to stare at me. I’m not ugly am I?” he asked with a strait face.

Twilight, in typical fashion, missed the joke and her eyes shot wide as she did her best to assure him that he was not ugly in the slightest, just very unusual. Mathew held in his laugh, opting to simply smile at her and thank her for her reassurance. The rest of the trip was quiet and the train soon arrived at the station.

As planned, Mathew stayed in the reserved train car while Twilight went out to greet her friends and wait for the crowd to disperse. He looked out the window again. None of the ponies outside could see him, thanks to an enchantment on the glass that made the inside of the car look empty. The view was surreal, but held a heartwarming effect as well. Ponies were meeting their friends and family outside, exchanging hugs and feelings in a manner that forced him to smile.

His thoughts suddenly brought up Nightmare Moon and Luna. I wonder if those two could be close like that, he thought. It was something he was looking forward to. He then wondered if he could have a quick word with Nightmare, since he had time alone. He sat back against the seat and focused on sending his thoughts deeper within himself. Since he had very little to go on, he figured there was the chance that Nightmare would hear his thoughts if he wanted her to. He thought about her name a few times, doing his best to call her out from within.

After the seventh time he felt a faint shift. It was definitely a change in his magic, but the feeling was so small he almost missed it. A calmer sensation seemed to form in the base of his brain (in that spot right above the roof of your mouth where you get a brain freeze). “You are taking a risk in seeking me out you know...” came Nightmare’s voice from within his mind. The experience was not what Mathew had expected. Hearing a voice in his head was less like wearing headphones and more like experiencing an audio recording from perfect recollection, like when you remember how your favorite song lyrics sound like and the pitch just flows naturally from the depths of your mind.

Wow, I’m actually surprised I was able to reach you. I had my doubts for a few moments, he thought to her.

“Yes, well, now you know you can call upon me at any time. I sense we are no longer near the capital… where are we?” Nightmare asked.

Wait, you aren’t aware of things outside of me unless you… what, come out, or something? Mathew asked, slightly puzzled.

“Yes. With the current amount of influence my presence possesses, which is very minimal at this point, I am unaware of our surroundings unless our bond is strengthened. This is one of those times that I can ‘see’ what’s outside. Now, what is our current location?” she asked, a slight unease becoming more noticeable in her tone.

We’re at the train station just outside of the town of Ponyville. To recap what has happened since we last spoke: I ran into Princess Celestia’s pupil, Twilight Sparkle. Seems Celestia has something planned, but I haven’t gotten many details about it, yet. So far, Twilight is going to educate me on Equestria, Ponykind, and help me with my magic. I’m waiting for the signal to leave the train, since my appearance might cause a panic, Mathew explained.

Nightmare’s unease slowly settled as she listened to his words, though she definitely jumped when she heard they were in the company of one of the element bearers. The only reason why she managed to relax was because Mathew had made sure to be as calm as possible in his explanation. “I see… it does seem a bit odd for such a peculiar circumstance to have occurred. We should be slightly more cautious around the other element wielders then. But, Mathew, what did you need of me?” Nightmare asked. She clearly was unsure as to what her partner would need of her in the current situation.

Mathew let a soft sigh slip through his nostrils and he looked out the window again. Nightmare… I was thinking the other night. While I was doing so, I wound up remembering my past. I know I said I’d help you, but I wanted to know if my personal experiences in early life were what led you to seek me out as your vessel. I hope you didn’t use my past as leverage to trick me into helping you or I’ll have to do something rather unpleasant in response.

Nightmare’s presence in his mind flickered. He could tell that he had touched on something, but instead of a panicked feeling, it felt more like she had been struck with another wave of regret. “You… aren’t wrong. I did see your past… I watched you almost from your birth onward. I know full well what your feelings are about my unique circumstance, but believe me when I say that I did not use it against you in a manipulative way. I chose you because you know what it’s like from the other side of my perspective. I felt that you would be able to see what I wish to achieve in the way it should be seen. I want to-“

I know, Mathew said, stopping Nightmare Moon from going into an unnecessary reiteration. I was just making sure. I’m just nervous and I didn’t want to disappoint you or Luna. With the way things have been, I just wanted to be absolutely sure about this, he thought to her, trying to elaborate the fact that he still trusted her and fully intended to help.

Nightmare Moon calmed down. The feeling in Mathew’s mind was much more pleasant from the happy feelings from her. He started to see a bit more about their bond, thanks to the crystal. With such pure emotions, there was no doubt left in his mind that Nightmare really did want to be with Luna.

Mathew noticed that the crowd outside had thinned out quite a bit since the start of the conversation with Nightmare. He knew Twilight would be back any moment to fetch him, so he decided to cut the encounter short until the next opportunity. Well, time to wrap this up. Twilight will be here to get me soon. I’ll talk to you again when I get more time alone. We’ll need to start working on forming a plan. 

Nightmare hummed her approval. “I agree. Be careful when you reach out to me, though. If we had been near Luna or Celestia, I have little doubt they would have noticed my presence… though I’m surprised how little my presence is felt right now. It’s almost as if your body is hiding me more than I expected it would.”

Hmm… if I had to guess, I think it’s because of my unique magic. I think the magic that I gained from bonding with your core has taken on a special quality. My body was resistant to your magic when I was back in my world, right? he asked.

“Yes… I had tried a few times to influence you when you were younger, the same goes for the others I had been watching, but you all seemed to have an unnatural affinity for canceling out all magic. I think it has to do with how your race’s vitality is channeled through your bodies. Some of the humans were able to use their own life essence to achieve acts of heroism at times,” Nightmare explained.

A slight smirk crossed over Mathew’s lips as he heard that information. The few pieces he needed for his theory had been placed on the board and it confirmed what he had been thinking. So it makes sense now, the reason why my body has the canceling effect on magic. The castle doctors had tried to heal me when I first encountered your core’s magic. They failed to do more than stop the bleeding until my heart stopped. They were able to use their magic on me at that time, which means that while I was dead, magic could affect me uninhibited. That’s probably when your core was able to fuse with me. Your powers took hold within me in stages, instead of all at once, potentially causing my body and your power to adapt to each other. The end result was a human gaining magical power, becoming immortal, and retaining the nullification field. What do you think about that? he asked.

“That’s… I think it’s very plausible. I can see how those factors would fall into place with that line of thought. In fact, I had lost hope when your heart first stopped beating that day. I am very grateful that fate found a way to keep you among the living. Your death did devastate me… increasingly so each time.” Nightmare said, her heart’s pain being shared through her connection with Mathew.

Mathew smiled and closed his eyes, taking a deep relaxing breath as he fed Nightmare his reassuring feelings. I’m glad I lived through it, too. Though I was angry with you in the beginning, I’ve forgiven you for bringing me here. I’ll talk to you later. Then we can look forward to a brighter future. Oh, and before you slip back in, you can take more control from now on so you can stay aware of the things that go on outside. It’ll be better if we’re both on the same page. The only times it would be a problem is when Celestia or Luna are around, or at night when Luna checks on my dreams, he suggested.

“I’ll… consider it. We should talk about a possible way for me to remain aware while keeping my presence hidden at a later time. For now I shall simply wait for your call,” Nightmare said. Her presence in Mathew’s mind quickly faded away.

It was strangely saddening when she left his mind. It was almost like a hole had been left where fond memories of an old friend once dwelled. Still, he understood her reason, so he did not linger on her absence for long. After another ten minutes, Twilight peeked into the car and beckoned Mathew to follow her. As they walked through the train, Mathew started wishing that they had gotten him out through similar ways of getting him inside.

Sadly, Twilight had yet to gain back all the magical power she needed to teleport them out of the cramped car, and Mathew was still unable to accurately teleport himself – he needed Twilight’s help to keep the spell stable. The last solo attempt at the castle had placed him nearly a hundred feet in the air. Mathew may have been immortal, but experiencing a fall from that high had been a most unpleasant thing. It topped his list instantly of things he never wanted to experience again.

As uncomfortable as it was, slightly hunched over and squeezing through the pony sized doorways, Mathew put up with it. His discomfort had been replaced easily by the potential events waiting for him just outside. He wondered how the pink party pony and the confident rainbow-maned Pegasus would react to him.

Five cars later and they reached the exit onto the platform. Twilight stepped out first and turned to wait for Mathew. The human had paused for a moment, telling himself it was more for the dramatic effect, when it was actually from the small wave of nervousness. He took a breath and calmed his nerves, then he took the last few steps to exit the train.

His eyes quickly caught sight of Twilight’s two friends. Both ponies had wide eyes. Twilight was the one to break the silence that had fallen over the platform. She gestured to Mathew with her hoof and said, “Girls, this is the one I said we were waiting for. As you can see, he’s not a pony, he’s actually a human… and he’ll be staying with me at my castle,” she said, doing her best to smile and show her friends that he was okay to be around.

Pinkie Pie slowly started to smile. Then she reared up on her hind legs and put her hooves up to her mouth in surprise.
“So that’s what those are!” Pinkie squealed in delight and then popped up right next to Mathew. “Hi! I’m Pinky Pie! What’s your name Mr. Human?” she asked, getting quite close to Mathew’s face.

Mathew’s first thought was about how a smile that big could fit onto a pony’s face, but he quickly dismissed it when he realized what she had said. Had she known about humans? Then he remembered something twilight had mentioned, that Pinkie Sense of hers was notorious for making things weird at times, so he decided he’d ignore her comment, for the time being. “My name is Mathew. Mathew Reese if you want the full name. It’s nice to meet you, Pinkie. Twilight has told me a lot about you. Can I expect a welcoming party tonight as well?” he said, shooting her a sly grin.

Pinkie’s eyes popped open and she sucked in a long breath. Then she hopped into the air. “OHMYGOSHTHAT’SRIGHT! I gotta go get all the stuff together, send out the invitations to everypony, bake the cakes, treats, yums, and goodies – oh, and the decorations! See you guys later!” 

With that lungful finally expelled Pinkie was gone in a flash of pink. Twilight simply shook her head. She had expected something like that from her friend. Meanwhile, Mathew had turned his attention to the sky blue Pegasus and offered her a friendly smile. Rainbow Dash had watched the interaction between the human and her friend with a critical eye. After a few moments she shrugged and offered Mathew a smile. “Well, if Twi and Pinkie are alright with you, I suppose I can be cool with it. The name’s Rainbow Dash, by the way, and I’m the best flier in Equestria,” she boasted, striking a cocky grin with a few flaps from her wings to emphasize her point.

“You’re also the Element of Loyalty and a member of the Wonderbolts,” Mathew added. “I can’t wait to see you pull some of those cool moves that Twilight has told me about. That Sonic Rainboom really sounded awesome, too,” he said, genuinely smiling and showing his interest in what Rainbow could do.

As expected, Rainbow took to Mathew’s comment with enthusiasm, telling him of a few of her shining moments. He and Twilight listened to her tales, Mathew more so than her since she had already heard them all. A few nearby ponies had taken notice of the human, and much to Mathew’s relief, they had seen his lively conversation with their local princess and her fellow element bearer. Nopony had run away screaming yet, so he counted it as a small victory.

Eventually the time came when Twilight felt that enough time had passed. She cut short one of Rainbow’s tales, promising that she could tell it another time, but that they really needed to get moving. Mathew remembered the plan. After making sure Twilight’s friends would be alright with him they were supposed to walk around Ponyville for a quick tour.



~~***~~



The tour had been surprisingly peaceful. Twilight had been very informative about each place they passed by. Rainbow had decided it would be fun to tag along, which gave Mathew a whisper buddy when Twilight went on her history tangents at a few locations. Most of the ponies they passed had stopped to stare, but when they saw Mathew smiling and waving to them they were quick to warm up to him.

The whole town of Ponyville was very intriguing to him. The buildings looked like they had been designed from a few mountain towns he recalled seeing in travel magazines. The variety of ponies also took him by surprise. Back at the castle, he had only seen, maybe, a hundred different individuals. With many more that that walking about the town, the differences in color, style and race gave him quite an awe-inspiring view. He even caught a glimpse of a grumpy looking donkey at one point, as well as a pair of cows.

They had been nearing Rarity’s home, the uniquely designed Carousel Boutique, when a flash of yellow suddenly flew into Mathew. The sudden impact sent him right onto his back. Again, he cursed the pain, but his body quickly subdued it as it recovered. He became aware of a warmth on top of him and he looked at his chest to see what it was.

Long pink soft flowing hair covered the face of a yellow Pegasus. She let a soft groan escape her lips, her voice was even softer that her hair. The moment she regained her awareness she instantly sat up and started stammering an apology.
“Oh, my, I am so, so… sorr…y…” she started to say, fading out as she took in Mathew’s appearance.

Mathew knew who it was, just like Twilight had described her, her long silky hair and big cyan eyes combined with that meek little voice were all the signs he needed. He also knew that she was the one most likely to freak out at his unusual form. Thinking as quickly as he could, Mathew did the one thing he thought would help keep her calm… until he noticed a faint trail of blood form from her nose.

“Oh no, are you alright? You’re bleeding!” he exclaimed and quickly rushed forward.

Fluttershy cowered for a moment, until she felt a strange sensation on her face. It felt warm and tingly, and the sound of a spell being used accompanied it. The timid little Pegasus peeked through one eye and noticed the glow of light blue magic on the end of her muzzle. She opened her eyes more and saw that the strange being she had accidentally flown into had one of its arms up with the same color magic covering the end of its paw. The pain in her muzzle soon faded and she was left staring at it.

Mathew sighed when he was sure the damage had been healed enough. He had not used the healing spell more than a few times for practice, since it was only something he had been shown while he had to wait for his test results during an examination in the castle medical room. It was only an impulse that made him try to stop her from bleeding, but he was glad it had worked. He offered a warm smile to Fluttershy and looked her in the eyes. “Does it still hurt? I hope I did that spell right.” he said.

Fluttershy stared at him for another moment and then scrunched her nose. There was no more pain and when she rubbed her nose with her hoof she saw the blood had vanished. The only evidence left behind were the three drops that had fallen to the ground. Her fear of him was gone and she smiled back at him with a small nod. “Thank you, that was very nice of you. I’m sorry for crashing into you like that. I was in a rush to get some supplies for the poor little turtle I was asked to take a look at. He needs some special medicine for his condition and I just ran out the other day,” she said, her voice still soft, but loud enough to show she had grown more comfortable around him.

It was then that Twilight walked up. She and Rainbow had been ready for Fluttershy to try and run away, plus they were also a little shocked at how Mathew was not injured from the rough meeting with Fluttershy. She had been flying pretty fast. Still, it was interesting to see how the two interacted with each other. “Hello Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted her friend. “I see you’ve met our new friend, Mathew.”

Fluttershy turned to see Twilight and smiled warmly at her friend. “Oh, hello Twilight. You know this… oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to call you,” she said to Mathew, covering her mouth with a hoof.

Mathew chuckled and waved his hand gently. “It’s alright, I’m not exactly common around these parts. I’m a human. Twilight already used my name, so just call me Mathew, please. It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Fluttershy,” he said and offered her his hand.

Fluttershy looked at his hand and noticed he did not have claws like Spike or Diamond Dogs. She hesitated for only a moment before she extended her hoof out and his gentle fingers wrapped around her hoof. He gave the gentlest of shakes and they were both struck by how warm each other’s appendage felt. The shake was over quickly, but Mathew was content that he had given her a good first impression.

Suddenly he felt the touch of hooves on his back and the back of his head. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Rainbow Dash hovering behind him. She was squinting her eyes and looking for something, which gave Mathew a small smirk when he realized what it was. “I’m alright, Rainbow,” he said to her.

Rainbow sighed and then rubbed at the back of her head. “Sorry, I was just sure that you had hit your head pretty hard back there. Fluttershy isn’t the toughest one of us, but she’s still a Pegasus, and we’re built pretty sturdy. Still, she hit you hard enough to get a nosebleed, but you don’t seem to have a scratch on you. Just how durable is the body of a human, anyway?” Rainbow asked.

Mathew appreciated the concern, but he was still not sure how he should explain it. When Twilight had found him after his big fall, he had made the mistake of telling her his body regenerated. That had led to quite the lengthy discussion about how he was able to do that, which eventually resulted in him revealing the part about his crystal heart. It had taken Celestia and Luna to calm Twilight down after hearing about the potential threat of Nightmare Moon.

So, keeping his last encounter in mind, Mathew simply shrugged and fed Rainbow a simple truth. “Honestly, I’m tougher than I look. I appreciate the thought, though. Thanks for lookin’ out for me Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash beamed at him and folded her front hooves. “Any time, Mathew.”

Mathew returned the smile and looked at Twilight and Fluttershy. He was pleased that his encounters with the purple alicorn’s friends had gone well, so far. Then he realized that fluttershy was still hanging around and he remembered how it was she came to be part of the group and quickly cleared his throat. “Uh, Fluttershy, didn’t you have those supplies to get for that turtle?” he asked her.

Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide and she gasped. Mathew tried not to grin when he saw both her ears and wings shoot up in synchronization at her surprise. “Oh, that’s right. Thank you for reminding me. I was just distracted with meeting you. I’ll be going now.”

“Try to be more careful,” Twilight chimed in as Fluttershy flapped her wings to get airborne.

Rainbow Dash flew over to hover beside Fluttershy. “Oh, and Pinkie Pie is going to be throwing a welcome party for Mathew tonight. You’ll be there, right?” she asked.

Fluttershy smiled wide at the mention of the party. “Oh, yes, of course. It will be fun to give Mathew a fun first welcome. I’ll see you all later, then,” she said and was fluttered away to finish her task.

Mathew and Twilight watched Fluttershy fly off. Rainbow flew back over and hovered beside Mathew. Twilight noticed Rainbow’s searching eyes as she scanned the back of his head once more. The young princess knew that Rainbow must have seen the faint light from Mathew’s body as it healed the minor injury, but she was not ready to reveal what that light was, not yet anyway. “Well, I think we’ve spent enough time standing here,” Twilight said, partly to distract Rainbow Dash but mainly to get back on track. “We’re almost to Rarity’s house. After we pay her a quick visit we’ll head to my castle and get your room situated. Later we can go out to find anything you might need.”

Mathew turned to her and nodded in agreement. The three resumed their trek to the boutique. When they had finally arrived in front of it, Mathew had taken a moment to admire the building’s unique design. It was very close in resemblance to what it was named after. Though, part of Mathew’s mind connected the shape to more of a two-tier cake. Still, the Carousel Boutique was an eye catcher and the powder blue base color with the light purple accents and gold trim made the building feel balanced.

Twilight opened the door, signaling a soft chime from the bell above the door, and walked in, Mathew and Rainbow following soon after. Mathew noticed the little cyan Pegasus had become slightly more cautious, even if she tried to act perfectly normal. He had heard about the horrors that Rarity had put her friends through in the past. Seemed that Rainbow was still cautious in case she needed to zoom out of the place before Rarity could force her to model for another dress. The thought was enough to bring a small smirk to his lips.

The inside of the boutique was quite the sight. One side of the main room was dominated by numerous racks of clothing and around twelve pony shaped mannequins with full outfits on display. Most of the outfits were dresses, looking very expensive, but well made. The bright colors reminded Mathew of the spring sales that would have been going on in the city back home.

On the other side of the main room stood a short stage with a flower design on top, long light purple drapes cascading behind it from the ceiling to the floor, and a few mirrors to the sides. There was a staircase to the left of the modeling stage that went up to the upper floor. Mathew almost missed the other door, which had been partly hidden behind some decorative curtains, and he was fairly sure it led to the kitchen.

Just as his curiosity had started to let him pick out the smaller details of the room, a voice came from the stairway. It belonged to a mare and held an air of grace and sophistication. “Hello, welcome to Carousel Boutique; where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique.”

Mathew could not help but grin and shake his head. The line had obviously been memorized as part of her sales pitch, but it was still clever enough with its little rhyme. Rarity rounded the corner near the bottom of the stairs and saw who she had greeted. She smiled warmly and opened her mouth to say hi to her friends properly, but she paused when she noticed Mathew.

Mathew locked gazes with the white unicorn. He had to admit that her sapphire eyes were strikingly pretty. They drew his attention more than her indigo colored mane and tale, regardless of how styled they were. He was unsure at first, but the stare she held him with did not seem entirely set on him, per se… it was like she was looking at something on him. Then he realized that was exactly what she was doing. Rarity had been eyeing his clothing.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were puzzled by Rarity’s odd silence. Twilight stepped closer to her and tilted her head as she asked, “Uh, Rarity? Is something wrong?”

The fashionista suddenly narrowed her eyes and began to smile. The change in her demeanor was slightly more alarming, but none of them were prepared for what she was about to say. “So you’re the one I made those strange clothes for. I’ve been dying to meet you!”

> 7 - Ponyville Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew’s eyes lit up and a broad smile took over his face at those words. Finally, after waiting for weeks, he could express his gratitude to the one that had given him one of the best gifts. He placed his hand over his chest and gave Rarity a respectful bow.
“Lady Rarity, you have my deepest thanks for these clothes,” he said before lifting himself back up, “and I must say, these are the finest clothes I’ve ever had. If there is anything you need of me, please ask; I’m more than willing to repay you for these.”

Rarity simply shook her head and waved a hoof. “Oh, think nothing of it. I should be thanking you; those clothes of yours were quite the unusual challenge for me. You can’t believe how troublesome it was for me to figure out why such tough fabrics were stitched together so crudely. Once I figured that out, I simply modified the design and, dare I say, I had fun making those. You simply must model for me again! I could make them even better if I had your measurements and-“

Rarity’s mouth was suddenly plugged with a purple hoof. Twilight had put a halt on the fashionista’s creative streak. She then looked at her white unicorn friend’s eyes. “So… you knew about him already, Rarity?” Twilight asked.

Rarity promptly pulled her head back and eyed Twilight’s hoof. “You did wash those… recently… I hope?”

Twilight simply rolled her eyes and gave Rarity a look, silently telling her friend to answer her question about her knowledge about Mathew. Rarity got the hint, but took a moment to work her tongue around her mouth before replying. “Well, naturally I knew about him. Luna came to me and personally requested that I try to replicate some odd clothing for her. She was very brief with me, at first, but once I had studied the clothes I knew that they were not for any pony. All she told me about him was that he was a friend who could use some help.”

Rarity then turned her attention back to Mathew. “So, seeing that you came here with Twilight and Rainbow Dash, I assume that means you’re free to share some information with us?”

Mathew nodded. “Yes, but I was saving most of it for when all of the Element bearers are present. I’ll give you the basics, though. My name is Mathew. I’m a human,” he said.

“He’ll also be staying with me at my castle,” Twilight added.

“Heh, he’s a pretty cool guy, too. You should have seen how he helped Fluttershy earlier,” Rainbow added, flying over to hover right next to him with a big smile on her face.

Mathew smiled back at her. “It wasn’t that big a deal,” he said humbly.

Twilight stepped up to him and gave him a smile, but held a slight air of authority as well. “Actually, not only did you help out one of my friends, but you also used a spell that isn't easy. Healing magic isn’t necessarily a rare thing, but very few can use it. The spell itself is highly complex and uses at least three different types of magic. Even I can’t use that kind of a spell, at least, not as easily as you did. Where did you learn to do that, anyway?” she said, her eyes showing that telltale spark for her eagerness to learn.

Mathew suddenly realized he was not in a good position. The urge to glance at Rainbow and Rarity was strong, but he held his gaze with Twilight. He had to word his answer a little delicately. His hand moved up to the back of his neck and he let a sheepish grin slip onto his face. “Honestly, I’m not really sure. I’m new to the whole idea of magic… but I’m pretty good at copying things I’m shown. When I was in the royal medical wing one of the unicorn doctors showed me how their healing spell worked. When I used it to heal Fluttershy’s nose, it was more on impulse.”

Twilight stood there, holding her eyes on Mathew, and processed what he had said. For her, the fact that Mathew had so much magical power was fascinating. Being the Element of Magic let her actually see how much power the human had within him. She was slightly concerned about his magic though… but the change she had noticed was too subtle for her to draw a conclusion just yet. She did know that there had been a lot of magic used in his healing spell on Fluttershy, yet it almost made no dent in his overall reserve.

While Twilight formulated her thoughts, Rarity stepped closer. She held a small look of concern on her face. “Did something happen to dear Fluttershy?” she asked.

Mathew quickly replied with a kind smile. “She’s alright. While we were on our way here, Fluttershy accidentally flew into me. She hit me pretty hard and her nose started bleeding, so I kinda used healing magic to fix it. Turns out she was just in a hurry to help out a turtle – she needed to get some supplies for the medicine,” he explained.

“Yeah, you should have seen it, Rares,” Rainbow chimed in. “She was going pretty fast, probably the fastest I’ve seen her go in a while, and then she slammed into him. I gotta say, I was a little worried about the guy. Mathew hit the ground pretty hard, but he was just fine.”

Rarity’s expression had gone from glad to concerned once more and she looked at Mathew. Before she could even ask, Mathew put up his hand and shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine. This body of mine is tougher than it looks,” he said. Then Mathew turned his attention to Twilight. “Hey, so was there anything else we needed to do here? Or are we going to head to the castle next?” he asked the purple princess.

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked around the room. “Uh, no, actually. I had given a bit of time to this part of our tour, but it looks like Rarity’s reaction to you was different than I expected,” she answered.

Mathew nodded slightly. “Cool, so can we head over now then? I’m starting to feel a bit hungry, plus it would be a good idea to get my introduction to Spike taken care of. Oh, and did anyone catch where Pinkie said she was holding the party?” he asked smoothly.

Rarity was put off balance by how quickly Mathew deflected her concerns, but she held her thoughts to herself. Twilight agreed with Mathew that it would be best to get to the castle. Rainbow Dash had nodded enthusiastically at the mention of lunch. Mathew quietly let himself sink into the background of their following conversation. He was getting slightly uncomfortable with things. Deep down he knew the feelings were more from Nightmare Moon. He could feel her presence twitch every now and then when she saw the Element bearers show interest in his wellbeing.

Mathew shared her sentiments on the subject. He had met with five of the six elements. Each one had shown interest in him, but the worst of it was that he knew he had to explain a few things to them at some point. Even he was a little wary at telling all six of them about how he got to Equestria. He was uneasy with the last one of the elements he had yet to meet, Applejack… the Element of Honesty.

Twilight had told him quite a bit about the farm pony. The part that stood out the most for Mathew was how Applejack could tell when a lie was being said. He had been honest, for the most part, with the ponies around him… he just chose to keep some things to himself – telling the truth, but not the whole truth. A small part of him wondered if he could keep up with that partial truth or if she’d see through his attempts to hide things from them.




~~***~~




Their stay at Rarity’s was soon over. The three friends said their goodbyes, and shared their mutual feelings of looking forward to the party later. Twilight, Rainbow and Mathew left the boutique and made good time getting to the castle. Along the way, Mathew had spotted a rather interesting light green unicorn. He had stifled a laugh when he saw the odd way she had been sitting on a bench.

The first meeting with Spike had been surprisingly normal. The young dragon had not even flinched at Mathew’s appearance. Rather, all Spike had said upon first seeing him was that he was as tall as Princess Celestia. As it turned out, Spike kind of felt that Mathew’s human appearance was more like his own dragon look, only less scaly and more lanky. Mathew had gotten a few giggles from watching Twilight reprimand her little assistant for being so rude.

Later on they enjoyed a small lunch. It was then that Mathew came to a small realization about himself. Being a human, he had somehow been just fine eating the same kinds of foods as the ponies of Equestria. He was positive that his body should have needed meat at some point, yet he felt as fit as a fiddle on his diet of flowers, grains, dairy, and copious amounts of sweet treats. Yet again, he had something else to look into regarding his body. In the near future he planned to test to see if he even needed to eat at all, since his magic seemed to be keeping his body alive.

Once lunch was over, Twilight escorted Mathew to the room he would be using. His belongings had already been moved there for him, which he was thankful for, and he was quick to take up a comfortable spot on the bed. He sat there for some time, idly letting his thoughts on the day drift through his mind. His mind soon felt a familiar line of thoughts and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
You’ve been restless, Nightmare.

“Forgive me, Mathew. I’ve been nervous around the young Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle. She’s been keeping a close watch on your magic… and I believe she’s felt my presence… though I cannot be certain, yet,” Nightmare Moon said as she slipped out of the depths of Mathew’s consciousness.

Mathew let a soft hum slip through his nose and he let himself fall back onto the bedding. Don’t worry about her. I can feel it when she’s looking at my magic. She’s noticed the change in my magic from our time in Canterlot to now, but she’s not sure about the results yet. Her curiosity is what gives me the feeling that she won’t act on her feelings just yet. We have time to work around her peeking… for the time being.

Nightmare relaxed slightly, but she noticed a lingering feeling of anxiousness from Mathew’s mind. He was worried about something. In almost a whisper, she decided to as him about it.
“What is it that weighs on your mind?”

There are a few things, I guess, he answered with a long sigh. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to come clean with Twilight and her friends at some point. Their Elements of Harmony might be deadly for me… if they don’t take the news well enough. But the one thing that stands out is the final element I’ve yet to meet. I don’t want to reveal everything yet, but I wonder just how her ability works. Would she be able to tell if I’m not telling them everything? I don’t intend to lie to them, but could I get away with it if Equestrian magic is canceled by my body? If I do get away with my selective revealing, then how will they react? I’m hoping they are willing to share Luna’s sympathies… otherwise things might get complicated – which would really suck.

Nightmare Moon listened to his concerns, nodding to herself a few times. She had similar concerns as well. It was actually quite reassuring that her partner had thought about such things. It showed that he really was doing what he could to help her. “There is much that could go awry, but I have faith that you can do the right thing. Celestia has been teaching her ponies to be more focused on befriending others. I’m sure the element bearers will be more understanding. The key is how you approach the subject… though I believe you already have an idea of how you will do that,” she said and let her worries disappear.

Mathew inhaled deeply and let a mild sensation of contentment take over him. He thanked Nightmare for her support and cleared his head of any nagging thoughts. But one thing decided to surge up from his heart, of all places. Nightmare felt it as well, and she did her best to keep her guilt in check. Mathew sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, looking quite melancholic.

Nightmare hesitated for a few moments, and went to apologize to Mathew, but he preempted her. Nightmare… are you still able to see things back… back on Earth...  he asked her.

Nightmare Moon took in a deep breath, though it was ultimately pointless for her to do so. She felt a lump stick to her throat and forced it down with a few gulps. “I have not been able to see much since we became bound together. But… there may be a way for me to let you see your home again. It would take time and much practice, but you could tap into my essence and use my powers to see into the beyond. Unfortunately… once you use my magic, you’ll be touched by the power of darkness. There will be no hiding your bond with me at that point,” she said solemnly.

Mathew’s heart sank. He wanted to know if his father was alright. His worry for the old man had grown over the past few weeks. Despite his best efforts, Mathew just could not stop his growing anxiety over Alexander’s health and wellbeing. He hated to even consider it, but his gut had twisted over onto itself the other day when he thought about him. It was possible that he no longer had anything left to go back to, but until he knew for sure… no, he had to hope that he was just over-thinking it.

He fell onto his side and curled up slightly on the bed. Sorry about that, Nightmare.

“Not as much as I am, I assure you. I’ll take my leave… you should try to rest. I get the feeling you will need your strength for later tonight.” Nightmare said soothingly. She knew, all too well, what Mathew was feeling. It was the kind of emotion that would never go away, and she had felt it for the past few thousand years. Nothing more was said between the two, but Nightmare Moon made a silent vow that she would try to make things up to the poor human.

Nightmare Moon slipped back into Mathew’s subconscious mind. He followed her shortly after, once his unhappy and unfocused emotions had run their course. His dream was quite pleasant.




~~***~~




Some time later, Mathew’s dreams were interrupted. Loud knocking on the bedroom door drew his attention and he mumbled something about how hooves needed to be padded to make knocking on doors seem less intense than enduring loud noises during a hangover. Another set of knocks woke him up a bit more and he lifted his head up. Oh, yeah… this is Twilight’s castle, he groggily thought. Looks like the sun’s almost down… damn, I missed the sunset.

His thoughts quickly switched to wondering who it was at the door. He heard some muffled voices from the other side of it. The voices were familiar, but he had trouble picking out who they belonged to… that is, until he heard an all too familiar one of them yell. “Oh, c’mon! Let’s just get him already – the party’s almost ready to start!”

The moment those words left Rainbow Dash’s mouth, Mathew knew he was about to be yanked from the comfort of his soft bed. He cocked a slight grin and swiftly flipped over to hide behind the large mattress. Just as he made contact with the ground, the green stained glass doors, trimmed with yellow pine, swung open with a bang.

“What the…? Twilight did say he was asleep in here, right?” Rainbow asked.

“I-I think so. This is the right room… maybe he went out for a walk,” came Fluttershy’s soft voice.

Mathew’s playful mood suddenly felt heavy with guilt. He had planned to spook the intruders to his naptime, but he did not want to scare the poor yellow Pegasus mare. Sighing quietly, he made a quick change to his plans and lowered his body to lay on the floor. Then he closed his eyes and made a soft mumbling sound.

“Huh? Wait, did you hear that, Flutters?”

“Yeah. Oh, do you think he fell off the bed? I hope he’s alright.”

“Heh, if he’s asleep on the floor I think he’s fine. Let’s go wake him up… before Pinkie comes in with her party cannon.”

Mathew did his absolute best to keep his face neutral and his breathing steady. He heard two sets of fluttering wings approach and waited patiently. It was very hard to keep his expression in tact when he heard Rainbow start snickering near his feet. Oh, the temptation was so great, he could get her so good if only Fluttershy was not present. Two sets of hooves landed near him and he heard more snickering and a small squeak from Fluttershy.

“Watch this…” Rainbow whispered to her friend. Mathew could just barely hear the sounds of feathers sliding against each other. The sound slowly grew closer to his head. He instantly knew that Rainbow was about to use her wing in some way to wake him, most likely to tickle him with a feather. He seized his chance and opened an eye to stare at her. Rainbow froze, her feathers mere inches from his ear with her eyes wide and locked on his.

A sly grin crossed over Mathew’s face. “You know… if you want to sneak up on a sleeping human, you’ll need to fly quieter,” he said and slipped into a toothy grin.

Rainbow snorted and poked his nose with her feather. “So you were awake the whole time?” she asked, smirking at him.

“I woke up from the knocking, but was going to prank you for barging in. I hid behind the bed to wait for you to get close… until I heard Fluttershy was with you. I didn’t want to scare her,” he admitted.

Fluttershy giggled by his feet and smiled. “Thank you for sparing me. I don’t handle surprises very well.”

Dash chuckled and walked over to stand beside her friend. “Looks like I have an advantage in the future then. If I keep Flutters nearby then I can wake you up in any way I want,” she boasted.

Mathew sat up and gave the blue Pegasus a devilish grin with a cool stare. “Hmmm… don’t bet on it. I can get you back at any time. You’re welcome to try though, I’m sure it’ll be fun to catch you next time. But I guess you two came to get me for my welcome party?” he asked, letting his expression turn more to a friendly neutral look.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. Most of the guests are here. Pinkie said it was about time to bring the guest of honor, so we came to get you. I hope you don’t mind,” she said, adopting a slightly humble look and rubbing her front leg with a hoof.

Mathew chuckled and shot her a warm smile. “I don’t mind at all. Thank you for taking the time to fetch me.”

“O-oh, it was no trouble,” he replied with a smile.

Rainbow shook her head and flapped her wings to hover in the air. “Alright you two, c’mon, the party’s not gunna throw itself ya know,” she said jokingly.

Mathew chuckled and shook his head. “Actually, from what I’ve heard, if it’s a Pinkie Pie Party then it might just do that.”

The three of them shared a laugh at that. It did seem like something the pink pony could manage. They promptly left the room and walked through the vaulted crystalline halls of the castle. It still amazed Mathew that the castle resembled a massive hollow tree made of icy blue crystals (though they took on a deep purple color in low lighting areas or where the crystal formations were thicker). Personally, he thought the designs were a little conflicting. Most places had jagged formations of the crystals, but there were some areas where the crystal had shaped to look like Roman or even, what might pass for, Gothic architecture.

Mathew spent some time to get a little more familiar with the layout as he followed the two Pegasi through the halls. At first, the curved pathways looked like a never-ending circular maze with identical doors and archways, but after taking the time to look at things closely slight differences made themselves known to his searching eyes. Main hallways had slightly larger crystal formations, while the doors to the bedrooms and smaller rooms looked homier. From what he could guess, the doorways that had more intricate details led to Twilight’s royal chambers and the like.

They passed the archway that led into the large dining hall. The room was empty. Mathew had thought the party would be held in that room, but he simply shrugged and wondered where the others were. The next thing he knew, a pink blur popped up from seemingly nowhere and the sheen of a pony-sized blue hunk of metal rested right in front of it. With a boom, the thing exploded and party decorations, balloons, streamers, and confetti engulfed the room with slightly annoying kazoos playing for a brief moment.

Mathew’s eyes opened wide and his jaw hung in awe of the insta-party bang. The room had been decorated in an instant and dozens of ponies stood around the room with big smiles on their faces. Pinkie suddenly jumped up and wrapped a hoof around his neck.
“Alright everypony, let’s all give our new friend, Mathew a great big Welcome-to-Ponyville party cheer!” she exclaimed loudly.

The room erupted in cheering and a nearly unanimous welcome from the whole room. Mathew smiled wide and gave Pinkie a big hug, laughing jovially. “Awe, you’re awesome, Pinkie Pie! Thanks for doing all of this, it’s the biggest party I’ve ever seen!” he said to her.

Pinkie gladly returned the hug and told him it was no problem. She loved throwing parties and it had been a while since her last one. Then she pointed out all the tasty treats and drinks on a table by the far wall. She raved about the cupcakes, she called them the Super Duper Double Scooper Chocolate Icing Cupcakes – supposedly they had double scoops of every chocolate in each one. The thought of all that chocolate in one cupcake sent Mathew’s mind strait to diabetes, which he was sure he’d get from one bite.

Mathew lifted his hand to wave it in decline of her recommendation only to find a plate of them right in front of him. He was starting to get why Twilight had warned him not to try to understand how she did the things she did. Yet, a small part of his mind had started to form a theory about it. Eh, he could think about it later, so he plucked a cupcake from the plate and gave it the mandatory sniff. “Whoa, that smells wonderful,” he said and took a bite.

An explosion of chocolaty goodness swept over his tongue, assaulting his taste buds with waves of each type, white chocolate sliding across first, followed by milk chocolate that melted over the white, then came the crackle of dark chocolate that danced over the milk and the final one was an incredible hug of awesomeness from a rich malt chocolate of some kind. It was so good it actually made Mathew’s eyes flitter in a near orgasmic bliss. Without thinking, he reached over and brought Pinkie in for a kiss. He smacked her cheek with gusto, leaving a slight smear of chocolate icing on her soft furry cheek.

“Pinkie, these are beyond words, they’re amazing – and I don’t even like chocolate – but I love these! You’re the best!” he praised her.

Pinkie stared at him for a moment before her smile grew wider than her face and she literally vibrated with joy. She then bounced off into the party, grinning ear to ear. Mathew watched her bound off. He thought it was a bit funny… until he realized what had just happened. Her reaction was the typical one that showed he had probably started a rather awkward situation with her. With a sigh, he stuffed the rest of his cupcake into his mouth and started to formulate a few ways to explain things to Pinkie later.

Mathew’s attention was abruptly brought around to his side when he felt a poke to his side. He looked to his left and spotted Rainbow Dash, a big smirk playing across her features. “So… how’d you enjoy kissing the cook?” she asked.

Mathew leveled his gaze on her and swallowed the last of his chocolate bliss. “You’re gunna tease me with that for the rest of my life, aren’t you.” he said flatly.

Rainbow’s grin curved up a bit more and she nodded slowly. “Oh, you bet I am. That was priceless, I’ve never seen Pinkie get so happy before. You definitely made her night with that smooch. Just be careful, she’s weird by default, but nopony knows what she’s like in private,” she said with a wink.

Mathew groaned and looked away. “I’ll explain my actions to her later. I honestly didn’t mean anything by it, I was just so happy for a moment there… I’ve never been part of something… this nice before. You have no idea what this welcome party really means to me,” he said, idly rubbing at the back of his neck.

Rainbow almost went on to make another joke, but even she could see the slight shift in Mathew’s eyes. She could almost swear that she had seen the telltale sign of a tear try to form in the corner of his eye, but the human managed to steel himself before that could go any further. Rainbow looked at him with a little concern and stepped closer to him. “Hey, big guy, you alright?” she asked.

Mathew forced a small smile and met her gaze. “Yeah. It’s just a little hard when I remember certain things from… back home. I’ll tell you more later. Sorry to be a downer,” he said, steadily regaining his composure.

Rainbow watched him for a few moments. Part of her wanted to talk to him about it, but then she thought better of it. She did not know him all that well yet. What if asking about certain things was a bad idea? She did not want to anger him accidentally. Rainbow let the topic slip to the back burner of her mind, but still managed to offer Mathew her hoof. “Well, cheer up, this is your party after all. Anyway, Twilight sent me to get you. There are some important ponies here that she wants you to meet,” she explained.

Mathew nodded and asked her to lead the way. He followed her through the crowd, saying hi to those he passed and responding to anypony that walked up to him to ask a question. It was a little annoying having to say he was a human over twenty times in a row. A few had asked him if there were others like him and where he had come from. Obviously there were other humans, but as to where he came from… he simply said it was a far away land that was very difficult to get to.

He soon met up with Twilight. For the first time, since they had met, she looked like a real princess. Her head was adorned with a golden tiara that rose to five points, each point tipped with a dark pink gem that matched the pink line in her mane. She wore a matching pink dress, accented with golden yellow silken trim and a sweeping sash that flowed from her shoulders around her flank. The tail end of the dress was followed by a white silk that drug along the floor behind her. Mathew had to admit, it looked good on her.

Rarity stood near Twilight, wearing her own dress. Hers was more relaxed, a simple light blue that gently flowed over her body, accented with a frilly white trim that had a few diamonds along the edges. They had been greeting a few of the party ponies. When Mathew arrived, rarity had given him a slight look, one that instantly told him he should have changed into better attire for the party. He sheepishly shrugged and gave her an apologetic look, but she soon warmed back up to him.

After greeting each other, Twilight and Mathew walked around the party and she introduced him to a few important ponies that had come. The Mayor of Ponyville had come to meet him, as well as a few of the more important shop keepers. It was a little odd to Mathew that the important figures of the town were business owners. At the same time, it was a relief to him, since he had heard plenty about the nobles back in Canterlot.

The ordeal of the Q and A with the Ponyville hierarchy still took its toll on Mathew, though. He got many of the same questions, but the one that had really caught him off guard was the Mayor. She had actually asked him about his people and what they were like. “Well, humans are complicated in many ways. We’re a lot like ponies in that we stick together and help each other to get things done. The main difference I can honestly say is that we rely more on our inventive nature. My people have more technology than ponies do,” he had said to her.

Eventually, curiosities were sated and Mathew was able to slip away to loosen his mental coil. He had continued to tell the truth to the ponies of Equestria, but it was still hard for him to admit the other part of his race. Humans were wonderful things, no doubt, but sadly they had their darker side. From the time he had spent in Equestria it was clear that these equine residents of the world did not share that darker nature. None of the places he had visited had locks for their doors. Some of the windows had lock-like latches, but those were for high winds during the bigger storms.

Aside from the total trust in their fellow ponies, the guards and police ponies of their world were not the same as back on Earth. In Equestria, their roles were more for morale or to keep things orderly. Even the royal guards of the castle were ordinary ponies, given enchanted armors and mandatory training for crowd control. The level of military training was almost laughable to Mathew, since the biggest threat the royal guards had dealt with was the Changeling attack some time back. Compared to humans, these ponies were about as capable of war as a kindergarten class at an amusement park.

Mathew envied the ponies of Equestria… and pitied them. He was glad they did not know the same pain as his people did, but he felt that they should know about it in order to prevent a tragedy. If a war did happen in the pony lands, the result would be massively catastrophic for their race. Deep down he wished they would never have to see the horrors that violence could bring.

His brooding thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard a peculiar voice from close by. The mare’s voice was friendly and had that distinct southern twang to it. “Well ah’ll be, so yer the one Pinkie mentioned. Ya sure are a tall one, ain’tcha?”

Mathew perked up and turned around to see the orange coat and long blonde mane of the last of Twilight’s friends. He quickly took notice of the Stetson hat she wore, but it was her emerald green eyes that really struck him. Her eyes held no hidden agenda, unlike many of the others he had seen among the party, and he saw why she was the Element of Honesty. Her warm smile made him feel more relaxed and he offered her a smile in turn. “Indeed, though there are other humans that are even taller than I am. You must be Applejack, it’s nice to meet you, finally. I’m Mathew,” he said and bent forward with an extended hand to greet her.

Applejack eyed his hand for a mere instant and happily offered her hoof in turn. Mathew was a little shocked at how firm her shake was. It was clear that she had not held back, and he gave her a good firm response. He felt like the day he had met his old buddy Terry, the farm boy that had moved to his town a few years back to try getting his own farm started up. Terry also had a strong handshake and an honest personality. “That’s a good shake ya got there, Mathew. Ya’ll wouldn’t happen to have any farmin’ in ya, would ya?” she asked, mildly impressed with his strength.

Mathew chuckled and gave a small nod. “One of my friends, back home, was a bit of a farmer. I helped him out a few times. Eventually I started working as a sales associate at the local hardware store. I learned quite a bit there, so I’m pretty familiar with building houses to tilling soil to harvesting, and everything in between,” he replied.

Applejack let out a low whistle and grinned. “Well, that’s a might bit impressive. Think you could swing by the farm sometime? There’s a few things ah think you could help us fix up,” she said.

Mathew thought about it for a moment and agreed that he could. It would be a good change of pace being able to do something more his style. He knew how much magic could be useful, but he still preferred to work with his hands.
“I’d like that,” he said warmly.

The two of them eventually wandered to a quieter side of the festivities and enjoyed small talk. Applejack had shown curiosity in Mathew’s race as well, but her questions had turned more toward his hometown, friends, and family. Though he had slumped a bit remembering his father, and the recent thoughts he had, it still went by as a good thing. He told her how he had been adopted, lived with his father in a small town out in the countryside, and enjoyed the numerous friends he had made over the years.

Applejack listened to his telling, even giving him praise for keeping strong bonds with some of his friends that had moved to the city, though Mathew still admitted that the friendships he had were more or less out of convenience. She was a little shocked by his admittance of that, but more confused. When she asked him about it, he simply said that his life had made it so that he felt better doing things the easy way. It was easy for him to go with the flow of things, which made him friends more easily, but took away the sting of any hardships that might have gone with them.

“If I had to guess, as to why I feel this way about it, it would be because of living in the orphanage,” he said. “Living there for a few years, you make many friends with the other orphan kids, but you make friendships knowing that they could end at any time. It’s nice having others nearby, laughing and having a good time, but when one of us got adopted… that was the end of it. Even now, I still can’t really open up and do things that, well, a best friend could. You’re the first pony I’ve even told about this sort of thing, funny enough.”

Applejack took a moment to take it all in. It was a little sobering for her, since her meaning of friendship was vastly different than his, but she could understand it, nonetheless. In a small way, she felt honored that Mathew would even tell her something like that, but she had found it quite easy to relate to him. He was just as friendly as any pony she had met. She gave him a kind look and sighed contentedly.
“Ya know, ah may not be the most familiar with that kinda thing, what with mah experience in a big family an’ all, but ah think ah can understand ya a bit more. Ah’m glad we could talk about this sorta thing. Ya’ll are good in mah book, fer bein’ human an’ all,” she said.

Mathew sighed and looked away. “Don’t let first impressions mold your opinion of me. I haven’t said it to anyone… well, except for Luna, but even then I didn’t tell her much about it. Humans are great, but there are some things that make us flawed. I’m one of the nicer ones of my kind,” he said.

Applejack saw the look in his eyes. There was a deep pain or regret in them. She swallowed against the slight tightness that had gripped her throat and leaned closer to him. “What, if ya don’t mind my askin’, kinda flaws do your kind have? I don’t mean ta pry, but you look pretty upset about it…”

Mathew sighed again, forcing a small smile. He looked her in the eyes and shook his head gently. “We’re a constantly changing mixture of things. Deep down we want to do good. Sadly… our race’s history made us adapt things into our nature that… well, they’re not that great. I know you’d like to help me, but trust me when I say that it’s best if you don’t know about that sort of thing. It has no place in this world.”

The two fell into silence, the noise of the party taking over the mood. Applejack could tell that Mathew needed to talk about it. Whatever it was, it was eating away at him inside, but she knew that he had told her the truth. She wondered what it was that would be so hurtful to him, that could make him keep it away from her, that was great enough for him to consider the wellbeing of her world even. Her bonding with him had hit its first wall when she realized that, despite his personality, he was really too different from pony kind.

Mathew had felt enough of the awkward silence. He knew that it was his fault, but he also knew he could get back into a better mood. There was a party to enjoy, and he felt it would be a waste to let it slip by without mingling among the ponies who came to welcome him. He turned to Applejack and tapped her nose, smiling warmly. “Come on, let’s find Twilight and the others. It’d be a shame to dwell in an unpleasant mood when there’s such an awesome party nearby. Would you like to join me?” he asked.

Applejack wiggled her nose and smiled back with a nod. They returned to the swaying happy mix of ponies, giggling at Pinkie’s antics near the turntable on the far side of the room. She had been doing something to get the quiet unicorn DJ to laugh, much to the amusement of many other partygoers. The scene was more than what Mathew needed to cheer up again.

> 8 - A Delicate Balance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room was quiet… very, very quiet. In the center of the large room was a round crystal table, with the magical image of Equestria displayed on it. Surrounding the table were seven stone-like chairs that resembled modest versions of throne room seating. Each chair had a mark engraved upon the back, the marks matching the corresponding cutie marks of the Elements of Harmony members, with the exception of the smaller seat next to Twilight Sparkle’s – the last seat belonged to Spike, his was blank.

The eyes of all six mares were fixed onto Mathew. He stood on the edge of the table with his arms crossed and his gaze locked with Twilight’s. His body was only slightly tense, which was mildly surprising to him, since he had just dropped the bomb of all bombs on the discussion table. In a part of his mind, he found it slightly amusing that their laughter and cheer during the earlier party could vanish in an instant. Still, he expected that kind of a reaction to what he had just shared.

The thick silence of the room was shattered when Rainbow Dash leaned forward and slammed her hooves on the table.
“So you mean to tell us that, for some reason, you were brought here from another world by something that Nightmare Moon made?” she asked, her wings slowly growing tense and her gaze hardening.

Mathew nodded and looked to her with a level gaze. “Yes.”

Rainbow was about to say something else, but was interrupted by Rarity clearing her throat. “So, you said that the princesses tried to seal that gem? Do they know why it didn’t work, or how you were brought here?” she asked.

Mathew sighed and shook his head. He closed his eyes before he answered. “No. I’ve spoken to Luna about this a few times. The best we could gather was that the item was made for some reason. I was the unlucky one to be ripped through time and space to wind up on the floor of that magical containment room. There are a few theories as to what Nightmare Moon’s goal was, but Luna and I figured that, if it wasn’t a random occurrence, then I was brought here for a specific reason,” he said.

Twilight spoke next. She looked at Mathew with a determined expression, gaining quite the intimidating air. “Mathew, have you noticed any changes since you came to Equestria – anything outside of what you consider normal for your kind?” she asked.

Mathew opened his eyes and turned back to Twilight. “I have. When I realized where I was, after I had been teleported from Earth to that room, I only felt confused. Then, after meeting both Princess Celestia and Luna for the first time, something… changed in me. To sum it up, and after nearly dyeing in the process – or rather, dying a few times – I found out that I had magic. The castle doctors said that they found an unusual crystal formation connected to my heart,” he explained.

Fluttershy gasped. “Your heart!? Is it just sticking to the outside or…?” she could not bring herself to finish. She knew what it would mean if her guess was right. Her medical knowledge may not have been as vast as a royal physician’s, but she knew enough about the subject to know the severity of the alternative.

Mathew’s eyes softened for a split second, but everypony present saw the brief glimpse of his sadness. “It’s become an intricate part of me. Over eighty percent of my heart was replaced by it. The rest of the crystal spread out like roots and fused with my ribs and part of my spine.” he said, then intensified his gaze on Twilight.

“There were other things that have changed in me as well. Humans are omnivorous, we need a varied diet, but the entire time I’ve been here has been less than optimal as far as my nutritive needs. It’s still a theory, but I think my body has been changed on a deeper level because of it. I can also heal any injury rapidly. Cuts mend in mere seconds due to my body’s magic,” he said.

Applejack was next to chime in. “So, ah take it that you didn’t have magic back on Earth?”

“Yeah, our knowledge of magic is more from myth and imagination. On Earth, magic is just quick movements to trick the eyes into thinking it’s real... real magic doesn’t exist. I’m still amazed at some of the things I can do in this world,” Mathew replied.

“Oh! Can you show us your magic?” Pinkie asked in excitement, which was totally out of place, but... well... Pinkie Pie...

Twilight also showed an interest in the idea. It was another chance for her to see his magic at work. Mathew nodded, though it was clear he held some reservations about it. “Fine, but I’m not going to use any spells. I’ll just activate my magic,” he said and uncrossed his arms to hold them in front of his body.

He focused on bringing his power out and his hands were quickly engulfed by his pale blue magic. Rarity smiled and mumbled something about how his magic’s color was pretty. Pinkie simply ooh’d and awe’d, while Rainbow eyed it with suspicion and made it clear she was not impressed just yet. Twilight, on the other hoof, was not satisfied by the display. She shifted forward in her seat and gave Mathew a firm look.
“Cast a spell,” she said.

Mathew refocused on her and gave her a questioning look. “Why?”

“I want to check something. I noticed it at the castle and also when you healed Fluttershy, but I can’t be sure just yet. I want you to cast a spell,” Twilight said, growing increasingly more determined.

Mathew sighed and frowned. “What kind of spell did you have in mind then? At this point, I’m only confident in levitation or healing. The other spells I’ve tried have backfired on me – once I blew off my own arm,” he said defensively.

Twilight’s eyes widened for a moment, then she composed herself. Mathew instantly noticed the look in her eyes at that point and he got a better idea about her motivation.  “Use a levitation spell,” she said to him firmly, like an order.

She talked with Celestia about me, Mathew thought suspiciously, while doing his best to keep his outward expression calm. I think I know why they talked in private that day… Celestia’s using Twilight to examine me on a deeper level. Now I get it. With her skill and knowledge of magic she would be able to see if Nightmare’s magic is mixed with mine. This is a test to confirm it. Sorry to disappoint you, Princess of Magic, but you won’t see what you’re looking for.

Mathew’s eyes turned more neutral and he returned Twilight’s gaze. “What will I be lifting? Everything in this room is connected to the castle itself,” he pointed out, though he already had an idea of what she would say.

“Lift me,” was her response.

Though he held his gaze with Twilight, he could feel the tension radiating off of the other five ponies around the table. He ignored them and focused his magic to surround Twilight. His pale blue aura formed around her body and he wasted no time in lifting her into the air. He levitated the purple alicorn a good five feet into the air and kept his gaze locked with hers. They were silent for a few moments until Mathew felt the need to break the silence. “Is that enough?” he asked.

Twilight’s gaze hardened for a few moments as she critically eyed his magic. Then she let out a long breath. “Yes, you can put me down now,” she said and visibly relaxed.

Mathew gently placed her back on her seat and his magic faded away, much to the relief of the remaining five mares.

“Mathew,” Twilight began. “I have to admit that your magic is very unusual. The way it flows through your body is complex. You also seem to be gaining magic constantly. Have you ever felt like you have drained your magic yet?” she asked.

Mathew thought about it for a few moments. Then he tilted his head at her. “I have – only once though. After I had seen my hand heal, the first time I cut myself, I experimented with it. I wanted to know what it would take before my body couldn’t recover… so I damaged myself many times over the course of six hours. My body draws on my magic to repair itself, so after enough damage my reserves do drain. Why did you want to know?”

Twilight thought for a moment, categorizing his response, and showing slight discomfort at his admission. Then she took a breath and answered him. “You’ve been gaining a lot of magic, but you are too efficient when you use it. I’m a little worried that you might have too much in you to handle at some point. Unlike other unicorns, or even Alicorns, your magic is gathering within you from that crystal. It looks like your magic is slowly building too much pressure inside you. How often do you use your magic?”

“Not very often. I had been using it a bit more when I was being taught in Canterlot, but over the past few days I’ve not had to use it as much,” Mathew said, then he took a moment to think about it. He wondered if Nightmare would be able to confirm Twilight’s ideas. As if she had been listening in the whole time, he felt a reassuring feeling in the back of his mind. So that means Twilight is right. My magic is coming from Nightmare’s core.

“Twilight, just how much magic do I have inside of me now?” he asked.

Twilight’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Right now… you have enough to rival mine, and that’s purely in amount. At the rate you’ve been gathering magic, you could have enough to match up to the princesses in a few days. It’s actually hard for me to tell, though, because your magic is hidden by something.”

Mathew’s gaze softened a bit at that and he sighed. “Ah… that’s another theory I had. Luna had told me it was very hard for her magic, and that of the doctors, to affect me. It could be because my body is from a world without magic – like it’s got a field around it that negates magic. It’s probably why I’ve had some trouble using my magic in the past,” he said.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed and she thought about that concept. “That… would make sense. Still, from what I could see, your control over your magic was pretty solid just now. But you did have a more chaotic use of it when you healed Fluttershy… we’ll have to check that.”

“About that…” he started, “it might have to do with my mental state.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she leaned closer. Then Rarity spoke. “Oh, I think I understand. It’s like the younger unicorn foals. When they are first learning magic they have to get their minds in just the right frame. If they lose their focus, or think too hard about it, their magic can go awry. Is that what you are referring to, Mathew?” she asked.

Mathew nodded to her. “Yes. Like I said before, magic isn’t the same in my world. The times I’ve lost control of my spells have been when I… well, when I stopped paying attention to them. When my spells are successful, it’s because my way of thinking stays the same – or, rather, I let myself accept that my magic is real.”

Twilight suddenly brightened as the information clicked in her head. It all made sense to her then. However, there was still somepony who had something to add to the conversation. “Well, it’s nice that we know what his problem is with magic, and all that, but what about that part that he was brought here by Nightmare Moon?” Rainbow Dash asked. She had held her temper in check throughout, but she could remain quiet no longer.

The room went quiet again and the unease took hold. Mathew had expected it, but he had an answer for her. He turned to the rainbow-maned Pegasus and locked her in a calm gaze. “This is one of the reasons why I was brought here, Rainbow. You’ve all faced her once before – and defeated her. Luna believes that I stand a better chance against her if I have help. She dealt with Nightmare Moon on her own in the past,” he said.

Rainbow snorted and crossed her hooves, glaring at him. “That still doesn’t change the fact that she might come back. And if your body is as tough as you say it is, how would we be able to beat her?”

“The Elements,” Mathew quickly stated.

Fluttershy and Applejack gasped as soon as he said that. All eyes turned to them and Fluttershy sank into her seat, not wanting to say what was on her mind. Applejack, on the other hoof, looked at her friends sternly. “Usin’ tha Elements ain’t an option,” she said.

Mathew quickly moved and slammed his hands on the table, meeting Applejack's gaze firmly. “Yes they are. I’m well aware of the risk, but it’s worth it. If Nightmare Moon truly wants to use me to take over Equestria, then none of you should hold back if it means stopping her,” he said.

Rainbow slammed her hooves on the table again, glaring at Mathew. “If we used them on you, it would kill you. That crystal in you would probably be taken out of you, just like Nightmare Moon’s armor was ripped off of Princess Luna! There’s no way we’d be able to do that to you!” she argued.

Mathew shot her with a stone cold glare, his resolve on full display for all to see. “Humans are different from you ponies. I admire your regard for life, but my people make exceptions to preserving life. If the fate of an entire world is at stake and the price is one life, then we will gladly give it up. I will not let my body be used as a tool to ruin this world. You will use the Elements of Harmony on me if Nightmare Moon takes over me. Until then, all I ask is that you do whatever you can to help me,” he said… then his expression softened and he deflated as his head hung low.

“But this is all just hypothetical. We don’t know if Nightmare Moon is really behind this or not. The crystal had similar magic to the Nightmare Moon you fought before, but it was still different. For all anyone knows, it might have nothing to do with that Nightmare… I could just be the unlucky winner of the random life-changing event game and I never knew. All I do know is that I’m stuck here, for now. Please…” he stood up and looked at each pony around the table. “Help me, but promise me you won’t let me become a monster.”

The energy of the argument died with his words. Rainbow Dash sunk down into her seat, refusing to look at Mathew. Fluttershy slumped and looked at her hooves with utter sadness in her eyes. Rarity did her best to keep her composure, but her downcast eyes were sufficient enough to show her thoughts. Twilight seemed to retreat into her thoughts, most likely trying to find an alternate solution. Applejack held her gaze on Mathew, searching him for something, but also feeling just how much his words weighed on the rest of her friends.

Pinkie just looked around at her friends, seeing their faces without a smile, and she sighed. “You silly fillies, why are you all so downy n’ frowny? Everything will be fine.”

“What makes ya so sure, Pinkie?” Applejack asked.

Mathew also gave the pink earth pony a questioning look. Her overly calm reaction to everything was probably the most surprising, she had even been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire meeting. Pinkie simply shrugged and smiled. “It’s just a feeling.”

Mathew, as well as most of the others gave Pinkie a skeptical look, but they eventually let it slide as another one of Pinkie’s odd premonitions. Mathew still held doubt, but he had other things to consider at that moment. His gaze met with Applejack’s again and she had been giving him quite the fair bit of attention. For the first time, since they had met, he saw something in her eyes that he could not explain. Something continued to flicker within those pools of green, never staying the same, like the ripples of a pond shifting with the wind.

Mathew stared into her eyes and time seemed to slow to a crawl as they searched each other, peering into the metaphorical windows to the soul. The others took notice of their strange moment and Rarity took it upon herself to inquire about it. “Applejack, darling, is there something wrong? You’ve been staring at him in… an unusual manner…” she said, tilting her head.

Applejack blinked and looked around at her friends. It was clear she had something on her mind, but lacked the right words to describe it. Rainbow Dash heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head. “Don’t worry, AJ… we won’t use the Elements unless there’s no other way,” she said.

Applejack glanced at Rainbow then trailed her eyes to look at the table. “Right…” she sighed.

Mathew watched the orange farm pony for a few moments longer. He swore he had seen something in her eyes, but just what it was felt it best to dance a mere breath outside of his cognitive grasp. He gave up on figuring it out, deciding it was time to address Twilight again. He turned to her and crossed his arms, mixed emotions dancing behind his calm gaze. “Well, unless there’s anything else you want to discuss… I think I’ll head to my quarters. This has been a rather taxing meeting,” he said.

Twilight looked at Mathew for a long moment before glancing to the rest of her friends. Nopony seemed to have much else to say, so she dismissed him. She asked her friends to stay a while longer, just to talk about a few other details. Mathew nodded and left the large room. The moment the doors shut, he flicked his fingers out and sent a tiny string of magic to wrap around the hinge of one door. The moment his magic connected to it he heard their discussion while he continued to go to his room.

Just as he had thought, Twilight had wanted to tell her friends about what Celestia wanted them to do. Twilight had been given a mission. She was to take Mathew away from Canterlot – specifically to separate Luna from him. While he was in Twilight’s care, she was to keep a close watch over him and report any and all interactions – effectively creating a log of his activities. The goal of the mission was to find out if Nightmare Moon was hiding within Mathew.

As Mathew listened to the rest of the discussion he found it hard to keep his anger from showing. He was glad there were hardly any other ponies in that area, and that Spike had gone to bed already. Yet again, he felt that Celestia had manipulated him for unjust reasons… even though her fears were not entirely misplaced. Nightmare Moon was inside of him... well, a part of her was. If anything, it hurt him more knowing that she had chosen to treat him so poorly, rather than approach him directly about it. There had been plenty of chances for her to talk to him. Why did she treat him so differently? Why did she push him away? When did her offer to help him turn into such a sick game – toying with his emotions and his life? What was so wrong about him being friends with Luna? For the love of all that was holy; what did he ever do to deserve being treated as some villain!?

He closed the door to his room, softer than he had intended… and then slumped against it and slid to the floor. He was about to cut off his connection to the room, cutting the fuel for his anger off, until he heard a shift in the conversation.

“I-I’m not sure I’m all that comfortable with this idea, Twilight,” Fluttershy spoke in a near whisper.

“Ah agree,” Appljack added. “It ain’t right to do that kinda thing to him. Ah may not know that much about him, but ah can say that he don’t need us all watchin' him like he’s some scoundrel. Ya’ll saw it, he’s a kind fellah, with a good heart. Why’d tha Princess ask us to do this anyway?” she said, clearly battling her emotions.

“Well for one thing, this is the same thing that separated Celestia from Luna in the past,” Rarity said. “I can see at least some reason for this responsibility to be placed on us.”

Rainbow groaned and flapped her wings in agitation. Even without seeing her, Mathew was pretty sure the blue Pegasus was itching to blow off steam with a good flight. “None of that matters. What we really need to look at is how we can help him. You all heard what he asked us to do! There’s no way I could do that – even if Nightmare Moon were to come back – I just…” she slumped down into her chair with a thump.

“Dash is right,” said Applejack. “The Princess wants us to watch him, but ah think we should do more to actually help him. Maybe we should try to talk with Luna, she might be able to-“

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Princess Celestia doesn’t want Luna involved in this. She said that Luna had been getting too close to Mathew. What if Nightmare Moon’s goal was to try and take over Luna again? Mathew is the key to something, but nopony knows what. That’s why he’s here. It’s our duty to keep watch over him and make sure that Nightmare Moon can’t hurt anypony again,” she firmly stated.

Applejack huffed. “This just ain’t right. Are ya sayin that it’s fine for Nightmare Moon to take over him, so long as Luna is safe? Ah won’t sit by and let that happen ta him. He might not be a pony, but that don’t mean we should let him suffer. If none a ya’ll help him then ah’ll do it mahself!” she said firmly.

“Me too. He was so kind to me before, I can’t sit by and not help him,” Fluttershy agreed, surprisingly more firmly than what anyone would have expected from the timid mare.

“Yeah!” Pinkie chirped cheerfully. “He’s such a nice human! I mean, he loved my cupcake so much he even hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek! Even though he thought it was a little over the top, but who cares! If he was happy and has made each of us happy, even though we’re making him feel upset and alone right now, it’s alright because he’s super duper nice and I can’t wait for the next party to-”

“Okay! We get it, Pinkie. Ugh,” Twilight groaned. She rubbed her chin in thought before she sighed and continued with her point. “You’re all right. We really should try to help him. It was just so shocking when he was here before. His magic is so strange… it’s beautiful, but also terrifying. And when he asked us to use the Elements on him, knowing what might happen, I just…”

“It was scary to hear him say that,” Fluttershy finished for her, “but I think we need to give him a chance. We should get to know him better. As things are now, we’re unsure around him because he has so much to him that we just don’t know about. I think everything will be much better once we learn more about him and the place he came from,” she said with a smile.

Applejack sighed. “That might be harder than ya think, sugarcube. When ah was talking ta him before, I learned some things about him. But… there were a few times when he became… distant, and sad, but he wouldn’t tell me about it. He said that there were things from his world that have no place in ours. Ta be honest, I really wish he’d tell us, but he ain’t gunna do it if it means hurtin us.”

The room fell silent again. A few minutes passed. Then, Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, this has been quite the eventful evening, but there’s just one thing that’s really been bothering me,” she said and turned her gaze to Applejack and lifted one of her brows. “You seemed to be getting along quite well with Mathew during the party… exactly what made you get so close to him in such a short amount of time, I wonder,” Rarity teased, a sly smirk weaving across her lips as she spoke.

Applejack stared at Rarity for a few moments, wondering what she was getting at, until the meaning behind it dawned on her. Her cheeks flushed and she tilted her head down so her hat covered her eyes. Mathew killed his listening spell in that instant and sighed heavily. He brought his fingers up and rubbed at his forehead. As he did so, he felt that familiar presence come forth from the depths of his mind.

“Well… I was actually looking forward to her response to that. Why did you not wait to hear it?” Nightmare Moon asked, partly teasing but also serious.

Mathew sighed again and let his hand drop to his side as he gazed toward the window across the room. I have a few reasons for that, he thought to her.

Nightmare let out a soft sigh of understanding. “Is it because you are not a pony?” she asked.

That’s one reason, he replied. She’s a pony, I’m a human, and I highly doubt either of us would change that. However… there are more things to consider, aside from just that. Our pasts are different, which shows in our individual personalities, therefore we don’t share the same views on friendship and love. Then there’s the biggest problem of all… at some point I won’t be a part of this world – and even in the unlikely chance that I am, it wouldn’t be fair to her or anyone else that I would outlive anyone who’s not immortal... provided that I don't die from old age.

I won’t let myself fall in love with any of them, nor will I give them reason to love me more than any normal friend… even if I have to be a jerk to ensure their hearts stay away from mine, he finished.

Nightmare would have argued, were it not for the finality of his words. There would be nothing she could say to change his mind. Only the passage of time would tell. She left him alone for a while to let the mood soften before she approached him on another subject. “So, it would seem that Twilight’s affinity for magic has allowed her to notice the effects of my core in you. The solution is to find a way to stabilize it. The only reason why your magic has no end, as of yet, is because the core is not complete,” she said calmly.

Mathew took note of her deliberate attempt to keep her tone calming. He thought about what her words might hold, but decided he was not in the mood to think too hard. He asked her to continue.

“You need to take my power, like you said you wanted before, and then use it to complete the bond. Our current bond is only temporary. Though my core won’t be leaving you any time soon, the magic being generated by it will not stop until we are truly joined. I won’t lie to you… being placed inside of you completely without being the one in control makes me nervous.” she explained.

Mathew’s curiosity perked up at that. Two things… firstly, are you saying that when I take your power from you, you’ll be unable to do the things you do now – like see through my eyes and such? And secondly, what exactly is it that I’ll need to do to complete the… bond? he asked.

Nightmare chuckled warmly, she could feel his concern about her, but she knew it was not as bad as he feared. “Do not fear. I’ll still be able to do the same things that I can now. The only thing that will change is… well… my whole self will be contained within you after the bond is complete. Essentially, you and I will be bound in a very intimate way. Everything that I am, everything that you are, will combine into a singular form. You will see all of my memories, feel all of my emotions, and know the true depth of my pain… just as I will you. And…” Nightmare paused, taking a breath to prepare her for the last part. “And should you perish, so shall I. Our fates will be connected that deeply.”

Mathew took that in, slight hesitation dancing within his heart. They would be two minds, and souls, in a single body, but able to share everything with the other. Such a thing had many advantages, but he knew why she had hesitated at the end. They each had secrets… which would be shown to the other upon the completion of the bond. Still, Mathew’s personal sins were not as bad as he made them out to be. The worst he had done was let his rage go uncontrolled once, which led him to take a life.

It was more the fact that his mere twenty-plus years were about to be paled by the thousands of years that Nightmare Moon held within her. He swallowed hard and steeled himself before he asked her the important question. What will this do to my mind? Having everything you have mixed with mine… would my brain even be able to comprehend that much?

Nightmare was quiet for a moment. She had thought about it before, but with the way things had progressed, she was very certain of her answer. “I believe there is nothing your mind would not be able to handle. Yes I have lived for a very long time, but you have shown quite the ability to adapt and learn. I have faith that you will not be altered by it. If anything, I think you’ll be able to use much of what I have to offer you, and maybe it will help you find that inner peace you’ve sought for so long. This is still your decision, Mathew. You can choose to deny this bond and simply purge the excess magic from your body to prevent an overload.”

Mathew thought, long and hard, and went through the possible outcomes in his head. The obvious outcome, one where this all turned out to be a trap that let Nightmare take full control of him, was the first thing to come to mind. Then he thought of how he could learn so much more about Equestria from her, especially all the magic she possessed and how he could incorporate it into his own budding abilities. He could also be crushed beneath such vast amounts of knowledge; losing his mind, his brain cracking from the amount of data, he could change as a person and no longer be the same… so many things could happen.

Before he knew it, the moon had reached the peak of its rise through the sky, and he could feel something searching for him. It took him but a few seconds to realize that Luna must have been trying to reach him. Nightmare quickly receded into his mind and Mathew stood up. He walked to the window and opened it, fixing his eyes upon the glow of the moon. The moment his gaze fell upon the creamy arc in the sky, he felt a sense of relief in the air and he offered a smile.

“Hey there, Moon Princess. If you can hear this, I’m alright… I was just thinking about some things,” he said to the moon above. He hoped that Luna could hear him, since he was sure they could not meet again, not for a while anyway.

Suddenly, there was a pulse in the air, accompanied by a soft flash of silver. Mathew turned around and was surprised to see Luna standing in his room. She wore a small smile on her face, but the look of sadness in her eyes told him everything. He walked to her and gently embraced her. She returned the hug and nuzzled her face into his chest. They stood there, sharing their warmth with each other, and letting the silence sooth their tired minds and hearts.

At some point, Mathew found that he had started petting her mane, and he was softly humming to further ease Luna’s mind. She moved her head and rested her muzzle in the crook of Mathew’s neck. “Thank you, Mathew. I feel much better now,” Luna whispered.

Mathew leaned his head to rest on top of hers, getting a slight tingly tickle on his face from her waving starry mane. “I thank you as well. I was feeling a bit down myself. I told Twilight, and the other Element Bearers about how I got here… and it wasn’t the easiest meeting I’ve been a part of. It left me with quite a lot to think about,” he said. “I also learned that you shouldn’t be here… you know Celestia would be angry if she found out you came,” Mathew added and sighed in worry for the younger royal sister.

Luna chuckled and nuzzled against him firmly. “And since when have I listened to her? I know why she fears my closeness with you, but she could never know just how much it has helped you. I can feel it… your heart was being torn when you came to the window, but now it’s at ease again. I shan’t let you fight this alone, even if I have to go against my sister.”

Mathew let a small laugh escape him and he pulled away to look her in the eyes. “Ah, but you’re safe from her ire. I, on the other hand… hoof, am a viable target. Besides, I worry about you, too. I am undoubtedly grateful for your help, but you know just how much my heart would break if something happened to you because of me,” he said softly.

Luna stared into his eyes for a few moments. She debated on what she should say in response to it, but found it difficult to bring her voice out. Her attempts to speak her mind were stopped when Mathew’s hand came up and gently caressed her cheek, slightly forcing her to look him strait in the eyes. “Luna… you’re my best friend, in this world. I know how much you worry for me, but please let me try things out without putting you in any danger. We’ll always have the night to see each other, and I will let you know if I think I’m in trouble, but please don’t anger Celestia like this. I think things will be fine… heck, even Pinkie said so during the meeting. Have faith in the Elements of Harmony… in Twilight and her friends… and in me,” he said with a kind smile and a small wink.

Luna sighed and let her face rest against his palm. She closed her eyes for a few moments. “Promise me…” she said.

Mathew straitened his posture and pulled her face closer to his. Luna’s eyes opened and he stared deep into her. “You have my word, Luna. Everything will be alright,” he smiled. Then, just to take away the seriousness of the moment, or maybe to get his daily dosage of amusement, Mathew slid his hand to her nose and gently tapped it.

Luna scrunched her nose up and gave Mathew a playful glare before letting a smirk grace her dark blue features. “Why do you always do that?” she asked him.

Mathew shrugged and tilted his head at her with a grin. “Still figuring that one out… probably because I like the faces you ponies make when I do it,” he said jokingly.

Luna huffed and shook her head, smiling the whole time. “Well, you might want to be careful when you do that again… it might be taken as a sign of affection to some. After all, your hands give off quite the interesting aroma,” she said, eyes half lidded and smirking playfully at him.

Mathew got the hint instantly and his face turned sour. He sighed in slight annoyance and turned his head away from Luna. “I’d appreciate it if you never joke like that with me again,” he said.

Luna stiffened and stared at him in shock. “Did something happen? You used to joke with me on this manner of subject at the castle…” she said.

Mathew narrowed his eyes and took in a breath through his nose. “Let’s just say that there’s the chance that one of Twilight’s friends got along with me… pretty well. We actually spent most of the time at the party with each other. All we did was talk, though. She’s probably the second closest friend I have in this world, next to you,” he admitted.

Luna’s shock turned into a warmer joy and she stepped around to look him in the eyes. “That is most fortunate news indeed. But the way you say it… was there something that happened to make you think she might see you more than just a new friend?” she inquired, fighting back the urge to grin at his mixed emotions.

Mathew eyed her for a moment before he sighed and averted his gaze to the side. “I heard part of a conversation. Ra- one of the bearers started to tease the other about how we spent so much time together during the party. I didn’t hear the rest to know anything more than that,” he said.

Luna stared at him for a few long moments. Then, as if she had grown bored of the subject, she turned away and walked to the open window. “I know that you must feel strongly against such things, but know this, Mathew; when it comes to matters of love, nothing should stop your heart. If you think that interspecies relations are a problem, you should know that there have been many such couples in Equestria. Nopony would see you poorly should you find love in this world,” she said.

Mathew sighed again and closed his eyes. “That may be true, but I have more than that to keep my mind made up. I won’t find love here… I can’t. Don’t try to offer me any other options either, I will not change my mind,” he said and opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes focused, he felt the warmth of lips on his own. His gaze was locked with Luna’s and he could see a deep yearning within her cyan orbs that almost made his heart crack. His mind had locked up, multiple thoughts fought for control to get him to react appropriately, but he held his body still. All too soon, the moment passed and Luna pulled away and walked back to the window. She stopped at the opening and gave a half glance back at Mathew. “Even if you can’t do so now… there will be at least one heart that will wait for you,” she whispered.

Luna then vanished in the gentle flash of her magic. Mathew stared at the spot where she had just been. His mind struggled to free itself from what had just happened, but the cold reality of it was inescapable. Luna, the Princess of the Night, younger sister of Celestia, the Princess of the Sun, and daughter to Nightmare Moon… had just said she had feelings for him… a human. Speaking of… he was positive he could hear Nightmare laughing at him… how wonderful.

> 9 - In Darkness... Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moonlight drenched the room. A soft breeze pushed through the open window on the far wall, gently caressing the skin of the human who stood motionless. His gaze was fixed to a spot, just in front of the window. Disbelief dominated his features, and a slight pink blush still lingered on his cheeks. The blush had been there for quite some time, constantly fueled by the laughter of a voice within the depths of his mind.

Without thinking about it beforehand, he licked his lips, which forced his brain to stop functioning yet again. His blush deepened and he shut his eyes, slowly building up pressure as he ground his teeth together. He took in a long deep breath, held it for ten seconds, then let it slip out through his nose. He opened his pale blue eyes again, calming his nerves steadily.

He repeated the breathing exercises until he felt sufficiently stable. He turned his attention to the, now giggling, voice within. That was not funny, he thought to Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare disagreed, doing her best to quell her snickering as she replied, “Oh, I think it was. At least we weren’t fully bound, it might have been quite strange for me to have felt my daughter’s lips on my own. Still, that marks one of your previous concerns off of the list… she’s as immortal as you are,” Nightmare remarked coyly.

Mathew sighed heavily, something he was beginning to think was too common for him recently. Not even a quarter of a century old and he was feeling as aged as a grumpy old man – all he needed was poor eyesight, a dying lawn, and annoying children making a ruckus on his front gate to finish the ensemble. 

Forgive me for lacking your enthusiasm. I wish I hadn’t seen her eyes when she… did that. Still, nothing changes, so let’s get back to business. He said and steeled his resolve. What do I do to complete this bond with you? he asked.

Nightmare’s giggling stopped immediately. She was mildly shocked at his decision to go through with the process. Her mood sobered up quickly and she addressed him firmly.  “I trust that you are prepared for the consequences of this act. Once the process begins… there will be no stopping it,” she cautioned.

Mathew did not hesitate. I know. Tell me.

The embodiment of darkness hesitated for a few moments. Her confidence was still strong, but she could not help but feel even the slightest apprehension toward what could happen. Still, she knew it had to be done. She put her faith in the resilience of her partner. “Very well, Mathew,” she said in a tone of finality.

Mathew suddenly felt his consciousness shift and he found himself floating in the abyss of his inner mind. The familiar motes that were his memories drifted along in the void around him. Nightmare Moon’s black Alicorn form slipped into existence in front of him. He stared into her slitted turquoise eyes even as her starry mane bled out behind her. “Are you ready, Mathew?” she asked one last time.

Mathew nodded as he held his gaze firmly with hers. She nodded in return and her eyes unfocused as an emerald green aura erupted from her body and engulfed everything around them. Her eyes refocused on Mathew just a second before the turquoise pools were consumed in pure white energy.

Every one of his senses started to tingle and vibrate. Mathew’s mind became a buzz with activity, but he held a firm grasp of his sense of self all the while. Then he heard Nightmare’s words, which came from within him and from all around. “Step forward, Mathew… take what you desire of me, give unto me your everything, and become as one with that which is pure shadow. Let us become one, in mind and soul, and make us our own,” she said.

Mathew hesitated for half a second, and then moved forward with his hand outstretched. His hand touched her chest, and their forms melted together, like warm and cold water pouring into each other. He felt her flowing into him, just as he slipped into her, only he felt like the hot water as he naturally rose to overlap her. He wondered about how that happened so easily, only to find the answer come right to him as if he knew all along. The one who moved into the other, that was to say, the one that made the dominant move was the one to rise above the other’s mentality.

Without even noticing, his body continued to move into Nightmare’s, his form acting instinctively to reach out and bring hers into his. At the same time, more of his mind filled with Nightmare Moon’s. He saw her beginning, the day a star had collapsed at the very same instant a stray ley line of pure magic passed through it, exploding in an array of brilliance that formed the body of the dark entity. After an unknowable passage of time, he felt the formless essence gain sentience, where it began to learn and grow. Countless worlds passed by, many civilizations were birthed before her watchful gaze, where they grew, prospered, and faded into oblivion.

He met many others like her, beings of pure power and creation, some followers of life while others delighted in taking it. He met a being of creation, far older than she, who had made yet another bland ball of dirt out of sheer boredom. He met another entity of creation, one that spread her essence onto that bland rock and shaped life upon it into something beautiful. He shared in her joy of life created, adding her own wonder to its shadows, and befriended the Life Giver.

He watched, side by side with her close friend, as their creations grew and lived joyfully on their little ball of prosperity. He felt the love that Nightmare experienced with what she had placed parts of her self into. Then he experienced the joy at being offered a helping hand in creating something more beautiful, the offer from the old creator to feel the gift of being a true mother to a life just like the ones she watched on the spinning ball of happiness she helped create.

The memories started to become clearer. Emotions became stronger, more pronounced, and sensations took on a more substantial effect on Mathew. He felt the gift be placed within Nightmare's womb, the growth of the life within her, and the birth of her daughter… Luna – given her name because of the very first thing that Nightmare Moon had created for that planet.

Mathew then went through the worst of Nightmare’s experiences in her life… the betrayal of her daughter’s father – quickly followed by the loss of her closest friend. The unbearable finality of it was beyond mere words. Everything Nightmare had known and loved had shattered before her like so many lost worlds in the past, but had happened in such a way that it was like watching the thinnest pane of glass crumble from the single hair that touched it.

Mathew watched, through Nightmare’s eyes, as her daughter grew up beside her half sister, Celestia. It took her many years to notice it, but she soon came to realize that Celestia had been witness to what Nightmare had done to her only friend – the one who gave birth to Celestia. Mathew saw the hatred that boiled beneath the surface of the future sun princess – the very same hatred that pushed the young white unicorn to ascend into an Alicorn. Celestia then guided Luna onto the same path, though coxed her younger sister with more pleasant methods.

As Celestia and Luna grew, Nightmare watched over them from the darkness of the world. She saw the races of ponykind develop and change over time. Hundreds of years passed, and magic formed the life on Equus into the building blocks of Equestria. Celestia and Luna grew large enough, and soon took their first steps into the world of pony kind. The two unique Alicorns quickly became revered for their strength and wisdom, becoming the anchor for Equestrian life. The two young Alicorns utilized their unique powers, the gifts they had been given by their mothers, and took full control of their charges. It was not long after that, that Nightmare saw the division between the two sisters take form. 

Celestia gave the land its warm sun, which let life on Equus prosper with her power of life and light. Luna… tried to share her gorgeous night, which rejuvenated the world and let life regain its strength through her soothing moonlight. Ultimately, the very ponies that the sisters had sought to please, started to show favor for the sun princess. Celestia took in the love of her subjects, basking in their joyous lives and sharing in their happiness. She started to see to their needs, spreading her life giving warmth across all of Equus, falling into her role as their princess. Luna was soon left alone in her night, neglected by her little ponies and brushed aside by her beloved sister.

It hurt. The ache in Mathew's heart, as he watched Luna slip further into her own self-induced depression - alone each night and left to sulk in the shadows of the day. The Alicorn sisters were thousands of years old by then, but their minds were still in the developmental stages of young adults. They had taught themselves, since their younger years of life had made them outcasts for being different, until they met with Starswirl the Bearded – but he was merely a mentor and far from a parental figure for them. The signs were clearly evident, and Mathew finally understood how the sisters had degraded to what was coming soon.

Being young, inexperienced, and easily influenced by their childish tendencies, it was no surprise when Mathew saw Luna play herself into the darker sides of her heart. Petty misplaced jealousy and regret slowly shaped her, driving her further into her own despair, until Nightmare could bear it no longer. Acting on her motherly instinct, Nightmare reached out to her daughter and tried to help her without hurting the world. The small gift, the tiny fraction of essence that Nightmare offered her daughter, was taken with willing hooves… and then corrupted by the young moon princess’ emotions.

Mathew watched as Luna’s limited powers of creation and control of the night combined with her embers of jealousy and hatred, and turned Nightmare’s essence into the embodiment of immature want and need. Everything else fell into place from that moment on. Luna went on the offence, threatening the world in a mislead attempt to be recognized, and was sent to the moon by Celestia and the Elements of Harmony.

It was slightly ironic, when Mathew thought about it. Celestia and Luna had found the Elements of Harmony, with the aid of Starswirl the Bearded, and others like him. The two sisters had fought together against many foes, like Discord and King Sombra, yet the very things that had bound them together so strongly had been used to force them apart. For the first time since Nightmare’s memories had started flowing into him, Mathew wondered why that had been the case. Luna’s Nightmare was banished to the moon when Celestia used the Elements… yet a thousand years later, Twilight and the other five mares had been able to strip her of the tainted gift instead.

Mathew thought about it for a long while. Then he realized he could think on his own again, and set aside his pondering to reestablish his sense of awareness. He found his form floating in a new place. It was very similar to where he had started off, but a slight blue hue tinted the void around him, and there was a distinct steady pulsing. There were no memory orbs there. Instead, there seemed to be faint misty clouds, barely noticeable in the space around him.

"Nightmare?" he called out. He repeated his call a few times, before a patch of shadow extended out from his chest to form into her appearance. When she fully formed, he could tell she was tired. The poor mare’s eyes could hardly stay open and her posture was very slouched, her legs trembled as she struggled to hold her body up. Mathew knew the only thing keeping her up was her pride. Her eyes gave him the silent plea, asking him what he wanted.

Mathew quickly moved to her and slowly helped her lay down. He was surprised at how physical she felt to his touch. When she had been lowered into a comfortable position, she nuzzled his side in an act of thanks. She was out of breath, and Mathew had a feeling she would barely have the strength to speak. He sat down beside her and gave her something to lean against.

“I take it everything went smoothly enough?” he asked her quietly.

Nightmare nodded. “You now have… my whole being… in your possession,” she said between breaths.

Mathew nodded and let a small sigh of relief escape him. He started to pick up on her feelings and subtle thoughts, which seemed to grow stronger as time ticked by. Eventually, he started to hear the answers he wanted, as they shared their thoughts with each other. It was far more relaxing than it had been before. He even noted that having such a closeness with her made things vastly more convenient. After ensuring that she was well enough, and that everything would be all the better after some rest, Mathew let his mind slip away into sleep.



~~***~~



The rays of the sun pulled Mathew from his slumber. His eyes flitted open and he saw the world in a whole new way. Every surface was laced with the very essences of creation, the magic that bound the world together like glue, sinew, or mortar greeted his vision like Pinky Pie’s party cannon going off. He pushed his body up from the floor, realizing that he had completed the bond with Nightmare while he was standing in the middle of the room.

He blinked a few times, and the magic vision faded back into a more normal veil of sight. He could still see the magical flow around him, but it was more like a very faint layer, like a watermark on a twenty-dollar bill. Mathew quickly made his way to the nearest mirror. Much to his relief, his appearance had stayed the same as he had last seen. The only difference was that he could also see his own magical aura. The snaking, numerous, clusters of magic lines that passed through his body reminded him of the visual examples he had seen of his nervous system in science class – only there were at least twice as many paths for his magic to flow through.

The core of his magic, the literal heart of his power, was a calm swirl of light blue power… with an apple sized inner core of pure black. He wondered if that was how his power looked before, to which he felt Nightmare’s memory show him that Twilight could not see past the outer magic, and that it had stayed the same. He sighed, relieved that he could keep up his previously established appearance.

His mind felt just slightly sluggish as he looked around the room again. It was to be expected, since his mind had run a hypothetical marathon that night. He shrugged and walked to his personal bathroom to shower. He gingerly washed himself, taking a few moments to admire the curious enchantments of the water system and scrutinize the clearly feminine citrusy aroma of the shampoo, and then went through the rest of his usual preparation. Once properly freshened up, and changed into a fresh set of clothes, he left the room.

Mathew wandered around the castle, not really having a particular destination in mind. He knew his body needed no food, unless his magical power had been drained substantially, plus he was not hungry. The books he had wanted to read on some magic spells had become useless when he inherited Nightmare’s vast collection from her memories – only incomplete spells from Starswirl’s personal collection remained among his currently unknown spells – among the latest ones that had yet to be discovered.

He spontaneously recalled his old gaming friend… he could hear his voice now, “Man… you’ve become a totally Over Powered class with max stats… lame dude, there’s no fun when you can do everything.”

Mathew chuckled at that. It felt good to laugh again, even if it was over something small. Further ahead, one of the doors opened into the hallway, revealing the little purple and green dragon, Spike. The little guy was carrying a rather tall stack of books, which he seemed to be having just a pinch of difficulty balancing.

Mathew reached out with his hand and let his magic take half of the stack. “Looks like you could use a little help there, Spike,” he said with a friendly smile.

Spike noticed the weight of his burden become lighter and looked at his helper with a thankful beaming grin. “Gee, thanks, Mathew. That stack was kinda heavy.”

Mathew chuckled and gestured to the floating stack he had. “So, where do these puppies go? I’m a little bored right now, so I’ll help you deliver these,” he offered.

“That’s great! Follow me, these are just a few things Twilight wanted me to bring her. Looks like she’s really aiming to brush up on some things to get you more comfortable with your magic,” Spike said with slight gusto. He seemed to show quite the fair bit of enthusiasm for his caretaker’s desire to help the human out.

Mathew smiled warmly as he followed spike, though he felt a little bad on the inside knowing that Twilight’s efforts were going to be wasted. He glanced at the stacks of books, checking their titles. They all had something to do with beginner level magic to highly advanced, especially the two books that covered the basics and mid-level healing spell casting. He had to give the purple Alicorn credit; she was quite thorough in her selection of reading materials.

Since they had a ways to go, Mathew decided he’d strike up small talk with the young dragon. “I gotta say, for your size, you have quite a bit of lifting power. Holding eleven of these thick books was impressive,” he said, figuring the best ice-breaker would be a word of compliment for the prideful little guy.

Spike responded perfectly, stiffening his arm muscles and puffing out his chest. “Of course, it’s a skill I’ve developed as Twilight’s number one assistant. I remember back when she gave me a huge book, like it was as big as a pony, and it was heavy, but over the years I’ve only gotten stronger,” he boasted, smiling broadly and flashing his little fangs.

Mathew chuckled softly. “That’s good. It means you’ll keep growing stronger. I’m curious, did Twilight tell you anything about me, yet?” he asked.

Spike nodded and hummed his response. “Oh yeah, you came from a world without magic, right?”

“Yeah. No magic, no ponies (well, not like the ones you know), no gryphons, minotaurs, or dragons. In my world, all of you are just mythical beings and magic is simply a neat illusionary trick,” Mathew replied.

Spike gave a low whistle and he glanced at Mathew over his shoulder. “Wow. It must have been tough in a world like that. How are things going for you here in Equestria?” he asked.

Mathew grinned at the little guy, slowly finding the flow of the conversation to be relaxing in a way. “Eh, it wasn’t as easy, being in a world without magic, but we humans used our smarts to fix our problems. As for life here in Equestria… it’s been pretty good, if a bit rough at times,” he admitted.

They talked a bit more, simply making more small talk, until they arrived in front of Twilight’s throne room – the very place he had told the Elements of Harmony about what brought him to their world. Spike casually opened the door, Mathew hesitating for a moment before he followed in behind.

Twilight was not there, which was slightly surprising to Mathew, but also a small relief. It became apparent, though, that she was nearby. Spike had continued toward the far side of the room, heading for another set of doors. Mathew knew Twilight was in the next room. He could see her magic at work. The sight was impressive, and alluring in its own way. Mathew had always felt magic around his new body, but seeing it being used was breathtakingly beautiful.

Somehow, even to his own surprise, Mathew had not stopped to gawk at the new visual ahead of him. He had naturally taken his place behind Spike as the little assistant had progressed through the room. Mathew quietly thanked Nightmare for gently coaxing him along and preventing an awkward moment.

Mathew opened the doors for Spike and they walked into the chaotic mess of Twilight’s most recent study binge. She had been quite the busy little mare, as Mathew noticed dozens of books left out across the room, along with many scrolls and notes. From what he could see, at a glance, the purple Alicorn had been getting concentration formulas and mental exercises squared away. Despite his personal feelings about what he had overheard the night before, he was glad that Twilight had taken so much time to plan out his lessons.

Twilight did not take long to spot Spike, since he had a stack of books in hand, but she was clearly startled when she saw Mathew holding the rest of the books in his magic. “Oh, Mathew, you look uh… your magic feels different this morning,” she said with a curious tone.

Mathew smiled kindly and gestured to the floating books he held. “Yeah, I kind of came to terms with a few things last night. I did a considerable amount of thinking after, well, after the discussion. I feel… more at ease with my magic, I guess. Plus, I wanted to see if using it more would help with my predicament,” he said and then glanced at all the notes around the room. “Looks like you already spent a lot of time getting things for me. I’d like to look over them, when you have the time, but I’m not in any rush.”

Twilight smiled at him, a genuine one at that. “I’ll have the notes ready within the hour. I’ve actually found a few things that could help with my own magic, so it’s actually better that I decided to get a lesson planned out for you. I hope you don’t mind a little studying,” she said with a cheery grin.

Mathew chuckled. “Normally I don’t study for anything. In this case, though, I think I will. It’d be rude of me to ignore the time and effort you’ve put into it so far,” he said.

Twilight laughed at that and shook her head. “I wouldn’t mind if you said no to the idea. I’ve had to accept that not everypony is willing to devote their time to study… Applejack and Rainbow Dash are perfect examples – they hate trying to cram written knowledge into their heads,” she said jokingly.

Mathew sighed happily and looked over another stack of books nearby. “Well… to be perfectly honest, I’m a better learner when it comes to visual demonstrations. Like the other week, I had made my own barrier in the magic class, but I had created it after watching the other students make theirs. Sadly… by copying it like that, improving the areas where I saw them make mistakes, and modifying my own spell after that… it lead me to make the barrier too strong,” he said, a hint of embarrassment tugging at his expression.

Twilight quickly made the connections in her head. “So that was when you had injured yourself, when you said you had blown off your arm?”

Mathew nodded, rubbing his arm and remembering how much it hurt. Of course, that was when he had met with Nightmare Moon, so he could not help the tiny smile on his face when he remembered. “I’ll never forget that moment. One thing I think you should know about my body, Twilight, is that it may heal from any injury, so long as there is enough magic in me, but I still feel the pain of each wound. When I lost focus on that beam spell… it taught me the greatest lesson of all,” he paused to look into Twilight’s eyes. “Magic is a wonderful thing, but it deserves the utmost respect. Since you’re the Princess of Magic, I want you to know that I truly respect you. I know we didn’t start off on the best of terms, but I hope we can be good friends,” he smiled.

Twilight looked deeply at his eyes for a few moments and returned the smile. “I think we’ll be great friends. And thank you for helping Spike bring me those books,” she said.

“Yeah, thanks again for that, dude,” Spike said from another part of the room. The number one assistant had already moved on to tidying up Twilight’s mess while they had talked.

Mathew grinned and set the stack of books, still floating in his magic, near the rest that Spike had placed on a nearby table. He looked back to Twilight and smiled warmly. “So, since I have nothing else to do, mind if I hang around and help out?” he asked.

Twilight beamed and nodded. “I don't mind at all.”
> 10 - Lending a Hand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another perfect morning. The Ponyville Weather team had done a spectacular job, as usual. The dew had started to dry up, but there was still that crisp fresh smell in the air from it that just made Mathew’s entire body relax. He was on his way to visit Applejack, since he had said he would help her with a few things when they had talked at the party. So far, he was about half way down the road that led to the Apple Family Farm.

It was a strange experience for Mathew, when he had first set eyes on the apple trees. It was the first time he had seen so many perfect fruits – crispy, juicy, and completely delicious, as they were. It was also odd that there were quite a few trees that had three different colored apples on them, yet they were all perfectly ripe. Logic had tried to battle within Mathew’s mind at first… until he just gave up.

Up ahead he spotted the white gate and the lush arbor that signaled the entry into the farm. Sweet Apple Acres… it was quite the sight. The massive barn was the biggest he had ever seen – much larger than anything from Earth. The design was interesting, though, with so many apple related decorations and accents it all just fit rather than seem totally overused. Up on the hill, way off in the distance behind Sweet Apple Acres, was their neighbor who had a carrot farm. Mathew thought it was a little funny how the pony farmers could be so focused on one type of crop.

He passed through the front gate and had just started to look around when he felt something in the air. His senses switched to viewing the magical flow around him and he quickly spotted the source of the disturbance. Three fillies were hidden behind some nearby barrels. Two of them wore big mischievous smirks on their muzzles, the little white unicorn filly seemed to have been eyeing her two friends with a speculative look. No doubt, they had something planned to surprise Mathew with.

After a nonchalant sweep around him, Mathew quickly spotted the makings of a surprisingly complex series of booby-traps. He noticed Applejack in the distance and a slightly devilish idea came into play. Mathew cupped his hands around his mouth and whistled loudly to get the orange mare’s attention. She saw him and he gave her a friendly wave. When Applejack started to approach, it was hard for Mathew to keep a strait face.

The three fillies quickly lost their amused expressions and shock and unease filled them. Mathew watched them squirm as Applejack grew ever closer to the trigger of the trap. Applejack was so close… just a few more steps and the fun would ensue… almost there… but nothing happened when she stepped right onto the string. The three filles exhaled a sigh of relief, which seemed to quickly turn to confusion.

Applejack greeted Mathew with a big smile. “Well ain’t you up early. What brings ya to the farm, Mathew?” she asked.

Mathew smiled wide. “You mentioned you had a few things that could use some fixing up, so here I am. My magic studies with Twilight have come to a short end, to give us both time to rest. I figured I could put my skills to good use here, since… well… I kinda don’t have any responsibilities outside of learning under Twilight. Do you mind if I help out today?” he said, looking around the farm a little more.

Applejack’s smile grew and she seemed to bubble with excitement. “Of course not, c’mon, ah’ll show ya what needs doin’ and we can get started on whatever tickles yer fancy.”

Mathew followed her toward the side of the barn. As he walked, he kept an eye on the three fillies. Sure enough, they walked over to the trigger for their little setup. As soon as they got there, though, Mathew let his magical hold on the string release… the looks they had as their own prank went off in their faces was priceless – even more so when they looked over and saw Mathew wink at them with a big grin across his face.

As it turned out, Sweet Apple Acres was a very large farm, almost on the scale of what would have been industrial sized on Earth. There was a lot of land, almost every inch of it devoted to their apple trees, and along with it came the maintenance. Funny enough, most of the things needing to be fixed were around the family house and adjacent buildings. Mathew summoned a roll of parchment and an enchanted quill, a present from Twilight to help in his studies, and started making a list of everything he was shown.

- One of the water pumps is rusted solid, it might need to be replaced.
- Some of the rain gutters are slipping away from the house.
- Two of the tool sheds have started to sink into the ground.
- The big wagon’s axel has been tweaked from hitting a large boulder.

There were a few other odd jobs to be done as well, but one specific task caught Mathew’s attention. Aside from the other things, the biggest dilemma for Sweet Apple Acres was one of their orchards had not been doing that well recently and nopony knew the reason for it.

Mathew decided he wanted to take a look at the orchard and see if he might be able to spot any problems. Applejack simply shrugged, and led him out toward the northern most orchard. It did not take too long to get there, but Mathew had already started to get an idea about what might be causing the problems for that area. As they walked around the newest apple orchard addition, Mathew made a point to get a few key bits of information from the orange farm pony. “Hey, Applejack, can you tell me more about how you grow your apples? Specifically how you treat the soil, manage irrigation, handle pests, and what went into choosing this location to start up this part of the orchards?” he asked.

Applejack eyed him with an odd expression and slowed down to answer him. “Well, ah don’t rightly know about some o’ that ya just mentioned. Most o’ the time we just find good open spaces, remove any big rocks that are in the way, and till the upper layer of the ground before we plant our seeds. This area was nice n’ flat, so we expanded out into it just last year. What with the increase in some of our yearly expenses we decided to try increasing our orchard sizes to try brining in more bits,” she paused and lifted a brow at him. “What’s irrigation, by the way?”

Mathew sighed softly and offered her a kind smile. “Irrigation is where you dig into the ground to form paths for water to flow. It allows farmland to better spread moisture through it so that the crops get all the water they need. It’s also a good way to make sure there’s not too much water in one place, so you don’t bog down your fields, either,” he said.

Applejack got the general idea behind it and nodded slightly. “Ah see… ah take it that’s what the farmers from Earth had to do?”

“Yeah. I don’t see much of it on your farm, so I’m guessing irrigation isn’t a problem. It would make sense though, Equestria seems to have a lot of magic in the soil that probably does a lot to help the plants grow so well,” Mathew said. He looked around them and decided he’d ask the next question. “So, if I’m right in this, and earth pony magic has an effect on your orchards, have you noticed anything different about this location that sets it apart from the other orchards on your farm?”

Applejack looked around with a curious expression before looking at Mathew in a more serious way. “Ah don’t think so. This location was just like the rest of the farmland. If anythin’ the only real differences were that this area is across the stream and the soil was more crumbly. Why’d ya ask?” she said.

Mathew looked around once more. It was not easy to tell, not with the way the ground had been worked, but his eyes could just barely notice the difference. He knelt down and placed both of his hands on the dirt. With a thought, he let his magic flow out and into the ground. Using his eye’s unique magical vision, he watched as his magic spread out through the soil. He watched the pulse flow out and he swiveled his head around to pay attention to the differences between what was further north and what was to the south. The results were quite interesting.

He stopped the flow of magic and stood up to face Applejack. “Well… I think I know what the problem is,” he said with a slight smile that was only betrayed by the unpleasant look he had in his eyes.

Applejack gave him her full attention and he continued, “I just felt around with my magic. The soil to the south is very good, it’s got minimal amounts of rocks, good aeration, and it’s been saturated by your family’s magic. Unfortunately, this northern portion has a hidden surprise,” he said.

Applejack gulped and cringed as she asked, “And what’s that?”

“There are a lot of gems in the ground out here,” he stated.

Applejack’s brow went up and she looked at him like he was trying to pull a fast one on her. “Is that all? Gems shouldn’t really be that surprising, ah mean, there’s a ton o’ them all across Equestria,” she said.

Mathew lifted his finger to stop her and then pointed down. “Yes, but you’ve got a cavern down there that spans across this entire orchard. To put it into a better perspective, the only reason your orchard hasn’t fallen into it is because the gem clusters have strengthened the cavern’s roof. However, what’s weakening your trees is the proximity of the gems and the tree roots. The trees out here are getting too much exposure to the magic of the gems – or that’s what it looks like. We should ask Twilight or Rarity about this, since they would most likely know more about how gems affect plants,” he told her.

Applejack suddenly looked shocked and glanced around the orchard. Mathew noticed and asked her what was wrong. She looked him in the eyes, her expression almost one of heartbreak. “Are you tellin’ me that all of this work we put into this orchard was fer nothin’? Are we gunna lose all of these trees?”

Mathew saw the hurt in her eyes, and he knew what his words meant to her. He had essentially told her that the cavern below was damaging the apple tree roots. To make it worse, he had dumbed it down on purpose so he did not stand out; he knew that the gems were killing the trees and that the entire orchard would die in a few years. Mathew stepped closer to Applejack and placed his hand on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze. “In a sense, yes… yes I am. With so many gems in the ground out here, it’s going to keep hurting the trees. I don’t know much about transplanting, but if we want to save the trees we’ll have to move almost all of them,” he said, trying to show her there was still a chance to save the apples.

Applejack looked around and her ears fell back against her head. “There’s more n’ eight hundred trees out here… we’ll never get them all moved in time. We hardly have enough time to spare as is, how can we make enough bits if we have to move alla this, too?” she said, depressed.

Mathew reached up and gently tapped her nose and gave her a warm smile. “I’ll help. Tell me what to do and I will do everything I can to save your trees. I’ll even help dig to the caverns – you might be able to sell the gems down there for some extra income,” he offered.

Applejack took a breath to say something, but she stopped just before she could utter a word. Her mind started to turn over as ideas came to mind. After a few long moments, the normally stubborn farm pony looked up at Mathew and gave him a confident smile. “Tell ya what, ah’ll accept your help. Ah gotta tell the rest o’ the family about this, but if you want to help that’d be a might nice thing. However, Ah’d like to make a deal with ya,” she said.

Mathew cocked a brow at her and crossed his arms. “What did you have in mind?”

“Ah think this is an opportunity for the both of us,” she said. “Ah heard that you were lookin’ ta find some work, and since this is gunna be quite the doozy of a project, ah’d like ta hire ya.”

Mathew instantly shook his head. “I decline, but I’d accept it if you changed a small part of that. I’ll work for you, but I won’t accept any payment until we’re sure that your family can make enough of a profit to afford my services. Since my body hardly needs food, and I’d prefer to just volunteer, I don’t require any money.”

“But what about paying for a place to stay? Spike mentioned that you were looking to get your own place,” Applejack countered.

Mathew simply shook his head. “Don’t need it. As it turns out, I can just sleep outside. Besides, I don’t plan on making any plans to stay in this world for too long… I plan on returning to my world… eventually.”

Applejack’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open when she heard him say that. Then, as the good-hearted mare that she is, she stomped her hoof and leaned toward him in a firm stance. “Ya ain’t gunna be sleepin’ outside! If it came to it ah’d force ya ta stay in our house, but there’s no way ah’d ever let a friend be without a place to stay. Even if ya don’t plan on stayin’ in Equestria forever, that don’t mean ya should be left in the cold,” she declared firmly.

“Eeyup,” came the deep voice of a pony Mathew did not know. He and Applejack turned around to see a very muscular red earth pony with an orange mane. The red stallion wore a thick workhorse collar around his neck and sported a wheat stalk in his mouth. Mathew quickly noticed that the stallion wore a lazy smile and held a peculiar look in his calm green eyes. The red stallion also had a big two-toned green apple for a cutie mark, with a few seeds in the middle.

Applejack gasped at the red pony. “Big Mac, what’re ya doing out here?” she asked.

Ah, so that’s her big brother then, Mathew thought.

Big McIntosh gave his sister a long glance and then looked at Mathew. Applejack then let out a nervous laugh and rubbed her front leg with her hoof. “Oh, right, ah forgot ta tell ya about that. Mathew, here, was helpin’ ta figure out what’s wrong with this orchard,” she said.

Mac looked from Applejack to Mathew and it quickly dawned on him that he was expected to say something as well. Mathew cleared his throat and gestured to the trees around. “Right, I used to help a friend of mine on his farm. I thought I could lend a hand, since Applejack mentioned there were a few things to be fixed on the farm. I also found out what’s weakening your apple trees out here,” he said.

Mac lifted a brow, still offering his lazy smile. Mathew took the hint and continued. “There’s a large cavern beneath this orchard. It’s filled with gems. I think the residual magic from so many gems is hurting the tree roots.”

“Yeah,” Applejack cut in, “and ah was just talking with Mathew about hiring him to help us. We gotta move these trees ta a safer place.”

Big Mac looked around at a few trees and his smile slowly slipped away. He turned back to Applejack and she lowered her ears again. Mathew saw this and decided he’d speak up before they got the wrong idea. “Big Mac, I know how your family has been struggling with income recently. I know that Applejack wouldn’t want to have me work for free, but I really don’t need the bits. I’m more than willing to work as a friend and it would do me a lot of good to use my magic. Let me help,” he said.

Mac eyed Mathew for a long while. Then he flicked the wheat stalk to the corner of his mouth and smiled. “That’s mighty nice o’ ya, Mathew. When can ya start?” he asked.

Mathew smiled back and nodded. “I can start right now. Twilight and I are on a break from my magic studies. I’m sure I can talk to her tonight about this and I’d be able to help until the job is done,” he replied confidently.

Mac held his smile and nodded. Then he gave Applejack a gentle look and walked away. Mathew thought it was interesting how the red pony was able to communicate with so few words. He turned to Applejack, expecting to see her smiling, but instead saw her frozen in place with her mouth open. Mathew stepped in front of her and she blinked a few times.

“Did I miss something?” Mathew asked her.

Applejack shook her head slightly and then looked him in the eyes. “That’s gotta be the first time Mac’s ever spoken to somepony like that. He never accepts help from others on the farm,” she said, still in shock.

Mathew tapped her nose again to snap her out of it. “Well, I’m not some pony. Besides, I get the feeling he and I will get along. He’s pretty expressive with his eyes, which I kind of have a knack for reading. In any case, I do believe he’s left me in your care for the time being. So where should we start?” he said, grinning all the way.




~~***~~




The glow of the setting sun painted the sky in a beautiful array of orange and gold. A pale blue aura of magic held a tree up while dirt was moved around it and pressed into a firm base. The magic faded and another of the many apple trees now rested in its new home. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, Mathew stepped back to admire his work. For the first time, since he found himself in Equestria, he felt like he had done something worth living for. Mathew missed that feeling, he realized, and it really felt good.

His inner warmth was dimmed when he looked at his progress for the day. He had managed to move thirty-seven trees over the ten hours he had worked, but there were still so many more left. At that rate, it would take him quite a few days to finish. Still, he had to keep in mind that he could not overuse his power, or he’d draw unwanted attention. His feelings on the matter were making things harder on him than he would have liked.

Mathew sighed, feeling a little disappointed with his progress, but then he had an idea. He could fix the axel on the big wagon, which would allow him to move around a lot more trees at once, and he’d still manage to stay under the radar. He set his mind to that task and turned to proceed when he caught sight of the blonde mane and signature hat of Applejack. She had quite the grin on her face and carried a basket on her back as she approached. “Are ya done for the day, Mathew?” she asked.

Mathew smiled and shook his head. “Not yet. I was going to see about fixing that wagon. If I can get it working properly it’d make this a little faster,” he replied.

Applejack looked at his progress and lifted her brow at him. “Ah reckon you’re not feelin’ like ya did enough? To be honest, you did quite a bit, considerin’ it was just you doin’ all the work. If’n it helps at all, ah think ya did a mighty fine job, so far. Here, have a bite ta eat before ya go off ta fix that busted wagon,” she said and offered him the basket.

Mathew gave Applejack a small smile, since he had told her not to waste her family’s resources on account of him. He appreciated the gesture, but he still felt bad for taking away from their food stores. His magic covered the basket and he floated it in front of him to look inside. There was a small assortment of apple-related food items in it. The apple pie and the muffins caught his eye, but he settled on two muffins. Out of the corner of his eye, Applejack did not seem happy that he had only taken two small things for himself.
“Don’t worry, Applejack. My magic had plenty of time to recover when I walked back to pick up more trees. Thanks for these, though,” he said.

Applejack sighed, but smiled anyway. “Just don’t work too hard. Ah’d hate to see ya have a burnout. Ah’ve seen it happen to Twi an’ Rarity… it doesn’t look fun at all when it happens to them.”

Mathew slipped into a sly grin and eyed the orange farm pony. “You sure worry about me. Thanks for keeping my health in mind, but I’ll be perfectly fine. I am an indestructible oddity from another world, after all,” he teased her.

She simply sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “Ah can’t help it. Ah mean… it’s just…” Applejack’s expression filled with a deep sadness and she struggled to look at Mathew.

Mathew quickly figured out what she meant and he looked away from her. “You’ve been picking up on it, then. I’m not surprised… it’s your element’s specialty.”

“So… how much of what you said was a lie?” she asked.

Mathew thought for a few seconds, before he looked deep into Applejack’s eyes. He could feel Nightmare’s fear spike, despite her knowing what he intended. He took a long deep breath before he spoke again. “Very small parts of what I told you all were false. Some of it was altered, or worded to fit my side of the conversation… but most of it was truth. Now before you ask me anything further, tell me what you see inside of me – take a good long look and tell me,” he said calmly.

Applejack swallowed the lump in her throat and looked deeply into his eyes. She searched long and hard, watching for the slightest thing that might make her right, to justify her fears. Her teeth started to grind together after a small eternity passed then she huffed and looked at the ground. “Ah don’t know what ah see,” she answered.

Mathew sighed and then placed his hand under her chin to make her look at him again. “Then this is where things get difficult. I know that you’re all supposed to be watching me. I know that Nightmare Moon is a great threat to Equestria… or the one that you’re all familiar with. However… I also know that I was serious when I said I wanted you to use the elements against me if I fall into darkness,” he told her.

Applejack’s eyes widened as she heard him speak, then she pulled her head away from his hand, keeping her eyes fixed on his. “What do you mean when you say the Nightmare Moon we’re familiar with?”

Mathew’s eyes softened and he looked up to the sky. The sun was nearly set by then, and the glow had turned to reds and purples. “Are you sure you want to know the truth, Applejack?” he asked her, and looked back into her eyes. His expression was no longer one that held back his feelings. Now, he was fully open to her, and his eyes were filled with a gentle plea.

Applejack took a step back. Seeing such a sad look in Mathew’s eyes was painful. There was a heavy weight on his heart, but he was ready to be completely honest with her if she asked. She knew it, then, that she was more afraid of knowing the truth. If he was a tool for Nightmare Moon then she would have no choice but to tell her friends and they would have to… kill him.

Mathew saw that the situation was starting to crumble. He was not sure how he could rectify it, but a sudden idea came to mind that might give him the right push. He took another breath and closed his eyes. “Applejack… do you remember what it was like when you first encountered Nightmare Moon?” he asked.

Applejack blinked and thought about her past meeting with the dark being. She nodded, then nearly facehoofed when she realized Mathew’s eyes were shut. “Yes. It was probably the most scared ah’ve ever felt. There was just… something about her that made me shiver inside.”

Mathew opened his eyes and met Applejack’s gaze. She gasped and her pupils shrunk as her ears flattened against her head. Mathew’s eyes had changed to look like the same turquoise slits that Nightmare moon had. She felt the strongest urge to run away… but something kept her heart from racing and her body just stayed in place. Something was different about those eyes…

“Looks like I was right,” Mathew said. “You can see the difference.”

“What did you do?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

“I used her power.”

“Wha-“

“Applejack… this may be difficult for you to understand, but I’ll say it anyway. The Nightmare Moon that you and your friends fought was not the same one that brought me here,” Mathew stated calmly.

Applejack’s ears lifted up as her curiosity began to grow. “What do ya mean?” she asked.

Mathew sighed and looked at the sky again. “There’s a lot more behind the relationship between Luna, Celestia, and Nightmare. Unfortunately… Luna seems to have forgotten everything and Celestia wants nothing to do with me. All I have to prove it is… well, what Nightmare has shown me – what I saw when she and I completed the bond.”

“What bond?”

Mathew sighed and looked back into Applejack’s eyes. “The bond with her essence. The crystal that fused to my heart was part of Nightmare’s core. The magic problem that Twilight saw was happening because Nightmare and I weren’t bound completely. We completed the bond a few nights ago. When it happened… our minds melted together for a while. I’ve seen everything that Nightmare has gone through – everything from the time of her ‘birth’ until now,” Mathew said and then he closed his eyes. He opened them again and his pale blue color had returned.

Applejack was stunned. It had not been easy to tell when Mathew was telling the truth before. She had her suspicions when he was not being honest, but it was almost impossible for her to tell. The only sign she got was a weird feeling in her gut. Now, though… now she could easily tell that his words were true. Her hooves took her forward a few steps until she was standing right in front of him, gazing up at him. “So… ya really do have Nightmare Moon inside o’ ya? But… she ain’t the same one that we defeated to save Princess Luna? Does that mean that… that we won’t have ta worry about usin the elements against ya?” she asked, growing ever hopeful.

Mathew, though, did not return that same hopefulness. He firmed his gaze at her and frowned slightly. “I don’t know. Nightmare’s mind may have influenced me during the bond, but I feel the same as I did before I was teleported to Equestria. The only thing I’m certain of is the fact that I need help from you and your friends. You’re all I can count on if things go wrong. For now, though, I feel that Nightmare isn’t a threat and I know that this one is different from what took over Luna,” he explained.

Applejack looked thoughtful for a moment before she asked Mathew, “Why did… this Nightmare pick you? Why’d she bring you here?”

Mathew’s eyes softened, which Applejack instantly noticed, and he took a few moments before he answered her. “She needed me because I’m one of the very few who can understand what she’s gone through. The fact that my body has a natural ability to lessen the effect of magic was a bonus. With my help, she stood a better chance at succeeding with what her heart desires,” he said.

Applejack placed her hoof on Mathew’s thigh and looked him square in the eyes. “And what does her heart desire?” she asked softly.

Mathew’s face reflected the pain of both his past and Nightmare’s as he answered, “Family…” then he looked away and steeled his resolve. “And I’m sorry, but that’s all I can tell you. I won’t lie to you again, but I will not tell you everything. All I ask is that you trust in her heart… and don’t try to over-think what I’ve told you… and if you could keep this a secret from everyone else, that would be appreciated,” he said and started to walk toward the farmhouse.

Applejack suddenly felt the chill of the air on her hoof, Mathew’s warmth having departed. Then, without even putting much thought into it, she bolted after him. She swung around him and slid to a halt right in his path. “Mathew, wait… you do know that ah’ll have ta tell Twilight about this. This was something that we promised to do, that we’d all report what happens when we are around ya, and ah just can’t break that promise,” she said, clearly upset that she had no other choice and that she was afraid of what might happen.

Mathew stopped and looked at her with a level gaze. “Then tell her. I can’t stop you, nor do I want to, but if you’re so afraid of what might happen then do what I did; tell the truth, just not the whole truth. I know that it’s just as bad as telling lies, if you compare it to open honesty, but it can remain truth if you say it just right. That’s why you had trouble seeing through my lies before… I was being honest, but I only told you what you needed to hear,” he said and waited for Applejack to make her choice.

Mathew watched as she stared at him. At first she was nervous, her eyes constantly twitching around as she thought about her options. Then she switched to a deeper thought process, where her eyes drifted to a random spot and lingered in an unblinking fashion. A spark of anger flared in the depths of her green eyes and she seemed to show signs of a self-loathing expression. It was around that point that Mathew felt she had made her choice, so he moved to walk away.

Suddenly, he heard the ground grind beneath something and, the next thing Mathew knew, he was slammed against a tree. He flipped around, forcing his body to ignore the broken bones in his hip, and came face to face with Applejack’s hard stare. Mathew went to adjust so his hip would stop hurting, but the instant he moved two powerful hooves slammed into his shoulders, pinning him to the tree. He stared into Applejack’s eyes, wincing from the force of her weight. Earth ponies were stronger than they looked.

“I want ya’ll ta tell me one thing,” Applejack growled, glaring into Mathew’s eyes.

“What?” he answered.

Another strong shove against his body, and Mathew noticed moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. He sighed and did his best to relax his expression to be more respectful. “What do you want to know, Applejack?” he asked in a low whisper.

“Can ah trust you?” she asked.

Mathew fought hard to keep from eyeing her quizzically. What does she mean? I just told her everything, almost, so why would she ask that? he thought. “Of course you can trust me, Applejack,” he said softly.

Another shove, this one softer than the last but still firm none the less. “Ah want ta hear it from her…”

Mathew’s eyes widened slightly. Oh… so that’s what she wants… Nightmare?

“I don’t want to do so… but if it is your wish, then I shall surface to answer her,” came Nightmare’s response. Her tone was quiet, almost timid. It was clear that she was scared of what might happen if she showed her true self to the Element of Honesty.

Mathew sighed, giving her permission and ensuring her that she had nothing to fear. Even if things turned sour, he had already prepared to live in the wilderness in order to get at least three more chances to get Nightmare to meet with Luna. Nightmare allowed herself to feel slightly more at ease with that knowledge.

Mathew’s eyes closed for a few agonizingly long seconds. Applejack was about to lose her will to keep him pinned when she felt the change pulse through Mathew’s body. His hair grew a few inches longer and took on the undeniable appearance of Nightmare Moon’s starlit mane, waving in the air more like slow motion fire with its shorter length. Mathew’s eyes opened and had become turquoise slits again. Mathew’s body let out a sigh and Applejack saw the fangs just inside of his mouth. “You want to know if we can be trusted, young one?” came Nightmare’s own voice.

Applejack gave into her fear for a moment, then she steeled her resolve and gave Nightmare’s intimidating gaze an equally firm glare. She nodded and narrowed her eyes as she peered as deeply into the snake-like eyes as she possibly could. “Mathew is my partner. I have given myself to him on a level that you could never understand, but he spoke for both of us when he said yes. But since I know you won’t believe it from him… you will hear it from my own mouth; yes, young Applejack, you can trust me… you can trust us,” she said, her voice growing softer near the end.

Applejack was amazed at the fact that Nightmare had told the purest truth she had ever heard. She wondered exactly what she meant when she said that she gave herself to Mathew in that way, but another thought took precedence over that. “So does that mean that you really are different? Yer not gunna try an’ take over the world or throw Equestria into an eternal night? Ya ain’t gunna try and take the throne and banish the princesses?” she asked.

Nightmare sucked in a deep breath, she wanted to huff her annoyance at such outlandish ideas, but she felt it best to be more humble for once. Just as she had seen Mathew do in the past, she exhaled through her nose and relaxed her nerves. “That was never my goal. World domination, selfish conquest, and the hatred for Princess Celestia were the ideals of a tainted gift… a gift that I regret giving. I cannot change the past, but I can promise you that I have always had the best of intentions for Equus. Mathew is my only chance at making amends for my mistakes in the past,” she said.

Applejack was speechless. Even as she watched Nightmare Moon’s appearance fade from Mathew’s form, she could do no more than silently watch. Mathew’s hair went back to the dark silver, but the blue highlights had increased along with the number of spots that glowed. The excess length seemed to fade away in a black smoke. He reopened his pale blue eyes, which seemed to glow for a few seconds before they went back to normal.

He gave Applejack a few more moments to come to terms with what she had just seen before he reached up to tap her nose. His fingers stopped just before he touched her, then he pulled his hand back and looked at the ground. “So now you have your answers. What will you do?” he asked solemnly.

Applejack blinked a few times, still struggling to come to grips with everything. She never would have thought that Nightmare Moon was so… normal? Genuine? Whatever it was, it was the furthest thing that the Element of Honesty had expected. Her opinion of the once-enemy-now-mystery had drastically changed. She looked at Mathew and cleared her throat. “Well… whew… ah gotta say ah was not expectin’ that. And now ah’m not at all sure how ah’m gunna be able to explain any o’ this to Twi. This is all so… unreal,” she said.

Mathew actually found it in him to chuckle a bit at that. “You have no idea. My concept of reality was shattered the day I arrived in this world. Still… the only way that things can stay civil is if you find the right way to explain everything to Twilight. I expect an army to come for me if you tell her everything, and I won’t let myself be captured… not yet. So what will you do?” he asked her.

Applejack watched as Mathew’s expression changed from friendly to melancholic. She already started to think of how things could turn out badly, should she say everything. Her heart told her to keep some things secret from her friend, while her stubborn pride told her that she should never do anything that could be seen as a lie. Suddenly, Mathew let out a long sigh and closed his eyes… and a feeling of dread swept across Applejack’s entire being.

She quickly stepped away from Mathew, nearly stumbling onto her flank in the process. Mathew was not oblivious to her movement, nor that look of terror that had started to etch its way onto her face – going so far as to overtake the depths of her eyes as well. He quickly got up and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Applejack, what’s wrong?” he asked her, fighting to keep his voice calm.

Applejack locked her gaze onto Mathew’s eyes and her lip trembled as tears started to form in her eyes again. Then, without warning, she wrapped a hoof around him and buried her face in his chest as the first sobs ripped through her.

Mathew was at a complete loss for words. Something had happened to her, but he had no idea what – though his imagination was pumping out quite the plethora of possibilities. Eventually he reeled in his thoughts and focused all of his attention on comforting the poor mare. He gently pet her head and neck, making quiet humming sounds to try and sooth her. It took quite some time, more than enough time for the sun to set and the night to come into full view, before she stopped crying.

Mathew waited patiently for her to find her voice. Eventually she lifted her head from his chest. She was glad that it was dark, since she was positive that she had thoroughly soaked his shirt. She stayed pressed against him, though. His warmth and the comforting feeling of his hands on her made her feel a lot better. “Ah’m sorry…” she said and heaved a shuddered breath. “It’s been a while since ah’ve had that happen ta me.”

Mathew pulled her against his chest again, gently rubbing her neck. “Do you want to talk about it? I’m pretty worried about you… I’ve never seen that kind of look in anyone’s eyes before,” he said in a low calming tone.

Applejack slumped against him and sighed deeply. “It’s not a pleasant story. Ah’m not sure ya noticed, but it’s just Granny, Mac, Apple Bloom and mahself on the farm. Mah folks… they aren’t around anymore,” she said uneasily, struggling not to cry again.

Mathew gently placed a finger on her lips and sighed sorrowfully. “I’m sorry to hear that. In a sense… I can relate to how you feel, but I won’t pretend to know your pain. Don’t tell me if it’s too painful for you,” he whispered.

Applejack gave him a small smile and gently pushed his finger away from her lips. “It’s alright… I trust ya. Ya deserve to know it, ah think,” she took a deep breath before she continued. Applejack’s parents had gone off to make a delivery. They were taking a shipment of apples to her mother’s family’s orange farm, which still rests between the cities of Manehattan and Fillydelphia.

Applejack said that her parents had taken one of the roads that runs along the base of Foal Mountain, which was a small series of mountains, high enough to be capped by snow year round. As her parents got near the middle of the mountains, they were caught by a rockslide. Neither of them had survived the accident, but Applejack still had the occasional nightmare where she watched them get killed. She even found ways to feel guilty about it, since she had insisted that her parents leave early so that they could come back home sooner.

The painful tale was short, but the emotional impact behind it was enough to make Mathew shed a few tears for Applejack’s loss. Then his breath hitched when she said what had caused her to lose it in the first place. “When ah saw ya exhale just then… it looked like you had let your life slip out. It looked like you had died… right under mah hooves. Ah realized that… that ah don’t want to see that happen to ya. Ah don’t want ya ta die…” she revealed.

Mathew was still for a moment, as he processed her words, and then he hugged her tight. “You goof, it’d take a lot more than a good buck to get rid of me. Trust me, I’m not going to die anytime soon… heck, I died a few times right after I got here, so it’s almost impossible for me to stay dead,” he said teasingly.

Applejack sighed and let out a short laugh. Then she nuzzled into him again and sighed contentedly. Her eyes dropped slightly and she looked at the tip of her front hoof. “Sorry for actin’ all dramatic. If Rarity were here, ah’d bet she’d never let me hear the end of it. This sort o’ thing is her deal… ah can’t believe ah’d cry like that,” she said quietly.

Mathew gave her a playful noogie and laughed. “Trust me, it’s not easy carrying around the pain of losing such important people… er, ponies. I don’t hold it against you, not in the slightest. Even I cried the other week… I don’t know how my father is doing back on Earth… and I’m afraid that he might have died out of grief by now. So I know how you feel, in a way, and I see no reason to fault you for it. But if you ever feel the need to talk about it, I’ll always be there for you,” he assured her.

Applejack sighed and hugged him. “Thanks… ah appreciate it,” she said.

> 11 - Working Hard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was high in the sky. Birds chirped among the branches of the apple trees, while a few squirrels played in the grass. There were just a few stray clouds in the skies above, but a gentle breeze kept things at just the right temperature. Still, Mathew had to stop for a moment to brush away the sweat on his forehead. He was hot, sweaty, and covered in a layer of dust, but he felt fantastic.

After a few moments of rest, he dug his foot into the ground and heaved forward. His body glowed faintly and the wagon he had hooked himself to began to roll forward again. He had succeeded in fixing the axel of the big wooden wagon the other night. The feat had allowed him to move many more apple trees over the past day and a half. His progress had already brought more than half of the remaining orchard across Sweet Apple Acres to rest in its new home.

As the sound of dirt and stone crunching beneath the massive wooden wheels filled the air, Mathew smiled broadly. He was pleased with the effectiveness of the spell he had thought up. There were a few similar spells in existence, ones to enhance the bodies of ponies for specific reasons, but applying it to his unique body had been a challenge. As it turned out, he found he could just use the magic within his body to recreate the effect, which caused his muscles to strengthen substantially while the spell was active.

As he neared the location to drop off his latest load of apple trees to their new orchard home, Mathew spotted the large red form of Big McIntosh. The stoic expression Mac wore would have been normal, were it not for the small little fact that he had been avoiding Mathew for a while. Mathew sighed. He really hoped that Mac was not present for the reason he thought… seriously, what was with ponies and having so much trouble accepting forgiveness?

Each step brought him closer to McIntosh. His suspicion was confirmed when he got close enough to make out the stallion’s face. McIntosh’s eyes said it all. Mathew stopped and unhooked the wagon from his shoulders, the thick leather straps thudding against the ground. He looked at Mac and sighed softly through his nose. “You still upset about the other night?” he asked McIntosh.

McIntosh sighed and looked down. Mathew sighed again and shook his head gently. “I told you I forgive you. Your reaction was normal, especially since Applejack had all the evidence that she had been crying on her face. You did what any older brother would do. Stop beating yourself up, everything turned out fine in the end,” he said.

McIntosh looked back up at Mathew and sighed. “Ah still feel bad for hurtin’ ya, though,” he said in his deep voice.

Mathew sighed and turned back to lift four of the trees off of the wagon. His magic enveloped them and they floated high above the others. He moved his left hand down to the ground and began to dig out the first of the new holes for the trees. As his magic bored into the ground, he remembered the other night.

He and Applejack had talked for another hour after she revealed her parent’s deaths. They shared good memories of their families and enjoyed the warmth of such fond times passed. Eventually they decided it was a good time to head back to the house. When they walked in the front door, Mathew and Applejack had tried to think of how they would explain everything to Twilight, which set them in a melancholic mood.

At that moment, Big Mac had come down to check on the hushed whispering. He saw them by the front door and nearly ignored them, until he noticed the streaks on Applejack’s face where her tears had matted her fur. Something clicked in Mac’s chest and he walked forward. Without thinking, he wound up pushing in between Mathew and his sister and he shoved Mathew back.

The force of the shove had been enough to send Mathew in the air a few inches. He landed on a crate, which collapsed from the impact, and his back was impaled in a few places. Mathew had cried out in pain, but he quickly stifled his voice in order to force his body off of the wreck. The sight of watching the human rip his body off of the broken crate, with pieces of it sticking out of his back, was enough to make McIntosh’s anger vanish. Fear replaced the boil in his veins, which soon was overcome by the wave of guilt when Applejack shoved her way in front of Big Mac.

Applejack was pissed. She scowled at Big Mac like never before. Mathew got to his feet and looked at Big McIntosh with a calm gaze.
“I take it, that we can talk this out peacefully now, Big Mac?” he asked the red stallion.

From then on, things proceeded smoothly and the misunderstanding was cleared up. Well, it should have been cleared, but since McIntosh was there to resume his apology, it seemed there was more to talk about. Mathew finished placing the other six trees into the ground before he turned to Big Mac again.

“Enough. Stop feeling so bad about it. Yes it hurt to fall into that crate, but you can’t expect me to feel angry about it when my body has long since healed, good as new,” he said to the red farm pony.  Even though it was extremely unpleasant to feel that puncture through my lung… he thought to himself.

Big Mac looked at him solemnly and shook his head. “Ah can’t help it. Ah shouldn’t have done that in tha first place,” he said. “Ah just don’t know what came over me, back there.”

“You saw your sister was hurt. You’ve already lost your parents, so protecting what’s left of your family is only natural. Plus, I’m not exactly the most trustworthy… you only met me the other day. Let’s just put this all behind us and move on with life. If you really want to make it up to me, then let’s just start off on the right hoof today and get things done to help your family,” Mathew said with a friendly smile. He really wanted to get this whole awkward situation over-with.

Big McIntosh sighed, but allowed a small smile of his own to slip through to his lips. He nodded and looked around at everything Mathew had done for the apple farm. It was quite the feat, considering the human was working on his own. He then looked back toward Mathew, who had already gone back and hitched up to the wagon again. They exchanged looks and went back to their respective tasks on the farm.

Mathew worked hard for a few more hours. He was nearing the northern orchard to pick up more apple trees when he heard a squeak from nearby. He ground to a halt and looked around. Just behind a nearby tree, he spotted the red flowing tail of a filly. On the other side of the tree he could see her big pink bow and large deep orange eyes peeking at him. He offered her a smile and knelt down to his knee to be less imposing to the small pony. “Hello there. Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked her.

The little filly slowly emerged from behind the tree and Mathew finally got a good look at her. She had a pretty red mane that flowed over her head and neck, with a matching tail. Her coat was like a yellow pudding and her cutie mark was a tri-color shield of red, soft pink, and maroon with a purple apple in the middle that contained a magenta heart. She approached him with tentative steps, but her eyes held a distinct curiosity. “Hi, ah was just wonderin’ about you,” she said with a cute little voice that shared a similar southern drawl as Applejack and Big Mac.

Mathew tilted his head at her. “Oh? What were ya wonderin’ about me for?” he asked.

She giggled at his attempt to copy the way she spoke and brightened up a bit more. “Mah sister told me about you. She said you were helpin’ to save our apple trees,” She said happily.

Mathew nodded at her. “Indeed I am. If these trees stay out here for too long, they’ll eventually die. There’s a crystal cave under the ground here and the gems are hurting the tree roots. By the way, my name is Mathew. What’s yours?” he said with a friendly smile.

“Ah’m Applebloom, Applejack’s mah big sister. Is there really a cave under this orchard?” she said, eyes growing wide in excitement.

Mathew chuckled at her bubbly personality, but realized he had heard of this little filly. She and her friends had given Twilight and the gang a few headaches in the past with their endless search for their cutie marks. The three fillies had developed quite a reputation for getting into trouble, and the twinkle in Applebloom’s eyes was enough to make Mathew consider his next response carefully. “Yes, there is a cave. It’s almost as big as this entire orchard used to be, before I started moving the trees. Are you interested in gems?”

Applebloom shook her head. “Not really, but if there really are that many, how much do ya think we could sell ’em for?” she asked enthusiastically.

Mathew had hoped his hunch was wrong, but it looked like the little filly was raring to start digging to get to the cave below. He knew he had to cut her off before she got too into the idea. “No idea, we don’t know what kind of gems are down there. We won’t know for a while, though,” he said.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because we need to move all of these trees first. Under normal circumstances, the weight from all these would have caused a normal cave to collapse. One of the reasons why I’m the only one working out here is because my body is indestructible. It won’t be a big deal if I fall into it,” he explained to the little filly.

Applebloom’s eyes widened and she looked down at the ground while she lifted a hoof nervously. “Could it really collapse?” she asked.

Mathew grinned and looked around. “Yeah… but you don’t need to worry too much. It’s safe enough to walk around here, so long as you stick to the southern side of the orchard. Once all the trees are moved safely, then we can start looking for a place to dig to enter the cavern.”

Mathew turned his gaze back to the filly and his grin grew a bit more. “On another note… I have to say that was quite a neat little trap you guys set up the other day.”

Applebloom’s eyes popped wide and she slowly turned her head to look at Mathew. A nervous laugh slipped out and she started to blush. “Oh… heheh… yeah… ah’m sorry about that. Sweetie Belle heard from her sister that you were comin’ over, that day. She heard you were some kind of new creature and we wanted to make sure you weren’t dangerous… So we set up that trap to catch ya. We had no idea that my big sis had already met you,” she admitted.

Mathew chuckled at her and smiled kindly. “No worries, Applebloom. Sorry for turning it on you guys, but I have to admit; that was a pretty cool trap. I’m gunna get back to work. Was there anything else you needed from me?”

Applebloom shook her head and said goodbye before she ran off toward the farmhouse. Mathew was glad that he had met such a sweet little filly. She had a good heart and cared about her sister, but that strong curiosity of hers was a little much. He was sure she would stay away from the cave, but part of him still worried her friends would share in the desire to explore it. Before he resumed gathering more trees, Mathew made sure he’d know if anyone else came to that area and laced the surroundings with his magic in the form of a tripwire.

Mathew managed a few more trips between the two orchards before he heard the hoofsteps of another pony. He finished placing the apple tree and turned to see who it was that time. A smile spread across his face as he took in the orange coat and blonde mane of Applejack, another basket in her mouth. With a playful sigh, he walked over to her and took hold of the basket. In it he found a few sandwiches, an apple pie, and a bottle of apple juice.

Mathew thanked her for the offer and took a seat beneath a nearby tree. Applejack followed and sat down beside him. She looked around at his progress and whistled her approval. “Ah don’t know how ya do it, but you’ve done a heck of a lot for just three days time,” she commented.

Mathew swallowed the bite of the daisy sandwich and gave her a sly smirk. “That’s a mighty fine complement there, but it’s still not much. If I weren’t trying to keep suspicions low, I’d have finished everything by now. By the way, how did it go with your meeting with Twilight?” he said.

Applejack sighed and looked down to her hooves. “It went… could’ve gone better, but at least ah was able to tell her what she needed to hear. All she knows is that you’ve been a might good help and that ah’ll need her an’ Rarity to come by in the future to help with getting that cavern opened up. Ah just wish ah could have told her everything…” she sighed at the end, clearly not happy with being vague to her good friend.

Mathew put his sandwich down and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. This is probably eating you up inside, huh.”

“A lil bit, but it’s not like ah’m flat out lying to her,” she said. “Still, ah agree with ya that we should tell her about it when the time is right. Otherwise she’ll overreact again and things’ll hit the hay harder than one o’ mah apple bucks to an apple tree.”

Mathew chuckled at her comparison. “True, and those hurt, by the way,” he said with a wink.

Applejack blushed and rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. “Right… ah’m awful sorry about that. Ah didn’t even know I broke yer hip when ah bucked ya,” she said apologetically.

Mathew nudged her shoulder and laughed. “It’s alright, I forgive ya. Besides, I deserved it for not being honest with you from the very start,” he assured her and went back to eating his sandwich.

They enjoyed the fading afternoon for a few minutes, until something made Mathew jump to his feet. His eyes fixed on the northern orchard in the distance and his face became very serious. Applejack got up and looked at him. “What’s up, Mathew?” she asked him.

Mathew held his gaze on the orchard and narrowed his eyes. “I set up a line of magic earlier. Your little sister came out and had asked about the orchard. I told her a few things, one of them being the cave under it. I just felt three separate sets of hooves cross that line of magic…” he said and turned to Applejack. “You don’t think the three of them would be foolish enough to try and dig down to it, do you?” he asked her in a gravely serious tone.

Applejack’s eyes widened and she turned toward the northern orchard as well. “Ah’d like to think she wouldn’t… but ah’ve been wrong about her before,” she replied.

Mathew turned back to the orchard and tensed his muscles. “We should get there as quickly as possible. Let’s go!” he said and bolted off toward the three fillies’ location.

Applejack sprung after him and they ran as fast as they could. At first, Mathew could hardly keep up with her, but after a quick boost from his magic, he was able to match her. His heart started to fill with a feeling of dread… he hoped nothing would happen to Applebloom and her friends.




~~***~~




Applebloom was behind her two friends as they walked through the northern apple orchard. Scootaloo was in the lead, her young wings buzzing with excitement every now and then. The little orange Pegasus filly had her violet eyes peeled for a good spot.

Sweetie Belle was right behind Scootaloo. The little white unicorn had just as much enthusiasm as her Pegasus friend, since the mention of the gem cavern gave her the chance to give her older sister, Rarity, the best gift ever – fresh gems for her many dress designs. Her curly pink and lavender mane would wave around occasionally from Scootaloo’s buzzing wings. They were looking forward to finding a way into the caves below… only Applebloom was unsure of their plan.

“Hey, girls, do ya’ll really think it’s a good idea to do this? Mathew did say it was dangerous,” Applebloom called out to her two friends.

Scootaloo turned her head around and lifted an inquisitive brow to her friend. “Well, yeah. This is, like, the opportunity of a lifetime!” she said in her scratchy young voice. “Just think of what we might find down there!”

“Yeah, plus this will be a good way to help out our sisters,” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “All we’re doing is finding a way in. It will save Applejack and Mathew a lot of time, don’t you think? And while we’re at it, we can find some gems for my sister – it’s a win win.”

“Right, so don’t chicken out on us, Applebloom. Let’s do what we can to help out. It’s been a while since we did anything together, anyway,” Scootaloo finished.

Applebloom grumbled under her breath, mumbling that she wasn’t being chicken. She did not want to upset Mathew, not since he seemed like a really nice guy. Still, she did want to help her sister. She continued to follow.

After a short while of wandering around the hole filled orchard, Sweetie Belle gasped. “Girls! Over here, look at this!” she exclaimed excitedly.

Applebloom and Scootaloo ran over to see what Sweetie had found. At the bottom of one of the holes, where an apple tree used to be, the glint of a small emerald was winking up at them. Scootaloo pumped a hoof in the air and she jumped up in excitement. “Yes! There really are gems down there! Let’s grab it and bring it to Rarity to see how good it is,” she said and hopped down to grab it.

Applebloom tensed up and went to stop her friend, but the young Pegasus was too quick. Scootaloo landed at the bottom of the hole. She picked up the gem with her hoof and brushed it off with her wing. With the dirt brushed away, the emerald was very pretty and it made Scootaloo pause to admire its gleam. Applebloom was growing more nervous with each passing second. “Uh… Scoots… you should hurry and come back up,” she said tentatively.

Scootaloo chuckled at Applebloom’s worry and shugged it off. “Awe, c’mon Applebloom, it’s fine. It’s not like there’s a hole for me to fall through,” She said and took a few steps toward the side of the hole... to suddenly feel her body drop down a few inches. All three of their eyes went wide. Scootaloo gulped. “Uh… guys?” she pleaded meekly. Then, the ground beneath her gave way and she fell.

Scootaloo shot her front hooves out and flapped her wings hard to grab onto the edge of the hole that had opened up beneath her. Never before had she wished she could fly more than in that single moment. Her life depended on it and all she could do was lessen her weight on her front hooves as she struggled to find purchase on the still crumbling dirt.

Sweetie Belle lit up her horn and caught Scootaloo in her magic. She started to focus hard on lifting her friend out of the hole, but her concentration broke when her body was yanked back.

“Watch out!” yelled Applebloom as she pulled Sweetie Bell away from the hole. The ground started to sink in around that hole as the cavern’s ceiling started to give way.

Scootaloo fell back down against the edge of the hole and fought with all her might to get out. Her wings started to burn from the exertion and her hooves slid down the side of the pit. Then she lost her focus when she felt a sharp pain on the inside of her scrambling hind leg. The pain increased with each move she made to save herself and then… the ground that had held her up finally gave out. The faces of her two friends drifted away as the dark abyss started to swallow her.

Just before she shut her eyes to wait for the end, a dark blur shot by her…




~~***~~




Mathew and Applejack had finally made it to the northern orchard. Applejack was worried for her little sister, but Mathew had assured her things would be okay. Before long, he spotted three small pony figures in the distance. He bolted off at full speed toward them. If it had not been for the urgency, Mathew would have been impressed that he could run so far and not feel tired in the slightest.

As he ran, he saw as one of the little fillies jumped down into a hole. Something in his gut sank and he burst forward with all the speed he could muster. The next thing he knew, Applebloom and the little white unicorn saw something happen and they looked shocked. Within a few moments, the unicorn used her magic, focused on something in the hole, but she had to be pulled back. It was then that Mathew saw the hole growing larger, and his heart almost stopped.

The cavern had been breached. He cast aside any and all doubts and he burst forth in a blur of magical mist. The only thing that mattered to him was getting to the little filly in the hole as quickly as possible. He leapt into the air and twisted his body to point his head down into the hole and he pushed his magic out of his feet – essentially turning him into an organic missile. He shot down, right after the little orange Pegasus.

Mathew’s vision instantly adapted to show him the interior of the cavern. He and the little Pegasus were falling into a death trap. The cavern was lined with emeralds, all varying from little gems to four-foot long spikes – it was like a malicious version of a geode. Acting on pure impulse, Mathew threw his magic out to catch the Pegasus, while he turned his body around to land on his feet. He laced his body with as much magic as he could, while keeping the filly safe in the air.

He slammed into the bottom of the cavern. Mathew’s focus waivered as the shards of gems that were too dense to be stopped by his magic saturation skewered his legs. Scootaloo fell a few more feet before he was able to refocus on keeping her in the air. Mathew knew he would have a hard time keeping her there as long as the gems kept digging into his flesh, so he quickly moved her up and out of the hole above. Once she cleared the mouth of the opening, he had to feel her position with his magic. He made sure to set her down a good distance away from the hole.

With Scootaloo safe, he turned his attention back to getting himself out. He was burning through his magic quickly. The run to the orchard had taken quite a bit out of his reserves, and with his body impaled the way it was he was literally bleeding out the rest of his stores. He had little time to think, so he went with a gut feeling and pumped magic into his legs. With a loud grunt, Mathew jumped with everything he could muster. He almost made it out with one leap, but had to use more magic to jump in the air again.

Mathew’s form shot out of the hole and he crashed onto the ground about twenty feet away. Applejack was right beside him in moments and was stricken by what she saw. Mathew’s legs were shredded and had numerous bloody shards of emerald jutting out. He wasted no time in pushing them out of his legs. He was finally able to heal once they had been removed, though he healed slower than normal with his lack of magic.

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, but the sounds of despair from the three fillies said there was still something wrong. Mathew and Applejack looked over and they saw blood covering Scootaloo’s back legs. They both rushed over to her side. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were crying and offering apologies for not listening, but Mathew did not care for their reasons. He focused on Scootaloo and placed his hands on her.

The orange Pegasus’s body was quickly covered with Mathew’s pale blue magic. She hissed as his healing spell started to work, pulling a few shards of emerald out of her legs, and stitching her flesh back together. A few minutes passed and the pain stopped. Scootaloo opened her eyes to see her body surrounded by magic and the human they had tried to prank kneeling beside her. His face showed he was struggling. She went to move, but Mathew’s words stopped her.

“Don’t move. I’m almost out of magic, and this is hard enough to do, stay still while I finish healing your legs,” He said with a strained tone.

He really was almost out of magic. Even Nightmare was urging him to stop, but he knew he had to heal the little one just a little more. The damage had been bad. If Mathew stopped his healing magic now, the Pegasus would be unable to walk. The shards had cut deep into her little body, severing a few nerves and severely damaging the muscles. He had closed the wound to stop infection, but mending the rest was harder than stopping a bloody nose.

A few more minutes passed and he was finally done. Mathew stopped his magic and sighed heavily. “Alright… you can move, but don’t overdo it. I’m not the best at this kind of magic, so if you use your legs too much you might hurt yourself again. Think you can rest for a few days?” he said tiredly.

Scootaloo nodded and gingerly moved to stand up. She was a little shaky, but she could manage to stay on her hooves. It was clear that her muscles were weaker. She turned her head to Mathew and gave him a weak smile. “Yeah, I promise I won’t overdo it. My legs feel pretty wobbly. Thanks for fixing them… and I’m sorry for not listening,” she said regretfully.

Mathew weakly reached over and tapped her nose. “It’s alright. The important thing is that you’re all safe now,” he said and turned to Applejack and nearly stumbled. She reached out and stabilized him with her neck and shoulder. “Thanks, Applejack. Do me a favor and get them back to the house. Make sure you tell the others about this… I need to rest,” he said softly.

Applejack looked at the three fillies, thankful that they were safe, but she could not bring herself to leave Mathew’s side. She turned her attention to Applebloom. “Ya’ll heard him. Get back to the house and tell Granny Smith and Big Mac about this. Also, ah want one o’ ya to run and get Twi and bring her here ta help Mathew,” she said to them, firmly enough to be a command, but laced with sisterly compassion.

Applebloom nodded and had Sweetie Belle help her to place Scootaloo on her back. Once the blushing orange Pegasus was in place, they made their way back to the house. It was a bit touching, seeing the three fillies. They really had a strong bond of friendship, and it showed in almost everything they did together. Mathew watched them until they were far enough away that he was sure they would not notice anything.

Mathew slumped against Applejack and his breathing quickly picked up in pace. He had been struggling to hold himself together, to not worry the young fillies, but also to keep his appearance from changing. The glow in his hair died and his eyes became a dull silver as his magic finally stopped flowing. Then, much to Applejack’s surprise, his eyes turned a faint golden color and his hair took on the same ethereal texture as Nightmare Moon’s, only his hair looked more like black smoke.

“Mathew?” Applejack asked tentatively. “What’s happening – are ya alright?”

Mathew’s eyes stared emptily for a few seconds before they twitched and focused on Applejack’s face. His breathing slowed down, not quite normal, but slow enough that he could speak more comfortably. “Sorry… Applejack. I used up almost all of… my magic. Nightmare has lent me some of hers… just for the time being. She’s afraid I might… have overdone it,” he answered shakily.

“Is that why your hair and eyes changed?” she asked him quietly. Part of her was scared of his new look. It made him seem… hungry… fierce… dangerous.

Mathew nodded weakly. “Probably. It seems to be… normal for this body. This is only a temporary change, though,” he said. “One of the perks of having a magic reliant form, I guess,” he finished, clearly not enthused with that detail.

Applejack noticed in that moment that there was something else inside of Mathew’s eyes. A flicker of shadow deep within that seemed to be screaming in agony. Her fear of him instantly vanished and she curled around him to look at him better. “Hey… ah know this might not be the best time ta ask but… are ya alright with… well, ya know, bein’ here; in Equestria?”

The flicker in his eyes intensified and his golden eyes seemed to sink into a deep darkness. He blinked and they were back to the golden grey from before. His chest heaved as he sighed deeply. “No… I’m not,” he said in a sad whisper.

Applejack was quiet for a few moments. She had not even thought about how Mathew might have been feeling about his situation. Every time she saw him, he looked like he was happy. He always had a smile for others, he never complained unless he thought something was unfair, and he really enjoyed working hard. The idea that he might be unhappy had been the furthest thing from what she expected. “Well…” she said after a pause, “if it’ll help any, ah’ll listen to anythin’ ya have ta say. You said ya’d be there for me… so it’s only right that ah be there for you, too.”

Mathew smiled warmly. He appreciated the offer, but he still could not bring himself to open up like that to her. “Thanks, but I’m not ready to talk about that kind of thing yet. Maybe… another time…” he said and his consciousness faded away into darkness.

After a few moments, Mathew regained his sense of self. He recognized the surroundings as the interior of his mind. He looked around and spotted Nightmare standing beside him. Her expression indicated she was unsure as to what had just happened. Before either of them could ask, the darkness around them started to shift and morph into a landscape. Mathew quickly recognized the place as a location he had seen from Ponyville. He glanced at Nightmare with a raised brow… and then the world flashed white.

> 12 - Suspicion...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a thundering crack, the world was consumed in a flash of white. It blinded the eyes and even managed to penetrate through the lids of those who had managed to shut their eyes. A wave of intense heat washed over the land and scorched everything as far as the eye could see. Mathew’s eyes bore witness to the carnage. The burned bodies of ponies lay motionless on the streets of what was once the town square of Ponyville.

The buildings were crushed, charred, and some still burned from the wave of flame that had lovingly engulfed the town in its raging embrace. Mathew looked around at the destruction, horror filling his veins, and deep sadness consuming his soul. His eyes shot wide and a spark of hope ignited in his chest when he spotted Twilight and her friends in the protective embrace of her barrier.

His hope quickly faded when he saw the pain in their faces. Something was very wrong. They all held their tear-filled gazes on something in the sky above. Mathew turned to look and his heart skipped. A pony of flame and rage hovered in the air, an aurora of magic flowing from its head and tail. The face of the fire emanating Alicorn was twisted in an expression of satisfaction.

“Why… Princess, WHY!?” Twilight cried out.

The words hammered into Mathew’s mind and the world cracked and shattered. The dark confines of his mind swirled back into view around him. Mathew stood there, shocked and at a loss for words.

“What was that?” came Nightmare’s astonished voice.

Mathew looked over and saw Nightmare, her face an exact replica of what he was feeling. Their eyes met and he could only shake his head. “I don’t know.”

They sat in utter silence for a long time, each trying to piece together what they had witnessed. That fire Alicorn was Celestia? She wiped Ponyville right off the map and was so… pleased about it? That’s impossible. Celestia would never do something like that. She loves her ponies too damn much to do that – especially if Twilight was there. Still… that was… everything felt so real. That flash hurt, the heat was intense and… and that smell…

Mathew thought as hard as he could, but he just could not make sense of the vision. To make things more confusing, he had no idea what had led him to seeing such a thing in the first place. Yet again, Mathew found himself with many questions, and no answers in sight. He sighed and turned to Nightmare. “Did any of that make sense to you?” he asked her.

Nightmare thought on it again, but ultimately she, too, came up at a loss. After a few moments more, she sighed. Mathew knew that sigh and he lifted an inquisitive brow. “Looks like we have unexpected company,” she said dourly.

Mathew looked around, almost expecting to see Luna, but when no one appeared he looked back to Nightmare. She sighed again and turned her head up. The window to outside drifted down to float between them and Mathew understood. He sighed heavily and looked past it to Nightmare. “So… I take it things have just gone south for us?” he asked flatly.

Nightmare, despite the situation, smirked at him. “We will have to see. For now, you should go back out and see if you can diffuse the situation. I honestly can’t say that I was expecting Twilight to show up so soon, or for Rainbow dash to be with her. Rest assured, though, that I still have enough magic saved up to escape – should the need arise,” she said calmly.

Mathew nodded and moved into the window. He lost his senses once more and regained them when he was in control of his body. He struggled at first, but eventually managed to pry open a weary eye. In front of him stood Applejack. Her posture was defensive and she was refusing to back down to her two friends. Twilight’s horn was glowing, most likely ready to use a spell to keep him from getting up, while rainbow was squaring off her wings to knock some sense into her friend and rival.

With a low groan, Mathew turned his head toward the commotion and stared at them blankly. “Do you mind? I was resting. It’s a little rude to have an argument and wake up those who are sleeping,” he said flatly, clearly not pleased with how things had gone south while he had been out.

Rainbow instantly bristled and bared her teeth in a snarl. “What did you do to AJ? What ever you did to her, you better undo it or I’ll pummel you until you do!” she threatened.

Applejack stomped her hoof and narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. “He ain’t done nothin’ ta me! Ya’ll need ta calm down and listen already!”

Rainbow balked at Applejack and stomped her hoof as well. “Then why the hay are you protecting… that!? You can’t honestly be telling me that you’d willingly save that thing from us! We’re your friends!” she exclaimed.

Applejack went to respond, but she stopped when she felt Mathew’s weak grip on her hind leg. She looked back at him and he shook his head. “That’s enough,” he said tiredly and turned his gaze to Twilight. She held him in an angry glare, but something had stayed her magic. Mathew took that chance to address her, since she seemed to want answers. “Twilight, can we talk? Peacefully?”

Twilight stayed motionless for a few long moments before the glow from her horn faded. She continued to glare at him, though. “I’m listening, Mathew… or are you Nightmare Moon?” she asked curtly.

Mathew sighed and did his best to keep his calm. “I had hoped I could explain things in a more pleasant manner, but there’s nothing that can be done about it now. I’ll get strait to the point, I suppose, so ask your questions, Twilight Sparkle,” he said pointedly.

Twilight did not appreciate the way Mathew had said her name, but she yielded to a more civil thought process. “My first question would be; to whom am I speaking?” she said.

“The same human you met from the castle in Canterlot,” he answered.

“How long has Nightmare Moon been a part of you?” she asked.

“Since the moment I was brought to this world. The crystal that Celestia and Luna tried to banish was a core fragment of Nightmare Moon. It fused to my heart when I was teleported here,” he replied.

“What does Nightmare Moon plan to do with you?” she asked firmly.

“Nothing,” he said matter-of-factly.

Rainbow Dash snorted and ground her front hooves into the ground. “Yeah right! She brought you here for a reason. I highly doubt that she did it for ‘nothing’,” she said with clear disdain.

Mathew shrugged. “With what you know about her, yeah, you’d easily convince yourself to think that way. There in lies the problem; the only one who knows the most about Nightmare, aside from myself, is the only friend here you can trust,” he said and glanced at Applejack.

Twilight’s glare softened slightly at that and she looked at her friend and fellow element bearer. “Applejack… what does he mean?” she asked.

Applejack returned Twilight’s gaze, steadying her resolve. “It’s just like he says. Nightmare Moon, well, the one that we fought, ain’t the same one that’s inside of Mathew. She’s not plannin’ on takin’ over Equestria, or banishing Celestia, or anythin’ like that. Ah don’t know exactly what she’s doing, but ah do know that Mathew is the one in control of things. Nightmare Moon’s relying on him ta help her make up fer something,” she explained firmly.

Rainbow took a step closer and flared her wings out. “And how do you know she’s not the one using him? How can you know if that’s true?”

Applejack stomped her hoof again and glared at the cyan Pegasus. “’Cuz she told me herself! Ah talked to her and heard it right from her mouth!” she replied angrily.

Silence filled the air. The three ponies were tense and unsure of how to proceed. They had disagreed in the past, but to have one of them defending the embodiment of an old enemy had brought forth a new conflict. Mathew decided he would see if he could send the conversation into calmer waters. “In any case…” he said as he strained to sit up from the ground, “I’m surprised that you arrived so soon. Surely Applebloom or Sweetie Belle couldn’t have been that quick in finding you.”

The sun was still in the same spot as when he last saw it, so there must not have been more than a half hour that had passed. It would have been impossible for Applebloom to run that quickly, not while carrying Scootaloo, and Sweetie would not have left her friends until they had gotten Scoots to the house. Twilight’s eyes glanced at Rainbow before she responded to him. “Rainbow had been nearby earlier. She said she saw you use some strange magic. Then you rescued Scootaloo and you changed. She came to get me as soon as she got a look at what your appearance was. I teleported us here and I could feel Nightmare’s magic from the other side of the farm. I will admit that it feels slightly different than the last time I encountered her, though,” she said.

Mathew nodded. “I see. That explains your speedy arrival. Did you get a chance to check on the little Pegasus – Scootaloo was her name?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not yet. Why?”

“She had been injured badly. The cavern collapsed under her and she was cut by some of the sharper emeralds,” he explained.

Rainbow’s eyes widened when she heard that, and her anger was replaced by worry. “Is she alright?”

Mathew offered her a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah, she’ll need to rest for a while, though, and it would be a good idea to get a professional doctor to check her out – I’m not sure I had enough magic to heal her properly,” he said.

Twilight walked closer to Mathew, a strange look of concern on her face. Applejack moved to get in front of her, but Mathew gently pulled her tail to stop her. Twilight stopped a few feet away from him and eyed him closely. “What happened to all your magic? It’s almost all gone…” she asked him quietly.

Mathew sighed and closed his eyes. “I used it up saving Scootaloo. I had to use a spell to run faster, which I used to get from the other orchard to this one. Then I jumped in after her when she fell, and I tried to increase the density of my skin… it wasn’t enough to stop all of the gems from puncturing my legs, though. After that, I used my magic to get Scootaloo out and jump out of the cavern. The rest of my magic was spent healing myself and her…” he paused for a moment before opening his eyes and looking sadly at Twilight.

“Nightmare was forced to lend me some of her personal magic to keep my body from failing. She and I are bound… so if I die, she does, too. I may not be an expert, but I don’t think the Nightmare Moon you know would risk death to save a filly,” he finished weakly, still struggling to stay up.

Twilight inhaled to respond, but Mathew lifted his hand up to stop her. His body was trembling, screaming at him to stop and fall over, but he had one more thing to say to the young Alicorn. “I know that Nightmare Moon was a great threat to this world, but I want you to think about this very carefully. If my words and actions aren’t enough, and you can’t even believe the words of one of your closest friends, who is the bearer of the Element of Honesty, then where does that leave us? I’m… gunna pass out… it would be nice… if you all could… keep the noise-“ Before he could finish, his body gave out and darkness enveloped his mind once more.




~~***~~




Mathew awoke some time later. As he regained his senses he came to realize two things; he was no longer in the orchard and it was dark outside. His muscles complained while he forced his body to sit upright. He was in one of the guest rooms in the Apple family household – one he had seen when he had been led to the bathroom before. The bed, he noted, was not quite as comfortable as the one in his room in Twilight’s castle.

He stood up with a low groan and was reminded that his pants were in tatters. “Great… now I’ll need to bug Rarity for new work pants,” he mumbled quietly.

His attention wandered to the rest of the room around him. It was a small space, decorated with a few nick-knacks, family pictures, and some rustic furnishings. The small mirror on top of the dresser drew his attention further and he slowly approached it. He was mildly relieved to see his appearance had gone back to normal… well, as normal as he had expected. His hair had gone back to the dark silver, but there were more streaks that glowed with his magic. His eyes were pale blue again, but a faint ring of gold lined the inner ring of his iris.

He looked at the flow of magic in his body next. His reserves were still very low, but he had regained enough to be able to do small-scale spells. Unfortunately, he saw a more prominent flow of darker magic mixed with his own. Nightmare’s magic had combined with his, and it looked to be permanent.

“I’m sorry, Mathew,” came a whisper quiet voice in his mind.

Mathew sighed gently and let a small smile play across his lips. Don’t worry about it. We would have died if you hadn’t shared your magic with me. All this means is that Luna will see that I’ve been marked by your magic… it’s going to be hard to explain things to her, he thought calmly.

“Even so, I still did it without asking you first. I broke our agreement. Now everything has been put in jeopardy,” she lamented.

Mathew smirked and shook his head. Do I need to come in there and bop your nose, too? Relax, Nightmare, we can still make things work out. Luna had to know about your existence eventually. The only thing that’s changed is how we engage her once she sees us. 

Nightmare sighed, still apprehensive about the whole predicament. Mathew could not blame her, but he hoped that she would stay calm enough to not let it eat at her. With his appearance confirmed, his next course of action was to venture out of the room and see what, and who, awaited him. He slowly walked out of the room and got his bearings before searching for the ponies that lived there.

He was surprised and uneasy when he found nopony upstairs. There were a few magic signatures nearby, but he was still too weak to determine whom they belonged to. Having no luck with the upstairs, he carefully made his way down the stairs to the ground floor. He heard a few hushed voices from the living room and headed there first.

He rounded the corner and stopped in the doorway. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were there, as well as Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinky Pie. Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were absent, as well as Granny Smith. Big McIntosh stood near the front entrance. All eyes turned toward Mathew when he arrived and an eerie quiet took over the room.

Applejack quickly stood up and walked over to him. She looked tired, but she was concerned about Mathew’s condition. “How are ya feelin’ Mathew?” she asked him.

He gave her a weak smile. “Still exhausted, but I’m feeling a little better. Did I interrupt something? What happened to Scootaloo – were her injuries looked at yet?”

Applejack smiled and moved closer to him, rubbing her side against him to guide him into the room, proper. “Scootaloo is just fine. Twilight had Spike send a message to the princess and Rainbow took the lil filly to the hospital. The doc said her injuries had been healed very well – he even commended that your skills were better than anything he had seen before. If you hadn’t healed her like ya did, she would have lost her ability to walk normally. As fer interrupting… we were just talking about a few things,” she said softly and nudged Mathew to get him to join them.

Rainbow’s ears drooped back and she rubbed her front leg with a hoof. “Thanks for what you did for Scoots… and sorry for… ya know, what happened earlier,” she said meekly.

Mathew chuckled softly and shook his head. “No worries, Rainbow. I’m glad she’ll be alright,” he said and turned his gaze to Twilight. “So… I take it they all know?” he asked her.

Twilight nodded and gestured with a hoof for him to take a seat. He sat down on the only remaining chair and waited. The room was quiet for what seemed like an eternity before Big Mac’s ears flicked toward the front door. He walked down the hall to open it. As they all waited quietly, Mathew felt his heart begin to beat faster. Something inside him was beginning to panic.

Mathew’s heart nearly lodged itself in his throat when Big Mac returned. Luna entered the room right behind him and the look of shock that filled her face nearly broke Mathew. Their eyes locked onto one another and the world around them seemed to simply vanish. Luna gazed at her friend, seeing all to clearly the unmistakable dark magic that stained his body and soul.

Inside Mathew, he fought to remain calm and to will his eyes to show Luna that everything was fine, while Nightmare seemed to fill with panic and fear of meeting her daughter so soon. Neither of them had prepared and they both knew that the importance of that exact moment would determine everything for them. Suddenly, the sound of a throat being cleared made the three of them aware of the rest of the room.

“Ahem… Princess Luna,” Twilight started, “this… is what I needed your help with,” she said delicately.

Luna’s eyes jumped to the young princess of magic and back to Mathew. “I see… there is much that we need to discuss. Start from the beginning, Twilight,” she said before she slipped into a regal and composed stance – her eyes focused firmly upon Mathew.

Mathew cringed inside. He knew that look, well enough. Luna was going to be difficult to get to. Once she put on that mask, she became as dense as a brick wall and she would not let her guard down – much less listen to reason. It was a default reaction she used when dealing with things, so that she would stand firm in her opinion.

Twilight noticed the silent standoff between Luna and Mathew, wondering if it was the right choice to call her to help with the situation. Whatever the case, it was too late to undo what had been done, so she proceeded to explain the events from the day Mathew first arrived until the current day. After Twilight finished, without even taking her eyes off of Mathew, Luna requested a report from each of the others present in the room.

The overall conclusion from each element bearer was that Mathew seemed to be perfectly fine and that he was a pretty nice guy. They all were shocked to hear of the latest development and were almost skeptical to believe it at first. The only ones who had a different story to tell were Applejack and Big Mac, who had described Mathew as a very helpful person that had done a heck of a lot for them and their farm. Applejack also went into details about their little talks, which softened Luna’s gaze.

Mathew had simply stayed quiet throughout the meeting. He had nothing to say about the past few days. All he wanted was a chance to get Luna to listen to what he had to say about why he had made a deal with Nightmare. But once he saw her reaction to Applejack’s side of the story, he had a feeling things were about to get hectic. Luna had feelings for him, and the way Applejack had described their moments had made the moon princess’ focus shift. The soft flicker of jealousy had peeked out of her turquoise eyes more than once.

Applejack’s and Mac’s sides done, Luna took a few moments to formulate her thoughts. Then, she broke her gaze from Mathew to look at Applejack. “It would seem that you have become quite close to Mathew. Might I ask how much time the two of you have spent together? I almost wonder if you were possibly affected by Nightmare Moon…” she said, her words faintly laced with a cold tone.

Mathew instantly stood up and looked at her firmly, his expression teetering on the brink of turning angry. Luna looked back at him and her horn flared. Mathew’s hand shot up and he caught her spell – a feat that surprised him just as much as it did everyone else in the room. He enforced his gaze on her and calmly addressed her. “Luna, you’re letting this discussion wander. We can talk about ‘that’ later, but right now you and I need to focus on what’s important,” he said.

Luna’s eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a frown. “How was that not important? I would believe that knowing how close you’ve gotten to one of these young mares would hold some relevance to this discussion,” she retorted.

Mathew’s eyes narrowed in turn, then he took in a slow breath and calmed his nerves. “Luna… you went down a similar road in the past. Don’t let your judgment be clouded by your feelings again,” he warned her, his tone mellow.

Luna’s anger flared for a moment, until she saw the pleading look in Mathew’s eyes. There was a deep sadness in him that seemed to pull at her heart in a way that she thought was familiar, yet foreign. She calmed her mind and let her emotional walls drop. With a heavy sigh, she looked around the room and gathered her thoughts. “You are right. I was not thinking clearly just now,” she said quietly.

Mathew nodded and turned his attention to the others. “I think it’s about time I told you all what really happened after I was brought to this world,” he said and turned his head back to Luna. “And you should probably take a seat… I doubt this is going to be easy on you.”

Luna looked at him with a raised brow and her ears perked up. She then lit up her horn and summoned a dark blue cushion and took her seat. Mathew sighed and looked around at everyone again. He took a deep breath and began. “It all started after I was summoned from my world…”




~~***~~




It took quite a bit of time, but Mathew retold his experiences from the day he arrived to the present time. He had chosen to withhold specific details, such as the fact that Nightmare Moon was Luna’s mother, simply stating that he wanted to discuss the finer points in private with Luna and Twilight at a later time. In the end, he managed to convince everypony that the Nightmare Moon that dwelled within him was not the same one that had taken over Luna. That his Nightmare was one of the ones who had helped to shape Equus and that had given Luna the gift that led to her becoming the evil Nightmare.

He explained how he had exposed Applejack to Nightmare Moon and that she had used her Element of Honesty to confirm that everything that he had said was truth. Just as he had expected, his tale had left the ponies with quite a lot to chew on. Still, it was not enough to stop Twilight from asking the question he had not wanted to deal with just yet. “So what was it that Nightmare Moon wanted to achieve?”

Mathew sighed and gave her an unamused look. “Twilight, I said I’d only tell you and Luna, and that it’d be later,” he said with slight annoyance.

Twilight huffed and gave Mathew an equally annoyed look. “What could possibly be so important that everypony here can’t know about it? You told us everything else already,” she argued.

Luna nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Tell us now. I doubt it could be anything worth hiding from the others,” she said.

Everyone else voiced their agreements as well, except for Applejack and Big Mac, the former picking up on the fact that the idea pained Mathew on an unusual level and the latter simply because he had no real opinion on the matter. Mathew sighed and rubbed his face with his palm. He thought on how he would even begin to explain that part. Then the beginnings of an idea sparked and his hand slid down his face. His eyes fixed on Luna’s face and he straitened his posture in his chair. “Luna… how much do you remember about your first meeting with Nightmare Moon?” he asked her.

Luna lifted her brow at him curiously. “Haven’t you asked me that question before?”

Mathew nodded. “I did.”

Luna was not sure what he was getting at, but decided she would humor him. She thought about her first experience with the dark being.
“I don’t remember much… I remember feeling alone. Then there was this feeling of anger and jealousy toward my sister, but after that I can only remember giving in to the darkness and then watching as my other self tried to take over Equestria and gain my rightful place in the eyes of our subjects. Much of that time in my life is… hazy and fragmented. I can’t recall more than that,” she said.

“So you don’t remember when Nightmare came to you? Or when she offered you her help?” Mathew asked her calmly.

Luna shook her head. “No… but I think I remember meeting someone one night. They held… a glittering gem – one that looked like it was a star, picked right out of the sky. It was beautiful…” she replied, seemingly lost in thought.

Mathew fed on that memory and started to spin the tale to fill in the blanks of her memory. “Nightmare Moon had been watching you, Luna. She had watched over you since when you and Celestia were just little foals,” he began. “She watched as you grew up, gained your cutie marks, met Starswirl the Bearded, were lifted up by the ponies of the lands, unified everypony under your rule and created Equestria. She saw Celestia’s day become more loved as your heart slowly broke until you felt that nopony cared about you or your rejuvenating night,” he said.

As Mathew explained further, he saw the signs of recognition in Luna’s eyes. With each thing he revealed, another part of her memory seemed to float back to the surface, yet she still could not see what happened next until she heard him speak it. Mathew knew things were becoming delicate. His words would eventually lead to him telling the full truth, but he shared Nightmare’s fear of how well the young mind within Luna would handle everything.

He continued. “Then, when you had wandered into the night, alone and full of heartache, Nightmare came to you. She spoke with you, gave you small comforts by revealing just how many truly appreciated your nights and everything you did for them. Then, when you told her that you wished there was some way to do more for the ponies of your kingdom, she offered you a gift. The gift was a fragment of her. Nightmare placed in your hooves, the crystallized essence of her soul, to share with you her power.”

Mathew paused before the next part. It was hard for him to remember it, since it was more painful having Nightmare’s feelings to accompany it, as well as watch Luna’s own eyes begin to tear up as she remembered everything again for the first time in over a thousand years. “You took her gift. It let you do incredible things with your night… but nopony seemed to notice. You tried harder to please the ponies of your kingdom, but they seemed to give you more of a cold shoulder because of it. Then came the announcement of the Summer Sun Celebration… and your anger finally fell onto one thing; your sister, Celestia. Your anger, jealousy, and scorn were given direction, and your emotions overwhelmed the gift you were given. It absorbed your negative emotions and became an outlet. Nightmare’s gift became your curse, and you let it control you when you stopped fighting against yourself. The rest… you know,” he said, and took some time to let everything sink in for everypony present.

Luna’s cheeks had become streaked with her tears of regret. It had not been easy for her to recall those lost memories. The rest of the room’s occupants were either sharing in the crying or wore sad expressions. Twilight seemed to be the only one who was taking things better than the others, but her eyes had filled with pity for her lunar princess. Minutes passed until Luna finally gained enough composure to look back at Mathew. His gaze was sad, but it was evident that his tale had yet to reach its end. Luna’s small nod was all he needed before he resumed.

“So you remember everything about your meeting with her, right?” he asked Luna.

Luna sucked in a shaky breath and nodded. Mathew took in a breath of his own and leveled his gaze on her after glancing at the others.
“Here’s where everything ties together. Nightmare… had a reason for doing what she did. There’s a reason why she came to your side that night, a reason why she put her essence in that ruin in the Everfree Forest, a reason why she used her power (combined with yours and Celestia’s) to bring me to Equestria, a reason why she needed my help,” Mathew swallowed and nearly faltered in what he was about to reveal next. He swallowed again and steeled his resolve. His mouth opened… and the front door of the house crashed inward.

Every head spun around to look at the source of the commotion and jaws dropped when nearly a dozen royal guards rushed into the room. The guards fixed their eyes upon princess Luna and slammed the butts of their spears against the floor. “Your Highness, Princess Celestia has ordered us to bring you back to Canterlot immediately. Come with us, there’s a carriage waiting outside,” One of them spoke, surprisingly harshly.

Luna was baffled, Twilight even more so, but Mathew felt a sense of danger around them. They had their eyes on Luna, but he was positive that they would not hesitate to turn their spears on him if he made even one wrong move. He did not like the situation – not one bit. “Luna… you should go with them,” he said slowly.

Luna turned her head toward him to protest, but her voice halted in her throat when she saw the look of fear in his eyes. It was the first time she had seen such an expression from him, but it wasn’t a fear of the guards. He was afraid of what he was about to do.

Twilight stood up from her spot on a couch and eyed the guards quizzically. “I’m sorry, I know that Princess Celestia didn’t want Luna to be involved in this kind of thing, but could we have just a little more time?” she asked them.

Mathew was quick to cut off the guard’s response. “No, Twilight. This isn’t that kind of matter. These guys are here for a different reason. The importance of it is evident by the fact that these guards aren’t your average ones. Luna needs to get back to the castle… as soon as possible,” he said, emphasizing the last part carefully.

The guards all tightened their grips on their spears and openly narrowed their eyes on Mathew. The stare-down changed the tension in the room from peculiar to serious. Luna immediately knew that something was very wrong with the guard’s sudden appearance. She turned back to the guards and went to take a step forward when she heard a faint whisper in the air behind her ears. “Luna… there is one thing I need to know. Does your sister have any kind of foresight – like seeing into the future?” Mathew’s voice quietly asked.

Luna turned her head back partially and looked at Mathew questioningly.

“This is too well timed. And earlier I had a strange vision. I’m not sure why, but I felt the strongest urge to ask, don’t ask me why – it just popped in my head. If she does have that kind of ability, just nod once. Nod twice if she doesn’t,” he whispered again.

Luna looked back at the guards, then back toward Mathew and gave a single nod. She then turned back and followed the guards out of the house. Everyone stayed perfectly still until they heard the sounds of the carriages taking off. As soon as they were alone, Mathew crashed to his knees and clutched at his chest. His eyes took on the golden color again and his hair billowed like ethereal smoke.

Applejack rushed to his side and placed her hoof on his back. “Mathew, are ya alright? What happened?” she asked hastily.

Mathew struggled to breath for a few tense moments, he had no choice in the matter and he whispered his command hoarsely. “Nightmare, do it. I need more.”

His body pulsed and his hair grew at least eight inches longer and started to look more like Luna’s mane, only pitch black. His eyes changed to look like a snakes as well, and small fangs sprouted from his upper jaw. With Nightmare’s magic coursing through his body, he finally found it easy to breath again and he slumped back onto the floor.

The room was quiet for a few seconds. Then, Rainbow finally said what was on everypony’s mind. “What the buck is going on?”

> 13 - Finding Solace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The six mares, that represented the Elements of Harmony, stood around the living room of the Apple family home. All eyes were fixed upon the body on the floor, slowly panting as it stared at the ceiling. Rainbow Dash had asked it a question, and its gaze had hardened from the simple query. Were it not for the intense look in its eyes, she would have pressed the issue.

Mathew was deep in thought. Celestia, for one reason or another, could see the future. It was not known the exact degree of her capability, but it changed little when compared to the grander scheme. If she could see the future, then she must have known about him. She must have seen how Luna would have come to him, seen him tell her of her past, and knew what he would have revealed. Still, his mind turned over everything he knew, searching for that key that would open up his mind’s eye to the truth behind it all – only to trip up and find nothing.

He finally reached the end of his patience and slammed his hand down on his forehead, groaning in frustration. “Nothing makes sense!” he exclaimed.

Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind her mane. Rainbow Dash simply eyed him and Twilight’s eyes went wide in confusion. Rarity stepped off of her seat and walked over to Mathew. “Might I inquire as to what you have been thinking about?” she asked him.

Mathew sighed and ground his teeth before relaxing enough to reply. “I just used up more of my magic to get an important piece of information from Luna, right before the guards could take her away. It was a shot in the dark, but I tried to replicate a listening spell and modify it to transfer thought to a precision location. I succeeded. Luna gave me the one thing that I needed to try and piece together something that happened to me earlier, but I just can’t seem to put it together,” he explained in an exasperated fashion.

Twilight stepped forward next. “Would you mind sharing with us what you know? Maybe we can help,” she offered.

Mathew looked at her, which made her flinch, and he quickly realized how fearsome his appearance looked. He closed his eyes and turned away from her. “Sorry… I’m sure you’re all terrified of the way I look. I must look like a complete monster to you all.”

“Heheh, not really,” Pinkie Pie chirped cheerfully. “I think your eyes look super cool, like a dragon, and the hair really suits you and it kinda gets you thinking that the writer might be aiming for the whole ‘make-the-human-have-epic-Alicorn-powers’ angle, but I think most people are wondering if it’ll be AJ or Luna, but what I want to know is – wait, why are you all looking at me like that?”

Mathew was simply staring at Pinkie with a raised brow while the rest either stared at her blankly or were exchanging glances with each other. Seriously, how random could she possibly get? Mathew sighed and looked back at twilight. “Back to what we were discussing; I don’t know if I should tell you guys about what I know. I was about to tell Luna… but it seems Celestia has something else in mind,” he said.

Twilight lifted her brow and her ears perked up curiously. “What would Princess Celestia have to do with this? I mean, I know she was the one that ordered those guards to get Luna, but I don’t get what more there could be. Luna wasn’t supposed to be here, so it would make sense for the guards to come get her… right?” she said unsurely.

“That’s the thing. How long ago did you send for Luna? How quickly did she get here? How long would it have taken for those guards to get here in comparison? The train ride alone, from Canterlot, took nearly two hours. You know the times of their departure, what does the math tell you?” Mathew said, getting strait to the point.

Twilight did her calculations, her brilliant mind making it an easy feat, and her eyes suddenly went wide with realization. Her mouth opened and she looked back at Mathew. “They would have had to know about it at least forty-seven minutes before I sent the message to Luna. That’s impossible, though, because I had Spike send that message strait to Luna!” she exclaimed.

Mathew nodded to her and sat up from his spot on the floor. “That’s where my last question to Luna comes in, which leads me to an odd event from earlier today when I passed out. After I saved Scootaloo, I lost consciousness. When I was out, I was taken to, for lack of a better explanation, the innermost layer of my mind – it’s where I can freely speak with Nightmare. This time, however, something happened while I was there,” he said and proceeded to explain the specifics of his vision to them. It was heartbreaking to tell about the dead ponies, especially when the mention of it had made Fluttershy start to cry and Pinkie’s mane deflated slightly.

Twilight reeled at the end of his telling. It was almost impossible for her to see Princess Celestia doing such a thing. From the looks of shock on everypony else, none of the others could imagine it either. Still, Mathew knew what he had seen, and he had gone over the scene more times than he would have liked. After calming down enough, Twilight ventured to try and resolve everything. “So… if that really was a glimpse of the future, or a possible outcome, what I don’t know is what would have led the princess to do such a thing in the first place. I can’t even think of a possible reason for it,” Twilight said, mulling over the details once more.

Mathew went unusually silent and his eyes seemed to drift off somewhere. His focus snapped back when he felt a hoof touch his shoulder. He looked over and saw Applejack looking at him questioningly. The act sparked everpony’s curiosity and he sighed. “I think I know what would have fueled that kind of anger,” he said dourly.

Twilight stepped closer and looked deep into his eyes. She could see the pain, but it was as if it was from both him and Nightmare Moon. “What would that be, Mathew?” she asked him slowly.

Mathew’s eyes started to shine with tears that were not his to shed as he stared into Twilight’s purple eyes. He took a breath and let it out through his nose before he answered. “This might be hard for any of you to fully accept… but Nightmare Moon is Luna’s mother.”

Gasps interrupted him and he lifted his hand to stop anypony from speaking. “But the reason why Celestia might have done what that vision depicted, is possibly due to the fact that Nightmare was responsible for accidentally ending Celestia’s mother’s life – now don’t jump to conclusions yet! I saw how it happened. When I said it was an accident, believe me… it really was. Nightmare had been friends – maybe even best friends – with Celestia’s mother, but something happened that made the two… grow distant,” Mathew said sorrowfully.

Fluttershy placed her hoof on her chest and leaned forward in her seat. “What happened?” she asked quietly.

Mathew quelled another wave of sadness from Nightmare and swallowed. “Nightmare and the Life Giver were tricked. The entity that fathered Luna… also fathered Celestia… and he toyed with the two mothers to make them fight. Don’t make me share any more… this is more painful for Nightmare than I ever thought it would be. She needs time to calm down before she’ll permit me to say anything further,” he said, fighting back Nightmare’s tears. He knew that she might have had a hard time letting others know about what she had done, but the looks of sadness, and even sympathy had brought forth a new facet to her emotions.

Mathew suddenly found his body being embraced. First Fluttershy hugged him, then Applejack, then Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight, and lastly Rainbow gave in and joined in. They were all showing their own sorrow for Nightmare’s pain, and it was too much for Mathew to resist – he gave in and let both his and Nightmare’s tears stream down his cheeks.




~~***~~




It took the better portion of half an hour, but eventually everypony was ready to proceed further. Twilight took the lead and asked Mathew. “So, if Nightmare Moon caused Celestia’s mother to die, that would give her a reason to become like she appeared in your vision. What I don’t understand is why she has not come after you yet. If she knew about this, then what’s stopping her from attacking Nightmare now?”

Mathew thought for a few moments. He had a few ideas, but nothing that would hold up without any proof. Then his eyes narrowed. “You have a point. Another thing I’m curious about is why I didn’t see what happened to my body or Nightmare. We had both been present in my mind, I saw her right beside me, yet she saw the same thing I did. Even so, we did not see each other,” he said.

Applejack brushed Mathew’s leg to get his attention and she looked at both him and Twilight. “Ah think there might be somethin’ more to it. Twi, you remember how you became an Alicorn, right?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I had completed the requirement when I was able to finish Starswirl’s spell.”

Applejack nodded in response. “Right, but you said that you entered some kind of magic place and met Celestia there. She said she had watched ya all this time, but ah wonder if maybe that was only part of it. The way everythin’ fell into place seems more like it was… well, almost like it was planned out fer ya.”

Something clicked in Mathew’s head and his head started to slowly tilt as he thought. His stomach started to twist as a terrible idea started to take shape in his mind. Twilight looked at him and tentatively asked if he was alright. He slowly shook his head and swallowed against the feeling in his gut. “What if Celestia had planned everything out from the very start – like all the way back from before she even found the Elements of Harmony?” he asked in a tense voice.

Twilight’s eyes widened, then narrowed as she thought on it. “Given what we know, it wouldn’t be outside of the list of possibilities, but…” a flash of doubt crossed over her face and she shook her head. “No! The Princess wouldn’t have done that. There’s just… she couldn’t…” she faded into silence and turned her eyes to stare at her hooves.

“Ya alright, Twi?” asked Applejack.

Rainbow and Fluttershy flew closer to their friend with concern in their eyes. Rarity was caught between helping Twilight and keeping up with the conversation’s ultimate goal. Pinkie moved closer, her ears flipping up and down with her conflicting emotions. But Mathew, he simply looked at her with a growing sense of apprehension. He held her in his steady gaze and took a preparatory breath before broaching the topic. “Twilight… was there something specific about that meeting with Celestia that stood out? Did she tell you something that might have to do with what I thought?” he asked her.

Twilight’s eyes flickered with a brief unease before she sighed, keeping her eyes fixed to the floor. “She said that my becoming an Alicorn was one step toward fulfilling my destiny. Unfortunately, I’m still not sure what my destiny really is… I thought I knew, but…” she trailed off and shut her eyes with a soft sigh.

Mathew stood up from the floor and swept his eyes over everypony present, his gaze lingering on Applejack for a little longer than the rest, then he walked to the doorway that led to the hall. He paused there and spared a glance over his shoulder. “I’m going to go get some air… and think for a while. You all should probably get some rest,” he said quietly.

Applejack quickly got to her hooves, and took a few steps toward Mathew. “Ah don’t think it’s a good idea for you ta go out alone,” she said softly, yet firm enough to make her point.

Mathew eyed her for a moment before shaking his head. “Don’t follow me. Twilight needs you more than I do.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears sprung up and she zipped over to hover right in front of him, her hooves crossed over her chest.  “Hey, what about the fact that you don’t have a whole lot of magic left? Are you crazy? We won’t let you go out on your own,” she said.

Mathew instantly lunged forward, his eyes glowing fiercely and his fangs bared with a low throaty hiss. Rainbow shot back, but was caught by a black magical aura so she avoided hitting the opposite wall. The display left everypony speechless. “I’ll give you one piece of advice, Rainbow Dash,” Mathew said in a low growl. “It’s never a good idea to follow a monster into the night. All of you will stay here, or go home, but don’t even think of following me… I’m not in the best of moods right now and I want to be alone.”

Before anything else could delay him, Mathew’s body was engulfed by shadow and he vanished silently. He reappeared in the darkness behind one of the tool sheds. His feet started to take him deeper into the shadows of the apple orchards. There was no destination in mind, only the need to distance himself from the ponies – especially Twilight. Nightmare Moon was curious about Mathew’s behavior, but she knew better than to start asking questions.

Mathew lost all sense of time as he wandered through the night. At some point, much later in the evening since the moon had traveled a fair distance through the sky, his mindless wandering brought him to the side of a stream. He came to a stop at the water’s edge and swept his gaze from left to right. A long sigh slipped through his lips and he went to walk along the stream. His body refused to respond.

“Nightmare…” he said, slightly annoyed.

“You need to tell me what is bothering you,” Nightmare Moon replied softly. “Whatever you saw… it’s caused our bond to weaken. I’m shocked that you could have thoughts that I am unable to see. What has upset you so?”

Mathew clenched his jaw and glared into the shadows across the stream. Then he relaxed and his hand glowed with the borrowed black magic, with small specks of pale blue sparkling around the edges. A glob of water lifted out of the stream and lifted up in front of his face. The blob flattened into a transparent sheet… which reflected the glowing yellow eyes that were both his and not his. “I’ve seen this kind of thing before, Nightmare. Just like then, I’m different from them and I’ve given one of them just the thing they needed to start their feelings down the path to hating me. Twilight hates me, even if she doesn’t know it consciously, I could see it in her eyes. I just took everything she’s worked for and, essentially, ripped the floor out from under her,” Mathew said solemnly.

“Why do you think that? From what I saw, she is simply having trouble accepting the truth about Celestia.”

“Trust me… I’ve seen that look before. At the rate that she processes information, I expect her to be openly hostile toward me within the next two days,” Mathew replied in a low tone.

“Well, that would be quite the sight to behold.” Came a new voice from above.

Mathew’s eyes darted up to see the strangest thing he had ever witnessed. The creature was larger than Celestia, sporting a long serpentine body. It resembled a dragon, only with a mixed up collection of different animal parts. The head was long, with an antler and a ribbed unicorn-like horn, goat ears, mismatched yellow and red eyes, and a pair of bushy white eyebrows with a matching tuft of a beard on the chin.
On its back were a dragon wing and, what looked to be, a Pegasus wing. It had a lions arm paired with a large eagle talon for arms along with a hoof and reptilian scaled appendages for back legs. Ending the ensemble was a red scaly tale, tipped with another tuft of white hair. 

Mathew’s expression was one of curiosity, but soon slipped into a suspicious look as he started getting an idea of what, or more precisely, who the strange being was. He narrowed his eyes and addressed the thing above him cautiously. “Do you have business with me? And who are you, exactly?” he asked.

“Why, I’m the great Lord of Chaos, Discord… though I’m sure you had an idea of that already. After all, Nightmare Moon and I have met quite a few times,” Discord replied smoothly, eying the claws of his eagle hand. “As for your first question, well… you could say that I might have some form of business with you. It really depends on how specific you want to be,” he said as a small smirk played across his features.

Mathew quickly realized that Discord had something in mind. He had heard a slight mention of the chaotic entity, but those eyes alone were enough to tell him everything about what kind of intention it had. Mathew crossed his arms and eyed Discord. “I’ll be more specific with you then. Why did you come out here to speak with me? Surely a Lord of Chaos, such as yourself, has better things to do than waste time talking to a human who has the embodiment of Nightmare Moon inside of him,” he said rather bluntly.

Discord snapped his finger and was suddenly reclining in a comfortable looking leather chair. “Oh, there are plenty of things, indeed, that I could be doing right now. It’s been a few days since I was last around these parts, and I do so enjoy toying with the princesses, but…” 

Another snap of his clawed fingers and Discord was suddenly standing right in front of Mathew. “When I arrived from a little trip, just a while ago, I started to feel a rather familiar vibe from this area. I must say, I haven’t had the pleasure of feeling such chaotic magic like this for a few thousand years – and that was from my predecessor, no less,” Discord said with a very devious grin.

Mathew sighed and looked right into Discord’s mismatched eyes. “Care to elaborate on that?” he asked flatly.

Discord chuckled and reached his lion paw up to stroke his beard. “Hmmm… no, not really,” he said smirking.

Mathew rolled his eyes, turned away from Discord, and started to walk away. “Then go bother someone else. Twilight and her friends should still be around Applejack’s place,” he bluntly stated.

The telltale snap and a flash of magic put Discord right in front of Mathew again, his arms crossed and eyes half lidded in a bored expression. “You know, any other Draconequus might be upset by such blatant disinterest… but I suppose humans don’t have much humor in them when they’re a long way from home.”

“What do you want?” Mathew asked, holding back his annoyance.

Discord sighed. “Many things… but I’ll spare you my personal wishes of world domination and secret fantasies regarding a romance with a certain yellow Pegasus. I wanted to talk to you about your magic.”

“What about it?” Mathew inquired, not entirely interested in what Discord had to say. In fact, if the old Draconequus did not get to a valid point in the next thirty seconds, Mathew was going to find a way to give Discord the slip.

“To put it simply,” Discord said, gesturing to Mathew’s chest with his lion paw, “your magic is potentially more chaotic than my own. In fact, I’d be willing to bet my immortality on it. The best part is that your magic is intrinsic, which adds to the potential. Oh, I’m getting excited just imagining the possibilities!” he said, literally vibrating with anticipation.

Mathew hummed and raised an eyebrow to his current conversational partner. At the very least, Discord had brought up an interesting thing, but it left Mathew with a few more questions. “How is my magic intrinsic? Humans don’t have magic. My magic comes from Nightmare’s core.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, my good chap. Humans do have magic – they just don’t tap into it often enough for it to be common knowledge,” Discord countered smoothly. “The proof lays in those little acts of heroism. You know, when a human achieves something that was supposed to be impossible – like lifting a car off of a trapped child?”

Mathew chewed on that little bit of information for a moment. It made sense, if only for the sake of Discord’s argument, but what did it truly mean for him? “Okay, so if that was true… wait, how did you know about cars? How much do you know about my world?” he asked Discord, suddenly realizing there was more to the chaos lord than he thought.

Discord simply shrugged and tilted his head. “What? I had to find something to do while I was a statue. Moony isn’t the only one who’s taken a peek at your world,” he said smugly.

Well, that’s interesting… I’m not going to bother asking how he could do that while he was petrified, Mathew thought. He sighed softly and reorganized his thoughts – he still needed answers about his magic. “Right… So then, how exactly do I use this intrinsic magic of mine? As far as I’m aware, I’ve only been able to use what I gained from Nightmare – who really hates that nickname, by the way,” said Mathew.

Discord grinned cheekily and crossed his arms. He then proceeded to explain that Mathew’s magic had conditions, which needed to be met before he could tap into them. “So, if you want to get right into it, you’ll need to use those fun little emotions of yours to open up the lock on your magic. Once you break through that inner wall, your magic will be yours to command in any way you desire. Being chaotic, your magic will have almost no limitations – quite like my own powers. If you can imagine it, your magic will make it reality,” Discord said with a toothy grin.

“Which emotions do I use to unlock my magic, then?” Mathew asked. He was not getting a good feeling about what Discord might have hinted toward.

Discord’s grin widened and he lifted his hand up in a dramatic flare. His fingers snapped and a large banner floated in the air above, decorated with roses and frilly pink streamers. Two spotlights lit up the display. Mathew’s eyes shot wide for an instant, only to narrow angrily seconds later. He flung his hand up and the banner burst into flames. His gaze then dropped back down and he glared at Discord. “What, exactly, does a picture of Luna and I kissing have to do with anything?” he growled menacingly.

Discord merely smirked and eyed the angry human coolly. “Oh, I’m sure you already know the answer,” he said in a low tone. “A strong emotion is needed to break through that lock. What would be better than using love to shatter that which binds your inner strength?” Discord asked.

Mathew looked away from Discord, scowling bitterly. “Unlike you, I don’t have any delusions about romancing a pony of this world. I do not, and will not, love any of them.”

“If you say so,” Discord shrugged. “Anger would be your next best. It’s not as effective… normally… but I’m sure you could find something to use as hate fuel. In fact… why not take some time to look back on why you’re here? You’ve had plenty to be angry about, but you haven’t taken any time to seek it out,” said the Draconequus. Then he spread his wings and slithered into the air.

Discord hovered above Mathew for a few seconds, a look of amusement on his face. “Well, I think that’s enough for me. This whole ‘being helpful’ thing gets boring after a while. I think I’ll go and say hello to my dear friends at the castle,” he chuckled softly, a sneaky grin tugging at his toothy maw. “Good luck…”

Discord then vanished, leaving Mathew alone, silently brooding. To say that he was pissed… would have been an understatement. For the first time in years, Mathew was itching to hurt something. The subtle sound of movement suddenly caught his attention and Mathew’s head whipped around. His glowing yellow eyes glared at the form of a pony, which recoiled at the sight of him. Mathew’s anger instantly subsided as he realized who it was.

Applejack slowly moved from her spot beside an apple tree. Her steps were cautious, fear clearly evident in her green eyes and her ears flat against her head. She stopped once she had come out from behind the tree and her gaze fell to the ground. “Ah’m sorry… ah know you said you didn’t want any of us followin’ ya. We were just worried about ya, is all,” she said meekly.

Mathew took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he let his expression and emotions slip into a more neutral state. “How long have you been there?” he asked calmly. He had his answer almost instantly. Applejack’s ears twitched and hugged closer to her head and her face showed slight signs of hurt.

He sighed and turned away from her. “I see,” he said.

Applejack looked up toward him and reached a hoof out, only to tentatively pull it back and rub at her front leg. “Is it true… that you and Princess Luna…” she started to ask before stopping herself from finishing the question.

Mathew’s gaze drifted up to the stars on the horizon. “We did. She stole my lips a few nights before I came to help out on the farm. Since then, she’s avoided me… until tonight,” he said quietly.

“Oh… ah see…”

Mathew sighed and continued to stare at the stars, picking out random patterns while he formulated his thoughts. He wanted to say something to comfort Applejack. It was evident in her voice that she had not taken the knowledge of what he and Luna had done well. Deep down he already knew that she had felt something for him, but he had tried to pass it off as just him and Applejack being good friends with common interests. With the way things had turned out, he now knew the blunt truth, even if she did not openly admit it… yet.

An awkward silence filled the air. Neither he nor Applejack had the right way to speak what they wanted. So, they remained quiet… until Applejack could stand it no longer. “Mathew… ah want ta know…” she said softly. “Why won’t you let yourself fall in love?”

Mathew grit his teeth. He really did not want to discuss it, but he felt guilty about pushing her away so cruelly. The least he could do was tell her his reasons. He did value the friendship he had with her, so it was only fair. “There are… a few reasons. The obvious one is because I’m not a pony. I don’t belong in this world. At some point I’ll go back to my world. But… in the event that I can’t, or don’t go back… I still can’t fall in love here. Being an immortal makes it difficult…” Mathew said and he turned his head back toward Applejack, a sad look painted upon his face. “Having eternal life means that I’ll outlive any who are trapped in their mortality. Even if I were to develop feelings for another immortal, time changes things – for better or worse. Whatever the case may be, it would not be fair for me to let others fall in love with me, much less fall in love with them. I can’t do that to anyone… or anypony. It wouldn’t be right.”

Applejack looked into Mathew’s eyes. She watched him for a few moments, thinking on what he had just said, before she took a deep breath and firmed her resolve. She marched right up to him, never breaking eye contact. “Ah can understand your feelings on that, but ah think you should hear this from somepony on the other side of this perspective. To me, it seems more unfair for you to deny yourself, and others, that kind of happiness. Even if you outlive us… you should try to cherish the time you have with somepony. It might be painful when you lose them, but at least you’ll always be able to remember the love you shared with them,” she said.

Mathew turned away from her again and sighed. “That may be true… but I don’t see things that way. I don’t know why you and Luna came to like me the way you do, but I do know that I can’t return your feelings.”

“So… you won’t even consider it… at all?” asked Applejack.

Mathew inhaled a shaky breath. His heart had started to hurt from the discussion. Emotions were running rampant within him; regret for not seeing Luna’s and Applejack’s love for him sooner, sadness for having to let her down, and frustration from being helpless to stop himself from hurting her more. He wanted to make things right, to explain things to her so that she would better understand why he could not let his heart feel love for her.

His frustration built up until a new feeling sparked. He clenched his fists and slowly turned to face Applejack. Mathew’s face was mixed with his sadness, but the telltale signs of his building anger seeped from a faint magical aura from his eyes. “Applejack… please understand, I can’t do this right now. Just let things be… I can’t fall in love,” Mathew said, his voice cracking slightly.

Applejack sighed, but decided to dig her hooves in. She knew he did not want to continue talking about it, but it just was not enough for her yet. Spurred on by slight jealousy, she scrunched up her muzzle and lowered her head to peer at him from just below the rim of her hat. “How can ya say that so easily? Have you even tried to give it a chance? What if you change your mind after you stay here long enough? Is it really so bad to think that you might like one of us more than just being friends?” she pressed.

With that, Mathew relaxed his hands, his body became still as a statue, but his eyes flared with a bright magical glow. A deep growl rumbled in his throat and his lips peeled back on one side to bare a fang. “I have not given it any more thought than that. To be perfectly honest, I have had more important things to think about,” Mathew said in a low, nearly threatening tone. “Do you have any idea, just what I’ve been through? Ignoring the fact that my life has been in jeopardy because I’ve had Nightmare Moon inside of me, do you know what I’ve been through?” he asked.

Before she could reply, Mathew continued, his voice slowly getting louder. “I’ve been taken from my home. Placed in this world where I’m a stranger to it and my own body. Forced to adapt to a whole new culture, with new laws, and magic. Then I find that I’ve been cursed to live as an immortal. Now… I find myself at the center of a love triangle, while the Lord of Chaos himself finds amusement in leaving me with a riddle. ALL of this… every… single… PART OF IT – I never thought I’d be forced to endure – but I NEVER WANTED ANY OF IT! I WANT TO GO BACK HOME AND BE WITH M-"

Mathew’s body suddenly froze as a pulse of magic shot out from his heart. The steady sway of his magic-imbued hair came to a stop. Within seconds, the magic that had altered his body softly fell away, like a magnet losing its magnetic field letting the dust simply drift from it. His eyes were back to their original golden brown. His hair, however, held onto the black coloration and seemed to spark with bright blue arcs of power – as if he was generating an electric field.

His body pulsed once more, a mist of the deepest black, so dark it seemed to choke the light around him, began bleeding out of him. Mathew was aware of everything, every image his eyes saw and every sound and sensation, yet he could do nothing more than wait. Instinct begged him to do something – anything – but he simply watched as his senses dulled… tingled. The world around him came to life in an array of colors that started to swirl and elongate to form a tunnel.

The voices of Applejack and Nightmare Moon melted into the buzz of power that soon consumed Mathew entirely. The tunnel of lights pulsed and a brilliant flash blinded him. The next thing he knew, Mathew was standing on a sidewalk. His eyes dashed around and a strange feeling took hold of him. He knew that place… he was back on Earth… he was home.

> 14 - Closure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew scanned his surroundings, picking through his memory. He had no idea how he had escaped Equestria, but he had managed to get back to his hometown. After running a short ways, he found he was on the corner of Whicker and Red Stone Street. That put him roughly ten minutes away from his home. The instant he realized home was so close, he remembered how worried he had been for his father’s health and he booked it down the road.

He sped through the streets like his life depended on it, passing a few random people who seemed to not care about his rapid pace. It did not take long before Mathew’s feet brought him to the edge of his driveway. His truck was on the dirt patch beside it, which gave Mathew a sense of relief – he really loved that truck. His eyes trailed over to his home. The lights were off, which made sense since it was probably very early in the morning.

Mathew swallowed nervously. He knew his father hated late night wake up calls, but it was also worrisome that seeing Mathew at the door might give the old man a great enough shock to give him a heart attack. He had been in Equestria for nearly two months. As far as most were concerned, someone who vanished without a trace was as good as dead if they weren’t found after two weeks. He shook his head and set his sights on the front door. No matter what, he had to see his father – he had to let the old man know that he was still alive and well.

With determination behind every step, Mathew walked right up to the door. He only hesitated for a second before he lifted his hand and swung his knuckles three times. His eyes widened when he watched his hand pass through the surface. “What the hell?” he asked, but no sound came from his mouth. If it were not for the sounds of the crickets and the owl in the distance, he would have been certain he was deaf. He tried to speak once more only to have the same soundless result.

He quickly dismissed his curiosity of his muteness to focus on his hand. Mathew extended his hand out and watched it pass right through the door, up to his elbow. There was no sensation from the act, not even a change in temperature, which made him realize he had not felt the normal nip in the air that he should have noticed. It seemed that Mathew might not have made it back home in the sense he originally thought.

This is like that vision I had before… but it’s less intense. I wonder how much of this is real, Mathew thought as he took a few steps to pass through the door. The experience was unnerving, not because of what he felt, but the absence of it. The logical portion of his brain tried to respond to his passing through the object, almost creating a faux phantom feeling, but he was able to relax once he had emerged on the other side.

Mathew looked around the familiar layout of the place. He stood in the small entryway, which branched off into the formal dining room to the right, the kitchen strait ahead, and the den on the left. Silently, he made his way into the den, aiming for the stairs that led to the upper floor, but he came to a stop just past the doorway. The furniture was covered in sheets. The silence started to fade into a low ringing noise as Mathew’s heart beat quickened.

He dashed through the room and flew up the stairs in a blur. His only thought was getting to his father’s room – he had to see that room! He cleared the top step and then shoved his body through the wall. His father’s room was empty, save for more covered furnishings. The closet was empty of clothing and the pictures of Mathew and Alex were gone from the walls and the nightstand.

Denial and rejection were the first things to swell within Mathew’s chest. He tried, but failed, to convince himself that what he was seeing was fake. For a long time, he simply stood there, half in the room, and he stared at the bed. He wanted it all to be a dream – a figment of his imagination. The reality of it soon hit him, when a familiar, and highly unwanted voice came from a dark corner of the room.

“Mathew?” Nightmare Moon asked quietly, cautiously.

Without looking away from the covered bed, Mathew replied. “This isn’t like the glimpse we saw before, is it? This is real. My father… he’s…” he clamped his eyes shut in anger and pain, unable to say the last word.

Nightmare’s form slipped free from the shadows and she took a few steps toward the foot of the bed. She eyed the covered furniture of the room with a deep sorrowful frown etched onto her muzzle. As she turned her gaze to Mathew, her throat tight. There were many things she wished to say, anything to comfort her partner, but she feared what would come if she said the wrong things. She cast her gaze toward the small window nearby to quickly gather up her courage.

“This… is your world,” Nightmare said slowly. “What you see is as it truly is… and I am so very sorry.”

Silence filled the room for a long time. During that silence, Nightmare Moon could feel the raging emotions radiate from Mathew’s body. But, as with all emotions, the important ones won out and Mathew’s deep shuddering sigh broke the quiet. “So…” he croaked. “My father really did die. Th-there’s nothing left for me here – on Earth – nothing to return to.”

Nightmare returned her gaze to Mathew as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“I don’t forgive you!” Mathew instantly retorted, his voice laced with his pain. “Just… just tell me how to leave this place – this vision.”

Nightmare Moon bit back any words she wanted to say. She knew better than to speak to Mathew in his current state, so she simply gave him a small nod and let her magic take hold of both of their forms. Within moments they found themselves floating within Mathew’s mind, which had taken on a colder feeling. Mathew wasted no time and began walking away from Nightmare, heading deeper within the depths of his conscience.

Nightmare was surprised by the act and quickly turned to ask him what he was doing, but just as she laid her eyes on his back she was forced back. Darkness overtook her for a few seconds. Then, her world came alive with the familiar smells of the Apple Family Farm. Nightmare opened her eyes slowly, a groan escaping her as a very uncomfortable sensation made itself known along her back. Her vision cleared and Nightmare tensed upon seeing Applejack’s face, just inches from her own.

Applejack’s eyes went wide as she noticed the turquoise slits of Mathew’s eyes. She pulled away and stared warily at him, unsure of just how unsafe the turn of events had made the situation. “Nightmare Moon? What happened – why are you tha one in control?” she asked.

Nightmare blinked, then blinked again, before comprehension dawned on her. Her eyes darted around to take in her surroundings – noting she was in control of Mathew’s body and that the discomfort she felt was due to the tree at her back. She then proceeded to try to contact Mathew… only to be subjected to a ping of pain in her head. Mathew had blocked her out, a mass of emotional turmoil barring her way into their mental realm.

Nightmare Moon could only stare, eyes unfocused, as she tried to process her predicament. After many long moments she eventually registered that she had been asked a question. Applejack had visibly become wary of her, but had stayed close, a look of worry betraying her suspicion. So, Nightmare was left with one option. “It would seem… something happened,” she answered Applejack vaguely.

A sigh escaped Applejack as she rolled her eyes. “Obviously, but what, exactly, happened?” she asked.

Nightmare Moon thought for another moment. “It seems that Discord helped Mathew to realize a part of his own ability,” she paused, hesitant to say more. “Unfortunately… it led to Mathew… witnessing something very unfortunate.”

Applejack’s ears perked up and she leaned forward to listen intently.

Nightmare sighed softly, turning her gaze up to the night sky. “Mathew saw what has become of his old home… back in his world. The results of his absence… did not bode well for his remaining family.”

Applejack’s heart sank at that. She had talked with Mathew about his concerns regarding his elderly father. There was no way for her to know how to react to the news, but something still bothered her. “So… why did ya take over his body? Why isn’t Mathew the one in control?” she asked softly.

Nightmare Moon was silent. Her gaze slowly drifted down until she looked into Applejack’s eyes – tears slowly forming in her own. “Mathew is grieving. He forced me out in order to do so. If I had to hazard a guess… he most likely did so in order to be alone. All I can sense is his pain and anguish – his thoughts elude me,” Nightmare said solemnly.

“Ah see…” was all Applejack could say in response. Part of her was unsure of the whole situation, but Nightmare’s truthfulness could not be disputed. If anything, it was the dark being’s own uncertainty that made things more difficult. Seeing Nightmare Moon, the once feared entity of the night, so lost and pained made for quite the sobering experience.

After a small eternity of silence, Applejack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She locked her gaze upon Nightmare and offered a small smile. “Ah guess that means you’ll be stuck with us… until Mathew calms down. Ah’m also willin’ ta bet yer plum tuckered out,” she paused for the briefest of moments before she spoke what was on her mind next. “Want ta head back to tha house and rest up?”

Nightmare wiped away the few tears that had fallen down her body’s cheeks and looked off into the distance as she contemplated. Part of her screamed at her to accept, but the more cautious side of her told her to stay away from the others. She sighed and shook her head. “I will have to decline,” she said quietly. “There is little comfort in the thought of being near the others. I will stay out here… though not against this tree.”

The shadows beneath Nightmare darkened further and rose up, lifting her away from the ground into a standing position. It took a moment for her to get used to the motion, what with it being strange yet familiar having experienced a human body through Mathew’s memories. Still, she managed to maintain her balance with little trouble. She suddenly remembered how Luna looked, standing on her hind legs and a smile fell upon her face… only to tremble a moment later as a sob threatened to tear its way through her very being. Moisture quickly collected in the corners of her eyes as a deep sorrow filled her heart.

Applejack took notice of the sudden change in Nightmare’s condition and a feeling of genuine concern took hold. “Nightmare? Are ya alright?” she asked cautiously.

“No! I haven’t been ‘alright’ for centuries!” Nightmare snapped. “My heart has ached for so long and I’ve gone and committed yet another horrible mistake on the only one that had enough compassion to help me mend it!” a shuddering breath escaped her and she paused to sniff and rub her eyes. “Forgive me, young Applejack… I’m not in the best mindset at the moment – I did not mean to lash out at you – you did not deserve that,” Nightmare amended quietly, her voice as fragile as a thread of glass.

The orange farmpony was silent. Any prefabricated ideas of the old Nightmare Moon were shattered for her in that instant. Standing before her was not the great evil that had once threatened to consume the entire land in eternal night, no… the person before her was merely a mother, struggling to make her heart whole once more.

Applejack sighed, fighting back the pain of her own heart. “Are ya sure about not wanting to head back? Ah don’t feel right just leavin’ ya alone like this,” she whispered.

Nightmare took a few quiet moments to calm herself before she turned her moist gaze to the little pony beside her. She looked deeply into Applejack’s eyes, weighing the options. Then she gently shook her head. “Nay… it would be best not to disturb the others with our… my form. I have given you all enough to fear. Instead, I shall simply enjoy this night… alone. Please do not worry for me, and know that Mathew will return to you… when he is ready. I just hope that you continue to support him in his time of need,” she answered calmly.

Applejack’s shoulders deflated a little, but she nodded her head nonetheless. “Alright, ah get it. Will ya still be around the farm, at least? Ah’d feel a might bit better knowing where ta find ya, if’n we needed to,” she asked gently.

Nightmare nodded slowly. “Yes. You will find us by the grassy fields near the northern orchard. Mathew had enjoyed that place… maybe the scenery will help ease him… I hope,” she paused for a moment, then turned away from Applejack. “Good night, Applejack,” Nightmare said and walked away.




~~***~~




The first rays of the dawning sun washed over the nearby hills. They landed upon Mathew’s body, stirring Nightmare from her less than restful slumber. Her eyes crept open, revealing the lush green grass of the field. She lifted her head up, followed by her upper body, and she quickly made a note to remember how comfortable the grass was there. Her slight smile soon vanished, though, as she remembered her dreamless night.

Nightmare still could not reach Mathew. His emotions had leveled out, but there was a firm mental block that held Nightmare outside. She deeply desired to meet with him, if only so that she could prostrate herself before him and offer her heartfelt apologies – regardless of whether or not he accepted them… not that she expected him to forgive her. She knew, all to well, that she had given Mathew nearly the exact same reason to hate her that Celestia had.

Suddenly, her vision darkened and she found herself in front of a very upset Mathew. His eyes were cold as stone, filled with anger, and fixated upon her own. On any other day, Nightmare would have felt slightly intimidated, but there was a seemingly volatile ball of power bubbling behind Mathew’s gaze that made him feel like he were just as close to being a deity to her as Celestia herself.

Mathew slowly brought his hands up and crossed his arms, slightly tilting his head to the side. “I won’t be giving you my forgiveness for some time, Nightmare,” he said firmly. “But I know you never meant for it to happen. And, in a way, I’m partly to blame. I could have tried harder to get home… but I, instead, allowed my fear and uncertainty to compel me not to for these past two months,” he paused for a moment, as if he was about to consider saying something else, but he held his tongue instead.

Nightmare Moon took the silence as a cue, and she dropped her front down to one knee, bowing as low as she could. Yet, before she could even begin to speak her words of lament, she found herself lifted into the air by a tendril of pale blue magic. The next instant found her face to face with her partner. She flinched as one of his hands came up, but that did not stop him from cupping her cheek in his palm.

Mathew looked deep into the turquoise slits of his partner and his anger slowly faded. “I already know how sorry you are,” he said softly, “but it won’t change the past. It… hurts… knowing that he’s gone. I know I’m going to miss him for some time, but I had already been under the impression he was gone. It was just… seeing it… it had an overwhelming finality to it,” he stopped to let the tightness in his throat dissipate while fresh tears made their way down his cheeks.

Nightmare simply sat there, watching him, while her heart grew heavier. Her head started to lower, but another tendril of magic gently coaxed her to keep looking at him. He wiped away his tears and steeled his expression. A dark flame burned within the depth of his eyes. “Nightmare…” he paused again, the burning within him growing hotter for a brief instant. “There’s more to this than just you now,” he said slowly.

Nightmare Moon slowly lifted her head away from the support of the magical tendril. A look of uncertainty took hold of her features as she watched that flame within him flicker. Something had gotten to him, something almost scary, and she was fearful of it. “What do you mean, Mathew?” she asked cautiously.

Mathew’s anger flared for a fraction of a second before vanishing behind a stoic mask. He lifted his head up and stood at his highest, a look of determination taking hold. “I had another… vision. It happened about an hour after I pushed you away. I… saw something. You’ll have to trust me when I say that I can’t reveal the details to you. Should I tell you… it could cause a lot of trouble for both of us,” he said in a low tone.

Nightmare’s eyes widened for a moment. She was surprised that she had not been able to sense Mathew having another vision. Then again, she was also shocked that he could command so much control over her mind. It seemed, at least until she could be proven wrong, that Nightmare Moon had given more of herself to him than she expected. Still, the look in his eyes told her he was genuine in his expression.

Despite that, however, she still opened her mouth to say one thing. “You aren’t going to abandon me… are you?” she asked weakly.

The fire in Mathew’s gaze went out in a flash, replaced with a warmer glow from his pale blue eyes. A soft grin slowly spread across his face and he stepped right up to Nightmare Moon – almost intimately close. His hand came up once more and lightly tapped the end of her muzzle. “We’re still in this together. Just because I can’t forgive you now doesn’t mean I never will. I won’t let my anger get in the way of Luna’s and your happiness,” he said softly.

Nightmare’s eyes misted and a small sigh of relief slipped from her. Her lips curled into a small honest smile and she nodded her head gently. “Thank you, Mathew. And I’m truly grateful for your help… I will do anything I can to repay you,” she said.

Mathew chuckled lightly. “I know you will, but that can wait until after we succeed. For now, I think it’s best I wake up. I’m sure everypony has had enough worrying about me,” he said.

Nightmare Moon simply nodded in agreement. She, too, was eager to set the others at ease. Her parting with Applejack had not been the most considerate way. Mathew nodded in turn and the window to the outside drifted down, from seemingly nowhere. He closed his eyes and fell into it.

Within moments, Mathew awoke in his body. Even though he had only been immersed within his mind for the course of the night it still felt as if he had been gone longer. Then again, he had not gotten used to having more control over his magic yet. He stared up into the morning sky and remembered his encounter with Discord. The Draconequus had rubbed Mathew the wrong way, but the bastard still succeeded in making a point.

Mathew sat up and crossed his legs, resting his elbows on them while clasping his hands together. He could feel it. A new power coursed through him. “Three magics…” he whispered to himself. He had the magic from his crystal heart, the recent addition of Nightmare’s own power, and now… Chaos magic. That last one gave him pause.

Discord had simply snapped his fingers to use his power. Yet, that act seemed to be more for show on the Draconequus’ part. It was difficult to tell, but Mathew could have sworn he had seen the way Discord’s magic flowed. It followed no set path, manifesting itself as it pleased, but Mathew’s chaos power felt like a flowing river. In contrast, Discord’s magic was more akin to multiple whirlpools with firecrackers in the centers.

Mathew pondered his new power further. Part of him wanted to test it out, but the smarter part of his gut told him he’d best wait until he had rested for a few more hours first. He sighed and sat up a little straighter, looking around. A small smile crept up on his face. Mathew did like that field.

Movement caught Mathew’s attention. He turned his gaze toward the source. A shadow was moving around in a steady motion… his shadow. Mathew’s eyes narrowed and he reached out within his mind to contact Nightmare.

Nightmare? he asked.

Nightmare stirred from her light slumber, which did not make Mathew’s concern dissipate. “Yes, Mathew?” she tiredly responded.

Mathew shook his head and sighed apologetically. Sorry to have woken you so soon, he said softly. But something’s off about my shadow. Can you take a look through that window and tell me what you see?

A few long seconds passed. The sudden rush of emotions he got from Nightmare told him he was about to have a rough time. She steeled herself before answering his question. “You… have held onto a part of my appearance, Mathew,” she said slowly. Mathew nodded and waited for her to elaborate. “Your eyes are blue again, but your hair seems to have been infused with magic – much like my own. Only, in your case, the magic has turned your hair as black as shadow. None of my stars rest within.”

Mathew sighed and forced himself to stand. He had to see what he truly looked like. After getting his bearings, he made strait for the closest source of water – a pond just a little further north. He made alarmingly good time getting there and, once beside the body of water, dropped down to gaze at his image.

As the ripple faded away, he saw exactly what Nightmare had described. Piercing pale blue eyes, with an inner ring of gold, took in every new detail. His hair billowed and moved in a slow ethereal wind and it resembled pitch-black smoke. It was almost impossible to notice, but he could almost swear there were tiny little flicks of pale blue near the ends of the hair strands. A deep frown then etched its way into Mathew’s expression.

“I look ridiculous,” Mathew stated.

A few seconds of quiet passed until a faint snickering drew his attention. Mathew sighed internally before turning his head to look. Hovering to his right was Discord, a look of ecstatic joy on his elongated face – which may or may not have looked like a target for a brief instant. He knew he would regret it, but Mathew decided to ask anyway. “What’s so funny?”

Discord’s eyes flickered and sparkled like that of a fangirl as he clasped his paw and claw together. “Awe, and here I thought you’d come to not care about me enough to ask,” he chortled. “But to make this less of a pain as before, since you’ve managed to do the near impossible – which, by the way, was surprising even to me – I’ll tell you,” he paused for dramatic effect before suddenly appearing right next to Mathew and placing his talons on his shoulder.

“Look on the bright side! You could have wound up with my dashing good looks,” Discord grinned.

Mathew eyed Discord for a long moment. Then, even if he had wanted to hold back, he let a grin of his own spread across his face. “Indeed,” Mathew chuckled. “But I think I can live with my mediocre appearance. In any case, you have my thanks.”

Discord lifted a brow and his grin vanished into a small frown. “So you’re gunna go right to the heart of the matter. Very well then, I suppose I can humor you this time,” he said with an overly dramatic sigh.

Mathew grinned a bit wider. “You know me all too well. So why did you help me?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Discord countered. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s an extreme lack of chaos in this world. And you… you have more potential than even I do when it comes to using such wonderfully chaotic power.”

Mathew’s brow inched up slowly. “And?”

“And you know you’re going to need it,” Discord finished firmly. “Don’t think I’m as clueless as Moonie. I may not have as much of a knack for visions, but my instincts have never failed me… except for when it comes to Flu-… I mean, certain other things,” he blushed slightly and coughed into his paw. “The point is, I knew I had to help you.”

Mathew eyed the Draconequus dubiously. Then, he started to laugh. “You really are a character, Discord,” he chuckled before turning to face him, “but you’re right.” 

His mirth quickly died as Mathew eyed Discord for a moment. “Discord, I still require your help,” he said tightly.

Discord’s small grin vanished instantly, a look of determination replacing it. “I can’t help you when it comes to stopping Celestia,” he stated unflinchingly. “It was fun when I had ruled over this world, but-”

Both Mathew and Discord started when a rush of wind and a streak of prismatic color shot off into the distance. They then turned to one another, varying degrees of seriousness in their expressions. “Looks like things just got complicated,” Mathew said lowly.

Discord nodded. “She most likely jumped to a conclusion again. Should I go with you to explain?” he offered.

Mathew shook his head and turned back towards the orchard. “No. I get the feeling it would just make things worse. There’s still one thing I need to know, before I go,” he said and turned his head to look at Discord out of the corner of his eye. “Can you find me later? I’ve got a lot to figure out, and you’re the best bet I have in succeeding.”

Discord nodded. “I’ll seek you out after sunset. Just…” he paused, as if unsure of his words. “Just don’t let her think poorly of me again. Please?”

Mathew offered a small smile to the Draconequus and nodded. “I’ll defend your honor. I may only know a few stories about how you, but I know how you had to struggle to get that friendship. See you later, Discord.”
> 15 - Sundered Bonds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world zipped by as Mathew sprinted through the Apple Family property. With just the faintest touches of his magic he had modified his previous spell to use up only a fifth of the power needed to increase his speed. As he ran, he thought about how he would try to address the mares at his destination. Applejack would see his intentions, no doubt, but the others were iffy at best.

I’ve been relying on Applejack too much, I think, Mathew thought. Her Element has been a great help in getting my intentions across to the others, but this time won’t be as easily mollified. If Rainbow Dash jumped to the wrong conclusion then this is going to be a very unfavorable encounter… and I can’t pit Applejack against her friends any further than I already have.

Up ahead the farmhouse came into view. Within moments he drew close enough to spot a group of seven ponies. Mathew cursed under his breath and flicked his legs forward, skidding to a stop. He came to rest just a few meters away from Twilight and her friends, Big Mac holding in the back.

Mathew stared at them calmly as the dust settled in a gentle morning breeze. One look at them was all it took to know what he was up against. Twilight’s gaze was cold and hard, filled with a hostility that could have sent a lesser being fleeing. Rainbow Dash shared the look but with a fierce fire burning in her gaze as she hovered in the air. Rarity seemed to be more indifferent than the other two, but the distrust was clearly evident in her eyes.

A small feeling of relief filled Mathew’s heart as he noticed Applejack’s look of worry. At least she had not let Rainbow’s words deter her heart. Fluttershy hung back, a look of unease filling her expression. It hurt Mathew to see the poor little yellow Pegasus looking so lost with her ears pinned back.

Last, but not least, stood Pinkie Pie. At first she had smiled upon seeing Mathew arrive, but with such hostile glares and uncertainty radiating off of her friends she soon deflated, bouncing between two conflicting feelings. Big Mac would have been included with them had Mathew not caught the tell tale sign in the red stallion’s eyes that said he was only there to watch. It was hard to blame him since the last time he jumped to a conclusion it had ended poorly.

“Good Morning, Twilight,” Mathew said after a letting the stare down go on long enough.

Twilight arced a brow slightly. “Good morning… Mathew,” she said.

Mathew caught the pause when she addressed him. He fought off a frown; instead doing his best to remain cool and collected. “So… shall we resume where we left off last night?” he asked.

Twilight’s body flinched and Rainbow suppressed a small growl while Rarity glanced at Twilight. “I think not,” the purple Alicorn said in a low voice. “I think we’ll be starting a new discussion – one that explains why you were seen with Discord… twice.”

It was obvious that Applejack had talked to them that night, but Mathew doubted such hostility would have stemmed from her explanation. His eyes flicked over to Rainbow, who bristled at the act, and Twilight took a single step forward – an act of intimidation, given the amount of magic she had circling around her horn.

Mathew sighed and fixed Twilight with an intense glare. “Discord was helping me,” he said.

“With what?” Twilight instantly asked.

“Getting control over my powers,” he answered. “I’m not sure how much any of you truly care, but I’ve been struggling with coming to grips with some things ever since I got here. Discord helped me with that last night,” Mathew finished, crossing his arms.

Rarity took a step forward, a look of suspicion etched across her muzzle. “And what, exactly, were you struggling with?” she asked in a surprisingly blunt fashion.

It was Mathew’s turn to bristle and his hair flicked about angrily as his eyes flashed golden. “How about the part where I was unsure of whether or not my Dad was alright. He’s dead – in case you wanted to know,” he growled. His heart ached again, but he was too angry to cry.

Mathew’s words shifted the feeling in the air from hostile to shock. Rainbow Dash sank down to barely hover off of the ground while Rarity simply balked, lost for words. Fluttershy sank into her long pink mane, crossing one hoof over her foreleg. Pinkie’s hair deflated some as a sad frown took hold of her. Appljack simply sighed and tried to give Mathew a sympathetic look.

Twilight showed no signs of caring. The only change to her demeanor was the slight narrowing of her eyes and the deep frown that slid down her face. She took two steps closer to Mathew and stomped her hoof into the ground. “How convenient that Discord, of all beings, helped you out. Why don’t you tell us what he meant about helping you to stop Celestia?” she said coldly.

Mathew opened his mouth to reply, but Twilight had not finished. “Because I think you’ve been acting this whole time. It’s no secret that Discord wanted to rule over Equestria and he can’t have been as forgiving as we were, since his return from his stone prison. Ever since you came to our world, he’s been acting weirder than usual. What are the two of you plotting?” she asked, words faintly laced with venom.

Mathew’s glare intensified, his eyes glowing steadily golden as he struggled to contain his building anger. “I think the only one of us that’s planning anything is you, Twilight. After all, you have the greatest reason to want me gone…” he said almost menacingly.

“What do ya mean by that?” Rainbow asked, rising up in defense of her friend.

Mathew couldn’t help it and a dark chuckle escaped his lips. “What, you didn’t know? It’s pretty obvious when you think about it. I just told you all a magnificent tale last night that turned Twilight’s idol into a virtual villain! She has every reason to hate me for making her feel like she’s betrayed that pretender,” he explained harshly.

Twilight’s horn lit up and she fired a beam at Mathew’s face. Mathew reacted instantly, throwing up his hand and catching the magic and causing it to build up into a ball of raw power. He held it there as he grinned at Twilight, who promptly proceeded to rear up and slam her hooves down in anger – much to the bewilderment of the others.

“Don’t you DARE insult Princess Celestia like that!” Twilight yelled furiously. “She would never do such a thing! I can’t believe I even thought you could possibly have been right – even for one instant. I won’t make that mistake again,” she declared and turned her head back to the others. “We need to use the Elements.”

Rainbow stared at Twilight with wide eyes. “What? Why?” she asked.

“Indeed!” Rarity chimed in. “Using them seems most unbecoming of this situation.”

“Rarity’s right!” said Applejack adamantly. “He hasn’t done anythin’ worth killin’ him for!”

Twilight ignored her friend’s protests and locked her eyes on Mathew. Her horn lit up again and she covered her friends in her magic. Pinkie Pie shrieked and asked, “What the hay is happening?”

“Ah think she’s tryin’ ta force our Elements to work!” Applejack yelled, trying her best to fight against the force of Twilight’s magic.

Rarity gasped as she saw her Element’s symbol appear in front of her. “Twilight, dear, you’ve got to stop this at once! Think about what you’re doing!” she pleaded desperately as she tried to force her magic to overpower Twilight’s.

The world around them flashed brightly and their Elements glowed gloriously. Rainbow tried one last time to break free, but her attempt fell through half way when their powers launched into the air as a rainbow beam of death. Her eyes dropped down to helplessly watch the innocent human be killed.

Meanwhile, Mathew simply watched the display, his eyes never leaving Twilight’s. He watched as Twilight’s friends struggled against her efforts. Applejack did her best to use her Earth Pony strength, while Rainbow Dash fought like a champ, both succeeding in small movements while under the effects of the overwhelming magic. Pinkie struggled as best she could, but she just lacked the same strength as her athletic friends. Rarity’s horn flared, gaining a layer of overglow, but even that could not counter Twilight’s might. Then there was Fluttershy… the poor Pegasus could only cry silently as she gazed at Mathew with a look of sorrow. In the background, Big McIntosh could only stare in disbelief.

When the beam of elemental magic shot into the air, Mathew broke his gaze to watch it ascend into the sky. He watched it climb high before it arced downward on a direct course to hit him. A sinister grin spread across his face and he threw up both of his hands – the ball of Twilights beam magic floating around him as a cloud of purple vapor.

The rainbow beam slammed into Mathew and his form was lost amongst the vibrant assault of color. A near blinding flash of light erupted from the impact point soon after… and was then engulfed in darkness that fed off of the prismatic beam. The pitch black magic surged up, eating away at the elemental attack, and reached Twilight in a matter of seconds.

Twilight had been so stunned seeing the Elements of Harmony fail, that she did not register the impending attack until it was almost too late. At the last second she teleported herself and her friends away to a safe distance. The shadow slammed into the ground, causing the soil to buckle and split from the sheer force of the impact.

Everypony stared in utter shock at what had happened to the ground. The shadows swiftly receded and returned to their source. Mathew’s body stepped out of the darkness as it coalesced into his chest. His grin was gone, a look of unadulterated anger replacing it. “Lesson one, Twilight: the Elements of Harmony won’t work unless all of you want them to,” he said firmly, his voice dripping with barely restrained malice.

“Lesson two: Never let your emotions blind you,” he continued, “because you’ll never see the truth. You just lost all of my trust, even though I knew you’d be the first to turn against me. Just because of some little misunderstanding, and your petty feelings of utter devotion to your princess, you let your loyalty and anger blind you to what Discord and I were truly trying to do. Playtime is over. The next time we meet… you really won’t like what I do. Because it seems the ex-villain and the evil human are the only ones trying to prevent a catastrophe. Good bye.”

Twilight stood stock still as Mathew’s shadow surged up and enveloped him. In the instant it took to blink his form and magic presence vanished without a trace. She slowly took in what Mathew had said. She did not want to believe it, but he had been right... she did let her anger blind her. Never in her entire life had she willingly tried to end a life. Yet, for whatever reason, she had been so quick to do so to Mathew’s.

She turned her head slowly to look at her friends and her throat tightened. Sad disappointed faces stared back at her, some filled with sorrow, some with tears, and in Rainbow’s case… shame.




~~***~~




Shadows suddenly swirled into existence and formed into the shape of an elongated sphere. The opaque bubble then popped and settled on the ground to form a proper shadow. Mathew stood in its place. His gaze trailed over the details of his surroundings.

Looks like it worked, he thought. So this is that old castle. Time has not been kind to it.

Mathew had teleported to the old castle that Princess Celestia and Luna had once lived in. It was a place of significance for them and Nightmare Moon. It was there, in that very place, where Nightmare had given a part of herself to Luna. Mathew examined the remains of the garden, noticing that much of it had either died or simply became assimilated into the foul magics from the Everfree Forest.

In a small sense it was sobering to see what it looked like in Nightmare’s memories and what had become of it over the past thousand years. Mathew’s expression shifted to melancholic as he realized something. That’s another issue they’d never comprehend… he thought to himself, having memories that are yours, even though they belong to another.

A slow sigh escaped Mathew’s chest and he turned away from the castle. His sights were set on a small mountain in the distance. Given the circumstances, it was highly unlikely that he’d be found, but he had other motives behind seeking the higher vantage point. From the top, he would be able to monitor Ponyville and the surrounding areas.




~~***~~




The top of the mountain was chilly with a semi-constant breeze that licked at Mathew’s magic-infused hair as he sat on a flat stone. It had taken the better part of the day to get there, but it was worth the view. The land beneath him stretched on, yielding a sight that Mathew would never have been able to dream of. To the north, resting oh so peacefully, was the town of Ponyville – a virtual little paradise on the edge of the Everfree Forest. A simple glance to the west yielded an almost endless expanse of lush green grassland, with a backdrop of another beautiful forest. And to the east, resting beyond the old castle ruins, was a unique slanted formation of tan stone.

The spectacular views had helped to put Mathew’s mood back in acceptable ranges. He needed the calm that came from such natural beauty, even though he was subconsciously aware that magic had played a major role in shaping the land, it was still natural for the pony world.

Mathew’s gaze soon drifted toward the horizon. He began to notice the tell tale signs that it was nearing that time when Celestia and Luna would set the sun and raise the moon. It was easy to notice once you picked up on the subtle clues; the most notable being that the sun would come to a stop, just as it got around to twenty degrees in the sky as it waited for the final push below the horizon.

He took in a deep breath. Mathew was all too aware that Luna would be able to find him once her moon rose up into the sky. The only question on his mind was whether or not she’d come to him. He had some hope, but most of him doubted she would… especially once she saw his appearance again. Despite the opposing feeling within his chest he resigned himself to keeping his hopes lower, so as to avoid being disappointed.

Mathew started to let his mind wander. His thoughts had tried to bring him around to contemplating his current set of problems, but he had forced such things out of his head just to avoid them. He really did not like the way things had ended between the ponies and him. Still, it was something he needed to think about.

So… what should my next step be, I wonder, Mathew began, I could try to talk things out with Twilight… but I doubt it would do any good. It’s too soon, I think. She needs time to process everything that she did, plus she needs to apologize to her friends first. Applejack would hear me out, but I’d be willing to bet that she’s in need of some time to herself as well after that. Heh, he chuckled to himself, I bet she’s either out bucking a few trees to get some of her anger out or she’s sitting near the orchard I was fixing… thinking about me.

Mathew’s mood shifted as a soft frown creased his lips. A new wave of regret swept over him as he realized that he had not done enough to explain things to Applejack. He had shrugged her off a little too carelessly for his taste, and left her to worry about him. I really am such an ass, he thought.

While he pondered further, thinking about the other bearers of the elements, the sun had taken its leave of the sky. The moon had risen and he completely missed the chance to enjoy it. His thoughts had just gotten around to contemplating the true extent of his next move when a sudden soft flash of light distracted him. He instantly went rigid as he recognized the magic that accompanied the flash.

“’It seems that we have caught thee while thou art deep in thought,” came Luna’s voice from Mathew’s right. “We do hope that thou hast an explanation for thine acts this day.”

Mathew quickly noted the low tone of Luna’s voice, but he also caught the tightness in her throat. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned his head to gaze at her. His blue eyes met hers and he instantly saw the pain that tore at her heart. A deep sorrow filled Mathew’s own, but he steeled himself against it – having just come to a conclusion regarding his next move.

Mathew turned his head away from Luna as he calmly prepared his answer to her. “I made a small mistake in putting my trust in friendship,” he began. “I thought that things would work out, but it seems all it took was for my appearance to change and for Discord to get involved with me to put an end to it all. You’re probably aware of it, but just how much do you know of the events from earlier today?” Mathew asked.

Luna was quiet for a moment, most likely doing her best to steady her resolve enough to speak to her friend. “I know that Twilight had gotten rather upset with you about something involving my sister. She let her feelings control her, something I am too familiar with, and she tried to use the Elements against you. Though I would like to know more details, my greatest concern lies in something you said before you left them,” she said and paused as she carefully selected her words. “What kind of catastrophe are you trying to stop?”

Mathew sighed gently as he brought his hands up and clasped them beneath his chin, resting his elbows on his knees. “The deaths of innocents… would have been a good answer, but it’s probably not as grand as that – in retrospect,” he replied before lowering his hands as he looked back to Luna. “Let me add something more to the mix. How much do you know about your origins?” Mathew asked.

Luna’s eyes widened and she took a half step back, lifting a foreleg from the ground. “Why would you ask that?” she asked, almost sounding alarmed.

Mathew resisted a smirk as he thought, bingo. “Because I know the answer. So does your sister, though I don’t know why she would never have told you anything about it. She didn’t even give you a sugar-coated version of it. You two have been around for a few thousand years and you’ve never known a single detail about how you came into existence. Is there anything about that that strikes you as odd?” he said.

Luna’s shock melted into confusion. “How do you know so much about us?” she asked.

Mathew shook his head slightly and offered up a small smile. “Because I have memories that were once somepony else’s. A part of me wants to tell you everything right now… but the other wonders if you’re even ready to hear it,” he said and turned his gaze away.

Luna took a step forward, not even realizing she had done so. “Tell me,” she said, almost pleadingly. “Tell me everything.”

A sigh escaped Mathew as he stood and faced Luna. He struck an intimidating pose, widening his shoulders and taking a single step closer to her. Mathew eyed her with a firm glare. “Back on Earth, there’s a little saying that goes, ‘knowledge is power’. By telling you what I know – what your sister has hidden from you – your view of this world, life even, will change. Are you truly prepared to hear something that monumental?” he asked her, his voice low and serious.

Luna swallowed. The look she saw in Mathew’s glowing gold gaze told her his words meant more than what he wanted to let on. He was trying to scare her and for good reason, she presumed. Still, she had longed to know about her long forgotten past. She had to know. There was nothing that would sway her. She rose up to her full height and stared at Mathew, unwaveringly. “Tell me,” she commanded.

Mathew inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them to reveal glowing bright blue eyes in a very serious expression. “You and Celestia, unlike the rest of all life on Equus, were born. Everything else was created. Equus, itself, was made by an old god, of sorts, while a younger goddess, the Life Giver, created the life that, even now, flourishes on it. The Life Giver gave birth to Celestia. You… you were born from another such deity. Your mother… is Nightmare Moon – or more accurately, Abyss,” he said and eyed Luna critically.

Luna… was speechless. Her mind raced as she finally put together the last of her missing memories. She finally remembered everything. From the very beginning, Abyss had been there, high in the sky, watching over her. The goddess of the dark had given Luna her name in honor of the moon and granted her the power over it and the night that followed. Abyss had continued to watch her grow, until one night when the moon had turned red. The sight had filled Luna with such a deep sadness… a sadness that had been forgotten because of what Celestia had done.

Luna’s eyes grew even wider as she recalled the next part of her foalhood. Celestia had become consumed with such anger that her power had surged forth. The impact had been so strong that it sent Luna flying through the air until she slammed into a tree. That was when everything changed for her. Her mind had been jolted so violently that she had suffered her first fit of memory loss. To make it worse, though, Celestia had started the first of her lies at that same moment.

Celestia had used a spell… a blinding light that pierced into Luna’s mind. The spell made her forget everything about Abyss. Over the next few months, Luna had spent a lot of her time relearning about herself… all courtesy of her caring sister. Celestia taught her about her unique magic, re-educated her in the ways of how the world worked, and guided Luna through their first few years of life.

From then on the two sisters traveled the world. Celestia had been very vague at the time, saying they had to find somepony strong enough to help them. It took them nearly two hundred years before they found their first “mentor,” a unicorn by the name of Astral Cycle. He had a way of seeing small glimpses into the future and celestia had been… unusually excited about that. They traveled with him, but only long enough to learn how to use his power.

After parting ways with Astral, Celestia had gained a new drive in life. She would babble about things she had seen, but would purposely avoid specific questions about why they had to meet with so and so. Luna had thought it strange, but had too much trust in Celestia to ever doubt her. History eventually led them to meeting with Starswirl the Bearded, a very interesting unicorn that had taken quite a liking to the two sisters.

Looking back on their time with Starswirl, Luna started to see why he grew so distant. He had always said that the pursuit of magic was admirable, but to never let it get the better of you. He must have seen something in the way Celestia sought after and mastered so many magic spells, because it did not take him long to start reprimanding her for some of the things she had learned. Especially when she had destroyed an entire forest with a beam of light she had called down from the sun.

Things started to make more sense now. The reason why Starswirl had taken Luna aside to warn her of the consequences of misusing magic, his eventual parting with them, and his eventual disappearance all together. Celestia had driven him off. Their constant arguing and banter had only built up to that point. A pang of guilt filled Luna, since she had felt that she could have stopped their fighting, but she always sided with Celestia’s point of view.

Luna’s empty gaze suddenly came to life and she focused on Mathew. Her eyes had misted as she recalled her lost past, but there was one thing that came to the forefront of her mind. She ground her teeth together and steeled herself before she asked, “And what does any of this have to do with the catastrophe? How does all of this play into the grander scheme that you seem to be aware of?”

Mathew returned Luna’s gaze, only with less emotion. For some reason he felt a little hollow at that moment. “The catastrophe has to do with Celestia. Everything points to her. For whatever reason, she’s the trigger for that vision I witnessed.”

“And how do you know it was truly a vision?” Luna interrupted firmly.

“Because I experienced another one!” Mathew snapped, slamming his foot down hard enough to crack the stone of the mountain. His eyes glowed brighter in that moment and a wave of power coursed through him, filling the air around him with a visual representation of his seething anger. What that anger was directed toward, Luna could only guess, but she did know that it frightened her.

Mathew took a few calming breaths after his outburst before he spoke again. “Dreams and wild imagination don’t give you actual sensations. I could feel the heat in that vision. I smelt the smoke and tasted the ash. And I’ve never liked the sight of dead bodies, but seeing those pony corpses, charred and partially disintegrated… was unlike anything my mind could possibly hope to conjure up! When I asked you if Celestia had the same ability, it was to see if my gut was right. You know it’s possible to see into the future. Why is it so hard for you to believe me when I say I’ve seen such a horrific thing?” he said heatedly.

Luna stomped a hoof and glared at Mathew. “Because you’re telling me that my beloved sister is responsible for such a thing!” she retorted.

Mathew stepped closer and placed a hand over his chest. “Because it’s exactly what I saw! I wish I was lying! I wish I had never seen anything like that, or what I saw afterward, but it doesn’t change the fact that Celestia is about to make a grave decision. She has to be stopped before she can do anything like that – think of how much death she could cause if she ever let herself lose control!” he pleaded with her.

Luna balked at his words, but then something clicked in her head. She withheld her remark and chose to say something else entirely to sate her concern. “Why have you revealed this to us, then? What do you hope to achieve?” she asked.

Mathew sighed and turned away from her. He walked a few steps and turned to face Luna. “Because fate is cruel? I don’t even know why I wasted my time waiting for you. You and I are supposed to be friends… but I guess that was too much to hope for. I thought you’d see the truth for what it is. Instead, it’s just like with Twilight, you are doing your own part to defend Celestia. What do I have to do to make you see that I’m telling you the honest truth?” he asked, deflating slightly.

Luna thought on his words carefully. It had hurt to hear him say such things about their friendship, but something told her he did not really mean much by it. If anything, it was just him losing himself to his own emotions – something that had been happening a lot to everypony around him recently. Even Celestai had changed since… it was then that something clicked again.

Luna stared at Mathew for a long moment. “If… if what you say is true. Then what would your method be to stop her?” she asked slowly.

Mathew shrugged and crossed his arms. “Not a clue. It’s why I needed to talk with Discord. This talk with you has also given me a small tidbit of information as well,” he said.

Luna eyed him curiously. “And what, pray tell, did you get out of our conversation?” she asked.

A weak smirk crossed over Mathew’s lips for a moment before vanishing. “That you really love your big sister. And that she isn’t as evil as I’ve been, unintentionally, making her out to be. I didn't mean to portray her as a villain, or anything. I just want to stop her from making… a very big mistake. None of you know what it means to end a life when you let your hatred fuel the act,” he said as a sad look crossed over his features.

Luna took a step closer, noticing the deep emotions play behind the fading glow of Mathew’s eyes. “And… you do?” she asked softly, almost regretting the question as it left her mouth.

Mathew’s eyes glanced at her and everything became clear in that instant. Mathew had killed before. He let out a slow sigh and looked at the cracked ground. “I once had a pet dog, when I was young. A few years back he went missing. I went out to look for him… and came across some fresh bones. Among them… I saw a collar. Coyotes had killed and eaten him. I was so angry, I… I went to the shed, took a machete and a piece of rebar, and went out to find them.

“I looked for the creature responsible, nonstop. I eventually found one around dusk and I ran after it through the woods. Somehow I caught up to it, threw the rebar like a spear, and hit the coyote on its rear end. I knew I had it, in that moment, but I watched it struggle and cry out in pain. It’s still sickening to me, but I found its suffering and pain to be satisfying – like it was a symbol of what I went through when it took away my beloved pet.

“When I got bored of it’s struggling, which was around the time it had gone lethargic from blood loss, I ended its life. I sent the machete strait down and cleaved the thing’s head open. As its blood splashed on my hand and face I knew… I knew I had made a terrible mistake. That weight, the weight of ending the life of another being, and doing so in such a cruel way… it’s really a lot harder to handle than you might think. The saddest part is that there are plenty of other humans that would have been perfectly fine with what I did. Humans… can be pretty ruthless when it suits their purposes. Unfortunately, it seems that Celestia is capable of making the same mistake should she be left alone to continue down her current path,” Mathew finished.

Luna took some time to digest that lengthy bit of Mathew’s past. It was a lot to take in. It was not an unheard of thing, murder, but it was so rare that those whose professions required them to know about such a thing generally only knew about it. Even then, murders were merely unfortunate accidents. Never had anypony sought to end another’s life in the manner Mathew had described.

A deep sigh suddenly came from somewhere above them. “Well that sure was depressing,” Discord said as he floated in the air. His complexion had turned to a literal blue and he eyed Mathew with a melancholic expression on his face.

Mathew sighed gently and looked up at the Draconequus. “Yeah… not my finest moment. I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you’d hide until Luna was gone,” he said.

Discord smirked and his skin returned to it’s normal coloring. “Why would I hide from an ally?” he asked.

“What?” Luna asked, clearly surprised by Discord’s words.

“Oh come now, moon butt, I can tell you’ve already fallen for our little hero here,” Discord chided. “You may not like the idea, but Mathew’s got the right stuff to make this whole thing turn around for the better. And, since I’m the most dashing of our little group of misfits, I’m the number one sidekick… you can be number two, but you’d probably have a better shot at competing with Applejack in the ‘damsel in distress’ department.”

Mathew groaned and reached up. He took hold of Discord’s tail and yanked him down. Discord found himself face to face with him. “Discord…” Mathew said in a warning tone.

Discord put up his hands and grimaced sheepishly. “Alright, alright… I get the message. I’ll refrain from such jokes for the time being. Besides,” he paused and glanced at Luna, “we do have more important things to discuss.”

“Indeed we do,” Mathew replied. He released Discord’s tail and walked a few paces away from the other two as he crossed his arms. He then turned back toward Discord. “I’ll need to know more about Celestia, but there’s something I want you both to know first,” he said.

Discord cocked an eyebrow and grinned while Luna stared in slight confusion. Then Mathew placed his hands on his hips. “I’m going to play the part of the villain!” he declared, a cheesy grin playing across his face.
> 16 - Into Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The creeping light of the early dawn started to illuminate the far skyline as Mathew finally found a quiet spot to sit down. He slowly sat down, so as to avoid having an unwanted rock give him an early wake up call. As the light began to grow brighter, he noticed he was no longer alone.

Discord popped into existence beside Mathew, his usual playful nature subdued as a look of deep thought molded his expression. After a few minutes of quiet, Mathew decided to look away from the sunrise to Discord. “So what’s on your mind?” he asked the Draconequus.

Discord simply shrugged and eyed the rising sun as his unspoken emotions fought for dominance. “I hope you realize that I don’t like your idea,” he finally said to Mathew.

Mathew sighed softly and turned back to the morning sun. “Yeah… but, as I said last night, it won’t come to that if they listen to me. I gave you both my word that I’d try the diplomatic route first. I’m going to wait a few days to let them settle their friendship problems… then I’m making my move,” he said, pausing as Celestia’s sun finally rose up into the sky. The sight was gorgeous.

A few moments later, Discord huffed and turned to face Mathew, a look of suspicion etched into his long face. “You do realize that there’s a good reason I’m not thrilled with your plan, right?” he asked.

Mathew nodded but held his tongue.

Discord crossed his arms and leaned back. “You fooled Luna, but you can’t trick me, so out with it. Why are you so eager to attempt what is essentially suicide?” Discord asked lowly.

Mathew forced a short chuckle and shook his head. “Suicide seems a bit harsh. It’s more that I’m taking a big risk by confronting Celestia about her current life path,” he replied.

“Which is the same as confronting a god,” Discord countered. “I told you she could have killed me, had she wanted to. You may have more potential than I when it comes to chaos magic, but even you would only be capable of matching her as an equal, at best, with your nullification. Should she grow to the point of fighting you, which I have little doubt she will, you’d be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to battle experience against her arsenal. For crying out loud, she harnesses the raw power of this realm’s sun!” Discord finished firmly.

Mathew sighed, but a small smirk lingered on his features. “That may be true, but you’re forgetting something,” he said and turned to face Discord. “My race didn’t get to where it is by giving up against unfair odds. Especially when we felt the reward was worth the risk. If I can get through to her… this can all end in the right way, and I’m willing to put my life on the line to achieve that end.”

Discord huffed again, but a small smile tugged at his lips. “There’s more to this than you’re letting on. I can feel the makings of a plan, but you’re doing a good job of hiding it from me. You know… you’d make an excellent Lord of Chaos,” he said with a mirthful chuckle.

Mathew chuckled as well. “True, but that’s your thing. I may have the magic, but you’ve got the brains. Maybe, once this is all over, you and I can team up. Until then… I’ve got some more thinking to do… and I’ll need to practice a few spells to fine tune them before the fight with Celestia,” he said and got up from his rock.

Discord nodded and turned away, jumping into the air like a serpent swimming through the wind. He stopped to hover and glanced back at Mathew once more. “I’ll take my leave then. This old Lord of Chaos has to… find a way to apologize to a few friends. I’ll make sure I weave a nice little tale about your impending invasion, but do try to keep things from getting out of hand,” he smirked.

Mathew rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “No promises. Once the encounter starts it’ll be a full-on improvisation. It’ll be nice if things go smoothly, though there’s a chance things will end up more chaotic than the two of us could ever dream.” 

Mathew paused for a moment as a thought hit him. He offered a small smile up toward Discord. “I know I failed you, when I made you that promise, but could you offer Applejack some comfort for me?”

Discord mock sighed and placed the back of his paw against his head dramatically. “I shall strive to accomplish this task, for the fair maiden deserves at least that much. Still, I don’t see why you don’t just go to her and tell her how you really feel about her.”

“Because she’s only a friend to me,” Mathew quickly replied. “Seriously… why do you keep joking about that? It’s cruel when you do that, leading her on, so just knock it off.”

Discord sighed, but offered a small knowing smile. “You can deny it for as long as you like, Mathew. But know this… you never know what your heart desires until it’s either too late or gone forever. I learned that lesson the hard way,” he said calmly.

Mathew sighed and looked away for a moment. “Tell you what,” he began, “the day you open up and confess to Fluttershy, I’ll consider what my feelings are for Luna and Applejack.”

Discord hummed and placed his talons on his chin, tapping away in thought. Then a sly grin spread across his maw and he narrowed his eyes. “If I confess to her, then you have to at least give their romance a chance - anything less and no dice. Deal?” he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Mathew groaned, but let a small grin spread across his face. He shook his head, knowing he was just asking for trouble, but he figured he could exploit a loophole in the deal later. “Sure… I’ll agree to that, but you better go all out and make it a worthwhile confession. If you try to make it into a joke or waste time blowing it out of proportion then I’ll wave it off. You have to do it seriously,” he smirked.

Discord’s grin grew wider and he nodded his head. “One princess worthy confession, coming right up. I do hope you’re ready for more kisses, because this is going to be so much fun! Oh! Now I need to figure out what to wear…” and with that, Discord snapped his talons and a large purple door appeared from thin air. He opened it and walked through and the door shut itself before vanishing with a weird swishing sound and a pop.

Mathew eyed the spot that Discord had just occupied. Then, when he was sure the Draconequus was truly gone, he let his grin vanish into a neutral look. He turned his gaze back to the sun and inhaled deeply. “Looks like things might get interesting… but it all depends on you. How will you react to someone trying to stop you, Celestia?” he whispered.

He stared at the sun for a few moments before turning away to begin his preparations. He had a few days to iron out the kinks in his spells, and limited magic to waste doing so. Mathew’s gaze lowered to his shadow. Are you ready for this, Nightmare? he asked through thought.

“Yes.” Nightmare Moon replied. “Though I don’t know how much help I will be.”

Mathew chuckled softly and smiled. “Trust me, you’ll be more help than anyone else. I’ll need you to help me monitor my spells and how much magic I consume testing them. It’s hard to keep track without a mirror,” he assured her.




~~***~~




Five days passed. Each day grated on Mathew, like something was about to happen and he would never see it coming. The sensation had nearly driven him insane, but he had managed to keep his cool. Then, during his final set of tests to make sure his magic was in top form and his spells fully prepared, the sensation stopped. He froze in place and looked up to the sun. Mathew could feel it in the air… Celestia had fixated on him. It was time to make his move.

Mathew sprinted for the edge of the cliff and jumped into the open air. An instant later, his body was engulfed by shadow and he vanished from sight. His form reappeared on the edge of the Everfree Forest right beside Fluttershy’s home. He placed his hand to the ground and slipped some of his magic into the soil. In a flash of shadow he vanished once more to repeat the cycle in another location.

Throughout the list of locations he visited, Mathew felt rushed. It was as if time was against him but at the same time not. He just could not explain the feeling, only knowing that he needed to get this crucial part of his plan completed as quickly as he could to stay one step ahead of Celestia.

Mathew reappeared in the center of Ponyville, right beside the small fountain in the town square, and he knelt down to place his magic in the ground. A sudden series of gasps quickly followed suit but he ignored them – he had to finish that last spell. He noticed a building magic in the air… one that he recognized. He hastily completed the spell and then casually turned his head in the direction the magic was coming from.

Twilight stood there with Rarity and Fluttershy beside her. The purple Alicorn held a look of anger on her face, yet the expression in her eyes said she was anything but. Rarity held a look of trepidation, while Fluttershy seemed to be… happy. Mathew suppressed a smile when he noticed the yellow pegasus. His gaze locked with Twilight's and the tension in the air built up... he had not intended to meet them so soon.

“So…” Mathew began slowly as he stood. “Are you capable of talking normally now, or do I have to waste my time in another show of force with you?” he asked bluntly.

Rarity balked at that but stayed silent while Fluttershy cringed and glanced at Twilight. The purple princess of magic held her composure well, only letting her eyes flinch slightly. Twilight took a single step forward and then bowed her head slightly. “Let’s talk,” she said, “since you’re obviously here for a reason. But I want to make it perfectly clear that I don’t trust you. So why are you here?”

Mathew relaxed a bit, feeling the lack of hostility he had in their previous encounter. If anything, Twilight gave off a heck of a lot of sympathy this time. His next words would change that. “I’m here to play the bad guy… just as you all hoped I would.”

The three mares all stared in shock. “What…” Rarity began, but was cut off by Mathew’s swift hand gesture.

“I’m not here to cause any unnecessary conflicts. My reason for being here is my own, but I’m almost willing to bet that Celestia will come for me this day. She and I have something to discuss…” Mathew said, trailing off for a moment as he felt something in the air, “but I will fight her if she doesn’t listen to reason.”

Twilight’s brow knit together as she processed those specific words. Her ears sank back slightly and she lifted a front hoof in mild alarm. “What do you mean by that? Why wouldn’t she listen to you? More importantly… what is it you’re trying to convince her of?” she asked.

Mathew offered a pained smile. “I’m trying to keep her from making the same mistake that I once did. If I can get her to-“ his words were silenced as the high pitched sound of a fast approaching object instantly drew his attention. Mathew’s reaction was just fast enough to send his arms up as a streak of rainbow colors slammed into him.

His body was launched backward, but he managed to use three short bursts of his magic to stop his momentum and land on his feet just ten feet away. Mathew’s arms glowed with leaking, pale magic as the torn flesh and shattered bones mended. He looked back toward Twilight and saw the prismatic mane and tail as Rainbow Dash hovered where he previously stood. She was panting slightly with an angry look in her magenta eyes.

Rainbow shook the tingle out of her hooves and growled, “Don’t you dare try to hurt my friends.”

Mathew lowered his arms and grinned at the cyan Pegasus. “You know, it helps diplomacy when there aren’t any blows thrown before the real talking can begin,” he said calmly. “I have no intention of harming anyone… unless they attack me first.”

The moment the last word left Mathew’s mouth, his body shot forth and Rainbow’s chest was snared with a tendril of shadow from his arm. He slammed her into the ground and held her there with all of his weight, coming face to face with her. “So I suggest you hold yourself in check,” he growled with glowing gold eyes. In the next instant, his body swished through the air to stand where he had just been.

It was evident then, that the peaceful human they once knew had sunk to the point that he held no reservations about openly attacking them. The worst of it was that Twilight had not been given a single second to act to protect her friend. In the instant that he moved to seize Rainbow Dash, a wave of magic had pulsed off of him and worked in a way that canceled out Twilight’s connection to her magic. None of them stood a chance against him and she knew it.

Rainbow lay on the ground for a long few moments, as she calmed herself. Her fear of Mathew had reached an all time high thanks to his display of power. She knew he had gone easy on her. Even though her wing joints ached from the impact, she was smart enough to know that he had purposefully thrown her so that her wings folded with the motion. His movements and strength had been flawless… but those predatory golden eyes were what truly terrified her. There was no hesitation in that gaze; only a cold calculative drive, that she hoped she never got the chance to understand.

Mathew returned his attention to Twilight. “As I said before… I’d rather not waste my time and energy on unnecessary conflicts, but I will if I have to.”

Twilight got the hint, and though she was angry with what he had done to her friend, she yielded. Her ears fell back and she dipped her head in submission. “We won’t fight you… but you better not hurt the princess, or so help me I’ll find a way to defeat you,” she warned.

A small sad smile crept across Mathew’s lips and he broke his gaze from her. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he assured her. Then he turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow… do me a small favor… bring Pinkie Pie and Applejack here, if you would be so kind.”

Rainbow slowly got up, flexing her sore wings before glancing at Twilight. Her friend gave her a small nod and Rainbow was off into the air to retrieve the last two element bearers.




~~***~~




Time seemed to crawl by as Mathew waited for Rainbow Dash to return with Pinkie and Applejack. His outside appearance was cold and emotionless, but inside he was starting to worry. It was important for all of the element bearers to be nearby or his plan would hit its first major dilemma. His anxiousness had started to grow to the point that, if one looked close enough, his sweat was noticeable.

A silent sigh slipped through Mathew’s nose and he finally uncrossed his arms, breaking his gaze away from Canterlot’s tiny form on the side of the distant mountain. Mathew’s patience was running thin as the gnawing feeling at the back of his mind grew more intense. His eyes danced around, searching for any sign of Rainbow Dash. He started thinking about how much time had passed and wondered if it would be worth the risk to try searching for her when Rarity cleared her throat gently.

“Something seems to be troubling you,” Rarity said, eyeing Mathew closely.

Mathew met her gaze levelly and offered a small nod. “Indeed. I’ve thought up a few plans for this day, but each one holds risk.”

Rarity’s eyes lowered for a moment as she thought on his words. Her gaze locked back onto Mathew’s and she asked, “What kind of risk, and is there anything we can do to help?”

Mathew’s eyes hardened for an instant before he looked away, back toward the castle. “That’s none of your concern and there’s nothing you can do – not now, at least,” he replied bluntly.

The white unicorn nearly balked at his rude response, but seemed to pick up on something as she carefully considered his words. “Why do you consider it ‘none of our concern’? As your friend, I think it would be,” she said softly.

Mathew’s head turned slowly back to glare at Rarity. “You are not my friend,” he stated coldly. “We’re simply acquainted through a mutually known princess. As far as I’m concerned the only one of you, aside from Luna, that I’d consider a friend is Applejack. However…” Mathew’s voice trailed off as he turned his gaze back to the castle, “what little is left of our bonds may finally come to an end today.”

“Mathew…” Twilight finally spoke up, “I feel I must apologize for my actions.”

“I don’t forgive you,” Mathew instantly replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the castle. “There’s no need for you to waste your time apologizing to me. It’s not worth it. You have my thanks, for what little time you spent helping me, but that’ll be the extent of our relationship. You were a kind pony to me once. Now you’ll just be one of those I’ll simply forget about in a few years… besides, there’s no point in trying to make up with someone who won’t be here for much longer anyway,” he finished calmly.

“W-what do you mean, Mathew, if you don’t mind my asking?” Fluttershy said softly, doing her best to hide her face from him, yet also fighting the sudden urge to get closer.

Mathew sighed and turned a soft gaze to the poor yellow pegasus mare. “What I mean is that I don’t plan on staying in your world forever. Being the only one of my kind… it makes me pretty sad, to be honest.”

“Oh…” was all Fluttershy could say in response. It made sense, after all. They had taken him for granted in that sense, never realizing just how lonely it must have been for Mathew. That, and the loss of his father… it drove the point home in quite the heart wrenching manner.

Mathew sighed again and looked around once more. That was it; he had to find Rainbow Dash and the rest. He went to move when a sudden high-pitched squee rang out from nearby. The next thing Mathew knew, he was being embraced by a soft fluffy bundle of pink joy. Pinkie Pie squeezed him firmly while sucking in a deep breath. “OhmygoshI’msogladyou’reokay,” was about all Mathew got out of the rapid-fire stream of words that cascaded out of her mouth.

Mathew then noticed Rainbow dash swoop in from somewhere while Applejack slowly emerged from behind a nearby building. A wave of relief passed over him and he caught himself before his face revealed the smile he wanted to give them. Instead, he gave them all a passive look as he accounted for them being in one place. Things had gone well… so far. That was until Mathew noticed the purple and green dragon that walked just behind Applejack.

The instant he noticed Spike, Mathew knew what had taken them so long to get back. He turned his gaze toward Pinkie, who was still clinging to him happily. “Hey, Pinkie Pie, it sure took you guys a while to get back. Did you send a message to the princess or something?” he asked her.

Pinkie’s eyes widened and her smile grew as she nodded. “You betcha! Rainbow said it was important that we let the princesses know that you were here. She didn’t really tell me why, but I could tell it must have been super duper important,” she beamed at him.

Mathew offered her a small smile and pat her head. “Thanks for letting me know that,” he said and then looked at the shrinking figure of Rainbow as she tried to hide behind Twilight. A sly grin crossed over his features. “Looks like you might have helped me get things put in motion sooner, Rainbow Dash. What did that letter say?”

Twilight’s wings automatically unfolded in a display of defending her friend as Rainbow did her best to not shiver in fear behind her. The cyan pegasus cleared her throat and she looked anywhere but at Mathew, for fear of seeing those golden eyes again. “I, uh, actually sent her a warning. I told her you were waiting...” she admitted nervously.

Mathew’s expression morphed into a displeased frown for a moment, but was quickly replaced by a smile of amusement that was followed by a chuckle. “Perfect,” he said, “that means she’ll definitely be coming.”

Mathew then looked back down at the pink pony that still hugged him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and bent forward to whisper in her ear. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but I think this hug has lasted long enough. I need you to hang out with your friends for a little while.”

Pinkie moaned sadly, not wanting the hug to end yet. “Awe, but you feel so nice to hug, like you’re just so… huggable. But you’re right, I should stick with them otherwise we might get in the way and make things more complicated for you.”

Pinkie let go of him and walked over to her friends. It was faint, but Mathew had finally picked up on it, the tiniest trace of Pinkie’s magic. He felt it as it literally danced around him. He knew she was aware of what was going to happen, and he held a new respect for the pink pony. She was fighting with her own emotions while not letting it show on the outside. It was more than just her Element of Laughter that made her strong… she had a big heart that could handle the pain.

Applejack finally walked by him. She slowed down and looked at Mathew tentatively. He glanced at her, and nodded toward Twilight and the others. There were many things he wanted to tell her in that moment, but he had to refrain. As she passed by him to join the others, the sight of her back walking away from him made a pang of guilt pierce his heart. She turned her head to glance back at him and their eyes met for a moment. Time almost froze for Mathew as his heart lurched painfully.

Mathew ripped his eyes away from Applejack to stare at the ground. He turned away from her and came face to face with Discord. The Draconequus had a massive grin on his face with big twinkling eyes. Mathew suppressed his groan of annoyance. “Don’t you dare say it,” he warned Discord quietly.

Discord’s grin melted into a smirk as he continued to look knowingly at Mathew. Even without saying anything, his look said all of what was on the chaotic being’s mind. A sudden gasp was heard from nearby, drawing both Mathew and Discord’s attention to the side as a streak of yellow glomped onto Discord. “Discord!” Fluttershy exclaimed, relieved.

Discord’s paw instinctively rose up to comfort his friend, patting her head gently and slowly stroking her pink mane. Needless to say, the sight had drawn quite a bit of attention. Applejack was the first to find her voice to ask the question that was on everypony’s mind. “Fluttershy, why are ya so happy ta see him for? Didn’t ya see him just yesterday?”

Fluttershy turned her head toward her friend and smiled. “I’m just glad he’s back. It means that I don’t have to worry about him now,” she replied happily.

Rainbow cocked a brow, along with Twilight and Rarity, and opened her mouth to speak, but Mathew was quick to cut her off. “So when will Luna be arriving?” he asked.

Discord looked to Mathew and became slightly more serious. “She’ll be here soon, but I must warn you… it sure wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be for me to get into that blasted castle. Celestia put up quite the formidable defense; seven barriers were placed all around the kingdom – two were made for me specifically, I’m sure.”

Mathew nodded as he took in the small tale. “So I was right about her preparing for this day. She wanted to keep Luna out of this. Was there anything there to keep Luna trapped within the castle?” he asked.

Discord shook his head. “No, although Celestia did try to outmaneuver you by trying to force Luna to make a promise.”

“What kind of promise?” Mathew asked with narrowed eyes.

Discord’s expression turned deadly serious. “She tried to make Luna betray you. Celestia wanted Luna to promise to help subdue you. Luna refused to help, but she said it was odd to see her older sister simply accept that and turn away. Even I was a little taken by that… the Celestia I know would have tried to plea with her little sister,” he said, a slight tinge of worry creeping into his voice.

Mathew nodded again and turned his gaze back to the far away castle. “She doesn’t think she needs to worry about it. At this point, she probably did that because it was the easier choice to make. Her goal is nearly within her grasp, so she’s indulging herself to make the experience a little more satisfying. I just hope that Luna gets here soon,” he said and sighed deeply.

The magically gifted human then turned back to Discord, whom still had a paw gently petting his little yellow crush. A small smile tugged at Mathew’s lips, but he fought it off to keep the tone of his next question more serious. “Are you sure you won’t lend me a hand when Celestia comes?”

Discord stopped his ministrations and offered Mathew a sad look. “There’s nothing an old man, like me, could do to help. Celestia, Luna, Twilight and you are all a little outside of my ability spectrum. I might have stood a better chance in the past, but that was only because I still had the element of surprise on my side. You’re all a little too familiar with what I can do for it to be of much use. Besides, your chaos magic would overlap mine, so I’d be stuck as the third wheel regardless.”

Mathew sighed softly again and shook his head. “You know, that might get in the way later if we try to team up to toy with the little ponies,” he said jokingly.

Discord chuckled ruefully before his expression softened. The motion was subtle, but Mathew noticed how his paw started gently rubbing behind Fluttershy’s ear as his expression changed. “A part of me is oddly content with that idea…” Discord said softly. Fluttershy simply stayed there, perfectly at peace beside her friendly lord of chaos.

Mathew fought off a warm smile as he watched Discord and Fluttershy… they looked pretty happy, and surprisingly cute together. For a moment he lost himself to his own imagination as he pictured himself sitting between Luna and Applejack. He blinked a few times as a new image came into his head, one that soured his mood instantly and he threw the whole idea into the trash where it belonged. There was no way things would end happily. Eventually, every sun will set and no rainbow is possible without it.

Though his mood had been fouled, Mathew still had something to do. He turned to Twilight and slowly approached her. Twilight noticed his approach and tensed slightly while Rainbow sank down further. Rarity inched closer to her fearful friend and Pinkie Pie simply stayed in one place – the simple act seeming to be completely out of place for the bubbly pink mare. Applejack quietly eyed Mathew as he approached and held herself back. She knew he had something to accomplish by that firm look in his eyes… those captivatingly complex blue eyes.

Mathew came to a stop near Twilight, keeping just enough distance to not spook Rainbow into running away, though it was unlikely that she would do so; she could never just leave her friends. His ethereal hair flickered a little more lively than usual as he stood there. “Twilight,” he said, “now that you’re all here, I’ll need to-”

A sudden explosion of silvery magic slammed into Mathew from the side, stunning him for an instant. He immediately recoiled and spun around to face his attacker, only to lay eyes upon the panting form of Luna. His hostility instantly vanished and he rushed to her side. “Luna, are you alright – what’s wrong?” he asked.

Luna opened her eyes slowly, the effort taking noticeable effort, as her entire body trembled. She panted a few more times before sucking in a lungful of air. “Tia…” she began, “tried to force me to stay. She did something… a barrier, perhaps… it started to drain my magic. I barely made it out. You must prepare yourself, Mathew. She is coming for you soon.”

Mathew breathed a sigh of relief. He offered her a small smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. You just need to rest,” he said and turned back to Twilight. “Twilight! I need you to come over here and help Luna recover. She’s been drained of her magic.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and her ears perked up. She quickly ran over to Luna’s side and started feeling over the lunar princess’ body with her magic, scanning every inch. Her friends were quick to join her, Rainbow making sure to keep a wide berth from Mathew. Mathew knew things were in good hooves so he backed away to let the young purple Alicorn do her thing.

While the others were busy, Mathew started to implement the first stage of his plan. He knelt down and placed both of his hands on the ground. His hands started to glow with the faint pale blue of his magic before the power of shadow overlapped it. Dark lines of black magical power shot out all over the ground, going in all directions. A few bystander ponies were shocked by his act, but relaxed when the lines faded away mere seconds after they appeared.

Once he was finished, he stood up again, only to realize that Twilight was staring at him with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. They simply sat there in an awkward staring contest until Twilight’s brain started working again and she asked, “How did you do that?”

Mathew shrugged. “I figured it out through trial and error.”

“But why would you have placed that spell down? What are you planning to do?” she asked.

Mathew offered a small smile. “It’s more for an emergency… I’m hoping I won’t have to use it,” he answered.

Luna, having had time to recover enough to breathe normally, turned her attention to the ground and examined the shadow spell. Though it had vanished from sight, she could still see the power of shadow that laced the intricate spell circle. She quickly recognized the teleportation spell and eyed Mathew questioningly. “Why is it so large?” she asked him.

Mathew only glanced at Luna, choosing to remain quiet about the spell’s use. Instead, he turned his head up to the sky and narrowed his eyes. A sly grin spread over his face and he crossed his arms. “Here she comes…” he said slowly, expectantly.

Everypony, except Discord, looked at Mathew in confusion… until a crackle of power above them announced the arrival of something powerful. All eyes turned up to the sky. Hovering in the air, with wings spread wide, was the sun princess herself, Celestia…
> 17 - Shadow Within the Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew locked his gaze upon something in the sky above. There, floating through the power of magic alone, stood the Princess of the Sun… Celestia. Her eyes met with his and they simply stared each other down. Twilight and her friends were struck with both awe and fear. It was the first time they had seen such a stern expression upon their princess’ face.

Luna, no stranger to her sister’s wrathful side, held her composure. She looked up to her sister and took a breath. “Sister, what is the meaning of this? Why do you appear now – with such an intimidating display in front of the town’s people?” she asked firmly.

Mathew chuckled while letting a smirk spread across his lips, his eyes darkening and the billowing of his hair intensifying. “Yes, Princess…” he remarked coldly, “do tell them. Tell them exactly why you decided to show up, right now, with that fire burning within your eyes.”

Luna looked back and forth between Mathew and her sister, slight confusion playing on her features. All the while, Celestia’s visage did not change – not even a single twitch in her face. The one thing that did change was the intensity of her eyes, as well as the slight increase in how fast her multi-colored hair blew around in the air around her.

Mathew’s smirk faded slightly and his eyes hardened, like pools of ice. “If you don’t tell them, I will,” he said firmly.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed and she spared brief glances to the ponies below her. Twilight, the Element Bearers, Luna, along with a tenth of the population of Ponyville all stared at her from the ground. She knew she could silence Mathew should she truly wish to, but doing so, as well as continuing to conceal her goals, would only give her more problems in the long run. Ultimately, it all came down to what she wanted to do to keep things simple for once. “Very well, Mathew,” she replied, rising to meet his challenge. “I’ve come to take what is rightfully mine… the life of Nightmare Moon.”

The entire gathering of ponies gasped in unison. Celestia had never resorted to such extremes. In all the years since her rule began not once had she ever taken a life, yet she was there to do just that. Needless to say, everypony was shocked.

“What?” Luna asked with wide eyes.

Celestia spared her a short glance before returning her eyes to Mathew. “It's exactly as I said. Nightmare Moon, the very one who took you from me, the same cursed creature that now rests within that… human, will die by my hoof today. I have waited for a very long time for this day to come to pass,” she said calmly, the flames of her wrath burning brighter in her eyes with each passing moment.

Both Luna and Twilight took tentative steps closer to Celestia, but were instantly stopped when a flash of dark grey wrapped around them. A barrier had covered them, trapping them inside – along with the other element bearers, Spike and Discord.

“So… you still refuse to tell them everything? Just get it over-with; Nightmare killed your mother,” Mathew said loudly and boldly.

All eyes darted to Mathew, then back to Celestia… who did not have a pleased expression on her face. For the first time in a long time, the sun princess was showing her anger outwardly. “Must you continue to test my patience, Mathew?” she asked him with a slightly raised tone.

Mathew simply shrugged and let a small grin play on his lips. “Depends on how far you truly wish to take this. Are you really sure you want to bloody your royal hooves, Celestia? A few thousand years is a long time… yet you have never allowed your heart to heal. Instead, all you’ve done is pick at the wound to keep it fresh… for some petty revenge that has gotten out of hoof.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed once more and her tail flicked in a rare display of annoyance. “And what would you know about my mother’s death? I’m sure all you’ve been told came from Nightmare Moon’s mouth. I, however, witnessed it!” the sun princess nearly yelled.

“As did I,” Mathew replied angrily. “You know, just as well as I do, that Nightmare is connected with me in a very intimate way; our lives are bound through body, soul and mind. I’ve lived that moment, through her memories…”

Celestia let a scoff escape her. “Which only makes me see you as her accomplice – even more so than before. You saw her murder my mother, yet you still defend her.”

“Because this isn’t right,” Mathew rebuked. “She has suffered enough, just as you have, so let your heart heal and lay the past to rest. Believe me when I say; killing her won’t make the pain go away,” Mathew said – pleading to Celestia. “If killing those who wrong you solved anything, then my home would have had fewer wars – and a heck of a lot less death. All you’ll accomplish by ending Nightmare is continuing the cycle of pain and loss – she’s Luna’s mother for crying out loud!”

Silence filled the air like a thick choking fog while Mathew held his gaze on Celestia, his eyes searching for some sliver of compassion from the sun princess. 

“How dare you…” said Celestia, her words laced with barely restrained hatred. “You’ve done enough, Mathew, now keep away from my sister. Prepare yourself-“

“For what!?” Mathew bellowed. “Why is it such a terrible thing for Luna to know the truth? For once! You’ve lied to her for the past few thousand years about-“

“SILENCE!” Celestia roared in her Royal Canterlot voice. “You are a thousand years too young to be telling me what is right or wrong! I’ve done far too much, for far too long, to have my plans foiled by a repulsive creature like you.”

Mathew’s eyes narrowed and his lips curled downward in a hateful frown. “Indeed you have… you’ve done so many things for this moment, haven’t you,” he said. “But being alive for a few thousand years doesn’t make you as wise as you believe – and it’s about time I showed you your error.”

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Mathew flung his arm out to the side and then drove a glowing hand into his chest. The sickening sound of his ribs cracking and flesh being torn immediately followed. His display had baffled Celestia and stunned everypony else. With an agony-fueled roar, Mathew finished the act by tearing something out of his body.

A crystalline object rested in his hand that started to glow brighter by the second. An eruption of shadow magic burst forth from the object, consuming Mathew’s body in a flash of darkness and splashing to the ground with a fleshy thud. The black substance rapidly withdrew from its shapeless form and condensed into the shape of an Alicorn. Mathew’s body slid out from the center of the mass as it shifted.

It was instantly noticeable that the wound to his chest had vanished, and that a glare of firm resolve had been etched upon his face. An instant later, the rapid transformation of the shadow substance confirmed everypony’s worst fears; Nightmare Moon had just been brought back to Equestria.

Before anypony could react, Mathew threw out his hand and covered Nightmare in another grey barrier and sent it into the one with Twilight, Luna, and the others. “I believe you have some things to catch up on… as mother and daughter,” Mathew said as he returned his gaze to the (extremely pissed) princess above. “And you are going to stop your immature actions right this instant… or I’ll force you to yield.”

Celestia’s frown slowly morphed into a warm smile. Her eyes almost matched the tender expression on her face, were it not for the twinkle of something dark and sinister within them. She tilted her head slightly and asked, “How, exactly, do you plan to stop me, Mathew? Or, I think the more important question would be – why try to stop me from avenging my mother’s death… as well as your father’s?”

Mathew glared at Celeatia with a look of borderline hatred. He had expected her to try and use something like that against him, but it did not make the sting any less painful. Deep down, he was sure that line had also hit Nightmare pretty hard. Still, he managed to reel in his anger with nearly disturbing ease. His expression melted away into a serene smile of his own. “That’s funny coming from your mouth, Celestia. After all… you knew of a way to send me back, yet you chose not to tell me,” he said calmly.

Mathew then spared a glance to Luna and the others. “Care to tell everypony why you chose to keep me in your world?” he asked with a tinge of mock enthusiasm.

Celestia stopped smiling, letting the frown return in full force. She hated how the lowly human kept looking at her sister every time he shed a new detail of her actions. “What point would there be in such an act? You obviously seem to know a lot about my actions… so why don’t you tell everything to them? In the end, nothing you say will make a difference,” she said coldly.

Mathew’s fake smile vanished from his face as a look of… pity… took hold. “You’ve known since the day Luna took me into the maze,” he said wistfully. “After that event, the day when we found out my body could regenerate, you stopped actively watching me. You doubled the number of guards that watched me, you added small restrictions to where I could go and what activities I could do, and you tried to get Luna to stop seeing me as often. You knew… you knew everything from that night on… and you did nothing to help me.”

Celestia arced a brow at that and tilted her head again. “Why would I have aided you? You are correct in noticing what I did once I learned of your true purpose in this world, but you actually think I would have helped you?” she asked. “I see no reason, now or then, why I should have felt compassion for a being such as you. You, whose very species has lost all connection to harmony and committed such atrocious acts of violence, all in the name of what you call peace? Do you take me for a fool, human?”

Mathew’s face turned angry. “The acts of some should not force all of humanity to pay. Not all of us are accountable for what others have done,” he replied hotly.

Celestia’s brow rose a pinch higher and a sly grin etched its way into her features. “Says the one who killed a poor creature in cold blood.”

Mathew’s heart lurched into his throat and his eyes widened. He quickly recovered from that low blow, anger burning brighter within his chest, and stomped his foot down hard. “And what makes what you’re about to do any different?” he asked, realizing too late that he should not have said that.

Celestia actually started to chuckle at his outburst, looking down upon the poor human with pitying eyes. “Oh, Mathew… the difference is that my actions are justified. Do you not realize what Nightmare Moon did to me when she felled my mother? She didn’t simply take away my parents, she forced two foals to have to fend for themselves in a harsh world. The ponies feared and mistreated Luna and I, when we were so young and vulnerable. I had to take her into a safe haven, raise her and myself to be strong enough to survive, and hide my grief for many years. Nightmare left me with a scar, one that ripped open every day I saw my mother’s sun rise. Every day was a reminder of what had been taken from me, and what I had been forced to endure because of her. My grief nearly brought about my end… I had lost the will to live… until I realized a very important thing. I came to a simple conclusion to my conundrum… wait for the day that I could repay Nightmare Moon for what she had done to me.”

Mathew’s eyes went wide in slight disbelief. Her reasoning was so… childish! Then again, the look in her eyes did not exactly give off any real confidence that she was all there at the moment. Her many years of life had given her numerous experiences, but that telltale lack of rationality, especially in this case, threw up a ton of red flags in Mathew’s mind. He knew he had to try again to convince Celestia that she was not thinking strait – that she needed to stop and look at the reality of her situation.

Celestia then turned her gaze away from Mathew, fixating on the form of Nightmare Moon within Mathew’s barrier. “In any case, I think it’s time I finally got what I came here for. Nightmare Moon… why don’t you come out and face me? I’ve grown tired of talking with your pawn.”

Mathew instantly teleported between Celestia and Nightmare and took a defensive stance on the top of his barrier. “I don’t think so,” he said lowly, “we’re not done yet. I told you I wouldn’t let you get to her. If you want to get to her, you’re gunna have to get through me first.”

Celestia laughed at his display and shook her head. “It’s a shame, really. I had hoped you would know you don’t stand a chance against my magic,” she said confidently. “Well, no matter, I was going to have to be rid of you anyway.”

Mathew was struck with an uncomfortable sensation in that moment. He had not seen anything like that from his visions… it was something new, and he did not like it. His eyes burned golden as he let his anger boil within. “What do you mean by that, Celestia?” he asked her.

The sun princess simply smiled and raised her head to stare down her muzzle at him. The look she gave him was the same as when you see a pile of vomit in front of you, filled with disgust. “No matter what you did… which side you were on… in the end you’ve been nothing more than a disposable tool. In a small way I’m glad you chose to protect Nightmare Moon… it makes ridding my little ponies of your tainted presence easier, in the end. Now back away quietly… you have no right to interfere with my plans further.”

Mathew’s face morphed into the purest embodiment of rage and his dark magic erupted and swirled around him like a cloud of angry locusts. “I’m just a tool in all this? A simple pawn that only had one purpose in your plan – to die? You think that my life means nothing? You think that revenge makes my life so easily worthless? FUCK YOU!” he roared angrily! “I have EVERY right to deny you what you seek, simply because you did all of this knowing full well what it meant for my life – all from the very start! YOU LET NIGHTMARE BRING ME HERE! ALL FOR YOUR REVENGE!”

The dark magic around Mathew’s body suddenly stopped swirling and was sucked into him in a flash of black smoke. Arcs of ebony light danced across his form as his eyes became endless pools of the void. “YOU LEAD MY FATHER TO HIS GRAVE… AND I SHALL EXACT MY VENGANCE UPON YOU FOR THAT, CELESTIA,” he said, his voice eerily similar to the Royal Canterlot voice in its power.

A series of magical circles encased him at that moment and he let loose a bellowing yell of pain and hatred. Mathew’s chaos magic took hold of his internal magic and he activated his spell. A wave of pressure pulsed out from him, knocking most ponies off balance and a short flash of light followed in its wake. There, standing in all his glory, was Mathew in his truest form of magical prowess.

Mathew’s hair had hardened into jagged black spikes, tipped with the pale blue glow of raw magic. His eyes were deep voids of darkness and seemed to bleed black magic vapor. Sharp fangs bared their lethal intent through a snarl on his face. His body had become fit and lean, the pinnacle of perfection, and claws tipped his fingers. To top off the intimidating ensemble, a long tail of dark magic writhed behind him and two powerful bat-like wings (which constantly burned away and repaired themselves) jutted out to show an impressive wingspan.

Celestia wasted no time in raising her own battle garments from their arcane resting place. She opened her magic to the might of her sun and ripped open a portal, teleporting her golden armor and donning it within mere seconds. It was quite the sight, seeing the sun princess covered from head to hoof in golden plates. The final piece of her battlements was a long spear, studded with enchanted gems of every color and tipped with a long blade that resembled a beam of sunlight.

Mathew seemed to boil over, but not in anger… disappointment. “So… you want to treat this as a game? You won’t stand a chance if you don’t use your full potential against me, Celestia,” he warned her.

She simply smirked. “You may have strength, Mathew, but your dark magic is weak against the light of my sun. Besides, I am not fool enough to spend all of my power fighting you… I’ll need to conserve my strength in order to defeat Nightmare Moon. Now… enough talk!” she said and charged up her horn to begin her assault.

Mathew narrowed his dark eyes and sighed as he crossed his arms and waited. He watched as the magic flowed through the air, into Celestia’s horn, and took form as her spell. “It’s not enough…” he mumbled under his breath.

After a few seconds, her spell finished forming and Celestia released it – a beam of magic. The arcane lance crossed the distance in the blink of an eye… and poofed into nothingness the instant it touched Mathew’s chest. Celestia’s eyes widened for a moment. She clearly had not expected her spell to end in such a way.

Mathew noticed her surprise and used it to taunt her. “Told you,” he said calmly. “If you thought Discord was a troublesome foe, then you stand no chance against the likes of me, Celestia. Now relish in the beating I’m about to give you… as an appetizer for what I’m really going to do to you if you don’t take me seriously.”

A pulse of shadow was all Celestia saw before her world started to turn upside-down. Mathew teleported right beside her and sent his fist right into her cheek, sending the sun princess flipping through the air. Another teleport and he sent her up with a powerful kick. Then, without even giving Celestia a chance to recover he whipped his tail around and snatched her out of the air – flinging her body strait to the ground.

A massive cloud of dust erupted from the road as the body of the most revered ruler on Equus crashed into it. Mathew floated in the air, almost lazily, and observed the location of his victim. “Six seconds…” he mumbled to himself. That was how long his attack took before she hit the ground.

“RAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” came Celestia’s battle cry as she unleashed a massive beam of magic toward Mathew’s form. The beam, easily fifteen feet wide, slammed into Mathew. The sky lit up in a bright flash of gold and a crack as loud as lightning deafened everypony for miles around. The shockwave from the blast blew out windows and sent ponies falling to the ground roughly, but had not done any serious damage to them… somehow.

All that remained after the blast was a cloud of magical residue where Mathew once hovered. Celestia let a slight grin form on her face as she glared at the cloud. There’s no way he got out of that. I hit him… and now he’ll be severely injured. Then… I shall kill-

The sight of the black wing peeking out from within the cloud above stopped Celestia’s thoughts cold. The wind slowly cleared away the residue around Mathew… to reveal a body without even a single blemish. Her grin sank into an angry frown and her spear teleported to hover by her side once more.

“Want to take me seriously now… little foal?” Mathew asked her, his arms crossed and a look of pity on his face.

Celestia flared her magic and the dust and grime on her vanished – a cleansing spell. She fixed her full attention upon the floating form of Mathew and glared fiercely. Her body began to tense as her horn glowed once more.

Mathew watched the magic flow around Celestia’s horn again. Ah… just like the vision, Mathew thought. She’s still on that path. Damn it, just open your eyes already! Before it’s too late…

Celestia charged her spell and, in a flash, teleported right behind Mathew. She brought her spear about in a powerful swing. Her attack missed as Mathew teleported just a few feet away. He looked at her with that same pitiful expression. Something in that look infuriated Celestia and she lunged forth to strike again and still she missed.

At that moment something clicked in Celestia’s mind. She realized that each of her moves had been read in the same way she used to read his. She narrowed her eyes and straitened her posture. “You can see it… can’t you? You have the vision,” she said slowly.

Mathew simply nodded, his darkened eyes never blinking.

Celestia let a deviously toothy grin spread across her muzzle and her eyes flickered to life with a magical glow. “Looks like you were right. I do need to take you seriously. I hope you know what this means for you,” she said in a low growl.

Celestia’s horn burst with power, easily gaining multiple layers of over-glow, and a wave of golden light swept around her body like a dazzling blanket. The magical energy swirled about and hid her body from view. The air turned heavy and seemed to heat up with each passing second. Mathew noticed the change and glanced at the ponies around before fixing his eyes back on the vortex of golden light.

She’s finally deviated from that path, Mathew thought quickly. From this point on… I’ll have to keep pushing her. She has to see the truth!

The heat intensified around Celestia, vaporizing the clouds in the sky, and making a few ponies faint from the rapid change in temperature. Mathew’s face cringed slightly, but he held his focus on the swirling magic around Celestia. Then, in an impressive display of raw power, the magic reacted and a blinding flash erupted.

Mathew was the only one who did not have to look away from the flash, his eyes no longer meant to see the physical world. In the wake of the light stood Celestia’s true form – the embodiment of the daughter of creation – the Princess of the Sun. Her eyes were pools of white magic, with red fire in place of her mane and tail, and a bright orange coat that seemed to darken and smolder around her hooves.

Gone was the battle armor but the spear remained, looking more like a massive axe (the blade looking like half of the sun with three spikes on the back side). Celestia lifted her weapon above her head and narrowed her eyes. “Prepare yourself!” she yelled and surged forth with lethal intent.




~~***~~




Meanwhile, within Mathew’s barrier, a different conflict had taken place. Nightmare Moon stood with her back against the side of the magical shield, her wings spread wide and a look of determination solidified on her face. Her piercing turquoise dragon eyes glared at the other ponies around her. “You will not interfere with his battle!” she stated firmly for the fifth time.

Luna stomped her hoof and glared back at her mother. “We must do something to help him!” she argued. “Even you know that no living being stands a chance against Tia’s true form!”

Twilight stepped up beside Luna, an equally intimidating glare of her own pointed toward the dark goddess. “Luna has a point. I’ve never heard of Celestia being able to change forms like this, but I trust Luna on this. There must be something we can do,” she said.

A dull series of booms drew everypony’s attention up to the skies above. Mathew and Celestia were really going at it now. Each time their swings met, a wave of power erupted like a thunderclap. The sight was both fearsome and awe-inspiring. Nightmare still refused to yield, doing her utmost to protect the inside of the barrier from Luna and Twilight’s assaults.

The tension within the barrier’s confines thickened and it seemed that another battle would possibly occur between a mother and daughter. The tension quickly vanished when a less than pleased Draconequus snapped his fingers. Having succeeded in drawing everypony’s attention, Discord proceeded to sigh and rub the bridge of his nose with a paw.

“Can you all sit down already?” he asked them in an annoyed tone. Discord fixed them with a stern gaze. “Nopony can, or should, do anything right now. Don’t any of you realize why Mathew put us all in here?”

Nightmare sighed and finally turned her attention back to the sky above. “Mathew did this to keep us all safe. Just look at what those other ponies are going through…” she said and trailed off as she glanced at a few of the terrified civilian ponies who had no idea where to run or how to hide.

Discord nodded gently, which turned out to be a pointless action since all eyes were focused elsewhere. He cleared his throat and continued. “This was all part of Mathew’s plan. Luna and the Element of Harmony took priority, so he made sure to keep you all out of the crossfire. Besides,” he said and a smirk shaped its way across his face, “if you do manage to get out of this place, you’ll only find your magic is useless.”

Twilight’s ears perked up and she eyed Discord dubiously. “Why’s that?” she asked.

Nightmare was quick to provide the answer. “Because Mathew has saturated the entire area with his magic nullification.”

Twilight turned her attention to Nightmare and cocked her head in slight confusion. “How did he manage that? I thought his nullification was limited to his body,” she said curiously.

Discord chuckled and all eyes turned toward him. “That’s easy to explain. He combined his nullification with his chaos magic. I’m sure you noticed him kneeling down at some point, with a hand placed on the ground.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. I thought it was odd… but why didn’t I sense his magic?” she asked.

“Because you were already within his effective field by then,” Discord answered. “Before you saw him here, he had already gone all across Ponyville placing little runes in specific locations. That was my cue to get to Luna. I could feel his chaos magic at work, even from all the way near Canterlot. He wanted to make sure he saved as many ponies as possible.”

Luna gasped in realization. Her eyes darted down to the massive teleportation spell on the ground that she could see, if only faintly. “So then, that spell circle is to save us in case things go badly! But why did he waste so much of his magic to protect us so? Now we know there’s no way he can best my sister!” she exclaimed in worry.

Nightmare Moon spoke next, her voice calm. “There is no need to worry about that, Luna.”

Luna and twilight both looked at Nightmare incredulously, but Nightmare simply held her passive composure. “Mathew developed a means to counter his loss of magical power,” she said softly. “Twilight might have noticed it when she attacked him a few days ago…”

All eyes turned to the purple Alicorn and she shrank back under the wave of attention. Rarity also thought on the event for a few seconds before it dawned on her. “You mean when Twilight’s magic had turned into that vapor?”

Nightmare nodded. “You are correct. It had been inspired through instinct on Mathew’s part, but he found a way to use his nullification in a different way; one that was outside its intended purpose. When Mathew focuses on a location on his body, he can shift the coverage of his nullification magic. In doing so, he can cause a new type of field with it. As such, it allows him to either completely cancel out the offending magic, or he can use it to change the base properties of the magic. What he learned from his encounter with Twilight was that by breaking down the magic of others, it turns the power into an absorbable form. With Celestia’s previous magical attacks on him, he’s had plenty of power to take in to replenish his reserves… although…”

Applejack’s heart skipped a beat at that last phrase. Something in the way Nightmare looked as she finished through up a red flag. She walked right up to the dark goddess and looked her in the eye. “What do ya mean by ‘although’?” she asked and her ears slowly pinned back.

Nightmare stared silently into Applejack’s eyes for a few long moments. Another thunderous boom echoed outside. She took in a long deep breath and slowly let it out, her shoulders sinking with the effort. “The act itself requires him to use his own magic to initiate the conversion. Simply put… Mathew uses a large portion of his magic to accomplish the spell, but the gain is only sixty percent of what he cancels. Given what I’ve seen… it means that Mathew still lacks the upper hand in this fight.”

The space within the barrier went deathly silent, the exception being the sounds of battle outside. Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, dragging herself to her hooves from the spot she had allowed her flanks to drop. “Does that mean… even with all that strength… the princess is going to… to kill him?” she asked, struggling with her loyalty to the human she once called her friend.

“We just have to believe in him,” came Pinkie’s soft voice from her stationary spot near the side of the barrier.

Everypony present, including Discord, turned their eyes to the pink mare. Her poofy hair had deflated slightly and her once joy filled, blue eyes seemed half hollow as she watched Mathew’s struggle. A small smile was still held in place on the end of her muzzle, but it was obvious to all that she was forcing it.

Twilight walked over to Pinkie and gently nuzzled her cheek. “So if we believe in him… he’ll be alright?” she asked her pink friend.

Pinkie Pie started to cry quietly. “I don’t know Twi… but while you all were arguing… I got the feeling that one heck of a doozy was gunna happen,” she choked out before her body gave in to the sobs of her sadness.

Silence reined over them once more as the weight of Pinkie’s word hit everypony. Glances were quietly exchanged, and emotions began to sink into the depths of sorrow. Nightmare Moon slowly walked over to stand before Discord, a look of pleading in her eyes. “Discord…” she said softly, “I know you said there was nothing you could do to help, but I have to know. How did Mathew bring me into this world?”

All eyes slowly turned toward the two conversing deities as Discord inhaled deeply. With a heavy sigh, he answered his long time rival. “I’m sure you noticed that you no longer have your connection to him. He removed your core from his chest, Nightmare.”

“Impossible…” Nightmare whispered, shocked beyond belief. She then turned her gaze back toward Mathew’s form in the sky. She stared at him for a long moment before tears started to form in her eyes.

Luna took notice of her shimmering eyes and stepped closer to her mother. “Nightmare Moon? What is it?” she asked.

Without taking her eyes away from Mathew, Nightmare grit her teeth and suppressed a sob, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. She blinked and a tear trailed down her cheek. “He’s dying… with each passing moment, the life sustaining magic that my core provided him is slowly seeping out of him…”
> 18 - The Sun Sets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweat dripped down Mathew’s face as he hovered in the air. His eyes had lost some of their golden luster, now simply pools of a sickly grey-blue. The magic wings and tail had eroded long ago and his black crystal hair had stopped emitting excess power. The heat had gotten intense, fighting in such close proximity to the smoldering body of his foe, Celestia.

As for his enemy, Celestia seemed to only fair slightly better than Mathew. Her coat has darkened in a few places, indicating her lack of magical power as well as places where her body still permitted sweat of her own. The two had broken off from their lock and now took the time to assess each other’s state. The battle had been nothing short of brutal, leaving the sun princess with a few cracked ribs and numerous cuts and scrapes. Mathew likely would have looked similar, were it not for his body’s healing property – though even that had slowed down considerably.

Mathew was quick to recover, though his earlier confidence in succeeding had lowered. He was not fool enough to think he could win now, no… he would be lucky to get through to Celestia now. There was little left of his magic stores and he knew he’d run out too soon if he kept going at their current pace. With Celestia taking her own time to recover, Mathew quickly cycled through his options.

He subtly glanced down toward the barrier. Things had finally settled down there, it seemed, but it was slightly upsetting to see such sad looks in their eyes. Looks like they found out, he thought. He had put everything on this battle, his life included, but had refrained from telling Nightmare. He knew she would have stopped him otherwise.

Mathew’s heart dropped when he saw both Luna and Applejack weeping as they watched him. He tore his eyes away from them and refocused on his adversary. There was no other choice, it seemed. He had to put everything he had left into his next series of attacks and pray that he could get through to Celestia. He hardened his gaze and took a deep breath. “How much more must we fight before you yield, Celestia?” he asked.

Celestia snarled and waved her axe around her. “I’ll never yield to you! Nothing you do will change my mind – I will kill Nightmare Moon.”

Mathew sighed and shook his head. “Why can’t you see that you’re about to make the worst mistake you could ever make – especially for an immortal like yourself? Look at what you’ve done already! Is this truly what you want?”

“Oh sun above, when will you learn?” Celestia barked back, clearly annoyed. “If you had lived for even a fraction of what I have then maybe you could understand. Nightmare Moon’s death is the only thing that will even remotely come close to sating my burning hatred. Each day I suffered has added up, Mathew. At this point… I will do anything to see her dead for what she did to me. Now prepare yourself!” she said and lunged forth once more.

Mathew sighed. His body ached all over, but he had to continue fighting. Time was up so he initiated his next phase. Just as Celestia swung her axe, Mathew let his body become shadow. The weapon passed right through him, still causing magical burns due to the power of Celestia’s sun being channeled into it, but not affecting him otherwise. His shadowy body then bolted down to the ground, where he hit with an earth shattering crash.

Having successfully thrown Celestia off guard, Mathew proceeded to kneel down. He placed his hands on the ground and soaked up the lingering magic of his spell circle, effectively removing his ability to save the citizens of Ponyville. Then he surrounded his body in shadow to dodge Celestia’s next attack, narrowly avoiding the beam and losing his left hand to her blade as she slammed into the ground where he once stood.

In the next moment, using his right hand, Mathew lunged forward and grabbed Celestia’s throat. He roared as he flung her body back into the air and then leapt over to his barrier. His eyes met with Nightmare’s for the briefest moment and he offered her a small smile as his barrier was absorbed into his body. He launched himself back into the air and charged Celestia with one final attack in mind.

Celestia righted herself in midair and faced Mathew as he rapidly approached. She sluggishly summoned her axe and readied it for another swing. Mathew streaked toward her like a missile; his dull eyes focused on her completely. One hundred feet… seventy… fifty… thirty… ten… Celestia swung her axe. Mathew’s body twisted and arced above the blade. His left arm, severed from the shoulder, fell to the ground below.

Celestia’s breath hitched in her throat as Mathew came to a halt, his face less than an inch from hers. He was so close that she could smell the metallic scent of his blood from the wound. She stared into his cold hard eyes, watching as they faded slowly into a grayish brown. His gaze had nearly distracted her from a tingling sensation all around her body, but too late did she realize what Mathew had done.

Mathew floated away from Celestia slowly. His last ditch effort had paid off, though in a more painful manner than he had expected. His severed arm had started to grow back, but it was regenerating at an extremely slow rate. Still, his mind had found some peace as he watched Celestia. A cloud of golden yellow magic was seeping out of her body… her magic had finally been depleted completely.

He watched as shock slowly set in on Celestia’s face as they both lost altitude. She opened her wings wide and started to flap to stay aloft, or to at least slow her fall. Mathew, on the other hoof, simply let gravity take him down to the ground, where he impacted roughly but still managed to stay upright. He looked up to Celestia’s slowly descending form and smiled. “It’s over, Celestia,” he said tiredly, “you’re out of magic… it’s my win. Now let’s talk things out… please…”

Celestia stared at Mathew. She was at a loss for words. The lowly human, the simple tool in the plan, had actually bested the daughter of the Life Giver. He had succeeded in putting a stop to her before she could exact her revenge on her mother’s killer. Celestia’s eyes hardened and she clenched her jaw furiously. “No,” she growled. “I won’t give up. Not now… or ever!” she yelled out and put all of her strength into powerful strokes of her wings.

Mathew’s eyes went wide for an instant before he braced his battered body for the impact of the charging Alicorn. Then, the worst possible thing happened. Luna dashed in between Mathew and Celestia and struck a defiant pose, yelling for Celestia to cease her madness. Mathew’s lungs seized and time slowed down as he watched Celestia’s hate fueled eyes shoot wide open in utter terror. The long white horn of the sun princess had lowered to pierce through Mathew, and the princess would never be able to stop in time, not in her weakened state.

Before he could even think upon his actions, Mathew used his magic. Shadows surrounded him and yanked his body around Luna to place him between the two sisters. He then dove forward and slammed against the charging white Alicorn. Celestia’s body was forced to a halt, her neck cramping from the impact, before her hooves gently connected with solid ground. The world was silent.

Luna’s eyes were as wide as could be. The sight in front of her was like a dream, one she never wanted to see, but still so unbelievable that it could only exist in the depths of her imagination. She did not want to believe that it had happened, but there was no denying the deep red color that coated the grooves of her sister’s horn. The very horn that had stopped mere inches away from her chest.

Celestia could only stare. Mere moments before, her vision had been red with rage, but now all she could see was the red of blood as it slowly trickled down in front of her. Her mind had come to a halt. The last thing she saw was the pleading face of her beloved younger sister before her horn imbedded into flesh. As the reality of what she had done set in, Celestia’s whole body began to tremble. All of her senses had combined into two sensations… the coppery smell and taste of blood in the air in front of her muzzle, and the sickening tingle she felt as that same blood trailed down her horn toward her face.

The gentle touch of a hand on the back of her neck startled Celestia. Her head went to jerk back, but the other hand found a place on her cheek and lightly caressed her. “Shhh…” came Mathew’s soothing sounds. “It’s alright now. There’s nothing to fear. Everything will be just fine,” he calmly assured her.

Celestia’s panic quickly subsided and she slowly turned her eyes up as far as she could to see him. As Mathew softly stroked her cheek she caught her first glimpse of him. He held a gentle smile on his face and his golden-grey eyes looked down at her warmly. A brief moment passed between them before Mathew chuckled and winced. “I stand corrected,” he said quietly. “Looks like it’s your win.”

Celestia eyes widened a little more and her mind and heart became a storm of conflicting emotions. She was pleased that she had come out the victor, nothing more could stand in her way in killing Nightmare Moon. Yet… there was a deep sadness in her heart as well, one that brought tears to her eyes as she continued to look into the slowly fading eyes of her former enemy. Yes… former… why did she not see him as her enemy any more?

Mathew coughed, doing his best to suppress the pain, and a trail of blood escaped down his chin. He groaned pitifully, but held his grip on Celestia. Instinct told her to pull her horn out of him, but for some reason he kept her pinned in place. He took a few slow breaths and forced a small smile for her. “Celestia… will you permit me one last chance to change your mind?” he asked her.

Celestia, not being able to nod her head, forced the ball in her throat down and whispered, “Yes.”

Mathew’s smile turned a bit more genuine and he nodded slowly. He took another pain-filled breath and looked her right in the eyes. “You saw what I did to that dog. It was easy to say I had killed a coyote, but in truth… in my hunt to get revenge on the coyote that murdered and ate my beloved pet, Kicker, I let my rage blind me. I know you think you’re doing something different, that you’re not following in my footsteps… but you couldn’t be more wrong. I became a monster… a monster who killed my closest friend’s pet and then lied about it afterward to hide my shame. In your rage, you’ve nearly done the same thing,” he said and choked as he coughed up more blood, doing his best to aim away from Celestia to spare her pure white coat from his hacking.

Mathew composed himself once his coughing had subsided, with Celestia taking note of how weak his grip on her had become. The position of her neck had started to cause her discomfort, but she dared not move. Mathew took another breath, closing his eyes and squeezing the back of Celestia’s neck. “Celestia… there’s something I need to show you. Do you wish to see the truth?” he asked her tiredly.

Celestia swallowed once more. “Yes,” she said, though she was uncertain as to why she’d even want to waste her time. For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of ripping her horn from Mathew’s chest and stabbing him again, but something deep within her snuffed out that thought quickly.

Mathew sighed and then pushed Celestia back gently. He groaned painfully as her long horn slid free of his chest, barely finding the strength to stay conscious and standing. He acted quickly and placed his forehead against Celestia’s and looked right into her eyes again. “Let me show you the most important thing… regarding your mother’s death,” he said… and the world around the two faded to black.

Celestia opened her magenta eyes and found herself in a void of darkness. Her first instinct was to try and conjure a source of light, but her magic seemed to have been completely cut off. She suppressed her shock and fear using a breathing technique and slowly scanning around her. A sudden feeling of warmth washed over her right side and she quickly turned her head toward it. There, floating in the void was the form of Mathew… as he first appeared in her world.

Mathew eyed Celestia with a small smile on his face. It was slightly amusing to watch her as she struggled to come to grips with her unusual situation, but he did not have a lot of time left. He slowly approached her and extended a hand out in a gesture to their surroundings. “Welcome to the innermost realm that is my mind,” he said.

Celestia raised a brow, feeling slightly alarmed and cautious, yet also curious. “We are… in your head?” she asked.

Mathew nodded and smiled a little wider. “Yes. This is a place I discovered when I had my accident in the castle – the day I messed up my first barrier. I don’t know if this place has always been here or if it was something that came to be when Nightmare entered my body.”

Mathew looked up above them and pointed. “Those stars up there are actually memories. Most of them belong to Nightmare. I want to show you one of my own, though…” he said and opened his arms up toward one of the distant motes of light.

A single star streaked down toward Mathew and slowed to a stop just in front of him, floating between his hands. A sad smile had taken the place of his previously happy one as he gazed at the memory orb. He looked up at Celestia. “I saw this in one of my visions… and I must ask you the same question I once asked your little sister,” he said in a tone that was firm, yet fearful. “Are you prepared to see everything you thought you knew crumble? This memory will destroy your current reality… because it is one of the hardest truths for you to bare witness to. This is your last chance to learn what really happened back then. So you must choose… will you view this memory, or will you ignore it and continue to devote your blind rage toward becoming a monster in the eyes of your little ponies?”

Celestia thought on the question, and felt compelled to ask one thing first. She looked at the human with a cautious expression in her eyes. “Why is this the only chance I have to see this?” she asked quietly.

Mathew smirked, though there was no humor behind it. “You saw what’s become of my body. You won our fight because I’m on my last leg. With this spell, to show you this memory, the final bit of magic I have left to use will be expended… and I’ll be passing away shortly after. This… this is my dying wish… to show you the one thing that might help you.”

Celestia’s eyes widened at first, only to become burdened with the liquid form of her sorrow moments later. She shook her head and pathetically stomped a hoof. “I can’t let you do this. I won’t let you waste the last of your magic if it means your death,” she said as firmly as she could.

Mathew simply shook his head. “I’ll die no matter what you do,” he admitted. “I removed Nightmare Moon from my body, Celestia. Her core essence, the very thing that gave me my magic power to heal, is now within the body I made for her. I fulfilled my promise with her, so that she could have a chance to be with her daughter. I don’t regret my decision. Please, Celestia,” he begged, “please look at this so that there will be just one more good thing I’ve done in my life.”

Celestia hesitated and tried to think of a better alternative. She would have offered to lend him her magic… but he had depleted hers almost completely. Nothing else came to mind and the look in his eyes said that he had already thought of the very same things she had, but knew they would not work. She took in a deep breath, shuddering slightly as she fought off the need to break down and cry for Mathew. Eventually, she relented and looked Mathew in the eyes. “What must I do?” she asked.

Mathew smiled and looked at the memory between his hands. “All you need to do is touch it. The memory will flow into you. I’ll warn you, though… the first time you contact one of these is the weirdest. It’s kind of like falling asleep while you’re in the middle of doing something and your mind will want to jerk you out of it,” he said and extended his hands out toward the waiting sun princess.

The Alicorn eyed the glowing mote for a moment before glancing one last time at Mathew. There was no deception in his eyes, but she felt there was just one more thing she had to ask. “Why would you do this for me?” she asked quietly. “Why help me after all I’ve done to you?”

Mathew stared at her quietly for a few long seconds. Then his face lit up with a kind and warm smile. “Because I would have liked it if someone had done the same for me when I needed the help. You also helped introduce me to a world where I could make lasting friendships… even though I’ll be losing them shortly, they still mean more to me now than any others. I’m eternally grateful for that.”

Mathew fully extended his arms and the mote of memory floated forth to hover right in front of Celestia. She eyed the orb and glanced at Mathew once more and he nodded to her. Celestia smiled softly. “Thank you…” she said and dipped her head forward into the memory.




~~***~~




After an unknown period of time, Celestia exited the memory. Her eyes were filled with a deep sadness, with tears already streaking down her cheeks, but a smoldering anger for something more burned within her as well. She turned her head slightly, noticing Mathew had moved to look at a strange window of some kind.

Sensing her movement, Mathew looked over toward the princess and offered her a knowing smile. “That memory is my gift to you. You can do what you like with it… I take it that you see things in a new light?” he asked her.

Celestia nodded, then looked away from Mathew. “I don’t know how you could ever forgive me for how I acted,” she said, having realized how reckless and immature she had acted.

Mathew simply shrugged. “You are old, Celestia… but you’re still young in comparison to beings like Nightmare Moon and Discord. Not that I’m calling you a foal, but you’re more like those three fillies I met before. You’re smart, but still not quite mature enough to see things as an adult should. I can forgive you for making the mistake you did. All I ask is that you take this knowledge and learn from it.”

His gaze then turned away and looked back at the odd window. “Now then, I should prepare you for what awaits you, at least,” he said as Celestia walked over.

The Alicorn princess looked through the window, seeing her body laying next to Mathew’s, with Luna and the others huddled around them – the air thick with their concern. Celestia turned her attention back to Mathew and he nodded back to the window. “They’re all going to be affected by what you did, Celestia. You nearly killed Luna, which is going to give her reason to be cautious around you. But that’s not the worst of it…” he said and pointed to the edge of the window.

Around the gathering of the element bearers, Discord, and the two reigning regents of the night, were many ponies. The sight hit Celestia like Mathew’s first punch. She could see the pain she had caused in her subjects. Being weak and tired were the least of their troubles as they bore witness to their most respected sun princess’ lowest display. Fear, anger, uncertainty, sadness and betrayal were all present on the faces of those who had been caught in Celestia and Mathew’s conflict.

Mathew sighed softly, seemingly fighting to stay awake. He shook his head and waved a hand over the window. “Everypony that saw you will remember your actions. They are the ones that will be the hardest to gain forgiveness from, and rightly so. Our fight made nearly all of Ponyville suffer. I won’t be around to offer a proper apology… but you will. On the plus side… I have faith in your heart, so I know you’ll be able to make it up to them,” he said and offered Celestia a small smile.

Celestia swallowed and sighed as she fought to calm herself. For the first time in a long time, she was afraid of other ponies. The thought of having to make amends for what she had done weighed heavily on her mind, but Mathew’s words of confidence had helped a little.

Mathew permitted himself a light chuckle as he watched her expression of unease. “Don’t worry too much. You managed to beat me in my own element… I think you can handle a few thousand apologies,” he chided her playfully. “Come on… it’s time I said my goodbyes to the others…” he said as a look of melancholy slipped over his features.

The window suddenly expanded and swallowed both of them. A few seconds later they found each of their bodies stirring awake. Celestia instantly regretted ever taking on Mathew in combat. Her whole body hurt and the emptiness within her from having lost her magic power was nearly nauseating. The small comfort, she soon realized, was that she at least did not have a missing limb and a hole in her chest.

Mathew was in far worse shape than the sun princess. He ached everywhere and the pain from his right stump of an arm was nearly excruciating. At least that pain was enough to distract from the sharp stabbing from where Celestia had impaled his chest. His eyes slowly opened and he noticed everypony had come alive with renewed worry for Celestia and himself. His gaze slowly drifted around until he came eye to eye with Luna.

He smiled weakly at her. “Well hello there, gorgeous,” he croaked out, feeling the sting from his injuries.

Luna shook her head and smirked, but that quickly turned back to a sad look of concern. “How are you feeling?” she asked him softly.

“Painful,” he replied. “I feel like I just fought a sun goddess.”

Luna chuckled, even if she did not want to do so. She could not help it with that goofy face… making cheesy jokes even on his deathbed. A sad smile graced her lips and she leaned over his chest, doing her best to stop herself from crying. “Thou art such a lovable fool…” she said quietly.

Mathew sighed. “Indeed… it actually took me this long to realize something important,” he replied softly and reached a trembling hand up to cup Luna’s cheek. He gently turned her head to look at him and he gave her his best smile. “I realized that… if it was with a pony as wonderful as you… I might have fallen in love. It would have been nice if we could have spent more time together.”

Luna’s throat tightened and she choked back a sob. Nightmare Moon walked over and stood beside Luna, looking down sadly. “Is there nothing we can do to save you?” she asked, her eyes filled with remorse and slight guilt.

Mathew shook his head slowly.

Nightmare grit her teeth and shut her eyes as she steeled herself. She took a deep breath. “Take my essence back,” she said calmly.

Mathew chuckled softly, wincing in pain again. “Can’t,” he replied softly, “I don’t have any more magic left. Even if I did, I don’t think I’d live through the ordeal… not this time. Besides… that would be counterproductive to that promise we made.”

Nightmare huffed and glared at Mathew. “Stop joking like that! There has to be something we can do to save you – there has to be…”

Mathew simply stared back at her with a sad smile. He then closed his eyes and sighed gently. “I know you feel partially responsible for this, Nightmare… but you have to accept this. You know what my life was like… I was finally able to do some good, even if it was in another world. It’s okay to let me go… Luna will need you… and so will Celestia. They’ve needed a mother for a long time…”

Nightmare clenched her jaw and fought back her tears. There was more she wanted to say… but if she dared to open her mouth, she’d give in and become a sobbing mess. So she stood beside her partner stoically while struggling with her emotions.

Celestia finally willed herself to sit up. She tenderly maneuvered herself into a proper sitting position and cast her eyes over the surrounding area. The ponies of Ponyville were cautious of her, but she knew it was not yet time for her to address her apology… so she turned her gaze back to her dying savior to remember his passing. She felt he deserved that much.

Twilight watched Celestia from her place near Mathew. It hurt that Mathew had been right all along about her beloved mentor. Part of her wanted to walk over to her princess and offer her some aid, while the other part of her was terrified. It was as if she was looking at a complete stranger, but she knew that it truly was Celestia sitting there. She opted to leave the princess alone for now… she had a dying friend to be beside in their final moments.

Rainbow Dash was… at a loss as to what to do. She was still terrified of Mathew, but his fierce golden eyes were nothing more than faded husks of that image. Her heart pained her greatly as she beat herself up for not rushing to Mathew’s side – as if her loyalty to her former friend was somehow being betrayed. At the same time, however, she felt she had no place beside him. Luna and Applejack were there already… with Nightmare Moon right beside Luna. The others stood around his body, too… the only spot left was right by his head, and that just seemed an awkward spot to be. Instead she opted to be more like Discord… and she stayed on the sidelines.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were embraced, quietly sobbing into each other’s shoulders. Rarity simply stood beside them, a hoof on Fluttershy to comfort her friend, even when she could have used a comforting pat herself. The only thing that kept her from crying as well was the thought of how much trouble it would be to wash her eye shadow off of her face later… plus she thought it would be more helpful if she held her composure. It might be enough to help her friends cope with the loss better… or so she thought.

Mathew’s focus slowly drifted to his other side. His gaze met with the beautiful emerald green pools of Applejack’s eyes. Strong emotions danced around behind Mathew’s sad expression. He could feel his body slowly shutting down as the last drops of his magic sputtered and faded away. His lips parted to speak, but he could not vocalize his thoughts. Instead, he inhaled as deeply as the burning in his chest would permit – an action that somehow took a lot more effort to do.

Applejack quietly watched as her friend struggled to find his voice. She would have spoken herself, but there was just so much she wanted to say to him… and not enough time. A trembling breath slid out of her and she closed her eyes for a moment. Her eyes permitted a lone tear to slip down her cheek before she opened her eyes once more to look passionately into his. Her lips parted just enough for her to whisper the only thing she could muster the courage to speak. “Ah love you…”

Mathew stared at her for a long moment, his breathing slow and steady. A big genuine smile graced his lips. “Thank you… Applejack. I… I…” the last of his thoughts died on the end of his tongue as his body deflated. Mathew had tried to get out the last part for her to hear, but his body would have none of it - despite every ounce of effort he tried to force into it. The last traces of magic left his body and his eyes faded back into their original golden brown.

Applejack’s head dipped down as her sobs ripped through her. Luna followed her in sorrow immediately, gently placing her hoof on his chest while her tears dripped down onto his cheek. Reality struck home for Twilight and her back legs gave out, plopping her rump down to the ground hard. Rainbow simply stared as her eyes watered and Rarity finally joined Fluttershy and Pinkie in their huddle of tears.

Discord suddenly appeared beside Celestia and gently placed his taloned hand on her shoulder. She spared him a mournful glance, and he returned it sadly. “I hope you never forget what his sacrifice means for you…” he said quietly before removing his hand and vanishing.

Nightmare Moon looked down upon the content expression on Mathew’s face. He seemed to have gone on with happiness in his heart… but she was not ready to let go of him yet. She steeled herself for one last spell… one she knew she just had to try once more. Even though it had failed her in the past, she felt she needed to try to give life to the dead one more time. Her horn lit up with a pale green glow of magic and a single tear trailed down her face to meet with the tiny smile on her lips…
> ~Epilogue~
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia stood on the balcony outside of her bedchamber. The golden glow of her horn faded. Another beautiful day had arrived for her little ponies. That thought had a bittersweet feel to it, though. Did she still have the right to think that? True, she had yet to see an angry mob of ponies from the town of Ponyville, but that did nothing to change the way they looked at her. Even her subjects around the castle had stopped seeing their princess in the same light as before.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she looked to the sky. Her magenta eyes lingered on a familiar place far away and her thoughts turned back to the most recent memory of her mother. Mathew had left her with something important in that mote which contained the Life Giver’s dying words… words meant for Celestia.

“Celestia… my beloved daughter… do not mourn my passing. I have lived through the ages… giving life to countless children. There is nothing I regret, save one… should you see her again, tell Abyss that I am truly sorry for betraying her trust... I was foolish. I allowed myself to fall victim to the oldest trickster in existence… all because I thought he could change for the better. He used my own love against me, and in doing so, has left you without me. Beware those who use the power of chaos, my child… but place your trust in the one who finds this sliver of my hope in the cosmos…

They will be… your guiding light…”

Those were her mother’s final words, and Celestia knew she could trust them. It was a wonder how Mathew had found that memory. Celestia was grateful to him beyond words for allowing her to see the one thing that would allow her closure. Part of her original goal was to attempt an ancient spell to attempt to bring her mother’s soul back. Celestia’s heart had always pined to hear her mother just one more time and Mathew had granted that wish.

A warm smile spread across Celestia’s features before she took in a deep breath of the mid-summer air. Things had never felt so right in the world…




~~***~~




Twilight stopped as a pleasant breeze swept over her fur. A feeling of contentment took hold in her heart and she smiled up into the sky. It seems the princess is happy again, she thought warmly. It had been hard for Twilight, seeing Princess Celestia so angry and broken, but it felt like harmony had finally been restored. She sighed happily and turned her attention back to her current task.

The last of the Apple trees landed gently in its new home within the western orchard. Twilight huffed and looked over to see her friend Rarity put down her tree as well, with the help of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie Pie made themselves busy with patting down the soil around the last two trees. The Apple Family farm had successfully avoided the loss of an entire orchard.

The feeling of accomplishment soon faded as Applejack looked around at all of the trees. Her smile faded away into a more subdued melancholy. Twilight quickly took notice and moved closer to offer her friend some sympathy, but was actually surprised to see Rainbow Dash suddenly appear right beside Applejack and embrace the farmpony.

Applejack was shocked, to say the least, but she understood her friend’s intent and returned the hug as her eyes misted. “Ah miss him, ya know?” she said quietly. 

Rainbow tightened her hug and nodded faintly as a small smile spread across her lips. “Yeah… he really was a cool guy…”

Twilight and the rest soon joined in the hug.




~~***~~




Luna found herself walking down one of the corridors of the castle. It was a path she had grown used to traveling. She passed a few guards, offering a small smile to them in greeting even though she held no desire to show such an expression. Her hooves came to a stop in front of a door that was guarded by four elite members of the royal guard. She did not smile for them.

A small nod was all it took for one of the guards to turn and open the door for the lunar princess and she walked inside. The room had been left the same since the last time she entered it. The sheets were still folded back in the same manner and the silver silk pajama bottoms had been left sprawled out in the corner of the room beside the dresser.

A soft gust of wind drew Luna’s attention to the far side of the room where Nightmare Moon stood in front of the open window enjoying the sunrise. The dark-coated Alicorn goddess glanced over to her daughter and offered a kind smile. Luna returned it… before her eyes turned down with a sigh. “Might I ask… how is he?” she whispered.

Nightmare’s eyes flashed white and the invisibility spell dropped. A large pale blue crystal floated above the bed. Inside of that prism rested the frozen form of Mathew Reese, still dressed in his war torn clothing and smiling serenely. Nightmare walked over to the side of the bed and gently touched her horn to the side of the large gem. “He is… still slumbering peacefully. He is currently dreaming of you, my daughter. It is a happy dream,” she said softly.

Luna smiled genuinely and looked upon the sleeping face of her friend. “That is good…” she said and her face lost the happy smile as her sadness slowly returned. “Will he ever awaken?” she asked.

Nightmare turned away from the crystal and gently nuzzled Luna. “I do not know… but I have hope that he will. The last time I tried to stop death… I failed completely. My friend did not come back to me. This time is different. Mathew lives… but something reacted within him. He may wake at any time, yet he remains frozen in that crystal. I almost wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that you occupy his dreams so often…”

Luna chuckled softly and shook her head. “Still such a lovable fool… I hope he comes back to us soon,” she said as she tenderly touched her hoof to the side of the prism.

“As do I,” Nightmare replied softly, “since there are many things I need to thank him for.”

The two mares of the night continued to watch over Mathew’s still form; both eagerly awaiting the day he would return to the world of the living…