Memories past

Seven Years later

Twisting Wind sprinted through the thick brush of the Everfree Forest. He risked a glance behind him but ultimately decided against it. If he wasn't looking ahead of himself, he'd surely crash into a branch, and many loose branches had already torn apart the grey training robes he wore. A sharp turn came unexpectedly upon him. Wind narrowed his eyes and reared his hoof back as if he were about to punch someone. He thrust his arm forward, sending a shock-wave through the air and blasting a thick bunch of trees away effortlessly.

Wind jumped through the newly-made pathway and into a clearing. He glanced about, trying to find a way out of the clearing, sadly there weren't any trees for him to blast through, he was surrounded only by cliffs. Wind snapped in the direction of the hole he had created as he heard what was chasing him drawing closer. The ground shook with each heavy step. A guttural roar echoed through the forest as a massive reptile came smashing through the trees.

A roughly humanoid monster breathed heavily as it glared with red-hot intensity at Twisting Wind. The beast roared as it slammed one of its large muscular arms into the ground; lumbering forward on two stubby legs and roaring from its tortoise-like mouth, puffs of air coming from under a bony plate covering its nose and forehead.

Wind smirked as the beast came further into view, the monster's blue scales shining in the moonlight. The odd creature seemed somewhat familiar, in fact, the whole scenario seemed very familiar. Fighting a large beast in a heavy jungle while lightly armed. Twisting Wind knew why, his past life did something like this once. Regardless, Wind now had to focus on the large beast that wanted to eat him whole.

Wind used his powers and took his bipedal stance, drawing a sword from his hip and smiling devilishly at the beast. "Come on, big guy..." He muttered to himself, his voice steaming with cockiness. "Let's see what you got!"

The beast roared as if it were answering Wind's challenges.

"Alright then!" Wind yelled. He launched forward at the monster with his powers and rammed right into the beast's leg, but with barely enough force to stagger it. The monster retaliated with a powerful swipe of its arm that knocked Twisting Wind all the way into one of the rock faces. He impacted with a loud thud, a few small chunks of rock were knocked loose as he hit.

"Okay...That was good..." Wind grunted. The beast scooped him out of the small crater he had formed with one of it's four-clawed hands and roared loudly in Wind's face, blasting a rancid odor of decay from previous meals into his face. "Woo, buddy, your breath stinks!"

The monster slammed Wind into the ground then stomped on him. Wind let out a roar of pain as the monster's elephant-like foot smashed into his back. Then it picked him back up. Wind was too dazed to make any sense of what was happening, he only began to regain his awareness as the beast opened its maw and drew its arm closer to its face.

"Oh, Shi-" Wind was cut off as the beast shoved him into its mouth and swallowed him whole. The monster licked its chops then began to move out of the clearing. It stopped as it felt a hard thump from inside of it. It growled as it felt something moving about inside itself, then began to shake violently as that something began to crawl out. The monster gagged and hacked as it felt hooves climbing inside its throat. Then suddenly, Twisting Wind blasted from its mouth covered in saliva and bile.

"Oh, Celestia...This is gonna be a hard smell to get out." Wind said as he looked over his soaked training robes. He couldn't dwell on this for too long, as the monster was on the attack once again. It charged at Wind with he intent of trampling him again, but somewhat slower that usual. It seemed that Wind's earlier attack had hurt it somewhat.

Wind stood up again and prepared to fight, but he had dropped his sword when the beast threw him. Panic began to overtake him as he was now without a weapon against this behemoth. Seeing no other options, Wind ran to the side as the monster's charge came to a close. The beast whipped right past him and crashed into some trees that hadn't been completely blasted away by Wind.

Wind took a breath of relief as the reptile was dazed from its failed attack. He took the opportunity before him to search the makeshift arena they fought in to find his sword. Luck struck Wind as he saw his sword just a short distance from the cliff he was thrown into. But then Lady Luck ran away as fast as it arrived when Wind also saw that the beast had recovered. Deciding not to take any chances, Wind made a break straight for the sword.

The monster roared and charged, kicking up dust and rocks as its prey ran away. Wind turned around and fired a kinetic blast at the monster, but to little affect as the beast just shook it off. Wind cursed under his breath and started running to the sword again.

The monster swiped its claw again and narrowly missed Wind, hitting him just enough to trip him up and force him to alter his path. "Will you just let up!?" Wind yelled behind him.

Wind thought as he ran, trying to devise a plan to get his weapon back. The obvious problem was the fact that the monster was preventing Wind from getting to it. He needed to somehow distract the monster long enough for him to get to his weapon. Wind cast a scanning glance at the environment. Some large stones lay just a small distance from where he was thrown to. An idea came to Wind, who smirked devilishly as the monster slowed down.

The beast's breath became slow and labored. Fatigue was clear in the monster's posture. Wind's smirked widened to a grin as he took this opportunity. He stood up on two legs again and stretched his left hoof out towards some of the rocks. The air rippled around the rocks as Wind lifted them into the air. With a flick of his wrist, the rocks soared through the air; the first rock struck the beast in the side of the head with enough force to stagger it, the second rock knocked it back a little bit more, and the final rock knocked the beast on its back.

"Yeah!" Wind yelled as he ran to his sword. The beast rolled over and slowly stammered to its feet. It glared at Twisting Wind with intense fury and charged once more. Wind groaned loudly as he saw the monster was once again on its feet. Thankfully, he was only a short distance from his sword. Wind outstretched his hoof and pulled the sword towards him with his powers.

It occurred to him that he could have saved a lot of time if he had just done that in the first place. Thinking nothing of it, Wind held his sword and stood to face the monster with a look of determination. The beast raised its arm high and swung down with the intent of crushing Twisting Wind. Wind stood his ground as the monster's fist came down.

At the last second, Wind jumped out of the way, pulling off a graceful side-flip and landing perfectly on all-fours. With a kinetic burst of speed, Twisting Wind ran up the monster's arm and leaped high above the beast's head. Wind held his sword upside down and increased his descent speed with his powers. He stabbed straight through the beast's skull, causing the behemoth to roar in pain.

That didn't finish the job though, as the reptile tried to grab Wind from off its head. The beige Earth Pony noticed this almost immediately and repeated his previous attack, this time landing in a different spot on the monster's head. Wind leaped elegantly off the monster's head, spinning around and firing three kinetic blasts at it, and each one hitting their mark. The first blast staggered the monster, the second blasted it sideways, and the third knocked it to the ground.

Now was the time to finish it. Wind stood on his hind legs again and concentrated. His mental energies all went into one solitary act. The air around the monster began to ripple as it got up. The beast roared and charged at Twisting Wind. The Earth Pony didn't let up his concentration. The air ripples intensified slowly, a blue glow began to engulf the reptile. The beast reared its arm back and prepared to strike. Wind raised his front hooves high into the air. At first, nothing happened, save for the monster's arm being halted mid-attack. Then, the beast began to rise slowly from the ground.

Wind could feel the beast now in his grip. He felt excited, he had never lifted something this big before. Wind opened his eyes and saw the blue-scaled lizard thrashing violently in the air in a desperate attempt to grab a hold of something.

"All right, buddy," Wind yelled at the beast. "It's time you went-" Wind paused as he threw the monster against the ground. "-And just-" Wind thrashed it into the same hole he made in the cliff "-Died already!" Wind charged a kinetic blast and launched it at the monster, throwing it with his grip at the same time. The combined force threw the monster high into the air. Wind then threw himself up, blasting much higher than the monster did. Once Wind had reached the climax of his ascent, he drew his sword and swung down; using his powers to once again speed up his descent.

Twisting Wind's blade slammed down hard into the monster, the force of Wind's fall combined with the speed the monster was flying at combined together; Wind's blade cut deep into he beast's side.

Wind let out another blast and the reptile went barreling beck down to the surface, landing with enough force to completely obscure the clearing below with dust. He then used his powers to slow down his descent. He landed softly in a rather large crater that the blue lizard had left behind.

Wind charged his kinetic abilities again and released a bubble of energy that cleared the dust away, giving clear view to the devastation from the monster's crash-down.

The blue lizard lay limp in the center of the crater, several trees were mangled and torn around the edges of the crater, and many rocks that were knocked loose from the cliff were scattered about. Wind was taken aback by this destruction. The crater itself had to be at least seventy meters wide, and now that Wind looked around some more, he could see some other Everfree creatures that were unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast.

"Holy..." Was all Wind was able to say. Before he could think about his actions any further, Wind glanced up to the sky. It was now deep into the night and the more dangerous creatures of Everfree would be out soon. Wind dreaded the possibility of having to fight a creature stronger than what he just beat, though he certainly felt as if he could do that.

Deciding against his arrogant side, Wind quickly fled from the scene, finding the devastated pathway that the beast destroyed in its rampage. The branches that once tore and snagged at his robes were all scattered and flung about the pathway, stray twigs snapping under Twisting Wind's hooves. Despite the impending danger, Wind decided to walk through the forest.

Hopefully the fight scared off the other creatures. Wind thought to himself as he walked.

He glanced about cautiously, peering in between the twisted gnarls of the trees. The night beasts were more dangerous than regular Everfree monsters, but none were able to avoid detection easily. Wind's heightened senses also contributed to the factor. To Wind's relief, the eldritch forest seemed tranquil this night. Most ponies found the forest to be terrifying due to the ever-present darkness and the beasts. Twisting Wind related with the latter, but the former he found ridiculous. The Everfree was a beautiful place to him; the forest teeming with life at every inch, the unnatural ways the forest worked, as well as the sapient life the forest held. All of these factors combined to form a deep peace within Twisting Wind.

Thinking back to his previous actions, Wind began to feel somewhat guilty about killing the blue-scaled lizard.

Celestia had taught him to respect life in any form and he had slain a creature that most likely was defending its territory from an intruder. He quickly pushed these thoughts out of his mind, telling himself that the act was of self defense and it was either it or him.

The tranquility of the forest began to fade after that. A chill ran down Twisting Wind's spine as he felt a...presence in the air. A dark presence, one slightly familiar but at the same time alien to Wind. He turned his head off to the side, where he saw a small cave entrance. The presence seemed to come from there. It was calling to him, whispering to him in the back of his mind.

Against his better judgement, Twisting Wind walked towards the cave. He glanced to his sword, knowing that if anything was in there, at least he had a weapon. Wind turned his attention back to the cave. It was, thankfully, too small for anything too dangerous to be inside of. He stepped inside the cave, taking a good look around first.

The cave was an ordinary stone cavern. Water dripped from stalactites scattered far from each other on the cave's ceiling. Despite the lack of any source, the cave was rather well lit. Wind took a few steps further in, and almost immediately saw movement going deeper into the cave.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Wind said to himself as he followed the figure in. The light in the cave faded away the deeper in he went. Soon enough, Twisting Wind was in total darkness. He looked about quickly, trying to find a source of light to lead him in the right direction. Then, out of the corner of his eye, there was a light. Wind smiled and quickly ran over into the light. He passed into it, and was surprised when he found himself in a white void. "What?" Wind said aloud. Suddenly, random stone bricks flew in from nowhere, surrounding Wind in a tornado. The bricks then flew out and assembled a floor underneath Wind, then walls, and finally a roof.

The walls had many intricate carvings and depictions, but one stood out. In the center of the room, a carving depicted a circular shape sided by two spiked shapes. This symbol radiated darkness more intense than anything he had felt. Not even the influence of Sombra from Wind's childhood was this strong.

Twisting Wind walked up to the symbol and ran his hoof over it. A strong chill rushed through Wind, the cold embrace of the darkness being somewhat welcomed by him. The feeling seeped into his skin, coursing through his veins and engulfing his bones. Wind quickly pulled his hoof away. Celestia had warned him of dark Magic, and though he was not a unicorn, the darkness still had the ability to corrupt those unfortunate enough to wield it.

Twisting Wind turned around and began to walk away, but stopped dead in his tracks as he saw three intimidating figures behind him.

"This is the one..." The first figure, a tall avian humanoid Wearing black robes covered with a heavy armor that fit its slender form. "He is the one we must worry about?" The avian's voice was high and raspy, somewhat like a stereotypical bird-alien in a sci-fi film. "Thanatos, shall we kill him now?" The bird's black feathers ruffled as it craned its neck towards the figure next to it.

Thanatos was much taller, and did not wear robes like the other two did. Thanatos wore a suit of heavy silver, somewhat cybernetic armor. A long black cape flowed from the human's back, and a black visor stared coldly from a rather elegant warrior-like helmet. Thanatos put a hand to his chin as he walked over to Twisting Wind and examined him.

"Is he truly the one?" Thanatos spoke, his voice gruff and aristocratic. "I have seen cockatrices more intimidating than he is..." Thanatos turned towards the final figure, who's face was obscured by a heavy black hood covering his face. "What about you?" Thanatos asked the figure. "Do you think that he is the one?"

The figure stood still, staring at Wind from underneath his hood. The figure shook his head and walked away from the group.

"You do not think that?" Thanatos asked. "He is very powerful. You do not sense this?"

The black robed figure turned around and looked at Twisting Wind again. A cold calculating glare came from under the hood. Wind felt eyes piercing his soul from under the hood, searching for every secret he has. The figure broke the stare and nodded at Thanatos. The figure's silence was even more unnerving to Wind.

"Very well. So he is the one..." Thanatos spoke as he looked Twisting Wind in the eye. "Child, we have a message for your Princess." Thanatos walked over to wind and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him into the air as he glared from behind his mask. "Tell her, that the darkness will return. We shall arrive and Equestria will be ours for the taking. You shall watch as we annihilate all that your kind has built, as well as cast the crown into an abyss of fire and pain!"

"Yes! You will watch from your grave as we destroy everything you know!" The avian responded.

"No." Thanatos simply replied. "You are Equestria's only hope, but you are but a child. We shall give you the opportunity to hone your skills before our arrival. Shall you take our offer, then we shall await battling you. Shall you decline, and we will force you to watch as we kill your princess."

"No, no ,no!" The avian yelled. "We kill him now! He is our only opposition, if we destroy him now, then we shall win-" The bird was interrupted as Thanatos punched him in the side of the head.

"Hold your tongue!" Thanatos yelled. "There is no honor in killing a child. If he truly is the one, then I shall give him a warrior's death! I am a patient man, so you can continue with your training until we arrive. Then you have the opportunity to battle us!" Thanatos said to Wind. "Now, sleep, child." Thanatos took his free hand and touched his index finger to Wind's forehead. A surge of energy rushed through Wind, then he fell unconscious.

Three hours later

Twisting Wind awoke with a start, the memories of the figures still fresh in his mind. Thanatos, the robed human, as well as the Avian. Wind needed to tell the princess right away. He stood up and stretched his back, looking around to see where he was at. He was in an old house by the looks of it. He had slept on a wooden bed with a simple mattress on top and some small blankets. A noise came from the house. Wind could sense somepony downstairs.

Wind crawled out of bed and noticed that his robes were gone. He blushed slightly, but he didn't know why. Wind looked into a nearby mirror. He looked like death, and definitely smelled like it too. Wind turned to the side, trying to see if there was any scrapes or wounds on his side. Nothing.

Not a mark. Not even on his flank. Wind sighed as he looked. Fifteen years and still no mark. Regardless, Wind needed to tell the Princess about Thanatos and his allies. Wind ran downstairs, finding himself in a room with many cages of varying size strewn about. He could smell something cooking in the other room. Wind walked into the kitchen and saw a canary yellow Pegasus making pancakes.  Wind wondered how she was able to see through her long pink mane.

"Um...Hello?" Wind called. The Pegasus squeaked, startled. She turned towards Twisting Wind and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was him.

"You startled me." She said, her voice meek and quiet. "I hope you like pancakes." She gestured over to the table, where a plate with a pancake already made sat. Wind nodded politely and went over to the table. He sat down and watched the odd Pegasus as she cooked. She clearly had experience with taking care of ponies. Twisting Wind could sense a great kindness inside her. He hadn't said any words to her, but he already liked her.

Wind levitated a knife and fork and proceeded to eat his pancake. The mare that had found him watched in amazement as she saw Wind use his telekinesis.

"How do you do that?" She asked him.

"It comes naturally." Wind responded simply as he took a bite of his pancake. "Dear Celestia, I can't remember the last time I ate anything like this!" Wind said with joy as he took another bite. Silence reigned in the room as he ate. It was awkward for the mare. She felt humbled in Wind's presence. The Princess's star student, right next to Twilight Sparkle, was eating in her kitchen.

"So," Wind began after finishing his pancake. "What's your name?"

The mare didn't answer. She hid under her mane, saying something inaudible. Wind asked her to repeat herself, but it only garnered the same results. Wind looked at her bemused at her, then an idea came to him. Wind slowly waved his hoof in front of the mare's face.

"You will tell me your name." He said. The Pegasus's eyes dilated.

"I will tell you my name." She repeated in a monotone voice. "My name is Fluttershy."

Wind smirked as his idea worked. Fluttershy shook her head, dazed, then looked at wind with an irritated look.

"Please don't do that again." She said, her voice stern.

"Don't worry. I won't...So, Fluttershy," Wind Started. "How exactly did you find me?"

"Oh, well, I was feeding my animals last night, when I heard a loud crash come from inside the Everfree forest. I got worried that something was going to get my animals, so I stayed out and watched the entrance. After a little bit, I think an hour, you came out talking about something called Thanatos, then you passed out...What were you doing in the forest anyways?"

"Trying to find peace with myself." Wind once again stated simply. "It was going good, then some sort of lizard-thing attacked me."

"Lizard thing?"

"Yeah, big humanoid-ish thing. Blue scales, tortoise looking head. Think it might be able to swallow a Manticore whole." Wind held his hooves wide apart to give an exaggeration of the beast's size. He looked at Fluttershy, who was staring in fear.

"That sounds like a Pygmy Dragon..." Fluttershy said in shock. "They aren't supposed to live in Everfree...What did you do to it?"

Wind shook his head. He didn't answer with his words, but with silence. It spoke much more than he did.

"I'm sorry...But it was either me, or it."

"I understand..." Fluttershy said solemnly. "But...Surely there could have been another way-"

"I would have tried to find one, but there was no alternative...Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Canterlot. I have something important to tell Celestia." Wind stood up abruptly and began to head towards the door.

"Wait!" Fluttershy called. "The train won't be here for a few hours...Why not stick around town for a little bit?"

Wind paused. He'd be stuck for a while. One thing was nagging at him though. He still didn't know which part of Everfree he had left from.

"What town am I in exactly?"

"Ponyville." Fluttershy responded.

"Ponyville..." Wind's outlook began to improve as several thoughts came to him. There were a few things he knew he needed to do while he was here. A white Unicorn came to mind, as well as his father. "I guess I can wait."

"Alright! I can show you around town if you'd like-"

"No need," Wind interrupted. "I know my way." Wind was about to open the door, when he remembered one last thing.

"By the way, where are my robes?"

"Oh, I sent them to a friend of mine's place. She said that she would fix them up for you, as well as get the smell out."

"Good."

"Why do you need your robes, anyways? Is it a formal thing, or..." Fluttershy began to trail off as she noticed something she wondered why she hadn't before. She had to ask Wind a question before continuing. "Um...How old are you?" She squeaked.

"Seventeen. Why, how old are you?"

"Oh, um...Sixteen...Sorry, I was just curious about...Uh..."

"Why I don't have a cutie mark yet?" Wind answered for her. "Don't worry, I'm used to it."

There was another pause, then a knock on the door. Fluttershy gave wind a slight nod, then she opened the door. Standing behind the door was a white Unicorn with a purple mane and tail, in her magic grasp, she held Twisting Wind's robes.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late! My parents are visiting and Mother wanted me to finish some things for her before I left- Dear Celestia! Is that him?" The Unicorn asked in excitement.

"Uh, yes, Rarity." Fluttershy responded. "That's him."

"Oh my, stars! He's every bit as magnificent as the newspapers make him out to be! Why, he's even...Um...Am I seeing this right?" Rarity asked as she looked at Wind. "Oh...Now I see why you wear these robes..." Rarity scratched the back of her neck with he hoof. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Pinkie Promise."

"Pinkie Promise? We don't have hands." Wind spoke.

"No, not like that." Fluttershy answered. "It's something our friend Pinkie Pie came up with."

"Yes, Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rarity said as she did silly gestures that matched what she said. "It's something we do when we swear never to speak of it again, or tell anyone about it."

"Okay, now may I please have my robes?" Rarity nodded, the levitated the robes over to Twisting Wind, who grabbed them with his own levitation. Wind nodded, then slipped on his training robes.

"I'm sorry, but I had to tear off one of the sleeves. I didn't have enough fabric to fix it entirely, so I needed to improvise."

Wind looked himself over. Other than a missing sleeve, his robes were completely fixed. Twisting Wind gave them a thankful nod, then he went for the door. Before he fully left, he turned back towards the two mares.

"Before I go," Wind began. "Does a Unicorn named Morning Eclipse still live in Ponyville?"

"Yes, why?"

"She's an old friend of mine, and I'd like to see her." Wind responded simply. Without another word, Wind walked out the door and left the two mares to themselves. He still had a few hours to kill before he returned to Canterlot. First thing was first, he would find his father. Then he would find Eclipse. After that, he wasn't sure what to do. "Time to go, I guess." Wind said to himself as he began to walk. In his mind, he knew the more pressing matters of Thanatos took place above his personal desires, but he now had time to indulge himself.

"Alright. Let's go."

Two hours later

Twisting Wind walked uncomfortably through the streets of Ponyville. He knew he had a reputation, but he was beginning to find this ridiculous. Ponies stared at him from every corner, even if they never directly spoke to him, he still found it somewhat annoying.

He smiled slightly as he saw his old home come into view. He had a strong feeling that his father had moved out, but maybe the Pony living there knew where he went. Coming up to the house, Wind rapped on the door. There was a pause, then the door opened to reveal an older looking Pegasus. His coat was a somewhat faded shade of orange, and his hair was cropped slightly. The Pegasus looked at Wind with a slight look of confusion.

"Do I know you?" He asked. Wind didn't answer. He knew that this was his dad. Without any words, Wind wrapped Spectrum in a tight hug. It took a moment, but Spectrum recognized Wind. "Son!" he exclaimed as he returned the hug, pulling Wind inside and closing the door behind him.

"Dad!" Wind responded. There was silence, Spectrum and Twisting Wind embraced each other for another few minutes, letting the moment sink in for one another. Wind let go first, his father soon after. They both laughed and sat down in the living room, with Wind sitting on the couch while his father sat in a faded green recliner. Wind looked around the room. He noticed a wall with several cut-out newspaper articles decorating it. Each article was a story about Wind. A small smile crossed Wind's face as he read. It made him feel good that his father still kept tabs on him.

"So," Spectrum started. "What brings you back here, boy?"

"Where do I begin..." Wind sat and told his father the past few weeks, all up to his confrontation with Thanatos. Wind decided to omit that part. It was something that only the Princess could hear. Other than that, Spectrum seemed proud of his son. Wind felt a sense of pride as his father smiled. Wind then asked his father to tell him about his life.

"Well, a few years back I started going to some group therapy to stop drinking."

"And?"

"Haven't had a drink for three years. I think that's a good sign."

"Yeah. I'm glad that we're both doing good." The two both let out a laugh, but it quickly died down.

Spectrum looked solemnly at his son.

"You know what today is, right?" Spectrum asked with a melancholy tone. "Today's your birthday. You remember what we used to do on your birthday?"

Wind nodded slowly as his smile faded. On Wind's birthday, they would pay a visit to Shining Star's grave.

"I was going to head out later tonight, but you said that you'd only be here for a few hours. I know your friend Eclipse, so we can go find her then head to pay our respects to your mother. That sound good, son?" Spectrum asked.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Wind responded. "When are we leaving?"

"Just a few minutes." Spectrum answered. "I need to get some things cleaned up here first. Why don't you go fin Eclipse? She lives just down the street from here."

"Alright. Meet me outside." Wind said as he got up from his seat. Spectrum gave him a nod, then Wind left.

As he stepped outside, he wondered if it was a good idea to not tell his father about Thanatos. If Equestria truly was in danger, then everypony needed to know. Wind walked down the street, still thinking heavily about what had transpired, when he heard a voice.

"Trust your instincts." A soft male voice said. "They do not betray you."

"Who-"

"You will know in due time. For now, enjoy your time."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Wind called. He waited for a response, but was met with silence. Something in Wind told him to go along with what the voice said. He begrudgingly agreed, and continued towards Eclipse's house. In the back of his mind, Wind knew that voice...It seemed eerily familiar.

Regardless, Wind focused right now on finding Eclipse. But he had only an approximate guess of where she lived. Another idea came to him. Wind closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out with his powers to try and find Eclipse. The image became clear to him. Just a few houses down and on the left, that's where Wind could sense Eclipse.

He smiled, then ran down to the house he sensed Eclipse from. He knocked gently on the door. Wind waited a moment, then the door opened. Standing there was a radiant white Unicorn with a yellow mane. Her red eyes shined in the sun. Wind could tell by the mark on her flank that she was Eclipse, and the years had certainly been kind.

"Hello?" She asked him, her voice now carrying a cockney accent. "Do I know you?"

Wind didn't know what to say. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Uh...Hi." Wind said. "I...I'm Twisting Wind. Remember me from school?" Wind waited for Eclipse's response. She looked him over a few times before smiling.

"Ah, yes. Your the one who gave my cousin a beating." Eclipse said slyly.

Wind flinched slightly as the memory of beating up Strato returned.

"Uh, I'm sorry about that." Twisting Wind responded.

"No, don't be." Eclipse said, much to Wind's confusion. "I think he learned a thing or two from that."

"Really? That bullheaded moron learned something?"

"Yeah. Not to screw with anypony with telekinesis or you get your legs broken."

They both gave a small chuckle, but that died down quickly. There was what Wind thought was the millionth reign of the awkward silence in the past few hours. He made a mental note to put a bit in a jar every time that happened.

"So. I'm just gonna get right to the point." Wind started. "Today's the anniversary of my mother's death. Me and my dad were going to go pay our respects to her, and I was wondering if you would like to come with us."

"Well, I don't have any plans for today. Wouldn't this be more of a family thing? I mean no offense, but it really isn't my business."

"Yeah. I know about that. It was more of my dad's suggestion. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Eclipse smirked and walked up to Wind, getting uncomfortably close to him.

"I'm only saying yes because you remind my of someone." Eclipse said.

"Funny, that was the same reason I first talked to you."

They both laughed and left to go find Spectrum. There search was short, as Spectrum was already waiting just a few blocks down the road. He laughed slightly at seeing Wind and Eclipse. Though neither had really talked, Spectrum knew that they'd be good friends.

"Alright." Spectrum said. "Let's go visit mother."

The cheery tone the group had faded quickly as they entered the graveyard. Despite the well order the place was kept, it still felt somewhat off to Wind. As if he could feel something.

"We're here." Spectrum stated as they came up to a tombstone. It read 'Here lies Shining Star, wife and mother (1974-2007)'. Spectrum closed his eyes and sighed.

Wind and Eclipse stood next to each other, with Eclipse placing an arm around Wind in comfort.

"I never knew her." Wind said to no one. "But I know she'd be proud of me."

Eclipse gave a comforting smile and nuzzled the side of Winds cheek.

"I'm sure she would."

Wind closed his eyes. His mind began to reach out, he could sense many presences nearby. All of them were watching him. Forms began to appear, all tall humanoids wearing long hooded robes. All stood around Wind, speaking in cryptic metaphors that he couldn't understand. Finally, one stepped forward. His face was obscured by a robe, but his robes were not long and were covered in light armor. He held his hands behind his back as he walked forward.

"Hello there." He spoke. Wind recognized the voice as the one who told him to trust his instincts earlier. "You most likely don't remember me, but I know of Thanatos and the others. Please, once this is over, abandon the Princess."

"What?" Wind mentally spoke to the apparition. "Abandon Equestria? For what!?"

"Please, Wind, or whatever your new name is, listen to me. You aren't the only one with your abilities. You yourself will not be able to take on Thanatos by yourself, you need to find the others!"

"Who are you!?" Wind yelled.

The apparition paused, then began to fade along with the other robed figures.

"Find them." The ghost said as it finally vanished.

Wind stood still, breathing heavily. Then he ran out of the grave yard. Eclipse and Spectrum called after him, but Wind did not answer.

"I'll go follow him!" Eclipse said as she ran off.

Twisting Wind ran through the streets of Ponyville, hoping that the train to Canterlot had arrived. He stopped at the train station, keeping his eyes on the tracks as he waited for the train. As he waited, his mind raced. Who was that ghost? What did he mean by what he said? And most of all, why did he seem so familiar? That ghost was definitely someone he knew, but Wind couldn't remember knowing any humans...Then it occurred to Wind, humans don't exist in Equestria. It puzzled him how he knew what they were, despite them being myths.

"What the hell is going on..." Wind said to himself. He looked around the station, wondering what was taking the train so long. His blood ran cold as he saw a tall imposing figure make its way down the path. The figure was

clad in dark armor, a oriental styled helmet rested upon its head. On its chest was a panel with many blinking lights and switches. It stopped right in front of Wind, glaring through dark red lenses in the mask's face. There was a heavy pause, the only sound was a heavy rhythmical breathing.

"So this is where you went..." A deep echoing voice emanated from the figure. "I have tracked you for many years, and now we meet for the last time."

"Who are you?!" Wind yelled.

The figure raised an arm towards Wind, positioning its fingers like it was holding something. Wind gagged as what felt like a noose began to wrap around his neck. He was lifted into the air by the figure. It slowly dawned on him who this figure was.

Before anything else could happen, there was a loud noise. It sounded like a train whistle.

Wind awoke with a start as a train pulled into the station. Sadly, it was heading to Trottingham, not Canterlot.

Wind sighed and wiped some sweat forming on his brow. The dream he had was fading now, and he hadn't a clue who the figure was anymore.

"Hey! You!" A gruff voice called to Wind.

Wind turned around and saw a grey Pegasus walking towards him. One thing that stood out was that the Pegasus was missing a wing. The mark on his flank depicted a dark cloud with hail raining from it. Twisting Wind instantly knew who this was.

"Strato..." Wind said in a low voice.

"So you remember me. That's good, because I certainly haven't forgotten you!" Strato stopped right in front of Wind, glaring daggers at the Earth Pony.

"What do you want? I have something important to do, so don't waste my time."

"You bet I have something important, you son of a bitch!" Strato yelled as he lowered his head into Wind's face. "You're the reason that this-" Strato moved his side so that Wind could see a scar where a wing should be. "-is missing!"

"I didn't take your wing, Strato." Wind said with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah you did! After what you did, my wing was broken beyond rehabilitation! The doctors that removing it was a better course of action!"

Wind shook his head and sighed again.

"If I remember correctly, I only beat you up because you threw a rock at the back of my head and you also decked Eclipse." Wind's voice was starting to take an aggravated tone. "Now, kindly leave me be."

"No way!" Strato yelled. At this point, Twisting Wind was starting to question Strato's intelligence. "Do you realize how much you took from me? Or what about what you took from your father?"

Wind glared at Strato.

"Watch yourself." Wind spoke in a low voice. "You wouldn't want to lose your other Wing, now would you?"

"Don't think I don't know! Last year, I saw your dad heading to the graveyard. I followed him and asked him what he was doing there, and he said that your mother died while giving birth to you!"

The air around Wind went frigid after Strato said those words. Wind stepped up to Strato, glaring intensely at him as his next words put darkness in the air around them, adding to the coldness.

"You stop right there." Wind spat, his voice dripping with venom. "If you say what I think you're about to say, I will do much worse than what I have before."

"In a public place? Hah! I know you won't do that. What would Celestia think of you?"

"She'd hold me in higher regards than you, I know that for certain."

"Whatever! At least I didn't kill my mother!" Strato retorted. At this point, Wind knew for certain that Strato was a full on idiot. "What was your mom's name? Shining Star? You killed her! You killed Star!" Wind glared now with enough force that if he knew how, the imbecile's head would be mush.

"I'll show you what a killer can do." Wind stated simply. Before he could do anything, Strato pulled out a switchblade and lunged at Wind. Wind moved in the nick of time, but the knife sliced a sizable hole in Wind's robes. He cursed internally as he noticed the hole. "I just had these fixed!" He whined.

Strato didn't answer, but instead he laughed hard.

"Are you serious!?" Strato said as he laughed. "You're at least an adult, and you don't have your Cutie Mark yet!?" He mocked. "So, you're a killer, and worthless too! Oh, I'm gonna do the world a favo-YEEEAGH!" Strato screamed as a surge of energy passed through him.

Wind stood on his hind legs, holding his front legs wide in front of him as several bolts of electricity shot from Wind's hooves. Strato yelled in agony as the lightning coursed through his body, while Wind yelled in pleasure as the darkness Celestia warned him about embraced him.

He raised his hooves up, lifting Strato into the air as well. Several ponies waiting for their train screamed in fear as they looked on. Pushing through the crowd, Eclipse came up. Her jaw dropped as she saw the scene unfold before her.

"What in the name of Celestia..." She said.

"You challenged my power, now I will show you what I can do!" Wind yelled as he intensified the output of his electricity. "This is what I am capable of!"

Strato screamed again in response.

"Stop!" Eclipse yelled as she ran up to Wind. "You'll kill him!" She tackled Twisting Wind, knocking him to the ground and stopping his lightning. Strato fell to the ground limp.

Wind pushed Eclipse off of him. He stood up and cast a spiteful gaze over the crowd. From the corner of his eye, Twisting Wind saw a flash of light. He turned his head, seeing that the light was coming from his flank. The light faded, and the mark was replaced with a neon-blue streak of lightning that arced in several directions. Wind stared in shock at his mark as he realized his actions.

"What was that!?" Eclipse yelled at him. "He's not dead is he?" All eyes went to the crisp form that was once Strato. The charred look of his body was all they needed to see to know that the Pegasus was dead. "Wind, what did you do?"

Twisting Wind looked deep into Eclipse's red eyes. Then he glanced nervously to the other ponies, who were fleeing the scene in terror, several of them screaming the words 'Murderer' and 'Killer'.

"I...I don't know what happened, Juno..." Wind began. "He kept rubbing it in on how my mother was dead, and I lost it-" He was interrupted when Eclipse put a hoof on his mouth.

"That doesn't matter!" She screamed. "My cousin is dead because of you, and...Wait...Did...Did you just call me Juno?" She took her hoof away from Wind's mouth. Then it returned. Twisting Wind's memories shot back into his mind like a bullet from a sniper.

His memories flooded his mind. Wind and Eclipse clutched their heads as they collapsed from the overload.

Their memories returned, each one finding their chronological place in their minds. Everything was clear to Wind now. He knew who he was now, and despite the intense pain in his head, he was happy to finally have clearance on who he was.

The two lay on the ground for a moment. Wind stood up first, remembering everything from his past life. He looked down at Eclipse, who was just now standing up. The two shared a long look with each other. Both knew who they were now.

"Is...Is that really you?" Eclipse asked.

"Yes. It is." Wind responded. "It's me." The two pulled each other into a longing hug. They stayed there for a few minutes, then Wind pulled away. "Listen. Guards are sure to be here at any moment. We need to leave." Wind said as he pointed at the mountains. "We have another job to do here."

"W-wait!" Eclipse called. "What do you mean 'Another Job'? You can't be saying what I think you're saying."

"I am." Wind responded simply. "A darkness is coming, and we need to assemble an army to fight it. We need to reform the order."

Eclipse stared a minute at him, trying to find right words. She sighed, then stepped up next to him.

"Alright. What's the plan?" She asked.

"We head for the mountains. They'll never find us there, and we'll have plenty of time to figure out what we're doing."

"So you aren't completely sure what your plan is?"

Wind passed a sly look to her.

"No, but that hasn't stopped me before." He said as he began walking. "Come on, let's get going."

Without another word, Eclipse nodded and followed along. The two were silent, they only focused on the road ahead of them. They had a long journey ahead of them, and Wind knew that this would not be an easy task for them. In the back of his mind, Wind could feel something troubling. He wasn't sure what, but it felt like...Sadness.

On the other side of Equestria...

Celestia stood on a balcony in the castle. She had felt something, a tremor, if you will. Something horrible had happened. She was not quite sure what, but it was definitely there. It was as if a voice cried out in terror, only to be silenced. She shuttered as she felt Twisting Wind's presence nearby where the tremor was. Celestia's eyes widened in horrifying realization as the thought occurred to her.

"No..." She said to herself. Tears began to well in the princess's eyes. For the second time in her life, something dear to her has been taken by darkness. Despair welled within the Princess's heart. It began to seem as if everything she loved was turning on her.

The door opened behind Celestia, but the monarch didn't notice this. Behind the door was Twilight, as well as her assistant, Spike. Twilight had also felt the tremor. She walked over to Celestia and sat solemnly next to her.

"He's gone...Isn't he?" Twilight asked.

"I'm afraid so, Twilight..." Celestia replied, her tone sombre. "I'm afraid so..."