Roots of Fear

Chapters

Chapter 1: Dark Horizon
Chapter 2: The Haunted Wood
Chapter 3: Sky Streak
Chapter 4: Friends and Foes
Chapter 5: The Roads that Led Us Here
Chapter 6: Everfree's Menace
Chapter 7: Dauntless
Chapter 8: Light of Friendship
Chapter 9: Courage to Press On
Epilogue

Chapter 1: Dark Horizon

“That place is evil.”

“It is not evil, just unexplored. If we ventured within, perhaps we could calm the fears that surround it.”

“We cannot say that it is unexplored. We once dwelt there, sister.”

“That was a thousand years ago. And I do not think that I need to say that much has changed there. We already know that.”

“But why has it changed so much? Perhaps something has come there that has managed to influence things nearby.”

“We should have noticed anything that powerful before now.”

“If it is powerful enough to change its surroundings, it is surely powerful enough to avoid being seen.”

“Or perhaps it was not as powerful when it came. Perhaps it grew in strength as time passed by.”

“The truth of the matter is that we know nothing. The forest itself may have changed on its own, or something might be dwelling there. But I think that we all agree that we can not afford to wait any longer. We must know the truth.”

“And so we turn to you. We would ask that you would perform this deed for us: go to the forest, search for anything that would be worthy of our attention, and report back with what you find. A great dread surrounds that place, and we would know why. Will you do this for us?”

The question rang in his ears. Of course he had said yes. He would have said yes if they had asked him to storm the gates of Tartarus. It was as if the word “no” wasn’t a part of his vocabulary.

It was just before midnight, and the crescent moon dazzled brilliantly in the night sky. The stars glistened in a majestic rhythm, like music without sound. He lived for moments like these. Too often his friends and family were divided over the night and day. There had been war over it, resulting in an exile of one thousand years. Even now, almost unnoticed by most, the deciding line was still there. Day or night, night or day…the choice never really went away. Neither did the tension.

Not he. He lived for the sky. One could even say he lived in the sky. The sun and moon were both welcome companions to him. He didn’t care one way or the others, so long as there was a sky for him to fly in. He reveled in the beauty of both the night and day.

The cool breeze brushed across his face, and he felt his mane sway gently in response. He looked into the valley below where he stood. To the right sat a small town, sleeping beneath the vigilant moon. In a large central structure, a solitary light glowed from a topmost window. No doubt in my mind who THAT is. When I get back from this, I’d love to meet her, he thought.

Behind him, springing out from the sheer edges of the mountain, sat a glistening city of lights. Too beautiful to simply be a fortress, too mighty to be just a palace, its towers stretched like fingers to the heavens, reaching out to touch the stars that it might have placed there in the beginning.

But now was no time to wax poetic. He looked out into the valley. Far ahead, wrapped in a shroud of darkness thicker than the midnight sky, his destination awaited him. His eyes couldn’t tell, but he knew that the entire landscape there was covered in trees. Dark, twisted, and menacing, they silently waited for him.

Wait, what? No. No, of course they weren’t waiting for him. That would be silly; trees waiting for someone.

But where did that thought come from?

A shiver ran down his spine. For a moment, he had felt as though something in the forest were looking his direction…not necessarily at him, but towards him. The unpleasant sensation was gone, but that hardly made him feel better. He stretched out, and reached back into his saddlebag. There was a map, a (rather thick) tome of known dangers to watch out for, several magical potions and concoctions, and various other supplies. Satisfied, he spread his wings and rose into the air a few meters. He glided in a circle a few times, then came back to the ground.

“Won’t be getting a lot of air time once I get in there, I guess,” he said aloud. “Should get the most of it while I’ve got the chance. Even so, I’m not in any rush to arrive. Get there, get what you’re there for, get out. Sheesh.”

With a somewhat renewed sense of resolution, he resigned himself to his task once again and set off towards the dark valley below. “How in Equestria do I get myself into this stuff?”

Author's Note

If anyone thinks they recognize this story, that's quite possible. I first published it on my DeviantArt page (chroniclestone.deviantart.com), and I've brought it over here, too. Nothing's changed from there, so this is just for anyone new to the story. This is also for my benefit, so I can get used to the drastically different layout over here. So if I make a bit of a fool of myself, please bear with me. Feel free to laugh, though.

Chapter 2: The Haunted Wood

“Spike? Spike, wake up! You sleepyhead, open those eyes!”

He groaned and turned onto his side. It hadn’t been enough that she had kept him up all night doing some late studying (again!), and now she wanted him to get up at who knew what hour this was? “Can’t a guy get some sleep?” he yawned.

“You can catch up on your sleep later today,” the voice returned. “Don’t you remember what today is?”

Spike rolled onto his stomach and reluctantly opened an eye. It took him a few moments to focus on the calendar pinned to the wall. “Tuesday?” he said, turning to the voice.

A purple unicorn stood at the foot of the stairs, her beloved book-laden saddlebags thrown over her back. She smiled sympathetically as she looked at him. “Aw, Spike, did I keep you up last night?”

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, but I guess I should be getting used to it by now. Isn’t it a bit of a regular occurrence now?”

“I was actually working on a night-light spell so I could read without keeping the lights on and keeping you awake,” she responded.

“Twilight, the light last night was the brightest I had ever seen it. You couldn’t have worked on it in the daytime?”

“I can’t tell how bright it is in the daylight! I need the darkness to gauge its potency.”

Spike brought his claw up to his forehead and groaned. “Are all of our conversations this ridiculous, or it just me?”

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, ignoring Spike’s sarcasm, “today’s the day we’re going out to help Zecora gather some more plants for her potions. I’ve always wanted to be able to take some notes on her concoctions and methodology. It would do wonders for my studies. I’m sure Princess Celestia would be thoroughly fascinated with her work.”

“Yeah, sure,” Spike said, only half-alert to the conversation. “Can I sleep on the way there?”

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment. “And I suppose that would involve hitching a ride?”

“Well, since we’re both going that way…” he prodded.

“Oh, alright,” she said, using the magic emanating from her horn to lift him onto her back. “Just don’t snore.”

He awoke to the steady jostle of Twilight’s clopping. He stayed still for a moment, reluctant to commit himself to the realm of consciousness.

“Glad that you could come back to us.”

Spike turned his head towards the head of the mare. She was still facing forward, prancing along as if she had noticed nothing. “How did you know I was awake again?” he asked.

“The snoring stopped.”

“Oh. Sorry.” He sat up and stretched again. The dark outline of Everfree Forest was rising before them, and Spike felt an unnerving chill run down his spine. “Hey, Twilight, doesn’t the forest seem just a bit…I dunno…creepy?” he asked, the last few words coming out almost hesitantly.

“It’s an old forest, Spike. It was here before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, and that was a thousand years ago. In all my studies, I’ve never seen anything that actually dates it,” she responded, her voice trailing off, as if recalling books from long ago. “The royal house of Equestria once dwelt there, but after moving to Canterlot, it was mostly abandoned. I know of a few times that there have been expeditions that have tried to go back in and repopulate it, but they all ended up moving outside the forest. Even Ponyville was started on the edge of the forest, and if it wasn’t for Granny Smith, then it might not have survived in the first place.”

Spike blinked vacantly for a moment. “Uh, thanks for the history rundown, Twilight, but you really didn’t answer my question.”

“If you’re asking me if I believe in the superstition that the forest is haunted, then no, I don’t think the forest is ‘creepy.’ That’s just an old mare’s tale,” she replied with a snort.

Spike took a moment to look ahead again. The individual trees were becoming clear to see, along with vines hanging from their limbs. The shadow of the edge of the forest stood in sharp contrast to the sunlit fields they were traveling over. “But…you’ve been in there before…several times, even. You saw all those creatures when you went to get the Elements of Harmony. And there was the time all of you ran into that patch of…poison joke! Hahaha!” he laughed at the memory. “Flutterguy and Twilight Flopple! Oh, that was funny…”

Twilight’s head whipped around, bearing a warning glance back at the young dragon. He returned a look of sheer innocence, but his playful smile disappeared. “Spike, there are strange things in all areas of Equestria, not just Everfree Forest. A few incidents are nothing to get all skittish about.”

“A few?!” Spike shouted, jumping to his feet and nearly losing his balance as Twilight continued her pace. “What about the manticore? That dragon I ran into that one time? Oh, and the Ursa Minor! And there was the cockatrice that turned you to stone! Even the parasprites came from Everfree! How can a place with all that…stuff…be natural?”

Spike heard Twilight sigh. “It just doesn’t seem natural to us because no ponies live there. I’m sure Zecora thinks it’s just perfectly fine, because she lives there.”

“But remember how all of the ponies in Ponyville were afraid of her because she lived in Everfree. I’m telling you, that’s just creepy.”

“And I’m telling you, it’s just some silly superstition!” Twilight protested, frustration rising in her voice.

“Haha! You’re so much fun to tease!” Spike laughed.

Suddenly, a very weightless feeling came over him as he involuntarily was lifted from his perch and placed onto the ground. “You’re awake now. You can walk,” he heard Twilight say as she continued on.

“Boy, someone’s feeling testy,” he muttered under his breath.

They continued up to the forest’s edge in silence for several minutes, when Twilight suddenly stopped cold. Spike’s sense of unease had been rising, and he absent-mindedly walked into Twilight’s leg as he was glancing around nervously.

“Hey, what gives?” he said, rubbing his head.

“Sshhh! Look over there!” she said, gesturing with her horn.

He took a glance toward the direction she was indicating. In a patch of long grass just be the eaves of the forest, there stood a pale blue pegasus. His mane and tail were a split mix of navy blue and a silvery grey. A pair of saddlebags, similar to Twilight’s, were slung across his back. He knelt down, apparently inspecting something on the ground.

“So it’s a pegasus. Big deal. This is Equestria, Twilight,” Spike said.

“But I’ve never seen him before, and we know everyone in Ponyville,” Twilight replied, tapping her hoof on her chin.

“Well, he’s a pegasus. He could have flown here from anywhere,” Spike offered.

“Then we should go warn him.”

“Of what?” Spike asked. “You seem to think that Everfree Forest is perfectly normal.”

“I never said that. But even if I don’t agree with you, there’s one thing you were right about—Everfree Forest is no place for the unwary.”

As they approached, Spike couldn’t help but feel extremely suspicious of this new pony. Even a pony that had never been to this part of Equestria should have better sense than to venture near Everfree Forest. The place had an unwholesome aura about it that made those nearby uncomfortable.

When they were within twenty feet of the stranger, he suddenly stood erect and turned back to face them. Spike yelped and jumped, taking cover behind one of Twilight’s legs. But the danger he feared never materialized. The stallion appeared calm, but curious, to the arrival of the companions. He had bright blue eyes that almost seemed to glow against the dark of the woods beyond. He watched the two of them approach casually, almost as if he had been expecting them.

Twilight was the first to speak. “Hello,” she began simply. “I don’t think I’ve met you before. I’m—”

“Twilight Sparkle,” the pegasus interrupted in a smooth, but somewhat business-like voice. “I’ve seen the murals and tapestries depicting your victories over Nightmare Moon and Discord in Canterlot. You’re well-spoken of.”

“Oh, well, thank you, um…” Twilight gently prodded.

“Sky Streak. I was just thinking a few nights ago of how great it would be to meet you someday. I didn’t think the opportunity would arise so quickly,” he said, his voice warming and a smile emerging at the corners of his mouth.

Twilight blushed a little, and Spike stepped out. “And surely you’ve heard of me, then?” he said, puffing his chest out and trying to appear important.

Sky Streak arched an eyebrow and shifted his eyes around in thought. “Can’t say that a name comes to mind,” he said at last. “But I’m willing to try and learn a new name today.”

Feeling a little deflated, Spike still pulled himself together enough to fill the request. “I’m Spike, Twilight’s assistant and royal scribe.”

“In training,” Twilight added. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sky Streak, but I have to warn you that you’re on the edge of Everfree Forest. It’s a dangerous place to everypony, especially if you’ve never been there before.”

“Oh, I know. It’s actually where I’m headed.”

Spike’s jaw nearly hit the dirt. “You’re going INTO Everfree?! Has everypony lost their minds?!”

Sky Streak looked at Spike, surprised by the sudden outburst, but Twilight quickly stuffed a free hoof into the dragon’s mouth. “And why are you going in there?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh, uh…” the pegasus stammered. His hesitation only lasted a moment, but Twilight took note of it. “Let’s just say that I’m running an errand for several important ponies.”

“An errand into Everfree? Auugghh, why do I even try?” Spike muttered, bringing his claw to his forehead.

“Not a popular place, huh?” Sky replied. “Can’t say that it looks overly inviting from the outside.”

“Well, we’re going inside to help a friend, too. Care to join us? If you’re going that direction, that is,” Twilight asked, somewhat eager to have the continuing company of this stallion.

He shrugged. “I really don’t have any clear direction as to where I’m going, or what it is exactly that I’m looking for. But I’m not opposed to traveling with you. I’d actually rather consider it an honor to travel with one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” Spike gave him a dirty glance. “Oh, and her assistant, of course,” he quickly added.

“It’s settled, then. Glad to have you along, Sky Streak,” Twilight said with a bright smile.

“The feeling is mutual,” he replied with a nod of his head.

Author's Note

Hey, I can use canonical characters! It's not just my OC!

Chapter 3: Sky Streak

The trio walked quietly among the trees, which wasn’t hard. The air was thick and heavy, and any sound they made seemed to fall dead after going little more than a few feet. Echoes were non-existent.

So this is Everfree Forest, Sky Streak thought to himself. It’s no wonder they were worried about this place. It feels so.... His thoughts trailed off. He couldn’t think of a word to accurately describe what he felt, so he attempted to reach back into his saddlebags and bring out his journal.

After several unsuccessful attempts to retrieve it, he heard Spike’s voice from beside him. “Hey, would you like a hand? Twilight uses magic to move stuff around all the time, so she doesn’t ask for my help with stuff like that all that much.”

Sky sighed and nodded. “I’d appreciate it. Unicorns are lucky, having magic and all. The pegasi and regular ponies don’t have the luxury. I’m after my notes journal. It’s a black spiral-bound binder.” A thought suddenly came to him. “Hey, Spike, you said you were a royal scribe?”

“In training,” he said, climbing onto the pegasus’ back and fishing around in his saddlebags. “Twilight sees fit to make sure that I remember that I’m not an official scribe yet.”

“Because you’re not,” came her voice, though there was a playfulness in her tone that made Sky smile.

“Well, could I ask that you take my notes for me? I’m not much of a writer. Usually, my hoofwriting is pretty horrid. It takes me a long time to make something that seems remotely legible.”

“As long as we’re together, I’d be happy to,” Spike said, producing a quill from seemingly out of nowhere. “This is something I’m good at.”

“You might as well make it out to Princess Celestia while you’re at it, Spike,” Twilight said.

Sky’s eyes widened in surprise, but Spike’s voice sounded doubtful. “Um…why?”

“Because that’s who he’s preparing the notes for. Isn’t that right, Sky Streak?” Her expression was half smug, half compassionate.

Sky swallowed the lump in his throat and tried his best to appear calm. “And what makes you think that?” he managed.

“Well, when we first met, you already knew my name because you had seen the paintings in Canterlot, which meant you had been there. And since all of those are kept in the royal palace, it means that you had been there, too. And you also told us that you were doing this for a ‘very important pony.’” She tossed her head for a moment, then looked at him in triumph. “Am I right?”

“Almost,” Sky admitted. “I figure that it doesn’t hurt anything to tell you about my task. You are Princess Celestia’s personal student, after all.”

“So, what’s the truth?” Spike asked from behind him. The little dragon was such a natural at riding on a pony’s back that Sky could hardly feel him at all.

“Well, for one, I wasn’t sent here by a ‘very important pony.’ I said that I came on behalf of ‘some very important ponies,’” he corrected.

“Meaning?” Twilight asked.

“I’m here at the request of the Equestrian Royal Council.”

He heard Spike cough behind him. “You’re here because the Council sent you? The entire Council?” he asked, climbing up onto Sky’s head just to try and look him in the eye.

“Well!” Twilight exclaimed. “Those certainly would be some very important ponies. But what interest do they have in Everfree Forest, Sky Streak?” the unicorn continued.

“Just call me Sky,” he said. “And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the big concern is. But they all seem to think that the forest is dangerous, at the very least.”

“It definitely is,” Twilight agreed. “But so are many other places in Equestria. I don’t see why they would choose to single out the forest above anywhere else.”

“Is it because they think the Forest is haunted?” Spike asked, a strange eagerness in his voice.

“Haunted? Well, no, not in the traditional sense. But it seemed to me that they thought that there was something that was dwelling here. Not a ghost or anything like that, but…I dunno. I think Princess Luna used the term ‘malevolent spirit.’”

“HA!” Spike shouted. “See, Twilight, I told you that the forest was creepy! It’s because it’s haunted by something! Even the Council thinks so!”

“Just because the Council thinks that something is true doesn’t mean that it is true,” she protested. “But I still don’t get one thing. Why send you? Why not send a troop of royal guards to investigate?”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Sky interjected, “your brother told me to tell you ‘hi’ if I should happen to run into you. Which I have.”

“Oh, how is he?”

“He and Princess Cadance are doing quite well. They’d love for you to come visit them sometime.”

“Next time you see them, tell them I’ll head to Canterlot next chance I get. But back to the question at hoof: why did the Council send you?”

Sky felt his face grow warm, and he knew that he was blushing. “Well, to be frank…it’s kind of an initiation thing. I’m up for recruitment into the service of the Equestrian Crown, and if I complete this assignment, then my chances will be that much better.”

Twilight looked at him as if she were looking at a totally different pony than the one she had been walking with. “Wow…that’s really amazing, Sky. I never would have guessed all that about you.”

“Well, nothing’s decided yet, so this assignment has to come first. I’m supposed to investigate the forest and see if I can determine the source of the dread surrounding it,” he continued.

“I had always attributed it to the lack of ponies living in the Forest itself, but it seems like the Council thinks that it’s the other way around. Maybe there is something else here…

“You know what, Sky? I think I’d like to help you with this. If this concerns Princess Celestia as much as you say it does, then it concerns me, too. I’m sure my knowledge of magic would come in handy, and Spike can use his fire breath to send your notes straight to Celestia, so you can keep her updated on things as you go. What do you say?”

Sky turned his head to look at Spike. “You can do that?” he asked, somewhat incredulous.

“I’m a dragon that lives with ponies. I’m full of surprises,” he said, smiling smugly.

“Well, my initial thought was to say something like ‘It’s too dangerous’ or something like that, but on second thought, that’s kind of a silly thing to say to a pony that’s faced down Nightmare Moon, Discord, and an army of Changelings. Do I really have a choice?” Sky asked, feeling more grateful for the help than helpless to resist the offer.

“She’s too stubborn to take no for an answer, anyways,” Spike muttered behind him.

“It’s settled, then,” Twilight said, shaking her mane. “We’ll go see Zecora, and after that, we can help Sky with his investigation.”

“Besides, I think I’d like to meet this Zecora. I figure that she’ll be of great help in my task.”

“I’m sure she will be. Zecora is very wise, and she can tell you a lot about the forest. I’m sure she’ll know something about the ‘malevolent spirit’ in Everfree, if there even is one.”

“Let’s go find out, shall we?”

With that, they broke into a gallop, and plunged headfirst into the deepening darkness of Everfree Forest.

Chapter 4: Friends and Foes

“Well…I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I’m fairly certain this wasn’t it.”

Sky Streak stood stock still, looking rather dumbfounded at the hut in the middle of the clearing. The darkness of the forest seemed to lift as they approached, but all around them, it sat there, like gates into the fastness of the night. They had all felt refreshed to be in the light again, but Sky’s intrigue at a pony living in the midst of the forest had given way to confusion upon seeing Zecora’s hut.

“You’re sure this is the place? I mean, how can any pony live in a place so…so…primitive?” Sky asked, struggling for words.

“Now, now, be nice,” Twilight admonished him. “Zecora has been nothing but good to everypony in Ponyville since they stopped treating her like an enchantress.”

“Ugh,” Spike groaned. “Now I’ve got that stupid song of Pinkie’s stuck in my head again!”

Sky opened his mouth to ask a question, but Twilight beat him to the punch. “Just let it go. It’s better that way.”

“Oh…kay. So, where is this mysterious Zecora?” he asked, looking around.

Almost on cue, a head popped out of a window, and a voice deeper than Sky expected called out to them.

“Twilight! Spike! I knew you would show. But you’ve brought along someone that I do not know!” Zecora said, smiling as she ducked back into the hut. She quickly reappeared in the doorway, holding a strange pink flower in her mouth. She gently lowered it into a vase beside the door, and proceeded to come out to greet the newcomers.

“Hello, Zecora. I hope we haven’t kept you waiting,” Twilight said.

“I am sure you came just as soon as you could, but please introduce your friend as you know that you should!” she responded, looking at Sky with her blue eyes.

“Oh, of course. Zecora, this is Sky Streak. We met him entering the forest earlier, and he’s been traveling with us since. Sky, this is Zecora, the pony I’ve been telling you about.”

Zecora smiled as she observed him, but Sky stared blankly at Zecora, a bit overwhelmed by what he was seeing. After a few awkward moments, Zecora chuckled a bit.

“Many ponies I have met running with many herds, but this is truly a colt of few words!” she said, apparently trying to prompt him from his stupor.

Finally, he shook his head and brought a hoof to his temple. “You…you’re a zebra!” he said at last.

Zecora cocked an eyebrow at him. “Much time it takes you to state something so clear. Are you quieted by shock or by fear?”

“Fear?” Sky responded, feeling his senses starting to activate again. “Fear of what?”

Twilight cleared her throat and spoke up again. “As I was saying before, the residents of Ponyville all thought that Zecora was some sort of evil enchantress back before we all got to know her.” Spike groaned in frustration and walked away, holding his head. “It took a little bit of an embarrassing encounter for us to learn the truth. But trust me, Zecora’s nothing to be scared of. She’s as pleasant and kind as any pony can be.”

“That is true, my good Twilight, but there is now more than that. Will you please come inside where we can all sit and chat?” Zecora offered, heading back to her hut.

“But what about gathering your plants?” Twilight inquired.

“My plants do need tending, but they must wait. Your friend’s coming has hastened a perilous fate,” she said cryptically as she entered her hut.

The temperature seemed to drop for a moment as Sky looked on. All color seemed to fade as the world turned into dull shades of gray. He blinked. What the hay is this?

A sensation of building pressure rose in his head. He looked at Spike, who was standing beside him, but he seemed oblivious to anything that Sky was feeling. Whatever was happening, it was only happening to him. He opened his mouth to speak, when it happened.

A sharp, piercing pain burst in his head, causing the sensation that he thought it would split in two. In an instant, every hair from the top of his mane to the tip of his tail was standing on end. All four of his legs went numb, and his eyes snapped shut instinctively. And in the midst of the darkness of his own mind, clear as day, he saw a pair of red eyes trained on him, intent with malice, yet gleeful in some manner. Sky’s heart froze within him.

Then, almost as soon as the feeling had come over him, it was gone.

“Sky? Sky, answer me! Are you alright?” Twilight’s voice came to him through the fog in his mind.

He opened his eyes. He was still standing (somehow), but his legs were still weak and the feeling in them was slow to return. His vision was blurry, but he could see color again, and the purple blur in front of him he could only assume was Twilight.

“You shouted just now, like you were in pain. What happened?” her voice asked, though Sky couldn’t really see her. Behind her, a mingled grey blur (whom he assumed was Zecora) moved away from him.

“Uh...er…” Sky struggled to form words, but any clarity of mind that he had was set solely on maintaining consciousness. He narrowed his eyes in focus, and he could barely make out the violet eyes of his unicorn companion.

“Zecora! We need help! Something’s wrong with Sky! We should get him inside.” Twilight’s voice echoed in his ears, as though it came from a great distance away.

“It has passed now, do not worry. But come in now, and please hurry!” Zecora said, an unusual urgency mingled into her speech.

Sky felt a claw reach up on his left side, as though to steady him. On his right, he felt another pony move up beside him. “Come on, Sky, let’s get inside.” With an effort, he started forward. It was only after he started walking that he realized that he had been trembling the entire time.

“Does…does she always talk like that?” he asked, saying the first words that came to his mind. He was still feeling shaken. He stared after Zecora into her hut. She obviously knew something. But what? And how?

“Yes, but you’ll get used to it,” Twilight replied, gently leaning up against him. “But most ponies don’t respond to her like that. You don’t look so good.” She looked at him square in the face, and her eyes were full of concern. “Are you alright?”

Sky shook his head in an effort to focus his mind, but the feeling was slow to pass. “I’ll be okay,” he said at last. “Let’s hear this important message that Zecora has for us.”

It was only a few minutes before they were all resting on the ground of Zecora’s hut. She had made them all a warm beverage of some sort from her many plants, and she had kindly added a little something extra to Sky’s drink to try and help him calm down. A few sips later, he was feeling much more like himself, though a vague sense of anxiety hung in the back of his mind.

“Now, then,” Twilight began, “what’s this you have to say about Sky Streak and a perilous fate?”

Zecora closed her eyes and sighed. “It is the darkness,” she said. “It stretches far and near. But with it goes a sense of terrible fear. A malevolent spirit, and a will of its own, it chills ponies’ hearts and cuts to the bone.”

Spike looked up with wide eyes. “A malevolent spirit! Sky, that’s what you told us that Princess Luna said that she thought was behind the shadow in the forest!”

Sky turned his head towards Spike, but his eyes were cold and threatening. “You know, Spike, it was my intention of keeping my errand a secret, but it seems that every pony from here to Foalumbus will know about it at this rate,” he said in a low voice.

Spike recoiled, and both Twilight and Zecora looked at him in surprise. “Sky, don’t be so harsh! Spike didn’t mean to let that slip like that. Besides, Zecora is perfectly trustworthy! Your secret will be safe with her,” Twilight said in a gentle but firm tone.

Sky locked his gaze with her for a moment, then closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry,” he began, “but I guess I really don’t feel like myself at the moment.” He took a sip out of the cup in front of him. “I was so eager to perform any duty when the Council gave me this task, and I set out determined to see it done. But now that I’m actually here…” His voice trailed off, and he made a sound that sounded like he was stifling a cry. “Now that I’m here, it feels like each step is just bringing me closer to something I can’t bear to face. And everyone I meet is being drawn into it with me. And if I can’t face my task, then how am I supposed to protect those that go with me?”

He buried his face in his hooves and let out a frustrated yell. Twilight looked at Spike, who shrugged and looked uncertain of what to do. Turning to Zecora, she saw that the zebra had arisen from her place and had walked over beside the pegasus.

“A great heart of pride has taken you this far, but it will not take you past here. A heart full of courage is required if you wish to conquer your fear,” she said in a soothing voice.

“Courage…” Sky echoed softly.

“Once, long ago, the hooves of the ponies governed this land. But since those long days, they have been led by an invisible hand. But now it is revealed, menacing and black. And if stretches out to take something, it will not go back,” she continued.

“Stretches out for what?” Spike asked, wringing his claws.

“Wherever it goes, ponies flee the land. It will gather everything it can.”

“It’s after all of Equestria, then?”

“So spoken by you, I hold to be true.”

“Then we have to let the Council know.” Twilight, Spike, and Zecora all turned to see Sky sitting up again, his eyes closed, but his voice was steady again. “It’s almost funny, you know? How this is all playing out, I mean.”

“How’s that?” Twilight asked, looking confused. Beside her, Spike appeared equally bewildered.

“Well, when I set out from Canterlot, I was bound and determined to see this through to the end. I felt so strong, so important, so…invincible, I guess. But the further I get into this forest, I feel less and less able to go on. If I hadn’t met you two, I wouldn’t have even gotten this far,” Sky replied, his voice again cold with frustration.

“But you did make it here!” Spike said in an attempt to console Sky.

“It was less like coming and more like being dragged along,” he said gloomily. Then, seeing the hurt in the eyes of his friends, he quickly added, “I mean that in a good way.”

He groaned. “Just listen to me! I can’t even talk without saying something that can be taken the wrong way! I almost feel like I’m becoming a different pony, one that I’d rather not be like at all.”

“Then be who you are, not who you may abhor! That is why you have friends, and that is what they are for,” Zecora admonished him.

“Zecora’s right,” Twilight chimed in. “We’re with you because we like you, and we’ll help you face your fears. Eight hooves are better than four.”

“Throw in some claws, and you’ve got yourself a team!” Spike shouted, jumping to his feet. “Of course, if I had hooves, then I’d let you use them, too.”

Sky looked into the eyes of his friends and saw nothing but warmth and comfort. He swallowed, and he felt the darkness disperse a bit. The gloom lifted off his shoulders, and he was Sky Streak, simple pegasus on a mission for the Royal Council, once again.

“Thank you,” he said, and he meant it. “But there’s still a lot to do. A threat as significant as this is something that I can’t just wait to report. Spike, take a note.”

The dragon had his quill and paper in a flash, and took perfect dictation. Within a few minutes, the letter disappeared in a puff of green flame. “They’ll be getting that soon,” Spike said as he closed the journal. “But what do we do now?”

Twilight looked over to Sky, but his eyes were downcast and uncertain. “I guess we keep looking for the source of the darkness,” she said at last. “But where do we find it?”

“I have told you everything I had to say,” Zecora said softly. “The remaining answers you must find on your way.”

“I know one thing.” Sky’s voice was quiet, but solemn. “I had a feeling not long after I set out from Canterlot that the forest was watching…no, more than that, waiting for me. And I felt it again when I arrived at your hut, Zecora. That’s what shook me up. But this…thing…is waiting for me. For some reason, it’s expecting me to come to it. So I gotta figure that if it wants me, it’ll lead me.”

“Speaking of creepy…” Spike said with a shiver.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Sky? I mean, you know enough now to report back to the Council. You could leave this to them,” Twilight said, her brow furrowed with worry.

“Heh, just look at you. You haven’t even known me a full day, and here you are, looking out for me like you’d known me your whole life. But this is my task, and I don’t know enough to report back to the Council. I have speculations, but nothing more. And I wasn’t sent to find speculations; the Council has plenty of those. I came to find the truth. Besides, this thing is after me. Not you. If I don’t go after it, I doubt anyone will be able to find it.” He smiled as he spoke, but Twilight could see the fear in his eyes.

He turned to Zecora. “You said that my coming was the sign of a dangerous fate approaching, Zecora. What did you mean by that?”

“Indeed the darkness waits for you, my dear Sky,” Zecora said. “And from it you cannot now fly. But in your heart burns a great light, and I believe the darkness will fear to face that fight.”

“A great light? In me?” he asked. “But I can hardly stand to think about facing the darkness. What kind of light is that?”

“Where the mind may fail, the heart may still prevail,” she said, and there was a flicker in her eye.

“Huh?”

Zecora shook her head and snorted in amusement. “When all appears dark when you come to the end, the greatest power comes from the touch of a friend.”

“We had better get going,” Twilight said from behind. “But once all this turns out, then we’ll be back to help with your plants, Zecora.”

“Until that time I shall eagerly await. But next time, perhaps, you shall not arrive late?” she said with a sly smile.

“If I can get Spike to wake up at a decent hour, then maybe we can arrive before noon,” she said, casting a glance at the dragon sitting on Sky’s back.

“Try dimming the lights at night,” he shot back.

“Wish us luck!” Twilight said as they set off towards the black walls of the wood.

“And courage,” Sky added under his breath.

They had not traveled far into the blackness again before the air returned to its heavy feel and stale taste. It felt oppressive now, though they each attributed that to more than just the lack of the wind.

“Zecora’s quite an interesting character,” Sky said, breaking the monotonous silence.

“She most certainly is. I’m glad you approve of her,” Twilight said.

“Though I do wish that she would speak more clearly.”

“Zecora’s words usually find their meaning when you need them the most. At least, that’s what I’ve found to be true. It’s a good idea to remember them. You never know when you might find out what they really mean.”

“I’ll do that,” Sky said, though he was still unconvinced.

“It’ll all turn out in the end, Sky,” Twilight said, looking him in the eye. Her reassurance lightened his mood, but the look in her eyes was one of both pity and sympathy, and he felt a tug on his heart.

“You’re sure?”

“It always does.”

Author's Note

If you're wondering why I gave this story the "Dark" tag, this chapter is the beginning of the answer.

Chapter 5: The Roads that Led Us Here

The trio traveled the darkness in unbroken silence for what seemed to be ages. Twilight used her night light spell to try and illuminate their path, but it didn’t seem to do much. It only served to confirm Sky’s belief that the darkness was not a natural darkness.

After a long while had passed, Sky heard a voice speak up from behind him. “You know, Sky, we’ve been traveling with you this entire time, but you really haven’t told us anything about yourself. You sure seem to know a lot about us, or at least Twilight, so why don’t you tell us some stuff about you? You know, like, where you’re from, about your family…anything, really? Besides, I bet it’ll help lighten things up.”

Sky smiled in spite of himself. “You know, Spike, I’m not sure if you’re just a really good rider, or if you’re just so light, but I keep forgetting that you’re back there.”

“You can attribute that to skill, since that’s what it is,” came the reply, an air of satisfaction flowing along with it.

“Well, what would you like to know?” Sky asked, glancing ahead. He had felt no dark sensations since leaving Zecora’s hut, but somehow, he knew that those fearsome red eyes were beckoning him onward. And whether he knew it or not, they were probably guiding him to a specific place. But he was grateful for the distraction.

“Well, why not start at the beginning?” Twilight offered.

“You mean when I was born?” Sky asked, somewhat embarrassed.

“Why not? I’ve always thought that the best place to start is at the beginning.”

“How profound,” Spike commented from behind.

“Well, let’s see. I was born in Cloudsdale—”

“Cloudsdale?! Haha, some of our friends are from Cloudsdale, too!” Spike said, suddenly enthusiastic.

“Spike!” Twilight chided. “At least let him finish a sentence.”

“Oh, right,” he said, toning down his excitement. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sky said. “Anyways, I was born in Cloudsdale in late spring. Both of my parents were pegasi, so we stayed in Cloudsdale. It’s where I spent most of my colthood.”

“Did you like it there?” Twilight asked, directing her glowing horn forward, apparently hoping to brighten the nearby area.

“Yeah, I did. I’m a pegasus, so it was only natural for me to love a city in the sky. I learned to fly, and I flew really well, too, if I say so myself. I think I made some of my friends jealous.”

“I think a certain Rainbow Dash might have something to say about that,” Spike said.

“I think you’re right. When we get back to Ponyville, I’ll have to introduce her to you,” Twilight agreed.

“Sounds like a plan.” Sky was surprised by how much better he was feeling just in the short time he had been talking about his home. Spike was right; it was lightening things up.

“So, is that it? Nothing else happened until you ended up in Canterlot?” Twilight asked.

“Just hold on. A few years later, my mom had another foal. She was a cute little filly, and my parents named her Cinnamint.”

“Cinnamint? What kind of a name is that?” Spike asked.

“Spike! Really, where are you manners?”

“Nono, it’s alright,” Sky interjected. “They named her that because her mane was a reddish orange and her body was a cool green color.”

“Oh, okay,” Spike responded. “Pretty clever name, huh, Twilight?”

“Sure is. Did you teach her to fly as well as you?” the unicorn asked.

“’Fraid not.”

“Did you teach her to fly at all?” she prodded.

“No.”

“Then who did?” Spike asked, curiosity rising.

“No one did.”

“Wait…your sister is a pegasus that can’t fly?” Twilight asked, confusion etched on her face.

“I never said that she was a pegasus in the first place,” Sky said, letting the smallest trace of sadness creep into his voice.

“She’s…not a pegasus?” Spike asked. The question sounded as though it had been asked reluctantly.

“No, she’s just a regular pony. Quite a shock to my parents. But what really made it interesting was that we were living in Cloudsdale. And the only ponies that can walk on the clouds are the pegasi.”

“Without the help of magic, of course,” Twilight quickly added. “But I can see the problem. So what did you do?”

“Well, she was alright for a little while, but when she would start to grow up, the clouds wouldn’t be able to support her, so my parents decided that we would all move to Foalumbus. That was hard for me…moving from a pegasus’ paradise to a city on the ground with all new faces…That was rough. But I understood that we had to do it to keep my sister safe. So I went along with it.”

“You’re a good brother,” Twilight said with a smile. “I know my brother would have done the same thing for me. You should be proud that you two have that in common.”

Sky nodded but didn’t say anything in response. “So, what happened then? Did you stay in Foalumbus?” Spike asked, eager for the story to continue.

“For a few years, yes. But eventually, I decided to strike out on my own. I headed east to Coltlanta, and I lived there for a while.”

“Wow, Coltlanta. You’ve been to so many of these places that I’ve never been to, Sky. You’ll have to tell us about them,” Twilight pleaded.

“I’ve got pictures back in Canterlot. When I go back, I’ll get them so I can show them to you.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“But how did you end up in Canterlot?” questioned Spike. “Coltlanta isn’t really that close to Canterlot, at any rate.”

“You’re right, it isn’t,” Sky agreed. “I was actually visiting Cloudsdale again, and I decided to visit Canterlot on a whim. I was out for an evening stroll and Princess Luna happened to come by. She saw me and came over, and we struck up a conversation.”

“With the Princess? Wow, I didn’t think she did that much. I didn’t even think that she would be willing to leave the palace,” Spike said, chuckling softly.

“She doesn’t and isn’t,” Twilight said solemnly. “She must have seen something very special in you, Sky.”

He sighed and shrugged. “Maybe so,” he admitted. “She asked me all sorts of questions, like where I had come from, and what I liked to do, and what I did in Coltlanta. Hehe, I remember being so stunned that she was talking to me, that I just stared at her for several minutes before I realized she was asking questions.”

“Must have been an awkward few minutes,” Spike said under his breath. Sky gave him a quick buck as a sign that he had heard the remark.

“Anyways, she eventually got down to the point where she told me that she was looking for a few brave ponies to help her with some work around Equestria. She told me that she was impressed with me (though I’m not sure why), and that she was hoping that I would be willing to help her out.” He paused, smiling at the memory.

“And you did, I’m assuming?” Twilight asked.

“I did. I was feeling adventurous, and besides, what stallion can turn down a request from a princess? I mean, really…”

Spike made a sound behind him, but he chose to ignore it. “It started out as a few small chores, essentially, and they gradually became more and more involved,” he continued. “And a few months after that, I find myself on the edge of Everfree Forest, talking to Twilight Sparkle and Spike about picking flowers for a zebra friend of theirs.” He snorted. “I guess that’s the story to this point.”

“Well, it’s a fine story for now,” Spike commented, “but I think that once this adventure is done, it’ll be a great story! Just think about it, Sky! You could be as famous as Twilight, or Shining Armor, or even Celestia and Luna! That’d be amazing!”

Sky half-closed his eyes and let his head fall a bit. “I’d rather it not turn out that way.”

“Why not? You should be recognized for good things that you do,” Twilight replied.

But Sky shook his head. “I’m no good in front of crowds. And you know how ponies can be. A famous pony shows up, and it’s an instantaneous stampede to try and catch up with them to get their autograph or something.”

“Maybe ‘famous’ is the wrong word. What about ‘honored’ or ‘regarded’?”

He paused, considering. “Well, that’d be fine for me, but I’m not so concerned about what I think of myself as how everypony else views me. I don’t wanna be a celebrity.”

“Then don’t be!” Spike said emphatically. “All six holders of the Elements of Harmony live in Ponyville, but they’re just regular ponies in the town. You don’t have to be a celebrity if you don’t want to.”

“Spike makes a good point, Sky. Besides, I think most ponies respect each other enough to know when they’re making somepony uncomfortable,” agreed Twilight.

Sky managed a smile. “Where’d you get so smart, Twilight?”

“What?”

“You always have an answer, and more times than not, it’s a good answer. How do you do that?” Sky asked, admiration seeping into his voice.

“She’s getting lucky today,” Spike chuckled. “She’s had her fair share of rough spots.”

Twilight sighed, but chose not to respond to Spike’s teasing. “Ever since I became the wielder of the Element of Magic, Princess Celestia has assigned me the task of reporting on the strengths and workings of the magic of friendship. I’ve learned a lot, and I guess I’m just passing that wisdom on to you. In a manner of speaking.”

“I see.” He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander back to brighter days. He saw his parents, his little sister, and many of his friends and classmates from his colthood. There were the white spires of Cloudsdale, the bright lights of Coltlanta, the mighty towers of Canterlot. He saw the solemn yet confident faces of the members of the Royal Council, especially that of Princess Luna.

Then, surprising himself, he saw the face of a familiar baby dragon, followed by that of a certain friendly violet unicorn whose hoofsteps he could still hear beside him. His heart jumped in his chest, and he felt his stomach tighten.

Panicking, he swallowed a breath, causing him to begin coughing. Opening an eye, he saw the wooden post just in front of him as a cough left his mouth—

*koff* *Thunk*

“My goodness, Sky, are you okay?” Twilight called out. Sky could hear her hooffalls quicken as she galloped over to where he lay flat on the ground, rubbing his nose and coughing.

“Oh, I’m fine, thanks for asking,” came Spike’s voice from his other side, sounding slightly offended.

“Yeah, I’m *cough* fine. Just a moment of *cough* clumsiness,” he managed. He blinked a few times as he rose back to his hooves, looking ahead. To his surprise, he found that the post may have saved him from a nasty fall. Just on the other side of the post was a deep, mist-filled chasm. Beside the post he had bumped into was a similar wooden stake. And only after closer inspection did Sky notice the pair of ropes tied around them, presumably holding a rope bridge up, though there was no sign that the bridge still spanned the chasm.

“Wow, that was a close one, huh?” Sky said, clearing his throat as he felt his wits return to him. He turned to face Twilight, who was standing silent, looking across the chasm. But her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Twi? What is it?” he asked, turning to follow her gaze.

Across the canyon, Sky saw what appeared to be the ruins of an old castle of some sort. Several of its towers were missing or only partially intact, and there were gaps in the walls, probably lost due to the passage of time. And perhaps it was just a trick of the eyes, or his mind being overly imaginative, but in one of the gaps, he could have sworn he saw a pair of red lights like eyes, staring out at him.

Instantly, his knees went weak, and he went cold inside. “T-Twi?” he stammered.

Her voice was soft and distant. “This…this is the place where we found the Elements of Harmony and freed Princess Luna from her guise as Nightmare Moon. But…” Her voice faded away for a moment before returning. “We had to go through so much more to get here before! There was a river, and a cliff edge, and…and…”

“I think,” Sky said, swallowing hard in hopes that it would keep his stomach from twisting any more, “that this is v-very d-different from that time. I d-don’t think that Nightmare Moon wanted you to ever actually g-get here. Whatever it is this time has been guiding us to this point, s-so it’s been easier.”

“You mean it…wants us to f-find it?” Spike asked, trembling as he held onto Sky’s leg.

Sky summoned the image of his sister back to his mind, attempting to steel his resolve. “For some reason, yes. And I’d say that whatever it is, it’s waiting for us in there.”

“Then what will you do?” Twilight asked innocently enough, but the question pierced deep into the pegasus’ thoughts.

What will I do? he thought. She’s right, even though she doesn’t even know it. This is MY mission, not hers, not Spike’s. They came voluntarily. The outcome of this quest rides on my shoulders.

Then another voice rose in his mind. It was familiar; he had heard it only a few short days ago:

“Will you do this for us?”

As the question rang in his ears, he finally succumbed to the fact that there was no running from this. He had never abandoned the idea up until this point, but now that he was here, he knew that he couldn’t turn tail and flee. With a quick chuckle that felt more like a defiant sneer, Sky leveled his eyes and stared into the darkness of the ruins beyond the chasm.

“I guess we shouldn’t keep it waiting.”

Chapter 6: Everfree's Menace

Sky looked over the edge of the drop-off, and, sure enough, the remainder of the rope bridge dangled down the side of the cliff. “Looks like I’ll need to perform some maintenance on our walkway,” he muttered.

“This seems all too familiar,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “When we first came to get the Elements of Harmony, this same rope bridge was out. Rainbow Dash went across to tie it back, but when she came back, we could all tell that she had had an encounter of some kind. But she never told us what it was. What if this thing is trying to get you by yourself?”

Sky spread his wings and flapped them slowly. “I really don’t see much of another way over,” he responded.

“I could always just teleport ourselves over,” she countered.

Sky turned to her, obviously surprised, but also rather relieved. “Well…I guess that could work.” Inwardly, he was very thankful that there was another option. After experiencing those few moments when he was most aware of those eyes staring at him, he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust his wings to carry him across. That, and he felt that it was much easier to be brave when his friends were standing beside him.

“Okay, gather up,” Twilight said. Spike leapt onto Sky’s back as he trotted over beside the unicorn. Twilight’s horn began to glow, then, in an instant, there was a bright flash. Before Sky could inhale or even blink, he found himself still standing beside Twilight, but now on the steps leading into the ruined castle.

“Points for creativity, bonus points for coolness,” Sky said, trying to stay lighthearted.

“Thank you,” Twilight replied, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

Suddenly, a rumble shook the ground beneath them, and Spike went stiff as he leapt into the air. Sky swung around to face the ruins, just in time to see cracks appear in the arched gateway leading inside. Small fragments of the walls fell to the ground, and crashing sounds came from inside, but the whole of the castle remained intact.

“I don’t think it’s too happy that you came with me,” Sky said, alarmed.

“It’ll have to deal with it,” Twilight responded defiantly. “Let’s go see what this thing really is.”

Cautiously, the trio moved up the stairs. As soon as they reached the top, Twilight used her light spell to illuminate the corridor. It was still much the same as it had been when she had been there last: the windows had grown slightly larger as they continued to fall apart, the columns looked less than sturdy, and the ceiling was cracked in several places. In a far corner lay a still-settling pile of rubble. It apparently had given in during the tremors they had felt outside.

“I don’t see anything,” Spike said, clinging to Sky’s mane.

“Neither do I,” Sky agreed. “But it’s here.” He shook his mane gently. “Let go, Spike. You’ll need to get down. I’m gonna see if I can have a chat with this thing.”

“But—”

“Do it.” Sky’s voice was firm. Reluctantly, Spike dismounted from atop the pegasus’ back and stood beside Twilight. Then, their sense of worry rising with each passing moment, they watched as Sky walked out into the open area of the floor.

“Alright, I’m here. Can we talk like civilized beings now?” he practically shouted, though there was a quiver in his voice that was rather unmistakable.

The silence that followed seemed to last for hours, and Sky nearly found it unbearable. He knew the…thing…was here, and that it could see him, but it didn’t respond. That terrified him more than the eyes. Was it biding its time, or was it simply toying with him, like a predator plays with its prey?

Finally, there came a voice that froze the hearts of each of the companions. It was deep and strong, like a growl, but pierced the air like the hiss of a serpent. Sky found that he was still standing, though he knew that it was because he was too terrified to cower.

“You did come. Very good! I was beginning to worry,” it said in a voice that sounded rather pleased, which came as a most unpleasant thought.

Then it was Sky’s turn to be silent. His voice was gone. Or, rather, it refused to work. He stood, stiff as a board, in the center of the room, like a statue. If anyone could have seen him, it would have appeared that he had turned to stone.

At last, Sky heard a voice come from behind him. “We all came together! Now, what are you?” Twilight yelled from the entryway.

The voice made a noise like a snarl, then spoke. “Ah, the other pony speaks. I did not beckon you to come, and I do not welcome you to my halls.”

“I came with Sky Streak, and if you would speak to him, then you speak to me,” she replied with an air of regality.

The air became thick with menace as the voice spoke again. “I will deal with you eventually. But I still must speak with this pony here. He and I have great matters to discuss.”

Sky’s surprise overcame his terror. “Discuss?” he asked in a high voice.

“Indeed. You are an emissary of the Equestrian Royal Council, are you not?”

Sky blinked. “What?”

The voice continued. “How long has it been since the ponies abandoned this forest? A thousand years, at the least. And they have never been able to return. Has no pony ever wondered why that is?”

It paused for a moment, apparently enjoying the attention that it was receiving. “It is because they fear this forest. They fear the fact that the creatures are so frightful and dangerous. They fear the weather that changes on its own. They fear the darkness. But most of all, they fear the rumor of a lingering spirit that resides in the wood, ruling it as its dark domain. And they do wisely to fear. But they are misguided. For if they knew the truth of what lingers within this forest, they would have long ago fled for the hills!”

With that, a dark vapor flowed in through the windows, fell from the ceiling, and seeped up through the floor. Sky cried out and jumped backwards, his legs and wings flailing wildly as he careened through the air. Through his panic, he saw the darkness gather on a raised platform at the far end of the room. Slowly, it began to take form: there were four long, black legs, each capped with a crystal blue hoof guard. Around its neck was a similarly colored and designed chest piece, with the image of a crescent moon adorning the center emblem. A pair of black wings sprouted from its body, and a misty mane and tail sifted from the shadows. A crystal helm materialized from the mane, as the shadows merged into the shape of a head. A long black horn protruded from the front, and a pair of deep violet patches appeared on either side of its head. Sky didn’t need to see into its open eyes to know what he was looking at. He scrambled to back up as his mouth struggled to utter the name of the specter before him.

“N-N-Ni…” he stammered.

“Oh, you recognize me?” came the voice, now with a distinctive feminine tone. “Tell me, then…are you afraid?”

Sky’s mouth finally found the words he was after. “Night Mare Moon!” he screamed in utter horror.

“Well, yes and no,” the voice replied. “Princess Luna was kind enough to leave behind the broken pieces of her form as Night Mare Moon, which I have put to good use, as you can see. But,” it continued, losing its feminine tone and gaining a far more ghoulish one, “I never could get the eyes quite right. But I don’t mind.” With that, her eyes opened, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes, full of hate and despise. In that instant, her crystal adornments changed to a blood-red tone, and her tail and mane became a deep shade of crimson. Its cruel laughter shook the castle, and the room nearly split in half when it spoke again. “I ACTUALLY RATHER PREFER IT THIS WAY!!!”

Sky dropped to the floor, unable to control himself. He tried to stuff his hooves in his ears. He bit his lip as hard as he could. He tried anything to wake himself from this nightmare. But the reality of the situation came to him like a splash of cold water when he heard a familiar voice call out from the rear of the room.

“I’ve seen enough! I’ve faced Night Mare Moon once before; I’ll face you, too!”

The chaos subsided for a moment. “As for you, my dear,” the monstrosity said in an icy voice, “your part in this tale is over.”

Sky didn’t dare look up. Not until he heard a loud crack and a deep rumble. Suddenly, he knew what was coming. He willed his legs to work as he leapt up and spun back to where he had left Spike and Twilight.

He was too late. Twilight’s scream split the air as a deafening crash shook the floor. All he could see was a blinding cloud of dust, but he didn’t care. He sprung forward, running headlong towards where he had heard Twilight call out.

He slammed into the pile of rubble as soon as he saw it. He stumbled backwards, then, gathering his wits, looked along the base of the pile. For a few moments, he saw nothing but broken stone. Then, at last, he saw a pair of purple legs, and a dirt-covered purple mane sticking out from underneath the pile.

“Twilight!” he yelled, galloping over to her. “Twilight! Say something!”

For a moment, he heard nothing but the sound of a few small pieces of debris clattering along the ground. Then, mercifully, he heard a soft, yet distinct groan.

“Oh…” Twilight moaned softly. “Ow…”

“Twilight, don’t move, I’ll try and get these off you…” Sky said, moving to push aside the rubble that fallen on her when the ceiling had given way. To his bewilderment, he couldn’t even budge the smallest of the pieces.

“Sky…you…you have to face her…”

He looked back down at Twilight. He had been so caught up in the moment that he had somehow totally forgotten about the reincarnated terror on the other side of the room. For a moment, Sky locked up again, frozen stiff in agonizing fear.

No. Not now.

He softly placed his hoof on one of Twilight’s free legs. “It’s my turn now,” he said softly. “I won’t let you down.” And with that, he turned to face his foe.

“Alright, you’ve had your turn to talk. Now you’re gonna answer my questions. What are you?” Sky asked, pausing between each of the last words for special emphasis.

“Oh, he can talk. What a pleasant surprise,” the terror said as its form became visible against the lingering cloud of dust.

“Answer me!” Sky shouted through clenched teeth.

The thing began to chuckle cruelly. “Oh, come. I don’t really need to spell this out for you, do I? A creature that can cause natural disasters like earthquakes? A monster whose very presence invokes the most potent feeling of fear? You’re smart enough to figure this out,” it teased.

Sky didn’t take his eyes off the thing. He struggled to recall the names of all the horrible things that he had ever read or heard about. Manticores, dragons, gorgons, cockatrice…nothing seemed to fit.

Suddenly, he found it. “No. No, you can’t be. It’s all wrong. There’s nothing about you being able to take on different forms,” he said, unable to reconcile his thoughts with the terrible reality before him.

“Hahahaha! It has been a thousand years, little one. It would be a shame if I had nothing new to show after so long. Perhaps I stole the powers of a changeling. Perhaps I ate one.” The thought made Sky’s insides twist like a pretzel. “Now, have you come to a conclusion? Tell me, little colt! Tell me my name!”

Sky snorted and stamped. A voice that both growled and hissed at the same time. It wasn’t just one voice: it spoke with several voices. Which means that it had multiple mouths. And probably, multiple heads. “Show me your true form, demon. I’m tired of talking to an illusion.”

For a moment, the creature was silent. When it spoke, it seemed genuinely impressed. “Do you think you can bring yourself to face me? None have dared to try in over a millennium.”

“Then you’re overdue for it,” Sky said. He took a step back and pressed a hoof against Twilight for support. As long as she was back there, needing help, he knew he could find the courage he needed.

As he looked on, the altered image of Night Mare Moon changed form: its long black legs grew shorter and thicker, its tail became long and slender, and its head became larger as its mane shrunk around the whole of its neck. A new growth sprouted out of its back, and its black color faded into an array of brown, green, and other colors that created a rather grotesque image. The form roared as its metamorphosis completed, and brilliant red flames shot from its body.

“You know, I hadn’t planned on facing a monster from the depths of Tartarus today, but since it came up, I guess I can pencil in an appointment with the Chimera,” Sky said defiantly.

The Chimera howled with delight. “Very good! You’re quite knowledgeable for a pegasus. I’d love to be able to keep you around for entertainment, but I think this charade has gone on long enough. It’s been ages since I’ve had a nice meal of roast pony. It will be good to taste it again,” it said, all three of its heads licking its lips in anticipation.

All in all, the situation looked pretty hopeless. Sky couldn’t leave Twilight and Spike to face the Chimera alone...

Wait a minute, Sky thought. “Spike!” he called, suddenly realizing he hadn’t seen a trace of the dragon since he had first walked into the room.

He heard his voice, strong, yet strained, coming from behind and above him. “Sky! Try and distract that thing! I’ll try and get Twilight out of here!”

Sky turned back to see the baby dragon on top of the pile of debris, desperately trying to move the rubble that was on top the unicorn. And in the midst of the despair and hopeless circumstances he found himself in, Sky smiled at his bravery and loyalty.

“It won’t work,” Twilight muttered in a pained voice. “The debris is being held down by the Chimera’s magic…not even I can move it.”

“I’m not leaving unless you two are with me,” Sky said, though his mind disagreed with his mouth.

Twilight shook her head. “Take Spike and get out of here!” she ordered as her horn lit up. “I’ll try to hold it off for as long as I can.”

“No!” Sky shouted, bringing his hoof up to her horn. “Either we’re all leaving, or I’m fighting this thing!”

And as his hoof touched her horn, there was a brilliant flash of light. It split the darkness open, and the Chimera hissed loudly, retreating from the sudden intrusion of light. Spike squinted in the sudden outburst, but continued to watch in awe.

As the light slowly subsided, Sky and Twilight emerged, still in the same locations, but now, a transformation had come over the pegasus. His wings were open, and they glowed with a pale blue glimmer that left streams of light behind them as they moved.

Spike was the first to find his voice. “Whoa! Sky, you look…awesome!” he shouted.

And for the first time since the night he had left Canterlot, Sky’s heart felt free. The oppressive fear and apprehension were gone, replaced by courage and love for his friends. Each breath made his lungs feel like they would burst, and his wings…his wings tingled with an energy he’d not known before. He cast one last glance down at Twilight; she still lay on the ground, but her eyes were full of hope as she looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to where the Chimera stood by the far wall.

“If your presence evokes fear, then I’d say your power is weakening,” Sky challenged. “I think you need to find another way to intimidate your opponents.”

“Fool!” the Chimera shouted. “If you think that fear was my only weapon, then you are gravely mistaken! I will show you the depths of despair before I tear your life from you!” A flash of lightning lit the sky outside as she spoke.

Sky leveled his eyes and flattened his ears. His hooves were splayed on the ground in preparation to charge. “Spike!” he called.

“What?” the dragon shouted back, barely audible over the growing wind and the pealing thunder.

“Take notes on this! When this fight is over, I want you to send it to Princess Celestia! The Council will need to know about this, whatever happens!”

“You want me to write a letter NOW?!”

“Spike! Do it!”

He turned back, facing the Chimera. His mind fell onto the night he was given his task. He smiled grimly at the memory.

If this is the task that was appointed to me, then I will see it through. No matter the cost.

The Chimera roared with all three heads as it charged.

For friendship.

Author's Note

BOSS BATTLE!!!

Chapter 7: Dauntless

The Chimera was almost on him. Claws outstretched, jaws (the closest set, at least) gaping open with razor-sharp teeth, it was set to end Sky’s audacious challenge before it could develop at all. Yet Sky never flinched. Somehow, he knew that something was different, from the tips of his wings down to the bases of his hooves. He felt stronger, faster.

A lot faster.

The Chimera outsized him many times, but he nimbly stepped forward, just inside the reach of its front claws. Then, quick as lightning, he spun and delivered a quick two-hoofed kick to the right corner of the lion’s head, sending it twisting away to the left. In the next instant, he was in the air, nailing the incoming goat’s head, which had been unprepared for a counterattack, with a right cross that resounded with a satisfying crack. The serpent’s head came hurtling towards him, breath drawn to scorch the pegasus. A quick jab just below its jaw caused it to choke, cutting off the imminent stream of flame.

Any sense of accomplishment he felt was quickly cut off when he saw an orange glow on the wall, with his silhouette smack in the middle of it. With one flap of his wings, he was speeding towards the corner, a searing burst of fire hot on his hooves. He caromed off one wall, then the next, spinning through the air as the fire scored the wall with a large black mark. Sky skidded across the stone floor, sparks leaping from his hooves as he came to a halt near the pile of debris where Twilight was trapped.

Sky returned his gaze to his foe, expecting her to be closing in for another finishing blow. Instead, he found her standing in much the same spot he had left her. The goat head was working her jaw where Sky had hit it, the lion head was snarling, and the serpent was still coughing, spouting small puffs of flame with each breath.

Finally, the lion’s head spoke. “Well, that was entertaining,” it said with a smirk. “You’re faster than you appear to be. But I’m a bit rusty, too. Don’t worry; I’m sure I’ll make you into pony barbecue eventually.”

“I’m sure you’d love to, but I have an appointment after I’m done here. So I’m gonna have to turn down the dinner invitation.”

The Chimera chucked with laughter. “How you amuse me, little one. Just how do you intend to escape? You can’t flee, because then you will leave your friends here to die alone. And we both know that you can’t face me forever in a fight. I’m interested to hear what you have in mind.”

To be fair, Sky hadn’t exactly figured that out. He knew that his only real option was to drive the Chimera away somehow, but just how he was going to do that was something he hadn’t quite figured out yet.

“I’m sure you are,” Sky replied instead, flitting his wings just enough to bring him into the air. If there was one thing he did know, it was that his only real advantage he had over his foe was the air. The Chimera couldn’t fly. And he knew that he had to exploit that to have a chance.

A flash of lightning illuminated the hall, followed by a deafening peal of thunder. And in that instant, Sky saw his only real chance. He hazarded a glance to his left, where a large hole in the wall, presumably where a window once was, led outside into the strengthening storm.

The Chimera took the bait and leapt at him.

“You are rusty, aren’t you?” he taunted as he darted forward, then shot upwards as soon as he was under the Chimera. She howled as he hit her. He didn’t slow down. He used his momentum to carry her to the ceiling, where he slammed her into the stonework.

The sharp hiss of an inhaling mouth was all the warning he had. He rocketed out from under his load, but not before the serpent had singed the end of his tail with fire. He heard the Chimera hit the ground on its feet, chuckling to herself.

“Not as rusty as you seem to think I am,” she countered.

“Perhaps not,” Sky admitted. “But I’d say that this is getting a bit too physical in here. How about we take it outside?”

He couldn’t really make out any facial expressions on any of the Chimera’s faces, but he judged that if he could, they would have been faces of delight. “That’s often been said as an issue of a challenge. To which I gladly accept.” It looked past the hovering pegasus to where Twilight lay helpless beneath the rubble. “You’ll be dessert,” it said cruelly, licking all three pairs of lips.

We’ll see about that.

The Chimera bounded out the gap Sky had looked at earlier. Casting a reassuring glance back at Twilight, he flew to the other side of the room, where a similar but smaller hole was situated. Squeezing outside, he found that the storm had grown very strong. The wind was choppy, making it somewhat difficult to fly, and the lightning and thunder had become very frequent, serving as effective distractions. And to make matters worse, he was starting to feel the rain fall.

It didn’t matter. This was all he had.

He flew up to the roof where he found the Chimera waiting for him. “It’s been said that two heads are better than one. What do they say about three heads?” she asked.

“Anything with more than one head is ugly,” Sky retorted.

“Well, then, pretty pony, let’s see how much it helps you when you’re FASHIONABLY DEAD!” With that, all three heads began spewing forth deadly streams of yellow fire in all directions, causing Sky to retreat.

For a few minutes, the bob-and-weave sequence continued, until, quite to Sky’s surprise, a lightning strike arced right beside him, striking a corner of the castle. “Haha, you forget, pegasus! I control all manner of natural disasters, even storms! You cannot escape me!”

Sky looked towards the clouds, deciding that if was going to do something, it had to be now. Drawing upon all the courage and resolve he could, he shot straight upwards to the black clouds above.

He felt the red eyes of the Chimera fixed on him, but he chose to ignore them. Lightning sizzled back and forth between the clouds, many of them seemingly targeting him. Cautiously and methodically, he began arranging the clouds into a clumpy formation high above the castle.

“You know, I grow tired of having to chase you all over the sky. If you don’t make this more interesting, I may have to have dessert first,” the Chimera warned from far below.

“And turn your back on a threat like me?” Sky shouted back, sounding offended.

If there was a response, he never heard it. He finished pushing the clouds where he wanted them, then flew just beneath them and hovered there, gazing down at the increasingly impatient Chimera below.

The lightning and thunder continued, but no flashes came from the clouds that Sky had moved. The she-devil below paced across the roof of the castle, seeming genuinely intrigued and curious as to what her flying adversary was planning. “I assume this is all leading up to something?” she called, apparently trying to sound unimpressed.

“I’ve read about Chimeras before,” Sky shouted above the wind. “It’s true that you can control natural disasters, but from what I remember, they specialize in ground-based disasters, like earthquakes and volcanoes.”

“So?”

“So, you’re not as good with storms and stuff like that.”

“I’ve had one thousand years. I think I’m pretty good.”

“But you’re not made for it.”

The Chimera sighed in irritation. “Once again, so?”

“I’m a pegasus.”

For the first time, the red eyes that had haunted Sky for so long had a tinge of doubt. The Chimera was silent. The black clouds behind Sky began to sizzle and spark as small arcs of blue began to dance across their lower edges.

“In Equestria, it’s the task of the pegasi to guide and oversee the weather. We move the clouds, bring the rain, and even control the storms.” The clouds were now glowing blue with energy in anticipation of the inevitable moment, and Sky felt every hair on his body rise up in response. He looked at the Chimera, and there was a cold fury in his voice as he spoke. “Don’t take it personally. I’m just doing my job.”

And the stroke fell. The flash of lightning split the sky as it tore through the air straight to where the Chimera still stood, looking dumbfounded. And just before the stroke made its impact, Sky was at its head, the light of his indomitable spirit shining in his eyes.

The force of the explosion rocked the entire castle, and Spike was sent sprawling from Twilight’s side across the room. The center portion of the ceiling collapsed in a mass of stone, fire, smoke, lightning, and bodies. The distinct odor of an electric fire filtered through the air, causing Spike to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

Just visible as silhouettes through the clouds of dust and debris, the pegasus and the Chimera had struggled to stand again, and now faced each other. Neither looked like they could endure much more. Sky was scratched and bruised all over. Much of his mane and tail were scorched, and large numbers of his feathers were still falling to the ground. He held his front right leg gingerly in the air, apparently unable to stand on it due to some injury.

The Chimera wasn’t much better off. She was burnt and scorched all over, and she smelled like she had just come out of a toaster. Her goat head had one eye swollen shut, and the entire serpentine portion of her body was so black and shriveled that it didn’t even look like it was alive anymore. Her breathing was haggard and labored.

The two of them simply stared at each other, locked in a match in which no one was willing (or able) to move first. Sky finally managed a few words. “I…I warned you. N-N-Now I’m telling y-y-you…get out.” His final words came out with such conviction that the Chimera actually took a step backwards.

But that was as far as she retreated. With a sudden rage, her body tensed as she shouted, “I told you that I would have roast pony tonight, and I INTEND TO GET IT!” And with a ferocity Sky hadn’t expected, she charged.

He didn’t know if he had the strength left to even dodge out of the way, much less strike back. He dug within himself, trying to find some ounce of will that would make him move, when he heard a pair of voices in unison from behind him.

“Sky!” he heard Twilight and Spike shout.

And that was all he needed.

He pivoted on his front left hoof, then, clenching his teeth through the pain of his screaming muscles, he kicked with all the force he could muster with both of his hind legs, while he braced with both of his front legs.

For an agonizing moment, he felt nothing. Then, in an ironic feeling of relief, he felt his hooves connect with a solid object. They hit with a crunch, and he felt something snap from the force of his kick…then completely give way. The object he hit suddenly was no longer there.

He fell to the floor, wincing as a sharp jolt of pain stung his injured leg. With an effort, he managed to turn his head to see what had become of the Chimera.

To his surprise, she was no longer there. Instead, he saw what appeared to be a large, black-as-night mist hovering where the Chimera had once been. It had no physical form, and the ghoulish voice from before had returned, but its confidence and swagger had been replaced with anger and disbelief.

“Impossible! Beaten…by nothing more than a weakling pony! This is nonsense!” it spat. “I must withdraw. Consider yourself lucky, pony,” it hissed. “You and I have not met for the last time. Remember this night when we meet again. It will be the only memory of victory you will have.” And with that, it sped out through the gap in the roof, and was gone.

The silence that fell was complete, but unlike the rest of the moments spent in Everfree Forest, it was not an uncomfortable silence. It was whole, peaceful, relaxed. Sky let his head collapse to the floor. His legs, wings, head…even his tail was limp. He was exhausted, sore, and wounded. But it was the best he had felt in days. His quest: successful. Now he just had to get back.

A sudden rumbling brought his eyes over to where Spike had finally managed to move much of the rubble off of Twilight. Apparently, the Chimera’s defeat had broken its magical hold on the stones, allowing Spike to make some headway on freeing the unicorn.

“I’ll have you out in a flash, Twilight!” Spike said, his enthusiasm rising with the coming of visible progress.

Sky looked at her. She was covered in dust, and her body was limp. Her eyes were closed, but he could see her chest swelling and shrinking, so he knew that she was still alive. But he knew that he couldn’t count on that to be true if he didn’t get her to somewhere safe.

Himself, too, for that matter.

He grunted and groaned as he fought to get to his hooves. Spike heard him and quickly rushed towards him when Sky stopped him in mid-stride.

“No! H…help Twilight. Shhh…she needs it more than me right now.”

Spike looked hesitantly at the pegasus. “Alright…” he said, turning back.

After a few more minutes, Spike finally moved the last few pieces off of Twilight. Her flank was already badly bruised, and her rear left leg was bent at an odd angle. Sky bit his lip. It didn’t look good. “Spike…help me get her onto my back. We’re going to have to carry her out of here.”

Spike’s jaw dropped as he looked at the pegasus. “But you can hardly stand on your own! How are you going to carry Twilight with you?” he asked.

It was a good question, but there was only one answer. “Spike, what other option do we have? She needs help, we can’t just leave her, and you can’t carry her. So I’ll carry her out. But I’ll be depending on you to steady me, okay?”

Spike’s head drooped. “Yeah, I know. It’s just…”

“Let’s get this done,” Sky interrupted. “We can talk about it later, alright?”

“Alright.”

It took at least another ten minutes, but at long last, they managed to get Twilight onto Sky’s back. His legs felt like they were on fire. The strain was terrible, and with each hobble, he wondered if his legs would continue to hold him up. And considering that Sky only had three good legs, it was a wonder that they made any progress at all.

They made it out of the corridor, down the stairs, onto the grass, and out to the bridge when Sky’s hope finally gave out. He had forgotten that they had never fixed the bridge. It still hung limply against the far side of the canyon.

Sky’s spirits sank. They really were trapped. They couldn’t go on, couldn’t go back, and no one knew how badly they needed help. Spots began to dance before his eyes. He felt himself swaying on his hooves. Finally, he had the sensation that he was falling without end. Simply falling…falling…falling…

Chapter 8: Light of Friendship

Distantly, there was the sound like a clatter of seeds on the floor, followed by the soft but unmistakable sound of hooves clopping on a wooden surface. The hooves grew slightly stronger for a short moment, then stopped. After a brief pause, a voice, little more than a whisper, came to Sky’s ears.

“Anything?”

Another whisper, one softer and gentler, responded from nearby. “No, nothing yet. He’s still asleep. The poor guy; just look at him. What kind of terrible trouble did he get into to end up like this?”

From the deep recesses of his memory, images of his days in Cloudsdale returned to him. He saw the pegasi, flitting around on a whim, moving the clouds and (more times than not) taking naps on them. The variety of the pegasi was as wide as the spectrum of the rainbow. Yet this kind voice he heard brought a picture of one pegasus in particular. One that he hadn’t forgotten in all his time he’d been away. Weakly he opened an eye.

“Fluttershy?” he managed, though his voice was hoarse and rough.

Standing off just to his right was a lovely yellow pegasus with a long flowing pink mane and tail. Her eyes were gentle and filled with concern, but they lit up as she gasped in delight at hearing him speak.

“Oh! Sky, you’re awake! Thank goodness! We were all so worried,” she said, coming over to his side. “I’m just glad we found you in time.”

Sky’s head was still fuzzy, and having his senses working again only confused him even more. “Hold on, let’s take this from the beginning. Where am I?”

“Yer’ back in Zecora’s hut,” said another pony, entering through the dangling bead doorway. She was a pretty orange color with a yellow mane and tail, both of which were tied off at the ends with red ribbons. She wore a distinctive cowpony-style hat that gave her a “no-nonsense” appearance. “And boy, are you lucky that we found you and got you back here as quick as we could. We’d have liked to’ve never found you if it hadn’t been for Zecora showing us exactly where she’d seen that big ol’ storm.”

Sky brought a hoof to his head. He was slowly beginning to piece together his current situation: he had been found by Zecora and some other ponies, who brought them back to Zecora’s hut, where he had been tended and left to rest for…who knows how long. He squirmed for a moment, trying to get more comfortable on his cot. He saw several bandages wrapped around his forelegs, but he couldn’t see the rest of his body, as it was underneath the blanket. He decided to leave it alone. He suspected that he didn’t really want to see, anyways.

He looked over to the cowpony that had just entered. “And you are…?” he asked.

“Oh, right. Name’s Applejack. I’m a friend of Twilight’s from Ponyville. Zecora came into the town and found us, sayin’ that somethin’ big was happenin’ in the Forest, and that Twi, Spike, and some other pony—I’m guessin’ that’s you—were in trouble. So the six of us came gallopin’ into Everfree Forest, tryin’ to find you and make sure you were alright. You were pretty banged up when we got to ya’, but we managed to get ya’ back here, and I reckon that this is as good a place to be as any.”

Sky’s head was beginning to pound at the sudden wave of information, but he managed to keep his wits. “But…the bridge was out. How did you get to us?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Rainbow Dash and I flew out and put it back up. Then we all came over and found you lying on the ground, with Twilight on top of you. Spike was really surprised to see us, but all he told us was that we needed to get you two somewhere safe, and Zecora said that she could try to fix you up if we could get you back to her hut,” Fluttershy answered.

“So that’s what we did, and here you are,” Applejack finished. “Any other questions?” she asked, winking as she did.

“Plenty,” Sky admitted, “but only two for right now. First, can I have a drink? I’m parched.”

“Oh, of course!” Fluttershy said, moving over to a small stand beside the cot. A bowl full of some liquid sat there, and Fluttershy lifted it carefully and brought it up to Sky’s mouth. He slowly took it in. It had a strange sweet taste, with a hint of tartness. Sky nodded to Fluttershy that he’d had enough, and she set it back on the stand.

“Ah, much better,” he said, sounding much more like himself. “And as for the second question…well, it’s not so much a question as it is just me being surprised that you remember me, Fluttershy.”

The yellow pegasus smiled. “You were one of my friends in Cloudsdale, Sky. Of course I’d remember you!” Then, rather unexpectedly, she pulled back into a shell of apprehension. “U-unless you, um, didn’t want me to remember you.”

Sky actually found himself laughing. “Hehe, Fluttershy, you haven’t changed at all!” The three ponies all started laughing together, and Sky found himself feeling much better. “I’m glad you remember me.”

“Well, now that we’ve answered some of your questions, how ‘bout we ask some of our own?” Applejack asked. “If yer’ feelin’ up to it, o’course.”

Sky took a deep breath. “I think I can do that. What would you like to know?”

And so Sky began to recount the events of his journey to the two ponies at his side, from the moment he met Twilight and Spike, to the meeting at Zecora’s hut, to the battle against the Chimera. More than once, Fluttershy whimpered at the very thought of a creature so strong and menacing.

“Quite a tale,” Applejack commented. “Spike told us what he could when we got back here, but he wasn’t able to tell us everything about the fight you had. By Celestia, that must’ve been quite the sight.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not one that I’m quite ready to revisit,” Sky admitted. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “Wait a minute…Twilight! Where is she? Is she alriiiaaauuughhh!” he blurted as he tried to get up before falling back onto the cot in pain.

“Whoa, there, fella,” Applejack said, pushing him back down with a free hoof. “I don’t think yer’ quite ready to be up and buckin’ yet. But don’t you worry ‘bout Twi. She’s still asleep, but Zecora says she’ll be just fine. You just need to relax for a bit.”

A troubled look came to Sky’s face. “I just wish I’d been able to protect her better. I was cowering on the floor when the Chimera went for her. If only I’d been stronger, I might have been able to do something.”

“Now, don’t you go blamin’ yourself for somethin’ like that. You did manage to save her in the long run. So don’t go frettin’ over stuff that’s already happened. You did fine,” Applejack encouraged him.

“But even after the battle with the Chimera, I couldn’t get her to safety.”

“Oh, but Sky,” Fluttershy chimed in, “you can’t try to do everything by yourself. That’s why we have lots of friends. Everypony can help in some way. That way, no one has to do it all. You did what you could, and so did Twilight, Spike, Zecora, and all of us.”

Sky considered this for a moment before sighing in acceptance. “Yeah, you’re right. Heh, of course you are. Between Twilight and all her friends, it seems I can’t go very far without some good advice.”

Suddenly, a familiar black and white head poked through the beads into Sky’s room. “I came to see how this pony is coming along, and he seems to be well, unless my ears hear wrong!” she said in her typically confounding rhyme pattern.

“Hiya, Zecora,” Sky said in a voice that surprised himself with its cheerfulness. “You know, this is the second time that you’ve been a major help to me recently. I’m big time in your debt.”

“My dear pony!” Zecora exclaimed. “Do not think that way! For you have done the realm a favor we shall find hard to repay.”

“If you’re referring to the Chimera, I could have sleeptrotted through that. She was nothing,” he replied with a wink and a knowing smile.

“Oh, really?” Applejack interjected. “Sure looks to me like she tossed you around a bit, hun’.”

“Go tell that to the Chimera.” He smiled smugly.

Just then, a light blue head with a rainbow mane shot through the beaded doorway. “Hey, what’s all the commotion in here?” it asked. Then, seeing Sky on his cot, staring at her curiously, she proceeded to float through the beads using her own pegasus wings. “Oh, I see. He’s awake.”

Sky arched an eyebrow as she approached. “Lemme guess: you’re Rainbow Dash.”

She posed in the air as if on cue. “That’s me! Rainbow Dash: the coolest, fastest, most awesomest pegasus in all of Equestria!” Then, seeing the unflattering looks of her friends, she slowly lowered herself to the floor. “Oh, um, though I hear you’re not too bad yourself,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

“Well, this is quite the party we’ve got here,” Sky observed.

A pink blur entered the room, taking physical form at the end of Sky’s bed. There, he saw a pink pony with a crazy pink mane, wearing a rather ridiculous-looking party hat and displaying the biggest smile he’d ever seen. “Did somepony say party?!” she shouted, eyes wide in eagerness.

She was followed, though not as quickly or eccentrically, by another pony, a white unicorn with a deep violet mane and tail. She was very well groomed, and the way that she held herself as she walked seemed to indicate a love of sophistication and fashion. “Really, Pinkie, must you always act so uncouth, especially in the presence of a guest?” she said in a voice that matched her appearance.

“Hush, Rarity,” Applejack spoke up. “We’re all friends here.”

“But Applejack, dear, we haven’t even been properly introduced!” She tilted her head to one side as she looked back to Sky. “I, my dear, am Rarity, one of Twilight’s friends from Ponyville.”

“And I’m Pinkie Pie!” said the pony with the party hat, who was now bouncing up and down excitedly at the foot of Sky’s cot. “I just loooove making new friends!”

“I can imagine,” Sky replied softly, somewhat entranced by Pinkie’s rhythmic bouncing.

“Well, I am going to check up on dear Twilight. Please be courteous and don’t wind this one up too tight,” Zecora said as she turned and walked out.

All five of his visitors were acknowledging Zecora in some manner when Sky noticed a certain baby dragon sitting at the end of his cot. “Spike, when did you come in?”

“Oh, I came in after Rarity,” he replied. “I sure am glad to see you awake. When you passed out, I didn’t know what to do. I pretty much just ran in circles for an hour before Rainbow Dash showed up.”

“And the rest of the guys weren’t far behind,” Rainbow Dash continued. “Fluttershy and I had the bridge up in a flash, and wham! We grabbed you guys and zipped back here.”

“So I’ve heard,” Sky nodded. He turned and looked out the window in his room, and his thoughts returned to the night of the battle. He was silent for several minutes.

Finally, Fluttershy’s small voice broke the silence. “What are you thinking about, Sky?”

“The Chimera. There are so many things that I don’t understand. Like how she was able to shape shift like that. Or why she waited for me to come to her. Or why she didn’t finish me off in the end. She lost her physical form, but I don’t think that could keep her from doing some damage if she wanted to.”

“Sky, now’s not the time to think about that,” Rarity said softly. “You managed to drive off that big brute, didn’t you?”

“I did, but I know that I haven’t seen the last of her. She was right; I got lucky. And I only managed to drive her off. She isn’t defeated. My mission was to discover the source of the darkness in Everfree Forest, and now I know what it is. And it’s gone. But I don’t know where it’s gone to, and that puts the whole of Equestria in danger.” He closed his eyes, trying to remain calm and composed.

“Remember, hun’, there’s only so much that one pony can do. The Princesses are already thinkin’ up a plan, I’m sure of it, and together, you’ll track this thing down. Wherever it’s decided to hole up,” Applejack said, her confidence in her words evident.

Sky turned back to the group gathered around his cot. He had tears in his eyes. “You guys are so special,” he said slowly. “Just look at you. I’ve only known most of you for about five minutes, and one of you I haven’t seen since I was just a little colt. And yet, you treat me like one of your closest friends, supporting me and comforting me. I think Twilight knows this, but she’s lucky to have friends like you.” He paused as a lone tear ran down his face. “I’d be lucky to have friends like you.”

“Then consider yourself lucky,” Rainbow Dash said as she took to the air once again, flying over where Sky lay. “It only takes a minute to make a friend.”

“That’s right,” Rarity chimed in. “Everypony needs friends.”

“The more, the merrier!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Well, then,” Sky said, wiping the watery streaks from his face, “I guess when I’m better, I’ll have to visit Ponyville. I’ll have friends waiting there.”

Chapter 9: Courage to Press On

Two months later
The Royal Palace, Canterlot

“And it is with great honor that I grant unto you the Equestrian Medal of Valour for the services rendered on behalf of the realm. Rise, Sky Streak.”

Princess Celestia looked proudly upon the young pegasus. He rose from his kneeling position and stood erect, looking very regal with a bold blue cape wrapped around his neck and draped across his back. The medal, which was silver with the Equestrian crest emblazoned in gold, was pinned on his left side of the wrap, completing his regalia. He had fully recovered from his battle with the Chimera two months earlier, and when he had been informed that there was to be a special ceremony at the Royal Palace to honor his accomplishment, he nearly had a meltdown. He had long since returned to Coltlanta, but here in Canterlot, he had been reunited with his friends from Ponyville. They were the only others, aside from the members of the Council, who were in attendance to the ceremony, at the request of Sky Streak himself. He had no desire for a public event, so it turned out that the entire crowd consisted of six ponies and one young dragon, who had been assigned the task of chronicling the event for future records.

The “crowd” burst into much cheering and stamping as Sky turned to face them. “Mares of the audience, I give you Sky Streak the Valiant!” Princess Celestia announced.

Sky cast a look over his shoulder to the Members of Council on either side of him. To his left, there was Princess Luna, who looked at him with such an intensely confident gaze that he blushed and had to turn away. On his right, he saw Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, who gave him a wink of approval. Then he looked out to his friends, all of which were dressed up for the occasion. He saw the joy on their faces, and he couldn’t help but feel his chest swell and his insides twist in knots.

“Well, that’s the official ceremony,” Princess Celestia said from behind him. “Now for the informal parts.” The members of the Council gathered around Sky as his friends advanced from the rear of the room. Sky descended the steps and turned to face the Council.

“We have read your notes and reports on your quest, and we are thoroughly impressed with your accomplishments. But we have many questions still,” Princess Cadance said to Sky. “It’s good that Twilight is here as well, so we can gather a complete picture of what exactly we’re up against.”

“To be honest,” Sky said in response, “I have a lot of questions myself. Just because I was there doesn’t mean that I understand everything that happened.”

“Very true,” Shining Armor agreed. “But I think we would like to have our questions answered first. It may help to give us insight into your own questions.”

Sky nodded, and he was suddenly aware that Twilight had come up on his right, and Spike on his left. He smiled. Even though their adventure had been so long ago, he remembered it as though it had been yesterday. But more than anything, Sky was overjoyed to see Twilight walking on her own hooves again. Her recovery had been long after having broken both of her hind legs, but with the help of her friends and her own determination, she had made a full recovery.

“I should like to know how this creature was able to take on the guise of Night Mare Moon. Although it was a foul form and one that I have no desire to return to, I am still troubled that it was able to utilize the fragments of that form,” Princess Luna spoke up, looking solemn.

“We really don’t know,” Twilight said at first. “The Chimera said that it had managed to ‘put them to use,’ but I really don’t understand how it could have done that. Chimeras aren’t shape-shifters.”

“I remember something that may be useful. I actually questioned the Chimera’s ability to morph like that before the fight began, and she hinted that she may have taken a changeling’s power somehow,” Sky added, though he hesitated to add any more.

“Did she say how?” Luna asked.

Sky cringed slightly as he answered. “She…she said that she may have eaten one.”

The reaction of everyone present was uniform, as they all twisted their faces in disgust. “That is…disturbing,” Cadance said.

“I thought so myself,” Sky admitted. “But that’s what she told me. Whether or not it’s true is beyond me.”

Princess Celestia took the lead again. “We have to treat it as true. The implications of such a threat cannot be ignored.” She paused for a moment as the members of the Council all nodded in agreement. “I also have a question. What of the Chimera when you had dissolved its physical form? Did you see where it went?”

Sky frowned. “I am afraid I did not, Your Majesty. It fled through the hole in the roof, and I saw nothing more of it.”

Celestia turned to Twilight. “And you, my student?”

Twilight shook her head. “At that point, I was already out cold.”

“I see.” She seemed content with the answers for a moment before turning back to Sky. “You said that you could sense the creature’s eyes on you, even from far away. If it has revenge on its mind, it may be that you can use that to lead us to it. Do you feel anything of that kind?”

Sky bit his lip and reluctantly closed his eyes. But he neither felt nor saw anything. “Nothing right now, Princess. Maybe it’s trying to hide?”

Princess Celestia nodded. “That would be my guess. I suspect that it is having difficulty returning to a physical form, so until that time comes, it will simply bide its time. But that is no reason to grow complacent.”

“This Chimera,” Shining Armor began, “did it fit the descriptions given in the records in the Royal Library?”

“In appearance or in battle?” Sky asked.

“Both,” the captain clarified.

“Oh. Well, it was the legendary three-headed beast that I’d read about. Lion, goat, and serpent heads. Breathed fire. Caused earthquakes and started storms. Razor-sharp claws and teeth. And I suggest that we add the feature that it smells terrible to our records,” he said, smiling.

If Shining Armor found the joke funny, he didn’t show it. He cast his eyes down to the side, as if a very unpleasant thought had occurred to him. Princess Cadance took note. “And what does that mean to you?” she asked.

“It may be nothing,” he started, “but I think that we have made a very dangerous assumption about this creature.”

“And that would be?” Luna asked.

“We’ve been assuming that its true form is the Chimera. But if it really does possess the capability of shape-shifting, then it is also fair to assume that what Sky Streak fought may not have been its original body.”

The revelation hit everyone in the room like a bolt of lightning. Of course they had assumed that it was a Chimera; it had turned into one when Sky had demanded to see its true form. But if it could change forms, then it was perfectly possible that it had merely pretended to be a Chimera to protect its true identity.

Princess Celestia was the first to recover. “There are too many unanswered questions to let this thing roam free across Equestria. Shining Armor, I need you to alert the guards to report any sighting of a black mist or a black cloud anywhere within Equestria. Also, send messages to your men throughout the land to be on the lookout for this…thing.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he promptly replied and headed for the doors.

The mood among the remaining occupants of the hall had turned dark and somber. Finally, Sky found his voice again. “Princesses, it may not help in the search for this thing, but I was hoping you could answer some of my questions now.”

Princess Luna smiled and bowed her head. “We will do what we can. What are your questions?”

“Well, first off, I still don’t understand what happened when I touched Twilight’s horn right before the fight started. One minute, I’m just a scared little pegasus, and the next, I’m some kind of…”

“Superpony!” Spike shouted from beside him as he threw his arms in the air. Seeing the blank looks of everypony else, he crossed his arms and looked disappointed. “No one appreciates good humor anymore…” he muttered.

“I think I understand,” Celestia began. “You’re familiar with the Elements of Harmony?”

Sky nodded his head. “Good, then you understand that the Elements are nothing more than positive characteristics displayed by certain ponies. Together, the Elements form the most powerful magic known to ponykind.”

Sky arched an eyebrow. “Yes, but I’m not a holder of an Element, so I don’t understand how that plays in to what happened.”

Celestia smiled and laughed softly. “Just because the Elements of Harmony form the most powerful magic in all of Equestria, it doesn’t mean that they are the only characteristics capable of producing magic.”

Sky’s eyes opened wide in comprehension. “You don’t mean—”

Celestia nodded. “Your zebra friend, Zecora…she told you that you would need courage on this journey, didn’t she? And when Spike and Twilight needed you the most, you found your courage in your desire to protect them. And I think that when you touched Twilight’s horn…”

“It transformed that courage into magical essence!” Twilight finished. “That’s amazing! Has there been any evidence of this before now, Princess?”

“It has been guessed that it was possible for hundreds of years, but there has been no actual recorded evidence to this point,” Luna answered.

Twilight’s eyes glossed over. “Oh. My. Goodness. This is INCREDIBLE! Spike, do you realize what this means?” she asked, using her magic to pull the dragon into the air directly in front of her. “I might go down in history as a pony that helped to discover an entirely new branch of magic! Oh, this is wonderful!”

Sky smiled awkwardly before continuing his question. “Well…is it permanent?”

Celestia sighed and let her head droop a bit. “Well, since there are no documented cases of this form of magic, there is very little I can say for certain. I suspect, though, that if the need ever arises, you will be able to draw upon this power again. But you need to remember that this magic was only possible the first time because of your courage. I do not think you will experience the magic again unless you duplicate that bravery.”

“I understand,” Sky said. “If I may, I have another question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why was the Chim—er, creature—waiting specifically for me?”

All three Princesses looked at each other, then Cadance spoke. “I don’t think we can answer that. I suppose that you had something it wanted, though I don’t know what that may be.”

“Neither do I. But can I ask just one more?” he pleaded.

Celestia nodded, and he continued. “Even after I knocked the creature out of its physical form, there was still that black mist. I’m guessing, but I think that it could still have finished me off like that, but it simply turned tail and ran. Why didn’t it finish the job?”

“I think that the answer to your last question may give you the answer to this one, as well,” Luna said. “I do not think that the creature wanted you dead, it wanted you for something else. And before you ask why it didn’t try anything else, I’ll answer that, as well. A shape-shifter can only take on the power of whatever it portrays itself as physically…in this case, a Chimera, whose very presence induces a tremendous sense of fear. But since your magic-induced transformation came about because of your display of courage, it effectively overcame the Chimera’s aura of fear. And when you broke its ability to hold physical form, it became unable to change its effect on its environment. Since it couldn’t beat you in its current state, and it couldn’t change into something else, it went with its only option: retreat.”

“Wow. The more I talk about this, the luckier I feel,” Sky said to no one in particular.

“Perhaps luck was on your side,” Luna said, “but don’t discredit your own skill and heroism. The deeds you performed were not mere coincidences. You made them happen.”

“And with that, I have one final issue to tend to,” Princess Celestia announced. “Sky Streak, would you kindly ascend these steps again?”

He looked at the three Princesses, who were all staring at him, then cast a confused glance at Twilight, who merely shrugged. Finally, he climbed the steps and stood before the Equestrian Royals.

“You have been working towards the goal of recruitment into the Service of the Equestrian Crown, correct?” Celestia said, and Sky suddenly had the feeling that he had grown very small, while Cadance, Luna, and Celestia towered above him.

“Y-yes,” he stammered.

“The deeds you performed outweigh those of many ponies whose names are heralded as heroes throughout the realm of Equestria. You displayed the hallmarks of nobility and honor, and yet, your humility outshines them both. For these reasons, the Council has come to an agreement that you be accepted into the Service of the Equestrian Crown.”

Sky’s jaw dropped in a rather comic fashion. His eye twitched. He forgot to breathe. Silence settled on the gathering for a few awkward moments before Sky thought to draw breath. “I-I’m sorry, what? Did you just say that you were making me a member of the Service?”

“Pending your acceptance, yes,” Luna replied, but her face was congratulatory.

“I, uh, well…well, this is what I’d dreamed of, but it kind of came on rather suddenly,” he said, stumbling through his speech.

“A simple yes will do,” Celestia prodded.

“Oh! Well, then, a very definitive yes from me!” he said, regaining his composure and standing tall.

“Then welcome, Sky Streak, Servant of the Crown. The Council will discuss your first assignment, but I believe that you already know what it will be,” Celestia said.

“I suspect I do. Thank you, Your Majesties,” he said, bowing low.

“I believe that you will want to celebrate with your friends,” Cadance said, gesturing back towards the group behind him. Turning his head, he saw each of his friends, looking on with looks of wonder and amazement. Rarity was dabbing her eyes with a hoofkerchief, and Fluttershy looked like she would burst with tears. Twilight’s smile was dazzling, while Spike sat on her back, mouth agape, apparently stunned with disbelief. Sky smiled.

She was right, he thought. Everything does always turn out in the end.

Epilogue

Sky Streak’s Guest Chambers
An hour later:

“That was the MOST beautiful thing I’ve ever SEEN!”

Another hour later:

“WAAAHH!” *sniff* “How can you simply choose to move on after something as incredibly moving as that? WAAAHH!!!”

Yet ANOTHER hour later:

“And did you see the way that he held…”

“Rarity.”

“Oh! And didn’t Luna simply look dazzling in…”

“Rarity.”

“And your brother, Twilight…”

“Rarity…”

“Oh, and of course Princess Celestia was impeccably—”

“RARITY!” Applejack shouted.

“Really, Applejack, there’s no need to yell; I’m right here,” Rarity replied, apparently appalled at the outburst.

“We’ve gone through this conversation at least fifteen times by now. Can’t we just look at Sky’s pictures in peace?” Applejack said, obviously exasperated.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly, bouncing on the bed. “He’s got some pictures of some places I’ve never been to before! It’s just so exciting to hear about new places!”

“Um, Pinkie? Could you please stop bouncing?” Fluttershy asked in her normal barely-audible voice. “You’re scattering Sky’s pictures all over the bed.”

“Stop bouncing? Don’t be silly!” Pinkie protested.

“Then you can bounce on the floor!” Rainbow Dash suggested (in a somewhat forceful manner) from her perch on the bed’s canopy.

“Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie said, bounding off the bed and hopping around the room, apparently to a beat that only she could hear.

Sky had become accustomed to the banter, and he proceeded through the pictures almost as if there was nothing to distract him at all. He sat on the bed, sifting through his pictures, recalling the memories from long ago. Twilight, who sat opposite him, used her magic to lift the pictures to show the others.

“Oh, haha, this is one from my really early days in Cloudsdale. Also, if you look in the background on the left…”

“Hey, that’s me!” Fluttershy commented, rising into the air in surprise.

“Wow, Fluttershy, you haven’t changed much from those days,” Spike said from Applejack’s back, seeing the picture.

“Oh, you think so?” she responded in a disappointed tone, her ears flattening.

“It ain’t like it’s a bad thing, y’know. We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Applejack responded with a smile.

“Oh, I see,” she said, her cheerfulness returning in a flash.

Sky continued to sort through his pictures until his eyes widened suddenly, and he flipped past the picture a bit too quickly.

“Hey! What was that one?” Twilight asked, pulling the picture out of the stack with her magic.

“Oh, that? It’s, um…nothing,” he said innocently.

Twilight suddenly burst out into laughter, letting the picture fall to the bed. Sky attempted to recover it, but Rainbow Dash swooped down and grabbed it before he had the chance. She, too, busted out laughing within a few moments.

“What’s so funny?” Pinkie said, having ceased her frolicking. She and the rest of the ponies were now looking at the photo. In it, a young (and rather displeased) Sky Streak was dressed in some long orange cone that expanded from front to back.

“What the hay is that supposed to be?” Rainbow Dash said, still giggling uncontrollably.

Sky let out an exasperated sigh. “That was me on Nightmare Night. When I was young, I used to eat carrots all the time. So my mom thought it would be cute if I dressed up as one.”

“You certainly look excited about it,” Rarity observed.

“Thrilled,” Sky replied sarcastically. He snatched up the picture and put it back with the rest of his collection. He sifted through a few more before finding one that made him smile softly.

“What have you got there, Sky?” Twilight asked.

He offered it out to her. “That’s a picture of my family in Foalumbus shortly before I moved to Coltlanta. That’s my mom and dad in the back, with me and my sister in front.”

“Aw, she’s a cutie!” Twilight squealed. “She reminds me a little of Applebloom; so innocent and excited.”

“She is. She’s much more grown up now, and I’d love to go back and visit her soon. I haven’t seen her for several months. Maybe I’ll get the chance before the Council gives me my assignment.”

“Hey! We can’t see!” Pinkie exclaimed. “We wanna see the picture!”

Twilight turned it to face them, and it was almost comical when they all said “Aw” in perfect unison.

“She’s simply adorable, Sky. What’s her name?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, uh, Cinnamint,” he replied, remembering that he had only told that to Spike and Twilight.

“Certainly seems to fit, seein’ as how she’s got those colors like they are,” Applejack agreed.

“You should bring her to Ponyville sometime. We could throw a party for her!” Pinkie suggested with her usual gusto.

Sky saw Spike’s eyes widen in alarm as he shook his head slowly and mouthed the word “no” to him. Sky smiled in acknowledgement. “Maybe once she’s met all of you, but not right at the start. That would be a bit…overwhelming.”

“Okay!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “As long as there’s a party, I’m happy!”

Sky chuckled a bit, then turned to the window on the other side of the room. The sun was sinking out of sight below the horizon, casting both the sky and the land below in a warm shade of orange. Slowly, he got up from the bed and floated over to the window, where he watched as the sun finally faded from view.

“Sky? Everythin’ alright?” Applejack asked from the bedside.

“It’s wonderful,” he replied. “Ever since my family left Cloudsdale, I’ve felt like I was missing something. It was like I lost part of myself when I left my colthood home. I made new friends in Foalumbus and Coltlanta, but it wasn’t the same. And even when I went back to visit, I only went back because I thought I could find that part of me that was missing. I went to see my old friends, but too many of them had moved away…or moved on. And I had been left behind. Even when I was in Canterlot after that, I think the reason that Princess Luna came to talk to me was because she saw that I was looking for something, and she wanted to offer me the chance to find it.”

The room was silent for a moment, then there was the sound of Spike’s feet pattering on the floor as he walked over beside the pegasus. “And I accepted because I thought that maybe she knew something that I didn’t. Turns out she did. I just didn’t see it until I came to Everfree Forest.”

“And what was that?” Twilight asked, though Sky suspected that she knew the answer.

He turned back to face them. “Friendship, of course. I had been moving since the day I left Cloudsdale, and I never really gave myself the chance to form friendships with anyone. I was so desperate to find what I was missing that I failed to consider that maybe I wasn’t giving it the time I needed to. Until I met Twilight and Spike, who offered to help me, even though they hardly knew me. And when the time came, I realized that friendship isn’t just something that you get; it’s also something that you give. And each of you have shown me a great deal of that friendship. But now, I feel that I’m able to return that to you.”

They were all beaming at him. Spike, who was now standing beside him, shrugged and sighed reluctantly. “I’m not one for mushy stuff, but I gotta say, I’m glad you finally came around. And it’s been nice knowing you.”

Sky arched an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s been wha—”

A soft, but fast-moving object slammed into his face, smacking his head away from the baby dragon. “Pillow fight!” Spike shouted, pulling back his pillow back into a ready position.

Sky turned back around as he rose into the air. His eyes leveled mischievously. “I hope you know what you’ve started.” With that, he darted across the room, grabbing a pillow in mid-flight. The girls quickly had their own pillows at the ready within mere moments. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

Their laughter continued far into the night.

In a far corner of Equestria:

A lone windigo flew its solitary flight through the cold night. There had been virtually no other living things within the area for hours. Yet this one remained, riding on the wind.

Suddenly, a deafening roar split the air. A great green dragon flew overhead, announcing its majesty to anything nearby. The windigo paused in its flight, watching the dragon fly off further to the north. Then, apparently making up its mind about something, it took off after the dragon, its teeth bared in a crooked smile.

And its red eyes glowed in menace.

Author's Note

Well, that's arc one of the entire story. Want to read more? I'll be putting up the rest within the next few days, so just be patient with me for a bit!