"Princess Luna, you're the one Princess Celestia sent?!" shouted Alex.

"Correct. You see, I've been having a bit of trouble nowadays. Every time I try to speak to the towns ponies they just quiver in fear. I even wanted to be here when the elements of harmony summoned you but Celestia insisted that I not make an appearance. She feared the ponies were not ready to see my face yet. So my sister believed that I should learn about how to fit in more since I've been gone for so long. Celestia and the being known as the Gospel were deciding on who would be the best choice for me to learn from and they decided that it should be you."

Alex took in a deep breath, "No! No way! This...this can't be happening! Princess Celestia must have made a mistake!"

Luna raised an eyebrow, "No, she made no mistake. She insisted that you be the one I learn from."

"But...you're a princess! I can't live with a princess! That's so...weird!"

"Yet you live with Princess Celestia's most faithful student. You do not find that strange in itself?"

"Of course I find it strange! It's super weird! But a princess?! That's even crazier! Why?! Why me?!"

"Well you are a prince, are you not?"

"That's not...I...no? I don't know. Does that matter?"

"Well surely that makes this situation a bit less strange to you. Who better to help me understand how to...fit in, as they say?"

"Well hold on here I'm still trying to fit in myself! So how would I be able to help you?"

"My understanding is that Celestia hopes for us to learn together. This way we can help each other, but that is simply my thoughts on this matter.

Twilight decided to break the silence, "So..."

"I don't know about this. I'm still uneasy about this whole thing." said Alex.

"You...do not wish to help me?" asked Luna.

"Don't say it like that." said Alex as he began to feel guilty. "...Alright fine! I'll do it."

"Wonderful! Worry not young prince, I promise not to be a burden on you! I am a fast learner, my sister and I were at the top of our class when we were younger!" said Luna.

"Hold on!" interrupted Twilight, "You're just going to take her in, just like that?! Don't I get a say in the matter?"

Alex turned to face her, "I couldn't help it! I felt bad about saying no."

"Fluttershy, are you okay?" asked Twilight.

Alex turned his head around to see her hiding behind him, "Uh, please don't do that. It feels weird."

"THAT IS CORRECT YOUNG PEGASUS! DO NOT FEAR YOUR PRINCESS!" she shouted.

"Ow! My ears! Why are you yelling?!"

"I AM ONLY SPEAKING WITH THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE! WE ALWAYS USE THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE WHEN SPEAKING TO OUR SUBJECTS!" she shouted.

"Please stop! You're hurting my ears!"

"BUT..." she began.

"I said stop! My ears feel like they're going to fall off! If you want to get along with other ponies then you're going to have to stop shouting like that all the time!" he shouted as he rubbed his ears.

"I see. I will certainly try. Please excuse my rude shouting young Pegasus, I certainly won't harm you."

"Oh man! My ears are still ringing from your shouting!"

"Why are you shouting?!" asked Twilight.

"What?! Sorry I can barely hear you!" he shouted.

"Here, perhaps I can help." said Luna as her horn began to glow. Alex's ears then became enveloped in the same aura as Luna's magic. "Can you hear us now?"

"Yeah, that's much better. Man, you girls can do some amazing things with magic huh?" He turned to see Fluttershy shaking furiously. "Are you okay Fluttershy?"

"Y-you two aren't going to yell anymore, are you?" she asked while looking away.

"Oh, was I yelling too? I'm sorry, we won't yell anymore. I think we've settled that issue." he said.

"Oh good, it's really scary when ponies yell at each other like that." she said as she calmed down.

"Is she really staying with us Alex?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"Who is this young Pegasus Alex?" asked Luna.

"Her? Well...you see...she's-"

"That's his daughter Scootaloo." said Twilight.

Alex immediately turned to her. "Twilight!"

"You already have a child?! So then this Pegasus here must be the mother! Why did you not send word of your newborn child to us in Canterlot?!" she said as she rushed toward Fluttershy and grabbed her hooves, "Congratulations! She's very beautiful; I see she takes after her mother! When was the wedding?"

"U-u-uh, no...It's not...we're not..." stuttered Fluttershy. She had become so embarrassed that she could hardly form a complete sentence.

Alex immediately got in between them. "STOP! STOP! STOP! It's not like that! She was adopted! We're not married! Don't get the wrong idea!"

"Oh...I see. Then why did you not tell us that you had adopted a child?" she asked.

"Uh, it's...complicated. Let's just leave it at that okay?" he said. *Sigh* "I hope this isn't going to be a daily thing." He turned to face Fluttershy. "S-sorry about that. Maybe you should go home for now as we clear this up, but please don't tell anyone about Princess Luna yet. I'll tell them myself."

"Sure. I'll, um, see you tomorrow?" she said.

"Uh, yeah! Totally." he said. Tomorrow. She'll be here tomorrow. "Don't forget to bring Derpy with you tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course, good night." she said as she walked away.

"Good night!" he said back as he closed the door. "Alright, Princess Luna. I guess, we'll start tomorrow? It's pretty late right now, and I have to figure out our room situation."

"What has happened to our room?" asked Luna.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. You two just get ready for bed. Let me get things ready down there." he said as he headed for the stairs.

With that being said, Luna and Scootaloo went to get ready for bed as Alex spent his time fixing up the beds and looking for the cat who had mysteriously disappeared. "Where is that cat?" He then heard several noises coming from his study room. "What was that?" He slowly moved towards the door and carefully opened the door.

"Freedom!" shouted the cat as he ran out of the room.

"What the?! What were you doing in there?" asked Alex.

"That Rainbow pony threw me in there and refused to let me out! She even forgot about me after she left with that loudmouth pony!"

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I did! But after that explosion all of your notes fell off of the wall and landed all over me!"

"Aw man! Now I have to fix everything all over again."

"Well, at least I'm out finally. I can't wait to sleep in a nice comfy bed."

"Uh...about that."

"What? What is it?"

"Ah, so this is the cat I've heard about." said Luna as she and Scootaloo walked down the steps.

"Is that Princess Luna?! What is she doing here?!" asked the cat.

"Well, how do I put this? She lives here, with us now."

"Why do you keep bringing more ponies into our home?!"

"It wasn't my fault! Princess Celestia asked me to!"

"I see there are only two beds." said Luna.

"Uh, yeah. That's our main problem right now. Okay, here's what I think. We should-"

"The cat shall sleep on the couch, the child will use her own bed, and you and I will share the other bed."

"W-wait a moment! What about-"

"I've heard the stories about that cat. I know that he is quite the troublemaker. I believe it would be best if he slept on the couch."

"Well yeah but, why do we have to share the same bed?! I think it'd be easier if you used that bed and Scootaloo and I share this bed instead."

"I'm afraid that is not acceptable. It is...necessary."

"What does that mean?"

"You can't tell me what to do!" the cat shouted.

"Oh? Do not think I don't know of your current situation! I am well aware that you are a thief who attempted to steal a royal crown! One word from me and you'll be thrown into a dungeon cell!"

"Grrrrr! I won't forget about this!" said the cat as he hopped up onto the couch in the room.

"Like you'll actually do anything?" asked Alex.

*Yawn!* "Probably not. Too tired."

"Figures."

"Now then! Let us be off to bed!" said Luna.

"Wait! I'm not done with-"

~~~~~

How did I get stuck in bed with her?! Alex laid on his half of the bed, trying to keep himself as far away as possible from Princess Luna. This is ridiculous! Necessary, what does she mean it's necessary?! He slowly turned his head to check to make sure that Luna was still on her side when suddenly he could see her getting closer and even attempting to grab him. "Hey! What are you doi-Mmmph!" His words were cut off as Luna pulled him close preventing him from forming words. Oh lord she's so strooooong! How can she be so strong?! As he struggled to break free from Luna's grasp, he overheard the sound of something falling onto the floor from nearby.

What? What was that? It sounded like...paper? Alex used his magic in an attempt to lift whatever had fallen. It turned out to be a letter that Luna had in her possession. Alex managed to bring it closer and, with much concentration, managed to open the letter.

To: Prince Alexis Beltran

By the time you read this letter you will have seen that the one who needs your help is none other than my sister, Princess Luna. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience to you, but right now you should know that Luna has some...conditions that have intensified ever since she was reformed by the elements of harmony. My sister tends to have repeating night terrors, so do be aware that as she does tend to 'cling' to other objects as she sleeps. With that being said, do keep a watchful eye on her as you try to sleep. Although we may not look it, we have tremendous strength so...do prepare yourself.

From: Princess Celestia

"MMMMPH!" Why did Luna not give this to me sooner?! I feel like I'm being crushed! I can't move an inch! He continued to struggle, but his efforts were in vain. Luna was simply too strong for Alex. Why is she...is she....wait. Is she shaking? Alex managed to pry his head a bit loose and noticed that Luna had this look of fear. She must be having a nightmare. I wonder what her dreams are like. Alex continued looking watching Luna until he could see that her horn had begun to glow. I wonder...if I placed my horn on hers, could I enter her dream? No, no I shouldn't do that. That's her dream, I have no reason to invade her mind like that!

"Do it."

W-what? Alex continued to stare at Luna's horn. He didn't know what, but something was calling to him. He began to summon his own magic and managed to manifest it onto his horn and placed his horn onto Luna's.

~~~~~

"Wha-where am I?!" he asked as he landed in Luna's dream. His words echoed throughout the dream world. "Whoa, what's up with my voice? It sounds so...echoey here. Hey, this is the castle of the two sisters! I've never seen the inside like this before. It's a lot bigger than I thought." Alex began walking through the castle halls, unsure of what it was he hoped to find.

"Help me."

"Huh? Princess Luna! Is that you?" he called out.

"Release me."

"Princess Luna! Are you trapped in here?" he asked. He heard no response so he began running through the halls, searching for any sign of Luna. As he searched the halls, he came to a large door that had Luna's cutie mark embedded above the door. "She must be in here. It's locked pretty tight though. Hang on princess! I'll get you out...somehow." There must be some way to open this door! Huh, the cutie mark looks a little...different. Is it the color? It's probably just faded, this door seems very old. He then placed his hoof upon the door and suddenly he began hearing the locks come undone. "Whoa! I don't know what I did, but this door is opening!"

As the door unlocked itself, Alex backed away slowly due to an uneasy feeling he got from placing his hoof on it. "Okay, here we go. I hope the princess is okay." The giant door then began to open slowly, and Alex stared into the opening hoping that Luna was inside. When the doors finally opened all he could see was darkness, it enveloped the entire room. Alex took a single step into the room, "Hello? Princess Luna? Are you in here?" Suddenly a strong wind erupted from inside the room, Alex felt a chilling sensation as the wind continued to escape the room.

After a few seconds the wind had died down and Alex could finally see inside of the room. "It's...empty. This room is completely empty." I...I feel different. It's...really hard to breathe, I feel so much heavier than before. What's going on?

"No! Please!" screamed a voice.

"I know that voice! That's Princess Luna for sure this time!" Alex rushed down the halls, following the sound of Luna's voice. "It's getting louder, she's near!" Alex found an open door with a red carpet leading out of the room. He slowed his pace and inched his way to see into the room. "Is that Princess Celestia? Are those the elements of harmony back in their original form?!"

"Celestia, please listen to me! I've come back, I am no longer intent with shrouding Equestria in eternal night! The darkness that possessed me is gone, you must believe me!"

"I'm sorry little sister, but the ponies of Equestria have doubts. They still believe you might try to betray us again, I must do this for them!"

Alex continued watching until suddenly he could hear several voices speaking throughout the castle. "What...what is happening?"

"Oh no! It's Nightmare Moon!"

"She's come back! She'll destroy us all!"

"I can't believe she thinks she can just say sorry and everypony will welcome her back with open hooves."

"Keep her away from the children!"

"Somepony call the guards!"

"No! I'm not evil anymore! I wish to make up for my past mistakes!" shouted Luna. "Please, if you would all just give me a chance you would see-" Luna was cut off as the screams became louder. "No...please no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

"I'm afraid I cannot wait any longer Luna. It is time." said Celestia as the elements began to spin around her as they began to shine.

"Dear sister, surely you must believe that I am not evil! Please, you are the only one left who understands me! Give me a chance to prove myself!"

"The citizens of Equestria have spoken. I now return you to the moon where you shall be imprisoned, forever!" The elements began to shine brighter as Celestia prepared her spell.

Alex stared in shock as he bit his lower lip in anger. This is horrible! I...I remember that the ponies were afraid of Princess Luna but, I didn't know it hurt her this much. She's become so convinced that everyone dislikes her so much, now her dreams are making her believe that Celestia is against her too. I can understand how she feels, I was never given the opportunity to prove myself either.

"No! NO! PLEASE SOMEPONY GIVE ME A CHANCE!" screamed Luna.

I...I can't watch this any longer! Alex ran headfirst into the room and pushed Luna out of the way as Celestia's spell hit the floor near Alex causing the floor to explode. Alex and Luna were then covered by the dust thrown around from the explosion making it difficult to see.

"Oh no! Wh-what ha-"

*Cough! *Cough!* *Cough!* "Princess Luna! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes! Are you?"

"I'm fine thankfully! The spell just barely missed."

"Where are you?"

"I'm not too sure, I can't see anything."

"Why did you save me?"

"Because...I couldn't stand to watch you suffer like that anymore."

"..."

"I know how it feels. To be alone, to have everyone push you away when all you want is a chance to show them who you are."

"Well you shouldn't have helped me. Didn't you hear them? I'm...evil. I'm a monster."

"No, you're not evil. You're just misunderstood."

"Who are you?" The dust began to disappear and Luna could make out his figure. "Do I...know you?"

"Uh, not exactly." he said as he slowly backed away. Crap! I'm in trouble if she catches me in here!

The dust finally cleared out enough that Luna could see him. "Prince Alexis! What are you doing here?! How did you get in here?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to invade your privacy! It's just...let's just say I had to fix a certain problem."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I'll explain it later. Right now we have to figure out how to end this nightmare, and how to deal with that." he said as he pointed towards Celestia.

"It is no use Prince Alexis." said Luna as she bowed her head in defeat. "The ponies of today do not trust me. They all fear me, and now my own sister fears me."

"No, Celestia would never be afraid of you."

"Then why did she send me away? Why not keep me by her side?"

"She did it to help you. She knows that you'll never be able to get other ponies to see the real you if you stay in that castle forever."

"But nopony wants to see the real me! Everypony is afraid of me!" she said as Alex could see her tears running down her face.

"I'm not."

"What?"

"I'm not afraid. Actually, I consider myself lucky. I've always wanted to meet you Princess Luna, the princess of the moon."

"You...do not fear me? Of course you don't, because you do not know. This may shock you, but I-"

"You tried to shroud the world in eternal night as Nightmare Moon."

"How did you know that?"

"I know a lot of things about your past. And I know that you feel bad about doing those things. But...if you show everypony that you are willing to make up for your past mistakes, then they will forgive you."

"How can I show everypony that I've changed if they don't give me the chance to show it?"

"I will."

"What?"

"I will give you that chance. And if other ponies are too scared to give you that chance, then I'll be there by your side until they can see you, the real you!" Huh, not bad. I think I sounded pretty good just now.

"You're willing to give me a chance? I...don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything to me. Right now you need to tell yourself that you believe in your sister."

"My sister?"

"Look up there. That image was created by your mind because you're afraid that Celestia doesn't trust you anymore, but I know that she cares about you more than anything else. You have to believe in her."

Princess Luna turned to face the Celestia her mind had created and took a deep breath. "I know that you are not real. You are but a nightmare, something that I fear deep down because I do not believe that my sister completely trusts me anymore after what I've done. But now I am certain that...that is false! My sister, the real Celestia, believes in me more than anypony else! Deep in my heart I know this to be true, but because I doubted myself I began to doubt her, and that is unforgiveable. I know now that I can prove myself to everypony, even if it's just one pony at a time. It will be a long journey for me, but I have already made great progress." She looked over at Alex without him noticing. "I know, my sister would be proud of me for taking this journey."

The Celestia that stood before her began to smile and gently nodded her head. Then she, and the rest of the nightmare began to disappear before their very eyes. "What's happening?!" asked Alex.

"Worry not Prince Alexis. The nightmare is over. I'm not afraid anymore." she said with a smile. "It's time to wake up."

~~~~~

Alex had awoken first and noticed that Luna's grasp on him had loosened, he used this opportunity to quickly back away from Luna. Unfortunately he had forgotten that he had been sleeping on the edge of the bed and fell off, hitting his head on the floor. Ack! That hurt!

"Mmmm...Hm?" Luna had begun to wake up and noticed that Alex had fallen off the bed. "Prince Alexis, are you alright?" she whispered.

"Y-yeah, my head just hurts from that fall."

"How did you fall off the bed?"

"I...uh...found this." he said as he levitated the letter he had found earlier.

"O-o-o-oh dear. Was I...um..."

"I thought you were going to break me."

"My apologies! I can assure you though, I did not mean to bring you harm!"

"Shhh! You'll wake the others!"

"My apologies!" she whispered.

"Stop apologizing please. It feels weird to have you apologize to me. We'll talk more about this tomorrow okay?"

"Yes, that would seem appropriate for now."

"Alright, then do you think you can...slide back to your half of the bed please?"

"Y-yes of course. Here, let me just move aside."

"Thank you." said Alex as he climbed back into the bed. "Alright, well...good night princess."

"...Thank you."

"Hm?"

"I was so afraid of being rejected by everypony. Other than my sister, you are the first pony who has accepted my presence here in Equestria. I...think I'm beginning to understand why Celestia sent me here."

"..."

"I suppose it's late for a conversation such as this. Have a good night Prince Alex."

"Yeah...good night." said Alex as he closed his eyes. I still feel that this is wrong. Celestia and the Gospel must have made a mistake. Why choose me to take care of her? I'm not some kind of miracle worker, there's nothing special about me. Ugh, I have too many things on my mind right now. I need to get back on track tomorrow, hopefully the nightmares will be less stressful tonight. Alex quickly fell asleep after everything that had happened that day. And for the first time in a long time, Alex did not have any nightmares that night.

The sun rose in the morning as Alex and Scootaloo got up from their deep slumber. Luna, still sleeping, had grabbed Alex during the middle of the night once again. Alex and Scootaloo struggled to get her to let go of him. After a few minutes they managed to wake her up and she released her hooves not knowing that they were holding him in place, sending Alex onto the floor once again. That morning he walked her through their morning schedule and how each of them spent their days. And after much complaining from Scootaloo, Alex took the second bed in his room and threw it outside. After he got rid of it they all decided to take Scootaloo to school.

"Does she have to come with us?" asked Scootaloo as they walked along the dirt path.

"Yes, she does. If I'm going to help her learn about fitting in then she needs to be with me. Why?" he asked.

"It's going to be weird if the other fillies see the princess there dropping me off at school." she explained.

"You know...she's got a point. Are we sure this is a good idea?" asked Alex.

"Worry not Prince Alexis. I no longer feel afraid of being rejected by others. If I want to get along with them, then I must begin by letting them know that I am here." said Luna.

"I guess that's one way to make some progress."

"What about you? Do you get strange looks because you are a prince?"

"No...not really. I'm still not convinced that I'm a prince. Up to now I've just been telling everyone to keep it a secret."

"Why don't you want others to know that you are a prince?" asked Luna.

"Well, because I feel that if I were to be labeled as a prince then everyone would treat me differently. I want everyone to see me as an equal, I don't want to be seen as though I'm more important than they are." he said.

"I see, so I should do the same and not act like a princess?" asked Luna.

"Uh, well...huh. I'm not sure. Everypony already knows that you're a princess, so I think that wouldn't work. Let's just start with being kind to others, you have to project that positive feeling from inside yourself."

"I think I understand. Oh, I do believe we have arrived at school. Am I correct?"

"Yes! Just on time too, have a good day at school Scootaloo!" He nudged Luna, "Let's see how you say your goodbyes, try wishing her a good day at school."

"Very well." said Luna as she cleared her throat. "Fare thee well daughter of Alexis! Enjoy your many hours of educational experiences that will provide sufficient knowledge for you to succeed in your future endeavors!" She said as she waved. "How was that?"

"It...it wasn't terrible, but it could use some work." he said. Oh boy, she is waaaaaay unfamiliar with current times. He thought. "Come on, let's get to Sweet Apple Acres." he said.

"Let us be off then." she said.

"Okay see, the way you say things need to change." he said while walking, "Instead of 'let us be off then', just say 'let's go'!"

"Very well then." she said.

"How about instead of 'very well then', you say 'okay'?" he said.

"Very we...I mean, okay." she said. "How was that?" she asked.

"Good, you're starting to learn a little. There's still a lot more to go though." he said as they made their way for Sweet Apple Acres. "Okay, so last night..."

"Oh yes, we still have to discuss what happened."

"Sorry about invading your dreams."

"To be honest, I am not upset with what you did. I am glad you intervened when you did. I finally put all of my doubt aside, and now my mind is clear. It is all thanks to you."

"Yeah, well it's only because of your condition that I entered your dream in the first place."

"I-I-I apologized for that!"

"Yes, you did. And then you did it again later that night!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"

"No I didn't!"

"You did!" The two continued arguing as they continued along their way.

Applejack was waiting for Alex by the entrance so she could welcome him. What she didn't expect was for him to have company, especially not Princess Luna. "P-P-P-P-Princess Luna! How are you? Ah didn't expect to see you here."

"I am well, thank you for your concern. I must also thank you for stopping me from when I tried to permanently cover this world in shadows." she said.

"Y-yeah, no problem. Alex, can ah talk with you real quick?" she asked as she pulled him aside.

"Uh, yeah, just give me one sec." he said as he walked over to Luna. "Listen, for this job we simply kick the tree to knock the apples off, okay?"

"Kick the tree, I understand. I will succeed." said Luna.

Alex walked over to talk with Applejack. "So, pretty crazy huh?"

"Crazy?! What is Princess Luna doing here?!"

"Well Princess Celestia asked me to help her fit in. I'm not sure why she chose me though. It's only been one night since she moved in and already she's been a handful."

"A handful? Wait, the princess is living with you?!"

"Yeah, it's been a weird couple of days for me."

"Ah can't believe this. What did Twilight say?"

"Well she's okay with it. It was Princess Celestia who asked me to do it after all."

"Well if Princess Celestia thinks you can help, then ah'm sure she picked the right pony for the job."

"How can you be so sure though? I don't think I'm the best person to help her."

"Person?"

"Yeah, it's a human thing."

"Ah see. Well ah hope you stay safe, it could be dangerous to have her around." she asked.

"No, she's not dangerous at all. She wants to make up for what she did, and she's willing to work hard to get everypony's trust back."

"Well even so, ah think ah should tell you what happened before. You see, before you came here, she-"

As Applejack began to tell Alex about Nightmare Moon and what she did at the Summer Sun Festival, Alex's eyes focused on Princess Luna who was scanning one of the nearby trees carefully. He watched as Luna prepared to buck the apples off of the tree, hoping that she would succeed even though it was her first time. Luna reared her legs and launched a kick, sending the tree flying out of the ground, across the sky and over the mountains on the opposite side of Ponyville. "Uh...Can you give me a second Applejack?" he said as he quickly ran over to Luna.

"What did you do?!" he whispered.

"I kicked the tree just as you said. I did good, no?"

"No! You were only supposed to kick it hard enough to knock the apples off! Not make it explode out of the ground!"

"Oh...oh dear. I have failed at even the simplest of tasks." she said as she bowed her head down. "Forgive me."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. Um, oh man what are we going to do?"

"WHAT IN TARNATION?!" shouted Applejack as she came over and stared into the hole that remained.

"Applejack, we can explain!" said Alex.

"Big Mac! Ah thought you said you were going to fill all of the holes left by those darn gophers! There's still one left! And it is enormous! Sorry, but ah gotta go get the shovel and fill this hole up."

"Uh, yeah! Sure, no problem! Princess Luna and I will get started on the apples!"

"Alright then, good luck." she said as she walked off. "And please be careful."

"Okay princess. Let's try this again." said Alex as he led Luna to the barn to get them baskets to catch the apples with. "So we only want to knock the apples off, but since you're an alicorn I guess you want to hold back a bit."

"Very well, I will not let you down this time!" said Luna with determination.

"Good, now watch me." said Alex as he walked up to a tree. "Now we just kick it like...this!" He kicked the tree with all his strength causing all of the apples of fall off.

"I see. But..."

"What? What's wrong?"

"It was your kick, were you...holding back?"

"N...no, not at all. I kicked it as hard as I could, why?"

"I see. You're not very strong, are you?"

"Uh, no. No I'm not." That kind of hurts. It took me days before I could even knock all of the apples off of one tree. "Your turn."

"Oh, yes. Now I shall redeem myself! So, I simply must hold back my strength yes?"

"Exactly! Alright, go for it."

"Very well. Here I go." Luna prepared her kick carefully. The moment she kicked her hoof broke through the tree and she became stuck. "Aaah! Oh dear! I...I can pull it ou-"

"No! If you try to pull it out, then you might just pull the whole tree out of the ground with you!"

"T-then what do I do?" she asked as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Uh...I'll help you." said Alex as he walked towards her and grabbed her hooves. "Okay, one...two...three!" He began pulling with all his might as little by little he could feel Luna becoming easier to free. "Almost there!" he shouted as he struggled to continue pulling. Wow, she is really stuck in there! I don't know if I can get her out!

"I'm almost out Prince Alexis! Just one more pull!"

"I don't know if I can!"

"Yes! You can! I know you can!"

I...I can? Alex mustered up every last ounce of strength that he could and pulled once more. Luna's hoof finally came loose as she fell forward on top of Alex. "Okay...you need to hold back at least...twice as much of your strength."

"Y-yes. Sorry about that. I suppose it has been a long time since I've done anything like this before. Forgive me for failing once again."

"You didn't fail, the tree is still here so that's an improvement but..."

"What is wrong?"

"Can you get off of me please?"

"Oh! Yes, forgive me!" said Luna as she quickly lifted herself.

"Okay, so...try it again. Half as strong this time."

"Yes, I can do this!" said Luna with even more determination than before. She carefully scanned the tree once again and kicked it. "Mmmmmm...." The tree shook and soon the apples began falling down onto her baskets. "Huzzah! I have succeeded!"

"Good job princess! Careful, make sure to catch the apples!" he said as he ran in with a basket to catch some of the ones that Luna had not noticed.

"This is fantastic! Now what's next?" she asked.

"Now? We continue kicking the rest of the trees here." said Alex.

"...All of them?"

"Yup! We've got a whole days work here."

"Please, such a task will be completed in mere minutes."

"Oh? Don't think that just because you successfully bucked a single tree that you can just breeze through the rest."

"Shall we put it to the test then?"

"A test?"

"Yes, a simple game. We each take half of the trees, and whoever completes their half first is declared the winner."

"Ummm...sure. But no kicking trees out of the ground okay?"

"Of course! Now let us begin!" said Luna as she quickly kicked the next tree over.

"Hey! No fair! You got a head start!" said Alex as he began on his half.

Throughout the morning two of them bucked apples off of all the trees. Eventually Applejack caught up with them and was amazed at how much progress they were making. She decided to carry all of the baskets that were full back to the barn so she could empty them for later use. Alex and Luna continued bucking one tree after the other as fast as they could. Thankfully Alex's experience came in handy as he gained the lead in their race. He even began to enjoy their game, it made him feel happy. At last he had finished and waited for Luna to finish her last set of apple trees.

"Hahaha...oh man...that was...actually pretty fun."

"Yes...I...agree. I haven't...enjoyed myself...this much in quite a...while."

"Whoooo! Okay...I think we're done. Let's head back." he said as he led the way out.

"I cannot believe...how many trees there were."

"I can't believe I actually beat you."

"Only because you were more experienced at this than I am. Give me time and I will show you what I can really do."

"You know, to be honest I'm actually looking forward to that. I feel excited!"

"As do I young prince."

"You don't have to call me prince. I'd prefer if you called me Alex."

"Hm? Very well, then you may call me Luna."

"B-but...are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. I would be honored if you called me by my name."

"Okay, then I'll do that Luna."

Alex and Luna continued walking until they had arrived back at the barn where Applejack saw how exhausted the two were from their hard day's work. "Welcome back! What was up with you two? You were bucking apple trees so fast, Ah've never seen you work like that before."

"Yes, making it a game certainly was a good idea." said Luna.

"A game?" asked Applejack.

"Yeah, I actually had fun!" said Alex as he laughed.

"T-that's good!" said Applejack. He's never smiled like that before. In fact, it's been weeks since ah last saw him laugh. How come he never has that much fun when we're around? We're supposed to be the ones making him feel welcome here, aren't we?

"Hey, what's wrong Applejack? Are you okay?" asked Alex.

"Yeah, Ah'm fine." she said. "Hey, do you want to get together later?"

"Huh? Y-you want to hang out?" he asked. N-no way. She's asking to hang out?

"You bet! So, how about it?"

Oh my gosh this is actually happening! I get to hang out with Applejack! Say something stupid! "Y-yes! I'm totally free for the rest of the day."

"Great! Ah'll meet you in town in three hours. Mah brother and ah have a few chores to do around here. We're gonna be doing some repairs around the barn."

"Repairs?"

"Yeah, it'll be a piece of cake! So ah'll see you later! Ah gotta go get Big Mac!" said Applejack as she ran off.

"Is something the matter Alex?" asked Luna.

"Actually I'm excited! I don't know why but I feel so much happier than before! I feel great!"

"I see. That is good then yes?"

"Good? It's fantastic! I feel on top of the world right now!" he shouted. Man, I feel great! It feels like all of my troubles and doubts left me last night!

"Shall we go retrieve Scootaloo from school then?"

"No, school won't be out for another hour. So we've got some time to kill." said Alex as they began walking. "I guess we can just head home until it's time."

"Alex, may I ask you something?" asked Luna.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Forgive me if I sound rude but, from the letters my sister had been receiving it seemed that you were not such a happy pony. Rather it seemed that you were always gloomy or distressed over something. Is this not the case?"

"Actually I can't quite explain it. But I just feel better now. I feel like, I have finally opened my mind to the truth. I can finally see the light in the darkness that had overcome my life for so many years. I feel...free."

"That's good to hear. My sister will be pleased to hear this."

"Yeah! How is Princess Celestia?" he asked with a smile. Alex continued to have a cheerful mood as he and Luna continued talking. At one point Alex stopped and Luna paused to see him looking off into the distance.

"Is something the matter Alex?" she asked.

Alex walked towards a nearby hill and felt a calm breeze brush by his fur and mane. "You know...I just remembered that my mother and I were having a talk on the day I was brought into Equestria. I didn't have the courage to finish our conversation, I never did."

"Was there something you wanted to tell her?"

"Yes. To be honest, no matter where I was back on Earth I never felt like I belonged. I always dreamed of finding a place where people would accept me for who I was. A place where the people would smile when they see me. And I would hear a voice telling me...this is where you belong. I know it sounds silly, but it was a place I always dreamed to exist somewhere! I guess it was such a silly dream that I knew my mother would just lecture me about how it's just a dream and that world was the reality. But now...I don't think I'm ever going to find that place and I'm okay with that. Equestria is so nice and peaceful, I like it here. Although, I do wish I could speak with my family again."

"I see. Perhaps someday we will find a way to send you home."

"Yes, home. Someday...I will see them again. I know I will. Until then, I think I can enjoy living here."

"I'm certain everypony will be happy to hear that. I suppose we should continue heading home now?"

"Yeah, let's get going." said Alex as they left.

The two of them traveled back to the library and Alex headed towards his study room alone. Aw man, all of these papers are still on the floor. How am I supposed to get them all back into place? I can't lift that many objects at once with my magic yet! Just then his horn had lit up by itself and every little piece of paper flew back into their proper places on the wall, desk, and shelves. Whoa, how did I do that? I'm wondering if my magic reacted to my needs. Hmmm I could get used to that. Alex looked at his notes on the wall at where he had left off before. Right, the Doctor. I still have that problem.

He spent a few minutes doing some research until it was time to pick up Scootaloo from school. Since Twilight was still gone and Luna decided to have a long conversation with the cat about what he's been teaching Alex, he decided to go alone. He enjoyed his trip towards the school, looking at the bright blue sky up above. It was so different and it felt so similar to the one back home. Occasionally he would see a Pegasus pony flying across and imagined himself soaring through the sky along with them. At last he had arrived at school just when the bell rang and the kids began leaving.

"Hey Scootaloo! Over here!" said Alex as he spotted her through the crowd of fillies.

"Hey Alex! Boy am I glad school is out for today. It was super boring!"

"Well that's school for you. But trust me, when you're older you'll be glad you went to school. Now how about we get some ice cream?"

"Really?! Yes! Let's go!" she said excitedly. The two went into town and went to the local ice cream shop. Thankfully they still had some flavors that were on Earth too. Alex purchased himself a cup of chocolate ice cream while Scootaloo decided to get a flavor called breeze home.

As they sat down to eat their ice cream, Alex couldn't help but stare at Scootaloo's baby blue colored ice cream. "Hey Scootaloo, is that your favorite flavored ice cream?"

"You bet! It's made especially for Pegasus ponies, but that doesn't mean other ponies can't enjoy it either!"

"Really? What...what does it taste like?" he asked.

"It's really sweet and smooth! But at the same time it has the puffiness of a cloud!"

"The puffiness of a cloud? That does sound like an interesting taste."

"Yup! Hey Alex, what's that?" asked Scootaloo as she pointed behind him.

"T-t-t-t-t-that's...Gilda" he said, "But if she's here, then that means..." his words trailed off as he looked over to see Fluttershy and Derpy.

"Alright little ones, this way please." she said as she lead them through the town with Derpy watching them from the rear.

"Hey!" shouted Gilda.

"Oh, excuse me." said Fluttershy.

"I'm walking here!" shouted Gilda.

Fluttershy began backing away, "Oh, um, I'm sorry but I was, um, just trying to..."

Gilda began to imitate Fluttershy, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! How about you watch where you're going twerp?!"

"But...but...but...but..." Fluttershy tried to explain as her eyes began to water.

Gilda took in a deep breath preparing to roar at poor little Fluttershy.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Alex. Suddenly everypony went silent and looked over at Alex. Oh no...I'm in big trouble.

Gilda turned to see him standing in the middle of the road, "Are you talking to me?"

This is bad. There's no turning back now. I know! I'll just buy some time and hope Rainbow Dash comes by! "Does it look like I'm talking to anyone else? Yes I'm talking to you ugly!" he asked with a smug look on his face.

"You better choose your words carefully, or I'll pound you to a pulp!" she yelled.

"Scootaloo stay here." Alex stood up out of his chair and stood across from Gilda. "Tough talk coming from a giant chicken!"

"What did you call me?! I'll rip you apart you freak!" she yelled as she charged at him.

Alex closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. Uh oh! Wh-what do I do?! I...I can't fight! WHAT DO I DO?! Suddenly he felt two sparks come from his horn and then saw Gilda throwing a punch at him from his right. He quickly dodged right only to open his eyes to see that he had dodged Gilda's attack. "Wh-what the?"

"Grr! You just got lucky! Don't think you can dodge the next one!" she shouted as she charged at him again.

Alex closed his eyes and saw Gilda coming at him with multiple punches. He reacted accordingly and managed to dodge each and every one of them. It's strange. It feels like, I'm seeing Gilda's attacks before she actually makes her moves! Wait, the future sight spell from the book! Is this how the spell is supposed to be used? It only works when you are in physical danger?

"Why...can't...I...hit...you?!" shouted Gilda in anger as Alex continued to evade her.

"Don't know, guess I'm just lucky. Either that or you're slower than you look." said Alex.

"Don't get cocky! I know you can dodge me, but they can't!" she shouted as she began charging at Fluttershy and Derpy.

No! I can't let any of them get hurt! He quickly ran in front of Fluttershy and Derpy standing on two hooves and spread his hooves out to protect them.

"I knew you'd fall for it!" Gilda yelled. Fluttershy and Derpy closed their eyes and screamed in terror.

"Hey guys, what's going on here?" said Rainbow Dash as she landed on the ground.

"R-Rainbow Dash, is that you?!" Gilda said while stopping her talons in mid air and lightly placed her hand on Alex's shoulder, "I mean, nothing much, just introducing myself to these nice ponies here."

Rainbow walked up beside her, "Oh! Hey Alex, how are you standing on two hooves like that?"

"You know this guy?" asked Gilda.

"Oh yeah, he's totally into me." she said with a smirk.

"No I'm not! Shut up!" Alex defended.

"Are you kidding me? You were totally going to kiss me yesterday!" she said with a smile.

"How can you even say that?! That was not our situation yesterday and you know it!" he shouted while blushing.

"You know you wanted to, anyway we're a little busy right now. Come on Gilda, I've got some new moves to show you." she said as she took off.

"I'm right behind you Dash!" she said as she tightened her grip on Alex's shoulder, "We'll finish this later." She used her talons to cut his shoulder as she let him go and took off into the skies.

"Are you girls okay?" he asked as he lowered himself back onto four hooves.

"Alex your shoulder, you're hurt! Are you okay?!" she asked with a horrified look on her face.

Alex looked over, "Yeah, it kind of stings but it's nothing too serious...I hope. Anyways, that spell really helped me out there."

"Spell? You were using a spell?" asked Derpy.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would come in handy like that. Man...I feel kind of...tired all of a sudden."

"Alex! Are you okay?" asked Scootaloo as she ran up to him.

"Yeah! I'm totally fine! I just...I just feel a little drowsy is all. I...I think...whoa...I feel.....str...ge..." Alex then collapsed onto the floor in front of everypony.

Although he may have fallen unconscious, Alex could still hear the screams of ponies worrying that he might've been hurt. He felt his body being lifted onto something and being moved somewhere else. After several hours passed by, Alex had awoken in a bed that he believed to be in Sugarcube Corner. Alex had a hard time catching his breath, he decided to call out to see if anypony was around. He looked around and heard the door opening as Applejack, Fluttershy, and Derpy walked in.

"Alex! Are you alright?! What happened?" asked Applejack as she ran up to the bed.

"Oh man, my head hurts. This place, it's really pink. Am I in Pinkie Pie's room right now?" he asked.

Applejack sat on the edge of the bed, "Yeah, Pinkie Pie told me that she found you unconscious in the middle of Ponyville! Ah guess you were near her home at the time so she brought you here. What happened?"

"Ow, my head. Rainbows friend happened. I remember...she was going to attack Fluttershy and Derpy." he said. "Yeah, and then that spell happened."

"Spell? You don't mean that spell that you read from that book yesterday are you? Twilight told me about them and she told me how dangerous they could be! Why would you use one of those spells?!"

"Well I just thought I failed to use it yesterday! The spell just happened on its own. I guess the spell worked but its effects remained dormant until it was needed."

"Well don't use it again! You scared everypony!"

"...Okay, I won't use it again. I just hope it's completely gone. Wait, where's Scootaloo?!"

"She's downstairs, we told her you were going to be okay so she could enjoy the party."

"Party? Is that why it's so loud down there?" he asked.

"Yeah. Pinkie Pie is throwing a party for Rainbow Dash's friend Gilda." said Derpy.

"We should tell Rainbow Dash that her friend isn't very nice!" suggested Fluttershy.

Applejack moved off the bed, "That's exactly what we're going to do right now!"

"Now hold on." said Alex as he lifted the bed sheets off of himself. "I think we should go downstairs and join the party!" he said with a smile.

"But Gilda was going to hurt you Alex!" said Fluttershy, "We should tell Rainbow! She's our friend and it's only fair that she knows the truth!"

"I think we should just let the party go on. Trust me, everything will fall exactly into place as it should." he said.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're talking as if you know what's going to happen." said Applejack.

"Either that, or I've finally gone insane." he said as he walked out the door. "Come on; let's hurry before we miss it."

Alex and the girls walked down the steps to see Gilda standing by the door. "Come on Dash, let's get out of here!"

"You know Gilda, I was the one who set up those weak pranks at this party." said Rainbow.

"What?!" shouted Gilda in shock as she looked over at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie let out an 'Ooooh' as Gilda stared at her.

"So I guess I'm queen lame-o." said Rainbow as she stepped up.

"C'mon Dash, you're joshing me." Gilda said with a chuckle.

"They weren't all meant for you specifically, it was just dumb luck that you set them all off." said Rainbow as she shook her head.

"I should have known," interrupted Pinkie, "That dribble cup had Rainbow Dash's name all over it!"

"No way, it was Pinkie Pie! She set up this whole party to make a fool out of me!" shouted the angry Griffon.

"What? I threw this party to improve your attitude! I thought a good party would help turn that frown upside down!" she said as she somehow managed to twist her head by a whole 180 degrees.

Rainbow began walking up to Gilda, "And you sure didn't need any help making a fool out of yourself. You know, I didn't think this is how my old friends would treat my new friends. If being cool is all you care about, then maybe you should find some cool new friends someplace else."

"Ouch, hurts doesn't it?" asked Alex from the bottom of the stairs, everypony in the room turned their heads and focused their attention on him. "Oh, sorry for the interruption. I just couldn't help myself."

"You again!" growled Gilda, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh what's wrong Gilda? Not happy to see me? I heard there was this great big party for a new friend in town, and I thought maybe I should come over and say hello." he said with a smirk. "I must say, it looks like a lot of fun."

"Alex, you're okay!" shouted Scootaloo.

"I thought you might have been absent from the party." said Luna.

Alex began walking forward, "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss this party for anything." He stopped next to Rainbow Dash and looked at Gilda, "You shouldn't have been so rude to everypony Gilda, but it isn't too late for you to change." Alex stuck out his hoof.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Gilda.

"Let me help you. You don't have to lose your best friend just because of a few pranks. You can still change, we can forget about this whole thing and just go back to enjoying your party." he said. Maybe...maybe I can help her like I helped Luna. Maybe I can help others in need.

Gilda thought about Alex's words for a moment, she began to lift her hand towards his hoof until Pinkie Pie spoke up, "It's not just Gilda's welcome party. This is also your welcome party Alex! I thought that since you were sleeping upstairs that this would be the perfect time to finally throw you that party since you wouldn't be able to avoid it!" Gilda stopped her hand midway as Alex turned his head to face her.

"You threw this party for me too?" he said as he looked around at the decorations. "I...I don't know what to say."

"We also you got you presents!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she pulled out a blue polka dotted present with a red ribbon on it.

"Presents?" he said as he looked at the neatly wrapped box, "I've never gotten a present from a friend before."

Gilda gritted her teeth, "Here! Let me give you my present first!" she shouted as she threw her talons across Alex's face causing him to shout in pain.

Everypony in SugarCube Corner froze and stared at Alex as he kept his head down. When he lifted his head up, they all gasped as they looked upon his face. Alex saw Rainbow look at him in horror as he turned his head to look in a mirror. Alex had a scar across his eye with blood running down his face. Alex could feel his anger growing quickly. He immediately turned back to face Gilda and shot her a mean look.

"What do you think you're doing?!" shouted Rainbow, "I won't just stand by and let you hurt my friends!"

"No Rainbow!" yelled Alex, "Let her go, if you fight her simply out of anger then you'll be no better than she is."

"She must pay."

No, I won't attack her out of rage. That isn't who I am. Besides, she's not worth it.

"..."

"Whatever losers, I'm out of here!" Gilda shouted as she flew out of the building.

Alex moved a hoof to cover his wounded eye, "I'm glad we'll never see her ever again." He turned to face Rainbow, "How are you doing?"

"I'll be fine, but what about you? Let me see." She moved his hoof out of the way to see the scar, "I can't believe she did that to you, I'm sorry."

"Don't blame yourself Rainbow, it wasn't your fault." He turned to face the others, "Sorry you all had to see that, but be assured that everything's fine and there is nothing to worry about. Go back and enjoy the party." He walked over to the other room hoping to find some anything he could use to cover up his eye.

"Are you okay?!" asked Applejack as she walked in. "Ah can't believe she attacked you after you tried to help her."

"It's fine. If she wants to spend the rest of her life without any friends then that's her choice. By the way, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"

"We were going to hang out today. I actually looked forward to it, but then Gilda showed up and that spell just...happened on its own."

"It's okay. What kind of spell is that anyway? Ah heard about what happened from Pinkie Pie; somehow you managed to keep yourself from getting hit by Gilda. How did you do that?" she asked.

"The book described it as a future sight spell. It felt so strange. When I closed my eyes I could see Gilda trying to attack me before she actually launched her attack, so I knew every move she was going to make before she made it. It was awesome." he explained.

"That's amazing, couldn't you use the spell to see further into the future?" she asked. "Maybe you could use it to find that Doctor Whooves fellow!"

"You told me not to use it anymore. Besides, I don't think it works like that. I think it only works when the user is in physical danger."

"Ah see."

"Hey, um, do you think you can help me find some bandages?" asked Alex.

"Oh, sorry! Ah can't believe ah forgot! Ah'll go get Pinkie Pie! She'll know where to look!" she said as she ran out the door leaving Alex alone in the room.

"Revenge. You deserve revenge."

"N-no. I don't want revenge. I'm not a violent person."

"She deserves it. They all do. Soon...you will see soon."

"I don't understand. I...I feel sick all of the sudden. W-what is happening to me?"

"Hey Alex! Pinkie found the bandages!" said Applejack from outside the doors.

"Great, thanks Applejack! Think you can help me put them on?" he asked.

"Sure! C'mon Fluttershy, I'll need your help!" said Applejack as she and Fluttershy helped to wrap up Alex's eye.

"Is it safe to come in yet?" called out a voice from the party.

"Uh, I guess?" answered Alex. Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Luna came running in.

"Alex, are you okay?! Can you still see with your eye?!" asked Scootaloo.

Alex lowered himself to give Scootaloo a hug, "Relax Scootaloo, I'll be just fine." He turned to face Rainbow, "I'm sorry I couldn't help Gilda. I tried, I really did try."

Rainbow shook her head, "Don't apologize Alex, I'm just glad she's gone. I won't ever forgive her for hurting you like that."

Rarity pushed her way through, "Oh my poor dear prince! Your perfect face scarred by that horrible Gilda! If I ever meet that griffon again, I'll tear her to pieces with my bare hooves!"

"Too bad you won't get the chance, Gilda's never coming back." he said.

"We must find her immediately!" shouted Luna, "She has just attacked a prince of Equestria, and she must be punished by law!"

"Princess Luna is right." added Twilight, "We should find her and make her face the consequences of her actions."

"Just stop! We will not go after Gilda nor will she ever come back to Ponyville, so just let it go." he said.

"Alex? Are you feeling okay?" asked Twilight.

"I'm fine!" he shouted, "I just don't like the idea of revenge; it can take over your minds." Alex looked down at his hooves, "It can change who you are, make you something you don't want to become."

Luna stepped forward, "Alex, I've noticed that you've been acting very differently since last night. It's not just your personality, something else is different. I can feel it. There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?" Everypony in the kitchen looked back and forth from Alex to Luna.

"She is dangerous. She is the enemy!"

"I am going to say this once, and only once PRINCESS Luna." Everypony looked at Alex waiting for him to speak. "Leave...Me...Alone." He turned and began walking out the door. As they all saw him walk away from them, Applejack began to wonder if the stress from searching for the Doctor had finally caught up with him. Alex returned to the party trying to keep a smile on his face so as not to worry anypony. He stopped in front of a mirror and stared into it, for a split second he could have sworn he saw his reflection smile back at him with those empty eyes he hated so much.

Author's Note

Finally, the second part is uploaded. It probably wasn't the best idea to pause in between a two part chapter to work on the New Pegasus in Town chapter. Thankfully though, it's finally posted. The next two chapters are in the works of being edited, so once they're ready I'll work on publishing them asap. So thanks for reading and I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! So please look forward to the next chapter as the ponies attempt to learn what is wrong with Alex.