Bittersweet Memories

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4, Part 1
Chapter 4, Part 2

Chapter 1

First things first, a little background on who I am. I am Jenetar, a pegasus pony from Equestria. My dark purple colored body contrasts nicely with my bright orange eyes, or so I am told. I don’t know why, but my mane is always spiky and poofy. It sticks out everywhere, making me look like a pinecone with a face. I seem to have trouble with gravity. Whoever heard of a pony breaking the laws of physics? It’s black with purple highlights, and matches my short and spiky tail. I’m usually pretty emotional, and get startled very, very easily. I have no idea who my parents are, but I never cared. I live in a hut on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, with little more than a bed and a mirror. I had a nice view of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, but that was about it. I’m provided for by the princess, which I’ll get to in a second. With who I am out of the way, lets get on with it.

My life is perfect. Me and Luna are inseparable. When we were young, we would spend our time playing together, or helping each other with chores, or pranking each other and laughing over it for weeks. We’re best friends. She’s in charge with raising the moon every night, and I’ve become so used to sleeping in the day just to see her, I’ve become nocturnal. Her sister, Celestia, is princess of Equestria. We can do almost anything we want, and have no problem taking advantage of this. We never use our place among society to cause trouble, we both agreed that we don’t want a bad reputation. But we would run around the castle playing tag or hide-and seek, or get the guards to chase us around. We even got them to build a giant slide for us once. Being that Luna talks about me to her sister so much, Celestia always has food and supplies dropped off at my hut during the day. It’s usually pretty standard food, and I can’t complain. But once a week, she sends me a box of waffles. I bucking love waffles. I’ve only ever met her sister once or twice, so I don’t know her that well. But from what Luna tells me, she is strict, but kind. She doesn’t like when rules are broken, but always enjoys a good laugh. I almost wish I could meet her. But I spend all my time with Luna, so I don’t feel compelled to make any more friends. She feels the same way. Everypony sleeps at night, and I’m the only one who stays up to see her. She’s the only friend I’d ever need.

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One night, Luna comes flying toward me in excitement. I can tell she’s excited because she only rushes around everywhere when she’s excited. She gets to me, out of breath, and tells me about how she just learned that when she’s old enough, she will become a princess along side her sister! I start screaming and squealing along side her in amazement. It’s the best news she’s ever told me. I am the best friend of the soon-to-be princess of the night? It feels too good to be true. She says the first thing she will do is make me her personal body guard. When those words escape her mouth, my brain flinches, and my smile disappears. I’m going to have the responsibility of protecting the princess? This is both a dream and a nightmare. I feel so honored to be in such an important position, yet I feel anxious. I can’t defend anypony! I have fairly quick reflexes and can fly faster than a Wonderbolt (Luna talked me into racing a member after seeing how fast I could fly), but that’s it.

After a while of staring into space, Luna pipes up, “Jenetar? You okay?” Snapping back to reality, I say blankly, “...huh? Wha?...Oh yeah...umm, I’m fine...” Luna sighs, “Ok good.” She looks down at her hooves. I can tell something’s wrong. “Jenetar, I have some bad news.” I turn and face her, “What’s wrong?” She starts slowly with disappointment in her eyes, “Because I’m going to be a princess, I’m going to be spending all my time with big sister now, learning how to be a princess, so unfortunately, I’ll be too busy to spend time with you.” She looks down at the ground, with sadness in her eyes. She almost starts crying, when I put my hoof on her shoulder and say as optimistic as I can, “It’s okay, I understand! It’s great that you’ll be on your way to being princess!” She looks at me with teary eyes, “It’ll be for three years! I won’t get to see you for three years!” The smile fades from my face. Three years without play time? Three years without my friend? Three years without snack time, pranks, or anything? Three years? Alone?

She’s on the verge of crying, when I speak up, “It won’t be so bad! Besides, I’ll be thinking about you the whole time!” I’m fighting back tears, but I’m able to keep a friendly face so she won’t feel bad. She looks up at me with relief. “Oh, thank you so much for understanding! You’re the best friend I could hope to have!” She throws her arms around me and gives me a hug. I jump in surprise, but then wrap my arms around her too. “Sorry,” she giggles. “S’okay,” I reply.

On the way back to my hut, I decide to commit myself to training to becoming the greatest warrior pony Equestria has ever seen. I won’t let the princess down, let alone my best and only friend.

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A week passes, and it’s the most tiring week ever. Luna insists that we spend as much time as possible doing fun things and hanging out together, since it’ll be the last time we’ll see each other for three years.

But now she’s gone, and I know what I’m going to do. I’ll spend these three years training myself to become better at everything. I’ll work on my reflexes, speed, agility, toughness, strategizing; everything that would ever be important in protecting somepony. I know I’ll get lonely, but I can push through it if it means my best friend will be safe. My training activities are a bit eccentric, but they work. To train my speed, reflexes, and agility, I sneak into the local apple orchard and buck as many trees as I can, as fast as I can, before they fall in the buckets. Being that my reflexes and such are already pretty good, I can buck quite a few trees before the apples fall. Maybe ten or so. To build up my strength and stamina, I push storm clouds across the sky. Storm clouds are heavier than normal clouds because of all the water, so I can only do about five or six to about halfway across the Everfree Forest before I get tired. To get tougher, I hurl myself into a hill or the ground until I can’t take the pain anymore. It’s undoubtedly the worst one to endure, but I always tell myself that it might save Luna one day, and I keep going. All these things, plus the classic strength training of pushups, running, and thinking up imaginary situations for myself to solve, keep me busy throughout the nights. And all the while, I think about Luna, and how she’s doing. I constantly promise her that I will never let anything happen to her, as I drift off to sleep, watching the sun rise.

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Tonight marks two years. I’ve been training vigorously the whole time. Before, when secretly bucking the apple trees, I’d be able to do about thirty or so before they fell in the buckets. Now, I can buck the entire 4-acre field before they fall into the basket. I’ve decided to start training my eyesight and reflexes by bucking all the apple trees, then seeing how many of the apples I can hit before they fall to the ground. After the first few months, the family who owns the orchard got suspicious about a mysterious being who keeps harvesting their apples in the night. I wonder who that could be? I almost got caught once. They set up nets to try and catch me, but that was after about eight months, and I had trained enough by then that I ripped right through the net and crashed into a few trees. I was so scared of being discovered, I went right back to my hut and hid for the rest of the night. They’ve since given up trying to catch me which, for whatever reason, I can’t complain. Maybe they figure that they were getting their apples bucked for free, so why stop me? As far as toughness, after about a year, I smashed a hole into the hill I’d been practicing on. Ever since then, I practice on mountains. To date, my record is a crater about fifteen ponies across. The best part is, I barely feel it. Pushing storm clouds was probably the thing I most improve on. I used to push about five or six halfway across the Everfree Forest. Now I push sixty or so all the way across Equestria. My record for most pushed at a time was somewhere around ninety, but that was only for a short while.

About a month in, I decide to do some handicapped training. I tie my wings down and practice running, jumping, and other activities on my hooves, without the help of my wings. Now, I can run almost half as fast as I can fly (which is faster than anypony else I’ve ever seen can even fly), jump onto the roof of my hut, which is about ten times taller than me, and can make my way across the Everfree Forest without touching the ground at all. Aside from not using my wings, I’ve taken to blindfolding myself and worked on improving my other senses. I agitate various creatures to improve my alertness without my sight. The first time I tried it, I bumped into about every tree in the forest and got my plot kicked by a bunny. After two years, I can navigate myself through almost anything, and detect things I can’t see. I’ve almost begun to develop an ability to predict things, but I don’t believe in that kind of thing. The closest thing to it is magic, and I’m not a unicorn. As far as mental strength goes, I’ve put myself through so many scenarios and tests, I’m starting to think myself into paradoxes. I’ll wonder if I forgot to do something, then wonder if I was supposed to forget something, then wonder if I forgot to forget something, and so on. Once I get to that point, I just say “Ah, forget it,” and stop thinking about it. After two years, almost nothing frightens me. The only thing that I worry about is Luna. I always wonder how she’s doing, and constantly think about her progress as a princess. Being alone is really taking a toll on my sanity. I’m still perfectly fine as far as being civil and “normal,” but I talk to myself a lot. I even argue with myself sometimes. But I’m still perfectly capable of handling myself in front of others. I think. I’ve never talked to or even seen anypony since Luna left. I still sleep during the day and wake up at night, so I have no pony else to spend time with. I don’t care for anypony else anyway. All I want is Luna.

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Tonight is the night. Tonight, I get to see my best friend. Three years have passed since she left, and my wait is over. The last year has been constant work for me. I’ve progressed a lot since two years. After bucking and hitting so many apples, I’ve done the entire 4-acre field of trees. I got bored with it, so I learned how to do it blindfolded. I may or may not have the ability to predict the near future after all, or maybe I just got so good at strategizing, I know how things will happen. Whatever it is, it seems unreal to me. I can push up to 130 storm clouds across Equestria, and have pushed up to 160 at a time. To scale, ten storm clouds is approximately the weight of a house. As far as handicaps go, I’ve traveled across the Everfree Forest, jumping off of every tree only once, without touching the ground. I’ve also defeated a Manticore blindfolded. It wasn’t easy, but my sense of hearing allows me to use some sort of echolocation. My pain tolerance amazes me sometimes. I’ve bored holes into the mountain I practice on so many times, it caved in on itself. I still feel pain, but it’s almost nothing compared to what I used to feel. The only downside to my time alone, I’m starting to go crazy. I constantly talk to my reflection like it’s a completely different pony, and I swear it talks back. My arguments with myself have gotten so bad, I once beat myself senseless over whether the supply box from the princess was brown or beige. I just hope that seeing Luna again after so long will restore my sanity. She’s all I have.

“JENETAR!” she screams as she flies at me. Apparently my loss of sanity also increased my tendency to get startled, because when I hear Luna scream from almost right behind me, I shriek at the top of my lungs and fly through several clouds. After I collect myself, and after several fits of laughter from Luna, I go back down and give her the biggest hug I can. After hearing a crack from her shoulder, I realize I have to tone it down a lot. “Owowowowowow...” she winces. I gasp, “Ohmygoodnessohmygoodness, I’m so sorry! Are you ok?!” She lets out a sigh, “Ahhhhhhhh. You have no idea how much that spot had been bothering me!” I let out a sigh of relief. “Whew! I’m glad I didn’t hurt yo-” I barely finish the sentence when she squeezes me as tight as she can and begins crying. “I missed y-you so m-much, Jenetar!” she sobs. I feel tears running down my back, and soon enough, I feel them running down my own face. “I m-missed you t-too.”

For what feels like forever, we sit there embracing each other, crying our hearts out. Many tears and sniffles later, we let go of each other and sit down, looking each other over. I get my first real look of her. She’s become beautiful in just three years; taller and more refined, as if she had used the entire three years using magic to make herself prettier. She’s the size of a normal pony now, but we’re the same size, so I guess I had grown just as much. She’s the first to speak. “Oh my goodness! You grew up a lot!” I blush a little before stuttering, “You l-look o-older too.” I’m still dumbfounded about how graceful she’s become. She immediately begins asking me questions. “How have you been? What have you been doing? Did you talk to anypony else while I was gone? I’m so glad to see that you’re doing ok!” I begin to answer them, still transfixed on her elegance. “Umm...I’ve been ok. No, I didn’t talk to anypony else, since everypony still sleeps at night. I’ve be-” “You still sleep during the day? That’s so sweet!” Luna’s interruption catches me off guard, and I nearly dent the rock we’re sitting on in surprise. “Oops!” she giggles. “Are you ok?” I dig myself out of the cloud I flew into and sit back down. “Yep! Just a little jumpy, that’s all.” Luna laughs, “Wow, I remember you used to get scared really easily, but now it’s even worse!” She doubles over in laughter, and I begin laughing too. I didn’t find anything funny about getting scared like that, but seeing her this happy again after all this time makes me want to laugh, too. After we gather ourselves up again, I continue my story, trying to ignore the heavy breathing I hear behind us. “Anyways, as far as what I’ve been doing, I’ve be-DUCK!”

I jump on top of her as a Manticore leaps over us. It lands on the other side of us with a thud. “Wha...how did you...?” Luna begins to ask. I tell her in a more serious voice than I thought I would ever talk to her in, “Luna, go hide. I’ll handle this.” She begins to protest. “But, Jenetar! What if you-” “NOW.” I almost shout. I feel horrible. The first time in three years we see each other, and this is how I treat her? No, no. This is for her protection. If she hates me for treating her like this, I’ll feel better knowing that I did my best to protect her. “But...but...okay. Just please, be careful.” I hear her duck behind a rock, but then she peeks her head over the top of the rock. She just wants to watch, and I can tell she isn’t seen. If she wants to see what I can do after all this time, then I’ll show her. I walk calmly over to the growling Manticore. I’m not afraid of it at all. I hear from behind me, “Jenetar! What are you doing?!” I have no time to comfort her. The Manticore lets out a ground-shaking roar and swings its massive paw straight for my head. “JENETAR!!”

Three years of training come into focus as the Manticore’s paw comes to a shattering halt against my head. I feel Luna wince and look away, even through the impact. But I stand completely still, letting the Manticore’s paw come to a dead stop on my head. I hear a crack from its wrist. Then a painful roar. Then a gasp from behind me. I let out a slight chuckle. I impressed her. It feels good knowing that the three years of training are already starting to pay off. She hasn’t seen anything yet. I back up, then fly forward and ram my front hooves into its stomach. It doubles over in pain. I fly up past the clouds, and bring all my weight onto its back. The moment I hit it, a huge crater appears where it had been laying. I hear its spine shatter, but no sound from the its mouth. I killed it. My first act as a bodyguard is done. I trained harder than I thought. I didn’t know its wrist would break just from hitting me. And if I’d known that I could break its spine, I wouldn’t have started so high up. I just killed a Manticore to save my best friend. Three years was worth it.

I hear Luna get up from behind the rock. From the way she’s breathing, I can tell that her mouth was wide open. “J-Jenetar...did you...did you just...” I slowly trot over to where she sits in awe. I could wait for hours while she composed herself, but I want to tell her what I really have been doing for three years before I get interrupted again. “Luna,” I begin, “these past three years I’ve been training. Training to become the greatest protector you could ever ask for. Every night, I would think of you and how you were doing. I would go out and work my hardest, just because I knew it would keep you safe.” When I get through spilling my story, she just stares at me. I suspect that she was expecting me to have been too busy having a life to worry about her. If that’s what she thinks, she’s wrong. I had thought about her. Every night, when I went out to train, I thought about her. Not a night went by I didn’t worry about her. And here she is, trying to contemplate everything. When she finally gets through thinking, tears form in her eyes. “You’ve been doing all of this for me? For three years?” I go over to embrace her. “Of course. I wouldn’t have forgotten about you.” She continues to cry, and I continue to hug her. “Thank y-you so m-much! Th-thank y-you...s-so m-m-much...” At this point, she breaks down and begins sobbing hysterically. “I missed you so much!” At this point, I can’t take it. I start sobbing too. “I m-missed you t-too.”

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After a week of nonstop company, Luna tells me about her progress so far on becoming a princess. She tells me all about her studies and lessons, which all seem immensely boring, but I’m happy for her for finding them all so interesting. She tells me that her initiation ceremony is in one week, and she wants to present me as her bodyguard when she is given the title. I feel honored. No, I feel ecstatic. I’m going to be presented in front of everypony as “Jenetar, the royal bodyguard.”

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It’s the most outrageous organized event I have ever witnessed. Everypony in Equestria showed up in their best clothes, and are all gathered in the massive courtyard to witness the ceremony. I, being a bit shy in front of crowds, decide to watch from behind a cloud. I had just picked out a good spot to put one, when Luna stops me and asks me to be her escort onto the stage. It seems pretty embarrassing, but if it makes Luna happy, then I’m not going to refuse her. She’s dressed up in a beautiful flowing gown, and I, against my will, was put in a tuxedo. I was never one for fancy outfits, but I have to think of Luna. No, I don’t have to. I already am. The ceremony itself is pretty boring; it’s all mostly “blah blah blah blah blah” from Celestia, with the occasional “blah blah” from Luna. Sooner or later, I’m jolted out of my doldrums when the entire crowd erupts in cheering. Luckily, even though it startles me pretty good, I don’t make too much movement or break anything. Once the audience quiets down, Luna begins her acceptance speech, which is only a few words. “I, Luna, promise to watch over the night, and pledge myself as Princess of Equestria.” Everypony begins to makes the loudest noise they can, and I can’t tell what it is, but I assume it’s applause. I watch as Celestia puts the tiara on Luna’s head, and everypony cheers even louder. I’m too busy holding back tears. I’m so proud of her. She finally became a princess. I must have forgotten about her promise, because I’m surprised when she holds her hoof up to silence the crowd.

“I am so honored to be your princess, and I would like to use this opportunity to make my first action as royalty.” Luna shoots a glance over at me with a warm smile, then continues speaking. “Being a princess, I know that I will need protection. That is why I would like to take this time to appoint a royal bodyguard.” My heart skips a beat. I had kept it in the back of my mind that she would appoint me as her bodyguard, but I wasn’t thinking about it. Now that I am, am I really ready? Do I really have what it takes to defend her from anything? What if she gets attacked by somepony with more training than me? No, no, I am ready. She wouldn’t entrust me with her safety it if she doubted me at all. “Throughout my childhood, I only had one friend. Because I brought out the moon at night, there was only one pony who stayed up to spend time with me. He was my best and only friend. When I took three years to study, I felt awful for leaving him alone. I thought about him constantly and worried that he would forget about me.” Hearing this, about how she thought about me all the time, a smile spreads across my face. Even with everything she was busy with, she still bothered herself over me? I get teary-eyed as she continues. “But after those three years, I learned that not only was he using that time to think about me, he was using his nights to get ready for me. He knew about becoming my bodyguard, and started to practice for it. I felt so honored that he would not only think about me every night, but train himself for me.” I’m on the edge of crying my eyes out. To hear her say how proud she is of me in front of everypony in Equestria makes me want to run over and give her the biggest hug I can. I stop myself by thinking of how embarrassing it would be to both of us, and also about how I’d probably hurt her if I wasn’t careful.

Luna continues with her speech, “And that is why I would like to appoint my best and only friend, Jenetar, as my royal sentinel.” I can’t tell if the crowd is still there, or if Celestia is still standing behind Luna, or if I’m still in the castle. I can only focus on Luna, standing there looking at me with the proudest look on her face. I walk up to her, still in disbelief. For a moment, there’s nothing but Luna, but I start to become conscious of my surroundings again. I begin to hear the faint roar of the crowd of ponies, Celestia appears in my peripheral vision, and I can begin to see the outline of castle walls. My mind is in denial. I can’t take it. I force myself so come back to reality, as I speak with pride, “I accept.” Luna pulls me into a hug, and to my surprise, Celestia comes over and gives both of us a hug. I am the bodyguard of the princess of the night. I don’t know what to think. So I don’t. I just let myself be embraced by the two princesses for what seems like forever. After a while, Luna whispers in my ear, “I thought you would like the word ‘sentinel’ better,” with a small giggle. She’s right. It certainly is a cool word, but it wouldn’t have mattered to me either way. I now have the responsibility of keeping the princess safe, and I know I won’t let anything happen to her.

I hope I’m not wrong.

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It’s been a year since Luna became princess, and I became her royal sentinel. Nothing ever happened to endanger Luna directly, but every so often, she sends me off to defend ponies from nighttime dangers, such as attacks from wild animals too dangerous to be rid of by the regular royal guards, or getting rid of storm clouds too heavy for anypony else to move. Once, I had to defeat an Ursa Minor. I woke up in my bedroom later, with both princesses at my side and two broken legs. They explained how I had saved the town, but had to heal until my legs were better. I vaguely remember knocking the Ursa unconscious, and as it was about to fall on a group of ponies, I remember pushing them out of the way, a snap, pain, and blackness. I was confined to my bed for a week, but practically everypony in Equestria came to visit me. I was asleep for almost all of the visits, because they all came in the day, but I would always wake up at night to a pile of flowers and cards from various ponies, thanking me for saving their lives.

Every night spend with Luna is been better than the last, and I can’t ask for anything else. But Luna can. She becomes upset that everypony would relish and enjoy the day Celestia brought, but would sleep and ignore Luna’s night. I can do little more than be there for her, willing to listen to her as she gets her feelings off her chest. She always says that I’m the only thing that keeps her from despairing, which makes me feel that much more needed. She feels like the less important one compared to her sister, even though they’re supposedly both equally important. She gets angry, vents on me, then calms down and remembers her importance. But I worry that each time, she gets angrier and angrier. I worry for what might happen were she to suddenly snap. I just have to do what I can, and hope that day never comes.

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I foresaw this coming, but I’m not prepared. Luna became so jealous of her big sister, she had begun to despise her. She would often come to me with a heavy heart, talking about how inferior she felt. But I never thought she would go this far. One night, she had harbored so much anger and jealousy, she refuses to bring down the moon so Celestia could raise the sun. I don't know what to do. I’m not sure whether or not she’s justified or not, and think it might be because she hasn’t matured as much as Celestia yet. But after thinking it through, I would do the same thing. If somepony else was more liked and respected than me for a reason I had no control over, I would feel the same way as Luna. Celestia takes Luna aside to try to reason with her. Out of curiosity, I hide behind a cloud and eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Luna, please! You must!” “I don’t have to do anything!” I can tell Luna’s angry. I feel horrible. I had made a promise to protect her, but now, she’s in more pain than I could imagine. Which is saying a lot. “Luna, why won’t you lower the moon?” I can tell Celestia is trying to be reasonable, but it seems to be useless. “Why should I?! Everypony is all happy during the day, but when I bring the night, nopony cares and goes to sleep! Why should I be second to you?!” I hear her turn away from Celestia in frustration. None of this can be happening. I never thought that the sweet and loving Luna I once knew could become this upset. I feel her getting more and more angry, but something is different. I can't tell what was happening, but when I look over the cloud, I see her, but it isn’t her. It looks similar to the Luna I know, but taller, the size of Celestia, and the colors are darker and there’s a small suit of armor. Her mane and tail changes from a cool blue to a dark, wispy cloud. I’ve never seen her like this, nor have I heard of anything like what I’m seeing. But I know who it is. It’s no longer Luna. It’s Nightmare Moon.

She flies off in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Celestia alone on the clouds. Celestia lets out a sigh, along with, “Then you leave me no choice, sister.” She flies off towards the castle. But instead of entering the castle, she passes it, flying towards the Everfree Forest. I realize she’s heading towards the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. I don’t care what she was doing, I have to talk to Luna. I find her sitting on a cloud, staring up at the moon. “Luna, what are you thinking?” I ask her in confusion. “I am done being second!” she barks. “It’s time for these ponies to experience the night! Forever!” I stare at her in complete shock. I’ve seen her angry before, but this is a new level. She’s let her negative feelings define her, until she became anger and jealousy itself. “But don’t worry, Jenetar,” she continues in a calmer voice. “No matter who I become, you will always be my best friend.” She pulls me into a hug, and almost hurts me. This Nightmare Moon form she’s in must make her stronger, because she’s never been able to hurt me by squeezing me before. I take a moment to let things settle in, then return her embrace. No matter what she looks like, she’s still my princess and best friend, and I will defend her like always.

Right?

I hear the faint flapping of wings. Celestia is coming back. But she looks a little shinier. I look closer, and I see her wearing a large crown with a star-shaped jewel on it. I hear Celestia yell from afar, “Nightmare Moon, because of your refusal to honor your vow to keep the balance of night and day, I hereby banish you to the moon!” Wait. What? I must be hearing things. I could have sworn Celestia had just threatened Luna. Fear rushes over me, followed by adrenaline. No way anything will get to Luna, not while I’m alive. But before I can react, Luna pushes me aside. I’m... I don’t know what I am. So much is happening that I can’t take in. Luna’s horn begins glowing, and she fires a bolt of magic at Celestia. I sit in shock. Did Luna really just attack her big sister? Or did Nightmare Moon? Was it still Luna? Then I remember her words, “As long as I am alive, no matter who I become, you will always be my best friend.” It’s her, alright. She’s in there, and she attacked Celestia. Luna had just attacked her big sister. Celestia raises some sort of shield, and shoots a magic bolt of her own. Time slows down. Everything I’m thinking about disappears. I concentrate on the only thing that matters. There’s a bolt of magic heading straight for Luna, my princess, my best friend. My instincts kick in. I feel my body move for me. I fly in front of the bolt just before it hits Luna. The impact sends me flying into her, leaving us both laying dazed on top of a cloud. I had taken pain tolerance training. I thought I was practically invincible. But this… It feels like a unicorn rammed its horn through my body a thousand times at once. I can’t see, but I feel Luna at my side.

“JENETAR! NO!” she yells. Celestia begins to speak, “Nightmare Moon, I hereby banish you to the moon for one thousand years!” I try to move, to protect my princess, but the pain of the magic keeps me paralyzed. “N-no... L-Luna...” I try to call out to her, but I can’t say anything more. I hear the increasing hum of magic, then I feel something. I feel better, healed. It’s like I never got hit with any magic at all. Before I can get up, Luna gives me her final words: “Wait for me.” I realize too late what’s about to happen. I turn around just in time to see Celestia fire a giant beam of magic as Luna. This is different though. It seems like the crown she’s wearing is helping her. I look back at Luna, and she gives me her last smile. In that smile, I see everything we’ve ever done together. I remember the first time we met, when Celestia found me and introduced me to Luna. I remember the first time we played together. I remember the first time she laughed after scaring me. I remember the first time I stayed up all night just to be with her. I remember her face when she told me about becoming a princess. I remember waiting for three years just to see her again. I remember the first hug she gave me when we finally met again. I remember how beautiful she looked in her dress when she became a princess. I remember how she purposely used the word “sentinel” just because she thought it would make me happy. I remember her visits every night for the week I was recovering after the Ursa Minor incident. I remember comforting her when she became resentful of Celestia. All leading up to tonight, right now, when I see my best friend, my Luna, for the last time. I watch as my princess is enveloped in a whirlwind of magic, and when it fades, she's gone. I stare at the spot she last stood, and I notice the moon had flashed slightly. I look up and see a portrait of Luna in the moon. She’s gone. She’ll spend the next thousand years imprisoned in the moon. And it’s all my fault. I was supposed to protect her. I should be the one in the moon. I failed.

Celestia just leaves. No words, no comfort or new assignment. She just leaves me. I sit there on the cloud, with more mixed feelings than I ever knew existed. My only friend, my entire life, is gone. I sit right there on the cloud, and cry. I cry for hours. I cry for Luna, for being banished to the moon. I cry for myself, for not being able to save her. I cry for our time together, and for our last moments together. I cry, for us. In the midst of all my thoughts, I remember her final words: “Wait for me.” I wonder what she meant. I cry at the thought of being dead before I could see her. I’ll be alone for the rest of my life. Or maybe...

I stop crying. I stop thinking. I remember the spell she used on me as she spoke to me for her last time. I remember feeling better, but was that all it did? What did it really do? Wait. Suddenly, I know. I don’t know how, but I know exactly what she did. She used her final moments to grant me a thousand years of life, so that I may not only be alive for her return, but the same age. She had paused my biological clock for a thousand years, just so one night, we would be able to meet again, and continue being together. Once again, I cry. It’s a different cry. I cry for the fact that I will be waiting for not three years, but one thousand. Three years seemed like a blink of an eye afterwards, but during those three years, each night seemed like an eternity. Now I have to wait for a thousand years? It’ll be torture. I would lose my mind before a year had passed. But at the same time, I’m crying in happiness. Luna cared about me so much, she used her last opportunity to grant me another chance to see her again. I will not die, I will wait. I will stay here, and wait for my princess to return. This is how I will serve her. Even in her absence, I will remain loyal to her. I will endure one thousand years waiting. Waiting for my princess to return. For my only friend. And when she comes back...

I will avenge her.

Chapter 2

Night 1, Year 1

I can’t stop crying! The thought of Luna gone from me again so soon is torture to my already frail spirit. Three years seemed like forever, but now I can see that it was nothing at all compared to the trial to come. My life was perfect, then the three years was torture for me. While my body became exponentially stronger, my mind became an insane asylum within itself, twisting into a warped maze of meaningless thoughts and wrenching despair. I fear as much for Luna, as I do for myself.

This journal will be the only record of my miserable life. I can only hope it will keep me some sort of company, so I won’t be alone for a thousand years.

Night 2, Year 1

Yesternight, I couldn’t stop crying. Tonight is no different. All I can think about is Luna. I mourn for the night I lost her, and I can’t look forward to the night I can see her again. Three years was hell, and this-

Even with the spell of 1000 years of extra time Luna gave me, I fear for my life.

Night 4, Year 1

I’ve since stopped crying, but the nights I lay awake, staring at the moon have rendered me a zombie pony inside; dead to my emotions, not willing to let them be displayed, yet constant torment from them. The agony they cause me from their mere existence, they scream out to my mind, telling me that they are very alive. I can only hope that this journal can keep me occupied while I wait. I hope to Celestia that I am still Jenetar when Luna comes back.

No, I don’t hope to Celestia. She’s the reason I’m stuck here waiting. No more Celestia. I don’t know who I hope to.

Night 16, Year 1

A lot has happened in the nights since I wrote in here. I’ve picked up where I left off over a year ago, and begun my training again. I can only hope that my training does not leave Equestria broken and destroyed before Luna returns.

Night 57, Year 1

I can see now that the journal well not be a regular thing. I’ve been waiting every night for, like two months now. Just waiting, and training. I don’t care about writing about my routine for training. Nopony cares, not even me.

Night 127, Year 1

I remember this feeling. Insanity. The toll the three years took on my mind has begun already, and it’s only halfway through year 1. I’m starting to talk to myself, and although its nothing unusual for me, I’m starting to talk like I’m somepony else. Before it was, “I wonder if this,” and “what if that.” Now I’m talking, conversing, and even arguing. I can’t wait to see what three years will do to me.

Waiting. I can’t wait. I can’t.

Night 273, Year 1

I remember you! Broken leg! I’ve felt this pain before! I remember you well! If it wasn’t for that rock, you would- Get ahold of yourself, Jenetar. Don’t lose your sanity completely just yet. Just rest up for a while and you’ll be fine. Physically.

Night 92, Year 2

I’m crazy. I don’t know anything other than Luna. Nothing is real, and nothing exists to me. To others, I don’t know. I don’t care. I need Luna, right now!

Night 219, Year 2

Nopony has talked to me. I’ve seen a couple in the distance, but I don’t care. I only see one I care about, and she shines her radiance on me every night. Luna.

Night 23, Year 4

Holy raccoons, my life is time. My minutes spent here are hours, my nights weeks. My time here has expired, and now I’m running on the clock of mindlessness. I’m becoming overwhelmed by fear. Not for anything here, ooh no. I care nothing of pain anymore. I’ve smashed through rocks with ease. I fear for Luna, and what kind of monster will have taken my place when she returns.

Night 46, Year 7

We meet again, journal. I care little for you now. I’m spending too much time thinking about Luna, then thinking about avenging her, then thinking about doing it right now, then thinking about how she will want to do it herself. Then training some more. Its been three years since I talked to you, journal. In three years, my sanity is all but Luna. Gone. A thing of the past that I can barely dream of. Dreams. My dreams are nightmares, just like my friend and princess. Oh Luna, please hurry.

Night 187, Year 14

No, no, no, NO! I can NOT do anything to Celestia until Luna comes back! The temptation to take on Celestia to avenge Luna is as unbearable as the wait for her. What good is vengeance if Luna isn’t here to enjoy it?

Night 290, Year 22

My life. I don’t want it. I want another’s. Somepony. Anypony. Somepony who isn’t me. Somepony who will live a short life and die happily. My journal entries are but several sentences now, and very scattered ones at that. I’ve often found myself crying over Luna, in the middle of training. My mind is as fragile as my body is indestructible. And my emotions are the magic. My body cannot take magic, just as my mind cannot take my emotions. If only something would happen that could take away this pain. Oh wait. It will. In about nine hundred and something years.

Night 172, Year 29

Luna, if you ever read this, know that by now I have lost my mind. What you will come back to, and have probably come back to already, will not be, or is not, Jenetar. Jenetar died. I am no longer the pony you knew. I am a monster. I may look like him, but I do not feel like him. I know I am him, but I do not act like him. I do not think like him. I do not think at all. Please, be careful.

Night 346, Year 37

I would be dead if it weren’t for Luna, in two ways. If it weren’t for her magic, I’d be dead anyway. But if she weren’t coming back, I wouldn’t have any reason to live. She is the only reason I can endure this hell of an existence of mine. I just hope it’ll be enough. I don’t want to die, no matter how much I want to.

Night 17, Year 46

Time is a cake. A mixture of several emotions that make up the final result. The result is bad. Just bad. The worst kind of bad. I should be over sixty years old by now. Time is just a cake. I want some cake.

Night 92, Year 51

I’m losing my mind. It’s racing away. I’m losing in a race for my mind. I’m losing to my mind in a race. Oh please, Luna, hurry back. Please save me.

Night 292, Year 67

Pain is gone now. I feel nothing from training. I don’t know if it’s a good thing for me to feel nothing, but I’d sure like to feel nothing emotionally. It would SURE BE NICER than wallowing in whatever it is a pony is supposed to wallow in. Maybe some night I can forget all about this horrible life I’ve lived, and learn to not feel.

Night 7, Year 74

Sonic boom? That’s odd. I heard a boom, but I didn’t hear anypony say “sonic,” so it was only a boom. Maybe it was a sonic boom? I’m talking to myself too much. I never was patient, but this is torture. So far, instead of talking to myself in a conversation, I talk to myself AND another of myself. How many of me are there? How many of there are me?

Night 302, Year 86

Please, Luna. Please hurry. My body is unbreakable, but it seems that my heart does not care about the rest of my body. My heart was broken the night you left, but the shambles and shards are breaking too. Please hurry back.

Night 303, Year 86

And maybe bring me a waffle.

Night 134, Year 93

I’m approaching year one hundred. And insanity. Wait. I’m already insane. Where is sane? And why am I in it? Year one hundred. Only twelve more one hundreds to go. Twelve? Maybe twenty nine? Or ten! Yes, ten. Curse you, mind. Curse you for not being like my body. Invincible. What am I thinking? Am I thinking at all? Where am i? Equestria? Or someplace else? Someplace that I can only venture because I’ve lost the boundaries of reality, and slipped into a paradoxical world of chaos. Surely there must have been a time of chaos as bad as this.

Night 1, Year 100

Tonight marks one hundred years. One hundred years of waiting. Of boredom. Curse you, Celestia. If it wasn’t for you, I would have died by now. Happily, after countless nights with Luna, seizing time in our hooves and making the most of it. But because of you, I’m waiting here. Waiting to be freed from the doldrums of time, to be reunited with the only pony who can help me now.

Night 63, Year 100

Somepony tried talking to me tonight. They were interesting. They were wandering through the forest, and saw me sitting on the ground. Or rather, I saw him. I bet I saw him first. I wasn’t sure if he was real. I tried to wrap my mind around reality long enough to determine what I was or wasn’t seeing, but while I was so caught up in my mind, he ran off. Perhaps I scared him? Was I acting funny? Scary? Or was I acting? I’m acting like a crazy pony. No, I am a crazy pony. Jenetar is gone, and I am no longer him. I am a crazy pony. Jenetar is with Luna, and when she comes back, I can only hope she brings him back with her.

Night 283, year 102

Even though I’m trying to make a point of writing in the journal more often, I’m finding myself distracted by training. Points. That’s a good idea. I’ll start practice pointy object pain tolerance. Pincushions. That’s me. Is it me? I wouldn’t know. Who am I? And why wouldn’t I know who I am? Which I is me?

Night 152, Year 103

In a year, I’ve found rocks to stab myself with. I didn’t expect it to hurt so much, given the lack of pain I feel already. But this was a completely different type of pain. The kind I’m used to seems so blunt. This stabbing kind feels sharp, more concentrated on a single spot. But I’ve gradually gotten used to it, sort of. I still have a long way to go. A long way.

Night 86, Year 109

The years go by like nights, but during them the mere hours feel endless. I’ve thought of driving the rock through my heart on numerous occasions. But how would Luna feel? I couldn’t do that to her. I made her a promise one time. A promise to protect her. I failed. I hate that night. But I made her another promise. That I would wait for her. And I will NOT fail her again. I promise.

Night 179, Year 126

Ten years have passed since we spoke, journal. How are you? I’m horrible, thank you. No, no thank you. I don’t thank you. You didn’t do anything. I’ve done everything. You sit here, waiting for me to write in the journal, for me to do it. You don’t do anything. So never mind. Mind. Never. My mind will never be “never.” It’s too active. I’m hallucinating. I don’t remember how many mountains were around, but I’m sure it wasn’t six. I can’t remember which one is real, and I’ve been surprised on many occasions by attempting to ram into a fake mountain. Reality disappeared with Luna. Bye, journal.

Night 204, Year 131

Should I write poetry? To keep my mind off of what I’m doing? But what am I doing? If I do poetry to keep my mind off of what I’m doing, but I’m doing poetry, them I’m doing poetry to keep my mind off of poetry, and then I’ll never write poetry. So never mind. My mind doesn’t need so much confusion. My mind is confusion.

Night 88, year 140

I’ve only been sleeping from sunup to sundown for 140 years. Maybe today, I’ll try sleeping in, just a little. I’ll be sure to ask somepony for the date, just in case I don’t wake up until sometime later. I’ll have to be really careful not to scare them.

Night 362, year 142

I’ve been asleep for a week. Forcing myself to get up has deprived me of a total of a week of sleep, and now I feel great! Well, physically. The nightmares I constantly have only ever seem like a minute or two, but being asleep for a week? It was horrible. I was being chased my zombie ponies for two whole days. I’m just glad I was able to pass off a week in two hours. Apparently sleeping makes time go by faster or something.

Hey, there’s a thought.

Night 363, Year 142

Ok, so apparently I can only sleep for a week if I stay awake for a hundred years. I tried sleeping like that again, but I woke up at sundown again. I guess I got all the rest I missed, so now I’m doomed to wait consciously again. Well, as conscious as I can. I’m not sure if I’m awake or asleep half the time. The only way to know if I’m awake is by remembering how horrible my nightmares are. They’re more like daymares, since I sleep in the day.

Night 24, Year 147

Years go by so fast, yet so slow. Afterwards, they’re fast. But before, they’re slow. It’s like eating waffles. They’re so delicious eating them, but when you’re done, you look back and think, “that was all?” Oh, what am I saying? You’re a journal. You don’t eat waffles. You don’t think either. But neither do I. If I do, I can’t control it.

Night 198, Year 153

Well, I killed something tonight. It was some four snake headed roar thingy. It was four big snakes on a body of something. It was weird, but surprisingly easy to kill. It wasn’t nearly as tough as me, so I kinda bashed it’s heads together until it shut up. I got a small cut from sneezing when I should have been dodging, but it doesn’t bother me. Maybe I can find more of them and practice some more.

Night 81, Year 161

I can’t stop thinking about Luna tonight. I’ve been reflecting about everything we’ve been through, all the times we had. I remember the time we met. Sort of. I was found as a baby and brought up in the castle. The first time I remember seeing Luna was waking up, and seeing her filly face looking at me with curious eyes. From then on, we’ve been inseparable. Inseparable. That right there is the reason I cried tonight for the first time in years. We would laugh and play, and Celestia wouldn’t stop us. But she did stop us.

Night 243, Year 162

I realized something. When Celestia banished Luna, and Luna put that weird spell on me, Celestia didn’t know about it. She had no knowledge of the fact that I would be alive to see Luna again. And yet the didn’t care. She had the intention of ruining my life forever. And all I can think about was the lack of emotion she showed towards me. She didn’t try and comfort me that night. She had every intention of separating me and Luna forever. Celestia. You've gone too far. You knew well how much we meant to each other. And yet you didn’t care.

Night 53, Year 174

Life is death. My life renders me dead inside. My mind is a mess of thoughts and emotions, but my emotions don’t exist anymore. Yet, they exist everywhere in my mind. I don’t know what I think anymore, or if I think at all. Maybe death is life. If I die, will I finally be at peace? No, no. Luna needs somepony to come back to. I am that pony. I will not give up.

Night 106, Year 189

The years go by, I feel older inside, but not outside. In fact, I feel better than ever. My training has nearly leveled the surroundings, and I felt none of it. But inside, my mind is dying. Or maybe it has already died. I don’t know. I don’t know a lot of things. Like when will I get waffles next?

Night 243, Year 203

I forgot is was the two hundred year mark. Hooray for two hundred years. No, not hooray. Two hundred years have killed me. Jenetar is dead, thanks to you, time. Maybe he isn’t dead. Maybe he is, somepony else. Or I am somepony else. Whoever I am, I hope I am me enough to see Luna again.

Night 57, Year 206

My mind is tormenting me. It is no longer a prat of my body, and is now trying to kill itself. I don’t know if my mind is part of me anymore. It wanders off to the depths of despair and never comes back. I don’t know how much longer I can take this. Please Luna. However you can. Help me.

Night 209, Year 211

Canterlot looks a lot different than it did two hundred years ago. I just now noticed, but it looks much more fancy and upper class. It seems more modern and civilized. Just imagine what it will be like when Luna returns. I also noticed I developed a nervous twitch. It only occurs when I feel uncomfortable, but since I feel uncomfortable all the time, it always happens. The only way I figured out that it only happens when I’m uncomfortable is because it never happens when I’m about to fall asleep. Unless I think of something uncomfortable. Then it happens. I’m not sure if it will get annoying, but I sure am glad that I made it this far before getting the twitch. Maybe I really can survive for a thousand years. Or eight hundred by now. I found a pony and asked for the date, just because.

Night 144, Year 214

My head. I remember exploring the Everfree Forest, and I thought I knew it well. Apparently there’s a whole section I haven’t explored, because there was a cave I didn’t recognize. When I went inside, I looked around and saw a gigantic purple bear staring right at me. It was angry. I got a glimpse of it, the strange star pattern on it’s body, the fangs protruding from it’s mouth, but that was all I got. I saw it lift it’s paw to the ceiling of the cave, and I knew what it was doing. I braced myself for an impact, but I didn’t expect it to be so powerful. It came down, and I stood motionless, like I had done for Luna so many nights ago, but when it hit me, I didn’t stay still. I remember rocketing off out of the cave, a short pain in my head, but then blackness. A long blackness. Luckily it was the night after I got the date from a pony, and when I asked another one tonight, apparently I was in a coma for about a year. A year. It seems like I have a flair for comas. But at least it was a year I didn’t have to spend waiting. I should get knocked out more often.

Night 99, Year 221

The years have gone by like nothing, but the years to come seem endless.

Night 54, Year 227

Nights aren’t anything to me anymore. This must be how everypony else feels about day. When it’s pitch black, I see perfectly. I can spot bugs along the ground and butterflies in the trees. But day is awful. The light blinds me. I can’t see a thing, and it feels like my eyes are on fire. I’m glad my hut is sealed off from the light. I wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise.

Night 292, Year 235

I’ve been thinking about Celestia all night. And they aren’t very nice thoughts. When Luna comes back, I’ll get her to imprison Celestia for a thousand years, see how she likes it. Nothing to do, nopony to talk to, nothing to do but wait. See how she likes it. Maybe next time she’ll think twice about doing anything to Luna while I’m alive.

If there is a next time.

Night 164, Year 242

Help me. I need help. My mind needs help. So maybe I don’t need help, it’s my mind that needs help. Is my mind even me anymore? Who is Jenetar? Am I Jenetar? Or is Jenetar gone? Or maybe my mind is Jenetar, and I don’t recognize it anymore. I don’t know. Wait, I do know. I know that I need help.

Night 96, Year 253

I want a waffle.

Night 172, Year 261

I don’t understand it. Every night I can sense the ponies living out their lives, but they don’t stop to think of the pony sitting out every night, waiting for what seems like nothing. Or maybe they don’t know I’m here. That’s probably it. It’s so dark out, but I can see with no problem. And they probably can’t tell that I’m here anyways, because I’m so far away from them, but I can tell where they all are, because I practiced it for three years. Three years. It seemed like an eternity, but it was all nothing at all compared to now. Why must time exist? I’m losing my patience. Maybe patience is a part of the mind, because I’m losing that too. Or maybe I’ve lost them already. Probably that.

Night 235, Year 270

I feel old, but not. My spirit is wearing out, but my body feels indestructible. I don’t feel like I’m close to 300 years old. I don’t even know how that spell Luna put on me works. Am I stopped in time? Is everything else stopped in time? Curse you, time!

Night 129, Year 278

I’m getting so close to Luna! Oh wait. No I’m not. Maybe I’ll work on messing with my mind. It’s messed me up so much, it’s time to mess with it back. I’ll try and control things it normally does for me. Maybe I can fall asleep for 600 years.

Night 48, Year 289

The mind training goes well. I think. I’m able to trick my mind into seeing upside down and use different colors. Also, I think I’m able to make myself hear things that I’m not really hearing. This is kinda cool. I still want to fall asleep.

Night 134, Year 298

I’m approaching the 300 year mark. Over the years since the mind training, I think I’ve put myself to sleep for exactly a week, so I’ve gotten it down pretty good. Once I hit 300 years, I’ll see how long I can sleep for. It should be longer than last time because I can tell my mind to do stuff now. I’m kind of excited to wake up and be closer to Luna than I thought. I just need to relax and shut off my brain for about 600 years. Piece of cake.

I want cake.

Night 364, Year 299

Well, tonight is the eve of 300 years. I’m going to ask somepony what the date is, and go to sleep the next night. I should find a well hidden place to sleep. Good night, journal. Screw you, time.

Night 1, Year 300

Good night, Luna. Sweet dreams.

Night ?, Year ?

I don’t feel rested. What’s the date? My dreams were surprisingly pleasant, unlike the last time I tried sleeping for a long time. In fact, I don’t remember what I dreamed about. At least I wasn’t discovered. My hiding place is still here, and so am I. But I need to find out the date. If I slept past Luna’s return.....

Night 34, Year 300

Oh my waffle eating hydra. A month. Training for years to sleep through the years, and I sleep for a month. Just one. Not even a year. One measly, worthless, puny little month. I’m done. With this journal. This journal does nothing for me. I’m getting rid of it. I don’t want it anymore. Good riddance, journal.

Night 139, Year 643

I’m sorry journal. I shouldn’t have done that to you. Without the journal to write in, my sanity has dropped horribly. Waiting has been torture, and more than usual. I can’t begin to describe the horrible things I’ve thought and felt. I need someplace to put down my thoughts. For over 300 years I’ve dealt with my thoughts and worries. Infinite despise and endless jealously, bottled in my soul. Hey, catchy. Without the journal, I have nothing to do with my feelings. I’m sorry journal. I’ll never do it again.

Night 140, Year 643

Over the horrible years, I forgot how to live. My endless nights were spent venting out my bitter anger and hatred for everything. Just everything. My life, Celestia’s life, time, my mind, myself. Myself especially. How could I have let this happen? I had one job. But it was Celestia’s fault. I blame her, and I see no reason why I shouldn’t. This is her fault. Her fault.

Night 143, Year 643

So journal, how are you? I’m bad. Or am I? I don’t know anymore. Actually, I stopped knowing a long time ago. I don’t know. Something. Everything. Nothing. What?

Night 263, Year 644

Sorry I haven’t been writing in the journal a lot. I’ve been busy trying to get everything else to shut up. The trees won’t stop trying to make me feel bad for killing the other trees, and when I knock them down, they don’t stop talking. And the rocks just whisper to me things I can’t understand. But I hear them, and they won’t stop. I can’t get rid of the voices. Twitching is a problem. I do it about every 4 seconds. It’s kind of annoying now.

Night 156, Year 653

Years seem less and less lengthly as I look back on them, but what seemed like a single night when I started seems like a year now. Time is trying to break my mind into dust. Time hates me. It is out to make my life as horrible as it can in it’s power, and time is pretty powerful. Maybe even as powerful as Luna. Luna, who put this curse on me. No, it’s not a curse. It’s a blessing. Without it, I would never see her again, and Celestia would win. Even if I lose myself, I will not let Celestia win. Not again.

Night 218, Year 659

My mind is a mess. I can’t clean it up. I’m hallucinating. I see things. I don’t even know if I’m out of my mind anymore. I can’t remember what it feels like to me sane. Is it nice? The years pass by so fast now. Every night I wake up, and it almost feels like it’s over before I can breathe. But right now, during every night, it’s an eternity. I want a waffle.

Night 142, Year 663

So, how are you? I’m fine, how are you? I’m good thanks. What have you been up to? Oh, nothing, just waiting for Luna to come back. Waiting for my princess. For my best friend. My only friend. Is that a tear? My cheek is wet. Luna? Did you do that? Or did I do it myself? Or was it Celestia? Celestia, you will regret the night you banished Luna. Because the night she returns, will be your last.

If Luna lets me.

Night 302, Year 671

Why should I keep living? Because Luna wanted me to. I’ve come this far. Only 300 more years. Sort of. If I can go that time without writing in a journal, I can go that time with it. Watch me Luna, if you can from up there. I’ll live. For you. So we can live together. Somenight.

Night 157, Year 682

How do I remember these dates? I think I just count. Maybe. I’m gonna try sleeping. For a long time. I think I did it before. I’ll try it again. Maybe I can knock ten or something days off my punishment. Punishment. How appropriate.

Night 62, Year 690

Almost to 300 years left. It only took 500 years to get here. Wait, 700. Some giant number. I can’t be sarcastic anymore. Could I before? If only I could get rid of all my emotions. And forget all about this. Do I really want to forget all about this? Would I still appreciate Luna? No, I don’t want to forget about this. I want to remember all of this. The torture that time is capable of inflicting. The agony of losing my friend. All because I failed. I will remember this. I will not go through this again. I will never fail again.

I promise.

Night 239, Year 699

Almost 300 years left. I’m going to try again losing my journal. I talk to myself all the time anyway. That’s how I keep myself company. I’ll think of this as a game. I’ll want it back, so I’ll look for it. But I’ll disguise it as a rock. I’ll throw it as far as I can away, then try to find it. This’ll be fun. I think. I hope.

Night 365, Year 699

This might be my last journal entry. If I never find this again, to whoever finds this, never fail. Goodbye, Jenetar. I’ll see you in 300 years.

Night 1, Year 700

Ok, this is my last one.

Night 272, Year 856

Wow. Wedged in the trunk of a tree. That took a while. What, finding the journal? Or waiting? Well both. I wasn’t looking all the time. Only when I remembered. I didn’t look every night. If I did, I probably would have found it sooner. But maybe it’s for the better. Was this a bad idea? Why would it be? I don’t know. Maybe I should have recorded what it was like for so long. Why? I already have something years worth. Maybe I should go back home now. It’s getting bright.

Night 273, Year 856

Somehow, I remembered to write in the journal the night after I wrote in it again. Not a lot has happened since I lost the journal. I didn’t lose it. Yes I did, just on purpose. Anyway, yeah not much has happened. I hate Celestia. I lost my mind. No, I lost my journal. My mind is my journal? Kind of. I wrote down what came to my mind throughout the years. I’m doing it write now. I mean right. Write? Right? Right. Left? Shut up.

Night 174, Year 861

Well, it appears that I forgot about the journal already. The years are almost meaningless now. But the night feel like centuries. The days still hurt me. Mostly my eyes. Day. Celestia brings the day. Celestia. You will die.

Night 327, Year 866

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Luna, but all those thoughts have led into hatred for Celestia. The whole reason I’m here, why Luna is on the moon, why I am being tortured by time, is because of her. She did this to me. With no remorse. I remember it clear as night. She left me without comfort. Nothing. Somenight, I’ll have my revenge. So will Luna. We both will.

I think. I hope.

Night 219, Year 873

Getting closer. The nights are torture in them. But afterwards, I look back at them as just another night. I’ve said that before, haven’t I? Of course I have. I forgot. I almost forgot everything I’ve done these years. Training has taken up so much of my life, I barely notice it anymore. The years are almost uneventful. The only thing I can really remember is being lonely.

Night 134, Year 882

I miss Luna. I looked at the moon one time when I woke up yesternight, and cried until I fell asleep. I hate time. I hate Celestia. I am going to enjoy Luna’s return for being able to end Celestia almost as much as I’ll enjoy it for being with Luna again. I don’t know of a way to kill time right now, so I’ll save that for later. But I can end Celestia. I just need to wait for Luna. Just a little longer. Just a little.

Night 178, Year 889

Luna? If you can read this from the moon, I miss you. I can’t wait until you come back. We are going to have so much fun. I just hope my mind returns when you come back. Maybe you’re borrowing my sanity? And you’ll return it? If that’s the case, take all of it. You need it more than I do. I’m still alive. I’m still waiting.

Night 205, Year 894

Well, I’m getting close to 900 years. That means only 100 years left. I’ve waited this long. I can survive. If it’s for Luna.

Night 364, Year 899

Tomorrow starts the final segment. The last 100 years of waiting. Take that, time. I’ve survived your torture for this long. I can wait another 100 years. And you, Celestia. You thought you could tear us apart? You meant for me to be dead by the time Luna gets back. You were unaware that I’d still be alive for her. I don’t like that.

I don’t like that at all.

Night 1, Year 900

Tonight is 900 years. 900 years ago tonight, my Luna was banished to the moon. And 900 years ago, I still could think straight. Now, I can barely think at all. But I will. When Luna returns. She will help me. Just like I will help her get revenge on Celestia. I just know it.

Night 78, Year 909

Another night come and gone. I can’t wait for Luna to come back. No. Yes I can. I’ve done it for this long. I haven’t come this far to quit now. I need my life for Luna. Luna needs me. If I’m not going to live for myself, live for Luna.

Night 178, Year 917

So close. So close. So close. So close. Just a little farther. If you gave in every time you wanted to give up, you’d be dead over 200 times, and Celestia would win. Don’t give up. You've done this for so long. Don’t give up now. Keep training. The more I train, the more use I am to Luna. Luna. I can only hope that when you return and Celestia is finished, things can go back to the way they used to be 1000 years ago. Carefree and reckless. Just us and nopony else. Our lives will have meaning again.

Or, at least mine will.

Night 229, Year 923

Just a little more.

Night 147, Year 931

Longer. Wait a little longer. Not so bad.

Night 324, Year 938

Closer. Closer. Closer. So close. Time is losing it’s grip on me. Luna is on her way.

Night 297, Year 942

Luna? I’m waiting. I’m here. I’m alive. For you.

Night 67, Year 950

50 years left. Or something. I forgot a few days. If I can wait 950 years, I can wait another 50. Come one, Jenetar. Use what sanity you have left to do this. I know I can.

Night 140, Year 962

Closer. Closer. How old am I now? Maybe Luna will remember. I’ll ask her. She’s on her way now. I’m prepared for you Luna. Right where you left from.

Night 233, Year 976

Getting closer.

Night 310, Year 981

Closer.

Night 75, Year 989

Closer.

Night 189, Year 996

Closer.

Night 364, Year 999

This is it. The night. 1000 years. And all for tonight. My last night alone. Luna arrives tomorrow night. I have done it. I knew I could. Take that, Celestia. Take that, time. Take that, mind. I have beaten you. All of you. All for Luna. Who will come back tomorrow. I might scare her. I’ve lost my sanity completely. I have no grasp of reality at all anymore. Just Luna.

I have failed you once. Never again.

This is my last entry.

My name is Jenetar. I am the sentinel of the Princess of the Night. And I will have my revenge.

Chapter 3

Tonight. Tonight is the night. I’ve been waiting for 1000 years. And it could end at any second. That portrait of her in the moon won’t be there for long. She’s waited as long as I have. Come on, Luna. Please don’t keep me waiting for any longer.

A flash. The portrait is gone. Finally, my princess has arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She’s kneeling, perhaps in defeat, or humility. But she stands up. It’s Nightmare Moon. I don’t care. I remember her saying, “As long as I am alive, no matter who I become, you will always be my best friend.”

It’s her.

My brain snaps. Suddenly, I’m at peace. I can think clearly. Almost. I need Luna herself. The knowledge that she’s back is enough to help me think straight, but I can’t be myself until I see my Luna.

“L-Luna?” I stutter. I don’t want to scare her. I don’t know what I’ve become. She stands up. She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she walks up to me. And hugs me. The world stops. Time hasn’t been good to me, but right now, I can stand here forever. I hug her back as tears gush down my face. I can’t help crying after seeing my friend after so long.

She pulls back. I look up at her. She looks back at me. She doesn’t look sentimental at all. She looks serious. Why? Oh yeah. Eternal night. She’s back to finish what she started. It was ended by Celestia. Celestia......

My anger burns. The thought of Luna’s sister infuriates me. Luna must know my anger. She looks into my eyes and nods as she says, “Celestia...” I know what she means. I smile viciously.

Finally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She’s outside of a building near the edge of a village. Luna needs Celestia to be gone to bring eternal night. Gladly, my princess.

I land behind Celestia. What’s a princess against 1000 years of training? I’ve been nearly indestructible since I started. Now, I’m invincible. She doesn’t notice me at all.

“Celestia...” I growl. She stops approaching the building and turns around. Her face becomes panicked. She didn’t expect a pony who should have been dead.

“J-Jenetar?!” she gasps, “How are you still alive?!” I’m alive because my princess cares. I say nothing. She deserves nothing from me. Nothing but her end. And it’s time.

I fly around her, landing behind her again. Luna’s return did restore my mind a little. Time isn’t against me anymore. I can feel the flow of time normally again, because the time it took for me to fly behind Celestia was near nonexistent. She gasps again. For more than one reason I assume. My speed. I had 1000 years to improve it. That, and why I’m here. She knows why I’m here. Reflecting on all she had done to me, I growl, “Goodbye, Celestia.”

I tackle her, sending us both careening across towards a mountain. My speed has increased more than I thought. There’s no way she can survive this. This will be over sooner than I-

She twists out of my grip, sending me crashing into the mountainside myself. Ha! That was nothing! I pull my wings out of the rock, cracking them for good measure. “Wha-? How did-?” Celestia sputters. That’s right. Did you think I was going to just sit and wait 1000 years? Think again. It will be the last thought you have.

She takes off, running, or rather, flying away as fast as she can. Pathetic. This is the princess of the sun? I chase after her, gaining on her like nothing. This will be over in-

Woah. She takes off again, speeding across the sky, almost disappearing out of my view. Alright. Now we’re talking. I speed up. Gaining on her again. My sadism that has been bottled up for 1000 years takes over my feelings. An angry, almost evil grin spreads across my face, and my eyes light up with hatred. And I like it. She will die.

Suddenly, Celestia makes a wild turn. I stop and turn around, glaring in the direction she went. I chase after her, easily matching her speed. My anger must have made me stronger, because I don’t remember being able to go this fast. I’m right behind her. Just have to finish this.......so close.....just finish this......

She turns again. Grrrrrrr.......I hate being the chaser. I follow again, tearing through the sky. Glaring right at her so I don’t lose her again, below me, I notice we pass over a town of some sort. Huh. Doesn’t matter. I can enjoy the scenery when Celestia is dead. Dead. I like the sound of that.

She turns again, but I follow right behind her. Your can tricks only work for so long, Celestia. I’m still behind you, and I’m getting closer. You will die. I’m going to....

She turns yet again. Still following, something seems strange. She seems to be circling in a pattern. Which means that her next turn is to the left and will be happening right...........

Now.

Well, well, well. Not as smart as I thought you were, Celestia. I expected more from a princess. Did you really think that after 1000 years I wouldn’t have noticed something so simple? Alright, time to end this dumb game of tag. Heh heh heh.......

Turn again.

Yep.

Plan this out. Not too much. Don’t want to delay this any longer. She’s lived too long already. 1000 years too long. She’ll turn right again. Instead of following, turn left, circle around, tackle into the ground. I can finish her off from there. Sounds good. He he he.....ha ha ha.....

Turn right.

Go left.

Die.

Down! Down you go! Hahaha! I knew it would work! Her motion stops dead as mine takes both of us, and we hurtle towards the ground. Now she’ll be dazed by the impact, and I can kill her from there. Then it’ll be just me and Luna. Just me and Luna. No more Celestia. Just me.....and......

What? She’s gone! Where’d she go! I had a death grip on her! Was I distracted? I was thinking about Luna, and how we’ll be together forever, and.....that’s the ground.

I tear through the dirt, making a small canyon with the force I had. That was nothing. It might have killed her, if she hadn’t escaped! How did she escape?! There should have been no way for her to....

What’s that?

Her horn lights up, a faint glow surrounding it. I stare mesmerized at it. I don’t remember seeing anything like it. I don’t remember......

Light increasing. Approaching? What?! I dive out of the way, as something zaps the ground I was just at. It fizzes into the dirt, leaving a small patch of embers with a puff of smoke.

I recognize that now. Magic. That’s what caused this whole thing. Magic. Celestia’s use of magic. She tried to use it on me. Have you forgotten who I am? What I’ve gone through? You think this will hurt me?!

I’m DONE with you!!

I can’t focus. My vision is blurred, and almost red. My anger fuels my movements as I storm towards her. I’ve had enough of you, Celestia! All of what you've done! Everything!! Her horn glows again. The impact will create smoke. It’ll hit me, and the smoke will create a distraction for me to take her down. It will be done.

Magic blasts towards me. Pain is meaningless to me now. You can’t hurt....

Burning.......shock......agony........

......pain.

I’m sent hurling backwards, straight towards the ground again. What happened?! So this is pain? I haven’t felt this in centuries. How can it return so quickly? And with such horrible lash? Has everything I’ve done been all for naught?

I slam into a rock. Crushing the rock. That did nothing. It’s all common sense now. Magic is different than regular pain. Is that was Luna felt? That type of burning, stinging horrible sensation? Why? Why her? Not my princess....not Luna.....how dare you.......

AAAAAGGGHH!!!!!

DIIIIIIEEE!!!!!!

Celestia must die! I don’t care about the pain of magic! I can survive 1000 years of waiting, I can survive however long it takes her to die! I blast off towards her, not even thinking about magic, or pain, or anything. I focus on Celestia. Just her. Dead.

AAH!!

Magic again? No matter! As long as you di-

AAAHHH!!! Again! I won’t die! Not now! Not ever! Not from you! You first!! For Luna!!!

She fires again, a constant beam, blazing and searing into me, pushing me backwards. No. It won’t be me who dies! Not me! Please.

I can feel my strength draining. My once invincible strength is slowly abandoning me. Never in 1000 years did I imagine this feeling again. My resistance to pain is falling. My resolve weakening. I have to finish this. For Luna! For Luna......

I grit my teeth as I push closer, through the agony, through the beam of magic, towards Celestia. I have to kill her. So it’ll only be me and my princess. Just me and Luna. Just.....a bit.......closer.......

Suddenly, I rocket backwards. My body slams into the ground. And it hurt. My strength.....has it left me? The one thing I needed to protect my princess? I open my eyes. Celestia is standing over me. Anger fills me once again, but I can’t move. I’m done. I can’t do anything else.

1000 years, and Luna gives me one job. One thing to do for her after all those years, and I can’t do it. Everything I’ve ever done has prepared me for protecting my princess, and I can’t do it. That was my life. All I was ever for. From the moment she announced that she was going to become a princess, to the first time seeing her after three years, to her coronation. All my life, I’ve been for Luna’s protection. The one thing I’ve wanted to do in life. And I’ve failed.

Celestia’s horn glows again. She looks in my eyes. I can see the seriousness, the relief, the pain. The sorrow. No. Not magic again. Please. Not that.

“...Luna...”

I’ve failed you, my princess. I don’t deserve to be saved. But I can’t take any more magic like that. Not like that. I can’t die. I have to spend eternity with you. Please save me now. I don’t want to die.

Celestia’s horn brightens, and her head leans towards me. Her horn points directly at my head. I realize I’m going to die.

I’m angry.

I’m scared.

Please save me.

“LUNAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”

A flash of light.

Everything Luna and I have ever done together, every moment I’ve spent with her flashes in my head. I relive every moment at once. My anger, my sorrow, my fear.....

But, for some reason, I’m having trouble reflecting on those moments. And I’m not as angry as I was before. And what was I sorry about?

I don’t remember anything.

Darkness.

Chapter 4, Part 1

I collapse, exhausted from my struggle against Jenetar. I still don’t know how he stayed alive for this long. I’m too tired to try and figure it out right now. All my magic use has completely drained me, but thankfully, the last of it worked. I lift my head up and glance at him. Still, and lifeless. Yet still breathing. Slowly. A single tear glistens below his glassy eyes. I raise my hoof, sore and tired, and wipe it off. I gently close his eyes. He’s going to have a long sleep.

Holding the limp Jenetar in my weak magic, I fly away towards Canterlot. Ponyville can wait until I’ve dealt with....him. I barely want to think of his name. How did he get to be so powerful for just a regular pony? How did he survive for so long?

How did all this happen?

If Twilight succeeds, I’ll have to have a talk with Luna.

I need to keep Jenetar hidden. I’ll explain to everypony later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the midst of her return party, I whisper to Luna, “It’s about him. We need to talk later.” She gasps softly, then nods slowly. I worry that her mood will give away that something’s wrong, but Pinkie Pie’s antics cheer her up quickly. Back in the castle will be the best place for privacy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in Canterlot, finally. The party was great; Pinkie Pie never disappoints when it comes to parties, but this matter has waited long enough. The whole chariot ride over, Luna has had a sorrowful expression. We enter the castle, after many welcomes from the Canterlot ponies, and head straight to the throne room.

“Leave us,” I tell the guards. They turn and look at me. That sounded a bit harsh.

I sigh, “We have important matters to discuss.”

“At once, your majesty.”

I look over at Luna. The doors close with an echoey clang. She looks down, sorrow and loss almost glowing in her eyes. A long silence passes before she asks, “What happened to him?”

I close my eyes and sigh. No sense keeping him from her. I lead Luna to her room and open the doors, revealing the purple pegasus lifelessly sleeping on her bed. She gasps and rushes over to him. She hovers her hoof over his head, then returns it to the floor. I walk next to her, wary of not getting too close to Jenetar, and stand beside her as she stares at him.

“...Luna...?”

She doesn’t look up, “....What....?”

“What did you do?”

She sighs. “Before you banished me to the moon, I remember you shooting a bolt of magic at me. I remember it, because I don’t remember it hitting me. It hit Jenetar. He saved me from it. Just like he was meant to do. Like he wanted to.”

Tears begin to form in her eyes as she continues, “I knew that resisting you would amount to nothing, but I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing him again.”

She sniffs, then, “I used magic on him that would keep him alive until I returned. I paused his age. I was able to watch him from the moon, and it broke my heart to see what being alone had done to him. He lost his mind, went completely crazy.”

She sniffs again, but straightens up. “But at the same time, he was preparing himself. I think......I think he felt so guilty for what happened to me, that he couldn’t save me, that he spend the entire 1000 years training himself to be invincible, like he did for the three years I spent in Canterlot for the princess training.....thing.”

I can barely take this all in.

“I could hear his conversations he had with himself,” she says woefully. “He blamed you for what happened. He felt that if it wasn’t for you, he could have lived a happy life with me. He hated you for taking that away from him, and felt grateful to me for giving him another chance. He took it to mean that he had to get revenge. He wanted to get you out of the way so that it would only be me and him. I felt so sorry for him, but...” sniff, “I was angry at you too, and I....I wanted that too. I don’t want you gone now, but back then...”

She starts sniffing some more. I wrap her in my wing, trying my best to keep her from crying. I need to hear the rest.

“And when I came back, his mind was so warped and twisted, I worried for his safety. But when he saw me.....I could feel him become........‘him’ again. And I knew what he wanted to do, and, at the time, I wanted it too. I.....I sent him after you.”

My sister sent him. My sister had meant to kill me. But, that was Nightmare Moon. I don’t think Luna really meant to do that.

“And I’m sure you know the rest,” she sniffs, still transfixed on Jenetar.

A long silence passes as I try and comprehend everything. Luna breaks the silence with a whisper.

“What did you do to him?”

I sigh. She won’t like hearing it. I didn’t want to do it either, but it had to be done. I need to be as gentle as possible telling her, but no sense sugarcoating it.

“I erased his memory.”

Luna breaks her gaze on Jenetar and whips around to face me, teary and wide eyed in shock, “You WHAT?!”

“I had to, Luna.”

Her eyes fill with tears again, “Why?”

“Now hear me out, little sister,” I begin. I can only hope she will see my logic, “I used a spell to erase both his memory, and his emotions. He had so much rage and anger that I had to get rid of his emotions. And I erased his memory so he wouldn’t remember what happened to him. When he wakes up, he’ll be able to live a normal life.” My mind flashes back to our battle. “......I think.”

Luna’s face becomes slightly confused, “What do you mean, ‘you think?’”

“If I remember correctly, our battle was situated over Ponyville. Meaning everypony might have seen it.”

Luna looks down, then back up at me, “So what?”

I sigh again, “We need something to do with him when he wakes up.”

Her face lights up. “You mean he’s going to wake up?”

Wait, why is she so happy all of a sudden?

Oh. I didn’t tell her yet.

“Oh thank goodness! I’ll wait for him!” She turns to him and places her hoof on Jenetar’s cheek, “....like he waited for me.”

I reach out and take her hoof from his face. She won’t like hearing this either.

“Luna....you can’t see him when he wakes up.”

She recoils, “What?! Why not?!”

“The spell I used to erase his memory, the spell doesn’t erase it entirely.” Using my magic, I pick up a book from Luna’s desk, already opened to a page from when I read it before.

“See, look.” I show her the page. She takes it from me and reads aloud.

“‘Amnesia spell’ blah blah blah ‘erase memory’ blah blah blah ‘WILL NOT WORK TWICE’.....huh..... blah blah blah blah ‘WARNING! This spell has a chance to not entirely erase the subject’s memory. For practicality, the subject’s identity will remain remembered. However, the subject may retain a memory keystone.’”

She contorts her face, “Memory keystone?” She continues reading, “A memory keystone is an object, pony, or idea that is the subject’s strongest or most cherished memory. If the subject remembers this memory, the spell will become ineffective, resulting in the subject completely regaining their memory.”

She puts down the book. “So what?”

“Don’t you get it, Luna?”

“Nnnnnnoooo?”

“It’s you.”

She gasps, then turns towards Jenetar.

“You are his fondest memory. If he were to remember you at all, anything about you, his memory would come back.”

Luna becomes frantic, simultaneously expressing sadness, confusion, and panic. Her attention darts between me and Jenetar. “But, why is that.....?! What’s wrong with.......?! I.....I don’t......?!”

I put my wing around her, and she calms down a little, focusing her attention on me. “Don’t you get it, little sister? If he were to remember everything, who knows what could happen to him? He might not be able to even handle all of the memories. Or what if he could? He might come after me, after all of Ponyville. He may want to finish what he started: a world with only him and you.”

She gasps in shock, then solemnly nods. Thank goodness she understands.

She sniffs, “So you mean.......you mean......I’ll never be able to see him again?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

She stares blankly at me. Her mind must be trying to grasp all this without breaking down. At least, that’s what I assume is going on. I feel so bad for her.

“Luna...”

She turns around, “Yes?”

“We need to do something with him.”

She turns back around and pets his hair, “What about Ponyville?”

Ponyville? “Luna, are you serious? They saw everything. They saw him try to kill me. They would never get over it.”

She looks back at me, “Twilight can watch over him. And the others.”

“Hmmmm.....” That isn’t a bad idea. I can instruct Twilight and the others to make sure he lives a normal life. They can make sure he keeps away from things that he might recognize, and it would keep him from being alone.

But there’s the other ponies to consider. They all saw what he did; what he’s capable of. They wouldn’t be able to treat him normally. But there’s no better option. It’s not wise to risk him being alone. No doubt that by now, word has spread to others, possibly Cloudsdale, and perhaps even Canterlot. He’d probably be seen as a monster anywhere I send him to. And he is a monster. Maybe not anymore, but I don’t want anything to do with him when he wakes up.

I’ve made up my mind. I’ll tell Twilight and her new friends about Jenetar, and inform the rest of Ponyville about him. I’ll be sure to tell them not to mention what happened to him. I’ll have to do that with Cloudsdale and Canterlot eventually too.

“Alright Luna, I’ll do that. That’s a very good plan.”

“What is? Taking Jenetar to Ponyville? But what about the other ponies? The ones who saw him that night?”

I blink, “I’ll address them personally.”

Luna nods, “Ok...” She looks up at me, “Big sister?”

I look down at her, “Yes?”

“Would you allow Twilight and the others to write me letters about him? After he wakes up?”

“What do you mean, Luna?”

“Like how you told Twilight to send you letters about friendship. Could they send me letters about what they do with Jenetar?”

I ponder this for a moment. I suppose if they were careful to keep the letters away from him, it wouldn’t hurt to allow Luna to hear about Jenetar once in a while.

“Ok, I’ll talk to Twilight about it.”

Luna smiles a little, “Oh, thank you, big sister!” She rubs her eyes, “What about in the meantime? Should we wake him up?”

“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. The coma he’s in is from the emotion spell.”

Luna is taken back, “THIS is from the emotion spell?!”

I nod, “Yes. It was only supposed to make his mind blank for a few moments. But he had so much anger released at once, his mind must have shut down for a while.”

Luna looks at him, “When will he wake up?”

I shake my head, “I don’t know. It could be years. We’ll need to keep him somewhere until he wakes up.”

I start thinking. He will have to wake up close enough to Ponyville so Twilight and the others will find him before he does anything. What would be a good place...........hmmmm........

“The Everfree Forest?” Luna interrupts my thoughts. The Everfree Forest? That’s not a bad idea.

“That might work. But what about other ponies? Ponies venture in the forest all the time. And all the wild animals...”

“What if we use our magic to make sure nopony finds him? We could keep him hidden from the world until he wakes up.”

“How?” I ask. This is beginning to sound like a good idea.

“We could just keep him in an area that we make inaccessible. Someplace that nopony would ever find.”

“How?”

“With our magic. We’ll enchant the place, or something, so nopony will ever find it. Then we can leave Jenetar there to...” she looks at him on her bed, “...sleep.”

I think this over for a second. This is probably the best thing to do. “Ok, Luna. We’ll go find a place tonight, so nopony will see us. You take him with us, ok?”

She looks at me solemnly, “So, this’ll be the last night I see him?”

I close my eyes, “Yes, little sister. I’m sorry, but it must be this way.”

She takes a deep sigh, “I know...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watch Luna as she brings out the moon for the first time in 1000 years. It’s impressive that she still remembers how. When she finishes, she looks at me, sad. She knows what we have to do. I don’t really want to either. I’d rather have Luna be happy. But it has to be done.

She doesn’t say anything to me. She just hangs her head and starts heading over to her room. I sigh. I really feel bad for her.

We get to her room, where Jenetar lies unconscious on Luna’s bed. Luna sniffs, then picks him up with her magic. She looks at me again, and I nod. It’s time to go.

I open Luna’s bedroom window, and we fly out towards the Everfree Forest. We need to find a place where nopony would ever go. Nopony will ever find him anyway, our magic will make sure of that; I just need to make sure we don’t leave him somewhere ponies already know of.

We head towards the northern end of the forest, close to Ponyville. Jenetar will need to be able to find Ponyville when he wakes up.

After an hour or two of searching for the perfect spot, we finally find a spot close enough to Ponyville, yet out of the way enough where nopony will ever look. A nice patch of grass, surrounded by dense trees. Jenetar will find Ponyville. There’s nowhere else to go out of here. Not even up; too many trees.

Luna gently lays Jenetar on the forest floor, facing him in the direction of Ponyville. She lays down next to him and sighs. I should leave her alone with Jenetar. It will be the last time she’ll get to see him, after all. I fly to the edge of the area, and make my way around a couple trees until I can’t see them anymore. Even without purposefully trying, I can overhear Luna.

“Jenetar? I can’t visit your dreams, because you might remember me. I’m not sure if you can hear me at all right now. I just...”

She sniffs, “...I just wish things didn’t turn out this way. I shouldn’t have sent you after Celestia. I shouldn’t have become so angry in the first place. I don’t know what happened. But...” she sniffs again, “...I’m so proud of you.”

My ears perk up. I know I should respect her privacy, but I can’t help it at this point.

“Even through everything that was happening when it all began, you still sided with me. You saved me. And when I sent you after Celestia, you didn’t hesitate. But I was wrong for all of that in the first place. But I’m still so grateful for everything you did for me.”

“You were my friend when we were little. When I would have been left all alone, you were there for me. Without your friendship, I would have gone through what you did. Being left alone for what seems like an eternity. But not nearly as bad as what you went through.”

Luna sighs. “Most of all, I’m sorry for what I caused you. For the 1000 years of pain you went through. It was horrible for me, too. I had to watch you slowly become a monster...”

Luna’s voice starts cracking as she sniffs again, “...I saw your mind twist into a mess. I had to watch you as you turned from the happy and carefree pony I once knew, into a horrible wreck. And I couldn’t do anything but watch. Because I knew it was my fault. If it wasn’t for me, we could have lived a happy life, together.”

Luna starts sobbing softly. “I’m sorry, Jenetar! This is all my fault! Oh, what have I done to you? I’m so sorry!”

Luna cries by Jenetar’s side for several minutes. It’s getting late. Or, early. I’m going to have to raise the sun soon. I should probably tell Luna.

Luna inhales, and lets out a big sigh. “I have to go now. But it won’t be goodbye entirely. But, you won’t be able to remember me again. I can only hope that you can be as happy as you once were, so many years ago. And even if you can’t remember me, I hope, deep down somewhere, you know that you were the greatest friend I could ever ask for.”

I hear her get up. She sniffs again. I suppose she’s done. I walk out from behind the trees and approach Luna, still crying gently. She looks in my eyes, and wraps her arms around me and cries into my fur. I hug her back. I have to hold back my own emotions. I feel horrible for taking joy in knowing I’ll never see Jenetar again. He’s just, so strong. So unpredictable. So...

...scary.

I hope I never see him again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna finishes crying after a while, and I lead her out of the clearing. When we get out, we turn back towards it. It’s time to hide it. I look at Luna, who looks at me, and we both nod. I charge my magic, and surround the forest space with a soft glow. Luna does the same, and our magic becomes brighter. All of a sudden, the glow vanishes, leaving the spot looking like it did. But for some reason, it becomes hard to look at. Whenever I try to focus on it, I start looking at and thinking about somewhere else. I suppose that means the spell worked.

Luna sighs again. “Goodbye, my sentinel,” she whispers.

She turns towards the moon and flies off to bring it down, and I get ready to raise the sun. It’s the start of a new day, a day without Jenetar to worry about. Although I still have to address everypony. Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and especially Ponyville will have to know about Jenetar, and how to avoid ruining him. And Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They’ll need special briefing. I’ll take Luna with me for that. Soon, we’ll both get over this, and life will get back to normal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ll send a letter to Twilight when we get back to the castle, telling her I’m coming to Ponyville tomorrow, and to make sure everypony is there so I can address them all. I’ll also address Cloudsdale, and I’ll address Canterlot last.

This will all work out. I just know it.

Chapter 4, Part 2

Wow. What a nice morning! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining...well obviously. That’s what morning implies. Spike snores in his bed. He still isn’t awake yet. He never is until much later, unless I wake him up. The library is nice and quiet, as a library should be. I suppose I should get up and brush my mane.

Ah, mane nice and tidy. Spike is still snoring. That lazy dragon is always...

Woah! Suddenly, Spike coughs up a letter from Princess Celestia. It lands on the floor with a gentle bounce. Wow, Spike didn’t even wake up. I guess he’s still all tired from the parties yesterday. I still am too. Defeating Nightmare Moon wasn’t the easiest thing to do. At least I have lots of friends now.

I pick up the letter and read it out loud to myself. I’m not even worried about waking Spike anymore.

“Dear Twilight, I will be arriving in Ponyville this afternoon. You must gather everypony in town for my arrival. This is not a formal event, nor should it be treated as such. I simply wish to address everypony in town, as I have something of utmost importance to say. Princess Celestia.”

What?! Celestia is coming to Ponyville? Today?! This afternoon?! What should I do?

“Maybe you should gather everypony like she said,” Spike grumbles tiredly. Oops, was I still talking out loud?

“Heh heh, you’re right. Maybe I should.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well it wasn’t easy, but with the help of my new friends, I was able to tell everypony about Celestia’s arrival this afternoon. It’s strange. Everypony I talked to seemed shocked when I mentioned Celestia. I overheard whispers about a “battle” and “purple flashes chasing Celestia.” I’m not sure what all of this means. I’ll ask my friends about it.

“Yeah, I heard that too,” Applejack says, “Somethin’ ‘bout a ‘fight’ with Celestia, or somethin’”

“Yeah, I heard stuff about zipping purple things, and Celestia flying all over the place! It seems like it was fun to watch!” It only seems natural that Pinkie Pie would say something like that. If “natural” is the right way to describe her.

“I heard something about ‘purple streaks in the night,’” Rainbow Dash adds, “I sure hope the princess is okay.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out when she gets here,” Rarity says reassuringly.

“Yes, I suppose we will,” I say confidently. The princess isn’t the type to leave something unexplained for everypony. If only I was here to see it myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everypony is gathered on the edge of town waiting for Celestia. From the castle in Canterlot, the glisten of her chariot signals us that she is on her way. Everypony starts getting excited. Ponies start stirring and murmuring amongst each other. They obviously know something I don’t. I can’t wait to figure out what it is.

Celestia arrives with a scrape from the chariot wheels on the ground. I approach her as she steps off the chariot towards the crowd of ponies.

“Princess, what’s this about? Everypony is whispering things about you. About you, and a fight, and ‘purple flashes.’ What are they talking about?”

Her eyes widen slightly. “I’ll explain everything. This might not all make sense at first, but I’ll talk to you and your friends personally afterwards.”

She steps past me towards the now hushed crowd. “As I’m sure you all...” she glances at my friends, “...most of you have heard and suspected, yes, something did happen involving me a couple nights ago.” Murmurs from the crowd. I step back with my friends as Celestia continues.

“Please listen closely. I’m going to tell you all you need to know about that night.”

Now the crowd is really silent.

“That night, I didn’t show up to the Summer Sun Celebration because I was attacked.”

Attacked?! Gasps erupt from the crowd.

“No need to worry, I’m fine. However, there are things you need to know about my attacker.”

The crowd quiets again.

“His name is Jenetar.”

Whispers.

“Jenetar?” I ask, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a pony named Jenetar before, princess!”

She looks at me, “You wouldn’t have, Twilight.” She turns her attention back to the crowd, “None of you would know him. He’s...not from around here.”

I’m not so sure that’s what she means when she says that.

“Anyway, that night, if it wasn’t for my use of magic, he might have killed me. His physical strength is beyond anything else I’ve ever seen.”

More gasps from the crowd, and from me. How can anypony be strong enough to hurt Celestia?

“But I urge all of you to put that aside. I need all of you to listen carefully. Jenetar will eventually be living in Ponyville.”

“WHAT?!”

“Now, hear me out, everypony!” Celestia almost shouts.

The crowd quiets down again. Boy, she’d better have a good explanation for this!

“None of you have to have anything to do with him. In fact, it may be in your best interest not to have anything to do with him. He’s dangerous.”

“How are we supposed to deal with him then?” somepony asks.

“All you need to know is this. No matter what happens, you can’t let him remember anything.”

“What does that mean?” somepony else asks.

“It means that whatever any of you do, don’t talk about that night to or around him. And, for the love of Equestria, do NOT say anything about Princess Luna to him.”

Rainbow Dash says from next to me, “Uhh, why?”

Celestia looks like she’s thinking for a moment, then says, “You just can’t. If he were to learn of Princess Luna’s existence in any way, any way at all...” she spaces out for a second, “...just...he can’t know! I don’t know what he would do if he were to know!”

Everypony whispers amongst themselves, until the princess says, “Does everypony understand? Just make sure he lives a new life here, one completely separate from the one you all remember.”

The crowd complies, but I can tell they’re all on edge about this. I’m nervous myself. How can the princess expect everypony to let such a terrible pony like that live in Ponyville?

The princess sighs, “Thank you, everypony. When he arrives here, I advise you all to be very careful of him. Alright, that’s all for now. Thank you all for being here.”

Everypony bows respectfully, and turns back towards the town. I turn around to follow them as they head back towards Ponyville, talking amongst themselves.

“Twilight?”

I stop. “Yes, princess?”

“Can you and your friends accompany me to the library? It’s time I tell you six what’s going on.”

I look at them, and they look at me. We all look at the princess, “I guess so.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thank you all for helping gather everypony today,” Celestia says when we’re all inside the library, “I only hope they remember everything I’ve said.”

“Uh, all ya said was to keep away from him, and to not say ‘Princess Luna’ to him,” Applejack points out.

“Oh. Well I hope they remember that,” Celestia chuckles nervously. “Where is Luna? She was supposed to meet us here. Ah, well. She needs time to get herself together.”

I step forward, “Princess, what’s going on? I know getting attacked isn’t the most pleasant experience, but it almost seems like you’re traumatized or something!”

She takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Until Luna gets here, I’ll start from the beginning. When Princess Luna was a filly, her only friend was Jenetar, and Luna was his only friend. They were inseparable. They would spend all their time together. They cared more about each other than any other ponies I’ve ever seen.”

I care a lot about my friends, but I can’t imagine having only one friend. I’ve had my books all my life, so I never needed friends. But now that I have five of them, I wouldn’t give them up for anything. I can’t imagine what Luna and Jenetar felt.

“Luna was always out at night, and I guess Jenetar stayed up all night to be with her and slept in the day,” Celestia continues. “Everypony was asleep at night, so Luna had nopony to play with besides Jenetar.” She chuckles softly, “It’s sweet, really.”

“Eventually, when Luna became the princess of the night, she appointed Jenetar as her personal senti- ahem, bodyguard. He was so happy. So was she.”

Rainbow Dash lands from where she was hovering, “Soooo... what happened?”

“Yeah, and does it have anything to do with why you weren’t there at the celebration?” Pinkie Pie asks excitedly.

Celestia takes a deep breath again. “I’m sure you know the legend of Nightmare Moon.”

“I do!” I exclaim proudly, “Princess Luna got jealous of you, so you banished her to the moon for 1000 years!”

Wait a second...

“But that would mean...”

“Yes, Twilight,” Celestia takes over for me, “Jenetar is over 1000 years old.”

“WHAT?!” Wow, we all said that in unison.

Suddenly, Princess Luna flies in through the window and lands next to Celestia.

“Just before Celestia banished me, I knew what was going to happen. I would be alive on the moon, while I watched Jenetar die. I couldn’t take it. So I put a spell on him that would keep him alive until I returned.”

That’s incredible. She cared so much about him that she used her last moments to ensure that she would see him again.

“But...”

Luna sniffs.

“...I had to watch him suffer. For 1000 years I saw him turn from my sweet and caring friend into a monster. Being alone messed him up badly. He went mad from loneliness. And all that time, he was training himself to be invincible. He was just trying to fulfill his duty as my bodyguard. He felt so horrible that he failed before. And when I returned, I sent him after Celestia, because at the time, we both blamed her for what happened.”

I look at Celestia in shock. She nods. All this is true?

“Fortunately for us, he failed again. He didn’t eliminate Celestia like he...like we wanted. He only ever wanted a world with just me and him. But he couldn’t do it. Celestia beat him.”

Luna swallows, and sniffs again. She takes a deep breath again as she calms herself down.

“So what was all that about him not remembering anything?” Fluttershy asks, “How come we can’t mention anything about you to him?”

Luna sighs sadly. “Celestia erased his memory.”

“What? Why? How could you do that?” Applejack demands. It seems like such a cruel thing to do!

Celestia answers, “I had to in order to keep from killing him, and to keep him from killing me. But if he remembered anything from his past, he could go right back to wanting to kill me. I don’t want that to happen ever again.” She starts speaking in what sounds like a fearful tone of voice, “I don’t want anything to do with him, ok?”

Everypony is taken back. Did Celestia just imply that she’s....afraid of him?

I nod my head, “Whatever you say princess. When he gets here, we’ll all make sure he fits in and lives a normal life, free of his old one.” Everypony else nods compliantly.

Celestia sighs, “Thank you everypony. I know I can count of you all. Now, I must be going. Surely, word of what happened has spread to Cloudsdale and Canterlot, so I must address them too.” She turns to Luna, “I’ll be outside when you’re finished.”

“Alright,” Luna sighs. Celestia leaves, leaving Luna in the library with us.

“Guys,” Luna says to us, “if you’re ok with it, I’d like you to do me a favor.”

Fluttershy speaks softly, “What is it, princess?”

Luna turns to me, “Twilight, remember when Celestia told you to write her letters about friendship?”

I recall my heartwarming moment when I was told that I could stay with my friends, “Yes.”

Luna looks at everypony else, “When Jenetar arrives, would you all mind writing me those kinds of letters about him?”

Pinkie Pie looks quizzical, “Whacha mean, princess?”

“Well, when he gets here, and he starts his life here, could you all write me letters about him? Like about his day, about what you all did with him, about how he’s doing, stuff like that.”

“So, you want us to write you letters so you can check up on Jenetar?” Rarity asks.

Luna sniffs softly, “I just...don’t want to let him go. Even if he did, I’ll never forget everything we’ve done together. I just...I...” Luna looks ready to cry. Say something, Twilight!

“Of course we will, princess. Don’t you worry there,” Applejack comforts her. “We’ll be sure to keep ya posted on how Jenetar’s doin'.” A resounding “mm-hmm” from everypony follows.

Luna smiles and sniffs, “Oh, thank you, everypony.”

Rainbow Dash starts hovering in place, “So, is there anything we should know about him for when he gets here?”

Luna clears her throat, “Well, from who I remember him as, he’s a very emotional pony. He can be very happy, or very sad. Back then, it all depended on how I was feeling. If I was happy, so was he. He was usually very fun-loving and happy.”

Pinkie Pie perks up.

Luna’s expression darkens, “But I don’t know what he will be like when he gets here. After everything that’s happened, I’m not sure if he’ll be the same. He should be, but I can’t be sure.”

Pinkie starts bouncing, “Sooooo we should be expecting a happy party pony?”

Luna nods, “Assuming he’s back to normal, yes. But like I said, I can’t be sure.”

“Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie Pie says cheerfully.

“Thank you so much everypony,” Luna says. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Respectfully, princess,” I say solemnly, “I don’t think we do.” Luna nods thankfully.

“Well,” she stands up straight, “I must get going now. Remember, when you write your letters, you mustn’t let Jenetar on to what you are writing about.”

“Of course, princess,” I assure her.

She smiles, “Thank you all so much. Best of luck with everything.”

“Bye princess!” We all say goodbye to her as she exits the library. We all turn towards each other.

“Wow, she really cares for him,” Rainbow Dash says as she lands from hovering.

“Yes, I agree,” Rarity adds, “I’ve had my fair share of friends, but I don’t think I could imagine how much she cares for him.”

“Well, we can’t let her down,” Applejack says confidently. “While Twi sends Celestia letters about what she learned about friendship, we’ll all write to Luna about Jenetar.”

“And apparently he likes having fun!” Pinkie Pie exclaims.

“But remember, we can’t let him remember anything,” Fluttershy says softly, “or else it would ruin everything.”

I nod, “Yes, we must be very careful. But I don’t think it’ll be too hard. We’ll probably get used to it eventually.”

“Whoo-wee! I’m gettin’ hungry,” Applejack exclaims, “All this talk ‘bout Jenetar and being serious makes me want a bite to eat. Y’all wanna c’mon over to Sweet Apple Acres?”

Food?! Food sounds great right about now!

“ALRIGHT! Let’s go!” Pinkie shrieks. We all walk out of the library and head for Sweet Apple Acres.

All this Jenetar stuff will come eventually, and as long as we remember everything the princesses said, we’ll have nothing to worry about except getting a new friend.

There’s nothing to worry about.