Equestria; a journey with equines

Chapter 4

I am all of me

Fear. Right now, I know nothing but fear. Celestia wished me away with almost no effort, imagine what she could do if she focused. As much as I like solitude, I don't want to go to the moon.  Heh, I'm starting to sound like paranoid Twilight from lesson zero.

I'm cowering behind my onetime rival and enemy, the frying pan. I hope the frying pan will protect me, but deep down, I know it won't.  Although, they say that if you believe, you can do anything. I believe that I'm going to suffer, all because the princess if discriminate. How pessimistic.

The fear manifests itself in my mind, the instinct that is fight or flight dominates my actions. I must run. The nearest exit is the door, still open from my entry previously. However, a certain white alicorn stands between me and that exit. Running is not an option.

The fear vanishes, anger taking it's place. I must stand my ground and not become a doormat for Celestia to walk over. I stand, ever so slowly, holding both the frying pan and my head high. I am not a doormat, my will is iron.

Celestia's once exaggerated smile, contorts into something different.  A grimace of terror, matching her dilated pupils. It's an emotion I know too well. Absolute fear. Even Twilight had moved from my side and is now cowering behind the sun princess like I cowered behind my onetime nemesis. She has the same look of terror. Fluttershy is nowhere to be seen. Why are they so scared of me?

Oh. That's why.

My shadow has been replaced by a fearsome mass of shadowy tendrils, flowing outwards from my original shadow. My lower arms and hands have an aura of magic surrounding them just like Twilight's horn, except it's black and ominous. The light of the multiple lamps around the room do nothing to pierce the various black shapes erupting from my shadow.

I smile. The power brings a familiar feeling, a feeling I didn't expect to have again. The same feeling I had when Nightmare's power coursed through me and I blew up that uncooperative door. It feels good.

I drop my enemy turned ally, the pan used for frying. I don't need it anymore. I have power of my own.

"Nightmare,"  Celestia gasps.

She knows this power, then again, it did possess her sister a thousand years ago.

"No, Nightmare is gone, crushed, defeated and absorbed." My voice echoes with godly power similar to that of the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Please, call me Michael." I could come up with something darker, or more intimidating, but I lack creativity when it comes to names. My real name will have to do.

Twilight looks at me with less fear, but more curiosity. "Michael?"

"Yes, that is the name I have had for fifteen long years on Earth."

The tendrils fade from existence, my true shadow returning. The aura of magic dissipates.

"Just imagine what Hitler could've done done with magic. 6 million would've turned multiple billion." I say jokingly, a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

Twilight shies away at the mention of that name. Celestia growls. Bad joke.

I step towards the princess, my movements slow, in an attempt to appear less aggressive than I already have. I can't believe I'm about to do this. I stop within reach of Celestia.

"I'm sorry for whatever caused you to assume me evil and send me to some cave. I didn't mean to leave that impression on any..." I consider how I'm going to finish that word. " ...pony. I am also sorry for scaring you just now, I felt scared and intimidated by what you could do to me and the new power within me reacted. I hope you can accept my apology" I stare at the floor. I've never been one for apologies, but I know how much it means to ponies.

 I hug the very being that rules over this land and raises the sun each morning. A bold move.

She hugs me back, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry for treating you so poorly before getting to know you." I just hugged the princess, FUCK YEAH!

I think I can hear Twilight lightly sobbing at the heartfelt moment before her, or it's just my imagination. Regardless, she joins in the hug. Hugged Twilight too, FUCK YEAH scale is in overload.

A soft murmur is given off by none other than 'Shy, she had obviously returned at some point. I am probably too oblivious to have noticed anyway. She joins in the group hug.

KABOOM!

The scale exploded.

The hug continues for a couple moments more. The longer the better, I don't recall ever being this happy to go all soppy.

"So, the Nightmare is inside you now? It must be removed at once." Says Celestia, the caring and authoritative tone recognisable from the tv series.

"No, the Nightmare is no longer the Nightmare, but part of me. Removing it now would be like removing a part of me, and I am all of me."

All three equines look at me like I just spoke gibberish, but pursue the matter no further. It seems I have convinced them for now.

"Michael, I welcome you to Equestria." Celestia says with a smile.

"Thank you, princess."  I hate formalities. "I would like to ask if I could stay here in Ponyville for the foreseeable future."

"Certainly."

"Great. But, I don't have a place to stay..." the sudden realisation of my current predicament causing the sorrow I feel to be evident in my voice.

"Don't worry" Twilight pipes up. "You can stay with me and Spike in the library."

"Thank you Twilight!" I'm so happy I could just... just... do something crazy and Pinkie like. "Princess?"

"Yes?"

"Could you personally introduce me to the town? I don't want the ponies to fear me because I'm different, just like Zecora. And I know they trust you more than anypony."

"I'd be happy too."

Pure success, now everypony in town will be more accepting of my presence in their community.

"Alright then, let's go" I say, following Celestia as she leaves for Ponyville, closely followed by one unicorn, one pegasus and a mysterious moving cloud.

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