Broken Wings

Five years had passed since I left that wonderful town; I had traveled all over Equestria, working any job I could find to make a few bits. Sure, I could have eaten grass... but that got pretty old pretty fast, and I often found myself with an inexplicable craving for hay fries.

I’ve spent a lot of my time in the ruins of an abandoned castle, deep in a forest someplace. With a little hard work I've made a small section of it fairly comfortable, even uncovered a hidden library. Well… When I say uncovered, I mean I fell through the floor and landed inside… life still enjoys toying with me, it seems.

The library has turned out to be a treasure trove of stories, history and even books on magic! I’ve been studying a primer for young unicorns, trying to find a way to control the odd magic that took care of those timber wolves. Though after almost a year of trying the most basic of spells, levitation, I merely found ways to give myself a headache…

The castle that I live in is in ruins, but a small section near a fallen tower seems to have remained sound. It’s there I have made myself what I’ve had to come to terms with as ...my home. I can’t go back to the town. I just... can’t.

So I’ve shored up the roof with logs and planted a small vegetable garden. A few woven branches over the chimney disguise the smoke from my fires, and I even have a rough bed of sorts. Aw, who am I kidding, it’s a blanket thrown over some straw. The surrounding forest hides my training area.

I had reasoned that if the guardian magic increased my own abilities, then training will make me stronger, and therefore better able to handle it. I spend most of my days dragging logs and flying through loops of tree branches placed around the wood randomly, each task improving my strength, stamina, speed and maneuverability.

I'm sure you’re thinking I forgot my promise and just hid myself from the world... but that’s not true. Within a few hours’ flight of the ruins are a collection of small, nameless towns, farms and homesteads.
I fly between each of them every night, looking for trouble. Sure, I’ve saved a few lives, but not one pony knows I even exist for certain. I've become an urban legend. Listening in from the darkness near one farm I overheard two farm ponies having a conversation about me.

“So Basalt, what do you think of this rumour about some protector being seen around here?”

“Well... I'm unsure he even exists, Cobalt. Somepony had to have rescued the Clover family from that house fire, though. And drove off those diamond dogs... and there was that business with the timberwolves too...”

“Have you heard what the kids have started calling him?”

“Yup, Night Wing.”

I had to stuff a hoof into my mouth to stop from laughing. Night Wing? It sounded like one of those stupid comic book heroes I had seen other colts read about in school. Still... I guess it was kind of cool. Night Wing...

It was after one of my nightly patrols that I made a new friend.

I landed in front of my home, shook out my wings and pushed the door to enter.

CRASH!

I burst through the door, wings splayed, ready to throw down with whoever or whatever the intruder was. The room was empty; a faint glow came from the hole that led down to the library. I approached carefully, and a slightly muffled voice called out.

“Oh ponyfeathers... err... Hello? Help? Can anyone hear me?”

With a frown, I silently glided down into the hole; the light came from under a collapsed bookcase. I pouted. I would have to build another case for the books... My woven branch bookcases already held a fair number of books in their roughly made shelves, though, I suppose they would have collapsed sooner or later anyway. A yellow hoof poked out from under some books and waved weakly.

“Err... if somepony is out there, if you don’t mind, can you help me?”

I set my shoulder under the ruined bookcase with a smirk and lifted. It crashed down behind me as I straightened up, flying into the air, to see a yellow unicorn poke her head from under the pile. One book, amusingly enough, remained open across her head. She stared at me blankly before rummaging in the pile and retrieving a pair of oval spectacles; donning them, she stared at me a moment longer before gasping in shock.

“Oh, I'm so sorry, sire! I had no idea a member of the royal family would be here!”

I was... confused, to say the least. “What? You think I'm... royalty?”

“I'm sorry, sire... I shouldn’t have taken up your valuable time rescuing me.”

I looked at her for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. Why did she think I was a royal of any kind? I'm a scarred and scruffy Pegasus, for Equestria’s sake!

“Okay, lady. If you call me sire or any royal nickname of any kind again, you’re going back under the bookcase.”

The look of surprise on her face was... well, cute.

“But... but all alicorns are members of the royal family! Aren’t they...?”

Her blue eyes widened in shock as I facehooved and sighed.

“Okay, let’s get this sorted out before we go any further. I'm a Pegasus, not an alicorn. This horn isn’t really a horn. It’s a bone shard, from an old accident.”

“Oh... I'm sorry...”

Oh Celestia, the ashamed look on that girl’s face was making me blush and I didn’t know why. Standing up, she shook the book from her head, revealing a small glowing horn and a green mane, braided into a single plait and hung over her shoulder. Saddlebags hung from her flank, absolutely stuffed full of scrolls and books. Her cutie mark was a quill across an open book. Composing herself, she lifted a hoof.

“My name is Antiquity, Second Assistant Royal Librarian.”

“Anti... anti… sorry I can’t even pronounce that. Do you have a nickname or something I can call you by?”

“Well, my sister used to call me Page, because of my love of books…”

“Page. I like that.” I smiled reassuringly. I had to wonder though, why was she blushing?

“And what do I call you? It’s rude not to introduce yourself to a lady, you know.”

I burst out laughing, feeling more relaxed than I had in years. “Call me Starshot.”

Wait. I just gave her my real name? What is wrong with me? What if she knows I'm a wanted pony?

“Starshot... where have I heard that name before...? I think somepony mentioned it in the Canterlot library...”

“You’re from Canterlot?” The feelings of dread increased quickly.

“Yep!” Page drew herself up proudly. “I work in the royal library. Second Assistant Royal Librarian, remember?”

Okay, I was scared now. If she worked in Canterlot then she must have heard of my imagined crimes. She must have. What if she told someone? I couldn’t hurt her, it went against all I stood for and would dishonor Sunspot’s memory. What could I do? I’d have to run again; there was no way around it.

“Hmm. Oh well, it can’t have been anything important. What are the chances you’d have the same name, anyway?”

“Pretty long odds, I agree.” I laughed in relief.

“So… have you got any idea how to get out of here?”

I pointed up to the hole above us with a smirk. “Only way that’s not blocked by rubble.”

Page looked down at the floor, tears in her blue eyes.

“So I'm stuck in here…”

“Nope!” With a grin I dipped my head under her and flipped her up onto my back. Before she could react, my wings flared and beat down powerfully. Compared to the rocks and logs I spent time lifting, Page was very little weight at all. She screamed as we floated up through the hole and clung to my neck with crushing force. I set down a few feet from the hole and looked back over my shoulder. Page had her eyes screwed shut and was shivering. I had to suppress the urge to laugh.

“Page… we’re out, you can let go now...” She hugged my neck tighter and whimpered.

With a grin I stretched out a wing and brushed her back with a feather. In response she leapt into the air with an adorable shriek, legs flailing about in the air, before falling back down to the floor. I couldn’t help it anymore and burst out laughing.

“You’re such a jerk! Starshot! You’re not even listening!”

By this point I had fallen on my back, legs shaking as I laughed uncontrollably. After a minute or two I was able to compose myself and stop the giggling. I rolled to my hooves and grinned at her.

“Sorry, Page. I didn’t mean to be a jerk, it’s just you were so cute with the hugging and the shrieking and the flailing...”

She blushed at me for a moment, making me blush a little in return.

“Besides, flying is the only way out of there at the moment”

Page just glared at me.

“Right. So... where are you staying? It’s pretty late and if you want to get any sleep tonight, we’d better get you there.”

Page gave me a shy look. “I don’t really have anywhere to go. My job today here at Hoof Drannor castle was to catalog the books and scrolls left behind for later retrieval. I’d planned to be back by now, but... the bookcase...”

I gave Page a tired smile. The forest was far too dangerous at night, so the only real choice was for her to sleep here tonight. Great, that meant I'd be sleeping on the floor…

“Alright, Page. You can crash here tonight. My bed isn’t much, but you’re welcome to it.”

Page gave the blanket-covered straw a look before turning to look back at me.
“You sleep here?”

“Yep, this is my home. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need some shut eye.” With that I curled up and lay my head across my front legs. After a moment I opened an eye to see Page still standing there, looking at me as if I was crazy.

“Look, it’s a 5 hour walk to the nearest farm from here. If you want to try it, just follow the path back to the road and head east. I personally wouldn’t recommend it in the dark though; there are diamond dogs in these parts and more than a few timberwolves. Your call.”

Page looked very pale at the thought and reluctantly curled up on the blanket. A moment later some very unladylike snores began. With a quiet smirk, I fell asleep.

Dawn, as always, found me in the forest training; but this time I had a goal in mind. It took me about ten minutes of wandering around looking at trees before I spotted one that fit what I was searching for - an ash with a split trunk, damaged by lightning. It was time for my one and only feat of magic.

Lining myself up, I focused, feeling the tingle at the base of my horn. Eyes closed, I willed the tingle down to my hooves, feeling them warm as the magic enveloped them. I opened my eyes, and noticed with a smile that my hooves now shone with a silver light. I narrowed my eyes, charged for the tree, spun on one hoof and used the momentum to slam both back hooves into the trunk. The magically enhanced impact actually tore the tree up, roots and all. I dodged to one side, grinning as it fell and shook my head to clear the dizziness. Thank you, timberwolves, for teaching me that trick... I tied a length of rope around the trunk; taking the other end in my mouth I turned to drag it back. Page stood a short distance away, staring at me with wide eyes and an open jaw. Oops.

“I thought you said you weren’t an alicorn!”

“I'm not! ...I'm a Pegasus; I just have a few extra tricks.”

“You just bucked a tree out of the ground! That’s not a trick, that’s magic!”

I sighed sadly, “Please, I don’t want to relive the story behind this...”

Page gave me an odd look before pointing a hoof at me.

“I know who you are!”

My head dropped to look at the ground; I was going to have to run again. I hated to run, but I wasn’t going to hurt anypony to hide my secret.

“You’re Night Wing!”

I blinked and looked at her, my eyes wide with surprise.

“Oh by Luna’s moon! I'm your biggest fan! Can I get your autograph?”

I couldn’t think of a single thing to say, this girl was a fan? I had fans? But couldn’t they at least pick a better name than Night Wing? Page stared at me expectantly, her eyes wide and filled with pure happiness.

“What’s with the tree, anyway, Starshot?”

“You need a way in and out of the library without almost choking me to death, so... I'm building a ramp.”

“But how will you get that back to the ruins?”

To answer, I gripped the rope in my teeth and pulled. I think Page almost fainted as I dragged the tree past her. She followed me back to the ruins with a dumbfounded expression. I grinned and spent the next hour splitting the dead tree down its length by shoving an iron bar into the split the lightning strike had left, and bucking it. Page watched me with an oddly appraising look. To be honest it kind of scared me. Taking a break, I drank some rainwater from a bucket…

“So I was looking at your flank…”

And then spat it out across the clearing.

“Not like that! Not that you don’t have nice flanks…” Her face was bright red. “I mean the tree! The dragging! It was because you’re strong and not magic right?”

“Yeah, I drag logs and boulders around every day to try and build up my strength.”

“What was that magic then? It looked like starlight.”

“Starlight? You think I'm tied to one of the great elements?”

“Alright, Starshot. I want you to explain your magic to me and how you use it.”

“I'm not sure I understand it myself, really. I... I get a tingle at the base of my horn and will it to my hooves, and it makes the impact from my bucks a lot greater.”

“What do you call the spell?”

“It doesn’t have a name.”

“Ok, for now we’ll call it... Starlight Strike. Have you tried to focus it into anything else? Maybe into your wings, for example?”

I stared at her blankly. The idea had never occurred to me once.

With a smile she pointed to my waypoint rings, set out in a rough course through the wood.

“No time like the present! Let’s give it a shot!”

The look in her eyes told me I would get no peace until I tried it so I closed my eyes and focused. Feeling the familiar tingle begin, I willed it to my wings, feeling them tingle and heat up like they were spread out in the warm sunlight.

“Oh, wow...” The wonder in Page’s voice was obvious.

I glanced over my shoulder and stared in shock; my wings glowed with silver light and felt almost weightless. With a single flap I was launched into the air. Fighting to keep from shouting with glee I shot through the track, almost screaming with delight at the speeds I was reaching. A silver trail spread from my wings as I flew, taking the twists and turns at speeds way above what my big frame should be able to reach. This was incredible. This was insane! This was... oops. I shut my eyes as I realised that I’d made my last turn far too tight. A tree hurtled towards my right wing, but I couldn’t pull it back in time. I wasn’t going to make it! I couldn’t possibly... what? Other than a slight tug I felt - nothing…? What happened? I glanced back and pulled up to stop in horror. With a slow groan and a crash, half of a tree fell. It had been sheared in half... as if by some huge blade. The light faded as I stared in shock. Did… did I do that?

I returned to the clearing on hoof, still terrified at the thought of that sliced tree.

“How did it go? Starshot?” Page looked at me concerned.

I dropped to my knees and threw up, feeling tired and queasy. Page rushed over and rubbed my back, trying to help.

“Does that always happen when you use magic?”

“I always feel sick, yeah. And if something more powerful happens it tends to knock me out.”

“You have a mental barrier.” I looked at her in confusion. “Think of it like this: you’re afraid of your power, you think you don’t deserve it - so your mind punishes you for using it.”

“I… that actually does make a lot of sense. This power scares the cutie mark off me… and... and how I gained it…”

Tears filled my eyes as I remembered Sunspot’s sacrifice.

“There ...was an accident, myself and the girl I loved were buried alive, I ended up with my head impaled with a shard of dragon bone and she...” I was openly weeping now. “She gave her life to save me... she poured her magic into me through the bone...it became this horn...”

“Cave in... dragon... Sweet Celestia! You’re the one they’ve searched for all these years? The one they say killed a filly to try and become a god?”

“I am... but please, if you must talk about it. Please use her name... She was Sunspot... she was my life... I... I loved her...”

Tears ran down my face, dripping on the packed leaves of the clearing. Page hesitated for a moment before running up to me and wrapping her hooves around my neck. She held me tight as I cried. The sadness and heartache of all those years poured out of me as I sobbed my heart out. Looking back it must have been an odd sight, a massive pegasus crying on the shoulder of a small unicorn.

“Starshot, I have to ask... All the pain you went through. After being chased across Equestria... Why do your put yourself through so much to protect strangers?”

“I do it because I promised Sunspot; her last wish was that I be a guardian to those who need it.”

“For all those years you’ve struggled and been hurt because of a promise?”

“I know it seems strange but... you have to understand, I was an outcast, she made me better...”

“Starshot... I don’t understand.”

I told her my tale, sparing no details. Her face showed sorrow at my injury from the branch, wonder at Sunspot’s guardian spell, but finally she cried openly as I told of Sunspot’s sacrifice.

“How can you go on? Starshot, I would be furious at what’s been done to you!”

“How do you know I never made the whole thing up? Maybe I am the monster they decided I was.”

“I cast a spell to detect the truth while you spoke. You never lied once.”

It was dark when I finally finished my makeshift ramp, the split logs stretched into the dark of the library. After smashing the hole wider a little, Page could easily walk down and up as needed. I scavenged some rags and other things from one of the nearby farms and made Page a set of torches to see by. Keeping torches in an underground library full of books was, admittedly, a little dangerous... but I wasn’t about to go and try catching fireflies.

It was in her second day of serious cataloging when she turned to me and asked “Why are you helping me so much? I'm from Canterlot, the people hunting you.”

“Page, you’re my friend. I care about what happens to you and I’ll be darned if I don’t help out a friend when she needs it.”

Page watched me for a moment, a blush on her face. With a sudden movement she pulled off her glasses and kissed me. I was stunned. Happy for sure, but still stunned. I kissed her back, suddenly needing the comfort of another soul. In the back of my mind I could hear Sunspot’s voice, urging me on, to be happy. I smiled through my kiss. After a minute we pulled apart; Page nuzzled my neck and sighed happily.

“What, Page?”

“I found somepony that’s worth loving. Looks like I finally got a lucky break.”

I groaned loudly, receiving giggles in response.

“Lucky Break has been my nickname since the orphanage.”

Page looked at me with a smile, and then burst out laughing. I laughed too, free of worries. I could finally relax and enjoy something. For almost a week I was loved, and I loved Page back in return… even if I still couldn’t pronounce her real name.

Then she came.

It was very late at night when I returned from my patrols of the area, tired and exhausted. Another pack of Timberwolves had attacked a farmstead. Driving them off was no big issue now but the fight had left me incredibly drained. Page snuggled on the hay pile with me, curled under my wing. I was... happy, actually happy. I knew Sunspot was happy for me too. I began to drift off to sleep.

*BOOOM*

Something shook the ruins, throwing us both to the floor. The tremors subsided. I rolled to my hooves and headed for the door.

“Page! Close the door after me and don’t open it until I tell you to!”

I galloped out the door and froze. Towering above me was a dragon, deep red, almost black. It wore some kind of black armor, a crescent moon sigil engraved in the chest plate. More armored plates encased the wrists, thighs and shins. Massive wings rose from its back. It glared down at me with glowing yellow eyes.

“Who are you and what do you want?” My voice was free from fear but I was terrified nonetheless. What could I do to a dragon? I didn’t even reach its ankles!

The dragon spoke to me in an odd dual toned voice.

“Cower, foal, for I am Nightmare Blaze! I came seeking the bearer of the draconic magics. Instead, I find you.”

The contempt in its voice was obvious, something tugged at the back of my mind.

“Nightmare? As in Nightmare Moon?”

The two-toned laughter was chilling.

“Ah yes, little Luna. She was a good host... but now I possess the body of the dragon mage of legend. My power has never been greater!”

It turned its head and breathed out. A blast of black and crimson flames erupted. The forest never even had time to burn as everything was blown to ash. The Nightmare threw its head back and laughed. I stared at the desolation in horror; there was nothing left for miles. The remaining forest burned. It was then that I knew that this thing was going to kill me. Not for any other reason than because it could.

“You’re planning to kill me, am I right?”

“Yes, little foal. Luna and Celestia cannot know of me until I deem myself ready.”

I stomped a hoof, my magic flaring to life. Wings, horn and hooves were shrouded in silver light. My body pulsed.

“Well I hope you don’t mind me making you work for it.”

I launched myself, trailing silver light as I tore straight for the Nightmare’s face, flipping in mid charge and slamming into its muzzle. The impact knocked its head to the side, yellow eyes widening in surprise; I sped behind its back and angled my glowing wings, diving for the dragon’s. Seeming to sense my intentions, the nightmare span about, my charge only managing to shear the bone tip from one wing.

“Enough!” The roar was deafening, a tendril of black smoke shot from the dragon’s body and caught my leg. That gave it the opening it needed. One great claw slammed into me, knocking me from the sky. The impact with the ground smashed one of my legs and broke some of my ribs. I could feel one had punctured a lung. Coughing blood, I forced myself back upright.

“Starshot, no!”

Page galloped up to me, covered in dust and stone chips. Glancing over, I vaguely noted that my little home had collapsed.

“Page, whatever happens, stay behind me.”

And so here we are. I stand here bloody and broken. Against the Nightmare.

Love is a powerful thing.

I launched myself at the dragon once more but it this time it was expecting the attack. My charge met a single descending claw, the tip of one nail impaling me through the chest. I couldn’t even scream. With a look of disdain, I was thrown at the ruins; I felt bones shatter as I crashed through the stonework, the walls collapsing over me. Everything began to go dark. Dimly I could hear Page screaming my name. Everything went darker.

I died.

Something jabbed me in the ribs and with a shriek I leapt to my hooves. I was in... a field of lush, long grass. Ponies of all descriptions looked over at me.

“Starshot, you always did shriek like a filly!”

I knew that voice! I spun and hugged the purple filly behind me, tears of joy flowing down my face.

“Sunspot I missed you so much!”

Her amazing golden eyes snared my instant attention.

“Listen to me Starshot, there’s not a lot of time. That girl needs your help.”

“I can’t defeat the Nightmare, Sunspot, it’s far too powerful!”

“So you will let her die?”

“No, I can’t let her go, I love her...”

“Do you want to protect her?”

“...With all my soul.”

Sunspot beamed a happy grin at me.

“Finally, I just want you to be happy. Now listen. The reason your magics hurt to use is because they are not pony magic. You have the power of a Dragon Mage within you. Through that bone shard my magic has tied you to its element, Starlight. Your mind is rejecting it and so it hurts you when you use it. I can remove the blockage, but when I do you’ll be thrown back into your body and the soul of the dragon will awaken. I have no idea what will happen after that. Do you want me to release it?”

My eyes narrowed. “Let’s do this.”

Princess Luna, goddess of the night, stared out over Canterlot with a frown. In the far distance a red glow lit the sky. Turning from the window, she trotted back towards the throne room. A second alicorn, pure white in stark contrast to her own indigo coloring, was seated on one throne and yawning loudly.

“Tia, something is wrong, fire lights the sky in the west.”

Princess Celestia, the Ruler of Equestria, looked at her sister with concern.

“Are you sure it is as bad as it seems, my Luna?”

“Tia, for a glow like that, miles upon miles of forest must be burning!”

A small flash of flames surprised both alicorns as a dirty looking scroll appeared in the air and fell to the floor. With a frown, Celestia lifted it with her magic and began to read.

Princess!
I am Antiquity, a librarian in the Canterlot library sent by you catalog the library left when Hoof Drannor was abandoned.
I met a black alicorn here and we’re being attacked by some kind of dragon, Starshot is badly hurt!
Please! We need help!

“Luna, go. They need you. I must raise the sun.”

The princess of the night nodded and galloped towards the open window. Celestia looked up and ran to stand by her side when her sister paused to gasp in shock. In the far distance, right where the crimson glow came from, stood a colossal pillar of silver light.

I opened my eyes. I felt so cold. The pain was so great that I couldn’t even whimper.

I heard Page sobbing, pawing at the rubble I lay beneath.

“Now that your brave colt friend is gone, what shall I do with you? Shall I burn you alive? Perhaps crush you slowly?”

I could feel my body charging up. Fire ripped through my veins.

“YOU SHALL NOT TOUCH HER!”

It was my voice... but a second voice spoke through me. Everything around me exploded. Silver light leapt into the air, drawing my shattered body with it. I felt blood running down my legs as I ascended the pillar of light, reaching the height of the Nightmare’s eyes.

“This pony has awakened me, and what do I find? My descendant corrupted by a creature like you!”

“You shall not mock me, little pony! I possess the great Dragon mage! Its powers are mine to command!”

“You understand NOTHING, creature! The true power of the dragon mages is passed down by the soul of its ancestors!”

I felt a presence sifting through my mind, reading my memories. In my mind I heard the voice speak to me.

“You have great heart, pony, a will that rivals the dragons themselves. I will help you, this once. Speak to me when it is done, we have much to discuss.”

The Nightmare attacked, a blast of its terrible breath engulfing my broken form. The flames died harmlessly against the light of the pillar. I was unable to move; the other presence pushed my awareness back roughly and took control of the magic. A beam of silver light erupted from my horn, slamming into the Nightmare’s chest with a deafening boom. The shock on the dragon’s face was total. A second blast sent it staggering back. My broken wings spread out, wreathed in light. Screaming in my mind at the agony, I could only watch as a cloud of silver feathers appeared about me, before rocketing at the Nightmare. Every time a feather struck, it exploded with a glaring flash. The barrage actually threw the creature to the ground. The clouds parted above me as a second pillar of light arced down, its impact all but driving the dragon into the ground, the castle completely collapsed from the tremors caused by the attack. I felt my body breathe in deeply, my punctured lung so painful I couldn’t think straight. I breathed out; silver flames erupted from my muzzle, screaming towards the Nightmare’s prone form.

“This isn’t over, foal!”

The Nightmare covered itself in its black and crimson flames and vanished. The silver flames washed over the spot it had laid a moment too late. I looked down at Page, looking back up to me with wonder on her face. I smiled weakly as the light of the pillar winked out and I fell. Mercifully, I passed out before I hit the ground.

I heard voices, some distant, some close.

“Can he be saved?”

“To be honest, Princess, I have no idea how he is alive. He is concussed, has three broken legs, both wings are shattered, there is a hole in his ribcage I can put my head into and that’s before I start on the internal damage! Not to even mention the missing organs!”

“Is something keeping his soul in that body?”

“Perhaps. Some kind of magic is slowly repairing his body; I took a second x-ray of his left wing, trying to find a way to save it. Almost half of the smaller bones have knitted themselves back together.”

“Is he an Alicorn? The power Luna described would suggest so...”

“No, he shows none of the signs, he’s quite mortal. I must point something out to you, though. Almost his entire body is covered in scars, most so faded they are not noticeable, but it would suggest he has been fighting for all this time.”

“Doctor, what’s your opinion on the horn? Could this Pegasus have created it by stealing magic?”

“Not a chance, your highness. The magics we have identified within him are all a part of him. None are alien.”

“So, my little pony, we will have to wait until you wake to know the truth...”

I faded out.

I heard later that I had been in a coma for two months. The doctors had spent day after day casting healing spells on my body, stopping my muscles from wasting away. Page had been refused access to me. Even while being almost dead again, I had been kept under guard. Not really surprising, I was a wanted fugitive after all. After almost a week after I woke up, I was declared fit enough to leave the hospital. Expecting to be led to trial, I was surprised when instead a trio of unicorns teleported me straight into a dungeon cell.

I spent two days in that cell; a single guard seemed to take pleasure in ignoring my attempts at conversation. It came to a head on the second night. The cell was so cold; I burrowed into the straw piled into one corner, trying to get warm. With a sigh I trotted to the bars and called out.

“Hey, can I get a blanket or something? It’s cold in here!”

“Sure, just come down here and grab one” The guard sneered back.

Ok, I had had it with that jerk. I turned from the bars and charged a single hoof with light. One single kick smashed the lock from the door. I could see the terror in that jerk’s eyes as I walked towards him. I never spoke a single word; I just walked past him, grabbed a blanket from a nearby table and walked back into my cell, closing the door behind me. Wrapping it around me, I snuggled into the straw and went to sleep.

Dawn found me awake, as was my routine; I was doing wing pushups when somepony coughed politely. I glanced over at the door, surprised to find it open. In the frame stood an alicorn, her long mane seeming to be made of the night itself. A cutie mark of a crescent moon adorned her flank and her armour. She waved politely.

“Oh hey there, come on in. I would offer you a seat, but the guard hasn’t left one here.”

“Is it true you escaped your cell last night?”

“Sorry about that. I needed a blanket and the guard was being a jerk.”

“So you are capable of escape from your cell at any time?”

“I wouldn’t call it escaping; I came back into here and closed the door when I had a blanket.”

“Why did you not run?”

“I'm not going anywhere, I'm tired of running. Besides, I need to know if Page is alright.”

She gave me an odd look. “Who is Page?”

“The girl I was with, Antiak... antifi... Ugh! I still can’t say it!”

“Oh, the librarian, Antiquity. She seems to be very worried about you.”

I gave her a glare, seeming to surprise her. It then dawned on me who I was chatting with. Princess Luna, princess of the night and co-ruler of Equestria. I wasn’t impressed or awed, though. I was too annoyed.

“And that surprises you? That a girl like her can like something like ME?”

My voice had risen to a roar. Realizing this I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“Sorry, Princess. It’s... it’s just hard for me not to jump to the conclusion that I'm seen as a monster…”

Luna let out a sad little sigh. “I can understand that feeling all too well.”

“So...what happens to me now?”

“You’re to be tried in the royal court. Before you get upset, though, I have looked into your past. There seems to be... some differences from what you were accused of, and what evidence was presented. Starshot…can I ask you a question?”

The serious look on her face had me concerned. Was she going to make me relive Sunspot’s passing? I don’t think I could handle that right now. Maybe it was about Nightmare Blaze? That had to be it.

“What happened to you under that rubble? I sensed you die; your soul reached the fields of the Eternal Herd. Yet moments later you returned to life and beat the hay out of Nightmare Blaze!”

“To be honest, your highness…”

“Call me Luna”

“Sorry, ah, Luna. I have no idea. I was in this vast field and Sunspot was there. She told me I was bound to the powers of the dragon mage whose bone shard makes up my horn...”

“What was the mage’s name?”

“I don’t really know... the bones rested in the Dragon’s Maw.”

Luna’s eyes grew wide as I gave her a confused look. She took a step backwards. Okay, now I was panicking.

“Luna, what’s wrong?”

“Alganon…The Starlight Dragon…”

“What is going on Luna? Please, you’re freaking me out here!”

“I'm sorry, Starshot, I must speak with Celestia immediately!”

With that she left the cell, sealing it with magic and leaving me stunned. An odd thought came to me and I closed my eyes.

“Hey Alganon, you said we needed to talk...?” I thought at myself.

“Ah! Looks like the little pony has finally found out where his powers come from.”

“Okay, I’ll bite, but what the hay is going on? How am I even talking to you… thinking at you…whatever I'm doing?”

“Allow me to explain; for a Dragon Mage to mature and come into his own powers, he must learn from an ancestor. For this purpose, when we die, we leave a portion of our power and soul in our remains.”

“So I'm speaking to a dragon’s soul?”

“Not quite. Think of me as a remnant. I do not have access to all I once knew and all of the powers I once wielded, but I can guide in their usage.”

“Right, I'm speaking to a voice in my head. I have finally gone insane”

“Hmm. You don’t trust me? After I saved you and your little friend?”

“You used my body with no regards to how hurt I was, but I thank you for saving Page…What was that you did anyway? What in Equestria is this... silver light?”

“Hmmm. How to explain... you are not the smartest creature I have spoken to.”

I frowned. I know I'm not book smart and all, but I’ve never let it stop me. What I don’t understand, I work at until I find a way forward.

“Ah! Think of the Royal Sisters, each are bound to a cosmic force: Celestia to the sun, and Luna to the moon. My power stemmed from the light of the stars themselves.”

“Okay... I was with you until cosmic.”

I felt the sigh of frustration more than heard it.

“Celestia is powered by the sun, Luna by the moon and I drew power from the stars. Simple enough?”

“Right... so I'm using magic through you somehow?”

“Not exactly. The shard from my skull is lodged directly into your brain. The power you use is a small fraction of what you can draw from. You are now tied to the stars themselves.”

“So I can use the spells that beat the Nightmare back so easily?”

“No, they were my powers. You must teach yourself what form the magic will take.”

“Will you help me?”

“No. I do not think you deserve the powers you now possess. They should have been passed to my descendant.”

“The dragon the Nightmare has possessed?”

“I will make you a deal, little one. Help release him from his torment, be it freedom or death, and I will help guide you.”

“Deal.”

I opened my eyes to note with surprise that the sun had set. I must have been talking for hours. With a sigh, I settled into the straw and went to sleep.

The sound of the cell door banging open woke me, a trio of guards and four unicorns marching into the cell. Chains dangled from the back of the closest guard, a white Pegasus in gold armor.

“Starshot of Trottingham, it is time for your trial.”

I didn’t resist as I was chained around the neck and hoof; a wide belt of leather was then fastened around my wings, and some sort of odd ring was placed around my horn. Satisfied with my restraints, the four unicorns cast a spell, teleporting us all into the white hall of the royal throne room. Celestia and Luna were seated upon the thrones, Luna looking at me with an odd expression, Celestia staring down at me with cold anger. I gulped my fear down, but it rose up again. Taking a length of my chains each, the Guards led me towards the sisters. I cast my eyes down fearfully.

Celestia looked sternly at me before speaking. “Is there anything you wish to say before the trial begins?”

The doors to the room crashed open, one of the Pegasus guards crashing through them. A gruff voice shouted out, the anger in his voice clearly felt.

“You aren’t trying my boy for nothing before I’ve had my say!”
I knew that voice…

“Charcoal?”