Author's Note

I hope I addressed all of the mistakes from last chapter, it was late when I worte it and I wasn't thinking all that clearly. Anyway, here's the next chapter, since the story keeps flowing through my head and to make up for any confusion in the last chapter. Enjoy!

Dark Side

Bronze and Daring Doo were walking through White Tail Wood on their way to Canterlot. Daring Doo insisted that he should be taken to the Princess right away. Bronze just couldn't figure out why. There were several other questions that lingered in his mind, like: Why did she name him Bronze? Why was she calling him a colt when he had the parts of a filly? Or why was she even helping him out in the first place?

It was all just too confusing to figure it out by himself, so he cleared his throat and decided to ask her. "Hey, Daring Doo?"

"Yeah? What's up?" She said as she turned and gave him a warm smile.

"I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" Bronze said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof as they kept walking.

"Sure. Ask me anything!" She said enthusiastically.

"Okay. Why did you name me Bronze?" Bronze asked with a curious look on his face.

"Well, its because of the color of your coat. It's light, but it reminds me of the color of Bronze." She said, still smiling as if there wasn't a care in the world.

"Okay then, next question. Why do you keep refering me to be a colt when I clearly have filly parts? Shouldn't I be a filly rather than a colt?" These two questions sort of put him on edge.

"Well, I mostly go by looks and not parts. Plus, I'm pretty sure you don't have all the parts of a mare." Daring Doo stated as her smile faded.

Bronze though for a moment. "Wait, yes I do! What do you mean I don't have all the parts?" He was confused now.

"What I mean is: you can't get pregnant. You have the mating parts, yes. But you don't have the parts that let you grow a foal inside you. Or to even produce an egg for that matter." She put a hoof to her chin as she stopped to ponder the possibilities that had occured to her just now.

"Oh." Bronze said as he looked down in embarrassment. "So, final question?" She nodded for him to continue as her thought process ended and she stood up and continued walking. "Why do you even care for me? Why did you sop and help me even though I'm a freak?" Bronze asked, his voice cracking slightly at the last word.

Daring Doo stopped mid-stride and turned to face him. She had a look of sympathy and something else that Bronze couldn't place. She slowly walked to Bronze and lifted a hoove to caress Bronze's cheek. She smiled and relayed her answer. "Because I couldn't just leave a helpless pony, no matter what they look like, out in the cold rain to suffer and die. It's just pony nature to help others. Also, I just feel... attached to you...like I'm supposed to protect you or something." While she had been talking, her hoof had slid off of Bronze's face and back to the ground where she wa now looking.

Bronze smiled and immediately wrapped his hooves around her neck in a big hug. "Thank you for helping me. It really means a lot." They stayed in the embrace for a few moments, just enjoying the closeness.

"It's no problem, Bronze. I'm always happy to help." She said as she broke the embrace and began walking again saying, "C'mon! We need to get to Canter Palace before it gets dark!" Daring quickly picked up the pace and trotted along the path with Bronze following closely behind.

After a few more hours of travel, the sky darkened and was quickly filled with the light of the moon and the stars that surrounded it. Daring Doo and Bronze hadn't made good time as the rain had picked up again, making them take cover for an hour before it was light enough to continue.

They were now at the edge of the forrest and were gazing upon the Giant Palace above them. It was definitely a sight to behold as both of them stared at its brilliant and picturesque buildings and towers. It only seemed like something off of a postcard.

After shaking her head, she turned to Bronze with a sad look. "This is as far as I go, I'm afraid. I was heading to another mission when I stopped to help you. I'm sorry, but you're on your own from here. Can You handle that?" Her face now held a look of genuine concern. Bronze nodded slowly as he thought of how he would get past all of the ponies, including the guards, to get to the Princess. It'll be nothing short of a miracle.

"I'll be fine. If anything, I can just take off running until I lose them." He said with a fake smile. Daring just nodded and pulled him into a warm hug, nuzzling his neck and cheek affectionately. Bronze blushed furiously, but enjoyed the contact.

"We'll see each other again. I'll see to that." She smiled and Bronze returned it. With one last look over her shoulder as she passed Bronze, Daring Doo began her journey to her next adventure, silently praying to Celestia that Bronze would come out just fine.

As soon as the mare was out of sight, Bronze trotted toward the castle, thinking of ways to get in with out the guards or other ponies see him. He could fly up into the garden or court yard and sneak into the castle from there, or he could just fly up to the Princess's window and wait for her to return to he chamber, or he had the obvious option of flying straight to the front gate and face the guards head-on.

Not liking the idea of being sneaky, Bronze decided on the latter. Even though it wasn't the safest way to go about it, it was still a chance. He quickly shifted into a gallop and lifted off on unsteady wings. The flight wouldn't take very long, which left him to his thoughts. What would the guards do when they saw him? What wuld the other ponies do? What would the Princess do? What if she immediately threw him inot the dungeon the second she saw him? Bronze really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Soon enough, he heard the gasps of other ponies below him as he flew over the town. Young foals coward and hid behind their parents upon seeing him. Some of the bigger colts and fillies were shaking as he passed them. Altough, most of them just stared or gawked. Bronze had expected this reaction, but didn't imagine it'd leave him feeling even more like a freak.

Seeing the front gate approaching, Bronze landed and began to walk towards it, glancing at the guards who stood perfectly still like the human guards in England. As he approached, he could see both guards visably cringe and the sight of him and grow tense as he came closer. When he was directly in front of them, they glared at him, flaring their wings to block his way. Bronze watched as their minds seemed to click and cause them to get into combat stances.

Bronze tensed as well as he began to back away from them. They follow him with their wings at full attention and eyes locked on their target. Feeling adrenaline and fear take control of his body, Bronze quickly turned and galloped the other direction. The guards soon followed in hot pursuit. After a few moments of running,

Bronze took off into the air, hoping to lose them. They kept up with him every twist and turn he threw at them, which weren't hard to keep u with seeing as how he just starting using his wings. He kept flying until he heard and felt something go right past his head. He looked down to see unicorn guards chasing him and firing snaring spells at him. Bronze began to push his wings to the limit as more and more guards joined in the chase.

After it seemed like the unicorns stopped firing, it picked up again except from a different direction. The were shooting at him from of top of the roofs! Bronze pushed faster and faster, trying to will himself to keep going. He knew he wouldn't last long as the exertion began to take its tole on his body. He would soon be throw in the dungeon or be dealt with however the guards felt he should be.

As Bronze closed his eyes, he felt something hit one of his hindlegs and he felt a vine-like sensation climb up his leg and over his whole body. He opened his eyes to see his wings be strapped to his bod, making him decend and break-neck speed. He closed his eyes again as he saw the incoming impact that would surely be the end of him. At least he would have to face the wrath of the Princess.

He soon felt his head slam into the lamp post and knock it completely over. He felt white-hot pain shoot through his body as the world around him was swallow by the burning tears in his eyes. How had he survived that? How- his thought were interupted as he felt a warm liquid drip from his head and down onto the siewalk below him. He looked down to see a small pool of blood growing in size as the headwound kept bleeding. He soon began to lose consciousness, but not until he saw the huge guards rushing towards him. Instead of picking him up, the just lifted the spell and began to beat him and kick him, yelling insults and profanity at him.

Feeling his body begin to shut down and his consciousness fade, he heard a gentle, but stern voice tell the guards to stop. He looked up through his blackened eyes at the gleaming alicorn that was Princess Celetsia. Behind her was Princess Luna, looking shocked and appalled at the state I was now in. Celestia held her gaze at me, which soon turned to concern as she barked out an order and the guards immediately began to lift Bronze on their backs and carry him back to the palace. By now, Bronze had lost most of his senses. The only ones that were left were sight and sound. He watched as both Princesses trotted beside him, saying that he was going to be alright. Celestia's warm smile was the last thing Bronze saw before exhaustion and the throws of immense pain took him into an unpleasant slumber, wishing that he were dead rahter than being healed.