Dreams Do Come True

Sorry it took a long time to make this chapter

Shadow stared at Celestia in disbelief. How did she know his human name? The Angel never told him that the ponies would know who he was. He would have appeared to be a drifter.“What did you call me, highness?” Shadow asked again, wanting to verify he hadn’t gone bananas.

“Jason.” Celestia replied curtly. “That was your human name, was it not?”

“Yes it was, princess. But how did you know? I was under the impression I appeared to be a drifter. Just a background pony if you will. The being who brought me here, he told me I would start over with all of my memories intact, but no pony else would know me.” Shadow said, voice dropping slightly.

“Shadow Foot, you give me less credit than should be given. I am an all powerful goddess, am I not?” Celestia said, allowing herself a small chuckle. “I knew since day one who you were and how you came to be; what interests me, my servant, is why you were so adamant to be my son’s protector, when I have so many other qualified guards ponies at my disposal.” She gestured around the room with her wing, pointing at 5 guards stationed about. They nodded to her in turn, and then resumed their stoic forward glance, every bit as serious as ever.

“Well, princess, it’s a bit of a confusing and long story.” Shadow said. “You see, your son and I were actually very close friends in our past lives. “ Shadow said. “He committed suicide after a particularly tumultuous period in his life. He has no memory of who he was or where he came from. As far as he knows, he’s only your son. As far as I can tell, he may not ever recover his previous memories, but I could be wrong. I didn’t think actually coming to equestria was possible, but here we are…” Shadow said, trailing off.

“Your story is a strange one, but I sense no guilt in your voice. You must be telling the truth, or a very good liar. But regardless, I gave you the guardianship of my son for the very reason you just told me. Who better to watch over him than someone who already knows him so well?” Celestia said, chuckling again.

“On my home dimension, there are far stranger things than a unicorn who utterly fails at magic.” Shadow said, his tone lightening considerably.

“Quite.” Celestia said, ending the rather uncomfortable conversation quite suddenly. As if mailed with perfect timing, a letter appeared in a puff of green smoke, no doubt sent via Spike belch. That always unsettled Shadow, even as a human.
“Speaking of my son…” Celestia trailed off, perusing the freshly mailed letter. After a few tense moments, Celestia spoke again. “Shadow, I believe my son has started having nightmares. Does this seem like anything a perfectly normal young colt should dream about?” Celestia asked Shadow, levitating the letter to him. As Shadow read the letter, a look of recognition crossed his features.

“I remember this very well, princess.” Shadow said. “This was the same day I met Damian. He was chased from school by a bunch of asscolts.” Shadow frowned, remembering every last detail. “I followed them to an alleyway. They were shouting cruel names at Damian for no other reason than he was different. He’d only just started coming to my school and hadn’t made any friends yet.”

Shadow introverted, trying to remember. “I followed them, but stayed out of view. They left him for dead in the alleyway. I kicked all their asses the next day, after taking Damian to the hospital for his wounds. They messed him up real bad, broken ribs being the biggest problem. I left them in even worse condition.” Shadow finished his speech, a sadistic smile crossing his muzzle.“Needless to say, me and Damian became close friends, and they never messed with him again.”

Celestia blinked in amazement. Did she entrust her son to some psychopath? “You didn’t kill them did you?” Celestia asked, her voice raising slightly. Celestia seemed to double in size when Shadow looked at her again. Regretting he had gone into such detail, he decided to clarify.

“No, I didn’t kill them. I’m not a murderer. I’m just very overprotective of others, especially when those being defended weren’t given a chance to fight back. It was three versus one. Imagine Twilight trying to fight off Discord or Nightmare Moon on her own, with no friends or elements to back her up.”

Celestia imagined what Equestria would have been like if left to Discord and Nightmare Moon. She didn’t like the odds. “Seems justified” Celestia said. “But how are you here? You explained my son, but not yourself.”

“Well, I just wished to be reunited with Damian, for there were things left unsaid that I really needed to let loose. I personally felt a little guilty for his death because in a note he left me, he said he felt alone and forgotten. If I had just been there more often, or called or visited, he might still be a human as well as me.”

“So, whatever benevolent force brought you here, must have felt that you owed Damian something, otherwise why bring two strangers across dimensions and across time, to then be reunited?” Celestia summed up.

“I’m just as confused as you are highness.” Shadow said. “Trust me, I have no clue why the ‘benevolent force’ as you put it felt it was a good idea to send me here, but I swear on all equestrian glory I will protect your son from anything and everything in his path, if it means laying my life down for him. I only regret he had to leave the castle because I reached my teaching limits.”

“Twilight is my best student from the academy, as I’m sure you know. She will not let him down if it means letting me down. She is beyond gifted in the ways of magic. If any pony can teach him all there is to know, it is she.”

“What do I do now, princess?” Shadow asked. “I have no bits to my name, and the bits I did have, I earned by doing cheap magic for young foals. I’d dearly like to visit Star more often, but a train ticket is not bought on desire alone.”

“I can do two things for you, if you’re willing to earn it.” Celestia said, a sly smile crossing her muzzle.

Shadow didn’t like where this conversation was going, if fanfics from earth taught him anything. Nervously, he bit at Celestia’s tantalizing bait.“What would you have me do, Princess?” Shadow asked. He secretly hoped it may have been some carnal favors more suited to a mature rated fanfic.

“Simple, really. I provide you a wage and a home in ponyville, you send me reports every couple of days on Star’s progress in all things. Be they social, educational, or otherwise. I can’t very well go to ponyville as often as I’d like, but I can certainly have eyes and ears everywhere. Whatever you feel is relevant for me to know, you tell me.” She finished. “You didn’t think I would ask you for such strange favors as you were undoubtedly thinking of?” She said, laughing. “Although, you are an attractive young stallion…” She said, smiling scandalously.

Shadow realized in that moment that a red-coated pony could certainly blush. That had to have been the giveaway. “Princess! Of course not!” Shadow said, trying to defend himself, and ultimately failing. “It’s just that, you know, I’ve read and seen some things…”

“It’s settled then, you’re officially spying on my son for me.” Celestia said, writing out a letter quickly and levitating a small bag that undoubtedly contained some bits, judging by the jingle noises emanating from it. “Simply deliver this to the town hall, and you’re address will be given to you. You got lucky on this one. It’s not very far from town, right down the path from a yellow Pegasus named Fluttershy. Once she warms up to you, I’m sure she’ll show you around, if Pinkie doesn’t find you first.” Celestia laughed cryptically. Reports every two days, Mr. Shadowfoot, or I may be forced to go princess molestia on you.”

“Yes, princess” Shadow said, unsure if he should obey or not. Next thing he knew, he was on the train back to ponyville and his new life.
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Shadow arrived at Ponyville town hall a long eight hours later. He hoped they were still open. It was quite late in the afternoon, and if equestria was anything like earth, most official government buildings closed at 5pm. Thankfully, the Princess had taken this into account, and the title deed to Shadow’s new cottage was in his hooves not even an hour after he got off the train. “Guess I won’t be sleeping in the CMC clubhouse tonight” Shadow thought to himself as he magicked his door open. That was a lot harder than it looked. The cottage was dark inside, and with some fumbling, he found a lamp. Clicking it on, he was pleased to find that the home was modestly furnished, with a single bedroom, much like his earth apartment. He decided to write a letter to the princess to be sent in the morning mail, and after that was done, he settled into bed.